Intermet Corp., the Michigan-based company that owns the New River Foundry in Radford, has a new organizational structure designed to reduce and redistribute some operations once handled at corporate headquarters.

As a result, some positions in accounting, sales and engineering will be transferred to the company's manufacturing sector.

Intermet executives hope the move will increase efficiency and responsiveness to customers, as well as reduce overhead costs, according to a news release on the announcement.

"After a thorough review of our business, we have developed a streamlined organizational structure that will enable Intermet to better focus on profitability and exercise the flexibility necessary in a rapidly changing automotive industry," interim chief executive officer Gil West said in the release.

Intermet spokesman Mike Kelly said certain positions may be transferred to some plants under the new structure, but could not give specific information on whether new jobs would be coming to the New River Foundry.

"As far as our Radford and Lynchburg plants, it's basically business as usual," Kelly said. "The changes that we detailed in the release give our U.S. manufacturing operations, including the Virginia plants, significantly increased autonomy as far as running their businesses."

Also as a result of reorganization, the company's casting plants will be divided into five business groups.

Kelly said the New River Foundry is part of a domestic ferrous group that includes the Archer Creek Foundry in Lynchburg, Columbus Foundry in Columbus, Ga., and Hibbing Foundry in Hibbing, Minn.

The group is headed by Steve Lake and based in Columbus, Ga.

Intermet manufactures cast-metal automotive components and, as of April 30, employed 467 people at the New River Foundry.