The manufacturing sector in the Upstate started and ended the month with a bang on several fronts. From multimillion-dollar expansions to acquisitions, it’s clear that progress is in full swing. Here are some of the top announcements:
JTEKT North America expands Greenville County headquarters
JTEKT North America, a subsidiary of global automotive and industrial supplier JTEKT Corp., has completed a $5.8 million expansion of its headquarters at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research in Greenville.
The expansion, which includes a 19,000-square-foot addition to the One Research Drive building at CU-ICAR, began last year to accommodate the creation of 100 new jobs, all of which should be filled by 2020, according to a news release.
JTEKT North America officials said the new space complements the 135,000 square feet of space the company already occupies between two facilities on the 250-acre research campus and will provide work areas for associates who have been relocated to Greenville, as well as the new positions.
“Greenville is an excellent location for our growing headquarters, not only geographically as it’s central to most of our manufacturing footprint, but also due to the availability of talented professionals in business and technical fields,” said Mike Davidson, executive vice president and chief operating officer at JTEKT North America, in a statement. “This expansion facilitates co-location of vital functions within our organization and the continuation of research and development, all to better serve our customers and allow for capable associates to thrive in an innovative environment.”
JTEKT North America, which was founded in 1958, manufactures steering systems, driveline components, bearings technologies, and precision machine tools for the automotive industry, according to the release.
The company employs more than 6,000 associates at 24 sites across North America. It has five operations across South Carolina, with plants in Piedmont, Blythewood, Walhalla, and Orangeburg. In 2015, JTEKT North America announced a $1.75 million investment and opened its operational headquarters at CU-ICAR.
Greenville County Council Chairman Butch Kirven, who also serves as director of Greenville Area Development Corp., said in a statement that JTEKT North America’s recent expansion of its headquarters at CU-ICAR is a “testament to our dedicated workforce and strong pro-business environment.”
“JTEKT North America is a great corporate citizen and a prime example of the growing family of leading international companies located here,” he said.
Those looking to apply for one of the company’s new positions should visit the company’s careers page online. For more information, visit jtekt-na.com.
Dutch technology company acquires Roy Metal Finishing Inc.
Piedmont-based manufacturer Roy Metal Finishing Inc. announced earlier this month that it has been acquired by Aalberts Industries N.V., a Dutch technology company that specializes in industrial machinery for the equipment industry.
Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
“We are fortunate to have found a European partner that aligns not only with our company’s core values and our focus on our people, but is also committed to our goal of providing high-quality products to our customers,” said RMF president and CEO John Pazdan. “We are proud of our growth over the past 57 years and, with Aalberts’ support, we will be in an even better position for continued success.”
Roy Metal Finishing, which was founded in 1961, provides corrosion-resistant coatings to the automotive, heavy truck, and industrial/recreation vehicle markets in the southeastern United States. Current customers include BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Ford, General Motors, FCA, Volvo, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, John Deere, and Caterpillar.
Pazdan and other members of the management team will remain in position to manage the company from its Upstate headquarters and to implement a business plan aimed at expanding the presence of Aalberts Industries in North America.
Aalberts Industries, which was founded in 1975 by Dutch entrepreneur Jan Aalberts, is divided into four general business units — building installations, climate control, industrial services, and industrial controls — according to the release. Each business unit is decentralized and managed by a dedicated leadership team and is responsible for its own improvements. Collectively, the units have a revenue of more than $2.9 million and employ 14,700 people in more than 30 countries.
“We are looking forward to adding Roy Metal Finishing to the Aalberts family. RMF is an outstanding leader in the metal finishing business and this acquisition will provide a platform for us to expand our surface treatment network in the United States,” Oliver Jäger, executive director of Aalberts Industries, said in a statement. “Their reputation in the metal finishing business is second to none, and we are proud to join with a company that has had such stellar success over the years.”
For more information, visit www.roymetalfinishing.com.
Griplock Systems opening new distribution center in Duncan
California-based company Griplock Systems, which manufactures cable suspension products, plans to open a distribution center in Duncan.
The company didn’t say how much it will invest in the center, but it plans to employ about 35 people and begin operations during the fourth quarter, according to a news release.
It will also provide onsite engineering support.
“With our ever-increasing customer base and high demand in product we were poised for expansion and it only made sense to expand to the other side of the country to better serve our customers in the Eastern part of the United States and Canada,” Todd Hemingway, president and CEO of Griplock Systems, said in a statement. “Uninterrupted supply of products, shorter lead time, and lower shipping costs — that’s what our customers will gain from this development.”
Hemingway said he plans to relocate his office to the distribution center later this year to oversee operations. Employees will include warehouse personnel, quality control managers, and procurement engineers.
The distribution center marks the fourth major expansion for Griplock Systems, the release said. Its most recent expansion occurred in 2013, when it relocated to a larger warehouse and headquarters in Carpinteria, California.
“We have a great number of customers on the East Coast, in the Midwest, and Canada that are going to benefit from this expansion,” said Ryan Kwast, vice president of sales and engineering at Griplock Systems, in a statement. “This increase in our warehouse capacity and personnel allows us to get product out the door much faster and we’re closer to half our customers so delivery time is shorter and costs are lower.”
For more information, visit www.griplocksystems.com.
