Denso to invest $1 billion in Tennessee plant expansion
by October 8, 2017 4:04 pm 503 views
Denso North America, which has a manufacturing plant in Osceola, Ark., is investing $1 billion in expanding a facility in Tennessee that will add about 1,000 new jobs, including technicians and engineers.
The plant, to be located south of Knoxville, Tenn., is part of the company’s push to push advancing automotive production in North America. Company officials said the plant will increase the role North America plays in the global trend toward vehicle safety and electrification.
DENSO is one of the world’s largest developers of electrification systems for environmentally-friendly automobiles, sophisticated functions involved in vehicle safety and security, and new services that connect vehicles and society. These systems will play a crucial role in meeting increasing electric vehicle demand.
“This is an investment in the future of DENSO, and also the future of transportation. We are seeing dramatic shifts in the role of transportation in society, and this investment will help position us to meet those changing demands,” Kenichiro Ito, chairman of DENSO’s North America Board of Directors and chief executive officer of DENSO International America, said in a statement.
DENSO announced a $400 million investment in Maryville in 2015, adding 500 jobs and consolidating various warehouse operations into one central location. The company broke ground on the facility in July 2016.
The company’s 224,000-square-foot Arkansas facility employs 470 and was opened in 2003. It produces HVAC assemblies and Engine Cooling Modules (ECM) for its North American customers.