A Big Auto Supplier Is Expanding Their Tennessee Factory
Brandon Moore
· 3 min read
Many people don't realize how many companies contribute to making the
cars you buy
. It isn't just the manufacturer who needs to expand its factories to produce more. Auto part suppliers also have to step up their production.One of the top suppliers of car parts is Martinrea International. It is expanding its operations in Springfield, Tennessee, and it plans on spending quite a lot on doing so, too.
As the company brings more traffic there, it might be worth it for drivers to look at some
cheap car insurance in Tennessee
.What kind of auto supplier is Martinrea?
Martinrea International Inc. is a Tier 1 supplier. They sell parts directly to car makers, such as vehicle frames, fuel pipes, vehicle bodies, and brake lines. In fact, they work with many big name companies such as BMW, Tesla, Volvo, Audi, Toyota, and GM.
Their newest contracts even involve GM's electric Hummer and the
Tesla Model Y
as they venture into the growing market for electrical vehicles.The Springfield factory is only one of many branches for the publicly traded company. The headquarters are in Toronto, although the Tennessee Valley Authority and the state of Tennessee gave the company incentives to enlarge this particular branch.
They might have been willing to supply incentives because of the location. Springfield is only 30 miles north of Nashville, which makes it easy to reach.
No one has said how much the state and the Tennessee Valley Authority have contributed. Presumably, they will disclose that later.
How the auto supplier will grow
According to the
Nashville Business Journal
, it will take $40 million to expand the building itself and upgrade its machinery.The expansion will add 30,000 square feet to the building. It will also improve the supplier’s machine presses for stamping parts. These machines are central to their production, so you can imagine they have to be revamped frequently.
The Department of Economic and Community Development revealed that the money will also go to adding robots and welding cells to the manufacturing plant.
Welding cells are self-contained units of a welding robot, a welding torch, and a place to put the thing you are welding. The cells will be used in making lightweight structures and propulsion systems that they specialize in.
What the auto supplier’s expansion means
All this investment should add 97 job openings to the factory. The president, Pat D'Eramo, even cited the skilled workforce in Springfield as a reason to expand that particular factory.
The skilled workforce in Robertson County, which is where Springfield is located, has even garnered attention from other manufacturing plants. In the last few months, a 625-job manufacturing plant for Puritan Medical Products and the headquarters of Advanex Americas Inc have both moved to the county.
For car lovers, it may mean
new vehicles
are coming your way. The expanded capacity of a supplier makes it faster and easier for car manufacturers to make more of what you want.Martinrea’s contracts with so many car manufacturers make this true everywhere. You will likely be driving a car with parts made at this factory soon if you aren't already.
If you happen to be a Tennessee driver, you will need cheap car insurance. Fortunately,
Jerry
loves Tennessee residents, and knows plenty about the market in this state. This allows us to get you the best insurance for your situation, no matter where the car parts come from. Contact us if you want to know more.
