Less than two years after opening, a Kentucky auto parts factory will see its workforce grow by about 70%.
Gov. Matt Bevin’s office announced that Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions plans to invest $42 million in its Bowling Green, Kentucky, plant and add 90 jobs to its current workforce of 130.
The facility, which produces aluminum bumper and sub-frame materials, expects to add a new melting furnace, extrusion press, and fabrication equipment. It began operations in February 2017, but company officials said demand for lighter vehicle components prompted the rapid expansion.
Construction will begin this month, and production in the expansion is expected to start in early 2020. The project will be aided by two incentive agreements with the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, and Kobelco is also eligible for no-cost recruitment and job training services from the state.
The company’s sister facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which manufactures forged suspension components, began a $53 million expansion in 2017.
Image credit: Miss Duangjai Jontakop / Shutterstock.com