Missouri’s automotive industry continues to expand
- February 09, 2015
The Missouri automotive industry is growing at a rapid pace. Since 2010, Ford, General Motors and more than 60 automotive suppliers have added—or announced plans to add—more than 9,900 new jobs and $2 billion in capital investment at Missouri facilities.
In February 2015, Ford announced plans to add 900 new jobs at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo to meet strong demand for the newly launched 2015 Ford F-150 pickup. In September 2014, Ford also announced plans to add 1,200 new jobs at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo to create a second shift for the Transit van. The new jobs announced in the last six months are in addition to the 2,000 new jobs already added at the plant in 2012 and 2013 to support the launch of the 2015 Transit van and increased production of the Ford F-150, which brings the total net new jobs to 3,100.
In September 2014, General Motors announced plans to add 750 new jobs at its Wentzville assembly plant to create a third shift. In its announcement, GM reported that this third shift is necessary to help with the production of the all-new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups and Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans.
In November 2013, Grupo Antolin—an international automotive parts manufacturing company headquartered in Spain—announced plans to invest more than $15.7 million in a 150,000 square-foot automotive manufacturing facility to supply Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant, creating an estimated 118 new jobs. Grupo Antolin’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kansas City will initially produce headliners for the all-new Ford Transit van.
In March 2014, LMV Automotive Systems announced plans to invest an additional $48.7 million to expand its Liberty operation. The expansion—which is the second major investment in Missouri by LMV in two years—is expected to create an additional 166 new jobs. In June 2012, LMV broke ground on the $42 million assembly facility in Liberty, which supplies parts for the all-new Ford Transit van produced at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo.
In April 2014, Martinrea Riverside LLC—a subsidiary of Canada-based Martinrea International Inc.—broke ground on the company’s first Missouri facility. The new 275,560 square-foot manufacturing facility in Riverside, which is expected to create up to 290 new jobs, will manufacture welded corrosion-resistant engine cradles using its e-coating process, and automotive assemblies for the General Motors plant in Fairfax, Kan.
In April 2013, Yanfeng USA Automotive Trim Systems—a Michigan-based subsidiary of Yanfeng Visteon of China—announced plans to construct a new $45 million manufacturing plant in Riverside, creating 263 new jobs. The company’s 258,000 square-foot Riverside facility will manufacture interior trim components, including door panels, floor consoles and instrument panels, for General Motors’ plants in Wentzville, Mo. and Fairfax, Kan.