Newton, N.C. – GKN Driveline will expand its Newton, N.C., facility in Catawba County, creating more than 200 new jobs by the end of 2018. The company will invest more than $100 million.
“GKN Driveline has a rich history in North Carolina, specifically in Catawba County. We are proud to be part of the growth of this facility and community, and as future opportunities arise, we look forward to continued reinvestment in the state,” says Robert Willig, president, GKN Driveline Americas. “The expansion will help GKN Driveline better serve customers in the region and beyond, with improvements not only in what we do, but how we do it. We remain committed to producing the highest quality products and providing innovations that help advance the automotive industry.”
Using state grant funds, GKN Driveline will increase the manufacturing floor space by more than 25% to accommodate additional business volume in geared components.
GKN Driveline Newton employs more than 700 people, supporting machining and assembly of high precision products for all-wheel drive applications. GKN employs an additional 1,530 employees at companies in other counties across North Carolina, locations include: Roxboro, Mebane and Sanford.
Established in 1986, the Newton facility was acquired by GKN plc in 2011 when the company purchased Getrag Corp.’s all-wheel drive component business. Other products made at the facility include transaxle solutions (gear sets and housing) as well as eDrive Systems.
Source: GKN Driveline