President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, recently joined Schaeffler Group owners Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler and her son Georg F.W. Schaeffler in a festive ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of the Schaeffler Group's new manufacturing plant in Irapuato, Mexico. Other guests of honor included federal ministers, customers, Governor of the State of Guanajuato, Juan Manuel Oliva Ramirez, and Germany's Ambassador to Mexico, Roland Wegener.
"In recent years, Mexico has undergone a remarkably dynamic economic transformation. Today, with one million in annual vehicles sales, Mexico not only represents Latin America's second-largest automotive market, but also constitutes a vital manufacturing base for North America, as two million cars are produced here every year," said Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler. "Mexico's contributions are a key factor in the success of the Schaeffler Group and the company is committed to nurturing this trend."
Bruce Warmbold, chief executive officer of Schaeffler North America, explained that this was why the Schaeffler Group decided to invest in a second Mexican production facility, as it allows the company to strengthen its market position and provide its North American customers with even more immediate access to its products.
Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler and Warmbold expressed their sincere gratitude to the local officials, as well as to Oliva Ramirez, for their tremendous support and professional assistance in the opening of the new plant.
Irapuato was chosen after a detailed site-ion process uncovered the location's outstanding benefits, including a suitable property on which to build the factory, highly qualified workers, excellent infrastructure and access to public transportation.
At the conclusion of the speeches, Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler, Georg Schaeffler, President Calderon and Warmbold participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. After, they toured the new factory to see the Schaeffler Group's latest products and technologies.
The new Irapuato facility is expected to initially employ approximately 400 new Schaeffler employees and will manufacture INA and FAG-branded products for the automotive and industrial sectors, including various types of rolling bearings and engine and chassis components. The facility's production area spans 22,800 square meters (approximately 245,417 square feet), while the entire Schaeffler site in Irapuato encompasses approximately 79,000 square meters (approximately 850,349 square feet).
Together with its existing LuK plant in Puebla and its Mexico City-based sales organization, the Schaeffler Group will have approximately 1,000 employees in Mexico. On the eve of the official grand opening, the company also hosted an open house for all employees and their families in Irapuato.
About the Schaeffler Group
The Schaeffler Group - with its INA, FAG, and LuK brands - is both a leading global supplier of rolling bearings as well as a renowned supplier to the automobile industry. With 66,000 employees in over 180 locations around the world, Schaeffler manufactures and sells precision components and systems for automotive, industrial, and aerospace applications. In 2007, the Schaeffler Group's revenues totaled 8.9 billion euros.
To serve the North American automotive market, the Schaeffler Group operates a 78,000-square-foot North American Automotive Tech Center in Troy, Mich. This facility employs 165 engineers and technicians and houses a 30,000- square-foot, state-of-the-art test lab outfitted with multiple test cells capable of performing test simulations for engine and engine components. Schaeffler Group Automotive has headquarters in Fort Mill, S.C. and manufacturing facilities in South Carolina, Missouri, Ohio and Ontario, Canada. For more information, please visit www.schaefflergroup.com
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