The DRÄXLMAIER Group is investing $24 million to establish its first manufacturing plant on the West Coast. The project will help the international automotive supplier further its expansion in California’s growing electric vehicle industry. The investment will include upgrades to a 290,000-square-foot plant at The Oaks Logistic Center in Livermore, CA, as well as new equipment for the manufacture and sequencing of interior components such as door panels and trim parts. Operations could begin as early as January 2017, and the project is expected to create 300 new jobs within two years. The state’s workforce was a major factor in the company choosing California.
“California offers us an excellent business environment, a talented workforce and exceptional market access,” said Ulrich Eichler, president and COO for the DRÄXLMAIER Group in the Americas. “We appreciate all the support we have received from state and local officials.”
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) helped the DRÄXLMAIER Group’s California expansion with site selection, permits and applying for potential incentives.
“We are pleased the DRÄXLMAIER Group is expanding its operations in California with a new manufacturing plant in Livermore,” said GO-Biz Director Panorea Avdis. “The auto-interior manufacturer will help strengthen the state’s economy by providing permanent good jobs that include high tech and engineering professionals as well as support to surrounding businesses. We look forward to continuing working with the DRÄXLMAIER Group as it grows in California.”
The manufacturing plant will house state-of-the-art equipment for the assembly of vehicle interiors and trim components for premium automobiles, as well as a logistics center to coordinate the sequencing of finished products right to the production lines at the customer. Production competences at the Livermore facility will include injection molding, sub-assembly and final assembly.
“We are very excited about our Americas team taking the lead in setting up our first production site in California,,” said Barbara Bergmeier, board member and head of Operations at the DRÄXLMAIER Group. “But we are equally excited about California’s well-trained and highly-skilled workforce helping us to create high-quality products for our customers in the region and around the world.”
A Tier I supplier to the international automotive industry, the DRÄXLMAIER Group has been manufacturing complex electrical systems and elegant interiors for premium automakers in the Americas for more than 40 years. The company has six production sites in the region, including its U.S. headquarters in Duncan, SC, where it has been manufacturing interior systems since 1996. In addition to the South Carolina location, the DRÄXLMAIER Group also maintains logistics hubs in Fremont, CA, and Chattanooga, TN, and an engineering office in Mountain View, CA.
Relocating or Expanding Your Business In California
Considering California for your company’s relocation or expansion project? Check out Business Facilities’ California Incentives and Workforce Development Guide.
