Nexteer Automotive recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Asia-Pacific Technical Center in China’s Suzhou Industrial Park. The new Technical Center will encompass nearly 323,000 square feet, including more than 150,000 square feet of office space and almost 130,000 square feet of R&D facilities and a test and validation lab. Departmental functions housed at the site will include product engineering, manufacturing engineering, purchasing, finance, sales and management.
“Asia-Pacific is Nexteer’s second largest business,” said Mike Richardson, Board Executive Director and President of Nexteer Automotive. “In addition to being Nexteer’s Asia-Pacific headquarters, the new Technical Center will set the foundation for an integrated approach to management, technology, investment and operations. We are thrilled to have our new technical center and the local administration center built here. It will provide powerful R&D and product development support as well as sustainable, profitable growth of our businesses in China and Asia.”
Nexteer’s plans for the site also include a more than 48,000-square-foot vehicle test track with eight lanes, incorporating complex roadway environments. Company leadership expects the investment to advance the company’s manufacturing, R&D, testing and validation of Nexteer’s products in China.
“Our investment in the new Technical Center represents our confidence on the future business growth in Asia,” said Nexteer Automotive’s Chairman, Executive Board Director and CEO, Mr. Guibin Zhao. “To achieve Nexteer’s strategic growth in the Asia-Pacific market, we are advancing business expansion and product diversity to solidify our leadership position in steering and driveline solutions for our ever-growing customer base.”
Nexteer Asia-Pacific Technical Center is expected to be completed at the end of 2019. It will house approximately 1,000 employees, enhance technical support as well as customize product solutions, R&D, production, testing and validation for the local market.
Nexteer Automotive provides electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steering columns, driveline systems as well as advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous technologies to original equipment manufacturers. The company’s global workforce of over 13,000 serves more than 50 customers in every major region of the world. The company has 25 manufacturing plants, three regional engineering centers and 13 customer service centers located in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Nexteer Automotive’s customers include BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, PSA Groupe, Toyota, VW, as well as automakers in India and China.
