June 6, 2016
Ahead of the threat of rain on Monday, Aiken County officials and Autoneum executives were able to find a swatch of blue sky and turn a few spades of dirt to break ground on its new facility at the company’s automotive manufacturing plant on Powderhouse Road.
The plant expansion could bring 41 new jobs and invest approximately $35.5 million into Aiken County’s economy, officials said.
Autoneum North America, a producer and developer of automotive components and systems for noise and heat protection, is looking to expand its Aiken operations. The company is headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, and operates 50 production sites including Aiken.
Aiken County Council Chairman Ronnie Young said Autoneum made the right choice in choosing Aiken County.
“We know Autoneum had other locations they could have chosen, but we are grateful they chose to expand here in Aiken County.” said Young.
Aiken’s Economic Development Partnership President and CEO Will Williams said Aiken is grateful for Autoneum’s local investment.
“Autoneum is the global leader in supplying acoustic and thermal management to the automotive industry,” he said. “We appreciate their investment in our community.”
Bob Lipka, Chief Operating Officer for Autoneum North America said his company is pleased to make an investment in Aiken.
“Today marks a milestone for the Aiken facility, which has been in existence since 1980,” Lipka said. “This $35 million investment in new equipment and infrastructure will triple the size of the existing building and create approximately 40 jobs.
“Autoneum is pleased to make this investment, which will further support our customer base while adding valuable jobs to the local community and securing the future for our existing workforce,” Lipka said.