Production began this month at Johnson Controls (IW 1000/105), new manufacturing plant in Queretaro, Mexico.
The plant will produce molded polyurethane foam for automotive seats.
“Johnson Controls is strongly committed to producing world-class automotive seating systems and is proud to bring this new facility to Queretaro,” said Brian Cooke, vice president and general manager for Johnson Controls’ foam product group. “We are pleased to become a part of and support the Queretaro community.” Johnson Controls Automotive Experience is a global leader in automotive seating, overhead systems, door and instrument panels, and interior electronics and supplies approximately 50 million cars per year.
The new 100,000-sq.-ft. (9,300-sq.-meters) plant will supply major automakers in central Mexico.
The facility has one foam line and employs approximately 150 people. As it reaches full production in approximately five years, that number of employees is expected to increase.
In the past few years a number of OEMs have invested heavily in this part of Mexico. This has lead to a number of suppliers setting up shop as well.
In a recent IndustryWeek article “Why Are Automakers Pushing Further in Central Mexico?," Doug Donahue, principal of the Entrada Group, which with works with Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers through a shared services, manufacturing model explained that “One of the major drives for Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to enter the Central Mexico market was the insistences from OEMs that they located there.”
