FINDLAY, Ohio—Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies will invest about $8.6 million to expand its automotive sealing facility in Findlay to accommodate increased customer requirements for quality components, the firm said in a May 4 release.
Freudenberg-NOK said its Findlay plant produces about 700 high performance plastic parts for customers including vehicle manufacturers and Tier 1 and 2 suppliers. The firm will expand the facility by 43,000 square feet that could result in retaining 148 jobs and creating 25 more jobs for the facility.
The company said final decisions are dependent on formal approval of all Ohio work force and incentive programs. The construction and equipment upgrades are projected to be complete by this winter.
The firm said the expansion will help the facility increase its compression and injection molding product production, which includes seal rings, thrust washers, pistons and assemblies. Findlay manufacturers 185 million seals and related components annually, and Freudenberg-NOK anticipates the addition to increase production by about 25 percent.
“Freudenberg-NOK's Findlay facility is a benchmark for lean manufacturing and production of quality components, so it is not surprising that escalating customer demand offers us tremendous new opportunities for business expansion in Ohio,” Freudenberg-NOK President Theodore Duclos said in a statement.
Freudenberg-NOK said it worked with JobsOhio, state and local officials on incentives to support the expansion. The firm said it will host a formal groundbreaking celebration in June, with an exact date to be determined.
Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies is an Americas joint venture between Freudenberg and Co. in Germany and NOK Corp. in Japan. It manufacturers advanced sealing technologies for the aerospace, agriculture, appliance, automotive, construction, diesel engine, energy, food and beverage, heavy industry, and pharmaceutical industries.
The joint venture is headquartered in Plymouth and operates more than 20 facilities across the Americas.