Beaver opens manufacturing site in Mexico

TEPEJI, Mexico—Beaver Manufacturing Co. Inc. formally opened its new production site in Tepeji with a grand opening ceremony Aug. 28.

The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a presentation, reception and plant tour. There were 74 in attendance, including customers, suppliers and service partners from the U.S., Mexico, the Netherlands, Japan and Germany, according to Mike Dubin, Beaver senior vice president and chief operating officer.

He said the presentation defined the supplier of technical fiber reinforcements' overall business and strategy for Mexico and South America. That includes increased business in the automotive, industrial, and oil and gas hose reinforcement market, along with a brand new business area. Dubin declined to offer details about the new venture.

"Our business has more than doubled in Mexico over the last three years, and South American countries continue to be be more important for us going forward," he said.

The 60,000-sq.-ft. facility is equipped with state-of-the-art doubling twisting and winding equipment, he said. The new facility expands Beaver's total capacity by 25 percent. Dubin said the company is working toward a start-up work force of 30 in Tepeji.

Enirque Quirarte is general manager for the Mexican operation and has full responsibility for the business, Dubin said.

Although the formal opening was held Aug. 28, he said the firm had earlier started commercial production and had been shipping container load quantities since June.

Dubin emphasized that placing the new operation in Mexico is all about expanding its business into Mexico and South America, and that the three plants at its headquarters site in Mansfield, Ga., will not be impacted. In fact, he said the company continues to hire for those facilities, with current employment at 150.