San Juan Del Río, Mexico — Canadian-Japanese joint venture auto industry supplier ABC Inoac Exterior Systems Inc. has opened its first greenfield facility — a $45 million injection molding plant — in central Mexico.
The company, which is a 50-50 venture between ABC Group Inc. of Toronto and Inoac Corp., of Nagoya, Japan, will make exterior trim parts, including spoilers, for General Motors Co., Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., Ford Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. at the plant in San Juan del Río.
The manufacturing area, equipped primarily with Engel presses, covers 188,000 square feet, with another 20,000 square feet for offices.
The plant, ABC Inoac de México SA de CV, 105 miles northwest of Mexico City, becomes the fourth facility operated by ABC Inoac, which formed in 2012. The others — in Toronto, Fremont, Ohio, and Livingston, Tenn. — were existing plants, owned either by ABC or Inoac.
ABC Inoac CEO Angelo Cesta said at a July 12 plant opening ceremony that it will have 300 employees by the time it reaches full production, likely in three years.
Inoac, meanwhile, plans to build its own automotive interiors and foam plant in San Juan del Río. Chuck Little, president and CEO of Inoac USA, said Inoac has purchased 17.2 acres adjacent to the new joint venture plant and “will probably start construction” of its own facility in 2017.