Spain-based auto parts supplier Grupo Antolin is investing $50 million to launch new operations in South Carolina, the company announced Jan. 24.
The investment will involve the construction of three separate facilities near Spartanburg, creating more than 150 new jobs during the next five years, with production focused on making doors and hard trim for several auto customers.
“This investment strengthens Grupo Antolin's commitment to the U.S., one of the world's most important markets for the automotive sector,” said Pablo Baroja, Grupo Antolin NAFTA regional president.
The group founded its first U.S. production facility in Chicago in 1994; and currently has 13 sites in the country.
The company manufactures high-value-added solutions for vehicle interiors, including overhead systems, doors, lighting, cockpits and interior trim.
The investment by Grupo Antolin has also received unspecified credits from the Spartanburg County Economic Development Committee as an incentive.
With an annual economic impact of more than $27 billion, the automotive sector is an integral part of South Carolina. BMW, Volvo and Daimler all have assembly plants in South Carolina while other automakers are location throughout the Southeastern U.S.
As a result, a wide range of companies that support all aspects of automotive manufacturing — assemblers, parts suppliers and raw material producers — are based there.