German automotive supplier Dräxlmaier Group has completed a $42.7 million expansion at its manufacturing facility in Duncan, S.C.
The expansion of the Duncan site includes the creation of about 460 new jobs and the purchase of additional equipment, according to a Dec. 4 news release from the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
"We are proud to call South Carolina our home. Our latest expansion shows that we are committed to steady growth in the region," Josef Mittermeier, Dräxlmaier Group's CEO for the Americas, said in a statement.
"South Carolina offers us an excellent business environment, a talented and skilled workforce and exceptional market access," he added. "We appreciate all the support we have received from state and local officials."
A spokesman for the company did not respond to requests for comment.
Dräxlmaier manufactures automotive interiors and plastic components, including ambient lighting, center consoles, door panels and instrument panels. The Tier 1 supplier also makes high-voltage wiring harnesses and battery management systems as well as high- and low-voltage battery systems and components.
Customers include automakers such as Audi AG, Volkswagen AG, Porshe, Jaguar and BMW AG, which operates its largest factory in the world in Greer, S.C., about seven miles west of Dräxlmaier's Duncan plant.
Since opening the location in 1998, Dräxlmaier has expanded the Duncan facility three times. In 2015, the auto supplier invested $35 million to expand manufacturing operations. The investment included upgrades to plant infrastructure and equipment, and construction of a 184,000-square-foot production and logistics building.
Dräxlmaier has been expanding on the West Coast as well. Last October, the company celebrated the opening of a facility in Livermore, Calif., marking its second manufacturing site in the United States. Dräxlmaier pumped more than $24 million into the 290,000-square-foot facility, a company news release stated.
The Livermore facility houses operations for injection molding, lamination, subassembly and final assembly. The site, which employs more than 230, manufactures interior components such as door panels and trim parts for the premium automakers.
In addition to the two manufacturing facilities, Dräxlmaier has a logistics hub in Chattanooga, Tenn., and an engineering office in Mountain View, Calif.
Globally, Dräxlmaier operates more than 60 sites in 20 countries. The group reported sales of 4.1 billion euros ($4.6 billion) in 2017.
