As more Japanese automotive suppliers head to the Hoosier State, AISIN Group has called Indiana home for nearly 30 years, giving it the advantage of local market knowledge.
However, the past few years have not been without challenges for the global automotive industry. To adjust to ever-changing market demands, the Japanese company modified its production strategy.
“In the last five to seven years, we made some very good strides in growing our business in North America. We are continuing to grow and develop our R&D ability, and this growth is supported by our
technical center and a 950- acre test track and proving grounds in Michigan. And we represent a pretty strong piece of the overall AISIN puzzle,” AISIN World Corp. of America President and CEO Scott Turpin said.
In North America, AISIN has facilities in 36 locations and accounts for around 16 percent of global operations. The sixth-largest tier one supplier in the world, it is also the largest manufacturer of automotive transmissions.
With operations concentrated in Michigan and Indiana, AISIN, which also has facilities in several other states, has a big impact on the Midwest’s economy.
Its recent $31 million factory expansion in Seymour added more than 200 jobs. In Crothersville, a $16 million expansion at Aisin Drivetrain, Inc., will create 50 new jobs.
“Working with the Jackson County Industrial Development Corp. and receiving support from the state and local community dictated our actions in locating additional business and expanding here in Indiana. It’s a win-win situation not only for AISIN, but also for the state, our communities and the customers that support our businesses. We are very happy to call the Midwest, and specially Indiana, ‘home,’” said Turpin, who stays on top of the ever evolving automotive industry.
“Coming from an engineering background, anything technology driven is always very interesting to me. My excitement is really driven by those ‘wow’ products. They don’t happen very often but when they do, it’s a very exciting thing,” Turpin also said.
“We’re poised to provide another set of industry-leading products as the industry evolves,” he added.
