US – The 5,300 sq.m unit is an extension of the existing factory at Greeneville and has been equipped with facilities for automated paint application as well as plastic injection moulding. Capabilities also include a pressure foundry, electronics production and assembly.
“For around 75 years, we've produced door handles for the automotive industry, and in the mid-1980s, we were among the first to provide painted plastic door handles – at that point for Opel,” said Ulrich Hülsbeck, CEO of Huf North America Automotive Parts Manufacturing. “Since then we've constantly expanded our knowledge of this technology, and today in Tennessee we've brought one of the most modern plants into operation.”
The new facility will be able to make 12.5m door handles per year, raising the worldwide capacity of the Huf Group to 72.5m. The company will open another plant next year in Pune, India, with capacity for 3.5m units.