Poland – The motion control specialist will spend over $16m on building a third plant and on opening a technical centre in Tychy later this year. The company will add 100 engineers to its workforce and has already started the recruitment process.
The new factory will boost Nexteer’s capacity to produce electric power steering (EPS) systems for its existing customers in Europe, including BMW, GM, FCA and PSA Peugeot Citroen. The company says it will invest in high-tech equipment and tools over the coming years.
The technical centre will be responsible for the design and development of new steering system solutions, with capabilities in design, modelling, software, prototyping, vehicle testing and validation. The centre includes an engineering garage, test track, laboratory, prototype centre and validation centre.
The team at the technical centre will engineer current and future EPS systems, as well as supporting the development of advanced driver assist systems and autonomous technologies for global vehicle manufacturers. According to Nexteer, the new facility will collaborate closely with its other technical centres worldwide, including the one at Saginaw, Michigan. The company is currently recruiting for specialists in computer-aided design and computer-aided engineering; mechanical engineers; motors and sensors engineers; electronics embedded systems designers; and software designers.
Nexteer’s existing plants in Poland produce almost 3m steering systems per year for vehicles including: BMWi3, BMW 1 Series, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer; Mini Cooper; Alfa Romeo MiTo; Fiat 500; Opel/Vauxhall Adam, Corsa and Insignia; Citroen C3 and DS3. Since 2010, these facilities have received over $80m of investment.
