For Immediate Release:
April 22, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. – AW North Carolina, Inc. announced today, plans to add a new production line at the company’s facility on Old Oxford Highway. The investment is expected to exceed $100 million and generate as many as 360 new jobs during the next two years.
The new line will start production to manufacture and ship fully assembled front wheel drive automatic transmissions in the fall of 2011 for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America. This new line will transfer the production and processes from Japan. This project will bring new business to several suppliers in the U.S. creating additional jobs.
"AW North Carolina's decision to expand here is another sign that our state is a top place to do business. We welcome this expansion and the significant new jobs and investment it brings,” said Gov. Bev Perdue. “AW North Carolina's investment in the community and the state have been very important throughout its 11-year history here. AWNC’s involvement with the state’s community college system around training and career development has proven that relationships between manufacturers and education are alive, successful, and growing in our state.” AW North Carolina's parent company AISIN AW Co. Ltd hosted NC Dept of Commerce officials for a tour of AW Headquarters in Anjo City, Japan during the state's Asia economic development trip in October.
An industry-leading manufacturer of automatic transmissions and transmission components, AW North Carolina broke ground in Durham just over 11 years ago to produce components for Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s front wheel drive passenger vehicles and fully assembled rear wheel drive automatic transmissions for their heavier vehicles. The company will begin installation of the new equipment at the 820,000-square-foot facility in the fall of 2010 bringing its total investment to more than $550 million.
“We are excited to install this new product line and add approximately 360 people to the 900 full time and temporary Team Members currently here beginning in early 2011,” said Will Collins, Vice President of AW North Carolina.
AW North Carolina, Inc. has earned a number of expansion projects and new lines of production from Toyota over the past several years. “Our customer’s commitment to environmentally friendly automotive products has always been a shared vision with AW North Carolina and we are excited to add new transmissions to our line-up”, Collins said.
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About AW North Carolina
A subsidiary of Japanese major automatic transmission manufacturer Aisin AW Co Ltd., AW North Carolina, Inc. was founded in 1998 and supplies Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America with key automotive transmission components and fully assembled automatic transmissions for some of America’s best-selling vehicles including the Camry, Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia and other vehicles. Located in Durham, NC’s Treyburn Corporate Park, AW North Carolina is Aisin AW Company’s first manufacturing facility in the United States.