Aisin in Major Aluminum Automotive Casting Expansion in Kentucky

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Aisin Automotive Casting LLC (London, Kentucky), a subsidiary of Aisin Seiki Company, Limited (Kariya, Aichi, Japan) has big plans for its aluminum die casting plant located in London, Kentucky.

Aisin Automotive Casting began operations in November 1996. A $50 million expansion was completed in 2000. Now the company indicates that cassons are being poured for two building additions of 50,000 and 80,000 square feet each which will expand automotive parts casting, machining, and assembly operations. The general contractor for the $43 million expansion is Messer Construction (Lexington, Kentucky). Most of the equipment for the expansion will be delivered from Japan, including aluminum die casting machines, but will require local contractors to provide millwright, mechanical, and electrical installation services. The machines should be installed in the middle of next year and the plant should be up and running by the end of 2003.

Aisin Automotive Casting supplies automotive parts including timing chain covers, oil/water pumps, cylinder heads, oil pans, valve bodies, and automatic transmission parts to Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and General Motors. The majority of this growth is to meet increased demand for the company's aluminum engine and automotive transmission parts supply. As previously announced, the company will supply 400,000 units of aluminum die cast automotive transmission parts for the Toyota Camry by 2005.

Looking even further down the road, the company is forecasting additional orders which will require 700-900,000 square feet of manufacturing space expansion at the London plant between 2005 and 2007. As far as this company is concerned, there is no slumping market.

Aisin Seiki Company, Limited is Japan's largest brake manufacturer and is a major supplier for Toyota and other OEM's. Other products are transmissions, cooling and lubrication systems, doorframes, latches, and car navigation systems. Aisin has subsidiaries throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.