MTU Friedrichshafen Establishes Presence in South Carolina

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). MTU Friedrichshafen (Friedrichshafen, Germany) has chosen North Charleston, South Carolina as the site for its first manufacturing facility in the United States. General Contractor for the project is H&M Construction Company (Jackson, Tennessee). The new company will be known as MTU Drive Shafts, LLC.

According to a statement by Dr. Rolf A. Hanssen, President and CEO of MTU Friedrichshafen, and Head of the DaimlerChrysler Off-Highway business unit, the plant will produce approximately one million drive shafts a year for premium automotive companies in the United States, or about 75 percent of the current production at an existing MTU Drive Shafts plant in Friedrichshafen.

About six people are currently working in the office at site, which borders the American LaFrance operations (See related archived article American LaFrance Accelerates Expansion At South Carolina Plant). Eventually, the plant will employ in excess of 200 workers. Production at the plant is expected to start in late 2003 or early 2004. Jeff Peterson will be plant manager.