BorgWarner adding 100 jobs in Seneca
BorgWarner, which now employs about 215 people at its Seneca facility, plans to invest about $13 million in expanding its Oconee County operations.
The expansion was earlier identified as Project Phoenix Plus by Oconee County Economic Development Commission officials, who directed calls to BorgWarner officials.
“This new business will significantly increase machining manufacturing and add a new assembly line to produce NexTrac, the company’s newest InterActive Torque Management product,”
Cindy Niekamp, president and general manager, BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems, said in a statement.
Todd Bennington, vice president of operation for the Seneca plant, called NexTrac a next generation product that would initially be for export to Korea from Seneca.
“Thirty percent of sales is outside the U.S.,” Mr. Bennington said. “Our products are very competitive and we have the technology for the applications.”
Ms. Niekamp said new production could begin in 2008 with full ramp up targeted by mid-year 2009.
Mr. Bennington confirmed that the new line would create 75 to 100 jobs and hiring would begin in mid-2008.
BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems is a leading independent global designer and producer of transfer cases and torque management devices for all-wheel drive passenger cars, crossover vehicles, sports-utility vehicles and light trucks.
The company had sales in 2006 of $4.6 billion worldwide and net earnings of $212 million. BorgWarner employs about 17,400 worldwide
The company, based in Auburn Hills, Mich., is a Fortune 500 company with facilities in 64 locations in 17 countries and its customers include many leading vehicle makers, including BMW, Ford, General Motors, VW/Audi, Toyota, Hyundai/Kia, Daimler, Renault/Nissan, Chrysler, Fiat, Navistar International, Peugeot and Caterpillar.