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By Kerri Jansen
STAFF REPORTER
Published: March 10, 2014 4:26 pm ET
Updated: March 10, 2014 4:30 pm ET
Columbus, Ohio-based Core Molding Technologies Inc. is expanding its operations in Gaffney, S.C. to support new business providing parts for the heavy truck industry.
Core’s 111,000-square-foot Gaffney facility currently provides thermoset and thermoplastic compression molding services as well as assembly, according to its website. The expanded plant will handle a significant part of Core’s new business, which includes roofs, hoods and other molded parts for Volvo Group North America LLC.
The company plans to spend $6.4 million, primarily on the addition of new compression molding presses and support equipment, said Kevin Barnett, Core president and CEO. The expansion, which will also add at least 50 new jobs, is expected to be completed by the middle of 2014.
Core is also in the process of expanding its Columbus facility with the addition of new presses and a sheet molding compound manufacturing line to be installed later this year, Barnett said.
The Volvo contract, announced in March 2013, represents $26 million to $30 million in new production annually for Core, Plastics News reported at the time.
“We’ve had a lot of historical focus in the medium- and heavy-duty truck market and continue to have successes there,” Barnett said. “In the last year or so we’ve announced the addition of some new sheet molding compound materials which have been successful for us, both standard and lower density, lighter weight materials, so we’re pursuing opportunities along those lines, along with additional molding and assembly work in the markets that we’ve been focused on and some new markets.”
Core manufactures SMC and bulk and large-format molded fiberglass reinforced plastics for automotive, commercial, marine and other markets. In addition to the Gaffney facility and its Columbus headquarters, Core has plants in Batavia, Ohio; and Matamoros, Mexico. | |
