As the auto industry continues to grow in Mexico, more companies are recognizing the value of expanding there.
NN, Inc., a diversified industrial company, announced it is expanding its North American manufacturing footprint by opening a new precision ball plant in Ciudad Juarez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. This move is largely a response to increasing demand and growth in automotive manufacturing in Mexico. In fact, according to a leader of strategy consulting at a certified public accounting and business advisory firm, $23 billion in auto company investment has entered the Mexican market in recent years, according to Manufacturing.net.
The plant has been under construction since June 2015 and is expected to begin production in November 2015. The location will be adjacent to NN's existing precision metal components plant in Juarez and will share management, supply chain and administrative services. Rich Holder, NN's president and CEO, touched on the benefits of growing the business in an expanding automotive market.
"This new plant will serve existing and new customers and represents incremental demand created with the expansion of the Mexican automotive market," Holder remarked. "The rapid construction of this new plant was made possible by NN's existing presence in Mexico and showcases our ability to leverage our assets across multiple platforms. The plant will implement the next generation NN operating system complete with advanced 'in house developed' manufacturing technology from the NN R&D centers in the U.S. and Italy."
NN met with offshoring advantages
NN is one among many auto manufacturers and suppliers that has caught on to the benefits of manufacturing in Mexico. The country's participation in NAFTA, a cost of labor that is far below both the U.S. and China, modern infrastructure, the opportunity to participate in the Maquiladora program and proximity to high-demand markets are just a few.