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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Germany-based Kirchhoff Automotive Expands Garland, Texas, Operations

09/25/2018
Germany-based Kirchhoff Automotive to significantly grow their current operations, located at 3901 West Miller Road, from 94,000 to 115,000 square feet in Garland, Texas. As part of the project, more than $20 million will be invested in the acquisition and installation of new advanced machinery and equipment at the facility.

According to Garland Economic Development Partnership, the relocation and expansion of Kirchhoff Automotive will begin in April 2019 and they expect to be fully operational in their new Garland space in 2020. This expansion in both size and product output is in response to new vehicle models under development and production by the company’s major customers. Their current operation is expected to run parallel to the new operation for approximately a year while the transition is underway.

“We have enjoyed being in Garland for numerous reasons. We looked at different facilities in the area for this exciting expansion project, but it made the most sense for us to stay and expand in Garland. The local community college is able to help us to re-train our employees and the local support we are able to receive is a key to our continued success.” said Marco Garza, Plant Manager at Kirchhoff Automotive.

As part of this expansion, the Garland plant will retain all of the nearly 200 employees that manufacture parts for all models of SUVs produced by Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac. These include grille opening reinforcements, radiator supports and C-pillar parts from stampings supplied by other Kirchhoff Automotive plants.

Though initially under the corporate banner of Van Rob, the company launched operations in Garland in 2012. The family-owned German company was established in 1785 and today is part of the Kirchhoff Group, consisting of the Kirchhoff Automotive, Ecotec, Mobility and Witte Tools business units. Kirchhoff Automotive currently has more than 9,000 employees and 30 production plants in over 11 countries.

Every day, over 1,300 parts undergo both laser and traditional welding at the Garland facility. They are then shipped to General Motors plants to be installed as part of the final vehicle assemblage process. E-coating, a high-tech process of powder coating metal components to prevent corrosion, is also performed at Kirchhoff Automotive’s Garland location.

“We are very excited to have Kirchhoff Automotive expand in Garland. Their latest operations model will be much more automated and highly robotic, thus keeping pace with the latest trends in global manufacturing technology. We look forward to many more years of continued growth for this company and industry in our community,” said David Gwin, Garland’s Director of Economic Development.

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