AW North Carolina, a manufacturer of automatic transmissions and transmission components, will invest a total of $135 million to expand production at its manufacturing facility in Durham County and also purchase a manufacturing facility in Granville County, creating 131 jobs in North Carolina.

A subsidiary of Japan-based Aisin AW Co. Ltd., the AW North Carolina facility produces fully assembled automatic transmissions and components, including; torque converters, oil pumps, clutch assemblies and stamped parts for Toyota’s Camry, Tundra, Sequoia, Tacoma and other vehicles. The company will create an additional production line at its current manufacturing facility in Durham with current plans to use the new Butner operation for warehouse needs.

Masahiro Hayabuchi, President of AW North Carolina, said, “AWNC is extremely pleased to announce both our continued investment and our new acquisition. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Durham County and building a new relationship with Granville County. Through dedication and hard work, the efforts of our Team Members have made this continued growth possible. We will continue our focus on Quality Supremacy in order to provide our customers the high quality products we manufacture."

“North Carolina is a great fit for advanced manufacturers like AW North Carolina, especially companies in the automotive parts industry,” said Gov. Pat McCrory. “Our state offers these companies a strong business climate, access to skilled workers and customized training programs.”

“We’re delighted to announce the expansion of one of our strongest automotive parts manufacturers,” said Secretary Decker. “AW North Carolina has found a successful place to do business in the Research Triangle Region and we congratulate them on their Durham expansion and entrance into Granville County.”

Partners that helped with the project include: the N.C. Department of Commerce, N.C. Community Colleges, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Durham County Board of Commissioners, Durham Technical Community College, Durham JobLink Center, Town of Butner, and the Granville County Economic Development Council.