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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

WABCO USA Expands Distribution Hub Workforce at Hebron, Kentucky Plant

01/17/2020
WABCO USA plans to triple its employment as it reinvests over $3 million in the distribution portion of its heavy duty truck parts manufacturing and warehousing facility in Hebron, Kentucky.

The investment includes new equipment to enable increased volume and broader distribution of WABCO products throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. Company leaders anticipate work on the project will begin this month and be completed by spring 2020. WABCO currently employs 77 people in Hebron.

“To ensure that our North American customers have seamless access to WABCO’s comprehensive product and service platform, we are dramatically expanding our aftermarket team and product distribution infrastructure in the region. This will result in a superior customer experience for OE service providers, aftermarket parts distributors and fleets,” said Jon Morrison, President, WABCO Americas. “We appreciate the strong support of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and look forward to our continued efforts to serve the commercial vehicle industry while supporting economic development in the region.”

“I want to thank WABCO USA for reinvesting in our state and planning to add 123 new, full-time jobs,” Governor Andy Beshear said. “This project speaks to sectors where Kentucky stands out nationally, in both the automotive and distribution-and-logistics industries, and for good reasons. Our central location within North America’s auto manufacturing belt, our experienced workforce and our deep roots in these industries all mean WABCO’s expansion is well placed and will be a boon for Northern Kentucky for years to come.”

Lee Crume, president and CEO of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, said the surrounding communities offer a workforce that will ensure WABCO’s success. “Automotive suppliers have found success in Northern Kentucky and I congratulate WABCO on its growth,” Crume said. “Boone County offers a workforce with advanced manufacturing skills and an ideal geographic location for the automotive OEM and supplier network.”

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) on Thursday preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $1.1 million in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $3 million and annual targets of creation and maintenance of 123 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years and paying an average hourly wage of $39 including benefits across those jobs.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

In addition, WABCO can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives.

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