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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

ElringKlinger Eyes Fort Wayne, Indiana for New Plant

03/16/2018
ElringKlinger, a Germany-based global manufacturer and supplier of auto parts, plans to expand its operations to Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company will establish a facility in Allen County and creating up to 150 new jobs by 2022.

The company, which designs, manufactures and distributes innovative aluminum and plastic automotive parts, will expand its global operations into northeast Indiana, constructing a 60,000 square-foot shell building at 2677 Persistence Drive in Fort Wayne.

“We have had good experiences with our U.S. plants in the past," said Dr. Stefan Wolf, CEO for ElringKlinger. "The Fort Wayne region is attractive for manufacturing companies like ElringKlinger. We’re now closer to our customer and we have several industry partners around. We’re looking forward to starting our production here in Fort Wayne.”

The new facility, which will be equipped with manufacturing, logistical, research and development and information technology equipment, will produce aluminum shielding systems for acoustic and thermal protection for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. ElringKlinger plans to begin production in September.

The new site will be the company’s fifth operations center in the U.S. with this expansion being its first facility in Indiana, allowing the company closer proximity to its customers.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered ElringKlinger up to $1 million in conditional tax credits and up to $200,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Fort Wayne approved additional incentives at the request of the Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

"We're thrilled to welcome ElringKlinger to Indiana, a state that is known for our central location, low costs and skilled workforce," Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. "As a global company, ElringKlinger could have expanded anywhere, but they chose Indiana, which is a testament to our business-friendly environment and hardworking Hoosiers. We're excited to witness ElringKlinger grow as we continue to build on our economic momentum."

“I continue to be encouraged by the positive momentum and investments we’re experiencing in Fort Wayne,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “We appreciate ElringKlinger’s commitment to bringing jobs to our community. Advanced manufacturing is a key business sector that helps position Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana as a leader in economic development opportunities for job growth and successful expansion projects.”

ElringKlinger currently employs more than 9,000 employees in about 50 locations around the world, including associates at its U.S. facilities in Georgia, Michigan and California. The company has already started hiring for quality, environmental, logistics, program, industrial and production managers, and the company also plans to hire for engineering and manufacturing positions.

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