Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Eberspaecher North America Plans Louisville, Kentucky, Manufacturing Site

04/01/2021
Eberspaecher North America Inc., a division of Germany-based Eberspächer Group, is expected to invest more than $30 million to establish a new operation in Louisville, Kentucky. The company plans to create 214 jobs.

A system developer and supplier of exhaust technology, thermal management systems and automotive electronics, Eberspaecher will occupy over 125,000 square feet of an existing 314,500-square-foot facility at 7001 Greenbelt Highway in the Louisville Riverport.

The new facility also will allow the company to increase its focus on environmental protection, safety and comfort across its products, which includes exhaust emission conversion technologies and acoustic systems for passenger vehicles. Work on the project is scheduled to begin in May and be completed by August.

“We are very proud to continue our growth path with a new facility in Louisville,” said Dr. Thomas Waldhier, COO of exhaust technology at the Eberspächer Group. “We are excited to kick off a great partnership with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the City of Louisville, and we are looking forward to expanding our workforce and serving our customers with high-quality products.”

Eberspaecher joins 78 German-owned manufacturing, service and technology operations currently located in the commonwealth. Companies with German ownership employ nearly 14,000 people in Kentucky.

“Our state’s automotive sector is one of our greatest strengths,” Governor Andy Beshear said. “The addition of a proven company like Eberspaecher North America helps solidify the industry even further and positions the commonwealth for significant growth in the years ahead. We are building a better Kentucky and we’re doing it with companies like this one. I want to thank Eberspaecher’s leadership for selecting Jefferson County and Kentucky for this project, and I look forward to following the company’s success well into the future.”

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 $4 million in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $34.4 million and annual targets of creation and maintenance of 214 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years and paying an average hourly wage of $25 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, Eberspaecher can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network.

“Welcome to Eberspaecher. I’d like to congratulate them for their first facility in the region, which means 200 new jobs here in Riverport,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “With Louisville’s robust manufacturing sector, particularly in automotive production, Eberspaecher’s new location demonstrates Louisville’s strength in this industry. We look forward to working with them in this post-pandemic economy.”

Eberspaecher North America, founded in 1973 and headquartered in Novi, Michigan, is a global automotive supplier that specializes in exhaust technology, climate control systems and automotive controls. Eberspächer has operated since 1865, and currently has 80 locations in 29 countries, employing approximately 10,000 people around the world. The new plant increases the company’s footprint in the U.S. to seven sites.

Exclusive Research