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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Shape Corp. Expands Trenton, Ohio, Aluminum Division

05/26/2021
Shape Corp., a tier-one automotive supplier specializing in impact energy management and lightweight body structures, plans to expand their aluminum division, Magnode LLC, with a new facility in Trenton, Ohio. The $41 million project is expected to create 171 new jobs.

The new building, a 320,000-square-foot facility built on approximately 50 acres, anticipates construction to be completed in 2022, with the entire expansion expected to finish in 2025. The new facility will include manufacturing, inspection, and testing, and primarily focus on Shape’s aluminum extrusion and post extrusion business.

“We are beyond excited to further enrich our aluminum capabilities and working environment for our team members with Shape’s new facility in Trenton,” said Mark Butterfield, Shape’s aluminum division managing director. “Our growth in the automotive industry is driving significant opportunities to innovate for our customers, which will be optimized by the assets in the new space.”

Shape built upon its aluminum capabilities in 2018 by acquiring the Trenton aluminum extruder, Magnode, which was founded in 1947. Growth in the automotive market, particularly in electric vehicle sales, is fueling the company’s decision to expand.

“Our Trenton facility’s experience in tight tolerance aluminum extrusion was just the right expertise we needed to expand our lightweight product and process portfolio beyond ultra-high strength steel roll forming, thermoplastic injection molding and composite pultrusion,” said Mark White, Shape president & CEO. “Increasing our aluminum footprint will enable us to further share our unique capabilities with our customers around the world.”

The City of Trenton and Butler County are working with Magnode to finalize details of the project. The State of Ohio is supporting Magnode’s growth with a Job Creation Tax Credit from the Ohio Development Services Agency, JobsOhio plans to provide assistance to the project, which will be made public after a final agreement is executed.

“Electric vehicle sales are projected to grow by 70% in 2021 alone, and Magnode is positioning the Cincinnati region to play a role in that growth,” said Kimm Lauterbach, REDI Cincinnati president and CEO. “Magnode and Sharp’s latest investment is a testament to the strength of the Cincinnati region’s talent and validates the work done by the City of Trenton and Butler County to prime the site for industrial use. The support of the Ohio Development Services Agency and JobsOhio was also vital to making this project a success.”

Shape Corp. is a global full-service supplier of lightweight steel, aluminum, plastic, composite and hybrid solutions. The company primarily serves the automotive sector, but has supplied a diversified collection of non-automotive industries as well.

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