GKN Driveline, the global leader in advanced and electrified driveline technology, has started production at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Villagran, Mexico. The new $17.5 million USD facility will serve Mexico’s fast-growing automotive sector and support the strong growth in local and global demand for all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles.
Phil Swash, CEO of GKN Driveline, said, “The increasing worldwide demand for all-wheel drive vehicles is fueling growth for GKN’s lightweight, high-performance driveline technologies. GKN is introducing innovative propshaft designs that save weight, increase efficiency and that make vehicle integration simpler. This expansion of GKN’s existing footprint in Mexico strengthens the company’s position as the leading driveline system supplier for global vehicle platforms and will also enable us to support further growth in Mexico’s automotive sector.”
At full capacity, the new Villagran plant will produce more than 1 million propshafts a year and will employ 380 people.
The 130,000-square-foot site is GKN Driveline’s second plant in Villagran, based in the central state of Guanajuato, a center for automotive manufacturing. The facility is producing a new type of higher-performance propshaft, the GKN VLi, which is faster to assemble and can operate at higher rotational speeds. It also houses new constant velocity joint machining facilities, as well as a new propshaft painting line.
Customers include Audi, BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen.
Fidel Otake, GKN Driveline director for Mexico, said, “With the start of production on these new lines in Villagran, GKN’s longstanding operations in Mexico are entering a new phase. This investment brings the latest technology to market in Mexico, strengthening the support we provide to an increasing number of automakers and global programs with local production here.”
GKN Driveline first established a presence in Mexico in 1979 and now employs 2,075 people across its three plants.
