Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB) today broke ground on a 130,000-square-foot expansion of its wheel-end manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The $65 million addition to the BSFB plant will increase air disc brake production capacity to keep pace with accelerating customer demand in North America.
Bendix is expanding on nearly 8.5 acres immediately adjacent to BSFB’s 302,000-square-foot building, a leased space the company is purchasing as part of the investment. Among other improvements in support of Bendix’s North American air disc brake (ADB) portfolio, the expansion will add a new bracket weld machine center, a third ADB production line, four ADB caliper machining centers, engineering test capability, and an on-site medical clinic and wellness center. Space will also be held in reserve to address long-term growth opportunities.
The facility employs more than 400 team members covering three shifts. Completion of the upgraded plant – which will total 432,000 square feet – is expected by the end of 2020.
BSFB is a joint venture between Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products LLC. It produces the full lineup of commercially available Bendix brand foundation drum and air disc brake solutions at the Bowling Green wheel-end facility. At its opening, in 2007, the plant employed 133 people and occupied 187,000 square feet. Since then, Bendix has invested millions of dollars in production capacity and equipment – part of the company’s commitment to continually invest in its manufacturing operations.
