After nearly four decades in Huntington, Indiana, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC is continuing to grow.
Bendix will expand its manufacturing capabilities and capacity with a $3.8 million capital investment in equipment to launch two new production lines.
The lines will manufacture a portion of the company’s vibration damper product lines, and will be installed in available space at the company’s Module Center. Vibration engine dampers are used to reduce torsional vibration on engine crankshafts to prevent shaft failure and reduce noise. They also play a role in improved fuel economy.
Bendix is set to begin serial production of front gear train and bolted dampers at the facility in a phased approach expected to take place between April and July of 2018. The move is anticipated to add approximately 20 hourly jobs over three shifts and up to seven new salaried positions.
The location in Huntington supplements the manufacturing capacity of Bendix’s primary damper production plant in North Aurora, Illinois. A significant business win at a key OEM customer, plus a production shift to align the company’s global footprint – more than doubling the North American business demands – prompted the expansion, the company says. The new production in Huntington is expected to generate nearly 170,000 dampers per year on top of current volumes.
“From our facilities to our proven workforce, the Huntington operation is well-positioned to continue growing through the addition of the two new vibration damper lines,” said Mike Pogorelc, plant manager. “Our talented, dedicated employees are always ready to accept new opportunities to serve and satisfy additional customers. The team is eager to move forward – we’re poised and ready to provide excellent quality, delivery and service to our business partners.”
Bendix’s Huntington manufacturing campus opened in February 1980 and consists of four facilities with a total of more than 420 employees. In June, PACCAR named the site to its list of premier suppliers that meet the truck manufacturer’s rigorous quality expectation of 10 PPM for parts and components. The distinction is earned by lowering PPM, or product defects expressed in parts per million, to below 10. The Bendix team in Huntington reduced its PPM to just under four. , The Bendix facility also finished fifth for the prestigious global 2016 KB-Truck Knorr Excellence Award, given by the Munich, Germany-based Knorr-Bremse (KB) Group. Bendix is a member of KB, the leading worldwide supplier of pneumatic braking and related safety systems for commercial vehicle and railroad applications.
The Huntington manufacturing campus earned first place for the KB-Truck Knorr Excellence Award in 2014.
