Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix) celebrates the grand opening of a new production facility at its operation in Acuña, Mexico. The 185,000-square-foot plant will use highly automated manufacturing processes to produce two technologies: Global Scalable Brake Control (GSBC) and Global Scalable Air Treatment (GSAT). Production on the new lines has begun and is slated to expand on a staggered, multiyear schedule, according to Bendix.
The facility represents the latest step in the ongoing expansion of the bustling, multisite Acuña operation. Opened in 1988, the campus engages in manufacturing, remanufacturing, and assembly across a wide range of products – antilock braking systems (ABS), air dryers, compressors, valves, actuators and integrated vehicle modules.
“We’re proud to unveil this new plant, which is the physical manifestation of the move toward greater automation and high-tech assembly at our Acuña operation,” said Piotr Sroka, Bendix president, chief executive officer, and chief operating officer. “Reaching this milestone is the result of an ongoing, concerted effort over the last eight years to increase the sophistication of the operation across a range of products – and doing so with Bendix’s signature product performance, quality, and reliability.”
Sroka continued, “Most importantly, as customers are always at the center of our thinking, the increasing high-tech production capabilities in Acuña improve our productivity and give us the added flexibility to respond to the growing demands of our OEM and fleet customers – including meeting and exceeding their delivery expectations. The new facility is the latest example of our manufacturing operations evolution – here in North America and around the globe – in step with the changing commercial vehicle marketplace.”
Sroka noted that the opening of the newest Acuña facility is not just a manufacturing showcase, but also another milestone in Knorr-Bremse’s – the Munich, Germany-based parent company of Bendix – company-wide program BOOST 2026 (Knorr-Bremse Operational Optimization Strategy and Transformation). The global program brings together an array of existing strategic initiatives, all with the same goals: to guide Knorr-Bremse along a trajectory of sustainable growth in the years to come, and to foster innovations and new technologies the company said.
GSBC and GSAT are brake control and air treatment modular global systems that are designed to be adapted to customer needs in various markets. GSBC and GSAT advanced capabilities and diagnostics enable the groundwork for automated driving, the company said.
“In manufacturing GSBC and GSAT products, we will take advantage of the stability, knowledge, skill sets, and strong quality and safety records we have cultivated here,” said Jacqueline Perez, Bendix senior director of operations in Mexico. “Also, since Acuña already builds all Bendix valves and air dryers currently, we are well positioned to manufacture GSBC and GSAT – the next generation of those products – with both the space and capability to make that happen.”
The new plant is the latest opportunity for Bendix Acuña to support education and develop local talent for the future, an ongoing commitment of the operation. Bendix said it plans to hire an estimated 200 employees for the facility, bringing the Acuña workforce to approximately 2,000 people.
