BorgWarner celebrated the inauguration of its newest production plant in the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate on March 7 in Rayong, Thailand, with a traditional ceremony. With a total area of 69,965 square feet (6,500 square meters), the facility includes a leading-edge production line for advanced turbocharging solutions. BorgWarner, a global provider of clean and efficient technology solutions for combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles, designed the plant to meet growing demand in the expanding Southeast Asian automotive market along with global automakers based in the region.

“Thailand is a very important production base for Asian automakers and offers an excellent business environment,” said Robin Kendrick, president and general manager, BorgWarner Turbo Systems. “Many leading automakers have production facilities in Thailand. With our new facility in Rayong we serve them with localized manufacturing to meet their thriving demand while strengthening our leadership position.”

Using the experience gained in its other production plants, the latest BorgWarner facility was designed following lean production principles, making the flow of people and materials along the line clear and efficient. Production takes place in a clean environment with an over-pressurized and air-conditioned airlock-enclosed shop floor to keep out any particles that might interfere with production processes.

Numerous government officials as well as customers, BorgWarner executives and employees attended the opening ceremony. Official speeches, a monk ceremony, ribbon cutting, drum shows and a traditional Thai dance took place to wish prosperity and success for the newly built facility, says the company.