DENSO says it is growing its commitment to advancing innovation in the heart of North America’s auto industry. The company kick-started a major round of investments in its North American network this week with approximately $75.5 million to expand DENSO International America Inc. (DIAM), DENSO’s North American regional headquarters based in Southfield, Michigan, and one of its satellite offices located in Dublin, Ohio.
The investment will bolster the staff at DENSO’s North American headquarters facilities by approximately 133 employees over the next three years, attracting top talent to design and deliver advanced mobility solutions.
DENSO says it will tap into the thriving automotive community and deep talent pool across the Midwest, working with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC).
“This is the first in a line of investments to create the future of mobility by bringing in top talent and fostering our culture of innovation,” said Kenichiro Ito, chairman of DENSO’s North America board of directors and CEO of DIAM. “Expanding our team and resources now will help us make a future of autonomous cars and advanced electric vehicles possible.”
DENSO’s $75 million investment in Michigan will create 120 new jobs over the next three years and will expand and renovate R&D facilities to develop the future of mobility, focusing on automotive safety, cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles. Among the facility renovations planned, DENSO will expand its testing facilities and add new test equipment. In the past five years, DENSO has expanded its Southfield footprint by 44 percent with the purchase of two additional buildings and a vehicle test strip to support sales and engineering R&D activities.
In Ohio, DENSO’s $500,000 investment will create roughly 13 new jobs over the next three years and will include a full renovation of DENSO’s current 10,000-square-foot satellite office, as well as add an additional 5,000 square feet of space on the same campus. The additional space will support R&D activity in the area of Powertrain and Infotainment. This also will serve as a Quality Engineering lab, and host Infotainment System Validation activities.
DENSO and the MEDC will work together to attract and train skilled workers, and identify support opportunities through programs like Michigan Works! Likewise, the Ohio Development Services Agency will provide $160,000 in performance-based incentives to expand DENSO’s team in Dublin.
