GKN Sinter Metals plans to invest $19.8 million to expand its state-of-the art aluminum manufacturing plant in Conover, North Carolina. Post expansion, the company expects to create 55 new manufacturing jobs during the next five years in Catawba County.
Abdul Butt, President of GKN Sinter Metals, Americas, said, “At GKN Sinter Metals, we continue to grow our presence in North Carolina where we are delighted to be working in partnership with Governor McCrory and his team. In particular, we would like to thank the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation for their support in making this project work.”
“The expanded Conover facility will build on GKN’s aluminum and lightweight technology capabilities that deliver lightweight and more energy-efficient designs and products to our customers right from our plant in North Carolina,” said Alan Taylor, Vice President of Aluminum Technologies for Sinter Metals. “Unique GKN developed Powder Metal Aluminum materials open up fascinating application opportunities for multiple industries, not just automotive; this investment ensures GKN and North Carolina lead in aluminum powder metallurgy technology.”
GKN Sinter Metals is part of the GKN Powder Metallurgy division of GKN PLC, a global engineering group with four operating divisions: GKN Aerospace, GKN Driveline, GKN Powder Metallurgy and GKN Land Systems. GKN Sinter Metals supplies powder metal precision components to the automotive and industrial sectors.
The GKN Driveline division also operates multiple manufacturing facilities in NC. Together, the GKN family of companies employs more than 2,500 people in North Carolina, GKN’s largest workforce in any U.S. state.
The mega expansion project has been made possible in part by a performance-based grant from the One North Carolina Fund of up to $109,500. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance through local governments to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state.
In addition, the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority has awarded the City of Conover a Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $600,000 to support the building of an industrial access road and extension of public water and sewer lines to support this project.
Along with the N.C. Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C., other partners that have helped with this project include the Rural Infrastructure Authority, the Golden Leaf Foundation, the North Carolina Community College System, the N.C. Department of Transportation, Catawba County Economic Development Corporation, Duke Energy, Catawba County, and the City of Conover.
