Flex-N-Gate is expanding its operations in Rockford, Tennessee, creating 91 new jobs.
The manufacturer of plastic, metal, lighting and mechanical assemblies for the automotive industry plans to invest $5.5 million to upgrade and expand its facility, increasing production in lighting materials.
Flex-N-Gate works directly with each customer’s design studio to develop advanced lighting systems. The company has a patented FLEX F/X technology that gives tail lamps a signature style. It also has developed a glare-free driving technology, which it integrates into headlamps to make driving at night safer.
“We would like to thank the state of Tennessee and Blount County for making Rockford the best place to locate this project. Flex-N-Gate looks forward to continued growth and job creation in partnership with TNECD (Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development) and Blount County,” said Bill Beistline, Flex-N-Gate executive vice president of metals and procurement.
Flex-N-Gate has been manufacturing automotive parts for original equipment manufacturers since the 1960s. Headquartered in Illinois, the company currently employs approximately 185 people at its Rockford location and 23,000 throughout the world at its 69 integrated manufacturing facilities. The company also has seven North American testing facilities for both lighting and bumper testing and validation, as well as four engineering centers around the world.
“Tennessee is home to over 900 automotive suppliers and since last year we have seen more than $2.3 billion invested in the automotive sector. At TNECD, we are focused on doing all that we can to support these companies so that when they are looking to grow, Tennessee is the clear choice. Thank you, Flex-N-Gate, for choosing Tennessee,” said TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe.