Gestamp Chattanooga has announced the company will invest $94.7 million to expand operations at its Hickory Valley Road and Ferdinand Piech Way plants in Chattanooga. This is the third expansion of the plants in the last 10 years. The expansion will create 260 new jobs in Hamilton County over the next five years.
“Tennessee is known as a global leader in automotive manufacturing, and it is because of companies like Gestamp that our state’s automotive industry continues to grow and excel. Gestamp’s third expansion in 10 years shows their commitment to Chattanooga and confidence in Tennessee’s skilled workforce,” said Gov. Bill Lee.
Gestamp provides structural metal stampings and welded assemblies to automotive original equipment manufacturers. From body parts that support the vehicle, like doors and roof panels, to chassis parts and mechanisms, like door hinges and powered systems, Gestamp includes all of the processes to manufacture the components, covering the entire value chain.
As part of the expansion, Gestamp plans to add to both facilities for increased capacity due to new electric vehicle production. In addition, both plants will undergo retrofitting, weld assembly and robotics updates.
“Gestamp is proud of continuing to grow our operations in Chattanooga with a third expansion that will enable us to better serve our customers in the U.S. region and further create jobs to live up to our commitment to the Tennessean workforce development,” said John Petroni, Gestamp U.S. president. “This investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and a skilled talent means even more as it happens despite the pandemic impact on our economy.”
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said, “I could not be happier to learn of yet another Gestamp expansion. Gestamp is an important supplier to the southeast automotive industry and the fact they have chosen Enterprise South as their expansion focus is an important decision that has a significant impact on local families and business. The impact of their good family wage jobs ripples throughout this community as does their interaction with local education providing their next generation of workers.”
Gestamp has more than 100 plants worldwide with a focus on producing parts that increase vehicle safety while also reducing overall weight and environmental impact that results from production processes.
