WABCO USA LLC plans to triple its employment as it reinvests more than $3 million in its heavy-duty truck parts manufacturing and warehousing facility in Hebron, Kentucky. 
WABCO’s investment will boost the company’s retail, aftermarket and original equipment manufacturer business, while improving efficiency to meet increased demand. The investment includes new equipment to enable increased volume and broader distribution of WABCO products throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
“I want to thank WABCO USA for reinvesting in our state and planning to add 123 new full-time jobs,” said Governor Andy Beshear. “Our central location within North America’s auto manufacturing belt, our experienced workforce and our deep roots in these industries all mean WABCO’s expansion is well placed and will be a boon for Northern Kentucky for years to come.”
To encourage the investment and job growth, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $1.1 million in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $3 million and annual targets of 123 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years and paying an average hourly wage of $39 including benefits across those jobs.
In addition, the company can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network, where it can get help with recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives.
WABCO leaders expect work to begin on the expansion this month and be complete by spring 2020. WABCO currently employs 77 people in Hebron.
“To ensure that our North American customers have seamless access to WABCO’s comprehensive product and service platform, we are dramatically expanding our aftermarket team and product distribution infrastructure in the region. This will result in a superior customer experience for OE service providers, aftermarket parts distributors and fleets,” said Jon Morrison, president of WABCO Americas.
WABCO USA is a subsidiary of WABCO Holdings Inc., located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Formed more than 150 years ago, when the company operated as Westinghouse Air Brake Co., the company currently operates 27 manufacturing locations that serve 40 countries. Products include electronic and active braking systems, aerodynamic and stability systems, suspension systems, transmission automation systems and fleet management systems. Worldwide, WABCO employs 14,200 people.
Kentucky has four OEM assembly plants and more than 500 supplier facilities, employing more than 101,000 people. Motor vehicles and parts rank among the state’s top exports and Kentucky leads the nation in production of new passenger vehicles per-capita. Also, nearly 550 logistics facilities operate in Kentucky, with 75,000 existing and announced jobs.
