21 Sep IAC Continues Growth in the United Kingdom with Expanded Operations in Elmdon, Halewood, and Coleshill
ELMDON, United Kingdom, (September 21, 2015) – Leading automotive and commercial vehicle interiors supplier, International Automotive Components (IAC), this week celebrated the expansion of its manufacturing footprint in support of customers in the United Kingdom.
Company officials first dedicated a 72,500 sq. ft (6,700 sq. meter) manufacturing facility, which complements IAC’s current Halewood operation. Company officials in the same day followed on with the dedication of a new 135,000 sq. ft. (12,500 sq. meter) facility in Elmdon near Birmingham, which hosts manufacturing, a design & technical center, and the UK regional administrative functions. The addition of these two facilities extends IAC’s capability to support its domestic and Asian OEM customers from five locations across the UK. IAC has increased the number of employees in the UK from approximately 700 in 2007 to over 2,200 today.
“The addition of these new manufacturing and engineering facilities substantially reinforces our ability to serve customers in this region, but also extends our global footprint, which as increased by more than a dozen new locations around the world over the past 24 months,” said Robert S. (“Steve”) Miller, president and Chief Executive Officer, IAC Group. “I am excited to take part in this growth and look forward to continuing to support our customers wherever in the world they need us.”
IAC Elmdon, which will employ an additional 200 associates in the new facility, is strategically located near customers’ engineering and production sites. With Customer Service, Program Management, Engineering and Manufacturing teams co-located in Elmdon, IAC is able to offer customers flawless collaboration along the entire product value chain. Also, all major manufacturing processes have been brought under one roof increasing material and logistical efficiencies. IAC Elmdon delivers instrument panel components to IAC Halewood as well as other interior hard trim components, which are delivered directly to customers.
At IAC Halewood, the added manufacturing space will enable production flow improvements in both plants, while supporting the customer’s growth strategy. Production lines for headliner, center console and overhead system assembly have moved to the new facility, allowing for space in the first plant that will enhance instrument panel and cockpit production and will support increased complexity and production volumes. IAC Halewood supplies just-in-time and in sequence cockpit, center consoles and overhead systems.
In 2014 the IAC Coleshill plant, also near Birmingham, had opened a 70,000 sq. ft. (6,500 sq. meter) warehouse that allowed for improved production flow and made available shop floor space for upcoming programs.
All new facilities have been designed and implemented in accordance with IAC’s global engineering, program management and lean manufacturing system (IPS).
