Germany-based automotive and industrial parts supplier Huebner Group is building a new factory for the manufacture of elastomer products in the US, after securing a major order to supply the New York City subway with gangway systems last year.
The site location is in Dunlap, Tennessee, in the southeastern part of the US and it will manufacture sensor-equipped rubber profiles for public transport sector as well as silicone seals and sealing systems for the US oil and gas industry.
With this new initiative, each of Huebner’s three business segments – Mobility, Material Solutions and Photonics – will now have its own US location for the development of the North American business.
In Mount Pleasant in the neighbouring state of South Carolina, the company has been producing gangway systems since 1995 for the American mobility market, of which Huebner says it is the worldwide leading company for gangway systems for buses and railway vehicles.
In San José, California, the Photonics business segment has a sales and service location for its laser business.
The facility in Dunlap, not far from Tennessee’s borders to Georgia and South Carolina, will produce all of the elastomer moulded parts, silicone seals as well as sensor-equipped rubber profiles for the rapidly expanding US bus and train industries from 2020 onwards.
Huebner says it has set itself the goal of becoming the worldwide market leader for door sealing and safety systems in the railway and bus segments – already having the largest market share for these segments throughout Europe.
“We want to be able to serve the strong growth in the American mobility market directly from here in the US,” explained Ingolf Cedra, Huebner’s General Manager responsible for material solutions.
“Our European customers have also increased their presence in the US and they want to be supplied on site with the same level of quality that they are accustomed to in Europe.”
He also said the new site in the US is in proximity of the company’s main customers – large bus and train manufacturers.
The start of production is planned for the first quarter of 2020 with the first phase to comprise staff force of up to 50 employees. Huebner already employs more than 100 persons in the US.