The Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act continues to pay dividends for Missouri.
The act written by Associated Industries of Missouri for the 2010 special session of the Missouri General Assembly has lured another global automotive parts supplier to Missouri. Janesville Acoustics, a Jason Incorporated Company, will invest $13.4 million in a new 155,000 square-foot automotive manufacturing facility in Warrensburg to supply GM’s Fairfax Assembly Plant, creating 164 new, fulltime jobs.
Janesville Acoustics’ new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Warrensburg will initially produce trunk liners, specialized carpets and dash liners along with general acoustical insulation for the GM Chevy Malibu. The company’s new Missouri facility will provide for closer proximity to its transportation and automotive customers’ assembly plants in Missouri and the surrounding region, which will result in lower logistical costs and an increase in efficiency and flexibility. Janesville Acoustics intends to expand the facility, adding 40,000 square feet to the property within the third quarter.
“Janesville Acoustics has experienced significant growth in the past 24 months, much of which has been accelerated by our willingness to locate manufacturing operations in close proximity to key customers,” said David Cataldi, president of Janesville Acoustics. “In Warrensburg we have found a geographic location that will allow us to exceed the expectations of our customers, a capable workforce, and a state and local government that are very welcoming and supportive of our project.”
Since the passage of the Manufacturing Jobs Act, Ford and GM have invested a combined $1.5 billion and created thousands of jobs to produce all-new next-generation vehicles at their facilities in Claycomo and Wentzville. Missouri has also seen strong growth among automotive suppliers. Janesville Acoustics joins suppliers including Yanfeng USA Automotive Trim Systems, SRG Global, Adrian Steel, Toyota Bodine, and Grupo Antolin North America that have announced plans to invest and expand in the Show-Me State over the past year.
“We are delighted by this latest announcement of more jobs coming to Missouri as the result of the fertile manufacturing atmosphere the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act has helped create,” said AIM president Ray McCarty. “But we are not surprised that well-reasoned legislation in the area of job creation has been so successful. Now we look forward to expanding the Act to all manufacturing areas of the economy.”
“The state should establish incentives that reward significant capital investments and help Missouri manufacturing facilities retain jobs,” said McCarty.