The Kansas City automotive corridor, already recognized by the Brookings Institute as the second-most important automotive center in the U.S., grew even larger on Feb. 15 when France-based Faurecia announced it would build a $60-million plant in Blue Springs.
The sixth-largest international automotive parts manufacturer in the world, Faurecia will make interiors in its new 250,000-sq.-ft. facility on 25 acres on the north side of Interstate 70. The $19-billion company plans to hire 300 workers in the Kansas City metro area.
"Faurecia is proud to open this new site and to provide new opportunities for local job seekers," said Donald Hampton Jr., president of Faurecia Interiors in North America. "The Kansas City metro area and the Blue Springs area are known for being a source of excellence in American manufacturing, and we’re looking forward to building on that expertise and skill set as we continue to provide the very best to our customers."
A recent study by Brookings ranked the Kansas City area as the second-most important auto region in the country. The area is home to large auto manufacturing plants for General Motors and Ford, which have expanded to become the region’s largest manufacturing employers.
“The Kansas City metro area and the Blue Springs area are known for being a source of excellence in American manufacturing.”
"Kansas City offers a strong competitive advantage to growing manufacturing operations, particularly in the automotive industry," said Tim Cowden, president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council. "We are very proud to welcome Faurecia to our robust automotive cluster and look forward to the company’s success in our region."
The company said it selected the Kansas City region for its new U.S. plant because of its proximity to its customers and a skilled workforce that is familiar with the automotive manufacturing industry.
"Kansas City is an attractive location for manufacturers because of the region’s competitive transportation costs, reducing production expenses, as well as our skilled workforce and central U.S. location," said Chris Gutierrez, president of KC SmartPort.
Founded in 1997, Faurecia has grown to become a major player in the global auto sector. With 300 sites including 30 R&D centers and 100,000 employees in 34 countries, Faurecia is recognized as a global leader in three areas: automotive seating, interior systems and clean mobility. The company is headquartered in Nanterre, France.
Approximately one in four automobiles worldwide is equipped with Faurecia products or technology.
