Bosch Facility Celebrates 20-Year Milestone

SUMTER, S.C., June 21 -- This month marks the 20th year of operation for the Robert Bosch Corporation plant in Sumter, S.C. The plant capped off a week-long celebration today with a luncheon for all associates and invited guests. In attendance were local officials and Bosch executives from the company's automotive headquarters in Farmington Hills, Mich.

"This is quite an achievement for Sumter associates," said Russ Potts, plant manager at the facility since 1995. "The automotive industry is extremely competitive, and to stay in the game for 20 years is no small accomplishment. We have a committed, hard-working team at Bosch, and all associates should be proud of reaching this milestone. It's been a fun and rewarding week for everyone, looking back at all the faces and events that have been a part of our history."

The Bendix Corporation began construction of the facility, located in the Sumter Industrial Complex, in October 1981. The plant shipped its first automotive drum brake in June 1982 for the model-year 1983 Ford Escort.

In October 1985, the plant introduced its vacuum brake booster and MasterVac® (vacuum booster / master cylinder assembly) product lines. This product line was moved to a second building constructed on the site in March 1986. In the summer of 1988, the plant expanded its product portfolio to include injection-molded valve bodies and drum-in-hat parking brakes.

The Sumter facility was part of the 1983 acquisition of The Bendix Corporation by Allied Corporation. In 1985, Allied's merger with The Signal Companies resulted in AlliedSignal ownership of the plant. The Sumter facility has been part of Robert Bosch Corporation since 1996, when Bosch purchased AlliedSignal's worldwide automotive brake business.

The plant's current products are drum brakes, drum-in-hat parking brakes, vacuum brake boosters and MasterVac® assemblies for passenger cars and light trucks, with a total annual volume of 8.6 million units. The plant's primary customers are Ford Motor Company and DaimlerChrysler Corporation. Employment has grown from 226 in 1982 to 850 people today. Eighty-one of the current associates will celebrate their 20th year of service at the plant this year.

Bosch designs and produces precision automotive components and systems sold to vehicle and powertrain manufacturers worldwide. These include systems and components for gasoline and diesel injection, airbag components, ABS and conventional braking systems, telematics, as well as small motors, electrical and electronic equipment.

Robert Bosch Corporation, the wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is responsible for North American operations.

The Sumter facility is one of the 15 automotive plants operated by Robert Bosch Corporation in the U.S. and Mexico. Robert Bosch Corporation also operates automotive facilities in Charleston and Anderson as well as non-automotive manufacturing plants in Columbia and Fountain Inn, South Carolina.