Germany's Global CAR TOP SYSTEMS Celebrates Opening Of Bowling Green, KY Assembly Plant Will supply CTS and Corvette Tops
BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Sept. 19 -- CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS, a global supplier of vehicle roof systems, celebrated the grand opening of its new assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky -- the first North American manufacturing facility for the German-based company.
CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS held a grand opening celebration at its new 36,000- square-foot Bowling Green plant Thursday, Sept. 18. The event featured a welcome by company officials and community leaders and included tours of the plant.
Company officials included Klaus Striegel, CEO of CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS worldwide, and John Dick, CFO of CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS, North America. Bowling Green area officials included Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ron Sowell and Mayor Sandy Jones.
"Our Bowling Green plant certainly underscores our philosophy of building close to the customer in order to provide high quality, just-in-time products and services," said CFO John Dick.
The new facility represents a $5-million investment for CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS, including $2 million in construction costs and $3 million in equipment, machinery and supplies. The plant is located in the South Central Kentucky Industrial Park, near the General Motors' Corvette Assembly Plant. Construction was completed in 2002 and the plant has been operational since last January.
"Bowling Green was among a number of locations we considered for the company's first North American facility, including a number of sites in Tennessee and adjoining states," said CEO Klaus Striegel. "A deciding factor was the location -- it's in the heart of several U.S.-based OEM automotive operations and therefore provides us with additional strategic opportunities for further business development."
Striegel added, "We look forward to becoming an active corporate citizen and continue to grow and invest in this community over the years."
Kentucky Governor Paul Patton, along with CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS officers, made the official groundbreaking announcement two years ago to community and business leaders. State Economic Development Secretary Gene Strong also praised the company's bold move as innovative and good for the local regional economy.
"CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS represents yet another overseas investment in Bowling Green. This is a world-class company that brings tremendous opportunities to this area and our entire commonwealth," Strong said.
Local economic development officials estimate that about 75 new jobs eventually will be created at the new facility as the ramp-up for the Cadillac XLR Roof Module continues and the production of the tops of the next generation Corvette will start in 2004.
The stimulus for building in the Bowling Green area came after CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS won a contract to produce retractable hardtop roof modules for the Cadillac XLR, marking the official beginning of its production in North America. As an integrated GM supplier, the company is supplying innovative retractable hardtops for the XLR.
The CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS product line includes textile folding tops, retractable hardtops, sliding roof systems, removable hardtops and removable roof panels.
CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS is a global automotive systems supplier offering high- quality specialty vehicle design, engineering prototype and production services. The company also designs, develops and manufactures an array of ready-to-install roof system modules for most original equipment manufacturers, including Ferrari, General Motors (Cadillac, Chevrolet, Saab), Mercedes-Benz and Porsche.
CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS GmbH is an independent company headquartered in Germany with North American headquarters located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and production facilities in the Bremen, Freiburg, Hamburg and Stuttgart (Germany) regions, as well as Bowling Green, Kentucky. The company has more than 900 employees worldwide.
For additional information on CTS CAR TOP SYSTEMS visit www.cartopsystems.com