Tier-One Automotive Places Headquarters in Detroit
17 September 1997
Calsonic North America Inc.: Tier-One Automotive Supplier Brings Headquarters, Test Facility, High-Tech Jobs to Metro Detroit
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Sept. 17 -- Calsonic North America,
Inc. today dedicated its new North American headquarters at an event attended
by state and local officials, company management, local business leaders and
auto industry executives.
The $400 million tier-one supplier of climate control, engine cooling and
exhaust control systems said the opening of its new 105,000-square-foot
headquarters and testing facility allows Calsonic North America to consolidate
its operations, while moving in close proximity to many of its key OEM
customers. The $15 million headquarters facility will house Calsonic's
engineering, sales and marketing, product development and testing divisions.
The Company's move from Irvine, California brings Calsonic's total staff to
120 at its new base in Farmington Hills.
"Our move to Michigan supports Calsonic North America's commitment to
remain a world-class supplier," said Calsonic North America President Yasuo
Yamauchi. "We recognized the need to more closely interact with our customers
and play a larger support role in their product design and development, and
this location and facility will allow us to do that."
Calsonic's headquarters will include a vehicle wind tunnel, two
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) or radio frequency chambers, and single
component test equipment that will enable the tier-one supplier to increase
its role in product validation and systems testing.
The vehicle wind tunnel, one of only a handful in the country, has the
capability to duplicate extreme weather conditions to measure the performance
of Calsonic's heating, cooling and ventilation systems. The EMC chambers
measure the electromagnetic radiation or "sound" emitted by a vehicle, which
can negatively impact computer and electrical components in a vehicle. "The
testing regime at Calsonic will include EMC evaluations on Calsonic-made
components as well as their interaction with other systems in the vehicle.
"Our responsibility as a supplier is to design systems that are both
innovative and integrated," said Yamauchi. "Our state-of-the-art test
laboratory at our new headquarters will be a key ingredient in this effort."
Calsonic North America's investments in testing and quality control
reflect its desire to be a leader among automotive suppliers in both its
service to the OEMs and in addressing the needs and desires of the end-user
consumer. Calsonic expects its move to the Detroit area will also improve its
responsiveness and interaction with customers.
The design of the new facility also accommodates Calsonic's focus on
consolidating its engineering, design, sales and marketing, product
development and testing staff into platform teams. Each platform team will
take a product from concept to production, working together in a shared office
environment or neighborhood. Calsonic North America's divisions have always
worked closely, but will for the first time be consolidated in one location at
the Farmington Hills headquarters.
"We are very excited about our new headquarters and the opportunities that
a new location and new facility will bring," Yamauchi concluded.
Calsonic North America, Inc., a subsidiary of Japan-based automotive
systems conglomerate Calsonic Corporation, is a tier-one automotive supplier
of climate control, engine cooling and exhaust control systems to customers
worldwide. The Company's domestic operations include facilities in Bardstown,
Ky.; Farmington Hills, Mich.; Irvine, Calif.; Shelbyville, Tenn.; and
Stanfield, Ariz. Calsonic was based in Irvine prior to its move to Farmington
Hills.
SOURCE Calsonic North America, Inc.