RIVERSIDE, MO—Yanfeng USA Automotive Trim Systems, an automotive supplier based in China, announced Monday that it plans to build a $45 million new manufacturing plant here.
The new 258,000-sq.-ft. plant will manufacture interior trim components, including door panels, floor consoles and instrument panels for General Motors’ assembly plants in Kansas City, Kan., and Wentzville, Mo. Construction on the facility is expected to begin in the next month, and the plant is expected to be operational in early 2014.
State and local officials from the Kansas City area worked for more than a year to land the plant, and had support from NorthPoint Development, KCP&L, CBRE Group Inc., Missouri Gas Energy and KC SmartPort. “Our Kansas City region is seeing significant job creation from automotive industry suppliers due to the massive reinvestment from our local auto manufacturers including Ford and GM,” said Bob Marcusse, president and CEO of the Kansas City Area Development Council. “Investment from Yanfeng USA offers further evidence that our region can compete in a global marketplace as a formidable business and lifestyle destination.”
The company is part of Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Tooling Co. Ltd., which was founded in Dec. 2006 as a joint venture established by Visteon Corp., Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Trim Systems Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Visteon had been an in-house supplier to Ford, but was spun off on its own. The company, now based in Van Buren Township, Mich., emerged from bankruptcy in 2010.