Kobe Steel, Ltd. announces that it will manufacture and sell aluminum extrusions for the automotive sector in the United States.
The new business will operate through a company called Kobelco Aluminum Products & Extrusions Inc. (KPEX) in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
KPEX will make bumper materials for cars and car frame materials. The new company will have an integrated production facility, with operations ranging from melting to fabrication. Fabrication will start in the latter half of 2017 and the melting to extrusion processes will begin in the latter half of 2018. Total investment is expected to reach $46.7 million, and KPEX is anticipated to create 110 jobs.
Kobe Steel has been supplying aluminum bumper materials to Japanese automakers since the 1990s. The company has over 20 years of experience in the Japanese market and has established a strong track record. Kobe Steel’s original weight-saving proposals covering both product development, such as for high strength 7000 series aluminum alloys, and cross section design technology have received high acclaim from customers.
Published in the October 2016 Edition of American Recycler News