Auto parts manufacturer Decostar plans major expansion at Carrollton site
From STAFF REPORTSnews@newnan.com
A leading supplier of interior and exterior auto parts will add 120 jobs and invest $26 million in Carrollton.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced Friday that Decostar Industries, a manufacturing division of the automotive parts supplier Magna Exteriors and Interiors, will expand its facility in Carrollton.
Decostar Industries has secured new business to produce interior and exterior auto parts. To accommodate this growth, a new 64,000-square-foot facility is under construction adjacent to the existing operation in Carrollton. Decostar currently employs more than 500 workers at its Carrollton location, and will begin hiring for the new positions in the spring of 2013. Georgia Quick Start, the top-ranked workforce training program in the United States, will assist the company with a customized training program for its new workforce.
“On this project we have been fortunate to collaborate with many talented and committed people and organizations who understand our business and can help achieve common goals,” said Bob Brownlee, president of Magna Exteriors and Interiors. “We are pleased to be able to bring additional jobs and investment to the Carrollton area, and we look forward to continued success in the service of our customers.”
Partners in the project included the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Carroll Tomorrow, the Carrollton Payroll Development Authority, the City of Carrollton and Georgia Power. E. Jane Caraway was the project manager for the state of Georgia.
Georgia has been a leader in the automotive industry for more than 100 years. The state’s strategic location in the center of the Southeast and its prominence as a logistics and transportation hub have contributed to its current cluster of more than 300 auto and vehicle-related companies, employing more than 20,000 people. Global companies such as Kia, Porsche, Toyota, Honda and Lotus are represented in the state.
“Not only is this expansion a great addition to Georgia’s automotive sector, but Decostar’s expansion is a great example of how foreign direct investment benefits the state and why it’s a strategic focus for us,” said Chris Cummiskey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “FDI projects tend to pay higher-than-average wages, create high-quality jobs and invest for the long haul.”
