Aisin Chemical Indiana (ACIN) officially opened their new manufacturing facility in Crothersville last Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. From left are: Brian Nuss, Section Manager Production Operations at ACIN; Takahiro Ishikawa, former ACIN President; Yoshiaki Yasui, ACIN President; Jim Plump, executive director Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation; Yasuhide Shibata, Aisin Chemical President; Masayasu Saito, AHA and AWA President; Scott Turpin, ADI President; Masakatsu Horie, Aisin Development President; Masanori Yuasa, Aisin Development of America President.
Crothersville’s newest industry, Aisin Chemical Indiana officially opened its doors last Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony and a hint at a hoped for expansion.
“We’re going to work much harder for future growth with your cooperation,” Yasuhide Shibata, president of Aisin Chemical Co. Ltd., Japan, told those in attendance. Aisin Chemical Co. is the parent company of Aisin Chemical Indiana LLC.
“We want to speed up and expand our chemical product business,” Shibata said.
He thanked those in attendance, which included officials with the town of Crothersville, local economic development officials and others, for their support over the past few years.
Aisin Chemical Indiana LLC was established in January 2006 as the first North American production site of Aisin Chemical Co. Ltd. products.
ACIN began production in the neighboring sister plant Aisin Drivetrain a few years ago. Their business grew resulting in the need for a manufacturing plant of their own.
The company manufactures liquid applied sound deadening material for Toyota and recently acquired contracts to provide the same product to Subaru of Indiana and Nissan. The company also makes Wet Friction Materials for automatic transmissions and anti-corrosion paint.
At the present time, 42 work for the company with the potential for another 25 jobs by 2013. The company invested $9 million for the 70,0000 square foot building, land, equipment and related expenses for the plant on Industrial Way.
Plant sales are projected to be $38 million in 2012.
Jim Plump, executive director of Jackson County Industrial Development Corp., said Aisin Chemical’s operations is just what people have come to expect from the Aisin family of companies.
He said everyone involved in the formation of the company on Jan. 5, 2006, was able to stay focused despite the economic downturn and move forward with construction and completion of the new plant.
The groundbreaking for the new plant occurred in June 2010.
Brian Nuss, section manager for production, said the plant is presently the sole North American supplier for Toyota and that, depending on vehicle size, it takes anywhere from .8 to 1.2 of a gallon of the company’s product per vehicle.
Automotive manufacturers use robots to spray the sound dampening material on the floorboards of new vehicles. Nuss said the plant also presently has two production shifts.
The company made two donations to the community in appreciation for their support.
Bud Walther, president and chief executive officer of Community Foundation of Jackson County, accepted a $5,000 donation for that organization, and Terry Goodin, superintendent of Crothersville Community Schools, accepted a $2,500 donation for the school district.
