Spanish component supplier Ficosa has begun hiring for its new plant in Tennessee (United States), reports Automotive News. The new 270,000-square foot plant will build rear-view systems for Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Nissan, and Volkswagen, according to a company statement. Annual output is planned at 4.5 million units per year. The plant, which is in the city of Cookeville, replaces a facility in Crossville, Tennessee; construction of the factory is complete, with production set to begin in October. The 500 people employed at the Crossville plant have been offered positions at the new site; the company reportedly plans to hire about 400 more workers.
Significance: A Ficosa spokesperson said that this was the first US plant the company had built rather than bought, and stated that it featured state-of-the-art technology used in the company's other worldwide facilities. The spokesperson said, "We've been successful enough in North America for long enough now [to build the plant]." Demand for rear-view systems is increasing in the US, driven by consumer demand but also by regulations. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has mandated that back-up cameras must be standard equipment on all cars in the US by May 2018.
