Schaeffler Group Opens New Automotive Tech Center in Michigan

The Schaeffler Group (Germany), parent of INA Bearing, FAG Bearing and LuK clutch systems, has opened a new North American Automotive Center in Troy, Michigan. Providing a more unified presence in the back yard of the North American auto industry, the new 78,000 square foot facility will initially house 150 employees. In addition to its Detroit proximity, the Automotive Center is also physically central to the Group's various North American facilities -- INA's four operations centered in Fort Mill, South Carolina, FAG's headquarters in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, and LuK out of Wooster, Ohio. Altogether, the Schaeffler Group employs just over 6,100 people in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In all, the Group employs over 54,000 people across 180 facilities worldwide. Joseph Uebbing, head of Schaeffler's North American automotive businesses, said, "The need to enhance our local engineering support in the Detroit area has been seen as a priority and it essential for our continued growth in North America. It was clear that we needed to bring our services closer to the heart of the North American automotive market. The result will be a shorter development cycle with our customers and the ability to bring new products to market more quickly."