By
Kitty Kulakowski Originally published Friday, May 23, 2003
Staff writer
A Japanese auto parts company announced yesterday its plans to open a
Gallatin facility that will employ 50 people.
Next month PK USA will begin building a $3.5 million plant on 10 acres in
the Gallatin Industrial Center on Airport Road. Construction is expected
to be complete by December 2003.
The new Tennessee plant will be about 62,000 square feet and workers there
will produce and distribute automobile metal assemblies.
Plans are to initially hire 50 employees, the great majority of which will
come from this area. Hiring is scheduled to begin after the first of next
year.
“We are very excited about this opportunity to expand into Tennessee and
provide additional support to our primary customer, Nissan North
America,” says Hiroshige Kaludo, president of PK USA.
Tommy Burns, executive director of Gallatin’s Economic Development
Agency, said local elected officials worked together to bring the plant to
Gallatin.
“It’s been a continued effort of negotiations which started in October
of 2002,” Burns said. “The joint effort of elected officials coming
together to benefit our community helped make this a reality.”
The city of Gallatin has approved up to $30,000 and the county has
approved up to $25,000 for site improvements for the new company. The
amount the state will be contributing is not known at this time.
“We appreciate the funding the mayor and city council, the county
executive and county commission and the state of Tennessee provided for
this project,” Burns said.
The economic development agency was instrumental in attracting PK to
Gallatin, Mayor Don Wright said.
“Tommy Burns has been working with this company since October of last
year. He and I have met with them on many occasions even going so far as
to meet with them in Nashville as well as Gallatin. Tommy did an excellent
job working with them and it has paid off,” Wright said.
The Gallatin facility will be PK’s sixth expansion and its third
manufacturing plant since starting operations in the United States in
1989.
“We’re thankful and proud that PK had the confidence in Gallatin to
locate here. We’re excited about the opportunity PK brings to Gallatin
with a capital investment, job creation, and the international presence
they bring,” Burns said.
PK USA is based in Shelbyville, Ind., and has annual sales of $100
million.
PK USA is a supplier of metal body parts, chassis parts and plastic
injection molded parts for automotive companies throughout North America
and Europe.
Parent companies of PK U.S.A., Inc., are Press Kogyo Co. Ltd, , one of
Japan’s largest independent automotive parts manufacturers, and Mitsui
& Co., Ltd., one of the world’s largest trading companies.
