Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger speaks at the FTIC grand opening in Jamestown.
This week, Fukai Toyotetsu Indiana Corporation (FTIC), an automotive supplier, held their grand opening ceremony at their manufacturing facility in Jamestown.
In addition, FTIC also announced plans to expand its operations, creating up to 155 additional new jobs by 2020.
The company, which is a Japan-based joint venture between Fukai Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Fukai) and Toyotetsu, will invest $56.9 million to double the company’s current 125,000-square-foot facility to 250,000 square feet at 1100 N. Lebanon St. in Jamestown.
The new facility, which will house one new blank/progressive press and two transfer presses, will allow the company to nearly double production of stamping and welding body structural automotive parts for Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc (SIA).
Boone EDC Executive Director Molly Whitehead had the honor of toasting with Mr. Fukai of FTIC at the grand opening.
“Indiana is home to the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the country, and the impact of Subaru’s historic investment in Lafayette is benefiting Hoosier companies across the state,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger. “Indiana is home to more than 500 automotive suppliers like FTIC, helping assemble more than 1 million cars each year. We look forward to FTIC’s continued growth in Indiana.”
FTIC plans to begin hiring next spring, ramping up its hiring in areas including welding, stamping, quality assurance, machine maintenance, die maintenance, conveyance and engineering. Interested candidates may apply by submitting a resume to FTIC-Jobs@fticna.com.
“FTIC selected Jamestown, Indiana, to be close to our main customer, Subaru of Indiana Automotive,” said FTIC president Satoru Fukai. “Indiana has a long-term sister relationship with Tochigi Prefecture, which is a location for Fukai Manufacturing. Indiana is very competitive with labor, education and logistics, which provides future business opportunities.”
Founded in 2014, FTIC is a tier 1 supplier of steel frames, mainly to SIA in Lafayette. Fukai is a private family-owned company based in Tochigi Prefecture, Indiana’s sister state, and employs 500 associates. Toyotetsu is part of the Toyota Group based in Aichi Prefecture and employs more than 10,000 associates in Japan and throughout the world.
“We are honored that FTIC has chosen to expand its operations in Jamestown,” said Boone County Commissioner Jeff Wolfe. “FTIC is a strong community partner, and we look forward to seeing their continued growth here in Boone County.”