Customer-driven plant expansion funded by company’s $25 million investment.
PARIS, IL March 14, 2018 – The nation’s largest manufacturer of exterior automotive lighting is expanding its Paris, Illinois manufacturing plant. North American Lighting’s (NAL) Paris Plant will add three multi-colored presses, bringing its Paris Plant total to four. The $25 million expansion will also include new team members and is due to be complete in the spring of 2019.
The new presses will produce new styles of multi-colored lenses using more precision and less equipment. A multi-colored lens is dual colored with a clear lens and stylish black trim. Today, clear faced molds produced at the Paris Plant must be painted in a secondary paint process, except for those being produced by the plant’s only multi-colored injection press.
The multi-colored injection press works by injecting two different colors of plastic into a tool and thereby molding a two-colored part in a single process. The presses will be used to manufacture multi-colored headlamp lenses for a variety of NAL customers.
Most of the headlight lenses currently manufactured at the Paris Plant are all clear, however, Director of Corporate Engineering, Chris Kocher estimated, “within five years, two-thirds of the lenses we produce will be multi-colored.”
The decision to add more multi-colored injection presses was customer driven as multi-colored lenses are more cosmetically appealing and the presses will yield these design enhancements at a lower cost.
NAL President, Kirk Gadberry said, “NAL remains committed to being on the forefront of automotive lighting production technology. This expansion helps to solidify NAL’s commitment to its customers as well as to the City of Paris.”
Director of Corporate Engineering, Chris Kocher added, “This will be NAL’s third expansion to the Paris plant since its original construction in 2002. This is exciting as it shows NAL’s continued growth and leadership in the automotive industry and the commitment to the Paris community.”
North American Lighting is the largest automotive lighting manufacturer in North America. NAL is a pioneer in automotive lighting from LEDs to adaptive driving beams, and is now pursuing the latest technology in autonomous driving. NAL’s nine facilities in North America combined with the global network of Koito Group Companies, uniquely positions the company to meet increasing global demands for safe, energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and intelligent automotive lighting systems. NAL is a member of the Koito Group of companies and has been manufacturing automotive lighting systems for vehicle manufacturers since 1983.
Contact: Kayla Lindsay, Corporate Human Resources: 217-465-6600 Ext. 7429
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