MORGANTON, NC (WBTV) -
In a town that has seen its share of plant closings and layoffs, local officials and others gathered at a local brake component manufacturer to celebrate that plant's 20th year in Morganton.
Continental Automotive makes braking systems with much of its focus on Electronic Stability Control modules. The ESC modules are required on all new cars made in the United States.
The ESC module is a computerized technology that is designed to reduce the risk of skidding. The module detects changes in steering and braking and sends signals to the brakes to compensate for problems and minimize loss of control. "It saves lives," said Bill Walker who has worked at the Morganton plant since it opened in 1992.
The plant started with just 35 people. Today, 500 work in what has been described by officials as one of the most hi-tech industries in western North Carolina."It's a great place to work," said one woman as all employees gathered for the anniversary celebration Wednesday morning.
Plant Manager David Jones said the plant has gone through some tough times, especially three years ago. "Business was pretty tough but it has come back strong." The company, said Jones, rises and falls with the state of the auto industry in the United States. Jones thinks the industry will do well in the next few years. "There's a lot of pent up demand for new cars and we're ready to supply the manufacturers."
The plant manufactured 5.2 million ESC modules in the past year, a record, said officials. They expect to break that record over the next year. "We should hit the 6 million mark," said Jones. The plant supplies the modules to most of the car manufacturers in the United States including GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Toyota, Nissan and other manufacturers are in the supply stream as well.
Depending on the economy, officials said there is always a chance the plant could expand but for now, at least, the workforce should be stable at the 500 employee mark.
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