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IN - Maxion Breaks Ground at New US$50-MM Aluminium Wheel Plant in Western India

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Leading vehicle wheel manufacturer Maxion Wheels broke ground on the site of a soon-to-be-built passenger vehicle aluminium wheel plant in western India.

The six-acre plant in Pune will manufacture low-pressure die cast aluminium wheels coated with a high-end wheel finish. The US$50-million plant is expected to begin production in the fall of 2019 and feature a nameplate capacity of 2 million units per year.

Pieter Klinkers, Chief Executive Officer, Maxion Wheels, hailed the milestone as a response to the growing global market for aluminium wheels.

“With our new Pune passenger car aluminum wheel plant, Maxion Wheels becomes the first global light vehicle aluminum wheel producer in the Indian market. We responded to our growing global customers’ requests, and made the investment to join them in the world’s fastest-growing economy. When our project is complete, we will produce four million aluminum wheels annually. In this first phase, an investment of more than $50 million USD will be spent on the land and state-of-the-art plant and equipment for the manufacturing of two million wheels annually. Start of production is expected in the third quarter of 2019.”

The plant, which will be owned and operated by the newly-created division Maxion Wheels Aluminum India Private Limited, is forecast to add an additional 1,000 new jobs both at the plant and in support roles from outside companies.

A division of Brazilian automobile parts manufacturer Iochpe-Maxion S.A., Michigan-based Maxion Wheels produces 56 million wheels each year, making it the world’s most prolific manufacturer. It operates over two dozen plants in over a dozen countries on five continents, producing wheels for cars, light and commercial trucks, trailers, agricultural equipment, military vehicles, and other on- and off-road applications.

Source: aluminiuminsider.com

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