American Axle to hire 500 new workers

THREE RIVERS, Mich. (WOOD) - American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. announced Feb. 1 it is investing more than $100 million in its manufacturing facility in Three Rivers.

The investment, which will be completed by December, is expected to create more than 500 new jobs while further diversifying AAM's product portfolio and customer base in North America, according to a news release.

AAM is a world leader in the manufacture, engineering, design and validation of driveline and drivetrain systems and related components and modules, chassis systems and metal-formed products for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, passenger cars, crossover vehicles and commercial vehicles.

The investment represents the installation of new production lines, multiple assembly stations, paint line modifications, additional shipping and receiving capacity, and upgrades to the facility's business offices and lobby.

To complete the project, AAM has sourced millions of dollars of business to Michigan-based companies, and in turn, is positively impacting multiple communities in the state.

"Last fall, we announced that AAM would be bringing new business to Michigan," said AAM President and CEO David C. Dauch. "For the past two years, we have been preparing the Three Rivers Manufacturing Facility for this new business launch. Now, we are in a growth mode and hiring hundreds of associates. This is exciting news for the State of Michigan, the City of Three Rivers and for AAM."

In 2012 alone, AAM invested more than $50 million and created nearly 300 new jobs in the State of Michigan. This investment represents technologically advanced machining equipment, R&D laboratory equipment, IT infrastructure upgrades and more. Anchored by its global headquarters in Detroit, AAM operates a total of seven facilities in Michigan.

"AAM will continue to make investments in Michigan, North America and regions across the globe where we are privileged to do business," said Dauch.

AAM is conducting a job fair for manufacturing facility positions on Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Kalamazoo County Michigan Works! Service Center, 1601 S. Burdick St. in Kalamazoo. For more information or to submit an application online prior to the event, visit the careers page at www.aam.com.

In addition to locations in the United States (Mich., Ohio, Pa. and Ind.), AAM also has offices or facilities in Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Poland, Scotland, South Korea, Sweden and Thailand.