The Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, along with state and local elected officials, joined Gerhardi, Inc., at the opening of their Montgomery facility, its first in North America. The company has invested $41.6 million in the new facility which will employ up to 235 employees.
“Gerhardi, Inc is very excited to announce the grand opening of our state-of-the-art injection molding, electroplating and assembly plant in Montgomery, Alabama. Montgomery has proven itself as the perfect location for Gerhardi to introduce our processes and product to the automotive world in the U.S. As Alabama continues to grow and develop as one of the leading areas in automotive manufacturing, Gerhardi, Inc looks forward to the many opportunities for growth in the future," says Gerhardi's Managing Director, Rienhard Hoffman
Gerhardi, founded in 1796, originally manufactured brass and copper buckles. Over the years it has expanded to production of tea and coffee sets. By 1952 it began to shift focus to production of automotive components. Today the company is known for its innovation in developing and producing superior interior and exterior plastic automotive parts. Using such technologies as injection molding, advanced electroplating and hot stamping, Gerhardi manufactures a variety of products including radiator grilles, handles and chrome trims for its clients worldwide.
“This is a company that has both a rich history and a solid reputation for being on the cutting edge of the future. Their investment in the River Region speaks volumes about what we have to offer,” says Elton N. Dean Sr, Montgomery County Commission Chairman. “We are able to recruit projects of this magnitude because we work together as a community and we will do everything we can to support our new friend and partner.”
“We congratulate Gerhardi on their grand opening. Gerhardi could have chosen any place in North America to locate this facility and they chose the Capital of Dreams,” says Todd Strange, Montgomery Mayor. “This shows that we are not only excelling nationally, but we are also continuing to boost our global presence. Gerhardi has seen that great things happen when you do business in Montgomery."
“We welcome Gerhardi as part of Montgomery community," says Willie Durham, Montgomery Chamber Chairman. “In Montgomery they see a place that can uphold their high standards of excellence. It is certainly exciting to know that we are part of an organization so firmly rooted in the future.”
Gerhardi is headquartered in Lüdenscheid, Germany. It employs approximately 1,400 workers at four production plants throughout Germany with annual sales totaling approximately $200 million. For more information visit www.gerhardi.com.