Kamtek
Magna Kamtek is an auto components manufacturer located at 1595 Sterilite Drive in the Valley East Industrial Park. It operates as a division of Aurora, Ontario-based Magna International and is a major supplier to Mercedes-Benz U.S. International in Vance, along with Volkswagen and Nissan.
The original 460,000 square-foot stamping and sub-assembly plant was constructed by Ogihara America of Howell, Michigan to manufacture body panels, including hoods and doors, for the Mercedes M-Class sport utility vehicle. It began production in January 1997 under the leadership of general manager Kiyoshi Kobayashi and plant manager Kent Paxton. Ogihara expanded the facility by 90,000 square feet in 1999 to accommodate production of SUV panels for a second automaker.
Magna International purchased the Birmingham facility in May 2008 for the Kamtek division of its Cosma subsidiary.
In October 2012 Kamtek acquired a former 293,000 square-foot Del Monte distribution center adjoining their plant. They paid $7.4 million for the property then owned by Isuzu Motors, which had once planned to build a truck assembly plant there.
Beginning in 2015 Kamtek undertook a $530 million upgrade of its Birmingham operations. The stamping plant was expanded by 201,000 square feet and a new 137,500 square-foot high-pressure aluminum casting plant was built on an adjacent 18-acre site, opening in 2017.
In March 2022 Black Warrior Riverkeeper notified Kamtek that it had identified the plant as the source of heavy metals being discharged to the Five Mile Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and was prepared to sue under the Clean Water Act. The company negotiated a settlement with the organization under which it agreed to improve its wastewater management
References
- Milazzo, Don (August 8, 1999) "Ogihara sets $35M expansion." Birmingham Business Journal
- Cooper, Lauren B. (April 22, 2008) "Ogihara America sells local auto supply plant." Birmingham Business Journal
- Underwood, Jerry (July 9, 2008) "County approves breaks for Kamtek expansion." The Birmingham News
- Azok, Dawn Kent (November 29, 2009) "Birmingham's Kamtek lands contract to supply new Volkswagen auto plant." The Birmingham News
- Poe, Ryan (November 8, 2012) "Kamtek buys former Del Monte site for $7M." Birmingham Business Journal
- Underwood, Jerry (August 11, 2015) "Auto supplier Kamtek to invest $530 million in Alabama expansion, creating 350 jobs." Alabama Department of Commerce
- Thornton, William (September 8, 2017) "Kamtek opens new $60 million castings plant in Birmingham." The Birmingham News
- Pillion, Dennis (April 15, 2023) "Birmingham auto parts company making changes after water pollution violations." AL.com
External links
- Motion Industries website