Dinex Group to bring 250 jobs to Dublin, Georgia

Building on January’s announcement that a German auto parts-supplier would locate in Dublin comes today’s announcement of another auto parts supplier choosing the middle Georgia town. Somehow it’s fitting that the folks of Dublin get some good news as we head into St. Patrick’s Day. From the press release:

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced that the Denmark-based Dinex Group plans to open a manufacturing plant in Dublin-Laurens County. The automotive emissions control and exhaust manufacturer will create 250 jobs and invest $15 million in this operation.

“Automotive suppliers are leading the way for the manufacturing rebound in Georgia and we have companies such as Dinex to credit for that,” said Deal. “Our state is uniquely equipped to help manufacturers compete globally, so I am especially glad to welcome this company to Georgia.”

The Dinex Group is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of innovatively engineered exhaust and emission control products and solutions for the heavy-duty diesel engine and vehicle industry. The company’s Dublin facility will be its first in the United States and will produce exhaust and emission systems for the off- and on-road markets for diesel engines in North America. Dinex’s customers include Caterpillar, Carrier, John Deere, Case New Holland and Volvo among several others. Dinex will also develop a full range of products for the truck and bus aftermarket (AEM) in North America.

Following an extensive multi-state search for the right U.S. business location, including more than 50 site visits, Dinex decided on Dublin for a number of reasons. “Georgia’s pro-business community met our requirements with respect to logistics, access for our suppliers, operating costs, workforce and quality of life,” said Dinex Vice President and CFO Kim Toft Jensen.

“By the end of September 2012, we will have capabilities to supply quality products ‘Made in the USA’ to our customers across the U.S.,” said President and CEO Torben Dinesen. “We are anxious to grow our customer base in the U.S. and we are confident in the continued support from the state of Georgia and Laurens County.”

Dinex will collaborate with Quick Start, Georgia’s nationally recognized workforce training program, to train the company’s workforce on a range of advanced manufacturing applications. Quick Start provides tailored and industry-specific training resources free of charge to qualified new, expanding and existing companies creating new jobs in Georgia. The Dinex manufacturing plant will be located in a 60,000-square-foot facility in Dublin and expects to expand by more than double within the next five years.

As I wrote somewhere else earlier, attracting another manufacturing plant like this does more than simply create jobs in Dublin, Georgia. It highlights the need for skilled labor, not just educated, but skilled. It also underscores the importance of the continued development of the Port of Savannah and Georgia’s privately-owned freight railroad network. This comes on the heels of news that VW division Audi is considering building a North American plant, and Mercedes-Benz is doing the same. Of course, readers already know that Porsche Cars North America is headquartered in Sandy Springs and Porsche will build a new headquarters campus near the airport.