The size of the Indian manufacturing facility of Hirotec Group could rival that of the US in the next five years going by the growth opportunities offered by the automotive industry in the country, according to the CEO of Hirotec India Private Ltd.

The company, which commissioned its own automotive tooling manufacturing facility in Coimbatore, expects to ramp up its production volume by looking at expansion of its Coimbatore operations and by opening facilities elsewhere in the country.

Speaking to newsmen on the occasion of inauguration of the Coimbatore unit here on Wednesday, Mr James B. Toeniskoetter, Director and CEO, Hirotec India Private Ltd, said the company's manufacturing facility in the US was spread over 1.50 lakh sq ft. Going by the growth opportunities presented by the automotive sector in India, it was possible that “we may be that big size in India' in the next five years, he said.

He said the company, which was a major manufacturer of car doors globally, had discussed the possibility of becoming a supplier with OEMs here but no concrete decision has emerged. For establishing door manufacturing lines, high volume was a prerequisite.

Mr Brian G. McGinnity, Director and Chief Financial Officer, Hirotec India, said the company was hunting for land to expand its operations to manufacture large closure lines for the Indian OEM customers in Coimbatore. There were several automobile hubs that have come up near Pune, Chennai and in Gujarat and any future expansion could also possibly come up in any of these locations.

Large customer base

Hirotec has a large customer base including M&M, Renault Nissan, Ford, Tata Motors, Volkswagen and Maruti. The company expects to invest Rs 20-25 crore in the facility here and generate income of Rs 30 crore in the next few years.

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