Amsterdam, March 1, 2018 – Constellium N.V. (NYSE: CSTM) announced today the grand opening of its new Automotive Structures plant in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, to supply aluminium Crash Management Systems and structural components to automakers in Mexico.
The 5,000 sq m facility in San Luis Potosí features the latest technology for forming, machining, welding and heat-treating aluminium automotive components, along with a state-of-the-art quality lab to ensure products meet customers’ precise specifications. The plant is expected to have 100 employees by 2019 and may be expanded to 13,000 sq m to adapt to customers’ future supply needs. The automotive industry expects more than five million vehicles will be assembled annually in Mexico by 2020, making it one of the largest markets for automobile production.
“It is an exciting day for Constellium as we expand our footprint in North America to better serve our customers and become part of the growing automotive industry in Mexico,” said Paul Warton, President of Constellium’s Automotive Structures & Industry business unit. “The San Luis Potosí plant is well-positioned to serve multiple customers, and to provide advanced aluminium solutions as the industry trend to electric vehicles gains momentum.”
Last year Constellium opened a new plant in White, Georgia, to supply automakers in the southeast U.S., in addition to its existing location in Van Buren, Michigan. A new joint venture (Constellium-Can Art) plant near Windsor, Ontario, Canada, called Astrex, produces aluminium extrusions for Constellium’s automotive projects in North America.
Aluminium continues to be a material of choice in the automotive industry to make vehicles lighter, safer and to improve the range of electric vehicles. Constellium develops high-strength alloys adapted to customer performance requirements and also designs, simulates, prototypes and tests advanced aluminium automotive components, including Crash Management Systems, body structure components and battery enclosures.
