DETROIT -- American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. plans to build a plant in Poland to supply automakers throughout Europe.
CEO Richard E. Dauch confirmed the Poland venture, which comes on the heels of a newly completed American Axle parts plant in China. He made his comments during the Detroit driveline supplier’s annual meeting on Thursday.
“This will diversify our base in the European market,” Dauch told shareholders. Driving the move is $1.4 billion of global business backlog from 2006 through 1012.
American Axle is expected to begin building parts this year from the soon-to-be built plant in Olawa, Poland, according to the publication Poland Investment Review.
American Axle plans to use the grounds of a former airport, where it will invest an estimated $64 million for the plant, according to the report. The type of parts to be built were not disclosed.
American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings ranks No. 12 on the Automotive News list of the top 150 suppliers to North America with North American original-equipment automotive parts sales of $3.25 billion in 2005.
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