Faurecia, North America’s sixth-largest automotive supplier, has inaugurated its new automotive seating plant in Wentzville, Missouri.

The facility represents a US$13 million investment by Faurecia in the area to support its General Motors (GM) business. The plant started production in September and employs 180 people.

Faurecia produces seats for General Motors’ award winning “Motor Trend Truck of the Year” Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon truck lines during two shifts at the Wentzville plant.

The automobile company partnered with individuals from the Department of Economic Development, Missouri Career Center, and St. Charles Community College for job fair assistance and help identifying qualified candidates for building the seating plant.

The 81,844 square-foot Wentzville plant is the 47th Faurecia production site in North America.

Mike Downing, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development said, “The historic investments made by both Ford and GM continue to grow Missouri’s automotive supply chain and drive significant economic impact around the state. Faurecia’s multi-million dollar expansion both strengthens Missouri’s automotive vehicle production industry and supports further job creation in its community and beyond.”

Faurecia Automotive Seating is the world leader in the manufacture of high-performance seating mechanisms, global-standard frames and advanced mechatronics systems with operations at 76 sites in 25 countries. The company ranks in the top three for production of complete seats and is renowned for its seating innovations that provide smart comfort solutions. North America is the second-largest region for Faurecia Automotive Seating, following Europe. (GK)