Fritz Winter Breaks Ground on Kentucky Foundry and Mechanical Machining Facility

German-owned Fritz Winter is one of the leading companies in the production of cast iron engine blocks and heads, brake rotors and drums, flywheels and hydraulic housings. The family-owned company began exporting to the U.S. in 1966 and currently employs 3,700 people worldwide. Phase 1 of the Franklin facility is expected to create more than 200 jobs.  The facility will manufacture disc brake rotors for leading automakers in the Midwest and Southwest.

The event drew several state and local officials to attend including: Erik Dunnigan, acting secretary, Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet; Larry Dixon, mayor pro-term, City of Franklin; Jim Henderson, judge executive, Simpson County; Gary Broady, chairman, Franklin Simpson Industrial Authority; and Wilson Stone, representative, state of Kentucky.

Representatives from Fritz Winter were also in attendance including: Jörg Rumikewitz, CEO, Fritz Winter Group; Roland Reim, CEO, Fritz Winter North America; Heinrich Winter, owner, Fritz Winter Group; and Henning Knipper, project manager, Fritz Winter Group.

“The installation of our new plant in Franklin is an important milestone in our globalization strategy,” said Jörg Rumikewitz, CEO, Fritz Winter Group. “With this step we continue to strengthen our position on one of the most important automotive markets in the world,” added Fritz Winter Project Manager Henning Knipper.

Following completion, the new facility will produce an annual capacity of more than 60,000 tons of ferrous parts. Fritz Winter selected the location of Franklin due to the city’s proximity to customers, availability of highly-skilled workers and excellent infrastructure on site. Gray also assisted in the site selection process.

“This project represents an important milestone not only for Fritz Winter, but for Gray and the entire state of Kentucky,” said Phil Seale, executive vice president, Gray Construction. “I expect to see more and more German manufacturers investing in Kentucky in the future.”

About Fritz Winter

The Fritz Winter Foundry is a supplier and partner of the international automotive, commercial vehicle and hydraulic industry. For 65 years, the family-owned enterprise has been developing and producing rough and finish part components as well as complex system components for customers worldwide. A special focus lies on innovative light-weight concepts by means of an optimal utilisation of the material characteristics. With 3,700 employees and approximately 689 million € turnover in 2015, the company from Stadtallendorf, Germany ranks among the leading automotive suppliers of its branch.

About Gray Construction

Gray Construction, is a nationally ranked engineering, architecture and construction firm with over 56 years of experience in manufacturing, automotive, food and beverage, distribution, hospitality and retail facility construction. Currently, Gray has several large projects that are underway or recently completed including: a Mercedes-Benz manufacturing facility in Vance, Ala.; a fresh pork processing facility in Coldwater, Michigan for Clemens Food Group; a specialty pet food kitchen and distribution center for Champion Petfoods in Auburn, Ky.; a utility vehicle manufacturing facility for Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation in Gainesville, Ga.;  an expansion to Wrigley’s Yorkville, Ill. campus; and a manufacturing facility for Weber Metals in Paramount, Calif.

If you have manufacturing plant construction needs, please contact Phil Seale, executive vice president, manufacturing/food & beverage markets at pseale@gray.com. Or, contact Jeff Bischoff, executive vice president, business development at jbischoff@gray.com.