HELLA Continues To Expand In Mexico

IRAPUATO, GUANAJUATO, Mexico, Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- HELLA, one of the leading global suppliers in automotive lighting and electronic systems and components, has broken ground on its new Irapuato lighting facility in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. Total investment is approximately $100 million.

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The modern facility will house advanced equipment and processes for producing HELLA's environmentally-focused highly-energy-efficient LED lighting technologies. Company plans include a reduction of its CO₂ global footprint and an increased focus on HELLA innovative "green" plant solutions.

By June of this year, approximately 1.2 million headlamps and 1.5 million rear combination lamps will be produced at the 24,000 square meter manufacturing facility supplying lighting technologies for both the North and South America regions. The new facility will increase HELLA's combined total production capacity for these regions from 3.7 million headlamps to 4.9 million headlamps and from 2.5 million rear combination lamps to 4 million rear combination lamps.

"We are very pleased with HELLA's strong level of commitment to this region," said Miguel Marquez Marquez, Governor of the State of Guanajuato at the groundbreaking ceremony on February 1, 2013. "Irapuato is an ideal location for supplying leading technologies to the growing markets in both of the Americas."

Since 1964, HELLA has maintained operations in Mexico, with continuous expansion activities as part of its overall globalization strategy. Anticipating the growing market potential for both North and South America, and the increasing need for local customer proximity, HELLA built a new design and development center in Guadalajara over a year ago that presently employs 65 people.

HELLA has more than 2,500 employees in North and South America.

"I would like to thank the Government of Guanajuato for its dedicated support in this project, the second one cooperatively developed with them that will generate more than 800 new jobs in Irapuato," said Ignacio Moreno, president and CEO of HELLA Lighting North and South America.

"We anticipate continued growth and development for both North and South America in the coming year," said Dr. Rolf Breidenbach, president and CEO, HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co. "With our new plant in Irapuato, we will increase our production capacity in the NAFTA region and be able to quickly identify and address customer requirements. This robust infrastructure enables direct access to several major OEM's, signifying Irapuato as a strategically important location for HELLA."

About HELLA:  HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co. develops and manufactures lighting and electronic components and systems for the automotive industry. Its joint venture companies also produce complete vehicle modules, air-conditioning systems, and vehicle electric systems. In addition, HELLA has one of the largest automotive aftermarket organizations in the world, with its own sales companies and partners in more than 100 countries.

HELLA Group sales were 4.8 billion Euros in fiscal year 2011-2012. HELLA is one of the top 50 automotive parts suppliers in the world and one of the 100 largest industrial companies in Germany. Over 27,000 people work at 70 locations in more than 30 countries, including more than 4,800 research and development engineers and technicians. Additional information is available at www.HELLA.com.

SOURCE HELLA