Durakon opens facility to manufacture cargo-management systems

Durakon Industries, a leading manufacturer of cargo management, accessories and systems to the light truck market, today announced that it will open its new multimillion-dollar cargo management systems production facility in Clinton, Tennessee, in the first quarter of 2003. The Clinton plant is 166,000 square feet and equipped with new automated manufacturing technology. It will serve as Durakon's North American manufacturing headquarters and distribution center for its Duraliner(R) and Allstar(TM) domestic aftermarket bedliners. Durakon's Bodygard manufacturing facility and the distribution center will be consolidated into this new facility that has more than twice the capability of those sites. Durakon will also transfer from its Lapeer, Michigan facility the manufacturing of its Original Equipment Bedliners for Nissan, Toyota, and GM. The facility will be unaffected by this action and will continue to produce Duraliner and Allstar bedliners. Ed Gniewek, President and CEO of Durakon, said, "This is an important step in the growth of Durakon. The Clinton plant will enable us to provide for the growing needs of our strong customer base of OEMs and distributors. This move will allow us to be the lowest cost producer of thermoformed products and positions Durakon for maximum growth. We appreciate the support we have received from the local community in Clinton and look forward to providing Durakon's world-class quality cargo systems to the global automotive markets from this state-of-the-art facility and to building our position in the marketplace." The new Durakon plant will manufacture Duraliner and Allstar aftermarket bedliner systems for all truck beds and Kawasaki Mule bedliners and tops, as well as van panels for Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. Total employment at the plant is expected to reach nearly 200 people over the next few years.