Across the United States, companies are continuing to bring business back from abroad, a trend known as re‐shoring. Today, Indiana Wheel Company (IWC), a joint venture led by China-based, Jingu Company Limited (Jingu), announced plans to launch operations in Plymouth, establishing Marshall County as a prime location for re-shoring companies.
IWC is a startup manufacturer that specializes in the production and distribution of RV and trailer wheels. Owner, Jingu, has 33 years in the steel wheel manufacturing industry which has led to the formation of this new company. IWC will invest approximately $23 million in the expansion and plans to create nearly 117 jobs by 2022.
According to David Saylor, President of IWC, “Locating operations to Plymouth was an obvious choice. With impressive access to required materials and utilities, proximity to the RV industry and major distributors, a strong labor market, and a building that met all our needs, it was simply a perfect storm.”
Jingu, globally headquartered in the Zhejiang Province of China, specializes in the research and development, manufacturing, and sales of steel wheels and is the largest supplier of small trailer wheels in the world. The business supplies wheels for automotive companies such as General Motors, Ford, and Volkswagen. Jingu’s investment in IWC and Marshall County strengthens its global reach and operations.
Plymouth Mayor Mark Senter adds, “Marshall County and the City of Plymouth have made great strides to prepare ourselves for new business expansions, and we believe IWC will benefit from our preparation. We are grateful to our economic development partners who have significantly weighed in to make the project feasible. We’re thankful for the high-quality jobs and automation that this expansion will bring.”
The new Plymouth location represents IWC taking over a sizable building left vacant by Bay Valley when the company closed about one year ago, displacing approximately 150 employees. IWC’s expansion will include building improvements to the 300,000 sq. ft. production facility at 2935 VanVactor Drive. The company will also purchase and install all the manufacturing equipment necessary to fabricate, assemble, and distribute steel wheels.
