Home » Central Motor Wheel of America opens 145-job expansion in Paris

Central Motor Wheel of America opens 145-job expansion in Paris

New $112 million PROACE plant in Bourbon County brings capacity increase of 1 million wheels annually

PARIS, Ky. — Central Motor Wheel of America (CMWA) has opened its new PROACE plant, an expansion of the company’s existing operations in Bourbon County, bringing 145 new jobs.

The new 275,000-square-foot PROACE plant began production this month and will produce 17-inch through 22-inch aluminum wheels for passenger cars and light trucks. The new plant represents a 40-acre expansion of CMWA’s existing campus in Paris, increasing aluminum-wheel production capacity by 50%. The new jobs will bring CMWA’s Kentucky workforce to more than 700.

“Our newly expanded aluminum wheel production facility will allow CMWA to further provide our customers with high quality and competitive products utilizing cutting-edge technology to correspond with our diversifying customer needs,” said CMWA Executive Vice President Jeff Birdsong.

Founded as Central Manufacturing Co. in 1986, CMWA is a joint venture between Central Wheel Co. Ltd. and Toyota Tsusho Corp. The company began producing steel wheels in 1988 and manufactured its first aluminum wheels in 1990. Adopting its current name in 2007, the company produces aluminum wheels for Toyota and steel wheels for Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Subaru. Prior to this expansion, the Paris plant can produce up to 2 million aluminum wheels annually and 6 million steel wheels.

In addition to its Kentucky operations, Central Motor and Wheel Co. Ltd. operates 10 facilities in Japan, Mexico, China, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

CMWA’s investment and job creation increase the commonwealth’s record-setting economic momentum, as the state builds back stronger following the effects of the pandemic.

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the state and CMWA previously reached performance-based tax incentive agreements based on the company’s investment, job, and wage targets.

In addition, the company can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. These include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training, and job training incentives.

For more information on CMWA, visit cmwa.com.

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