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VSG invests in manufacturing updates, expansions

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Updated Aug 1, 2012

Vehicle Service Group, parent company of vehicle service equipment manufacturers Rotary Lift, Chief Automotive Technologies, Forward Lift, Direct Lift, Revolution Lift, Hanmecson, Nogra and Blitz, announced investments in its global manufacturing facilities.

The company said it is investing more than $1 million in its North American manufacturing facility this year, and recently broke ground for a 54,000-square-foot expansion of its Asian manufacturing facility.

VSG has three ISO 9001-certified manufacturing centers: one in Madison, Ind., that serves North and South America; one in Haimen, China, to serve the Asian and Australian markets; and one in Europe dedicated to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

VSG is installing a new laser manufacturing system and two additional CNC machining centers in its North American facility. The investments are designed to improve responsiveness to customer orders, reduce manufacturing costs, increase the facility’s productivity and provide capacity for future market growth.

Expanding the Asian facility is expected to increase manufacturing capacity by more than 80 percent. Construction is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2012, with production ramping up next spring. VSG also anticipates increasing the plant work force by about 8 percent. The company said it is expanding the facility to meet growing demand for its products from emerging markets abroad, particularly in China and India.

“As a North American-based global manufacturer, VSG is uniquely positioned to respond quickly to increasing demand for high-quality vehicle service equipment in new markets around the world,” said VSG President Gary Kennon. “We continuously evaluate all of our manufacturing facilities and invest as needed to ensure that we consistently produce the highest-quality and most reliable products in appropriate quantities to support our customers worldwide.”

VSG employs more than 1,200 people globally. The company’s global headquarters and manufacturing facilities for North and South America are located in Madison, Ind.