Governor DeWine and Neaton Auto Parts Leaders Announce Eaton Expansion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2019
News Release

TOKYO – During Governor Mike DeWine’s business development mission to Japan, Eaton-based Neaton Auto Products Manufacturing, Inc., announced its plans to add 70 new jobs and invest approximately $15 million in its Dayton Region operations to meet increased customer demand.

“The Dayton Region is in the heart of the I-75 corridor, making it the ideal location for auto suppliers like Neaton to manufacture and ship its products to major auto manufacturers,” said Governor DeWine. “Neaton has been established in the region since 1984 and has chosen to expand several times in Eaton, showing the confidence the company has in Ohio’s talent to drive its global growth.”

The announcement comes after Governor DeWine and leadership of JobsOhio and the Dayton Development Coalition met with leadership of Neaton’s parent company, Nihon Plast Co, Ltd., during the visit. The Japan business development mission is seeking to create more awareness of all that Ohio has to offer to business representatives, key influencers, and government leaders.

“For 35 years, the hardworking people of Preble County have inspired the growth of Neaton Auto Products. Our new expansion is a testament to these associates,” said David Gulling, Neaton Auto Products Executive Vice President. “We would like to thank the City of Eaton leadership and Preble County Development Partnership for being advocates for our community. Governor DeWine, through JobsOhio, has made sure Japanese-based companies feel welcome doing business here.”

The expansion builds on Neaton’s long history in Ohio and leverages Eaton’s central location and proximity to major automotive manufacturers. The company plans to draw on Ohio’s strong manufacturing workforce to fuel the growth.

Neaton Auto Products Manufacturing, Inc., based in Eaton, Ohio was formed in 1984 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nihon Plast Co., Ltd. Neaton is a tier one automotive industry supplier to Honda, Nissan and others. They produce safety products such as airbags and steering wheels, instrument panel and cockpit components as well as interior and exterior trim products.

“Neaton is one of our largest employers, we are very excited about their plans for expansion here in Eaton,” said Bradley Collins, City of Eaton city manager. “We are looking forward to working with them on this project.  We also appreciate the continued commitment and support of the Preble County Development Partnership and JobsOhio as we work together to bring additional development to our City.”

There have been four expansions at the Eaton facility, where the company currently employs about 800. In addition to the Eaton plant, Neaton operates facilities in Mexico and Georgia.

Nihon Plast Co., Ltd. is a global manufacturer of interior and exterior synthetic resin parts for the automotive industry such as airbag modules, steering wheels, instrument panel components and air spoilers. Founded in 1948, the company has over $1 billion in revenues and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Japan is Ohio’s top international investor, with more than 72,860 Ohioans employed at 852 different Japan-owned establishments across the state. Japan was also Ohio’s fifth largest export market for Ohio products in 2018, when Ohio firms exported more than $1.67 billion worth of products to Japan. Official meetings and events for the governor’s business development mission are scheduled through Sept. 13.

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The Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) is the leading economic development organization for the 14-county Dayton Region. Working closely with public and private regional partners, its mission is to recruit, expand and retain jobs. The DDC and the Dayton Region ranked as the nation’s top metro for its size for economic development in 2008, 2009 and 2012 and runner-up in 2010, 2011, 2014,2015, and 2018. With the State’s largest single-site employer in its backyard, the DDC also focuses on advocating for the critical missions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and supporting the work of the United States Air Force. The Association of Defense Communities presented the DDC and the State of Ohio with the 2015 Community Excellence Award. It was designated as one of the ADC’s first Great American Defense Communities in 2016 – a testament to the collaborative efforts in support of Wright-Patt, America’s #1 Air Force Base as ranked by the Air Force Times (2014).

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion efforts. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, One Columbus, Dayton Development Coalition, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at JobsOhio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

For more information, contact:
JobsOhio Media Contact
Matt Englehart
(614) 300-1152
englehart@JobsOhio.com

Dayton Development Coalition Media Contact
Shannon Joyce Neal
(937) 723-2047
SNeal@DaytonRegion.com

Governor DeWine Media Contact
Dan Teirney
(614) 644-0957
Dan.Tierney@governor.ohio.gov