Innovative Technologies Merge Under One Roof at Nifco KTW, Winner of Georgia’s GEAR Award for Supplier of the Year (more than 200 employees)
Technology is resulting in rapid transformation across most industries, and Nifco KTW America of Toccoa, Georgia, is actively using technology to shape the automobile of tomorrow. Their focus on development has resulted in processes that enhance a variety of their high-quality plastic components that are used both internally and externally on cars.
The growth and popularity of electric vehicles (EV) demands constant innovation, and a key focus is on improving efficiency by decreasing weight of the vehicle. Nifco utilizes a process called mucell, in which gas is injected into a mold to make the finished product both stronger and lighter, making it very attractive to electric vehicle manufacturers.
Nifco’s Toccoa facility also specializes in manufacturing high-gloss vehicle paint: in particular, “piano black,” a rare, highly-sought paint for Class A vehicle interiors made with an ultraviolet and infrared drying process that creates a hard, rich, chemical-resistant high gloss black finish. Another part of Nifco’s operations is a variotherm process in which a portion of an injection mold tool is heated at a higher temperature, then cooled quickly on a matte automotive part to create a glossy sheen, similar to paint. Nifco also offers a two-component injection molding system that applies rubber or other material onto a specific area of a mold to create additional protection. It’s rare to find these high-tech processes under one roof.
Add in heat stake welding assembly processes that use vision systems and robotics to weld multiple surfaces simultaneously, and it’s apparent that the company fosters a unique, innovative environment. That’s one of the reasons Nifco KTW was awarded the 2020 Georgia Emerging Automotive Recognition (GEAR) Award for Supplier of the Year (more than 200 employees) by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Previously known as the Georgia Automotive Awards, the GEAR Awards recognize advances in the state’s automotive and mobility industries through innovation and emerging technologies. Winners are determined by votes cast by automotive suppliers within the state.
Headquartered in Germany, Nifco KTW is a Tier 1 supplier primarily for European automakers like BMW, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Mercedes, both globally and domestically. Nifco KTW located its first North American headquarters on 32 acres in Toccoa, on one of Georgia’s certified “GRAD” sites. It has since added an additional 70,000 square feet of manufacturing space and expanded its workforce from 200 to 350 employees.
“This location is fantastic,” says Joe Hibdon, president of Nifco KTW. “We’re within a three-hour radius of all the automakers in the South, and we ship abroad using the Georgia ports as well as air freight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. And it’s great for hiring. People are more dedicated, and the work ethic is better than other places I’ve been. Also, we don’t have competition from other OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] within the same region, which means we can maintain steady employment.”
Hibdon also cites strong infrastructure as key to the company’s location and success, noting that the state-certified GRAD site was a driver in Nifco KTW’s decision to come to Georgia, as was hands-on assistance from Georgia Quick Start, the state’s customized workforce training program. Quick Start provided job-specific training in injection molding, assembly, and paint operations as well as in soft skills such as leadership.
“Quick Start also pre-screened potential employees so we could start operations as soon as we opened. We still use their screening criteria and training process, and we partner with North Georgia Technical College for ongoing training support,” Hibdon says. “Georgia has built the infrastructure needed to support the automotive industry. It makes it easy to do business.”
Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the manufacturing world, Nifco KTW met its customers’ needs with no interruption.
“Georgia’s Department of Labor gave us great advice and support related to COVID issues. Our culture is ‘people first,’ and the state helped us out when we had to temporarily furlough some workers,” states Hibdon. “We’ve been running strong since last June, and the 2021 forecast shows high demand for vehicle sales this year too.”
Hibdon believes the GEAR Award supports the company’s growth. Recognition from peers in Georgia’s automotive industry, whose votes determine the winners, was additional validation for this “Supplier of the Year.”
“This is a great seal of approval from within the industry, and it qualifies us as a good company. People need validation, especially with a new company,” he says. “It can be a high-stress environment, but an award like this validates what we’re doing, internally and externally. We’ve made sure our employees and customers know about it. It supports our growth and our goal is to win it again this year.”
About GDEcD
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Visit georgia.org for more information.