A Tesla supplier is opening a facility at Brooks, joining a growing automotive manufacturing hub on San Antonio’s South Side that already includes Toyota, its suppliers and Navistar International.
Simwon NA Corp., which makes doors for electric vehicles produced at the Tesla factory near Austin, is moving into a roughly 150,000-square-foot building under construction at Brooks. Work to outfit the space is expected to begin in December and conclude in March, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
It’s unclear how many people the operation will employ.
About 120 employees were working at Simwon’s facility in Kyle as of late last year, according to the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It levied $298,338 in penalties against Simwon and issued more than a dozen citations after a six-month investigation concluded that the company failed to adequately report safety concerns raised by workers.
Brooks and Transwestern Real Estate Services said in August that a global EV parts manufacturer would be setting up shop at Brooks but declined to name the company. Simwon is a subsidiary of Myoung Shin Industry Co. Ltd. in South Korea.
“Brooks is pro-business and will be an excellent long-term home for this end user,” Transwestern managing director Carter Thurmond said in a statement at the time. “You’re in the ultimate opportunity zone with tax incentives, an extensive workforce, and a vibrant community.”
The 1,308-acre former Air Force base has been turned into a mix of housing, manufacturing facilities, schools, a hotel, restaurants, a hospital, offices and parks. Cuisine Solutions, which makes gourmet entrees, sauces and other items, and Nissei America Inc., which produces injection molding machines, operate plants there.
Myoung Shin Industry did not respond to an inquiry Friday.
British company JCB, which manufactures construction and agricultural equipment, also plans to open a factory on the South Side. The company announced in October that it would break ground on a 720,000-square-foot plant in early 2024 and hire at least 1,500 workers over the next five years. The factory will be built on more than 400 acres, but a location has not been finalized.
The Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant began operations in 2006. More than 3,800 employees assemble Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs there, and on-site suppliers employ an additional 5,600 people. Navistar opened a plant in 2022, where it produces diesel and electric trucks, and it agreed to hire 600 employees by the end of 2024.
Tesla has been expanding its presence across Texas as it works to produce and sell more of its EVs. The company moved its headquarters to the Austin area from Palo Alto, Calif., in 2021 and opened the sprawling Gigafactory Texas facility in 2022.
San Antonio has a history with the automaker. In 2014, the city was competing with Reno, Nev., for a plant that would produce batteries for Tesla vehicles. Tesla picked the site in Nevada, which offered a larger incentive package.
Aside from Simwon, at least two other Tesla suppliers have landed in San Antonio.
Matthews International Corp.’s Saueressig Engineering opened its North American headquarters at a facility on the East Side in 2021. The German company designs, assembles and installs equipment for automakers and customers in other industries, including energy storage.
ElringKlinger AG, a German auto parts maker, also opened a manufacturing operation on the East Side in 2021. The company produces lightweight auto parts using plastic injection molding.
Tesla also leases a warehouse on the far East Side.
Article originally published here: Tesla supplier opening a plant at Brooks, joining a growing South Side automotive manufacturing hub