Automotive interior parts manufacturer Yanfeng Automotive Interiors will locate a new manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tenn. to support Volkswagen. This represents an investment of $55 million. The company will create 325 jobs by the time it starts production in late 2016.

The company will supply interior components, including floor consoles, instrument panels and trunk trim for future Volkswagen models, including the new mid-size SUV, to be built at the automaker’s Chattanooga assembly plant.

“Partnering with Yanfeng here in Tennessee puts in place a crucial pillar of Volkswagen’s growth strategy for our next phase of development and will allow us to be more competitive moving forward,” said Christian Koch, Volkswagen Chattanooga’s President and CEO. “This strong commitment from Yanfeng to Volkswagen and the state of Tennessee is part of the fulfillment of the vision that Volkswagen would serve as a magnet for more suppliers here near our plant,” Koch said.

“We are pleased to establish a facility in Chattanooga to support Volkswagen,” said David Wang, vice president, deputy general manager, North America. “We appreciate the partnership with our customer, as well as local and state officials, who are working closely with us to launch this new manufacturing location.”

“We want to welcome Yanfeng Automotive Interiors to Tennessee and thank the company for its investment in Chattanooga and Hamilton County,” said Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. “As the world’s largest automotive interiors supplier, Yanfeng can locate anywhere in the world, and its decision to expand its global presence in Tennessee is another example of our state’s competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Open positions for the new Chattanooga facility will be posted at yanfengusa.com/careers.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, the world's largest supplier of automotive interiors, honored 20 of its suppliers at their Americas Supplier Performance Awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 23 at its technical center in Holland, Mich.

"These awards recognize the outstanding hard work and dedication of our suppliers and their teams," said Jim Bos, vice president, global procurement, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "Their commitment allows us to provide our customers with top of the line products that meet and exceed consumer expectations time and time again."

The Supplier Performance Awards identify the company's top suppliers for their distinction in the areas of quality, cost, logistics, development, technology and service. This year, suppliers were presented with a gold, silver or bronze award.

Gold 2015 Supplier Award recipients are:

Silver 2015 Supplier Award recipients are:

Bronze 2015 Supplier Award recipients are:

In addition, Leadership Awards were given in the following areas:

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, the world's largest supplier of automotive interior components, is establishing operations in Laurens County. The new development is expected to bring $71 million of new capital investment and lead to the creation of 35 new jobs.

The company will supply BMW with interior components, including door panels, instrument panels and floor consoles for multiple models built by the automaker.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is a supplier of instrument panels and cockpit systems, door panels, floor consoles and overhead consoles. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company has more than 100 manufacturing and technical centers in 17 countries and employs more than 28,000 people globally. Established in 2015, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is a joint venture between Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Huayu Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (HASCO), the component group of SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (SAIC Motor), and Johnson Controls, a global multi-industrial company.

The company recently completed the acquisition of Faurecia's Fountain Inn, S.C. manufacturing plant located at 101 International Boulevard. The acquisition includes the existing 365,000-square-foot plant and its current employees.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors will be expanding the plant by an additional 100,000 square feet to accommodate future new business.

QUOTES

"We are pleased to be part of the community and look forward to working with the employees at the plant, and expanding our relationship with BMW. We appreciate the partnership with our customers, as well as local and state officials, who are working closely with us as we transfer control of operations at this manufacturing facility." – Vice President and General Manager of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, North America Nathan Bowen

"We're excited to welcome Yanfeng Automotive Interiors to the South Carolina family as the latest company to join our growing manufacturing industry. Yanfeng's $71 million investment, and the 35 new jobs it means for Laurens County, shows that companies from all over the world continue to notice Team South Carolina's commitment to developing a competitive business environment and one of the best workforces in the world." –Gov. Nikki Haley

"Congratulations to Yanfeng for selecting Laurens County for their newest facility. With today's announcement, they join a roster of globally-respected manufacturing firms that have chosen to do business in South Carolina, and we look forward to assisting them in any way we can." –Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt

"Yanfeng is another great addition for Laurens County. People are understanding Laurens County is a great place to live and work." –Laurens County Council Chairman Joe Wood

"We welcome Yanfeng to the large automotive industry family in Laurens County. Their commitment to Laurens County is very much appreciated, and we look forward to working with them for many years to come." –Laurens County Development Corporation Chairman Stan Bryson

"Yanfeng's selection of Laurens County evidences the Upstate's established workforce and the strength of its automotive cluster. This global industry leader is a welcome addition to the international fabric of our automotive ecosystem, which is in a prime location for serving automotive manufacturers throughout the Southeast." –Upstate SC Alliance President and CEO John Lummus

FIVE FAST FACTS

• Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is establishing operations in Laurens County.
• $71 million in new capital investment to create 35 new jobs.
• Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is a manufacturer of automotive trim systems for major OEMs and is the world's largest automotive interiors supplier.
• The new development will be located at 101 International Boulevard, Fountain Inn, S.C. 29644.
• For more information, visit the company's website at www.YFAI.com.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, the world's largest supplier of automotive interior components, is establishing a new manufacturing facility in Belvidere, Ill., to support FCA US LLC. The new plant, opening in 2017, is expected to bring $28.1 million of new capital investment and lead to the creation of 400 new jobs.

The company will supply interior cockpit components to the Jeep® Cherokee, which will be built at the FCA US Belvidere assembly plant.

"We are pleased to be a part of the Belvidere community and support FCA in the production of the Jeep Cherokee," said Nathan Bowen, vice president and general manager, Americas, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "The opening of this facility further demonstrates our commitment to supporting our customers."

"Illinois has the best location and the best people in the country," Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner said. "Yanfeng's new investment confirms that by choosing Illinois to grow its local supply chain and create 400 new jobs. We are working every day to reform our government and political systems to improve Illinois' business climate to allow us to grow and create even more jobs. I thank Yanfeng Automotive Interiors for their continued commitment to Illinois."

Open positions for the new Belvidere facility will be posted at http://careers.yfai.com/jobs.  

A better life on board through superior automotive interiors solutions is the driving force behind Yanfeng Automotive Interiors' innovations that will debut at the 2017 North American Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The world's largest supplier of automotive interior components will unveil the company's newest product technologies and production processes, as well as decorative and smart surface integration solutions that enable new interior styling, look, feel and functionality across instrument panels, floor consoles, door panels and overhead consoles.

At NAIAS, the company also will launch its new "experience in motion" brand positioning platform not only to respond to the significant transformation that is taking place in the automotive industry, but to drive it. The brand positioning also will more effectively communicate the company's strategic direction.

"As the global leader in automotive interiors we are driving this transformation, redefining how people experience vehicle interiors," said Johannes Roters, CEO of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "This also ensures a sustainable competitiveness in the market as we strive to integrate new, leading technologies and seek strategic partnerships that build on our existing and future products and competencies."

According to the company, global megatrends – such as autonomous driving, connectivity, e-mobility, shared mobility, as well as non-traditional automakers are radically changing the face of mobility.

"Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is anticipating and rede­fining how society will relax, work and play inside the vehicles of tomorrow," Roters said. "By understanding what our customers and consumers need, not only in the near future, but decades from now, we are able to create the interior of the future."

To address this, the company will introduce the XiM17(eXperience in Motion) vehicle interior concept at NAIAS. The XiM17 will bring the company´s experience in motion positioning to life. The concept interior features more than 25 innovations and showcases smart surface technologies, modular storage solutions and interior features that create a fundamentally new and unique consumer experience for autonomous vehicles. The XiM17 answers the question, "What will people do in their vehicle, if they no longer have to drive?"

In addition to the debut of XiM17, highlights of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors' 4,500-square-foot exhibit in room 310A of Detroit's Cobo Center include: door panels; floor consoles; instrument panels; overhead consoles; lighting technologies; and decorative trim.

In conjunction with NAIAS, on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 9:05 a.m., Renae Pippel, director of Global Strategic Research for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, will present "Emerging Automotive Trends and the Impact on the Interior" at the 2017 Plastics in Automotive Conference at the Detroit Marriott in the Renaissance Center.

On Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 10 a.m., Dave Muyres, executive director, global research & advanced development for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, will be part of the inaugural AutoMobili-D event at NAIAS. He will be presenting about HMI as part of a panel on the Atrium Stage.

An event sponsor and exhibitor, Yanfeng Automotive Interiors will open its exhibit to media and invited guests and will hold a press conference at 11:10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10.

NAIAS – one of the world's premier automotive exhibitions – opens to the media and industry officials on Monday, Jan. 9. It will open to the public from Saturday, Jan. 14 through Sunday, Jan. 22. For more information, please visit: www.naias.com.

Yanfeng Global Automotive Interior Systems Co, Ltd. (YFAI) is pleased to announce that it has been assigned a first time credit rating of 'BBB-' from Standard and Poor's (S&P) and 'Baa3' from Moody's Investors Service (Moody's), both with a stable outlook. S&P and Moody's assigned their investment grade ratings on February 28, 2017. The assigned ratings will be subject to annual reviews by both agencies.

Standard & Poor's assigned YFAI with a first time rating of BBB- with a stable outlook.

Moody's Investors Service has assigned a first-time provisional (P)Baa3 issuer rating with a stable outlook. Moody's will remove the provisional status of the rating once YFAI publishes 2016 audited financial statements.

"Being assigned Investment Grade by both S&P and Moody's underscores and recognizes the quality and strong position of YFAI in the global automotive interiors market," said Johannes Roters, CEO of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "The assigned ratings will contribute further to execute our growth strategies servicing our customers through our global footprint and in addition will provide greater flexibility and opportunity in delivering world class technology and product offerings globally."

"We are pleased with the ratings we have received from Moody's and S&P," said Robert VanHimbergen, CFO YFAI, "These ratings validate our business, financial performance, strong balance sheet, prudent policies and recognizes Yanfeng Automotive Interiors' position as an industry leader."

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, the world's largest supplier of automotive interiors, was honored by FCA US LLC with a 2016 Supplier of the Year award for Value Optimization Supplier of the Year.

FCA US recognized Yanfeng Automotive Interiors and other top-performing North American supplier partners that have shown an extraordinary commitment to innovation, quality, warranty, cost, delivery and the FCA Foundational Principles at its recent Annual Supplier Conference at MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit.

"It's an honor to be recognized by FCA US for our efforts and top performance," said Nathan Bowen, vice president and general manager, Americas for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "This award further demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with superior products and services that exceed expectations, and to serve as a partner to them."

The Value Optimization Supplier of the Year award is recognition of a supplier that has a robust continuous improvement process, exceeds its technical goals, and implements technical cost reduction ideas for the benefit of both the customer and suppler.

"We honor those who continue to fuel our momentum by providing us not only the best ideas and cutting-edge technologies, but also the suppliers who consistently exceed our expectations," said Scott Thiele, Chief Purchasing Officer, FCA – Global. "We know that you are the backbone of this industry and the partnerships we have formed over the years have brought forth some of the most exciting vehicles in the market, from the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the industry's first electrified minivan, to the world's most powerful factory-production V-8 in the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon."

Award recipients were determined based on an evaluation of each company's supplier scorecard performance in 2016 – a rating system that evaluates supplier performance in areas such as quality, delivery, cost, warranty and partnership – and input from FCA senior leadership.

Today marks the launch of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, the world's largest automotive interiors supplier. The company is a joint venture between Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Huayu Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (HASCO), which is the component group of SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (SAIC Motor), and Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), a global multi-industrial company.

The joint venture now ranks as the largest automotive interiors company in the world with revenues of approximately $8.5 billion, with an order backlog to reach $10 billion in the next few years. Yanfeng holds the majority 70 percent share in the joint venture and Johnson Controls has a 30 percent share.

Yanfeng Automotive Interiors core product portfolio includes instrument panels and cockpit systems, door panels, floor consoles and overhead consoles. Based in Shanghai, the company has more than 90 manufacturing and technical centers and employs over 28,000 people globally.

"We are excited about the future opportunities it represents for Yanfeng Automotive Interiors and our customers around the world," said Johannes Roters, chief executive officer of Yanfeng Automotive Interiors. "Operating as one team, we will leverage our unmatched global presence, technical expertise and scale to help achieve complete customer satisfaction."

In addition to Roters, the Yanfeng Automotive Interiors leadership team will consist of Weizhong Wang as deputy CEO, Bob Van Himbergen as chief financial officer and Yiru Su as chief commercial officer.

Johannes Roters is a 26 year employee of Johnson Controls and has served in positions of increasing responsibility within the company's Automotive Experience business. He most recently served as group vice president and general manager, Automotive Interiors. Weizhong Wang has worked for Yanfeng for more than 12 years. He most recently served as general manager of Interior Business Units in Yanfeng. Bob Van Himbergen has been with Johnson Controls since 2007. He most recently served as vice president, Finance, Integrated Supply Chain in the company's Power Solutions business. Yiru Su has been with Yanfeng since 1993. He most recently served as senior director of Customer Business Management in Yanfeng.