Kiekert AG, a specialist in automotive locking systems, is opening a new joint-venture facility to produce door-closure systems in South Korea with KwangJin Sanggong Company.
Located in Hwaseong-si in the province of Gyeonggi-do, the new facility operated by KKL Ltd. (KwangJinKiekert Latch) will have 120 employees and the capacity to produce door-closure systems for a major South Korean auto manufacturer. Ribbon-cutting ceremonies to officially open the plant will take place in mid-February.
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Kiekert and KwangJin Sanggong each hold a 50% share in the new company. “This joint-venture compliments the technology and manufacturing expertise of each of our two companies,” said Kiekert CEO Dr. Karl Krause. “It also supports Kiekert’s global growth strategy.” Dr. Krause noted that Kiekert has decades of expertise in the development and production of automotive locking systems, as well as actuators for vehicle doors, liftgates and hatches. KwangJin develops and produces door modules and window lifters and has long-standing business relationships with Korean car manufacturers. Krause added that production processes at the new facility will set new benchmarks for the manufacture of industry-leading lightweight locking systems. The company, for example, has reduced the weight of its locking systems by as much as 50% over the past two vehicle generations.
