Southfield-based automotive supplier Lear Corp. today opened its new $22.6 million leather cutting plant in Szolnok, Hungary, located in the country’s central region.
Ray Scott, executive vice president and president of seating at Lear, says the 172,000-square-foot plant, completed in December, doubles the available production space. He says the new plant is across from an existing leather production facility built in 2004.
“…Lear continues to build upon our unique industry-leading capabilities and emphasis on world-class craftsmanship,” Scott says.
The combined plants have 2,000 employees, making Lear one of the largest private employers in the region. As part of the Eagle Ottawa division of Lear, it supplies leather parts to many automotive manufacturers in Europe. Founded in 1865, the Eagle Ottawa designs, engineers, and manufactures leather products for automotive interiors. Lear acquired the company in January.
Lear began in Detroit in 1917 as American Metal Products, which manufactured welded, stamped, and tubular assemblies for the automotive and aircraft industries. Today, the company employs about 136,000 people in 36 countries.
In 2015, Lear purchases two buildings in downtown Detroit: the historic Hemmeter Building in downtown Detroit’s Paradise Valley (formerly Harmonie Park) and a six-story structure in Detroit’s Capitol Park, with plans to transform the building into a design and innovation center.
