Saginaw’s Means Industries and Illinois’ Burgess Norton, two automotive supply business units of Amsted Industries in Chicago, have merged to form Amsted Automotive Group, a technology team focused on the growing EV market.
Amsted Industries, a designer and manufacturer in the railroad, vehicular, and construction markets, brought the two Tier 1 units — both of which are a century old — together to create “more elegant and stronger designs which reduce parasitic loses in the power train,” the company says. Goals from the merge include increasing the range of EVs while reducing motor and battery requirements.
“The transition to electric vehicles has the potential to reshape much of the industry, including the supply base,” says Stephen Smith, chairman, president and CEO of Amsted Industries. “We are bringing Means Industries and Burgess-Norton together to form the AAG to focus on being significant participants in electric vehicle technology, design, and manufacturing supply, while capitalizing on the remaining opportunities for supply to traditional internal combustion engine programs.”
The need for a team like AAG came to light during the development of a disconnected device used in the launch of an EV this year. Because the device required work from both Means and Burgess-Norton, Amsted Industries expects the combined team will have smoother brainstorming, concept development and refinement, prototyping, and manufacturing.
Production volumes in the electric vehicle market are expected to increase rapidly, says Jeremy Holt, president of AAG. He adds the merger is important for the company as it seeks to play an integral role in supplying global advanced automatic transmissions in North America, Europe, and Asia.
“The formation of AAG aligns our design and engineering expertise, making the company a leader in torque transfer for electric vehicles without diminishing resources for internal-combustion engine programs,” says Holt.
Team members will be stationed in Mexico, Italy, China, Japan, Canada, and the U.S.
Amsted currently has 65 facilities across 10 countries and a global headquarters in Chicago.
