Denso plans $75M expansion of N.A. HQ

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Denso International America Inc. plans to invest $75 million by 2021 to expand its North American headquarters in suburban Detroit.

The U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Denso Corp. will create 120 new jobs as part of the project, the supplier said. The expansion will include new testing facilities and equipment at the Southfield office to advance automotive safety, cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles components.

Denso also plans to invest $500,000 to expand its Dublin, Ohio, operations by 5,000 square feet to support R&D in powertrain components and infotainment systems. That project will create 13 jobs, the company said.

"This is the first in a line of investments to create the future of mobility by bringing in top talent and fostering our culture of innovation," Kenichiro Ito, CEO of Denso International America, said.

"Expanding our team and resources now will help us make a future of autonomous cars and advanced electric vehicles possible."

Toyota-affiliated Denso will work with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to attract and train workers for the jobs in Michigan. The Ohio Development Services Agency is supporting its Ohio expansion with $160,000 in performance-based incentives.

Denso has invested more than $1 billion in the North American market, creating more than 3,100 jobs, since 2013. Roughly half of those new jobs were created in Michigan at its operations in Southfield or its manufacturing plant in Battle Creek.

Denso, an automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety employs roughly 23,000 in North America at 28 manufacturing plants.

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Dustin Walsh is a reporter with Automotive News, a Detroit-based sister publication of Tire Business.