By By Kerry Whipple Bean
publisher
Citation Corp. has secured a new $50 million contract to manufacture brake components for hybrid cars, which local economic development officials said was good news for the Brewton facility.
Citation will supply iron-cast brake components for small hybrid cars and crossover utility vehicles for the North American market for Continental Teves, a subsidiary of Continental AG.
The five-year program is set to launch in October 2011 and would generate $50 million in revenue over the life of the program, a Citation spokeswoman said.
Company officials could not say whether the new project will bring new jobs, noting that would depend on orders and other conditions when the contract begins.
Escambia County Industrial Development Board Authority director Marshall Rogers said she was pleased to hear about the project.
Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Authority President Wiley Blankenship said the contract is good news for the community and could also position Citation to land more business from HK Motors, which has said it would build a hybrid car facility in north Baldwin County.
Michigan-based Citation employs 1,100 people at 10 manufacturing facilities in Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina and Wisconsin. The company designs, develops and manufactures high-quality cast, machined and assembled components for the transportation and industrial markets.