The automotive supplier Bridgewater Interiors is putting $10 million into an expansion of its Calhoun County plant, a move that will create 35 new jobs.
Bridgewater’s facility is located in Eastaboga, about 15 minutes west of the city of Oxford. The company officially committed to the expansion at an Oxford City Council meeting on Tuesday.
“After 16 years of successful operations in Calhoun County, Bridgewater Interiors is very pleased to embark on this next phase of growth and enhancement of our manufacturing footprint,” said John Cloud, CFO for Bridgewater Interiors, in a release.
Bridgewater makes the seat systems for Honda’s Pilot and Passport models, vehicles that are assembled at Honda’s plant nearby in Lincoln. Before the newly announced expansion, Bridgewater employed around 350 workers.
Cloud praised the work done by the Calhoun County Economic Development Council (EDC) to help make the expansion happen.
“[T]their support and collaboration on this project is instrumental in allowing us to bring good-paying jobs and economic opportunities to the region,” he remarked.
According to the county, the expansion will be made up of new machinery and new warehousing capacity, which together increase the headcount necessary to run the facility.
“This expansion allows Bridgewater to continue growing, while establishing an infrastructure to meet customer demand,” advised Kelvin Wright, plant manager at Bridgewater’s Oxford facility.
Calhoun County EDC Executive Director Don Hopper praised the work of another local official done to ensure the expansion.
“We could not have gotten this project done without Mayor Alton Craft and Oxford’s City Council. They continue to support the EDC and our local manufacturing industries, allowing us to bring new jobs into the region,” he remarked.
Craft commented, “In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry in Oxford is continuing to grow and give families opportunities for a financial breakthrough, and that is celebrated by all of us. Thank you to the Calhoun County EDC and Bridgewater for their continued dedication and hard work in growing Oxford and families’ economic vitality that live here.”
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
