SAINT ETIENNE, France — AxleTech International was created in December 2002 through Wynnchurch Capital’s acquisition of the off-highway and specialty vehicle business of ArvinMeritor, and are now expanding their off-highway presence.

"We’re not going to grow just for growth’s sake. It has to be customer-focused. And it’s going to be with specific strategic targets in mind that are complementary to the components and systems that we already make," Mary Petrovich, CEO of AxleTech said.

The early phases of the expansion plan are taking shape at the company’s facility in Saint Etienne, France, with an investment projection of five million dollars and the addition of up to 90 employees over the next three years bringing the total work force to well over 200. This investment will bring new expertise and market presence in proprietary drivetrain systems that complements AxleTech’s core product line. This investment helps fulfill the company’s quest to become the world’s leading supplier of off-highway and specialty vehicle drive train systems and components.

In addition, the investment enables AxleTech to leverage best practices across its manufacturing plants and in global procurement with the implementation of a common ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system and the expansion of the facility’s R&D test lab with the hiring of several new engineers. It also builds on existing production capabilities with this funding.

The Invest in France Agency and the local development agency of the Rhone Alpes region assisted AxleTech in implementing its development program in Saint Etienne. This will help the company target new markets in the all-wheel drive, high mobility truck segment as well as the aftermarket.

The company has over 150 OEM customers including Oshkosh Truck, Volvo Construction Equipment Components, CAT, Freightliner, Kalmar, Terberg, and NACCO.

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