Kobe named area Industry of the Year

Oct 02, 2008 (The Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- KBSTY | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Doug Gorman called it a tremendous success story as Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products was named 2008 Industry of the Year today by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. It is the 22nd industry to win the award.

"It's a tremendous honor for us to honor this company," said Gorman, chairman of the chamber of commerce board of directors.

"I'm very honored to receive this award," Kobe president Takumi Fujii said at a chamber ceremony this morning. "We have been giving our best effort ... to contribute to the city of Bowling Green and to the chamber of commerce."

The chamber declared October Industry Appreciation Month for southcentral Kentucky to celebrate industries' impact on the region. The chamber has recognized an industry for its accomplishments and contributions to Bowling Green since 1986.

"Kobe is a source of pride for southcentral Kentucky," Jim Hizer, chamber president and CEO, said in a news release. "They have grown faster than they, or we, could ever have imagined, and we're thrilled to recognize them as Industry of the Year."

Kobe has operated in Bowling Green on Central Court since 2005 and employs 189 workers. The local plant is the only U.S. facility to produce aluminum suspension products for the automotive industry.

"It's a great honor for Kobe and all the employees to be recognized as Industry of the Year," plant manager Gary Ginter said.

One of 11 subsidiaries of Japan-based Kobe Steel, Kobe Aluminum's parent company is Japan's top producer of aluminum alloy suspension arms.

One reason the company decided to locate in Bowling Green was access to the Interstate 65 corridor.

"Kobe has invested a lot of money into Bowling Green," Ginter said, "and Bowling Green has been very good to Kobe."

Officials expanded the facility twice since it located in Bowling Green. Now it measures 200,000 square feet.

The Bowling Green plant is predicted to reach sales of more than $80 million this year.

The chamber will honor Kobe and other local industries at the Industry Appreciation Banquet at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Sloan Convention Center. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bgchamber.com.

To see more of the Bowling Green Daily News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.bgdailynews.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Daily News, Bowling Green, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

More News:   Market Updates | Stock Alerts | All Trading News | Stock Index