Douglas Autotech Corporation, will now officially become JTEKT Column Systems North America Corporation

04/10/2023

Hopkinsville KY –Local employer formerly known as Douglas Autotech Corporation, will now officially become JTEKT Column Systems North America Corporation effective April 1st, 2023.

The Douglas Autotech brand has enjoyed a long-standing history of stability dating back to its origin in 1902. The Warner and Douglas Corporation was established in Bronson, Michigan by Mr. Warner and Mr. Douglas. Mr. Douglas was a friend of Mr. Henry Ford who established the Ford Motor Company. Douglas supplied various kinds of automotive component parts to Ford, including electric component parts and steering columns for the Model-T. Although the company’s main products have become steering columns and shifters throughout the company’s long history, they have produced a multitude of products over the years including electrical light switches, gasoline engines, battery chargers, console radios and even vacuum cleaners!

In 1991, a global manufacturer Fuji Kiko purchased Douglas Autotech to increase their presence in North America. They expanded Douglas Autotech in 1994 by establishing a second manufacturing plant in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The Hopkinsville Kentucky location expanded its operations once again in 1999. In 2001, Koyo Seiko became a 30% shareholder of Fuji Kiko. Then in 2006, Koyo Seiko merged with Toyoda Machinery to become JTEKT Corporation. Combining the most advanced technologies and the manufacturing passion of both companies, today JTEKT Corporation manufactures innovative products that satisfy the most demanding customers all over the world. JTEKT Corporation is now a global leader in engineering and manufacturing automotive systems, bearing solutions and high-performance machine tools.

JTEKT Column Systems North America will continue as the preferred steering column supplier to all customers as it has for many years. With the now unified businesses under the JTEKT brand, our goal is to strengthen the JTEKT brand and build a new foundation for new business development beyond steering.

“We are very excited for the future of JTEKT Column Systems North America and its employees,’’ states Matt Hauret, President of JTEKT Column Systems North America. “We have always been a family-oriented manufacturing company that has taken pride in providing a high-quality product with a safe and comfortable atmosphere for our employees, but I am personally very excited to implement our plans to really become the employer of choice for our surrounding communities and watch them grow with us.”