Most Automotive Plants Closed Due to Hurricane Florence Reopen

CHARLOTTE, NC—As residents on the East Coast deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, the region’s automotive industry has mostly resumed normal operations, according to a report in Crain's Detroit Business.

Denso International American Inc. reopened its windshield wiper parts plant in Greenville, NC, on Saturday, less than two days after its employees left ahead of the hurricane, which made landfall on Sept. 14. The plant employs about 750.

The slow-moving hurricane caused catastrophic flooding in parts of the Carolinas, with some areas receiving as much as 40 inches of rain. The storm knocked out power to several assembly plants, including Robert Bosch LLC’s factory in New Bern, NC. That site has remained without power and is still closed. There has been no other damage or flooding to the plant. On the other hand, Bosch’s factory in Charleston, SC, resumed normal operations Monday.

Volvo idled operations at its new assembly plant near Charleston, but resumed operations Monday with no major damage to the plant.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

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