Auto components expansion to bring manufacturing jobs, investment to Tuscarawas County

Dover, in Tuscarawas County, will soon get an economic boost as Schaeffler Manufacturing USA expands production of electric vehicles and hybrid automotive components.

The $230 million investment by Shaeffler, a global supplier of motion technology, includes building a new facility and creating about 450 jobs by 2032. It also includes future expansion at its Wooster location and adding 200 jobs there.

“We wanted to actually have a city where it's closer to our product development,” said Prasanna Gurumurthy, the chief operating officer of the Americas region for Schaeffler Manufacturing. “We do a significant amount of product development at our R&D (research and development) facility in Wooster.”

About 1,700 employees work at the Wooster location, making components such as parts for internal combustion engines. In Dover, products will include electrical axles for light-and-medium-weight vehicles.

Skilled labor in Wooster is limited, especially direct operators and team leaders, because of a saturated market, Gurumurthy said.

“That’s why we decided to build in Dover,” he said.

Other Ohio cities within a one-hour radius of Wooster were considered for the expansion, Gurumurthy said. Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky were also competing for the business.

Dover has 21 manufacturing companies, including Allied Machine and Engineering, a top employer in Tuscarawas County. Schaeffler Manufacturing has that potential, too, said Shane Gunnoe, the mayor of Dover.

“Over the next five years, we expect them to become a top-five employer in Tuscarawas County in terms of total number of jobs,” Gunnoe said.