Officials with the Hota Industrial Manufacturing Company say they want to build a $99 million factory within the boundaries of the Westpark Industrial Park in Santa Teresa.
The plant will go up on a 30-acre site close to the U.S./Mexican border. Hota, which is headquartered in Taipei City, Taiwan, has other manufacturing facilities up and running in its home country, as well as China, Japan, and Thailand.
In a statement, David Shen, chairman of Hota, said the company decided on Santa Teresa for its plant site because “its location makes it a one-day trucking distance to many of our main customers.”
He added that “transportation infrastructure is in place to support the logistics of our goods and services,” while “utility supply is stable and relatively inexpensive.”
Hota’s move to Santa Teresa was aided by the awarding of some $3 million in funds to help defray land and infrastructure costs via Local Economic Development Act support.
Hota has an international reputation for its production of gears and axles, turning out up to 20 million such component parts on an annual basis for automobiles, heavy duty trucks, and motorcycles.
Earlier this year, the company announced plans to build three more manufacturing facilities in Taiwan in order to respond to what is expected to be a need for supply parts for around 2 million electric vehicles in the next two years.
Launched in 1973, the company’s revenue last year exceeded $7.3 billion.
If all goes according to plans, work on the new Hota Santa Teresa facility will begin early next year, with a rough completion date in 2025.
By Garry Boulard
