Wytheville Technologies Inc.
“The outstanding
workforce we currently have in place and the strong level of commitment
and partnership shown by Wythe County and the Commonwealth were
the main factors leading us to choose Virginia over the competition
for this expansion.”
Peter
Argue
Vice
President
Wytheville Technologies Inc.
Wythe County's Progress
Park has turned into the perfect location for Japanese-owned Wytheville
Technologies, which produces steering component parts for Toyota
and others in the automotive industry.
Wytheville Technologies
became the park's first tenant in 2001 when 11 employees began working
in a newly constructed 67,000-sq.-ft.-facility. This soon became
an incubator of sorts to two other companies with Japanese connections,
Atsumi Car Equipment (ACE) and Brewer Automotive Components (BAC).
All experienced growth,
and in 2003, Wytheville Technologies began construction of a 160,000-sq.-ft.
building in Progress Park. Wytheville Technologies and ACE are operating
in the new building; BAC is the the sole tenant in the original
facility.
"We've had solid
growth since we've come to Wytheville, and our employees are exceptional
and dedicated," said Argue. 
Being a supplier for Toyota
is both an honor and a challenge, said Argue. "There is an
extensive customer approval process with three ladders of approval."
Approvals come from the Toyota Technical Center in the U.S., Toyota
Motor Corporation's directors in Japan and the Toyota plant that
receives Wytheville's components. The new facility includes a state-of-the-art
plating line with environmental controls and backup systems to remove
metals from the waste water. The Wytheville facility will plate
for almost all Toyota plants in North America.
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