Leer Group bringing Mexican manufacturing operations to U.S.
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Elkhart-based truck accessories manufacturer Leer Group this week announced plans to consolidate some of its manufacturing operations.
As part of the move, the company is transitioning all of its Mexico-based truck-cap and window and door production to the U.S., with the majority coming to Elkhart.
“The consolidation was strategic business consideration, essentially, based on our plans for refocusing our business and based on current market outlook,” President and Chief Operating Officer Alan Farash said.
Farash told Inside INdiana Business that the move brings several benefits to the company.
“It allows us to take advantage of the established skilled workforce that we have here in Indiana,” he said. “And it allows us to leverage our established base of operations here in northern Indiana.”
Leer Group said operations for its Se-Gi Products in Rosarito, Mexico are transitioning to the company’s State Wide Windows facility in Elkhart. The company makes window and glass products for the specialty vehicle markets.
The company is also planning to move all of its truck-cap manufacturing in Mexicali, Mexico to manufacturing facilities in Elkhart and Milton, Pennsylvania.
With the transition, Leer Group plans to add a total of 40-50 new jobs.
“Combined, these transitions are a game-changer for us, representing a major investment in our U.S.-based manufacturing and helping us to continue delivering the high-quality products our customers expect,” Farash said.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced a 25%, across-the-board tariff on goods imported from Mexico, which were later postponed, but Farash noted that potential tariffs never played into the decision to move Leer Group’s operations.
“Everybody’s been talking about the discussions around tariffs,” he said. “But our decision started long before any discussions about proposed tariffs. [However], it validated that we’re doing the right thing by reinvesting in our established infrastructure and our workforce here.”
Once the transition is complete, Leer Group will not have any further operations in Mexico, he said.
Farash added that the transition is expected to be mostly complete by the end of the second quarter. That’s also in line with the completion of a 100,000-square-foot fulfillment and distribution center in Elkhart.
The company did not disclose its financial investment in that project, but Farash said the center will open with approximately 10 new employees initially to support the national fulfillment and distribution operations. Certain corporate office personnel will also be relocated to the facility.
The company also opened a $2 million manufacturing plant in Elkhart in 2023.