JL French Automotive Castings Inc. reports it has formed a joint venture in China with Chongqing Yujiang Die Casting Co. Ltd. and Chongqing Liangjiang Machine Manufacture Co. Ltd., to produce high-pressure aluminum die-castings and machined and assembled automotive components.

Chongqing JL French-Yumei Die Casting Co. Ltd. and will be located in Chongqing, China, approximately 640 miles northwest of Hong Kong.

JL French Automotive Castings designs and manufactures engineered aluminum diecast automotive parts including oil pans, engine front covers, engine blocks, and transmission cases. It has manufacturing facilities in Sheboygan, WI.; Benton Harbor, MI.; Glasgow, KY; Saltillo, Mexico; San Andres de Echevarria, Spain.

Chongqing Yujiang Die Casting supplies diecastings to OEMs manufacturing motorcycles in China, while Chongqing Liangjiang Machine Manufacture Co. performs machining services for the same market segment.

"This is a wonderful growth opportunity to generate synergy from our businesses," stated Jack Falcon, president and CEO of JL French. "It is our intention that this entity will not move work from existing JL French facilities but take advantage of the growing Chinese automotive marketplace. It will allow JL French to assist its customers by supplying them products produced in China we don't currently make."