Hitachi Astemo Americas will invest $153 million to add production lines and equipment at its plant in Berea, Kentucky, to meet rising demand for electric vehicle components. The project is set to create 167 full-time jobs, lifting the company's Kentucky workforce above 2,100. The company Hitachi Astemo was formed in January 2021 when Hitachi Automotive Systems merged with Keihin, Showa and Nissin Kogyo. It makes electric powertrains, chassis systems, driver-assistance systems and motorcycle parts. Hitachi opened its first US factory in Kentucky in the mid-1980s, and the company now has plants in Harrodsburg and Berea. Berea's biggest employer Berea's mayor, Bruce Fraley, said the plant was already the city's largest employer, with about 1,000 workers. Tim Clark, president of Hitachi Astemo Americas, said the company was nearing 40 years of making parts in Kentucky. The company dropped Hitachi from its name in 2025, becoming Astemo, and in 2026 it announced a larger Berea expansion for hybrid motors.
