GLOBAL drivetrain engineer, Dana Incorporated, has cemented its footprint on Australian manufacturing, opening a new headquarters and manufacturing facility at Keysborough in Melbourne’s south east.

The commitment to Australian manufacturing is housed in a 10,000 square metre, purpose-built facility that will be the hub for the production of Spicer-branded axles, driveshafts, steering shafts and joint assemblies for commercial and passenger vehicles.

The building, which replaces a facility at nearby Hallam, will also become the aftermarket distribution centre for the Dana and Spicer brand sourced from Australia and overseas.

Dana and its Spicer-branded drivetrain components were integral with the Australian automobile manufacturing industry with contracts with Holden, Ford and Toyota.

In passenger cars, it now operates a refurbishment and remanufacturing operation for axles with greater emphasis on the commercial and heavy-duty vehicle markets. Dana continues to supply truck-makers PACCAR, Volvo Group Australia and Iveco with components.

The company also services other car-makers using Dana components, including Ford (for the Ranger), Land Rover, Toyota, Nissan and Chrysler Jeep.

Dana Australia managing director Peter Langworthy said the company had been in the local market for more than 40 years “and customers will find that this new facility symbolises Dana’s continued commitment to the unique needs of this market”.

“The future relevance in Australia is not so much the original equipment side for the passenger-car market but the aftermarket side, which becomes an increasing area of focus for us,” he said.

Mr Langworthy said the new centre, which has a five-star energy rating, would allow greater efficiency and quicker response to customer service needs.

The Keysborough facility joins an extensive list of Dana manufacturing and technical outlets in Asia Pacific, including representation in Thailand, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea.

In a video address to guests at the facility’s official opening, Dana president and CEO James Kamsickas said: “The key to our success both in Australia and globally is in our commitment to deliver long-term value to our customers”.

“It starts with a company-wide culture that positions the customer at the centre of everything we do as an organisation.”

Dana, which started in the US in 1904, employs about 27,000 people in 34 countries on six continents. The company reported sales in 2016 of more than $A5.8 billion.

By Neil Dowling