American Axle

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American Axle and Manufacturing, Inc. (commonly called American Axle or AAM), founded in Detroit, Michigan, is a manufacturer of automobile driveline and chassis systems, as well as forged products. It was formed in 1994 from a number of General Motors (GM) plants and continues to serve that manufacturer with suspensions, differentials, and similar components. Other major customers also include DaimlerChrysler (DCX) and SsangYong Motor Company (SYMC).

AAM was founded in 1994 when a private investor group, led by Richard E. Dauch and James W. McLernon, purchased the Final Drive and Forge Business Unit from GM's Saginaw Division. Within the next 10 years, the campus was expanded, renovated, landscaped, among numerous other improvements, making the grounds much cleaner and safer. Business was expanded, internally (with acquisitions) and externally (with new customers and suppliers). The plants were updated, bringing in new equipment and technology, as well as expanding their product line. They are much more organized, with brighter lighting, and more efficient machines. Improvements continue every year. In 1999, AAM went public, and is now traded AXL on the NYSE.

GM has remained AAM's largest customer, accounting for 76% of its sales in Q1:06, supplying the driveline components for essentially the entire range of vehicles based on the GMT platforms, which are rear wheel drive (RWD) and 4WD/AWD trucks and SUV's.

Its recently constructed World Headquarters, erected in 2004, is located on the Detroit/Hamtramck border, as well as Detroit Gear and Axle (DGA), consisting of 8 machining, forging and assembly plants. Also located in Michigan is a Technical Center, located in Rochester Hills, Three Rivers Driveline, located in Three Rivers, and MSP Industries forging, headed up in Oxford. Located in New York are Buffalo Gear and Axle (BGA), Cheektowaga Machining and Tonawanda Forge. Colfor Manufacturing, Inc. is located in Ohio, and there are offices in Mexico (AAM de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.), India, Japan, and South Korea. AAM also runs other forging, machining and driveline/chassis operations in Mexico (Guanajuato Gear and Axle, or GGA), Brazil (AAM do Brasil) and the United Kingdom (Albion Automotive), and are launching two other plants in Olawa, Poland and Changshu, China. Germany houses an engineering and business center as well.