TRW Plans New Factory to Serve Jeep

TRW Inc., the largest U.S. maker of air bags, plans to set up a plant in Toledo, Ohio, to supply parts to a nearby DaimlerChrysler factory that will build a new Jeep sport-utility vehicle to go on sale in 2001. TRW said it will locate its plant within 10 miles of DaimlerChrysler’s Jeep factory to meet just-in-time delivery requirements. The TRW plant is expected to create about 100 jobs, said Robert Varga, a vice president with Cleveland-based TRW. Besides air bags, TRW will supply steering systems, chassis and suspension sections and some electronics and switches for the new Jeep vehicle. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.