Countdown to “North Americas Largest Captive Heat Treaters”
As we count down to the 2026 list of the “15 Largest Captive Heat Treaters-North America-2024” (coming the week of January 26th) “The Monty” looks look back at a company which was in the #2 position on our 2024 list of “The Largest”–“GKN ePowertrain Newton, North Carolina”.
“2024 Posting; Largest Captive Heat Treaters in North America- GKN ePowertrain Newton, North Carolina; According to GKN this is the history of this location; “GKN Driveline Newton employs more than 900 people, supporting machining and assembly of high precision products for AWD applications. GKN employs an additional 1,530 employees at companies in other counties across North Carolina; locations include Roxboro, Mebane and Sanford. The Newton location covers roughly 600,000 square feet. In October of 2013, GKN Driveline Newton was awarded the Certificate of Special Recognition Safety Award by North Carolina State Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry. The award recognizes a North Carolina-based business that achieves 1 million safe employee hours without a lost-time accident.Established in 1986, the Newton facility was acquired by GKN plc in 2011 when the company purchased Getrag Corp.’s all-wheel drive component business. Other products made at the facility include Trans Axle Solutions (gear sets and housing) as well as eDrive Systems.”
In the early 2000’s the decision was made to go entirely to vacuum carburizing as a replacement for the older rotary hearth furnaces. The end result is that the company now has 39 vacuum carburizing cells in 4 different systems all provided by ECM making then in the opinion of “The Monty Heat Treat News” the second largest single location captive heat treat in North America. While the original investment dates back to the early 2000’s, some of the systems were installed in 2014.Gord Montgomery of “The Monty Heat Treat News” was very warmly greeted last week by Mr. Greg Cook, Heat Treat Maintenance Supervisor and his entire team-perhaps it is the Southern hospitality or perhaps their tremendous pride in their heat treat department, whichever it was the welcome was truly appreciated. These photos show the team and the heat treat department (Greg is in the back row with the tan shirt).”
