Thai Summit America Breaks Ground on New Bardstown Manufacturing Facility

Thai Summit America selected Gray Construction to provide design-build services for the facility—its first in Kentucky—which will produce stamped and welded aluminum assemblies for the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville. The facility will be situation on an 82.4-acre site in the Nelson Industrial Park, and is expected to become operational in January 2017. Through the establishment of this facility, crucial large press capacity will be added to the North American automotive market, which continues to grow at a rapid rate.

In attendance at the ceremony were Gov. Matt Bevin, His Excellency Mr. Pisan Manawapat, ambassador of Thailand to the U.S., several executives from Thai Summit America and Gray, as well as local officials.

“We are honored to welcome our friends at Thai Summit to the bluegrass,” said Jeff Bischoff, executive vice president, business development. “This project represents not only a major milestone for Gray’s thriving automotive manufacturing market, but also a tremendous boost to Kentucky’s economy.”

In addition to remarks made by state and local officials, Thai Summit America executives and the Thai ambassador to the U.S., the event featured a special gift presentation, a ground breaking ceremony, a tree planting ceremony and lunch.

Gray also provided design-build services for Thai Summit America’s expansion to its existing automotive stamping and assembly facility in Howell, Mich.

Thai Summit America Corporation, a Thai Summit Group company, has been a leader in the sheet metal stamping industry for the last twenty years. From its facility in Howell, Michigan Thai Summit America Corporation provides its customers with world-class engineering, stamping and assembly capabilities as well as tool and die design, construction, modification and refurbishment.

Gray Construction, is a nationally ranked engineering, architecture and construction firm with over 56 years of experience in manufacturing, automotive, food and beverage, distribution, hospitality and retail facility construction. Currently, Gray has several large projects that are underway or recently completed including: a Mercedes-Benz manufacturing facility in Vance, Ala.; a fresh pork processing facility in Coldwater, Michigan for Clemens Food Group; a Keurig manufacturing facility in Douglasville, Ga.; a utility vehicle manufacturing facility for Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation in Gainesville, Ga.; an expansion to Wrigley’s Yorkville, Ill. campus; a specialty pet food kitchen and distribution center for Champion Petfoods in Auburn, Ky. and a manufacturing facility for Weber Metals in Paramount, Calif.

If you have manufacturing plant construction needs, please contact Phil Seale, executive vice president, manufacturing/food & beverage markets at pseale@gray.com. Or, contact Jeff Bischoff, executive vice president, business development at jbischoff@gray.com.