GKN plc Honored as "Company of the Year" by the British American Business Council Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- GKN plc has been named the 2015 British Consul General Awards Company of the Year by the British American Business Council Charlotte. The award celebrates businesses that exemplify the primary mission of the BABC Charlotte, which is the promotion of bilateral trade and investment between the United Kingdom and the Carolinas.

The award ceremony will be held Tuesday, May 5 at the Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte. The keynote speaker is North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest.

GKN is a global business with its base in the UK and has over 2500 employees in North Carolina, 300 of whom have been hired in the past 14 months. The company operates seven plants at five different manufacturing sites in the State. GKN is undergoing a facility expansion in Catawba County that will add another 225 jobs and $120 million in direct investment in North Carolina.

GKN CEO Nigel Stein said: "On behalf of the entire GKN team, I would like to thank the British American Business Council Charlotte and the British Consul-General, Atlanta for this recognition of our contribution to business both here in North Carolina and in the United Kingdom.

"We operate in a truly global market, bringing our leading edge innovation to customers in the automotive, aerospace and land systems markets. North Carolina is a hugely important location for GKN and we are honored by this award from the State and the communities in which we operate."

GKN serves several major global automakers from North Carolina, using several advanced technologies and processes. GKN has forging, machining, and assembly plants that produce driveline components including prop shafts and side shafts, torque components such as differentials and sinter parts such as cam caps, heat sinks, and carriers. The Sinter Metal facility in NC is GKN's first aluminum-only production plant in the world and exports products across the globe.

GKN Driveline ships over 30,000 assemblies per day out of its Roxboro, NC plant, making it GKN's largest assembly plant in the world.

In addition to creating jobs in North Carolina, GKN has taken an active role in the community. The company is a member of the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina, and serves on multiple local/state boards.  GKN regularly engages with the community on philanthropic events, such as Toys for Tots, national healthcare initiatives, and canned food and turkey drives.

ABOUT GKN

GKN plc is a global engineering group. It has four divisions; GKN Aerospace, GKN Driveline, GKN Powder Metallurgy and GKN Land Systems, which operate in the aerospace, automotive and land systems markets. More than 50,000 people work in GKN companies and joint ventures in more than 30 countries. GKN is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN) and recorded sales of GBP7.5 billion in the year to 31 December 2014.

SOURCE GKN plc