By Mike Rush
New Haven, MO (KSDK) - You may have never heard of the company Henniges, but chances are, you are familiar with their product. They make the rubber strips that go around windows and doors in vehicles and their factory employs around 265 people.
The company is expanding because it won a lucrative, multi-year contract to make those rubber parts for General Motors, for models like the Silverado and Sierra trucks, Cadillac Escalade and Chevy Suburban.
The factory has been adding equipment for about the past year and plans to start hiring the first phase of the 200 new employees in December or January.
A Henniges spokesman tells NewsChannel 5 most of the jobs will be for entry level production technicians with no previous experience in this field required and an average salary in the $25,000 to $30,000 range.
New Haven native Emily Whitten knows Henniges well. Her father has worked there for more than 20 years.
"I think it's great because a lot of people are fighting for jobs out here to be able to support their families. So for them to be able to expand and offer that many jobs, it's going to help a lot of people," said Whitten.
The expansion should have an impact on several communities. The spokesman says workers here come from about a 50 mile radius of New Haven. The company will start advertising for applications sometime in the fall.
KSDK