Schaeffler delays opening but confirms commitment to Dover
DOVER – Mayor Shane Gunnoe says the opening of the Schaeffler EV component factory on the city’s north side has been delayed, but he is confident in the company’s commitment to the site.
Schaeffler is in the process of constructing a $230 million, 320,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on the city’s border with Parral that would ultimately add 450 jobs over the next several years.
Paula Lalli, Schaeffler Group Leader for Corporate Communications in North America, confirmed that the company’s commitment has not changed except for a delay in opening. She says the plan is to open in 2027 instead of 2026 due to changing market conditions, adding that the plant will eventually manufacture electric vehicle components.
Gunnoe says company officials recently informed the city about the delay, adding the city could use some extra time to complete associated infrastructure work.
“They still intend to honor their commitment and their plan to build in Dover,” he said. “They’re still within the terms of that TIF agreement and their total job pledge to the city, so we’re just looking forward to 2027 when that facility opens.”
Gunnoe says the postponement does not impact the funding for the utility and infrastructure upgrades the city has been working on to accommodate the facility. He says the city’s costs will be reimbursed with about $3 million in state and county grants and through the TIF (tax increment financing) agreement approved last year.
Gunnoe says those upgrades probably won’t be finished until the summer.