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In the summer of 1974,

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introduced a limited line of MacPherson Strut replacement cartridges, Gas-a-Just and Premium Heavy Duty shock absorbers to North America.  

Celebrating the Past, Looking to the Future

Surviving the turbulent ‘70s, KYB took full advantage of the economically booming ‘80’s, building a new 500,000-square-foot North American manufacturing plant in Franklin, Indiana just outside Indianapolis. The Franklin plant has been building OE and aftermarket shocks and struts since 1986. It continues to grow with the addition of a research and development lab, “clean” room for assembling shock valving, and most recently, being honored as the 2019 Industrial Plant of the Year for Wastewater Quality for reducing wastewater discharge 40% to the City of Franklin, KYB said.

KYB-50th-Anniversary.jpg

The next few decades saw growth, with a new office being opened in Addison, Illinois, in 1999, and the launch of highly popular MonoMax truck shock just after the Millenium, according to KYB. In 2008, the company debuted the Strut-Plus complete assembly, which it said helped to set the standard in aftermarket ride control.

2011 saw the opening of a 275,000-square-foot distribution center in Greenwood, Indiana, just up the road from the Franklin manufacturing plant. The close proximity of these two locations allowed for quicker development and manufacturing of new applications and product lines, as well as faster distribution to customers throughout North America. The Addison, Illinois, office was moved to the Greenwood facility in 2014, completing the consolidation of administration, distribution, and manufacturing.

As it celebrates the past and looks to the future, KYB said it continues to grow, with monthly announcements of additional applications and fitments, new product releases, such as KYB JAOS lift kit applications, and a new product line scheduled for release in 2025.

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