Newcan Co., one of the oldest U.S. manufacturers of high-quality precision stamping and perforated metal components, has located a new facility in Gastonia, primarily to serve Wix's large filtration business there.

The 16,000-sq.-ft. Gastonia plant, on US 321 South at Crowders Mountain Road, makes perforated metal tubes primarily for Wix oil filters.

"The new facility will also allow us to better serve other filtration customers throughout the Southeast," said company president Thomas Houston, speaking from headquarters in Holbrook, Mass. "We are a major supplier to the automotive and industrial filter industry."

He expects the new operation, still in start-up mode, to employ 10-12 people. Rodney Hufstettler is plant manager.

Newcan attributes its success in part to "our progressive tooling, feeding and straightening concepts which allow high-speed production of the most precise stampings at speeds up to 250 parts per minute."

Established in 1902, the firm produces over 350 million components annually and is ISO-9002 and QS-9000 certified. More details are available at www.newcan.com.