Waukesha-based Husco International, Inc., a manufacturer specializing in hydraulic and electro-mechanical control systems, has been awarded a multi-year contract worth $113 million a year, the largest new contract in the company’s history, to develop and produce a new engine management system.
Husco declined to name which company awarded the contract but did describe it as a “major global automotive OEM.” The contract is expected to run for at least eight years.
Husco currently serves as a supplier to Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Subaru and other global automakers. The newly announced contract will create 50 new engineering, manufacturing and business jobs at Husco.
“Throughout our 76-year history, Husco has been a leader in the development of hydraulic and electro-mechanical control systems that enable gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles,” said Austin Ramirez, chief executive officer of Husco. “While our business is becoming increasingly tied to the electric vehicle market, internal combustion engine applications will remain a critical component of the global automotive market for the foreseeable future. Through smart innovation and intelligent risk taking, we continue to support our partners in our shared goal of making engines cleaner and more efficient.”
Ramirez previously told BizTimes he believed internal combustion engines would continue to get better, faster, cheaper and more efficient, and more hybrid vehicles would emerge with start-stop batteries or more robust hybrid systems.
Production on Husco’s new engine management system, called TruCrank, will begin in 2025. TruCrank technology allows for a significant improvement in fuel efficiency and a corresponding reduction in vehicle emissions by maximizing power output with the lowest possible fuel consumption. To support this project, Husco plans to invest $15 million in new capital equipment.
“This new program enables Husco to increase our content per vehicle by more than 10 times and grow our internal combustion business even as the market share of electric vehicles continues to expand,” said Todd Zakreski, president of Husco Automotive. “Husco’s scope of technical expertise has expanded to include software, controls and electro-mechanical systems.
The fuel savings generated by Husco components produced in 2022 will be greater than the total fuel that will be saved by every electric vehicle produced in the U.S. in 2022, according to a press release from the company.
