2A USA Invests $32 Million to Expand Auburn HPDC Facility — Third Bet on Alabama in 12 Years

Facility Expansion · USA · August 2026

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced on 13 August 2026 that 2A USA — the North American division of Turin-based 2A S.p.A. — is expanding its manufacturing facility at Auburn Technology Park West with a $32 million investment, creating 50 jobs. The expansion increases production capacity for casting and machining large and complex aluminium components for the heavy truck industry.

Groundbreaking took place in April 2026. The formal announcement last week makes this one week old — live, publishable news.

"From the beginning, our company has focused on advanced engineering and strong partnerships with our customers. Over the years, Auburn has become an important part of our company's story."

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— **Cavaliere Carlo Ilotte, Founder & CEO**, 2A S.p.A.

"This investment reflects our trust in our U.S.-based customers as well as in our capable team here in Auburn."

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— **Vincenzo Ilotte, COO**, 2A

Twelve Years, Three Investments — The Auburn Story

This is not a first-time entrant. 2A USA's Auburn presence is now a 12-year, three-phase commitment:

The 2026 round is the largest of the three and is specifically configured around automated cells — a meaningful detail. Per Larry DiChiara, 2A USA's HR Manager: the expansion will be "primarily warehouse space, with two or three automated cells in there." This points toward high-volume, repeatable programmes rather than low-volume complex work — consistent with heavy truck platform supply.

The Tariff Tailwind

The timing is not coincidental. 2A USA's "Made in USA" positioning is directly enabled — and financially incentivised — by the current US trade policy environment:

- US import tariffs on aluminium have raised the landed cost of imported die-cast components, improving the relative economics of domestic production

- US import tariffs on heavy-duty trucks are driving North American OEMs to deepen local supply chains to manage cost exposure

- Tightening USMCA minimum US-origin content requirements, currently being renegotiated by the White House, increase the programme value of components manufactured on US soil

For a European-owned HPDC supplier with a US footprint, this policy environment is a structural tailwind. The $32 million investment is as much a tariff hedge for 2A's US customers as it is a capacity play for 2A itself.

Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair framed it plainly: the expansion is "a success story for foreign investment in Alabama" and evidence of "what is possible when companies locate in a state and community that take seriously the shared goals of long-term growth."

About 2A S.p.A. and 2A USA

2A S.p.A. was founded in 1974 by Cavaliere Carlo Ilotte and is headquartered outside Turin, Italy. It is one of Europe's leading privately owned high-pressure aluminium die-casting companies, with manufacturing operations in Italy, China, and the United States. The group produces complex aluminium components for the automotive and heavy truck industries worldwide.

2A USA is the company's North American division, based at Auburn Technology Park West, Auburn, Alabama. It has operated in Alabama since 2014 and has continuously invested in die-casting and machining capabilities at the site. The facility supplies aluminium die-cast parts directly to North American vehicle manufacturers and major vehicle-system companies — classifying it as a Tier I automotive supplier.

2A is a privately held company — no public filings, no earnings calls, no disclosed customer list.

What Is Not Yet Publicly Confirmed

Given 2A's private status, several details remain undisclosed:

- Machine tonnage for the new automated cells

- Specific OEM customers served from Auburn

- Completion timeline for the expansion (groundbreaking April 2026; no public SOP date)

- Total facility size post-expansion

These gaps make 2A USA a strong interview target — an on-record conversation with Vincenzo Ilotte or DiChiara would fill material that is genuinely not available in any public source.

Velocla Signal — Industry Implication

The Auburn expansion adds a US data point to what is becoming a global aluminium die casting capacity wave. In the past three weeks alone, Velocla has tracked:

The geography differs — three India, one US — but the signal is consistent: tier-1 aluminium casting suppliers globally are adding capacity ahead of OEM demand, in larger formats and with higher automation.

For HPDC machine makers targeting the North American market, 2A USA's Auburn expansion is a live procurement event. Two to three automated cells at heavy-truck scale means high-tonnage machine procurement — likely 1,000T and above — is either in progress or imminent.

Key Contacts

*2A is privately held. No BSE/NSE listing, no public earnings calls. Press and investor outreach routes through corporate communications in Turin or directly at the Auburn facility.*

*Sources: Alabama Governor's Office (13 August 2026) · City of Auburn press release · AL Circle · Argus Media · WTVM Local News · Yellowhammer News · Made in Alabama · Alabama Gazette*

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