AAM is a premier, global leader in design, engineering, validation and manufacturing of driveline, metal forming, powertrain, and casting technologies for automotive, commercial and industrial markets. AAM has over 25,000 associates operating at more than 90 facilities in 17 countries to support our customers on global and regional platforms with a focus on quality, operational excellence and technology leadership.
AAM is led by a team of experienced, forward-thinking and passionate industry experts. Our leaders have built a culture laser-focused on quality, operational excellence and technology leadership that emPOWERs Team AAM to design, engineer, validate and manufacture driveline, metal forming, powertrain, and casting technologies for automotive, commercial and industrial markets. With visionary leadership and manufacturing expertise rooted in more than 90 years of expertise, AAM has the POWER to move the world.
AAM can trace its history to the beginning of the 20th century and the infancy of the automotive industry. The foundation for what is now AAM was established in 1917 when General Motors Corporation built an aircraft parts manufacturing facility in Detroit, on the land where AAM’s World Headquarters and flagship North American facility now stands. Later, automotive parts were added to the product mix. By 1920, two additional plants had been built in Detroit to meet the increased demands of the burgeoning automotive industry. Two additional plants were constructed in Detroit in the ‘40s and ‘50s.
The facilities remained under the General Motors umbrella until late 1992, when General Motors publicly announced that 18 of its manufacturing plants were for sale – five of which encompassed the Final Drive and Forge Business Unit of GM.
In response to the GM announcement, Richard E. Dauch, who had recently retired from the Chrysler Corporation as executive vice president Worldwide Manufacturing, formed a small investment team to purchase five driveline and forging assets that GM had up for sale. On March 1, 1994, AAM became a stand-alone, independent and multi-billion-dollar Tier 1 automotive supplier.
Today, AAM is a premier, global leader in design, engineering, validation and manufacturing of driveline, metal forming, powertrain, and casting technologies for automotive, commercial and industrial markets. AAM has over 25,000 associates operating at more than 90 facilities in 17 countries to support our customers on global and regional platforms with a focus on quality, operational excellence and technology leadership.
AAM was co-founded by automotive industry veteran Richard E. Dauch on March 1, 1994. Under Dauch’s bold and steady leadership, AAM has grown from five former GM plants located throughout the Midwestern United States to a multi-billion dollar global company that is one of the largest and most respected Tier One automotive suppliers in the world. Dauch’s automotive career spanned over four decades, and included numerous game-changing industry contributions and milestones.
After graduating from Purdue University in 1964 with his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management, Dauch began his career at General Motors’ Chevrolet Flint Assembly plant. He was promoted to plant manager of Livonia, Mich.-based Chevrolet & Spring Bumper in 1973, making him the youngest plant manager in GM’s history at the time.
After ascending through various leadership roles within GM, Dauch joined Volkswagen in 1976 as vice president and general manufacturing manager. As the result of his work in the successful launch of Volkswagen in America, he was promoted to group vice president and invited to join the board of directors.
In 1980, Lee Iacocca recruited Dauch to join Chrysler Corporation to resurrect the company’s ailing manufacturing operations. With his visionary, people-oriented, no-nonsense leadership approach, he planned and directed the implementation of Chrysler's world-recognized, just-in-time materials management system and three-shift assembly system capability. He also oversaw the construction of the Chrysler Technical Center and three new assembly plants, and was responsible for the launch of the Chrysler minivan in Windsor, Ontario.
In 1992, GM announced that 18 of its manufacturing plants were for sale, including five that encompassed the Final Drive and Forge Business Unit of the company. In response to the announcement, Dauch, who had recently retired from the Chrysler Corporation as executive vice president Worldwide Manufacturing, formed a small investment team to purchase the five driveline and forging assets that GM had up for sale. On March 1, 1994, AAM became a stand-alone, independent corporation.
In addition to his indelible influence on the global automotive manufacturing industry, Dauch was an active and respected philanthropist and community leader. He held various board leadership positions with organizations like the National Association of Manufacturers, the Manufacturing Institute, the Detroit Economic Club, the Detroit Renaissance and the Detroit Regional Chamber and the United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Torch Drive campaign. Donations from the Dauch family also helped create the Richard E. and Sandra J. Dauch College of Business and Economics at Ashland University, the Dauch Center for Management of Manufacturing Enterprises at Purdue University and the Dick and Sandy Dauch Alumni Center also at Purdue. Additionally, the Dauchs partnered with the National Football League to establish the NFL/YET Boys & Girls Club at the Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus in Detroit, MI, and collaborated with the Boy Scouts of America to establish the Dauch Scout Center in Detroit, MI.
AAM is a multi-billion dollar company with more than 90 locations around the globe serving over 100 customers on four continents.
AAM's global footprint includes more than 90 locations across four continents (North America, South America, Asia and Europe). AAM is a unique global resource that brings higher-performing next-generation driveline, powertrain, metal forming and casting products & technologies to markets around the world — faster and more efficiently — helping to reduce the cost of vehicle-development programs. AAM's global presence allows us to provide engineering and manufacturing services to our customers 24 hours a day. With our broadening supplier base and expanding capabilities, AAM is rapidly making our quality components and systems available to customers anywhere in the world.
AAM is driven by a culture of quality, operational excellence and technology leadership. We are committed to the fundamental principles expressed in our mission, vision and values.
AAM is committed to making a difference in the communities where our associates live and work. We support many global and local organizations with our time, talents and resources. Currently, our primary fundraising endeavors focus on supporting the United Way, the Boy Scouts of America and The Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan, but we also support dozens of other global charities with volunteer and fundraising efforts throughout the year.
In addition to dedicating time and resources to emPOWER the communities in which we live and work around the globe, AAM is also dedicated to fostering a sustainable environment. We have seven global facilities that are ISO 50001 certified for improved energy management performance, and are actively working to add facilities to this list. Our ENERGY STAR certified World Headquarters, which was our first ISO 50001 facility, has reduced energy consumption by more than 25 percent in less than 10 years.
We are also committed to reducing the environmental footprint of our manufacturing process. Our major manufacturing facilities are certified to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standard, and we continue to focus on three key environmental impacts: reducing waste sent to landfills, cutting water consumption and decreasing greenhouse gas generation.
Our commitment goes beyond simply making and delivering products. We deliver operational excellence by leveraging our global standards, policies and best practices across all disciplines. We recruit and retain world-class, creative and innovative associates who thrive when thinking outside of the box. We invest in state-of-the-art technology to elevate and strengthen our research, development and validation capabilities. We are dedicated to changing the way the world moves by designing, engineering and manufacturing technologies that make the automotive industry lighter, safer, more efficient and more powerful.
AAM delivers POWER with an unwavering commitment to quality, operational excellence and technology leadership.
World-class quality means operating with a commitment to achieving perfection.
Quality is the foundation of AAM's commitment to operational excellence. AAM strives for continuous improvement with the goal of delivering the best products and services to our customers and stakeholders.
Global footprint that brings streamlining, standardization and synergies to exceed customer expectations.
AAM strives to provide exceptional value to our customers with an intense focus on quality, warranty, reliability, delivery, and launch support. This provides a foundation for AAM’s profitable global growth.
Innovative solutions that achieve requirements for safety, efficiency, performance, fuel economy and environmental friendliness.
AAM’s innovative product, processes and systems technology, positions AAM as a leader in providing industry-first, cutting edge driveline technology to the global market for passenger car, crossover vehicle and light truck applications.
The key to AAM’s ability to deliver results for customers is our commitment to achieving operational excellence. This means we are operating safely, training our associates successfully and running our business efficiently with a standardized approach.
The AAM Operating System is a world class global operating system designed to deliver operational excellence by leveraging our global standards, policies and best practices across all disciplines. This system will continue to ensure AAM is leading with improved customer satisfaction, lean production and efficient cost management.
AAM’s POWER is in our people, products and processes. We are committed to emPOWERing our talented associates to think differently and create new technologies. Since our founding over 20 years ago, we have invested more than $1 billion in Research & Development initiatives. This has included the creation of 15 global engineering development centers to support our customers while developing the technologies of future. We will continue to develop smarter technologies that help keep drivers safe, improve vehicle performance and power density, and increase efficiency while maintaining our outstanding focus on quality and durability.
The auto industry has seen dramatic changes in the last few years. The megatrends of mobility, autonomous driving, connected cars, electric and hybrid vehicles, higher transmission speeds, downsized engines and lightweighting are driving future product development at both our customers, and within AAM.
AAM is laser-focused on continuing to strengthen and grow our position as a technology leader. We recruit and retain the best and brightest minds, and invest in world-class research and development facilities that emPOWER our associates to think differently, and invent the technologies of tomorrow. We are committed to creating technology that helps make the automotive industry lighter, smarter, safer, more efficient and more powerful.