Brake manufacturer moving NA headquarters to Knoxville

PBR Knoxville announced it will move its North American headquarters to Knoxville, Tenn. PBR will build a $500,000 office expansion at its plant in Westbridge Business Park in west Knox County to accommodate approximately 20 corporate employees expected relocate from PBR facilities in Detroit and Columbia, S.C.

PBR has also acquired a 60,000-square-foot building in Forks of the River Industrial Park east of Knoxville. The facility will function as a new distribution center for PBR’s brake parts.

PBR North America is a part of PBR International, which in turn is a subsidiary of Pacifica Group Ltd., Australia's leading supplier of brake system technology. PBR specializes in braking systems for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in Australia, North America, Europe and Asia. It also supplies replacement brake components and innovative brake service solutions to the global aftermarket.  In addition to its North American operations, the company has manufacturing facilities in Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Europe.

“This is great news,” said Knox County mayor Mike Ragsdale. “This move shows that economic development is about building relationships and fostering a friendly business climate. Businesses that we once recruited to Knox County are now expanding and bringing in their headquarters.”