Lang-Mekra North America, an independent company of the Mekra Group, is a manufacturer of rear view vision systems for commercial vehicles. This North American facility also houses the primary engineering, research and design operations for the Western Hemisphere. Behind the doors of its growing 160,000 square foot facility in Ridgeway, South Carolina, the story of Lang-Mekra unfolds every day in the lives of its employees and the quality of their work. As a technology-based company, with its primary focus on innovation and the design of high-quality products, the Mekra Group has achieved a position of global leadership in its industry. From its founding in 1994, Lang-Mekra North America has grown from a management vanguard of five employees to a workforce of more than 300. Fully-equipped engineering, quality and testing departments supports the development of new design and product innovations for customers worldwide. With the addition of an expanded administrative area in May 1999 and plant expansions in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006 Lang-Mekra is looking toward the future with the capability to address the growing needs of current and prospective customers. Lang-Mekra has achieved ISO 9000:2000, ISO 14001, ISO/TS 16949 and ISO/IEC 17025 certification. In 1999 and 2002 was named South Carolina's Manufacturer of the Year for its outstanding dedication to product quality and, as the company policy states, "Taking the Ideal and Making it Real," in all areas of the operation.