It has been almost three decades since the Inokom Corporation Sdn Bhd was established, and this entity has now become one of the most established automotive contract assemblers in Malaysia.
From its current 200-acre facility in Kulim, Kedah, that is situated within the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), Inokom is currently responsible for producing vehicles for six global automotive brands, including BMW, MINI, Porsche, Mazda, Chery, and Hyundai.
Mind you, Inokom was previously responsible for assembling Kia models within its facility, although the Korean automaker recently announced the transition of its local assembly operations to Stellantis Malaysia’s plant in Gurun, Kedah.
Regional Assembly Hub with 100% Local Workforce
Majorly owned by Sime Motors, Inokom’s integrated production facility comprises several dedicated body shops, paint shops, assembly shops, and even centralised warehouses.
More importantly, all these shops and assembly lines are supported by a 100% local Malaysian workforce of more than 2,700 skilled employees to date, thus further signifying the facility’s key role in driving the whole local automotive ecosystem.
This strong local workforce has also been trained and developed through several training programmes covering advanced automotive manufacturing technologies, leadership development and technical upskilling across electrical systems, diagnostics and quality compliance.
Besides the ever-expanding brand portfolio and strong local workforce, the Inokom plant also saw positive production volume growth in recent times, rising from 20,500 units in 2021 to over 31,800 units in 2025.
Mind you, these units are not just for local consumption, as over 24,500 units of vehicles produced here have been exported to regional markets, establishing it as one of the key automotive production hubs in the region.
Unique Plant-within-a-Plant Concept
Another key aspect to its success lies in its unique Plant-within-a-Plant concept, where Inokom is able to host dedicated assembly lines tailored to the specific technical and quality requirements of each principal, adhering to customised quality systems.
Beyond its assembly capabilities, the Inokom plant also actively supports the local automotive supply chain through 370 local vendors, including Bumiputera enterprises, to participate in its global supply chain.
Sime’s Group CEO Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson said, “Inokom is a testament to what Malaysian industry is capable of achieving. It continues to uphold the trust of world-leading automotive marques, and this speaks volumes about the depth of capability we have built here in Malaysia.
“This aligns closely with high-value, homegrown industrial strength that the national GEAR-UP agenda strives to nurture and sustain, particularly in advancing high-value manufacturing built on Malaysian expertise and capabilities that are competitive on the global stage,” Jeffri added.
Looking ahead, Inokom is about to continue its role as one of the key assembly hubs in the region with the upcoming launch of its new advanced painting facility that is expected to further strengthen its operational capacity in the future.
