A Kitchener manufacturer of auto parts says it will be able to create more than 60 new positions thanks in part to funding from the provincial government.

The $1.5-million investment was announced Tuesday at the Mitchell Plastics plant on Washburn Drive.

It is being put toward a 79,000-square-foot expansion of the facility, which will be used for a technical centre focused on research and development.

The expansion is expected to cost $13.4 million in total and be complete by 2020.

Mitchell Plastics makes interior trim, storage devices, floor and overhead consoles, and other parts for automobile interiors.