No Outsourcing, No Guesswork: An Inside Look At BP Automotive

The crew at BP Automotive recently opened the doors to give customers a full behind-the-scenes look at how their wiring harnesses are actually built. Unlike some competitors who import components and simply put them together stateside, BP Automotive hand-builds every single wiring harness at their manufacturing facility in Columbia, Kentucky. That’s right, BP Auto is the real deal, and in this video they show us everything from raw materials to final testing.

The goal is clear: by controlling the assembly process, BP Auto can ensure top-notch quality and customer service. It’s clear this isn’t just light assembly work, since the company employs true, production-level equipment. That matters because BP’s goal has always been to maintain OEM standards, and what better way to ensure OEM standards than to assemble the product with OEM-style tools.

In addition to production crimp tools, BP Auto uses crimp-force monitoring to catch issues instantly. If the wire gauge is wrong or too much force is applied during a crimp, the machine flags it immediately and the piece gets scrapped. No guessing. No “that looks good enough.” They also use automated strip and crimp machines, dedicated presses for consistent terminal installation, and a heat-shrink tunnel that runs at the same temperature for the same duration every time. That means every seal is uniform and properly protected instead of being overheated or simply undercooked.

Throughout the shop, there are six to seven portable computer test stations. That’s a serious investment in quality control. Every harness goes through multiple stages of testing during production, and then it’s fully tested before it ever leaves the building. They also use pull testers to verify crimps and ultrasonic welds. Not a casual tug by hand, an actual measured pull test so they know exactly what it takes to make it fail.

Large build templates guide assembly so routing and layout stay precise every time. Even the finishing details are handled in-house, including laser-engraved labeling for clean, permanent identification.

The bottom line: every BP Automotive-branded harness is built, tested, and finished in Columbia, Kentucky. After seeing the operation firsthand, it’s obvious quality control isn’t a just one of the company’s buzzwords, it’s their entire process.