The city of Auburn Hills, Mich., has taken an aggressive approach to attracting new businesses, especially those that serve the area’s traditionally strong automotive industry.
City officials celebrated another victory earlier this spring when a manufacturer providing parts to both the automotive and other industries announced plans to set up shop in Auburn Hills.
Ralco Industries, Inc., which manufactures metal stampings and welded assembly products, has submitted plans for a new 125,000-square-foot world headquarters and manufacturing facility on more than 18 acres near the Fieldstone Golf Club in Auburn Hills.
Steve Cohen, director of community development for the city of Auburn Hills, said that Ralco’s decision is yet more evidence that his city’s pro-business approach is helping to bring new businesses to this area near Detroit.
“Ralco could have built this new facility anywhere in the Midwest,” Cohen said in a written statement. “But they want to be here.”
JB Donaldson Company, based in Farmington Hills, Mich., is the developer for Ralco Industries’ new building. About 14,000 square feet of the building will be used for office space while the remaining 111,000 square feet will be used for manufacturing. The company is investing an estimated $13 million in the facility.
Jim Piper, president at Ralco Industries, said that Auburn Hills offered the pro-business atmosphere that his company sought. Piper and Ralco chief executive officer Tom Gitter both have roots in Michigan, too. The pair of officials lives in the state.
“We are pleased to demonstrate to the world that manufacturing is alive and growing in Michigan,” Piper said in a written statement. “We are excited to maket his investment in Auburn Hills.”
Members of the Auburn Hills Planning Commission is holding a public hearing May 28 to review Ralco’s plans. The City Council is scheduled to vote on the plans June 3.
This isn’t the first manufacturer to make Auburn Hills home in recent months. Faurecia, the sixth-largest automotive supplier in the United States, chose the city for its new North American headquarters earlier this year. That building will rise three stories and total 278,000 square feet.
