SHELBY TOWNSHIP — On May 17, Grupo Antolin, a Spanish automotive interior supplier, broke ground on its latest facility, which is located in the Cherry Creek Industrial Park in Shelby Township.
The company intends to invest $61.2 million into the 360,000-square-foot building and provide more than 430 jobs, from engineers and accountants to machine operators and assemblers.
The plant will produce, assemble and sequence door panels and overhead systems in an estimated 400,000 vehicles per year for an original equipment manufacturer. Joe McCluskey, general manager for Antolin Shelby and St. Clair, said Antolin Shelby will reach full production in the next eight months.
“The plant itself will have three shift operations six to seven days a week,” he said. “We’re going to have over 100 different semis going up and down this particular route here. We’re so looking forward to working with MDOT (the Michigan Department of Transportation) to make sure we can manage all that.”
McCluskey, who grew up in Shelby Township and attended Eisenhower High School, said he is excited to give back to the community from which he hails.
“I’m really excited,” he said. “It’s a big undertaking, but we’re going to take it on.”
Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony praised the cooperation of myriad entities and the manufacturing-friendly climate of the region that made the project possible. A $3.6 million Michigan Business Development Program grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. also helped to kick-start the project.
Developer Eugene D’Agostini called Antolin Shelby the “crown jewel” of the Cherry Creek Industrial Park, where his company built many of the industrial buildings.
“The Macomb County attitude is nothing but positive. They are not obstructionists and they clear the path, so I’m thankful to them,” D’Agostini said. “With the economic downturn, we all realized how important industry and business is to our well-being. This is the legacy we are leaving for our children and grandchildren.”
Shelby Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said he was glad that the government could “create a good environment for the private sector” to sustain economic growth.
“This is a very big deal for Shelby Township — 1.2 million square feet of prime industrial property buildings have been built since 2012, and there are 1,480 quality jobs that did not exist prior to 2012,” Stathakis said. “All the credit goes to our partners in the state, county, private sector, and Gene for his commitment to the community.”
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said there are approximately 1,600 manufacturing facilities in the county.
“Manufacturing is the heart and soul of what happens here in southeast Michigan, and particularly Macomb County. It’s not dead. It’s thriving. It’s alive,” he said. “From concept to consumer, we can do it here in Macomb County, and that’s why so many are choosing to make Macomb their home.”
Ryan Michael, of the MEDC, said Michigan is home to seven OEM headquarters and eight other OEM research and design facilities.
“We’ve built one of the most sophisticated automotive epicenters anywhere on the planet, and it is our intent to keep it that way,” Michael said. “Seventy-five percent of all automotive R&D happens here in Michigan, and Michigan is home to the highest concentration of engineers in the nation.”
Pablo Munoz Baroja, president of Grupo Antolin’s NAFTA region, said the family company began doing business in Spain in the 1950s and has grown into an international presence.
He said Grupo Antolin’s revenue last year was approximately $5.8 billion, with a manufacturing presence in 26 countries and more than 28,000 employees around the world.
North America, he said, provides a third of the company’s revenue.
“In the USA, we have 4,500 employees and 11 manufacturing facilities. Next year, it’s going to be 13 manufacturing facilities,” Baroja said. “Michigan is so important to us. We started our business in Michigan and found a good environment to do business.”
Baroja said the North American corporate office is located in Auburn Hills, and the company has five manufacturing facilities in Michigan, employing 2,100 employees.
“We still have some significant opportunities for growth,” said Grupo Antolin Chairman Ernesto Antolin. “We are happy to contribute to the local economy.”
