Automotive parts supplier Flex-N-Gate Corp. has broken ground on a US$95 million manufacturing facility in Detroit, Mich. that could employ 400 to 700 people by mid-2018.
Excavation had already started on the 350,000-square-foot facility before the official groundbreaking ceremony on April 24.
“This is the kind of development that we’ve been working for,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said at the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Urbana, Ill.-based Flex-N-Gate builds vehicle front-end parts such as headlamps, bumpers and fascias for automotive manufacturers. The company was awarded a long-term contract by Ford Motor Co. to manufacture parts for an unnamed vehicle, which led to the investment in Detroit.
In a statement released on April 24, Ford said, “We are in full support of this project and are happy they chose the City of Detroit for their newest location.”
Production at the Detroit plant is expected to begin in second quarter of 2018.
