Groupo Antolin Breaks Ground on USD 61 Million Facility in Shelby Township

Groupo Antolin, which specializes in the production of automotive interiors recently broke ground for its new factory in the United States. The new plant will be located in the Cherry Creek Industrial Park in Shelby Township, Michigan.

The company will be investing USD 61.2 million in the factory which will cover 360,000 square feet and will employ over 430 people including engineers, accountants, machine operators and assemblers.

The plant will be engaged in the production, assembly and sequencing of door panels and overhead systems for an estimated 400,000 vehicles on an annual basis. These will be supplied to an original equipment manufacturer. The new factory is expected to reach full production in the next eight months.

Joe McCluskey, general manager for Antolin Shelby and St. Clair said that the plant will work in three shifts six to seven days a week. Group Antolin received a USD 3.6 million Michigan Business Development Program grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to help set up the factory.

Michigan is home to seven OEM headquarters and eight other OEM research and design facilities and serves as a hub for the automotive industry in the United States.

Pablo Munoz Baroja, president of Grupo Antolin’s NAFTA region, said the family owned business was set up in Spain in the 1950s and has now become a major player on the international scene. Grupo Antolin’s revenue last year was approximately USD 5.8 billion, and the company’s manufacturing footprint extends across 26 countries. Its workforce comprises over 28,000 employees around the world. North America contributes a third of the Groupo Antolin’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.”

The company’s corporate headquarters in North America is located in in Auburn Hills, and the company has five manufacturing facilities in Michigan, employing 2,100 employees.