AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – It's the news that can help Michigan's ailing economy slowly climb back on its feet.
No, 450 jobs will not get us over the mountain overnight but it sure helps.
In New Boston later this fall, German based Brose will open a door and seat supply manufacturing facility. Brose moved into North America 8 years ago with VW, BMW and Mercedes in their plants down south. At the same time, Brose worked with GM and Ford in Europe.
A few years ago Brose built a small manufacturing facility in Warren. The success there has given Brose reason to really like Michigan. It's gone now from no business here in the United States to one billion dollars in sales in that short time. There's a reason. The company has become the global leader in new automotive door and seating technologies and also does some work on steering gears as well.
More: MEDC announces Brose expansion in SE Michigan
Now Brose's people are good and smart but they can't make auto sales go. So they've patiently awaited the market's return. After the mortgage and auto meltdown in 2009 auto sales dipped to 9 million for the year. Slowly and steadily since then we've gained a million new vehicles sold each year. Projections for 2012 put the market at roughly 14 million. Well, that's the tipping point we've all been waiting for. Because the Domestic Three are sized now to make money at ten million vehicles sold in a year at fourteen they will start to pile up the profits. It flows downstream and so now the suppliers are ready to grow again as well.
So, now that the market is starting to pick up, there is a need to build more plants and hire more people. In this case they intend to hire 450 new people. Brose will start work later this fall and start hiring line workers and engineers to build seats and door assemblies not only for Chrysler but also for Ford. They will start hiring this year and work their way up to the 450 number by the end of 2014. Many of the jobs will go to New Boston [350 or so]. About 80 are engineering jobs that will go to the Brose headquarters in Auburn Hills and a handful will end up in the Warren facility as well.
Now, I know there are many reading this piece with considerable and perhaps even desperate anticipation. Why now, the possibility of a job awaits. That may or may not be true. I will supply you with the Brose employee web site here. That's where you will be able to apply for one of these jobs. But remember, they will take their time to make these hires. The plant won't be up and running until much later in the year and the hiring will slowly ramp up over time. Sadly, much patience is required.
But this is a sign things are getting better. The Brose executives I spoke with today told me part of the reason this happened was that Governor Rick Snyder took at detour on his trip to Italy last month to stop by the Brose German headquarters asking for the sale. Brose thought seriously about Ohio and other Midwest locales but in the end felt the work and the quality they get out of Warren is easily duplicated in New Boston because Michigan genuinely wants the business. Good luck if you are trying to get one of these jobs, the chosen lucky few will be able to enjoy the auto industry's rebound here in the state.