Auburn Hills, Michigan – GKN Automotive has moved into a new regional headquarters for the Americas in Auburn Hills. The new facility is home to the company’s GKN Driveline and GKN Sinter Metals divisions.
In addition to serving as regional headquarters for GKN Driveline and GKN Sinter Metals, the new site also houses employees from GKN’s Land Systems and North American Services groups. The 168,000ft2 facility is located on an 11.2-acre site at 2200 N. Opdyke Road, previously occupied by Showcase Cinema.
Headquartered in Auburn Hills since 1986, GKN has more than 350 employees at the new location. In addition to employees from the previous headquarters, GKN consolidated an additional 40 team members from a facility at 36200 Mound Road in Sterling Heights, Michigan. GKN’s new headquarters complex provides state-of-the-art testing and validation equipment along with additional engineering design areas for driveline and sinter metal products. The new facility provides the company with an additional 20% more space for engineering and testing activities.
“Moving into the new facility is an important step in supporting our customers around the world,” said Robert Willig, president, GKN Driveline Americas. “Automakers are looking for supplier partners that can support their business globally and also provide a technical advantage that will increase vehicle performance, improve vehicle efficiency and meet the end customer’s need for performance and functionality. Increasing our engineering resources in terms of equipment and talent will give GKN Driveline a significant competitive edge.”
Chris Franks, president, GKN Sinter Metals Americas, added: “Our new home is strategically located near many of our global customers and will give us access to the additional resources needed to provide world-class products and customer service. In addition, because we are centrally located in the heart of the automotive capital, we are well positioned to attract additional talent throughout the company.”
A few interesting facts about GKN’s new facility:
- The old Showcase Cinema building foundation and its parking lot were both recycled and used as base material for the new building and parking lot. All metals from the previous structure were sorted and recycled.
- There are 21 conference rooms in the new building. All rooms are named after lakes in Michigan.
- The site has been reforested with new trees including more than 25 evergreen trees that are 20 ft. or taller along its north property line to give the site a corporate park feel.
Souce: GKN