Marelli, a leading global tier-one automotive supplier, announced plans in the second quarter to open a greenfield manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Ohio, to support new business for the company’s Interiors Unit. The facility will bring approximately 75 new jobs to the region, with construction expected to be complete in early 2021.
“There are many factors that go in to building a business case for a new site. Our key considerations were affordability, proximity to customers, quality of the local workforce, and the opportunity to expand. The state of Ohio, Wood County, and ultimately the city of Bowling Green checked all the boxes for us. The location strengthens our delivery position with automotive OEMs in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ontario, Canada.”
- Chris Bradford, regional head of interiors at Marelli
JobsOhio, the Regional Growth Partnership and Bowling Green Economic Development worked closely in the site search process as well as putting together competitive incentive packages. According to Marelli, these organizations provided unmatched support through the decision-making process.
“Marelli is a globally successful auto supplier with many options on where to invest, and it chose Ohio. The decision to build this new facility and create 75 new jobs in Bowling Green demonstrates the confidence Marelli has in the region’s talent, and the optimism we share for future growth in Ohio.”
- J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio President and CEO
But it was also a unique partnership among several Northwest Ohio businesses which helped make this project a reality. Over the years, Ohio Logistics has forged a business relationship with Mosser Construction and Poggemeyer Design Group that has resulted in tremendous growth and success.
“Teamwork is a philosophy we live by and consider to be the key to project success, and Marelli felt comfortable that we had a great team in place that was prepared to help them get this project done.”
- Chuck Bills, President and CEO, Ohio Logistics
Ohio Logistics is one of the largest privately held logistics firms in the Midwest. The company has more than 5 million square feet of warehouse space. Bills said upon first meeting representatives from Marelli, he immediately developed a trust and bond which served as a foundation for moving forward.
This was a competitive site search process for Marelli with locations in Indiana, Michigan and Canada also being considered. Knowing this, Bills said he worked to really understand the needs of the company, and helped them ultimately decide on a build-to-suit facility in Bowling Green. Marelli stated its need for 50,000 square feet, but Bills chose to instead construct a 100,000 square-foot facility.
“We wanted to show Marelli that we’re planning for the future. We want to help them grow every month … we believe in them. We’re not just a landlord … we’re a partner in growth. For now, Ohio Logistics will use the additional space for warehousing."
- Chuck Bills, President and CEO, Ohio Logistics
Bills then introduced the company to Poggemeyer and Mosser, and Marelli was quick to bring them aboard the team. Poggemeyer provided the initial design services and ultimately final construction documents required for permit approval. Mosser was brought on as the general contractor.
The city of Bowling Green offered a local job creation grant as well as municipal electric for four years. Executive Director Sue Clark worked with the company through the utility issues and getting a better understanding of the local market.
For Marelli, the new facility will include manufacturing, assembly and warehousing operations to support two new bulkhead programs. A bulkhead is a structural portion of the vehicle that provides attachment locations for headlamps, the radiator and the hood latch. The company continues to quote new customer programs that, if won, would bring additional employment to the area.