An abandoned 155-acre site is being developed to attract suppliers to the Ford Motor Co. Chicago assembly plant, potentially bringing new scrap generators to the Windy City.
A 155-acre “brownfield” site that has been vacant for four decades is being redeveloped by Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., and CenterPoint Properties Trust, Oak Brook, Ill., according to Industrial Information Resources, Houston.
The site will reportedly provide a home for at least nine Ford suppliers, who will deliver parts and equipment to Ford’s nearby Chicago assembly plant. The site could consist of six buildings with 1.5 million sq. ft. of industrial space.
Among those who will set up shop in Chicago:
- Visteon, Dearborn, Mich., will supply instrument panels, fuel tanks, and engine coolant components.
- Tower Automotive, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Sanderson Industries Inc., Atlanta, will supply automotive stampings.
- ZF-Lemforder, Florence, Ky., will supply suspension systems while S-Y Systems, a recent joint venture of Siemens VDO Automotive AG and Yazaki Corp., will supply electronic and electrical distribution systems.
- Brose Automotive North America of Auburn Hills, Mich., will supply door components, while PICO will supply wiring components.
- Of interest to plastics recyclers, Summit Polymers, Kalamazoo, Mich., will supply injected plastic components, such as trunk release handles, and Plastech Corp., Dearborn, Mich., will supply injected and blow-molded plastic components.
Parts of the manufacturing complex could open in 2003, while the site will become fully operational in 2004. Other suppliers are also expected to locate in the park in the future.
More than half of Ford Chicago Assembly’s external purchases will eventually come from the supplier complex, according to the Industrial Information Resources report.