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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Germany-Based Laepple Automotive Plans Detroit, Michigan, Headquarters-Manufacturing Operations

09/30/2024
Germany-based auto parts manufacturer Laepple Automotive plans to establish operations in Detroit, Michigan. The $93.4 million project is expected to create 173 jobs.

The company’s new U.S. headquarters and main operations campus will be located at the vacant Mount Elliott Tool and Die facility.

“Detroit is the origin of the American automotive industry, and we are excited to open a new chapter in our company's history here,” says Oliver Wackenhut, CEO of Laepple Automotive. “With our expertise and passion for body-in-white manufacturing, we will not only bring the plant to life, but also offer our customers new opportunities for their projects by expanding our international footprint.”

The Michigan Strategic Fund board is supporting the project with a $3.5 million Michigan Business Development Program grant and approval of a five-year, 100% State Essential Services Assessment (SESA) exemption with an estimated value of up to $653,760 for its $78,850,000 eligible investment in Eligible Personal Property.

“Laepple Automotive is recognized internationally for their advances in forming sheet metal and car body assembly,” noted Maureen Donohue Krauss, CEO and president of the Detroit Regional Partnership. “They’ve helped bring life back to older industrial facilities in Germany, which we were recently able to tour, and we’re excited for them to do the same at the former Mt. Elliott facility in Detroit. We were happy to partner with the MEDC and DEGC to successfully make the case for Michigan and the Detroit Region as the best place for Laepple to establish a new presence and grow in North America,” she advised.

Laepple Automotive, the U.S. entity of German auto parts manufacturer LÄPPLE AUTOMOTIVE, manufactures stamped spare body parts for automobiles such as hoods, fenders, doors, and trunk lids, with the capability to produce any part for any OEM.

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