Construction just wrapped up on a 275,560-square foot automotive manufacturing facility in the Riverside Horizons Industrial Park.
Martinrea International, the owner of the recently constructed $19 million facility, is an Ontario-based manufacturer of quality steel and aluminum metal parts for the automotive and industrial sector. Their production of automotive parts is supplied to vehicle manufacturers and automotive suppliers around the world.
Their newest plant in the Riverside Horizons Industrial Park will begin full-fledged production later this year. Martinrea will spend an additional $30 million on specialized robotics, necessary equipment, and furnishings in the plant.
Martinrea International is expected to bring an estimated 300 new jobs to the area. Employees at the new facility will manufacture welded, corrosion-resistant engine cradles and frame components for the production of General Motor’s Chevy Malibu in Kansas City, Kan.
Tutera Group developed the plant on 15.2 acres located at 5233 N.W. 41st Street in the Riverside Horizons Business Park. The project was finished merely 10 months after the groundbreaking ceremony.
“Tutera Group is very pleased with the successful outcome of this important project for Martinrea, an industry leader in automotive manufacturing,” said Joe Tutera, CEO of the Tutera Group. “The professionalism of the City of Riverside, as well as the expertise of the development team enabled us to build the international company’s first build-to-suit manufacturing plant on time and on budget.”
Greg Hoefer, executive vice president of real estate for Tutera Group, said the strategic design of the facility will foster a more fluid production line and reduce high freight cost.
“The full-service design of this new facility will enable four different manufacturing processes —stamping, welding, e-coating and modular assembly — all under one roof, creating time and cost saving efficiencies for both Martinrea and their GM client,” said Hoefer. “Manufacturing facilities like the one created for Martinrea are anticipated to set the standard for just-in-time Tier One manufacturing plants with inventories within 10 minutes of the assembly line. Martinrea will reap a substantial savings on their freight cost.”
Hoefer described the project as a time sensitive and fairly complicated endeavor that involved a team of many experts compiled from Davidson Architectural, CSF Engineering, Crossland Construction, and the City of Riverside.
“It was a highly complex project that required very tight coordination between contractors, engineers, GM and the manufacturers of Martinrea’s industrial machinery to meet an aggressive production schedule,” said Hoefer. “We are proud to complete the project on schedule to ensure Martinrea can now begin installation and testing of robotic and heavy equipment — some weighing in at over one million pounds.”
Hoefer said the size and scope of the plant grew significantly over time. Originally, the plant was designed to be no longer than a 131,000-square-foot building. Then, it grew to 250,000-square-feet. In April, when Martinrea awarded the bid to Tutera Group the size grew another 25,000-square-feet.
Due to the plant’s size and location, the entire plant rests on a pier design.
“Even though other developers in the Horizons Industrial Park opted not to use piering,” said Hoefer. “All teams involved thought it would improve the structure’s stabilization in the long run.”
Mayor Kathy Rose extended Martinrea International a warm welcome to Riverside.
“Martinrea is a perfect fit to the Riverside Horizons district wherein they have committed to and constructed a state of the art manufacturing facility that will supply the nearby General Motors plant. They also are the perfect example of what manufacturing looks like in the 21st century. Their facility is both innovative and high tech. They will bring lots of new jobs to Platte County and the region,” said Rose.
Martinrea International Inc. operates 28 facilities around the world. From a maintenance robotics technician to a quality assurance engineer, Martinrea International is actively hiring more than a dozen employees at its Riverside facility.