Auburn Hills is celebrating the announcement of the latest company to locate its North American headquarters within the city.
WABCO is consolidating its Troy operations and relocating sections of its Rochester Hills facility to build a brand new headquarters in Auburn Hills. The headquarters is currently under construction and estimated to open in the third quarter of 2018.
The headquarters, a newly constructed building built to spec, represents a $19.7 million investment for the company and will result in the creation of 87 jobs.
"This level of advanced engineering is the type of job creation and investment that fits perfectly with Oakland County’s Emerging Sectors initiative," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said in a statement. "Oakland County has the third highest number of technical workers in the nation and more than 70 percent of Southeast Michigan’s top original equipment manufacturers."
The announcement represents a period of growth for WABCO, which got its start nearly 150 years ago as the Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Today, the company services commercial vehicle manufacturers, fleet operators, and the aftermarket, developing technologies and services to improve the safety, efficiency, and connectivity of the commercial vehicle and heavy-duty trucking industries.
WABCO boasts nearly 15,000 employees in 40 countries and reported $3.3 billion in sales for 2017. Its investment in Michigan results in a $375,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund. It's reported that the Auburn Hills location beat out a competing site in Ohio.
"WABCO’s expansion in Michigan rather than another state means good jobs for Michigan residents and underscores the strength of the talent in the state’s mobility and technology sectors," said Jeff Mason, CEO of Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the organization that administers the Michigan Strategic Fund.
"It is thanks to many public and private partners that this project is taking place, and we are pleased to support that collaboration."
The WABCO North American headquarters is located at 1220 Pacific Dr. in Auburn Hills.
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