Adrian Steel, a producer of commercial van interiors, will be making a $4.7 million capital investment
An automotive supply company that specializes in producing commercial van interiors will be locating a
new manufacturing facility in Kansas City, Gov. Jay Nixon announced today. Adrian Steel, which will be producing the interiors for the new Transit van that will be manufactured at the nearby Ford plant in Claycomo, plans to make a capital investment of $4.7 million while creating 39 new jobs.
“The historic expansions underway at Ford and General Motors have cemented Missouri’s position as a leader of the rebirth of the American auto industry,” Gov. Nixon said. “With Ford and GM in the process of investing a combined $1.5 billion while creating 3,200 new manufacturing jobs in Missouri, we continue to have an unprecedented opportunity to both expand our network of existing auto suppliers and bring new suppliers to our state. Adrian Steel’s relocation to Kansas City, a direct result of Ford’s expansion, is another significant illustration of this exciting trend.”
Gov. Nixon recently met with the leadership of Adrian Steel in January, while in Detroit at the North American Auto Show.
Headquartered in Adrian, Michigan, Adrian Steel manufactures a variety of storage products, including shelving, drawers, cabinets, partitions, ladder racks, aluminum toolboxes, and other accessories.
The company also installs commercial van interiors and has outfitted more than one million vehicles, with customers in the daily rental industry, telecommunications industry, and other industrial users. The company currently has a plant in Wentzville, Missouri, that serves the General Motors manufacturing facility there. Adrian Steel’s selection of a site at the Hunt Midwest Business Park in Kansas City will provide the company with equal proximity to Ford’s plant in Claycomo, where its interiors will be installed into the Ford Transit van.
Gov. Nixon called the state legislature into special session in 2010 to pass the Missouri Manufacturing Jobs Act, which contained new incentives specifically geared to Missouri auto manufacturers and suppliers. This legislation, along with the administration’s direct and ongoing consultations with the leadership at Ford and General Motors, led to their major expansion announcements in 2011. Momentum continued to build throughout 2012, when auto supply companies in Perryville, Mexico, New Haven, Liberty, Joplin and St. Peters all announced significant expansions.
The state of Missouri helped make Adrian Steel’s relocation in Kansas City possible through a strategic package of economic incentives, including $228, 801 in Enhanced Enterprise Zone tax credits, which the company can redeem if it meets the strict job creation and investment criteria of the program, as well as recruitment assistance.