From wasteland to wonder

In the last issue of eMacomb, we featured a photo of the Warren
headquarters of Iroquois Industries; one of the most striking industrial buildings in all of Macomb County.

Bob Fraley, President and CEO of RE Fraley Company Inc – a Macomb County based business that provides architectural and construction management services to mostly industrial clients - wrote to thank us for featuring a building that he helped to build.  “This project was a perfect example of how government and industry can work together.  It was challenging at the time but in the end, this redevelopment was a real win-win for Iroquois, the City of Warren, Macomb County and the State of Michigan.  We need more of these projects!”   

Iroquois Industries is a manufacturer of high strength, heavy gauge stampings and welded assembly systems for the automotive industry.  Iroquois has been in the area since 1964 and has two locations in Warren; the building pictured to the right on Groesbeck and a second building on Hoover Road.  The company employs approximately 315 people and runs a small second shift at the Groesbeck plant.

Fraley became involved with Iroquois in the early 1980’s as they company began to grow and needed to expand its footprint to accommodate additional machinery and equipment.  They were able to use the company’s existing site to build-out as need demanded for about a decade. 

During the 1990’s, the automotive companies issued a directive signaling a preference for doing business with suppliers that were able to develop assembly operations that allowed for more work to be done under one roof. 
In Iroquois’s case, this meant that the company had to become equipped to assemble and weld more than 30 parts for an engine cradle, and then prepare it for shipping to an assembly plant.    To accommodate the new work, Iroquois needed an additional 100,000 square feet for a state-of-the-art welding area.

Having expanded their existing building as much as possible, Iroquois looked to a neighboring eyesore and wondered if they could make a deal.

Rich history to rust
The property in question had once been home to a company that fueled the “Arsenal of Democracy” that was Macomb County during WWII.  As the decades passed, the company’s business gradually dwindled to the point that it began shipping its inventory for machinery repair in other parts of the world.  Over the years, the City of Warren battled with the property owners to clean up an ever-accumulating collection of industrial waste that filled the property. 

An offer to purchase the property – “as is” - must have been a welcome opportunity for the company because work to evaluate the environmental condition of the property was soon underway.  Although some were surprised by the results, the level of contamination on the property was not nearly as extensive as appearances suggested. 

In order to offer Brownfield redevelopment incentives for qualified businesses, the City of Warren formed its own Brownfield Redevelopment Authority – the first in the county.  With BRA support, the property was eligible for a ten percent Single Business Tax credit to cover the costs for site clean-up and environmental remediation.    

Says Fraley, “This project exemplifies the positive ways in which government and private industry can work together to create a win-win situation.  Not only did a local company have an opportunity to make needed expansions near its existing assets, but the neighborhood surrounding the area were ridded of a significant blemish that was replaced with a really spectacular industrial campus.” 

According to Kathi Hunt, Iroquois COO, the neighborhood is appreciative of the company’s pride in ownership.  “I can’t tell you how many times we have gotten a phone call from someone who says, ‘I pass your place every day and I really appreciate how nice it always looks.’  It is amazing to us that people are touched enough to figure out HOW to reach us and then place the call!”

Iroquois employees are involved in the building’s appearance.  “Each year as the holiday season approaches, the Maintenance Team organizes a volunteer night where lots of our employees choose to stay behind and decorate both inside and out” says Hunt.   Iroquois also takes special pride in keeping its landscaping interesting and colorful all year round. 

Macomb County recently received a second grant totaling $400,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help subsidize the testing of properties suspected of contamination from hazardous or petroleum based chemicals for redevelopment purposes.  To learn more about our Brownfield Redevelopment program, contact Gerard Santoro at (586) 469-5285.