PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Mich. (Aug. 26, 2014) — Robert Bosch L.L.C. broke ground yesterday on a 220,500-sq.-ft. expansion that will nearly double the size of its technical center in Plymouth Township.
When the expansion is completed by November 2015, the total site—located on 75 acres—will have more than 445,000 square feet and capacity for 1,400 employees.
Bosch said it is investing $40 million to design, build, equip and furnish the site, which includes an estimated $25 million for construction.
The company said the expansion will further enable the growth of several key technologies, including automotive electronics, start/stop motors, electrical drives, and a variety of safety and driver assistance systems that will further advance automated driving.
The addition also will provide Bosch with the needed laboratory and office space to co-locate certain associates in southeast Michigan, some of whom currently work in different leased facilities.
Currently, the Plymouth Technical Center houses 850 people.
In Michigan, Bosch has about 3,200 employees in 15 cities, including Farmington Hills, which is the headquarters for Robert Bosch L.L.C.; Plymouth Township; Ann Arbor; Bridgeport; Buchanan; Canton; Flat Rock; Kalamazoo; Kentwood; Orion; Novi; Rochester Hills; St. Joseph; and Warren.
With this expansion and the co-location of certain groups, Bosch expects to add up to 200 jobs in Michigan in the next three years, said Bosch President Mike Mansuetti.
The site will include several energy-efficient technologies, including high-efficiency lighting, such as LED and induction lighting; photovoltaic solar array; a battery backup system; high-volume, low-speed fans; and a Direct Current (DC) Microgrid.