By Lou Wilin
Courier Staff Writer
FINDLAY, OH (THE COURIER) - Small town labor, a zealous economic development chief, and accessible bankers lured Germany-based auto parts maker MITEC and more than 100 jobs to Findlay, MITEC's chairman said Tuesday.
Tony Iriti, the Findlay-Hancock County Alliance economic development director, "was very important," MITEC Chairman Michael Militzer said Tuesday at a welcoming dinner hosted by community leaders at the Findlay Country Club.
MITEC's Findlay plant, which manufactures powertrain parts for General Motors' Malibu and Cadillac ATS, started production April 1 with more than 12 employees. It plans to be up to 90 to 100 employees by year-end, and to employ 122 within three years at an average wage of $16.66 per hour.
Militzer is bringing those jobs to what he viewed as a small, mediocre, used factory building, despite wooing by Kentucky cities.
His purchase of the former Findlay Industries plant at 4000 Fostoria Ave. "was really a compromise," he said.
He was interested in buying another Findlay factory, but Hamlet Protein beat him to the title for 5289 Hamlet Drive, north of Tall Timbers Industrial Park. That building was constructed by A. Schulman in 2007 but never occupied. Hamlet Protein, a Danish piglet feeds maker, began production there in January. It employs 25.
Knowing Militzer's target site was taken, Iriti hustled to find another. Fate also pressured Militzer into a decision.
MITEC had ordered assembly line equipment from Grob Systems in Germany. When Grob asked where to ship the equipment in the United States, MITEC was stuck.
"We didn't have a plant," Militzer said.
Iriti's hustle paid off.
"Tony (Iriti) helped us very much, he offered us this plant. It was not what we really liked but we had to accept it," Militzer said.
The company is investing $32 million in renovations, machinery and equipment at the building. Militzer said the plant should be adequate for three or four years, and then MITEC will consider expanding it, he said.
Beside Iriti's sales job, direct contact with bankers also helped Findlay woo MITEC, Militzer said.
He said Findlay's labor force also was a plus. MITEC has found that workers in small towns are more loyal.
"The people stick more closer to the company on a longer term," he said. They also are willing to take additional job training and education, he said.
Powertrain parts made in Findlay will be shipped to General Motors plants in Tonawanda, N.Y., and Spring Hill, Tenn. Other MITEC customers include BMW, Daimler, Chrysler, Volkswagen and Audi. MITEC is headquartered in Eisenach, Germany.
