The FEV North American Technical Center is on the grow.
The Auburn Hills subsidiary of the German automotive technology firm will add office space, eight additional testing stations and more.
"The industry is retooling for an economy driven by the prospect of limited petroleum- based fuel sources and emerging alternative fuels, both of which will come at higher prices," said FEV Inc. president Gary Rogers. "Our customers are using every means possible to develop and market the products that are being demanded by their customers, and FEV is a significant resource in those efforts. The demand for innovation is as urgent as it has ever been, and to accommodate that, FEV has embarked upon this major expansion program that will meet our customers' needs now and far into the future."
Due to recent growth, FEV is expanding its office by about 150 work stations, or 10,000 square feet, at its Luella Lane building, which was completed last year.
The new high-tech jobs that are being created include highly skilled positions that will contribute to FEV's core competencies in gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrain design and development; calibration, vehicle integration, NVH, transmission testing, and emissions control. FEV has hired over 70 new employees to fill high-tech jobs in the past year.
In addition to staff space in Auburn Hills, FEV is also doubling the size of its vehicle integration lab to 50,000 square feet, housed in the same building on Luella Lane. Used primarily for vehicle instrumentation, calibration and integration, the lab is designed to accommodate standard-sized vehicles as well as mid-sized trucks and delivery vehicles. Allegra Development will oversee and perform the facility expansion project.
At FEV's building on Glenmeade Lane, its original location in Auburn Hills, will grow by about 10,000 square feet, providing eight additional powertrain test sites with sufficient space to add capacity at a future date. Several of the new cells will accommodate larger engines, including engines up to 2.5 megawatts, providing urgently needed additional resources for FEV's customers. DeMaria Building Co. has been awarded the design-build contract to perform this construction project.
Robert Last, FEV vice president of operations and communications, said FEV has grown more than 25 percent in the past year.
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