A significant transformation is set to take place on Detroit’s east side as German automotive supplier Laepple Automotive prepares to take over the former Stellantis Mt. Elliott Tool and Die site. Laepple plans to invest $78.8 million into the facility, repurposing it into a modern stamping plant producing automotive parts. This development is expected to bring 173 jobs to the city, further contributing to the resurgence of Detroit’s automotive industry.
The Mt. Elliott Tool and Die plant, initially built in 1938 by the Briggs Manufacturing Company, has a long and storied history. Chrysler purchased the facility in 1956, renaming it the Outer Drive Stamping Plant. Over the decades, the plant evolved and became a tool and die facility after Vernor Tool & Die closed in 1983, consolidating operations at the Mt. Elliott site. It was eventually renamed the Outer Drive Manufacturing Technology Center.
In its most recent role as Stellantis’ Mt. Elliott Tool and Die plant, the facility produced stamping dies and fixtures for automotive manufacturing. One notable project was creating the dies for the 2020 Jeep® Gladiator (JT), supplying the Toledo South plant in Ohio. After completing this project, the plant was idled in 2018. According to property records, Stellantis sold the building in April 2024 for $13.5 million.
Laepple Automotive’s plans for the facility include producing stamped automotive parts such as hoods, fenders, trunk lids, and doors. However, it is unclear which of Detroit’s Big-3 automakers the plant will supply. The facility spans 725,000 square feet of floor space and sits on 30.29 acres. At its closure, the plant employed 245 workers, represented by United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 212.
This move by Laepple is part of a broader trend of increased automotive investment in Detroit, particularly following substantial investments from Stellantis and General Motors (GM). Stellantis invested $4.5 billion in the Metro Detroit area just five years ago, most notably transforming the Mack Engine Plant into a new assembly plant responsible for producing the Grand Cherokee L (WL75) and Grand Cherokee (WL74).
Source: Crain’s Detroit Business
