Adidas building a factory in Detroit?

Submitted by Dave98 on

Adidas, the German sports company seeking to regain its dominance in the U.S., is looking at opening an automated factory in Detroit by 2017.

"We can bring manufacturing back to Detroit, and that's where we want to be in 2017," said Eric Liedtke, Adidas executive board member for global brands, said in a statement provided by the company.

His remarks were initially made at an event in New York to unveil the company's Ultra Boost shoes made from plastics and netting dumped in oceans and part of a larger announcement about the company's new business strategy to quicken its manufacturing process — and move some footwear production to the U.S.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/07/02/adidas-detroit-factory/29613851/

They have a new business strategy and hired an American to head their North American division. I wonder if this will have any effect on Hackett's decision to re-up with Adidas. 

Dave98

July 2nd, 2015 at 10:57 PM ^

Zenith have opened a factory to make football helmets in Detroit. I think there's a good chance this could happen.

http://shop.xenith.com/blogs/press-releases/19304387-xenith-football-moves-helmet-assembly-to-detroit

Xenith’s new Detroit facility will produce more than 1,000 helmets per day at peak production and will employ 60 to 70 full-time workers to assemble, recondition and paint its innovative protective equipment. The Detroit operation began in early 2015 and the majority of the workers assembling the helmets are Detroiters employed by Lear Corporation.

gwkrlghl

July 3rd, 2015 at 12:56 AM ^

It's a nice story, but 60-70 full time jobs is less than a drop in the bucket for a city that used to be millions of people strong. I live in another rust belt city and people get real excited about a plant coming in that offers a few hundred jobs because they think it means the city is back. People just don't want to admit that some of these cities might be past their glory days permanently

BornSinner

July 3rd, 2015 at 1:09 AM ^

It's not only the rust belt cities. America's local politicians are worse at managing funds than the national politicians. Cities like Chicago and Philly could be next due to horrible fiscal management. 

Generation Y is in for a lovely austeric future thanks to Generation X and the Baby Boomers' horrible spending/taxing policies in the last 20ish years. 

BornSinner

July 3rd, 2015 at 2:43 AM ^

Regardless of blame, I wouldn't be surprised if we see a rise in populism again in this country... Not stupid fringe Occupy Wall Street or Tea Party bullshit either. People are getting tired of govt bs along with corporate favoritism. Social wedge issues have derailed politics long enough. These next two election cycles will be quite interesting since there won't be many social issues to pointlessly argue about distracting us as politicians and their cronies laugh to the bank.

BornSinner

July 3rd, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^

Well considering Generation Y at best is about 28 years old still saddled with crazy amounts of college debt due to the absurd spike in tuition, I would say we have very small influence over shit compared to the Boomers and Gen X. We weren't 17 trillion in the hole back then either.

Hail Harbo

July 3rd, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^

It goes much further back than people are going.  It goes back at least to the early 20th C with the progressive movement.  Grover Cleveland was perhaps the last real presidential economic pragmatist before the progressive movement gained steam.  Once it is accepted that the governement should be paternal, spoiled children will demand ever more to the point the paternal government breaks itself trying to satiate those demands.  

BornSinner

July 3rd, 2015 at 12:53 PM ^

Even with govt expansion we managed to get by BC people understood the concept of spending = more taxing... Then somewhere along the line America decided to say fuck that we'll spend more and tax less while not giving a fuck about the consequences. And when shit hits the fan, it won't be the rich who suffer.

growler4

July 3rd, 2015 at 1:26 PM ^

... you have to start somewhere.

 

No one is going to come in to any city and build a plant that will employ 1 million people. Every little bit helps.

With lower energy costs and more competitive labor costs now, more and more businesses will return production facilities to the U.S.

Go Blue 1984

July 3rd, 2015 at 9:15 AM ^

goes back a lot further than 2009 dummy. you keep bringing up politics like your buthurt about something. Not surprising whatsoever that you would not like when someone wants to pray for you. Good luck with your life you are going to need it on more than one front. Don't talk to me and I won't talk to you. I love my patriotic avatar and you can enjoy your childish one, (fits you well).

xtramelanin

July 2nd, 2015 at 10:54 PM ^

who cares if they make ugly things?  the city is dying and anything to help it is a good thing.  heck, i might buy something they make if it comes from detroit. 

LSAClassOf2000

July 3rd, 2015 at 6:42 AM ^

Yeah, there are still many neighborhoods in a bad way, but even this is beginning to improve some. The commitment to demolish abandoned properties is a serious one, and that has begun to help, the city is finally getting on the case of landlords that don't give a shit, things like illegal dumping are aggressively pursued now. It's a lot of little things, but things badly needed and things which have been allowed to sit for too long. The streetlights are being fixed block by block and residents are even embracing that for the safety aspect. It is a long road, but at least it is being traveled. 

Dave98

July 3rd, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^

Here are some more examples:

Two new Meijer stores have opened with another one in the works. (Detroit didn't have a big-box grocery store for years)

Plan to rebuild Brush Park with 337 housing units. 

Erskine Lofts development (200 apartments).

185 new apartments in Lafayette Park.

Little Caesers are building a new HQ next to the Fox.

Massive residential development (294 units complete by 2016) near the riverfront.

Hotel and residential project on the Joe Louis Arena site, once the team moves into the new arena.

The new arena will have mixed-use buildings (including residential) surroung it. The plan is to have a 45-block entertainment district which will help connect midtown to downtown.

M-Rail is already helping bring development along Woodward.

xtramelanin

July 2nd, 2015 at 11:28 PM ^

DPS deficit report today - increased to something like $250 million for just this year?  population leaving by the truckloads, entire neighborhoods where i used to work look like iraq with active shelling only recently ceasing, schools in a death spiral of financial ruin, dropping enrollment and mismanagement, police department hopelessly outmanned and quite corrupt on its own.  i wish detroit well, i was born there a long time ago, but by most objective metrics (not all) the city is in fact dying and has been for decades. 

and i reiterate: i would love detroit to come back and come back strong.  just don't lose sight of reality about where it is right now.

Schembo

July 3rd, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^

The worst is over and now the city is in recovery mode.  There are alot of positive things happening in Detroit now, especially with the money that Gilbert is investing with his Bed Rock company.  There is going to be alot of opportunities for entrepreneurs in the future, but it is a long term project that is going to take at least 20-30 years. 

Ray

July 2nd, 2015 at 10:54 PM ^

If it's a good business decision for them, hooray.  Good for them.

Should make no difference in our decision.