By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK — Another large-scale company is making its home in the city’s troubled former movie studio property.
The Vehicle Production Group LLC, which developed the wheelchair-accessible vehicle MV-1, has relocated to the Roush Enterprises facility in the former movie studio property on Southfield Road, according to published reports.
The company, formerly based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., already had an office inside Roush but will bring about 200 employees to the site, Allen Park Interim City Administrator and Building Official Dave Boomer said.
The former Florida headquarters will continue as a regional sales office.
In a press release, CEO John Walsh said the metropolitan Detroit area is where “America’s fourth automaker belongs.”
“We are proud to establish ourselves as an all-American car company with the MV-1,” he said in the release. “We designed and engineered the MV-1 in Metro Detroit and we plan to stay here and support the local economy – and commit to the state of Michigan as well.
The city-owned complex, which houses Roush, Stautzenberger Institute and several smaller tenants, was home to Unity Studios until the company pulled out of the complex in 2010 after a year. The city has subsidized the property with $2 million annual payments since.