Finalists
Eastland Commerce Center, NorthPoint Development
Fort Street Industrial Campus, Bedrock
FANUC North America, General Development
Robotics technology developer FANUC America announced in 2022 that it would be expanding its Auburn Hills-based West Campus to span nearly 2 million square feet, including a 655,000-square-foot facility for manufacturing, engineering, and research and development.
The $110 million project was completed in June 2024 and is now operating at 2600 Featherstone Rd. in Auburn Hills, just south of Stellantis’ North American headquarters.
The project required the acquisition of 67 acres of land, plus the repurposing of the former Thomas M. Cooley Law School campus. The latter will be used to educate future employees in robotics and automation under the name FANUC Academy.
All told, the expansion added 788,000 square feet of additional operational floor space.
The contractor for the project was General Development, while GAV & Associates served as the architect.
The new West Campus facility, which provides advanced product manufacturing and customized automation systems, made its official debut in July 2024. The campus also includes warehouse space for more than 6,000 quick-delivery robots and tens of thousands of parts.
According to GlobalData, the robotics industry is expected to grow to a value of $218 billion in 2030 from $76 billion in 2023, with cloud computing and artificial intelligence the two most significant drivers of the growth.
When the facility opened, Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America, which has its headquarters in Rochester Hills, said the investment was in response to the changing demands of the marketplace.
“This major expansion represents our growth strategy in the U.S. and our steadfast commitment to the future of the automation and robotics industry,” Cicco says.
“While manufacturers continue to adapt to changing market demands, our ongoing upward trajectory allows us to better support our customers with cutting-edge robotic and automation solutions, helping to drive more efficiency across all industries.”
