BAE Systems Completes New Sterling Heights Campus and Opens New Office Building
March 15 2012 - 3:00PM
Business Wire
BAE Systems today opens the doors to its new engineering,
program management, and prototyping campus, marking the completion
of its three-year expansion project in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
The new, four-story office building has the capacity to house
approximately 600 engineers, program managers, and support
staff.
“BAE Systems' investment in Michigan is yet more evidence of how
important our state’s strengths in engineering, research and
development and manufacturing have become to our national
security,” said U.S. Senator Carl Levin. “The important work BAE
Systems will do at this new facility means its high-quality
Michigan workforce can accomplish the important job of helping make
our troops safer and helping them carry out their vital
missions.”
“We’ve always believed that the Sterling Heights area was a
great place to invest our resources in close proximity to our
customers. Here, we have a workforce of talent and experience
unique to this region, individuals with skills born out of the
world’s leading automotive manufacturers. Adding to this advantage
is the infrastructure and diverse pool of suppliers associated with
the auto industry,” said Frank Pope, president of the Land &
Armaments sector at BAE Systems.
The environmentally friendly, 164,000-square-foot office
building is a prime example of BAE Systems’ commitment to
ecological responsibility and was built to meet the specifications
of a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
certification – a first in the city of Sterling Heights. The new
structure includes: recycled building materials, Low “E” glass to
reduce thermal load, entryway systems to capture dirt and
particles, individual lighting controls, and low-flow,
high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and water-efficient landscaping
to reduce water consumption. The new site also entered into a
single stream recycling program with DeSantis Trucking Inc, where
all recyclable waste is mixed together in one trash receptacle and
then sorted for recycling. The single stream recycling program
enables the site to be landfill free.
The overall project team included support from Governor Rick
Snyder’s office, the city of Sterling Heights, the Michigan
Economic Development Corporation, Macomb County, Plante Moran
Cressa, and general contractor Walbridge.
The Sterling Heights expansion project broke ground in February
2009 after the company acquired the site of former TRW Automotive
Holdings Corp. The office complex and adjacent prototype facility
cost $58 million to construct and occupies approximately 230,000
square feet and sits on 81 acres of land that includes a banked
test track.
The prototype facility opened in August 2010 and together with
the office complex is a premier center for the engineering,
development and program management of military ground vehicles,
such as Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) and Joint Light Tactical
Vehicle (JLTV).