Local Resistance to New Coating Plant Delays Construction Start

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Researched by Industrialnfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Universal Coatings Incorporated (UCI) (Mount Morris, Michigan) had planned to begin construction late last year in Genesee, Michigan for a new plant site that would eventually be the home of their production operations relocated from Mount Morris. Opposition from a local church community and area residents that fought to keep the industrial plant from being constructed in their neighborhood has prompted UCI to look elsewhere for a new site.

Currently Flint, Michigan and surrounding communities are being considered although no formal plans or agreements are in place. The existing plant in Mount Morris is approximately 20,000 square feet and the new plant building will be much larger at nearly 80,000 square feet allowing for an expansion, which is the largest driving force behind the move. UCI owns its current plant site in Mount Morris, although the site will not support their growth plans and prompted the effort to look at relocating.

Pending the selection of a suitable plant site, construction on a new building is expected to begin this summer and a relocation and startup by year's end or early 2004. UCI produces paint, powder, lubricant or adhesive coatings for nearly a dozen different industries including automotive, aerospace, marine, and industrial applications.