Manufacturing has once again sprung to life in the sprawling complex at 1394 Empire Avenue in Benton Township. The former home to Modar was purchased last winter by Special-Lite, Inc of Decatur in Van Buren County, and is now fully operational and manufacturing quality products for customers nationwide.
Special-Lite is a manufacturer of high-performance products for the commercial entrance and architectural interior markets. You may recall our story here last February when the company and Cornerstone Alliance announced the purchase of a 130,000 square foot building on Empire Avenue in Benton Township, that had been the longtime home to Modar. The building, however, had sat idle and unused for more than a year.
Headquartered in Decatur, Special-Lite’s growth in commercial entrances and interior architectural products made it necessary to acquire additional manufacturing space, and their $1 million investment in Benton Township provides space for unlimited new product and job growth for Special-Lite in Michigan’s Great Southwest.
Over the years, Special-Lite has grown organically as well as through strategic acquisitions. The company’s most recent acquisitions have included pultruded fiberglass products and interior architectural product manufacturing.
Five years ago Special-Lite acquired Universal Pultrusions of Marshall, Arkansas. Two years after that acquisition, Special-Lite added 65,000 square feet to their site in Arkansas, while substantially modernizing that facility. Two years ago, they acquired Omega Interior Aluminum Framing and leased a building in Niles, to support the acquisition.
Now, after months of renovations on the abandoned building on Empire, Special-Lite has begun manufacturing at the Benton Township facility. The Niles manufacturing of Omega Type II interior aluminum framing and SLI Interior Aluminum-Framed Doors has now been moved to the Benton Township location. The facility will also begin manufacturing a new aluminum and glass demountable wall system called LiteSpace.
Kevin Hanley is President and Chief Operating Officer at Special-Lite. He says, “We are excited about our move into the Benton Township facility and becoming a member of the local business community. This has been a significant investment by Special-Lite in the building as well as the community, transforming this closed and neglected building into a facility that will contribute to the area’s economy. We are looking forward to continuing the good working relationships established with the local township officials and community leaders.”
Special-Lite, Inc. is a privately held company, originally incorporated in 1971. They have a long history of engineering and building high-quality architectural products, providing superior customer service to their customers, and actively supporting their employees and surrounding communities.
The company was assisted in their search for a viable manufacturing facility by Cornerstone Alliance. The former Modar building had been on the market and vacant since the company departed in 2015.
The economic development team at Cornerstone Alliance provided technical assistance as well as coordinating efforts with Benton Township government officials. Cornerstone Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Business Development Greg Vaughn said in February when the announcement of the $1-million investment, “Special-Lite has enjoyed great success and growth. This investment in Berrien County supports the talent and innovation of the existing workforce and why businesses are continuing to grow.”
Benton Township Superintendent Kevin White also welcomed Special-Lite in February, saying, “We are pleased that they are expanding their business operations here and wish them great success.”
