First occupant moves into Great Lakes Tech Park

Fullerton Tool Company is the debut tenant to break ground at Saginaw's Great Lakes Technology Park in a ceremony held in late November.
 
Fullerton--with the support and assistance of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the EDC and Saginaw Future Inc.--has acquired 35 acres of the Technology Park's land and will construct a 35,000-square-foot building to allow for the company's continued growth.
 
The Great Lakes Technology Park's first occupant is a long-time area company that has simply outgrown its current space and will begin constructing its second facility in the spring of 2015.
 
"Our current building is bursting at the seams," says Patrick Curry, president of Fullerton Tool Company. "The expansion will allow for us to serve our existing customer base in a manner they have been accustomed to while still allowing for further diversified growth for our company."

Over the next three years, Curry says, Fullerton has plans to hire a significant amount of new employees as part of the expansion.

Revenue has more than doubled since 2009, Curry told us before the Great Lakes Technology Park announcement. Curry attributes that increase to the easing of the sharp economic downturn that took a harsh bite out of revenue for a couple of years beforehand.
 
"The recession really hurt us in 2007 and 2008--no one was buying anything, especially cars," he says. "But in 2009, when it started to lift, business got a lot better."
 
A heck of a lot better, it appears.
 
This revolution paved the path for the family-owned company to add its additional facility. Increasing demand for product mandated the welcomed growth, and it's a move that seems like a major win-win for the area and the firm.
 
This addition, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, offers a bright economic forecast that will spill into the community in the most positive of ways; the MEDC anticipates that it will generate $8 million in new private investment and add 58 new jobs to Thomas Township near Saginaw.
 
Fullerton Tool Company develops and sells more than 14,000 solid carbide cutting tools and items, including drills, saws and other instruments that various industries use to create and refine the parts they use to produce their own products. The automotive industries as well as aerospace, medical, and heavy equipment manufacturers are just a few that rely on Fullerton Tool Company.
 
Fullerton has manufactured in Saginaw since 1942.
 
It's hardly a young firm; time and experience have paid off and the family-owned company has kept speed as years rolled by. It even proved enough advancement and innovation, to be named one of the 2014 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch by Grand Rapids-based Michigan Celebrates Small Business.
 
Watch, they said. And watch we did. Here comes Fullerton Tool Company with 58 more jobs--and counting--along with private investments worth millions.
 
The Great Lakes Technology Park is a 231-acre, shovel-ready site with direct access to the global marketplace and a world-class workforce, according to its website, which also reports prospective occupants will have access to financial incentives and a robust business support network.
 
The Economic Development Corporation of Saginaw County owns the technology park, which is managed by Saginaw Future Inc. Remaining available acreage may be acquired by a company needing all of it, or any size within, beginning at 10 acres.
 
Zoned for light manufacturing, it's a steal at nothing per acre--yes, people, it's free. The land's value, according to Saginaw Future, Inc., was initially appraised at between $25,000 and $35,000, but through an approved development agreement, costs nothing to companies who are willing to create jobs and boost the local tech industry.
 
The Great Lakes Technology Park is located at 705 N. Graham Road in Saginaw, and more information also can be found on its website or Facebook page. For zoning details and requirements, Thomas Township has posted documents online here.

Jeff Barr is a freelance writer who has lived in Michigan for more than 46 years. He can be reached by email at jeffbarr88@gmail.com or on Twitter, @jeffbarr88.