Press Release

High-school students from the Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD) engaged in interactive demonstrations and received hands-on experience with modern manufacturing techniques during Manufacturing Day 2018 events held on Friday, Oct. 5, at two Deshler Group facilities in Livonia. 

“Addressing the workforce shortage in the manufacturing industry takes strong public and private partnerships that educate and inspire students to consider manufacturing as an exciting and attainable career where there is growth potential.” said Robert Gruschow, President of Deshler Group. “The national Manufacturing Day campaign provides a remarkable platform through which we can engage students across two of our Michigan sites in the innovative work we do.  We are thrilled to support a program today that yields remarkable results for the future of these students, our company and American Manufacturing.”

Based on content created by Deshler Group employees, the two-hour tours walked students through state-of-the-art facilities to bring modern-day manufacturing processes to life. This program was created to complement existing vocational curriculum, and to inspire DPSCD high-schoolers from Adult Ed Center – West and Samuel C. Mumford High School through hands-on activities and presentations. 

Deshler Group also engaged in robust social media with and for the students at all four sites with hashtag #MFGDay18.   The company developed custom Manufacturing Day Snapchat filters, allowing students to showcase their experience to their audience and post to a combined story where locals around the sites could view as well.

As part of the Deshler Group’s long-standing commitment to youth mentoring and STEM education, the global family of companies hosted and sponsored this event as part of the nationwide observance of Manufacturing Day 2018, in collaboration with the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA), a leader in workforce development programs in Wayne and Monroe counties, and the Wayne County Economic Development Corporation (WCEDC).

Students took part in interactive programming at two of Deshler Group’s facilities in Livonia: Amanda Manufacturing Michigan, which specializes in automotive-focused metal-stamping applications; and Deshler Group’s global headquarters, which houses operations for sister companies GS3 Global (supply chain management, assembly, engineering,) Feblo International (warehousing,) Global Transportation Management (logistics) and Amanda Products (aftermarket automotive products). Simultaneous programs were held at Deshler Group facilities in Oakland County and Central Ohio.

SEMCA’s launch of Wayne County-based Manufacturing Day programming began in 2015 with support from WCEDC to promote the many in-demand skills and manufacturing careers in Metro Detroit and has steadily grown to include over 40 Wayne County-based companies and more than 2,500 area students. SEMCA and WCEDC are focused on providing avenues for students to explore and understand the variety of careers available in the manufacturing industry. 

Manufacturing Day is a national celebration of modern manufacturing created to inspire and educate students, businesses, media, educators and politicians about career opportunities in manufacturing. The annual event provides students a positive understanding of the manufacturing industry, with the long-term goal of addressing the skilled labor shortages U.S. manufacturers face. 

Summer brings exciting expansion news. Deshler has formally acquired MSD Stamping, LLC, a metal stamping company based in Livonia, Michigan. Purchased from the ContMid Group (CMG), owned by Monomoy Capital Partners based in New York, MSD will become a division of Amanda Manufacturing, Deshler’s metalforming affiliate based in Logan, Ohio.

Specializing in metal stamping and wireforming, MSD produces nut insertion clips, fasteners, and door/hood striker assemblies. Highly regarded in the automotive industry, MSD is a long-term supplier, as is Deshler, to major automakers. In fact, an automaker first sparked Deshler’s interest in acquiring MSD. “Typically, a customer chooses a supplier based on good engineering and safety considerations, and sticks with that company…the customer was comfortable with us being the buyer here,” according to Robert Gruschow, President of Deshler Group.

This acquisition is a natural fit, as Amanda Manufacturing already specializes in expert metalformed parts, including hood strikers. MSD’s door striker assembly production will expertly round out these capabilities. “Our customer has worked with us for many years on hood strikers and with MSD on door strikers, and now we will offer a complete range of parts as a single supplier. Moreover, this will give us greater access to the market and allow us to develop business with other customers,” said Gruschow.

Evolving technology and proven engineering expertise make for lasting companies, and that certainly holds true here. MSD’s product solutions are very complementary to parts produced by Amanda Manufacturing. For example, Gruschow identified a particular assembly that “uses spin riveting to attach a rod to stamping. Although they chose a different solution than we would have, they do it well and we can learn from each other.”

Deshler is known for its full spectrum of services, from warehousing and assembly to transportation and supply chain management. These in-house capabilities will enable Deshler to offer comprehensive support for MSD products, from manufacture to customer delivery, with careful management of every step in between.

Amanda Manufacturing’s Ohio headquarters and its new location, Amanda Manufacturing Michigan in the former MSD facility in Livonia, are already forging a strong working relationship. Both locations will continue to offer superior metalforming and assemblies to current and future customers, with more news to come in the months ahead.

Deshler Group is making its mark in the U.S., Costa Rica, Mexico, and now Italy. Deshler, along with affiliates GS3 Global and Global Transportation Management (GTM USA), is sponsoring the United States Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, for the 15th Annual Architecture Exhibition, open from May 28-November 27, 2016. Founded in 1895, the Venice Biennale is one of the world’s foremost creative expositions, celebrating innovative art and architecture from across the globe.

For this year’s exhibition, twelve teams of skilled architects, from firms around the country, were chosen to reimagine future redevelopment of four iconic Detroit locations: the Packard Plant, Dequindre Cut, the U.S. Post Office, and Mexicantown. Named “The Architectural Imagination,” the project intends to “generate discussion about how to use spaces in a different way,” according to Robert Gruschow, Deshler president.

The teams’ “speculative designs” will not only produce potential plans for future development in Detroit, but also create spaces and ideas that will inform other international cities seeking to transition or redevelop their urban spaces for new or improved purposes. The architects are “not limited by funding or parameters, and this will allow them to explore ideas that will eventually filter back to urban planning and architectural communities, driving current trends and thinking,” remarked Gruschow.

Each Biennale pavilion boasts a preeminent curator who oversees a project reflecting talents, trends and ideas from the pavilion’s nation of origin. The 2016 U.S. Pavilion is co-curated by Cynthia Davidson, founder of Log: Observations on Architecture and the Contemporary City and Director of the Anyone Corporation, and Monica Ponce de Leon, Founding Principal of MPdL Studio, Dean of Architecture at Princeton, and former Dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan.

At the conclusion of the Biennale, Deshler will sponsor the exhibit’s return to Detroit, as well as its appearance in a show at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). This exhibition will allow Detroiters, particularly high school students interested in architecture and engineering, to learn about the imagination, planning and execution of the teams’ vision for a future Detroit.

Deshler Group President Robert Gruschow today received a 2016 Michigan Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award from Corp! Magazine, in honor of his leadership and hard work growing the Deshler family of companies. A morning ceremony recognizing the publication’s Most Valuable Professionals and Most Valuable Millennials was held at the VisTaTech Center at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan.

Corp! Magazine is a business-to-business publication primarily targeted to executives and entrepreneurs making a mark at their companies and in the greater community. Highlighting best practices and business success stories, Corp! aims to recognize innovation and inspire company leaders with relevant information and networking opportunities.

After receiving his MVP award, Gruschow thanked Deshler staff and members of his executive team, several of whom accompanied him to the ceremony. “I think it’s just a recognition for the Deshler Group, as to the hard work that our team has devoted to building the group of companies. I very much appreciate their efforts.”

Deshler has been growing rapidly, adding customers, expanding services, even building a new off-road products brand. From manufacturing and assembly to logistics and information technology, the Deshler family of companies provides complete solutions for its diverse customers.

As success builds, Deshler’s profile is on the rise. Gruschow agrees, saying “I think that we’re seeing some public recognition for our growth. While I’ve been given an MVP award, I see it as a recognition for all the effort the group has put into building the business.”