Dejana leases 90,000 SF in SubTropolis for a new Ford Transit and Ford F-150 upfitting operation
Dejana leases 90,000 SF in SubTropolis for a new Ford Transit and Ford F-150 upfitting operation

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Connie Kamps
816-455-2500
CKamps@HuntMidwest.com

HuntMidwest.com

Dejana Truck & Utility Pulls Into SubTropolis

Auto equipment upfitter chooses Hunt Midwest Automotive Alley

Kansas City, Mo.—August 22, 2017—Hunt Midwest has leased 90,000 square feet in SubTropolis to leading automotive equipment manufacturer Dejana Truck & Utility Equipment for a new Ford Transit and Ford F-150 upfitting operation. The New York-based subsidiary of Douglas Dynamics Inc. (NYSE: PLOW) will also lease two additional acres in SubTropolis for vehicle staging.

“Dejana is the 14th auto company to choose Automotive Alley for upfitting, distribution or coordination operations in the past six years,” said Mike Bell, Hunt Midwest vice president of commercial development. “This cluster effect of automotive companies located within SubTropolis and the Hunt Midwest Business Center, our 700 +/- acre surface development, allows companies like Dejana to be more productive and cost competitive – which is the essence of Automotive Alley.”

Dejana manufactures van partitions, racking systems and hauling systems for aftermarket installation on commercial vans and trucks. The company chose SubTropolis, the world’s largest underground business complex, due to its location just south of Ford’s Kansas City Claycomo Assembly Plant and the availability of space for staging vehicles before delivery, according to Andrew Dejana, president of Dejana Truck & Utility Equipment.

“Being able to quickly move vehicles from Ford’s plant to our upfitting operation, combined with the ability to stage those vehicles nearby, is an unbeatable value proposition in our business,” Dejana said. “SubTropolis was the logical choice for Dejana as we work to expand our reach and improve our ability to serve customers in the energy, utility and telecommunications industries. We look forward to continuing the great partnership we have with Ford, and a presence in the Kansas City market will strengthen our position with the fleet and ship-through business.”

Hunt Midwest’s Automotive Alley has become a leading location in the region for automotive industry suppliers and upfitters. Since 2011, more than a dozen automotive related companies have located in either SubTropolis or its companion surface park, Hunt Midwest Business Center (HMBC), for a total dedicated footprint of nearly 800,000 square feet of leased space and 120 acres of developed land, respectively.

Additional upfitters and suppliers include AER Manufacturing; Adrian Steel; Auto Truck Group; Clore Automotive; Ground Effects; Grupo Antolin; Knapheide Manufacturing Co.; Masterack, LLC, CVP Group, LLC; Midway Ford; Reading Truck Body LLC; Spartan Motors; and XPO Logistics. These companies, combined with Ford’s NAVLOS (North American Vehicle Logistics Outbound Shipping) facility, have over 10,000 spaces for vehicle staging.

About Hunt Midwest
Hunt Midwest is a full-service real estate development company with a focus on industrial, commercial, retail, mission critical, multifamily, senior living and residential real estate. Its portfolio is anchored by SubTropolis, the world’s largest underground business complex. Hunt Midwest is a Kansas City-based, privately held company owned by the Lamar Hunt family. The Hunt family business is a diverse portfolio of entities involved in real estate, sports/media, energy/resources, private equity and investments. Marquee entities include the Kansas City Chiefs, Hunt Midwest, Hunt Southwest, FC Dallas Soccer Club, Toyota Stadium, Chicago Bulls and United Center.

About SubTropolis
As the world’s largest underground business complex, SubTropolis sets the standard for subsurface business developments. SubTropolis was created through the mining of a 270-million-year-old limestone deposit creating a 1,200-acre real estate development. In the mining process, limestone is removed by the room and pillar method, leaving 25-foot square pillars that are on 65-foot centers and 40 feet apart. SubTropolis is home to more than 55 local, regional, national and international companies that employ in excess of 1,600 people.

About Dejana Truck & Utility Equipment
Based in Kings Park, NY, Dejana Truck & Utility Equipment (Dejana) focuses on the upfit of market leading attachments and storage solutions for commercial work vehicles under the DEJANA® brand and its related sub-brands. Dejana employs approximately 550 people at nine manufacturing and upfit facilities in five states across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Current customers include leading utility, energy, telecommunications and transportation companies, as well as large municipal entities. Dejana is a subsidiary of Douglas Dynamics.

About Douglas Dynamics
Home to the most trusted brands in the industry, Douglas Dynamics is North America’s premier manufacturer and upfitter of commercial Work Truck Attachments and equipment. For more than 65 years, the Company has been innovating products that not only enable people to perform their jobs more efficiently and effectively, but also enable businesses to increase profitability. Through its proprietary Douglas Dynamics Management System (DDMS), the Company is committed to continuous improvement aimed at consistently producing the highest quality products, at industry-leading levels of service and delivery that ultimately drive shareholder value. The Douglas Dynamics portfolio of products and services is separated into two segments: First, the Work Truck Attachments segment, which includes manufactured snow and ice control attachments sold under the FISHER®, HENDERSON®, SNOWEX® and WESTERN® brands. Second, the Work Truck Solutions segment, which includes the up-fit of market leading attachments and storage solutions for commercial work vehicles under the DEJANA® brand and its related sub-brands.

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