Caster Concepts Breaks Ground on $2M Expansion at its Central Michigan Headquarters

ALBION, MI – Caster Concepts Inc., a leading maker of industrial, heavy-duty wheels and casters, announces a 16,000-square-foot, $2 million expansion at its headquarters in Central Michigan.

The expansion will accommodate a larger engineering department, additional floor space for product development and testing, and room for recent business acquisitions. Caster Concepts also plans additional truck docks for increased orders and deliveries, more office space, and a larger manufacturing work area and employee facilities.

"We’re betting on future growth," said Caster Concepts president Bill Dobbins. "Unlike most companies, we function better with lots of space. We create unique solutions for customers, and that requires more room for testing. We want to be prepared for the next great innovation."

The expansion comes on the heels of a robust 2022 for the Albion-based manufacturer. The company’s success is largely due to its innovative and unique design solutions and the fastest lead times and best on-time delivery of any competitor. Dobbins credits the company’s success to its production process, which requires little off-site support.

“Over many years and significant investments, Caster Concepts has developed and refined a manufacturing process,” Dobbins said. “By combining on-time delivery, short lead times and getting the customer what they want, when they want it, Caster Concepts creates value for all stakeholders.”

What began in 1987 with just three employees in a 6,000-square-foot workspace in the back of a doctor’s office now features 125 employees, multiple machining shops and four subsidiaries (Aerol, Conceptual Innovations, Reaction Industries and Fabricating Concepts) all under one roof.

That roof will soon span 90,000 square feet of combined manufacturing and office space. Caster Concepts hired D.H. Roberts Construction out of Jonesville, Michigan, to manage and build the addition and Driven Design from Battle Creek, Michigan, to oversee the design and engineering. The project is slated for completion in March. 

“We are confident in the growth of Caster Concepts, a success that’s driven by a combination of employing and engaging great people who have a long history of expertise in identifying and solving material-handling issues,” Dobbins said.

Caster Concepts’ expanding footprint matches its growing impact on Albion and surrounding communities. The company invests in the health and well-being of its employees through an array of programs, education and technology initiatives for kids and teens and community redevelopment to boost the local economy. In November, the company was awarded the 2022 Corporate Impact Award by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Public Service Commission.

"Our community initiatives are an essential part of Caster Concepts' purpose to manufacture greatness within our employees to positively impact their families, communities and customers," Dobbins said.