Industrial Space for Machine Shops and Light Manufacturing

The four specs that decide whether a building works

1. Electrical service. The most common deal-breaker discovered after signing. Read the nameplate on every machine for voltage, phase and full-load amps, add up what runs simultaneously, and have an electrician size it with headroom. Then confirm in writing what reaches the specific suite panel, not the building main.

2. Floor loading. Slab thickness and load rating matter for mills, lathes, presses and anything with concentrated point loads. Ask for the rating and tell the landlord what you are placing where.

3. Ventilation and exhaust. Welding, grinding, cutting fluids and finishing operations need appropriate air handling, often permitted. Retrofitting exhaust is expensive and can trigger a zoning question.

4. Getting the equipment in. Door height and width, turning space inside, and whether the path from door to machine position is clear of columns and low obstructions. Rankin's 14-foot grade-level doors are unusually tall for small-bay, which matters when you are moving a machine on a truck.

What else to confirm

Compressed air, if you need it, and whether the building has a system or you are installing one. Floor drains and whether coolant or process water may enter them, which is usually no. Noise and vibration, since your neighbours share the building and the lease will address nuisance. Heat, which all our warehouse suites have, and whether the warehouse area needs air conditioning for tolerance-sensitive work.

Zoning and approval

All three properties are zoned light industrial, which supports many manufacturing, fabrication and light production uses. Approval depends on equipment, power demands, noise, vibration, ventilation, emissions, materials and overall effect on the property.

• The dividing line is impact rather than size. A small operation generating fumes, noise or waste can fall outside light industrial. A larger quiet shop sits comfortably inside it. See Michigan Industrial Zoning.

Which property fits

Rankin Business Park, Troy — the default. Tallest clear height at 16'–18', 14-foot grade-level doors, dock-high in select suites, 1,287 to 10,000 SF, 299 parking spaces. Manufacturing and fabrication are listed as a core suited tenant type. Troy's supplier density and technical labor pool are a genuine operational advantage. $11.95/SF/YR MG.

Northville Research Center — smaller light assembly and production, 1,278–5,800 SF, 16-foot clear, 12-foot doors, $20/SF/YR MG.

Z Novi Commons — light assembly and kitting, 1,475–2,800 SF, 15-foot ceilings, 10-foot doors, $17/SF/YR MG.

Frequently asked questions