DETROIT -- Berkshire eSupply, a tooling supplier acquired by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. last year, is planning to build a $45 million fulfillment center and headquarters in Novi, Mich., that could create 240 new jobs.
The preliminary site plan for the 57 acres of vacant property 28 miles northwest of Detroit was recently approved by the city of Novi. It includes plans for a 193,230-square-foot warehouse with mezzanines and a two-story, 18,380-square-foot office building.
Final approval for the project is still pending, said Sri Komaragiri, project planner for the city. A construction timeline is unclear.
Berkshire eSupply is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, billionaire investor Buffett's Omaha-based multinational conglomerate and the world's largest financial services company with $210.8 billion in revenue.
Berkshire eSupply was spun off after the company in 2017 acquired Production Tool Supply Co. -- a large supplier of industrial tools in the Midwest that employs more than 400. The rebranded company continues to supply products and services to distributors globally.
Berkshire representatives were not available to comment.
The company was seeking a $5 million tax break from the city over 12 years to assist with the costs of redeveloping the site, which is near wetland and presents challenges for construction, Hometown Life reported in December.
Detroit-based firms Albert Kahn Associates Inc. and Mannik Smith Group are taking the lead on design of the project. Oliver Hatcher Construction, based in Novi, is the construction manager.
