Holt, Michigan-based Dakkota Integrated Systems, an OEM Tier 2 automotive supplier that specializes in the complex assembly, sequencing, and just-in-time delivery of vehicle interior and exterior systems, has announced the closure of two facilities: one a 345,000-square-foot instrument cluster facility in Detroit, Michigan, and the other a smaller facility in Lansing, Michigan. The closures were attributed to a Stellantis contract loss for instrument panels for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.
The Detroit closure will impact 397 employees, with 205 leaving on December 31, 2026, and 192 leaving on March 31, 2027.
The Lansing closure will impact 67 employees, with separations scheduled on December 31, 2026. This closure is attributed to General Motors temporarily curtailing production at its Lansing Grand River Assembly plant while retooling.
According to CEO Aaron Rivers, "Dakkota was outbid by another company, and CPK chose to re-source the contract. We wanted to keep this work, but our goal now is to just get through this activity. Everybody wants to diversify into adjacent markets if they can.”
Change is constant, and it's coming. Tomorrow will always come, no matter how much you try to ignore it. Life offers no guarantees, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you wondering, "Am I Next?"