The move not only puts the supplier closer to its customer, butwill add 200,000 sf to its manufacturing operation. Mackie,presently operating out of two Arlington plants, supplies GeneralMotors with instrument panels, axles and radiator cores. Therelocation, expected to be completed in mid-September, also is arecognized timesaver for Mackie, which ferries components 156 timesa day to the GM assembly plant. The number of trips is predicted tojump to 368 when the new model starts rolling off the line.

Mackie, which has held the GM contract for the past three years,plans to add 125 jobs to meet GM's demands when production peaks inDecember.

The building, constructed by landowner ProLogis Trust, is thelargest of the 16 Mackie plants operating in North America andEurope. The new facility was started in September and is located atthe intersection of Avenue E and Great Southwest Parkway near aneight-lane interstate.