Piston Group supplies Honda from plant in Marion
In the 1980s, Vinnie Johnson was at the top of his game as the sixth man for the Detroit Pistons.
“The Microwave,” along with star players Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars, was part of the Bad Boys era of the franchise, with Johnson making the winning shot in the 1990 NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, securing Detroit’s second straight title.
Taking his basketball roots with him, Johnson is now the CEO of Piston Group, one of the largest private, minority-owned automotive suppliers in North America.
Johnson founded the company in 1995 and became a supplier for large automotive companies, such as General Motors and Ford.
Piston Group has since expanded in the past 26 years, becoming a supplier not only for those auto
companies, but also for Honda, Stellantis and Toyota. As of 2019, the manufacturer’s worldwide sales to automakers totaled $2.85 billion.
The Southfield, Michigan-based company employs more than 10,000 workers across its four subsidiaries, which includes Piston Automotive, Irvin Products and Detroit Thermal Systems. Piston Group also is beginning to break out of the automotive industry with the acquisitions of Airea, an office design studio and furniture dealer, and, more recently, A. Lava and Son, a bedding cover manufacturer.
The company also has expanded outside of Michigan, opening facilities in Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky. In 2019, Piston Group opened a location in Marion.
Piston Group made the move to central Ohio after acquiring Marion Industries. Johnson said via email that the company wanted to expand its presence in Ohio and that Marion was a “natural fit.”
“Culturally, Piston Automotive and Marion Industries shared a dedication to customers by creating value throughout the assembly process and providing world class products,” he said. “The acquisition of Marion Industries supported our mission, while leveraging Piston Automotive’s process design and product
Since the Crew was bought by the families of Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam and former team doctor Pete Edwards, the club has announced new partnerships with Nationwide, Donatos, Ohiohealth, Vertiv data centers and Performance Columbus car dealership.
The Crew has not yet named a stadium naming rights partner.
“Over the last several months, we have been proud to announce several founding partners of New Crew Stadium,” Crew chief business officer Steve Lyons said in a statement. “The outpouring of local support from top-tier, Columbus-based corporations demonstrates the immense pride in choosing Columbus and choosing the Crew. Through each of these partnerships, we are able to provide an exemplary matchday experience as well as make critical impacts throughout our community.”
The partnership also will include naming rights to the Crew’s military appreciation night, a hometown heroes program that recognizes locals who served in the military and other community initiatives yet to be announced, according to the news release.
“AEP looks forward to continuing our longstanding relationship with the Crew, especially as the Club begins this exciting chapter in team history,” Janelle Coleman, AEP’S vice president of philanthropy, said in a statement.
jmyers@dispatch.com; @_jcmyers