Grounded stays and grows in Detroit: Mayor and DEGC celebrate EV maker’s official grand opening

• Grounded held its official grand opening at a new 50,000-square-foot facility in southwest Detroit located at 4617 W. Fort St. 

• The company considered leaving Detroit before DEGC helped it find the new site and stay in the city 

• The move increases Grounded’s production capacity by 1,900% and follows a $5 million seed round 

• Grounded expects to add 56 total jobs projected over the next two and a half years 

• Media toured the facility and viewed Grounded vehicles on display after the program 

September 8, 2026 (DETROIT) Mayor Mary Sheffield and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) joined Grounded today for the official grand opening of the company’s new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in southwest Detroit, celebrating a deal that kept the Detroit-based mobility company in the city after it considered other options. 

Grounded weighed leaving Detroit as it searched for a facility large enough to scale production of its modular electric vehicles. DEGC stepped in and helped the company find its new home in the city, keeping Grounded and its growing workforce in Detroit. The company previously operated out of a smaller industrial space owned by Michigan Central, after expanding out of Newlab. 

The expansion increases Grounded’s production capacity by 1,900% and follows a $5 million seed round the company closed last month. Grounded will use the space to launch a new box platform that works with both electric and gas-powered fleet vehicles, opening up a much bigger commercial market. Grounded expects to add 21 positions in 2027 and 35 in 2028, bringing total job growth to 56 over the next two and a half years. 

“Grounded had other options, and DEGC made sure staying in Detroit was the clear one. Now, they are adding 56 new jobs with room to grow as the company scales,” said Sheffield. “That’s the idea behind our Rise Higher agenda, building the conditions that make people and businesses want to stay, come back or move here in the first place.” 

Grounded’s electric fleet vehicles are already at work across a wide range of industries. Customers include Colgate, Nokia, Coffee Fellows, Wayne State University Medical, PetEvolution and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies, using the vehicles for everything from mobile medical and dental services to food service and other field operations. 

“I moved to Detroit almost four years ago because of Detroit’s robust manufacturing ecosystem and automotive heritage, and now we are doubling down on the city. This is the city that taught the world how to manufacture, and the talent, suppliers, and work ethic are still here,” said Grounded CEO Sam Shapiro. “Almost all of our team is made up of native Detroiters and Michiganders, and we plan to hire dozens more over the next two years. Moving into this 50,000 square foot facility lets us expand our capabilities and put more people on the floor.” 

Grounded’s decision to stay adds to a pattern of Detroit-grown companies choosing to scale in the city rather than relocate. The Detroit Startup Fund, which DEGC administers alongside the Mayor’s Office, drew hundreds of applications in its second funding round and has awarded seed and scale grants to companies building in mobility, healthcare, clean energy and advanced manufacturing. City officials point to that demand, paired with retention tools like the one that helped Grounded land its new facility, as evidence that founders increasingly see Detroit as a place to build long-term rather than a stop before heading to the coasts. 

“Founders don’t have to choose between Detroit and Silicon Valley anymore,” said DEGC President and CEO Kevin Johnson. “Between programs like the Detroit

Startup Fund and manufacturing space like this facility, we’re building the ecosystem that lets companies like Grounded scale, without ever having to catch a flight to the coast. Our Retention Program exists for moments like this one, when a growing company needs a bigger footprint, and we can point them to one in their own backyard.” 

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Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) 

Detroit Economic Growth Corporation is a non-profit organization that serves as Detroit’s lead implementing agency for business retention, attraction and economic development. DEGC is led by a board comprised of business, civic and community leaders. Its staff provides services for key public authorities that facilitate incentives and other forms of financing for projects that bring new jobs and investment to the City. DEGC also manages important initiatives to support small businesses and grow neighborhood commercial corridors. DEGC is dedicated to inclusive development and access to economic opportunity.