CHAMPION TOWNSHIP, Ohio – A building constructed in 1998 to serve as a research and development center for what was then Delphi Automotive Systems has sold for $9.4 million, according to records from the Trumbull County Auditor’s office.
The 94,000-square-foot building and accompanying 11.8 acres at 4551 Research Parkway was sold to PG Warren Industrial LLC on Sept. 3, records show. The seller is named as Bedford Rockside LLC, based in Solon, Ohio.
Records from the Ohio Secretary of State show that PG Warren Industrial was incorporated in Delaware on July 29 and in Ohio on Aug. 11. Andrew Peykar is identified as an authorized representative of the company.
Currently, the building is leased by Aptiv PLC, which was spun off from Delphi Automotive as a separate company in 2017. Aptiv develops advanced electronics for the automotive industry and recently announced it would spin off its electrical distribution systems, or EDS, business into a separate company by 2026. According to online real estate listings, Aptive holds a lease at the Champion tech center until July 2029.
Delphi in 2017 also spun off its propulsion business as Delphi Technologies, a separate company that develops powertrain systems for vehicles.
Both companies trace their origins to the Packard Electric Co., which was established in Warren in 1890. The company was acquired by General Motors Corp. in 1932 to provide electrical wiring and cables for its automobiles. In 1995, the automaker rebranded the division Delphi Packard Electric Systems before it was spun off as Delphi Automotive systems in 1999. Delphi declared bankruptcy in 2005 and significantly downsized its operations in Warren.
Earlier this year, Aptiv announced that it would close Plant 10 in Warren, laying off 63 employees. The company continues to operate three other manufacturing plants in the Mahoning Valley – Plant 11 and Plant 7 are based in the Warren North River Road complex, and Plant 47 is located in Vienna.