22 MiMfg Magazine August 2020
INDUSTRY
Member
Spotlight
Gordon Fournier
Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer
Piston Group
Member since June 2020 • Employs 1,100 Michigan workers • Learn more at pistongroup.com
Growing a business in a
perfect economy can be difficult
and 2020 has hardly offered the
best conditions. Yet even now,
Piston Group has a profound
confidence in its future.
“Detroit and Michigan have
faced tough times before; they’ve
both been written off and come back
stronger,” said Gordon Fournier,
Piston Group’s Chief Operating
Officer & Chief Financial
Officer. “There’s a perseverance
and a work ethic here that doesn’t
allow you to quit or give up and I
think the team Vinnie has put
together exemplifies that attitude.”
The brainchild of legendary
Detroit Piston Vinnie Johnson,
Piston Group was founded in
1995 and has become a multibillion-dollar
success story and
the largest minority-owned
business in Michigan.
Under its umbrella, four
businesses thrive:
• Piston Automotive; one of the
automotive industry’s leading
Value Add Assembly suppliers
and tackling complex assembly
projects including powertrain,
cooling, electrical and hybrid
vehicle battery systems
• Irvin Products; an experienced
innovator of automotive interior
technologies and one of North
America’s largest independent
seat trim manufacturers
• Detroit Thermal Systems; a
manufacturer of high quality
climate-control systems and
components that utilize
state-of-the-art technology
• AIREA; a renowned leader in
commercial interior design and
a symbol of Johnson’s demand
for diverse customer service
across multiple industries
“Piston Group was always
going to be successful with
Vinnie at the helm. Our success
is measured by so much more
than revenue numbers or product
innovation. It’s built around
manufacturing excellence, an
energetic team and a charitable
vision,” explained Fournier.
New to the company, Fournier
started in early March. Within a
week, COVID-19 had swept the
globe and everything changed.
“There are always going to be
unanticipated challenges, but it’s
how you face them that determines
your future,” Fournier said.
Battery assembly at Piston
Group’s Van Buren facility.
“When I came aboard, COVID-19
was a huge curveball that nobody
saw coming. We had to put
some long-term plans on hold
and assess where we were in the
short-term. That ability to adapt
to the ‘usual unusuals’ of
business was an essential part
of how we pushed through.”
Coming out of unprecedented
shutdowns, Fournier and his
team put people first and
worked toward solutions to get
their team back to work while
encouraging manufacturers to
“stay confident and steadfast in
your capability. Even in bad
times — especially in bad times
— there are opportunities to
build toward success.”
With a future full of possibility,
Piston Group is asking itself the
important questions that all
companies should ask in order
to stay energized:
• How do we grow?
• How can we grow faster
and smarter?
• How can we further
diversify?
• What does the future of
automation look like?
• What technologies
can we capitalize on?
• What can we aspire to be?
“In the end, we need to ask
how we can use the changes
brought about by COVID-19
and make them work for our
success rather than as a barrier to
our success,” said Fournier. “If
you can be ahead of the curve,
you will find success. That’s
what we’re looking to achieve
and it’s definitely something any
manufacturer can do. Challenge
yourself to be great.” 6