In May 2009, as I merged onto a congested I-94, driving from the airport to the ALAW Advanced Laser Applications Workshop outside Detroit, I saw a billboard for W Industries, a local metal fabricator. Not only was it odd seeing a contract fabricator advertised so prominently, but the sign’s design was unique. Black and sleek, its bold letters proclaimed the company’s manufacturing expertise in the aerospace and defense sectors.
The word automotive wasn’t anywhere on the billboard, even though--like most things in Detroit--W Industries has roots in the car business.
