Classic Auto Factory to anchor next chapter for historic Plainwell Paper Mill

By Jordan Wilcox
Assistant Publisher

After more than two decades of demolition, environmental cleanup and redevelopment planning, the former Plainwell Paper Mill appears poised for its most significant transformation since production ceased nearly 26 years ago.
Classic Auto Factory, a DeKalb, Illinois-based classic automobile restoration and fabrication company, is expected to establish a large restoration, showroom, storage and event complex inside the historic mill property, breathing new life into one of Plainwell’s most recognizable landmarks.
The company has built a substantial online following through videos showcasing complete frame-off restorations of classic American muscle cars, custom fabrication, performance upgrades and collector vehicle storage.
It also performs collision repair, paint work, custom metal fabrication and concours-quality restorations.
The Plainwell location would represent a major expansion for the company while giving it access to one of southwest Michigan’s largest historic industrial complexes, with ample space for restoration shops, vehicle storage, showrooms and public events.
The project has generated considerable public interest in recent weeks, fueled by construction activity, colorful duck murals appearing on several historic buildings, social media speculation and announcements that the annual Plainwell Paper reunion will be held at the site this fall.
Some of that excitement has also created confusion, as two separate redevelopment projects are currently underway on different portions of the former mill property.
According to reunion organizer Paul Grimm, members of the Otsego-Plainwell Area Chamber of Commerce and others familiar with the redevelopment, the large industrial portion of the complex will become the future home of Classic Auto Factory.
Meanwhile, the former GHD office adjacent to City Hall continues to move forward as the future Mill 17 wedding and event venue.
Rumors circulated on social media that the Mill 17 project had been canceled, but Grimm said those reports are inaccurate.
“They are still in the process of clearing all the hurdles involved with the process of such a large undertaking,” he commented on Facebook.
The annual Plainwell Paper reunion is expected to provide the public’s first opportunity to experience part of the redeveloped property.
According to Grimm, this year’s reunion on Oct. 3 will move from its traditional potluck format to the former mill site. The event will feature a VIP gathering area for former employees and their families, along with live music, food vendors, a beer tent and a classic car show.
While the reunion remains open to the public, former mill employees will have a designated gathering area.
For many, the event will be an opportunity to return to a workplace that helped shape both their lives and the city itself, as few sites have played a larger role in Plainwell’s history than the paper mill.
Dating back to the 19th century, the Michigan Paper Company, as it was then called, grew into one of the community’s largest employers, producing fine papers, book papers and specialty products while providing jobs for generations of local residents.
Over more than a century, the complex expanded repeatedly, eventually encompassing dozens of brick industrial buildings stretching along Allegan Street.
In November 2000, economic pressures forced the mill’s owner, The New Group, into bankruptcy. The property has since sat mostly vacant and quickly became one of southwest Michigan’s most difficult redevelopment challenges.
Beyond deteriorating buildings, decades of industrial activity left behind extensive environmental contamination that complicated nearly every redevelopment effort.
The mill lies within the Allied Paper, Portage Creek and Kalamazoo River Superfund site, where groundwater monitoring, environmental remediation and cleanup have continued for years under state and federal oversight.
The City of Plainwell purchased the 36-acre property in 2006 with the goal of preserving its historic structures while returning the site to productive use.
Since then, millions of dollars in state and federal grants have funded demolition of unstable buildings, environmental cleanup, infrastructure improvements and restoration of several historic structures. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
One of the earliest redevelopment successes came when Conestoga-Rovers & Associates—now GHD—relocated its U.S. Construction Services headquarters to the former mill.
The city later renovated additional buildings to house both City Hall and the Plainwell Department of Public Safety, demonstrating that portions of the historic complex could successfully be adapted for modern use.
City officials have continued marketing the remaining historic buildings for commercial redevelopment while balancing historic preservation with ongoing environmental work.
Recent City Council discussions indicate planning continues for parking, access roads, green space and infrastructure surrounding both Classic Auto Factory and the adjacent Mill 17 project.
Although significant work remains before redevelopment is complete, the arrival of Classic Auto Factory represents one of the largest private investments proposed for the historic property since the mill closed.
If completed as envisioned, the same industrial complex that once shipped paper across the nation could soon be preserving another piece of American history—classic automobiles—while once again filling the riverfront with employees, visitors and activity, ushering in a new chapter for one of Plainwell’s most iconic landmarks.