Carroll Shelby might be rolling over in his grave as Shelby American, the company is on the move to a new state-of-the-art 135,000 square-foot facility located on the Las Vegas strip. The new global headquarters will house all operations under one roof and is slated to open on December 1, 2013. The new location positions one of the most famous automotive brands in the heart of the largest leisure and convention travel destinations in the world.
The new headquarters fronts I-15 and is one block off of Las Vegas Blvd at 6405 Ensworth St.
“Shelby American is gearing up for global expansion,” said John Luft, president of Shelby American. “The decision to move operations into our new headquarters is consistent with what Carroll did many times in the past. Our new facility allows us to be more nimble and accessible to our customers, while dramatically improving production and operational efficiency.”
As the only auto manufacturer in the state of Nevada, Shelby American builds three continuation model Shelby Cobras, as well as Shelby versions of the Ford Shelby GT500, and Ford Mustang, Raptor and Focus. The current factory, located on the outskirts of town, is comprised of five buildings, each housing a different phase of the business. The new global headquarters combines the entire production process and Speed Shop with a historic Shelby automotive museum, gift shop and special factory tours.
“Consolidating our manufacturing and Speed Shop facilities under one roof will accelerate production while providing the flexibility to ramp up new vehicle models,” said Gary Davis, vice president of production, research and development at Shelby American. “We carefully planned this move for minimal interruption of customer deliveries by setting up duplicate production lines in both locations during the transition.”
With strong demand worldwide for the vehicles built by Shelby American, the company is moving into the European and emerging Asian markets. Combining the new facility with the company’s popular Shelby branded styling and performance parts distribution has the company poised to be a major player in the global automotive manufacturing and performance parts market.
“The hunger for American performance vehicles overseas is helping drive sales for Shelby branded parts worldwide,” said Jer Gervasi, vice president of the Shelby Performance Parts division. “As we grow our global vehicle and parts reach, this new facility positions us well for the future.”
Relocating to the heart of the most popular convention and tourist destination in the world was an important aspect in Shelby American’s decision making process.
“Over the past 50 years, Carroll Shelby relocated Shelby American several times as the company evolved,” said Joe Conway, President of Carroll Shelby International. “From the original factory in Southern California to our recent facilities at the edge of the Nevada desert, each move was executed to meet the business needs of the company at that time. As Shelby American has evolved into a more consumer direct business, the need to be close to the famed Strip and close proximity to the airport will give the Shelby brand added exposure to millions of people who visit Las Vegas annually.”
Shelby American is planning a grand opening event for the new global headquarters later this year. Details will be announced as they become available at www.shelbyamerican.com.
