Feel good story alert. We all loved the 'Microwave', the Pistons 6th man in the 90's championship year who came off the bench sinking his line drive shots and firing up the team.

He's still a winner. It has been great to see Vinnie Johnson quietly transform into a successful businessman. With last week's acquisition he also now has the honor of creating the largest minority-own business in SE Mich.

Way to go Vinnie!

The meteoric rise of Vinnie Johnson's Piston Group in recent years is the region's latest hope to establish a sustainable minority-owned business network that can benefit companies throughout the supply chain.

The Redford Township-based parts assembler closed last week on the $175 million acquisition of Takata Corp. subsidiary Irvin Automotive Inc. The deal adds Irvin's interiors manufacturing operations and propels Piston toward what the company expects will be $2.8 billion in revenue by 2018, which would be bigger than any minority-owned business in Southeast Michigan today.

Johnson, a former Detroit Pistons guard, has overseen Piston's growth from just $570 million in revenue in 2012 to a projected $1.8 billion in 2016, nearly doubling its revenue from last year.
Vinnie Johnson, a former Detroit Pistons guard, has overseen the growth of Piston Group.
Photo by Piston Group