Industrial Tectonics, Inc. v. Aero Alloy, a California Corporation Die Cast Products, Inc., a California Corporation, AKA Metal Products Group

Appellant Industrial Tectonics, Inc. (“ITI”), a Michigan corporation, brought this action in federal district court against appellees Die Cast Products, Inc. (“DCPI”), a California corporation, and Aero Alloys (“Aero”), a California corporation. ITI alleged diversity jurisdiction. The district court dismissed ITI’s action, finding that ITI’s principal place of business was California, and that diversity jurisdiction did not exist. We affirm.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

ITI is incorporated under the laws of the State of Michigan and owned by three individual stockholders, each of whom resides in Michigan. Additionally, ITI’s corporate headquarters are located primarily in Michigan.

ITI manufactures high precision ball and roller bearings. Many of the bearings are used for the control rods of nuclear reactors.

ITI conducts its manufacturing operations in two plants. One plant, located in Michigan, manufactures balls. The other plant, located in California, manufactures bearings, including both ball bearings and roller bearings. The Michigan plant supplies the California plant with balls used to manufacture ball bearings. However, the California plant makes its own rollers for use in…