An automated parking company in Warren is expanding. 

The company Dasher Lawless has been in the city for years, manufacturing parts and designing its AUTOParkit structures. 

At the push of a button the structure stores vehicles on racks. It aims to replace the average parking garage. The company says it would reduce emissions since cars aren’t driving around and makes finding a spot in big cities easier.

At one of its locations in Warren, laborers make thousands of parts for the structures including rollers and conveyor parts. Christopher Alan is the President and CEO of Dasher Lawless and a Warren native. He said they’re looking to hire 20 more employees to the 80 they already have. Open jobs include laborers, engineers and marketing specialists. 

Dasher lawless has faced hardships over the years with bankruptcy and the pandemic devastating development and construction, according to Alan. 

“That challenge of having 69 million dollars worth of work canceled in eight days was difficult,” Alan said about the work they lost during the pandemic. 

Alan is looking to put that behind them and move forward with a five year plan to make a complete campus by renovating the six buildings they have on Dana Street in Warren. Alan said they’ve already poured lots of money into the infrastructure of the buildings on the 42 acres of land he owns.

“Everything that we fund here we fund ourself, we fund through organic growth … and you have to be patient with that growth because it takes longer,” Alan said. 

“This is what we need in Warren. We need to establish more economic growth, more jobs and it just makes the city a better place to live,” Gary Steinbeck, Warren city councilman at-large said after touring the site. 

The campus will provide more room for new products including automated boat storage, automated self-storage containers and products in the EV car sector. 

“We're building UTVs, we're building DC fast charging mobile units that can charge a car from zero to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes,” Alan said. 

There are no immediate plans to bring an AUTOParkit structure to Warren, but Alan is considering constructing one on land he owns in the city or near Youngstown State University. Alan said he's committed to keeping the production and manufacturing aspect of the company in Warren to help build up the city. 

“What's going to build this town back is entrepreneurs …this town needs companies like us ... and you have to be patient with companies like that if you want to see the ultimate goal and growth,” Alan said. 

Future plans for the company include international deals to countries such as Canada. 

“We’ll continue to grow into tens of millions and hundreds of millions of dollars so we continue to invest here,” Alan said.