Moon Star Express buys historic Belleville building

Sukhibinder Narwal, owner of Moon Star Express based in Van Buren Township, has purchased the Coldwell Banker building in downtown Belleville.
Narwal said he will move his technical support team for the transportation company to the building.
He said he had the opportunity to purchase buildings in Canton Township, Ann Arbor, and other places, but he felt the atmosphere of Belleville was most suited to his company.
Also, he said he is looking to hire local, Belleville-area people for his dispatch team keeping work in the community. He said he prefers dispatchers with no experience, so they can be trained the Moon Star way.
Moon Star expects to move in during the holidays in December. Coldwell Banker will occupy the lower level until April 2021. Until then, Moon Star will occupy the upstairs only and in April will occupy the entire building, except for the hair salon which will remain in the building.
Renee Osaer of Sumpter Township is Moon Star’s Safety Director/Human Resources. She said Narwal will be mentoring schools throughout the area to teach basic mechanics for truck maintenance.
Osaer said there will be no trucks at their administrative offices in downtown Belleville. The back area of the building will be used for dispatcher and safety training.
Moon Star was started in 1993 in California with one truck and one driver by Sukhibinder Narwal, a Sikh Indian. He grew the business until it now has more than 100 trucks.
Narwal said he has family in this area who wanted him here, so he moved his business to Michigan in 2000. He bought the property at 7277 Rawsonville Road in Van Buren Township in 2011. He had 19 trucks then.
Osaer said this has been a good location, but space was getting tighter all the time as the business grows.
The 164-year-old building at the corner of Main and Third streets in Belleville had been the home of Century 21 real estate.
In August 2017, the Century 21 sign was removed and the new Coldwell Bankers Professionals sign put up. Gary Snarski still owned the building and managed the new Coldwell Banker business that was merged with his former business. The only thing that was changed was the name, Snarski said in 2017.
Snarski died Aug. 17, 2019. He had operated the Century 21 real estate business for more than 20 years.
The owner of the Coldwell Banker business was Chris Hendricks of Lapeer and this was his 11th office.
The building was built in 1853 as a Baptist Church with seating for 200 and in 1913 it was sold to Frank Pullen for a furniture store, and with an addition, a funeral home and chapel. Snarksi updated the building with the help of a Belleville designer, the late Chesley Odom.