LANSING — Governor Whitmer announced and celebrated nearly 1,000 new jobs coming to Michigan. The announced jobs continue a trend of job growth in Michigan that has taken place since Governor Whitmer took office in January 2019.
“Today’s projects will create or retain nearly 1,000 jobs and drive more than $250 million of investment in Michigan, building on our leadership in the future mobility industry and fostering strong economic opportunities for our communities,” said Governor Whitmer. “Since I took office, we have secured tens of thousands of auto jobs, won projects from other states and nations, and taken action to build on our momentum. Let’s keep working together to deliver on the priorities that make a real difference in people’s lives so anyone can ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
The new jobs announced include:
Scout Motors Inc., headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, plans to establish a new research and development facility in the city of Novi, which will serve as a hub for future innovation and development for the auto industry within the U.S. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $11 million and create 200 high-wage jobs with the support of a $10 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen for the expansion over competing sites in several Southern states because of the strength of the automotive engineering talent in the state.
ATC Drivetrain, Inc.,plans to consolidate its Center of Excellence at a newly constructed facility in the city of Holland that will include space for battery remanufacturing, electric drive unit remanufacturing, electronics remanufacturing, and batter second life applications. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $7.9 million and create 163 jobs with the support of a $2 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant.
hg medical is a market-leading end-to-end contract manufacturer of highly complex orthopedic implants for the extremities and spinal sectors. It focuses on innovative systems pushing the boundaries of subtractive manufacturing technologies and advancing the possibilities for developing implantable devices. With existing facilities in Germany and the USA, the company has built a strong reputation for its deep engineering expertise in its core segment, high-quality manufacturing, and exceptional customer service. With its team of experienced engineers and technicians, hg medical offers a comprehensive range of services, including design for manufacture and development, prototyping, validation, and production of complex, high-quality implants.
The project will bring nearly 200 good-paying jobs and will significantly impact West Michigan’s growing life sciences and medical devices sector. It will also support the company’s future presence and investment in the state.
Norm Fasteners Co., plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in Bath Charter Township, where it will manufacture externally threaded fasteners. The company, established in 2018 in Lansing, is a subsidiary of Norm Holdings A.S. of Turkey and is a leading manufacturer of various connectors from bolts to fasteners, and has also diversified into machines, logistics, high-quality parts, and marketing services. Norm Fasteners imports fasteners from its parent company and distributes them to customers in the automotive including heavy duty trucks, agriculture, electronics, housing and furniture industries in North America.
The project represents the parent company’s first manufacturing facility in the U.S. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $77 million and create 200 well-paying jobs with the support of a $1.6 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The company currently employs 18 individuals in Michigan, with the state chosen for this expansion over competing sites in Ohio, Texas, Canada and Mexico as a result of our strong automotive OEM and auto supplier presence.
WK Kellogg Co was established in 2023 as a standalone company, resulting from the separation of the former Kellogg Company into two separate entities, Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co. WK Kellogg Co is focused on its founder’s original business – ready-to-eat cereal. The company employs approximately 750 employees – nearly one-third of its total North America employee base – in Michigan and will continue to be headquartered in Battle Creek, where it has spent the past 117 years as Kellogg Company.
In 2021, Kellogg Company announced that by the end of 2023, it would move production of some of its Battle Creek cereal plant volume to its cereal production facility in Ontario, CA. This project would have idled two of the three lines currently operating in Battle Creek.
Recently, WK Kellogg Co leaders decided to retain that volume at its Battle Creek facility, where the company will drive efficiency through investment in more modern technology, as well as train employees in high performing work systems, making them more competitive in their manufacturing network. These changes will result in the retention of approximately 170 jobs in Battle Creek and – along with the partnership and support of the state and city of Battle Creek – help to position the plant for future investment and potential growth.
The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of at least $44 million and create at least 43 new high-paying jobs – in addition to the 170 roles being retained – with the support of a $5 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The Michigan Strategic Fund also approved a 15-year MSF Designated Renaissance Zone in support of the project.
In addition to investing in machinery and equipment, the project will include training current employees to enable the high-performing work team model necessary to drive future success. In total, the project will retain and/or create at least 213 jobs, all with wages and health care benefits that are among the best in Michigan manufacturing.
In addition to the state grant, the Battle Creek City Commission approved, and Mayor Mark Behnke signed, the application for the Renaissance Zone and Battle Creek Unlimited has offered a $250,000 grant in support of the project.
