Displaying items by tag: manufacturing

A West Michigan Tier 1 automotive supplier is leveraging two longstanding partnerships with overseas metal providers in an effort to bring more sustainable materials to the auto industry.

ROCKFORD — Footwear and apparel company Wolverine World Wide Inc. is selling the trademarks for the Champion sneaker marketed by its Keds LLC subsidiary to HanesBrands Inc. in a move that settles an ongoing and bitter dispute between the two businesses.

Grand Rapids private equity firm Auxo Investment Partners has acquired an Indiana-based manufacturer of braided lacing tapes, twines, cords and sleeving for the electrical, defense and aerospace markets.

An affiliate of Grand Rapids Township wood products manufacturer UFP Industries Inc. has acquired a 50-percent equity stake in a key supplier based in South Carolina.

MUSKEGON TWP. — A former BASF herbicide production facility in Muskegon County would return to life with a potential $430 million capital investment by Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC.

BENTON HARBOR — Appliance maker Whirlpool Corp. is selling off its operations in Russia. 

Sustainability-focused outdoor shoe manufacturer Holo Footwear Inc. plans to move its headquarters from Portland, Ore. to downtown Grand Rapids, state and local economic development officials announced today.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision last week overturning a landmark, 50-year-old ruling that legalized abortion could boost sales of a new oral, over-the-counter contraceptive drug that Perrigo Co. plc plans to bring to the market.

GRAND RAPIDS — High inflation led Steelcase Inc. to record a loss in the most recent quarter despite strong double-digit sales growth and multiple price increases.

Reduced demand for a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing Inc. has caused the company to “restructure” staff.

BIG RAPIDS — A local auto supplier plans to permanently lay off 60 employees this summer, citing a loss of work in a notice to state officials.

ST. JOSEPH — Executives for home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corp. plan to finish construction on the majority of the company’s new $60 million technical center in the second quarter of 2023.

WALKER — Technology workstation manufacturer Altus Industries Inc. has expanded one of its marquee product lines as demand for telehealth solutions continues to rise across the country.

A Los Angeles-based private equity fund has made another capital investment in Motion Dynamics Corp. in Fruitport.

A new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor could jeopardize crucial funding for Michigan’s primary workforce development association, leading to the potential closure of at least 20 job training facilities and a loss of more than 200 staffers.

The Michigan Works! Association, which provides a wide range of services for both job seekers and employers throughout the state, says a proposed federal rule change would strip the agency of significant resources. 

A newly established partnership will allow Goodwill Industries of West Michigan Inc. to reduce plastic materials that are plentiful in its current waste stream.

JR Automation Technologies LLC — which designs, builds and integrates automated manufacturing and robotic technology on a global scale — has unveiled yet another expansion effort in Holland. 

Two newly announced business expansions in Holland are poised to generate $87.7 million in private investment and bring 138 new jobs to the area.

The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center plans to merge its regional offices in the Upper Peninsula and Traverse City later this summer.

HOLLAND — State economic development officials have approved grant funding to support an automation manufacturer’s $10 million expansion at the site of a longtime Holland steel fabricator that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When outdoor footwear brand Merrell sought a fresh idea to promote sustainability and conservation, it turned to the innovation team at parent company Wolverine World Wide Inc.

HOLLAND TWP. — A company that manufactures spine, joint, extremity, cardiology and vascular models for the medical device industry is moving to a new and larger location.

CASCADE TWP. — The first cohort of companies to receive grants through an air travel technology development program have revealed the fruits of their labor, including a self-driving wheelchair, an advanced flying security camera and a complete 3D model of Gerald R. Ford International Airport. 

After serving nearly three decades as director of seating and ergonomics product management for Herman Miller Inc., Keith McRobert has leveraged his knowledge and experience into a new venture.

Four food manufacturing companies with operations in West Michigan are on the front lines of the ongoing baby formula shortage that is causing significant challenges for families with infants.

West Michigan is playing a major role in the ongoing U.S. baby formula shortage as producers fall in the center of a product recall or are ramping up production to help meet consumer needs.

West Michigan manufacturing automation firm Churchill Technologies LLC has been sold amid what local advisers describe as a “red hot” sector for M&A.

GRAND RAPIDS TWP. — Wood products and building materials manufacturer UFP Industries Inc. announced that it has purchased an Iowa-based plastic recycler.

Manufacturers throughout Michigan can now apply for grant funding to help cover costs associated with adopting Industry 4.0 technologies.