GRAND RAPIDS — Auto-Owners Insurance will expand its technology center operations in West Michigan.
The Delta Township-based insurance firm said today that it plans to invest $897,900 and create 60 new I.T. jobs at its facility at 3949 Sparks Dr. SE in Grand Rapids.
The company, which operates in 25 states, cited the location’s proximity to its Lansing-area headquarters and the availability of technology talent as the drivers of the expansion, according to a statement.
Auto-Owners Insurance worked with Grand Rapids-based economic development firm The Right Place Inc. and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) to facilitate the expansion.
The MEDC will support the Auto-Owners Insurance expansion with a $315,000 performance-based Michigan Business Development Program grant.
“Auto-Owners Insurance has grown tremendously in the past year and we expect that upward trend to continue for several years, so it’s imperative that our Grand Rapids technology center grow with the demand,” Jim Schumacher, senior vice president for I.T. at Auto-Owners Insurance, said in a statement. “Our partnership with The Right Place is a key component of our ability to expand our footprint at our Grand Rapids location and draw on the area’s tech talent.”
