MANUFACTURING

General Formulations in Sparta

3 West Michigan manufacturers plan $70M total investment, 134 jobs with expansions

Three recent expansions by West Michigan manufacturers will total more than $70 million in investment and create 134 total new jobs, officials announced today.  Gov....
Metal trusses

Local investor acquires lakeshore steel truss manufacturer

Zeeland Township-based steel truss manufacturer Progressive Systems Inc. recently sold to a local investor who sees growth potential in the 34-year-old company.  Joshua Brewster, a...
Jennifer Granholm tours LG Energy Solution plant

Energy Secretary Granholm touts battery investments during Holland visit

HOLLAND — Nearly 14 years after former President Obama attended the groundbreaking of an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Holland, top federal officials...

Amway plans $127.6M expansion in West Michigan

Amway plans to embark on a major $127.6 million expansion in its hometown that it expects will create 260 high-paying new jobs in manufacturing...
ATC Drivetrain employee

‘Aggressive’ vehicle emission standards could bring some certainty for suppliers

Finalized federal rules that mandate reductions in vehicle emissions could bring more realistic production volumes to auto suppliers as well as a renewed interest...
Thermal imaging car mirror

For its next growth wave, Gentex looks beyond its mirrors

Rearview mirrors that keep records of the world outside. Sun visors that allow a driver to see through them to take note of pedestrians...

Investment firm Sleeping Giant Capital invests in Mid-Michigan manufacturer

Sleeping Giant Capital completed its first deal in the manufacturing sector with an investment in Portland Products Inc., a maker of mechanical assemblies for...
Credit: Gotion Inc.

Chinese EV battery maker sues Michigan township over $2.4B factory plan

Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion Inc. is suing the township where it plans to build a $2.4 billion electric vehicle battery factory, alleging breach of...

South Korean EV component supplier to invest $43.2M in Holland for North American HQ

South Korean manufacturer LT Precision Co. Ltd. plans to invest $43.2 million to establish its North American headquarters in Holland and build new manufacturing...
Merchandise Mart in Chicago

Steelcase relocating longtime Chicago showroom to former MillerKnoll space

High-end furniture company Steelcase is moving a Chicago showroom to the city’s Fulton Market District after more than half a century in the Merchandise...
Weller Truck Parts interior

Truck parts remanufacturer plans 130 new jobs to support growth, EV demand

A Grand Rapids-area drivetrain components remanufacturer has expanded into a newly renovated building and plans to add 130 jobs to accommodate growing demand for...
Wolverine World Wide headquarters

Wolverine World Wide cutting 150 jobs with Kentucky plant closure

Wolverine World Wide Inc. is permanently laying off 150 workers as it closes its Kentucky distribution center this spring, the latest move in a...
Site for Gotion plant

Gotion submits site plan to Mecosta County for $2.4B battery plant

Gotion Inc.’s plan for a $2.4 billion battery manufacturing project near Big Rapids has taken another step forward. The company formally submitted a site plan...
Kate Pew Wolters

Founding family member retiring from Steelcase board after 23 years

Kate Pew Wolters, a longtime philanthropist and granddaughter of one of the founders of Steelcase Inc., plans to retire from the company’s board of...
Michael Larsson

New Dematic president brings 3 decades of experience to next growth phase

The new president of Dematic Corp. plans to leverage his industry experience to help the automation and supply chain solutions company navigate ever-changing market...
Aluminum architectural products manufacturer

Architectural products manufacturer Tubelite closing Walker plant

Aluminum architectural products manufacturer Tubelite Inc. plans to cease its production operations in Walker as its Minnesota-based parent company launches a series of cost-saving...
Wolverine World Wide headquarters

Wolverine World Wide eyes improved profitability after major shakeup 

Executives at Wolverine World Wide Inc. say the Rockford-based marketer and licenser of footwear and apparel is in the “late innings” of a months-long...

Haworth continues growth streak amid office uncertainty: ‘Change is good for us’

Higher revenues in 2023 extended Haworth Inc.’s growth streak to four straight years following a steep industry decline in the first year of the...
Blackford Capital building

Grand Rapids private equity firm grows automation platform with latest deal

Blackford Capital’s recent acquisition of an automation engineering services and training firm will help boost a new platform that the Grand Rapids private equity...
Tree clearing for development

Chinese EV battery maker Gotion starts cutting trees for $2.4B factory near Big Rapids

After receiving a $23.6 million disbursement from the state, Chinese battery manufacturer Gotion Inc. on Wednesday morning began to clear trees from the site...
Food manufacturing expansion

Flavor company completes $10M expansion for Kalamazoo-area operations

Flavor manufacturer FlavorSum LLC has completed an expansion project at its Kalamazoo-area campus that will boost the company’s flavor processing capabilities.    The flavor producer, a...

Latest expansion positions former COVID vaccine producer for next 5 years of growth

Completing a major expansion provides Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing Inc. with significant new capacity to support growth.  The expansion added 90,000 square feet of production...
Credit: Gotion Inc.

Gotion prepares for environmental reviews of $2.4B battery plant

Gotion Inc. is preparing to submit “very comprehensive” requests for local, state and federal environmental permits to advance its $2.4 billion battery manufacturing project...

Former Trendway manufacturing operations to close, citing ‘significant losses’

Less than five years after acquiring Trendway Corp., Fellowes Brands Inc. plans to cease operations at the Holland-area contract furniture manufacturing facility in 2024,...
Automation manufacturing facility

Recent deals raise Huizenga Group’s automation profile — again

After scaling up and eventually selling lakeshore Industry 4.0 powerhouse JR Automation over two decades, Kentwood-based manufacturing investment firm Huizenga Group in recent years...