MANUFACTURING
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Elevated mortgage rates slow Whirlpool’s appliance sales
U.S. mortgage rates that rose sharply in 2022 and remained elevated last year dented the earnings of global appliance maker Whirlpool Corp.
Executives with the...
Gentex acquires 6-acre property to expand Grand Rapids presence
Zeeland-based Tier 1 automotive and aerospace supplier Gentex Corp. continues to expand in the city of Grand Rapids, where it has acquired another property...
Stryker Corp. exceeds $20B in annual sales, expects uptick in M&A
Higher capital spending by hospitals in 2023 and the drive to develop more outpatient surgical centers contributed to Stryker Corp. exceeding $20 billion in...
This mini canning robot can package a 6-pack in seconds
An Allegan County industrial automation firm has developed a beverage packaging machine that can slash labor costs by two-thirds while boosting production for craft...
Gentex sales exceed $2B for first time in ‘remarkable year’ for supplier
Gentex Corp.’s sales exceeded $2 billion for the first time in 2023 as its core business of producing full display and auto-dimming mirrors for...
Manufacturer’s growth plan stalls amid automotive slowdown
Aggressive growth plans by a Grand Rapids-area manufacturer have been disrupted as an auto–sector slowdown causes layoffs and reduced work hours for nearly a...
Family-owned injection molding company seeking buyer before forced closure
Bridgville Plastics Inc., a third-generation injection molding business in southwest Michigan, will close at the end of February unless someone is in a position...