The Shyft Group plans hundreds of new jobs at Lansing-area manufacturing campus

The Shyft Group plans hundreds of new jobs at Lansing-area manufacturing campus

CHARLOTTE — After moving its corporate headquarters to Novi this summer, The Shyft Group Inc. announced that it plans to fill hundreds of new jobs at its manufacturing campus in Charlotte to meet growing commercial fleet and speciality vehicle needs.

The Shyft Group, formerly known as Spartan Motors until last summer, cited rising fleet vehicle demand in 2021 for the hiring frenzy.

“The Shyft Group has a long-standing history in Charlotte as it has served as our home base for more than 40 years,” The Shyft Group President and CEO Daryl Adams said in a statement. “Today, we have plants all over the country in which we build last-mile delivery vehicles. We choose to reinvest in Charlotte as a declaration of our commitment to our existing campus, this region and our highly skilled workforce.”

The Shyft Group operates a variety of commercial vehicle industry brands, including Utilimaster, Royal Truck Body, DuraMag, Strobes-R-Us, Spartan RV Chassis and Builtmore Contract Manufacturing.

The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) has teamed with various economic development partners for recruiting and job training for The Shyft Group.

“Bringing hundreds of employees to Charlotte and Michigan, nearly tripling its current density, is both a massive investment for Shyft and an injection of energy into an important community in the Lansing region,” said LEAP’s Tri-County Development & Placemaking Manager Dillon Rush. “Throughout the process, Shyft’s commitment to invest locally has been clear and our region is better off because of it.”

The past year ushered in a flurry of changes for The Shyft Group. The company divested its emergency response vehicles division to Milwaukee-based REV Group Inc. in February in a $55 million cash deal.

Over the summer, Shyft announced the name change and moved its corporate headquarters to 41280 Bridge St. in Novi, which features both 10,000 square feet of office space and 7,000 square feet of showroom.

The company cited airport access, highway visibility and difficulties hiring to the mid-Michigan area as reasons for the move. The Shyft Group has maintained a presence in Charlotte after the move while REV Group acquired four buildings on the campus as part of the deal.

“We are beyond excited for The Shyft Group’s new wave of hiring here in Charlotte,” Charlotte Mayor Michael Armitage said in a statement. “The Shyft Group has been, and continues to be, a staple business adding tangible and intangible value to our community.