Certified Business Park Development News
Job growth continues in Fort Custer Industrial Park, world-renowned for global automotive suppliers. Diversification now includes not only United Solar Ovonics and photovoltaic solar panels, but also TODA, manufacturing lithium ion battery materials necessary for the electrification of automobiles.
TODA anticipates completion of Phase I construction this autumn, with Phase II expected to be operational in 2012. Total employment for both phases is expected to reach 57. The planned investment in Battle Creek will approach $77 million.
Warehousing machinery and equipment at the Battle Creek site, United Solar Ovonics has reported approximately $103 million of investment of their planned $220 investment.
Musashi Auto Parts - Michigan, Inc. has completed a $2 million expansion and added up to seven new jobs.
Roesler Metal Finishing USA LLC recently announced the addition of 58 new jobs, following an expansion of their Denso Road facility, nearly doubling the square feet of Roesler in Battle Creek.
Local residents who wished to preserve charming old stone structures on Fort Custer land planned for future development were pleased with efforts by Battle Creek Unlimited and the VA Medical Center to relocate a stone fountain dating to the Civilian Conservation Corps presence in Battle Creek. The stone fountain is intended to grace a common area on the VA Medical Center property for patients and their families.
For the future, look for an updated, contemporary new look for Battle Creek Unlimited marketing materials. In addition to bright new signs throughout the industrial park, BCU print, video, and electronic promotional pieces will sport fresh colors and branding.
Additions In The Lawrence-Crandall Business Centre
The Lawrence-Crandall Business Centre added The American Cooler Technologies company in October 2008 that built a 23,000 square foot building, manufacturing walk-in coolers. The Business Center also on June 26 formally opened up The Robert Brausch Jr. Park to the public for fishing and general recreation. It is located at the northeast corner of the Business Center. The center also added a water tower in October 2008.
Charlotte Weick
Advance Newspapers
Those who rely on Allegan County Transportation (ACT) will benefit from the county's recently completed 22,788-foot transit facility. The facility is strategically located in the Highland Industrial Park in the City of Allegan at 750 Airway Drive. The location is central to the county, near state highways and close to a local dialysis unit, which is the destination of many ACT riders. Architects for the project were DLZ of Lansing, with Ownes-Ames-Kimbel of Grand Rapids serving as project manager.
ACT buses provide low-cost transportation for citizens in the largely rural community in areas that do not have regular bus service. Riders include patients who must travel to receive dialysis several times per week, Allegan County Mental Health clients, unemployed citizens traveling to Michigan Works!, seniors who attend community meals and citizens who need rides to medical appointments. ACT buses are equipped for the use of riders in wheelchairs, with walkers and those who have difficulty using steps.
The number of people riding ACT buses continues to grow, especially for those who need rides to medical appointments and places of employment, said ACT Director Dan Wedge.
The new facility, made possible through several state and federal grants, has a transit administration, vehicle maintenance, a bus wash, inside storage and outdoor parking. ACT riders schedule rides ahead of time and the new facility allows for several call takers with access to scheduling software. Inside storage for buses will save on fuel costs, as the buses will not have to idle for long periods to warm up.
"The project was a great success," Wedge said. "This facility is set to serve the citizens of Allegan County for many years to come."
An open house is planned for July. For more information, call Wedge at (269) 686-4529. For more information on ACT services, visit the Allegan County website at www.allegancounty.org.
Alex Nixon
Kalamazoo Gazette
Construction has started on an 85,000-square-foot warehouse at Midlink Business Park, and the former General Motors plant east of Kalamazoo that houses a variety of companies.
The warehouse, expected to be completed by the end of October or early November, will house Seneca Medical Inc.'s Kalamazoo distribution operation.
The Tiffin, Ohio-based medical supplier said in February that it was buying land at Midlink for a distribution center to serve its Michigan customers, including Bronson Healthcare Group, owner of Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo.
"Bronson, they were the prime reason for our move to Kalamazoo," Todd Howell, Seneca's chief financial officer, said Tuesday. "It wasn't so much Seneca Medical selling ourselves to Bronson. It was Bronson selling Kalamazoo to us."
The new warehouse will be east of the Midlink Business Park's two existing building on Sprinkle Road, just south of I-94 in Comstock Township.
Privately held Seneca Medical is a regional provider of medical and surgical supplies and medical equipment to hospitals, nursing homes and physician practices.
James Ware Construction of Sturgis is the general contractor for the project. Owner James Ware said excavation of the site is completed and the foundation is going in. Ware said he expects the steel structure to begin going up in June.
Howell and Seneca began operations in Kalamazoo in April. About 10 employees are working out of leased space inside the Midlink East building until the new warehouse is complete.
"We had bought the land to build, but we wanted to start operations as quickly as possible," Howell said.
By the end of Seneca's first year of operation in the new building - around the fourth quarter of 2011 - Howell said he expects the company to have 20 to 25 employees.
"We're in start-up mode, and we need to match our payroll with workload," he said. "As we continue to sign on additional customers, we'll continue to ramp up."
Seneca's investment in the land and building will total about $3.5 million, Howell said. The company has said it could employ up to 50 workers in coming years.
Jeff Hogan
The County Press
More than 100 new jobs will be created as the result of several tax breaks approved Monday evening by the Lapeer City Commission for two industrial manufacturers.
ZF Lemforder Corp. was granted a 12-year Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption for improvements underway at its facility at 3300 John Conley Drive in the Lapeer Industrial and Research Park located off Lake Nepessing Road. The company is investing $13.8 million in building improvements and new equipment that will translate to at least 67 new jobs, stated plant manager Gary Phillips, as well as the retention of 142 existing jobs. Fifty-two of the new jobs are already in place.
Headquartered in Germany, ZF Lemforder is a leading worldwide automotive supplier for driveline and chassis technology.
The average production wage at ZF Lemforder is approximately $19.10 per hour (with benefits).
In a separate action, the city commission granted a request from Hydraulic Tubes and Fittings to transfer two existing Industrial Facilities Tax Exemptions covering personal property in Imlay City to a new 92,000-square-foot facility the company recently purchased at 434 McCormick Drive in Lapeer. In addition, one new tax 12-year break was issued as well.
The company is already renovating the building at a cost of $269,540, and will be purchasing and installing new equipment at a cost of $865,000. The firm currently has 37 employees, and expects to create another 13 jobs at the McCormick site.
Hydraulic Tubes is expected to move from its Imlay City location to Lapeer on April 30. It will take approximately eight weeks before the company is fully operational.
The company manufactures pipes and tubes, fluid and gas regulators, pipe fittings, pipe flanges, traps and strainers, tube fittings, as well as valves, hardware and fittings, ducts, hoses and other products.
The projected wage for Hydraulic Tubes & Fittings is $11.25 per hour. The 50 jobs are all new to the City of Lapeer. Total projected income for the new jobs based on a 40-hour work week is $1.9 million.
Corporate representatives for both companies were greeted with a round of applause by the city commission and those in attendance for their investment and new job creation in the city of Lapeer at a time of 19.4 percent unemployment in Lapeer County.
The Lapeer Development Corporation (LDC) has assisted the company with identifying financing for the project. An SBA 504 loan was used to finance the project. As the company has grown LDC has provided assistance with several Industrial Facilities Exemption Certificates. Small business counseling assistance has been provided to the company since they began.
Dart Development Group recently closed a deal with Fitzgerald Henne & Associates, Inc., a Dart Development tenant since 1999. Fitzgerald Henne needed to move from their Delhi Township location in Oakwood Executive Park to the City of Lansing. Rather than lose a long-standing tenant, Dart Development offered to build out a new suite for them within the business park's City of Lansing jurisdiction. Dart Development Group's property management team customized the new suite to meet the tenant's specifications, and the tenant was given a competitive lease rate, ensuring the continuation of an excellent business relationship.
By Chris Gautz
Jackson Citizen Patriot
When Kaneka Texas closed its doors last year, it left 50 people without work and left unoccupied one of Jackson County's most prime pieces of industrial real estate.
Before production ceased in August 2008, a variety of state and local officials worked to find a buyer and spent nearly all year securing the financing.
On Tuesday, the long-awaited deal was finalized when Maverick Industries purchased the Blackman Township facility off I-94, at 4335 County Farm Road and plans to begin operations next month. Maverick is expected to hire 90 people, including some who had worked at Kaneka, within five years.
Scott Fleming, president and CEO of The Enterprise Group, Jackson County's economic-development organization, led the initiative and marketed the building for Kaneka. He said he showed it to close to 40 companies who considered purchasing it.
"We had to kiss a lot of frogs, and we found a prince to come in," Fleming said of Maverick.
Tom Grace, Maverick's executive vice president and CEO, said his company will be one of the largest steam chest molding facilities in North America, designing and producing packaging solutions for a variety of high-growth industries.
At a luncheon Tuesday, Fleming brought together a number of the key players in the deal to extend his thanks.
Steven Skarke, site manager and senior vice president of operations for Kaneka, surprised everyone in attendance when he handed Fleming a check for $50,000 as a thank-you donation for all the EG's hard work.
Skarke read a letter from Kaneka President Shinji Mizusawa and said they hoped the EG will be able to use the money to continue to attract business to the area.
"It was a difficult decision to close down and anything that we could do to keep employment in the area and keep some of these folks working was going to be a win-win situation," Skarke said.
Fleming said he wished there were more companies like Kaneka around to work with. He said because the company left nearly $16 million worth of the plant's equipment, office furniture and computers in the facility, it made it more attractive to sell.
Kaneka spent eight years at the Blackman Township plant making energy absorbers" the foam between the plastic and metal bumper pieces" for the automotive industry.
U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, who assisted in the deal, said he was pleased to hear of the company's donation.
"This is a very wonderful Christmas present," Schauer said.
Fleming said he was also thankful for the efforts of state Rep. Mike Simpson, who died Friday after suffering a heart attack.
"Mike was part of it, too," Fleming said.
Special thanks to John Waldron and Bill Jors of County National Bank as they assisted with financing a major portion of the project.
Good News is Happening in Plainwell Industrial Park
--TMD Machining, Inc. Receives 2009 Best of Business Award
The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) recently announced that TMD Machining, Inc. located in Plainwell's Industrial Park at 751 Wakefield, has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Precision Machining Category.
The SBCA 2009 Award Program recognizes the top 5% of small businesses throughout the country. Using consumer feedback, the SBCA identifies companies believed to be demonstrating what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from nominees based off information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, a review of consumer rankings, and other consumer reports. Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great.
About Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)
Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is a San Francisco based organization. The SBCA is a private sector entity that aims to provide tactical guidance with many day to day issues that small businesses owners face. In addition to SBCA's main goal of providing a central repository of small business operational advice, the SBCA uses consumer feedback to identify companies that exemplify what makes small business a vital part of the American economy.
Source: Small Business Commerce Association
Small Business Commerce Association
Email: Press@SBCAAwards.org
The Certified Business Park Program Welcomes Central Business Park
Central Business Park in Southfield is the newest park in the Certified Business Park Program. With on site property management, a central fiber hub, multi-tenant flex/office space buildings, an excellent metro location and state business incentives, this park is a wonderful addition to the program!
By Jennie Miller - C & G Staff Writer
Changchun, known as the "Motor City" of China, has set up the base to serve as a place where Detroit's auto manufacturing community can work with its own 13 auto parts manufacturers. This location is the first of 10 Chinese auto parts bases planned in the U.S., according to information released by the company. Click here to read the full article.
The opening of the Changchun Auto Parts Base North America will provide a place for local firms to make contact with companies in what is often described as China's automotive capital. Click here to read the full article.
Diverse Economic Growth for the City of Plainwell
We had a continuation of the same success we saw in 2007 during which three new businesses relocated to our Certified Industrial Park. For instance, in 2007, Circuit Board Services (929 Industrial Parkway), Ultimate Installations (921 Wakefield), and Poly Processors (401 N. Acorn) established themselves as successful additions to Plainwell's diverse economic base. 2008 saw the same success with three additional business relocations. For example, FBN Sales quickly saw an opporunity to relocate from Kalamazoo Township to the City of Plainwell when 928 Industrial Parkway, formerly Concept Manufacturing, became available. Definitely filling the void with Concept Manufacturing's absence, FBN Sales, a bottle component manufacturer that works with commercial beverage companies to provide their equipment and supplies, employs 12 people. Laughlin Mold and Machine, 418 N. Acorn, largely caters to the small proto-type injection mold industry with experience in larger production molds, blow molds, stamping die manufacturing and repair. Along with the expansion of the mold industry, Laughlin Mold and Machine has also begun manufacturing jigs, gauges, and end of arm tooling. JS Automation, Inc., 501 N. Acorn, also a relocated business from the surrounding area, employs approximately 12 people and caters to local OEM and manufacturing facilities in Kalamazoo and surrounding areas. Specifically, JS Automation, Inc. provides customers with Machine Panel Design & Engineering, Panel Assembly, Auto Cad Drawing, PLC programming, Touch Screen programming, Servo Motor programming, machine electrical troubleshooting and repair, field wiring, and machine start-ups as required. It is companies like these that the City of Plainwell is proud to welcome to our Certified Business Park and the community. Plainwell Industrial Park Webpage.
Technology Renaissance in Action
As Michigan searches for a new economic direction, Midland continues to be a bright spot in the state - and the nation - with explosive business growth in the chemical and technology industries. One look at Eastwick Industrial Park, located just north of Dow Corning Corporation's Midland Plant and The Dow Chemical Company's Michigan Operations site, serves as a microcosm of the technology renaissance occurring throughout the entire area.
A week ago, Lot 10 in Eastwick Industrial Park was lightly forested vacant land. Last Friday, however, Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar closed on the purchase of the lot to build a new facility there. Evergreen's Midland plant will prepare their proprietary "string ribbon," a crucial component of their cutting-edge solar panel manufacturing process. With the expertise of The Dow Chemical Company and Dow Corning Corporation here, not to mention the proximity of Hemlock Semiconductor, Evergreen Solar is taking full advantage of Midland's location, technology infrastructure and in-depth expertise in chemical processing and technology development business.
Chemical and technology companies require suppliers with broad industry experiences of their own. New-Tech™, founded and based in Midland since 1993, supplies custom chemistry laboratory equipment to meet the ever-expanding needs of chemical industry customers. Earlier this year - as they were in the midst of winning statewide recognition as one of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch in 2008 - New-Tech was building and relocating to a new 5,800-square-foot facility at the entrance of Eastwick Industrial Park to accommodate rapidly growing demand for their products. This strong and continuing industry demand resulted in building an integrated manufacturing facility expandable up to twice its size to accommodate future business.
Industrial businesses also rely on a reliable warehousing and distribution base. Central Warehouse, Inc., has been a tenant in Eastwick Industrial Park for the last seven years. A 50,000-square-foot expansion last year quickly proved inadequate to handle additional new contracts from Midland's economic base businesses, so the company purchased two additional lots on the north side of the park to construct another 50,000-square-foot facility that will be operational by December, 2008.
From suppliers to warehousing to the high-tech businesses themselves, Midland has a fully integrated chemical and technology industry infrastructure. Multiple expansions in Eastwick Industrial Park are only one aspect of business confidence in the community. Midland also boasts multiple new projects at Dow Chemical, Dow Corning, Hemlock Semiconductor, Mid-Michigan Health, Consumer's Energy, Mid-Michigan Energy 12 winners of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch competition over the past three years and an amazing high-tech product development pace. The Midland area is truly becoming the integral hub for Michigan's technology renaissance. Click to visit the Eastwick Industrial Park.
New Business in Plainwell Industrial Park
There is a new business in Plainwell's Industrial Park, Rope Lok LLC., which is 95% occupied. We only have about 19,000 SF available in the park as a whole, comprised of only two buildings. This business, Rope Lok, credits our small business revolving loan, availability of tax abatements, and the city's ability to help with business marketing through our website, press releases, and opportunities through MEDA, such as this newsletter to influence their decision to locate to 300 N. Acorn in Plainwell's Industrial Park.