Several projects approved for economic incentives are expected to add nearly $60 million to Michigan’s economy and 388 more jobs.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) officials announced the latest Michigan Strategic Fund projects Tuesday.
Two are business expansions that will grow the state’s semiconductor ecosystem. Other grants support affordable housing, more daycare and business development in Albion, Kalamazoo, and Sault Ste. Marie.
“Our goal is to build an economy of the future and compete with everyone to bring advanced manufacturing home to Michigan,” Whitmer said. “Today’s approvals show that our work is paying off.
“Let’s keep working together to invest in every region of the state, create good-paying jobs, and build thriving towns offering strong opportunities for families and businesses.”
Quentin Messer Jr., MEDC CEO and president of the Michigan Strategic Fund, said the moves improve Michigan’s role in the semiconductor industry, advanced and electric-vehicle manufacturing.
In Auburn Hills, 180 jobs will be added to the existing 26 jobs at indie Semiconductor, a California-based design and testing facility. The company specializes in automotive semiconductors and software platforms for high-performance driver safety and automation, among other innovative work.
The expansion makes indie the first to create or expand a design team in the state for mobility and vehicle electrification. The Auburn Hills office will include a best-in-class semiconductor design and testing facility. The state is providing a $10 million business development program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen for the project over competing sites from a number of other states, and the project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $12.5 million.
“Following the CHIPS Act, this marks another crucial step forward for indie and all semiconductor design and manufacturing companies, to increase U.S. leadership in the competitive automotive industry,” said Donald McClymont, indie Semiconductor’s co-founder and CEO. “This investment creates new job opportunities and allows indie to tap into and help grow the talented engineering community of Michigan.”
Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin R. McDaniel said the city was honored to be chosen for indie Semiconductor’s next strategic investment, adding that the company will complement “our already diverse corporate community and we look forward to continuing to support their success into the future.”
BorgWarner, established in 1928, is a global automotive supplier and has close to 1,700 employees in Michigan.
The expansion will add 186 jobs and expand electric vehicle product development and testing, including battery modules, battery packs, and DC fast chargers as well as scale up its DC fast-charging manufacturing operations.
The project also includes expansions at its Auburn Hills, Dearborn, and Hazel Park operations as well as a fourth, yet-to-be-determined location across Oakland and Wayne counties, for which the Auburn Hills mayor said he is grateful for the investment.
BorgWarner’s initiatives are expected to produce a $20.6 million total capital investment, and it is supported by a $1.86 million performance-based grant for business development from the state.
Frédéric B. Lissalde, BorgWarner’s president and CEO, said the company is pleased to continue investing in Michigan. The MEDC, he said, is supporting the fast-charging and battery capabilities that are part of the evolution to electrification.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter praised the BorgWarner project for adding jobs, investing in the fast-growing electric vehicle market and for its carbon neutrality goals.
“We have enjoyed a long and prosperous relationship with BorgWarner, since they moved their headquarters from downtown Chicago to Auburn Hills in 2005,” he said.
Other projects are based in Albion, downtown Kalamazoo, Sault Ste. Marie, Marshall, Ann Arbor and Marquette.
Learn more at https://www.michiganbusiness.org/public-notices-rfps.
