Gentex will invest $300 million to expand operations at its Zeeland campus. | Gentex Corporation/Facebook
Gentex will invest $300 million to expand operations at its Zeeland campus. | Gentex Corporation/Facebook
Gentex Corporation, a leading manufacturer of high-tech electronics, will expand operations at its Zeeland campus.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) revealed the news on Tuesday in a press release from the governor's office. Gentex will invest $300 million in the expansion, with support from the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF).
"Time and time again, Team Michigan continues to demonstrate its commitment to winning the future of mobility and EV manufacturing here in Michigan,” Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of MEDC and president and chair of the MSF Board, said in the press release. "We recognize the landscape is fiercely competitive for these projects, and trust and believe Michigan is clearly up to the challenge – and together we will win, with our rich manufacturing legacy, highly skilled workforce, and globally connected location."
"Gentex ... is a high-tech supplier for the global automotive, aerospace, and commercial fire protection industries," the press release noted. The company currently employs more than 5,000 Michigan residents.
"Gentex's $300 million investment creating 500 good-paying jobs will grow Michigan's economy and help us continue leading the future of mobility and electrification," Whitmer said in the press release. "We can attract bold investments from cutting-edge firms like Gentex because of our bipartisan collaboration on economic development legislation last year, which has already led to billions of dollars in investment in Michigan and thousands of jobs."
Whitmer said the company has a long history in the state and the expansion will contribute to its legacy in the automotive industry.
"We're excited to announce that after two years of analyzing our manufacturing and R&D footprint, we've reached an agreement with the state of Michigan that supports our long-standing commitment to the state and provides the incentives necessary to facilitate our future growth initiatives in Michigan," Steve Downing, president and CEO of Gentex, said in the press release.
Downing said the investment will go towards constructing "new buildings and equipment over the next three years in support of our growth initiatives."
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