LANSING – A graphene manufacturer, XG Sciences, is expanding in the Lansing area with support from the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. announced.
That project, along with a new tech center in Northville and three community revitalization projects around the state that have also received MSF approval, will generate a total private investment of more than $27.4 million and create 193 jobs in Michigan.
The projects were:
- Lansing-based XG Sciences Inc. received a $520,000 Michigan Business Development Program grant to support a $15.3 million new plant in Ingham County’s Vevay Township. The company plans to create 75 new jobs at the plant. XG was founded in 2006 as a spinout of Michigan State University to commercialize technology to produce graphene nanoplatelets used for energy storage, aerospace, automotive, industrial and consumer markets. “This investment represents a significant achievement in the expansion of our company and is a recognition by our customers and the market of the exciting opportunity represented through adoption of our graphene-based products,” said XG Sciences CEO Philip Rose. Vevay Township has offered property tax abatements to support the project. For information on careers with XG, visit http://xgsciences.com/graphene-manufacturer/careers-in-graphene/.
- Zhongding USA Inc. received a $650,000 Michigan Business Development Program grant to support a $6.9 million, 30,000-square-foot North American Technology Center in Northville Township. Zhongding manufactures rubber and metal parts for automakers and suppliers. The new technology center will house sales, marketing, engineering, research, development and testing, and is expected to create 80 jobs. Michigan was chosen over a competing site in North Carolina. Northville Township has offered a property tax abatement to support the project. For information on careers with Zhongding U.S.A., contact marianne@zd-usa.com.
MSF also approved the following community redevelopment projects:
- 3424 Chicago Drive LLC received a $686,645 Michigan Community Revitalization Program grant to support a $4.2 million rehabilitation and construction project in downtown Hudsonville. The project will result in a mixed-use development that will include new retail, restaurant, office and residential space, and is expected to create 27 full-time equivalent jobs. The city of Hudsonville’s Downtown Development Authority will reimburse the developer for all eligible DDA expenses, estimated at $150,000 to be reimbursed over 10 years.
- The city of Three Rivers was awarded $365,788 in Community Development Block Grant funds for blight elimination and historic preservation needed for the Landmark Taphouse and Grille project in downtown Three Rivers. The project is expected to generate total private investment of $944,000 and create 11 jobs. Three Rivers city government will contribute $20,000 and the Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority will contribute $25,000 in support of the project.
- Alger County was awarded $100,000 in CDBG funds for a planning study needed for the Alger County-Upper Peninsula Forest Products Rail Study project. The Northwoods Rail Transit Commission, with membership composed of Northern Wisconsin and Michigan UP counties, has been leading an effort to seek solutions for effective rail transport in Michigan’s UP One of the industries that has been particularly hard hit is the forest products industry. Alger County seeks to have a planning study done to determine how to improve the availability of rail transportation for logs and other forest products. It is anticipated that the study, conducted collaboratively by Michigan Tech and region’s forest products and railroad industries, will lead to companies adding jobs in Alger County. Alger County will contribute matching funds of $100,000 from three funding sources: Michigan Department of Transportation ($17,500), Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development ($17,500), and Michigan Technological University/U.S. Department of Transportation ($65,000). These funds make up half the total cost of the project.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org.