New investments adding manufacturing, high-tech, life sciences jobs across Michigan

Zoetis, LLC expanding operations, adding 59 new jobs in Kalamazoo, Calhoun Counties · Fraud Sniffr, Inc. expanding operations, relocating headquarters, creating 45 high-tech jobs in Ottawa County · Altus Industries expanding, adding 27 high-tech jobs in Kent County · Falk Production, LLC expanding, adding 45 new jobs in Kent County · SJS Electric expanding, adding 60 jobs in Calhoun County

LANSING, Mich. –The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) today announced business expansion projects in Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Ottawa and Kent Counties, which in total are expected to generate nearly $153 million in capital investment and create 236 new high-tech jobs, have received support from the Michigan Strategic Fund.

“Michigan is on the move, and making great things happen in high-tech industries. We applaud the efforts of these companies and their commitment to Making it in Michigan,” said MEDC Sr. Vice President of Regional Prosperity Matt McCauley. “Working with our local partners and businesses across the state helps continue our efforts to focus on people, places, and projects to ensure economic prosperity for all.”

Zoetis, LLC is a global leader in animal health medicines and vaccines, with a focus on both livestock and companion animals. The company was a business unit of Pfizer, Inc. for more than 60 years and since 2013, as an independent public company, has been committed to enhancing the health of animals and bringing solutions to the customers who raise and care for them.

Zoetis is expecting to launch a new product and plans to expand its facility in the city of Kalamazoo, where it will construct a two-story building consisting of manufacturing, lab, support, and packaging space, as well as growing their presence in Southwest Michigan with a new leased location in Battle Creek. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of at least $115 million and will create future well-paying jobs in addition to 1,500 jobs currently in Kalamazoo, with the support of a $295,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen for the project over other global sites. This investment will bring Zoetis’ total investment in Kalamazoo County to approximately $400 million in recent years. This project highlights the state’s efforts to position Michigan as a leader in the life sciences and medical device industry, further helping to make Michigan a top-tier location for life sciences development and manufacturing.

Zoetis believes in promoting from within and offers numerous development opportunities to its employees that allow them to grow their skill sets. The project will bring 59 life sciences and corporate services jobs to the area and will solidify the company’s presence and future investment in the state.

“We are excited to see the continued growth of the animal health legacy at Zoetis in Kalamazoo. The expansion of their manufacturing facility is a showcase of the strength of Michigan’s life science industry,” said Jonas Peterson, CEO of Southwest Michigan First. “The collaboration shown by the State, city of Kalamazoo, and workforce partners to secure this project is a great example of getting it done and leading to the creation of more than 50 jobs for the citizens in our region.”

“Battle Creek Unlimited congratulates Zoetis on their expansion and is thrilled that Battle Creek’s speculative building development and Foreign Trade Zone #43 played a small role in Zoetis choosing to expand in the region,” said Joe Sobieralski, President and CEO of Battle Creek Unlimited. “Their growing footprint into Battle Creek is a great addition to our community. We look forward to working with them for many years to come.”

The city of Kalamazoo has also approved a 50-percent property tax abatement in support of the project. Learn more about careers with Zoetis. 

Altus Industries, Inc., based in the city of Walker, is a design and manufacturing company dedicated to creating advanced workflow solutions in a changing healthcare market, with a focus on mobile technology workstations. The company primarily delivers and implements their solutions at hospitals and medical clinics across the United States.

Altus has outgrown its current space and is evaluating locations in West Michigan where it can add office and production space. The expansion will also include a new service center and additional technology development capabilities to allow the company to continue investing in healthcare innovation and marketing-leading solutions.

The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of nearly $1.2 million and create 27 jobs with the support of a $128,250 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The company chose Michigan for the expansion over a competing site in Florida due to the strength of the healthcare and tech industries in West Michigan.

“We are thrilled to partner with MEDC and The Right Place at this time in our company’s history and with the changing market needs,” said Altus Industries Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Spinney. “We are taking advantage of the unique opportunity to invest in our growth alongside the significant healthcare technology growth in West Michigan. Considering the growth of AI within the healthcare technology space and how Altus is continuing to evolve our portfolio into workflow solutions, aligning with our key partners, our organization is at an inflection point culturally. Investing in our workplace and team members will accelerate our trajectory significantly, by continuing our portfolio focus on AI enablement, fleet management, connected technologies, and more solutions to better support our partners, care providers and patient care.”

The new positions will support various functional areas such as electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, fabrication, computer analytics, market research, sales, and office/administrative support. The project strengthens Michigan’s life sciences and healthcare industries. Michigan ranks among the top 10 in the nation for the number of life sciences and medical device businesses and also falls within the top 10 for biomedical engineering graduates to support growth and innovation throughout the industry.

“The Right Place is thrilled to have played a role in supporting the expansion of Altus Industries,” said Eric Icard, Senior Business Development Manager at The Right Place and project lead. “This step forward, marked by the integration of new technology into their operations, showcases their commitment to our region. Their expansion further solidifies Greater Grand Rapids as a major player in the healthcare and technology industries, and we look forward to seeing what innovations stem from their growth.”

The Right Place plans to offer staff time and resources in support of the project. Learn more about careers with Altus.

Fraud Sniffr, Inc. is a tech company that uses social media and online search engines to provide full-service surveillance capabilities for the insurance and legal defense industries. The company currently employs 16 remote workers in Michigan.

Fraud Sniffr is experiencing significant growth in its customer base and needs to expand its physical presence with plans to relocate its headquarters from Baltimore to Grand Haven Charter Township. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $585,000 and create 45 jobs with the support of a $225,000 Micro Michigan Business Development Program (MMBDP) performance-based grant. The company chose to expand in Michigan rather than remain in Baltimore due to the state’s experienced, high-tech workforce.

"We are pleased to have worked with the MEDC in attracting Fraud Sniffr, Inc. to Grand Haven Charter Township. Fraud Sniffr, Inc. is a full-service surveillance company for the insurance and legal defense industries utilizing social media and online search engines," said Elizabeth Butler, Director of Economic Development Strategic Directions, The Chamber. "Attracting this type of technology business exemplifies the type of opportunity for Northwest Ottawa County in terms of new investments and jobs. The capital investment of up to $585,000 represents growth in the local tax base and the opportunity to add new jobs in Michigan."

Fraud Sniffr offers full benefits and will add 45 new remote tech jobs to the area. The project will solidify the company’s presence and future investment in Michigan and help promote Michigan and the MEDC’s efforts to foster high-wage job growth in the tech and informational technology ecosystem throughout the state.

“We are excited to work with MEDC to bring a new kind of knowledge industry to Ottawa County,” said Fraud Sniffr CEO Marci De Vries. “West Michigan has a deep talent pool and excellent educational resources to partner with as we grow our specialized investigation solutions nationwide. We appreciate the State’s welcoming approach to transferring businesses from other states into Michigan.”

“We appreciate the effort and support of the Grand Haven Chamber and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to bring Fraud Sniffr Inc’s headquarters to Grand Haven,” said William D. Cargo, Grand Haven Charter Township Superintendent & Manager. “We look forward to working closely Fraud Sniffr on future endeavors within the Township.”

The Chamber of Commerce Grand Haven, Spring Lake, Ferrysburg has offered staff assistance in support of the project. Learn more about Fraud Sniffr’s open positions.

The Micro Michigan Business Development Program is designed to promote business growth, especially in rural areas or areas with high unemployment as well as target industries. The MMBDP provides grants, loans, or other economic assistance to businesses for highly competitive projects in Michigan that have fewer job creation numbers than required by the original MBDP guidelines.

Falk Production, LLC is a manufacturer of insulated metal building panels (IMP) for use in building, roof, cold storage, and wall construction projects located in Walker. The company’s ultimate parent company, FALK North America NL B.V., located in Lunteren, The Netherlands. The company began producing insulated metal panels in the United States in 2020. Since then, the company has improved its production capabilities and expanded its team by hiring additional personnel. Currently, the company employs a total of 46 Michigan residents.

The company is seeing extraordinary growth opportunities in West Michigan, and beyond, and is planning to expand its existing insulated panel manufacturing operation, anticipating $35 million in new investments and the creation of an additional 45 new jobs with the support of a $270,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen over competing considerations in Colorado that would offer a more centralized location and opportunities to more easily sell and distribute to customers in the Western and Southwestern U.S.

“Headquartered in the Netherlands, Falk Panel initially worked with The Right Place back in 2018 to establish their first North American operations right here in Walker,” said Brent Case, VP of Business Attraction of The Right Place, and the lead on this project. “We’re thrilled to see the significant growth they’ve had over the past five years and happy that they’ve chosen to continue their expansion and investment in our region.”

Due to an existing P.A. 425 Agreement between the Cities of Grand Rapids and Walker, the project location is within the boundaries of the City of Walker but under the taxing jurisdiction of the City of Grand Rapids, which is working to facilitate an Industrial Facilities Tax Abatement (PA 198) for the project. The MEDC also authorized a State Education Tax Abatement to be used in conjunction with the locally approved abatement. Learn more about careers with Falk Production.

SJS Electric VDC is spinoff of SJS Electric, a traditional electrical contractor. Headquartered in Battle Creek, the company provides virtual design of electrical systems for buildings, a service that complements the structural blueprints that an architect would design. The company currently has 23 employees, 12 of which are in Battle Creek.

SJS is at capacity at its Battle Creek location and plans to expand to allow for additional employees. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $902,000 and create 60 specialized engineering design and development jobs with the support of a $350,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen over competing sites in Texas and Virginia because of the existing training program the company already has in place in Battle Creek. The project will help solidify the company’s presence and future business in the state of Michigan.

Joe Sobieralski, President & CEO of Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), remarked, “We are pleased that SJS has chosen to expand their business here in Battle Creek. This is a rapidly growing company with an innovative service that is a great fit for our community. We look forward to seeing them grow in the coming years.”

“We are proud to be part of the Battle Creek community. Everyone here has been supportive of our overall vision since Day 1. Together we are bringing opportunities for talented folks right here in Battle Creek,” SJS CEO Jason Sisum said. “SJS will continue to push to be world class in our industry and provide our customers with the best service by utilizing the best local talent right here in Southwest Michigan. Special thanks to the MEDC, BCU, Kellogg Community College, the City of Battle Creek, and Michigan Works! They all worked very hard to make this happen, and we are thankful our relationships with these people.”

SJS received a grant from the City of Battle Creek’s Small Business Development team, which provided equipment for training new employees. BCU is providing relocation support through its Talent Retention, Attraction, and Inclusion iNcentive (TRAIN) Program as well as follow-up support. SJS will also receive assistance from Kellogg Community College, which administers the Michigan New Jobs Training Program, and Michigan Works! Southwest, which provides support for recruiting, screening, and training workers. Learn more about careers with SJS Electric VDC.

  

  

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

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 our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Twitter.