July 14, 2016 Updated 7/14/2016
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Crain’s Detroit Business
File photo Denso’s Battle Creek, Mich., plant.
Denso Manufacturing Michigan Inc., a manufacturer of automotive air conditioning and engine cooling systems, is expanding in Battle Creek, Mich.
The company plans to add new manufacturing capabilities at its Battle Creek facility to support additional sales with its North American customers, investing more than $ 37 million and creating 125 jobs, it said in a June 13 news release.
The project was been awarded a $ 687,500 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The city of Battle Creek and/or Battle Creek Unlimited will support the project through training and relocation assistance, the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
The Battle Creek site include in-house molding for its thermal products, but company officials were not available to say if the investment will include more plastics operations.
“Denso is an important employer in Battle Creek and its decision to expand there rather than in another state underscores Michigan’s business-friendly environment and our leadership position in automotive manufacturing,” MEDC CEO Steve Arwood said. “This investment will provide good employment opportunities to Michigan residents and will create a long-term positive impact on the local economy.”
Denso Manufacturing Michigan Inc., founded in Battle Creek in 1984, is a subsidiary of Denso International America Inc. DMMI is the lead production facility for Denso’s Thermal Systems North American Center TAC and the largest employer in Battle Creek. DMMI manufactures automotive air conditioning and engine cooling components and systems, including condensers, radiators, CRFMs (condenser, radiator and fan modules), heater cores, evaporators and HVAC units. The DMMI campus in Battle Creek comprises nearly 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing, warehouse and administrative floor space in six buildings on more than 100 acres of land, and is the largest facility in Fort Custer Industrial Park.
“The jobs Denso offers today are significantly different than when we started production in Battle Creek 30 years ago,” DMMI President Andris Staltmanis said. “We are excited to make this investment to train and prepare our current and future employees for these higher-skilled, higher-paying, sustainable jobs.”
The Michigan Strategic Fund funding, combined with a $ 125,000 training and relocation incentive from Battle Creek Unlimited, will support on-site training classes and formal instruction at Kellogg Community College, the MEDC said in a statement. Associates will receive more than 130 hours of formal instruction in addition to extensive on-the-job training.
A job fair to fill more than 60 open direct hire manufacturing and skilled trades positions is scheduled for July 30. For more information, visit densocorp-na.com.
