Grand Rapids Reporter

Two Michigan business have received support from the Michigan Strategic Fund to help their expansion plans which will create 138 new jobs and generate a total private investment of $87.7 million.

According to a press release, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) in announcing that two business expansion projects in the state have received support from the Michigan Strategic Fund. Coastal Container and Hudsonville Creamery are expanding and their investments are projected to create 138 new jobs and generate a total private investment of $87.7 million.

“With 4.3% unemployment, strong small business growth, and rising wages, our economy is on the move, and I will stay focused on the fundamentals that matter most to working families and communities while ensuring Michigan leads the way in key industries like manufacturing and agribusiness,” Whitmer said, according to the press release. “I will keep fighting to bring more jobs and investment to Michigan and work with anyone to grow our economy.”

Based in the city of Holland, Coastal Container will expand its company facility, adding 65,000 square feet of manufacturing space and new equipment including a rail spur for delivery of raw material which is expected to decrease the company's yearly consumption of diesel fuel by more than 150,000 gallons.

The expansion project is expected to generate a total capital investment of at least $22 million and create at least 62 jobs. The project is supported by a $264,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant.

“Our family has been in the corrugated business for 60 years now,” Coastal Container CEO Brent Patterson said, according to the press release. “In these past couple of years, Coastal Container has seen tremendous growth, which allows us to make this expansion to better serve our customers and community.” 

Hudsonville Creamery and Ice Cream Company will expand its facility in the city of Holland, adding manufacturing space, new equipment, renovating employee facilities and adding a wastewater treatment plant.

The project will receive a capital investment of $65.7 million and create 76 jobs. The project will be supported by a $1 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant.

“Hudsonville Ice Cream commitment to West Michigan is a great example of the continued strength of West Michigan’s agribusiness industry, and to see Coastal Container continue to thrive is exciting,” Lakeshore Advantage President Jennifer Owens said, according to the press release. “We applaud both companies on their continued success.”

“The decisions by Coastal Container and Hudsonville Ice Cream to expand in Michigan highlight the enduring strength of Michigan’s value proposition: talented workforce, diverse industries and the shared commitment to ensuring that a business environment exists that creates long-term economic growth in our state,” Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of MEDC and President and Chair of the MSF Board said, according to the press release. “These projects are representative of our holistic, people-first approach to economic development that rewards risk-takers while further securing Michigan’s leadership in the industries that will propel our economy into the future.”