More than 150 new jobs and nearly $6 million in capital investments are coming to the cities of Auburn Hills and Southfield.
Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. has been making car stereos for decades. Now the Torrance, California-headquartered company is moving closer to the automobile industry.
The manufacturer of high-performance mobile electronics Alpine is moving its headquarters to Auburn Hills. The move puts the company closer to the autonomous vehicle industry, allowing it to develop technology and products for the automakers jointly.
The move will create 100 jobs for the city and generate a total capital investment of $5.1 million. As a result, the state has awarded the company a $650,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Auburn Hills is offering a 50 percent property tax abatement, too.
"This new investment will allow Alpine to continue developing technologies for work in the autonomous vehicle industry," says Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel.
"Our City Council and staff have worked diligently to support this exciting project, and we are looking forward to their continued success."
Also in the news is Danish company Configit, which makes configuration technology for leading manufacturing companies. With offices all over the world, the company is opening an office in Southfield for its U.S.-based software product development team.
The move will create 51 high-tech and administrative jobs and generate a total capital investment of $803,000. As a result, Configit has been awarded a $365,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant, and the city of Southfield plans to expedite the permit process.
"We’re pleased Configit has chosen Southfield as the location for its software product development team in the United States," says Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.
"Oakland County is connecting many of its 2,000+ IT companies operating here through our Tech248 initiative and a global company such as Configit fits perfectly into the strategy."
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