What’s happening: It’s big news coming out of small town Michigan this week as The Shyft Group has announced plans to expand operations in Charlotte, a rural community southwest of Lansing in Eaton County. The delivery and specialty vehicle manufacturer will begin producing electric commercial vehicles at their Charlotte facility, investing $16 million in an expansion and creating 680 manufacturing jobs as a result.
What they’re building: Shyft Group will be manufacturing their new custom electric delivery vehicles, branded as Blue Arc EV Solutions, at the site. To do so, they’ll be investing $16 million in an expansion that includes upgrades to the current facilities and infrastructure, and installation of new equipment. It’s expected that the expansion will allow Shyft to manufacture up to 3,000 EVs each year.
Why it’s important: “This is another critical addition to the growing electric vehicle Capital of America here in the Lansing, Michigan region,” says Bob Trezise, President and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP). “From their family-owned roots in Charlotte, the Shyft Group’s impressive growth into an innovative global heavyweight industry player has blossomed under CEO Daryl Adam’s leadership and team. The competition from other communities and states is intense for a growing company like Shyft and overall for electric vehicle and adjacent industry projects. Shyft’s continued commitment to invest locally has been clear and our region is better off because of it.”
About that competition: As part of the news, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced that they’ve granted support of the project by way of an $800,000 Jobs Ready Michigan Program performance-based grant. The MEDC says that sites in Indiana and Pennsylvania were competing for Shyft’s jobs and investment. The grant will be used to assist in recruitment and training workers. The Shyft Group also plans to partner with Capital Area Michigan Works! in talent recruitment.
What they’re saying: “That Charlotte will be home to this important commercial segment of the electric vehicle market is fantastic news,” says Charlotte Mayor Michael Armitage. “The Shyft Group has been a vital part of the city's business community for many, many years and we are proud to continue partnering with their growing company.”
The Shyft Group is located at 1000 Reynolds Rd. in Charlotte.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.