Plascore, a manufacturer of lightweight composite products and engineered core, is investing $5,973,290 to grow their footprint in Zeeland, West Michigan. The company will construct a new 80,000 sqft facility in Zeeland that will lead to the creation of approximately 35 jobs over three years.
Plascore's have had experienced an increased demand for their machined aramid and aluminium products. Aramid fibres are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibres used in aerospace and military applications. As a result, the company continues to purchase new equipment and expand its production capacity.
The company currently employs 415 people and this new facility is expected to add 35 more that will be filled over the next three years, says Plastic news.
In addition to composite panels and honeycomb cores, Plascore manufactures cleanroom wall and ceiling systems for ultra-clean electronic and pharmaceutical manufacturing and it has capabilities for adhesive development, CNC machining, powder coating and welding. The US-based company also provides modular cleanroom systems for pharma and hi-tech industries.
Lakeshore Advantage, the local economic development organisation that assists employers with growth opportunities in Ottawa and Allegan counties, worked with the company and connected them with local resources to support their expansion.
"Plascore is an innovator in lightweight, high-performance composite products. Their growth in West Michigan continues to deepen the bench of manufactured products and diverse industry applications for those products," said Jennifer Owens, President of Lakeshore Advantage. "Their investment in equipment and operations demonstrates their commitment to the community and their employees."
The City of Zeeland approved an Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption over 12 years to support Plascore's project.
Two years ago Plascore expanded its Aerospace Business Unit in Zeeland, building an approximate 73,500 sqft addition onto its established facility. This expansion doubled the size of the facility and was designed to allow Plascore to develop and install additional automated production equipment, facilitating capacity increases at competitive costs to meet their aerospace customers" demands.
Tim Klunder, City Manager for the City of Zeeland, said: "Plascore has experienced tremendous growth over the years and we are fortunate that Plascore continues to execute their growth plans within the City of Zeeland. We look forward to carrying our strong private/public partnership further into the future through their current expansion project."