A specialty truck manufacturer is making a $16 million expansion into electric trucks with a boost from state dollars for talent recruitment.
The Shyft Group, based 25 miles southwest of Lansing in Charlotte, plans to create 680 jobs with the site expansion. This would be in addition to the 1,225 Michigan employees the company currently employs.
The manufacturer started in Charlotte in 1975 as a specialty truck manufacturing company and became a leader in specialty vehicle manufacturing, assembly, and upfit. Clients include large multinational corporations providing last mile deliveries, according to a press release.
A $800,000 state grant swayed the company to expand in Michigan rather than bring its electric division, Blue Arc EV Solutions, to competing sites in Indiana and Pennsylvania. The grant money comes from the Michigan Strategic Fund’s Jobs Ready Michigan Program, a performance-based grant.
The $800,000 grant will facilitate training and recruitment resources to fill the predicted 680 jobs. Additionally the Lansing Economic Area Partnership and Capital Area Michigan Works! will assist in finding talent for the expansion.
“We’re extremely proud to invest in electric vehicle production here in our home state of Michigan where our company has been headquartered for nearly 50 years,” said President and CEO Daryl Adams. “We are thankful to be part of the Charlotte community and look forward to bringing the future of fleets to our operations there.”
The existing site in Charlotte will undergo site improvements, infrastructure upgrades and new equipment related to EV production, according to the press release. With the expansion, upgrades to facilities, and installation of new equipment, Shyft will have the capacity to produce up to 3,000 EVs per year in Charlotte.
“Our future is bright, and thanks to companies like Shyft and our local partners, we can continue bringing critical supply chains of cars, chips, and clean energy home to grow our economy and create good jobs for Michigan residents,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said.
