April 24, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2025
Contact: press@michigan.gov
Governor Whitmer Announces 543 New Jobs in Wayne, Bay Counties
Norplas Industries Inc., dba Magna Exteriors Highland Park, expands in Highland Park, to create 500 jobs HL Mechatronics to purchase two new facilities in Wiliams Township, create 43 new jobs
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced two business investment projects that will lead to the creation of 543 new jobs and nearly $15.3 million in capital investment in the state. Norplas Industries is announcing they are expanding their presence in Highland Park to meet the needs of newly awarded business. HL Mechatronics is announcing their plans to purchase two new facilities in Williams Township to meet their growing and expected future customer demand.
“Today’s investments in Highland Park and Bay City will create 543 good-paying jobs and build on our strong manufacturing leadership,” said Governor Whitmer. “Norplas, an auto supplier, and HL Mechatronics, a cutting-edge R&D firm, are both expanding their footprints in Michigan, betting on the bright future of our state. We will continue working together to help businesses invest and grow in Michigan so every Michigander can find a good job in their hometown. I will work with anyone to shore up our economic development tools so we can keep creating jobs and bringing critical supply chains home.”
“Today's announcement by Norplas Industries and HL Mechatronics are a testament to Michigan’s foundation in the manufacturing sector. They could have chosen to expand anywhere in the country, or world for that matter, and the fact that they chose Michigan points to the state’s heritage, pedigree, and talented workforce to meet the needs of growing companies,” said Matt McCauley, Senior Vice President, Regional Development at the MEDC. "We remain focused on executing the Make it in Michigan economic development strategy of attracting and developing people, cultivating and revitalizing places, and competing for and winning projects is working. We applaud these two companies and are excited to see their continued growth and prosperity."
Norplas Industries Inc., dba Magna Exteriors Highland Park, has expanded its presence in Highland Park due to awarded business requiring various manufacturing processes, including sonic punching and welding, pneumatic presses, and some manual assembly for front and rear facias and liftgate assemblies. The company is leasing approximately 450,000 square feet of space in Highland Park, along with the purchase of equipment and leasehold improvements. Norplas Industries is a subsidiary of Magna International, one of the world’s largest suppliers in the automotive space.
“Wayne County has come a long way in the past few years, and the project being proposed by Magna is yet another example of the rapid progress we are making in rebuilding our community through economic development,” said Warren C. Evans, Wayne County Executive. “The company’s proposed investment of more than $6 million to be made in Highland Park in terms of jobs, money, and new manufacturing capabilities promises to be a major boost to that area specifically and to Wayne County as a whole.”
The company has chosen Highland Park for the project over a competing site, resulting in a capital investment of up to $6,800,000. The project will also result in the creation of up to 500 new jobs paying an average wage of $23.76 per hour plus benefits, which is above the Regional Median Wage. This announcement comes with the support of the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) through a Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant in the amount of $816,000.
In addition to MSF support, the local office of Michigan Works! has pledged up to $1,711,888 in support of the project to be utilized for talent recruitment and training support.
For those interested in pursuing a career with Norplas Industries, please click <HERE.>
HL Mechatronics is announcing their plans to purchase two 140,000-square-foot facilities in Williams Township to accommodate engineering offices and research and development testing capacities for growth to meet current and future customer needs.
It is anticipated that the acquisition and buildout of these two facilities will result in a total capital investment of $8.5 million and create up to 43 new jobs with an average wage of $56.40 per hour plus benefits, substantially greater than the Regional Median Wage of $19.09 per hour. In an effort to keep this Michigan-based business here in the state, support from the MSF was provided through a Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant in the amount of $473,000.
HL Mechatronics, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Bay City, is a North American subsidiary of HL Group. The company is a state-of-the-art research and development facility that is committed to the design of electronics, embedded systems, and magnetics for use in many precision motor control applications. Focusing on the designing and testing of steering, brakes, and propulsion technology to final production, the company’s portfolio of customers includes top automotive companies and many global automotive distributors. The company currently employees 98 Michigan residents.
“Retaining HL Mechatronics in Bay County is a huge win locally but also for the State of Michigan. We are thankful and excited to be working with partners like Consumers Energy, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Williams Township on this project,” said Jim Reaume, President & CEO, Bay Future, Inc. “Based on the historical growth of the business locally and existing industry opportunities, we believe HL Mechatronics will prosper in their Williams Township location.”
The company did consider leveraging current capacity at a sister company in Alabama; however, the company chose to expand in Michigan due to the dedicated workforce and local working relationships.
In addition to MSF support, the company partners with Michigan Technological University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Saginaw Valley State University to recruit, retain, and grow talent at the internship level, as well as for full-time entry-level positions.
Those looking to pursue a career with HL Mechatronics, please click <HERE.>
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