A spokesman for Undercar Products Group said the state incentive was the deciding factor in the company’s decision to expand in Wyoming instead of at facilities in Kentucky or near Toronto.
Undercar Products Group Inc. makes blow-molded products like this windshield washer reservoir at its production facility in Wyoming.WYOMING, MI – Undercar Products Group Inc., a Canadian-owned company that makes plastic parts for automobiles, announced Wednesday it plans to create 150 new jobs with a $26 million expansion in Wyoming.
The 90,000 square-foot expansion will be built next to Undercar’s 225,000 square-foot production facility at 4247 Eastern Ave. SE. The company already employs 266 workers.
The company will get incentives worth $475,000 from the Michigan Business Development Corp., officials of the Right Place Inc. said.
Dan Steffler, a spokesman for Undercar, said the state incentive was the deciding factor in the company’s decision to expand in Wyoming instead of at facilities in Kentucky or near Toronto.
The city of Wyoming also is expected to offer property tax incentives to help Undercar with its expansion. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2013 with production scheduled to begin in late 2013.
“Undercar Product Group Inc.’s new investment is great news for the Grand Rapids area and the West Michigan region,” said Sue Jackson, a senior business development manager for Right Place.
“This announcement demonstrates that the automotive manufacturing industry is strong and growing in West Michigan.”
Undercar makes blow-molded plastic parts for windshield washing and heating and cooling systems. It is a unit of ABC Group, a privately held firm based in Toronto with 23 production facilities around the world.
The firm moved into the former Seimans-Rapistan building two years ago. Undercar had operated from space in the Union Station industrial park at 900 Hynes Ave. SW since it was founded in 2001.
The Michigan Business Development Program provides grants, loans and other economic assistance to qualified businesses that make investments or create jobs in Michigan, with preference given to businesses that need additional assistance for deal-closing and for second stage gap financing.
E-mail Jim Harger: jharger@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JHHarger