Rochester Hills-based FANUC America will construct a $90-million, 840,000-square-foot facility in Pontiac that is expected to create over 200 jobs.
FANUC, global leader in robotics and automation, gained approval Tuesday to receive nearly $1.6 million in a performance-based grant to support the expansion from the Michigan Business Development Program, state officials announced Tuesday. The new facility, to be located at 2000 S. Opdyke Road, is projected to create at least 225 jobs.
The facility will be used for manufacturing, logistics, research and development, and other industrial uses, and there will be additional investment in “racking,” material handling equipment, cranes, and other equipment, according to a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.
During a 2023 mission to Japan, where FANUC America’s parent company, FANUC Global, is located, Whitmer met with company executives at FANUC to talk about the importance of advanced manufacturing in Michigan and how the state would support the company’s growth in the years to come, officials said.
“For more than 40 years, FANUC America has manufactured robots in Michigan,” said Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America. “This investment will expand our engineering, advanced manufacturing, research and development, and logistics capabilities, helping us meet growing demand for automation solutions throughout the Americas while further strengthening domestic manufacturing. The new facility will support the continued advancement of automation and AI-enabled technologies that are shaping the future of industry. ”
Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America
FROM FANUC AMERICA
FANUC America has 1,497 employees in Michigan across five locations, incliuding in Auburn Hills and Shelby Township.
The project site was once home to General Motors Pontiac East Assembly, which had been the city’s largest automotive plant, according to Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness, MLive said in a report. GM closed Pontiac East in 2009, and the building was demolished in 2012.
FANUC considered other states for this project, officials said. But building in Pontiac, where the company currently has operations, will allow FANUC to increase its manufacturing and logistics capacity, officials said. New industrial robotic models will potentially be manufactured at the facility, too, the release said.
“FANUC America’s investment in Pontiac reflects confidence in Oakland County’s talented workforce and quality of our communities,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “By expanding its engineering and advanced manufacturing capabilities here, FANUC is creating new opportunities for our residents and reinforcing our position as a leader in technology and advanced manufacturing. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with FANUC as we drive innovation together.”
Also receiving the OK for a MBDP grant Tuesday was SAPA Transmission in Shelby Township for a $163-million, 200,000-square-foot expansion that is forecasted to create over 300 jobs, according to state officials. In addition to the $5-million performance-based grant, SAPA received a 15-year, 50% tax break with an estimated value of $1.4 million for its $130 million eligible personal property, officials said.
The expansion project, located at its property near 23 Mile Road and the Van Dyke Expressway (M-53), is expected to create at least 328 new jobs with a starting wage of $28 per hour – above the regional median wage of $24.69 per hour, state officials said.
The Spanish-based company employs 315 people in Spain and 60 people in Shelby Township.
SAPA supplies the U.S. Army with transmission technology solutions for military tracked and wheeled vehicle applications. Its customers include BAE Systems and General Dynamics.
The expansion will nearly double the amount of its capacity. SAPA’s existing building is 110,000-square-feet and the new building will be 202,000-square-feet, according to county officials.
Of both projects, Whitmer said, “Today’s announcement(s) will create over 550 good-paying jobs and cement Michigan as the best place to build the future. Let’s keep working together to create good-paying jobs, bring supply chains home from overseas, and tell Michigan’s story.”
Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of the MEDC and MSF Board chair, said the projects “demonstrate that the state’s economic development strategy focused on supporting businesses of all sizes, revitalizing places and creating employment opportunities for Michiganders is having a positive impact.”
FANUC America opened its north campus in Rochester Hills in October 2019. It includes a 461,000 square-foot facility
In 2022, FANUC America purchased 67 acres of land with an existing 132,745 square-foot facility at the former Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School campus in Auburn Hills for its new west campus. Construction at the site was to add a 655,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility to house manufacturing, engineering and R&D projects, company officials said.