Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined officials from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) last week to announce that Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining provider Aerostar Manufacturing is expanding operations in the city of Romulus, where it will create up to 62 jobs.
The expansion is expected to generate a total capital investment of $8.6 million, supported by a $200,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Romulus was chosen for the project over competing sites in Georgia and Indiana, the governor said.
“My administration has been laser focused on growing our economy. We're working hard in a bipartisan fashion to ensure Michigan's business climate and talented manufacturing workforce can thrive and create more jobs. That work paid off over the last year, and my administration added 220,000 jobs to help businesses bounce back,”said Whitmer. “Today, we're celebrating Aerostar's expansion in our state. This is great news for workers, their families, and our economy as we continue putting Michiganders first.”
Romulus Mayor Robert McCraight said he was equally excited about the project and keeping the company in the city.
“They took advantage of our fast-track development program and were able to meet the timeline,” McCraight said. “We are happy to be keeping them home and helping them grow.”
Aerostar Manufacturing specializes in CNC machining and assembly for the automotive, heavy truck, defense, aerospace and other key industries and markets. The company currently has 131 employees.
Aerostar officials said the company will establish a new manufacturing facility in Romulus for light to medium manufacturing, CNC machining, assembly, and other related industrial activities.
“After a careful analysis, we decided to expand our operations in the state of Michigan vis-a-vis states of Georgia or Indiana. We are thankful to Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Detroit Region Aerotropolis Development Corporation and the City of Romulus in helping us navigate every step of the application process in order to obtain various state and local benefits,” said Aerostar Manufacturing CEO Lalit Goel.
McCraight said he was most excited about keeping high-quality jobs from machinists to software engineers in the city.
“I have to give credit to the state for stepping up. If it hadn't been for the MEDC, we could have lost them,” he said. “We did our part and the state did theirs.”
Aerostar is a minority owned business and more than 50 percent of the company workforce is from minority or underrepresented communities. The company promotes from within through on-the-job and external training, Goel said. In addition, Aerostar assists employees with childcare or wraparound services by collaborating with partnerships and nonprofits, he added. Individuals interested in careers with Aerostar can visit https://www.aerostarmfg.com/careers/.
The Detroit Region Aerotropolis has approved a 50-percent property tax abatement in support of the project.
