ZEELAND, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer has announced a $72.8M investment that could create 150 new jobs in Zeeland. JR Automation, a Hitachi group company, is planning to create a global headquarters in the city that will be 286,000 sq. feet. The announcement was made as the governor is on her second investment trip in Japan, visiting companies with interest in Michigan. JR Automation says it will break ground on the new headquarters on September 17, with plans to be completed by early 2027.
The Zeeland facility will combine three existing JR Automation facilities into one, hosting office and manufacturing space that can provide more room for the company to grow. Michigan won this project over South Carolina, where JR Automation has an existing facility.
76,000 square feet of the new development will be dedicated to office space, with 210,000 square feet being dedicated to manufacturing. To promote sustainability, JR Automation says the new site will have on-site solar panels, conservation of the native prairie land around the site, and a goal to have facility operations fully powered by renewable energy. The 45-acre campus will also feature walk-able and bike-able pathways for the community to use.
“The City of Zeeland is excited to be the new home of JR Automation’s global headquarters,” said Zeeland Mayor Kevin Klynstra. “West Michigan has a great potential to serve as a catalyst for smart manufacturing, and it starts with significant investments like this one. We stand ready to help the business and community come together in unison over a shared vision of prosperity.”
JR Automation manufactures automated manufacturing technology for various industries, including medical, warehousing, energy and consumer goods. The project is also intended to serve as a talent attraction tool, with plans to develop the facility to showcase how the technology can help companies make products.
The company was originally founded in Holland in 1980 by Ken Assink, who named it after his two daughters, Jill and Rita.
