KENTWOOD, Mich. — Weiss Technik North America is investing $25.6 million to build a new 125,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Kentwood, creating 36 high-paying jobs with wages up to $70 per hour.
The environmental testing chamber manufacturer announced plans for the state-of-the-art facility on 36th Street to meet growing demand that has exceeded capacity at its existing headquarters.
"We produce chambers that can test things from very small parts all the way up to very large tractors, trailers, airplane parts, and really can simulate any kind of environment from earth to space," said Jeff Agar, Vice President and CFO of Weiss Technik North America.
The company manufactures environmental test chambers for multiple industries to ensure products can withstand extreme conditions.
"If you have an airplane sitting in a tarmac in Arizona and is 130 degrees on the tarmac, in a couple minutes, it's going to be up in just freezing temperatures. And you want to ensure those parts operate the same," Agar said.
Weiss Technik chose to expand in Kentwood because of its established presence and skilled workforce in the area.
WATCH: Weiss Technik invests $25.6M in new Kentwood facility, creating 36 high-paying jobs
"We've been in this area for many decades, and we have a lot of skilled people. The worst thing in the world to be if you move somewhere too far away and you lose some of those people," Agar said.
The investment into the new facility is creating more opportunities for the community and the company.
"We're targeting around 36 jobs, very high tech jobs, good paying jobs, and that's going to be an opportunity for us to continue to grow our business and continue to develop people, both internally and externally," Agar said.
The group getting support locally, with the Michigan Strategic Fund adding $350,000 through the Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant.
The city of Kentwood also approving a real property tax abatement, along with a Michigan Economic Development Corporation-authorized State Education Tax abatement.
"There's a great workforce here. It's a phenomenal area. You're right close to the airport. They're running out of land for this area to try to build and develop. So this is really a great strategic move for us to try to get in here," Agar said.
The company expects to complete the facility by the first quarter of 2026 and plans to produce more than 100 testing chambers annually.
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