ZEELAND, MI — The Michigan Strategic Fund Board on Tuesday, Sept. 30, unanimously approved JR Automation’s application for a $1.6 million Michigan Business Development Program grant that will help offset the cost of building a $72.8 million global headquarters Zeeland.
“We’re deeply grateful for the state’s support and partnership,” Joel Cooper, global director of sustainability, facilities and safety for JR Automation, said at the board meeting. “Your investment in this project is an investment in Michigan’s future — one that will create jobs, drive innovation and reinforce our position as a global leader in automation and technology.”
JR Automation and parent company Hitachi Ltd. on Sept. 17 began construction of the future global headquarters at 800 Riley St. in Zeeland. The 286,000-square-foot facility will include 76,000 square feet of office space and 210,000 square feet dedicated to the assembly of customers’ automation projects.
Approximately 350 employees from existing JR Automation sites in West Michigan will be relocated to the global campus.
The company also expects to add at least 150 new jobs, including engineers, software developers, and tool and die fabricators, with starting wages of $25 per hour.
Just six of the new jobs start at $25 per hour, and a third are electrical engineer positions with wages in the $50 per hour range, Dan Neebes, business development project manager for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, said.
“Employees also enjoy a full suite of benefits for health care coverage, retirement savings and tuition reimbursement,” he said.
The project, led by Lakewood Construction of Holland, is expected to be completed by late fall 2026.
JR Automation considered alternatively establishing the new headquarters at an existing space in Greenville, S.C. That space would require less capital investment than if the company chose to build a new site in Michigan, according to an MEDC memo.
In addition to MSF support, the city of Zeeland on Sept. 15 approved an industrial development district to support the project. The MEDC also authorized a state education tax abatement to be used in conjunction with the city’s abatement.
“Ultimately, it was team Michigan’s approach to people, places and projects that helped us secure this win for Ottawa County,” Neebes said. “This project represents an important step forward for automation assembly happening right here in Michigan.”
Founded by Ken Assink in 1980 as a small tool and die shop, the company that would become JR Automation has grown into a global leader in industrial automation and advanced manufacturing technology, serving industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, energy, life sciences and warehousing.
In 2019, JR Automation was acquired by Japanese conglomerate Hitachi Ltd., which continued to invest in the company.
The decision to build a global headquarters in West Michigan came after a strategic meeting in Tokyo with leaders from JR Automation, Hitachi Ltd., and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“JR Automation’s new global headquarters is a powerful example of what’s possible when we invest in innovation and build strong partnerships between Michigan and global leaders like Hitachi,” Whitmer said in a statement.