Furniture designer and manufacturer
Haworth Inc. is investing $15.6 million in Michigan through consolidation of its Calgary, Canada operations to Holland and Big Rapids. The consolidation is expected to create an estimated 649 jobs over the next five years.
Haworth CFO John Mooney says a 13-year Michigan Economic Growth Authority tax credit valued at $22.4 million and Haworth's existing presence, location and access to talent prompted the company to move its Calgary operations to Michigan.
“From a business standpoint and an efficiency standpoint, we have all the processes consolidated and all of the products together,” he says.
Haworth will generate the first 500 jobs in the coming months and throughout 2010.
“We’ve always had a great experience with the talent in Michigan,” Mooney says. “We’ve been in Holland and Big Rapids for a long time and found the workforce to be very skilled, motivated and driven.”
While Haworth hasn’t suffered the 30 percent loss that the rest of the industry has undergone, Mooney says the company isn’t ready to expand its physical presence.
“I would say at this point in time we don’t have any definite plans to add or expand,” Mooney says. “Any expansion of the actual building will be a function of how the economy recovers, but I’m confident in our growth and business strategies.”
Source: John Mooney, Haworth Inc.
Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of
Capital Gains, Rapid Growth's sister publication in Lansing. She can be reached
here.
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