December 09, 2009
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that five small manufacturing firms in Michigan have been awarded $15.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funds to help them diversify into advanced manufacturing of renewable-energy systems and components. The Recovery Act funds, which will enable the companies to create and retain 713 jobs over the next two years, were provided to the state through the State Energy Program.
"Providing Recovery Act funds to help Michigan's small manufacturers diversify into renewable energy will help create jobs and strengthen our economy by building on our natural strength - our world-class manufacturing tradition," said Granholm. "These grants also will help us meet our energy goals by expanding production of energy from renewable sources like wind and solar."
Any for-profit business physically located in Michigan with 500 or fewer full-time or equivalent employees was eligible to apply for the clean energy advanced manufacturing grants. The five companies receiving grants were among nearly 80 companies who submitted applications requesting nearly $198 million to the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG) in response to a request for proposal.
"We looked for businesses that can produce the next generation of renewable energy systems and the components such as turbines, blades, and solar technology," said Stanley "Skip" Pruss, director of DELEG, which oversaw the application process. "The projects must be able to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions."
The grantees are:
- Astraeus Wind Energy, Inc. located in Eaton Rapids - $7 million to manufacture large scale, advanced-composite wind turbine blades and hub-related components;
- Energetx Composites, LLC located in Holland - $3.5 million to manufacture large scale, advanced-composite wind turbine blades;
- Loc Performance Products, Inc. located in Plymouth - $1.5 million to manufacture planetary gears and gearboxes for utility scale wind turbines;
- LUMA Resources LLC located in Rochester Hills - $.5 million to manufacture products for the residential photovoltaic solar market;
- Merrill Technologies Group located in Saginaw - $3 million to manufacture large-scale, advanced-composite wind turbine blades and system components.
The clean energy advanced manufacturing grants are the most recent step the Granholm administration has taken to create jobs by growing the state's alternative-energy economy.
In the last five years, Michigan has committed more than $1 billion to help alternative- energy and advanced-battery companies locate and grow here, including $700 million in advanced- energy battery credits, $43 million in the innovative Centers of Energy Excellence program, and $370 million in tax incentives to attract and grow renewable-energy companies.
Michigan's No Worker Left Behind initiative has enrolled more than 100,000 workers in job-training, and Michigan colleges and training providers have added or updated more than 9,000 educational programs to help ensure that Michigan workers have the skills they need to transition to good-paying jobs in fast-growing sectors like renewable-energy manufacturing.
In addition, Recovery Act funding has been awarded to a number of Michigan companies looking to create jobs and grow in the state's alternative-energy economy, including: 12 projects which shared more than $1.35 billion to support advanced-battery and electric-vehicle manufacturing and development; two projects focused on carbon capture and sequestration; three awards to expand smart-grid technology in Michigan; an alternative fuels vehicle pilot project; research in geothermal technologies; two grants to expand research of alternative fuels; and an $18 million award last week to Alpena-based American Process, Inc. to accelerate production of the next generation of biofuels.
For more information about the Recovery Act in Michigan, visit www.michigan.gov/recovery.
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For additional information about the five companies and the work they will do with the grants awarded today, please see the attached overview
