Last Thursday, Michigan’s Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II announced a pair of expansion projects in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that will create 90 new jobs and some $10 million in capital investment to Houghton County.
Defense contractor Great Lakes Sound & Vibration (GLSV) will expand operations in Franklin Township to support existing and future U.S. Department of Defense contracts. Also, advanced material specialists, Loukus Technologies will grow operations in Calumet to meet rising demand from the defense and energy sectors.
GLSV’s 26,000-square-foot expansion at its airpark facility will allow it to consolidate manufacturing operations under one roof in Franklin Township. The company says the investment will support additional growth for projects with the U.S. armed forces as well as contractors that build tanks, trucks, ships, and aircraft for the DoD.
The new facility will be an $8.5 million capital investment and create 42 new well-paying jobs. GLSV will receive a $400,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Business Development Program’s Strategic Fund. According to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), GLSV has a positive impact on the local manufacturing supply base including outsourcing painting, sewing, machining, laser cutting, and various facility support services that have grown in line with the company’s growth.
In addition to the grant, the state’s primary workforce development association, Michigan Works!, has proposed a $461,000 plan to help meet GLSV’s talent and workforce needs.
Loukus Technologies specializes in advanced materials development and casting technologies for the defense and energy sectors. The company is expanding into a building next to its current facility, which will house machining, finishing, packaging, and shipping operations. The expansion comes after the company landed new private industry contracts.
The $1.6 million expansion project should create 48 new jobs with starting wages considerably greater than the regional median wage—according to Data Commons, the median income in Houghton County was $23,971 in 2021. Loukus received a $300,000 performance-based grant from the state.
In addition to Michigan Strategic Fund support, the Keweenaw Economic Development Alliance in neighboring Hancock, Michigan, is supporting the project by working with the company and the charter township of Calumet to coordinate a mutually beneficial agreement for use of the abandoned mine site where the expansion will take place.