The over $107 million expansion is expected to create up to 300 new jobs in Muskegon County.
Currently, Howmet employs just over 2,400 people in Whitehall. The aerospace company was approved Tuesday for a $5.1 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant by the Michigan Strategic Fund, which will help cover the cost of the expansion. The new jobs are expected to pay just over $24.00 an hour for production workers, plus benefits.
The Michigan Strategic Fund is the public funding branch of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Along with the grant, the fund also approved a request from the company for a 15-year, 100% exemption on Michigan’s State Essential Services Assessment, which is valued at $1.6 million.
Howmet plans to construct 107,000-square-feet of manufacturing space and 4,500-square-feet of office space. The company will manufacture ceramic cores inside the new building, which are used in various aero engine components.
