Gentex to open satellite facility in Grand Rapids

Madison Square manufacturing site will bring 50 new jobs to the neighborhood.
Gentex to open satellite facility in Grand Rapids
The future site of Gentex's Grand Rapids facility. <strong> Courtesy Gentex </strong>

A Zeeland-based auto supplier plans to expand its operations with a new West Michigan facility.

Gentex on Wednesday, Feb. 1, said it plans to open a satellite production facility at 355 Cottage Grove St. SE and bring 50 new jobs to the Madison Square neighborhood of Grand Rapids.

The company said it hopes to expand its manufacturing footprint while also creating a more accessible Gentex employment option for people in Grand Rapids.

“Rising transportation costs make commuting increasingly difficult, so if Gentex wants to recruit employees from Grand Rapids, we need to be here,” said Gentex President and CEO Steve Downing. “And by locating a satellite plant and creating jobs in a neighborhood near city center, our goal is to strengthen not only Gentex, but also the surrounding community, and we look forward to future opportunities to do so.”

According to Gentex, the decision to establish a facility in the Madison Square neighborhood came after months of working with local nonprofit Amplify GR. The nonprofit works to bring together neighbors, businesses and local organizations to help strengthen neighborhoods.

“One of our goals is to help ensure neighbors and communities benefit from economic expansion, specifically through job opportunities and wealth creation,” said Jon Ippel, executive director of Amplify GR. “We are passionate about this work – our staff works collaboratively with companies like Gentex to create innovative ways to maximize their investments in the Madison Square and Boston Square areas and throughout the community.”

The satellite plant is the manufacturer’s latest effort to address ongoing labor shortages industrywide. In November, Gentex shared its plan to develop an onsite preschool and day care center at its Zeeland campus to provide employees with convenient and affordable child care.

“The low availability and high cost of child care has long been a barrier to employment, and we want to remove that obstacle so more people can experience the benefits of being a member of team Gentex,” Downing said at the time.

Gentex also has worked to combat language barriers for employees in recent years by launching Spanish-speaking assembly lines. Currently, close to 190 Spanish-speaking employees work on various production lines throughout the company.

The new satellite facility is expected to operate two shifts and employ 50 total team members engaged in light assembly, warehousing and logistics. Production will focus on sub-assembly components for Gentex’s HomeLink product, which consists of vehicle-integrated buttons for operating garage doors and other home automation devices.

The existing building on Cottage Grove currently is undergoing renovations with production slated to begin in late May.

Gentex also said it intends to conduct a series of job fairs and community events in early spring to introduce the company to the surrounding neighborhood.

This story can be found in the Feb. 20 issue of the Grand Rapids Business Journal. To get more stories like this delivered to your mailbox, subscribe here.