NORTON SHORES, Mich. (AP) - An aviation manufacturer has opened a $14.5 million factory in west Michigan so Muskegon-area workers can build engine parts for Boeing 777 airplanes.
Johnson Technology’s Brilliant Factory in Norton Shores held a grand opening Monday, the Muskegon Chronicle (https://bit.ly/2pPhg0v ) reported.
A company release said the 35,000-square-foot facility links design, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, distribution and services into one system. The system collects and analyzes data to make the factory smarter, resulting in higher quality parts for the GE90 engine. There are about 2,500 engines in service and over 67 million flight hours.
Johnson Technology, a subsidiary of GE Aviation, said it has hired 90 people since fall 2016, putting the company’s total employees in the state at nearly 800.
The company received an $800,000 performance-based grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for the project, plus a 12-year, 50-percent property tax abatement from the city of Norton Shores.
“GE Aviation is one of our largest manufacturing employers, and one of the fastest growing employers in Norton Shores,” city administrator Mark Meyers said. “We’re pleased to be able to assist them in expansion.”
The company’s headquarters are in the city of Muskegon, and its second facility is adjacent to the new one in Norton Shores.
The facility has been operational since early 2017.
GE Aviation is an operating unit of General Electric Company, and provides commercial and military jet engines as well as avionics, digital solutions and electrical power systems for aircraft.
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Information from: The Muskegon Chronicle, https://www.mlive.com/muskegon
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