Amway, the direct-selling heavyweight, announced a hefty $127.6 million investment to upgrade and expand its West Michigan facilities, a strategic move poised to infuse the local job market with 260 new roles. This development comes as a boon to Ada Township, destined to become a hub for the company's manufacturing and research operations following the planned shuttering of an Amway site in Southern California, as reported by FOX 17.
With commitments to modernize 48,000 square feet at the Spaulding Plaza and add a significant 18,750 square-foot extension to its Innovation & Science Pilot Plant, Amway gears up to enhance nutrition research and production capabilities. Such expansion dovetails with Michigan's ambition to lead in R&D opportunities — an objective echoed by the Michigan Economic Development Corp (MEDC), as per Crain's Grand Rapids.
These new positions, including professional, innovation, and engineering posts, come with an attractive average hourly wage of $46.24 along with benefits, dwarfing the region’s median wage. Amway COO Michael Nelson, in an interview with 13 ON YOUR SIDE, expressed the company's eagerness to usher in these new opportunities to Michigan's workforce.
Further sweetening the deal, Amway has secured a $2 million performance-based grant courtesy of the Michigan Business Development Program. The funds are earmarked to cushion the financial impact of expansion-related disruptions and to facilitate the competitive edge for continuing growth in the area. The Right Place revealed that the grant would support the project's aim to consolidate operations locally, thereby increasing organizational synergy, as FOX 17 reported.
This business maneuver follows a period of some fiscal decline for Amway, which saw a 5% drop in sales in 2023, largely attributed to the strong U.S. dollar and ongoing ramifications from its Russian operations exit. Amway remains tight-lipped about its earnings, despite releasing sales figures annually. However, the current strategic investments signal a robust commitment to the Michigan region, as Amway looks to foster continued growth for what MEDC CEO Quentin Messer Jr. calls "an incredible Michigan company," according to sentiments shared with Crain's Grand Rapids.
