The robots may grab the headlines at JR Automation, but in 2025 it was the people behind them who delivered the showstopper. Employees at the Zeeland based robotics and systems integrator pulled in more than $165,000 for charities across the company’s U.S. divisions, setting what the company described as a new fundraising record. The money came through the worker run JR Community Care Fund, paired with corporate matching, and capped off years of baked in philanthropy inside the firm.
Staff across JR’s regional offices nominated and voted on this year’s beneficiaries, steering funds to groups that hit close to home. Selected organizations included 42 Strong, Kids Without Cancer, Leader Dogs for the Blind and the Michigan Animal Rescue League, alongside additional nonprofits serving communities in Detroit, Nashville, Greenville and Holland. The total, described as a company record, and the complete list of recipients were reported by MLive.
How the employee fund works
Launched in 1997 to support coworkers facing hardship, the JR Community Care Fund has since evolved into a year round fundraising engine that doubles as a social hub for employees. Golf outings, chili cook offs and bake sales now fuel donations that flow out to local nonprofits in the communities where JR operates. Every dollar employees raise is matched by the company, according to Automate.org, effectively turning office camaraderie into a sizable charitable pool.
New Zeeland headquarters will anchor giving locally
JR Automation is also betting big on its hometown. The company is building a $72.8 million global headquarters at 800 E. Riley St. in Zeeland, a project intended to consolidate roughly 350 West Michigan employees and create at least 150 new jobs. JR says the campus is expected to be finished by late fall. Crain's Grand Rapids Business reported that the facility will span about 286,000 square feet and include space dedicated to customer demonstrations.
The company now employs more than 2,000 people across 21 global locations, a footprint that helps explain how employee led drives can generate significant sums for nonprofits even as JR pours resources into local expansion. WGVU News noted that the Zeeland headquarters project secured state backing, and local officials have cast the investment as a strong vote of confidence in the future of West Michigan manufacturing.
