Daifuku consolidates Northern Michigan operations with new Boyne City plant
BOYNE CITY — More than a year after the construction process began, the new manufacturing plant for Daifuku North America Holding Company had its grand opening on Tuesday, Oct. 11.
The plant sits on 22 acres of land at 300 M-75 South and is 225,000 sq. ft. The plant was built to bring all of the company’s operations to one place and accommodate the company’s increased growth. The smaller facilities in Harbor Springs and Pellston will gradually transition operations to Boyne City.
More:Manufacturer aims to open new Boyne City plant in 2022
“We already had a plant in Boyne City, it was built back in the 60s and everyone was operating independently. That's why (company leaders) decided to bring everybody together in one city. They brought all these jobs into one area instead of spread out, so rather than moving out of the area, we wanted to still support Northern Michigan,” said Jan Wingfield, marketing and communications manager.
The plant, which is operated by Jervis B. Webb Company, a Daifuku North America subsidiary, manufactures airport baggage handling products and automatic guided vehicles.
The company builds conveyor components for complex systems that support airports, automotive and general industries. Some product lines include mobile inspection tables, conveyors, vertical sortation units, baggage claim carousels and automatic guided vehicle systems.
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Wingfield said the company is hoping the existing employees at the Harbor Springs and Pellston facilities will follow their jobs to Boyne City. As of right now, the company employs about 125 people in Northern Michigan.
With the larger size of the new plant, the company will be able to increase its production and is looking to hire more workers in various positions around the plant, including welders, assemblers, painters, fabrication, wiring and electronic technician.
“In 1964, our business began its expansion into the Northern Michigan communities of Harbor Springs, Pellston, and Boyne City,” President of Jervis B. Webb Company Todd Alderman said in a press release.
“After 58 years, we built this new plant to reflect the commitment to our quality team members and communities in this area while increasing our production capacity to support our growth. With all manufacturing under one roof, this is an excellent opportunity to streamline our processes and eliminate inefficiencies.”
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Daifuku opens bigger manufacturing plant in Boyne City
