A joint meeting between Mecosta County and other local township officials will be taking place next week to discuss and vote on the potential of bringing a advanced battery manufacturer to the area.

 

Members of the Mecosta Co. BOC along with board members from Big Rapids and Green Townships will vote Monday during a special meeting at the Mecosta -Osceola Career Center at 7pm to make an area of the industrial park near the Roben Hood Airport a renaissance zone.

 

The zone is designed to provide market-based incentive of reduced state or local taxes to encourage new jobs and investment.

 

Officials of Big Rapids Township, Green Township, Mecosta County and Ferris State University, along with The Right Place, Inc., have been negotiating with Gotion, Inc., who plans to build a battery component parts plant at the industrial park in Big Rapids.

 

In a statement, Mecosta County Administrator Paul Bullock called this a “once in a century opportunity for the Big Rapids area.”

 

“In conjunction with our partners at Big Rapids Charter Township, Green Charter Township, MCDC, The Right Place, and MEDC, we’re actively working to make this extraordinary project a reality for Big Rapids." Bullock said.  "We have tentatively scheduled a meeting Monday the 26^th to consider a renaissance zone on the property, and once the renaissance zone application is received we will confirm that meeting. We look forward to sharing more about this once-in-a-century opportunity for Big Rapids area in the coming days.”

 

Randy Thelen, President and CEO of The Right Place Inc., said in a statement, "The community has been prepared for an opportunity like this to materialize to utilize the infrastructure, airport, access to freeways and locally trained talent pool."

 

“A site in the Big Rapids area that for the past 25 years has been assembled, developed and marketed for industrial development is being considered by one of the 10 largest advanced battery manufacturers in the world for a new battery production facility." Thelan said.

"The community has been prepared for an opportunity like this to materialize to utilize the infrastructure, airport, access to freeways and locally trained talent pool. Local and state economic and municipal leaders, as well as Ferris State University, have been working diligently with the region’s best interest in mind as it explored this opportunity and are looking forward to disclosing more information and engaging the public. The next step in the process is for the Big Rapids Charter Township, Green Charter Township and Mecosta County board of commissioners to vote on approving the property tax incentives. As the automotive industry undergoes a transformation, companies serving that sector often move at a rapid pace to accommodate emerging needs. As a result, once a decision is made to invest in a new facility, a company will work quickly to bring a factory online. That is very much the case with this opportunity.  However, all parties involved understand there are still numerous processes and steps to be taken before this project becomes a certainty. We remain hopeful to announce more details soon on this project that would position the region at the center of West Michigan’s growing mobility and EV sector.”

 

Doors open at the Mecosta-Osceola Career Center on Monday at 6:45pm, the meeting begins at 7pm. The public comment portion of the meeting will be limited to five minutes per person.