Michigan Strategic Fund board approves aid for projects creating 750 jobs, $18M in investment
Posted By: Detroit News on June 24, 2025. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
The Michigan Strategic Fund Board on Tuesday approved support for two projects that will create up to 750 jobs and generate nearly $18 million in private investment in Ann Arbor Township and the city of Portage.
The fund board approved a $3 million grant for Torc Robotics Inc. and its planned expansion in Ann Arbor Township. It also approved a $1.25 million grant for Pro Services Inc. to support its expansion in Pro Services.
“In every corner of our state, people and businesses are choosing Michigan to grow and thrive as small business owners, entrepreneurs, and residents,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement Tuesday. “The nearly $18 million investment and job creation of up to 750 new jobs by TORC Robotics, Inc. and Pro Services will support our economy and our residents in building a future of prosperity for generations to come.”
The grant for Torc Robotics awarded through the Michigan Business Development Program, will help the Blacksburg, Virginia-based company establish an engineering innovation hub. The project is expected to create at least 500 jobs and generate more than $5.59 million in capital investment in Washtenaw County, according to a briefing memo from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Torc Robotics is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG founded in 2005 and has 17 years of experience developing autonomous driving technologies.
The company offers self-driving vehicle software and integration and is focusing on commercializing autonomous trucks for long-haul use in the United States The company has test facilities and engineering offices in Texas and employs 86 Michigan residents, according to the MEDC.
“The new facility will draw from the immense talent pool that Michigan’s robust higher education network offers and will join a vibrant ecosystem of automotive technology companies,” the briefing memo read.
The location near Ann Arbor will mainly be for engineering, design and development. Product testing will take place in other facilities in the United States, officials said.
Average salary is $177,000 per year, or $85.10 per hour.
“The job creation on the project is primarily geared toward highly skilled, highly technical engineering roles and would represent a major win for the State of Michigan,” the briefing memo read. “The Company is attracted to locating in Michigan because of the existing landscape of innovative companies with cutting edge technology, and the established history of the automotive industry.”
The fund board also approved a $1.25 million Michigan Business Development Program grant for Pro Services for its expansion in Kalamazoo County.
Portage-based Pro Services is a multi-skilled trades contractor serving clients across Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. It employs 225 people, including 151 Michigan residents.
Pro Services plans to expand its current facility or purchase a new building to meet growing demand. The project will create at least 250 jobs and result in up to $12.4 million in capital investment.
The expansion includes 55,000 square feet of warehouse and production space, 15,000 square feet of office space and $2.5 million in new machinery, according to a briefing memo. The project also will expand training for the company’s Pro U Journeyman Maintenance apprenticeship program. Starting wages will be $28.07 per hour plus benefits, which is above the regional median wage.
The fund board also approved up to $9.8 million in State Small Business Credit Initiative Venture Capital Program funding for the New Community Transformation Fund II L.P. The fund invests in companies owned or operated by business leaders of color in west Michigan. According to a MEDC briefing memo, the fund has a target size of $20 million and will operate solely within Michigan.
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