What’s happening: An expanding Northern Michigan business will soon have the room to do just that as Aster Brands readies its new headquarters in Harbor Springs. The $7.2 million development will enable the company to consolidate its team from multiple locations in Charlevoix and Petoskey under one roof in nearby Harbor Springs, while also expand its product offerings.
Who they are: Aster Brands specializes in building products for the precast concrete manufacturing industry and is part of the larger portfolio of The Manthei Group and its family of businesses. The Manthei family is well-established in Northern Michigan and its business community, where its remained rooted since 1915.
What’s planned: The company has acquired the building at 8212 M-199 in Harbor Springs to redevelop as its new headquarters. It’s expected that operations and manufacturing will be fully relocated by this fall, with office staff moving in come 2026. Significant exterior upgrades are expected to coincide with the work happening inside the building.
Grant approved: The Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a $750,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), this on the strength of the project’s $7,225,000 capital investment and promised creation of 15 new jobs. Those jobs created will come in above the regional median wage, with starting wages set at $21-per-hour plus benefits.
Visit Aster Brands online to learn more about career opportunities available.
What they’re saying: “We couldn’t be more thrilled about Aster Brands’ continued success and growth in our region. The family-owned company is known for their innovation, commitment to their employees, and dedication to the community,” says Payton Heins, president and CEO of Northern Lakes Economic Alliance. “Their investment, supported by the MEDC, will create new family-sustaining jobs, accelerate global innovation in the concrete manufacturing industry, and reactivate a vacant industrial site to drive further economic growth right here in Northern Michigan.”
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