Battery parts manufacturer Gotion Inc. purchased 270 acres for a $2.4 billion plant in the Big Rapids area, a critical step in the company’s plans for the project.
The privately-owned parcels are largely already zoned industrial, except for a 10-acre patch that will require rezoning approval from Mecosta County.
“Completion of the land acquisition process is a step forward for Gotion Inc. and the region as a whole,” Chuck Thelen, vice president of Gotion Inc.-North American Manufacturing, said in a statement.
Green Township Supervisor Jim Chapman said the property purchase, in his eyes, marks the company’s “final commitment” to locating in the township.
“We are excited to see them come because we are excited to see what this type of a project will bring as an opportunity for our community,” Chapman said.
“It is not a case of what the plant is or what the corporation is, it’s a matter of what that kind of opportunity means to the township, to our community, and to the region in general.”
The announcement was criticized by U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, who has voiced concerns about Gotion’s links to China. The company was founded in China in 2006, but its U.S. subsidiary has been incorporated in California since 2014. Its board is one-third German, one-third American and one-third Chinese.
“For our state to welcome CCP (Chinese Communist Party) investment in Michigan 100 miles from the same facility where the Michigan National Guard has worked with military officials from Taiwan is a dangerous double standard that puts national security at risk,” Moolenaar said, regarding training that took place at Camp Graying. “This land purchase is the wrong direction for Michigan and our communities.”
Residents in the Big Rapids area also have voiced concerns over the project, including its links to China, the secrecy surrounding the deal, and its location on agricultural land.
Gotion expects to go to Mecosta County to request rezoning of the 10-acre parcel from agricultural to industrial.
In addition to the 270 acres, a few homes were purchased because of how close they were to the site. But the company’s purchase of land is scaled back from its original plans.
“We’ve listened to the concerns of local residents and decided not to purchase two large parcels of land zoned for agriculture use at this time,” Thelen said.
The company will next finalize the site plan and continue preparing environmental studies in anticipation of a review by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
Gotion announced its plans for a battery parts plant in Big Rapids in October. The facility in Green Township is expected to create an estimated 2,350 jobs.
Overall, the project is slated to receive more than $800 million in incentives, including $175 million in direct incentives approved by the state House and Senate appropriations committees.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com