Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist was at the MTEC Smart Zone Wednesday to announce more than $10 million in capital investment in Houghton County, which he says will result in 90 new jobs. (Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist was in Houghton Wednesday to announce two expansion projects in Houghton County representing 90 new jobs and more than $10 million in capital investment.

Great Lakes Sound & Vibration, Inc. located at the Houghton County Memorial Airport Industrial Airpark, in Franklin Township, is constructing a 26,000-square-foot expansion at its airpark facility. It will allow the company to consolidate their manufacturing operations at one location to more efficiently support existing and future contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

The company was awarded $400,000 from the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) through a Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP) performance-based grant. The investment will support additional growth for projects with the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force in addition to many other contractors that build tanks, trucks, ship and aircraft for the DOD.

“We are grateful for the MEDC’s partnership on this expansion project that supports our mission to provide complete customer-specific solutions for sound, vibration, and shock problems in the North American defense market,” said GLSV CEO, Steve Mattson. “We are committed to providing rewarding career opportunities in our community to deliver solutions and products that meet or exceed customer and regulatory requirements.”

The second expansion is that of Luokus Technologies, in Calumet Township. Founded in 2018, Loukus Technologies is expanding its operations into a building next to its current facility, which will house their machining, finishing, packaging and shipping operations. This expansion is necessary in order to increase production capacity to meet rising demand in the defense and energy sectors, and to fulfill newly awarded business contracts to design, manufacture, and deliver a device that is used to improve efficiency in the oil and gas industry.

The expansion is expected to generate $1.6 million in capital investment and create 48 new jobs with starting wages considerably greater than the regional median wage.

Support from the Michigan Strategic Fund through a Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP) performance-based grant in the amount of $300,000 helps to ensure that this expansion project will happen in Michigan.

The funding will support the company’s ability to quickly increase production capacity to meet rising demand, while paying its employees well above the median wage.

“The grant from the MSF is the catalyst Loukus Technologies needed to make the expansion of our advanced material production facility a reality,” said Adam R. Loukus, President of Loukus Technologies. “The expansion will support the creation of meaningful career opportunities and enhance our production capacity.”

“With Luokus Tech, it’s really amazing to see the entrepreneurial story of somebody sort of scratching an itch; seeing a problem, solving a problem,” Gilchrist said, adding: “That’s what we do here in Michigan, in the U.P. in particular,” said Gilchrist. “That’s the kind of mindset: ‘We can solve a problem.’ The industriousness ingrained in everybody’s bones here in the U.P. is, I think, represented by your businesses.”

Wednesday’s announcement will result in $8.5 million in capital investment and the creation of 42 new jobs with starting wages considerably greater than the regional median wage. Support from the Michigan Strategic Fund has been awarded to the company through a Michigan Business Development Program (MBDP) performance-based grant in the amount of $400,000. In addition to today’s expansion announcement, the company continues to have a positive impact on the local manufacturing supply base including outsourcing painting, sewing, machining, laser cutting, and a variety of facility support services that have grown in line with the GLSV’s growth.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Gilchrist said that going back to the Arsenal for Democracy days of World War II, Michigan has played an important role in the defense sector.

“We have shown people that the minds in our state, the muscles in our state – that we can help put our nation’s, not only defense at the forefront, but also the ingenuity that’s taking us to the next level.”

In addition to Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) support, Michigan Works! has developed a proposal to meet the talent and workforce needs of the company with an estimated value of $461,320.