75 new jobs are up for grabs at Skilled Manufacturing
TRAVERSE CITY -- If you're looking for a job and have a background in the manufacturing industry get your resume together. At least 75 new jobs are going to be up for grabs at Skilled Manufacturing in Traverse City.
Today Senator Carl Levin came to the plant and announced two federal loans that will pay for the business to expand.
For the last few years manufacturing plants across the country have been laying people off, but today was a different scene. The prospect of new jobs brought out dozens of people with smiles on their faces.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Bank of Northern Michigan announced two guaranteed loans totaling $7,785,000 that will allow Skilled Manufacturing in Traverse City to hire 75 new employees. But it doesn't stop there.
"We have another contract on top of the one that could take it up to another 25, so our potential is really 100 even though we know we're probably going to have 75 in total," said SMI President Dodd Russell.
The company produces drive train components for General Motors, and in 2008 began manufacturing aircraft engine parts, and now military aircraft parts. U.S. Senator Carl Levin says this is a major project for Michigan, a state that relies heavily on manufacturing.
"We've bottomed out in terms of our losses. We have about 15,000 or so of those jobs here in Michigan since March and there's a real investment we've decided, thankfully, to make in Washington, in manufacturing," said Senator Levin.
Senator Levin says partnerships like this is an example of fighting for manufacturing in America. USDA Rural Development State Director for Michigan James Turner is calling this summer "recovery summer."
"A lot of the things that started with the stimulus bill last year are actually coming into play this year," said Turner.
" I think the tide has turned and we're on our way up," said Levin.
