MiMfg Magazine May 2017 | Page 25

May 2017 MiMfg Continental Dairy Announces Partnership on $173 Million Investment Continental Dairy Facilities, LLC announced last month a collaborative project with Fairlife LLC to add additional on-site wastewater treatment capacity at their 100-acre dairy processing plant in Coopersville. This $3.7 million upgrade will result in $173 million in capital investment and the creation of 52 new jobs. Continental Dairy produces cream condensed milk and over 300,000 pounds of non-fat dried milk each day. The increased water treatment capacity will allow Continental Dairy to expand operations to produce butter and buttermilk powder. Continental Dairy and Fairlife received a $2.4 million joint Michigan Business Development Program grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) toward on-site wastewater treatment upgrades. “Food and agriculture businesses are one of Michigan’s major economic drivers, The Continental Dairy team inspects their facility to ensure regulatory standards. and as they continue to diversify and grow, it’s imperative that we invest in improved infrastructure and processing capabilities,” said Michigan Economic Development Corporation Chief Executive Officer Steve Arwood. AAM Named GM Supplier of the Year American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) was named GM Supplier of the Year by General Motors in March. Winning suppliers were chosen by a global team of GM purchasing, engineering, quality, manufacturing and Magazine 25 logistics executives and selected based on performance criteria in Product Purchasing, Indirect Purchasing, Customer Care and Aftersales, and Logistics. “AAM’s partnerships with our customers are an integral part of our mission to provide value while supplying innovative, high-quality driveline products,” said David C. Dauch, Chairman and CEO. AAM is a global leader in design, engineering, validation and manufacturing of driveline, metal forming, powertrain, and casting technologies with more than 90 facilities across 17 countries. GM recognized its best suppliers that have consistently exceeded GM’s expectations, created outstanding value or brought new innovations to the company. “We are focused on building positive supplier relationships, bringing new, customer-centric innovations to GM and being the OEM of choice among suppliers,” said Steve Kiefer, GM vice president, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. 6