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- A Michigan bowling equipment manufacturer is investing nearly $9 million to expand in the Muskegon area.
- Motiv Bowling plans to renovate a facility in Roosevelt Park, which is expected to create 90 new jobs.
- The company received a $540,000 state grant to support the investment in U.S. manufacturing.
A Michigan bowling equipment manufacturer is expanding its presence in the Muskegon area, investing nearly $9 million to renovate a facility, a move it says is expected to create 90 new jobs.
Motiv Bowling said in a news release on Feb. 4 that it plans to acquire a 96,000-square-foot facility in Roosevelt Park, which is just a few miles outside Muskegon. The facility will be renovated and used for bowling ball manufacturing and as an exporting logistics hub.
Motiv Bowling received a $540,000 Michigan Business Development Program grant from the state for the investment. The grant is available to companies that create new jobs or make new investments in Michigan.
W. Scott Wilbur, president of Motiv Bowling, said the opportunity and encouragement from the state will allow the company to continue to produce bowling products in the United States.
He said the company’s belief that bowling ball manufacturing in the United States was possible started when Motiv’s primary customer for bowling products moved its manufacturing operations to Mexico.
Brunswick Corp. announced in 2005 that it would move production from Muskegon (where the company had its sole production line since 1906) to Mexico because it would be cheaper to manufacture bowling balls, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune.
Motiv manufactured what it describes as a “high-performance core to ‘steer’ the ball down the lane,” a technology that revolutionized bowling ball design in the early 1990s, according to its website. It manufactured cores for Brunswick.
In 2007, Motiv began research and development on manufacturing a bowling ball. Its engineering team found a way to integrate graphics with the bowling ball’s outer layer, eliminating the need for engraving, the company’s website said. It said the technology offers both visually distinctive logos and improved performance.
The company now has 43 employees working in two facilities in Spring Lake (located about 15 miles south of Muskegon near Grand Haven) and in Roosevelt Park. With increased demand for its products, the company decided to add capacity to increase production and manufacturing efficiency.
“We attribute our success to being a team of individuals focused on following the path that God has laid before us with trust, unbreakable determination and outstanding work ethic,” Wilbur said in the news release. “All businesses face economic challenges, but they must make their priority to stand by their fellow Americans and preserve jobs.”
Wilbur said the company plans to purchase equipment for the new facility from local suppliers, including robotics, custom grinders, custom polishing equipment, industrial racking, forklifts, loading dock expansions and computer software and hardware.
Wages will start at $24 per hour plus benefits at the new facility.
Motiv’s current facility, located 2 miles from the new production site, will continue to be used for research and development purposes.
Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com
