Manufacturer to open in former Walgreens warehouse and create high-paying jobs
The expansion of the company, based in Ludington, Michigan, is anticipated to bring 120 high-paying jobs to the region in the next year, and 350 within five years, according to Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) President and CEO Gail Jackson.
“UACJ Whitehall plans to invest as much as $60 million here,” Jackson said, noting that the average wage at the company will be 60% higher than the county per capita income.
Company President and COO David Cooper said Flagstaff was selected because it is strategically located to serve UACJ Whitehall’s electric vehicle customers. The company has plants in Ludington, Michigan; Paducah, Kentucky; and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
“Northern Arizona makes sense for us because of location, ease of transportation, and an already well-established manufacturing sector within the community,” Cooper said. “We also look forward to partnering with Northern Arizona University, as our processes are highly automated and technical.”
UACJ Whitehall has begun retrofitting a portion of the Walgreens building and is expected to start hiring employees and launch operations this month.
“What a fantastic win this is for Flagstaff and our Northern Arizona communities,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “Our electric vehicle industry in Arizona is booming – with only further opportunity on the horizon. My thanks goes to UACJ Whitehall for choosing Arizona and to all our regional and state partners for their work on this exciting announcement.”
A business attraction “core strike team” of the City of Flagstaff, Kinney Construction Services, Coconino County, the Arizona Commerce Authority and ECoNA spent the last five months working to bring the company to Flagstaff.
Arizona Commerce Authority President and CEO Sandra Watson said the announcement represents a historic investment for Northern Arizona and the entire state. “As an industry-leading producer of electric vehicle parts, UACJ Whitehall will further bolster Arizona’s reputation as a global hub for electric vehicle manufacturing. We look forward to supporting UACJ Whitehall’s growth and success in our state.”
Whitehall Industries began in 1974 manufacturing precision components for the copying and printing industry. It began aluminum extrusion operations for the auto industry in 2001. In 2016, it was acquired by UACJ Corporation, a Japanese-based aluminum manufacturer. FBN
By Cindy May, FBN
