BAY COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) – A big investment in Bay County’s Monitor Township was recently announced.
Progressive Mechanical, Inc. is investing more than $2.5 million in the area.
ABC12 met with leaders behind the effort to learn why the company headquartered in Oakland County chose Mid-Michigan for its new location.
Progressive Mechanical, Inc., is a veteran-owned business headquartered in Clawson and just set up shop at their new location in Monitor Township.
The company is a full-service mechanical, plumbing, process piping, and fire protection contractor and chose Bay County for its new location as the company’s revenue increased more than 240 percent last year.
Leaders at Progressive Mechanical say the over 2.5 million dollars will go toward property acquisition, renovation of the building, equipment, and other upgrades in the 42,000 square foot facility.
Jim Reaume is the new president and President and CEO of Bay Future — which helped guide the effort.
He told ABC12 it was made possible in part by Consumers Energy and the staff at Monitor Township and that the investment is significant for the area and previously vacant building.
“Our friends and neighbors from UA Local 85 – about 25 folks started work immediately here at Progressive Mechanical. If you walk inside, you’ll think that they’ve been open for a year or two already. They just got right to work. These folks are highly specialized, highly trained, moved right in. As for economic impact, this was an empty building for a while, no tax capture for the township or the county and now we’re up and running and bringing those taxes back so we can provide services,” Reaume said.
He also says Bay County is prime for new business with a low cost of living and other recent expansions.
Monitor Township Supervisor Terry Spencer said it’s a mutually beneficial endeavor.
“It’s a $2.5 million investment that will bring 20 to 30 good paying jobs. That’s a great thing for Monitor Township and we wish them all the success they can have, and their success is our success. We’re currently working on some things with our DDA. We just got a 30-year extension from the County. So, we have a lot of good things in the future,” Spencer said.