Michigan Community Capital invests New Markets Tax Credits into thermoforming company expansion.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 6, 2023
LANSING, Mich. – Vantage Plastics, a family-owned and operated custom thermoforming company, received $6.5 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation from Michigan Community Capital (MCC) yesterday. This allocation will be utilized for the purchase and installation of equipment in the newly purchased and renovated building in Bay City, Michigan. The 325,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse facility will house equipment for injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming machines needed to expand production capacity and meet demand.
Specifically, this nearly $27-million project will include 215,000 square feet of space for Vantage’s plastic thermoforming and injection molding operations; 100,000 square feet of space to produce custom thermoplastic polyolefin sheet stock by Vantage subsidiary Airpark Plastics; and 10,000-square feet of office space for staff.
Located in an economically distressed census tract with an unemployment rate of 7.6% (1.4 times the national average). The project site is also within a brownfield redevelopment area.
Since starting in 1996 with the purchase of a small thermoforming facility in Standish, Vantage Plastics has grown into a family of six companies that employs over 250 Michigan residents. This expansion project is expected to support 113 full-time equivalent positions, 108 of which are newly created. Positions include production managers, engineers, electrical and machine repairmen, machine and forklift operators, and general laborers – all positions accessible with less than a four-year degree. These positions will also earn an above average living wage and will receive comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, performance-based variable pay, and paid time off. Vantage Plastics will continue to partner with Bay Future, Michigan Works!, Bay Arenac ISD Career Center, and Arenac Opportunities to recruit and hire local residents, especially those with significant barriers to employment.
“Vantage Plastics and its affiliate family of companies have always improved the communities in which we reside,” said Don Hale, Mergers, Acquisitions, and Emerging Technologies at Vantage Plastics. “This project allows us to continue that focus through new employment and refurbishment of a facility that badly needed it. We appreciate the help and support from all the people and companies that are and have been helping to bring this together.”
MCC is supporting this project with a $6.5-million New Markets Tax Credit allocation.
“Creating jobs that offer living wages and benefits enables individuals not only to survive but also to thrive,” said President and CEO of Michigan Community Capital, Eric Hanna. “We are pleased to partner with Michigan companies that prioritize local investment, local employment, and the bolstering of the Michigan economy.”
The senior lender in this project is West Michigan Community Bank in partnership with Northstar Bank.
“We are very excited for Vantage Plastics and the Bay City community,” said Michael Skinner, SVP, Grand Rapids Market Manager, Commercial Banking at West Michigan Community Bank. “The new investment will help revitalize this facility, provide them room for further growth and create new jobs here in Michigan. MCC did a great job bringing a team together quickly to help Vantage Plastics navigate the NMTC process. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Vantage Plastics and MCC on this project.”
Dudley Ventures is serving as the NMTC investor on the project.
“We are thrilled to have participated as the NMTC investor in Vantage Plastics’ transformative project. The $6.5 million allocation from Michigan Community Capital has been instrumental in facilitating the purchase and installation of cutting-edge equipment in their newly acquired facility. We are grateful for the incredible teamwork that made this transaction possible, and we look forward to witnessing Vantage Plastics expand its production capacity and meet the growing demand. This project is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in driving economic growth,” said Kyle Koupal, Vice President of Investments at Dudley Ventures/Valley Bank.
About Michigan Community Capital
Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is a non-profit diversified public-private partnership that supports the missions of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) by aggregating capital and facilitating the financing and development of low-income and attainable housing, and the redevelopment of complex brownfield sites within the State of Michigan. MCC is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource solely throughout the entire State of Michigan. Since 2005, MCC has supported over $1.3 billion in project financing, successfully attracted $445 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, and helped to create over 1,500 housing units, 4.3 million square feet of commercial, retail and industrial space to facilitate job creation and expansion, and has insured over 22,000 affordable multifamily doors. MCC drives community development impacts in four key areas: Real Estate Development, CDFI lending, New Markets Tax Credits, and affordable Property Insurance. michigancommunitycapital.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2023
Iron Mountain and Sturgis soon to welcome ALDI Grocery
LANSING, Mich. – ALDI Inc. is investing approximately $9.5 million to bring two new locations to rural communities in Michigan. A former Kroger location will be renovated at 811 S Centerville Road in Sturgis, and a new facility will be constructed at 2025 South Stephenson Avenue in Iron Mountain. Each store will be approximately 18,000 square feet and will feature a range of products including fresh meat and seafood, organic produce, and pantry essentials. The developments are being supported with a $7 million New Markets Tax Credit allocation from Michigan Community Capital.
ALDI Inc. is a leader in the supermarket retailing industry that offers discounted healthy groceries to customers in nearly 2,200 stores in 38 states. ALDI focuses on the groceries commonly purchased by shoppers, primarily under its exclusive brands, and is committed to providing customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices. ALDI strives to reduce the company’s impact on the environment through energy efficient store design, including state-of-the-art lighting and refrigeration systems that have reduced energy features and environmentally friendly building materials.
ALDI will bring full-service grocery stores to Sturgis and Iron Mountain, both rural Michigan communities where increased affordable, fresh food is greatly needed due to high rates of food insecurity resulting from barriers to access (e.g., lack of transportation, rising food costs, etc.). Approximately 18 new full-time equivalent positions will be created to support the new stores. All positions will be accessible to individuals without a four-year degree and will pay a living wage.
“Michigan Community Capital is committed to leveraging our tools to bring healthy fresh food to underserved communities in Michigan,” said Eric Hanna, president and CEO at Michigan Community Capital. “Iron Mountain and Sturgis have both identified bringing more grocery options to their community as a high priority, and we are proud to partner with ALDI as they expand their footprint into Michigan rural markets.”
New Markets Tax Credits are a federal subsidy tool administered by the U.S Department of Treasury and designed to attract capital to projects that support low- and moderate-income households and communities. Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource entirely in the state of Michigan. Since the organization’s formation in 2005, MCC has secured a total of $380 million dollars in tax credit allocation through competitive rounds to support Michigan businesses and communities. MCC uses NMTC’s to support job creation, access to healthy food, and mixed-use projects that include mixed-income housing and commercial businesses that benefit low-income households.
PNC Investment Partners is serving as the New Markets Tax Credit investor on this project.
Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is a non-profit diversified public-private partnership that supports the missions of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) by aggregating capital and facilitating the financing and development of low-income and attainable housing, and the redevelopment of complex brownfield sites within the State of Michigan. MCC is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource solely throughout the entire State of Michigan. Over its 16-year history, MCC has supported over $1 billion in project financing, successfully attracted $320 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, and helped to create over 750 housing units and 1.3 million square feet of commercial, retail and industrial space to facilitate job creation and expansion. MCC provides products in four key pillars: housing equity, bridge and gap lending, New Markets Tax Credits, and property insurance for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 27, 2023
Michigan Community Capital invests New Markets Tax Credits into multi-site development
LANSING, Mich. – Mel Trotter Ministries (MTM) and its subsidiary, Next Step of West Michigan, have been selected to receive New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) from Michigan Community Capital (MCC), Chase, Consortium America, and Cinnaire. The tax credits will support a multi-site development which includes two buildings at the Next Step campus on Garden Street SE in Grand Rapids, as well as renovations at the MTM mission.
Mel Trotter will receive nearly $5.7 million toward its project goal to build a new 15,000-square-foot manufacturing training center in conjunction with a local manufacturer, as well as expand the existing training center and add workforce development apartments.
“We are extremely grateful for the assistance from MCC,” said Gordon Oosting, chief financial officer of Mel Trotter Ministries. “We often say that we cannot do this work alone, and this is one more testament to what can happen through muti-pronged involvement. The New Markets Tax Credits provide an important source of funds for investment in the areas we are serving.”
The project will help people living in poverty achieve economic stability through access to employment and complementary resources. The new 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility will be located at 130 Garden Street SE in Grand Rapids. It will be utilized for construction and workforce development training. A section of the building will be leased to Jireh Metal Products, a minority-owned tier one supplier to furniture, automotive and hardware industries. It will include a job training program that will operate in conjunction with Next Step’s workforce development program. A two-story, 20,000-square-foot building, located at 101 Garden Street SE, will be renovated into a mixed-use facility with 10 transitional workforce housing units on the upper floor, and space on the first floor for Next Step of West Michigan’s skilled job training program, construction employment offices and community space.
MCC’s NMTC allocation also supported the recently completed renovation of Mel Trotter’s existing 47,000-square-foot facility located at 225 Commerce Avenue SW. The renovation and expansion of the mission includes 116 units of transitional housing, 400 emergency shelter beds with guest common areas, and dedicated space for supportive services to guests including a variety of healthcare services and social services.
“We are pleased to support Mel Trotter Ministries in expanding their footprint and vital services in Grand Rapids,” said Eric Hanna, president and CEO at Michigan Community Capital. “This is an exciting project because it not only supports Mel Trotter’s work meeting the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness, but it also supports the transition out of poverty through job training and employment.”
Michigan Community Capital has allocated $8 million in New Markets Tax Credits to this project. Chase provided a $2 million NMTC allocation and is the NMTC equity investor for the project. These NMTC allocations, along with allocations from Consortium and Cinnaire, have provided a net benefit to Mel Trotter of approximately $5.7 million.
“We’re proud to support Mel Trotter Ministries and Next Step with an NMTC equity investment that will provide many essential services to the Grand Rapids community including quality jobs and job training, stable housing, and afterschool services to children in the area,” said En Jung Kim, managing director, Chase Community Development Banking. “Through our NMTC platform, we remain committed to using this impactful financing tool to support continued investment and economic development across Michigan and the US.”
Consortium America 100, LLC provided $8 million in NMTC allocation to the project.
“The Mel Trotter Ministries and Next Step project will have a tremendous impact in the Grand Rapids community, and Consortium America is thrilled to be a part of it,” said a representative from Consortium America. “During our almost 20-year involvement in the NMTC program, providing investment to distressed communities across the United States, this project really stands out due to the level of services offered and the path it provides to its program participants to escape the cycle of poverty.”
Cinnaire provided a $5-million NMTC allocation to the project.
“This multi-site development reflects the alchemy possible when mission-driven partners join forces to create extraordinary opportunities for vulnerable communities,” said Cinnaire Senior Vice President, Public Funding, Peter Giles. “Cinnaire’s NMTC investments are focused on transformative projects supporting equitable communities. This project will provide housing stability while expanding economic opportunities through job training and employment, critical components to putting those who need us most on the path towards a better future. Cinnaire is proud to join our CDFI partners to support Mel Trotter Ministries as they embark on this impactful journey.”
For more information on Mel Trotter Ministries visit meltrotter.org
About Michigan Community Capital
Michigan Community Capital (MCC) is a non-profit diversified public-private partnership that supports the missions of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) by aggregating capital and facilitating the financing and development of low-income and attainable housing, and the redevelopment of complex brownfield sites within the State of Michigan. MCC is a U.S. Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the only Community Development Entity (CDE) that deploys this resource solely throughout the entire State of Michigan. Over its 16-year history, MCC has supported over $1 billion in project financing, successfully attracted $320 million in federal New Markets Tax Credits, and helped to create over 750 housing units and 1.3 million square feet of commercial, retail and industrial space to facilitate job creation and expansion. MCC provides products in four key pillars: housing equity, bridge and gap lending, New Markets Tax Credits, and property insurance for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit projects.
