LuxWall hosted Michigan dignitaries, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, on Monday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new clean-energy manufacturing facility in Litchfield, Michigan.
Spurred by millions in investments, the new facility will create more than 450 jobs. It will focus on designing and developing high-performance, energy-efficient vacuum insulating glass (VIG). Company officials say LuxWall chose Michigan over other states for two new manufacturing facilities. The Litchfield location offered several incentives, including existing space and energy infrastructure.
Officials add that the new site is the world’s first high-volume VIG production factory, featuring two facilities housing manufacturing, quality control, office space and laboratories.
With the new facility, the company aims to achieve scale and validate its manufacturing ability in commercial volumes. It also plans to open a facility in Detroit, which will triple production capacity. The two sites will manufacture VIG sold to residential and commercial customers in the United States, Canada and Europe.
According to officials, funding for the project came from a $6 million performance-based grant from the Michigan Business Development Program, along with $31 million in federal cost-sharing from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Affordable Clean Energy Act. LuxWall funded $165 million.
LuxWall has also received investments from Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Prelude Ventures, Baruch Future Ventures, 2150 and Khosla Ventures.