Gov. Whitmer tours Hydro construction site

CASSOPOLIS, Mich. (WNDU) - Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other leaders toured the construction site for the Norsk Hydro aluminum recycling plant in Cassopolis Michigan Friday.

The state-of-the-art aluminum recycling plant is investing $150 million in southwest Michigan and will employ 70 people.

“It’s recycling of post customer scrap, used scrap and also processed scrap coming from our customers...So, it’s the customer base. It’s the raw material that is generated in this area and it’s also the hotspot for the automotive business,” said Trond Gjellesvik, President of Hydro.

“You know, I think that the fact that there is something of this high tech, sustainability project happening here in Cassopolis is amazing. It just shows that we are really serious about economic development in every region of our state and this is about good paying jobs, but also recycling aluminum is something out economy depends on and doing it in this way, creating good jobs is really exciting,” said Whitmer.

The plant will produce 265 million pounds of recycled aluminum annually.

This facility is the first high-tech manufacturing plant located at the Southwest Michigan Advanced Research & Technology Park.

“We are doers. We work hard. We know how to solve problems and it’s true in every part of the state, but I think this is a unique place where this kind of a business can pull scrap from Chicago and from Detroit…the central location with the talent all around here is something that’s a huge strength for Cass County,” said Whitmer.

Hydro has plants in 40 countries, but hasn’t built a plant in the U.S. for more than 20 years.

The plant is expected to open next year.

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