Two RV manufacturers, Cruiser RV and Heartland Recreational Vehicles, will expand and invest a total of $35.9 million in Sturgis, Michigan.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Office noted the expansion projects are expected to create 450 jobs in St. Joseph County.

“From all of us at Cruiser and Heartland RV, we would like to thank the state of Michigan, city of Sturgis and each organization that assisted our company with the process for expanding business operations in Michigan, your partnership is greatly appreciated,” said Ryan Juday, president of Cruiser RV and Heartland RV. “Having access to a strong pool of talent was one of the primary reasons we chose Michigan for these expansions. This is an exciting time and we are proud to invest in a state and region that has been supportive in our mission to expand while providing excellent employment opportunities to the community.”

? The two projects each resulted in a $700,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. The Heartland RV expansion is also being supported by a $307,277 state Transportation Economic Development Fund grant to help fund infrastructure improvements associated with the project. State officials said the companies chose Michigan for the projects over competing sites in Indiana, primarily because of the availability of skilled workers in the area.

“Michigan is pleased to welcome Cruiser and Heartland to our state as they create 450 new manufacturing jobs and tap into a robust, highly skilled talent pool. The message is clear: Michigan’s economy is recovering, and we will continue to work on building a championship economy here in the state,” said?Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and President and Chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund. “We appreciate the efforts of our local partners in Southwest Michigan to support these projects and will work with the companies as they continue to grow and add jobs for Michigan residents.”

In addition, the city of Sturgis is offering property tax abatements in support of the projects, and Southwest Michigan First assisted the companies in identifying sites for the projects. The Michigan Strategic Fund also authorized a State Education Tax Abatement to the Heartland project to be used in conjunction with the local abatement. The Michigan Department of Transportation TEDF grant will help support work performed by the City of Sturgis, which is contributing $165,458 in funding, including rebuilding roads in the area and reworking drainage.