Manufacturer invests $1.5M to expand Georgetown Township facility

Automated Machine Systems, an established designer, engineer, and manufacturer of high-quality automated equipment and systems for the wood pallet and material handling industries, is investing nearly $1.5 million to expand an existing facility in Georgetown Township. 

The 35,000-square-foot expansion to its existing facility in the Georgetown Industrial Center will allow Automated Machine Systems (AMS) to centralize and expand its manufacturing infrastructure and continue to grow the company. AMS also is investing in capital equipment and other supplies. The company currently employs a workforce of more than 100. The expansion is expected to create another 10-12 positions. 

“This expansion project is the next step of development for AMS and will produce great opportunities for increased efficiency and growth for many years to come. As a proud member
of the community, we are excited for this and look forward to being able to continue, and even increase our participation in the local economy,” says Kris Chayer, president of Automated Machine Systems.

Providing skilled jobs

Lakeshore Advantage, the local economic development organization that assists employers with growth opportunities in Ottawa and Allegan counties, connected the company with local resources to support its growth.

“Automated Machine Systems is an excellent case of an entrepreneur with a great idea expanding and providing high-skilled jobs in West Michigan,” says Jennifer Owens, Lakeshore Advantage president. “We serve primary employers, from startup companies to fully mature, because we know today’s entrepreneurs will be tomorrow’s base employers. We are honored to support the exponential growth of this automation solutions provider over the years.”

AMS was founded in 1997 by a local entrepreneur as a sales and engineering firm with a single employee. The company began manufacturing in 2004 and, throughout its more than 20-year history, AMS has occupied several locations, all within 1 mile of each other, and exclusively in Georgetown Township. 

Exceeding expectations

The company has strong relationships in the area, with key suppliers, partners, and more. When AMS built the 41,000-square-foot facility at its current location in 2015, it employed 35 people. In 2017, they added a 25,000-square-foot expansion.

While each project was expected to expand the workforce by about 20 employees, the company exceeded that expectation by double each time.

Georgetown Township unanimously approved support for the new project in the form of a 12-year Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption.

“We appreciate Automated Machine Systems’ presence here and commitment to our community and are pleased to provide support for their expansion and investment in their facility,” says Jim Wierenga, Georgetown Township supervisor.