Company chooses Michigan over other states for two new manufacturing facilities, helping to meet goals laid out in Governor Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan.
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that LuxWall, a leading venture capital backed company that manufactures vacuum insulating energy-efficient windows, is establishing two manufacturing facilities in Michigan with support from the Michigan Strategic Fund. The project is expected to make capital investments of $165 million and create 450+ high-paying jobs that build on Michigan’s sustainability efforts.
“We’re thrilled to welcome this $165 million investment from LuxWall, creating more than 450 good-paying, high-tech jobs right here in Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer. “Michigan is serious about being a leader in clean technology and winning today’s investment proves that the best manufacturing in the world happens in Michigan. Let’s keep competing with anyone and working with everyone to bring home transformational investments in manufacturing so we can spur economic growth and create good-paying jobs for Michiganders.”
“We are thrilled to be earning this significant investment by LuxWall as we continue to position Michigan as a leader in clean technology and highly advanced manufacturing,” said Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of the MEDC and President and Chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund. “This project is a win for Detroit, Hillsdale County and for the entire state. We are grateful to Governor Whitmer, legislators from both parties, and local officials for their continued support for our programs that help make announcements like today’s possible. We appreciate the efforts of our local partners in supporting these investments and will continue working to win projects, invest in places and support our people as we encourage businesses of all sizes to Make it in Michigan.”
LuxWall, Inc. founded in 2016 and headquartered in Ypsilanti with 49 employees, designs and develops, next generation high-performance energy-efficient vacuum insulating glass that delivers between R-13 and R-17 glass insulation values. The company’s Enthermal products have the potential to disrupt the traditional glass industry as its products are very thin, yet have superior insulative properties and have significantly better performance of 45 percent greater heat retention in the winter and 60 percent greater cooling retention in the summer as compared to conventional building glass. According to the International Energy Agency, buildings account for 36 percent of global energy consumption and are responsible for 39 percent of global CO2 emissions.
LuxWall has received significant investments from Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Prelude Ventures, Baruch Future Ventures, 2150, and Khosla Ventures, and is preparing for high-volume manufacturing of its products.
LuxWall plans to construct the world’s first high-volume vacuum-insulating glass production facilities that will include two factories that house manufacturing, quality control, office space, and laboratories. The company plans to establish the first operations in two existing, vacant facilities in Litchfield, where it will achieve scale and validate its ability to manufacture in commercial volumes. The company is currently evaluating sites in Detroit for its second facility, where it will triple production capacity. The two sites will manufacture energy-efficient windows that will be sold to residential and commercial customers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
“Today is a huge step for LuxWall as we ready our company for the commercialization phase by meaningfully expanding our footprint in Michigan to now include major manufacturing plants in Litchfield and our future Detroit site,” Scott Thomsen, CEO and co-founder of LuxWall. “We are grateful for the strong business and economic support we have received from the State of Michigan, MEDC, DRP, City of Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Hillsdale County, and the City of Detroit as we expand the company. We are committed to creating high quality, well-paying jobs, and collaborating with Michigan Works and other agencies to develop best in class training programs to ensure we hire, develop and promote Michigan talent.”
The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $165.6 million and create 453 jobs with the support of a $6 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. LuxWall chose Michigan for the project over competing sites in neighboring states because of Michigan’s pro-business environment, aggressive sustainability goals and its goal of ensuring that its investments stay in its home state of Michigan.
The project will bring a significant number of high-wage, high-tech jobs to Michigan and further boost the state’s sustainability efforts. Enthermal will change the built environment in the same way wind and solar are changing energy production. With mass adoption, this glass innovation can reduce global carbon emissions by 14 percent. In addition, it will strengthen and secure the company’s future investment in the state going forward.
“LuxWall’s success and rapid expansion is further proof that the Detroit Region is a premier innovation and R & D hub across many emerging industries, including clean energy,” said Maureen Donohue Krauss, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership.
”Scott Thomsen and his team of professionals have been a pleasure to work with over the last couple of months,” said Economic Development Partnership of Hillsdale Executive Director Susan Smith. “Moving forward at lightning speed, LuxWall has worked seamlessly with our partners at the MEDC, Michigan Works Southeast, the county, the City of Litchfield, the Litchfield Regional Training Center and the TIFA Board. The Economic Development Partnership of Hillsdale County appreciates and welcomes the new technology innovation, sector diversity and quality employment opportunities this project brings to Hillsdale County.”
Today’s announcement helps to meet goals laid out in Governor Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan. Announced in April 2022, the plan is a roadmap for Michigan to achieve economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050 with interim 2030 goals. The MI Healthy Climate Plan proposes climate action that would create tens of thousands of clean-energy jobs, spur economic development and innovation, protect clean air and water, and improve public health.
It also highlights how Michigan continues to pave the way for leading next-generation clean technology companies with statewide networks and resources that allow companies like LuxWall to grow and thrive in the state. Learn more here.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Luxwall to Litchfield,” said Litchfield City Manager Jason Smith. “The entire Luxwall team, the MEDC, and all the partners involved in making this become a reality have been fantastic to work with throughout the process. From our first phone conversation, to today, and into the future, Luxwall continues to impress us with their dedication to their product and their desire to be a visible and strong corporate neighbor. We look forward to Luxwall providing strong jobs with livable wages for our residents.”
