150 Jobs Coming To Detroit Thanks To MDOT Grant

DETROIT, MI — A Michigan Department of Transportation grant has been awarded to a Detroit business that will bring 150 new jobs to the city, the state announced Wednesday.

The state transportation economic development grant will help fund infrastructure improvements related to E.W. Grobbel Sons, Inc.'s new and expanded production facilities in Detroit's historic Eastern Market, according to a news release. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the grant is good news for the economy as a whole.

"Every Michigander deserves to drive on our roads safely, without blowing a tire or cracking a windshield, and this partnership with Grobbel's will help us reach that goal while creating good jobs for Michigan workers," Whitmer said. "I am pleased that we were able to work with this long-standing company, Eastern Market, and the City of Detroit to support the road improvements necessary for Grobbel's new facility, and I will continue working with everyone who wants to create Michigan jobs and improve our state's infrastructure. Let's get to work."

E.W. Grobbel Sons, Inc. was founded in Detroit in 1883 and is the country's oldest and largest certified corned beef processor, the state said in a news release. The company ships product countrywide to some of the nation's biggest restaurant groups.

Located in Detroit's Eastern Market, Grobbel's needed to expand its operations into a more modern facility to meet the increasing demand for its various meat products, according to the state. Grobbel's considered building its new facility closer to cattle farming operations but instead chose to maintain its 140-year presence in the city of Detroit.

E.W. Grobbel Sons, Inc. President Jason Grobbel thanked the city for its support in the expansion.

"We want to acknowledge the time, dedication, and hard work from everyone involved in making this project a reality," Grobbel said. "We thank you for identifying the opportunity of this development, and what it will generate for our community as a whole. This project will establish careers for many Detroiters. It will also attract future food processors, food suppliers, and other agricultural businesses. We are very excited to break ground and begin construction on this project."

The company will invest $25 million in the new facility and hire an additional 150 employees, the company said. This is the first phase of a planned two-phase project. The investment will be supported by a Transportation Economic Development Fund Category A grant of $303,127, at a private/public investment ratio of 82:1.