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Norwegian hydrogen company plans 500-job factory
BY DAVID EGGERT
Norwegian hydrogen company
Nel will establish a $400 million manufacturing plant in Michigan, creating an estimated 500-plus jobs at what o cials said will be the rst U.S. facility to make alkaline elec- trolyzer equipment used to produce renewable hydrogen. e project was announced
Nel Hydrogen, a subsidiary of Oslo-based Nel ASA and a collaborator with General Motors Co., is still evaluating where in the state to put the factory.
Wednesday by Nel CEO Håkon Volldal, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and state and local economic development o cials attending the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Maryland.
“ e choice of Michigan is based on an overall assessment of what the state can o er in terms ofnancial incentives, access to a highly skilled workforce, and cooperation with universities, research institutions and strategic partners,” Volldal said in a statement in which he also highlighted “personal en- gagement from the governor and her team.”
Another factor was the proximity to GM, which is headquartered in Detroit. e announcement came months
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THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT NEED TO KNOW
AUBURN HILLS PLANNERS SIGN OFF ON GM FACILITY
THE NEWS: e Auburn Hills Planning Commission has given its blessing to the creation of a new $200 million General Motors Co. facility on the former Palace of Auburn Hills site. If the 1.1-million-square-foot building development is referred to as a “value-added assembly” plant for third-party suppliers serving GM Orion Assembly in Orion Township at 4555 Giddings Road.
WHY IT MATTERS: If it comes to fruition, it would become the third-largest building in Auburn Hills behind the Stellantis headquarters (5.4 million square feet) and Great Lakes Crossing Outlets (1.4 million square feet).
DETROIT FREE PRESS NAMES NEXT EXECUTIVE EDITOR
THE NEWS: e Detroit Free Press has named former editor Nicole Avery Nichols as its new executive editor. Nichols, 53, a seasoned journalist and media executive with more than three decades of newsroom experience, was most recently editor-in-chief at Chalkbeat, a nonpro t news organization focused on education in America. She replaces Peter Bhatia, who left in January.
WHY IT MATTERS: She is the rst Black woman to become executive editor at the paper in its 192 years.
GREENPATH GAINS NEW PUERTO RICO AFFILIATION
THE NEWS: Farmington Hills-based GreenPath Financial Wellness, a national credit counseling and debt management nonpro t, has a liated with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Puerto Rico to gain a foothold in the U.S. territory. rough the deal, GreenPath will e ectively become the parent company of Consumer Credit. In exchange, GreenPath will gain an a liation with a trusted brand in the Latino markets, President and CEO Kristen Holt said.
WHY IT MATTERS: e two nonpro ts, both members of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, will o er expanded support to the 3.2 million people living in Puerto Rico.
LAWMAKERS MOVE TO MAKE ‘COCKTAILS-TO-GO’ PERMANENT
THE NEWS: Michigan’s pandemic-spurred law that lets people order cocktails for pickup or delivery from bars, restaurants and distilleries’ tasting rooms would become permanent under a bill that received initial approval from legislators Tuesday. e House voted 102-5 to send the measure to the Senate.
WHY IT MATTERS: e “cocktails-to-go” law, which was enacted in the summer of 2020, is e ective through 2025. e legislation, House Bill 4201, would extend the law indenitely. A similar attempt to make the law permanent zzled out in last year’s “lame-duck” session.
BCBSM TO ACQUIRE VERMONT COUNTERPART
THE NEWS: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is expanding — out of state. e Blues announced last week it plans to acquire Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont in a deal where no cash exchanges hands, but the Vermont plan becomes a subsidiary of BCBSM under the proposed deal. However, BCBS Vermont would retain its name, leadership structure and headquarters as each entity would remain operating independently for their members.
Manufacturing
Dearborn-based Carhartt to out t e Weather Channel
e durability of some locally made, internationally recognized workwear apparel is set to be truly put to the test.
e Weather Channel cable TV network and Dearborn-based Carhartt announced a new partnership making Carhartt the all-weather out tter for on-air meteorologists and in- eld weather reporting.
Network sta will wear Carhartt apparel with the familiar logo prominently featured during broadcasts, including insulated jackets and vests and Carhartt Rain Defender pants for hurricane season, according to Carhartt Chief Brand O cer Susan Hennike.
Hennike declined to disclose details or the length of the agreement.
e partnership will get a lot more eyes on Carhartt gear. e Weather Channel averages about 100,000 viewers each day. at number jumped to 3.4 million last fall during coverage of Hurricane Ian.
Carhartt replaces Lands’ End as the o cial out tter of e Weather Channel since 2017.
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WHY IT MATTERS: e deal would allow for BCBSM to sell wrap-around services to the Vermont insurer’s 225,000 members, said Lynda Rossi, BCBSM’s executive vice president of strategy, innovation and public affairs.
