A Chinese owned company today promised to create 467 new jobs in Mishawaka by 2020.

Last fall, SF Motors bought the former AM General plant.

Only today did the company talk about its ambitious plans for the facility.

The factory was built in 2001 to house production of the gas guzzling and now defunct Hummer H-2.

The same plant will get $160,000,000 of new equipment and a new lease on life—building a battery powered vehicle that will get 300 miles on a single charge.

“Yes, yes, there’s a little irony in that, yes,” said Mishawaka Plant Manager Todd Leahy.

There’s also joy and relief over the hiring plans among hundreds of workers who were laid off last fall as a plant contract to build Mercedes R Class ran its course.

“When the plant went down in November, there were over 300, about 330 (laid off workers), and the number announced today, 400 plus, 460 (new hires). That’s a large improvement from what we had and we look forward to that,” said UAW Local 5 President Joe Taylor III.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb was on hand to mark the occasion and told the crowd this was the 20th time a Chinese owned business located in Indiana. “This is breathing new life not just into this facility but into a industry that will be uber competitive in the years to come.”

SF Motors hopes to have the Mishawaka plant turning out pre-production prototypes by the end of 2018. The plant has the capacity to produce 50,000 vehicles per year.

While there was no SF Motors model on site to touch—it remains a developing dream on a drawing board—it’s still a vehicle project that is feeding more and more local families. There are 79 plant workers on the job today with plans to grow the workforce to 450 plus.

“The commitment is to have 467 hired by 2020. Our feeling is that we feel over time we're going to surpass that number, but that’s the goal, so 467 by 2020,” said Jason Wallace with SF Motors.

After Hummer H2 production stopped in Mishawaka in 2009, the plant built a taxicab for handicapped riders, the MV1.

The plants contract to build Mercedes R Class cars ran its course last fall. “So it's been a roller coaster ride. What we want is continuous employment. We want good paying jobs, and we just want our people our members to be able to support their families on a consistent basis instead of the up and down that's been going on in the past,” said Joe Taylor, III.

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SF Motors has announced plans to create up to 467 new jobs in Mishawaka by 2020, and the company would like to hire many of the people who worked at their manufacturing facility when it was owned by AM General.

About 400 people were laid off when AM General sold the plant last year.

SF Motors also announced that it will "invest more than $160 million, including the acquisition, to renovate and equip a 675,500-square-foot manufacturing facility."

At least two lines of the company's intelligent electric vehicles will be manufactured in Mishawaka, and the facility will serve as the company’s primary U.S.-based manufacturing plant.

Governor Eric Holcomb and St. Joseph County officials joined executives from SF Motors for the announcement Wednesday morning.

NewsCenter 16's Mark Peterson was there, and he'll have a full report throughout our evening newscasts. Check back for an update to this web story.





From the Indiana Economic Development Corporation:

Governor Eric J. Holcomb and St. Joseph County officials joined executives from SF Motors, a global intelligent electric vehicle (EV) company that aims to accelerate the growth of the EV industry at large, today as the company announced plans to establish manufacturing operations here, acquiring AM General’s commercial plant in Mishawaka with plans to create up to 467 new jobs by 2020. As part of SF Motors’ job creation plans, the company intends to hire many of displaced workers from the manufacturing facility formerly-owned by AM General. "Indiana's reputation as a destination for business continues to be heard across the U.S. and around the world, attracting companies like SF Motors," Gov. Holcomb said. "With a world of options, we're thrilled SF Motors chose to expand in Indiana. We look forward to witnessing their continued success in Indiana as they develop 21st-century solutions with the help of our talented Hoosier workforce." SF Motors will invest more than $160 million, including the acquisition, to renovate and equip a 675,500-square-foot manufacturing facility, which served as the former AM General commercial assembly plant at 12900 McKinley Highway in Mishawaka. The vacant facility, which was acquired by SF Motors in November, will be equipped to manufacture at least two lines of its first EV models and serve as the company’s primary U.S.-based manufacturing plant. The 35-acre campus will feature advanced automation and house the company’s body and paint shop, general assembly and office administration. With its growth, SF Motors plans to begin trial production before the end of the year. “Northern Indiana has a rich history of manufacturing vehicles, a mature supplier network and a highly skilled talent pool with luxury automotive experience. All these advantages make Mishawaka the perfect location to manufacture our intelligent connected EVs,” said John Zhang, founder and chief executive officer of SF Motors. “We are proud to partner with Indiana to restore up to 467 jobs to the local economy. We see this partnership as the beginning of a bright and prosperous future.” SF Motors currently employs more than 300 associates across the U.S. To support its production and continued growth, the company has already started hiring and plans to have around 200 people working at the facility by the end of this year. Founded in 2016, SF Motors is headquartered in Silicon Valley with facilities across the world, including manufacturing sites in China and Indiana and research and development facilities in the U.S., Germany and China. SF Motors has created a proprietary powertrain – including custom motors, gearboxes, battery cells and packs, and electronic controllers ¬– giving the company control and flexibility in the design of their vehicles. The company is also focused on intelligent technologies to deliver new levels of Protective Autonomy and connectivity. Pending approval from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) Board of Directors, the IEDC will offer SF Motors Inc. up to $3.847 million in conditional tax credits and up to $500,000 in training grants based on the company's job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The IEDC also offered up to $653,000 in conditional tax credits from the Industrial Recovery Tax Credit (“DINO”) program, which encourages companies to invest in former industrial facilities requiring significant rehabilitation or remodeling expenses. The county of St. Joseph will consider additional incentives at the request of the St. Joseph County Office of Economic Development. "We are thrilled to have SF Motors join our community, and not since the days of Studebaker has St. Joe County been on the cutting edge of automobile technology," said Andrew Kostielney, president of the St. Joseph County Commissioners. "We anticipate SF Motors will be an industry leader who will positively influence our region for generations to come." As companies like SF Motors continue to establish operations in the Hoosier state, Indiana is taking the state’s workforce development to the next level with a focus on the key industries and high-demand jobs driving Indiana’s 21st century economy forward, such as advanced manufacturing. Next Level Jobs – which provides grants to employers and skill-seeking Hoosiers – is working to build Indiana’s workforce to help fill more than 1 million job openings expected to be created by 2025.