Governor Whitmer Announces $650 Million Fairlife Expansion and $17 Million Water Infrastructure Investment in West Michigan

Governor Announces Major Economic Development Investment in Ottawa County

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced today that the Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved support to update and enhance aging infrastructure in the City of Coopersville in Ottawa County, as well as support for an Alternative State Essential Services Assessment abatement to support an expansion of fairlife, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company.

With this support, fairlife expects to invest up to $650 million in its facility and create 150 new jobs in west Michigan. The company produces ultra-filtered, lactose-free milk and protein shakes.

"This is a huge win for Michigan, and proof that when we work together to improve our infrastructure, train our workers, and revitalize our places, we can compete with anyone," Governor Whitmer said during the announcement.

The project is part of the state's "Make it in Michigan" economic development strategy focused on People, Places, and Projects. The investment highlights how the state is competing hard for transformational projects and good-paying, high-skill jobs.

Infrastructure Investment Supports Economic Growth

The $17 million infrastructure grant to the city of Coopersville will advance a transformational regional water system upgrade designed to enable the production expansion. The current water system is at 80 percent capacity and over 50 years old.

For decades, Coopersville has relied on a single, 16-inch water main installed more than half a century ago. Local officials say the aging line has become a primary obstacle to housing, commerce and industrial scaling.

The new grant will fund the installation of a 20-inch transmission main and an additional storage tank, increasing the city's capacity by 1.1 million gallons of water per day.

"This project is not only about improving essential services for our residents, it also positions us for continued economic growth and supports one of our largest employers, which is a significant win for our agricultural community," said Dennis Luce, City Manager for Coopersville.

The City of Coopersville is extremely excited about the opportunity to partner with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the State through the Strategic Site Readiness Program to invest in critical water infrastructure that will strengthen the system's capacity and reliability for both current and future needs.

Economic Impact Extends Beyond Coopersville

The announcement represents the first phase of a broader $47 million three-part infrastructure plan, with the remaining costs to be covered by community service agreements and major industrial users.

"Investments like this strengthen the region well beyond a single project," said Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage, which worked alongside the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to help secure the funding and resource requirements for the project. "Reliable infrastructure and a strong supply chain are essential for the Lakeshore's growing agribusiness cluster."

The impact of the upgrade extends beyond the factory floor. Because the food manufacturing sector relies heavily on a robust supply chain, experts project that for every direct job created at the Fairlife facility, 10 additional dairy jobs will be supported across the state to meet increased production demands.

Current data from Lightcast, which provides labor market analytics, suggests the food manufacturing cluster in Ottawa and Allegan counties already supports over 7,000 jobs with average annual earnings of approximately $87,000.

Although the project is centered in Coopersville, the benefits are expected to benefit neighboring municipalities, including Polkton Township, Allendale Charter Township and Tallmadge Township.

Patrick Staskiewicz, public utilities director at the Ottawa County Road Commission, noted that the expansion would also help stabilize utility rates for users of the Grand Rapids Water and Muskegon County Wastewater systems by maintaining a high-volume industrial user base.

State Support for Economic Development

"The West Michigan agribusiness corridor is a significant component of Michigan's overall economy, and it is imperative it has the infrastructure it needs to produce high-quality, high-recognition products that people across the nation know and enjoy," said Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and chair of the MSF.

"We are thrilled to offer our support to the City of Coopersville and fairlife for projects that will impact every component of our 'Make it in Michigan' economic development strategy focused on People, Places, and Projects."

"Longterm partnerships like these are evidence that companies see the strength of Michigan's food, agriculture and forestry industry and want to leverage its success," said Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring.

"This investment also reinforces our mission at the state of improving quality of life for Michiganders. We're committed to attracting projects that improve infrastructure and value-added processing in a way that benefits our industry, our communities and regional economies."

The fairlife facility is one of the largest local employers in the Coopersville area, and this expansion represents a significant investment in west Michigan's economy. The company's investment will power $650 million into west Michigan's economy while creating new jobs and supporting existing workers.

Strategic Site Readiness Program Support

The City of Coopersville will receive support through the Strategic Site Readiness Program, which invests in critical infrastructure projects that enable economic development. The program helps communities improve essential services and create the conditions for businesses to expand and thrive.

"This project is not only about improving essential services for our residents, it also positions us for continued economic growth," Luce said. "In particular, this supports the expansion of fairlife, one of our largest employers, which is a significant win for our agricultural community here in West Michigan and for dairy suppliers across the entire state."

The investment demonstrates how the state is working to strengthen its infrastructure and support economic development across Michigan. By combining public infrastructure investment with private sector expansion, the state is creating jobs and supporting existing businesses while improving essential services for residents.