JENISON - An Ottawa County company that specializes in designing and manufacturing wooden pallet and container handling equipment plans to expand its facility. JENISON - An Ottawa County company that specializes in designing and manufacturing wooden pallet and container handling equipment plans to expand its facility. Automated Machine Systems Inc., which services the material handling industry, will invest nearly $1.5 million to expand its facility, which is located at 6651 Pine Ridge Ct. SW in Jenison, according to a statement Tuesday from Lakeshore Advantage Corp., the economic development agency for Ottawa and Allegan counties. The 35,000-square-foot expansion will allow Automated Machine Systems to centralize and expand its manufacturing infrastructure, according to a statement. The company employs more than 100 people and expects to add 10 to 12 new jobs as a result of the project. Automated Machine Systems originally built the 41,000-square-foot facility in 2015 and added a 25,000-square-foot expansion two years later. All together, AMS has been a member of the broader Georgetown Township business community for over 20 years. "This expansion project is the next step of development for AMS and will produce great opportunities for increased efficiency and growth for many years to come," AMS president Kris Chayer said in a statement. "As a proud member of the community, we are excited for this and look forward to being able to continue, and even increase, our participation in the local economy. Automated Machine Systems was also the beneficiary of a 12-year industrial facilities tax exemption, which was unanimously approved by Georgetown Township. "Automated Machine Systems is an excellent case of an entrepreneur with a great idea expanding and providing high skilled jobs in West Michigan," Lakeshore Advantage President Jennifer Owens stated. "We serve primary employers, from startup companies to fully mature, because we know today's entrepreneurs will be tomorrow's base employers. We are honored to support the exponential growth of this automation solutions provider over the years."
