What began as a workforce development partnership between Mahle Engine Components USA and West Michigan Works! to address talent retention ultimately became a partnership with Hilite International to keep more than 30 high-skilled people employed and a Muskegon Heights research and development facility operating. The coordinated effort earned and Hilite International and West Michigan Works! recognition with the Michigan Works! Association Impact Award. This statewide honor celebrates outstanding achievements in talent development and economic resiliency through public-private collaboration.
The Impact Award was presented during the 2025 West Michigan Works! Annual Board meeting on December 8, 2025 at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. The recipients will also be honored at the Michigan Works! Association statewide Impact Awards in Lansing on April 8, 2026.
The collaboration began in summer 2024 when Mahle engaged West Michigan Works! to explore co-op and apprenticeship strategies. Within weeks, the partnership filled key job openings with help from Michigan Rehabilitation Services.
However, only a few months later, in October 2024, Mahle announced it would close its Muskegon research and development center by July 2025. After this news, the focus of the partnership between West Michigan Works! and Mahle shifted to Rapid Response services.
West Michigan Works! coordinated with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency and Mahle’s human resources team to deliver Rapid Response support. Services included onsite information sessions for all affected employees; career transition workshops focused on resume writing, interviewing and job searching; unemployment insurance navigation led by UIA representatives; and a job fair with five local employers actively hiring engineering and technical roles: Howmet, GE Aerospace, CWC Textron, Renk and Hilite International.
During the job fair hosted by West Michigan Works!, Hilite International’s HR leadership recognized the caliber of Mahle’s team and initiated acquisition conversations. Hilite International purchased the facility and offered continued employment to all 31 engineers. Approximately 90% accepted, including Karrip, who was hired as Hilite’s R&D Technical Services Manager.
“Hilite continues to strengthen its global operating footprint by strategically investing in key regions,” shared a Hilite International spokesperson. “The addition of the Muskegon Technical Center is a clear example of our ongoing commitment to building a robust, future-ready global organization. Winning the West Michigan Works! Impact Award is an incredible honor and a meaningful validation of the work our teams are doing every day. We are truly grateful for our partnership with West Michigan Works—an organization whose support and collaboration have played a vital role in helping us grow, innovate, and invest in the West Michigan community.”
The collaboration is a model for how workforce partners and businesses can work together to retain talent and keep local businesses open.
“The coordinated response to support these businesses and employees exemplifies the core of what Michigan Works! is built for: swift mobilization, strategic collaboration and a deep commitment to putting workers and employers first,” said Angie Barksdale, COO, West Michigan Works!. “We’re committed to building strong ties with businesses, helping them and their employees grow and thrive, and strengthening the regional West Michigan economy.”
