LuxWall Start-Up Will Invest $165M to Build Two New Factories in Litchfield and Detroit
Window manufacturer LuxWall has opened the first of two new high-tech manufacturing facilities in Litchfield, Michigan. A second site will soon open in the Southwest Detroit Delray neighborhood on the site of a former Detroit Edison coal plant. Combined, the two factories will create a total of 450 new manufacturing jobs, signaling that a revolutionary window manufacturer brings 450 new jobs to Michigan.
At the Litchfield ribbon-cutting ceremony, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer praised the new factories, “this is creating more than 450 good-paying high-tech jobs, and building on our advanced manufacturing leadership,” showcasing how a revolutionary window manufacturer brings 450 new jobs to Michigan.
The Ypsilanti-based company started research and development in 2021, and the Litchfield opening signifies the start of its next phase of operations – production. The second site will triple the company’s production capacity, allowing it to produce over half a million windows for commercial and residential customers each year. LuxWall plans to invest $165 million in two phases to drive the expansion.
The factory, which will be the first of its kind, will produce high-tech glass windows that can weatherproof buildings as effectively as the fiberglass insulation in walls. LuxWall describes its high-performance glass technology as “a Thermos bottle for buildings” and says they “have the potential to disrupt the traditional glass industry as its products are very thin, yet have superior insulative properties.”
The state of Michigan provided a $6 million economic development grant. Another $31.7 million came from the U.S. Department of Energy’s cost sharing program, funded by the Biden-Harris infrastructure programs.
The International Energy Agency says that buildings account for 36 percent of global energy consumption and are responsible for 39 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Windows are the single largest source of energy loss in buildings; creating more energy-efficient windows is a key element of reducing carbon emissions.
LuxWall’s new glass technology results in ultra-thin, perfectly clear windows that insulate as well as 6 inches of fiberglass. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Whitmer explained,“[windows are] the single largest source of energy loss in buildings. The LuxWall team has dedicated itself to tackling this challenge head-on.”
According to LuxWall, their windows “can deliver 45 percent greater heat retention in the winter and 60 percent greater cooling retention in the summer as compared to conventional monolithic building glass.” In a press release announcing LuxWall’s $165 million investment, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said that “[w]ith mass adoption, this glass innovation can reduce global carbon emissions by 14 percent.”
The funding LuxWall received from the DOE comes from a larger $275 million investment through the Biden-Harris infrastructure program “for seven projects to strengthen clean energy supply chains and accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing in seven states across the nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “With these historic investments, DOE will bring new economic opportunities and ensure these communities continue their key role in strengthening America’s national and energy security.”
THREE KEY FACTS:
- LuxWall is building two manufacturing facilities that will create 450 new, high-tech jobs.
- The $165.6 million investment will finance production of high-tech glass windows with super-insulating properties on par with fiberglass insulation.
- Funding included a $6 million grant from the state of Michigan and a $31.7 million matching grant from a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program funded by the Biden-Harris infrastructure laws.
