Shape Corp.

Shape Corp. is a global Tier 1 supplier of automotive and industrial components, specializing in crash management technology such as advanced bumper systems, underbody protection, and related structures. With headquarters in Grand Haven, it employs more than 1,500 people in Ottawa County and 4,200 across 14 manufacturing plants and five tech centers worldwide.

A shift in the automotive industry to electric vehicles (EVs) is changing the way Shape Corp. does its job; because batteries typically run along the entire underbody of a vehicle, additional protection is needed to prevent scrapes or punctures – making crash management systems even more critical. Support for companies like Shape Corp. is a key part of Michigan’s strategy to maintain leadership in the EV transition.

“The Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s Talent Action Team Electric Vehicle program is not just important to Shape but to the entire state of Michigan,” said Shape Corp. President and CEO Mark White. “It signifies our commitment to leading the automotive industry’s future, ensuring we remain at the forefront of technological advancements and workforce development. By investing in training and recruiting talent specifically for the electric vehicle sector, we are securing Michigan’s position as a hub for innovation and manufacturing excellence.”

In 2022, Shape Corp. identified talent recruitment and retention at its West Michigan facilities as a major challenge to its future growth and potential, with anticipated expanded shift needs. Shape Corp.’s 172^nd Plant in Grand Haven is the largest U.S. plant in its system. Through partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Talent Action Team, Shape Corp. has successfully recruited around 1,300 people and upskilled many members of its workforce, while improving retention through on-site barrier removal services from a West Michigan Works! Retention Solutions Network career coach.

Recruitment: The Next 1,000 Workers

The MEDC Talent Action Team, created in 2022 as the first public-private state talent coalition to specifically address the talent gap in the EV and semiconductor industries, works directly with employers to identify priority occupations and the skills needed to fill these positions as well as with the state’s educational institutions to train the next generation of workers.

Shape Corp. teamed up with the Talent Action Team and a local workforce development organization, West Michigan Works!, to design a recruitment and training plan in mid-2023. The goal: hire or upskill a total of at least 1,000 workers through internal training programs, partnerships with community colleges and a marketing and recruitment initiative.

The MEDC Talent Action Team and West Michigan Works! engaged local partners to help Shape Corp. have a more robust recruiting apparatus beyond just its human resources division. Partners included the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency, Michigan Rehabilitation Services and local economic developer Lakeshore Advantage.

In the first six months of the marketing push, advertising about EV job opportunities in West Michigan was seen more than 20 million times. The effort aligns with the “You Can in Michigan” national marketing campaign launched by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in October 2023.

Results: Around 1,300 Hired Since 2023

The Shape Corp. campaign led to nearly 800 actively interested job seekers and was then expanded to the rest of Michigan and surrounding states in the Great Lakes region with even greater success: More than 130 million impressions and 3,400 job leads.

In the initial six months of implementation, with MEDC and West Michigan Works! support, Shape Corp. hired roughly 400 workers and trained an additional 900 existing employees in new skills.

Josh Ramirez and Katie Williams-Ramirez (pictured) were two of Shape Corp.’s new recruits, a husband-and-wife duo who moved to Michigan from Illinois. Katie became a new production supervisor, while Josh became a material handler and has since transferred to a more highly skilled role as material handler/shipper. Another new hire, Bruce Smith, moved from California to become a Shape Corp. production, control and logistics team leader.

Since July 2023, Shape Corp. has significantly strengthened its Michigan workforce, with around 1,300 hires supported by the Talent Action Team including production workers, front-line supervisors, and engineers as part of a broader initiative to meet growing operational demands, accounting for both overall growth and expanded shift needs.

Retention: Removing Barriers for Struggling Employees

Shape Corp. is a member of the Retention Solutions Network through West Michigan Works!. The Retention Solutions Network provides member employees with free and confidential services to address the root causes of low employee retention, which are often caused by the need for technical and workplace skills, as well as housing, health, transportation, household budget and childcare barriers.

A success coach is available to all Shape Corp.’s employees to offer customized support and training. The Talent Action Team funds the success coach’s time with Shape Corp employees, as well as assistance with support services.

Results: Financial Success and Stability

Since July 2023, 147 Shape Corp. employees have used services from West Michigan Works! Retention Solutions Network. 31 of these employees have received transportation  and utility related support, including almost $28,000 through Talent Action Team EV program funding to remove barriers to their continued employment. In practice, this can be a complex process.

One Shape Corp. employee, a single parent facing significant financial challenges, first contacted the success coach in September 2024. The success coach worked alongside the employee for six months to resolve multiple barriers.

The coach first worked to stabilize the employee’s transportation, then connected them with additional resources. The employee’s vehicle was close to repossession, so Barrier Removal and Employment Success funding through the Talent Action Team was used to help them keep their source of transportation to work. The success coach next assisted the employee with improving their credit score, building a budget and debt reduction plan, and coming up with savings strategies. The coach will continue to work with the employee on achieving their financial goals while they remain employed at Shape Corp.

Through these successful retention and recruitment efforts, Shape Corp. is seeing the benefits of a talent-focused strategy that allows them to reinvest in the state, lean into the EV transition and “Make It” in Michigan.