While many companies are sending their manufacturing overseas, the City of Kentwood is set to receive a shot in the arm with hometown company Ranir bringing jobs back home.

Ranir, the largest manufacturer of store brand toothbrushes, is switching up gears and bringing its manufacturing from China to the company’s headquarters in Kentwood.

By bringing manufacturing back to Michigan, Ranir will create nine new jobs initially. The plant will make about 5 million brush heads per year. Both of those numbers have the potential to grow as the plant grows in the coming years.

While it’s always a
nice story to bring jobs back home, Ranir has found a way for the numbers to make sense and justify leaving the cheap labor costs in China. Greg McCormick, Ranir’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, cited the simplification of the supply chain using technology.

“We figured out a way to automate the production by using technology to simplify the design,” explained McCormick, “It takes the complexity out of the supply chain and reduces the amount of shipping time to our customers.”

What China offers in labor costs, Ranir was able to make up in shipping time and technologic
al advancements.

Ranir started in Kentwood over 30 years ago and the company relishes the opportunity to bring work back home.

“It’s very exciting to bring manufacturing back to Michigan!” exclaimed McCormick, “What we’re doing is truly new to world innovation. A lot of major brand names haven’t been able to do this with their products. We are the number one player in retail brush heads, and we’ve been able to figure it out! This gives us an opportunity to bring more jobs home.”