CASSOPOLIS — Postle Aluminum in Cassopolis was awarded a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant, according to Sen. John Proos Wednesday.

The grant is from the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) and is for on-the-job training for a local expansion project for Postle.

“This news means jobs and is outstanding news for people of Cassopolis and the entire Southwest Michigan community,” said Proos, R-St. Joseph. “I applaud the Cassopolis leaders for working together with the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Michigan Economic Development Fund and Postle Aluminum to make possible this invaluable training opportunity. I also want to thank Postle Operating for their making a multi-million dollar commitment to the Cassopolis community and the entire state.”

Postle is a producer of extruded aluminum products for recreational vehicles and is investing more than $12.6 million in the expansion project, which will increase the company’s production capabilities and create up to 40 new full-time jobs over the next two years.

“These grants are extremely competitive,” Proos said. “This job-training opportunity is the direct result of hard work and cooperation on the part of Cassopolis leaders and Postle Operating officials, and I extend a huge ‘thank you’ on behalf of the people of Southwest Michigan.”

Postle Aluminum will build a 52,000 square-foot building adjacent to their current plant on Edwards Street in Cassopolis to accommodate an additional service to their customers of a wet-coat paint line.

“We welcome the expansion project of Postle. The county has focused on business expansion over the last year and this is a great opportunity for our county,” County Administrator Louis Csokasy said.

After reviewing several locations and opportunities, the company chose to have their expansion project located adjacent to their facility in the Village of Cassopolis. The process took about six months for the company to do their due diligence.

“The Village of Cassopolis is privileged for Postle Aluminum to call us home. We strive to be a pro-business community,” Clare Mallo, village president said.

“Postle Aluminum has been a great corporate citizen for our county and we are proud that Postle chose Cass County as their expansion location,” Eileen Toney, Cass County Economic Development Corporation chairman said.

Postle Aluminum extrusion facilities feature state-of-the-art extrusion presses ranging in size from 7 to 9 inches that enable them to provide a wide array of both standard and custom extrusions. Postle can precisely regulate material flow to provide consistency from run to run, even on the most challenging “thin wall” profiles.

Postle facilities are managed by a senior management team with more than 100 years of collective experience in the aluminum industry. Postle Aluminum is headquartered in Elkhart, Ind.