The Michigan Strategic Fund Wednesday announced support for two projects in the Ann Arbor region expected to generate a total private investment of $27.2 million and create 279 new jobs, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
Workit Health, a health care technology, was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor. It plans to open a larger office in the city. The project is expected to generate a total private investment of $14.8 million and create 179 highly skilled jobs with the potential of up to 530 jobs over five years.
The project resulted in a $1 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant, and Michigan was chosen over competing sites around the country. The city of Ann Arbor has offered to assist the company in its search for candidates for the new positions. Information on careers is available here.
The firm’s virtual clinic covers triage, face time with clinicians, e-prescriptions, therapy, and drug testing. Its programs include medication-assisted treatment for addiction disorders as well as cognitive behavioral therapy, group sessions, 24/7 chat access with a care team, and more than 1,000 courses to treat an array of addictions and common co-occurring disorders such as Hepatitis C. The company partners with health plans, employers, and local governments across the state.
“Workit Health, headquartered in Ann Arbor, has a close relationship with the tech community in the region and is eager to leverage the talent in the region to further expand access to treatment,” says Lisa McLaughlin, co-founder. “We have ties to Ann Arbor and intentionally decided to grow the company here. Incredible local catalysts like the MEDC and founders who are redefining entrepreneurship in our region have played a pivotal role in our rise.”
Nexient, a software services provider in Silicon Valley with a Pittsfield Township location, south of Ann Arbor, serving as a product delivery center, has purchased a building in Scio Township, west of Ann Arbor. The company works to help its clients drive revenue, loyalty, and growth through digital transformation. It was founded in 2009.
The company will renovate and expand the new building’s parking lot to accommodate growth. The project is expected to generate a total private investment of $12.45 million and create 100 new jobs, resulting in a $500,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen over competing sites in Indiana and Ohio.
The firm serves the utilities, retail, financial services, health care, entertainment and media, technology, and hospitality industries. It expanded its Pittsfield Township operations in 2018, a project that created 300 jobs. Today, that location employs 464 people.
“After growing by more than 30 percent in 2020, Nexient is seeing our growth accelerate in 2021,” says Mark Orttung, CEO of Nexient. “MEDC has been a fantastic long-term partner for us, working with us since 2010 to grow our presence in Ann Arbor. We are really thankful for all of their support. We’re excited to move into our new, 100,000-square-foot product delivery center in Ann Arbor in the second half of 2021.”
Nexient says it is committed to supporting underrepresented populations, mentoring students in disadvantaged communities, and providing talent development and training for its employees.
“The decisions by Workit Health and Nexient to expand here in Michigan highlight our growing tech and professional and corporate services industries and demonstrate our commitment to long-term economic growth in our state,” says Josh Hundt, chief business development officer and executive vice president of MEDC.
Ann Arbor SPARK has worked with both companies as they’ve grown in the region.
The announcement builds on last month’s news that energy storage provider Navitas and national mortgage lender Homepoint are expanding in the Ann Arbor region, generating a total private investment of $7.1 million and creating 266 jobs.
