DENSO Manufacturing Michigan Celebrates 40 Years with $250K Battle Creek Housing Fund Donation

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga and DENSO leaders
join anniversary ceremony recognizing four decades of manufacturing excellence and
community partnership

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DENSO Manufacturing Michigan, Inc. (DMMI), today celebrated 40 years of operations in Battle Creek with a $250,000 donation to the Battle Creek Housing Fund. The gift reinforces DENSO's longstanding commitment to the community it has called home since 1986.

Led in partnership by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the City of Battle Creek and Battle Creek Unlimited, the fund supports affordable, workforce and market-rate housing. DENSO's contribution will help address a shortage of homes in the area by advancing the fund's goal to build or rehabilitate 1,000 homes by 2035.

DMMI Key Facts

Since production began on July 1, 1986, DMMI has grown from DENSO's first manufacturing facility in North America into Calhoun County's largest employer and a cornerstone of the company's North American manufacturing network.

The site began with a goal of employing approximately 200 team members and has since expanded into a 1.38 million-square-foot operation with more than 2,000 team members producing advanced automotive thermal technologies for carmakers across North America.

A Celebration Rooted in Manufacturing Leadership, Community Partnership

To commemorate the milestone, DMMI hosted a 40th anniversary event today featuring DENSO leaders from its regional and global headquarters, along with remarks from DMMI President Shuichi "Shu" Kamakura, DENSO North America CEO Tomoyuki "Tom" Arakawa, Battle Creek Mayor Mark Behnke, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga. Together, participants reflected on DENSO's four decades of innovation, manufacturing leadership and investment in the Battle Creek community.

"Reaching 40 years is an incredible milestone for DENSO Manufacturing Michigan and a testament to the dedication of generations of team members who have helped build our success," said Shuichi "Shu" Kamakura, DMMI president. "We are deeply grateful to our teams, customers and community partners for their trust and support through the past four decades. We make today's donation to help show this appreciation and contribute to efforts to make affordable housing more accessible locally – an important need for the Battle Creek community."

"DMMI holds a special place in DENSO's history as our first manufacturing operation in North America," said Tomoyuki "Tom" Arakawa, CEO of DENSO in North America. "For 40 years, the Battle Creek team has demonstrated the innovation, quality and commitment that define DENSO. We are grateful for the partnership of this community and excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue investing in our team, manufacturing and mobility."

Supporting Michigan's Manufacturing Future

The anniversary celebration and Governor Gretchen Whitmer's attendance comes at a significant moment in DMMI's evolution. In 2023, the State of Michigan supported DENSO's $63 million investment in the facility, which helped retool production areas and prepare the site to manufacture advanced thermal technologies that would support the next generation of electrified vehicles.

Today, a new production line enabled by the investment is now in operation at DMMI, supplying advanced heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) technology to a major carmaker.

The project demonstrates DENSO's continued commitment to advanced manufacturing in Michigan while positioning the facility to meet customers' evolving needs in an increasingly electrified automotive market.

"Michigan is proud to celebrate 40 years of partnership with DENSO," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "DMMI supports over 2,000 good-paying jobs, produces cutting-edge technology, and is a cornerstone of the Battle Creek community. Together, we are building the future of the auto industry right here in Michigan. I am so grateful for DENSO's continued investment in Battle Creek, and I look forward to many more years of innovation, growth, and partnership."

DMMI History

Over the past 40 years, DMMI has achieved numerous milestones that helped shape its local presence, including:

• Aug. 30, 1979 — Groundbreaking for DENSO's warehouse and office distribution center.
  
  
• July 7, 1980 — Distribution center officially opens.
  
  
• April 11, 1985 — Groundbreaking for the Battle Creek manufacturing facility.
  
  
• July 1, 1986 — Production begins at DMMI.
  
  
• Nov. 17, 1986 — Early plant expansion supporting continued growth.
  
  
• Oct. 18, 1991 — Named one of IndustryWeek's Top 10 Manufacturing Plants in America.
  
  
• Feb. 12, 1993 — Recipient of Chrysler's Pentastar Award.
  
  
• Oct. 6, 1996 — Recreation Center expansion.
  
  
• Aug. 25, 2005 — Opening of the DENSO Pharmacy.
  
  
• Jan. 26, 2017 — Family Health Center ribbon cutting.
  
  
• June 6, 2019 — North America Technical Training Center opens, helping team members keep their skills at manufacturing's leading edge.

Beyond its manufacturing footprint, DMMI has remained actively engaged in the community through educational partnerships, charitable giving, workforce development efforts and support for organizations that help strengthen the Battle Creek region.

Looking Ahead

While the 40th anniversary celebration highlighted DMMI's history, it also underscored the facility's future. Through the company's continued focus on advanced manufacturing, leading thermal technologies and talent development, DMMI will play an important role in how DENSO helps shape the future of mobility while supporting the places it calls home.

About DENSO
Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO is a 7,540.0 billion yen (US$47.2 billion) leading mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in around 170 facilities worldwide to provide opportunities for rewarding careers and to produce cutting-edge electrification, powertrain, thermal and mobility electronics products, among others, that change how the world moves. In developing such solutions, the company's 155,000 global employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. DENSO spent around 9.2 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026. For more information about DENSO's operations worldwide, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/.

In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 23,000+ team members across more than 40 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, DENSO in North America generated $12.7 billion in consolidated sales. To learn more about DENSO operations in the region, please visit https://www.denso.com/us-ca/en/.

SOURCE DENSO