Tomcar USA is the direct result of Michigan's ongoing effort to bring new investment to the state, and it officially opened its first U.S. assembly line for its side-by-side, offroad vehicle. The Tomcar, which traces its roots to an Israeli Defense Forces motor pool, will now be produced under contract by EDAG Inc.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Tuesday the opening of the Tomcar assembly line will create 95 jobs "We want to make sure you know how important this investment is for Michigan," she told representatives of EDAG and Tomcar. "This is part of the effort to build the new Michigan economy."
Granholm talked to EDAG on her trip to Germany and persuaded them to expand here. They will unveil a dealer network and retail pricing soon; the Auburn Hills facility can produce up to 10,000 cars annually, but the initial run will be for 5,000. They also are looking at a second production facility in Troy.
"Due to the overwhelming demand from both the recreational and commercial sectors of the market, we have been forced to accelerate our plans for establishing a full-scale production facility," said Guy Poran, chairman and chief executive officer for Tomcar Global Holdings.
Check out the Tomcar website here. Fun stuff. Given the popularity of off-road recreation - this could be a big seller, especially if they are safer than the traditional ATVs.
Maybe I can convince my Mom to trade hers for one of these. After a big go-around about purchasing an ATV a few years back, they finally settled on one, bought it, took it out and promptly tipped it over. And told me about it. I don't need the worry, quite frankly.
Parents. Whaddaya gonna do. I just hope they wear their helmets.