Trailblazing company mophie to build at BTR Park
KALAMAZOO—Today, mophie, the portable-power trailblazer and developer of the globally renowned juice pack for smartphones—most notably the iPhone—announced the expansion of its facilities to Western Michigan University’s Business Technology and Research Park.
The company is purchasing land at the BTR Park and will construct a 30,000-square-foot facility to house its rapidly increasing North American distribution functions. Sale of the parcel to mophie was approved by the WMU Board of Trustees at its July 25 meeting.
"The foundational roots of mophie are in Michigan, so the opportunity to have a presence on the campus of the well-respected research university, WMU, is a real honor," says Shawn Dougherty, chief operating officer for the company. "Not only will we be able to collaborate with WMU’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences and its Haworth College of Business, but this facility will also hasten the expansion of our capacity, bring jobs to the area, and allow us to give back to the community."
Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin this fall, with occupancy anticipated for the first quarter of 2013. In addition to accommodating the company’s North American distribution center, the location will be the hub for quality control, customer and technical support, and a variety of expanding functions for the quickly growing, international firm.
"Possibilities abound for the company with this exhilarating relationship that is taking shape with WMU." Dougherty says.
Founded in 2005 in Oshtemo, mophie is now headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., and continues to maintain a presence in West Michigan with a facility in Paw Paw. The company already has a number of WMU graduates on staff and is enthused about the prospect of employing student interns as well as engaging the University's faculty on workflow design for the new building.
With its facility in China, Dougherty says the company can work around the clock, staying ahead of the competition in an industry where the public excitedly awaits new products and technology.
"This is one of the world’s most innovative technology companies," says Bob Miller, WMU associate vice president for community outreach and point person for the development of the BTR Park. "Having mophie on our campus will not only create opportunities for our faculty and students, it also demonstrates once again that Western Michigan University is being increasingly recognized for the quality of its faculty, students and research. We could not be more proud of being able to say mophie is our latest BTR Park partner. We look forward to being a resource for them in a variety of ways."
About mophie
Mophie is a California- and Michigan-based, award-winning designer and manufacturer of accessories that let users do more with their portable devices. The brand is widely recognized and highly acclaimed for its creative designs and innovative solutions, specifically surrounding the juice pack, the first "Works With iPhone" portable battery solution certified by Apple Inc. Mophie develops all of its products to address real consumer and business needs, using seamless integrations of industrial, electronic, software and artistic designs. Mophie products are available in more than 100 countries. They are available for purchase in Apple stores worldwide, AT&T, Best Buy, Verizon and Sprint, and on mophie.com. Follow mophie on Twitter at twitter.com/mophie or on Facebook at facebook.com/mophielovesyou.
For more information on mophie and its suite of products, visit mophie.com.