A state advisory group approved a request by battery maker Johnson Controls to expand its Middletown plant.
The request was approved by the Delaware Council on Development Finance, DelawareOnline.com reported. The council makes recommendations to the director of the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO).
DEDO officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Milwaukee company requested a $346,005 Performance Grant from the Delaware Strategic Fund, based on the creation of 83 new full-time permanent Delaware positions.
Johnson also requesting a Capital Expenditures Grant from the Delaware Strategic Fund of as much as $1,289,390, or a 3% match of qualified capital expenditures up to nearly $43 million. for the expansion of its current site.
The project will add approximately 75,000 square feet to their manufacturing space which will require new equipment, the addition of robotics, and the replacement of existing equipment with new high technology units.
There have been concerns about the future of the expansion, due to the looming merger of Johnson Controls and Tyco International, along with restructuring and spin-off of automotive supply operations of Johnson Controls.
The merger has drawn fire in some quarters, since the merged companies will be headquartered in Ireland, a move that will save on corporate taxes that would be paid if the companies were based in the U.S. Tyco is already based in Ireland.
DelawareOnline reported the project will move forward
Tyco was headed for many years by Edward Breen, who now serves as CEO of DuPont Co.
