KINGSFORD -- Michigan needs jobs.

And now the state is getting 70 more thanks to the expansion of Oldenburg Group Incorporated.

“Our heavy equipment business has actually grown by 30 percent,” Tim Nerenz, Executive Vice President of Oldenburg Group Incorporated said.  “This represents our commitment to the community, we've been here in the U.P. for 152 years and we're building it to stay another 152."

The group is a Milwaukee-based supplier of products used in defense, mining, energy, and architectural lighting industries worldwide.  They're moving from their old location in Kingsford to a new location just up the street at 2141 Woodward Avenue.

Thursday was the ground breaking ceremony.

The construction site doesn't look like much right now, but in May of 2011 the building is expected to be completed.  The group will invest over five million dollars in the facility.

Along with creating jobs the expansion will also allow more young talent to stay in Michigan.

"Being able to provide them with a great job doing terrific work at decent wages in a community that they love has everything that we are looking for," Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm said.

In addition to bringing more jobs, the expansion will also pump more money into the local economy.

"This whole expansion thing we estimate that in Northern Wisconsin and Northern Michigan we'll put about 40 million dollars into the economy annually,” Oldenburg Group Incorporated Chief Financial Officer Joe Wouters said.  “Right now probably half or just over half of that will be in Michigan."

Not bad for a state that currently has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation.