Edmore, Michigan: Growing Up Through Hitachi and Electrolux Closures and Community Comeback

Edmore, Michigan: Growing Up Through Hitachi and Electrolux Closures and Community Comeback.

For Anthony Stickler, Edmore, Michigan isn’t just a hometown — it’s a lifelong story of community, change, and resilience.

Anthony has lived in the Edmore area since 1971. Over that time, he’s seen Montcalm County at its best and at its most challenging. On episode 166 of the Discover Montcalm Podcast, Anthony shares a firsthand perspective on what it was like growing up in a small town, watching major employers rise and fall, and working alongside community leaders to help the county rebuild.

Growing Up in a Small-Town Edmore

When Anthony was growing up, Edmore was a place where people knew their neighbors and often stayed for generations. Many students started school together and graduated together. The town revolved around local industry, schools, churches, and Main Street businesses.

A major part of Edmore’s identity was manufacturing. What later became Hitachi originally started as Union Carboloy in 1952, later merging with General Electric before becoming Hitachi. For decades, the plant was a cornerstone employer, shaping daily life and the local economy.

Anthony remembers a time when industry felt stable and permanent — a time when people expected to work locally, raise families locally, and retire locally.

When the Jobs Left: Hitachi and Electrolux

That sense of permanence was shaken in the early 2000s.

In 2004, Hitachi closed its Edmore-area plant. Just a short time later, Electrolux closed its Greenville facility between 2005 and 2006. The closures hit Montcalm County hard. 

Electrolux in Greenville (2005–06 closure): ~2,700 jobs lost.

Hitachi Magnetics in Edmore (2004 closure): ~120 jobs lost.

The ripple effects were felt across multiple communities and counties — from small businesses to schools to local services.

Anthony was working with the Montcalm Economic Alliance during this period, alongside Franz Magnus and many others. The Alliance served as a critical bridge between businesses, workers, and local, state, and federal resources.

“It was hectic,” Anthony recalls. Phone calls, paperwork, workforce retraining, and coordination with the state all happened at once. The focus wasn’t just replacing jobs, but helping people navigate an entirely new economic reality.

Rebuilding Through Education and Collaboration

One of the biggest parts of Montcalm County’s recovery was education and workforce development. Montcalm Community College played a major role, expanding programs to help displaced workers retrain quickly and realistically for new careers.

Anthony emphasizes that recovery wasn’t easy or instant. Families were under pressure. Businesses had to adapt. Communities had to rethink what growth looked like. But collaboration — between educators, economic developers, local leaders, and residents — made a difference.

Turning Loss Into Opportunity

What could have remained empty factories instead became an opportunity.

The Edmore, Michigan industrial area, particularly the Sunrise Industrial Park, hosts businesses like <