expansion

A Grand Rapids-based Personal Protective Equipment manufacture is expanding to meet the need of frontline medical caregivers and businesses preparing to restart operations and protect employees.

When regional economic development organization, The Right Place, received a call from Kent County officials in desperate need of face shields for its first responders, Senior Business Development Manager, Jennifer Wangler, picked up the phone.

“We reached out to HexArmor knowing that they manufacture Personal Protective Equipment.”

One of the top 10 insurance brokers is moving its global headquarters to downtown Grand Rapids.

Acrisure is expanding and relocating its world headquarters to Grand Rapids new Studio Park Development located at 123 Ionia Avenue SW. As the fastest growing insurance broker, the Caledonia-based firm is consolidating and leasing 105,000 square feet at the new location.

Uncertainty creeping into the national and global economy is impacting the confidence level of local purchasing managers in the May Supply Management Research survey.

There are also signs the economy is slowing “Our local index of business confidence as fallen to near record low levels.”

Brian G. Long is director of Supply Management Research in the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.

“And at the same time Market.com, who also surveys business confidence for the United States, indicates that their survey has fallen to a record low level.”

Walker-based electrical services and technology firm Feyen Zylstra is expanding and adding 100 jobs.

Feyen Zylstra opened its doors in Grand Rapids in 1980. Over its 39-year history the focus on electrical services has evolved and more recently added its expertise in industrial technology. It’s a space known as Industry 4.0. This is where Feyen Zylstra assists manufacturers with streamlining automation, connectivity and data collection.

A Grand Rapids-based information technology firm is investing millions and creating more than 100 jobs.

Tech Defenders primary business is repairing and extending the life span of classroom mobile devices provided to students by school districts. In a news release its more clearly defines the larger operation as “providing lifecycle solutions for large scale technology deployments.”

A West Michigan auto parts supplier is making a multi-million dollar expansion in Ionia creating more than 100 jobs. Ventra Ionia is an automotive supply chain manufacturer with an immediate need to expand.

Working with Ford Motor Company it’s responsible for the new Ranger bumper program. Manufacturing the bumper entails assembly, paint and/or chrome finishing. Venture Ionia will need new space for this. Next door to its City of Ionia location is a nearly 49,000 square foot existing facility.

A Veteran-owned cybersecurity company is expanding into West Michigan creating new jobs.

Arlington, Virginia-based Grimm provides cybersecurity consulting, research, testing and training for a number of government and commercial clients. As it looks at industry growth over the next three years, Grimm has decided now is the time to expand nationwide.

From startup to mature company, MiBiz takes a look at the proposed sale of MPI Research to Charles River Laboratories and how acquisitions impact a community. Also, credit union consolidation and Mary Free Bed's research aims.

A Grand Rapids-based IT consulting firm is making a multi-million dollar investment in a new headquarters and creating dozens of high-tech jobs.

Business is good for Grand Rapids’ ITS Partners with the development of new technologies and security threats. So good, that it will more than double its workforce over the next three years from 56 locally to 124.

The information technology consulting firm has been around for 30 years, but lately its increase in sales has produced a need for not only more talent but more space.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park celebrated its $115 million expansion project with a groundbreaking/kickoff.

A Prairie Fire Crabapple Tree ceremoniously extracted from the Meijer Gardens site where the new 60,000 square foot LEED certified Welcome Center will be constructed.

Twenty-two years ago when the gardens and sculpture park opened its 940 square feet admissions space was designed to greet 200,000 visitors a year. Since then the number of annual guests has more than tripled.

Grand Valley State University is announcing plans for the construction of its third healthcare building along Grand Rapids Medical Mile. Grand Valley State University continues advancing projects making it the region’s number one provider of healthcare professionals.

The university announcing its breaking ground on a $70 million facility. The building will house health professions and nursing programs. The new construction next to Grand Valley's Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences is scheduled to break ground in June of 2018 and be completed in May of 2021.

A West Michigan-based business is expanding and creating new jobs in Cutlerville. American RV is making a $2.5 million investment at its Cutlerville location.

As recreational vehicle demand grows, the West Michigan-based RV dealer is expanding its indoor showroom adding 14,000 square. That will include more waiting rooms and office space. An additional 8,400 square feet is devoted to new service bays. American RV is also incorporating new kiosks where customers can browse inventory and comparison shop.

California Closets is expanding its manufacturing footprint serving the Eastern United States by investing in a new West Michigan facility. That means more manufacturing jobs are coming to the area.

Two years ago, California Closets opened a manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona to help satisfy the demand for its closet design and storage products in the Western United States.

The egg production industry is big business as demand for cage-free eggs continues to increase.

So much so that one West Michigan company providing control systems is expanding and increasing its workforce.

Poultry Management Systems Incorporated automates egg handling. At its website, the Saranac-based company says it’s a market leader in ‘New solutions for egg handling, environmental control and monitoring” along with “automated case labeling and custom motor control panels.”