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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Viking Group Plans Caledonia Township, Michigan, Manufacturing Plant

01/23/2018
Fire protection product manufacturer and distributor, Viking Group, Inc. plans today to build a new facility, situated between the company's existing facilities in Hastings and Grand Rapids, in Caledonia Township, Michigan.

Slated for completion in early 2019, the new global headquarters will feature a modern, professional work environment designed to promote creativity, innovation and collaboration, and will also include an expanded, state-of-the-art research and development center.

The yet-to-be-finalized site, located near M-6 and M-37 in Caledonia, will provide a significant upgrade to Viking Group's R&D infrastructure, including cutting-edge design, engineering and testing capabilities, paving the way for future product innovation.

Additionally, the new building will feature a high-tech training facility to support the organization's goal of becoming the recognized leader in fire protection training.

"The expansion of our West Michigan footprint is an investment not only in the communities we are proud to call home, but in our employees, who are the key to our continued success," said Viking Group President and CEO James Golinveaux.

"The new facility will free up space in our Hastings location, which will continue to house manufacturing operations, and will be conducive to the future expansion of our manufacturing footprint,” he added.

Viking Group expects nearly 100 people will move from its Grand Rapids and Hastings offices into the Caledonia location once the new building is completed. To accommodate anticipated future growth, the company also expects to add at least 50 new jobs in the next few years to support its expanding business both in the U.S. and internationally.

The Right Place assisted Viking Group in identifying the M-37 corridor in Caledonia Township due to its close proximity to both its Hastings campus and Grand Rapids offices.

"We want to thank The Right Place for their assistance with this strategic project. Their guidance and knowledge provided the support we needed to fulfill this vision," said Golinveaux.

"As our organization and industry continue to grow, and we develop more sophisticated technology to precisely detect and suppress fires, it's crucial that our manufacturing capacity keeps pace," Golinveaux added. "Viking Group considers West Michigan the ideal region to support our future expansion and to attract and retain world-class talent, and this investment is a demonstration of that belief."

"We knew that Viking wanted to stay close to its Hastings operations while maintaining its presence in the Grand Rapids area, so we felt that the Southeast Grand Rapids area, with M-37 access, would be ideal," said Thad Rieder, Senior Business Development Manager, The Right Place. "We're excited to see what this state-of-the-art headquarters facility, with world-class R&D and training facilities, will do for the forward-thinking Viking."

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