Custom storage manufacturer and retailer California Closets will develop a new manufacturing facility at 4930 Kraft Ave. SE, just south of Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The project is expected to create at least 61 new jobs and invest more than $5.7 million in the new facility.
The Right Place, Inc., in collaboration with The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and Cascade Charter Township, worked together to bring California Closets to the area.
Founded in 1978, California Closets produces custom storage options for all areas of the home.
The MEDC is supporting the expansion with the approval of a $335,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. In addition, West Michigan Works! has offered workforce development support totaling $48,000 to support the company’s recruiting and on-the-job training investments.
Michigan was chosen over competing sites in Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina and Indiana. The Right Place has offered support to the project in the form of staff time and resources.
California Closets continues to experience significant growth across North America. In 2015, the company opened a manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona, to support demand for its products in the Western United States. The new facility planned in Cascade Township will supply the eastern portions of the country.
The Right Place assembled a cross-functional team, working with the MEDC and West Michigan Works! to build the business case and incentive package that ultimately attracted California Closet to West Michigan.
“Attracting a major consumer brand like California Closets is a big win for West Michigan,” said Thad Rieder, senior business development manager with The Right Place, Inc., and project lead. “We competed against several alternative sites in other states, including Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, and Indiana.”
