What’s that off Prairie Side road in Grandville? Circle of relatives-owned enterprise has huge plans

GRANDVILLE, MI — A family-owned enterprise in Grandville is making plans so to a minimum of double its manufacturing capability by way of subsequent summer season with a big development growth.

Harbor Foam, at 2950 Prairie St. SW, has damaged floor on a just about 71,000-square-foot growth to its present development.

“We’re seeing expansion and we think one day that we will be able to’t accommodate that expansion,” stated John Kuperus, development supervisor at Harbor Foam. “We’re at max capability, we simply can’t produce sufficient foam.”

The corporate produces shape-molded foam for packaging, development foam for roofing and insulation, RVs, and geofoam, which is used as a frost protectant and soil substitute in street development, preserving partitions and bridges.

Harbor Foam these days employs round 40 other folks. After the growth, the corporate plans so as to add any other 10 staff.

“We’re going to be higher in a position to house our present staff, however we’re having a look into some extra computer-aided machines so we’re on the lookout for perhaps 10 or so professional staff,” stated Harbor Foam CEO Laura Kuperus and spouse of John Kuperus.

Laura Kuperus stated the biggest discipline of expansion for the corporate is its geofoam.

“There’s a large number of expansion in street development,” she stated. “The place the bottom is perhaps now not appropriate for a strong street, they may be able to dig out that volatile floor and installed a complete gadget stuffed with foam and gravel. For development bridges, too, it assists in keeping the longevity of the bridge.”

As soon as the growth is entire, the Kuperus family members hopes so to greater than double the enterprise’ manufacturing capability.

The 70,853 sq. foot growth will probably be added directly to the present 221,469 sq. foot development on Prairie Side road SW. Plans for the growth have been authorized by way of the Grandville making plans fee previous this yr. The growth contains including 54 parking areas.

Within the expanded area, 3,000 sq. ft are put aside for administrative center area, 28,814 sq. ft will probably be for production area and the rest 39,039 sq. ft will probably be used for garage.

In keeping with data supplied to the Grandville making plans fee, Harbor Foam these days produces 15 million kilos of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam in keeping with yr. As soon as the growth is completed, they estimate having the ability to produce as much as 45 million kilos of froth a yr.

“We’re excited for alternatives for our staff,” Laura Kuperus stated. “We’re a family members enterprise and it’s thrilling to develop. Optimistically we’re including to the group.”

She stated whilst they briefly needed to pause this carrier all through COVID-19, Harbor Foam additionally hopes to reopen its foam recycling skills to the group. The corporate accepts any white EPS foam regularly utilized in packaging, so long as it is freed from tape.

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