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Steelcase property on the move

mhelm

By mhelm
in Grand Rapids

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Veloise City

Veloise

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Not to keep this moving off-topic, but they looked at Mt Pleasant for a Walmart Distribution facility, but I don't think it went through because they couldn't get all the tax breaks they wanted. This was a few years ago I think.

Mt. Pleasant?!? To stock the W-M in Gaylord, or what?

Even Mejier stops its northern march at Mt Pleasant on that side of the state.

[once upon a time I was gouing to move to Marquette...then realized how far away my Meijer would be!]

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Mt. Pleasant?!? To stock the W-M in Gaylord, or what?

Even Mejier stops its northern march at Mt Pleasant on that side of the state.

[once upon a time I was gouing to move to Marquette...then realized how far away my Meijer would be!]

Uhuh. They even have Walmarts in Sault Ste Marie, Iron Mountain and Cheboygen now, and I don't think there is a Meijer in some of those towns.

http://www.priceviewer.com/walmart_locations/MI.html

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MJLO City

MJLO

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Wouldn't the pay be relative to the area that it serves? Fore example, a job in Grand Rapids makes $30k a year while the same job in New York City will bring you $60k a year.

No not always true, there has been a birth of a new kind of corporation, one that treats the employees at the bottom well. These companies come from regions where they tend to have a more liberal mentality. The Costco's and Starbucks hail from Seattle, these companies have the same wages rates and beni's accross the board. They also have the highest retention, and worker productivity in there respective fields so it pays off for them to go the extra mile for the worker bee's. Ikea while i'm not as much an expert on, is quite the same, it's a Swedish company. Corporations Exist in Europe for the most part to create a much higher existence for their employees. Mcdonalds Employees in Western Europe average a little more than $10/ hr, with weeks of paid vacations, and benefits galore. It's just the mentality, so yes, that is brought here. But like I said at the same time, the productivity of the workers in these places tend to be so high, that it creates less waste streamlining profitability.

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DwntwnGeo Hamlet

DwntwnGeo

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No not always true, there has been a birth of a new kind of corporation, one that treats the employees at the bottom well. These companies come from regions where they tend to have a more liberal mentality. The Costco's and Starbucks hail from Seattle, these companies have the same wages rates and beni's accross the board. They also have the highest retention, and worker productivity in there respective fields so it pays off for them to go the extra mile for the worker bee's. Ikea while i'm not as much an expert on, is quite the same, it's a Swedish company. Corporations Exist in Europe for the most part to create a much higher existence for their employees. Mcdonalds Employees in Western Europe average a little more than $10/ hr, with weeks of paid vacations, and benefits galore. It's just the mentality, so yes, that is brought here. But like I said at the same time, the productivity of the workers in these places tend to be so high, that it creates less waste streamlining profitability.

I wasn't aware of this "newer" type of corporation in the world. I don't work for Ikea, Costco or Starbucks, nor do I know any or many people that do, so I do not claim to be a master of their benefits and policies :unsure:

Your quote above:

"these companies have the same wages rates and beni's accross the board"

I cannot see that a Starbucks employee in NYC, where the cost of living is more than twice it is here, would be paid the same salary as the Starbucks worker in the main floor of the Amway. The next time I am in NYC to see family, I will have to stop in and ask and compare.

As for Europe, they have different policies and benefits, some of which I would like to see here in the States myself. Someone must pay for all those benefits somehow or somewhere. Everyday a person isn't at work, is an expense to that business. If every worker is entitled to 30 days of vacation a year, that is a huge expense that business is taking on, and an expense it must explain to its shareholders. Would everyone care to pay more for a gallon of gas to cover the cost of every Enron employee to have 30 days of vacation each year?

disclaimer:

This is by no means a "dig" against MJLO or any other member. Just my thoughts on the topic.

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svs650k3 Whistle-Stop

svs650k3

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How much more aggressive can they be? There is a Wa-Mart in every town and most are getting converted to Super Wal Marts.

Eventhough they are all over in every town as you say, I don't find any Wal-Mart stores around here convenient for me. I didn't know the one in Grandville was there for the longeset time and the one on Alpine is way too far north. I think they could build one closer to DT, not that I want them to. The inconvenience keeps me from shopping there.

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Allison Slater Town

Allison Slater

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My community pride is what keeps me shopping at Meijer. I have to admit I'm not exactly a fan of their latest idea to have you put your groceries back into the cart, and the checkout lane lines seem a bit excessive at times, but it's a PART of my hometown. They might be a little more expensive sometimes, just as GR may have a few ugly buildings (post office)... but I continue to support Meijer because as a part of GR, I feel that in some strange way, it's also a part of me.

This is why I never shop at Walmart.

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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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My community pride is what keeps me shopping at Meijer. I have to admit I'm not exactly a fan of their latest idea to have you put your groceries back into the cart, and the checkout lane lines seem a bit excessive at times, but it's a PART of my hometown. They might be a little more expensive sometimes, just as GR may have a few ugly buildings (post office)... but I continue to support Meijer because as a part of GR, I feel that in some strange way, it's also a part of me.

This is why I never shop at Walmart.

I've been to both Meijer and Wal-Mart, I find very little differences in prices. Infact I've heard stories that Wal-Mart, after smashing the local bussinesses into oblivion, will rise prices as they take advantage of a newly gained monopoly.

Let's hope for somthing other than Wal-Mart to occupy the Steelcase property.

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tony speller Whistle-Stop

tony speller

Posted
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In this case, moving the distribution center south near South Bend or Valpraiso would be a better option as you will have better logistics to the south and into Wisconsin as Lake Michigan is out of the equation.

As I already said, there IS a Walmart Distribution place already in southern MI.... in Coldwater. Not too far from South Bend, and pretty close to all major cities in the area (chicago, GR, Detroit, Toledo, Lansing, Kzoo, Ft Wayne, South Bend, etc). So, they are in the ideal location from how it looks. GR would not be ideal.

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grcitydog Whistle-Stop

grcitydog

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I know that right now Steelcase is planning on keeping its corporate HQ on 44th where it is, but I wonder how long it will stay there once the factory is gone. Consider...it will be kind of out of place amongst the retail, or housing or whatever is there. Right now it is in the correct context of being by the factory and looks good to visiting clients. I am hoping that they will eventually realize that the best place to move would be to go downtown. The other option I see, and hope they don't do is move to Kentwood to be by their factory and the Pyramid.

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Interesting... Crossroads

Interesting...

Posted
Posted

I'm new here...but can resist a couple points...

1) The buyer of the Steelcase campus is doing it's homework now and has yet to close on the property...the amount of work required here could easily scare the buyer off and Steelcase would be back to square one. It's not done yet...stay tuned.

2) Walmart is very interested in the site as a home of a super-center...VERY interested. It's more a matter WHEN not IF...

3) Walmart is looking at land in Dorr and Mt Pleasant for a DC center...$150 million dollar project, 800 jobs. 800,000 square feet of new construction. It WILL locate in one of the two sites. Announcement on this should be soon. The Steelcase site is too far away from an interchange for a DC site. The Walmart DC project estimates 1100 trucks a day. Hopefully they do come here...northern Allegan county could use the jobs.

4) The Steelcase campus is more like 250 acres and probably will sell for pennies on the dollar...much less than the Riverfront city property. see www.grcampus.com

5) The Siemens site on Eastern might also come into play as a part of the Steelcase redelepment...or direct competetion. It is over 30 acres as well. Time will tell...

Nothing by my thoughts...

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twoshort Town

twoshort

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Welcome to the forums, Interesting... (and I must say your name is Interesting. Yes, pun intended.)

As much as I'm NOT a fan of walmart, if they do decide to build a DC in Dorr, I'll probably seek employment there, seeing as how jobs in and around Wayland = horrible.

From what I hear, jobs around Walmart = horrible too.

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DwntwnGeo Hamlet

DwntwnGeo

Posted
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There is an article on Mlive about the Steelcase site. It gives a little insite to what the Ashley group would like to do with the area.

Some quotes:

"Ashley plans to tear down 11 buildings and renovate six for new industrial users. Some of the properties planned for industrial use also could be designated for retail users, depending on market conditions.

Preliminary plans call for 4.7 million square feet of industrial and support buildings to be reduced to 1.3 million square feet of industrial space along with 315,000 of retail and 64,000 square feet of offices. Residential units covering about 230,000 square feet would fill out the development.

.....

Hegg said the company is targeting big-box retailers such as Meijer, Wal-Mart and Home Depot for 36th Street frontage with smaller restaurants and businesses nearby. A smaller retail component is slated for 44th Street near Chair Road."

The complete story can be read here on Mlive:

http://www.mlive.com/business/grpress/inde....xml&coll=6

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