Labor Market Profile
Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland msa

Source: Michigan Employment Security Commission's Information and Reports Section, October 1996.

The Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland MSA is located in the west central part of Michigan's lower peninsula. Major cities include Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Muskegon and Holland. Between 1990 and 1995, the population of the MSA increased by 6.4 percent and in 1995 totaled 997,900 persons. In terms of income, the labor market area had a per capita personal income of approximately $21,662 in 1994.

During 1995, nonagricultural wage and salary employment advanced by 3.7 percent to 515,300. About 48 percent of the new jobs were centered in the goods producing industries. Manufacturing payrolls increased by 7,600 in 1995 as major employment gains occurred in furniture, fabricated metals, plastics, transportation equipment, industrial machinery and food processing. Additionally, construction employment advanced by 1,200 over the year.

The remaining 52 percent of the wage and salary employment increases were in the service producing industries. More than forty percent of the gains were in retail trade with especially strong gains in the building materials and restaurant sectors. Significant growth also occurred in wholesale trade and services.

Wage & Salary Employment

The economy of the Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland MSA has been continued to expand over the past several years. In 1995, total employment substantially increased, while the number of jobless fell. The 1995 unemployment rate for the MSA was 4.1 percent, which compares favorably to the Michigan rate of 5.3 percent for the same period.

Civilian Labor Force and Unemployment Estimates

Recent Area Developments

Rapistan Demag Corporation has begun building a 20,000-square-foot addition to one of its plants in the Grand Rapids area. The company, which makes material handling systems, plans to move a new paint system into the building by September 1996. During 1995, Rapistan had $471 million in sales and hired 300 new employees.

Herman Miller, Inc., reported third-quarter sales of $312.9 million, a 20.4 percent jump over the same period last year.

APV Baker announced in mid-March that it will lay off one-half of its 220 area work force and will move its food-processing equipment and manufacturing to factories in North Carolina and Great Britain. The layoffs are expected to begin in July and the remaining workers will be involved in sales, service, product engineering and testing.

Gantos Corp. has continued to improve its financial situation for the second straight year. Sales were $192.8 million in 1995 compared to 197.3 million in 1994. The firm has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which occurred in 1995.

A new sporting goods discount store opened in December 1995 in the Grand Rapids area. Grand Rapids Sports & Rec. occupies a 63,000-square-foot facility and employ's 80 persons.

The Mead Johnson Nutritional plant in Zeeland has completed a $110 million addition that more than doubles the facility's size. The new section will handle drying, blending and packaging operations of the powdered infant formula. The Zeeland plant has more than 300 employees.

GSL Services Inc. trucking company is more than doubling its building space and expanding into a new line of business. All the growth is riding on big red trucks with refrigerators. The firm specializes in getting freight to the west coast in as little as three days. From its start in 1991, the company now has 119 employees, $8 million in sales and a new 50,000-square-foot warehouse.

Briggs & Stratton Corp. opened its new ductile iron foundry in Ravenna in August 1995. The firm employs 70 and is expected to more than double to 150 by mid-1996.

Keebler Company has been sold for $500 million by United Biscuits to Inflo Holdings Corp., a newly formed company owned jointly by U.S. food company Flowers Industries and Belgian firm Artal Luxembourg SA. Keebler employs about 850 local workers.

Denny's Restaurants purchased 11 Mr. Fable's restaurants in the Grand Rapids area during September 1995.

Paulstra CRC makes products that dampen vibrations from car engines. It started an $8.5 million expansion in the Grand Rapids area in late 1995, and will also expand its operations in the Cadillac area. The expansion will require 70 new employees. Currently, the firm has about 360 workers in the local area.

Amway Corporation, whose fiscal year ends in August is expected to announce retail sales in excess of $7 billion. It has been steadily expanding into Latin America, and has just opened its 42nd affiliate office in Bogota, Columbia.

Rapistan Demag Corporation has started construction on its technology center. The $6.5 million facility should be completed by May 1997. Rapistan employs 2,000 people worldwide, 1,200 in the Grand Rapids area, and may hire 200 more when the tech center is completed.

Source: The Labor Market Profile is courtesy of Michigan Employment Security Commission's Information and Reports Section. Any questions or comments regarding this publication should be directed to the MESC, Information and Reports Section, 7310 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48202, at (313) 876-5427. Published: October 1996.