GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — American Seating, a North American producer of transportation seating products, revealed plans for its new corporate headquarters and manufacturing operations at 1040 40th St. SE in Grand Rapids. 

In a LinkedIn post, the company says “we’re totally renovating an existing facility into an over 210,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art hub for transportation-seating product design, manufacturing and speed to market – a technically advanced workplace that will support American Seating’s growth and vision for the future.”

The southeast Grand Rapids location is seven miles from the company’s current site on Grand Rapids’ northwest side where it has been since 1886.

The company said it is in hiring mode in advance of the move, with new job growth tracking at 7% in 2023 and expected to be an additional 10% by year end.

Renovation work at the new location just recently began, and we anticipate starting to move into the new space at the end of the year. The move will be coordinated for minimal disruption to operations and to ensure customer needs and expectations are met.

Ghafari Associates is producing the architectural plans for the new facility, and First Companies Inc. has been hired to implement the plans, which include tearing down a portion of the front of the building and constructing a new entrance as well as renovating the entire interior to create an open, engaging and advanced workplace. 

Of prime importance is uniting the office and manufacturing teams under one roof as well as bringing the office team to “the edge of the plant floor” and creating more integration and communication among teams. The vast rectangular plant is being designed with a linear flow that not only will foster more collaboration but also will accommodate new equipment and increase production capacity, making flow of product – from design to dock – incredibly efficient.

Ghafari Associates has woven into the plans a design that honors our legacy. The red American Seating “star” logo will be a prominent part of the exterior. The north and west corners of the facility will anchor the building with soaring perforated panels depicting the logo. The interior will reflect our bright red-and-white brand colors along with subtle accents of gray, black and natural wood. A history area is planned that will chronicle company milestones and products through the years.

“Our new headquarters and manufacturing plant is an important and significant commitment to our employees, community, customers and the transportation-seating industry,” the company says. “We’re excited to share these major plans for the next chapter in our history as a company.