Contractors hear what’s needed for Whirlpool campus
Local contractors had a chance Sept. 29 to see what will be needed when construction of the Whirlpool campus gets under way in downtown Benton Harbor.
Representatives of the Pizzuti Companies and Pepper Construction hosted the evening event — called the Opportunity Conference — for Benton Harbor-area contractors so the partners in the downtown development could offer a presentation on what’s coming for the project.
The Pizzuti Companies is the developer for Whirlpool Corporation’s new Main Street campus. Pepper Construction will serve as the general contractor and construction company for the project. Cornerstone Alliance’s Local Business Consortium and Whirlpool Corp. and the two development companies hosted the event.
Before the conference, Pepper Construction Vice President and Director of Operations Jay Jacobsmeyer said his firm was looking forward to Opportunity Conference “so that we can learn about the local resources available as we begin the construction process. It is our hope to use local resources where appropriate for the project.”
Local contractors from the 49022, 49023, 49085 and 49127 zip codes were encouraged to participate.
“The decision to conduct the first Opportunity Conference with the Benton Harbor-area contractors was an easy one,” said Jacobsmeyer. He also said it is impressive that a small community like Benton Harbor has a group like the Local Business Consortium and Cornerstone Alliance dedicated to assisting and including local contractors in growth and development plans.
Further Opportunity Conferences aimed at contractors across Southwest Michigan will be planned for the future.
This summer, Whirlpool Corp. announced plans to build a new office campus that will consolidate 15 owned and leased buildings — located throughout the greater Benton Harbor and Saint Joseph area — to three centralized office campuses.
The work is expected to take approximately five years to complete and cost approximately $87 million. The new buildings will help the company improve productivity, operations, energy efficiency, and provide better working conditions for employees.
Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source Jamie Nilson-Balkin, Cornerstone Alliance
Author
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