Perrigo
Self-care leader Perrigo brings new headquarters to Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile
Based out of Dublin, Ireland, Perrigo, a leading provider of self-care products and over-the-counter health and wellness solutions, has had a presence in west Michigan since the company was founded in 1887.
As the company has continued to evolve and grow over the years within the self-care realm, however, it discovered the need for a modernized environment that would allow it to recruit diverse talent and continue its leadership throughout the industry.
That is why when it set out to identify a location for its new corporate headquarters in 2018, Perrigo recognized that its need for both a highly skilled talent pipeline and a deep life sciences expertise could be met by choosing west Michigan’s Medical Mile.
By locating its new North American Corporate Headquarters on the Medical Mile in Grand Rapids, Perrigo will generate a total private investment of $44.7 million and create 170 good-paying professional- and entry-level jobs. The new headquarters is expanding Perrigo’s presence in west Michigan, which includes more than 4,000 employees at its offices and manufacturing facilities in Allegan and Ottawa counties.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) worked closely with The Right Place and other community partners to ensure Perrigo continued to grow in Michigan.
“Perrigo established its roots in West Michigan more than 130 years ago. Since then, we’ve become an industry leader and created thousands of jobs in the region,” said Murray Kessler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Perrigo. “We are excited to continue our growth in the heart of a thriving city.”
Perrigo’s continued investment in Michigan and its workforce is a clear example of the competitive business advantage that Grand Rapids and west Michigan have to offer for global companies and local businesses alike.
Grand Rapids’ growing reputation as a leader in medical and life sciences innovation was one of the key reasons Perrigo chose the city as the home of their new headquarters. Since 1996, the city has been investing in its healthcare industry and has seen significant investment growing at a rate of 18.5%, outpacing the national average of 9%.
Perrigo wanted its new headquarters to be at the epicenter of an innovation hub, which made Michigan State University’s (MSU) expanding Grand Rapids Innovation Park the perfect location. The Grand Rapids Innovation Park is a public-private partnership that brings together academic medicine, healthcare delivery, research and clinical experts and other partners interested in the transformation of health. Perrigo will join MSU, the Van Andel Institute, Grand Valley State University and Spectrum Health on the Medical Mile.
“Locating our headquarters on the world-renowned Medical Mile will allow us to leverage the expertise of healthcare and innovation thought leaders who share our passion for making self-care accessible, affordable and effective for all,” said Kessler. “We believe that this area has the potential to become the Silicon Valley of self-care.”
MEDC’s support of Perrigo’s continued investment in Michigan demonstrates its ongoing commitment to projects and companies that enable long-term prosperity for Michiganders and ignite the state’s economic recovery.
Perrigo is just one global company realizing the competitive advantages that Michigan has to offer: high-tech engineering resources, top-notch research and development, and a highly skilled workforce matched with an affordable cost of living and high quality of life. More than 1,100 international companies have invested in Michigan, employing 313,000 U.S. workers, ranking Michigan as the no.1 state for FDI job growth.
Michigan continues to demonstrate that it is the state where manufacturing and technology converge and where businesses can find the skilled workforce they need to compete – and win – in today’s global economy, with Perrigo serving as yet another example of the pure opportunity available in Michigan.
To learn more about how MEDC can support companies of all sizes doing business in Michigan, visit michiganbusiness.org/pure-opportunity. To learn why companies are choosing to locate and grow in West Michigan, go to michiganbusiness.org/why-west-coast.