Landscape Forms Expanding Manufacturing, Bringing Jobs and Economic Growth to Southwest Michigan
World-class facility will set standard for sustainability and incorporate whole-person wellness into manufacturing
January 16, 2024
Kalamazoo, MI
Contact
Jessy Wilson
Landscape Forms
269.276.4473
jessyw@landscapeforms.com
Karen Booking
bde&co
917.733.7898
karen@bdeandco.com
Landscape Forms, North America’s leading designer and manufacturer of high-design site furniture, structure, lighting, and accessories, has announced its plan to break ground on an expanded campus in Q2 2025. Located on the site of their current headquarters in Kalamazoo, the expansion will add nearly 300,000 square feet of modern manufacturing space, raw material and finished goods storage, and related offices. The increased footprint will enable Landscape Forms to increase operational efficiency and support future growth, while providing an even healthier work environment to its workforce -- reflecting its ongoing commitment to a positive culture, sustainability, and its mission of artfully connecting people to the outdoors.
The new facility is already making a positive impact on the Michigan economy. For the design of the new building and surrounding acreage, Landscape Forms partnered with renown Michigan-based architecture and engineering firm SmithGroup. Additionally, Kalamazoo-based Miller-Davis will serve as the construction manager for the hallmark project. The multi-year project is expected to create hundreds of local construction and landscaping jobs.
Once completed, Landscape Forms will be able to offer a reimagined workplace that will help attract and retain an expanded workforce. The company plans to add 125 new jobs to its current workforce of 500 people. “Of paramount importance for the new design was the ability to offer our team members a work environment that puts their well-being, comfort and safety first,” notes Marjorie Simmons, CEO of Landscape Forms. “The facility is designed with a people-first approach, providing natural daylight throughout, healthy indoor air quality, human-scale mobility, and easy access to the unparalleled outdoor beauty of our 58-acre site here in Kalamazoo. It will be key to our goal of being the employer of choice for the very best talent."
Simmons says that the new campus will also serve as an important symbol of the company’s dedication to made-in-the-USA manufacturing, adding, “While some companies choose to outsource their manufacturing completely or offshore to other countries, this new facility shows that Landscape Forms is committed to being a modern craft manufacturer right here in Michigan.”
Also fundamental to the project is furthering Landscape Forms’ leadership in embracing innovative technology to protect and sustain the planet. The design incorporates a myriad of environmentally friendly features including waste-heat recovery, LED lighting, and solar readiness. By preserving and adapting as much of the existing structure as possible, demolition will be minimized and re-use maximized. Growing its operations on the Kalamazoo campus will help the company further reduce its carbon footprint as well.
In addition to the sustainability features incorporated into the facilities themselves, the company is devoted to preserving the 58-acre site’s wetlands, restoring the oak savanna and native woodland, creating wildlife corridors, and capturing and reusing stormwater using bioswales.
The design will also create easy access for the company’s workforce and visitors to strengthen their connection to the site’s beautiful outdoor setting for relaxation, respite, and rejuvenation.
The campus will not only serve as a model to other manufacturers seeking to grow in a sustainable way, but it will also create a next-level customer experience for Landscape Forms’ clients, serving as a showcase destination for visitors from around the world. The project is expected to be completed in Q4 2027
About Landscape Forms
Landscape Forms is the industry leader in integrated collections of high-design site furniture, structures, accessories, and advanced LED lighting. Since its founding in 1969 Landscape Forms has earned a reputation for excellent design, high quality products and exceptional service. Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the family of brands includes Loll Designs located in Duluth, Minnesota; Summit Furniture in Monterey, California; and Kornegay Design in Phoenix, Arizona. It has sales representatives throughout North America, South America, the United Kingdom, Monaco, Australia, the United Arab Emirates and Asia. Landscape Forms collaborates with renowned industrial designers and consultancies, landscape architects, and architects to design and develop integrated collections of products that address emerging needs and help create a sense of place. Additionally, the company has formed global marketing partnerships with select companies that share its commitment to design. Landscape Forms has an installed base of products around the world. Clients include municipalities, hospitality, residential, transit centers, corporate, college and health care campuses; and familiar brand leaders such as Harvard University, LinkedIn, New York Central Park Conservancy, Bryant Park, Google, Coca Cola, Oculus, U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), Nike, National Museum of African American History (Washington, D.C.), Barclays Center, Adidas, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Microsoft, and Uber. Landscape Forms has been named one of the Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production for 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 by Fortune magazine, Michigan Manufacturer of the Year for 2020 by the Michigan Manufacturers Association, and by 269 Magazine as one of Southwest Michigan’s Wonderful Workplaces.