GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Ferris Coffee and Nut Co. is buying a factory from American Seating Co., a move that will allow the 93-year-old coffee and nut roaster to consolidate and expand its operations on the city's West Side.

American Seating will move its production out of the building at 601 7th St. NW and consolidate into another nearby facility on Seward Avenue.

Ferris has been roasting coffee and gourmet nuts on the West Side of Grand Rapids since it was founded in 1924, said John VanTongeren, the company president and owner. With 158 employees, the company currently serves a multi-state area.

"Every decision we make is grounded in an intense care for our customers, our employees, and our community," VanTongeren said in an announcement on Monday, Dec. 19. Ferris has seen double digit year-over-year sales growth and needs to meet growing local and national interest, he said.

"The decision to move our operation to the much larger American Seating building on the West Side allows us to bring all of our employees under one roof, better serve our customers, and enables our team to reinvest in long-term, sustainable development in the city that we have always called home."

Ferris currently operates from three facilities: its headquarters, manufacturing, and retail store at 227 Winter Ave. NW; a storage facility on the West Side, and a distribution center at 4050 Roger B. Chaffee Blvd SW in Wyoming.

Located several blocks away from Ferris' current headquarters, the 24-year-old American Seating building spans 165,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space across 9 acres with on-site parking for employees.



VanTongeren said he expects to complete their move into the new building in 2018, after American Seating moves its operations out and Ferris Coffee and Nut can install the roasting, warehousing and office space they will need.

"The building has incredible integrity and is in a prime location," said VanTongeren. "We've been doing business on this side of town for 93 years, and this purchase allows us to continue the momentum we've made since 1924 while providing our team with the space we need to perform at our very best."

Future plans for the existing retail store and coffee shop are undetermined, VanTongeren said. They intend to maintain a retail presence on the West Side as well as the company's downtown coffee shop at 40 Pearl St. NW.

American Seating put the building on the market earlier this year, listing it for $6.85 million.

"Earlier this year, American Seating made the decision to put this facility on the market as we began the process of consolidating our manufacturing activities under one roof to optimize our operational efficiencies across all aspects of our business," said Tom Bush, president and chief operating officer at American Seating.

"We have worked closely with the Ferris Coffee leadership team throughout the sales process and look forward to having them as new neighbors."