WALKER, Mich. — Visser Brothers is set to build again in Walker's Northridge Industrial Park, aiming to attract potential tenants with a project described as “on spec.” This means the company will build without any tenants secured in advance, banking on future demand.
Bill Mast, president of Visser Brothers, pointed to the favorable environment for developers.
“Walker's always been very developer friendly," he told us. "They've got great access to highways, and with the expansion of the Fruit Ridge bridge and exit, that's really going to help facilitate the industrial development in this area."
While it may seem unconventional to invest millions in construction without any tenants lined up tenants, Mast noted that this approach is common for Visser.
“It's what we do every day," he explained. "Largely, any time we build a building, it fills up. Sometimes tenants don’t start calling brokers until they see the steel standing up in the air."
Despite economic news that could mean a challenging future, Visser Brothers has maintained a busy schedule. “We've been pleasantly surprised with our ability to stay busy and keep everybody employed," Mast added. "West Michigan is -- I don't know if it's unique in the whole country — but it sure is a good place to work."
Once completed, the new facility is expected to create as many as 100 jobs, maybe more if the building is mainly used for office space, he noted.
Paula Priebe, the planning director for Walker, said that this development has been in the pipeline for some time. “This is one of the final components to come in as part of this larger development that contains the Amazon distribution facility up on Northridge, as well as Viking and Speed Rack, among other businesses,” Priebe stated.
The outlook for Walker remains promising, with plans for further industrial and residential development projects on the horizon. “...and those keep us quite busy,” Priebe noted.
Visser's construction is set to begin this winter, with expectations for completion within the next year.
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