Kenco Logistics Services has leased 210,000 square feet of Midlink Business Park in Kalamazoo, MI to service a new logistics agreement with Kalamazoo-based Stryker Corporation’s medical division. Kenco expects to hire 45 new workers as a result.
Stryker’s agreement with Kenco covers both warehousing and North American logistics for the medical division’s finished goods. According to Kenco Chief Executive Officer Gary Mayfield, the agreement strengthens Kenco’s commitment to continued growth in Michigan and the Midwest. “We believe that our contract with Stryker Medical and our commitment to public warehousing at Midlink Business Park strategically positions Kenco for continued growth in the Midwest,” Mayfield said.
For Midlink President David Smith, the expansion is another sign that the facility is fulfilling its mission to spur economic development in the Kalamazoo area through start-up, relocation and expansion opportunities. “Midlink gives world-class logistics companies like Kenco the confidence to grow seamlessly and to respond quickly to market opportunities,” Smith said, pointing to Midlink’s “unique combination of benefits, including the flexible, logistics-friendly infrastructure; Renaissance Zone tax benefits; easy access to I-94 and US-131 to serve the US and Canada; and the ability to grow and expand with ease” as examples.
Under the agreement, Kenco is providing warehousing space, assembly, and a vendor-managed inventory system. The build-out of the new space, located in Midlink West, was completed within two months and allowed Kenco to begin operations almost immediately after the Stryker agreement was executed.
“Midlink’s agility and flexibility allow us to move quickly—and let us focus on our core competency of logistics, rather than worrying about site issues and build-out,” notes Rick Olson, Vice President of Operations for Kenco. “Midlink is a first-class organization focused on its clients and the community; we see Midlink as a long-term growth partner for Kenco. The facilities, tax-incentives, and ability to respond quickly make it an ideal base for our logistics operations in the region.”
Kenco operates more than 80 facilities in 20 states and Canada and manages more than 19.2 million square feet of warehouse space. Stryker Medical, a division of the $4.3 billion Kalamazoo-based Stryker Corporation, makes hospital beds and stretchers for the comfort and security of patients. Stryker is one of the leading companies in patient handling equipment.
Midlink Business Park is a 340-acre, multi-tenant, multi-discipline complex that occupies the buildings and land of the former General Motors stamping plant. Purchased by Hackman Capital Partners in 1999, the site has been restored and repurposed as an economically and esthetically attractive destination for businesses in search of new manufacturing, logistics, R&D, office and retail development space. In addition to its prime location on I-94, midway between Detroit and Chicago, and immediate access to air and rail transportation, Midlink has been lauded for its Renaissance Zone designation by the State of Michigan, which guarantees substantial tax abatements and incentives for any tenant through 2017.
