By: Deborah Johnson Wood
In just a few months Coastal Container will no longer be dependent on fossil fuels to heat, humidify, and provide electricity for its 235,000-square-foot corrugated container manufacturing facility. That's because Brent Patterson, CEO, plans to fire up the 600 hp boiler/steam heat system using recycled wood and add an electrical turbine to power the plant.
Coastal Container moved into the former
Sligh Furniture building at 1201 Industrial Drive in Holland last month and already Patterson has purchased the cooling towers, piping, and valves.
"Our goal is to run our entire plant without any fossil fuels," Patterson says. "I haven't built the turbine yet. We're getting the costs together now. But with energy grants I'm totally confident this is going in. We'll never be without power, regardless of storms or whatever."
The plant employs 20 and is on 10 acres, plenty of space to expand to up to 400,000 as the business grows. Patterson expects to add some 50 employees by the end of 2008.
"The business environment in West Michigan has always been very loyal to local suppliers," Patterson says. "Holland has seen fantastic growth in the past 20, 25 years, and it's a suppliers' dream. I was born and raised in Holland. I would never even consider being any place else."
Source: Brent Patterson, Coastal Container
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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