Downtown Grand Haven Office to Become GHSP’s Advanced Tech Hub

GHSP, a global supplier in the automotive and high-end appliance industries, today announced the company’s expansion into 7,000 square feet of office space in downtown Grand Haven that underscores the company’s rapid growth this decade.

The new support the company’s automotive and appliance technology teams, which are helping to power GHSP’s transformation from a traditional auto supplier to a leader in technology products that are driving new innovations across a range of industries.

“Ten years ago, we were primarily manufacturing mechanical components for auto makers,” said Marc Smeyers, GHSP’s chief technology officer. “Today, we’re creating the next generation of control systems – touch screens, connected controls, new auto shifters and high-tech interfaces. Our new Grand Haven location will serve as an incubator for the types of technology-driven offerings that consumers will come to love and rely on in the vehicles, appliances and devices of the future.”

GHSP is based in Grand Haven with additional locations in Michigan, Mexico, China, Japan and Germany. The company will continue to operate out of its global headquarters in Grand Haven. The additional office space downtown will house more than 20 employees tasked with developing new technologies in the automotive and appliance industries. Employees began moving into the new tech center in mid-August.

GHSP has also been expanding into other industries, including health care and retail through licensing and manufacturing agreements with UV Angel, a Michigan-based company that specializes in surface disinfection technology for hospitals, food service locations and other environments.

The changes are all part of GHSP’s rapid evolution over the past decade as the company has expanded globally and annual sales have quadrupled. Over this time, GHSP has evolved from a manufacturer of mechanical systems to electronic systems and products. It’s a continuation of GHSP’s long history of innovation  and evolution, dating back to its origins as a metal stamping company in the 1920s.

The expansion into the new Grand Haven space comes as some GHSP team members have been temporarily working out of converted garage space at the company’s headquarters due to the rapid growth. Now, those employees are moving into a building that the city of Grand Haven once used as a water pump station. The renovated building has dedicated studio and brainstorming space where employees can work to visualize ideas and work collaboratively.

“These teams are on the leading-edge of advancements in user controls, from automobile shifters to  self-disinfecting HMI systems,” Smeyers said. “We wanted to give them an area they could call their own – where they could work together to redefine the way we think about interacting with machines and technology we use every day.”