Employment

From pickles to plastics, products made in the Holland area can be found throughout the state, nation and world. The key to the success of Holland area manufacturers and retailers is an economic base as diverse as the hardworking men and women creating the products and services.

The Holland area is home to some of the best-known names in the food industry. Heinz North America produces pickles at its plant in Holland. Other famous Holland-area producers of food products and household goods are Mead Johnson Nutritionals, Pfizer, Perrigo Company and Boar's Head Provisions Co., Inc. Several automotive component suppliers have plants in the Holland area.

One of the largest is Johnson Controls, Inc., which produces components for auto interiors. MAGNA DONNELLY, in Holland Township since 1905, is an international manufacturer of automotive mirrors, windows and door handles. Gentex Corporation, in Zeeland, makes advanced electro-optical products, including automatic-dimming car mirrors and fire protection devices. Holland Hitch Company, in Holland, is an international manufacturer of truck hitches and braking systems.

The Holland area has long been home to some of the world's best known furniture manufacturers. Haworth, Inc., headquartered in Holland, is the country's third largest manufacturer of office furniture and seating products. The family-run, international manufacturer invented the prewired partitions that are now the basis of modular office systems. Zeeland-based manufacturer Herman Miller, Inc., the nation's second largest office furniture manufacturer, has a reputation for innovative design, and markets its products in Europe, Mexico and Japan. Trendway Corporation, an office furniture manufacturer with offices and factories in Holland Township and showrooms in Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C., is known for rapid delivery of its quality products.

The Holland area economy has weathered economic storms because it is not dependent on a single industry. Diversity, combined with a commitment by local businesses to invest in the latest equipment and employee training, has prepared the community for the challenges of the 21st Century.