Employment
Major area employers include such companies as Spectrum Health, Johnson Controls, Magna Donnelly, Axios Inc., and Perrirgo Company. Both American Seating and Steelcase, major manufacturers of office furniture, are based in Grand Rapids. The City is also the home to retailers Meijer and Spartan Stores.
In recent years, Grand Rapids has attracted bio-tech companies with the addition of the Van Andel Research Institute, which is primarily focused on cancer research, and the new Cook-DeVos Medical Training Facility, which is a part of Grand Valley State University. A new medical school, in association with Michigan State University, is also scheduled to arrive in West Michigan in the next 3-5 years.