Iowa electrical and automation distributor Van Meter plans to consolidate its operations in the Twin Cities suburbs, company officials announced.
The company in late April broke ground on a 124,000-square-foot expansion of one of its two facilities in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. The project will expand its current facility on 95th Street to 315,000 square feet and enable Van Meter to consolidate the operations from a nearby facility on 100th Street under a single roof, including inventory management, order fulfillment and wire and cable processing. The expanded facility will also have automated systems from Hai Robotics installed as part of the project.
Van Meter said that the expansion would help the company “ensure long-term reliability, sustainability, and overall operational excellence.”
“As an employee-owned company, we think in generations, not quarters,” Van Meter President and CEO Lura McBride said in a statement. “This investment reflects our commitment to our people, our customers, and the communities we serve — ensuring we’re well positioned to grow responsibly and deliver exceptional value for decades to come.”
Company officials said that the project represented a “multiyear investment,” but did not disclose a specific timetable or cost estimate. Van Meter added that it employs about 205 people at its Cottage Grove facility, but it did not indicate whether it would add jobs or if its workforce in the city would be altered.
The Cottage Grove regional distribution center is one of six Van Meter locations in Minnesota and 23 overall.
