Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is the seat of Kent County in western Michigan. Situated along the banks of the Grand River, about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan, Grand Rapids has a current population of over 188,000, making it the second largest city in Michigan. The city of Grand Rapids and surrounding communities are economically diverse, and contribute significantly to the health care, information technology, automotive, aviation manufacturing, and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others. Grand Rapids was the hometown of Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States. He, along with his wife, former First Lady Betty Ford, is buried on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids.

During the second half of the 19th century, Grand Rapids became a major lumbering center and the leading furniture manufacturing city in the United States, earning the city the nickname “Furniture City". Sligh Furniture Company was one of the first furniture manufacturers to operate in Grand Rapids. By the early 1900s, other notable furniture manufacturers such as Kindel Furniture Company, and the Hekman/Woodmark Furniture Company began designing and manufacturing traditional American furniture in the city. Today, Grand Rapids is considered a world leader in the production of office furniture. American Seating, Steelcase, and Haworth and Herman Miller are all major manufacturers of office furniture currently based in the Grand Rapids area.

For years, asbestos products were used at many jobsites in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which put workers and others at risk for asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma cancer. If you have been exposed to asbestos in Grand Rapids, you may benefit by seeking counsel from an asbestos law firm.

Jobsites in Grand Rapids where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

A number of jobsites in Grand Rapids, MI have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials. These sites, at one point in their history, were known to have exposed a variety of tradesmen to asbestos. We will be documenting in more detail how asbestos exposure occurred at these sites in the future on this web site.