Company To Open Office in Downtown Battle Creek

An established company is expanding into downtown Battle Creek and will hire at least 65 people over the next three years.

Dennis Group, a company that provides design, engineering, and construction management services for the food and beverage industry, will invest more that $600,000, according to Battle Creek Unlimited. (BCU)

A press release from Battle Creek's economic development arm, said that Dennis Group was established in 1987 and is based in Springfield, Massachusetts. The company employs approximately 425 people worldwide and has branch offices in Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Toronto, Canada; São Paulo, Brazil; and Porto, Portugal.

Dennis Group is leasing office space at 49 West Michigan Avenue. The building, which previously housed the International Food Protection Training Institute, is centrally located in historic downtown Battle Creek, a block away from the headquarters of the Kellogg Company.

Robert C. Miller, Business Development for Dennis Group said, “This is an exciting time at Dennis Group. We once again maintained our rank as the largest food design firm in the country through continued year over year double digit revenue growth. The key to fueling that growth is retaining and recruiting top talent. Having lived and worked in Battle Creek most of my life I know the skilled and hardworking people in the region will be a great asset. We are also pleased to be in close proximity to top manufacturers we have worked with for decades who call Southern Michigan home.

Anmar Atchu, Vice President of The Hinman Company, which owns the building, remarked, “I cannot say enough about the public/private partnership. When you can sit down in a room and walk away with a handshake agreement and watch it come to fruition, it speaks volumes. Working with Dennis Group leadership and BCU, we (Hinman) could not be more excited for this win for Battle Creek.”

“BCU will provide a performance-based incentive to Dennis Group over the next three years to support their expansion in Battle Creek. This support will be dispersed as the company meets employment benchmarks,” stated BCU President & CEO Joe Sobieralski. “Dennis Group has a sterling reputation as one of the leading design-build firms specializing in food and beverage facilities. Based on the companies here in Battle Creek, this is the perfect location for their Midwest office.”

Before choosing Battle Creek, Dennis Group considered Chicago, Illinois and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company will be hiring a mix of professional engineering, project management, and administrative positions. The company plans to begin recruiting employees immediately. Interested applicants can visit dennisgroup.com/careers.