Perrigo announced as 2023 Certified Green Building Award Winner for Commercial

The U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan (USGBC-WM) announces Perrigo as the Certified Green Building Award Winner for their North American Headquarters (NAHQ) project in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This project achieved LEED Gold ID+C: Commercial Interiors. The Certified Green Building Awards recognize exemplary building projects that received high-performance certifications.

Founded in 1877, Perrigo is a leading provider of Consumer Self-Care Products and over-the-counter health and wellness solutions. The organization has long had a presence in West Michigan, with facilities in Allegan, Holland, and Kentwood. To augment its existing U.S. operations, Perrigo sought to establish a new North American headquarters in Grand Rapids at the Grand Rapids Innovation Park, a hub of research and healthcare organizations anchoring the “Medical Mile.” Embracing the client’s mission of self-care and wellness, this tenant build-out emphasizes movement and interaction, with a spectrum of adaptable spaces that support a diversity of work styles.  

The success of the project required skilled communication and collaboration from all involved. Perrigo’s effort included their Executive Team, led by Chief Operating Officer, Ron Janish, as well as Legal, Procurement, Finance, Project Management, etc. In addition, Perrigo partnered with groups such as CBRE, Rockford/Walsh, Trellis, Smith Group, West Michigan Lighting, etc. to make the project come to life. Designed, approved, and built in the middle of a global pandemic, the team faced supply chain, labor, and communication issues. A team effort and collaboration is what led to the project being completed during this difficult time. 

The $42 million construction project broke ground in April of 2021. Perrigo’s headquarters occupies the top three floors of the narrow ten-story building. The company plans to spend $44.8 million on a 15-year lease of the building’s top three floors, which they announced in October 2020. The space, which can hold up to 150 individuals, is home to top-level employees within Perrigo’s consumer self-care division, including positions in marketing, sales, finance, operations, supply chain, and research and development.

The 63,500-square-foot space achieves the client’s goals of consolidating functions, supporting cross-functional collaboration, and engaging its staff, all while upholding responsible, high-end design. Each design feature aligns with the company’s culture, putting Perrigo products and the company’s ethos of active teamwork on display. The headquarters accommodates workspaces for every team member, with equal access to daylight and views. It’s also easily adaptable to a hybrid work model, thanks to its activity-based work strategy that provides an array of spaces and zones. Additional features include rooms dedicated to wellness, focus, and personal time.  The building can host team or building events, interactive workshops, visitors and vendors, and international teams.

“Perrigo has a companywide commitment to sustainability and has set initiatives to achieve our sustainability goals,” stated Jim McDonagh, Facilities Supervisor at Perrigo’s NAHQ. “Perrigo is proud of the North American Headquarters in Grand Rapids and took the additional steps/costs to achieve a LEED Gold Certification and set an example of Perrigo’s overall mindset of being sustainability leaders. The LEED Gold certification validates our company and leadership’s commitment to making sustainability a priority.”

When asked what it meant to the Perrigo team to be recognized with this award they stated that they were “pleasantly surprised” by the award and honored to be recognized for all of the hard work that went into the North American Headquarters. 

The USGBC-WM Leadership Awards promote outstanding green building initiatives by recognizing projects, organizations, and people who have made extraordinary contributions to achieving healthy, energy-efficient green buildings in the state of Michigan.

“Michigan is one of the top 5 states for clean energy commitments, number two in the country in drawing down federal funding for climate and clean energy, and number one in the Midwest for clean energy jobs, clean energy growing twice as fast as the overall economy,” said Cheri Holman, Executive Director of USGBC-WM. “These investments by the federal government, concrete action from the state, and the  collaboration inside our community has energized me like never before.”

Perrigo was awarded at our 2023 Annual Party & Leadership Awards Ceremony on December 5, 2023. Hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan, the evening event was held in the Ballroom at the LEED-certified CityFlatsHotel located in downtown Grand Rapids. The program included a keynote address by Dr. Brandy Brown, Chief Innovation Officer of Walker-Miller Energy Services, an Awards Ceremony, and the celebration of this year’s achievements. 

To learn more about the event and to read our 2023 Annual Report visit our Annual Party & Leadership Awards Ceremony page.