Construction Begins on Perrier's Midwest Water Bottling Plant

The Perrier Group and its plant design teams have announced that construction of the Mecosta Ice Mountain spring water bottling plant is underway with a design that will feature a variety of environmental protections and enhancements. The new $100 million plant is scheduled to begin operations in early 2002.

"With the start of plant construction this week, the Mecosta facility is on track to begin delivering Ice Mountain bottled spring water, drawn from a local spring source, to customers across the Midwest by Spring 2002," said John VanSickle, senior project manager for Perrier's plant construction group.

"Our goal is to build a state-of-the-art bottling facility that complements its natural surroundings, is environmentally progressive and provides an atmosphere where employees enjoy working every day. We will build a plant that will make this community proud."

Perrier has retained The Haskell Company to direct the design and construction of the Mecosta facility in Michigan. Haskell is recognized as one of the nation's leading design-build and construction management firms, with annual sales in excess of $800 million. Haskell is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., and maintains operations throughout the United States and Latin America. The company is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), an international organization that promotes environmental standards for the building industry and for manufacturers.

Excavation and site preparation by local subcontractors has commenced. Other construction subcontractors will be selected in the coming weeks. As part of Perrier's environmental program, the site will feature the preservation and enhancement of more than 40 acres of natural wetlands, ponds, fields and woods.

Designed to incorporate a number of environmental features – such as the use of recycled and recyclable building materials, on-site wastewater treatment, and energy-efficient equipment – the plant will be among the first manufacturing facilities in the U.S. to apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the USGBC. The LEED program evaluates the environmental performance of an entire building, site and operations, and functions to provide criteria for third-party certification for properties achieving energy and environmental standards.

The announcement was made during a groundbreaking ceremony attended by more than 75 local public officials, plant neighbors and Perrier plant design and construction teams. Plant manager Brendan O'Rourke marked the occasion by introducing the construction management team and several members of the future plant's management team.

"The opportunity to start a world-class, environmentally safe bottling operation is exciting," said O'Rourke. "It's great to have the chance to be part of a team that will run this plant and bring people in the Midwest a refreshing and healthful product."

The Perrier Group, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, has more than 5,000 employees working throughout the U.S. on its 15 bottled water brands. The Perrier Group is the leading bottled water company in the United States. The Perrier Group expertly manages 75 protected spring sites across the country, which are the primary sources for such well-known brands as Poland Spring, Deer Park, Ozarka, and Arrowhead, which are available regionally. The Perrier Group is a division of Nestle, headquartered in Switzerland.

Source: PR Newswire