A New York based food truck manufacturing company has found a new home in West Michigan, but it’s more of a homecoming for the company’s founder. Army veteran James Meeks, a Michigan native, started Move Systems International three years ago in New York, and so far business is booming. The company, which makes environmentally friendly food trucks equipped with solar power panels on the roof, found that the trucks were in such high demand in New York that more had to be built. Meeks says while he contemplated manufacturing more food trucks in China, when the the chance to bring his company to West Michigan became a possibility, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“It is a dream come true,” Meeks said about returning to his home state. “I can’t believe we actually were able to pull it off. The amount of moving pieces in order to bring this to West Michigan was incredibly complicated, and this is absolutely where we want to be.”
The food truck’s company move to West Michigan is part of a collaborative effort by local organizations The Right Place, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Start Garden’s Wakestream Ventures to bring more jobs to the region. At a news conference at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids Right Place's Birgit Klohs announced that the food truck company will create 27 new jobs and invest $13 million into their new home in Walker.
Meeks, a decorated Army Veteran says even though the company struggled at first, he credits the Armed Forces for teaching him perseverance.
“I think being a veteran, you get used to being shot at literally and figuratively, and I think that is one of the core traits at being an entrepreneur and surviving some of the early days,” he said.
