Vargo announces grand opening of Michigan office

Vargo has announced the grand opening of its fourth location, an office in Grand Rapids, Mich., that will be led by Gordon Hellberg, vice president of marketing and business development.

Based in Hilliard, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Vargo is a leading provider of materials handling system integration, software and equipment solutions for fulfillment and distribution operations.

“We currently have three people working in that office, which is large enough for 10 people, said Bart Cera, chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Vargo. “We are planning on adding an additional three to four people by the year’s end, and those positions will be in the areas of engineering and project management. So we are looking for applications engineers, systems engineers, control engineers and project managers.”

Vargo is leasing the 2,000-square-foot space, which is located at 550 3 Mile Road NW, Suite E, in Walker, Mich., a suburb of Grand Rapids.

“Since it opened in 1971, Vargo has grown consistently and we believe we have developed a reputation for being the best systems integrator in our industry,” said J. Michael Vargo, president and CEO. “We believe we are revolutionizing the way companies move goods in their fulfillment centers.”

Vargo has developed a warehouse execution system that has changed the way companies such as American Eagle Outfitters, Inc., L.L. Bean—and other retailers, e-commerce providers and wholesalers in other industries—move goods through their distribution centers. The growth of e-commerce has demanded ways to move those goods as quickly as possible from the warehouse to the customer’s mailbox.

“By opening an office in western Michigan, we are positioning ourselves in a great location to attract the engineering talent that we would like to add to our staff,” Hellberg said. “This area has the largest technical pool for the resources that Vargo is looking to add.”