Chobani / La Colombe Expansion

As a leading local partner helping advance the proposed expansion project, GMED needed a communications strategy that accurately reflected both the scale of the opportunity and the realities of the approval process.

The proposed investment involved multiple stakeholders, including local municipalities, county leadership, state agencies, and national corporate partners, and remained contingent on additional approvals beyond the initial Michigan Strategic Fund action. At the same time, public interest in the project was expected to be high due to the size of the proposed investment, anticipated infrastructure upgrades, and potential economic impact for the region.

GMED needed a communications partner that could help:

• Clearly communicate what had been approved — and what steps remained
• Position GMED as a trusted regional leader supporting responsible economic growth
• Coordinate aligned messaging across multiple stakeholders
• Generate positive regional visibility surrounding the state approval milestone
• Manage media interest around a complex and evolving project
• Highlight the potential long-term benefits for Muskegon County, including jobs, infrastructure investment, and manufacturing growth
• Provide ongoing strategic communications support as the project progressed through further milestones, approvals and project completion

The organization also wanted to ensure messaging emphasized why Muskegon County was being considered for a project of this scale, including its workforce, infrastructure capacity, and strategic location.

Kindred developed and executed a strategic communications plan designed to support visibility, public understanding, and ongoing stakeholder engagement surrounding the proposed project, beginning with its major state approval milestone and continuing through future phases of the initiative.

The work was rooted in extensive corporate communications experience, managing complex messaging, media relations, executive communications, and high-profile public announcements.

Strategic Communications Counsel

Kindred advised GMED leadership on messaging strategy, communications timing, stakeholder coordination, and media approach to ensure all communications accurately reflected the project’s current status while building awareness around its potential significance.

Public Relations + Media Relations

Kindred led earned media strategy surrounding the milestone announcement, including:

• Development of the GMED press release
• Media outreach and coordination with West Michigan news outlets
• Executive talking points and spokesperson preparation
• Strategic guidance on announcement sequencing and media engagement
• Secured and coordinated multiple news interviews

The communications effort generated 11 earned media placements with a total reach of more than 30 million, including print, online and broadcast coverage by WXMI/Fox 17 TV, WZZM-TV, and Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. The coverage helped elevate regional awareness of the project’s potential economic impact across West Michigan and beyond.

Website + Digital Communications

Our team recommended and supported the development of website content and landing page strategy to help centralize project information and provide ongoing updates throughout the project.

Social Media Strategy

Kindred collaborated on a coordinated social media approach to amplify the announcement across GMED channels and stakeholder networks for its President & CEO and board members. This included messaging recommendations, hashtag strategy, and content planning designed to sustain visibility as the project advanced through additional milestones.

Integrated Messaging

Throughout the campaign, we helped shape messaging that emphasized:

• The significance of the state approval milestone
• Muskegon County’s strengths as a manufacturing and infrastructure hub
• Regional collaboration among public and private partners
• The potential economic impact of the proposed investment
• Transparency around the project’s ongoing approval process

The project showcased Kindred’s ability to support high-profile, multi-stakeholder initiatives with thoughtful strategic communications and public relations expertise — while further expanding the agency’s capabilities in economic development communications and PR.