Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet is one of the premier names in luxury outdoor cooking. They make some of the highest quality grills and outdoor kitchen products, using thick 304 stainless steel.

They also focus on innovating outdoor cooking. Their Hybrid Fire Grill can cook with wood, charcoal, or gas, and just last year they released a gravity smoker that’s built-in under the counter of an outdoor kitchen.

Kalamazoo has been around for a long time, tracing their roots back to 1906 as a metal fabrication facility. They got their name from the shop being in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

In 2022, Kalamazoo’s owners bought the highly regarded outdoor kitchen company Urban Bonfire. The holding company Pleina Group was formed, and the two brands were brought underneath it.

With the assistance of a $200k grant from the state of Michigan, Kalamazoo is planning to build their presence in Michigan. They are expanding their current manufacturing operations in a project that will cost at least $3.8 million and add 22 new jobs.

I am truly thrilled to announce this expansion. With the support of MSF, we are bringing new manufacturing and job opportunities to the Kalamazoo area and furthering our rich history of craftsmanship and expertise that started more than a century ago in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Scott Kohler, President of Manufacturing at Pleina Group

The expansion will allow them to relocate the manufacturing for Urban Bonfire to Michigan from Montreal, Canada. In addition to receiving grant funds, it should also help them avoid import tariffs from Canada should they stick.

I am thrilled that Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet has decided to expand its operations right here in Southwest Michigan, growing essential investments and job opportunities in our community. I want to thank the Michigan Strategic Fund for helping our state stay competitive and retain manufacturing in Michigan and also congratulate the community leaders in Comstock Charter Township for their support in making this a reality for our Kalamazoo-area neighbors.

 Michigan State Senator Sean McCann (D-Kalamazoo)