Char-Broil fires up construction on its new global headquarters

The symbolic breaking of ground Monday for the global headquarters building for grill manufacturer Char-Broil was punctuated by a blunt message from W.C. Bradley Co. Chief Executive Officer Marc Olivié.

“I think some people here in the Columbus area have been doubting at times that Char-Broil was here to stay. I think you have your answer,” he said. “This is truly the promise that we will continue to stay here and continue to have this as our worldwide headquarters, and continue to grow from here.”

The 25,300-square-foot office, which is being fashioned out of space where grills once were assembled by the company, is expected to be ready for occupancy by spring of next year. Grill manufacturing was moved to China more than a decade ago, with a million square feet of space on the site now Char-Broil’s primary North American distribution center.

A city building permit dated June 13 shows W.C. Bradley spending just over $4.1 million on construction, with Brasfield & Gorrie the general contractor and 2WR + Partners of Columbus handling the architectural design work.

Char-Broil CEO Chris Robins noted during her remarks that the distribution hub on Belfast Avenue, off Bradley Park Drive in Columbus, moves nearly 3 million boxes loaded with grills in and out of the facility each year. The 68-year-old grill company, a subsidiary of privately owned W.C. Bradley Co., has been at the location since 1973.

“So as we began to assess locations in Columbus to build our new office, we felt that it was critical to be here on this site, as a team, to best serve our customers and our consumers,” Robins said of the office, which will be home to about 145 of the company’s 215 employees. Work there will include grill design, development, testing, customer support and marketing.

Robins noted that the office is expected to improve communication and collaboration within the company, while also fostering innovation and helping Char-Broil “showcase” its products to clients. A landscaped courtyard on site will be a place where grilling demonstrations are held.

Char-Broil markets an array of grills, smokers, fryers and cooking accessories in North America, Latin America, Australia and Europe. Aside from Columbus, the company has offices and workers in Atlanta; Mooresville, N.C.; Bentonville, Ark.; Hamburg, Germany; Shekou, China; Toronto; and London. Its products are sold at Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Target, Menards and on Amazon.com.

Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, speaking during the groundbreaking, said Char-Broil, with its long and successful history in the grill market, epitomizes ingenuity and innovation. Having its dedicated global headquarters in Columbus makes the company special, she said.

“What it shows you is there is a particular ethic about this company, one that started many generations ago, but one that tilled the field and now there’s a mighty harvest,” she said. “When you can say that an organization started in a community in southwest Georgia is literally global, that’s something to celebrate.”

W.C. Bradley Co. itself dates to 1885, with its corporate offices overlooking the Chattahoochee River in downtown Columbus. Its other operations include Zebco Brands in Tulsa, Okla., Lamplight Farms (Tiki Brand) in Menomonee Falls, Wisc., and W.C. Bradley Real Estate in Columbus.

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Char-Broil fires up construction on its new global headquarters."