by Mark S. Kuhar
Van der Graaf (VDG), the world’s leading manufacturer of drum motors for all types of belt conveyor applications, including aggregate, mining, food processing and material handling, celebrated 40 years of innovation and growth with an Open House at its state-of-the-art facility in Shelby Township, Mich.
The event – which took place July 11 – was attended by Rock Products’ Editor Mark Kuhar and National Sales Manager Kyle Nichol, as well as SEMCO President Peter Johnson and North American Mining National Sales manager Vic Matteucci.
The event offered media and guests an exclusive opportunity to go behind the scenes at VDG’s Shelby Township facility – a key hub in the company’s fully integrated and automated production process, where every component of the VDG Drum Motor is manufactured in-house.
VDG President Alex Kanaris
VDG President Alex Kanaris thanks family, employees and the media for their role in the company’s success.
“This company was started on a dream and a prayer,” said Alex Kanaris, president of VDG. “VDG has spent the last four decades pushing the boundaries of reliability and performance in motorized pulley systems and we’re proud to be manufacturing the VDG Drum Motor here in North America and especially in the great state of Michigan.”
Kanaris thanked his family, employees and the media for their critical role in making VDG a world-class operation.
With deep roots in Macomb County, VDG’s Shelby Township facility is an example of American manufacturing excellence. The company’s more than $50 million investment in advanced production technology and local talent continues to fuel job growth, innovation and pride across the region.
Having started manufacturing in 1985 in Canada, VDG established U.S. operations in 2003 to better serve its growing American customer base with after-sales service. This eventually grew into the first service and assembly plant in Shelby Township in 2010, a full-scale manufacturing facility by 2018, and the opening of a second facility in 2023.
Today, VDG is continuing its commitment to U.S. manufacturing with plans to move more manufacturing capabilities from Canada to the United States to support increased demand and reinforce its commitment to American industry. “And we have plans to open an additional facility in Michigan,” Kanaris stated.
