If someone suddenly doubles their footprint (or hat size), we'd suspect their juicing. But Groninger USA's growth is all natural: It recently launched a new, 28k SF US HQ and manufacturing facility in southwest Charlotte's South Point Business Park, says Groninger?s Lothar Burger. Sources tell us the project cost was about $4M.

Its parent company manufactures ?filling machinery? for the pharma and cosmetics industries (i.e. vials, syringes, and beauty product containers. Even so, we were joking about the steroid thing.) Groninger employs 21 people in 12k SF of leased space at  2520 Whitehall Park Dr, after moving from NJ in '07 with four. In addition to being an HQ, it also has expanded engineering, production and assembly areas, and an in-house training center and showroom. Groninger expects the move will eventually permit more hires. Gresham Smith and Partners is designing  and  building the new HQ. The Charlotte Chamber's Justin Hunt worked with Groninger in site selection and Trinity Partners' Adam Eason arranged the land sale.