What Does Elvis Have In Common With Kalamazoo?

Elvis, BB King and The Rolling Stones all played a Gibson Guitar and it was made right here in Kalamazoo.

Starting back in 1917, Kalamazoo was the place that great guitars where made and placed in the hands of legends. It was the home of Gibson Guitars until the company packed up and moved to Nashville in 1984. Since then the Gibson Guitar building has been home to Heritage Guitar inc. and now the famous smoke stack is in need of a tad of love.

According to Mlive...

"The current condition of the smokestack has become a safety issue as it continues to deteriorate and work is scheduled to begin on the buildings," PlazaCorp wrote in a statement provided by Andy Wenzel, director of acquisitions and development for PlazaCorp. "Very soon, there will be a campaign released whereby contributions will be accepted into a fund specifically for the preservation and reconstruction of the smoke stack. In the meantime, the bricks will be secured, palletized and stored."

Plaza Corp is taking on a 12 million dollar make over for the old factory. What does 12 million dollars get us? A 2,000 square foot beer garden (perfect for Kalamazoo), a possible bar and or restaurant, yet  the coolest thing... an observation area to view the historic Gibson smoke stack!

This is just another reason why Kalamazoo is simply the best!