Street Talk: EPIC finalists represent a little bit of everything

This is gonna be EPIC! The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce last week announced the 17 finalists for its fourth annual EPIC Awards, which...

Street Talk: Blame Washington for a new batch of worries

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s latest quarterly small business survey finds that Washington policies continue to hamper hiring and growth, with over a quarter...

Street Talk: For Grandville, the Buck stops here

Grandville Mayor Jim Buck made it official last week when he closed the city council meeting with news that he would not seek re-election...

Street Talk: Home may be where the heart is, but employees aren’t

Pointing to extensive research from more than a decade of experience with the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For program, National Association for...

Street Talk: Competitors rise for Levin’s seat; who will Land there?

For politicians, it’s the busy season, which became earnest as U.S. Senator Carl Levin announced his pending retirement. There remains only three months before...

Street Talk: Humor really is the best medicine

Wednesday’s Top Women Owned Businesses event at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park attracted a sell-out crowd and produced plenty of powerful networking. Speaker Julie...

Street Talk: Motor City: It’s time to pay the piper

Like it or not, West Michigan’s business fortunes are tied to Detroit. So, when one part of the body is injured, other parts feel...

Street Talk: Comic relief in these places and faces

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, is the subject of a new comic book published by Bluewater Productions, a company that specializes in comic books,...

Street Talk: Sound off on energy and the environment

In his State of the State address, Gov. Rick Snyder said he wants public forums held around the state to gather input to guide...

Street Talk: Hill no longer home to some great minds

The Van Andel Institute has been able to bring some of the biggest names in scientific research to the home of Hope on the...

Street Talk: That retirement thing just isn’t working out

Retirement is just not working out for Jeanne Englehart — again. The former CEO/President of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce retired from...

Street Talk: Lansing casino battle being fought in GR court

The U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids heard arguments last week in the state’s attempt to block the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa...

Street Talk: Is Michigan a hotbed for medical devices?

For years now, part of the mantra associated with the medical industry in the Grand Rapids region has been the goal of turning West...

Street Talk: Right to work — and play — must be Pure Michigan

Tying the right-to-work laws with the state’s Pure Michigan tourism campaign seems, well, sort of un-pure. Will people visit the Wolverine State to see non-union...

Street Talk: A lot was accomplished, but much is left to do

In late December, Gov. Rick Snyder met with members of Michigan's media to discuss the accomplishments of the past year and his goals for...

Street Talk: Michigan needs a lesson in climate change

How good is Michigan’s economic climate? The answer depends on who you are asking. Gov. Rick Snyder probably is nursing a case of carpal tunnel...

Street Talk: Two perspectives on the cliff and business in 2013

Two West Michigan executives in pivotal industries — manufacturing and banking — have offered their views of what lies ahead for business as the...

Street Talk: Another use for the fiscal cliff

It’s always about the money. Especially if you happen to be a congressman hanging off the fiscal cliff — or being thrown off. U.S. Rep....

Street Talk: Small business edges closer to the fiscal cliff

According to Matt Becker, partner at BDO USA LLC in Grand Rapids, “There’s never a dull moment in U.S. tax policy.” Last week BDO conducted...

Street Talk: Lake Winds generating, but how much is hush-hush?

West Michigan’s first commercial wind farm, the Lake Winds Energy Park built this year near Ludington by Consumers Energy, officially went on line Thanksgiving...