April 7, 2014
2014 health rankings used for comparison and assessment
Counties across the country got health checkups recently, and those in West Michigan seem to be in pretty good shape. The fifth edition of the nationwide effort to raise awareness of the overall health of a county was released March 26. Calculating composite scores in eight categories, the 2014 County Health Rankings rates each county […]
Change Ups: GRCC salutes four women
Grand Rapids Community College’s recent Salute to Women awards honored Grand Rapids Public Schools Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal, GRCC juvenile justice major Nicole Bowl, GRCC biological sciences department teacher Beth Foster, and Kathryn K. Mullins, executive deputy to GRCC President Dr. Steven C. Ender and liaison to the board of trustees. The women were honored […]
Retail sales and forecasts improve, but still cool
LANSING — Sales and short-term forecasts for Michigan retail businesses improved during February, but they still have a lot of frozen ground to make up after the extreme winter, according to the latest Michigan Retail Index, a joint project of Michigan Retailers Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. “We saw a small thaw […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds FOX, James D. et al, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Condo-Bear Creek Condominiums, $336,800 KHARMAI, Navin et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Rockford Hills Village No. 3, Lot 761, $213,600 RK GRAHAM INVESTMENTS LLC, Chemical Bank, Bowne Twp., 4-5-9, $320,000 MCCLARY, Randy et al, Bank Of America, […]
It’s not really failure — it’s failure to do your best
I’m often asked, “Why do salespeople fail?” The answer is: They don’t fail. They fail to be their best. They fail to do their best. They fail to think their best. And they fail to take the best actions to help them succeed. There are symptoms that allow either a sales leader or the salesperson […]
Street Talk: Judge not, lest ye be the judge
With the imminent departure of Steven Servaas from the 63rd District Court bench — following a 41-year career, he will not seek re-election — the talk turns to: Who’s next? Talk around the water cooler has floated a few names of those who might be willing to cast their gavels into the ring. Of course, […]
Insurance provider services may reduce employer costs
With the recent consumer enrollment deadline past, and the extended option for consumers and employers alike to keep prior non-reformed plans, the Affordable Care Act is a frequent topic of discussion. Amid the frustration and confusion, there are a couple of suggestions a local health care insurance provider is offering business owners to help reduce […]
Replacing the PPT on industry: up to voters
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley was in a manufacturing plant in Grand Rapids last week to sign long-debated legislation that would replace funding lost by the phase-out of the industrial personal property tax — if enough Michigan voters say yes to the August ballot proposal. The signing was staged at Van’s Pattern Inc. because the industrial […]
Confronting Parkinson’s disease from every angle
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, and for those affected by this disease it’s a reminder of the work yet to be done. We created the Center for Neurodegenerative Science at Van Andel Research Institute with a commitment to improve diagnostics and therapies for Parkinson’s disease patients. Researchers now understand that Parkinson’s disease is very complex […]
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Inside Track: A heart for leadership and helping the hungry
Brewster Hamm knows there are a number of for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations squirming in a mire of problems that threaten their future. Some of those problems are due to a fear of making a change. Hamm has a reputation for kicking status quo to the curb. “I’m not a person satisfied in a maintenance […]
GR planners back expanded U.S. 131 study
The Grand Rapids Planning Commission is in support of an expanded study regarding the future of U.S. 131. The Michigan Department of Transportation is currently undertaking a $1 million study of portions of U.S. 131 and I-96, which it said is focused on preservation but does not include consideration of any major overhauls or changes […]
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Resisting the consolidation trend among hospitals
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Officially, it’s North Ottawa Community Health System, but people in the Grand Haven area know it by its acronym, NOCH. It’s their hospital, and they want to keep it that way, according to the CEO of the system, Shelleye Yaklin. “We are neighbors taking care of neighbors,” she said. […]
Expanding internationally: Slow and steady wins the race
This past winter, I had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with a contributor to Forbesand with CFO.com on international business tax issues. The discussions were a bit different but were focused on the issues and considerations with conducting business in a global marketplace. Cross-border business activity continues to increase each year, and more West […]
Cultivate Holland seeks to eliminate poverty through jobs
Instead of teaching people how to fish, one lakeshore organization is seeking to teach how to deliver a whole school of fish to people in need. Cultivate Holland, a nonprofit organization, is fighting poverty one job at a time. In collaboration with Partners Worldwide, a global nonprofit Christian ministry, Cultivate Holland is offering a 12-week […]
BLM updates strategic plan
Almost five years after the launch of the Michigan Turnaround Plan by the Business Leaders for Michigan, the statewide organization of top executives from 80 leading companies and universities is unveiling a change in strategy to continue the state’s progress toward more jobs, higher incomes and a healthier economy. “About one-third of the original Michigan […]
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Whitecaps take advantage of opportunity
Most years, Lew Chamberlin likes to scout his team in Florida during spring training. This year, though, Chamberlin, owner of the West Michigan Whitecaps, was too caught up in construction at Fifth Third Ballpark and is unsure of what to expect from his team when it takes the field in its home opener Tuesday. The […]
Compliance audits: an ounce of antitrust protection
When it comes to antitrust compliance, what you don’t know could put you out of business — or land you in jail. Today, auto suppliers are the targets of one of the biggest enforcement sweeps in history, but makers of corrugated boxes were before them and dealers of scrap metal were even earlier. Designed to […]
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Not in it for the money
There is a mystique in Michigan about making maple syrup, but making lots of money apparently is not part of the allure. That is rather odd, because the experts say the demand for maple syrup always exceeds the supply, even at $48 a gallon or $10 a pint. “A lot of money comes into this, […]
Small business outreach could be a model to replicate
The city of Holland has an often unappreciated richness of diversity that likely could hold some type of “best of” rank, especially for the creative class generation of millennials. The city’s population of 33,000, including its 22 percent Latino community members, is well represented in the small business community of West Michigan. A new nonprofit […]
