August 10, 2015
Old National adds to its capital markets team in GR
Old National Bancorp is expanding its lending capability in West Michigan with the addition of two new employees on the capital markets team within its corporate treasury department. Martha (Marty) Richardson and Chip Windisch have joined Old National from InSite Capital, a subsidiary of Chemical Financial Corp. Richardson comes to Old National as senior vice […]
Huntington Bank expands micro-lending initiative
Due to the success of its pilot lending program, a collaborative initiative between Huntington Bank and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. is bringing micro-loan opportunities to small businesses. Huntington Bank, a $69 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, announced July 28 it is expanding its Pure Michigan Micro Lending Initiative in […]
Change Ups: Plante Moran promotes within
Plante Moran recently promoted four staff members in its Grand Rapids office. Clockwise from top left: Cameron Kleinheksel was promoted to associate and specializes in institutional investment consulting; Jesse Richardson is a principal in the forensic and valuation services practice; Cheri Stein was promoted to senior associate in the wealth management practice; and Blake Wieringa […]
Late summer economy remains in slow growth mode
Growth returns to normal. That’s the latest word on the local economy, according to data and comments collected in the last two weeks of July. New Orders, our index of business improvement, edged forward to +22, up from +19. The July Production index resumed the pace of previous months and rose to +26 from +16. […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds DELANEY, Michael R. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Condo-Paris Meadows, $209,000 DECKROW, Dustin D. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Condo-Arbor Hills Site Condominiums, $340,800 SCHOOF, Erik et al, Mortgage Services III, Condo-Wellington Ridge, $228,937 BAZAIRE, John M. et al, First United Credit Union, […]
Self-image determines a lot more than just sales
How do you picture yourself? That’s a pretty powerful question when you think about it. Some of you are thinking handsome or pretty, some overweight or average, some successful or struggling. Some pictures are happy, some are not. Very not. Tell me about your picture. Was it a physical picture (tall, pretty), or a mental […]
Ottawa approves fueling station
A Zeeland-based company is refueling a local brownfield site with a $2.4M proposed investment in constructing an ethanol-blended station. Borculo Fuel Services LLC or Anew, an affiliate of locally owned and operated Zeeland Farm Services Inc., received approval July 28 from the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners during its regular meeting to leverage a tax-increment […]
Street Talk: Local revolution
The words “buy local” mean many things to many people, but what it really boils down to is the choice to support your neighbor in his or her business venture. Owning a business is scary, and growing one is even scarier. So every once in a while it’s nice to tell the story of someone […]
Uncompetitive provisions of tax code discussed by business leaders
This summer offered some nice distractions that diverted our attention from other events — perhaps for the better. Now it is time to get back to reality. My reality is often drawn to taxes and politics, given that I deal with taxes in my daily job. Politics impacts tax legislation. And that mix often results […]
Employee or contractor? How to avoid misclassification
The misclassification of employees as independent contractors is on the rise, according to the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. “When employers misclassify their employees as independent contractors, often to cut their own costs, those workers are denied the protections of basic labor standards such as minimum wage and overtime, in […]
State leaders should reject EPA’s carbon rule
The federal government is poised to stick Michigan families with higher energy costs and diminished living standards, unless state legislators act now to resist. The dubiously named “Clean Power Plan,” the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 30 percent by 2030, will impose steep costs on Michigan residents while generating negligible environmental […]
Mental health illness deserves same support as cancer
The absence of mental health parity and lack of public concern for those with a mental illness is evident from the drama played or playing out in every corner of the country — on military bases, on street corners, and especially in movie theaters used as stages of demonstration. A person who is ill with […]
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Business lending booming at credit unions
The Michigan Credit Union League says Grand Rapids credit unions increased outstanding business loan balances by slightly more than 50 percent over a 12-month period, based on 2015 first-quarter data analyzed by the Credit Union National Association. First mortgages and new and used car loans also grew significantly at 36.5 percent, 23.9 percent and 16.9 […]
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Inside Track: Blue-collar housing and strong work ethic are nice fit
John Bitely always wanted to be a farmer. Although his career started out with tilling the land for a living, eventually his life took him on a different journey. In some ways he’s still a farmer, but the crop he’s harvesting now isn’t corn — it’s houses. As the owner of Sable Homes, a Rockford-based […]
Something’s brewing downtown
The Michigan Trust Building will get a sample taste of its newest ground floor tenant during ArtPrize, when Ferris Coffee and Nut Co. sets up a pop-up shop. Last year, Ferris used its coffee truck to serve patrons throughout the annual arts competition, but now, with an offer from CWD Real Estate Investment, it has […]
Grooters plans three-building complex near airport
Grand Rapids will soon have an Area 52. Robert Grooters Development Co. hopes to start construction on the first phase of a new project next to the Gerald R. Ford International Airport runways this fall. The entire project on Kraft Avenue, just off of 52nd Street SE, will be approximately 700,000 square feet in three […]
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Perrin is poised for growth
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) An 11-week retirement was enough for Keith Klopcic. The former co-owner of West Side Beer Distributing was unhappy with his newfound freedom after leaving the company to allow his brother and nephews to take control. “It was nothing other than family planning,” Klopcic said. “I did some soul searching, […]
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Power plant prepares for heavy lifting
After travelling halfway across the world, four oversized modules for a new energy park are making a slow crawl through downtown Holland early this week. The Holland Board of Public Works will transport two heat-recovery steam generators comprised of four modules from Verplank Dock on Lake Macatawa to the roughly 26-acre site at Fifth Street […]
