August 22, 2016
Annual nonresidential spending falls for 1st time since 2013
Nonresidential construction spending dipped 1 percent from May to June and has now contracted for three consecutive months, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Nonresidential spending, which totaled $682 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate, has fallen 1.1 percent on a year-over-year basis, marking the first time nonresidential spending has declined […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds ROMERO, Heather et al, Mortgage 1, Condo-Winterwood, $365,000 FINLAN, Ross et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Jasonville Farms Sub. No. 6, Lot 149, $235,653 WILKINS, Jeffrey et al, Chemical Bank, Condo-Ada Moorings, $279,900 POTT, Thomas R. by POA et al, Huntington National Bank, Whistle Ridge No. […]
Street Talk: Boards: Only white males need apply
A little diversity can go a long way. Apparently, it has to. A new study by a pair of Grand Valley State University professors revealed that companies with boards composed of at least 25 percent women or minorities are more profitable. Economics Professor Sonia Dalmia and Associate Professor of Economics Claudia Smith-Kelly looked at the […]
GROW wins federal nod for lending
A new certification allows Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women to increase its lending level into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. GROW announced that the U.S. Department of the Treasury has designated GROW’s microloan program a Community Development Financial Institute, which will allow GROW to provide additional financial services to economically disadvantaged individuals in West […]
Cell provider Ting finds good reception in Grand Rapids
Yes, there are other cellphone providers beyond the “big four” of Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T. This is the tale of how Ting, a departure from mobile industry norms, forged its own market in Grand Rapids. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Ting is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that provides cellphone service but doesn’t have […]
Parental predicament: Save for retirement or pay for college?
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) All across the nation, college tuition prices continue to rise, and the state of Michigan is no different. In June, the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents voted to increase in-state tuition by 3.9 percent, while in-state tuition at Michigan State University jumped 3.7 percent for freshmen and sophomores […]
What is the key that unlocks the sale?
Is there a one-word answer to making more sales? Listening? Presenting? Talking? Probing? Assessing? Closing? No. The key that unlocks the sale is harmonizing, but you’d never know that from most salespeople’s actions. Selling is about understanding the other person and their needs, fears, desires and their urgency to buy. Prospects and customers have different […]
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Change Ups: Irwin is Athena Award recipient
Shelley Irwin, host/producer of WGVU’s Morning Show and several local PBS shows, is the recipient of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Athena Award, in recognition of her leadership, mentorship and many contributions to the greater Grand Rapids community. Irwin is a vocal supporter of women and encourages young leaders. Among the organizations […]
Why business should say yes to a carbon tax
From global economic powers like the United States, Japan and Russia to developing economies like Rwanda, Bangladesh and Iran, more than 190 countries convened as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in late 2015. Out of the participating countries, 177 signed the Paris Agreement on Earth Day 2016, establishing a global […]
Do what you love — but as pastime or profession?
It is fun to watch someone take an idea that you entertained and make a successful enterprise out of it. If it is a good idea and you don’t act on it, someone else will. In the late 1980s, my wife, Chris, returned from Chicago with a package of black currant tea. I enjoyed it […]
City plan sets quadruple bottom line
The city’s new sustainability plan will carry forward many of the goals that were part of the 2011-15 plan but with a few changes — most significantly the addition of a fourth pillar: governance. Haris Alibašić, director of the city’s office of energy and sustainability, said adding governance to the pillars of economic, social and […]
City’s ‘sustainable jobs’ goal is a recipe for failure
The Business Journal has in the past commended city of Grand Rapids endeavors toward environmental sustainability, from the biodiesel fuel project in 2002 to the Butterworth Solar Project anticipated to be running by the end of this year. The city also recently announced savings of more than $700,000 through reduced energy costs. City staff, however, […]
Innovation investment called lacking
In order for innovation to be more than an impressive word thrown around in quarterly meetings, resources need to be appropriated for it. That’s the message Bob Niemiec, managing partner at Twisthink, wanted to get across when the Holland-based product innovation and business strategy consultant firm dove into a study to find out how large […]
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Golf courses upgrade in hopes of an upswing
With the number of rounds played dipping over the last decade, golf courses are scrambling to attract players to the game. Golf nationwide has struggled during the past decade, peaking at 30 million “active golfers” — those who have played at least once during the year — in 2005, according to the National Golf Foundation. […]
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Corporate look is intentional at Davenport
Eleven years ago, Davenport University bought a flat piece of green land along Kraft Avenue. Now, more than $90 million worth of investments later, Davenport’s W.A. Lettinga Campus is full of new buildings, and university officials hinted at looking for more space to accommodate future expansion. The campus development partnership of Rockford Construction, Integrated Architecture […]
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Metro Cruise ready to rev up its economic engine
Michigan has always been the car industry state, and perhaps no West Michigan event shows that off better than the annual 28th Street Metro Cruise. The cruise, hosted by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, is prepping for its 12th year as a citywide event Aug. 26-27. Free to attend, it brings thousands of car […]
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Inside Track: Meeting people never gets stale
Walking through the Breton Village D&W Fresh Market, Brian Haaraoja smiled and greeted every passing customer. The habit is natural for Haaraoja, who started in the grocery business in 1979 at 16 years old as a bagger at the Chicago-area Jewel Food Stores and now is the vice president of fresh merchandising at SpartanNash Co. […]
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Soccer club ready to get down to business
Fresh off a disappointing end to an excellent first season in a new league, Grand Rapids Football Club President Matt Roberts said the team is taking a little bit of down time before gearing up for a fall exhibition match at Fifth Third Ballpark. GRFC won the Great Lakes West Conference of the National Premier […]
