February 1, 2016
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Presidential museum schedules reopening after $13M facelift
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum promises a completely new experience for visitors when it reopens later this year. Since it closed in October, the museum has been undergoing a complete renovation to its second floor, as well as an expansion to accommodate the new DeVos Learning Center. The total project cost is $13 million, […]
Financial support to education in 2015 hits $40.3B
Colleges and universities throughout the nation experienced another record breaking year in 2015 in terms of fundraising efforts. Charitable contributions rose 7.6 percent from $37.45 billion in 2014 to $40.3 billion in 2015, according to the Council for Aid to Education’s 2015 Voluntary Support of Education report. That is the highest recorded amount since the […]
Problems with lead extend beyond municipal water systems
The Flint water crisis has made the nation more aware of the dangers of lead. With the media concentrating on the events in Flint, Michigan residents have turned their concerns about lead to their own communities, many of which have active lead programs, including the city of Grand Rapids. Stu Yankee and his firm, Romulus-based […]
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Elzinga & Volkers logs nearly 2,000 new projects in 2015
The construction world was busy in West Michigan last year, and a recent report from one firm highlights some of its largest accomplishments. Holland-based Elzinga & Volkers saw new hires, new projects and awards in 2015, as well as a committed focus to the community. Last year, Elzinga & Volkers added 28 employees and contributed […]
Reports show state’s housing crisis isn’t over
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Michigan is among the worst states when it comes to foreclosures and distressed sales, according to two recent reports from CoreLogic. The national foreclosure report, which looks at data for November 2015, saw the overall number of foreclosures down from the previous November, from 41,000 to 33,000. The 33,000 […]
Firm uses technology to reach troubled students
Students who have left high school before graduating now have a new option to complete their learning in a virtual setting. Success Virtual Learning Centers, which works with schools to create virtual learning opportunities for local high school students, recently partnered with Hope Academy of West Michigan to open a site at the former Lighthouse […]
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Change Ups: Applied Imaging moving to larger facility
Office technology dealer Applied Imaging will relocate and expand its corporate headquarters this summer. The company recently purchased a more than 60,000-square-foot facility at 5555 Glenwood Hills Parkway SE, with plans to move to the renovated building in July. The new location will also house its customer loyalty center, which will include expanded showrooms and […]
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Inside Track: A championing voice for the aging population
While Jennifer Muñoz may not have set out to work with seniors, after spending seven years in the industry in various capacities, Munoz said she absolutely loves it. “I think there is so much opportunity to enhance seniors’ lives and advocate on their behalf,” said Muñoz. “We are all going to get there someday, so […]
The big secrets of enthusiastic emotional engagement
What is engagement? Better stated: How can you engage other people to become interested in you and your product or service? Dale Carnegie (“How to Win Friends and Influence People”) said you do that by becoming genuinely interested in them. And he’s partially right. The reality — and the secret of engagement — is that […]
Warm weather helped cool retailers’ holiday sales
Heat Miser appeared to get the upper hand, as unseasonably warm weather helped push Michigan retailers’ holiday sales below forecasts. Sales increased 0.4 percent over the 2014 season despite retailers’ forecasts of a 2 percent rise, according to the latest Michigan Retail Index survey, a joint project of Michigan Retailers Association and the Federal Reserve […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds WEST, Angela et al, Mortgage Center, Condo-Clements Mill, $227,200 LE, Trinh et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Whistle Ridge No. 3, Lot 112, $248,000 COMBS, Thomas et al, Huntington National Bank, Plainfield Twp., 11-8-11, $668,000 WURN, Kevin et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Heritage Park Of […]
Street Talk: Transit workers throw Snyder under the bus
Who’s responsible for the tragedy that is Flint’s water crisis? It’s a question a lot of people locally and nationally are trying to answer, and many are pointing to a central culprit. Gov. Rick Snyder’s handling of the situation has upset a wide audience of people, including Grand Rapids transit workers. This past week, more […]
City approves brownfield plan for $42M Diamond Place
A new development on the Michigan Street corridor is in line for $10.7 million in brownfield redevelopment money. City officials recently approved a brownfield plan amendment for Diamond Place, a $42 million mixed-use, multi-income project near Michigan Street and Diamond Avenue NE in Grand Rapids. Diamond Place LLC, established by Third Coast Development for the […]
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A love story earns top Newsmaker honors
Standing before a sold-out audience on the very site being honored, David Hooker told a love story. The CEO and president of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park recounted a story about one summer evening when he took a stroll through the Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, then under construction. As he watched the […]
OST adds design firm
One of Grand Rapids’ most acclaimed IT companies just took one of its biggest strategic steps in years. Open Systems Technologies, a $160 million information technology consulting company, recently announced the purchase of its longtime partner Visualhero Design, a Grand Rapids-based “human-centered” design-consulting firm. The acquisition, which becomes effective Feb. 1, brings all 12 of […]
The Grand Strategy misses out on $200M
A national program intended to provide funding for resilient housing and infrastructure projects to cities, counties and/or states that experienced major disasters between 2011 and 2013 has bypassed West Michigan. Kent County, Grand Rapids and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. officials released a joint statement Jan. 21 expressing their disappointment in not receiving up to $200 […]
Watch for action on China, ISIS and oil prices
Congress completed its 2015 business the week before Christmas and headed home. The House returned shortly after the new year and the Senate a week later. Paul Ryan’s elevation to speaker broke a potential end-of-the-session logjam. Several measures were passed at the end of the first session of the 114th Congress: the landmark Elementary and […]
For some, new legislation offers a PATH to lower taxes
Washington has adopted a tradition in recent years of allowing certain tax provisions to expire and then renewing them for a short period. This renewal takes place 11 or 12 months after the provisions have actually expired. In 2015, the tradition continued. On Dec. 18, the president signed into law the Protecting Americans from Tax […]
Explosive growth fuels Keller Williams North
When Keller Williams North started up in 2013, there were some struggles, said Marilyn Hazard, partner. But with new partners Lisa Costanza and Diane Griffin on board, 2015 was a year of pure growth for the agency. “We were a ship without a rudder,” Hazard said. “Now we have new leadership and we’ve set our […]
Diversified economy grows GR
Grand Rapids is in for a good — but not great — 2016. The U.S. economy is OK but falling off a bit, according to Paul Isely, associate dean of Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business, and the Michigan and Grand Rapids economies are healthier than most. Isely spoke at the 16th annual […]
Education levels, pay rates haunt region’s future
Grand Rapids Business Journal has called attention to incongruities in the Greater Grand Rapids market that are likely to create issues in the near future. The 16th annual Economic and Commercial Real Estate Forecast hosted by the Seidman College of Business and Colliers International|West Michigan underscored those issues in the study presented. The Business Journal […]
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Old-school values paying off for NewCo
NewCo Design Build takes a new-school approach to its offerings, but when it comes to building relationships, NewCo is as old school as they come. The Grand Rapids-based commercial contractor prides itself on being a relationship-based company. Since opening its doors in 2010, NewCo has built relationships with its clients the same way a building […]
Brokerage reinvests commissions into community
When Bryant Mitchell married his wife, Audrey, in 2011, they began listening to Dave Ramsey’s radio show. Both had college debt and wanted to learn how to get on their feet financially. One of Ramsey’s principles was tithing. Prior to that point in time, Mitchell wasn’t in a place where he could donate a good […]
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Harris Building rebrands as arts and entertainment hub
The Harris Building has embarked on its long-term vision to become a hub for musicians and artists. In its grand vision, the building will become a membership-driven organization where artists, philanthropists and the community can come to work and connect with each other, and also enjoy performances, gallery openings and other events. John Nowak, music […]
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Class A building is little oasis in the ‘sea of suburbia’
As James and Gwen Brennan were thinking about moving his Brennan Family Dentistry business out of downtown Grand Rapids, they went skiing in Colorado. Skiing past a house under construction in the town of Beaver Creek, Gwen Brennan stopped and talked to the construction workers. The big logs that made up the log-cabin-style house intrigued […]
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Beggars can be choosers with app
You’re walking or driving on the streets of Grand Rapids, when someone asks you for spare change. You want to be charitable, but you’re not sure you trust what’ll happen to the money. What do you do? A new app offering an answer to that question was the winning idea behind this year’s Startup Weekend, […]
