February 10, 2020
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Butterball Farms remolds business model
Butterball Farms has had stable revenue during the past four years, but CEO Mark Peters recently decided it was time to make some changes to advance into growth mode. Last month, he announced the Grand Rapids-based company is forming two divisions: Butterball Farms Operational Excellence (OE) and Butterball Farms Rapid Growth (RG). Peters promoted Dave […]
Street Talk: Road less traveled
Looking forward to some vehicle insurance relief this summer? Those premium savings might not be automatic. A report from the personal finance website WalletHub indicates location still will play a role in savings. The site lists Holland and Kalamazoo among its top 5 “least expensive” cities for car insurance. Conversely, Detroit and Dearborn land on […]
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GRCC revamps nursing program, resulting in perfect passage rate
The Grand Rapids Community College nursing program saw a 100% pass rate on state license exams last year. All 104 students who took the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) passed their exam, and all 42 students who took the National Council Licensure Examination for Licensed Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) received perfect scores. Shelly […]
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Kent hotels see revenue growth for 10th consecutive year
Kent County hotels saw revenue growth in 2019 for the tenth consecutive year. Hotels in the county brought in $226 million in revenue last year, an increase of 4.6% from 2018, according to Experience Grand Rapids, Kent County’s marketing arm. This accounts for 2,048,881 total rooms occupied in 2019, an increase of 5.5% from 2018. […]
The Right Place shares three-year plan
The Right Place shared its economic development goals and strategic plan for the next three years. The Grand Rapids-based economic development organization has a goal of spurring $548 million in investment by the end of 2022. The plan includes the goal of at least 5,050 new or retained jobs and $184 million in new or […]
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Legislation would update Michigan’s bottle deposit law
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) A bipartisan group of lawmakers last month introduced legislation to update Michigan’s bottle bill with the goal of increasing recycling rates and cracking down on fraud and abuse. H.B. 5422-5425 were introduced Jan. 28 in the House of Representatives by Rep. Brandt Iden, R-Oshtemo; Rep. Tim Sneller, D-Burton; Rep. […]
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Laker Line to launch in August
The Rapid recently announced the official launch date of the Laker Line. The Laker Line, which is the second bus rapid transit line for the state of Michigan and The Rapid, will launch on Aug. 24. The new BRT, which will replace The Rapid’s current Route 50 – Grand Valley State University Campus Connector, will […]
Harvest of Battle Creek partners with national company
A national cannabis company entered the Michigan market. Arizona-based Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. is strategically partnering with Harvest of Battle Creek, a medical marijuana provisioning center. Harvest of Battle Creek is licensing the Harvest brand name from HHR. It is the cannabis company’s first existing partnership in Michigan. Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. is […]
City puts option on riverfront property
The Kent County Road Commission voted to authorize an option agreement for the city of Grand Rapids to purchase real estate owned by the commission during a Jan. 28 meeting. Under the option, the city will have the exclusive right for 12 months to purchase KCRC’s central complex property, located along 1500 Scribner Ave. NW […]
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Change-Ups: Meijer scores 100% on LGBTQ workplace equality
Walker-based Meijer recently received a score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2020 Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. The index’s key performance indicators include nondiscrimination policies, employment benefits, demonstrated organizational competency and accountability around LGBTQ diversity and inclusion, public […]
Public Record
BANKRUPTCY 20-00073 – CLAYBROOK, Anthony & Portia J., 2309 Three Mile NE, pro se (Ch. 13) 20-00080 – HOLT, Kimberly A., 3016 Effie Place NE, Christian G. Krupp II (Ch. 7) 20-00081 – O’BRIEN, Kelli A., 3785 13 Mile NW, Sparta, Jeremy Shephard (Ch. 13) 20-00082 – MAGEE, Michael C. & Wendy S., 4215 Buchanan […]
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Inside Track: Fixing rehab
David Green is on a mission to “rehab rehab.” The CEO and co-founder of Sanford House Addiction Treatment Centers said he believes a fresh and educated perspective on addiction treatment is needed before Michigan pays the long-term cost of excessive substance use. A serial entrepreneur with a background in law, real estate, media and more, […]
Your due diligence checklist for buying real estate
The rule in purchasing real estate is “buyer beware.” A seller’s goal is to sell property “as is” with as few representations and warranties as possible regarding its condition, permitted use and title. The burden is on you, as buyer, to make sure you receive what you bargained for. Once closing occurs and money changes […]
Technology hurts wages in hospitality industry
The hospitality industry is characterized by lots of low-wage workers. E. Tammy Kim, in a New York Times column entitled “The Gig Economy is Coming For Your Job,” writes about how technology is allowing the hospitality industry to use gig workers to increase the number of low-wage workers. She writes: “… The doormen and bellmen […]
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Health centers picking up Heartside closure slack
Since the Mercy Health Heartside Health Center closed over a month ago, other organizations are working to address the needs of displaced patients. Though there largely seems to be adequate services in the area, some community leaders are worried about how the clinic’s former patients, some in extreme poverty, are adjusting. The Heartside clinic, formerly […]
