January 23, 2017
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Business Journal publishes ‘The Newsmakers of the Year’
The Business Journal’s Jan. 23 issue features a special insert — “The Newsmakers of the Year” — which can also be viewed online. The Journal will honor West Michigan’s top decision makers on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at its annual Newsmakers of the Year breakfast at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. Tickets for the event, […]
One-star review? You’re free to Yelp
Thanks to recent bipartisan legislation, it’s now a little safer for consumers to post honest reviews of less-than-stellar experiences. The Consumer Review Fairness Act, which took effect last month, targets the ability of companies to include nondisparagement clauses in the fine print of commercial agreements, such as hotel room rentals or vendor contracts. Known more […]
Region compares favorably in health care outlook
The health care industry in Grand Rapids received some encouraging news with the release of the eighth annual Health Check report. Grand Valley State University professors Kevin Callison and Leslie Muller presented the report, which provides insights into health care trends in the region, at the 2017 West Michigan Healthcare Economic Forecast on Jan. 13. […]
Insurance agencies benefit from ‘economic tailwind’
It was a whirlwind of a year for Berends Hendricks Stuit (BHS) Insurance Agency and Lighthouse Insurance Group. The two multimillion-dollar insurance agencies closed a number of acquisitions and hired dozens of agents and support staff last year. BHS Insurance, with a local office at 3055 44th St. SW in Grandville, reported total business insurance […]
Street Talk: Economic complications
Speaking at the CFA Society West Michigan luncheon held at the University Club of Grand Rapids this past week, ClearArc Capital Chief Investment Officer Mitch Stapley had some words of advice for the assembled group: “We are going to earn our money this year, gentlemen.” Invoking James Carville's famous line of advice to then-Presidential candidate […]
Is it a lead or a referral? Hint: Referrals are much better
Having attended several networking events, I have heard the terms “lead” and “referral” bantered around. Which would you rather have? Referrals, of course. It’s the personal power of a sales lead. A recommendation, not just a name. Credibility, not just a place to call. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase […]
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Change Ups: Creatures of Light exhibit explores bioluminescence
An exhibit planned for next month at the Grand Rapids Public Museum will explore the organisms that produce light. Opening March 11, Creatures of Light will move visitors through a series of luminous environments, from mushrooms on land to the deepest parts of the ocean, to explore the diversity of organisms that glow and how […]
Energy prices nudge construction materials higher
Construction input prices rebounded in December after experiencing a steep decline in November, according to analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Associated Builders and Contractors. Input prices rose 0.4 percent for the month and are up 2.1 percent year over year, the largest 12-month increase in 30 months. Nonresidential input prices collectively […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds PATRICK, Kyle A. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Thornapple Downs, Lot 39, $243,700 KERR, Jeremy et al, Churchill Mortgage Corp., Heritage Park Of Rockford No. 3, Lot 132, $257,254 STROPKAI, Scott M. et al, Firstbank, Ravenswood Plat, Lot 295, $320,800 SHAPLAND, Brian et al, […]
ALICE can’t afford to live here
Despite being employed, 24 percent of households in Kent County are struggling to pay their bills. That is because typical hourly wages in the most available jobs are not enough to adequately cover basic everyday expenses, such as housing, childcare, utilities, food and health care costs. Heart of West Michigan United Way has been participating […]
Got a small job? Hire an appropriately sized firm
What should you expect when you buy someone's time? The concept of hourly compensation is going to become more urgent as we go through another industrial revolution. When I graduated from high school in 1960, the auto factories around Flint compensated based on an hourly rate, salaried and piece work. Manufacturing processes were labor intensive, […]
Partnership bringing needed workers to construction industry
A new partnership between Michigan Community Action (MCA) and the Skilled to Build Foundation of Michigan is producing a classic win/win scenario: It is providing low-skilled workers a path out of poverty and offering Kent County homebuilders at least partial relief from a lingering labor shortage. The alliance also comes at an ideal time in […]
Retailers face hard decisions
Macy’s is pruning a plant and Sears is a sinking ship. Both retailers announced store closures and changes to their corporate strategies in the past month, but Michigan State University professor of retail Patricia Huddleston said the two companies are in different positions. Macy’s and Sears, which owns Sears and Kmart stores, announced closures in […]
Bed check: Sharpen the instruments of health care cost containment
In the not-so-distant past, consumers blissfully were unaware of the continuing escalation of the price of health care, but the Grand Rapids business community was moved to action by more than a decade of escalating costs for insured employees. In Business Journal surveys, it remained the No. 1 issue among regional employers for 12 consecutive […]
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GR sees mixed drink renaissance on the horizon
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) While working the bar at Reserve, Rob Hanks is able to channel his college degree. Now the bar manager of the Grand Rapids restaurant known for its wine program, Hanks is working on teaching Grand Rapids drinkers about cocktails, not something he thought he’d do with his anthropology and […]
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MSU researchers may have developed melanoma treatment
A recent discovery by Michigan State University College of Human Medicine researchers may lead to a breakthrough in treating melanoma. For 13 years, MSU pharmacology professor Richard Neubig was researching a mechanism crucial to the development of the deadly skin cancer. Neubig and his team primarily were interested in finding a compound that could block […]
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Robert Grooters puts spin on office development
Moving employees seems to be the trend, but Robert Grooters Development is preparing for the reversal. The industrial real estate firm long has dabbled in office space, including the development of Bridgewater Place downtown, but RGD President Robert Grooters recently has renewed focus on office space for the next generation. Grooters long has offered the […]
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Stability marks The Cottage Bar’s 90th year
While much has changed around The Cottage Bar in 90 years, very little has changed inside the restaurant. In fact, a picture hung on the restaurant’s east wall shows just how similar the interior is today to the past. Originally named The Cottage Sandwich Shop, the restaurant was founded in 1927 during Prohibition by Earl […]
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MSU med school reinvents curriculum
Striving to remain at the forefront of medical innovation, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine implemented a new curriculum, which turns the previous format on its head. At the beginning of the fall semester, MSU introduced its Shared Discovery curriculum, which places an emphasis on students receiving clinical experience at the forefront of […]
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Inside Track: Physician rebounds to restart career
Just a little more than five years ago, Dr. Sandy Dettmann was living out of her car, eating her meals at Mel Trotter Ministries and re-learning her multiplication tables. In a previous life, Dettmann had been a successful physician at Butterworth Hospital. She had received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and her […]
