January 24, 2022
Street Talk: Taking their shot
With President Joe Biden’s emergency temporary standard (ETS) mandate for the COVID-19 vaccine through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration blocked (for now) by the U.S. Supreme Court, the business community is back to worrying about its other problems.
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds LAMOREAUX FARMS LLC, Larry George, Algoma Twp., $1,646,000 ABC OMSE LLC, Hop Family LLC, Parcel: 411803351004, $1,400,000 NEW YORKER 3521 LLC, My Credit Union, Walker, $800,000 JAYROCK LLC et al, Dart Bank, Parcel: 411419151032, $1,642,500 BHL PROPERTIES LLC, ChoiceOne Bank, Caledonia, $1,152,500 TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL […]
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Change-Ups: Woller tapped as nature center’s president
Jack Woller joined Blandford Nature Center as president and CEO.
Frustrated by inability to develop new customers? Try a sales blitz
One of the most common complaints I hear from my clients is this: “I can’t seem to motivate the salespeople to call on prospects and develop them into new customers.”
Behavioral health hospital critical to the region
Mercy Health Saint Mary’s and Forest View Hospital have a long history of serving Kent County and surrounding communities with high quality and compassionate behavioral health services, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.
Region’s employment earnings lag national average
Support is mounting for emphasizing four-year college degrees in Michigan.
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Inside Track: King engages heart for others in new role
Although she does not have Indigenous heritage, Monica King has embraced the seven grandfather teachings of the Three Fires Confederacy — love, bravery, humility, respect, honesty, wisdom and truth — in her new role as CEO of Gun Lake Investments.
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Local logistics company fuels up for sustained growth
Grand Rapids-based Vine Line Logistics is paving the way for scaling its operations amid multiple changes, including a move to a new office, bringing on multiple new hires, and becoming an independently owned and operated entity under its newly appointed president, Steve Lyons.
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Electrical company invests in its own apprentices
A commercial electrical, controls and automation services company launched an in-house apprenticeship program.
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Investment directed at mitigating farm risks
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Michigan farmers soon may be able to participate in new educational risk management programs as they navigate the agricultural industry.
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One man’s dream: all the Two Men and a Truck franchises in the region
Kyle Norcutt figured he might as well just corner the whole market.
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MSF approves guidelines for SOAR-funded programs
The Michigan Strategic Fund this month approved guidelines for two new programs that will provide the Michigan Economic Development Corporation with competitive, flexible economic development tools to secure business retention and attraction projects and provide opportunity for growth across Michigan.
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Essence rolls with changing times
The leader of Essence Restaurant Group recently solidified his company’s new game plan to create a more appealing workplace for prospective and current employees in this challenging industry climate.
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Necessity prompts developer to start new company
After struggling to find construction workers, Ryan Leestma decided to take matters into his own hands.
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Partners report strong startup growth locally
Michigan State University Foundation’s tech startup resource organization Spartan Innovations recently reported its work in partnership with Start Garden through the Grand Rapids SmartZone is paying remarkable dividends in its early stages.
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Start Garden launches entrepreneur-in-residence program
Among its first actions as one of the two new co-managers of the Grand Rapids SmartZone Incubator, Start Garden has launched an entrepreneur-in-residence program to support tech startups and tapped the first person to fill the role.
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2021 Newsmaker: Stephen van Stempvoort
Miller Johnson attorney Stephen van Stempvoort helped create initiatives to provide legal services to those who can’t afford them.
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2021 Newsmaker: Jeff Lambert
Though initially known as the founder and CEO of investor relations and marketing firm Lambert & Co., Jeff Lambert also launched Michigan-based fintech startup TiiCKER, which experienced a variety of updates and consumer growth in its first year of operation.
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2021 Newsmakers: Alita Kelly and Khara DeWit
The co-founders of the South East Market concluded their first calendar year of operations in December, and what a year it was.
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2021 Newsmaker: Ryan VerWys
Propelled by the belief that all people deserve safe, clean and affordable housing, Inner City Christian Federation continued to answer the call in 2021 to provide housing for those who need it most.
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2021 Newsmaker: Kevin McLeod
Kalamazoo-based medical device startup C2Dx was founded by Kevin McLeod and Ann Arbor-based growth capital firm Plymouth Growth in 2019 to invest in and refine the delivery of “valuable niche products” to propel its growth.
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2021 Newsmaker: Carly MacDonald
In an effort to expand quality, long-term care for veterans and their family members in West Michigan, Michigan Veteran Homes (MVH) celebrated the opening of its Grand Rapids home in September 2021. The Grand Rapids location marks the third MVH in the state.
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2021 Newsmaker: David Hooker
Another portion of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s $115 million Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love expansion project was completed 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Patricia Harris
Kuyper College made working students a priority in 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Ashlea Souffrou
In the last decade, just 4% of women-only investors were issued patents, while Michigan ranks 45th among states that issue patents to women.
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2021 Newsmaker: Cynthia Hagedorn
The Property is a haven for community outreach, generosity and activism.
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2021 Newsmaker: Mike Novakoski
EV Construction President and CEO Mike Novakoski was busy in 2021 as he oversaw the completion of a series of projects.
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2021 Newsmaker: Andrea Bumstead
Persistence paid off in 2021 for Andrea Bumstead.
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2021 Newsmaker: Mike VanGessel
Rockford Construction wrapped up several projects in 2021 while also kicking off some new ones.
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2021 Newsmakers: Janay Brower and Lisa Knight
Janay Brower and Lisa Knight in 2021 began using their business to invest in education.
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2021 Newsmaker: Tim Schowalter
Pioneer Construction had many shovels in the ground in 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Amanda Sterkenburg
Judge Amanda Sterkenburg made history in 2021 by becoming the first woman to take the Kentwood 62-B District Court bench.
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2021 Newsmaker: Ed Garner
The Michigan Small Business Development Center got creative in 2021 to help Black-owned businesses and those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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2021 Newsmaker: Peter Hahn
Amid another unfathomable year for the health care industry, Peter Hahn led University of Michigan Health-West toward increased innovation and expanded patient care.
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2021 Newsmaker: Jeff Boore
Grand Rapids native Jeff Boore created Anjoy after seeing an opportunity in the grocery subscription space to create a better food system that supports local farms and businesses and keeps prices fair to the consumer while also paying employees a living wage.
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2021 Newsmaker: Martin Stein
Private equity investing boomed in 2021, and Blackford Capital was in on the action.
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2021 Newsmakers: Tom Borisch, Jason Post and Zack Van Dyke
A 2-year-old distillery made waves after topping major brands in a global awards competition and opening a second location in 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Sal Semola
Gun Lake Casino made its presence felt throughout West Michigan in 2021 in more ways than one.
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2021 Newsmaker: John Green
Caledonia-based Revolution Farms took big steps to expand its operations in 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Larry Bell
Thirty-six years after founding Bell’s Brewery in Comstock, Larry Bell handed over the reins to a new owner and a new team of leaders.
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2021 Newsmakers: Arick Davis and Sarah Laman
Charitable giving and sustainability are at the core of Last Mile Café’s business, founded by Sarah Laman and Arick Davis.
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2021 Newsmaker: Steve Jbara
When Grand Rapids Gold owner Steve Jbara said, “We are going to stay here,” he meant it.
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2021 Newsmaker: Wendy Falb
Literacy Center of West Michigan expanded and enhanced access to programming through local partnerships and by adding to its team in 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Rich Wolowski
Gordan Food Service’s partnership with an indoor farming startup took deeper root in 2021.
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2021 Newsmakers: Nadia and Shatawn Brigham
Nadia and Shatawn Brigham held a grand opening for GRNoir Wine & Jazz on Feb. 1, 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Renee Tabben
Bank of America was a major player in promoting economic mobility in West Michigan in 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Mike Guswiler
Sports provided the momentum for 2021’s tourism comeback in West Michigan, and West Michigan Sports Commission President Mike Guswiler led the charge.
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2021 Newsmaker: Philomena Mantella
Grand Valley State University opened the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health in 2021.
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2021 Newsmaker: Eric Foster
Rende Progress Capital (RPC) made headlines in 2021 for its programs, partnerships and lending.
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2021 Newsmaker: Luis Chen Aguilera
Wormies, a startup composting business that specializes in vermicomposting or composting with worms, in 2021 began venturing into the cannabis industry.
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2021 Newsmaker: Andi Owen
The Zeeland-based company formerly called Herman Miller became an even bigger powerhouse in the furniture manufacturing and design world in 2021 with the acquisition of Knoll.
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2021 Newsmaker: Tony Sarsam
2021 brought about an enhanced shopper experience for SpartanNash customers as the Byron Center-based food distributor and grocery retailer expanded its footprint and strengthened customer service offerings for grocery and health.
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2021 Newsmaker: Nathan Baar
HealthBar evolved tremendously in 2021 under the leadership of Nathan Baar. Growing from its 2020 roots of providing COVID-19 services to help businesses adjust to the pandemic and offering a customized school nursing program, the organization continued its expansion to provide a wide range of care options.
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2021 Newsmaker: Chad Howell
A clothing company created by college students is aiming to raise awareness about pollution in the Great Lakes.
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2021 Newsmaker: Mike Larsson
Dematic rode a wave of unprecedented growth in 2021, largely thanks to a surge in demand for automation in the e-commerce and grocery sectors during the pandemic.
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2021 Newsmaker: Richard Pappas
Davenport University expanded its offerings in 2021 with new courses, scholarships, certificates, degrees and software to enhance students’ ability to succeed.
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2021 Newsmaker: Jennifer Owens
Lakeshore Advantage had a busy year supporting area companies as they grew despite pandemic setbacks.
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2021 Newsmaker: Randy Thelen
The Right Place made up for lost time toward its strategic plan goals in 2021, along with a flurry of business assists and expanded offerings.
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2021 Newsmaker: Tina Freese Decker
Spectrum Health made waves in the health care industry despite another tumultuous year of battling the pandemic on the front lines.
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2021 Newsmaker: Tracey Brame
Tracey Brame is an attorney, professor and the associate dean of experiential and practice preparation at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.
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2021 Newsmaker: John Sorensen
Long before an unprecedented rise in home-based learning caused by the pandemic, John Sorensen co-founded Student Achievement Systems (SAS) in 2017 after recognizing the difficult task educators experienced as they attempted to monitor the progress of all students during a virtual class.
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2021 Newsmaker: David Marquardt
Indian Trails Golf Course in 2021 became the first golf course in the state to be recognized as a speedgolf course by Speedgolf USA.
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2021 Newsmaker: Jim Dillard
In July, the Dublin-based company completed the sale of its Generic Rx Pharmaceuticals business to Altaris Capital Partners for $1.55 billion, accomplishing Perrigo’s transformation from a drug maker to a global consumer self-care company — a strategy the company announced in 2019.
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2021 Newsmaker: Eion Jackson
Eion Jackson founded his original urban streetwear brand JCKS Apparel in 2019, and re-branded the company under his own name, EION JACKSON, in 2021. The intentional move was implemented to evolve from being seen as a growing brand to now being seen as a growing fashion designer.
Newsmaker finalists did more than survive; they thrived
I was certain COVID-19 would be behind us by now and we would have a fairly typical Newsmaker cycle in 2021, but obviously that’s not the case.
