January 5, 2015
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State’s exports slip by more than 3 percent from last year
In the first 10 months of 2014, the value of world merchandise exports rose 2.4 percent to $14.3 trillion dollars from the same period in 2013, according to the latest numbers on global trade flows released by the World Trade Organization. WTO's trade figures on exports from January-October 2014 show the United States ranked the […]
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Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds RINCONES, Lori et al, Macatawa Bank, Condo-Fairbanks Estates Site Condominium, $440,000 BROWNLOW, John P. et al, Huntington National Bank, Cascade Twp., 3-6-10, $368,000 CHERNE, Frederic S. Jr. et al, Independent Bank, Condo-Aberdeen Ridge Condominium, $260,000 PROVOST, Philip M. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Forest […]
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The New Year’s resolution formula for achievement
New Year’s resolutions are a pain. Lose 20 pounds. Eat better. Get in shape. Join the gym. Run three miles a day. Stop smoking. Stop drinking. Stop (fill in the blank). None of those things are gonna happen. Oh, they may happen for a week or three, and then it’s back to the old groove. […]
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Street Talk: New Meijer office building is clearly intriguing
Intriguing — and perhaps somewhat mysterious — is how some may view the new two-story office building at the Meijer corporate complex in Walker. Imagine a very large, two-story building enclosing an open-office environment with hundreds of workstations. Now imagine that, instead of brick or metal, the exterior walls are glass. Motorists passing by can […]
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NLRB deals unions two big wins
The National Labor and Relations Board recently announced two decisions that could give union organizers more leverage. First, in the case of Purple Communications, a company that develops communications solutions and services for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals and businesses, the NLRB granted employees the right to use employer email systems to voice concerns about their […]
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Change Ups: ECCU raises money to benefit Wounded Warriors
Educational Community Credit Union of Kalamazoo and its staff recently raised $2,512 for the Wounded Warrior Project, which strives to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid to meet the needs of injured service members. ECCU staff began its fundraising campaign in fall 2014, raising approximately $1,000 in September, but wanted to do more and […]
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VARI’s biorepository provides tools for discovery
Grand Rapids is a city on the rise — a city that continues to reinvent itself and redefine its potential. It also houses a community that is working to combat some of the major human disease threats of our time, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. As a professor and director of the Program for […]
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The swinging pendulum: Where is it headed next?
There is a delicate balance between ownership and labor, and government and business, and the pendulum that swings between those balances affects your life. I recently watched a “60 Minutes” report on Cuba. You can see the ravages of socialism in the film clips of Havana. The other extreme was pre-“trust busters” America, when railroads, […]
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Lacks Cancer Center’s CT scan detects early-stage lung cancer
Mercy Health’s lung cancer screening program is detecting early-stage lung cancer in West Michigan residents and is shouldering part of the cost for the preventive screening. Mercy Health Lacks Cancer Center announced recently that more than 450 West Michigan residents who are at high risk for lung cancer have participated in the lung cancer screening […]
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Arts and sports fuel GR area’s economic growth
Best wishes for the New Year do not ring hollow as 2015 dawns, and that may be especially true for the West Michigan region. Auto suppliers, commercial and industrial real estate professionals and economic development analysts have been unusually united in predictions of a busy year that will create growth, which is not limited to […]
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B2B marketing firm expects double-digit growth, thanks to digital
Making the digital shift has taken more than two and a half years, but Blue Flame Thinking is now on track to grow by 11 percent to 18 percent, thanks to the investment. Owner and CEO Steve Schmieder explained Blue Flame Thinking is the result of combining his two companies, s2 Financial Marketing and Alexander […]
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Behind many great beers is a Great Lake
The Great Lakes basin supplies breweries with some of the freshest water in the country. But if brewers like what they taste, some experts suggest they make some changes in how they use that water. “You can’t brew great beer without great water,” said Dave Engbers, co-founder of Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids. Engbers […]
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Whole U GR Expo comes to St. Cecilia’s
A holistic health event focusing on promoting healthy lifestyle habits is coming to Grand Rapids while New Year’s resolutions are still top of mind. The second annual Whole U GR Expo, a health event integrating body, mind, spirit and community, will take place 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Jan. 24, to celebrate and encourage holistic and healthy […]
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Inside Track: Andy DeBraber helps others find their voices
About once a day, red and blue flashes stream through Andy DeBraber’s office window overlooking Division Avenue in Heartside. Most often, it’s because an ambulance or fire truck is picking up someone who’s inebriated, said DeBraber, executive director of nonprofit Heartside Ministry. It’s people like that whom DeBraber and Heartside Ministry help by offering literacy […]
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Firm pairs well with new breweries
With Michigan’s brewing industry booming — growing from approximately 80 breweries in 2011 to more than 130 this year — TowerPinkster Architects Engineers has taken a special interest in working with start-up breweries. Jason Novotny, director of design for TowerPinkster, has homebrewed for nearly 20 years, which helps him easily connect with brewers. “That’s always […]
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Downtown’s Bridgewater Place bounces back
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Once upon a time not too long ago, one of the tallest buildings in the Grand Rapids skyline was on the brink of bankruptcy with only 30 percent occupancy. But one day in 2012, the fortune of that building changed when its leasing privileges were acquired by Colliers International|West […]
