July 10, 2017
Construction industry adds nearly 200K jobs over past year
In May, not seasonally adjusted (NSA) construction unemployment rates were down in 24 states on a year-over-year basis, according to analysis released by Associated Builders and Contractors. At the same time, the construction industry employed 192,000 more workers than in May 2016, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the national […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds HERREMA, Matthew P. et al, Old National Bank, Castle Hills, Lot 91, $209,000 FINOS, Drew et al, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, Cascade Twp., 22-6-10, $245,200 LINDEMER, Lawrence B. III et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Condo-Browmyer Estates, $205,884 IRVIN, Jacquelynn L. et al, Nationstar […]
Affordable housing deserves ‘intentional investment’
Inner City Christian Federation is expected to close soon on single-family homes and other residential properties in the Grand Rapids area, specifically to develop affordable housing, an urgent need as the city’s residential market continues to climb in value with new construction and escalating existing home prices. ICCF CEO Ryan VerWys told the Business Journal, […]
Creating a culture of wellness in the workplace
In conversations with local employers, I’m often told that creating a successful employee wellness strategy is a top priority for their businesses because they see the advantages of a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. Yet, some employers are struggling with how to start, maintain and measure their wellness programs. Wellness programs aren’t a new […]
Pension reform: Better teacher benefits; keeping our promises
It's simple math. Today’s vastly underfunded teacher pension systems are not good for our teachers or students. Twenty years ago, our state teacher retirement plan was fully funded, but due to poor financial planning assumptions and not meeting the annual funding requirement, there is now a shortfall of least $29 billion. We are now taking […]
Corporate housekeeping: Don’t ignore the cobwebs
The concept of entity formation and protection of personal assets is a common topic that is thrust in front of business owners at all stages, from a startup to a third-generation family business. This concept of asset protection seems to be everywhere today, but simply forming an entity is not enough to provide the desired […]
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Change Ups: Delabbio retires
Kent County administrator/controller Daryl Delabbio retired June 30. Delabbio wrapped up a career spanning four decades in municipal management. Delabbio has held the Kent County administrator/controller role since 1998, after three years as assistant county administrator. Prior to working for Kent County, Delabbio was city manager in Rockford for 11 years and served in two […]
Street Talk: Stemming the education decline
Business Leaders for Michigan launched a study aimed at boosting K-12 school performance in Michigan. While the organization has supported numerous K-12 reforms in the past, such as increased funding for early childhood education and the adoption of high academic standards and a rigorous, aligned assessment, this marks the first time it has sought to […]
County saves bundle by combining two bonds
Kent County will combine two bonds issued almost a decade ago, the result of which should save the municipality $4 million. The county will save the $4 million in interest payments when it combines two bonds originally sold in 2007 and 2008. One of the bonds was a $27-million Building Authority Bond issued in 2007 […]
IT protection paramount
Gary Lutz has his mind in the clouds and his feet on the ground these days. As president of Coopersville-based strategy and consulting firm IT Resource Inc., Lutz has watched as companies shift to cloud-based solutions for data storage versus on-site physical servers — and it is his firm’s job to layer on protections to […]
West Michigan feels affordable housing crunch
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) More than 175 residential properties are set to return to local ownership and geared toward lower-income families. The Inner City Christian Federation (ICCF) announced a deal late last month that the nonprofit is buying 177 properties representing 213 living units in the greater Grand Rapids and Lansing areas from […]
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Business confidence remains high
A new survey shows that despite continued pressure on retail and a talent crunch across industries, Michigan small business owners are seeing mostly sunny skies this summer. Womply, an online platform that collects data on merchants in the U.S. across 450 business verticals, released a 2017 Michigan Small Business Sentiment report June 26 that indicated […]
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Pine Rest focuses on adolescents
Three years ago, Mark Eastburg began to have conversations with West Michigan leaders about how Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services could improve the surrounding community. Initially, Eastburg expected to hear the hospital should expand its standard adult mental health programming. But instead, after conversations with Pine Rest’s community partners, other hospitals, and the Sheriff’s […]
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Boxed Water continues rapid expansion
Boxed Water outgrew its office in Holland, moved to downtown Grand Rapids last year and already outgrew that space. Daryn Kuipers, Boxed Water’s CEO, said the move to downtown was to help recruit talent for the growing company, which has reached 50 employees this year, with more positions opening. Previously, the company’s headquarters was at […]
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Wine rack ire uncorks lucrative venture
Michigan isn’t exactly a hot bed for the wine-collecting world, but a small company in Michigan has built a name for itself in custom wine cellars. East Lansing-based Revel Custom Wine Cellars was created out of founder Jim Cash’s frustrations of traditional wine racks and the inability to see the labels. As an avid wine […]
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Inside Track: Carrying on the family business
The Embassy Suites in the Monroe North district was at a do-or-die crossroads in fall 2016. Peter Beukema had just taken over as CEO of Suburban Inns as his father, also Peter Beukema, retired, when he sat down with the company’s vice president of construction, Tom Welling. As the younger Beukema and Welling discussed the […]
