July 30, 2018
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Change Ups: ABD earns preservation merit award
Local acoustical engineering and audiovisual design firm ABD Engineering & Design Inc. earned the Connecticut Preservation Award of Merit from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. ABD worked with Robert A.M. Stern Architects in New York, New York, to renovate and add on the Hartford Times Building that will be used as the University of […]
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Sales tax: the talk of the town after Wayfair case
E-commerce has changed the way many businesses conduct transactions in recent years. The days of brick- and -mortar transactions are changing to electronic transactions. The impact of these transactions has resulted in states trying to adapt their taxation rules with respect to these types of transactions. On June 21, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its […]
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Capital projects cost Kent $9.3 million
(Watch for this story Monday morning on WZZM TV 13) A list of 35 Capital Improvement Program projects worth $9.3 million has been identified for the 2019 Kent County budget. The total cost includes about $5.9 million — a decrease of about $500,000 from 2018 — from the county general fund and $3.4 million from […]
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Commercial real estate industry continues to flourish
Commercial real estate space in West Michigan is in high demand. Michael Garrett, president of Pinnacle Construction Group, said the demand for land has been increasing over the last 30 years, but the industry’s demand for property has increased significantly over the last three years due to more people moving to Grand Rapids. The increase […]
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Street Talk: ICE price not nice
Several Kent County commissioners called for action after dozens of protestors spoke against the local presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Dozens of people attended the Kent County Board of Commissioners meeting July 26, protesting the contract between the Kent County Sheriff’s Department and ICE that produces financial benefits for the county when undocumented […]
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City of Grand Rapids’ economic ‘help’ for ‘business’ is confounding
The city of Grand Rapids’ Economic Development Corporation “approved two agreements to help boost minority business development” in the “greater Grand Rapids area.” The Business Journal has reported on hundreds of minority businesses in the three-county area. The very definition of “business” would seem an oxymoron to this use of taxpayer dollars. Those dollars have […]
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Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds GREIFFENDORF, Robert E. et al, Ark-La-Tex Financial Services, Condo-Wellington Ridge, $243,750 KOERBER, Michael et al, USAA Federal Savings Bank, Tallman Creek No. 2, Lot 38, $298,275 REINHOLTZ, Michael et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Lowell Twp., 32-6-9, $340,000 STAUFFER, Daniel et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, […]
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Construction site safety requires more than just a hard hat
There are more workplace fatalities in the construction industry than any other, according to a recent survey, underscoring the need for both construction companies and construction workers to make safety a higher priority. All too often, workers feel pressured to cut corners in the name of meeting deadlines and meeting productivity expectations. In 2017, a […]
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Minority business development receives a boost
The city of Grand Rapids’ Economic Development Corporation recently approved two agreements to help boost minority business development in the greater Grand Rapids area. The organization approved $50,000 to support Local First’s Good for Grand Rapids campaign. Local First launched the campaign in 2017, and this year’s contribution is double the amount the EDC provided […]
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Parking concerns hamper leasing
Parking continues to be a major obstacle for downtown businesses, and local real estate firms are taking note. NAI Wisinski of West Michigan’s office snapshot for the second quarter of 2018 said the overall office market continues to be strong, but leasing has slowed, particularly in the downtown area where costs of occupancy are higher […]
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Kings clash over trademark; bond over beers
Not even a week after being named one of Start Garden’s winning 100 Ideas, Kings Brewing Company hit a bump in the road. The local African-American-owned brewery concept, fronted by Terry Rostic and Jamaal Ewing, drew the attention of owners of another Kings Brewing Company in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Jeremiah Cooper, the California brewery’s co-founder […]
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Inside Track: Flexibility breeds success
Some of Open Systems Technologies’ “peculiar culture” is a result of Chief Innovations Officer Jim VanderMey’s unorthodox leadership. Since the company’s formative years, VanderMey said he and his business partners have worked to make it a fun and family-focused environment, which translated to years of successful client relationships. VanderMey got into coding very early on […]
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City approves medical marijuana facilities ordinance
Grand Rapids is the latest municipality to adopt an ordinance to allow medical marijuana facilities. City commissioners voted unanimously last week to allow for businesses that fall under the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act such as growers, processors, provisioning centers, secure transporters and safety compliance facilities. The ordinance allows for up to 53 provisioning centers […]
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3D knitting startup incubates Hoodini
Last year, Liz Hilton was hard at work using her 3D knitting machines to make product prototypes for various industries — and then came her lightbulb moment. Eleven months ago, she had a son. In her first two weeks as a mom, she struggled with how to swaddle him at bedtime so he couldn’t escape […]
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Parlaying a bevy of ‘firsts’
Local First’s mission can be summed up in its name. Since its establishment in 2003, the nonprofit has worked to promote local business, first in Grand Rapids, and now for more than 800 member businesses in eight West Michigan counties. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, Local First has had a significant part — though […]
