March 2, 2015
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Change Ups: Legacy Trust showcases modern workspace
Legacy Trust now enjoys a modern work environment, thanks to Custer's design, furnishings and technology divisions. Custer provided Legacy Trust, 99 Monroe Ave. in downtown Grand Rapids, a modern and innovative space to meet the needs of employees, clients and professional partners. Meeting enclaves provide space for collaboration and low-paneled workstations complement a culture of […]
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Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds STEEBY, Jeffrey R. et al, Amerisave Mortgage Corp., Condo-Ryann Ridge, $330,000 KLUCE, Michael J. et al, Fifth Third Mortgage, Condo-Arbor Hills Site Condominiums, $228,000 REYNOLDS, John W. et al, Inlanta Mortgage, Byron Twp., 21-5-12, $295,000 CHERVENY, Luke J. et al, Wyndham Capital Mortgage, Raymond Park […]
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Five more ideas for having a great sales year
I am focusing away from “having your best year ever” and zeroing in on “having a great year.” For the past few weeks I have given you a list of 21.5 ideas that will drive the year’s results, and I’ve elaborated in detail on several of the elements. Here are five more sales concepts from […]
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Street Talk: Run like the wind
Today’s front-page story shows Michigan is in the bottom 10 — again — when it comes to the well-being of its residents. Much of that has to do with income and education, but a significant portion can be attributed to health, too. “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son,” advises […]
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Why I support the FCC and Net Neutrality, and why you should, too
Imagine you own a small lumberyard. Your major competitor is Home Depot, which also sells lumber, among other things. You can compete with them because you are specialized and can offer a higher-quality product and better service, since lumber is your industry and not retail. Home Depot competes by having better brand recognition and using […]
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Of courtroom capers, sanctions and squeezed babies
A lawyer friend, Brian, occasionally mentions the idea of "innocently" placing a colorful bag on his table during an opposing lawyer's final argument. The thought is that jurors would spend more time staring at a shiny satchel than paying attention to an adversary's summation. Me? I'm no angel, but perhaps performing that trick correctly is […]
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Attracting young talent is a state economic development priority
Conventional wisdom is that people follow jobs. So the most effective talent attraction and retention strategy — once again, according to conventional wisdom — is to create jobs. If conventional wisdom were right, Michigan should have reversed the net outmigration of young professionals since the end of the Great Recession, where we have gone from […]
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Managing the strong U.S. dollar
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) The strong U.S. dollar is great for American tourists going abroad — and not so great for U.S. corporations with sales in other countries. In late February, the euro was worth about $1.13 and the Canadian dollar was worth about 80 U.S. cents. Last May, the euro was trading […]
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West Michigan Prosperity Alliance to fund five projects
The West Michigan Prosperity Alliance will put up more than $230,000 for five projects in a 13-county region of West Michigan, each deemed to be of “significant regional economic importance.” The WMPA was formed in January 2014 as part of Gov. Rick Snyder’s Regional Prosperity Initiative to identify development projects that have significant long-term impact […]
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Michigan: a state of impoverishment
Grand Rapids Business Journal reports in depth this week on Gallup-Healthways’ latest State of American Well-Being, a study that ranks Michigan in the bottom 10 among all states. It is a coincidence that the study was released in the same week Michigan Futures President Lou Glazer penned a commentary related to Michigan’s continued loss of […]
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Earthbound provides eco-friendly water management
A Muskegon-based startup is tapping into an eco-friendly device developed by a Detroit company to revolutionize the solution to water management problems. Earthbound Innovations LLC, a certified Parjana installer located in Muskegon, launched in August 2014, and is delivering an innovative water management solution to residential and commercial clients through a patented device known as […]
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County OKs ‘concept’ of zoo expansion
Kent County commissioners approved the future “concept” of an expanded John Ball Zoo, as reflected in the zoo’s newly updated 10-year master plan. But there are some concerns about turning parts of the adjacent John Ball Park into parking lots, and commissioners made it clear the county would have to approve any specific construction proposals. […]
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Inside Track: Wieland is passionate about trash
Kristen Wieland will tell you she’s no girly-girl when it comes to recycling. “I never thought I’d be passionate about trash, but it turns out it’s a pretty cool field,” she said. What’s cool about it, in her view, are the dedicated people working across Michigan to recycle as much trash as possible rather than […]
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Encouraging women to cross the $1 million mark
Only 3 percent of woman-owned businesses generate $1 million or more in revenue annually. “Ninety seven percent of them are under $1 million in revenue and there are 17 million women-owned businesses in the United States,” said Mary Cantando, founder of The Women’s Advantage and The Women’s Advantage Forum, and author of seven books targeting […]
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Direct-pay medicine presents alternative health care model
If you have ever had the experience of being rushed out the door of your doctor’s office with a prescription in hand but little understanding of what was wrong with you or what you’d been prescribed, you are not alone. Appointments with primary care doctors typically last 15 minutes at most as physicians try to […]
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Jimmy John’s case highlights non-compete agreement challenges
A group of Jimmy John’s employees in Illinois are taking the sub shop to court over non-compete agreements they believe are unfair and should be discarded. In addition to having its employees sign confidentiality agreements upon being hired, Jimmy John’s requires them to sign non-compete agreements that prevent them from going to work for a […]
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The state of American well-being
Although a number of factors such as the rate of uninsured and life evaluation have improved across the country, Gallup-Healthways’ latest State of American Well-Being places Michigan among the bottom 10 states. Gallup Inc., a research-based management consulting company, and Healthways, a well-being improvement company, released the seventh annual well-being survey Feb. 19, ranking Michigan […]
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Business Journal publishes ‘Top Women Owned Businesses’
The Business Journal’s March 2 issue features a special insert — “Top Women Owned Businesses” — which can also be viewed online.
