May 12, 2014
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Change Ups: Chamber honors minority business efforts
Bing Goei and Melissa Fennel are recipients of Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce’s Minority Business of the Year and Outstanding Advocate for Minority-Owned Business, respectively. An immigrant from Indonesia, Goei owns seven Eastern Floral locations, employing 60 year-round employees and earning more than $5 million in annual revenue. Fennel, senior strategic sourcing manager at […]
Street Talk: Lots of achievement — Junior and otherwise
An aspect of the business community that doesn’t always receive abundant attention is getting its due. Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes’ Business Hall of Fame 2014 ceremony is set for Thursday, May 29, at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. While JA often flies under the radar, its supporters do not. In fact, […]
616 project gets loan from state
The Lofts on Michigan, a 616 Development project on Michigan Street NE in Grand Rapids, has been awarded a $2.45 million Michigan Community Revitalization Program loan from the Michigan Strategic Fund. 616 plans to demolish a vacant and obsolete building located at 740 and 756 Michigan St. NE in Grand Rapids. The project includes the […]
Regional center markets state as a place to live and invest
The second state-run EB-5 regional center in the country is aimed at bringing foreign talent and investors to Michigan. The EB-5 Regional Center is an employment-based “fifth preference” visa program designed to attract foreign investors who will fund a new commercial enterprise in Michigan and, in return, allow them to obtain permanent residency for themselves […]
USI acquires 40 Wells Fargo insurance offices
An insurance services office in Grand Rapids sees a bright future ahead as it becomes part of a new firm. USI Insurance Services, an insurance brokerage and consulting firm based in Valhalla, N.Y., last week closed on the acquisition of 40 Wells Fargo Insurance locations across the country, including the office at 648 Monroe Ave. […]
BDO workshop highlights CFO and HR strategy role
The realms of people and numbers are colliding as business executives collaborate within organizations to drive company growth. The Executive and Human Resources Services Group of BDO USA LLP, a professional services firm, recently conducted a workshop to discuss recent trends in finance and human resources. One of the developing trends for 2014 presented at […]
Conference scrutinizes technology in the workforce
This year’s annual human resources conference sponsored by The Employers’ Association will tackle several major issues companies struggle with, all of which are aimed at sustaining a technologically diverse workforce. TEA is hosting its seventh annual HR/Legal Conference and 74th annual business meeting and luncheon from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., May 20, at Watermark Country Club, […]
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Health care rollout going smoothly
LANSING — In only three weeks, the state’s Medicaid expansion program that gives health coverage to low-income residents is almost halfway to its yearly signup goal. The Healthy Michigan program started enrolling low-income residents for comprehensive health coverage April 1. By April 21, nearly 140,000 people had signed up for the plan — 43 percent […]
Pent-up demand may fuel solid second quarter
Much stronger growth returns. That’s the latest word on the West Michigan economy, according to the data collected during the last two weeks of April. New Orders, our index of business improvement, bounced to +40, up from+27. The Production index posted a more modest gain, and rose to +28 from +23. The Employment index remained […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds HANCOCK, Kenneth C. et al, Wells Fargo Bank, Byron Twp., 6-5-12, $238,500 MELTON, Christopher M. et al, Freedom Mortgage Corp., Condo-The Heathers, $201,388 CLINTON CORP., Macatawa Bank, Walker, 2-7-12, $800,000 WILLIS, Jaycob et al, Hantz Bank, Waters Edge, Lot 18, $252,000 OLSZEWSKI, Brian et al, […]
Finding the elusive decision maker — and then what?
Jeffrey, I speak with many people in organizations who want you to think they are the decision maker when in fact they are not. I have wasted too many emails and follow-ups on people who can’t help. How do you ask without hurting the relationship you may have built? How do you determine the real […]
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Businesses and workforce planning learn to be flexible
Economic recovery looks different this time around as a result of businesses adapting during the recession and learning to be nimble. While sustainable economic recovery can be measured, preemptive workforce planning and training can be more difficult to forecast. Becca Dernberger, vice president and general manager of the northeast division of Manpower, said two indicators […]
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Geek Group provides access to technology
A nonprofit “makerspace” now allows both individuals and manufacturers to use its equipment and technology. The Geek Group, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Grand Rapids, is a science and manufacturing-based makerspace — which, in general, is a center that provides the necessary tools and technology to get a job done. The Geek Group last month […]
Furniture makers tackle renewable energy investments
Grand Rapids furniture manufacturer Steelcase Inc. announced it had achieved a big milestone earlier this year: The company’s renewable energy investment is now equivalent to 100 percent of its global electricity consumption. The achievement makes Steelcase the 15th-largest 100 percent renewable energy purchaser in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green […]
Cross-border M&As: the spark for U.S. corporate tax reform?
Merger and acquisition activity has been strong, especially cross-border deals. This type of activity is typically a confirmation of good economic trends. The transaction value of some of these deals is of numbers we haven’t seen in a long time. Cost savings, operational synergies and strategic factors are all given as reasons the deals are […]
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City recognizes those with perfect past
Historic preservation allows people today to see what homes and buildings looked like 120 years ago, sometimes with clues to what happened there. At the award-winning Engine House No. 7 project, horses that chewed on the wood in a stall more than 100 years ago left a vivid reminder of life in the days of […]
Business report reveals lakeshore industry strengths
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Businesses along the lakeshore are outpacing comparable companies in the Midwest and the nation in manufacturing and new product development. Lakeshore Advantage, a nonprofit organization fostering economic growth in West Michigan, released the Spring 2014 Business Intelligence Report last month, highlighting economic strengths in the area and informing the […]
Acquiring a company? Pay attention to its real estate
As the market for mergers and acquisitions continues to heat up in Michigan, businesses evaluating a deal need to look beyond the bottom line and scrutinize the entire transaction — especially the real estate. Too often, we see acquiring companies focus their attention on the dollars and cents of the revenues. They forget they are […]
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Putting its best foot forward
A company focused on making a difference was started by a friendly contest of who could wear the craziest socks. The competition started between three then-employees of Gordon Food Service — Ryan Preisner, Dan Manshaem and Adam Whitmore —and before long, it spurred a new company: Bold Socks. “I haven’t always been a socks guy; […]
Desk jobs: among the most dangerous in America?
Though desk jobs aren’t likely to be found on a list of the most dangerous jobs in America, they probably should be. According to the study, “Reducing Occupational Sitting Time and Improving Worker Health: The Take-a-Stand Project, 2011,” prolonged sitting time is associated with premature mortality, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, […]
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EPIC finalists have rich West Michigan tradition
Seventeen nominees will come together Thursday for an epic celebration. The fifth annual Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce EPIC Awards will be held 5:30-8 p.m. at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. The awards are a combination of three former chamber celebrations: the Minority Business Celebration, Salute to West Michigan Business and the Small […]
Agri-business initiatives must also address climate change
An unusually large number of announcements have recently targeted Michigan agriculture on the eve of approval of greater state budget expenditures, especially aimed at food safety concerns including invasive species on land and in water. The Michigan Farm Bureau expects the legislature to approve Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposed $4 million agriculture funding plan with a […]
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Inside Track: Helping employers develop culturally competent employees
When she was a student at Grand Rapids Christian High School, Kristin Ekkens physically resembled many of her classmates: white, blond, blue-eyed, and pretty much from the same socioeconomic background as her classmates. Inwardly, however, she felt worlds apart. “I had a different experience from my friends,” said Ekkens. “I felt like an outsider — […]
