May 21, 2018
Kent County joins child development initiative
Kent County is among 29 communities nationwide joining an initiative focused on child development from birth to age 3. As part of this initiative, leaders in Kent County will develop innovative local solutions that give children a healthy start from birth, strengthen support for families with infants and toddlers, and expand access to high-quality child care. […]
Significance of early education cannot be overstated
Regional business leaders have long recognized the importance of their support and voice in early education. Doug DeVos, Amway president, and Kate Pew Wolters, chair of the Steelcase Foundation, were just two among the business leaders who lined up early in support for the Great Start initiative, now the foundation of First Steps Kent. That […]
Survey says IT budgets on the rise
In the first West Michigan IT Report, Worksighted anonymously surveyed a diverse cross section of IT leaders from dozens of local manufacturers, professional services firms, nonprofits, retailers and others. In addition to taking a pulse on business growth, the survey focused on five prevailing IT topics: security, spending, cloud, business continuity and future trends. This […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds SMITH, Danelle L. et al, VanDyk Mortgage Corp., Providence Lake, Lot 27, $395,000 SPAANS, Matt et al, Consumers Credit Union, Courtland Twp., 2-9-10, $255,500 VISSER, David et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Misty Ridge Estates No. 3, Lot 70, $294,500 SHROLL, Jason et al, Lake […]
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Change Ups: AppleTree & Gilden Woods relocates HQ to larger facility
AppleTree & Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschools moved to an expanded headquarters in Grand Rapids at 555 Cascade W Pkwy. SE so that it can handle all its administrative duties associated with running 23 locations. The first AppleTree School opened Feb. 16, 1998. Since then, it has grown to 23 schools in the Grand […]
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Street Talk: Spreading its wings
Brewery Vivant had some unusual guests swoop onto its patio last week. The Holland-based Outdoor Discovery Center presented live birds of prey at the brewery May 16. The event was a fundraising collaboration between the two organizations. Brewery Vivant co-owner Jason Spaulding said his wife Kris Spaulding has had a long relationship with ODC, having […]
The employee handbook: essential or obsolete?
When was the last time your handbook was reviewed and/or revised? For many organizations, it’s one of those tools human resources hands out when you are hired and nobody reads. You might even have to sign a form that says you’ve read it. This, in itself, is a bit ludicrous when you just received it […]
Church suffers breach
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Cyberattackers hit an unlikely target in April: Ada Bible Church. The church’s senior pastor, Jeff Manion, made an announcement to his congregation during a service April 29, saying an unauthorized person gained access to the church’s network a week earlier. The church averages approximately 9,500 attendees per week. Manion […]
Farmers’ share of food dollar hits record low
American farmers are earning less than ever before. According to the Michigan Farm Bureau, farmers’ share of the food dollar amount decreased nationally in 2016 to 14.8 cents per dollar, which is a 4.5 percent decline from the previous year and the lowest since the report began in 1993. In 2015, MFB estimated that farmers’ […]
Report shows bank ahead of goal
In 2016, Fifth Third Bank announced a community commitment to invest $30 billion over five years in low- to moderate-income borrowers and neighborhoods in its 10-state footprint. The bank pledged $3.8 billion of that total to its third-largest market by number of employees — West Michigan. Its largest and second-largest markets are Cincinnati and Chicago. […]
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Inside Track: Educator connects theory and practice
Born and raised in a small village in Nigeria, Nkechy Ekere Ezeh was shocked when she came to the U.S. as an adult and heard the messages bombarding low-income minority parents. Founder and CEO of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), Ezeh works to engage parents in their children’s learning while also overseeing infant, toddler […]
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Farmers await ethanol increase decision
President Donald Trump is considering increasing the amount of ethanol in gasoline. Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted there is a potential of ethanol increasing from 10 percent (E10) to 15 percent (E15) blend of ethanol and 85 percent of gasoline year-round following a White House meeting May 8. According to Mitch Miller, CEO of Carbon Green […]
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GVSU engineering students, Beaumont Health collaborate
Students of the Grand Valley State University School of Engineering had a successful school project. Following a collaboration with Beaumont Health, the school received a commercial licensing agreement for a medical device designed in part by students for a class. The agreement is for a cough-assist device created to help clear the airway of individuals […]
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MOS leadership keeps pace with technology
A local business still is going strong as the baton is passing from one generation to the next. Michigan Office Solutions (MOS) has been in business for over six decades. William Reed and a couple of other partners founded the office equipment company in 1957. The company was first called Commercial Equipment Company and was […]
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Lakefront living? It’s gonna cost you
West Michigan is home to some of the most expensive lake home markets in the state, according to a recent report. Lake Homes Realty, a multistate lake real estate brokerage, recently published its spring 2018 market report covering markets in 13 states. According to the report, four of the top 10 most expensive lake markets […]
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West Side project honors Meijer founder
The end is in sight for Rockford Construction’s mixed-use project on Grand Rapids’ burgeoning West Side, and the developers recently unveiled the name of its residential component, which pays respects to one of West Michigan’s most influential business owners. Rockford Construction announced the 116-unit apartment complex above Bridge Street Market will be named “The Hendrik,” […]
