November 10, 2014
Michigan among least competitive for commercial health insurance
From the Medical Mile in Grand Rapids to the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Michigan offers a number of health care options, yet it is considered one of the top concentrated markets in terms of commercial health insurance. The state of Michigan was ranked the third least-competitive commercial health insurance market last […]
Pay equity commission stuck in committee
LANSING — A bill to create a commission on pay equity is stalled in the House Government Operations Committee, but it might get a chance in December. The Commission on Pay Equity, as it would be known, would “develop definitions of comparable wages, using the criteria of composite skills, responsibility, effort, education or training, and […]
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Change Ups: Frankenmuth lodge is family favorite
The Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth has received the 2014 Family Vacation Favorite Award from Family Vacation Critic, an online resource for parents looking for a family-friendly place to spend a weekend or a longer vacation. Within the lodge is the Family Fun Center, which includes a host of video games, an 18-hole Willy’s Kingdom […]
Retailers’ holiday sales forecasts blend optimism, caution
LANSING — While Michigan retailers expect better holiday sales this year, their forecasts are a blend of optimism and caution, according to the Michigan Retail Index, a joint project of the Michigan Retailers Association and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. While 63 percent project better holiday sales over last year, the average of all retailers’ […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds LEDGER BUILDERS INC., Macatawa Bank, Condo-Hillside Condominiums At Thousand Oaks, $299,155 CHORNEY, Brian S. et al, Cartus Home Loans, Paris Park No. 3, Lot 546, $272,700 BERGHUIS, Joshua et al, Chemical Bank, Walker, 29-7-12, $374,400 LINDEMANN, Michael J. et al, Firstbank, Crystal Springs Plat No […]
What do you do when workplace ‘change’ happens?
For most people, “change” is a mixture of what was, what used to be, what is present, what I’m being faced with now, what I believe the future holds and what I have to change to face that future. In short, how does this change affect me, my family, my lifestyle and my position? That’s […]
Street Talk: Carrying a torch for trust and ethics
Honesty will still get you somewhere in West Michigan. In fact, it will get you to the podium for a Torch Award from The Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan, which recently honored trustworthy organizations for their relationships with customers, employees, vendors and the community. “Each of the 15 Torch Award recipients and finalists shared […]
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GR schools reward staff for work on enrollment
On the heels of a successful district-wide collaboration to retain and recruit students, Grand Rapids Public Schools is giving back to its teachers and support staff after posting the single best count day in 20 years. Lead negotiators from GRPS, the board of education and four employee union organizations informed association members of a unified […]
Term-limited out in GR City Hall
Key organizations representing both business and labor in Grand Rapids were disappointed by the passage of term limits on members of the Grand Rapids City Commission. The final tally in favor of the proposal was 23,355 for, and 22,251 against. The latest amendment to the city charter now limits an individual to two four-year terms […]
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Cornerstone University to launch seven programs in 2015
The liberal arts core at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids is expanding next fall with the addition of several new majors and concentrations. CU announced recently faculty and administration have approved seven new academic programs for the university’s traditional undergraduate education as of fall 2015 to meet the growing needs of prospective students and emerging […]
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More 401(k) is on the way
There is good news for workers: It appears companies have sufficiently recovered from the recent recession to again begin offering matching funds for 401(k) retirement plans. While a number of companies, impacted by the financial crisis, had suspended matching funds to employees’ 401(k) plans, the number of workers and employers participating in employment-based retirement plans […]
New business helps clients do background checks
If there’s a game like Russian roulette that practically all small employers play once in a while, it’s called “hiring.” LaKhaun McKinley, the founder of Screen Past, likes to quote a statistic from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: 30 percent of all business failures are caused by employee theft. That challenge to employers is the […]
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GR Drive fills roster ahead of season opener
The Grand Rapids Drive is fielding a tall team in its inaugural season. The team will open its season Saturday, Nov. 15, in California against the Bakersfield Jam, following a training camp with a roster of 11 players who are 6-foot-5 or taller. That height is considered an advantage at the D-League level, said Steve […]
It’s time to up your game with an interactive annual report
As our habits evolve and we consume information differently, the annual report is morphing from the traditional coffee-table style to an online, interactive piece that serves content up in a desirable, sharable, data- and design-driven way that consumers can read on the go. Your data is important. Your message is even more so. An interactive […]
Divine secrets of the commercial real estate sisterhood
Mary Ann Wisinski-Rosely and Hillary Taatjes Woznick aren’t biological sisters, but professionally, they might as well be twins. The career paths of the two commercial real estate game-changers feature strikingly similar trail marks. Both are Grand Rapids natives. They were born to two of the most important names in West Michigan’s commercial real estate’s industry: […]
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Pleotint racking up sales and recognition
Each year, according to the new vice president at Pleotint in Jenison, about 2 billion square feet of “low-e” architectural glass is purchased in the United States, or about 75 percent of all architectural glass. But only Pleotint produces a thermochromic material to give window glass low emissivity, said Chad Simkins, who was hired just […]
Introverts have traits that make them excellent leaders
Some would suggest that a person must be an extrovert to be a good leader — that to be followed, a person must be heard clearly and frequently. We often think highly effective leaders must be able to speak flawlessly and persuasively to crowds or mingle effortlessly at events with public officials and other executives […]
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Neighborhood businesses garner awards
Ninety-six businesses were nominated for the 25th Annual Neighborhood Business Awards in Grand Rapids last week, with awards in more than a dozen categories presented by business leaders and city officials. The top award was in honor of a flashy new supermarket that just opened at 1428 Grandville Ave. SW, owned by an ambitious entrepreneur. […]
GRPS: a remarkable reversal of trends
Grand Rapids Public Schools last month announced a reversal of trends and, in fact, likely set a record to be matched among Michigan’s urban public school districts. The city’s public schools had the best head count day in 20 years, which assures improved state funding based on enrollment. What happened next is the big news: […]
Hackett’s role as U-M’s AD pleases local attorney
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Had the University of Michigan football team been undefeated midway through October, the pressure on former Athletic Director Dave Brandon wouldn’t have reached near the level it did. His resignation likely wouldn’t have come, either. At least that’s the opinion of Rhoades McKee attorney Bruce Courtade. Courtade serves on […]
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Inside Track: Restaurant business is a family affair for Chang
In the past six months, 32-year-old Lisa Chang has accomplished more than most people do in several years. She oversaw the opening of a second Erb Thai restaurant location and began renovations on a third that is set to open in late November. She also launched a new business, Boba Bliss, and welcomed her third […]
