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Report says automotive optimism ‘misplaced’

Michigan’s auto industry is on a roll again, and a lot of people are counting on it to keep rolling. But a new study...

Report: U.S. is still a ‘no-vacation nation’

The U.S. is clearly first in the world’s economy, but the nation is still dead last in requiring paid time off for those who...

Business awards go to builder, commissioner and realtor

The two-year reign of the brew pubs is over, as a notable builder won the city’s most prestigious neighborhood business award last week. Rockford Construction...

616 Development plans to try something new

The Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority approved a brownfield plan and an obsolete property designation for one of the city’s most active developers last...

City doesn’t need a Trojan horse among leaders

The Business Journal is increasingly curious regarding operations of Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. The new entity is an umbrella organization with authority over four...

Small business woes flow from government bureaucracy

I heard a term years ago used to describe some highly educated people. It was “articulate incompetent.” I don't have an opinion on the...

Is the market moving too much too fast?

The good news is more homes are selling and at higher prices. The not-so-good news is the housing stock is really thin: The listing...

Prudential zooms past billion-dollar sales mark

There’s a memorable scene in director David Fincher’s 2010 drama, “The Social Network,” where Facebook creators Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew...

Lacks Enterprises opening on-site employee health care clinics

(As seen on WZZM TV 13) While some employers in West Michigan in recent years closed their on-site health care clinics for employees, Lacks...

Management decisions are key to business resilience

The Great Recession killed off 170,000 to 200,000 small businesses between 2008 and 2010. Yet, almost miraculously, some small businesses not only survived, they...

Health care industry faces new environmental challenges

As if complying with the new and often complicated mandates of Obamacare isn’t enough, the health care industry is now facing even more complexity...

Triangle undertaking a bevy of projects

The nation’s largest retailer and one of the city’s most prominent building owners and developers have something in common: Both Walmart and CWD Real...

Downtown office sold through court action

Kent County 17th Circuit Court Judge Christopher Yates recently approved the sale of a unique, historic and insolvent downtown office address. Keller & Almassian PLC,...

Health insurance is the new recruitment tool

It used to be the annual discussion employee benefits consultants had with their clients was mainly about how to “slice and dice” the health...

Point West development project moves forward along lakeshore

Last month, the Michigan Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal filed in 2012 by a group of Macatawa Park cottage owners regarding zoning requirements...

EmploymentGroup launches ‘5 in 5’ scholarship program

In honor of its 55th anniversary, EmploymentGroup announced its “5 in 5” scholarship program for Michigan-based community college students. For each of the next five...

Mason County says Lake Winds turbines too loud

A hearing has been set for Dec. 4 in Ludington at which Consumers Energy will appeal the Mason County Zoning Board’s decision that a...

Target of 30 percent is ‘feasible’ for state’s renewable energy minimum

Whether or not Michigan can really increase its renewable energy minimum to 30 percent of all electricity delivered by the public utilities is one...

Employers have role in helping victims of abuse

The tentacles of domestic abuse reach into many areas of the workplace, costing U.S. employers $5 billion annually, according to a family violence expert. Becky...

GVSU, Ferris tops among Fulbright winners

Two West Michigan universities have been recognized for their commitment to put stamps in their faculty’s passports. A recent report from the Chronicle of Higher...