October 21, 2013
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Change Ups: UICA hires development officer
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts has named Kristen Taylor its development officer. Taylor will be responsible for creating and nurturing partnerships with local and national foundations, organizations, corporations and individuals who can use UICA as a unique platform for their philanthropic goals. Prior to joining UICA, Taylor founded and operated Juvie LLC, a dual-channel niche […]
Not a lot of changes in store for county operating budget
Although receipts from property taxes are expected to be up slightly next year, the county’s 2014 proposed general fund budget will look a lot like the 2013 spending plan. Kent County Administrator and Controller Daryl Delabbio called the structurally balanced proposal a vanilla and status quo budget. “We are adding some money for IT,” he […]
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Farmland donation coming before the county board
Kent County commissioners will decide this week whether to accept a donation to its farmland preservation program, a gift that wasn’t totally embraced last week by the county’s Finance Committee. The trust of Denny Heffron, a local farmer and member of the county’s Agricultural Preservation Board, has offered to donate to the county the development […]
GR Spring & Stamping receives major Nissan recognition
GR Spring & Stamping Inc. in Grand Rapids has been awarded Nissan’s 2013 Most Improved Supplier designation among suppliers in Nissan’s Americas region, which includes the United States, Mexico and Brazil. The award, one of only two presented in the Americas region, recognizes outstanding improvement in quality over the last three years, according to GRS&S. […]
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Orion starts construction on upscale Lansing project
A Grand Rapids builder began construction last week on a new luxury apartment complex that is going up in Lansing. DTN Management Co. of Lansing, which owns the project, selected Orion Construction to manage the work for its new $20 million upscale mixed-use development called The Vista at The Heights. When it’s completed, The Vista […]
Spectrum Health, GVSU create executive MBA program
Grand Valley State University’s Seidman College of Business and Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids are working together to develop what they call a “unique” Master of Business Administration program exclusively for Spectrum employees, according to a joint announcement from both organizations. The announcement states the new MBA program will help Spectrum Health better prepare […]
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BLM: Michigan’s public universities outperform their peers
Business Leaders for Michigan, organized a few years ago to push for a turnaround in the state’s economy and business climate, has released its updated Performance Tracker for Michigan public universities, which indicates they outperform their peers in other states in producing graduates with the critical skills employers need. The Detroit-based organization of CEOs across […]
MSU offering masters in management, strategy and leadership
Can a degree program designed to motivate people be successful in an online-only format? Instructors in Michigan State University’s prestigious Eli Broad College of Business are about to find out. The school is undertaking its first Master of Science in Management, Strategy and Leadership, and classes are scheduled to begin Jan. 6, 2014. “Our internationally […]
Aquinas, GRCC sign articulation agreement
The region’s community college is joining forces with a four-year school to ensure that students will have an easier time continuing their education. Grand Rapids Community and Aquinas colleges are entering into an agreement that will allow faculty from both schools to work together on creating a seamless transfer experience for GRCC students. The agreement […]
The (big) difference between conversation and communication
Far too many people believe having the ability to converse is the same as being able to communicate. They believe that telling is equivalent to talking, that sending an e-mail or leaving a voicemail message is better than spending time in two-way discussion. They believe that if one can speak effectively, they will be able […]
Serving memorably: Ordinary service is not acceptable
The following is an excerpt of Law 12: Serve Memorably, from my new book, “21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling.” Think about the most memorable service you have ever received. Ever tell anyone about it? Now think about the service you provide to your customers. How many people are talking about you? Answer: Not enough. Every […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds WIERENGA, Kurt et al, United Bank Mortgage Corp., Providence Lake, Lot 13, $310,000 CALDERONE, Julie A. et al, The Bank Of Northern Michigan, Condo-Blue Water Pines, $351,000 PEPPER, Timothy et al, Macatawa Bank, Gaines Twp., 36-5-12, $235,000 REESE, Gregory F. et al, Mercantile Bank Of […]
Street Talk: East meets West, except when it doesn’t
Business leaders from West Michigan have long attempted to cross I-96 to extend a hand of partnership to brethren at major corporations since the late 1990s, when former ambassador Peter Secchia helped arrange for executive-to-executive meetings with Dick DeVos, Steelcase (former) Chairman Jim Hackett and Fred, Hank and/or Doug Meijer. Grand Rapids Area Chamber of […]
$75K grant funds study of ‘blue’ economy
One of Michigan’s greatest resources is its abundance of water, but how can the state best leverage the Great Lakes to grow the economy? Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute is undertaking a one-year study that will inventory how businesses, universities and local governments are utilizing the state’s vast water supply for economic […]
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Industrial real estate market still going strong
The momentum the industrial real estate market has built over the past year or so continued through the recently completed third quarter. The Commercial Alliance of Realtors reported that 14 industrial buildings were sold over the past three months. Although the number was down from the third quarter of last year when 23 changed hands, […]
Like it or not, Metro Detroit and GR are comparable
University of Michigan economist Don Grimes and I are working on our annual progress report on the Michigan economy. Every time I work on these reports, I am struck by how similar the seven-county Grand Rapids region (including Grand Rapids, Holland and Muskegon) is to the seven-county Detroit region. Certainly that is not the conventional […]
Kendall plans architecture school
Brian Craig is smiling a lot these days. The man who’s directing Kendall College of Art and Design’s graduate program in architecture has a good reason to be happy. For years, KCAD has been engaged in conversations about creating a new professional architecture school in Grand Rapids, he said. Now the dream is becoming a […]
Do you care what your business is worth?
The CEOs of publically traded companies have immediate feedback each day as the stock ticker crawls across their computers. Shouldn’t leaders of private companies want similar feedback? Maybe not daily, but a periodic check on business value will help business leaders make decisions that lead to business growth and profitability. It’s no surprise owners typically […]
Saugatuck Dunes development project inches forward
This month, Judge Kevin Cronin, 48th Circuit Court, entered a consent judgment regarding the “critical dunes overlay” conflict between plaintiff Singapore Dunes and defendant Saugatuck Township that will allow a significant development project along the Saugatuck Township lakeshore to move forward. In 2012, Michigan amended its “critical dunes law.” The amendment states that local governments […]
Wyoming welcomes first occupant of former GM site
A division of Kendall Electric Inc. of Portage plans to break ground this fall on a new distribution, wholesale and manufacturing facility in Wyoming at Site 36 — the city administration’s marketing name for the cleared property formerly occupied by the massive General Motors stamping plant on 36th Street. Kendall’s J.O. Galloup subsidiary plans to […]
Sobering economic research for West Michigan begs creative solutions
The Business Journal last week celebrated the accomplishments and community connections of 40 young business leaders in four counties, seeding — and fueling — a number of new, inventive ideas and relationships that will assuredly continue to sustain the economic foundation in the West Michigan area. Gov. Rick Snyder spoke to the group with targeted […]
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WMU offers Starting Gate business accelerator program
Western Michigan University has added an educational catalyst to the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem of Kalamazoo. That catalyst fired up this summer with the birth of Starting Gate, WMU’s new business accelerator program. WMU students with business startup ideas can submit applications to enroll in the program for one semester and receive access to resources that […]
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West Michigan colleges not interested in social media degree
Getting a master’s degree in social media is now a possibility at some universities and colleges in the U.S. For example, Southern New Hampshire University and Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y., both have added MBAs in social media. As use of social media continues to spread into professional cultures, it should be no surprise that […]
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Troupe’s growth is no mystery
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Grand Rapids-based Murder Mystery Company is the third largest theater company in the world in terms of performances, with only the Royal Shakespeare Company and Cirque du Soleil putting on more shows per year. Scott Cramton, company founder, said that 11 years ago when he started the company, he […]
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Office market continues its positive trend
Space continues to be gobbled up in the office real estate market. Colliers International of West Michigan reported the recently completed third quarter marked the 11th consecutive quarter the vacancy rate fell: 226,523 square feet were absorbed from July through September. The downtown market started the positive net-absorption trend, but the Colliers report said the […]
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Inside Track: Interior design career is something of an odyssey
Marissa Iacovoni’s journey to having a successful interior design career began in Grand Rapids, her home city, and then took her all over the world. Her work currently has landed her in Houston, Texas, where she holds a number of titles, including interior designer for international design firm Rottet Studio, which also has offices in […]
