September 18, 2017
What would your grandfather do? Crisis and the family business
When it comes to a crisis, media outlets are often loud, insistent and demanding. They want answers, they want drama and they want blood — and they want it in all time for their 6 p.m. broadcast or tomorrow’s print deadline. The media wants you to call back, open your factory floor and confess your […]
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Change Ups: Harris to become Kuyper’s fifth president
Dr. Patricia Harris will become Kuyper College’s fifth president, effective Oct. 12. She’s been the college’s provost since 2013. Harris replaces Dr. Carl Zylstra, who served as interim president since January 2017. Prior to Kuyper, Harris spent 15 years in cross-cultural mission work in the Philippines with Christian Reformed World Missions, in partnership with Asian […]
Most industries maintain moderate growth rate
After a summer lull, the West Michigan economy resumed the growth pattern we have seen for the past eight years. According to the survey conducted during the last two weeks of August, New Orders, our index of business improvement, rose to 19, up nicely from last month’s reading of 8. In a similar move, the […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds KING, Wayne D. et al, Isabella Bank, Oakfield Twp., 11-9-9, $260,000 TIMMIS, Gerald by POA et al, Old National Bank, Pond Field, Lot 5, $378,200 PREGO, Daniel et al, Fifth Third Bank, Byron Forest Estates, Lot 5, $234,000 DAYTON, Rick R. et al, PNC Bank, […]
Grand Action throws gauntlet to private sector thriving on its success
ArtPrize Nine opens Wednesday to more than a half-million visitors from all 50 states and more than 40 countries, with an economic impact anticipated to exceed $28 million. On Thursday, the community is invited to celebrate the opening of Michigan State University Grand Rapids Research Center, at the end of the city’s famed Medical Mile, […]
The power of human interaction
How often do you sit in a meeting, listening with one ear, while texting, emailing and IMing on your tablet, smartphone or both at once? When was the last time you attended an event solely to feel the warmth in a handshake or notice the glow in another person’s eyes while you listen to their […]
Street Talk: Living on the black edge
The force behind a black-owned business empowerment experiment will show up in Muskegon tomorrow ready to talk about economic injustice. Margarita “Maggie” Anderson, CEO and founder of The Empowerment Experiment and author of “Our Black Year” will speak at Muskegon Community College’s “And Justice for All” series on Sept. 19 with a talk titled “Economic […]
The Rapid rolls out transit study
The Rapid is reaching out for customer input to determine how it will improve its system in the next 10 years. The public transportation agency, which services Grand Rapids and the five surrounding cities, launched an online feedback tool early in September to obtain feedback from the public about ways in which the system could […]
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ArtPrize hones tech focus in Studio Series
ArtPrize will delve into the role of artists in public and private innovation during two talks at its headquarters this month. Each year, organizers of the 19-day public art contest host a Studio Series at the ArtPrize HUB/HQ that offers expert critiques and audience input about art and its impact. Mainstays of the series include […]
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What they’ve accomplished
Grand Action was founded in 1991, originally as an outgrowth of Grand Vision. Dick DeVos, who would later become CEO of Amway Corp. after his father Richard, assembled more than 50 community leaders to discuss the vision of building an arena in the downtown area. John Canepa, president of then-Old Kent Bank, and David Frey, […]
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Electronic logging drives safety and efficiency
New federal regulations soon will require that all commercial vehicles come equipped with an electronic logging device, or ELD. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced in December 2015 it had finalized a rule requiring all commercial motor vehicles (CMV) to log their hours of service electronically. In order to help drivers comply with […]
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Spectrum Health rides building boom
Ever since the merger of Butterworth Health System and Blodgett Memorial Medical Center two decades ago, a union that eventually would beget the region’s largest employer, Spectrum Health System has been synonymous with West Michigan’s status as a health care destination. While Spectrum’s role as a community health provider is clearly evident — Spectrum logged […]
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MSU opens $88.1M Grand Rapids Research Center
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) A facility that will bring research partners together to investigate diseases like cancer, autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s will open on Medical Mile this week. The Michigan State University Grand Rapids Research Center (MSU GRRC), first announced in 2014 but in the works since 2010, will open this Thursday, Sept. […]
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Inside Track: Wilson is drawn to the executive side of health
Jim Wilson comes by his passion for health care honestly. Growing up as one of eight children of a physician in northeast Ohio, Wilson latched on to the medical field at a young age. But unlike his father, who worked directly with patients, Wilson found himself more drawn to the administrative side of the industry, […]
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No heirs apparent for Grand Action 2.0
The thing about vision is, it can dim over time. And the retiring co-chairs of Grand Action Committee are waiting for younger eyes to take over with a fresh plan for the city. On Friday, Grand Action co-chairs Dick DeVos, David Frey and John Canepa collectively announced they would retire effective Dec. 31, putting their […]
