September 21, 2015
Tulip Time’s take hits $12.9 million
A lakeshore community tiptoed through the tulips in 2015 to generate roughly $12.9 million in economic activity during its 86th annual festival. Tulip Time Festival Inc., a nonprofit organization headquartered at 74 W. 8th St., Holland, last week released the results of a study, Tulip Time 2015: Economic Impact and Attendee Profile, which indicated the […]
Middle school students solve real-world problem
Holland-based Thermotron Inc. welcomed a group of middle students this summer through the iChallengeUth program to tackle one of its workspace challenges. Thermotron, a high-performance environmental test chamber manufacturer, partnered with Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s futurePREP’d program known as iChallengeUth in August to provide middle school students an opportunity to develop solutions to real-world […]
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Meijer Gardens secures place in global arts scene during 20th year
The 20th anniversary season of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has seen it all — and so have more than 720,000 visitors. The fiscal year for Meijer Gardens finishes up at the end of the month, but CEO David Hooker said even if it had ended in August, an all-time attendance record would have […]
City, county partner on Walker Arena
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) L.C. Walker Arena is entering a season of renovations under new collaborative management. As a result of the recent partnership between the city of Muskegon and Muskegon County, L.C. Walker Arena, at 955 4th St. and Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon, is scheduled to undergo a series of improvements […]
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GRAM is a place for experiences, collaborations and conversations
As ArtPrize readies for its seventh year, Grand Rapids’ arts culture continues to develop around the annual event. Dana Friis-Hansen, now in his fourth year as director of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, is excited to see where the city is headed. When he left Austin, Texas, for the job at the GRAM, he said […]
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Change Ups: Landscape company purchases new HQ
DJ’s Landscape Management purchased a building at 4436 Broadmoor SE in Grand Rapids that will serve as its new headquarters and training facility. Prior to moving into the space early this winter, the firm will do several interior and external renovations including new signage, landscaping and parking lot renovations. NAI Wisinski of West Michigan broker […]
Construction materials prices dip for second month
Prices for inputs to construction industries declined 0.1 percent in July after increasing 0.2 percent in June, according to the latest producer price index report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Year-over-year prices were down 3 percent in July and have been down on an annual basis for each of the past eight months. […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds MILLER, Jason R. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Eastmont Meadows No. 1, Lot 2, $307,200 SERRATO, Christian et al, Brook Mortgage Corp., Condo-Golfside Meadows, $229,600 SBI PROPERTIES LLC, Comerica Bank, Leonard & Co.'s Add., Lot 37, $637,500 GRIFFIN, Cathy et al, Success Mortgage Partners, […]
Time is on your side — as long as you understand it
Time is money. You’ve heard that expression a thousand times or more. And as many times as you’ve heard it, you have universally ignored it. Every year I get hundreds of requests for a course in “time management.” And every year I give my answer: Why are you asking me what to do with your […]
Street Talk: Welcome to Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids doesn’t have an official “welcome mat,” but now it has an official title — and a statue. City officials last week officially joined the Welcoming Michigan initiative, becoming the 10th city or county in the state to be named a Welcoming Community. Tuesday’s celebration took place in Rosa Parks Circle for a number […]
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Muskegon floats cruise ship plan
A cruise ship’s impromptu visit to Muskegon Lake may be a sign of things to come for the lakeshore community. The Port of Muskegon recently welcomed an approximately 210-passenger cruise ship to the Mart Dock on the east side of Muskegon Lake after the Pearl Seas cruise ship Pearl Mist ran into logistical issues at […]
Saint Mary’s Hospital pursues Baby-Friendly USA designation
With the financial support of a national grant from the EMPower initiative and a roughly $14,000 grant from Saint Mary’s Foundation, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Hospital is working to enhance maternity practices. The hospital, a regional health ministry of Livonia-based Trinity Health, announced earlier this month it was selected to participate in the national EMPower […]
Hotels are on pace to break records
Bolstered by what is likely to be another successful ArtPrize, Experience Grand Rapids hopes Kent County will build on strong summer hotel numbers and see record hotel occupancy rates again in 2015. If the forecast is accurate, it will be the sixth straight year of record hotel revenue growth. Experience Grand Rapids last week reported […]
City sinks $2.75M into improvements for Indian Trails Golf Course
Lance Climie believes the city is investing funds into Indian Trails Golf Course for the last time. City commissioners approved a $2.75 million project for the course two weeks ago, and it should be underway by November. Climie, the clubhouse manager at Indian Trails, said bids for the project will be opened Oct. 3 and […]
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Fitness center plans open house at Northview High School
The new fitness center and physical therapy clinic located within Northview High School are inviting community members to tour the new facilities. Northern Physical Therapy, which is headquartered in Coopersville, is hosting an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony from 5-7 p.m., Sept. 24, at the new Northview Fitness Center and Northern Physical Therapy Clinic at […]
Study finds mobile devices can threaten corporate networks
Local businesses might want to step up their security for mobile devices using corporate networks. Duo Security, an Ann Arbor-based cloud-access security provider, recently released the findings of a research study that focused on the security of corporate networks. The study found un-patched and end-of-life devices that haven’t been upgraded present a big risk to […]
Change never stops: Do you embrace it or resist it?
What exactly are we talking about when we discuss change? Of course, it can be the way we do things, or how things others do impact our actions. Sometimes, things outside of our control come into play. It may be the weather or the impact of conditions labeled as global warming. Impact also comes through […]
Employment earnings are engine of sustainable growth
We continue working on our next report: an assessment of the national, Michigan, Metro Detroit and Metro Grand Rapids economies in the fifth year of a national expansion. We continue to believe per capita income is the best single measure of a state’s or region’s economic well being. In the report we focus on the […]
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Country club follows trend and opens restaurant to public
Looking out over Muskegon Lake from the outdoor dining area at Se4sons Gastropub, customers can see the boat that brings Lake Michigan whitefish for the restaurant. That’s a good example of the fresh, local food Executive Chef Sean Marr wants to feature in the newly renovated public restaurant at Muskegon Country Club, which reopened to […]
Creative ‘Michigan House’ sets up shop at ArtPrize
Following a successful stint at a major festival in Texas, a hub that showcases the best of Michigan will open in a downtown pop-up space during ArtPrize. The Michigan House will set up residence during the annual art event in the Trust Building on the corner of Pearl Street and Ottawa Avenue NW. The pop-up […]
Economic development and ‘white-collar’ jobs emphasized in Daimler deal
Gov. Rick Snyder’s announcement from Frankfurt of Daimler’s decision to relocate its North American headquarters to Farmington Hills is significant for a multitude of reasons, including the role of The Right Place Inc. over more than two decades to secure such opportunities. Daimler is consolidating its financial services in the Detroit metro area, where 30 […]
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Inside Track: Supinski finds people component essential
From the political arena in Washington, D.C., to supporting entrepreneurs in West Michigan, Laurie Supinski’s career path has taken her on an exciting journey. As program director at Emerge West Michigan, Supinski facilitated the aggregation of resources and oversight of the nonprofit organization’s website. “Emerge is really trying to help create and define an ecosystem […]
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Downtown Market vendors discuss successes, challenges
Downtown Market celebrated its two-year anniversary earlier this month, and a handful of its 23 Market Hall vendors discussed the successes and challenges they’ve experienced since the market opened. All of the businesses that spoke with the Business Journal indicated they are doing well, but a few of them noted there have been some unexpected […]
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New strategies drive ArtPrize growth
Todd Herring compares this year’s ArtPrize to igneous rock, the porous rocks formed from lava. The ArtPrize marketing director said several of the new additions to the seventh installment of the internationally renowned event are to help more people feel welcomed. “We want to give everyone an access point,” Herring said. “Film buffs can start […]
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Residential real estate group enters GR market
Technology and real estate have merged, as a new business plants its roots in Grand Rapids. Enter Redfin, a Seattle-based full-service real estate brokerage that focuses on the residential market and uses technology to make the process of selling a home easier, less expensive and more transparent. Redfin entered Michigan when it started in Detroit […]
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Downtown Market thriving, despite bumps
Two years in, Slows Bar BQ opened in Downtown Market, giving the $32 million project its first restaurant tenant, and bringing it one step closer to fulfilling its promise to the community of offering 24 locally focused vendors and two restaurants within a thriving and vibrant facility. Slows originally was slated to open in the […]
