September 26, 2016
Medical marijuana industry likely to expand
Three bills signed by Gov. Rick Snyder on Sept. 21 likely will grow Michigan’s medical marijuana industry substantially and could contribute millions in revenue for the state. Earlier this month, the Michigan House approved a package of bills that enhances Michigan’s 2008 Medical Marijuana Act. The bills previously were approved in the Senate. The new […]
Street Talk: The bottom line
The West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum will honor three local sustainable business leaders as inductees to the West Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame at its Triple Bottom Line Bash on Oct. 12. The lifetime achievement award honors individuals who have made the greatest contribution to sustainable business in West Michigan. This year’s class includes: […]
How’s your networking? Better if you follow the rules
I went to a networking meeting hosted by a formal networking organization called Business Network International. Many of you know this group; they have meetings all over the world. This particular chapter meeting was in New York City and is populated by sophisticated business people who are on fire. Note: NYC business people, in general, […]
Change Ups: Foundation awards GED program $7,500 grant
Heartside Ministry received $7,500 to spur its General Education Development program from Old National Bank’s philanthropic arm, the Old National Bank Foundation, which has awarded more than $10 million in grants to nonprofits the past 10 years. HM’s GED classes allow neighbors to get their high school equivalence degree, so more job opportunities are available […]
Construction materials prices dip on monthly, yearly basis
Nonresidential construction input prices and overall input prices fell in August, as energy prices retrenched, according to an analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index by Associated Builders and Contractors. Nonresidential construction input prices were down 0.2 percent on a month-over-month basis and 1.7 percent on a year-over-year basis. The fact overall […]
Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds CONVERSE, Loriellen M. et al, Finance Of America Mortgage, Ada Twp., 6-7-10, $417,000 LANCASTER, Micah by POA et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Railside West No. 4, Lot 141, $408,405 STRAIGHT, Holly et al, Wells Fargo Bank, Western Plains Estates No. 2, Lot 54, $228,000 […]
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STEAM Village pushes student innovation
This year, ArtPrize is focusing more on how art can change education. Last week, the ArtPrize STEAM Village hosted Albert Yu-Min Lin as a keynote speaker for “The Art of Science.” Lin is a scientist and National Geographic Explorer — who is known for his discovery of what might have been Genghis Khan’s tomb in […]
Suppliers and utilities still at odds
Michigan still is awaiting an energy plan, and an announcement last week by Gov. Rick Snyder that discussions between the State of Michigan and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator have produced “a framework that facilitates a state approach for establishing adequate electrical resources to meet reliability requirements,” isn’t putting everyone at ease. According to a release […]
Honesty, integrity always are the best policies
If you are following the news regularly, you should be very concerned about the future of small business. The United States’ cultural advantage in the business world is based on honesty, and the cultural loss of integrity as a fundamental building block of our national makeup will cause drastic changes in how business is done […]
Beware lurking terms and conditions in your contracts
We all know various beasties lurk about in October, the month of Halloween, but beastly provisions also can lurk in contracts, ready to cause misery to the unwary. This is exactly what happened to a Massachusetts food distributor, Siegel Egg Company, in a contract for the purchase of frozen blueberries from Naturipe Foods, the marketing […]
Design tenets apply regardless of size
Matt Gerard believes the design process is the same, no matter the scale of the project. The Visbeen Architects associate was the organizer the previous two seasons of designTHUNK and returned to the podium to lead the first discussion of this year’s lecture series, held monthly at the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building, 17 Pearl St. […]
Legislators flunk; ArtPrize advances education
After all the popular votes were counted and ArtPrize Two closed in game-changing style, the education community wanted opportunities to invest, partake and learn from all that was available in the wondrous mix. ArtPrize Eight elevates the opportunities provided with the kid- (and parent-) popular STEAM Village and its sponsors. In fact, it is more […]
Survey rips into education
Years of budget cuts, pay freezes and other statewide cost-cutting measures at schools throughout Michigan have schoolteachers feeling undervalued and underappreciated, according to a joint survey from the Michigan Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers Michigan. Nearly 11,000 educators, pulled from MEA or AFT Michigan members, completed anonymous online surveys collected over a […]
Lakeshore Advantage sheds light on available resources
West Michigan is populated with available resources and tools to assist fledgling and mid-sized companies grow and succeed. But in the estimation of Lakeshore Advantage, it’s been difficult to connect businesses with those resources. So, the Zeeland-based economic development organization teamed up with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to hatch a plan. From the partnership […]
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Learning never ends at living facility
For residents at Holland Home’s Raybrook and Breton Wood campuses, school is back in session. About two years ago, staff at Holland Home Raybrook was looking for a way to engage the independent living center’s residents and bring them all under one roof to strengthen the community’s culture of growth and learning. With so many […]
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Inside Track: Irwin colors outside the lines
Shelley Irwin likely would not have been this year’s ATHENA Award recipient had she remained content working as a physical therapist. After earning her master’s in physical science therapy from the University of Indianapolis in 1985, Irwin paid the bills working in physical therapy for 15 years in Savannah, Georgia, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina and Rochester. […]
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Arcadia Ales celebrates 20 years
A proud Tim Suprise walked into his boss’ office in 1995 with what he claimed to be good and great news. “The good news is you don’t have to look any further for a vice president of international sales, because he’s right here,” Suprise told the owner of Kalamazoo’s Durametallic Corp. “The great news is […]
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Amway lands airport title sponsorship for $8M
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Amway was named the title sponsor for the Gerald R. Ford International Airport’s new $45 million Gateway Transformation Project. On Sept. 1, Alticor, Amway’s parent company, entered into an $8 million agreement with the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority to become the title sponsor of the new gateway […]
