September 30, 2013
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Virtual pharmacist
The Michigan Senate recently gave unanimous approval to a measure sponsored by Sen. Goeff Hansen, R-Hart, that could lead to new approaches in the way medical prescriptions are delivered to the end-user. Senate Bill 373 would enable pharmacies to conduct pilot projects involving new or expanded technologies or processes to provide patients with prescription drugs […]
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Maintaining brain health requires some work
The phrase “use it or lose it” doesn’t refer only to the body. According to The National Institutes of Health, the brain requires one hour per day of mental exercise to stay active and sharp. The brain ages in the same way the body does — it atrophies, neurons die and the speed of processing […]
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Wright & Filippis prepares for a milestone
Wright & Filippis of Rochester Hills announced it has retained Grand Rapids-based Lambert, Edwards & Associates and SMZ Advertising Inc. to begin a statewide media and marketing campaign centered around its 70th anniversary next year. Wright & Filippis is a Michigan company specializing in prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory care services and other medical equipment for use […]
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Is fair always equal? Challenges in family business succession
Families face many challenges when passing ownership of the family business between generations. A key component to succession planning is determining how to treat children equally when dividing assets among them while doing what is best for the business and the family. A desire for equality among children adds tremendous stress to the planning process […]
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Business leaders: Do your people want to listen to you?
I’m at a corporate conference about to give my 90-minute, customized, personalized talk. I spent hours preparing it — as I do all my talks — and I’ve spent the last 20 years improving my speaking, presentation and performance skills. I’m not just a speaker. I’m a student speaker. Anyway, before my talk, the two […]
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Change Ups: Kendall hires community arts advocate
Salvador Jimenez is Kendall College of Art and Design’s new community arts advocate. Jimenez will develop relationships with multicultural communities that contain underrepresented, underserved and first-generation student populations. He will also serve as a liaison to multicultural outreach organizations such as West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology and Hispanic Center of West Michigan, where […]
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Public Record
MORTGAGES Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds LIU, Karen May et al, Flagstar Bank, Condo-Cannon Hills Condominiums, $238,300 BAKEWELL, Karen L. et al, Quicken Loans, Lowell, $271,900 THUM, Melissa E. et al, PNC Mortgage, Beyhill Plat, Lot 14, $203,800 KAMP, Jared P. et al, Founders Bank & Trust, Ada Twp., 7-7-10, $206,000 […]
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Street Talk: Leaders for this time
Community businesses have been enthusiastic about several new leaders taking important positions in Grand Rapids: most recently Christian Gaines, executive director of ArtPrize; Kim Dabbs, director of West Michigan Creative and Technology Center; David Rosen, president of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University; and Mimi Fritz, director of the new Downtown […]
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County health department offers TB testing
Health care workers and those seeking employment in other areas who need a test for tuberculosis can get one at the Kent County Health Department. However, that testing will cost more because of a shortage of the serum used in the TB skin test — one of two ways the TB bacteria can be detected. […]
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Falls present obstacle to keeping seniors in their homes
A little more than 10 years ago, Jeff Swain took a call from his dad’s friend. Swain’s father had fallen and had laid on the floor for more than 16 hours. Without the friend stopping by, he likely might have died, according to Swain. “He probably should have died,” Swain said. “He was on the […]
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Inside Track: No stranger to change
Paul Brand’s first years were spent in the midst of some of the most profound change a major American city has endured. Getting used to change, and planning for more, would behoove anyone like Brand, whose career has been spent in the rapidly changing health care industry. This summer, Brand was named executive vice president […]
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Consumers Energy pushes back closing of B.C. Cobb plant to 2016
With the economy improving and demand for electricity increasing, Consumers Energy has decided to delay its planned closing of the coal-fired B.C. Cobb generating plant in Muskegon, and six other small coal plants, until the first quarter of 2016. Roger Morgenstern, senior public information director for Consumers Energy in West Michigan, said the utility’s management […]
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New campaign targets out-of-state talent
(As seen on WZZM TV 13) Hello West Michigan, a regional talent attraction and retention initiative, launched a campaign earlier this month promoting West Michigan to the Chicago market. The campaign, “Find Your Reason,” promotes West Michigan as a great place to live and work. It is the first member-driven campaign launched by the organization, […]
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Meyer leads Porter Hills plan to expand help to homebound seniors
Porter Hills has hired Sister Nathalie Meyer, OP, as its community liaison — a new leadership position that will direct the organization’s community outreach efforts with area employers, congregations and other organizations that want a more comprehensive approach to the problem of homebound seniors with chronic diseases. Meyer is the former president of the Grand […]
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Bruise-free apple harvester invented on the Fruit Ridge
A small Conklin company that builds and repairs farm machinery for fruit growers all over the U.S. and Canada has devised and patented a vacuum apple-harvesting machine that may be able to speed up the process by 20 percent without bruising the fruit. Phil Brown of Phil Brown Welding Corp., located among the orchards on […]
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Is manufacturing a liability to West Michigan’s economy?
Michigan’s political leaders, on a bipartisan basis, have made manufacturing the linchpin of their plans for restoring Michigan to prosperity. That is particularly true in West Michigan. There is no question that manufacturing — and its high-paying factory jobs — was the key ingredient to Michigan being one of the most prosperous places on the […]
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Outbreak of residential projects supports changing lifestyle
Call it a rash or a flurry. Or maybe it’s simply filling a pent-up demand in the market after years of inactivity during the Great Recession. Whatever the reason — and there are likely a dozen, developers have come forward over the past few months with a slew of residential projects, large and small, for […]
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Exchange enrollment starts tomorrow
Cherry Street Health Services in Grand Rapids is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in Michigan. It provides integrated health care services at 20 locations, with approximately 800 employees and a network of 60 doctors and midlevel care providers specializing in primary care/family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, optometry and psychiatry. The nonprofit has been […]
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Safety Ambassador program addresses entrenched problems
After reading the Sept. 23 Business Journal editorial, “Safety ambassadors are a confusing redundancy, expense,” I felt compelled to respond to offer a little different perspective on this issue. Speaking on behalf of Dwelling Place’s interests as a property owner and a DID assessment payer, it seems evident to me that the GRBJ (and perhaps […]
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Business owners now need the ACA facts
Oct. 1 marks the first day of open enrollment in the new health insurance exchanges — or marketplaces — mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Business Journal is not entering the fray of the political philosophies close to imperiling the federal budget and its credit ratings, but offers facts for business […]
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Local firms lead Port Huron redevelopment project
The city of Port Huron hasn’t been a targeted destination for local developers. But this time three Grand Rapids firms played instrumental roles in getting most of a $27 million development up and running on the city’s waterfront along the St. Clair River at the base of Lake Huron. Orion Construction, JB Real Estate Development […]
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Law firm Hilger Hammond pleased with its business model
Wanting to put into practice a different type of business model than he’d witnessed so far during his legal career, attorney Steve Hilger struck out on his own in 2008. He quickly gained partners Ben Hammond and Aileen Leipprandt, and later Mark Rysberg, forming the present day Hilger Hammond. The law firm, which is located […]
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Grand Rapids outsmarts federal sequester reduction
In a somewhat ironic turn of events, the federal sequester has negatively impacted an economic development bond the city of Grand Rapids got through the federal government four years ago. Now, city officials are refunding the bond through the “what’s in your wallet?” public financing arm. In 2009, the city used the Build America Bond […]
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GRBCC launches speaker series
Entrepreneur and author Claud Anderson visited Grand Rapids last week as part of the Grand Rapids Black Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Entrepreneurial Speaker Series. The GRBCC plans to hold the speaker series annually. It promises to bring dynamic and inspiring leaders in the African-American community to Grand Rapids to discuss relevant economic issues and the […]
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City office to start gardening process
Although fall normally means an end to the growing season, the Grand Rapids Economic Development Office began tilling the concrete and asphalt fields last week to start a three-year economic gardening venture. “This is a new service model directly related to economic gardening,” said City Economic Development Director Kara Wood to commissioners last week. In […]
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Downtown organizational transformation nearly complete
Grand Rapids city commissioners transferred a services agreement the city has had with the Downtown Improvement District since 2000 to the new Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. last week. “This is a transformation of downtown that will create new efficiencies,” said Mayor George Heartwell. For the past 13 years, the DID has overseen the special tax […]
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Commissioners set millage spending guidelines
If Grand Rapids voters approve a millage request for parks in November, the city will spend about half of the revenue the levy will generate each year to make repairs and rehabilitate the system. City commissioners set that funding guideline, along with others, last week — well in advance of the ballot proposal that goes […]
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Manufacturers going before commission
Grand Rapids city commissioners will hear from two manufacturers next week that are planning to expand their services and are asking for industrial tax exemptions. One of the companies plans to add more than 100 new jobs from its investment. Firstronic will come before the commission with two requests. The first will be to amend […]
