Grand Rapids Business Journal

A local organization is hosting an online summit this weekend on economic equity in the African American community.

An African American-focused economic development organization will honor several Black-owned businesses and community leaders at a virtual awards ceremony Thursday.

As Michigan emerges from this year’s pandemic-induced recession, its largest research universities are poised to play an essential role, according to a new report.

Rockford-based Sable Homes earned brownfield incentives, allowing construction for a new home development in the city of Newaygo.

Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses and the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are partnering with Flagstar Bank to administer $150,000 in grant funds in West Michigan.

Comcast is awarding $25,000 to Grand Rapids Area Black Businesses to help support small businesses.

The Rapid, in partnership with the cities of Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming, will host a free virtual lecture and Q&A session from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 19 focused on small-scale development strategies for the Division Avenue corridor.

The city of Grand Rapids is entering a partnership with other local entities to remove a critical barrier to future redevelopment of the Market Avenue corridor.

A new guide that builds off the Reopen Main Street website, which offers communities COVID-19 response and recovery resources, is providing communities with ideas to give them a jumpstart on preparing for and celebrating winter safely.

Talent recruitment and economic development organizations Hello West Michigan and The Right Place are turning their annual Thanksgiving Eve career fair into a virtual event the week before Thanksgiving.

A pair of industrial sites in West Michigan — including the future Kent County Department of Public Works sustainable business park — have been awarded a total of $150,000 in site readiness grants from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

The Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority recently received Michigan Strategic Fund approval of a brownfield work plan that will include $228,939 in state tax capture reimbursement for the Leonard Development project.

A new study from Business Roundtable finds international trade supported 1,105,400 jobs in Michigan in 2018 and represented nearly one out of every five jobs in the state before the pandemic.

Lakeshore Advantage is conducting its second cohort of SURGE Boostcamp with an updated approach this fall.

The West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce selected its inaugural class of 35 fellows for its new Building Bridges through Education fellowship initiative.

The ninth annual Young Professionals of Color Conference will take place online next week.

The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the grand opening of the Downtown Muskegon Social District with a ribbon-cutting ceremony late Thursday afternoon.

Following planning and community engagement efforts spanning more than three years, the city of Kentwood has adopted an updated master plan that serves as the city’s long-range vision for growth, land use, development and open space conservation.

Perrigo is investing $44.7 million to move its North American corporate headquarters to Medical Mile in downtown Grand Rapids in a move that will create 170 jobs.

Bazzani Building Company is redeveloping an underutilized building in the West Garfield neighborhood.

Koops Automation Systems in Holland is launching its third expansion in four years.

The region’s workforce development agency is joining construction industry professionals and organizations across the nation in hosting events for Careers in Construction Month.

Hilite International is launching an expansion in Whitehall that is expected to create 108 jobs and generate a total private investment of $9.6 million.

The state’s business roundtable hired the former director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity as its next president and CEO.

West Michigan small businesses are benefiting from a statewide, $100 million grant program to the tune of over $12.3 million, thanks to the efforts of a pair of regional economic development organizations.