National City Corp.'s monthly index of Midwest small business confidence rebounded in August after steadily declining for four months.

The index for Michigan went in the opposite direction, declining this month after moving upward in July, and is again the worst among seven Midwest states.

Continue reading "National City index dips for Michigan, rises for Midwest" »

The founder of Michigan State University's neurology department will lead the neurosciences program at Saint Mary's Health Care in Grand Rapids.

The university and health system today announced the appointment of David Kaufman, D.O., as medical director for neurosciences at Saint Mary's Health Care.

Kaufman will lead physician recruitment and oversee the program at Saint Mary's and its Hauenstein Center neurosciences hospital that opens next year, while maintaining his role as department chairman at MSU's College of Human Medicine and College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Continue reading "MSU, Saint Mary's alliance leads to appointment" »

Energy Conversion Devices Inc., the parent company of solar laminate maker United Solar Ovonic, said Thursday it closed its fiscal 2008 with rising profits and revenues on operational improvements and stronger gross margins.

The Rochester Hills-based company [Nasdaq:ENER] said it earned $9.9 million, or 24 cents a share, for the fourth quarter ended June 30. That compares with net income of $7 million or 17 cents during the third quarter and a net loss of $13.1 million, or 33 cents, during the fourth quarter of 2007.

The company also has operations in Greenville.

Continue reading "Energy Conversion Devices closes FY2008 on rising profits, sales" »

Winners from Business Review's 2007 Deals of the Year include:

Deal of the Year
-- JW Marriott opens in Grand Rapids

Dealmaker of the Year
-- Duke Suwyn

Finance
-- Wells Fargo acquires & makes Universal Services statewide
-- First Angels created in Kalamazoo
-- First Resource & United Credit Union merge

Commercial Real Estate
-- Grubb & Ellis|Paramount Commerce brokers sale of Steelcase campus
-- S.J. Wisinski allies with RDG and Edmark
-- PlazaCorp continues redevelopment of downtown Kalamazoo campus

Not-for-profits/Associations
-- Girl Scouts of Glowing Embers Council finishes new building, expands coverage
-- Irving S. Gilmore Foundation funds area arts groups after state cutbacks
-- Grand Rapids Art Museum finishes new building

Retail
-- Spartan Stores buys Felpausch
-- Rave Theater opens in downtown Kalamazoo
-- Village of Orchard Hills set to be region's first "life style center"

Commercial Development
-- Grand Landing under development in Grand Haven
-- Muskegon Mall continues redevelopment
-- Robert Grooters Development builds River House condos

Health Care/Life Sciences
-- Deal signed to create the MSU College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids
-- Priority Health buys Care Choices
-- Mercy Genereal & Hackley Hospital in Muskegon merging

Construction
-- Medical Mile continues development in downtown Grand Rapids
-- Greenleaf developing downtown Kalamazoo Miller Canfield building
-- Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Inians finishes Four Winds casino in New Buffalo Township

Economic Development
-- Pfizer donates Holland R&D facility to Michigan State University, brokered by Lakeshore Advantage
-- Southwest Michigan First and Right Place Inc. partner for regional life-sciences study
-- SBTDC finds new hosts in WMU and Northside Economic Potential Group

Manufacturing
-- Konica Minolta moves U.S. headquarters to Grand Rapids and continues expansion
-- Perrigo makes key acquisitions
-- Steelcase buys Ultra Group Co. Ltd.

Photos from 2007 award ceremony

Continue reading "2007 Deals of the Year Image Gallery" »

In March of 2007 I introduced legislation to make Michigan a right-to-work state.

Simply stated, in an RTW state, an employee who works for a company that has a collective bargaining agreement with a union is not required to join that union or pay dues to that union. Currently in Michigan, an employee of a company that is represented by a union may be compelled to pay dues or an "agency fee" to the union that represents the workers.

Continue reading "Is Michigan ready to become a right-to-work state?" »

Two weeks ago Ascribe was being used to showcase construction projects in a dozen states. Last week use of the software had spread to 15 states.

The subscription network service may be growing quickly because there's nothing else like it, as far as owners Jason Carpenter and Doug Huyser of Classic Labs in Grand Rapid know. It works something like an Internet social network for construction projects.

Continue reading "Software boosts construction projects" »

With the banks off its back for the time being and a proposal to cut its debts from $411 million to $267 million, Grand Rapids-based X-Rite Inc. [Nasdaq: XRIT] saw its share prices nudging upward last week. From a low of $1.10 per share in May, common shares were pushing $4 August 22. The company also announced it expects to hit $5 per share for the year.

If shareholders approve, the transaction is expected to close in the company's fourth fiscal quarter.

Continue reading "Color tech co. X-Rite aims to switch red ink to black" »

New state regulations targeting repetitive-stress injuries on the job would require more employers to offer ergonomic training and work to correct reported injuries.

The proposed rules, outlined for two regulatory panels Aug. 25, would impose new costs on already hard-pressed small businesses, critics say, while supporters call them a reasonable response to growing concerns about workplace injuries.

Continue reading "Some fear proposed ergonomics rules could strain small business, manufacturers" »

One of academic life's privileges is being paid to explore the world of ideas.

More than 20 years ago, sustainability entered my world view. At that time, Peter Wege was already sharing his ideas of economicology (a value-producing union of economics and ecology) as part of work of the Center for Environmental Study, then housed at Grand Rapids Community College.

Continue reading "Finding a unique place for sustainability in business" »

The medical supply industry is helping to keep construction and real estate companies off life support as they seek new facilities for growing businesses.

An old Cracker Barrel restaurant building in Walker will make way for the fifth BioLife Plasma Services donation center in Michigan and the third in the Grand Rapids area.

Continue reading "Medical expansions continue to boost construction and real estate" »

If the prospective clients had the money to do it, Jim Medsker figures his business would generate a lot more revenue than it does today.

A principal at Keystone Product Development, Medsker has seen people approach his firm with good ideas that he believes could become products. They just can't get the capital they need to take it toward commercialization.

Continue reading "Financing tomorrow's economy now" »

At a certain point here, Michigan has to take a stand.

All of us feel the desperation of ongoing economic trials and concern over how national struggles will further affect Michigan's economy.

Continue reading "Show business" »

Here's the percentage change in residential real estate sales of west Michigan Realtor associations between the year-to-date numbers for June 2008 and June 2007. All seven associations showed a decrease in the average price of sales, but four of those associations' numbers did not decrease as much as the state total did.

The Battle Creek Area Association of Realtors was the only one to experience an increase in the number of sales. The Grand Rapids Association of Realtors took the biggest hit in sale prices, while the St. Joseph County Association of Realtors had the biggest percent drop in number of sales

View the residential real estate sales chart

Seeing the potential to gain much more business, Edward Jones & Co. is proceeding with an aggressive expansion of its footprint in the Grand Rapids area.

After opening nine offices in the last 12 months, the St. Louis, Mo.-based financial services firm is planning another 42 offices within five years, taking its Grand Rapids-area market presence to 100 locations.

Continue reading "Edward Jones plans to grow Grand Rapids presence" »

The first Hyatt Place in western Michigan also will be the first LEED-certified location in the hotel chain.

The external structure of the Hyatt Place Grand Rapids/Wyoming is complete, General Manager Bo Schmitz said. The building is 80 percent enclosed, with only the windows left to install.

Continue reading "First Hyatt in western Michigan a LEED prototype" »

He knows he's repeating himself. But David Van Andel believes it's a message that needs repeating: Staying the course and maintaining a commitment is essential for Michigan to continue building life sciences as a larger economic sector.

"As we said from the get-go, this is a long-term play. This is not something that is going to happen overnight. This is a 10- to 20-year horizon for us to be in that game and be doing this thing at the level we had hoped to get to," said Van Andel, chairman and CEO of the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, which his late parents, Jay and Betty Van Andel, founded 12 years ago.

Continue reading "Van Andel: Consistency matters in life sciences" »