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Kalamazoo Foundation receives $200,000 grant to fight racism

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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May 20, 2010

A national effort to promote racial healing, led by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, has enlisted the efforts of one of Kalamazoo's leading organizations. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation has been awarded a $200,000 grant, one of 119 organizations to be funded in the Kellogg Foundation's new five-year, $75 million "America Healing" racial equity initiative. The effort is intended take on structural racism and expand opportunities for vulnerable children.The national initiative will address the effects of such issues as residential segregation and concentrated poverty. Its aim is to improve the lives of vulnerable children and their families by eliminating barriers to opportunities. Children of color are over-represented among the 29 million low-income children and families in the United States. About 61 percent of African American, 62 percent of Latino, 58 percent of children with immigrant parents live in low-income families, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty.In Kalamazoo, two nonprofit groups that works with young people, a group of young people and the Community Foundation itself will be looking at local practices and policies "to get to the meat of overcoming structural barriers," says Dr. Sharon Anderson.The work undertaken by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation will go beyond conversation. "We think people want to do something more than just talk about it, but no one has asked them to do more," Anderson says. "Our objective is to find various examples of how structural change plays out. We will be learning as we go."Participants will be asked to commit to a three-year process. They will evaluate programs being used elsewhere and learn how certain systems now in place locally discriminate against people of color. Projects and policies that reduce institutional racism are expected to emerge."When we are done," Anderson says, "we hope people will have a real sense of achievement."Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Dr. Sharon Anderson, Kalamazoo Community Foundation

Local marathon invites people to run for the health of it

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Economic Development

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May 20, 2010

Kalamazoo is jumping to the front of the pack in helping Southwest Michigan sustain a healthier lifestyle, one of the motivating factors behind plans for the city's first marathon.The event has been set for the weekend of May 6-8, 2011, to accompany a weekend of running events that will showcase what the city has to offer.The Kalamazoo Marathon will build on the success of the Borgess Run for the Health of It, a local road race that has been drawing runners to the area for more than 30 years. In 2010 there were 5,000 people who turned out for the various race events, including a half-marathon, health walk, 5k and kids run.Director of the Borgess Health and Fitness Center Janeen Dosca, this year's race director, is working with Blaine Lam and Gazelle Sports co-owner, Chris Lampen-Crowell, to develop the event.Organizers expect the marathon to draw runners from across the Midwest. People were asking how to sign up even before formal announcement of the event took place, Lam says.Chris Lampen-Crowell, owner of Gazelle Sports, says there is a pent-up demand for a marathon in Kalamazoo, home to the state's largest running club.Lampen-Crowell says the event will be a "very special marathon that celebrates health."Major sponsors for next year are already in place. Meijer and Priority Health will remain sponsors, and support will also come from AVB Construction, Discover Kalamazoo, Gazelle Sports, K-Valley Orthopedics, Kalamazoo Orthopedic Clinic, Pfizer, Premier Radiology and RiverRun Press.For further details and the latest updates on routes and other information, visit Borgess Run for The Health of It.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource:  Janeen Dosca, Borgess Health and Fitness Center

Whirlpool Building Blocks will help in company’s own backyard

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Economic Development

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May 13, 2010

This year, the fifth for the program, homes will go up in communities in which Whirlpool Corporation has manufacturing, customer service and administrative offices: Benton Harbor, Mich.; Cleveland, Tenn.; Findlay, Ohio; Williamsburg, Iowa; and Yakima, Wash. Homes also will be built on university campuses to involve college students in the program.Details regarding build dates, university campus build locations and volunteer opportunities will be posted to the Whirlpool brand Web site and the Whirlpool Building Blocks Facebook page when available.In total, 36 Habitat homes have been built with partner families in Nashville, Phoenix, Dallas and Atlanta as part of the Whirlpool Building Blocks program. The program, created in 2006, is an extension of Whirlpool Corporation's support of Habitat for Humanity. Whirlpool has donated more than 10,000 products to Habitat ReStores and has engaged more than 6,000 employee volunteers.The company's commitment to Habitat also includes sponsorship of and participation in Habitat's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project and the donation of a range and refrigerator to every new Habitat home built in the United States, totaling more than 110,000 appliances to date. In 2011 Whirlpool Corporation also will support every Habitat home built globally, either through home sponsorship, product donation or volunteerism.Whirlpool's marketing partnership with Habitat for Humanity recently was named the No. 6 most influential cause marketing program of the past 30 years by Advertising Age.Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International, says, "We are grateful for all the ways that Whirlpool Corporation -- and its employees -- help strengthen families, and we are excited about what the next phase of the partnership holds."Writer: Kathy JenningsSource:  Jeff Noel, Whirlpool Corporation

Kalamazoo company takes top award for its hugs and more

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Economic Development

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May 13, 2010

It was an award ceremony recognizing elite companies in West Michigan, the 101 Best and Brightest.As the awards were announced one-by-one, nerves mounted for the owners of Valley Oak Financial as they tried to imagine telling their employees the award for Elite Small Business had gone to another company. Matthew and Amber Rzepka didn't have to deliver that talk. Valley Oak Financial was named "Best of Best" among West Michigan's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. Not best of just the small companies, best of all companies.All 101 companies were honored at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville, Mich., and 11 Elite winners were named. There were awards for: Communication, Community Initiatives, Compensation and Benefits, Diversity and Multiculturalism, Employee Education and Development, Employee Engagement and Commitment, Recognition and Retention, Recruitment and Selection, Work-Life Balance, Small Business and the "Best of the Best." The "Best of the Best" award from the Michigan Business and Professional Association goes to the company that excels in every category and hits a high score in all areas its human resource practices.Amber Rzepka can barely contain her excitement as she tells how the 10-person financial services company in Kalamazoo with 550 clients came to receive the coveted recognition. She attributes it to the company's dual ownership system that calls for one person to focus on serving the clients and another that places equal emphasis on Valley Oak Financial's employees."We believe that any environment goes toxic if left untended," she says. "We work to maintain an excellent culture for both our clients and our employees."From hiring to every-day operations, the company works to keep employees happy in the belief that engaged employees better serve its clients.In the interview process, prospective employees' families are invited to come in to find out about the company. Valley Oak Financial also uses reverse interviews for prospective employees. Once employees have joined the company and they are using their strengths every day, further programs offer frequent rewards and recognition. Through the company's HUG program any supervisor can award an employee $50 whenever they recognize a job well done. Employees are treated especially well on their birthdays when they get to go on a shopping trip. There is a more serious side of employee engagement, as well. Using the Harvard Business School case study model employees are brought in on business decisions to see how they are made. Reviewing the case studies also serves as training. "We want our employees to be not just good CPAs but good business people." For the Best and Brightest award, companies initially nominate themselves. Information they submit is corroborated and evaluated by a third party. Each company's entry is evaluated by an independent research firm. "It is with careful consideration that we have chosen our Elite winners this year. We are proud to provide a platform for West Michigan companies to demonstrate all they provide to their employees," says Jennifer Kluge, COO and executive vice president of the Michigan Business and Professional Association. "These select 101 companies recognize employees with competitive community initiatives, as well as other significant factors."Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Amber Rzepka, Valley Oak Financial, PLC

Young owners, hip businesses headed downtown

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Economic Development

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May 13, 2010

The year's not even half over and already downtown Kalamazoo has welcomed five new retailers, two new restaurants, one bank branch and one theater. Two more retailers are in the wings. That doesn't even count a retailer and restaurant that opened their doors downtown during December -- the scooter store, Ace's Cycle, and fine European dining spot, Rustica.Rob Peterson, of Downtown Kalamazoo Inc., says this business boom is really not surprising. The newcomers simply are meeting a demand that has been growing in Kalamazoo for shops and restaurants not like those found anywhere else. "People in Kalamazoo have been craving something a little unique. They don't want the same store you can find in every other town."The new shops also are opening because other local retailers are running their businesses well and it is attracting business downtown. "They're focusing on customer service and they are creating something wonderful for patrons -- something more than putting merchandise on a shelf." As more shops continue to stay open later in the evening and patrons find there is more to downtown than athletic shoes and attire at Gazelle Sports, Peterson expects the current momentum to continue to build.Another encouraging note -- the majority of the new businesses are being started by young owners, so the next generation of downtown businesses could be growing up. Here's the roll call:• Retro, 240 S. Kalamazoo Mall, sells vintage furniture and accessories, primarily from the 1950s through the 1970s. The store moved from its previous South Westnedge Avenue location where it has been for the past 10 years;• An eclectic new store, i heart ipanema, 115 W. Lovell St., got its start at the online retail site Etsy. It offers apparel for women and men. It also sells art and vinyl;  • Big Steps shoe store, 245 S. Kalamazoo Mall, sells sizes 13 to 22 for men and 10 to 17 for women. It fits into 850 square feet of the commercial space that formerly housed Terrapin. (Terrapin moved next door.); • Cakes Boutique, 245 S. Burdick, is a clothing retailer doing business in 1,000 square feet of the space, owned by Patti Reinholt. Its motto is bringing big city shopping for women's apparel and accessories to Kalamazoo at affordable prices. It shares space with Big Steps; • Isabel Soto Jewelry, 155 Farmers Alley, offers pieces designed by artisans from around the world. The new showroom is open only by appointment;• Consumers Credit Union, 125 S. Kalamazoo Mall. The downtown Kalamazoo branch, will be Consumers' 13th credit union branch in West Michigan. The 3,000-square-foot branch is expected to employ four people;• Studio 246, 246 N. Kalamazoo Mall, is the home to Crawlspace Evictions Productions, Fancy Pants Theater, and Kinetic Affect. The troupes appear in rotation at the theater; • Casa Bolero, fine Mexican restaurant with a full wet bar, now doing business at 116 Portage Road;• Studio Grill, 312 W. Michigan Ave., opened this winter as a bakery and coffee shop and now offers casual dining restaurant as well.Joining them soon will be Brewer's Garden, 248 N. Kalamazoo Mall. It will offer specialty ingredients that homebrewers otherwise might not find in the Kalamazoo area -- such as organic hops grown by Michigan farmers. The 800-square-foot space is in the 200 block of the North Mall across from the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Confection, a specialty baker, 230 S. Kalamazoo Mall, will be a full-service bakery that will sell muffins, cones, cookies and donuts. When it opens the plans are for a full espresso bar, sandwiches, salads and some entrees for lunch. Peterson says downtown retailers and restaurateurs lobbied DKI two years ago to focus on recruiting and retaining businesses, duties that had been spread among several DKI employees. It became his job to pay attention to what could be done. "The first thing I ask myself each morning is what can I do to move the cause forward." And while he says he does not want to give himself too much credit, that attention has helped lead to success downtown.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Rob Peterson, DKI

Can you say vaccination in Spanish?

By Newsroom

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Health

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May 13, 2010

Vacuna is the word for shots in Spanish -- flu shots that is. It's one of the first Spanish words learned by Dr. Karen Janson in the Spanish club offered by South Haven Community Hospital for its staff and their spouses, reports the Herald-Palladium.The pediatrician has learned to use the word carefully so as not to set off tears among her young patients. Excerpt:The Spanish club has nearly 60 participants who meet weekly. It was the brainchild of Dr. Sylvia Mustonen, who works at the hospital's Covert clinic, said hospital President and CEO Joanne Urbanski. The meetings are led by Mustonen and Alex De La Cruz, the husband of another hospital physician, Jeanne Alvarado.At a recent class the group reviewed Spanish words that start with "ch."One of the words mentioned was chata, which means bedpan in Spanish. That's an example of a word that could be helpful for hospital staff.The story goes on to say the hospital has a number of translators but there never seem to be enough. So they decided to use a fun approach to get more people speaking Spanish.Source: Herald-Palladium

FireKeepers Casino keeps its word to Battle Creek

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Arts & Culture

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May 13, 2010

FireKeepers Casino has kept its promise to spend locally, reports the Battle Creek Enquirer.About 40 percent of FireKeepers' spending happens within a roughly 60-mile radius of the Emmett Township casino, according to the newspaper's analysis of spending data provided by the casino.Excerpt: FireKeepers spent nearly $12.8 million on supplies between its August opening and late-April, according to the documents.About 22 percent of that $12.8 million was spent in nearby counties, including $2.5 million, or about 20 percent of the casino's total spending, in Calhoun County.FireKeepers spent about $1.94 million in Battle Creek, according to the documents.The story goes on to say a big, positive impact on the local economy was one of the casino's biggest selling points to critics before it opened.And $2.5 million could be a big, positive impact for Calhoun County, said George Erickcek, a senior analyst with Kalamazoo's W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research who is studying FireKeepers' impact on Calhoun County. While FireKeepers could be tough competition for existing restaurants, the casino is spending the kind of money that could allow the beneficiaries of that spending to add jobs, Erickcek said.For a further breakdown on the casino's spending, read the entire story.Source: Battle Creek Enquirer

Windy City residents invited to check out St. Joseph

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Environment & Sustainability

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May 13, 2010

When Chicagoans pick out their next vacation home they're being invited to look a bit closer.Instead of heading hours up the shoreline of Lake Michigan the Windy City summer refugees are being asked to look at a new development in St. Joseph, reports Crain's Chicago Business. About 100 miles from Chicago, Harbor Shores sits on 530 acres assembled by Evergreen Development LLC, a nonprofit partnership for economic renewal headed by retired Whirlpool Corp. CEO David Whitwam.The development group has ambitious plans to put up close to 800 residential units, with some custom homes topping $1 million.The 18-hole golf course at the center of the development will open in June, with designer and professional golf legend Jack Nicklaus slated to attend a grand-opening celebration on Aug. 10.Excerpt:Ron Eng, director of marketing, predicts that 60 percent of Harbor Shores' buyers will come from Chicago seeking second homes. Billboards on Interstate 94 already promote the development, and ads in Chicago media will soon follow."For years, vacationers looking along the lakeshore skipped the twin cities of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph because we were viewed as manufacturing centers," he says. Now, Harbor Shores will create "a Grand Traverse-type of experience with three or four hours' less driving."Source: Crain's Chicago Business

ChemLink’s green products seal the deal

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Economic Development

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May 13, 2010

The construction business is going green. ChemLink, Advanced Architectural Products is leading the way. It was green before green was in demand.Founded 20 years ago, the privately held company has grown from a three-person operation to one with 45 employees, distributors and sales reps across the country.At a time when the U.S. construction industry has been down by 20 to 40 percent in some places, ChemLink has experienced sales growth of 20 percent in Michigan and 15 percent for its North American sales. Longtime employee Gail Nelson attributes much of that growth to the company's unique commitment to creating products that are safe for people and the environment.Equally important is that the sealants, adhesives and similar products the company develops and sells are strong and durable.ChemLink products are made with polyethers. That means they do not give off the toxins that harm the nervous system, kidneys and lungs of people who use them on a regular basis. Third party testing companies have certified the safety of ChemLink products."Contractors have told us for years they like the products because they work and they (the contractors) don't have to worry about being sick when they get old," Nelson says.And the company that prides itself on being contractor driven listens carefully when people in the business tell them what they need or how a product can be improved.At the heart of the operation is owner Phillip Georgeau, a chemist who turns out products one after the other in response to customers' requests. "We've become known as problem-solvers. That's why we've been able to do what we have done," Nelson says.  She says in the early years the company did not tout the environmental soundness of its products because then the prevailing attitude was that if it was green it probably was inferior quality. Now manufacturers are coming to ChemLink to find out more about their product line. Some of the early days were lean. Georgeau worked in the lab to create the products he believed in as his wife, Betty, supported the family on her nurse's salary.The company was built with no grants, loans or outside help. "In many ways, the company has grown solely from the sacrifice of its owners," Nelson says.As the company grew it expanded into three locations, but after an exhaustive search, three years ago it moved under one roof in Schoolcraft. The 50,000-square-foot building houses state-of-the-art labs, offices, manufacturing operations and warehousing. Nelson says the company also is unique in its loyalty to employees. She cites ChemLink's  continued coverage of  employees' health insurance at a time when the cost has driven many employers to drop coverage. "They care about their employees," Nelson says.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Gail Nelson, ChemLink

A cup of coffee that can change someone’s life in St. Joseph

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Health

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May 13, 2010

New Beginnings has a program that not only helps people get a new start each day, but changes lives, reports the Herald-Palladium.The program works with people with mental illnesses, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and personality disorder. Participants range in age from 18 to their 60s. Some, because of their mental illness, haven't graduated from high school, while others were leading normal lives until their illness sent them off track. New Beginnings has opened Kaffe de Art, where its members can learn skills they missed along the way. Excerpt: The shop, at 301 Main St. in downtown St. Joseph, serves espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, regular coffees and other beverages and snacks such as yogurt, granola, pastries, muffins and bagels. New Beginnings helps its "members," as Kray calls them, get their GED certificate, go to college or get a job. There are about 40 participants, a staff of eight, and two volunteers. New Beginnings members will work at Kaffe de Art, or at 2nd Impressions, the consignment shop next door that will open in June, if it helps them with their rehabilitation. The story goes on to say the program emphasizes  holistic wellness, including nutrition, exercise, mediation, relaxation and general stress management," Kray said. "We also offer financial literacy classes and encourage and assist individuals to move toward independent living or find safe and affordable housing. Basically whatever they need to live productive, stable and satisfying lives."To find out more, read the entire story. Source: Herald-Palladium