Economic Development

Coverage of projects, big and small, and the people who create them, which promote the economic health of a community, including manufacturing, retail, office, and hospitality developments.

Kalamazoo’s Larry Bell gets a cheer from his peers

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April 15, 2010

The Brewers Association has recognized Larry Bell of Bell's Brewery for his dedication and service to the industry, reports Draft Magazine. The magazine that ranks the best beers of the year says the industry recognition came at the opening session of the Brewers Association's annual Craft Brewers Conference April 7 in Boulder, Colo. Excerpt: The Brewers Association Recognition Award went to Larry Bell, Founder and Owner of Bell's Brewery, Inc. Bell started the Kalamazoo Brewing Company and Bell's Brewery, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1985, the earliest craft brewery in the eastern half of the United States. Larry's dedication to the industry includes serving as a former chair of the Brewers Association's predecessor organization and acting as a driving force with current Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper for the creation of American Beer Month (which evolved into American Craft Beer Week). "Larry is a leader in our industry known for his innovative beers and the passion he brings to craft brewing," said Brewers Association Board of Directors Chair Nick Matt, CEO of Matt Brewing Company. Mountain West Brewery Supply's David Edgar noted in documents supporting Bell's nomination that "Larry is continually pushing the envelope with experimenting with different grains, different yeast strains and plenty of hops." For a look a who else was recognized, read the entire story. Source: Draft magazine

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MBA business center opening celebrated at WMU

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Economic Development

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April 15, 2010

As business becomes increasingly global Western Michigan wants its students to be prepared.WMU's Haworth College of Business celebrated the opening of the new Master's in Business Administration Program Office and Global Business Center Tuesday, April 13. Members of the University community were there for a ribbon cutting ceremony and to hear remarks from President John M. Dunn.The center, under construction for months, occupies an area in the northeast corner of the large student study lounge on the main floor."Global business is the norm rather than the exception," says Dr. Ajay Samant, interim dean of the Haworth College of Business. "The primary focus of the Global Business Center," Samant continues, "is to facilitate and enhance the internationalization of the curriculum, faculty and students through multiple opportunities, including international internships, study abroad programs, competitions, conferences, partnerships and speaker series."In addition, the suite provides a permanent presence for our MBA program, which has been in existence for more than 50 years," Samant says. "Our graduate students are encouraged to use the space as a meeting place to interact with one another, work on team projects or hold networking events."The goals of the Haworth College of Business include:-- providing an environment supportive of student learning and achievement and faculty scholarship, development and achievement.-- being a strong partner with communities and business.-- advancing diversity and providing a positive work climate for students, staff and faculty.Dr. Zahir Quraeshi, professor of marketing, is director of the Global Business Center, while Dr. Jack Ruhl, acting associate dean for the Haworth College, is program director. Barb Caras-Tomczak is the center's academic advisor.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Valorie Juergens, WMU

NuWave sees its future in electronic health records

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

Electronic health records are propelling a growth curve that's gone steadily upward for NuWave Technology Partners.The Michigan-based company with offices in Kalamazoo, Richland, Grand Rapids and Lansing celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. For the Richland office the anniversary will be celebrated in new and bigger quarters across the street.Chad Paalman, NuWave vice president of sales, says electronic health records drive growth in all of the service areas the company provides. The new networks, telephone systems and equipment that are required to make the switch to electronic health records work pulls in all the divisions of the company he has built with his father, Rick, and brother, Kyle.Paalman expects electronic health records to continue to be a big driver for the company as the federal government moves toward making it a requirement that all physcians use them and away from simply encouraging doctors to make the switch.Paalman attributes the companies continuous growth in a time of economic downturn to a number of factors. He says he and his brother learned frugality from their father and have maintained an attitude of fiscal responsibility as the company has grown. Service is another another factor. "Everyone says we give great service," Paalman says. "We strive to provide white-glove treatment." He also is a big believer in the motto: "Surround yourself with people who know more than you do." That has led to good hiring moves and a staff that the company is proud of.Being recognized and recommended by the Small Business Association for its work has been a positive selling point for the company and one that it has been able to build upon. Right from the start, the company also has made the kind of strategic moves that have helped it grow, as well. Paalman says that the first day the company opened its doors it had three employees, him, his brother and his father. The next day they acquired another company, their 600 customers and their 10 employees. NuWave has continued to acquire companies, their customers and staffs as their original owners have left the field, Paalman says.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Chad Paalman, NuWave Technology Partners

WMU has tons of talent in engineering and design

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

If you want to know what the next big thing is head over to Western Michigan University.A wind turbine designed for home use, an exterior protective shell for a three-wheeled, electric-powered vehicle, and product concepts to prevent falls and injuries in hospitals will be among the projects presented Tuesday, April 20, at Western Michigan University's 46th Conference on Senior Engineering and Design.WMU students will showcase and demonstrate their projects from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences on WMU's Parkview Campus. Sponsored by the university, the event is free and open to the public.More than 200 seniors will present the results of 73 projects they have completed to solve problems facing business and industry.Many of the projects are sponsored by Southwest Michigan firms, including Flowserve Corp., Graphic Packaging, Kellogg Co., Pfizer Inc. and Stryker Medical.Participants represent a variety of disciplines, including construction engineering, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, industrial and manufacturing engineering, mechanical and aeronautical engineering and paper and chemical engineering.The conference takes place twice a year, in April and December, to showcase the work of graduating seniors in the engineering disciplines who are required to complete a real-world capstone project.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Tamara Bergman, WMU

Downtown Benton Harbor new home for rags-to-riches Ravitron

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

David Ravitch has come a long way since the days when he was selling two-way radios from his 1969 Pontiac Catalina with the hood tied down by a long orange extension cord. He was fresh out of the military, living in a trailer with no heat and was offered the radio sales job as he attended college. That job was his introduction to the technology businesses. He went on to learn more through a series of jobs, including one laying the fiber to connect RV manufacturers, one at an area airport and one at HEI wireless where he worked three years in a building that he and his wife, Julie, now own.More than 20 years later, Ravitch, his wife and their employees are celebrating the opening of the new company headquarters of Ravitron in downtown Benton Harbor. Headquarters is a 3,800-square-foot, customized facility that's a far cry from the little brick building where Ravitch worked in 1992 just off the garage of his home as he built the business. Ravitron provides telephone systems and computer networks, including those by Vertical and Mitel. It also resells telephone and internet service. It provides telephone and voice data service to more than 100 local businesses, government, schools and non-profit organizations. The ribbon-cutting happens at 11:20 a.m. April 12. It's a celebration not only of a new facility but of the business' growth from one employee, Ravitch, to 10 today, and of $1 million in sales in 2008 and nearly that in 2009. Ravitron moved into its current location at 276 Colfax Ave. in Benton Harbor about 18 months ago. Since then Ravitch and his staff have been getting it ready for the ribbon-cutting and public opening. For the Ravitches, longtime local residents, putting their headquarters in Benton Harbor was an obvious move. The city's resurgence of business and arts in the were qualities that drew them to the downtown.One feature of the headquarters is a conference room designed with a special display that shows the workings of the telephones they sell and install. Prospective customers can see, for example, how a conference call can be set up on the computer in the same simple drop and drag maneuver most computer users are familiar with.Its tech room also is now ready to show off, Ravitch says. Sales are expected to do as well or better this year than last. Ravitch says the company rebills $20,000 a month in telephone service to customers who use telephones the business has installed.Ravitron is currently working on several large projects including, new phones and service for Edgewater Bank and Horizon Bank, both in St. Joseph, as well as the fiber campus, data and voice services for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. "Business has been good," he says.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: David A. Ravitch, Ravitron Equipment, LLC

Triangle Associates named among West Michigan Best and Brightest

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

Triangle Associates is proud of its community involvement, and it's one reason it's been named one of West Michigan's 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For. The Michigan Business & Professional Association compiles the list, and this is Triangle's seventh year in a row to receive the recognition. It is "a good test of the culture of a company," says Norm Brady, Triangle Associates Inc. vice president of human resources."Community involvement is one of the areas in which we rated very high," says Brady.Triangle Associates has 11 construction projects in progress across Southwest Michigan totaling $173 million.The company, which has a team of four full-time staff members devoted to the Southwest Michigan region, is involved in many community boards and organizations, including the Kalamazoo DDA, YWCA of Kalamazoo, US Green Building Council-Southwest Michigan Branch and the Kalamazoo Humane Society.At the company's monthly organizational meetings, Brady says, one of the topics of discussion is always community involvement projects. To make the Best and Brightest list, Brady says, companies complete a 20-page nomination application. The application asks for such information as the size of the company, its revenues, the benefits it provides and other facts about the company's business and community involvement practices.After making it through the first-round of scrutiny, an independent research firm contacts employees through an e-mail survey to verify the information provided. Nominees are evaluated in a number of categories including communications, community initiatives, compensation and benefits, diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, recognition and retention, recruitment and selection and work-life balance.The 2010 winners of West Michigan's 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For will gather May 6 in Hudsonville to receive their awards and meet other recipients. They all will get involved to a further extent by learning about other winners ways of doing things.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Norm Brady, Triangle Associates Inc.

How to get your geek on in Battle Creek

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

If it feels like your business is falling behind in the technology department a solution may be at hand.Battle Creek Unlimited and the Nonprofit Alliance have created a unique partnership to offer a program they call Totally Technology, training for both non-profit and for-profit businesses in the Battle Creek area.Courses include such topics as: "Tips for the Accidental Techie," "Is Your Website Working for You?" "Marketing Businesses through Facebook" and "Technology Essentials for Nonprofits.""Technology can help our businesses transform and create workplaces for knowledge workers in all industries," says Karl Dehn, chief executive officer, Battle Creek Unlimited. "This unique partnership allows us to streamline and augment existing programs to elevate technology skill and knowledge."The free and low-cost training courses are designed to help professionals and organizations grow by using high technology. The courses are co-sponsored by Battle Creek Unlimited, Nonprofit Alliance, Miller College and Kellogg Community College."We want to make sure our community can compete in a global marketplace, and these courses are a contribution to that goal," says Teresa Durham, executive director, Nonprofit Alliance, a community-based management support program dedicated to strengthening and supporting an effective nonprofit sector in Calhoun, Barry and Branch counties.The Nonprofit Alliance already has a robust training program designed specifically for non-profit groups. Building on that knowledge and training process, Battle Creek Unlimited teamed with the Nonprofit Alliance to cross-promote and offer similar courses for businesses.The first online webinar, "Technology Essentials for Nonprofits" takes place Tuesday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to noon and explores essential hardware, software and services to help non-profit maximize resources. Classes begin April 20. Registration information is available here.Battle Creek Unlimited is the economic development organization that works with the City of Battle Creek to transform and diversify the Battle Creek economy. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Cheryl Beard, Battle Creek Unlimited

Once the butt of jokes, Kalamazoo designer’s pants become serious business

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

Colorful, multipattern designs are the trademark of designer Delainie van Almelo, who has been creating them for seven years. They make her totes and wallets unmistakeable, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette.No matter the style, the 27-year-old's items often feature small pieces of different colored cotton fabric and patterns sewn into a whole, the story says.Excerpt:In addition to bags and wallets, she's done snap pouches, magnets and mirrors, hats and legwarmers, "pillow cube" toys and bibs for babies, dresses and tank tops, even camera cases and coasters."Anything colorful," she said, laughing.Her most popular items, however — sold like the rest of her items through her online store hosted through Etsy.com — are her custom "ninja pants," wide-legged pants with a fold-over waist typically crafted from 100 percent cotton fabric or a 50/50 cotton-poly blend."They're like yoga pants, but I didn't want to just call them yoga pants," van Almelo said. "My husband and his best friend used to make fun of these pants all the time, and they'd call me a ninja in them, and that's where (the name) kind of came from."Van Almelo's had the last laugh, however, having sold more than 250 pair of the pants since she began making them three or four years ago. Through her online store alone, she's sold her goods to individuals in 41 states and 10 countries.To find out what else Alemlo makes, read the entire story.Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Wind and solar energy training takes off at Kellogg Community College

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

Training and certification for working with wind and solar energy systems will be available as part of new program at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. The Renewable Energy Certificate Program will be offered at the school's Regional Manufacturing and Technology Center, 405 Hill Brady Road.The 16-credit hour course, which is currently being developed, is on track to begin enrolling students in July.The program has been in the works since July 2009 when KCC developed a Renewable Energy Advisory Committee. "We are building this program to help grow our local economy and aid local businesses in fulfilling their renewable energy training needs, so this committee is essential to make sure that the program meets the needs of the community," says Laura DePompolo, director of the RMTC at KCC. The focus will be training industrial electricians to install, monitor and maintain small-scale wind and solar energy systems in industrial facilities.The curriculum also will cover the history and theory of renewable energy systems, health and safety guidelines for working with renewable energy systems and energy assessment. Funding comes from the Michigan Community College Association as part of an effort to develop alternative energy training in community colleges. KCC received $132,300. Of that, $108,300 will go toward supplies and $24,000 to curriculum development. Costs to install two solar systems and a wind turbine are not included but will be partially covered by a donation of approximately $24,000 and labor from five local unions and five local contractors. Contractors Hunter-Prell, W. Soule, Hoffman Brothers, Laborers Local 355, Southwest Michigan Building Trades Council and Schweitzer Construction are contributors. So are UA Local 333, IBEW Local 445, IBEW 445 LMCC (Motor Shop, Current Electrical, Union Electric), Ironworkers Local 340. School officials say the project would not have been possible without the unions' money and labor.The Renewable Energy Advisory Committee is made up of the Lawton-based renewable energy consulting firm Four Elements Energy, Union Electric, IBEW, the IBEW Local 445 Joint Apprenticeship Training Program, Western Michigan University, the Branch Area Careers Center, the Calhoun Area Career Center, the Michigan Technical Education Center and Battle Creek Unlimited.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Laura DePompolo, KCC

Benton Harbor course may be ready for golfers by May 1

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Economic Development

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April 8, 2010

By May 1 golfers will be able to try out 10 holes of The Golf Club at Harbor Shores, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course near downtown Benton Harbor. Officials say they hope the entire 18-hole course will be up and running by July 1, reports the South Bend Tribune.A grand opening, featuring golf legends Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, is slated for Aug. 10, the story goes on to say."We're very excited," said Wendy Dant Chesser, trustee of Harbor Shores Community Redevelopment Inc.The par-71, 6,900-yard course is near downtown Benton Harbor, and officials say it could have a major impact on the city's economy as well as surrounding communities. There are also plans for townhouses, cottages, condominiums and a family hotel.The 530-acre development is situated near Lake Michigan and the Paw Paw and St. Joseph Rivers. Excerpt:"All individuals will be driving (through) downtown Benton Harbor to get there," said Mark Hesemann, managing director of Evergreen Development. "It will change the image of Benton Harbor." Dant Chesser said there could be $500 million in tax base incentives over the next 20 years, meaning job creation and increased consumer spending.The story continues, saying officials envision 20,000 rounds of golf played each year. They decided to release the latest news regarding the golf course in South Bend to emphasize the importance regionalism will play in the use of the course, and how the entire area could benefit from the success of such a venture.To find out other plans for the golf course, read the rest of the story.Source: South Bend Tribune