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Springtime and Southwest Michigan starts looking for any excuse to crack a cold one. That's just fine with Tim Suprise. Writer Jame Parikh talks to the founder of Battle Creek's Arcadia Brewing Co. about all the reasons he expects business to remain good and hoppy.
Kalamazoo is proud of the high level of its cultural offerings. One of those is the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Writer Zinta Aistars talks to members of the Kalamazoo community to hear their thoughts about how The Gilmore influences Kalamazoo.
In a college town like Kalamazoo the music scene is an ever-changing landscape. This week writer Rebecca Bakken catches up with two bloggers, one looking back and one looking forward, to check out what they see (and hear).
Blighted houses and vacant property in parts of Benton Harbor will be removed and improved under a three-year plan that uses economic stimulus money from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, reports the Herald-Palladium. The residential revamping of parts of the city was formally approved April 8 by the Berrien County Board of Commissioners. The board agreed to accept $6.82 million in grant money. The agreement lets the county's Land Bank work with the city on rehabilitating homes, demolishing blighted property to turn them into new residences, the Herald Palladium reports. It goes on to say that Michigan received $263 million in economic stimulus money for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and the Michigan Housing Development Authority approved the grant request. This project was approved as part of one grant request for 12 cities and nine county land banks. A total of $15.43 million was allocated for the project, including $13.89 million for the work being performed by the city and Land Bank, the story continues. Excerpt: The three targeted areas for project funds include the southern part of the city where housing is generally in better condition, official said.The second area is bounded by Colfax Avenue, Pipestone Street, Main Street and Empire Avenue, and the third is the Morton Hill area. The city aims to buy and rehabilitate 69 houses at a total cost of about $7.45 million. Purchasers will receive $10,000 in home-buyer assistance to reduce mortgage payments, and financial counseling. For more on the program, read the entire story.Source: Herald-Palladium
As the computer titans clash for control of the cloud, a small Kalamazoo company quietly works with Google Apps to find the right solution for a business in need of a computer solution right now. Newmind Group Inc. likes Google because its customers like Google.
People are discovering they don't have to go to the big city to get world-class art. Writer Zinta Aistars talks to Terry Nihart about how he got the nerve to open a downtown Kalamazoo gallery to show that art in the teeth of a fierce economic downturn. Sometimes he shows art so edgy it tickles.
In Benton Harbor, thelamco, inc, is more than just another Southwest Michigan business. They continuously try out new innovative ideas to bring down customers' costs – and that innovation has given them a competitive advantage over other businesses that offer similar products. "In a nutshell, we are an industrial, custom coater or laminator," says Roxanne Behrman, sales and marketing manager. "We convert products for packaging, pressure sensitive label, and paper industries. Our product development and innovation efforts have allowed us to be nimble and try a variety of materials that our competitors shy away from." Because at thelamco, inc they embrace their creative juices, they can actually process materials that their competition cannot – and they do it with 20 employees. Recent growth, however, has created an opportunity for the business to add another sales staffer. "Our focus is on the behind the scenes products," adds Behrman. "You've seen our sales tag labels on shelf edges in area stores, and you may have eaten a microwave dinner that has been laminated with our machines." In addition to its innovation, thelamco, inc recently achieved national and world wide recognition for its commitment to sustainability. The Sustainable Foresty Initiative program allows corporations the opportunity to track their carbon footprints in terms of their packaging products. That alone could result in a 10 percent sales growth for the company according to conservative estimates by thelamco. "Many of our competitors do not have this certification and that gives us a competitive edge," says Behrman. "Ultimately, we can help our packagers develop a more sustainable product, while ensuring the material comes from well managed forests. The growth potential is very real. In fact, we secured a customer as a result of this certification." Writer: Stacie CarlsonSource: Roxanne Behrman, thelamco, inc.
CSAs bring together farmers and the people who buy the produce they harvest in a relationship that goes beyond seller and buyer.
Johnny Bench loves his new hip from Stryker. The baseball hall-of-famer is a paid spokesperson for the Kalamazoo company, and who better to talk about the new implant than a guy who suffered hip pain due to the punishment his body took during many years as catcher for the Cincinnati Reds.Bench reports that one month after his replacement he already nearly has full range of motion back, an accomplishment he attributes to the implant and his physical therapists.The implant Bench is promoting is the latest from Stryker Orthopaedics. It's the next-generation technology for hip replacement surgery and is designed to minimize the risks associated with total hip replacement surgery. It's called the ADM X3 Mobile Bearing Acetabular System.Innovative designs in the newly launched hip implant are built in to give it more longevity than other designs. Its unique large polyethylene insert gives it a larger range of motion and also addresses concerns of metal-on-metal inserts that have caused unexpected medical consequences, such as pseudo-tumors. It also is designed to reduce the risk of dislocation.The new design increases range of motion by using two points of movement rather than a single point."We believe that mobile bearing hips will become the new standard of care in total hip replacements and are committed to offering advanced technologies that benefit both surgeons and patients while adding value in ways that have the potential to reduce costs to the healthcare system," says Bill Huffnagle, Vice President and General Manager of Hip Reconstruction at Stryker Orthopaedics.ADM X3 is the third major hip product launch by Stryker in the past year. Stryker Orthopaedics is a division of the Stryker Corporation. Stryker Orthopaedics offers an extensive orthopaedic product portfolio including hip, knee and upper extremity reconstructive devices, bone cement, trauma implants, bone substitutes and spine systems. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Bill Huffnagle, Stryker Orthopaedics
In Battle Creek they're teaching the people who decide if your food is safe to eat how to make those decisions. The city gets the added bonus in jobs and spending downtown.
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