Page 552 – Second Wave

Battle Creek casino chips in for clinic to serve employees

By Newsroom

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May 6, 2010

FireKeepers Casino isn't gambling on the health of its employees. On May 1 the Battle Creek casino opened a 766-square-foot clinic for its 1,500 workers.The clinic is being offered in partnership with Borgess Health, which participated in a competitive bid process. The clinic will feature two exam rooms and a Borgess Health mid-level care provider, also known as a nurse practitioner, will be on staff 40 hours a week. A doctor will be available on an as-needed basis.FireKeepers Casino's team members can get regular check-ups, preventative care and treatment for minor work related injuries. Team members can also come to the clinic if they are not feeling well or have general health questions or concerns. They can come from home or drop in while they are at work. Team members can visit the clinic during regular hours with or without an appointment.Pre-screens for new team members also will be offered at the clinic.The health clinic was a concept jointly initiated by FireKeepers Casino's Director of Human Resources Peggy Houston, General Manager Bruce McKee and the Tribal owners of the casino, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. All see the clinic as an added benefit for team members that promotes healthy life styles."The new clinic is an example of our continuous commitment to our team members' well-being, while striving to be an employer of choice," Houston says.Borgess Corpfit Services Executive Director Vince Marcinek, says, "FireKeepers Casino is applauded for the extra steps they are taking to foster good employee health. Caring for employees is the right thing to do and it is also a win-win situation for both the employee and the employer."Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Michael Facenda, FireKeepers Casino

The proof the arts make a difference is in the data

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Development News

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May 6, 2010

Battle Creek will host an opportunity for arts organizations to get their act together.At the informational event, representatives of arts organizations will learn about the Michigan Cultural Data Project. It's an online management tool designed to build arts and cultural organizations by giving them the information they need to analyze financial and other related information. The information collected allows organizations to put together 70 different reports that can then be used to bolster the case made in grant applications. The information also can be used to seek out funding partners and to keep board members, potential donors, advocates and policy makers informed.After completing an online form each year, nonprofit groups can generate instant annual reports and trend analysis, benchmark performance against other organizations and use the data as part of applications to participating foundations. Michigan launched its Cultural Data Project May 3, the eighth state to do so nationally.Among those attending the Battle Creek informational session will include Jennifer Hill, Director of Special Projects, ArtServe Michigan; Linda Holderbaum, Executive Director, Art Center of Battle Creek; Katie Nelson, Collections Manager, Kingman Museum and Jennifer Sellers, Special Projects Manager, Kingman Museum. The event is 2 - 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 25, at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, One Michigan Avenue East, Battle Creek. It is one of 14 events ArtServe is sponsoring across Michigan through October.Sponsors of the program include: ArtServe Michigan, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Battle Creek Community Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Council of Michigan Foundations, Frey Foundation, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, MASCO Corporation Foundation, The Skillman Foundation, and Southfield Community Foundation.The Michigan Cultural Data Project is operated by the Pew Charitable Trusts.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jennifer Hill, Director of Special Projects, ArtServe Michigan

Former Upjohn Jet taxis back into Kalamazoo

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Development News

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May 6, 2010

A new airplane for RAI Jets / Air Ambulance Provider and Mott Enterprises is one that's flown local skies before.Phil and Mardee Mott of Mott Enterprises announced that N2UP once owned by the Upjohn Company has returned to Kalamazoo.RAI Jets pilot Doug Swartz welcomes back the stand-up cabin Citation jet and remembers it well. "As the director of aviation for Upjohn, I picked this plane out brand new from Cessna," Swartz says. "Now I get to fly it again! It was a great plane for Upjohn and will be a great addition to the other executive aircraft RAI Jets operates."Many local Upjohn employees used this plane extensively. When Pfizer bought out Pharmacia / Upjohn, they sold the plane and it went to the other side of the country. Many of pilots and passengers that flew in this plane are excited to have it back for their use.Mardee Mott says the plane was purchased to offer the community quality medical assisted transportation. "The plane will be equipped with special medical equipment to allow non-emergency medical transports as well as executive charter," she says.Air Ambulance Provider LLC, a company that has been in business less than a year, will provide the medical team and equipment for all medical transports.For charter clients, the Citation VIs streamline offers seating for up to nine passengers. Its airframe and quiet, efficient engines allow it to fly non-stop from Kalamazoo to Los Angeles."Combining the resources of Mott Enterprises, RAI Jets and Air Ambulance Provider will give us the ability to offer an amazing service to the local community," says Becky Bakeman, president of both Air Ambulance Provider and RAI Jets.Bakeman adds: "The Mott family owns the plane. RAI Jets is the Air Carrier that will operate the aircraft. Air Ambulance Provider will supply the medical personnel and medical equipment when a medical flight is necessary. All three companies work together to accomplish the mission as necessary."RAI Jets LLC has been in business for a little more than one year, though Bateman says its personnel has been providing this type of service for many years. The company provides charter air service, aircraft management and maintenance throughout North and Central America. RAI Jets' flights cover destinations throughout the continental U.S., Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Air Ambulance Provider transports medical patients with varying need levels, for both domestic and international flights. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Becky Bakeman, President, RAI Jets / Air Ambulance Provider

New business will set up and install wind turbines

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Environment & Sustainability

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April 29, 2010

Michiana Wind Systems launched in April as a complement to the owners existing business, Ferguson Michiana Inc., reports the Herald-Palladium.The company does directional drilling, cable and duct construction and aerial and underground cable installation, primarily for AT&T. So getting into the business of selling and instaling wind turbines was a good fit for Dave Ferguson, who owns Ferguson Michiana with his brother, Jim. Office manager Tracy Galbreath co-owns the wind business with Dave Ferguson.Excerpt:"We researched for about a year and found this would be a good complement to Ferguson Michiana," Dave Ferguson said."We already have the equipment to do it. We learned by doing. The first one is a demonstration unit that serves this property. Our own employees installed it."Ferguson and Galbreath said they hope to add to the current Ferguson Michiana workforce of 35 as they get wind turbine customers."It seems to be sort of a hot market. There are a few wind turbines around, but we believe this is the first wind turbine business in Berrien County," Ferguson said.The owners divide the market into three categories: Small wind -- enough energy for an individual residence, farm or small business; community -- bigger towers serving 25 to 50 houses or a larger business; and big wind -- a power company that decides part of its power will come from wind. Ferguson expects their biggest market to be country homes and small businesses.For information on what the company expects from its first wind turbine now that the blades are spinning, read the entire story.Source: Herald-Palladium

Home builders say construction is up across the region

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Entrepreneurship

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April 29, 2010

Residential builders in Kalamazoo County are busier this year than they were a year ago, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports. Housing starts, the term used for new, residential building permits, increased 15 percent in Kalamazoo County during the January-through-March period this year. Excerpt: Dale Shugars, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo, said much of the growth over the last year can be attributed to the federal government's $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit. "The next quarter will probably be slower because there won't be the $8,000," he said. The tax credits -- $8,000 for a first time buyer and $6,500 for an existing homeowner -- expire April 30. "I think '09 was the bottom of the housing industry," Shugars said. "When you look at the numbers for '09, it looks like it's flattened out. And in 2010, it's starting to climb out of the recession." For a breakdown of housing starts by municipality, read the rest of the story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Three Kalamazoo-area companies team up to compost cups

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Economic Development

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April 29, 2010

Three Kalamazoo-area companies have cups in common.Kalamazoo-based Fabri-Kal makes the cups, Bell's Eccentric Cafe serves up its brew in them, and Mulder's Landscape Supplies, Inc., mulches them after they have been used.Greenware, made by Fabri-Kal, are the cups. The cold drink cups and lids are made entirely from plants -- not petroleum. The resources used in the polymer that goes into the cups can be replenished naturally within one year. Made from a biopolymer, the Greenware product line is 100 percent compostable in municipal or industrial facilities.Greenware products require a specific temperature and level of humidity to compost correctly, which is why they are certified by the Biodegradable Plastics Institute, and meet international standards for composting.Since Southwest Michigan does not have a composting facility operated by a municipality the three companies teamed up to make sure the cups would be properly returned to the earth. Fabri-Kal's Vice President of Marketing John Kittredge calls this the cradle-to-cradle approach and says such local efforts are "smart, simple and truly beneficial economically, socially and environmentally." Mulder's handles the composting of leaves and yard waste for the city of Kalamazoo and has the capability to compost the Greenware cups alongside other natural waste."The Greenware cups are amazing to work with because they are 100 percent compostable," says Art Mulder, president and owner of the landscape supplies company. "We mix them in our leaf compost, and the compost in turn is sold and used in gardens throughout the Kalamazoo area."Bell's Eccentric Cafe has reduced its trash output 80 percent by volume, just by diverting their Greenware cups from landfill, says Evan Meffert, Sustainability Coordinator at Bell's Brewery.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Kate Kirkpatrick, Fabri-Kal

Miller College graduates will go out wearing green

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Economic Development

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April 29, 2010

When the 2010 graduating class of Miller College marches across the stage at McCamly Plaza they'll be wearing the expected black cap and gowns. But these "black" gowns are really "green." The new gowns are biodegradable and will break down in a landfill within a year. The school is using the Sustainable Element gowns sold by the Minneapolis-based Jostens for the first time this year. The product contains acetate fabric fiber made from natural wood harvested exclusively from renewable managed forests. It even comes in environmentally friendly packaging, says Jenny Andrews, marketing and communications director for Miller College.Students can go a step further and return the gowns to Josten. The company promises to put them in a landfill and spend $1 on an environmental sustainability project.Although the zippers do not biodegrade with the rest of the gown, they are made of 100-percent recycled materials. The school also will be using invitations and diplomas made from recycled paper.The school is working to take small steps toward sustainability that make sense for the small, but growing student body in Battle Creek, Andrews says.In the fall of 2009 the school counted 100 new students -- a 56-percent increase over the previous year's numbers. The school draws students from Calhoun, Barry, Branch, Eaton and Kalamazoo counties.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jenny Andrews, Miller College

Data mining company brings 10 to 20 jobs to WMU business and research park

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Development News

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April 29, 2010

A Houston-based analytic software company that counts among its clients some of the nation's leading firms will open a new office May 1 at Western Michigan University's Business Technology and Research Park.In PolyVista's first major expansion in a decade, the company will open a business development office in Kalamazoo and immediately hire and train 10 to 20 young recruits to become part of a team that works with customers."Our top priority is finding talent," says PolyVista's Jim Willard, who will lead the Kalamazoo office. "I'll be building a team that can focus on finding new homes for our technology."PolyVista provides businesses with access to a search engine that can analyze data and discern patterns and issues. The searches are capable of the same kind of data analysis and text mining used for national security reasons, but are done within the budget constraints most companies can afford, Willard says.Southwest Airlines, for instance, uses PolyVista's text and data-mining analysis tools to enhance the analysis of data in its pilot reporting program. The air conditioning systems and services business Trane uses PolyVista tools for early detection of warranty-related issues. The company can then correct them and pass the information on to its engineering and design teams to avoid problems in future products.PolyVista has a close relationship with Microsoft. The company launched in 1995 with technology developed by scientists from the former Soviet Union. PolyVista's patented search engine also analyzes data in such areas as trade compliance, reliability, marketing and operations; and in finance, energy, transportation, manufacturing and insurance industries.The move to Kalamazoo is a strategic effort to expand PolyVista's base, says Willard, a Michigan native. Although the company was originally focused on expansion in northern Virginia, Michigan proved to be an attractive alternative because of the relatively low cost of doing business in the state and the focus on growth and business outreach.The opportunity to locate in a university community like Kalamazoo also was high on the company's wish list for expansion."Five years ago, this wouldn't have worked for us," Willard says, "but there's been a major culture shift in Michigan and a move away from the legacy thinking that was once dominant. We really like the environment and the entrepreneurial spirit we find here now."PolyVista's Kalamazoo office will be located in the Granite Park I Building, 4664 Campus Drive. Get information about available jobs by sending an email inquiry or resume here. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jim Willard, PolyVista

Frame for lithium-ion auto batteries drives business to Mann+Hummel

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Development News

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April 29, 2010

Battery powered cars are steering growth at Mann+Hummel's Portage location, says Ronald J. Randall, chief operating officer."After going through a tough year, we're in a growth position at our Portage location," Randall says. Work the company does for General Motor's and Toyota has made the difference.Mann+Hummel USA Inc. makes injection-molded plastic parts for the automotive industry. Now it produces a frame to hold lithium-ion batteries that contains coolant. The frame keeps coolant transfer heat away from the batteries.The contract to manufacture modular battery frame assemblies for GM's Electric Vehicle, the Chevy Volt, is expected to generate 200 jobs over five years for Mann+Hummel.At the end of 2009, the company also finished consolidating its operations in South Bend and Portage, bringing about 50 employees from Indiana to its Michigan site. It was very important to the company, Randall says, to retain as many of the South Bend employees and their expertise as possible. There now are about 250 employees, including support staff, at the Portage operation and more will be added this year. The consolidation pushed the company to expand its product distribution and warehousing operation at Midlink Business Park in Comstock Township. Three to four employees could be added this year to the staff of 10 already in place at Midlink.Randall says Mann+Hummel's experience at Midlink has been a positive one. "It's been a great facility for us. It's in the perfect location -- right off the highway and two miles from our facility," Randall says. "They've been very flexible with us with our utilization of space." The business park added four loading docks to the four Mann+Hummel had been using, to better accommodate the company's need to get trucks in and out quickly. The Mann+Hummel Group currently employs 11,500 people at 41 locations worldwide. The company develops, produces and sells technically complex automotive components such as air filter systems, intake manifold systems, liquid filter systems and cabin filters for the automotive industry, and filter elements for vehicle servicing and repair. For general engineering, process engineering and industrial manufacturing sectors the company's product range includes industrial filters, filter systems, and materials handling systems and equipment.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Ronald J. Randall, Mann+Hummel

Hydroponics retailer invites community to grand opening

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Development News

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April 29, 2010

Music, food and a host of opportunities to learn about green businesses will be part of the May 1 grand opening of Horizen Hydroponics. The Kalamazoo store is at 4646 W. Main St., on the northeast corner of West Main and Drake in the Westwood Plaza. The store opened in February and now plans to celebrate it. "We've received a warm welcome from Kalamazoo," says Bridgette Ujlaky, co-owner with her husband John, of Horizen Hydroponics. "We've found it to be a very good fit. The community is very forward thinking and people are very interested in gardening." The decision to open a store in the Kalamazoo market came as the couple, which has an established store in Grand Rapids, realized an increasing number of their customers were coming north to check out their business. The Ujlakys specialize in hydroponic, organic, indoor and year-round gardening supplies. Hydroponics, which means "water works," is the process of growing plants in water, gravel or sand, but without soil. Their stores carry lighting, nutrients and other items to help gardeners succeed. Horizen Hydroponics has been in business for eight years in Grand Rapids and online. Bridget Ujlaky estimates that about 70 percent of its business comes from the brick-and-mortar stores, while 30 percent is done online. The company employs eight, including two at the Kalamazoo store. And the zen in the name Horizen Hydroponics is fully intentional. The company's motto is "tranquility through gardening." The grand opening ceremony will feature live music by local bands, local food, and eco-friendly vendors such as Flowerfield Enterprises, Natural Health Center, Emerald Car Cleaners and others. The May 1 event starts at noon and goes until 5 p.m. Ujlaky says the business will donate proceeds from organic vegetable and herb seedlings sold that day to Fair Food Matters, advocates for local food production and consumption. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. More information is available at Horizen Hydroponics' website or by calling 269-567-3333. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Bridgette Ujlaky