Page 555 – Second Wave

MBA business center opening celebrated at WMU

By Newsroom

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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

Finding a solution in the cloud

By Kathy Jennings

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General

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April 15, 2010

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.

Air traffic control training approved for lift off at WMU

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In The News

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April 15, 2010

Western Michigan University is one of five new colleges and universities that will be part of the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI), reports the aviation magazine Avstop.com.The story says the five schools were chosen from 21 institutions that submitted applications early last year. They were evaluated based on schools' organizational foundations and resources, organization credibility, air traffic basic curriculum and facilities. Excerpt:CTI institutions are not given federal funds to teach air traffic control courses, however, the FAA does provide curriculum and instructor notes on air traffic basics. The institutions independently incorporate the material into their aviation programs.The AT-CTI curriculum provides appropriate education, experience, and training which meet the basic requirements for the terminal and en route air traffic occupations. As a result, AT-CTI graduates may be permitted to bypass the initial five-week air traffic basics training when they report to the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. No jobs are promised to students, but from fiscal years 2005 until 2009 over 3,000, or 41 percent, of the air traffic controllers hired graduated from an AT-CTI school. To find out what other schools will offer the program, read the entire story.Source: Avstop.com

New business picture calls for new way of thinking

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In The News

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April 15, 2010

Collaboration is bringing out the best of two area businesses, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports.Evan Eichhorn's Kalamazoo Screw Products is working with Pinto Products' owner Matthew Pinto to produce parts for a tank that holds disinfectant used to fog large areas, such as class rooms or hospital rooms. The tank design itself was developed by Altapure Health LLC, based in Carmel, Ind.One reason the collaboration works is small manufacturers like Kalamazoo Screw Products and Pinto Products can produce specialized parts quickly, a huge advantage for both, Eichhorn says in the story.Excerpt:Pinto said he signed on with Eichhorn because they have a relationship built on trust.He said he remembers a time when manufacturing companies didn't need to do anything special or out of the box to turn a profit. But, he said the downturn in the automotive industry shook up that sense of complacency and paved the way for an era of cooperation among businesses of all sizes."The fact that things are tight makes it a no-brainer and we're doing whatever we can to survive," Pinto said. "If we get this (Altapure business) it will see us through the next couple of months."Eichhorn said he lost about $2.5 million "almost overnight" when production of Volvo and Lincoln automobiles went overseas. He said his staff of 19 has decreased to six within the last three years.For more on how the businesses are collaborating, read the entire story.Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Kalamazoo’s Larry Bell gets a cheer from his peers

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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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

Think of them as highways for bikes

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In The News

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April 15, 2010

Plans are under way to put more miles of bikeways along Lake Michigan's shoreline, reports the Allegan County News.Already, the paths are in place to take bikers from South Haven to Saugatuck. With the bike routes proposed, bikers, hikers, runners and rollerbladers will be able to trek from Saugatuck city limits more than 37 miles northward on paved trails -- and plans are under way for a southern option.Excerpt:A Saugatuck-South Haven Bike Trail Committee is studying right-of-ways, routes and funding for a 23-mile trail from where the current path ends to downtown South Haven, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission program assistant Suzann Flowers said."This, in turn, is part of an AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) long-range plan for a nationwide set of corridors to be developed as U.S. bike routes," Flowers added."One of these is U.S. Bicycle Route 35, a 50-mile band which would follow the shore of Lake Michigan from New Buffalo to the Mackinac Bridge, then north to Sault Ste. Marie," she said.The story goes on to say the Van Buren County portion of the path, consisting of one mile in the City of South Haven and 2.36 miles in South Haven Township, would involve a 4-foot-wide bike lane extension of the existing Blue Star Highway, costing $15,000 to $20,000 per mile to construct.Blue Star's extra-wide Allegan County right-of-ways make possible a 10-foot path separate from the roadway, costing $150,000 to $300,000 per mile depending on the need to acquire land, price of asphalt, tree removal, engineering and more factors.Funding sources still are being worked out, but federal transportaion dollars through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program and Michigan Department of Transportation are among those being pursued.For more on the proposals, read the rest of the story.Source: Allegan County News

Partnership puts Whirlpool appliances into thousands of dwellings

By Newsroom

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Development News

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April 8, 2010

Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corp. has tapped into a whole new market for its appliances through an arrangement with one of the largest owner and operators of apartment properties in the United States. Equity Residential, also the largest publicly traded owner of apartment units, has signed an exclusive, multi-year agreement with Whirlpool, crediting the company's dedication to quality, outstanding products and service and its commitment to environmentally-conscious technology and practices."Equity Residential owns or has investments in 495 properties totaling 137,007 apartment units in 23 states and the District of Columbia," says Tom Halford, general manager of contract sales and marketing at Whirlpool Corporation. "As their exclusive appliance partner for new construction, rehab projects and appliance replacement, this will mean additional business for Whirlpool and we are honored to play this role." "Whirlpool Corporation brings many great things to the table as an appliance manufacturer," said Michael Manelis, senior vice president of property operations at Equity Residential. "They help support our commitment to creating places people are proud to call home."The agreement not only brings more Whirlpool appliances to consumers, it also uses a system called SmartWay Transport — a collaborative program between the Environmental Protection Agency and the freight industry — to deliver them with cleaner-operating, fuel-efficient motor vehicles, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. About 3,000 are employed in Benton Harbor.Writer: Stacie Carlson, Freelance WriterSource: Whitney Dean, Whirlpool Corp.

NuWave sees its future in electronic health records

By Newsroom

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Development News

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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

By Newsroom

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Development News

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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

By Newsroom

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Development News

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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