Page 556 – Second Wave

Partnership puts Whirlpool appliances into thousands of dwellings

By Newsroom

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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

Triangle Associates named among West Michigan Best and Brightest

By Newsroom

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Development News

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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

By Newsroom

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Development News

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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

Gallery taps into buy-local enthusiasm

By Zinta Aistars

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General

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April 8, 2010

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.

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

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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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

Kalamazoo County takes step that could lead to arena funding

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In The News

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April 8, 2010

A resolution to declare Kalamazoo County a recovery zone so it can take advantage of $46 million in low cost bonds — which could be used to help build an $81 million downtown event center — has been approved by the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette. The low cost bonds are available through the federal stimulus program and $27.65 million can go to private borrowers in the form of tax-exempt financing. The county can use another $18.43 million to build public infrastructure, like roads or water and sewage systems. In the story, County Board Vice Chairwoman Deb Buchholtz says few local projects would qualify for the bonds. Excerpt: "Whatever project is funded with those bonds has to have the financial backing to pay off the bonds," said Buchholtz, R-Cooper Township. County officials are looking to use the facility bonds toward the $81 million arena proposal in downtown Kalamazoo, if the project moves forward. The county board is considering whether to ask voters in August to approve a new tax on food and drinks in bars and restaurants, as well as an increase in the hotel tax, to pay off the construction debt. Buchholtz said the $27.65 million was a "sizable amount," but that Kalamazoo County was still working to access the unused bonding allocation that had been granted to other counties in the state. For more on other funding the county is seeking, read the rest of the story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Benton Harbor course may be ready for golfers by May 1

By Newsroom

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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