Fast company blazes out of Climax
CTS Telecom has come a long way from its beginnings as the Climax Farmers Telephone Co-op. Writer Jane Parikh finds out what has kept the company going since 1911 and where it's going next.
Battle Creek
With an economic development organization that is the envy of many communities, Battle Creek is a city building on its food industry roots and the land that makes it the state’s third largest city. For fun, each year the Cereal City, world headquarters to the Kellogg Co., celebrates the significance of the most important meal of the day with the World’s Longest Breakfast table. Bikers, cyclers and joggers take in the parks, forests and streams linked by a 24-mile linear park. Campers and outdoor lovers visit Fort Custer Recreation area for fishing, hiking, cross country skiing and boating. For animal lovers, African creatures, like giraffes, and Asian animals, like snow leopards, make the Binder Park Zoo a must. The Battle Creek Art Center and Battle Creek Symphony stoke the city’s cultural offerings and the new Firekeepers Casino adds to the city’s fun side. B.C’s Math and Science Center is acclaimed and secondary education needs are accommodated by Kellogg Community College, Robert B. Miller College and a branch of Western Michigan University. And Sojourner Truth, who lived here, watches over downtown from the memorial in her honor.
Battle Creek saves money with innovative software
Printed pay stubs are a thing of the past for City of Battle Creek employees.They were eliminated as part of a money-saving effort."Like so many cities out there, we are looking at a deficit and budget cuts in 2010, so we are taking a close look at our processes and services to find better ways of doing business," says Linda Morrison, finance services manager for Battle Creek. The city is saving time and money by using New World Systems' eSuite to eliminate printed paystubs. "By empowering our employees, we are also freeing up time that would normally be spent processing paper or fielding calls for personnel information," says Morrison.Michigan-based New World Systems has more than 750 customers comprised of more than 1,500 public sector agencies across the United States.New World Systems, a public sector software company in Troy, has provided software solutions for public safety and public administration organizations since 1981. The Company designs, develops, markets, supports and implements the fully integrated Logos Public Administration Suite for local governments and the Aegis Public Safety Suite for Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Linda Morrison, City of Battle Creek
The undead entertain downtown Battle Creek in search for brain food
As thunder rolled and rained drizzled down, zombies swarmed the streets of Battle Creek. The prophesied Zombie Apocalypse had come, reports Laura Adams in her blog, The Village Thinker.There were blood-covered zombies, drooling zombies and pre-school-age zombies with mommy zombies. With the exception of an irate security guard at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation who threatened to call the police, folks in downtown Battle Creek seemed to accept the swarm.Local photographer Dave Melges organized and captured the zombie antics. Soon, he's organizing a bride-themed photo shoot. And for five days in September, the zombies and the brides will do battle in the streets of Battle Creek as he shoots a feature-length movie called Brides vs Zombies.For video, still pictures and more commentary on the event check out Adams' blog.Source: The Village Thinker
A prosthetic limb that doesn’t look like a prosthetic
Paul Rothchild is changing the tradition that says prosthetics need only be functional. He's making them beautiful, too.The Battle Creek Enquirer reports Rothchild believes the future for prosthetics is wide open to innovations that will create affordable, durable and comfortable pieces that look real."What I'm trying to do is change that whole conversation in the industry," Rothchild said in the story. "This isn't just for looks."As he tries to market his work, however, the young entrepreneur is fighting other prosthetists who believe the types pf prosthetics he makes don't work and he's bucking the notion that creating them is too difficult.He's also up against insurance companies that do not pay for cosmetic upgrades, only functional prosthetics. Rothchild said his products offer both, but convincing insurance companies of that can be a battle.The 28-year-old medical artist's dream is to have a one-stop shop for patients in which they can learn all the options and make the best choice for them. Alex Karsten said she not only supports Rothchild's efforts, but is grateful that he chose to start his business in Southwest Michigan, where he fitted her with a lifelike foot in time for her wedding day.Excerpt:Karsten stepped into the foot, pulled on a pair of sandals and strode confidently across the room. Only a faint seam between the silicone rubber and her ankle bone betrayed that it was fake."I look at this and I think, 'What's going to happen in the next 20 years?'" she said.Source: Battle Creek Enquirer
Growing gardens from the ground up
A grass-roots effort supported by the Battle Creek Community Foundation is growing not only vegetables, but neighborhood leaders and a sense of community all at once.The program grew out of a forum in January in which 80 people turned out to brainstorm ideas for getting neighborhood gardens planted.From that discussion has grown a network of community gardeners, a plan to donate surplus produce to local food banks, and a way to address the need for fruit and vegetables in parts of the city where healthy food has not been available -- sometimes called food deserts. Today there are 14 SPROUT Urban Farms, gardens ranging in size from 300 square feet to a single acre, across the city. "We focused on a grass roots strategy, asking people who wanted to participate," says Jeremy Andrews, of the Battle Creek Community Foundation. "We put it on Facebook and it took off."The Battle Creek Foundation has made neighborhood grants available for tools, soil, seeds and seedlings. By the first week of June the plots should be tilled and planted.At harvest time a crop swap and at least one harvest dinner is planned. The urban farmers are developing business ideas that could build the local economy as well, Andrews says. Funding for the program has been provided by the Penny Kelly Center for Sustainable Consciousness. Partnerships have developed with Battle Creek Unlmited, the W.K.Kellogg Foundation, Leila Arboretum, Neighborhoods INC., various neighborhood associations, the County Land Bank, City of Battle Creek, the Michigan Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative and the homeless ministry the Haven.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jeremy Andrews, Battle Creek Foundation
InterAct to be under one roof in $1.95 million downtown Kalamazoo project
By the first of next year a longtime downtown Kalamazoo community services center could be in a new home.InterAct of Michigan, now working out of three locations downtown, will be leasing a newly constructed headquarters built by The Hinman Company. Ground recently was broken for two-story, 24,000-square-foot building at 610 S. Burdick Street that is expected to cost $1.95 million to build. The building also is LEED Certified."We're extremely excited that this building will give us a barrier free, safer, more efficient opportunity to serve people," says Claudia Wink-Basing, InterAct Executive Director. "We're grateful for this opportunity."The new building, which had been in the conceptual stages for about four years, will allow the agency to bring its 110 employees under one roof. There's also room for expanding the agency's staff by 10.Last year InterAct provided services to more than 1,300 people with mental illness, physical and developmental disorders or both. InterAct has been a tenant of The Hinman Company for 19 years.Due to their long term relationship and support of InterAct of Michigan's mission, The Hinman Company partnered with InterAct to make the project a reality, says Andy Wenzel, Director of Development for The Hinman Company.Incentives from the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority of the City of Kalamazoo and the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) Brownfield Redevelopment MBT Credit also helped bring about the project."We are excited about the opportunities this project will bring to InterAct of Michigan, to the downtown Kalamazoo area," Wenzel says, "and to the citizens that depend on InterAct's services to better their lives."Writer: Kathy JenningsSources: Claudia Wink-Basing, InterAct of Michigan, Andy Wenzel, The Hinman Company
FireKeepers Casino keeps its word to Battle Creek
FireKeepers Casino has kept its promise to spend locally, reports the Battle Creek Enquirer.About 40 percent of FireKeepers' spending happens within a roughly 60-mile radius of the Emmett Township casino, according to the newspaper's analysis of spending data provided by the casino.Excerpt: FireKeepers spent nearly $12.8 million on supplies between its August opening and late-April, according to the documents.About 22 percent of that $12.8 million was spent in nearby counties, including $2.5 million, or about 20 percent of the casino's total spending, in Calhoun County.FireKeepers spent about $1.94 million in Battle Creek, according to the documents.The story goes on to say a big, positive impact on the local economy was one of the casino's biggest selling points to critics before it opened.And $2.5 million could be a big, positive impact for Calhoun County, said George Erickcek, a senior analyst with Kalamazoo's W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research who is studying FireKeepers' impact on Calhoun County. While FireKeepers could be tough competition for existing restaurants, the casino is spending the kind of money that could allow the beneficiaries of that spending to add jobs, Erickcek said.For a further breakdown on the casino's spending, read the entire story.Source: Battle Creek Enquirer
Runway work begins at state’s third busiest airport
A new runway is under construction at W.K.Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek.The 4,100-foot-long, 75-foot-wide runway is intended to improve the safety and efficiency of the airport, says Airport Manager Larry Bowron.Bowron says the runway, being built southeast of the airports existing 10,000-foot runway, will separate high-speed jets and slower general aviation aircraft. The existing larger runway will be freed up primarily for the faster traveling jets, although the slower aircraft will have the option of using either runway as available.The runway is expected to cost $7.2 million primarily paid for through the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement program. The city and state are picking up the outstanding 5 percent of the cost.The work is expected to be done by the end of the summer.The project allows the airport to accommodate the growth it has seen over the past six to eight years, primarily that of Western Michigan University's School of Aviation and Duncan Aviation, Bowron says.Other airport projects are wrapping up or are completed. A $5.1 million air traffic control tower paid for by the federal government has been constructed.A previously stalled corporate hangar for the Kellogg Co. is now being built for about $10 million. When the project is complete, Kellogg will lease the hangar for about $35,000 a month. The W.K. Kellogg Airport, owned by the City of Battle Creek, is the state's third busiest airport after Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the Oakland County International Airport. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Larry Bowron, W.K. Kellogg Airport
Brewer sees a full glass in Battle Creek’s plans
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.
Battle Creek Health Systems chief gets national recognition
One of the top 25 minority executives in the United States as selected by Modern Healthcare magazine is Denise Brooks-Williams, president and CEO at Battle Creek Health System (BCHS).She is one of only two executives from the Trinity Health system to be chosen in 2010, and one of just two in Michigan, according to a story in the Coldwater Daily Reporter.Excerpt:The annual award recognizes leaders who show the ability to effectively change the health care industry, demonstrate a willingness to share expertise and mentor others, and assume a leadership position in the industry outside the candidates own organization. Brooks-Williams serves as president of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE)."Denise is known and respected across Trinity Health for her ability to lead in times of change," says Nelson Karre, chair of the BCHS board of trustees. "She has demonstrated over the past year the ability to enhance the quality of patient care and to strengthen the bonds between a hospital and its community.""One of her many strengths is addressing business challenges through financial and strategic planning," adds Neil Nyberg, chair of the BCHS Community Partners board. "She has been actively engaged with not only local groups, but also with strengthening bonds with our medical staff. She is most deserving of this award."To find out more about Brooks-Williams' background read the entire story.Source: Coldwater Daily Reporter
