Benton Harbor

Water plays a big part in this city in the southwestern corner of Michigan. Benton Harbor boasts a river and a Great Lake. The river offers not only a backdrop for recreational boating and fishing, but also for businesses growing along the waterfront. Jean Klok Park is the perfect spot to sit with a bag lunch and enjoy the view. Tourists come for the water sports and stay to check out the area’s fruits and vegetables. Manufacturers like Whirlpool Corp. call it home.

Innovations bring customers to thelamco

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.

Benton Harbor’s award-winning designer expands to ready-to-wear

Angela Wolf has met her long-term goal of launching her first ready-to-wear line, reports the Herald-Paladium. Wolf, the creative mind behind Benton Harbor's own fashion company, is now offering Angela Wolf Couture and 'Abo Apparel, in her local studio  at 85 East Main Street Studio No. 405. Excerpt: After winning the 2008 American Sewing Expo's Passion for Fashion Challenge and landing on the American Sewing Expo magazine cover in September 2009, Wolf is having a blast trying to keep up with all her new opportunities. She also has participated in the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals' Threads Magazine's Fluid Fabric Challenge for two years in a row, and both submissions made the top 20. "Ready-to-wear is fun for me," Wolf says, relaxing with a cup of tea surrounded by pieces from her new line in her shop in Vincent Place in downtown Benton Harbor. "This is my lifestyle. I travel, I'm very busy." Her spring ready-to-wear line consists of separates in different colors and fabrics that can be dressed up or down. "I do my own patternmaking," Wolf says, which allows her more flexibility and variety. "Most designers present 10 pieces. I'm able to have 30 outfits in 15 patterns. Almost all the tops are hand wash, and they don't wrinkle, which makes them perfect for travel. I love the bright colors." The story goes on to say 'Abo Apparel is not selling on a national level yet, but that's Wolf's 2010 goal. She's compiled look books for boutiques and has met with high-end boutique owners in Illinois, Michigan and Florida. Read the full story for more about Wolf's full alteration business, and her experience as a wardrobe and image consultant.

Fast Company magazine likes the way Whirlpool spins innovation

Products like the Smart Energy Dryer have won Whirlpool Corporation, of Benton Harbor, the No. 5 spot on Fast Company Magazine's World's Most Innovative Companies list.Whirlpool was named as an innovation leader in the consumer products category, just after household product manufacturer SC Johnson and before boot-maker Timberland.Excerpt: "Whirlpool will make 1 million 'smart' dryers by the end of 2011. Smart Energy dryers will respond to peak-energy prices by lowering power consumption, saving money for homeowners and easing stress on the electric grid. By 2015, according to Whirlpool, all of its products will be compatible with the smart grid."The story goes on to say that the company expects innovation to drive growth in 2010."It's not just about revenue growth and profit margins."It's about identifying creative models and progressive cultures – to define the many forms of innovation that exist across the business landscape."The recognition adds to a series of way-to-go's already bestowed on Whirlpool.In 2009, it was named one of FORTUNE's "Most Admired Companies" in the electronics industry, one of the "100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine and one of the "Top 50 Most Respected U.S. Companies" by the Reputation Institute.Whirlpool employs 67,000 people worldwide and saw annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009. It has an innovation pipeline worth about $4 billion and in 2009 generated $3.8 billion in revenue from its innovation efforts.Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances has 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.To read more about it visit Fast Company.Source: Fast Company

Benton Harbor Arts District starts to jump

About 75 people packed the Livery Thursday (March 4) for a town hall-style session to get ideas on rejuvenating the Benton Harbor Arts District, reports the Herald-Palladium. The event was hosted by New Territory Arts Association Executive Director Julie Katz and board President Herb Caldwell. The pair spent about two hours taking suggestions about things that people want to see happening in the Arts District.Excerpt:"We're bringing Art Hop back, because we've heard from the community, 'bring Art Hop back' - so I'll need a bus to get around to some of the locations," Katz said.Other suggestions focused on needs that are being overlooked, and finding spaces for them.Krasl Art Center Education Director Julia Gourley asked what could be done to house digital art and media, which is something that "I have people asking me every day," she said.To find out more suggestions read the whole story about revitalizing the Arts District.Source: Herald-Palladium Southwest Michigan

Job retraining program in national spotlight

Job retraining programs in Benton Harbor and other parts of Southwest Michigan were the focus of a Fox News story on successes from the No Worker Left Behind Act, Fox News repoorts. The state and federal funding that comes from NWLB has put put new nurses, hotel managers and a variety of other occupations back into the workforce since it began retraining displaced workers in 2007.Excerpt from Lake Michigan College spokesperson: "Seventy-two percent of people in programs like this one have new jobs."To see the full story visit Fox News.  Source: Fox News

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