Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo’s name is so distinctive strangers around the world have been known to break into song at hearing the name. With such a recognizable moniker you’d think Kalamazoo wouldn’t need nicknames, but through the years changing names have reflected the city’s refusal to stand still. The Zoo, Celery City and the Mall City are a few. The innovative thinking that brought downtown K’zoo the nation’s first pedestrian mall in 1959 continues to work today. Innovators have developed thriving life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. They build on the expertise of Kalamazoo’s universities. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Davenport College all are centers of research, development and technology. They surround a downtown vibrating with condos, apartments and homegrown, top-notch restaurants. The universities are woven into the city’s social fabric and contribute to a cultural scene that Kalamazooans love to boast about. The Kalamazoo Symphony, Kalamazoo Institute of Art and a vibrant local theater community are a few of the offerings. Locals also love their festivals that fill the air with music and the scents of ethnic foods wafting over the Arcadia Festival grounds and the Kalamazoo River. Outdoor activities from biking on the Kal-Haven trail to disc golf and standard golf on a nationally-acclaimed course in Milham Park are the start of the city’s leisure side. Sports fans have competitive college teams, minor league baseball and hockey to follow. And it all comes with a Promise. All high school graduates who live in Kalamazoo qualify for a scholarship that pays 100 percent of their tuition at any public university or community college.

Kalamazoo County takes step that could lead to arena funding

By Newsroom

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Environment & Sustainability

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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

NuWave sees its future in electronic health records

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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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

Kalamazoo firm claims spot on 50 Companies to Watch list

By Newsroom

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Technology & Innovation

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April 1, 2010

Maestro eLearning, a provider of online training programs for companies across the country, has been named one of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch in 2010, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports. The March 30 story says the formal award, sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation and given by Michigan Celebrates Small Business, will be handed out April 29 in Lansing. Excerpt: "We are so pleased to receive this recognition. The celebration of a thriving high-tech education company promotes what we believe the future workforce of Michigan could be," Maestro President Jennifer Randall said in a press release from the company. Read more about the award in the rest of story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

SW Michigan drug companies, biotech firms may benefit from reform legislation

By Newsroom

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Health

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April 1, 2010

Drug companies and biotech firms may be positioned to make money under health-care reform legislation, the Detroit Free Pree reports.Drug companies and biotech firms may be positioned to make money under health-care reform legislation, the Detroit Free Pree reports. The March 28 story says that money managers are seeing the potential for such companies to benefit from the changes to health care, and it quotes Pfizer as one company that's eyeing the potential. Excerpt:Wall Street didn't collapse into rubble once President Barack Obama signed the landmark bill to begin widespread changes in health insurance. Could that mean that somebody will admit there's money to be made in the sweeping reforms we'll see in the next few years? You bet. Rick Chambers, a spokesperson for Pfizer in Kalamazoo, said much depends on how details are worked out. But he said Pfizer -- which employs about 3,000 people in Michigan, mostly in Kalamazoo County -- is optimistic that the reforms will preserve the pharmaceutical industry's ability to develop new drugs and bring them to market. Chambers noted that tens of millions of people who could not afford health care will have a means to access treatment -- including medicine. Standard & Poor's Equity Research issued a report that listed biotechnology firms and generic drug manufacturers among winners from the health care legislation. "Representing the first choice in drug therapy, inexpensive generics should be prime beneficiaries of new pharmaceutical business resulting from the extension of new health coverage for 32 million presently uninsured," wrote the S&P Equity Research team led by analyst Jeffrey Loo. The report noted some negatives for the managed-care industry -- including an end to denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions. For more on the winners, read the rest of story. Source: Detroit Free Press

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek airport expansion enters final stage, gets $8.5 million to finish work

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 1, 2010

Work continues under budget and ahead of schedule at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Intenational Airport as the third-phase of construction on a new terminal is about to begin.The new, 92,000-square-foot terminal will replace the original terminal, which was built in the 1950s. It has had three additions since then in an attempt to keep up with growth and industry changes.Perhaps one of the most anticipated features of the new terminal will be the passenger bridges for all five gates at the new terminal. No longer will passengers on some flights have to walk across the tarmac to and from planes.Other features of the new terminal include two baggage-claim conveyors and two security checkpoints.The project recently received $8.5 million from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation for ther terminal, which is expected to be completed in April 2011. The $40-million contruction project received $6.63 million last June and $4 million in September. The cost of the work has come in $5 million under budget, says Cliff Moshoginis, airport director.The airport expansion is being accomplished in three phases — putting in the steel, enclosing the building and the third phase will be work on the interior with construction of such systems as heating and air conditioning and flooring. More than 500,000 passengers use the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport each year. The airport is served by American Eagle, Delta Airlines and Direct Air, which offer 30 daily arrivals and departures. Moshoginis says Delta has increased its flights in and out of Kalamazoo this year as the market has recovered.General aviation, corporate, leisure and recreational flights not connected with an airline, continues to play a big part in the airport's daily operations. It makes up more than 77 percent of the daily air traffic and includes local flying clubs, charter service and private aircraft owners. "This creates a lot of economic benefit to the community," Moshoginis says. "They are coming into the community, spending money with fuel vendors, buying food."A W.E. Upjohn study some years ago showed the airport contributes $175 million to the local economy through jobs created directly and indirectly."A new termininal is not going to bump that number up significantly," Moshoginis says. "But this is the gateway to the community and for businesses looking to relocate this will be a centerpiece. It will have a nice flow and be efficient. It will represent the community well."Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Cliff Moshoginis, Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport director

Kalamazoo River Trail grows, gives bikers, walkers, runners more miles to move

By Newsroom

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Environment & Sustainability

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April 1, 2010

Come April 1, work will begin to add nearly six miles to the The Kalamazoo River Trail, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports. The latest project in a larger overall plan to enhance the trail comes at a cost of $1.7 million and will extend the stretch from Mosel Avenue in Parchment to D Avenue in Cooper Township. It will take users along the river and past Markin Glen County Park and the Kalamazoo Nature Center. The trail should be completed at the end of August. Excerpt: Several miles of paved trail will be built starting next month while another part of the trail that was finished in November will be open for the first time in warm weather. By summer's end, slightly more than 14 miles of the trail will be open to the public. It will eventually be 35 miles long. "It's all coming together," Kalamazoo County Parks Director David Rachowicz said of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, which started being built two years ago. For more about the trail, read the entire story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

KVCC’s Patient Care Academy taking applications

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 1, 2010

Kalamazoo Valley Community College is inviting trainees to its first Patient Care Academy. Instructors will train students in entry level jobs in the health-care industry at the new academy, which runs June 21-Aug. 31 at the Michigan Technical Education Center on KVCC's Groves Campus. The academy is now accepting applications for 12 slots.Training will take place Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for 10 weeks. The fee is $1,995. Financial assistance is available through Michigan Works and Kalamazoo Promise scholarships.Academy students will receive training that lays the foundation to start a successful health care career, says Lesa Strausbaugh, KVCC's director of academies."This academy can be a springboard to careers in other health-care professions," Strausbaugh says. "For example, those on a waiting list for nursing can get this training in the interim and begin working in health care before beginning their nursing studies."Graduates could land in jobs such as a certified nurse assistant, a patient-care assistant or technician, a ward clerk or a medical-records clerk and qualified to work in long-term care, rehabilitation centers, hospice settings, medical offices and hospitals.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Lesa Strausbaugh, KVCC

Community comes together for cleanup at River’s Edge in Kalamazoo

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 1, 2010

"Close to everything, far from ordinary," is the way the City of Kalamazoo sees the River's Edge project. River's Edge is bordered by Paterson Street, Riverview Avenue, East Michigan Avenue and Walbridge Street. The area encompassing 24 acres, is divided into 16 parcels that vary in size from a 10th of an acre to nearly 7.5 acres. Its development could go in a number of different directions depending upon what the market dictates.It is envisioned to be the hub of a number trailways that link business to the outdoors and capitalize on the natural asset of the river. The Kalamazoo River, now partially obscured by overgrown trees and bushes, will emerge from hiding soon, opening up a whole new part of town for the bikers, walkers, shoppers to enjoy.A number of groups will get to work in May to clean up the site and provide better access to the river. Sunshine Rotary, the Northside Business Association and the Adventure Club are among those who will be part of the cleanup. Within the next six weeks plans also should be finalized for improved traffic flow and appearance of the intersection of Gull Road and Harrison Street. Tthe public will be asked for input on the proposed intersection changes.The city of Kalamazoo began to work on a riverfront redevelopment in 1999. As brownfield redevelopment projects such as the MacKenzies Bakery, 527 Harrison, have succeeded, funding for the riverfront development has increased.The city was able to obtain a $2.8-million Clean Michigan Initiative Waterfront Redevelopment Grant in 2000. It allowed the city to get busy buying property, demolishing buildings and doing other clean-up work necessary to make the land attractive to buyers. In addition, River's Edge has attracted $20 million in public and private money, and the city has invested $7 million in matching funds. Some of the dollars have gone to adding infrastructure like the Jack Coombs Trailway there.The next project to go into the neighborhood will be the 6,000-square-foot People's Food Co-op at 507 Harrison Street. Co-op general manager Chris Dilley has told members one of the positive aspects of the site the co-op is moving to is that it is along the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, connecting Kal-Haven and Parchment and Battle Creek and Portage. "We are excited about this connection and look forward to helping to better connect this area of downtown to the core" of the city, he says.In recent years, the area has attracted the Smartshop Metal Arts Center, One Way Products, a manufacter of industrial process and cleaning chemicals and West Tech Design Inc., a design and engineering firm.Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Martha Aills, special projects coordinator, City of Kalamazoo Community Planning and Development division

Raising good food, harvesting strong relationships

By Stacie Carlson

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General

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April 1, 2010

CSAs bring together farmers and the people who buy the produce they harvest in a relationship that goes beyond seller and buyer.

Bell’s Eccentric Cafe grows in Kalamazoo to fit in more music fans

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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March 25, 2010

A big fish in the local music scene is about to get bigger, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette.Renovation work has begun at Bell's Eccentric Cafe, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. The $2.5 million project is projected to make the cafe, a downtown venue for the live music scene, a more major player by turning a vacant space behind the cafe bar into a performance area with room for more than 300 people, Bell's Brewery Inc. president Larry Bell, says in the story. Bell's is well-known for its widely popular beers. In addition, bathrooms will be upgraded, a new atrium entryway will be added and a new parking lot for about 55 cars will open on Ransom Street.Bell says in the story construction is expected to continue through summer — a popular time for the cafe. He asks patrons to be patient — the wait will be worth it.Excerpt:The back room, which is believed to have been built in the 1880s, is the oldest part of the cafe and requires "tender-loving care." Once it's complete, Bell said it will have a stage, sound equipment, lighting, bathrooms, a bar and a green room for performers. There will also be some reconfiguring of the outdoor beer garden and patio."This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time," Bell said. Bell said he expects to be able to book more big-name bands and, by combining the new music room with the garden, host concerts for "perhaps 1,000 people."Read the rest of the story to find out more of Bell's plans.