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.

Former Upjohn Jet taxis back into Kalamazoo

By Newsroom

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Development News

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May 6, 2010

A new airplane for RAI Jets / Air Ambulance Provider and Mott Enterprises is one that's flown local skies before.Phil and Mardee Mott of Mott Enterprises announced that N2UP once owned by the Upjohn Company has returned to Kalamazoo.RAI Jets pilot Doug Swartz welcomes back the stand-up cabin Citation jet and remembers it well. "As the director of aviation for Upjohn, I picked this plane out brand new from Cessna," Swartz says. "Now I get to fly it again! It was a great plane for Upjohn and will be a great addition to the other executive aircraft RAI Jets operates."Many local Upjohn employees used this plane extensively. When Pfizer bought out Pharmacia / Upjohn, they sold the plane and it went to the other side of the country. Many of pilots and passengers that flew in this plane are excited to have it back for their use.Mardee Mott says the plane was purchased to offer the community quality medical assisted transportation. "The plane will be equipped with special medical equipment to allow non-emergency medical transports as well as executive charter," she says.Air Ambulance Provider LLC, a company that has been in business less than a year, will provide the medical team and equipment for all medical transports.For charter clients, the Citation VIs streamline offers seating for up to nine passengers. Its airframe and quiet, efficient engines allow it to fly non-stop from Kalamazoo to Los Angeles."Combining the resources of Mott Enterprises, RAI Jets and Air Ambulance Provider will give us the ability to offer an amazing service to the local community," says Becky Bakeman, president of both Air Ambulance Provider and RAI Jets.Bakeman adds: "The Mott family owns the plane. RAI Jets is the Air Carrier that will operate the aircraft. Air Ambulance Provider will supply the medical personnel and medical equipment when a medical flight is necessary. All three companies work together to accomplish the mission as necessary."RAI Jets LLC has been in business for a little more than one year, though Bateman says its personnel has been providing this type of service for many years. The company provides charter air service, aircraft management and maintenance throughout North and Central America. RAI Jets' flights cover destinations throughout the continental U.S., Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. Air Ambulance Provider transports medical patients with varying need levels, for both domestic and international flights. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Becky Bakeman, President, RAI Jets / Air Ambulance Provider

Graduates volunteer to show gratitude for the Promise

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In The News

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April 29, 2010

The first group of students to graduate from college with the benefits of the Kalamazoo Promise are grateful for the opportunity and are repaying the gift by volunteering in the community, the Detroit Free Press reports. The story goes on to say more than 1,500 graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools have shared in $17 million given out by the Promise, which covers all tuition for students who have been in the district since at least ninth grade. Excerpt: The recipients are full of gratitude toward the anonymous donors who gave them a shot at a college education. "I don't even know if I could find the words if they were to stand in front of me," said Torian Johnson, a music major at WMU. "To me, it still feels kind of unreal that I go to school for free." To find out more about what students are planning to do after graduation, read the entire story. Source: Detroit Free Press

Hydroponics retailer invites community to grand opening

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Development News

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April 29, 2010

Music, food and a host of opportunities to learn about green businesses will be part of the May 1 grand opening of Horizen Hydroponics. The Kalamazoo store is at 4646 W. Main St., on the northeast corner of West Main and Drake in the Westwood Plaza. The store opened in February and now plans to celebrate it. "We've received a warm welcome from Kalamazoo," says Bridgette Ujlaky, co-owner with her husband John, of Horizen Hydroponics. "We've found it to be a very good fit. The community is very forward thinking and people are very interested in gardening." The decision to open a store in the Kalamazoo market came as the couple, which has an established store in Grand Rapids, realized an increasing number of their customers were coming north to check out their business. The Ujlakys specialize in hydroponic, organic, indoor and year-round gardening supplies. Hydroponics, which means "water works," is the process of growing plants in water, gravel or sand, but without soil. Their stores carry lighting, nutrients and other items to help gardeners succeed. Horizen Hydroponics has been in business for eight years in Grand Rapids and online. Bridget Ujlaky estimates that about 70 percent of its business comes from the brick-and-mortar stores, while 30 percent is done online. The company employs eight, including two at the Kalamazoo store. And the zen in the name Horizen Hydroponics is fully intentional. The company's motto is "tranquility through gardening." The grand opening ceremony will feature live music by local bands, local food, and eco-friendly vendors such as Flowerfield Enterprises, Natural Health Center, Emerald Car Cleaners and others. The May 1 event starts at noon and goes until 5 p.m. Ujlaky says the business will donate proceeds from organic vegetable and herb seedlings sold that day to Fair Food Matters, advocates for local food production and consumption. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. More information is available at Horizen Hydroponics' website or by calling 269-567-3333. Writer: Kathy Jennings Source: Bridgette Ujlaky

Home builders say construction is up across the region

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Entrepreneurship

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April 29, 2010

Residential builders in Kalamazoo County are busier this year than they were a year ago, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports. Housing starts, the term used for new, residential building permits, increased 15 percent in Kalamazoo County during the January-through-March period this year. Excerpt: Dale Shugars, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo, said much of the growth over the last year can be attributed to the federal government's $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit. "The next quarter will probably be slower because there won't be the $8,000," he said. The tax credits -- $8,000 for a first time buyer and $6,500 for an existing homeowner -- expire April 30. "I think '09 was the bottom of the housing industry," Shugars said. "When you look at the numbers for '09, it looks like it's flattened out. And in 2010, it's starting to climb out of the recession." For a breakdown of housing starts by municipality, read the rest of the story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Three Kalamazoo-area companies team up to compost cups

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Innovation News

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April 29, 2010

Three Kalamazoo-area companies have cups in common.Kalamazoo-based Fabri-Kal makes the cups, Bell's Eccentric Cafe serves up its brew in them, and Mulder's Landscape Supplies, Inc., mulches them after they have been used.Greenware, made by Fabri-Kal, are the cups. The cold drink cups and lids are made entirely from plants -- not petroleum. The resources used in the polymer that goes into the cups can be replenished naturally within one year. Made from a biopolymer, the Greenware product line is 100 percent compostable in municipal or industrial facilities.Greenware products require a specific temperature and level of humidity to compost correctly, which is why they are certified by the Biodegradable Plastics Institute, and meet international standards for composting.Since Southwest Michigan does not have a composting facility operated by a municipality the three companies teamed up to make sure the cups would be properly returned to the earth. Fabri-Kal's Vice President of Marketing John Kittredge calls this the cradle-to-cradle approach and says such local efforts are "smart, simple and truly beneficial economically, socially and environmentally." Mulder's handles the composting of leaves and yard waste for the city of Kalamazoo and has the capability to compost the Greenware cups alongside other natural waste."The Greenware cups are amazing to work with because they are 100 percent compostable," says Art Mulder, president and owner of the landscape supplies company. "We mix them in our leaf compost, and the compost in turn is sold and used in gardens throughout the Kalamazoo area."Bell's Eccentric Cafe has reduced its trash output 80 percent by volume, just by diverting their Greenware cups from landfill, says Evan Meffert, Sustainability Coordinator at Bell's Brewery.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Kate Kirkpatrick, Fabri-Kal

A harvest of sunshine

By Stacie Carlson

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Sustainability

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April 29, 2010

A solar array surrounded by corn and soy bean fields is an experiment on a grand scale for Connor Field and his father, Sam. Writer Stacie Carlson talks to them about what their learning about creating solar power from their massive do-it-yourself project.

Federal funds will pay for Kal-Haven Trail $1.2 million face-lift

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In The News

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April 29, 2010

The resurfacing of the eastern half of the Kal-Haven Trail will begin this month, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports.The portion to be resurfaced reaches from the 10th Street trailhead in Kalamazoo County to the west village limits of Bloomingdale in Van Buren County. Excerpt:Most of the funds for the $1.2 million project were obtained by the road commission through the federal stimulus package.Battle Creek-based contractor Hoffman Brothers will resurface the limestone and asphalt as well as mark the pavement.The work is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 31.The surface of the 34-mile-long trail is about 20 years old.Hoffman plans to resurface the trail in one-mile sections and will set up detours to keep the trail open during the construction project. Riders are encouraged to check in with trail staff at the various trail heads for up-to-date project information.For information on the number of riders who use the trail, read the entire story.Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Data mining company brings 10 to 20 jobs to WMU business and research park

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Development News

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April 29, 2010

A Houston-based analytic software company that counts among its clients some of the nation's leading firms will open a new office May 1 at Western Michigan University's Business Technology and Research Park.In PolyVista's first major expansion in a decade, the company will open a business development office in Kalamazoo and immediately hire and train 10 to 20 young recruits to become part of a team that works with customers."Our top priority is finding talent," says PolyVista's Jim Willard, who will lead the Kalamazoo office. "I'll be building a team that can focus on finding new homes for our technology."PolyVista provides businesses with access to a search engine that can analyze data and discern patterns and issues. The searches are capable of the same kind of data analysis and text mining used for national security reasons, but are done within the budget constraints most companies can afford, Willard says.Southwest Airlines, for instance, uses PolyVista's text and data-mining analysis tools to enhance the analysis of data in its pilot reporting program. The air conditioning systems and services business Trane uses PolyVista tools for early detection of warranty-related issues. The company can then correct them and pass the information on to its engineering and design teams to avoid problems in future products.PolyVista has a close relationship with Microsoft. The company launched in 1995 with technology developed by scientists from the former Soviet Union. PolyVista's patented search engine also analyzes data in such areas as trade compliance, reliability, marketing and operations; and in finance, energy, transportation, manufacturing and insurance industries.The move to Kalamazoo is a strategic effort to expand PolyVista's base, says Willard, a Michigan native. Although the company was originally focused on expansion in northern Virginia, Michigan proved to be an attractive alternative because of the relatively low cost of doing business in the state and the focus on growth and business outreach.The opportunity to locate in a university community like Kalamazoo also was high on the company's wish list for expansion."Five years ago, this wouldn't have worked for us," Willard says, "but there's been a major culture shift in Michigan and a move away from the legacy thinking that was once dominant. We really like the environment and the entrepreneurial spirit we find here now."PolyVista's Kalamazoo office will be located in the Granite Park I Building, 4664 Campus Drive. Get information about available jobs by sending an email inquiry or resume here. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jim Willard, PolyVista

WMU to teach with planes that will offer commercial airline-like experience

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Development News

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April 22, 2010

Western Michigan University is calling its flight training program the most sophisticated in the collegiate world after entering a long-term partnership that will bring a new fleet of airplanes to student pilots and prepare them like no other school for commercial airline flying. WMU's College of Aviation partnership with Brown Aviation Lease Inc. and Avidyne Corp. of Lincoln, both out of Massachusetts, will have the college sending its current fleet of Cirrus aircraft to be retrofitted with new engines and flight deck avionics systems. Avidyne's Entegra II Release 9 flight deck avionics system is "a sophisticated new flight system that will give WMU flight students experience that is easily transferable to commercial aviation," says Cheryl Roland, WMU spokeswoman. For the past five years, WMU has leased a fleet of 26 Cirrus aircraft, Roland says. During the past two, the college has been involved in negotiations to trade the leased planes in for the next generation of Cirrus. The entire retrofit and fleet transition, valued at $8 million, includes the value of the airplanes, new engines and the new avionics. Dave Powell, dean of the WMU College of Aviation, says, "This is a tremendous deal and will allow us to offer our students the most advanced avionic system used in flight training anywhere. We'll continue to offer flight training equipment that keeps us four to five years ahead of every other program -- not just in this country, but in the world."Writer: Kim North ShineSource: Cheryl Roland, Western Michigan University

Derek Jeter devoted to Kalamazoo

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In The News

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April 22, 2010

A recent USA Today story tells of Derek Jeter's commitment to his former hometown. Almost as famous for his good looks as his skills on the diamond, the New York Yankees captain and celebrity formed Turn 2 Foundation, which promotes positive lifestyles in kids and is run by his family, according to the story. Excerpt: Jeter's foundation focuses its efforts in New York, Tampa ... and Kalamazoo. It maintains a satellite office on the Western Michigan University campus and has awarded more than $3.5 million in grants in the area since its 1996 inception. "I don't care if I'm playing and living somewhere else," Jeter says at the Yankees spring training base in Tampa. "Michigan is where I grew up, and it's where I had my first foundation event. It's where I'll continue to keep the foundation going." Jeter, 35, comes to town about once a year, and his father, Turn 2 vice chairman Charles Jeter, tends to foundation business in town every couple of months. The 10-time All-Star surprised about 250 children when he showed up at the Turn 2 holiday party in December. Later, he and girlfriend Minka Kelly, a 29-year-old actress, dropped by his alma mater, Kalamazoo Central High School, to say hello to former teachers. Jeter said he usually makes a point to drive by his old home, a modest split-level that backs up to the school's athletic fields.For more on Jeter's foundation, including comments from Kalamazooans, read the entire story. Source: USA Today