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.

Home builders say construction is up across the region

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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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

New way to treat diabetes makes Kalamazoo firm a company to watch

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 22, 2010

Metabolic Solutions Development Company made this year's 50 Companies to Watch list. The distinction comes from Michigan Celebrates Small Business program of the Edward Lowe Foundation. MSDC is developing novel medicines for type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases using pharmaceuticals designed to more effectively treat type 2 diabetes without the side effects of current therapies. The award, which will be handed out April 29 at a ceremony in Lansing, recognizes companies deemed to embody the entrepreneurial spirit of Michigan. Winners are companies that have persevered through the initial startup stage and emerged as leaders. The judges are based in Michigan and come from the banking, economic development, entrepreneurship development and venture capital communities. "Our success is a direct result of the extensive experience of our founders, the insight of our investors, the extraordinary talent and hard work of our employees, and the wide-ranging network of outstanding business partners that we have brought together," says Robert Beardsley, CEO of MSDC. "This award is a special honor. Michigan has a great history in developing innovative metabolic disease therapies and we are proud to carry on that tradition here." PNC Bank is the lead underwriter for Michigan Celebrates Small Business, with additional underwriting support from Clark Hill PLC, Michigan Economic Development Corp., Michigan Certified Development Corporation, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, Comcast Business Class, Comcast Spotlight and Dynamic Edge. Michigan Celebrates Small Business is presented in association with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Small Business Association of Michigan, the U.S. Small Business Administration -- Michigan, and the Edward Lowe Foundation. Information about the 2010 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch program can be found at its Web site. For more information about Michigan Celebrates Small Business, visit its Web site. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Nick Wasmiller, Seyferth & Assoc.

WMU students support sustainability with their pocketbooks

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 22, 2010

Western Michigan University Students have volunteered to pay for something important to them: a campus culture focused on sustainability.Students led the way, asking for a referendum and then voting to approve a new $8 per-semester fee. The fee will generate an estimated $440,000 annually. It will be used to fund student-designed and student-led sustainability initiatives. It also will support a Sustainability Office, a green jobs program for students and student research.Details and logistics for distributing the funds have not yet been determined. To decide the best way to allocate the funds, a committee made up primarily of students will work with the President John Dunn's University-wide Sustainability Committee and Diane Anderson, the vice president for student affairs. The fee referendum appeared on a ballot in a March 15-19 general election sponsored by the school's elected student government organization, Western Student Association.Of those voting, 60 percent -- 1,002 students -- supported the fee, while 40 percent -- 662 students -- opposed it. Western Michigan University trustees have now gone on to give final approval. Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Cheryl Roland, WMU

Local music scene: Something to blog about

By Rebecca Bakken

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General

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April 22, 2010

In a college town like Kalamazoo the music scene is an ever-changing landscape. This week writer Rebecca Bakken catches up with two bloggers, one looking back and one looking forward, to check out what they see (and hear).

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

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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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

By Newsroom

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Education

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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

Stryker Corp. strikes $3-million deal with a Missouri company

By Newsroom

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Technology & Innovation

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April 22, 2010

Under an agreement reached with a Missouri company, Stryker Corp. of Kalamazoo will purchase neurosurgery devices and microsurgery tools, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports. The $3 million agreement was announced by Synergetics USA Inc., which the story says has agreed to sell Stryker its Omni line of products. Excerpt: "We believe the new strategic agreement with Stryker will be an important part in expanding our neurosurgery device sales," said David Hable, Synergetics' president and chief executive officer. Synergetics, a supplier of precision microsurgery instrumentation, has also said that it expects to increase its business with Stryker. For more on the deal, read the entire story. Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

New business picture calls for new way of thinking

By Newsroom

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Technology & Innovation

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April 15, 2010

Collaboration is bringing out the best of two area businesses, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports.Evan Eichhorn's Kalamazoo Screw Products is working with Pinto Products' owner Matthew Pinto to produce parts for a tank that holds disinfectant used to fog large areas, such as class rooms or hospital rooms. The tank design itself was developed by Altapure Health LLC, based in Carmel, Ind.One reason the collaboration works is small manufacturers like Kalamazoo Screw Products and Pinto Products can produce specialized parts quickly, a huge advantage for both, Eichhorn says in the story.Excerpt:Pinto said he signed on with Eichhorn because they have a relationship built on trust.He said he remembers a time when manufacturing companies didn't need to do anything special or out of the box to turn a profit. But, he said the downturn in the automotive industry shook up that sense of complacency and paved the way for an era of cooperation among businesses of all sizes."The fact that things are tight makes it a no-brainer and we're doing whatever we can to survive," Pinto said. "If we get this (Altapure business) it will see us through the next couple of months."Eichhorn said he lost about $2.5 million "almost overnight" when production of Volvo and Lincoln automobiles went overseas. He said his staff of 19 has decreased to six within the last three years.For more on how the businesses are collaborating, read the entire story.Source: Kalamazoo Gazette

Promising companies aim to pair up with funders

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 15, 2010

Two Kalamazoo companies will soon pitch products and plans to venture capitalists looking to invest their money.RealBio Technology, Inc., a company working to develop a better system for growing cell cultures, and Vestaron Corp., a developer of innovative pesticides from snake venom, have been asked to be part of the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, May 11-12, in Ypsilanti, Mich. The symposium invites leaders in the venture capital investment world to connect with entrepreneurs, startups and emerging growth companies that are actively searching for partners and funding. The event will host more than 400 attendees and 65 investment firms. The 32 emerging and growth business ventures slated to present made it through a rigorous screening process. The businesses seeking capital that would take them to the next level come from the areas of life sciences, energy, IT and technology.At Vestaron, scientists are unlocking the mystery of how spiders kill insects -- work that is leading to a new generation of insecticides. So far, more than 50 unique insecticidal spider peptides have been identified. A patented technology, exclusively licensed to Vestaron, has proven highly effective against insects and related pests and harmless to non-target species, including humans. Target markets include agriculture, animal health and specialty non-crop uses such as household insects. RealBio has developed a new cell culture that allows human stems cells to grow and be maintained for more than a year. Stem cells also can be harvested for the same amount of time without adverse affects. RealBio's technology can be tailored to culture numerous tissue types.Overall, RealBio's Culture System promotes the growth, function, and harvest of a variety of human and animal cells for use in a range of research, study and production applications.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jean Serra, Michigan Growth Capital Symposium

Kalamazoo’s Larry Bell gets a cheer from his peers

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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April 15, 2010

The Brewers Association has recognized Larry Bell of Bell's Brewery for his dedication and service to the industry, reports Draft Magazine. The magazine that ranks the best beers of the year says the industry recognition came at the opening session of the Brewers Association's annual Craft Brewers Conference April 7 in Boulder, Colo. Excerpt: The Brewers Association Recognition Award went to Larry Bell, Founder and Owner of Bell's Brewery, Inc. Bell started the Kalamazoo Brewing Company and Bell's Brewery, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1985, the earliest craft brewery in the eastern half of the United States. Larry's dedication to the industry includes serving as a former chair of the Brewers Association's predecessor organization and acting as a driving force with current Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper for the creation of American Beer Month (which evolved into American Craft Beer Week). "Larry is a leader in our industry known for his innovative beers and the passion he brings to craft brewing," said Brewers Association Board of Directors Chair Nick Matt, CEO of Matt Brewing Company. Mountain West Brewery Supply's David Edgar noted in documents supporting Bell's nomination that "Larry is continually pushing the envelope with experimenting with different grains, different yeast strains and plenty of hops." For a look a who else was recognized, read the entire story. Source: Draft magazine