Crain's Grand Rapids Business, May 15, 2023

PFAS Annihilator comes to town

KAYLEIGH VAN WYK

526 apartments to replace old Creston factory

Development is city’s largest housing project in years

By Kate Carlson

e Creston neighborhood’s momentum is poised for a major boost with a developer’s plan to replace a massive vacant industrial building with more than 500 housing units and succeed where previous proposals have failed.

Franklin Partners LLC unveiled plans May 3 to demolish the long-vacant former Display Pack Inc. building and build a mixed-use development with 526 apartment units, making it one of the largest housing proposals in Grand Rapids in recent years.

e 307,000-square-foot structure is located between Creston’s business district and the Grand River on the city’s north side.

e Oak Brook, Ill.-based commercial real estate investor plans to build two separate, four-story structures on the north and south ends of the site at 1340 Monroe Ave. NW. Plans also call for a 627-space parking deck in the middle of the property between the two apartment buildings.

Don Shoemaker, principal at Franklin Partners, and Tom Tooley, executive vice president at Grand Rapids-based architecture rm Ghafari Associates LLC, presented the development plan at a Creston Neighborhood Association meeting.

Medical startup eyes national stage

Inside a wastewater treatment facility in West Michigan, a rstof-its-kind operation is destroying harmful PFAS chemicals at a commercial scale.

A partnership known as 4never between four organizations — Heritage-Crystal Clean, Revive Environmental, Allonnia and Emerging Pollutants of Concern (EPOC) Enviro — has culminated in the rst post-lab solution for destroying PFAS in the U.S., executives say. It’s happening at a Heritage-Crystal Clean site in Wyoming.

e facility is home to a fullscale deployment of Revive Environmental’s PFAS Annihilator Technology, along with Surface Active Foam Fractionation (SAFF) technology manufactured in Aus-

tralia by EPOC Enviro.

e facility handles concentrated waste from more than 100,000 gallons of land ll leachate per day. Once the concentrate makes it to the PFAS Annihilator, the harmful PFAS — or per- and poly uoroalkyl substances — are destroyed in just 10-30 seconds.

“We’re taking a human-created problem and eliminating it in seconds with a human-created solution,” said David Trueba, president and CEO of Revive Environmental.

e Columbus, Ohio-based nonpro t research center Battelle and an investment rm launched Revive Environmental to oversee sales, operations and technology

Investment prompts Root Functional Medicine to extend telehealth platform

By Mark Sanchez

e Grand Rapids-based medical practice that Dr. Erica Armstrong founded ve years ago seeks to get to the root causes of a patient’s health problems.

After securing a $2.25 million investment, Armstrong now looks to extend Root Functional Medicine Inc.’s virtual care model and technology platform across the country.

e growth capital from Lansing-based e 4100 Group Inc. will go to scale Root Functional Medicine by building out and ex-

tending the practice’s telehealth platform. e company also intends to bring aboard more physicians nationally who practice in functional medicine, which focuses on keeping people well and working on lifestyle, nutrition and diet to reverse issues

Dr. Erica Armstrong, founder of Root Functional Medicine. | MARK SANCHEZ

The SAFF unit at the Heritage-Crystal Clean facility near Grand Rapids processes PFAS-laden land ll leachate into a concentrate before it is destroyed in the Annihilator. | BATTELLE

The interior of the PFAS Annihilator. The facility handles concentrated waste from more than 100,000 gallons of land ll leachate per day. |

Riverfront site poised for redevelopment

Property currently used for firefighter training

By Kate Carlson

City officials have set in motion a plan that could free up more prime riverfront property for redevelopment or greenspace and achieve goals for maximizing the Grand River.

Plans to consolidate non-emergency Grand Rapids Fire Department operations could move the department from a training location at 1101 Monroe Ave. NW at the intersection of Coldbrook Street. The riverfront parcel is just

south of Leonard Street on the east side of the Grand River, near the Monroe North business district.

Multiple long-term plans have identified the “Coldbrook property” as an opportunity site for potential reuse.

“Relocating GRFD training operations off the site would be another good step forward toward exploring redevelopment options for the site and, ultimately, implementing the community’s vision for the space and the revitalized river corridor,” said Andy Guy, chief outcomes offi-

cer at Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. The city’s GR Forward investment plan and strategy, as well as the River for All plan that was developed by multiple partners, specifically call out the site for potential reuse. The property also includes a historic water works building completed in 1909. Havser-Owen-Ames Co. — the predecessor of Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. — built the facility that was designed by Williamson & Crow, which also designed McKay Tower in downtown Grand Rapids.

Gentex leads investment in startup

Firm advancing thermal cameras for self-driving cars

By Kayleigh Van Wyk

West Michigan Tier 1 automotive supplier Gentex Corp. recently led an investment round and formed a collaboration agreement to help bring an Israel-based company’s thermal camera technology to market.

Executives at Zeeland-based Gentex say the Series B funding and new commercial, engineering and manufacturing agreement will help Adasky transition from an early growth company to a leader in automotive thermal sensing.

Suburbs to flex zoning codes as housing demand grows

Planners are looking at ‘creative’ ways to address need

In reaction to the work of advocacy groups in the last couple of years, local governments across West Michigan have started to realize they need to work together to solve the housing crisis.

That push by organizations like Housing Next in Kent and Ottawa counties has resulted in more cities and townships coming to the table to work with developers to adjust their zoning codes to allow for more density, according to in-

dustry sources.

“The shared understanding of the larger goals of the county to deliver housing has made approvals a smoother process for us,” said Jason Wheeler, vice president of marketing and communications for Wheeler Development Group LLC and a partner in WDG Construction LLC who has spent more than 20 years working on projects in West Michigan.

| BY RACHEL WATSON

Wheeler Development Group has a portfolio of about 800 housing units in Grand Rapids and suburban markets like Ada, Caledonia and Spring Lake.

When working with suburban municipalities, Wheeler would like to see a more “streamlined approach” that would save time and money in the site identification process for potential multifamily projects.

He said in some cases, a devel-

oper will secure an option on a piece of property, and as the planning project progresses, the company will face opposition from residents about the risk of increased density overwhelming schools and sewers, traffic congestion, architectural features that are out of line with the character of the neighborhood and so on.

Founded in Israel in 2016, Adasky has developed long wave infrared (LWIR) sensing systems for passenger and pedestrian safety with self-driving vehicles. The company set out to create thermal vision systems that fill gaps in existing driver-assisted technology, offering more reliability in low light and all-weather situations.

For Gentex, the recent investment and collaboration came after years of investigation, research and dialogue with the Adasky team. The two companies’ relationship began after an encounter at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) a few years ago.

“(The Adasky team) came by our booth, and a couple people we knew had just joined the team and were talking about the product and the technology,” said Neil Boehm, chief technology officer at Gentex. “We stayed connected from that point until about a year and a half ago. They had made great progress in the evolution of their technology, and we were interested in potential opportunities for how we could work together and collaborate.”

A conceptual rendering in the River for All plan of potential reuses for the Coldbrook property. | COURTESY

An aerial photo of Lakeside Drive in East Grand Rapids. COURTESY PHOTO

Developer to refine Holland waterfront proposal

Voter approval of land sale was only first step

By Kate Carlson

After securing a crucial public vote to sell city property, a developer will now delve into the “nitty gritty” of a major plan to connect downtown Holland with the Lake Macatawa waterfront.

Executives with Holland-based Geenen DeKock Properties Group LLC were counting on voter approval to sell nearly 20 acres of city-owned, lakefront property to move forward with a large mixeduse and multi-faceted development. The land sale, which passed with nearly 64 percent approval on May 2, was needed to facilitate a land swap that will consolidate industrial uses at the former James DeYoung coal-fired power plant.

While city officials previously selected Geenen DeKock’s concept after a nationwide request for proposals, the company will now create a more detailed site plan to pitch to city officials for formal approval.

Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks said Geenen DeKock’s proposal will now proceed through a typical city planning commission and city council approval process.

“This is by no means a done deal at this point, there is an awful lot more that needs to happen,” Bocks said.

Geenen DeKock’s conceptual site plan calls for the construction of residential buildings, a hotel, restaurant, marina, ice cream shop, and docking areas for cruise ships like the Holland Princess and Pearl Mist. The proposal also calls for open green space that would include a kayak launch and a boardwalk plaza for boat watching.

The local approval process will wait as Geenen DeKock (GDK) refines its development proposal, said company co-owner Doug DeKock.

“This allows us to go forward and get into the nitty gritty of it and work on the normal approval processes and develop a plan that is acceptable for everyone,” DeKock said. “We’re thankful for all of the people who caught the vision that we had that this is the best solution and we’re really thankful to go forward with bringing the downtown to the waterfront because that’s been desired

by many people in the city of Holland.”

Despite securing support from nearly two-thirds of the electorate, some criticism involved a perceived lack of public access to the site and concerns that it would appeal only to wealthier demographics.

The more detailed site plan will “consider it all,” DeKock said of the criticism.

As well, Bocks said he is “confident in the public access piece” of GDK’s plan.

“A key part of this process was the public vote as required by our

city charter, and that’s a really high bar,” Bocks said. “So far, the public has said, ‘We like what we see, we want to move forward as long as you fulfill the promises you’ve made to us,’ and we will fulfill that promise of public access.”

Long-term vision

The city has worked to redevelop its lakefront property and make it more publicly accessible for decades. Around five years ago, the “Waterfront Holland” initiative aimed to build momentum around that planning process.

Waterfront Holland has focused

on repurposing the power plant site, examining more opportunities for public access across the entire Lake Macatawa shoreline, and connecting the lakeshore to downtown.

“We could have asked this ballot question five years ago,” Bocks said. “We decided to take (the planning process) as far as we could and got into as much detail as we could about what the development proposal could look like.”

The city issued a national request for proposals to redevelop the waterfront. It received three responses that were deemed qualified for the scope of the project. Of those three, GDK was the only developer that submitted a development proposal.

With the public approval secured to facilitate a land swap, city officials are not currently planning to reopen the RFP process from potential newly interested developers.

“After having gone through that process, we don’t see that changing at all,” Bocks said. “We plan to move forward with the proposal that is in front of us and make sure it meets the approvals it will require at the state, federal and local level.”

Multiple public hearings and planning sessions will take place as GDK advances its proposal through the planning commission and the city council, Bocks said.

“Some of the complaints we’ve heard are that this particular project doesn’t contain every aspect people said they wanted in the Waterfront Holland process,” Bocks said. “Waterfront Holland is bigger than just this site and we’re working to incorporate as many of those aspects and amenities into the entire waterfront. Not every location can have every amenity.”

Feds sue Trinity Health for religious discrimination

Candidate denied employment for refusing flu shot

By Mark Sanchez

The federal government claims Trinity Health Grand Rapids violated the religious rights of a prospective employee by rescinding a job offer because he declined to take a flu vaccine.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit this month in federal court in Grand Rapids on behalf of Christopher Simmons, claiming that Trinity Health Grand Rapids, formerly Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

The lawsuit claims that Trinity Health Grand Rapids offered a position to Simmons in November 2019 as a business office administrator. The job offer was contingent on Simmons completing a pre-employment physical exam and getting a flu shot.

Simmons declined to get a flu vaccine because of his religious beliefs. Court papers do not specify his religious objection.

Simmons sought an exemption to the Catholic health system’s policy that requires employees to get an annual flu vaccine.

“However, defendant denied Simmons’s application for such exemption because it determined that his religious beliefs, as articulated in his application, were insuf-

ficient. Defendant did not specify to Simmons how his application was deficient, or give him an opportunity to supplement his application to address any perceived deficiencies. Instead, Defendant informed him that his application (for an exemption) had been denied and that he had to take the vaccine,” the EEOC wrote in court filings.

After Simmons again declined to get vaccinated for the flu, Trinity Health Grand Rapids rescinded

his job offer.

The EEOC case, filed by the agency’s Detroit office, alleges that Trinity Health Grand Rapids failed to accommodate Simmons’s religious beliefs.

“Instead of rejecting the applicant’s religious accommodation request outright, Mercy Health should have followed up with him if it had questions,” Dale Price, senior trial attorney in the EEOC’s Detroit Field Office, said in a statement announcing the litigation.

“If it had questions, Mercy Health could have spoken with this individual before making a decision to determine the contours of his religious beliefs, rather than prematurely determining that his beliefs were not genuine.”

Trinity Health declined comment on the case because it had not yet been served with court papers.

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction that requires Trinity Health Saint Mary’s “to institute and carry out policies, practices, and programs which provide equal employment opportunities

for applicants and employees of all religions, and which eradicate the effects of its past and present unlawful employment practices,” according to court documents.

The EEOC also asks the court to award Simmons back pay with interest, plus take “other affirmative relief necessary to eradicate the effects of its unlawful employment practices, including but not limited to front pay or instatement to an appropriate position.”

Court documents indicated that the EEOC informed Trinity Health Grand Rapids in May 2021 that it found “reasonable cause” to believe that the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act had been violated in the case. At the time, the EEOC was “inviting” the health system to “join with the Commission in informal methods of conciliation to endeavor to eliminate the unlawful employment practices and provide appropriate relief.”

The EEOC was “unable to secure from Defendant Employer a conciliation agreement acceptable to the Commission.”

A developer’s plan for repurposing the Holland waterfront includes public spaces as well as residential and commercial components. | GEENEN DEKOCK PROPERTIES GROUP LLC

Trinity Health Grand Rapids, formerly known as Saint Mary’s Hospital. | COURTESY TRINITY HEALTH

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Corewell joins Boston Square development

Site also will house early learning center, event space

By Kate Carlson

Michigan’s largest in-state health system has signed on to operate a health care center within a major community development project on Grand Rapids’ south side.

Officials announced Corewell Health’s involvement in the Boston Square Together project, which includes a $25 million multi-purpose space in the Boston Square neighborhood. The “community hub” calls for an early childhood learning center, community event space and programming space for the project developer, Amplify GR.

Nonprofits leverage grant to address food supply chain

USDA initiative will help farmers learn best practices, make connections

By Abby Poirier

Two West Michigan organizations are debuting a new program to help strengthen Michigan’s agricultural network, develop resilient farms and forge connections to keep produce local.

Backed by a $891,100, threeyear grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), West Michigan Food Processing Association and Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities Inc. have launched a new program to bolster the region’s food supply chain by connecting area farmers with institutions, grocery stores and food banks looking for locally grown products.

While the two organizations have worked together for several years, this is the first project they are embarking on that has the potential to change the future of West Michigan agriculture, said Jen Schaap, food and farming program director at the Groundwork Center.

The Groundwork Center, a Traverse City-based nonprofit advocacy organization that received the USDA Regional Food Systems Partnership grant last year, focuses on building climate and environment, food and farming, and transportation and community design programs to facilitate healthier communities in West Michigan.

The Groundwork Center is partnering with the Muskegon-based West Michigan Food Processing Association for the grant-supported Resilient Relationships, Resilient Supply initiative. The project will focus on facilitating relation-

ships between farmers and local institutions to help keep Michigan’s fresh produce in the region while strengthening farms.

According to Schaap, while farms may want to distribute produce locally, many small operations lack the volume to serve schools, a problem that could potentially be solved by aggregating farmers who grow or want to grow the same items to meet local volume demands. Additionally, farms might not be aware of the food safety requirements schools have to ensure they are getting products safe for children’s consumption.

“From what I have seen, at least in the perspective of the small farmers, maybe they think that they don’t have a chance,” Schaap said. “All of the folks that I’ve mentioned, farmers, food service directors, people in this supply chain are busy. We have the resources and if we don’t, we know where to find them. So, we feel like with this grant, we can really step in and ease the burden of folks trying to figure it all out on their own.”

While small-scale local farms might want to sell their produce in local markets but lack the connections to do so, different barriers affect local buyers who want to purchase from West Michigan producers.

Schaap gave the example of public schools, whose food service directors want fresher produce from local sources but might struggle to connect with local farmers.

“We know that having food (that’s) not trucked across the

country can be more nutritious and it’s important to get as nutrient-dense food to kids as possible,” Schaap said.

To help West Michigan institutions connect with local farmers, the Resilient Relationships, Resilient Supply program will hold virtual and in-person meetings throughout its 16-county project region, which includes Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and Mason counties. The grant extends until September 2025.

According to Marty Gerencer, executive director at West Michigan Food Processing Association, topics discussed in the program will include ways to improve the resiliency of West Michigan farms such as workforce retention, labor force training, technology and sustainability concerns.

“Strengthening West Michigan’s regional supply chain by connecting local farmers and food businesses to buyers and consumers also reduces our need (for) imports, ensuring our region’s food supply chain resiliency,” Gerencer said.

Additionally, the program will help strengthen West Michigan’s agricultural network by helping farmers learn from one another to gain knowledge about workforce, climate change or sustainability issues.

“A lot of this is convening and building relationships, farmers meeting with other farmers to share best practices peer-to-peer,” Schaap said. “It would be connecting them to those schools or pantries, aggregators or distributors to get their product in more places.”

of the community hub, which will house 40 to 50 employees, to open in early 2024 with a completion date in early 2025. The construction process will include demolition, renovation and new construction to create the multipurpose facility.

The project signifies a major effort to help overcome longstanding underinvestment in the south side Grand Rapids community, and an opportunity to mend inequities and historical disenfranchisement.

The project recently advanced through an administrative stage when three parcels for the community hub changed hands in a $2.4 million deal among companies on the Boston Square Together development team.

Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Corewell Health West, said the health system was interested in participating in the Boston Square project to pursue health equity.

“We absolutely recognize that that is a neighborhood that is underserved and whose health outcomes aren’t where surrounding neighborhoods are, and we think we can do our part to make that better for the citizens of that area,” Elmouchi said. “We’re committed to community partnerships to help solve problems and no one can do any of this alone. That’s a great example of many in the community coming together to do something that no one could have done by themselves.”

Corewell Health officials joined city, neighborhood and corporate partners for a groundbreaking on Boston Square Together’s community hub at 1534 Kalamazoo Ave SE.

The two-story, 45,000-squarefoot community hub space is a component of the larger Boston Square Together project, which spans about 10 acres across 12 adjacent properties and also calls for hundreds of housing units.

The community hub groundbreaking marked four years of community engagement and two years of design planning for the Boston Square Together project.

Officials expect the first phase

A company affiliated with Rockford Construction Co. Inc. sold three properties on March 15 at 1534 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, 1460 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, and 1451 Fuller Ave. SE to Boston Square HWEC, a nonprofit registered to Kenyatta Brame, the longtime executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Cascade Engineering.

The three parcels that make up the community hub will include a 9,000-square-foot Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative center, a 240-person community event space, a community café and 6,000 square feet of wellness space.

Amplify GR Executive Director Jon Ippel called the property sale an administrative legal step that’s part of the project financing process. The nonprofit chaired by Brame is the entity that will take on new market tax credits for the development, Ippel said.

“The first thing to open up is the early learning center, which should open in January,” Ippel said. “That’s the main thrust of this part of the project. There are two sides to the project — the first phase is more of a demolition and renovation, and the second part is new construction.”

The main building at 1534 Kalamazoo Ave. SE will be deconstructed and renovated. Ippel called the groundbreaking the “next major milestone” for the community hub and Boston Square Together development. Staff reporter Mark Sanchez contributed reporting to this story.

West Michigan Food Processing Association and the Groundwork Center plan to use a $891,100 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to launch the Resilient Relationships, Resilient Supply initiative to connect buyers with local farmers. | TERRA SLAYBAUGH VIA UNSPLASH

The community hub portion of the Boston Square Together project calls for a health care clinic, early childhood learning space and a community event center.

Federal charges filed in diesel emission scheme

Trucking firms charged with disabling systems on hundreds of vehicles

By Andy Balaskovitz

Three Michigan-based companies and 11 individuals have been charged with violating federal air pollution laws as part of an alleged scheme to disable emission-control systems on hundreds of semi trucks.

U.S. District Attorney Mark Totten and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials announced that the ongoing investigation is one of the largest of its kind in the United States.

“This criminal scheme has released or will release an enormous amount of pollutants into the air, many of which are dangerous to human health,” Totten said, calling it a “blatant violation of the Clean Air Act.”

“This case is one of the largest of its kind ever charged in the United States,” Totten said.

Wyoming-based truckload service provider Griffin Transportation Inc. and its owners Craig Scholten and Ryan Bos are among the companies and individuals facing charges for conspiracy to violate the federal Clean Air Act

and for violating the Clean Air Act by tampering with monitoring devices.

The defendants — which also include Wyoming-based repair shop Accurate Truck Service LLC and Gaylord-based Diesel Freak LLC — are accused of disabling the emission controls on semi trucks. The alleged scheme involved the coordination of hardware mechanics, software programmers, trucking customers and developers and distributors that provided equipment and tools to carry out the plan.

Parts and apparel provider Diesel Freak is accused of deleting or assisting in deleting emission-control systems on at least 362 vehicles, while Accurate Truck Service — which is associated with and shares a facility with Griffin Transportation — is accused of modifying at least 83 vehicles.

Totten said the alleged scheme took place from about 2012 to at least 2018.

All three companies and nine of the 11 defendants have signed plea agreements and intend to plead guilty to a felony charge,

Founders Brewing hit with lawsuit alleging racial discrimination

By Jay Davis, Crain’s Detroit Business

Founders Brewing Co.’s abrupt announcement earlier this month that it is closing its Detroit taproom came on the same day that a former employee filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Grand Rapids-based brewery.

Attorney Jack Schulz filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit for former Founders employee Naeemah Dillard alleging racial discrimination at the company’s Detroit taproom. In the lawsuit, Dillard said she quit working at Founders on April 23 after nearly two years on the job due to “racial hostility.”

In her lawsuit, Dillard, a Black woman, alleges she received a token part-time management post. The complaint says that other managers, all white, had their own specific focus area such as leading the taproom’s event space or training employees while Dillard did not and was passed over for numerous other management opportunities. Dillard was the lone manager who worked additional shifts as a server and was compensated as a server and not a manager, the lawsuit alleges.

In the lawsuit, Dillard also said

Totten said. Two defendants — Dustin Rhine and James Sisson — have been indicted by a federal grand jury.

The alleged aftermarket scheme took place by modifying existing vehicles, some of which are still operating, Totten said.

According to prosecutors, Griffin Transportation engaged Accurate Truck Service and Diesel Freak to alter vehicle components owned, operated or leased by the companies. Accurate Truck Service and Griffin Transportation have agreed to pay a combined $1 million fine, while Diesel Freak has agreed to pay a $750,000 fine.

Totten said companies would hatch a plan to modify the trucks for a variety of reasons, including avoiding repair or maintenance costs on vehicles, improving fuel efficiency or boosting a vehicle’s horsepower. He said each of the three companies played a distinct role in the alleged “deletion” process to reprogram vehicles’ engine computers so they could continue running even with emission-control hardware removed.

However, tampering with or re-

moving such controls can significantly increase emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and carbon monoxide, according to EPA officials.

“This case shows that environmental crimes can have negative impacts over extensive areas, including multiple U.S. states and other countries,” said Henry Barnet, director of the EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement, Forensics and Training. “These judicial actions hold corporations and individuals responsible for their roles in evading the Clean Air Act’s pollution controls for heavy-duty ve-

hicles by modifying or removing emissions control systems and rendering the on-board diagnostic systems inaccurate.”

Totten added that enforcing environmental laws is done for the benefit of the environment and humans, particularly vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

“There are some who think that these laws don’t really matter, that they are useless red tape or that no one ever gets caught,” Totten said. “To those people, I hope that today makes you think twice.”

she was subjected to racial harassment from other employees ranging from intentionally mispronouncing her name to stating that she “doesn’t struggle enough to be black.”

Dillard said in the lawsuit that her reports of discrimination were met with retaliation in the form of diminished hours or her complaints were dismissed altogether.

Brewery officials said in a statement that they were unaware of the lawsuit as the taproom closure took place on May 1.

“We are deeply saddened and concerned to learn of the recent accusations that have been brought against the Detroit Taproom. We take these claims very seriously, and we are conducting a thorough internal investigation.”

Justin Parent said in an April 30 affidavit that he quit his job as manager of the Detroit location over the treatment of Dillard, according to the filing. Parent worked at the Detroit Founders location from December 2017 until April 16, 2023. Parent said he left Detroit Founders for a short period in 2019 following another racial discrimination lawsuit against the business. Parent said he only returned after he was told the culture would change.

“The truth is that never hap-

pened and I feel taken advantage of,” Parent said in the affidavit. Requests for additional comment were not immediately returned.

Dillard’s lawsuit isn’t the first to accuse Founders of racism.

In 2019, the brewer settled a racial discrimination lawsuit filed by former manager Tracy Evans. Evans alleged Founders tolerated a racist internal culture and that the company fired him as retaliation for complaints to human resources about racism on staff. Following the claims, Founders faced a backlash and it temporarily closed the Detroit location.

Company officials said that since 2019 the brewery has “instituted mandatory bias, discrimination and harassment training throughout our organization. We have reexamined our policies and enacted new policies, along with imple-

menting new procedures for the reporting of workplace concerns.”

Founders opened the location at 456 Charlotte St. near The District Detroit in November 2017. It spent $4 million to renovate a 14,000-square-foot building that was previously home to the Cass Corridor Food Co-op. The taproom has a 400-person capacity, including a large outdoor patio.

After opening to much fanfare, Founders later struggled under the weight of charges of racism and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This decision involved a lot of careful consideration of each aspect of our business, and ultimately, what we felt was best for the company and our employees overall,” Founders CEO Elton Andres Knight said in a news release of the Detroit location closing. “We explored every possible avenue to

course correct the business and gave it as much time as we could. We are now working diligently to find new positions within the company for the employees who are displaced upon this closure.”

The Grand Rapids taproom will remain open, according to the release.

At the time of its 2017 opening, Founders co-founder Dave Engbers said opening a taproom in Detroit allowed the company to be part of the city’s comeback while also spreading the craft beer culture out from the brewery’s Grand Rapids base.

Founders earlier this year was absorbed into Mahou USA, a group owned by Spain-based Mahou Imports. Mahou Imports in 2019 purchased a 90-percent stake in Founders, which in 2014 sold a 30-percent stake to Mahou to help bolster Founders’ expansion.

Griffin Transportation Inc., based in Wyoming, is among the companies charged with violating the federal Clean Air Act by participating in an alleged scheme to disable emission-control systems. | COURTESY OF PROPERTY RECORDS

Founders opened its Detroit taproom in 2017. | KURT NAGL/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

CRAIN’S LIST TOP AREA OFFICE FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS

1 2 3 4 5

Steelcase Inc. 901 44th St. SE, Grand Rapids 49508 p (616) 247-2710

steelcase.com

MillerKnoll

855 E. Main Ave., Zeeland 49464

p (616) 654-3000

millerknoll.com

Banta Furniture 3390 Broadmoor Ave. SE, Grand Rapids 49512 p (616) 575-8144

f 575-8184

bantafurniture.com

BMC Industrial Education Services

P.O. Box 4089, Muskegon 49444 p (231) 733-1206

bmclab.com

Haworth Inc.

1 Haworth Center, Holland 49423 p (616) 393-3000

f 393-3138

haworth.com

1970David SomersDND

1948Franco Bianchi

theater seats and backs, file-top cushions, task chair cushions. Prototype and pattern development

laboratory fume hoods, tables and casework

Office, commercial and health industry furniture, including executive, lounge, outdoor and dining; modular office systems; walls; workplace technology

Crain's Grand Rapids Business list of top area office furniture manufacturers, ranked by 2022 number of employees, is the most comprehensive available. The list is based on responses to Crain's Grand Rapids Business surveys. Crain's Grand Rapids Business defines "West Michigan" as Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties. Crain's Grand Rapids Business surveyed 39 manufacturers; 5 responded and 5 are listed. To be considered for future lists, e-mail danielle.nelson@crain.com. DND = Did not disclose

LIST STORE: Download this list now at crainsgrandrapids.com in Excel or PDF format. | The Book of Lists and other lists are also available.

Steelcase planning hundreds of layoffs

Move comes despite healthy revenue boost in fiscal year 2023

By Kayleigh Van Wyk

Steelcase Inc. will permanently lay off hundreds of employees in the U.S. and overseas in response to persisting inflationary pressures, continued decline in order volume and decreasing plant utilization.

The Grand Rapids-based office furniture manufacturer announced during its May 4 investor day that it will close a regional distribution center in Atlanta, Ga., resulting in the termination of approximately 30 employees.

The layoffs should be completed by the end of the company’s 2024 fiscal year, with most departures anticipated by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

A Steelcase (NYSE: SCS) spokesperson was not immediately available to provide more

information.

The layoffs in Atlanta are part of a restructuring plan that also includes the termination of about 80 to 85 hourly employees and 150 to 155 salaried employees in the company’s Asia Pacific market.

Together, these actions will incur about $4 million to $5 million in pre-tax restructuring charges, including cash severance payments as well as the payment of other separation-related benefits.

Steelcase expects $6 million to $7 million in annualized savings once these restructuring actions have been fully implemented, according to the 8-K filing.

The company’s board of directors also recently approved plans for workforce reductions for 40 to 50 salaried roles for Steelcase’s operations in France. This action will be subject to approximately $10 million to $13 million in pre-tax restructuring charges, including severance payments and payments of other separation-related benefits.

The company anticipates $4 million to $5 million in annualized savings once these actions

are fully implemented, per the 8-K filing.

Steelcase’s latest cost-cutting moves come amid ongoing uncertainty and economic pressures for office furniture manufacturers, as delays surrounding return-to-office mandates persist.

Despite the uncertainty, Steelcase has reported revenue of $3.2 billion for its 2023 fiscal year — up from $2.8 billion from fiscal year 2022.

“We continue to look (for) opportunities to drive our strategy forward,” Steelcase President and CEO Sara Armbruster said during an investor call in March. “We remain pretty active in keeping our eyes open and asking those questions in terms of what might make sense for our strategy and what might be the right next move.”

Among those market opportunities are a move to embrace the new hybrid work environment that has overtaken the office sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company last year conducted global research on employees’ needs and preferences to help guide its new product offerings.

Those offerings include Steelcase’s new Flex Collection, which reflects employees’ preferences for both privacy and individual workspace designs.

Flex Personal Spaces features adjustable desks surrounded by a rearrangeable tufted privacy wrap canopy that supports individual workspace and video call meetings.

The Karman, an ergonomic mesh chair that is designed to naturally respond to body movements and weight, is another

product Steelcase rolled out to embrace hybrid workspaces and individual needs.

“Comfort is built into every aspect of Karman — it’s reactive to each body type and posture and adapts to all the different ways in which we might sit. You’re not aware of the chair, but it moves with you continually,” said Mark Spoelhof, design director for Steelcase.

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business researcher Danielle Nelson contributed reporting to this story.

Steelcase’s headquarters in Grand Rapids. | COURTESY PHOTO

“We continue to look (for) opportunities to drive our strategy forward.”

Steelcase President and CEO Sara Armbruster

welcome Mark DeWitt Senior Vice President Commercial Lender

Developer bringing townhomes, offices to Heritage Hill

Project is across the street from Mary Free Bed’s campus

Mark.DeWitt@LMCU.org

By Kate Carlson

A joint venture between two West Michigan developers aims to bring a mixed-use project with office space and 20 market-rate residential units to Grand Rapids’ Heritage Hill neighborhood.

Indigo Design + Development and SDR Ventures LLC, both based in Grand Rapids, have proposed the Townhomes of Heritage Hill infill project, which spans six properties at the southeast corner of the Wealthy Street and Lafayette Avenue roundabout. The project site is across the street from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s campus.

Doing business as Wealthy Prospect LLC, Indigo partner Ryan Schmidt purchased the six parcels with Wealthy Street, Prospect Avenue and Lafayette Avenue addresses from affordable housing developer ICCF Community Homes, formerly known as Inner City Christian Federation. The $800,000 property sale closed in July 2022, according to property records. Schmidt previously worked as ICCF’s vice president of real estate development and management.

“We love the location of the site on Wealthy Street and we’re incredibly excited to be part of this project and trying to reimagine this site,” Schmidt said. “This has sat vacant and underutilized for a long time now, probably 20 years.”

The site formerly housed a variety of businesses, including a dry cleaner, auto shop and party store called Little Jack’s, Schmidt said.

ICCF Community Homes previously acquired the properties over several years, with plans to bring an affordable housing project to the area. However, various plans never worked well with criteria in the state’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, Schmidt said.

The properties also sit in different zoning districts as well as a

historic district, posing additional development challenges, Schmidt said. Two of the parcels include vacant historic homes, and the rest of the parcels are vacant except for a billboard, which would be torn down during construction, Schmidt added.

The Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission previously approved the development team’s plan to relocate a vacant duplex — which was previously a single-family home — to a vacant lot at 415 Prospect Ave. SE, which is one of the six parcels that Schmidt owns. This will situate the two vacant duplexes next to each other at 409 and 415 Prospect Ave. SE. Both would be converted back to single-family homes, per the development plan.

Relocating one of the historic homes will free up the rest of the site for the Townhomes of Heritage Hill development.

The site plan calls for 14 townhomes that would be three to four stories tall, with the first floor serving as a garage for the owner. The townhomes would be a mix of two- and three-bedroom units.

A mixed-use building with ground-floor office space and upper level residential units would be located at the corner of Lafayette and Wealthy. An additional commercial building would front Wealthy Street. A courtyard would be located in the middle of the development.

“We feel a townhome-style development will be very successful

in Grand Rapids,” Schmidt said.

The development team determined that the site lacks the more vibrant retail potential located farther east on Wealthy Street, but Schmidt said the project would be ideal for office space. The site includes roughly 4,000 square feet of total office space.

The project still needs several approvals from the city of Grand Rapids.

to The Tempest penned by Canadian playwright, Jim Lair Beard Featuring The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company

An architectural site plan for the mixed-use Townhomes of Heritage Hill project in Grand Rapids. | INDIGO DESIGN + DEVELOPMENT

“We’re incredibly excited to be part of this project and trying to reimagine this site. This has sat vacant and underutilized for a long time.”

Ryan Schmidt, Indigo partner

Debora Stein | dstein@crain.com

“I look forward to providing impactful commercial lending solutions to help achieve your business goals.”

LMCU is pleased to

Mark DeWitt Senior Vice President

Chef plans kitchen, retail space for small companies

Concept is similar to a pop-up shop

By Abby Poirier

A Grand Rapids entrepreneur wants to help support small food-related businesses in the city with a new concept that includes a commercial kitchen and shared retail space for them to sell their goods.

Wes Zemla, the founder and chef at private catering service Tiny Dinners LLC, is looking to fill a gap he sees in Grand Rapids’ business incubator space. As a personal chef, he’s spent his share of time in local incubator kitchens, where he’s noticed small businesses like his struggle to find affordable retail space to sell their products.

Now, he’s planning to debut the new Chef Shack concept, where small businesses like Tiny Dinners that can’t afford the luxury of a dedicated storefront in a competitive real estate market can come together to share a single commercial kitchen and retail location.

Zemla said he noticed that local makers, especially bakers and caterers, often struggle to find ways to get their products in front of customers. While Grand Rapids

has its share of business incubators and shared commercial kitchens, the food-based small businesses have a dearth of options for affordable retail space.

The ambitious plan for Chef Shack includes a commercial kitchen and small storefront where local makers can rent space to sell their products. He likened the idea to a pop-up shop, where

businesses can advertise a sales event spanning a few hours or days at a given location.

“There’s a lot of people in the area that make these beautiful, delicious things, but then also need to navigate how to get it to their customers,” Zemla said. “We’re hoping to make that a lot easier by just providing the space. It might be something where we could

have more than one person (selling) at the same time. From the patron’s point of view, if you come to the front of the building, you might see three different offerings in the same retail space.”

Zemla added that while the space might be well-suited to food makers, he’s also interested in featuring artists.

Additionally, his plans include an event space where Tiny Dinners and other caterers can host ticketed pop-up dinners.

“As we start talking to other people, (we noticed) there’s some other needs that we can fill, so why don’t we have a space that is almost a blank slate, an area where you can just do whatever it is that you need to do in the world of food or hospitality,” Zemla said.

Identifying a space willing to rent to a small concept has proven to be harder than anticipated, he added, noting that it’s hard for smaller businesses to compete for commercial locations against larger restaurants or restaurant groups.

“They just have more money,” he said. “It’s hard to compete with that as a small business. They have credentials, they have longevity. Somebody that’s renting a space (is) looking for a good tenant that’s going to be able to pay their rent. It’s a smart decision.”

Zemla is hoping his new concept will eliminate that risk by providing multiple streams of income from one location, ensuring that the landlord wouldn’t have to gamble solely on Chef Shack as the tenant, while also taking the pressure away from small businesses that aren’t able to support an entire lease.

Right now, Zemla is working out how he will share the space with other businesses, but he’s “interested to see what works best.” One consideration is charging for the space by the hour, or offering flat rates per month for a set number of hours.

“We’re just kind of learning as we go,” he said. “It’d be really nice to have a small group of people that use it a lot.”

Currently, Zemla is eyeing a space in a walkable neighborhood with both a commercial kitchen and retail storefront. He hopes to open in June if possible.

“I’m at the point where it feels like it’s going to happen,” he said, adding that he has several businesses interested in sharing the space already, despite having not yet advertised the concept.

“We want to create an atmosphere where we’re just helping everybody,” he said. “The competition is good, but I’m finding that the community is even better.”

Wes Zemla is eyeing a walkable location in Grand Rapids for his Chef Shack concept, which would offer a commercial kitchen and retail space for small food businesses to make and sell their products. COURTESY PHOTO

Dredging begins on Muskegon Lake marina Project

is part of $250M development

By Kate Carlson

Crews have started dredging work on Muskegon Lake to ready a former industrial site for the massive, $250 million Adelaide Pointe project that a Muskegon couple has been actively pursuing for the past two years.

Local and state officials, lawmakers and members of the Adelaide Pointe development team gathered earlier this month for a groundbreaking event to celebrate the start of construction on the project. Site plans call for a marina, 55-unit condominium building, mixed-use retail and event space, public access to the lake, bike trails, greenspace, a public fishing pier and a 125-room hotel.

Emily and Ryan Leestma, the Muskegon residents behind the sprawling development, admit they are new to developing projects, especially one the size of Adelaide Pointe.

“We’re not really developers. We just love Muskegon and wanted to make a little bit of a mark on the city that we live in,” Emily Leestma said. “That’s really the reason why we jumped into this project.”

Dredging of the marina basin is supposed to wrap up this month. The Leestmas expect to float docks in late July and have the marina open and ready for boaters in the 2024 season.

The owners hope to have crews pour the foundations for the 55unit condo building by the end of this month and aim to have the mixed-use retail and event space

open sometime in 2024, Emily Leestma said.

The developers are determining who will operate the project’s event space, but they mostly have the tenants mapped out for the remainder of the mixed-use project. Springbrook Marina & Yacht Sales will occupy retail space, while Adelaide Pointe and the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office will have marina office space at the project.

The sheriff’s office plans to leverage the strategic location of Adelaide Pointe to help reduce marine patrol response times, said Sheriff Michael Poulin, who noted his team is looking forward to participating in the project “for years to come.”

As well, the Leestmas are reviving the Muskegon Brewing Co. name to pay homage to the brewery that used to be located near the site. They are partnering with Muskegon-based Pigeon Hill Brewing Co. to brew beer and exclusively label it under the Muskegon Brewing Co. name for a bar and restaurant on the site, said Emily Leestma, who also owns Bear Lake Tavern in North Muskegon.

The owners anticipate the restaurant will have a 50-seat circular bar that will be two-thirds indoors and one-third outside by the marina.

The Adelaide Pointe project got its start when the Leestmas bought several parcels of land along West Western Avenue in Muskegon for about $5.5 million in March 2021 and announced plans to develop

the 30 acres of lakefront in August 2021. Last year, they also purchased Hartshorn Village and Marina, which is adjacent to the Adelaide Pointe site on Muskegon Lake.

The Muskegon City Commission previously approved some amendments to the project site plan in February. The changes allowed developers to access cityowned boat lift and launch infrastructure at Hartshorn Village for the Adelaide Pointe marina.

The project timeline has changed over the past two years as the Leestmas went through the process of securing all of the necessary local and state approvals. Most recently, the project received the stamp of approval at the end of March from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the dredging and marina portion of the project.

The latest plans for Adelaide Pointe call for a 125-room hotel, which the developers expect to break ground on in 2024. Holland-based 6PM Hospitality Partners LLC will operate the hotel once it opens.

“Originally, we thought maybe

we’d have about 300 residential units (in the project), but the city was in great need of another hotel,” Emily Leestma said. “When the convention center is at capacity, they don’t have enough space at the two hotels in the city. One thing that was really important to me was I wanted to create a hotel with amenities to have a reason to come to Muskegon. You’re coming to Muskegon because the hotel is cool and part of the destination and has amenities on the water.”

The development would never have gotten off the ground without the couple’s “relentless pursuit of solutions,” said Jerrod Sanders, assistant director of the state water resources division at the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

“Permitting a project like this, this large marina, is very difficult,” Sanders said. “The environment statutes are intended to minimize and make projects smaller, and this project has over 50 percent less impact on natural resources than when we started. It’s a project that’s great for the city, good for

the economy and protective of the resources and public trust that makes Michigan such a great place.”

Muskegon Mayor Ken Johnson shared a similar sentiment during the groundbreaking event, adding that the project will support small businesses and add to the city’s tax base. Because of pollution and the industry on the shoreline, Johnson said he does not have many memories of being on the lake when he was growing up in Muskegon.

“Adelaide Pointe is not just any waterfront development,” Johnson said. “It is green-forward and community-oriented in its design and operations.”

“What we’re most excited about is creating a place for everyone, not just for rich people, but a place for everyone” Ryan Leestma said. “We don’t care where you come from, what you do, what the color of your skin is, how much money you make — everybody deserves to come to the water. It’s an innate need and we’re super excited to make that happen with all the people who are here.”

Grand Haven foundation buying historic building for new office

By Margot Amouyal

The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation plans to purchase a historic office building near downtown for $2.2 million in a move officials say will help to expand the organization’s reach and ability to cultivate smaller nonprofits.

The Community Foundation plans to move its longtime offices at 1 S. Harbor Drive along the Grand River about a half-mile south to a former city water facility at 6 Sherman Ave. The former Grand Haven water filtration and distribution facility was built in 1927 and restored as an 8,600-square-foot office space in 2000 by the Jackoboice family.

The former water facility is cur-

rently vacant, and the GHACF plans to make minor renovations once the property transaction closes, tentatively by this fall. Grand Haven-based Architektura PLC serves as the project architect.

“The move is about the impact we will be able to provide in the community,” GHACF President Hadley Streng said. “This is a great opportunity to have a location that’s iconic in the community.”

6 Sherman Ave. property owner George Jackoboice Jr. said in a statement that he is “delighted to work with an organization that has deep connections to my family and is dedicated to improving the well-being of our community.”

GHACF officials see the move as an opportunity to expand its philanthropic reach in the community while also growing local nonprofits. The building purchase is made possible from donations and strategic operational funds set aside, and no unrestricted donor dollars will be used for the purchase, according to GHACF officials.

The new building will accommodate the entire GHACF staff and include an incubator space for new and growing nonprofit partners. Streng said GHACF will develop and execute a formal business plan for the incubator program in the coming months and years.

“We’re thrilled that we’re going to

be able to develop a nonprofit incubator program offered to partners in our community,” Streng said. “The space will provide organizations added support in starting up a new nonprofit in its early stages.”

The move also signifies the latest growth chapter in GHACF’s 52year history. The organization was founded in May 1971 and ended its first year with $1,241 in total assets. The GHACF moved to 1 S. Harbor Drive in 1985, and since then grew from one staff member with $2.1 million in assets to 14 employees with $160 million in assets and more than 700 funds.

Mark Pereira, GHACF board chair, said it was “gratifying and reassuring” that the board unanimously approved the building purchase and relocation plan.

“The foundation has grown quite a bit in recent years,” Pereira said. “I think this move shows the opportunities of where we are headed.”

Emily Leestma talks during a groundbreaking ceremony in Muskegon for the Adelaide Pointe project. | KATE CARLSON

The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation plans to buy a restored former water utilities plant in Grand Haven for $2.2 million. | MARK SANCHEZ

Holland leaders hope movie provides tourism boost

Nicole Kidman-led thriller will be released on Amazon

By Abby Poirier

Holland officials and lakeshore tourism leaders are hopeful for economic spinoff following a twoday film shoot that brought A-list actor Nicole Kidman to the city’s Windmill Island.

Filming wrapped in late April on a local shoot for the upcoming film “Holland, Michigan,” which included scenes centered on Windmill Island’s iconic working mill and brought in Kidman, the film’s lead actor and producer.

Holland Assistant City Manager Matt VanDyken said he was involved with the film’s West Michigan shoot since producers first reached out to the city “months ago.”

He said while filming for the Amazon Studios original has moved on to other locations, his experience working with the crew was “very positive.” VanDyken has high hopes for the spotlight the film will shine on the lakeshore city.

The shoot involved around 150 cast and crew members filming at Windmill Island’s De Zwaan windmill, according to VanDyken.

“It was quite an operation to see,” he said.

The iconic mill — America’s only authentic operational Dutch windmill — was the anchor point for the movie’s local scenes. Given the movie’s title, VanDyken said it was appropriate that scenes featuring the landmark were shot on location.

“We’re excited to host a large production like this,” he said. “Obviously it’s got a short-term economic impact by having all the production folks staying in our hotels and eating in our downtown

restaurants. But I think a bigger plus for us is really showing off how beautiful Holland is (and) how beautiful Windmill Island Gardens are. Hopefully that has a longer-term impact, (with) more people wanting to come and visit.”

Linda Hart, executive director of the Holland Area Visitors Bureau, said Holland hosts around 2 million visitors annually in its downtown area alone. She hopes to see that number rise after the Kidman-led thriller puts Holland’s main icon on a national stage.

“It’s a beach town, so our mar-

keting efforts are typically regionally within the state. However, having an opportunity to have Holland in a movie ups the game (and) gives us an increased level of marketing on a national stage,” she said. “It’s centered around the Tulip Festival in the spring, which (brings) more awareness to the community.”

“Holland, Michigan” producers originally planned to shoot for several days around the city, centering scenes on a mock Tulip Festival parade downtown. However, those plans were scrapped for un-

disclosed reasons in favor of shooting the parade scenes in Tennessee.

While some differences in the final parade scenes may be evident to the eagle-eyed viewer, Hart said she’s still glad the iconic windmill was featured and hopes to see increased tourism following the film’s release.

“We figured if folks are going to go to the island, they’re certainly going to spend time downtown, hopefully supporting our economy with shopping and dining,” she said.

In a February interview, Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks also expressed excitement for the film’s potential economic spinoff, saying that he is “anticipating that there are a lot of people that are going to watch this movie and say, ‘I want to go visit that place.’ I’m hopeful that it’s going to be a great story and people will want to go visit the places that they saw in the movie.”

“Holland, Michigan” is being directed by Mimi Cave (“Fresh”) with a script by Andrew Sodoroski (“Manhunt”) and will be produced and distributed by Amazon Studios. The “Hitchcockian thriller” stars Kidman alongside “Succession” star Matthew Macfadyen and Gael García Bernal (“Y tu mamá también”), as well as “Belfast” child actor Jude Hill.

“Holland, Michigan” film crews wrapped up a two-day shoot in April at Windmill Island Gardens in Holland. | MIKE LOZON

Nurses care for all of us. The least we can do is return the favor

Nurses, the heart and soul of American health care, are leaving the profession at an alarming pace.

A recent University of Michigan study puts this long-building exodus in a new light: 39% of state-licensed nurses in Michigan told researchers they plan to leave their jobs in the next year. That’s bad news for a state with an estimated 8,500 open nursing positions. But it gets worse.

The U-M study, led by Christopher Friese, found the group most likely to leave were those representing the next generation of caregivers: 59% of nurses 25 or younger said they plan to leave in the next year. And for anyone hoping this trend diminishes as we emerge from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers have a warning: “Few nurses cite COVID as the primary cause for their planned or actual departure.”

So why are they leaving? As a veteran nurse who has an abiding respect for my nursing colleagues, I believe it’s critical that we explore the answers to that question together. Only then can we provide meaningful solutions.

Pandemic lessons

Even if COVID is not a leading cause cited by nurses leaving the profession today, there is no denying its role in driving many from the workforce.

A recent study by NCSBN, a nonprofit

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group supporting nursing regulators, found that about 100,000 registered nurses nationwide left the workforce due to the stress of the pandemic. With another 610,388 planning to leave by 2027, that adds up to about one-fifth of RNs nationwide.

The reasons cited mirrored those in the U-M study: stress, burnout, fatigue.

The U-M study found 84% of practicing nurses were experiencing emotional exhaustion. As the health profession with the most direct patient contact, we care deeply about our patients and their families. It hurts when things don’t go well for them. It’s the same when we see our colleagues

suffer. We saw too much of that during the pandemic.

It’s also stressful when someone takes out their frustration on us, and that was another challenge that grew during the pandemic.

If you’ve visited a health care facility in recent years, perhaps you’ve noticed signs reminding you that “this is a place of healing,” where verbal and physical violence will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, those signs became necessary during a pandemic-era uptick in workplace violence. According to health care analytics firm PressGaney, more than two nursing personnel nationwide were assaulted every hour in

the second quarter of 2022. That adds up to 57 assaults per day.

I know that’s unimaginable to the overwhelming majority of our patients, who have warm, respectful relationships with nurses. But the disturbing trend of violence was reflected in the U-M study, in which 43% of nurses in Michigan reported experiencing emotional abuse, and 22% reported physical abuse.

One of the biggest concerns cited by nurses in the U-M study as a reason they plan to leave? Inadequate staffing. If nurses are leaving because we don’t have enough nurses, we clearly face a self-perpetuating problem.

What can we do?

Nurses care for all of us. The least we can do is return the favor.

All of us need to continue raising awareness of the challenges facing the modern nursing profession. We need to understand how to recruit more people to this profession where the challenges are high — but so are the rewards. This will require innovative partnerships and improving the recruitment, retention and training of all health care professions.

Your health care provider may provide an opportunity to show your gratitude to the nursing staff, and I encourage you take advantage of that.

But I also hope you will show your support to this important profession all year. This is the largest health care workforce and the most trusted profession in America. Nobody touches more lives, and they serve in every aspect of health care with compassion and expertise. They have earned our support.

Michigan legislators need to fix prior energy laws first

Recently a seven-bill package from Michigan Democrats has been introduced that would update renewable energy standards, set a clean fuel standard, reduce building emissions and allow state regulators to consider climate factors when evaluating utility plans. However, these bills do not address some of the key problems driving higher and higher electricity rates and poor reliability.

According to the most recent year of data (2021) from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Michigan has the 12th most expensive retail price of electricity in the country. In CMS Energy’s investor meeting presentation in February, they informed investors that Michigan has a “supportive energy law.”

Let’s take a closer look at some of these prior energy laws.

Utility use of projected costs

When a utility seeks a rate increase, it files an application with the MPSC. In that application, the utility will list all its costs and revenues over a 12-month period to support the notion that a rate increase is necessary. That 12-month window is called the “test period” or the “test year.”

For over 60 years, the utilities in Michigan were required to use a historical test year, based on actual costs and revenues, and only adjusted for known and measurable changes. However, the 2008 energy law authorized utilities in Michigan to utilize a fully projected future test year based on costs and revenues projected by the utility seeking a rate increase.

The subjective nature of projecting costs and revenues — and the obvious inability to accurately predict what future costs and

revenues will be — has resulted in higher rates for customers. However, even when the actual costs are lower than predicted, it is the utility — not the customers — which receives the benefit. Customers still pay the higher rates based on the projected higher costs.

This system put in place by Michigan legislators allows the utilities to collect the costs to improve reliability, then not actually spend the money on reliability but instead give it to their investors as an increase in dividends.

10-month rate cases

Instead of giving the MPSC and customers more time to scrutinize the utility projections, however, legislators also passed a law to shorten the amount of time the MPSC and any intervenors have to review a utility’s rate increase filing.

In fact, the 2016 energy law shortened the timeframe to an extremely fast 10 months.

Not only did this law significantly reduce the time to review the accuracy of utility projections, it also allowed the utilities to file rate increases more frequently. This one law passed by Michigan legislators thus limited the authority of the MPSC to determine how much time was necessary to review a utility rate increase filing and allowed utilities to file for rate increases more frequently — a compound impact on increasing electricity rates.

10.7% ROE for Renewable Portfolio Standard

Another change in the 2008 energy bill was to require the utilities to have a certain percentage of the electricity supply come from renewable generation. This is a good thing. We need to diversify our electricity supply adding more generation that does not emit carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants.

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH-WEST

Steven Polega, RN, MHA, is chief nursing officer at University of Michigan Health-West.

Rod Williamson is executive director for the Association of Businesses Advocating for Tariff Equity (ABATE).

Local BorgWarner supplier files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Turbo Components produces agriculture engine components

By Andy Balaskovitz

A West Michigan aluminum casting and machining manufacturer that produces agriculture engine components for Auburn Hills auto supplier BorgWarner Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Turbo Components Inc., which has two facilities in Spring Lake Township in Ottawa County, filed for bankruptcy protection on April 28 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of Michigan. The company filed under Subchapter V of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which took effect in early 2020 to help small businesses by reducing the cost and time of a typical Chapter 11 filing.

Turbo Components lists $2.42 million in assets and nearly $4.65 million in total liabilities. The debt threshold for filing under Subchapter V is up to $7.5 million. The company has requested court permission to use cash collateral to keep operations moving and to continue employing all employees on staff.

Company President Brad Fortenbacher said in a declaration with

the Chapter 11 filing that a combination of rising labor and materials costs led to mounting debt for the small business, which employs 34 people.

“As a result of COVID, aluminum prices increased significantly and Turbo Components got behind with a number of creditors,” said Todd Almassian, partner at Grand Rapids-based Keller & Almassian PLC who is representing Turbo Components. “It is utilizing (Subchapter V) to explore its reorganization or its sale options under a plan.”

By November 2022, Turbo Components accumulated about $4.3 million in debt “which could not be serviced,” according to Fortenbacher’s statement in the filing. Turbo Components also received a $328,100 federal Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loan in April of 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A series of price increases since early 2020 “did not make enough of a difference because for 16 years we did not have a price increase to offset inflation and cost increases,” Fortenbacher stated.

The company’s three secured creditors — Comerica Bank, BorgWarner Turbo Systems LLC and Grow Michigan LLC — have nearly $2.6 million in claims with Turbo Components.

Comerica Bank is Turbo Components’ largest secured creditor, with about $1.1 million in unpaid balances, including a $806,000 line of credit and a $102,600 mortgage note. Grow Michigan, a fund created in partnership with First Independence Bank and the Michigan Strategic Fund to provide capital to lower middle market companies, is the next largest secured creditor, with $863,000 in claims.

BorgWarner has more than $593,000 in secured claims with Turbo Components. As Turbo Components’ primary customer, BorgWarner represented roughly 90% of Turbo Components’ business. Turbo Components makes turbochargers for the agriculture sector, which involves engine components for large tractors.

Co-owned by Patsy Fortenbacher — Brad Fortenbacher’s wife — and Mark Sweany, Turbo Components was founded in 2005 to produce aftermarket and performance components for Indianapolis-based US Turbo LLC. From Spring Lake Township, the company focused on producing high mix, low volume compressor housings for commercial diesel, performance, remanufacturing and direct aftermarket applications, according to Fortenbacher’s statement.

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US Turbo ceased operations in 2012, and Turbo Components acquired the company’s tooling and other assets to fulfill orders at the time. Turbo Components later sought to take on additional units for BorgWarner “in order to have volume to generate cash for debt service and capital replacement.”

However, “economic issues and resulting market demand reduction” prevented Turbo Components from meeting the new production targets “in 2016 or after,” according to Fortenbacher’s declaration.

Fortenbacher also disclosed that, “with the complete support of BorgWarner Turbo Systems LLC,” he is exploring a sale to “transition the company to a new owner while maintaining the business, paying the creditors the best I could under the circumstances, and retaining the employees.”

However, “few buyers have been interested” in purchasing the company for about $1.9 million, based on an asset purchase agreement, according to Fortenbacher’s filing.

“I believe a Subchapter V bankruptcy filing along with a combined plan and disclosure state-

ment for the private sale of all assets to a new buyer in the approximate amount of $2 million is the best possible outcome for all interested parties,” according to Fortenbacher’s filing.

Turbo Components also filed a motion for debtor-in-possession financing from BorgWarner to fund Turbo Components’ inventory purchases and ongoing expenses during the bankruptcy proceedings.

In addition to about $2.6 million in secured debt, the company has 63 unsecured claims totaling approximately $2 million. Local unsecured creditors include Kentwood-based supplier Production Tool Supply ($24,589); insurance

provider Priority Health ($16,586); Coopersville service provider Resource Recovery Corp. ($13,116); Spring Lake-based tool supplier Dykehouse Co. Inc. ($11,606); and Grand Haven-based tech support service provider Motio Business Technology ($11,353).

DESIGN-BUILD EXPERT: HOW ROCKFORD OPTIMIZES CONSTRUCTION FOR INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS

In the face of ongoing supply chain, material and other challenges, many construction professionals are seeking out alternative means and methods to complete projects both within budget and on time.

Rockford Project Executive Josh Rewa has found that using a design-build approach has been fruitful for delivering on-time, inbudget projects despite these recent challenges.

The design-build delivery method provides a single point of accountability where the construction manager integrates the expertise of a design team and trade contractors to deliver a design and completed project to the owner. This team of experts works together in support of the goal of delivering a facility that allows the client to manufacture the products that shape how we live, heal, play, learn and work. The design-build approach is purposefully nimble. It leads to better outcomes as it relies on the collaboration and the collective knowledge that each team member brings to positively influence

A design-build approach can deliver positive results on industrial projects.

the design and meet challenges effectively and efficiently, Rewa said.

A strong supporter of this collaborative approach, Rewa is one of the two most recently certified Design-Build Professionals in the state of Michigan through the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) – both of whom are on the Rockford team. DBIA serves as the foremost industry leader in training and certifying design-build experts.

Though newly certified, Rewa is no stranger to the design-build delivery

method, having been in the industry for almost twenty years. His career began on the east coast completing projects where design-build was largely embraced. His portfolio of projects demonstrates an intimate familiarity with design-build, with 90% of his projects having been delivered through this method. As of December 2022, Josh has led and completed more than $450 million of design-build projects.

Design-build is appropriate for large and complex projects with difficult schedules that require the

most efficient turnaround. The traditional approach of design, bid then build is linear, and any delay in that process slows or even stops the project altogether. It is the single accountability of design-build that ensures that products are available, everything works, is constructible and within budget.

The streamlined communication between the contractor, trade contractors and owner results in faster project completion, increased collaboration and greater cost savings. Additionally, design-build

dovetails seamlessly with Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) and Building information Modeling (BIM), providing even greater benefits to the client.

Design-build excels at delivering the different project types of industrial construction, including electrical infrastructure, wastewater, warehousing, manufacturing, stormwater and more. Rewa has found that regardless of project type, success boils down to a team that communicates early and often, collaborates and innovates.

Rewa believes a design-build approach offers clients opportunities to speed construction results, drive value of their construction budgets and mitigate risks that are associated with current supply chain and market challenges, making designbuild a winning solution for many industrial construction projects.

“As a result of COVID, aluminum prices increased significantly and Turbo Components got behind with a number of creditors.”

Todd Almassian, partner, Keller & Almassian PLC

Guelaguetza Designs brings authentic items to community

By Abby Poirier

Wyoming-based authentic handcrafted goods seller Guelaguetza Designs LLC is garnering national attention as part of a campaign by Mexican beer brand Modelo.

When Nancy Quero founded Guelaguetza Designs in 2005, her goal was to bring authentic Mexican items to her community to help Michigan’s Hispanic population feel in touch with the culture.

Quero’s company was one of only six retailers chosen by Modelo to participate in this year’s Cinco Auténtico campaign, which used social media to highlight authentic products that spotlight Mexican traditions, artistry and culture during Cinco de Mayo.

“I was very surprised when I got an email from them saying that they were really loving our approach and the authentic items we were selling from Mexico,” Quero said.

This marks Guelaguetza Designs’ second year working with Modelo after the brand’s ad agency, New York-based Grey Group, reached out to her last year. Quero said the attention “feels really great after all the work we’ve been doing.”

In 2022, Guelaguetza Designs was one of seven U.S. merchants chosen to participate in the launch of Modelo’s Cinco Auténtico.

As part of the campaign, the company’s products are displayed in the Modelo Mercado, where buyers can learn about and purchase authentic Mexican decor and party supplies from Mexican American suppliers.

In addition to participating in the online marketplace this year, Guelaguetza Designs had several items selected by Modelo and shipped for display at the Muse-

um of Cinco in Los Angeles. Alongside decorative coasters and clay platters, Guelaguetza Designs shipped decorative hand-carved wooden figures called alebrijes.

Quero said she hopes the exposure will help generate sales for her business, but more importantly, that people can learn more about Mexican culture.

“As a small business, everything that we do, we’re always hoping to have a sale,” she said. “But we just appreciate the opportunity this is giving us just to show what we’re doing in our community, because again, it’s not just selling, but also educating, making cultural connections with our community. We hope that sales go up, but it’s a great way of advertising, too.”

Quero serves as CEO of Guelaguetza Designs, which she operates with her husband and two employees. The shop started as an online store, working hard to get sales and attending pop-up markets before opening its first brick-and-mortar location in 2019.

She was emotional as she spoke about her company’s roots.

“I’ve been doing this for 18 years,” she said. “It was just a way for me to be close to my culture. I realized that a lot of Mexicans that come here miss our culture. Wearing something, having something in their home makes that connection. I’m really happy that people now have access to handmade items from Mexico to bridge that gap so they can teach their children and they can be proud of Mexican culture.”

Guelaguetza Designs currently works with more than 100 workshops and artisans across Mexico, helping to preserve traditional methods of art and craftsmanship while bringing their products to American buyers. The shop sells a wide variety of handmade items, including toys, decor, cookware, clothing for all ages and occasions, pottery, shoes, pet items, holiday items and more.

Nancy Quero founded Guelaguetza Designs in 2005. This year marks the second year that her company has been involved in Mexican beer brand Modelo’s Cinco Auténtico campaign. | COURTESY PHOTO

Two restaurants announced for hotel in Ada

AHC Hospitality will operate the facility and employ 70 people

By Kate Carlson

The DeVos-backed development team behind a 36-room hotel under construction in Ada has announced designs and two restaurant concepts for the project when it opens next year.

Construction on the three-story, 37,000-square-foot Ada Hotel started in early 2022 and should be completed in spring 2024. Located at 7415 River St. in what’s known as Ada Village, the project also includes a guest lounge, fitness center and small community meeting room.

Hotel developer CDV5 Properties, which is co-owned by Cheri DeVos Ehmann and Steve Ehmann, also is the primary developer behind Ada Village, a “massive redevelopment effort” that has been ongoing for the past six to seven years, said CDV5 Properties CEO Loren Crandell.

“Now we have multiple commercial buildings that house retail tenants and commercial office space tenants, and (Ada) has expanded into a really cool village vibe and community,” Crandell said.

Since July 2015, Ada Village

has grown to include seven new restaurants, 11 retail shops and a new library. Last year, Wheeler Development Group LLC broke ground on a nearby 92-unit luxury apartment project in what the company characterized as a “vibrant, revitalized downtown Ada.”

“With as much as the village has grown, a hotel will be the perfect complement,” Ross Leisman, Ada Township supervisor, said in a statement about the Ada Hotel. “We’re looking forward to Ada Hotel being a place for visitors to gather and experience the excitement of what’s happening in the village.”

The Ada Hotel property previously hosted a hotel by the same name until it burned down in 1943. The new hotel’s architectural design will include a “nod to olden-day Ada” and the previous hotel, Crandell said.

“The vision with the hotel was to create a place in the center of the village where out-of-town guests felt like they had a place to call home. When you put a hotel in, you start expanding your reach to community members outside of a drivable distance, so it will just be really cool

to reach people outside of Ada,” said Crandell, adding that the project also will suit business travelers with its close proximity to Amway Corp.’s headquarters.

The Ada Hotel has been in the works for several years and originally called for 42 guest rooms. Developers scaled back the room count to 36 to add a second restaurant, Crandell said.

The two onsite restaurants include the Post Tavern, a 110-seat family friendly pub located on the first floor. The Rix restaurant — named after Rix Robinson, who is considered the founding father of Ada — will be a 130seat restaurant on the third floor with a terrace for outdoor seating, Crandell said.

AHC Hospitality will operate the hotel, which is expected to employ 70 people when it opens, Crandell said.

First Companies is the general contractor for the project while Dixon Architecture serves as the architect. OTJ Architects’ Chicago office is providing design services for the building.

RDV Corp., the DeVos family office, purchased the property for the hotel development for $680,000 in January 2019.

DO THE FUNDS FIT? 7 METRICS TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING FUNDING

By Danielle N. Yoon, Grant and Funding Specialist and Civil Engineer, Fishbeck

Danielle N. Yoon, PE, leads grant writing e orts for Fishbeck, utilizing her civil engineering and funding background to better meet the needs of municipalities.

Funding has become a critical consideration in the implementation of major infrastructure improvements. e recent allocation of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act and the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law have further ignited these conversations at the local level as entities compete for limited resources.

Finding a funding source that supports your needs and priorities is o en the rst of many hurdles when trying to get your project funded. Before spending days completing a lengthy application, it’s important to determine if the funding opportunity is the right t. You should not view this process solely through the lens of disquali cation but focus your e orts on applications that meet your project needs. Below are

some key metrics the Fishbeck team uses when evaluating grants, loans, tax credits and other opportunities.

1. Availability/competition: Grant and loan programs are o en competitive, with limited funds to allocate. To estimate the number of projects that will be awarded, review the Notice of Funding Opportunity for accepted funding ranges and total funds available. If this is a recurring opportunity, look for data on success rates.

2. Alignment with funder priorities: Every funding opportunity is looking to support a targeted purpose or activity. Foundations may list general priorities, whereas state and federal grants may publish the detailed scoring rubrics that will be used to evaluate applications. Reviewing previously awarded projects can provide further insight. Sit down and complete an honest review of your project. It should align with funder priorities without being manipulated to t the guidelines.

3.Schedule: Before completing an application, ensure the funding schedule is compatible with your project schedule. Consider the

application window, required start dates and the deadline to expend awarded funds.

4. Matching funds: Some grant and loan programs require and/ or provide preferential evaluations for projects with matching funds. In those cases, you can increase your competitiveness by proactively setting aside local funds to be used as a local match or layering incentives from other sources.

5. Loan terms: Consider all terms related to the loan, including the repayment period, interest rate, penalty fees, availability of principal forgiveness and anything else that could impact the long-term cost to pay it back.

6. Eligible expenses: Read the funding guidelines carefully for ineligible activities, the time in which eligible expenses can be incurred and any regulations surrounding bidding requirements.

• Ensure your request only includes eligible activities — if ineligible activities are part of the larger scope, be prepared to demonstrate the separate funding streams that will fund those activities.

• Costs incurred before the grant is executed may a ect applicant eligibility.

• Is the consultant assisting with the application eligible to complete design? Is a quali cation-based selection (QBS) of engineering services required?

7. Application cost: While many applications are free, some charge processing fees. O en overlooked, however, is the time it will take to apply. Some research has shown that federal proposals took more than 80 person-hours to prepare on average, but winning proposals took more than twice that amount of time.

A er considering these seven criteria, reaching out to the funding coordinator (when allowed) to discuss your proposed project can o er invaluable insights. is conversation

may guide your application e orts or reveal red ags you had not considered. Choosing to complete a funding application is a cost-bene t decision that should not be taken lightly. While not exhaustive, if the funds ful ll these criteria, you stand a much better chance of getting a good return on time invested, taking you one step closer to funding your project.

Engineering, environmental sciences, architecture and construction are the cornerstones of Fishbeck’s services, as we design and cra solutions to foster growth and build community.

CDV5 Properties plans to open the Ada Hotel in spring 2024.

GR millennials boast nation’s top homeownership rate

Generation’s transition from renting to owning is far slower, however

By Rachel Watson

It took millennials longer to achieve than their parents, but more than half of 27- to 42-yearolds in the U.S. now own homes, and Grand Rapids is leading the charge.

Millennials are the generation born between 1981 and 1996. As of 2022, greater Grand Rapids was the top metro area of 1 million or more residents for millennial homeownership, with 63% owning homes. Metro Detroit came in seventh, with about 55% of millennials owning homes, behind Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. The national average is 51.5%.

That’s according to a recent Apartment List report that examined Census data on the current homeownership rates of four generations.

Unsurprisingly, due to a plethora of factors led by the Great Recession of the mid-2000s, millennials have transitioned from renting to owning far slower than preceding generations.

Some of the factors the report cited are economic instability following the financial crisis of 200709, the rise in appeal of “flexible lifestyles,” young people moving to cities with higher costs of living and the growing housing inventory shortage amid historically low interest rates.

“By age 30, 42 percent of millennials owned their homes, compared to 48 percent of gen Xers, 51 percent of baby boomers, and nearly 60 percent of (the silent generation, born 1928-45),” the Apartment List report said. “That gap persists through their

30s and into their early 40s.”

A millennial mecca

Daniel and Claire Molling, both 32, purchased their home in Grand Rapids’ West Grand neighborhood in July 2021 for $253,000, which is just above today’s median home value of $250,000 for the city.

The couple had been dating since 2017 and closed on the home just months before their wedding.

Daniel Molling said their road to homeownership was “really difficult.” They met and lived in Ann Arbor the first several years of their relationship, where home prices were nearly double those of Grand Rapids.

He is a data scientist for San Francisco-based medication management platform Arine, and Claire is academic director for the Michigan Language Center, a private English language school based in Ann Arbor that serves international students and business executives.

They shifted to remote roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, freeing them up to move to Grand Rapids, where Claire is originally from and where Daniel also lived before moving to Ann Arbor.

The Mollings are part of a wave of millennials in the past few years who have moved to Grand Rapids. As of 2021, two-thirds of the city’s population was under 45 years old, and the median age was 31.

Claire Molling said one of the factors in their homeownership journey was getting to a point where their relationship was stable enough that they felt comfortable sharing real estate. And Daniel Molling’s career played a big role.

“For me, getting either a job in Grand Rapids or a job that was completely remote like my current job … I think it would have been hard for us to commit to buying a house if we didn’t know we had that,” he said.

They started their search while

still living in Ann Arbor during one of the hottest periods for the Grand Rapids residential market — late 2020. At the time, the Federal Reserve was keeping interest rates artificially low, between 2% and 3%, as part of its economic stimulus policy during the pandemic.

“It was a really tough time, because … everyone was looking for a house,” Daniel Molling said.

They toured dozens of houses and put in more than 10 offers in an eight-month period before buying their place — a 1,547-squarefoot, two-story house with a nice backyard built in 1924 that’s just a few blocks south of the busy Leonard Street business district.

“When we were looking, they didn’t always tell us how many other offers there were, but I know a couple of times, they told us it was in the 20s — like, 20 other offers,” Daniel Molling said.

Molling, whose bachelor’s degree is in economics and mathematics, said he’s acutely aware of the reasons millennials lag previous generations when it comes to homeownership. Housing prices, health care costs and the sticker price of a college degree have all increased at a faster rate than wages since the Great Recession.

“Millennials are coming out of college with a lot more debt from college or graduate school than previous generations,” he said. “So it’s very difficult to tack on more debt … to get a mortgage,” he said. Culturally speaking, millennials are also less willing to stay in one job their entire careers. This can make career advancement and wage growth challenging. Many millennials leverage job mobility to pursue years of adventure and freedom before settling down, which means many of them don’t start house-hunting as early as their parents and grandparents did.

The Mollings — who are about to become parents — said they were lucky to find their house when they did. Friends of theirs who are looking now, when inventory is even lower, have not been as fortunate.

Daniel Molling said if he could offer one piece of advice to younger house-hunters, it would be to try an unconventional purchase, like a condo. They are less competitive to buy and can work just as well for singles or childless couples who don’t need four bedrooms and a yard.

He also said now that interest rates are higher, competition is less intense, which means buyers can get away with using federal down payment assistance programs instead of the standard 20% cash down — or even all-cash offers.

Age a defining factor

Paul Carlson, 39, is president of Grand Rapids-based Five Star Real Estate, the top independent residential real estate brokerage in Grand Rapids and third-largest in the state of Michigan, with 21 offices statewide.

His company did about $2.4 billion in sales across about 4,900 home sales last year. About 2,150 of those ($1.2 billion in sales) were in greater Grand Rapids.

He said the situation for millennial homebuyers depends on their age. He’s been working in real estate since 2006, before the bottom dropped out of the housing market and home values plummeted during the Great Recession.

The local market fully recovered by 2012 and has been in “hot” territory ever since, he said.

A normal housing market has about five to six months of inventory at any given time, but Grand Rapids has seen just 3.5 months of supply or less every year since 2013.

Realtors in Grand Rapids.

Carlson said the older millennials who bought homes in their 20s drank the “best cocktail ever” if they closed on their purchase between 2013 and 2017.

“On average, if you bought five years ago, you’ve experienced a 94% increase in equity, or about $168,000 in cash,” he said.

The younger millennials are drinking from a different cup through no choice of their own, Carlson said.

“The millennial story, it’s shifting right now, drastically,” he said. “If you did not buy a home as a millennial (until now), you kind of missed the train. Because now, we’re looking at 7% interest rates, we’re looking at an incredibly high pricing … and we are seeing less and less inventory. Even though you’re seeing incredibly unfavorable lending conditions compared to the past 10 years, you’re not seeing relief in terms of supply.”

One of Five Star’s biggest concerns about the market going forward — especially as Gen Z comes of age — is the adage of the “golden handcuffs” that lock both the homeowner and prospective buyer in stasis, Carlson said.

“Who is going to move if you got

Paul Carlson, president, Five Star Real Estate

At the end of 2022, there was less than a month of inventory in greater Grand Rapids.

In 2007, the average home value for Grand Rapids was $107,500. By 2011, it was $119,000, and in 2012, it was $132,000. Today, the average home price in greater Grand Rapids is $338,000.

That’s all from a 2022 report by the Greater Regional Alliance of

a 2.99% interest rate?” he said. “Let’s say you sell your house for $300,000, and you want to buy the home across the street for $300,000. If you get rid of your current mortgage, and you buy that house with a new mortgage, that house will cost you $1,000 more per month just in interest.

“I believe we’re going to see low inventory for a very long time, because we’re going to have these people who are … financially tied to their homes because it just doesn’t make sense to move.”

Daniel and Claire Molling, both 32, bought their home in Grand Rapids’ West Grand neighborhood in 2021 after house-hunting for eight months. | DANIEL MOLLING

“The millennial story, it’s shifting right now, drastically. If you did not buy a home as a millennial (until now), you kind of missed the train.”

Penske acquires Grand Rapids trucking company

Star Truck Rentals has more than 150-year history in the city

By Kayleigh Van Wyk

A deal to sell Star Truck Rentals Inc. to a trucking industry juggernaut will allow the Bylenga family to capitalize on more than a century of investments in the Grand Rapids-based company.

The company announced it has inked an agreement to sell to Reading, Pennsylvania-based Penske Truck Leasing Co. LP. The parties expect the transaction to close later this quarter, pending certain closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

The deal came together after Star Truck Rentals President Tom Bylenga approached his family in February 2022 with the recommendation that they consider selling the company they first acquired in 1916.

“We’re doing as well as we’ve ever done, and it felt like it was a good time to monetize what we’ve accomplished over the 107 years the company has been in my family,” Bylenga said.

The company hired Grand Rapids-based business management consultant KPMG US LLP to assist with the process of seeking out a buyer. While the company received several offers, Penske’s bid stood out, Bylenga said.

“They agreed to keep all of our employees,” he said. “That was critical to us that everyone would have a job.”

Star Truck Rentals was originally founded in the 1860s as Star Baggage Co., which hauled freight to and from Grand Rapids’ railway depot via horse-drawn carts.

Brothers Harry, Peter and Andrew Bylenga purchased the budding freight business in 1916 and changed the name to Star Transfer Line, according to the company’s website.

The company extended its services through the purchase of its first two trucks in 1919. The name Star Truck Rentals was incorpo-

rated in 1946.

Today, Star Truck Rentals operates from 18 locations across Michigan — including Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Comstock Park, Holland, Muskegon and Kalamazoo — as well as in Indiana.

It offers full-service leasing, commercial truck rental, contract maintenance, used truck sales and other services to customers in the food and beverage, manufacturing and consumer goods and services industries.

Company executives say the agreement with Penske will offer new opportunities for growth across an expanded network.

For Penske, the Star Truck acquisition will add 1,900 trucks to its fleet and help the company build momentum and growth following its acquisition in March of Mainebased Kris-Way Truck Leasing Inc.

“Star Truck Rentals has impressive scale in the region, an excellent reputation in the industry and a commitment to exceptional customer service,” Art Vallely, president of Penske Truck Leasing, said in a statement. “We look forward to integrating Star into the Penske brand and leveraging the best both companies have to offer to serve new and existing customers in the region.”

Penske Truck Leasing operates and maintains more than 416,000 vehicles with 2,500 truck rental locations across the U.S. and Canada. The company is a joint venture of Penske Corporation and Penske Automotive Group, both based in the Metro Detroit area, and Tokyo-based Mitsui & Co.

Terms of the deal between Star Truck Rentals and Penske Truck Leasing were not disclosed.

Looking ahead, Bylenga said he hopes Star Truck Rentals’ efforts in employee retention and customer service will continue under the new ownership.

“We’ve had a long tradition of employees coming here and seeming to stay 20 and 30 years, and our customers tend to stay 10 or 20 (years) as well,” Bylenga said. “I just hope that they enjoy the same level of service that we’ve provided over the years.”

Star Truck Rentals Inc. has signed an agreement to sell to Penske Truck Leasing after 107 years of ownership by the Bylenga family. STAR TRUCK RENTALS COURTESY

AGRICULTURE

The Kent County Youth Agricultural Association announced the appointment of Morgan Doyle as executive director. Doyle initially served as the KCYAA interim executive director.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING

AIA Grand Rapids, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects, added the following members to its board of directors for the 2023 term: Steven Romkema, (Fishbeck), appointed as president; Tod Stevens, (Progressive AE), vice president; Ben Franceschi, (Mathison | Mathison Architects), secretary; Matthew VanSweden, (Foresight Management), professional affiliates director; Jenny Waugh (Fishbeck), re-elected as PR director; Marie Arrington, (TowerPinkster), re-elected as associates director; Sarah Carter (Fishbeck), membership services director; and Adam Rottschafer, (Monsma Marketing Corp.), interim continuing education director.

Daniel Feneis joined Holland-based Driesenga & Associates Inc. as a construction materials technician in the firm’s Grand Rapids materials testing department.

Brad Shiel recently launched Grand Rapidsbased architectural firm Ambient Architecture.

AWARDS

ACG Detroit announced Peter Roth, partner at Varnum LLP, is the recipient of the All Star Advisor of the Year Award and Blackford Capital of the All Star Dealmaker of the Year Award at the 8th annual M&A All Star Awards.

Saranac-based Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch marketing staff earned multiple awards for two projects from the West Michigan American Advertising Federation. The Game of Life: Herbruck’s Edition and the Herbruck’s Coloring Book were awarded Gold and Silver, respectively. The coloring books are given to local schools, 4-H clubs and during giveaways on social media.

Barbara Rapaport, president, Real-time Perspectives Inc., is the recipient of the Literacy Center of West Michigan’ Ledy Award for Community Engagement.

West Michigan Works! recognized eight area frontline workers with Beverly A. Drake Essential Service Awards. Honorees are Ruby Alvarado, Paws With A Cause; Bayard Brooks, Grand Rapids Community College; Gordon Burnham, Comcast’s Xfinity store in Muskegon; Tyler Eickhoff, Creative Dining Solutions (LG Energy Solutions Michigan); Julie Ellsworth, Laurels of Carson City; Michelle Huerta, Ottawa Department of Health and Human Services; Dreama Parker, D.A. BlodgettSt. John’s; and Ronald Vanden Toorn, Perrigo Oral Care.

BANKING

Lake Michigan Credit Union hired Shain Showers as a commercial lender serving Grand Rapids and West Michigan businesses.

Bautista well-versed as Urban Alliance executive director

Terra Bautista joined Kalamazoo-based Urban Alliance as its executive director. Bautista is wellversed in the operations and mission of Urban Alliance, having served on the organization’s board of directors since 2017. She served as board secretary in 2018 and as board chair from 2020 until transitioning into her new role. Bautista is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the organization, its staff and its initiatives focused on combating gun violence, youth intervention, workforce development and providing support services to varied populations that are suffering from substance abuse issues, homelessness and more.

BUSINESS SERVICES

Angstrom Technology announced the addition of Tom Chowaniec to its global group of cleanroom companies. Chowaniec comes to Angstrom Technology with over 30 years of professional experience leading global sales and service teams at GE Healthcare, Cardinal Health, Leica Microsystems and Agiliti Health. Chowaniec succeeds Matt Isard as global CEO heading up the companies in Grand Rapids, Lancaster UK, High Wycombe UK, and York UK. Isard will stay on with the company as CEO and holding his seat on the board of directors.

Destination Consultants, a full-service third-party meeting-planning firm, announced it is a 2023 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch awardee.

Family Business Alliance hired Mary Cline as new membership engagement manager. Cline will manage and coordinate resources for over 160 members. She will connect family organizations throughout West Michigan with the tools, strategies, and partners to elevate leadership, navigate governance and create connections with the family business community.

Holland-based Coastal Container announced the additions of Troy Howard as a plant manager in its container and honeycomb divisions and Thomas Staal as director of management systems.

S. Abraham & Sons, a subsidiary of Imperial Trading Co., announced the promotion of George Bennett to president. Chief operating officer Jim Leonard has retired. Leonard began his career with SAS in 1988 working with the Abraham senior leaders in all facets of the company, including vice president, administration and chief financial officer. He was promoted to COO in 2019.

Zeeland-based ODL hired Jaclyn Harrison as executive vice president of

human resources.

EDUCATION

Michael Pikaart, professor of chemistry at Hope College, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

FOUNDATIONS

The Kalamazoo Community Foundation named Dr. Grace Lubwama as its president and CEO. She begins her new position with KZCF in July 2023.

GOVERNMENT

Kent County Commissioner Dan Burrill joined the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority board of directors for a three-year term.

Ryan Burdick was sworn to the East Grand Rapids City Commission, filling the vacant first ward seat. City commissioners unanimously appointed Burdick. The seat was vacated by former commissioner Kris Pachla following his election to the Kent County Board of Commissioners.

U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten has been appointed to serve as vice chair of the New Democratic Coalition’s Workforce Development Task Force. Scholten will work to support alternative forms of higher education including trade skills, tech training and apprenticeship programs, and address the child care affordability crisis and tackle the immigration crisis as a workforce development issue.

HEALTH

Holland Hospital is the recipient of a Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award for 2023.

Kalamazoo-based Bronson Healthcare is the recipient of an Apex Award from Training Magazine, a worldwide ranking of organizations that demonstrate exceptional commitment to employee training and development.

Bronson was ranked No. 77 among the 105 awarded organizations. Bronson also was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women for

2023 for its track record for creating more equitable and favorable workplaces for women.

The Great Place to Work Institute and its senior care partner Activated Insights honored Beacon Hill at Eastgate with certification as a Great Place to Work for the second year in a row.

LEGAL

The Grand Rapids Police Department recognized 2022 employees of the year Curtis Creighton, Detective Unit, Major Case Team, as Officer of the Year, and Jennifer (Zobel) Sharp, crime analyst, as Professional Staff Member of the Year.

MANUFACTURING

Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor named Alessandro Perucchetti president of the company’s U.S. operations. Perucchetti also has been appointed to Whirlpool Corporation’s executive committee.

NONPROFITS

Feeding America West Michigan announced Julie Brinks, vice president and general manager at Nexstar Media Inc., joined its board of directors.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Sabo PR has been recognized as one of the 2023 Michigan 50 Companies to Watch by Michigan Celebrates Small Business.

RETAIL

Byron Center-based SpartanNash announced the promotion of Ileana McAlary to executive vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary. McAlary was hired in November 2021 and oversees the company’s expanding legal, government affairs, compliance and aviation team. She also serves as corporate secretary of the SpartanNash board of directors and president of the SpartanNash Foundation.

SPORTS Kent Country Club announced the appointment of Aaron Kelm, PGA, as director of golf, and the promotion of Tiffany Drye to assistant general manager.

Paralympian Tyler Merren of Greenville has been tapped to serve as a 2023 sport ambassador for the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes.

TECHNOLOGY

i3 Business Solutions announced CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named i3 Business Solutions to its Managed Service Provider 500 list in the Pioneer 250 category for 2023.

TRAVEL & TOURISM

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport is the recipient of multiple Service Quality Awards from the Airports Council International World: Best Airport of 2 Million to 5 Million Passengers in North America; Airport with the Most Dedicated Staff in North America; Easiest Airport Journey in North America; and Cleanest Airport in North America.

Send announcements covering personnel changes, new businesses, changes of address, etc. to tim.gortsema@crain.com.

Doyle

Showers

Rapaport

Chowaniec

Creighton

Merren

Kelm

Burdick

Shiel

Cline

Lubwama

Howard

Sharp

for the PFAS Annihilator.

The deployment comes one year after Battelle launched a successful, smaller-scale pilot version of the PFAS Annihilator at the same Grand Rapids-area location. Work on the technology began five years ago, and as of this April, the Annihilator has gone to scale and is in its first commercial deployment.

How it works

Today, trucks haul the leachate from nearby landfills to the facility, where it is stored in massive tanks before undergoing a stripping process through the SAFF technology. The SAFF unit produces 100 gallons of concentrate each day from every 100,000 gallons or more of leachate brought into the facility.

Once ready, forklifts transport the concentrate over to the PFAS Annihilator in a different building onsite. The concentrate undergoes pre-treatment and filtering before it’s pumped into the Annihilator, which uses a combination of high temperatures, high pressure and a critical oxygen stream to break down the chemical bonds of PFAS. Trueba said the process was energy-intensive to start but now generates and recycles more energy than it consumes.

Clean effluent water, plus carbon dioxide and inert salts, are the result of the annihilation process. Heritage-Crystal Clean will discharge the clean water to publicly owned water treatment sites. The company holds a discharge permit that includes regular monitoring to confirm compliance with discharge limits.

Executives from Heritage-Crystal Clean and Battelle say state and local regulatory agencies — such as the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy — already have conducted multiple inspections and concur that the process is protective of human health and the environment. Plans and permits are all in place to confirm ongoing environmental compliance.

GENTEX

From Page 3

Boehm said Gentex executives also saw great market opportunities for Adasky’s thermal sensing systems, as well as a good cultural fit between the two companies.

Going forward, Gentex will work to provide additional resources such as sales and engineering support for Adasky.

“We do a lot of our own stuff here in West Michigan. We do our own testing and validation, and that’s a capability that, for them to have access to, can really help them develop and expand on the product quicker,” Boehm said. “They currently have the ability to manufacture the products in Israel, and I think longer term as the technology evolves and the volumes grow — which we’re hoping for — there are opportunities for us to also do some manufacturing at some point in the future.”

Originating in the 1940s, PFAS are man-made chemicals part of a large group of more than 5,000 compounds. Because of their chemical and physical properties, PFAS have been widely used in various consumer and industrial products, such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant textiles, paint, metal plating, food packaging and firefighting foams.

In recent years, PFAS have drawn attention and public health concerns based on growing evidence that exposure can lead to harmful health effects. The endocrine disruptors interfere with hormone systems, and research has linked PFAS to various types of cancer and reproductive problems, to name a few.

“Ninety-six percent of Americans have some PFAS in their blood levels,” Trueba said.

Meanwhile, companies across the U.S. are racing to commercialize PFAS-destroying technology, a potentially $20 billion market that’s part of the $100 billion PFAS-cleanup industry, the Wall Street Journal reported last month.

In East Lansing, a startup backed by Michigan State University’s MSU Innovation Center is focused on equipment and technology to destroy PFAS in water. The company, Enspired Solutions, has raised $3 million in seed funding as it aims to scale up, according to reports.

The PFAS destruction capability ended up near Grand Rapids largely because of a vision from Brian Recatto, president and CEO of Heritage-Crystal Clean, which is based in Elgin, Ill., northwest of Chicago. Recatto understood the dangers of PFAS and had received phone calls with concerns relating to the harmful chemicals from his customers.

“We picked Grand Rapids because Michigan has been one of the more aggressive states in terms of protecting overall water quality,” Recatto said. “We also had meaningful outreach from clients within the state looking for help and options to economically remove PFAS from large aqueous streams.”

During what he described as a moment of “pandemic boredom”

a few years ago, Recatto started to research potential solutions and came across the work Battelle was doing. He reached out to Battelle, and the two organizations ended up forming a partnership for Heritage-Crystal Clean to serve as the first customer offering the PFAS Annihilator solution.

Recatto also connected with EPOC Enviro after discovering the SAFF technology at a trade show. Together with Revive and Allonnia, the exclusive North American distributor of SAFF, Recatto initiated the 4never partnership.

The partnership serves as the first closed-loop PFAS remediation system, which includes the PFAS Annihilator as the destruction technology.

“Other types of technology transfer the PFAS molecules to different byproducts — this actually destroys them,” Recatto said.

Trueba said Revive intends to deploy six additional PFAS destruction systems at other facilities later this year and 18 to 25 systems next year. The long-term goal is to have 50 systems in operation across the U.S. by 2025.

A team of six full-time staff members are deploying the PFAS Annihilator near Grand Rapids, and Trueba said he hopes to add more people to the team and have the capacity to operate 24/7 by mid-June. Full capacity will mean the Annihilator can process 500 gallons of concentrate per day.

Other next steps include additional research, which could potentially lead to the processing of PFAS from biosolids instead of just water, according to Amy Dindal, PFAS program manager at Battelle.

Breweries partner with Habitat Kent

Brewers saw the opportunity as a way to give back

By Abby Poirier

A new initiative from Habitat for Humanity of Kent County brought together a handful of Grand Rapids-area breweries to participate in building several affordable homes.

Through the month of April, staff, managers and founders from eight West Michigan breweries worked alongside Habitat Kent to build five LEED-certified, all-electric homes.

The Beer City USA-themed build included participants from Creston Brewery, Brewery Nyx, Brewery Vivant, Cedar Springs Brewing Co. and its Küsterer Brauhaus offshoot, Harmony Brewing Co., Speciation Artisan Ales and Saugatuck Brewing Co. Harmony Brewing Co. LLC co-owner Heather Van Dyke-Titus said the build offered a chance for the company’s staff to get involved in “something unique and meaningful.”

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

“Grand Rapids has been so good to the brewery scene, so it’s great to be involved with something that builds our community and also builds up the camaraderie amongst our staff at the same time,” Van Dyke-Titus said.

Sarah Hotchkiss, director of development and communication at Habitat Kent, said the themed build was inspired by Grand Rapids’ craft beer scene and designed to bring the breweries together with a common goal.

“It seemed like a natural fit since we are Beer City USA here in Grand Rapids,” she said, adding that while Habitat Kent has been doing “themed builds” for years, this is the first time the organization has partnered with local breweries.

Together, the brewery participants helped finish homes for five families, four of which will close on their homes this summer and one in early 2024.

Hotchkiss added that one of the homes uses “the city’s zero-lotline zoning, which allows three homes to be built on a single large parcel. This helps Habitat Kent leverage the land size and build with higher density.”

PEOPLEON THE MOVE

Boehm said the Adasky team has particularly excelled in developing a thermal camera that operates without a shutter. This means the camera never “blinks” or pauses to recalibrate, making it a smarter and safer solution compared to other versions of the technology.

Adasky CEO Yakov Shaharabani said his team is eager to explore

To place your listing, visit https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/ people-on-the-move/ or contact Debora Stein at (917)226-5470 / dstein@crain.com.

To place your listing, visit https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/ people-on-the-move/ or contact Debora Stein at (917)226-5470 / dstein@crain.com.

To place your listing, visit https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/ people-on-the-move/ or contact Debora (917)226-5470 / dstein@crain.com.

BANKING & FINANCE

Amwins

She said the goal all along has been to bring this solution to market. Battelle scientists and researchers have been developing methods of detecting and combating PFAS contamination for two decades, and in the past five years worked intensively to invent a system to completely destroy PFAS chemicals.

BANKING & FINANCE

Amwins

BANKING & FINANCE

Amwins

“We’ve had the intention of scaling this technology all along,” Dindal said. “There will be no ‘valley of death’ for this technology.”

new opportunities with Gentex, in the automotive market and in other industries. He also said Adasky and Gentex share “the same spirit of addressing extreme challenges with determination and innovation.”

The Amwins Grand Rapids of ce is pleased to announce Jordan Kurkowski’s promotion to Executive Vice President and Branch Leader of all brokerage operations. Jordan will be responsible for leading the Amwins Grand Rapids of ce in delivering specialized commercial insurance coverage in the wholesale brokerage sector.

The Amwins Grand Rapids of ce is pleased to announce Jordan Kurkowski’s promotion to Executive Vice President and Branch Leader of all brokerage operations. Jordan will be responsible for leading the Amwins Grand Rapids of ce in delivering specialized commercial insurance coverage in the wholesale brokerage sector.

The Amwins Grand Rapids of ce is pleased to announce Jordan Kurkowski’s promotion to Executive Vice President and Branch Leader of all brokerage operations. Jordan will be responsible for leading the Amwins Grand Rapids of ce in delivering specialized commercial insurance coverage in the wholesale brokerage sector.

NEW GIG?

“Gentex is exactly the right strategic partner for Adasky to complement our existing shareholders. We have the same excellence-driven engineering and innovation focus that will help propel us to expand markets and applications,” Shaharabani said in a news release. “With Gentex’s global footprint and capability, we will be able to meet the demand we are seeing for our thermal camera.”

Jordan joined Amwins in 2019 with prior insurance underwriting, brokerage, and retail experience. He joined the local Grand Rapids team with an emphasis on Management, Cyber, and Professional Liability insurance.

Jordan has a BBA in Marketing Management from Davenport University and has earned the Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI), Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU), and Management Liability Insurance Specialist (MLIS) designations.

The Adasky agreement marks Gentex’s latest involvement in the Israeli tech startup market, after the auto supplier acquired Tel Aviv-based Guardian Optical Technologies in 2021. The startup has pioneered a sensing technology for cabin-monitoring for vehicles.

Jordan joined Amwins in 2019 with prior insurance underwriting, brokerage, and retail experience. He joined the local Grand Rapids team with an emphasis on Management, Cyber, and Professional Liability insurance.

Jordan has a BBA in Marketing Management from Davenport University and has earned the Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI), Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU), and Management Liability Insurance Specialist (MLIS) designations.

Preserve your career change for years to come.

Plaques • Crystal keepsakes Frames • Other Promotional Items

Jordan joined Amwins in 2019 with prior insurance underwriting, brokerage, and retail experience. He joined the local Grand Rapids team with an emphasis on Management, Cyber, and Professional Liability insurance.

CONTACT

Laura Picariello Reprints Sales Manager lpicariello@crain.com (732)723-0569

Jordan has a BBA in Marketing Management from Davenport University and has earned the Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI), Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU), and Management Liability Insurance Specialist (MLIS) designations.

Thermal imaging produced by camera technology developed by Israel-based startup Adasky. | COURTESY OF GENTEX CORP.

ENERGY LAWS

We do need to be careful how quickly we try to implement such changes so as not to create reliability issues since we need electricity supply 24/7. But this is a topic for another day.

What the 2008 energy law did was once again limit the authority of the MPSC to determine what is a reasonable profit, or return on equity (ROE), for the utility to make regarding investments in renewable generation and locked in a premium ROE/profit for the utility.

What do I mean by premium profit? Well, in both Consumers Energy’s and DTE’s most recent electric rate cases, the MPSC approved a 9.9% ROE for all other capital investments made by the utility. This, by the way, is also still above the national average for electric utility ROEs. But this 2008 energy law requires the MPSC to allow the utilities to earn a 10.7% ROE on the renewable energy investments which, you guessed it, results in unnecessary higher electricity rates.

Energy efficiency incentive

The 2008 energy bill also created an energy efficiency program. This law requires the utilities to collect money from all customers and then use that money to fund projects that reduce energy usage by customers. Using electricity more efficiently is certainly a good thing. However, the law also then authorized the utilities to collect millions of dollars of profit as an “incentive” for running this energy efficiency program. As shown in the investor presentation in February from Consumers Energy, they proudly identify collecting over $50 million per year in incentives from customers.

So, in summary:

w The MPSC’s authority to ensure reasonable rates and reliable service has been significantly limited by several prior laws passed by Michigan legislators.

w Utilities are allowed to collect fully projected costs instead of just the actual costs they incur.

w The review process of the utilities’ projected costs has been shortened to 10 months, making it more difficult to verify the need for the rate increases requested by the utilities.

w The utilities can file for rate increases more frequently.

w Utilities are allowed to make extra profit on renewable energy generation.

w Utilities collect millions of dollars a year in incentive/profit from customers being more energy efficient.

By the way, in 2008 — the year that the significant changes were made to Michigan’s energy laws — Michigan was ranked as having the 23rd most expense retail price of electricity in the country. This was still not that great, but being 12th today means we are headed in the wrong direction.

It’s time for Michigan legislators to do something to help customers and pass a 2023 energy law that changes some of these old laws that are not working and will lower electricity rates and improve reliability.

RIVERFRONT

From Page 3

“Both plans encourage utilizing the site for expanding public riverfront greenspace as well as mixed-use redevelopment, including renovation and reuse of the historic water building for community use/benefit,” Guy said via email.

Officials with the city, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and Grand Rapids Public Schools published the GR Forward plan in 2015. The plan’s goals for the Coldbrook property include providing a multi-use trail connection on the site with an associated berm and landscaping to help manage flooding and stormwater.

In 2017, the city facilitated a public engagement process as part of the River for All plan and included the Coldbrook property as one of six riverfront opportunity sites for future development. Designs included in the plan call for several improvements on the property, including linking the site to the larger river trail network, adding river access, constructing a play area, repurposing the water utilities building for a public use or event space, and adding flexible plaza spaces. The plan also calls for mixed-use redevelopment, a small parking lot, an emergency boat-access ramp and large multi-purpose lawn.

Both GR Forward and River for All identify riverfront properties that could be repurposed for higher and better uses while attracting more public involvement. The Coldbrook property also shares

From Page 1

such as insulin resistance and hormone and digestive disorders.

“We’re building the next generation operating system for functional medicine practices,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong started her functional medicine group practice in 2018 and formed the technology and management company in 2022.

A family physician, Armstrong designed the care model behind Root Functional Medicine to complement primary care with functional medicine, which she describes as a holistic approach to serving patients using “a different way of thinking about health and wellness,” one that “looks at the entire person” rather than just their symptoms.

Root Functional Medicine personalizes nutrition plans for patients, and uses supplements, education and lifestyle guidance to address heath issues such as gut health or autoimmune disease.

Armstrong started the practice in a co-working space in downtown Grand Rapids. Staffed by medical doctors and osteopathic physicians, Root Functional Medicine in the last six months has grown to serving patients in nearly 30 states.

The practice uses a membership model and presently does not take health insurance. Mem-

similarities with 201 Market Ave., where the city is in the process of relocating services to make way for a riverfront amphitheater.

No imminent plans

To move the fire department from the Coldbrook property, the Grand Rapids City Commission approved a $1.9 million purchase agreement on April 11 for the eventual acquisition of 850 Pannell St. NW on the city’s northwest side. The city intends the 9-acre property along the border with the city of Walker to be the future site of the fire department’s new consolidated training and operations facility.

The plan would allow GRFD to relocate multiple operations to the Pannell Street site, including the department’s Coldbrook training facility.

The city has no “imminent plans” for redeveloping the Cold-

bers pay $250 a month for unlimited virtual sessions with doctors and dieticians, as well as access to recipes and health courses.

Root Functional Medicine has worked with about 1,000 members so far. Membership has been growing between 20 percent and 30 percent a month since securing medical licenses in other states outside of Michigan, Armstrong said.

Backed with the new growth capital, Armstrong hopes to gather and publish research data to further validate functional medicine and show that it “is truly the future of health care.”

“We want to be the national leader in functional medicine and provide the most comprehensive, supportive membership program,” Armstrong said. “I’ve been a functional medicine doctor for five years now and have seen the space grow from a small subset of ‘alternative medicine’ to a mainstream, scientifically backed approach for health care delivery, with patient demand far outstripping the supply of functional medicine doctors.”

That growth caught the attention of The 4100 Group, the venture capital investment arm of dental insurer Delta Dental of Michigan and its Ohio counterpart.

Armstrong and Scott Lancaster, chief investment officer and managing director at The 4100 Group, knew each other from their time at Spectrum Health, now known

brook property, but it will continue to assess potential uses, said Jeremiah Gracia, the city’s economic development director. The April 11 vote kicked off a 60-day due diligence period for the $1.9 million option to purchase the Pannell Street site from Called Your Bluff LLC, which is affiliated with Holland-based Louis Padnos Iron and Metal Co.

The Padnos affiliate previously acquired the Pannell Street property for $1.1 million in October 2018 and listed it for $1.35 million via NAI Wisinski of West Michigan. The listing notes that a property sale will include a deed restriction barring uses that compete with Padnos’ business.

The industrial Pannell Street site formerly housed Enterprise Iron and Metal Inc., a scrap metal recycling company that went out of business in 2017. It features more than 96,000 square feet of facilities, some of which date

as Corewell Health. Lancaster was clinical director for Spectrum Health Ventures, the health system’s corporate venture capital arm.

Lancaster said Armstrong eventually approached him about investing in Root Functional Medicine.

At the time, The 4100 Group was developing a strategy around “whole person health and the intersection of traditional health care,” and was interested in investing in membership-based medical practices, Lancaster said.

The 4100 Group likes Root Functional Medicine’s proactive approach to care, the focus of lifestyle and nutrition, and “solving problems in the most holistic way,” said Lancaster, who is based in the greater Grand Rapids area.

“It was a pretty logical fit,” he said. “We could have gone and looked for something out of the state, but the fact that they were in our backyard was a definite bonus.”

The 4100 Group invested in Root Functional Medicine as a platform company to build out. Assuming “things go well, which we’re very confident of longer term,” the firm will provide additional capital in the future as the company grows and reaches an inflection point, Lancaster said.

Lancaster sees promise for Root Functional Medicine to

back to 1950.

As well, a portion of the Pannell Street site forms the city’s border with Walker, and the property includes frontage on Indian Mill Creek, a tributary to the Grand River, at the south end of the lot.

Meanwhile, GRFD has sought land to construct a new training center for about a decade, Brad Brown, Grand Rapids’ newly appointed fire chief, told city officials during a city meeting.

Relocating operations to Pannell Street would be a long-term project and serve the department for the next 50 to 75 years, Brown said.

“This is almost 10 acres of property in a very industrial area on the last road in the city, so it’s absolutely perfect for a large, noisy operation such as fire training,” Brown said of the Pannell Street site. “We’re (putting) multiple things on this site and will still have room for growth in the future.”

grow over the next year or two by selling memberships to large, self-insured employers as part of their employee health benefits. A model with a holistic approach to addressing the root causes of illness and high-cost chronic medical conditions can improve costs, he said.

“When you’re self-insured, the cost of care becomes hyper-important,” Lancaster said. “If we can demonstrate both qualitatively and quantitatively that their employer base is healthier, that they’re saving money, then I think we’re going to have struck on a model that’s going to resonate with a lot of businesses.”

For example, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates an annual cost of $327 billion to treat only diabetes, one of the top chronic illnesses that affects 37 million people, or 11% of the nation’s population. That includes $237 billion spent on direct medical costs and $90 billion from reduced productivity.

“Health care spending in the U.S. as a percent of GDP is already astronomical,” Lancaster said. “If you can lower or improve even one of those conditions and keep people well through functional medicine, there’s going to be huge cost savings overall.”

The city is considering moving a Grand Rapids Fire Department training facility to a new location, freeing up prime real estate for greenspace or redevelopment. | JOE BOOMGAARD

“We want to be the national leader in functional medicine.”

Dr. Erica Armstrong, founder of Root Functional Medicine

“It’s not just that we want the local municipalities and neighbors to understand our story and hear us. We need to know ahead of time what are those local concerns and how are we able to design a project, before we get into having 100% completed drawings,” he said.

He’d like to see more local governments engage in an upfront process with residents that spells out the municipality’s goals when it comes to projects that would, for example, add 250 units of housing in an area that’s already zoned for it, or that the municipality is open to rezoning, with the end goal that developers face fewer surprises.

“None of this is easy. It’s a multi-month-long process of several layers of approvals to be able to deliver housing of any kind, whether that’s market-rate or affordable housing,” Wheeler said.

“In the urban core, it’s a lot different, because the city leaders can look out the window, essentially, and see those areas that we want to develop, and that is reflected in the city’s master plan. Solving a density issue in the urban core is way easier than it is to solve in those suburban rural markets.”

Wheeler said developers take on high risk when they do projects in the suburbs because the approvals take longer, which increases the cost. But he noted local governments are increasingly understanding of that hurdle.

In the past couple of months, three Grand Rapids suburbs have implemented or proposed changes they believe will address development barriers. Here’s a look at what they’re doing.

Gaines Township

At the end of March, Gaines Township updated its master plan to allow for more housing choice, creating a “village residential” zoning category that will allow for a mix of single-family housing in subdivisions, like duplexes and townhomes, in addition to detached homes.

The village residential category is intended for residential uses along the lines of the suburban residential category, but at moderately higher densities.

Gaines Township’s next steps will include developing an ordinance aligned with the update that will lay out how many of each type of housing will be allowed within the village residential category. At the same time, the township will be going section by section through its zoning code to make sure it’s consistent with current goals.

Dan Wells, community development director for the township, said he expects the ordinance development process could take up to a year. However, the municipality hopes to launch the village residential portion of the ordinance sooner so the township can lift the moratorium on new development that’s currently in place in the residential

zone 10 in the northern sixth of the township.

“It’ll be a couple of months,” he said.

Wells added that Gaines Township must balance multiple competing priorities, including residents’ desire for preserving open space, the need for more parks as the population grows, demand for housing and commercial development, and seniors’ desire to age in place in condos and townhomes that are in similar neighborhoods to their current houses.

Creating the village residential category was a way to allow for multiple types of housing that meet various demands in denser communities, so the township can preserve the other spaces to build parks, nature areas and recreational spaces like tennis and pickleball courts.

It also will cut down on the number of individual planned unit developments the township is asked to approve that all have differing standards for setbacks and building heights, for example.

“From my perspective, it’s not really ‘if’ you grow, it’s ‘how’ you grow,” Wells said. “That’s what a lot of the folks who are in the planning world around Grand Rapids are trying to sort out right now.”

Wyoming

Wyoming planning staff and the planning commission and city council worked together over the course of a year to develop a text amendment to the zoning code that would allow for supportive housing in R-4 districts. Under the supportive housing model, a nonprofit provides households at risk of homelessness with temporary housing and case managers who work to move them to permanent housing.

Family Promise of West Michigan will be the first nonprofit to leverage the new supportive housing ordinance when it builds temporary residences inside Wyoming Park United Methodist Church, which was recently rezoned to R-4 for this purpose.

Paul Smith, assistant director of community and economic development for the city of Wyoming, said in addition to the supportive housing ordinance, the city lately has been approving more multifamily projects on the very few greenfield sites it has left. Those include The Pines Golf Club — rezoned to PUD-4 for housing — and a parcel around the corner the city rezoned to B-2 (general business) for The Retreat mixed-use housing project.

The city also rezoned some properties along Burlingame Avenue to allow existing property owners to build duplexes there.

“We rezoned all of them at once,” Smith said. “We prefer to do (rezoning) for an area, but if the parcel is large enough, then we’re willing to consider it on a case-by-case basis. So, in the case of The Retreat or The Pines, those sites are dozens of acres, and so it made sense to rezone individually. If it’s a smaller parcel like the individual property looking to be a duplex along Burlingame, then we try to see whether we can inte-

grate it into a larger rezoning, because we don’t want to be ‘spot zoning’ all throughout the city. That creates bad precedents, and it also breaks trust with our residents.”

East Grand Rapids

The city of East Grand Rapids, with a population of about 11,400 people, is a small enclave that’s completely landlocked by Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township. It’s also almost entirely built out.

Because of that, East Grand Rapids is mainly focused on allowing redevelopment of existing built areas as they come up for sale. For instance, in 2012, developer and resident Joe Hooker bought several connected properties in Gaslight Village between Bagley Avenue and Croswell Avenue and redeveloped them into 16 townhomes.

More recently, the city’s planning commission held a study session on March 14 to discuss crafting a zoning ordinance amendment to allow for accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

City Manager Shea Charles said the process is currently in the phase of questioning “is this something we want to do?” Upcoming work sessions during each planning commission meeting for the next few months will present all the different options for ADUs and how to regulate them.

Doug LaFave, deputy city manager, said an ADU ordinance could lead to a host of possible objections, like changing the character of the neighborhood, introducing renters versus homeowners, keeping up property maintenance standards, and preserving setbacks and building heights.

“It’s really a lot of the spatial, dimensional (aspects), but also the ‘how does it interface in terms of ownership,’” LaFave said of the potential challenges. “Those are a couple issues that we’re discussing and talking through.”

LaFave said the conversations will play out over the course of the next year before the planning commission will draft an ordinance recommendation.

“Interested residents should (monitor) our planning commission agendas and join meetings held where we have ADU study sessions,” he said.

By state law, municipalities are required to review their master plans every five years, Charles said. Since East Grand Rapids’ last review was in 2018, the city will also be tackling the review this year and potentially looking at how it could become even friendlier to housing development.

LaFave added that even with family sizes decreasing, East Grand Rapids added to its population in 2020 for the first time in decades, so the municipality is cognizant that it has a responsibility to chip in and do its part to support housing growth.

“East Grand Rapids is not going to solve Kent County’s housing issue, but we do play a piece of that puzzle,” Charles said.

CRESTON

From Page 1

“We think this is a great opportunity to turn an empty lot into a vibrant community that’s going to add residents to the Creston neighborhood and help support the businesses there,” Shoemaker said.

Franklin Partners — which acquired the Display Pack building nearly a decade ago and owns multiple properties in and around Grand Rapids — specializes in repurposing large, vacant buildings for new users. However, the project cost would have been 50% higher to repurpose the vacant industrial building compared to demolishing it, Shoemaker said. “With pain,” the team decided to demolish the structure for the project, he said.

The apartments would include studio, one- and two-bedroom market-rate units. The plan also calls for open-air courtyards between both apartment complexes that would contain a shared patio space with a pool, hot tub, sports area, fire pits and grills. The apartment structures would also include shared spaces for residents, including a fitness area and workspace.

Franklin Partners plans to own the development “long term,” but the company would hire a third-party firm to manage the project once it’s constructed, Shoemaker said.

The first phase of construction is set to be complete in 2025 and includes the demolition of the former Display Pack building and the construction of the apartment complex on the north end of the site, and two-thirds of the parking deck. Developers also will clear the rest of the south end of the site while construction occurs on the north end of the property, Shoemaker said.

As well, about 1,800 square feet of ground floor retail would be included in the first apartment complex. Developers plan to add ground floor retail to the southend complex in phase two if they see the demand for it, Shoemaker said.

The second phase of the project would include the second 263unit apartment structure on the south end of the site.

Franklin Partners acquired the sprawling industrial property, which includes the 104-year-old loft-style building, in 2015 for $7 million.

Franklin Partners previously courted several developers that all resulted in unsuccessful projects. A development partnership between Third Coast Development LLC and PK Companies LLC pursued a more than $20 million project on the site in 2019 for a 310-unit affordable housing project, but the plans never came to fruition.

The latest proposal means Franklin Partners is taking the 7.5acre redevelopment into its own hands.

“This property has been vacant for a long time,” Jono Klooster, assistant economic development director at the city of Grand Rapids, said during the Creston neighborhood meeting. “There have been proposals that are not financeable

and were not competitive for Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing, so until someone comes in and is willing to make the investment like this, this property is going to continue to be vacant.”

Even though the apartments would all be market-rate, Franklin Partners’ project would still make progress toward adding more housing stock in the city, Klooster added.

“The opportunity to add another 500 units of housing is incredibly important,” Klooster said. “If we don’t meet the housing demand across the spectrum, we’re just going to continue to pressure people at the lower income level, so this type of project is really necessary.”

Franklin Partners’ project is allowed by right and would not require city planning commission approval, though the developers are applying for brownfield incentives for a portion of the property. Ghafari Associates is the architect of the project and Wolverine Building Group will serve as the general contractor.

Franklin Partners purchased the property in 2015 from Display Pack, a company that manufactures consumer packaging and trim for the automotive industry. At the time, Franklin Partners expected the site would attract developers planning office or residential projects.

The original factory building on the site was built in 1919 by the Grand Rapids Show Case Co., which constructed display cabinets, according to reporting from the Grand Rapids Press. The factory site changed hands several times over the years before Display Pack purchased the property in the late 1970s and eventually sold it to Franklin Partners. Display Pack moved from Grand Rapids when it acquired a former Wolverine World Wide Inc. distribution facility in Cedar Springs to reportedly accommodate its growth at the time.

Meanwhile, Franklin Partners’ project is poised to turbocharge recent momentum in the Creston neighborhood. The Display Pack site is located near two multifamily projects underway in the neighborhood: the 72-unit Hillcrest Apartments at 220 Quimby St. NE, and the 110-unit Lofts on Grove project along Plainfield Avenue near the Grove Street intersection. Combined, the three projects call for adding 708 housing units in the north side neighborhood in the coming years.

Franklin Partners plans to demolish the 307,000-square-foot, vacant industrial building at 1340 Monroe Ave. NW on Grand Rapids’ north side to make way for 526 apartments, retail space and shared amenities. JOE BOOMGAARD

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BY JOE BOOMGAARD

When Ashley Agler launched her drift boat early one March morning on the Pere Marquette River, the cracking sound nearby anglers likely heard was the shelf ice breaking up at the boat ramp. Figuratively speaking, the noise also signified the shattering of one of the remaining glass ceilings in Michigan’s outdoor recreation industry. Earlier this year, Agler became the first woman to secure licenses at the state and federal level to operate guided fly fishing trips along the entire length of the Pere Marquette River, a world-class trout fishery with headwaters in Lake and Newaygo counties that flows undammed into Lake Michigan at Ludington. Her journey to becoming a full-time fishing guide started more than a year ago when she walked away from a career in big tech and change management consulting to dedicate herself full time to starting a business that allowed her to pursue her passion for the outdoors, despite plenty of naysayers who tried to discourage the idea. As owner of Baldwin-based Mindful Trout LLC, Agler complements her time on the water with clients by teaching fly fishing at classes and corporate retreats around the state. She also sells fishing-themed artwork and hosts the Loop to Loop podcast. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

How did you come to the realization that you wanted to give up your tech career to become a fishing guide?

I had been working in technical implementation consulting specifically around Microsoft products and had multiple large business teams’ management engagements. A lot of the stress of bringing people onto new software and new platforms burned me out. It’s not fun to take something away from someone in a job or to give them something new. I feel like people want to be good at what they do, so when you take things away or change it on them, it kind of hurts. That burned me out.

What pushed you over the edge?

I sat out of one of my favorite nights of fishing the hex hatch because I was working. I didn’t get to go. The next day, I got on a call and that was the final straw for me to leave consulting and try to start my business. People weren’t happy, they weren’t grateful about the service being provided, so I didn’t feel like I was of use. That’s why I decided to jump ship and try to get this (guide) business going.

Did you see yourself as an entrepreneur before you became a guide?

I tried a few businesses and I failed at a few businesses, like we all experience when you’re trying to do something for yourself. The bug for turning fishing into a business just made sense. It’s like, I’m up here. There’s already not a lot of female guides, but in Michigan, I’m the only female fly fishing guide in the state right now. To me, it’s a service that is needed, it’s wanted. People want to bring their families. I get a lot of women and people that are looking for a different experience. It just felt right. … In Michigan, we’re such an open ground for any female outdoor recreation person who wants to be a guide. It was like, ‘I better jump on this now before I regret this later in life.’

When did you make the connection from being an

angler to wanting to teach other people and take them fishing?

In college, I really wanted to guide, but a lot of people turned me off from it. They’re like, ‘How are you going to make a living? You’re going to be broke your whole life. You’re going to have all of these challenges that you’re constantly facing.’ Instead of embracing my passion, it was discouraged. It was like, ‘Go down the path of being in the corporate world because it’s safe,’ instead of encouraging someone to chase a passion and find other ways for monetary safety.

Since you’ve been guiding full time, what are some of the most eye-opening moments that you’ve had?

Going from the nine-to-five job, you expect a paycheck that shows up and you have the expectation

of when you need to show up to work. With this, you have days where you want to be early because you’re taking someone on the river. There’s the expectation that you show up and you provide the service. You provide as much knowledge as you can for that day to that person.

But the days when you don’t have somewhere that you’re expected to be, that’s when you have to create your own self-discipline. You create your own schedule. You find things outside of fishing that are still involved in that passion. I write and publish pieces or product reviews. It’s figuring out how you can plug in. Essentially, the most eye-opening thing is figuring out how you can plug into the industry outside of doing the guiding every single day.

Fishing is so dependent on river conditions, the weather and all these variables out of

your control. How do you help clients understand that?

Not only are we communicating before the trip about what their goals and expectations for the day are, we set it up so that’s what we’re working on. Maybe we’re improving a cast, improving fly selection, knots. I don’t like to make my trips just about touching fish because I feel like if you’re going to invest time with a guide, you should use this as a knowledge transfer. I try to make the time that I have with my customers, from the first phone call through when they get in their car to leave, as valuable as possible. It’s like the old adage that you give a man a fish and he eats for a day. But if you teach them to fish, they can go feed themselves.

Fly fishing has a well-earned reputation for being a ‘good old boys club.’ What’s been the reaction among folks in the industry to you breaking that glass ceiling?

There’s still challenges for me all the time — every day. But it’s a matter of education and kindness. If someone is willing to share the water with me, I’m more than happy to share the water with them.

I deal with people that get liquid courage, and then they’ve got something snarky to say. The glass ceiling of being in this space is to build kindness, to build community, to build relationships. What we’re really missing in Michigan fisheries is that sort of camaraderie among women. Right now, as female anglers in the state, we all kind of feel like we’re on a solo island.

What was the best advice you’ve received while starting your guide business?

Instead of being in an office and trying to start a business part time, if you’ve got enough of a nest egg saved up so that you have just a little bit of money to pay your bills, why not give yourself the gift of living frugally and putting everything toward that business? I feel like a lot of people would be surprised how far they can go if they gave themselves a little more credit and accountability.

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Ashley Angler, owner, Mindful Trout LLC

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