Crain's Grand Rapids Business, September 2, 2024

MICHIGAN APPLE INDUSTRY ENTERS INTO ‘NEW TERRITORY’

String of statewide abundant harvests could push seasonal fruit into a year-round option

By Abby Poirier

Michigan’s apple industry is adjusting to a new normal, as back-to-back-to-back bumper crops are shifting apples from a limited-time, seasonal commodity to a year-round option.

e USApple Association released data last month that estimates Michigan’s 2024 apple crop at 30.5 million bushels, or 1.28 billion pounds. While behind 2022’s record-set-

30.5M

Estimated number of bushels of apples for Michigan’s 2024 apple crop

SOURCE: THE USAPPLE ASSOCIATION

ting 32.38 million bushels of apples and last year’s 31.9 million, the projected harvest is still well above Michigan’s historic 26-million-bushel average.

Diane Smith, executive director of the Michigan Apple Committee, believes the elevated harvests might set a new normal for the state.

“ is is the third year in a row of over 30 million

See APPLES on Page 28

BAMF Health secures funding from new tribal investor

Milwaukee tribe did due diligence with Waséyabek before committing

By Mark Sanchez

Grand Rapids-based BAMF Health scored another investment from a tribal economic development rm. Milwaukee, Wis.-based Potawatomi Ventures, the non-gaming investment arm of the Forest County Potawatomi Community tribe, announced the undisclosed investment in BAMF Health in August.

e Potawatomi Ventures investment comes nearly three years after the Grand Rapids-based Waséyabek Development Co. LLC, the non-gaming economic development arm of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, invested $3 million in BAMF Health.

“Investments like the one from Waséyabek and Potawatomi Ventures are critical in helping us achieve our mission of making precision medicine a ordable and accessible as soon as possible,”

Last-of-its-kind bait shop hits market after 60 years

Comstock Park’s Brenner brothers say it’s time to retire

By Abby Poirier

Brothers Randy and Terry Brenner say the time is right to retire from the Comstock Park bait shop and auto repair garage their father purchased in 1963 and that they’ve helped build

since childhood.

Brenner’s Sporting Goods sells live bait and a range of shing lures and tackle and also o ers vehicle repair services from a 3,200-square-foot space along a key corridor just north of Grand Rapids.

e shop has gained a loyal following over the last six decades, to the point where the owners have served several generations of local families as their customers.

But with both brothers nearing retirement age, the family is ready to pass the baton to someone new to carry on the legacy.

“We’re just getting old and it’s getting time to move on,” Randy Brenner said. “It’s hard for all of us to keep working as we’re getting older.”

e bait and tackle shop’s $925,000 asking price includes the 0.84 acres of land the

See BRENNER’S on Page 29

Ottawa

Michigan, Ohio search out new ideas to attract more people PAGES 9-16

Ambrosia apples awaiting harvest at a West Michigan orchard.

Brenner’s Sporting Goods developed a strong local following among river anglers. | COURTESY PHOTO

Tourism marketing gets $1.3M boost from lodging tax

By Rachel Watson

The destination marketing group that promotes Kent County will become less dependent on state tourism funding and be able to target additional sports and leisure business, thanks to a $1.35 million budget boost from a higher countywide lodging tax.

The Kent County Board of Commissioners approved multiple resolutions on Aug. 22 involving a 3% lodging tax increase, about two weeks after voters approved a ballot measure allowing the county to

raise its excise tax on hotel and motel stays from 5% to 8%.

Among the resolutions, the board approved a new agreement allocating 17% of the lodging excise tax revenue to Experience Grand Rapids, bringing its total lodging tax allocation to $4.02 million in the first year of the new tax rate (2025), up from $2.67 million.

That’s a budget increase of about $1.35 million in year one.

Doug Small, president and CEO of Experience Grand Rapids, said the additional funding will boost the organization’s overall budget,

which was about $14.5 million this year, and help Experience Grand Rapids be less dependent on the whims of state government when it comes to funding from Pure Michigan, the state’s tourism ad campaign.

The fiscal year 2025 state budget includes $30 million for Pure Michigan between the general fund and one-time earmarks, falling short of the $50 million hospitality groups asked for in February. In the past, destination

Founders Brewing to make beer for Kelce brothers

| By Abby Poirier and Joe Boomgaard

Founders Brewing Co. appears poised to become the contract brewer for Jason and Travis Kelce’s Garage Beer brand, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business has learned.

The Grand Rapids-based brewer sought federal approval last month for labels for Garage Beer’s Light Beer and Lime Beer products, according to a pair of filings with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

The 12-ounce can labels indicate that the beer will be produced in Grand Rapids at Founders’ brewing facility under a DBA as Garage Beer.

Garage Beer co-owner Andrew Sauer told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business that the company is still “very early in our relationship

with Founders so we are not at a place to comment too much.”

“I have great respect for the business that Founders has built

Brewing declined to comment for this report.

Covington, Ky.-based Braxton Brewing Co. started Garage Beer in 2018 and sold it in 2023 to Sauer, who moved the company’s headquarters to Columbus, Ohio.

“People crave quality and simplicity, and Garage Beer nails both for me. We are light beer drinkers and Garage is the best light beer.”

Jason Kelce, former NFL player

and the quality standards that they have for all of their products as a brewer,” Sauer said.

A spokesperson for Founders

Wheeler acquires recently vacated downtown office

Estate Brokerage — will begin operations at the new space on Sept. 3. The company has leased its current office space downtown, located at 32 Market Ave. SW, since 2018.

By Kate Carlson

Grand Rapids-based Wheeler Development Group is moving its corporate office to a newly vacated downtown building the firm recently acquired from Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.

Doing business as WDG 300 Ionia LLC, Wheeler Development Group closed on the office building at 300 Ionia Ave. NW, along with an adjacent parking lot, on Aug. 14 for $2.25 million, according to property records.

Owen-Ames-Kimball (O-A-K) constructed the building in 1969 as its own headquarters, and recently moved out of the office and into a larger space downtown at 126 Ottawa Ave. NW, as Crain’s Grand Rapids Business previously reported.

Wheeler Development Group and its affiliated companies — WDG Construction, Pure Real Estate Management, and Pure Real

“As we’ve grown to a team of 25 employees and expanded our services, this relocation marks a new era for WDG,” Wheeler Development Group President Ryan Wheeler said in a statement. “It creates continuity within our approach, and full-service capabilities within the real estate industry. This competitive edge drives innovation within our approach and has allowed us to sustain strategic growth throughout the last several years.”

The 13,776-square-foot, two-story building sits at the corner of Ionia and Crescent, just south of I-196 and Medical Mile. O-A-K renovated the facility in 2011, which was built to accommodate 22 office workers.

The location will help meet clients’ needs with its close proximity to street and surface lot parking, and access to the city’s main corridors, according to Wheeler

In June, the Kelces announced that they had become “significant investors, partners, owners, and operators” of Garage Beer, which is currently sold in 13 states, including Michigan. Their investment coincided with the company planning a major expansion into “dozens” of new states in 2024.

Travis Kelce has played for the

Jason (left) and Travis Kelce in June announced that they had become “significant investors, partners, owners and operators” of Garage Beer. COUrteSY pHOtO

The additional funding will help Experience Grand Rapids be less dependent on the whims of state government when it comes to funding from Pure Michigan, the state’s tourism ad campaign. | IDeOLOGY FOr eXper eNCe GrAND rApIDS

Steelcase leans into Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision for furniture

By Rachel Watson

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Steelcase Inc. are rolling out two furniture collections inspired in part by several Wright-designed homes in Southwest Michigan.

The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Grand Rapids-based Steelcase last month unveiled the Galesburg and Rockford collections, two new furniture lines based on Wright’s mid-20th century Usonian architecture designed for middle-class families. There are eight Usonian homes in Kalamazoo County, half of which are in Galesburg.

“The intention of our relationship with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is to be able to reach consumers in a way that’s different for Steelcase,” said Meghan Dean, general manager of ancillary merchandising and partnerships at Steelcase.

The company also is the owner and steward of the Wright-designed Prairie-style Meyer May House in Grand Rapids that it restored and opened to the public.

“It’s really important … that we bring Wright’s designs into as many homes as possible, into as many work environments as possible, and to really continue to think about his principles of organic architecture and how they continue to impact the world today,” Dean said.

Furniture for modern users

When Steelcase and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation first began talks about a licensing partnership in 2020, Steelcase said it wasn’t interested in producing static “museum replicas” of Wright’s original designs.

Luckily, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation had reached out to Steelcase because it, too, was looking for a new furniture licensee that would adapt the famous architect’s work and make it more accessible to modern customers. The foundation wanted to see more attainable price points and comfortable designs.

At the time, the Wright Foundation’s then-licensee, New York, N.Y.-based Cassina Furniture, was producing “beautiful replicas” of archival designs at luxury price points between $7,000 and $9,000 per chair.

Stuart Graff, the Wright Foundation’s president and CEO, said Cassina was a “wonderful partner” for many years, but the foundation felt it was time to find a new

licensee that would tap Wright’s larger body of work, beyond the Prairie style, while moving the architect’s ideas forward for today’s customers. The foundation’s archive contains approximately 1.3 million entries spanning Wright’s 77-year career.

“Wright told us in his last will and testament that the purpose of the foundation was to perpetuate his ideas about how to design. You don’t do that by replicating the past,” Graff said. “You do that by taking Wright’s ideas and works out of his portfolio, but you hand them to the best designers of the current generation, and you say, ‘Go have fun with this, play with this and create some new works that are inspired by the past but meet the needs of today’s homeowner, today’s consumer.’”

Steelcase and the foundation inked a licensing partnership in mid-2022 and a year later rolled out their first collaboration, the Racine Collection of desks and chairs geared toward pandemic-fueled work-from-home trends.

The Steelcase subsidiary Designtex also partnered with the Wright Foundation in February to roll out a collection of textiles, wall coverings and custom materials.

Then on Aug. 8, the partners announced the Galesburg and Rockford collections.

The Rockford line was inspired by the wheelchair-accessible house Wright designed in 1952 for disabled veteran Kenneth Laurent and his wife, Phyllis, in Rockford, Ill. The collection includes foot stools, tables and chairs at price points from $485-$2,325.

The Galesburg collection, inspired by four Usonian homes in The Acres subdivision in Gales-

chase in late July. But interest has been high, she said.

“(It’s) definitely meeting our expectations,” she said. “We’re really proud of this collaboration, and we’re really proud of how the public has responded to it.”

About the Usonian style

“Usonia” is a moniker derived from the phrase “United States of North America,” Wright’s preferred term for America, according to a book of reflections he published late in life.

Usonian homes were Wright’s attempt to produce attractive, lowcost homes that most middle-class Americans could afford. The homes shared common traits including low-peaked or flat roofs, cantilevered carports, built-in shelves and cabinetry, tall windows to let in sunlight and central hearths. Many of the homes also contained Wright-designed furniture or blueprints for building the furniture.

“The intention of our relationship with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation is to be able to reach consumers in a way that’s different for Steelcase.”

Meghan Dean, general manager of ancillary merchandising and partnerships at Steelcase

burg, includes Ottomans, lounge chairs and sofas ranging from $1,477 to $5,861.

The collections are being marketed to both home and office users.

Dean said it’s too soon to share sales data for the collections, which became available for pur-

Wright designed about 60 Usonian homes in the U.S., beginning with the Willey House in Minneapolis in 1934.

There are eight Wright-designed Usonian homes in Kalamazoo County, four each in Galesburg and Kalamazoo’s Parkwyn Village. Wright was in his 80s when he designed the subdivisions for a group of Upjohn scientists in the 1940s and early 1950s, as Crain’s has previously reported.

“The Galesburg collection is inspired broadly by several designs, not only for Usonian houses like

the ones you find around Kalamazoo, but also designs that were part of Frank Lloyd Wright’s licensed furniture collection from 1955,” Graff said. “There were some sketches, some prototypes that were built, and those were the jumping off points for these designs.”

A fruitful partnership

Graff said the Wright Foundation’s three-person licensing team worked closely with Steelcase designers at every step of the process to ensure quality materials and engineering work and durability for home and commercial use.

Steelcase’s Dean said the company made it clear to the Wright Foundation from the beginning:

“If you’re interested in museum replicas, we’re not interested.”

“They had previous licensees that did unbelievably exquisite, museum-type replicas of the Frank Lloyd Wright furniture, but they were at a price point that would be inaccessible to not only everyday people, but I would say the vast majority of people,” Dean said. “It kind of trapped him in amber and put him up on a shelf, and that would not have been our desired approach to this relationship.”

Steelcase looked to other Wright Foundation licensing partnerships for assurances that the foundation was open to new ideas, she said. These included the Frank Lloyd Wright Bath Collection by fixture maker Brizo.

“Frank Lloyd Wright never designed bath fixtures, but the Brizo team was able to take his design principles and create novel designs, so we were able to look to that, too, and say, ‘Oh, OK, we un-

derstand what the intentionality is here around this licensing program,’” Dean said.

Graff also cited the New Balance shoe collection as an innovative licensing partnership the Wright Foundation rolled out last year in partnership with Kith, inspired by Wright’s Broadacre City vision for suburbia.

The foundation views its partnership with Steelcase as a renewal of a relationship dating to the 1930s, when the manufacturer produced the original furniture for Wright’s design of one of the first open-plan office spaces, the SC Johnson Administration Building in Racine, Wis., Graff said.

That building “is universally regarded as one of the great triumphs of modern workplace design” and exemplified Wright’s belief in the German concept, “Gesamtkunstwerk,” which means “total work of art,” according to Graff.

“Wright isn’t just designing the shell of the building. He is designing the furniture, he might be suggesting artworks and creating some graphic designs for murals or things, but he’s trying to create a total work of art,” Graff said. “(We wanted) a company that we could work with broadly on a whole integrated suite of things, not just a piece of furniture or a textile or a wall covering, but a broader, more integrated design philosophy, and Steelcase really fit that bill well for us.”

Dean said while the parties signed an initial contract for an undisclosed period, the Frank Lloyd Wright Collections partnership could “continue in perpetuity” as long as the foundation and Steelcase remain interested in the relationship.

The Galesburg collection is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian homes in Southwest Michigan. | COURtESY OF StEELCASE

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Ottawa waterfront properties eyed for redevelopment

By Kate Carlson

Three Ottawa County communities are working closely with the private sector to redevelop underutilized or industrial waterfront property that local leaders say have the potential to attract newfound visitors while also meeting their community’s needs.

Leaders in Grand Haven, Holland and Port Sheldon Township are in various stages of their plans that aim to have generational benefits for their local government’s tax base.

The planning in Ottawa County aligns with a growing number of West Michigan communities working to repurpose more waterfront property to active uses, said Amanda Murray, vice president of business solutions at Lakeshore Advantage, the economic development organization for Allegan and Ottawa counties.

“Overall, it’s great for Ottawa County and West Michigan in general,” Murray said. “We know with our beach communities that tourism is a huge part of that when we look at our economy.”

In Grand Haven, the city council is set to choose a private partner to redevelop the city’s 3.4-acre Chinook Pier property downtown. Farther south, Port Sheldon Township is working with various partners to gather feedback on future redevelopment opportunities for a Consumers Energy coal plant set to be decommissioned next year. At the

CopperRock’s proposal for the Chinook Pier site calls for a multiuse market, a two-story mixed-use building with office and retail that would include about 12 small shops, and a restaurant with a large outdoor seating area. ARCHItEKtURA PLC

southern border of the county, Geenen DeKock Properties Group LLC continues to work through necessary environmental approvals to construct an expansive mixed-use project on city-owned, lakefront property in Holland.

Murray said the three projects are good examples of public officials working with the private sector to determine the highest and best uses of underutilized waterfront sites and that also “speak to what the community wants to see.”

Chinook Pier

The Grand Haven City Council at its Sept. 16 meeting is set to select a development plan where Chinook Pier retail shops once stood before they were demolished in 2020 because of mold and water damage.

“It’s a legacy site that we want to

continue to see active,” said Brian Urquhart, Grand Haven city planner. “When you think of Grand Haven you think of the waterfront, and you have to carefully craft that to fit the community needs while also serving the greater economic benefit that would come from a private developer. There is high value and importance in sites like Chinook Pier.”

The property damage was caused by record-high water levels and has spurred the redevelopment process for the 3.4-acre site along the Grand River that leads to Lake Michigan. Proposals were submitted from Grand Rapids-based CopperRock Construction Inc., Zeeland-based Geerlings Development Co. and Midwest Construction Group, and Grand Haven-based Cherette Group LLC. Geerlings and Midwest Construc-

tion Group withdrew their application in July, citing current development commitments. In a letter to the city council, Midwest Construction owner Scott Geerlings said his firm would still have capacity to bid on Cherette Group’s project if they are chosen.

The city has received significant public comment over the monthslong process, Urquhart said.

“One of the high points is we’re not just selecting the right project, but the right partner,” Urquhart said.

Cherette Group initially developed Chinook Pier in the early 1980s as part of a public reclamation of the riverfront after decades of industrial use. The developer proposes partnering with the Grand Haven Children’s Museum and creating a space with interactive exhibits, an art studio, makerspace, stage for performances and gathering places. The firm estimates that the redevelopment could draw 170,000 yearly visitors.

“The challenge we’ve had in Grand Haven is we’re a five-month town,” CEO Denny Cherette told the Grand Haven City Council during a July 14 meeting. He added that a museum could draw crowds year-round, while conceptual plans also call for a commercial center and a farmers market.

The estimated completion of the project would be in the second or third quarter of 2027, according to the project proposal

CopperRock’s proposal for the Chinook Pier site calls for a multiuse market, a two-story mixed-use building with office and retail that would include about 12 small shops, and a restaurant with a large outdoor seating area. The market space would include a demonstration/teaching kitchen and would support an expanded farmers market with enclosed and open-air vendor spaces.

“Our vision is the restaurant space would be some type of yearround destination that would be family friendly for all ages to enjoy,” Greg Taylor, senior development specialist at CopperRock, told the city council at the July 14 meeting.

CopperRock’s prior experience in the area includes the 156-unit Lakeshore Flats apartment complex near the Robbins Road and U.S. 31 intersection.

Taylor added that it would be important to find tenants for the Chinook Pier project who have a local connection and ownership, not just “the latest franchise.”

The estimated completion date of the $13.9 million to $17.9 million project would be in December 2026, according to the proposal.

Campbell Complex

Farther south down the shoreline, the decommissioning of the J.H. Campbell Complex by June 2025 opens another possible redevelopment opportunity, this time in partnership with Consumers

Micro-homes, apartments part of Ottawa’s housing plans

By Rachel Watson

As Ottawa County works to close a more than 15,000-unit housing gap, developers are leveraging public funds to build apartments while county leaders launch a micro-home project to increase the affordable for-sale stock.

Ryan Kilpatrick, lead consultant for Housing Next, said the housing advocacy group for Kent and Ottawa counties is finishing up fundraising to update Ottawa County’s 2021 housing study, which found about 15,700 more units would be needed by 2026: 4,385 rental and 11,346 for-sale units.

Kilpatrick said by his estimate, the county is on pace to add nearly 15,000 units by 2027, though demand likely has increased since the prior report was published three years ago.

“When we conducted our first housing needs assessment in 2018, it indicated that we needed 7,500 units by 2023, and then when we issued our update in 2021, that gap had grown, even though we had produced almost 6,000 units,” Kilpatrick said. “So it definitely feels like we’re continuing to play catch up.”

For-sale efforts

As multiple new projects target the rental market, Ottawa County leaders are looking to increase af-

fordable homeownership opportunities with a nascent project involving homes with smaller footprints that target young and aging buyers.

In May, the county’s Department of Strategic Impact unveiled a new project to add affordable infill or neighborhoods of small-footprint homes ranging from 450 to 950 square feet that would cost $180,000. The median sale price of a home in Ottawa County was $395,000 last month, up 9.9% since last year, according to Redfin data.

This poses a real affordability issue for many buyers, said Paul Sachs, director of the Department of Strategic Impact, which also oversees the Ottawa County Housing Commission.

“One of our focuses in my department and with the county housing commission is to encourage more for-sale units,” Sachs said. “We’re talking about workforce housing for young professionals and aging seniors.”

He stressed that the goal is not to build transitional housing for homeless individuals, but to produce attractive, long-term residences that blend seamlessly into the character of existing neighborhoods.

“It will be beautiful, quality, small-town character housing stock,” he said.

The county has hired Holland designer Nick Rolinski and Hope College architectural student Mat-

thew Daub to conduct research, design and cost estimating for the project. Sachs said many obstacles remain before the idea can become a reality. Those hurdles include local zoning codes that contain minimum home and lot size requirements, land access, public sentiment and slim profitability margins for this product type. Despite the challenges, the county has several local homebuilders who are interested in participating, Sachs said. One is Chris Wilson, owner of Grand Haven-based CB Wilson Construction, who said he was dreaming up a similar idea when he saw the news that Ottawa County was working on this initiative.

He said he hasn’t taken action yet, but is staying in touch with Sachs about the possibilities.

“My vision wasn’t to make a ton of money off this, it was more of like, ‘OK, there’s a need for this, and it’d be really nice to have young people (be able to buy) in a vibrant, growing community,’” he said.

Wilson said he would likely need an investor and at least 4 acres of land to move forward, as building a large community with dozens of small homes would be more economical than building infill homes on small lots.

“I have employees that probably couldn’t afford to live in the city that I live in, Grand Haven, right now, as it’s very expensive,” Wilson said.

“But to have a couple hundred homes in an area that you couldn’t have had before, these homes could be reasonably priced so a first-time homebuyer could buy (with) a reasonable amount of money and then

be able to let that grow into equity as soon as they buy it.”

Sachs said once his designers have produced four to five micro-home designs that can be built affordably, his department would then work with developers and local municipalities to advance specific projects.

“We just need the community to have a full understanding of the whys and the hows, the whats and the need,” he said.

Kilpatrick said Sachs’ project dovetails nicely with Housing Next’s efforts in Ottawa County to create best-practice templates for small-footprint, for-sale housing — such as cottages and bungalows on smaller lots — to reflect the county’s demographics.

“Two-thirds of our households are single adults or couples without kids, and so (we’re) really thinking about what are those housing types that that demographic is looking for,” he said.

Housing Next also is working on context-sensitive templates for other typologies like two-family townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings that can fit into townships and municipalities that have the right sites on which to build.

Making a dent

The efforts around affordable for-sale houses come as developers

The 190-unit Lakewood Place Apartment Village in Holland Township. | INtEGRAtED ARCHItECtURE

Energy, said Port Sheldon Township Supervisor Mike Sabatino.

Consumers owns and operates the 62-year-old coal plant that sits on a 2,000-acre property just north of Pigeon Lake, which also connects to Lake Michigan. The complex will be retired in a decommissioning process starting in June 2025, with plans to demolish the plant and restore the site over time.

“Overall, the power plant has a pretty big impact on the community with coal dust and noise and the general hum of the plant,” Sabatino said. “So I think that not being there will be seen as a positive.”

The decommissioning timeline also happens to intersect with the township’s master plan update, allowing Port Sheldon to gather additional public feedback on potential redevelopment of the site, Sabatino said. Township residents have voiced a desire for a natural, rural feel that accentuates natural resources in the area, but Sabatino also cited a need for at least some redevelopment to help the tax base.

“We do need to recoup close to 9% of tax revenue (from the plant closing), so it’s not a large amount and we have a very balanced budget,” Sabatino said. “There will need to be some redevelopment. We’d like to see something happen there that’s viable and adds to the community rather than takes away.”

Township officials have frequent meetings with officials from Consumers Energy, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Lakeshore Advantage about the site.

“There is an ongoing process and (Consumers) has been very in-

pursue several multifamily projects around the county, like the 190unit Lakewood Place Apartment Village in Holland Township, the 202-unit HoM Flats at 24 East project in Holland, and the 22-unit Hudsonville Flats development.

Scott Geerlings and Kevin Kammeraad are co-developing the Lakewood Place project that broke ground on Aug. 21 at 275 E. Lakewood Blvd. in Holland Township.

Geerlings is president and founder of Zeeland-based Geerlings Development Co. and Kammeraad is principal/owner of Holland-based KJK Real Estate Management. Midwest Construction in Zeeland, which Geerlings also leads, is the co-general contractor on the project with Grand Rapids-based Rockford Construction. Grand Rapids-based Integrated Architecture designed the project.

The development is leveraging public funding to add a mix of market-rate and affordable housing. Twenty percent of the units will be market rate, and the rest will be set aside for people making 50% to 70% of area median income. That’s about $41,150 to $57,609 for a two-person household in 2024, per U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines.

This is the first project Geerlings and Kammeraad have done that involved Michigan State Housing Development Authority incentives, they said. They secured Low Income Housing Tax Credit and equity funding worth $27 million over a 15-year period for the $40 million project.

volved and transparent with us as far as moving forward and involving residents in input,” Sabatino said. “Not knowing what might come in the future, it’s set up to handle some light industry, so that’s something we probably will see being at least proposed in the future.”

Murray noted the sprawling property’s ability to support some industrial use as the region generally lacks such sites to attract new companies and allow for local expansions.

“One of our biggest barriers to growth continues to be the lack of developable sites,” Murray said.

“We’re seeing a lot of projects looking for 120 acres to 300 acres, which are the real difficult sites to find.

They just don’t exist. You might be able to point on a map and find 200 acres but the issue is the infrastructure (not being there).”

‘Grinding through’

Geenen DeKock Properties (GDK) continues to meet regularly with Holland city officials on its expansive mixed-use plan for 20 acres of waterfront property in downtown. The company is “grinding through” the approval process and aims to have necessary environmental approvals to start construction in 2026, said GDK co-owner Doug DeKock.

“I do believe that all parties really want this to happen,” DeKock said.

“We’re just grinding through some

of the stuff we have to grind through. All these things take a lot of time.”

Holland-based GDK was the lone developer that submitted a proposal for the site, which will require a land swap to consolidate industrial uses at the former James DeYoung coal-fired power plant property. This led to asking Holland voters for approval to sell 20 acres of city-owned waterfront property, which they approved in May 2023.

GDK’s plans are being tweaked in the approval process, but are largely the same as they first submitted to the city conceptually, DeKock said. GDK plans to construct residential buildings, a hotel, restaurant, marina, ice cream shop,

docking areas, a kayak launch and boardwalk on the prime waterfront property.

GDK is working through state and federal approvals for the project related to environmental permits and potentially rerouting truck traffic around the site, and installing a new sea wall, DeKock said. GDK is also working with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the approval of the marina and harbor in their plans.

“I didn’t know what to expect at first, and as you get into these projects you find issues that you need to address, but I haven’t seen any issues that make me believe this project won’t happen,” DeKock said.

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Novi operator acquires senior living campus for $14.25M

By Mark Sanchez

Optalis Healthcare has entered the West Michigan market with the purchase of a senior living campus in the city of Grand Rapids.

The Novi-based Optalis Healthcare completed the $14.25 million transaction for the Samaritas Maple Creek senior living campus, formerly known as The Terraces, at 1950 32nd St. SE on Aug. 7, according to property records. The acquisition included a 120-bed nursing home, an Alzheimer’s and memory care unit with 61 beds, and assisted and independent senior living. StoryPoint Group in Brighton will manage the independent living community going forward.

“We are excited to expand our expertise, profound compassion, and leadership in post-acute and long-term care to the experienced team at Grand Rapids,” Optalis CEO Raj Patel said in a statement. “We believe outstanding health care begins with a sincere commitment to service and a strong emphasis on individualized care.”

Optalis finalized the acquisition two weeks after securing state approval to acquire and transfer ownership of the 120 licensed nursing home beds.

Optalis owns and operates 36 locations in Michigan and Ohio, including skilled nursing, assisted living and independent living communities, including Optalis of Three Rivers south of Kalamazoo.

Just prior to buying the Maple Creek campus in Grand Rapids, the company acquired the St. Francis Home skilled nursing center in Saginaw.

The opportunity to acquire what’s now known as Optalis Health & Rehabilitation of Grand Rapids arose when the Detroit-based Samaritas decided to divest its senior living properties in Michigan, as Crain’s Detroit Business reported last month.

“We’ve been pretty successful at expanding into other areas other than metro Detroit. So, it was just a good situation for us to now expand into Grand Rapids and move toward the west side of the state,” said Stephanie Greazel, director of public relations for Optalis Healthcare.

Optalis plans to make upgrades at the campus, including building an additional wing on the skilled

nursing center to convert semi-private rooms to private units and adding a kidney dialysis unit. The center would maintain its state license at 120 beds. Construction on the new wing could occur in 2025 or 2026, Greazel said.

Additional expansion at the campus could come in the years ahead as market needs dictate. The 7.4-acre campus has “a lot of room for future expansion,” Greazel said.

“We’ll see how business goes, and occupancy goes, and plan for the future, but we certainly have plenty of room to expand,” she said.

After closing the acquisitions in Grand Rapids and Saginaw, Optalis Healthcare remains interested in further expansion.

“We’re always looking for opportunity. It just depends on if it meets our standards,” Greazel said. “Anywhere in Michigan would be an option, and anywhere in Ohio.”

GVSU scoops up the Bicycle Factory building for $5.5M

By Kate Carlson

Grand Valley State University now owns the entire Bicycle Factory building located just west of downtown and the Grand River and adjacent to its Pew campus in the city.

The university previously only owned and occupied two floors of the five-story building, located at 201 Front Ave. SW at the intersection with Butterworth Avenue SW. The facility housed its charter schools office and the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy.

adding parking structures after existing surface lots are converted over time into new buildings or green space.

The Bicycle Factory building is adjacent to GVSU’s surface parking lot just to the southwest of the Richard M. DeVos Center, the home of the Seidman College of Business. The triangular-shaped 0.45-acre lot is bounded by Butterworth Street to the north, Front Avenue to the east and a CSX rail line to the south and west.

The GVSU Board of Trustees unanimously approved the property acquisition for the rest of the 75,000-square-foot building in July. The $5.5 million purchase closed Aug. 1 with seller Bicycle Factory LLC, an entity registered to Paul McGraw, owner of Grand Rapids-based McGraw Construction Inc., according to property records.

“The acquisition of the remainder of the building that wasn’t already owned by GVSU is a long-term strategic decision to preserve future growth opportunities for the university adjacent to the Pew Campus,” Chris Knape, assistant vice president of university communications at GVSU, wrote in an email to Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

The deal also included a payment of about $400,000 to the building’s owner to buy out a lease on a parking lot associated with the property. GVSU funded the overall $5.9 million transaction with its strategic capital reserve fund.

McGraw was not immediately available to comment on the sale.

GVSU last year updated its master plan with proposed projects for the 45-acre downtown Robert C. Pew campus. The plan calls for turning the Eberhard Center into a tech hub, constructing a new student center, adding 400 beds of student housing, replacing the Mount Vernon parking lot with green space and

The leases of the other commercial and residential tenants in the Bicycle Factory building are unaffected by the sale, Knape added.

According to property records, the building has 12 occupied residences. The two commercial tenants in the facility are Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing Inc., which owns a building next door to the west on Butterworth Street, and Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA Inc.

The original structure at 201 Front was built in 1895 and housed the Grand Rapids Cycle Co., the first and largest bicycle manufacturer in the city, which employed 200 people in its prime. The structure was 110 years old when the original historic brick building burned in February 2007 while McGraw Construction was in the middle of renovating it into apartments.

The contractor ended up rebuilding the structure, a project it completed in 2009. At the time, McGraw told the Grand Rapids Business Journal that GVSU played an important role in rebuilding the structure after the fire by agreeing to lease two floors of the building before it was completed.

“We’re very proud of the Bicycle Factory,” said McGraw in the Grand Rapids Business Journal story. “The way everything happened — the fire, the rebuilding of everything … it was a Herculean effort by everybody involved, the city, Grand Valley (State University), my staff.”

Grand Valley State University purchased the remainder of the Bicycle Factory building at 201 Front Ave. SW for $5.5 million. KAtE CARLSON

Optalis Healthcare purchased a Samaritas senior living community at 1950 32nd St. SE in Grand Rapids. COURtESY PHOtO

POPULATION GROWTH

Rolling out the welcome mat

Michigan, Ohio search out ideas to combat an old problem — attracting more people

By Dustin Walsh

With populations that peaked two decades ago, Michigan and Ohio have entered a period of stagnation that is stymieing economic investment and well-being. Cities in what was once commonly called the Rust Belt, places like Detroit and Cleveland, have been erased from the epicenter of population growth they held in the post-World War II boom. Michigan’s population has averaged growth of approximately 0.0004% since 2004. e state ranks 49th for population growth in the U.S. Ohio ranks 40th. And if that’s a downpour of bad news now, a ood is coming.

Restricted immigration, low birth rates and an economic “gray tsunami” from continued baby boomer retirements will further cripple these two states — people 65 and older are expected to grow by 30% by 2050 in Michigan, outnumbering those younger than for the rst time ever, for example, Michigan’s population is expected to decline by 1.3% by 2050. Ohio’s by 5.7%.

But policymakers are waking up to the disastrous reality of popula-

tion loss — economic fallout, reduced national in uence and poorer conditions for residents.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created a task force to study the issue and installed a population czar last year, while Ohio has launched new workforce attraction tools in an attempt to stave o the consequences.

But can public policy reverse decades of migration to warmer climates and “it” cities capitalizing on youth trends? Would emulating programs from other states, such as cash for down payments on homes, lure residents and stave o the demographic tide of declining birth rates and aging population?

“Part of the challenge for population growth is that no state has come out and comprehensively taken on growth writ large because it’s hard,” said Hilary Doe, chief growth o cer for Michigan. “It doesn’t take six weeks or six months. ere is no silver bullet solution. But it’s necessary as the war for talent has never been more important.”

Continued on next page

POPULATION GROWTH

While states throughout the West and South grew between 2020-2023, michigan and Ohio suffered losses. those losses were spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic that capped more than two decades of population stagnation. this occurred even as places in the midwest, such as Detroit and Cleveland, witnessed economic rebounds and record investment.

Florida has always been the big winner in domestic migration, attracting retirees to its sandy beaches and warm weather. texas, however, has been a big winner in recent years, attracting younger, more technology-centric workers. Other states in the South have seen influxes of migrating workers from the midwest in recent years as well.

and how they will pay for that child and in what environment.”

Michigan and Ohio are both relatively expensive places to raise children compared to the fastestgrowing states in the U.S. The average cost for infant care in Michigan is $10,881 or $905 per month, according to the Washington, D.C., think tank Economic Policy Institute. Infant care for one child in the state accounts for 19% of a median family’s income. Infant care costs $9,697 in Ohio, or about $808 per month.

In South Carolina, it’s just $7,007. But Hayford said the cost is only part of the overall factor.

“I am very careful about recommending policies that encourage birth rates,” Hayford said. “Focusing on population structure isn’t a good end goal. It is about making our states vibrant for people to be happy and healthy and that encourages population growth.”

And it seems overall cost of living isn’t the greatest factor in migration from one state to another. The cost of living is, in fact, less in Michigan and Ohio than all of the fastest-growing states, according to data from the Council for Community & Economic Research survey. Michigan ranked the 12th most affordable state in the first quarter of 2024 and Ohio ranked 21st. Idaho ranked 30th and the North Carolina and South Carolina ranked 27th and 28th, respectively.

Others also often point to public transportation as an ongoing problem for attracting young workers into Michigan and Ohio, but none of the fastest-growing states are known for their offerings.

The overall tax burden also is pushed as being a deterrent to attracting talent.

But in 2022, Michigan ranked 5th in overall state and local tax burden in the nation, according to data from the Tax Foundation. North Carolina and South Carolina ranked 23rd and 9th, respectively.

Ohio has a higher tax burden, ranking 24th in the country, but is still lower than Illinois at 44th and Utah at 40th.

Erwin Erhardt III, an economist at University of Cincinnati, said the Midwest’s cold, gray winters and legacy industries are an ongoing deterrent.

A pickle of a problem

Michigan’s and Ohio’s losses have been other states’ and cities’ gains. Chicago has, historically, been a beacon for Michigan’s graduates and early-career workers chasing the big city life and amenities.

Between 2016-20, more Michiganders from Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties left the Pleasant Peninsula for Cook County, Illinois, than any other county in the country. Same goes for Clevelanders in Cuyahoga County, followed by metro Phoenix in Maricopa County.

But other regions and cities are emerging.

To metro Detroiters and metro Clevelanders, Mecklenberg County, North Carolina, home of Charlotte, is a rising star in recent years.

The population of North Carolina, unlike Michigan and Ohio, continues to rise — growing 3.8% between 2020 and 2023. And while Florida and Texas continue to be big gainers writ larger, new leaders are emerging. Idaho’s population grew 6.38% during that time, followed by South Carolina at 4.98% and Utah at 4.47%.

But why those states? There isn’t a specific through line for any of them. Idaho and Utah have higher birth-to-death rates than the others and a cheaper cost of living than nearby California. North Car-

olina has a rising tech sector, as does Idaho. South Carolina has seen a boon in manufacturing growth, as automakers and aerospace firms are able to find a cheaper, less unionized workforce.

Those new growth areas also are seeing a baby boom or, at least, births are outpacing deaths. By July 1, 2023, the natural change (births minus deaths) turned negative in over half of U.S. states.

The natural rate of change turned negative in Michigan and Ohio in 2021, a likely outcome for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that figure remains high in the fastest-growing states. In Utah, there are 7.29 babies born for every death in the state. In

Texas, it’s 5.23 babies per death, and it’s 1.18 in North Carolina.

Sarah Hayford, director of the Institute for Population Research at Ohio State University, said even though the fertility rate in all developing countries is declining, those who are seeking to become parents are carefully choosing where to live.

“In the interviews I’ve done with young people, people who are in their early 20s, they are really thoughtful and really thinking about the big picture of their lives and what they want their lives to look like,” Hayford said. “Not just about having a baby, but raising the child; the long-term commitment and how expensive that is

“Yes, it’s the weather, but it’s also opportunity,” Erhardt said. “People are leaving our states for places like North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Texas because, frankly, it’s warmer. But also, I think, the writing has been on the wall here in the Midwest since the ‘80s. We’re losing industry. The old industrial jobs are depleted. We’ve come up with a patchwork of new ideas and new jobs now, but it happened much slower than it should have, and now we’re playing catch-up.”

Erhardt said the cost of living isn’t factoring in as much as potential earnings with younger professionals.

Hilary Doe is chief growth officer for the state of

EXPANDING HORIZONS

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Michigan needs everyone to join population effort

When I was named Michigan’s chief growth officer last summer, I knew that growing our population was going to require all hands on deck. There’s a reason we’re the first state to take this on, and that’s because it’s not easy. It’s not the type of challenge you overcome in one year or one political term.

Hilary Doe is chief growth officer for the state of Michigan.

But that doesn’t make it any less critical. When we’re faced with the hardest of challenges, I’m of the mindset to charge straight toward them — because those are the things I know we’ll overcome, if we take them on together.

To be successful in the long term, growing our population will take policy action, amplification of Michigan’s story across the country and around the world, and innovative programs to kick-start growth. With the help of our partners and thousands of Michiganders statewide, Michigan has launched the most comprehensive growth effort of any state in the nation. And we’re seeing results.

The state’s population growth effort started last year with the bipartisan Growing Michigan Together Council, who voted to submit three comprehensive strategies and supporting recommendations to the governor and Legislature last December. The members spent months researching, listen-

ing and analyzing faster growing peer states, all of which is reflected in their final report.

When their work concluded, my team was passed the baton to continue building momentum around their recommendations, labeled the blueprint for growth. We’ve seen exciting progress since the Council concluded — and we’re just getting started.

In the 2025 budget Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently signed, real strides were made toward implementation of growth priorities, from $100 million to construct more affordable housing, to expanding pre-K to every 4-year-old and funding for every Michigan high school grad to attain an associate degree or skilled certificate for free — a first step toward the goals laid out in the blueprint.

Plus, the budget prioritized talent and growth with $45.5 million to support Michigan’s workforce needs, as well as population growth efforts. These are some of the highlights. These investments make it easier for folks to access opportunity, purchase a home and build a life in Michigan.

To help tell Michigan’s story, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. launched the “You Can In Michigan” campaign last year, which connects job seekers to employers in Michigan and, more broad-

ly, encourages talent in our state and across the country to choose Michigan.

The results have been incredible. The campaign is a recipient of 11 Telly awards, garnered over 2 million website views and attracted 10,000+ sign-ups in the career portal. These individuals want to live and work in Michigan. Most out-of-state applicants are from Texas, Illinois, California and New York. We’ll continue building on this work with innovative outreach and engagement strategies to stay out front.

to attract remote workers, for example — Michigan’s approach is part of a larger strategy that’s inclusive of our diverse communities.

It’s in that context that we’re launching a first-of-its-kind regional talent retention and attraction pilot program — Make MI Home — designed to help communities establish a unique offering to either retain or attract folks they consider critical to the growth of their region. We can’t wait to see what they create.

The underlying task in much of our work is executing a growth strategy that retains and attracts talent.

The underlying task in much of our work is executing a growth strategy that retains and attracts talent. Like many of our neighbors, Michigan is aging faster than the U.S., with a larger number of folks retiring from the workforce. As our economic opportunities grow, there are even more positions to fill, creating a talent gap.

As the whole world enters the “war for talent,” we know the state must do even better at retaining young families, workers and recent graduates, while welcoming new residents. While many cities and states have launched narrow programs —

It’s not new for Michigan organizations to tackle local population challenges. This summer, we’ve been traveling the state to highlight and amplify ways regions have incorporated the blueprint for growth into the outstanding work they’re doing to explore opportunities to scale successful initiatives both locally and statewide. We’ve been to Traverse City, Marquette, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Vicksburg. Next up, Detroit.

Growing our population was always meant to be a group project. Over the last year, we’ve spent a lot of time listening and collecting feedback from over 11,000 Michiganders and 6,000 young people across the nation. Their relocation decisions hinge on three things: the need for great places, great opportunities and welcoming communities.

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Attracting young people is key to reviving population

For more than 20 years, Michigan’s population has grown much more slowly than the nation’s. More importantly, Michigan has gotten older as young people are both leaving the state and not choosing to move there.

Population change and economic growth is an issue that will require continual attention and action over the next 25 years in both Michigan and Ohio. A broad array of institutions — government, business, labor and education — must come together to encourage policies that have a positive effect on the demographic and economic trends in these states.

Ronald C. Fisher is a professor of economics at Michigan State University and a member of the Growing Michigan Together Council.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed the bipartisan Growing Michigan Together Council to consider the problem and recommend policies or actions to alter the trajectory. The council set an ambitious objective — that by 2050 Michigan would be among the top 10 states for population growth and among the top 10 states in median income, educational attainment and migration of young talented workers.

The obvious trend over the past 20 years is people moving south and west.  Research

explaining this trend supports the view that people are moving toward the sun — clear days and warmer. Climate change might alter that pattern in the future, but that has not yet happened.

OK, neither Cleveland nor Detroit can replicate Austin’s or Denver’s or San Francisco’s climate. What else might matter?

In Michigan’s case, we know that it is not high taxes affecting population loss and composition. Tax levels in Michigan are well below the national average, ranking 31st in per capita taxes and 33rd in effective tax rate.  And the ETR in Michigan has been falling. In fact, tax levels in Michigan are lower than in Ohio (8.8% of income vs. 9.4%).

Not only did the low level of taxation not stem the population decline, in fact, low taxes may have contributed to population loss. The council received extensive reports showing that infrastructure and public education spending had been relatively low and not sufficient to maintain service quality.

One strategy Michigan is pursuing is to develop a deep talent base of highly skilled

HIGHER DEGREES OF IMPACT

young workers that will attract businesses in growth industries. This requires both having a greater fraction of students completing post-secondary education and enticing those graduates to stay in Michigan.  The first is easier than the second.

The combination of free community college tuition adopted this year and the Michigan Achievement Scholarship for students at a Michigan public four-year university greatly increases the incentive to attend college.

I believe that Michigan will have done more in this direction than any other state.

However, recent data show that 30% or more of graduates from Michigan’s public universities — both residents of the state and students from other states — leave Michigan after graduation for jobs and residence in other states.

How to retain these talented graduates?  A three-pronged approach seems promising. First, diversifying the state’s economy with new jobs that are attractive to young technically trained workers seems important. The Michigan economy is still heavily dependent on traditional manufacturing mostly related to automobiles and other vehicles, but that sector has not attracted population or led to growth as in the past.

Second, the state should explore retention incentives, including scholarships tied to Michigan jobs, tax credits for student loans and housing assistance. Just last month the state announced a program for communities to apply for funding to support retention or attraction efforts targeted at a segment of the population specific to their region.

Finally, a common characteristic of states with the highest income and growing economies and are attractive for young workers is an amenity- rich, vibrant and thriving metropolitan area. Thus, the council recommended creating “thriving, resilient communities that are magnets for young talent.”

Of course, this is a common challenge for older industrial cities such as Cleveland and Detroit.  New and lower-cost housing, better public transit, and reliable infrastructure all may contribute toward this goal.

SEIDMAN GRADUATE PROGRAMS

www.gvsu.edu/seidmangrad

How downtown Cleveland tackled a revitalization

Great regions and cities begin with a strong core. A vibrant core begins with a clean, safe, attractive environment and compelling pedestrian experiences.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s Reimagining Downtown strategy, for example, is rooted in these principles. Its goal is to accelerate completing downtown’s transformation from a traditional central business district to a dynamic, well-connected neighborhood. The results of implementing Reimagining Downtown are undeniable.

CEO

Cleveland, once synonymous with Rust Belt decline, has emerged as a model for urban revitalization with our downtown leading the way.

Downtown Cleveland is experiencing a remarkable resurgence, with its population exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 12% and reaching 21,000. Approximately 850 new units are slated for completion through three projects this year alone, with three more buildings in the planning stages. This growth trajectory is expected to continue, with Downtown Cleveland Inc.’s 2023 Housing Study projecting a population of 29,000 by 2032, supported by an additional 6,500 residential units.

Cleveland is now recognized as a national leader in adaptive reuse, converting vacant office spaces into housing at the highest rate in the country. Downtown Cleveland Inc.’s advocacy for historic preservation has resulted in 10 nationally designated historic districts. By leveraging historic tax credits with other incentives, we are setting an example for other cities facing similar issues.

The focus on residential growth is also driving business decisions. Downtown’s residential growth, especially around Public Square, played a critical role in the Sherwin-Williams Co.’s decision to build its new global headquarters in the Square, adding 3,500 employees to the area.

Enhancing the downtown experience through public space programming and activation is a cornerstone of Downtown Cleveland Inc.’s revitalization strategy. Inclusive and interactive events further highlight the city center as a vibrant community. Activities such as daily food trucks, free live music and fitness classes boost foot traffic, investment and safety, making downtown a desirable destination for residents and visitors alike.

These results flow directly from aligned public and private sector leadership, a cohe-

sive vision and strategy, and energized downtown leadership. The downtown business community, residents, elected officials and regional partners are aligned around the goal of establishing Cleveland as an 18-hour, 15-minute city.

Reimagining Downtown provides a clear blueprint for developers, investors and public officials. Downtown Cleveland Inc. is delivering high quality services and compelling experiences, led by a team of downtown ambassadors who work 7 a.m.-midnight, seven days a week to help make downtown cleaner, safer and more attractive.

Improving the connectivity and quality of downtown public spaces is essential to attracting people, jobs and investment to the city’s core. Downtown Cleveland Inc. has secured $850,000 in capital funding for Public Square improvements. These funds are courtesy of the state of Ohio and the Project for Public Spaces.

While Public Square is a focal point, it is

only the beginning of our work to ensure a world-class environment for residents, commuters and visitors. We are partnering with LAND Studio, a renowned design collective firm specializing in public art installations, cultural programming and civic space development, to implement our Downtown Retail Strategy, developing commercial corridors infused with light, color, sound, wayfinding and active storefronts that encourage people to spend more time — and money — downtown.

Downtown Cleveland has achieved great success in just over a year of implementing Reimagining Downtown. Our downtown ranks first in Ohio and second in the Great Lakes region in downtown recovery. Deep challenges, however, remain.

By focusing our resources and energy on safety, placemaking and walkable development, we will ensure that downtown Cleveland continues to be seen as a model for urban revitalization.

The H.T. Hackney Co. Wyoming, MI

Michael Deemer is president and

of Downtown Cleveland Inc.

COMMENTARY | POPULATION

Taxes, education play big roles in population trends

Can policy reverse a long-run, negative population trend?

In Michigan, they have been studying it. More than seven months ago, the bipartisan Growing Michigan Together Council, tasked by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer with developing recommendations to support population growth, issued its final report. That report offers a sobering picture of Michigan’s decline in both population and prosperity relative to other states.   Michigan is 49th among states in population growth since 1990. Further, the population has gotten older as young people, especially those with college degrees, are either leaving the state or choosing not to come, favoring states with more opportunities.

This trend has serious economic and political consequences.

Mike Addonizio is professor emeritus of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the College of Education at Wayne State University.

Whereas the median income of Michigan households was 18% above the national average in 1970, it had fallen to 9% below that benchmark by 2020. And the decline in relative population has reduced the state’s political influence, with fewer congressional House members and fewer electoral votes.

The report prescribes a business development strategy centered around a highly skilled workforce and good public infrastructure. As an economist and longtime partici-

pant and observer of education policy, I’ll focus on educational initiatives and assess the efforts and potential for implementing them.

The report proposes establishing the Michigan Education Guarantee, to give all Michigan high school graduates two years of publicly funded postsecondary education, either at a community college or a four-year university. Combined with a year of publicly funded preschool for all, this proposal would move the state from a K-12 education system to a pre-K-14.

To realize schools’ potential as engines of growth, the council placed particular emphasis on elementary and secondary public school teachers. The report calls for “new designs for schooling, which may include structuring the school day to give teachers opportunities to work together, learn to improve their own practice and consider how to best organize teaching and learning across their school.”

To make this happen, schools will need adequate staffing, with manageable class sizes and teaching loads. While efforts to rebuild the educator workforce have progressed over the past few years, including new funding for teacher scholarships and “grow your own” programs for support staff and students to become teachers, more resources are needed.

“ LMCU is a great financial partner. They worked with us to find solutions and keep the process on track.”

–

Joseph Abdou & Jarred Copeman, Co-Owners of Thomas & Milliken Millwork

To finance opportunities for change, Michigan policymakers must change the state’s long-term tax-cutting trend. Michigan’s taxation levels have steadily fallen. As documented by Michigan State University economists Ron Fisher and Charles Ballard, among others, Michigan’s effective tax rate — all state and local taxes as a percentage of total income — has generally been falling for 40 years and is now well below the national average, ranking 31st in per capita taxes and 33rd in effective rate.

That steady tax-cutting has had an effect. The long-term decline in support for infrastructure and public schools has made our state smaller, older and less prosperous.

Michigan has room to grow. It can increase support for schools, infrastructure and other public services people want without raising taxes to burdensome levels. Massachusetts and Michigan embarked on dramatic education and school finance reforms almost simultaneously in the early 1990s. At that time, their situations were not dissimilar. Financial support for public schools was roughly equal on average and while Massachusetts outperformed Michigan on some testing metrics, the differences were not glaring.

Since then, things have changed. While the Bay State is now widely regarded as among the finest public school systems in the U.S., Michigan is among the worst, ranking dead last among the states in student proficiency gains and school funding growth, according

to high-quality studies by Michigan State University and the Brookings Institution.

For more than a quarter century now, political leaders in Massachusetts and Michigan have been making starkly different choices about education and tax reform. For example, between 1995 and 2015, Michigan’s inflation-adjusted K-12 revenue fell by 18%, putting it dead last among the states, while Massachusetts increased its real K-12 support by 26%.

Michigan has made some recent progress in supporting schools, but the budget just passed for FY 2025 is austere, with no increase in the schools’ basic allowance.

In sharp contrast, Bay State leaders recently finalized a state budget that will allow every resident to attend a Massachusetts community college tuition-free. How could they afford this?

Officials point to their new voter-approved surtax on annual income exceeding $1 million and from taxes on capital gains.

Michigan leaders say they want to be a top 10 state for population growth, with an excellent PK-14 school system and a world-class infrastructure. The current deficits have been decades in the making and will not be closed anytime soon. But real progress is possible.

The particulars of another state’s success may not fit exactly, but the bold vision of a dynamic state like Massachusetts can work. When it comes to schools, roads, mass transit and other public services people want, you get what you pay for.

Thomas & Milliken Millwork is an LMCU member. Thomas & Milliken Millwork and LMCU are not affiliated.

POPULATION

From Page 10

“We’re behind on pay scales,” Erhardt said. “We’re a little more a ordable, but we don’t pay as much. Except maybe Columbus, which is the fastest-growing city in Ohio.”

Turning policies into people

Bureaucrats can’t change the weather, but they can make policy adjustments to attract migrants from within the U.S. — international immigration is at the hands of the federal government.

But have any policies really worked? at depends.

Tulsa, Oklahoma, started its Tulsa Remote program in 2018, ahead of the pandemic, o ering $10,000 to any remote workers who would move to Tulsa for at least one year. It worked.

More than 2,000 people relocated to Tulsa as of December 2022, according to the city’s economic report of the program. e result was nearly $307 million in additional labor income in the region. And the program had a multiplier e ect — for every two Tulsa Remote workers, three more were brought in either as children or workers to support their work. Of those in the program, 76% remained in Tulsa at the end of 2022.

e cheaper cost of living in Oklahoma — the second most a ordable state in the nation — allowed those in the Tulsa Remote program to increase their wages by $26,500 a year, according to a report by the Brookings Institution.

ere are roughly a dozen similar programs across the U.S., including in Topeka, Kansas; Rochester, New York; and more.

But Doe said the results of these programs are mixed and the outsized success of Tulsa’s program is due to its wraparound services. e city o ers those remote workers a coworking space for 36 months and housing assistance.

“ ey have done a great job threading the needle,” Doe said. “I attribute their success to their community and the wraparound services they used to make the move compelling.”

Alabama targeted workers for its more rural areas in its Muscle Shoals region. Baltimore o ers $5,000 on a down payment for a house for those that move there.

But Doe said a truly successful program to attract new people into the state requires many approaches all working in concert. She is leading an approach that includes policy, programs and promotion.

e rst program under Doe launched in late July. e Make MI Home program is currently taking proposals for state funding on ideas on boosting out of state migration.

e $500,000 in funds is available to local governments, nonpro ts, economic development organizations and others.

“ e idea is to study what programs work and which don’t,” Doe said. “We have a diverse state and the challenges are di erent, so we

Tulsa, Oklahoma, started its Tulsa Remote program in 2018 offering $10,000 to any remote workers who would move there for at least one year. It worked.

More than 2,000 people relocated to Tulsa as of December 2022, according to the city’s economic report of the program. The result was nearly $307 million in additional labor income in the region.

want to see di erent programs and how they will work.”

Michigan’s famed Pure Michigan campaign is also now under Doe’s o ce.

“We’ve done the research. We have an old and cold problem,” Doe said. “People still perceive us as having legacy manufacturing and boring cities. But Michigan looks very di erent now, a lot of work has been done. Marketing is all about iteration and being agile to make campaigns better and better. We are now targeting better. Our top states are Texas, Illinois and New York.”

e state launched the “You Can in Michigan” campaign in October last year to success, Doe said. e campaign markets tourism opportunities to out-of-state viewers with the express goal of moving those viewers into a website to eventually lead them to a jobs portal. Over the rst months, 10,000 people signed up in the jobs portal, with residents of Texas being the largest contingent.

Doe said the results of the Make MI Home program will eventually dictate a larger statewide talent attraction policy.

Ohio, on the other hand, is taking a larger swing. In February, the state

launched the All Ohio Future Fund, a $750 million program for local communities to attract new businesses and prepare sites. Ohio’s program is focused on the traditional “build it and they will come” approach, opposed to Michigan, which is looking at a more varied base-hits strategy to get talent.

“ ese funds are critical to bringing more economic development to regions across Ohio,” said state Sen. Andrew Brenner, a Republican from Delaware, Ohio, when the program was announced. “When companies are choosing to do business in the Buckeye State, they are creating more jobs and more opportunities for Ohioans, their families, and generations to come.”

Whether Michigan and Ohio can alter the overall population trends in their respective states remains uncertain. But they are both trying because it’s critical for their future.

“We have to make sure we’re getting national exposure and doing perception-shifting work,” Doe said. “I can’t stand that people don’t know how beautiful we are. We make sense for our water and how much we’re investing in clean energy, but we also make sense on paper. People just need to know that.”

Michigan’s plan to attract more people

To capture talent from outside Michigan and lure them here, the state has a plan.

Hilary Doe, Michigan’s chief growth o cer who is focused full time on these issues, is leading a three-pronged approach: policy, pilot programs and marketing.

e rst program under Doe launched in late July.

e Make MI Home program is currently taking proposals for state funding on ideas on boosting migration into the state. e $500,000 in funds is available to local governments, nonpro ts, economic development organizations and others. ose selected will be in charge of launching their own program with nancial and programming assistance from the state.

“ e idea is to study what programs work and which don’t,” Doe said. “We have a diverse state and the challenges are di erent, so we want to see di erent programs and how they will work.”

Michigan’s famed Pure Michigan campaign is also now under Doe’s o ce.

“We’ve done the research. We have an old and cold problem,” Doe said. “People still perceive us as having legacy manufacturing and boring cities. But Michigan looks very di erent now, a lot of work has been done. Marketing is all about iteration and being agile to make campaigns better and better. We are now targeting better. Our top states are Texas, Illinois and New York.”

It's an approach that has

seen some success in Northeast Ohio, as well. Destination Cleveland, the agency that markets the city to visitors — both short- and long-term ones — research into why people visit that city and what they think when they do has revealed some steady patterns. And those signs are overwhelmingly positive.

“What we see now is how incredibly important perception is to getting people to visit,” said David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland. “And how visiting and changing perceptions is incredibly important to just get people to be open to the message of living and working in Cleveland … .”

And once people come to the area, he said, it’s easier to get them to come back — maybe even permanently. It’s akin to turning a rst date into a lasting relationship.

e “You Can in Michigan” campaign launched in October last year to success, Doe said, and it focuses on giving people reasons to develop a relationship with Michigan. e campaign markets tourism opportunities to out-of-state viewers with the express goal of moving those viewers into a website to eventually leads them to a jobs portal. Over the rst months, 10,000 people signed up in the jobs portal, with residents of Texas being the largest contingent.

Doe said the results of the Make MI Home program will eventually dictate a larger statewide talent attraction policy.

y BDustin Walsh

In recent years, Rust Belt cities like Detroit have been erased from the epicenter of population growth they held in the post-World War II boom.

REAL ESTATE

real estate: Financing

How Advia Credit Union supports your industrial real estate success

The industrial real estate sector remains a vital part of the economy, driven by the continued demand for logistics, manufacturing and warehousing spaces. However, with rising interest rates and in ationary pressures, the market is evolving. Clients are presented with challenges and opportunities to expand or optimize their industrial real estate portfolios.

Navigating market dynamics with con dence

Since joining Advia in 2017, Eric has played a pivotal role in advancing the growth and leadership of the commercial services and branch teams, including the successful integration of two commercial banks. During his tenure at Advia, the commercial loan portfolio has experienced strong growth at an annualized rate of 31.3%, expanding its footprint in the Northeastern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin markets.

e demand for industrial space is robust in strategic locations near transportation hubs and urban centers. Companies are eager to secure facilities that provide e cient access to supply chains and customers. Yet, the landscape is becoming more competitive as prime industrial land becomes scarcer, driving up costs.

At Advia Credit Union, we understand these market dynamics can be daunting; that’s why our Commercial Lending team is committed to providing the nancial

solutions you need to navigate this changing environment with con dence. Whether you’re looking to nance a new development, acquire additional properties, or re nance existing assets, we o er the expertise and resources to help you make informed decisions that align with your long-term business goals.

Empowering growth through tailored nancial solutions

In today’s industrial real estate market, having a exible and knowledgeable nancial partner is crucial. Many businesses nd themselves constrained by rigid nancing options that don’t account for the unique challenges and timing of industrial projects. Whether it’s the inability to adjust loan terms as market conditions change or the lack of access to capital when unexpected opportunities arise, in exibility can sti e growth and limit your ability to respond to market dynamics e ectively.

Our team provides a range of

nancing options designed to meet the speci c demands of the industrial real estate sector. From competitive loan rates to creative nancing structures, Advia’s Commercial Lending team works closely with you to ensure your projects are not only funded but also optimized for long-term success. We recognize the importance of timing and cash ow and our solutions are cra ed to help you capitalize on market opportunities without overextending your resources.

Building long-term partnerships

We believe that strong relationships are the foundation of successful business ventures. At Advia, our approach to lending goes beyond simply providing capital—we’re here to o er strategic insights and guidance that help you achieve your goals. Whether you’re an established player in the industrial market or a growing business looking to expand, our team is dedicated to supporting you and your vision.

As the industrial real estate market continues to evolve, the right nancial partner can make all the di erence. With Advia Credit Union by your side, you’ll have the tools, knowledge, and support you need to thrive in any market condition.

Let’s build your future together

Are you ready to take the next step in your industrial real estate journey? Visit adviacu.org/commercial to learn more about how Advia Credit Union’s Commercial Lending team can help you achieve your business objectives.

EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS

In West Michigan, community banks play an essential role

Locally-focused financial institutions committed to investing in products, services and connections that help the region thrive

By Judy Stringer Crain’s Content Studio

FDIC insurance, robust security platforms, and even versatile digital banking and payment systems are not exclusive to large national and multinational financial institutions.

So, one might expect a group of community bank executives — leading smaller organizations with all the same bells and whistles — to argue size doesn’t matter when it comes to where Michiganders do their banking.

That’s simply not the case.

“If you throw a rock in a pond, you can see the ripples,” said Joe Manica, president and CEO of Grand Rapids-based United Bank of Michigan. “Throw that same rock into an ocean, like a large national bank for example, you are probably not going to see them.”

Manica was speaking specifically to the nimbleness of community banks. Thanks to flatter org charts and intimacy with their customers, he and his colleagues said, community banks can spot trouble sooner and respond

faster to any number of disasters, from attempted wire transfer fraud to missed loan payments.

These industry insiders note, however, the metaphor is also an apt description of a community banker’s ability to “see” both individual and business clients more clearly, making them an essential partner in community prosperity.

“If you throw a rock in a pond, you can see the ripples. Throw that same rock into an ocean … you are probably not going to see them.”

— Joe Manica, president and CEO of United Bank of Michigan

“We have the luxury of knowing our customers and our communities at a level that the national bank just won’t,” said Joel Rahn, executive vice president of commercial banking at Grand Rapids-based Independent Bank.

Manica and Rahn joined Kelly Potes, CEO and board member of

Sparta-based ChoiceOne Bank, and Mark Augustyn, executive vice president and chief commercial banking officer at Grand Rapidsbased Mercantile Bank, in a recent conversation exploring the essential role of community banks in Western Michigan.

The discussion, moderated by Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Content Studio Manager Clare Pfeiffer, provides exclusive insight into how community banks balance technology with a personal touch to fuel local economies.

“All of us here, we are blessed to be in West Michigan,” Augustyn said. “Grand Rapids is the secondbiggest city in our state, and it’s blown up during our careers. That’s not because of us, of course, but we’ve certainly participated in helping that cause. ... And it’s also our duty to help keep things going, keep adding gas.”

Community banks are about community Community banks are formally categorized by the FDIC as those with fewer than $10 billion in total assets. Yet, these executives assert,

Community banks play a key role in small business funding. In its 2024 small business credit survey, the Federal Reserve found that 76% of small business applicants were at least partially approved for loans from community banks compared with 66% at large banks in 2023. In addition, small business owners who applied and got approved for loans from community banks also reported being much more satisfied with their banking experience than those who worked with larger banks, finance companies or online lenders.

the real distinction lies in their decidedly localized focus.

Unlike their larger centralized counterparts, community banks are deeply embedded in their communities, noted Potes. They stop and chat with customers at the grocery store or church. They watch as new generations take over for longtime owners of companies “we’ve known since our childhood,” he said. “Our clients are also our friends, our neighbors.”

Community banks depend on the success of local businesses and residents for their own financial health. “We are as motivated as anybody to make sure that our community is thriving,” Manica said.

“We

have the luxury of knowing our customers and our communities at a level that the national bank just won’t.”

— Joel Rahn, executive vice president of commercial banking at Independent Bank

A critical component of that investment is community involvement. Once a year, for example, Independent Bank closes on Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day for an all-employee “Be the Difference” volunteer initiative. In 2023 alone, more than 800 Independent Bank employees provided valuable services at 80 different projects across its footprint, including packing food boxes for seniors with Kent County Community Action in Grand Rapids, cleaning up trails at Fenner Nature Center in Lansing and assisting staff at the Bay Veterans Foundation in Bay City.

In addition to the “thousands of hours of community service,” Independent Bank has committed nearly $800,000 in monetary donations to the organizations where they volunteer since the program began in 2016, Rahn said.

Manica highlighted United Bank’s strong relationship with Construction Allies in Action, a Grand Rapids nonprofit that provides resources and support to underrepresented contractors. Their Strong Foundations Program offers businesses valuable training and access to knowledge and industry leaders that provides pivotal guidance for growing their business into a sustainable Michigan company.

“Lenders at our bank are empowered to make lending decisions. They don’t have to call Columbus or Chicago.”

—

Kelly Potes, CEO

and board member at ChoiceOne Bank

Rahn and Augustyn both discussed their respective banks’ leadership in incentivizing affordable housing projects in underserved communities within their footprints.

“These are areas or buildings within neighborhoods where it doesn’t economically make sense for a contractor or developer to come in and redevelop,” Augustyn said.

The impact is far-reaching. In addition to benefiting the families that move in, he said, these multimillion-dollar housing projects bolster community-wide growth in

various ways, from neighborhood revitalization and local business investment to increasing the potential for residents’ upward economic mobility.

Community banks are small business partners

Community banks are also uniquely positioned to drive community prosperity through their strong partnerships with local businesses. The executives said small or mediumsized companies would “likely never” have access to decision-makers at a large bank but do when it comes to the community bank model.

“Lenders at our bank are empowered to make lending decisions,” Potes said. “They don’t have to call Columbus or Chicago.”

What’s more, “the credit box is a little more flexible,” Rahn said, because community banks consider factors like the experience and capabilities of business owners, not just credit scores and automated algorithms.

“We take the time to get to know people, or we already know them, and that is part of a lending decision,” he said.

They also work with entrepreneurs and small business clients on deals that are often too small or too unproven for a lot of bigger banks and are more patient with setbacks. Augustyn estimates that 75% of Mercantile Bank’s balance sheet is comprised of loans that directly support commercial business, which he considers a reflection of the 27-year-old bank’s own entrepreneurial spirit.

“We face the same challenges they face, and so our goal is to see them survive and thrive,” he said.

“As an industry, our challenge is to continue to elevate our excellence, so we can continue to serve our business clients as they grow.”

— Mark Augustyn, executive vice president and chief commercial banking officer at Mercantile Bank

Community banks invest in people, products, services

Along with lending, community banks are trusted providers of financial advice, cash management solutions and even business development support because of their deep connection to clients, according to Manica and his colleagues.

“They generally, for example, don’t have an accounting or bookkeeping function, or they might just have one person, and they really look to us for consulting on all sorts of different accounting features,” Manica said.

Potes shared a specific example in which ChoiceOne worked with a group of Sparta-area apple farming clients to develop a customized deposit solution that allows its seasonal visa workers to easily access their pay and share it with relatives outside the U.S.

“There were several family farms that needed that. A bigger bank wouldn’t have put in the time or effort, but it’s what we do,” he said. “And the overall impact — probably about 800 employees were affected — a big deal for these farmers and their workers.”

The bank executives corrected the misbelief that community banks lack the technical resources of larger

institutions. Many community banks, they said, have invested heavily in digital, mobile and security platforms that rival what’s offered at the nation’s biggest banks.

“And size is an advantage even within our walls, because we know who to go through in our organizations to solve problems and jump on opportunities quickly,” Rahn said.

Augustyn suggests that as “big banks get bigger” through consolidation, more and more space will be created for community banks and their potent brand of consumer service.

“As an industry, our challenge is to continue to elevate our excellence, so we can continue to serve our business clients as they grow,” he said.

Sponsored by

From left: Mark Augustyn, executive vice president and chief commercial banking officer at Mercantile Bank; Joe Manica, president and CEO of United Bank of Michigan; Joel Rahn, executive vice president of commercial banking at Independent Bank; and Kelly Potes, CEO and board member at ChoiceOne Bank discuss how community banks bolster economic prosperity in Grand Rapids.

What inspires you, matters to us.

That’s

Grand Rapids wine bar Forty Pearl closes downtown

By Abby Poirier

Wine bar and restaurant Forty Pearl, located in suite 110 in the Trust Building at 40 Pearl St. NW in downtown Grand Rapids, closed permanently.

In a social media post on the company’s Instagram page, Forty Pearl announced that Saturday, Aug. 17, was its last day of service.

“We thank all of you who have shared meals, memories, and your time here with us,” the company wrote in the post, which did not disclose a reason for the abrupt closure after seven years in business.

Forty Pearl originally opened in February 2018 as a satellite tasting room for Traverse Citybased Brengman Brothers Winery, which brothers Ed and Robert Brengman founded in 2003 with the purchase of the Crane Hill Vineyards LLC.

The company later expanded the Forty Pearl location in fall 2019 with a full kitchen and cocktail bar, rebranding as The New Forty Pearl. At the same time, the business announced it would be partnering with Jackson-based Grand River Brewery & Distillery and Bonobo Winery in Traverse City.

Shortly after, the business announced through a social media post in January 2020 that it had undergone ownership changes and that the partnership had ended.

area liquor license in April 2020 for CJ Sisters LLC, a partnership of Christine Brengman and Joni Brengman. At the time, the ownership group said it planned to showcase Michigan wine and spirits and had invested $875,000 into the location over the years, including $275,000 to upgrade the kitchen.

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission issued the Class C liquor license in April 2021. MLCC tax records show the bar sold $32,278 in liquor through the remainder of 2021, $46,837 in 2022, $31,100 in 2023 and $17,408 through the first six months of this year.

The restaurant also showcased art by Robert Brengman, which focused on his experiences with winemaking in Northern Michigan.

Forty Pearl did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

According to a report from Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., six storefront businesses have closed downtown this year through July. Two-thirds of the closures were bars or restaurants.

Storefront vacancies ticked up 3% from June of this year, but were still down 2% compared to the most recent two-year average, according to DGRI data.

The Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority approved a Class C development

Notable recent closures in the downtown area include Stan’s Tacos, which closed permanently in January, and Reserve Wine and Food, which closed for renovations with plans to reopen as Allora this fall.

Forty Pearl announced on social media that it closed on Aug. 17 after seven years in business. ABBY POIRIER

Much of Forty Pearl’s furniture had been cleared out by Aug. 19.

©2023 Chubb. ACE American Insurance Company and its U.S.-based Chubb underwriting company a liates.

Employers get relief from proposed noncompete ban

By Mark Sanchez

Michigan labor attorneys say noncompete agreements remain valid and enforceable, and a Biden administration proposal to ban them faces an uphill battle, following a federal court ruling last month in Texas.

The Aug. 20 ruling struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed nearly complete ban on noncompete agreements that would have gone into effect Sept. 4.

As the FTC weighs whether to appeal the ruling in a case that the U.S. Supreme Court could ultimately decide, “existing non-compete agreements may still be valid and enforceable when permitted under applicable law,” attorneys for law firm Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC, which has a Grand Rapids office, wrote in a client alert.

“For the time being, the existing laws governing non-compete agreements will remain in place. In Michigan, employers may enforce non-compete agreements that are reasonable in duration, geographical area and type of employment or line of business,” Miller Canfield

“It is also likely that a few states, including Michigan, will consider taking their own action in limiting non-compete agreements now that the FTC ban is on ice for the foreseeable future.”

attorneys wrote in the briefing. “This should come as a relief for employers who can generally avoid — at least for now — analyzing complex issues regarding the impact that the FTC’s rule would have had on executive compensation arrangements tied to compliance with non-compete agreements, especially in the tax-exempt organization context.”

The ruling in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas invalidated a rule the FTC issued in April to ban noncompete agreements. The case involved several plaintiffs, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that challenged the rule on the grounds that the FTC lacked the congressional authority to issue a ban.

Mark Smith, a partner at Grand Rapids-based Rhoades McKee PC who co-chairs the law firm’s employment law practice group, expects the FTC to appeal the ruling, especially given a federal court decision in a separate case in Pennsylvania where the judge declined to issue an injunction against the ban.

The judge in the Pennsylvania case ruled that the FTC had the legal authority to ban noncompete agreements, which cover an estimated 30 million workers.

If the FTC does appeal, the Texas case would go to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that covers Texas,

Louisiana and Mississippi and is “one of the most conservative in the country, which likely means the injunction will remain in place unless or until the issue heads to the Supreme Court for resolution,” Smith wrote in a client alert.

Pointing to the Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning the Chevron doctrine where courts deferred to the expertise of federal agencies in interpreting U.S. laws, “the non-compete ban faces an uphill battle” because of “the lack of explicit direction from Congress on the issue and the huge impact the ban would have on existing non-com-

pete agreements,” Smith wrote.

“It is also likely that a few states, including Michigan, will consider taking their own action in limiting non-compete agreements now that the FTC ban is on ice for the foreseeable future,” Smith wrote. “Until any such action, non-compete agreements remain enforceable in Michigan as long as they serve a legitimate business purpose and are reasonable as to both the length of enforcement and the geographic area covered by the agreement.”

Three separate bills introduced in the Michigan Legislature in 2023 to limit or prohibit noncompete

agreements have yet to move forward to hearings, and each remain sitting in committee.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in July praised the judge’s decision in the Pennsylvania case and supported one of the bills, House Bill 4399, that would prohibit employers from requiring workers in low-wage industries such as the fast-food and janitorial services, and gig-economy delivery businesses, to sign noncompete agreements.

“To truly promote competition and protect workers’ rights, legislation is essential,” Nessel said in a July statement.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark in a statement called the Texas court’s ruling “a significant win in the … fight against government micromanagement of business decisions.”

“A sweeping prohibition of noncompete agreements by the FTC was an unlawful extension of power that would have put American workers, businesses, and our economy at a competitive disadvantage,” Clark said. “We remain committed to holding the FTC — and all agencies — accountable to the rule of law, ensuring American workers and businesses can thrive.”

Mark Smith, a partner at Grand Rapids-based Rhoades McKee PC

Maru Sushi’s Bridge Street eatery closes permanently

By Abby Poirier

Maru Sushi’s Bridge Street location has permanently closed and will merge into the company’s Cherry Street location.

In an Aug. 19 social media post, Maru Sushi announced that the restaurant’s west side Grand Rapids location has closed “after much deliberation.” The company said in the post that “this is the best decision to better care for our team and guests, allowing us to focus our efforts more intentionally on one location in this region.”

The restaurant, which is owned by Maru Hospitality Group LLC, opened in 2016 as

restaurant also serves signature cocktails, mocktails and a variety of sake flavors.

“Although this decision wasn’t easy, we are excited to provide an even better workplace and dining experience as we continue to grow,” according to the announcement that thanked customers for “every positive review, to-go order, photo and kind word we’ve received from you over the past 7 years.”

Maru Sushi did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

The closure comes amid a period of growth on Bridge Street, with several development projects taking shape on the west side, spurred by a proposal for an 8,500-seat soccer stadium just south of the corridor along the west side of U.S. 131.

The restaurant, which is owned by Maru Hospitality Group LLC, opened in 2016 as Ando Asian Kitchen and changed its DBA last year to Maru Sushi Bridge Street.

Ando Asian Kitchen and changed its DBA last year to Maru Sushi Bridge Street, according to Michigan Liquor Control Commission filings. Its last day in business was Sunday, Aug. 18.

At the time of the reopening, CEO Robert Song said he “picked the location on Bridge Street because I believe in the growth of the West Side and want to play a part in investing in our neighborhoods.”

The restaurant became one of six Maru Sushi locations, including sites in Detroit, East Lansing, Midland and Kalamazoo.

Maru Sushi seated 120 customers and offered a range of classic sushi, signature rolls, nigiri and sashimi options as well as Japanese fusion dishes, including udon and bulgogi. The

Robert Wahl, co-owner of The Win Tavern 33 in Jenison, purchased 600 Bridge St. NW, with plans to open Bridge St. Bar in the space this fall. As well, the Back Lot revived plans for a food truck court, this time at 616 Bridge St. NW.

Other new developments on the corridor include plans for a cigar lounge at the former Fifth Third Bank branch building at 700 Bridge St. NW. In August, the Grand Rapids City Planning Commission approved plans for a 117,000-square-foot mixed use development at 648 Bridge St. NW and 345 Lexington Ave. NW. Developer Ryan Talbot is currently under contract to purchase the former Duthler’s Family Foods, which the project would replace. His proposed $31 million development would include 148 apartments, including 92 studio units, as well as a small coffee shop open to the public.

Maru Sushi has closed its Bridge Street location. | ABBY POIRIER

HexArmor to more than double size of headquarters

By Kate Carlson

HexArmor Inc. plans to more than double the size of its Grand Rapids headquarters to support growth for its personal protection equipment manufacturing.

e Grand Rapids Planning Commission on Aug. 22 approved a special land use request related to the company’s site plans at 640 Le ngwell Ave. NE, a nearly 8.5acre property located in Oak Industrial Park on the city’s east side.

HexArmor’s plan calls for a roughly 130,600-square-foot addition onto its existing 51,672-square-foot facility that will add more o ce, manufacturing and warehouse space.

HexArmor currently employs about 200 people at its Grand Rapids facility and plans to add about 100 more workers with the expansion, Tom Nakfoor, HexArmor’s chief operating o cer, told the planning commission.

“I think it’s great that an existing industrial use that we talk about so much as valuing in our city has the ability to expand,” Planning Commissioner Laurel Joseph said.

HexArmor was founded in 2002 in Grand Rapids and moved into the Le ngwell Avenue facility in 2019. e company purchased the building in February 2018 for

nearly $3 million, according to property records, before investing $8.7 million in building improvements.

e company needed special land use approval for the expansion because of several components that stray from city zoning code requirements, including a building height that’s 6 feet taller than the 45-foot limit. e expansion also will have less transparent exteriors than required under the zoning code, while the building will encroach into nat-

OTTAWA COUNTY FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER

By Lorraine Ross, Granger Construction

The Ottawa County Family Justice Center, a newly opened facility located on the Fillmore Street campus in West Olive, MI, is committed to providing comprehensive support for families navigating the legal system.

One judge, one family

The new Family Justice Center embraces the “one judge, one family” concept, which allows for the assignment of multiple family-related cases to a single judge. This model fosters continuity and efficiency, improving the overall experience for families involved in domestic relations, juvenile and child welfare cases.

The new courthouse makes it much more feasible to implement the “one judge, one family” concept by bringing together all the judges, attorney referees and court staff who handle domestic relations, juvenile and child welfare cases under one roof. Previously they were spread across the county in different courthouses. This facility makes more efficient use of resources and better case management, ultimately resulting in an improved experience for the families who require these services.

“As we step into this impressive building, we recognize it is more than just glass and steel, bricks and mortar,” said Circuit Court Chief Judge Jon Van Allsburg at the ribbon cutting ceremony on May 30. “It is a place where the vulnerable find protection, where the misguided and lost find help and direction and where families find resolution.”

Modern facilities and resources

Spanning 56,000 square feet, the twostory Family Justice Center features three courtrooms—including a jury trial courtroom—along with three hearing rooms, legal kiosks, offices and holding cells. The building also houses essential services such as juvenile services, Friend of the Court and the circuit court records division, ensuring families have access to all necessary resources in one location.

Ottawa County, Granger Construction Company (the construction manager) and DLZ (the architect) had to consider a variety of factors when planning the new building. Understanding the sensitive nature of family and juvenile matters, the design and construction emphasizes security and dignity.

“Next to ensuring a safe and secure environment, the county placed

ural features on site and use metal as a primary building material, according to planning documents led with the city.

“ is additional height is necessary to house the racking system that’s involved and the warehousing nature at the facility,” Eric DeYoung, project manager at Nederveld Inc., said during the planning commission meeting.

Lansing-based Studio Intrigue Architects LLC serves as the project architect.

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heightened importance on promoting a space that is welcoming to all,” said Rob Train, Granger Construction Vice President who led the Ottawa County project.

The facility welcomes visitors with a spacious three-story entry adorned with a stunning 36-foot mural by local artist Joel Schoon-Tanis, celebrating the natural beauty of Ottawa County. Additional interactive art pieces provide engaging activities for children, making the environment more welcoming and less intimidating.

In addition, the facility and its courtrooms have the latest technology, including touchscreen monitors, that add to the modern look and feel while adding to the building’s efficiencies.

Collaborative project delivery Ottawa County selected the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) method for this project, which emphasizes collaboration among all stakeholders, from design to construction. This approach mitigates risks for the County by ensuring that the project team shares in the financial responsibilities, promoting accountability and transparency throughout the process.

As a pioneer in IPD, Granger Construction was selected to lead Ottawa County’s project based on proven expertise. On past projects Granger has demonstrated exceptional collaboration among project partners like Kent County, Lansing Community College and Hurley Medical Center, leading to outstanding outcomes. These past successes, combined with

e company’s onsite expansion comes as industrial vacancy in the region has ticked up slightly but remains low compared to other commercial real estate sectors. e vacancy rate for industrial space in the greater Grand Rapids area in the second quarter of 2024 was 2.5%, according to the latest report from NAI Wisinski of West Michigan. While still considered historically low, this is up from the area’s 1.8% industrial vacancy rate in the second quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, the development pipeline for industrial projects “continues to see a signi cant reduction,” with only 302,900 square feet of industrial space currently under construction, according to Colliers’ most recent industrial report for West Michigan. is is down from 1 million square feet that was under construction at the beginning of 2023, according to Colliers, which reported no new industrial product delivered to the market in the second quarter.

the recent achievements at the Ottawa County Family Justice Center project, showcase Granger’s expertise in driving success through transformative partnerships.

This collaborative partnership approach at Ottawa County resulted in:

Increased budget reliability: The IPD approach involves bringing multiple contractors into partnerships at the project’s inception, laying the foundation for shared accountability and productivity. This early collaboration ensures alignment with project goals and enables the team to address challenges collectively, resulting in more innovative ideas and solutions. At Ottawa County, early contractor engagement and increased accountability resulted in no change orders issued to IPD partners for the coordination of the building systems. Changes typically account for 2% of the overall construction costs under traditional project delivery models.

Transforming mindsets: Granger Construction’s commitment to

partnership extends beyond project outcomes, creating value through increased credibility, innovation, access to new resources and enhanced skills and abilities. This approach fosters a mindset shift toward collaboration and wider influence across organizational goals. Contractors who are new to the IPD concept of shared risks and rewards may be somewhat hesitant at first. However, once they experience how the highly collaborative process helps minimize waste and increase productivity, they often become vocal advocates.

Improved design coordination: Early onboarding of the primary trade contractors allows time for improved coordination during the design process. At Ottawa County, the IPD partners produced impeccable early models that resulted in negligible MEP rough-in clashes during installation. The result was project savings through unspent contingency funds, allowing the County to put that money back into the project for additional scope.

on Grand Rapids’ east side. | STUDIO INTRIGUE ARCHITECTS

Startup aims to elevate Great Lakes fish to posh charcuterie

By Abby Poirier

A marketing and branding consultant and “amateur chef” aims to build on the growing popularity of tinned fish with the launch of a new company that will source product from Michigan and the Great Lakes The idea for Great Lakes Tinned Fish originated when Marissa Fellows lived in Boston and experienced tinned fish paired with wine at a local shop.

“Immediately my thought was, ‘Why don’t we have this in the Great Lakes?’” she said.

The simplicity of tinned fish served with a baguette got her hooked, and started the journey that would lead to the inception of her own company.

As an entrepreneur, Fellows founded Grand Rapids-based advertising services company Goodfellows Creative. She’s also the brains behind Dinner Club GR, a pop-up dinner club featuring local chefs and caterers in Grand Rapids.

Great Lakes Tinned Fish, which is currently set to produce its first tins of whitefish this fall, is her latest venture. Fellows plans to start selling her product online, with hopes to eventually move into boutique retailers across Michigan.

At the end of July, Fellows’ Kickstarter campaign to launch the brand surpassed its goal of raising $25,000, funds that she will use to cover costs for the company’s first

production of 5,000 tins of fish.

To start, Great Lakes Tinned Fish will sell smoked whitefish, which Fellows is sourcing from Big O’s Smokehouse, a Caledonia-based seafood market owned by Bruce Osterhaven. The whitefish for her first product run will be wildcaught by Wheatley, Ontario-based Presteve Foods.

Osterhaven first connected with Fellows at a food show when she approached him with her vision.

“Seeing her excitement, bouncing ideas, and working together to solve problems is energizing,” he said in a statement.

Big O’s sources fish solely from freshwater, primarily fishing the Great Lakes with Canadian lakes as backup. The company smokes its fish with maple wood for 5 to 6 hours, Osterhaven said.

After establishing her brand with whitefish, Fellows next hopes to add trout, walleye and perch, and may expand into some smaller varieties like smelt or chub that could serve as the Great Lakes’ answer to the sardine.

“My whole ethos is to really celebrate the fish variety here that people know and love, even if it’s a slightly different market,” she said.

With her tinned fish company, Fellows hopes to capture a piece of an expanding global trend. The humble tinned fish has experienced a spike in popularity, led by a post-pandemic trend in which social media users on TikTok and Instagram post videos reviewing the product and making charcuterie with it.

Fishwife, Scout and Zingerman’s are among a few of the tinned fish

brands leading its renaissance, touting fish as a gourmet item that goes beyond just canned tuna and sardines.

Now, brands are using colorful packaging that looks at home in a picnic spread and selling fish in a wide variety of flavors that fit on a charcuterie board. Their marketing is leaning into tinned fish as a fun, aesthetically pleasing meal option that manages to be both luxurious and budget-conscious.

Tinned Fish can dip into that market while providing a space to showcase the Great Lakes’ fishing industry and support responsible fishing practices.

“What I’m really trying to create here is (a way) to share the stories of these family-owned fisheries in many cases,” Fellows said, noting that she hopes to work with a range of local fisheries to source a variety of different fish.

At Fishwife, for example, customers pay between $32 and $39 dollars for a pack of three 3.5-ounce tins of sardines, tuna in olive oil, smoked salmon or mackerel. Last year, when the company appeared on Shark Tank, owner Becca Millstein revealed that Fishwife had

“My

earned $750,000 during its first year in business, $2.6 million in 2022 and was forecasted to make $5.8 million by the end of the year.

That level of success is reflective of the tinned fish market’s overall growth in the past four years, both in the U.S. and globally.

The U.S. tinned fish market increased from $2.3 billion in 2018 to more than $2.7 billion in 2023, according to a Global Seafood Alliance report citing data from Circana. A recent industry analysis from Grand View Research put the global value of the tinned fish market at $31.37 billion in 2022 and estimated the market to reach $50.47 billion by 2030.

Fellows hopes that Great Lakes

“The mission is to truly stay in the Great Lakes region, that’s really the first thing,” she said.

While Fellows aims to source directly from the Great Lakes, she said she’s placing high importance on purchasing responsibly raised fish, noting that some species, like trout, may be better sourced from aquaculture farms.

Fellows is working with a co-packer for Great Lakes Tinned Fish, which also proved to be an obstacle since few companies in the region have the capacity to can. She initially planned to purchase canning equipment and do it on her own, but quickly learned that the machinery required to properly can fish is expensive and hard to find.

For now, she’s secured a Canadian co-packer, a major step in her journey to placing a product in customers’ hands.

“It’s a huge piece of whether this can happen or not, so that’s been definitely a reality check for me, as far as what is currently accessible to us,” she said. “I’m learning a lot of the kind of challenges around spinning this up in Michigan, but I’m also learning a lot about the fisheries, and having great conversations with them.”

While Fellows doesn’t have a set date for her product launch, she anticipates selling the first tins of fish this fall.

Great Lakes Tinned Fish is working with a Canadian co-packer to bring the brand to life.

| COURtESY PHOtO

Marissa Fellows, founder of Great Lakes Tinned Fish

Fellows

COMMENTARY

Higher education is a vital economic force

College is on my mind quite a bit these days.

My daughter is headed off to school this fall, and my son has been making campus visits in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, I had the privilege in July of moderating a conversation with the presidents of the University of Michigan, Michigan State and Wayne State at a Crain’s Power Breakfast in Detroit. A packed room at the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit hotel heard from the presidents, all of them relatively new in their positions, on how their institutions are having impact, particularly in Southeast Michigan.

Mickey Ciokajlo is executive editor of Crain’s Detroit Business and Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

This month, I will host a similar conversation in Grand Rapids with the presidents of Grand Valley State, Ferris State and Grand Rapids Community College. All of them are engaged in major projects and partnerships vital to West Michigan and beyond.

While colleges and universities are centers for scholarship and academic growth, they are also major landholders, contractors and employers. They amount to some of the state’s largest businesses, every bit as important to their communities as Ford to Dearborn, Dow to Midland or Kellogg to Battle Creek.

UM and MSU, the state’s two largest universities, rightfully attract a lot of attention. Combined, they enroll more than 100,000 students, employ tens of

COMMENTARY

thousands of workers and generate billions of dollars in revenue each year. They are also tremendous brands that recruit students from across the country and globe to Michigan.

While UM and MSU are often the shorthand reference for the state’s universities, dozens of colleges, including community colleges, dot the landscape and play essential roles in the civic and economic life of communities, from Southeast Michigan to the western Upper Peninsula.

Last year, I wrote about how schools like Michigan, Michigan State and Grand Valley are driving major projects in cities including Detroit and Grand Rapids. That’s certainly true with core-city developments such as UM’s Center for Innovation, MSU’s Health Sciences Research Center and GVSU’s Center for Talent,

Technology and Transformation.

But colleges have a crucial impact on smaller towns across the state, too. Places like Hillsdale, Alma and Olivet spring to mind. In Kalamazoo, where I live, it’s hard to imagine what the community would look like if Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College were to vanish.

There’s a lot of talk these days of the looming “enrollment cliff,” when the number of college-age students is expected to drop off, largely as a result of yearslong declining birth rates. In Michigan, where our struggle with population stagnation is well-documented, many of the regional institutions, such as WMU, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan have already been hard hit.

I sometimes hear people say that Mich-

Power Breakfast

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business continues its Power Breakfast Series with Higher Education: Growing talent, Developing West michigan from 7:30-9:30 a.m. on thursday, Sept. 26, at Frederik meijer Gardens. Featured speakers are college presidents Charles Lepper, Grand Rapids Community College; Philomena mantella, Grand Valley State University; and Bill Pink, Ferris State University. tickets are available on crainsgrandrapids.com under the Events tab.

igan has too many public universities with 15. Maybe. But which one would you close? (Good luck with that).

Like a business facing a major challenge, the universities must plan strategically, be creative and nimble, and demonstrate their relevance. The presidents I spoke to earlier this summer appear up to the task and I look forward to hearing from west side leaders in a few weeks.

Their success is critical. Study after study shows higher education pays off. Whether it’s a certificate for a skilledtrade program or a bachelor’s degree, continuing education translates to higher lifetime earnings.

Yet many students and their parents today question the escalating expenses, a reasonable concern. While on balance I believe the investment in education is worth it, the universities need to keep proving their case to recruit new students.

Attracting them will be good for the long-term futures of those young people — and for the communities they serve.

Eliminating Michigan Tuition Grant is a step back

The world of politics, with the need for negotiation and serving varied populations, can give us the perfect example of the law of unintended consequences. This seems to be the case this year in Lansing when our state lawmakers passed a budget that took away the only tuition grant that served qualifying adult and part-time students returning to school to seek a bachelor’s degree some years after high school graduation. We all understand competing goals and interests, but one goal by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration has been clear: We need more college graduates in Michigan to attract and retain talent and the businesses of the future that will bring and sustain economic health. So, as a matter of public policy, eliminating the $3,000 Michigan Tuition Grant (MTG) does not make sense if we are to achieve the state’s goal of 60 by 30, which

Richard J. Pappas, Ed.D., is president of Davenport University.

is increasing the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or a college degree from 51% today to 60% by 2030.

Davenport University is all in. We, along with the other independent, nonprofit colleges and universities, currently graduate more than 20% of the state’s college students. Nearly half of students enrolled at Davenport are 25 or older, more than 30% are students of color and more than 40% are the first in their families to attend college. This is the population of students most hurt by the elimination of the MTG, a grant that has been around since the 1960s and is the only grant that does not have an age limit. Much of the reporting about the passage of the education budget focused on the Michigan Achievement Scholarship (MAS), which is a wonderful boost for students who are eligible to receive it. But it is going only to recent high school gradu-

ates. So, who is unintentionally hurt by the belief that awarding the MAS, even with the elimination of the MTG, was the best way to help the state produce more graduates? They are on average older than 25, 60% are women, 50% are non-white, many have transferred from community college, and at least 30% are first-generation college students.

About 1,500 students enrolling in an independent college for the first time this fall do not qualify for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, but they would have qualified for the Michigan Tuition Grant. At Davenport, we have more than 400 students who thought they were receiving the MTG only to be told weeks before reporting to class that they had a $3,000 hole in their financial aid package.

ing in any institution — they’ve just put aside their goal of achieving a degree at this time. But it’s not too late. Our legislators can reinstate the MTG in a supplemental bill in September using no additional dollars — the funds remained in the budget, even though the MTG program itself was cut.

About 1,500 students enrolling in an independent college for the first time this fall do not qualify for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship.

When I testified before lawmakers in April, I warned that the elimination of the MTG would be immediate and devastating. It is affecting people who now aren’t enroll-

We believe the reinstatement of the MTG is a necessary step to invest in the group of students who were unintentionally left out of the state’s support for higher education. This is an unintended consequence that can be made right, but action in Lansing must be swift. These students deserve better.

Grand Valley State University’s Pew campus in downtown Grand Rapids. GRAND VALLEY StAtE UNIVERSItY

Ada Village hotel crosses the finish line after 5 years

By Rachel Watson

A boutique luxury hotel that pays homage to historic Ada while leaning into modern comforts is now open, bringing a yearslong DeVos-led vision to fruition.

The new Ada Hotel, located at 7415 River St. in the area of Ada Township known as Ada Village, opened to the public today.

Cheri DeVos Ehmann developed and owns the hotel through the real estate development firm Baton Collective, which held a grand opening ceremony last month for the three-story, 37,000-square-foot hotel.

Baton Collective also is the primary developer behind Ada Village where the hotel is located. The massive redevelopment effort started more than a decade ago and broke ground on the first properties in 2015. Ada Village includes several restaurants, retail shops, a new library and housing.

The DeVos- and Van Andel-owned AHC Hospitality manages the Ada Hotel, which has 120 employees.

AHC already is taking reservations for all 36 guest rooms. The hotel has nine room types, including two king suites with balconies, a couple of king rooms with sitting areas and Peloton bikes, several queen rooms and some family-oriented rooms with queens and built-in bunk beds.

The hotel will use dynamic pricing, an increasingly common rate structure where prices vary based on day of the week and time of year. A search of the booking platform for the first few weeks of operations showed prices starting in the low $300s up to $599 per night for the suites.

AHC General Manager Becky Jones told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business on a tour last month that she couldn’t be more excited to welcome the hotel’s first guests.

“We’ve been so proud of this place,” she said. “I can’t wait for the community to see this. We’ve been working really hard on it, and I can’t wait to share that with everybody.”

The hotel is directly across the street from the Thornapple River and sits on the site of the historic 19th century Ada Hotel that burned down in 1943. RDV Corp., the DeVos family office, bought the property for $680,000 in January 2019 and announced the hotel concept in early 2020.

Ada Township-based Dixon Architecture and the Chicago office of OTJ Architects designed the hotel. Gaines Township-based First Companies was the general contractor.

Baton Collective CEO Loren Crandell said the hotel was built to evoke the property’s legacy while offering an environment of “crafted warmth” for modern guests.

“(The former hotel) was the social heart of old Ada Village back in the 1800s, and that’s really what Cheri DeVos (Ehmann) wanted to recapture with putting this hotel here in the new Ada Village,” Crandell said.

He added the art collection, cu-

rated with the help of the Ada Historical Society, includes prints of historic photographs, as well as images of artifacts pertaining to the old hotel from the historical society’s permanent collection. A black-and-white portrait of Ada Township founder Rix Robinson can be found in a third-floor hallway.

“There’s so many different, really cool, intimate touch points that connect back to the late 1800s and the early 1900s to pay respect to the awesome legacy of history that exists across Ada Township,” Crandell said.

A custom-crafted gypsum ceiling visible from all levels of the atrium depicts the elevations and topography of the Thornapple River that threads through Ada.

The hotel’s first-floor lobby offers luxurious leather and upholstered lounge seating in warm neutrals, plentiful greenery and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The second-level atrium offers additional lounge seating, “library”-style tables for co-working, TVs that display artwork when not in use, and a fitness center for guests. The second floor also has whimsical touches like a life-sized horse lamp in one of the soft seating areas.

The guest rooms are situated in key card access-only hallways off the second and third floors that feature thick, soft carpeting, noise-mitigating wall and ceiling treatments, and lights that dim in the evening. Jones noted that while music plays in the shared areas of the hotel, the guest wings remain quiet and sheltered from sound for extra privacy and peace.

Each of the room doors features custom engraved plaques displaying the room numbers, fashioned from birch wood salvaged from the trees that had to be cut down on the property.

In addition to its rooms and other amenities, the hotel has two restaurants.

The Post Tavern is a 110-seat pub-style venue on the ground floor named after the original Ada

Trading Post of the late 1800s. A much-touted feature of the restaurant is the Sip It Forward drink share program, where patrons can pre-purchase a drink for a friend and write them a postcard. Both will then be stashed in cubby-holes lining the back of the bar until the friend arrives.

The second eatery, Rix, is a thirdfloor tapas restaurant with seating for 130 people indoors and on a four-season balcony overlooking the river that will be screened and heated in winter.

AHC hired Executive Chef Jason

Tilmann to oversee both restaurants. An Ann Arbor native, Tilmann has appeared on the popular shows Iron Chef America and Chopped and has worked in New York City restaurants including Le Cirque, Daniel and Union Square Cafe. He also did stints at dining establishments in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

Tilmann told Crain’s that the lure of coming back to “family-oriented” Michigan to raise his three children was too much to resist.

“I’m a very big family man, and I find that we’re going to be able to

have a great work-life balance here and do something special, something that’s unique — not too outside of the box, but it’s a different box,” he said. “It’s a small boutique hotel, so it’ll allow us to do a lot of fun things that you typically wouldn’t be able to do, like our catering and our banquets.”

The Post will offer “approachable comfort,” with Michigan beers on tap and shareables like potato spears with Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale beer cheese dip, Jones and Tilmann said. Main dishes will include smash burgers, lobster rolls, and fish and chips.

Rix, which Tilmann said he hopes to make “the best restaurant in Michigan,” with a “chic comfortable” vibe, will feature specialty Midwest tapas, including bacon on the bone, as well as bottles of house-made Rix’s sauce on every table, Tilmann said.

The Post is open for dinner now by reservation or walk-in.

Both spaces will be available to rent for private parties, Jones said.

As Crain’s previously reported, a 1,355-square-foot wine bar and retail shop called The Lark will open inside the hotel this fall. It will be accessible from River Street, as well as from the hotel lobby.

Baton Collective also just signed a lease deal with Diane Smith to open a fitness center called Revolve Cycle Studio in the space west of The Post. It will be accessible from River Street only.

Another, approximately 2,600square-foot retail space next to The Lark is available for lease, Crandell said.

West Michigan’s Economic Health

Don't miss this new approach to economic research with exclusive data-driven insights for labor supply and consumer demand across the region, industryspecific productivity updates, and opportunities and ideas to enhance growth.

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 7:15-9:30 a.m. Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park

BREAKFAST EVENT FOR BUSINESS EXECUTIVES FEATURING:

Jeff Korzenik, Chief Economist Fifth Third Commercial Bank

Sarah Dickerson, Research Economist UNC Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise

MODERATED BY:

Jim Kirk, Group Publisher, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business

The lobby of the Ada Hotel, which opened to the public on Aug. 20. | rACHeL WAtSON

APPLES

From Page 1

bushels,” she said. “It’s becoming a trend, so I think that our old average is probably pretty far off now. I think if we went down to that, it would probably be an off year for us. Our new average is probably going to be in the high 20s to 30s.”

For growers like Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc., a Sparta Township-based apple growing, packing and marketing company, the surplus has been a boon, allowing the company to maintain a year-round supply of apples for consumers.

Riveridge’s packing and marketing operations handle approximately 60% of the state’s fresh apples across 160 Michigan growers.

Following last year’s above-average harvest, Riveridge is still selling off 2023’s apple crop. Justin Finkler, director of operations for Riveridge, said the last of the 2023 apples will be leaving the shelves

TOURISM

From Page 3

marketing organizations invested in the Pure Michigan campaign and received a 1:1 match that went toward advertising. However, the state suspended that approach in 2024 when the state budget allocation fell to $15 million, and the policy is currently under review for FY 2025.

“Every year, there’s uncertainty in the Pure Michigan campaign,” Small said. “Some years, (the budget is) $5 million, the next time it’s $30 million. … That’s a big part of our leisure marketing is our collaboration with Pure Michigan, so if we don’t have an opportunity

just as the 2024 apples enter stores.

“We’re not getting away from a customer for a few months as we wait for our apples to come back next year, so we’re able to service customers year-round,” Finkler said. “That’s been a big benefit of the large crops in the last two seasons.”

However, Smith notes that the surplus also brings some complications. Specifically, year-round access to apples might be a factor contributing to lower consumption rates.

According to data from the Michigan Apple Committee, Michigan’s apple consumption has fallen by 10% over the past 10 years.

In 2013, the average U.S. consumer ate around 17 pounds of apples yearly, which dipped to 15.7 pounds for 2024, the third consecutive year of decline for apple consumption in the U.S.

The decreasing consumption has been a key point of concern for growers, said Gretchen Mensing, communications and marketing

with them moving forward, then we’re going to have to offset that ourselves. This extra funding will certainly help us. Leisure is where we grow.”

Small said the boost in funding from the lodging tax increase also will help the West Michigan Sports Commission bid for additional youth and amateur sporting tournaments that would be held in Grand Action 2.0’s proposed soccer stadium. That’s because WMSC receives the majority of its budget through a lodging tax revenue sharing agreement with Experience Grand Rapids. As envisioned, the soccer stadium itself also could receive lodging tax revenue to pay off construction bonds in the way the Acrisure Amphithe-

director for the Michigan Apple Committee. She thinks the declining consumption could stem from the constant availability of apples.

“From a Michigan standpoint, (while) the last few years are the exception, we’ve never really been a year-round (apple) supplier,” Smith said. “We’ve always been done by early July and then have a reset before harvest starts again in August. That’s new territory for us as well.”

At the same time, more options in the fresh fruit section at the grocery store might be making apples a bit less of a priority for customers, according to Smith.

“Maybe 10-15 years ago, you didn’t have as many options yearround in the produce department,” she said. “There were just apples and bananas, the staples that were always there. So I just think there’s more competition.”

As well, a surplus crop can cause an imbalance in Michigan’s apple market, as unpurchased apples sit unused. Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture purchased

ater will.

Mike Guswiler, president of WMSC, said during the county commission meeting that under its current agreement, the group gets 9.4% of what Experience Grand Rapids collects from the lodging tax.

“We were pulled into the Destination Kent (lodging tax increase) campaign to look at how we are going to fill non-soccer dates with events that will put people in our hotels,” Guswiler said. “Certainly, that’s something that we’re preparing for and we’re eager to do with the passing of the lodging excise tax. I think it puts the soccer stadium on the path to be built, and so certainly that’s a piece of … our marketing plan that we’re pre-

$60 million in fresh apples and $40 million in processed apples from Michigan farmers to alleviate the statewide surplus after the significant production boom in 2022. The apples were then distributed to a variety of food banks and school meal programs across the country.

The USApple Association believes the USDA is poised to announce another bulk purchase of Michigan’s 2023 apple harvest in the coming weeks, Smith said.

According to Smith, much of Michigan’s higher apple production in recent years stems from a crop of young apple trees all nearing peak production around the same time.

“More high-density orchards that have gone in the ground are showing, so I don’t think anybody’s surprised by these numbers,” she said.

Michigan currently has more than 14.9 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 farms.

Finkler noted that this year’s

paring for.”

Under the previous contract that was set to expire at the end of 2025, Experience Grand Rapids would have received 18.5% of all revenue collected from county lodging excise taxes, or about $1.55 million in the first year, limiting the amount that could be applied to the planned amphitheater and soccer stadium.

Josh Spencer, strategic impact director for Kent County, said the county is grateful that Experience Grand Rapids was willing to renegotiate the rate to 17%, “because they recognize that we need as much revenue as possible to cover the public funding gaps in the amphitheater and the soccer stadium.”

“They will see an increase next

consistently warm summer weather also contributed significantly to the higher apple production.

“With the exception of a few hail storms, we’ve had really good growing conditions,” Finkler said. “We’ve had more than enough rain, so fruit is sizing well.” Spring also came a bit early this year, which has bumped the apple harvest about 10 days ahead of its usual schedule.

While an early spring can pose challenges for avoiding frost damage, Finkler said none of those problems affected the apple crop this year. The main difference this year for Riveridge is that the company is picking its more than 1,000 acres of apples in slightly warmer weather than usual.

While Finkler anticipates better pricing for apples this year, he said he’s still focused on controlling costs as labor continues to rise.

“All of our costs are going up,” he said. “We just have to be really conscious of what our inputs are and what we’re getting back out.”

year, and then there will be incremental increases as the lodging tax revenue grows, which is necessary if we’re going to add new facilities, an amphitheater and soccer stadium, as well as just continue to grow our region as a cultural and tourist destination,” Spencer said.

Small said he views the agreement as a success because the bottom line is, “We will have more money to use to market than what we’ve had in the past.”

“We want to make this deal work,” he said. “We want these facilities, because it’s only going to make our story that much better.”

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reporter Kate Carlson contributed to this story.

From Page 1

BAMF Health COO Chad Bassett said in a statement to Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. “Our three organizations have many shared values, one of which is ensuring diverse populations and all people have access to life-saving care. This extends to the Native American communities not only across the state of Michigan but also around the country.”

Two years ago, BAMF Health opened a theranostics clinic on Michigan State University’s downtown research campus that provides an advanced cancer treatment.

BAMF Health’s Grand Rapids clinic diagnoses and treats patients with stage four prostate cancer and neuroendocrine cancers using advanced high-speed medical scanners, radiopharmaceuticals and artificial intelligence to precisely target tumors with minimal side effects.

The company is nearing a decision to select a clinical partner and location for a theranostics clinic in Detroit after receiving $25 million in state budget appropria-

tions that legislators approved in the last two years to help to fund the project, which could cost more than $100 million.

Potawatomi Ventures’ investment “reflects our confidence in their innovative solutions and their potential to transform health care,” said Paul Hoesly, the firm’s chief financial and strategy officer.

“We are committed to supporting companies that make a positive impact on society, and BAMF Health aligns perfectly with our strategic vision.”

The Milwaukee-based firm has made a handful of similar passive investments as well as operates a portfolio of its own businesses that span the real estate, construction, data center, retail and federal contracting sectors. Potawatomi Ventures CEO Kip Ritchie, an enrolled member of the Forest County Potawatomi tribe, also serves as a board member for Grand Rapids-based Gun Lake Investments, the non-gaming investment arm of the Match-E-Be-Nash-SheWish Band of Pottawatomi, or Gun Lake Tribe.

Waséyabek Development invested in BAMF Health — short for Bold Advanced Medical Future — in November 2021. In announcing

the investment at the time, Waséyabek Development noted that U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that show Native American communities have higher incidence rates of several

cancers, including lung, colorectal, liver, stomach and kidney.

“We’re just really thrilled with what BAMF’s doing. We’re pretty awed by the technology and innovation,” Waséyabek President and

CEO Deidra Mitchell said in an interview with Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

In addition to high incidence rates of cancers and chronic illnesses, tribal populations also “historically have been deprived of adequate health care because of their economic circumstances,” Mitchell said.

“To be bringing that to tribal access is amazing,” she said. “If there are other tribal nations looking to invest in this type of thing, BAMF is a very, very worthy investment to look at.”

Mitchell introduced BAMF Health to a couple of tribes, including the Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin. Though not co-investors, the two organizations collaborated “from the standpoint of what were our reasons for investing in BAMF and were we satisfied with the investment,” she said.

Mitchell first met BAMF Health founder and CEO Anthony Chang at a CEO summit and learned about his plan and vision for the Grand Rapids theranostics clinic. Chang was named the Ernst & Young LLP Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 for Michigan and Northwest Ohio.

BAMF Health COO Chad Bassett | COURtESY PHOtO

FOUNDERS

Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League since 2013, earning three Super Bowl rings, including two consecutive wins in 2023 and 2024. He also garners headlines off the field for his relationship with global pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Jason Kelce retired in March after a 13-years career with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, winning the Super Bowl in 2017 and being selected for the Pro Bowl seven times in his career.

The Garage Beer investment marked the first joint business venture for the brothers, who together serve as the co-hosts of the New Heights podcast.

“People crave quality and simplicity, and Garage Beer nails both for me. We are light beer drinkers and Garage is the best light beer,” Jason Kelce said in a statement an-

BRENNER’S

business is on and all assets.

In an era when big-box sporting goods stores and e-commerce retailers have gobbled up business from independent tackle stores, Brenner’s has continued to thrive by offering competitive pricing and personal service, all steeped in the knowledge that comes from serving the area for decades.

“The staff was incredibly helpful in regards to fishing tips,” said Boyd Culver, a long-time customer of Brenner’s. “If they didn’t have what you needed they would always get it. I will miss the conversations and I hope whoever buys it keeps it going.”

The Brenner’s Sporting Goods story starts in the 1950s with patriarch Bill Brenner, who lived across from the former gas station — then known as the Old Dutch — and operated a roadside bait stand where he sold worms at 10 cents for 100.

After he was done selling for the day, Brenner would take his earnings across the street to the Old Dutch, where he’d often spend it on pop and a candy bar.

“He told the (former owner), ‘One of these days I’m going to own this building and I’ll make it a bait shop,’” said Terry Brenner, recounting his father’s story.

Bill Brenner purchased the Old Dutch business in 1963 to start fulfilling his dream.

During the late 1960s, the Old Dutch became a Phillip’s 66 station. Brothers Randy and Terry Brenner got involved in the family business in 1968.

nouncing the deal. “For me, the brand fits my lifestyle, and having a few beers is a great excuse to get the neighbors together.”

Travis Kelce also highlighted the social nature of enjoying Garage Beer with friends and noted that he worked with Sauer “for years.”

“I really trust the team and their approach to running the business,” he said. “We look forward to taking Garage Beer to the next level.”

Garage Beer has experienced strong growth recently, with dollar

The brothers, two of Bill and Violet Brenner’s seven children, helped where they could. Terry, only seven years old at the time, stood on an upside-down milk crate to wash car windows, while Randy, who’s a year older, would gather nightcrawlers and minnows to sell.

“My dad put them in cans and sold them,” Randy Brenner said. “That’s pretty much how we started (selling bait) was when I picked a bunch of worms for going fishing.”

Back then, they sold the nightcrawlers for 50 cents a dozen.

In 1975, Bill Brenner purchased the building as the automotive repair and tackle business grew. By the late 1980s, the store stopped selling gas entirely and rebranded as Brenner’s Service.

Around that time, Randy and Terry Brenner added a dedicated bait shop to fulfill their father’s initial dream.

“My dad always wanted a really nice bait shop, so we added on the building and made it into a bait shop so he got to live his dream,” Terry Brenner said.

In 1998, they purchased the business from their father. Ever since then, Terry Brenner has served as the shop’s auto mechanic, while Randy Brenner focused on running the bait and tackle business.

After their father passed away in 2006, the brothers continued to support their mother following his death.

When the business sells, Terry Brenner aims to spend his time indulging in his hobbies, building hot rods and spending time fishing with his 12 grandchildren. He’s hopeful that whoever buys

sales increasing 36% in 2023 on volume growth of more than 85%, according to a Brewbound report in June that cited NIQ data. Through May 18 of this year, the company’s sales reached $1.6 million, a 196% increase over the previous year, per the report.

At the time the Kelces’ investment was announced, Garage Beer had yet to line up a brewing partner to facilitate the expansion plans, according to industry reports.

Industry sources Crain’s Grand

Rapids Business spoke with noted that Garage Beer linking up with Founders could allow the brand to immediately tap into Founders’ nationwide distribution footprint, giving it a powerful vehicle to expand quickly.

As well, Founders appears to have excess brewing capacity available at its Grand Rapids facility. A May report in Brewbound, citing data from the Brewers Association, noted that Founders has shed more than 183,000 barrels of production

the business will keep it as a bait shop, so that the longstanding customer base will still have a local place to shop.

Todd Roesler, an agent with Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors, has the listing. He believes there’s a 50/50 chance the buyer will maintain a bait shop at the location.

Roesler noted that while the location, which is less than a mile from the Grand River, is an ideal spot for a bait and tackle business and the shop comes with a pre-established customer base, it’s also a great location for redevelopment.

Right now, he’s marketing Brenner’s to local fishing groups in hopes he can lure a buyer who will be willing to continue the Brenner’s legacy.

“My interest really is to find somebody that (wants) such a

output as of last year, having peaked in 2020 at 592,000 barrels.

Last year, Founders slipped from the top spot to the No. 2 brewery in the state behind Bell’s Brewery Inc. for the first time in six years, as Crain’s Grand Rapids Business previously reported.

Garage Beer bills itself as a purveyor of simple, straightforward beers, with its website noting that the company is “0% IPA, 100% Light Beer, 1000% quality.” That mantra flies counter to Founders’ portfolio, which is built around hop-forward IPA brands like All Day and Centennial and barrel-aged stouts like KBS, all of which are on the opposite end of the spectrum from light lager.

However, under the ownership of Spain-based Mahou-San Miguel, Founders began to dip its toe into mass-appeal lagers with the 2018 release of Solid Gold, which it packaged in 24-pack cases to go after a market dominated by domestic macro-breweries.

cluding customers who for decades have been buying bait and tackle, including some pieces handmade by Randy Brenner.

“We tried to just keep the tackle that people wanted in here,” Randy Brenner said. “(The Grand River has) a lot of steelhead fishing, so we got a lot of steelhead business. That’s one thing that a lot of other shops don’t have.”

When the business sells, Randy Brenner hopes to spend his time traveling and enjoying his retirement.

“We still work six days a week,” he said. “It’s been a lot of work. I didn’t get much vacation, and some years we didn’t get (any) vacation or any time off. I want to go out and do some more things before I die.”

While Randy Brenner has wanted to get out of the business for a while, his brother was a harder sell.

unique business, an auto mechanic, or somebody that loves to fish and hunt (who can) carry this on and add something else to it,” he said.

Roesler noted that Brenner’s does “impressive” business, mainly driven by lure and tackle sales, thanks to the brothers’ knowledge of the river fishery.

“I like the fact that they usually have what I need and are one of the few mom and pop stores still in the area,” said Steve Hutchins, an avid river angler. “There’s a special charm that bait shops have that big box stores can never replicate.”

Over the years, the bait shop has built up a loyal following, in-

“I figured I was going to drop dead in here eventually someday,” said Terry Brenner, noting that aside from a few other jobs he held briefly throughout the past 60 years, the shop was all he knew.

While he said he regrets not having more time to fish; building the business was an important part of his life.

“It was wonderful to be with my dad watching (the shop) get bigger and better. It was always a good experience,” he said, adding that “we sell way more (now) than my dad ever did.”

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business editor Joe Boomgaard contributed to this report.

Development Group executives.

“Beyond the building itself, this is a renewal of our company’s commitment to the community. We chose this location with our fu-

ture and our clients’ needs at topof-mind,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler Development Group has completed several apartment and townhome projects in West Michigan over the years, most recently breaking ground on a 96-unit townhome project along East Beltline Avenue in Grand Rapids Township.

The company also recently began work on the long-awaited Hotel Rose boutique hotel in downtown Rockford that calls for 54 rooms, retail and restaurant space. Executives say the company has developed more than $1 billion in commercial real estate projects throughout the Midwest.

Randy and Terry Brenner. COUrteSY pHOtO

Garage Beer labels pending with U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, where filings show the beers would be produced by Founders in Grand Rapids. | ttb FILINGS

Military veteran launches new business, finishing book while coaching women entrepreneurs

Standing in the Military Entrance Processing Station in Lansing in the mid-1990s at the age of 19, Jill Hinton Wolfe flipped a coin to determine whether to join the military or continue with her degree at Grand Valley State University. After the coin landed on the military option, she spent three years in the U.S. Army, including a 14-month stint in South Korea, and worked her way up to a role as a public affairs officer before returning to the U.S. to finish her degree in advertising and public relations. Over the past 25 years, Hinton Wolfe has built a resume that includes more than a decade of public relations work in West Michigan. Her career led her to several prominent West Michigan companies, including Lambert & Co., ADAC Automotive, Haworth Inc. and Priority Health, before she branched out and launched her own business consulting and coaching entrepreneurs. Now, as a career transition coach and veteran counselor pulling from her own experience, Hinton Wolfe helps other women step out of their comfort zones and into entrepreneurship. She also founded Outdoor Book Club in 2014 to bring women together to explore the outdoors with a book, and this year is launching Combat Canines, an all-natural dog treat business that gives back to veterans. On top of that, Hinton Wolfe is in the “final throes” of writing a book based on the veteran experience. Under the watchful eye of her service dog, Hannah, Hinton Wolfe, who is legally blind, spoke with Crain’s Grand Rapids Business about what inspires her work, her military background, and the several projects she’s juggling in 2024. | By Abby

What inspired you to start the Outdoor Book Club a decade ago?

I think I was just surfing the internet one day looking for grants for veterans to start businesses. There’s a program out of Syracuse University called V-Wise (Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) and they would do these long weekend entrepreneurship boot camps. That was probably 2008, so it had probably been 10 years since I had anything to do with military stuff. But I got this opportunity to go to this boot camp (and) it was incredible. It was around women vets (and) I just realized how much I missed that camaraderie and that shared experience. They announced that they were going to have a business plan competition for anyone who had graduated from that program. And I was like, I am in. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m going to do this.

What did you take away from the competition?

I knew I was going home with money, but I totally choked. I totally choked on my presentation. I got third place, which was still $10,000, but that was kind of the first time I really understood my own power, that I had to control my future and make choices and just show up as confident and win something and change my life.

When I came back, I just had the bug on that. So that’s how Outdoor Book Club started, and that’s kind of how I left the corporate world. That was in 2014.

What are your goals as you look to grow Outdoor Book Club?

I would love in my wildest dreams for it to become a national brand, for it to become a community of women who love books and the outdoors and are there to share those experiences and passion and help build women’s confidence.

I’m sort of reevaluating my goals and how I want to spend my

time these days, and I just really want to write. I want to write about books and the outdoors and where those things intersect and empower women. So that’s where we are now. I would love to have a really big mailing list and a really big community of women supporting each other.

How does Outdoor Book Club further your purpose of empowering women?

The books (are) really just a platform for having deeper conversations about what it is that you’re facing in life. How do you struggle? How is your struggle similar to other women? Literature is a great tool for building your confidence and seeing how other people have addressed setbacks. That’s really what outdoor book club is about.

What made you interested in digging into women’s middleaged years?

From my military experience, I did this thing that was not expected of women, that was hard, that changed my identity in fundamental ways. I was only in for three years, but it changed

how I saw the world permanently, and I think it was definitely for the better. It changed my world, and it allowed me to become a person who is brave, who is confident, who values her relationships. Connection drives a lot of this. I’m an introvert at heart, but connection on a deeper level just means a lot to me. I’m not a small-talk kind of person, and so I think what has driven me (are) those needs.

How do you think that your experience in the military helped you become who you are today?

In boot camp we were taken away from everything that we knew. I grew up in an upper middle class white community, (and I went) into this world that I knew nothing about and was not going to give me any credit for what I looked like and where I came from. I got thrown in with this incredible diversity of human beings, people who I never would have met or experienced or become friends with had I stayed in college, and that opened my eyes to all sorts of different ways of being in the world.

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You do a lot of work with women entrepreneurs as a coach. What do women entrepreneurs bring to the role that sets them apart? It’s the thing that makes women veterans different from male veterans. It is this sense of responsibility to the world. I think that women entrepreneurs just have a more holistic approach, and I think that’s a good thing, but perfectionism also really, really gets in our way, because it can feel like you need to do a business perfectly, but there’s only one right way to do things. You’ve got to let go of that. The other side of the coin is that we get together and we support each other, and men don’t have that in the same way.

Besides Combat Canines and your coaching business, what are you focusing on right now?

I’m in the final throes of (writing) a book called “Mission, Tribe and Grace: How veterans can act to lead change,” (and) I’m just finishing up an ArtPrize project by the same name.

My project is black and white photos of veterans in uniform with a QR code where you can listen to an interview of them talking about what mission meant to them in the military and what it means now, what tribe meant in the military and what it means now, and what grace or resilience meant in the military and what it means now. And the book sort of follows that same concept and ideas.

I believe that veterans are our biggest untapped resource when it comes to social impact in this country. We are so driven by mission. We know what it means to be part of a tribe, but the part that’s missing is grace. So many of us, not just veterans, we have a really hard time cutting ourselves some slack. If I can teach veterans these things — to leverage the mission and the tribe, and then also learn how to cut themselves some slack — they will be unstoppable. Really my aim is to inspire them to do bigger and better work.

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Jill Hinton Wolfe is a career transition coach and veteran counselor for entrepreneurs.

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