Crain's Grand Rapids Business, October 14, 2024

BAMF Health goes statewide with cancer message

By Mark Sanchez

e dozens of billboards along freeways across Michigan this past summer portrayed a simple message to passing motorists: “Cancer Won’t Wait.”

Grand Rapids-based BAMF Health Inc. is using those three words to create a brand identity and drive consumer awareness for the advanced cancer treatment the rapidly growing medical provider currently is o ering in West Michigan and plans to expand into other markets, including Detroit.

“It’s true brand awareness,” Christine VanTimmeren, marketing and communications manager at the BAMF Health, told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business of the company’s aggressive ad campaigns. “A lot of people don’t even know the

company exists, let alone what we do, and what we do is complicated. It truly was, ‘Hey, there’s this company and we’re called BAMF.’’

e multi-faceted campaign was the rst that BAMF Health ever conducted. Until this year, the company “hadn’t put a whole lot into marketing,” relying on its website, social media and public relations outreach to news media to generate awareness, VanTimmeren said. Following a mid-June launch and running for about three months, the statewide campaign featured more than 60 billboards that were seen by thousands of motorists daily from the Grand Rapids area to Muskegon, north to Traverse City, and in the Kalamazoo,

BAMF Health’s ad campaign, which includes billboards, social media and TV, aims to simplify complex cancer- ghting treatment.

Delta Dental of Michigan is proud to recognize 40 of Grand Rapids’ brightest and best. As the leading dental benefits provider in Michigan, we understand the ties between healthy leadership and healthy communities. Together, we’re building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all.

County pivots to ‘plan B’ for a sustainable business park

bioenergy plant is replaced by South Kent transfer Facility

By Rachel Watson

Kent County officials plan to build a new transfer station to handle solid waste and recyclable material that would result in a substantially smaller waste diversion rate compared to previous estimates for a now-scrapped Sustainable Business Park.

County leaders on Oct. 2 unveiled what they’re describing as “plan B” or “2.0” for broader efforts to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills. Until roughly a year ago, a linchpin to the plan

was a bioenergy plant that would have converted waste into energy and fertilizer byproducts.

“Plan B” follows the cancellation of a development agreement with Anaergia Inc. for the $380 million bioenergy facility at the planned 250-acre Sustainable Business Park adjacent to the South Kent Landfill in Byron Center.

“Our partner for plan 1.0 experienced some pretty severe financial difficulties, and so we needed to develop plan B, which we call 2.0, and basically that will accomplish most of what plan 1.0 would, but

over a longer time frame,” Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg said during a “state of the county” event on Oct. 2.

Anaergia’s bioenergy facility was originally slated to be operational at the Sustainable Business Park by 2027.

The new plan involves wrapping up $45 million in upgrades to the county’s existing Waste-to-Energy Facility at 950 Market Ave. SW in Grand Rapids to ensure it remains a viable alternative to landfilling

Partners establish $50M Kalamazoo venture fund

Plan is to match the capital with guidance and support for entrepreneurs

By Mark Sanchez

The partners behind a new $50 million fund aim to blend investing with social equity to uplift the Kalamazoo area economically.

Over the next decade, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures will invest in startups and Main Street-style small businesses formed and operated by underrepresented entrepreneurs, plus real estate projects focused on affordable and workforce housing.

Four of the partners in Kalamazoo Forward Ventures hail from the same neighborhood on Kalamazoo’s east side. All of the partners have worked in organizations supporting underrepresented individuals who lack access to traditional capital or support.

“That’s why we’re in this space: We want to be a part of fulfilling that need, being a part of (filling) that gap,” said Bobby Hopewell, the former mayor of Kalamazoo and a general partner at Kalama-

zoo Forward Ventures. “As we do this work, it’s our life mission work for all of us and that’s how we end up coming together because we all have that same point of view.”

The venture capital side of the fund will target investments in high-

“We want to bring Kalamazoo to the table and build the ecosystem alongside Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor and Lansing and Detroit and everywhere else.”

The partners want to embed Kalamazoo in the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem across Michigan and work with other capital investors and entrepreneurial support organizations.

“We want to bring Kalamazoo to the table and build the ecosystem alongside Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor and Lansing and Detroit and everywhere else,” said Daniel Jefferies, managing partner of Kalamazoo Forward Ventures’ VC component.

Craft beer peers pay tribute to co-founder of Jolly Pumpkin

ron Jeffries is remembered as fierce advoca te for the entire industry

By Abby Poirier

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales co-founder Ron Jeffries is being hailed by his peers as a passionate, innovative leader who helped pioneer Michigan’s craft brewing scene into the more than $2 billion economic powerhouse it is today.

Jeffries, whose family announced his passing in a Facebook post Sept. 30, served as a founding member of the Michigan Brewers Guild and co-founded Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in 2004 with his wife, Laurie Jeffries.

“It is with heavy hearts that we remember Ron Jeffries, a loving husband and father, who touched the lives of many with his passion and creativity,” his wife and children stated in a joint Facebook post.

Jeffries started his career in the early 1990s, studying brewing science. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he snagged his first brewing job as assistant to Grizzly Peak Brewing Company’s head brewer, Greg

Burke, in the mid-1990s.

During the decade, he also brewed at the former Arena Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids. By the late 1990s, Jeffries took on a corporate brewing role at Mission Restaurant Group, which later managed Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, a brewer of sour and wild ales.

“I had known Ron since the mid-1990s, as I crossed paths with him numerous times early in my career,” David Ringler, owner of Cedar Springs Brewing Co. and Grand Rapids-based Küsterer Brauhaus, said in an email to Crain’s Grand Rapids Business. “I was always struck by his intelligence and passion for the craft. He was always thoughtful and focused on pushing the boundaries of what our culture could be.”

In 1998, Jeffries was a founding board member of the Michigan Brewers Guild and served five terms in total at the organization. Scott Graham, executive director of the Michigan Brewers Guild, noted in an email that Jeffries contributed to the Michigan beer community in “innumerable ways” during his “long and distinguished career.”

“Ron was a pioneer and visionary both in Michigan and nationally as a brewer of sour

growth startups and match the capital with guidance and support for entrepreneurs through business coaching, mentorship, networking and financial education.

“I like to think of that anchor metaphor. We’re really anchored here. This is our place, we love this place, we’re going support companies in this place,” said Jeffries, an angel investor and founder of information technology services firm Newmind Group Inc.

“It’s about being anchored first

The partners in Kalamazoo Forward Ventures are, from left, Eric Cunningham, Eric Wimbley, Von Washington Jr., Dwayne Powell Jr., Bobby Hopewell and Jamauri Bogan. Not pictured: Daniel Jefferies. | cOUrteSY PHOtO

Daniel Jefferies, managing partner of Kalamazoo Forward Ventures’ VC component

The new plan involves wrapping up $45 million in upgrades to the county’s existing Waste-to-Energy Facility at 950 Market Ave. SW in Grand Rapids to ensure it remains a viable alternative to landfilling through 2039. cOUrteSY OF KeNt cOUNtY

Ron Jeffries co-founded Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in 2004, pioneering wild and sour ales. | cOUrteSY MISSION reStAUrANt GrOUP

Medical device startup Reel Free looks to scale up

By Elizabeth Schanz

Two years ago, brothers Austin and Alexander Pollock were spending time with their grandfather when they witnessed him trip over his oxygen device tubing that was piled on the floor, an incident that sent him to the hospital.

The accident spurred the Pollock brothers to find a solution for their grandfather and others experiencing challenges associated with unwieldy oxygen therapy tubing.

Following the recovery, the duo developed prototypes — many tested by their grandfather — and formed Reel Free LLC, a startup focused on tubing management systems that help increase independence for supplemental oxygen users. The founders say the technology could prevent up to 500,000 falls a year, based on total fall data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the company is in a pre-revenue stage, the Grand Rapids-based Reel Free is establishing its presence in the medical equipment industry through fundraising efforts that will help the company move into its initial inventory manufacturing and product sales.

Through testing and development, the Pollocks created the Reelmate Remote device, which allows users to move freely in their living area by automatically unreeling and retracting oxygen tubing as they move, helping to reduce tripping hazards.

“Our Reelmate Remote is intended for in-home use. It’s an accessory to the oxygen concentrator. So what this looks like is independent living, assisted living and long-term care communities,” Austin Pollock said of the technology’s application. “It’s a medical device that manages 50 feet of oxygen tubing with a one-button, wearable remote mitigating up to

half a million falls every year.”

More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. use supplemental oxygen, and tubing represents a known tripping hazard, according to a 2018 report by the American Thoracic Society. Experts recommend keeping oxygen tubing under 50 feet in length and to make tubing highly visible to avoid falls.

Reel Free markets the product to oxygen users who could find more independence by using it, as well as caregivers who could reduce time and effort for set up and more easily maintain and replace the tubing. The product will be sold for about $300 a piece, Pollock said.

Reel Free’s focus this year has been on fundraising in three ways: pitch competitions, grants and private angel investment. The company has raised about $100,000 through non-dilutive funding like competitions and grants, and about $200,000 overall. The company is in a seed funding round to help prepare for com-

mercialization in 2025. Pollock declined to disclose the details of the round.

The company recently got a $20,000 funding boost during Start Garden’s Demo Day. Held last month in downtown Grand Rapids as part of Tech Week, Demo Day involved 100 entrepreneurs

“Our

achieve that yet.”

Reel Free is in the pre-revenue stage but aims for $400,000 in revenue in 2025 and $1 million in 2026.

The journey to starting Reel Free was supported by early resources from Michigan State University, where Austin Pollock graduated in

Reelmate Remote is intended for in-home use. It’s an accessory to the oxygen concentrator. So what this looks like is independent living, assisted living and long-term care communities.”

Austin Pollock, co-founder, Reel Free

presenting their ideas to judges who determined the top 10 pitches that were each awarded $20,000. Reel Free was among the winners.

“The $20,000 is huge,” Austin Pollock said. “It’s going toward our initial inventory and manufacturing run to be able to sell the first units in the fourth quarter. So without it, we wouldn’t be able to

2022 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and Alexander Pollock currently attends as a human biology major intending to graduate this December. The Pollocks joined MSU’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which helps students develop new ventures. While continuing to develop

Reel Free, the Pollocks took part in a couple of business accelerators, including the National Science Foundation’s I-Corp, an academic structure to learn how to get a medical device to market.

In fall 2023, they completed the Conquer Accelerator program through MSU’s research foundation in Grand Rapids that provides resources and information for businesses to “rapidly scale and conquer in a competitive marketplace.”

The Pollocks continue to maintain a strong relationship with MSU as momentum picks up for Reel Free, which was named the 2024 Student Startup of the Year by the university.

Additionally, the company is based on Grand Rapids’ medical mile in a startup incubator called “The Bridge” in the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building. Launched in March 2023, The Bridge is part of a partnership between MSU Research Foundation subsidiary Spartan Innovations and Health Innovations.

The hub aims to provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to grow in Grand Rapids’ startup ecosystem with opportunities in capital investment and connection to distribution channels.

The spot also was an ideal location for the Pollock brothers, who were born and raised in Grand Rapids, to scale their business.

“We’re looking to understand the best way to get our product in as many hands as possible and make it affordable. Reel Free started by solving a solution to our grandfather’s needs and pain points,” Austin Pollock said. “Without the interest and help from the very beginning, we wouldn’t be here right now. So we want to help people like my grandfather, and to do that, we need to identify the best distribution and logistics to make that happen.”

Amway promotes 30-year company veteran to CEO

By Mark Sanchez

Ada-based direct selling giant Amway Corp. named Michael Nelson as president and CEO, effective immediately.

Nelson, who has more than 30 years of experience at Amway in a variety of executive positions, succeeds Milind Pant, who had been CEO since January 2019.

“Amway is looking to the future with energy and confidence,” said Steve Van Andel, Amway board co-chair, in an announcement on the leadership transition.

“We’re ready to build on the momentum of recent years, grow from our strengths and answer market needs of today in a way that only we can,” Van Andel said in a statement. “The Board is thrilled to welcome Michael to this crucial position, and we’re certain that he brings exactly what Amway needs to continue leading,

growing and thriving in the industry — now and well into the future.”

Nelson has served in various leadership roles at Amway that include strategy, supply chain, human resources, and technology, as well as other disciplines across the organization.

A follow-up statement from

one understands that better than Michael,” board co-chair Doug DeVos said in a statement.

“He knows who we are, where we can go and how we can get there. Today, that’s especially valuable as Amway pursues a bold and innovative agenda toward growth. We believe Michael is a leader who will honor all

Nelson has served in various leadership roles at Amway that include strategy, supply chain, human resources, and technology, as well as other disciplines across the organization.

Amway said that Nelson’s “experience and depth of Amway knowledge will honor what makes Amway special and drive our growth forward.”

“This business is special, and no

that’s special about Amway and help us grow because of it.”

Nelson takes over at Amway after the direct-selling giant recorded $7.7 billion in sales for 2023, a 5% decline from the prior year. The

company said the decline stemmed from the strength of the U.S. dollar and the continued effects from ceasing its operations in Russia in 2022.

The results mark the second straight year of declining sales for Amway, after generating revenues of $8.1 billion in 2022 and $8.9 billion in 2021. The company’s revenues peaked at $11.8 billion in 2013.

Amway also has been undertaking a major $127.6 million expansion in its hometown that it expects will create 260 high-paying new jobs in manufacturing and research and development.

In the announcement, Nelson said he was “honored and grateful to Doug, Steve and the rest of the Board for the opportunity to help guide this remarkable organization in our shared purpose.”

“It’s a mission that’s been close to my heart for more than 30 years, and I look forward to partnering

with the Board, my colleagues and Amway business owners to build on the legacy and success of the last 65 years,” Nelson said. “There’s tremendous potential and an even brighter future ahead.”

Nelson serves as a board member for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Club of Grand Rapids, The Right Place Inc., and the West Michigan Regional Air Alliance. Amway employs nearly 3,500 people in Ada and 14,000 globally. The announcement did not specify why Pant left the company. Van Andel credited Pant’s actions that “steered us through global challenges and sharpened our business strategy. Today, we’re well positioned to continue leading and growing in the health and well-being industry.”

Pant was the first non-family member to run Amway since its founding in 1959. Nelson is now the second.

Brothers Austin, left, and Alexander Pollock started Reel Free, which supports oxygen device users. PHOtO COURtESY REEL FREE

Michael Nelson

Funding falling into place for $175M soccer stadium

By Kate Carlson for the Acrisure Amphitheater.

The $175 million soccer stadium under development by Grand Action 2.0 is nearing its funding targets from both public and private sources, after a local entertainment authority signed off on an additional $5 million for the project that’s also expected to get a lead private donor soon.

The Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority (CAA) Board voted Oct. 4 to approve a fiscal year 2025 capital budget amendment that includes a $5 million contribution to the soccer stadium planned on surface parking lots just west of U.S. 131. The CAA also committed $5 million to Grand Action 2.0’s Acrisure Amphitheater, which has already broken ground along the Grand River just south of downtown.

“Certainly it’s an important piece of the public funding component that is needed,” said Kara Wood, executive director of Grand Action 2.0, which is simultaneously developing both projects.

The public funding for the soccer stadium also includes portions of a state-approved $252 million Transformational Brownfield Plan incentive package, which encompasses the stadium, Acrisure Amphitheater and two mixed-use projects conceptually proposed next to both venues.

The last piece of the public funds for the soccer stadium will come from the Kent County lodging excise tax, Wood said. Voters in Kent County approved a ballot proposal in the Aug. 6 election to increase the countywide tax on hotel and motel stays from 5% to 8% to generate funds that could go toward constructing both venues

The Kent County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with the city of Grand Rapids to use lodging tax revenue to cover principal and interest payments on a $27.5 million bond to build the amphitheater in August. A similar request for funding for the soccer stadium is expected to go before the county board in early November, Wood said.

The stadium is expected to be built with $115 million in public funding and $60 million in private donations. So far, $15.3 million has been committed in private donations for the stadium, though Grand Action also plans to soon announce a lead donor for the project, Wood told Crain’s.

The announcement of a lead donor was initially scheduled for Oct. 1, though organizers postponed the event “due to unforeseen circumstances.” That announcement is now expected to come next month, Wood said.

“We’ve had significant interest, and are very close to making an announcement,” Wood said.

The soccer stadium would be built on surface parking lots north of Pearl Street just west of U.S. 131. Site work is slated to begin in spring 2025, Wood said.

The CAA budget amendment also included $2 million for the CAA to set up a reserve fund to repay bonds expected to be issued by the city of Grand Rapids for $30.5 million to finance a 340-space parking structure

The parking deck could also be expanded in the future by a private developer of the adjacent mixeduse project planned next to the amphitheater.

“We are hoping for additional developments and more parking being built on top. It’s been a very mindful (approach) with the future,” said Rich MacKeigan, regional manager of ASM Global who serves as the general manager of Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall.

MacKeigan was referring to how Grand Action 2.0, the developer of

the amphitheater and soccer stadium, has also conceptually proposed mixed-use projects next to both venues.

The developers have yet to be identified for each project, but Grand Action 2.0 plans to put out a request for proposals for the project adjacent to the amphitheater before the end of this year, Wood said.

The amphitheater’s adjacent mixed-use project would include an approximately 475,207-squarefoot apartment building with 475 residential units and a six-story parking garage, according to conceptual plans.

Seamless All-In-One Solutions

A rendering of Grand Action 2.0’s soccer stadium, looking northwest from the intersection of Pearl and Mount Vernon. PrOGreSSIVe cOMPANIeS

Luxury Saugatuck home in NFL star’s lakefront neighborhood lists for nearly $3M

By Rachel Watson

A home in a once-controversial luxury housing development in the Lake Michigan dunes of Saugatuck is on the market for nearly $3 million.

Ted and Jackie Simpkins listed the home they built in 2017 on one of the non-waterfront lots of the gated development known as Dunegrass, the Preserve at the Lakeshore, for $2.95 million on Aug. 31. Realtor Andrea Crossman, of Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt in Holland, has the listing.

The 3,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bathroom home comprises three stories on a roughly half-acre wooded lot.

Though the property is not directly on Lake Michigan, it shares 100 feet of waterfront access with other Dunegrass homes via a wood chip footpath and a 100step wooden staircase that leads down to a private beach.

Dunegrass residents have access to a tennis court, as well as hiking and biking trails in a nearly 50-acre nature preserve.

“A lot of (the appeal) is just the beauty of the area and its proximity to Chicago,” Crossman said of the listing.

History of the property

The Dunegrass development is on the site of the former 130-acre Camp Gray, which was built around 1900 a half-mile south of Oval Beach and acquired by the Presbytery of Chicago in 1921. The church sold the former camp to Paulus Heule in 2014 to pay off debts stemming from the settle-

opment after a 2012 amendment to the Sand Dune Protection and Management Act made it easier to build in those areas.

Heule and Barker received state and city approvals for the Dunegrass development and donated 50 acres of the non-waterfront, forested dunes area to the Land Conservancy of West Michigan for a nature preserve in 2015.

In 2016, they began selling the residential lots that today comprise Dunegrass. Nine lots ranging from about 2 to 5 acres each were parceled up as prime beachfront opportunities, and 12 were split into smaller forested lots with lake access.

Notably, NFL quarterback and Holland native Kirk Cousins bought one of the beach parcels and built a large three-story home into the side of the dune in 2017, according to past media reports. He’s one of six property owners to have built a beachfront home in Dunegrass, though all nine lots have been sold, according to Barker.

The Simpkins bought their lot for $185,500 in 2016. They were the third family to build a home in the community, they recalled. Heule has since sold all of the lots except one, which he has taken off the market.

‘Organic modern’ design

Jackie Simpkins partnered with Brian Barkwell, of Grand Rapids-based Via Design, to design the home, which she describes as “organic modern” based on features like the Brazilian teak hardwood floors on two levels, clean lines, an inset contemporary fireplace and waterfall quartz countertops. They hired Grand Rapids Township-based Mosaic Properties as the builder.

The 3,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, fourbathroom home comprises three stories on a roughly half-acre wooded lot.

ment of a sex-abuse case.

Heule, CEO of Grand Rapids-based real estate firm Eenhoorn LLC, paid $10 million for the property in support of his and residential developer Dave Barker’s plans for the Dunegrass community.

Neighbors at the time opposed the development, which they said would destroy critical dunes habitat and the area’s natural beauty, per local media reports from 2014. Meanwhile, state Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, and Rep. Joey Andrews, D-St. Joseph, are currently working on legislation that would protect Michigan’s coastal dunes from further devel-

“I’d always wanted to build,” Jackie Simpkins said. “We raised our family in south Holland. We looked for property for a very long time but could never find something that would work for what we were looking for.”

Jackie Simpkins happened to be visiting a house on nearby Park Street one day and heard construction noises. After her meeting, she drove to the property uphill and was stunned by the gorgeous forested setting.

“I wrote the developer a check for a down payment, and I told my husband, ‘I found us a place to build our home,’” she said, chuckling.

Three floors of space

The Simpkins originally wanted a ranch-style home but learned

they would need to use the same footprint as the foundation of the old camp caretaker’s cottage that used to be on the site, based on environmental permit restrictions related to the property’s topography. So, they built upward instead.

The pair said they’re happy with the indoor-outdoor feel that resulted, with two levels of adjoined decks and floor-to-ceiling windows on the back.

“It lives very cohesively with nature,” Jackie Simpkins said. “When you’re in our great room or office, these areas sit like a treehouse, and you feel like you’re one with nature. But the front of the house has a high degree of privacy, which was important to me. … When we’re in our home, we feel very secluded, even though it’s in a community.”

The home’s main living spaces — kitchen, great room and dining room — are on the top floor of the house, along with a guest bath, the primary suite and an office.

The upper deck is accessible from the great room and the primary bedroom via sliding doors.

The basement level offers one bed and one bath, a rec room, gym and storage.

The middle level features the main entry and a foyer with a mural by the couple’s daughter, artist Audrey Ferris. It also offers garage access, two more bedrooms, a bathroom, media room, laundry room and a glass-fronted Harvia brand indoor sauna.

Another deck adjoins the media room and laundry room and features an outdoor shower for cleaning off sandy feet before entering the laundry area.

The home showcases contemporary amenities like a linear gas fireplace, zoned heating and cooling, LED lighting, high-end appliances, a pantry with floating shelving and wine storage, a whole house generator, fire suppression and a Sonos smart speaker system.

Ted Simpkins, a financial adviser with Edward Jones, said he and his wife and their adult children and grandchildren were happy with the home for seven years but are ready to move on. He said he’s excited for the next owner to benefit from his wife’s tastes.

“It just lives very conveniently,” he said of the home’s layout and amenities. “There’s nothing here you don’t need and everything you do. It’s just very compact and simple, very sophisticated and elegant at the same time.”

This home in the gated Dunegrass community in the dunes of Saugatuck is listed for $2.95 million. ANDREA CROSSMAN GROUP

UNDER

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business is excited to announce the latest class of 40 Under 40.

this year’s crop of emerging leaders from around West Michigan showcases the grit, resolve and intellect needed to help propel their companies and the region’s economy forward in the coming years. In short: the future looks bright with these current and future leaders at the helm. each honoree was nominated by their colleagues or peers and selected in a rigorous vetting process led by the crain’s Grand rapids business editorial team. the class includes business owners and founders, managers, partners, c-suite executives and directors, many of whom are sure to be making headlines for years to come.

It’s important to note that unlike preceding iterations of this program, crain’s 40 Under 40 is a one-time honor. It’s our mission to identify and celebrate a new group of 40 inspiring young leaders under age 40 to celebrate each year.

Get to know the 2024 class here and at a special event from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on thursday, Oct. 17, at the JW Marriott Hotel in downtown Grand rapids.

For more information or to register, visit crainsgrandrapids.com.

Photography by Justin Razmus

Lance Aiken, 38

General superintendent Miller-Davis co.

Working his way up to the general superintendent role at Miller-Davis Co. is Lance Aiken’s biggest professional achievement over the years, as he is able to influence how each job runs and can mentor project engineers.

Aiken has been at the Kalamazoo-based construction management and general contracting firm since 2019. Aiken, whose dad was an electrician, grew up around construction, and appreciates having “a new challenge all the time,” on the job, he said.

“I love working for Miller-Davis, so my main goal is helping us grow and making it so there are multiple of my positions,” Aiken said. “That’s really my goal in the industry right now.”

Aiken added that technology is the biggest factor driving collaboration on a job site. He has helped advance the company’s project management system from a pen-and-paper system to one that is completely technology-based.

“I grew up with technology a little bit to now having it at the palm of your hand all the time. It’s a change and it’s still out there on job sites,” Aiken said. “College graduates are coming up right now in the trades that use technology every day and all the time, so trying to work between generations on the job site is something we deal with, too.”

Professionally, Aiken said he is proud of his ability to mentor the next generation and help them advance in their own careers in construction and the trades.

“I greatly enjoy helping newcomers to this industry gain the experience and confidence needed to work independently and eventually lead the next generation in the construction field,” he said. “If you’re not training your replacement, you’re training to fail.”

— Kate Carlson

Shaq Anthony, 30

Lead organizational development specialist

Corewell Health

As an organizational development specialist at Corewell Health, Shaq Anthony leads strategy for culture and connects how internal culture affects the health system’s external reputation as a place to work.

That’s a tall job, given that Grand Rapids-based Corewell Health employs more than 60,000 people across Michigan as the largest in-state health system.

“I love the work that I do. I love how it is an internal focus, but it has so much impact externally because if we don’t create a great team and experience internally, then the patients and the people we serve, they don’t have a great patient experience,” Anthony said. “I understand that the work I do is much bigger than myself.”

Anthony has been in his present role with Corewell since January. Previously, he spent a year with the health system, then known as Spectrum Health, as a senior talent program specialist from 2020 to 2021.

In between, he worked for a year as senior talent engagement specialist at SpartanNash Co. and as director of strategic partnerships at Calvin University. At Calvin, he created and implemented the 49507 Initiative that focused on making education accessible, equitable, and affordable for residents within the 49507 ZIP code in Grand Rapids and surrounding areas. He lives in the 49507 neighborhood.

“This initiative was my brainchild, and it has been a joy to witness the many community members impacted by the work,” Anthony said. “As a result, Calvin University has undergone significant culture shifts to remove as many barriers as possible to education and is launching the Wayfinder Program this summer.”

The new program offers adults free college courses in art history, philosophy, literature, U.S. history, critical thinking and writing.

Anthony considers the 49507 Initiative his biggest career achievement to date “because of the impact that it has on the inner city of Grand Rapids and the residents from neighborhoods and areas that are marginalized.”

Anthony is a Muskegon Heights native who came from a “very close-knit family” that he credits for his success, especially his mother, Carol Thompson. He holds a doctorate in education in organizational leadership and development and a master’s in organizational leadership, both from Cornerstone University. He earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Western Michigan University. He serves on the boards at Better Wiser Stronger, Dwelling Place, and New Development Corp.

Mark Sanchez

Katie Arens, 39

Vice president of customer access, Life EMS Ambulance

Katie Arens started working at Life EMS Ambulance in 2008 as a customer service representative. She has since advanced in her career to leadership positions, from billing office supervisor to director of billing, and later to her present position as vice president of customer access. In that role, Arens since 2021 has led operations at Life EMS’s control and dispatch center, customer billing, and mobile health solutions that work to help aging clients remain living in their homes.

A Fennville native and Jenison resident who holds a degree in health and health care administration and management from Ferris State University, Arens calls the role at Life EMS a “very humbling position” that “gives back in so many ways.”

“We’re part of people’s worst moments of their lives and that is such a humbling and privileged experience, and we don’t take that lightly. We truly live by skill and compassion when people need it most,” she said.

Among the professional achievements she cites was her appointment to the American Ambulance Association Ambulance Cost Education Faculty. In that role, she traveled the U.S. to provide training to EMS operators on how to report data to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that’s used to establish reimbursement rates.

Connecting with peers across the country and hearing their stories, especially from the small operators, “really opened up my eyes to EMS as a whole and continued to just increase what I would consider my full field of vision to ensure that I’m adequately fulfilling my role.”

The mother of two daughters who she calls the “most significant influence in my life,” Arens said that every decision she makes, “whether professional or personal, is confidently made with the sole purpose of ensuring they can experience their lives in a safer and kinder environment.”

Mark Sanchez

Congratulations to these Lakers named to the Crain’s Grand Rapids Business “40 Under 40” business leaders list. We’re proud to be a major supplier of West Michigan’s talent pipeline, and that the positive impact of our students and graduates is far reaching.

Elise Bassi Igoe

Elissa Berger

Lulu Brown

Julie Burrell

Rory Charron

Tiffany Clark

Benjamin Cochran

Gregg Hampshire

Marcus Keech

Salvador Lopez

Kevin Miller

Marissa Morford

Justin Noordeloos

Elisa Perez-Arellano

Kristin Rahn-Tiemeyer

Andria Romkema

Erika Weiss

Layla Aslani, 38

Planning project manager, City of Grand Rapids

The city of Grand Rapids is in the process of adopting a new master plan that will help guide city planning and development for the next 20 years, and Layla Aslani has been a driving force behind the project.

Aslani serves as planning project manager for the city of Grand Rapids, and project manager of the new master plan, which started in 2020. Releasing the draft plan to the public this summer is among Aslani’s biggest career wins, she said. Her interest in urban planning stems from her upbringing in Hancock, in the northwestern Upper Peninsula, which was “incredibly walkable with a good connection to nature — things we strive for in any sized city.” As well, Aslani’s father is a civil engineer and her mother is a retired social worker.

“Urban planning is a combination of those two fields, and how the built environment influences people’s lives,” she said.

The biggest influences in Aslani’s life were her late maternal grandparents, who were small farmers in the Upper Peninsula and gave her a “strong interest in environmental sustainability and keeping our rural areas rural by limiting urban sprawl.”

She also credits the Finnish side of her family with instilling a strong work ethic, or “sisu,” a term to describe inner strength and determination in the face of adversity.

In addition to her work at the city, Aslani has long been involved with the Michigan Association of Planning and also volunteers as a dog transporter and foster with Golden Retriever Rescue of Michigan and plants trees with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks.

In her free time, she enjoys a variety of outdoor recreation activities, gardening, and “being outside as much as possible.”

— Andy Balaskovitz

Elisa Berger, 35

Vice president, Charter Capital Partners

Elisa Berger started working at Charter Capital Partners 12 years ago as an intern after graduating from Grand Valley State University. She had switched her degree from engineering to finance in her senior year and needed a business-related internship. A professor connected her with Charter Capital Managing Partner and President John Kerschen.

After completing the internship, the Grand Rapids investment banking and M&A firm hired her as a financial analyst. Today, Berger serves as a vice president, leading a transaction team selling middle-market client businesses.

Oftentimes, the role involves working with family-owned businesses that are selling.

“It’s a big deal to these people. You’re able to see the result of helping someone exit a business that’s extremely important to them and their family,” Berger said. Personally, Berger says family “holds the utmost influence in my life, shaping my values and aspirations.”

“Growing up with dual working parents instilled in me a deep appreciation for hard work and resilience. Today, as a professional balancing career and family, my husband and son are my primary sources of motivation,” she said. “Their unwavering support fuels my determination to excel in both realms, driving me to contribute meaningfully at work while nurturing a loving and supportive home environment.”

Berger volunteers with Association for Corporate Growth Western Michigan Chapter, where she’s been a board member for eight years and has led the chapter’s NextGen committee for several years. She’s also involved with 100 Businesses that Care, a group of West Michigan-based companies that donate to select charities twice a year. — Mark Sanchez

Elise Bassi Igoe, 34

Development manager, Rockford Construction Inc.

Elise Bassi Igoe started her career in property management at prominent mixed-use developments in Grand Rapids, and hopes to develop projects of her own in the future.

Bassi Igoe has been at Rockford Construction for the past eight years, and pivoted from property management to commercial real estate development about three years ago. She wanted to take on a new challenge, but it was also an opportunity to be a “trailblazer in development, especially as a woman in a male-dominated industry,” Bassi Igoe said.

“I would like to be a developer one day and be more at the front end of that,” she said. “With Grand Rapids expanding, I know there will be more opportunities to do that. I really like commercial projects but with my background in multifamily, I’d like to round my development back into mixed-use.”

Recent projects that Bassi Igoe has worked on include attracting luxury goods retailer Shinola to a downtown Grand Rapids storefront owned by Rockford Construction. The Detroit-based watch and leather goods manufacturer’s move into the location was considered a major win by local business and city leaders.

“I manage the commercial leasing part of it, so really I’m on the front lines and we want anybody that comes in to be successful,” Bassi Igoe said.

Throughout her career, Bassi Igoe said she has learned to “be resilient and anticipate what it takes to have a seat at the table.”

Bassi Igoe is a member of the West Michigan chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network and previously served on the board of the Inforum Next Gen Advisory Council.

— Kate Carlson

Lulu Brown, 33

Regional manager

Kent District Library

As the regional manager overseeing the Cascade and Caledonia branches of Kent District Library, Lulu Brown aims to cultivate a space that benefits and gives back to the community.

Growing up in Battle Creek, Brown was an avid reader and library attendee who often asked for books during the holidays. However, Brown did not always envision a career in library management.

Initially, Brown wanted to be a doctor when she enrolled at Grand Valley State University as the first person in her family to go away for college, she said.

However, Brown quickly realized the field was not for her when she was tasked with doing a dissection in class. Wanting to serve people in different way, she changed her major to nonprofit management and public administration.

After graduating in 2013, Brown worked in retail and volunteered in her free time. While working in retail, a Kent District Library employee noticed how she was coaching a team member and asked Brown if she had thought about working in the library.

“I just wanted to do something that felt more than transactional and that wasn’t

just tied to our profit margins,” Brown said. “I really got to understand what KDL was doing and I’m like, ‘I can get behind this.’” Brown joined the library team in May 2021. During her tenure with the library, programs have expanded and more books have been checked out, she said.

Additionally, Kent District Library secured $1.7 million from private donors to create Friendship Park, a 3.5-acre multi-use space at the Cascade branch that Brown feels is one of her biggest career successes. The park was officially dedicated on June 29 after seven months of development.

— Elizabeth Schanz

Stephanie Brown, 34

Pediatric dentist

Smile Dental Partners

Stephanie Brown is changing the lives of children one smile at a time.

A pediatric dentist at dental care group Smile Dental Partners, Brown cares for between 80 and 150 patients per week at various locations in West Michigan.

Her workdays are filled with performing various exams and procedures, including fillings, crowns and extractions, while offering consultations to parents.

Brown has grown into a career that she eagerly pursued after going on a dental mission trip in Jamaica.

“This trip for me was one of a kind because it was where I solidified my interest in pediatric dentistry,” she said. “It also warmed my heart with a continued desire to serve mankind.”

After graduating and completing her training at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Doral, Fla., Brown slowly developed the confidence she needed to take control of her career.

“When you are in school or training programs, typically you have an instructor to lean on,” she said. “Once you no longer have an instructor by your side telling you how to do things or someone to guide you, it is a transition of growth. A good one, but it can take a minute to get comfortable and confident.”

Now, Brown is not only excelling in her career, but she is also using her expertise to help her broader community.

Brown is the vice president of Grand Rapids Young Professionals, an organization that provides young leaders from a variety of professions the opportunity to network through various events. She is also a member of the Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the West Michigan Dental Society.

— Danielle Nelson

Justine Bryant, 32

Assistant professor

Grand Rapids Community College; owner, Access to ASL

Justine Bryant aims to raise awareness about the Deaf community through education, resources and communication.

Bryant, the owner of interpretation firm Access to ASL and an assistant professor at Grand Rapids Community College, said career success wouldn’t have been possible without the local Deaf community and the mentors who have been a “cornerstone in her life’s journey.”

“It’s those inequities that I’ve seen between the hearing world and the Deaf world that inspire me to make sure that there’s less of a gap, if not total equity, between these communities,” Bryant said.

Bryant’s interest in ASL started while volunteering in high school at a checkin table and was approached by deaf person. After facing a communication barrier, she was inspired to learn sign language and get involved in the Deaf community.

Bryant enrolled in ASL classes at GRCC and fell in love with it. She went on to become a national certified ASL interpreter and has been a professor at GRCC for six years

As an assistant professor, Bryant grew GRCC’s ASL program by increasing course enrollment by nearly 20%, establishing a partnership for credit transfer between GRCC to Lansing Community College, and conducting high school outreach to promote dual enrollment.

Additionally, Bryant helped the ASL One course count as a general education course rather than an elective. This fall semester, all four sections are full with about 108 students enrolled across the sections.

Outside of the college, Bryant is working with her longterm mentor, Rowan O’Dougherty, a GRCC colleague and one of her first deaf professors who recruited her to teach at GRCC, to further promote ASL resources in Grand Rapids. Bryant and O’Dougherty are creating training videos to help law enforcement and emergency services better interact with and serve people with hearing loss.

“We have been seeing some issues within the Deaf community of not being able to communicate with police and what happens, and there’s a fear that’s associated with that,” Bryant said. “(The training videos aim) to alleviate some of that stress within the Deaf community, but also to educate our local officers so they know how to best work with somebody who does have hearing loss.”

— Elizabeth Schanz

Julie Burrell, 39

Senior economic development director, the Right Place Inc.

Julie Burrell prides herself in growing up in a rural community and choosing to build her life and career there by helping attract and retain businesses in Newaygo County.

Burrell works as the senior economic development director serving Newaygo County for The Right Place, where she provides business support services to companies, focusing on business retention and attraction.

“It’s a little easier to see the direct impact you’re making, just being able to provide the expertise and technical assistance,” Burrell said. “In a larger area it can be a little more difficult to see that direct impact.”

Her work “encompasses the passion needed” to ensure rural communities are places where people want to live and work,

Burrell added.

Burrell’s biggest career win in recent years was working with site selectors to ensure Gerber Products invested $36 million at its Fremont facility, she said. The company has since added more than 100 jobs and made additional investments.

“I am proud of the work I do every single day ensuring our region thrives, people have living wages at local companies, and students have ample opportunities to learn about careers and make connections with local employers,” Burrell said.

While Burrell is happy in her role at The Right Place and the work she is doing, she hopes to eventually move to a senior leadership role doing work more focused on community development, she said.

— Kate Carlson

Rory Charron, 31 Partner

Chief operating officer

Parkland Properties

Rory Charron used to drive by the former Sappi paper mill site on Muskegon Lake when he was younger — now he is part of the development team working to repurpose the sprawling contaminated site into housing.

Charron started learning about real estate at an early age and got hands-on experience through his father, who is a real estate attorney in West Michigan, before joining Muskegon-based Parkland Properties in May 2015. The development firm is active throughout West Michigan, with multiple high-profile projects in the planning and early development process in Muskegon.

“It’s definitely been a unique, incredible experience, immediately getting exposed to some of the larger projects going on,” Charron said. “There are a lot of learning curves and some of the stuff we’re doing has not been done before.”

Parkland’s larger redevelopment projects at the Shaw Walker building and Sappi Paper Mill site, especially, have required Charron to collaborate with state agencies, politicians and other professionals across the state to pull together the complex, large-scale deals, he said.

“It’s really rewarding to be part of projects that will have long-term impacts on communities,” Charron said. “For the most part, a lot of people are really supportive of what we’re doing and understand the complexity of what we’re trying to do, which takes a unique skill set. What we try to put a big emphasis on is being forthcoming and transparent and trying to understand other people’s perspectives.”

During his time at Parkland, the firm has grown from 150 to 250 employees and completed multiple large-scale housing, marina, office and hotel projects across West Michigan. — Kate Carlson

Ashley Chrysler, 34

Warner Norcross + Judd LLP

Making the practice of law a more inviting and inclusive space for young attorneys is a driving force behind Ashley Chrysler’s work as partner at one of the largest firms in Grand Rapids.

In addition to volunteer mentoring junior associates at Warner Norcross + Judd, Chrysler also has served on committees at the firm that have led to policy changes such as increased parental leave time and expanded mental health resources.

Those efforts are driven by her own experience, she said.

“I do a lot of environmental and development litigation in my practice, and I often end up being one of the only women in the room with a lot of older men,” Chrysler said. “Throughout my experiences doing that, it just made me realize that the industry of law has a long way to go in having equal representation for lots of different kinds of folks.”

As for case work, Chrysler particularly enjoys large projects with several moving pieces that require working with clients for long periods of time. A professional accomplishment she’s most proud of involved successfully representing the world’s largest renewable energy developer in a $120

million, 150 megawatt wind project in Michigan.

“Being a woman in this industry is particularly difficult, but I, along with my team, was successfully able to overcome numerous, multi-year challenges from anti-renewable groups and municipal authorities, resulting in the project’s successful construction and commissioning,” Chrysler said. — Andy Balaskovitz

Tiffany Clarke, 37

CEO, Igneous Consulting

Tiffany Clarke has built a career around increasing resources for people helping underserved groups in West Michigan.

Clarke worked at nonprofits including AYA Youth Collective, Bethany Christian Services, the Grand Rapids Center for Community Transformation and Covenant House Michigan before hanging up her own shingle as a grant writer via Igneous Consulting in November 2022.

She said she is proud of winning multimillion-dollar grants for organizations that are making a difference.

“This city is full of incredible people, and being able to (help) their great work come to fruition is exciting and a pretty notable accomplishment,” Clarke said.

Clarke has experience in grantmaking, program design and fiscal oversight. She has brought in more than $50 million in private, corporate and government grant awards to nonprofits in Kent County that serve populations including youth experiencing housing instability, urban students in 1st through 8th grades, children from birth through age 5, and recently resettled refugees.

A first-generation college graduate and Hispanic American, Clarke holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology and a master’s degree in social work, both from Grand Valley State University, and she is a licensed master social worker. She also taught advanced social work classes to GVSU graduate students between 2014 and 2018.

Clarke currently co-chairs the Grant Writers Roundtable of Grand Rapids and the Kent County School-Justice Partnership and is a member of the Kent County Coalition for Children and Families. She also volunteers for Positive Impact for Life, which provides after-school tutoring and mental health services free of charge. — Rachel Watson

Jaci Cooper,

34

Director of projects and planning, Kent District Library

Jaci Cooper is a transformative leader at Kent District Library (KDL), helping to bring national recognition to the organization through her position as director of projects and planning.

With 20 branches, KDL was the recipient of the 2024 National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is the highest national honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities.

In 2023, she drafted a winning nomination that awarded KDL the Library Journal’s Jerry Kline Community Impact prize of $250,000.

She created a Project Management Office, a nationally recognized project dashboard, and a data dashboard that details the number of checkouts, library cardholders, visitors, and library computer logins, among other data.

Cooper also created a strategic plan framework and inclusive planning processes, new internal communication mechanisms, and organizational key performance indicators, along with revamping a systemwide play space.

She said her success as the director of projects and planning at KDL stems from her mother instilling in her the importance of education.

“It is such an important time to be a library leader in libraries,” she said. “Between the 2023 Surgeon General’s warning on the loneliness epidemic, the lightning-fast pace of technological advances like AI, and the divisiveness permeating our world, libraries are a crucial solution and one of the last great truly inclusive civic spaces. We serve as an unwavering community anchor in an increasingly disconnected world.”

— Danielle Nelson

Benjamin Cochran, 29

President and CEO, Olvera Enterprises

Benjamin Cochran’s motto is to “work with people, not above them,” a phrase that’s guided his 13-year career from a Subway sandwich maker to president and CEO of Olvera Enterprises, the parent company of West Michigan grocery chain Supermercado Mexico.

Cochran this August was promoted to president and CEO of the company, after nearly four years as general manager of Supermercado Mexico.

Since joining the company in 2021, Cochran has helped grow the Olvera Enterprises team by 57% and nearly doubled the company’s revenue.

He credits his success as a young leader to keeping his team’s well-being first, noting that after more than a decade working in retail, he knows that “the biggest (lesson) is learning how to treat people, and how people want to be treated.”

“One of the biggest components (of leadership) is making sure that you’re meeting people where they’re at, treating people better than you expect to be treated, and (not to) expect anything back out of it,” he said.

He noted that the Olvera family, who founded the company, has been a big part of his growth as a leader by offering the resources and guidance he needed to do his job to the best of his ability.

In turn, he gives credit back to his team, noting that “I am nothing without my team, they are to credit for 99% of anything that’s ever come my way.”

During his time at Olvera Enterprises, another point of pride for Cochran was his introduction and implementation of a new benefits package for Olvera Enterprises employees, including health, dental, vision and life insurance, as well as a matching 401k plan. — Abby Poirier

Brandon Davis, 37 Alexandra Crow, 35

Second vice president, branch officer United bank of Michigan

Alexandra Crow was working as a business manager for Panopoulos Salons when an opportunity arose nearly eight years ago for a job at a bank. A business acquaintance through the Forest Hills Business Association, John Knoppers, a then-branch officer United Bank of Michigan, told her about an opening there as a corporate receptionist. Crow sought and landed the job.

“It was starting out at the same pay I was currently making, and I said, ‘Oh, I had never thought about banking. Let’s take a leap of faith,’ and it was one of the best leaps in my life,” Crow said.

With “grit and determination,” Crow rose from corporate receptionist to branch manager and now her present position where she manages the corporate office on East Paris Avenue and is responsible for bringing in new business and retaining businesses and consumers as clients. She also facilitates home equity lines of credit and consumer and auto loans.

Crow three years ago was selected to develop and present a virtual training session for United Bank branches that became a requirement for new employees in their first three months. This summer, she was chosen

again to create an advanced training session.

That work contributed “to my growth over the last two years as it increased my confidence and showcased my work ethic and desire to learn new things,” Crow said.

A Comstock Park resident, she names her 11-year-old daughter, Marley, as the biggest influence in her life.

Managing director, Office of Oversight and Public Accountability; interim director, Office of equity and engagement for the city of Grand rapids

Brandon Davis says the work he does stands at the crossroads of justice and economic empowerment.

Davis, a Detroit native with a degree from Wayne State University Law School, was hired in August 2019 to lead the city of Grand Rapids’ new Office of Oversight and Public Accountability.

Through that job, as well as his recently added interim role leading the Office of Equity and Engagement, Davis has created programs that advance equity and reduce disparities, like the Clean Slate Expungement and Know Your Rights programs.

“I strive to show her that she can be anything she wants to be by working hard and never giving up. Marley’s growth and development are my responsibility and there is nothing I want more than for her to grow into a strong, independent individual with a servant mindset,” she said. “She’s my biggest cheerleader (and) I love to make her proud.

Mark Sanchez

Charter Capital Partners congratulates

ELISA BERGER

VICE PRESIDENT on being recognized as a CRAIN’S GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS 40 UNDER 40 HONOREE

Congratulations on being recognized as one of the brightest young professionals in the West Michigan community! We are grateful for your leadership, dedication and tenacity in driving our work forward.

“One of the things that I am super proud of is the intersectionality between the justice work we do at the city and the impacts on the lives of community members — socially, economically and professionally,” he said. “Individuals who were once unemployed are now able to obtain employment because they no longer have criminal records. We’ve also seen that their skills have increased just based on the training that they’ve been able to take part in to advance economically and professionally.”

Davis is chair of the Michigan Community Corrections Board, on the board of the Floyd Skinner Bar Association, a member of the National Association for the Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, diversity chair for Muskegon Civic Theatre, where he also is an actor, and a board member for the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute.

He also volunteers with Men of Color Read, serves on the advisory committee for Calvin University’s 49507 Initiative, and is an adjunct instructor at the Calvin Prison Initiative at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia. — Rachel Watson

Brian Dora, 39

Principal, Auxo Investment Partners

Brian Dora was working for Chicago private equity firm JZ Partners years ago when he read a news clipping about Auxo Investment Partners that fellow Muskegon native Jeff Helminski had recently started. Through a mutual connection, Dora reached out, made contact and began getting to know Helminski. After a few years, the connection morphed into a conversation about Dora joining Auxo Investment Partners, which tends to partner with family-owned businesses and holds companies for an extended period.

“The opportunity with Auxo was just something I couldn’t turn down,” said Dora, who joined the Grand Rapids investment firm in 2019. “I had learned a lot about the private equity industry and had some opinions about where I thought people should go from a differentiation standpoint and how to truly make a difference in that industry. Auxo just completely aligned and overlapped how I was thinking about that. So, it was just a no-brainer.”

His move back to Michigan to Grand Rapids coincided with a time that he and his wife, Jenina, were starting a family.

As a principal, Dora leads Auxo’s deal team that handles research, networking, sourcing investment opportunities, and conducting diligence on a deal. He was also involved in raising investments for the $100 million Michigan Opportunity Fund that Auxo closed on in early 2023 and serves on the boards of two portfolio companies.

A University of Michigan Ross School of Business alum with a business degree, Dora has worked in private equity since 2013.

“Every day I learn about a new business, a new industry, a new opportunity, and I do all of this research into different areas of our world and our economy that I just find fascinating,” Dora said. “I get to meet a ton of different types of people, entrepreneurs from all walks of life, and their stories and what they’ve done to build their businesses is truly inspiring. I get caught up in it and just think it’s such a fun and interesting thing to do.”

Mark Sanchez

Gregg Hampshire, 38

Executive director, Creston Neighborhood Association

As a lifelong Grand Rapidian, Gregg Hampshire said he is thrilled to be able to give back by leading community engagement in the city’s largest neighborhood.

After previous roles at the Urban League of West Michigan and Junior Achievement, Hampshire assumed his current role as executive director of the Creston Neighborhood Association in April 2022. The Creston neighborhood is Grand Rapids’ biggest, with 25,000 residents.

Hampshire has been at the helm guiding neighborhood engagement during the addition of major housing projects on Plainfield Avenue, including the 110-unit Lofts on Grove project and 72-unit development The Current.

“Helping guide this equitable growth that is empowering small businesses (and) answering the housing issues so that more folks my age and younger can participate in housing in Grand Rapids has been really fulfilling,” he said.

Hampshire said his proudest achievement so far at CNA is spearheading the “Keep Creston Funky” campaign to boost neighbor and business engagement.

Under his leadership, the association also shattered fundraising records and increased the number of households and businesses supporting the association by 35% and 300%, respectively.

Hampshire serves on the North Quarter Corridor Improvement Authority, the Creston Business Association, the advancement committee for Catherine’s Health Center and the planning committee for Creston Pride Festival. He also is the property manager for the Creston Non-Profit Housing Partnership, which oversees the 12-unit low-income development Carrier Crest Apartments for seniors 55 and older. He also will be a member of the 2025 class of Leadership Grand Rapids, a professional development program of the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. — Rachel Watson

Christopher Khorey, 38 Marcus Keech, 35

Director of government affairs, Grand rapids Area chamber of commerce

In his first year at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, Marcus Keech has helped develop and launch a public-private program that’s garnering national attention for addressing a key challenge in the workforce: child care costs.

Keech said launching the MI Tri-Share program, which splits a worker’s child care costs equally between the state, the employee and their employer, is his proudest professional accomplishment and biggest career win. Now with children ages 1 and 3, the topic of child care costs also has become personal.

“It’s not just a family issue, it’s this huge barrier for the business community,” Keech said. “It’s something we see across the country — it’s not unique to Michigan.”

Keech came to the Grand Rapids Chamber with deep legislative experience as a staffer for multiple state lawmakers in the House and Senate. While he gained experience on a variety of issues — such as natural resources, transportation and corrections — during that time, he found his niche when it came to child care.

While the challenge to lower child care costs may seem daunting and deep-seated, Keech is optimistic because “everyone wants to be part of the solution.”

“I haven’t come across anybody who thinks there’s nothing we should do,” he said. “Everyone has different ideas, but we can put all those ideas together and work together.”

So with a growing resume involving Lansing politics and policymaking, the question remains: Is a run for public office in his future?

“Before I took this role, I would have answered ‘yes,’” Keech said of his work at the Chamber. “I can definitely say that what I’m doing now, working for the Chamber and its 2,800 members, I feel that this is the most effective role that I can serve. But I’m not going to write anything off, and I’m not going to predict the future.”

— Andy Balaskovitz

VP and West Michigan director McKenna

As cities across Michigan grapple with housing shortages, Christopher Khorey said his guiding principle is to help municipalities plan communities that will stand the test of time.

In his role at McKenna, Khorey oversees planning and economic development services for local municipalities including Walker, Grandville, Coopersville, Cascade Township, Algoma Township and Holland. His work has included developing master plans, downtown plans, sub-area plans and corridor plans and implementing them through zoning regulations.

In that time, Khorey has helped the Northville-based McKenna establish a foothold in the West Michigan market.

One of his biggest challenges right now is helping suburban communities manage their growth during the lingering housing crunch.

“That’s a big part of the work we do every day. It’s because we have such a housing shortage internationally, and almost worldwide,” he said. “To be more specific about West Michigan, we’re a growing region, and we also have a housing shortage even if we weren’t growing.”

Khorey said while it’s important to sup-

port housing development, it’s just as crucial to ensure places are designed in a way so people will want to live there after the supply shortage eases.

“There’s a lot of pressure to build housing,” he said. “It’s our task to leverage that into developing communities that we’ll be proud of in 50 years.”

In addition to his day job, Khorey is a volunteer with ICCF Community Homes’ housing rehabilitation programs through his church, St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox in Grand Rapids. — Rachel Watson

Maria Kim, 35

CFO,

Gerald R. Ford International Airport

Maria Kim is helping to take Gerald R. Ford International Airport to new heights by increasing revenue, improving operating margins and advancing the airport’s development.

Kim, who was named the airport’s chief financial officer in 2022, graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in finance and a minor in Chinese. Upon entering the workforce, Kim dabbled in various corporate finance roles.

Wanting to take her skills into a space for community good, Kim said she “stumbled into the airport world” in 2017 after receiving a position with the Allegheny County Airport Authority in Pennsylvania, which manages Pittsburgh International Airport.

“Since then, I do not want to get out. I love the aviation side of the world,” Kim said.

Kim’s journey to Grand Rapids started when she was living in Nashville and working for Fraport, a German transport company that operates Frankfurt International Airport in Germany. When a position at Gerald R. Ford International Airport opened up, she saw an opportunity for herself as well as the future of the airport.

“I was very intrigued about the (Grand Rapids) airport itself, mostly because it’s a small airport, but it has one of the largest capital expansion programs for the size of the airport in the U.S.,” Kim said. “I thought I would have something that I could contribute to and also learn at the same time.”

Kim joined the Grand Rapids airport team in March of 2022. Over the past two years, she has orchestrated pricing adjustments, innovative technology, investment opportunities, and launched an online store that led to a 31% increase in revenue and lifted operating margins for the airport by 43%.

— Elizabeth Schanz

Salvador Lopez, 39

During his 20-year career in West Michigan, Salvador Lopez has left a lasting mark through efforts around housing affordability and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Lopez’s body of work includes the creation of the nonprofit Housing Kent, which involved a $2 million fundraising campaign to promote equitable housing in the county, as well as the formation of multiple programs to support Latinx and African American students at Grand Valley State University. On top of that, Lopez was elected a few years ago to the Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees, and is co-chair of Advocates for Latino Student Advancement in Michigan Education.

“At the age of 39, I have accomplished more than some people have accomplished in a lifetime,” Lopez said. “My personal and professional journey has not been an easy one, but I believe that my accomplishments speak to my commitment to serving communities that have often been underserved and marginalized.”

With affordable and equitable housing at the heart of Lopez’s work launching Housing Kent, the task can seem daunting as Kent County faces a housing shortage of more than 30,000 units over the coming years. However, Lopez remains hopeful.

“What gives me hope is the community’s ability to come together across different sectors,” he said. “More than 200 individuals stood up and said, ‘This is not OK, we need to do something.’ What gives me hope is the community’s ability to come together.”

He’s also realistic that a fix to the county’s housing challenges won’t be quick. “It took decades to get in the bad situation we are in. We’re hoping it doesn’t take decades to get out of it, but it will take some time,” he said.

In his spare time, Lopez enjoys “hitting the trails” on bikes with his wife and three children, being outside, staying active and reading. — Andy Balaskovitz

Mark Krhovsky, 38

Since taking the role of chief commercial officer at medical supplier Marketlab, Mark Krhovsky has established a new business strategy that has generated national visibility and partnerships with multibillion-dollar distributors, and some of its new customers include the nation’s largest health care systems.

The Grand Rapids native elevated Marketlab to a new standard by redesigning and creating new departments to foster growth in multiple areas within the company. Some of the new departments are Product Management, Field Sales, and Channel Management. He also helped to redesign the company’s marketing and customer service departments.

Krhovsky is also an executive committee member of the Healthcare Industry Distributor Association (HIDA), a trade association that represents distributors delivering medical supplies and devices to health care providers. Some of those providers include hospitals, nursing homes, physician practices, and home health organizations, among others.

Krhovsky has longtime roots in the health care industry, where his father worked more than 30 years. Krhovsky at the age of 24 entered the industry as a product manager at medical supplier Medline, where he was a “one man show” for a few years.

He later helped to create the Laboratory & Diagnostics Division, the first laboratory-focused division in the company’s history. During his tenure as the primary leader of the Lab Program, Krhovsky grew its revenue from $0 to more than $500 million over an 11-year tenure.

— Danielle Nelson

Chief Commercial Officer, Marketlab

President, KConnect

Paola Mendivil, 37

Vice president of catering, el Granjero Mexican Grill; Business development officer, GrOW

Paola Mendivil immigrated from Mexico to the United States in 2005, and shortly after started helping her mother fulfill her dream of opening her own restaurant.

That experience also helped shape her work as business development officer for GROW, where she helps other small business owners — many of whom are also minorities and women — navigate business ownership.

Mendivil has been working at her mother’s restaurant, El Granjero Mexican Grill, since 2007 and joined GROW in 2022 as business development officer.

She said the most rewarding part of her work at GROW is building trusting relationships with clients.

“To me, the trust of a client is very important,” she said. “It’s something that I take very seriously, because I understand the challenges we go through, I understand the fears. I have the lived experience of being an immigrant business owner in the U.S., navigating the differences between how you run a business in your home country versus here.”

In addition to her work at El Granjero and GROW, Mendivil serves as secretary for the West Michigan Latino Restaurant Associa-

tion, and serves on the boards of the Arts Marketplace and the City of Grand Rapids Master Plan Committee.

Mendivil said she hopes over the next few years to continue to take on new roles in business development and add to her skill set so she can better advocate for small business owners like her mother.

She said her goal is to be “the one making the call at the table for (small businesses), always advocating for them, whether it’s through grants, whether it’s through loans or raising capital.”

For Mendivil, the hard-working entrepreneurs she works with are what keep her pushing forward to meet her own goals.

“They energize me, they motivate me, they inspire me,” she said. — Abby Poirier

Kevin Miller, 35

CFO, Mission Design and Automation

Kevin Miller joined Holland Township-based Mission Design and Automation as employee No. 23. After the automation integrator made a calculated investment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic “as others decided to turtle up,” the company now employs more than 150 people with customers and vendors around the world.

That growth during his time as corporate controller and then chief financial officer is among his proudest professional achievements, though it hasn’t always been easy, as most small business executives know.

“It’s both fun and exhilarating, exciting and awesome to celebrate wins and milestones, but as any person who’s been part of a team that starts small and has growth knows, there’s just as many pain points and difficulties as there are wins, maybe even more so.”

On top of that, Miller took the job with no experience in manufacturing and was learning on the fly, after coming from about seven years in the banking and finance industry.

“At a very minimum it has not been boring,” he said, drawing an additional distinction between traditional manufacturing and automation, and working with engineers, skilled trades workers, CNC machinists to “the most nerdy, technical people

I’ve ever met.”

“I am a liaison between finance and those roles,” he said. “It’s trying to help them understand what they do in the business and how that translates to the finances of the business.”

Miller’s biggest influences are his parents, who came from “humble beginnings” and reached success through an “exceptionally strong work ethic,” as well as his “work parents,” or mentors during his career who invested their time and energy into his career. — Andy Balaskovitz

CONGRATULATIONS MARISSA!

Marissa Morford, 29

COO, Buell Motorcycle Co.

Marissa Morford said that when Liquid Asset Partners LLC purchased Buell Motorcycle Co. in 2016, she jumped in feet first to help where she could.

That can-do outlook has helped her advance through the company over the past eight years, from working in marketing and advertising while aiding in company operations, to a full-fledged operations position in 2018.

In 2021, she officially moved into the role of Chief Operations Officer, where she oversees all day-to-day operations at specialty motorcycle manufacturer Buell, while positioning the company for future growth.

Morford noted that there’s not many young female leaders in the motorcycle industry, and said she’s “extremely thankful that I work for such a great company that definitely challenges some norms.”

While she didn’t expect to end up in a leadership position at Buell, the role was a natural fit for her, which she credits to her strong personality and knack for team leadership.

“I think a lot of it was just my willingness to take something on and not be afraid of the challenge,” she said.

She also was influenced by her childhood on the east side of the state, where she grew up watching her mechanic father work on older cars and sports vehicles.

Since joining Buell, Morford has helped grow the company’s team from fewer than 10 to nearly 40 employees and consultants, one of her proudest accomplishments. She spends much of her time currently focusing on how to take the brand overseas.

Morford said the day-to-day challenges are a highlight of her leadership role.

“Change is great to me,” she said. “I’m always up for the challenge of change, and I think I’m fairly adaptable, especially in helping (Buell) move forward.”

— Abby Poirier

Justin Noordeloos, 38

President, Ultra-tech Printing Co.

After six years as a senior account executive at Wolverine World Wide Inc., Justin Noordeloos was ready for a new challenge when he took on the role of vice president of administration at special packaging printer Ultra-Tech Printing in 2019.

While he was new to the commercial printing industry, he said he “saw a lot of opportunity to have a big impact” at the company.

When the owner of the Grand Rapids-based Ultra-Tech Printing retired from operations the next year, Noordeloos stepped in and began running the business, “learning things on the fly,” he said.

He’s been at the helm of Ultra-Tech ever since.

“It’s been challenging, but also provided a lot of growth in ways that I didn’t foresee,” Noordeloos said.

Despite taking over the company during the pandemic, Noordeloos was able to retain all staff while maintaining business

growth. This June, he officially took on the title of president at Ultra-Tech.

Integrity and honesty are drivers in Noordeloos’ work with clients, while he finds fulfillment in building his team at Ultra-Tech.

“Running a small business, you wear a lot of hats, and you can have a big impact in both a positive and negative way,” he said. “For me, it’s been with the employees. We’re a small team, but it’s very cool to help people realize their potential in different ways. I’ve really enjoyed creating an environment where people can come out of their shell and maybe surprise themselves in ways that they didn’t (anticipate).”

Looking forward, Noordeloos — a member of the Grand Rapids Chamber’s Leadership Grand Rapids class of 2024 — anticipates growing the Ultra-Tech team and elevating the company, noting that “there’s a ton of opportunity” for the business.

—

Abby Poirier

Elisa PerezArellano, 38

Founder, CEO, lead therapist

Inclusive empowerment Services

Elisa Perez-Arellano says she embraced familiar adversity and challenges by launching Inclusive Empowerment Services (IES) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IES provides mental health therapy, personal coaching, and consultation to business leaders.

“I trusted that things would turn out all right, no matter the outcome,” she said. “I embraced bravery and adventure, taking the risk because I saw how much people needed mental health services as they navigated pain, suffering, and grief during the pandemic. With nothing to lose but my fear and insecurities, I chose to give myself the opportunity to be courageous, fearless, and confident.”

Since launching her business, Perez-Arellano has secured contracts with notable local organizations and institutions to enhance mental health awareness and access.

The Mexico native also organized a mental health workshop program called Mi Salud Mental Comienza Conmigo. She led the workshop in Spanish and provided support, awareness, information, connection, and resources to more than 60 participants in West Michigan, covering crucial

topics such as chronic stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, self-esteem, self-care, and conflict resolution.

Perez-Arellano’s success was driven by sheer determination and her life experience as an immigrant. She came to the United States at the age of 23 without knowing the English language or strong family support and encountered social and psychological challenges.

“However, through determination, perseverance, courage, and the motivation provided by my mentors, I earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in social work from Grand Valley State University,” she said. “My experiences as an immigrant now empower me to help others in similar situations to thrive.” — Danielle Nelson

Kristin RahnTiemeyer, 37

Development director

United Methodist community House

Kristin Rahn-Tiemeyer has served in several key roles at nonprofits innovating in housing.

After joining United Methodist Community House, she helped grow fundraising from $846,000 in 2019 to more than $1.6 million in 2020 and $2 million in 2021. Today, she is leading a capital campaign for UMCH’s three-year, $40 million plan to expand access to early childhood education, support services for older adults, and affordable housing in the 49507 ZIP code.

Phase one — the rehabilitation and restoration of UMCH’s existing space — is under construction, and the nonprofit is fundraising for phases two and three. The third phase calls for 46 units of affordable housing.

“We’ll be partnering with a housing developer to bring affordable housing to the site,” she said, adding that the partner hasn’t been finalized yet.

Prior to UMCH, Rahn-Tiemeyer led Habitat for Humanity of Kent County’s Bright Future Campaign, which built, rehabilitated or repaired 400-plus homes in Grand

Rapids’ Roosevelt Park neighborhood. During her time there, Habitat Kent also developed Plaza Roosevelt, a mixed-use project with affordable homeownership and rental housing, health care and a new high school.

Rahn-Tiemeyer got her start in nonprofits after graduating from Western Michigan University with an interior design degree and landing a job at AmeriCorps. In that role, she helped build North Carolina’s first affordable LEED-certified home through a local Habitat chapter.

She came back to Grand Rapids for her master’s degree in public administration and nonprofit leadership in 2012, and has worked locally in the nonprofit space ever since.

— Rachel Watson

John Rizor, 38

Architect, Progressive Companies

John Rizor’s favorite part about being an architect is designing projects in his own community in West Michigan, visiting the spaces and hearing people’s reactions.

“I love being able to go to projects that are keystones to the community,” Rizor said. Rizor has been a practicing architect for 18 years, the last eight of which he has spent working at Progressive Companies. Rizor’s design portfolio includes work at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids as well as projects at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. “I like the community-mindedness, which is what I bring to the project, looking for a valuable way to be part of my community,” Rizor said. “Fortunately, Progressive shines in that type of work and we have multiple projects downtown and high profile projects.”

Along with the work itself, Rizor is also passionate about encouraging high school students in the greater Grand Rapids area to pursue careers in architecture. Rizor was introduced to the ACE Mentor Program of America, an after-school program that focuses on workforce development for high school students in design and the construction industry, when he was working in Chicago, and started an ACE program in West Michigan.

“Historically, our industry has not been diverse,” Rizor said. “We’re missing a lot of the marks on the diversity, equity and inclusion fronts, so going into underserved areas and making it known that the career path exists is important. It provides a sense of context, workplace and project immersion for students who think they might want to pursue that industry path.”

— Kate Carlson

Ben Sietsema, 36

Owner, Honeycrisp Ventures

Honeycrisp Ventures owner Ben Sietsema got first-hand experience in commercial real estate when his family sold their apple orchard to the Loeks family to develop the Celebration Cinema Grand Rapids North project.

“My dad was smart enough to know what he didn’t know, and hired some great attorneys and was really willing to let me sit in on meetings (as a teenager) as they were trying to get these deals approved,” Sietsema said.

Since then, Sietsema has grown Honeycrisp Ventures into a major player in the Grand Rapids area’s industrial real estate sector. As the head of the company, Sietsema is most proud of leading a cross-functional team with “an innovative approach towards commercial real estate,” he said.

Sietsema has learned with his team how to simplify and expedite complicated transactions in the burgeoning industrial market. An example of this is the 285,000-square-foot industrial project Honeycrisp developed in 2021 despite the market’s pandemic-related challenges, Sietsema said. The project ended up being leased before the facility received its certificate of occupancy, he said.

“We navigated the complexities of construction and leasing in a time of uncertainty, demonstrating resilience and strategic foresight,” Sietsema said.

Honeycrisp Ventures was able to expedite the process of tenant occupancy by “at least three or four months,” by purchasing land speculatively, Sietsema said.

“To be clear, just speculative on purchasing the land and going ahead and being willing to do some work up front with site plan approval,” Sietsema said. “But it was really just a creative deal that we were able to put together in a really tight time frame and we added a lot of value for our investors in the project.” — Kate Carlson

Andria Romkema, 37

SVP of marketing and communications, the Right Place Inc.

Aof

Grand Rapids into a thriving technology hub is morphing into reality.

Romkema, the senior vice president of marketing and communications at The Right Place Inc., created and launched Tech Week GR to support a new 10-year Regional Tech Strategy led by the economic development organization.

Since its launch, Tech Week GR has attracted more than 13,000 people and hosted more than 30 events. Some events include networking, tech and demo exhibitions, workshops, and panel discussions.

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Tech Week is by far the professional accomplishment I’m most proud of,” she said. “It was exciting to take an inkling of an idea and build it into a community-wide event that 13,000 people attended. I had to cast a vision for the event and convince some of our region’s most prominent business and community leaders to invest time and money in it — and then I had to build and lead a team that could deliver. I’m proud of how this event has built momentum for our economy’s growing tech sector.”

In addition to her work in greater Grand Rapids, Romkema also served on the board of directors for the Michigan Economic Developers Association and Michigan Tech Week, which draws entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, and companies to the state’s week-long event

“As an executive at The Right Place, my work leading our marketing and HR efforts helps drive the region’s economic development strategy and creates systemic positive economic impact in the region,” she said. — Danielle Nelson

ndria Romkema’s vision

turning

John Somers, 39

Owner, Almond Products Inc.

Acquiring and growing a lakeshore metal coating company, which includes opening an international facility in Mexico to meet customer demand and tapping into new markets, has been John Somers’ biggest career win.

Somers, who owns Spring Lake Township-based Almond Products Inc., says the Mexico operation became profitable in less than two years and that the company now employs more than 250 people. Somers is also passionate about the boating industry, both personally and professionally, and has recently taken on niche coating processes in the marine industry.

Automotive remains Almond Products’ highest-volume market, though Somers has sought to diversify the business over the years, including in the recreational vehicle and commercial and residential housing markets.

Somers bought Almond Products (not to be confused with an almond company, he says) from his stepfather, John DeMaria, who he also credits as one of his biggest influences in his life.

“He taught me many life-lessons and values to live by and had some of the wittiest one-liners you would ever hear,” Somers said.

Somers says he remains rooted in West Michigan with his wife and young son, and loves “coming to work everyday” to work with interesting customers in the region.

Outside of work, Somers is the chapter president of Folds of Honor Michigan, which provides scholarships to spouses and children of injured or fallen military veterans, and takes advantage of Michigan’s year-round outdoor recreation opportunities with his family.

—

Andy Balaskovitz

April Storms, 39

City manager, White cloud

When April Storms became city manager of White Cloud in January 2022, the Newaygo County town of about 1,500 residents hadn’t seen new housing development in decades and wasn’t taking advantage of grant funding programs.

“(White Cloud) is very economically disadvantaged,” said Storms, who grew up in and still lives in Fremont, about 14 miles southwest of White Cloud. “The community has had a lot of years of stagnant growth. … Historically, we just weren’t taking advantage of a lot of opportunities, I think because the city manager in a small community wears a lot of hats.”

With the help of a brand-new city council that took office in early 2022, Storms was able to usher in new ideas to the Newaygo County seat.

Under Storms’ leadership, the city passed a payment in lieu of taxes ordinance that enabled White Cloud to attract a new Allen Edwin Homes single-family rental project, the first new housing development in White Cloud in about 20 years.

This year, the city also secured an $867,600 SPARK grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to upgrade Smith Park, a $68,425 dam repair

Reaching New Altitudes.

Congratulations to our CFO, Maria Kim, on being recognized among Grand Rapids Business’ 40 under 40. We are honored to have your expertise here at Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, a $480,000 Safe Routes to School grant from the Federal Highway Administration, and a nearly $4.1 million MI Clean Water grant from EGLE to replace lead service lines. The nearly $5.5 million in grant funding boosts the city’s budget of $1 million by 450%.

— Rachel Watson

Brina Tiemeyer, 32

Director of clinical services

Wedgwood Christian Services

As the director of clinical services at Wedgwood Christian Services, an organization that provides mental and behavioral health services, Brina Tiemeyer specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy for individuals who have suffered trauma.

Her guidance has produced results that are positively affecting both the organization and the community alike. She manages and supervises a clinical team of 24 master’s-level clinicians, two recovery coaches, four case managers, and two-parent support partners.

She played an integral role in changing the way services are delivered to clients who have experienced trauma so the organization can be effective in the services it offers. Tiemeyer helped to integrate clinical caseloads, increase the hybridization of location service delivery, and decrease the lack of engagement or no-show rates by 46%.

She collaborated with her team to create individualized treatment programs that decreased clinical symptomatology and generated a 100% reduction in symptoms among clients who attended at least 10 therapy sessions.

Tiemeyer also created training programs while enhancing clinical supervision protocols, contributing to an increase in staff retention rates by 50%.

In addition to her work at Wedgwood, Tiemeyer also is an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University and Grand Valley State University. As a first-generation college graduate, she knows the value of a college degree.

“Accomplishing this degree was foundational in the trajectory of my professional achievements,” she said.

— Danielle Nelson

Courtney Van Gilder, 34

ESG and community engagement manager, SpartanNash

Courtney Van Gilder credits her father, a social worker, for fostering the community mindset she brings to her work.

“It really started (with) my dad,” she said. “He worked in the nonprofit space his entire life, and we kind of took that on as a family.”

While she anticipated she’d follow in his footsteps as a social worker, she was attracted to sustainability, and found a way to marry her passion for community involvement and sustainability work when she joined food distribution and grocery retailer SpartanNash nine years ago.

She said her role as ESG (environmental, social and governance) and community engagement manager at SpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN) perfectly melds her passions, noting that the role was built out of her own work at the company. Over the last three years, Van Gilder created and implemented the publicly traded SpartanNash’s first and second ESG reports, which she said have been points of pride for her.

“It can be really easy to get lost in the details, especially within sustainability work and ESG and data collection,” she said. “But seeing the impact of these programs and initiatives at the end of the day is really what makes it worth it.”

Going forward, she anticipates continuing to build SpartanNash’s ESG practices, noting that “we have so many more things

that we can do and that we want to accomplish, not only in the Grand Rapids community but nationwide.”

Van Gilder has been an active member of ESG/Board.org since 2023 and the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum since 2015. She is also participating in the NextUp Rising Stars Leadership Program as a 2024 cohort member.

As well, Van Gilder is honored alongside her husband, Matt Van Gilder, in this year’s Crain’s Grand Rapids Business 40 Under 40 class. — Abby Poirier

ERIKA WEISS ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL

Matt Van Gilder, 35

Director of e-commerce and digital experience, SpartanNash

Matt Van Gilder has been working in grocery retail ever since he nabbed his first job as a bagger at his family’s southeast Michigan grocery chain, VG’s Grocery.

From there, he worked his way up through the retail business at VG’s parent company, SpartanNash, occupying roles as store manager, store director and marketing specialist before landing a position as director of e-commerce and digital experience five years ago.

As director of e-commerce and digital experience, Van Gilder said he brings “everything in our stores to life digitally.” Early on in his role, Van Gilder was essential in building SpartanNash’s online shopping platform during the pandemic. The company has since experienced a 500% increase in online shopping.

Van Gilder said that working hands-on at SpartanNash stores at the start of his career helped lay the foundation for the work he does today. SpartanNash acquired the VG’s brand in 2008.

“While I was working in the stores and learning how to manage, I really loved understanding the systems and how everything connected together, and how everything flowed from a data standpoint,” he said. “That helped me kind of get a leg up.”

In addition to his work at SpartanNash, Van Gilder also serves as a board member for

the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids and Junior Achievement of Michigan Great Lakes.

“I love getting into details and figuring out how to bring something to life,” he said of his role at SpartanNash. “I love the marketing aspect of things, trying to understand the customer, trying to understand what they want, maybe before they know what they want.”

Van Gilder is honored alongside his wife, Courtney Van Gilder, in this year’s Crain’s Grand Rapids Business 40 Under 40 class.

— Abby Poirier

Your leadership and passion for building community through providing solutions makes a real difference!

Jessica Walters, 36

Chief operating officer, total Control Health Plans

Jessica Walters started out in the health insurance business without any experience as an administrative assistant at a Holland employee benefits firm, working with Mike Hill.

As she “started to learn the lingo” and more about health insurance, Walters worked her way up to small accounts manager, then to large accounts manager. Today, she’s the chief operating officer at Total Control Health Plans, the Holland firm Hill formed in 2018 that specializes in self-funded coverage.

“My passion comes from helping others learn about the various tools and resources out there to help them maintain their costs, but also understand the benefits they’re signing up for, making sure that they fully understand the details of their plan, and helping the employees and their family members understand their benefits,” Walters said.

Marketlab proudly congratulates

MARK KRHOVSKY

on being selected to Crain's Grand Rapids Business '40 Under 40' list.

Mark’s vision, leadership, and dedication continue to drive innovation and success for both our company and the healthcare community.

An East Lansing native and Michigan State University alum with a psychology degree, Walters counts Hill, who she’s worked with since 2012 starting at Edify, as having a large influence in her professional and personal development as a mentor.

Walters serves on the boards at West Michigan Therapy Dogs and Holland/Zeeland Young Professionals, and served on the Ault International Medical Management Broker Advisory Council in 2021 and 2022.

Walters also served as a mentor prior to COVID for two boys from 2015 to 2021 through Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance’s former Migrant Mentoring program. The boys’ parents were migrant workers who lived in Holland from the spring to the fall and would return to Mexico in the winter.

“During the months they were in Holland, I was able to get to know more about their culture through my time spent with them and their families over the years,” she said. “It seemed like a great opportunity for me to help the community use the resources that I have to get other individuals involved in the community, letting them understand that we can all help each other within the community as we integrate more.”

Mark Sanchez

Crow 2nd Vice President, Branch Officer

Erika Weiss, 34

Associate general counsel, Waséyabek Development co. LLc

Growing up as a descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, Erika Weiss says her darker complexion, dark hair and dark eyes made her “stick out like a sore thumb” in West Michigan.

While she didn’t grow up around Native American culture as a child, Weiss would later have transformative and profound self-identifying experiences while being exposed to her heritage at Native American-focused conferences.

After pursuing a career in law based on the influence of her aunt and spending multiple years at private practices, Weiss in March 2023 was able to connect her heritage with her professional life when she joined Waséyabek Development Co., the non-gaming economic development arm of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. Her work on mergers and acquisitions for Waséyabek has been an incredibly rewarding experience, as the growth of the company results in financial benefits for the tribe.

“The funds we’re generating across the Waséyabek portfolio go to help the tribe meet its budget goals and provide opportunities to tribal members,” Weiss said. “It’s been really awesome to see.”

Weiss said her biggest career win was completing two acquisitions in her first year at Waséyabek, which were particularly meaningful as an in-house attorney because she could see the direct benefits to the tribe.

Weiss has served on the board for the Association for Corporate Growth West Michigan since January 2020. With Waséyabek President and CEO Deidra Mitchell, she also co-hosts the Tribal Economic Development podcast, which explores topics around economic diversification and business strategies that benefit tribes.

— Andy Balaskovitz

HIGHEST-PAID HOSPITAL EXECUTIVES IN MICHIGAN CRAIN’S LIST

ResearchedbySonyaD.Hill:shill@crain.com|ThislistofcompensationdataonMichigannonprofithospitalsandhealthcare-relatedorganizationscontainsdatafrom2022IRS990forms,orfiscal2023 990s(containing2022calendaryearcompensationdata)whereavailable.Itisnotacompletelisting,butthemostcomprehensiveavailable.NA=notavailable. 1. Compensationfromnonprofit. 2. Fox departedtheorganizationinFebruary2022. 3. BeaumontHealthandSpectrumHealthmergedasanintegratedhealthsystemwiththetemporaryname,BHSHHealthonFeb.1,2022.Rebrandedas CorewellHealthinOctober2022. 4. Partyear.For2022,$578,978wasreportedasdeferredcompensationonprioryear990. 5. Compensationfromtheorganizationandrelatedorganizations.For2021, $668,900wasreportedasdeferredcompensationonprioryear990. 6. LassiterleftthehealthsysteminJuly2022andwassucceededbyRobertRiney. 7. For2022,$107,645reportedasdeferred compensationonpriorForm990. 8. BeaumontHealthandSpectrumHealthmergedasanintegratedhealthsystemwiththetemporarynameBHSHHealthonFeb.1,2022.RebrandedasCorewellHealth inOctober2022. 9. For2022,$267,256wasreportedasdeferredcompensationonprioryear990. 10. For2021,$252,668wasreportedasdeferredcompensationonprioryear990. 11. WasSVPand ChiefHROfficeruntilFebruary2022andSVPandChiefIntegrationOfficeruntilMarch2022. 12. For2022,$1,644,689reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990. 13. For2021,$53,888 reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990. 14. LeftAscensionAugust2022. 15. Compensationfromtheorganizationandrelatedorganizations. 16. StartedMarch2022.Compensationfrom theorganizationandrelatedorganizations. 17. For2022,$1,327,530reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990. 18. For2022,$713,646reportedasdeferredcompensationonprioryear 990. 19. For2022,$524,009reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990. 20. For2022,$452,304reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990. 21. For2021,$417,830wasreported asdeferredcompensationonprioryear990. 22. ThroughAugust2022. 23. Partyearcompensation.For2022,$207,742reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990. 24. EndingDecember 2022.SucceededJosephCacchioneinAugust2022. 25. For2022,$776,855reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990 26. PromotedtoCOOofCorewellHealth.Succeededaspresident byAlejandroQuiroga.BothappointmentstookeffectMay1,2023. 27. For2022,$114,451reportedasdeferredcompensationonpriorForm990. 28. RungewillstepdownJune30,2025.Hewillremain withtheuniversityasaprofessorinthemedicalschool. 29. For2022,$124,402reportedasdeferredcompensationonprioryear990. 30. For2021,$122,701reportedasdeferredcompensationonprior year 990. 31. Retired in April 2021. 32. Part Year. Retired in April 2022.

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Custom countertop service provider sells to 120 employees

By Andy Balaskovitz

A West Michigan custom countertop service provider for residential and commercial clients has sold to its 120 employees.

Executives with Grandville-based Premier Granite and Stone Inc. recently announced the deal for an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) that took effect on Aug. 30.

Founded in 2008 by equal partners Matt VanTil and David Bleyenberg, the company has gained a foothold in West Michigan and parts of northern Indiana by specializing in fabricating, installing and repairing quartz, porcelain, granite and other natural stone countertops.

VanTil, who serves as president and turns 40 in November, began thinking about a succession plan for his company, a relatively rare move for business owners of his age. An ESOP “checked a lot of boxes, he said.

The company has worked on projects for noteworthy clients including Amway Corp., the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and Founders Brewing Co.

VanTil said the company experienced on average 30% revenue growth a year from 2012-2022, prompting the founders to ask: “Does this really make sense for us to continue as is, or do we look at other options long term? We don’t want to be faced with this decision when we’re 55 or 60.”

“It continues employee engagement and rewarding them through an ownership mentality. It also allows us (owners) to stay involved for the next chapter at whatever level we deem necessary,” he said, noting that it will foremost preserve the continuity of the company. “It was a win-win-win type of situation.”

VanTil said he had a “light bulb” moment a few years ago while attending an Exit Planning Institute presentation at Calvin University. At the time, Premier had just experienced 63% growth in top-line revenue from 2021 to 2022, which brought on a host of new processes, including adding an enterprise resource planning system to support the growth.

“It basically pushed us to say now is actually the best time to do this,” VanTil said. “We’re seeing the future for product growth and future expansion. What better way to reward our employees than just putting it in our own pockets?”

As for growth, Premier is set to open a new showroom in Mishawaka, Ind., just outside of South Bend, and plans to expand more into the commercial space.

The team worked with consultants at BDO USA PC to start the transition process. Other advisers on the ESOP included Warner Norcross + Judd LLP, Apex Fiduciary Services as the trustee, and Byron Center-based Vision ESOP Valuation LLC.

Brandon Finnie, managing di-

rector of Vision ESOP, said the Premier deal comes amid a “record year” for his company on the strength of more owners choosing ESOPs.

“We’re not really seeing any slowdown,” he said. “It sounds like the people involved on the company sell side have been active and the trustees have been doing a lot of interviews for potential transactions.”

Finnie credits increased awareness about the benefits of ESOPs

overall as a partial growth driver.

“As the awareness increases and the benefits of the exit strategy gain more awareness, I think it becomes more of an attractive option as everyone knows and talks about the aging business owner generation we have and the transition that’s coming up in the next several years,” he said. “I think ESOP continues to be a good option for people who want to protect their legacy and take care of their employees.”

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Matt VanTil

New owner invests millions in Muskegon coffee plant

By Abby Poirier

Greek yogurt giant Chobani LLC has been investing millions of dollars in Muskegon since acquiring a local plant as part of a $900 million deal in late 2023 for coffee roaster La Colombe.

Bill Cooper, vice president of operations for La Colombe’s Muskegon brewing and distribution facility, said the investments have focused on improving operational efficiency and growing the coffee brand, which specializes in canned ready-to-drink beverages.

La Colombe, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1994, owns and operates 32 cafés across Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington, D.C.

Co-founder Todd Carmichael reportedly chose to bring La Colombe to West Michigan in 2017 because of the area’s dairy farms, which made for the easy transportation of fresh milk.

Since the deal late last year, Chobani has invested more than $30 million in the La Colombe brand, including a complete makeover of the Muskegon plant, Cooper said.

The company also increased wages by an average of $4 per hour, added a new quarterly bonus program, and invested in infrastructure improvements at La Colombe’s cafes, he said.

Improvements at the Muskegon plant — including new HVAC systems, additional parking lots, landscaping and other infrastructure renovations that Food Dive reported totaled $10 million — are aimed at improving efficiency while boosting employee morale.

“Anything that we’re doing in Chobani, we’re trying to emulate here at La Colombe in Michigan and at our other sites,” Cooper said. “(We’re) continuing to look for ways that we can improve the overall experience for the employee and work toward becoming a world-class environment and employer.”

As well, Chobani has invested in additional safety measures at the plant, including new walkways to keep the Muskegon plant’s 250 employees from walking under conveyor belts, and launching a captive footwear policy that ensures footwear is designated to certain areas of the facility.

The work is still far from done, Cooper said.

In the coming months, the company plans additional updates to the Muskegon facility, including an office expansion that will add larger break rooms, locker rooms and conference rooms.

“That’s just about the overall well-being of the employee,” Cooper said. “That’s nothing to do with our output or our capacity or how well we’re running. If we can empower our employees and make them feel like they’re part of this thing, we’re going to get more out of them. That’s the model that I’ve come to live by because I’ve seen it work.”

Marla Schneider, CEO of Greater Muskegon Economic Development, said the Muskegon plant,

one of La Colombe’s main production and distribution facilities, has seen “an uptick in activity” since Chobani’s acquisition.

“We anticipate that there’s going to be future growth for La Colombe in this area,” she said.

Going forward, Cooper also anticipates growth at the Muskegon plant, and in the La Colombe brand as a whole.

“It’s my vision to grow this site as much as we possibly can,” he said.

“There’s a lot of variables that come into play there, but the sky’s the limit in terms of what we can do here in the size of the market.”

The investments come during a period of growth in the ready-todrink (RTD) coffee market.

According to Fortune Business Insights, the global RTD coffee market was valued at $22.44 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $64.79 billion by 2032.

“As the fourth wave of coffee continues to gain momentum, we see rising interest in cold coffee, especially among younger generations, driving significant growth for the RTD coffee market,” Kathryn O’Connor, chief marketing officer at La Colombe, told Crain’s in an email. “We’re energized about what

the future holds for this iconic brand and continue to invest in this category, prioritizing innovation and expanding our national footprint.”

“The brand itself, the quality of

the product, I think that’s where we start,” Cooper said. “If we see a path there to continue to propel and grow, then we’re certainly going to look into it.”

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La Colombe’s Muskegon production facility has received millions in investments since the brand was acquired in late 2023 by Chobani. | cOUrteSY PHOtO

Airport program tests startups’ aviation technology solutions

By Elizabeth Schanz

Three Michigan-based startups are among the latest cohort of companies selected to pilot technologies at Gerald R. Ford International Airport that officials say hold promise for the state’s aviation and mobility industries.

Airport officials earlier this month announced participants in the sixth cohort of the Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE), which offers a total of $220,000 in grant funding to the companies.

FLITE is an effort by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority and its partners Avflight Grand Rapids Corp., Seamless Ventures, Southwest Airlines, the West Michigan Aviation Academy and the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification.

“FLITE continues to serve as a leading platform for new technologies in the aviation industry, and we are proud to welcome seven new companies to the program to test their innovative solutions,” Tory Richardson, president and CEO of the Ford International Air-

port Authority, said in a statement. “We are grateful to our partners and participating companies for their dedication to identifying solutions that elevate the guest experience and further enhance airport operations.”

The companies selected for this year’s cohort focus on various types of aviation innovation, including automation, analytics, sustainability, safety and terminal guest experiences.

Three of the awarded companies are rooted in Michigan: Grand Rapids-based Antrum, East Lansing-based Enspired Solutions, and Detroit-based IonDynamics Energy.

Grand Valley State University facility engineers initially developed the AntrumX panel in 2010 to better execute demand control ventilation. Through the FLITE program, Antrum will use its technology to gather air quality data to support the Grand Rapids airport’s sustainability goals.

Enspired Solutions will test its on-site surface water treatment technology that destroys PFAS. By participating in the cohort, the company hopes to gauge the scale of treatment systems needed for

sites to improve water quality.

Additionally, the program is bridging the Detroit and Grand Rapids markets with IonDynamics, an EV charging infrastructure company offering alternative charging solutions. Founded in January, IonDynamics is known for its FlashBots, or mobile robots that charge electric vehicles.

IonDynamics’ participation in FLITE marks a step in expanding its footprint across the state, as it aims to reach clients like parking garages or companies that want electric charging options with lower costs, Crain’s Detroit Business reported.

In the FLITE program, IonDynamics will “introduce the level four autonomous driving energy storage and charging robot, FlashBot, to demonstrate charging capabilities in real-world environments.”

IonDynamics has been located in Detroit Smart Parking Lab since June with support from a $30,000 MEDC grant. This allows the company to use the space through December for research and development.

However, the startup is “looking for avenues to continue working in the space,” Josh Bitterman, one of

IonDynamics’ founders, recently told Crain’s Detroit Business.

The FLITE cohort also includes Covington, Ky.-based autonomous robot company Airtrek Robotics as well as California-based companies Hangar Safe and Tiami Networks, which aims to advance wireless communication through Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), generative AI and resilient communication systems, airport officials announced.

Additionally, Stockholm, Sweden-based Flox is introducing technology into the U.S. market that aims to reduce bird and wildlife hazards and increase aircraft safety while complying with Fed-

eral Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

“For us, FLITE represents an exciting opportunity to bring our cutting-edge wildlife management technology to the U.S. market,” Kristoffer Ohlsson, Flox’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement. “Partnering with the Ford International Airport through this program allows us to showcase the effectiveness of our solutions in enhancing airport safety.” Since its inaugural year, 25 companies have participated in FLITE, with more than $950,000 total awards. Applications for the next FLITE cohort are open until Oct. 31.

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Leigh’s Brewing to open at former Hopland Brewstillery

By Abby Poirier

Leigh’s Brewing Co. plans to open this fall at the former Hopland Brewstillery in Holland Township, where the Ringling family will offer 40 taps of beer brewed onsite.

Located at 977 Butternut Drive, Suite 4, Leigh’s Brewing Co. is a family business owned and operated by sisters Jessica Ringling and Laurel Egan along with their parents, Mary and Lee Ringling.

According to Egan, Leigh’s Brewing hopes to open the approximately 3,000-square-foot brewery by the end of November. Currently, they’re awaiting final liquor licensing approvals from the state before they announce an opening date.

The brewery draws its name from the middle names of both Jessica Ringling and Laurel Egan, which is the feminine spelling of their father’s name.

Leigh’s Brewing Co. has hired a local head brewer who will brew on-site under the direction of Lee Ringling, co-owner of 2Gen Manufacturing LLC, a Grand Rapids plastic injection molding plant.

Egan said her father has always wanted to operate a brewery.

“He’s an entrepreneur, so he’s always thinking of all the things he could do,” Egan said, noting that “this is actually something he’s

talked about for years.”

Egan said her father is a longtime fan of Big Lake Brewing and Hopland Brewstillery, both of which formerly operated in the space.

Big Lake Brewing moved in 2017 into a new expanded space in downtown Holland, while Hopland Brewstillery closed its doors permanently this June, one month after putting the business up for sale.

In a social media post announcing the closure, the owners stated that operating Hopland had “been an amazing journey,” and thanked the community for their support.

Following the closure, the Ringlings were able to purchase all the brewing equipment and fixtures in the turnkey space. Since signing the lease in late June, the family has been busy transforming the space into Leigh’s Brewing.

While they’re making some changes to the brewery interior to create a “cozy, earthy vibe,” one fixture they are retaining is a three-dimensional wooden block mural of a hop leaf on the taproom’s back wall.

“We knew right away we wanted to keep that,” Egan said. “That’s something that (the former owners) built while they were waiting on their opening date. I think they were really happy when we said we wanted to keep it.”

The brewery will seat 64 custom-

ers, but will not offer food. While Egan said the business may add a kitchen at some point in the future, the partners will be working with adjacent restaurants Fusion Thai Kitchen and Peppino’s Pizza to create deal packages for customers.

“We’re going to focus on the brewing,” Egan said.

The beer menu remains under development, but will include an array of light and dark beers, lagers and IPAs.

Leigh’s Brewing Co. plans to create enough beer to fill all 40 taps

behind the bar, with options for every customer. The company also intends to serve wine and spirits.

According to a mid-year report by Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association, the number of active craft breweries in the U.S. increased year-over-year from 9,339 in June 2023 to 9,358 in June 2024.

Although the Brewers Association reported that 54% of breweries reported growth in the first half of 2024, volume decreased an estimated 2% when compared with the prior year.

While Lee Ringling will be in charge of the brewing, Leigh’s Brewing Co. will be a family business. Egan and her sister, Jessica Ringling, will manage the front-ofhouse operations, leveraging their prior bartending experience to focus on creating an inviting atmosphere for customers.

“I’m excited to get behind the bar,” Egan said. “I really love bartending and I’m excited to get to know our customer base and build our community. We’re champing at the bit.”

Leigh’s Brewing Co. is opening in the former Hopland Brewstillery location in Holland Township. | cOUrteSY PHOtO

Cherry Health eyes more clinics based in schools

By Mark Sanchez

Cherry Health wants to open more school-based health centers in the Grand Rapids area after a new clinic in suburban Wyoming.

The largest federally qualified health center operating in Michigan, Cherry Health opened the latest clinic at Godwin Heights High School about 5 miles south of downtown Grand Rapids. The location became the fourth school-based clinic in Kent County for Cherry Health, which has additional health centers at Union High School, Innovation Central High School, and Ottawa Hills High School, all of which are in the Grand Rapids Public Schools district.

portunity and a school where we think there’s a need, we’ll always look at those. You can definitely look for us to continue to open these school-based health center sites in the next couple of years.”

Cherry Health also operates four school-based behavioral health clinics in Cedar Springs, Howard City, Wyoming, and at Godwin Heights Middle School.

Cherry Health officials say they want to partner with school districts to open additional medical clinics.

“We continue to look at the school populations and where there’s need for either medical or behavioral health, and look for the funding opportunities through the state,” Chief Operating Officer Bill Joure said. “If there’s a funding op-

The Godwin Heights High School Health Center offers walk-in primary care from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays that include well-child visits, sports physicals, immunizations, outpatient counseling, and behavioral health for students ages 5 to 21 years old who are enrolled in Godwin Heights Public Schools.

Parents at the start of the school year receive information to provide consent for care, Joure said.

Cherry Health opened the health center after partnering for years with Godwin Heights Public Schools on a program that offers dental and vision care to students.

“That gave us a connection and insight into the need at Godwin

Heights Public Schools,” Joure said. “We know that there is a need in their student population for health care resources, and these school-based health centers are embedded in the schools, so kids are able to access health care without parents having to pick them up from school and take them to an appointment.”

Cherry Health overall has more than 20 care locations, mostly in Kent County.

The school-based clinics are staffed by physician assistants, nurse practitioners and medical assistants, plus a community health worker who focuses on outreach and education. Cherry Health serves about 2,000 students annually at the schoolbased health centers.

Cherry Health built out the 1,600-square-foot Godwin Heights High School Health Center with the backing of a roughly $500,000 startup grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to hire staff and renovate the space, which includes three exam rooms, a lab, and a private behavioral health office. The state provides additional financial support for the clinic, which accepts all

commercial insurance and Medicaid and has a discount program to remove financial barriers for people seeking care, Joure said.

The partnership with Cherry Health “brings wonderfully need-

ed opportunities,” said Bill Fetterhoff, the superintendent of Godwin Heights Public Schools. “Parents may now utilize the new health center as they would with any other student health need or concern.”

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Cherry Health’s latest school-based health clinic is located in Godwin Heights High School. | COURtESY PHOtO

The Godwin Heights High School Health Center offers walk-in primary care from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. COURtESY PHOtO

Bill Joure

Boys and Girls Clubs plans $4.5M renovation

By Kate Carlson

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth’s oldest building on the city’s south side is set for a $4.5 million renovation next year.

The Seidman Club at 139 Crofton St. SE is one of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids’ three facilities, and hasn’t been updated in 25 years, said the organization’s CEO, Patrick Placzkowski.

The upgrades will focus on repurposing the interior of the building to create new, dedicated spaces for each age group the organization serves, Placzkowski said. Work will also include improving teen space to make it more modern, creating an e-sports area, and several upgrades to the gym, including a new floor.

“It’s really more effective for childhood development for each age group to have their own space,” Placzkowski said. “This building is well overdue for a facelift and refresh to make it a really welcoming building.”

Rockford Construction Co. will lead the renovation, which is expected to begin in March next year and be completed by the end of 2025.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids received a $750,000 state grant and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-

ment appropriation for $1 million that will go toward the renovation costs. The group is still working to raise funds, and plans to launch a public campaign soon, Placzkowski said.

Once additional funds are raised beyond the $4.5 million, a phase two addition on the north side of the building would house a learning center and computer lab.

As the Seidman Club construction takes place next year, children from the neighborhood that usually go to the club after school will take a bus to the Paul I. Phillips Club at 726 Madison Ave. SE. The plan is for the first phase of construction on the Seidman Club to be completed by the end of 2025, and programming could take place in the club while the phase two expansion takes place, Placzkowski said.

The Boys and Girls Clubs’ main service is its after-school program, which includes activities in a positive, inclusive atmosphere and students are also fed a meal and snacks, Placzkowski said. The organization charges $5 a year per child to try to ensure the program is open to anyone who needs it, he added.

Additionally, the organization connects students and their families to other community resources they might need, Placzkowski said.

“That neighborhood still really

suffers from a really disparate level of income for a lot of the families there,” Placzkowski said. “There just really is a lot of need for lowcost to free positive childhood opportunities to begin with in that neighborhood. On top of that, (our programs) are about character development and helping kids develop into happy, active adults.”

Across the Boys and Girls Clubs’ three locations in Grand Rapids, the organization serves about 1,500-2,500 kids each year, and the need for services continues to grow

back to pre-pandemic numbers, Placzkowski said.

In 2023, 1,326 children attended one of the clubs in Grand Rapids at some point throughout the year, 98 children participated in group programming, and more than 5,000 meals and snacks were served, according to information on the organization’s website.

“We’re seeing a strong need and a lot of trends we see in youth from all corners and backgrounds shows more significant mental health struggles and learning loss

from the pandemic, so there is a real need for homework help,” Placzkowski said. “We’ve seen children having difficulty in peerto-peer relationships.”

The Grand Rapids Boys and Girls Clubs reported nearly $3.6 million in revenue in 2022, with more than $2.1 million in expenses and $6.6 million in assets, according to its most recently available tax forms filed with the IRS. Filings show the organization’s revenue has steadily increased over the past five years from $1.3 million in 2018.

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Health system joins network that contracts with employers

By Mark Sanchez

Kalamazoo-based Bronson Healthcare has joined a growing care network across Michigan that aims to help companies that self-fund their employee benefits to save money.

Bronson Healthcare became the first sizable system in Michigan to join Utah-based Nomi Health’s care network and provides momentum to the company’s efforts to develop a broad care network that extends across the state.

“It builds credibility with the other systems that are saying, ‘I don’t want to be the first,’” said Heath Parker, senior vice president of strategic growth at Nomi Health. “They’re no longer the first or the second or the third, or whatever it may be.”

Nomi Health entered the Michigan market last year and has about 3,800 providers in its care network. The organization aims to grow to 8,000 to 9,000 providers by the end of 2024 or early 2025, Parker said during the recent employer health benefits summit hosted by Holland-based Total Control Health Plans.

As more employers turn to self-funding to control ever-rising benefits costs, Nomi Health has been engaged in talks with health systems across the state to join its network and is “very close” to signing one of them, Parker said.

MSU Health Care Inc., the academic medical center and practice for Michigan State University, joined Nomi Health’s care network earlier this year. Trinity Health in West Michigan may also sign on, telling Crain’s Grand Rapids Business in a written statement that the two are talking and that “our partnership is still in development.”

Getting Bronson to join the network was “extremely important” for Nomi Health, Parker said. Nomi has self-funded employers in the Kalamazoo area who are planning to proceed with direct contracting through its network for plans that start Jan.1, 2025.

“We talked to employers, and it was, ‘OK, if we build it, they will come.’ We’re getting to that point where it’s being built and they’re coming,” Parker said.

Joining the Nomi Health network offered a “unique opportunity” for Bronson Healthcare to provide a new option for employers in the Kalamazoo area that self-fund employee health benefits or are considering it, said Kevin Murdick, system director of managed care.

The attraction for Bronson Healthcare is the “very limited cost sharing” and lack of prior authorizations for patients before having procedures done, both of which reduce the administrative burden for care providers and eases the potential financial barrier to care for con-

sumers, Murdick said.

“We feel that this is a situation where our shared patients can definitely win within this arrangement. It just creates a clearer path to patients receiving the care that they need,” Murdick said. “Anything that creates an ease of access, an ease of understanding, I think, is going to have large-scale appeal. If we make the system more efficient, by all means, absolutely, it’s a benefit to most in the industry.”

Nomi Health promises to lower costs for employers through a company-owned pharmacy that charges wholesale prices for prescription drugs, plus a 10% markup and a $3 transaction fee. The company contracts with care providers and, in exchange for discounts, pays them within 48 hours of providing a medical service.

The Orem, Utah-based Nomi Health also uses data analytics to provide employers insight on their spending and determine which physicians and care facilities perform at a high level. Self-funded employers who enroll in Nomi Health also get access to the care network with zero deductibles and co-pays for employees.

Bronson Healthcare’s decision to join Nomi’s network “was really in what they offer comparatively in a commercial insurance marketplace,” Murdick said. The arrangement was “not necessarily or specifically to dip our toe in the water” to do direct contracting with employers, although Bronson Healthcare “wants to consider or explore any options that may make sense today or may make sense tomorrow,” he said.

“I can’t say, certainly, that this would be a direction that we are heading or intend to head, but it is something that we are exploring. The relationship with Nomi does offer us a fair bit more insight into what those potential relationships could be,” Murdick said.

Rates that Bronson will charge for care under the Nomi contract are “very competitive with our prominent commercial payer rates,” Murdick said.

Bronson Healthcare joined Nomi Health’s care network as employers increasingly consider the direct contracting model in a move to better control rising costs for employee health coverage.

Statewide, rate proposals submitted to state regulators in the spring requested rate increases for 2025 that average 11.2% across the 12 carriers that participate in Michigan’s small group health insurance market for employers with 50 or fewer employees.

“We’ve seen the future …. and it’s ugly,” Mike Hill, the founder of Total Control Health Plans, said during the health benefits summit earlier this month. “Health care costs are going through the roof. This is not OK. This is not sustainable.”

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New tool maps opportunities for housing development

By Rachel Watson

A group of urban planning experts have built an interactive zoning map containing data from three West Michigan counties to help developers identify where much-needed housing could be built.

Representatives from the Michigan Association of Planning, Housing Next, the University of Michigan and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. held a demonstration of their new Michigan Zoning Atlas (www.mizoningatlas. org) at a conference last month in downtown Grand Rapids.

The pilot version of the tool, which took about a year to develop, covers 85 jurisdictions in Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties, and shows an interactive map of where certain types of homes can be built. For instance, users can customize a search to show where single-family, duplexes and triplexes, multifamily with four or more apartments, or accessory dwelling units could be built.

Organizers hope to add more counties as new partners join the project and funding becomes available.

Project leaders say they developed the atlas as a benchmarking tool to support the liberalization of zoning codes, and they hope it will be used for advocacy, analysis and research.

Michigan Association of Planning Executive Director Andrea Brown said the team chose Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon as the first three counties to map because of the region’s population growth, and planners and zoners in the area are already primed for change and “understand the issues.”

“Many of you are doing the work already to reform your zoning and understand that we need to do something about housing statewide, but in your tri-county area particularly,” Brown said to an audience of about 100 attendees.

The atlas allows users to sort by county, jurisdiction and housing typology. Advanced filters show locations where different unit counts and sizes, setbacks, building heights and accessory dwelling units are allowed, as well as identifying parking requirements.

Selecting a specific jurisdiction pulls up fact cards on each of the zoning districts, how much buildable acreage is available by typology, and what official process is required to get housing approved in each district.

Brown said the Michigan tool is a spinoff of the National Zoning Atlas project founded by Sara Bronin, a lawyer and professor at Cornell University’s School of Art, Architecture and Planning and author of the book, “Zoning by a Thousand Cuts.” Bronin’s work builds upon research by “The Color of Law” author Richard Rothstein and “Arbitrary Lines” author Nolan Gray. All three researchers have explored the ways that overly restrictive zoning contributes to inequities in housing supply.

“(Bronin) was not the first to

identify zoning as an exclusionary practice, but she was the first to conceptualize a tool that planners and other leaders could use to evaluate and analyze zoning patterns in communities and take steps to rectify them through regulatory reforms,” Brown said.

In debuting the tool, Michigan has joined 29 other states in a national effort to map zoning codes — the ordinances that dictate what can be built and where — as one step toward easing restrictions and reducing barriers to building affordable housing, organizers said. So far, three states have completed zoning atlases: Connecticut, New Hampshire and Montana. Twenty-seven others have kicked off the work.

Brown said Michigan in particular has a mismatch between its housing stock and its current housing needs, lacking enough housing types to match demand. That lack of housing options is driven, in part, by years of exclusionary zoning, she said.

“Zoning is not the only barrier to developing housing,” Brown said. “The high cost of land, the dearth of skilled trades and labor, the escalating costs of building supplies like steel and lumber — they’re all barriers to the development of more housing in our communities. But … the overabundance of single-family zoning in every Michigan municipality is a huge barrier to communities and developers seeking to build more housing in our communities.”

Ryan Kilpatrick, lead consultant for Housing Next and founder and CEO of Grand Rapids-based Flywheel Community Development Services, said the zoning atlas revealed that while Kent County has 129,516 acres of vacant residentially zoned land, 97.8% of it is zoned single-family. Only about 1.5% of the vacant land in Kent County is zoned for townhomes, and 0.6% is zoned for multifamily.

“(Housing Next) spends all day, every day talking to local communities about the fact that the vast majority — roughly 76% of all households in Kent County — can’t afford the typical new single-family home,” said Kilpatrick, who also has worked recently on identifying housing potential along dozens of corridors across Kent County.

Housing Next’s research, based on building and infrastructure costs and household incomes, found that to afford a typical new-construction single-family home, Kent County households would require an annual income of at least $112,000, and only 23% of the market is in that bracket.

Just 18% of households in the county can afford to build a house on vacant land that has no infrastructure, which would require an income of about $136,000, Kilpatrick said.

Housing Next also found that 24% of Kent County households (people making $85,500 or less) could afford new townhomes, 10% (families making $58,000 or less) could afford new multifamily, and 42% of households (with incomes of $31,542 or less) could afford older housing.

“The question becomes, where are we allowing that new construction to exist, and are we allowing it to exist in a way that people can actually afford based on their income?” Kilpatrick said, referring to zoning ordinances. “(If) 42% of households probably can’t afford new construction without an incentive … we either need to tailor our incentive packages to make sure more of those folks can afford new housing, or we need to get really good at building the kinds of new housing that people can actually afford.”

Housing Next now plans to work with research partners at the University of Michigan to learn how to update the data that’s been compiled as zoning reforms are made and land is developed, Kilpatrick said. Then, the group will make the updates in-house.

The interactive Michigan Zoning Atlas allows users to search by municipality where certain types of housing can be built. | ScreeNSHOt

ScreeNSHOt

February15,2025

Hygge design firm establishes presence near downtown

By Elizabeth Schanz

An interior design and construction firm is using a new brick-and-mortar presence near downtown Grand Rapids to help clients better visualize their custom homes.

After nearly five years of running the business from their Ada home, the owners of Hygge Design+Build LLC last month acquired a 1,000-square-foot building at 251 State St. SE in the city’s Heritage Hill neighborhood.

Wife-and-husband owners Becky and Nate Vandenbroek say they hope to grow the business by creating a space centered around client collaboration, and a hub for client meetings and working through the design process.

Hygge Design+Build, which does custom builds within an

separate space to work with clients.

“In our old space, we were essentially showing the same level of finish over and over, the same kind of trim and drywall and color, paint color and stuff. And the new one, we can get a lot more flexibility around what the client needs are and what we want to display,” Nate Vandenbroek said. “We lean pretty heavily into design. We don’t just send clients off to the tile store or off to the exterior cladding place or anything like that. We will spend quite a bit of time curating options for them, and we bring those all into a single place, and that’s what our showroom will be for.”

Approximately 65% of the Hygge Design+Build location will be designated for client space. This could include wall mock-ups, paint samples, tile samples and opportunities for larger finishes of what the home space will look like rather than images or smaller swatches, Vandenbroek said.

“I think there’s a little bit of legitimacy that comes with having your own building.”

Nate

Hygge Design+Build currently builds six to seven homes a year with annual gross revenue of $5 million to $6 million.

hour’s radius of Grand Rapids, established its brick-and-mortar space after an affiliated entity acquired the repurposed former gas station for $340,000 in early September, according to property records.

The space will offer more opportunities for Hygge Design+Build to showcase different design elements, allow for a greater degree of flexibility to fit customer needs, and expand the business in the future, Nate Vandenbroek said.

The Vandenbroeks previously worked from the first home they built, which acted as a sort of model to walk clients through and showcase details of the space and the possibilities of a finished product.

However, as the business grew — and the couple sold their original home — the Vandenbroeks saw an opportunity to have a

The expansion to a physical space is a step toward the company’s two-year goal of completing 12 new builds a year.

A central location is important for establishing a “physical footprint” for the company, Vandenbroek said. Hygge Design+Build’s client base largely consists of people moving into the West Michigan area from out of state to establish second or new homes in the area, he added.

“I think there’s a little bit of legitimacy that comes with having your own building,” Vandenbroek said. “We’re excited to be downtown. We look forward to starting to participate in the community that’s down here.”

Hillary Taatjes Woznick and Todd Leinberger of NAI Wisinski of West Michigan represented the seller, Kantor & Wassink Properties LLC, in the property deal.

Plans for Hygge Design+Build’s new Grand Rapids workspace and showroom. | COURtESY OF HYGGE DESIGN+BUILD

Vandenbroek, co-owner Hygge Design+Build LLC

Hot spots for cider and apple-picking in West Michigan

By Elizabeth Schanz

As the weather cools and the fall season creeps in, cider mills and U-pick orchards across West Michigan are heating up, ready to welcome guests and give them a taste of fall.

Along West Michigan’s “fruit belt,” visitors can find a variety of family activities, twists on classic cider mill doughnuts, places for hand-picking apples and a taste of locally brewed hard cider.

This list is not comprehensive but highlights local favorites as a guide to fall in West Michigan.

Grand Rapids

w Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery

3142 4 Mile Road NE, Grand Rapids Township

While Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery is open year-round, autumn transforms the Grand Rapids-area destination into a fall favorite, serving cider and its popular maple bacon doughnuts.

The location in Grand Rapids Township has a 125-acre orchard with more than 35 varieties of apples. The U-pick season carries through October until all of the apples are picked, according to Robinette’s website.

The property also has an Apple Haus with a variety of food and baked goods as well as a winery that serves several wines and hard cider created by Robinette’s.

w Engelsma’s Apple Barn Cider Mill

429 Covell Ave. NW, Grand Rapids

Engelsma’s Apple Barn Cider Mill is rooted in a 100-year tradition of high-quality cider production and apple picking.

With a retail location on Grand Rapids’ west side, Engelsma’s is a leading producer of cider in West Michigan, growing the apples in its orchard and pressing them onsite. In addition to selling cider at its location, Engelsma’s product is available at various venues, including Wells Orchard in Tallmadge Township.

w Ed Dunneback and Girls Fruit Farm

3025 6 Mile Road, Alpine Township

Ed Dunneback and Girls Fruit Farm is open all four seasons, offering different produce options with U-pick apples and unique activities for each season.

The farm’s Fall Fun Land is open on weekends only and features a corn maze, mega slide, barrel train, bounce pad and more. Additionally, the farm features live music throughout the weekend with shows on Friday from 6-9 p.m. and 1-4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Ottawa County

w Farmhaus Cider Co. and Farmhaus Farms

5025 Stanton St., Blendon Township; 9265 Kenowa Ave SW, Tallmadge Township

Farmhaus Cider Co. makes 100% of its cider onsite at a production facility visible from the taproom, connecting the product directly to guests.

Open year-round, Farmhaus’ hard ciders vary from seasonal specials to year-round favorites, including its semi-sweet Midwest Nice, a cinnamon and maple-flavored beverage called Brunch, and its Daily Dry cider.

While Farmhaus does not serve food, it partners with various food trucks and encourages guests to bring in their own food to enjoy on the 150-year-old property.

The affiliated Farmhaus Farms, the former Moelker Orchards that Farmhaus owners John Behrens and Megan Odegaard acquired in 2023, includes U-pick orchards and takes on the classic cider mill doughnuts.

As of September, four apple varieties were ready to be picked: Paula Red, Ginger Gold, Zestar and Honeycrisps. Additionally, the doughnuts are sold year-round at the farm market and bakery.

w Post Family Farm

5081 Bauer Road, Blendon Township

Post Family Farm, an 80 acre-property northwest of Hudsonville, aims to remind the West Michigan community about “life’s simple pleasures.”

Post’s fall activities run through Nov. 2 and include U-pick pumpkins, hayrides, bonfires, a corn maze and play areas for children.

One feature is the facility’s signature pumpkin doughnuts. The doughnuts — iced or with cinnamon sugar — pair with the cider locally sourced from Engelsma’s Apple Barn in Grand Rapids.

Kalamazoo

w VerHage Fruit Farms and Cider Mill

8619 W. ML Ave., Oshtemo Township

In 1962, Nancy VerHage started a cider mill that has transformed into a Kalamazoo staple: VerHage Fruit Farms and Cider Mill. Carrying on the tradition, the farm continues to use the original secret blend of apples for its fresh cider made in a press that’s more than 125 years old.

The mill offers demonstrations of the cider press several times a day, according to VerHage’s website. Additionally, VerHage hosts custom group tours and demonstrations where people can choose to see the cider or doughnut-making process, hayrides, and apple picking that can be booked by phone.

w Schultz Fruitridge Farms 60139 County Road 652, Mattawan

Schultz Fruitridge Farms, located in Mattawan southwest of Kalamazoo, offers farm-fresh produce and seasonal products. The location includes a U-pick apple orchard, apple cider, caramel apples, squash and other seasonal favorites.

Guests can get a taste of the Donut Depot, which is open through Halloween day.

w Gull Meadow Farms 8544 Gull Road, Richland Gull Meadow Farms, located in Richland northeast of Kalamazoo, offers extensive activities alongside the classic offerings of seasonal goods and apple and pumpkin picking.

The more than 30 activities in the Farmland area of Gull Meadow Farms include a corn crib (which is similar to a sandbox), jumping pillows, giant yard games, a s’mores wagon, a zipline and more. Additionally, the farm features a five-acre corn maze and hosts special events throughout the season.

During the U-pick season, Gull Meadow Farms has more than 30

varieties of apples, starting in early September with McIntosh and Honey Gold apples, and a pumpkin patch. In addition to self-picking apples, the farm market sells pre-picked apples, fresh cider, doughnuts, caramel apples and other goods.

Allegan County

w Virtue Cider 2170 62nd St., Fennville Founded in 2011, Virtue Cider is a culmination of the experiences of owner Gregory Hall, who studied hard cider in England and France and partnered that European feel with the taste of Michigan apples.

Virtue Cider’s 48-acre property in Fennville includes three cider houses with designs reminiscent of French architecture. Open

year-round, guests can get a taste of apples from partnerships Virtue Cider has with local farms, including Hunsberger Orchards, Gold Coast Farms and Crane Orchards.

w Crane Orchards

6054 124th Ave., Fennville Crane Orchards in Fennville focuses on produce and offers 24 types of apples throughout the fall season.

In addition to autumn apples, Crane hosts a variety of fall activities for the family. For more than 20 years, Crane has created a 20-acre corn maze with different designs each year to bring a new experience for guests. Hayrides and the “cow train” are offered on Saturdays and Sundays from noon-5 p.m. through October while U-pick season is still open.

“Our family has always put a premium on doing business with local companies that reflect our West Michigan values and a commitment to personal service. It was part of the vision of the founders 20 years ago, and it continues today.

Congratulations to Legacy Trust for instilling trust in everything you do.”

Charlie Secchia Owner, Attico Ventures Partner SIBSCO

Momentum builds for township’s ‘Reimagine Plainfield’

By Rachel Watson

Plainfield Township is seeking development proposals for the only vacant parcel the township owns along Plainfield Avenue as part of a 3-year-old plan to revitalize the outdated corridor.

The northern Grand Rapids suburb of about 34,000 residents on Oct. 2 issued a request for proposals seeking development plans for a 1.7-acre, township-owned site at 2500 5 Mile Road NE at the corner of Plainfield Avenue. The site previously housed a fire station that was demolished in 2004. The lot has been vacant ever since and is marketed as “redevelopment ready.”

Plainfield Township’s goal is to draw proposals for a multi-story, mixed-use development with housing, per the RFP. The price for the property would be negotiable based on the merits of each proposal, according to township officials.

Jen DeHaan, Plainfield Township deputy superintendent, said the property is the only vacant, non-park land the township owns along Plainfield Avenue. Officials want to see it redeveloped according to the vision set forth in the 2021 Reimagine Plainfield corridor strategy.

“This is another exciting opportunity for the township and the community to utilize an existing township asset as an incentive for the growth and redevelopment along the corridor that our community wants to see,” DeHaan said. The corridor has struggled with

high retail vacancy rates and business turnover since the former North Kent Mall closed in 2000.

In 2019, the township kicked off a two-year visioning process that culminated in the Reimagine Plainfield plan. The strategy calls for redeveloping the underutilized and car-centric retail corridor into residential, commercial, and “town centers” that would contain pedestrian-, transit- and bike-friendly mixed-use developments, retail, housing and green space. The corridor envisioned under the plan runs north of Four Mile Road up to the Grand River.

The township is currently considering the first housing development proposal on the corridor since Reimagine Plainfield took effect.

DeHaan said Plainfield Township has historically had a hard time marketing the parcel at 2500 5

Mile Road for development because of “economic conditions, as well as the grade and the access to the site.”

Though flat on top, the property slopes steeply upward from the sidewalk, and there’s no driveway access from Plainfield Avenue. She said adding an access drive off Plainfield likely would be impossible because the Plainfield frontage is right at the intersection with 5 Mile Road.

DeHaan said while developers would have to employ “creative strategies” to maximize the lot, its top selling point is it’s already been zoned mixed-use (MXU), a new zoning district created under Reimagine Plainfield that allows for multifamily residential, commercial, light industrial, office and more.

“In the past, it hasn’t been a desirable location,” DeHaan said. “We

now believe that with the rezoning and the Reimagine Plainfield plan, that this makes it much more desirable … (and) a better development opportunity for the community.”

Housing projects in the MXU district can have 35 units per acre by right, or 58 units per acre with bonuses. Additionally, buildings can rise to 60 feet by right and potentially 80 feet with bonuses.

DeHaan said the township does not have a minimum number of housing units in mind for the site but would like to see a “reasonable” number. The RFP due date is Nov. 21.

“I think it’s going to come down to what the developer and the design is, and how they can best use that site,” she said.

Kevin O’Reilly, director of multifamily investment for NAI Wisinski Great Lakes in Grand Rapids, said the site looks to be a “pretty good” opportunity for multifamily developers, based on its connection to utilities, location just west of other neighborhoods with existing housing, and the median household income of more than $84,000 in the township, per the latest U.S. Census data.

But he said the first selection criterion listed in the RFP — to include mixed uses — may discourage some developers, as one of the beauties of the new MXU zone district is that it doesn’t require ground-floor commercial.

“I don’t necessarily think it needs to be mixed use, given the availability of retail all over Plainfield,” he said. “I think this may impact

multifamily viability, if that’s the determining factor and selection criteria. I think that’s something that would go against the appeal and attractiveness of the site (for some).”

Room for parking also could be a challenge on the 1.7-acre lot, O’Reilly added.

Another factor that may come into play is the negative perception of Plainfield Avenue that still exists in Grand Rapids after 28th Street and Alpine Avenue eclipsed it as the metro area’s main retail corridors, he said, though he acknowledged the township is trying to change that.

“It’s not the most desirable place to live in Grand Rapids,” he said. “… First impressions matter, and when the horse has already bolted, it’s hard to do anything.”

Still, O’Reilly said it’s undeniable that to make Reimagine Plainfield happen, an experienced developer would have to step forward and be a “catalyst” for change.

Travis Alden, community development director for The Right Place Inc., was in a meeting with an undisclosed developer who’s interested in the site when contacted for this report.

Alden said he’s taken developers on bus tours of the site in the past, and they’ve always wanted more clarity about what type of development the township would like to see on the property before expressing interest. He added that developers thus far have been hesitant to be “the first” to stake money on a project in the corridor.

WMU goes all in on alcohol sales at sporting events

By Elizabeth Schanz

Western Michigan University officials say alcohol sales at collegiate sporting events over the past year have generated tens of thousands of dollars for athletics and scholarships while opening new marketing deals as they look to expand sales to more sports.

Public universities in West Michigan are taking varied approaches to selling alcohol at collegiate sporting events since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in June 2023 signed bipartisan legislation allowing for alcohol sales. Some higher education institutions jumped at the possibilities of a fan experience with adult beverages, while others are still exploring the idea.

Western Michigan University was among the first universities in the state to introduce alcohol sales at its sporting events, which started with the 2023 football season opener and throughout the season at Waldo Stadium. Other sports sold alcohol for a portion of their season, including at about 80% of hockey games and 50% of basketball games, said Dan Bartholomae, WMU’s vice president and director of athletics. WMU sells beer, wine and hard seltzers ranging from $10 to $12.

Last school year, gross sales of alcohol at WMU totaled about $275,000, resulting in $87,000 in profit, Bartholomae said.

This new revenue goes into the operating budget for the university’s athletics and tuition support for student-athletes.

“We weren’t fully funding our scholarships previously, so we weren’t at the full NCAA max in our sports, any of them. So we’re utilizing those funds to get up to that number. To get to that number is that is actually a little bit larger than the alcohol proceeds, but we’re utilizing those as an operating revenue to offset that expense,” Bartholomae said.

Based on what WMU officials consider a success with the first season of sales, the university aims to bring alcohol to as many WMU sporting events as possible. In addition to football, hockey and basketball, WMU will serve alcohol during upcoming seasons for gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball — every ticketed sport at WMU, Bartholomae said.

However, state law limits the use of alcohol licenses to a maximum of 100 events per calendar year across all licenses for intercollegiate scheduled athletic events. As WMU obtains alcohol licenses for

more venues, the university aims to coordinate alcohol sales to most effectively serve fans and stay within the legal limit.

“We couldn’t serve at every single game (WMU hosts) and stay under that 100-event limit, so what we’ve done is kind of gone through and strategically looked at where we feel like sales would be most impactful and games where we think will have the most fans,” Bartholomae said. “We’ve eliminated a few games here and there, but we’ll be serving at the majority of games in all venues this year, and that’ll be the first time.”

Grand Valley State University also has introduced alcohol sales at

sporting events. Since piloting alcohol sales at an Oct. 28, 2023, football game at Lubbers Stadium, the university has brought in $38,950 in gross sales over four games hosted between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, MLive recently reported. Over the three games from last season, the sales netted $12,000 for GVSU’s athletic fund, said Craig Wieschorster, associate vice president for business and finance.

“So if they (athletics) have needs in one year versus different needs than another, they have the flexibility to utilize those funds,” Wieschorster told Crain’s.

Wieschorster said school officials have submitted a license application for the GVSU Fieldhouse

and alcohol sales will be coming in the future at men’s and women’s basketball games. The list of locations could be expanded, he said.

GVSU currently sells beers, seltzers and a co-branded canned cocktail by Long Road Distillers called “Lake + Valley Lemonade.” Prices range from $7 to $9, Wieschorster said.

Similarly, WMU has inked an exclusive marketing agreement with West Side Beer Distributing.

“What you’re going to start seeing is a lot of co-branded, messaging, advertising, and potentially even products down the line,” Bartholomae said. “You (already) see it outside of the campus and it’s just a nice opportunity for us to get our brand out there.”

While WMU and GVSU have experienced success with alcohol sales at sporting events — with both Bartholomae and Wieschorster noting no incidents related to the change — some schools remain tentative.

Ferris State University in Big Rapids has not sold alcoholic beverages at sporting events and is still reviewing the possibilities of serving them, said Dave Murray, the school’s associate vice president for marketing and communications.

A West Side Beer Distributing truck making a delivery to Waldo Stadium at Western Michigan University. COURtESY PHOtO

2500 5 Mile Road previously housed a fire station before it was demolished in 2004.

| RACHEL WAtSON

Restaurant leaders plead for pressure on tipped wages law

By Abby Poirier

Michigan’s restaurant industry leaders are asking restaurateurs to keep pressure on state legislators who are weighing whether to amend a state law that would phase out tipped wages.

Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA), and Jeff Lobdell, chair of the National Restaurant Association and founder and president of Grand Rapids-based Restaurant Partners Management LLC, urged operators and hospitality professionals to actively press lawmakers to alter sick leave and tipped wage credit laws set to take effect Feb. 21, 2025.

“We are a huge industry. We are a loud industry. It’s time to make our voices heard,” Winslow said in an Oct. 2 presentation to restaurant operators and hospitality industry professionals at the Gordon Food Service show at the DeVos Place convention center.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in July that a 2018 legislative maneuver to water down the laws was unconstitutional, meaning the $10.33 hourly wage will increase to $14.97 by 2028 and the lower tipped wage for servers and bartenders will be phased out by 2030. As well, paid medical leave requirements would be expanded to add more days and cover more workers.

The ruling means that a tipped wage credit that pays servers and bartenders a percentage of the minimum wage, provided their tips make up the difference, will be eliminated by 2030.

Currently, tipped workers earn $3.93 an hour, or 38% of the minimum wage. But many restaurant operators and servers themselves are quick to point out that their hourly pay tends to be much greater.

In an August interview with Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, Lobdell asserted that servers and bartenders often take home $25 to $30 an hour. An estimation by the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association put take-home pay at roughly $26 an hour.

One West Michigan restaurant owner told Crain’s Grand Rapids

Business that the new law would be “Armageddon” for business owners, which are already reeling from the effects of the pandemic. Last month, hundreds of servers gathered at the Michigan Capitol to advocate for retaining the tipped wage credit.

Absent legislative action, the tip credit would initially increase to 48%, or about $6, in 2025, and will continue to rise yearly until it’s 100% of the regular wage by 2029.

Legislative action to amend the minimum wage and paid sick leave laws remains uncertain, the top Democrat in the state Senate recently told Crain’s Detroit Business.

A June survey by the MRLA estimated that between 40,000 and 60,000 restaurant jobs could be on the chopping block should the tip credit be eliminated, while one in five full-service restaurants would likely close because of the increase in cost.

“Our state’s restaurants, they’re more than just a place you go to get nutrition. They’re more than just jobs provided. They’re cornerstones of communities,” Lobdell said.

Restaurant Partners Management operates a range of restaurants in West and Northern Michigan, including Grand Rapids diners like Grand Coney, The Omelette Shoppe, Sundance Bar and Grill and Real Food Cafe.

“(Restaurants are) where people go to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions,” Lobdell added. “They go in sad times when there’s funerals and tragedies. They’re part of neighborhoods, and we all need to fight to keep as many of them operating and going as we can.”

Winslow and Lobdell are encouraging restaurateurs and servers to continue to speak up. Winslow noted that “there’s a lot of positive signs” that point to action being taken by state legislators.

“The conversations we are having day in and day out with legislators are connecting,” he said. “Your ability to have those conversations is connecting. Your team members’ ability to have those conversations out of real emotion is connecting.”

Ashfield Donnan, a server and bartender at Seabiscuit Cafe on Mackinac Island who has worked on the island for eight seasons since 2012. | SAVe MI tIPS

EXECUTIVEINSIGHTS

M&A market to see upswing, but benefits will be uneven

‘Cautious’

is still the watchword for these experts, but all expect a 2025 uptick in tech, manufacturing and health care deals

By Judy Stringer Crain’s Content Studio

transitions amid the choppy conditions.

approach retirement and consider possibly taking chips off the table.”

“The majority of the market has this timeline they have to execute on, so when M&A is a little slow, like it has been for the last two years, that just means it’s got to catch up.”

— Mike Brown, partner and managing director of Charter Capital Partners

“There are so many equity groups whose business model is to buy and sell businesses. They can only sit on their hands for so long.”

— Matthew Miller, managing director of Cascade Partners

“It’s harder to get deals done than it was just a few years ago. There’s one bidder instead of four, for example. There’s more due diligence, more re-trading the price, more buyers exercising caution.”

— Pete Roth, partner in the M&A practice for Varnum LLP

“The balance sheet is one of the rst places we’ll start looking to make sure that we’ve got a solid prospect … to gure out if we have a pro table business or one that’s living off debt.”

— Jason Kuipers, executive vice president of Century Technology Group

From escalating operational costs and growing valuation gaps to uctuating interest rates, ongoing overseas con icts and an upcoming presidential election – there’s no shortage of market uncertainties to blame for the mergers and acquisitions slump.

The one certainty, local industry insiders said, is that a dealmaking revival is imminent.

“The money is out there,” according to Charter Capital Partners Partner and Managing Director Mike Brown. “The majority of the market has this timeline they have to execute on, so when M&A is a little slow, like it has been for the last two years, that just means it’s got to catch up.”

Matthew Miller, managing director of Cascade Partners, concurred.

“There are so many equity groups whose business model is to buy and sell businesses,” he said. “They can only sit on their hands for so long.”

Brown and Miller joined their Grand Rapids colleagues Jason Kuipers, executive vice president of Century Technology Group, and Pete Roth, partner in the M&A practice for Varnum LLP, in a recent Executive Roundtable conversation that dove into the turbulent M&A waters. The discussion, moderated by Crain’s Detroit Business and Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Content Studio Manager Clare Pfeiffer, provides exclusive insight into how Western Michigan companies are faring against these macroeconomic headwinds and what local business owners can do to set themselves up for smooth – or rather smoothish –

“We’ve already seen a little bit of a pickup in deals nationally. Q2 was better than Q1. Q3 was better than Q2,” Roth noted. “But it’s harder to get deals done than it was just a few years ago. There’s one bidder instead of four, for example. There’s more due diligence, more re-trading the price, more buyers exercising caution.”

Guarded optimism

“Cautious” was the word these executives used time and again to describe their own outlook on the M&A market. While they anticipate a notable uptick in deal volume in 2025, they also acknowledge that the bene ts will not be evenly distributed.

“Sellers still think it’s 2019 in some ways,” Kuipers said, asserting that pre-pandemic norms continue to in uence valuation expectations. “They need to be a little bit more aware of the current economic state and a bit more open minded on how a deal may get done.”

Without a doubt, prospective sellers are experiencing a strange time at the moment. On one hand, falling interest rates would seem to suggest longwaited payouts are just around the corner and quite possibly ahead of the sunset of Trump-era tax cuts. The expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, set for the end of 2025, could result in higher tax liabilities for those selling closely held companies.

Roth also believes some business owners are haunted by the prospect of another COVID-like disruption.

“Many owners almost lost their entire life’s work when everything shut down,” he said. “I think that’s still in the back of people’s minds as they

Increasingly demanding buyers, on the other hand, are raising the bar on valuations and making it tougher to negotiate favorable sale terms.

“As a whole, valuations are down given the lack of bottom line growth in the economy over a lot of industries this year,” Brown explained. “But it greatly depends on the business. … When you have really good companies coming to market, they are getting really good valuations. There’s just not many of them.”

‘Stability’ to be found in tech, manufacturing and health care Sector-wise, the panelists said technology, manufacturing and health care companies are nding more “stability” in the M&A space than many of their counterparts, which is good news regionally as the area is home to many medical and industrial interests and a growing segment of tech providers.

In terms of deal size, Miller’s research nds that valuations continue to be “a mixed bag” for enterprises in the $100-million-plus price range but “are on the rise overall” for smaller players.

“Higher quality assets are still coming to market, and lower quality assets are not,” he said. “Some companies might sign an LOI at a compelling valuation, for example, but not get a deal done.”

Brown identi ed Western Michigan’s high concentration of of ce furniture businesses as one conspicuous drag on the local M&A resurgence.

“They’re not back. It’s harder to sell of ce now than it was in 2019, and in addition to the manufacturers themselves, we have a lot of

Sell off or hand off?

Navigating a family business transition

The decision to sell their company outright or hand it off to their children is a challenging one for many Western Michigan family business owners. M&A insiders who gathered for a recent Executive Roundtable shared these perspectives on the challenges and considerations involved in such decisions.

Start planning early: Pete Roth, corporate and M&A attorney for Varnum LLP, said owners preparing to hand off a family business to the next generation should begin as early as 20 years before transition. “If you wake up and think, ‘in a year, I’m going to transition this to my kid,’ you’ve done something wrong,” he said. Instead, invest time in getting them involved in board meetings, having them working inside the company in different positions and better understanding what that transition will look like for you and the company.

Separate skill sets from bloodlines: Sure, the kids are great. But do they have what it takes to run a company? “Make sure you’re able to differentiate between the skill set that your children or your family may have versus just being family,” said Century Technology Group Executive Vice President Jason Kuipers.

Seek help: Since it’s hard for any parent to evaluate their children dispassionately, get assistance in making that call. An advisory board is a great resource for “honest outside advice” on the next-gen’s capabilities and how a succession plan does or does not fit into your goals for the company and the family, according to Matthew Miller, managing director at Cascade Partners.

suppliers and distribution channels for that industry. I think that continues to hurt us locally,” he said.

‘It’s complicated’

Sector-specific challenges aside, M&A success today generally has more to do with the strength of an organization’s balance sheet than how large it is or what it does, the executives contend.

“The balance sheet is one of the first places we’ll start looking to make sure that we’ve got a solid prospect,” Kuipers said, “to figure out if we have a profitable business or one that’s living off debt.”

Even for relatively hot investment areas, such as machine learning, AI and advanced analytics, Kuipers said his firm is “paying a lot more attention” to financial metrics and spending added time analyzing issues like:

• Supply chain reliability: Can the business weather a supplier disruption?

• Price control: Can it increase rates without losing market share?

• Inflation: Is it really capturing a better margin or just riding inflation?

Miller suggests would-be sellers commit as many as three years to transition planning and value creation. The group also highlighted the importance of having a team of trusted, third-party advisers to help company leaders focus on their goals and find the best path forward, which may or may not be a sale.

So while a near-term M&A rebound may be imminent, these market watchers say a net positive impact on any individual buyer or seller is not assured. And even if market conditions suggest a sale in the next 15 months would be favorable, that timing won’t be ideal for everyone.

“Good businesses are transacting right now at the height of all this uncertainty,” Roth said, “which just goes to show that it’s right for you when it’s right for you.”

Sponsored by

Mike Brown, partner and managing director of Charter Capital Partners

Matthew Miller, managing director of Cascade Partners

Pete Roth, partner in the M&A practice for Varnum LLP

Jason Kuipers, executive vice president of Century Technology Group

COMMENTARY

Behavioral health: Not an afterthought in plan design

As employers, hospitals have the same conversations about employee health benefits as other organizations.

Recently, a Pine Rest team convened to project next year’s budget for employee health benefits. Our broker recommended sticking with our current plan — then he dropped the bomb. Our premiums would rise by 9% to 12%.

Health care is already our second largest expense, and the increase means that we may need to delay some exciting operational and capital investments.

Understanding this, our broker cited two main factors for the increase: prescription drug cost inflation and behavioral health utilization that has nearly doubled. While rising drug costs were expected, the significant increase in behavioral health utilization gave me pause. Is increased utilization bad? Does it actually increase our total health care cost?

Here are some facts:

Behavioral health utilization is up nationally by about 30%, but this statistic can be misleading. In 2019, behavioral health services accounted for 3.8% of employers’ total health care costs, rising to 5% in recent years. Though this represents a 30% increase, it’s still an insignificant portion of overall health care costs and not a major driver of premium increases.

Increased behavioral health access can actually save our organization money. Research shows a return of $4 for every dollar

invested in behavioral health treatment. A Cigna study found that individuals who received outpatient behavioral health care saw significant reductions in their overall medical costs, saving $1,377 per person annually by reducing the need for emergency and inpatient services. Additionally, behavioral health treatment helps manage comorbid conditions like diabetes, asthma and heart disease, which can lead to higher health care costs if left untreated.

Psychiatry is the medical discipline with

the highest rate of non-participation in health plan panels, with over 50% of psychiatrists opting out. This forces employees to use higher “out-of-network” deductibles and co-pays for psychiatric care, shifting costs to our employees. In response, we’re taking several steps to improve our approach to behavioral health benefits:

w We are pushing our insurance carriers to quickly increase the availability of in-network psychiatry services to reduce the

cost burden on our employees.

w We are utilizing our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to allow our staff and their families quicker access to behavioral health care, benefitting both our team members and our organization.

w We are advocating at the CDC to classify psychiatric and behavioral health evaluations as “preventive care,” allowing us to offer our employees these services with $0 deductibles and co-pays, similar to annual physicals.

w We are encouraging our insurance carrier and broker to create incentives for behavioral health providers who collaborate with primary care providers through Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), which helps reduce total health care spending through integration of behavioral health interventions.

Behavioral health can no longer be an afterthought in employee health care plan design. It’s a critical tool for retaining staff, reducing absenteeism and controlling health care costs. Knowing this, use your plan design and your partner insurance carrier to encourage and incentivize access to local high-quality behavioral health providers. Ask your insurance carrier to guarantee that in-network providers are accepting new patients and offer both behavioral health psychiatric services as well as psychotherapy services. At Pine Rest, we believe that improved behavioral health services for our employees is good not only for the bottom-line of our health plan, but it is also great for making Pine Rest sustainable for years to come. As a service organization, we are only as good as our employees. By taking care of our teammates’ behavioral health needs, our team can better meet the needs of our patients.

New government guidelines threaten Beer City, USA

Grand Rapids has evolved from “Beer City, USA.”

From spirits to cider, the alcohol industry is a significant part of our economy. It’s deeply intertwined with others — agriculture, restaurants and entertainment to name a few. So, what could happen if the industry took a hit from stricter guidelines imposed by the government? We may be about to find out.

Last year, the World Health Organization said there is “no safe level” of alcohol consumption. That claim now has a foothold with government regulators here in America.

president of advocacy and strategic engagement for the

Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., are following suit as they work to create a new set of U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which will come out in 2025. They are basing this on new research contradicting decades of

studies that find drinking in moderation can be part of a balanced lifestyle. Could this be a slippery slope back into Prohibition?

During Prohibition (19201933), Grand Rapids, like many American cities, saw a significant downturn in local businesses that were dependent on alcohol sales. Breweries, bars, and restaurants were forced to close or operate illegally, resulting in widespread job losses and economic hardship.

Michigan’s beer industry alone brings in $9 billion to the state’s economy, employing 67,000 people. Grand Rapids is home to dozens of breweries, distilleries and wineries, not to mention the many bars and restaurants that depend on alcohol sales. We don’t want to see history repeat itself.

The Grand Rapids Chamber is proud to

be composed of over 2,900 businesses working to build community, small businesses and opportunity in historically marginalized communities across West Michigan.

Right now, it is not easy operating a restaurant or bar. Our businesses are still feeling the sting of the pandemic. Add on the new threats of paid mandatory leave and the elimination of tipped wages, and those already on the brink of closing won’t be able to take another punch to their bottom line.

Bridge Street or the neighborhood centers in Eastown or Wealthy Street. These bars and restaurants are community tent poles and gathering spots. They create jobs and identity for their neighborhoods.

Michigan’s beer industry alone brings in $9 billion to the state’s economy, employing 67,000 people.

The impact on these businesses would trickle down the supply chain, from the brewers and distillers themselves, to the truck drivers and the farmers growing their ingredients. Hundreds of thousands of visitors travel to the Grand Rapids area because our craft beverage options make us a destination.

Look at the growth and revitalization of

Consumers should have the freedom to make their own choices about alcohol consumption, guided by personal responsibility and moderation.

Excessive alcohol consumption is a serious issue. We are not debating that. But consumers, along with advice from their physicians, should be allowed to decide for themselves if moderate, responsible drinking can be part of a balanced lifestyle. Help us protect this industry by contacting your elected officials.

Andy Johnston is senior vice

Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bob Nykamp is vice president and chief operating officer at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

Kentwood OKs plan for 216 homes on undeveloped land

By Rachel Watson

A major Michigan homebuilder is one step closer to adding more than 200 units of single-family rental and for-sale housing on 66 undeveloped acres in Kentwood.

The Kentwood Planning Commission on Sept. 24 voted to recommend that the city commission approve Portage-based Allen Edwin Homes’ request to rezone the property southwest of 52nd Street and Wing Avenue SE, in support of a 216-unit single-family housing development called Breton Ravines.

The development would be just north of another 200-plus-unit Allen Edwin Homes neighborhood called Bretonfield Preserve.

The Kentwood City Commission is expected to vote Oct. 15 on the rezoning of 2720 and 2854 52nd St. SE and 5491 Wing Ave. SE from R1-B single-family residential to R-PUD1 residential planned unit development, according to Lisa Golder, economic development planner for the city.

As Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reported in January, Allen Edwin Homes’ initial plan for Breton Ravines called for 256 units of predominantly attached housing in two-, three- and four-unit buildings, with about 35 standalone detached houses in the mix.

The developer has since shifted the balance to 202 detached units

and 14 attached townhomes.

Dan Larabel, land manager for Allen Edwin Homes, told the planning commission at its Aug. 13 meeting that although it has previously developed attached housing, like the Woodhaven townhomes community in Kentwood, the company decided to shift Breton Ravines to mostly standalone single-family homes to better align with its traditional core competency.

“The detached (product type) is just in our DNA,” Larabel told Crain’s. “It’s what we do really well, and it’s what we see as the best value-driven product.”

Larabel said Allen Edwin Homes

also decided to make the 69-unit first phase of the development exclusively rental homes as part of its plan to pursue brownfield tax increment financing incentives for this project. The remaining phases would be marketed for sale.

He said Allen Edwin Homes decided to make the first phase rental homes because the higher, non-homestead tax rate would generate more tax capture revenue to fund infrastructure improvements on the site than the homestead tax rate of for-sale housing. The infrastructure improvements in question include extending Breton Avenue southward from 52nd Street to 60th Street SE.

“It’s 2,600 linear feet of public street, (and) it’s a really big infrastructure project, essentially, so for us to accommodate and accomplish that, we are in the process of asking for tax increment financing funded by the rental portion of the development,” Larabel said.

He added that while Kentwood would chip in a small share of the cost, Allen Edwin Homes has agreed to shoulder most of it.

“It will be primarily developer funded and then reimbursed through the TIF,” he said.

Per an updated project narrative filed with the city, Allen Edwin Homes plans to build the road extension and the first two phases of

the project concurrently between 2025 and 2026, including 69 units in phase one and another 26 units in phase two.

The remaining 121 homes are expected to be constructed in four phases between 2026 and 2030.

All of the homes would have two stories and floor plans that range from 1,450 square feet to 2,085 square feet, with a minimum of three bedrooms and two bathrooms, although most of the units will be four-bedroom, two-and-ahalf-bathroom homes.

All units would have either attached or detached garages with driveway parking. An additional 70 guest spaces would be scattered throughout the development.

Breton Ravines will include a playground, a pavilion, dog park and walking paths with connections to the Paul Henry Thornapple Trail. About 29 acres of the site will be preserved as open space, with about 14 acres as wetland/ detention pond areas and 15 acres reserved for woodland preservation.

The rental homes will be in the $2,700-per-month range, Larabel said. The for-sale homes will be marketed starting in the mid$300,000s to mid-$400,000s.

Larabel said Allen Edwin Homes is serving as developer, designer and builder on the project and also will manage sales and leasing.

Developer readies rental housing for downtown Hudsonville

By Rachel Watson

A second developer is eyeing new rental housing in Hudsonville that would align with city leaders’ vision for more density and walkability and contribute to more than 180 new units downtown.

Cascade Township-based Veneklasen Construction plans to break ground in the coming weeks on a 141-unit, mixed-income apartment complex called Terra Station that also calls for 4,600 square feet of ground-floor retail at 3302 Prospect St. in Hudsonville.

Terra Station is just down the street from a separate, 41-unit project called Prospect Flats that broke ground in September and is aimed at “missing middle” renters.

Veneklasen’s approximately $32 million project secured state brownfield tax increment financing reimbursements in June worth $4.3 million over a 16-year period under a newly expanded law that allows brownfield TIF incentives to be used for workforce housing.

CEO Chris Veneklasen said the project came about when the city of Hudsonville in 2021 acquired the approximately 4-acre site that formerly housed a farmer’s co-op for $1.35 million and put out a request for proposals. Veneklasen bid on the project and won.

The firm secured its formal city approvals for a planned unit de-

velopment on the site in May of this year. Veneklasen plans to close soon on the purchase of the land from the city for $1.4 million, he said.

“Our buildings will front Harvey (Street) and create a little bit of a new, urban-style development,” he said, adding that it will feel “engaging to the street” and “walkable to town.”

He said the firm is in talks with a few different possible tenants for the commercial space, which ideally would house a coffee shop, small restaurant or fitness center.

“(It will have) a lot of those amenities that you would get, perhaps if you were in more of a downtown setting in a larger city, and just kind of further activating the city of Hudsonville,” Veneklasen said.

When they put out the RFP for the former farmer’s co-op site, city leaders envisioned a mixed-use development that would extend Harvey Street eastward and create pedestrian and bicycle connections to downtown as part of its Imagine Hudsonville 2030 master plan adopted in 2015.

Sarah Steffens, deputy planning and zoning director for Hudsonville, told Crain’s Grand Rapids Business in an email that the Terra Station project fits the bill and “is set to become a vibrant mixed-use development” that will enhance “walkability to downtown Hudsonville.”

The name “Terra Station” is a nod to the city-owned and operat-

ed Terra Square development, Veneklasen said. The mixed-use, indoor-outdoor farmers market and event space is located at 2280 Chicago Drive, just west of the future Terra Station.

“It is a little bit (of a callback), yes,” Veneklasen said. “And there used to be a train depot on this site, so the ‘Terra Station’ name is kind of where that came from.”

Veneklasen said his firm has been successful at developing other similar mixed-use projects in small Michigan towns like Hastings as well as South Haven and Whitehall along the lakeshore.

“Ottawa County certainly has a huge housing need … (and) we love putting these projects in

smaller communities where they have either good momentum or good plans for a strong future or current urban core,” he said.

Veneklasen’s development division is leading the project, and Veneklasen Construction will be the general contractor. Grand Rapids-based Integrated Architecture handled design.

The development will include six buildings, one of which will be dedicated to commercial use at the corner of School Avenue and the newly extended Harvey Street, facing Terra Square.

Plans for the project’s residential component call for 36 studios, 59 one-bedroom and 46 two-bedroom units, ranging from about

400 to 882 square feet.

Thirty-five of the units will be reserved for households making 80% to 95% of area median income. That’s $57,600 to $68,400 for single people and $65,800 to $78,185 for two people, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2024 guidelines.

The development will include 202 parking spaces, including 58 covered spaces, and will attach to an existing bike path on the east side of the site. Terra Station will have a bicycle service station, as well as six electric-vehicle charging spaces.

Mount Pleasant-based KMG Prestige will manage leasing for the apartments. Pre-leasing is expected to open next spring.

Veneklasen said the commercial portion of the development is expected to open by late summer 2025. The apartments will come online in phases over a two-year period, with all apartments targeted to open by fall 2026.

In addition to the brownfield TIF incentives, the city approved a commercial rehabilitation district for the project in November 2022, which will freeze the taxable value of the development for 10 years. Other funding sources included a $1.5 million Revitalization and Placemaking grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and debt financing from Mercantile Bank.

Terra Station calls for 141 apartments and retail space. | INteGrAteD ArcHItectUre

Allen Edwin Homes’ Breton Ravines development calls for 216 single-family housing units. | ALLeN eDWIN HOMeS

Judge dismisses lawsuit against Sligh building developer

By Mark Sanchez

Huntington Bank and the Detroit-area developer behind a massive redevelopment of the Sligh Furniture Co. building on Grand Rapids’ southwest side appear to have settled their differences out of court.

A federal district court judge last month formally dismissed the case that Huntington Bank brought earlier in the year against JV SBAM SA LLC. In the lawsuit, the bank claimed the developer defaulted on a nearly $4 million commercial loan involving multiple properties around the former furniture factory.

Judge Jane Beckering dismissed the case with prejudice on Sept. 11 and maintained jurisdiction “to enforce the forbearance settlement documents executed and agreed to by the parties.”

Huntington filed a motion to dismiss the case one day earlier.

The judge’s order dismissing the lawsuit “resolves the last pending claim and closes the case.”

Huntington Bank filed the lawsuit in March in the U.S. District Court Western District of Michigan against JV SBAM SA LLC,

which is registered to developer John Gibbs of Sturgeon Bay Partners. The bank claimed that the company defaulted on a $3.96 million promissory note, secured by a mortgage, that was executed on May 14, 2021, to purchase properties surrounding the former Sligh building. The properties include 440 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. SW, 188 Wealthy St. SW and 190 Wealthy St. SW.

Gibbs denied the claim and Beckering in July rejected a Huntington Bank motion to appoint a receiver over the properties that are connected to the large-scale, mixed-use development proposed for the former Sligh Furniture building.

At the Sligh building and surrounding properties, the developers propose 438 apartments, self-storage units, a 69-space parking garage, 298-space surface parking lot, 21,823 square feet of retail space, and 35,937 square feet of public green space.

Gibbs and his partners were represented in the case by Birmingham-based Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett PC. Mount Clemens-based Aloia & Associates PC represented Huntington.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION

(Act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code)

1. Title of Publication: Grand Rapids Business Journal

2. Publication number: 253-920 3. Date of filing: October 1, 2024 4. Issue frequency: published biweekly, with an extra issue Apr and Sept

7. Location of known office of publication: Crain Communications Inc., 161 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 173, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2701

8. Location of headquarters or general business offices of the publisher: Crain Communications Inc., 161 Ottawa Ave NW, Suite 173, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-2701

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13. Publication Title: Grand Rapids Business Journal

14.

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in item 15: September

WASTE

From Page 3

through 2039. The plan also includes updating the county’s solid waste management ordinance that governs contracts with waste haulers, designates facilities for waste transfer and sets tipping fees.

As part of the new plan, Kent County would build a new South Kent Transfer Station where the Sustainable Business Park was proposed to give commercial waste haulers and residents another option for disposing of solid waste and hard-to-recycle materials, in addition to the North Kent Transfer Station near Rockford.

The backup plan is projected to result in a waste diversion rate of 30% rather than the 65% diversion rate anticipated under the initial plan, according to estimates provided by the county. But it would also likely not require the issuance of bonds like the bioenergy facility was expected to, saving the county money in the short-term.

The Kent County Board of Commissioners is expected to vote on the new plan on Nov. 21. Pending board approval, construction on site infrastructure would begin in 2025. The county estimates construction on the South Kent Transfer Station would then begin in 2027, and the facility would start processing waste in 2030.

Kent County Department of Public Works spokesperson Steve Faber said the new plan would give the county an initial framework for waste flow control. It also

FUND

From Page 3

15 Extent and nature of circulation Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months

no. of copies of single issue published nearest to filing date

A. Total No. Copies Printed (Net Press Run) 7,137 6,810

B. Paid Circulation

1. Mail Subscriptions 6,451 6,528

2. Paid In-County Subscriptions 00

3. Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors 00

4. Other Classes Mailed Through and Counter Sales the USPS 00

C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 6,451 6,528

D. Free Distribution by Mail; Samples, complimentary, and other free copies

1. Stated on Form 3541 212 89

2. Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS 00

3, Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail 00

4. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means) 0 0

E. Total Free Distribution (Sum of D and E) 212 89

F. Total Distribution (Sum of C and F) 6,663 6,617

G. Copies not distributed 474 193

H. Total (Sum of G and H) Should equal net press run shown in A) 7,137 6,810

I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 96.81% 98.65%

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the 10-14-2024 issue of this publication.

18. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete. Jim Kirk, Publisher.

would standardize waste hauling rates and tip fees across municipalities countywide instead of the current piecemeal approach.

“We would still move forward with the overall concept of the Sustainable Business Park, but the first step in that would be building a South Kent Transfer Station … so then we can still move away from expanding the South Kent Landfill, which will close roughly around 2030,” Faber said.

Faber said the plan for a bioenergy facility at the Sustainable Business Park has receded into the background while the county irons out this stopgap.

“We still hope and think that there’s a future for mixed waste processing. We’re just not committing to that today,” he said. “The goal is really that by 2030, we’re in a position where we can sort of continue to work on these real waste diversion technologies.”

The Sustainable Business Park was envisioned as a way to help Kent County meet its goal of diverting 90% of its trash from landfills by 2030. The project has received two state budget allocations totaling $9 million to help with the overall $23 million cost to build the park’s infrastructure. The DPW plans to fund the rest with money set aside from its budget.

The county selected Anaergia as the anchor tenant for the park in 2021. The plan was to build a $380 million anaerobic digestion facility that would convert organic waste delivered to the park into renewable natural gas and fertiliz-

er. The project was to be 20% funded by the county and 80% funded by Anaergia. The Michigan Public Service Commission awarded the company a $5 million grant in July 2023 to help them build the facility.

However, plans for the bioenergy facility began to fall through in September 2023, when Kent County indefinitely delayed the project as Anaergia struggled to remain financially solvent, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reported at the time.

In May this year, Anaergia sued Kent County, alleging a breach of contract and other claims after the county canceled a development agreement for the bioenergy plant.

The county’s Aug. 15 response denied each of Anaergia’s claims and alleges the Canadian company “materially breached the (project development agreement) by failing to perform their obligations” and failed to address the county’s concerns about the company’s financial position, which the county claimed was a default of the contract.

U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou moved the case to a magistrate judge last month, and the case remains ongoing in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan.

The Michigan Public Service Commission told Crain’s it is aware of Anaergia’s financial woes, but it has not yet made a determination about the grant money. The MPSC declined further comment while the matter is reviewed.

in the community here, but also reaching out and supporting the statewide ecosystem and also connecting the state, even the companies nationally,” he said.

Partners worked for about a year to create Kalamazoo Forward Ventures and secure the $50 million in commitments from investors across the state. The fund has three initial investments it expects to publicly announce soon.

While Kalamazoo Forward Ventures will focus on underrepresented individuals in Kalamazoo, it could pursue deals elsewhere in Michigan and even outside of the state.

“If we see an opportunity that’s unique, that is not represented by someone in that category, if we think it’s smart to help our fund, to help it grow, to help move our mission and our pillars, we’ll make those investments as they make sense,” Hopewell said. “We want to make sure that we’re doing everything to keep this work robust and build on those opportunities to be able to replicate this and continue to invest in underrepresented folks.”

Another division of Kalamazoo Forward Ventures will focus on traditional small businesses “so more people can have access to opportunities” in Southwest Michigan, said Dwayne Powell Jr., managing partner of the fund’s Mainstreet Capital arm. The part-

ners continue to build parameters for the Mainstreet Capital portion of the fund, although in supporting small businesses operated by underrepresented individuals, “it’s our goal to get to a ‘yes’” and help them get the support they need to succeed, Powell said.

Kalamazoo Forward Ventures offers a “huge opportunity to increase the support of our local entrepreneurs so they are inspired, they are connected, they have the social capital, and they have the financial capital to reach their goals,” said Powell, who co-founded initiatives in Kalamazoo such as the Greater Kalamazoo Business Resource Group, the Kalamazoo Small Business Fund, and the Kalamazoo Black Business Expo.

Powell previously worked a vice president of community development at Old National Bank and PNC Bank in Kalamazoo.

“Whether it’s through our fund or through another fund or another organization, our goal is to help our local entrepreneurs get to a ‘yes,’” he said. “We don’t want to take over anything that’s already being done. We want to make sure that the ecosystem is an opening arm to any entrepreneur, regardless of what level they are, regardless of what they want to do. And that doesn’t mean they’ll be just with our fund, but we want to make sure that we are an open door. … We’re working as an ecosystem to help all of our entrepreneurs.”

Hopewell notes that Kalamazoo Forward Ventures’ work “is not always going to be about writing a check.”

“That’s one of the things that we believe strongly,” he said. “How do we help open doors or how do we help someone get traditional financing by helping decrease the risk. How do we build relationships? Do we work with folks in a cohort that you’re doing concentrated work? These are all the things that we’re going look at and view as opportunities for us to impact the ecosystem.”

In real estate, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures wants to support residential and mixed-use projects with a priority on affordable and workforce housing.

“We’re going to focus on affordable workforce housing here in the city of Kalamazoo and that’s going to be paired with awesome community amenities that move and change the condition here in our community,” said Jamauri Bogan, a general partner at Kalamazoo Forward Ventures who in 2020 launched Bogan Developments LLC.

Partners say interest in the capital fund has been strong since they announced the formation in late September.

In the first two days alone, the fund’s website received several inquiries from “just a whole list of people with ideas who wanted to get investments from us,” said Eric Wembley, managing partner for venture capital at Kalamazoo Forward Ventures.

Battle Creek, Detroit and Lansing markets. The company intended the billboards to create an initial impression among consumers with a simple message, “Cancer Won’t Wait.”

The campaign also used sponsored content that was published in Detroit-area media, including sister publication Crain’s Detroit Business, that leveraged patient stories. Another component of the campaign included local-market television ads that coincided with the 2024 Summer Olympics on NBC. The TV ads ended with the tag line: “Because cancer won’t wait — and neither should you.”

BAMF Health embarked on the branding campaign as it nears a decision, likely by the end of the year, on a partner and a location for its Detroit theranostics clinic.

Ferris State President Bill Pink said during a Sept. 26 Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Power Breakfast event on higher education that the university was in conversations with BAMF Health founder Anthony Chang and Bedrock LLC, billionaire Dan Gilbert’s real estate firm, to support plans to open a theranostics clinic in the city of Detroit. BAMF Health and Ferris State formed a partnership in March for a theranostics training program.

Pink’s comments mark the first time that BAMF Health has been expressly linked to a Bedrock development in Detroit.

Planning for the branding campaign began in early 2024, shortly after VanTimmeren joined BAMF Health. The company launched its advanced treatment for men with stage four prostate cancer in August 2022 at a new theranostics clinic in the Michigan State University Doug Meijer Medical Innovation building in downtown Grand Rapids.

During 2023, BAMF Health — short for Bold Advanced Medical

Future — worked to secure agreements with health insurers to pay for patients’ treatment. Once health insurance reimbursement contracts were in place and BAMF Health proved the medical technology behind theranostics, the time came to begin building a brand identity.

Up until this year, “there really was no point in doing a major marketing campaign or even investing a whole lot into marketing because we had only just made it accessible and affordable to patients,” VanTimmeren said.

“Once we had in-network (coverage) with insurance and we had been able to prove that the outcomes had been pretty positive for a large number of patients, it was like, ‘We have to tell the world.’

You have to start telling people about this and getting people in,” she said. “They decided it was time to really start getting out there and let people know we exist.”

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

The Grand Rapids clinic also performs medical scans for Alzheimer’s disease and will soon begin providing therapy for Alzheimer’s patients. As well, the company aims to begin treating cancer patients in earlier stages of their illness as a first-line treatment, VanTimmeren said.

To craft its widespread branding campaign, BAMF Health worked with Grand Rapids-based DDM Marketing + Communications.

In planning how to position BAMF Health as a brand, from the strategy to the creative direction and media buys, DDM’s staff focused on how best to make the complex medical technology behind theranostics understandable to consumers in today’s age of mo-

lecular-based, precision medicine. That resulted in the “Cancer Won’t Wait” theme that emphasizes the speed at which a person is diagnosed with prostate cancer and gets referred to BAMF Health, then receives a medical scan and begins treatment within mere days.

The campaign took a long view and highlighted what differentiates BAMF Health in the marketplace and the innovative medical technology and unique science behind the cancer treatments, said Jordan Buning, the principal at DDM Marketing + Communications.

Buning describes the ads, which Ada-based Ideology Productions LLC produced, as offering confidence and hope with a “very focused, tangible, life-and-death conversation” that’s mixed with “a shot of espresso and energy toward confidence and enthusiasm that this is going to shift the way that things like cancer can be treated.”

“This wasn’t an also-ran, healthcare option in the marketplace. This needed to feel like it was something other than traditional health care,” Buning said. “By no means did they want to do anything to suggest that they were at odds with traditional health care. They were saying, ‘We’re doing something unique and special that can augment what health care is.’ That’s something they can carry through as they get into other services.”

The TV ads that started in June aired frequently during local advertising segments on NBC’s coverage of the Summer Olympics.

As DDM Marketing + Communications and BAMF Health staff began planning the campaign early this year, they saw an opportunity to align with the Olympics, which offered the “perfect circumstances” to create awareness through the highly watched sporting event in late July and early August, Buning said.

“Our media strategist said, ‘You know, if we’re going to run it this

summer, why don’t we tie ourselves to the Olympics,’” Buning said. “Obviously, some of the themes of the Olympics in general lend themselves really well to what BAMF is doing in terms of going above and beyond and (being) world class and those kinds of things. We didn’t need to overplay our connection to that. We just needed to be present with it.

“What a great vehicle. We were fortunate to have such a wellwatched event, which just gave us a lot more eyeballs on top of what we already knew was a good opportunity.”

Keith Boswell, the principal at Perceptint LLC, a Grand Rapids-based health care marketing consultant, likes the approach that BAMF Health and DDM took by starting with a simple message “to get eyeballs.” They followed up with TV and social media ads that emphasize the point about speed, then used personal patient success stories to show efficacy.

“That’s the smart way to do it,” said Boswell, who previously served as vice president of marketing for virtual behavioral health care providers ADHD Online LLC and Mentavi Health LLC. “It was a really powerful way for them to show something that people don’t often associate with cancer treatment or cancer diagnosis, which is speed.”

The ads point to the speed at which BAMF Health moves to begin treating patients and plays up the efficacy of the medical technology used. Boswell said that tactic can resonate well with consumers when learning about a new care provider that offers a high-end, cutting-edge medical treatment and is moving from startup phase to a bigger market presence.

Boswell’s advice to all brands “is the easiest and best marketing you can do today is demonstrate your expertise regularly,” particularly as health care consumers are so much more apt to go online to research their care options.

“Especially when you’re a new company, you have to lean in to demonstrate your expertise,” Boswell said. “The health-tech sector, in particular, has a challenge because you’ve got to be focused on delivery, but you’ve also got to be focused on building a really strong story that others want to buy into. I think the companies that invest in telling their stories are going to be the companies that consumers consider (when they) make choices.”

VanTimmeren credits the summer campaign for driving higher awareness of BAMF Health.

Website traffic “skyrocketed,” and impressions tripled over the summer and trended toward 100 million impressions by the end of the year, she said. The number of new physician referrals received was the highest ever in July, and the clinical trials team reported that more interest forms are getting filled out on the BAMF website, VanTimmeren said.

For October, the company also has “more therapy scheduled than we’ve ever had,” VanTimmeren said.

She also described how one day in the summer a parking valet stationed at the clinic’s entrance reported that someone had walked up and wanted to know more about BAMF Health after seeing a billboard.

The campaign that ran this past summer was the first phase of an ongoing push that BAMF Health is using to drive greater consumer awareness, VanTimmeren said. Future phases could focus on other therapies and clinical trials the company offers or plans to launch, she said.

“It’s our job to take what we’ve learned and what worked and figure out how to go forward, and we know part of that is figuring out and diving deeper into our brand and what our message is and how we message all of the different services that we offer,” she said. “We have so much more to do. This isn’t the end. This is just the beginning.”

beers,” Graham said. “He was always thoughtful and considerate and was willing to help a fellow brewer. He shared his knowledge and time to help make Michigan the Great Beer State.”

Larry Bell, founder of Michigan brewing giant Bell’s Brewery Inc., called Jeffries “an early innovator in the craft beer field” and applauded his “quiet strength in leading the industry forward.”

“He will be missed,” Bell said.

In 2004, Jeffries founded Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales alongside his wife, Laurie Jeffries. With Jolly Pumpkin, his penchant for sour ales flourished. When other breweries were cashing in on IPAs, Jeffries struck out in a different direction, carving a niche in the market with traditional Belgian brewing methods to create a tart beer using wild yeast.

“Ron’s approach to brewing beer with wild yeast was truly revolutionary in America,” Mitch

Ermatinger, owner of Grand Rapids-based Speciation Artisan Ales, said in an email. “At a time when 99.9% of beer was light lager, Jolly Pumpkin defied the trend and crafted something new and unique, inspiring thousands of brewers across the country.”

The Jolly Pumpkin concept grew, and the company now operates breweries in Ann Arbor, Traverse City, East Lansing, Detroit and Dexter, where Jolly Pumpkin was founded.

The brewery recently closed its Grand Rapids taproom and restaurant as the brand weighed a possible out-of-state expansion.

In 2009, Jeffries co-founded Dexter-based Northern United Brewing Company, which brews and distills for Jolly Pumpkin, North Peak Brewing Company and Grizzly Peak Brewing Co., among others.

“Ron was a beautiful mind and person,” said Tony Grant, CEO of Northern United Brewing Company, who called Jeffries “one of the most caring, creative and giv-

ing people I’ve ever met.”

“He had a true passion for teaching and sharing his knowledge, impacting more people in our industry than I could even know,” he said. “The hole left by his all-too-early departure is tremendous, and we are reeling from it.”

Last year, Jeffries and his wife purchased Hilo, Hawaii-based Hilo Brewing Co., the island’s first craft brewery, and moved to the island.

In their joint social media statement, Jeffries’ family said the move had fulfilled a lifelong dream for Jeffries.

“He was excited about what the future was bringing and what he would be bringing to the world with Hilo Brewing Company/ Holoholo Brewing,” the statement read. “He cherished moments spent on his lanai, soaking in the Hilo rain with a pint in hand.

“Ron’s love for ohana, brewing, and life itself will forever remain in our hearts. He will be deeply missed, but his legacy will continue to inspire all who knew him.”

That inspiration is seen throughout Michigan’s craft brewing industry.

Ermatinger called Jeffries and Jolly Pumpkin “the single biggest influence” on Speciation Artisan Ales, adding that “I can confidently say that Speciation would not exist without his impact.”

Founders Brewing Company co-founder Dave Engbers described Jeffries as being “so absolutely dedicated to the craft of brewing.”

“Some people in our industry are pretty boisterous … and Ron

was almost the opposite,” Engbers said. “Ron has respect the world over. His beers were never high-volume brands, but even in Belgium, I would see some of his bottles on other brewers’ shelves.”

Jeffries is survived by his wife, Laurie, and son, Daemon Jeffries.

“Ron’s personality and wit will be missed by the people he touched throughout his life,” Graham said. “He made the world a better place by being a fine human being and brewer of fine beers.”

Kathryn Chaplow grows design rm, including retail space, on Grand Rapids’ west side

Kathryn Chaplow founded her design rm in 2005, shortly after she had a child and wanted a more exible work schedule. The designer started Kathryn Chaplow Interior Design from her house with one employee, and now has a team of seven other people in a newly built-out of ce, which includes a retail space opening this fall, on Grand Rapids’ west side. Chaplow’s team is made up entirely of women — mostly mothers like herself — who specialize in interior design for projects including residential, boutique medical, hotels and restaurants. Chaplow and her team recently completed designing the inside of a refurbished general store in Walloon Lake, and they are currently designing Mark Secchia’s 60,000-square-foot restaurant and entertainment project called Silva that’s under construction just north of downtown Grand Rapids. Chaplow recently spoke with Crain’s from her new of ce at 839 Butterworth St. SW. about the appeal of Grand Rapids’ west side, starting a retail brand, and doing business in West Michigan. | By Kate Carlson

Why did you want to relocate your of ce here?

I love the west side and live on this side of town. I really love the neighborhoods here. I think there’s so much potential for growth, expansion and creativity, especially on this corridor with all of these little spots waiting for something interesting to go into them. ere is a lot of availability and it just seems to need to be revamped a little bit. e accessibility to downtown is great. I think what this new studio is going to do for us is allow us to have larger, more collaborative meetings in our own space. It’s going to allow us to grow our team and to really realize the full potential of Collect (Kathryn Chaplow Interior Design’s retail brand). We’re just getting going, and we’re ready.

Can you talk a little more about creating a storefront for your retail brand Collect? It’s evolved, and it started out as just curating for our clients. What happens when you are curating for projects is that not everything is gonna stick. So you wind up with excess inventory, and when you’re buying special things and you’re buying vintage and antique, it’s not like it goes out of style. So we keep it and we’ve really accumulated a pretty nice array of objects and items: lamps, mirrors, frames, books, bookends — you name it.

We mix that in with artisan-made things and more new gift items that are small batch. It’s not just old things, it’s a mix. e intent is really to have a colorful, interesting shop where people can be inspired by the aesthetic of the shop and nd something to either take home or give as a gift. In the fall we’re going to announce seasonal hours and then we will be closed after Christmas, and then we will open again seasonally.

Do you plan to pursue any new types of projects?

I would love to do more developing and partner with a builder or developer to work on either other retail spaces or multiunit residential. I just think there is so much room for good design in that sector and I think it could be better. We have some beautiful developments and I would love

to be a part of seeing more of that, especially in this area.

Why did you want to start your own interior design rm?

When I had my son I decided to start my own business to give myself the exibility to set my own hours. I could work at night and at home and I don’t have family in Michigan so I wanted maximum exibility.

What I really built my company on was exibility for me and my sta . We’re delivering the very best work and competing with other design rms to work with these really amazing buildings and some extraordinary clients. But we’re also baking right into that mix that we’re going to have exibility and it is going to be very parent-oriented.

e other thing I always try to be is extremely optimistic, so if we run into an issue, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. I never take giant leaps; I take baby steps and ask for lots of advice.

Women are the majority of people employed in interior design, but the construction industry as a whole is still male-dominated. How has your experience been working on job sites?

With our local builders around West Michigan, we have a really unique and special culture and

people are just kind, familyoriented, and generally, I’ve never run into a signi cant issue. If people are not very nice and they’re not very respectful, they’re probably treating everybody that way, not just me. One of the things that I’ve learned in business is how to align myself with people who practice professionalism and courtesy. Not just with me, but with everyone on their team, and we align ourselves with those partners.

I will say, when I see women on a construction site I am always going out of my way to connect with them. For our o ce project, we had a female superintendent. She was in charge of our project and that was the rst time for me in over 20 years that I’ve worked with a woman in charge of the job site.

Have you noticed any major interior design trends in recent years?

A few things have self-corrected, but in general, the trend is that costs have only increased. I think people are taking time to educate themselves when it comes to their planning process, and they’re a little more mindful of how the timing can impact pricing of their project.

I see people who want to have that ability to work from home, but you also want to have o ce space. People want their spaces

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outside of home to be more comfortable, more beautiful, de nitely healthy, and have good light. at applies to spaces where they welcome their guests, like doctor’s o ces, reception areas — all of those places, people just want it to be more thoughtful.

Are there any misconceptions most people have when they think of what an interior design rm does?

Probably the biggest misconception is that it is all fun and that it happens very quickly, and that everybody is just winging it. What people see on TV portrays this before-and-after, but it’s really so service-oriented. e fun, pretty part of it is a fraction of what you do. A huge part of the work is communication, professional relationships, knowing your contractors and listening.

So many people think they’re supposed to do things a certain way. You can sit down with someone and really listen and help them explore their own aesthetic and watch when they start to realize that they have their own unique aesthetic. It’s not like Pinterest.

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Kathryn Chaplow’s team is made up entirely of women.

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