Grand Rapids Business Journal - 05.01.17 by Grand Rapids Business Journal

Firm looks to reinvigorate MSU business school. Page 5 The Business Newspaper of Metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon & West Michigan

Teens tackle urban farming experience. Page 3

MAY 1, 2017 VOL. 35, NO. 18

Can GR be another Silicon Valley?

THIS WEEK

OVERSEAS WORK BENEFITS SZYMANSKI Entering college unsure of career path, O-A-K’s chief strategy oﬃcer landed on civil engineering and hasn’t looked back. Page 16

Industry leaders stress forging own path toward creating bustling tech culture, not copying other regions. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

about the companies committed to coming to the classes and us sharing the knowledge and creating

Grand Rapids doesn’t need to spawn the next Elon Musk to create a bustling technology sector in West Michigan. The PayPal co-founder used funds gained from his exit to start some of the world’s most innovative companies, and while Grand Rapids entrepreneurs and technology employees might be able to use a similar strategy to start more companies, the focus of the companies can be to make industries, such as farming, medical and manufacturing, more efficient. Musk is a serial entrepreneur, starting Tesla, Solar City and Space X with funds gained from successful exits in his past, including PayPal for which he earned nearly $200 million. “We don’t have to strive for that, we just need to innovate for the industries we know through and through,” said Maitlan Cramer, principal at recently launched Grand Rapids venture capital firm Grand Ventures. Cramer grew up in Grand Rapids but spent the past 10 years working in tech and banking in Denver and San Francisco. “It’s a long game, and we’re in the second inning.” West Michigan is gaining traction as a technological hub, and it’s done so largely without venture capital, which has traditionally been the way believed to foster the industry. According to a study by Toronto-based Martin Prosperity Institute, more than 80 percent of all venture capital investment is centered on three clusters: San Francisco Bay Area, Boston-New York-Washington, D.C. and Southern California. Investment in West Michigan largely has gone to other verticals, such as pharmaceuticals, health care and automotive, all with different expectation of returns, said Mike Lomonaco, director of marketing and communications at Open Systems Technologies. Lomonaco believes there’s value in the Midwestern philosophy of “grit and determination” that has been used to create tech companies like OST without venture

Continued on page 12 8

THE FIFTH THIRD River Bank Run pumps about $1.8 million annually into West Michigan’s economy. Courtesy Fifth Third Bank

Money in the bank

Analysis credits Kent County Land Bank Authority with an economic impact of $42.9M and creating 266 jobs in past four years. PAGE 3

Future task

Report says state can’t rely on high-paying factory jobs if it hopes to improve employee outcomes. PAGE 3

Land rush

Strong economy fuels Kent County’s surging property values. PAGE 10

River Bank Run ready for 40th start More than 18,000 runners expected to compete in annual event, which features largest 25K in the country. Jesse O’Brien

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Marty Allen found a spot on the curb near the starting line of the River Bank Run and perched be-

Quarterly reports indicate robust regional real estate market. Page 26

THE LIST

The area’s top commercial real estate brokers. Page 28

founded in 1978. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Fifth Third River Bank Run, with more than 18,000 runners expected to take part in the event’s six road races. Each year, the event brings about $1.8 million in economic vitality to the area, and its flagship 25K is the largest 25K road race in the country. “Somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 people ran in that first race when all we had was the 25K,” Allen said. “The big transition came when we started adding races and Continued on page 4 8

Program sets up contractors for success Rockford Construction’s Dimensions curriculum teaches companies how to expand their businesses.

All systems go

side his friend and volunteer Jerry Seigersma. As they had done for years — ever since the first River Bank Run, when a strong gust of wind taught them the importance of cutting vent holes into the “START” banner — Allen lit a cigar and Seigersma his pipe, as they gazed on the space that soon would be occupied by thousands of runners. “We’d sit there and laugh thinking about how the runners would react if they saw us,” Allen recalled. Siegersma passed away in 2010, but Allen continues to be a mainstay at the annual race he co-

Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

A key in building a small company is knowing the right people, and Rockford Construction has set out to help minority-, women-, disability- and veteran-owned trade contractors expand their businesses. Rockford’s Dimensions program recently wrapped up its first

eight-week session, which graduated 15 companies, and left them with an opportunity to bid on 25 projects and connected them with “navigators” that will continue to work with them. Rockford CEO Mike VanGessel said the success of the first class will be closely monitored, especially during the next 70 days. Dimensions stems from a program started 20 years ago by Rockford called Thursday Group, but VanGessel believes there is an opportunity to be more intentional and integrated this time around. “It went away, but we started to look at things again, and we thought we had the capacity to be more formal about it,” VanGessel said. “This is not by any means all about Rockford Construction, it’s

CONTENTS Vol. 35, No. 18

Find the latest news every day at grbj.com

“This is not by any means all about Rockford Construction, it’s about the companies committed to coming to the classes and us sharing the knowledge and creating multiple relationships.”

Mike VanGessel

Inside Track .........16

Change-Ups ....... 32

Comment..............18 Proof of prosperity

Calendar ............. 32

Sales Moves………19 International HR Matters................19 Independent ownership

Area Economy.....33 Rosy retail outlook Street Talk ........... 34

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Community partners fill need for nursing assistants, Page 6 MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

Teens tackle urban farming experience New City Urban Farm gives students an opportunity to learn basic job skills for future employment. Charlsie Dewey

Grand Rapids Business Journal

First jobs for teenagers are important in helping them gain skills they need for future work, but they can be hard to come by. New City Neighbors recognized the importance of providing teens with meaningful work experiences and, in 2012, launched New City Urban Farm, a three-acre produce farm that employs up to 12 teenagers during peak season.

“We definitely see youth resonate with the program and get excited about what work can look like. If you go to high school and you don’t think work will be meaningful, you won’t apply yourself.”

Lance Kraai

The teens handle all of the farm’s operations, including fieldwork, customer service, marketing and social media, and publishing a newsletter. New City Neighbors is a 10-year-old nonprofit that previously has offered students in the

Creston neighborhood — where it’s based — opportunities for empowerment. Elementary-aged children participate in tutoring programs, while middle school students run a bakery for seven weeks over the summer and learn basic job skills such as “showing up on time, having good hygiene, maintaining the supplies needed to run a business, and people skills.” Lance Kraai, farm director for New City Urban Farm, said the farm program is the nonprofit’s most recent addition and builds on the earlier programs. “Our idea is to work with the same youth, but that doesn’t always happen,” he said. “There is a lot of synergy between the elementary and middle school program, and about half of the high school staff has done the elementary or middle school program.” Students interested in working on the farm apply and go through an interview process. Those hired commit to working 18 hours per week, with 10 of those hours spent doing fieldwork and the rest spent on other assigned tasks. The high school program is tiered, with first-year students starting out as interns that receive a stipend for their work; secondyear students become hourly employees and receive specific responsibilities, as well as oversight of first-year students; and thirdyear students become managers of the farm’s different operations. “This coming season, we will have four managers: a customer service manager, kitchen manager, field manager, and produce customer service manager for the farm that manages CSA pickups and quality control,” Kraai said. New City Urban Farm offers a Community Supported Agriculture program, which means cus-

MSU analysis credits Kent County Land Bank Authority with creating 266 jobs in past four years. STUDENTS HELPED New City Urban Farm bring in $84,000 last year, and organizers are expecting a similar revenue stream this season. Courtesy New City Urban Farm

tomers purchase a share of the farm rather than individual vegetables. The price of each share is paid at the beginning of the season, with the farm agreeing to provide the shareholders their portion of the farm’s produce every week throughout the growing season. Approximately 200 families participate in the CSA program, which begins the first week of May and ends after the third week of December. Kraai said last year the farm brought in $84,000, and he expects revenue this year to be about the same. This year, New City Urban Farm is adding a pop-up café, which will operate every Thursday in July and August during CSA pickup times. “It will feature baked goods, soups, salads and wood-fired pizzas,” Kraai said.

Last year, New City Neighborhoods built a wood-fired pizza oven to support the café, and this spring, it built an outdoor patio. Kraai said since the farm program has been in operation, he is seeing a positive impact on the teens who have participated. “We definitely see youth resonate with the program and get excited about what work can look like,” he said. “If you go to high school and you don’t think work will be meaningful, you won’t apply yourself. “We are a new program, only five years old, so we are just starting to see youth going out the other side, but anecdotally, all of them are working or in college now.” He said for some students who don’t perform well in the classContinued on page 19 8

Report urges lawmakers to look ahead State can’t rely on high-paying factory jobs if it hopes to improve employee outcomes.

Grand Rapids is well situated to prosper if the agenda laid out in Michigan Future’s most recent report is followed. Michigan Future, a statewide think tank, released its first set of policy recommendations, “A Path to Good-paying Careers for all Michiganders: A 21st Century state policy agenda” last week, calling on state lawmakers to re-examine the strategy for improving the economy. The plan outlines three specific agenda items that would reshape the economic future of the state, and Michigan Future President Lou Glazer said the viability of the state’s two biggest metro areas are crucial to Michigan’s resurgence. “The most important piece is

making the case to state policymakers that metro Grand Rapids and metro Detroit are of particular importance to the state and that we cannot be prosperous unless those two regions are prosperous,” Glazer said. To spur the state’s economy, Glazer said state policymakers should focus their attention on three major initiatives. According to Michigan Future, the first and most important priority for the state should be ensuring education is attainable for all Michiganders. “It’s not a coincidence that Michigan is 32nd in four-year education attainment and also 32nd in per capita income,” Glazer said. “The people who earn the most and work the most, not just on an annual basis but in a 40-year career as well, are those with fouryear degrees.” Michigan Future also is asking lawmakers to put an emphasis on placemaking to stem the talent drought in the state. Glazer said turning Grand Rapids and Detroit into talent magnets that can compete with cities like Chicago and Minneapolis will be crucial to the state’s turnaround.

Lastly, Michigan Future recommends sharing prosperity to ensure every citizen in Michigan can afford to raise a family. Glazer said that might come in the form of expanded safety nets for employees or through tweaking employer requirements, like an increased minimum wage. Those policy recommendations hold true throughout the state, including West Michigan, Glazer said. “In terms of the challenges we face and the levers that need to be pulled, I don’t think anything is different in West Michigan than it is for the rest of the state,” he said. “But because of this concentration of high-wage, knowledge-based enterprises in large metros, it’s easier to get West Michigan back on track than other, more rural areas of the state. “Metro Grand Rapids has increased educational outcomes and the quality placement you need to attract talent, and that’s a clear path to more and better-paying jobs.” With the report now in the public sphere, Glazer said the focus turns to publicizing its results and

encouraging the political will of legislators. One way to do that is by encouraging employers to be clearer in their hiring requirements and spreading the message that education should be available for all children — not just the ones who are fortunate enough to afford those opportunities. “We want to make the case that these are skills that all kids need, not just the affluent ones,” Glazer said. Ultimately, Glazer said it’s crucial those in Lansing look toward the future instead of idealizing and hoping for a return to the “glory days” of Michigan’s past. “You cannot have a successful Michigan economy by trying to turn the clock back,” he said. “And from our perspective, that’s what has dominated campaigns and public policies for years now. But at some point, we have to accept that there’s new realities that mean you can’t go back to an economy fueled by high-paid factory jobs. And if you can’t get past that, you can’t get to the next step, which is changing how we define economic success.”

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Jesse O’Brien

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Land Bank economic impact: $42.9M

Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

The Kent County Land Bank Authority did more than save land, it helped generate $42.9 million in the county during the past four years. An analysis by the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute noted the economic impact; the analysis also found the Land Bank was responsible for 266 jobs in the same period. The study will provide organizations with an ability to plan for the future, Kent County Treasurer Ken Parrish said.

“This study gives us a roadmap for the next level of planning, investment and innovation. We won’t rest on our laurels, and we are committed to working with local government, community groups, realtors and private sector developers to ensure West Michigan’s real estate market and economy remain strong for years to come.”

Ken Parrish

“This study gives us a roadmap for the next level of planning, investment and innovation,” Parrish said. “We won’t rest on our laurels, and we are committed to working with local government, community groups, realtors and private sector developers to ensure West Michigan’s real estate market and economy remain strong for years to come.” In the four years — 2012-16 — the MSU Land Policy Institute looked at, the Land Bank Authority worked on 484 properties and projects, including rehabilitating blighted homes, toxic waste cleanup, foreclosure transformations and removals. The analysis also included interviews with 24 government officials, neighbors and community leaders, as well as an online survey. The institute’s analysis found for every dollar the Land Bank spent, $1.77 was generated in the Continued on page 21 8

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4 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

River Bank Run road race celebrates 40th anniversary 7 Continued from page 1 other events, and I can honestly say that every year since that first year, we’ve improved.” The River Bank Run was born when Frank Cashman, of the Grand Rapids Track Club, approached Allen, who was then the marketing director at Old Kent Bank. Allen and bank Chairman Richard Gillett were looking for a way to bring people into the resurgent downtown, when Cashman reached out and asked if Old Kent would be interested in sponsoring a road race. “I told Frank, ‘Sit still, I’ll be right back,’” Allen recalled. “I went upstairs and said to Dick, ‘I think we’ve got it solved.’” The Track Club already had

determined the course design and supporting details. Cashman, an engineer by trade, had painstakingly researched running and came into the first race with bell curves showing the times when most runners would cross the finish line. Still, some pitfalls nearly derailed the first race. A tweak to the course moved the finish line, so the runners would end the race at Calder Plaza — meaning the runners would run up the Michigan Street hill at the end of the race. And despite Cashman’s bell curve, volunteers weren’t prepared for the influx of runners that would finish and tear off their race bib for an official time. The resulting bottleneck meant a stream of racers waiting in a single file line to finish with the clock still running.

“At that point, I didn’t think we’d be allowed to do this anymore, the runners are going to hang us,” Allen said. “But the runners were great, and they saw this as such an opportunity to do something great for the city. “The bank, we were kind of like pioneers with a few arrows in their backs — we stumbled through on a number of things, but finally got it right.” After that first year, Allen said race participation steadily grew as more and more events were added to the schedule. He attributes some of its growth to good timing — running was just starting to take off — but mostly, he praises the running community and citizens of Grand Rapids for rallying around the race to make it a national draw.

“What’s very unique about this city is the relationship between the private and public leadership, and (Gillett) was the epitome of that at the time,” Allen said. “With the police and everyone in the city involved, I’ve always had the feeling that they enjoyed doing it, and the community just kind of embraced it. That’s just the nature of our community, we are extremely proud of Grand Rapids and it’s the culture of the city to grow.” Race Director and Fifth Third Regional Marketing Senior Vice President John Zimmerman said about 1,500 volunteers — including 800 from the bank — come together each year to make the race a success. In addition to the annual economic impact of $1.8 million, the race has raised $2.2 million for

local charities and impacted more than 650,000 children through the Feelin’ Good Mileage Club fitness incentive program. Zimmerman said the bank has tracked the economic impact of the River Bank Run for about 10 years and has seen steady increases in viability, as downtown continues to add restaurants, hotels and other attractions. He also credits the city itself for the River Bank Run’s success. “Although the bank owns and runs it, it’s a community that really makes this successful,” Zimmerman said. “The police department, the Sheriff’s department, the city and county workers, all of them have embraced this race and it’s a year-round conversation with city officials to make it happen. “Yes, it’s about running, but it’s also all about being a part of something that’s really big.” In addition to being the largest 25K in the nation and the lone 25K with a wheelchair division in the world, the River Bank Run has held the USA 25K Open Championships since 1995. Olympians, Boston Marathon winners and amateurs alike have participated in the run, which also is the site of the current 25K U.S. record for both women and men.

“Somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 people ran in that first race when all we had was the 25K. The big transition came when we started adding races and other events, and I can honestly say that every year since that first year, we’ve improved.” Steve Slot, President, Controlled Plating Technologies, looks on as Dustin Hopkins, Assistant Vice President, FNBM, reviews the final product.

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Marty Allen

The chance to compete against some of the best runners in the world makes the River Bank Run a unique event for Grand Rapids, Zimmerman said. Allen recalls an early feature the Grand Rapids Press used to do each year, profiling local runners on their reasons for running the race. “There was one I read about a factory worker on the West Side, who had a ‘Walter Mitty-type’ way of thinking — dreaming about one day of hitting a home run or one day climbing Everest,” Allen said. “And all of a sudden, there was this event with world-class runners that he could compete in. So, he got into shape and fulfilled his dream.” Over the course of 40 years, Allen has countless stories stemming from the race. From runners helping one another cross the finish line, going back and finding stragglers and running with them as they finish, to those who are running for a cause or in the memory of loved ones, Allen is blown away by the resolve and sense of community that permeates through the running world. Like he does every year, Allen looks forward to standing on the podium and watching the sea of runners descend on Monroe Avenue at the crack of the starting pistol. This year, he also will keep an eye out for his daughter racing below, a little cherry on top for the race’s 40th iteration. “What’s going through my mind, watching that mass of runners all wearing different colored shirts, is that factory worker from the West Side,” Allen said. “I just wonder how many people out there have stories like his, and that’s what I love about it. In my mind, there’s a story for everybody running that race.”

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 5

Firm looks to reinvigorate MSU business school Grand Rapids-based Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber will partner with Seattlebased architecture firm on $60-million expansion.

termine the programming and arrangement of the building and spaces within to accomplish what MSU is looking for in the expansion. As the project progressed through the design phases, the two firms transitioned in responsibility levels but continued their collaboration. The transition in responsibilities was made easier through the Integrated Project Delivery process, which involves owner, design and construction parties all together from the onset of the project. Launstein said the process is a relatively new concept, but makes projects run smoother as every partner is on the same page. Using the IPD process on a business school project also offers a chance to tie it in to business education and how to operate more efficiently to achieve better results.

Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

A Grand Rapids architect has a key role in helping Michigan State University complete its $60-million college of business expansion. With a history of more than 30 years of projects in partnership with MSU, Grand Rapids-based Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc. was selected through an RFP process as the architect of record for the project, which aims to further advance the reputation of the Eli Broad College of Business in East Lansing, said Dan Launstein, a senior architect with FTCH. The school currently is ranked in the top 40 business schools by Forbes (No. 27), Businessweek (No. 27), The Economist (No. 36) and U.S. News & World Report (No. 27), and top 20 among public universities, but new dean Sanjay Gupta believes the school needs reinvigoration to continue improving its programs, specifically its graduate programs. “We need to be able to have classrooms where technology is seamlessly assimilated with collaborative spaces. All of that cannot be done retrofitting our existing facilities,” Gupta said in a press release. “Living and learning are evolving in ways that we could not

THE $60-MILLION EXPANSION of MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business, led by Grand Rapids-based Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, will increase the building’s footprint by 100,000 square feet. Rendering courtesy FTCH

have imagined. This new facility will help us keep pace with transformations in graduate business education.” The expansion will increase the footprint of the building by 100,000 square feet and will aim to give the university a “statement facility” for its students, according to MSU. It’s not every day a West Michigan architecture and engineering firm is called upon to complete a transformational project, so FTCH sought a partner with prior business school planning and design to collaborate on the project, Laun-

stein said. Through its years of projects with MSU, FTCH learned the culture, ideals and trust of the school while also understanding the standards, expectations and requirements to work with the university, Launstein said. The result was partnering with Seattle-based LMN Architects, which has partnered with firms across the country to complete business schools. Colleges of business LMN has worked on include Clemson University, University of Washington, Utah State University and University of California-

Irvine. The firm also specializes in other university facilities and convention centers. “We got a cue from the university we might want to reach out to them,” Launstein said. “That’s when we became aware of the architects and how the marriage started.” Construction is slated to start in June, pending board of trustees’ approval and donors. FTCH is the lead architect and performs all the engineering tasks, but LMN took the heavy load of work early in the planning process. Launstein said LMN was crucial to help de-

“We need to be able to have classrooms where technology is seamlessly assimilated with collaborative spaces. All of that cannot be done retrofitting our existing facilities.”

Sanjay Gupta

IPD takes a longer path to start construction in hopes it saves time and money on the back end as the construction representatives have been present and involved the entire time, so they’re better inContinued on page 12 

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6 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Community partners fill need for nursing assistants Holland Home, GRCC collaborate to create lab and CNA program, using U.S. Department of Labor grant to pay for instruction. Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Facing a shortage of certified nursing assistants, West Michigan health care leaders asked Grand Rapids Community College to start a CNA training program. GRCC, which offers many training and certification courses alongside its associate degree programs, was eager to fill the gap. But the college needed help. Holland Home, a senior care community with four area campuses and a corporate office, volunteered to host the program in a lab it would create at its headquarters, 2100 Raybrook St. SE. Bill Pink, GRCC’s dean and vice president of workforce development and college president starting this summer, said the offer from Holland Home came at the right time. “We started looking at what the possibilities were of starting such training here at GRCC,” he said. “But Holland Home stood up and said, ‘What if we provide that training space for GRCC?’ As (we) started with those conversations, it made more and more sense. It doesn’t put more strain on our facilities and puts our students out there in a real setting getting to work with a potential employer.” Holland Home President and CEO Mina Breuker gives the bulk

of the credit for sealing the deal to Doug Himmelein, vice president of human resources at Holland Home. “(Doug) said, ‘What if we were able to provide this space for a class and provide clinical opportunities?’ which we already had,” she said. “He called other nursing homes we partner with and said, ‘Do you have the capacity for more training for when (the CNA students) are done?’ Then he said to me, ‘I’ve got this idea; what do you think? It will cost us probably $25,000 or more.” Holland Home and GRCC outlined what they would need to transform a former 1,200-squarefoot office space into a lab, and Grand Rapids-based Post Associates Architects drew up the plans. Holland Home’s staff of electricians, plumbers and carpenters did the build-out. The finished product, which includes classroom space seating 16, four hospital beds, practice mannequins and computer systems for online record-keeping, cost between $30,000 and $40,000. Holland Home paid for the renovations, and GRCC provided the equipment. The lab opened March 29. Julie Parks, executive director of workforce training at GRCC, said the college created the CNA program using funds from the U.S. Department of Labor’s America’s Promise grant. GRCC won one of two grants awarded in Michigan in 2016, receiving $6 million. The grant, issued Jan. 1, allows GRCC to offer the CNA program for $300 per student. Comparable programs charge closer to $1,200, Parks said. “There’s a very large need for CNAs,” she said. “There are 245

FOUR HOSPITAL BEDS, practice mannequins and computer systems for online record-keeping are part of the CNA training lab located in Holland Home. Courtesy Holland Home

openings in a seven-county region: Ottawa, Kent, Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Montcalm and Muskegon. The grant goes to the seven-county area.” Twelve students enrolled in the first four-week cohort that began April 12. The program requires 112 hours of instruction, 70 of which are state curriculum certification hours. The rest of the program is devoted to teaching job readiness skills. GRCC instructors teach the courses, and they bring in guest speakers from local long-term care facilities like Clark Retirement Community, Sunset Manor and

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“It is helpful for Holland Home, because hopefully, students see how we operate and want to be part of it. However, it is primarily for the benefit of the community. We are going to need more people to care for seniors. When you look at the population of people 65-plus, it’s growing. This work is hands on. We need people caring for people.” Mina Breuker

Porter Hills. During the hands-on portion of the CNA classes, Holland Home borrowed mechanical lifting equipment from one of its campuses, so the students could practice lifting the mannequins like they would lift patients. “The students learn how to make a bed, give a bath, the activities of daily living — all the things they need to know, so they are ready to work efficiently after they complete their course,” Breuker said. “They spend time in our skilled nursing facilities, they are assigned to an aide and they do work right alongside the aide. “The thing clinicals do for everybody is when you get into a setting, you learn, ‘Is this what I want to do?’ It’s always different from classroom learning.” Breuker said CNAs generally can work in nursing homes, assisted living, hospitals or as home health aides. According to Parks, the current program certifies students for long-term care roles only, but GRCC is working on expanding the scope. “We’re working with America’s Promise and area health care employers on developing an acute care CNA program,” Parks said. Pink said the goal is to launch acute care CNA instruction by this fall. The next cohort begins May 9 and will consist of 16 Latino students through a partnership with the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, Parks said. “We also have community partners solving issues like child care and transportation,” Parks said. Steve Ender, GRCC’s current president who is retiring June 30, said the community came together in ways that allowed GRCC to do more than it otherwise could. “When you think about the scope and the different agencies involved and the support services they’re bringing to the table … we couldn’t do that complex of a program on our own,” he said. “We’re drawing in folks of different skill sets. It’s not owned by GRCC or

Holland Home; it’s owned by six or eight different agencies working together.” The partnering agencies referring students, helping with support services and providing job skills coaching include the Literacy Center of West Michigan, Grand Rapids Urban League, the Women’s Resource Center, the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, West Michigan Works! and Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids. Breuker said Holland Home has two primary motives for housing the CNA program: the need to foster more qualified job candidates for all of its facilities and the desire to give back to the community. “It is helpful for Holland Home, because hopefully, students see how we operate and want to be part of it,” she said. “However, it is primarily for the benefit of the community. We are going to need more people to care for seniors. When you look at the population of people 65-plus, it’s growing. This work is hands on. We need people caring for people.” Parks said the partnership is valuable for GRCC, because it allows students to have convenient access to clinical experience. “The students can walk across the street and see (and work in) a long-term care facility,” she said. She said graduates will qualify for jobs that may be a springboard into other opportunities. “CNA is a great entry-level job for people — you can go on to be a nurse, a lab tech, all sorts of different things.” She said once the students graduate, the partners bring in employers to do on-site job interviews. “Then, if they’re not hired through that, the job developers work to help them find other placements. They usually (get hired) pretty fast.”

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

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Expert: Economy nears end of recession recovery phase Former Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta president and CEO discusses immigration and economic impact at World Affairs Council luncheon. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

The former Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta president and CEO believes immigrants are good for the economy and the repatriation of overseas funds has little effect. Dennis Lockhart, who stepped down from his position in February, made the comments at the World Affairs Council luncheon on April 21 at The University Club. The discussion was moderated by Charles Shapiro, a previous speaker at World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, president of World Affairs Council of Atlanta and former U.S. ambassador to Venezuela. Lockhart began the discussion by explaining the economy is near the end of the recovery from the Great Recession, which started roughly three months into his tenure in 2007. Much of the rest of the discussion centered on how the central bank can keep the economy rolling forward and why the recovery has felt so delayed. “If you look very closely, there are a lot of positive points,” Lockhart said. “If you want a faster economic growth and want the workforce to grow at a reasonable pace, you have to have a modern, intelligent immigration program, if it’s politically feasible.” One of the secular trends that kept the economy from feeling a full recovery was a consistent decline in workforce participation, which Lockhart believes now to be stabilized at 63 percent, thanks to a number of scenarios run by his staff prior to his departure. His staff also looked at the past 30 quarters, in which they found 25 quarters with news headlines to keep businesses cautious about investments, including the fiscal cliff, debt ceiling, Greek debt, oil volatility, European bank weakness and the weakening of the Chinese economy. “These have positioned the economy for a central question,” Lockhart said. “Do we continue with a moderate pace of growth or the much more vigorous growth that has been promised by (President Donald) Trump? “Rapid growth would solve a lot of problems. It could extend our power around the world and attack things like inequality, educational system and various other issues domestically that need funding.” Lockhart is confident with continued 2 to 2.5 percent economic growth for the foreseeable future, but skeptical of the 3.5 to 4 percent growth Trump has promised since his presidential campaign. He believes the soft forecast of two more interest rate hikes this year is realistic, but three is possible. A variable in the continuing economic increase will be the opposite of the quantitative easing that occurred during the recession, where the Federal Reserve increased its balance sheet from $900 billion to $4.5 trillion and invested the balance in securities. One of the major questions moving forward, Lockhart said, is shrink-

ing those funds as the securities mature to normalize the balance sheet. Pacing will decide whether it leads to inflation, he said. “You let securities mature, then destroy the money,” he said. “It’s really complicated stuff. As the balance sheet shrinks, it takes some stimulus out, but economic momentum should continue.” Lockhart said it remains to be seen whether artificial intelligence, automation and IT will be as transformative of a technology as electricity or computers. If the new technologies prove to be disruptive, they could lead to jobs becoming more educated and cognitive and less about working with hands.

FORMER FEDERAL Reserve Bank of Atlanta President and CEO Dennis Lockhart said a feasible “modern, intelligent immigration program” is needed for faster economic growth. Courtesy World Affairs Council

“It’s still early to conclude that internet of things, artificial intelligence, robotics, automation; it’s too early to judge the impact it will have on productivity. It’s just beginning to accelerate,” Lockhart said. “I’ve talked to industrialists who say this is real. We’re investing in these tools and the nature of factory and other kinds (of work) that we consider mid-level and blue collar will change.” A major theme Lockhart believes is underplayed by economists is the demographic influences and what happens with the economy. Lockhart also said he does not believe the repatriation of funds from overseas would inject any extra money into the economy. “They’re not out of our economy, bringing them home is more of a notional thing,” he said. “This idea that it’s magically repatriated and a big boost to our economy; I’m not so sure.” There are some headwinds Lockhart fears could hamper the economy in the near future. The French election and North Korea are both areas of concern he mentioned, but with the way the U.S. economy plowed through Brexit, the effects are unpredictable. He does believe in four actions to accelerate the economy: tax reform, tax cuts, deregulation and infrastructure spending. Lockhart was especially in favor of deregulation of banks. “That’s the big package that will generate 3 to 4 percent growth,” Lockhart said. “I am supportive of the idea that the pendulum swung so far after the crisis, it can swing back and be much more risk plausible. “The idea a small community bank is systematically important doesn’t make sense; they’re not.”

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 9

Marketing firm puts spotlight on nonprofits Scott Allen Creative helps companies align branding efforts with storytelling to fit audience. Charlsie Dewey

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Telling stories is at the heart of the work Scott Allen Creative does. The firm, founded by Jeff Terpstra in 1996, has clients from an array of industries, but its core business is helping nonprofits communicate. “About 70 percent of our client base is nonprofits,” Terpstra said.

“We want to make sure the stories we are telling are personable. Don’t look for more likes. If you create meaningful content, the likes will come.”

Jeff Terpstra

Terpstra said nonprofits often start out small, offering maybe one or two services, but over time, they have a tendency to grow, and before a nonprofit knows it, it’s offering a stable of services, employing a dozen or possibly hundreds of employees, and operating multiple locations. With so many different audiences to communicate its message to — clients, donors, volunteers and staff — messaging can become tricky.

“A lot of nonprofits come to us for a communication need,” he said. “They don’t know how to speak about themselves.” Terpstra said working with nonprofits often is more challenging than working with for-profit companies. “It’s more complex because they are dealing with multiple audiences,” he said. Terpstra added nonprofits offer a service or a promise of hope rather than a consumable item. Therefore, he said the team at Scott Allen Creative always starts a project by focusing in on the “why.” Terpstra said that question comes from the book “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action,” by Scott Sinek. “That book helped me clarify how we look at a brand,” Terpstra said. He added, “Our goal is to find this golden thread of an idea that will lead and unify your brand.” For instance, Scott Allen Creative recently worked with Phoenix-based nonprofit A New Leaf on how to weave four seemingly unrelated stories — two boys who ended up in foster care following an abusive situation; a veteran with PTSD; a domestic violence survivor; and a young boy charged with the attempted murder of his parents — into a single idea. “For every one of those stories, either a staff person or someone in their life or the clients themselves believed, in spite of the tragedy they had gone through, they had a hope that today could be different. Our messaging now is around the idea of hope for a fresh start. That is the lead idea, the big idea for them.”

JEFF TERPSTRA and his team meet with clients on a monthly basis to discuss content, mostly for social media. Courtesy Scott Allen Creative

Terpstra said once the big idea is identified, the fun can begin. “It becomes so much fun, because now we know what to do with the brand,” he said. Creating content for its nonprofit partners is a big piece of what Scott Allen Creative does. Terpstra said his team meets with clients on a monthly basis to discuss content, mostly for social media. Terpstra said he advises clients not to focus on likes. “We want to make sure the stories we are telling are personable.

Don’t look for more likes. If you create meaningful content, the likes will come,” he said. He also said getting the brand’s identity right is important. “If you come up with an idea that is true to who you are and resonates with your target audiences, it should be an idea that lasts for a while. You can present it in a hundred different ways, but keeping that idea in mind with all the communications you develop as your filter, that is our goal.” Terpstra said Scott Allen Creative’s work with Paws With a

Cause in Grand Rapids is an example of how the right messaging can impact a nonprofit. He said his firm took over the nonprofit’s social media a few years ago and by making a few changes to the approach, increased social media engagement by 72 percent within five weeks. Scott Allen Creative quickly identified the love between Paws With a Cause pups and their owners and decided that “love story” should serve as the foundation for its storytelling. He said the organization also has expanded the demographics it shows in its different materials to be more representative of the wide range of people involved with the organization, from clients to volunteers to staff members. Terpstra said these changes, along with others, have helped Paws With a Cause tune in with its audience’s emotions, which leaves a lasting impression and cuts across the noise people are bombarded with all day long through social media and their devices. Scott Allen Creative hopes to grow in West Michigan. The firm actively is pursuing new clients in the region. It also is working to grow its Phoenix business, which came about after a Grand Rapids client moved to the city and brought Scott Allen Creative along with it. Terpstra said he’s seen the significant impact investments in branding have had on nonprofits, from increasing engagement on social media and growing donations to re-engaging staff members and volunteers who see their passion presented in an exciting way, and wants to help more nonprofits find success and advance their mission.

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10 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Strong economy fuels county’s surging property values Equalized property values reach all-time high of nearly $26 billion. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Kent County’s equalized property values at are at an all-time high of nearly $26 billion. The county board of commissioners adopted the state equalization value of a combined total of $25,914,411,675 in real and personal property, which is a 7.4-percent increase from the 2016 value. The nearly $26 billion is a high

point following a five-year period, 2008-12, that saw significant decreases in the value, including the low point of just below $21 billion in 2012. Prior to the slide, Kent County equalized value was $24.3 billion in 2007. “What we’ve been through in Michigan over the past 10 years, like a lot of parts of the country, was a significant decrease in value,” said Matt Woolford, Kent County equalization director. “We’re now well into, and enjoying the fruits of, the recovery.” The assessed values are a lagging indicator of the economy, with the 2017 values coming from an observed period from Oct. 1, 2014 to Sept. 30, 2016. The increase in employment, home purchasing

and overall growing local economy all contribute to the increase in values, Woolford said. Equalized values grew more than 7 percent, but because of limits from Proposal A, taxable value grew 3.4 percent with the adopted values, up to $21.8 billion. Taxable value’s lowest point was $20 billion in 2013. “We’re on the upside,” Woolford said. “It’s the economy; it recovered and what we’ve returned to is more of the historical norm.” Real equalized value in 2017 was $24.3 billion, and personal equalized value was $1.6 billion. Real taxable value in 2017 was $20.2 billion, and personal taxable value was $1.6 billion.

Residential property makes up 72 percent of real taxable value and commercial and industrial property are 21.56 percent and 5.38 percent, respectively. Agricultural land rounds off the pie with 1.05 percent of real taxable value. Commercial makes up 42.10 percent of personal taxable value, while utility and industrial clock in at 26.87 percent and 21.75 percent, respectively. The county’s nine cities make up more than 51 percent of the value, while 21 townships account for just more than 48 percent. While the values are a lagging indicator, Woolford was confident there will be continued growth this year. “As long as we continue to enjoy

“What we’ve been through in Michigan over the past 10 years, like a lot of parts of the country, was a significant decrease in value. We’re now well into, and enjoying the fruits of, the recovery.”

Matt Woolford

a healthy economy, people coming here and job growth, the overall trend will remain positive the coming year,” he said.

VALUE ADDED

KENT COUNTY EQUALIZATION

Kent County’s equalization values have recovered nicely from a recent low point in 2012 1991 – $8,523,945,456 1992 – $8,800,472,010 1993 – $9,620,813,847 1994 – $10,045,491,779 1995 – $10,600,047,400 1996 – $11,512,696,884 1997 – $12,422,298,191 1998 – $13,647,702,170 1999 – $14,874,132,432 2000 – $15,912,899,100 2001 – $17,212,047,916 2002 – $18,647,720,962 2003 – $19,919,370,780 2004 – $20,930,699,290 2005 – $22,119,875,769 2006 – $23,346,848,319 2007 – $24,338,570,446 2008 – $24,296,248,175 2009 – $23,810,524,071 2010 – $22,577,744,317 2011 – $21,735,166,525 2012 – $20,988,856,355 2013 – $20,992,849,006 2014 – $21,611,336,604 2015 – $23,036,449,123 2016 – $24,129,416,055 2017 – $25,917,411,675 Source: Kent County Bureau of Equalization

Township/City Equalized Value 2016 • 2017 % Change Taxable Value 2016 • 2017 % Change Ada Township $1,050,598,300 • $1,115,429,500 6.17% $940,472,919 • $952,441,597 1.27% Algoma Township $445,460,400 • $483,707,100 8.59% $389,879,507 • $413,583,147 6.08% Alpine Township $453,233,900 • $476,699,500 5.18% $391,884,919 • $398,458,432 1.68% Bowne Township $171,756,000 • $184,310,100 7.31% $130,851,657 • $138,046,549 5.50% Byron Township $1,113,739,700 • $1,218,028,400 9.36% $991,998,761 • $1,046,330,728 5.48% Caledonia Township $712,201,000 • $763,722,800 7.23% $608,471,892 • $638,757,127 4.98% Cannon Township $737,629,800 • $789,091,300 6.98% $618,562,365 • $645,253,320 4.31% Cascade Township $1,607,244,100 • $1,722,236,600 7.15% $1,458,108,390 • $1,498,249,396 2.75% Courtland Township $347,780,000 • $375,296,900 7.91% $298,167,388 • $314,233,838 5.39% Gaines Township $865,748,800 • $931,503,900 7.60% $755,232,516 • $786,760,104 4.17% Grand RapidsTownship $1,110,839,200 • $1,166,466,500 5.01% $932,300,795 • $968,593,688 3.89% Grattan Township $203,591,200 • $221,025,600 8.56% $168,490,175 • $174,339,453 3.47% Lowell Township $233,928,700 • $252,196,900 7.81% $193,672,361 • $201,432,046 4.01% Nelson Township $143,484,400 • $151,835,672 5.82% $122,910,686 • $124,451,623 1.25% Oakfield Township $222,737,700 • $238,965,200 7.29% $194,496,793 • $200,991,512 3.34% Plainfield Township $1,317,841,300 • $1,411,718,300 7.12% $1,158,846,950 • $1,198,207,827 3.40% Solon Township $187,680,500 • $201,319,500 7.27% $161,113,480 • $167,906,153 4.22% Sparta Township $283,228,800 • $301,930,400 6.60% $250,943,396 • $257,301,712 2.53% Spencer Township $140,969,200 • $146,771,900 4.12% $122,941,956 • $126,221,329 2.67% Tyrone Township $136,306,600 • $146,471,000 7.46% $115,417,291 • $119,494,065 3.53% Vergennes Township $229,714,400 • $240,079,200 4.51% $189,447,272 • $196,683,107 3.82% City of Cedar Springs $79,525,300 • $86,976,703 9.37% $70,645,198 • $75,261,732 6.53% City of East Grand Rapids $809,643,900 • $853,228,000 5.38% $633,121,090 • $656,187,021 3.64% City of Grand Rapids $5,097,099,000 • $5,578,316,000 9.44% $4,453,697,782 • $4,629,447,243 3.95% City of Grandville $732,829,955 • $758,084,900 3.45% $642,707,874 • $646,679,915 0.62% City of Kentwood $2,024,804,000 • $42,177,360,300 7.53% $1,842,024,946 • $1,894,714,015 2.86% City of Lowell $123,595,500 • $131,350,600 6.27% $106,981,213 • $112,629,444 5.28% City of Rockford $243,099,200 • $253,867,900 4.43% $219,044,737 • $225,285,037 2.85% City of Walker $1,134,779,300 • $1,202,361,900 5.96% $1,024,960,710 • $1,047,302,357 2.18% City of Wyoming $2,168,325,900 • $2,334,059,100 7.64% $1,932,296,861 • $1,983,103,037 2.63% Total $24,129,416,055 • $25,914,411,675 7.40% $21,119,691,880 • $21,838,346,564 3.40%

Area business leaders make case for LGBT inclusion Dow Chemical notes economic impacts via inclusion efforts. Charlsie Dewey

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Inclusive businesses prosper. That was the message conveyed

by area business leaders during the spring luncheon hosted by Equality Michigan and the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce recently at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Brian Walker, Herman Miller president and CEO; Rob Vallentine, global director of corporate citizenship for Dow Chemical; and Graci Harkema, senior account recruiting manager with TEKsys-

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tems, provided insight to attendees on how LGBT inclusion has enhanced their companies and their own experiences. Vallentine said a big reason behind Dow’s support of LGBT inclusion comes from the top of the company. Dow President and CEO Jim Fitterling came out after nearly three decades of hiding his sexuality and has spoken about the im-

pact of no longer having to hide a big piece of himself at work. Vallentine read a quote from Fitterling. “For nearly 30 years, there was a part of my life I simply did not bring to work, part of my real self I kept hidden.” Fitterling decided to come out after battling cancer, saying, “Battling and surviving stage 4 cancer has a way of redefining your priorities, and I made a decision: Continuing to hide who I was was one of the stresses I just didn’t need anymore. That was three years ago, and I can tell you the support I received from my colleagues at Dow was overwhelming.” While LGBT inclusion has no doubt gotten a boost from having an out president and CEO, Vallentine said the company has had an LGBT resource group for 16 years and its chief financial officer, Howard Ungerleider, has been supporting inclusion efforts for many years. “Gays and Lesbians and Allies at Dow, or GLAD, was one of eight groups formed in 2000,” Vallentine said. “At the time, the vision of GLAD was to foster a safe, inclusive, supportive and open working environment for all employees regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.” He said the business case for LGBT inclusion is clear. “Did you know the LGBT community represents $3.7 trillion

in global purchasing power?” he asked. “Did you know members of the LGBT community are brand loyal 66 percent of the time even when less LGBT friendlies try to lure them away with lower prices and convenience? Did you know diverse companies are 45 percent more likely to expand market share than their less diverse counterparts are? “Studies show workplaces that are diverse and inclusive solve problems faster and better, which provides a competitive advantage over non-inclusive companies.” To become a more inclusive company, Vallentine said Dow focused on four key objectives: employee engagement, HR policies, political advocacy and community engagement. He said to date, Dow counts $3 million in savings related to recruiting and retention due to its LGBT inclusion efforts. He acknowledged when Dow first began focusing on LGBT inclusion, not everyone was on board. “When GLAD was announced, we received some serious backlash, including letters from employees and community members openly opposed to this group,” he said. “The letters expressed anger, non-acceptance and an array of uninformed claims.” Vallentine said the company reContinued on page 23 8

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 11

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Can Grand Rapids become another Silicon Valley? 7 Continued from page 1 funds. “I would like to see our region be who we are and not distracted by what’s going on on the coasts,” he said. “We can learn from their accomplishments, but we have a lot of resources, so let’s be true to ourselves and make it what we want it to be.” Fostering a tech culture in Grand Rapids is much more than injecting money into a few startups and calling it a day, said Mike Morin, Start Garden CEO. Before there’s an ecosystem of bustling technology businesses, there has to be a community that believes and understands the needs to build it. The realization the entire population needs to understand entrepreneurialism and risk-taking is among the reasons Start Garden recruited Darel Ross II and Jorge Gonzalez to the company. “There has to be a culture fostering entrepreneurism and risk-taking across all spectrums,” Morin said. “Once people start taking risks, the high tech and highgrowth businesses will come. But you can’t do that overnight.” All of that is not to say having one blockbuster startup wouldn’t help ignite the fire. Blue Medora CEO Nathan Owen said when groups like Start Garden and Grand Angels started, there was very little tech activity in Grand Rapids, and they planted

the seeds. If one of those seeds makes it through and successfully exits following an acquisition or IPO, the founders and employees who do well in the exit can do more. Like Musk’s burst of activity following his windfall from PayPal, a large buyout for a company in Grand Rapids could lead to multiple more startups. Owen said the snowball is rolling in Indianapolis right now, where Salesforce acquired ExactTarget for $2.5 billion in 2013. Angie’s List and NextRx in Indianapolis also had recent successful exits. “The way this typically works is success begets success,” Owen said. “A couple good exits spawn another 10 companies, and a couple of those do well and that’s how it gets going.” The domino effect is in full motion in the Midwest, with 52 companies going public or being acquired for more than $1 billion between 2008 and 2013, according to Cramer. Blue Medora is through its Series B funding, a round which included Louis & Clark Ventures from St. Louis. Owen said there are many financial firms looking at the Midwest for untapped gems. “There’s incredible competition on the coasts,” Owen said. “New startups, you can talk to 100 VC firms in a week and a ton of competition for talent.” The Midwest, which encompasses Michigan, Pennsylvania,

Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, is a prime location for technology talent. If the Midwest were to stand on its own, it would have the fifthlargest GDP in the world at $3.5 trillion, according to 2013 GDP data. The region receives 25 percent of the research dollars in the U.S. and graduates more computer science degrees than any other region or nation. “The biggest problem here is people chasing dollars,” Cramer said. “A kid can work for IBM or Facebook and make $150K as a 22-year-old. Now, we’re starting to see a boomerang.” Midwest companies generally are a safer bet for venture capitalists, Cramer said. A report by the Kauffman Foundation found California residents start companies 50 percent more often than in the Midwest, but five-year survival rates are higher in the Midwest, with six of the top 10 survival rates located in the Midwest; California landed at 19th. “You need individuals to make debt-defying risks to disrupt,” Cramer said. “That’s why Silicon Valley and New York have taken off; people who want to change the world and are willing to take the risk. “But on the flip side, I think that’s a positive here. Entrepreneurs start here and go to the ends of the world to make sure they succeed. They don’t just have an idea

and raise $2 million.” Money goes further in the Midwest as well, with companies going for 30 to 50 percent lower values in Seed or Series A funding and much lower cost of living and housing, all with comparable exit values. Cramer said Midwest companies are 50-plus percent more capital efficient. Also helpful is a large concentration of large companies — 150 Fortune 500 businesses are in the Midwest — that need to adapt and innovate. Cramer pointed toward companies such as Kellogg creating a $100-million venture fund and Meijer partnering with Shipt for home delivery. “Focusing on West Michigan, we need buy-in from Haworth, Steelcase, Bissell … all those teams are starting to invest in software companies,” Cramer said. “A key ingredient is big corporations adapting and innovating but also be the first customer for startups.” The Midwest, particularly West Michigan, also has the benefit of being a traditional hub of makers and designers, and those skill sets will be particularly useful in transitioning industries into the future, Lomonaco said. “Inherently, we have skills here and, more importantly, a Midwest sensibility of what we do make,” he said. “The East Coast is very academic research-focused, West Coast is this ‘startup, do, fail, startup, do, fail’ emotion. That’s great.

In the Midwest, we have a little bit of best of both worlds.” Owen said Grand Rapids is fortunate there were several groups, like the DeVos family and manufacturing CEOs, who took the risk to lay seeds to make sure the region develops a technology ecosystem. The way Grand Rapids adapts with evolving industries will be key to its continued growth, Morin said. “If you look at the role small and new businesses play in an economy, they provide most of the job creation and revenue,” Morin said. “And new and emerging industries give us a more diverse economy.” Morin said he’s optimistic Grand Rapids has made progress with technology businesses in the past three to five years, with some startup tech companies, such as Sportsman Tracker, Varsity News Network and Blue Medora, growing. The days of venture capital solely fueling a technology sector in a region likely are over, which is probably a good thing when you look at Silicon Valley’s “take big swings and miss 80 percent of the time” approach, Morin said. “It’s a hangover, that’s how Silicon Valley was built, but it’s not the only way,” he said. “We don’t need to do it the way Silicon Valley did it. Grand Rapids and the Midwest can find our own way to build this and stop trying to be the next Silicon Valley.”

Dimensions program sets up contractors for success 7 Continued from page 1 multiple relationships. “We’re just trying to build relationships and introduce them to opportunities and overcome obstacles.” VanGessel said starting a company can be a challenge, as owners have to balance selling their services and executing. Sometimes, sales suffer because new relationships aren’t being built constantly, which he hopes to help solve with Dimensions. Also at the crux of the program is furthering the network of trade contractors Rockford, and other general contractors, can work with during a time when skilled labor is at a premium. “As an industry, we continue to experience a shortage of skilled trade contractors,” said Brad Mathis, Rockford’s community development director and co-facilitator of Dimensions. “When we

have local businesses right here within our community, it’s our responsibility to do what we can to support their effort.” Fifteen companies participated in Dimensions: Building Bridges Professional Services, R&R Mechanical, Cross Contracting, Top Notch Painting, Todd McLemore, Martin Remodel, Howell’s Snowplow and Lawn Care, Monster Coatings, Ellis Construction, Sanchez Drywall, BSC Data Cabling Solutions, MoHawk Construction Group, PJ’s Lawn Care and Snowplow, TorresWorks Construction and Monte Cristo Electric. “Rockford is making a visible commitment to diversifying its pool of subcontractors, and this program is a great way to extend a hand to smaller companies,” R&R Mechanical Services Partner Ruben Ramos said. “One of the main goals of the program is also to build relationships, and I look forward to continue in building rela-

tionships with the people I meet.” More than 600 Rockford manhours were dedicated to the program, including class topics taught by Vice President of Finance Brian Wierenga, Executive Vice President Jennifer Boezwinkle and President of Construction Shane Napper. At the end of the program, along with the ability to bid on 25 projects and being set up with a navigator, the graduates were given memberships to the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce and Associated Builders and Contractors, access to Economic Club of Grand Rapids luncheons and a subscription to the Business Journal. “We want to get them access to the community and social capital,” VanGessel said. The navigators will be the companies’ direct connection to Rockford, whether they are trying to get work, get paid or just get a cup of

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coffee to talk about opportunities. VanGessel hopes to hold the program annually, but acknowledges he will keep a watchful eye on how successful the first class is. Rockford will do what it can to help the companies continue to grow, but the onus will be on the contractors to execute their part. “We want to make sure this round has traction and success,” he said. “We have to make sure we have the impact we want with

this first round. At this point, we have to keep watering it and putting sunlight on it to make sure it’s healthy and grows. “We’re doing a lot of exciting projects, and when you’re going into neighborhoods, you want to work with as many people as you can that are local. It’s the circle you want to develop and keep the local spending close to the area to contractors and businesses you hope to help and build.”

Firm looks to reinvigorate MSU business school 7 Continued from page 5 formed when construction starts. “Basically, you put a portion of profit at risk and the motivation becomes that you collaborate to make the project better, find savings and efficiencies,” he said. “There’s ways to share in added savings; there’s a financial aspect to this process. It’s one contract, and everyone shares in the risk and reward in a more even manner.” Launstein said architecture partnerships, like the one between FTCH and LMN, are not unusual, as they can bring specific details and expertise with them from previous projects of the magnitude. Today’s education is more than just four walls, he said. “There is a specific set of things that business education is comprised of and those practical functional events need a place to occur,” Launstein said. “What they bring is the latest and greatest or new and different thinking of how a business school should be thought of designwise, cur-

riculum, students-to-faculty or students-to-students. “If you’re involved in a lot of these projects, you get a lot of touches with those questions and experiences to build up your own innate understanding of what makes a business school different than another.” Beyond the classrooms, which will be fully integrated with technology, Launstein said a majority of the space is not assignable space. Among those are interview suites, which allow corporations to come in and have slates of interviews with job seekers. “The lounges, common areas, those are as important as the classrooms,” he said. “There’s a strong network between the academic and professional sides of things that’s accentuated within the building. I don’t think typical college and university buildings have as much common space. There’s a lot of volume given to the nonassignable space, and it’s for that engagement between and around and after classes where those types of synergistic things happen.”

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AS CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, Josh Szymanski sometimes starts his day in work boots and ends it wearing a suit and tie. Photo by Michael Buck

Entering college unsure of career path, Owen-Ames-Kimball’s Josh Szymanski landed on civil engineering and hasn’t looked back.

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osh Szymanski felt more in danger leaving Iraq at the height of the Iraq War than when he drove in to start his stay dredging a river near the border of Kuwait and Iraq in 2003. “By the time we left, we were in black suburbans, and it felt way more dangerous going out than in because we were bringing attention to ourselves,” said Szymanski, now chief strategy officer at Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. On the way in, the dredging crew meandered across the border in Toyota Land Cruisers. The five months Szymanski spent in Iraq took place less than a year out of college, but he garnered many responsibilities, as he stuck around longer than many employees of the same company, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, who just wanted to say they went to Iraq. With so little infrastructure in the war-torn country, the dredging crew took on challenges normally unseen in common dredging operations. With no offshore lodging for off-shift employees,

a barge pulled aside the dredge, and 91 people lived on board in a makeshift hotel made of shipping containers. With extra logistical needs created by the living quarters, Szymanski added to his role of making sure the dredge was in the right place at the right time and at the right depth. “It was a great job for a young 20-something kid, if you wanted to stick it out, you get a lot of responsibilities,” he said. “Once we started the 90-guy hotel, I had to be involved with the supply boats.” The area was not safe, as the main site of the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s had landmines everywhere, but it prepped him and made it easy to transition into civilian construction operations. “When I came back, there were challenges, but I’d look up, and after what I’ve been through, this isn’t so bad,” Szymanski said. “That was a big part of formative development, even with how short of a time it was.” Growing up in Frankenmuth, Szymanski’s career practically was foreshadowed. His father was a

JOSH SZYMANSKI Position: Chief strategy oﬃcer Company: Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. Age: 36 Hometown: Frankenmuth Residence: Grand Rapids Township Family: Wife, Erin; three children. Community/Business Involvement: Cannonsburg Challenged Ski Association (board member), Michigan Society of Professional Engineers (past president/board member), Junior Achievement and member at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Biggest Career Break: Having a blast as an estimator with Triangle Associates Inc. from 2005-08, that’s when he knew he was in the right field.

mechanical engineer, and it was always all hands on deck when it came to making something a reali-

Inside Track MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 17

ty. Both his father and grandfather built their first homes. “If we wanted something and had the time, we went and built it,” Szymanski said. “It was always hands on and mechanical.” Despite the predictors, Szymanski was unsure of what he wanted to do as he prepped for college. He selected Michigan Technological University in Houghton, because he felt it was a cultural fit for his interests. At Michigan Tech, he picked civil engineering as his major and hasn’t turned back.

“When you can stay up until 2 a.m. and just enjoy it and love it, I think that’s where I realized this career path was a good fit.” Following his graduation, Szymanski had the decision of whether to follow one of two engineering paths: design or build. He chose build and went to work at Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, where he first traveled up and down the eastern U.S. shoreline before heading to Bahrain just as the U.S. began sending troops into Iraq. Shortly thereafter, the crew was heading into Iraq as the first contractor into the country after the British cleared southern Iraq. “It was really awesome, but not a long-term path for me,” he said. “It was a career decision point.” Upon returning in fall 2003, he went to Purdue University on the recommendation of his friend, and he graduated with his masters in civil engineering in 2004. “At that point, I had decided I wanted to be in the Midwest, I like the climate, culture, so I applied to jobs in areas where there was ac-

tivity,” Szymanski said. He applied to a variety of jobs in Grand Rapids, including Pioneer Construction and Wolverine Building Group, before accepting an offer as an estimator at Triangle Associates Inc. He spent several years in the position, a time he said were some of the best moments of his life and also taught him the way the industry works. He was an estimator on nearly 40 Wal-Marts during the Great Recession. “I was able to work with an exciting team of guys, and it charged me up,” he said. “When you can stay up until 2 a.m. and just enjoy it and love it, I think that’s where I realized this career path was a good fit.” Until his late nights loving his job, Szymanski still pondered what other career options he could choose. At Purdue, he took some MBA classes, but his exhilarating times as an estimator left those courses on the table. “I know a lot of people who are 35, 40 and they don’t know if this is right for them,” he said. “You never rule anything out, but I’m happy with what I’m doing.” At Triangle, Szymanski worked his way to project manager before transitioning to business development in 2011, eventually being named the firm’s vice president of business development in 2013. “There are a lot of ways to approach it, mine is I’m not the bestlooking guy, the flashiest guy, but I can tell you how long it takes and how much it costs,” Szymanski said. “I can tell you how to get there. It’s an approach of how can I best serve you?” An offer came to Szymanski, who was not actively looking for a job, when O-A-K’s President and CEO Frank Stanek came calling. Again, the cultural fit made the decision easy for Szymanski, who jumped to be O-A-K’s business development director. He said he is

thankful for the 10-plus years he spent at Triangle and the skills he gained while there, but with a long career in front of him, he had to be somewhere he felt comfortable culturally. “They’re hands-on guys, that’s what I am. Pass a hammer and board around the room, and they know what to do with it,” he said. “These guys are low ego, head down, hands on. It’s nice when you can walk into a room, and my partners and I know we’re on the same page.” In March, O-A-K promoted Szymanski to his current job of chief strategy officer. “This position gives him the opportunity to utilize his versatile skill set in a manner that will best serve our clients and O-A-K,” Stanek said of Szymanski’s promotion. O-A-K’s title structure isn’t meant for internal purposes, but Szymanski’s moniker allows him to jump in wherever he feels he might be needed. “I can do whatever I feel needs doing,” Szymanski said. “Some days, I have my boots on in the morning and a suit and tie in the afternoon. “It’s a perfect job.” O-A-K recently went through a leadership transition, so many of the firm’s executives are relatively young, but at 36, Szymanski knows there might be another one in the future. “Where do I go from here?” Szymanski said. “I’m satisfied being partners with the rest of the guys at the firm and do what we do well. O-A-K has a long legacy and part of that torch is to put people in place who will be there a long time. “We’ve gone through one (transition), and we’ll go through another, but I’m happy to be here and help wherever I can to help continuity of O-A-K.”

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Comment & Opinion 18 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

EDITORIAL

There’s proof of prosperity, but business leaders provide glimpse of what’s ‘next’

The northwestern portion of Kent County has seen significant economic development during the past few years, and Switch Ltd. certainly has stimulated Byron Township activity.

GUEST COLUMN Robert Genetski

Free-market health care would save $2.3 trillion a year

rand Rapids Business Journal reporting in several sectors of the local economy provides May Day examples of upward trends fueling the metro area’s continued growth. The measures are, for the most part, lagging indicators but bolstered by current signposts of continued growth with one big underscore: how to keep it going. The Kent County Equalization report and market overviews by three commercial and industrial real estate companies provide the numbers giving proof to the “feel good” perceptions of the general community — and metro GR numbers are stimulating other areas, including Holland and Muskegon. It is of importance to note prosperity of growth has extended through Kent County programs like the Land Bank Authority to properties and projects that include rehabilitating blighted homes, toxic waste cleanup, foreclosure transformations and removals. Kent County equalized property values (72 percent of which is residential property) “are at an all-time high,” according to county Equalization Director Matt Woolford, averaging an overall 7.4 percent increase from 2016, which marked three years of consecutive value increases. Byron Township showed one of the highest increases, averaging 9.36 percent; and Cedar Springs was a notch better at 9.37. The northwestern portion of Kent County has seen significant

economic development during the past few years, and Switch Ltd. certainly has stimulated Byron Township activity. The Business Journal also reports the county was presented an analysis by the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute noting the economic impact of the Kent County Land Bank, which has not always been favored for continuation by some county commission members. Home values within 500 feet of Land Bank projects experienced a $7,064 average increase, according to the analysis, helped generate $42.9 million in the county during the past four years and provided 266 jobs in the same period. There were 484 properties impacted in the fouryear period. Land Policy Institute Interim Director Mark Wyckoff told commissioners, “In addition to reducing blight and bringing dilapidated properties back to productive use, this study shows the land bank fills a critical gap in neighborhood restoration and economic development.” Additional reporting on the West Michigan real estate market showed metro Grand Rapids to be the fastest-growing region in the state, adding about 6,000 residents from 2015-16. As Woolford noted in presentation of the equalization report: “As long as we continue to enjoy a healthy economy, people coming here and job growth, the over-

all trend will remain positive the coming year.” The county and others in bu-

The main reason Congress is having a difficult time with health care legislation is a failure to recognize the costs of our current health care system. These costs have become so great that a move to free market health care can save Americans $2.3 trillion a year. Data from the World Bank show the cost of health care in the U.S. can be three times what it is where a country relies on the free market. My own experience with health care in Mexico confirms the World Bank data. Six years ago, I had a firsthand opportunity to compare costs in Mexico’s private health care system to those in the U.S. At the time, I estimated health care costs in Mexico were approximately half the cost in this country. A more recent experience suggests the cost difference has increased substantially. My wife, who has asthma, recently contracted the flu while in the U.S. For two days (a Friday and Saturday), her doctors refused to see her due to an influx of other patients seeking appointments. The office is closed on Sundays. In spite of a difficult Sunday night, she insisted on keeping our scheduled flight to Los Cabos, Mexico, on the following Monday.

That afternoon, we called a private sector Mexican doctor. He saw her immediately at the hospital. After several exams, an x-ray and blood tests, he said bronchitis had turned into the early stages of pneumonia. After three hours of intravenous feeding with antiviral medicine and antibiotics, her condition stabilized. Before leaving, we received seven different medications to help her recover. The total cost for doctors, assistants, x-rays, intravenous feedings, blood tests, medicines and follow-up visits was $403. In the U.S., we would have felt fortunate to pay that amount for the x-rays alone. The total amount was payable on demand with a credit card, as with all normal transactions in a free market system. Comparing health care costs elsewhere to those in this country is complicated by many factors. The most significant factor is the lack of a free market in the U.S. Without a market, it’s almost impossible to know the real cost of any item. The current U.S. health care system resembles the old Soviet system. Government dominates the decisions of who gets health care coverage, when, where and at what price. This is a highly inefficient system, which has been

made even more inefficient by the “Affordable Care Act.” The question is how much more? Aside from my personal experiences, there are other indications we are paying three times the amount we could be paying for health care. This conclusion is supported by data compiled by the World Bank. It shows health care costs per capita in the U.S. are three times what they are in Singapore.

reaucracies can provide proofs of what has passed; business leaders provide proof of prospects.

MI VIEW WEST Garth Kriewall

Michigan journalist, kriewall@hotmail.com

I insist, sir. It’s spring. You’re senior partner. You should lead us into the exciting future of downtown Grand Rapids transit!

cant government involvement to make sure everyone has access to high quality, inexpensive health care. Current U.S. health care costs are upward of $3.5 trillion a year. The World Bank comparison suggests $2.3 trillion of this amount represents the waste due to our inefficient system. Eliminating such waste through a free market system would lower the cost of health care so dramati-

Data from the World Bank show the cost of health care in the U.S. can be three times what it is where a country relies on the free market. Singapore’s health care system utilizes many of the efficiencies of a free market system. Most routine health care expenses are paid by individuals out of their health saving accounts and prices are fully transparent. There also is signifi-

cally there would be more than enough resources to provide highquality health care to all.

LETTERS POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and guest commentary. Letters and columns must include the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the philosophy

of the Business Journal. Letters and columns may be edited for reasons of space or clarity. Please submit to: The Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjletters@grbj.com.

Robert Genetski is a Saugatuckbased economist who writes for the website classicalprinciples.com.

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MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 19

FAMILY BUSINESS MATTERS Paul Damon

The challenge and opportunity of independent business ownership

n the world of many privately owned businesses, there are at least three competing areas to manage actively. These three areas are family, ownership and management. These three distinct interests can intersect with one or both of the others. This is what can cause conflict and be difficult to manage. Management functions refer to the team of managers that is leading the company. In some cases, they may also be family members and owners. In other words, they could be one, two or all three of the roles. Their role as manager is to do what is best for the business and place this priority before the owners or family members. But what if they are also family members? Then they have a potential conflict of interest because they represent both family and management.

The decisions they make as managers may hurt members of the family (of which they are part), especially in the short term if the decisions are difficult ones that need to be made for the long-term success of the business. And since they are members of the family group, they are making decisions that are potentially hurting their own interests. This can be difficult to do. Add to this the role of owner, and it even gets more complex. Imagine a manager who is part of the ownership of the business and a member of the family who started or has controlling interest in the business. The potential conflicts of interest and difficult juggling of priorities can truly be challenging (if not schizophrenic) to manage. A scenario that could arise can easily be imagined and often happens. An owner, manager and family member could be faced

with a decision that would be best for one of the roles one occupies but is in direct conflict with one or both other roles. This can cause conflict with other members of the groups one is “hurting.” It is the proverbial conversation at the dinner table on Thanksgiving, where one has made a difficult decision one believes is in the best interest of the business as a manager but could hurt the family and other shareholders in the short term or long term. And there are many permeations of this scenario depending on the roles, responsibilities and obligations of the person. All of this is magnified when there is a business transition. A transition can happen for any number of reasons: death, divorce, retirement, financial hardship, strategic opportunity or desire to exit for personal reasons. Regard-

less of the reason, the reality of exit planning when there are the three interests present can cause some real difficult challenges and some very emotional reactions. And emotions running wild in the middle of trying to execute an exit make the exit even more difficult and, in too many situations, has led to transactions being delayed or canceled. If you are dealing with a situation that is being impacted by this or a similar situation, it might be in your best interest to contact a certified exit planning advisor (CEPA) or someone with similar education and training to help you manage the complexity of your situation. Paul Damon is the president of Strategic Stewardship Partners. You can reach Paul at paul@strategicstewardshippartners.com.

Regardless of the reason, the reality of exit planning when there are the three interests present can cause some real difficult challenges and some very emotional reactions. And emotions running wild in the middle of trying to execute an exit make the exit even more difficult

SALES MOVES Jeffrey Gitomer

What would Ben Franklin think of the ‘Ben Franklin close’?

he Benjamin Franklin close (also known as “the balance sheet close”) is one of the classic old-time sales tactics used to “close a sale.” Never heard of it? Shame on you — not enough sales training. The scenario is this: You’ve made your presentation, but the prospect is on the fence and won’t make up his or her mind. You’ve tried everything, but you can’t get them to budge. Then you say, “Benjamin Franklin was one of our wisest citizens, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Johnson?” (Get prospect’s agreement.) “Whenever he was faced with a decision — and he had some pretty big ones back then — he would take a plain piece of paper, draw a line down the middle and put a plus sign on one half and a minus sign on the other. “In his genius, he discovered that by listing all the positive elements on the plus side of the paper and the negative things on the minus side, the decision would become obvious. Pretty sound concept, agreed?” (Get prospect’s agreement.) “Let me show you how it works.

Since you’re having a tough time deciding, let’s list the benefits: some of the reasons you may want to purchase. Then we’ll list the negatives. Fair enough?” (Get prospect’s agreement.) Now you list every good thing about your product or service. Get the prospect to say most of them. What the prospect says will be the main points of interest to him or her. Take your time to develop a complete list. Then you say “OK, let’s list the negatives,” and hand the pen to the prospect and push the list toward him or her. Don’t say a word. Usually the prospect can only think of responses having to do with price or affordability. In theory, this sounds like a good way to close a sale. The big problem with the Benjamin Franklin close: It’s Old World selling that not only doesn’t work, it also annoys the prospective buyer. Try that close on some-

If you would like a few famous Ben Franklin quotes that will inspire, motivate and help you see the obvious in a new way, go to gitomer.com and enter BEN FRANKLIN SELLS in the GitBit box. Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of 13 books. His real-world ideas are also available as online courses at gitomerlearningacademy.com. For information about training and seminars, visit gitomer.com or email Jeffrey at salesman@ gitomer.com.

one who has ever taken a sales course, and it’s an insult. The reality of the sale is, the prospect has already made up one’s mind; he or she just isn’t telling you. So, should you just forget it and never use the Ben Franklin close? Heck no — just use the Ben Franklin principle in a different way. Do what Ben would have done: Figure out a new way and a better way, and use it. Here’s a powerful new way to re-use the classic Ben Franklin close: •Use it on yourself before you make the sales call.

•Use it as a preparation tool. •Use it as a strategizing device. •Use it to get ready to make a big sale. Get a plain piece of paper (or your laptop) and draw a line down the middle of the page. On the plus side, list: •The prospect’s main needs. •The questions you want to ask. •The benefits and main points you want to be sure to cover. •The one or two ideas you’re bringing to discuss. •The one or two personal things in common to discuss. •The decision-makers. •The reasons you believe the prospect will buy. On the minus side, list: •The reasons the prospect may not buy and your responses. •The obstacles you may have to overcome. Now you’re ready to make the sale, and Ben helped you. If you use the Ben Franklin close on yourself before you go in to make the sale, then you can ask the buyer intelligent closing questions. For example, questions that might lead with: “What are the major obstacles …?” “What would

The big problem with the Benjamin Franklin close: It’s Old World selling that not only doesn’t work, it also annoys the prospective buyer. prevent you from …?” “Is there any reason not to proceed with …?” That’s a Ben Franklin close that Ben would be proud of — the one you prepare for yourself. You close yourself before you make the sale. Wow! Try this new version of an old classic. Ben would be proud of you. So will your boss. I think it was Franklin who said, “A close in time saves nine … objections,” but history has distorted it for the people who knit. Pity. Editor’s note: Jeffrey Gitomer is on sabbatical. This column originally appeared in the May 16, 2016, Business Journal.

Teens gain work experience at New City Urban Farm 7 Continued from page 3 room, work opportunities can help build confidence and show them even if they aren’t successful in school, they can still be successful in work environments. “We have our customer service manager student who will be graduating in the fall and who doesn’t perform well academically, but she is so good at customer ser-

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vice. She is that type of person who makes a customer feel good,” he said. “High school doesn’t test for that. You experience real-world work and that interpersonal skill is much more valuable than other skills you test for.” He said another student used the program as a launching pad to land a job with restaurant Graydon’s Crossing for her senior year of high school.

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“We have a partnership with Graydon’s Crossing, and she was familiar with that restaurant and saw herself working there for her senior year and we could call and recommend her,” Kraai said. He said many of the students who take part in the farm program don’t have families who can help them find summer jobs, making the program especially important. “So many youth opportunities

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are through networks your parents have,” he said. Kraai said unlike typical first jobs for teenagers, the farm offers its employees more responsibilities and includes a strong mentorship component, as well as real-world applications for the job skills they are learning. For example, Kraai said if a student is experiencing a work conflict, he or she will be listening

intently during the conflict resolution session and learn how to handle the issue. “We are teaching them skills they are using right then and there. It immediately resonates,” he said. Kraai said New City Urban Farm is the first step for its employees in building a résumé and creating a foundation for future education and job opportunities.

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20 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

International market rebrands to connect with new customers Russo’s International Market, formerly G.B. Russo & Son, beefs up local, international products and services while remaining committed to Italian roots. Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Family-owned grocer G.B. Russo & Son changed its name to Russo’s International Market in an effort to promote its offerings to a generation unfamiliar with the Russo family history. Founded by 20-year-old Italian immigrant Giovanni Battista “G.B.” Russo in 1905, the market originally named G.B. Russo Importer specializes in fresh and prepared gourmet foods, olives, oils, deli meats, international wine, beer, spirits and kitchenware. In the past few years, the market has expanded to include catering, wine delivery, custom corporate gifts, in-store beverage tastings, more private-label items, a larger selection of Michigan- and Grand Rapids-made products and more homemade foods, such as sandwiches, dips, sauces and breads. A host of Italian aromas — most powerfully the scent of sausages — greets customers visiting the 18,000-square-foot store at 2770 29th St. SE. The market has been especially busy on weekends lately, as it celebrates its 112th anniversary with sales and rebranding promotions from March to May. Kelley Russo, a fourth-generation employee and great-granddaughter of G.B., said her greatgrandfather immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 17 from Montele-

RUSSO’S INTERNATIONAL MARKET, founded by a 20-year-old Italian immigrant in 1905, is celebrating its 112th anniversary this year with a major rebranding effort. Courtesy Russo’s International Market

pre, Sicily. G.B. decided to start his business after realizing many fellow immigrants were homesick for the food of their homeland. “He started with the idea of selling Italian and other European items, to ease the people migrating from Italy who wanted their staple foods,” she said. “Three years later, after he saved enough money, he opened the store and moved all the family over to America. “We were the only ones in town who had their comfort foods.” Originally located in East Grand Rapids near Reeds Lake, the store moved to South Division and Franklin in what was then the heart of “Little Italy” in 1908. In Russo’s early years, The Black Hand mob plagued G.B. and family, leading him to send two of his daughters back to Sicily for their safety after one was nearly kidnapped. Russo then assisted local police and the courts to resist and prosecute the gang. G.B. Russo remained in the South Division building — where G.B. also owned a macaroni factory, other retail space, apartments and a dance club called Roma Hall

that booked famous performers from B.B. King to James Brown to Mary Wells — until moving to Eastern Avenue near Breton Street in 1967. The market moved to its current location in 1976. Russo’s changed names in 1916, 1967, 1976 and now 2017, but one thing hasn’t changed, Kelley Russo said: the family’s commitment to serving all customers with kindness and high-quality products. G.B.’s son, Frank, took over ownership after the death of his father in 1952 and ran the business alongside his sisters, Jennie and Rose. Following G.B.’s example of kindness and hospitality, Kelley Russo said Frank and his sisters treated their customers like family and gained a reputation as a place where all people were welcome regardless of race or religion. As the family tells it, during the Grand Rapids race riots in the 1960s, local civil rights activist Jerry Brown told his associates not to harm the Russos’ property because of Brown’s friendship with Frank — even as rioters set fire to all the neighboring properties. Phil Russo, the market’s current

president and co-owner with his brother, Dave, said their philosophy of kindness and compassion began with G.B., and the family still makes it a priority today with their customers and 35 employees. “(G.B.) made it his mission to serve the community and fed many through the Great Depression regardless of background or race,” he said. “He was an entrepreneur and risk-taker, and in spite of natural disasters, the Great Depression and race riots, the store continued to prosper and expand to make us what we are today.” That legacy includes the current store, which the family expanded from 10,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet in 2007. The Business Journal reported at the time that the project included exterior upgrades to the existing façade and renovation of the entire store, parking lot, utilities and landscape. Kelley Russo, who graduated college with a degree in business and marketing in 2007, jokes that she has been an employee at the market since she was “still in the womb.” “I’ve worked here my entire

life,” she said. “I admired my father for keeping our family tradition alive, and I planned on always being a part of that.” Russo’s husband, Nate Follett, works as a chef at the market, creating from-scratch meals to sell togo, as well as for catering. She said the family soon plans to add e-commerce capability on its website, “but we still want to put the focus on the personal experience with the customer.” Educating customers, whether via in-store tastings or day-to-day interactions, is one of the things the Russo family believes gives the store longevity. Along with its online plans, Kelley Russo said the market will be unveiling more new offerings in the coming months that will “have a big impact” on the community it serves. “Russo’s is here to stay,” she said. “We still get customers coming in and saying, ‘Your store is a family tradition.’ It’s not just about us being a family operation, but it’s about catering to the Grand Rapids community and their families. It’s an honor to be part of their family traditions, as well as our own.”

EV Group looks to diversify business staffing portfolio Construction firm’s staffing agency operations will include pharmaceuticals, technology and IT, and biotech. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

In a time when skilled labor can be hard to come by, a West Michigan

construction firm’s staffing agency subsidiary is working to grow. Holland-based staffing firm EV Group, a subsidiary of Elzinga & Volkers, hired Dan Rogers as vice president of operations and business development to direct the future of the company, which has operated for more than 25 years. EV Group was born out of requests over the years for the 72-year-old Elzinga & Volkers to rent out its construction management teams. Eventually, the construction firm’s leadership decided it would no longer rent out its own

staff but provide staffing solutions and professional services with EV Group. Until Rogers’ hiring, the firm operated with little strategic plan, business development and marketing. Now, he’ll lead a threeyear strategic plan to diversify EV Group from primarily food and beverage operations to include pharmaceuticals, technology and IT, and biotech. “As EV Group continues to grow and serve many industries across the United States, Canada and abroad, we are eager to have

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Dan jump in to further develop and execute our strategic plan,” Elzinga & Volkers CEO Mike Novakoski said. “The exciting part of this plan involves our team seeking ways to translate the organization’s employee-centric culture to its geographically diverse workforce. It’s certainly a pivotal time for EV Group as we strengthen our relationships in the industry and national reach.” The firm also hired Jim BadaRogers luco as director of business development and Tricia Elkey as administrator. Initially, EV Group almost exclusively provided construction management services, but now, the firm will provide specialists, including engineers, SAP specialists and lab technicians. EV Group’s team also specializes in operations, administration, cold storage, food manufacturing, packaging, automation, production lines and new equipment installation and startup. “Our customers today are seeing us as more than just construction management,” Rogers said. “We’re broadening our scope to who we can provide and where.” Currently, Rogers said approximately 50 percent of EV Group’s business is construction-related positions, and he believes the company’s bread and butter will remain helping capital projects.

Elzinga & Volkers’ growing facility services division also will help EV Group further its growth and diversity of services. “We’ll find talent for them, and they come to us to staff,” Rogers said. “The synergy is there for the two of us, and we’ll grow together.” With the economy humming along and no end in sight for capital projects, Rogers said supply of quality employees to fill positions falls short of the demand. Customers of EV Group will use placed employees for anywhere between two weeks to five years, Rogers said, and there are between 90 and 120 employees placed at any one time in 25 to 30 states. Employees of EV Group fall into one of three categories: independent contractor; part time with some benefits; and full time with complete employee benefits. To keep and attract employees, Rogers said it’s all about how the people are treated. He said the key is treating the employees and their families with care and making sure they know they have a home base in Holland. “It’s key for us to stay focused on being different in the way we treat our customers new or old, our field employees and candidates,” Rogers said. “It’s all a part of that program that is defined by, ‘It’s unmistakably EV Group.’ “It’s not about low price with us, not low cost, not end dollar and gross margin. It’s about growing our business through a different model that will grow itself once that engine starts.”

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 21

Architect mentorship sees exponential growth Program started at University of Michigan, now includes students from all over the country. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Back in 1999, Tom Mathison walked into a room full of University of Michigan architecture students, ready to offer an open-ended opportunity to connect them with a mentor. He didn’t plan on much, just to present the chance to Mathison place about 15 students with a professional architect. When he was finished, approximately 100 students signed up. “Architecture students get into school and have questions, questions every student has to some extent,” said Mathison, a co-founding principal at Grand Rapids-based architecture firm Mathison Mathison Architects. “An architect can help them with those questions. It was at that point (at Michigan) I knew that I struck a nerve and there was a hunger to connect with real practitioners.” The mentors and mentees connected infrequently, but enough for many to form a connection and be effective in helping answer questions and expose the students

to projects and jobsites. Originally, Mathison’s idea for a mentorship was to keep architects in West Michigan, but it quickly grew well beyond the region. “Our talent would leave here and go there or stay for school and move away,” Mathison said. “What we found was we wanted to attract them back to West Michigan. I had just recently served as AIA Michigan president, and I got to know architects and students. “I was in a unique position to try to put them together.” The second year, Mathison went to all four accredited architecture programs in Michigan, and from there, for about the first 15 years, it was his job to single-handedly connect the students with professionals — some years had 250 students. Those students came from all over the country, and Mathison’s mission of bringing students back to Grand Rapids was all but lost, as he then set out to connect students from home states, ending up with mentors from 22 states and multiple countries. “We grew it pretty fast, and it was time consuming and became beyond me,” Mathison said. At first, he developed a network of others to help, such as Michael McCulloch, who was a professor at University of Michigan, but now at Kendall College of Art and Design. He now advises the students at the Kendall Master of Architecture program and is a member at AIA Michigan. Kendall has 13 students who, if not already, likely will participate, McCulloch said. “It’s a really positive program,” McCulloch said. “It’s really important for architecture students to grow a network of people they can get to know and advance their pro-

fession through. These students can have a statewide, nationwide network through it.” McCulloch, who was a mentor for several years, said the relationships could have a lasting impact on both participants, especially the students. “It’s an inside view and a perspective of what it’s like to be part of the profession and chat about plans for the future and navigate the process for an architect’s license,” he said. “It sure makes the process a lot more clear and offers a sounding board.” A few more years later, Mathison asked the American Institute of Architects Michigan if the organization would take over the program, as he felt he no longer had the resources to continue and didn’t want it to fizzle away.

AIA Michigan Operations and Events Director Evelyn Dougherty now manages the program. Representatives hit all five architecture schools, show a quick PowerPoint and take questions before offering a link for an online registration and questionnaire.

“It’s an inside view and a perspective of what it’s like to be part of the profession.”

Michael McCulloch

Mentors range from early professionals to seasoned veterans and various specializations, and are matched accordingly with the

answers the students give. Now, through AIA Michigan, the program has 55 mentor and mentee pairs. If a student from Georgia at U-M wants a mentor from their home state, Dougherty reaches out to AIA Georgia. “Not every state has a program,” she said. “But we’ll help them with it. We don’t really have any barriers to how far we’ll go to help.” Mathison has presented the mentorship program at conferences nationally, and other AIA chapters, including Oklahoma and Colorado, have replicated it and made it their own. “The idea is it’s free and just an opportunity to have a relationship and make it what you want,” Mathison said. “I’ve had students contact me years later saying it was life-changing for them.”

Land Bank economic impact: $42.9M 7 Continued from page 3 county’s regional economy. Home values within 500 feet of Land Bank projects also experienced a $7,064 average increase, according to the analysis. “Our analysis demonstrates the Land Bank Authority’s critical role in supporting economic growth and development in Kent County,” MSU Land Policy Institute Interim Director Mark Wyckoff said. “In addition to reducing blight and bringing dilapidated properties back to productive use, this study shows the land bank fills a critical gap in neighborhood restoration

and economic development.” During the four years, the Land Bank Authority spent $24.2 million, including $15 million in demolition, $2.5 million in development and $2 million in acquisition. “The study confirms the Kent County Land Bank Authority was a key partner during the housing crisis and continues to play a key role in the West Michigan economy,” Grand Rapids Deputy City Manager Eric DeLong said. “The KCLBA continues to return blighted, dilapidated properties to the marketplace quickly, responsibly and with greater transparency and accountability.”

Without the Land Bank Authority, some businesses would have a more difficult time opening, said Roman Petrack, who opened his catering company, Kangaroo Kitchen, in a property he purchased from the organization. “I have seen firsthand the KCLBA’s ability to help small business owners and entrepreneurs like myself launch successful businesses,” Petrack said. “The KCLBA has partnered with the private sector to create jobs and support entrepreneurs and continues to work with realtors and small business owners to strengthen our economy.”

a workplace in the heart of Grand Rapids designed to blend family values and

urban corporate culture

after

Read more about TowerPinkster’s transition of the new Greenleaf Trust office at TowerPinkster.com

before

22 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Festivals help Ludington log record tourist season Convention and Visitors Bureau reports $12.4 million in room rental income for 2016 — the highest number in its history. Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

More people than ever stayed in Ludington last year, drawn by a two-day concert called Rhythm & Dunes, the Gus Macker basketball tournament, two beer festivals, the state park and municipal marina, and numerous summer and offseason events. Kathy Maclean, executive director of the Ludington Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, or Pure Ludington, said that in 2016, the LACVB’s member hotels generated $12,468,544 in room rental income — the highest year for room rental income in Ludington — up slightly from 2015 at $12,438,093 and up 31.1 percent from 2011. Room rental income is the primary metric Pure Ludington uses to measure tourism activity, and the LACVB collects the data from member hotels. Actual room rental income is higher if nonmember hotels are included. Maclean attributes the increase in hotel stays over the past five years partly to an increase in marketing spending by the LACVB. “Our hotel room assessment went from 2 percent to 5 percent (in 2011),” she said. “We’re able now to have over half a million dollars that we spend on marketing our community. That has had a huge impact. It’s gotten the word out there.” A room assessment is a fee the area hotels have voted to levy on their guests, which the hotels pass on to the LACVB for use in Pure Ludington marketing campaigns. According to state law, CVBs in Michigan may charge up to 5 percent room assessments. Many along Michigan’s west coast opt for the maximum percentage. Pure Ludington uses the funds in radio, television, print and digital advertising regionally and throughout the Midwest, purchasing bus wraps in places like Chicago and maintaining a website and a mobile app about the area’s offerings. Maclean said most of Ludington’s tourists come from Grand Rapids, Lansing, Detroit, Chicago, Indiana and Wisconsin. “The people from Wisconsin came across the car ferry in droves every day,” she said. Among the events drawing visitors to Ludington last summer

THE LAKESHORE IS a popular draw in Ludington, drawing festivals, concerts and even a world record attempt at making sand angels. Courtesy Ludington Area CVB

was the inaugural Love Ludington weekend. On June 11-12, 15,000 to 18,000 people came to town for attractions, such as a Guinness World Record attempt for the Longest Ice Cream Dessert, which Ludington achieved with a sundae that measured a half-mile long. The weekend festivities were designed to keep tourists in town who come each year for the Ludington Lakestride half-marathon and do not usually stay. Maclean said the race boosted its numbers in 2016, with 998 participating runners, an increase from 940 in 2015. “(Love Ludington) started with Lakestride and the idea of the world record and then just was about creating a critical mass of things going on that weekend,” she said. “With Lakestride, we used to have people come in and not stay for the whole weekend. “Now, people are looking forward to what’s going on that weekend.” Love Ludington will continue in 2017 with a “Be Someone’s Angel” Guinness World Record attempt for the Most Sand Angels on June 10 at Stearns Park Beach. The event will benefit the Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital Cancer Service Center. “We’ve definitely seen attendance at all the events (in) record numbers,” Maclean said. “The ones that are fundraisers have done really well.” Another such fundraiser was the third annual Pure Ludington BRRRewfest in late January, where 100 percent of the proceeds went to the Friends of Ludington State Park. The festival saw a 75 percent

increase in attendance last year, from 400 people in 2015 to 700 people in 2016. Ludington State Park last year led Michigan’s approximately 100 state parks with the highest number of camp nights booked among all state park campgrounds in 2016, at 48,284. The park attracted 849,703 visitors in 2016, including 624,725 day users, a 7.4 percent increase in visitors from 2015.

The record-setting events aren’t limited to peak season. The town’s New Year’s Eve ball drop saw its largest crowd yet in its eight-year history, at 15,000, up by 50 percent from 10,000 in 2015. The CVB theorizes this was due to a strong publicity push and the cancelation of Grand Rapids’ ball drop. Suds on the Shore beer festival had 3,000 attendees in 2016, up 29 percent from 2,316 attendees

in 2015. The two-day Rhythm & Dunes concert had its best attendance yet in 2016, bringing in approximately 12,000 to 14,000 people in 2016, up more than 15 percent from 2014 when 10,000 to 12,000 attended. Gus Macker drew a full crowd for its 25th anniversary year, with 836 teams 3,344 players and 10,000 to 15,000 fans — up from 783 teams and 3,132 players in 2015 (the number of fans stayed the same). Maclean said the LACVB projects another strong season in 2017, with the June 10 opening of the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum, expected to draw 10,000 visitors, and the Big Sable Point Lighthouse 150th anniversary celebration from May through October. A retired executive from Rockford-based Wolverine Worldwide, Ted Gedra, plans to open the Ludington Bay Brewing Company in mid-May, which Maclean predicts will be a big draw, too. “We’re hearing from our hoteliers and lodging facilities that reservations are strong,” she said. “Ludington clearly is a favorite destination on people’s Michigan bucket lists. It’s especially impressive for our size to have this variety of activities and annual events that draw all types of visitors. “(There’s) something for everyone — from the outdoor lover to the craft beer enthusiast to the beach goer.” “As strong as last year was for tourism, we don’t see visitor numbers letting up any time soon.”

Diversity keeps DeWys thriving In addition to metal fabrication services, contract manufacturer attempts to lead charge in employee attraction with training sessions. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Forty years in, and Jon DeWys is looking forward to the next 99 years. DeWys, the CEO of DeWys Manufacturing and brother of original founder, Mark, is amazed at all the products the Marnebased company makes and industries it serves, especially following

its start as a fireplace insert company. A customer provides DeWys with a design, and if it can be made out of sheet metal, the firm gets to work. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Jon DeWys expects the company to grow nearly 15 percent this year and continue to grow its employee base of 140. “Over the years, we’ve diversified and are not focused on one particular industry,” DeWys said. “We do lots of different things to a piece of metal.” DeWys said the company’s diversification has been a blessing over the years, as when one industry the contract manufacturer serves is down, another is up, and the company is always looking for the next opportunity. Mark DeWys started the company in the midst of a nationwide energy crisis, recognizing a need for warmth with a fuel shortage. DeWys Manufacturing hasn’t made fireplace inserts in several decades, but the start allowed customers of all sizes begin to ask the company if it can make pieces out of metal. Jon DeWys said the company produces parts ranging from 50 cents per piece to more than $300. Products are finished at DeWys too, as it can provide powder coating, machining and relatively new technologies, such as robotic welding, DeWys said. “We add a lot of value to our products; we’re not just a metal stamping company,” he said. With continued growth on the horizon at DeWys Manufacturing, DeWys is trying to lead a charge in employee attraction in the manufacturing sector. He said since the Great Recession, attracting employees has been difficult, as manufacturing has been viewed as a “dead occupation.” “There was a perception manufacturing was going away, that we

are going to be an information society,” DeWys said. “Manufacturing is very alive, and West Michigan is a prime example of where manufacturing happens, and we’re very diverse with plastics, wood and metal. We still make things in West Michigan.” Four years ago, DeWys Manufacturing launched a program called DeWys University, meant to bring in and train, with dedicated in-house trainers, new potential employees. DeWys also works with Discover Manufacturing, a coalition of West Michigan business owners, economic organizations and local colleges to promote manufacturing to the next generation of workers. DeWys University is a 12-week, hands-on session to train students. The company also houses a STEM lab for Kenowa Hills Public Schools in a facility adjacent to the DeWys Manufacturing’s factory. The students, grades 7-10, experience a manufacturing environment outside of a standard fourwalled classroom. “A lot of these folks are getting older and retiring, and there’s no one to replace them, but not everyone is wired to go to college,” DeWys said. “We’re focused on the XYZ generations. It’s not about us, because not every one of these kids will go into manufacturing, but we want to expose them to other parts of the world.” Keeping the company stocked with employees is important to the future of DeWys Manufacturing, which DeWys has been at the helm of for nearly 20 years. “The last 15 years, we’ve done big things, but I want to be in business the next 99 years, and that’s something we’re very deliberate with,” DeWys said. “If something happens to me tomorrow, this business is going to be operating and working, might hit a speed bump, but we’ll keep going.”

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

Couple’s app simplifies garage sale payouts Leaders support inclusion Tally Sheet helps multiple sellers track purchases for garage, yard and estate sales. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

For years, Holly Anderson spent a weekend with girlfriends hosting a garage sale. Whenever a piece would sell, the friends would notate the sale with a sticker on a poster board and at the end of the weekend, they’d convene and calculate, several times, to ensure the tally sheet was right and the sale’s revenue was distributed correctly to each participant. The simplistic record keeping system seemed odd to Anderson, as she wondered why there wasn’t a better way to keep track of transactions at garage sales. “The standard checkout system is really antiquated,” she said. “At the end of the sale, we’d be spending literally hours adding them up for each seller. Every year, we’d all say how antiquated it was and here’s all this technology and here we are peeling off masking tape and sticking it on poster board.” She set out to disrupt the garage sale industry. Anderson’s husband, Brian, is a software developer by trade, consulting businesses and entrepreneurs with product development for 20 years. He saw the opportunity to do the same for his wife as he observed the yard sales. In fall 2016, the cloud-based mobile app Tally Sheet was released. With an average of 165,000 yard sales and $4.2 million in revenue each week in the United States,

the Andersons discovered there’s an underserved market, most of which use the record keeping systems handed down through generations. “I believe in productivity and making lives easier,” Brian Anderson said. “In this case, I can serve my wife and translate to others around the world. The status quo was the challenge.” With Tally Sheet, users can connect within a sale and the app keeps track of all the purchases at the sale, keeping the sellers updated in real time. The app checks out customers and keeps track of sales, resulting in a report for the multiple sellers at the end of the day, including payout totals. With the launch at the end of September 2016, the Andersons missed the peak garage sale season in the U.S., so with the rate set to pick back up, they’re ready to see their app potentially take off. Despite missing the peak season, the Andersons found users throughout the winter with people running estate sales, craft sales and in-home parties. “The market is broader than we expected,” Holly Anderson said. The app started in mobile app stores with a download fee, but eventually, the fee was dropped and several websites picked up the app and promoted it, resulting in more than 13,000 installs. The app remains free as the couple continues to build a user base. Brian Anderson said they are experimenting with in-app purchases and will add credit card processing. “The signs are really good that this is something that people need,” Holly Anderson said. “We’ve done some social media promotion, but the online sites spiked our user base. At this point, it’s just a lot of

7 Continued from page 10

BRIAN AND HOLLY ANDERSON developed an app that could reduce the salestracking stress associated with multi-person garage and estate sales. Courtesy Tally Sheet

grass roots.” The couple will continue to find ways to attempt to make money off the app, as it builds through their first real garage sale season. While they’re enjoying their ride building the app, they said they would listen if a mobile payment company, like PayPal or Square, came calling. “We have to make money, otherwise we can’t do this forever,” Brian Anderson said. “All options are open at this stage. It’d be a dream to exit in that way, but we’re just focused on building a great app.”

fused to back down from what it knew was the right decision and continues to be a vocal supporter of LGBT rights. Herman Miller also is a strong proponent of LGBT inclusion thanks to Walker’s leadership. He said it’s important for companies to get political on this issue. “I think corporate leaders and businesses have to be able to take a stance on things,” he said. “It takes courage. If you take a stance on one side of an issue, it can hurt you with some customers, but I think what you see leaders of companies doing more, and companies as entities, is looking at their own value systems. “At Herman Miller, I try to talk to our folks about the issues. I don’t try to tell them how they should vote or what they should decide, but I do think it is our job to help them examine issues from both sides.” Harkema said TEKsystems, a Baltimore-headquartered global provider of IT staffing, talent management and IT services with an office in Grand Rapids, began its LGBT inclusion journey after realizing that’s what its customers were looking for. “TEK realized if society is moving this way and our partners are doing this, we need to be a part of it, as well,” she said. Harkema said seeing TEK’s commitment to LGBT inclusion during the interview process was a key reason she joined the company. “It changed my life,” she said. “I had corporate roles for 10 years, and I myself am a lesbian and I wasn’t out. It’s true what they say, when you are closeted in the workplace, it stunts your perfor-

mance. You cannot come to work as yourself and its constant. You have this reminder. You have this casual meeting and you are talking about your weekend, and I found myself making up fake boyfriends just to fit into the conversation.” She said of TEK, “For the first time, I realized I found my career and a place I can grow and excel professionally as my true, authentic self.” Harkema said TEK is continually improving its inclusion work, recently bringing in a consultant to discuss transgender issues and gender fluidity — topics Herman Miller and Dow said they also are grappling with. “We all have an understanding of what gay and lesbian is, but we are very confused about other things that often aren’t fitting into a box,” she said. “We realize in our TEKsystems office society is changing, people are evolving and there are new topics here we have not addressed and we need to fully address internally so we can serve our clients.” She said TEK wants to be a leading resource for clients on LGBT inclusion. Vallentine summed up why inclusion is so important for businesses. “We live in a world that is full of diversity. Our global marketplace represents every culture, every race, every possible background, every sexual orientation, persons with disabilities and on and on. That same marketplace is where we find our employees, and it’s where we succeed and fail at attracting and retaining customers. It’s where we partner with others to create solutions to the world’s challenges. It’s where we live and do business. There is no escaping diversity among us.”

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24 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Parents dive head ﬁrst into retail eyewear startup Couple motivated to create stylish glasses for son, who was born with rare eye disease. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

With their first child, Ben and Laura Harrison were sent on a wild ride. Following a normal pregnancy, Jonas was born in March 2013 with no prior indication anything was amiss. Labor lasted 30 hours and resulted in an emergency C-section, Jonas cried and the room was full of joy, at least until Ben Harrison handed the baby to his mother.

“Looking at (glasses) in the kid space, it was underserved in stylish options; there was nothing on trend with what adults would wear.”

Ben Harrison

Laura Harrison’s first words after looking at Jonas were “Does he have pupils?” A doctor checked Jonas out; he was perfect save for his eyes, but she had never seen anything like this. So, a pediatric ophthalmologist took him for a few hours but still couldn’t determine if he was blind and suggested he be taken to the University of Michigan or

Northwestern University. At U-M, he was diagnosed with the rare Peters Anomaly. The doctors gave hope that he could possibly see some day with the right treatment, so the parents began looking for glasses. “We just wanted him to look stylish if his eyes wouldn’t look normal, so if I could find him some cool glasses, maybe that could take away from the looks,” Ben Harrison said. “Looking at options in the kid space, it was underserved in stylish options; there was nothing on trend with what adults would wear.” The Harrisons had settled in Grand Rapids as Ben finished his Master of Fine Arts in photography from Kendall College of Art and Design and had run a photography and website design company for eight years. With a background in graphic arts, photography and websites, the Harrisons went through several design rounds and launched Jonas Paul Eyewear in December 2013. The business is aimed at giving children prescription glasses in stylish frames for under $100, much like Warby Parker’s model for adults. The company received two rounds of funding from Start Garden, as it launched in early 2014, then saw Series A investment in September 2015 and the Harrisons closed the photography business and sold the website development company. The investment group included former LensCrafters CEO Cliff Bartow. The brand has been featured in national media, such as the Wall Street Journal and NBC Nightly News. “We dove in head first,” Ben

BEN HARRISON READS to his son, Jonas, while both wear glasses from Jonas Paul Eyewear. Ben and Laura Harrison started their company after being dissatisfied with eyewear styles available for young children. Courtesy Jonas Paul Eyewear

Harrison said. “It’s been a ride, but it’s cool to see how that felt like our world fell apart and had this reset and found this new direction in life.” While it is largely a web-based retailer and wholesaler, Jonas Paul Eyewear also has a retail location at 1422 Wealthy St. SE. The brand is carried in several retailers across the U.S. and Canada and is in trial runs in several others, as well.

The company currently has 64 SKUs, with six styles, two sizes and a variety of colors. With the direct-to-consumer model, parents avoid dragging children to retailers and receive a sizing kit for trial. Ben Harrison said the business “has caught strides and is scaling rapidly.” Jonas Paul Eyewear has eight employees, including Ben and Laura Harrison. As the business grows, Jonas is

now 4 and has had 21 surgeries, including four transplants in his left eye, and has some functional vision in his right eye. “He gets around well and is a very sharp kid,” Ben Harrison said. “He’s very audible, loves music and learning. He’s super into planets right now; he knows more about them than I do at 4 years old. “He’s doing awesome. Now, we’re just trying to scale the business.”

From Fortune 500 to family stores, Collective Idea covers wide range Holland-based software company’s clients include health care, big business and data companies large and small. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Coming together to help a company streamline its operations is Holland software company Collective Idea’s goal. Since 2005, Collective Idea has provided custom software for companies ranging from Fortune

500 household names to the momand-pop operation on the corner, Collective Idea President Daniel Morrison said. He said the 31-person firm is in growth mode as it continues to take on both B2B and B2C customers with web and mobile software requests. Collective Idea works with clients ranging from event registration help to health care, big business and data companies. “Customers are pretty broad,” Morrison said. “But we’re building products for all of them.” For many of the larger clients the firm works with, Collective Idea is called upon to solve an issue with a process or a redundant system, Morrison said. Rather than

integrating existing systems, Collective Idea builds new software to take care of tasks from front to back. “Everyone has a bunch of systems to log into now, and most of them are terrible,” he said. “We go in, solve some problems and help make them work more efficiently. A lot of times, they know where the Morrison bottlenecks are, but we can go in and find new opportunities to streamline and eat up other systems and build new solutions to

help get their job done faster.” Other clients desire more consumer-facing products like a mobile app. In those cases, Collective Idea will help hone an idea for a client, build a prototype to prove it out and grow it to scale where it’s usable for an everyday customer. Technology is to a point where most businesses need to integrate it into their operations, which is why Collective Idea is seeing its business grow, Morrison said. The knowledge of technology often has changed the conversation he has with clients. “A few years ago, people would come in and say, ‘We need an app,’ but didn’t have money to create it or didn’t really need an app but a mobile-friendly website,” Morrison said. “Now, people know not necessarily a solution, but to ask what makes their business more efficient.”

“We can go in and help a company navigate the waters and figure out if they need to hire a team or if we can be their team or just offer a virtual or interim CTO.”

Daniel Morrison

Collective Idea’s growth largely has been fueled by existing customer demand, as they are demanding more time from the firm, Morrison said. Collective Idea generally works with 10 active customers at a time, with projects ranging from an eight-month timeframe demanding eight employees work on it full time, to a project with one

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person working on it occasionally. The clients are based coast to coast. The revenue size for Collective Idea projects range from multimillion-dollar, long-term engagements to a $20,000 prototype. Even the smaller clients are asking for more from Collective Idea. “We’re trying to keep everyone happy and trying to grab every opportunity we can,” Morrison said. Because of the increasing requests by the customers, the company has added more team members and brought certain tasks in house, such as design. Along with building software for clients, Collective Idea also can offer strategic planning to companies. “We can go in and help a company navigate the waters and figure out if they need to hire a team or if we can be their team or just offer a virtual or interim CTO,” Morrison said. The opportunity to save a client from having to hire a team of tech workers could be a life raft in today’s hiring market, Morrison said. Collective Idea benefits from a good amount of quality technology workers in Grand Rapids, along with a low cost of living and high quality of life. “Nationwide, demand is really high and everyone is trying to hire,” he said. “There is a fight for quality talent. Everyone is having trouble hiring, and that makes it good for a company like ours that can go in and navigate that and get a company through a time with not a lot of talent in-house or a strategy to grow that.”

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 25

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26 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Reports indicate robust regional real estate market Real estate companies’ market reports suggest West Michigan will continue to attract out-of-state investors. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

A growing Kent County is helping fuel a healthy real estate market, according to market reports from West Michigan real estate companies. NAI Wisinski of West Michigan, Colliers International West Michigan and JLL all released their first-quarter market reports and came to similar conclusions: West Michigan is healthy. Colliers noted metro Grand Rapids is the fastest-growing region in the state, led by Kent County gaining 6,000 residents between 2015 and 2016. The reports suggest a possible increase in all types of buildings for infrastructure and capacity because of the growing demand. According to the Colliers report, the West Michigan real estate market is nearing the end of the expansion phase, the second of a four-phase cycle made up of recovery, expansion, hyper supply and recession. This was the first time a quarterly outlook from Colliers included a market investment report, which noted the West Michigan real estate investment market is constrained because of a lack of inventory. Owners are benefitting from the historically low vacancy rates, Colliers reported, which hike operating incomes and raise values. Colliers Associate Vice President Michael Visser said West Michigan likely will continue to attract out-of-state investors from the region’s strong growth and fundamentals because of the higher yield opportunities. Cohen Financial Managing Director Cathy Bronkema wrote as long as the economic drivers continue, West Michigan will be a popular place to invest. West Michigan largely has seen a rise in retail activity, except for this quarter that saw a 15-percent drop in activity, according to Colliers. This was driven by the 91-percent occupancy rate in main retail corridors and a changing retail landscape with major national retailers struggling. Woodland Mall is planning a $100-million makeover, including the Sears space, an anchor tenant that closed in March. Locally based retailers MC Sports and Family Christian Stores are clos-

ing all of their locations following bankruptcies. “Overall, retail real estate activity around West Michigan remains strong,” NAI Wisinski Retail Advisor Bill Tyson said. “Vacancy rates continue to decline and inventory remains a challenge, requiring creative solutions for finding the right location for retailers or restaurants in key corridors.” In office, JLL noted occupancy rate steadily is declining, dropping from 20.8 percent in 2013 down to 12.3 percent currently. JLL predicts office construction will pick up, especially in the suburbs led by “plentiful parking and easy highway access.” Parking in suburban office parks also is feeling a crunch, according to Colliers. “Whereas minimum parking ratios used to be as low as three spaces per 1,000 square feet, most of today’s office tenants are trying to achieve a denser ratio closer to 5:1,000,” Colliers Office Advisor Tom DeBoer said. “With call centers demanding as many as 10:1,000, this has even put pressure on suburban buildings.” Parking downtown is not derailing downtown interest, according to Jeff Karger, JLL senior vice president. Colliers reported eight office construction projects, resulting in 110,000 square feet. Colliers mentioned a watchful eye will be deployed on downtown parking to see whether more suburban construction or redevelopment will take place. Several major downtown developments, such as Warner Tower and Studio C!, could begin in the coming months, which could factor into whether downtown continues its surge in popularity, Karger said. “We have some good momentum going,” he said. “There aren’t a ton of new players in the marketplace yet, but I wouldn’t rule it out in the near future. We’re waiting for those projects to start, and they’d be good for downtown. “It is a fragile economy, downtown, whether it’s Detroit or Grand Rapids. Momentum is moving forward, but you have to keep it going.” Colliers’ report mentioned construction is allowing local companies to expand and noted 17 industrial construction projects with 1.3 million square feet. Despite the construction, the report notes the industrial occupancy is nearly 95 percent full. Because of the high occupancy, JLL noted rents continue to increase and made special note of outside investment into the industrial sector, including a $32-million deal by New Jersey-based Monmouth Real Investment Group

Proud To Be Among West Michigan’s

DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS remains the key to the region’s development, according to quarterly reports released by several real estate firms operating in West Michigan. Courtesy Experience Grand Rapids

for a leaseback deal for the FedEx building in Wyoming. JLL suggested construction costs are continuing to limit speculative construction of industrial space. Among the new construction Colliers highlighted were a 500,000-square-foot building by Lacks Enterprises and a 125,000-square-foot project from Gourmet International. Potential legislation proposing a $54 billion increase in defense spending could help West Michigan aerospace companies, such as JedCo Inc., Woodward Inc. and Plascore Inc., expand. The tight industrial market is hitting the lakeshore, said Stu Kingma, an associate broker at NAI Wisinski who specializes in industrial. Kingma said he recently closed a deal in Norton Shores, which showed the Great Recession recovery has hit marks from other dips in the economy he has worked through in his career. “Historically, Grand Rapids gains steam first,” he said. “It starts here and migrates to Holland and finishes in Muskegon and Norton Shores. This was no different, there wasn’t a significant oversupply in Norton Shores, but values are back based on where they should have been.”

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Investment ﬁrm continues expansion Launched last year, Vision REI manages 12 entities with five Michigan locations. Pat Evans

Grand Rapids Business Journal

The first year at Vision Real Estate Investment has been a whirlwind. Launched in February 2016, the Grand Rapids-based firm now owns and manages more than a dozen entities with nearly 1 million square feet of property. Vision REI was founded by Tim Engen, the firm’s CEO, following 17 years in technology when he moonlighted as a real estate investor. “Everyone I spoke to advised me to follow my passion and to surround myself with the best individuals in the industry,” Engen said at the time of the founding. The firm now has nearly 20 employees in its five Michigan offices, including the headquarters at 140 Monroe Center St. NW, with buildings owned or managed in Grand Rapids, Big Rapids, Byron Center, Lansing, Detroit, Norton Shores and Greenville. “We started the company with the three pillars of development, investment and m a n a g e m e n t ,” said Kyle Sischo, executive vice president at Vision REI. “We’re continuing to work on projects with all of those Sischo in mind, including ground-up developments we have in the pipeline, and we’ll continue to acquire turnkey or value-add properties.” Sischo said no ground-up developments were ready to be announced, but there are some in the works in the markets the company already serves. The development opportunities would be in contrast to the moves Vision REI has made

since launching. A few weeks into the firm’s existence, Vision REI made its most significant investment to date when it purchased 99 Monroe from Chicago-based Franklin Partners for $31.9 million, according to city documents. The 12-story building has 173,657 square feet of commercial space in downtown Grand Rapids. Vision REI also recently acquired a 150,000-square-foot office building on Michigan Avenue in downtown Lansing. The deal was announced in March, and Vision REI is planning for more than $1 million in renovation to the building, which includes tenants such as PNC Bank, Miller Canfield and Warner Norcross. Those two help make up a significant chunk of the company’s portfolio, which currently is largely downtown office space. Now, Sischo said Vision REI is looking to diversify its holdings and focus on industrial and residential sites. He also said medical office is another segment the firm is looking to expand in its portfolio. Last August, Vision REI purchased a 124,200-square-foot, 264-bed apartment complex in Big Rapids. “We’re looking for some value add or renovation apartments where our management team can add some value to projects,” he said. “We’re continuing to press hard. We’ll step away from office a little bit but keep our eyes open for a great deal.” Along with continuing to search for a solid investment opportunity, Sischo said Vision REI will intensify its push to provide third-party property management. Unlike some investors, Sischo said Vision REI will not look to flip properties for a quick buck. “Our strategy is long-term hold,” he said. “We’re in the real estate business, so if the price is right, we’ll sell, but we want to build into a long-term hold. “We hit the game hard, and we’re here to stick around and grow the cities we invest in.”

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 27

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28 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Top Area Commercial Real Estate Brokers (RANKED BY TOTAL NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL LISTINGS) Year Brokerage Owner(s) Established In Or Manager(s) W. Mich. 1

NAI Wisinski of West Michigan 100 Grandville Ave. SW, Suite 100 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 776-0100 f 776-0101 naiwwm.com

Colliers International West Michigan 333 Bridge St. NW, Suite 1200 Grand Rapids 49504 p (616) 774-3500 f 242-0630 colliers.com/en-us/westmichigan

Northstar Commercial LLC 660 Cascade West Pkwy. SE Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 247-9600 f 247-9601 northstarcommercial.net

Number of W.Mich Licensed Agents/ Staff

No. of Licensed Agents with 6+ Transactions

Total No. Of Commercial Listings Sample Of Current Listings Offered

Dave Smies Doug Taatjes Stan Wisinski Tom Kilgore Kurt Kunst Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely Rod Alderink Bill Tyson Jason Makowski

2011

26 12

676

227 Winter Ave. NW Grand Rapids - for sale; 146 Monroe Center St. NW Grand Rapids, McKay Tower - for lease; 2035-55 28th St. SE Grand Rapids, Grand Central Plaza - for sale

Jon Potvin Duke Suwyn John Kuiper Kris DePree

1995

29 DND

601

Site 36 (300 36th St. SE, Grand Rapids); Bridgewater Place (333 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids)

Steve Millman Steve Wilson

2009

12 2

466

2211 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; 975 Cherry St. SE, Grand Rapids; 701 S. Greenville West Drive, Greenville; 820 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids; 1025 Four Mile Road NW, Grand Rapids; 3457 Roger B. Chaffee Memorial Blvd., Grand Rapids; 15700 Winans St., Grand Haven; 3530 Henry St., Muskegon

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Michigan Real Estate - Commercial 502 Northland Drive Rockford 49341 p (616) 514-3000 bhhsmicommercial.com

Steven Fase

1953

6 1

212

4585 40th St. SE, Kentwood; 5111 Thornapple River Drive SE, Grand Rapids; Laurel Ridge Lake Views - Vineyard Development, Beulah

Ben M. Muller Realty Co. Inc. 1971 East Beltline Ave. NE, Suite 240 Grand Rapids 49525 p (616) 456-7114 f 456-6025 mullerrealty.com

Mark Muller

1958

5 0

Offices for lease: 2090 Celebration Drive NE, 3300 Burton St. SE, 1971 East Beltline Ave. NE, 7885 Byron Center Ave. SW, 8 E. Bridge St., Rockford, 1717 Four Mile Road NE; retail for lease: 2090 Celebration Drive NE, 1971 East Beltline Ave. NE, 8 E. Bridge St., Rockford, 2241-2353 44th St. SE, 2222-2322 28th St. SE, 3323-3327 28th St. SE, 3880 Lake Michigan Drive NW, 4598 Plainfield Ave. NE, 2840 Broadmoor Ave. SE, 4089 Alpine Ave. NW; vacant land for sale: 3302 Lousma Drive SE, 5900 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, 3320 Highland Drive, Hudsonville, 2400 43rd St. SE, 808 E. Savidge, Spring Lake, 5869 Lake Michigan Drive, Allendale, 345 Baldwin St., Georgetown Township, 5916 Lake Michigan Drive, Allendale, 2360 76th St. SW, 10040 Crossroad Ct. SE, 796-852 Cabill Drive, Holland, 45 E. 16th St., Holland, 3511-3551 Patterson Ave. SE, 4013 S. Division Ave., 3081 Knapp St. SE

Bradley Company 161 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 308 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 717-5602 bradleyco.com

Sally Tucker

2013

6 2

2889 28th St. SE, Kentwood; 3000 28th St. SW, Grandville; 4020 Alpine Ave. NW, Comstock Park; 6250 28th St. SE, Grand Rapids

CBRE Grand Rapids 634 Front Ave. NW, Suite 550 Grand Rapids 49504 p (616) 831-2200 f 831-2201 cbregr.com

Van Martin

1998

7 2

Lease: Northbrook Office Park, 2920-2950 Fuller Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, 36,000 square feet; sale: 5088 Corporate Exchange Blvd. SE, Grand Rapids, 123,275 square feet/2.83 acres; vacant land: Coopersville Commercial Park, Coopersville, 68 acres between Grand Rapids and Muskegon

Grover Real Estate 2460 Burton St. SE, Suite 101 Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 890-77945 groverre.com

Arnold Grover

1960

4 0

See website

Realvesco Properties 4180 44th St. SE Grand Rapids 49512 p (616) 698-7600 f 698-1875 realvesco.com

Thomas Koster

1981

3 3

625 Kenmoor Ave. SE, 630 Kenmoor Ave. SE, 3800 36th St. SE

Dodgson Realty Co. 4265 28th St. SE Grand Rapids 49512 p (616) 458-1588 f 235-3423 dodgsonrealty.com

Steve Dodgson

1971

2 0

DND

Brokering the American dream

NAI Wisinski of West Michigan brokers facilitated the lease for Downers Grove, Illinois-based American Dream Home Improvement’s first West Michigan location at 3940 Broadmoor Ave. SE last month.

Hall of famer

John Kuiper of Colliers International West Michigan received the 2016 Midwest Real Estate Magazine Hall of Fame Award.

Helping a nonprofit

NorthStar Commercial and Steve Millman donated a 1,000-square-foot office space at 3001 Orchard Vista Drive SE to March of Dimes in February after it lost its office due to flooding and the building sale.

Most admired

Independence Realty - Commercial 3265 Canal Ave. SW Grandville 49418 p (616) 450-9092 f 825-5944 randybronkema.com

Randy Bronkema

2010

1 DND

DND

1700 Turner Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, industrial for lease, 7,606 square feet; 4836 Holton Road (M-120), Twin Lake, automotive service shop for sale, 2,880 square feet, $149,000; 747 W. Norton Ave., Muskegon, retail-commercial for sale, 6,585 square feet, $399,000; 650 Three Mile Road NW, Walker, office for lease 1,042-4,397 square feet, $9-$11.62 per square foot annually; 5844 S. Division Ave., Grand Rapids, vacant land for sale, retail, 6.64 acres, $599,000; 2450 28th St. SW, Grand Rapids, industrial for sale, 23,115 square feet, $1,300,000; 2544 Thornwood St. SW, Wyoming, industrial for sale, 31,884 square feet, $799,000; 6304 E. Fulton St., Ada, office-industrial land available, 0.09 acres, $75,000

Gantos Group LLC 1525 Laraway Lake Drive SE Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 957-5500 f 828-0936 gantosgroup.com

Michael Gantos

2007

2 0

3230 Broadmoor Ave. SE - office space for lease, 6,025 square feet and potential expansion space, building can be purchased, tenant pays separate utility expenses; 3240 Plainfield Ave. NE - free-standing commercial automotive repair facility with nine bays, storage, tire racks, gas-fired infrared heaters, office showroom area, lots of parking; 124 E. Fulton St. - office condo separated into two suites of 1,700 and 1,800 square feet, ready for occupancy, possible owner suite leaseback with sale

Gable Ventures 44 Grandville Ave. SW Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 774-4100 f 774-4141 gableventures.com

Ned Quinn

2003

2 DND

44 Grandville Ave. SW, 4174 56th St. SW, 6156 Burlingame Ave. SW, 7200 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, 5765 Comstock Park Dr. NW

Bera Group Inc. P.O. Box 640 Rockford 49341 p (616) 974-0222 f 773-1009 beragroup.com

George Bera

1996

1 1

Expressway parcel at West River Drive and U.S. 131 (2.7 acres)

Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services 156 Campau Circle NW Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 291-6222 f 482-1610 marcusmillichap.com

Michael Cagen

2006

2 1

DND

Michigan Commercial Space Advisors/ITRA Global 161 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 233-8019 michigancommercialspaceadvisors.com

Chris Atwater

2008

1 DND

DND

The national arm of Berkshire Hathaway was named in the top five of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” by Fortune magazine in February.

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COLLIERS.COM/WESTMICHIGAN GRAND RAPIDS +1 616 774 3500 LANSING +1 517 512 7400 HOLLAND +1 616 394 4500 KALAMAZOO +1 269 978 0245

30 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Top Area Commercial Real Estate Brokers (RANKED BY TOTAL NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL LISTINGS) 7 Continued from page 28

Brokerage Owner(s) Year Established Or Manager(s) In W. Mich.

Number of W.Mich Licensed Agents/ Staff

No. of Licensed Agents with 6+ Transactions

Total No. Of Commercial Listings Sample Of Current Listings Offered

True North Real Estate 8242 Copper Heights Drive Caledonia 49316 p (616) 780-0035 f 493-9364 truenorth-re.com

Tony Pearson

2004

2 1

Colburn Hundley Inc. 80 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 410 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 742-5200 f 742-5207 colburnhundley.com

Jeffrey Hundley Jeffrey Hundley

1989

3 3

DND

CWD Real Estate Investment 50 Louis St. NW, Suite 600 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 726-1700 cwdrealestate.com

Sam Cummings Scott Wierda Dan DeVos

2008

DND 9

DND

Calder Plaza Building; Fifth Third Center; 200 & 300 Ottawa; Ledyard Building, Trust Building, CWD Building, Aldrich Place Building, 50 Monroe, 169 Monroe, PNC Bank Building, 180 Monroe; Brass Works Building; Blodgett Building; Lemon Wheeler Building; Grand Rapids Tech Hub; Breton Village; Breton South Village; Bucktown

Dave Kwekel Development LLC 7660 Clyde Park SW Byron Center 49315 p (616) 583-1200 f 583-1201 dkwekel.com

Investment property, office, retail, industrial

Dave Kwekel

2007

1 1

DND

Bob Horn

2016

7 3

DND

Kwekel Companies 3347 Eagle Run Drive NE Grand Rapids 49525 p (616) 301-9800 f 433-1047 kwekelcompanies.com

Tim Kwekel

2001

DND DND

DND

SVN / Silveri Company 580 Cascade West Pkwy. SE Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 949-6168 f 949-7929 svn.com

Glenn Turek

1983

5 1

DND

JLL 15 Ionia Ave. SW Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 649-3522 us.jll.com/united-states/en-us/grand-rapids

New hotel

CWD Real Estate announced in February that it will open a 130-room AC Hotel by Marriott operated by AHC+Hospitality in a renovated, century-old building at 50 Monroe Ave. NW.

Helping decide

Real estate firm JLL is one of the partners that will help evaluate five developers’ responses to Grand Rapids’ request for qualifications regarding a city-owned riverfront development at 201 Market Ave. SW downtown.

ListStore @ GRBJ.com

Download this list now at GRBJ.com in Excel or PDF format.

The Grand Rapids Business Journal list of Top Area Commercial Real Estate Brokers, ranked by the total number of commercial listings, is the most comprehensive available. The list is based on responses to Business Journal surveys. The Business Journal defines "West Michigan" as Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties. The Business Journal surveyed 102 companies; 23 returned surveys and 23 are listed. To be considered for future lists, email rwatson@grbj.com. DND = Did not disclose

The Book of Lists and other lists are also available.

Midland

Holland Downtown

Midland | Holland Coming Soon to Grand Rapids

’s

kee r a h S ILL & GR I BAR d, M - Holla

Holland

Suburban Inns is a locally owned and operated hospitality management company. The company has been operating award winning properties since 1979. The current operations include: the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Holland, Hampton Inn of Holland, Holiday Inn Express of Holland, Holiday Inn Express of Grandville, Holiday Inn of Midland, Hilton Garden Inn of Grand Rapids (opening soon), Big E’s Sports Grill of Holland, Big E’s Sports Grill of Midland, Big E’s Sports Grill of Grand Rapids (opening soon), and Sharkee’s Bar and Grill of Holland. Suburban Inns also recently broke ground on the Embassy Suites in downtown Grand Rapids. We look forward to the growth of our company over the next few years!

CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS GENERAL CONTRACTORS DESIGN BUILDERS

COMING SOON: 616.241.4491 | cdbarnes.com Grand Rapids SW | Holland

Grand Rapids

www.suburbaninns.com

Freedom Village :: Senior Living Community :: Holland, MI

60 YEARS

of putting our people first.

Change-Ups & Calendar 32 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

ACCOUNTING

Rehmann in Troy was named to West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, for the 15th consecutive year.

AWARDS

Eastbrook Homes is the recipient of Builder Partnerships’ Lee Evans Award for Management Excellence for 2017, in recognition of its sound management principles. The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce’s annual E-Award recognized the following lakeshore entrepreneurs with the 2017 Entrepreneurs of Excellence: John and Besty McIntyre, Anderson Global; Ed Babbitt, Babbitt’s Sports Center; John Essex, CORE Realty; Denise Kanaar, D & D Logistics; Ed Dombrowski, Industrial Metal Cleaning Corporation; Rob Riegler, Lakeside Surfaces; David Bayne, Muskegon Awning & Fabrication; David Ramos, Ramos & Sons Body Shop; Craig Hindes, Scott Meats; Randy Mulder, SERVPRO of Muskegon; and Kristi Kettler, Sparrow Boutique. Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney Company Inc. awarded the J.C. Penney at Greenville West Mall with the Founder’s Award for continually exceeding expectations and achieving results that instill a strong sense of pride among the company’s associate teams and the communities they serve.

BANKING

Consumers Credit Union was selected as the Best and Brightest Midsize Company in the Nation and a Best and Brightest in Michigan.

Derek L’Huillier joined Macatawa Bank’s retail team as branch manager L’Huillier of its Grand Haven office, 15135 Whittaker Way.

BUSINESS SERVICES

The West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce hired Guillermo Cisneros as its executive director.

MAY 2 Grand Rapids Toastmasters Club No. 404. Meets every Tue. 6:308:30 p.m., Heather Hills, 1055 Forest Hill Ave. SE. Information/registration: grandrapids.toastmastersclubs.org. MAY 3 GVSU Toastmasters Club No. 4380. Meets every Wed. Noon-1 p.m., James H. Zumberge, Room 3062, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale. Information/registration: 4380.toastmastersclubs.org. MAY 3 Small Business Development Center West Michigan Region Conference. “How to Buy or Sell a Business.” 8 a.m.1 p.m., Double Tree Hotel, 650 East 24th St., Holland. Cost: $50. Information/registration: bit.ly/SBDCWM-Holland. MAY 4 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Intro to GROW, free orientation to learn about programs. Noon1 p.m. or 6-7 p.m., 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 4 Roger B. Chaffee 50th Scholar Award Dinner, with keynote speaker retired astronaut Jack Lousma. 6 p.m., Grand Rapids Public Museum Main Floor, 272 Pearl St. NW. Cost: $55. Information/ registration: (800) 237-0939 or rogerb chaffeescholarship.org. MAY 5 Health Forum of West Michigan Panel Discussion. “Human Trafficking.” 7:30-9:30 a.m., GVSU William Seidman Center, 50 Front St. SW. Cost: free and open to public, includes light breakfast. Information/registration: gvsu.edu/ miperc/health-forum-of-west-michigan31.htm. MAY 6 Ottawa County Parks’ Renovated Kirk Park Lodge Free Open House. 2-5 p.m. Information/registration: (616) 738-4810 or miottawa.org/parks. MAY 8 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Government Matters @ City Hall - with Elected Officials. 89 a.m., Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Road SE. Information/registration: (616) 531-5990 or michelle@southkent.org.

EDUCATION

Holland-based Hope College faculty member Dr. Kirk Brumels was inducted into the Alumni Honor Academy of the Department of Human Performance and Health Education of Western Michigan University. Secchia Institute for Culinary Arts student Tammy Vander Werf received Grand Rapids Community College’s Arthur Andrews Award, which goes to the Delta Pi Alpha student with the highest cumulative GPA and the greatest number of honor points. Vander Werf will receive a culinary arts degree with an emphasis in baking and pastry arts.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Petoskey-based Beards Brewery purchased a canning line company just north of Grand Rapids in Rockford because it is affordable, easy to operate and acts as it own canning solution.

GOVERNMENT

Kent County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Posthumus Lyons announced the selection of Dominion Voting Systems Inc. as the vendor of choice for Kent County’s purchase of new election equipment. The new voting machines will be utilized by municipalities within Kent County starting with the November 2017 election. The Kentwood City Commission appointed former Kentwood mayor Richard Clanton to fill a commissioner-at-large vacancy.

GRANTS

The Grand Haven Area Community Foundation donated $75,000, and the Community Foundation for Muskegon County donated $30,000 to support the makerspace inside Muskegon Community College’s Rooks|Sarnicola Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies in downtown Muskegon, which is set to open in January 2018.

HEALTH

Family Health Center announced the completion of its new clinic located on Alcott Street in Kalamazoo’s Edison neighborhood. The three-story clinic has 24 exam rooms, 25 operational rooms and has the capacity to serve 30,000

MAY 8-11 River Network River Rally 2017 National Conference. Focusing on Diverse Water Problems and Solutions. Information/registration: riverrally.org. MAY 9 GR Business Breakfast presents: “Cost Effective IT Strategies For Your Business,” by Gary Lutz, owner/ principal, IT Resource Inc. 7:309 a.m., SarahCare, 2211 East Beltline NE. Cost: $12/advance, $15/door. Information/registration: grbusiness breakfast.org. MAY 9 Grand Rapids Young Professionals Meet The Board. 6-9 p.m., SpeakEZ Lounge, 600 Monroe Ave. NW. Information/registration: bit.ly/ GRYPSpeakEZ. MAY 9 Plachta Murphy & Associates Seminar. “Frequently Asked Questions When Starting a Business.” 11 a.m. Information/registration: (810) 767-8387 or mike@vetbizcentral.org. MAY 9, 16, 23 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Small Business GPS: Small Business Strategies. 6-9 p.m., GROW, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. May 9: Financial Strategies; May 16: Financial Reporting and Analysis; May 23: Navigating Business banking. Cost $60/ three classes. Intro to GROW prerequisite. Information/registration: (616) 4583404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 10 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Start Smart Business Readiness hands-on class to equip you to take the next step on your entrepreneurial journey. Prerequisite: Intro to GROW. 6-9 p.m., GROW, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Cost: $25. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 10 Lighthouse Insurance Group Event. “Healthcare Strategies for New Era.” 12:45-1:15 p.m., registration, 1:15-4:30 p.m., speakers, 4:30 p.m., social hour starts, Bridgewater Place, 333 Bridge St. NW, The Grand River Ballroom. Information/registration: bit.ly/ LHMay10.

patients. The clinic’s lower level has occupational therapy and physical therapy offices, the main floor has a pharmacy and dental offices and the third level has general health and pediatrics offices. Spectrum Health’s hospitals were lauded by The Leapfrog Group with high patient safety grades: Blodgett Hospital – A; Butterworth Hospital (Grand Rapids Medical Center) – A; Pennock – B, Zeeland Community Hospital – A; and Big Rapids Hospital – A. Spectrum Health announced Tina Freese Decker was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Spectrum Health. She is responsible for advancing the strategy and leading operations of the organization, including Spectrum Health Freese Decker Hospital Group, Spectrum Health Medical Group, Human Resources and Information Services. Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac was awarded five-year accreditation for its associate degree in nursing by Atlanta-based Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Van Andel Institute’s chief scientific officer Peter Jones was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

HUMAN SERVICES

Bethlehem Lutheran Church announced the grand opening of the Bethlehem Intergenerational Center, offering a combined and enhanced day care for young children and the frail elderly that builds on the church’s 46 years of experience in child care and education. The new state-of-the-art adult day programming center is located on the second floor of Bethlehem, 250 Commerce Ave. Adults may enroll to attend from two to five days per week at full- or half-day rates. Details: bethlehemchurchgr.org. Hospice of Michigan hired Trevor Finton as operations manager in Grand Rapids.

MAY 10 Varnum Consulting workshop, “Speak Up and Be Effective.” How to think on your feet, project confidence and manage your nerves. Information/ registration: (616) 336-7070 or info@ varnumconsulting.com. MAY 11 Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Institute For Healing Racism. “Facing Racism.” 8:30 a.m.4:30 p.m., Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, 1515 Arboretum Drive SE. Cost: $350/person members, $400/person nonmembers. Information/registration: grandrapids.org. MAY 11 West Michigan World Trade Association Dinner in conjunction with West Michigan World Trade Week. 5:30-8 p.m., Watermark Country Club, 5500 Cascade Road SE. Cost: $35/ members, $50/nonmembers. RSVP by May 8. Registration: wmwta.org. MAY 12 SCORE Grand Rapids Workshop. “Overview to Planning and Starting Your Own Business.” 8:30-11:30 a.m., Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, 111 Pearl St. NW. Cost: $25/ door. Information/registration: grandrapids.score.org/content/scoreworkshops. MAY 17 Women In Successful Enterprises/ SBDC/GROW Event. “Using Humor to Achieve Work-Life Balance and Feel Better About Your Chaos.” 5:30-7:30 p.m., Start Garden, 40 Pearl St. NW, Suite 200. Cost: $25. Information/registration: wiseconnections.org. MAY 18 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Intro to GROW, free orientation to learn about programs. Noon1 p.m. or 6-7 p.m., 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 18 Grand Rapids Young Professionals May Unwind. 5:30-8:30 p.m., Creston Brewery, 1504 Plainfield Ave. NE. Information/registration: bit.ly/ MayUnwind. MAY 18 Ottawa County/Grand Haven City

Adtegrity to relocate Adtegrity will relocate in June its staff of 40 to Grand Rapids’ West Side, occupying two floors of office space located above New Holland Brewing’s The Knickerbocker at 417 Bridge St. NW. Adtegrity will occupy all of the office space in the building above Knickerbocker, totaling 20,000 square feet. Rockford Construction developed, built and now manages the entire facility and will complete the custom build-out of Adtegrity’s space, with Lott3Metz serving as the project’s architect. He is responsible for quality care management within the Grand Rapids area while ensuring patients’, families’ and caregivers’ needs are met. North Kent Community Services, a satellite site of West Michigan Works!, now offers employment services on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., West Michigan Works! helps people with résumé writing, cover letters and more at the NKCS location. Anyone can use West Michigan Works! services. Job seekers need not be clients of NKCS. Visit westmiworks.org for more information about West Michigan Works! and for upcoming hiring events and workshop schedules.

LEISURE & RECREATION

The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids earned a 4-star rating for fiscal responsibility from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator.

TRAVEL & TOURISM

monthly passenger statistics are available at grr.org/history.php.

WEBSITES

Kent County’s website accessKent.com was redesigned to include a homepage that features images promoting various parts of Kent County, to highlight some of the lists where the county has landed in top spots, to simplify site navigation, to provide a search bar where users can immediately request the page they need, added Google Translate to assist Spanish-speaking residents and added enhancements for users who are visually impaired. Taste of Muskegon underwent a rebranding to begin its 11th year with a new logo and website: tasteofmuskegon. org.

The Gerald R. Ford International Airport reports March 2017 was its single busiest month in its history, with March passenger numbers up 11.17 percent year-overyear. July 2016 previously was the busiest month with 238,237 total passengers. In March 2017, 256,880 total passengers traveled through GFIA — breaking the previous record by 7.83 percent. GFIA

CHANGE-UPS POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the Change-Ups section. Send announcements concerning personnel changes, new businesses, changes of address etc. to Change-Ups Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjchange ups@grbj.com.

Strong Towns Workshop. Exploring development patterns, infrastructure, financial resiliency and quality placemaking practices in local communities, with author Charles “Chuck” Marohn. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Grand Haven Community Center, 5-7 p.m. networking, Grand Armory Brewing. Cost: $15/person, includes lunch. Information/registration: bit.ly/StrongTownsWorkshop.

registration: grandrapids.org/events-pro grams/summit-up-series/small-businesssummit.

MAY 19 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce 3rd Fridays Networking Luncheon. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Spartan YMCA, 5722 Metro Way SW, Wyoming. Cost: $16/members, or first time nonmembers, $21/after May 18. Information/ registration: (616) 531-5990 or lois@ southkent.org. MAY 21 ISM – Greater Grand Rapids 2017 Annual Conference, with keynote speaker David Cameron, former United Kingdom prime minister, and Gen. Colin L. Powell, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 8 a.m.5:30 p.m., Disney Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Florida. Cost: $1,995/ members, $2,295/nonmembers. Information/registration: ism2017.org. MAY 22-26 Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute Hands-On Workshop. “From Lab Bench to Plant: Elements of Chemical Process Scaleup,” credit and noncredit, for students, educators, entrepreneur and professionals, MSU Bioeconomy Institute, Holland. Information/registration: bioeconinst.msu.edu/lab2plant. MAY 23 Court Appointed Special Advocates Fundraiser Dinner. 5:30 p.m., cocktails, 6:30 p.m., dinner, Downtown Market Grand Rapids, 435 Ionia Ave. SW, with keynote speaker Antwone Fisher. Information/registration: (616) 2597200 or Rachel@michigancasa.org. MAY 23 Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Summit Up! Series. “Small Business Summit: Culture of Great Service, with an overview of Zingerman’s approach to customer service. 7:30 a.m.-noon, Goei Center, 818 Butterworth St. SW. Cost: $200/members, $400/nonmembers. Information/

MAY 23 Grand Rapids Young Professionals Event. “How Millennials Are Shaping The Future of Work.” 5-7 p.m., Herman Miller Design Yard, 375 West 48th St., Holland. Information/registration: bit.ly/GRPYmillenials. MAY 24 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Seminar. “Using QuickBooks to Successfully Manage Your Business.” 6-9 p.m., 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Cost: $60. Information/ registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org.

MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS Information: Janet Korn, (616) 2333545 or jkorn@experiencegrandrapids. org. MAY 2-4 Michigan School Business Officials 2017 Annual Convention. Amway Grand Plaza Hotel/DeVos Place. MAY 5-7 Michigan State Medical Society 2017 House of Delegates. Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton.

CALENDAR POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the calendar section. Send items to Calendar Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjcalendar@grbj.com. Submissions must be received at least two weeks prior to the event. The Business Journal calendar posted on the publication’s website (grbj.com) includes listings for events extended beyond those printed in the weekly publication that are limited by space restrictions.

MAY 1, 2017 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 33

MICHIGAN RETAIL SALES William Strauss

Michigan retailers boost springs sales forecasts M

ichigan retailers’ spring sales forecasts grew even stronger after their March sales rose, according to the Michigan Retail Index, a joint project of Michigan Retailers Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Four of every five retailers (80 percent) expect spring sales from April to June to increase over last year. That’s up from the 76 percent who expected a rise in sales from March to May. “After a slow start in January, retail performance is rising sharply,” said MRA President and CEO James P. Hallan. “Retailers’ projections are high

because spring is finally here and current sales are increasing, consumer confidence remains high, the Michigan workforce continues to grow and gasoline prices remain in check.” The Michigan Retail Index survey for March found 43 percent of the state’s retailers increased sales over the same month last year, while 34 percent recorded declines and 23 percent reported no change. The results create a seasonally adjusted performance index of 57.4, up from 52.8 in February. A year ago in March, the performance index stood at 53.3. The 100-point index gauges the

James P. Hallan

performance of the state’s overall retail industry, based on monthly surveys conducted by MRA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Detroit branch. Index values above 50 gener-

ally indicate positive activity; the higher the number, the stronger the activity. Nationally, retail sales excluding autos, gasoline, building materials and food service rose by 0.5

percent in March, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Looking forward, 5 percent of Michigan retailers expect sales during April-June to decrease over the same period last year, while 15 expect percent no change. That puts the seasonally adjusted outlook index at 84.0, up from 79.0 in February. A year ago in March, the outlook index stood at 73.2. William Strauss is senior economist and economic advisor with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He can be reached at (312) 322-8151.

Featured West Michigan Stock

MORTGAGES

Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds EMRICH, Henry S. et al, Northpointe Bank, Apple Hills No. 2, Lot 35, $348,500 COOPER, Raymond Trust et al, Old National Bank, Oakfield Twp., 32-9-9, $233,000 MILLER, Michael J. et al, Independent Bank, Condo-Brookside, $334,400 S-GROW, INC, First National Bank Of Michigan, Byron Commerce Center No. 3, Lot 19, $265,680 TUITEL, Amy Loftus et al, Wells Fargo Bank, Mercer’s Lakeview Park Add., Lot 18, $713,550 MIEDEMA, Elizabeth et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Shannon Estates, Lot 11, $213,750 PLUMMER, Todd et al, Chemical Bank, Railside West, Lot 12, $346,500 JACOBS, Brian et al, Independent Bank, Condo-Avalon Pointe Condominiums, $202,350 ROBERSON, Vernon et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Grand Oaks No. 2, Lot 21, $205,000 KATSUMATA, Ritsu et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Paris Park, Lot 65, $281,600 LCN AVF WARREN LLC, UBS Ag, Kentwood, 12-6-11, $687,500 SANDERS, Lynn et al, Ark-La-Tex Financial Services, Hartman Estates, Lot 26, $206,150 VANDEKREEKE, Craig R. et al, Independent Bank, Condo-Meadows Of Cannon Farms, $268,000 COX, George et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Nelson Twp., 36-10-10, $250,471 ALVAREZ, Jason M. et al, Evolve Bank & Trust, Hidden Hills No. 3, Lot 73, $224,000 YONKER, Bradley et al, Chemical Bank, Cascade Twp., 22-6-10, $336,000 VANDENBERG, Megan E. et al, VanDyk Mortgage Corp.,Vergennes Twp., 25-7-9, $261,672 CRONKRIGHT, Tammy L. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cannon Twp., 13-8-10, $270,750 MONTGOMERY, Jacob et al, Huntington National Bank, Condo-Russell Ridge No. 2, $327,336 LEIFER, Mark Jr. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Condo-Stevens Pointe, $216,000 ROH-BUCHANAN, Karen L. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Caledonia Twp., 21-5-10, $250,000 MULLETT, Darcy A. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, The Orchards No. 4, Lot 119, $220,500 BRONKEMA, Charles et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Alpine Twp., 34-8-12, $218,500 JOHNSON, Christopher A. et al, Cartus Home Loans, Condo-Old Elm Site Condominiums, $860,000

“After a slow start in January, retail performance is rising sharply. Retailers’ projections are high because spring is finally here and current sales are increasing, consumer confidence remains high, the Michigan workforce continues to grow and gasoline prices remain in check.”

Wolverine World Wide Inc. 12-Month Stock Activity 27 25 23 21 19 17

A 16 M 16 J 16

J 16 A 16

S 16 O 16 N 16

D 16 J 17

F 17 M 17 A 17

Point Gainers & Losers

% Gainers & Losers

Whirlpool Corp. ................................+14.98

Independent Bank Corp. .............+12.8%

Perrigo Co. ........................................... +6.59

Perrigo Co. ..........................................+9.9%

Stryker Corp. ....................................... +4.37

Whirlpool Corp. ................................+8.8%

JPMorgan Chase Co. .........................+3.97

Macatawa Bank Corp. .....................+8.7%

Comerica Inc. ...................................... +3.61

Spartan Motors Inc. .........................+8.4%

Kellogg Co. .............................................-1.17

Kellogg Co. ........................................... -1.6%

HCB Financial Corp. ........................... -.15

HCB Financial Corp. ....................... -0.6%

$.06 dividend paid in June, September, December and March.

SARJEANT, Cheryl et al, Quicken Loans, Johnson Estates No. 11, Lot 318, $219,105 ESSING, Karl et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Condo-Stonegate Of Byron Center, $284,905 SCHERF, Charles A. et al, Ark-La-Tex Financial Services, Ottawa Hills, Lot 127, $345,000 ALLEN, John M. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Ravenswood Plat, Lot 42, $300,000 BOUWENS, Matthew A. et al, Quicken Loans, Cannon Twp., 11-8-10, $211,750 ROACH, Stephen S. et al, Fifth Third Mortgage, Condo-Catamount, $424,000 SNYDER ENTERPRISES LLC, Horizon Bank, Wyoming, $225,000 ANTWINE, Timothy et al, Mortgage Research Center, Crystal Springs Plat No. 6, Lot 246, $284,900 MARCO, Irene et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cannon Twp., 28-8-10, $376,000 MYERS, Bret A. et al, Keller Mortgage, Bella Vista Shores No. 12, Lot 499, $201,400 MCCORMACK, Jeffrey et al, VanDyk Mortgage Corp., Speerstra Plat, Lot 2, $227,156 ADAMS, Mark et al, Northern Mortgage Services, Ada Twp., 26-7-10, $543,025 DAY, Aaron C. et al, Allen Edwin Home Builders, Condo-Stonegate Of Byron Center, $261,055 ZITA, Jonathan et al, Guaranteed Rate, Arbor Woods, Lot 11, $271,500 RICHARDS, Robert et al, Finance Of America Mortgage, Wyoming, 30-6-12, $216,000 KRAFT 60TH LLC, Chemical Bank, Caledonia Twp., 6-5-10, $893,179

PATEL, Ami Natvarlal et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Condo-Clements Mill, $231,200 MOORE, Katherine et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., The Village, Lot 17, $220,000 REDSTONE HOMES LLC, ChoiceOne Bank, Condo-Cobblestone At The RavinesCentral Village, $259,253 123 NEWBERRY LLC, Chemical Bank, Dexter Fraction Amended Plat, Lot 7, $750,000 REDELMAN, Michael et al, Quicken Loans, Pine Edge Estates, Lot 32, $239,750 THOMPSON, Jared M. et al, Independent Bank, Condo-Grand River Estates, $258,750 BAILEY, Brandon E. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Hartman Estates No. 3, Lot 92, $203,700 GEGLIO, Anthony et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Condo-Shaffer Estates, $204,000 MARING, Alexandra G. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Byron Twp., 17-5-12, $480,000 BRATTON, Carl et al, Old National Bank, Spring Oaks Plat, Lot 7, $250,000 BRENNER, Frank Louis et al, Cardinal Financial Co., Caledonia Twp., 13-5-10, $204,000 KELLEY, Douglas R. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Railside West No. 4, Lot 139, $310,000 EVANS, Jordan K. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Chalet Estates, Lot 25, $213,303 FOSTER, Morgan et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Washburn’s Sub., Lot 14, $201,600 CURTIS, Trevar et al, ChoiceOne Bank, Nelson Twp., 32-10-10, $252,700

ROZEMA, Matthew et al, Mortgage 1, Indian Village No. 2, Lot 135, $224,000 ERMLER, Cody D. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Fingers Plat, Lot 10, $205,600 STEINKE, Nelson D. et al, VanDyk Mortgage Corp., Richview Park No. 2, Lot 21, $253,343 VELIE, Dennis A. et al, Horizon Bank, Grand Rapids, 27-7-11, $420,000 DELACHER, Benjamin J. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Condo-Heritage Preserve, $270,000 GUIDER, Richard C. et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Lenwood Hills No. 3, Lot 55, $236,000 HARDING, Laschon H. et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Ridgemoor Golf Ridge Plat, Lot 26, $256,950 GEZON, Benjamin R. et al, Huntington National Bank, Kendall’s 2nd Add., Lot 9, $316,000 BRUINIUS, Mark W. et al, Dart Bank, Thornapple Downs, Lot 49, $206,500 DEWINDT, David et al, AmeriFirst Financial Corp., Cascade Twp., 3-6-10, $361,000 JACKSON, Dustin J. et al, Flagstar Bank, Gaines Twp., 29-5-11, $351,000 WHALEY, Kevin E. et al, Huntington National Bank, Condo-Fallasburg Point, $200,247 BURKE, Thom Walter et al, Navy Federal Credit Union, Walker, 1-7-12, $276,000 OSWALT, Isaac et al, Union Home Mortgage Corp., Country Brook Estates, Lot 26, $379,905 KOETSIER, Bradley et al, Private Mortgage Wholesale, Planters Row No. 2, Lot 58, $331,550 SPOELHOF, Mark et al, Lake Michigan Credit

Union, Stehouwer Plat, Lot 5, $220,500 PLUNKETT, Joseph D. et al, Home Point Financial Corp., Condo-Scotsmoor II, $233,442 STOCKS, Robert et al, Union Home Mortgage Corp., Condo-Aspen Meadow Estates, $225,000 SOCORRO, Miguel F. et al, Mercantile Bank Of Michigan, Richview Estates No. 3, Lot 114, $276,000 PETERSON, Tad et al, Fifth Third Mortgage, Alpine Twp., 30-8-12, $219,920

BANKRUPTCY

17-00911 – BRIGGS, Michelle L., 3220 Coach Lane SE, Ralph M. Reisinger (Ch. 7) 17-00914 – HANCOCK, Rosemary E., 11500 21 Mile, Sand Lake, John W. Raven (Ch. 13) 17-00919 – ANDERSON, Trudie B., 1120 Billings Court SE, Ralph M. Reisinger (Ch. 7) 17-00929 – WITHERSPOON, Shaark A., 1926 Jefferson SE, pro se (Ch. 7) 17-00943 – MULL, Mary P. III, 749 Barnett Place NE, Sean L Campbell (Ch. 7) 17-00944 – PAGE, Geneiveve, 3743 Lake Michigan Drive NW, A.T. Almassian (Ch. 7) 17-00952 – NISH, Mary A. & Jerome A., 3132 Byron Center SW, Eliot A. Sasson (Ch. 7)

PUBLIC RECORD AVAILABLE ONLINE: For the full version of this week’s Public Record, visit the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s website at grbj.com.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Aviation Activity Report

Passenger Activity Enplaned Passengers Deplaned Passengers Passenger Totals Aircraft Operations Air Carrier Commuter & Air Taxi Military General Aviation Itinerant Local Total G.A. Total Operations Freight Activity Enplaned Freight Deplaned Freight Freight Totals

03.2017

03.2016

% Change

01.2017 03.2017

01.2016 03.2016

% Change

130,642 126,238 256,880

116,668 114,395 231,063

11.98% 10.35% 11.17%

351,332 333,946 685,278

321,440 307,340 628,780

9.30% 8.66% 8.99%

2,404 1,298 18

2,073 1,501 47

15.97% -13.52% -61.70%

6,529 3,791 98

5,847 4,176 160

11.66% -9.22% -38.75%

2,130 1,032 3,162 6,882

2,060 1,090 3,150 6,771

3.40% -5.32% 0.38% 1.64%

5,623 3,129 8,752 19,170

5,493 3,170 8,663 18,846

2.37% -1.29% 1.03% 1.72%

3,919,421 4,185,203 8,104,624

3,709,061 3,947,285 7,656,346

5.67% 6.03% 5.85%

10,524,830 11,192,091 21,716,921

10,357,919 10,073,375 20,431,294

1.61% 11.11% 6.29%

Monday mornings are better

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34 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 1, 2017

Metro businesses at the top Going Dutch. BUSINESS JOURNAL STAFF

est Michigan’s entrepreneurial stock is on the rise once again. If today’s Page 1 story about the local tech hub and its comparison to Silicon Valley needs more validation, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalists announcement late last week further cement the region’s reputation. Of the 29 companies in the running for recognition as the top entrepreneur in Michigan and Northwest Ohio, seven of them are rooted in West Michigan. Included on the roster are frequent Business Journal sources Birgit Klohs, of The Right Place, and Jason Wenk, of FormulaFolio Investments. Others bearing the West Michigan banner are Wade Wyatt of ITS Partners in Grand Rapids; Alan Mack of NxGen MDx in Grand Rapids; Denise Crawford of Family Health Center in Kalamazoo; Jeﬀ Grasman of Grand Equipment Company in Hudsonville; and Steve Peacock of Pro-Vision Video Systems in Byron Center. The awards program recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. A panel of independent judges selected the finalists. Award winners will be announced at a special gala June 21 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The long run A new beer has been released to celebrate the Gazelle Girl Half Marathon.

Brewery Vivant and Higher Grounds Trading Co. released Higher Grains, a farmhouse ale, in honor of the 2017 Gazelle Girl Half Marathon, held April 30. The Grand Rapids-based brewery and Traverse-city based coffee roaster teamed up for the beer, which has a “bright aroma of lemon citrus” that “gives way to a fruity yet noticeable coffee flavor.” The beer also uses Michigan wheat. “Creating a beer for after a morning run, we definitely wanted something bright,” said Kris Spaulding, Brewery Vivant coowner and sustainability director. “Augmenting it with coffee seemed only natural for the early hour.” The two companies are B Corps, and this is the first time they’ve collaborated. “As B Corps, we share similar values, such as producing products in a sustainable way,” Spaulding said. “When we had the opportunity to brew a special beer for Gazelle Girl, Higher Grounds was a natural fit as a collaborator. We are excited to release this twist on a favorite Brewery Vivant ale during an exciting weekend in Grand Rapids.” The beer is available on tap and in 16-ounce cans at Brewery Vivant’s taproom, as well as at Little Fleet in Traverse City. Something in the water A pair of local college students has struck gold with their undergraduate research. Nathanael Kazmierczak, a sophomore chemistry and music double major at Calvin College,

was named a Goldwater Scholar, one of the top research awards for undergraduate students. The award is given to 240 students nationwide each year. Over the past decade, 17 Calvin students have been given the award. “Our students have come to expect that they will receive the exemplary training and research that such a track record signifies. It encourages all of us to continue to do research that meets their expectations,” said Carolyn Anderson, a professor of chemistry at Calvin College and Calvin’s liaison with the Goldwater Scholar program. In addition to Kazmierczak, Brianna Busscher, a junior biochemistry and writing double major at Calvin, was one of 307 students nationwide selected as a Goldwater Honorable Mention. For Kazmierczak, the next step is using his Goldwater Scholarship — a $7,500 stipend — to continue his research with Calvin chemistry professor Doug Vander Griend, using mathematics and computer analysis to advance chemical understanding. Busscher will work this summer in the lab of Dr. Piroska Szabó at the Van Andel Research Institute in downtown Grand Rapids, studying epigenetics in the context of development and reproduction. “None of these invaluable experiences would have happened without the one-on-one training and commitment to undergraduate learning that Dr. Vander Griend has demonstrated,” Kazmierczak said. Busscher credited her success to her professors, as well.

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“They guided my research and helped me to understand my experiments and results, but they also trusted me to plan and conduct experiments on my own,” Busscher said. “I really value that blend of autonomy and one-onone instruction.” The Goldwater Scholarship Program, honoring former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, fosters and encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. Gas pains Does it matter which day of the week you buy gas? It does if you want to save money. A study by the gasoline-pricing app GasBuddy shows gasoline is most often at its lowest price point on Mondays, and that trend has held steady for three years. “The rise in average prices toward the weekend could be to blame on an influential report from the Energy Information Administration issued weekly on Wednesdays, which could push prices higher the day after, depending on if data in its report is as expected or a surprise,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy. “Since commodities trading isn’t active over the weekend, it typically allows stations to ‘let it ride’ over the weekend, culminating in lower prices by the start of the work week.” To put the amount of savings into perspective: if every U.S. motorist bought gasoline on Thursday for an entire year, they’d collectively spend an extra $1.1 billion versus filling up on Monday. Tower power The area surrounding landmark Nelis’ Dutch Village in Holland is

changing and more adjustments could be in store. The family amusement park, situated on James Street near U.S. 31, is opening for its 59th season without a couple of longtime neighbors. The former Queen’s Inn Restaurant, a longtime favorite with Holland residents that has sat mostly vacant since 1999, was demolished over the winter. Gone, too, is the former Superior Auto Wash, which closed in 2013, although the iconic windmill perched atop the building has been saved for future use. Adding to the uncertainty is the Nelis family’s decision to offer the theme park’s northwest corner at James and U.S. 131 for sale. That’s the spot housing the park’s picturesque twin towers and would be included in any land sale, unless a plan emerges to save them. “We do expect the corner to sell this coming year with Chick-fil-A going in right across the highway,” Dutch Village co-owner Joe Nelis said. “Once the property sells, the towers’ fate will be decided by the purchaser. We imagine the future use to be a restaurant, as that would be the best use of the corner.” If the new owner can incorporate the towers into their design, Nelis said he would love it. Moving the towers would be costly, however, and there are no guarantees they would remain intact. Demolition remains a likely action, he said. While maybe feeling a bit nostalgic, Nelis said he is taking a practical view on any transaction involving the corner lot. Taking down these two buildings and creating a corner lot for a new restaurant will provide the theme park with a new entrance drive and parking lot and will greatly simplify the flow of traffic of visitors going into the park, he said.

EENY,

MEENY,

MINY,

SOLD.

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678 Front St. NW Suite 257 Grand Rapids, MI 49504

MANUEL KEANA LARRY LAWANDA JASON LUCASKELLY TYLER CLINTON JANICE MIRIAM JAMES SHANNON DAVID ERNESTO SANDRA JORDAN LINDA JOHN RONALD JUAN NACHOJERRYSHAWN ZACHARY TANYA KHAMVILAY MATHEW ROGER MARTIN LISA MICHAEL SERISA JESSE PATSARITA ERIC JOSH TIM JESSIE BRUCEJEREMY JIM MIKE JIM LUKE JEREMY MATT SHANDEN BETHANY JACOB CHRIS CARMELO COREY LINDA ROBIN

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LEONEL TOM ANDREW MARK SAREANA MICHAEL JOHN ETHAN AMBER HECTOR TERESA HEATHER HOLLY JUAN MICHAEL

WE ARE OMT-VEYHL JEREMEY

ROBERT

TAMMY

Thanks to our team for your hard work, innovation and dedication in striving to make this company world-class. YOU are what make us who we are.

WANT TO BE PART OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY TEAM? 11511 James Street • Holland, MI 49424 616.738.6688 • omt-veyhl.com

We are growing quickly and have several open positions. Visit our Careers page at omt-veyhl.com/career.