GRBJ - The Newsmakers of the Year - 2015

56 FIN ALISTS 16 NEWSMAKERS 2015

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CONGRATULATIONS 2015 NEWSMAKER FINALISTS

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Bill Manns President Mercy Health Saint Mary’s

From your colleagues at Mercy Health,

Congratulations on your nomination as Newsmaker of the Year!

You’ve accomplished so much already and have made us all proud.

Thank you for your vision and leadership at Mercy Health.

MERCY HEALTH GRAND RAPIDS: Saint Mary’s | Southwest | Rockford | Mercy Health Physician Partners MERCY HEALTH MUSKEGON: Mercy | Hackley | General | Lakeshore | Lakes Village Mercy Health Physician Partners

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100% committed to building a more livable and workable world.

THE BEST THING WE CAN BUILD IS OUR FUTURE Congratulations to Mike Mraz for his nomination as a Newsmaker and his great success throughout the year.

Hardworking team members. One of the many reasons Rockford Construction is groundbreaking.

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Newsmakers

ignite new areas of economic prosperity

T

HE GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL and grbj.com news team of reporters and editors have, for 24 years, reviewed the top stories of the previous year, identifying the individuals making the greatest impact in varied business sectors and across the West Michigan community.

The 56 individuals representing 52 businesses in 16 business categories represented on these pages were determined from 249 nominee businesses, all representing the top business news in 2015.

As has been the case in all 24 years, some business sectors make greater impact than others, and no example of such impact was truer than during the Great Recession, which also made evident the strength of economic diversity in West Michigan.

In 2015 the news team counted 15 individuals making headlines in health care; 19 individuals creating news in economic development efforts and issues; 21 startups; 22 in manufacturing; 32 in retail … and a whopping 44 in real estate and construction.

Most of the 16 categories held double digit numbers of nominees.

What the news team is unable to count with certainty is the domino effect of any one, or each of these business stories. It has been reported, for instance, that the owner of Switch, the SuperNAP data center already beginning construction at the former

Steelcase Pyramid in Gaines Township, happened to be in Grand Rapids during the 19-day ArtPrize competition, an experience that helped seal the property deal. Nevada-based Switch is considered the leader in data center and technology infrastructure. ArtPrize’s Rick DeVos has been among the top Newsmakers each year since its inception.

There may be other examples: Tanger outlets has been cited by Gerald R. Ford International Airport officials for additional air traffic into GR; the Grand Rapids satellite SmartZone in Holland and Holland Township provides tax increment financing leverage to support technology business development. In almost every case the actions of the Newsmakers has created new opportunities and has a domino effect on other types of business.

The Business Journal in 2015 reported more than 2,500 unique stories, with 1,222 of them appearing only online at www.grbj.com The business news of this region continues grow, as does the region and its economic prosperity.

Carole Valade Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal

Website: www.grbj.com; General Editorial Inquiries: editorial@grbj.com; General Sales Inquiries: advertisingsales@grbj.com

PUBLISHER

STAFF RESEARCHER/REPORTER

GENERAL SALES MANAGER

CIRCULATION & MARKETING MANAGER

EDITOR

NEW MEDIA, DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

CIRCULATION & MARKETING COORDINATOR

MANAGING EDITOR

ART COORDINATOR

John H. Zwarensteyn: jzwarensteyn@geminipub.com Carole Valade: cvalade@geminipub.com Tim Gortsema: tgortsema@geminipub.com COPY EDITOR

Donna Ferraro: dferraro@geminipub.com ONLINE EDITOR

Chris Ehrlich: cehrlich@geminipub.com STAFF REPORTERS

Charlsie Dewey: cdewey@grbj.com Pat Evans: pevans@grbj.com Mike Nichols: mnichols@grbj.com Rachel Weick: rweick@grbj.com

Jesse O’Brien: jobrien@grbj.com Scott Sommerfeld: ssommerfeld@geminipub.com Kelly J. Nugent: knugent@geminipub.com DESIGNERS/PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Melissa Brooks: mbrooks@geminipub.com Chris Pastotnik: cpastotnik@geminipub.com Kristen VanOostenbrugge: kristenv@geminipub.com Robin Vargo: rvargo@geminipub.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Johnny Quirin

Randy D. Prichard: rprichard@geminipub.com Jenn Maksimowski: jmaksimowski@geminipub.com ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTS

Jennifer Collins: jcollins@geminipub.com Christina McDonald Meister: cmeister@geminipub.com Craig R. Rich: crich@geminipub.com

Scott T. Miller: smiller@geminipub.com

Madison Mabin: mmabin@geminipub.com CIRCULATION & MARKETING ASSISTANT

Katrina Peshka: kpeshka@geminipub.com FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Pamela Brocato, CPA: pbrocato@geminipub.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Tina Gillman: tgillman@geminipub.com

DIGITAL ADS SALES CONSULTANT

RECEPTION/CLERICAL SERVICES

ADVER. SALES ASSISTANT/COORDINATOR

TO ORDER REPRINTS

Michael Sobczak: michaels@grbj.com Karla Jeltema: kjeltema@geminipub.com

General Inquiries: info@grbj.com Addie Donley: recept@geminipub.com Karla Jeltema: kjeltema@geminipub.com, (616) 459-4545

2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 5

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arts & entertainment 8

David Hooker | 8

Rick DeVos | 8

beverages

Lorain Smalligan | 8

economic development

10

12

Michael Brower | 10

Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers | 10

Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor | 10

Cindy Larsen/Ed Garner Jonathan Seyferth | 12

education 14

Jennifer Owens | 12

Brian Ryks | 12

John Dunn | 14

finance

Teresa Weatherall Neal | 14

Thomas Haas | 14

food

16

18

Sandy Jelinski | 16

David Ramaker | 16

Jason Wenk | 16

John Bryant | 18

health care

20

Stephen Herbruck | 18

Rich Scalise | 18

Richard Breon | 20

Deb Lyzenga & Bill Manns | 20

Kent Riddle | 20

6 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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law

manufacturing

22

24

Keith Rayborn (NOT PICTURED)

Doug Donnell & John Anding | 22

Sheila Eddy & Stephanie Hoffer | 22

Gaëtan Gerville-Réache | 22

Steve Van Andel & Doug DeVos | 24

nonprofits

real estate

26

Rick Demuynck | 24

28

Kathy Crosby | 26

Richard DeVos | 26

Tami VandenBerg | 26

retail 30

Mike Mraz | 28

David Levitt | 28

Derek Coppess | 28

Darla Sevok | 30

sports

Steven Tanger | 30

start ups

32

34

Bruce Israel (NOT PICTURED)

Scott Wierda | 30

Lew Chamberlin | 32

Matt Roberts | 32

Jeff Courter | 34

sustainability 36

Nathan Owen | 34

Ryan Vaughn | 34

Greg Northrup | 36

Kristen Wieland | 36

Seth Yon | 36

technology 38

Meredith Bronk | 38

Carl Erickson | 38

Mat Nguyen | 38 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

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category: arts & entertainment

David Hooker

Rick DeVos

Lorain Smalligan

FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS & Sculpture Park spent its 20th anniversary breaking records.

In the fiscal year that ended in September, Meijer Gardens saw more than 720,000 people through its gates, shattering the previous record of 686,222 set in 2010.

CEO David Hooker said in September that a surge in attendance was expected but it ended up larger than anticipated.

Visitors came to see the new attractions unveiled in 2015, highlighted by the $22 million Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden.

“It all goes back to a love story with Fred and Lena (Meijer) and their love of sculptures and landscapes,” Hooker said. “They loved it when people connected with their mission.”

2015 also included a one-of-a-kind partnership with the Japanese state of Shiga that brought more than 60 artifacts dating back to the 10th century to Grand Rapids for a unique exhibition.

April saw the reveal of world-renowned Chinese artist Ai WeiWei’s “Iron Tree” as a permanent piece.

Attendance during the summer months was especially strong. The Japanese Gardens opened June 13, and the month saw 85,000 visitors, followed by 101,000 in July and 93,000 in August.

Because of the major new exhibit, Meijer Gardens was featured in media across the globe, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Meijer Gardens was named as a major reason The New York Times named Grand Rapids as one its 52 Places to Go in 2016 this month.

2016 promised to be OK, too.

“We won’t maintain this pace,” Hooker said, adding, “We still think it will be a very robust year.”

ARTPRIZE KEEPS growing and creating more discussions about art in the city.

This year, Rick DeVos and his ArtPrize team continued expanding the borders and accessibility of the annual event.

SiTE:LAB, regularly selected as ArtPrize’s Best Venue, set up outside of the usual downtown ArtPrize boundaries in a full block on Rumsey Street SW. The organization also made it easier for art fans to enter the event in mediums they enjoy. The Waterfront Film Festival began holding its event during ArtPrize, and St. Cecilia Music Center expanded as the ArtPrize music hub.

ArtPrize also helped artists and venues this year by handing out $220,000 worth of support grants.

To help visitors better explore the art and the city, ArtPrize changed how it guides visitors through the venues. In 2015, the event was spread among seven neighborhoods — Hillside, Heartside, Westside, Monroe North, Meijer Gardens, Rumsey Street and City Center — to help make the 165 venue dots more manageable.

Not surprisingly, the popular vote count for winning art was up in 2015. A total of 422,763 votes were cast, an increase of more than 24,000 over 2014’s numbers.

A first for ArtPrize occurred when 2013 Public Vote Grand Prize winner Ann Loveless won the same award in 2015 for her “Northwood Awakening,” which was on display at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

ArtPrize was also a major reason The New York Times named Grand Rapids one of its 52 Places to Go in 2016.

IT’S NOT OFTEN a small town arts organization is able to buy a main street building — let alone two.

But that’s exactly what LowellArts! did in 2015.

The organization, led by executive director Lorain Smalligan, purchased 221 and 223 W. Main St. in Lowell from owners Mike and Karen Hale. The buildings formerly held Cousin’s Hallmark and River Hollow.

LowellArts!, a nonprofit, used a grant from the Lowell Area Community Fund for the down payment in the $300,000 deal.

At the time of the transaction, Smalligan said it had long been a goal of the organization to move from 149 S. Hudson St., which it had called home since the 1970s.

The arts organization has grown immensely during the past several years and needed to expand to a bigger facility.

The move is expected to take place in the middle of this year and will allow more visitors to Lowell to stop into the gallery and learn about the organization’s events and services.

A performance space is also in the works, with seating for about 50 people.

LowellArts! is continually seeking donations to better fund its new location and help provide better programming and opportunities for artists in West Michigan.

“A larger facility will allow more exhibition opportunities for artists, and annual exhibits such as the West Michigan Regional Art Competition have more artwork entries than the current space can accommodate,” Smalligan said.

Meijer Gardens

ArtPrize

LowellArts!

8 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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West Michigan Works! congratulates this year’s “Newsmakers of the Year” nominees!

The name is new, but our commitment to creating a qualified workforce for West Michigan hasn’t changed.

WESTMIWORKS.ORG

Announcing the West Michigan Works! Workforce Development Board...

Dave Smith, Chair The Employers’ Association

John Buchan Autocam

Scott McClean New Horizons Computer Learning Centers

Jim Fisher, Vice Chair PADNOS

Cathy Cronick Michigan Rehabilitation Services

Bill Pink Grand Rapids Community College

Jay Dunwell Wolverine Coil Spring

Val Putnam Ottawa Area ISD

Bob Ferrentino Montcalm Community College

Dan Rinsema-Sybenga Muskegon Community College

Ed Garner Muskegon Area First

Michelle Seigo Department of Health & Human Services Ionia/Montcalm

Bruce Adair Lakeshore Advantage Mark Bergsma Berends Hendricks Stuit Paul Billings West Michigan Community Help Network Nora Balgoyen-Williams Allegan County Economic Development Ryan Bennett West Michigan Plumbers Pipefitters & Service Trades, Local Union #174 Randy Boss Ottawa Kent Insurance Norm Brady Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. West Michigan Chapter Cindy Brown Hello West Michigan Kenyatta Brame Cascade Engineering

Dave Hatfield Barry County Chamber of Commerce Heather Gluszewski Haworth Rebecca Herrington Perrigo Jon Hofman Holland Board of Public Works Win Irwin Irwin Seating Company Roberto Jara Destination Education Mark Mangione West Michigan Plumbers Pipefitters & Service Trades, Local Union #174

Samantha Semrau Hastings Manufacturing Company Dan TenHoopen Heart of West Michigan United Way Labor Liaison - AFL-CIO Roger Thelen United Way Montcalm-Ionia Therese Thill The Right Place Mark Thomas Northview Public Schools Shana Welch Mercy Health Sherry White Hines Corporation

West Michigan Works! is a division of ACSET, an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Supported by the State of Michigan.

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category: beverages

Michael Brower

Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers

Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor

MICHAEL BROWER loves history.

It shows when a customer walks into Pigeon Hill Brewing Co. in Muskegon, where photos and memorabilia from the pre- and post-Prohibition Muskegon Brewing Co. adorn the walls.

Opened in early 2014 by Brower and partners Joel Kamp and Chad Doane, it didn’t take Pigeon Hill long to hit its stride.

About a year into operation, it became clear Pigeon Hill needed to increase its production to keep up with demand. The partners acquired space in a building to accommodate a more than $1 million production facility and further the brewery’s stake in re-energizing downtown Muskegon.

Pigeon Hill’s beers will soon be available across the state.

Aside from expanding, Pigeon Hill took a stand for small beer makers as it faced off with electronic-dance group LMFAO during a legal dispute over a beer name. The group told Pigeon Hill it couldn’t use the LMFAO acronym for one of its beers.

The brewery, along with Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge attorney Sheila Eddy, responded, and ended up walking away from the case with the beer name intact.

“We knew that we had to fight,” said Brower, who is also an attorney. “Win or lose, we represent the small craft breweries who just want to sell great beer without being bossed around unfairly — and we don’t want to be the guys who set the wrong example,” he said. “The community response was, to be frank, astounding.”

Brower has announced his plans for a distillery, also in downtown Muskegon.

FOUNDERS BREWING CO. may never stop making news.

At the end of 2014, Founders made waves across the beer industry when 30 percent of the company was bought by Mahou San Miguel — the same Spanish family-owned brewery rumored to be looking at a similar deal with craft beer pioneer Anchor Brewing Co. Technically no longer a craft brewery, according to the Brewers Association, Founders’ growth hasn’t slowed down.

As the brewery entered 2015, it was in the midst of a $40 million expansion, adding on a seven-story portion to its 235 Grandville Ave. SW location. The facility now houses 15 1,550-barrel fermenters, each holding more in an approximately three-week batch than most breweries make in a year.

That expansion was on the heels of a $26 million expansion project finished in 2013.

As recently as 2011, Founders was outside of the top 40 breweries in the nation; jumping to nearly 300,000 barrels in 2015 will likely push them into the top 15.

The deal with Mahou, however, will allow Founders a wider distribution across the globe as well as better resources to ensure the company is around for the long term.

Stevens and Engbers know 2016 is as important as ever in the ever-growing beer world.

“We’re faced with a great window of opportunity,” Stevens said. “2015 and 2016 are going to be pivotal years in making us a national player in the craft beer market.”

THERE’S A LOT MORE to Long Road Distillers than just being Grand Rapids’ first distillery.

Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor took an old grocery store on the west side and turned it into a state-of-the-art distillery that, within the first year of operation, is already one of the state’s largest.

As long-term proponents of the city’s west side, Van Strien and O’Connor are expanding on the organic neighborhood revitalization occurring on the corner of Leonard Street and Quarry Avenue with The Mitten Brewing Co. and Two Scotts BBQ. It helps that the two owners are involved in the community, with Van Strien on the Grand Rapids Planning Commission and O’Connor a newly elected city commissioner — and a Business Journal 40 Under Forty honoree.

The pair are fond of telling their story, highlighting the process of going grainto-glass with their product, with ingredients sourced from within 30 miles of their Grand Rapids tasting room.

The products are better for it, too. Long Road has already been named Michigan Vodka Distiller of the year, and is helping define what cocktails can be in the Midwest.

And they know they’re doing it right.

“I’ve tasted it. We know good spirits when we taste them,” Van Strien said. “We went out to find the right equipment you need to make it; we found the guys capable of making it; we’ve put the pieces together to be able to make the best liquid.”

Pigeon Hill Brewing Co.

Founders Brewing Co.

Long Road Distillers

10 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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Congrats to Smith Haughey attorneys

SHEILA EDDY & STEPHANIE HOFFER on being 2015 Newsmaker of the Year nalists!

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category: economic development

Cindy Larsen/Ed Garner/Jonathan Seyferth

Jennifer Owens

Brian Ryks

IN THE SPRING of 2015, leaders and representatives from Muskegon area organizations and municipalities officially launched a three-year, community-wide image and marketing campaign with a goal of raising $250,000 for marketing and another $250,000 for in-kind activities to focus on economic development, beautification, education and customer service.

The unveiling of the “Watch Muskegon: We’re just getting started” campaign came after nearly two years of planning when the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Muskegon Area First and Downtown Muskegon Now started discussing image perceptions holding the community back.

Cindy Larsen, president of the chamber, said the timing of the campaign was just as important as the implementation. “It became very apparent this was much bigger than any one organization, and it needed to involve all of the promotional organizations in Muskegon County, along with the private sector and the nonprofit sector.”

Now, more than 60 organizations are participating as campaign stakeholders.

The multifaceted campaign builds on research on the perception of the Muskegon lakeshore community by locals and visitors to generate a positive, long-term and sustainable image for the region. Some of the initiatives are: targeted beautification projects at community entry points, community and leadership training, and social media management.

“What we are trying to have people understand is, it is not just the job of the cities or chamber of commerce or economic development to speak positively about the community, but also every individual has an opportunity to help us grow this community,” said Larsen.

MORE THAN a year after the Holland SmartZone Local Development Authority Board announced a potential partnership with the Grand Rapids SmartZone, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. officially approved the designation of a satellite SmartZone in Holland and Holland Township in November 2015.

As a result, nearly 1,000 acres of property along Lake Macatawa are part of a tax increment financing plan to reinvest in supporting technology business development.

The zone is anticipated to collect nearly $7.5 million in TIF dollars to be allocated toward supporting programming, entrepreneurial support and infrastructure investment.

The satellite SmartZone also relies on its partnership with the Grand Rapids SmartZone, which has been operational since 2002 and has now been extended an additional 15 years due to the regional collaboration.

Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage, said the key point as it relates to entrepreneurship in West Michigan is the area is really one region. “This is a really great chance for us to learn what has worked and maybe what has not worked in the last 13 years of the Grand Rapids SmartZone and put those tried and true programming and support services to work in the Holland area.”

Lakeshore Advantage has been contracted with the Holland SmartZone Local Development Authority Board to administer programming for the satellite SmartZone.

The year-long effort included support from organizations, such as the West Coast Chamber, Grand Rapids Chamber, Ottawa County, Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, The Right Place, Talent 2025, eMERGE and Michigan State University.

GERALD R. FORD International Airport started and ended 2015 with the same headline: “Ford airport books record year.”

The airport began 2015 having seen its best year in terms of passengers, with 2,335,105 travelers passing through the airport in 2014; by November 2015, it had already beaten that record. In 2015, GFIA saw more than 2,347,424 travelers.

The growth is particularly notable because similarly sized airports across the country are not seeing those increases, according to Brian Ryks, executive director.

“We are standing out above other airports with that growth,” he said.

The addition of low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines in 2013 is a key reason for the growth. In 2015, Southwest announced three new nonstop destinations, including to Chicago’s Midway Airport.

GFIA is also working on several multimillion-dollar projects to modernize the airport and improve services for travelers.

In 2015, the airport completed a $12.3 million makeover of its concourses, including: adding two gates to concourse B; installing a $15 million roof to the parking garage; and finishing a $3.69 million runway reconstruction project.

In December, GFIA began its $45 million Gateway Transformation project, which will expand the Grand Hall by 40,000 square feet to accommodate a consolidated security checkpoint and retail marketplace among other upgrades.

2015 also saw GFIA move closer to a change in its governance model, from county board to regional airport authority. The transition should be finalized in 2016. It will give GFIA more flexibility in developing policies and procedures and strengthen collaboration opportunities. It will also create a stronger platform for economic development.

Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce/Muskegon Area First/ Downtown Muskegon Now

Lakeshore Advantage

Gerald R. Ford International Airport

12 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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category: education

John Dunn

Teresa Weatherall Neal

Thomas Haas

IN 2015, Western Michigan University not only completed a nearly $5.5 million project at its Grand Rapids-based campus for extensive renovations and announced an agreement with Consumers Energy to participate in its community solar program, but also decided to move forward with establishing a new location in Southwest Florida.

WMU’s Florida initiative would allow additional opportunities for health and human services students and address market demands for aviation programming. WMU received approval last fall from its board of trustees to pursue a provisional license to expand to Charlotte Harbor near the Punta Gorda Airport in Charlotte County.

The new Florida campus is expected to increase enrollment by nearly 1,500 students by 2021, have a revenue contribution to the Kalamazoo-based university reaching $12 million, and strengthen donor relations with alumni in the area.

Last year WMU also partnered with Calvin College and Grand Valley State University to launch a comprehensive rehabilitation clinic for children and adult patients on East Beltline Avenue in Grand Rapids, and was ranked 75th among the top 175 colleges as Best for Vets by Military Times for the sixth consecutive year.

WMU’s Office of Facilities Management received a Green Seal certification for Commercial and Institutional Cleaning Services in recognition of its sustainable building custodial practices earlier in the year. The university was also recognized among the top environmentally minded educational institutions in the nation by The Princeton Review for its sustainability committee, percentage of food budget spend on local and organic food, and having nearly 39 percent of new construction LEED certified.

SINCE IMPLEMENTING the GRPS Transformation Plan during the 2013-2014 academic year, Grand Rapids Public Schools has increased graduation rates by nearly 5 percent and by nearly 10 percent among African-American and Hispanic/Latino students. It also reduced chronic absenteeism and increased dual enrollment participation by about 45 percent last year.

Its bond rating increased from negative to stable, and parent engagement was increased through its online portal, Parent University.

Due to the successful completion of a number of Phase I projects, GRPS pursued a $175 million bond proposal to “Secure, Connect and Transform” the district by improving safety and school security, updating technology and investing in Phase II of the GRPS Transformation Plan.

On Nov. 3, 2015, the community voted in support of the bond proposal.

Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal said the proposal would help create the best educational opportunities for children.

“I think this community, as well as these children, deserve for Grand Rapids Public Schools to be the absolute best that it can be,” said Neal. “Our stability, our growth — those are all measurable successes that we are moving in the right direction.”

In 2015, GRPS collaborated with Grand Valley State University and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine for an eight-week Health Careers Pipeline program for high school students, and partnered with Fifth Third Bank to bring financial literacy programming through the Young Bankers Club to students at Burton, Congress, Mulick and Stocking elementary schools.

GRPS also saved $800,000 in health care costs after Next Generation Enrollment conducted an eligibility audit.

GRAND VALLEY STATE University released its annual Economic Impact on West Michigan report in spring 2015, indicating its campuses and facilities had a regional economic impact of nearly $730 million during 2013-2014.

The economic impact consists of direct and indirect factors, such as goods and services from regional suppliers, student spending, employment, and new construction and renovation projects contributing about $133.5 million to the local economy.

GVSU celebrated the completion of one project in August 2015 with a dedication ceremony for its 151,700-square-foot, $55 million P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science.

The university also approved a $37 million construction project for a new housing and academic building in Allendale, and a roughly 16,900-square-foot addition to the Recreation Center. The $12.2 million second phase of the Recreation Center expansion project began in fall 2015.

GVSU partnered with Calvin College and WMU to develop Calvin College Rehabilitation Services, which opened in the fall, and collaborated with GRPS and MSU’s College of Human Medicine during the Health Careers Pipeline program.

GVSU also partnered with Consumers Energy to allow the utility company to use property south of the Allendale campus to construct a solar energy garden and committed to purchase 500 kilowatts of electricity for the next 25 years.

The school also was named to The Princeton Review’s 353 top Green Colleges list, a Military Times Best for Vets college ranking of 82 and was listed among the top institutions in the country with study abroad student participants by the Institute of International Education.

Western Michigan University

Grand Rapids Public Schools

Grand Valley State University

14 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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category: finance

Sandy Jelinski

David Ramaker

Jason Wenk

LAKE MICHIGAN Credit Union was recently named among the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the nation for 2015; however, the Grand Rapids-based financial institution made ripples in the banking industry when it announced a merger with St. Joseph-based United Federal Credit Union.

On Oct. 14, LMCU and UFCU announced their plans to consolidate under the LMCU state charter to create a top-20 credit union in the United States based on total net assets and net loans, with approximately $6 billion in total assets and more than $8 billion in its mortgage servicing portfolio and a team of nearly 1,400 employees providing services to 500,000 members in 78 locations in multiple states.

Sandy Jelinski, president and CEO of LMCU, said at the time of the announcement that the two credit unions have similar cultures and complementary geographies.

“Both of our organizations are dedicated to delivering the very best to our members, and we are proud to continue our support of important events in our communities.”

As of Jan. 8, the two financial institutions called off the merger, saying the decision was a mutual agreement and they were better served by remaining independent.

LMCU participates in community events such as the LMCU Bridge Run, Van Andel Institute Purple Community events, Bronson Children’s Hospital Walk, Tulip Time, and the March of Dimes March for Babies along the lakeshore.

The credit union held its fifth annual One Pencil Project in 2015 to support community schools strapped for cash. In September 2015, LMCU announced a multi-year agreement as an underwriter for ArtPrize’s volunteer program.

CLOSELY FOLLOWING its November 2014 acquisition of Monarch Community Bancorp in Coldwater, Chemical Financial Corp. of Midland began the new year by announcing it had agreed to acquire Lake Michigan Financial Corp. of Grand Rapids.

Chemical officially closed on the acquisition of the privately held bank May 31, 2015, for approximately $187 million in cash and common stock. The Bank of Holland and The Bank of Northern Michigan continued to operate as separate subsidiaries until members were converted to Chemical Bank during the fourth quarter of 2015.

David Ramaker, president, CEO and chair of Chemical Bank, said the bank was pleased to welcome the highly qualified LMFC team.

“Through this partnership, we have added experienced, client-oriented bankers and attractive business and retail relationships to the Chemical fold, while enhancing our presence in some of Michigan’s most attractive economic and demographic regions,” said Ramaker.

At the time of the transaction, LMFC had total assets of nearly $1.2 billion between its subsidiaries The Bank of Holland and The Bank of Northern Michigan. Chemical and its affiliates as of Sept. 30, 2015, had nearly $9.3 billion in consolidated assets, $7.2 billion in consolidated loans, and roughly 185 branches across 47 counties in Michigan.

During its third quarter, Ramaker indicated Chemical’s ability to integrate acquisition while sustaining growth is a testament to the continued strengthening of the state’s economy and attractiveness of the bank’s community-oriented approach.

Chemical Financial Corp. reported double-digit percentage increases in earnings per share, excluding related expenses for acquisitions for both three-and nine-month periods ending Sept. 30, 2015.

THERE’S REVENUE growth. And then there’s revenue Growth, with a capital G. Jason Wenk saw his company, FormulaFolio Investments, land on the 2015 Inc. magazine 500|5000 list of fastest-growing firms with a three-year growth rate of 471 percent and revenues nearing $2 million.

In 2014, Wenk had three employees; the company may have 50 by the time 2016 is finished.

The growth continued throughout 2015, when Wenk expected about $20 million in revenue.

The growth has been a long time coming for Wenk, who began developing a software program to help manage investments more than a decade ago before launching Retirement Wealth Advisors in 2012 and then FormulaFolio Investments in 2014.

He knows every investor can look smart and do well when times are good, but when the market gets rough, as it has the last few months, that’s when his program shines.

“Our software does all the research, tells us what to own, when to own, what to buy and what to sell,” he said.

“We implement and process the trades.

On any given day, we could be trading hundreds of millions, all in a very automated fashion.”

The best part of his job, however, is helping grow the local economy, despite serving firms all over the globe.

“One of the most rewarding parts of being an entrepreneur is creating jobs,” Wenk said. “If we can grow this thing and create opportunities for other people, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Lake Michigan Credit Union

Chemical Financial Corp.

FormulaFolio Investments

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The West Michigan Whitecaps congratulate all of the News Maker ďŹ nalists this year.

FROM PLANNING TO RETIREMENT At Chemical Bank, our philosophy is deeply rooted in the tradition of providing highly personalized wealth management services through local, financial professionals. Our wealth management services include Chemical Bank’s Private Banking program for qualified households. Our Private Bankers will draw upon the full resources of Chemical Bank to develop and implement a customized financial strategy meeting all personal financial needs through a single point of contact. Our Private Bankers are passionate about partnering with our clients to maximize their current financial situation while helping them preserve their most precious resource, time.

To contact a Private Banker or learn more about Chemical Bank Wealth Management, contact us at 616.588.7426.

2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 17

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category: food

John Bryant

Stephen Herbruck

Rich Scalise

BATTLE CREEK-BASED Kellogg Company spent 2015 focused on acquisitions in the African market. It began the year with the acquisition of a majority stake in Bisco, a leading biscuit company in Egypt.

In September, Kellogg acquired Egypt’s leading cereal company, Mass Food Group, for $50 million.

That same month, it announced a joint venture with Tolaram Africa to develop snacks and breakfast foods for West African markets, and in support of that venture it acquired 50 percent of Multipro, a sales and distribution company in Nigeria and Ghana, for $450 million and with the option to acquire a stake in Tolaram in the future.

Kellogg has been operating in Africa for more than 35 years and expects to experience growth there in the coming years.

“We are building a strong foundation for emerging market growth,” said John Bryant, Kellogg chairman and CEO. The company also made news this year when it donated $200,000 to the World Food Programme to assist with disaster relief and humanitarian efforts in Nepal.

The donation was in line with its global commitment to hunger relief through its Breakfasts for Better Days initiative, which has donated 900 million servings of cereal and snacks to children and families in the past two years.

Kellogg was also recognized on several global and national lists, including the 100 Best Companies in the U.S. for working mothers; Forbes magazine’s The World’s Most Reputable Companies 2015; and the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by Diversity Inc.

HERBRUCK’S POULTRY Ranch in Saranac announced plans for a $43 million expansion of its organic and cage-free production facilities as well as the addition of 50 workers last summer, showing its commitment to the region, according to Stephen Herbruck, president.

The expansion will help Herbruck’s meet increased demand by adding new egg-laying and pullet-growing capacity.

Herb Herbruck, executive vice president, said the expansion is the result of growing demand for organic, cage-free eggs.

The announcement follows a similar $33 million investment and hiring announcement made in 2014, which included $1.5 million for a new main sewer line tied directly to the Lakewood system and available to any company along the public line.

Once completed, The Right Place said the new infrastructure “may spur additional economic growth in the area.”

Creating jobs and investing in Ionia County is “a priority” for the egg producer, Herbruck said.

The company produces more than 1.6 billion eggs per year and employs 400 workers. It is the largest egg producer in Michigan and the 13th largest in the United States.

The company supplies retail and food service customers locally, regionally and nationally with shell eggs, whole liquid eggs and hard-cooked peeled eggs.

Its eggs are sold under various customers’ store brands and under the names Green Meadow, Herbruck’s and Eggland’s Best.

Herbruck’s has been a part of the Saranac community since 1958, when Harry and Marilyn Herbruck founded the company. The couple’s four sons run it today, with their sister as a fellow shareholder.

Stephen Herbruck serves as president.

SINCE CO-FOUNDER and CEO Rich Scalise launched Hearthside Food Solutions in 2009, the company has expanded from four manufacturing plants and nearly 2,000 employees based in Downers Grove, Ill., to a food production network of approximately 23 facilities located throughout North America and Europe employing more than 7,500 full-time workers.

In June 2015, the contract food maker announced plans to invest in its facility at 3225 32nd St. SE in Kentwood, with a nearly $10.7 million expansion project that was anticipated to create 91 jobs in the West Michigan region.

Hearthside planned to invest in renovations to the building and equipment over the next few years to address continued customer demand by adding capacity.

Not only was the company awarded a $450,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant by the Michigan Strategic Fund last summer for the project, but it also received an additional $300,000 MBDP grant in October 2015 when it announced plans to invest $16.2 million in expanding the Kentwood facility, creating 66 jobs.

The privately held bakery and contract food manufacturer’s platform categories include bars, cookies and crackers, snacks and components, and granolas and cereals.

Hearthside operates three additional facilities in the Greater Grand Rapids area at: 3061 Shaffer Ave. SE; 2455 Oak Industrial Drive; and 4185 44th St. SE in Kentwood.

In August 2015, the company acquired a European producer of nutrition and diet bars known as VSI, and an Idaho-based producer of nutritional supplement bars from a subsidiary of Post Holdings Inc.

Kellogg Co.

Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch

Hearthside Food Solutions

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CON G R AT U L AT I O N S

Colliers International | West Michigan

colliers.com/westmichigan

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category: health care

Richard Breon

Deb Lyzenga/Bill Manns

Kent Riddle

SPECTRUM HEALTH welcomed several health care providers and groups into its system last year, broke ground on a number of construction and renovation projects, and received national accolades for environmental excellence and health programming.

In 2015, the health system announced it began work on a $24.5 million project to expand and renovate its Rehab and Nursing Center in Grand Rapids; began construction of an integrated care campus in Berlin Township; and broke ground on the 30,000-square-foot Integrated Care Campus in Muskegon while partnering with Muskegon County Habitat for HumanityReStore to salvage materials from former buildings at the site.

Spectrum also announced plans to move up to 500 employees into the downtown Grand Rapids area to consolidate part of its workforce, and proposed plans for a joint venture with Holland Hospital to construct a medical office building in Grand Haven called Health Pointe.

Patients were given the option to receive high-tech neurosurgical care with a $400,000 surgeon-directed robotic arm known as ROSA, and to receive on-demand care through a virtual appointment program on MedNow. Spectrum partnered with West Michigan Works, Haworth and Gordon Food Service to expand its Veterans Explorer Program, which provides opportunities for unemployed and underemployed veterans.

It officially welcomed West Michigan Obstetricians and Gynecologists PC and West Michigan Heart to its medical group, and committed nearly $56 million over a period of 10 years to integrate Pennock Health Services into its network.

MORE THAN 40 health care providers, educators, state officials and workforce development professionals met in late July 2015 to discuss the development of an industry cluster to address the growing shortage of health care workers.

By August 2015, West Michigan Works! and a number of health care employers agreed to move forward with creating a registered medical assistant apprenticeship program with the U.S. Department of Labor to provide a work-based learning and postsecondary earn-and-learn model for participants.

As of Oct. 6, the program was officially approved by USDOL, the first apprenticeship program in the nation to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program.

Deb Lyzenga, regional director of business solutions for West Michigan Works!, said the apprenticeship program will benefit the community. “This is a great program we are talking about, where people can go from medical assisting and choose to go further in the education. The certification is a stepping stone to a career in health care.”

President Bill Manns and Mercy Health initially approached the workforce development agency to discuss solutions to attract diverse talent to the region, which led to bringing in other health care organizations to form the industry cluster. Participating employers are Mercy Health, Metro Health, Spectrum Health, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Cherry Street Health Services and Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.

West Michigan Works! is administrator for the program, and educational partners such as Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Montcalm community colleges have teamed up to provide classroom instruction. The first cohort of apprentices began this month.

MARY FREE BED Rehabilitation Hospital began 2015 by unveiling its newly completed $42 million rehabilitation hospital in early February as part of a $66.4 million expansion and renovation project.

At the time of its ribbon-cutting ceremony, the six-story, 270,000-square-foot building had 119 acute-level and 48 sub-acute level inpatient beds, and nearly four times the amount of therapy space as the original 1976 building, making Mary Free Bed the fifth-largest rehabilitation hospital in the country.

Kent Riddle, CEO and president, said the facility is designed to help individuals move from disability to ability. “We want to be known for one thing: that we push and we pull and we inspire every patient to a higher level of function and ability than anywhere or anyone else.”

In August 2015, Mary Free Bed launched the public phase of a $16 million capital campaign to secure the approximately $2.5 million in finances still needed for the $24.4 million renovation phase of its remaining campus.

The Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Network also announced an agreement with Traverse City-based Munson Medical Center to bring the health provider into its collaborative alliance and to provide professional services to enhance care in Traverse City.

At the end of 2015, Mary Free Bed also made news when it announced the opening of the $31 million, 116,200-square-foot Mary Free Bed YMCA in Cascade Township. The Mary Free Bed Guild partnered with YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids to create a certified, universal design facility designed to serve all individuals, both able-bodied and those with temporary or permanent disabilities.

Spectrum Health

West Michigan Works! /Mercy Health

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital

20 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL is pleased to announce that Sonia Manzano will be in Grand Rapids on March 8, 2016, as the keynote speaker for the biennial “The 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan” luncheon event.

F

OR OVER 40 YEARS, SONIA INSPIRED, educated, and delighted children and families as “Maria” on Sesame Street.

Named among the “25 Greatest Latino Role Models Ever”

by Latina Magazine, Manzano broke ground as one of the first Hispanic characters on national television. Throughout her career, she has continued to contribute to enriching diversity on television, on the stage, and in the educational realm. Manzano’s tale is one of perseverance and courage as she overcame countless obstacles to become one of the most influential Latinas in television.

In addition to being an actress, she’s an award-winning television writer and author. A master storyteller, she has won 15 Emmy Awards for Sesame Street and also wrote for the Peabody Awardwinning children’s series Little Bill.

A staunch advocate for education, Manzano shares her extraordinary talent to help children succeed. A fearless trailblazer, Manzano opened the doors for Latinas on screen. Infusing humor and charm into her presentations, Manzano inspires audiences with her passion, strength and insight into success. Whether speaking out for literacy, diversity, or life in general, she is a familiar, engaging voice.

Reserve your seats now at grbj50women16.eventbrite.com.

The 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan awards luncheon

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category: law

Doug Donnell & John Anding

Sheila Eddy & Stephanie Hoffer

Gaëtan Gerville-Réache

AN $83 MILLION judgment against a national bank has landed Mika Myers and Drew Cooper Anding on this year’s Newsmakers list.

Doug Donnell led a team of Mika Meyers litigators in representing Marcia Meoli, bankruptcy trustee of Teleservices, who pursued relief on behalf of the victims of a $100 million Ponzi scheme perpetrated by now-defunct Cyberco and its affiliate Teleservices.

Both entities were operated by Barton Watson and located in Grand Rapids.

John Anding served as special trial counsel on the case.

The case began in 2006 and 2007, when Mika Meyers filed lawsuits against Huntington National Bank, alleging Huntington received fraudulent transfers from Teleservices and Cyberco “with knowledge that the money received was obtained by fraud.”

Judge Jeffrey Hughes presided over the case in 2009 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan.

Hughes issued a 127-page opinion finding Huntington acted in “bad faith” and identifying $72 million in transfers, with some possible minor adjustments, that Huntington would be required to pay to the Teleservices bankruptcy trustee. Additional rulings brought the total amount owed to $80 million.

U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney presided over the case in 2014, and ruled this past year against Huntington to the tune of $83 million.

The victims will share in the judgment.

“This has been a lengthy process, but we have felt all along that the defrauded creditors were owed a dedicated effort by our firm to recover what was rightfully theirs,” Donnell said.

Huntington said it “disagrees with this ruling” and planned to appeal.

SMITH HAUGHEY Rice & Rogge had a good year in 2015, with two of its attorneys winning important legal battles.

Sheila Eddy represented Pigeon Hill Brewing Co., of Muskegon, in a trademark dispute with music group LMFAO over the brewer’s Let Me Fetch An Oatmeal Stout, or LMFAO Stout.

During the summer, LMFAO sent Pigeon Hill a cease-and-desist letter, claiming the stout’s name was “likely to confuse people and dilute their brand.”

The craft brewer decided to fight back, hiring Eddy.

“They’re very different industries with a very low likelihood of the markets intersecting,” Eddy said. “We have a number of strong defenses going forward from their initial letter.”

In September, the two parties came to an agreement that allows beer lovers to continue purchasing LMFAO Stout.

Smith Haughey’s other headline-grabbing case had to do with a decade-long medical malpractice battle that made its way to the Michigan Supreme Court in the cases of Tyra v. Organ Procurement Agency of Michigan and Furr v. McLeod. Stephanie Hoffer represented McLeod.

The cases dealt with the mandatory 182day waiting period that is supposed to follow a medical malpractice notice of intent.

Decisions by lower courts, including the Court of Appeals, had created confusion about the law.

“There was a lot of fear that if the amendment statute was going to be able to be used to ignore premature filing, that really it could be used to ignore or amend absolutely any key facts and also nullify the statute of limitations,” Hoffer said.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of the defendants.

THIS SUMMER GAËTAN Gerville-Réache was given the opportunity to be the bearer of good news.

Gerville-Réache was one of the Warner Norcross attorneys who succeeded in having the interpretation of a statute in the Real Estate Transfer Tax Act overturned by the Michigan Supreme Court.

“Most people get an exemption from certain annual property taxes for their principal residence — their home,” Gerville-Réache said. “If you claim that exemption, and you sell that home when its SEV is equal to or less than the SEV when you purchased it, you might also be exempt from the transfer tax.”

To qualify for the exemption, the state equalized value at the time of purchase has to have been equal to or higher than the SEV at the time of sale.

He said typically the SEV goes up each year, which means in a depressed housing market many people would qualify for the exemption, unless the Michigan Treasury Department determines the house sold for something other than true cash value.

“The true cash value is what the assessor uses to determine what your SEV will be,” Gerville-Réache said. “Sometimes the county or state equalizes that and makes an additional adjustment.”

A 2008 opinion by Michigan’s attorney general, however, created an additional condition on receiving the exemption, and a follow-up decision by the Court of Appeals made it so “no one was probably going to be entitled to the exemption.”

Under that interpretation, Warner’s clients and other sellers were no longer eligible for the exemption.

Gerville-Réache said the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision is important because it restores the original interpretation of the statute.

Mika Myers & Drew Cooper Anding

Smith Haughey

Warner Norcross

22 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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CONGRATS

2015 NEWSMAKERS

NEWSFLASH West Michigan is growing because of some awesome people.

Our boss is flying high.

Brian Ryks, Executive Director of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, has been nominated for the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 2015 “Newsmaker of the Year” award in the highly competitive Economic Development category. Congratulations, Brian! facebook.com/ GeraldRFordInternationalAirport

@FlyGRFord

flyford.org

Getting there is better here.

SM

2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

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category: manufacturing

Steve Van Andel & Doug DeVos

Keith Rayborn

Rick Demuynck

THIS SUMMER, Amway opened the first phase of its new $81 million plant in Ada. The project was originally announced in 2013. At that time, the company said it would result in additional hiring of 200 employees over a three-year period, which was welcome news in the community.

The 317,000-square-foot facility is home to select manufacturing operations for the company’s Nutrilite brand of vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements, which are sold exclusively by Amway business owners.

The new facility is Amway’s second nutrition product manufacturing plant in West Michigan, and represents the company’s commitment to the region.

When the project was first announced, Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel and President Doug DeVos said in a joint statement that Nutrilite is the world’s No. 1-selling brand of vitamins and dietary supplements.

Nutrition sales accounted for 43 percent of Amway’s $10.8 billion in 2014 sales.

The new plant incorporates a “completely re-designed production process” that can yield more than 3.5-million soft gel capsules a day, making the production process “faster and more efficient than ever before,” according to George Calvert, Amway’s chief supply chain and research and development officer.

The plant has the capacity to produce more than 1.3 billion soft gel capsules annually.

The Ada facility is just one of five new manufacturing facilities that were slated to open in 2015 as part of Amway’s ongoing $332 million manufacturing expansion.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT in April that defense contractor Plasan North America would relocate from Bennington, Vt., to the same city as its sister company, Plasan Carbon Composites, was great news for Walker.

Plasan will add 120 jobs and invest $12.3 million as part of its move to the area.

The facility will serve as home to Plasan North America’s corporate office, research and development and production resources.

Hiring was promised to take place over a three-year period, with the company looking for workers at all levels, from production to engineering and supervisory positions.

“We are looking forward to establishing roots in the region and begin tapping into the talent and resources West Michigan and Michigan have to offer,” Keith Rayborn, former president of Plasan U.S., said during the announcement.

Plasan Carbon Composites, a maker of carbon fiber parts and assemblies for the auto industry, has operated a plant on Wilson Avenue in Walker since 2012. Rayborn said the “success and support” of its sister company in West Michigan contributed to the decision to relocate Plasan North America.

Plasan North America is a leading maker of survivability products for ground and airborne platforms, advanced composite structures and active protection systems for the Department of Defense and other government agencies.

The company is working with other U.S. Prime Contractors to develop the next generation of LTVs for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

It previously developed key survivability products for the mine resistant ambush protected vehicle program and MATV program that provided lifesaving technology in support of U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

OVER THE COURSE of 2015, General Motors made two expansion announcements for its Grand Rapids operations, for a total of $162 million.

The first expansion announcement, of $119 million, was made over the summer.

The company said it would invest in tools and equipment to support production of future vehicle components.

General Motors said the investment would create an additional 300 jobs at the plant located in Wyoming. The facility already employed 500 workers on three shifts at that location.

In December, GM announced an additional $43 million expansion to support a new powertrain components line.

The company said it would also hire 55 new workers and retain 15 positions due to the new line.

“This investment signifies a commitment to the men and women of Grand Rapids Operations,” said Rick Demuynck, plant manager, Grand Rapids Operations.

Once it completes its promised hiring, the company will employ 855 workers at its Grand Rapids operations facility.

The plant makes a variety of precisionmachined components for Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac vehicles: lash adjusters, roller hydraulic valve lifters, cylinder de-activation lifters, continuously variable cam phasers and metal stampings.

GM made additional investment announcements in other parts of the state this year, as well. The company has promised to invest a total of $1 billion in Michigan by 2030.

Amway Corp.

Plasan North America

General Motors Corp.

24 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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fresh. family.

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category: nonprofits

Kathy Crosby

Richard DeVos

Tami VandenBerg

2015 HAD ITS twists and turns, most of which came out pretty well for Kathy Crosby, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids.

Goodwill began the year with a new strategic plan and a strengthened commitment to developing the talent of people with real barriers to employment success, Crosby said.

“Innovation and collaboration were built into our plan and evident this year in the re-invention of our boutique Re-Blue and its move to Eastown, the launch of Soup and Spuds restaurant in the Downtown Market, our new food truck and its debut at ArtPrize, and our collaboration with Mel Trotter in the thrift store business,” she said.

“Opening the new store on the Beltline was a very high note, as was the groundbreaking for our new store being built in Portland … and our amazing new career center that opened on Sparks Drive.”

The nonprofit world has changed dramatically during Crosby’s 35 years at Goodwill. There is greater pressure than ever to not only maintain a certain level of service but also to make a real impact, she said, adding collaboration is a must.

“Goodwill has committed to preparing three innovative business plans for our board to consider each year for three years,” she said. “We want to leverage our business knowledge to diversify our training offerings in work settings and in response to real demand for workers. We have a 10-year plan for continuing to add to our collection of thrift stores.”

FOR WEST MICHIGAN, the legacy of Richard DeVos, along with his sons Dick, Dan and Doug and daughter Cheri, and their families, is marked by extraordinary levels of generosity, and now the whole world is being made aware of that fact.

In 2015, the DeVos family was ranked No. 20 in Forbes’ ranking of America’s 50 Top Givers.

According to Forbes, the DeVos family — the only West Michigan name on the list — gave away about $94 million in 2014. The family’s “total lifetime giving” is ranked at a staggering $1.2 billion.

The DeVos family’s ranking put them ahead of well-known names like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who ranked at No. 24, and ahead of the richest man in New York, David Koch, who ranked at No. 26.

Forbes created the ranking chart through the Philanthropic Research Institute, a unit of Shook Research. Its methodology did not include anonymous gifts, gifts to a donor-advised fund or contributions to a family foundation, but only the money that actually reached the recipients.

“Charity is based on Christian faith for the family that owns direct-selling firm Amway and the NBA’s Orlando Magic,” Forbes’ report said about the DeVos family.

“Gifts went to colleges, hospitals and the arts, including the Whitney Museum.”

There is no question the DeVos family’s generosity and continual investment in the Grand Rapids community have made a tremendous difference in the city’s economic development and its overall stability.

TAMI VANDENBERG, an entrepreneur who is co-owner of the Meanwhile Bar and The Pyramid Scheme bar and entertainment venue, also is executive director of Well House, a nonprofit founded in 1978 that provides housing for West Michigan’s homeless.

“I am most proud that we have shown that the Housing First model works. I am so proud we have provided permanent housing and employment for many of our neighbors who were thought to be ‘unhousable’ and unemployable,” she said.

“The best part of my job is talking with our tenants and hearing about how Well House gave them a chance when no one else would. Handing over keys to someone who has been homeless for a long time never gets old.”

Well House now owns 13 houses and six lots for growing food. The nonprofit has moved 87 people off the street since 2013, but the need is still great, said VandenBerg.

Well House has received more 400 applications and will continue to purchase vacant, boarded-up houses, bring them up to code, and move in those who need them the most, she said.

“Organizations across the country are implementing the evidence-based Housing First model, and cities that have fully embraced this model have seen huge decreases in their homeless populations,” she said.

“My hope is that Grand Rapids will embrace this model in a systematic way. Well House has shown that it works. We are working with CRI (Community Research Institute) to hopefully show a large cost savings for taxpayers when people are housed rather than left on the street.”

Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids

DeVos Foundation

Well House

26 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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www.cressyandeverett.com 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 27

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category: real estate

Mike Mraz

David Levitt

Derek Coppess

DRIVING THROUGH Grand Rapids, it’s hard not to spot a Rockford Construction logo.

Both Rockford Construction and its development arm, Rockford Development, seemingly are involved with a majority of projects around town, especially on the city’s west side.

Among the firms’ major projects is the high-profile Michigan State University College of Human Medicine’s Grand Rapids Research Center at the corner of Michigan Street and Monroe Avenue. The $88.1 million projected is slated to open in 2017 and provide more than 400 jobs, creating a $28 million economic impact.

Rockford also finished up the last major building redevelopment on Monroe Center: the $34 million Morton Center.

“It’s a big difference from having an empty building to the vibrant community it will be,” said Mike Mraz, partner and vice president of real estate development for Rockford Construction. “We’re really proud of the redevelopment of this iconic building right in the center of downtown Grand Rapids. It’s a signature product for us.”

Across the river on the west side, Rockford is truly making its presence felt, including on West Fulton Street, the $35 million Fulton Place apartments for students at Grand Valley State University’s Pew campus.

“This is an emerging area of the city, in large part due to the growth of Grand Valley State University, and we want to ensure there are adequate and quality housing options available,” Mraz said.

Rockford is also well underway on the construction of a mixed-use building that will house apartments and New Holland Brewing Co.’s Grand Rapids location, also on the west side.

APPROXIMATELY 15 YEARS ago, Third Coast Development purchased 50 rundown homes in a three-block area near Michigan Street and Union Avenue NE in Grand Rapids.

Dave Levitt, one of the principals of Third Coast Development, expected his company’s future investment to develop the area would reach about $27 million.

The 142-room Hampton Inn and Suites project that opened in December passed that investment all by itself as a $30 million project. The total amount of the development will likely exceed $100 million when all is said and done.

“It’s quite the transformation in 15 years,” he said.

Third Coast is in the middle of building two mixed-use buildings with 26 apartment units and retail on the ground floor in the Mid Towne Village project. A third building featuring apartment units also will start this year in the parking lot at the site, once the hotel is fully operational.

The projects, which also include the building that houses The Omelette Shoppe and El Barrio, Park Place Condominiums and the Women’s Health Center, have taken a tad longer than initially expected, but it’s turning out well, said Levitt.

Third Coast also started a project at 25 Jefferson Ave., a four-story 21-unit project.

Also on the horizon is Diamond Place, with approximately 200 mixed-income residential units at 1037 and 1001 Michigan St. NE. “We are heavily focused on the Michigan Street corridor,” Levitt said. “But we are focused on development in the city.”

IT’S BECOMING MORE difficult to walk through a downtown neighborhood and not see a 616 Lofts building.

In 2015, 616 Development opened up leasing at two of its newest projects, 616 Lofts on Michigan and 616 Lofts on Monroe, bringing the projects Derek Coppess has completed in Grand Rapids to seven, also including 616 Lofts on Prospect, 616 Lofts on Ionia, 616 Lofts on Pearl, 616 Lofts on Grandville and 616 Lofts at the Kendall.

Each mixed-use project provides market-rate apartments with commercial space on the ground floor to help diversify the options of shopping and eating in downtown.

Coppess isn’t finished yet, either: 616 Lofts on Alabama is well under way. The more than $20 million project includes approximately 100 apartments on the city’s west side in two buildings.

The company’s spread to the exterior edges of downtown continues with its 616 Lofts on Plainfield, which will offer 40 units on the site of a former billiards bar at 1359 Plainfield Ave. NE. On top of adding hundreds of apartments to the downtown landscape, 616 also is sparking discussions about the way the city develops.

In May, the company launched a monthly speaker series called 616 Community Conversations. Early conversations included representatives from GR Forward and Grand Rapids Public Schools.

616 properties also are a key part of the 2030 District, a group of 71 downtown buildings hoping to cut energy, emissions and water use by 50 percent in the next 15 years.

Rockford Development

Third Coast Development

616 Development

28 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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WE TIP OUR HAT!

Congratulations to the 2015 Grand Rapids Business Journal Newsmakers of the Year Award recipients. We applaud those working hard to keep Michigan moving forward.

ConsumersEnergy.com/businessmatters

B7089

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category: retail

Darla Sevok

Steven Tanger

Scott Wierda

WHEN TRADER JOE’S finally opened its doors in Grand Rapids Sept. 25, 2015, the news was such a viral sensation, it almost broke Grand Rapids Business Journal’s website.

It would be hard to deny such an event “newsmaker” nomination.

Darla Sevok, the Grand Rapids’ Trader Joe’s store captain, deserves recognition for her ability to keep a cool head during the frenzied excitement of the opening.

The line for the opening started forming at midnight with about 300 people waiting outside when the doors opened at 8 a.m., in its new location at 3684 28th St. SE across from Centerpointe Mall.

“We love being part of Grand Rapids, and it’s an honor to be recognized in the community. We love getting to know our customers, the community groups in our neighborhood, and helping not-for-profit organizations such as Family Network.

Fighting hunger is central to what we do,” she said.

“We are a grocery store. Thus, providing food for people in need is one of our most important giving priorities. In 2015, Trader Joe’s as a company donated more than $321 million worth of product to food banks.”

Trade Joe’s also is expected to act as a business catalyst in West Michigan. The 10,000-square-foot store is its first in West Michigan.

“I love interacting with our customers and sharing our wonderful offerings with them,” Sevok said. “We love being part of this wonderful community and want to thank the neighborhood for being so welcoming.”

STEVEN TANGER’S outlet mall will make economic waves throughout West Michigan. In fact, it already has.

Tanger, the president and CEO of Tanger Factory Outlet, opened the new West Michigan mall, Tanger Outlet Grand Rapids, in summer 2015.

The 80-store mall features such popular brand names as Michael Kors, J. Crew Factory, White House|Black Market, Banana Republic Factory Store, Vera Bradley and Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store.

The more than $79 million retail center is located about 11 miles south of downtown Grand Rapids along 84th Street and U.S. 131 in Byron Township.

Tanger, whose father founded the company in 1981, said he is thrilled to bring his third Tanger Outlets location to Michigan.

“Grand Rapids is a dynamic market with so much to offer residents and visitors, and we are proud to be adding a new world-class outlet shopping destination to the area,” he said.

“We enjoy nothing more than contributing to a region’s positive economic growth and delivering outstanding value to shoppers every day.”

Construction on the approximately 350,000-square-foot mall began Aug. 21, 2014, creating about 300 construction positions during its development phase. But that’s not the only economic impact the mall is expected to have.

Tanger Outlets Grand Rapids is expected to generate about $7.3 million in annual sales tax revenue, as well as create more than 900 full-time and part-time retail management and sales jobs.

IF THERE’S ANYTHING Scott Wierda, managing partner at CWD Real Estate Investment, wants to make clear, it’s that he’s sharing his Newsmaker nomination with an incredible team.

“I work every day with a group of people at CWD Real Estate Investment who are so very talented and frankly prefer this recognition to be more about our team versus any individual efforts. Both Sam Cummings and Dan DeVos (CWD Real Estate Investment partners) are ‘rock stars’ to be a partner with and clearly they have been ‘newsmakers’ for many years and they are equally a part of this recognition,” he said.

“My business partners Sam and Dan, as well as Brian DeVries, who is my partner at our Jade Pig Ventures portfolio, and I all agree that in addition to building a solid and sustainable company, we have a responsibility to our community based upon what we do on a daily basis to help enhance the built environment for a higher quality of life for everyone.”

Weirda said he was proud of the year the team had and of CWD’s accomplishments, which built on the success of previous years.

“We have been successful in bringing some fantastic retailers and ‘market unique’ companies to our Grand Rapids community, not only this past year but for many years now,” he said.

“Recent examples include the opening of Trader Joe’s, West Elm, Lululemon, Dave & Buster’s, Orvis, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Kessler’s Diamonds, Cabela’s, as well as an equal complement of local retailers who have opened and/or expanded in our community.”

Trader Joe’s

Tanger Factory Outlet

CWD Real Estate Investment

30 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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THE NEXT PLACE TO BE! We proudly congratulate

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category: sports

Lew Chamberlin

Bruce Israel

Matt Roberts

THE FUTURE DIDN’T look bright for the West Michigan Whitecaps in January 2014 as smoke filled the sky around Fifth Third Ballpark.

With the season slated to start in April and the team scheduled to host the Midwest League All Star Game in June, the clock was ticking on a rebuild.

The Whitecaps, led by CEO Lew Chamberlin, and Wolverine Building Group were able to finish the renovations in time. As part of the project, a new front office building was completed in 2015.

The 2015 season also saw the team win its sixth Midwest League Championship after beginning the first half of the season with a losing record.

“It’s a great feeling,” Whitecaps Manager Andrew Graham told MiLB.com following the series win.

“These guys have been working hard all year. Since we got here, we believed in ourselves. We battled, and I’m real proud of these guys.”

With another championship in the franchise trophy case and the impressive new renovations to the park, Ballpark Digest gave the Whitecaps its 2015 Best Ballpark Improvement Award. Among the new features of the ballpark are a sponsored group deck above its new offices and a Craft Clubhouse sponsored by Founders Brewing Co. “A ballpark fire so close to the opening of the season represented a huge challenge to team ownership and management,” Kevin Relchard, publisher of Ballpark Digest.

“That the Whitecaps turned such a terrible incident into a chance not only to rebuild but improve Fifth Third Ballpark is truly remarkable.”

THERE’S HIGH-QUALITY hockey being played in Muskegon, and brothers Bruce and Dan Israel wanted to be a part of it.

In 2015, the Muskegon Lumberjacks produced three National Hockey League draft picks and won the United States Hockey League Eastern Conference.

As a whole, the United States Hockey League, a Tier I junior hockey league with teams across the Midwest, produced 37 draft picks, and every Lumberjack earned a Division I college scholarship.

The Israels paid cash for the team, with Dan Israel saying at the time of the deal last summer that the team was “hopefully worth more than I paid for it.”

The brothers own Asphalt Specialists in Pontiac and decided it was time for them to make a fun, but solid investment, when the Lumberjacks became available.

Immediately, the new ownership decided it was important to increase marketing efforts and extend the lease at L.C. Walker Arena in downtown Muskegon.

With a somewhat disinterested ownership in the team prior to the Israel brothers, they hope to see big things from the team and Muskegon.

“The path the team was on the last five years is not the path I want to continue on,” Israel said. “Muskegon is a really good market, and I think it’s a hockey town. There’s a lot of appeal.

“We have a great brand of hockey, but we want the experience to be more than hockey. Muskegon is a town on the rebound, and it’s a cool place to be.”

MATT ROBERTS HAD a dream in 2014 to bring professional soccer to Grand Rapids, so he started a crowd-funding campaign and a community membership group for the Grand Rapids Football Club.

Without advertising, he had more than 240 members in a short period of time.

“This is something we need in the community,” Roberts said as his dream was still in the process of taking off. “There’s almost 10,000 kids playing soccer in West Michigan, and I want them to see the next level and have aspirations to play at that next level.”

Roberts struggled to get the team into the league he wanted — the National Premier Soccer League — so instead teamed up with several other aspiring soccer markets to create the Great Lakes Premier League.

The team played seven home games that averaged more than 4,000 people in attendance, including a record of more than 6,600 at the final home game.

In the offseason, the National Premier Soccer League, the nation’s fourth-tier soccer league, accepted GRFC into the league in 2016.

In December, U.S. soccer legend Landon Donovan announced he would bring a soccer camp to Grand Rapids, in part because of massive social media campaign led by GRFC. Now the organization continues to pick up sponsors for the upcoming season.

“Anything anyone is willing to put on the table, we’re willing to work with,” he said. “It needs to start somewhere. There’s massive growth potential — we just need to get it going.”

West Michigan Whitecaps

Muskegon Lumberjacks

Grand Rapids Football Club

32 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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category: start ups

Jeff Courter

Nathan Owen

Ryan Vaughn

WHEN JEFF COURTER, founder of Sportsman Tracker, saw his name on the list of newsmakers, he admits he asked, “Why me?”

Courter’s Sportsman Tracker platform, which created an adaptive algorithm to analyze a hunter’s location and track an animal species’ behaviors and patterns, is already successful and received high levels of funding through Start Garden and Huron River Ventures And it’s still in its infancy.

“Since this is only our first year as a company, I feel like we have crossed so many barriers throughout the year. We hired our team in three months, developed the brand new Sportsman Tracker app in the next four months, released it in the app store in late summer, and reached No. 5 in the Sports Free Category in iTunes by the fall. I’m very proud of my team. They are talented people,” he said.

“We are going to be the top marketshare holder in the outdoor app market.

This year our focus is ‘best-in-class.’ In the future, it would be awesome to have a huge Cabela’s-like cabin in the woods that would act as the Sportsman Tracker headquarters. I would crack open a window to hunt deer.”

Although the app is still young, it already has the potential to change the sport of hunting. And that’s because Courter’s mind is as sharp as his hunting sights.

“I like to think big,” he said. “Every day I get to use 120 percent of my brain and get the possibility of creating something really cool.”

NATHAN OWEN, CEO of Blue Medora, made great business connections all over the world this past year.

In August 2015, the Grand Rapids-based company, a maker of IT management software, named VMware (a Palo Alto-based IT provider worth billions) as an investor in its $4.6-million financing round that closed in late June.

Blue Medora also received financial support from local investors such as Michigan eLab, Grand Angels and Start Garden.

Blue Medora increased its sales by about four times, as well as its presence in several markets during the first half of the year, including in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

The company also more than doubled its staff from fewer than 20 people to about 50 software developers, quality assurance engineers, and sales and marketing professionals.

2015 was also year Blue Medora made a big step in adding leadership to help focus on its worldwide connections. In the summer, it added Chris Noordyke to the role of vice president of global sales. Noordyke most recently was the senior director of North American channels at Tegile Systems.

“Chris’ extensive experience in channel and sales operations with startup and Fortune 500 companies made him a natural fit for this position,” Owen said.

“His understanding of creating, communicating and executing programs for revenue generation and sales effectiveness will help Blue Medora scale its sales programs in the coming years.”

RYAN VAUGHN IS changing high school sports forever.

2015 is a year that Vaughn, co-founder and CEO of local startup Varsity News Network, can look back on with pride. It was the year VNN became a game-changing high school sports platform, and the year it added industry expert Lucian Taylor, a highly respected executive with more than 20 years of software experience, as the new vice president of product.

“We became the largest communication platform in high school sports, while also maintaining our pace as the fastest growing,” Vaughn said.

“My favorite part of the job is the amazing people I get to work with. We have the most talented team in the city and the most talented team in the industry, and I am constantly surprised by our creativity and drive.”

In 2016, Vaughn plans for VNN to create a single platform to connect all of school sports.

“Our industry has really grown up in the last five years. When we started this company, our customers weren’t yet ready for the technology. It wasn’t really until the last two years or so when schools across the country finally recognized that they needed a communication solution,” he said.

Vaughn’s advice for those who want to become entrepreneurs: just go for it.

“That’s the most important thing and the stumbling block where most startups fail — they never get out of the gate,” he said. “But additionally, make sure you love the market you’re working in. Products and strategies change all the time, but once you pick a market, you’re likely working there for a few years.”

Sportsman Tracker

Blue Medora

Varsity News Network

34 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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LAW CATEGORY FINALIST

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2015 Newsmakers Supplement_HLS.indd 35

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category: sustainability

Greg Northrup

Kristen Wieland

Seth Yon

THE CITY OF Lowell owes a great deal to Greg Northrup.

Northrup, principal at the Grand Rapids-based Sustainable Partners LLC, commonly known as Spart, along with Greg Pierce, who is general manager of the city-owned utility Lowell Light and Power, were behind the Lowell Energy Anaerobic Digester — LEAD LLC. In terms of sustainability, the anaerobic digester was a major accomplishment.

LEAD is expected to generate up to 800 kilowatts of power to be purchased by Lowell Light and Power and supplied to its 2,600 electricity customers.

Sustainable Partners owns and developed LEAD to provide enough alternative renewable energy to exceed Lowell Light and Power’s Renewable Portfolio Standard requirement of 10 percent by 2015, meeting the requirements of the Michigan Clean, Renewable and Efficient Energy Act. Once the LEAD is fully up and running, the additional electricity supplied is expected to push Lowell Light and Power’s renewable energy use to about 20 percent.

“So if the renewable portfolio standard for Michigan increases — or there is ultimately a federal renewable portfolio standard at that level — then we would be in good shape,” Pierce said.

The LEAD facility, located at 625 Chatham St., Lowell, uses a special fixed-bed anaerobic digester that was designed and built by a German-based company called enCO2. The digester converts organic wastes into methane that is then burned to fuel the combined heat and power generator, giving power to about 800 homes, according to Pierce.

ALTHOUGH GLOBAL factors are hurting Kent County’s recycling revenue, it is how the Department of Public Works is handling the depressed revenue that has landed it on the Newsmakers list.

The recycling facility team is focused on solutions that continue to promote recycling in the community but also with an eye toward the viability of the facility.

That is particularly important given that, in 2014, Gov. Rick Snyder called on the state to increase recycling rates from less than 15 percent to at least 30 percent, noting the state’s current recycling rate was among the worst in the nation.

Since opening in 2010, the recycling facility on Wealthy Street has seen a significant increase in recycling. In 2014, it reported an increase of 7 percent to 10 percent in incoming waste each year since the facility opened. Last year it received nearly 64 million pounds of hauled recyclables.

The Kent County Department of Public Works responded by making three significant changes. First, it changed its labor sourcing, entering into a partnership with Goodwill Industries’ Transitional Work Experience program.

“All of the people on our sorting line are in a job readiness program,” said Kristen Wieland, manager of Kent County Department of Public Works Resource Recovery & Recycling.

Second, the facility changed its hours of operation to provide time for dedicated maintenance, which will improve efficiency.

Third, the facility announced while commodity prices remain depressed, it would begin charging haulers a $10 a ton fee to dump household recyclables at the facility.

Dump fees are common practice across the country, but had not been utilized previously at the recycling facility.

IN APRIL 2015, Greener Grads announced it had diverted 12,000 pounds of polyester from entering landfills during its first 12 months of operation. The Grand Rapidsbased national initiative also expanded its partnership to more than 100 academic institutions, organizations and community nonprofits in 22 states.

As a sustainability initiative, Greener Grads strives to reuse, recycle and repurpose graduation gowns to reduce the impact of polyester on the environment. It has a goal to not only reuse a gown at least 10 times before it is recycled, but also to recycle 1 million gowns by the end of 2016.

Seth Yon, founder of Greener Grads, said while the organization’s success had exceeded expectations, there are still challenges.

“We are not always welcomed with open arms. The thing that has been so refreshing from the people within West Michigan is they think it is a better way to serve not only the environment, but also address the social piece of it, as well,” said Yon. “Cost for graduation has really skyrocketed for graduates and by renting a gown versus purchasing, it really helps to reduce that cost to students and families alike.”

Greener Grads partners with a number of K-12 school systems, universities, nonprofit and environmental organizations, including Grand Valley State University and Grand Rapids City High and Middle schools locally.

It also works with city of Grand Rapids, Recycle Kent, West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, Michigan Green Schools, Association of Ohio Recyclers, Carolina Recycling Association, Community Sustainability Partnership and Grades of Green.

Sustainable Partners LLC

Kent County DPW

Greener Grads

36 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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We’re just getting started.

LIVE • 30 locally-owned outdoor dining options, 8 right on the water • 14 miles of lakefront bike trails and 60 miles of trail in total

WORK • 1,000 jobs available for skilled workers • Muskegon Area Promise provides two years of free college to Muskegon County high school graduates

PLAY

• 7 destination festivals • 27 miles of Lake Michigan clean beach • 850’ luge track open to public

JOIN THE MOVEMENT Stay tuned for news on living, working and playing in Muskegon.

The campaign focuses on economic development, beautification, education, customer service and marketing efforts.

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#GOMKG 1/18/16 9:12 AM

category: technology

Meredith Bronk

Carl Erickson

Mat Nguyen

MEREDITH BRONK, president and CEO of Open Systems Technologies, said OST saw major highlights in 2015 for what she called “a year of transitions and expansion” for the company.

“We opened an office in Chicago, are expanding our presence globally, and are adding to our service offerings. I’m most proud of our ability to maintain strong employee and client satisfaction during this growth and transition,” she said.

“I am honored by the recognition of the great work we do at OST. Our entire team is committed to the success of West Michigan, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to represent them.”

In 2016, OST will continue to expand its services to meet the evolving needs of its clients, Bronk said.

“Technology is disrupting many traditional business models, and new buyers of technology are emerging. We will continue to serve the needs of our traditional buyers while providing differentiated value to new buyers, as well,” she said.

“The pace of change in technology has always been remarkable, and has accelerated the past few years. Traditionally, technology was leveraged as an internally facing discipline to drive operational efficiency. Today, businesses are leveraging technology to drive differentiated value with external stakeholders including employees, clients, suppliers, etc.”

As far as advice on how to become a newsmaker, Bronk encourages everyone to find a mentor.

“I had the benefit of working for a great man and mentor: Dan Behm,” she said. “He taught me about the industry, gave me an opportunity to learn (and fail) and to believe in myself.”

ATOMIC OBJECT has had a pretty successful run since its launch in 2001, and 2015 was no exception.

The Grand Rapids-based software development firm had a very good year, investing in a larger facility so it could add more employees and also earning national recognition.

In April, it was announced that Atomic Object, located in a 5,000-square-foot space at 941 Wealthy St. SE, had plans to invest $2.9 million by moving down the street into a larger space in an 11,000-square-foot building at 1034 Wealthy St. SE. “We are very excited about the move and this new journey for Atomic Object,” said Atomic Object CEO and Co-Founder Carl Erickson, who added that The Right Place Inc., the regional economic development nonprofit, “played a key role in bringing together the state and local resources we needed to make this project happen.”

The move was intended to not only double Atomic Object’s space but also create more than 30 new jobs, including positions for software developers and designers.

According to The Right Place, Atomic Object received a high-tech business support package, which included a performance-based grant through the Michigan Business Development Program.

The expansion wasn’t the only sign of success for Atomic Object in 2015. In August, the firm was one of the 19 West Michigan companies named to Inc. magazine’s 500|5000 list, which ranks the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Atomic Object ranked No. 3,719, showing 83 percent growth and $8.2 million in revenue.

MAT NGUYEN’S business doubled in the span of just one year. But, remarkably, that kind of success isn’t unusual for Worksighted, Nguyen’s Holland-based healthcare-focused, IT management and support solutions company.

In the last year, the company reportedly grew revenue by 41 percent — from $4.9 million to $6.9 million — and doubled its sales in the Grand Rapids market.

Worksighted’s progress did not go unnoticed. The company’s growth secured it a ranking on Inc. Magazine’s 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America for the fourth consecutive year.

“It’s a true pleasure to be receiving this recognition for a fourth year in a row,” Nguyen said. “The Worksighted team continues to remain focused and driven so that we may provide our clients with the highest level of customer service possible.”

Worksighted’s accomplishment with Inc. Magazine is a remarkably rare, especially for a company still so young. Worksighted was created in 2000 in Nguyen’s parents’ basement with two employees and three customers.

It now has 44 full-time employees and more than 200 customers in Michigan alone — not counting the handful it has in other states.

“It’s not magic. It’s people and process. I really think we have the best staff. We have incredible employee retention here,” said Worksighted vice president and co-founder Mike Harris.

“We have a very defined culture here. In my opinion, when we brought that type of energy into the market, customers wanted it. The people are the magic.”

Open Systems Technologies

Atomic Object

Worksighted

38 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 2015 NEWSMAKERS OF THE YEAR

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Food

Rick Scalise, Hearthside Stephen Herbruck, Herbrucks John Bryant, Kellogg Co.

Health Care

Bill Manns, Saint Mary’s Mercy Health, and Deb Lyzenga, Michigan Works!

Rick Breon, Spectrum Health Kent Riddle, Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital

Law

Stephanie Hoffer and Sheila Eddy, Smith Haughey Doug Donnell, Mika Meyers, and John Anding, Drew Cooper Anding Gaetan Gerville-Reach, Warner Norcross

Manufacturing

Keith Rayborn, Plasan North America Steve Van Andel and Doug DeVos, Amway Corp.

Rick Demuynck, General Motors Corp.

Nonprofits/Philanthropy

Tami VandenBerg, Well House Kathy Crosby, Goodwill Industries Richard M. DeVos

Real Estate/Construction

Mike Mraz, Rockford Construction Derek Coppess, 616 Development David Levitt, Third Coast Development

Congratulations

2015 NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Arts & Entertainment

David Hooker, Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park Lorain Smalligan, LowellArts!

Rick DeVos, ArtPrize

Beverages

Michael Brower, Pigeon Hill Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor, Long Road Distillers Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, Founders Brewing Co.

Economic Development

Cindy Larsen, Muskegon Chamber of Commerce, Jonathan Seyferth, Downtown Muskegon, Ed Garner, Muskegon Area First Jennifer Owens, Lakeshore Advantage Brian Ryks, Gerald R. Ford International Airport

Retail

Darla Sevok, Trader Joe’s Steven Tanger, Tanger Family Outlet Centers Scott Wierda, CWD Real Estate Investment

Sports

Lew Chamberlin, West Michigan Whitecaps Bruce Israel, Muskegon Lumberjacks Matt Roberts, Grand Rapids Football Club

Startups

Ryan Vaughn, Varsity News Network Nathan Owen, Blue Medora Jeff Courter, Sportsman Tracker

Education

Sustainability

Finance

Technology

Teresa Weatherall Neal, Grand Rapids Public Schools John Dunn, Western Michigan University Thomas Haas, Grand Valley State University Sandy Jelinski, Lake Michigan Credit Union Jason Wenk, FormulaFolio Investments Dave Ramaker, Chemical Financial Corp.

Greg Northrup, Sustainable Partners LLC Kristen Wieland, Kent County Department of Public Works Seth Yon, Greener Grads Mat Nguyen, Worksighted Meredith Bronk, Open Systems Technologies Carl Erickson, Atomic Object

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

2015 Newsmakers Supplement_HLS.indd 39

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Make the new year a great one.

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