GLBM April 2016

BUSINESS MONTHLY G R E AT ER LANS ING

APRIL 2016

CELEBRATING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS COLIN CRONIN, RAJI UPPAL AND TOM KUSCHINSKI, PRINCIPALS OF DTN MANAGEMENT NAMED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

In this issue •

GOVERNOR SNYDER’S BUDGET PLAN FOR FY17 FOCUSED ON THE PEOPLE

•

THE AFFECT OF THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL ON THE U.S. ECONOMY

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G R E AT E R

L A N S I N G

BUSINESS MONTHLY

APRIL 2016 ON THE COVER Governor Snyder’s Budget Plan .............................................6 The Iran Nuclear Deal..................................................................10 Greater Lansing Business Monthly Celebrates Entrepreneurs ........................................................11 DTN Management: Business of the Year .....................................................................18

NEWS Economic Innovation Group Identifies Greater Lansing's Strengths and Weaknesses .....................8

BUSINESS MONTHLY GR E ATE R L AN SI NG

APRIL 2016

18 FEATURE

Angel Investing Boosts Area Entrepreneurs ............................................................................. 48 Lansing School District Bond.............................................................................................................. 58

DEPARTMENTS

CELEBRATING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

Commentary.................................................................................................................................................. 4

COLIN CRONIN, RAJI UPPAL AND TOM KUSCHINSKI, PRINCIPALS OF DTN MANAGEMENT NAMED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Greater Lansing at a Glance ............................................................................................................... 50 Behind the Scenes.................................................................................................................................... 52 Economy ...................................................................................................................................................... 54 In this issue •

GOVERNOR SNYDER’S BUDGET PLAN FOR FY17 FOCUSED ON THE PEOPLE

•

THE AFFECT OF THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL ON THE U.S. ECONOMY

Visual Breakdown..................................................................................................................................... 56 Man on the Street ................................................................................................................................... 60 Business Calendar ................................................................................................................................... 62 Notable News ............................................................................................................................................ 65

Cover photography by Mark Warner

Greater Lansing Business Monthly | Volume 29, Issue 4

group

Greater Lansing Business Monthly is published monthly by M3 Group at 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Michigan USPO. USPS number 020w807.

Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available at $22 per year for postage and handling or $38 for two years. Call (517) 203-0123 or visit lansingbusinessnews.com to subscribe.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, 614 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933. Send additional subscription requests and address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc., 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933. Copyright © 2016 The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial Office: 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933 lansingbusinessnews.com 2

G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

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COMMENTARY

G R E AT E R

L A N S I N G

BUSINESS MONTHLY

Publisher: Tiffany Dowling tiffany@m3group.biz Sales Manager: Jennifer Hodges jhodges@m3group.biz Media Specialist: Jill Bailey Account Managers: Manny Garcia Megan Fleming Derek Drumm

ENTREPRENEURIAL ADVICE

I

have had the privilege of meeting some amazing entrepreneurs in Lansing and beyond.

Paying attention to how they do what they do and ultimately make the tough decisions at the time when it matters the most, is one of my favorite pastimes. It fulfills two of my needs: journalistic nosiness and business growth. Navigating the economic world with twists and turns is not an exact science. There are many pieces of information to gather and a number of influences to consider.

I’ve been asked from time to time what my advice would be for those enterprising entrepreneurs just starting out. Although I wouldn’t say that I have all the answers or a tried and true formula, I have picked up a few bits of advice I like to share.

DO THE RESEARCH.

Production Director: Kelly Mazurkiewicz Art Director: Mark Warner Communications Director: Ami Iceman-Haueter Graphic Designers: Kerry Hidlay Nikki Nicolaou Photographer: Erika Hodges Editor: Alicia Pilmore Web Manager: Skylar Kohagen Event Calendar Manager: Jaime Hardesty

GLBM Editorial Board: April Clobes — President and CEO, MSU Federal Credit Union Trish Foster — Senior Managing Director & COO, CBRE|Martin Lisa Parker — Director of Alumni Career and Business Services, Michigan State University Alumni Association Deb Muchmore — Partner, Kandler Reed Khoury & Muchmore

Information is your friend. It doesn’t matter if you’re thinking about a specific business industry or tossing around a new idea, compare and contrast the research in order to make sound decisions. Read as much as possible about those who have come before you and pay attention to other entrepreneurs that are doing a great job. Many local business leaders like to help. Ask them questions.

FEAR NOT. As a business owner, the list of decisions you’ll have to make will be huge. Get in touch with the risk-taker inside you because you’re going to need a willingness to fail. It will happen. Once you process the worst that can happen, you’ll be less likely to fret over each choice you make. Fear can paralyze and you don’t have time to stop. If you’re not moving forward, you are falling behind.

TRUST YOUR GUT. You know a lot more than you think. And, no one is going to love your business more than you. Trust your instincts and believe that you are making the best decision possible with the information available. That should also lessen the feeling of regret when you make a bad call. Regret is not helpful. Learning from failure will give you the tools to move forward.

Continuing to learn is key. Through the GLBM Entrepreneurial Awards, I get to hear the stories of how amazing business owners have made their enterprises successful. I’m sure these winners have great advice.

Tom Ruis — Vice President, Fifth Third Bank Doug Klein — Executive Director, Mason Area Chamber of Commerce Mark Hooper — Partner, Andrews Hopper Pavlik Diontrae Hayes — Legislative Director for State Senator Coleman Young, II

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G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

Tiffany Dowling | Publisher

APRIL 2016

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GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED 2017 BUDGET FOCUSED ON PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

BY SHANNON BRYERS

I

n mid-February, Governor Rick Snyder presented his proposed 2017 fiscal year budget plan. This budget focuses on Michigan’s growth and success, now and into the future. Critical investments for the Flint Water Crisis, the Detroit Public School system and statewide infrastructure are Governor Snyder’s main priority. The governor also addressed the issue of the increasing costs of specialty medications that Michigan residents have become dependent on for better health outcomes. The overall recommendation totals $54.9 billion, an increase of 0.8 percent or $438 million over last year, and includes $10 billion in general fund dollars. The general fund is up 1.5 percent or $145 million from last year.

“As with every budget recommendation, the governor carefully considers many investment needs to develop a balanced plan,” said John S. Roberts, state budget director.

“The governor’s plan makes heavy investments in both Flint and DPS, but even with these big challenges, the values and priorities of our state have not changed and our key priorities such as economic growth, education, public safety and fiscal responsibility can be seen throughout this budget recommendation.

This plan provides a balanced approach to addressing our immediate challenges while continuing to pay off debt and make needed investments in critical areas,” he added.

6

Governor Snyder plans to invest over $195 million in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 to address the Flint Water Crisis. The funds will be spread out across multiple state agencies in order to support the residents of the Flint community. These funds will contribute to persistent issues that include safe drinking water, food and nutrition, physical health, social well-being and educational intervention.

Governor Snyder also plans to set aside $30 million of supplemental funding for the 2016 fiscal year to help pay for water bills from 2014-2016, stating that “residents shouldn’t have to pay for water they didn’t drink or have other uses for.” Total funding for Flint comes to more than $230 million.

“The $720 million over 10 years that the governor called for in his budget recommendation will help get the school district back on firmer financial footing,” said Roberts.

“It will also help ensure Detroit children are receiving a quality education, setting them on a path toward a brighter future.”

The Detroit Public Schools and the creation of a new district are another focus. According to Governor Snyder, the children of Detroit deserve higher quality education, but that education is overlooked because of financial demands from previous debt. The governor’s plan to help with the district’s turnaround includes maintaining the current district to pay off the debt, establishing a new district to operate the schools and a new commission that would hire an education manager to oversee all traditional and charter public schools in the city and manage universal services for all buildings. With Governor Snyder’s 2017 budget, the Detroit Public Schools would use the existing local millage – about $72 million per year – to pay off the debt.

“By offering a 2018 projected budget, the governor is ensuring that Michigan maintains a long-range planning focus with an emphasis on fiscal responsibility,” stated Roberts.

G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

Michigan schools as a whole will be receiving increased funding across the state at the K-12 and university level.

Governor Snyder said he remains committed to putting the people of the state first. As he has done in the past, Snyder also offered his 2018 budget plans.

The State Budget Office and Governor Snyder are committed to working with the Legislature to ensure the success and well-being of residents across the state of Michigan. The 2017 budget is set to be signed in early June.

The state’s new fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2016.

Shannon Bryers is the Public Relations Intern at M3 Group. She is a senior at Michigan State University and will be graduating with a degree in communications, minoring in public relations and health promotion.

Comcast

NEWS

ECONOMIC INNOVATION GROUP IDENTIFIES GREATER LANSING’S STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

B

y most measurements, mid-Michigan’s economy is improving. Unemployment is down, job growth is up and the housing market is improving.

But a deeper look at tri-county communities reveals significant differences in how cities and townships are positioned for prosperity. Some are hemorrhaging businesses and show continuing declines in employment. In others, business activity is surging and job growth is strong.

The region’s economic strengths and weaknesses emerge in a detailed nationwide analysis by the Washington-based Economic Innovation Group, which has produced ZIP Code level data for Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties characterizing education, housing, incomes, employment and business trends.

From the numbers gathered between 2010 and 2013, together with the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 American Communities Survey, it has developed a distressed communities index.

“A ZIP code analysis gives you a micro look at where the jobs are growing in the county and the state, and which neighborhoods are benefiting,” said Kenan Fikri, the consulting firm’s manager for research and policy development. “It’s especially relevant in the Midwest where they’ve had long experience with

ADULTS NOT WORKING PERCENT OF THE POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OLDER NOT IN WORK ST. JOHNS

CHARLOTTE

6%

44% LANSING

43%

EAST LANSING..................................................... 43% EATON RAPIDS.................................................... 42% HOLT.......................................................................... 41% WILLIAMSTON..................................................... 41% OKEMOS................................................................. 39% WAVERLY................................................................ 39% MASON..................................................................... 38% HASLETT.................................................................. 36% GRAND LEDGE..................................................... 36% DEWITT.................................................................... 35%

8

HOUSING VACANCY PERCENT OF HABITABLE HOUSING THAT IS UNOCCUPIED, EXCLUDING PROPERTIES THAT ARE FOR SEASONAL, RECREATIONAL, OR OCCASIONAL USE.

LANSING

13%

EATON RAPIDS

9%

CHARLOTTE............................................................. 8% EAST LANSING........................................................ 8% ST. JOHNS.................................................................. 8% WILLIAMSTON........................................................ 7% GRAND LEDGE........................................................ 6% MASON........................................................................ 6% WAVERLY................................................................... 5% HOLT............................................................................. 4% OKEMOS.................................................................... 3% DEWITT....................................................................... 3% HASLETT..................................................................... 3%

de-industrialism and a rate of business closings that has outpaced new business opening.”

In mid-Michigan, most of the economy falls between the poles of prosperous and distressed.

As a result, the economic performance for most of the communities in the three counties is mixed.

IN HASLETT, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE POSITIVES: • Just 5 percent of the population has no high school degree.

• The housing vacancy rate is 3 percent.

• Only 36 percent of adults don’t work.

• The median income ratio compared with other communities in the state is 116 percent.

But there are challenges with the core economic indicators in many mid-Michigan communities, and Haslett is no exception. Between 2010 and 2013 the change in employment is plus 7.4 percent and the change in business establishments is minus 5.2 percent. In short, the trend shows fewer jobs and business in what EIG identifies as one of the stronger communities in the region.

G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

“These are a really good indicator of economic activity and optimism and of new jobs coming down the road,” Fikri said.

Lansing, like most cities in Michigan, faces greater economic and social challenges than its neighboring communities. And like virtually all large cities in the state, it is characterized as “distressed” based on EIG’s core measurements.

LANSING STRUGGLES WITH EDUCATION, HOUSING AND POVERTY. DATA AGGREGATED FROM THE CITY’S FIVE ZIP CODES INDICATE: • Thirteen percent of adults lack a high school degree.

• That 29 percent of residents live in poverty.

• A housing vacancy rate of 13 percent.

• The percentage of adults not working is 43 percent.

• The median income ratio is 73 percent.

But by some key measures, the city surpassed its neighbors. Between 2010 and 2013 the change in employment was positive – 5 percent. And the change in business establishments was off just 1 percent. This business indicator was better than Eaton Rapids (-6.7 percent), St. Johns (-3.6 percent), Waverly (-3.5 percent), Mason (-2.9 percent) and Grand Ledge (-2.2 percent).

CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT

PERCENT CHANGE IN THE NUMBER OF JOBS FROM 2010 TO 2013

DEWITT 19.5% GRAND LEDGE 12.5% ST. JOHNS 11.8% EATON RAPIDS............................................. 8.8% MASON............................................................. 7.3% EAST LANSING.............................................. 6.6% LANSING ......................................................... 5.0% HOLT.................................................................. 3.7% OKEMOS.......................................................... 1.8% WAVERLY......................................................... 1.4% CHARLOTTE................................................... -0.9% WILLIAMSTON.............................................. -4.2% HASLETT.......................................................... -7.4%

NEWS

MEDIAN INCOME RATIO RATIO OF A GEOGRAPHY’S MEDIAN INCOME TO ITS STATE’S MEDIAN INCOME.

OKEMOS WILLIAMSTON DEWITT

154% 152% 147%

MASON............................................................ 138% GRAND LEDGE............................................ 134% EATON RAPIDS........................................... 116% HASLETT......................................................... 116% CHARLOTTE................................................. 113% HOLT................................................................. 107% ST. JOHNS...................................................... 107% WAVERLY....................................................... 106% EAST LANSING............................................ 80% LANSING ........................................................ 73%

Yet even within Lansing, there are significant variations by neighborhood. In the 48933 ZIP code – the city’s downtown neighborhoods – the change in employment was the strongest in the region – 20.9 percent ahead of second place DeWitt (19.5 percent).

And compared with other cities in the state, Lansing, though challenged, is progressing.

Flint is ranked as the most distressed city in Michigan and ninth worst in the nation. As for others in the state, Detroit is tenth, followed by Pontiac, Saginaw, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

Dearborn, Warren and Grand Rapids are ranked only slightly better than Lansing.

Altogether, EIG gathered data for 37 ZIP codes in the three counties. Some community boundaries overlap and there is wide variation in total population – 135,090 for the six ZIP codes identified as Lansing, the largest; Mulliken in Eaton County, with a population of 1,760, the smallest.

EIG’s 1-to-100 index identifies communities with a score of 20 or below as prosperous.

Those with scores of 80 and higher are classified as distressed. By EIG’s measurements, DeWitt with a score of 0.9 is the region’s least distressed community and ranks 871 among the 877 ZIP code geographies in Michigan. Other prosperous communities include: Wacousta (4.9), Westphalia (9.4), Bath (9.6), Grand Ledge (9.9), Okemos (14), Mason (18.3) and Holt (20.2).

Although Lansing faces the income, education and housing challenges of many cities, economic growth in the region is shared broadly without the wide gulf between the haves and have-nots, Fikri said. “Everyone seems to participate in the economy. That’s not the case in other areas. If you look at Detroit, one of the most distressed cities in the country, it is ringed by some of the most prosperous counties in the country.”

He added that for the business community, micro information about the health of a community’s economy is a powerful tool.

“The private sector is interested in where growth happens. Those opening a business are more likely to locate where jobs are growing quickly, where people are moving in and where people are opening businesses,” Fikri said.

Mickey Hirten is an award winning writer and editor. He has been executive editor of the Lansing State Journal, the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, and was the financial editor and a columnist for the Baltimore Evening Sun. He is the current president of the Michigan Press Association. His wife, Maureen Hirten, is director of the Capital Area District Library.

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NEWS

UNDERSTANDING THE U.S./IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL

BY ALLISON SPOONER

Some call it a milestone, some call it the end of international isolation and some see it as dangerous. However people view the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or, the nuclear deal with Iran, many are still unsure that it will strengthen the US/Iran relationship. What it will do is change Iran’s economy, give them freedoms they haven’t had in many years, and, hopefully, make it impossible for Iran to build a nuclear weapon.

In January, it was determined that Iran had done everything needed to meet the terms of the July 14 deal. Over the past few months, Iran has been slowly taking steps to comply with the deal and since October have, among other things; shipped 98 percent of its fuel to Russia, dismantled more than 12,000 centrifuges so they can’t enrich Uranium, and poured cement into their nuclear reactor designed to produce plutonium.

To build a nuclear weapon, you would need access to either Uranium or Plutonium, and this deal blocks the main ways Iran had to leverage those materials. To construct a Uranium bomb they would need massive amounts of Uranium and tens of thousands of centrifuges, this deals cuts down on their supply of both. To build one out of Plutonium, they would need to do so in the Arak reactor, a heavy-water nuclear reactor. Under this deal, the Arak reactor will be redesigned so it cannot produce any weapons-grade plutonium.

... UNDER THE SANCTIONS OF THE DEAL, THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE FOR IRAN TO ASSEMBLE A NUCLEAR WEAPON HAS LENGTHENED FROM TWO TO THREE MONTHS, TO 12 MONTHS OR MORE. While there are many more facets of the deal, the short of it is, under the sanctions of the deal, the time it would take for Iran to assemble a nuclear weapon has lengthened from two to three months, to 12 months or more. This would give the U.S. time to react and take action against Iran.

As a result of Iran’s compliance, many previous sanctions have been lifted, or suspended, depending on who you talk to, and this opens many doors for Iran. Lifting the sanctions opens the Iranian economy to 10

international trade and investment and puts them back in the world financial market. While this new freedom may help Iran improve their economy, the effect on the U.S. economy, at least in 2016, will be slim to none.

“The deal won’t affect the U.S. economy or offer growth in 2016,” said George Abed, senior counselor and director for Africa and the Middle East at the IIF [Institute of International Finance], in a Bloomberg Business Article, “As sanctions prevent most U.S. companies from dealing with Iran.”

There may be companies for which it is a threat though. Pistachio farmers, for instance, may suffer as Iran’s crop far surpasses anyone’s in the U.S., and they will now be able to export their supply.

One industry that may thrive though, is the aviation industry. The deal calls for the U.S. to grant licenses to allow the sale of commercial passenger aircraft requiring Iran to invest at least $20 million to update its fleet.

While the deal has some breathing a sigh of relief, when it comes to the oil industry, according to Bloomberg News White House correspondent Angela Greiling Keane, “This couldn’t have come at a worse time.” Iran is a major oil producer and will once again be able to export, contributing to an already oversupplied market. While gas prices could drop even further as the supply grows, as we’ve seen from falling stock market prices, this isn’t necessarily a good thing for U.S. economy.

THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL

LL OF IRAN'S WILL CUT OFF A WAYS TO A POTENTIAL PATH KING: BOMB BY BLOC uranium at Highly enriched Natanz Facility uranium at Highly enriched Fordow Facility utonium

pl Weapons-grade

to produce Covert attempts fissile material -deal

Source: wh.gov/iran

Sharon Squassoni, director of the Proliferation Prevention Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) told Nina Easton of Fortune Magazine that the best part of the deal was the fact that “It’s enforceable.” She believes it will dial back Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons. But she also believes it could cause an arms race in the Middle East.

Still others may worry that the deal may not be enough to make Iran comply, but the White House assures the public that they aren’t simply trusting Iran to comply. A brief issued by the White House, emphasizes the fact that if at any time Iran is not complying, sanctions can be snapped back into place. A major part of the deal was Iran conceding to 24/7 monitoring of their facilities and nuclear programs. This prevents them from trying to move forward in secret.

And while the U.S. economy may not be affected right away, Iran’s will. And that could mean bad news as they begin gathering resources other than weapons, as opponents of the deal believe they will.

And, for those worried, not all sanctions are being lifted, only those related to nuclear programs. Iran is still considered a state sponsor of terror and will be treated as such.

Allison Spooner is a freelance, content wizard. She writes content that helps businesses in Lansing and beyond tell their stories, educate their customers, and promote their brands. She is the Content Manager at StartupLansing, an online publication about startup activity in Lansing, regularly contributes to Capital Gains and loves helping businesses bring their words and ideas to life. To follow her writing journey and see a list of her professional content services, visit her website at theresistantwriter. com or find her on twitter at @allyspoon.

When it comes to the question of whether or not the U.S. made a good deal, there are many conflicting opinions and a few Republican presidential nominees have already said if they were elected they would repeal it. But, many still feel it’s a good deal, for the U.S. at least.

G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

So, whether you believe the deal was the right or wrong move, the fact remains that it is historic. But, the historic impact it will have remains to be seen.

AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards: Past Winners .............................14 The 22nd Annual Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards Showcase Local Business Success............................................................................................ 16 Lansing Business of the Year ................................................................................ 18 Entrepreneur of the Year ....................................................................................... 20 Emerging Entrepreneur .......................................................................................... 22 Entrepreneurial Spirit .............................................................................................. 24 Socially Responsible Entrepreneur ................................................................... 26 Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards photos........................................28 Staying in Your Own Lane is Key to Success..................................................30 Addressing Fear with Entrepreneurship..........................................................32 Tracking Your Advertising Leads.......................................................................... 34 Jeff Jackson: A Judge’s Perspective................................................................... 36 Technology for the Entrepreneur........................................................................ 40 Think Space: Where New Ideas Are Born.......................................................42 Lansing Proto............................................................................................................... 44 MSUFCU: Supporting Local Businesses Every Day....................................46

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G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS: PAST WINNERS

2012

2013

2014

2015

NAME

Founder/CEO Founder/CEO

Doberman Technologies Triterra

Mike Maddox Ron Boji Jeff Kresnak

President and CEO President Owner

ASK Boji Group Superior Asphalt

Crispin Velasquez Chris Johnson

President Founder/CEO

C&E Pipeline On Target Living

Ryan Lowe & Nikali Luke Mark Kraushaar & Leigh Kraushaar

Owners Owners

Simplified Tax and Accounting Services Bell Title Company

Thomas Salisbury Lance Thompson

President and Owner President and CEO

Reliable Aftermarket Parts, Inc. Baseline Data Services, LLC

Stephen Russell

President

A/C Electrical Contractors

Rochelle Rizzi Peter W. Kramer

Owner President

Tiffany Klein Jack Davis

Owner Partner

Gary Seelye Claudia Deschaine

President Grants Manager

Rizzi Designs Kramer Management Group, Inc. La Fille Gallery Loomis, Ewert, Parsley, Davis & Gotting Seelye Group LTD Dart Foundation

D.L. Kesler

Owner

D.L. & Sons Kesler Construction

Amy Trahey

President

Bo Noles Angela Witwer and Lorri Rishar Jandron Dr. John Wycoff Chad Jordan Justin Caine Barbara Fails Raftshol

President and CEO President and CEO

Jason Schreiber Louis and George Eyde Steve Trecha

2011

COMPANY

Ian Richardson Don McNabb

Chad Paalman

14

POSITION

Dr. Terry Matthews & Catherine Matthews Lisa O'Connor Debbie Barnett Dr. Martin Valley Ryan Doom & Kevin Southworth Rebecca Jeon Jim Brumbach & Heidi Brumbach

AWARD

LOCATION

Emerging Entrepeneur Socially Responsible Entrepreneur Entrepreneurial Spirit Entrepreneur of the Year Business of the Year

Mason Lansing

Emerging Entrepreneur Socially Responsible Entrepreneur Entrepreneurial Spirit

Lansing Bath

Entrepreneur of the Year

Okemos

Sales and Distribution Entrepreneur Information Technology Entrepreneur Construction Entrepreneur Marketing Entrepreneur Emerging Entrepreneur

Williamston

On the Rise Law Entrepreneur

Lansing Lansing

Service Entrepreneur Socially Responsible Organization Master Entrepreneur

Lansing Mason

Great Lakes Engineering Group, LLC Capital Imaging Edge Partnerships

Engineering

Lansing

Printing Professional Service

Lansing Lansing

Owner Owner Founder Professor of Rural Entrepreneurship President

Wycoff Wellness Center Cravings Gourmet Popcorn Good Fruit Video Michigan State University

Healthcare Emerging Entrepreneur Socially Responsible Socially Responsible

Lansing Lansing & Okemos Lansing East Lansing

NuWave Technology Partners

Technology

Multiple Michigan Locations

President Partners Chief Results Officer Owners

AriaLink The Eyde Company Integrated Strategies

Communications Master Entrepreneur Logistics

Lansing East Lansing Okemos

Lansing Urgent Care

Healthcare

Lansing & Okemos

President

Publicom

East Lansing

CEO and Owner Owner Owners

Tomie Raines, Inc. Valley Dental Spa Web Ascender

Owner Technical Director & CEO

SanSu Sushi & Cocktails Event Depot

Marketing Communications Real Estate Professional Service Information Technology Entrepreneur Restaurant Emerging Entrepreneur

G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

Lansing Lansing Grand Rapids

Lansing

East Lansing Lansing Lansing Lansing

Bath

East Lansing Okemos Okemos East Lansing East Lansing

2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

THE 22ND ANNUAL GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SHOWCASE LOCAL BUSINESS SUCCESS

BY MELISSA DOWRICK

On Thursday, March 3 Greater Lansing Business Monthly hosted the 22nd Annual Entrepreneurial Awards at Eagle Eye Golf Course. Community members, business leaders, entrepreneurs and supporters were among the many that attended this year’s event.

Mingling in the crowd were many eager individuals excited for the evening to unfold.

Exchanges of greetings, shaking of hands, congratulations to nominees and nervous laughter and smiles led up to the awards ceremony.

“This is one of my favorite nights of the year.”

Tiffany Dowling, president and CEO of M3 Group and publisher of Greater Lansing Business Monthly, said to the crowd during the awards. “It is my privilege to have an opportunity to showcase the amazing individuals taking risks every day and building businesses that grow our local economy.”

Each year, judges are presented with nominated business profiles, narratives and financial information to choose a winner in five categories. Qualifying nominees were presented to the judges to find a recipient for Emerging Entrepreneur, Socially Responsible Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Entrepreneur of the Year and Greater Lansing Business of the Year.

“Just seeing some of the nominees … I know the decision could not have been easy,” added co-host April Clobes, president and CEO of MSU Federal Credit Union. “It takes businesses of all shapes and sizes to create a robust economy and that would not be possible without our entrepreneurs.”

The elimination of some categories was a change that Dowling made in 2013 with the intention

of casting a wider net and seeking honorees that truly qualify for each award, no matter the industry they were in.

An addition to the program this year was Paul Jaques, the director of student and community engagement at Spartan Innovations. He touched on the many organizations in the community that are focused on building a culture of entrepreneurship.

Tim Suprise, founder and president of Arcadia Brewing Company, was the guest speaker for this year’s awards program. Before establishing Arcadia Brewing Company, Suprise worked five years in law enforcement before a 10-year career in the paper industry, which eventually led him and his family to Kalamazoo, Mich.

After traveling throughout the U.S. and overseas to the world’s paper mills, he found his passion for locally made beers. In 1996, he left his job to establish Arcadia Brewing Company in Battle Creek, Mich., and then in 2014, he opened the Kalamazoo Riverfront Brewery, Pub & Kitchen in Kalamazoo, Mich. Suprise plans to open a new location in Lansing as early as August 2016.

Among the speakers for the night was Bruce Dunn of Maner Costerisan who spoke as a representative for the judges. This year’s judges consisted of Bruce Dunn of Maner Costerisan, Mike Maddox of ASK, James Anderton of Loomis Law Firm, Melody Warzecha of Union Bank, Jeff Jackson of MSU Federal Credit Union, Debbie Petersmark of WILX TV 10, Chris Thelen of Consumers Energy, Jeff Kresnak of Lansing Asphalt and Ian Richardson of Doberman Technologies. The final decisions of the winners were made during a special judges meeting.

THIS YEAR GREATER LANSING BUSINESS MONTHLY WAS PROUD TO HONOR THE FOLLOWING: ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Pat Gillespie, Gillespie Group GREATER LANSING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Tom Kuschinski, Nick Uppal, Colin Cronin and Raji Uppal, DTN Management Co. EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR Jeffrey McWherter, Gravity Works Design ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Kellie Murphy, Kellie’s Consignments SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEUR Keith Granger, Granger

Businesses come in all shapes and sizes and with unique missions and selling propositions.

The one thing every small business has in common is that it continues to be the lifeblood of the economy. The greater Lansing region is home to amazing companies with the spirit and drive to make a big impact.

It is with the support of the community, these honorees will continue their success and go on to do great things.

Melissa Dowrick is a MSU graduate, M3 Group event planner and dog mom of two. She loves fashion and fall is her favorite season. She embraces all the good things because life is TOO short to be unhappy!

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

LANSING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

DTN ADDS VALUE TO THE LANSING COMMUNITY

BY ALICIA PILMORE

When DTN Management was named Business of the Year at the 2016 Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards, Co-Founder Tom Kuschinski was more than pleased to receive the award.

From left to right: Colin Cronin, Raji Upal and Tom Kuschinski

“It’s very exciting to be honored in that way,” said Kuschinski. “We have very strong ties to the Lansing area, because by far, everything we’ve done has been in the Lansing area up until recently… so it was really nice to get the recognition.”

GETTING STARTED DTN’s ties to Lansing stretch back more than 40 years, when Kuschinski started the company with his brother-in-law, Nick Uppal. Both had undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering, and at the time the company was founded, both were working on graduate degrees: Kuschinski was finishing his master’s program in marketing at Michigan State University while Uppal was working on a Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Michigan.

“We liked college life,” said Kuschinski. “After I got my master’s, I called Nick and said that I was looking for jobs – I had just received my master’s degree – and I wasn’t interested in the jobs that were offered. We also liked being on a college campus, so we decided we would try to buy apartment buildings and renovate them to create a more desirable product for the community ... ” The brothers-in-law looked at properties in both the Ann Arbor and Lansing areas, eventually settling on a property in Holt. Within six months, Uppal moved to the Lansing area to devote more time to the business, and from there, the two continued to look for other properties, with a greater emphasis on student housing.

In the beginning, Kuschinski and Uppal were the only employees, working out of a one-room office in an older house.

“What really made us successful, more than anything, was repositioning old properties in great locations,” Kuschinski said. “We purchased properties in locations that were within walking distance from Michigan State University’s campus that were either mismanaged or not taken care of. We realized that students deserved to have good services and 18

a nice place to live. So we’d take the properties, put in new kitchens, bathrooms, new carpeting and painting; a complete renovation.”

road out in the middle of nothing. Someone had the vision to put an upscale community there with nothing around it.”

NEW BUSINESS VENTURES

That vision turned into one of the most luxurious properties in the Lansing area. Aspen Lakes Estates offers its residents an experience unlike anything else in the Lansing area. From the lavishly furnished clubhouse to the well-equipped fitness center, every amenity oozes extravagance.

About 20 years ago, as repositioning properties became more popular, Kuschinski and Uppal saw a demand for newer, upscale properties and decided to start building their own buildings.

One of the most successful of those apartment buildings was Aspen Lakes Estates, located on Lone Pine in Holt, Mich.

Building new properties requires a certain amount of vision, and building Aspen Lakes is a clear example of the success that an entrepreneurial spirit and some imagination can bring.

“When you talk about the kinds of entrepreneurs in the building business, Aspen Lakes down in Holt, is probably one of the best examples,” said Colin Cronin, one of the principals of DTN. “When they started this 20 years ago, [Aspen Lakes] was nothing but a cornfield on a dirt

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“When our appraisers came in, they said they hadn’t seen a property of this quality in the Michigan area – they’re not talking Lansing; they’re talking about the entire state,” said Raji Uppal, principal of DTN. “Our focus was to produce the best quality property.”

Aspen Lakes Estates, which has been growing steadily over the past 15 years, has approximately 500 residential units, and the property is nearly full.

The company has continued to grow to include other business ventures. DTN now has four

2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

divisions: residential property management, commercial development, construction and an Internet and cable company, which offers high-speed Internet to DTN residents at a lower cost than other providers in the area.

RISKS AND REWARDS With any business, risk taking is oftentimes inevitable and necessary.

But companies that take calculated risks reap the most rewards. Over the years, DTN has found the perfect formula for smart risk taking. The secret? Understanding what each market segment wants and needs, and providing the best service possible based on those criteria.

“The different market segments that we deal with are all unique. Of course, we have students in East Lansing; out in Holt, up in DeWitt, we’ve got a true conventional product … just very different demographics and very different markets,” said Cronin. “You have to understand the market and what the best price point is.

“Each property is its own stand-alone entity. It’s almost like you’re building an individual business, and that business has to be able to survive on its own, and you have to understand that going into the new project.”

One of the unique things that DTN has done to minimize the risks involved with their business is maintaining a balance between creating quality units and taking the time to “do it right.” DTN’s owners aren’t as concerned with the quantity of properties in the area, but rather the quality of those properties, and if that means building a unit over 15 years, that’s fine with them.

One of the projects that all four principals are most excited about is The Vista at the Heights, a 124-unit apartment community offering a mix of studios, one, two and three bedroom units, that is located in the Eastwood Towne Center. The community offers upscale urban apartment units, which include quartz countertops, luxury vinyl tile and floor-toceiling windows with uninterrupted views of the Lansing area. Some of the features of the community include a fitness center, yoga room, lounge area, two clubhouses and Wi-Fi in all common areas.

“The units will surround the courtyard, and include a spa pool, barbeque grills, fire pits, and a putting green,” said Kuschinski.

“They’re absolutely beautiful units and it is by far the nicest apartment community in the mid-Michigan area.”

As DTN continues to grow into other communities in Michigan, Kuschinski noted that their intentions are not to rapidly expand, but to steadily add value to each community they do business in.

“We’re very involved in all aspects of the business – we like being able to get our hands on it personally,” he said. “Once you start flying all over the place, you’re in and out and you can’t get really close, so we aren’t looking to take DTN nationwide right now.”

“We have a responsibility to our employees and the communities we’re in, and how we can make this area better” Raji added. “Our focus is really to make Lansing great – we want to make the places that we invest in world class.”

“The ability to change as the market conditions change helps to mitigate the risk in the long run,” said Cronin. “When you develop a little bit slower, you have the ability to change as you get new information, and that’s incredibly valuable.”

FAMILY MATTERS When the principals of DTN talk about the company, one of the biggest aspects of the business that they emphasize is their focus on family and family values. Some of Kuschinski and Nick’s family members are involved in upper management positions within the company; Cronin is Kuschinski’s son-in-law and Raji is Nick’s son – eventually the two will take over the company, and younger generations will step in as well.

But it’s not only actual family members who are invested in the company; everyone who works for DTN and lives in their units is considered family.

That sentiment shows in the way they treat their customers, employees and everyone in between.

“A lot of our staff has been with us for over 30 years – over 20 years,” said Kuschinski. “It’s because of the stability that we offer – they live here, they move with us and they grow with us. It’s like they’re a part of our family.”

“When people say, ‘what’s DTN?’ we say that it’s family values lived throughout the long-term here,” added Raji. “We found that when we take care of our customers and we take care of our employees, the ownership will be successful. So our focus has very much been about taking care of our employees and our customers, with a customer-focus, managing our risks and growing.”

Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Award Recipients The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to support more than 1,100 members and 55,000 employees that are driving economic investment and job creation in the Greater Lansing region!

LOOKING FORWARD If nothing else, it is clear that DTN isn’t going away any time soon: the company is currently working on five projects in the Lansing area, as well as expanding into Grand Rapids.

www.lansingchamber.org

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ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

PAT GILLESPIE BRINGS GROWTH AND INNOVATION TO LANSING

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

It would ring of hype if it weren’t true. The Gillespie Group is changing the face of Lansing and has been since 1994.

Gillespie called the award a reminder that his company is long established by now, and serves an important role in helping transform Lansing.

Led by founder and President Pat Gillespie, the company is populating the city with eyecatching, bold apartment buildings.

Its commercial developments stress design and function, downtown and out-town. They mirror a city that is changing, a transformation that Gillespie is helping to bring about.

“I’m humbled by it,” he said.

“Growing up in Lansing, you would pick up Greater Lansing Business Monthly and see stories about local entrepreneurs. I would wonder if I could be like them some day.”

In selecting Gillespie for the award, the magazine highlighted the new life and energy his developments bring to communities in Lansing.

And it noted his commitment to growth and change.

Reflecting his influence, community engagement and business success, the Greater Lansing Business Monthly named Gillespie its Entrepreneur of the Year. Chosen from 10 candidates by a panel of judges, the award recognizes his unique level of leadership in the greater Lansing region.

“He is motivated to invest in this community by opening new doors and always asking, ‘Why not Lansing?’” Dowling said.

“Among many competitors, over many years, good and bad economic times, this entrepreneur has set himself apart,” Publisher Tiffany Dowling said announcing the award. “From the very beginning, this entrepreneur has been at the forefront of each project. His approach is simple: Dream big and reach higher. He has worked

There is no better example of these in Lansing than Gillespie’s Marketplace, Midtown and Outfield projects.

hard to position the company as a community problem solver and the go-to team. They specialize in creative urban development and revitalizing communities.”

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Gillespie has often spoken of the areas prevailing architecture as beige, even boring. His most recent rental buildings address that with colors that demand attention: red, blue, purple, lilac, tangerine and avocado.

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

He acknowledged that his buildings are attention-getters, seen as both positive and negative. But he added that what may seem radical in Lansing is well-established architecture in other parts of the country.

“We go to Nashville or Columbus or Madison and look at these kinds of buildings. They’re cool and there are lots of them. We may be the first one in this region to do them, but why not borrow some of the things that are working in the progressive regions of the country.”

His newest buildings fill up quickly, mostly with young professionals or older students.

And it’s his projects like Marketplace, which is adjacent to the Lansing City Market, Midtown on Michigan Avenue near the Lansing/East Lansing city line and the Stadium District opposite Cooley Law School Stadium that have lured renters back into the city. He estimates his projects have brought between 250 and 300 people into city neighborhoods. And that’s before the Outfield project – scheduled to open in April – brings another hundred to downtown, he said.

The Outfield may be Gillespie’s most innovative project has gotten national attention.

Nearly completed, the five-story building overlooking the playing field has 84 units, many of them with ballpark views. Residents – and very likely, friends – will be able to watch baseball games or entertainment staged in the stadium from their living rooms. In addition, there is a common area that is open to all Gillespie Group tenants.

“I wish the project were bigger,” Gillespie said of the Outfield. “Initially, we were nervous. Are people going to want to live with the lights, noise and sounds?”

Apparently they are. Of the 84 units, 45 already are leased, with only two apartments remaining on the ballpark side. Gillespie has met with officials of another nearby minor league baseball team to explore a similar project in their outfield and there are other clubs that want to visit once the project is complete.

“It may be a real niche for our company,” he said.

Less flashy, but also important to the Gillespie Group are its commercial projects. For these, Gillespie has an approach grounded in economics, business and social progress that are attractive and functional. He expects

his commercial and multi-use projects to be pedestrian-friendly, ecologically sensitive and architecturally distinctive. He also wants them to be acceptable to the communities that surround them.

“We are ambassadors for Lansing,” Gillespie said of his company’s philosophy. “Our commitment, whether with our buildings and how we treat people, is to get people to look at Lansing in a more positive and progressive way.”

Community is important. Gillespie is a local guy: He grew up on Foster Street, attended Resurrection School, Lansing Catholic High School and graduated from Michigan State University. Even as a teenager he wanted a career in real estate and leasing. He recalled that he would talk to local developers and ask about their business, their career decisions and their mistakes.

They encouraged him to follow his passion. He did, and today he has more than 70 employees, projects in eight Michigan communities and a portfolio of properties awaiting development.

This is why he is Greater Lansing Business Monthly’s Entrepreneur of the Year.

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR

JEFF MCWHERTER: FACING DOWN FEAR

BY SARAH SPOHN

At the 2016 Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards, Jeff McWherter, owner of Gravity Works Design + Development, was pleased to accept the Emerging Entrepreneur Award.

McWherter mentioned it took some convincing from co-workers to submit a consideration for the award.

“I’m not a big person on awards for myself,” he said. “When we talked about it internally, I was always referring to it as something for our employees, and our employees were referring to it as something for the company.”

While McWherter proudly accepted the award, he admits there’s just one thing he does really well within his Lansing web design and development company.

“I am just the guy who started the company,” he said. “I think I do one thing really well, and that’s hiring people. And it’s the rest of the staff - I would not be where I am without Gravity Works, and Gravity Works is why I received this award.”

McWherter previously worked for consulting companies in the Lansing area, but knew he wanted to focus more on design, something he thought was missing in web development businesses locally.

“They were heavy on the backend,” he said of the companies. “There wasn’t really a good blend between the design world and the programming world, and when we started Gravity Works, we were one of the first ones around town doing it.”

“We wanted to put Lansing on the map for development, and we thought that we would be able to build a firm to do that.”

Being visionaries in their craft meant the startup had to pave the way, and that leap of faith didn’t come without worry. McWherter admits he was scared the entire time.

The second day after starting the company, McWherter was added to a panel for a Lansing IT council on startups and entrepreneurs. He sat next to his former boss, from the job he had just quit.

The event’s emcee, Chris Holman, was firing off questions to the panel, one of which was asked of McWherter. “The one question I remember was one of the very first questions—something like ‘what is your everyday life?’” he recalled.

“I just came out and said, ‛I’m scared. I’m literally scared with every decision that I make. And sometimes it inhibits my decision to make good decisions. I’m constantly second-guessing myself.’

“And usually, as emcees, they leave it up to the panel to talk about it, but Chris just chimed in and said, ‘Don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine. Once you get over that, you’re going to be able to tackle that next problem and just get over it.’”

That little piece of advice stuck with McWherter, more so than the entrepreneurial business books he had read.

“It’s simple advice,” he said. “It’s very difficult to act on it, but I try to act on it all the time, every time I have that issue.”

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While this businessman had initially wanted to start his web company with a certain amount of money in the bank for his family and detailed plans in place, he admits it didn’t pan out that way.

“The opportunity presented itself, the time was right and we struck,” said McWherter, “and it worked out great.”

Taking a risk, leaving comfortable jobs to follow a passion to start something new from scratch isn’t always easy, but according to McWherter, it’s worth it.

His advice to future entrepreneurs is to “get over” that fear. “There’s always something to worry about, it’s just how much worry do you need to put into it. Don’t sweat the little things; move on to the big things.”

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ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

KELLIE MURPHY TURNS A HOBBY INTO A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS

BY SARAH SPOHN

Kellie Murphy, owner of Kellie’s Consignments in Okemos wasn’t expecting a win at the 2016 Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards. Perhaps Murphy could have recited her business logo ‘expect the unexpected,’ when she got ready for the prestigious community awards program.

Despite the shock, Murphy was pleased to thank the judges and community for supporting and rewarding her retail-focused passion with the Entrepreneurial Spirit award.

Opening its doors in 2006 out of a small house on Park Lake Road in Okemos, Murphy took a leap of faith, transitioning from a radiation technician and healthcare-centered employee to an entrepreneur.

“I got burnt out and wanted to do my own thing,” Murphy said. “I wanted something to do, a hobby. I wanted to own my own store but I found out how expensive it was to stock it to begin with,” she said. “One day I was at a consignment store and was like ‘oh wait, I’ll let other people bring me their stuff and I’ll sell it’ and that’s literally where it all started.”

Her ‘hobby’ turned into a bright and burgeoning business on the east side of the region.

The current 13,000 square foot establishment hosts high-end, quality pieces of clothing for

men and women, furniture, vintage jewelry and accessories, modern décor and more.

Kellie’s Consignments has been housed in a retail space off of Okemos Road near Meijer for the last five years and Murphy said that the shop is ready for its next transition to a 24,000 square foot building in April of this year.

Murphy spoke about her ever-evolving business.

“Next thing I knew, this place was too small, and the next place was too small,” she said.

“Then I thought, if I build it, will they come?

We filled it faster than I could imagine, and now we’re off to bigger and better things. We’re going to add a lot of divisions when we move; things that we don’t do now.”

While Kellie’s Consignments was started with a partner, and credited to a lot of luck, Murphy is now aware of the many resources to help businesses like hers grow within the greater Lansing community.

“I never knew there was help. I kind of did it on just gut feeling,” she said. “Just this year, I was introduced to the Small Business Association, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Michigan Certified Development Corporation and they have helped me figure out how to run a business. I have always just got lucky with what I was doing.”

Even after being awarded the Entrepreneurial Spirit award, Kellie said she never thought of herself as an entrepreneur.

“I just wanted to do something where nobody else was telling me what to do. I’ve always kind of been a leader, and I just did it for fun,” she said. “I thought, ‘oh, we can sell people’s stuff and if we make enough to stay open - yahoo, and then one day, I’m like ‘I think I could make a living doing this’ and now here I am.”

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SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEUR

KEITH GRANGER:

CREATING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS

BY ALICIA PILMORE

As Granger celebrates its 50th anniversary, no one at the waste management company was more pleased to win the Socially Responsible Entrepreneur Award than CEO Keith Granger.

“From an outsider’s perspective, I think people would say, ‘Granger, of course; they provide recycling and waste management services,’” said Keith. “I look at socially responsible as including those things, but going beyond that – how do we conduct business? How do we treat our associates and our customers? Do we give back to the community in any way? When I package all of that under the umbrella of being socially responsible, its pretty cool.”

Granger began as a construction company in 1966, and moved into waste management

as a means to solve their construction debris problem. The Granger brothers bought a truck and began hauling away their own debris from construction sites when they couldn’t find a waste management company to do it for them.

Not long after, other contractors began to request this service from the Granger brothers, and the company grew from there.

Today, Granger associates operate more than 100 waste management trucks every day and services areas throughout mid-Michigan from Jackson County to as far north as Isabella County.

Over the years, Granger has also grown to incorporate recycling services. And in 1985, they began a renewable energy business as

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a way to better use the resources that were available to them through waste management.

that happy employees make the whole company stronger.

“What we like to say is that Granger collects tomorrow’s energy,” said Keith. “The trash we pick up from all of the communities we’re in and the businesses we work with, we bring back to our landfills. The trash naturally decomposes and creates methane; we capture the methane and pipe it to a facility to fuel large engines that turn generators and create energy that we put on the grid.”

However, leading a family business as large as Granger doesn’t come without its challenges, and Keith noted that managing the expectations of his family members can often be the most challenging part of running the business.

“I’m the third generation to run this business and the transition from one generation to the next can be pretty tricky. The big challenge is meeting family expectations while still running a sustainable, viable business,” he said. “But when you have harmony in a family unit and the business owners agree on a direction and the vision that we have, it produces a very strong enterprise.”

The company currently operates 17 plants in six states and produces enough energy to power 38,000 average sized homes everyday.

“It’s really great, because what would otherwise be a wasted resource is now being used to power homes,” said Keith.

As a family company, Granger has always put an emphasis on family values. Keith cited Christian values – the Golden Rule – as one of the most important values that each generation has handed down to the next.

Since Keith took over as CEO 13 years ago, he has put a greater emphasis on growth and improvement within the company and strives to make Granger bigger, better and stronger every day. For Keith, that means continuing to expand the company and creating an environment where those who work for Granger like to come to work. He believes

demonstrated in the way we treat one another.

For example, when we got all that snow [at the beginning of March] we literally had drivers stop what they were doing, get out of their trucks and help people who were stuck. They weren’t asked to do that, but they know that if they were in that situation or a family member was stuck, they would want someone to help them out. That kind of differentiates us: We’re not just saying it, we’re acting it out.”

In the future, Keith hopes that Granger will continue to grow and serve the community for many years to come.

“We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, and we’re trying to be here for another 50 years,” he said. “Our roots are in Lansing, and the community has been very good to us. We hope that we have been an asset to the community, and we see that hopefully continuing for many years to come.”

Alicia Pilmore is a Communications Specialist at M3 Group and Editor for Greater Lansing Business Monthly. She loves writing, wine tasting and spoiling her cat, Pishi.

“I think what it’s done for Granger as a company is created a culture of associates who really care for people,” Keith said. “It’s

Accounting Audit Business Consulting Entrepreneurial and Family Business Fraud Detection and Prevention IT Consulting Political Campaign Finance Reporting Retirement Plan Administration Retirement Planning Tax Planning and Preparation

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS Once again, members of the Lansing business community gathered together for the 22nd Annual Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards.

A panel of judges selected five award winners from a pool of 11 nominees, and winners past and present showed up in force for the event.

The award ceremony, which was hosted by the Greater Lansing Business Monthly, M3 Group and MSUFCU, took place at Eagle Eye on March 3.

Guest speaker Tim Suprise of Arcadia Brewing Company kicked off the awards ceremony with an

inspiring speech about his path to entrepreneurship, and left the crowd buzzing with excitement.

Winners of the night included Gravity Works Design and Development, Kellie’s Consignments, Granger, Pat Gillespie and DTN Management.

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Tim Suprise, founder and president of Arcadia Brewing Company, was the guest speaker for this year’s awards program.

Kellie Murphy, owner of Kellie’s Consignments, accepts the Entrepreneurial Spirit award.

Tiffany Dowling, president and CEO of M3 Group and publisher of Greater Lansing Business Monthly co-hosts The 22nd Annual Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards.

Jeff McWherter, owner of Gravity Works Design + Development accepts the Emerging Entrepreneur Award.

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WINNING ENTREPRENEUR: STAYING IN YOUR OWN LANE IS KEY TO SUCCESS

BY KRISTINE RICHMOND

What is entrepreneurship? You might think the answer is obvious, yet that depends on who you ask. According to Professor Howard Stevenson, the godfather of entrepreneurship studies at Harvard Business School, entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity beyond resources controlled. Stevenson’s definition implies a singular relentless focus on a new venture while lacking access to the required resources; this requires a considerable amount of risk.

I recently sat down with one of those risktakers and 2010 Emerging Entrepreneur Award winner, Joe Ford, managing partner of Netvantage Marketing. Ford shared insights into what contributed to his tremendous success since starting his business with cofounder Adam Henige in 2008.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED SINCE WINNING THE AWARD? The mission and core of our business has stayed the same, which is why I think we’ve been successful. Our goal is still to help businesses use Google to get more business. That is just very simple. That was our goal in 2008 when we started and it is still our goal today.

The game has changed for us in terms of the scope of our team. It’s been a natural progression of growing our business. We went from just Adam and myself at the beginning to a team of nine employees. We have five full-time staff in our East Lansing office. The office in Grand Rapids, which was started in 2012, includes my business partner Adam and two other staff (one full-time and one parttime). It has brought us a lot of great clients, and we’ve built a lot of great relationships on that side of the state. I would call the Chicago office our satellite. We have a gentleman that works out of there full-time. We opened that office in early 2015 without much fanfare and done on purpose. It was a classic case where you’ve got an employee who’s one of your best players and he wants to move to Chicago. We said rather than you leave us, why don’t we just move you there and you can keep working with us. That has worked out very well.

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HOW HAS YOUR COMPANY GROWN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS? Last year [in 2015], our net income grew 55 percent year over year, and from 2013 to 2014, it grew 65 percent. From when we recorded our first full year in business in 2009 (we started in May of 2008) as compared to 2015, we have grown 313 percent.

some projects because of it because we were looked at as too narrow or too small. But I know that the ratio in terms of what projects we’ve gained because of that has been far greater. For every one project we may have lost, we’ve won 20. It doesn’t even compare.

The other thing that has been key for us is our partnerships with agencies and shops across the country that build websites or that do traditional full-service Managing that [growth] can be JOE FORD agency work. They have the a challenge and that’s why we Managing partner of Netvantage Marketing clients, so when the client says are very calculated in terms of what about this, if the agency how we scale up for staff. We isn’t staffed up in that area, or bill on intellectual time here. As they don’t want to deal with getting somebody your business grows and as the client flow comes ranked on Google, then that’s where we come in. in, if you didn’t have the staff to do the work, in the Because this is all we do, we are not a competitive old days in 2009 and 2010, all that meant was that threat. It’s been an incredible niche for us. I would you worked 18 to 20 hours a day versus 16 hours a say 60 percent of our work comes from agency day. At some point you just can’t physically do that. partnerships where people trust us and know we Even though my business partner and I still work a lot, you have to be smarter in what you are doing. are going to do a good job and just do that. This has really helped to accelerate our growth.

You want to surround yourself with really good people that are willing to put the time and the work ALTHOUGH MANY SPEAK OF WINNING, in and execute on the projects. Now that we’ve got LOSING CAN HAPPEN ON THE WAY a team in place we are able to have conversations TO SUCCESS. CAN YOU GIVE ME AN with larger enterprise companies, [those with over EXAMPLE OF A FAILURE AND WHAT $1 billion in revenue]. We still LESSONS YOU LEARNED FROM IT? have a great client roster of small to medium businesses, In 2012, we saw an emergence in the social media but for sure we have way more area. We had someone on staff who was really good businesses today that are $4-5 million or more in terms of their at it. Because of that, we started to change what we were saying, and saying we do social media and own size than we ever thought will manage that. And then that person left. We we would. We also have several pivoted on the talent of one employee versus where enterprise clients like DTE Energy, Herman Miller the company was going. When that employee and Greenstone Farm Credit Services, that we have on a more consistent basis; that’s been probably one left, that void was huge and we never refilled [that position]. We tried to refill it and it didn’t work out. of the big changes between then and now.

It made for a difficult situation; it was about an eight-month timeframe. That was a lesson learned WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CONTRIBUTING where no matter how great staff members are, we FACTOR IN YOUR SUCCESS? are going to stay in our own lane.

We have had opportunities along the way where Kristine Richmond is the Public we could have veered in what we do. We do Relations Specialist at M3 Group. search engine optimization and a lot of people She specializes in helping clients tell lump that in with website design and social their stories of changed lives, fiscal media coordination. We just don’t do that. We success, philanthropic support and stay very core to what we do and that’s been more by creating engaging messages the key to our success. We’ve probably lost that grab customers’ attention and cause them to act.

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

What’s so special about the number 5?

In basketball, the number 5 is used to represent the position of center The 5th U.S. President was James Monroe

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There are 5 departments at Maner Costerisan ready to serve our client needs When you engage a CPA firm, you expect to work with professionals with diverse financial experience. At Maner Costerisan, that’s exactly what you get. We have the depth of knowledge to ensure that clients’ expectations are not only met, but exceeded. Our team of professionals has the ability to handle the most complex and challenging tasks.

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ADDRESSING FEAR WITH ENTREPRENEURSHIP

BY CHRIS G. THELEN

One of the biggest factors in any business is fear. It is a natural human instinct that can be both a positive and negative motivator. Fear can stop us from taking unnecessary risks, yet it can also prevent us from taking risks that can create innovative new products or revolutionary discoveries.

Fear can be the impetus for gaining or losing market share, employees, profits and sales. Fear can also be a key factor in starting a business.

When I look at entrepreneurs in the Lansing area, I marvel at how they must have had to overcome a certain amount of fear to start a business.

I wonder how people who start a business are able to overcome their fear. A certain amount of due diligence can reduce uncertainty and minimize risk, but it can also paralyze a business into inaction. No amount of analysis, research, or even funding will totally eliminate fear.

So how can fear be overcome?

In 1982, quality expert W. Edwards Deming published a book called Out of Crisis. In his book, Deming listed “14 key principles” that he felt were essential to delivering quality goods and services. Point number eight addresses fear: “Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company.” Deming’s approach to eliminating fear is essentially freeing the flow of information throughout the organization so that no one is afraid to communicate ideas as well as problems to anyone in the organization. I think this principle can work in a community as well.

A strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in a community can help provide a free flow of information that can help minimize the fear of starting

A STRONG ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM IN A COMMUNITY CAN HELP PROVIDE A FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP MINIMIZE THE FEAR OF STARTING A BUSINESS. a business. The Lansing area is fortunate to have a strong ecosystem for entrepreneurs. Whether it’s a business plan, funding, mentoring or even office space, there are several places for resources (listed below) that will help take an idea to reality; places that will help minimize the risk through the experience and know-how of other entrepreneurs and business leaders. Getting youth comfortable with entrepreneurship is another piece of that ecosystem that helps to create a certain level of comfort with starting a business from a young age on.

The Clinton County Economic Alliance recently held its sixth annual Young Entrepreneurs Competition, where students submit business plans and present a presentation for a chance to win scholarships to Lansing Community College. Just last month, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) hosted a Lansing Youth Startup Challenge that awards cash prizes for the best business idea detailed in an executive summary and a display. These are both great examples of how to encourage youth to turn ideas into reality and reduce the fear around starting a business.

Yet even with all of these resources to tap and a certain comfort level with the concept of entrepreneurship, fear can never be totally driven out of the equation of starting a business. It still takes a certain amount of courage to overcome that fear. Entrepreneurs seem to have a specific element that allows them to overcome uncertainty – to overcome whatever fear is creating a barrier to a startup. There is a certain calculated optimism or even a gut instinct that moves the entrepreneur forward when others hesitate. That is an admirable trait in a world that can sometimes overwhelm us with negative things.

Entrepreneurs can give a community a sense of optimism, a sense of being able to overcome obstacles. They can show us how to make the impossible possible, turn risk into opportunity and ideas into reality.

They inspire us to overcome barriers. Perhaps the answer to overcoming fear is to nurture more of the entrepreneurial spirit in our community.

To adapt Deming’s point: drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively in the community.

Chris Thelen is the public affairs area manager at Consumers Energy, where he manages community relations for five counties in the Lansing area. He has lived in the Lansing area with his wife Joanne for more than 20 years.

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Sources: W. Edwards Deming 14 points: www.deming.org/theman/theories/ fourteenpoints | Michigan State University Entrepreneurship Programs & Resources: www.innovation.msu.edu/entrepreneurship.html | LEAP: www.purelansing.com/ Are-you-Starting-a-new-business and www.purelansing.com/youthstartup | Eli Broad College of Business, Institute for Entrepreneurship: ie.broad.msu.edu/

2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

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ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Gillespie Group Pat Gillespie EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR Gravity Works Design Jeffrey McWherter ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Kellie’s Consignments Kellie Murphy

GREATER LANSING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR DTN Management Co. Tom Kuschinski, Nick Uppal, Colin Cronin, & Raji Uppal SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEUR Granger Keith Granger

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TRACKING YOUR ADVERTISING LEADS:

THE DEADLY QUESTION YOU’RE PROBABLY ASKING

BY DEBBIE PETERSMARK

Savvy business owners track things. Revenue, expenses, net profit, operating margin, cash on hand, cash flow, accounts payable and so on. So naturally, business owners also want to track the results of their advertising.

With the explosion of digital media options, tracking the effectiveness of ad dollars has become increasingly more reliable. Google Analytics is free and easy to install; take time to learn about conversion pixels. These pixels tell explain which ads are producing the desired results online (filling out a form, visiting certain pages, making a purchase, etc.). There are many tracking metrics to be aware of in a digital environment.

But be careful. Using digital tracking metrics as the only measure for success may be selling an advertising campaign short. Many digital ads are working to create branding, name awareness and familiarity as well. Customers may see your ad multiple times before clicking through one particular time.

Which leads us to traditional advertising like TV, radio, print, direct mail and billboards.

While trying to track how it’s working, chances are mistakes will be made. Here are a few tips for tracking your leads more effectively: The Deadly Question: “How did you hear about us?”

A prospective customer calls or comes to a store; the receptionist or salespeople are taught to ask them a few questions. Asking the question, “How did you hear about us?” is the first deadly mistake.

The degree of seriousness depends on the nature of your business. Think about the buying cycle

for grocery shopping. It’s much shorter than the decision making process when buying furniture, for example. If the product or service has a long decision making process, it most likely has a higher ticket price. The customer may have seen ads for months or years before they decided to visit the business. The advertising goal is to build an un-aided response – the ability for the consumer to recall the name of the business the moment they decide they need your product or service, without any prompting. But alas, consumers are human and tend to follow a less direct path.

And now, the moment of truth: She is at the store.

So what happens when someone asks her, “How did you hear about us?” She can’t think of one specific thing. She wants to help, but she doesn’t know what to say. She feels pressured, but she smiles and says, “personal referral.” And that business gets nothing.

No insight into how well a marketing and advertising mix is working or any other facts that may be of use.

When business owners don’t know what media mix is working, media representatives are told, “Everybody comes through personal reference.

Word of mouth is great! We don’t need to advertise anymore!” If that were the case, it would be a huge mistake.

The Right Way to Track Advertising Leads First, make a better mousetrap. Ask about all of the business’s advertising sources. Have you heard us on the radio? Have you seen us on TV? Did you find out about us through the MSU Football program? High school yearbook?

Include everything. If the media mix is working, you should see consistent check marks. If one thing isn’t getting checked, stop doing it.

Second, use Google Analytics consistently.

Understand how to read the data or work with a company like WILX Media who can put your analytics into an easy-to-read dashboard.

To help track your traditional advertising, look for a few specific things: 1. Sources to Site: “Direct” means people are typing in the company name. An uptick here means traditional ads are sending people online. They’re not Googling, they’re saying, “I pick you!” These are the most valuable leads.

2. Total Users: Look at the dates. When did the TV advertisements start? When did direct mail piece arrive in mailboxes? When were coupon emails sent out? Upticks around those dates means your ads are working.

3. Mobile Overview: Is the website mobile optimized? Or are mobile users bouncing away?

4. New vs. Returning User: An uptick in new users means ads are working.

5. Views by City: Track geo-targeted digital campaigns here, as well as broadcast ads. If views are gathered from nearby cities, your ads are working.

Traditional and digital advertising work together; it’s called Tradigitial, and it’s easier to track than one might think. Ask a media representative or call WILX Media for a free consultation.

Debbie Petersmark is the General Sales Manager for WILX Media, Lansing/Jackson. For more information about advertising with WILX, email her at debbie. petersmark@wilx.com.

THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING AND HONORING KELLIE MURPHY WITH THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AWARD FOR 2016 KELLIE’S IS MOVING SOON

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MSUFCU Helps Local Businesses Succeed A relationship with a financial institution that offers a wide variety of business products is vital to establishing your company, even if you have no plans to take out loans to build it.

Forming a relationship with MSU Federal Credit Union from the very beginning sets your business up for success. Whether you start as a sole proprietor or as a corporation, the relationship you build now will make future business expansion easier.

In addition to providing a wide variety of services to fit all of your business needs, MSUFCU has staff dedicated to helping your business succeed. No matter how much research you do before opening your doors, there are always a few details we can help you with, such as payroll or merchant processing.

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

JEFF JACKSON: A JUDGE’S PERSPECTIVE Jeff Jackson, chief lending officer at MSU Federal Credit Union has served as a judge for the Greater Lansing Business Monthly’s Entrepreneurial Awards multiple times. We recently sat down with Jeff to talk about the awards, MSUFCU and the impact that entrepreneurs have on the greater Lansing community.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NOMINEES AND PAST WINNERS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS? A lot of their stories are extremely inspirational. People seem to have this passion and vision of what they want and they go out and achieve that.

That serves as a spark to other entrepreneurs who are doing the exact same thing. It inspires hope and action. It’s great that there was such a wide array of individuals represented in the community. There are plenty of other companies in the area that deserve recognition as well and would be strong contenders. As a judge of this year’s nominees, there was serious competition. Nominations are widely encouraged!

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FUTURE NOMINEES? Take the time to apply. The process can seem overwhelming at first, but it’s worth it. The recognition alone is positive and something to really hang your hat on. It also gives you the chance to examine your business and discuss what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and how to better accomplish your goals. The Entrepreneurial Awards

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really focuses on businesses that are making a difference in the local community. This is a great chance for your particular business to be recognized for the services that you provide, not just from an economic perspective (in terms of jobs and employment), but also from a customer-oriented perspective.

HOW DOES MSUFCU SUPPORT LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS? MSUFCU supports local businesses JEFF JACKSON each day through loans, endowments Chief lending officer at and financial education opportunities.

MSU Federal Credit Union MSUFCU is proud to support all levels of entrepreneurship, from starting with an idea, to growing an idea into a business. For example, the MSUFCU startUP loan provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to take their business ideas to the next level by fostering growth and creating new ventures in the greater Lansing area. The startUP loan is available to all MSUFCU members who have established new businesses in the past two years in the tri-county area: Ingham, Clinton, and Eaton counties. In addition to the startUP loan, MSUFCU has a vested commitment in The Hatch, a co-working space for area college student entrepreneurs who are ready to develop their business ideas.

The Credit Union also offers a diverse range of free seminars designed to help members make informed and responsible decisions with their finances. From seminars like “How to Get a Business Loan,” to “Crowdfunding Strategies,” to “Starting a Nonprofit: Is it Worth it,” MSUFCU provides members with the resources needed to make their businesses successful.

HOW DOES YOUR ROLE SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS? As the Credit Union’s chief lending officer, it is my responsibility to ensure that the needs of our members, including entrepreneurs, are met and that they consistently receive superior service. Our employees work each day to ensure that these entrepreneurs are able to receive the resources they need to get their businesses off the ground and operating successfully. It’s always exciting to help these members reach their goals by working hand-in-hand to turn their business dreams into realities and to create real-life success stories.

Congratulations 2016 Entrepreneurs You Inspire Michigan!

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A piece of advice that all entrepreneurs should heed is: always keep your consumer and their needs in mind. Whatever product or service you may offer, consumers are the ones who will determine its success. They are the ones who will use this product or service each day, and any modifications made over time should be made to give them the best experience possible.

By always keeping the consumer in mind, you will find that you create loyal customers who will, in turn, keep you in mind when it comes to their repeat business.

2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

TECHNOLOGY FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR

BY MIKE MADDOX

When you hear the words “technology” and “entrepreneur” together, what do you think of? Most people immediately think of “overnight” success stories like Facebook or Twitter. Or you might think of Silicon Valley and legendary entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs. For sure, technology has inspired many great entrepreneurial successes, but it would be a mistake to only think about its impact in that context. Technology is a foundational building block for any successful startup. It’s like building a house and ignoring the plumbing and electrical systems; if it’s ignored, you will save a little up front but you will regret it once the house is built.

For an entrepreneur who is striving to build their dream, I suggest that there are a few key areas to consider regarding the use of technology.

These include efficiency/scalability, security and marketing. No surprise here: these are core elements of any business plan and technology’s role in them can determine success or failure.

Every business needs to think constantly about how to build efficiency in their operations. That is especially true for the startup and the rapidly growing stage one company, but it may not be as obvious to the entrepreneur. They are busy just “doing it”– making things happen. Building efficiency at this stage pays big dividends and it can allow you to eliminate constraints to growth and do more with less resources. Two areas that often get overlooked are business systems and business processes.

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... EFFICIENCY/SCALABILITY, SECURITY AND MARKETING ... THESE ARE CORE ELEMENTS OF ANY BUSINESS PLAN AND TECHNOLOGY’S ROLE IN THEM CAN DETERMINE SUCCESS OR FAILURE. Companies with razor thin budgets have a reluctance to invest in software packages that can be expensive. Instead, they either build their own system or use manual processes. Choosing a solid foundational system for accounting, sales/CRM and project management is well worth the investment. Today’s entrepreneur has an advantage over the entrepreneur of yesteryear, because most systems are now available in the “cloud,” making them accessible without the kinds of investment required in the past. Every industry and every business is different, but the good news is that there are many proven applications in almost every business vertical. Entrepreneurs should spend time researching and testing them and consider how they may benefit their business not only today but as they grow.

Security is another vital area that often gets ignored. Startups often use shared or open Internet connections and put little thought into password security and privacy policies. The early stages of a company are the ideal time to build security into the corporate culture; making it part of the company’s DNA. Entrepreneurs should demand that their secret sauce is protected like it’s worth millions – because it potentially will be. This is an area most owners will not be able to tackle on their own. The complexity and pace of change in Internet cybercrime requires the expertise of a consulting partner who does this for a living.

Marketing – every entrepreneur I have met who truly believes in their efforts wants to broadcast their solutions to the world. They need to forget that and focus on how they can make their target market aware that they even exist. Again, unlike years past, they have a tremendous advantage here with the Internet and social media. If done correctly, they can get their message through to those who need to hear it. This requires a unique skill set also and either hiring or partnering with a firm who specializes in Search Engine Optimization, social media advertising and digital networking will provide the ability to advertise their message to those they need to reach.

As an entrepreneur that has grown a business from stage one to market dominance, I understand how daunting all these things can be. I know what it’s like to operate a business daily on sheer will power. I understand that investments like the ones that I am suggesting here may cause palms to sweat and breathing to become shallow. Trust me, these areas are vitally important if a business is going to achieve its vision. It’s easy to ignore them at the front end, but true greatness can only come once you have built a solid foundation.

We keep you green from the inside out!

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G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

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Mike Maddox is the president and CEO of ASK, a midMichigan based Value Added Reseller and Managed Service Provider. He is an active volunteer in the community and serves as an officer on the board of two charitable organizations. He lives in the Lansing area with his wife, Anna and their five children.

2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

For Over 60 Years

Providing Legal Strategies and Solutions for the Success of Businesses and Individuals.

This success has led the Loomis Law Firm to be featured in the Martindale Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers™ honoring attorneys who have Achieved the Highest Possible Peer Review Rating in both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards. Loomis Law Firm lawyers have also been recognized as 2016 Best Lawyers in America, 2015 Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers.

www.loomislaw.com (517) 482‐2400 124 W. Allegan St., Ste. 700, Lansing, MI 48933 L

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THINK SPACE: WHERE NEW IDEAS ARE BORN

BY AMI ICEMAN-HAUETER

What once served as a service garage for John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company is now a limitless creative space where new ideas are born. Think Space is a one-of-a-kind meeting and conference space that allows its visitors to break free of beige walls and start thinking big.

“We wanted to create a space where people would feel comfortable, but more importantly felt energized and excited. We want groups to get that ‘wow’ feeling when they come in and have that set the pace for everything they do here,” Riehl said.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Dae Smith

Think Space was founded in 2015 by Traci Riehl and Dave Seitz as the ideal place for groups of all kinds to meet and create without the limitations and confinement that typical board room spaces

often impose. This creative space offers groups of 25 or less the opportunity to make it their own with movable furniture, bright colors, flex spaces and even a music corner for participants to march to the beat of their own drum.

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G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

The pair joined forces to create a space unlike the hundreds they had visited in their professional careers.

Riehl is an expert in conference execution, group dynamics and the development of nonprofits and associations, which are the core of her company, Riehl Solutions. This unique perspective on how groups work together and furthermore execute plans gave Riehl needed insight to help make Think Space both creative and functional.

APRIL 2016

Seitz is the Manager of Strategic Initiatives with Apple Inc. where he works to create innovative strategies aimed at reinventing education. His unique and insightful perspective on education and learning were key in the development of Think Space.

“I have always been fascinated with how ideas develop and how we can create the best conditions for it. It is important to break away from the monotony of your every day life and seek out time to connect with new perspectives,” Seitz said.

This space may look like it puts fun first, but each space is strategically designed to allow for maximum collaboration, creativity, inspiration and reflection. Think Space’s design loosely ties back to the ideas presented in David Thornburg’s, The Campfire in Cyberspace, where he identifies four learning spaces in the Campfire, the Watering Hole, the Cave and Life. Each promotes a different type of learning and contributes to how we connect, communicate and create. The campfire is the space in which stories are told, the watering hole is a space for discussion and interaction, the cave offers a space for reflection and life is the implementation

2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

of these concepts. Think Space offers areas for each of these interactions to take place and promotes further connection and dissection of ideas.

“This small paper was very influential to me as I have spent time exploring how environments can influence learning and collaboration,” Seitz said. “As Traci and I designed Think Space, we utilized the core elements of this theory to improve collaboration and creativity in the space. We made sure we could create different “feelings” for different areas within Think Space.”

Unique spaces also encourage creative thinking.

Departure from normal patterns often encourages a departure in normal thought, creating an opportunity to perceive and understand things differently.

“We wanted to make it a space where groups can be together and then break into smaller groups and even have space to work independently,” Riehl said. “Everything in the space is movable so no two meetings ever have to be the same.”

Available meeting spaces can easily be found as hotels, conference centers, restaurants and corporations all boost areas for public use, but few can match the scenic view of the river, the diverse functionality of the space and privacy that Think Space can offer.

Think Space is the first of its kind in the area and could offer a key to increased productivity for businesses in the area.

Recent research shows that the design of an employee’s workspace can improve performance according to Business2Community. com. Think Space allows both conservative and creative organizations an opportunity to access a space that takes them out of their everyday space to experience a more creative and personalized space.

“As a startup that focuses on using storytelling and strategy to help innovators communicate and grow, Moonsail North needed a special space for our first retreat. We knew that the typical conference room with bare walls and a lack of windows would not do, that’s just not the kind of space that would inspire the creative juices of our team members,” said Rose Tantraphol, founder and principal of Moonsail North. “Every detail of Think Space has been thought through, from the lighting to the snacks to the fact that every piece

of furniture is movable. At the request of our team, the Moonsail North retreat at Think Space kicked off with a guided meditation session led

by Anna Fisher of MiddlePath Mindfulness, the space accommodated all of this and more.”

Ami Iceman-Haueter is the Brand Manager at M3 Group. IcemanHaueter is a graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelors in creative advertising.

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LANSING PROTO BRINGS NEW RESOURCES TO LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

BY KALYNNE MCINTYRE

To say, “making a company successful can be challenging,” is an understatement. There’s a lot of work involved, a lot of time and certainly plenty of helping hands. The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) has

PROTO participants going over models to validate design.

created a new program called Lansing Proto to help local product-based businesses grow and thrive in the Capital City.

Introduced in January 2016, Lansing Proto is a product development accelerator that is dedicated to getting physical products to the market. The concept is to provide new businesses with an eight-month program of intense classes and curriculum to assist them in getting to the next level faster. Lake Superior State University (LSSU) has also reached out and donated their product design lab to the future Lansing Proto entrepreneurs, providing access to machinery that the area typically doesn’t have available. The LSSU lab is also travel capable, making the process of prototyping and product development much more feasible for entrepreneurs. In addition to mentorship and workshops, each of the selected businesses will also receive $15,000, to be used for overall business development, marketing and manufacturing costs.

The Lansing Proto program is the first of its kind to make its way to the greater Lansing area. Michigan State University is launching its own accelerator program, CONQUER, in June 2016. There are other accelerator programs across the state, located in cities such as Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Spring Arbor and Detroit.

The introduction of Lansing Proto is another step forward in making Lansing part of an elite group of notable cities.

“This kind of program really helps the innovators, inventors and those looking to pursue a cool new product,” said Tony Willis, director of New Economy Division at LEAP. “This gives them a great resource to grow in our region and adds depth to what is currently happening in the community.”

In order to qualify for the application process, businesses must be product-based and the entrepreneurs must reside in the tri-county area (Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties). The

Congratulations to all of the Entrepreneurial Winners Boji Group would like to thank the judges of the 22nd Annual Entrepreneurial Awards for their support and encouragement of entrepreneurs within the community.

Boji Group was built with the determination of an entrepreneurial spirit. We are dedicated to creating jobs and investing in the community to continue to perpetuate growth and innovation.

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

application window is open for a two-month period. Applicants must also have the renderings and feasibility of their product prepared, but not necessarily patented (Note: Part of the eightmonth program features a session on patenting and helps businesses decide whether or not to patent their product).

Up to three entrepreneurs will be selected for the 2016 program. Applications for this quarter are currently closed, but the selection process will be held four times a year. There is an online application available at lansingproto. com that asks questions that delve deep into the businesses, asking the entrepreneurs to reflect on who they are; what their product is; what problem they’re solving; to assess the time and energy they’ve put in; to evaluate the capital they currently have and to examine their current traction results.

Applicants are also asked to upload a video no longer than two minutes in length that demonstrates their product in action, as well as to provide a business plan or executive summary (if available). The 2016 first quarter selection saw roughly 20 applicants. While the businesses for 2016 have yet to be selected, some of the ideas that were proposed included medical devices, recreational sports sensors, and disposable lids.

The selection process involves a committee that includes a wide variety of business professionals in the area. Members include employees from LEAP, Lansing Makers Network, Small Business Development Center, Fifth Third Bank, Michigan State University Federal Credit Union, Loomis Law Firm and Foster Swift, all of whom are dedicated to encouraging and growing the local business community.

“Lansing is like chicken noodle soup,” said Willis. “We’re trying to build it up into a gumbo; make it heartier, more diverse and sophisticated.

If you look at any area that’s described like that, it’s always a ‘more the merrier’ situation.

The more resources, the better we can serve the populace. We can keep our talent satisfied here and continue to have them flourish and grow in the greater Lansing region.”

Typically, these programs are two-fold; they are designed to retain talent while keeping the current population of talent in the desired city.

Secondly, they’re designed to attract talent from other areas.

"FROM GM TO REO OLDS TO MEDICAL ISOTOPES, THESE PRODUCTS ARE BEING PRODUCED RIGHT HERE IN THE CAPITAL CITY." – TONY WILLIS, DIRECTOR OF NEW ECONOMY DIVISION AT LEAP area, but we must take this chance. Lansing has a unique background with product designs and manufacturing, so we thought it would be interesting to focus on that. From GM to REO Olds to medical isotopes, these products are being produced right here in the capital city.

This is a great way to highlight those things and bring in people that are interested.”

For more information about the Lansing Proto program, visit purelansing.com.

Kalynne McIntyre is the Digital Branding Specialist at M3 Group in downtown Lansing. She loves action movies, puppies and all things Italian

"We know this is risky,” said Willis. “But we also know if we don’t offer these programs, the results will always be zero. We’re not guaranteed jobs and companies coming to the

Uncovering your future Opportunities await.

We can help identify them.

Michigan is back in business. And this could mean big business for you — but only if you can successfully leverage key opportunities. Rehmann’s team of experienced CPAs & consultants, wealth advisors and corporate investigators can help. If you’re ready for growth throughout 2016 and beyond, contact us today.

rehmann.com | 517.316.2400

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2016 GREATER LANSING ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARDS SPECIAL SECTION

MSUFCU: SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES EVERY DAY

BY APRIL CLOBES

As a sponsor of the 22nd Annual Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards, MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) was honored that April Clobes, MSUFCU’s President and CEO, was asked to serve as a co-host for the second year in a row.

The Credit Union is proud to support and celebrate the entrepreneurs whose businesses have had great success in the greater Lansing community. As these entrepreneurs achieve success in their business ventures, the local economy grows, benefiting those who live and work in the area. MSUFCU’s deep roots in the community align with the goals of this awards program and MSUFCU was pleased to recognize those who have done exceptional work in the local business community.

In addition to the annual awards ceremony, MSUFCU supports local businesses each day through loans, endowments, and financial education opportunities. MSUFCU is proud to support all levels of entrepreneurship, from starting with an idea to growing it into a

business. For example, the MSUFCU startUP loan provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs to take their business ideas to the next level by fostering growth and creating new ventures in the greater Lansing area. The startUP loan is available to all MSUFCU members who have established new businesses in the past two years in the tri-county area (including Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties). In addition to the startUP loan, MSUFCU has a vested commitment in the Hatch, a co-working space for area college student entrepreneurs who are ready to develop their business ideas.

... MSUFCU SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESSES EACH DAY THROUGH LOANS, ENDOWMENTS, AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES.

The Credit Union also offers a diverse range of free seminars designed to help members make informed and responsible decisions with their finances. From seminars like “How to Get a Business Loan,” to “Crowdfunding Strategies” and “Starting a Nonprofit: Is It Worth It,” MSUFCU provides members with the resources needed to make their businesses successful.

Founded in 1937 by MSU professors and employees, MSUFCU has 15 branches, more

than 209,000 members, more than $3 billion in assets and more than 650 employees. In 2015, MSUFCU was named as one of the Nation’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and one of the Nation’s Best and Brightest in Wellness by the National Association for Business Resources, and was listed as the fifth top employer in the large-employer category in the 2015 Top Workplaces list by the Detroit Free Press.

April Clobes is President and CEO at MSU Federal Credit Union. She can be reached at MSUFCU’s main office, 3777 West Road East Lansing, via email at aclobes@msufcu.org or by phone at (517) 333-2254.

100+ Mid-Michigan Job Opportunities Positions in IT, HR, Tax, Accounting, Engineering, Corporate Training and more.

At Dart, business is a human endeavor. So when Chris saw opportunities for improvement, he launched Ideation Alley, our new design studio devoted to creating better products, more interactive customer relationships and faster times to market.

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Apply today at www.Dart.jobs

Industrial Designer, Engineering

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Andy Provenzano Weather

Ken Houston News

Tim Staudt Sports

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FEATURE

ANGEL INVESTING BOOSTS AREA ENTREPRENEURS

BY ALLISON SPOONER

We’ve all seen or heard of “Shark Tank,” the high stakes pitch show where entrepreneurs seek investments for their business. If you’ve watched it, it may seem like the process of getting funding for your business is a quick, drama-filled, series of questions that flies by in about 10 minutes or less. But, that’s the beauty of TV and the power of editing. For those in Lansing looking for investment, but are not ready for the sharks, they turn to angels.

An angel investor is someone who provides capital for a business startup, usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity. In Lansing, those investors are organized into a group called The Capital Community Angel Investors (CCAI).

They invest their own money and personal expertise into businesses they believe have the potential to introduce unique, high-growth, disruptive products and services into the ecosystem.

While the vetting process for the CCAI may not be as dramatic as it is on “Shark Tank,” the world of angel investing is just as high stakes

as it appears on TV. The security protecting the investment of an angel investor is equity (a certain percentage of shares in a company).

According to Mark Hooper, a CCAI founding member, “Equity, when looked at in pure dollars, is the highest and the most expensive risk.”

When investing their money, investors want to find the best path to getting their money back and optimize a return on their investment. This is why the screening process, often known as Due Diligence, is so important and can be in-depth and painstaking, often diminishing the applicants from around 100 down to two or three that will actually receive funding.

Out of 10 businesses the CCAI may choose to invest in, four are likely to fail fairly quickly.

Three or four may return some investment, but almost all of the return is going to come from one or two of the companies.

Because of the risk involved and the effort it takes to evaluate companies, there is a very small

AN ANGEL INVESTOR IS SOMEONE WHO PROVIDES CAPITAL FOR A BUSINESS STARTUP, USUALLY IN EXCHANGE FOR CONVERTIBLE DEBT OR OWNERSHIP EQUITY. number that can run the gauntlet and get to the level where they are funded. “But along the way, those that have participated learn more about their business, avoid making grave mistakes and then can make better decisions about the kind of funding that is appropriate for them,” said Hooper.

Before businesses are funded, they are assessed and the process pursues multiple perspectives, looking into the product, market, strategy, the team, prime risks and more.

During this process, entrepreneurs such as John Freshley, CEO of ONL Therapeutics, a company backed by the CCAI, get a closer look at their business and get the chance to change and adapt their business plan. “They ask the hard questions,” he said. “But your plan becomes more challenging and exciting.”

Turning to an angel investor rather than a venture investor allows a unique perspective and opportunity when it comes to the lessons learned about a prospective venture.

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Becoming an angel investor also requires a long-term mindset and the desire to take on risk, as it’s almost never a safe investment.

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Some examples of high-potential ventures that have come out the other side of the vetting process to be funded by the CCAI include a mobile audio and video display, alternative energy, environmentally safe pesticides and software and mobile apps.

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Because you really DO deserve to be comfortable

48

Investors have a wide range of expertise; and sharing that expertise is often, at least for Hooper, why angel investors choose to do what they do.

“I’ve had a 40-year business career and I’ve learned a lot from the people helping me along the way,” he said. “Giving these businesses advice and guidance is my way of giving back.”

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APRIL 2016

Investors like Hooper know that these ventures are only a small part of a larger community. “We may fund the higher growth companies, but the other companies (service, lifestyle, retail, etc.) are the ones that will support the high growth companies.”

See What MSUFCU Can Do for Your Business Whether you are getting ready to launch your start-up or have an established business, MSUFCU has the products and services you need for successful daily operations. From savings options to loans and lines of credit, MSUFCU is your business’s resource for financial stability.

Contact an MSUFCU business service specialist today. www.msufcu.org/business • 517-664-4848 Business loans are currently available in Michigan only. All loans are subject to credit approval. Origination and other fees may apply.

Federally insured by NCUA.

LANSING AT A GLANCE

GREATER LANSING AT A GLANCE Each month, the Greater Lansing Business Monthly compiles statistics showing the growth of the greater Lansing area from month to month. This information is not comprehensive, but rather, a snapshot of the area’s growth throughout the year. The following is a look at the advances some of Lansing’s biggest businesses have made in the past two months.

MICHIGAN RETAILERS ASSN. INDEX Jan. ‘16

LABOR FORCE DATA

Dec. ‘15

Nov. ‘15

Oct. ‘15

Jan. '15

Jan. ‘16

Dec. ‘15

Nov. ‘15

Oct. ‘15

Jan. '15

Civilian Labor Force (1)

245.5

(P) 242.4

244.5

242.7

241.6

51.8

Employment (1)

235.5

(P) 234.7

236.2

233.9

228.5

60.6

Unemployment (1)

10.1

(P) 7.7

8.3

8.8

13.1

50.1

Unemployment Rate (2)

4.1

(P) 3.2

3.4

3.6

5.4

Sales

47.1

48.7

50.2

54.1

60

Inventory

53.5

56.6

51.7

55.6

45.5

Prices

46.7

47.3

52

54.3

61

66.6

66.2

64.1

Marketing/Promotion Hiring Plans

46.4

51.4

50.1

55

Values above 50 generally indicate an increase in activity

WAGE & SALARY

Total Nonfarm (3) 12-month % change

KEY STOCKS — MONTH-END CLOSE Jan. ‘16

Dec. ‘15

Nov. ‘15

Oct. ‘15

Jan. '15

(P) 224.6

229.2

231.2

231.3

220.7

(P) 1.8

1.5

1

1.4

0.7

Mining, Logging & Construction (3)

(P) 6.2

6.6

7.5

7.7

6.1

12-month % change

(P) 1.6

0

8.7

6.9

7

Manufacturing (3)

(P) 19.3

20.3

20.7

20.7

18.4

12-month % change

(P) 4.9

5.2

4

10.1

-0.5

Trade, Transportation & Utilities (3)

(P) 35.1

36.2

35.5

34.7

34.3

12-month % change

(P) 2.3

0.6

-0.6

-1.7

0.9

Information (3)

(P) 3.0

3

2.7

2.7

3

12-month % change

(P) 0.0

3.4

-3.6

-3.6

3.4

Financial Activities (3)

(P) 15.6

15.7

15.6

15.6

15.3

12-month % change

(P) 2.0

1.9

2.6

2.6

2

Professional & Business Services (3)

(P) 22.1

21.6

21.9

22.3

21.9

12-month % change

(P) 0.9

-1.4

1.4

0.5

4.3

Education & Health Services (3)

(P) 30.4

30.9

31.5

31.4

30.5

12-month % change

(P) -0.3

0.3

0.3

0.3

-2.6

Leisure & Hospitality (3)

(P) 18.6

19.4

19.8

20.6

18

12-month % change

(P) 3.3

4.9

4.8

5.6

0.6

Other Services (3)

(P) 9.9

10.1

10.5

10.6

9.8

12-month % change

(P) 1.0

1

1

1.9

-5.8

Government

(P) 64.4

65.4

65.5

65

63.4

12-month % change

(P) 1.6

1.4

-1.1

-0.8

1.4

(1) Number of persons, in thousands, not seasonally adjusted.

(2) In percent, not seasonally adjusted.

(3) Number of jobs, in thousands, not seasonally adjusted. See About the data.

(P) Preliminary

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G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

Feb. ‘16

Jan. ‘16

Dec. ‘15

Nov. ‘15

Feb. ‘15

Spartan Motors

3.59

2.9

3.11

3.63

4.98

General Motors

29.44

29.64

34.01

33.81

37.31

Emergent BioSolutions

33.83

36.6

40.01

37.67

29.97

Neogen

49.25

52.18

56.52

59.06

51.15

Gannett (Lansing State Journal)

15.26

14.84

16.29

17.08

Gray Broadcasting (WILX)

11.54

13.15

16.3

16.75

10.94

Media General (WLNS)

16.62

16.24

16.5

15.53

14.91

Bank of America

12.52

14.14

16.83

17.43

15.81

UPS

96.55

93.2

96.23

103.01

101.73

Home Depot

124.12

125.76

132.25

126.91

114.75

Kroger**

39.91

38.81

41.83

37.66

71.15

Macy's Inc.

43.21

40.41

34.98

39.08

63.72

Wal-Mart Stores

66.34

66.36

61.3

58.84

83.9

*Data provided by Greene Wealth Management, LLC **stock split

CONSUMER ENERGY SERVICE STARTS BUSINESS

Clinton

Feb. ‘16

Feb. ‘15

YOY Change

Percent

4061

4072

-11

-0.27%

Eaton

5119

5094

25

0.49%

Ingham

11470

11334

136

1.20%

TOTAL

20650

20500

150

0.73%

Feb. ‘16

Feb. ‘15

YOY Change

Percent

Clinton

29151

28817

334

1.16%

Eaton

41416

41209

207

0.50%

RESIDENTIAL

Ingham

97738

97211

527

0.54%

TOTAL

168305

167237

1068

0.64%

GRAND TOTAL

188955

187737

1218

0.65%

LANSING AT A GLANCE

GREATER LANSING ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS HOUSING REPORT Feb. ‘16

Jan. ‘16

Dec. ‘15

Nov. ‘15

Feb. ‘15

1748

1873

2050

2171

2242

$287.1

$303.8

$330.9

$363

$346.1

584

579

530

571

New Listing Volume*

$95.9

$93.10

$75

$86.8

Average Listing Price

$164K

$162K

$161K

$167K

$154K

Average Listing / sq. ft.

$107

$105

104

$105

$102

Days in RPR

106

108

109

102

120

Months of Inventory

5

4

6

5

8

Pending Sales Count

635

478

385

642

280

Monthly Sales Volume*

$43.7

$49.0

$63.4

$42.4

$40.5

Percentage of Listing Price

96.45

97

96.2

94.4

95.62

Active Listing Count Active Listing Volume* New Listing Count

*In millions

E Y D E C O M PA N Y 517-351-2480 COMMERCIAL RETAIL APARTMENTS View all of our available properties at eyde.com or call us at 517-351-2480.

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Heritage Office Park

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CAN YOU GIVE US SOME IDEA OF THE SIZE OF THE NON-PROFIT ECONOMY? The total impact of associations in Michigan is $11 billion. In 2012, the Michigan Association sector spent about $5.3 billion on talent development. An association taps people in a profession and has them for a career. They do more adult education than any other group, even more than post secondary schools. They have more than 230,000 meetings a year; 60 percent of all the meeting space contracted in Michigan is booked by associations.

IT SEEMS LIKE PART OF THE ECONOMY THAT PEOPLE DON’T REALLY KNOW ABOUT. Associations are not usually organizations that deal directly with the consumer. They are the entity that helps the business that deals with the consumer.

WHAT KIND OF STAFF DO YOU HAVE TO HELP ASSOCIATIONS? We are a team of nine employees and four interns.

Our budget is just under $1 million. I’m hopeful this might be the year we celebrate going over that landmark of being a $1 million organization. We work hard and we party hard. We celebrate our successes.

All associations are looking at business models that they’ve been working under, and making sure they are serving whom they need to serve. Our membership and our board want to be more inclusive and we have programs in place that encompass giving benefits back to people at different levels.

AND WHO BELONGS?

BY MICKEY HIRTEN | PHOTO BY ERIKA HODGES

CHERYL RONK PRESIDENT OF THE MICHIGAN SOCIETY OF ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVES Cheryl Ronk, 59, is president of the Michigan Society of Association Executives. With 1,600 members, it is the nation’s largest association representing associations. Ronk, an East Lansing resident, has directed MSAE since 1988. Before that she held positions with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Road Builders Association. She serves on the Board of Directors at Burcham Hills, was president of Zonta International, Lansing Club and has represented MSAE on numerous industry boards and associations.

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We have about 1,600 members and represent 90 percent of the associations in the state with a staff of six or more. Our membership about doubled a year-and-a-half ago. We moved from being an individual organization signing up organizationally. We went to representing everyone in an organization, not just the CEO. I believe that associations will become the curators of knowledge in each industry and profession. Right now you can go online and Google anything. And you are going to get anything. You don’t know whether it is correct or not. Associations, in my opinion, will become the curators. They will indicate that this is reliable.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? I love this job and the constant change of what can be done and how we are doing things. I started here 27 years ago. It happened that when I

BEHIND THE SCENES

graduated from grad school (Western Michigan), being very single, I could go anywhere. I was hired by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce where I had the opportunity to form their foundation. It was a great job. From there, I was hired by the Michigan Road Builders and I did public relations and communications. I was the gal who was doing the PR to pass gas tax packages. I worked there for seven years. I started my family and came here as director for the flexibility. We had just under 100 members, a budget of about $100,000 and a three-ring notebook. They had no staff. I was the first person put on payroll.

What I love is that I have a board that continues to stretch me. I have never, ever been bored.

We really do work to be sure that members are growing. Our mission is to make sure there is a knowledgeable and successful association community. I think that we take that to heart.

CAN YOU COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE TRADITIONAL, CALL IT HISTORIC, APPROACH OF ASSOCIATIONS WITH WHAT IS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE? We have a photo by our front door of about 20 men, sitting on some steps, all in white buttoned down shirts. They were secretaries of associations in the 1920s. It was quite an honor to be a secretary keeping an industry or association going. It was a period when associations were much more of an association of good old boys. It meant that you were part of the club taking care of that profession or industry. You went out for lunch and borrowed brilliance from each other because you talked about things that were going on.

a publication, we have an annual meeting – they are struggling. MSAE is helping them, working with thought leaders to ask what should that industry be doing to make a difference for its members.

One of the examples that I love is the potato growers. The administration was saying that potatoes are not really that healthy for us to eat.

Eating tons of French fries I might agree with, but potatoes – me being from a farm family – are still one of my favorite foods. The potato association worked with thought leaders to get potatoes into the lunch program at schools, not by fighting about what people are saying, but by leap frogging, that getting potato bars into schools. Just like there is a salad bar, there is a hot potato bar. If you are a potato farmer do you want to be part of this movement?

YOUR ORGANIZATION DEALS WITH VERY SMALL TO VERY LARGE ORGANIZATIONS. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THIS? They have a commonality. All of our members usually have members and/or a board of directors. Those are two strong pillars of what we offer. It doesn’t matter how many staff you

Associations are doing O.K. if they have redesigned who they are to be relevant to their members. Those associations that have not, those that say we have a website, we have

That conversation is no different.

AS AN EXECUTIVE AND MANAGER, WHAT MAKES YOU GOOD AT YOUR JOB AND EFFECTIVE? Realizing that I don’t know it all. I will continue to learn and listen to other people’s ideas. The things that have been successful at MSAE are not things that were germinated with me. Someone else saw and I listened. I figured out how to make it happen.

That is what has allowed MSAE to grow.

My job has changed many times over. There have been times when I pulled out of the parking lot and saying when I come back I have to pretend that I have a new job. Sometimes our strategic plans are so innovative, so aggressive that they are not the way we have been doing things in the past. In 27 years here I’ve had multiple jobs.

This conversation with Cheryl Ronk has been edited for space and clarity.

Cheryl Bartholic Dave Gillison

Dave Flower

Phil Clacko

Steve Hallead

It was a formula that said as long as you do x, y and z you are O.K. That formula is gone. Now it is that you have to look at what is it that you need as an industry and then you have to create your own formula. Associations have had to figure out how can we facilitate the borrowing brilliance and accommodate members’ time demands. The thought leaders have started to come together to focus on what does this association really need that is so unique. They are getting together to talk about, “What are our challenges?”

IS IT WORKING? HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF YOUR MEMBERS?

have. It matters more how relevant are you to the members that you serve. Associations are filling the niche of what they can do collectively having all of these members.

Craig Bull

Jeff Foster

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ECONOMY

BEYOND OUR SHORES— INTERNATIONAL TRADE

BY MORDECHAI E. KREININ, UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR (EMERITUS), MSU

Why do most economists believe in free (unobstructed) trade between nations? This is because of a principle that dates back to 1776, enunciated by Adam Smith in his book the Wealth of Nations and elaborated on 100 years later by another English economist, David Ricardo. Called the principle of comparative advantage, it demonstrates that both trading partners benefit from trade. Until that date, it was believed that national wealth depends on how much gold the country amassed. And if it had no gold mines of its own, it could accumulate gold only by creating a trade surplus that was paid in gold. Because of the structure of bilateral trade, only one country can have a surplus and the other must have a deficit. This means that trade can benefit only one country, while the other must lose. Essentially, trade was considered a zero-sum game. In what follows, assume that fiscal and monetary policies brought both trading economies value.

Adam Smith showed that if in U.S. – trade from Mexico the U.S. has a 10 to 1 productivity advantage in aircraft production, while Mexico has a 5 to 1 advantage in shoe production. It pays the U.S. to produce and export aircraft and import shoes, while it pays Mexico to produce and export shoes and import aircraft because each one has an advantage in producing their respective goods.

This is a matter of common sense.

But what about the common case where a country (for example the U.S.) has a productivity advantage in both goods? For example, the U.S. has a 10 to 1 advantage in aircraft production and a 5 to 1 advantage in shoe manufacturing. This is where the degree of advantage otherwise called comparative advantage comes in to play.

We encounter this situation in everyday life.

For instance, a dentist has a 10 to 1 productivity advantage over his hygienist in drilling and a 5 to 1 advantage in cleaning teeth. It would still be worth it to him to specialize in drilling and hire a hygienist to do the cleaning; to benefit, he charges the patient $300 an hour to drill and 54

pays the nurse $80 an hour to clean. Similarly, a doctor who is a terrible typist would specialize in medicine and hire a secretary to type. And in precisely the same vein, the U.S. would specialize in making expensive aircrafts and would import shoes, where it has a comparative disadvantage relative to Mexico. Ultimately, both countries benefit.

What are the types of characteristics of a product and country that might produce such a situation?

Let’s suppose that in order to manufacture an aircraft, sophisticated technology is required (relative to shoe production). This is called a technologically-intensive good. By the same token, shoe production is called a laborintensive product because it requires much labor to produce (in a relative sense). If Mexico is labor abundant relative to the U.S., it will specialize in a labor-intensive product, while the U.S. with abundant scientists and engineers will specialize in aircraft manufacturing—a technology-intensive product. A combination of product characteristics and country features give rise to comparative advantage. A country has comparative advantage in a good that intensively uses its abundant factor of production (labor, capital, etc.), while giving rise to mutually beneficial free trade within its limits.

But economists do not make the commercial policy of a country. Rather, it is a result of conflicting political pressures, including pressure groups designed to protect local industries from foreign competition that use instruments to raise the prices of foreign imports. As a consequence, local consumers are drawn to the local substitute product and away from imports.

So what is wrong with that? Usually the industries that need protection are those in which the country lacks comparative advantage.

For example, this could include brooms that used to be produced in the U.S. or other laborintensive goods (textiles, footwear, simple lumber goods) that should be manufactured in less developed or developing countries. Making them in the U.S. draws resources from other

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industries, such as sophisticated equipment in which the country has a comparative advantage, thereby creating waste and inefficiency. This is especially true if the tax is levied on selected individual products that are usually least efficiently made at home. Indeed, the cost of this import protection to the economy can be measured by the amount it raises the domestic price, and the degree to which it keeps out foreign imports. Conversely, removing the tax increases production efficiency all around.

We will continue this in the next column.

Mordechai Kreinin is a University Distinguished Professor of Economics, emeritus at Michigan State University and past President of the International Trade and Finance Association. He is the author of about 200 articles and books about economics, including the widely used text, International Economics. He can be reached at kreinin@msu.edu or by cell phone at (517) 488-4837

NS QUESTIO DERS FROM REA Q

Why does the value of the dollar affect the price of a barrel of crude oil that is produced in the United States?

I assume you mean the “exchange value of the dollar”. This is because there is only one global price of oil (expressed in dollars) in the world, so the prices in individual countries need to adjust. Price differences are a reflection of taxation or transport cost.

Q

A mother encourages her children to read the column, and wishes to know if it’s a good idea.

It’s an excellent idea! This column began in the August 2015 issue of the magazine and the first nine monthly columns were devoted to fiscal and monetary policies. To make the material more interesting, our main focus is on a comparison between the United States and Europe.

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VISUAL BREAKDOWN

ANATOMY OF AN ENTREPRENEUR 530,000 BUSINESSES ARE CREATED EACH MONTH IN THE UNITED STATES

40

YEARS-OLD

MOST SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS COME FROM A MIDDLE-CLASS BACKGROUND

AVERAGE AGE OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS

36.9% COME FROM LOWERMIDDLE CLASS

33.9 % OF ENTREPRENEURS ARE MOTHERS

LESS THAN 1% OF ENTREPRENEURS COME FROM EXTREMELY WEALTHY OR EXTREMELY POOR BACKGROUNDS

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34.6 % COME FROM UPPERMIDDLE CLASS

21.8%

COME FROM UPPERLOWER CLASS FAMILIES

VISUAL BREAKDOWN

MOST ENTREPRENEURS ARE MARRIED:

ACCORDING TO FORBES, THE KEYS TO STARTUP SUCCESS IS LARGELY DEPENDENT ON: CREATIVE/POSITIVE THINKING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

69.9%

OF ENTREPRENEURS WERE MARRIED WHEN THEY LAUNCHED THEIR FIRST BUSINESS THEY’RE PARENTS:

FLEXIBILITY AND AGREEABLENESS FLUID INTELLIGENCE THEY LIKE RUNNING THE SHOW:

60.3% 59.7%

OF ENTREPRENEURS SAY THAT WORKING FOR OTHERS DIDN’T APPEAL TO THEM

OF ENTREPRENEURS HAD AT LEAST ONE CHILD WHEN THEY LAUNCHED THEIR BUSINESS

THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE:

75.4%

THEY’RE EDUCATED:

OF ENTREPRENEURS HAD WORKED AS EMPLOYEES AT OTHER COMPANIES FOR MORE THAN SIX YEARS BEFORE LAUNCHING THEIR OWN COMPANIES

95.1%

47.9%

OF ENTREPRENEURS HAD EARNED BACHELOR’S DEGREES WHILE 47% HAD MORE ADVANCED DEGREES

PERCENT OF ENTREPRENEURS LAUNCHED THEIR FIRST COMPANIES WITH MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF WORK EXPERIENCE

Statistics based on surveys conducted by Startup Bros, Kaufman Financial Group and the Founder Institute L

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FEATURE

LANSING SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSES $120 MILLION BOND

BY MEGAN MARTIN

Since 2009, legislation has deemed 10 areas in Michigan as “promise zones” – areas that grant graduates of local schools scholarships to help with the cost of a post-secondary education – the goal being to provide upper level education at little or no cost to members of communities where that education is lacking.

In mid-Michigan, the promise zone is located within the Lansing School District boundaries and has accepted 425 Promise Scholars who will continue their education at either Michigan State University or Lansing Community College.

THE LANSING PATHWAY PROMISE, A $120 MILLION BOND, AIMS TO UPGRADE SCHOOL FACILITIES, SECURITY, TECHNOLOGY AND FURNITURE, AS WELL AS INTEGRATING EVERETT, EASTERN AND SEXTON HIGH SCHOOLS AS SEPARATE ENTITIES ...

In order to ensure the best student outcomes and to maximize the Lansing Promise Scholarship program, the Bond Committee and Board of Education in the Lansing School District is blazing new paths for students and parents to take charge of education by introducing their new bond proposal called the Lansing Pathway

Promise, which will appear on the May 3 ballot for resident and business owners to vote on.

The Lansing Pathway Promise, a $120 million bond, aims to upgrade school facilities, security, technology and furniture, as well as integrating Everett, Eastern and Sexton High Schools as separate entities, each having their own areas of focus; providing students with pathways that focus on their areas of interest.

Yvonne Caamal Canul, superintendent of Lansing School District, says that this program would provide a “distinct edge” for students, preparing them for college and careers earlier and more specifically.

“From a community perspective, the future of the city is closely linked to the success of our schools; strong schools and a strong workforce are major factors in attracting and retaining businesses and people,” said Caamal Canul. “The bond program will strengthen property values, which in turn strengthens the community.”

What is currently Lansing Eastern High School will offer a pathway for those interested in an International Baccalaureate, which includes Chinese Language Immersion and Biotechnology. Caamal Canul explained that businesses and industries in the Lansing area do have a presence in the global market.

“Lansing is a very culturally diverse city with people from every corner of the globe either living and working in Lansing or attending Michigan State University,” explained Caamal Canul.

“Providing a world language to our students better equips them for global economic opportunities. In a competitive global market, it is essential to be critical thinkers. The field of biotechnologies is exploding with new methods for treating illness as well as addressing preventative care. As the population ages, this field will continue to grow and our students need to be ready to join the workforce.”

Lansing Everett High School will be focused on the visual and performing arts, as well as new technology.

“The Lansing Metro area has many opportunities for our students to engage in visual and performing arts partnerships,” said Caamal Canul. “The Lansing community loves its arts and it’s important to foster that appreciation by creating a pathway for students who excel in this area. The creativity and expression of self is so critical for meaningful engagement.”

The third school in the Lansing Pathway Promise, currently Sexton High School, will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concentrations, STEAM instruction (STEM plus Arts), and classes involved in skilled trades and manufacturing.

Another part of the Lansing Pathway Promise is community involvement. Local businesses can partner with area-specific schools to provide services such as becoming mentors/tutors for students, professional guest speakers, setting up student shadow/internship programs and helping with curriculum development, to name a few.

Lansing School District

©

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FEATURE

“WHILE CHANGE CAN SOMETIMES CAUSE PEOPLE HESITATION, ONCE THEY SEE THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY COUPLED WITH REAL-LIFE APPLICATION AND THE PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY I THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL EMBRACE IT.” –YVONNE CAAMAL CANUL, SUPERINTENDENT OF LANSING SCHOOL DISTRICT “The Lansing Pathway Promise provides area businesses and industries with clear pathways that relate to their core mission,” Caamal Canul explained. “In this way, students will be able to have mentors from the business community and opportunities for internships and work/study programs. Members of the business community can be actively promoting the program and be involved in the schools so that students see a future as an employee, stay and work in Lansing, and contribute to the overall financial health of the community.”

The program won’t just help the students – it’s designed to assist local businesses as well. Schools will recognize and promote business partners in school newsletters, advertisements and more. For example, school facilities will be available for business partners who engage with the pathway and they may find extra incentive by being able to attend school events at discounted rates.

ready?” Caamal Canul explained. “When they graduate from a Lansing high school, they will be eligible for a PROMISE and/or HOPE scholarship – how do we get them to that point?

We have to capture their hearts and minds long before their last year in high school. We need to prepare pathways for their interests and passion early on, all the while giving them a vision for their future.”

In the last five years, the state of Michigan has lost over 50,000 students and is expecting another 10,000-student loss next year. “We are hopeful that enrollment will stabilize and the Pathway Promise will attract new members to the Lansing School District family,” Caamal Canul said.

Moving forward, financially, the bond proposal introduces a three dollar increase in property tax per month, based on a median home value of $94,729. Caamal Canul notes that the bond does have a life of 25 years, and the threedollar increase in property tax is expected to cover that. Currently, the Lansing School District has the lowest debt ratio of 18 school districts in the mid-Michigan area. Even with the new bond millage, Lansing will still have the lowest debt ratio.

“The tax is not a permanent increase,” she said.

“It is a 25 year period of time where local taxing authorities collect the revenue for the school district. However, the previous bond which was passed about 10 years ago, will expire in 2023, thereby reducing the property tax at that time.”

To learn more about the Lansing Pathway Promise program before the vote on May 3, visit lansingpathwaypromise.net.

Megan Martin is a Communications Specialist at M3 group and a graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids. She is a foodie who loves art, tea, and anything outdoorsy.

Caamal Canul pointed out that the “traditional neighborhood school profile” changed in the early 90s with the advent of charter schools. She feels that it is important for today’s school to “offer robust choices for children and their families.”

“While change can sometimes cause people hesitation, once they see the partnerships with business and industry coupled with reallife application and the Promise Scholarship opportunity I think the community will embrace it.”

The Bond Committee and Board of Education are considering three key points as they move forward with the bond proposal: how they will align providing students with career and college-ready programming with much needed facility improvements; the sizing of schools and facilities looking toward the future; and how to highlight the benefit of the promise scholarship program within the bond proposal. The concept: thinking about this project with the end in mind.

“We look at the labor market first – what are the jobs of the future? How do we retool our educational system from a “jobs of the past” to those of the future? How do we provide targeted allocation of resources so that students have the greatest chance at being career and college

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MAN ON THE STREET

MAN ON THE STREET COMPILED BY KYLE DOWLING

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH ENTREPRENEURS?

"Someone with a strong moral and value set, who is sure of their path so they can lead others."

"The ability to run your own business with efficiency and a sense of pride."

- DELANY PETERS

- MEGAN JACKSON

"I see people skills as being very important to entrepreneurship."

"In one word... innovation."

- JORDAN LULLUFF

- GRACE GELPI

"I'd say someone who is hardworking and never gives up along with the qualities of being persistent, smart and a jack-of-all trades."

"Leadership."

- ABHISHEK MUTHA

- TYLER SCHUITEMAN

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BUSINESS CALENDAR

APRIL 2016 APRIL 1 WAKE UP OLD TOWN, LANSING Wake Up Old Town is a free event hosted by the Old Town Commercial Association. From 9 to 10:30 a.m. you can join an informal event over breakfast and networking. This event is intended to create opportunities for Old Town businesses to utilize each

other and create a more vibrant community for all.

Visit lansing.groupsite.com for more information.

APRIL 5 TURBO NETWORKING MEETUP, OKEMOS Meet a new network of entrepreneurs to share tips in a positive atmosphere from 8 to 9 a.m. Swap

business cards and watch your personal business directory grow. The meetup is held at the Okemos Community Church, 4734 Okemos Road. Visit lansing.groupsite.com for more information.

APRIL 5 SPEAKEASIES TOASTMASTERS MEETING, LANSING Learn to love speaking in front of people. Join Toastmasters on Tuesdays from 12:05 to 1 p.m. every week to sharpen your public speaking skills.

Meetings take place at the Ingham County Health Building #3 2nd floor conference room B. The building is located at South Cedar and Jolly Roads.

For questions contact Julie Johnson at (517) 2845149 or by emailing wjuliejohnson@sbcglobal.net.

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APRIL 24 G E T RE A DY. G E T SE T. G E T YO U R

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HIGH TEA 2016, LANSING Enjoy an afternoon of High Tea for charity. Relax as you mingle, enjoy tea, sandwiches, champagne and shopping with friends. The event will be held from 2-5 p.m. at the University Club of MSU, 3435 Forest Road in Lansing. Proceeds will benefit the Junior League of Lansing’s mission. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit jllansing.org.

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APRIL 2016

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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

ENERGY SERVICES

50 Years of Collecting Tomorrow’s Energy and Living by the Golden Rule

BY ANDREA DAVIS

To most people in the greater Lansing area, Granger has been a recognizable name for the last 50 years. The brown trucks and containers, the truck messages, Captain CurbySM and the excellent service are known by many. But there’s a lot more to the story than that.

It started in 1966, when three industrious brothers running a construction company had a trash problem. Their solution: a truck and trash container they bought used for $5,400.

Hauling their own waste led to hauling trash for other construction businesses and eventually for commercial and residential customers. The construction company was no longer just a construction company.

company in the area to introduce rolling trash carts. A cartoon image of Captain CurbySM on the first promotional brochure for these carts meant it was only just a matter of time before a real live Captain CurbySM was out in the community, bringing joy to kids and adults alike. Who would have thought a trash cart would be so much fun?

Throughout the years and the growth, one thing remained constant: those brothers, Alton, Ron and Jerry, stayed true to their Christian beliefs and operated their company based on the Golden Rule — treat others the way you want to be treated. Early in the company’s history, Ron reinforced these beliefs in a very visible way, with an inspirational message printed on the back of a truck. He thought if you had to be stuck in traffic behind a trash truck, you should have something nice to read. The first truck message appeared in 1968 and read, “Smile, God loves you.”

Traditional doesn’t always go hand in hand with innovative, but at Granger it definitely does. In 1985, Granger took a chance on an emerging technology being implemented in the far away land of California. After plenty of research, Granger became the first company to use landfill gas to produce energy in Michigan. This was truly making the most of God-given resources by taking a waste product and making it into something of value. That first energy project got the ball rolling with a pipeline that sent landfill gas from Wood Street Landfill to Motor Wheel in Lansing. But Granger didn’t stop there. In 1990, the company started producing electricity at Grand River Avenue Landfill. Today, Granger Energy Services has been going strong for more than 30 years and operates renewable energy projects in six states. The energy being produced amounts to heat for 49,046 homes and enough electricity to power 37,700 homes!

But the Granger brothers didn’t stop at just picking up trash. They needed a place to put that trash and a plan that made more sense than paying someone else to dump it. So in 1973, Granger purchased property in Lansing Township, which would become Wood Street Landfill. The Christian basis of the company remained in play with Granger as a landfill owner, emphasizing responsible stewardship of the environment. Granger has always made it a practice to not only meet state and federal regulations for responsible landfill management, but to exceed them.

The year 1989 saw Granger branching out yet again, this time into recycling. Although recycling is not always profitable, it goes along with the company’s philosophy of environmental stewardship and taking care of the community. Granger is now helping many communities recycle with drop-off centers, residential curbside pickup and commercial collection. Last year, Granger recycled 54 million pounds of recyclable materials. That’s the equivalent to conserving 459,816 trees or 110,896,800 kilowatt hours of electricity.

Granger just wouldn’t be Granger without its beloved mascot, Captain CurbySM. He was born in 1983, when Granger became the first

So, what about the construction side of things?

With the growth happening on both sides of the business, it just made sense to split

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THIS YEAR, GRANGER CELEBRATES 50 YEARS. THE COMPANY THAT STARTED OUT WITH ONE TRUCK IN LANSING NOW COLLECTS TOMORROW’S ENERGY AS FAR NORTH AS MT. PLEASANT AND AS FAR SOUTH AS JACKSON COUNTY ... construction and the waste hauling and energy production divisions into two completely separate companies. So in 1991, that’s exactly what happened.

In 2003, Ron’s son, Keith L. Granger, took the helm as CEO. He and the other family members continue to operate the company based on the strong foundation built by their fathers (or grandfathers in the case of the latest generation entering the Granger workforce).

This year, Granger celebrates 50 years. The company that started out with one truck in Lansing now collects tomorrow’s energy as far north as Mount Pleasant and as far south as Jackson County, with 280 associates, 17 renewable energy facilities and approximately 100 trucks on the road. What will Granger do in the next 50 years? It’s anyone’s guess, but Christian values and the Golden Rule will undoubtedly be at the heart of it.

Andrea Davis is the communications coordinator for Granger. She is responsible for writing and editing both internal and external communications pieces, as well as project management on various customer communication efforts.

NOTABLE NEWS

on heart attack and stroke emergency care, expanding cardiology services, and establishing a hospitalist program. Sparrow and HGB have also implemented operational improvements, quality and safety initiatives, and enhanced the Patient experience, and provided more community education opportunities.

LOCAL SPARROW AND HGB WORK TOWARD FORMAL AFFILIATION Leaders of Sparrow Health System and Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital (HGB) have signed a memorandum of understanding for HGB to become a formal affiliate of Sparrow during a three-year transition period.

The memorandum of understanding, signed Monday, formalizes the existing relationship and furthers a regional approach to community health by expanding services throughout Eaton County to meet the growing needs of patients.

Additionally, a community fund of $1 million will be established as part of the new affiliation agreement to support community health and vitality efforts in Eaton County.

“We look forward to building upon the success Sparrow and Hayes Green Beach have achieved these past four years,” said Dennis Swan,

president and CEO of Sparrow Health System.

“As we seek to develop stronger clinical integration among providers in the region to benefit the people of Eaton County, working more closely will be integral in delivering high quality care to our shared Patients.”

YMCA OF METROPOLITAN LANSING AIMS TO INVEST $1 MILLION INTO MID-MICHIGAN COMMUNITIES The YMCA of Metropolitan Lansing is pleased to announce its 2016 Annual Campaign Goal is $1 million. The Y will invest the money that is raised during the annual campaign back into the mid-Michigan communities it serves.

The money raised from this campaign will be used to give children and families in need the opportunity to get involved with the Y. The Y is dedicated to supporting the community in three areas of focus; youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. It will continue to support the greater Lansing area by responding to critical needs in these three areas.

The formal affiliation agreement is likely to be finalized in the early summer when more details will be announced.

The organizations have worked under a nonexclusive affiliation agreement for four years and will continue to build on many successes to date, including collaborating

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Along with support from community partners, the Y has launched a Diabetes Prevention Program, to help prevent this chronic disease.

It also provides physical education in seven schools throughout the Lansing School District, and later this year will launch the Healthy Living Mobile Kitchen to help educate children and families about healthy food choices. The mobile kitchen will also provide healthy meal options to at-risk populations in the community. Money from the campaign will help support all of these new initiatives; it will also provide financial assistance to teach children the lifesaving skill – how to swim, provide assistance for summer camps, after school programs and early childhood education opportunities for at-risk youth.

“Lots of people know and love the Y,” said Jeff Scheibel, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Lansing. “But many see it as a gym and swim only. We want people to understand that we are a charity first and foremost whose mission is to support our communities. This campaign is our way of showing the Lansing area that we are committed to reaching this goal for the betterment of all of us.”

For more information about the YMCA of Metropolitan Lansing or to make an online donation, visit ymcaoflansing.org.

global brand in commercial real estate for the 15th consecutive year.

Lipsey, a training and professional development firm specializing in commercial real estate, has surveyed commercial real estate professionals on their perceptions of the industry’s leading brands since 2001. CBRE has been ranked number one every year that Lipsey has conducted its brand survey. In 2016, more than 100,000 U.S. and international professionals participated in the survey, including property owners, investors, lenders, occupiers, brokers and property managers.

Earlier this month CBRE was ranked among Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in the real estate industry for the fourth consecutive year. In the 2016 Fortune program, CBRE was the top-rated real estate firm for people management and also scored notably well on quality of services, quality of management, financial soundness and innovation.

CBRE GROUP, INC. NAMED TOP REAL ESTATE BRAND IN LIPSEY SURVEY FOR 15TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR CBRE|Martin, an affiliate of CBRE Group, Inc., is pleased to announce that its parent company, CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG) was recently named by The Lipsey Company as the top

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CASE CREDIT UNION RAISES MORE THAN $8,000 FOR TRICOUNTY OFFICE ON AGING CASE Credit Union employees, led by the Community Activity Team, raised $8,279.06 for the Tri-County Office on Aging (TCOA).

CASE Credit Union’s Vice President of Lending, Brett Pacek, presented the check to TCOA’s Administrative Board President, Kara Hope, and TCOA Executive Director, Marion Owen during their board meeting.

“Similar to Tri-County Office on Aging, CASE Credit Union lives to serve our neighbors, friends and family members every day,” stated Jeffrey Benson, president and CEO. “Our employees did an outstanding job of raising a record amount of money for TCOA. Because of their generosity and passion to help others, it wouldn’t be possible to support a wonderful organization like TriCounty Office on Aging.”

“We appreciate the support from CASE Credit Union and their wonderful employees.”

The Tri-County Office on Aging has been the leader of assistance, advocacy, and planning for older adults and their families since 1974.

TCOA’s mission is to promote and preserve the independence and dignity of the aging population. To accomplish this mission, they connect people who need help to service providers, volunteers, donors, businesses and governments throughout Eaton, Clinton and Ingham Counties and the cities of Lansing and East Lansing. To learn more about the Tri-County Office on Aging, visit tcoa.org.

“This generous donation comes at a time when the needs of vulnerable older adults are escalating,” notes TCOA Executive Director, Marion Owen.

M3 GROUP RECOGNIZED AS 2015 OUTSTANDING SMALL BUSINESS BY THE LANSING REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE M3 Group, a Lansing-based, full-service branding agency, was honored by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce as the 2015 Outstanding Small Business Award winner at the 104th Annual Dinner on Feb. 25, 2016.

The Outstanding Small Business Award honors local small businesses that have excelled in areas including stability, innovation, a commitment to the community, perseverance and a commitment to diversity.

“We are thrilled to have been recognized by the Chamber for all of our hard work and dedication to our clients over the years,” said Tiffany Dowling, president and CEO of M3 Group. “To see the exceptional businesses that have won in the past shows how prestigious this award is to the community and we are grateful to be a part of that list.”

Color Your World Want more than white pickets? Ranch Life has the colors and products you need to customize your fence to match your house, your dreams and your personality. If you can imagine it, we can build it and install it. Suddenly, your home won’t look like everyone else’s.

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Founded over 13 years ago by Dowling, M3 Group has worked across traditional and nontraditional platforms to deliver clients with creative solutions. The company provides integrated marketing strategies that keep their clients and their bottom line in mind.

M3 Group is a full-service branding agency rallying together to move businesses forward. For more information, please visit m3group.biz.

2016 CARL J. LATONA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT NAMED

Weck was humbled to receive the award. She believes that there are many employees at Highfields like her who are making a difference in people’s lives every day.

Breakthrough and Reaching Higher After School Program Manager Brenda Weck has been named the 2016 recipient of the Carl J. Latona Distinguished Service Award. Weck was honored with the award at Highfields’ Employee Recognition Banquet on Saturday, Feb. 27 at Cascades Manor House in Jackson. She was chosen to receive the award by her peers for her leadership and dedication to Highfields.

Highfields is a nonprofit human services organization which provides home-based counseling, residential care, and experiential education and support programs for children, youth, and families in 10 mid-Michigan counties. For more information, please visit highfields.org.

The award recognizes integrity, passion to help others, perseverance and commitment to excellence. It is named for Carl J. Latona, who served as President and CEO of Highfields for more than 25 years.

Weck has worked for Highfields for 19 years.

She started as a Residential Counselor and worked with the youth for two years. Then she worked as the Human Resources Specialist for nine years. For the past eight years, Weck has been the Manager for Breakthrough and the Reaching Higher After School Program.

GREATER LANSING CVB WELCOMES ALICIA BAREFIELD TO DESTINATION SALES DEPARTMENT The Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau (GLCVB) is pleased to announce it has hired Alicia Barefield, CTA as sales manager.

Barefield comes to the CVB most recently from the Candlewood Suites at the Henry Center in East Lansing, but previously spent more than three years at the Holiday Inn Express of Okemos. Barefield attended Michigan State

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2016 Sparrow Gala

NOTABLE Our gratitude to the many people who madeNEWS the 2016

Sparrow Gala the biggest and best yet. Thanks to more than 770 attendees and countless other supporters, OB Services at Sparrow is stronger than ever.

A special thank you to our generous 2016 Sparrow Gala sponsors:

Inspire

Excite

Medawar Jewelers Frandor

Charm Agfa Healthcare ANDREWS HOOPER PAVLIK PLC Anesthesia and Pain Management Consultants Bergmann Associates Capital Urological Associates: Dr. & Mrs. Eric Stockall The Christman Company Client Financial Services Eagle Eye Crossings Emergency Medical Associates The Fertility Center Granger Construction Hobbs+Black Architects Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook Michigan Health & Hospital Association Michigan State University College of Human Medicine MSU CHM Department of Family Medicine MSU Department of Neurology & Ophthalmology MSU Federal Credit Union NBS Commercial Interiors PNC Sentinel Technologies In Memory of: Joseph L. Sheets, MD. Tri-Star Trust Bank Warner Norcross & Judd, LLP

Indulge

Unwind

Enchant

Media Adams Outdoor Advertising M3 Group Townsquare Media

Delight

College of Osteopathic Medicine

Please visit SparrowFoundation.org for details on other fun upcoming events to benefit the health of our community!

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University with a focus on International Relations. She is a member of the Greater Lansing Certified Tourism Ambassadors program and an active member of the Junior League of Lansing.

Barefield’s role with the GLCVB will be focused on growing event business and managing relationships within State association markets.

“We are excited to welcome Alicia to the organization,” said Jack Schripsema, President and CEO of the GLCVB. “State association markets are critical to our organizations success and we are confident that Alicia will be an important new asset to the team.”

For more information about the GLCVB, visit lansing.org or call 517-487-0077.

KILPATRICK JOINS LAFCU AS PAYROLL AND BENEFITS SPECIALIST

LAFCU recently announced that Rebekah “Becky” Kilpatrick has joined the credit union as payroll and benefits specialist.

In her new position, Kilpatrick is responsible for processing payroll, maintaining employee records, and managing employee benefits such as health care and retirement.

“Becky brings extensive experience in payroll accounting to LAFCU,” said Sharon Gillison, LAFCU senior vice president-human resources.

“Her passionate interest in human resources will be a great benefit for our organization.”

CAPITAL AREA MICHIGAN WORKS! GROWS STAFF

Capital Area Michigan Works! is growing its staff with two new hires. Laurence Levi has joined the staff as the Capital Area Prisoner Reentry community coordinator and Armando Arevalo has joined as the agricultural talent specialist.

Levi holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University and has previous experience as a career consultant. As the Capital Area Prisoner Reentry community coordinator, he will ensure a smooth transition for CAMW! program participants paroled from prison. Arevalo, who is also a graduate of Michigan State University, grew up as

Kilpatrick, a St. Johns, Mich. resident, came to LAFCU from Partners Book Distributing Inc. where she served as human resources/payroll manager since 1998. She is currently working toward the Senior Certified Professional designation from the Society for Human Resources Management. She is a graduate of St. Johns High School.

Closely Held Business Niche

What’s so special about the number 7?

A 7 sided shape is a heptagon.

In the NHL, MLB and NBA, 7 is the maximum number of games played in a playoff series.

There are 7 rows in the periodic table.

The common ladybird has 7 spots.

Maner Costerisan has 7 team members that lead their closely held businesses niche.

2425 E. Grand River Ave., Ste. 1 Lansing, MI 48912-3291 T: 517 323 7500 • F: 517 323 6346 www.manercpa.com • www.manersolutions.com

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Maner Costerisan has been supporting closely held businesses in the community for over a century! With our dedicated, knowledgeable team, we can make sure you have the tools and direction you need to let your business reach a new level of financial success. We will personalize those services that best meet your needs, and pride ourselves on making all of our clients feel like family.

For more information about our closely held niche services, contact Dennis Theis at 517.886.9537 or dtheis@manercpa.com.

APRIL 2016

NOTABLE NEWS

a migrant seasonal farm worker. As the agricultural talent specialist for CAMW!, he will assist agricultural professionals in finding work to match their skills.

Capital Area Michigan Works! aims to provide a variety of services to both job seekers and employers. The diverse skillset of staff members such as Levi and Arevalo allow CAMW! to offer unique programs.

MIDWEST COMMUNICATIONS TAPS MIKE SCOTT AS LANSING OM Midwest Communications has named Mike Scott as OM for its Lansing, Mich. cluster. Scott will oversee Rock WJXQ, Classic Hits WLMI, Country WWDK and Sports WQTX. Scott arrives from Krol Communications/ Flint, where he was OM. “We are thrilled to land Mike, given his talent and experience across a wide variety of formats,” said Vice President and Market Manager Patrick Pendergast. “He is ideally suited to lead our four station cluster. As a Michigan native, he’s the perfect fit for us.”

Scott added, “I can’t express in words how excited I am to join the great team at Midwest Communications and lead this great programming group. I’d especially like to thank both Jeff McCarthy, vice president of programming and Patrick Pendergast for this opportunity and look forward to joining the Lansing team.”

UCHEF PITCHES WINNING BUSINESS IDEA AT THE HATCHING The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and Spartan Innovations hosted The Hatching, the monthly business pitch competition event on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016 at Dublin Square in East Lansing. Local entrepreneurs and supporters attended the event to cheer on the next big idea they’d like to see hatch in Lansing.

quality, gourmet and delicious food. What they don’t want is hours of prep and cooking time.

This will be a cool product to watch develop over the next year,” said Tony Willis, director of New Economy at LEAP. The Hatching is part of a community-wide effort to support local entrepreneurs and make the Lansing region a great place to start a business. This event helps move new, local business ideas from concept to reality and provides winners with funding, legal support, market research, office space and more.

For more information about The Hatching or how entrepreneurs can submit ideas to be considered for the live pitch competition at one of the monthly Hatching events, visit thehatching.org.

The winning idea, UChef, came from Michigan State University (MSU) student, Tapan Kataria.

UChef is a meal planning, food delivery service that only takes 20 minutes to cook.

“UChef is entering a market space where we expect to see high growth. People value high

SPONSORED

OUTLOOK ON COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

BY JEFF SHAPIRO

By all indications, 2016 is likely to be a banner year in the commercial real estate market.

We are seeing a number of signs that the market is beginning to open up and trend back to normal posture, and with that, inquiries for leasing, building management and commercial building/development are trending higher.

While we are not yet back to pre-recession levels, we have seen a trend over the last 18 months toward more activity. We have recently seen another surge in market activity, which will result in higher occupancy and lease rates for many of the commercial and retail properties that exist in the marketplace.

In a recessionary market, many commercial properties become distressed, creating more of a “Buyer’s Market.” With the influx of new

and expanding demand for commercial space, the market is once again becoming healthy.

This will lead to new development to meet the growing demand.

We are currently at a crossroads where potential tenants still retain some bargaining power, but as the supply of available “move-in ready” properties starts to thin, demand will begin to dictate higher pricing for properties across the spectrum.

Now might be a good time to negotiate a new lease or extension with current landlord, as it appears the longer you wait, the more you might have to pay for the same space.

Remember, there are various types of commercial leases and a number of abbreviations that differ in meaning and usage,

depending on who’s applying them. When it comes to commercial leases, there are some basic structures that equate to what the tenant is responsible for paying besides rent each month.

It might be best to consult a commercial real estate professional to make sure you know what you are agreeing to in your lease.

As always, NAI Mid-Michigan/TMN Commercial would be happy to help you find the right property for your business. Call us if there is anything we can do for you.

Jeff Shapiro, GRI is a principal at NAI Mid-Michigan/TMN Commercial specializing in land development, new construction and leasing of professional office space.

Jeff was a long-time member of the Greater Lansing Association of Realtors and served as a Board Member and President for many years.

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DART BANK ANNOUNCES NEW ASSISTANT MANAGERS Peter Kubacki, president and CEO of The Dart Bank, is pleased to announce the addition of Lawanda Slone as assistant manager, Mason Office and Ashley Ward, assistant manager, Holt Office.

Slone brings six years of management experience and three years of banking experience to the bank. She attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and

is a veteran of the Virginia Army National Guard. She has been active in Relay for Life and Boys and Girls Club.Ward brings seven years of management experience and five years of banking experience to the bank.

She attended Ferris State University and has been active in Junior Achievement, is the Treasurer of Cub Scouts Pack 141, and participates in the local 4-H program. Ward is on the Committee for Elder Justice with the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan.

DEWPOINT WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEES TO LANSING Dewpoint, a leading provider of technology consulting and implementation solutions, is pleased to welcome several new employees to Lansing: James Donovan – Project Scheduler Wendy Mallek – Program Coordinator Michael Gemborys – Senior Project Manager Founded in 1996, Dewpoint experts have a long success record of helping to develop

PLAN ON...

short- or long-term strategic technology plans to maximize current resources and better position organizations for the future.

Dewpoint collaborates with enterprise clients across numerous industries, including state and local government, healthcare, financial services, biotechnology, manufacturing, insurance and more. The company is headquartered in Lansing, Mich. While many of the company’s clients are located in the Midwest, Dewpoint also supports organizations across the country. Additional information is available at dewpoint.com.

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GREATER LANSING

SPONSORED

SOMETHING DIFFERENT, INDEED IF YOU HUNGER FOR THE BEST OF GREATER LANSING’S PLACES TO DINE, IT’S TIME TO BREAK THE CHAIN.

How far would you go for a really great meal, your favorite drink, cheerful service and a vibrant dining atmosphere? On average, restaurant goers are willing to travel 17 minutes to a local restaurant. Yet, a funny thing seems to happen when the conversation turns to “Where should we eat tonight?” in the Lansing area.

Someone inevitably utters the words “That’s all the way on the other side of town."

Surprisingly, even though most of us yearn for healthier, higher-quality dining with a dash of personality, when it comes down to it, habit brings us back to those front-and-center chains and familiar standbys.

Sometimes we all just need a little reminder that there are other options—better options.

This is where the team at Bordeaux has brought their A-game: combining flavorful, made-from-scratch food with just the right lineup of wines, microbrews and craft cocktails for an experience that is both adventurous and familiar. Nestled inside the Crowne Plaza at S. Creyts Rd. and I-496, it’s easily within 12 minutes or less of most of the surrounding communities. Parking is free and plentiful. From the unassuming facade to one of the warmest and trendiest restaurant interiors in the area, Bordeaux is full of pleasant surprises.

Stepping inside, you’re greeted by friendly faces and décor with a cosmopolitan vibe. Being situated inside the Crowne Plaza, the locally owned restaurant and bar has become Delta Township’s spot to see and be seen. Where else can you sip the “Best martini in town”, per @LoraHelou’s recent tweet, while rubbing elbows with world travelers and even the occasional celeb?

Now, let’s talk food. Upon first look at Bordeaux’s seasonally changing menu, one quickly understands that it would take several visits to properly sample the selections. Executive Chef Brian Morden and his culinary team have filled the menu with thoughtful flavor combinations.

These are people who really care about food. The newly launched spring/summer menu brings us the Very Berry – mixed greens aptly mounded with fresh berries, candied pecans and a creamy maple dressing. The Beet & Burrata was a very popular salad from Bordeaux’s fall menu and, since beets are at their best in warmer weather, it has made a triumphant return. Roasted beets mingle with marinated tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinaigrette and the unique and delightful burrata cheese atop a bed of arugula.

Simple, fresh and delicious Shrimp Tacos are perfect for midday with sweet chili aioli, cilantro and cabbage all wrapped up in housemade corn tortillas. Fried Artichokes, resembling opening rosebuds, spring to life with roasted garlic aioli, capers and Parmesan. Rustic Flatbreads are

served up with a variety of toppings and what’s not to love about the Fried Green Tomato BLT with chipotle aioli on ciabatta? Yes, please!

As evening rolls around, grilled Sea Scallops are adorned simply with red pepper coulis and creamy polenta. Salmon is skillfully prepared then married with cucumber and dill crème fraiche, risotto and in-season vegetables. Fish not your dish? The Prime Pub Steak is amazing with chimichurri sauce, house cut fries and housemade ketchup, while a classic Ribeye is complemented with caramelized shallot sauce.

Chef Morden’s artistry with pairing flavors and ingredients makes culinary exploration much less intimidating. Another shining example is the Duck breast entrée with blueberry barbecue.

Monthly blindfolded wine and food tastings, hosted in Bordeaux’s Cork Room, make for a memorable date night, ladies’ get-together or opportunity to make new friends. Plus, it’s really fun to share the tasty things you’ve discovered and learned about. Planning a special gathering? Three stylish private dining rooms provide the ideal backdrop for all occasions and the customizable menu keeps your guests happily eating and drinking for as long as they care to linger.

Bordeaux is definitely a restaurant worth a trip over to the west side of Lansing and off the main drag. When you realize how good it is, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Keep your eyes open for more events by liking Bordeaux [Wine. Food. Spirits] on Facebook and visit them at bordeauxlansing.com.

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CBRE|MARTIN RECENTLY APPOINTED MANAGER OF 100,000 SF INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER IN LANSING CBRE|Martin is pleased to announce that its Asset Services Team has recently been appointed manager of the 100,000 SF Innovation Technology Center located just off Collins Road, south of Jolly Road in Lansing.

Located in Michigan State University’s 115acre University Corporate Research Park, Innovation Technology Center is owned by Granger Park Development, L.L.C., and is home to such prestigious tenants as: Michigan Virtual University, Michigan Department of Technology and the USDA Forest Service.

Granger Park Development, L.L.C.’s membership owns and operates Granger Construction, a third generation, familyowned, full-service construction company since 1959. The University Corporate Research Park is owned and operated by the MSU Foundation which promotes start-up space for

tech-driven companies that maintain a research relationship with MSU.

longtime MYIG leader who retired in December 2015.

CBRE|Martin is excited to bring best practices and an industry leading asset services platform to bear for this assignment. CBRE|Martin’s Office Team has a long successful track record of leasing the space and will continue to coordinate with the Asset Services Team.

A previous CEO of the State YMCA of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2015, Mitchell also ran the Pennsylvania Youth in Government program.

Mitchell is an alumna of the MYIG program at Quincy High School. In 2005 she was in the team of alumni that assisted the staff in creating the MYIG Alumni Association. She later served as its chair.

Mitchell has a liberal arts degree from the University of Michigan and is certified as an organizational leader by the YMCA of the USA. In May, she and her husband relocated to Michigan and now reside in the Ann Arbor area.

STATEWIDE LYDIA MITCHELL NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MICHIGAN YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT

Michigan Youth in Government (MYIG) has named Lydia Mitchell as its new state executive director, replacing Brent Veysey,

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Michigan Youth in Government is a program of the State YMCA of Michigan and is open to all middle and high school students interested in government. Scholarships are available. The program began in 1948 and serves more than 2,000 students annually.

Some of the program¹s alumni have gone on to careers in state government.

Riley joined McDonald Hopkins in 1995.

Since 2007, he has served as managing member of the Cleveland office, and as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Riley will lead a firm that has six offices in four states as well as a Washington, D.C.-based subsidiary, McDonald Hopkins Government Strategies.

NATIONWIDE

When Riley becomes president later this year, he will have 30 years of experience advising clients on strategic alternatives, including acquisitions, sales, mergers, affiliations, refinancing, recapitalizations, and restructurings. He has counseled boards of directors on meeting their fiduciary duties in a variety of circumstances in many industries.

McDonald Hopkins LLC, a business advisory and advocacy law firm based in Cleveland, has elected Shawn M. Riley president, effective Oct. 1, 2016. Carl J. Grassi, the firm’s current president, will become firm chairman and remain on the Executive Committee. When Riley becomes president, Grassi will have served for more than nine years as president, a position that is term-limited.

A frequent author and lecturer, Riley is highly involved in the Greater Cleveland community where he serves as president of the board of the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross and on the board of trustees for the Cleveland Institute of Music. Riley formerly served on the Great Lakes Theater Festival board. He was a member of the Cuyahoga County Charter

MCDONALD HOPKINS ANNOUNCES SHAWN M. RILEY AS PRESIDENT-ELECT

Review Commission and is a graduate of Leadership Cleveland, class of 2012. From 2011 to 2015, Riley was mayor of the Village of Gates Mills, Ohio.

Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Miami, and West Palm Beach. Our subsidiary, McDonald Hopkins Government Strategies LLC, is based in Washington, D.C. and led by former Congressman Steven LaTourette. McDonald Hopkins Government Strategies is not a law firm and does not provide legal services. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com.

SPONSORED

MANER COSTERISAN: HELPING ENTREPRENEURS THRIVE

BY BRUCE DUNN

Maner Costerisan has been helping entrepreneurs become successful for more than 100 years.

First, let’s look at what an entrepreneur is. A global search defines an entrepreneur as a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money. Entrepreneurs have a unique skill set and are critical in our U.S. economy, without them we do not have new business start-ups. These risk takers usually have a vision of a process, service or product they are passionate about and want to bring it to market.

We at Maner know each individual is unique and the services we provide must be customized. Just like a football team with various types of offenses, fundamentals are needed to be successful. In this regard, we can be your offensive coordinator. Assisting you, the head coach, to develop the game plan, 76

depth chart, key plays to call and evaluating the other team’s defense.

The game plan might be in the form of a strategic plan, projections or assistance with bank financing. For example, it would typically involve evaluating the options of what type of tax entity will work best for the individual. Once decided, specific policies and procedures need to be developed to create accurate, timely cash flow reports and monthly financial statements. In the early stages, knowing your financial status in real time is highly important. You need to be able to look at where you are today. We are fortunate to have several software products and experts available to assist you in this area.

It’s an exciting time for us to work with people willing to take a risk with a great concept or

G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY

APRIL 2016

vision. We are honored when we assist them in reaching and exceeding their goals. We offer our clients expert and honest advice, derived from experience in a range of industries. This is a key role in bringing an objective outlook to our clients, providing a sounding board they can trust and rely on.

Maner Costerisan congratulates all of the entrepreneurs recognized for their great work, you are key to the growth in Lansing.

Bruce joined Maner Costerisan in 1979 and serves on the board of directors of Maner Costerisan.

He specializes in the areas of consulting and auditing and is well known for his services to closely-held businesses.

Jim Lammers Trustee, Dart Foundation

Your scholarship gift helps ensure that Lansing area students have access to the higher education that leads to career opportunities. Financial support of student scholarships is an investment in our region’s economy and community.

Lansing needs a workforce that is trained for the jobs of the future. The Lansing Community College Foundation is dedicated to removing financial obstacles for all those working towards a brighter future.

Get Involved. Fund the Future.

To give, visit lcc.edu/fundthefuture

“The Dart Foundation is proud to partner with Lansing Community College Foundation to provide students with the training needed to pursue a career in the skilled trades. Increasing Michigan’s talent pool for these highly marketable skills will benefit our state’s economy and set students on a course for in-demand, fulfilling professions.”

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