December 2010

Business
update
$2.00

1993-2010 ublication

Celebrating 90 Years of Ser vice

Featur es:
Family Owned Business
Continuing Education
Plastics/Steel
Independent Living
Mor tgages
 2
Safety in the Air
By Elly Bainbridge with contributing nearly five years. He started out working on aspects of working at heights. Sheldon, gies. They will now instruct and direct the
credit to the Grand Rapids Press. bridges and then on wind turbines about along with three others are pioneers in training offered by GRCC. “I expect these
four years ago. His job took him all over the GRCC's new Wind Safety Technician guys to help develop this new training
Eric Sheldon knows the importance of country; Iowa, Texas, Minnesota, and Utah. Training program after being trained by center into a wind energy instruction hub
safety. He has been working at heights for Only now is he trained in the safety Ben Williams, of Britain’s YST technolo- for the Great Lakes region” says Williams.
Sheldon said the GRCC program has
gone more in-depth on safety training
than anything he ever learned on the job.
"If we would have had a fire, I would have
cooley.edu had to pull out the instructions to know
how to handle it."
A 40-foot metal structure in the atri-
um of Grand Rapids Community College's
Tassell M-TEC Center serves as a hands-
on training lab during the two weeks of
climbing, rappelling and footwork, as well
as first aid and rescue training. The class
ends with a turbine climbing trip in
Mackinaw City to climb and rappel from a
utility size turbine.
Some may shudder at the thought of

Cooley slipping while climbing a structure that

reaches several hundred feet into the air,
but in GRCC’s Wind Safety Technician
training, that is exactly what students

Year-round prepare for.

"That's when the fun begins," says
Williams, explaining how a climber can be
pulled all the way from the top or bottom of

Options
a turbine ladder via a harness and safety
line. "If someone slips or becomes uncon-
scious, they will always be hooked in."
The program incorporates all the
OSHA confined space, OSHA working at
heights, and OSHA 10 hour as a part of
January • May • September one training program. It also includes
First Aid/CPR certification.
“Our training is the same program
used in Europe and Asia by all the origi-
nal equipment manufacturer's (OEM’s)
and can also be effective for people who
repair cell towers, radio towers, as well as
utility line workers, firemen, and other
workers who install products working at
heights,” says Julie Parks, Director of
Workforce Training.
For Eric Endreszl, GRCC's class was a
good brush-up on skills he learned while
working on turbines with Avanti Wind
Systems in Wisconsin. He looks forward to
returning to West Michigan and working
AUTUMN, CLASS OF SEPTEMBER 2012 with emerging workers in the field.
"It's one thing to remain confident,
but it's another to remember what it takes
knowledge. skills. ethics.

to walk away from a structure at the end

At Cooley, many people are finding that it is possible to fit law school into their busy lives. With four
of the day," he said, explaining the impor-
campuses across Michigan – Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor – Cooley offers classes tance of safety practices. "The key is to
year-round, days, evenings, and weekends. Students receive a legal education that provides them with remember to never become too comfort-
the knowledge, skills, and ethics that distinguishes Cooley’s over 14,000 graduates worldwide. able, or you lose that edge."
Wind Safety Technician training pro-
For more information about Cooley, visit cooley.edu gram is offered monthly. For more infor-
Thomas M. Cooley Law School is committed to a fair and objective admissions policy. Subject to space limitations, Cooley offers the opportunity for legal education to all qualified mation and to register go to www.grc-
applicants. Cooley abides by all federal and state laws against discrimination. In addition, Cooley abides by American Bar Association Standard 211(a), which provides that “a law
school shall foster and maintain equality of opportunity in legal education, including employment of faculty and staff, without discrimination or segregation on the basis of race, color,
clearn.com/wind.
religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.”

ICG.1110.062.AD
 3
University Works Locally to Meet
West Michigan’s Educational Needs
Mt. Pleasant – It’s no revelation that gy as they experience it first-hand online. its workforce and do it in a way that to benefit from an advanced education.
Michigan is in trouble economically. If West Michigan is to experience allows both those just entering the Central Michigan University in Grand
West Michigan with its more diversified employment growth, it has to educate workforce and those currently employed Rapids is ready now.
industries might be faring a bit better
than the Detroit area, but times are
tough all over.
According to a 2010 Report by the
W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment
Research, if West Michigan doesn’t
improve the talent level of its workforce,
the region will grow at a 0.4 annual per-
centage rate during the next 15 years,
substantially below the expected 0.9 per-
cent average predicted for the U.S. as a
whole. For West Michigan to “achieve a
greater rate of employment growth dur-
ing the next 15 years,” the report con-
cludes, “we suggest that it work to
improve the quality of its workforce.”
Many people in West Michigan
would agree. They have found that
career advancement just is not possible
without finishing the bachelor’s degree
they started years before. Some have
discovered that the upper-level manage-
ment position they want is just out of
reach without a master’s degree.
In response to this growing need,
Central Michigan University’s newly
relocated center on the East Beltline in
Grand Rapids joins 11 other CMU Off-
Campus centers in Michigan in offering a
wide variety of bachelor’s and master’s
degree options designed specifically for
working adults.
CMU is also in the unique position
of being able to bring programs directly
to local businesses and organizations.
Recently, Holland Hospital saw a need to
educate their administrators. Partnering
with the hospital, CMU was able to bring
the Master of Science in Administration
degree in Health Services Administration
on-site, fulfilling the hospital’s need for
trained employees and the employees’
need for local classes.
Taking courses online is another
convenience offered to West Michigan
students. CMU has bachelor’s degree pro-
grams online in administration, commu-
nity development, leadership and psy-
chology. For administrators who want to
move up the ladder, online MSA degree
options are available as well as MBA pro-
grams in SAP, the world’s leading enter-
prise system, and logistics management,
a demand skill in the public and private
sectors. Educators can qualify for profes-
sional certification and earn an MA
degree in the latest educational technolo-
 Celebrating 90 Years of Value and Service
Grand Rapids – A rich tradition con-
tinues to thrive in the foodservice indus-
try: Van Eerden Foodservice is celebrat-
ing 90 years of service. In 1920, Andrew
Van Eerden started a small distribution
business with a focus on service and
value. Today, the Van Eerden
Foodservice and Van Eerden Trucking
companies have 3rd and 4th generation
family members actively working to
build better relationships with cus-
tomers by continuing to provide quality
service and value.
When asked how Van Eerden
Foodservice has thrived throughout the
many years, Harold Van Eerden, chief
operating officer, says that their focus is
on service and relationships. “A customer
is not a number, but a real partner in
business, and we work to get to know
them and fulfill their needs with company
serviceability,” he said. “A focus on these
principles is what has helped Van Eerden
continue to grow throughout the years.”
Business
update
ublication
Publisher: Gary Kralapp
Business Development
Senior Vice President: Jim Lroy
Senior Vice President: Diane LaPreze
Contributing Writers: Elly Bainbridge,
Greg Myers, Ramzi Faraj, Janice Bullock,
John Elmore, Randy Rapp, Chris Kuehl
Managing Editor: Carol M. Kralapp
Associate Editor: David Calkins
Printing/Distribution: News Web Printing
Accountant: Michael Tawney & Company
Legal: Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone
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l to r: Harold Van Eerden & Dan Van Eerden
When Andrew Van Eerden started
the business, warehousing and distribu-
tion was solely completed by manual
labor. The horse-and-buggy era was
coming to an end, and business was con-
ducted on a handshake. Quality, service
and ethical business relationships were
essential. These core values are what
saw Van Eerden companies through the
Investment in Employee Education
Reaps Rewards
West Michigan – Strong businesses
know that success comes from main-
taining and building positive momen-
tum to meet market needs and chal-
lenges. While some companies revamp
product offerings and business strategy,
others are turning to another valued
asset: their employees. Specifically,
businesses are choosing to invest in
employee education programs, a practice
that is proving to have growing benefits.
“Successful companies understand
that a well-educated employee base can
translate into enhanced profitability,”
said Valissa Armstead, Corporate
Education Liaison for University of
Phoenix West Michigan Campus.
Armstead works with companies to
help fulfill their educational growth needs
with tailored programs for their employ-
ees. The University’s corporate education
program allows companies to meld in-
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Depression and a World War.
In the 1970’s, under the leadership
of Jack Van Eerden (Andrew’s son), the
company began the expansion of their
product line and became a full-line food-
service distributor. 3rd generation broth-
ers, Dan Van Eerden, Harold Van Eerden
and Andy Van Eerden took over control
of operations in 1982. Together, with a
combined 50 years of foodservice experi-
ence, they continued to build upon an
already established business. Today Van
Eerden Foodservice has become the 33rd
largest food distributor in the United
States and still continues to grow.
The continuation of several princi-
ples have been the foundation of their
success: Being customer focused,
investing in growing partnerships with
important vendors and foodservice bro-
kers, expanding product lines, hiring
quality employees who are committed to
the vision of service, continuing invest-
ment in technologies to improve effi-
ciencies and expanding value-added
services that create partnerships and
growth with and for customers.
Van Eerden now has over 500
house training and professional develop-
ment programs with college curriculum.
“Our program enables working
learners to maximize their time at work
and at school,” Armstead said. “A student
is able to combine their job experience
with the new competencies they develop
as a University of Phoenix student.”
This innovative initiative has helped
many local businesses in the Western
Michigan area match business skill and
expertise needs with those of employees
looking to enhance their education.
“We have more than 100 business
partners in our local corporate program,”
Armstead said. “In these partnerships,
we help each employee develop commu-
nication, collaboration, critical thinking,
information usage and agility skills that
they can then utilize day to day.”
Armstead says companies are typi-
cally attracted to the dual benefits of
4
employees, and many are located in
Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas.
These include Van Eerden Trucking, its
transportation company and the eleven
additional sales representatives the com-
pany added in 2010. With each addition
to the sales team and management team,
Van Eerden Foodservice has provided
greater service to its customers and
gained in market share. A focus on tech-
nology and systems to provide improved
efficiencies will continue to bring addi-
tional quality product offerings at com-
petitive prices to Van Eerden customers.
Van Eerden continues to focus on the
changes taking place in foodservice dis-
tribution. This proactive approach, along
with the Company’s flexibility and strong
relationships, has helped food service
operators keep their businesses success-
ful during the slowed economy. The Van
Eerden family and management team
look forward to continuing its Customer-
First focus and quality service for many
years to come, and thanks all of its cus-
tomers for their continuing partnerships.
employee education programs.
“It’s certainly beneficial for both
parties,” Armstead said. “Employees
gain knowledge and the undergraduate
and graduate degrees needed for career
development, and the employer reaps of
the benefits of an employee base with
strong core competencies that may help
bolster the company’s positive output in
the marketplace.”
What’s the Return on Investment?
Better Employees = Better
Company - Nurturing the educational
pursuits of employees will invariably
lead to a workforce that feels better
about their jobs and are consequently
more productive in those roles.
Talent Retention - Investing in
your employees’ career development can
also create company loyalty. Employees
are more likely to stay with a business
that offers professional development,
long-term career potential and an
avenue for stability.
Reduced Costs, Enhanced
Corporate Reputation - Having better-
educated employees also means lower
training costs. The company will benefit
directly from new ideas, perspective and
professional capabilities gained from
accelerated learning among employees.
 5
Education Briefs
Grand Rapids – Davenport University Saginaw Valley State University, pres- awards for its online edition; a news Grand Rapids – Davenport University
announced it will open a downtown cen- ident of the BlueWater Angels and CEO story titled "Student Sits Next to Terror has completed an extensive national
ter for its graduate programs at 45 of IP3, Inc., will become the CEO of Suspect on Christmas Flight" by Emma search and has named Linda Rinker,
Ottawa Ave. NW. The 18,000 sq. ft. cen- MidMichigan Innovation Center. Slager; feature page design by Katie Ed.D., to the position of executive vice
ter will be open for the fall 2011 semes- Grand Rapids – Calvin's student news- Hall and Jackson Hall for "ABC...Grand president for academics and provost.
ter with MBA concentrations in health paper "Chimes" recently won nine College Rapids"; and best original cartoon for
care management and accounting with Newspaper Contest awards from the "Insomnia" by Lauren Kelly. The nine
other MBA focuses considered for later Michigan Collegiate Press awards bested last year's haul of seven.
rollouts. Davenport’s MBA programs will Association. Chimes collected first place
be offered in a cohort format with 12-,
16- and 20-month rotations. The center
also will house Davenport’s Institute for
Professional Excellence, allowing the
institute to offer greater flexibility in the
training it supports on- and off-site.

Grand Rapids – Northwood University

hosted over 100 people at an open house
at its new location on Michigan Street
NE. The University’s Adult Degree
Program has begun classes in the new
center and will share the space with the
Richard DeVos Graduate School of
Management which starts its Evening
MBA program in January 2011.
Representatives from the Midland
Campus undergraduate area are holding
office hours weekly.

Grand Rapids – Grand Valley State

University will sign a memo of under-
standing with three West Michigan pub-
lic school districts as part of the W. K.
Kellogg Foundation Woodrow Wilson
Michigan Teaching Fellowship Program.
The schools include Grand Rapids
Public Schools, Godfrey-Lee Public
Schools and Muskegon Public Schools.
The Program, aimed at increasing the
number of science and mathematics
teachers, is open to graduating college
seniors, recent graduates and mid-career
or second-career professionals with
degrees in science, technology, engineer-
ing and mathematics who are interested
in teaching in Michigan’s high-need,
urban secondary schools.

Great Lakes Bay Region – The board of

MITECH+ and the board of
MidMichigan Innovation Center
announced a leadership change, effective
November 1, 2010. CEO Bill
Moneypenny is moving out of the
organizations to take on a new role at
Dow Kokam in Midland. With 30 years
of global and local leadership experience
from his service with The Dow Chemical
Company, Joe Asiala of Midland will
become the interim CEO of MITECH+.
Ken Kousky of Saginaw, currently the
Dow entrepreneur-in-residence at

Accountability Report Shows Efficiency Increases
Allendale – Grand Valley State
University showed that it had increased
access and efficiency while contributing
millions to the West Michigan economy
in its fourth annual Accountability
Report released at its October 22 Board
of Trustees meeting.
The report shows Grand Valley is
attracting students with academic per-
formances in the top tier of all Michigan
public universities. These students are
contributing to Michigan after gradua-
tion; 88 percent of recent graduates are
working in the state. More than 90 per-
cent of recent graduates are employed or
in graduate school.
Grand Valley attracts these high-
quality students from nearly every coun-
ty throughout Michigan, yet receives the
lowest funding per student from the
state. Despite that, Grand Valley’s tuition
remains among the lowest of all of
Michigan’s public universities; Grand
Valley’s cost of operation is $2,000 less
per student than the state median.
“Grand Valley can keep its tuition
low, its financial aid to students high and
see incredible academic results because
the university demonstrates remarkable
efficiency,” President Thomas J. Haas
said. “This report is online and we want
lawmakers, taxpayers, students and
their families to see all the ways Grand
Valley gives a great return on their
investment by producing qualified and
productive graduates using each dollar
efficiently.”
The report shows that as Grand
Valley celebrates its 50th anniversary, a
record number of individuals and organ-
izations have donated to the university,
its programs and buildings, including the
Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and
Information Commons and the L.
William Seidman building that will house
the Seidman College of Business.
The report also shows that Grand
Valley’s students, faculty and staff in
Education Briefs
Grand Rapids – Sheri Geddes, assistant
professor of accounting at Calvin,
received the top award for Best Practice
Presentation at the Christian Business
Faculty Association conference held
last October. Geddes was recognized for
her presentation "Cost Accounting and
the Easy Bake Oven."
East Lansing – Dr. Scott Loveridge has
been named director of the North
Central Regional Center for Rural
Development (NCRCRD). The NCRCRD
works with Extension professionals,
researchers and their partners to
enhance rural development outcomes in
the 12-state north central region.
Muskegon – Competing against more
than 35 professional chefs and other
culinary arts students, four students
from the Culinary Institute of Michigan
at Baker College of Muskegon garnered
four medals at the recent 7th Annual
Great Culinary Classic. The competition
winners are: Zach Vanderwall of
Fremont - gold medal for preparation of
quail; Heather Carr of Grand Haven -
silver medal for a red snapper dish; Ed
Jobin of Chicago - silver medal for prepa-
ration of a bone-in pork loin; Lindsay
Yzenas of Gary, Indiana - silver medal
for preparation of sole.
Muskegon – Muskegon Community
College (MCC) recognized the following
personnel changes: New instructors -
David Stradal (business), Cliff Young
(english), Jeanne Cooper-Kuiper (eng-
lish), Jessica Graf (physical education),
Robert Eich (history), Karin Burrell
(mathematics), Susan Frazier (nurs-
ing) and Dr. Thomas Tisue (chemistry);
Larry Haughn - wrestling coach; Mike
Smith - cross country coach; Bill Bowen
- bowling coach; Ben Ritsema - men’s
soccer coach; Ronald Bush II - executive
director of human resources; Joe Doyle -
vice president of administration;
Patricia D'Avignon - manager of regis-
6
Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties in
2008-2009 contributed more than $600
million to the local economy, and con-
struction on campus created more than
700 jobs.
tration; Gerald Nyland - director of
physical plant; deans - Sally Birkam
(student success and campus life),
Gregory Marczak (instruction and
assessment), George Maniates (enroll-
ment services), Trynette Harps (contin-
uing education and program outreach)
and Jean Roberts (academic services
and registration); Amy James - busi-
ness services manager; Stacey DeBrot -
auxiliary services manager; Elizabeth
“Eli” Fox, and Erin Patrick - enrollment
representatives. Additionally, MCC has
been designated a “military friendly
school” by G.I. Jobs Magazine, an
honor only bestowed on the top 15% of
colleges, universities and trade schools
nationwide. Finally, Pam Brown, direc-
tor of nursing, was appointed to the
state-wide Michigan Nursing Education
Council.
Flint – Baker College Online officials
announced that it has been named a
2011 Military Friendly School by G.I.
Jobs magazine. The list honors the top
15 percent of colleges, universities and
trade schools that are doing the most to
embrace America’s veterans as students.
Grand Rapids – Calvin College's senior
associate to the president Bob Berkhof
is the recipient of the 2010 "Benjamin
Franklin Award For An Outstanding
Volunteer Fundraiser."
Grand Rapids – Phase I of Aquinas
College’s Sturrus Sports and Fitness
Center has been completed. Designed to
meet LEED standards, the improved
Center features upgraded competition
areas in the arena, facilities for a new
fitness center and much-needed class-
room space for the College’s athletic
training program. Rockford
Construction served as the general con-
tractor and Integrated Architecture as
the architect for the project.

Van’s Delivery
Current Generation: 4th
Bob Van Zytveld started Van’s
Delivery Service in 1925 with one truck
and one customer. Today, the business is
still family-owned – now in its fourth
generation – and has grown into four
separate companies with over 150
employees and Owner Operator affiliates.
Of the three sons born to Bob and
his wife Jean, one son, Philmore, decided
to devote his career to the company his
father started. Learning to drive at a very
young age, he quickly assimilated his
father’s attitude toward hard work and
listening to his customers. By the early
70s, the business had grown to the point
where Philmore had to park his truck
and devote his time to the daily opera-
tions of the rapidly growing company.
With son Ron Van Zytveld already
learning the business as a truck driver,
Philmore also offered the same opportu-
nity to son-in-law John Nieuwenhuis in
1976. The company philosophy of hard
work and hands-on management was
firmly ingrained in the work ethic of John
and Ron as they did their studies of the
business from their trucks. In 1984 John
was promoted to Operations Manager and
Ron to Dispatcher. In 1995, John and Ron
purchased the company from Philmore
allowing Philmore a well deserved retire-
ment. Today, many other family members
are part of the team, including John’s
wife, two daughters and son-in-law as
well as Ron’s wife and daughter.
Van’s Delivery prides itself on being
an 85 year old family owned business
but it also recognizes the fact that it is
the families within the company that has
made it a success. There are many
instances where employees have thought
enough of the company and its philoso-
phies to bring in their sons, brothers and
cousins. Grandpa Bob would be pleased
to know that “Courtesy and Promptness
Assured” remains alive and well at Van’s
Delivery Service, Inc.
Pioneer Construction
Current Generation: 4th
In 1933, a young entrepreneur and
carpenter originally from the
Netherlands named Earl Beckering Sr.
founded a business named Beckering
Construction Company. In 1962, under
the leadership of his son, Earl Jr., the
company name was changed to Pioneer
Construction to reflect the innovative
attitude and expanding services of the
rapidly growing firm; they were the
area's first non-unionized contractor -
the first general contracting firm in west
Michigan to operate an open shop. Later
in 1971, Earl’s son Tom took the reins of
the company, and today (now in the
fourth generation of family ownership)
Tom’s son-in-law, Tim Schowalter con-
tinues to lead the company which has
grown into one of Grand Rapids' largest
construction firms.
“Maintaining closely held owner-
ship allows for ease of decision-mak-
ing,” said Chris Beckering, Earl Jr.’s
grandson and currently Pioneer’s direc-
tor of business development. One of the
nice things about pioneer is not only that
our ownership is family-oriented, but
many of our employees at every level of
the organization are 2nd and even 3rd
generation employees. They continue to
help us build and maintain the reputa-
tion we’ve gained over 4 generations of
delivering quality construction on time
and within budget.”
During an Oct. 21, 2010 banquet
and ceremony, Earl Jr., Pioneer’s 2nd
generation company leader was inducted
posthumously into the Michigan
Construction Hall of Fame and received
the Distinguished Contractor Award.
Pioneer continues to carry on the tradi-
tions passed down by his father of a
strong work ethic, quality craftsmanship
and personal service.
Triangle Associates, Inc.
Current Generation: 4th
Originally named George Datema &
Sons, Triangle Associates was formed in
1918 as a single, small office with only
Design, Fabrication, Manufacturing, PVC Coating, Insulation, Stripping,
Sandblasting, Repairing, and Rebuilding of Anodizing, E-Coat, Painting,
Plating, Powdercoating and PVD Racks, Baskets, Barrels and Screens
Phone: 616-453-8261
2855 Marlin Court N.W. Grand Rapids, MI 49544
two employees. George Datema was a
carpenter and when his oldest son
turned 16, George started his company
with the desire to have a career for his
boys to follow. After completing the 10th
grade, his son Roy worked side by side
with his father, and since then, Triangle
has maintained its focus on creating
opportunities for the next generation.
Triangle is now under the manage-
ment of the fourth generation of its
founding family: Craig S. Datema - son
of Roy Datema Jr. and grandson of Roy
Sr. - serves as chairman and CEO. Today,
the company maintains its traditional
roots and stays committed to building
exceptional facilities, great people and
strong communities.
“Though the times have definitely
changed things, a lot of the values and
standards set by my great grandfather are
still valid today,” said Craig Datema.
“Being able to bring that perspective and
share those principals with the senior
team to apply them to today’s situations
and technologies for solutions is very
helpful. I think there has been a lot of con-
tinuity and those core values that we've
always had as a family are still valid.
That's a benefit to all of our associates.
“We’re also proud to make the com-
munity a part of this family. We're very
involved in community initiatives, and
we've been able to build it into our cul-
ture, working hard to give back the com-
munity both financially and with our
time. It all gets back to the value systems
of the family. We’re a business that came
from family roots that still recognizes
that we're part or the community and the
people here are part of our family.”
Fax: 616-453-3811
7
Sligh Furniture Company
Current Generation: 4th
When Charles Sligh's father died in
the American Civil war, the boy of 12 had
no choice but to go to work at Berkey &
Gay, a leading furniture maker at the time.
When he entered the industry, furniture
factories were very specialized, to the
point where customers had to gather a
room's furniture from various sources. 18
years later, he would have a revolutionary
idea: Why not offer all the furniture pieces
needed in a bedroom, in coordinated
styles, from one plant? Thus was his com-
pany Sligh Furniture born. In 1990, more
than a hundred years after its creation,
Robert Sligh, Jr. became the fourth gener-
ation of Slighs to lead the company into
new furniture markets, designs and devel-
opments.
"We just got back from the semi-
annual International Home Furnishings
Market in High Point, North Carolina,"
said Robert Sligh. "We felt great about it
as our traffic was up 5% from year ago
and our orders were more than double
2009, well above 2008 and on a par with
2007. We hope we can turn that positive
momentum into sustained improvement
out of the recession."
Since the early 90's, Sligh has begun
to focus on the home office furniture mar-
ket and recently on the home entertain-
ment furniture market with its collection
of experienced and talented designers. In
the 14 years since the initiation of the
American Society of Furniture Designers'
annual Pinnacle Award, Sligh product
designers have been finalists every year
and won first place seven times.
racks@expertcoating.net

Dan Vos Construction
Current Generation: 3rd
In the late 1940s, Daniel R. Vos was
a celery farmer who had a carpentry
hobby. In working with friends and fam-
ilies to repair their homes in the winter
months, he developed a reputation for
quality building. This eventually became
a full-time job, and in 1951, Dan Vos
Construction Company was established.
His son Gary Vos (current CEO) was
involved with the company throughout
his whole life, buying into the business
in 1979. He remains the company’s
majority holder today while his son Dan
T. Vos is a minority holder and current
executive vice president.
Succession planning has played a
large role in the future of the organization.
This has been an ongoing process within
the company, as Gary recognized the
importance of implementing the planning
many years ago, in hopes of creating a
sustainable company and a positive own-
ership and management transition.
“Many organizations do not realize
the importance of strategic succession
planning soon enough,” said Dan T. Vos.
“It takes a lot of work, especially due to
the fact that this is not only a business
process, but that of a family. The most
important attribute of our family-owned
business is the fact that the core values
of DVCC that were instilled by my grand-
father in 1951 still hold true today. They
have not altered since day one, and they
are much easier to maintain and keep
pure as a family-owned business. It’s
very important for us to grow and stay
as up-to-date as possible; however, it’s
even more important for us to do so
while embracing our foundation. It’s
who we are.”
Kent Companies
Current generation: 3rd
Founded in 1957 by John
VanderLaan, Kent Concrete spent the
prosperous post-war years pouring resi-
dential flatwork. From these simple
beginnings, Kent Concrete began a long
history of safety, innovation, expertise,
quality, productivity and customer serv-
ice. In the late 1970's, John's sons, Al
and Roger, took the reigns of the compa-
ny and diversified its offerings into
foundations and other concrete-related
specialty markets. By the late 1990's
Kent Concrete became Kent Companies to
better reflect the broad range of services
it offered. 2009 saw Al's son Jeff and
Roger's son Chris taking ownership of
the business, bringing third-generation
family leadership and increased diversi-
fication, including the addition of a full-
scale home service team, a partnership
with a leading manufacturer of steel
piers MacLean Dixie and a fully dedicat-
ed floor specialty division.
Since the beginning, the leaders of
Kent Companies have prided themselves
on continuing to diversify their offerings
to other construction-related services,
but also stay current with concrete-relat-
ed construction, which remains the core
of the company's strengths. They are
particularly proud of their latest work:
The RiverHouse Condominium project -
at 34 stories, the tallest building and sec-
ond tallest concrete-frame building in
Grand Rapids, all accomplished without
a single lost-time accident in over
190,000 labor hours - and the St. Mary’s
Hospital parking ramp (the entire inside
and a large part of the exterior being
formed entirely of exposed concrete).
Mieras Family Shoes
Current generation: 3rd
Things haven't always been easy for
Mieras Family Shoes. When John Mieras
founded the company in 1922, he had no
idea that 7 years later, his stroke would
lead to his 19-year-old son Neil taking
over the company just a week before the
stock market crashed in 1929. But
despite the hard times, Neil held on and
persevered. Now with 3 retail locations
and a mobile shoe division, Mieras is in
their 88th year of the same family own-
ership and has 3rd, 4th and even 5th
generations of the indomitable Mieras
family working alongside one another at
the business.
Standale Lumber
Current Generation: 2nd
Standale Lumber and Supply
Company was founded in 1952 by Ken
Holtvluwer who eventually bought out
his partner John Koppenol and tripled the
business over the next couple years.
Over the next 50 years, Standale would
continue to expand, increasing their
offerings and their staff. Today, Ken
Holtvluwer's four children all own equal
parts of two thirds of the company, while
employees own their own 33% share.
The decision in 1995 to expand owner-
ship to include employees made Standale
Lumber one of the first employee-owned
dealers in Michigan.
“The downturn in the housing
industry the last several years caused us
to look at other uses of our resources,”
said (daughter) Jan Lehman, director of
marketing. “We will be a major supplier
for the Fuller Life Center; we are market-
ing flooring, cabinetry and custom furni-
ture made from reclaimed barn timbers;
we continue to expand our “Green” prod-
uct offerings; and (son) Buzz Holtvluwer
just received the designation of a
Certified Aging in Place Specialist. And
of course, we are still supplying a lot of
product for local residential and commer-
cial contractors!”
Fortino's
Current generation: 3rd
After working at several different
jobs in attempt to raise the money to
send for his family, young Italian immi-
grant Louis Fortino finally succeeded
when he bought a little fruit and cigar
shop in Muskegon in 1907. After bring-
8
ing his family to America, he moved to a
larger fruit and vegetable store in 1911,
shedding the cigars and expanding to
include wholesale. He later began con-
struction of a new building down the
block, where he eventually moved all of
his business after a severe fire damaged
the store. In order to survive the compe-
tition of the popularly emerging super-
markets, Fortino's evolved into a gour-
met food store once his son Paul pur-
chased it 1941. The store, now owned by
Paul's daughter Margaret and her hus-
band Ken Michlitsch, is the only one of
the 30 small grocers in town that went
on to survive today.
"We are starting our 104th year of
continuous same family owned busi-
ness," said Margaret. "I am the third gen-
eration and have been operating it since
1976 after following in my Grandfather
and Father's footsteps. We are constant-
ly striving to keep our store up to date
and interesting, continually changing
our product lines to reflect current food
trends. We carry complete lines of nuts,
chocolates, gourmet foods, wines and
spirits. All of our gourmet products will
remind you that quality is alive and well
in the world."
Hansen-Balk Steel Treating Company
Current generation: 2nd
After working 19 years at the J
Hansen Steel Treating Company, James
Balk II purchased the business from Jens
Hansen in 1974 and changed the name
to the Hansen-Balk Steel Treating
Company. In 1980, the company moved
from its original location on Ottawa Ave
to their current Monroe Ave NW address.
Today, the company is still managed by
James Balk II along with his three sons
James, Martin and Steven.
Hansen Balk has specialized in the
heat treatment of tool and die steels since
its beginning, and while this continues to
be their focus, they also serve the aero-
space, medical, office equipment, oil & gas
exploration and heavy truck industries.
Hansen Balk was recently awarded AS
9100 certification and Nadcap accredita-
tion, both of which are the highest stan-
dards for aerospace heat treating.
"As a result of being family owned,"
said Martin Balk, "some of the values that
have been passed on from Jens Hansen
and James Balk are to stay current with
the latest in heat treating equipment and
technology, take care of our employees
and take care of the customers by provid-
ing high quality heat treating and excep-
tional customer service."

MCC launches Renewable Energy Job Training Program
Sidney – Montcalm Community
College launched its Renewable Energy
Job Training Program this fall. The pro-
gram offers students a comprehensive
introduction to renewable energy and
energy efficiency. It provides a transfer-
able academic foundation for students
interested in pursuing an associate or
bachelor’s degree in a variety of sustain-
ability-related programs. It also provides
a general understanding of sustainable
and renewable energies that can be
applied personally or professionally.
MCC Vice President for Academic
Affairs Rob Spohr says the program
offers instruction for degree-seeking stu-
dents as well as individuals who simply
have a personal interest in learning
about renewable energy.
According to the 2009 Michigan
Green Jobs Report, education and train-
ing are essential to green employers. The
report states that in multiple focus
groups, employers emphasized the need
for basic math and reading skills.
Additional skills may be acquired on-the-
job or in college, depending on the partic-
ular skills needed to perform the job.
Understanding energy efficiency
and how energy is used in everyday life,
is a critical first step in the move toward
renewable energy. Two environmental
science courses at MCC – Introduction to
Renewable Energy and The Science of
Energy – explore various forms of
renewable and nonrenewable energy
present on earth. Successful completion
of these courses meets MCC’s general
education science requirement as well as
the MACRAO (Michigan Association of
Collegiate Registrars and Admissions
Officers) science requirement.
Other courses explore: domestic
energy use and ways to minimize energy
consumption; the use of solar panels as
an alternative energy source, assembling
cells into solar panels and using the gen-
erated electricity as a source of renew-
able energy; the practice and theory of
wind electric generation; solar water
heating including system economics,
environmental benefits, siting and sizing
of systems, types of systems, equipment
installation, operation and maintenance;
Farm to School Initiative
Onekama & Frankfort – The Farm to
School program - a new initiative in
Onekama, Michigan that brings farm-
fresh foods to the breakfast and lunch
menu of students at Onekama
Consolidated Schools in Manistee County
- has shown a 30 percent increase in
lunch dining while generating a new
source of income for farmers and food
processors and increasing revenues for
the School’s food service that is tracking
to turn a profit. The program led through
Frankfort-Elberta Schools successfully
Education Briefs
Grand Rapids – Grand Valley State
University (GVSU) and Grand Rapids
Community College (GRCC) have
reached an academic credit transfer
agreement for music students. More
than a dozen GRCC music courses now
qualify for transfer credit to GVSU. The
agreement applies to any student who
has completed an associate’s in arts
degree with music major, or an associ-
ate’s in music degree.
Grand Rapids – A new partnership will
see Lawrence Technological
University’s new integrated design stu-
dios offered at Grand Rapids
Comminuty College in conjunction with
a new GRCC Architectural Design
Associate degree. A student taking both
the Integrated Design Studio and the
Architectural Design degree at GRCC can
then transfer to “Junior” status at
Lawrence Tech. to complete a Bachelor of
Science (B.S.) in Architecture.
Grand Rapids – Grand Valley State
University Center for Entrepreneurship
& Innovation announced that in August
2010, the Michigan Accelerator Fund 1
(MAF1) was awarded to the Charter
Group. This marks the development of
the first Venture Fund in west Michigan,
laying a critical foundation to the local
continuum of funding. GVSU is a corner-
9
essentials on how to utilize and integrate
geothermal technology as an energy
source in both residential and commer-
cial applications.
Students will explore renewable
energy through a combination of class-
room work and hands-on projects such
as assembling cells into solar panels,
served over 2,400 students in all of
Benzie County before being expanded
through an inter-county collaborative
effort to the Manistee County district and
its 415 students (partners hope to
extend the program to all of Manistee
County’s three other school districts in
2011). The expansion has been support-
ed by a $60,000 grant from the U. S.
Department of Agriculture – Rural
Development to the Manistee-based
Alliance for Economic Success.
stone investor in the $10M fund which
focuses primarily on the life sciences.
MAF1 targets to make 12-15 invest-
ments over the lifetime of the fund with
minimum investments of $250K. MAF1
is poised to optimize value and wealth
creation to build available capital for
entrepreneurs for years to come.
Grand Rapids – The Grand Valley Idea
Pitch Competition took place last
October, organized by the GVSU Collegiate
Entrepreneurship Organization. Frank
Leonard took first place and will be using
the $1,500 prize to begin commercializing
a method to accurately measure fluid
transfer from a beer-keg. Leonard will
also develop software algorithms to
enable tracking of beer sales with food
sales, helping restaurant owners to design
and optimize their inventories.
Allendale – Leaders at Grand Valley
State University and in the West
Michigan community are mourning the
death of friend, philanthropist and busi-
ness leader Peter C. Cook on November
28. He attained the age of 96. Cook was a
benefactor whose gifts became milestones
of progress for Grand Valley. He support-
ed buildings for the health professions,
ecumenical campus ministry, and the uni-
versity’s Grand Rapids campus.

The Image Shoppe
Current Generation: 1st
This full-service marketing compa-
ny’s roots belong to Karen Tracey, who
began the legacy as a freelance designer
in 2003. In 2006, experienced business
development and market strategist Rob
McCarty joined along with Troy Best,
then communications coordinator at
Country Fresh. Rob and Karen are a hus-
band and wife duo, and Troy is practical-
ly a member of the family, having known
Rob for over 20 years.
The trio discovered a niche that was
ripe for tapping in the world of email
marketing and website design and devel-
opment. Today TIS attributes much of
their success to being on the cutting edge
of emerging media and tools with web-
based work assuming half their busi-
ness. The other half is split among email
marketing, image/branding, point-of-
sale, print, social media and marketing
strategy.
What makes them different and
what has contributed to their success is
the quality of their relationships. They
focus diligently on growing, cultivating
and maintaining lasting client and ven-
dor relationships. In addition to high-
touch relationships, TIS developed a
proven process for identity, print and
web work that involves working side-by-
side with clients every step of the way.
Their process ensures clients are
engaged and an essential piece of the
approval process, which saves everybody
time and money.
Formax Manufacturing
Current generation: 3rd
Established in 1938 by Howard
McAleer, the trade name “FORMAX” was
coined from the Four McAleer Brothers -
the “Four - Macs” as they were known.
The company was established to manu-
facture a variety of buffing compounds,
polishing wheels, lubricants and other
products devoted to the metal, plastic and
paint finishing industries, which have
become (over the decades) standards in
the industry. Now in its third generation
of leadership, Formax Manufacturing
continues its dedication to supplying the
very finest products, service and technical
knowledge available.
"Being family owned has provided
the opportunity and freedom to make
our own decisions while giving us a
sense of belonging as we strive toward a
common goal," said Betsy Johnston,
marketing director and herself one of six
family members still involved in the
organization. "It allows us to continue
the original ideals, traditions and values
the company was founded upon; while
permitting room to introduce new ideas
and technology for the improvement of
our company. Our values of fairness,
quality and determination have been
passed down across generations. In the
future, we'll continue to manufacture
quality buffing and polishing supplies to
satisfy current demand while working
towards expanding our product lines
and our global market reach."
G.B. Russo & Son
Current Generation: 4th
Giovanni B. Russo came to Grand
Rapids in 1902 from the small village of
Montelepre, Sicily. He worked for the gas
company until he saved enough money to
found his company in 1905 with a small
store in East Grand Rapids. In 1908, he
purchased the building on S. Division in
the heart of what was then called "Little
Italy" and when his only son Frank was
born 8 years later, the company name was
changed from G.B. Russo Importer to G.B.
Russo & Son.
Over the next nine decades and
through 5 generations, G.B. Russo & Son
developed a notoriety in West Michigan
for their selection of gourmet foods, deli
items and cookware from around the
world. Their store contains thousands of
wines from every corner of the globe - the
largest selection in West Michigan. The
store's current owners Philip and David
Russo are proud of their family’s success.
“A family-owned business that is in
its fourth generation is special to us
because it promotes a legacy of value-
priced quality products and service that
has been passed from one generation to
the next,” said Philip Russo. “We value
our customers as honored guests, and
give personalized service to them, which
is what G.B. and Frank always did. We
treat our customers like family, going
above and beyond what regular grocery
stores do in providing customers with
kind, quality service and a unique product
selection to satisfy their gourmet desires.”
Expert Coating Company
Current generation: 3rd
Expert Coating Co., Inc. was estab-
lished on the west side of Grand Rapids
in 1951 - a time when there were scores
of plating companies in Michigan, many
catering to the great automobile industry.
Henry Klimek purchased the company
from Lyman Sperry in 1971, moving the
business to its present location on the
north side of Grand Rapids a few years
later. His sons, Erik, Walter and Menno
would follow in his footsteps, purchasing
the company themselves in 1992. Later,
their sister Patty would also join the
family business, and together these sib-
lings have proudly expressed their own
hopes to keep the line of ownership
strong. "Our sons are now part of the
company’s family and will continue with
a third generation of excellent and dedi-
cated service," their company website
10
declares.
Expert Coatings and the Klimeks
have seen some changes to their indus-
try as the years have passed. With the
invention of new plastics and paint tech-
nology and the push for cleaned air and
waterways, many of the smaller plating
companies that once thrived on
Michigan's strong auto industry simply
could not compete. In addition, many of
the larger platers have since diversified
to domestic and commercial products
while still continuing to service the auto-
mobile industry's needs. For the Klimeks
at Expert Coatings, they are still proud to
serve the remaining plating industry
with a mission "to achieve outstanding
customer satisfaction by providing rack
design, fabrication and repair services to
platers, painters and powder coaters for a
variety of end-use markets."
Business
update
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Preserving a Legacy with the Help of Private Equity:
Oliver Products Steps Forward
By Greg Myers
How do you preserve a company’s
legacy without a next generation of fam-
ily members to take over? That’s the very
obstacle Oliver Products Company found
itself facing in 2007 after more than 100
years in business.
The family owners had long found-
ed their Grand Rapids-based company—
which develops and manufactures flexi-
ble packaging for healthcare, food pack-
aging systems and bakery equipment—
on the philosophy that ”everything starts
and ends with the customer.”
Despite lacking a fifth generation to
take over the business, the family wanted
to maintain this philosophy, as well as the
company’s identity. The leadership also
wanted to provide family members with
liquidity from the business that previous
generations had worked so hard to grow.
The solution? Oliver Products part-
nered with Mason Wells, a private equity
firm based in Milwaukee, WI—a decision
that allowed the company to stay in
Grand Rapids, keep its employees and
uphold its proud legacy.
As is typical in private equity
investments, Mason Wells now holds
majority ownership of the company and
provides strategic direction. But the com-
pany remains independent, with a man-
agement team that directs day-to-day
operations and drives decision making.
The Partnership
At the time of the acquisition by
Mason Wells, Oliver Products was a
solid family-owned business with a
broad and loyal customer base. It was
also a business with some very real
growth opportunities.
In order to bring those opportunities
to fruition, Mason Wells identified a new
CEO to replace family members who
wanted to retire and used a conservative
financial structure that would allow for
facility expansions and other invest-
ments necessary to grow the company.
The new CEO built an executive team of
existing employees—to help preserve the
company’s identity—and added new tal-
ent as well.
Sterile, flexible packaging for medical
devices and pharmaceutical products com-
prises about 70 percent of Oliver Products’
business, with the other 30 percent allo-
cated to the development and manufactur-
ing of food packaging for institutional
programs (Meals on Wheels and schools,
11
for example) and for bakery equipment. focus, but has also positioned itself as a ny can continue to preserve the compa-
To grow both sides of the company, technology leader and supplier of the ny’s legacy for years to come.
the new executive team set forth short- best-quality resources in its target mar-
and long-term strategic goals. These kets. Oliver has experienced strong
goals included bringing in additional growth, even through last year’s reces- Greg Myers is a managing director
sales team members and a new technical sion, and is on pace for double-digit at Mason Wells Buyout Funds in
director, as well as the relocation of its growth in 2010. Milwaukee, a private equity firm known
Netherlands office to a larger facility and So what does the future hold for the for its proven, disciplined, forthright
the opening of a sales office in China. company? Acceleration, according to the approach to acquiring and growing mid-
Focusing on the home front in Grand company’s projections. Oliver Products sized, family-owned companies in the
Rapids, Oliver Products also decided to has solid growth objectives and plans to Midwest.
invest in new equipment at the local facil- expand all sides of the business through
ity, while simultaneously establishing further capital investments. And with the
several lean initiatives to reorganize the help of a diverse executive team of exist-
floor layout and improve workflow. ing and new team members, as well as
Additionally, the company ramped the backing of Mason Wells, the compa-
up R&D efforts to develop new products.
This effort was well supported by the
acquisition of Tolas Healthcare
Packaging, one of Oliver Products’ direct
competitors in the healthcare packaging
market. By combining those two busi-
nesses (now known as Oliver-Tolas), the
company gained access to new technolo-
gies and has also improved its profitabil-
ity and stature in the marketplace.
In another important move, leader-
ship built a strong marketing team to
promote the innovative solutions provid-
ed by Oliver Products to its target mar-
kets and key customers.
Now and the Future
Since partnering with Mason Wells,
Oliver Products has not only been able to
maintain its culture and customer-centric
Proud to offer a
24 Hour service
department
Northwest Kent
Mec hanical Co.
Mechanical Contractor
Commercial/Industrial/Institutional
Plumbing - Heating - Sheetmetal POST OFFICE BOX 216K 4095 16 MILE ROAD
CEDAR SPRINGS, MI 49319
Design-Build - Process Piping
PHONE: 616.696.9026 FAX: 616.696.9327

Finance/Insurance Briefs
Grand Rapids – Best Lawyers, the old-
est and most respected peer-review pub-
lication in the legal profession, has
named Connie R. Thacker as the
“Grand Rapids Best Lawyers Family
Law of the Year” for 2011. Bruce W.
Neckers is the “Grand Rapids Best
Lawyers Bet-the-Company Litigator of
the Year” for 2011.
Bloomfield Hills – Professional
Resolution Experts of Michigan
announced that six of its members were
named to the distinguished “2010
Michigan Super Lawyers” list by
“Michigan Super Lawyers” publica-
tion: F. Peter Blake, Richard A. Bone,
Gene J. Esshaki, Paul F. Monicatti,
Richard E. Rassel and Martin C.
Weisman. Together, their expertise
includes almost all areas of commercial,
corporate and personal law practice.
Kentwood – Regulus Advisors wel-
comed James Schipper, Steve Osterink
Sr. and Steve Osterink Jr. to their team.
The new affiliates made the transition
from SagePoint Financial to Regulus
Advisors in late October and have over
60 years of combined experience in the
industry with an estimated 75 million
dollars in assets under management.
Holland – Macatawa Bank Corporation
announced that Robert L. Herr (a former
partner with Crowe Horwath LLP) and
Thomas P. Rosenbach have been
appointed to the board of directors.
Grand Rapids – Miller Johnson
announced the addition of Jeffrey J.
Fraser and Anthony R. Comden to the
firm’s membership and employment &
labor section. Collectively, they bring
over 38 years of experience.
Grand Rapids – Hilary Roelofs has
joined Legacy Trust as an office admin-
istrator. She will be responsible for the
financial accounting system, payroll and
human resources activities including
benefits coordination.
Detroit – Stokas Realty Advisors and
Bieri Company announced their newly
formed partnership as Stokas Bieri
Real Estate. Bringing together 35 years
of combined success and industry expe-
rience, the company specializes in site
selection for retailers nationwide and
offers additional services including
project leasing, disposition of excess
properties, restructuring, market analy-
sis and legal services.
Suffern, N.Y. – General Patent
Corporation announced that Anthony
Amaral, Jr. has joined the legal depart-
ment of the company as chief IP counsel.
Grand Rapids – The law firm of Smith
Haughey Rice & Roegge announced
the hiring of Scott Gordon, Jeremy
Nastoff and Lindsay Weber at the
Traverse City office, and Megan Smith
at the Grand Rapids office.
Detroit – Kotz, Sangster, Wysocki and
Berg, P.C. has expanded its practice in
western Michigan by opening an office in
Grand Rapids. Located at 61 Commerce
Ave. SW, the Grand Rapids office is
staffed by Timothy J. Ryan, who man-
ages the office and chairs the firm's
employment/labor practice group, and
Linda L. Ryan, who represents employ-
ers, especially educational institutions
and nonprofit organizations. Both attor-
neys were newly hired by the firm.
Grand Rapids – Varnum attorney
Lawrence P. Burns has been named
the 2011 Grand Rapids Health Care
Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers.
Burns is the chair of Varnum's health
care law practice.
Grand Rapids – The CFA West
Michigan Society announced the new
officers and members of its board of
directors to serve through June 30,
2011. The board and officers for fiscal
2011 are: Andrew Mason, – president
and chairman; Martin Axelrod – vice
president and vice chairman; Jeff Tryka
– vice president; Michael Poland – sec-
retary; Ryan Allen – treasurer;
Theodore H. Fuger, Jr. – board mem-
ber. Larry Blose, Ph.D. was also
appointed to lead the Candidate
Preparation Committee, Greg Bosch,
CFA was appointed to head the
Programming Committee, and Alan
Kort was appointed to lead the
Technology Committee.
Grand Rapids – Varnum attorneys
Randall Kraker and David E. Khorey
have been elected to the Firm's policy
committee (Kraker for a second term).
This governing committee for the Firm
consists of six at-large members elected
by the partners. Members serve for
three year terms.
12
Grand Rapids – Argus Financial
Consultants announced that Lisa
Wilkie has joined the firm as a client
services associate.
Grand Rapids – Miller Johnson
announced that Peter J. Kok has been
named the Best Lawyers’ 2011 Grand
Rapids Labor and Employment Lawyer
of the Year.
Kalamazoo – Stuart H. Deming,
Deming PLLC, recently spoke in Paris,
France at a meeting of the American
Bar Association on conducting due dili-
gence and internal investigations in
foreign settings.
Grand Rapids – Plante & Moran, PLLC
was named one of the top five work-
places in Michigan in the 2010 Detroit
Free Press Top Workplaces survey.
Plante & Moran was named number
three in the large companies category.
Grandville – Berends Hendricks Stuit
Insurance Agency, Inc. announced the
addition of Tim Koster, CPA who joins
as a property and casualty account exec-
utive and Abby Van Beek, who joins the
employee benefits department to serve
as a technical assistant.
Grand Rapids – Lake Michigan Credit
Union announced the hiring of David
Huisman as vice president of commer-
cial lending - Lakeshore. He will be
working out of the Holland branch office
on 8th Street.
Grand Rapids – Varnum attorney Nyal
D. Deems has been named the 2011
Grand Rapids Real Estate Lawyer of the
Year by Best Lawyers. Deems is a part-
ner in Varnum's real estate practice
group, where he has practiced for 34
years.

New Affordable Care Act:
Better Value for Insurance Premiums
Nationwide – New regulations
issued this month by the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS)
require health insurers to spend 80 to 85
percent of consumers’ premiums on
direct care for patients and efforts to
improve care quality. This regulation,
known as the “medical loss ratio” provi-
sion of the Affordable Care Act, will
make the insurance marketplace more
transparent and make it easier for con-
sumers to purchase plans that provide
better value for their money.
“Thanks to the Affordable Care
Act, millions of Americans will get bet-
ter value for their health insurance pre-
mium dollar,” said HHS Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius. “These new rules
are an important step to hold insurance
companies accountable and increase
value for consumers.”
Today, many insurance companies
spend a substantial portion of con-
sumers’ premium dollars on administra-
tive costs and profits, including execu-
tive salaries, overhead and marketing.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, con-
sumers will receive more value for their
premium dollar as money is shifted away
from administrative expenditures and
spent instead on medical care and health
care quality improvement.
In 2011, the new rules will protect
Finance/Insurance Briefs
Kentwood - Regal Financial Group,
LLC welcomed Riverbank Wealth
Advisors to their team. The Riverbank
team - Anthony Burek, Missy
Clements, Dustin Leach and Paul
Wannemacher - transitioned to Regal
Financial Group’s network of independ-
ent advisors on November 11, 2010.
They have a combined 40 years of
experience in the industry with a spe-
cialized practice of helping high net
worth individuals, families, businesses
and foundations.
East Lansing - Karen Thomas has
joined Independent Bank as a senior
mortgage loan officer at the West Road
office in East Lansing. Thomas will
serve customers in the counties of
Clinton, Eaton and Ingham. Thomas
brings 28 years of experience as a loan
officer to the position.
13
up to 74.8 million insured Americans Office of Consumer Information and in every State have a responsibility to
and estimates indicate that up to 9 mil- Insurance Oversight at HHS. “As we protect the interests of the general pub-
lion Americans could be eligible for build a bridge to 2014, when better, more lic, policyholders and enrollees within
rebates starting in 2012 worth up to $1.4 affordable options are available to con- their respective States. Today’s regula-
billion. Average rebates per person could sumers, these rules will help make health tion certifies and adopts the recommen-
total $164 in the individual market. insurance fairer for consumers now.” dations submitted to the Secretary of
The medical loss ratio regulation The Affordable Care Act required HHS on October 27, 2010 by the NAIC.
outlines disclosure and reporting the National Association of Insurance It also incorporates recommendations
requirements, how insurance compa- Commissioners (NAIC) to develop uni- from a letter sent to the Secretary by the
nies will calculate their medical loss form definitions and methodologies for NAIC on October 13, 2010.
ratio and provide rebates and how calculating insurance companies’ med-
adjustments could be made to the med- ical loss ratios. Insurance commissioners
ical loss ratio standard to guard against
market destabilization.
Beginning in 2011, the law requires
that insurance companies publicly report
how they spend premium dollars, pro-
viding meaningful information to con-
sumers. Also beginning in 2011, insur-
ers are required to spend at least 80 per-
cent of the premium dollars they collect
on medical care and quality improvement
activities. Insurance companies that are
not meeting the medical loss ratio stan-
dard will be required to provide rebates
to their consumers. Insurers will be
required to make the first round of
rebates to consumers in 2012.
“These rules were carefully devel-
oped through a transparent and fair
process with significant input from the
public, the States and other key stake-
holders,” said Jay Angoff, director of the
Holland – Macatawa Bank Corporation
announced the appointment of Craig A.
Hankinson as senior vice president and
chief credit officer. Hankinson will have
oversight for Macatawa’s credit adminis-
tration and credit approval process, loan
policies and procedures and work to
ensure the overall quality of the Bank’s
lending portfolio.
Holland/Grand Rapids – Sheri Peters
has been promoted to vice president,
Treasury Management team lead at the
Macatawa Bank corporate office in
Holland. Peters will be responsible for
Treasury Managements strategic direc-
tion, product offerings, sales and team
management. Stephanie Jamrog has
also joined Macatawa Bank as vice pres-
ident of Treasury Management in Grand
Rapids and will work out of the Bank's
East Beltline and Clyde Park offices.

Self Employed? How to Make the
Mortgage Process Work for You
It wasn’t long
ago when self-
employed borrowers
could secure a mort-
gage with no
income verification
- known as a stated
income loan - but
those days have
Ramzi Faraj passed. Today, I
often read stories
reported in the media and hear people
commenting how it’s impossible for self
employed borrowers to obtain a mort-
gage. With the banking changes that
were enacted after the meltdown in the
economy, it’s true that it is now more
difficult, but it is not nearly as difficult
as many self-employed people think.
If you’re self-employed and seeking
a mortgage, here are some tips to make
sure your application does not result in
a mortgage loan denial:
Abnormality: The Economy’s New Normal
Atlanta, GA – The new normal in
the nation’s economy is the abnormal
and we have to “make peace with it,”
said Rajeev Dhawan, director of the
Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia
State University’s J. Mack Robinson
College of Business.
In his quarterly Forecast of the
Nation, Dhawan said the new normal
features a real GDP growth that is far
below the annual growth rates experi-
enced from the mid ’90s through the
mid-2000’s and is marked by “myriad
issues including depressed home val-
ues, ballooning entitlements, a divided
politic and a shaky banking system.”
Another abnormality the country
will be living with, said Dhawan,
stems from adoption of the second
phase of the Fed’s quantitative easing
(or QE2) strategy of buying treasury
bonds or “printing money” as Dhawan
called it. Although it did “spark a stock
Quality Office Furniture,
at a price you can afford!
• If self-employment is your pri-
mary source of income, lenders will pre-
fer that you have been self-employed for
at least two years.
• In addition to providing your per-
sonal returns, you will typically need to
provide business tax returns for all
businesses where you have more than
25% ownership.
• You may also be asked to provide
Profit and Loss statements especially if
you are applying towards the end of the
year so you may want to have these pre-
pared in advance of applying.
• If your income has declined from
the previous tax year to your most
recent, you will have to explain the
decline. If you know you are going to be
applying for a mortgage in the near
future, you may want to discuss your tax
planning strategy with your tax profes-
sional. Creative accounting, while saving
you money on taxes, may cost you the
market rally, which was the intended
effect, it also resulted in a simultane-
ous drop in the dollar.”
Dhawan said the QE 2 strategy will
help the economy indirectly by raising
inflation expectations which will boost
the equity market. Furthermore a weak
dollar will boost exports, especially to
emerging markets. These factors, said
the forecaster, will hopefully increase
CEO confidence, which will be the key to
investment and job creation.
“When CEOs feel optimistic and
confident, they tend to lobby and con-
vince their boards that the situation is
right to expand the scale of opera-
tions,” said Dhawan. “The CEO
Confidence Index is up sharply from its
nadir in late 2008. Because of this we
saw job growth in 2010, but the
investment driving that growth was
primarily to replace obsolete equipment
– not for new additions. As a result, I
Bill Feyen
616-554-0200
billfeyen@exceloffice.com
ability to obtain a home mortgage.
• Do not assume that you do not
have enough income based on your
adjusted gross income. Items like depre-
ciation are typically added back to your
income when mortgage companies
make their calculations. You should
always have a loan professional experi-
enced in analyzing tax returns review
your taxes and calculate your income
for mortgage purposes.
• Mortgage notes payable in less
than one year is a line item on the bal-
ance sheet of some corporate returns.
This line item is often counted against
your income for mortgage purposes so
make sure your tax professional is only
listing debts in this line item if they are
truly payable in less than one year. I
have seen numerous returns where
debts are listed in this line item in error.
If you have applied somewhere and
have been declined, you should get a
don’t think the 15 percent plus tech
investment rate that is necessary to
accelerate job growth can be attained in
the face of fiscal uncertainty and polit-
ical gridlock in Washington.”
Dhawan added that before invest-
ing, “corporate chieftains and con-
sumers, too, need to know what their
future tax liabilities will be in order to
calculate internal rates of return on
investment – and planned consumption.”
Dhawan said to expect gains in
manufacturing (high tech, aviation and
capital goods) and agriculture. He added
that a weak dollar should make U.S.
commercial real estate less expensive and
thus more attractive to foreign investors.
Highlights from the Economic
Forecasting Center’s National Report:
• Overall, real GDP growth for 2010
will be 2.7%, decelerating sharply to
2.1% in 2011. In 2012, real GDP will
grow at a slightly better rate of 2.6%.
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14
second opinion as the expertise of your
mortgage professional can be the differ-
ence between approval and denial.
Analyzing business tax returns to calcu-
late income for mortgages can be a very
time consuming task. Many loan officers
do not have the expertise or the desire to
analyze the returns and present the
income properly to underwriting. With
the proper advice and the right loan pro-
fessional, obtaining a mortgage as a self
employed borrower does not have to be
a mission impossible.
Ramzi Faraj has been a mortgage
consultant for over 15 years and his
“mortgage coach for life” approach has
helped over 1,000 families achieve
home ownership. You can contact him
at www.MichiganMortgageNews.com.
For all of 2010 consumption expendi-
tures will rise by only 1.7%, followed by
a 2.2% rate in 2011 and 2012.
• For the entire year, the CPI infla-
tion rate will average 1.7%. In 2011, the
inflation rate will be 1.6%, increasing to
2.0% in 2012. Meanwhile, the core CPI
inflation rate will average 1.0% in 2010,
followed by a moderate 1.3% rate in
2011 and 1.7% in 2012.
• Private fixed investment will
grow 5.9% in 2010, expanding at a
much stronger 8.7% in 2011.
• In 2011, the job creation rate will
hover around 127,000 jobs per month
as economic growth remains subdued.
The situation will improve slightly in
2012 with the addition of 140,000 jobs
per month. Although moderating, the
unemployment rate will remain above
9% for the next two years.
M
&

Hotels/Restrauants Briefs
South Bend, IN – South Bend Airport’s
$15.5 million capital improvement proj-
ect is placing the final touches on phase
one of three to expand the passenger
concourse. The final project will give
Michiana travelers a new 45,000 sq. ft.
concourse and will include 5 new gates.
New post-security food service ameni-
ties, gift shop, business center, children’s
play port, loading bridges and free wire-
less Internet access will be part of the air-
port’s offerings to the traveling public.
Grandville – The Days Inn & Suites
motel on 28th St. SW in Grandville
received the Chairman's Award For
Quality 2009 at the Wyndham Hotal
Group Global Conference 2010. The
award is given based on an unan-
nounced property evaluation for the
quality, Days Inn brand standard, cus-
tomer service, maintenance and cleanli-
ness in year 2009.
Acme – Grand Traverse Resort & Spa
near Traverse City opened Dylan’s
Candy Bar. The new 1,300 sq. ft. store
includes an 18-foot chocolate wall, a
100-bin bulk candy display and a color-
ful assortment of candy-inspired appar-
el, souvenirs and gifts.
Detroit – Greektown Casino-Hotel cel-
ebrated its 10th anniversary in
November with a week of special
events for team members and special
promotions for guests.
2010 WAVE Awards:
Winners Announced
Grand Rapids – Experience Grand
Rapids and the Kent County Lodging
Association (KCLA) have announced the
2010 winners of their 3rd Annual WAVE
Awards – a program which recognizes
outstanding service providers in the
Grand Rapids and Kent County hospital-
ity industry. This year’s program is pre-
sented in part by RMG technologies.
Nineteen individuals were nominat-
ed online between April and September,
by both guests and their employers. At
that time, the judging panel evaluated the
nominees in their respective categories
and scored on a set of criteria including
the individual’s attitude, attentiveness,
performance, knowledge and consistency
within the local hospitality industry.
Six winners were selected for six
Atlanta, GA - The Holiday Inn Grand
Rapids Downtown received the IHG
(InterContinental Hotels Group) 2010
Renovation Award for their successful
completion of major modernization and
renovation programs during the past
year. IHG is the world’s largest hotel
group by number of rooms.
Kalamazoo – Crow’s Nest Restaurant
won the inaugural "Golden Ladle" Award
at the recent Fair Food Food Fair. Held at
the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, the
event featured 16 local chefs invited to
create a “small plate” item using local
ingredients. Crow’s Nest and chef Grace
Dorer won for a creation made of pulled
pork from Lake Village Homestead
baked into locally purchased cornmeal
with spicy butter, sweet onions and
cilantro sour cream.
Mio – A new board of directors was
elected in October at the Association of
RV Parks & Campgrounds-Michigan
annual fall convention. Directors are
elected to two year terms and this year
the new board will include: Tom
Brennan, Dave Cordray, Janice Golda,
Jack Forward, Susan Novotny and
Winnie Yedinak. Also during the
event, Fair Food Matters named
Donna McClurkan its “Locavore of the
Year” - an award for an individual or
organization whose efforts best exem-
plify support for local food in Southwest
Michigan.
categories. Winners for 2010 include:
• Attraction (sponsored by Grand
Connection): Bob Parente, Frederik
Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
• Dining (sponsored by
GreatFoodandTravel.com): Leif
Hogan, Carrabba's Italian Grill
• Lodging (sponsored by Proctor &
Gamble): Flutie Tolonen, Amway
Grand Plaza Hotel
• Nightlife (sponsored by Valentine
Vodka): Matt Alles, Z's Bar &
Restaurant (2nd consecutive year)
• Retail (sponsored by Lady
Americana & Jonathan Stevens
Mattress Co): Crystal Chipman, Pauly's
• Transportation (sponsored by
Regional Air Alliance): Stephen
Fletcher, Metro Cars and Metro Cab.
Muskegon County – Muskegon County
took possession of 95-acres of addition-
al park land with the help of the
Michigan Natural Resources Trust
Fund (who provided a grant of over
$400,000) and the Land Conservancy
of West Michigan (who raised over
$150,000). This expansion of Meinert
Park more than doubles the size of the
County Park. A long term endowment
fund for the upkeep of the property will
be housed at the White Lake
Community Foundation.
Saugatuck – The Saugatuck Center
for the Arts’ board of directors recent-
ly announced the organization’s 2010
Volunteer of the Year: Bill
Underdown. Underdown has been a
part of the SCA volunteer team focus-
ing on building an internship program
and growing the organization’s new
membership program.
Western Michigan
Welcomes Eastern Cuisine
Grand Rapids - The Village at
Knapp’s Crossing welcomed P.F. Chang’s
China Bistro as its newest tenant in the
new lifestyle center development at the
corner of the East Beltline and Knapp
street. This new location will soon begin
construction and will mark P.F. Chang’s
China Bistro’s only location in the West
Michigan area.
The new location will offer it’s
most modern state-of-the-art building
and design and an upscale dining
atmosphere, pairing signature Chinese
cuisine with contemporary design and a
panoramic, hand-painted mural creat-
ed specifically for the restaurant -
voted America ’s number one Chinese
restaurant.
The cuisine is the main attraction
of the new 8,481 square foot space,
along with the stylish décor that pro-
vides an inviting backdrop for the over-
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Portage – The Southwest Michigan
Land Conservancy (SWMLC) received
a Keep Michigan Beautiful (KMB)
award at KMB’s annual awards ceremo-
ny held recently in Portage. This
Michigan award for an outstanding con-
tribution to beautification was given to
recognize a grassland restoration project
and a dedicated group of SWMLC volun-
teers known as the Wednesday
Workday Warriors.
Muskegon – The Red Lotus Gallery
announced the opening of its new retail
art gallery and fine arts center at 825 W.
Western Ave, right across from the
YMCA in downtown Muskegon. The
Red Lotus is the first phase of the
Muskegon Center for the Arts - Michael
and Ron Schaafsma’s vision for a cul-
tural refuge for artists of all kinds to
create, display, perform, and explore
their chosen art form.
all P.F. Chang's experience. The restau-
rant boasts that once you have experi-
enced the unique food and fine dining
atmosphere, it will become an unforget-
table experience bringing you back
again and again. The menu features
made-to-order entrees using the fresh-
est and highest quality ingredients and
offers a variety of appetizers, soups,
salads, entrees, noodles, rice, vegeta-
bles and desserts, priced between $7.50
and $22.50. The restaurant urges cus-
tomers to try their signature lettuce
wraps or any of their many dishes.
This newest P.F. Changs location
will offer online ordering, call ahead
seating and a very stylish comfortable
outdoor patio area. Look for our grand
opening of P.F. Changs very soon and
many more new tenants to be
announced coming in the coming
months.

Local Hospitals Selected to Participate in
National Quality Improvement Effort
West Michigan – The Alliance for
Health today announced that 7 different
teams from 5 hospitals across West
Michigan will participate in the Aligning
Forces for Quality Hospital Quality
Network - an innovative, nationwide pro-
gram led by the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest
philanthropy dedicated to improving the
health and health care of Americans.
Participating hospitals include
Allegan General Hospital, Mercy Health
Partners, Saint Mary’s Health Care, North
Ottawa Community Health System and
Carson City Hospital.
Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q)
is RWJF’s signature effort to lift the
overall quality of health care in targeted
communities, as well as reduce racial
and ethnic disparities and provide mod-
els for national reform. In 2007 RWJF
selected Alliance for Health to lead the
local AF4Q effort. In all, 17 regions
across the country were selected
through a highly competitive process.
Each is spearheading a range of efforts
to help doctors, nurses and hospitals
measure and improve quality – as well
as help consumers understand more
about their care so they can be more
effective advocates for their own health.
The AF4Q Hospital Quality Network
includes three separate programs to help
hospitals improve how they communicate
with diverse patients, reduce the amount
of time spent waiting in emergency
departments (EDs), or ensure that
patients who are discharged from the
hospital aren’t readmitted because they
missed important elements of their care.
Hospital teams will work together and
with the 17 other Aligning Forces for
Quality communities to improve the qual-
ity and safety of patient care by piloting
and testing new quality improvement
strategies over an 18-month period.
“There is a lot that is right about our
local health care system, including good
doctors, nurses, hospitals and employers
who care about people having access to
safe, high-quality health care,” said Lody
Zwarensteyn, Alliance for Health presi-
dent. “But here, as everywhere, there are
gaps in the quality of care that people
receive. Together we can help close those
gaps so every patient receives excellent
care every time. The hospitals that are
participating in this program are leading
an effort to systematically improve care
throughout West Michigan. We’re bring-
ing together the people who give care, get
care and pay for care to make lasting
changes right here at home.”
In the Reducing Readmissions com-
ponent, Allegan General Hospital and
Carson City Hospital teams will focus on
16
cardiac care, with the specific goal of
reducing readmission rates among heart
patients. The initiative will focus on car-
diac care because, whether experiencing a
heart attack, heart failure or other condi-
tions, the recommended standard of care
for cardiac patients is clear and accepted
among medical professionals nationwide.
In the Increasing Throughput com-
ponent, Allegan General Hospital and
North Ottawa Community Health System
teams will focus on making their emer-
gency departments more efficient. The
process of getting patients through the
emergency department in a timely man-
ner, either to be treated and released, or
assigned a bed in an appropriate hospital
unit, is known as “throughput.” Slow
throughput frustrates patients and does-
n’t result in the highest-quality care.
In the Improving Language Services
component, Allegan General Hospital,
Mercy Health Partners and Saint Mary’s
Health Care teams will work to improve
the care experience for patients who
speak or understand limited English.
Hospitals will work to ensure that these
patients receive their initial assessment
and discharge instruction from a qualified
language services provider. These two
points in care are especially critical for
ensuring that quality outcomes result.
Led by RWJF, the AF4Q Hospital
Quality Network is overseen by the Center
for Health Care Quality at The George
Washington University Medical Center
School of Public Health and Health
Services, which serves as the national
program office for the Aligning Forces for
Quality initiative.

National Rehabilitation Awareness Week
By Janice Bullock, RN, BSN
Most Americans will require at least
one rehabilitation service at some point
in their lives, so it is never too early to
have the discussion about where to go
for treatment.
Rehabilitation often centers on an
interdisciplinary team approach to care
by physiatrists (physicians specializing
in rehabilitation); physical, occupational,
respiratory and recreational therapists;
speech and language pathologists; reha-
bilitation nurses, psychologists, voca-
tional counselors and other profession-
als. These are coordinated by a medical
director, who works with patients to
restore the greatest level of function or
independence. The rehab team helps
individuals overcome obstacles and
accomplish normal tasks of daily living.
Steve suffered from multiple frac-
tures resulting in surgery leaving 21
pins, 4 plates and 60 staples in his hip.
While recovering in a Grand Rapids hos-
pital, he was unable to walk and do
everyday things like dressing himself.
His condition required comprehensive
rehabilitation care.
Steve and his wife had to make a
decision on where to go to receive treat-
ment. The doctor and staff made recom-
mendations, but in the end, it was their
choice. They wanted a place that was
Shortage Projected for
PA & NP Professionals
Lansing – Michigan is training a
growing number of Physician Assistants
(PA) and Nurse Practitioners (NP) to
help address the state's looming doctor
shortage, but serious challenges remain,
says a new report issued by the Michigan
Health Council, a nonprofit working on
Michigan’s healthcare workforce issues.
Physician Assistants and Nurse
Practitioners have played a vital role in
health care service delivery since the
inception of these professions. The past
20 years have seen an explosion in the
number of these types of providers, and
several factors are likely to lead to
increased demand in the future.
The Michigan Health Council’s
Profile of Michigan’s Nurse Practitioners
and Physician Assistants Workforce
2010 report also indicates many
Physician Assistants and Nurse
Practitioners are leaving primary care for
17
highly recommended, had a comfortable removed before they left our unit. Still garden and 38 apple trees.
family atmosphere and was closer to others have redeveloped the skills need- “National Rehab Awareness Week”
home so family and friends could easily ed to talk, think, calculate and remem- was celebrated September 19-25. During
visit. For them, Mecosta County Medical ber. 85% of patients who came to this week, we acknowledge those who
Inpatient Rehabilitation Center fit all of Mecosta County Medical Inpatient have experienced the rehabilitation
these criteria. Rehabilitation Center were discharged to process and applaud their successes. We
During Steve’s treatment in Grand a home setting compared to the regional hope you too will take a moment during
Rapids, his wife drove eighty miles to see average of 75%. this week in the future and be grateful
him and slept in a chair in his room. In less than a year, Steve was work- for the abilities you have. Finally, we, the
While at Mecosta County Medical ing on projects at his home in Osceola staff at MCMC Rehabilitation Center,
Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, she County. He enjoys spending time in his wish to thank you for allowing us to
stayed at home and traveled only twenty woodshop, grocery shopping, cutting serve this community for over 17 years.
minutes to visit him. Having family and firewood and tending to his one-acre
friends close by brightened his spirits
and made recovery a comfortable
process. Perhaps the most important ele-
ment of treatment is returning patients to
a home setting.
Patients work hard during their
therapy sessions, having to complete a
minimum of 3 hours of therapy each day
to meet the admission criteria for our
specialized unit. Their diligence pays
off! People do not realize the complexity
involved in performing everyday tasks
until a crisis hits, and they are robbed of
those abilities. Patients who initially
needed help just to turn over in bed are
able to walk independently at discharge.
They relearn or practice new techniques
on how to bathe and dress themselves.
Others who relied on tube feedings for
nutrition have regained their ability to
eat naturally and the tubes were
specialty work. Currently, only 35% of
Physician Assistants work in a primary
care field.
Both PA and NP professionals are
finding more opportunities and chang-
ing worksites. In 2009, 17% of PA’s sur-
veyed left primary care to practice in
specialty areas. Forty one percent of
PA’s work in hospital inpatient settings,
26% in hospital outpatient settings and
52% in Physician offices (numbers add
up to more than 100% because many
PA’s work in more than one setting).
These are dramatic shifts in a short
period of time.
Because specific information about
Nurse Practitioners was not available for
this profile, a study by Public
Sector Consultants for the Center for
Nursing at the Michigan Health Council
is now in the field and will be reported in
January 2011.

Health Care Briefs
Grand Rapids – Hospice services in the
home are covered by Medicaid for eligi-
ble patients, but there are a limited pool
of Medicaid-reimbursed beds in hospice
residences for those needing 24 hour
care. Faith Hospice has announced that
its hospice residence Trillium Woods
(the only hospice residence in the
greater Grand Rapids area) has received
approval for 12 of those Medicaid beds.
Twelve of the current 20 beds at Trillium
Woods will now be eligible for Medicaid
reimbursement for room and board.
Grand Rapids – Pine Rest Christian
Mental Health Services announced
that Radosveta I. Stoyanov, M.D. and
Timothy L. Todd, M.D. joined the staff.
Dr. Stoyanov works at the Grand Haven
and Northeast clinics. Dr. Todd works at
the Zeeland and Northeast clinics.
Grand Rapids – Lutheran Social Services
of Michigan has hired Tyson Scaife as
the executive chef for campus dining at
MapleCreek senior living. He guides the
dining services menus, meal preparation
and special event catering for
MapleCreek’s independent living, memory
care, assisted living and long-term care
residents and guests.
2010 Michigan Caregiver of the Year and Regional
Finalists to be Honored
Novi – Professional caregivers that
assist the aging and disabled population
in their homes are “lifelines” to the indi-
viduals and families they serve. With
November being National Home Care
Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health’s can-
cer program received a three-year
accreditation with commendation from
the American College of Surgeons
Commission on Cancer (CoC)
Accreditation of a cancer center is grant-
ed only to those facilities that are able to
comply with established CoC standards.
Grand Rapids – Michigan’s branch of the
International Dyslexia Association
has selected Dr. Michael Ryan to be its
2010 recipient of the Leadership in
Literacy Award.
Muskegon – Mercy Health Partners’
(MHP) Lakeshore Campus in Shelby
announced that it will move its OB depart-
ment to MHP’s new birth center which
recently opened at the Hackley Campus in
Muskegon. Jay Bryan, president and CEO
of the Lakeshore Campus, said that the
opening of the new birth center, along
with a decline in the need for OB services
in Oceana County, makes the timing right
for the transition. The national trend for
deliveries is dropping two percent per
year, as well as the local decline in the
population rate of Oceana County. No
nursing department staff jobs were elimi-
nated due to the transition.
Month, the Michigan Chapter of the
National Private Duty Association is
honoring four extraordinary professional
caregivers with the 2010 Michigan
Caregiver of the Year Award.
Grand Rapids – Priority Health has cre-
ated 66 new offerings for small busi-
nesses with 2-50 eligible employees that
simplify their existing small business
product portfolio into a suite of benefit
offerings. Small businesses can choose
from several plan options, and all of the
new packages feature pharmacy cover-
age and tiered office visit co-pays for
primary care, specialist and urgent care.
Priority Health also is offering employers
a new health plan titled HealthbyChoice
Achievements. Offered with either an
HMO, POS or PPO plan, employers can
see anywhere from 4 – 14 percent sav-
ings in their premium, depending on
their plan design. After offering a stan-
dard benefit level to every employee,
employees can “earn” lower out-of-
pocket costs by achieving the criteria of
a healthy lifestyle.
Muskegon – Consumer Reports’
October issue listed West Michigan
Cardiothoracic Surgeons and Mercy
Health Partners among 50 of the coun-
try’s top-rated heart-bypass surgery
groups. Mercy Health Partners received
the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ three-
star rating (the highest possible) based
on the latest data, from 2008 - 2009.
The award is given to four finalists
from different regions of the state, with
the overall winner for Caregiver of the
Year selected from these finalists. Each
finalist was nominated for the award by
the agency they work for and supplied
supporting testimonials from the clients
and families they served.
“I can’t think of a group more
deserving of recognition than profession-
al caregivers,” states Joyce Lovse, a Board
Member of the Michigan Chapter of NPDA
and owner of AngelCare Home Health
Care in Grand Rapids. “For many of these
individuals, it’s not about the money.
They are in this field of work because this
is their calling. Their training, experience
and expertise often provides an important
link between their clients, their clients’
family and other members of the health
care team, allowing their client’s to live
safely at home. They are the real “heroes’
in their client’s eyes.”
Also honoring the caregivers are
their local legislative representative and
18
Grand Rapids – Grand Valley Health
Plan’s Family Health Centers will no
longer be charging their insured patients
office visit co-payments for health
assessments, sports physicals and well
child visits.
Grandville - HEARINGLife has added
Brenda J. Tolbert to its Grandville Ear &
Hearing /HEARINGLife practice office.
Tolbert is a clinical audiologist with 28
years of experience.
Holland – Holland Hospital announced
that Mark Priest, DO has joined
Lakeshore Health Partners – Family
Medicine in Zeeland. Priest is a gradu-
ate of the Michigan State University -
College of Osteopathic Medicine, and he
performed his internship at Traverse
City Osteopathic Hospital and his resi-
dency at Metro Health Hospital in
Grand Rapids.
Holland – Tim Aldrich, a Holland
Hospital surgery tech, has been named
an Alumni of the Year by Ottawa
County Michigan Works!. He was hired
by the hospital after completing his
training through the No Worker Left
Behind program of Michigan Works!
the state’s Area Agency on Aging. Tina
AbbateMarzolf, the Chief Executive
Officer for Area Agency on Aging1B,
located in Oakland County and one of the
judges for the award, related “I was so
inspired by all the nominees and their
stories. They really were all amazing,
and I just wanted to make them feel
extra special, too.”
The finalist for Southeast Michigan
included caregivers Charlene Harvey from
Affordable Home Care in Farmington
Hills and Diane Stower from Home
Instead Senior Care in Birmingham.
The finalist for Western Michigan
was a caregiver from AngelCare Home
HealthCare in Grand Rapids, Debbie
Groulx.
The winner for Northern Michigan
Region was Ruth Billsby, who was also
named the 2010 Caregiver of the Year.
Ruth has been employed by Comfort
Keepers in Traverse City for over four
years.

Putting Customer Service into Senior
Independent Living
D o r o t h y
Linscott, a resident
at The Terraces at
MapleCreek, needed
help. Her prescrip-
tion medication had
not been delivered.
She went to the one
person she knew
John Elmore could help her, Dollie
Grant, Community
Coordinator for the Resident Resource
Center at The Terraces. In her full-time
position, Dollie functions much like the
concierge in a fine hotel.
“My role is help people figure out
what it is they need and help them come
up with solutions or options,” Grant said.
“Then I identify where within the com-
munity they can find those, either in the
MapleCreek community or in the greater
community beyond this campus.”
With only the doctor’s original pre-
scription to go on, Grant did some detec-
tive work to find out which national
chain store had received Dorothy’s pre-
scription order and then made calls to the
company until she reached the right
department. “Dorothy and I got on speak-
er phone with the appropriate person,
and within five minutes we straightened
out the order, the billing and the deliv-
ery,” Grant said. “In fact, the prescription
was filled and delivered that same day.
Dorothy was very grateful.”
Dorothy’s daughter, Cindi Newhouse,
later expressed her appreciation to Sarah
Duthie, manager of Independent Living at
ZCH to Move Forward with
Integration Process
Grand Rapids – The Spectrum Health
System board of directors and Zeeland
Community Hospital (ZCH) board of
directors have each approved resolutions
that would integrate ZCH into Spectrum
Health. Based on the resolutions, ZCH
will become a Spectrum Health hospital,
effective January 1, 2011. Specific terms
of the agreement are confidential.
“Spectrum Health has had a long-
standing relationship with Zeeland
Community Hospital for more than a
decade,” said Matt Van Vranken, execu-
tive vice president of Spectrum Health and
president of Spectrum Health Hospital
Group. “This agreement takes that rela-
tionship to a new level by integrating
Zeeland into Spectrum Health and will
The Terraces and The Cottages of
MapleCreek. “MapleCreek goes to the ends
of the earth to ensure their residents are
happy and comfortable,” Newhouse said.
“Thank you for everything you continue
to do for my mom.”
When Sarah Duthie arrived at
MapleCreek in July 2009, she saw a need
for a one-stop shop where people could be
engaged in the community in which they
live. “By visiting our Resident Resource
Center, they can make a reservation for a
trip or event, schedule a massage, get
information, sign up for an activity, get a
copy of the dining menu for that day, any-
thing MapleCreek community-based. But I
also really wanted the Resident Resource
Center to have suggestions and ties to the
Grand Rapids community.”
While earning her hospitality busi-
ness degree at Michigan State University,
Duthie spent a year in Stavanger, Norway,
where she studied at what is touted as the
top Scandinavian hospitality business
school. It was there that she learned a new
angle on customer service. “They taught
the perspective of providing hospitality
based on the perception of the guest or
resident,” Duthie said. “This is not a com-
mon approach. So much customer service
is based solely on, ‘Well, how am I doing?
How is my customer service? What tech-
niques can I practice to be more courteous
and more respectful?’ But focusing on
someone else’s perception of how you’re
doing is a totally different way of looking
at customer service.”
To do that, each weekday morning
enable us to provide a broader, more coor-
dinated array of services to the region.”
Patients of Zeeland Community
Hospital will experience the same level of
consistent, quality care they have come
to appreciate and value. Integration into
the Spectrum Health System will take
place over the next 12 to 24 months.
During this time, there will be no inter-
ruption in patient care.
“Our Board came to this decision
after an intensive and thorough analysis
of several options,” said Henry Veenstra,
president of Zeeland Community
Hospital. “Integration with Spectrum
Health will ensure care for the Zeeland,
Hudsonville and surrounding communi-
ties today and far into the future.”
19
Duthie leads a Resident Experience (or There are also all kinds of opportuni-
RX) meeting. “We talk, and it’s purely ties for residents to volunteer their time
feedback that we’ve received from resi- and talents. “One resident cuts out
dents. We’re listening.” coupons from the Sunday newspaper, and
It is obvious that Grant loves her job. organizes them by category for people to
“When residents are frustrated or over- take and use,” Grant said. “Others lead
whelmed, they know where to go and who sewing and knitting groups. Really, the sky
to talk to. I can help them to sort through is the limit. This is our residents’ home.
their feelings and put their needs into We’re a great big family here. Everyone has
words. Then I can suggest community something they can contribute.”
resources to meet those needs. This helps Duthie agreed. “People move in and
them keep active and engaged in their own they still have all these skills and life les-
lives, which promotes aging in place and sons that they’ve learned throughout
staying independent longer. We can their lives. You don’t want to just stop
arrange transportation to the doctor, bank, using them. You shouldn’t move into a
and appointments, even fun outings. A community to sit around. The Resident
group of volunteers make that happen, Resource Center is the place you can go if
driving our minivan one or two days a you want to volunteer somewhere and
week. We provide change of address forms need some ideas on where you might be
and help residents register for absentee of help. So the center acts as a tie to the
ballots. Sometimes people just need an MapleCreek community and the greater
answer to a simple question. It’s just plain Grand Rapids community.”
old-fashioned customer service.”
The shelves in the resource center are
overflowing with guides, brochures and John Elmore is public relations coor-
more for things to see and do in Grand dinator for Lutheran Social Services of
Rapids. “Now that people know that this Michigan (www.lssm.org), promoting its
place is an information hub, residents and programs in Lansing, Battle Creek,
their families are always bringing me back Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and
more information about the area.” Muskegon.
Regaining Independence.
Close to Home.
“The staff at
MCMC kept my
spirits up in a
time I needed it
most. One staff
member took me
to the park. I can
still remember
the feeling of
being outside
and experiencing
the growth of my
independence.”
Amputation Surgery in
Grand Rapids;
Rehab Close to Home.
(231) 592-4444 Inpatient Medical Rehabilitation
605 Oak Street
Big Rapids, MI MECOSTA COUNTY
MEDICAL CENTER
www.mcmcbr.com

ABC Construction Forecast
Predicts “Slow Progress” in 2011
Washington, D.C. – Associated
Builders and Contractors (ABC) today
released its 2011 economic forecast for
the U.S. commercial and industrial con-
struction industry.
“The period of rapid improvement
in spending levels did not begin in 2010,
and will not happen in 2011,” said ABC
Chief Economist Anirban Basu.
“ABC’s forecast of nonresidential
construction spending for next year sug-
gests that total spending will be 0.1 per-
cent less than 2010 levels. Privately
financed construction levels are project-
ed to decline 0.2 percent while publicly
financed construction levels are project-
ed to be virtually flat. The bottom line is
the nonresidential construction reces-
sion is largely over, but 2011 will be
associated with grudgingly slow
progress,” said Basu.
“To the extent that there has been
recovery in nonresidential construction,
it has been concentrated in segments
closely tied to federal funding and the
stimulus package passed in February
2009 in the midst of the recession,”
Basu said. “For example, five nonresi-
dential construction categories moni-
tored by the U.S. Census Bureau have
experienced rising spending levels from
the same time last year, including con-
servation and development, water sup-
ply, sewage and waste disposal, and
highway and street, and transportation.
“In contrast, 11 nonresidential con-
struction sectors have experienced year-
over-year declines in spending, a reflec-
tion of the lack of available capital to
finance growth and investment,” said
Putting the Pieces Together
SEEING THE ENTIRE SOLUTION, NOT JUST THE PARTS
• Access Control
• Digital Video Surveillance
• Intrusion Alarm
• Fire Alarm
• Photo ID Badging
• Visitor Management
Grand Rapids, MI 616-773-6300
Basu. “The deepest downturns regis-
tered in construction were related to
lodging, manufacturing, office and com-
mercial. ABC expects that the lack of
access to capital will continue to deter
economic progress in 2011, and is fore-
casting 1.7 percent GDP growth next
year despite ongoing federal stimulus
funding and the expectation of a more
expansive monetary policy.
“The roughly flat expectations for
spending are reflected in ABC’s nonresi-
dential construction employment fore-
cast. After losing about 50,000 jobs in
2010, ABC does not see nonresidential
building employment rebounding until
2012. However, ABC predicts that resi-
dential construction employment will
grow substantially as the number of
housing starts will expand by roughly
25 percent,” Basu said.
The 2011 Outlook
The national recession that began
in December 2007 ended in June 2009.
Nonresidential construction typically
lags the overall performance of the U.S.
economy by 12 to 24 months. Even as
the broader U.S. economy entered a
period of substantial decline in 2008,
nonresidential construction volumes
continued to expand and grew 9 percent
that year. Eventually, the weakness of
the overall U.S. economy, coupled with a
deep financial crisis and accompanying
credit crunch, wreaked havoc on all sec-
tors of nonresidential construction.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data,
nonresidential construction spending
declined 9 percent in 2009 and ABC
projects that spending will fall 14.7 per-
www.securalarm.com
cent this year.
The good news is the period of deep
decline in U.S. nonresidential construc-
tion spending is over. The bad news is
this appears to represent stagnation,
with overall construction volumes mired
at or near bottom-of-the-cycle levels. In
other words, by remaining near 2010
levels, 2011 construction spending is
positioned to be nearly a quarter less
than 2008 totals.
Viewed from another perspective,
the expectations for 2011 represent a
stark contrast from what occurred in
2010. As a year, 2010 was a period of
widely variable performance between
construction segments as sectors pow-
ered by the availability of federal stim-
ulus funds experienced growth, and
privately financed activities buckled
under the weight of depleted capital
availability and excess supply. Next
year, the variable in performance
between segments will be far dimin-
ished, at least in terms of percentage
changes in spending volumes.
Q & A with Exxel
"I am looking at and want to buy a
parcel of land that does not have access
to public sanitary sewer. I’ve been told I
need a percolation test and approval
from the County Health Department
before I start building our home. What
do you recommend?"
-John, from Alpine Township
Dear John,
"You are wise to investigate this
very important issue before purchasing
property. We recommend getting some
soil borings to determine the soil content
and also make an on-site evaluation of
other features that are important to meet
Health Department regulations.
Some results that can complicate
the situation are:
• Clay soil content; it may not be per-
meable (allow water to pass through it);
• A high seasonal water table;
• An area too small to support a
septic system;
• An area too small to meet Health
Department requirements for distance
between a water well, building founda-
20
In terms of segments poised to
experience construction spending
growth in 2011, ABC projects that power
will lead the way, with spending rising
by an anticipated 5.5 percent.
Segments positioned for decline
include those that are closely linked to
state and local government spending.
With many states and localities trim-
ming both operating and capital budg-
ets, the expectation is that construction
volumes in the education category will
slip next year.
ABC expects that 2012 will be bet-
ter for privately financed construction.
Credit conditions will improve by that
point as large, well-capitalized banks
become more aggressive in their pursuit
of industry market share. Finally, certain
leading indicators have turned the
proverbial corner, including ABC’s
Construction Backlog Indicator, which
has been indicating a steady improve-
ment in the commercial and industrial
construction outlook.
tions, property boundaries, wetlands,
streams, pool or other features.
When those facts are known, you
can decide whether you want to pursue
the purchase of the property or proceed
with the application process to get a
Vacant Land Evaluation approval from
the local Health Department. Even if one
or more of the complications are present
on this property, there may be alterna-
tives that will allow you to build your
dream home here. Let’s talk further!
- Randy Rapp, RS
Rand Rapp is a registered sanitari-
an in Michigan with Exxel Engineering,
Inc., a civil engineering/land survey
firm located in Grand Rapids. (616)
531-3660.
Buying, selling, or building a
property? Puzzled about surveys,
reports, property lines, maps, etc.?
Exxel Engineering, Inc. is here to help.
If you have your own planning, engi-
neering or surveying question you'd
like to see answered, please send it to
us at editor@businessupdate.com.

Construction Briefs
Grand Rapids – The West Michigan
Design Center celebrated 10 years in
business by hosting a “FALL Design
CRAWL.” Over 10 local companies par-
ticipated in the crawl including:
Williams Kitchen & Bath, Gerrit's
Appliances, Verhey Carpets, Bright
Technologies, Grand Rapids Lighting,
Sevens Paint, Mr. Handyman, New
Look Center, Nancy De Young Studio,
Custom Design Furniture and Edward
Jones. The three-day event was held
Nov 4-6th.
Walker – Gerard Schoeb, a structural
and applications engineer with Tubelite
Inc., has successfully passed the U.S.
Green Building Council's Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design®
(LEED®) Green Associate Certification.
Kalamazoo – Skanska USA announced
that its building business unit - a lead-
ing provider of construction manage-
ment, preconstruction and design-build
services - has recently promoted Doug
Phillips to senior director of business
development. Phillips, who formerly
served as director of business develop-
ment, is based out of the company’s
Kalamazoo and Southfield offices and
has worked for Skanska for more than
three years.
Kalamazoo – CSM Group welcomes eight
new construction managers all working
on the food & beverage project delivery
team; Frank Siebeneck, Terry Moerman
and Todd George joined as senior-level
construction managers; Brian Collins and
Dale Michael joined as senior construc-
tion managers; and Richard Smit, Gabe
Dilworth and Kelly Hornsby joined as
construction managers.
Comstock Township – Midlink Business
Park welcomed Bryan Knoll and his
company Softball Fans, Inc. to its
dynamic, mixed-use business park. The
privately-held softball and hardball
equipment supplier, who is one of the
leading on-line suppliers in the country,
has leased approximately 34,000 sq. ft.
at Midlink West to facilitate its growing
business.
Grandville – Glen De Young has joined
Midstate Security as a senior account
executive in sales. Kent Rice has joined
as the company's newest security con-
sultant. Lewis Stallworth has joined as
a sales consultant.
21
Grand Rapids – Signature Associates Grand Rapids – Sears Architects, a bou- Associates, Inc. celebrates 25 years
has negotiated the following: the lease of tique architecture and planning firm, providing architectural and engineering
10,108 sq. ft. of hi-tech office space at received an honorable mention in the services to clients in and around
1575 Arboretum Drive SE in Grand Downtown Alliance Downtown Awards Lansing.
Rapids to Compliance Systems, Inc.; the in the category of “Smaller Project, Big
lease of Mainstreet Group, LLC's 1,250 sq. Impact” for the renovation of its store-
ft. of industrial space at 7355 Clyde Park front office at 16 Ionia Avenue SW. The
Avenue SW in Byron Center to Otto Bock previously vacant 2,200 sq. ft. space was Next Month Topics
Orthopedic Services; the lease of South built by local contractor Matrix
Hudsonville Self Storage's 3,000 sq. ft. Construction and furnished by local Accounting/Legal
of industrial space at 4322 Central furniture manufacturer ORG.
Banking
Parkway in Hudsonville; the lease of
3,000 sq. ft. at 1335 W. Main in Lowell to Grand Rapids – The West Michigan Industrial Eqpt &
Grand River Orthodontics. Dr. Heathery Environmental Action Council has Financing
Gietzen, DMD; the lease of Whiskey added positions with gifts from the
Run, LLC's 1,920 sq. ft. of office space at Steelcase Foundation and Wege Architecture
27581 M-43 Highway in Mattawan to Foundation. Nicholas Occhipinti has Green Building
Repair Central; the lease of 7,138 sq. ft. been named the council’s new policy and
of retail space in Woodland Mall at 3195 community activism director, while Physical Therapy
28th Street SE in Kentwood to VF Daniel Schoonmaker covers the newly
Outdoor, Inc.; the sale of Bosma created position of communications and To be involved call
Architect's 1,134 sq. ft. retail building at member services director.
616-583-1577
557 W. Western Avenue in Muskegon to Lansing – This year, Hobbs+Black
Woody’s Deli; and the sale of 1.11 acres
of retail land on 48th Street in Fremontto
Gawkowski Properties, LLC., the devel-
opment arm of GNS Subways.
Grand Rapids – ORG West Michigan, an
authorized ORG dealer and specialist in
custom closet and home organization,
announced that its new showroom is
now open to the public and trade. The
new 3,200 sq. ft. facility encompasses
offices, a design room and dedicated
showroom space, located on the second
floor of The Windquest Building at 201
Monroe NW in downtown Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids – Signature Associates
has negotiated the following: the lease of
10,500 sq. ft. of industrial space at 4515
Airwest in Grand Rapids to TABS Wall
Systems, LLC.; the sale of a 12,100 sq.
ft. industrial building at 2830-2860
Chicago Drive in Grandville to RW Space
Properties, LLC.; the sale of
Vanderplow Properties, LLC's 34,400
sq. ft. industrial building at 2623 Jarman
Street in Muskegon to Quality Tool and
Stamp; the lease of 3,700 sq. ft. of office
space in Western Michigan
University's Business Technology &
Research Park in Kalamazoo to Houston,
TX-based Dynamic Engineering; the
lease of WMU Trustees's 1,496 sq. ft. of
retail space at 911 S. Howard Street in
Kalamazoo to European Spas; and the
sale of James E. Wall Trust's 21,000 sq.
ft. retail building at 1300 Whitehall Road
in Muskegon to Darby, LLC.

Communication & IT Briefs
Grand Rapids – Springthrough
announced the addition of developers
Brian Steil, Nick LaVigne and Joe
Rivard. Marc Dion has also been added
as a core services manager, Ryan Malott
as a core services technician and Ashley
Messing as a receptionist. Dion will han-
dle day-to-day management of client proj-
ects and oversight of systems and soft-
ware components. Malott will serve as a
technical consultant focusing on new
software and hardware technologies.
Lansing – The Department of
Commerce’s National Telecommunications
and Information Administration has
awarded Connect Michigan approxi-
mately $3 million in additional funding
under the State Broadband Data and
Development Grant Program to further
implement broadband initiatives over
the original five-year award period.
Kalamazoo – California-based Autodesk
is featuring Western Michigan
University as a "customer success story"
in its promotional materials for the soft-
ware that allows students to model cam-
pus buildings for energy analysis reno-
vations and retrofits.
Communication & IT
Grand Rapids – CU*Answers recently
announced a new feature to automate
what some refer to as “backdating” or
“effective-dating.” The company has also
made significant enhancements to their
existing Effective-Dated Account
Adjustments feature and has recently
announced a series of options to improve
processes in the CU*BASE system impact-
ing Certificate product configurations.
Middlebury, VT and Midway, UT – eDOC
Innovations recently teamed with the
Vermont credit union community to sup-
port the March of Dimes. The CUSO also
announced that another Wisconsin-
based credit union, Firefighters Credit
Union of La Crosse, recently implement-
ed CheckLogic at two WI-area branches.
Grand Rapids – West Michigan-based
credit union data processor CU*Answers
has provided a new, easy-to-use promo-
tional campaign software for credit union
marketing teams to configure their own
promo campaigns. Additionally, their 10.3
version of CU*BASE includes the ability to
automatically generate member notices
when a member changes their Opt In/Opt
Out status.
Portage – Manatron, Inc., a global
leader in providing integrated property
tax and records management software
for state and local governments,
announced that the City of Cape Town,
South Africa is now utilizing the compa-
ny’s GRM customCAMA software to
assist with the process of assessing
property value.
Madison, WI – TDS Telecommunications
Corp. is teaming up with industry leaders
Telrex and Broadsoft to add call record-
ing and call center to its mix of communi-
cations solutions with its TDS managedIP
system.
How Can U.S. Increase
Exports? Look to Germany
By Dr. Chris Kuehl
Nobody doubts that the U.S. must
get better at exporting. Although there is
“generic” support for the concept in
Congress and from the public, when it
comes to specifics, the U.S. struggles.
There was a call earlier in 2010 to
increase exports by 5 percent in the next
few years, but there was nothing to sup-
port that goal in subsequent speeches
and Congressional action has actually
made things worse.
Most Americans oppose free trade
and are convinced isolating the economy
behind massive walls of protectionism
will solve the crisis. The average citizen
thinks that the only nations that benefit
from trade are those like China which has
advantages such as low wage structure,
lax safety and environmental laws and a
government willing to manipulate curren-
cy, establish trade barriers and stack the
deck in favor of its local companies.
People making this assumption have
not looked very closely at a nation that is
far more like the United States than any
of the developing nations – Germany. The
Germans are now the export masters of
Europe and keep that position despite
having all the same disadvantages as the
U.S.: They have high wages, a generous
system of benefits, high taxes and strict
environmental and safety laws. In most
respects the Germans have more inhibi-
tions than the U.S. when it comes to com-
peting on the global stage.
Behavior of U.S. Consumer
Forces Change
The German and U.S. economies have
22
Lansing – MyMACWellness.com has
launched – a website providing local list-
ings of free and low-cost exercise and
physical activity programs, as well as a
section on nutrition. The website is
searchable by region, and it links to a
free, computerized health coach pro-
duced by the Michigan Department of
Community Health where individuals
can create a personal health plan.
Grand Rapids - Xtend, Inc., a Grand
Rapids, Michigan-based multi-owned
cooperative CUSO, announced that it has
surpassed the $1 million revenue mark
for the first time its eight-year history.
become more similar since the beginning of
the recession into the U.S. The biggest
change is in consumer behavior. U.S. com-
panies never really had the need to seek
out foreign business because the domestic
consumer was eager to purchase what was
offered. German companies, however, did
need foreign business. Prior to the reces-
sion, the U.S. consumer accounted for 70
percent of the action in the economy, but
that number is slipping. It may drop to 65
percent or even 60 percent by the end of
the decade.
In Germany, the domestic consumer
only accounts for about 57 percent of
consumption and is notoriously cautious
when it comes to buying. This has forced
German companies to seek markets else-
where and they expanded to developed
and developing nations alike.
The German economy is only about
a quarter of the size of the U.S. economy,
but it exports more in the way of manu-
factured goods and in more categories.
The demand for high value German
machine tools and technology is well
known, yet the Germans export con-
sumer goods as well. It is not generally
appreciated in the U.S. that Germany pro-
duces inexpensive goods that sell well in
markets such as China, India, Brazil and
elsewhere.
Consider Emulating Germany
Analysts are divided as to what
makes the Germans effective at exports,
but there are patterns (not unique to
German culture) that win praise from
most observers.
Continued on page 23

How Can U.S. Increase Exports?
Use Germany as a Model
Continued from page 22
Other nations can replicate these
patterns, but it takes commitment from
both political leaders and the general
population.
The first factor is strong support
from the top. This may have begun in the
U.S. with earlier statements from
President Obama that now must be rein-
forced constantly. A significant amount of
time and energy must be spent engaging
high level leaders in trade missions. In
the case of Germany, Chancellor Angela
Merkel leads as many as two dozen trade
missions a year focused on opening mar-
kets to German companies. The U.S.
leaves too many trade missions to collec-
tions of business people who lack power
to change government policies. With the
Chancellor engaged, Germany can force
change on trade policy at the highest
level. President Obama’s approach has
been too distant when it comes to repre-
senting U.S. interests.
The second factor is lack of commit-
ment to trade promotion within the gov-
ernment. The bulk of the U.S. economy
depends on small and medium-sized
businesses. These companies provide the
most jobs and often are the anchors of
their communities. They also are the
companies most challenged by trade.
The rest of the world only has to fig-
ure out how to sell to the U.S. and
Europe, but a U.S. company needs to
grasp how to sell to more than 100
nations. The U.S. Department of
Commerce and the various state agencies
promoting exports do a yeoman’s job, but
their budgets are paltry compared to what
23
is spent in Germany, Japan or most other evidenced by the polls showing that fully restrictions. The Germans consistently
nations. Until the U.S. funds these agen- 70 percent of Americans think that trade call the Chinese bluff and they are doing
cies better, there will be limited progress has been bad for the U.S. economy. The it again over the currency issue. The
on trade. Germans know their future lies in the Germans shot back and listed the hun-
The third factor is America’s failure world market and they cooperate in dreds of products – critical to China’s
to back its strongest export sectors. The reaching their common goals. The U.S., economy -- that they would stop send-
Germans work diligently to support the on the other hand, rips itself apart over ing if China imposed barriers against
pillars of their export economy. They the issue and leaves everybody poorer in Germany. The reaction from Beijing was
establish policies that focus on opening the process. capitulation and a toning down of the
up the world market to the niche manu- Lastly, Germans are much more rhetoric.
facturing companies that often dominate focused and aggressive on trade and they r. Chris Kuehl is economic analyst
their unique sectors. exploit their advantages. The U.S. hedges for the Fabricators & Manufacturers
The U.S. economy is a powerful between protectionism and capitulation. Association, International (FMA) and
service-based system and the export At the same time that Americans are managing partner of Armada Corporate
potential is huge. The U.S. has to better angry at China over its export centered Intelligence. Dr. Kuehl is the author of
protect that industry with more attention policies and currency manipulation, the Fabrinomics™, a biweekly economic
to intellectual property support, innova- reaction of business and the government analysis e-newsletter for members of the
tion and more aggressive attempts to is cautious and diffident. FMA. For more information go to
overcome barriers. This is also key to The U.S. waffles and threatens, but fmanet.org/fabrinomics.
expanding manufacturing. backs down when China talks of trade
The barriers to U.S. activity in China
are absurd and essentially block the vast
majority of U.S. operations. However, the
U.S. does very little to pry open that sys-
tem. The Germans have not been nearly
so accommodating and know that China
needs what they have. If the Chinese
want access to Germany, access must be
granted in return.
U.S. Must Change Attitude
Toward Trade
One of the most important differ-
ences between the U.S. and Germany is
the attitude that exists toward trade. The
Germans unite behind the notion of
export and import. The government,
business community and workers all see
their future in global business and they
work for a common purpose more often
than not.
The U.S. attitude is deeply divided as

Michigan Plastic Manufacturer Extends Operations
Grand Rapids – A new tax break
approved in late October boosted the
share of Hodsonville's tax base that's
being discounted to support business
growth and employment to almost 4
percent. Of Hudsonville's $243.9 mil-
lion in total taxable value, about $9.7
million is being abated. A 50 percent
tax break was extended to Royal
Technologies Corp. on $3.4 million
worth of equipment. Royal molds visual
and functional parts for the office furni-
ture, automotive and consumer prod-
ucts industries. While the tax break will
go to support their equipment at the
Hudsonville location, Royal is not only
setting its sights on improving its
Michigan manufacturing, but
Alabama’s as well.
In early 2009, Royal announced
plans to construct a new manufacturing
facility to serve the company’s growing
customer base in the Southeast and
provide for new opportunities to contin-
ue to grow business. The company pur-
chased 26.6 acres in Cullman County,
Alabama and began construction of a
new 200,000-square-foot facility. The
project is a $30 million five-year invest-
ment that should not only create new
opportunities for Royal, but for the res-
idents of Cullman County.
The community of 80,000 located
between Birmingham and Huntsville in
northern Alabama welcomed the
Royal’s presence. It had been
announced late Feburary 2010 that the
100,000-square-foot VF Jeanswear dis-
tribution center in Holly Pond was clos-
ing down after more than 25 years of
operation. Around 150 jobs were lost,
and the announcement came on the
heels of numerous other local layoffs
for the county. Unemployment was
expected to reach double digits as 2010
moved forward.
However, in September it was
reported that the latest statistics placed
Cullman County’s unemployment well
below the state average of 9.7 percent
with their numbers dropping a full per-
centage point from April to July. Local
officials cited Royal Technologies pres-
ence along with the ramping up of other
local production lines as the reason for
the improvement. Royal Technologies
could not be reached for comment, but it
has been reported that production for
the Alabama facility was anticipated to
ramp up as early as September of this
24
year with an initial group of 35 employ-
ees. Royal president Jim Vander Kolk
said that number could rise to around
200 in a year, 300 within two years.
Throughout the construction process for
their new facility, the company made an
effort to use local contractors from the
Cullman area in addition working with
the Alabama Career Center for job place-
ment and partnering with the communi-
ty college Wallace State in Hanceville.
As production begins to ramp up at
the new facility and Royal expands its
market throughout the Southeast, new
business opportunities will not only
help the Alabama communities, but
Michigan’s as well. Royal currently
employees around 800 workers in its
operations near Grand Rapids.

Armstrong Receives ASPE Industry Innovation Award

Three Rivers – Armstrong developed technology solutions that the basis for design at some of the form. Most recently, Armstrong dis-
International has received the coveted have revolutionized the plumbing world’s largest and most prestigious played an ASSE 1070 compliant digital
Industry Innovation Award from the industry. Armstrong received the award hotel chains, retirement communities and hands free six-outlet valve for lavatories
American Society of Plumbing during ASPE’s national convention held consulting plumbing engineering firms. and a 1016 compliant version for show-
Engineers (ASPE) for The Brain® – in Philadelphia in November. Armstrong introduced the first elec- ers. Certification testing is in process.
Model DRV80 digital mixing valve. The The Brain™ Model DRV80 has thou- tronic Brain in 2005 and has since
award is given to companies that have sands of successful installations and is expanded its digital technology plat-

The Right Place Brings 545

New Jobs to West Michigan
Grand Rapids – The Right Place,
Inc., The Michigan Economic
SPECIALIZING IN QUALITY ZINC BARREL PLATING Development Corporation (MEDC), and
local economic partners announced the
ISO 9001:2000 Certified planned expansion of two West
Michigan companies that are expected
PROCESSES AVAILABLE AT DYNA-PLATE INC. to create 545 new jobs and $11.4 mil-
(Barrel Plating Lines Only) lion in capital investment.
TRIVALENT CHROMATES - AUTOMOTIVE APPROVED Dematic Corp., designer and man-
ufacturer of material handling systems,
• ZINC WITH CLEAR CHROMATE (Flash - .0005 thickness) plans to invest approximately $10.9
• ZINC WITH YELLOW CHROMATE (Flash - .0005 thickness) million and create 505 new jobs over
the next five years. The company’s
• ZINC WITH BLACK CHROMATE (.0001 - .0005 thickness) expansion plans target building reno-
• ZINC WITH OLIVE DRAB CHROMATE (.0001 - .0005 thickness) vations to an existing facility on its
campus located on Plymouth Avenue
• BAKE FOR HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT N.E. in Grand Rapids. The new knowl-
344 Mart SW Grand Rapids MI 49548 edge-based positions will focus on
engineering, sales, research, adminis-
P: (616) 452-6763 trative support and production.
F: (616) 452-6661 The Right Place’s business devel-
www.dynaplate.com opment team, led by vice president of
business development Susan Jackson,
provided planning and expansion
assistance to Dematic Corp. throughout
the project. Building the business case
for Grand Rapids, Jackson assembled a
cross-functional team of experts
including members from The City of
Grand Rapids and the MEDC to support
Dematic Corp. through the company’s
evaluation and expansion process.
Utilizing MEGA’s High-Tech Tax
Credit program, Dynamic Captioning
LLC, provider of captioning and sub-
titling services, also plans to invest:
$554,000 to create 40 new jobs over
the next five years. From a newly-
leased facility on Foremost Drive SE in
Grand Rapids, the company will pro-
vide captioning services for full-length
motion pictures, music videos and
translation services for television com-
mercials and industrial training videos.

MI Steel Company Bucks Declining Growth Trends
Grand Rapids – An October 26 ABC
News report recently stated that, "The
steel industry's global outlook has
dimmed with the unevenness of the
global economy – and tougher times are
ahead." The people at Mill Steel want
everyone to know: "Don't believe every-
thing you hear."
Mill Steel Co. is one of the largest
flat-rolled steel distributors in the nation.
In order to support its rapid growth, they
recently announced a number of person-
nel changes and newly acquired assets.
For this Michigan-based company, busi-
ness is growing strong.
In late October, Mill Steel announced
the promotion of two executives and the
addition of executive and sales support
in key U.S. markets. Eric Lambert, chief
financial officer, was promoted to senior
vice president and chief operating officer
while he retains the CFO title. Carl
Quenneville, vice president, sales, was
promoted to senior vice president and
chief commercial officer while Pam
Heglund, sales manager, was promoted
to vice president, sales. Tom Rosser,
most recently vice president of business
development for Commerce City, CO-
based R&M Asset Solutions, was named
vice president for the southern region in
mid-September.
"We're tremendously excited about
the team we've put together to lead us
towards new growth," said Mill Steel
President and CEO David S. Samrick.
Green Energy Project to
Create 63 New Jobs
Fenton – Creative Foam, which
designs and manufactures cellular and
non-cellular foams and plastics for cus-
tomers in the automotive and medical
industries, has received a $362,386 tax
credit from the Michigan Economic
Growth Authority (MEGA) board to
expand their manufacturing of machined
core materials comprised of their com-
posite materials to supply the renewable
energy market.
“The automotive and medical
industries continue to be a very impor-
tant part of our business. However,
we’re also glad to bring new industries
to Michigan,” said Wayne Blessing, CEO
and president of Creative Foam
Corporation. “The tax credits awarded
to Creative Foam means that we can
expand into new and exciting markets
"We're quickly growing in one of the
toughest markets we've seen in decades,
and we've made solid commitments to
retain and advance our leadership posi-
tion in several markets. The promotions
and new hires are an important part of
that commitment."
Mill Steel is certainly bucking the
declining growth trends. During the last
two years, Mill Steel has doubled its
sales volume and anticipates further
growth this year as it expands its busi-
ness in building products, automotive,
appliance and other markets.
"The key to success for nearly any
organization is getting the right people
on board," Samrick said. "We know that
we've got the right team to drive us to
the top."
In early Feburary of this year, Mill
Steel expanded its product breadth and
geographic presence with the acquisi-
tion of certain assets of Coated Steel
Corp (CSC), a Birmingham, AL-based
supplier of acrylic and pre-painted gal-
valume and galvanized flat-rolled steel.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed,
but Mill Steel will continue operating the
former assets as Coated Steel Co., and
the company's leadership team will
remain in place. Mill Steel expects to
create as many as 30 new sales and pro-
duction jobs at its 120,000 sq. ft.
Birmingham processing facility during
the next year and plans to increase its
existing Birmingham production capa-
such as wind energy. We thank the
MEGA Board, the city of Fenton and the
Genesee Regional Chamber of
Commerce for their support of our
Michigan expansion plans.”
Creative Foam was notified of the
five-year tax credit during the Tuesday,
Oct. 26 MEGA board meeting in
Lansing. The MEGA board provides
refundable tax credits against the
Michigan Business Tax to companies
expanding or relocating their operations
in Michigan. Creative Foam plans to
invest $1.5 million and create 63 new
jobs over the next five years to support
their growth in producing high tolerance
composite foam cores and specialized
processing equipment for wind turbine
blades. The company currently employs
366 workers in Michigan.
25
bility in the next few months with the respective businesses together."
installation of a new, 72-inch slitter and The new Birmingham, AL location
packaging line. The strategic acquisition will allow Mill Steel to enhance its serv-
will support Mill Steel's growing auto- ice to a growing base of existing cus-
motive, home appliance, HVAC and con- tomers across a broad range of markets
struction business in the southeastern in the southeast U.S. and Mexico, as well
United States and Mexico. as boost its technical support to cus-
Mill Steel Chairman and CEO David tomers in the regions. The acquisition
S. Samrick said the acquisition is a also ensures that CSC will be able to sup-
mutually beneficial transaction for Mill port larger customers by leveraging Mill
Steel and the customers of CSC: "We are Steel's size and service capabilities.
excited to add the former management of Based in Grand Rapids, Mill Steel
CSC to our team, and look forward to celebrated its 50th year in business last
working with them to continue building year and has been ranked as one of the
our reputation for delivering first-rate best places to work in Michigan. In
customer service and quality steel prod- 2008, it received the prestigious nation-
ucts across the United States, Canada al Alfred P. Sloan Award for business
and Mexico." excellence in workplace flexibility by the
"Mill Steel has a long history of U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the
operational excellence," said Coated Twiga Foundation. The company contin-
Steel's Al Walker. "The former CSC com- ues to practice its history of excellence
mercial team is excited to join that tradi- as it grows to meet the needs of an
tion and looks forward to expanding our expanding customer base.
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Industrial Briefs
Zeeland – Gentex Corporation (commer-
cial fire protection products and dimmable
aircraft windows) announced that it is
shipping interior base feature auto-dim-
ming mirrors for the new Renault
Latitude. This is the first program Gentex
has had with the French automaker.
Holland – LeanLogistics welcomed its
first Canadian client, Air Canada, to its
growing base of international clients. In
this new strategic partnership, Air
Canada will leverage the LeanLogistics
On-Demand TMS® to improve visibility
and performance in its cargo service,
carrier and customer communication as
well as implement event notifications.
The company will also deploy
WebSettle® for pre-payment audits and
automatic freight payments.
Luxembourg – Sam Martin (65), COO of
SAF-HOLLAND Group and president of
the American subsidiary SAF-HOLLAND
Inc., will resign from his operating activ-
ities at the end of 2010 at his own
request. He will remain available to the
company to help insure a smooth transi-
tion in leadership. He is expected to be
nominated to join the board of directors
at the company’s annual general meeting
on 28 April 2011. His responsibilities in
the management board will be re-distrib-
uted and the board will also be reduced in
size. Jack Gisinger (62) will succeed
Martin as president of the American sub-
sidiary SAF-HOLLAND and will take up
his new position as of January 2, 2011.
At the same time, Detlef Borghardt (48)
will assume the position of deputy CEO of
the entire Group and will take over the
responsibility for strategic planning. The
COO function will therefore be dropped in
the future.
New Jobs & Expansion for
Plastics Producer
Beaverton – Saint-Gobain
Performance Plastics Corp. will invest
$9.1 million at its Beaverton, MI facility
to accommodate growth in its medical
products operations.
Company executives were not
immediately available to discuss plans
for the site, but the Michigan Economic
Development Corp. said in a Sept. 14
news release that the work will include
creation of 25-61 jobs there. The state
approved a $324,000 tax credit over
Detroit – The Detroit District has award-
ed a contract for installation of a new
observation deck and fencing at the Soo
Locks in Sault Ste. Marie. The improve-
ments are part of the Soo Locks Facilities
Master Plan, a long-range strategy for
preserving the historic character and nat-
ural beauty of the Soo Locks facilities site
and for promoting sustainable develop-
ment on the site. The $2,050,000 con-
tract was awarded to Nomad
Construction, Inc., of Sault Ste. Marie - a
small business. The new deck will have
two elevated viewing platforms, new light
fixtures and a ramp to the lower level for
increased accessibility.
Kalmazoo – With a long record of work
in the pharmaceutical and high-purity
chemical industries, Houston-based
Dynamic Engineering has opened its
office in Michigan at Western Michigan
University's Business Technology and
Research Park.
Muskegon – Goodwill Industries of
West Michigan recently hired Joseph
Doyle as the nonprofit agency’s new
workforce development director.
Battle Creek – In recognition of his many
years of hard work to foster internation-
al relations between west Michigan and
Japan, the Japan America Society of
West Michigan announced that it hon-
ored Dr. Soga’s lifetime of achievements.
Kalamazoo – As Zeigler Automotive
Group continues its growth, the group
will create 200 new jobs, of which over
100 will be located in Kalamazoo. In
addition, new dealerships will be con-
structed and existing dealership proper-
ties will be expanded.
seven years to encourage the company to
expand in Michigan, and the city is also
considering tax abatements.
The Beaverton plant is part of Saint-
Gobain’s biopharmaceutical group of
products and extrudes tubing and other
parts for the medical industry. The com-
pany, with North American headquarters
in Valley Forge, recently announced it
has expanded its line of Pure-Fit SC tub-
ing, which is made in Beaverton, to
include a 1-inch size.
Holland - Trendway Corporation
announced that the Pack Collection,
Choices and Contrada panel systems, all
Trendway filing and storage products,
TrendWall Flooring Solution, TrendWall
and TrendWall Clear have achieved
Indoor Advantage™ Gold indoor air
quality certification from SCS (Scientific
Certification Systems). A key compo-
nent of a healthy building is high
indoor air quality. SCS Indoor
Advantage™ Gold certification requires
that products fall within the toughest
limits for indoor emissions of air pollu-
tants. Based on peer-reviewed science,
SCS's Indoor Advantage™ Gold ensures
full compliance with California Section
01350, North America's strictest indoor
air emission criteria. This ensures that
certified products contribute to a safer
and healthier indoor environment in
commercial buildings such as offices
and schools.
Holland – Dan Kuipers and Kyle
Denning have started a new company,
Sustainable Energy Financing, LLC
(SEF) and are now acquiring their former
company Viability, a wholly owned sub-
sidiary of Viability Ventures. The acqui-
sition includes Viability Africa, which
Denning co-founded with Ventures while
still an employee there. SEF focuses on
promoting project financing and financial
advisory services for renewable energy
projects throughout the world. The
founders have also started the Midwest
Solar Aggregation Group, which will
focus in advancing the use of Solar PV
technology through the use of market-
based financial incentives.
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26
Washington DC – The Fuel Cell and
Hydrogen Energy Association
announced that Pete Barkey has been
named communications director. Barkey
will play a vital role as the organization
increases efforts to raise awareness of fuel
cells and hydrogen as integral components
of the world’s clean energy portfolio.
Holland – Trendway made a first appear-
ance in the LA Mart Design Center,
located at the heart of Los Angeles's
Furniture and Decorative Arts District.
Lauded designer Dale Blumenthal, IIDA,
CID, DesignWorkPlace, Inc., collaborat-
ed with the Trendway team to design the
2,500 sq. ft., long, narrow, angular space
to showcase Trendway's furniture func-
tionality.
Lancaster, PA – The new Saturn™ 140
and Saturn™ 230 waste-oil furnaces
bring the potential for energy savings to
smaller shop and garage owners world-
wide. Customizable to meet specific
heating needs, these efficient units fea-
ture an advanced burner design, fast
installation and easy maintenance. The
300-pound Saturn 140 features a maxi-
mum BTU input of 140,000 and an out-
put of 110,000 BTU consuming a maxi-
mum of one gallon of used oil per hour.
The larger 450-pound Saturn 230 fea-
tures a maximum BTU input of 230,000
and an output of 180,000 BTU consum-
ing a maximum of 1.6 gallons of used oil
per hour. Both units feature the Saturn
100 burner, have metering fuel pumps
and can operate on 115 volts, 60 Hz with
a 20A circuit breaker. A smart control
features auto-restart technology for safe,
reliable ignitions.
 Corporate Information
Grand Rapids – MarCom Awards
announced winners for the 2010 inter-
national awards competition that recog-
nizes outstanding creative achievement
by marketing and communication pro-
fessionals. There were almost 5,000
entries from throughout the United
States, Canada and several other coun-
tries in the 2010 competition. WGVU
received three MarCom Awards: Gold
Award for “LZ Michigan” in the mar-
keting/promotion campaign/special
event category; Platinum Award for
“WGVU Showplace Guide” in the
brochure category; Honorable Mention
for “WGVU – LZ Michigan Program” in
the brochure category.
West Michigan – The Better Business
Bureau of Western Michigan announced
that the 2010 Integrity Award winning
companies are: Above Roofing
(Hudsonville) - Robert Freeman, presi-
dent; Leaves Personal Care Services,
LLC (Cascade) - Vicki Smit, owner;
Swonk’s Flower Shop, Inc. (Battle
Creek) - Jeannette Schmid, president.
Criteria for the award are based on overall
ethical standards, community involve-
ment, employee training, truthful adver-
tising and overall honesty and integrity.
Chicago, IL – TalentDrive, the creator of
the online resume search engine
TalentFilter, has appointed Jeff
Tomaszewski as the company’s chief
technology officer. Tomaszewski most
recently served as a technology lead man-
ager at Allstate Insurance Company.
Minneapolis, MN – Grocery Shopping
Network announced the addition of
Jennifer Flanagan and Robert Mews as
eMarketing managers to the firm’s digi-
tal marketing team as well as the addi-
tion of Jon Fischler and Megan
Tregedar as web, content, and UI
designers to the firm’s creative team.
Grand Rapids – American RV is one of
the top 50 RV dealers in North America,
according to RV Magazine’s annual rank-
ings. The rankings, judged by an inde-
pendent panel of industry leaders, are
based on customer service and satisfac-
tion, employee training and education,
strategic planning and current initiatives.
Indianapolis and Danville, IL – Watchfire
Digital Outdoor became the industry’s
first digital billboard manufacturer to sur-
pass 100 customers with the installation
of nine 19mm digital billboards in all
major highways feeding into Grand
Rapids: M-6, US-131 and US-196.
Grand Rapids – Lambert, Edwards &
Associates announced the addition of
Kristie Burns as director within the
firm’s consumer products practice. Burns
will serve several of the firm’s key local
and national brand consumer clients.
Grand Rapids – Greatland announced
they have launched a newly updated
version of the company’s Winfiler soft-
ware. Winfiler is a complete reporting
software that helps individuals generate
and e-file.
Grand Rapids – As it enters its second
century of service, The Humane Society
of Kent County unveiled its new name,
The Humane Society of West
Michigan, as well as a new logo and
tagline, “Giving animals a voice.”
Dearborn – News from Michigan
Emerging conference: Mike and
Marian Ilitch were announced as
Individual Catalyst Award winners and
University Research Cooridor
received the Group Catalyst Award for
their success with The Michigan
Neonatal Biobank. CYJ Enterprizes
won a Tweet award for submitting a
Twitter posting focused on their busi-
ness product e-CYREN.
Grand Rapids – BL2END held their
November event in Caledonia, MI focusing
on professional development. The event
was hosted and sponsored by
Farmers/Foremost Insurance and fea-
tured Birgit Klohs, president & CEO of
The Right Place, Inc. BL2END (Business
Leaders Linked to Encourage New
Directions) is a grassroots organization
focused on creating monthly event oppor-
tunities for young professionals of color
between the ages of 21 to 35.
Grand Rapids – Public relations and
investor relations firm Lambert,
Edwards & Associates announced the
launch of its new CLEAN specialty, a
firm-wide focus dedicated to accelerating
the impact of environmentally-friendly
businesses and initiatives.
Spring Lake – Bobbie Twa welcomes
Shelley Appel as a career coach and
facilitator with Changing Directions,
an employment transition and career
coaching company. Shelley comes with
a strong manufacturing background
and a decade of experience leading a
national nonprofit agency that trained
and equipped hundreds of churches
with a holistic, faith based approach to
life change.
27
Grand Rapids – Kentwood Office is an approximately 3,500 square-foot,
Furniture announced that Laura in-line restaurant prototype that serves
Hopson has joined the company as vice up all of the classic Big Boy charm, while
president of sales and marketing in the bringing a new layout, enhanced menu
Grand Rapids office. Hopson has exten- and jobs to the Grand Rapids area. “This
sive experience in developing and imple- new, smaller restaurant model is really a
menting marketing and sales strategies return to our Big Boy roots, offering our
and directing account teams. much-loved Big Boy brand and classic
diner elements in a refreshed setting,”
Grand Rapids – The Grand Rapids said Keith Sirois, President and CEO of
Express Employment Professionals Big Boy Restaurants International LLC.
office announced it is now a specialized “We’re excited to launch this new con-
recruiting group location. cept in the Grand Rapids market, which
Big Boy has been proud to serve for
Plano, TX – Smith System, a school fur- more than 45 years.” The restaurant,
niture innovator, has expanded its sales which opened on Monday, November 22,
force with the addition of Mark Coffman 2010, is located at 3122 28th Street S.E.
from Grandville as regional sales man- and is the 12th Big Boy location in the
ager. Coffman will help school districts in greater Grand Rapids market. To date,
six Midwestern states. this restaurant has created more than 50
new local jobs, primarily fulltime crew
Kentwood – Big Boy Restaurants positions along with select management-
International LLC opened the doors to level and part-time roles.
its newest restaurant, located in
Kentwood. The new Big Boy Restaurant
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Stop by the roastery on Saturdays from 10:00am – 3:00pm at the
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