Business

Business
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Cover Story:
Wolverine Building Group
Celebrating
Their 75th Anniversary
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Retirement Planning
Nursing Education
Wireless Communications
Metal Forming
March 2014 $2.00
2
Economic Forecaster Says Odds Are Against
2014 Being a Breakout Year
Atlanta, GA Although 2013 had
enough positive data points (unemploy-
ment drop, strong auto sales, housing
reflation and a surging stock market) for
optimists to make a case for a boffo
2014, a critical factor is missing from its
prospects to be a breakout year, accord-
ing to Rajeev Dhawan of the Economic
Forecasting Center at Georgia State
Universitys J. Mack Robinson College of
Business.
One factor makes me less than san-
guine about strong growth in 2014: ane-
mic capital expenditures in 2013,
Dhawan writes in his Forecast of the
Nation, released today. With capital
investment growing only 2.6% last year,
Overall investment numbers for 2014
are looking less rosy than I would like.
Corporations, especially in manufac-
turing, are still hesitant to invest due to
dynamics including stalling manufactur-
ing in China (which has induced a slow-
down in emerging markets and suppliers
in developed countries), ongoing financ-
ing constraints faced by small business-
es, and the ding to corporate confidence
caused by a muted jingle at the cash reg-
ister. For the 30 companies in the Dow
Jones Index that I track, revenue growth
has become weaker and weaker over the
past two years, says the forecaster.
A continuing concern for Dhawan is
the quality of job growth, which he points
to as the reason behind weak income
growth. In 2013 the economy created
jobs at a 194,000 monthly pace. On
paper, this performance seems great. But,
one-third of the jobs created were in
retail trade and hospitality, sectors that
consist mostly of low-paying jobs,
which is not the sort of job growth that
will produce income growth.
Dhawan anticipates the monthly job
creation rate in 2014 to average only
147,000 due to a continuation of weak
investment, global malaise and stock
market volatility. The easiest path to job
growth would be another superior per-
formance from the stock market this year.
But can the market deliver?
The year did not start well for
stocks due to concerns about growth at
home and abroad, and the direction of
our own monetary policy (the fate of QE3
and the change in leadership at the
Fed), but, Dhawan notes, the market
has performed very well since new Fed
chair Janet Yellen testified before
Congress in mid-February. But the basic
movement of the needle is still controlled
by underlying job growth, which pro-
duces the needed income growth,
Dhawan says. Jobs originate by hard
actions, which are the risky investment
bets made by businesses.
Highlights from the Economic
Forecasting Centers National Report
Real GDP grew 1.9% in 2013,
will grow 2.4% in 2014 and at a brisker
rate of 2.6% in 2015. Look for a 3.3%
growth rate in 2016, thanks to strong
investment made the year before.
Business fixed investment will
grow 4.0% in 2014, 5.6% in 2015, then a
strong 7.8% in 2016. The economy creat-
ed almost 2.3 million jobs in 2013 at a
monthly rate of 194,000, but job growth
will average only 147,000 in 2014. In
2015, the economy will add 188,000 jobs
per month, then 205,000 per month in
2016. Unemployment will come down to
6.0% by mid-2016.
Housing starts will average
1.032 million units in 2014, increase
sharply to 1.228 million units in 2015,
then rise further to 1.301 million units in
2016. Auto sales will be 15.2 million
units in 2014, increase slightly to 15.4
million units in 2015, and further to 15.7
million in 2016.
The 10-year bond rate will hit
3.8% in 2014, but wont cross the 4%
threshold until early 2016.
CBI Telecommunications Consultants: Saving Money
for Their Clients for Twenty-two Years
By Jane Whittington
Weve all heard the old saying: The
only thing constant is change. Nowhere is
that truer than in the world of technology.
Its hard to believe that only ten or so years
ago, there was no such thing as a smart
phone. And in another ten years, todays
cutting-edge smart phone will surely be
obsolete. In fact, sometimes it doesnt even
take years for technology to change! The
pace of change is ever accelerating, and
keeping up can be a full-time job. CBI
Telecommunications Consultants make it
their full-time job to stay up to date with
the latest and greatest in technology and
pass that expertise on to their clients.
Founded twenty-two years ago and
still led by founder and President Denise
Pepin, CBI has, as they say on their web-
site, one goal, and that is to improve
profitability by eliminating the costly
errors that damage your bottom line and
to gain the insight needed to make solid
telecom decisions.
CBI offers a variety of telecom-relat-
ed services to assist their clients to man-
age their telecommunication services and
related expenses. These include but are
not limited to:
Telecom auditing. By evaluating
the current situation, CBI can verify that
their clients are receiving the best rates
for service and are taking advantage of
the latest technologies.
Energy/utility auditing. By evalu-
ating both equipment and systems that
impact energy consumption, CBI identi-
fies energy-saving strategies to save
money for their clients.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
This allows clients to make telephone
calls over the network instead of a regu-
lar telephone line.
Technology policy writing and
review.
Bill review and bill pay. CBI will
verify that telecom charges are correct,
report any discrepancy and resolve any
invalid charges.
Procurement and helpdesk services.
RFP (request for proposal) servic-
es. CBI gives trusted vendors the oppor-
tunity to bid on proposals. This process
typically results in around a 30 percent
savings for the client. CBIs RFP services
typically result in a 27-31% savings for
the client.
Technology consulting.
CBI also offers Enlitin, a software
tool they themselves developed for tele-
com expense management.
According to Director of Operations
Vince Cobb, Although we do work with
some large companies, we generally work
with smaller companies who dont have
their own telecommunications staff.
Essentially, they outsource their telecom
function to CBI and we set up, add to,
change or disconnect telecom services as
we study their specific needs. We work
with vendors whose products and servic-
es we know and trust to provide those
services to individual businesses. Its
important to know that we do not partner
with or act as an agent for any vendor.
We seek out what can best suit our
clients needs. Our bottom line is whats
best for the client.
He continues, Typically, a company
comes to us when they feel they dont have
control over their telecom spending. We
help identify what they currently have and
help them optimize it for the lowest cost
while still maintaining efficiency. We want
them to have the best possible service at
the lowest possible cost.
Online security has become a big
concern not only for individuals but also
for businesses. CBI can help businesses
protect their information, their employees
and their mobile devices from breeches of
security. Cobb says, iPads, air cards and
computers can fall into the wrong hands.
If that happens, I can turn them into
bricks using mobile device management
tools. Network security is an imperative
part of a companys business.
CBI currently has 16 full-time
employees in their 44th Street office.
While many companies suffered during
the recession, CBI saw huge growth in
2009 and 2010, and they are continuing
to grow at a steady pace. Managing the
constancy of change is essential to their
success. According to Cobb, We are
always in a learning mode here. To
remain of value to our clients, we never
stop learning.
Jane Whittington is a freelance
writer and editor who lives in Grand
Rapids.
Retirement Planning, Inc.: Helping Meet
Retirement Goals
By Jane Whittington
People look forward to retirement
as a time to step back from their busy
professional lives and spend their days
doing all those things theyve put off
while they were earning a living.
Whether its travel, more time with the
family, pursuing long neglected hobbies,
perfecting their golf swing or their ten-
nis game, retirement should be a well-
earned respite from pursuing profes-
sional success. But in order to truly
enjoy all the gifts that retirement can
bring, financial security is a must-have.
While social security is part of the pack-
age, it cant come close to providing the
wherewithal to enjoy a secure retire-
ment. Retirement plans offered by
employers help provide the financial
cushion to make the years after full-time
work happy and secure ones.
Probably the most common retire-
ment plan offered by employers as an
employee benefit is the 401(k). This
account allows the employee to con-
tribute part of their pre-tax paycheck in
a tax-deferred investment account. By
contributing pre-tax money, the employ-
ees taxable income is lower. In addition,
investment gains grow tax deferred until
retirement. While withdrawing funds
before retirement incurs a penalty and
could be subject to state, federal and
local taxes, some employers may offer
401(k) loans. Many employers match
employee contributions to a 401(k). For
educators and nonprofit employees,
there is a similar plan known as a
403(b).
Retirement Planning, Inc. in Grand
Rapids, founded in 1988, works with
employers to design and maintain qual-
ified retirement plans. According to
President and founder Mark Whited,
We work as a third-party administra-
tive firm to assist clients in obtaining
and maintaining the best possible plan
based on their unique situation. After
we select the best plan, we coordinate its
installation and continue to meet with
the client regularly to review the plan
and provide updates on current rules
and regulation.
In effect, the employer comes to
Retirement Planning, Inc. to select and
set up a suitable 401(k). Retirement
Planning, Inc. works with brokers to
make that selection and put that plan
into effect. They then continue to service
the plan on behalf of the client. The bro-
ker then meets with employees to
explain the plan while Retirement
Planning, Inc. works, as Whited says,
behind the scenes.
He continues, We work with small
businesses, usually those with about 20
to 50 employees. However, we have
clients with as few as one employee or
as many as 3,500.
Five employees with a combined 75
years of experience provide personalized
service. As with anything connected to
federal, state and local regulation, the
field is one of rapid change. According
to Senior Administrator Sharon
Dykema, Ive been working here for ten
years, and the biggest change Ive seen
is the increase in rules and regulation.
We work hard to keep up with current
conditions in order to better serve our
clients.
Whited says that he and his staff
take advantage of continuing education
opportunities in order to maintain their
body of knowledge and to make sure
their clients have the benefit of a pro-
active approach.
The website for Retirement
Planning, Inc. includes testimonials
from customers, attesting to their satis-
faction with the work done by the firm.
One says, "While working with
Retirement Planning, Inc. over the past
decade, I have realized that their level of
service is exceptional in todays market.
Their knowledge in the 401(k) area is
solid. Their year-end audit turnaround
time is fast. They explain their findings
during our annual meetings in terms
that I can understand so I can affect
appropriate change. For anyone search-
ing for a third party 401(k) administra-
tor, I would highly recommend
Retirement Planning, Inc."
Jane Whittington is a freelance
writer and editor who lives in Grand
Rapids.
3
Retailers 2014 Forecasts
Turn Chilly
Lansing Michigan retail business-
es project only a 1.4 percent increase in
their own sales this year, following a
poor holiday shopping season and a
worse January, according to the
Michigan Retail Index, a joint project of
Michigan Retailers Association (MRA)
and the Federal Reserve Bank of
Chicago.
The latest monthly Index survey
found 58 percent expect their year-over-
year sales to grow in 2014, while 19 per-
cent expect sales to shrink and 23 expect
no change.
Although 25 percent expect their
sales to rise more than 5 percent, the
average across the state is for 1.4 per-
cent growth. Ten percent project a more
than 5 percent drop.
Their predictions followed a slow
January in which many retailers saw
sales decrease.
Were still experiencing the
adverse effects of a severe winter, said
James P. Hallan, MRA president and
CEO. January provided no respite from
the subzero cold and snow that have
chilled shopping, or from a still-sluggish
economy that makes consumers more
cautious.
The January survey showed 30 per-
cent of retailers increased sales over the
same month last year, while 46 percent
recorded declines and 24 percent report-
ed no change. The results create a sea-
sonally adjusted performance index of
42.5, down from 50.5 in December. A
year ago January the index was at 57.9.
The 100-point Index gauges the
performance of the states overall retail
industry, based on monthly surveys con-
ducted by MRA and the Federal Reserve.
Index values above 50 generally indicate
positive activity; the higher the number,
the stronger the activity.
Looking forward, 45 percent of
retailers expect sales during
FebruaryApril to increase over the same
period last year, while 20 percent project a
decrease and 35 percent no change. That
puts the seasonally adjusted outlook
index at 58.5, down from 63.3 in
December. A year ago January it was 74.7.
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Wolverine Building Group Celebrating
Their 75th Anniversary
In 2014, Wolverine Building Group
has a lot to celebrate. This year, the
Grand Rapids-owned and operated con-
tractor will be celebrating their 75th
anniversary. With a proud history of con-
structing local landmarks in West
Michigan, Wolverine also has a robust
current workload and a number of excit-
ing upcoming projects.
From Gas Stations to High-Rises
Founded in 1939 as Wolverine Tile
Company, Wolverine began as a tile
installer for gas stations and restaurants.
As the company grew in size and capabil-
ity, they began constructing complete gas
stations and later added pre-engineered
steel construction to their skillset. In the
1990s, Wolverine diversified, adding a
construction management division and
acquiring multi-unit builder Fryling
Construction. In 2006, the company
added Wolverine North America, a divi-
sion that would focus on serving cus-
tomers on a national scale.
Led by Presidents Mike Kelly and
Dick VanderZyden, the company now
does business under the name Wolverine
Building Group, while continuing to offer
general contracting, construction man-
agement, and design/build services to a
variety of markets. Wolverine Building
Group serves the same markets manu-
facturing clients, healthcare and higher
education, multi-unit facilities, and
retail/restaurant companies that have
allowed it to thrive for the past 75 years.
Wolverines manufacturing division,
which originally did business as
Wolverine Building, Inc., has constructed
complex industrial projects for local
clients including Advance Packaging,
Grand Rapids Plastics, Kent
Manufacturing, and more. With projects
underway in West Michigan, Grand
Ledge, Detroit, and Tennessee, this divi-
sion is bringing their design/build expert-
ise and in-depth understanding of the
needs of industrial construction to local
and national clients.
Formerly Fryling Construction,
Wolverines multi-unit division builds and
renovates apartments, condominiums,
student housing, and senior living facili-
ties across the country. The multi-unit
division is now overseeing ground-up
projects in downtown Grand Rapids, MI,
and Colorado Springs, CO, and a historical
renovation project in Michigans Upper
Peninsula, among others.
Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital, the
Mercy Health Hauenstein Neuroscience
Center, and the Meijer Heart Center are
some of the highly visible projects that
Wolverines construction management
team has completed. The CM division
also built River House Condominiums, the
tallest building in downtown Grand
Rapids. Wolverines construction man-
agement staff is currently working at
Grand Valley State Universitys Allendale
campus on the James H. Zumberge Hall
Addition and Renovation.
Wolverines North America division
travels the country for high-profile clients
including Red Lobster, Red Robin
Gourmet Burgers, DDR, and Tractor
Supply Company. They have also con-
structed and renovated for many local
retailers and restaurants, including sever-
al Family Fare Supermarkets and Quick
Stops. The retail team is in the final stages
of a major rollout for Burger King in the
Detroit area.
Re-Building an Icon
This winter, Wolverine began work
on an unexpected but very high-profile
project - the re-building of Fifth Third
Ballpark. Wolverine oversaw the original
construction of the ballpark (then known
as Old Kent Park) twenty years ago.
The Ballpark is one of the most iconic
projects on Wolverines resume, and while
they have returned to the park many
times over the years to construct addi-
tions, new decks, and other renovations,
the need to re-build so much of the local
landmark came as a surprise.
Much of the park was destroyed
when it caught fire last winter, including
all of the suites on the first base side, as
well as the concession areas, restrooms,
and locker rooms on the concourse level.
Wolverines staff, including Fred Gilbert,
the superintendent who oversaw con-
struction of the original building, is now
working at Fifth Third Ballpark to re-build
what was damaged by the fire, as well as
to make other minor modifications.
With snowy and cold weather pre-
senting some challenges, Wolverines
team planned strategically and worked
quickly to get the work done on schedule.
Extra shifts of crews have been added,
with additional shelters to keep both
workers and building materials warm
despite the cold. Masonry work in partic-
ular requires extra measures, including
scaffolding, plastic, and temporary heat.
Despite the weather challenges that
have been present throughout the project,
the Ballpark will be operational by the
first home game of their 21st season,
scheduled for April 8. The balance of the
project will be substantially complete by
June 17, in time for the 50th Midwest
League All-Star game.
With a busy workload including Fifth
Third Ballpark and more, Wolverine has
much to look forward to in the future.
The HopCat brew pub in downtown
Detroit, many multi-family projects span-
ning , and the completion of several proj-
ects in the Southeast side of Grand Rapids
are just a few of the exciting projects com-
ing up for the company. Wolverines com-
bination of high-quality workmanship, a
strong work ethic, and an enthusiasm for
new technology and cutting-edge con-
struction practices have helped them to
thrive in a changing industry. With 75
years of experience behind them,
Wolverine Building Group is busy prepar-
ing for 75 more.
For more information about
Wolverine Building Group, please visit
www.wolvgroup.com. Fans of Wolverine
Building Group or the West Michigan
Whitecaps can follow the progress of con-
struction via the Rebuild Webcam on
the Whitecaps website, at
www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t582.
Publisher: Gary Kralapp
Business Development
Senior Vice President: Diane LaPreze
Senior Vice President: Jim Lroy
Circulation: Aubrey Day
Contributing Writers: Jane
Whittington, Randy Boss, Neil P.
Jansen, Joe Langner, Tasha Eurich,
Brian Anderson,
Associate Editor: Jeremy Martin
Printing/Distribution: News Web Printing
Accountant: Michael Tawney & Company
Legal: Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone
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4
Health Care Briefs
Grand Rapids Van Andel Research
Institute and Spectrum Health collaborat-
ed to bring world-renowned Cardiovascular
Researcher and Cardiologist Stefan
Jovinge, MD, Ph.D., to Spectrum Health
Frederik Meijer Heart & Vascular Institute
and Van Andel Research Institute to lead
teams of researchers and clinicians in an
effort to stimulate regenerative medicine
for heart disease.
Holland Holland Hospital welcomed
Alecia Jones, BSN, RN, OCN, as the new
Breast Health Patient Navigator to serve
as a liaison between breast cancer
patients, physicians and other caregivers
to help coordinate overall care.
Kalamazoo Inga Springman was the
first patient in southwest Michigan to
undergo a new robotic hysterectomy
requiring a single tiny incision next to the
bellybutton at Borgess Medical Center
by Anna Hoekstra, MD, a Gynecologic
Oncologist at West Michigan Cancer
Center.
Wyoming Metro Health is expanding
its cardiovascular care and is seeing
patients at their clinic location, 904 S.
Washington, Ste 130, Holland, two days
a month for cardiovascular appointments,
and diagnostic testing for cardiovascular
disease.
Kalamazoo Steve Zanders, DO, FCCP,
joined Borgess Critical Care, and is one of
few physicians to be certified in critical care
ultrasonography, as well as developing pro-
tocols nationally for American Thoracic
Society in therapeutic hypothermia.
Muskegon Mercy Health announced it
is pursuing approval for a new $220 mil-
lion medical center in Muskegon on the
current Mercy Campus, with a proposed
new nine-story, state-of-the-art medical
center. The project requires review and
approval from the local board of trustees,
Michigan Department of Public Healths
Certificate of Need Commission, and CHE
Trinity Health board.
5
Be Prepared For the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
By Randy Boss
A few years ago a coworker had a
sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on the job.
While emergency workers were able to get
her heart back in rhythm, too much time
had passed to prevent brain damage and
she died two months later, leaving behind
her husband and daughter. It was one of
the most devastating experiences I can
remember. Not only did we lose a good
friend but also a valuable member of our
team. I learned as much as I could about
SCA and what to do to help someone that
gets it. And I made a promise to make
sure companies we work with know the
importance of having the necessary tools
readily available should such an incident
occur.
According to the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute sudden cardiac
arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the
heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops
beating. If this happens, blood stops
flowing to the brain and other vital
organs. SCA usually causes death if it's
not treated within minutes. To better
understand SCA, it helps to understand
how the heart works. The heart has an
electrical system that controls the rate
and rhythm of the heartbeat. Problems
with the heart's electrical system can
cause irregular heartbeats called
arrhythmias. During an arrhythmia, the
heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with
an irregular rhythm. Some arrhythmias
can cause the heart to stop pumping
blood to the bodythese arrhythmias
cause SCA.
However, SCA is not the same as a
heart attack. A heart attack occurs if
blood flow to part of the heart muscle is
blocked. During a heart attack, the heart
usually doesn't suddenly stop beating.
SCA, however, may happen after or dur-
ing recovery from a heart attack.
People who have heart disease are
at higher risk for SCA. However, SCA can
happen in people who appear healthy
and have no known heart disease or
other risk factors for SCA.
Most people who have SCA die from
itoften within minutes. Rapid treat-
ment of SCA with a defibrillator can be
lifesaving. A defibrillator is a device that
sends an electric shock to the heart to try
to restore its normal rhythm.
Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the
leading causes of death in the U.S. Over
350,000 people will suffer from sudden
cardiac arrest this year, many of them
while at work. Everyone is susceptible
from the petite secretary punching a sta-
pler to a burly cowboy branding a steer.
An Automated External Defibrillator
(AED) is the only effective treatment for
restoring a regular heart rhythm during
sudden cardiac arrest and is an easy to
operate tool for someone with no medical
background.
Time-to-treatment is critical when
considering the chance of survival for an
SCA victim. Ninety-five percent of those
who experience SCA die because they do
not receive life-saving defibrillation
within four to six minutes, before brain
and permanent death start to occur. The
average response time for paramedics to
arrive on the scene is 8 to 10 minutes.
Below is a very powerful visual that
shows the chance of survival minute by
minute.
Here are a few success stories from
the American Heart Association
A 41-year-old worker at a manu-
facturer of heating and air-conditioning
systems suffered a sudden cardiac arrest
at work. After three shocks and CPR he
was revived within four minutes.
Fortunately, his company had AEDs and
trained responders. By the time EMS per-
sonnel arrived, he had been resuscitated
and was moved to a hospital. The
employee survived.
Continued on page 6
Doctor of Nursing Practice program at
GVSU's Kirkhof College of Nursing
Grand Rapids - A project led by a
doctoral nursing student at Grand Valley
State University could help decrease the
number of low birth weight and preterm
babies in Muskegon.
Cindy Betterly is enrolled in the
Doctor of Nursing Practice program at
GVSU's Kirkhof College of Nursing. Her
clinical dissertation focuses on increasing
the health literacy of women who partici-
pate in the Muskegon Area Pregnancy
Pathways program.
Betterly works with Pathways clients
to help them better
understand what
health care resources
are available, and
how to advocate for
themselves. "It's also
making sure they
implement their
health literacy com-
prehension," Betterly
said. "Are they following directions if they
understand, and acting on what their
provider is telling them?"
Muskegon has a higher percentage
of low birth weight babies, children in
poverty and people who are uninsured
than Michigan and the U.S. Betterly said
those factors, and others, contribute to
high-risk pregnancies.
She is using a tool, "Ask Me 3,"
developed several years ago by the
National Patient Safety Foundation, and
transforming it for her clients. Ask Me 3
encourages patients to write down three
questions before they see a health care
provider.
Cynthia Coviak, KCON associate
dean for nursing research, said Muskegon
community leaders are dedicated to
addressing the area's health issues. The
Pathways program stems from a commu-
nity needs assessment.
Coviak said projects like Betterly's
help DNP students view the health care
system broadly and be innovative when
addressing issues that affect a communi-
ty.
Be Prepared For the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Continued from page 5
A 62-year-old employee of a coat-
ings, glass, and chemical manufacturer
suffered a sudden cardiac arrest after
walking up the stairs to her office.
Employees in the next office heard her
fall and notified the plant emergency
response team. She was defibrillated and
saved in less than two minutes. EMS per-
sonnel then arrived to transport her to
the hospital. She sent a note to the com-
pany after her discharge from the hospi-
tal saying she had "no doubt that head-
quarters spent money wisely."
An employee at an automobile
manufacturer was working on the pro-
duction line when he suddenly collapsed,
lost consciousness, and stopped breath-
ing. Plant security responded, and after
two shocks with an AED, the employee's
heart responded and his pulse returned.
He's alive today thanks to the fast
actions of his co-workers and the compa-
ny's emergency response plan, which
included AED installation and training.
Unfortunately less than 33% of wit-
nessed out-of-hospital SCA victims
receive bystander CPR according to data
gathered from the Centers of Disease
Control and the American Heart
Association. I have made it my mission
to get as many companies as possible
trained in the American Heart
Associations 5 links in the adult Chain
of Survival and get an AED. This can
improve chances of survival and recovery
for victims of heart attack, stroke and
other emergencies.
The 5 links in the adult Chain of
Survival are:
Immediate recognition of cardiac
arrest and activation of the emergency
response system
Early cardiopulmonary resuscita-
tion (CPR) with an emphasis on chest
compressions
Rapid defibrillation
Effective advanced life support
Integrated post-cardiac arrest care
A strong Chain of Survival can
improve chances of survival and recovery
for victims of heart attack, stroke and
other emergencies. Medical professionals
will tell you that the last two links in the
chain are worthless unless a trained
bystander administers the first three links.
Losing an employee or coworker,
very often right in front of their eyes, can
have a devastating effect on the psyche
of any workplace. In honor of my friend
and co-worker, Linda E. Anderson, who
passed away due to SCA, we created an
award in her name we give to companies
that make an AED available to their
employees. So far we have given awards
to five employers that covered 675
employees with 27 AEDs. How many
lives will that save? Theres no way to
know. But if it helps just one employee
go home to his or her family at the end of
a workday, its well worth it.
Randy is a Certified Risk Architect at
Ottawa Kent in Jenison, MI. Randy can be
reached at rboss@ottawakent.com.
6
Survey: M&A Dealmakers Optimistic but
Frequently Disappointed
Chicago, IL While an overwhelming
majority of companies with mergers and
acquisitions (M&A) departments are
actively pursuing deals, 51 percent of the
respondents to the Critical Pillars for M&A
Success survey admitted falling somewhat
or significantly short of their desired rate of
return on completed transactions. The sur-
vey was conducted by Crowe Horwath LLP,
one of the largest public accounting and
consulting firms in the U.S.
The survey, which incorporated
responses from 80 C-suite and corporate
development executives, showed that
M&A has become routine for many com-
panies, with 63 percent of the respon-
dents saying their companies have pur-
sued three or more deals in the past two
years. Yet the respondents admitted to
many reservations about their companies
deal-making prowess:
Only 45 percent expressed a belief
their companies do a very good job at
managing their deal pipeline.
Fewer than a third of the respon-
dents said their companies clearly define
a strategic plan to identify M&A opportu-
nities.
Only 37 percent said their compa-
nies have proper governance to prevent
the C-suite from unduly influencing
whether to consummate a transaction.
Just 47 percent said their compa-
nies maintain clarity and focus through-
out the deal process.
Only 12 percent said they are very
efficient at executing M&A deals.
A mere 9 percent of the respon-
dents said they are very effective at cap-
turing synergies targeted at the start of
the transaction process.
Nearly a quarter said their companies
do a poor or very poor job of communicating
about and achieving alignment with the
structure of a combined organization.
M&A failure results when a deal
fails to meet the goals identified prior to
the transaction, said Marc Shaffer, man-
aging partner of financial advisory servic-
es for Crowe. Our study attempts to peel
back the onion, exploring whats happen-
ing systematically at each level of the
M&A value chain.
M&A volume has been stable for
three years, and there has been highly
visible consolidation in the telecommuni-
cations, media and technology industries,
according to the latest trend report by
Mergermarket. Signaling that M&A
remains a core piece of a companys busi-
ness growth strategy, most of the
responding executives reported expecting
to continue devoting significant time and
resources to deal-making in 2014.
Executives also said they generally are
hopeful about future deals, but most
admitted their companies past deals have
not achieved hoped-for financial out-
comes and operational synergies.
Given the high-stakes involved, it
should no longer be acceptable for compa-
nies to take a fly by the seat of your
pants approach to M&A execution,
added Chris Nemeth, leader of M&A inte-
gration services at Crowe. With more
than half of companies falling short of
achieving the desired rate of return, we
wanted to examine the root causes by
polling experienced and sophisticated cor-
porate serial acquirers.
Health Care Briefs
Kalamazoo Jeanne Bolhuis was pro-
moted from Director of Practice
Operations to Administrator at Bronson
Healthcare Midwest.
Kalamazoo Borgess Medical Center
earned renewed accreditation as a
Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence
from American Society for Metabolic and
Bariatric Surgery, Bariatric Surgery Center
of Excellence.
Grand Rapids Empirical Bioscience,
LLC, elected Richard Leach, Ph.D., Vice
President of Business Development at
Complete Genomics Inc. to its Board of
Directors.
Kalamazoo Bronson Healthcare
announced James E. McKernan, current
Vice President of Bronson HealthCare
Midwest, as new Chief Operating Officer
for Bronson Battle Creek, and Senior Vice
President with Bronson Healthcare.
Grand Rapids Brian Brookman,
Executive Chef at Holland Home's
Fulton Manor, received Chef of the Year
Award by American Culinary Federation,
Greater Grand Rapids Chefs Association.
Kalamazoo Borgess ProMed Family
Practice added Brittany Irey, MD, and
Kalind Parashar, MD, at the Woodbridge
and Three Rivers locations.
MICHAEL A. TAWNEY
INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
& COMPANY, P.C.
Professional services for your Business and Personal needs.
Accounting Payroll Tax
Call us today for courteous, dependable, and rapid assistance
(616) 456-4700
Legal/Accounting/Consulting Briefs
Grand Rapids DWH, business advisory
firm offering a variety of consulting serv-
ices including ownership transition, suc-
cession planning, and turnaround and
restructure services, named two new part-
ners - Kirk Koeman, and Michael
Lobbestael.
Detroit Honigman Miller Schwartz
and Cohn, LLP, announced Philip J.
Kessler, Peter J. Livingston, Jeffrey D.
Smith, and Scot A. Hinshaw joined as
partners, bringing Honigmans total to
255 attorneys.
Grand Rapids For the 12th consecutive
year, Warner Norcross & Judd, LLP, was
recognized as one of the leading law firms
in Michigan by Chambers USA 2014.
Additionally, the following attorneys were
recognized for their work: James H.
Breay, banking regulatory matters;
Douglas A. Dozeman, commercial litiga-
tion; Richard A. Kay, commercial litiga-
tion; Anthony J. Kolenic, Jr., employee
benefits, and executive compensation
law; Mary Jo Larson, employee benefits,
and executive compensation law; John H.
McKendry, Jr., employee benefits law,
and pension plans; Robert H. Skilton, III,
bankruptcy law; Stephen C. Waterbury,
corporate law, mergers and acquisitions;
George L. Whitfield, employee benefits,
and executive compensation; and, Lisa B.
Zimmer, employee benefits, and execu-
tive compensation law.
Grand Rapids Hilger Hammond, PC,
announced Attorney Stephen Hilger was
selected Leader in the Law in the State of
Michigan.
Kalamazoo Compliance One, which
formed in 2013, formed a partnership with
Lehmann & Associates, healthcare con-
sulting firm; CSM Group, construction
management firm; and Eckert Wordell,
architecture, engineering, and interior
design firm, to keep up with ever-changing
standards existing in the healthcare field.
Battle Creek EmploymentGroup
announced winners of its 5 in 5 schol-
arship program: First place winner
($3,000) - Gretchen Kohsmann,
Kellogg Community College; Second
place winner ($1,500) - Katherine
Ingersoll, Grand Rapids Community
College; and, Third place winner ($500) -
Joseph Martin, Grand Rapids
Community College.
Detroit Varnum welcomed Jack M.
Panitch to the firm's Metro Detroit office
joining Varnums tax planning and con-
troversy group.
Grand Rapids Plante Moran, nations
largest certified public accounting and
business advisory firms, is celebrating its
90th anniversary in 2014.
Detroit Honigman Miller Schwartz
and Cohn, LLP, announced the firm was
counsel on more than 150 corporate
transactions that closed in 2013, up from
140 in 2012, and total transaction value
rising from $4.5 billion in 2012, to $8.2
billion in 2013.
Grand Rapids Warner Norcross &
Judd, LLP, was chosen to receive 2014
Corporate International Global Award for
Family Law - Law Firm of the Year in
Michigan.
Grand Rapids New board members recent-
ly appointed to 2014 Right Place Board of
Directors, replacing four retiring board
members are: Dan Malone, Consumers
Energy; Sandy Jelinski, Lake Michigan
Credit Union; Peter Hungerford, ADAC
Automotive; and George Haga, Supervisor,
Ada Township. Additionally: Dennis
Eidson, SpartanNash was appointed to
Executive Committee; and Steve Bush,
Lake Michigan Credit Union, to Finance
Committee.
Hollywood Con Artists are Enjoyable Characters; Real
Life Frauds and Scams are Anything but Lovable
By Neil P. Jansen
Hollywood frequently portrays con
artists as lovable, Robin Hood-style ban-
dits, tricking other criminals or the very
rich out of money they obtained illegally.
You may recall Paul Newman and Robert
Redford in The Sting, or George Clooney
and his friends in the Oceans 11
movies. In reality, con artists prey on indi-
viduals who are not able to protect them-
selves and who cannot afford to lose their
lifes savings.
Some of their favorite approaches
involve:
Notifying you that you won a lot-
tery or sweepstake but you need to send
money to cover the taxes before receiving
your prize.
Collecting for a recent disaster in
the name of a charitable organization you
have not heard of before.
An investment broker with
whom you are not familiar inviting you to
get in on the ground floor of a new
opportunity for a very quick and usually
large return.
Sending you an official looking
notice you that you must obtain an offi-
cial copy of the deed to your home, which
they are able to provide to you for an
exorbitant processing fee.
Calling you posing as your grand-
child in trouble overseas, asking you to
wire money immediately.
With the amount of information
available on line today, scam artists have
sharpened their ability to gain your confi-
dence. They obtain information about you
or your family and use that information to
suggest that they are familiar with you or
have your best interest at heart. Be on
the lookout for some common red flags:
Offers that are too good to be true.
Telephone or door-to-door solicita-
tions.
Attempts to instill fear or anxiety.
Inquiries from a person, organiza-
tion or business that you have not had
contact with before.
Any transaction where you must
act immediately.
How can you protect yourself from
these fraudulent scams?
Never enter contests on line, over
the phone, or by mail.
Do not do business with anyone
that you do not know or have not fully
researched.
Never accept a check from someone
in exchange for wiring a portion back to
them.
Never rush into any transaction
before you have time to look into it com-
pletely.
Carefully review all medical, insur-
ance and credit card statements.
Never provide your birthdate,
social security number, or other personal
information to anyone over the phone or
by e-mail unless it is connected with a
transaction that you have initiated.
If you receive an unsolicited e-mail
from your bank or credit card company, do
not reply to the e-mail or contacting them
through the phone number they provide in
the e-mail. Instead, look up their number
or e-mail address from a different source
and contact them to confirm that the mes-
sage you received is legitimate.
Consult your advisor, family or
friends to see if they have any suspicions
about the transaction.
Review your own free credit report
at least annually.
Shred documents containing confi-
dential information.
Cancel any credit cards that you do
not use.
Have your name removed from
mailing lists by contacting the Direct
Marketing Association, Mail Preference
Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, New York
10512.
Finally, if you are a victim of fraud,
report it to one of these organizations:
The Michigan Attorney Generals Office,
Consumer Protection Division: 1-877-
765-8388. The Michigan State Police
Investigative Services Bureau: 1-517-
332-2521. The Securities and Exchange
Commission: 1-800-732-0330. The
National Association of Security Dealers
Broker Check Hotline: 1-800-289-9999.
The Federal Trade Commission: 1-877-
382-4357. Do not be afraid to report
fraud or abuse. You may be able to recov-
er the money you have lost or help shut
down the criminal enterprise before it
preys on others.
Neil P. Jansen is an attorney with
Mika Meyers Beckett & Jones. Jansen
practices in the areas of civil and real
estate litigation, probate litigation, estate
planning and eminent domain. He is a
member of the Grand Rapids and
American Bar Associations, the State Bar
of Michigan and the National Order of
Barristers.
7
8
Construction Briefs
Grand Rapids 5 Star Window Coatings
welcomed Cindy Meert to manage their
new office at 400 Ann St, NW.
Grand Rapids Kentwood Office
Furniture announced Michelle Louters,
previous Supply Chain Manager at
VanerumStelter, joined as Order
Fulfillment Manager.
Grand Rapids Bethel Abundant Life
Center is re-locating to a new space in
Grandville with Craig Architects leading
the design efforts, and general contractor
Wolverine Building Group overseeing
renovations which consist of the conver-
sion of a former grocery store into a
19,000 sq. ft. space for Bethel.
Grand Rapids - Signature Associates
has negotiated:
the lease of 10,750 square feet of
industrial space located at 1750 Cooper
S., Jackson for the tenant, Herald
Publishing Company, LLC.
the sale of a 6,000 square foot medical
office building located at 170 Marcell,
Rockford for the buyer, Dental
Properties of Rockford, LLC.
the lease of 21,875 square feet of
industrial space located at 650 Airport,
Muskegon for the tenant, E Systems
Technology, Inc. E-Systems is based in
California with a facility in Newago, MI.
They are moving the Newaygo Facility to
the Muskegon location to be close to
major customers.
has negotiated the lease of 4,000
square feet of industrial space located at
3526 Roger B. Chaffee Memorial Drive,
Wyoming for the landlord, Grand Rapids
Corporate Center, LLC. David Zeemering,
and the tenant, Calstra, LLC.
Ada Dan Vos Construction Co.
announced new employees Jon Serba,
Construction Laborer, and Elizabeth Nol,
Office Administrator.
Lansing Clark Construction Company
was selected as Construction Manager for
Central Michigan Universitys South Quad
$4.6 million Improvement Project to install
south quad residential halls with sprinkler
systems, as well as updated electrical sys-
tems, and replace many electrical panels in
many buildings. Work will begin this sum-
mer as soon as students leave the halls at
the end of the school year.
Kalamazoo CSM Group welcomed new
employees: Construction Manager Stan
Bedard; Project Manager David
Dahlquist; Project Coordinator Patti
Hilden; Intern Mason Mellema; and
Industrial Safety Manager John Rabbitt.
Lansing Clark Construction Co. was
awarded Keystone Award for Education
Excellence and Outstanding Safety
Performance Award by Associated
General Contractors of Michigan, for its
Project Engineer Development Program.
Grand Rapids Rapid Fire Protection,
Inc. announced promotion of Lee Jansma
to General Manager.
Rockford Ed Zachow, one of WIN
Home Inspections Strategic-Partners,
was bestowed with a Customer
Satisfaction Award for 2013, and was
honored with a Presidents Circle Club
Single Vehicle Operator Award having
performed 309 inspections in 2013.
Grand Rapids Custer announced the
addition of Kylee Haywood as Corporate
Sales Account Manager.
Grand Rapids Board of Directors of FTCH
announced promotion of Kerri A. Miller,
P.E., LEED AP, to Principal, the highest
management and leadership honor, where
her main focus will be business develop-
ment and project management.
Grand Rapids Owen-Ames-Kimball,
Co. announced the fifth phase of a multi-
year historic restoration project at the
iconic Basilica of St. Adalbert located at
701 Fourth Street, which includes repair-
ing the center portion of the plaster ceil-
ing vaults, and repainting the century-old
sanctuary ceiling that stretches 58 feet in
the air. The current phase of construction
is scheduled for completion March 2014.
Allendale Dan Vos Construction Co.
completed a new 5,231 sq. ft. veterinary
hospital clinic located at 6161 Lake
Michigan Dr., and features a spacious
waiting room with animal separation, cli-
mate controlled pet wards, consultation
room, grooming services, dental, pharma-
cy, five exam rooms, and a recovery suite.
Kalamazoo Eckert Wordell is celebrat-
ing 30 years of providing architectural,
engineering, and interior design services
to health care, industrial, government,
and private sector clients in Southwest
Michigan, across the U. S., and interna-
tionally.
Home Builders Association
of Michigan Forecasts
Okemos The Home Builders
Association of Michigan announces that
despite the cold weather drag on the
industry at the start of the year, the fore-
cast for 2014 single-family home con-
struction shows continued strong growth
in permits. HBA of Michigan attributes
the strong forecast to an increase in job
growth, a continued strong rebound in
North American vehicle production and a
rise in home sales in 2013.
Over 91,000 more people were
employed last year compared to 2012,
said Bob Filka, CEO of the HBA of
Michigan. Without question, the biggest
contributor to the burgeoning housing
recovery was the rise in home sales, par-
ticularly the 12 percent increase in aver-
age home sale values when comparing
Michigan Association of Realtors data
from 2013 to 2012. Combined with con-
tinually decreasing inventories, the result
was an acceleration of new home con-
struction.
During 2013, Michigan saw 13,359
single-family home permits recorded
year-to-date (U.S. Census Bureau data).
This number was up by 28 percent com-
pared to the 10,459 permits issued in
2012.
From a trailing 12-month perspec-
tive, Michigan single-family home per-
mits exceeded the 13,000-permit thresh-
old for the first time since May 2008,
when the residential housing market was
nearing the end of a nearly five-year free
fall that began in January 2005 and did-
nt end until October 2009.
Weve seen steady upticks in virtu-
ally every market in the state, noted
Filka. Although the weather has created
a slow start for 2014, we believe our fore-
cast is conservative and that dependent
upon labor availability and sustained job
growth, our number could very well be
surpassed.
Looking ahead at single family home
permits in 2014, HBA of Michigan fore-
casts a continued upward growth of near-
ly 20 percent, with a total of 15,966 sin-
gle-family home permits expected to be
issued in the coming year.
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 Fax: 616-453-3811
2855 Marlin Court N.W. Grand Rapids, MI 49544 racks@expertcoating.net
Michigans Top Engineering and Surveying
ACEC Excellence Awards
Lansing The American Council of
Engineering Companies of Michigan
(ACEC/M) recently honored firms for
engineering and surveying excellence
during the associations 49th annual
Engineering and Surveying Excellence
Awards ceremony.
This years engineering Eminent
Conceptor Award winner was Fleis &
VandenBrink Engineering, Inc., Grand
Rapids, for the West Bay County
Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrades.
The $8.2 million project expanded the
plant to handle existing flows and add
two new communities. Fleis &
VandenBrink used an innovative
hydraulic design, installed a high rate
anaerobic digester which helped eliminate
odors, decrease sludge volume, and cap-
tured greenhouse gas methane for energy
use (thus reducing operating costs). Fleis
& VandenBrink saved West Bay County
millions of dollars while providing a sus-
tainable design with increased plant
capacity for years to come.
The firm also took home the survey-
ing Eminent Conceptor award for the
Kalamazoo River Bank Stabilization. Fleis
& VandenBrink utilized various surveying
methods and laser technology to create a
thorough site map and model used to sta-
bilize an eroding bluff. Data proved cru-
cial to quickly and accurately analyze the
site and develop effective, sustainable
solutions. The Eminent Conceptor Award
is ACEC/Ms top honor.
Four firms were honored with the
Engineering Honorable Conceptor Award:
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc.
for the Mackinac Island Wastewater
Treatment Plant Improvements (Mackinac
Island); HH Engineering LTD and G2
Consulting Group, LLC for the I-
94/Sargent Road Interchange Road
Realignment and Bridge Replacement
(Jackson); Harley Ellis Devereaux for the
CHASS Southwest Center (Detroit); and
HNTB for the Blue Water Bridge Plaza
CBP Primary Inspection Booth Expansion
(Port Huron). Engineering Merit Awards
were presented to Anderson, Eckstein &
Westrick, Inc. for the Ember Oaks Drain
Drainage District (Ingham County);
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc.
for the M-20 over Schrader Creek
Design/Build project (Mecosta County);
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. for the East
Stadium Ann Arbor Bridges Replacement
project (Ann Arbor); OHM Advisors for
the DTW Deicing Runoff Pumping Station
and Force Main project (Detroit); HNTB
for the Blue Water Bridge Freeway
Corridor Reconstruction (Port Huron);
and Byce & Associates for the Bells
Brewery, Inc., Brewhouse Expansion and
Renovation project (Galesburg).
Surveying Merit Awards were pre-
sented to Abonmarche Consultants, Inc.
for the South Haven Maintenance
Dredging Project (South Haven) and
Surveying Solutions, Inc. for the M-1 Rail
Data Fusion Project (Detroit).
The Judges Choice Award for Board
Design was given to Spalding DeDecker
Associates, Inc., for the project board
designed to tell the story of the Veterans
Memorial Pointe Enhancement project
(Rochester Hills).
This years ACEC/M Vernon B.
Spalding Leadership Award was present-
ed to Melvin Ernie Orchard, PE, founder
and past president of OHM Advisors to
honor his outstanding leadership roles in
ACEC and several community organiza-
tions. The ACEC/M Felix A. Anderson
Image Award was presented to Richard
Anderson, PE, of Somat Engineering, Inc.
for his actions and contributions to
enhance the image of the profession.
9
Industrial Briefs
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Gill Holding Company
Acquires GR Srping
Grand Rapids Gill Holding
Company announced that it has acquired
GR Spring & Stamping (GRS&S), a Tier 1
manufacturer of metal stampings and
assemblies. Terms were not disclosed.
The combined company globally
employs more than 1,500 at facilities locat-
ed in Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, Mexico,
India, China, South Korea and Europe. The
transaction strengthens Gills position as a
full-service supplier of engineered,
mechanical assemblies to the automotive,
furniture and multi-use vehicle markets.
By acquiring GR Spring & Stamping,
we are able to diversify our customer base
to include additional OEMs and Tier 1 sup-
pliers, enhance our product offerings, and
leverage our shared operational and tech-
nical expertise, said Gill Chief Executive
Officer, Richard Perreault. The combina-
tion strengthens the competitive position
and long-term future of two Grand Rapids
companies. Both companies have been part
of the community for 50 years and we
remain committed to it.
Founded in 1964, Gill Industries
(http://www.gill-industries.com) provides
world-class manufacturing, prototyping,
product and tool design, engineering,
testing and analysis. Recently, the compa-
ny joined the Alliance for Wireless Power,
which represents companies dedicated to
delivering a flexible wireless power tech-
nology to the consumer electronics and
automotive marketplace.
Founded in 1960, GR Spring &
Stamping is a custom manufacturer of
metal stampings and value-added assem-
blies, serving the automotive, furniture,
medical and electronic industries.
Grand Rapids Advantage Sign &
Graphic Solutions announced appoint-
ment of Javier Mahmoud as Vice
President of Sales, overseeing the Field
Sales team, hiring, and goal setting.
Walker Tubelite, Inc., added Jim
McMahon, based in Houston, as Client
Development Manager, and will assist
architects and glazing contractors.
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids New Car
Dealers Association announced Proos
Manufacturing was recipient of its 2014
Celebration of Innovation: Automotive
Supplier of the Year award.
Milwaukee Pallet USA, LLC acquired the
majority of assets of Goemans Wood
Products, Inc., and will be known as Pallet
USA.
Allegan Perrigo announced: Isaiah
Dahlman was hired as Business
Development Analyst for Consumer
Healthcare; and Matthew Pazynski was
promoted to Regulatory Affairs Associate.
Grand Rapids Dematic with their gift of
$6,000, is an Emerald Sponsor for Helen
DeVos Childrens Hospitals Auto Show
Charity Spectacular, made possible by
Grand Rapids New Car Dealers
Association, to be held Feb. 5, 2014, at
DeVos Place.
10
What Do Manufacturers Expect from 2014?
By Joe Langner
The economic uncertainty of the past
few years has clearly had a stifling affect
on some businesses, but one of the bright
spots in the economy was the modest
growth seen in the manufacturing indus-
try. Given the New Year, many are curious
to see what will come in the next twelve
months and how the industry will evolve.
Manufacturers are heading into 2014
with increased confidence in the economy
as a whole and an optimistic outlook for
growth in production and hiring.
Overall, things are looking up for the
manufacturing industry in the coming
year with an anticipated increase in
orders, production and exports. According
to the second annual Sage Manufacturing
Survey, small and midsized businesses
are conservatively optimistic about busi-
ness growth in the next year. More than
one third of surveyed manufacturing
firms in the small and midsized business
(SMB) sector expect the economy to
strengthen in the next six months, while
half expect it to remain the same.
These numbers are up from Sages
2012s manufacturing survey only 27
percent anticipated an improvement in the
economy last year compared to 36 percent
this year. Almost half (48 percent) of
respondents expect the economy to
remain relatively the same over the next
six months.
During the same period of time, 49
percent of surveyed manufacturers expect
orders to increase, 42 percent believe that
production will rise and 25 percent antic-
ipate more exports.
The reasons for all the anticipated
growth? There were three main areas that
manufacturers believed would positively
impact their business in the next six
months:
Stronger domestic demand (68
percent)
The global economic recovery
(36 percent)
The re-shoring of manufac-
turing (26 percent)
Re-shoring stands in contrast to
offshoring, a practice which has had sig-
nificant impact on the manufacturing
industry as a whole. Many manufacturers
surveyed are gaining new business by
offering customers greater flexibility to
make product adjustments based on mar-
ket response and the ability to produce
smaller lots. 5 percent of those surveyed
plan on bringing some production back to
the U.S. in the next six months, and none
planned on offshoring any manufacturing
to other countries.
In this new climate, manufacturers
are making plans to refocus their efforts
on specific areas that will have the biggest
impact on their bottom line.
Forty-six percent of respondents are
looking to invest to support their top pri-
orities in the next six months, including:
53 percent are looking to invest
in increasing sales.
36 percent are looking to invest
in developing new markets
36 percent are looking to invest
in increasing productivity
The Sage Manufacturing Survey
focused primarily on small and midsized
manufacturers and distributors in the U.S.
(defined as smaller than 100 employees
for the purposes of this survey). About
nine out of ten of the businesses respond-
ing have been in business longer than ten
years. The survey included 139 small and
midsized manufacturers and distributors.
The results from the Sage
Manufacturing Survey were echoed in
other industry reports as well. The
December jobs report from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics also showed that the
manufacturing industry continues to add
jobs and is expected to contribute to job
growth in 2014.
The outlook was not entirely rose-
colored, however. In the survey, manufac-
turers revealed some areas that still hold
uncertainty for them in the future.
When asked about influencers that
could provide a downside for their busi-
nesses in 2014, respondents in the Sage
Manufacturing Survey pointed out three
areas that could have a negative impact
on their businesses. They included:
A domestic economic slowdown
(53 percent)
Additional environmental or
financial regulations (35 percent)
A global economic slowdown
(29 percent).
Barring these challenges, theres an
overall increased confidence in the econo-
my and positive outlook for growth in
production and hiring. The growth of re-
shoring, the desire to provide flexibility
and the investment in productivity will
underscore the importance of technolo-
gies like ERP in the coming months and
years. Manufacturers will need to turn to
technology tools in order to help them run
leaner, more cost-effective businesses.
If this years survey serves as indica-
tion of things to come, then the modest
growth seen in the manufacturing industry
in the past few years is likely to continue.
Joe Langner is executive vice presi-
dent of Mid-Market Solutions for Sage
North America. A seasoned executive
with more than 25 years experience,
Langner is responsible for driving the
Sage Mid-Market business strategy.
DeWys is Fabricators 2014
Industry Award Winner
Marne DeWys Manufacturing, a
West-Michigan based metal solutions com-
pany, was recently named The
FABRICATORs 2014 Industry Award
Winner presented by the Fabricators &
Manufacturers Association (FMA).
The FABRICATORs Industry Award
2014 will be presented to DeWys
Manufacturing in a ceremony during The
FABRICATORs Leadership Summit.
DeWys Manufacturing stood out
because of the companys commitment to
continuous improvement activitieson the
shop floor and the front officeand to
training new team members and the current
workforce as well, Dan Davis, Editor in
Chief at FMA Communications Inc. states,
Both have been identified as hallmarks of
forward-thinking shops, and DeWys
Manufacturing has embraced the efforts
completely.
In large part, the success of DeWys
Manufacturing is because of their commit-
ment to Lean manufacturing efforts and
investment in technological advances. By
creating DeWys University, they are also
investing in their team members to help
advance their skills and knowledge. This
combination will ensure their competitive
advantage for years to come.
11
Rapid-line: Metal Fabrication and More
By Jane Whittington
For almost 90 years, Rapid-line in
Grand Rapids has been providing metal
fabrication for customers both near and
far. Their advanced technology, superior
service and high quality products have
given them a reputation for contract man-
ufacturing that is unsurpassed.
According to Mark Lindquist,
President of Rapid-line, We currently
have 166 employees operating in 85,000
square feet, and we generate $20 million
in sales annually. Weve been in our cur-
rent facility since 2001. As an employee-
owned company, we experience low
employee turnover and consistently high
customer satisfaction. Our employees
have a stake in Rapid-lines success.
He continues, Rapid-line was
founded in 1926 (under another name)
and was, at that time, focused mainly on
HVAC, especially duct work and furnaces.
Over time, that has changed and we now
offer a variety of services for a wide range
of companies. The largest percentage of
our business comes from the office furni-
ture industry, including Steelcase,
American Seating, Kimball and others.
Some are here in Grand Rapids, but we
also work with out-of-state customers in
the office furniture industry.
According to their website, Rapid-
line has the capabilities to serve almost
any industry and in our 80 plus year his-
tory, we have provided precision metal
fabrication services for many types of
customers.
In 2004, about 65 percent of their
business was automotive, but that has
shifted over time, and Lindquist says that
is now a very small percentage of their
customer base. Other customers include
general industrial, medical, transportation
and electronics, among others.
Services offered include:
Metal cutting using a variety of
tools including lasers and band saws.
There are machines available that can cut
almost any material including wood or
plastic and, of course, steel and other
metals.
Turret punching, a fast way to
cut basic shapes in sheet material using
various punch shapes.
Sawing capability including
band saws and chop saws for cutting var-
ious types of tube, rod or extrusions.
Many of these are automated and pro-
grammable.
Water jet cutting machines with
a capability to cut many materials includ-
ing metal alloys, glass, plastic, wood and
more. Water jet cutting offers precise,
accurate and versatile results.
Computer Numerical Control
(CNC) shearing most often used in con-
junction with another process.
Engineering services, design
support and prototype development.
Full service tool and die.
Powder coating.
Assembly, packaging and delivery.
They work not only with metals but
can also integrate plastics, wood, fabric,
cork and glass as part of their finished
products.
As contract manufacturers, Rapid-line
works with its customers to provide just
the right product for the customers specifi-
cations and can offer high-tech, high-qual-
ity, dependable solutions, products and
services. Rapid-line prides itself on speed,
innovation and lean manufacturing.
Lindquist says, The machines we
use to manufacture our products are flex-
iblethat is, they can be used for differ-
ent products. We can adapt to a variety of
customer needs. The processes are gener-
ic enough that we can offer both short
lead times and competitive rates.
He continues, We had our share of
struggles during the economic downturn:
it hit us particularly from 2001 to 2003.
However, we got through those years, and
during 2008 and 2009 when so many
other businesses suffered, ours stayed
strong and is continuing to grow.
As mechanization and technology
has advanced, so too have systems with-
in Rapid-line. Computers and robotic,
mechanized equipment is everywhere
throughout the plant, and jobs are con-
stantly monitored to keep track of the
many functions going on at any one time.
Lindquist says, From 12:30 at night
to 4 AM, we run an overnight shift with
no one here. Our machines operate on
their own during that time.
He continues, Mechanization, com-
puter control and, just in general, technol-
ogy is getting better and better and
becoming more a part of manufacturing.
Of course, we still rely on our skilled
employees to understand and use the
machines. The challenge is finding
employees with the right kind of skills for
our industry.
There may be many different kinds
of customers, products and processes fig-
uring into the mix at Rapid-line, but core
values remain the same: dedication to
customers needs, responsiveness to
those for whom we contract, dependabili-
ty and quality. These values have been
the hallmark of Rapid-line since 1926,
and they will not change.
Jane Whittington is a freelance
writer and editor who lives in Grand
Rapids.
Industrial Briefs
Grand Rapids Crystal Flash
announced it acquired Owens
Petroleum, Inc., and Owens Propane
Service, Inc., in Albion. The acquisition
is the seventh in the past two years for
Crystal Flash which now has 16 locations
across Michigan.
Allegan Perrigo, leading pharmaceutical
supplier, announced: Amanda Haas was
hired as Marketing Information Analyst
to analyze and specialize in various
retailers loyalty program data; Jeff Flagg
was hired as Network Engineer for the
Information Technology team; and
Morgan Martens was hired as Marketing
Information Analyst for the Marketing
Information team to work with customer
business managers and forecasting group
to analyze data.
Walker Tubelite, Inc. promoted Tim
Doughty to Southeastern Regional Sales
Manager, and Keith Hocutt was hired as
Client Development Manager.
Grand Rapids Syzygy Biotech, Inc., is
rebranding itself with a new name and
website as Empirical Bioscience, LLC, to
better reflect its mission in serving the
rapidly changing life sciences industry.
Three Ways to Stop Your Job
from Ruining Your Life
Dr. Tasha Eurich
He cant be serious, Jim thought. Jim
been recruited away from a Fortune 500
firm by a fast-growing start-up, and it
was his first day. The president of the
company had just handed him a
BlackBerry and said, Keep this with you
at all times. Really?, Jim thought.
That Saturday morning, one of the
founders sent an e-mail to the senior lead-
ership team. By 5:00 p.m., there were more
than thirty replies. Jim soon learned that at
this company, there was no concept of
detachment from work. He grieved the loss
bitterly, and his friends would mock him
for stepping out of the bar to check e-mail
at 10:00 p.m. while they were out for a few
pints of beer. In a matter of months, Jims
job began to seriously interfere with his
relationship with his wife.
One study found that half of employ-
ees believe their current workload is
unsustainable. As a result, 33 percent of
people start thinking about work the
moment they wake up and 75 percent think
about it until they go to sleep at night.
Luckily, Jims story has a happy end-
ing. Less than a year after being handed
that BlackBerry, he left the company for a
job that allowed him to have a life. But for
many, especially in the cold, dark days of
February, the concept of a real life outside
of work is like a unicornit might exist,
but you havent seen it.
So whether youre spending too much
time at the office or taking your stress out
on your family, allowing your job take over
your life is a slippery slope of misery. More
scientifically, research shows that workers
who experience such conflict are less
healthy, less happy, and more likely to
engage in passive coping behaviors like
overeating, drinking, or drugs.
Want your job to stop ruining your
life? Here are three tips to end the mad-
ness:
Stop Wasting Time at Work
More hours at work dont always
make us more productive. Think about a
typical day in the office. You arrive, fire up
your computer, and answer e-mail. Then
maybe you wander down the hall to the
coffee machine and leisurely pour a cup of
coffee. You run into your friends and dis-
cuss last nights football game. You wan-
der back to your office, start a task, and
get interrupted by a member of your team.
And on it goes. By the time you leave at
7:00 p.m., you might have had only five
to six productive hours. Do you ever won-
der if theres a better way?
We live in a society where the num-
ber of hours we spend at work can be a
barometer for our self-worth. Because I
spend twelve hours per day at work, we
think, I must be important and valuable.
This reasoning is dangerous and illogical.
It is not a crime to do things efficiently; if
you can get the same result in eight hours
versus ten and spend two more hours
with your family, do it!
To get more done in less time, use
the One Less Thing Principle. For every
work activity, ask yourself:
Can this activity be focused so less
time is spent completing it?
Can this activity be delegated to
another person or group?
Can this activity be stopped?
Harness the Power of Power
Breaks
Just like Jim discovered, being teth-
ered to your e-mail 24/7 isnt a good idea.
One study examined the effect of uninter-
rupted work on our ability to focus. The
researchers asked two groups of students
to complete a forty-minute task that
required concentration. One group simply
completed the task. The other group was
asked to stop the task and memorize a set
of numbers at three points wile they com-
pleted it.
The results were striking. Even
though the second group spent less time on
the task, they performed better. Viewing
the numbers served as a power break:
something that let them briefly turn their
attention from the task to something else.
Similarly, power breaks from work
help us perform better. Certainty, its not
easy to take a three-week vacation and
lock your phone in the hotel safe. But at a
minimum, carve out evenings and week-
ends to escape your technology tether.
Perhaps you cant unplug every evening
then aim for three evenings per week. If
you have to work on a Saturday, dont
work on Sunday. Find what works for you.
Get Moving
Theres a great deal of evidence that
exercise reduces stressin particular,
high-intensity workouts have proven
effective in reducing anxiety. And recent
research suggests that exercise actually
decreases work-family conflict. In a study
of 476 workers, Russell Clayton and his
colleagues found that people who exer-
cised regularly had less conflict between
work and home. Why? They argue that
exercise can be a powerful way to psy-
chologically detach from work.
So, it will pay off to keep your New
Years resolution to exercise morenot
only will you look better in your jeans,
youll have a more balanced life!
A proud leadership geek, executive
coach, speaker, and contributor to the
Huffington Post, Dr. Eurich is also the
author of The New York Times bestselling
book, Bankable Leadership: Happy
People, Bottom Line Results, and the
Power to Deliver Both.
General Business
Grand Rapids Kent County Lodging
Association voted its 2014 Executive
Board of Directors: President - Brian
Behler, JW Marriott; Vice President - Nick
Fischioni, Hyatt Hotel; Secretary - Jenifer
Cutter, Courtyard by Mariott Downtown;
Treasurer - Suzanne Nichols, Hyatt Hotel.
Committee chairs, which make up the
extended Board of Directors, include: Nick
Fischioni, Hyatt Hotel - Membership
Committee (Interim); Dan Hunt, SpringHill
Suites North - Events Committee; Renae
Hesselink Nichols - Green Team
Committee; Ryan Slusarzyk, Amway
Hotel Corp - Charity Relations Committee;
Megan Hill, SpringHill Suites North &
Travis Mix, Susan G Komen - Experience
Pink Committee; Mike Donnelley, Amway
Grand Plaza Hotel - Student Relations
Committee; Dianna Stampfler, Promote
Michigan & KCLA - Scholarship
Committee; Emily Simms, Grand Rapids
CVB - WAVE Awards Committee; and Rick
Winn, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel -
Communications/Political Committee.
Grand Rapids Mary Moore joined
Catholic Charities West Michigan as
Director of Quality and Compliance, and
will be responsible for performance qual-
ity improvement activities, accreditation
and service standards, licensure and
overall compliance with federal, state,
insurance and other third-party agencies.
Grand Rapids The Right Place
announced - along with regional part-
ners, statewide hop growers, and a grant
from Michigan Economic Development
Corp. - it established Michigan Hop
Network, a non-profit association dedi-
cated to improving and promoting
Michigans developing hop-growing mar-
ket. Founding members approved the
associations bylaws, and elected board of
directors and officers.
Ottawa County Ottawa County was
awarded a total of $1,306,767 as part of
the Skilled Trades Training Fund initia-
tive, a program designed to enhance and
promote economic growth and sustain-
ability. Leading the state, West Michigan
received 37% of all funding for this ini-
tiative. Twenty-four separate proposals
were approved, and Ottawa County
received funding to train a total of 1,420
participants resulting in 1,318 jobs
retained, 102 immediate jobs created, and
an additional 294 jobs to be created in the
next 6 months.
Lansing Michigan Women's Historical
Center & Hall of Fame is hosting a
reception to celebrate Womens History
Month, Thursday, March 13, 2014, from
5-7 p.m. The 2013 Michigan Womens
Hall of Fame contemporary inductees are:
Elizabeth W. Bauer, Judith Levin
Cantor, Paula D. Cunningham, Dr. Joan
Jackson Johnson, Dr. Gladys Holdeman
McKenney, and Dr. Marina von
Neumann Whitman. The 2013 historical
honorees are: The Con-Con Eleven,
Elizabeth Bessie Eaglesfield (1853-
1940) of Grand Rapids, and Harriet
Quimby (1875-1912) of Arcadia.
Dowagiac Pokagon Band of
Potawatomi Indians announced it made
nearly $44 million in additional contribu-
tions to the economy in 2013. Combined
with $35 million in 2012, the Pokagon
Band has made approximately $79 mil-
lion in additional contributions, which do
not include annual payments made
directly to the State of Michigan as man-
dated by the Bands compact.
Quality Office Furniture,
at a price you can afford!
Bill Feyen
616-554-0200
billfeyen@exceloffice.com
12
Communication & IT
13
Employee Portals Spruce Up and Offer
Maximized Benefits for a Global Eeconomy
By Brian Anderson
Shape Corp. is a global leader in
impact energy management systems that
protect occupants, pedestrians and vehi-
cles. Headquartered in Grand Haven,
Mich., Shape Corp. is a full service suppli-
er providing design, engineering, testing
and manufacturing for plastic and metal
solutions in North America, Europe and
Asia. Shape Corp. is recognized as a pio-
neer in advanced custom roll forming and
injection molding and applies this expert-
ise to energy management systems, in
addition to an array of industries includ-
ing automotive, office furniture, health
care, agriculture and more.
The Challenge
Shape Corp. came to OST looking for
a highly customized employee portal.
SharePoint wasn't solving their communi-
cation goals globally. They had some
unique requirements:
1. They wanted to deliver content
globally in in five different languages.
They wanted the content to be manage-
able at corporate and at each regional site.
2. They wanted a way to publish
news and events while building an
archive of this content. They also wanted
the ability to generate newsletters in both
print and email formats from this content.
3. They have hourly employees who
don't have corporate Active Directory
accounts but every employee needs to be
able to access the intranet content.
4. They were concerned about serv-
ing videos across the globe without over
utilizing their corporate bandwidth and
providing a bad user experience for their
employees.
5. They want to make the site more
social so you could tag / link to people
and allow everyone to have an employee
profile that they could customize.
6. They wanted people to be able to
navigate their corporate directory but this
data was only stored in the ERP system.
Bringing external and internal
together
OST recommend a custom intranet
solution that would become the 'umbrella'
to other intranet systems such as
SharePoint. We recommended a content
management system that supports global
publishing of content and allows multiple
users to be part of the content publishing
process.
OST then integrated with the ERP sys-
tem to allow for a single sign-on process.
We were able to pull content about all
employees to help build the corporate direc-
tory and employee profile pages.
OST recommend and integrated a
secure video hosting service that provided
the ability to load and manage the distribu-
tion of videos. It also brought additional
value because they didn't have to worry
about encoding the video into different for-
mats and the service provides analytics
related to how employees were viewing
their videos.
OST developed a navigable corporate
directory associated with each employee
based on the live data in their ERP sys-
tem. Each employee's page displays their
upline and downline reporting structure
(including dotted line reports). The profile
pages included key employee data and the
ability for each employee to customize
their page.
Business Benefits
They now have the tools in place to
communicate globally in multiple lan-
guages and standardize all of their com-
munication. This not only solved a signif-
icant communication issue, it also added
the ability to discover employees and
make them more visible in the content.
This helps achieve their corporate goals of
creating a family-like culture.
Brian Anderson is an OST
Application Development Business
Development Manager. Anderson current
focus is to grow OST's application devel-
opment team, providing strategic direc-
tion for the practice, serving clients and
building long-term relationships through
successful outcomes.
Communications & IT
Grandville Trivalent Group announced
it completed installation of more than
$75,000 in donated computer hardware,
software and services for three local non-
profit organizations. Catherines Health
Center, Gildas Club Grand Rapids, and
DeGage Ministries were each awarded a
grant from CompassionIT contest.
Grand Rapids Community Media
Center launched a project to empower
under-represented voices and bring
media tools and distribution expertise to
the neighborhood level. The project is
funded for three years by a $310,000
grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
of Battle Creek, and will lead to creation
of up to six Neighborhood Media Hubs
with nonprofit host partners.
Grand Rapids Open Systems
Technologies opened December 1, 2013,
in London, England, and is now an
authorized reseller for HP, Cisco and Dell
products throughout the UK.
Grand Rapids C/D/H announced addi-
tion of Susan Cotts as Partner, the first
female partner, and the sixth person to be
named partner in the history of the 23-
year-old technology consulting firm.
Grand Rapids Former members only sci-
ence organization Geek Group
announced their Leonard Street Labs
facility is now open to the public.
Grand Rapids Lambert, Edwards &
Associates announced additions of
Megan Susterich and Valerie Pesonen as
Associates to assist accounts across the
firms practice groups.
Grand Rapids C/D/H announced Amy
Moore was promoted from Consultant to
Director of Client Service: Applications.
Grand Rapids Open Systems
Technologies announced promotion of
Meredith Bronk, Chief Operating Officer,
to President, effective April 1, 2014. Dan
Behm, current President and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), will remain with
as the companys CEO.
Grand Rapids Shoreline Power
Services, Inc. welcomed Andy Hawley
with extensive experience in the data
communications field.
Muskegon NeXt I.T. received Managed
Service Provider Pioneer 250 award, an
award recognizing top technology
providers and consultants in North
America.
Grand Rapids Modustri announced the
beta launch of its new mobile technology
platform, the Modustri HDE Suite,
designed for inspectors, sales reps, and
fleet managers.
14
Boating is BIG Business in the U.S. and in Michigan
Grand Rapids For nearly 70 years,
the Grand Rapids Boat Show has helped
launch the annual boating season in
Michigan bringing dozens of dealers
together under one roof to showcase their
latest products, accessories and services
catering to the states active water-loving
lifestyle. This years 69th Annual event,
February 19-23, welcomes nearly 30
regional dealers with more than 300 boats
including cruisers, runabouts, trawlers,
Catamarans, fishing boats, ski boats,
pontoons and kayaks.
According to the National Marine
Manufacturers Association (NMMA), the
U.S. recreational boating industry contin-
ues to see the tide rise for new power boat
sales, with a 5 percent increase in 2013.
That increase comes on the heels of the
industrys 2012 rebound which saw an
increase of 10.1 percent.
Michigan continues to make record
strides in industry growth, maintaining a
ranking of third in the U.S. when it comes
to new marine expenditures (new boats,
engines, trailers and marine accessories).
The latest NMMA numbers for Michigan
show $646 million in 2012 a 42%
increase over 2011. In 2011, those num-
bers were over $454 million a 29.5%
increase over 2010. Numbers for 2013
will be released in May, but are expected
to show a continued upward trend.
On a national scale, retail boating is
a $35 billion industry, creating 338,526
marine industry jobs (manufacturers,
dealers, wholesalers, service providers)
and 34,833 marine industry jobs.
Here in Michigan, there are approxi-
mately 1,404 boating businesses employ-
ing more than 16,600 individuals.
Michigan is also home to nearly 30 boat
builders names such as Manitou, Four
Winns and Tiara which have built and
maintained the states rich maritime his-
tory. What these economic and employ-
ment numbers dont include the support-
ing jobs in finance and insurance which
allows individuals to purchase and protect
their boating investments.
Then, there are those jobs that pro-
vide accessories and services such as
dock builders, lift providers, gas stations,
park operators and such. When you look
at the big picture, the businesses that are
tied to the boating lifestyle and the
states overall Pure Michigan recreational
tourism industry.
Of the 232.3 million adults in the
U.S. in 2012, NMMA reports that 37.8
percent (88 million) participated in recre-
ational boating at least once during the
year thats a 6 percent increase over
2011 and the largest number of U.S.
adults participating in boating since the
association began collecting data in 1990.
The Michigan Secretary of State
reports that as of January, 2014, Michigan
has 902,519 registered watercraft in
Michigan, ranking the state #3 nationally.
Whats more, Michigan isnt a 12-month
boating state so the national rating is
even more impressive.
Traditionally between 30-50% boat
sales happen or start at major boat shows
such as this, says Henri Boucher,
Producer of the Grand Rapids Boat Show
the largest and longest-running boat
show in Michigan. We recognize that
this show is a driving force on multiple
levels for Michigans boating industry,
contributing to the states overall econom-
ic climate while also embracing our love
of the outdoor lifestyle.
The NMMA expect that in 2014,
boating sales will continue to grow anoth-
er 5 to 7 percent. If economic growth per-
sists and the recreational boating industry
continues gaining participants, NMMA
anticipates sustained growth into 2015
and 2016. Thats all good news for those
in Michigan who rely on the active boat-
ing lifestyle focused on the Great Lakes,
more than 11,000 inland lakes and miles
and miles of rivers and streams.
Impacts of Climate Change on
Michigans Tourism Iindustry
Thompsonville - Local experts and a
business owner hosted a press conference
highlighting the impacts of climate change
on Michigans tourism industry. According
to scientists, climate change could give
Michigans winters the feel of southern
Ohio in the coming century. This would
mean major changes to our tourism indus-
try, which generated $18 billion in 2012.
Looking at the trends, the natural
snowfall we saw early this season is the
exception rather than the rule, which is
why we have invested so heavily in snow-
making infrastructure, said Jim MacInnes,
president and CEO of Crystal Mountain
Resort. The ski industry has been quite
progressive in addressing the effect climate
change has on the sustainability of our
business. Serving as good stewards of the
environment is part of our culture at
Crystal Mountain but is also a critical com-
ponent of our business philosophy as a
travel destination. After all, Michigan's
natural resources and beautiful landscape
represent our most valuable assets.
Crystal Mountain has long been com-
mitted to reducing its carbon footprint. It
was the first Michigan resort to purchase
wind energy credits to offset power used
by the high-speed Crystal Clipper chairlift.
In 2008, the resort completed construction
on the first LEED-certified spa in the
Midwest and one of just a handful in the
United States at the time. The resort has
also changed out hundreds of incandes-
cent light bulbs to low wattage LEDs, sav-
ing significant amounts of energy and
money.
Our outdoor tourism industry is the
backbone of our recreational tourism
economy, said Brenda Archambo of the
National Wildlife Federation. Climate
change threatens our winter and summer
sports, our fishing and hunting indus-
tries, and our Great Lakes way of life.
President Obamas Climate Action Plan
will protect our air, land and water, pre-
serving our states natural beauty, out-
door heritage and tourism industry.
Last year, President Obama
announced his Climate Action Plan. It
includes the first-ever limits on danger-
ous carbon pollution from power plants,
the leading cause of climate change and
extreme weather events.
Our Great Lakes are a part of our cul-
ture and protecting them from dangerous
pollution is vital, said Eric Keller of Clean
Water Action. Our Great Lakes provide
jobs for more than 823,000 people and fuel
Michigans tourism industry, which gener-
ated $18 billion in 2012. President
Obamas Climate Action Plan will protect
our Great Lakes, rivers and streams and
ensure future generations can enjoy our
Pure Michigan way of life.
General Business
Dowagiac Pokagon Band Citizens
elected John P. Warren, former Council
Treasurer, as the new Tribal Council
Chairman following retirement of the past
Chairman in October 2013.
Dowagiac Pokagon Band Citizens
elected John P. Warren, previous Council
Treasurer, as new Tribal Council Chairman
in a special election following retirement
of the past Chairman.
Grand Rapids For the eighth consecutive
year, Gazelle Sports, fitness retail compa-
ny with locations in Grand Rapids,
Kalamazoo and Holland, was named to the
50 Best Running Stores in America list.
Grand Rapids Boys & Girls Clubs of
Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth
and Grand Rapids Public Schools part-
nered with Dean Transportation to pro-
vide bussing to current Club members
and additional students who are interest-
ed in attending Clubs from the following
schools: Stocking Elementary (to Steil
Club), Dickinson Elementary (to Seidman
Club), and MLK Leadership Academy (to
Paul I. Phillips Club).
Grand Rapids MyWay Mobile Storage
celebrated expansion of their corporate
offices located at 3696 Northridge Ave
NW, Suite 20.
Grand Rapids West Michigan Center
for Arts and Technology will honor John
Kennedy, Rick DeVos, and Teresa
Weatherall Neal at the 3rd Annual iBall
Gala presented by Steelcase, Inc.
15
Education Briefs
Grand Rapids Marketing and communica-
tions representatives from 28 community
colleges in Michigan, including Grand
Rapids Community College, announced a
new statewide organization this week -
Michigan Community College Marketing
and Communications Association.
Grand Rapids Cooley Law Schools
Grand Rapids campus initiated 15 facul-
ty members into Thomas M. Cooley Legal
Authors Society: Julianne Claydon,
Sherry L. Batzer, Curt Benson, Tracey
Brame, Michael J. Dunn, Heather
Garretson, Marjorie Gell, Chris
Hastings, Tonya Krause-Phelan, Paul
Marineau, Michael Molitor, Devin
Schindler, Jane Siegel, Paul Sorenson,
and Victoria V. Vuletich. To be admitted
to the Legal Authors Society, a Cooley fac-
ulty member, adjunct professor or librari-
an must publish at least one article cur-
rently indexed in one of a number of U.S.
indices for legal publications.
Kalamazoo Western Michigan
University Center for Integrated
Supply Management program was rec-
ognized nationally by several organiza-
tions and publications, and was ranked
no. 12 for its leadership in preparing stu-
dents for careers in supply chain manage-
ment. In conjunction with WMUs Center,
a new initiative - Bronco Force - will offer
consulting services to corporate clients to
address difficulties supply chain man-
agers face and determine best methods to
solve those problems in the workplace.
Grand Rapids Grand Valley State
University will open a surplus store
located at 140 Front St., with free parking
in Watson and Front Street parking lots,
for university inventory thats no longer
in use. The surplus store will have its
grand opening Saturday, February 8,
2014, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Future hours
of operation will be announced at a later
date.
Grand Rapids Cindy Van Gelderen,
Associate Professor of Accounting and
Chair of Accounting Department at Grand
Valley State University, was awarded
Michigan Campus Compact Faculty
Community Service-Learning Award.
Big Rapids Ferris State Universitys
College of Pharmacy was awarded a
grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Michigan Foundation in the amount of
$18,920 over a period of 12 months, for
research of a patient-centered approach to
improving health care service delivery.
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids
Community College and Grand Valley
State University signed an articulation
agreement giving students a seamless
transfer to GVSUs rapidly growing clini-
cal exercise science program.
Grand Rapids William Crawley formal-
ly assumed role of Interim Executive
Director of Grand Valley State
Universitys Dorothy A. Johnson
Center for Philanthropy after serving an
acting role for the past six months follow-
ing medical leave for Executive Director
James Edwards.
Grand Rapids National Council of
Instructional Administrators, a profes-
sional organization affiliated with
American Association of Community
Colleges, awarded Grand Rapids
Community College an honorable men-
tion in its 2103 Exemplary Initiatives
competition for its intervention program
to help students get back on track after
academic probation - one of only two
awards given by the council.
Grand Rapids Cindy VanGelderen,
Aquinas College Associate Professor of
Accounting and Chair of Accounting
Department, was awarded Michigan
Campus Compact Faculty Community
Service-Learning Award.
Grand Rapids Ferris State University
Kendall College of Art and Design
announced Isaac Daniels - senior Graphic
Design major who won top honors among
American university students in graphic
design - a recipient of 2013-2014 Friends
of the Michigan State Fair Endowed
Scholarship Award for $5,000.
Big Rapids Ferris State University
Board of Trustees approved $1.6 million
in funding for 2014-15 housing improve-
ments to residence halls and West
Campus Apartments. The upgrades will
include floor covering; lighting; painting;
residence hall lobby/front desk upgrades;
improved wireless internet service; and
West Campus Apartments upgrades will
include selected replacements of appli-
ances, doors and furnaces.
Kalamazoo Western Michigan
University's Food and Consumer
Package Goods Marketing Program
earned certification for its category man-
agement coursework from the national
Category Management Association, one
of only two university programs in the
nation to achieve curriculum certification.
Grand Rapids Grand Valley State
University reported a record endowment
of $98.5 million with the majority of the
fund dedicated to scholarships and aca-
demic programming. The universitys 10-
year return is in the top 10% of the 835
colleges and universities participating in
the National Association of Colleges and
Universities Business Officers Survey,
and an A+ rating from Standard and
Poors.
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids
Community College joined four other
state community colleges to offer transfer
opportunities to students in automotive
technology programs with no loss of cred-
its or repetition of course work as they
pursue their certifications and degrees.
Grand Rapids Calvin College
announced Cheryl Brandsen, Dean of
Social Sciences and Contextual
Disciplines, as the colleges next Provost,
beginning her tenure July 1, 2014, pend-
ing ratification by Calvin College Board of
Trustees.
Finance/Insurance/Banking
Holland Thomas DeWitt, Assistant Vice
President of Macatawa Bank Wealth
Management, earned Qualified Plan
Financial Consultant credential from
American Society of Pension
Professionals and Actuaries, which recog-
nizes consultants proficiency in retire-
ment planning, administration, and regu-
latory compliance.
Caledonia Acrisure Benefits Group, a
division of Acrisure, LLC, announced
addition of Sara Ortiz as Account
Manager on their Advisory Team, with
primary focus on servicing employer
groups with 50 or less employees.
Grand Rapids Grand River Bank
announced: promotion of Rod Weersing
to AVP Business Development; and, addi-
tion of Emily McEldowney as Retail
Banking Specialist: Carly Sholund as
Customer Service Representative; and,
Mary Turowski-Fix as AVP Bank
Systems Manager.
Grand Rapids Laina Mills was promot-
ed to Vice President and Senior
Investment Manager of Legacy Trust.
Grand Rapids Laurie Beard, President
and CEO of Founders Bank & Trust,
announced Steve Frendt joined as
Mortgage Originator.
Grand Rapids Meijer Credit Union,
announced hiring Shelley Belanger as
Rockford Branch Manager, and promo-
tions of David Eyke to Vice President of
Commercial and Consumer Lending, and
Lisa Posthumus to Vice President of
Member Services and Retail Operations.
Grand Rapids Investment group Grand
Angels announced its latest funding
commitments: Ablative Solutions spe-
cializes in endovascular catheters for a
safe alternative to surgical renal denerva-
tion for treatment of hypertension and
other diseases caused by an overactive
sympathetic nervous system; Grand
River Aseptic Manufacturing - special-
izes in pre-clinical, Phase 1 and 2 clinical
trials, and small to medium scale com-
mercial production quantities; Local
Orbit - provides designed sales and busi-
ness management software for entrepre-
neurs who are building the New Food
Economy; ProNAi Therapeutics - a can-
cer biotech company leveraging its novel
and proprietary DNAi drug technology
platform to advance a new class of drugs;
and Vestaron Corporation - developing a
new generation of insecticides using nat-
ural peptides from spiders.
Grand Rapids Northpointe Bank
announced hiring Kathy Shaw as
Regional Vice President/Loan Officer.
Curbside Trash & Waste Services:
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