Rapid Growth

Betting the Urban Pharm

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Why are these guys smiling? Because their gamble that nice guys can finish first in property management seems to be paying off handsomely in metro Grand Rapids.

Living as a Work of Art

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Artists Rick Beerhorst and his wife Brenda try to live life the same way they create art -- strip it to its bare essentials and enjoy it to the fullest. Learn about life in the Family Beerhorst.

Michigan's Green Is Golden - G-Sync

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Summer is a great time for West Michigan to dream up new areas to promote greener practices. As we move beyond green buildings, Tommy wonders if there are other areas we should be exploring to expand our street cred with the world.

Your Guide to the New Economy

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Noticed something a little different about your Rapid Growth today? OK, a lot different. Following our beta test last week, we've gone through our first redesign in three years to offer you a fresh package of features and info that promises to rock your world.

Web Design with an Open Throttle

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Motocross and web design are as tightly linked for Danny Beckett, Jr. as the throttle that controls the engine on his Yamaha YZ250: Crank one hard and the other will scream. For Beckett, it's about riding up on the wall when you reach it, rather than turning back.

Local Markets and Global Flavor

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Smaller, specialized shops are sprouting up around metro Grand Rapids to cater to the tastes of immigrants who have made their homes here, selling foodstuffs as varied as live crawdads to bulghur. The winners: area cooks who want to experiment with new cuisines.

Holiday for Rapid Growth: We'll Be Back July 9

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You won't be seeing a Rapid Growth issue in your e-mail box July 2, but don't flip out, people. It's just that time of year when we kick back for a week's vacation, break out the tanning butter and beach towels, and recharge our batteries. So hold on tight, Rapid Growth will be back at you July 9 with another must-read issue.

Serving Those In Need - G-Sync

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As we exit Beta for a second week, G-Sync's Lifestyle Editor not only discovers all the fun happening in West Michigan but Tommy uncovers an amazing event for a musician in need. Buckle Up, Summer is in high gear!

A Night of Noshing

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Pack 300 designers and artistic types into a building for three hours, and the result is nothing short of Nosh Night, a cross-pollination of the artistic disciplines that creates a sum greater than its parts.

Health and Hope

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With little fanfare, an organization in the Burton Heights neighborhood is making a huge difference in the lives of ordinary people who are grateful for the help and want to pass it along

G-Sync - Better Than Beta

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It is time to take down the "beta" status and go "live" with the all new G-Sync. After months of testing, we think you will like our new look. Yes, the writing will still be penned by our Lifestyle Editor and arts cheerleader, Tommy Allen, but now it will be even better...and calorie-free!

RGTV -- The Fulton Group

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:31:36 GMT

When Josh Smith visits homes with boarded up windows and bad plumbing, he envisions opportunities to reclaim neighborhoods and improve substandard housing -- all the while making a profit. A partner in The Fulton Group, Smith says his company has achieved a 100 percent occupancy rate of its properties near downtown Grand Rapids by turning foreclosed home into the most expensive properties on the block. He talks with Rapid Growth videographer Andy Dragt about "breathing the next 100 years of life" into homes that only need some tender loving care and elbow grease.

Spontaneous Productions

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A very strange thing happened at the Eighth Street Marketplace in Holland on Saturday when about 50 people all simultaneously froze in their tracks for several minutes -- Something Was Taking Place. Become part of the creativity cult tonight at the Park Theatre...

Onward to NeoCon

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Designers, photographers and writers in metro Grand Rapids have a love-hate relationship with NeoCon -- the BIG show for office furniture manufacturers in North America. When NeoCon opens Monday, area creatives can finally breathe after weeks of tight deadlines and hope their work resonates with the crowds...

RGTV: Atomic Object

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Atomic Object in Grand Rapids typifies many things that can go right with a company -- knowledge workers who are applying agile business practices in a 21st century economy of few boundaries. Carl Erickson talks about his search for the holy grail of exporting services from Michigan to the rest of the country, and what that can mean for the local community...

Working Women's Career Closet offers clothes, advice to low-income women seeking employment

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As more and more women seek jobs, one Grand Rapids organization has a waiting list for its free clothing and wardrobe advice for job interviews. Low-income women can put together an entire clothing package including shoes and accessories, no matter what type of job they're going for

Holland logistics company named one of top 100 supply chain providers for seventh year

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A national trade magazine has recognized LeanLogistics, Inc. as a leading supply chain provider that's helping its customers respond to the economic downturn and position themselves for growth.

Forbes rates Pure Michigan travel/tourism campaign in top 10 worldwide

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

2009 is the first year Michigan went nationwide with it's Pure Michigan travel and tourism campaign, and while it remains to be seen if it's paid off economically, Forbes says the campaign is a class act.

Millions in funding coming to Michigan for broadband expansion initiative

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A federal initiative involving billions of dollars for expansion of broadband services to unserved and underserved areas will bring million of those dollars to Michigan.

National expert on talent attraction, retention says ArtPrize redefines community engagement

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A Chicago-based expert on attracting and retaining young talent believes that the recently announced ArtPrize could a dynamic mechanism for drawing that talent to Grand Rapids.

Artists' street market transforms South Division into Avenue for the Arts

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A monthly artists street market has ramped up the transformation of the seedy side of Grand Rapids' South Division into a desirable marketplace for the arts.

U-M prof says Michigan's film industry is "stemming brain drain," state could be Midwest's film HQ

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A University of Michigan professor and Hollywood screenwriter says this year is the first year his screenwriting students have stayed in the state after graduation, and credits the state's burgeoning film industry.

Mortgage companies, bankers willing to work with West Michigan homeowners to avert foreclosure

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

West Michigan homeowners facing foreclosure in this economic crisis have reason for hope as a new federal law takes hold this week.

Holland Township company expects to boost employment by serving liquid transport industry

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A Holland Township manufacturer may add up to 270 jobs after its recent diversification to produce innovative shipping containers for a Texas company.

Comstock Park manufacturer seizes aerospace opportunity

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:44:33 GMT

A Comstock Park automotive manufacturer has jumped through all the hoops â qualifying for certifications, training grants, analysis and more â to diversify into aerospace production.

New Spring Lake gallery features local artists, classes

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A noted Detroit artist was drawn to the West Michigan lakeshore where she has fulfilled a dream of opening of a gallery.

Integrated Fabric Resource to add $3.75M of plant improvements, lands $2.1M state tax credits

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A Holland manufacturer has nearly $4 million in upgrades planned that could create 270 new jobs.

Homeowners can now monitor door locks, lights, adjust thermostat through cell phone

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A Holland tech company's cell phone technology enables users to monitor homes and businesses remotely through their cell phone.

GVSU School of Engineering, Westown Jubilee Housing win top honors for energy efficiency homes

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A collaborative project to provide energy efficient housing to low-income homeowners in Grand Rapids garnered a top state award for the collaboration method and outcomes.

Nonprofits enlist student designers to solve manufacturing, marketing problems with design

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The crux of all design is problem solving, and connecting design students with a nonprofit with an economic development bottleneck was the focus of a recent immersion project.

Federal stimulus grant drives $30M cleanup of Muskegon Lake, spurs 125 construction, engineer jobs

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of the largest contributors to the Great Lakes coastal wetlands ecosystem will soon undergo a $30 million environmental cleanup, thanks to help from a $10 million federal stimulus grant.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the grant to the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) to restore some 10,000 feet of "hardened" shoreline containing broken concrete, sheet metal, sawdust and slag from industrial sites. The project includes the removal of over 180,000 metric tons of degraded lake bottom sediment that has impaired aquatic and plant life.

About $20 million for the project comes from additional funding and in-kind support from local organizations.

The GLC has partnered with the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission on the project. Initial estimates indicate the rehabilitation will create 125 jobs, mostly construction and engineering related, and will stimulate tourism and water recreation. Last year, sport fishing alone generated $1.2 million for the local economy; project leaders expect that amount to increase after the restoration.

GVSU's Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) will monitor the results of the rehabilitation to determine the project's success.

"Dr. Carl Reutz will monitor the fish populations," AWRI Director Al Steinman says. "My lab will be looking at the aquatic macrophytes â at what comes back, the numbers, the densities restored. We'll collaborate with Dr. Paul Isley at the SBTDC to look at indicators of the social and economic success of the restoration."

The socio-economic monitoring includes an analysis of Muskegon Lake property values, a survey to determine how much money people spend to get to the lake and while at the lake, and a valuation survey of the lake's users and non-users to estimate how much money they would be willing to pay to use the lake before restoration and after restoration.

The project runs between September 2009 and December 2010.

Source: Al Steinman, Annis Water Resources Institute; Kathy Evans, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Cascade Engineering expands line of recycled plastic products with Florida company

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Finding new channels to sell existing products is just one goal of a new partnership between Cascade Engineering and Boca Raton, Florida-based NextLife, a leading sustainability innovator.

The two companies plan to develop and commercialize a number of sustainable plastic products using NextLife's post-consumer resin made from recycled clothes hangers, plastic bags and stretch wrap.

The first product is a rebranding of Cascade Engineering's EcoCart, launched about five years ago and sold wholesale to the solid waste hauling industry. The two-wheeled residential trash and recycling container has been redesigned for the consumer retail market with 36-, 72- and 96-gallon sizes in three colors, all made with 30 to 50 percent (depending on the color) NextLife-certified recycled resin. Cascade Engineering sustainably manufactures the carts following NextLife's strict guidelines for "green" products based on the product's life-cycle assessment.

"We're looking at products we and our suppliers are already making, so NextLife can put its certification on them and put them on the retail market," says Mike Lewis, Cascade's director of business development. "The push is closed loop products: NextLife takes back, for instance, post-consumer plastics bought at Walmart, sells the resin to Cascade, and we'll make it into products we'll see at Walmart. We're looking hard at a rain barrel as our next product. That's very close to a done deal."

NextLife works with other companies in the supply chain to obtain sustainable packaging and labeling for the products.

"Both companies are very passionate about sustainability," Lewis says. "We're strong in design, engineering and manufacturing and they're strong in retail and marketing. This is a good opportunity for Cascade to enter the retail market."

Source: Mike Lewis, Cascade Engineering; Amanda Passage, Lambert, Edwards & Associates

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Holland manufacturer finds niche tooling giant components; diversification keeps business alive

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

About 70 percent of Christensen Fiberglass Tooling's (CFT) business was making tooling for the marine industry four years ago, and the company filled its last boat order in November last year. Employee numbers plummeted from 32 to nine, but the firm stayed afloat because in 2005 company leaders had begun to diversify into the RV industry and to create composite structures for industrial and architectural applications.

Bill Christensen, owner of the Holland-based company, saw the company's future lay in becoming one of about eight plants in the U.S. to create tooling for gigantic parts. In 2007, CFT invested over $2 million in equipment, including a 44,000-pound Auto-Motion Titan SX60 5-Axis Gantry Mill, and in the training required for Christensen's son, Jeff, to program and operate it.

The mill's capacity to create masters for enormous components launched CFT into the aerospace industry and the military market â the market Bill Christensen calls "the elitest of the elite."

"Our market is for big parts, low volume," he says. "If the military wants a cockpit mold, we machine them a cockpit exactly the shape that they want with the materials we have in-house, ship it to them and they cast a master mold out of it. We've done wings 45 feet long and 14 feet wide at the widest point, and maintained accuracy of 30-thousandths of an inch tolerance from one end to the other; that's about the thickness of three sheets of paper.

One exciting outcome of having the Titan mill was CFT's selection as the creator of the masters for the shell of MIT's 2009 Solar Electric Vehicle, Eleanor.

"A couple of wind turbine manufacturers scheduled a couple of visits here," Christensen says. "It's a matter of getting them in so they can see that we can build what we say we can build."

Source: Bill Christensen, Christensen Fiberglass Tooling; Randy Vant Hul, Balanced Enterprise Solutions, LLC

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Fleetwood Group awarded wireless technology patent, designs apps for homeland security, wind energy

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Holland-based Fleetwood Group recently received its 11th patent for its innovations in radio frequency (RF) wireless technology, and that technology is the catalyst to launch the company into the healthcare, homeland security and wind energy fields.

The technology allows a handheld device to communicate with a base station via radio frequency, for example, when electronic voting takes place at a conference or seminar. Fleetwood's patented RF technology avoids interference caused by cell phones, pagers, wireless Internet access and other devices by automatically hopping from frequency to frequency for clearer reception.

"We design, develop, manufacture, package and ship a little over one million RF devices a year," says Don Beery, director of new business development. "We work with some OEM customers in the educational/interactive learning industry and we private label."

Fleetwood aims to enter the healthcare, homeland security and wind energy fields, in that order, with advanced products geared to solve problems within the industries.

Each RF keypad has a unique serial number assigned to, say, a college student. It detects when the student enters and leaves a classroom.

Beery says the company is close to signing a contract with an OEM to produce a similar tracking device for patients, staff and equipment in healthcare settings.

"For homeland security," he adds, "we have a mobile handheld device for checking I.D. â security guards can use it to tap into computer system to check authorizations, etcetera."

The product launches this fall in the interactive learning/corporate meetings industry.

Beery proposes that adding the technology to the converter boxes of wind turbines equips them for remote monitoring through a worker's cell phone or computer.

Source: Don Beery, Fleetwood Group

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Blue Strategies Group formed to help companies assess opportunities in energy and new markets

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Three local entrepreneurs have joined forces to form the Blue Strategies Group, a consulting firm that intends to help companies with assessing opportunities in energy management, innovation and market diversification.

Bob Johnston, a consultant with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center-West, Kathleen Hoyle, who helped launch InnovationWorks, and Bill Adams, an energy consultant with FlowServe, launched Blue Strategies Group in Holland and Kalamazoo to help businesses innovate and diversify.

Helping companies move into the energy market is one of the group's specialties.

"There are tremendous opportunities in energy," Johnston says. "We think the first thing for companies to look at is how they're managing their energy."

They also help clients learn where their company might fit in the energy market.

"We taught one client who makes materials handling devices how to find out what companies are in the energy industry and which ones might need materials handling devices," Johnston says. "It may not be an energy product, per se, but we know that energy is a growing field and that it's going to keep growing."

The group, the driving force behind last month's Energy Summit 09, conducts a variety of workshops on innovation and market diversification. They also teach the subjects at Grand Rapids Community College.

"One thing we do is help companies understand what their customers are buying," Johnston says. "A drill bit manufacturer is selling a hole, not a drill bit. The customer doesn't need the drill bit, they need a hole.

"When you're talking about diversification, you're talking about changing your company," he adds. "You have to take it a bite at a time, you have to understand customer needs, how to organize your company to meet the needs, and then you have to get customers."

Source: Bob Johnston, Blue Strategies Group

Related Articles
Noted Washington energy efficiency expert to deliver hopeful message to West Michigan manufacturers

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Energetx Composites investing $37 million in wind energy industry

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Energetx Composites is investing $37 million to ramp up its production of utility-scale wind turbine blades and other wind energy industry composite parts.

The Holland-based companyâs investment will create a projected 1,068 jobs over the next five years. Energetx Composites will hire individuals with manufacturing and engineering experience.

âWe will start really ramping up over the next six to nine months,â says Energetx Composites Principal David Slikkers. âThe first thing we need to do is build the tooling necessary for the project.â

Initially, Energetx Composites will not need to expand physically. Slikkers says Energetx Composites will use 20 percent of its existing facility during the startup phase. If all goes well, Energetx Composites could be looking at a future expansion.

Energetx Composites received a state tax credit valued at $27.3 million for the project.

Source: Chelsea Nimiac, DP Company; David Slikkers, Energetx Composites

dp-company.com/
Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Noted Washington energy efficiency expert to deliver hopeful message to West Michigan manufacturers

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When manufacturers commit to running energy efficient operations, the direct result is often increased productivity and increased profitability. And the time to make the investment is now.

So says Dr. Neal Elliot of the Washington D.C.-based American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Dr. Elliott brings his expertise to West Michigan manufacturers at today's ENERGY SUMMIT 09 at Grand Valley State University's Eberhard Center.

The world is entering a period of resource constraint where resources will no longer be cheap and abundant, says Dr. Elliott. And he expects the federal government to mandate carbon constraints in the future.

"The only option to control the economic damage from high energy prices is to reduce consumption," he says. "Market studies show energy consumption reduction lowers energy prices so all consumers benefit. For manufacturing, the current price uncertainty makes it difficult to plan, and uncertainty discourages investments. We need predictability in the marketplace."

The way Dr. Elliott sees it, West Michigan's manufacturing skills positions the region for investment in energy efficiency. It will take new equipment, worker training and the capacity to produce products for a variety of industries.

"An individual firm can make a difference because investment in energy efficiency is highly cost effective," he says. "Economy-wide, we could easily achieve 30 percent reduction in consumption, and if we go out and look at doing things in a really smart way that could be 50 and 60 percent reductions with what's available today.

"When the economy turns around, manufacturers will not be ready if they don't invest in energy efficiencies today," he adds. "We will see energy prices go through the roof again. If we reinvest in manufacturing, we will be reinventing the quality manufacturing that is the backbone of places like Michigan."

Source: Dr. Neal Elliott, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy; Blue Strategies Group

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Consumers Energy to present preliminary plans for energy efficiency rebates, incentives

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Consumers Energy will present preliminary plans today for a new six-year program to reward customers for reducing electricity consumption at their homes and businesses. The program, Consumers Energy Savings Solutions, will be one of several discussion topics at Energy Summit 09 at Grand Valley State University's Eberhard Center.

Governor Granholm signed a comprehensive energy reform package last October. One of the public policy decisions mandated that Consumers Energy and other energy suppliers would work with customers to reduce electricity consumption 5.5 percent and natural gas consumption by 3.85 percent by 2015, says Jeff Holyfield, Consumers Energy spokesperson.

"We are providing incentives for customers to put in high efficiency furnaces and air conditioning, compact fluorescent light bulbs and we're offering rebate to businesses that install efficient lighting or energy efficient equipment," he says.

Consumers Energy will work through major retailers to offer rebates and price cuts on a variety of energy saving products, including Energy Star rated appliances. The company plans to offer customers a bounty on refrigerators manufactured before 1993, and will provide free pick up and disposal.

The program will be finalized by the end of July. Holyfield says Consumers plans to spend some $500 million on the incentives. A monthly surcharge, about $1.75 for a typical customer, covers the program costs.

"The idea is that if the customers participate in the program they'll save a lot more than the surcharge after [factoring in] the incentive and the long term energy savings," Holyfield says. "The first go-around is going to be all on incentives, but especially on lighting. Energy efficient lighting is the quickest way to move the needle."

Source: Jeff Holyfield, Consumers Energy; Blue Strategies Group

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Grassroots clean energy advisory group connects solar, wind leaders with citizens seeking solutions

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A Whitehall-based clean energy organization thought they might have 25 people at their first community meeting where they planned to present information on residential wind turbines.

When they opened the door, there were 150 people waiting to get in to talk with representatives from Cascade Engineering/Swift Rooftop Wind Energy Systems, EarthTronics/WindTronics and Bauer Power about residential wind generation.
The group, White Lake Innovative Natural Development Solutions (WINDS), began when Joyce Brownell, a retired Ferris State University teacher, wanted to attract an alternative energy company to share office space with her business, Quiet Times Massage, 215 Mears.

Soon, a dozen people were involved and the goal had changed.

"Our goal is to bring information to people who are interested in finding a more economic way to deal with their energy costs," Brownell says. "We want to help harness the information on solar and wind, and find natural solutions to energy issues."

WINDS is tossing around the idea of securing nonprofit status and obtaining grants to help local businesses offset the costs of converting to clean energy.
The group also hopes to become a resource for people looking for jobs and training in the alternative energy industry.

"One of our original concerns was to find work for people who could be installers of wind turbines or could build them," Brownell says. "We think the name of the future is the natural harnessing of wind and sun. We need to create new jobs for this new world of ours."

On June 25, WINDS plans an open forum to discuss solar power. Speakers include John Sarver of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, and Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes, LLC. The meeting starts at 7:15 at White Lake Congregational Church, Whitehall.

Source: Joyce Brownell, White Lake Innovative Natural Development Solutions
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

$84.4 million Farmers Group investment creates 1,600 jobs in Caledonia Township

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Farmers Group is investing $84.4 million to expand its Caledonia Township facilities and create 1,600 new jobs.
The investment includes the construction of a 175,000-square-foot print and distribution center and the construction of a 100,000-square-foot call center and training facility.
The training facility is an expansion of the University of Farmers Grand Rapids and will provide training for an estimated 5,000 employees and company agents a year.
âThis will provide a cross section of jobs,â says Michael Bigelow, vice president of Business Integration for Farmers Group. Farmers Group is an insurance management services provider.
The company will add professional as well as clerical jobs to its 1,800 person staff. The firm will create the 1,600 new jobs over the next five years.
Bigelow says expanding an existing site is less expensive than moving operations out-of-state, but says the stateâs workforce also weighed on the companyâs decision to stay in Michigan.
âThe work ethic of people in Western Michigan is outstanding,â he says.
Farmers Group received a state tax credit valued at $62.5 million for the expansion as well as an employee training grant valued at $335,000.
Both facilities will be completed by the spring of 2011.
Source: Chelsea Nimiac, DP Company

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Engineering tech college at Ferris State leads nation in enrollment

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With more than 2,100 students during its '07-'08 school year, Ferris State University's College of Engineering Technology has more full- and part-time students working toward engineering technology bachelor's degrees than any other college in the country. The American Society for Engineering Education recently released the findings in Profiles of Engineering and Engineering Technology Colleges.

Engineering technology students learn how to build the systems â electronics, robotics, architectural and others â designed by engineers, and how to make those systems work. That knowledge, says Associate Dean Ron McKean, puts graduates on the forefront of reinventing Michigan's manufacturing industry.

"Michigan has a long legacy in manufacturing and producing goods, and we're looking at graduates like ours to be able to transfer Michigan's economy from automotive to alternative energy and medical devices," McKean says. "That comes down to Michigan doing what we've always done well â building things other people want to buy. And that's a value added to the state."

FSU's Grand Rapids campus, which had some 130 engineering technology students last year, offers bachelor's degrees in manufacturing engineering technology, quality engineering technology, product design engineering technology and construction management engineering technology. The Big Rapids campus offers 18 bachelor degrees and 16 associate degrees in programs ranging from welding to architecture.

"Typically, nearly all of our graduates in nearly all of our degree areas find employment within their field," McKean says. "That's been one of the really fantastic things about the types of degrees we offer â we place graduates throughout the state and nation.

"We try to market what engineering technology is to females," he adds, "because the job options are so good; there are few females [in the industry] and it pays very well. Once you have the knowledge it makes you very special in the field."

Source: Ron McKean, Ferris State University College of Engineering Technology

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Grandville manufacturer to make European high-efficiency solar water heaters

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When Mike Gill built some laser cutters a while back, he didn't dream he'd eventually convert them into laser welders to create the nation's first Netherlands-designed high-efficiency solar water heaters.

Gill and his brother, Dennis, own Grandville-based Digital Tool & Die, a company founded 20 years ago to create metal stamping dies for the automotive industry. A year ago, the company diversified into machining parts for the military. Now it has rolled a half a dozen patented solar water heaters off the line and next week will produce another 50.

"The best solar panels on the market pull between 40 and 60 percent of available sun energy, but this one pulls greater than 90 percent," Mike Gill says. "In The Netherlands, when they build a new house they dig a hole, usually under the garage before they build the garage, line it like a swimming pool and fill it with 12,000 gallons of water. They heat the water using these panels and send the heated water through the in-floor heating system to heat the whole house all winter. And that's without electricity, fuel oil or natural gas."

Gill says The Netherlands receives 20 percent less sun energy than Michigan, so he knows the solar water heater will work here. Each panel costs about $900; in Michigan, it would take 10 panels to heat an average sized home. To produce hot water only, the system would need three panels, a heat exchanger and a water tank.

"We have school districts looking at these, especially for heating pools because it doesn't require a heat exchanger," Gill says. An estimate for one of the schools predicts a savings of $4,000 per month.

Digital Tool & Die will sell the systems through Tecumseh, Michigan-based Verwater Environmental, LLC and looks to establish distributorships nationwide.
Source: Mike Gill, Digital Tool & Die
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Grand River Bank creates 10 high level jobs, possibly more jobs on the way

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

At a time when a number of financial institutions are losing millions or closing their doors, 23 business leaders stayed the course they'd chosen three years ago and created a new West Michigan bank.

Grand River Bank, 4471 Wilson SW, Grandville, opened its doors April 30 with capital of $17 million and 10 high-level management personnel.

President and CEO Dave Blossey expects to add tellers and other positions as the bank's business increases. He says Grand River Bank launched with its high level management in place due to requirements by banking regulatory agencies.

"Those people have to be approved by the regulatory agencies and they have to have the experience to be able to open a bank," Blossey says. Several members of the management team, including Blossey, have between 20 and 30 years of experience in lending.

The organizers designed the bank to cater to the needs of small businesses. The bank offers consumer loans and mortgages, but the primary focus is to service small businesses through electronic banking, a service Blossey calls the "cornerstone of our banking system." That system includes remote deposit, which allows account holders to scan checks and deposit them through the bank's computer instead of taking the checks to the bank.

"We didn't really realize our timing would be this good," Blossey says. "Everybody sees the gloom and doom on the news, but from our perspective we have a clean balance sheet. When we opened, we obviously didn't have any loans on our books, so we don't have to worry about foreclosing on someone's home or business. The quarterly reports of other banks all talk about the losses they're having; so it's a huge financial advantage for us because we don't have to write off any loans."

Source: Dave Blossey, Grand River Bank; Craig Clark, Clark Communications

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

West Michigan wealth management firm fights rocky economy with job creation, acquisition plans

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A year ago, Grand Rapids-based Legacy Trust planned to double its assets under care from $250 million to $500 million in three years. But as the economy tanked, company leaders decided to continue the firm's growth by taking a different approach.

"We went to our board earlier this year and said this is not the time to put your brakes on, it's time to hit the accelerator," says Bob Prevette, president and co-founder. "We all needed to put sales and marketing back at the top of our agendas and we needed someone to keep us focused on that very important mission."

So the company created its first director of marketing and sales position, and hired Barbara B. Paneral to bring her 25 years of banking and brokerage experience to the firm.

"When we were just getting started, we were all rainmakers. Everything we did every day had an element of sales because we had a lot of time on our hands," Prevette says. "As you begin to add talent to your team of people, you do reach a place as executives where your time is more consumed handling the day-to-day needs of the business."

In addition, company leaders renewed their intent to acquire another financial services firm, beefed up advertising in the lakeshore market, developed a brand guide, launched a new web site and set a new goal to double assets within the next four years.

"We acquired capital from new shareholders and from existing, and that is still in the bank," Prevette says. "We are on the watch for good strategic acquisitions from Grand Rapids and around the lakeshore. When these opportunities present themselves you have to be ready for them and we think we are."

Source: Bob Prevette, Legacy Trust; Mary Ann Sabo, Sabo Public Relations

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.

Holland firm targets aerospace, defense contracts for manufacturers, company's growth spurs six jobs

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A number of West Michigan manufacturers say they're attempting to add new revenue streams by diversifying into industries such as aerospace, defense and government contract work.
But while their production lines might stand ready to generate new products, some business owners have yet to make the crucial connections with clients who will generate the work.

For the past four years, Holland-based Balanced Enterprise Solutions (BES) has made those connections for dozens of manufacturers, and, in the process, has grown from a two-man operation to nine full-time employees.

Company co-founder Don Mulder brought on three new partners in January, followed by a business development director, a mechanical engineer and an electrical engineer.

"My background is in defense, aerospace and government contract work," Mulder says. "But the business has morphed into enterprise assessment, enterprise improvement and enterprise growth."

BES solves problems for manufacturers, says Mulder. They can help a company learn and apply lean principles or act as a customer interface point to capture new business in a variety of markets, including medical devices and consumer goods.

"VIO from Marquette had a portable helmet- and car-mounted digital video recorder ready to launch and wanted a Midwestern manufacturer," Mulder says. "We started with 15 suppliers and narrowed it to four, then did site assessments and they chose a manufacturer."

BES created the documentation needed for Precision Aerospace to land a $2.5 million Michigan Economic Growth Authority tax credit in August 2008, and helped JB Laboratories implement lean manufacturing principles.

"We're working with large aerospace companies in Des Moines and Boston, helping them capture additional Department of Defense business," Mulder says. "We have two people onsite in Oklahoma City, which is a large Air Force base depot where they repair all the jet engines."

Source: Don Mulder, Balanced Enterprise Solutions

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com.