Untitled

Business
Business
updat e
updat e
1993-2014
u b l i c a t i o n u b l i c a t i o n
C Co ov ve er r S St to or ry y: : G
G
l
l
o
o
b
b
a
a
l
l
M
M
a
a
r
r
i
i
n
n
e
e
I
I
n
n
s
s
u
u
r
r
a
a
n
n
c
c
e
e
C
C
e
e
l
l
e
e
b
b
r
r
a
a
t
t
e
e
s
s
S
S
i
i
l
l
v
v
e
e
r
r
A
A
n
n
n
n
i
i
v
v
e
e
r
r
s
s
a
a
r
r
y
y
I In ns si i d de e F Fe ea at tu ur re es s
H He ea al l t t h h I I n ns su ur ra an nc ce e
W Wo om me en n i i n n B Bu us si i n ne es ss s
C Cr re ed di i t t U Un ni i o on n M Mo on nt th h
D Da at ta a S Se ec cu ur ri i t t y y
I I n nd du us st t r ri i a al l C Co oa at t i i n ng gs s
C Co om mm me er rc ci i a al l R Re ea al l E Es st t a at t e e
October 2014 $2.00
Matt Anderson, President/Owner
of Global Marine Insurance
2
Business owner faces felony charges following
employee death. Could this be you?
By Randy Boss
Its every business owners worst
nightmare. And for Joe Novak, a West
Michigan business owner, theres no wak-
ing up from the nightmare of being held
responsible for the death of one of his
employees.
Novak, president and owner of Black
River Builders LLC in Sparta, Michigan,
has been charged with one count of
Michigan Occupational Safety and Health
Act Violation Causing Death. The charge
comes after the death of Brian
Tarachanowicz on July 2, 2012.
Tarachanowicz, 38, married and the
father of two small children, worked for
Black River Builders. He fell through a
weak spot more than 26 feet to his death
while removing an old roof deck at
Federal-Mogul Corp. in Sparta. He was
not wearing required safety equipment.
A MIOSHA investigation found
employees working on the roof project
were not wearing fall protection equip-
ment even though a section of the old
deck had been removed and they were
exposed to a 26-foot drop. This was after
Black River Builders was cited for a seri-
ous violation five years earlier for lack of
fall protection gear. And if convicted,
Novak could spend a year in prison.
In a competitive and time-driven
industry, it is not acceptable to cut corners
at the expense of worker safety," MIOSHA
Director Martha Yoder said in a statement.
Now imagine you were that busi-
ness owner and that headline was about
you. Imagine every internet search of
your name or company name bringing
this story up on the first page, in front of
your business associates, neighbors, wife,
children. Could your business survive
this? Could you survive a year in jail and
a felony charge on your record? What
would this do to your ability to get work,
insurance, bonding or borrow money?
Nothing can be done to reverse what
happened that day to Brian
Tarachanowicz, to undo the tragic loss of
a father, husband and valued employee.
Nor the impact it had on his fellow
employees that witnessed the fall to his
death. What we can do is learn from what
happened and make sure it doesnt hap-
pen again. To understand how to avoid
this we need to start by looking for the
root cause. Here is what OSHA inspectors
found in their investigation:
Workers were removing a roof deck
at a manufacturing plant when the acci-
dent happened. An employee stepped
through a weak piece of roof decking and
fell 26 feet to his death. The state attorney
generals office says investigators found
many problems. The employee that died
and other workers were NOT wearing
required protective equipment, and no
inspections had been performed to detect
hazards. The investigation showed a
safety harness could have saved his life.
The big question is, was not wearing
a safety harness the root cause of the
accident? I dont believe so. In fact, I think
it goes a lot deeper than that.
For centuries, the Japanese have pro-
moted kaizen, a philosophy of continuous
improvement to all aspects of life. In
recent decades, American business lead-
ers have started to recognize the impact
kaizen has had on Japanese business
competitiveness, and countless U.S. man-
agers have adopted aspects of these tech-
niques to improve their own business
processes. Now these principles can also
be used in workplace accident investiga-
tions by asking five questions to get to
the root cause of on-site accidents, such
as the Sparta, MI tragedy. Heres an
example of how this works in this case:
1. Why was the business owner charged
with a felony?
a. Construction site safety violations
caused an employees death.
2. What was the cause of death?
a. Falling 26-feet on to a cement floor.
3. Why did the employee fall?
a. He stepped through a weak piece
of roof decking while failing to wear fall
protection gear.
4. Why was the decking weak?
a. It had just been cross cut and was
not supported on one end, causing it to fail.
5. Why wasnt he wearing the required
fall protection gear?
a. The companys safety culture was
to let the employee decide whether they
wanted to wear it or not.
Bang! There it is, right in the answer to
question #5, clear as day: The companys
safety culture was to let the employee decide
whether they wanted to wear it or not.
According to OSHA, a strong safety
culture can have the single greatest
impact on accident reduction of any
process, and should be a top priority for
all managers and supervisors. OSHA also
contends that in a strong safety culture,
everyone feels responsible for safety and
pursues it on a daily basis; employees go
beyond "the call of duty" to identify
unsafe conditions and behaviors, and
intervene to correct them. For instance, in
a strong safety culture any worker would
feel comfortable walking up to the plant
manager or CEO and reminding him or
her to wear safety glasses. This type of
behavior would not be viewed as forward
or over-zealous but would be valued by
the organization and rewarded. Likewise
coworkers routinely look out for one
another and point out unsafe behaviors to
each other. A company with a strong safe-
ty culture typically experiences few at-risk
behaviors, consequently they also experi-
ence low accident rates, low turn-over,
low absenteeism, and high productivity.
They are usually companies who are
extremely successful by excelling in all
aspects of business and excellence.
Those opportunities to improve safe-
ty would have been missed if you stopped
at An employee stepped through a weak
piece of roof decking and fell 26 feet to his
death. But by asking why five times
youll get to the real root cause. And by
doing so, you can improve the process
rather than just focus on the person. The
process is generally the problem, not the
person. It is understood that Brian
Tarachanowicz wasnt wearing fall protec-
tion gear. But you have to go beyond that
to understand why he wasnt wearing a
simple device that may have saved his
life. And the simple answer is he was
never told he had to, that it was a stead-
fast company rule. And once you accept
that, then you can start to work on the
things you need to do to improve the
process, such as implementing a hard and
fast No Injury Culture, a workplace phi-
losophy firmly in place to help prevent
injuries before they occur.
As a business owner, you have to
create an edict where management drives
home the point to all its workers the
importance of making sure every employ-
ee goes home at the end of the day. The
challenge to control injuries on a job site
is a high mountain to climb, but not one
that is impossible to scale. And again, it
all starts with creating a culture of zero
tolerance for injuries.
The phrase accidents happen
should no longer be part of your work-
place syntax. Once it is removed,
tragedies like what happen to Brian
Tarachanowicz and Joe Novak, will be
avoided. And you, as a respected busi-
ness owner in your community, will never
be the answer to a Google search that
reads: On the job employee deaths.
Randy Boss is a Certified Risk
Architect at Ottawa Kent in Jenison, MI.
As a Risk Architect he designs, builds and
implements risk management and insur-
ance plans for middle market companies
and be reached at rboss@ottawakent.com.
Current Business Trends:
Growth slows for the summer
Grand Rapids Slow growth contin-
ues for the greater Grand Rapids industrial
economy, according to results of a monthly
survey compiled by Brian G. Long, director
of Supply Management Research in the
Seidman College of Business at Grand
Valley State University.
The survey results are based on data
collected during the last two weeks of
August.
The surveys index of business
improvement, called new orders, eased to
+9 from +18. The production index
remained strong at +22 from +25. The
employment index rose to a 16-month high
of +26, up from +15, and the index of pur-
chases eased to +5 from +19.
Statistics for business optimism con-
tinue to show stabilization, according to
Long. He noted the short-term business
outlook index eased to +20, down from
+27. However, the long-term business out-
look posted a modest increase to +42, up
from +34. Long said the level of optimism
for this index has retreated considerably in
recent months, given the +64 reported less
than a year ago.
The automotive parts producers are
in full swing for the 2015 model year,
although a few have expressed reservations
about production schedules for early 2015,
said Long. The office furniture business
remains positive, but just like last month,
the smaller firms are outpacing the larger
integrated firms. August is usually an off
month for the industrial distributors, so it
was good to see that most firms reported
business to be fairly steady this year.
Low Vacancy Signals Prime Opportunity for
West Michigan Industrial Market
By Matt Abraham
Grand Rapids has become increas-
ingly more attractive to individuals seek-
ing a low cost of living, strong education-
al system, first-class entertainment and
burgeoning art culture. If you or someone
you know has been in the market for a
new home in West Michigan, youve prob-
ably experienced the effects of low vacan-
cy. Properties simply arent staying on the
market and competition is fierce. Our city
is garnering attention in the corporate,
industrial and manufacturing sectors as
well, causing the low vacancy trend to
extend beyond residential real estate.
The industrial vacancy rate in the
Grand Rapids area has reached 6.47%
which is still lower than pre-recession lev-
els. While this rate sounds promising for
companies looking to relocate here, it is
slightly misleading. If obsolete inventory
is eliminated from the equation, the effec-
tive vacancy rate is actually much less,
increasing the immediate need for con-
struction (or build-to-suits) of high qual-
ity tenantable space. Add in the rapid,
organic expansion of many area manufac-
turers due to the resurgence of the auto-
motive industry and demand for upper-
tier space is at an all time high.
Companies looking to expand or
relocate measure prospective locations
based on many attributes including easy
access to major transportation routes and
highways, airport access for shipping and
receiving, railways and close proximity to
other large markets all for a fair price.
They dont want higher density; they
want higher accessibility, and Grand
Rapids fits the bill. Currently, quality
manufacturing buildings in Grand Rapids
tend to stay on the market about six
months. For those that are well located,
have existing manufacturing infrastruc-
ture and low deferred maintenance, the
time can be even less.
In order to address this demand,
many real estate investors have begun
thinking outside the box. A good example
is the facility at 5010 52nd Street.
Formerly 5300 Patterson, this building
served as shared corporate headquarters
for Family Christian Stores and
Zondervan Publishers. When Zondervan
sold to Harper-Collins, the large industrial
space that had been utilized for produc-
tion became vacant. Because the existing
manufacturing infrastructure was already
there, investors began to re-imagine how
they could make the space more appealing
and marketable to a prospect that would
desire their own independent building. As
a result, the facility was separated in two.
While a massive undertaking, it has
proven to be a successful one. Kelloggs
has moved into the new office portion,
and as soon as the manufacturing portion
is complete, the vacancy is on track to be
occupied within one month.
While many former furniture build-
ings and historical spaces downtown are
being revitalized to serve as office or loft-
residential space, most industrial and
manufacturing action is taking place on
the southeast side of Grand Rapids.
Continued on page 4
3
Global Marine Insurance Celebrates Silver Anniversary
By Jane Whittington
Since 1989, Traverse City company
Global Marine Insurance has been pro-
viding insurance to the boating popula-
tion across the United States with cus-
tomers as far away from the Great Lakes
State as North Carolina, Seattle and
Dallas. In recent years, the companys
Commercial Marine Insurance Division
was added and offers insurance coverage
to boat dealers, manufacturers, boat
yards, marinas, watersport schools, yacht
clubs and other marine-related business-
es.
The company was founded by Pam
Stanley, currently Vice-President and co-
owner, and Mike Smith, who retired in
2013. It was originally a division of
Guyot, Hicks and Anderson (GHA) but
became independent in 2001. Since then
Matt and Bill Anderson have come
aboard as co-owners along with Stanley,
Troy Buttleman and Mike Abbott. Matt
Anderson currently serves as President.
According to Erica Buck, Marketing
Consultant, Becoming an independent
agency was an opportunity for the people
running the company to become owners.
Those working in the business every day
became the leadership, creating a syner-
gy between management and owners.
She continues, Typically, our clients
use the phone or Internet for services or
our marine business specialists visit
clients at their businesses. Our main
office is located in Traverse City, and
there are smaller remote offices for indi-
vidual agents in Wilmington, North
Carolina; Seattle, Washington; and
Dallas, Texas.
Today, Global Marine Insurance has
32 people on their crew and over 25,000
marine clients.
According to Buck, We have also
added a recreational division to our prod-
uct line. Many of our boat and yacht
insurance clients have other recreational
vehicles, and they want the same reliable
coverage that they have for their boat.
Our clients are offered discounts through
the carrier on both their boat and other
recreational (motorcycle/RV/ATV) policy
when they add a second one. Our team is
expertly trained in recognizing many of
the unique needs of these clients.
There was a downturn in business
during the recent recession, but Buck
reports that has turned around. She says,
While the recession affected us, it also
gave us a great opportunity to strive to
further improve our level of service and
tailor policies to fit the clients needs.
Now that boating is again on the rise, we
are grateful for the privilege to help even
more clients.
She continues, Because we have
always specialized in recreational insur-
ance, we have cultivated a highly trained
team capable of addressing the unique
concerns present with different recre-
ational vehicles, and we have built strong
relationships with our clients. We have
been named a Best Practices Agency for
several years in a row.
According to their website, Many of
us grew up spending more of our sum-
mers on the water than off: sailing, fish-
ing, waterskiing, cruising, just drifting
with the current, or all of the aforemen-
tioned and more. Boating is a large part
of who we are, so were proud to be able
to serve the boating community and to
play a role in protecting fellow members
and their investments.
The company started small, visiting
boat shows and sharing conversations
over fresh baked cookies. In time, this
became their trademark. Cookies are still
part of the corporate culture. Today,
Traverse Marine Insurance has grown to
make its reputation as a well-established,
well-respected and comprehensive insur-
ance company which still offers personal-
ized service. With cookies!
Jane Whittington is a freelance
writer and editor who lives in Grand
Rapids.
4
Publisher: Gary Kralapp
Business Development
Senior Vice President: Diane LaPreze
Senior Vice President: Jim Lroy
Circulation: Aubrey Day
Contributing Writers: Randy Boss,
Matt Abraham, Jane Whittington
Associate Editor: Jeremy Martin
Printing/Distribution: News Web Printing
Accountant: Michael Tawney & Company
Legal: Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone
The monthly published Business Update Inc.
all rights reserved. No portion can be repro-

duced without the written permission of the pub-
lisher. The management of Business Update Inc.
is not responsible for the opinions expressed by

its writers or editors. Nor is it responsible for any
information contained on any schedule or calen-
dar. We invite editorial suggestions, reader par-
ticipation, or article submissions. We reserve all
rights in communications sent to our editorial
staff as unconditionally assigned for publication
or any other use Business Update Inc.
in its sole
discretion, shall deem appropriate. All submis-
sions are subjected to our unrestricted right to
edit and comment. For further information con-
cerning this publication, or past issues, please
write or call:
Byron Center, MI 49315
Fax: 888-728-0045
Email: prupdate@businessupdate.com
Business Business
updat e
updat e
u b l i c a t i o n
Finance/Insurance/Banking
Grand Rapids National insurance bro-
kerage firm Acrisure announced
appointment of Stan Jablonowski, for-
mer President and Chief Executive Officer
of Bank of Americas insurance group, as
Chief Operating Officer.
Grand Rapids Center for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation at
Grand Valley State University received a
$30,375 grant from U.S. Department of
Agricultures Rural Business Enterprise
Grant Program to lead two Rural-Focused
Agricultural Innovation and
Entrepreneurship training programs in
Isabella and Bay counties.
Kalamazoo Chemical Bank, announced
appointment of Jack Nelligan to Vice
President of Private Banking for Chemical
Bank Wealth Management.
Lansing Property Casualty Insurers
Association of America support innova-
tion; however, drivers of transportation
network companies such as Uber and
Lyft, their passengers, and pedestrians
need to be aware of insurance gaps that
could potentially put the public at risk.
Grand Rapids Warner Norcross &
Judd, LLP, Partner Dennis J. Donohue
was named Chair of Mining and Mineral
Extraction Committee of American Bar
Association Section on Environment,
Energy and Resources.
Grand Rapids Lake Michigan Credit
Union announced hiring Keane
Blaszczynski as Vice President of
Commercial Lending at their Lake Drive
corporate office, and Chase Suidan as
Mortgage Loan Originator at their new
Farmington Hills branch office.
Lansing LAFCU awarded 2014
WHEEL (Women Helping Educate
Every Lady) $1,000 scholarships to
Andrea Skrip, Rachelle
Koenigsknecht, and Lisa McGhan to
attend Lansing Community College 2014
fall semester.
Union announced hiring Paul Hartman
as Mortgage Loan Originator working at
their Livonia branch office.
Muskegon Jonathan Wilson was named
Economic Development Coordinator for
Muskegon County, and will be working to
develop and implement the County's eco-
nomic development program, including
efforts to expand usage of the County's
wastewater system.
Lansing LAFCU is the first financial
institution in mid-Michigan to deploy
interactive teller machines (ITMs) with
plans to add five more units next year.
ITMs offer two-way audio and video
interaction with a teller located at a
remote site.
Low
Vacancy
Continued from page 3
A new 45,000-square-foot facility
which is expandable up to 75,000-
square-feet will be breaking ground
soon on Soundtech Court, and another
speculative building is going up on the
east side of Broadmoor Avenue, south of
52nd. These facilities will not be
designed for warehouse distribution, but
will include the features required to sup-
port full-scale manufacturing and those
in the market.
While low inventory and vacancy
presents a large challenge for the region,
it also opens the door for creativity,
regrowth and ultimately more jobs. As a
result of actions being taken to accom-
modate this influx of interest and indus-
try, Grand Rapids ranked sixth in the
nation from 2011 to 2014 for nonresi-
dential construction job growth accord-
ing to a study by CareerBuilder and
Economic Modeling Specialist. We are
hopeful and motivated by the activity
that is taking place, and excited about
the future of industry in our great city.
Matt Abraham is a principal for
Colliers International | West Michigans
Industrial Team.
5
Lake Michigan Credit Union: Eighty Years Strong
By Jane Whittington
With 282,000 member/owners, 37
locations, 92 ATMs and a proud, 80-year-
long tradition of financial responsibility
and superior service, Lake Michigan
Credit Union is the largest credit union in
West Michigan. Membership is open to
anyone who lives or works in Lower
Michigan, and LMCU reports that fully
one in six residents in West Michigan has
a financial relationship with them.
Credit unions offer virtually the same
services as banks but are member-driven.
The website, www.mycreditunion.gov
says, In the United States, credit unions
are not-for-profit organizations that exist
to serve their members rather than to
maximize corporate profits. Like banks,
credit unions accept deposits and make
loans. But as member-owned institutions,
credit unions focus on providing a safe
place to save and borrow at reasonable
rates. Unlike banks, credit unions return
surplus income to their members in the
form of dividends.
Just as banks are insured by the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
credit unions are insured by the National
Credit Union Administration. Both banks
and credit unions are insured up to
$250,000 per depositor.
Lake Michigan Credit Union was
founded in 1933 in Grand Rapids and, like
most credit unions of the time, existed to
serve a particular profession, in this case,
teachers. However, over the years, it has
merged with other credit unions, grown and
diversified and now, like most modern cred-
it unions, has open-membership. Its 37
locations include five that opened just this
year in Traverse City, Norton Shores,
Fruitport, Holland and Troy. There are 15
branches in Grand Rapids.
According to Senior Vice President of
Marketing Don Bratt, As a credit union,
we are accountable to our members. We
are administered by a member board that
meets regularly and sets policy for the
functioning of the organization.
He continues, Besides our 37 full-
service branch locations, we also have
mortgage-specific offices in Livonia,
Grand Blanc and Saginaw.
Bratt says, The benefits of our
mortgage services, both to members as
well as those who dont normally bank
with us, are that we offer a low price
guarantee and a low rate guarantee. We
weathered the recent recession well. Our
CEO, Sandy Zelinski, is a great visionary
who truly understood what was happen-
ing in the financial sector, and our credit
policies during that time were very strict
for the protection of our members. We
didnt have a lot of the problems that
other financial institutions had.
He continues, At that time, we were
not doing a lot of commercial loans; we only
started our commercial department in 2010.
Its headed up by Mark Hoffhines, and hes
put together a really solid team of commer-
cial lenders. Were actually just one of a few
credit unions that have a commercial lending
department. We work primarily with estab-
lished businesses and provide loans and
also lines of credit, business checking
accounts, credit cardseverything the larger
banks can offer. Again, there are strict cred-
it guidelines which protect our members.
As for the advantages of a credit
union, Bratt points to the high level of serv-
ice offered by LMCU as well as the value
provided by their lower rates and fees. Bratt
says, Everyone talks about service, but we
pride ourselves on our personalized service.
We answer directly to our members, and we
never forget that.
LMCU has upwards of 900 employ-
ees throughout its many locations. That
number has grown dramatically in the last
five years as LMCU has grown in mem-
bers, services and locations.
LMCU keeps its members informed
through a regular newsletter (both printed
and online), frequent emails about new and
improved products and services as well as a
website that reflects both the breadth and
depth of the credit unions services. Within
the branches, there are digital displays with
special offers and promotions. Bratt says,
Word of mouth is our strongest marketing
tool. Our members recruit other members
by talking to their friends, family members
and associates.
According to Bratt, LMCU is looking
to further expand into the east side of the
state. They are also rolling out LMCU
Anywhere, a virtual branch to which peo-
ple can connect online. That is a particu-
larly big draw for customers 18-32,
although older consumers are increasing-
ly comfortable with conducting business
online. Strong internal controls and secu-
rity measures protect members online.
However, Bratt reports that, based on
information from focus groups, 85 per-
cent of their customers still think it is
important to have brick and mortar facili-
ties, particularly when it comes to the area
of mortgages and other loans.
An ever-expanding array of products
and services combined with the tradition of
an 80-year-old institution with a reputation
for personal service and fiscal responsibili-
ty make Lake Michigan Credit Union an
important part of West Michigan.
Rapids.
Finance/Insurance/Banking
Grand Rapids Brian C. Sandberg, part-
ner of Argus Financial Consultants, is
newly certified as Accredited Estate
Planner by National Association of
Estate Planners and Councils.
Union announced hiring Jim Koessel as
Senior Vice President, and Emily Rose-
Paul as Mortgage Loan Originator at its
Fruitport Township branch office.
Portage Northpointe Bank announced
hiring Mark Candey as Loan Officer.
Holland Daniel OMealey, George
Gardner, and Jim Michner from DB&C
Advisors, LLC, recently attended Focus
2014, a leading financial services indus-
try conference hosted by LPL Financial,
the nations number one independent
broker-dealer.
Union announced promotion of Sara
Hendrickson to Vice President of Retail
Sales and Service.
Indianapolis, IN Northpointe Bank
announced they hired Mark Harvey,
Area Manager.
Union announced hiring Patrick
Conway as Mortgage Loan Originator at
their Livonia branch office.
Grand Rapids CFA West Michigan
Society announced new officers and
members of its Board of Directors to serve
through June 30, 2015: Jay Wisentaner,
President and Chairman; Alan Kort, Vice
President and Vice Chairman; Dan
Rinzema, Secretary; Phillip Mitchell,
Treasurer; Timothy Anderson, Board
Member; Martin Axelrod, Board
Member; L. Leonard Harrison, Board
Member; Dan Lupo, Board Member; and
Theodore H. Fuger, Jr., Board Member.
Midland Chemical Bank and First
Bankcard announced launch of
Dream MasterCard, exclusively to
Chemical Bank customers in Michigan,
with no overlimit fees, penalty rates or
late fees, and triple points on qualifying
gas and grocery purchases.
Lansing LAFCU announced addition of
Bill Clifton as Senior Programming
Analyst, and Julie Roll as Network
Administrator.
Once a Member
Always A Member!
Many savings and investment products are available
American Express Financial Advisor services
We offer a full range of services:
Mortgages Home Equity loans
Visa Mastercard Debit Program
Auto Loans ATM Card Services
Recreational Loans Recreational park ticket sales
24/7 online banking services at www.rrccu.com
Membership eligibility for those living in or working in the townships of:
Alpine, Algoma, Casnovia, Sparta, Solon, and Tyrone. Related by blood or marriage.
Service Hours are: Monday -Thursday 9-5, Friday 8-6, and Saturday 9-12
6
Price Heneveld, Experts in Intellectual Property
By Jane Whittington
Price Heneveld LLP Intellectual
Property Attorneys has been part of
Grand Rapids for 62 years. Founded in
1952 by Peter P. Price who was later
joined by Lloyd A. Heneveld, the firm has
been serving clients throughout the
world. The firm is involved in every
aspect of intellectual property law and has
earned the respect of clients around the
globe. The firm has grown to a staff of
just under 50, including 10 partners, nine
associates and three attorneys of counsel,
those associated with the firm but neither
a partner nor an associate.
The United States Patent and
Trademark Office, an agency of the
Department of Commerce, defines a patent
as a property right granted by the
Government of the United States of
America to an inventor to exclude others
from making, using, offering for sale, or
selling the invention throughout the
United States or importing the invention
into the United States for a limited time in
exchange for public disclosure of the
invention when the patent is granted.
They go on to say that patents are
given for processes, machines and manu-
factured articles which are new, nonob-
vious and useful.
On the other hand, that which cannot
be patented includes laws of nature,
physical phenomena, abstract ideas, artis-
tic works (these can be copyright protect-
ed) and inventions which are not useful
or are offensive to public morality.
In addition, the invention must be
adequately described and claimed by the
inventor in clear and definite terms.
Todd Van Thomme, Partner, says,
We specialize solely in patent law. Most
people dont know it, but in order to prac-
tice patent law, attorneys must pass not
only the bar exam for the state where they
practice, they must also take a separate
patent law exam, administered through
the United States Patent and Trademark
Office, an agency of the US Department of
Commerce. Additionally, attorneys in
patent law must hold a degree in some
technical education field, such as bio-
chemistry, biology, engineering, chem-
istry, microbiology or any one of a num-
ber of other such degrees.
He continues, We see some clients
both before they apply for a patent and
others who have already received a
patent. For those who have not yet
applied, we assist them through that
process. We can help them determine if
what they have is new, not obvious and
that there are no current patents on their
idea. We will conduct a search to see what
is out there already and give them a report
and opinion on the viability of their idea.
We hire searchers, whose primary job is
to search prior patents. We can then
determine if what the client is bringing to
us is patentable or not.
Other clients come to the firm when
they have already received a patent and
want to protect it. The firm can also liti-
gate on behalf of a patent holder when
that patent has been infringed upon. In
addition, they are skilled in other areas of
patent law including trademarks and
copyrights, unfair competition, trade
secrets and noncompeting covenants,
antitrust law, intellectual property licenses
agreements, computer law and interna-
tional law, among others.
Van Thomme says, The majority of
our clients are actually corporations
whose employees have created a
patentable product or process which is
then the property of the employer. Others
who come to us are seeking or have
received a patent on their own, and that
patent is solely theirs.
As law, government regulations and
technology changes, so too does the prac-
tice of patent law. There are frequent
opportunities for continuing education
either at conferences, seminars or through
onsite training.
Van Thomme says, Our clients are
aware that the team here at Price
Heneveld is exceptionally talented in
patent law and has expertise in diverse
technological backgrounds to back it up.
We offer world-class service at reasonable
cost, especially compared with larger
cities. The skills and knowledge of our
employees offer our clients the assurance
that their patents are in good hands.
Rapids.
Review of The Silk Road
Rediscovered
Provided by www.getabstract.com
Authors Anil K. Gupta, Girija Pande
and Haiyan Wang offer an engaging look at
the challenges of setting up businesses in
India or China. They particularly excel in
and emphasize the analysis of Indian
companies entering Chinese markets. Their
case studies and anecdotes will prove
instructive to the leadership of any firm
from any country seeking to establish oper-
ations in China. getAbstract recommends
this guide to Asian entrepreneurism to
Indian and Chinese corporate leaders, to the
leaders and representatives of international
firms working in either country, and to
management students studying the chal-
lenges that multinational corporations face.
Anil K. Gupta, Girija Pande and Haiyan
Wang. The Silk Road Rediscovered: How
Indian and Chinese Companies Are
Becoming Globally Stronger by Winning in
Each Others Markets. Jossey-Bass, 2014.
304 pages. ISBN: 9781118446232.
getAbstract is the leading provider of
business book summaries, with thousands
of titles covered. www.getabstract.com
Legal/Accounting/Consulting
Judd, LLP, announced the following
attorneys were selected by The Best
Lawyers in America 2015: Michael
Brady; Homayune Ghaussi; Jim
Romzek; David Skidmore; Pam Enslen;
Jay Yelton; and John Bursch.
Grand Rapids Miller Johnson
announced the following attorneys were
selected by The Best Lawyers in
America 2015: Mary Tabin; Joseph
Doele; Michael Quinn; Connie Thacker;
Jeffrey Ammon; David Buday; Mary
Bauman; and Cynthia Ortega.
Grand Rapids Plante Moran, certified
public accounting and business advisory
firm, elected Michelle McHale to lead the
firms Investigative Services Group.
Grand Rapids Warner Norcross & Judd,
LLP, launched a new Data Solutions
Practice Group, making it the first, and
only, law firm in Michigan to provide an
integrated team approach to full life-cycle
support for business data. Data Solutions is
co-chaired by B. Jay Yelton III, and Dawn
Garcia Ward from Warners Kalamazoo
and Holland offices respectively.
Grand Rapids Certified public account-
ing firm Plante Moran announced pro-
motions of: Senior Consultant Matthew
Fegan to Manager; and Associates
Mandy Chardoul, CPA, CFP; Jeremy
Louters, CPA; and Nicole Meade, CPA, to
Senior Associates.
Lansing Foster Swift Attorney Laura J.
Genovich was named Chairperson of the
Steering Committee for Bankruptcy
Section of the Federal Bar Association
(Western District of Michigan).
Grand Rapids Varnum Attorney
Elizabeth Wells Skaggs was recognized
by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of
2014 Women in the Law.
Grand Rapids Smith Haughey Rice &
Roegge announced the following attor-
neys were selected by The Best Lawyers
in America 2015: Charles F. Behler;
Carol D. Carlson; Albert J. Engel, III;
Patrick F. Geary; William W. Jack, Jr.,
Brian J. Kilbane; John M. Kruis; E.
Thomas McCarthy, Jr.; Craig S. Neckers;
Paul Oleniczak; John C. OLoughlin;
John R. Oostema; and L. R. Roegge.
7
Can You Hear Me Now?
By Jane Whittington
Weve come a long way since the first
hearing enhancement devices were devel-
oped in the 17th century. These ear
trumpets, handheld devices that were
held up to the ear and directed toward
whomever was speaking, gave those with
hearing problems a bit of relief but were
unwieldy and ineffective. As technology
advanced, so too did the hearing aid. At
about the same time that the telephone
was invented, the first electric hearing aid
was developed in 1898. Todays hearing
aids are high-tech, virtually trouble-free
and effective.
According to Hearing Resources audi-
ologist Susan Haveman-Kruyf, Almost all
hearing aids today are digital, which means
they function better in noise than they ever
did before. They also have better feedback
control, that annoying whistling that used
to be a problem with older products. They
function better in noise and have the abili-
ty to automatically reduce background
noise and make speech much easier to
hear. They are smaller, lighter and less
noticeable than they used to be. Some are
completely invisible. There have been big
advances even over just the last three
years. It used to be that we saw new tech-
nology every few years. Today, we are see-
ing new technology many times in the
course of a year.
She continues, Some people are
interested in the invisible hearing aid.
This is one that is an extended wear
device that fits deep into the ear canal.
They are worn day and night and can be
worn while showering, exercisingany-
thing that the person does. The battery
lasts anywhere from four to 16 weeks and
once it runs out, the user comes into the
office and has another one inserted, a five
to ten minute process. People like it
because of the ease of use; they dont
have to change batteries, clean it or take
it in and out. There are other ways to go
with an invisible product, but this is the
one with the extended wear battery.
Hearing aids that pair with iPhones
and iPads are now available. Depending
on the kind of hearing aid, users are typ-
ically able to increase and decrease vol-
ume independently in both ears, change
the settings for different environments,
stream phone calls directly to the hearing
aid and monitor battery usage.
At Hearing Resources, a trained
audiologist performs a hearing test, eval-
uates a users need and programs the
hearing aid to the users specifications.
(All audiologists on staff have either a
masters degree or a doctorate level degree
and participate in ongoing training.)
Usually, someone using a hearing aid
goes through a trial period with a few
office visits and subsequently only has to
go into the office once a year or so.
Haveman-Kruyf says, Our hearing
aids come with a care package which
includes a lot of follow-up service. For
some people, adapting to hearing aids is a
quick process; for others, it may take a bit
longer. We provide all the follow-up serv-
ices they need to get it right.
She adds, Today, you can get more
technology in an entry-level hearing aid
than you could get in a higher level one
five years ago. Many insurance policies
pay for or at least toward a hearing aid.
We work directly with the insurance com-
panies so our patients dont have to do all
that. There are also some options through
the state to help those who cant pay for a
hearing aid.
The type of hearing aid the most
appropriate for an individual depends on
their lifestyle. For example, if the user is
active in social settings, works in an
office, goes to meetings and activities like
a book club, spends significant time out-
doors, has a family, goes to movies and
concerts and watches TV, they might need
a higher level hearing aid than someone
who spends time at home and doesnt
engage with a lot of other people. In gen-
eral, prices range from about $900 to
$3,400, depending on the extent of the
technology.
According to Haveman-Kruyf, We
work with all ages, from children to peo-
ple in their 80s and 90s. Ive been in the
field for 35 years. Were seeing a lot of
people in the baby boomer generation.
They are willing to admit they have a
hearing issue which is affecting their
lifestyle. They dont want to miss out on
anything.
She continues, Those who have a
hearing loss can suffer from isolation, lone-
liness, depression, anxiety, fearall signs
that the person is not part of the world
around them. Using a hearing aid can make
a huge difference in quality of life.
Hearing Resources is a division of a
medical office, The Ear, Nose & Throat
Center, and as such does not represent a
particular manufacturer of hearing aids
but works with several different compa-
nies in order to provide the best fit for
their patients. The medical office and the
hearing center refer patients back and
forth and work closely together to deter-
mine what best meets the needs of their
patients. There are four audiologists on
staff including Haveman-Kruyf, who
founded Hearing Resources in 1989. She
graduated from Calvin College and
received her Masters Degree from
Western Michigan University and her
Doctor of Audiology degree from Salus
University in Philadelphia.
The atmosphere in the office is one
that makes patients feel welcomed and
cared for. The staff prides itself on being
kind, caring and attentive and doing the
best for their patients each and every day.
Rapids.
Grand Rapids Varnum announced eight
of its attorneys were recognized as
"Lawyer of the Year" in 2015 edition of
The Best Lawyers in America: David E.
Khorey, Harvey Koning, Jeffrey A.
DeVree, Jon M. Bylsma, Kaplin S. Jones,
Matthew D. Zimmerman, Randall W.
Kraker, and Timothy J. Lundgren.
Several Varnum attorneys have been list-
ed in Best Lawyers for more than 20
years: Lawrence P. Burns, Timothy J.
Curtin, Nyal Deems, Dirk Hoffius,
Marilyn Lankfer, Daniel C. Molhoek,
Fred Sytsma and Larry Titley.
Judd, LLP, announced twenty-five attor-
neys were named Rising Stars, and fifty-
six attorneys were named Super Lawyers
in 2015 edition of Michigan Super
Lawyers Magazine.
Grand Rapids Intellectual Property Law
Firm Price Heneveld welcomed Attorney
Michael C. Pophal, former Senior IP
Counsel for Energizer.
Detroit Miller Canfield announced 123 of
its lawyers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and
Poland were selected by The Best
Lawyers 2015. The firm also had more
lawyers named than any other firm in
Michigan.
Lansing Foster Swift Collins & Smith,
PC, announced 45 attorneys from their
firm were selected by The Best Lawyers in
America 2015.
Grand Rapids Heidi Lyon was named
chair of Employee Benefits and Executive
Compensation Practice Group at Warner
Norcross & Judd, LLP.
Grand Rapids Michigan Lawyers Weekly
announced Sara G. Lachman was named
2014 Women in the Law.
Grand Rapids Varnum Attorney Carl E.
Ver Beek is recipient of State Bar of
Michigan's Roberts P. Hudson Award,
considered the highest award conferred
by the State Bar.
Grand Rapids Miller Johnson welcomed
Mary L. Tabin as a Member in the firms
employment and labor practice group.
Grand Rapids Plante Moran and Rolf
Consulting formed a collaborative relation-
ship to serve their long-term care and sen-
ior living clients in Michigan and Ohio, with
Rolf Consulting providing regulatory
enforcement and corporate compliance, and
Plante Moran assisting providers with
strategies to improve operational efficiency
and financial performance.
Toll Free 800-968-8608
Fax 616-997-7263
modernofficeinteriors.com
88
The Affordable Care Act and Priority Health of
Michigan Partner to Make Health Insurance Accessible
By Jane Whittington
After a discouraging beginning with
computer glitches, complicated processes
and difficult decisions, the Affordable
Care Act has settled down, and well over
8 million Americans are now covered.
Many were uninsured before they signed
up for what has often been called, by crit-
ics and proponents alike, Obamacare. The
expansion in Medicaid coverage for low-
income uninsured has also brought many
previously uninsured citizens under the
healthcare umbrella.
As the Detroit Free Press reported in
April of 2014, the following insurance
companies offered plans under the provi-
sions of the ACA:
Alliance Health and Life
Insurance
Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Blue Care Network
Consumers Mutual Insurance
Health Alliance Plans
Humana Medical Plan
McLaren Health Plan
Meridian Healthcare
Priority Health and Priority
Health Insurance (offered under two
licenses)
Total Healthcare
United Healthcare
Its important to note that each
insurance plan covers specific counties,
but all counties are covered by more than
one plan. Michigan has the most plans
available to its constituents in the U.S.
and in 2015, there will be more coming
onboard.
Marti Lolli is the Senior Director of
Product Development and Health Reform at
Priority Health and has been staying on top
of the hows and wherefores of the ACA
since its inception. Priority Health is
Michigan-based and offers group health
insurance plans, HMO coverage and
options for individual and family medical
plans.
According to Lolli, Since the ACA
started, Priority Health has sold over
7,300 health insurance policies. This is
separate from the expansion of Medicaid.
We are one of the few carriers in the state
that offer Medicaid and Medicare pro-
grams. In our service area, we are captur-
ing about 30 to 40 percent of new
Medicaid customers. People really like our
Medicaid plan, and we take great care of
those members.
The State of Michigan anticipates
that between 400,000 and 500,000 new
customers will eventually be covered by
Medicaid expansion.
New Medicaid customers can enroll
at any time. However, the ACA works dif-
ferently. There are open enrollment peri-
ods for policies purchased under the stip-
ulations of the ACA.
Lolli says, We received lots of calls
during the open enrollment period for the
ACA. The process for enrolling is lengthy
and involved, and at the beginning, the
website wasnt working properly, and
that made it even harder to sort through
all the options. We relied heavily on our
agents to advise consumers on the best
plan for them.
Michigan chose Priority Health as the
benchmark plan for what all carriers had to
offer. After a detailed analysis by the state,
it was decided that Priority Health offered
the best blend of coverage and affordabili-
ty.
Lolli says, The plans offered until
the provisions of the ACA are very similar
to the plans we offered before the rollout.
Under the ACA, there are some new fea-
tures that had to be offered. We had to
redesign some plans to fit into the param-
eters of the different levels of the ACA
requirements.
She continues, All the reforms that
apply to the ACA individual policies also
apply to small group policies offered by
employers. Small employers were very
much impacted by the changes, particu-
larly the way the policies were rated.
What we saw is a lot of employers decid-
ing to delay the impacts of healthcare
reform by renewing their policies on their
existing plans. They will eventually have
to buy into the new specifications, but the
state of Michigan has decided to embrace
the allowance for employers to be able to
stay with their existing plans for two
more years. In fact, over 90 percent are
keeping the policy they have. However,
they will have to comply with the new law
by 2016.
Lolli anticipates that the ACA is here
to stay, but says there will most likely be
changes and adjustments going forward,
no matter which political party is in the
majority.
Lolli says, In the individual market,
about 30 percent of the people who bought
policies under the ACA were previously
uninsured. These numbers are consistent
throughout the U.S. So 70 percent were
simply moving to a different plan. On the
Medicaid front, however, we see and will
continue to see quite a few previously unin-
sured people obtain coverage. Hospitals
should see a decrease in the number of
uncompensated patients that they see and
an increase in the number of patients who
are covered by insurance.
She continues, While there was an
expectation that fewer patients would use
the emergency room as their primary
provider, we are not seeing a reduction in
ER use. If this is what patients are used to
doing, this is what many are continuing
to do. We are helping with behavior
change by implementing things like virtu-
al visits, where patients can consult a
physician from a mobile phone or com-
puter without having to take time off
work or arrange transportation to visit a
primary care doctor.
This new technology also allows
patients in rural or isolated places to
access specialty care without transporta-
tion and time issues.
Priority Health is continuing to
tweak their offerings under the ACA
based on changes in the law and the
needs of their own customers. They will
also be adding more plan designs based
on market research and consumer feed-
back. These will be available when the
new enrollment window opens on
November 15, 2014. Some changes will
continue to be made to plans already pur-
chased, but Priority will make sure their
customers are aware of and understand
the changes.
Lolli anticipates that there will be a
lot of shopping going on during the
next open enrollment period. She says,
Many people who purchased insurance
during the last enrollment period do not
fully understand their policies. As con-
sumers come to understand what their
policies offer, they may take the opportu-
nity to look at other options.
Going forward, Priority Health has
made a commitment to offering the best
plans possible for all their customers.
This has been their mission in the past,
and, while other things may change, this
will remain the same.
Jane Whittington is a freelance writer
and editor who lives in Grand Rapids.
Review of
A Team of Leaders
Provided by www.getabstract.com
Modern corporations require team-
work, which gives rise to outdoor team-
building programs, like rock climbing,
ropes courses, scavenger hunts, and so on.
Unfortunately, when corporate participants
return to their offices, most quickly forget
such out-of-the-routine team-building les-
sons. Consultants Paul Gustavson and
Stewart Liff offer an alternative: the Five-
Stage Team Development Model. They
expertly though at times cumbersomely
explain the principles behind their team
of leaders program, how it works and the
benefits it provides. Their interesting but
complex model with its multiple steps
and layers rests upon a solid theoretical
base (a team of leaders is a clearly desir-
able goal), but may prove challenging to
apply in the real world. getAbstract recom-
mends this ambitious manual and its
clear graphics to executives, managers,
start-ups and HR officers who can mine it
for innovative, forward-looking strategies
for team building, more efficient work
flow, greater worker engagement and
increased profits.
Paul Gustavson and Stewart Liff. A
Team of Leaders: Empowering Every
Member to Take Ownership, Demonstrate
Initiative, and Deliver Results. AMACOM,
2014. 240 pages. ISBN: 9780814434079.
getAbstract is the leading provider of
business book summaries, with thousands
of titles covered. www.getabstract.com
Grand Rapids Ninety-seven Warner
Norcross & Judd LLP attorneys have
been rated as The Best Lawyers in
America 2015. Attorneys representing
more than 40 different practice areas were
selected for the peer-review award, which
denotes legal excellence in specific prac-
tice areas. Attorneys in each of the eight
Warner Norcross offices in Michigan were
included in the list.
announced Raj A. Malviya was selected
to serve a two-year term in Fellows
Program instituted by American Bar
Association Section of Real Property,
Trust and Estate Law.
announced the following attorneys were
selected by Michigan Super Lawyers
2014: Tony R. Comden, J. Scott Timmer,
and Robert D. Wolford. In addition,
five attorneys were recognized as Rising
Stars and three attorneys made
Michigan Top 100 list: Robert D. Brower,
David J. Gass, and Lauretta K. Murphy.
Ann Arbor Anna M. Budde joined
Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn,
LLP, as a Partner in its Intellectual
Property Department, with 20 years of
experience as a Patent Attorney, and 17
years as a Research Chemist.
Detroit Miller Canfield announced nine
of its attorneys were identified as leading
practitioner in their practice area by Best
Lawyers 2015: Ann Arbor - Thomas C.
O'Brien, and Joseph M. Fazio; Detroit -
Marjory G. Bas, Robert J. Hadda,
Megan P. Norri, David M. Thoms,
Amanda Van Duse.; and Grand Rapids -
Robert L. DeJong, and Thomas C.
Phillips.
Grand Rapids Smith Haughey Rice &
Roegge announced nineteen attorneys
were selected for inclusion in 2015 edi-
tion of The Best Lawyers in America.
Grand Rapids Mika Meyers Beckett &
Jones, PLC, announced twenty-two attor-
neys will be included in 2015 edition of
Best Lawyers in America.
9
Spectrum Industries: Functional and
Decorative Finishes
By Jane Whittington
Since 1979, Spectrum Industries
(formerly Spectrum Cubic, Inc.) has been
providing customers throughout North
America with metal finishing solutions.
With two manufacturing facilities in
Grand Rapids, one in Belding and anoth-
er in Kentucky, they offer both e-coating,
an electrodeposition paint system, and
decorative finishes using hydrographic
printing.
Jay Bassett started the company with
metal finishing services in 1979. In 1990,
decorative finishing services were added.
Today, Jays son Kevin leads Spectrum
Industries. For the most part, they service
the automotive industry. Of course, like so
many other companies in the area, the
recent recession saw a slow-down in
business, particularly since Spectrum was
so focused on the automotive industry.
However, according to Stephen Creasap,
Vice President of Sales and Marketing,
Our company is growing steadily, and we
are not only back to pre-recession levels
but well-positioned to continue our
growth.
Spectrums electrocoating or e-coat-
ing system applies a direct current charge
to a metal part which is immersed in a
bath of oppositely-charged paint particles.
The paint is drawn to the metal part and
creates an even film over the surface until
the coating reaches the desired thickness,
thus coating even complex parts with uni-
form paint thickness. This system pro-
vides a virtually corrosion-proof surface
and offers other advantages as well while
still maintaining efficiency and precision.
Despite its many advantages, it remains
cost competitive.
Creasap says, In our decorative fin-
ish facilities, our main process is called
hydrographic printing. Essentially, what
this means is that we float a film on water
and then submerge the part through the
film which is polyvinyl acetate, a rubbery
synthetic polymer. The film dissolves in
the water and attaches itself to the part.
The part is then given a top coat.
Hydrographic printing is a six step
process. The parts are first loaded to be
batch processed. They are then washed
and/or painted. The third step is the dry-
ing process. Next they are dipped and the
finish applied. They are then top coated.
Finally, they are hand-inspected prior to
being shipped.
According to Creasap, We have a
senior designer who works with design
studios in Detroit and California to devel-
op the designs. Its a collaborative process
between the designers and the companies
for whom we are finishing the part. It can
be a very long process, but when its
done, we have created exactly what our
customer wants.
He continues, We can reproduce on
our film virtually anything a designer
desires.
While the automotive industry cur-
rently comprises about 80 percent of their
business, Spectrum Industries also works
with the aerospace industry, healthcare
and some consumer goods. They are
working to diversify and bring new cus-
tomers into the mix.
In fact, one of the pieces now in the
production process is the housing for the
large televisions which will be part of the
first class seats on planes being manufac-
tured for the United Arab Emirates.
Creasap says, We use robotics in
many steps of the processes. Technology
is ever advancing, and we our technolo-
gies are state-of-the-art. Spectrum
Industries will continue to offer the best
that technology can provide.
One of the definitions of the word
spectrum is a condition that is not lim-
ited to a specific set of values but can vary
infinitely within a continuum. Spectrum
Industries offers that and more. Cutting-
edge technology, superior service, willing-
ness to work with customers to achieve
the bestthey have it all.
Rapids.
Construction Briefs
West Michigan - Signature Associates
has negotiated:
the sale of a 2,520 square foot retail
building located at 116 Lafayette Street,
Greenville, Michigan for the seller, The
Estate of William E. Jakubielski, and
the buyer, 107 S. Lafayette, LLC.
the sale of a 7,352 square foot office
building located at 3790 28th Street SW,
Grandville, Michigan for the seller,
Talmer Bank and Trust, and the buyer,
Langerak Enterprises, LLC.
the sale of 15.00 acres of multi-family
land located at 14841 168th Avenue,
Grand Haven, Michigan to HC Capital
Partners IV, LLC for the seller, Dennis
Vanderstelt & Janet Sherwood.
the lease of 2,153 square feet of office
space located at 201 Front Street SW,
Grand Rapids, Michigan for the landlord,
The Bicycle Factory, LLC, and the ten-
ant, Konica Minolta Business Systems.
space in an industrial building located at
5519 E. Cork Street, Kalamazoo,
Michigan for the landlord, Red Arrow
Properties, LLC and the tenant, NRJ
Group, LLC. NRJ Group handles the
bussing for the Head Start programs
space located at 17198 Van Wagoner
Road, Ferrysburg, Michigan for the land-
lord, Five Rams, LLC, and the tenant,
Scott Carroll Manuscripts & Rare
Books, Inc.
Grand Rapids CWD Real Estate
Investment signed on as Official Real
Estate Sponsor of ArtPrize 2014, and will
serve as hospitality center of ArtPrize in
the days leading up to the event at their
Ledyard Building location, 125 Ottawa
NW.
Holland Associated Builders and
Contractors West Michigan Chapter
recognized Elzinga & Volkers with a
Diamond level Safety Training and
Evaluation Process award with more
than 2,650 consecutive days without
any lost-time injuries.
Grand Rapids Sun Title announced it
was recognized on Inc. Magazines Inc
5000 list of fastest growing private com-
panies in the country after the compa-
nys remarkable 123% percent growth
rate over the past three years.
Grand Rapids Construction firm Owen
Ames Kimball announced addition of
Ryan Nugent as Estimator in their Pre-
Construction Department.
Holland Driesenga & Associates,
Inc., announced Collin DePrekel joined
as Staff Engineer in the firms Civil
Engineering Group.
Benton Harbor Wightman &
Associates, Inc., added: Brian Barber -
Survey Department;. Jeff Landers, PE -
Portage office; and Jamie Balkin -
Director of Marketing for their offices in
Benton Harbor, Allegan and Portage.
Grand Rapids Custer announced addi-
tion of members to their Architectural
Products division: Jack Smith, Project
Manager; Jeremy Hanson, Estimator;
Nate Darland, Installation Manager,
Donna Fernandes, Sales Associate and
Vince Salatino as Accountant,
Grand Rapids Custer announced a new
owner for its 3D rendering studio, Dart
Frog, who joins Dan Bockheim, previ-
ous Chief Operating Officer of Farm, a
Chicago-based 3D creative studio.
Grand Rapids Haworth, Inc.,
announced Interphase Interiors was
awarded national 2014 Best In Class
dealership for the third consecutive year.
Grand Rapids Progressive AE
announced Karl Kowalske, AIA, ACHA,
EDAC, LEED AP, NCARB, joined as
Healthcare Client Leader.
SPECIALIZING IN QUALITY ZINC BARREL PLATING
ISO 9001:2008 Certified
PROCESSES AVAILABLE AT DYNA-PLATE INC.
(Barrel Plating Lines Only)
TRIVALENT CHROMATES - AUTOMOTIVE APPROVED
ZINC WITHCLEAR CHROMATE(Flash - .0005 thickness)
ZINC WITHYELLOW CHROMATE (Flash - .0005 thickness)
ZINC WITHBLACK CHROMATE (.0001 - .0005 thickness)
DYE COLORS GREEN, RED &BLUE
BAKE FOR HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT
344 Mart SW Grand Rapids MI 49548
P: (616) 452-6763
F: (616) 452-6661
www.dynaplate.com
10
Grand Angels Continues Michigan Investments
with Three Regional Companies
Grand Rapids Grand Angels, a
Grand Rapids, Mich.-based investment
group, today announced its latest funding
commitments to three Michigan compa-
nies: Tetra Discover Partners, Ablative
Solutions, and Altus Brands.
Tetra Discovery Partners, a Grand
Rapids-based company, uses structure-
guided drug design to discover mechanis-
tically novel, allosteric inhibitors of phos-
phodiesterase 4 (PDE4). The Companys
research focuses on developing new treat-
ments for Alzheimers disease, mild cog-
nitive impairment, depression and trau-
matic brain injury. The funds from Grand
Angels will accelerate work at Tetra also
funded by the National Institutes of
Health (NIH).
Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich.,
Ablative Solutions technology involves
utilizing endovascular catheters to pro-
vide an efficacious, durable, cost-effective
and safe alternative to surgical renal den-
ervation for the treatment of hypertension
and other diseases caused by an overac-
tive sympathetic nervous system. CEO
and CMO Tim Fischell, MD, FACC, and
Vartan Ghazarossian, PhD, Ablatives
president and COO, have developed a safe
outpatient renal denervation process for
the treatment of high blood pressure that
eliminates the extremely painful burning
treatment currently in use. Ablative
Solutions treatment has been found to
quickly reduce pain and recovery time
while decreasing the need for long-term
medication. With this investment from
Grand Angels, Ablative will have raised
its B round goal of $12.5 million.
Grawn, Mich.-based Altus Brands
works with small to mid-sized companies
in the hunting, shooting and outdoor
market to unlock growth potential
through partnerships and acquisitions.
Typically, these plans include additional
capitalization, integration and leveraging
of established distribution channels, pro-
duction and administration. Altus is look-
ing to raise additional capital to purchase
another brand focused on the outdoor
industry.
Grand Angels is excited to be lead-
ing a follow-on round in Tetra and partic-
ipating in follow-on rounds in Ablative
Solutions and Altus Brands. In 2014, we
have invested more than $2 million in
eight companies, which is great progress
toward our goal of $2.3 million in 10
companies, said Jody Vanderwel, Grand
Angels President. Grand Angels contin-
ues to welcome new members and we are
always pleased to talk with people who
might be interested in investing in the
early stage space.
With this latest funding, Grand
Angels has invested more than $16 mil-
lion in 30 companies since its inception.
11
Industrial Briefs
Muskegon Solar24, introduced by
MAREC incubator client Energy
Partners, LLC - a device that collects
solar energy during daylight hours, stor-
ing it in a built-in, lithium-ion battery
pack that allows it to discharge energy
24 hours a day, unlike traditional solar
panels - developed a new, commercial-
scale version at Grand Valley State
Universitys Michigan Alternative and
Renewable Energy Center. The new
advanced version is matched with 300-
watt solar panels, and can support
portable solar-powered communication
systems in remote or isolated locations,
such as in emergency or disaster relief
situations.
Jenison Pleotint, LLC, announced its
Suntuitive glass received a 2014 Crystal
Achievement Award in the category of
Most Innovative Glazing Technology.
Grand Rapids U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency announced a
$60,000 urban waters grant to Calvin
College that will be used for restoration
work along two Grand River tributaries -
Rogue River and Plaster Creek. EPA also
announced a $150,000 environmental
education grant to Great Lakes Fishery
Trust to support Great Lakes
Stewardship Initiative programs at nine
regional hubs in Michigan including
Groundswell Center at Grand Valley State
University.
enison Pleotint, LLC, announced a dis-
tribution partnership with H Window
Company, Ashland, Wisconsin, enabling
H Window to incorporate Suntuitive glass
into its full window and door product
lines.
Grand Rapids Jeff Leeuw, former Vice
President of Steel and Precast for Lamar
Construction, Wade Walcott and
Douglas Coke, Jr., also both formerly
with Lamar Construction, formed a new
steel erection company - Legacy Steel -
with help of business partner Mike
VanGessel of Rockford Construction.
Battle Creek Marley Precision, manu-
factures and supplies direct fuel injection
components for the auto industry, is a
Japanese based company with a location
at Fort Custer Industrial Park, and has
expanded with a second location on Hill
Brady Road. The expansion resulted in
an estimated $3 million in personal and
real property investment.
Grand Rapids Columbian Logistics
Network Supervisor Brian Price and
Operations Manager Richard Schultz
are now Certified Food Defense
Coordinators through AIB, and are
responsible for the oversight of an orga-
nization's security plans and operations,
and prepare workers to handle inten-
tional contamination, workplace vio-
lence, and other crisis situations at facil-
ities.
Grand Rapids Scott Group Custom
Carpets, LLC, designer and producer of
luxury carpets and rugs for private avia-
tion and architectural-design markets,
acquired Texas-based Hokanson
Carpets, Inc., designer and producer of
custom rugs and carpets for prestigious
residences around the world. Scott oper-
ates a design and production facility in
Grand Rapids, which features a state-of-
the-art dye operation and mill where all
its products are produced. Eighteen
Hokanson employees will join the Scott
Group team, which added 20 new
employees during 2014, and plans to
add another 20 in the coming months.
Byron Center Inglass, an Italian-based
manufacturing corporation with existing
facilities in Italy and China, broke ground
this week on their first U. S. facility. The
new 45,000 sq. ft. facility, located at 920
74th Street SW, will be designed to accom-
modate future expansion, significant roof
windows for natural day lighting, and
thickened concrete floors. The projected
construction completion date is April
2015, and Owen-Ames-Kimball Co., will
provide architectural design and construc-
tion services along with engineering and
design partner Century A&E.
Grand Rapids Reliable Automation, a
tooling company, is expanding its manu-
facturing space by end of October 2014,
with plans to add up to five or more jobs.
The 28,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility
features two loading docks with levelers
and two oversize drive-in doors, 3,000 sq.
ft. of office space, a two-ton crane over the
drive-thru bay for unloading raw materi-
als, and room to expand on their 3.5 acre
site.
Holland The Stow Company Inc.,
leader in custom home storage and orga-
nizational products, announced appoint-
ment of Sharon Swendner as Vice
President of Marketing and
Communications.
Grand Rapids American Seating
announced Kurt Hillary, former Director
of Operations at X-Rite, as Vice
President of Operations, and Allen Fox
as Vice President of Engineering and
Product Development.
Big Rapids Kurt Hofman, Vice President
at IRCO Automation, Inc. in Burlington,
Ontario, Canada, and Executive Vice
President at RoMan Manufacturing Inc.
in Grand Rapids, accepted an appointment
to serve on Ferris State Universitys
Foundation Board of Directors. Hofman
earned his Associate in Applied Science in
Welding Engineering Technology in 1983
from Ferris.
Saginaw Stevens Worldwide Van
Lines welcomed Lisa Beranich as
Managing Director of its International
Division.
Grand Rapids Regional economic
development organization The Right
Place, Inc., along with Michigan
Economic Development Corp. and local
partners, announced two West Michigan
economic development projects that will
bring nearly 1,000 new jobs and $169
million to the cities of Greenville and
Walker. Dicastal North America is a new
North American business entity created
by Chinese-based CiTiC Dicastal Co.,
Ltd., which plans to open a new alu-
minum alloy wheel manufacturing plant
on the campus of the former Uni-Solar
development in Greenville, and expects
to be operational in late 2015. Signature
Associates | Cushman & Wakefield led
the real estate transaction for the project.
Got Stainless?
or Brass, Steel, or Zinc?
Let us finish it!
- Electropolish
- Polish & Buff
- Vibratory Finish
- Chrome Flash
- Copper/Nickel/Chrome Plate
- Passivation
Have you seen our new
chrome plated fashion finishes?
Totally Automated Processing
Leaders in Metal Plating Technology
2020 Nelson SE PO Box 7505
Grand Rapids, MI 49510-7505
Ph (888) 372-2913 (616) 245-1228
Fax (616) 245-0039
www.masterfinishco.com
12
Grand Rapids Whitewater Releases Findings
of Economic Impact Study
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids
Whitewater today announced findings of
the Economic Benefits of the Grand
Rapids Whitewater Project, a study
focused on the potential for expanded
economic activity directly related to the
restoration of a 2.2 mile stretch of the
Grand River through downtown Grand
Rapids. The study, conducted by
Anderson Economic Group and commis-
sioned by Grand Rapids Whitewater, esti-
mates that expanded recreational use of
the river and riverfront will stimulate net
new economic impact of $15.9 million to
$19.1 million per year.
This estimate takes into consideration
new and enhanced tourism associated with
recreational activity such as kayaking, fish-
ing, rafting, stand-up paddling, wading and
other forms of water and riverfront recre-
ation. The estimates comprise net new visi-
tor spending and new earnings for the
Grand Rapids workforce.
The estimated direct economic impact
associated with recreational activity, alone,
is tremendous, said Dr. Paul Isely, chair of
the economics department at Grand Valley
State University. Isely described the find-
ings of the report at a riverside event this
morning. I expect the impact will be larger
once you factor in the potential for new
riverfront real estate development,
improved land use, and business and talent
attraction that come when a community
enhances and maintains its natural
resources and quality of life.
In May 2013, the Grand River was
added to the Urban Waters Federal
Partnership, and in November of last year,
the full scope of the Grand River restora-
tion concept plan was revealed, including:
Removal of five dams between 6th
and Pearl Streets to allow safe navigation
of the river, restoration of the natural 18-
foot drop in river elevation along a 2-mile
stretch and exposure of a limestone shelf
that will increase lake sturgeon and other
native fish spawning habitats
Re-creating the boulder strewn
rapids below the 6th Street dam
Installation of an effective sea lam-
prey barrier that will also allow for regu-
lation of upstream flows and provide bet-
ter river conditions for rowing events
After being awarded the Urban
Waters Federal Partnership and releasing
the preliminary restoration plan last fall,
commissioning the AEG study was the
natural next step in moving this project
forward, explained Chris Muller, co-
founder of Grand Rapids Whitewater. We
needed to demonstrate the viability of this
project to our partners, members of the
community, and funders. This report does
that and lays the groundwork for addi-
tional economic impact studies the City is
conducting in conjunction with the broad-
er Downtown Plan and River Corridor
Plan, which will focus on development on
the banks of the river corridor.
The GRWW report conservatively
estimates that taxable values of river-
front properties in the immediate area
could increase by $117.7 million and the
project could generate new development
investment of $285 million and 1,520
related jobs.
Acknowledging the role healthy
ecosystems play in human welfare and a
thriving economy, Isely and other experts
endorsed the findings of the AEG report
and pointed to an expanded suite of ben-
efits other Great Lakes communities have
realized as the result of investments in
water restoration projects.
The results of this study are a local
reflection of what we have seen through-
out the Great Lakes Regionnamely, that
environmental restoration is economic
restoration, said Todd Ambs, Healing
Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition cam-
paign director and former president of the
national conservation group River
Network. In fact, in 2007, the Healing
Our Waters Coalition collaborated with the
Brookings Institution on a report finding
that every $1 invested in Great Lakes
restoration produced at least $2 in eco-
nomic benefit. Since then, over 2000 proj-
ects funded by the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative have cleaned up
toxic hot spots, restored habitat and pro-
vided an economic shot in the arm for
hundreds of communities.
Ambs is in town for the 10th Annual
Healing Our Waters Great Lakes
Restoration Conference, which was
founded ten years ago by Peter Wege and
which returns to Grand Rapids this week.
Similar benefits are expected in
Grand Rapids. The AEG report concludes
that the restoration and enhanced aes-
thetics of the river and riverfront will gen-
erate additional economic benefits that
are difficult to precisely quantify, includ-
ing business and talent attraction and
retention, enhanced quality-of-life and
long-term environmental impacts. By
opening the river to more and safer recre-
ational activities, the Grand River restora-
tion project will also help connect under-
served communities to the river and to a
vibrant downtown district.
To say that the City of Grand Rapids
is an enthusiastic partner in the Grand
Rapids Whitewater project would be an
understatement, said Mayor George K.
Heartwell, speaking to the group of busi-
ness and community leaders and GRWW
supporters. As the Grand Rapids
Whitewater project, the River Corridor Plan,
and the Downtown Plan converge, we will
be engaged in a catalytic initiative that will
transform our city and our region.
The idea of restoring the rapids to
the Grand River grew out of the Green
Grand Rapids Master Plan adopted by the
City Commission in November 2011. This
past March, the City Commission estab-
lished the Grand River Restoration
Steering Committee to coordinate restora-
tion of the Grand River and riverbank
development. In June of this year, the City
Commission unanimously adopted a reso-
lution supporting the efforts of Grand
Rapids Whitewater to restore the historic
rapids on the Grand River in downtown
Grand Rapids.
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family
Foundation, the Frey Foundation, and the
Wege Foundation underwrote the cost of
the AEG study. Additional GRWW project
funding has been generously provided by
many others including Dick and Betsy
DeVos Family Foundation, Downtown
Grand Rapids Inc., the Dyer-Ives
Foundation, Founders Brewing Company,
the Frey Foundation, Grand Valley Metro
Council, Healing our Waters-Great Lakes
Coalition, the VanderWeide Family
Foundation, and the Wege Foundation.

Commercial Alliance of Realtors Reports Good News
By Jane Whittington
Since 2006, the Commercial Alliance
of Realtors (CAR), under the umbrella of
the National Association of Realtors, has
supplied technology, information, advoca-
cy, collaboration and education to its
members throughout West Michigan. The
Alliance, comprised of realtors who spe-
cialize in commercial properties, provides
its members with a sophisticated, multi-
ple-listing service (MLS) of over 7,000
available listings including commercial,
industrial, office, retail, vacant land,
investment real estate, build-to-suit and
business opportunities.
According to Executive Director Shari
Veldman, A good majority of commercial
realtors are part of CAR, particularly in the
eight counties around Grand Rapids. We
have members from 12 counties and listings
from 16. Theres another office in Brighton
which serves that side of the state.
She continues, Before 2006 and as
far back as the 40s, there was a commer-
cial real estate committee as part of the
Grand Rapids Association of Realtors. As
the commercial group got stronger, they
wanted to become their own entity.
Members pay a fee to join the group and
are then eligible for all of our services.
CAR sponsors a number of events
throughout the year. On September 10,
there was a Commercial Realtor Day in
Lansing where members met with legisla-
tors to discuss commercial real estate
issues. On October 1 and 2, they will par-
ticipate in the Michigan Realtor
Convention and the West Michigan
Summit, which will be held in Grand
Rapids. Also offered will be traditional
continuing education, this year on
October 29th in Grand Rapids. In the
summer, CAR sponsors a golf outing for
its members.
A ten-member Board of Directors
meets monthly to oversee and guide the
organization.
According to Veldman, During the
recession, we experienced less of a decline
than many organizations in Michigan.
Now that the economy is recovering, our
numbers are better than ever. We antici-
pate continued growth. We may, in fact,
be on the verge of a new construction
boom. With manufacturing inventory at
an all-time low, companies looking to
expand are revisiting the possibility of
building. However, there are still great
possibilities in existing buildings.
CARs 2014 Market Review offers
good news. Some highlights include:
Market activity remains high as
the buildings that remain available have
good activity and are selling.
Sales dollar volume for the first
half of 2014 was $40,234,735 compared
to $21,773,500 in 2013, representing an
increase of nearly 85 percent.
Lease rates are catching up to
pre-recession numbers. West Michigan
appears to be trending ahead of the rest of
the country in its manufacturing growth
and job creation potential.
The number of office space leas-
es increased 11.5 percent over the same
period in 2013 with the number of sale
transactions up 45 percent. The market
continues to steadily improve in both the
downtown and suburban sectors.
The downtown office market
lease rates are trending upward.
Buildings formerly considered
office space continue to be converted to
residential.
The number of retail sale trans-
actions increased by 4.25 percent in the
first half of 2014.
Market conditions continue to
improve, particularly in prime retail corri-
dors like East Beltline, 28th Street and
Grandville/Rivertown.
Downtown retail space contin-
ues to focus on entertainment.
Veldman reports that along the
Lakeshore, the commercial real estate
market is robust, and Muskegon, Grand
Haven and Holland show growth similar
to what has been reported for Grand
Rapids.
Good news is always welcome, and
the CAR is indeed part of the trend toward
an improving economy and a flourishing
community.
Rapids.
13
Construction Briefs
Ann Arbor Hobbs + Black Architects
announced the following promotions:
Dennis McGowan to Associate Vice
President; Tom Dillenbeck, AIA to
Associate Vice President; Thomas
Chasty, AIA, NCARB to Associate Vice
President; Claude Faro, RA, LEED AP
BD+C to Senior Associate; and Carolyn
Corbett and Richard Keuneke to
Associates.
Grand Rapids/Lansing/Kalamazoo/Novi
Board of Directors of Fishbeck,
Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc.,
announced the following promotions:
Senior Construction Manager Cheryl J.
Marion, PE; Senior Estimator Mike A.
Alsgaard, CPE; Senior Geologist Bradley
D. Peuler, CPG; Senior Programmer
Joseph J. Peckham; and Senior Engineers
Stephanie L. Dodds, PE; Gary W. Louis,
PE; Ted S. Perron, PE; Kyle M. Shaver,
PE; and Brian D. Phillips, PE.
Grand Rapids Custer announced addi-
tion of Micah Dingman to its sales team
as Sales Trainee.
Lansing C2AE announced the following
individuals as new 2014 shareholders:
Cory Davis, Project Manager and
Professional Engineer; Chuck Lawson,
Project Manager, Construction
Administrator, and Professional
Engineer; and Kelly Homic, Project
Manager and Registered Architect. C2AE
also announced the following individuals
increased their share ownership in 2014:
Roger Marks, Director of Transportation
and Professional Engineer; and Adam
Falkowski, Project Manager, QA/QC
Manager, and Professional Engineer.
Battle Creek Waterland Properties,
owner/developer of Commerce Pointe, has
a new tenant - Integrated Health
Partners, a partnership organization of a
physician learning collaborative model
between Bronson Battle Creek and Calhoun
County Physicians Organization, Inc.
Holland Driesenga & Associates, Inc.,
announced Josh Ferber, E.I. joined as
Civil/Survey CAD Technician in the firms
Civil Engineering/Survey Group.
Tami VandenBerg: Business Owner, Activist
By Jane Whittington
Tami VandenBerg and her brother Jeff
never really intended to become business
owners, but they have not only become suc-
cessful entrepreneurs, theyve managed to
combine their business with art, activism
and a commitment to their community.
Tami was born and raised in
Wyoming, part of what she calls a frugal
Dutch family. She went on to major in
English Literature at Calvin College, a
course of study she credits for giving her
insights into, as she says, people around
the world, how they live, what they value
and how they interact with one another.
After graduation, Tami chose to stay
in Grand Rapids and quickly became
involved in housing issues (especially
around homelessness) and neighborhood
organizing. A long-time resident of East
Town, she works tirelessly for Grand
Rapids and its citizens. Over the course
of her work for the welfare of the people
who make Grand Rapids their home, she
has worked with the Salvation Army;
Community Rebuilders; Mel Trotter; the
Department of Housing and Urban
Development; the Red Project, which
focuses on improving health, reducing
risk, and preventing HIV; and Well House
which provides safe, affordable housing
to the homeless. In fact, Tami now serves
as Executive Director at Well House as it
continues its important work of solving
the problem of homelessness. She also
serves on the Mayors Gun Policy Task
Force, is a member of Cure Violence and is
the co-founder of Ladyfest, an annual
showcase of women musicians and artists
in the area.
Tami and her brother, Jeff, a local
artist, were looking for a community
space for art, music and activism. Two
Stans, on the corner of Wealthy and
Diamond, had been a bar for about forty
years but had been vacant and neglected
for the past five.
Tami says, When we walked into
that building, we saw that it was in really
rough shape, but it had a lot of beautiful
history to it. When we saw the facility
itself, we both thought it really should
stay a bar. In one shape or form, it had
been part of the neighborhood for over
100 years. Even though neither my broth-
er nor I had experience in business, we
decided to take it on. We bought the
building in 2002, and it took us five years
before we were ready to open.
In preparation for this new venture,
Tami signed up for classes with GROW,
Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women,
which helped her develop a business
plan and learn what it takes to be an
entrepreneur.
As Tami says, It was an epic jour-
ney! As we got into it, we realized that the
building was in much worse shape than
we originally thought. Eventually we sold
the building to Mark Sellers of Barfly
Ventures but kept the business.
When Meanwhile Bar opened in 2007,
it took off right away. Tami says, There
was a need for a friendly neighborhood bar
in the area, and we met that need!
Meanwhile Bar, with a capacity
inside for over 150 as well as outdoor
seating, features local artists who are
invited to display their work in the bar.
The dcor is idiosyncratic and distinctive
with an urban vibe. Definitely local
first, 15 of the 16 beers on tap that they
sell are Michigan made.
Four to six times a year, the bar
hosts fund-raisers for local causes includ-
ing Well House, Bloom Collective, animal
welfare groups and the Red Project,
among others. They also sponsor
Meanwhile Movies every Tuesday night at
Wealthy Theatre. The movies include
those that are family-friendly as well as
cult favorites and thrillers.
However, the siblings still wanted a
music venue and began looking around
for another location. Eventually, they
happened upon a downtown bar that used
to be known as Maxies which had been
closed for ten years. And the process
started again! The building was rotted
and full of mold, but they worked hard to
bring it back to life and opened The
Pyramid Scheme on Commerce in 2011. A
much larger venue with a different focus,
Pyramid Scheme brings in musicians from
every genre, heavy metal to country to
rock. They also sponsor fundraisers there.
Again, Sellers has purchased the building
while Tami and Jeff run the business.
They specifically chose the Heartside
District as the home for their business,
delighting in the diversity and interaction
of the area.
Tami says, Booking musicians and
planning live events is a difficult business.
Theres a steep learning curve. But weve
hit our stride, and were doing well.
As if running a couple of businesses,
working at a social service agency and
putting in countless hours of volunteering
isnt enough, Tami also homeschools her
eight-year-old daughter, Sylvia.
Tami says that the support of the
community has been essential in making
both Meanwhile Bar and Pyramid Scheme
successful. And she has certainly, in turn,
supported the community in ways large
and small. That isnt likely to change.
Rapids.
GVSU-WMU survey shows family businesses
serve as ballast for economy
Grand Rapids - Family-owned busi-
ness leaders in West Michigan are com-
mitted to the state, with more than 90
percent producing products and services
within the state, according to survey
results released by Grand Valley State
University and Western Michigan
University.
The Family Owned Business Institute
in the Seidman College of Business at
Grand Valley and the Haworth College of
Business at Western Michigan University
launched a study in 2013 to explore the
magnitude of family-owned businesses in
the region.
Of the 690 family businesses in the
database, 156 completed the survey for a
23 percent response rate. The survey can
be found at http://gvsu.edu/fobi/survey.
The role family-owned businesses
play in the local economy is starting to
emerge, said Joseph Horak, director of
the Family Owned Business Institute at
Grand Valley. They are more risk averse,
take on less debt and have a longer-term
focus. While they may not be as highly
profitable during an economic upswing,
when the economy has a downturn, fam-
ily businesses actually serve as ballast in
our local economy.
Significant findings include:
The survey found that when antic-
ipating reduced earnings, family-owned
businesses indicated they would be most
likely to reduce distributions to owners
(86 percent) and/or reduce salaries to
family members (58 percent) before they
would consider laying off an employee.
Layoffs were considered an absolute last
resort. One respondent said, We would
not jump to layoffs without doing many
things with our staff first cutting
hours, reducing wages or benefits.
Family businesses provide an important
buffer during an economic downturn in
comparison to publicly traded companies.
Typically only 30 percent of family-
owned businesses survive into the second
generation, while only 12 percent of fam-
ily-owned businesses make it to the 3rd
generation, and less than 5 percent make
it to the 4th generation. Fifteen percent of
the businesses surveyed were in the 3rd
generation of ownership, and 11 percent
were in the fourth. These higher numbers
suggest a strong commitment of business
families to maintaining the legacy of fam-
ily-owned businesses in West Michigan.
Family businesses in West Michigan are
clearly beating these odds.
Only about 20 percent of family-
owned businesses have a formal, written
succession plan in place. While this lack
of formal planning is not unusual among
family-owned businesses, it is concern-
ing. The highest priorities of survey
respondents in terms of succession plan-
ning were stability of the firm and
presence of a competent successor.
Survey findings highlight the need
for future programs and workshops for
family-owned businesses in the areas of
succession planning, emergency succes-
sion planning, and estate planning. One
of the outcomes of this research is an
effort to begin providing some of these
tools in an effort to help support the long-
term prospects of the local family busi-
nesses.
Surveys were sent to family-owned
businesses in 28 counties on the west
side of the state, including Allegan,
Antrim, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Cass,
Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse,
Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake,
Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta,
Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon,
Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, St.
Joseph, Van Buren, Wexford.
Curbside Trash & Waste Services:
Trash Cart Yard Waste Cart Recycle Cart
866-669 2047 Jenison, Michigan
14
Communication & IT
15
Lost and Stolen Technology
More Than Just a Hacker Away
Its amazing that a significant
amount of breached data and lost con-
sumer information is not done through
hacking. Its because people loss their
laptops, thumb drives and smart phone.
It is also the result of stolen computers
and hard drives. Don't believe it? Check
out www.privacyrights.org.
So what can be done? Well for
starters, try making it very difficult for
someone to get to any data if they find or
steal your technology. Sounds simple
right?
Let's begin with the basics.....
Cell phones, specifically smart
phones, should always, ALWAYS be
setup to require a pass code to gain
access to the device. A pass code is a
PIN number, configured by the user, to
secure the contents of the smartphone if
it falls into the wrong hands. Some
newer models provide biometric locks
that require a fingerprint to unlock the
phone. At least one of these features
should be enabled to lock your smart
phone after several minutes. Currently,
most configurations can be setup to
"wipe" the phone if an incorrect pass
code (or PIN number) is entered too
many times.
Enabling location services and
remote wipe options are also important.
If your phone is lost or stolen, these
options provide you with the potential to
locate the device on a map. You can
often send a message to the phone such
as "Hey, you have my phone! Call me at
867-5309 to return it. - Jenny". Ok, that
might be a bad joke, and completely
wasted on anyone younger than 30, but
Google it if you are curious.
Hint, this option works great if
youve lost your teenager (who will
always have their cell phone on them).
What about a Laptop? How do you
keep this type of device secured from
prying eyes?
Laptops containing critical data
should always be configured with some
form of pre-boot encryption. This
process provides a high level of data
encryption, independent of the Operating
System. This is important because in
many cases, a laptop is not stolen for the
laptop, it is stolen to get to the hard drive.
Removing the hard drive from the stolen
laptop and attaching it to the Bad Guys
computer will often yield access to all the
data. Pre-boot encryption stops this capa-
bility.
The data on your laptop is not
secured with the use of a login password
only. You need to take additional steps
to assure that your important data does
not fall into the wrong hands.
You should also keep in mind that
encryption is necessary for thumb drives
also. Please know that deleting files
from a thumb drive do not make them
disappear entirely. Most files can be
recovered using very simple tools. But if
the device is encrypted, you can usually
protect yourself from this issue as well.
Want to find your laptop if it is lost
or stolen? There are services for this.
Google Lojack for laptops. You can
purchase the software and services to
help recover your PC. The service can
lock, delete and recover the device using
the help of law enforcement all for
about 30 bucks a year.
Anyway, use the technology to your
advantage. Protect yourself and your
ability to recover what is rightfully
yours.
Scott Montgomery joined OST in the
spring of 2009 as the Manager of the
OST Security Practice. Scott has a Degree
in Computer Information Service from
Ferris State University. Scott's articles
and quotes often appear in trade publi-
cations and he is regularly invited to
speak publicly about Computer Security,
Identify Theft and Technology Trends.
Communications & IT
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids
Community Media Center announced AJ
Paschka, former Exhibitions Curator at
UICA, accepted a position as new station
manager for community radio station
WYCE.
Grand Rapids KR Group, Inc. is launch-
ing a campaign to help manufacturing
companies make the transition to Cloud
with complimentary Cloud Readiness
Assessments.
Grand Rapids i3 Business Solutions
received recognition as one of only eight
partners in the Heartland region to be
nominated for Partner of the Year Award
at Microsoft Worldwide Partner
Conference 2014, for exhibiting a 279%
year-over-year growth for sales of
Microsoft products and services.
Muskegon NeXt I.T. announced it was
named to 2014 CRN Next-Gen 250 List
for meeting market demands in emerging
technologies such as unified communica-
tions, managed services, virtualization,
and cloud computing.
Grand Rapids KR Group, Inc.,
announced it was named to 2014 CRN
Next-Gen 250 List for meeting market
demands in emerging technologies such as
unified communications, managed servic-
es, virtualization, and cloud computing.
Grand Rapids Booking.com, an online
hotel reservations agency, committed to a
10-year lease at 4147 Eastern, Wyoming,
utilizing the entire building for its
expanding customer service contact cen-
ter that has grown 300% since its 2008
opening.
Grand Rapids Lambert, Edwards &
Associates, a public relations agency and
public affairs firm, announced addition of
Matt Magee as Director in Financial
Communications Practice, and Blair
Badge as Associate on their Digital team.
Grand Rapids Gannett-owned ABC affil-
iate WZZM 13 announced it is partnering
with Cumulus Muskegon radio stations
to provide local weather information to
the following stations: WLCS 98.3 Classic
Hits; WWSN 97.5 Sunny FM; WVIB 100.1
Urban Adult Contemporary; WKLQ 1490
Big Talk; and NASH Icon 92.5 Country
(WLAW The Outlaw).
Grand Rapids Outside Sales
Professionals Melissa Kinstner and Ben
Navarro from FASTSIGNS received
Bronze Sales Awards.
Grand Rapids WOOD TV8 announced
hiring Ellen Bacca as Storm Team 8s
newest Meteorologist.

Untitled

Transféré par

Informations du document

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Untitled

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Business

all rights reserved. No portion can be repro-

is not responsible for the opinions expressed by

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi