The 2013 Mackinac Policy Conference kicks off Wednesday. Some 1,300 business and political leaders from Southeast Michigan and across the state will descend on Mackinac Island for the annual Detroit Regional Chamber event, which features in-depth discussions on important issues for the Michigan's business community, ranging from the economy and education to leadership and global competitiveness.

A fledgling movement to diversify Native American economies is playing out in Southwest Michigan as the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi starts to acquire a portfolio of companies, including manufacturers like Accu-Mold.

When a career fair turned into a $10,000 disappointment, Jonathan DeWys could have walked away chagrined and started whining that the lack of skilled workers was hampering his company’s opportunities for growth.

Failure has been a catalyst in Rick DeVos’ evolution as an entrepreneur. With his $15 million Start Garden fund, he hopes to help fledgling entrepreneurs overcome their risk aversion and create the next generation of wealth-creating companies in West Michigan.

After a series of delays and an investigation into how the company spent federal stimulus funds, one major West Michigan advanced battery manufacturer says it is set to begin production later this year.

When Jack Nyenhuis decided to sell his prototyping and engineering company, he didn’t set out to be the prototypical example of how an acquisition is done.

Maybe the analysts were right.

GRAND RAPIDS — As Fox Motors expands into Chicago with a new Ford Lincoln store, the Grand Rapids-based dealership group is bringing along another West Michigan company to help build its first out-of-state dealership.

GRAND RAPIDS — The doctor has spoken: Today’s automobiles need to go on a diet.