MiBiz

Municipalities hope for legislation on dark-store loophole
When Meijer Inc. last month nearly halved the taxable value of its 195,000-square-foot store in Marquette just a year after it opened, the move set…
BROKEN SYSTEM: Historic underinvestment in communities of color is root of uptick in gun violence, Grand Rapids leaders say
Five weeks before a pair of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio rocked the nation, community leaders in Grand Rapids held a…
AUTOMOTIVE ROUNDTABLE: West Michigan automotive suppliers stay steady, despite uncertainties
A decade into the economic recovery, the region’s automotive suppliers continue to ride the wave of vehicle sales volume in the North Amercian and global auto…
Expect waves, not ripples, from Michigan’s cannabis industry
Don’t expect Michigan’s burgeoning cannabis sector to be a repeat of the state’s booming craft beer business.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: How employers can fix our broken health-care system
Beneath all of the recent attention-grabbing issues such as escalating pharmaceutical prices, hospital pricing and surprise billing, there lurks what Ken Thorpe says is the…

HIGHER ED: Michigan colleges prepare students for influx of cannabis careers

As students head off to college this fall, some of them in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will be blazing a trail when it comes to new fields of study: growing and testing hemp and learning how to lead a cannabis business.

Municipalities hope for legislation on dark-store loophole
When Meijer Inc. last month nearly halved the taxable value of its 195,000-square-foot store in Marquette just a year after it opened, the move set…
BROKEN SYSTEM: Historic underinvestment in communities of color is root of uptick in gun violence, Grand Rapids leaders say
Five weeks before a pair of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio rocked the nation, community leaders in Grand Rapids held a…
AUTOMOTIVE ROUNDTABLE: West Michigan automotive suppliers stay steady, despite uncertainties
A decade into the economic recovery, the region’s automotive suppliers continue to ride the wave of vehicle sales volume in the North Amercian and global auto…
Expect waves, not ripples, from Michigan’s cannabis industry
Don’t expect Michigan’s burgeoning cannabis sector to be a repeat of the state’s booming craft beer business.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: How employers can fix our broken health-care system
Beneath all of the recent attention-grabbing issues such as escalating pharmaceutical prices, hospital pricing and surprise billing, there lurks what Ken Thorpe says is the…

The autonomous promise
Self-driving shuttles may be traveling through downtown Grand Rapids these days, but automakers say broad acceptance for autonomous, connected, electric and shared vehicles will take more patience.
Vail Rubber Works rolls into the future with new $8.3M facility
From rubber horseshoes to roll-covers for paper, metal and other industries, Vail Rubber Works Inc. has been steadily serving supply chains in West Michigan for more than a century.

Density isn’t only affordable housing solution, advocates say
GRAND RAPIDS — Within three days of opening applications, 500 people applied to live in the new Garfield Park Lofts’ 36 units of affordable housing.
Grand River Bank expands with east side location in GR
GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP — Grand River Bank plans to open a new office on the east side of Grand Rapids by the middle of next year.

REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT: Developers see opportunities with incoming marijuana companies
For a decade, mixed-used and industrial property developments have fueled West Michigan’s building boom. Now, we may be seeing the dawn of a cannabis construction era.

HEALTH CARE: Medical groups work to keep public informed of marijuana’s effect on health
As the state begins to implement new laws allowing adult recreational marijuana use, the Michigan State Medical Society wants a voice in the process.

BANKING: Banks and credit unions wait for federal law to become more cannabis-friendly
The legalization of cannabis in Michigan offers an emerging economic sector for banks and credit unions, but only if Congress enacts legislation to change existing federal law and allow them…

Fatal grain elevator incidents a stark reminder to region’s farmers
The death count from frightful incidents involving enclosed grain elevators is on the rise — a stark reminder to West Michigan’s agricultural industry of the dangers of grain handling.

CAR MEETINGS: As demand shrinks, auto suppliers need to ramp up innovation, agility
ACME — After a decade of bullish outlooks, automotive suppliers need to buckle up for a period of upcoming disruptions.

ENERGY: Environmental groups and utilities brace for energy-intensive cannabis operations
Michigan has had its share of blackouts and brownouts over the years. Could “greenouts” be on the horizon?

INDIAN COUNTRY: Tribes grapple with how to approach cannabis economically, legally
Native American tribes that want to participate in Michigan’s fledgling cannabis industry face many bureaucratic hurdles.

Q&A: Joe Sobieralski, president & CEO, Battle Creek Unlimited
Just over three years ago, Joe Sobieralski was hired as the President and CEO of Battle Creek Unlimited. Sobieralski joined BCU in 2015 as vice president and was then appointed…

DEVELOPING AN INDUSTRY: Companies race to supply Michigan’s fledgling cannabis industry, yet avoid the spotlight
West Michigan businesses are building strategies to accommodate and support the grand opening of the state’s new billion-dollar cannabis industry, although many still crowd behind a self-imposed shroud of secrecy.