MiBiz - MiBiz: West Michigan Business News

Huron Capital taps former Herman Miller CEO as partner
Former Herman Miller Inc. President and CEO Brian Walker joined Detroit-based private equity firm Huron Capital as a partner in charge of strategic leadership for…
Mercantile Bank posts strong earnings and loan growth for fourth quarter
Mercantile Bank Corp. recorded strong earnings and loan growth to end 2018, a trend executives expect should continue into 2019.
GVSU names Philomena Mantella as next president
Trustees at Grand Valley State University today named Philomena Mantella as its next president.
Energy consultant Foresight Management acquires Grand Rapids-based energy engineering firm
Foresight Management has acquired Grand Rapids-based Building Performance Team Inc., expanding the company’s in-house services in energy modeling and building commissioning.
Grand Rapids investment group buys East Fulton building for $1.1 million
A corner commercial building along the East Fulton Street corridor in Grand Rapids is under new ownership.

Buell motorcycle brand revives production in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS — The executives behind an iconic American superbike brand are breathing new life into the company and relaunching “boutique” motorcycle production in West Michigan. By establishing low-volume production of EBR Motorcycles in Grand Rapids, owner Bill Melvin hopes to bring sustainability to the company founded by famed motorcycle racer Erik Buell some 35 years ago.

Huron Capital taps former Herman Miller CEO as partner
Former Herman Miller Inc. President and CEO Brian Walker joined Detroit-based private equity firm Huron Capital as a partner in charge of strategic leadership for…
Mercantile Bank posts strong earnings and loan growth for fourth quarter
Mercantile Bank Corp. recorded strong earnings and loan growth to end 2018, a trend executives expect should continue into 2019.
GVSU names Philomena Mantella as next president
Trustees at Grand Valley State University today named Philomena Mantella as its next president.
Energy consultant Foresight Management acquires Grand Rapids-based energy engineering firm
Foresight Management has acquired Grand Rapids-based Building Performance Team Inc., expanding the company’s in-house services in energy modeling and building commissioning.
Grand Rapids investment group buys East Fulton building for $1.1 million
A corner commercial building along the East Fulton Street corridor in Grand Rapids is under new ownership.

Small businesses join call for civil forfeiture reform
The state chapter of a small business advocacy group is among the supporters of a bipartisan bill package introduced this month to reform the way law enforcement seizes property from…
Muskegon DDA to step up downtown efforts
MUSKEGON — While development took off in Muskegon’s downtown in recent years, the city’s Downtown Development Authority mostly sat on the sidelines as it paid off bonds on the old Muskegon…

FINDING MOMENTUM: The Rapid secures nearly $1 million to study ways to spur growth along Silver Line route
A new effort aims to find ways to kickstart economic growth along The Rapid’s Silver Line bus route from Grand Rapids though southern Kent County.
‘MIXED BAG’: Tax reform law brings uncertainty as IRS sorts through rulemaking process
The federal tax reform Congress enacted at the end of 2017 comes with significant complexity that tax professionals say they’re still sorting through as the 2019 tax season begins. For the…

Affordable housing developers face delays with ‘oversubscribed’ LIHTC funding
GRAND RAPIDS — Developers relied on low-income tax credits to add nearly 2,000 units of affordable housing in the city over the last five years. While the credits provide key gap…

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: AMA report again cites Michigan’s non-competitive insurance market
Lost in my inbox during the year-end shuffle was an item serving as a reminder that despite massive changes occurring in the industry, one steady constant remains in Michigan’s health…

MiBiz Growth Report: Jan. 21, 2019
Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for Jan. 21, 2019.

After latest acquisition, Riveridge to represent half of Michigan’s fresh apple market
SPARTA — Riveridge Produce Marketing Inc., the largest supplier of Michigan apples, has acquired the sales operation of Sparta-based Jack Brown Produce Inc.

SAF-Holland acquires supplier of tire pressure management systems
Heavy truck industry supplier SAF-Holland Inc. has acquired a majority stake in a company that manufactures automatic tire pressure management systems.

State utility regulators seek to address backlog in solar development
The Michigan Public Service Commission has started what could be a two-year process to govern how renewable energy projects are connected to the electric grid. The plan to make new interconnection…

Allegiant Air announces $42.8 million base at Grand Rapids airport
Allegiant Travel Co. is expanding its footprint at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport with the opening of a $42.8 million base.

Backed by Wege Foundation grant, GREEN aims to get all GRPS students into nature
GRAND RAPIDS — A new initiative funded with a $300,000 grant from the Wege Foundation wants to develop environmentally-conscious human beings at a young age. The aim for the Grand Rapids…

Employers value culture as key to talent attraction, survey finds
Culture trumps salary in the race for talent nowadays. That’s the shift Dave Smith has seen the last few years among employers in West Michigan as unemployment rates steadily declined and…

Small business owners see benefits from pass-through deduction, flat tax rate
The recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act purported to simplify tax structures, rates and exemptions, but accountants say small businesses face plenty of nuances depending on their size, structure and…