MiBiz

Herbruck Poultry Ranch reaches $93K settlement in EEOC lawsuit
Egg producer Herbruck Poultry Ranch Inc. will pay $93,000 to settle a disability harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Wolverine agrees to $69.5 million PFAS settlement with Plainfield, Algoma townships
Plainfield and Algoma townships have reached a tentative $69.5 million settlement in the case filed by the state of Michigan against Rockford-based Wolverine World Wide…
Suburban Inns acquires CityFlats Hotel in Holland
HOLLAND — Suburban Inns, an owner and operator of hotels across Michigan, has acquired CityFlats Hotel in Holland from an affiliate of Zeeland-based Charter House…
5 notable construction projects from West Michigan
Contractors are capping off another busy year for developments across West Michigan. From the largest mixed-use project in downtown Grand Rapids history, to new modern buildings…
Michigan among leaders in clean energy jobs, but advocates push for more policy change
Michigan ranks among the top Midwestern states for clean energy jobs, but environmental advocates say further policy changes are needed to push the state from…

West Michigan construction industry finds optimism ahead for 2020

Construction and development professionals in West Michigan remain optimistic as they look toward 2020, even though the upcoming presidential election and ongoing talent issues are causing headwinds. While some markets might slightly change next year, industry experts who spoke with MiBiz during a recent executive roundtable said they are interested to see how downtown Grand Rapids developments will spark additional new projects. Many also noted that collaboration and partnerships are becoming key to the industry’s success.

Herbruck Poultry Ranch reaches $93K settlement in EEOC lawsuit
Egg producer Herbruck Poultry Ranch Inc. will pay $93,000 to settle a disability harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Wolverine agrees to $69.5 million PFAS settlement with Plainfield, Algoma townships
Plainfield and Algoma townships have reached a tentative $69.5 million settlement in the case filed by the state of Michigan against Rockford-based Wolverine World Wide…
Suburban Inns acquires CityFlats Hotel in Holland
HOLLAND — Suburban Inns, an owner and operator of hotels across Michigan, has acquired CityFlats Hotel in Holland from an affiliate of Zeeland-based Charter House…
5 notable construction projects from West Michigan
Contractors are capping off another busy year for developments across West Michigan. From the largest mixed-use project in downtown Grand Rapids history, to new modern buildings…
Michigan among leaders in clean energy jobs, but advocates push for more policy change
Michigan ranks among the top Midwestern states for clean energy jobs, but environmental advocates say further policy changes are needed to push the state from…

Toll roads in Michigan? Lawmakers and interest groups want a closer look
Consensus is building in Lansing over studying the potential for toll roads as a future transportation funding source, but whether Michigan will join the nearly three-dozen states in doing so…
Hope Network adds CMO to address social barriers to health, forge partnerships
Creating the new role of chief medical officer positions Hope Network to better meet the major trends occurring in health care today as well as to craft new partnerships with…

Pabst to ‘lean in’ with New Holland spirits to expand beyond beer
As Pabst Brewing Co. broadens its reach beyond the iconic Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, the global drinks company is increasingly leveraging its relationship with New Holland Brewing Co. to break…
Universities turn to public-private partnerships to fund projects, attract students
Western Michigan University plans to revamp the entire southern portion of its Kalamazoo campus in the next five years as part of a public-private partnership.

Developers plan new west side Grand Rapids office building
GRAND RAPIDS — A group of developers are positioning their proposed new Leonard Street office building as a gateway to Grand Rapids’ west side.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: Spectrum-Lakeland deal only bolsters Priority Health inroads to SW Michigan market
Even before Spectrum Health acquired Lakeland Health in St. Joseph, the Spectrum-owned Priority Health was making inroads in Southwest Michigan.

Additional scale positions Grand Angels for larger deals
GRAND RAPIDS — The $1.4 million investment in Portage-based Micro Laser Assisted Machining Technologies LLC represents the largest single investment ever for Grand Angels and its affiliated angel groups and venture…

VC-backed firm acquires Doorganics
GRAND RAPIDS — Organic food delivery service Doorganics LLC has been acquired by venture capital-backed GrubMarket Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.

Partners form new association to serve small manufacturers
The Michigan Manufacturing and Technology Association (MMTA) launched last month to help the state’s smallest manufacturers become more competitive and prosperous.

Solar on the move: Whitmer signs bills as large projects take off
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills into law Thursday night ensuring small-scale residential and commercial solar projects won’t increase owners’ property taxes.

Wage growth keeps pace in West Michigan
Employers across West Michigan granted pay raises this year averaging 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent, according to annual survey data.

Backed by new grant, GR Community Foundation to focus on African American, Latinx giving
GRAND RAPIDS — Backed by a three-year grant, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation aims to better understand and encourage philanthropic giving in the region’s African American and Latinx communities.

Industry turns to higher ed to fill specific talent gaps
At a state-of-the-art machine tool laboratory in downtown Grand Rapids, a group of non-technical sales professionals learns about carbide, a compound made from carbon and metal, as well as takes…

West Michigan construction industry finds optimism ahead for 2020