MiBiz

Kent County offers $5 million in grants to businesses that remain closed because of pandemic
GRAND RAPIDS — Some financial relief could be on the way for Kent County businesses that have been forced to shut down because of Gov. Gretchen…
Tribe unveils sports book at Traverse City-area casinos
Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos has unveiled its new sports book, which will operate out of Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel near Traverse City and…
Whitmer order sets 2050 carbon neutral climate change goal
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer aims to create more clean energy jobs in the state by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming carbon neutral within 30 years.
Business roundtable to track diversity efforts among members: ‘What gets measured gets done’
Business Leaders for Michigan plans to begin collecting and tracking data on diversity and inclusion efforts among members.
Saudi-based Islamic investment firm acquires West Michigan properties in joint venture
The owner of two industrial properties in West Michigan has launched a new joint venture with a boutique Saudi investment firm to take ownership of…

Junior Achievement to expand programming at new Kentwood facility

KENTWOOD — Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes has purchased a commercial office building in Kentwood where the nonprofit will consolidate a series of business education programs for K-12 students across West Michigan.

Kent County offers $5 million in grants to businesses that remain closed because of pandemic
GRAND RAPIDS — Some financial relief could be on the way for Kent County businesses that have been forced to shut down because of Gov. Gretchen…
Tribe unveils sports book at Traverse City-area casinos
Grand Traverse Resort & Casinos has unveiled its new sports book, which will operate out of Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel near Traverse City and…
Whitmer order sets 2050 carbon neutral climate change goal
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer aims to create more clean energy jobs in the state by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming carbon neutral within 30 years.
Business roundtable to track diversity efforts among members: ‘What gets measured gets done’
Business Leaders for Michigan plans to begin collecting and tracking data on diversity and inclusion efforts among members.
Saudi-based Islamic investment firm acquires West Michigan properties in joint venture
The owner of two industrial properties in West Michigan has launched a new joint venture with a boutique Saudi investment firm to take ownership of…

Steelcase reports quarterly earnings decline amid continued pandemic disruption
GRAND RAPIDS — Office furniture manufacturer Steelcase Inc. continues to face headwinds related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as customers are slow to return to normal order patterns given the disruption…
Michigan music venues seek $10 million COVID relief fund from state
Dozens of Michigan independent music venue owners are calling on state officials to create a $10 million pandemic relief fund to help them avoid closing permanently.

Gerber secures Renaissance Zone for $36 million Fremont expansion
FREMONT — The Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a 10-year Renaissance Zone tax abatement for Gerber Products Co.’s $36 million expansion at its Fremont facility.
DTE, Consumers join major utilities in electric vehicle charging pledge
Michigan’s two major investor-owned utilities are joining other large Midwest power companies in pledging to build out an interstate charging network to support more widespread electric vehicle adoption.

‘No path back to normal:’ Hotel industry on edge as summer tourism boost wanes
Occupancy rates are slowly inching back up, but regional tourism leaders say it will take years for hotels to make up for lost profits caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Remain vigilant: After six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, West Michigan health experts warn of complacency as seasons change
As the weather cools and winter approaches, health professionals warn about complacency and encourage residents and businesses to remain vigilant in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Racial equity loan fund receives $500,000 for ‘excluded entrepreneurs’
Just 13 of the 80 venture capital professionals working in Michigan in 2019 were racial minorities. An equal number of all VC professionals in the state, or 16 percent, were…

To weather COVID, GR restaurant owners launch pizza concept that may stay long-term
GRAND RAPIDS — The owners of That Early Bird Cafe and Little Bird restaurants — like countless other businesses — have taken stock of what works well during the pandemic,…

Great Lakes trade center helps manufacturers compete with imports
More than five years ago, Avio-Tech Ltd. quoted a project to produce control panels and components for industrial conglomerate Textron Inc.

DTE Energy plans major two-year solar energy buildout to meet corporate demand
DTE Energy plans to significantly expand its solar energy portfolio in the next two years to support growing corporate demand for renewable energy contracts.

GR airport traffic rebounds, though business travel and stimulus concerns loom
GRAND RAPIDS — Passenger travel has steadily rebounded since the depths of the pandemic slowdown, but Grand Rapids airport officials are concerned about the uncertainty over future business travel as…

Kalamazoo expands housing protections, offers loan program for housing, nonprofit, equity projects
KALAMAZOO — The Kalamazoo Community Foundation has added a stronger racial equity analysis to its longtime Impact Investment Loan program.

‘Culture eats policy for lunch:’ Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion means changing how businesses operate
It’s not enough to announce diversity, equity and inclusion hiring commitments, it takes leadership teams that reflect more cultures.

Pandemic causes software team to rethink meeting-scheduling app
In the summer of 2019, Chris Ake and a couple of fellow tech entrepreneurs entertained the idea of building out artificial intelligence-fueled smart scheduling software they were already using to…