The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying shutdowns of bars, brewpubs, taprooms and tasting rooms had an undeniably negative effect on West Michigan craft beverage makers and their balance sheets.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dennis Grumm’s brand of can seamers went from a luxury amenity to a requirement for many craft beverage producers.

Brewery Nyx LLC owner Jessica Stricklen recently unveiled plans for what will be the first gluten-free microbrewery in Michigan, to be located at 506 Oakland Ave. SW in Grand Rapids’ Roosevelt Park neighborhood.

GRAND RAPIDS — Jessica Stricklen plans to open the first gluten-free microbrewery in the state of Michigan in Grand Rapids’ Roosevelt Park neighborhood.  

HOLLAND — GHSP Inc., a manufacturer of control systems and technology solutions, named a new president today.

Petoskey Plastics Inc. — a manufacturer of plastic films, bags and resin — aims to meet surging demand in one of its business segments by expanding its operation to a new facility in Texas.

Not many designers — if any — feature a portfolio of work quite like Joey Ruiter.

As Michigan manufacturers of all segments continue grappling with a persistent talent shortage and skills gap, furniture-maker Metalworks Inc. has to contend with a unique set of hurdles.

HUDSONVILLE — As extended reality technology creeps into the mainstream with big names like Microsoft, Facebook and Apple racing to develop the best experiences for end users, the industry still faces several hurdles to mass adoption.

HOLLAND — While furniture maker Haworth Inc. absorbed an expected hit to sales in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company cited its diversification as a way of easing the blow.

GRAND RAPIDS — 86 Repairs Inc., a company based in both Grand Rapids and Chicago that partners with restaurants to provide end-to-end repairs and maintenance for kitchen equipment, recently closed a $2 million round of seed funding.

MUSKEGON — An 8,000-square-foot food processing business incubator in Muskegon is now open and accepting new tenants.

ZEELAND — Office furniture maker Herman Miller Inc. continues to feel the sting as office workers stay home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

GRAND RAPIDS — From the moment Steven Martinez-Thiel launched his Grand Rapids-based food startup Basalt, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to derail it.

Another busy stretch of sports betting and online casino gaming in Michigan has put the state among some of the top markets in the country.

BYRON CENTER — Food distributor and grocery store retailer SpartanNash Co. recently announced its new chief financial officer who will take over the post on Monday.

GRAND HAVEN — UV Angel has installed its pathogen control technology in high-traffic areas on the campus of Michigan State University.

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association (BIFMA) unveiled a new digital tool this month that is poised to bring greater clarity to the market and help both specifiers and buyers quickly gauge the safety and durability of products.

GRANDVILLE — A West Michigan manufacturer has developed a product that makes the process of storing heavy metal stamping dies safer and easier — and the industry is taking notice.

BIG RAPIDS — With recent approval to begin construction on a new facility, Ferris State University will eventually have a new home for a variety of degree programs while helping the school to develop more dynamic and effective methods of online learning.

Jeff Lobdell’s portfolio of restaurants took a nearly 40-percent hit to its top line revenue during a COVID-19 pandemic-rattled 2020 that took a hefty toll on the hospitality industry.

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission took measures this week to streamline the ordering process for its 14,000 liquor licensees across the state.

GRAND RAPIDS — Wood products manufacturer UFP Industries Inc. recently expanded its presence in the Australian market with an acquisition made by one of its wholly owned subsidiaries.

ALLENDALE — A West Michigan injection molder that was acquired more than two years ago has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic after investing in operational improvements.

Holland-based furniture manufacturer Haworth Inc. has closed a production facility in High Point, N.C., that it had operated since 1991.

While the COVID-19 pandemic made life difficult for a majority of local manufacturing companies, industry officials are still overwhelmingly optimistic when looking at the year ahead.

Even as a small northern Kent County school with an enrollment shy of 400 students, Kent City High School has viewers from all over the country tune in and watch its sports teams in action.

When coaching business leaders about concepts like talent development and growing an operation from the ground up, Elizabeth Rolinski has the professional experience that commands credibility. Rolinski spent more than a decade working in lithium-ion battery operations at Johnson Controls International PLC and later for Clarios, a former subsidiary that spun out of the international conglomerate and is now a subsidiary of Brookfield Business Partners.