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With more than 200,000 medical marijuana patients in Michigan, a thriving industry of growers, processors, transporters and retailers to support them is poised to explode statewide — if communities allow it.

West Michigan educators and at least one business group say the Trump administration’s plan to rescind the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program already is leading to anxiety and uncertainty.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for Sept 18, 2017:

West Michigan economic developers plan to jump into an already crowded pool of contenders for Amazon.com Inc.’s proposed $5 billion second headquarters.

GRAND RAPIDS — Auto-Owners Insurance will expand its technology center operations in West Michigan.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for Sept. 5, 2017.

• M&A: U.K.-based Playtech acquired the technology, intellectual property and certain customer assets of ACM Group, whose CEO, Muhammad Al-Amin Rasoul, and management team are based in Grand Rapids. Playtech, a supplier of online gaming software, is listed on the London Stock Exchange and has 5,000 employees in 17 countries. Grand Rapids investment banking firm Charter Capital Partners served as financial adviser for ACM Group, a business-to-business market maker, dealer and broker in London. The deal is expected to close in early September. Terms include an initial upfront payment of $5 million, two staged payments based on the EBITDA of 2017 and 2018, and contingent consideration based on 2019 EBITDA. The total consideration for the transaction is capped at $150 million.

J-Star Motion Corporation, a Chinese-based furniture components manufacturer, plans to open a $4.9 million manufacturing facility in Cedar Springs.

• M&A: Three Rivers-based Armstrong International Inc., a fifth-generation family-owned manufacturer of energy management products, has acquired Delta2 s.r.l. of Milano, Italy, according to a statement. Delta2 makes control valves and pneumatic operators for the oil and gas, food, pharmaceutical, power and industrial markets.

GRAND RAPIDS — A growing manufacturer of high-tech food carts could serve as an example of the kind of business development that’s possible in West Michigan.

MOVE Systems International, a New York City-based manufacturer of eco-friendly food carts and accompanying electrical systems, plans to expand its manufacturing facilities in West Michigan.

Controversial economic development legislation passed the Michigan House on Wednesday afternoon, setting the stage for Gov. Rick Snyder’s likely signature.

Despite growing operational complexity and a period of industry-led change, office furniture suppliers say they remain optimistic.

While Gov. Rick Snyder was on a week-long trade mission to Europe, economic development legislation he’s championed came to a halt and of one of his appointees was indicted over allegations related to the ongoing Flint water crisis. Snyder spoke with MiBiz on these and other topics from Milan, Italy.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for May 15, 2017: 

• M&A: Muskegon-based KL Outdoor LLC will add a bevvy of new products to its business through a recent merger with GSC Technologies Corp., a Montreal-based manufacturer of kayaks and other plastic products. About three months ago, KL Outdoor — a manufacturer of kayaks, paddleboards and other watercraft — was purchased by New Water Capital LP, a private equity firm based in Boca Raton, Fla. The private equity firm plans to wrap GSC Technologies under the KL Outdoor brand, according to Dan Harris, vice president of sales at KL Outdoor. Harris expects the merger to expand KL Outdoor’s product offerings, as GSC manufactures a variety of products including outdoor furniture, totes and other related products.

When Siliconature Corp. examined potential sites in West Michigan for its North American headquarters, the company knew finding an existing building that fit its specific needs would be challenging.

Attwood Marine will invest $2 million as part of an expansion project to grow its facility located at 1016 N. Monroe Street in Lowell.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for May 1, 2017. 

• M&A: Kalamazoo-based Stryker Corp. acquired the assets of Charleston, S.C.-based Cactus LLC, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical waste management systems, according to a statement. Cactus products have been sold in the U.S. since 2012 and have been installed in more than 1,300 facilities. The products will become part of Stryker’s Surgical Safety business, a division of Stryker Surgical Instruments. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Driven by relatively affordable real estate and a diverse workforce, the West Michigan region has become a growing hub for call centers, administrative back offices and — to a lesser extent — data centers.

After years of leading the market for its signature technology, Fleetwood Electronics realized it let its position slip away.

In Michigan and two neighboring states that passed Right to Work laws, wages have grown slower than in three other Great Lakes states that have preserved collective bargaining rights.

LAKETOWN CHARTER TOWNSHIP — Just south of Holland, voters last spring narrowly defeated a local plan to bring high-speed broadband internet service to every residential and commercial building in the township.

GRAND RAPIDS — A group of investors hoping to redevelop one of downtown’s last vacant buildings believes energy-efficient infrastructure could serve as one method to achieve greater affordability.

California Closets plans to establish a new manufacturing facility in Grand Rapids in a bid to support customers in the country’s eastern portion.

Former prime minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron, will visit Grand Rapids on June 19 to speak at The Economic Club of Grand Rapids 30th Annual Dinner meeting.

Economic developers from West Michigan and across the state increasingly find their roles shifting.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for Feb. 20, 2017. 

• M&A: AMI Entertainment Network LLC in Grand Rapids has acquired NSM Music Group Ltd., a Leeds, U.K.-based manufacturer of jukeboxes. The deal for NSM Music marks the first overseas expansion for AMI, a provider of digital jukeboxes and other products for the nightclub and bar industry, according to a statement. Founded in 1951 in Germany, NSM will maintain its independent branding and headquarters. General Manager Martin Agabeg will report to AMI President Mike Maas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Going forward, AMI plans to invest in NSM and enhance the company’s products and service, according to a statement.

A new dashboard unveiled today by a coalition of West Michigan economic developers and other organizations aims to increase accessibility to key data about the region.

When it comes to economic development efforts in Michigan, practitioners and policymakers say it’s important to legislate the tools to attract and retain companies, not individual projects.

Growing up in Kalamazoo, Rishi Makkar vividly recalls his father working nights mopping floors at a gas station while chairing the criminal justice department at Western Michigan University by day.