Displaying items tagged: The Right Place Inc

Michigan and the nation need the same kind of concerted effort to deploy broadband internet access as 90 years ago when America set out to electrify rural areas following the Great Depression, economic developers say.

Business and community leaders on Wednesday remembered Peter Secchia as a business leader and generous philanthropist who helped to shape West Michigan over the past several decades.

GRAND RAPIDS — The business group that pushed several major developments over the past 25 years is now focused on a downtown convention center expansion, an amphitheater and a professional soccer stadium.

A Grand Rapids-based venture capital fund that will invest nationally in companies owned by minorities has secured commitments now totaling $6.25 million, with potentially millions more on the way.

Thousands of small businesses across West and Southwest Michigan have received grant funding from a state COVID-19 relief program.

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.

In a business climate in which manufacturers are pressured to stay up on the latest technology, there is little wonder why Michigan-based companies might look to Israel for best practices.

GRAND RAPIDS — The $160 million federal contract to produce a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s ready elevates Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing Inc. into what Tom Ross calls the “big leagues.”

Birgit Klohs plans to retire Jan. 31, 2021 after more than three decades of leading The Right Place Inc. Klohs, whose tenure at The Right Place started in 1987 and covered the terms of five Michigan governors, has been at the table for several major economic development initiatives and projects in the Grand Rapids area, often working to drive collaboration and partnerships among various parties that included private and public interests. As she prepares to depart and as The Right Place searches for a new leader, Klohs spoke with MiBiz about her role and how economic development has changed.

Automotive industry professionals don’t see much reason for optimism in the near future, but their outlooks become more bullish as time moves on.

Nearly 4,000 small businesses across a 13-county region of West Michigan have applied for state pandemic relief grants.

Birgit Klohs, the dean of economic developers in West Michigan and across the state, plans to retire after more than three decades of leading The Right Place Inc.

GRAND RAPIDS — A new venture capital fund to invest in businesses owned by racial and ethnic minorities looks to secure financial backing locally before reaching out nationally for investors.

GREENVILLE — The COVID-19 pandemic struck at an unfortunate time for the Montcalm Economic Alliance, which is now struggling to raise funding for its economic development work.

A pair of state grant funds totaling $115 million launches today as another source of financial assistance for small businesses hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic.

WALKER — Chicago-based General Truck Parts & Equipment is investing more than $500,000 to launch a new facility in Walker, the company’s first operation in Michigan.

Forming a relief fund to aid small businesses hurting from the COVID-19 pandemic was an early idea Kent County commissioners pursued when they began considering two months ago what to do with $114.6 million in federal aid funding. 

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has awarded $4.3 million in low-interest relief loans to 74 small businesses statewide affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automotive suppliers in West Michigan will begin warming up the industry’s supply chain next week.  

The COVID-19 global pandemic has pushed millions of Americans to work from their home offices, or in lieu of a dedicated workspace, their dining room tables and couches. 

Nearly 200 small businesses in West Michigan that are struggling to survive through the COVID-19 pandemic will receive grant support from the state’s Michigan Small Business Relief Program.

The world around us — as we knew it in Michigan before March 10 — is going to look much different for the next 12 to 18 months.

The foundation for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce wants to raise another $2 million for an emergency relief fund for small businesses affected by closures from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The widespread closure of schools, workplaces and in-person doctor visits has highlighted inequities in reliable internet access across Michigan, particularly among rural and low-income residents.

A coalition of West Michigan business, community and governmental organizations has formed to provide resources to business owners and employees facing confusion amid new restrictions to control the outbreak of the coronavirus. 

The historic $2 trillion federal economic stimulus bill signed into law Friday contains $350 billion in loans for small businesses that could transition into grants.

Michigan’s loan and grant program for small businesses affected by the coronavirus is now accepting applications, state officials announced today.

GRAND RAPIDS — As the coronavirus pandemic spread to Michigan, Norman Beauchamp saw a need and an opportunity to coordinate manufacturers locally to supply equipment and supplies to hospitals expecting a surge in patients.

When it comes to manufacturing, a low-cost product does not have to be synonymous with a low-quality product. That was a main takeaway from a recent webinar hosted by the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center-West, MiBiz  and The Right Place. The webinar on Design for Manufacturing and Assembly — often referred to as DFMA — brought together West Michigan manufacturing executives to discuss the importance of intentional product design in manufacturing. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Laser cutting service Laser Access LLC is under new ownership and plans to expand its facility in Walker.