Displaying items by tag: small business

A recent survey of nearly 150 Michigan restaurant and hotel owners shows that most are still struggling with inadequate staffing and supply chain disruptions, and almost all employers are raising wages for their workers to address staffing shortages. 

CertifID LLC, a Grand Rapids company that developed software to protect money wire transfers in real estate transactions, has closed on $12.5 million in growth capital.

A Kalamazoo-based investment fund that also looks to cultivate and support a new generation of entrepreneurs who want to own a business will use a $10 million investment to scale operations.

HOLLAND — The launch of a brick-and-mortar startup incubator in downtown Holland is the latest effort to cultivate a thriving tech community in the lakeshore city.

Most basketball fans in Michigan recognize Ben Wallace as an iconic figure in Detroit Pistons lore. The 6-foot, 9-inch center helped lead the Pistons to an NBA title in 2004, just one highlight in the four-time all-star’s career. Since retiring in 2012, Wallace has adjusted to life after basketball. His business pursuits also have tied him to West Michigan after he recently bought a stake in Kalamazoo-based Green Door Distilling Co. and also partnered with Rair Cannabis of Michigan, which maintains a location in Lowell, to develop a brand of cannabis products called ‘Undrafted.’ MiBiz caught up with the Hall of Fame player to talk business, basketball and his love for Grand Rapids.

GRAND RAPIDS — Elevator Service Inc., a provider of elevator services for a growing coverage area throughout the Midwest, continued to expand its geographical footprint with another acquisition.

Start Garden Inc. is now accepting pitches from entrepreneurs competing in The 100, a business competition with $300,000 in funding for startups. 

PLAINWELL —  Ownership of asphalt maintenance service company Tustin’s Asphalt Sealing Inc. is changing hands.

A Grand Rapids staple for craft beverages and food, Siciliano’s Market Inc. is selling to new owners after nearly 30 years on the city’s west side.

GRAND RAPIDS — Siciliano’s Market Inc., the family-owned specialty store and launching pad for countless West Michigan breweries, is changing ownership after a decades-long run selling craft beverages and foods and the equipment used to make them.

GRAND RAPIDS — A West Michigan couple who launched their business through online platform Etsy in 2014 is now preparing to open their second brick-and-mortar retail store in downtown Grand Rapids.

Inno-Versity LLC and Th3rd Coast Digital Solutions, two portfolio companies of Ada-based family office Century Technology Group Inc., will merge and rebrand as MindSpring LLC, company officials announced.

GRAND RAPIDS — Elevator services provider Elevator Service LLC continued its growth in the Midwest through a recent acquisition.

Public relations and integrated communications firm Lambert & Co. has entered into a new strategic partnership with the largest minority-owned public relations agency in Michigan.

Grand Rapids marketing agency Deksia LLC has merged with Anvil Media, a digital marketing agency in Portland, Ore.

COOPERSVILLE — A West Michigan-based environmental consulting firm has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as it positions to sell the company to a competitor in the industry.

GRAND RAPIDS — VNN Inc., a developer of digital tools and media solutions for high school athletic programs, is merging with a tech company that has a long history of servicing the K-12 and college education markets.

GRAND RAPIDS — New Standard plans to open its first dispensary in Grand Rapids with a new building in the city’s Midtown district near Medical Mile. 

A new $409 million state grant program will be available starting March 1 for Michigan businesses that experienced financial hardship as a result of state-ordered shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

LANSING — The state Senate has advanced legislation to reduce the personal and corporate income taxes in Michigan, a proposal that contrasts Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s pitch for targeted election-year tax cuts.

Richard Maloley, senior security consultant with Grand Rapids-based software and I.T. firm OST, discusses best practices for small and mid-sized businesses to confront cybersecurity breaches and threats. 

A Brighton-based startup has lofty goals to help build out a nationwide 5G network that combines renewable energy, high-speed telecommunications and advanced mobility.

GRAND RAPIDS — Native News Online, a Grand Rapids-based, Indigenous-led news outlet covering tribal issues nationally, has been selected as the 10th member of URL Media, a national network of media organizations owned and operated by Black, Indigenous and People of Color. 

Nearly $237 million in federal funding coming to the state is planned to support small businesses in Michigan through lending initiatives and equity investments in venture capital funds.

GRAND RAPIDS — The owners of Brick Road Pizza Co. announced today that the family-owned staple will be closing its doors Sunday after 13 years in business on Wealthy Street.

GRAND RAPIDS — Digital and I.T. consultant OST has expanded its Cloud service capabilities through a recent acquisition.

The $20 million in capital that West Shore Bank Corp. raised toward the end of 2021 will go to support further commercial loan growth.

After nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, smaller family-owned businesses are generally better positioned to overcome labor and supply chain challenges than non-family-owned companies. 

KALAMAZOO — SPARK Business Works in Kalamazoo has acquired Houston, Texas-based digital marketing agency Convergent1.

Small business advocates are calling for more support from the state Legislature to help companies that they say are not recovering at the same rate as other sectors in Michigan’s economy.