Here is the MiBiz People in the news report for May 23, 2022 

GRAND RAPIDS — A proposal that would allow a newly created nonprofit to help Grand Rapids cannabis companies meet their social equity pledges is facing pushback from some business owners and city officials who see it as diluting social justice efforts.

The Interurban Transit Partnership has received board and federal approval to purchase a $1.95 million property in Grandville for its new paratransit service operations center.

Historically high housing and fuel prices have made access to public transportation an increasingly important piece to developing much-needed affordable housing. 

When outdoor footwear brand Merrell sought a fresh idea to promote sustainability and conservation, it turned to the innovation team at parent company Wolverine World Wide Inc.

Business groups, organized labor officials, Democrats and Republicans are making strange bedfellows in support of a plan to reform term limits for statewide office, which restrict the amount of time lawmakers can spend in the House and Senate.

After serving nearly three decades as director of seating and ergonomics product management for Herman Miller Inc., Keith McRobert has leveraged his knowledge and experience into a new venture.

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.

Four food manufacturing companies with operations in West Michigan are on the front lines of the ongoing baby formula shortage that is causing significant challenges for families with infants.

West Michigan is playing a major role in the ongoing U.S. baby formula shortage as producers fall in the center of a product recall or are ramping up production to help meet consumer needs.

West Michigan manufacturing automation firm Churchill Technologies LLC has been sold amid what local advisers describe as a “red hot” sector for M&A.

GRAND RAPIDS — New City Neighbors is set to unveil its new location at a renovated urban farmhouse that sits on a 1-acre plot in the city’s Creston neighborhood.

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services’ psychiatric urgent care center has served more than 13,500 patients since opening in 2019, a volume that exceeded expectations and accelerated as the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on mental health.

DOWAGIAC — Mno-Bmadsen, the non-gaming investment arm of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, has co-invested in a mixed-use property that aims to play a role in the revitalization of a Southwest Michigan city.

BYRON CENTER — Grocery retailer and food distributor SpartanNash Co. has partnered with global tech company DoorDash Inc. to provide on-demand grocery delivery for a large swath of the nation.

BYRON CENTER — A nonprofit that helps rebuild homes following natural disasters has moved into a newly constructed building in Byron Center after previously working from two separate locations. 

GRAND RAPIDS TWP. — Wood products and building materials manufacturer UFP Industries Inc. announced that it has purchased an Iowa-based plastic recycler.

Manufacturers throughout Michigan can now apply for grant funding to help cover costs associated with adopting Industry 4.0 technologies.

GRAND RAPIDS — City officials are backing plans that would redesign the Wealthy Street interchange at U.S.-131 to bring the street to grade level while elevating the highway.

Here is the MiBiz Growth report for May 9, 2022:

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.

Nate Beene’s decision to join the leadership team at Construction Allies in Action was driven by his passion to remove barriers for local women and minority business owners in the construction industry.

Clean energy and housing advocates in Michigan are working to spend down an increasing amount of weatherization funds with a shrinking pool of contractors at their disposal.