President Biden’s recently proposed $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan comes as state officials and local planning experts make gains in plotting investment needs across Michigan.

HOLLAND — A West Michigan-based business that has developed a video interviewing platform for employers and potential employees has named its first president.

Eight West Michigan schools will receive free wireless internet hotspots to help bridge connectivity gaps for vulnerable students, officials with AT&T and a national and statewide nonprofit announced Monday.

Several Michigan communities are at risk of losing crucial federal funding under proposed changes to their designation as metropolitan areas, which local officials say would negatively affect services and economic development efforts.

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.

Deborah Prato is less than a month into her new job as CEO of The Rapid, the Grand Rapids metro area’s public transit system. It’s certainly a change of pace from the expansive systems where she previously held executive positions at New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and NJ Transit — some of the largest public transportation systems in the country. In an interview with MiBiz, Prato said while the scale is different, the mission to provide safe and reliable transit options that can also help fuel economic growth remains the same.

Here's the MiBiz Growth Report for March 28, 2021.

A Boston interior design, procurement and project management firm owned by Grand Rapids-based Blackford Capital completed a merger that led to the creation of a new company serving the North American hospitality market.

Goodwill Industries of West Michigan is one of three organizations statewide that was selected to pilot an initiative assisting lower-income workers with affording and accessing child care.

Here's the MiBiz growth report for March 15, 2021.

Growing up in the rural eastern Upper Peninsula, David Goodreau saw his father and grandfathers support their families by starting and operating small businesses. 

The Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act is a big and bold injection into the U.S. economy that critics — such as all GOP members in the House and Senate who voted against it — have called unnecessarily expensive. However, supporters say the broad support for state and local governments and targeted relief to individuals and families will provide both immediate and long-term benefits. Susan Houseman, vice president and director of research at the Kalamazoo-based W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, said while the latest stimulus reflects Democratic spending priorities, it will also help to ensure a swift post-pandemic economic recovery. Houseman spoke with MiBiz a day after Congress approved the legislation and before it was signed by President Biden.

GRAND RAPIDS — The first phase of the trunk sewer relocation project that will allow for redevelopment along the city’s Market Avenue SW corridor was approved Tuesday by the Grand Rapids City Commission.

State officials are releasing nearly $10 million for more than 100 municipalities across the state that have allowed recreational marijuana dispensaries and microbusinesses.

KALAMAZOO — The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners voted 7-4 Tuesday to suspend its 2021 funding to Southwest Michigan First as the fallout continues over the organization’s brief hire of former GOP House Speaker Lee Chatfield as CEO.

GRAND RAPIDS — City officials are seeking proposals from companies to operate its business incubator as part of a broader push to bring more equity to economic development.

This is the MiBiz growth report for March 1, 2021.

After a year of reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes increasingly difficult to capture all of the nuanced and at times discordant effects it has had on businesses. While some have thrived or pivoted, many others have struggled to hold on or closed up shop. 

KALAMAZOO — Former GOP House Speaker Lee Chatfield’s weeklong run as CEO of Southwest Michigan First spurred a wave of backlash from the community that has damaged the economic development organization’s reputation, officials say. 

Twelve Native American tribes in Michigan received $14.8 million in Indian Housing Block Grant funds for affordable housing projects, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Friday. 

GRAND RAPIDS — When indoor dining was prohibited across the state last year and earlier this year because of COVID-19, Davide Uccello turned to the cannabis industry as a sector that managed to be successful despite lockdown orders. 

KALAMAZOO — Former GOP House Speaker Lee Chatfield has resigned as CEO of Southwest Michigan First, a week after his appointment generated controversy among local officials and some in the local business community.

Reports of a new NBA affiliation for the Grand Rapids Drive emerged on Thursday, weeks after the minor league franchise announced that a new partnership might be imminent.

International food and beverage conglomerate Nestlé SA has reached an agreement to sell its regional spring water brands, purified water business and beverage delivery service in the United States and Canada, a move that will affect its West Michigan operations.

West Michigan experienced a 54.5-percent drop in sports events during the pandemic last year, which led to a 76.1-percent decrease in visitor spending compared to a banner 2019, according to a new report.

Internet gaming and sports betting operators in Michigan reported $42.7 million in gross revenue for the 10-day period after Jan. 22 when several platforms went live.

KALAMAZOO — LGBTQ advocates say Southwest Michigan First should support expanding Michigan’s civil rights law following backlash to the appointment of its new CEO, former House Speaker Lee Chatfield.

GRAND RAPIDS — MiBiz Inc. and WOOD-TV8 launched a new media partnership that includes sharing breaking news between the two outlets and a weekly roundup of business news during the station’s Monday morning “Daybreak” program.

This is the MiBiz Growth Report for February 15, 2021.

The seeds for the joint purchase of the iconic McKay Tower building in downtown Grand Rapids took root years ago when the CEOs at Waséyabek Development Co. LLC and Gun Lake Investments started talking about doing deals together. 

Despite its wide footprint throughout a tri-state area, Zeigler Automotive Group still found itself lacking a few of the big name luxury brands in its portfolio.