The committee behind a statewide ballot initiative to expand civil rights protections for LGBTQ people is prepared for a legal battle after state election officials ruled the campaign had an insufficient number of public signatures to advance the proposal.

After serving as CEO of Dallas-based Borden Dairy Co., Tony Sarsam took the reins of Byron Center-based grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash Co. (Nasdaq:SPTN) last September during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Michigan Catholic Conference has contributed nearly $240,000 to a campaign committee opposing a business-backed initiative to expand Michigan’s civil rights law to include protections for LGBTQ individuals.

KALAMAZOO — The Kalamazoo Wings have finalized an affiliation partnership for the upcoming season with the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets and their American Hockey League partner, the Cleveland Monsters.

  Employers in West Michigan have recovered relatively well from the depths of the economic hit from the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions, according to economic development organization The Right Place Inc.

Online casino gaming and sports betting activity in Michigan continues to crawl through the traditional summer slowdown. 

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for July 19, 2021.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in American Rescue Plan funding will pour into Michigan’s federally recognized American Indian tribes, but most are still awaiting final amounts and facing key questions about how to spend the money.

GRAND RAPIDS — One would be hard pressed to deny the existence of the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, whose ancestors were signatories of numerous agreements with the federal government, starting in 1795 with the Treaty of Greenville.

PLAINFIELD TWP. — A broad vision to redesign the concrete jungle that is Plainfield Avenue north of Grand Rapids is meeting resistance as local planning officials debate the individual zoning changes that would make the vision a reality.

GRAND RAPIDS — Logistics and data security company MCPc Inc. broke ground today on its $2.8 million facility that’s expected to bring at least 75 new and existing jobs to the city’s Madison Square neighborhood. 

Six Michigan communities are no longer at risk of losing a key U.S. Census designation that determines crucial federal funding for services, a federal agency announced Tuesday.

The expansion of West Michigan’s industrial economy moderated in June as some companies report ongoing supply chain issues, according to a monthly survey.

GRAND RAPIDS — After announcing its newly inked affiliation partnership with professional basketball franchise the Denver Nuggets in April, the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA G League revealed its new team name and logo today.

Floriza Genautis was recently named chairperson of the newly formed Asian American Business Council at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, where she hopes to better connect Asian American-owned businesses with one another and the rest of the business community.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for July 4, 2021.

GRAND RAPIDS — Executives from across West Michigan gathered Tuesday to discuss the labor shortages permeating across industries, lessons learned from COVID-19 and the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in company culture.

WALKER — Storage system manufacturer Speedrack Products Group Ltd. is expanding its Michigan operations with a nearly $65 million investment Walker.

As the consumer vehicle market gradually transitions to electrified models, automotive experts say the commercial fleet segment has the potential to transform the sector more rapidly.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent widespread shift to remote working has stalled plans for a commuter transit system that would connect Grand Rapids and Holland.

Republican lawmakers are advancing bills that would reduce Michigan’s corporate income tax rate by 20 percent and create tax credits for businesses that lost at least a quarter of their revenue during COVID-19 restrictions.

Here's the MiBiz Growth Report for June 20, 2021.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed spending $1.4 billion to improve access to child care and improving wages for child care workers.

COLDWATER — Hope Network will close a long-term housing center in Coldwater for people with severe disabilities as a new fee schedule is set to take effect under recent automotive no-fault insurance reforms.

GRAND RAPIDS — The city’s Local Development Finance Authority has recommended that Start Garden Inc. and Spartan Innovations L3C administer the Grand Rapids SmartZone business incubator through a collaborative approach.  

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters is trying to stop proposed federal changes that would take away the metropolitan area status and jeopardize crucial federal funding for six Michigan communities.

GRAND RAPIDS — The Right Place Inc. has published a new digital database of businesses owned by people of color, women, veterans and people in the LGBTQ community operating in a 13-county region of West Michigan. 

When Darren Riley graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014, he took with him in-demand skills rooted in software development and cybersecurity.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for June 6, 2021.

GRAND RAPIDS — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled a multi-million dollar plan Thursday that targets boosting wages, helping small businesses and providing access to childcare.