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Michigan Economic Development Corporation Facilitates Growth

By: Jane Whittington

The Michigan EconomicDevelopment Corporation (MEDC) ishard at work throughout the state andbeyond to build Michigan’s economicwell-being. A state-wide, public and pri-vate partnership which serves asMichigan’s front line agency for eco-nomic and business growth, job cre-ation, tourism, film incentives andgrants to arts and cultural organization,MEDC offers business assistance andcapital programs for business recruit-ment, retention and growth, linksstrategic partnerships, supports entre-

preneurs and assists with communitydevelopment. The agency, founded in1999, developed and continues to man-age the Pure Michigan marketing pro-gram.

Before 1999, this effort was spear-headed by the Michigan JobsCommission, formed in 1993, whichworked with businesses in Michigan withthe goal of creating more jobs andimproving the economy. The reorganiza-tion creating the MEDC would, accordingto then Governor John Engler, “allowMichigan citizens to benefit from our suc-cessful, award-winning economic devel-opment programs by streamlining func-tions and providing greater consolida-tion.”

According to Michael A. Finney,MEDC President and CEO, “At the timeof the MEDC’s formation, the stateentered into formal agreements for eco-nomic development with local units ofgovernment., which allowed them toappoint representatives to the MEDCBoard, which evaluates the performanceof the MEDC and reviews the acts of itsExecutive Committee.”

Finney says, “The MEDC is a verydifferent economic driver today with anew focus on doing a better job sup-porting our state’s new and excitingbusinesses by practicing ‘economic gar-dening’, which is basically supportingand growing businesses within the stateand doing so without extensive taxcredits that have been historically uti-lized to attract businesses from outsideMichigan. Nurturing existing business-es not only creates more and betterjobs—it’s done without cost to the tax-payers.”

He continues, “We still look for newnational and global business investmentopportunities, but our day-to-day focusis on making it easier for Michigan’sbusiness base to find new paths to pros-perity.”

The Michigan BusinessDevelopment Program provides grants,loans and other economic assistance ofup to $10 million to businesses creatingqualified new jobs and making invest-ments in Michigan.

Pure Michigan Business Central is amore than $8 billion, multi-year incen-tive to help Michigan companies grow.

Finney says, “This program helps com-panies find new ways to raise capital,gain access to business services andconnect with each other with business-to-business procurement opportuni-ties.”

He continues, “Creating an envi-ronment for Michigan’s entrepreneurialcompanies to grow and prosper is animportant piece of our strategy. We havean entrepreneurial ecosystem in placethat ensures innovators, start-ups andearly-stage companies have access to anetwork of public and privateresources.”

Throughout the state, the MEDChas 323 employees, three of whom arelocated in Grand Rapids. Two of the GRemployees are defense industry businessdevelopment managers, and one is aninternational trade development manag-er. The MEDC is aligned with theWorkforce Development Agency with 194employees including two in GrandRapids.

Finney says, “We partner withregional and local economic developers,elected officials, university leaders, busi-nesses, workers, etc. to foster economicgrowth and create the kind of placeswhere people want to locate, invest andexpand.”

Michigan’s economy grew last year2.3 percent, ranking as the sixth bestgrowth in the US. Michigan led amongGreat Lake states with the most rapideconomic expansion. In addition,Comerica’s most recent Economic ActivityIndex, July 2012, showed Michigan’s eco-nomic activity at a 10-year high.

Finney also reports, “The MoneyTreeReport from PriceWaterhouseCoopersshows venture capital investment inMichigan companies during the thirdquarter reached its highest level in 12years. The $186 million invested here sofar this year is more than double what

was invested last year.” He says, “Some examples of com-

panies doing exciting things in GrandRapids recently include a facility forArcticAx US, a molecular diagnosticcompany that commercializes geneticmarkers for the testing of diseases, andan expansion of Amway’s nutritionalproducts division.”

We’re all familiar with the PureMichigan campaign, started in 2006,which has highlighted Michigan as atourist destination. In 2010, spendingby out-of-state visitors increased 21percent and surpassed that of Michiganresidents for the first time. Travel andtourism generated $17.2 billion inMichigan last year and helped createdover 150.000 jobs. Pure Michigan haswon a number of awards, includingbeing given the Best State TourismRadio Advertising Award for four yearsin a row.

Finney says, “Anytime a manufac-turer makes something in Michigan,that’s a success. Anytime a small busi-ness opens its doors, that’s a success.Anytime an unemployed worker finds anew job, that’s a success.Manufacturing is a big part of Michigan,but we work to help businesses in anysector where we see an opportunity forgrowth – whether it’s automotive, IT,food processing, medical devices or fur-niture. And with our new improvedbusiness climate, which included replac-ing the unpopular and unfair MichiganBusiness Tax with a flat 6 percent rateon federal taxable income for C-corpora-tions, we have removed a major barrierto growth and are now fueling creativi-ty, innovation and business startupsand expansions more than ever before.”

Jane Whittington is a freelancewriter and editor who lives in GrandRapids.

Publisher: Gary Kralapp

Business DevelopmentSenior Vice President: Diane LaPrezeSenior Vice President: Jim LroyCirculation: Aubrey Day

Contributing Writers: JaneWhittington, Michael A. Finney

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Personal Wealth ManagementBy: Jane Whittington

In volatile economic times, financialmanagement can be a dauntingprospect. ly been volatile. It has takennerves of steel to watch the markets andother financial markers fluctuate, oftenup, then down, and then up again for noapparent reason. Suze Orman said, “Inall realms of life, it takes courage tostretch your limits, express your powerand fulfill your potential. It’s no differentin the financial realm.”

Fortunately, there are experts whoare ready, willing and able to help usmaximize our economic potential, evenin sometimes trying times.

Both Mosaic Wealth Managementand Grand Wealth Management haveyears of experience and the expertise tomake your money work for you. JeffreyWilliams, President of Grand WealthManagement, and Carol Dehen,Managing Director and Ted Vogt,Managing Director/CIO, both of MosaicWealth Management, recently answeredquestions about their firms and the workthey do.

According to Williams, “GrandWealth Management was founded in2004 as an independent, fee-only wealthmanagement firm. We have one locationin downtown Grand Rapids and are 100percent employee-owned. We currentlyhave five employees-two professionalsand three associates.”

All Grand Wealth Managementemployees have years of experience inthe financial services industry. Williamsspent 18 years in public accounting withErnst & Young prior to founding hisbusiness. Ellie Winter Bolline spent 14years in the banking industry and nineyears at Ernst & Young. The three asso-ciates also have prior experience infinancial services. Both Bolline andWilliams hold the Certifed FinancialPlanner (CFP) designation. Williamsalso holds designations as a Certified

Investment Management Analyst(CIMA), an Accredited InvestmentFiduciary (AIF) and a Certified PublicAccountant (CPA).

Dehen of Mosaic WealthManagement says, “We formed MosaicWealth Management in 2007. Our cus-tody services are provided by LPLFinancial member FINRA/SIPC. We havea combined 50 plus years of experiencein financial services. We currently haveone location in Grand Rapids but areseeking to partner with the right peopleand expand our firm into other areas ofWest Michigan.”

Mosaic’s Vogt began his career in1982 and, during his tenure at MorganStanley, earned the designation ofWealth Advisor, Senior Consultant, andInvestment Consulting Services andserved as the Branch Manager for 11years. He holds his Series 7 (GeneralSecurities Representative), Series 63(Uniform Securities Agent), Series 65(Uniform Investment Advisor), Series 24(Registered Principal), Series 8 (GeneralSupervisory) as well as life insuranceand annuities licenses through LPLFinancial. He was named to the list ofOutstanding Financial Advisors byRegistered Rep Magazine.

Mosaic’s Dehen began her career infinancial services in 1986. She holds herSeries 7, Series 31 (Managed Futures),Series 63 and Series 65 as well as LifeInsurance and Variable Annuity licensesthrough LPL Financial. She is a memberof the Grand Rapids Economic Club, CFAWest Michigan Society and serves asTreasurer of the Grandville EducationFoundation.

According to Williams of GrandWealth Management, “Our core serviceis wealth management, including invest-ment management and financial plan-ning. We believe that the most effectiveapproach to financial management inte-grates these two disciplines. We are afee-only firm, which means that our

only compensation comes from ourclients and not from any other individualor entity. We don’t sell any commis-sioned products, nor do we accept com-missions in any form, including feesfrom mutual fund companies whosefunds we recommend. Our services arebest suited to those with $1million ormore in investment assets or those whoplan to reach that level in the nearfuture. By limiting the number of clients,we can give each our highest level ofservice.”

He continues, “We also provide ourservices to institutional investors,including pension, profit sharing and401(k) plans, private foundations andcorporate accounts.”

Mosaic’s Vogt says, “Our mission isto provide clients with comprehensivefinancial services and investment man-agement with the highest degree ofintegrity, trust and service. We worktoward that goal through a well-definedinvestment plan, along with ongoingmonitoring of the plan’s performanceand our client’s personal objectives.”

He continues, “We have developed asuccessful business working with indi-viduals, business owners, endowments,trusts, 401(k) and pension plans. Prior tothe formation of Mosaic WealthManagement, we (Vogt and Dehen) spent20 years elsewhere assisting high net-worth individuals in planning for andachieving their financial goals by focus-ing on tax management and asset alloca-tion using managed portfolios as well asequity and fixed income vehicles.”

Williams says that his businessgenerally starts working with clients at atransition point-retirement or the yearsleading up to retirement. He says, “Acommon circumstance is a high incomefamily whose focus has been on payingdown their mortgage and educating theirchildren. They reach a point where theyneed to focus on retirement, saving asmuch as possible and determining whenthey can retire comfortably. Most of ourclients have some connection to thebusiness community; they are profes-sionals, business owners, corporateexecutives or retirees form one of theseprofessions.”

Speaking of the economic downturnexperienced in the United States over thepast few years, Williams says, “Ouradvice has not changed as a result of the

recession. It remains the same: have awritten plan, invest for the long term andstay invested in spite of the short-termups and downs of the stock market.”

Dehen agrees, “Our goal has alwaysbeen to assist clients in achieving a com-petitive rate of return within their per-sonal risk parameters. Those with ahigher tolerance for risk may be reward-ed with a greater return over time. Overthe past decade and the unprecedentedmarket declines we experienced, wehave seen many clients become moreconservative. Capital preservation hasbecome more important and many havebecome willing to trade lower returns forlower levels of risk.”

Williams adds, “The stock markethave done remarkably well over thepast three years, and our clients havebenefitted by sticking with their invest-ment plans.”

Dehen says, “The markets haveimproved considerably and, over time,we believe equities still offer a greatopportunity for growth and income.”

Williams says, “Many investors areeasily persuaded that successful invest-ing requires constant attention to cur-rent events and frequent adjustment oftheir stock portfolio. We suspect thatmany investors not only failed toachieve the market rate of return overthe past three years, but would be sur-prised to learn how well stock priceshave done during that period. We don’tbelieve that anyone can predict what themarket will do in the short term. Weadvise our clients to focus on the thingsthey can control, such as managing theirspending, paying down debt, saving asmuch as they can and investing wiselyfor the long term.”

Mosaic Wealth Management’s Vogtsays, “Our company motto is “ProvidingMidwest Values with a GlobalPerspective.” We will work toward thisgoal through a well-defined investmentplan, along with ongoing monitoring ofthe plan’s performance.”

Both agencies agree that unwaver-ing integrity and exceptional service arekey. Despite the vagaries of the econom-ic landscape, these values do notchange.

Jane Whittington is a freelancewriter and editor who lives in GrandRapids.

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SBA Loan Volume SetsRecord in Michigan

Detroit - The Michigan DistrictOffice is pleased to announce that 2,075loans for a total of $944 million weremade in fiscal 2012. Although the totalnumber of loans decreased from fiscal2011, the dollar value increased by $10million, setting a new record inMichigan.

The Michigan District Office guaran-teed 1,742 loans under its flagship 7(a)loan guarantee program in fiscal 2012,for a total of $547 million. This was16% lower than the prior year, primarilydue to the end of American Recovery Actfunding. However, SBA 7(a) dollar vol-ume was the second highest ever inMichigan. The 7(a) loan guaranty pro-gram provides a 50% to 90% guaranty toa financial institution, giving more smallbusinesses access to much needed capi-tal to fund working capital, machineryand equipment, or purchase real estate.

“Lenders throughout the state havefound that SBA loan programs are animportant asset in helping small busi-

ness clients,” said Gerald Moore, SBAMichigan District Director.

Driving the record setting dollarvalue in fiscal 2012 was the SBA 504loan program with 333 loans totalingover $176 million, another record settingamount. These loans leveraged another$221 million in financing for a total ofmore than $397 million in financing forMichigan businesses through the 504program. “This program helped smallbusinesses position themselves forexpansion and job creation,” said Moore.The dollar value was 62% higher com-pared to the prior year. The increase inthe 504 loan volume was driven by atemporary program that allowed for therefinancing of existing debt. The author-ity for the refinancing program expired atthe end of September, 2012.

Loans were made in 74 out of 83counties in Michigan by more than 135lenders demonstrating widespread par-ticipation in SBA loan programsthroughout the state.

i3 Business Solutions, llcCelebrates 20 Years

Grand Rapids, MI – October 17,2012 – i3 Business Solutions, llc isproud to announce they have reached amilestone in their industry. They arecelebrating 20 years of technology serv-ices in Grand Rapids, Michigan.Established in 2004 as the merger oftwo partner firms, SilverLake Resourcesand 21st Century Computer Specialists,i3 Business Solutions (www.i3bus.com)is a consulting firm which providesinformation technology (IT) and com-puter networking services to small tomid-sized organizations in the WestMichigan area. i3’s services and solu-tions include total information technolo-gy outsourcing and managed services,IT staffing, server installation, networkmanagement, disaster recovery, networksecurity, cloud computing, and backupservices. “We are sincerely grateful forthe past 20 years and for our loyalclients, friends and business associ-ates,” said Labozzetta. “We look for-ward to many more successful years.”

In the early 80s, Kathy Labozzettagraduated from college with an educa-tion degree. Back then, a fast growingtechnology company was looking to hirecomputer professionals – but there werenot enough skills available. IBM profiled

the candidates they wanted and landedon graduates with teaching degrees.They’re smart, willing to learn and canbe trained in technology. Labozzettalanded her job at IBM, eventuallyadvancing to a midrange server SystemsEngineering position.

In 1990 Mike Ritsema was hiredout of the food service industry into anIBM Business Partner firm, HandCrafted Systems and soon became aminority partner in the firm.

In the early 90s, Labozzetta andothers started a company called SilverLake resources, which was known for itsdistribution and manufacturing ERPexpertise and Information Technologyprofessional services. At the same time,Ritsema was involved with and eventu-ally purchased 21st Century ComputerSpecialists.

Today, i3 Business Solutions deliv-ers its flagship ReliabilITy™ managedtechnology support services to over athousand end users at West Michigansmall and medium businesses.

To commemorate the occasion, i3celebrated with an Open House heldduring ArtPrize at the end of Septemberat their downtown Grand Rapids offices.

Finance/Insurance/Banking BriefsGrand Rapids – Founders Bank & Trustannounced Rebecca Sack Grasmeyer,Chartered Financial Consultant, joined asAVP Trust Administrator bringing twelveyears of financial services experience.

Grand Rapids – Campbell Group, a divi-sion of Acrisure, announced AmyO’Keefe completed a rigorous fivecourse program and received designa-tion of Certified Risk Manager fromCertified Risk Managers International.Amy has been with Campbell Group for20 years as an Account Executive.

Alexandria, VA – IndependentInsurance Agents & Brokers ofAmerica announced David AllenWalker, AAI, CIC, LIC President ofHartland Insurance Agency inHartland, MI, was named Vice Chairmanat the association’s recent leadershipconference in Atlanta.

Sparta – ChoiceOne Bank announcedCarrie Olson joined as Branch Managerof the Alpine branch office to helpexpand consumer and commercial rela-tionships as a Trusted Advisor.

Grand Rapids – Michigan Office ofFinancial & Insurance Regulationreleased Michigan’s Essential HealthBenefits Benchmark Plan: ExecutiveReport recommending Priority Health’sHMO plan be selected as Michigan’sessential health benefits benchmarkplan beginning Jan. 1, 2014, as frame-work for all individual and small groupplans in Michigan due to its low-cost yetall-inclusive service options.

Douglas – Karen Koger joinedLighthouse Group as Title SettlementOfficer, bringing experience in manyfields.

Dowagiac – Pokagon Band presented itsfirst annual distribution to Pokagon-Hartford Area Local Revenue SharingBoard, with payment of $1,043,891.50,which represents two percent of theannual revenue from electronic gamingFour Winds Hartford.

Grandville – Berends Hendricks Stuithas retained its status of “BestPractices” agency for the 19th consecu-tive year, an earned status of elite groupof independent insurance agenciesnationally participating in IndependentInsurance Agents & Brokers of America“Best Practices” Study Group.

Holland – Macatawa Bank welcomedJim Lilly as the Commercial Team Leaderfor the Lakeshore area, who will bemanaging a team of commercial lendersand responsible for business and com-mercial banking activities includingbusiness development and portfoliomanagement.

Coopersville – ChoiceOne Bank brokeground to expand and renovate its cur-rent Coopersville branch office with com-pletion scheduled by February, 2013.The project is being overseen byThompson-Phelan Group.

Muskegon – Jodi Geiger joinedLighthouse Group as PersonalInsurance Account Manager, bringingover 22 years of experience in the insur-ance industry.

Grand Rapids – Lake Michigan CreditUnion announced it partnered withSallie Mae to offer customers a privatestudent loan program, Smart OptionStudent Loan®, helping students savemoney and pay off loans faster thanother alternatives.

Suttons Bay – Micheline Padella joinedLighthouse Group as Title CustomerService Representative after 34 years inthe construction industry.

Grand Rapids – Lake Michigan CreditUnion announced hiring MichaelTurcott as Purchasing Manager at LakeMichigan Auto Center in Hudsonville.

Grand Rapids – Lake Michigan CreditUnion announced Michael Goad as ChiefFinancial Officer, bringing 24 years ofbanking and business expertise to hisposition.

Grand Rapids – Denise R. Noordeloos,CBC, joined Lighthouse Group inKentwood as Benefits AccountExecutive, bringing over 18 years ofindustry experience in sales and admin-istration of employee benefit programs.

Holland - Stacey Hokse joins the Titleteam of Lighthouse Group as TitleCustomer Service Represntative. She willbe located in the Lighthouse Group -Michigan Shores location at 76 S. RiverAvenue in Holland.

Looking for Work? Howthe MEDC Can Help….

By; Michael A. Finney, MichiganEconomic Development CorporationPresident and CEO

MEDC, the Workforce DevelopmentAgency and the 25 Michigan Works!agencies are part of Michigan’s compre-hensive, demand-driven talent system.We work directly with hiring employersto develop targeted training programsand talent initiatives designed to meettheir needs now and into the future. Weare actively identifying skills gaps –areas where the demand for a specificskill is greater than the current supply –and developing programs to train,recruit, and retain the talent our employ-ers need to thrive.

The State of Michigan has devel-oped a variety of innovative initiatives tomake sure employers have the skilledstaff they need now and in the future.Michigan Shifting Gears helps seasonedprofessionals transition to new positionswith entrepreneurial businesses andstart-ups. Shifting Code allows IT work-

ers upgrade their skills and move into in-demand jobs in Michigan’s growinghigh-tech industries. LiveWorkDetroit!offers day-long immersion and careernetworking events in the state’s largestcity. MichAGAIN hosts career eventsaround the country to encourageMichigan natives and graduates to takeadvantage of career opportunities backhome in Michigan. Veterans’ ServicesDivision works with employers to matchveteran jobseekers with available posi-tions and help them transition to civilianemployment.

In addition, industry cluster teamswork directly with employers in five keysectors – manufacturing, energy, healthcare, IT, and agriculture – to connectemployers with educators and trainingproviders to prepare Michigan citizensfor the high-skill, high-wage jobs avail-able today and tomorrow. And PureMichigan Talent Connect provides a one-stop online touch point for jobseekers,employers and career explorers.

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Legal/Accounting/Consulting BriefsGrand Rapids – Dennis M. Echelbarger,CPA/CFF/CGMA, long time Board memberand former chair of the MichiganAssociation of Certified PublicAccountants, was presented theDistinguished Achievement Award by theMACPA for his expertise in areas of litiga-tion, business valuation, audit, account-ing services, and West Michigan’s liaisonfor government relations.

East Lansing – Anderson EconomicGroup announced Alex Rosaen waspromoted to Senior Consultant andnamed Director of Public Policy andEconomic Analysis.

Grand Rapids – Construction Law attorneySteve Hilger will speak about Raising theAccountability Bar for BuildingPerformance, at the BIM Forum inTacoma, Washington, October 10, 2012.

Grand Rapids – Jonathan J. Siebers,Attorney and shareholder with SmithHaughey Rice & Roegge, is the firstattorney in Michigan to become CertifiedMerger & Acquisition Advisor.

Grand Rapids – Birgit Klohs, CEO of TheRight Place, Inc., was honored withHaworth College of BusinessOutstanding Alumni AchievementAward, the highest award for alumnicareer achievement that the College ofBusiness bestows.

Grand Rapids – Varnum welcomedattorneys Conor Dugan, trial and appel-late Counsel for commercial litigation,and Kyle Konwinski, trial and litigationAssociate.

Grand Rapids – Right Place, Inc.,received Gold Excellence in EconomicDevelopment Award for their Site36Website in the category of SpecialPurpose Website for communities withpopulations of greater than 500,000from the International EconomicDevelopment Council.

Grand Rapids – Miller Johnsonannounced Jon Muth is one of five char-ter members inducted into the newlylaunched Michigan Chapter of NationalAcademy of Distinguished Neutrals forhis effectiveness, professionalism, andreputation.

Kalamazoo – Kreis, Enderle, Hudgins &Boros Attorneys R. Ryan McNally, SaraE. D. Fazio, and David C. Hill were rec-ognized as Rising Stars by MichiganSuper Lawyers, a distinction given toless than 2.5 percent of lawyers inMichigan.

Grand Rapids – Echelbarger,Himebaugh, Tamm & Co., PC, wel-comed Benjamin J. Kamps as StaffAccountant working in both accountingand auditing areas.

Grand Rapids – Echelbarger,Himebaugh, Tamm & Co., PC, wel-comed Nathan J. Vandenbroek,Technology Consultant specializing inCustomer Relationship Management,bringing 13 years of experience of appli-cation management, business analysisand specification, web development, andproject management of enterprise widesystems.

Grand Rapids – Matthew D. Johnson,partner at law firm Warner Norcross &Judd LLP, will serve as new chair of theAgriculture Industry Group. WarnerNorcross works with family farms, agri-businesses, corporate farms, orchards,and agri-chemical manufacturers anddistributors throughout the Midwest.

Lansing – Foster, Swift, Collins &Smith, P.C., announced 22 attorneyswere named by Michigan Super Lawyers2012. Additionally, the following wereincluded on Super Lawyer's MichiganRising Stars: Lansing - Dana M.Bennett, Jennifer Kildea Dewane, LizaC. Moore, Joshua K. Richardson, andDavid R. Russell; Grand Rapids - LauraJ. Genovich and John W. Inhulsen.

Grand Rapids – Gaëtan Gerville-Réache, Attorney with WarnerNorcross & Judd LLP, co-authored thechapter on appeals for the new edition ofthe Michigan Basic Practice Handbook.

Grand Rapids – Rhoades McKeeannounced fifteen of the firm’s attorneyswere selected by their peers for inclusionin the Best Lawyers of America® 2013.

Grand Rapids – Adamy ValuationAdvisors, announced addition of BrianBakker bringing his experience in val-uation, forensic accounting, and litiga-tion support to attorneys and clients formarital dissolutions and other litigatedmatters.

Grand Rapids – Smith Haughey Rice &Roegge announced new Attorneys:Jeffrey C. Kemperman, MedicalMalpractice Defense representing physi-cians, nurses, hospitals, and otherhealthcare providers; Nicholas A.Reister, Business and IndividualPlanning practicing estate planning, pro-bate and trust administration, probatelitigation, real property and businesslaw; and Aubri N. Sheremet, MedicalMalpractice Trial attorney defendinghealthcare facilities and professionalsagainst claims of malpractice.

Grand Rapids – Miller Johnson wel-comed Connie R. Thacker, Family LawAttorney practicing complex divorce,business valuations, custody, and par-enting time.

88Tetra Discovery Partners Received Major

NIH Award to Develop New Alzheimer’s DrugGrand Rapids – Tetra Discovery

Partners LLC, a leader in the design ofnew treatments for major neurologicalconditions based on PDE4 modulation inthe brain, today announced it has beenawarded a five-year cooperative agree-ment by the National Institutes of Health(NIH). The award will support Tetra’sefforts to develop a new drug to treatmild cognitive impairment, which is typ-ically associated with aging and oftenprecedes and accompanies Alzheimer’sdisease.

Tetra’s award includes up to $1.5million in direct funding and access tomillions of additional dollars worth ofcontracted research services; theCompany estimates that the total valueof the NIH award to be worth at least $10million over the project’s anticipatedfive-year period. The award was made

through the Blueprint NeurotherapeuticsNetwork (BPN), a recently launched NIHinitiative involving the National Instituteof Neurological Disorders and Stroke andthe National Institute of Aging. Underthe terms of its cooperative agreementwith NIH, Tetra will retain the intellectu-al property related to its research and beresponsible for the commercialization ofthe new drug.

“We are delighted that TetraDiscovery Partners has been acceptedinto NIH’s highly selective BlueprintNeurotherapeutics Network,” said MarkGurney, Ph.D., Tetra’s founder and pres-ident. “We expect that the funding andaccess to industry resources provided bythe BPN will help support the significantacceleration of Tetra’s work, which holdsreal promise for the millions of individu-als and families contending with age-

related cognitive decline and the ravagesof Alzheimer’s.”

Tetra’s research focuses on design-ing drugs that inhibit phosphodiesterase4 (PDE4), a key enzyme in the brain thatcontrols the biochemical process of mem-ory. The compounds designed by Tetraact like a type of molecular glue, closinga “lid” over the PDE4 catalytic site. Thisinnovative approach to preventing theenzyme from functioning has beenshown to improve efficacy and tolerabil-ity over previous compounds that simplyinhibit the enzyme altogether. Tetra’sNIH-funded work will focus on develop-ing a treatment for mild cognitive impair-ment (MCI), which includes memory dif-ficulties as well as other changes inthinking skills and sequencing tasks.The subtle cognitive decline associatedwith MCI may also precede the develop-ment of Alzheimer’s disease, often bymany years, and can affect an individ-ual’s ability to work, hold a job and copewith daily activities.

Launched in 2011, the BPN pro-gram has been fostered by NIH DirectorFrancis S. Collins, with support from theInstitutes’ other directors, as part of theagency’s heightened emphasis on trans-lational medicine. It marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration for NIH – enablingaward recipients to leverage resourcesacross 15 agency institutes and centers,as well as the expertise of outside con-sultants and contractors – and involvesmaking a total of $50 million in fundingavailable to selected academic andindustry-based researchers. Tetra is thefirst award recipient to be notified in theprogram’s second year and one of only afew non-academic teams accepted todate.

Key members of the project team ledby Tetra include Alex Burgin, Ph.D.,chief scientific officer of Emerald Bio(embios.com) and Professor James M.O’Donnell, assistant dean for research,and Dr. Han-ting Zhang of West VirginiaUniversity.

Dr. Gurney noted: “The BPN will

become a natural complement to Tetra’slean business structure, which is definedby minimal staff, a network of expertoutside collaborators – as exemplified bythe key contributions of Alex, James andHan-Ting, as well as the structural biolo-gy scientific team at Emerald –, and acombination of private and public fund-ing sources. Importantly, our work hasbeen facilitated by the incubator servicesof the West Michigan Science &Technology Initiative (www.wmsti.org),which include affordable access to cus-tomized lab space, leading-edge instru-mentation and proximity to world-classhealthcare, research and education insti-tutions such as Grand Valley StateUniversity’s Cell and Molecular BiologyDepartment. This model has contributedto Tetra’s early success, enabling us toemploy minimal capital by providing uswith the ability to spend virtually everydollar on strategic projects vs. infrastruc-ture and equipment.”

If its NIH-funded project proceeds asthe Company anticipates, Tetra plans tobegin Phase I clinical studies in as soonas three to four years. “We believe thereis an important market opportunity fornew treatment approaches addressingcognitive decline,” added Dr. Gurney.“Current global sales of the five approvedAlzheimer’s drugs are estimated at $4billion annually. According to theAlzheimer’s Association, these drugs areeffective for less than one year in abouthalf of patients who take them, and theirutility wanes as the disease becomesmore severe. In addition, the drugs cur-rently approved to treat cognitive declinein Alzheimer’s do not help individualswith MCI, which is a significantly largerpatient population.”

Tetra is also exploring the ability ofits compounds to restore cognitive func-tion in patients who have suffered trau-matic brain injury (TBI). TBI frequentlyinvolves the front of the brain, which isimportant for functions such as remem-bering and sequencing tasks.

Health Care BriefsKalamazoo – HealthCare Midwest, 601John St., recently installed CarestreamDRX-1C Digital X-ray System to increaseproductivity and improve patient satis-faction as digital x-ray sensors are usedinstead of traditional photographic film.Digital systems allow immediate imagepreview and availability, elimination ofcostly film and chemical processing, bet-ter image quality, and less radiationexposure.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health’sCenter for Joint Replacement atBlodgett Hospital is one of the first hos-pitals in Michigan using OrthoSensor™Knee Balancer, the first sensor-assistedorthopaedic instrument for knee implantduring total knee replacement surgery.

Kalamazoo – Bronson Children’sHospital received almost $75,000 fromKohl's Department Store during ChildPassenger Safety Week Celebration /National Seat Check. Bronson is theonly children’s hospital in southwestMichigan and lead organization for SafeKids Kalamazoo County focusing oninjury prevention and health education.

Kalamazoo – Working Mother magazineannounced Bronson Healthcare wasnamed to its 100 Best Companies list for2012, marking nine years Bronson hasbeen recognized among the nation’sleading family-friendly employers.

Wyoming – Metro Health Hospital waschosen to receive an Excellence inPatient Care award from the StuderGroup® as “Most Achieved” for itsexemplary work in DischargeInformation composite ratings on theHospital Consumer Assessment ofHealthcare Providers and Systemspatient survey.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Healthannounced Roger Jansen, PhD, SeniorVice President and Chief HumanResource Officer, was named to a list ofthe Top 10 Breakaway Leaders in thefield of human resources presented byEvanta Leadership Network.

Grand Rapids – J. Michael Kramer, MD,MBA, was named Senior Vice Presidentand Chief Quality Officer for SpectrumHealth System, combining his formerresponsibilities as Vice President andChief Medical Information Officer withspecial focus on using data to enhancequality and patient safety.

Grand Rapids – Rebecca Davis,Associate Professor of Nursing at GrandValley State University, received$316,073 National Institutes of Healthgrant to continue researching howpatients with Alzheimer's disease usevisual cues to navigate their living areas.

9Vision Continues at Metro Health Village

The Vision Continues at MetroHealth Village Granger Groupannounces the highly anticipatedFamily Fare and future development atMetro Health Village.

Wyoming, MI August 21, 2012:The dream began six years ago and asthe economy slowed, Granger Groupcontinued to drive the momentum atMetro Health Village, the first national-ly-recognized LEED Certified MedicalCampus in the nation. Beginning in2006, Granger brought life and vitalityto the village, welcoming numerousmedical office, retail, and hospitalitybusinesses to the campus.

Metro Health Village is becomingthe home to local and national leadersin retail, finance, healthcare, educationand wellness looking to create newopportunities in a growing market-place. The growth at the village hasbeen supported by a growing list ofcompanies, including Starbucks, HyattPlace, ITT Technical Institute, OptionOne Credit Union, and the YMCA. Themost recent addition welcomes SpartanStores Family Fare and Quick Stop,which opened its doors in April 2012and will become the first LEED CertifiedSpartan grocery store. The highly antic-ipated Veteran Affairs Outpatient Clinicis also expected to begin constructionin 2013.

Granger is currently in the plan-ning and development phase of a new

mixed-use, multi-story building, whichwill include retail, office, and residen-tial components. The response of themarketplace remains strong as the

vision of the village continues to devel-op with the addition of new restau-rants, clothing and home goods storeslooking to join the village in 2012-13.

As the economy grows stronger,Granger will continue to drive the mar-ketplace in the next phase of growth atMetro Health Village.

Health CareBriefsWyoming – Metro Health Village, thefirst nationally-recognized LEEDCertified Medical Campus in the nation,is becoming home to local and nationalleaders in retail, finance, healthcare,education and wellness looking to createnew opportunities in a growing market-place. The highly anticipated VeteranAffairs Outpatient Clinic is alsoexpected to begin construction in 2013.Granger Group, national investmentand development firm based in WestMichigan, is currently planning anddeveloping a phase of a new mixed-use,multi-story building which will includeretail, office and residential componentswith addition of new restaurants, cloth-ing, and home goods stores 2012-13.

10Construction BriefsGrand Rapids – URS Corporationannounced Vice Presidential promotionsof Michael T. De Vries, PE, StatewideManager of Traffic Engineering, provid-ing senior leadership in business opera-tions; and, Sean N. Kelsch, PE, Managerfor Highway Engineering Services, tak-ing a leadership role in business devel-opment – both within Michigan’s SurfaceTransportation Business Line.

Grand Rapids – Owen-Ames-KimballCo. announced appointment of FrankStanek, PE, LEED AP, to the position ofVice President overseeing managementof daily operations and corporate plan-ning.

Holland – Elzinga & Volkers announcedpromotion of Morgan Wondergem toProject Administrator to provide supportto Project Managers and manage dailyadministrative items.

Grand Rapids – Elzinga & Volkers wasnamed Michigan Contractor of the Yearby the American SubcontractorsAssociation of Michigan. Honorablementions were awarded to Dan VosConstruction and Pioneer Construction.

Zeeland Township – Granger Group,national investment and developmentfirm based in West Michigan, began thefirst phase of development of Park PlaceVillage with the new site for HollandHospital’s two-story, 33,880-square-foot medical office building. As the firstphase of Park Place Village continues,several companies look to take advan-tage of the growth occurring in the sur-rounding area and Granger Groupremains extremely encouraged by theresponse from Holland Hospital as wellas the interest from prospective tenantsand site owners looking to join theVillage of Park Place.

Grand Rapids – Integrated Architectureranked 32nd in the US for sustainabilityaccording to Eric Willis, Senior Editor ofArchitecture Magazine. Factoring thesustainable commitment with businessand design excellence/pro bono work,the magazine ranked IntegratedArchitecture 64th nationally.

Lansing – Clark Constructionannounced hiring Matt Duda, DesktopAdministrator, and Colin Martin, SeniorProject Manager.

Clare – McGuire Chevrolet announcedthat groundbreaking ceremony will take

place to celebrate their upcoming renova-tions and facility upgrades Monday,October 8, 2012, at McGuire’s dealership.The renovation project is part of GM’snationwide re-image program and willutilize local contractors for the project.

Grand Rapids – Engineering News-Record Magazine released its 2012 Top600 Specialty Contractor report in mid-October. Kent Companies ranked as the15th largest concrete contractor in thecountry by volume, and 256th largestoverall specialty firm in the constructionindustry.

ABCWM Special AwardsIDEATION AWARD WINNER

Ideas are a dime-a-dozen. Whatreally brings positive change to themerit shop and construction industry isthe actual implementation of theseideas. But in order to get there, ideasneed more than good intention. ThisIdeation Award recognizes not onlyideas and innovation but also imple-mentation of these ideas for the indus-try’s mutual benefit. The IdeationAward reflects West Michigan’sstrength and ingenuity and the spirit ofentrepreneurship in our constructioncommunity. The IDEATION Award wascreated to recognize innovative tech-niques and methods, proven on actualprojects that improve the quality of con-struction.

This year’s Ideation Award Winnerwas Rockford Construction for the con-cept and development of MoDiv. MoDivis a collection of incubator shoppingspaces in downtown Grand Rapids onthe corner of Monroe Center andDivision Avenue in the old PeckBuilding. It is a retail incubator withflexible spaces & affordable, short termleases. It encourages new retailers inthe downtown market and fosters a cre-ative and entrepreneurial

ICON AWARD WINNERNew this year to the program was

the concept of a recognizing a construc-tion ICON. Criteria for the nominationwere that it had to be a person ororganization that recognizably lived upto the values ABC stands by, honesty,integrity and fairness in their personal

and professional dealings who has hada significant impact on the constructionindustry in West Michigan. This year’sfinalists included Grand Rapids CityCommissioner Rosalynn Bliss; BillSchoonveld, President of Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.; Dan Van Dyke, Architect atURS; Ann Plummer, Principal at BeeneGarter, LLP; and the winner was LarryErhardt, Sr., Founder of ErhardtConstruction. Larry’s nominationincluded the following, “Larry,throughout his long career and stilltoday at age 81, is a strong spokesper-son for our industry and the ABC. Heepitomizes the combination of intelli-gence, determination to succeed and acommitment to excellence. In October1962, Larry founded ErhardtConstruction Inc. Although retired,Larry continues to be involved in theconstruction industry of WestMichigan. He is greatly respected by hispeers and has established the trust andconfidence of clients who make up thebest of the best in West Michigan. Thelist of significant projects successfullycompleted by Erhardt Construction ishis legacy to his company and the com-munity. His contributions were recentlyrecognized by the MichiganConstruction Hall of Fame, whichawarded Larry the DistinguishedConstructor Award in 2009. To many inthe industry he has been a mentor anda source of advice, wisdom and knowl-edge. As a role model for future con-structors, he offers some of the bestexamples of character, honor andintegrity.”

11Associated Buidlers and Contractors WM ChapterName Excellence in Construction Award Winners

Grand Rapids – The Associated Builders and Contractors – Western MichiganChapter recognized the following contracting firms, projects and construction ICON attheir 2012 Honor Awards program on November 1, 2012: BUILDING AWARD WIN-NERS Award Winner ProjectPrecast Kerkstra Precast, Inc. Heart of the City Health Center

Glazing - Vos Glass, Inc. Stryker Renovation InteriorInterior

Glazing - Vos Glass, Inc. Calvin College Fine Arts CenterExterior

Low Voltage SecurAlarm Systems, Inc. Heart of the City Health CenterSystems

Electrical Allied Electric Federal Building Partners Kendall College

Electrical - Parkway Electric & Johnson Controls Lithium IndustrialCommunications Ion Battery Plant

HVAC/Sheet Pleune Service Company Tower 35Metal –Under $5 M

HVAC/Sheet Quality Air Farmers InsuranceMetal-Over $5 M

Process Piping - River City Mechanical Spectrum Health Blodgett - Under $3 Million Chiller Plant

Process Piping - Allied Mechanical Services Amway Nutrition FacilityOver $3 Million

Mechanical Allied Mechanical Services Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital

Interior Finishing The Bouma Corporation Basilica of St. AdalbertUnder $90,000

Interior Finishing The Bouma Corporation Ruth's Chris Steak HouseOver $90,000

Interior Finishing Ritsema Associates Steelcase Corporate CaféOver $100,000

Pre-Engineered Dykhouse Construction, Inc. Enwork Furniture

Renovation - Pioneer Construction Ruth's Chris Steak HouseUnder $5 Million

Renovation - Rockford Construction Stryker - RomenceOver $5 Million

Historical Wolverine Building Smith, Haughey, Rice & RoeggeRenovation

Historical The Christman Company Federal Building Partners KendallRestoration College

Construction - C. D. Barnes Associates Cummins Bridgeway

Under $2 Million

Construction - Wolverine Building Group Morton Township LibraryOver $2 Million

Construction - Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. InterCare Community Health Network$5 - $10 Million – Benton Harbor Facility

Construction - Over $10 Million Dan Vos Construction Company RequestFoods Greenly St. Plant

Green Building - Frederick Construction Western Michigan University - Under $10 Million Lee Honors College

Green Building - The Christman Company Federal Building Partners Kendall$10 - $50 Million College

Green Building - Owen-Ames-Kimball Van Andel Institute - Phase IIOver $50 Million

Safety Elzinga & Volkers

Dow Chemical to shut down 20 Factories, despite small gains in the Industrial Coating Market.

By: Jeremy Martin

Midland-In October, Midland basedDow Chemical Company announced thatit will be closing upwards of 20 factoriesworld-wide. The announcement came onthe heels of the company’s quarterlyearnings report which showcased adecreasing profit margin across the com-pany’s many product lines.

Dow had initially intended torelease its third quarter stock report on

October 24th, was late in filing its offi-cial release following a statistical leakwhich took place a week in advance. Inthe end Dow’s revenues plummeted to$13,637 million for the quarter, down9.7% from this time last year.

“Dow’s results this quarter demon-strate the acceleration and delivery ofour cost reduction actions,” AndrewLiveris, company chairman and CEOsaid in a statement. “We focused on exe-cution and intervened to protect our pri-

oritized growth pathThe intervention includes; manage-

ment’ decision to eliminate about 2,400jobs and close roughly 20 manufactur-ing plants. Michigan Chronicle Onlinealso reported that “The company alsoplans to slash capital spending andinvestments. It expects that will save anadditional $500 million. Dow anticipatesit will save $2.5 billion, including othercost-cutting measures.”

Some of the blame can be traced toslipping prices in the Industrial Coatingsmarket. Despite increasing its volume by1% during the quarter, the division sawa pricing decrease of nearly 10% world-wide.

As Zacks Equity Research reportedon October 24th “Sales fell in the DowCoating Materials business as lowerprice more than offset volume gainsdriven by higher demand in IndustrialCoatings.”

On a positive note, Dow sawdemand raise for industrial coatingproducts such as traffic paint and papercoating applications; however thoseproducts did not raise enough capital tooffset losses in other parts of the com-pany.

For example, according to MichiganChronicle Online “Weak pricing in

epoxy-based products continued tohamper sales and profitability. DowBuilding and Construction experiencedvolume declines as a result of actionstaken within the quarter to improveprofitability, particularly in Europe”

“The reality is we are operating in aslow-growth environment in the near-term and, while these actions are diffi-cult, they demonstrate our resolve totightly manage operations particularly inEurope and mitigate the impact of cur-rent market dynamics,” Liveris said.

Liveris did however explain thatDow’s financial and business relatedstratagies were fully intact and that thecompany was optimistic about its futurein the marketplace.

“our long-term growth fundamen-tals are strong,” Liveris said. “Movingforward, Dow is squarely focused ondriving cost efficiencies, generating cashand earnings growth.”

12

Extra Hourof Sleep

Grand Rapids – Daylight SavingTime (DST) ended at 2 a.m. Sunday,Nov. 4. This is the weekend when peo-ple will be adjusting their clocks andwatches and happily anticipating thechance to enjoy an “extra” hour of sleep.But what difference can an extra hour ofsleep make, anyway?

According to experts at SpectrumHealth, it’s something to celebrate.

Bender-Hausman says that mostadults need eight hours of sleep a night.Children do best with at least 10 hours,while teens and young adults still neednine hours a night to be fully rested.Spectrum Health has a sleep test postedonline that can help people determine ifthey are getting enough sleep.

A good night’s sleep has many ben-efits:

Overall alertness Higher productivity Successful weight control Safer driving Better attitude Improved memory Lower stressBetter health. Good sleep has been

linked to fewer, less severe colds,improved heart health and even a posi-tive impact on Type 2 diabetes.

13Manufacturing CEOs Retain Optimism About

Business in 2013Las Vegas, NV - “Same as it ever

was” is not only a lyric by The TalkingHeads, it also describes the outlook forthe fabricating and manufacturing sec-tor in 2013. A group of CEOs who willbe featured at a roundtable at theFABTECH exposition remain optimisticthat growth experienced by many man-ufacturers since 2010 will continue for athird year in a row. The roundtable ispart of the special events planned forFABTECH 2012, November 12 – 14 inLas Vegas.

The CEOs include Jerry Ward, VicePresident of Metcam, Inc.; Rick Taylor,President and CEO of Jay Industries;Gregg Simpson, President of OhioLaser; Shivie Dhillon, President ofSunDial Powder Coatings and PatrickThompson, President of Trans-MaticManufacturing. The roundtable featur-ing these industry leaders, entitled Stateof the Industry: Manufacturers’Executive Outlook, will take place thefirst day of the show at 12:30 p.m. Dr.Chris Kuehl, Economic Analyst for theFabricators & ManufacturersAssociation, International, will moder-ate the panel. The session is free andopen to all attendees.

Each CEO participating in theroundtable represents a business thatspecializes in a different technology andserves a different customer base. Thiswill ensure a variety of opinions duringthe roundtable discussion that mirrorsthe breadth of opinions found amongthe 25,000 attendees at FABTECH.The CEOs will discuss and debate sever-

al factors that impact business for man-ufacturers: energy costs, raw materials,regulations, areas of growth anddecline, exports, uncertainty, skilled-labor issues and capital investments.

“The CEO roundtable will havesomething for everyone - whetheryou’re in the metal forming, fabricating,welding or finishing industries, orinvolved in some other sector of manu-facturing,” said John Catalano, theshow’s co-manager. “These CEOs areall distinguished leaders and bring var-ied perspectives on manufacturing.This makes the roundtable a ‘can’tmiss’ event at FABTECH.”

In pre-show interviews, some CEOsagreed that materials supply will contin-ue to be unpredictable, making it chal-lenging to plan. For others, energycosts are a greater concern. However,despite this uncertainty, the CEOs allagreed that their companies expect tocontinue the growth that they haveexperienced in the last two years.Some of the CEOs predicted stronggrowth of 20% or more, while othersare expecting slow, but steady growth inthe coming year or two.

FABTECH is expected to attractmore than 25,000 manufacturers to theLas Vegas Convention Center to view1,100 exhibits, including live equip-ment demonstrations covering morethan 400,000 net square feet of floorspace. Simultaneously, the educationprogram features technical, operational,economic, and managerial sessionswhere participants will discover solu-

tions to advance their career and theirbusinesses.

FABTECH is co-sponsored by fiveindustry-leading associations:American Welding Society; Fabricators& Manufacturers Association,International; Society of ManufacturingEngineers; Precision MetalformingAssociation; and Chemical CoatersAssociation International. Completeevent information, including a scheduleof educational sessions, pricing infor-mation and registration is available onthe FABTECH 2012 website at HYPER-LINK "http://www.fabtechexpo.com"www.fabtechexpo.com.

West Michigan companies expect-ing to participate with their exhibits atFabtech’s exposition include: Accra-Wire Controls, Inc. – Rockford; AlcoTech – Traverse City; Bliss ClearingNiagara – Hastings; Box on Demand byPlymouth Packaging – Battle Creek;Dake Corp – Grand Haven; Dr Shrink,Inc. – Manistee; Enprotech IndustrialTechnologies, LLC – Lansing; FerrisState University – Big Rapids; GrandRapids Machine Repair – Grand Rapids;Industrial Innovations, Inc. – Wyoming;

Melttools, LLC – Portage; Module-Air,LLC – Holland; Rapid Engineering –Comstock Park; RoMan Mfg, Inc. –Grand Rapids; Rosler Metal FinishingUSA, LLC – Battle Creek; SchreiberChillers – Kalamazoo; SelfLube –Coopersville; Trans-Matic Mfg Co, Inc. –Holland; and Unist, Inc. – Grand Rapids.

Other Michigan companies partici-pating in Fabtech expo are: ABB, Inc. –Auburn Hills; ABC Test Panels, LLC –Hillsdale; Advanced TubularTechnologies, Inc. – Waterford; AlmetalsCo. – Wixom; Alro Steel Corp. – Jackson;Anchor Daly – Farmington Hills;Autoform Engineering – Troy; BexSpray Nozzels – Ann Arbor; Big SteelRack – Jackson; Bilsing AutomationNorth America – Clinton Twp.; BLMGroup USA Corp. – Wixom; BonalTechnologies, Inc. – Royal Oak; Clips &Clamps Industries – Plymouth; COEPress Equipment – Sterling Hts.; COR-MET, Inc. – Brighton; Daifuku Webb –Farmington Hills; Dallas Industries, Inc.– Troy; DE-STA-CO – Auburn Hills; DurrEcoclean, Inc. – Wixom; EFD Induction,Inc. – Madison Hts;

Continued on page 15

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14Industrial BriefsByron Center – 1st Source Servall, one ofNorth America’s largest distributors ofappliance parts, opened its newest distri-bution center at 511 - 76th SW Street.The facility will be called The KennethAdler Distribution Center in honor of thelate Kenneth Adler, former President of1st Source Servall for 35 years and son ofthe innovating company founder. In addi-tion, the new facility also contains a 1stSource Servall branch operation to servethe greater Grand Rapids community.

Holland – Action Industrial Supplyacquired Safety Products and will serveas Action’s third location to Grand Rapidsand Muskegon, carrying a full line ofindustrial supplies. Safety Products willcontinue to operate under their currentname and location, 4780 - 136th Ave.

Grand Rapids – Foundation FinancialLogistics Group members traveled toMichigan searching for branch officespace as it expands its corporate brandacross the US, looking to bring muchneeded jobs to the Grand Rapids market.

Comstock Township – Hark Orchids, aGerman company specializing inhybridization, cultivation and propaga-tion of orchids, plans to invest $6.5 mil-lion, creating up to 80 jobs in the nextthree to five years, in a state-of-the-art35,000-square-foot laboratory and cli-mactic chambers at Midlink BusinessPark. Michigan Economic DevelopmentCorporation, Southwest Michigan First,and Kalamazoo County are also support-ing this high-tech floriculture projectwith considerable grants.

Holland – Code Blue Corp. announcedhiring John Plooster as Regional SalesManager for Central North America whowill oversee relationships with rep firmsand dealers nationally including Canada.Additionally, Code Blue announced hir-ing Becky Zobl as Manager of SalesAdministration.

Kalamazoo – Kal-Blue announced it wasnamed to Ingram Micro SMB 500 list,celebrating the top 500 fastest-growingIngram Micro U.S. channel partnersfocused on small and midsize business-es, and ranked number 26.

Comstock Township – Midlink BusinessPark welcomed Sigma Machine, familyowned stainless-steel and aluminummachining manufacturer, to the park'snewest state-of-the-art manufacturingspace. Midlink specializes in small- tomedium-sized machine components formedical equipment, green energy, cus-tom tooling, and automotive industries.

Rockford – Wolverine Worldwideannounced it will complete the previous-ly announced acquisition of CollectiveBrands' Performance + Lifestyle Group(PLG) consisting of Sperry Top-Sider®,Saucony®, Stride Rite® and Keds®brands, for a total purchase price ofapproximately $1.24 billion. PLG, withmore than $1.0 billion of revenue and 40million pairs shipped in fiscal 2011, willremain headquartered in Lexington,Massachusetts.

Ann Arbor – Tecumseh ProductsCompany announced establishment ofTecumseh University, a purpose-builtclassroom and lab facility at the site ofTecumseh’s main North American pro-duction hub in Tupelo, Mississippi, toprovide training and education neces-sary for key wholesale personnel tobecome Certified “RefrigerationSpecialists.”

Hudsonville – American Autocoatannounced expansion of their injectionmolding operation. In spring 2012,American Autocoat was awarded a largecontract facilitating need for additionalmolding press capacity and tonnage, andinvested into additional 427 and 787 toninjection molding presses.

Battle Creek – Nacco MaterialsHandling Group appointed AltaEquipment Company as authorizedYale dealer for Northwest Indiana andSouthwest. Alta also has service facili-ties in Elkhart, Indiana, and 14 otherlocations throughout Indiana, Illinois,and Michigan.

Lansing – A groundbreaking ceremonyfor Mersen USA, international specialtygraphite parts maker, was held with con-struction underway for their $21.3 man-ufacturing facility located in Bay County.Mersen plans to add 32 jobs when thefacility opens in 2013.

Lansing – The Energy InnovationBusiness Council announced DanScripps as President, succeedingLauren Bigelow who served as InterimPresident from July through September.

Allegan – Perrigo announced TammyKriekard was hired as IS ProjectManager for the Information Technologyteam to identify and develop areas for ITimprovement and manage execution ofprojects through completion.

Holland – Michigan West CoastChamber recognized Doug Hekman ofQuincy Street, Inc., manufacturer ofpork products, as the 2012 SmallBusiness Person of the Year. QuincyStreet, Inc., started with 25 employeesand has grown to 175 current employeeswhile experiencing double digit growthfor the last five consecutive years.

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15Manufacturing CEOs Retain Optimism About

Business in 2013Continued from page 13

ELCo Enterprises – Jackson;Elcometer, Inc. – Rochester Hills; EldecInduction USA – Auburn Hills; ElementMaterials Technology – Wixom;Engineering Technology Associates,Inc. – Troy; EnvisionTEC, Inc. –Dearborn; Ervin Industries – AnnArbor; EXEL North America –Plymouth; FANUC Robotics AmericaCorp – Rochester Hills; Feed Lease Corp– Rochester Hills; Fronius USA, LLC –Brighton; GW KENT, Inc. – Ypsilanti;Heck Industries – Hartland; HougenManufacturing, Inc. – Swartz Creek;IMPACT Engineering, Inc. – Jackson;Industrial Magnetics, Inc. – Boyne City;Interpower Induction USA – Almont;IonBond – Madison Hts.; Kolene Corp. –

Detroit; KUKA Robotics Corp – ShelbyTwp; Laser Mechanisms, Inc. – Novi; LTUltra Precision Optics – Brighton;Magnetic Products, Inc. - Highland;Matuschek Welding Products, Inc. –Sterling Hts; Metalix CAD/CAM Ltd –LaSalle; Metalloid Corp – Sturgis;Michigan Pneumatic Tool, Inc. – Detroit;Moeller Precision Tool – Plymouth;Nachi Robotic Systems, Inc. – Novi;Nadella – Jackson; National StandardLLC – Niles; Nikon Metrology, Inc. –Brighton; Nylok LLC – Macomb; OakPress Solutions, Inc. – Sturgis; P & GFluid Power, Inc. – Hazel Park; ParkerIonics/Parkwood Engineering –Westland; Peterson Spring – Southfield;Plex Systems – Auburn Hills; Precitec,Inc. – Wixom; Pronic, Inc. – Ypsilanti;Rolled Alloys – Temperance; RoMan

Engineering Services – Livonia; RossControls – Troy; Schuler, Inc. – Canton;Simufact-Americas, LLC – Plymouth;SNIPS Magazine – Troy; Society ofManufacturing Engineers – Dearborn;Special Springs LLC North America –Wixom; Steinbichler Vision Systems,Inc. – Plymouth; TCT Stainless Steel,Inc. – Sterling Hts.; TQC-USA, Inc. –

Lapeer; Tri-Mer Corp – Owosso; UnisorbInstallation Technologies – Jackson;United Global Sourcing, Inc. – Troy; Visi– Wixom; Walther Pilot North America –Chesterfield; Weil Engineering NorthAmerica – Novi; and Weld-Aid Products– Detroit.

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Industrial BriefsGrand Rapids – International AllianceAutoGas network continues its rapidexpansion, adding new fueling partnerCrystal Flash to help more fleets run onpropane autogas. Headquartered inGrand Rapids, Crystal Flash is the firstAlliance partner based in Michigan and

will help regional fleets switch topropane autogas, including vehicle con-versions, clean fueling, autogas fuelstation installation, safety and opera-tional training, and ongoing technicalsupport.

16Education BriefsGrand Rapids – Davenport Universityhired Peg Luy as Executive VicePresident for Advancement beingresponsible for grant-writing and alum-ni relations efforts.

Grand Rapids – Grand Valley UniversityFoundation announced new Board ofDirectors: Michael A. Batts, David P.Mehney, Hank Meijer, Jeffrey S.Padnos, Mary Tuukm, Arthur V. Scott,and Daniel B. Pfeiffer who joined theFoundation’s advisory cabinet.

Grand Rapids – Grand RapidsCommunity College plans to implementMy Degree Path, a web-based tooldesigned to help students stay on a clearpath to graduation, on October 15, 2012.East Lansing – The winner of MSUFCU’sstartUP Challenge, an opportunity forentrepreneurs to start their businesses inthe tri-county area, will be awarded up to$25,000 to jump-start his/her business.Grand Rapids – Grand RapidsCommunity College announced theyare recipient of a $166,214 grant awardfrom the National Science Foundation aspart of its Transforming UndergraduateEducation in Science, Technology,Engineering and Mathematics program.This is the first NSF grant awardeddirectly to GRCC.

Kalamazoo – Diana Hernández,Director of Western MichiganUniversity's Division of MulticulturalAffairs, received Outstanding HispanicLeader Award as Educator of the Year atthe annual Cesar E. ChavezCommemorative Dinner, sponsored bythe Michigan Hispanic Caucus,Hispanic/Latino Commission ofMichigan and Capital Area César E.Chávez Commission.

Grand Rapids – Grand RapidsCommunity College’s Secchia Institutefor Culinary Education unveiled newlybuilt 54-seat Pietro and ReginaAmphitheater, located inside the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, andfurnished with three 60-inch video mon-itors allowing students to have up-closeview of their instructors as they preparefood and present lesson plans.

Grand Rapids – Jennifer A. Wardrop wasnamed Assistant Vice President forUniversity Development at Grand ValleyState University, replacing Karen Loth,who is now the Vice President forUniversity Development. Wardrop will beresponsible for all aspects of capital andspecial project campaigns identified aspriorities by the University President andBoard of Trustees.

Grand Rapids – The new expansion ofthe West Michigan AviationAcademy, a two-story 47,000 square-foot building addition, houses newgymnasium, fitness area, high-techclassrooms, science labs, administrativeoffices, food service, and commons area.

Grand Rapids – Calvin College's PrinceConference Center, which offers 69guest rooms for overnight accommoda-tions, 13 conference rooms, and canseat up to 400 guests in the Great Hall,hosted an open house celebrating its10th-anniversary.

Grand Haven – Patricia VerDuin,Executive Director of Ready for School, aHolland/Zeeland Community Foundationinitiative, was selected this year’sLakeshore ATHENA Award recipient.

Holland – Hope College held a ground-breaking ceremony for HaworthEngineering Center, a 9,000-square-foot addition to the northwest corner ofVanderWerf Hall in honor of a lead giftfrom Haworth, Inc., and Haworth family.

Grand Rapids – Aquinas Collegeannounced fundraising specialist GregMeyer will serve as Vice President forInstitutional Advancement.

Albion – Eastern Academic Center, aregional campus operated by KelloggCommunity College, announced itslargest fall enrollment with students col-lectively taking more than 1,300 credithours this semester.

Lowell – Students at Lowell AreaSchools will be able to experiencedeveloping technology through a newhydroponic greenhouse, allowing foodto be grown in a variety of environ-ments while using fewer inputs and nat-ural resources, thanks to support oflocal farmers and a $10,000 America’sFarmers Grow Rural Education grant.Grand Rapids – Davenport UniversityCollege of Technology announced twonew degree programs – Master ofScience in Technology Management,and Bachelor of Science in DigitalForensics.

Big Rapids – Ferris State UniversityPresident David Eisler has beenappointed to the American Associationof State Colleges and Universities’ Boardof Directors as announced at the associ-ation’s annual meeting. Eisler hasserved as president of Ferris since July2003.

Health Care BriefsAllegan – Allegan Orthopedic andSports Medicine Center announcedhiring orthopedic surgeon SachaTehranchi, DO.

Grand Rapids – The National CancerInstitute chose Brian Haab, Ph.D.,Head of Van Andel Institute’sLaboratory of CancerImmunodiagnostics, to head a five-year$2.3 million study in collaboration withDavid Smith, Ph.D., EmoryUniversity, to develop new molecularbiomarkers for pancreatic cancer.

Grand Rapids – Van Andel Instituteannounced hiring to expand the organi-zation’s capacity to attract philanthropicsupport for new programs in biomedicalresearch and science education: PatrickPlaczkowski, Director of Developmentfor Van Andel Research Institute, corner-stone of West Michigan’s life science andbiomedical research corridor; and,Anthony Thompson, Ed.D., Director ofDevelopment for Van Andel EducationInstitute preparing scientists and leadersof the future by promoting and strength-ening science education.

Allegan – Allegan General Hospitalwas selected for the third consecutiveyear as one of the Best Places to Workin Healthcare by Modern Healthcaremagazine, which recognizes 100national healthcare workplacesenabling employees to perform at theiroptimum level providing patients withthe best possible care and services.

Holland – Holland Hospital’s JointReplacement Center received the 2013Joint Replacement Excellence Awardfrom Healthgrades®, leading providerof information to help consumers makeinformed decisions about physiciansand hospitals. The award wasannounced in the American HospitalQuality Outcomes 2013: HealthgradesReport to the Nation where performanc-es of approximately 4,500 hospitalsnationwide were evaluated for 30 mostcommon conditions and procedures.

Novi and Newton Square, PA – Boardsand sponsors of Catholic Health East(CHE) and Trinity Health, two leadingCatholic health systems, announcedsigning a non-binding Letter of Intentto come together into a unified nationalhealth system to enhance their missionof service to people and communitiesacross the US. The boards alsoannounced Joseph R. Swedish,President and CEO of Trinity Health,would become President and CEO, andJudith M. Persichilli, President andCEO of CHE would become ExecutiveVice President of the new organization.Until the new organization is created,both executives will lead its formationwhile retaining their current title, roleand responsibilities for their respectiveorganizations.

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Communication & IT 17

Communications & ITGrandville – Trivalent Group, one ofMichigan’s largest technology firms,recently announced Bob Nally was pro-moted to vCIO (virtual CIO) position, andClint Lake was promoted to ProjectManager.

Lansing – Chris Horak, Senior Directorof State Government Affairs for ComcastMichigan, was appointed new President

of Michigan Cable TelecommunicationsAssociation Board of Directors, succeed-ing Larry Williamson.

Grand Rapids – MedData, Inc., leadingprovider of revenue cycle managementand patient satisfaction services, recent-ly completed the sixty-second clientimplementation of its proprietary patientpay solution, MedData Plus.

East Lansing – Supported Intelligence,LLC, founded by Anderson EconomicGroup to develop and grow revolution-ary new risk assessment software, wasnamed semifinalist in the 2012Accelerate Michigan InnovationCompetition.Detroit – Compuware Corporation,technology performance company,announced it achieved recognition as a"101 Best and Brightest Companies toWork For" in the Detroit region for the12th consecutive year.

Grand Rapids – Wondergem ConsultingInc., public relations firm, announcedappointment of Maggie Kennedy, PublicRelations Associate.

Kalamazoo – Lynx Network Group,selected to build a fiber optic network toserve rural Michigan and current mem-ber of Southwest Michigan First'sCouncil of 100, committed to becomingthe newest corporate partner in WesternMichigan University's BusinessTechnology and Research Park, and willlocate in the F & V Engineering andTechnology Center, 4798 Campus Drive.

Grand Rapids – American MarketingAssociation of West Michigan releasedits 2012-13 Board of Directors: LisaYoung – President; Jason Dodge –President Elect; Shannon Cunningham –Secretary; Sue Huyck – Treasurer; CarrieBrown – Finance Chair; RebeccaDutcher – Programming Chair; RickOverway – Membership Chair; ErinPatrick – Collegiate Relations Chair;Haley Barrett – Technology Chair;Nicole Huston – Communications Chair;Kristen Meyers-Chapman – VPVolunteers; Jaime Beckstrom – VPSpecial Events; and Alexandra Roy – VPLogistics.

Grand Rapids – Lambert, Edwards &Associates, Michigan’s top-ranked pub-lic relations agency and largest investorrelations firm, announced addition ofJoe Sonheim as Digital Associate in RIP-PLE+AFFECT™. Sonheim will be coun-seling regional and national consumer,health care and retail brands, and pub-licly traded companies on social media,apps and e-commerce activation.

General BusinessGrand Rapids – Goodwill Industries ofGreater Grand Rapids, Inc., announcedpromotion of Tony Calcagno to VicePresident of Talent Development to over-see the strategies and execution of talentdevelopment within Goodwill.

Grand Rapids – Cascade CommunityFoundation, Griffin Properties, andAmerican Red Cross’ Tiffany CircleSociety of Women Leaders in WestMichigan launched Project Comfort toprovide Red Cross “comfort kits” tothose affected by home fires (both chil-dren and adults) living in WestMichigan. Immediately after a disaster,the Red Cross provides these kits, free ofcharge, to affected residents to meettheir basic and immediate hygieneneeds. Tiffany Circle, a society of womenleaders and philanthropists passionateabout the mission of the Red Cross,include local members MichelleBottrall, Judy DeLapa, Diane Griffin,Beatrice Idema, and Joyce Wisner.

Kalamazoo – Kalamazoo GospelMission unveiled a new program calledL.I.F.E. Center (Learning Improvementwith Fun Education Center) with pur-pose of empowering individuals to createlifelong learning success through thepower of Christ and available for resi-dents in their long-term recovery trackand job skills program.

Grand Rapids – Grand Rapids’ TravelLeaders issued its fall business travelforecast. Mike Malaney, localPresident, indicated business travel forFall 2012 is higher than last year.Compared to Travel Leaders Group travelagents polled nationally – 80.3% ofthose surveyed indicate bookings areequal or better than last year; 55% actu-ally stated that their business travelbookings were higher than 2011.

Grand Rapids – Klaas Wolterstorff, for-mer Production Manager, was namedVice President of Content andTechnology at Wm. B. EerdmansPublishing Company. Wolterstorff con-tinues to supervise the productiondepartment and manage informationtechnology, but will also take a moreactive leadership role in the company’songoing transition into e-book market.

Grand Rapids – Salvation Army Ray andJoan Kroc Corps Community Centeradded a new playtime, designed just fortoddlers, to their community center offer-ings this fall where parents and toddlersup to 5 years of age are invited to attendToddler Tuesday activity time every firstand third Tuesday of the month.

Grand Rapids – Grand RapidsCommunity Foundation’s Board ofTrustees approved five grants: $50,000to Gerald R. Ford PresidentialFoundation towards construction of atwo-story Student Learning Center atGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum;$75,000 to Grand Rapids UniversityPreparatory Academy Association tohelp build a new and innovative facilityfor middle and high school studentsattending U Prep Academy; $50,00 toHope Network to expand and strength-en the Jail Reentry Project Ready4Workto support those obtaining competitiveemployment; $75,000 to SteepletownNeighborhood Services to enableSpanish-speaking adults to completetheir academic credentials; and$100,000 to YMCA of Greater GrandRapids for YMCA Diabetes PreventionProgram to provide low-income resi-dents with risk factors for developingtype 2 diabetes the opportunity to partic-ipate in a program dramatically reducingtheir risk.

Review of Audience,Relevance and Search

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

Even if you’re the next WilliamShakespeare, if you don’t write accordingto online standards you will fail as a webcontent creator. Internet users will not just

ignore your web content; they probablywon’t know it exists. This savvy newInternet writing guidebook by IBM webpros James Mathewson, Frank Donatoneand Cynthia Fishel covers all of the techni-cal information you need to develop webcontent that Internet users will find rele-vant and engaging. The authors empha-size that quality web content – materialpeople can find and will read – depends onthe right keywords. getAbstract recom-mends this superb, readable, wholly prac-tical guide to editors, writers and thosewho plan and create material for theInternet.

James Mathewson, Frank Donatoneand Cynthia Fishel. Audience, Relevanceand Search: Targeting Web Audiences withRelevant Content. IBM Press, 2010. 208pages. List Price: $39.99. ISBN-13 978-0137004201.

getAbstract is the leading provider ofbusiness book summaries, with thousandsof titles covered. www.getabstract.com

18From Café to Catering, Water Street Coffee Joint Enjoys Growth During its 20 years in Business.

By: Jeremy Martin

In September a Kalamazoo areainstitution took another step towardscementing itself as an integral part of thearea’s culinary landscape.

Water Street Coffee Joint, which in2013 will be celebrating its 20th year inbusiness, unveiled a catering arm whichwill work in conjunction with its individ-ual café outlets to bring fresh food andcoffee to more people than ever.

“It’s something that’s been in theworks for almost a year. We recentlymoved to a new kitchen and we have alot more space now, once the movebecame final, that’s when we started

everything,” Jessica Del Vacchio, WaterStreet’s director of catering said.

Thanks to the new Kitchen, which islocated on 9th street, The Company willalso begin offering a wider selection offoods such as a new appetizer menu andseveral new cake and desert selections.

“We have some caprice sticks,which is fresh mozzarella skewered withbasil and cherry tomatoes. A lot of ourappetizers are not in the stores becausethat’s more of a catering thing. In theshops we do more meals, but everythingwe do offer in the stores, we also offerwith the catering,” Del Vacchio said. “Butwe talk to the customers, see what theywant and go from there.”

Big or small orders, Water Street ini-tially plans to deliver within a 12.5 mileradius of Kalamazoo, but the companymay extend the service farther afield ifdemand is deemed high enough.

Large business functions, universityevents and weddings are all easilycatered by Water Street, but Del Vacchiosaid size doesn’t matter so long as theorder goes in, on average, 48 hours priorto the event.

“We recommend 48 hours but to behonest I have put them together in 24hours. We do make everything freshfrom scratch so it will always have todepend on how quickly you will need it,but we try to fulfill any order that comesthrough,” Del Vacchio said.

There is a $100 minimum on cater-ing purchase and Water Street chargesand additional $20 delivery fee; althoughcustomers do have the option of pickingup their orders direct from the kitchen.

Del Vacchio said that the companyhopes to hire additional employees in thenear future in order to help with eventsite responsibilities such as set, servingand clean up.

“As business expands we hope tohire more. We’ve been hiring in thekitchen as well because we’ve been pro-ducing a lot more food,” Del Vacchiosaid. “It’s a really exciting time for WaterStreet; we’re doing a lot of events andexpanding within the community.”

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General BusinessGrand Rapids – Experience GrandRapids announced it earned DiamondAward for its E-Newsletter from theMichigan Society of AssociationExecutives’, as part of the organization’s11th Annual Diamond Awards.

Grandville – Aimee Wieber becameIndependent Consultant with TastefullySimple Inc., a national direct sales com-pany featuring more than 60 delicious,easy-to-prepare foods.

Grand Rapids – Grand Rapids CivicTheatre awarded Dan Smigiel, FloodieAward; Eric Hatch, Kopka Award; GaryWalker, Mitchell Award, and nearly 100volunteers, for donating their time, attheir annual Volunteer Recognition event.

Grand Rapids – U.S. Forest Serviceannounced nearly $3 million in grants toimprove tree canopy, forest and waterquality in six Great Lakes states, includ-ing $70,000 to the Friends of GrandRapids Parks who will utilize funds toplant 500 trees in public parks along theGrand River over the coming 3 plantingseasons. The grants are part of the GreatLakes Restoration Initiative, a collabora-tive effort between federal, state, tribaland local partners.

Grand Rapids – Gymco expanded andopened their first satellite location, 2121Celebration Drive NE, offering new andunique services with many classes andprograms advancing their unique mis-sion of empowering children with skillsto be more active and confident.

Lansing – Michigan Association ofChamber Professionals recognizedMuskegon Lakeshore Chamber ofCommerce with the 2012 OutstandingChamber of Commerce Award—LargeChamber Category. This is the third timein six years Muskegon LakeshoreChamber was recognized for excellencein organization leadership.

Grand Rapids – Vos Glass, Inc., wel-comed Timothy Audretsch to its con-tract glazing team, bringing over 13years of project management experiencefrom the largest contract glazing firms inEastern Michigan.

Grand Rapids – InBalance Health,providers of doctor-formulated alterna-tive food bars and supplement solutions,announced the company secured its firstretail store orders for INBar, a great-tast-ing, gluten-free snack bar for peoplewith Pre-diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes.The first stores carrying INBar include:Belmark Inc., Cambridge Naturals,Health Store & More, HealthyAlternatives, Lifestyle Wellness & Spa,and Organic Food Depot.

Rockford – Bryan Porter, of Porter SeedSales, announced it partnered withSyngenta, Minnetonka, MN, to deliverseed solutions to growers includinghigh-yield Golden Harvest® brand corn,NK® brand soybeans, as well as innova-tive trait technologies of Agrisure®, andproprietary seed treatments.

19Holiday Happenings

By Jane Whittington

As if the winter holidays weren’tbusy enough with shopping for gifts,cooking for family parties, planning fes-tive get-togethers and having a heart-to-heart talk with Santa, Grand Rapids isfull of special things to do, places to goand things to see. Trying to work theminto the schedule may be a challenge, butmaking that extra effort is worth it. Afterall, Christmas (December 25) andChanukah (December 8-16) come butonce a year. Celebrate!

There are many arts and craftsshows throughout the holiday season.Here are just a few:

• The Grand Rapids Junior Leagueholds their annual Beneath the Wreatharts and crafts spectacular on November3 and 4. Whether you’re looking for hol-iday decorations or the perfect gift, you’llfind it there, and the money you spendwill go to a good cause. The event will beat the Cultural Center at St. Nicholas.

• On November 6, the SpectrumGolden Rule Guild opens up theirHoliday Market Sale. All thingsChristmassy and interesting gift optionsfor the whole family makes this an eventnot to be missed. This is at SpectrumHealth (Butterworth).

• On November 10, the MeijerGardens Holiday Gift Show will featurelocal artists and craftspeople selling theirwares.

• November 26 is the day for theNCO Club Auxiliary Craft Show to be heldat the National Guard Armory.

• West Catholic’s Christmas Artsand Crafts Fair will happen on December3. Again, a fine time to shop, enjoy theatmosphere and soak up the holiday

spirit. It’s at West Catholic High School.• Have you heard? Santa Claus is

coming to town at the Grand RapidsJaycees Santa Parade on November 17 at9:00 AM.

• The Farmers’ Market remainsopen through December 22 and offers allthe makings for holiday decorations,spectacular meals and fresh, local good-ness. On Sundays, an Artists’ Marketfills up the booths with unique giftsgalore. It’s a great place to look for one-of-a-kind presents that will please eventhe most Scrooge-like recipient on yourgift list.

• Keenly anticipated each year is theMeijer Gardens annual HolidayCelebrations Around the World. FromNovember 20 through January 6, thehalls will be decked with all things fes-tive. Holiday customs from throughoutthe world and across the spectrum ofreligious beliefs and cultural diversitywill be celebrated. There are horse-drawn carriage rides, caroling and a trainexhibit which travels through three sep-arate indoor gardens.

• On November 30 and December 1,Calvin College will present Handel’sMessiah, a Christmas tradition belovedfor centuries.

• On December 2, the Festival ofLessons and Carols will fill the sanctuaryof LaGrave Avenue Christian ReformedChurch.

• On December 7, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra brings their own spe-cial brand of holiday music to the stageof the Van Andel Arena. They’ll bedebuting the rock opera, The LostChristmas Eve.

• To get in the Christmas spirit, takethe family to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,

playing at the GR Civic Theatre fromNovember 16 through December 16.

• As the children wait for the BigDay to arrive, the whole family can chillwith Shrek, presented by the Forest HillsFine Arts Center on December 23.

• And, to forestall that after-Christmas letdown, take the kids toBeauty and the Beast running fromDecember 26 through December 30 atDeVos Performance Center.

• And what would Christmas bewithout The Nutcracker? Beloved bychildren everywhere, the Grand RapidsBallet will fill the stage with dancingmice, ballerinas galore and beautifulmusic. The Nutcracker will be presentedDecember 14 through December 23. Asthe only professional ballet company inthe state, Grand Rapids Ballet is always atreat and never more so than atChristmas time.

• On December 15, the GaitherChristmas Homecoming Show will fillVan Andel Arena with songs of the sea-son. Suitable for the whole family, this

popular musical presentation will bringthe best in Christian music to an appre-ciative crowd.

• Our own Grand Rapids Symphonyhosts Cirque de Noel on December 18.With splendid music and the magicalCirque do Soleil troupe, it will be a spe-cial evening of entertainment for every-one.

Of course, your own church or syn-agogue, the local schools and many othervenues will offer forth their own lineupto keep you busy during the winter holi-days.

You can find out more about theseevents and many, many others atwww.experiencegr.com and inThursdays’ editions of the Grand RapidsPress.

Fill your calendar with what youlove best about the season and enjoy!

Jane Whittington is a freelancewriter and editor who lives in GrandRapids.

Review of The Female Vision

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

Workplace experts Sally Helgesen andJulie Johnson draw on their research intomale and female perceptions of job satis-faction to show organizations how tounderstand and benefit from “the femalevision.” They identify a major leadership

issue in companies’ failure to recognize,value or understand women’s workplacecontributions. Their research finds thatmeaningful work and strong relationshipsmotivate women more than financial com-pensation. Women also recognize the con-sequences of sacrificing long-term goalsfor short-term profits. The third chapter,which discusses the 2008 financial crisis,provides a great example of the dangers ofthe typical (read, male) narrow, one-sidedvision. To create a setting where womencan thrive, leaders should embrace empa-thy, and value both qualitative and quan-titative knowledge. The authors make acompelling case for why managers shouldcare about the lack of women in high-levelpositions and explain what companies cando about it. getAbstract recommends thisbook to executives who care about theircompany’s strategy and leadership, andwant to tap into the female vision.

Sally Helgesen and Julie Johnson. TheFemale Vision: Women's Real Power atWork. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.,2010. 192 pages. List Price: $17.95. ISBN-13: 9781576753828.

getAbstract is the leading provider ofbusiness book summaries, with thousandsof titles covered. www.getabstract.com