Grand Rapids Business Journal - 4.30.18 by Grand Rapids Business Journal

Talent development program offers ‘connections.’ Page 3

Entrepreneurs spread cookie love. Page 4

The Business Newspaper of Metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon & West Michigan APRIL 30, 2018 VOL. 36, NO. 18

GLOVER FINDS Millennials embrace entrepreneurship State faces venture HIS CALLING THIS WEEK

Well House’s new executive director uses his experience growing up in poverty to serve those experiencing homelessness. Page 12

Young business owners weigh in, as report shows generation’s rising ability to take the leap.

capital shortage

Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

By the numbers Census figures show healthy population increases for several West Michigan counties. PAGE 3

All rise Kent County’s SEV report reflects bump in real estate values. PAGE 3

Plan ahead City’s spending plan includes funds for parks, streets, racial equity and river restoration. PAGE 5

Recent studies show the time to start a business is now, and one report reveals millennials are taking that to heart. The 2018 Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report published last month surveyed nearly 49,000 men and women ages 14-99 worldwide and found 68 percent of those under 35 had a strong desire to start a business, compared to 60 percent of those 35-49 and 48 percent of those 50 and older. Millennials also tied for the highest age-group score on the Amway Entrepreneurial Spirit Index (AESI), at 58. Introduced in 2015, the AESI measures three dimensions that influence a person’s intention to start a business: desire, feasibility and stability against social pressure. The average AESI score for all U.S. respondents was 54. For those 35-49, it was 58, and for those 50 and older, it was 51. Jim Ayres — managing director of Amway North America — said 58 percent of respondents under 35 are confident starting a busiAyres ness is feasible

Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

PAGE 20

THE LIST

The area’s top law ﬁrms. Page 22

Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Karger said the situation might change when the Studio Park development is complete. The project promises to deliver 40,000 square feet of Class A office space, as well as almost 950 new parking spaces. Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely, principal and office adviser at NAI Wisinski West Michigan, said she also thinks the lack of parking is a notable factor in companies choosing to leave downtown. “I do know a few tenants we were involved with who have moved out of downtown because of parking,” she said. “I also know some tenants who are staying downtown because that’s where they want to be located.” The Warner Tower at 150 Ottawa Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids is mostly leased, which will leave Warner Norcross’s current home at 111 Lyon St. NW open as

A new report shows the state’s 134 venture-backed startups will require $627 million to fund their growth in the next two years — far more than Michigan-based VC funds have available. The 2018 Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) investment report, released April 18, shows the 21 Michigan-based VC firms had a total of $445 million available for new investment in 2017. Those same firms had $2.2 billion under management in 2017, a decrease of 10 percent over 2016. Funds under management include capital already invested, capital reserved for follow-on financings and capital available for new investments, according to the report. Total capital under management among all firms operating in Michigan — including eight based out of state with a Michigan office — decreased 3 percent from $4 billion in 2016 to $3.9 billion in 2017. Of the total $3.9 billion under management in Michigan, 73 percent is invested, 11 percent is reserved, and 16 percent is available. David Brophy is director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance and founder of the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, which helps connect Midwest entrepreneurs with VC funding. He said the Brophy lack of sufficient capital from instate investors to meet demand from startups poses a challenge. “If a company takes money from out of state and can’t make the next round because we don’t have the money here, they’ll go out of state to follow the money,” he said. Venture funding changes from year to year everywhere, according to Kim Pasquino, investment director at Wakestream Ventures, one of the firms surveyed for the

Continued on page 17 8

Continued on page 25 8

ERICA LANG, 27, is founder and owner of art, clothing and accessories retailer Woosah Outfitters. Courtesy Pasagraphy

for them. That score is three points higher for millennials than when the report was last published in 2016. “With the younger groups, they have less to lose, they are more open to the risk because they are just starting out, and they are seeing a lot of stories about people in their age group who are being successful and trying new things,” Ayres said. “I think that makes them less risk-averse.”

Locally, many millennial entrepreneurs said they chose selfemployment so young that their enthusiasm outweighed the fear of risk. Elyse Welcher, 29, is owner of Littlewings Designs and co-founder of collaborative maker space and retailer Parliament the Boutique (which soon will rebrand as Gemini Handmade), at 136 S. Division Ave. in downtown Grand Continued on page 15 8

Oﬃce leasing activity slows in 1Q Lack of parking forcing tenants to leave downtown.

GROWTH SPURT Hemp-based business in Jenison grows international following.

Report shows every $1 invested by a Michigan VC firm is topped by $3.83 from out of state.

West Michigan’s office market stayed strong in the first quarter of 2018, although rent and vacancy rates are beginning to level off, as Class A tenants either consolidate or leave downtown due to lack of parking. According to JLL’s quarterly office report, leasing activity was a little slower than in previous quarters, with no major deals taking place. The overall vacancy rate is 11.1 percent, just down from 12.9 percent at the end of 2017, and the average asking rent is $17.76 per square foot. Jeff Karger, JLL’s senior vice

president of brokerage in Grand Rapids, said while the market continues its positive trend from last year, activity has slowed in the first quarter. He also regarded the downtown parking constraints as a factor in the slowdown. “If anything, you’ll see a slight tick down, because frankly, parking is an issue, specifically parking south of Fulton,” Karger said. “Even leasing in the (downtown) core in general has been dramatically affected.” Karger added the lack of parking has led to an increased availability of sublease space, or space where the tenant has vacated but is still paying rent. According to the JLL report, downtown vacancy is 11.3 percent, with an average rent of $20.44 per square foot. The first quarter also saw a total of 174,000 square feet of office space under construction just in the downtown corridor.

CONTENTS

Inside Track ......... 12

Change-Ups........ 24 Calendar .............. 24

Comment..............14 Capital woes Matters ................. 15 Unexpected surprises

Street Talk ........... 26

Vol. 36, No. 18

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Kent County at top rate for 20th year, Page 8 APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

Talent development program offers ‘connections’ Census numbers boost region

Leadership Grand Rapids teaches leaders from all industries how to address systemic problems. Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

The Leadership Grand Rapids program appears on the résumés of many a community pillar in West Michigan — but why is that? Ask a graduate — of whom there are nearly 1,200 since the program was established by the Center for Community Leadership at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce in 1985 — and they will repeatedly use the word “connections.” Yes, that refers to connections that will benefit a participant’s business. But it also includes exploring the connections between industries and learning how they impact each other, then paying the knowledge forward. It means connecting people of disparate socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, genders and races — all of whom bring a different understanding of what leadership is, and all of whom will be challenged to learn empathy. It involves laying the groundwork for the public-private partnerships that drive economic growth. Kenneth James is talent development program manager at the chamber and oversees LGR. He said its well-known graduates include Steve Heacock, senior vice president at Spectrum Health; Juan Olivarez, past president of GRCC and Aquinas College; Jesse Bernal, vice president of diversity and inclusion at Grand Valley State University; Diana Sieger, president

of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation; Sara Smolenski, 63rd District Court judge; Kathleen Ponitz, principal emeritus at Progressive AE; and Micki Benz, vice president of external relations at Mercy Health. James said LGR’s chief aim is creating “community trusteeship” via four pillars: community connections, leadership skills, diversity and inclusion, and systems thinking. “When someone signs on for LGR, they are making a ninemonth commitment,” James said. “We do deep dives on health care, transportation, education, public safety. When we spend a day talking in-depth about those topics, we build that into the framework. How does that affect the four topics?” LGR alumni help shape and facilitate the program since a key requirement of enrollment is committing to volunteering for two years afterward. The program, which accepts up to 45 leaders per cohort, begins with an overnight teambuilding retreat at a camp or resort, followed by seven monthly day sessions. It James wraps up with a closing celebration, usually held at a restaurant or downtown Grand Rapids event venue. Day sessions involve site visits to organizations or companies in whichever industry is that day’s focus. James said the current cohort spent half of its health care day session at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s and half at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. The group spent its arts, culture

Growing population also is attracting more businesses to West Michigan. LEADERSHIP GRAND RAPIDS participants meet for a full day once a month for seven months, in addition to an overnight team-building exercise to open the program. Courtesy Leadership Grand Rapids

and recreation day session partly at Van Andel Arena and partly at Richmond Park. And for the education focus, it went to Grand Valley State University’s College of Health Professions to understand how universities are preparing students to work in the medical field. Aaron Turner, development manager for WGVU Public Media and a GRCC board member, is a member of the current cohort, which ends May 18. He said the public safety component was tough for some, as it included a police car ride-along. “It’s not easy for everyone,” he said, noting African-American participants such as himself often view police officers in a different light than nonminority participants, and the experience affects everyone differently. He said the conversations LGR fosters, formally and informally, have provided a safe space for he and others to discuss social justice issues while also building “social

capital” in the community. The program has practical outcomes beyond social interaction and learning experiences. All participants are divided into groups at the beginning of the program and assigned to a “community trustee project” in which they will help a nonprofit solve a pressing problem. Turner and his group were paired with Camp Blodgett in West Olive. Over the course of two months of meetings with the camp outside regular sessions, his group worked to help the organization improve its venue wayfinding and marketing strategy. They also strove to help the camp “marry their wedding venue side of the business with their mission, which is the camp side.” Murphy Ackerman, marketing coordinator at Start Garden, also is an LGR participant graduating in May. Her group was assigned to HQ, a Grand Rapids drop-in cenContinued on page 17 8

Kent County property values reach all-time high At a total value of $27.13 billion, this is the sixth year of increases.

Kent County’s equalized property values have increased from last year’s all-time high. The state equalization value for a combined total of real and personal property is $27,131,963,621, a 4.7 percent increase from the previous year. This marks the sixth year of increases. There are roughly a quartermillion properties in the county. That total number includes $25.5 billion in real equalized value — building structures themselves — and $1.6 billion in personal equalized value — furnishings inside the commercial, industrial and utility buildings. The latest value marks the sixth year of increases following a fiveyear period, 2008-12, that saw significant value decreases, including the low point of just below $21 billion in 2012. The county’s

equalized value was $24.3 billion in 2007. The state taxable value of the real and personal property saw a 4.81 percent increase to $22,889,416,524, following adjustments from Proposal A. Real taxable value for 2018 was $21.3 billion, and personal taxable value is $1.6 billion. Taxable value’s lowest point was $20 billion in 2013. Residential property makes up 71.98 percent of real taxable value, while commercial, industrial and agricultural property counts for 21.6 percent, 5.37 percent and 1.05 percent, respectively. For personal taxable value, commercial makes up 50.65 percent, utility makes up 28.93 percent and industrial makes up 20.42 percent. The county’s nine cities make up 51.67 percent of the equalized value, while the 21 townships account for 48.33 percent. “The economy in West Michigan continues to thrive, and along with the economy, the underlying real estate values are also thriving,” said Matt Woolford, Kent County equalization director.

As the population continues to grow, the demand those people put on the market continues to drive values upward, he said, adding the housing inventory is at an “all-time low.” He foresees overall continued growth in 2019. “Really, the real estate cycle is tied to the economic cycle, and as long as the economic fundamentals are solid, we will continue to achieve growth in the real estate cycle as well,” Woolford said. The assessed values are a lagging indicator of the economy, with the 2018 values coming from an observed period from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017, for residential assessment. The majority of market changes in 2017 won’t show until the 2019 report. He said there is certainly a “big question mark” surrounding what will happen with properties in northern Kent County that have been affected by water contamination issues involving Wolverine Worldwide. “What remains to be seen is how will the real and perceived negative impacts of that environmental contamination interlace

with the overall growth in the tremendous demand for homes?” Woolford said. “Everything causes change,” he said, and factors — such as low housing supply — that drive prices up still are in play. With that under consideration, he said any change caused by the contamination issues would be difficult to exactly pinpoint. “I do anticipate that there’s still going to be growth in those areas; however, we will never really know how much growth there would have been if those factors hadn’t come into play,” Woolford said. He would encourage property owners who are worried about contamination to educate themselves about the facts and discuss that with their assessors. Assessors follow the market, he said; they don’t predict it. Private real estate agents set the market. “We will factor in the impacts of the environmental contamination in northern Kent County, but it won’t be us doing it,” he said. “It will be the individual market participants who tell us what’s happening based on what they do.”

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL (ISSN 1045-4055) is published weekly, with an extra issue in December, by Gemini Publications, a division of Gemini Corporation, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-1444. Telephone (616) 459-4545; Fax 459-4800. General e-mail: bjinfo@grbj.com. Periodical postage paid at Grand Rapids, Michigan. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 201, Grand

Rapids, MI 49503-1444. Copyright ©2018 by Gemini Publications. All rights reserved. Grand Rapids Business Journal is mailed weekly to executives, managers and professionals throughout Metro Grand Rapids and West Michigan. The subscription rates in continental U.S. are: $59 per year; $79 - 2 years; $99 - 3 years. Rates for Canada and U.S. possessions are $84 per year. Subscription rates include the annual Book of Lists and

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Justin Dawes

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Justin Dawes

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Kent County’s population grew by nearly 6,500 people in one year, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau numbers. From 2016 to 2017, the county’s population grew 1 percent to 648,594 people. Comparing numbers of people alone, Kent County saw the highest number of people joining the population during that year, but other counties in the region had higher rates of growth.

“We’re finally sucking back some of the people that left in the early 2000s when things weren’t so great in Michigan.” Paul Isely

Ottawa County’s population grew 1.46 percent to 286,383. Muskegon County’s population grew 1.64 percent to 173,693. Allegan County’s population grew 7.78 percent to 116,447. Kalamazoo County’s population grew 5.09 percent to 262,985 people. From 2010, Kent County saw a 7.6 percent increase of 45,972 people. Ottawa experienced an 8.6 percent increase of 22,582 residents, Muskegon added 0.9 percent growth with 1,505 people, Allegan grew by 4.5 percent with 5,039 residents and Kalamazoo tallied a 5.1 percent jump by adding another 12,654 residents. Paul Isely, an economist at the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University, said the area is attractive to millennials, and there are now more people between ages 25 and 35 than over age 65, which is unusual for Michigan. While he mentioned a “sense of place” — dynamic downtowns, access to nature — he said there is an “underlying push on jobs” that has brought people to the area. He called the unemployment rate “extremely low,” including mostly people who are just in between jobs for a short time, not a pool of workers looking for work. “We’re essentially out of workers in Michigan,” he said. As companies in the area continue to grow, he said they either need to invest in new technology, which is expensive, or they have to hire more people, so that’s where Continued on page 25 8

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4 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL APRIL 30, 2018

Entrepreneurs spread cookie love Daddy’s Dough owners start business at request of daughter and now are seeking commercial licensure. Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

The mom-and-pop operators behind Daddy’s Dough say cookies are a universal language, and they are getting fluent. When MarcQus Wright first started baking cookies a few years ago, he took a batch to work and got an enthusiastic reaction from his co-workers — but he wondered if, perhaps, they were just being polite. When he made some for his family, his daughter told him to start selling that sugar. “It’s one thing to give them to your co-workers, but when I gave them to my family, I knew they would not lie,” he said, chuckling. MarcQus Wright and his wife Tawanna Wright launched Daddy’s Dough LLC in October 2015. The Wrights have developed more than 30 cookie recipes to date. Their top sellers include The Beauty (chocolate, toffee and pecan); The Beast (butterscotch, coconut and walnut); and The Summer Breeze (lemon and coconut), as well as oatmeal cranberry, carrot cake and snickerdoodle varieties. They’ve developed a public presence selling cookies at farmers markets, Local First’s Fork Fest, the Bridal Show & Wedding Expo at DeVos Place, the Grandville Fourth of July Celebration and the Grand Rapids Area Black

Businesses (GRABB) Market. Often, they’ve either provided cookies at cost or donated them to organizations such as Girls on the Run of Kent & Muskegon Counties, KConnect, Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids/Gilda’s LaughFest, the Grand Rapids Neighborhood Summit and Rock the Runway. The business started as a side venture while they worked fulltime jobs — he as director of TRiO Student Support Services at Grand Valley State University, where he’s been working with first-generation college students for 13 years, and she as an attorney with a solo estate planning, trademark and copyright law practice. But MarcQus Wright is wrapping up his last week at GVSU so he can focus on growing the business full time. The rising popularity of Daddy’s Dough means it is poised to outgrow Michigan’s cottage food law, which allows a business to operate in an unlicensed residential kitchen as long as the operation generates less than $25,000 per year in gross sales revenue. “It has worked up to this point, but it’s becoming a capacity issue,” MarcQus Wright said. “We made 500 cookies in our kitchen for the Neighborhood Summit (in March). We have one oven and a couple mixers.” Tawanna Wright will continue operating the business side, while MarcQus Wright plans to throw his energy into production and obtaining commercial food licensure through the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). He said the most complex part of being licensed is the labeling process. In order to be approved by MDARD, a label needs to accu-

rately list ingredients, the weight of the cookie or cookies, the name and address of the establishment, and other details consumers are used to seeing on the back of packaging. “Then, someone from MDARD, they have to come see your process, and the kitchen you are in has to be licensed,” MarcQus Wright said. Before any of this can happen, the business owners have to secure a lease agreement for a commercial kitchen space. The Wrights are looking at venues such as the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, Celebration Cinema! and other large operations with kitchen space for rent. “The biggest part is, if you rent space in a commercial kitchen, you won’t have access to the kitchen all the time; you’re working around others who want to have that space,” MarcQus Wright said. “Once we use a commercial kitchen, we have to change our process, because cookies will be needed at certain dates and times, and we will have to work around the kitchen schedule.” The pair said someday they plan to get their own space and then scheduling will be autonomous. “If we have our own space where we can access the kitchen whenever we want, (we can) make 1,000 cookies in two days,” MarcQus Wright said. He noted another factor to weigh is whether to keep growing the business as a solely production-based model with online and wholesale commerce, or whether they want to evolve into a retail bakery model. “Do you create a space that’s a factory, or where you’re producing

MARCQUS AND TAWANNA WRIGHT have developed more than 30 cookie recipes for their startup, Daddy’s Dough. Courtesy Daddy’s Dough

stuff but people can also walk in and say, ‘I want this, this and this’? Sometimes, people don’t know they want cookies until they see them,” MarcQus Wright said. Tawanna Wright said one of the biggest insights she has gained on the business side during the past couple years is how important it is to listen to customer feedback. “When we started, we weren’t thinking about vegan or glutenfree. Now, we do. And we are getting people asking about sugar-free, so we are working on a sugar-free cookie. But we can’t roll it out until it tastes just as good as the others,” she said. Her husband agreed, noting The Summer Breeze cookie recipe

idea came from a customer suggestion. “We want to be ‘cookies for everybody,’” he said. “You’re diabetic? Here’s a cookie for you. You’re celiac? Here’s a cookie for you.” The Wrights said cottage law prevents them from enabling direct cookie ordering online, but people can use the contact form on their website, daddysdough.com, to start a dialogue about placing an order. They also have signed agreements to start selling cookies at the Grand Rapids Public Museum café in the near future, as well as at the Meijer-owned Bridge Street Market when it opens in August.

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APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 5

City eyes $586M spending plan Budget includes funding for parks, streets, racial equity and river restoration. Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

The Grand Rapids City Commission will discuss a proposed fiscal spending plan before it is implemented in July. Interim City Manager Eric DeLong presented the preliminary spending plan for fiscal year 2019 to the city commissioners last week. The proposed $586,593,168 spending plan is geared toward communications, affordable housing, community and police relations, legacy costs, economic development, community engagement and reducing disparities among other areas. The proposal also includes spending for the Vital Streets program, parks maintenance, pools and playgrounds, street lighting, Grand River restoration, tree maintenance and transit shelters.

INTERIM CITY MANAGER Eric DeLong said the city is taking into account community feedback about its HousingNOW! initiative, as well as police policies and procedures. Courtesy city of Grand Rapids

The spending plan is the result of a yearlong series of outreach sessions between the city and members of the community. “The people want a closer relationship with our police department,” DeLong said. “They believe an additional community focus would be an improvement.” The commission established the Police Policy and Procedure Review Task Force in May 2017. The task force includes residents of each of the city’s three wards and police officers of every rank. Its role is to review the police department’s policies and procedures to identify those that may result in racial bias. Commissioners appropriated $1 million toward investment in the task force in FY2018 and the preliminary plan includes continuing that appropriation through FY2022. DeLong also noted the community feedback around the city’s HousingNOW! initiative. The city already has implemented six of the 11 recommendations in the package, including the creation of the Affordable Housing Fund in partnership with the Grand Rapids Housing Commission. Other recommendations involved zoning ordinance amendments designed to increase the

supply of affordable housing. DeLong said another portion of the initiative that would regulate rental applications still is under review. Other highlights of the proposed fiscal plan include: •Investing $4.2 million to renovate, repair or reconstruct eight city-owned parks and investing in a programming study to evaluate how best to restore the lodge at Martin Luther King Jr. Park •Investing each year over a fiveyear period in complementary streetscape features in conjunction with Vital Streets projects in the Southtown, South Division and Grandville corridors •Implementing racial equity goals across all departments and investing $50,000 to support a comprehensive strategic planning process •Contributing $17.5 million to Vital Streets asset management and debt retirement •Investing an estimated $20 million in LED streetlight conversion and electrical distribution systems through a multiyear asset management program •Budgeting $2.4 million over five years for the Grand River restoration project development and implementation •Using $400,000 to address the backlog of “priority two” trees within seven years and begin implementation of a proactive tree maintenance management plan •Investing $250,000 to continue to improve bus shelter locations throughout the city While the plan showed continued positive results in FY2019, the next four years predicted growing net operating losses in the general operating fund. “If you were to look back at last year (FY2018), we kind of had the same situation,” DeLong said. “What that tells me is we need to continue improving productivity and services.” To compensate for the predicted loss, DeLong said it’s necessary to continue to work the city’s Transformation Plan to create a sufficient operating margin. The Transformation Plan includes a special fund that accounts for temporary income tax increases. The income tax rate increase began in FY2011 and was scheduled after FY2015. In 2014, voters approved a 15year extension to the temporary income tax increase for the Vital Streets program. DeLong said the increase allowed the city to raise its streets from a 37 percent good and fair rating to a 58 percent good and fair rating, with a continued goal of 70 percent of city streets rated good and fair by the end of the 15-year extension. The FY2019-23 preliminary plan predicted total general operating fund revenue of $143,220,184 for FY2019; $147,380,956 for FY2020; $150,000,444 for FY2021; $151,684,726 for FY2022; and $154,428,977 for FY2023. City commissioners will review the fiscal plan from May into early June. The schedule of meetings is: •May 1 – Set public hearing about fees •May 22 – Public hearing for fees and set public hearing for budget and millage •June 5 – Public hearing for budget and millage and adopt fees •June 12 – Adopt budget and millage •July 1 – FY2019 begins All sessions are open to the public and will take place in the City Commission Chambers on the ninth floor of City Hall, 300 Monroe Ave. NW.

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6 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL APRIL 30, 2018

Industrial real estate in ‘historically high demand’ With occupancy levels nearing 95 percent, clients consider building new. Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

West Michigan’s real estate professionals are anticipating a new wave of industrial construction based on market activity in the first quarter of 2018. According to Colliers International West Michigan’s firstquarter market reports, industrial real estate is in “historically high demand,” with overall occupancy levels nearing 95 percent and an

average asking rent of $4.95 per square foot. The Colliers report also said the consumer confidence index peaked at 130, compared to 111 in the first quarter of 2017, leading to companies operating at or near full capacity. As manufacturing holds strong, companies’ demand for more space is driving rent up to the point where clients are considering building new. Stuart Kingma, associate broker with NAI Wisinski West Michigan, said inventory levels are “historically low,” leading to a rise in cost for existing space that is now competing with the cost of new construction. “At some point, that gap will reach an equilibrium where it’s the

same where you rent or buy from a value perspective,” he said. “Then, obviously, new construction becomes even more attractive.” Bob Horn, senior vice presi-

“At some point, that gap will reach an equilibrium where it’s the same where you rent or buy from a value perspective. Then, obviously, new construction becomes even more attractive.”

Stuart Kingma

dent and assistant director of JLL Grand Rapids agreed. “It’s the landlord’s market right now,” he said. However, he added the increased demand for construction was applicable to all sectors in West Michigan, causing a backlog of projects that may slow the rise of new industrial builds. “The big story is obviously the speculation that Amazon’s coming into the market,” he said. West Michigan was kicked out of the lineup of possible homes for Amazon’s second U.S. headquarters in January, but documents from the Gaines Township Planning Commission issued in March indicated a buyer linked to Amazon wished to purchase land for an 855,000-square-foot warehousing

and distribution center in the area. Speculative builds still are not hot on the market. Even though consumer confidence is high, companies may be hesitant for fear of oversaturating the market. “I think the market is still remembering 2008, 2009,” Kingma said. Horn echoed the same trend. While some speculative construction is occurring, most new builds are either expansions or build-tosuits. He also noted the increase in companies preleasing space. “Again, that’s a product of vacancy,” he said. “Buildings are being leased before they’re being completed.” NAIWWM recorded a total overall vacancy of 1.4 percent, or about 2.1 million of a recorded 151.5 million square feet. The average asking rent was $4.50 per square foot. The highest vacancy according to NAIWWM was 2.4 percent in the Lakeshore region. With a total rentable building area of about 36.2 million square feet, 860,640 square feet was vacant, and the average asking rent was $3.70 per square foot. According to JLL’s numbers, the market total vacancy at the end of the first quarter was 3.7 percent, with a total RBA of about 236.2 million square feet and about 8.8 million square feet available. The average asking rent was $3.24 per square foot. The highest vacancy JLL found was 9.7 percent in the Southwest Michigan market. The region had a total RBA of about 42.3 million square feet, 317,405 of which were available. The average rent was $3.29 per square foot. JLL also recorded 492,740 square feet of new space was completed by the end of the first quarter, and 697,918 square feet still are under construction. Colliers International West Michigan saw a total vacancy of 5.3 percent at the end of the quarter, with about 117 million square feet of RBA and about 6 million square feet of vacancy. First-quarter market activity highlighted by NAIWWM includes Park Hannifin’s $5 million, 30,000-square-foot expansion of its plant at 8790 Tamarack Road, Lakeview. The company is an Ohio-based manufacturer of motion and control technologies. The project was awarded a $250,000 Michigan Business Development grant by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. NAIWWM also noted Pfizer opened a 98,500-square-foot warehouse on 7000 Portage Road in Kalamazoo. The campus in which the new warehouse is located is the largest in Pfizer’s portfolio, and the company has invested $1 billion in improvements over 10 years, with plans to invest another $1 billion over the next five. JLL said over 490,000 square feet of new industrial space was delivered in the first quarter, including Robert Grooters Development’s speculative project in southeast Grand Rapids and Magna Mirrors’ expansion in Holland. JLL and Colliers noted the fire protection company Viking Group’s purchase of land for a new global headquarters in Caledonia near M-6 and I-96. The new facility is expected to go online in 2019. According to Colliers, the southeast has seen the most action, with more than 100,000 square feet of absorption in the submarket. In March, Vision Real Estate broke ground on 90,200 square feet of speculative space on 76th Street, of which 25,000 square feet already have been leased. Colliers tracked a total 17 industrial projects under construction, totaling about 1.5 million square feet in the first quarter.

APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 7

Unmistakably E&V

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Kent County bonds at top rate for 20th year ‘Fiscally prudent’ county one of 25 in United States to receive highest possible rating. Justin Dawes

Grand Rapids Business Journal

DEVOS PLACE in downtown Grand Rapids is among the projects Kent County has helped finance. Courtesy SMG

Kent County received the highest possible credit ratings for the 20th consecutive year. The ratings come from agencies S&P Global and Moody’s Investors Service. The long-term bonds were rated AAA, while the short-term notes were rated MIG1 (Moody’s) and SP-1+ (Standard & Poor’s). Kent County is among only 25

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counties in the country with these ratings, said Jim Saalfeld, chair of the county’s board of commissioners. Saalfeld, County Administrator/Controller Wayman Britt, County Treasurer Ken Parrish and Fiscal Services Director Stephen Duarte met with the rating agencies in New York recently to review the county’s financial situation, which included presentations from the county leaders. Saalfeld said the ratings are a “report card” for the entire county, not just fiscal strength. “The process involves assessing our county leadership, staff stability, good policies and regulations, cooperation with the private sector and other units of government, the economic health of our region and much more,” he said. Britt said maintaining the rating was a priority when he took the county’s top leadership role in January.

“We continue to adopt policies that make fiscal sense.”

Stephen Duarte

“Obtaining this rating is one of the cornerstones of Kent County’s reputation and fits in our mission to be an effective and efficient steward in delivering quality services for our diverse community,” Britt said. “This year presented new challenges, but our department directors and staff worked to maintain the excellence our residents and stakeholders have come to expect. I am proud of what this team accomplishes every day.” That main challenge this year for the financial services team was

working with a new management system for financial reporting and other tasks, which went into place in 2017. According to Duarte, the Government Finance Officers Association recognized the team last year. Duarte said it’s the county leaders’ abilities to responsibly manage the county’s assets that have kept the rating at the highest marks. “We continue to manage our money and be fiscally prudent,” he said. “We continue to make sure that we adopt balanced budgets. We continue to adopt policies that make fiscal sense. We adhere to those policies.” Like a personal credit score, this allows the county to pay the least amount of interest possible, saving the public hundreds of thousands of dollars, Parrish said. Duarte said he believes this is important because it gives the county the ability to loan to projects that help the region’s economic viability. DeVos Place is among the projects the county has helped finance. Kent County uses the lodging excise levy, or the hotel/motel tax, to pay for the bonds. When people come downtown to enjoy events there, for example, that also increases revenue for local hotels, restaurants and other businesses. “That benefits the entire community,” Duarte said. The Business Journal reported earlier this year the upward trend in revenue performance for DeVos Place and the Van Andel Arena due to increased success at the box office. The Business Journal also reported record hotel revenue of nearly $211 million in 2017, attributed to high attendance at many venues.

APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 9

Area’s economy scores with sports teams, fans Three minor league franchises contribute to jobs and spending. Danielle Nelson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Sports can mean many different things to many different people. It can be used as a platform to promote cultural change, such as Jesse Owens’ stance against racial injustice at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, or sports can simply be used as family entertainment. Regardless of the intent, however, there is one common denominator: the economy. Sports markets have had an economic impact on cities across the country, both professionally and collegiately. According to the latest Gallup poll, 59 percent of Americans are sports fans. Football is America’s favorite sport, although support for the sport has declined since 2008. In 2008, 43 percent of sports fans considered football their favorite sport, but according to the 2017 Gallup poll, that number dropped to 37 percent. Kevin Quinn, president of Aquinas College, said viewership of televised NFL games is decreasing. According to Quinn, between 20 million and 25 million viewers watched national games last year.

“Most of our fans come from within an hour radius of Grand Rapids. However, our geographic reach has certainly broadened in recent years with continued Calder Cup playoff success, as well as many Griffins players making the transition to the Detroit Red Wings.”

The Whitecaps, like other minor league franchises, provide both full-time and seasonal jobs. Chamberlin said the organization provides about 50 full-time staff and 200 seasonal jobs. The Whitecaps work with Staffing Inc., which helps provide staff on game days, and Chamberlin said that accounts for another 500 jobs during the summer. According to Quinn, the average median income for a family is about $60,000 per year and it costs a family of four $357 to attend an NHL game, which Quinn said is 33 percent of a family’s weekly median income. That includes tickets, food, beverages, parking, etc. The cost was second only to the NFL’s $473. In the 2017 Gallup poll, 21 mil-

Detroit Red Wings.” Parking costs visitors between $8 and $15. Also, to boost the Grand Rapids economy, the Griffins provide jobs. Gortsema said in addition to the front office staffing and hockey operations staffing, other jobs related to the team include ticket takers, ushers, concession workers, custodial and security positions. The estimated revenue for the NBA in 2017 was $6 billion, with 22 million spectators attending NBA games. It cost $329 for a family of four to attend an NBA game, which was 30 percent of a family’s median weekly income, according to Quinn. The Grand Rapids Drive had 87,000 fans who attended the games this season, averaging 3,600

fans per contest. Steve Jbara, owner of the minor league basketball team, said the organization also showed games on Facebook Live, which averaged 60,000 views. Several games surpassed 100,000 views, he said. “Grand Rapids and West Jbara Michigan is a great place to be in this business, and I think all three organizations recognize that and have placed an emphasis on giving back to the community and being good community partners,” Chamberlin said.

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“I think it is impossible to watch (NFL games) because of the ads, I think that is the first reason,” Quinn said. “I think it is less about the national anthem, although I think the national anthem gave people who (thought watching) was too much work — it is a chore — a chance to walk away from it a little bit.” Football’s popularity was followed by basketball, baseball, soccer and hockey, in descending order. Baseball, however, had the highest attendance rate in 2017. Approximately 250 million spectators attended all U.S. sports in 2017, and 73 million of those spectators attended Major League Baseball games, which brought in $11 billion in revenues, according to the 2017 Gallup poll. Although the closest MLB team to West Michigan is about two hours away, the West Michigan Whitecaps have continued to garner significant crowds 24 years after the first game was played. “Last year, we had 300,083 people who came to Whitecaps games, and that is an average of about 5,500 people per game,” said Joe Chamberlin, vice president of finance and administration for the Whitecaps. Chamberlin said the team is the second biggest taxpayer in Plainfield Township. “We’ve been able to fund a lot of the growth and development in downtown Comstock Park,” Chamberlin said.

lion spectators attended NHL games, which brought in $5 billion in revenue. Locally, 302,471 spectators attended the Grand Rapids Griffins’ 2017-18 regular season games, according to Tim Gortsema, president of the minor league hockey team. There were 38 home games played during the regular season. The team averaged 7,960 spectators during the regular season, which ranked sixth in the American Hockey League. “Most of our fans come from within an hour radius of Grand Rapids,” Gortsema said. “However, our geographic reach has certainly broadened in recent years with continued Calder Cup playoff success, as well as many Griffins players making the transition to the

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Mel Trotter Ministries Midstate Security Company LLC Mill Steel Company Omni Community Credit Union Robroy Enclosures St. Ann’s Home Sun Title Agency LLC TowerPinkster Triangle Associates, Inc. Trivalent Group United Bank of Michigan VisionQuest Worksighted Yeo & Yeo CPAs & Business Consultants Small-Size Employers a.j. Veneklasen, Inc. Acoustics By Design Baker Holtz, CPAs and Advisors Barnes & Thornburg LLP Bizstream Boxed Water is Better Brink, Key & Chludzinski Broadmoor Motor Sales C/D/H Charter Capital Partners CompHealth CTS Telecom Easter Seals - Michigan, Inc. EQI, Ltd. Garrison Dental Highland Group HUMANeX Ventures Innovative Client Connections InsITe Business Solutions LLC Kalamazoo Community Foundation Lakewood Construction Lambert, Edwards & Associates Legacy Trust Mobile Defenders Nugent Builders Inc. OptiMed Health Partners OsborneKlein Revel Seaman’s Mechanical SecurAlarm Systems, INC Service Professor Soils & Structures, Inc. Southwest Michigan First Symplicity Communications Inc The C2 Group The Wiser Financial Group Twisthink UFP Technologies, Inc. Varipro Willis Law WSI

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JOHN GLOVER has held several jobs, including positions with the Alcoholism Council of New York, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and the Center for New York City Aﬀairs at his alma mater, The New School. Photo by Justin Dawes

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Finding his calling Justin Dawes

Grand Rapids Business Journal

ohn Glover said his experience growing up in poverty is what propelled him to direct service work for those in a similar position. Living in poverty in the South Bronx during the 1960s and 1970s was as bad as one could imagine, he said. He grew up in public housing, and his family experienced “everything in the book” — poverty, hunger insecurity, homelessness, substance abuse and more. “You name it, my family went through it,” said Glover, the executive director of Well House, a nonprofit that works to provide “safe, affordable housing” to those who need it. Besides that, he had to deal with the hostility of growing up mixed-race during a time and place that did not welcome such people. Glover’s mother was “clearly” Latina, and his was father was “clearly” African-American. Despite common belief, those communities did not always get along, he said, and his family had to isolate themselves. As children, he said he and his siblings had a rough time growing up. They would be physically attacked, and his sister often fought

to defend them. “All of those issues are real to me. They’re lived experiences,” Glover said. “I’ve only now begun to be able to talk about them somewhat dispassionately because it’s important for the people that I’m working with to understand that I know what they’re going through.” Shame is a big issue in these communities, he said. Many families, his included, often feel embarrassed they need help, feeling “the do-gooders are essentially throwing them their spare time and spare change and spare charity.” “It’s important for them to know that there are some people who know what they’re actually going through and have lived it” — he paused midsentence, choking up — “and what they’re giving you is genuine.” He said it also is important to remember the dynamic of relationships between clients and staff. “A lot of us have built careers because these people are in crisis,” Glover said. “It’s important to balance the fact that we’re here to help and recognize that (if not) for their need, we wouldn’t be here. So, we owe something to them as well, and it becomes an exchange.” At age 10, his mother brought Glover and his siblings to her home of Puerto Rico to give them

JOHN GLOVER Organization: Well House Position: Executive director Age: 53 Birthplace: Bronx, New York City Residence: Royal Oak Family: Son, Reynaldo Glover Biggest Career Break: Leading public policy education programs for the Center for New York City Aﬀairs.

an opportunity for more pleasant childhood memories, which the “gentler” culture allowed, he said. That experience really changed his perspective: “You can have a life that’s not about violence, not about abject poverty, not about one-upmanship.” They stayed for five years and then returned to the Bronx, where he worked and finished school. At age 16, he took his first job selling hot dogs at a hot dog stand. He faked his birth certificate to claim he was age 18 so he could work. He then worked as a waiter in a chain restaurant. “I think that was the beginning of a realization that I enjoyed engaging with people,” he said. Once he began his professional career, the human services field

Inside Track APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 13

always was something he unconsciously gravitated toward. He held several jobs in the industry over the years, including positions with the Alcoholism Council of New York, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and the Center for New York City Affairs at his alma mater, The New School, a private university where he taught for 10 years. He was the first person in his immediate family to attend college. Returning to that college after earning a master’s degree to teach as an adjunct professor was “one of the best experiences” of his life. He would still be teaching if he could afford to live on a teacher’s salary in New York. In his latest New York-based job, he traveled all over the country for School Food FOCUS, working to better the quality of food served in schools. It was high-level work that involved policy discussions and meetings in conference rooms and touring schools, where he saw the “best possible image” and met staff and students who were trained to “say the right things.” Simply working in the field was not enough for him, he realized. He needed to see whom he was helping firsthand. “At a certain point, you don’t see the end user anymore,” Glover said. “And clearly, that’s what motivates me in my work.” In 2016, Glover left that national job with a decent salary to serve as director of the Open Door Program at Fort Street Presbyterian Church of Detroit, where he worked in development and oversaw the annual distribution of $2.5 million worth of goods and services. He began the executive director position at Well House in Grand Rapids earlier this month. Glover’s best friend sent him a link to the job posting. Having had recently begun the job in Detroit, he was initially not interested

in moving again, but after learning about Well House, he knew it would be a perfect fit. With his own poverty experiences, Glover said he strongly believes in the organization’s “housing first” model, an approach that seeks to house people experiencing homelessness as quickly as possible, then working on other issues as needed. He credits Tami VandenBerg, the organization’s former executive director, to cementing that model as part of Well House. While Glover said it’s not possible to “fill Tami VandenBerg’s shoes,” he will use the same “energy and passion that built the organization up” to move the organization into a sustainability-focused phase, which is something he said he does well. Under VandenBerg, the organization went from owning three houses to 15 in five years, which he said requires a mindset that takes a lot of energy. “Maintaining that over time is a whole different ball game,” he said. Glover said the organization will continue its work toward growth, however. “But there has to be a balance because you can grow yourself into oblivion if you don’t manage it properly,” he said. “That’s the next challenge — is to make sure we can manage what we have now before we continue to add more houses.” In any case, with the increasing cost of housing, he said property acquisition is becoming more difficult, so the organization will need to leverage the best opportunities. “It’s not about more houses,” Glover said. “It’s about housing more people. “In the end, if we can eliminate, or bring … the number of people experiencing homelessness to as close to zero as possible, that’s the goal. Everything else is just the framework from which you accomplish that.”

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Comment & Opinion 14 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL APRIL 30, 2018

EDITORIAL

State’s VC funding looks bleak, but there’s hope

One of the authors of the VC report noted disappointment between the “growth culture” of the millennials and matching growth capital and venture capital with that culture. The match will only come with the success of those young entrepreneurs — and the continued community effort to assist that success.

GUEST COLUMN Matt Maines

If everyone else jumps into a cloud, would you?

usiness Journal reporting on dozens of entrepreneurial startups in the West Michigan region and the uptick in startups by the millennial generation has been sustained. Colleges, universities, 5x5 Night, Start Garden, Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women and several other organizational efforts provide entrepreneurial lessons, opportunity, encouragement and funding. Within that framework, it is disappointing to note the Business Journal report on the 2018 Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) investment study showing Michigan VC lacking. Again. The entrepreneurial spirit appears to be a universal marker of the millennial group. The 2018 Amway Global Entrepreneurship Report surveyed men and women ages 14-99 worldwide and found 68 percent of those under 35 had a strong desire to start a business, compared to 60 percent of those 35-49 and 48 percent of those 50 and older. Regions attracting venture capital have been mostly centered in Silicon Valley and Boston corridor communities. At one time, the amount invested in West Michigan was minuscule at best, and Michigan was one of the last places to attract such investments, as it sank from governmental woes, automotive losses and the Great Recession. The Michigan VC report shows the 21 Michigan-based VC firms

had a total of $445 million available for new investment in 2017. The state’s 134 venture-backed startups will require $627 million to fund their growth in the next two years. Funds under management show a decrease of 10 percent over 2016. Despite the recorded depletions of Michigan VC, the report does offer better news for those West Michigan entrepreneurs in renewed interest by out-of-state venture capitalists. In fact, both Grand Rapids and Detroit reportedly are more often on the list. Wakestream Ventures, one of the firms surveyed in the Michigan VC report, is led by Rick DeVos and wholly funded by private assets from the DeVos family. Kim Pasquino, investment director, who looks at investment opportunities across the country noted in the story, “Our strongest value proposition is being on the west side of the state,” she said. “We stack up alongside any founder in New York or (Silicon) Valley. We see quality companies and founders here.” One of the authors of the VC report noted disappointment between the “growth culture” of the millennials and matching growth capital and venture capital with that culture. The match will only come with the success of those young entrepreneurs — and the continued community effort to assist that success.

n the first West Michigan IT Report, Worksighted anonymously surveyed a diverse cross section of IT leaders from dozens of local manufacturers, professional services firms, nonprofits, retailers and others. In addition to taking a pulse on business growth, the survey focused on five prevailing IT topics: security, spending, cloud, business continuity and future trends. In the April 13 issue, we discussed security. Now, we want to dive into the cloud.

switch to a cloud platform, you’re essentially moving your information out of your building and putting it into someone else’s building. That’s right, all cloud storage “lives” somewhere brick and mortar and the key to your information is the internet. Having reliable internet and a trustworthy, credible cloud host are critical to your cloud-based business. Choosing a dependable internet service with large bandwidth, like fiber options, can be the difference between cloud success and cloud mishaps.

The survey The survey asked questions such as: •What percentage of your IT is hosted on the cloud? •What cloud services do you plan to invest in this year? •What cloud services does your business depend on?

2. Network visibility: Think of the internet as a highway. It has limited lanes to get drivers where they need to go. From music streaming to emails, information is constantly traveling up and down the highway. With on-site storage, your information travels on a different highway altogether, creating a direct route to your machines. With cloud storage, your information travels on the same highway as music streaming, video chats and emails. All that traffic can cause backups and accidents. How do you fix it? Give the cloud a fast lane. With the proper equipment, your IT team or managed service provider can monitor your network, setting priorities for your internet.

The takeaway Almost 73 percent of West Michigan businesses plan to grow their cloud services in 2018, with over 20 percent planning to invest in productivity solutions, online backups and application hosting. Things to know before jumping into the cloud With so many companies jumping into the cloud, you may be considering migrating all or some of your business. However, you should consider some factors before you take the leap. 1. External control: When you

3. Pricing: Oftentimes, people assume that cloud options will be less expensive than hosting your own information on-site. This is true, sometimes. Cloud services tend to have a lower up-front cost,

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making them ideal for small businesses and startups. However, for very large businesses, cloud expenses can add up quickly. Make sure to research all your options before jumping in. Why use the cloud then? So why then are 73 percent of West Michigan businesses growing their cloud services? The data show surveyed businesses are growing their cloud participation in three primary areas: productivity, online backups and hosting. Here’s why it could be a viable solution for your company. 1. Productivity: Switching to a cloud-based platform can enable your employees to access the same data from anywhere, at any time, on any device. But having your employees in separate buildings can come at a cost; companies may worry about loss of productivity, collaboration and effective communication. Cloud-based applications can address these concerns with seamless communication through video calls, messaging options and simultaneous revisions of documents.

ticle, I discussed the importance of backing up your information. The industry standard is the 3-2-1 rule: meaning store three copies of your data, in at least two different platforms and make sure at least one is off-site. Having at least one of your backups on the cloud could save your company from a natural disaster like a fire or a flood. 3. Elasticity: The cloud is great for hosting your platform subscriptions. Cloud-based subscriptions can grow (or shrink) per user, meaning you’re only paying for what you use. Being able to update through the cloud means seamlessly adding or subtracting subscriptions based on company needs. So what does this all mean? The cloud could be a good fit for your business, but make sure you or your managed IT service provider have looked into all the factors before taking the leap. Matt Maines is chief technology evangelist at Worksighted.

2. Online backups: In my last ar-

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FAMILY BUSINESS MATTERS Ardon L. Schambers

Avoid unexpected surprises with self-analysis H

istorically, when a person or a couple of people started a new business, it was because they identified a need, or they believed they had something special they could offer customers. Often, it was a way for someone to do something they enjoyed or to better utilize a special skill. From these beginnings, the entrepreneur(s), when successful, would grow the business and establish themselves. How they grew the business often led to a variety of decisions — some were good decisions and some maybe not so much. Where the decisions resulted in more revenue than expenses and enough to sustain the necessary efforts, the business would grow over time. During this process, certain behaviors and values would become engrained in the business practices. The belief in these practices can have great value and become the operating principles. In businesses that continue for an extended period and grow, there is generally a need to bring other people in to help with the work. Those workers often were family members. Under that arrangement, the family hierarchical structure was easily transferred to the business. Little thought was given to an organization chart. Nonfamily members were usually fit in, as circumstances required. As with the structure, which was just assumed and accepted, the values and established practices of the original entrepreneur were perpetuated by the additional family members and new employees.

Passing things along becomes a way of life. No one questions the practices, and they just become how the organization does things.

But things change In fact, the regular acceptance of everything becomes the norm, until a crisis of sorts. The crisis can be the result of internal differences of view or because of changes in the external environment. With regard to the internal considerations, anyone who has dealt with a family business knows the governing process is far more difficult and complex than in a public business or a private business without other family involved. In the family business, issues that are normally addressed as part of family dynamics, conflicts between generations or between siblings regarding how things are done or career choices that result from different perspectives or interests, get easily transferred to the operating environment. They impact the day-to-day matters, strategy discussions and job assignments, and can easily impact both family relations and other employees. In those situations where the family interactions do not play out in drama for the business and things operate efficiently and effectively, it doesn’t mean it is always smooth sailing. It is important that regular consideration of the external environment be a routine practice. Without being attentive to what is going on in the community, the business environment and the company’s specific

marketplace, you may be blindsided. The business that just accepts the values, practices and leadership without responsible analysis is likely to get some unexpected surprises.

The passing of the baton It may not be the principal objective when a business is started to consider the owner’s legacy, but once the first member of the family is added to the operation group and especially when that person is of the next generation, the issues of to whom and how will the business be passed on begins to play a role in business decisions. Making sure the business is sustainable and can bring the desired benefits to the owners and employees is no easy task. A business that operates with a short-term perspective can do this more easily than one that has a long-term perspective. When your principle focus is meeting this year’s goals and budget requirements, your decision-making probably considers the factors that have an immediate impact, most of which are easily known and addressed. When you start thinking about what you will pass on, you might start looking down the road a number of years and think about family roles, as well as external factors, that will/can impact the sustainability of the business at the desired levels, the fog gets a little thicker. Unfortunately, many organizations take the position that the values and practices that have been engrained in the business will be

just as effective in the future as they were in the past. But change is all around us. We may fight it and say these ideas are going to ruin everything, but like it or not, women got the vote, young people go off to school and see what other people do and think, and various factions of society seize power and change things. Organizations that don’t recognize this and don’t give new leaders the opportunity to work effectively in the new environment will become the next generation of buggy whip manufacturers. Not all values and practices have to be thrown out, they just need to be re-examined and see how they fit in today’s environment and where they might be tweaked when necessary. The critical element in this process is for the older generation to determine how best to make this analysis and look at the situation with fresh eyes. Generally, there has to be a true shifting of control, so the new eyes can have proper impact. We’ve seen a few organizations where the president said he will retire and the son is to take over, but Dad still comes in four days a week and wheels the same family influence from the new office down the hall. The son isn’t ready, and in fact, by our observation, the person who should be running the business is the younger daughter. Making the transition One of the tools most helpful in making the transition from one generation to the next is the use of

an ongoing strategic planning process. This is not a one-year budget program, but one that really looks down the road three to five years and is adjusted in each cycle after circumstances are examined and a game plan is reviewed in light of mission and vision considerations, and all the other important factors. Since this plan happens over time, it also takes into consideration who will be doing what work, when and what skills will be required. This process also allows the leading generation to move from a very active role in day-today events to guidance on strategic events, still shaping the organization but preparing for a comfortable transition. In this process, the organization can look at its structure, its people, its resources and the direction of the organization based on both internal issues and external matters. The SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) identifies critical issues and can be used to set a plan in place to address the most important matters. It also prepares the organization for change and an opportunity to review some of those practices that were put in place in the past that no one thinks to reconsider. Without using such tools and talking about real transition as circumstances change, the chances of passing a meaningful baton gets harder with each generation. Ardon Schambers is president and principal at P3HR Consulting & Services.

Millennials embrace entrepreneurship as their ‘dream jobs’ 7 Continued from page 1 Rapids. She started Littlewings at 21 after graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in accessory design. “It was in the middle of a recession, and the creative industry was in a hiring freeze. Most of my fellow students were taking on two to three internships just to get by and scrambling to get entry-level jobs,” she said. “It was like, ‘What’s the harm?’ I had professors encouraging me to be an entrepreneur instead of going to New York or L.A. to try to make it in fashion. So, I started an Etsy shop and built it up little by little.” By 2013, she opened Parliament alongside her now-husband Jake Vroon, who was building his own brand, Harbinger Leather Design, before they met. Despite getting their start in a recession, they were able to fund their business from savings because their education was nearly paid for by scholarships. Erica Lang, 27, is founder and owner of art, clothing and accessories retailer Woosah Outfitters, at 738 Wealthy St. SE in Grand Rapids, which she founded in 2011 at age 20. She said she has always had an

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entrepreneurial bent but didn’t go for it right away because she thought the traditional college path was what was expected. After changing her major from nursing to Army ROTC, then transferring to Kendall College of Art and Design to study printmaking, Lang “gave up” her social life and poured herself into making art, figuring out how to make money on it with advice and support from an aunt who is a businesswoman and creative type. “I never sat down and thought, ‘How could this go bad?’ I was just so eager and excited about ‘How could it go well?’” Lang said. “Now that we’re established, risk-taking is just a part of it. It’s not that the risks get easier, it’s just that you stop letting it affect you so much.” Lang said she has noticed other millennials struggle to find their perfect job. “Getting a college education was super important growing up; you had to do it to get a good job. But I have brothers three years older than me who graduated, and I would watch them and their friends graduate and not get a job,” she said. “If there’s a job out there that’s your dream job, maybe we should be the ones creating our own job. It’s easier to create your own than

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it is to try to search for it.” Aleka Thrash, 34, is owner and founder of ACT PhotoMedia, a photography business based in Grand Rapids and her home city of Las Vegas. She also runs a natural hair and lifestyle blog called Naturally ACT. She said she thinks of herself as an “intrapreneur” because she has a day job as an enrollment counselor at Cornerstone University. Thrash started ACT PhotoMedia in 2001 when she was taking a high school photography class that required students to register a DBA. Although she would like to go full time with her businesses someday, she said, for now, financial security is paramount. “I am a person of structure. I like to know I will have money in the bank and travel and have the best quality of life,” she said. “I can do photography on the side and not worry about where my next meal comes from.” The tradeoffs are that she doesn’t have a lot of free time or get much sleep. “Yesterday, I got out of work after a 10-hour workday and was up until 3 a.m. editing photos, writing a blog post, scheduling a photo shoot and answering messages on social media,” she said. Husband-wife entrepreneurs

Ross Tanner, 27, and Bree Tanner, 24, were looking for some of that same security so they could build their way up to business ownership following graduation from Grand Valley State University in 2015. But the two found themselves fast-tracked into entrepreneurship when Bree Tanner couldn’t find a full-time job and her freelance business blossomed, while Ross Tanner worked an in-house job. In August 2016, they opened Studio Us, a design, photography and branding firm at 343 S. Division Ave. in Grand Rapids. “We always knew we would eventually want to have a studio of our own but always thought that would be 10-plus years down the road after school,” Ross Tanner said. “After Bree continued to take on loads of freelance work, I would help her as much as I could during nights and weekends. We started to see a viability to making it a real business.” The co-owners have since moved into “a beautiful studio space in Heartside,” have a client roster that includes Newell Brands, CAT Footwear, Haworth and Steelcase, and recently made their first full-time hire in addition to one other part-time employee. They said they sought that kind of control over their lives.

“We wanted to own our own business because we wanted the ability to choose the type of work we were doing and who we were doing it for. Plus, there is something about being able to say that you built your livelihood from the ground up,” Ross Tanner said. Amway’s Ayres, who is a baby boomer, said he has noticed a generational difference in attitudes toward work. “My generation was about trying to make it, and then when I made it, I went to try to make a difference,” he said. “I think the millennials want to make a difference and be at companies that make a difference from the beginning. It colors the products they buy and the people and organizations they want to be associated with. There are a lot of jobs today you would get at a corporation that don’t necessarily align with those desires.” Ayres added: “One other factor that should be mentioned is what drives millennials to think this way about their careers is they’ve seen their parents work in companies, at whatever level in corporations, and they’ve seen them lose jobs due to downsizing and technology advances — lose their jobs and not have enough money to live on comfortably in retirement. “They see all that and say, ‘I don’t want that.’”

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Oﬃce activity slows 7 Continued from page 1 new inventory. Wisinski-Rosely said the building’s on-site parking would make it attractive to newcomers. NAIWWM’s quarterly report highlighted Spectrum Health and Holland Hospital’s joint effort to open Health Pointe, an integrated health care campus at 15100 Whittaker Way in Grand Haven. The 100,000-square-foot complex offers primary and specialty physician care, urgent care, laboratory and radiology, outpatient procedures and surgery. Adventure Credit Union also completed a new $1.2-million branch at 5165 Wilson Ave. SW in Wyoming. The company had the new, 2,953-square-foot branch built to consolidate two outdated locations into one standalone building. NAIWWM observed an overall vacancy of 5.6 percent with an average asking rent of $15.68. The highest vacancy by region was in the Southeast market, with an overall vacancy of 7.5 percent and average rent of $14.10 per square foot. Wisinski-Rosely said she expects the market to remain strong for a while, although growth has weakened compared to previous years. “The market is still good, it just was so good that now it’s starting to slow down a little bit,” she said. Grand Rapids’ West Side also is offering an attractive alternative to

downtown, according to JLL’s market highlights. “We are not seeing much speculative space,” Karger said. “We are seeing a little bit on the West Side with Rockford (Construction’s) development.” JLL noted the construction of a $20-million, 40,000-square-foot Consumers Energy West Michigan headquarters at 501 Alabama St. NW in the Circuit West area of Grand Rapids. Comparatively, Colliers International West Michigan recorded an overall market vacancy of 14.61 percent and an average rent of $17.96 per square foot. Downtown vacancy was 10.4 percent with an average rent of $23.39 per square foot. Colliers also highlighted strong office activity for Kent County in the first quarter. The report said 73 on-market leases and 13 on-market sales were completed, a 19.4 percent increase from the first quarter of 2017. The southwest suburban market had the most absorbed space during the quarter. Colliers attributed it partly to Advantage Sales and Marketing receiving a certificate of occupancy at the vacant Klingman’s building at 1001 28th St. SW after moving from its downtown Grand Rapids location. Colliers recorded seven office projects, totaling 283,482 square feet under construction for the first quarter.

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Program offers ‘connections’ 7 Continued from page 3 ter for youths ages 14-24 who are experiencing unsafe or unstable housing. “They’re not an overnight stay, like Mel Trotter, but they have drop-in times for people to stop in and get a meal and have people to talk to,” Ackerman said. “We were working with them … to help them reach the community. What were better ways to get out there and help them better understand what they are offering? There are a lot of different things out there, like Mel Trotter and Well House, so how do they make sure people know what they’re offering is different?” She said the project included strategic development, mission work and brand consulting. James said even if your passion isn’t helping nonprofits — or any of the other industries included in the deep dives — LGR helps participants be better citizens of Grand Rapids. “I think they’ll be better suited to move the community forward, because after the sessions, you have

a greater understanding of what’s affecting West Michigan,” he said. “It’s extremely rewarding on a personal level to be able to observe from a distance how the group dynamic comes together, congeals and has discourse (that is) still on the way to positive outcomes.” James said LGR is geared toward “seasoned” leaders and is fairly competitive, with about one in four applicants being admitted. Tuition costs $3,100 per participant and limited scholarships are available. The application deadline for the 2018-19 cohort already has passed. CCL also puts on an entry-level, five-week program called the Emerging Leaders Series meant to help those with leadership aspirations think about community stewardship. James described it as a good starter course for those not ready for LGR. This year’s Emerging Leaders Series runs June 25Aug. 22, from 11:45 a.m.-5 p.m. every other Wednesday. Registration, $800, is open at grandrapids.org until May 5.

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APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 19

Real estate ﬁrm empowers women Hello Homes GR’s new office gives staff more autonomy. Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Hello Homes GR is working to set a model for women professionals. The small residential real estate firm, comprised of six women, recently moved into a new office space to expand its capabilities. “I’m really passionate about empowering other women, so it was important for me to be a woman leader for our industry, so that was a big push for me,” said Ashley Dietch Schaefer, owner of Hello Homes. Schaefer became the sole broker/owner of Hello Homes GR in November 2017. Though the brokerage is fairly new, the team has been operating under the Hello Homes name since 2015 under a different brokerage. The new office, located at 280 Ann St. NW in Grand Rapids, is a major upgrade from the firm’s previous location, allowing the sixwoman staff more autonomy. “Because we have this wing, we can operate fully as our own company instead of sharing the space with other agents. So, this is definitely a move up,” she said. Most of Hello Homes’ business relies on word of mouth. Even though it has a sizeable social media presence to get its name out, Schaefer said the majority of her firm’s clients are referred to her team from past clients.

Hello Homes has its primary footprint in Grand Rapids but has sold properties as far north as Sand Lake and as far south as Wayland. Most of its clients are women ages 25-40 who are well-established professionally. Schaefer said she is most proud of her chance to serve women listed among the Business Journal’s 50 Most Influential Women. “Michele Suchovsky is the one that comes to mind … she is a phenomenal woman. She runs this huge nonprofit, owned a condo downtown. She’s incredible, and it’s an honor to call her a client.” Schaefer also emphasized the level playing field her and her agents operate on. Even though she’s officially the sole owner of Hello Homes, she also is a full-time realtor, and everybody on the team “plays a hand” in every aspect of the job. The staff consists of four fulltime realtors, including Schaefer, and two administrative assistants. “I think we’re all friends, but we’re not afraid to say, ‘Hey, you could do this better,’” said Nora Glahn, admin/office manager. “We all have goals and we all challenge each other to meet them.” As a small firm competing against larger companies in the Grand Rapids market, Schaefer said her team is confident enough to run honestly and efficiently to attract and retain clients. “People don’t really care who you work for. People genuinely want honest, reliable service,” she said. “If anything, we’re more nimble and can probably do more than a larger company.”

FROM LEFT: Ashley Dietch Schaefer, Nora Glahn, Corrin Timmer, Debora Acevedo, Jen Conner and Elizabeth Klopp. Courtesy Hello Homes GR

As a 3-year-old firm with four full-time realtors, Hello Homes manages to close between 125 and 150 transactions, totaling just under $30 million, each year. “Obviously, our goals are always bigger, so we always want to do bigger and better, but for four women in a very heavily male-dominated industry, we’re stoked to close $30 million,” Schaefer said. She said she wants to foster an environment where professional women can empower each other, but that doesn’t mean men are excluded from the business. “If a male wanted to join our team, more power to him. We haven’t really had anyone inquire,” she said. “Obviously, we want to empower everybody, but I think we attract a certain caliber of women that do business like we do — that want to surround themselves with other powerful women in our industry.”

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20 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL APRIL 30, 2018

Hemp business grows global Jenison’s MHR Brands carves out distribution niche over five years. Danielle Nelson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

JEFF GALLAGHER hopes to establish his own hemp farm in Colorado, where state laws aren’t as strict as in Michigan. Courtesy MHR Brands

As the conversation around the legalization and distribution of marijuana heats up, there is one part of the plant that has allowed a local business to flourish. For almost five years, Michigan Herbal Remedies (MHR Brands) has distributed hemp products across the country. Jeff Gallagher, founder of MHR Brands, has been selling hempbased products, such as facial toners, cream moisturizers, choco-

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lates, gummies, supplements and pet products, to customers all over the world. “We sell things for the overall well-being of our consumers,” Gallagher said. “We ship to all 50 states and several countries worldwide.” Gallagher said he has seen his business grow from distributing five hemp-based products per month in 2013 to shipping more than 90,000 hemp-related products to customers nationally and internationally last year. Although Gallagher’s business has grown significantly over the past five years, he has been unable to secure and cultivate a hemp farm in Michigan even though the Industrial Hemp Research Act (IHRA) was passed in 2014.

According to David Harns, a public information officer from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, IHRA authorizes the growing and cultivating of industrial hemp for research purposes only.

“The difference between a hemp plant and ‘marijuana’ plant is the amount of THC.”

Jeff Gallagher

“The IHRA authorized the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development or colleges/universities in Michigan to grow or cultivate — or both — industrial hemp for purposes of research,” Harns said. “The research must be conducted under an agricultural pilot program or other agricultural or academic research project.” Despite the legislative approval, Gallagher said he has been unsuccessful in convincing Michigan universities to grow hemp. He said he suspects the institutions of higher learning are fearful of losing federal funding. Gallagher said much of his work revolves around educating the public about hemp and marijuana because people tend to confuse the two as they are derived from the same Cannabis sativa L. plant. “The difference between a hemp plant and ‘marijuana’ plant is the amount of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) in the product,” Gallagher said. “So, based on the industrial hemp provision of the farm bill, if it is 0.3 percent or less of THC, it is hemp. If it is over 0.3 percent of THC at harvest, it is marijuana.” Harns emphasized any part of the plant, whether growing or not growing, with a THC (the psychoactive chemical that causes a “high”) concentration of less than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis is “industrial hemp.” Harns said marijuana consists of all of the Cannabis sativa L. plant, whether growing or not, including the seeds, the resin extracted from any part of the plant, every compound manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture or preparation of the plant or seeds or resin. Although MHR Brands has not been able to grow the plant in Michigan, Gallagher has taken full advantage of the state laws in Colorado and Kentucky. “We are using domestically grown hemp (from) Kentucky and Colorado, through university partnerships at the University of Kentucky and the University of Colorado, which partner with farmers to produce hemp,” Gallagher said. “We then buy their processed hemp.” Once MHR Brands receives the hemp, Gallagher said it is taken to a marijuana testing facility in Walled Lake to confirm it doesn’t have THC levels over 0.3 percent. It also checks for the plant’s second prominent chemical, cannabidiol (CBD), which Gallagher said has anti-inflammatory benefits. Catherine Rudolf is a nutritionist in Indiana. US Hemp Wholesale, a DBA for MHR Brands, supplies her business, Foods That Heal You. She said she has been using US Hemp Wholesale since 2015 and the majority of products she orders are CBD hemp oils. Gallagher has MHR Brands facilities in Jenison and Holland. He said he is in the process of sowing the seeds for his own hemp farm in Colorado this spring, which he hopes will allow him to ship over 100,000 hemp-based products this year.

APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 21

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2003

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Business, litigation, municipal law, health care, employment

McShane & Bowie PLC 99 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 1100 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 732-5000 f 732-5099 msblaw.com

Michelle Anthes

1952

Real estate, business/corporate law, estate planning, commercial litigation, commercial lending, taxation, dispute resolution

Price Heneveld LLP 695 Kenmoor Ave. SE, P.O. Box 2567 Grand Rapids 49501 p (616) 949-9610 f 957-8196 priceheneveld.com

Brian Cheslek

1952

DND

Clark Hill PLC 200 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 500 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 608-1100 f 608-1199 clarkhill.com

Ingrid Jensen

2006

449

Banking and finance, education, labor and employment, litigation, real estate

Scholten Fant 100 N.Third St., P.O. Box 454 Grand Haven 49417 p (616) 842-3030 f 846-6621 scholtenfant.com

Robert Sullivan

1957

Business, real estate, family law, estate planning and elder law, labor and employment

Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone PLC 99 Monroe Ave. NW Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 454-8656 f 776-6322 millercanfield.com

Trent Taylor

1983

241

Business and finance, employment and labor, litigation and dispute resolution, real estate, tax, family law, estates and trust administration, public finance, public law, intellectual property

Parmenter Law 601 Terrace St. Muskegon 49440 p (231) 722-1621 f 722-7866 parmenterlaw.com

Christopher Kelly Anna Duggins

1948

Business, real estate, estate planning, elder law, public sector and civil litigation

Wheeler Upham, PC 250 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 100 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 459-7100 f 459-6366 wuattorneys.com

Gary Maximiuk Glenn Smith Michael TerBeek

1883

Commercial litigation, business law, insurance defense, estate planning, employment law

Williams Hughes PLLC 120 W. Apple Ave. Muskegon 49440 p (231) 726-4857 f 727-2130 williamshugheslaw.com

Douglas Hughes

1985

Municipal, social security, probate, personal injury, criminal defense

Mark Hofstee

1977

Business law, collections and creditors' rights, estate planning, family law, real estate and construction law

John Ferroli

1984

Commercial litigation, commercial and corporate real estate, consumer finance, tax, white collar crime and corporate investigations

Terence Linn Frederick Burkhart Karl Ondersma Matthew Kendall Donald Gardner Jeffrey Lehman

2011

Intellectual property - patents, trademarks, copyrights and related litigation

Mary Bonnema

2001

Patents, trademarks, copyrights, litigation

Bolhouse, Hofstee & McLean PC 3996 Chicago Drive SW Grandville 49418 p (616) 531-7711 f 531-7757 bolhouselaw.com

Dykema 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 700 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 776-7500 f 776-7573 dykema.com Gardner Linn Burkhart & Ondersma LLP 2851 Charlevoix Drive SE, Suite 207 Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 975-5500 f 975-5505 gardner-linn.com McGarry Bair 45 Ottawa Ave. SW, Suite 700 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 742-3500 f 742-1010 mcgarrybair.com

Intellectual property

Miller Johnson added Jeffrey T. Gray to its Grand Rapids office to focus on the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employee benefits and executive compensation practice.

New associate

Marisa Griggs joined Rhoades McKee as an associate with the human resource and employment law team.

Promotion

Plachta, Murphy & Associates promoted attorney Bryan D. Reeder to managing partner.

Four additions

Barnes & Thornburg hired four new attorneys for its Grand Rapids office: Jeff Davis, Charles Becker, Scott Dienes and Erika Weiss.

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Continued on page 23 8

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APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 23

Top Area Law Firms (RANKED BY NUMBER OF WEST MICHIGAN LAWYERS) 7 Continued from page 22

W. Mich. managing partner(s)

Year established in W. Mich.

No. of W. Mich. Total No. No. of W. Mich. lawyers of lawyers support staff

No. of W. Mich. paralegals

Top areas of practice

Avanti Law Group PLLC 600 28th St. SW Wyoming 49509 p (616) 257-6807 f 257-8501 avantilaw.com

Raquel Salas Meghan Moore Robert Alvarez

2010

Criminal defense, family law, immigration law, labor and employment, business law

Damon Ver Merris Boyko & Witte PLC 825 Parchment Drive SE, Suite 100 Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 975-9951 f 975-9973 dvbwlaw.com

Curtis Witte Larry Ver Merris John Boyko, Jr. Curtis Witte

1914

Business-corporate, estate planning, probate and trust administration, family law and bankruptcy

Grzanka Grit McDonald 2930 Lucerne Drive SE Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 956-5559 f 956-7546 grzankagrit.net

Michael McDonald

1977

DND

Hilger Hammond PC 49 Monroe Center NW, Suite 200 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 458-3600 f 284-3067 hilgerhammond.com

Benjamin Hammond Aileen Leipprandt Stephen Hilger Mark Rysberg

2008

Construction, complex and commercial litigation, real estate, corporate law, business law

Kreis, Enderle, Hudgins & Borsos PC 40 Pearl St. NW. fifth floor Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 254-8400 kreisenderle.com

Raymond Schultz

2005

Business and corporate, litigation, real estate, estate and probate, family law

Bloom Sluggett, PC 15 Ionia Ave. SW, Suite 640 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 965-9340 f 965-9350 bloomsluggett.com

Clifford Bloom Jeffrey Sluggett

2012

Public sector/municipal, riparian/water law, property tax litigation, state and local tax, real estate

McDonald Pierangeli Macfarlane, PLLC 3300 Eagle Run Drive NE, Suite 201 Grand Rapids 49525 p (616) 977-9200 f 977-9201 mpmtrialattorneys.com

William McDonald Jr. David Pierangeli

1997

Andersen, Ellis & Shephard 866 Three Mile Road NW, Suite B Grand Rapids 49544 p (616) 784-1700 f 784-5392 usadebt.com

Rebecca Johnson-Ellis Jeremy Shephard

1994

DND

Aardema Whitelaw PLLC 5360 Cascade Road SE Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 575-2060 f 575-2080 aardemawhitelaw.com

Brian Whitelaw Robert Aardema

2001

Bodman PLC 99 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 506 Grand Rapids 49503 p 616-205-4330 bodmanlaw.com

Floyd Gates, Jr.

2017

150

Banking, corporate, business litigation, employment, health care

Grand Rapids Law Group PLLC 545 28th St. SW Wyoming 49509 p (616) 530-0101 f 777-5232 grandrapidslawgroup.com

Elizabeth Rosario

2012

Family, immigration, criminal, personal injury

Kevin O'Dowd

2010

Agribusiness/environmental, commercial litigation, construction law, corporate law/ financial services, family law/trusts and estates, labor and employment

Lee Silver Douglaw Van Essen

2000

DND

Donald Duba Christopher Duba

2006

Corporate and business transactions, commercial real estate, mergers and acquisitions, business succession strategy, family wealth and trust planning, finance and lender relations

Jackson Lewis PC 61 Commerce Ave. SW, fifth floor Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 940-0230 f 285-7215 jacksonlewis.com

Marlo Roebuck Emily Petroski

2013

858

General employment litigation, disability, leave and health management, labor and preventive practices, workplace safety and health, wage and hour

Fraser Trebilcock 125 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 153 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 301-0800 fraserlawfirm.com

Michael Perry

Energy, utilities and telecommunication, litigation business and tax, employee benefits, trusts and estates

Keller & Almassian PLC 230 E. Fulton St. Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 364-2100 f 364-2200 kalawgr.com

A. Almassian

1986

DND

Kotz Sangster 40 Pearl St. NW, Suite 400 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 552-6400 f 734-6125 kotzsangster.com Silver & VanEssen PC 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 620 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 988-5600 f 988-5606 silvervanessen.com 35

Duba & Duba PLLC 220 Lyon St. NW, Suite 530 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 458-3200 f 458-3203 dubalaw.com

Circle of excellence

Bodman PLC was named to the 2017 State Bar of Michigan Pro Bono Circle of Excellence at the Leadership Level.

Insurance and employer defense litigation

New chairman

Mass tort defense, no-fault, personal injury, social security disability, criminal/drunk driving defense

Bankruptcy

Price Heneveld LLP announced Brian Cheslek is the new chairman of the firm’s management committee.

Weekly honors

Michigan Lawyers Weekly inducted three Grand Rapids attorneys in the Leaders in Law Class of 2018. They are Judge Kathleen A. Feeney, E. Thomas McCarthy, Jr. and Kimberly A. Clarke.

Medical malpractice defense, insurance defense

Growing practice Elisa J. Lintemuth joined Dykema’s labor and employment practice.

Commercial litigation, general civil litigation, municipal

Bankruptcy and creditor/debtor rights law, business litigation

The Business Journal's list of top area law firms, ranked by number of West Michigan lawyers, is the most comprehensive available. The Business Journal defines "West Michigan" as Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties. The list is based on responses to Business Journal surveys. The Business Journal surveyed 161 law firms; 38 returned surveys and 38 are listed. To be considered for future lists, email dnelson@grbj.com. DND = Did not disclose

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Change-Ups & Calendar 24 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL APRIL 30, 2018

Penning named member of Arthur W. Page Society Tim Penning, professor of advertising and public relations at Grand Valley State University, was named a member of the Arthur W. Page Society — a professional association for senior public relations and corporate communications executives who seek to improve and support their profession. Penning intends to use his membership in the society to directly benefit his students by incorporating current practices and insights from his colleagues into the classroom.

ARTS

Kent District Library hired Sara Proaño as manager of community engagement. She will work to create opportunities to bring the library to the community through innovative approaches. Proaño previously held several positions at the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, including employment services collaborative coordinator, director of language services and domestic violence caseworker.

AWARDS

Arbor Circle announced its 2018 honorees for its annual May 2 Spring Dinner: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network of Michigan; Delasie clothing brand founder Rhoda Klomega; and the Grand Rapids Symphony. The city of Grand Rapids was selected as a finalist for the 2018 Governor’s Fitness Awards Active Community Award, which recognizes a Michigan community that has made significant efforts to increase opportunities for physical activity through designed and built on-the-ground changes that lead to safer, more inviting spaces that encourage active living. It’s the first time the city has earned this distinction. Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss received the U.S. Conference of Mayors Partner America 2018 Small Business Advocate Award by Partners America for her efforts and support of small businesses in the city.

Great Lakes Inc. announced Michael Price, executive chairman of Mercantile Bank Corp., and Mike VanGessel, founder and CEO of Rockford Construction, will be inducted into the Junior Achievement West Michigan Business Hall of Fame on May 21 at the Amway Grand Plaza. Junior Achievement also will recognize Thomas J. Haas, president of Grand Valley State University, as the Edward J. Frey Distinguished Achievement Award recipient; Jackson National Life Insurance Company will be honored with the Spirit of Achievement Award; and Lauren Clark, Cascade Engineering, is the recipient of the David B. Hensch JA Volunteer of the Year. Nicole Flinn, associate professor of dance at Holland-based Hope College, won the 2018 Touchstone Award for Dance Teacher of the Year from the Michigan Dance Council.

CONSTRUCTION

Triangle Associates Inc. was named one of West Michigan’s Best & Brightest Companies to Work For by the Michigan Business & Professional Association for the 15th consecutive year.

EDUCATION

Grand Rapids Community College has a laptop vending machine available to its students located in the GRCC Student Community Center’s counseling area. Students can use the laptops for free by swiping their college ID card.

Junior Achievement of the Michigan

Secchia Institute for Culinary Education

APR 29-MAY 3 20th annual Jewish Film Festival. 7:30 p.m., Celebration Cinema North. Guest speakers follow each film. Cost: $6. Registration: jewishgrandrapids.org.

Cycle.” 7:30-9:30 a.m., GVSU Richard M. DeVos Center Loosemore Auditorium, 401 W. Fulton St. Includes light breakfast. Cost: free and open to public. Information/registration: bit.ly/palliativeforum.

MAY 1-3 ULI Spring Meeting: Connect With the World of Real Estate. Cobo Center, 1 Washington Blvd., Detroit. Information/ registration: spring.uli.org.

MAY 5 Pioneer Resources Hats and Horses Fundraiser to Complete New Group Home. 5-10 p.m., Lake House, 730 Terrace Point Drive, Muskegon. Information/registration: (231) 773-5355 or pioneerre sources.org/event/hats-and-horses.

MAY 2 Arbor Circle Spring Dinner. 5:30-8:30 p.m., Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, 1000 East Beltline Ave. NE. Cost: $100/person. Information/registration: arborcircle.org/springdinner. MAY 2 Grand Rapids Public Museum’s second annual Collections & Cocktails Fundraiser. 6-10 p.m., GRPM, 272 Pearl St. NW. Cost: $100/person. Registration: grpm.org/2018collections-cocktails. MAY 2 Grand Rapids Toastmasters Club No. 7403. Meets first, third and fifth Wednesday. 12:05-12:55 p.m., Michigan First Credit Union, 1815 Breton Road SE. Information/registration: 7403.toast mastersclubs.org. MAY 2 Grand Rapids Young Professionals’ Trivia Night. 5:30-8 p.m., Rezervoir Lounge, 1418 Plainfield Ave. NE. Registration: bit.ly/gryptrivianight. MAY 2 12th annual West Michigan Sports Commission Luncheon, featuring John Beilein, head basketball coach, University of Michigan. Noon, JW Marriott, 235 Louis Campau St. NW. Cost: $100/person, $700/table of eight. Information/registration: (616) 608-1842 or acena@westmisports.com.

MAY 6 MomsBloom Yoga-Thon Fundraiser for Postpartum Support. 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Flirt Fitness Studio, 5366 Plainfield Ave. NE. Registration: bit.ly/momsbloomyogathon. MAY 8 GR Business Breakfast Presents “Impact Versus Intent: Sexual, Ethnic, Religious, Political and other Harassment in the Workplace,” by Peter Letzmann, owner, Peter Letzmann Associates. 7:30-9 a.m., SarahCare, 2211 East Beltline Ave. NE. Cost: $12/advance, $15/door. Information/registration: grbusi nessbreakfast.org. MAY 8 Hospice of Michigan Comedy Improv Grief Workshop. 1:30-3 p.m., Georgetown Senior Center, 7100 Eighth Ave., Jenison. Cost: free/donations welcomed. Information/registration: (616) 340-7363. MAY 8 ISM – Greater Grand Rapids Event. “The Benefits to Your Organization of Internships,” by Kristie Scanion, employer relations coordinator, GVSU Career Center. 5-7 p.m., GVSU University Club Building C, 401 W. Fulton St. Cost: $20/ nonmembers, free/members, students and retirees. Registration: ismggr.org.

MAY 3 Grand Rapids Opportunities For Women Intro to GROW, free orientation to learn about programs. Noon1 p.m. or 6-7 p.m., GROW office, YWCA, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org.

MAY 8 Ronald McDonald House of Western Michigan/Mental Health Foundation Free Lunch and Learn. “Building Resiliency,” Dr. Sandy Dettman, Kent County Medical Health.” 11:45 a.m.1 p.m., Ronald McDonald House, 1323 Cedar St. NE. Light lunch provided. Information/registration: (616) 258-5729 or pmccormick@rmhwesternmichigan.org.

MAY 4 Health Forum of West Michigan Forum. “Transitions: Palliative Care in the Life

MAY 8 Small Business Development Center West Michigan Region Class. “Market

student Heather Stadt received Grand Rapids Community College’s Arthur Andrews Award, which goes to the Delta Pi Alpha student with the highest cumulative GPA and the greatest number of honor points. Stadt will receive this spring her Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences in Culinary Arts. Grace Bible College was rebranded Grace Christian University.

GRANTS

Komen Michigan awarded a $22,945 grant to Catherine’s Health Center for women’s breast health education and services.

HEALTH

Mercy Health announced new providers and specialists to its cardiovascular team servicing the entire West Michigan region: Eugene Chung, medical director of Cardiac Electrophysiology Services; Prerana Manohar, cardiologist at Mercy Health Physician Partners Cardiovascular; Chung Vinayak Manohar, interventional cardiologist at Mercy Health Physician Partners Cardiovascular; and Kristopher Selke, regional medical director of Structural Cardiology. Orthopaedic Associates of Muskegon announced it is the first orthopaedic group in West Michigan to offer three different joint replacement procedures using robotic-arm assisted technology: partial knee, total knee and total hip replacements. Eight OAM physicians now are certified to perform surgery using Stryker’s Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery System.

INSURANCE

Frankenmuth Insurance recognized Ringnalda TenHaken Insurance Group of Grand Rapids as a Preferred Partner for 2017. Rachel Taber, individual sales representative for Priority Health, received the

Research I.” 7-8:30 p.m., Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library St. NE. Cost: free. Registration: sbdcmichigan.org. MAY 8 World Affairs Council of Western Michigan Event. “A Renewed NAFTA: The Key to an Enduring North American Prosperity,” by Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. Noon1:35 p.m., University Club, 111 Lyon St. NW. Cost: $35/person, $350/table of 8. Information/registration: worldmichigan. org/corporate. MAY 8, 15, 22 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Small Business GPS: Marketing Strategies. 6-9 p.m., GROW office, YWCA, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. May 8: Marketing 101; May 15: Branding and Selling Your Value Proposition; May 22: Marketing Your Business Online. Cost: $60/three classes. Intro to GROW prerequisite. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 9 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Start Smart Business Readiness hands-on class to equip you to take the next step on your entrepreneurial journey. Prerequisite: Intro to GROW. 6-9 p.m., GROW, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Cost: $25. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 9 Michigan Press Association 32nd annual Golf Benefit supporting the MPA Foundation. 1 p.m. shotgun start, Timber Ridge Golf Club, 16339 Park Lane Road, East Lansing. Information/registration: michiganpress.org/annual-golf-benefit. MAY 9 Women in Successful Enterprises Event. “How to Build an Authentic Personal Brand.” 5:30-7:30 p.m., Start Garden, 40 Pearl St. NW, Suite 200. Cost: $25. Information/registration: wiseconnections.org. MAY 10 Association for Corporate Growth Western Michigan Women In Finance Luncheon. “Women, Wealth and Taking Control,” by Tami Sytsma, registered principal, RJFS. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., University Club of Grand Rapids, 111 Lyon

2017 Berends Hendricks Stuit Insurance, Inc. Elite Performer Award.

Civilian Employee of the Year, Ranae Rodgers.

LEGAL

RELIGION

Hilger Hammond PC announced attorney Christopher Nyenhuis joined the law firm. Varnum attorney Matt Anderson was named an inaugural board member of the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity, which serves college and university students of diverse sexualities and genders. The institute’s mission is to empower students to inspire sustainable change, lead higher education colleagues in relevant and inclusive practices, and advance knowledge of sexuality and gender through advocacy and expansive programming. Varnum personal injury attorney Bonnie Sawusch is a contributing author to the recently released fourth edition of “Damages and Remedies in Michigan,” published by the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. “Damages” provides guidance for attorneys to help decide which causes of action offer the best potential recovery for clients, as well as the best way to defend clients against damage claims.

MANUFACTURING

Dynamic Conveyor Corp. of Norton Shores hired Andrew Hartline as sales manager. Ranir appointed Steve Weinberger as chief financial officer. Weinberger will lead the development and implementation of financial growth and operational strategies for Ranir.

PUBLIC SERVICE

The Grand Rapids Police Department announced its Police Officers of the Year and Civilian Employee of the Year for Rodgers 2017: Police Officers of the Year, Administrative/ Investigative Services, Officers Todd Allen and Lucas Nagtzaam; Police Officers of the Year, Operations, Officers Joel Bowman and John Guerrero; and

St. NW. Information/registration: acgwm. wildapricot.org. MAY 10 Jennifer Maxson & Associates Workshop, “Speak Up and Be Effective.” How to think on your feet, project confidence and manage your nerves. Cost: $680/person, $600/person for two people, same program and date. Information/ registration: (616) 883-6458 or info@ jennifermaxsonassociates.com. MAY 10 Michigan Small Business Development Center West Michigan Region Workshop. “Starting a Business.” 35 p.m., GVSU Bicycle Factory, 201 Front Ave. SW. Cost: free. Information/registration: bit.ly/msbdcstartbiz. MAY 10 West Michigan World Trade Association Dinner in conjunction with West Michigan World Trade Week. 5:30-8 p.m., Watermark Country Club, 5500 Cascade Road SE. Cost: $35/members, $50/nonmembers. RSVP by May 9. Information/registration: wmwta.org. MAY 11 Allendale Area Chamber of Commerce/Grand Valley State University Half-Day Summit. “Get Your Business Online.” Three sessions, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., GVSU Alumni House, 1 Campus Drive, Allendale. Cost: $25/chamber members, $45/nonmembers, $20/ session. Information/registration: allen dalechamber.org/chamber-events. MAY 15 Small Business Development Center West Michigan Region Class. “Market Research II.” 7-8:30 p.m., Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library St. NE. Cost: free. Registration: sbdcmichigan.org. MAY 15 The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts New Fundraiser: Off The Wall. Featuring contemporary artist performances, musicians, spoken-word poets, singers and dancers. 6-9 p.m., UICA, 2 W. Fulton St. Cost: $35/members, $50/ nonmembers. Information/registration: bit. ly/uicaoffwall. MAY 15-16 Jennifer Maxson & Associates Workshop, “The Exceptional Leader: Differentiate the Roles of Leaders and

Rev. Chandler Stokes announced his retirement from Westminster Presbyterian Church after nearly 10 years of ministry as the church’s senior pastor and head of staff. His last Sunday at Westminster will be June 24.

RESTAURANTS

Meritage Hospitality Group announced the opening of Stan Diego Baja Taco Kitchen in Standale. The 130-seat taqueria features a Baja-California inspired menu from executive chef Luke Theaker.

RETAIL

Fox Powersports announced it added Indian Motorcycle to its superstore. bringing the product lineup to 15 of the industry’s most highly regarded manufacturers.

TECHNOLOGY

Open Systems Technologies was named a 2018 Tech Elite 250 company by CRN, a brand of The Channel Company.

TRANSPORTATION

The County Road Association of Michigan Vice President Joanna I. Johnson was elected president of the organization at the 2018 CRA Highway Conference and board meeting. Johnson has been the managing director for the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County since 2007. US Signal launched its technology assessments that deliver an overview of a company’s technology-based strengths and weaknesses, while also benchmarking against same sector organizations.

CHANGE-UPS POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the Change-Ups section. Send announcements concerning personnel changes, new businesses, changes of address etc. to Change-Ups Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjchange ups@grbj.com.

Managers.” Cost: $3,500/person, $2,900/ person for two people, same program and date. Information/registration: (616) 8836458 or info@jennifermaxsonassociates. com. MAY 17 Grand Rapids Opportunities For Women Intro to GROW, free orientation to learn about programs. Noon1 p.m. or 6-7 p.m., GROW office, YWCA, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 18-19 Paws With a Cause Inspiring Confidence Conference. Teaching physical, occupational and recreational therapists and speech language pathologist benefits of integrating Animal Assisted Intervention Dogs into therapy. PWAC, 4646 S. Division Ave., Wayland. Information/registration: pawswithacause. org/pawsinspiringprogress. MAY 19 Hospice of Michigan’s third annual Barley, BBQ and Beats Festival. 5-9 p.m., Van Andel Arena, 130 W. Fulton St. Cost: $40/advance, $45/door. Information/registration: hom.org/BBB2018. MAY 21 Muskegon Innovation Hub Workshop. “Communication In A Digital World: Learn How to Take An Integrated Approach to Communications In a Digital-Driven World.” Noon-1 p.m., Muskegon Innovation Hub at GVSU, 200 Viridian Drive, Muskegon. Cost: $10. Information/registration: bit.ly/innovation digitalcommunication.

CALENDAR POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the calendar section. Send items to Calendar Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjcalendar@grbj.com. Submissions must be received at least two weeks prior to the event. The Business Journal calendar posted on the publication’s website (grbj.com) includes listings for events extended beyond those printed in the weekly publication that are limited by space restrictions.

Public Record APRIL 30, 2018 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 25

MORTGAGES

Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds COX, Derrick et al, Envoy Mortgage, Chalet Estates East No. 5, Lot 124, $350,000 MILLER, Nancy J. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cannon Twp., 15-8-10, $265,500 ARNDT, Richard David et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Condo-River Bluffs, $275,600 MCCONE PROPERTIES LLC, Huntington National Bank, Grand Rapids Twp., 10-7-11, $340,000 KENNEDY, Drew et al, Chemical Bank, Caledonia Twp., 32-5-10, $453,100 BROCK, Benjamin et al, Mortgage 1, South Creek, Lot 55, $228,500 ROERSMA & WURN BUILDERS INC., Lake Michigan Credit Union, Heritage Park of Rockford No. 4, Lot 160, $237,192 GRUSZYNSKI, Michael et al, Bank of America, Beckwith Hills No. 2, Lot 57, $211,000 LUTZ, Kevin et al, Independent Bank, East Bella Vista Shores No. 1, Lot 25, $200,800 JENSEN, Bradley et al, Northern Mortgage Services, Chateau Estates No. 14, Lot 409, $283,765 RUNNING, Karen J. et al, Grand River Bank, Algoma Twp., 3-9-11, $215,000 BREEMS, Brent D. et al, Old National Bank, Hawthorne Hills Estates No. 2, Lot 12, $356,000 SMITH, Gregory L. et al, United Wholesale Mortgage, Condo-Clements Mill, $254,000 HOWE, George D. et al, Independent Bank, Copperfield East, Lot 2, $279,565

ROMERO, Fabien et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Grattan Twp., 8-8-2, $336,000 WHITFORD, Marc et al, Mercantile Bank of Michigan, Cannon Twp., 16-8-10, $600,000 DEARNLEY, Jennifer L. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Condo-Scotsmoor II, $225,165 HANSON, Michael & Janet Trust et al, Dart Bank, Hoyt’s Add., Lot 19, $284,000 ROERSMA & WURN BUILDERS INC., Lake Michigan Credit Union, Belmont Village Green No. 2, Lot 42, $243,750 JIM TIBBE HOMES LLC, Macatawa Bank, Hidden Ridge, Lot 22, $272,623 INTERRA HOMES LLC, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Stony Bluff, Lot 23, $200,774 JIM TIBBE HOMES LLC, Macatawa Bank, Railside West No. 5, Lot 189, $312,350 KFS GROUP LLC, Grand River Bank, Condo-44 West Professional Centre, $201,000 CHAUSOW, Kimberly et al, Chemical Bank, Glen Valley Estates No. 6, Lot 214, $222,000 HUMES, Robert J. II et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, South Rivertown, Lot 5, $274,550

PUBLIC RECORD AVAILABLE ONLINE: For the full version of this week’s Public Record, visit the Grand Rapids Business Journal’s website at grbj.com.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority Aviation Activity Report

Passenger Activity Enplaned Passengers Deplaned Passengers Passenger Totals Aircraft Operations Air Carrier Commuter & Air Taxi Military General Aviation Itinerant Local Total G.A. Total Operations Freight Activity Enplaned Freight Deplaned Freight Freight Totals

03.2018

03.2017

% Change

01.2018 03.2018

01.2017 03.2017

150,886 147,601 298,487

130,642 126,238 256,880

15.5% 16.92% 16.20%

403,451 386,655 790,106

351,332 333,946 685,278

14.83% 15.78% 15.3%

2,721 1,334 114

2,404 1,298 18

13.19% 2.77% 533.33%

7,444 3,799 270

6,529 3,791 98

14.01% 0.21% 175.51%

2,102 1,000 3,102 7,271

2,130 1,032 3,162 6,882

-1.31% -3.1% -1.9% 5.65%

5,336 2,597 7,933 19,446

5,623 3,129 8,752 19,170

-5.1% -17% -9.36% 1.44%

4,199,478 3,941,931 8,141,409

3,919,421 4,185,203 8,104,624

7.15% -5.81% 0.45%

11,332,930 10,978,064 22,310,994

10,524,830 11,192,091 21,716,921

7.68% -1.91% 2.74%

% Change

State faces venture capital shortage Census numbers boost region 7 Continued from page 1 MVCA report. “I would say in general, we have an ebb and flow in our industry, and it’s why we’re looking at a fiveyear trend, so we understand it,” she said. Many factors can affect a state’s investment trends, she said, including “seasons of acquisitions,” retirements and changes to firms’ investment strategies. Wakestream is not geographically bound with its investments and is “industry agnostic,” Pasquino said, so she often travels to cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago to evaluate deals. There’s something to be said for the home state, she said. “We are seeing better and better deals in Michigan. We still don’t have enough capital under management to invest in everyone we see, and I think that is true across the state,” she said. Brophy works on the east side of the state, a region traditionally dominated by the automotive and health care sectors, but with an emerging technology industry. “The biggest positive coming out of the rapid decline of the auto industry is the heightened sense of entrepreneurship in general,” he said. “We turned a corner when we realized working for a big car company and having your union take care of you was fading. When that disappeared, Michigan showed its mettle by becoming entrepreneurial. “If we could just find a way to match growth capital and venture capital with that growth culture, we’d be in good shape.” He said he believes the strongest VC funds are endowments at universities, economic development-related entities and family offices. The latter is particularly strong in Grand Rapids. Wakestream, led by Rick DeVos, is wholly funded by private assets from the DeVos family. But Pasquino said she knows other firms are “actively raising capital” to meet the demand from startups. Pasquino said she thinks it is a good thing this region is an attractive place for outside investors. “Our strongest value proposition is being on the west side of the state,” she said. “We stack up alongside any founder in New York or (Silicon) Valley. We see quality companies and founders here.” Brophy noted Michigan’s affordable cost of living is one factor pulling in money. “We have a big advantage now we should be (using),” he said. “Many of the traditional hotspots like Silicon Valley, like Route 128 in Boston, are getting crowded, and

7 Continued from page 3

Graphic courtesy Michigan Venture Capital Association

it’s not a nice or easy place to start a company or raise a family. “Because of that, and the economics of building a company in places like that, entrepreneurs and investors are not unhappy to do it in Michigan or Ohio or Indiana — in places where the schools are good, rents are low and riots are few.” Pasquino said the dip in available capital is not abnormal in the U.S. right now. “When I go to New York, they are quite similar to us, as far as amount of capital available … but I think it’s just a climate, frankly,” she said. “I don’t feel like we are outside the norm.” Pasquino said having previously worked for two startups before coming to Wakestream gives her a well-rounded perspective on VC funding. “We’ve seen significant interest, more excitement over time between east and West Michigan. We’ve seen stronger collaboration and insight sharing,” she said. “I’m

within it and can see the positive change, and these numbers and five-year trends make sense to me. “I think it’s a healthy community of investors and company founders.” As to raising more capital for Michigan’s own funds, she said, “as data is distributed through articles like this, my point of view is it will come.” Other highlights from the report: •68 startups received $179 million of venture capital investment in 2017, a 100 percent increase in startups over the last five years. •$11.4 million was invested in eight Michigan startup companies led by a diverse CEO. •472 venture firms from outside of Michigan have invested in Michigan-based startups, a 376 percent increase over the past five years. •Michigan has a total of 87 venture capital professionals and 797 angel investors. •Angel investors issued $41 million to 70 Michigan startups in 2017.

the push comes in. Over the last year, he said Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan counties have added about 11,000 jobs. He said more than half the people that moved into the region during the latest year reported coming from outside the area. “The fact we were able to grow last year is solely a result of that population growth,” he said. Without the population growth, he said companies would have to raise wages, which would lessen the number of new companies that want to move into the area. “We’re finally sucking back some of the people that left in Isely the early 2000s when things weren’t so great in Michigan,” Isely said. But with this growing population comes a shrinking housing market. “So many millennials in Kent County are reaching that point in their lives where they want housing, and that single-family housing just isn’t available,” he said. That’s because the profit for building new single-family homes isn’t as high as building multifamily units, he said. “That’s probably going to be one of the strongest hindrances to economic growth here,” he said. In some “desirable” ZIP codes,

he said prices per square foot are “big city numbers,” which will not be sustainable for long, but it means there still is room for builders to build. From a commercial real estate perspective, Grand Rapids is a hot market, said Jeff Hainer, senior research analyst for Colliers International West Michigan. That’s partially because of the population, but he said many companies also are sure to look at psychographics — why people shop at their stores. One company Colliers works with puts up a new store for every 30,000 people added, he said, though that’s not typical for every retailer. There’s no “magic number” to what makes companies want to move to an area, and every company has different practices surrounding that, he said. What’s most important is “location, location, location,” Hainer said, and most of those spots are taken. But, he added companies certainly would not be in a hurry to move in if population growth were going in the opposite direction. He said many national companies are taking note of Grand Rapids, while historically they would have been more likely to open stores on the east side of the state. “When they arrive here and come downtown and experience what Grand Rapids feels like … almost always, they’re blown away,” Hainer said. “Companies are usually pretty impressed and all the more eager to be here.”

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Street Talk 26 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL APRIL 30, 2018

Marijuana backers celebrate Room at The Inn. BUSINESS JOURNAL STAFF

egalizing marijuana for adult use is now on the November ballot. The Michigan State Board of Canvassers on April 26 approved the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s petition to place the initiative on the state’s November ballot. The initiative would legalize marijuana possession and consumption for all adults 21 years and older. The possession limit would be capped at 2.5 ounces and a dozen marijuana plants. If approved by voters, Michigan would be the first state in the Midwest to legalize adult use of cannabis. “Just like with alcohol, it is clear that prohibition doesn’t work and that regulation and taxation is a far better solution,” said John Truscott, president of Truscott Rossman and spokesperson for CRMLA. The initiative also would: •License marijuana businesses that cultivate, process, test, transport and sell marijuana •Legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp used to make textiles, biodegradable plastics, food, construction materials and fuel •Protect consumers with proper testing and safety regulations for retail marijuana •Impose a 10 percent excise tax on marijuana sold in retail on top of the state’s 6 percent sales tax •Give local governments the option of whether they want to allow marijuana businesses in their community Voter-initiated laws are re-

quired to collect 252,523 valid signatures to have an issue placed on the ballot. CRMLA submitted more than 365,000 signatures to the state Elections Bureau in November 2017. Elections Bureau staff estimate that more than 277,000 signatures were valid. Other organizations supporting the coalition include the Marijuana Policy Project, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the ACLU of Michigan, the Drug Policy Alliance, the National Patients Rights Association and MILegalize. “With polls showing nearly 60 percent of Michigan voters supporting legalization, it’s clear that the public is way ahead of the politicians on this issue,” said Jeﬀrey Hank, executive director of MILegalize. “The people are tired of the failed policies of the past and understand that creating reasonable, responsible regulations is the way forward to tens of thousands of new jobs and opportunities in Michigan.” Not everyone is pleased with the board’s decision, however. Plus, there’s the hurdle of state law skirting federal rules that classify marijuana as a Schedule I substance and deem it illegal. “Federal law, whether we agree with it or not as individuals, must be upheld anywhere in the United States,” said Scott Greenlee, president of a coalition called Healthy and Productive Michigan. “Michigan can no more choose which federal laws it will observe than any county or city within Michi-

gan could choose which state laws it will observe and enforce. Possession, cultivation or distribution of marijuana is against the law in the United States, and that should absolutely be the end of the discussion. This should not be on the ballot this November.” Greenlee said pitting Michigan citizens against federal law could “compromise their safety, wellbeing and future.” “We have been fed this false dichotomy that there are only two stances on this issue: incarceration or legalization,” he said. “We firmly believe there is a better alternative to incarceration, and that arrests are not occurring at the state level for marijuana possession or consumption. We know that there is a better way forward than legalization, and we must devote our time and resources to finding a path between the two extremes and allow this issue to be addressed on the federal level before legalizing recreational marijuana in our great state.” Home free Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital is working on the final phase of its $66.4-million expansion and renovation project. The rehabilitation hospital has opened 10 additional rooms and renovated six existing rooms meant for out-of-town patients receiving care. Expansion will begin soon for another six rooms, with completion expected next year, for a total of 22 rooms.

Housed in the Mary Ives Hunting Center on the corner of Lafayette Avenue and Wealthy Street, The Inn at Mary Free Bed is on the hospital’s downtown Grand Rapids campus. The update includes fully accessible suites and rooms with flatscreen televisions, wireless internet access, phone, climate control and room-darkening blinds. Universal access includes comfortable seating and tables that raise and lower; a kitchenette with an under-counter refrigerator; and an open bathroom with a shower that has a mounted seat, grab bars, an adjustable showerhead and no threshold. The Mary Free Bed Professional Building is connected to the main hospital and Outpatient Therapy Center with a skywalk across Lafayette Avenue. The inn also includes a community area with a computer workstation, dining area with microwaves, complimentary continental breakfast served daily and reserved parking. In 2017, more than 3,700 people stayed at the inn. The expansion provides thousands of additional patients and families with convenient housing. One of those patients was Nicholas Burrell, who travels each week for outpatient therapy from his home north of Shelby. In January 2017, Burrell was scouting for a place to fish in an unfamiliar area when he fell through the ice. He developed such severe frostbite that doctors were forced to amputate both legs. After spending several weeks at Mary Free Bed in the inpatient Amputee Program, he graduated to outpatient therapy and has been working with the Orthotics & Prosthetics + Bionics team on customized prosthetic legs. The distance from his home makes staying at the inn a convenient option for Burrell and others

who live far from Grand Rapids. “Mary Free Bed is the best place for me, so I’m thankful the inn is here,” he said. “It’s nice and quiet, and the people here are helpful and understanding. I sleep well when I’m here.” Sweet treat A group of potential entrepreneurs paid SpartanNash a visit Thursday, but they needed rides to get there. The grocery store chain welcomed about 30 children — the kids and grandkids of employees — to its headquarters for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. SpartanNash Director of Human Resources Traci Donnelly organized the event. Original plans called for Alina Morse, of Oakland County — the 12-year-old founder of Zollipops candy company — to pay a visit and deliver an inspirational message about dreaming big to her peers. At the age of 7, Morse started the business and developed her line of sugar-free candy treats that “neutralize acid and reduce the risk of tooth decay and cavities.” At the last minute, the girl wonder was unable to make it — but SpartanNash still revealed a piece of news about her products. Joe McQuesten, SpartanNash vice president of center store merchandising, said the company will begin selling Zollipops in its corporate-owned stores in July. Other retailers that carry the product line include Meijer, Kroger, Amazon, Costco and Whole Foods. According to Morse’s website, Zollipops was the only candy company partner for the 2016 and 2015 White House Easter Egg Roll as part of former first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative. Morse and Zollipops have been featured on “Good Morning America,” ABC News, Forbes, CNN and many other national shows and publications.

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