Grand Rapids Business Journal 05.04.20 by Grand Rapids Business Journal

Agency publishes COVID-19 business impact report. Page 10

THIS WEEK

EARLY LESSONS PREPARE GENAUTIS Management Business Solutions CEO overcomes language and cultural barriers to succeed. Page 11

The Business Newspaper of Metro Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon & West Michigan

Venues facing uncertain future. Page 3 MAY 4, 2020 VOL. 38, NO. 18

Makers prepare to ramp up Business Journal moves to biweekly Area manufacturers gear up for a ‘new normal’ with sanitation, social distancing and health protocols. Rachel Watson

Print edition will feature updated look, upgraded paper stock.

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Budget balance City trims $13M from next year’s spending plan due to COVID-19 uncertainty. PAGE 3

All together Area’s hospitals share ideas, best practices and what’s been learned during pandemic. PAGE 3

Hospital help Feyen Zylstra pitches in with upgrades to tech networks and other infrastructure needs. PAGE 6

Local manufacturing leaders say they will be ready for the gradual reopening of the economy when it comes. David DeGraaf, president and CEO of Grand Rapids-based Gill Industries; Jim Green, executive director of human resources for Cascade Township-based Lacks Enterprises; and John Walsh, president and CEO of the Michigan Manufacturers Association; recently spoke to the Business Journal about what their respective organizations have Walsh been doing to prepare for the ramp-up of production. Much of the preparation has focused on instituting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols surrounding sanitation, hygiene, social distancing

Tim Gortsema

Grand Rapids Business Journal

GILL INDUSTRIES’ CORPORATE headquarters at 5271 Plainfield Ave. NE has been operating with a partial workforce of about 40-50 employees to fill orders for critical infrastructure customers. Courtesy Gill Industries

and health screening measures in local plants, but there’s a lot more to business right now than keeping workers safe, they said. Walsh oversees MMA, a 1,600-member, Lansing-based association that provides government relations/advocacy, education and business services to large and small manufacturers statewide in the automotive, aerospace, health care, food and agriculture, and apparel industries, to name a few.

As the Business Journal reported last month, MMA swung into damage control mode when the COVID-19 outbreak hit Michigan. Since that report, MMA has added new support for its members, including creating an MMA Premium Relief Program, through which the MMA Service Corporation will pay 50% of members’ May insurance premiums on all MMA/ Continued on page 14 8

Restaurateur reaps rewards for generosity Amore Trattoria’s Chef Jenna Arcidiacono receives $10K surprise from reality TV star Mike Rowe for being a ‘do-gooder.’ Grand Rapids Business Journal

CREATIVE THINKING Stay-home order has necessitated a new normal for commercial real estate. PAGE 6

THE LIST

The area’s top commercial real estate brokers. Page 4

News The Journal will continue its mission of delivering timely, accurate and interesting news as it relates to the West Michigan business community. More of those stories with an element of timeliness will be appearing on the paper’s recently updated website, grbj.com. The print edition will contain stories that have a longer view, especially as they pertain to industry trends. Website The Journal recently eliminated its paywall on grbj.com, making all stories, including those that are archived, available to everyone. At least through the rest of May and possibly longer, the Journal also is offering the entire print edition, including advertisements, on the website for free in the ISSUU format. This feature is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-home executive order.

Rachel Watson

Chef Jenna Arcidiacono recently received a sweet chunk of change for doing what comes naturally to her: feeding the community. As chef and co-owner of the Alpine Township fine-dining restaurant Amore Trattoria Italiana — along with her husband, Maurizio — Arcidiacono and her team sprang into action when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order to close dine-in at restaurants came down in March. They not only revamped their restaurant for takeout within 24 hours — and now run a seven-daysa-week parking lot dinner pickup operation — but began a campaign of generosity in West Michigan that has garnered local and

The Grand Rapids Business Journal print edition is shifting to a biweekly format, beginning today. The first “skipped” edition will be Monday, May 11, followed by printed newspapers on May 18 and every other following week. The change coincides with the Business Journal ramping up its digital presence. The Grand Rapids Business Journal has been published on a weekly basis since 1984 following its origin as a monthly in 1983.

CHEF JENNA ARCIDIACONO was surprised by a social media reality show with a $10,000 donation to continue her eﬀorts to help feed essential workers during the pandemic. Courtesy Jenna Arcidiacono

national attention. ‘Returning the Favor’ On April 27, Arcidiacono was featured on Mike Rowe’s Facebook reality TV show, “Returning the

Find the latest news every day at grbj.com

CONTENTS

Vol. 38, No. 18

Favor,” which recognizes people all over the U.S. who are making a difference in their communities. Through nominations people Continued on page 13 8

Inside Track ..........11

Change-Ups.........16

Guest Columns ... 12 Home health tips

Calendar ...............16 Public Record ...... 17 Street Talk ...........18

Subscriptions All current subscriptions will be honored for the length of term. For example, readers who purchased a one-year subscription prior to May 4, 2020, will receive 52 issues of the Journal with the “extra” weeks tacked on to the end of the time period. The same goes for two- and three-year subscriptions. This will occur automatically for all current subscribers. Advertising Journal sales reps have been working with long-term advertisContinued on page 17 8

$2.00 a copy; $59 a year

2 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

Business leaders urge governor to reopen the economy They point to neighboring states like Ohio and Indiana as examples where relaxed rules have worked. Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

More than 140 West Michigan business leaders have signed a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, offering their perspective on how and how quickly Michigan can start getting back to work. The letter expressed support and encouragement for Whit-

mer’s work with other Midwest governors to reopen the regional economy while at the same time encouraging her to take stronger measures to reopen Michigan. “We want to emphasize a few points,” the letter read. “First, we care about our workers. They are our friends and neighbors. We know their families and we support their aspirations. Their wellbeing is very important to us. Together, we share a commitment to providing world-class products and services. As a community of people joined together by a common mission, we are compelled to care about each other’s health, safety, and welfare.” But Michigan workers still need to work, the letter continued. In addition to a paycheck,

work gives people a sense of identity, purpose and pride. When the ability to work is taken away, even in the name of protecting health, some level of harm is inflicted, leaders argued. “You bear the difficult responsibility of making decisions for our State that require balancing the harm that COVID-19 will cause to our communities against the harms associated with depriving people of their jobs and livelihood,” the letter continued. “These decisions will reverberate in the lives of Michigan workers and their families for years to come. These are miserable choices that must be made in light of many competing interests.” Business leaders across various sectors of Michigan’s econ-

omy, including health care, construction, real estate and finance co-signed the letter to Whitmer. Dr. Randall Baker, a physician with Grand Health Partners, and one of the signers of the letter, said the biggest strain for health care he had seen in the wake of COVID-19 was a significant drop in patients seeking care for other illnesses for fear of contracting the virus. “People may have appendicitis, and they don’t come in until it ruptures,” Baker said. “We’re starting to see the cure is having a toxic side to it. It’s not just a debate of lives vs. the economy, this lockdown is impacting people’s lives as well.” Additionally, the state’s shelter-in-place order is having an

Serving the West Michigan market for 30+ years. We will continue to serve you and answer any questions you may have during this challenging time. Our company has invested in the necessary tools to allow our team of agents, property managers and professional staff to remain fully operational. Although it feels far from “business as usual”, we are committed to meeting your unique commercial real estate needs. There is plenty of uncertainty right now in our community and beyond, but our team remains optimistic, committed and focused on doing our part to weather this storm.

Wisinski of West Michigan Commercial Real Estate Services, Worldwide. Grand Rapids Office 616 776 0100 naiwwm.com

Kalamazoo Office 269 353 0311

increased negative impact on overall mental health, leading to a spike in issues like suicide attempts, Baker said. Grand Health Partners has increased its telemedicine services in the wake of Whitmer’s executive order, although that comes with limitations, Baker said. About 95% of Grand Health’s practice is preventive or elective procedures, and the COVID-19 crisis has caused the organization to minimize 10-to-20% of what it can do for patients. Baker added Grand Health implemented preventive measures prior to Whitmer’s order, including optimization of social distancing, wearing proper PPE and screening patients prior to examination. As Michigan opens back up, the group will continue to practice these measures, he said. Baker said, through the letter, he hopes Whitmer understands Michigan needs to open up soon and in a strategic fashion that takes into account the various degrees of contagion risk by area. “First thing is we cannot treat all cases the same. In Kent County we have not overwhelmed our resources,” Baker said. “We need to take that into account. If we have a lower risk area, those are safer to open up quicker. My recommendation to the governor is we need to start opening Michigan up, and we need to do it in a wise and prudent fashion, but the (longer) we wait the more unintended consequences there are going to be.” The Business Journal previously reported construction continues to occupy a big space in the argument over which businesses should be deemed essential or not. Jeff VanderLaan, CEO of Kent Companies, who also co-signed the letter, said his company has a unique perspective because it operates in multiple states with varying shelter-in-place orders. “Michigan is the only state that doesn’t allow construction except in scenarios where the work is described as essential,” VanderLaan said. “It’s in very limited circumstances.” Whitmer’s order deemed housing construction nonessential except in the event that site work is necessary to eliminate safety hazards, according to an earlier Business Journal report. VanderLaan said safety always has been a primary concern in construction, and the industry is uniquely positioned to deal with the COVID situation. The nature of site work is isolated already. Job meetings have moved to virtual. And Kent Companies is encouraging and maintaining social distancing during lunch and break times. “I want people to understand we’re not putting anybody at undue risk,” VanderLaan said. “I think the shift needs to be to finding where we can operate safely and not safely. I don’t think a tattoo parlor can open safely, but landscaping, residential, commercial construction — those should be allowed to operate safely.” VanderLaan pointed to Ohio as an example of a state that took what he called a pragmatic and reasonable approach to safety. The state allows businesses that are capable of keeping workers safe to continue to operate. “Because of our experience in multiple states, the dichotomy and confusion of what we can do in Michigan is far more constraining than what we’re seeing in every other location across the country,” VanderLaan said. “We can do everything in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio, but we can’t do those things here in Michigan.”

Report tracks ‘devastation’ of state’s hospitality industry, Page 8 MAY 4, 2020 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

City shaves $13M from FY21 budget

Venues facing uncertain future

Essential services will remain covered, but officials say COVID uncertainty demands prudence.

Independent operators are asking government for specific assistance programs.

Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

THE STAGES AT The Intersection have remained empty since March 12 and venue operators have very little information on when that will change. Courtesy Chad Verwey

They were the first to close and they might be the last to open as states try to restart their economies. With no concerts, sports events and live shows to attend, the closure of entertainment venues amid the COVID-19 pandemic has left a void in the lives of most people. Owners of entertainment venues such as The Intersection, The Pyramid Scheme, DeVos Place, DeVos Performance Hall and Van Andel Arena closed their doors in March and only time will tell when they will reopen. The federal government unveiled a three-phase plan. The first phase allows for large venues to open under strict social distancing guidelines. However, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has not provided any indication of when she will open up large venues in Michigan. Scott Hammontree, partner and talent buyer for The Intersection, which is located in downtown Grand Rapids, said they closed on March 12 during a time when the venue is busiest, which is usually from September until mid-May. He said the venue books about 320 concerts per year, with an average

of 28 per month. “We had a month in March that may have been our best month we have ever had, but it got totally destroyed by having to be shut down. We were definitely on pace for our best year ever at The Intersection with the way all of the bookings were going and attendance. We were going to have an amazing year. We were definitely going to have a near-record year for sure.” Just a few weeks later, Hammontree said he is concerned about the viability of his business. “We gross over $5.5 million per year,” he said. “Every day I wake up and look at where we are financially, what everything looks like across the country, follow-up with the information online and watch the news. We just have to stay diligent and balance our finances to what we have. We are committed to reopening and that will be the fight. That is what we are (hoping) for, to be able to sustain ourselves until we are allowed to return to normal.” The Intersection and The Pyramid Scheme are among more than 800 independent music venues

Danielle Nelson

across the country that have joined the National Independent Venue Association. The association wrote a letter to Congress in late April advocating for “targeted legislative and regulatory assistance.” “Without your help, thousands of independent venues will not survive to the day when our doors can open to the public again,” the letter stated. “While we have no income, we do have essential employees, employee benefits, debts with personal guarantees, rents or mortgages, utilities, insurance, local, state and federal taxes, and the massive burden of ticket refunds for more than 100,000 canceled shows due to COVID-19.” The group would like the government to do multiple things, including modifying the existing PPP program to provide built-in flexible loan forgiveness by allowing the use of loan proceeds on payroll, rent, utilities, ticket refunds, working capital, insurance and debt obligations with no minimums on the percentage dedicated to any one expense; and waiving the requirement for loan forgiveness to be contingent on

employee retention if companies have no work to offer employees. Richard MacKeigan, SMG general manager for Van Andel Arena, DeVos Place and DeVos Performance Hall, said they are not lobbying the government to open the entertainment venues early, but have had dialogue with the state to provide an insight into the industry’s thoughts about reopening. According to MacKeigan, there have been a number of events that have either been postponed, canceled or rescheduled at the arena, performance hall and convention center for later this year and even next year. All of the full-time employees who work for ASM Grand Rapids — about 70 individuals — are in “some sort of furlough position.” MacKeigan said the buildings are civically owned and the Convention Arena Authority acts as the owner of the facilities. “The arena has bonds that are being paid by the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority and the convention center has bonds that are being paid by Kent County,” he said.

The city of Grand Rapids’ preliminary budget for fiscal year 2021 reflects the financial impact of COVID-19. The proposed $540-million spending plan is $13 million less than last year’s plan because of the financial impact of COVID-19 but still maintains essential city services, advances equity goals, furthers the ability to implement strategic priorities and ensures financial stability. “Our immediate focus is to save lives and keep people safe by helping to stop the spread of COVID-19,” City Manager Mark Washington said. “Reliance on our strategic plan has allowed us to develop a preliminary fiscal plan that is financially sustainable, remains focused on our values, continues progress toward outcomes, and emphasizes investments in community and economic recovery in this unprecedented time.” The general operating fund portion of the proposed budget is $146,078,885. General operating fund revenues are projected to decline more than 3% when compared to the FY2020 plan. As recently as last month, these revenues were projected to be 4% Continued on page 68

Health care leaders stress cooperation when region reopens They want to share ideas, best practices and what’s been learned during pandemic.

The West Michigan Policy Forum recently hosted a webinar for area health care experts to share their best practices for slowly and safely reopening Michigan. The discussion, moderated by Doug DeVos, co-chair of Amway’s board of directors, focused on the health care sector and the perspectives of health care leaders in West Michigan. This was the third in a series of WMPF discussions on how to “bring Michigan safely back to work.” “It’s really important to share ideas, to share best practices, to share what we’re learning,” DeVos said. “We’re thrilled to have some

hospital leaders with us to expand our learning on this particular situation. This is not a simple thing. It’s not something we’re necessarily used to, but we’re going to have to get used to it. This is something that’s going to be here for a while.” When asked how health care leaders are dealing with non-COVID patients, Dr. Peter Hahn, president and CEO of Metro Health, said his hospital is gearing up and focusing on patients who have avoided care because of fear of contracting COVID, before a serious uptick in confirmed cases hits the region. “We have yet to see a true surge … in West Michigan,” Hahn said. “The modeling tends to suggest we are going to see an uptick in a few weeks … it’s just a matter of how big that wave is.” Hahn pointed to the HIV crisis in years prior to suggest hospitals in the future may operate with dedicated COVID wards, with other parts of the hospital being non-COVID wards. Hahn added there soon will come a time when hospitals can

do true elective cases like bariatric surgery, but patients will have to be tested for COVID prior to surgery. “I think the flip side, too, with the COVID and non-COVID wards is … patients with respiratory symptoms are automatically taken to a different area,” Hahn said. “So, a lot of it is reality. A lot of it is perception for patients, so we have to do our best to address both.” Dr. Hyung Kim, president of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, said his organization has been taking care of non-COVID patients since the beginning of the crisis, and Mercy Health reported taking care of more non-COVID cases than COVID cases from the start. “As we think about bringing things back … it’s important to understand who has the kind of timesensitive needs that we don’t really need to wait on anymore, because we know the social distancing has really had a big impact, and we’re comfortable that we can handle the surge as it occurs,” Kim said. Kim said the advantage of being in West Michigan is the volume

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Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

of world-class health care located here, and he stressed that people who need care for non-COVID emergencies should seek out immediate care. “All of us are ready to serve, that’s really the big message I would say,” Kim said.

making some business interactions virtual, should not be taken for granted. Virtual visits have been a huge part of health care operations, for example, and Kim suggested other businesses should consider the same for operations where it’s ap-

“It’s important that our community knows we are a safe place. We have stringent cleaning requirements. We understand the PPE that’s required to take care of people …. when we call patients to schedule something, we recommend various ways to do so, but we also recommend that they actually do receive treatment.” Tina Freese Decker As other business sectors come back online, it’s important to continue to put social distancing at the center of operations, Kim added. The success, so far, of practicing safe social distancing, including

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4 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

Top Area Commercial Real Estate Brokers (RANKED BY TOTAL NUMBER COMMERCIAL LISTINGS) Year Brokerage owner(s) established in or manager(s) W. Mich. 1

Colliers International West Michigan 333 Bridge St. NW, Suite 1200 Grand Rapids 49504 p (616) 774-3500 f 242-0630 colliers.com/en-us/westmichigan

NAI Wisinski of West Michigan 100 Grandville Ave. SW, Suite 100 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 776-0100 f 776-0101 naiwwm.com

Number of W. Mich licensed agents/ staff

No. of licensed agents with 6+ transactions

Total No. of commercial listings Sample of current listings offered

Jon Potvin Duke Suwyn Kris DePree

1995

31 10

653

300 36th St., Wyoming; 701 Ann St. NW; 470 and 475 Market Ave. SW; 11700 48th Ave., Allendale; 1901 Oak Industrial Drive NE; 425 Gordon Industrial Court. SW, Byron Center; 4700 Broadmoor Ave. SE, Kentwood; 3223 Kraft Ave. SE; 6464 Byron Center Ave. SW, Byron Center; 3450 Plainfield Ave. NE

Dave Smies Doug Taatjes Stan Wisinski Tom Kilgore Kurt Kunst Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely Rod Alderink Bill Tyson Jason Makowski Brad Bruinsma

2011

27 8

524

60 Monroe Center NW; 2140 Oak Industrial Drive NE; 4505 Canal Ave. SW

Steve Millman Steve Wilson

2009

14 2

315

670 Cascade West Pkwy. SE; 3226 28th St. SE; 1001 S. Division Ave.; 3330 Broadmoor Ave. SE

Northstar Commercial LLC 660 Cascade W. Pkwy. SE, Suite 110 Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 247-9600 f 247-9601 northstarcommercial.net

DAR Development Inc. 5500 Northland Drive NE Grand Rapids 49525 p (616) 361-2307 f 361-2307 dardevelopment.com

Darrel Herweyer Dave Denton

1996

4 1

200

5747 28th St. SE; 4485 Plainfield Ave. NE; 285 Dodge Court NE, Comstock Park; 2134 Alpine Ave. NW, Walker; 5588 West River Drive, Comstock Park; 6759 Cascade Road SE; 465 Fuller Ave. NE; 325 84th St., Byron Center; 4885 - 4887 Town Center Drive SE; 1679 68th St. SE, Caledonia; 774 7 Mile Road, Comstock Park; 1331 Lake Drive SE

Bradley Company 220 Lyon St., Suite 400 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 254-0005 bradleyco.com

Brad Toothaker

2013

12 1

220 Lyon St., NW; 6250 28th St., SE; 1200 and 1470 Four Mile Road, NW; 161 Ottawa Ave., NW

Ben M. Muller Realty Co. Inc. 1971 East Beltline Ave. NE, Suite 240 Grand Rapids 49525 p (616) 456-7114 f 456-6025 mullerrealty.com

Mark Muller

1958

6 0

DND

CopperRock Real Estate 601 Fifth St. NW, Suite 300 Grand Rapids 49504 p (616) 222-4189 groverre.com

Max Grover

2017

10 DND

DND

SVN / Silveri Company 580 Cascade W Pkwy. SE Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 949-6168 f 949-7929 svn.com

Glenn Turek

1989

6 0

DND

Dave Kwekel Development LLC 7660 Clyde Park Ave. SW Byron Center 49315 p (616) 583-1200 f 583-1201 dkwekel.com

Dave Kwekel

2007

1 1

DND

KW Commercial-Grand Rapids East 1555 Arboretum Drive SE, Suite 101 Grand Rapids 49546 p (616) 575-1800 f 575-1801 kellerwilliamsgr.com

Judy Brasseur Karol Cooley Jodi Smith

2000

7 3

5560 Corporate Exchange Court SE; 522-528 Michigan St. NE; 229 S. Eastowne Drive, Unit 3, Norton Shores; 2913 S. Division Ave., Wyoming

Dodgson Realty Co. 4265 28th St. SE Grand Rapids 49512 p (616) 458-1588 f 235-3423 dodgsonrealty.com

Steve Dodgson

1971

1 0

Commercial real estate brokerage - leasing and sales

Colburn Hundley Inc. 80 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 410 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 437-7812 f 742-5207 colburnhundley.com

Jeffrey Hundley Sr.

1989

3 3

28th St. SE. Retail for lease

Ortman Commercial R.E. LLC 348 Waverly Road Holland 49423 p (616) 550-3131

Robert Ortman

2019

1 0

Lease 1904 Lamar, Holland; 49423 Corner of 1433rd and Lamar, manufacturing,warehousing space. $4.95 plus triple net

Bera Group Inc. P.O. Box 640 Rockford 49341 p (616) 974-0222 f 773-1009 beragroup.com

George Bera

1996

1 1

Broadmoor and Kraft corner zoned C-2, 1.27 acres for sale

Independence Realty - COMMERCIAL 3265 Canal Ave. SW Grandville 49418 p (616) 450-9092 f 825-5944 randybronkema.com

Randy Bronkema

2010

1 DND

2450 28th St. SW

Michigan Commercial Space Advisors 161 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100 Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 233-8019 michigancommercialspaceadvisors.com

Chris Atwater

2008

1 DND

100% tenant and buyer representation (never any listings)

CORE Realty Holdings Management Inc. 4503 Broadmoor Ave. SE Grand Rapids 49512 p (616) 554-1109 f 554-4963 crhmi.com

Nels Billsten

2013

2 1

DND

JLL 15 Ionia Ave. SW Grand Rapids 49503 p (616) 649-3522 us.jll.com/united-states/en-us/grand-rapids

Bob Horn

1994

DND DND

DND

701 Waverly Holland; 4400 36th St. Kentwood

John Mundell III, CPM, SIOR Michael Cagen, CCIM

2007

2 3

DND

Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services, Inc. Grand Rapids 49503 p (248) 415-2600 f 415-2610 marcusmillichap.com

NAI Wisinski of West Michigan hired Chris Vanderband and Paul Oosterbaan as commercial real estate specialists and Diane Tomasunas as a property manager.

Honorees

New faces

The Commercial Alliance of Realtors awarded Colliers International West Michigan for Farmers Insurance sale leaseback the Project of the Year. Darrel Herweyer of DAR Development was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Elected leader

The Grand Rapids Business Journal list of 2020 top area commercial real estate brokers, ranked by the total number of commercial listings, is the most comprehensive available. The list is based on responses to Business Journal surveys. The Business Journal defines "West Michigan" as Allegan, Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties. The Business Journal surveyed 103 companies; 21 returned surveys and 19 are listed. To be considered for future lists, email dnelson@grbj.com. DND = Did not disclose

The Commercial Alliance of Realtors West Michigan elected Signature Associatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chip Hurley, a vice president and associate broker, the president of CARWM for the 2020 term

Excellence award

JLL earned the 2020 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award.

ListStore @ GRBJ.com

Download this list now at GRBJ.com in Excel or PDF format. The Book of Lists and other lists are also available.

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6 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

Commercial ﬁrms get creative with showings during pandemic Stay-home order has necessitated a new normal for real estate. Danielle Nelson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

With some commercial real estate transactions stalled, companies are starting to get creative. Gary Albrecht, senior associate for Colliers International West Michigan and the team lead at its Grand Rapids office, said the firm is working on creative ways to show more of its space while much of the state shelters in place. “For example, we have had some in our office use a Matterport to do walk-throughs of suites,” he said. “Think of what it looks like with residential listings. However, with some of our suites that is difficult to do because of the size and layout of them. Recently, we have had a professional photographer taking live videos and walking through suites. We are just finishing those up and will be

pushing them out via social media and providing a link to YouTube where you can literally walk through each suite with live video that is tied to music.”

“There are a lot of unknowns. This has never happened before in our lifetime. Unfortunately, we are moving blind with some things.”

Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely

Jon Potvin, managing director at Colliers International West Michigan, said the firm has been able to do tours in specialty groups such as office and industrial buildings. Since most of the retail establishments are closed, Potvin said showings have been challenging. “Retail has been hurt the most

in the short term and likely will be hurt in the long term, but offices and industrial are still able to function slightly because some of their operations are open because they are deemed essential,” he said. Although Colliers has added a Matterport to do walk-throughs of suites, Potvin said he fears that the stay-home order may lengthen the transaction process in the coming months. Potvin said it usually takes six months, sometimes longer, for a transaction to be completed because there are numerous factors to consider such as location, budget and space specifications. “We are concerned in the short term because things don’t happen in the commercial real estate world nearly as quickly as they do in the residential real estate world,” he said. “Our transactions in the short term take 60 to 90 days, and that is a pretty quick turnaround for a deal to happen. Most of our deals take four to six months — sometimes a year — to go from start to finish. When you close things down like our state has for basically much of the month of March, all

of April and at least half or more of May, these (orders) are naturally going to have some extreme impact on our business and the economy. Not just for the next month or two, but really for the next six to nine months, because that is the ebb and flow of how long transactions take in the commercial real estate world.” Potvin said the first and fourth quarters are generally the busiest time periods in the commercial real estate market for Colliers as they are working with corporations that are adjusting their budgets. Mary Anne Wisinski-Rosely, partner and office specialist for NAI Wisinski of West Wisinksi Michigan, said Rosely the firm hasn’t been able to do a lot of showings, only to clients that have been deemed essential businesses such as medical providers.

As different economic sectors of Michigan start to open up, Albrecht said they will be showing spaces in different ways. “For example, meeting clients at the building and allowing them to walk the suite without anyone else present,” he said. “Making sure to have the lights on and doors open prior to the client walking the space. Then having the follow-up outside of the suite or on a phone/Zoom call. Again, these are things that could start happening once we are able to go back to work.” Wisinski-Rosely said she thinks there will be some changes as people make adjustments to the new normal, such as increasing the size of their space because of social distancing. “It just depends on when their leases expire, what their timeframe is, how quickly they want to make changes,” she said. “There are a lot of unknowns. This has never happened before in our lifetime. Unfortunately, we are moving blind with some things.”

City shaves $13M from FY21 budget 7 Continued from page 3

FEYEN ZYLSTRA CREWS ramped up technology and other infrastructure areas at hospitals as the health care industry pivoted to address COVID-19. Courtesy Feyen Zylstra

Crews keep hospitals humming Feyen Zylstra pitches in with upgrades to tech networks and other infrastructure needs. Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Feyen Zylstra is working behind the scenes in West Michigan hospitals, gearing up frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19. Locally, FZ’s field workers are operating alongside Spectrum Health and Metro Health-University of Michigan Health to restage underutilized areas like parking decks into COVID facilities. The work includes upgrading hospitals’ wireless technology, remodeling networks and other infrastructure areas to help accommodate the hospitals setting up testing areas and turning nonclinical areas into health delivery areas. “As the hospitals have to ‘retool,’ so to speak — temporary staging for testing areas, intake areas, etc. — that all comes with infrastructure needs,” said Derek Hunderman, director of sales and operations. When hospitals take an area designed for one thing and repur-

pose it, often times they’re underequipped for the purpose, requiring data, wireless access points, controlled entry points and other infrastructure FZ can provide, he said. The Renucci House in Grand Rapids, traditionally a place to house families whose loved ones are hospitalized at Butterworth and Blodgett hospitals and Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, also is being converted to a testing facility, Hunderman said.

“Like many of us working from home right now, we’ve had to re-work our athome infrastructure. It’s either re-working infrastructure or introducing new infrastructure.”

Derek Hunderman

“Like many of us working from home right now, we’ve had to rework our at-home infrastructure,” Hunderman said. “It’s either reworking infrastructure or introducing new infrastructure.” Hunderman added FZ scram-

bled to re-work its own infrastructure in the wake of COVID-19 and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s shelterin-place order for Michigan. All FZ office personnel are now working remotely, and fortunately, the company has the technology to ensure a smooth transition. Field members are going about their work, providing essential infrastructure, Hunderman said, and all job sites are well equipped with hand washing and sanitizing stations and other necessary PPE. FZ currently has about 140 electricians and technicians working in the field, spread across health care, food processing and critical support like the city of Grand Rapids’ sewage biodigester. “I would give credit to hospitals in this region,” Hunderman said. “Our observation is they’ve had to quickly pivot, and they’ve done a spectacular job.” Dave Barritt, manager of technical services at Metro HealthUniversity of Michigan Health, expressed gratitude for FZ’s backend work as the hospital pivots. “Feyen Zylstra has been an important partner to Metro HealthUniversity of Michigan Health during the COVID-19 outbreak,” Barritt said. “Their technicians have continued to assist us with our onsite technical needs, and we appreciate their support during this challenging time.”

higher than last year before COVID-19. The city’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Unlike in past years, the fiscal years 2021-2025 plan is built on reduced revenue projections that have required rapid changes in planned expenditures due to COVID-19. “We already had the budget pretty much prepared prior to COVID and we had to rework the entire budget, and we’re still working through it,” Washington said. According to the budget narrative, the strong foundation of the city’s strategic plan has allowed leaders to pivot rapidly amid the changing dynamics of the pandemic response. The assumptions used to develop the FY2021 preliminary fiscal plan include: •A real reduction of income tax revenues in FY2020 rather than the previously mid-year projected 4.5% growth •Only 0.5% income tax growth in FY2021 and 2% in FY2022 and 2.5% throughout the remaining three years of the fiscal plan •Ensuring continuity of operations and maintenance of services at FY2020 levels •Only service enhancements that in some way support economic resiliency and recovery or public safety •Maintain staffing at FY2020 levels, as amended mid-year, and accommodate wage and fringe benefits included in contracts approved in 2019 •4.25% annual income tax capital set aside •$850,000 operating fund for Vital Streets support •$6,309,705 parks maintenance operating support •Meeting the 32% minimum requirement for operating fund support of the Police Department •Reservation of $1.2 million for contingent operating fund appropriations •Assuming annual lapse of $4.9 million in the operating fund for FY2021 and setting lapse at 3% of pre-lapse operating fund expenditures for FY2022-2025 “We are a resilient community, and we will recover,” Washington

said. “We have proven it in the past and will prove it again. Times such as these shape us. How we respond matters deeply. Our strategic plan provides a guide in good times but is even more important in bad times.” The city commission also approved the Downtown Development Authority’s FY2021 budget of $19,999,960. The budget was recommended by the DDA board, which also proposed a five-year financing plan that reflects priorities for downtown investment.

“Reliance on our strategic plan has allowed us to develop a preliminary fiscal plan that is financially sustainable, remains focused on our values, continues progress toward outcomes, and emphasizes investments in community and economic recovery in this unprecedented time.” Mark Washington

According to an earlier Business Journal report, the budgets for the DDA’s three funds – local tax increment fund, non-tax increment fund and school tax increment fund – include new projects from GR Forward and carried-forward priorities that span multiple fiscal years. Among the budgeted recommendations is funding to implement several completed and soon-to-be completed planning initiatives including ongoing Grand River governance organizing initiative, River for All design guidelines, Disability Advocates of Kent County and common notice report, and downtown streetscape guidelines. Two FY2021 budget review workshops will take place on May 5 and 12, and the city commission is expected to adopt the final budget on May 21.

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8 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

Report tracks ‘devastation’ of state’s hospitality industry MRLA survey projects statewide restaurant revenue loss of $1.2B in April alone.

coming months. At an occupancy rate of 35% or lower, hotels may be forced to close permanently (American Hotel & Lodging Association). Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the MRLA, said Michigan’s restaurant industry is feeling the pain “more acutely” than Rachel Watson other states. Grand Rapids Business Journal “The prolonged closure A statewide association has pubof Michigan’s lished survey data showing the economy, while “devastating” effect of the corochallenging for navirus on the hospitality indusus all, has taken try and is endorsing a national ora particularly ganization’s proposed multi-step heavy toll on solution to save the industry. the state’s hosThe Michigan Restaurant & pitality indusLodging Association (MRLA) on Winslow try, which conApril 22 released research results tinues to suffer tracking the economic impact of COVID-19 on hospitality own- untenable losses. The road to ers, operators and employees recovery will likely be long as an throughout the state and pub- uncertain general public awaits lished a one-page report detailing clarity on their safety,” he said. “People miss restaurants as the results. Key survey results included much or more than anything else when they’re (being asked) what the following: •55% of Michigan restaurants are they miss right now from being either temporarily (53%) or per- shuttered into their homes. If we manently (2%) closed for busi- want restaurants and hotels to be there for us on the other side, ness. •88% of Michigan restaurant op- when we start to re-emerge into erators have laid off or furloughed something that looks more norworkers since the start of the mal, there’s going to be a need for more flexibility, forbearance and coronavirus outbreak in March. •249,000 restaurant employees infusion.” He said those “three F’s,” as he have been furloughed or laid off calls them, refer to flexibility on in Michigan. •Michigan’s restaurants are pro- existing loans, forbearance on taxjected to lose more than $1.2 bil- es and other regulatory requirements, and an infusion of dollars lion in sales in April. •Lodging operators have laid off to see the industry through. With that in mind, Winslow or furloughed more than 87,000 workers since the start of the and the MRLA are endorsing “a holistic solution to secure the coronavirus outbreak in March. •Individual hotels and major immediate safety and prolonged operators are projecting occu- success of Michigan’s hospitalindustry” forth by theAM pancy rates 20% for Commercial up- ityGRBJ 11011below Ad Series Spring Ads.pdf as2 put 3/5/20 11:25

National Restaurant Association (NRA) and American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). The plan advocates for the following actions: 1) Enact more flexibility in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). a. Allow restaurants and hotels to choose an eight-week loan period that works best for them, that is at least three weeks after the shelter-at-home order is lifted. b. Revise the loan forgiveness restrictions — which currently require 75% of the loan to be spent on payroll — to better reflect the challenge of closures and travel restrictions that have particularly hampered the hospitality industry. c. Restore a 10-year loan repayment timeline for PPP, which was part of the original legislation. “The two-year repayment mandate invoked by the Treasury Department further exacerbates the problem for an industry that will be slow to return to anything approaching normal sales and profitability,” the proposal authors said. 2) Enact the “Restaurant and Foodservice Industry Recovery Fund” (RFIRF) a. The newly conceived RFIRF is a $240 billion grant proposal that would compensate restaurants for capital and workforce expenses necessary to successfully reopen. 3) Create a commercial-backed mortgage securities (CMBS) Market Relief Fund in the U.S. Treasury’s Main Street Lending Program. a. Hotel operators, from the smallest independents to larger, multi-unit operators, are facing an “unprecedented” cash-flow

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crisis and as such are requesting a $10 billion bridge loan fund to be created within the Main Street program created by Treasury and the Federal Reserve. The financing will allow hotel operators to make debt payments, the associations said in the proposal. 4) Offer tax credits to meet new requirements. a. When given the opportunity to fully reopen, restaurants and hotels will have little or no cash flow and significant new overhead associated with anticipated PPE requirements, increased sanitation and diminished capacity through social distancing. A refundable tax credit, or administration grant program, to help restaurants bear these costs would support the industry in these difficult times, bolster public confi-

dence and enhance the well-being of employees and customers, the proposal said. 5) Provide Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) forbearance for employers. a. A policy providing forbearance on FUTA taxes in the shortterm “would provide needed liquidity support for the hospitality industry,” according to the proposal. 6) Enact the “SNAP COVID-19 Anti-Hunger Restaurant Relief for You Act of 2020” (introduction pending Congress reconvening). a. This proposal would expand the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) to serve everyone on the supplemental nutritional assistance program (SNAP), waiving Continued on page 17 8

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10 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

Agency publishes COVID-19 business impact report Of companies surveyed, 23% say they could not survive business slowdowns/ shutdowns much longer. Rachel Watson

Grand Rapids Business Journal

Lakeshore Advantage has been taking the metaphorical temperatures of businesses in its coverage area and has published the outcomes in a new report. Alongside nine local chambers of commerce, the Zeeland-based economic development agency polled Allegan and Ottawa county companies weekly between March 15 and the second week of April to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses. Since the survey began, 315 unique businesses participated. Each week, the poll opened Monday morning and closed 5 p.m. Wednesday. The four-week report was released on April 21. Sixty-four percent of respondents said they were open, and of those, half were running at 50% or less capacity. Fifty-seven percent of respondents had laid off or furloughed employees since March 15. “Lakeshore Advantage conducted this weekly polling for two keys reasons,” said Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage. “First and foremost, to ensure our team’s programming and resources meet the changing needs of area employers. It also will allow us to benchmark our community with more than 100

organizations throughout the U.S. conducting similar polling.” Another goal of capturing the data was to allow Lakeshore Advantage and area chambers to advocate on behalf of the businesses at the state and federal levels. The polling showed the following greatest needs for lakeshore businesses: •Financial relief •Return-to-work action plan •Personal protective equipment According to the poll data, 82% of respondents indicated applying for, or planning to apply for, state or federal funding, although at the time the report was published, the federal PPP loan fund had been depleted, and follow-up funding signed into law April 23 was expected to be spoken for within days due to a backlog of applications. Twenty-three percent of respondents in the fourth week of the survey said their company would not survive four more weeks of a stay-at-home order. “We businesses cannot survive an additional 70 days of a stay-athome order,” said Mark Forbes, vice president, special projects of RCI Adventure Projects, headquartered in Allegan. “Even with the Paycheck Protection Program loan, if stay-athome continues, our employees will get paid but we will have no capital left to Owens start the business back up.” Survey data showed area employers were pivoting and responding to the need for personal

DEWYS MANUFACTURING is one of the companies along the lakeshore shifting its product mix to meet the needs of customers in the medical, food processing and material handling sectors. Courtesy DeWys Manufacturing

protective equipment. Twenty-six percent of respondents indicated their companies had switched their product mix to make essential products. Examples included pivoting from office furniture textiles to making face masks, distilleries making hand sanitizer and companies networking their 3D printers together to make face shields and sneeze guards. “The team at DeWys Manufacturing has been working diligently to shift our product mix to meet the growing needs of our customers in the medical, food processing and material handling sectors,” said Mark Schoenborn, president of Marne-based DeWys.

“We welcome direction from the state for all sectors to safely return to work.” Lakeshore Advantage has decided to pause the weekly polls until a directive emerges from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer about the reopening of the economy. Once the order comes, Owens said the agency will resume polls to find out what needs and questions arise. In the meantime, Lakeshore Advantage is hosting weekly webinars on various topics that are then archived at bit.ly/lakeshoreadvwebinars. In the past four weeks, about 2,000 people have viewed the digital presentations.

The webinar held April 23, “Returning to Work,” featured Jim Bos, vice president of global procurement at Yanfeng Automotive Interiors’ Holland location. Bos provided insights into best practices developed at the company’s headquarters in China that are being used by other countries as they get back up and running. Additionally, Keith Hustak, vice president of advanced practice providers (APP) services and operations at Spectrum Health, provided insights from a health care perspective on safe operations. The most recent webinar, the “Returning to Work Safely Toolkit,” was held April 30. Owens said it’s timely for Lakeshore Advantage to be focusing on these topics, as internal flash poll data for the week of April 20 — which was not captured in the four-week report — showed 79% of respondents were preparing to get back to work. She said manufacturers have indicated some of the preparations they are making include remapping their facilities for social distancing protocols, installing partitions between workstations, requiring not only masks but in some cases face shields, and implementing infrared temperature scanning at facility entrances. Besides issuing surveys and providing webinars, the staff at Lakeshore Advantage is doing a fair bit of phone “triage,” Owens said. “A lot of business leaders are feeling pretty isolated, and so they’re willing to talk and share and provide feedback, whereas before, everyone was so busy — heads down, their plants fully Continued on page 17 8

Inside Track MAY 4, 2020 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 11

can’t do the job.’” But Genautis was not discouraged. The job in her mind was only temporary anyway, so she continued to move from one job to another until she interviewed for a front desk position at a nuclear engineering group in San Francisco. The firm, however, was not interested in hiring Genautis for the front desk, but coincidentally, there also was an open position for an assistant. “I thought, ‘OK, I will assist the assistant,’ so I ended up working for her,” Genautis said. Genautis kept the position for about six months. After her contract ended, the staffing firm that placed her there had an accounting position open. The job became her first foray into recruiting. Genautis started with Management Solutions Inc. in California at a time when the company was very small. She said she enjoyed the culture of the company “treating work as business within a business,” which is something it maintained even as it grew to a larger company.

I just went through that whole retail space with a fouryear degree, because nobody would hire me.

FLORIZA GENAUTIS and MBS developed a retainer model, a collaborative solution whereby clients retain the firm, and MBS becomes a partner and extension of the client. Photo by 616 Media

Management Business Solutions CEO overcomes language and cultural barriers to succeed.

Tough early lessons prepare Genautis for today Ehren Wynder

Grand Rapids Business Journal

loriza Genautis knows when a recession comes around, employers have to be ready for it. Building a recruiting firm from the ground up only a couple years prior to the 2008 recession gave her a clear insight into dealing with employment issues in the COVID crisis. Growing up in the Philippines, Genautis was fortunate to have parents who were able to send her and her siblings to private schools, she said. Additionally, Philippine culture places a high emphasis on coming from the “right” school, which is a common phenomenon in the U.S., but in the Philippines, many jobs won’t even hire unless the applicant has a degree from a certain school, Genautis said. “If you’re browsing through the ads, they’ll literally put, ‘must be a graduate of La Salle,’” Genautis said. “I was fortunate I went to La Salle.” Growing up and going to school, Genautis had maids to take care of all household chores, which she

said is common in the Philippines. She was never expected to do the dishes or clean her room, just go to school, go home and repeat the process. “It’s a little different lifestyle and culture,” Genautis said. “Here in the U.S., now, I have to learn to do everything, but after doing it the first six months, it’s nothing.” Ironically, Genautis said now that she’s been in the U.S. for so long, going back to the Philippines would come as an entirely different culture shock. Genautis said her brother still follows the traditional lifestyle. While visiting his home in the Philippines, the phone rang right next to where they both were sitting, but instead of the answering his phone, he just ignored it completely and waited for one of the maids to come running from the other side of the house to answer it instead. “That’s how it is!” she exclaimed. “I guess those are some of the differences, but now I don’t know if I could go back to that.” After graduating in 1990 with a degree in math and computer

education from De La Salle University in Manila, Genautis came to the U.S. by way of Silicon Valley in California. Although she was in the right state at the right time for her degree, she realized not having experience in the U.S. made it difficult for her to find a job. Her first job was mopping the floors at a KFC. “I just went through that whole retail space with a four-year degree, because nobody would hire me,” Genautis said. Later, Genautis was able to get hired for several administrative positions, but none of them lasted for very long. Because she didn’t have a car at the time, she had to use public transit. For a two-week assignment she had in San Jose, it would take about two hours, hopping between buses and trains, to get there from where she lived in San Francisco. “I remember getting let go after working for a company for three days just because they said, ’we just can’t understand your accent,’” she said. “’You’re picking up the phone, and you just

Genautis’s husband Rob was a West Michigan native who was recruited by Intel in California. After he became a recruiter himself, the two met and developed a strong connection because both of them came from Catholic families. After their daughter, Isabel, was born in Oregon, the family had to decide where they wanted to live long-term. With Rob’s family being closer, Michigan seemed like the best option. “I said, ‘Hey, let’s move to Michigan!’ and he said, ‘What did you do to my wife?’” Genautis said, laughing. “I never thought I’d want to live in Michigan because of the cold, but I love everything in Michigan, other than the winter.” When her family moved to Michigan, Genautis started working for a large recruiting firm in Michigan, which she said did not align with the values she enjoyed with MSI in California. “I wanted to be able to provide to clients what they needed, and I’ve always not been focused with the bottom line,” Genautis said. “If I’m working with nonprofits, which we have a lot of in Michigan, I want to be able to discount the rates a little bit because they’re

nonprofits, and that was something that wasn’t aligning with the organization.” Genautis actually was sued by the firm for violating a non-compete agreement because she also was working for a small firm that had ex-employees from the large firm. The suit was dismissed, but Genautis was still fired from her recruiting job, so she took the summer off after the case to find out what she really wanted to do with her life. “I guess that was one of my biggest breaks was getting let go,” Genautis said. “The outcome was I could open up my own firm.” Genautis founded Management Business Solutions in September 2006. Getting the firm off the ground was difficult, but Genautis said she was fortunate that she worked the back office before she became a recruiter, because it gave her knowledge of running the whole operation. “I was also surrounded by other members in the tech industry in Silicon Valley,” Genautis said. “Obviously, the biggest help was my husband when we both said, ‘OK, let’s be prepared not to make any income for five years.’” Unfortunately, two years into the business, the 2008 recession happened. For a business where the main income is derived from placing candidates, at a time when no one was hiring, MBS had to shift the way it operates. MBS developed the retainer model, a collaborative solution whereby clients retain the firm, and MBS becomes a partner and extension of the client. Genautis said the retainer model has been used to service national and global organizations, as well as nonprofits. During this time, Genautis was still bringing in and training individuals at MBS. By the end of the recession, she had a complete staff that could help clients refill their ranks. “I always say when (recession) comes back, you have to be ready for it,” Genautis said. When Michigan shut down in March to halt the spread of COVID-19, MBS chose to keep operations going. Everybody is working from home, and Genautis built the company’s infrastructure in a way for everybody to work from anywhere in the world. In the staffing world, when the process stops, it takes a long time for it to start back up again, Genautis said. While it may have been an easy decision to cut payroll, Genautis and her partners knew they needed to be up and ready once Michigan gets back to work. “Our calendar’s still full and everybody’s still working from home,” she said. “I do know in a couple weeks or so, when we slowly go back to our process, everybody’s going to be hiring.”

FLORIZA GENAUTIS Organization: Management Business Solutions Inc. Position: Founder and CEO Age: 50 Birthplace: Manila, Philippines Residence: Wyoming Family: Husband Rob and daughter Isabel Business/Community involvement: Co-founder, Women In Successful Enterprises(WISE); chair, WBE Certification Council for Great Lakes Women Business Council; board member, GROW; finance committee member, GR Chamber; advisory council, BLEND (Business Leaders Linked to Encourage New Directions): board member, Fair Housing Center of West Michigan Biggest career break: First: My senior vice president at MSI in San Jose, California, Rick Giorgetti (my first mentor), promoted me to be manager of interim services. This position allowed me to grow my management and leadership skills. It taught me to be a working manager of a successful team that is very entrepreneurial, “treating my work as a business within a business.” Second: In spite of adversity, founding Management Business Solutions. It presented a lot of challenges, but it was the biggest break for me professionally and for my family. The first break taught me to lead a staff and the second taught me to lead a company.

Comment & Opinion 12 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

GUEST COLUMN Karen Monts

Ten self-care practices to alleviate coronavirus-induced grief T

he emotional response many of us are experiencing from social distancing and sheltering due to COVID-19 has been accurately compared to feelings of grief. The coronavirus crisis has temporarily robbed us of physical contact and our sense of security. We feel powerless over an uncertain future and sidelined by our sudden loss of freedom. Grief associated with death or loss impacts us exactly the same way. Whether hunkered down in isolation or a frontline responder, each of us undoubtedly finds ourselves contending with feelings along the continuum of grief that Swiss psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced more than 50 years ago. The five stages are: 1.Denial associated with the coronavirus’s rapid spread, resulting in avoidance, confusion, shock and fear. 2.Anger that comes from continually withdrawing from our daily lives, resulting in frustration, irritation and anxiety. 3.Bargaining as we struggle to find meaning in our circumstances or negotiate some sense of control or hope. 4.Depression as the crisis persists, bringing with it overwhelming feelings of deep sadness, hopelessness and despair. Like that associated with death, coronavirus-induced grief is a journey that can shift course daily. The longer we continue to social distance and shelter, we begin adjusting to our new temporary norm and settling into the changes we must make for our health, as

GUEST COLUMN Kris Rich

Tips to stay healthy while working from home

well as for the sake of others. It’s then that we step into the final stage of grief, which is: 5.Acceptance that enables us to explore options, put a new plan in place and move on. As we continue to social distance and shelter, there is much we can do to help ease our fears and sense of isolation using the same approaches to alleviating grief over a lost loved one. Hospice of Michigan and Arbor Hospice statewide grief counselors recommend following these 10 self-care practices: 1.Pay attention to your thoughts. Prevent continually hopeless or anxious thoughts that can affect you both emotionally and physically. Practice cognitive reframing by finding another way of looking at your situation or circumstances. 2.Give your thoughts and feelings words. Share them verbally with a friend, confidant, religious adviser or professional counselor, if needed. Also consider journaling and prayer. 3.Control what you can. While you may not have a choice in sheltering at home, you do have control over your decision to comply with governmental guidelines and stay safe. You also have control within your home and how you can use this time positively. 4.Be physically active. Enjoy yoga, pushups, stretching or even a dance party in your home. Or venture safely outdoors for a walk in the woods, hike on a trail or run in a large open park. Physical activity helps your body to release tension and allows your nervous system to

he COVID-19 pandemic has us all at home and if you’re working, it’s a huge change. In addition to being isolated from co-workers and friends, this disruption from regular working routines can cause added anxiety and stress. Here are some helpful ways to stay physically and mentally healthy while working from home. Set a schedule Setting a regular routine helps create a psychological barrier between your work and home life. You should try to keep the same pre- and post-work routine as you had prior to working from home, including setting an alarm, showering and getting dressed in the morning, working out before or after work hours, or whatever your typical schedule included. Working in your pajamas all day might be comfortable, but it can decrease motivation and productiveness throughout the day. Be upfront about expectations Communicate with your co-workers and boss about how you are going to work. This can include your working hours, your preferred method of communication with them, and your home situation (i.e., kids, spouse or pet). You cannot guarantee that your work or calls will be interruption-free, and

get back to a state of rest. 5.Keep a schedule. Consistency is comforting during uncertain times. Try sticking to a regular exercise and meal schedule, bedtime, even a routine phone call with a loved one. These are things you can control that are important in relieving anxiety and stress. 6.Practice meditation and mindfulness. Even for just 10-15 minutes a day, notice what is happening with your thoughts and redirect them from anxiety-laden territory. Also scan your body for tension and alleviate it by taking deep breaths, softening your muscles, or practicing progressive muscle relaxation. Find online sources that can virtually guide your sessions. 7.Get creative. Pour your feelings into art, music, play, design, writing or another form of expression. Transforming fear and uncertainty into something beautiful can be empowering. Sharing your creativity on social media can be rewarding. 8.Disconnect. Renew your spirit by turning off the news and setting social media and technology aside daily — maybe for several brief periods or a couple hours at a time. Spend this time doing something you enjoy that engages your senses, such as reading a book, cooking, knitting or leaning a new skill. 9.Dress up. While relaxing in sweats can be comforting, the simple act of getting out of your pajamas, taking a shower or bath and putting on makeup or shaving can do wonders in lifting your mood and boosting your spirit.

10.Laugh and smile. It really is true that “laughter is the best medicine.” It strengthens your immune system, boosts your mood, diminishes pain and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Smiling does the same. So, reminisce over old photos, tune in to a comedy classic, watch cute or funny pet videos online. Indulge in what gives you joy. Above all, stock up on compassion for yourself and others. We

that’s OK. Everyone is in the same boat. Being open and honest with your colleagues about the difficulties this new way of working poses will help reduce anxiety and ensure everyone is on the same page. Create an office space Creating physical boundaries around your work area can reinforce the message that you’re working, both for yourself and others in your home. If possible, find a space with a door that can be closed while you’re working. If that isn’t an option in your home, create a designated “desk” area that is only used for working. Whatever office space you create, communicate with your spouse and children that you should not be disturbed while in this space to help limit distractions and stay focused. Try noise canceling headphones or a headset for calls so others in the home know when you’re busy in virtual meetings.

completing your most challenging task first so that it isn’t looming over your head the entire day. If you have two frogs, eat the bigger one first.

Eat the frog Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day knowing that nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day. Your “frog” is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate if you don’t get it done right away. Start each morning by

may not be acting like ourselves at times during this coronavirus crisis. And those who we are sheltering or social distancing with may not either. Don’t be hard on yourself or them. We’re all in this together … and better days are ahead.

Karen Monts is director of grief support services and practice manager for counseling services at NorthStar Care Community.

MI VIEW WEST Garth Kriewall

Michigan journalist, kriewall@hotmail.com

Take it. I'm not essential. I can afford it, they pay me more.

Take breaks We are more likely to sit at our computers all day without taking breaks when we don’t have the social cues from the work environment, such as people leaving for lunch or getting coffee. Try to take a break every one to two hours for a cognitive recharge and to get your body moving. Engaging in unfocused activities have been shown to be most effective, such as chatting with someone, going for a walk or meditating. During these more stressful times, using your breaks for social connection or an activity you enjoy can be very beneficial. Set work boundaries It can be difficult to separate your work life from your personal life when they are under the same roof, but it can also be taxing on LETTERS POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and guest commentary. Letters and columns must include the writer’s name, address and telephone number. Guest columns do not necessarily reflect the philosophy

your health and well-being as it can lead to burnout. Make sure you are working reasonable hours and sticking to the schedule you created. For example, if you typically work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., you should leave your designated workspace and start your “winddown” routine once 5 p.m. hits. Turn off notifications from your phone and computer so you are not pulled back into work after hours. Socialize and stay connected Social distancing does not mean social isolation. Working remotely can cause people to feel isolated, making it more important to routinely check in with your team — and not just about work-related events. There are many tech tools available like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and Skype to schedule video chat lunches, team happy hours or virtual birthday celebrations for co-workers. Continued on page 13 8

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MAY 4, 2020 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 13

GUEST COLUMN Rachel VerWys and Missy Weismann

Keep illegal businesses closed after stay-home order lifts W e find ourselves navigating a world swirling with grief in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily we confront constraints, yet there is hope as people come together to support health care workers, celebrate unsung heroes like our grocery clerks and share resources with one another during this hardship. While many Michiganders rally to support one another, there are others in our community who are seeking to take advantage of this awful situation to advance a number of criminal activities, including human trafficking. Over the last year, our community leaders have prioritized efforts to disrupt and dismantle human trafficking networks operating in our communities. One type of activity pervading our state is in Illicit Massage Businesses (IMBs). Across the United States, IMBs make up a sophisticated, exploitative industry that includes more than 10,000 storefront establishments, according to Polaris the National Trafficking Hotline. IMBs violate a variety of local and federal laws, while often committing civil code infractions and human rights violations. IMBs are establishments with registered business names that advertise the provision of “massage” and other

spa-related services. Under this suspicious description, illicit massage businesses can obtain clientele and revenue by providing commercial sex acts. IMBs provide a unique cover for human trafficking. They are ostensibly tax paying, registered businesses providing “massage services.” IMBs may violate labor laws by paying women in tips alone with no guaranteed hourly wage or by withholding paid wages. Workers’ housing and travel to and from the business also are typically managed, contributing to control of their freedom of movement. The role of debt bondage and other forms of coercion points to the vulnerabilities of workers/victims and the potential for human trafficking. In 2019, Heyrick Research, a counter human trafficking organization based in Virginia, estimated that 84% of the illicit massage businesses in the U.S. are made up of Chinese-born individuals who often arrive on B1/B2 tourist visas, which shows human traffickers manipulate immigration status for their financial gain. Our community collectively counters this human rights violation through the Kent County Area Human Trafficking Coalition with Solutions to End Exploitation (SEE). In fall of 2019,

the city of Grand Rapids created and passed a new ordinance that aims to reduce crime, including human trafficking, in IMBs. Most likely you have seen the businesses — often dimly lit entrances next to darkened windows offering cheap massages late into the evening. According to a 2018 research study SEE conducted in partnership with Calvin University, estimates show a total gross yearly economy of IMBs in the Grand Rapids area to be $6 million a year. This is a complex problem, yet not one our community faces alone. On April 15 SEE released the economy of demand study for the Denver Metro Area estimating a total gross yearly economy of over $35 million in the IMB. This research is a further catalyst for leaders to mobilize and disrupt human trafficking. In a January 2020 press release, the Denver district attorney and police chief said that a Denver grand jury indicted two male and female coconspirators for financial crimes from allegedly profiting from the trafficking of humans. “At the core, this case is about a well-organized human trafficking ring,” the statement read. The ringleaders were charged under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act and multiple other related charges. Orga-

nized criminal activities within IMB human trafficking networks can include tax evasion, money laundering, visa and immigration fraud, and smuggling. As a result of the current stayat-home order in Michigan, nearly all of these IMBs remain closed, thus halting the revenue human traffickers need for their criminal enterprise. Evidence suggests some human traffickers may be operating clandestinely, yet with storefronts shuttered, financial insolvency may be looming. It is possible IMB owners could seek to pursue recently approved small business assistance programs to keep their criminal conglomerate afloat, resulting in the continued victimization of vulnerable women, most of whom suffer from isolation, do not speak English and owe large debts to their traffickers. This stay-at-home order presents an unprecedented opportunity to prevent these illegal businesses from reopening. Joining in multi-sector collaboration can create an innovative response. A simple, cost-effective campaign would be a comprehensive landlord engagement, which involves law enforcement entities communicating with building owners who lease to IMBs and informing them about potential

illegal activity taking place at the location. A strategy like this in San Jose, California, led to the demise of IMBs in the community. In addition, elected leaders throughout Michigan could unite to protect the massage industry as a health care business and require a health code for operation. Any business using massage language in their name or advertising requires state therapist licensure. Yet there are hardly any local codes outlining health code operation requirements within the establishment concerning sanitary conditions. Such moves would shine a light on these criminal locations, particularly in cases where victims are forced to illegally live on-site, while also preventing IMB owners from quickly generating revenue upon the conclusion of this health emergency. Exploitative enterprises thrive when they remain hidden. When we expose the darkness, we can unleash freedom. Our commitment to protecting those who face exploitation cannot be passive. Let’s choose to come together and actively take steps to decimate human trafficking. Rachel VerWys and Missy Weismann operate Solutions to End Exploitation in Grand Rapids.

Restaurateur reaps financial rewards for generosity 7 Continued from page 1 submit on social media, Rowe’s team of producers help identify “do-gooders” who deserve recognition, then Rowe interviews them on camera for the show. Unbeknownst to Arcidiacono, her regular customer and friend Ed Roehre on March 26 nominated “Chef Jenna,” as she is known locally, to be featured on the show. Her episode was called “The Unicorn Feeding the Front Lines.”

Rowe, complete with Roehre-asSudsy’s presentation of a $10,000 giant check for Amore to use in continuing its community service work during COVID-19. Rowe, who hadn’t talked to Roehre until the on-camera interview, appeared tickled pink to be able to meet him and hear about the plan to surprise Arcidiacono. “We are living in confusing times, and sometimes, when this level of ambiguity rears its ugly head, there’s nothing to do but suit

“I’m thrilled that I can actually come to work every day. It’s been what’s keeping me going through the quarantine — being able to get up, go to work and hopefully put smiles on people’s faces, either by way of donating to their place of work or by feeding them when they come through the drive-thru.” Jenna Arcidiacono He said in a Facebook post on the RTF page: “When the state ordered restaurants closed, she changed her format and started drive-up takeout service so people got good home-cooked Italian-style meals (and) also to keep as many of her employees working for as long as possible. She even started a fund people could donate to to help her staff make up lost wages. But more importantly, she started taking meals to local hospitals, first responders and assistance agencies at no cost. Many of these people are so busy they don’t have time to stop and get something to eat. She’s making sure those on the front lines are being taken care of.” For the show, which was filmed April 24, Roehre borrowed and donned the big, pink-and-purple “Sudsy the Social Distancing Unicorn” costume that Amore staff have been wearing to make customers smile while waiting in line for takeout pick-ups. RTF producers then surprised Arcidiacono with an interview with

up like a mythical creature and start handing out money,” Rowe said. He then said to Arcidiacono during the interview: “We want to find the individuals who are mindful of what’s going on around them but also too stubborn, too determined, too wacky, too driven — and so in the spirit of all the deliveries that you’ve been doing for these past few weeks, we have a delivery for you. … You, Chef Jenna, are our hero. Thank you for doing what you do. … There’s a lot of ‘amore’ there in western Michigan because of you.” Arcidiacono told the Business Journal the morning after the show aired that the surprise was an “amazing experience from the start to finish.” Rowe’s producers had originally called her the week of April 20 to ask if she would do a video call with them, but they didn’t reveal what it was for. “I had no idea,” she said. “I didn’t know that Ed nominated me until later on.”

Arcidiacono said she plans to use the cash to spread more love in West Michigan. “(We’ll be) continuing to give back to the frontline workers. That’s what I believe they gave it to me for, and so that’s what I’m going to use it for.” The episode featuring Chef Jenna can be viewed at bit.ly/ReturningtheFavorAmore. Community involvement Over the past few weeks, Arcidiacono, her team and a handful of volunteers have delivered meals to the Grand Rapids and Wyoming police and fire departments; Metro, Mercy and Spectrum Health hospitals; Kent County Health Department and Kent County Sheriff’s Office; the Muskegon Department of Veterans Affairs; Rockford Ambulance; Romence Gardens; The Mitten Brewing Co. (which did a meal swap with Amore); Kids’ Food Basket; several senior citizens and families in need; and more. The restaurant also has partnered with other businesses and community organizations, including Meijer, i understand love heals and Zach’s Sprinkles and Sweets, to donate food to the community. As a bubbly extrovert, Arcidiacono said she thrives on making these connections. “I think I would go crazy if I wasn’t able to work, just because I’m a people person, so I’m thrilled that I can actually come to work every day. It’s been what’s keeping me going through the quarantine — being able to get up, go to work and hopefully put smiles on people’s faces, either by way of donating to their place of work or by feeding them when they come through the drive-thru,” she said. In addition to employees dressing in unicorn and Easter bunny costumes, Amore has been engaging people to perform live music as customers wait in their cars for their orders to be delivered. Arcidiacono also has been seen wearing roller skates, a bright pink cape and sparkly, sequined masks as she moves from the kitchen to the

parking lot with food. Although she spoke with levity, Arcidiacono acknowledged it’s been an emotional time, not just for her team, but for the entire restaurant community, which has seen about an 80% hit to revenues during the pandemic, she estimates. “There’s a lot on the line, and so I don’t sleep very well. It’s hard to watch your friends who have restaurants that aren’t open struggle to decide — if this is going to go longer — ‘Do we reopen?’ A lot of people thought it was going to be a couple weeks. They didn’t have the long haul in their head. So it’s hard to watch that,” she said. “I worry about a lot of places that won’t be able to reopen. That’s their lifeline, and if that gets taken

away, it’s just miserable. I worry about people’s mental health, too, right now.” Arcidiacono said one of the best things the community can do to help is to follow the EatGR Facebook page to keep tabs on which local restaurants are still open, then to continue ordering delivery and takeout if they can. “It’s just important, if you can support local, to do so with a gift card, with takeout, with tipping the staff. They are working really hard behind the scenes. They’re in the snow, they’re in the rain, they’re coming out, and they’re putting your order together the same way. Think about how, if we support local businesses, they’ll be able to reopen when it’s time.”

Tips to stay healthy while working from home 7 Continued from page 12 Ask for help In a recent study by the American Psychiatric Association, more than one-third of Americans said coronavirus is having a serious impact on their mental health. Professional therapists listen to you and offer tools to help you solve any identified problems, and virtual care provides access to professional behavioral health care providers for an online therapy session. Ask your health insurance provider what resources are available to help you stay healthy while working virtually. For example, Priority Health provides members with information like what kind of help is available, what your plan will cover and how to find counselors or behavioral health care providers to meet your needs. An on-staff behavioral health team is

available to help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call the number on the back of your member ID card (your call is completely confidential) or log into your online account. Priority Health members also can access the Wellbeing Hub, a great resource for tips and tricks to help boost your mental health. Although working from home can bring about many challenges, it also allows you to get creative and explore new opportunities. Kristina Rich, NBC-NWC, CPT, CET is a nationally certified health and wellness coach at Priority Health. She works with members to help them develop a personalized plan for their own health and well-being based on what is realistic and beneficial. She also is a certified personal trainer and cancer exercise trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine.

14 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

Makers prepare to ramp up ideas for solving difficulties within constraints. Gill is a supplier of seat structures, mechanisms and other components to the automotive, off-highway vehicle and furniture markets. The company has been operating with a partial workforce of about 40-50 employees in Grand Rapids and another 30 or so in its Trenton, Georgia, plant to fill orders for its critical infrastructure customers, which include production of personal transportation/golf cart-style vehicles for hospitals and other essential campuses, as well as some parts for Herman Miller so the furniture maker can fulfill its health care contracts. The employees who aren’t working have been temporarily laid off so they can receive unemployment benefits, DeGraaf said. Besides the challenge of securing enough PPE for a ramp-up, DeGraaf said Gill is facing other business concerns. “Until recently, all the different customers, based on their end customer (the original equipment manufacturers) had varying dates they were targeting to come back online. So, we have been watching this on a daily basis,” he said. “As an example, GM has alluded to this day, BMW this day, etc. And since we supply, either directly or through tier ones, almost all the car manufacturers in the United States, that’s going to be critical for us so we can plan our shift schedule — and not only from a production support (standpoint) to the OEMs, but also from a personal safety standpoint with our associates. We don’t want everybody coming into the plant at one time, so we’re doing staggered shifts to avoid the mass

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MetLife coverages, including dental, life, short-term and long-term disability and vision. Walsh said just over 800 of the association’s members participate in the MMA/Met Life insurance programs and will be eligible to receive premium relief. MMA also has been collecting and sharing materials with members, including guidance from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and CDC on what precautions to take to ensure worker, customer and vendor safety; a Safe Work Playbook from Southfield-based Lear Corporation; and a Smart Start Playbook from Aurora, Ontario-based Magna International, which has plants in Grand Rapids, Alto, Holland, Newaygo and Grand Haven. Additionally, MMA developed its own two-page “Best Practices for Operating Safely and Productively,” which collates the above resources. It can be found at mimfg.org/covid-19 under the “MMA Communications” tab through the article, “Connecting You to the Vital Resources You Need.” The organization is continuing to work with members on their liquidity challenges, as many of the CARES Act stimulus package’s funding sources have been exhausted, and “they will need some funding to cover their initial payrolls and parts” to restart business. MMA is working with the state and banking industry to ask for tax credits and to defer some payments for 60-90 days. MMA also is speaking on behalf of its members to the state’s decision makers to ask that individual employers be allowed to make their

own health and safety decisions based on CDC, OSHA and other applicable guidelines, rather than mandating a one-size-fits-all approach by executive order. “We’re advocating with the Whitmer administration and our state legislature just to help them understand — and they have been responsive — that as we restart our economy, whether it’s manufacturing or otherwise, some of these shortages might get worse. And so, while it’s ideal to have a surgical mask, a cloth mask might have to do for a bit, with all other things being equal,” he said. “You could write 1 million words and still not define every work situation. What we’re advising our members and the decision makers is that they have to understand it is in the best interest of both the employee and the employer to have a safe workspace, and they’re going to work things out.” Walsh said MMA is joining forces with other trade associations, chambers and CEO groups — not just in the manufacturing industry — to try to help the Whitmer administration define and determine a plan for restarting the economy. He said as long as manufacturers adhere to recommended guidelines, the sector should be a fairly “low-risk enterprise” that can manage restarting without too much trouble. DeGraaf, of Gill Industries, said his company has been working for weeks — basically since the shutdown order — to implement health and safety protocols for its employees, such as equipment spacing, shields/guards, face masks and other PPE. Gill has been in contact with other manufacturers to benchmark its actions and get new

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7 Continued from page 1

congregations of people standing at the time clock, and so we can make sure we clean between groups of people coming in to minimize potential risks to our employees.” He said discussion with customers has revealed most plan a “slow ramp-up,” at about 30-40% capacity at first and adding 10-20% more production over a period of weeks. “The theory behind that is to give all the supply base a chance to catch up, because as you can imagine, a lot of expenses have gone out, and there’s not a lot of revenue coming in,” he said. “There are going to be some bumps along the way, I’m sure.” DeGraaf said as far as he knows, OEMs and customers will be leaving the protocols for protective measures up to individual suppliers, as most of them already have implemented stringent enough actions. Green, of Lacks Enterprises, said his company — which has a global footprint with 22 production facilities and 3,000 employees in West Michigan alone — has created a “Smart Playbook” that details its return-to-work strategy. “It gives a consistent guideline for all of our plant managers and supervisors to follow as we start to reopen our plants,” he said. “(It’s) everything from the sanitation that we’re going to be following to all the PPE that’s required to our cleaning process of the facilities and how we’ll handle any potential issues that do arise.” Lacks Enterprises has three business units: Lacks Trim Systems, Plastic Plate Interior Trim Systems and Lacks Wheel Trim Systems, all of which provide components and systems for the automotive market. Green said the nature of its plants — with molding machines and assembly cells — means there is already about eight to 10 feet of space between machines and workstations, so those areas didn’t need reconfiguring, but the company has

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had to implement limitations in other areas, such as the number of people allowed in bathrooms and break areas at the same time. He said this has been accomplished by staggering break times and reducing the amount of tables and chairs in conference rooms and cafeterias. “Social distance has to be adhered to, and we certainly don’t see ourselves starting up at full production. It’s going to be a slow ramp-up, and there’s going to be some hiccups along the way with workflow and product supply and all those things,” he said. Since the shutdown order, Lacks has been running production on a very limited scale, only to fulfill orders for heavy truck customers, which were deemed an essential segment of the transportation industry. At the beginning of stay-athome, Lacks paid all of its hourly employees two full weeks of pay. When the long-term nature of the situation became obvious, the company furloughed most of its workers, keeping only the essential salaried employees. “It’s been a ghost town around here for sure,” he said. “We’re really trying to follow the governor’s orders, opening sooner rather than later, obviously, because we all need to get back to work. But we’re basically like everybody else — downed.” After production ramps up, changes are in store at Lacks’ two-story, approximately 100,000-square-foot headquarters, Green said, with workstations being rearranged, plexiglass barriers being installed at front desks and social distancing protocols being enacted everywhere they weren’t already. “We went around and looked at the areas where maybe social distancing wasn’t in place prior to this. We were in pretty good shape. For the most part, there was already adequate distancing.”

MAY 4, 2020 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 15

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Change-Ups & Calendar 16 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

ARTS

Katie Lawrence, a librarian at the Grandville Branch of Kent District Library, has been elected to the 2022 Newbery Award Selection Committee, which discusses books that have been published the previous year for kids age 0-14 and then votes for the Newbery Medal winner and honor titles. The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Rapids Public Library announced they are actively collecting digital submissions of community stories, videos and photos related to COVID-19 to ensure the local pandemic experience is documented for future generations. Donors may indicate objects they are interested in giving to the Museum Collections in the online form at grpm. org/collections. To learn more about submitting stories to GRPL, go to grpl. org/covid-19-stories/.

AWARDS

The County Road Association of Michigan honored the Ottawa County

Road Commission with two statewide IMPRESS Awards at CRA’s 2020 Highway Conference. OCRC received an IMPRESS Award in Communications for its “‘Countywide Road Millage’ Video” and an Award for Operations for its project, “‘The Undertaker’ Under-Guardrail Cleaner.”

EDUCATION

Calvin University has made hotel rooms at its Prince Conference Center available free of charge to first responders at the Grand Rapids Police Department and the Spectrum Health system. Ferris State University Kendall College of Art and Design has canceled its May 2020 ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic and will instead host a virtual ceremony in May where students can submit photos of their work that would have been included in the ceremony. KCAD also will hold an exhibition showcasing the work of 2020 graduates in September at Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and The Fed Galleries @ KCAD. The student exhibit would coincide with ArtPrize and the fall KCAD open house.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Grand Rapids-based Pasta Per Trio,

King is crowned MSU outstanding alumni Coleen King, president and founder of King Media, a fullservice marketing, advertising, public relations and digital media agency founded in 1999, is the recipient of a 2020 Outstanding Alumni Award by the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts & Sciences. Each year, the college’s alumni board recognizes outstanding alumni and faculty for their achievements, service to the community and enduring impact on students. Only 223 individuals out of more than 56,000 of the most accomplished Communication Arts and Sciences alumni have received this award since its inception nearly 48 years ago. King Media has offices in East Lansing, Grand Rapids and St. Joseph.

the Michigan franchisee of Noodles & Company, recently announced its Noodles Family Meals initiative. For each family meal purchased, Noodles will donate a regular-sized bowl to a local health care worker. Holland-based New Holland Spirits’ Rum Punch won best in class at the American Distilling Institute awards.

GRANTS

Care Resources PACE, Kent County’s only Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provider, has received almost $50,000 from The Michigan Health Endowment Fund to launch telehealth services for its vulnerable elderly program participants. Care Resources will use the funds to implement telehealth technology, which ensures greater protection against COVID-19 and provides an extension of essential all-inclusive care it already provides to its participants. Howmet Aerospace Foundation has awarded $25,000 to United Way of the Lakeshore COVID Response Fund that will go toward: Every Woman’s Place - $5,000 for technology to work differently and cleaning supplies; Muskegon Rescue Mission - $5,000 for food and cleaning supplies; Head Start of Muskegon - $2,500 for diapers, wipes and young children’s products; Mission for Area People - $15,000 to support unemployed, rent assistance, transportation, food and more; LOVE Inc. - $5,000 for food, shelter, personal care items and masks; YMCA - $4,500 for veggie van to distribute healthy produce to seniors; Fruitport Christian Reformed - $1,000 food pantry and personal care items; Community Encompass - $10,000 for housing support for families; Catholic Charities - $5,000 for food pantry; Agewell Services - $5,000 for food for seniors, curbside distribution and Meals on Wheels; Salvation Army – $3,000 for meat for the food pantry; Child Care Center Supports - $5,000 to provide necessities to local daycares in operation. Minnetonka, Minn.-based United Health Foundation has committed $250,000 to provide urgent assistance to Michigan residents experiencing food insecurity as they face hardships during the COVID19 pandemic, which will go directly to the Food Bank Council of Michigan, the state’s unified food bank network, to support the purchase of wholesale food

for emergency food boxes and distribution to those in need. The SpartanNash Foundation announced trustees unanimously authorized a $250,000 grant to 19 state and local food bank partners in 16 states where the company operates 155 corporate-owned retail stores, four service centers and 18 wholesale, military and fresh produce distribution centers. The grant was made possible in part by a $125,000 matching contribution from the SpartanNash Corporation and contributions pledged to the SpartanNash Foundation by company associates. SpartanNash’s food bank grant partners are part of the Feeding America nonprofit nationwide network of more than 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs that feed more than 46 million people a year. Chelsea-based United Methodist Retirement Communities Foundation has received a $50,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to support telehealth services that will benefit low-income, nursing home eligible older adults who participate in four of UMRC & Porter Hills’ PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly) sites.

HEALTH

The Kent County Health Department has launched a web-based application for residents that is a secure, anonymous, web-based survey that will provide health officials with valuable data that could potentially identify future COVID-19 “hot spots” in Kent County. To complete the survey, residents will be asked to answer four personal identification questions. All data will be kept confidential and housed in a secure database. To complete the survey, go to keepmihealthy.org/ and click “Get Started!” To learn more, review the frequently asked questions document at https://keepmihealthy.org/faq. The Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission and the Ottawa County Parks Foundation have reached an agreement with landowners to sell 87 acres of former gravel-mining land in Georgetown Township. The acquisition is key to a long-term plan to develop a major regional park — the Bend Area — in the county’s most populous local unit and adds natural and recreational land to the Grand River Greenway. The

MAY 11 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Workshop. Topic: Business Growth Series. 1-3 p.m., Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, 250 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 150. Information/registration: grandrapids. org/.

“From Logos to Entitlement And Back Again,” by Samuel Gregg, director of research, Acton Institute. Noon-1 p.m., Acton Institute, 98 E. Fulton St. Free livestream also available. Information/ registration: acton.org/event/2020/ GreggALS.

annual-community-leaders-breakfast.

MAY 7 Grand Rapids Opportunities For Women Intro to GROW, free orientation to learn about programs. Noon-1 p.m. or 6-7 p.m., GROW office, YWCA, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Information/ registration: (616) 458-3404 or grow business.org.

MAY 11 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Government Matters @ City Hall — with Elected Officials. 8-9 a.m., Kentwood City Hall, 4900 Breton Road SE. Information/registration: (616) 531-5990 or michelle@southkent.org.

MAY 14 Division Avenue Business Association Meeting. 8-9 a.m., Brann’s Steakhouse & Grille, 4157 S. Division. Information/registration: tombrann@branns.com.

MAY 19 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Business Insights Program. Connecting people with those running successful businesses/organizations. 7:30-9 a.m., Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, 250 Monroe NW, Suite 150. Information/registration: grandrapids.org.

MAY 3-13 Access of West Michigan Walk For Good Food Fundraiser to support nonprofit organizations that address issues of food access and poverty. Participants encouraged to walk individually due to pandemic. Information/registration: accessofwestmichigan.org/wal. MAY 4 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Breakfast With Legislators. 7:30-9 a.m., Gordon Food Service, 1300 Gezon Parkway SW, Wyoming. Information/registration: grandrapids.org. MAY 5 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce West Michigan Minority Contractors After Hours. 4-6 p.m., Grand Rapids Chamber, 250 Monroe NW, Suite 150. Information/registration: grandrapids.org. MAY 6 Grand Rapids Opportunities for Women Webinar. Topic: Skills To Manage Your Business Remotely. Noon1 p.m. Cost: free. Information/registration: bit.ly/HowToManageBusinessRemotely. MAY 6 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Business Virtual Networking & Beers. Buy a drink item and food item from a local establishment and then tag the business along with Business Networking and Beers in a post on the event page. 5-8 p.m., Zoom link. Information/registration: bit.ly/ VirtualBusinessBeers.

MAY 12 Jennifer Maxson & Associates Workshop, “Speak Up and Be Effective.” Craft messages that are clear, concise and focused. Cost: $680/person, $600/ person for two people, same program and date. Registration: (616) 883-6458 or info@jennifermaxsonassociates.com. MAY 13 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/event/start-smart-may/. MAY 13 Women In Successful Enterprises Webinar. Topic: “Creating The Habit of Priority: Identifying Key Priorities that Make the Largest Impact on Professional Lives.” 4:30 p.m. Cost: free. Registration: wiseconnections.org/. MAY 13-14 Jennifer Maxson & Associates Workshop, The Exceptional Leader: Lead The Business, Lead Change, Lead People! Differentiate the roles of leaders and managers. Cost: $3,500/person, $2,900/person for two people, same program and date. Information/registration: (616) 883-6458 or info@jennifermax sonassociates.com. MAY 14 Acton Institute Lecture Series. Topic:

MAY 14 Grand Rapids Young Professionals Professional Development Workshop Focusing on Leadership. 5:30-7:30 p.m., Kids’ Food Basket, 1300 Plymouth Ave. NE. Information/registration: gryp.org/. MAY 14 SCORE Webinar. Topic: Essential PR Tools and Tactics: Elevate the Visibility of Your Business While Being Sheltered in Place. 11 a.m. Information/registration: bit.ly/ElevateBusinessWhileSheltered. MAY 15 Grand Haven/Spring Lake/Ferrysburg Chamber of Commerce May Early Bird Event. The latest in business, community and legislative updates from local and state lawmakers, with the potential to meet new chamber members and potential clients. 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Spring Lake Country Club, 17496 Fruitport Road, Spring Lake. Information/registration: web.grandhavenchamber.org/events MAY 15 The Right Place Oceana County Economic Alliance 2020 Annual Community Leaders Breakfast. 7:309:30 a.m., Oceana County Council on Aging Center, 4250 W. Tyler Road, Hart. Cost: $25/person. Information/registration: rightplace.org/events/oceana-county-

Tulip Time Festival announced the Tulip Time Run will switch to a virtual experience, and is held now through May 10. Runners can unite virtually and participate in the 5K or 10K as their schedule permits anytime. Registrants can run or walk around their neighborhood or on a treadmill. Details: tuliptime.com/run

MANUFACTURING

Perrigo Company plc will donate at least 500,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to local hospitals and first responders facing urgent shortages of this essential product.

MEDIA

Meredith TerHaar has joined 13 ON YOUR SIDE morning team to anchor TerHaar the show with James Starks and meteorologist Laura Hartma.

LEISURE & RECREATION

MAY 6 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Business Networking and Beers. 5-8 p.m., Ganders Restaurant, 4747 28th St. Free admission. Information/registration: meetup.com/NetworkandBeers/ events/266289082/.

MAY 14 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Virtual Business Exchange. 2:30-4 p.m. Event to be hosted via Zoom, alongside chamber director of business services Mark Allen, who will guide participants through a series of virtual breakout sessions. Information/registration: grandrapids.org.

purchase is expected to be completed in late spring/early summer and is funded by a grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Ottawa County Parks millage, and $50,000 in funding from the Ottawa County Parks Foundation’s Grand River Greenway Campaign.

MAY 18 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Virtual Advocacy Engagement Series. Topic: Tackling Poverty. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Information/registration: grandrapids.org.

MAY 19 Muskegon Chamber of Commerce 2020 Luncheon Lessons in Leadership. Noon-1 p.m., Baker College, 1903 Marquette Ave., Muskegon. Cost: $15. Information/registration: muskegon.org/. MAY 20 Massey Insurance Auto Reform Community Discussion. Topic: Changes To Michigan Auto No Fault Insurance. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Massey Insurance, 5384 S. Division, Kentwood. Snacks provided. Information/registration: (616) 532-6071.

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, 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjchangeups@grbj.com.

MAY 28 Grand Haven/Spring Lake/Ferrysburg Chamber of Commerce May BASH. Enjoy an evening of networking, appetizers and drinks. Spring Lake Yacht Club, 17500 W. Spring Lake Road, Spring Lake. Call for start time. Information/ registration: (616) 842-4910. MAY 28 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Virtual West Michigan Minority Contractors Meeting. Time: TBD. Information/registration: grandrapids.org. MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS Information: Stephanie Bradley, (616) 233-3577 or sbradley@experiencegr. com. MAY 3-4 Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan 2020 Spring Meeting. DeVos Place. MAY 3-5 TerryBerry USA Terryberry Global Engagement Conference May 2020. Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton.

MAY 20 Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce STAR! Certification Training. Learn about Muskegon’s history, upcoming events, local resources and new developments. 1-5 p.m., West Michigan Works!, 316 Morris Ave. Suite 100, Muskegon. Information/registration: muskegon.org/chamber-events/. MAY 21 Grand Rapids Opportunities For Women Intro to GROW, free orientation to learn about programs. Noon-1 p.m., GROW office, YWCA, 25 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Suite 210. Information/registration: (616) 458-3404 or growbusiness.org. MAY 26 Wyoming Business Leaders Meeting. 8-9 a.m., Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW, Wyoming. Information/registration: (616) 261-4500 or d.kuba@instant cashmi.com.

CALENDAR POLICY: The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the calendar section. Send items to Calendar Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjcalendar@grbj. com. Submissions must be received at least three 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 MAY 4, 2020 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL 17

BANKRUPTCY

20-00854 – DEYOUNG, Derek I., 3243 Abbington, Vincent E. Carlson (Ch. 7) 20-00863 – MOORE, Deric J., 924 Four Mile NW, Vincent E. Carlson (Ch. 7) 20-00869 – TIMM, Richard T., 303 Hardwick SW, Vincent E. Carlson (Ch. 7) 20-00881 – DEYOUNG, Kendra J., 248 Lincoln Court, Rockford, Greg J. Ekdahl (Ch. 7) 20-00882 – FISCHER, Brooklyn M., 1474 11 Mile NE, Comstock Park, Ryan F. Beach (Ch. 7) 20-00883 – SMITH, Kaitlyn S., 378 Summer Circle SE, Jacob T. Tighe (Ch. 7) 20-00888 – PASIC, Senad, 4664 Springmont SE, Kentwood, Ryan F. Beach (Ch. 13) 20-00890 – MUDRY, Albrei C., 1620 Delwood SW, Wyoming, Maureen B. VanHoven (Ch. 7)

MORTGAGES

Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds KARNOWSKI, Joshua D. et al, Independent Bank, Parcel: 411011253001, $316,500 ZUBRICKAS, Scott S. et al, Quicken Loans, Parcel: 411009428002, $349,623 REYNOLDS, Clay A. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 412302304013, $447,500 MASSIE, Aaron et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411526100055, $680,000 FOWLER, Meghan et al, Consumers Credit Union, Parcel: 412116420002, $499,000 WHITTEN, David S. et al, ChoiceOne Bank, Solon Twp., $342,400 LEITER, Jeremy, Pennymac Loan Services, Parcel: 412025100008, $297,000 RANDALL, Grady S. et al, TCF National Bank, Parcel: 411515300063, $583,000 KELLEY, Kyle et al, Caliber Home Loans, Parcel: 410627251011, $341,820 JONES, Russell G. et al, Old National Bank, Parcel: 411434476023, $498,000 WESTRATE, Dan, Fifth Third Bank, Parcel: 411904302005, $360,050 KUHLLAUR REALTY LLC, Macatawa Bank, Parcel: 411811327026, $907,000 GEIER, Jenna et al, Citibank, Parcel: 411905130053, $434,560 WIESCHORSTER, Craig, Northpointe Bank,

Parcel: 411411202146, $470,000 T BOSGRAAF HOMES LLC, Chemical Bank, Parcel: 412114154009, $305,200 BUCHANAN, Brian et al, VanDyk Mortgage Corp., Parcel: 411518300034, $510,400 GAVIN, Brian T. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411812253005, $390,000 PASIKOWSKI, John et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411706277011, $479,500 SMITS, Daniel et al, Team Mortgage Co. LLC, Parcel: 412124301093, $298,908 COREY, David et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 410933100055, $356,250 BYLSMA, Bjorn et al, Primelending, Parcel: 411131226001, $369,900 COLE, Ian et al, Flagstar Bank, Parcel: 411634312024, $398,000 LIETO, Matthew et al, TCF National Bank, Parcel: 411412276006, $700,000 PADILLA, Wilson E. et al, Fifth Third Bank, Parcel: 411111201028, $418,500 BESMER, Aaron B. et al, West Michigan Community Bank, Parcel: 412303200016, $442,600 BAILLE, Scott A. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 412217225015, $406,000 VANDENBOSCH, Gregory et al, Fifth Third Bank, Parcel: 411514300007, $330,000 HAYWARD, Brad A. et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Parcel: 411212302009, $276,656 POST, Daniel et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411425102011, $502,200 GORMAN, Michael L. et al, Caliber Home Loans, Parcel: 412229302006, $406,180 THIEL, Todd et al, Finance of America, Parcel: 411910390012, $360,000 GLENN, Jerome, Old National Bank, Parcel: 411909127020, $400,000 BAKER, Lynne A. Trust, Independent Bank, Parcel: 411109402099, $1,250,000 BOURASSA, Nathan et al, Northpointe Bank, Parcel: 410913400044 $322,900 SCHULTZ BUILDERS LLC, Finance of America Commercial LLC, Parcel: 412117428002, $476,250 PEREZ, Adriana et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411933300006, $346,750 KNAPP, Kevin R. et al, Grand River Bank, Parcel: 412114307012, $409,340 BOCK, Eric et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 412217300047, $316,870 EASTERN ELEMENTARY HOUSING

ASSOCIATION LP, Michigan Strategic Fund, Parcel: 411420154014, $1,500,000 EASTERN ELEMENTARY HOUSING ASSOCIATION LP, Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Grand Rapids, $7,530,244

CO-PARTNERSHIPS FILED

Co-partnerships filed with the Kent County Clerk DREWS USED CARS, 4617 S. Division, Roger Drew, Mary Drew VARNUM LAW, 333 Bridge, Varnum LLP et al

ASSUMED NAMES FILED

Assumed names filed with the Kent County Clerk BZ DJ, 23 Fuller NE, Bryant E. Zimmerman CAREY DESIGN, 2213 Riverside NE, Keith G. Carey E.G.O. PAINTING, 9179 Courland Drive NE, Rockford, Leah K. O’Neal HOUSEKEEPING, NEED A HELPING HAND, 4792 Halifax SW, Wyoming, Janet Marsiglia J AND J PAINTING, 3930 Mallory SW, Wyoming, Carlos Perez KARIN NELSON EXPRESSIONS, 2564 Danton SW, Wyoming, Karin Nelson MARK’S BODY SHOP, 6503 S. Division, Mark Dehoek ORTIZ CONSTRUCTION, 523 Butternut, Holland, Emanuel M. Ortiz PASSION PETAL BOUTIQUE, 4922 S. Division, Kentwood, Jasmine A. Guyton ROCKFORD CONSULTING, 8932 N. Wolven Ridge Court, Rockford, Steven Boyer SONVIEW STUDIO, 7551 Sunview SE, Krystal Kingsley STAMM MANAGEMENT GROUP, 6321 Leheigh Court, Ada, Brad Stamm VICKI’S TAKEOUT, 1041 Grandville SW, Lydia M. Alvarez

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

Health care leaders stress cooperation when region reopens 7 Continued from page 3

SHOOT FOR THE GOAL

Justin always knew that he wanted to be a professional hockey player. But did he have what it takes? Sometimes he wasn’t sure. Still, he decided to work really hard — on the ice and in school — to make his dream come true.

JUSTIN ABDELKADER

fying operations, Kim said. “For Mercy Health Saint Mary’s being a part of Trinity Health, a national system, there are these principles we believe around safety and quality of care that apply everywhere, but because COVID-19 incident rates are so varied across the county, and even within our state, the way we implement them really differs,” Kim said. Kim also wanted to remind business leaders that opening Michigan back up is going to be an iterative approach, and they should continuously modify their operations as they gain more information about working during the pandemic. Mercy Health, for example, has implemented reduced entry points and restrictions on colleagues who are sick. Tina Freese Decker, CEO of Spectrum Health, echoed Hahn and Kim, saying Spectrum has continued to care for non-COVID patients during the pandemic. Spectrum also has more non-COVID patients than patients who have tested positive. Freese Decker said Spectrum has around 650 patients in West Michigan, and about 50 of them have tested positive. “We do continue to screen people to make sure we understand what their symptoms are, and we are applying all of the principles Hyung and Peter mentioned to make sure we’re taking care of our patients in the most effective way.” Preventive measures at Spectrum include hand hygiene, social distancing, employee screening, appropriate PPE depending on the patients being examined, and every patient and employee who comes into a facility is given a mask and asked to use hand sanitizer, she said. Freese Decker added Spectrum has screened 50,000 people and done 10,000 tests, less than 1,000 of which have come back positive, over the past six weeks. “We have capacity to do more,

To shine a light on the need for testing in West Michigan, Kim said, based on the testing that’s already been done, the state of Michigan is about 27% COVID-positive, while West Michigan is about 10% positive. “For us as Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, we would like to take the next step and have the county and the health systems partner to test key populations within our broader community,” Kim said. For example, Mercy Health and Kent County already have started to partner to test the homeless population within the Heartside neighborhood, Kim said. There are other populations “The reason I think we need to do it together is it’s a sizeable number,” Kim said. “It’s just too large of a number for any one health system to do alone.” Funding is another matter. Kim said it costs about $100 to do a single test, and reimbursement doesn’t really cover it, so Kim again proposed a broader community effort to identify funding for more testing.

we just need to get more of the equipment,” Freese Decker said. “As we do that, we’re not only testing the symptomatic, but then those with mild symptoms, and we’re also testing those who come in for surgery to understand how best we can care for them and protect our team members.” Spectrum also has an eye on the potential for individuals who are delaying care, as Hahn and Kim both mentioned. “It’s important that our community knows we are a safe place,” Freese Decker said. “We have stringent cleaning requirements. We understand the PPE that’s required to take care of people … when we call patients to schedule something, we recommend various ways to do so, but we also recommend that they actually do receive treatment.” Spectrum has not seen a decline in cancer treatment since the pandemic, Freese Decker said. The group is currently focused on other diseases like strokes and heart attacks as far as ensuring patients are coming in for treatment.

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Journal goes to biweekly 7 Continued from page 1

than in the old format.

ers for weeks to establish a new schedule. Companies or individuals wishing to purchase advertising in upcoming issues should contact their sales rep for an updated Editorial Calendar, as well as new schedules, ad sizes and pricing information. Incidentally, when the paper stock changes from traditional newsprint to more of a glossy look, advertisements and photographs should have more “pop”

Lists The weekly industry lists that have populated the Journal for decades will continue. With a biweekly format, however, a few will be consolidated or dropped based on space considerations and industry participation patterns. Questions regarding lists can be directed to editorial researcher Danielle Nelson (dnelson@geminipub.com) and she will be happy to help.

Report tracks ‘devastation’ of state’s hospitality industry 7 Continued from page 8 requirements to enable states to quickly and easily participate. Winslow said he is encouraged by early receptivity from Congress regarding the proposals. “The hospitality industry is simply too big to fail in Michigan. Collectively, we are 18,000 private businesses that employ 1 in 8 Michiganders and generate nearly 10% of the state’s revenue (with 16,500 of those establishments being restaurants),” Winslow said. “Restaurants and hotels have been there for Michiganders, providing some of our favorite experiences and best memories. Now, in our time of need, we are calling on elected leaders on both sides of the aisle, in Lansing and in Wash-

ington, D.C., to focus their energy and resources on saving this industry.” Winslow said he believes Congress likely won’t vote on the proposal for at least a month. “There are a lot of unknowns between now and then, and I think it’s incumbent on us as an association and our members to be communicating, to do the grassroots roots work necessary to make sure that they all understand how severe the problem is,” he said. The full MRLA survey report is available at mrla.org. The NRA Blueprint for Recovery can be found at bit.ly/NRAblueprint. Results from a similar national survey by the AHLA are available at bit.ly/AHLAsurvey.

Agency publishes COVID-19 business impact report 7 Continued from page 10 functioning — (they didn’t) really have that much time to connect,” she said. “We’ve talked with over 300 businesses one-on-one (in the past few weeks), just saying, ‘How’s it going? What do you need? What are your challenges?’” Besides the financial piece, businesses are currently questioning whether the consumer products they made and/or sold before the pandemic will be in demand in the new, post-COVID world. While there are no easy answers to that, Owens said there is an encouraging fact: companies in

West Michigan have historically continued to invest in research and development during economic downturns. One example that is currently happening is from DeWys Manufacturing, which created a metal door opener that can be used as a touch-free way to open doors, Owens said. “We think the most important thing is continue to invest in R&D, look at new products, look at new technologies, and don’t pull back on that. Employers can’t go in their shell. They’ve got to look at ways to pivot. And we’ve had a long-term history as a region of doing that. “Once we get past this, I think the future will be bright.”

Street Talk 18 GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL MAY 4, 2020

51 of 51 students would approve On the road. BUSINESS JOURNAL STAFF

arketing majors from two Michigan State University advertising capstone classes recently completed a project to recommend market expansion plans for OrthoDots CLEAR, a Michigan-made product advertised to be a better alternative to commodity dental wax commonly dispensed by orthodontists. The findings from the 51 seniorlevel students, many of whom had undergone orthodontic treatment in the past, revealed parents should be more aware of the quality, safety and regulatory deficiencies of conventional dental wax. The two “Integrated Campaigns” classes grouped in nine different teams, led by MSU Professor Louis Schiavone, recently reported its findings to OrVance. “We enjoyed working with OrVance on this project,” Schiavone said. “Clearly, OrVance has brought to market a meaningful innovation to enhance orthodontic treatment and our students came up with some highly creative approaches that will accelerate acceptance, particularly among moms and children who are undergoing orthodontic treatment.” The common themes that were addressed throughout the nine breakout groups included: •In addition to the superior performance and aesthetic features, OrVance should focus more on educating consumers on the hygienic benefits of OrthoDots CLEAR versus conventional dental wax, which offers patients no hygienic packaging or safety seals.

•OrVance should shift its focus to educate moms, the primary stakeholders, who will ultimately demand compliance with current quality and safety standards within the orthodontic industry. •In addition to heightening awareness for the need for hygienic packaging, especially in the current climate, moms also will appreciate the OrthoDots CLEAR tamper-resistant packaging, the disclosure of ingredients, and the brand’s full compliance with FDA labeling regulations. •The teams recommended OrVance highlight that OrthoDots CLEAR is made in the United States and complies with FDA labeling regulations requiring the disclosure of the product’s origin, whereas a very high percentage of the noncompliant dental wax is being imported, most commonly from China. “Many of these students had personal experience with orthodontic treatment and the deficiencies with dental wax, so we were extremely impressed with the relevant insights and very professional recommendations they offered,” said Ron Schutt, CEO of OrVance. “I’m inspired by the level of professionalism these Spartans brought to this project, especially considering that much of the semester was done remotely during this COVID-19 shutdown.” Jobs jolt Over 30 million Americans have now filed for unemployment as the pandemic closes businesses and keeps consumers from spending. Meanwhile, Challenger Gray &

Christmas’s Job Cuts Report tracks job cuts announced by U.S. employers through state Worker Adjustment & Retraining Act Notices (WARNs), company announcements, media reports and SEC filings. Through April 25, Challenger tracked 429,383 job cuts announced in April — the highest monthly total on record since Challenger began tracking job cuts in January 1993. From mid-March to April 25, U.S. employers have announced plans to cut 542,879 job cuts due to COVID-19, the vast majority in the entertainment/leisure sector, which includes restaurants, bars, hotels and amusement parks. “The next wave of job losses will come from companies that feel the impact of decreased consumer and

business spending. As states attempt to reopen businesses at half capacity and people shun going out until they feel safe, many more businesses will find that financially, layoffs are the next step in survival,” said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president at Challenger Gray. Road wage The Insurance Alliance of Michigan (IAM) applauded Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) last week for releasing an independent report highlighting expected savings from Michigan’s new auto no-fault law, which takes effect July 2. IAM said the report found approved rate filings exceeded the law’s required rate reductions and

COVID CUTS THROUGH APRIL 25 INDUSTRY

MARCH

APRIL

GRAND TOTAL 331,896 24,048 20,171 19,766 19,660 18,814 18,539 17,566 15,571 12,678 7,207 6,367 5,723 5,054 4,209 3,640 3,598 3,058 2,185 1,309 1,224 301 150 118 26 1

Enterainment/Leisure 83.234 Transportation 4,773 Nonprofit 5,314 Automotive 11,991 Aerospace/Defense 2,634 Industrial Goods 4,933 Retail 2,949 Services 8,580 Government 26 Health Care/Products 1,132 Apparel 449 Real Estate 4,592 Technology 1,737 Media 3,054 Energy 3,629 Education 338 Consumer Products 772 Food 1,149 Mining Warehousing 335 Construction 177 Telecommunications Financial Fintech Electronics 26 Legal Pharmaceutical Grand Total 141,844 Source: Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

248,662 19,275 14,875 7,775 17,026 13,881 15,590 8,986 15,545 11,546 6,758 1,775 3,986 2,000 580 3,302 2,826 1,909 2,185 954 1,047 301 150 118

401,035

542,879

VOTING ENDS AUGUST 7, 2020

Winners will be announced in the January 2021 issue of Grand Rapids Magazine!

#bestofgr

Visit grmag.com to cast your votes today!

prove bipartisan auto no-fault reforms passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor continue to bring savings to drivers across Michigan. “This report by the Department of Insurance and Financial Services shows that reforming auto no-fault continues to deliver significant relief for consumers who for too long have been paying some of the highest premiums in the nation,” said Erin McDonough, executive director of IAM. “Michigan’s new auto no-fault law, while not perfect, will finally give drivers a choice in the level of medical coverage they include with their auto insurance and give them more control over how much they can save on their premium while cracking down on fraud and reining in price gouging and massive overcharging by medical providers.” Beginning July 2, drivers will be able to choose between several levels of medical coverage, including: •Unlimited lifetime medical benefits, which is required now •$500,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) •$250,000 in PIP coverage •$50,000 in PIP coverage for those on Medicaid •PIP opt-out for those with Medicare or separate health insurance that covers auto accident-related injuries According to the DIFS report, as of April 24, the initial six filings approved represent a quarter of Michigan’s auto insurance market. IAM said the aggregated data shows the average statewide PIP medical reductions exceeding the statutory requirements as follows: an unlimited amount of PIP coverage with a mandated reduction of at least 10% is saving policy holders an average of 16.5%; the $500,000 PIP limit with at least a 20% reduction is saving 36.3%; the $250,000 PIP limit with at least a 35% reduction saves 41.9%; and a $50,000 PIP limit with at least a 45% reduction saves 54.3% on the average policy.

EENY,

MEENY,

MINY,

SOLD.

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