Grand Rapids Business Journal 12.27.21 by Grand Rapids Business Journal

SOUTH EAST Market looks to 2022.

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DEC 27, 2021 VOL. 39, NO. 26

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

THIS WEEK

ARTISTIC SKILLS MAKE MESSAGE

Sign painting is a front-row seat to what an artist is still capable of creating. Page 7

SBAM score card shows mixed bag Report indicates small business closures and loss of revenue are continuing in Michigan. Rachel Watson

Retailers facing a worker shortage are making hard decisions involving services and hours of operation. Courtesy istock

An array of factors expected to continue into 2022 are causing small businesses in Michigan to lag behind the national recovery, a new report found. The fall edition of the Michigan Entrepreneurship Score Card, published by the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) in conjunction with Michigan Celebrates Small Business, showed while Michigan’s economy has seen “clear and consistent” improvement in 2021, that trend is not representative of the reality being experienced by small busi-

nesses in the state. The 17th annual score card this year included spring and fall editions to analyze the quickly changing economy amid the pandemic. “The story of Michigan’s economic recovery is complicated and changing quickly,” said SBAM President Brian Calley. “While it is great to see consistent overall economic growth, the topline statistics are not necessarily representative of what’s happening with small businesses who have experienced significant closures and lost revenue. New challenges of acute

rwatson@grbj.com

Retail adapts Consumers are spending more time inside stores than in previous years. PAGE 3

Travel bug Travel and tourism may not be fully back until 2023. PAGE 6

FALSE HOPE? Yes, an increase is coming to Social Security benefits, but it may not matter much. Page 8 TAXING WORK CFP advises full review of charitable giving, stock portfolio, and retirement and estate plan. Page 14

workforce shortages, rising costs and supply chain disruptions are hampering the recovery.” The fall score card identified factors that helped and factors that hindered Michigan’s economic rehabilitation, in addition to what the state’s prospects are for a full and robust recovery. Signs of positive improvement include: •Eight months of improved gross domestic product in a row on the Comerica Economic Activity Index •Michigan’s economy improv-

ing at an average pace as compared to most states in 2021, according to the State Coincidence Index of the Philadelphia Reserve Bank The score card showed while Michigan’s recovery is occurring, many industries dominated by small businesses still are struggling. The report showed: •Changing consumer habits drove customers to large online retailers, and long-term closures and restrictions decimated small stores, restaurants and event venues. •A significant permanent shift to remote work left many downtown business districts lagging in their recovery. •Personal consumption expenditures on goods have fully rebounded, but personal expenditures on services remain below pre-pandemic levels. The service industry is dominated by small businesses. •Employers reported significant hardships in staffing their businesses to grow or even remain fully open, as the pandemic seems to have exacerbated a long-term decline in the labor force participation rate. •The Michigan recovery is below the national average in the number of small businesses open and the loss of revenue exCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

The Right Place shares 2022 outlook Economic development agency hosts presentation on 2021 outcomes, predictions for next year. Rachel Watson

rwatson@grbj.com

The Right Place made up for lost time toward its strategic plan goals in 2021, and an analyst predicted a solid 2022 at the organization’s 25th annual Economic Outlook presentation. West Michigan economic development agency The Right Place on Thursday, Dec. 9, hosted

its 2022 Economic Outlook webinar. The event featured a year-inreview and state-of-the-region presentation by The Right Place President and CEO Randy Thelen, as well as an in-depth economic analysis and forecast for 2022-23 by Don Grimes, University of Michigan regional economic specialist. In general, the regional economy is expected to grow in 2022, slowing a little after the second quarter of the year. 2022 will see a decline in the inflation rate, although at a slow pace. Interest rates will go up. Unemployment rates will decline, reaching 2019 levels. Overall, for the state and region, a solid 2022 is expected,

Grimes said. Right Place accomplishments Thelen provided an update on progress toward the organization’s three-year strategic plan goals. As it winds down the second year of the plan, which runs from 2020-22, the organization is on track to exceed all its goals after underperforming on its metrics in 2020 due to pandemic challenges. The full strategic plan is at bit.ly/RPstrategicplan. In 2021, the organization’s work resulted in 1,541 new and retained jobs, $184 million in new and retained payroll, and $286 million in new capital investment. Since the start of the plan in 2020, the organization’s work resulted in 2,494 new and retained

Inside Track ....... 7 Guest Columns.. 10 Young, educated adults

NO RELIEF in sight for home rental rates.

Change-Ups ...... 16 Calendar ........... 16 Public Record .... 17 Street Talk ...... 18

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jobs against a three-year goal of 3,400, now 74% completed; $127 million in new and retained payroll against a three-year goal of $184 million, now 69% completed; and $397 million in new capital investment against a threeyear goal of $500 million, now 79% completed. The organization met with 422 businesses in 2021. Overall, business leaders reported strong confidence in the local economy, and 79% reported increasing sales, 63% reported plans to expand, 59% reported recruiting challenges, 52% are planning to increase investment in training, and 94% said the region’s business comCONTINUED ON PAGE 9

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

South East Market looks to 2022 Grants, funding and partnerships will help boost organization’s mission of food justice next year. Rachel Watson

rwatson@grbj.com

Alita Kelly and Khara DeWit have big plans for their market and related food justice initiatives in 2022. The co-founders of the South East Market are concluding their first calendar year of operations this month and looking back on a year of “beautiful things” that came about, many of which they said will help advance the grocery store’s mission of increasing food justice on Grand Rapids’ southeast side, specifically in the 49507 ZIP code. After a GoKelly FundMe campaign that raised the South East Market’s startup capital, the store opened on Jan. 18, 2021, at 1220 Kalamazoo Ave. SE in

Grand Rapids. Via a business model that, along with regular in-store shopping, offers customers the opportunity to donate funds to bring down the price of goods in the store, as well as buy produce subscriptions or gift them to others, the market offers healthy and culturally appropriate food sourced from diverse growers and vendors to the community through a sustainable and equitable lens. In an email to supporters on Giving Tuesday last month, the co-founders said in 2021, the market: •Worked with over 20 local farms •Worked with over 30 priority vendors, i.e., Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) and/or women-led companies •Delivered over 1,300 orders of free groceries •Made over 2,000 produce subscription bundles •Employed 11 individuals •Diverted over 2,000 pounds of food waste to compost •Served over 100 children in its enrichment programming, the Freedom School •Built a community garden “All the ways we’ve felt love and shared love with our neighbors, farmers, vendors and customers can’t fit in a statistic to understand the reach of the store,”

Kelly and DeWit said in the email, adding in 2021 they were able to “increase access to healthy food for our neighbors, increase support for BIPOC/women, increase visibility and support for local farms and businesses, divert food waste, challenge toxic charity, facilitate positive change in our local food ecosystem, and explore new models for land reparations and urban agriculture.” Kelly started the Freedom School in her home, and after enrollment outgrew that space, she partnered with Duke Turley Jr., of Dreams Take Work, to incorporate it into his regular summer day camp programming at the Martin Luther King Park lodge. His program is supported by the Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department. “(Turley) is a really inspirational, motivational young Black man from this neighborhood who, despite not having any children, has a bleeding heart for the kids,” Kelly said. “They all look up to him, and he has organized this whole camp that he has been doing for a few years at MLK Park. I found out about him just by sending my daughter to the camp, and so we connected that way.” The goal of the South East Market’s Freedom School is to instill holistic healthy habits in children. It includes education

The city of Grand Rapids approved a community garden behind the MLK Park lodge, where children in the Freedom School learned to grow and harvest their own food. Courtesy of Tori Smith

about social movements past and present; mindfulness and kemetic yoga practice taught by Kayla Morgan, of Resilient Roots Yoga; and environmental science, including how to grow food, why it’s important to eat healthy and education about the food system. Kelly received approval from the city of Grand Rapids to build a community garden behind the MLK Park lodge, where children in the Freedom School learned to grow and harvest their own food. The 2021 pilot included six raised beds, with more to be added in

Retailers adapt to new trends Consumers are spending more time inside stores than in previous years. Chelsea Carter

ccarter@grbj.com

Adjusting and adapting seemingly have become the “new normal” for retailers as COVID-19 hasn’t shown much sign of going anywhere anytime soon. Despite stock shortages due to supply chain issues, price increases and difficulty with employee retention on the part of retailers, customers still are shopping — and they are doing so in person. A national survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) indicated 78% of U.S. adults — about 200 million people — shopped or spent money over the Black Friday weekend. Of those shoppers, 61% spent money inside a brick-and-mortar store. Mike Murray, principal and senior vice president of retail for Grand Rapids-based Advantage Commercial Real Estate, said the data indicates a new pattern for the retail industry. “(ICSC) reported that for the first time in years, online retail sales over Black Friday decreased and in-store shopping sales increased,” Murray said. “... So, people are still wanting to get

out and shop.” A trend Murray said has continued over the years is the demand for “Main and Main” retail corridors “right at the heart of retail,” including areas such as the intersections of 28th Street and East Beltline Avenue, Alpine Avenue near I-96, and Rivertown Parkway and Wilson Avenue. “Those areas have continued to stay hot and be very attractive to retailers and restaurants,” he said, noting developers are paying high-ticket prices for these sites. Even if properties do not currently house retail, there seems to be a willingness to redevelop the sites and reuse them strictly for retail purposes. “... They realize that these main retail corridor spots are going to be strong for a long time, so they’re kind of doubling down and buying up some properties and they’re going to redevelop them. … So that’s something exciting that we’re seeing is that people are still willing to invest a lot of money into our market, into these retail corridors, because they’re seeing that the ‘Main and Main’ areas are still very important in our marketplace.” Retailers dubbed non-essential back in 2020 and sellers of automobiles and commodity items like furniture, appliances and clothing still are playing catch-up. “When you go to like a Woodland Mall or even a power center like the Shops at CenterPoint, there were a lot of those retailers

like the TJ Maxxes of the world and Carhartt and Macy’s and all them that were not allowed to be open, and so it’s just this huge upheaval in their supply chain of the products that they got that they couldn’t sell, because they couldn’t be open,” Murray said. “… And so, there’s really a lot of that stuff Murray that got put on the back burner. That’s why there’s so many shortages of everyday items. There’s this shortage around everywhere, I mean, even with automobiles, and so there’s a lot of ripple effects that affect everybody.” With the supply chain not expected to see much relief anytime soon, Shawn O’Brien, vice president and retail land adviser for Colliers, said consumers may have to get used to not always buying their first choice of goods — if they haven’t already. “There was a big push in the home accessories, furniture, home improvements, that kind of thing and all the pandemic did is make that even stronger because so many people spend so much time in their homes and they wanted to make changes,” O’Brien said. “They wanted to make changes because they use their homes differently now,

working from home a significant amount of time. So, there was always a big push and demand in some of those areas, and supply chain was the factor that held things back.” Shoppers everywhere now expect long wait times on ordered items and seeing bare shelves at brick-and-mortar stores doesn’t come as much of a surprise as it once did. O’Brien said from personal experience that he ordered a refrigerator in May of this year and received it in October and added a friend’s experience of only having the option to buy a red truck because it was the only one available on the lot. “I believe that we’re going to see dealerships with a lot less cars and a lot more made to order, and it’s going to plug in that, you know, when you go to get a car, you’re probably not going to walk off the car lot with that car a lot of times unless you’re just shopping for a used car. It’s changed the outlook and the retailers and manufacturers are kind of looking at it as, OK, how can we make this a better change for our business model?” O’Brien said there is national pressure in the commodity retail space to move out of older-concept, big-box stores in enclosed malls. Stores like JCPenney and Macy’s that once were primary traffic drivers filled with commodity clothing and goods likeCONTINUED ON PAGE 13

2022. The Freedom School continued into the fall as part of the Baxter Community Center afterschool program. Also in 2021, the market landed, in tandem with the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC), an approximately $127,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) planning grant to support innovation in urban agriculture, which will help South East Market grow the Freedom School next year and build out a business plan for an urban CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

No relief in sight for home rental rates Builders can’t keep pace with demand for new homes so rental rates balloon. Danielle Nelson

dnelson@grbj.com

The upward trend in home rental prices is expected to continue in 2022. Rental costs have continually increased over the past few years and John Bitely, president of Sable Homes, said there are no signs of it stabilizing or declining. “I currently don’t see any end to the increase in the rental rates for West Michigan,” he said. “The main reason is that we as builders and developers cannot supply enough new homes at the price point that is the most needed.” CoreLogic, a global property information, analytics and data solutions provider, released its national Single-Family Rent Index for September 2021 and it revealed a national rent increase of 10.2% year-over-year. That is up from a 2.6% year-over-year increase in September 2020. There are several reasons why rent prices have been increasing CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

Health systems grapple with COVID-19 and ripple effect Treatment for patients with the virus is putting other procedures on hold. Chelsea Carter

ccarter@grbj.com

West Michigan health systems are feeling the pressure of rising COVID-19 rates in the region. Spectrum Health, University of Michigan Health-West and

Mercy Health Saint Mary’s earlier this month provided an overview of the region’s response. Representatives from the health systems included Dr. Darryl Elmouchi, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan; Dr. Peter Hahn, president and CEO of University of Michigan HealthWest; and Dr. Matt Biersack, president and chief medical officer of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s. Elmouchi said Spectrum was reaching record numbers of COVID-19 patients on Dec. 3, with

inpatient and intensive care unit numbers beyond capacity limits. The number at that time was 455 patients. As of Dec. 16, the number had risen to 479 patients COVID cases, including 129 adult and six child ICU patients. Elmouchi On that same date, Spectrum

Health’s COVID-19 dashboard showed a 19.8% lab testing positivity rate for the virus. “This is unprecedented here in West Michigan with this high volume of testing, and this is really driving future infections, future hospitalizations and unfortunately, future deaths,” Elmouchi said. Biersack echoed similar sentiments in regard to hospital occupancy causing major strains on Saint Mary’s staff. As of Dec. 3, the hospital was at 98% total capacity and 100% ICU capacity, with

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IN THE LAST CENTURY, the process of how food arrives to our tables has become increasingly impersonal. Our grandparents likely knew the farmer who grew their vegetables and raised their poultry, but today we probably don’t. In some cases, we aren’t even doing our own shopping, let alone engaging with the producers of the goods that go into our grocery bags. That disconnect has a number of repercussions on farmers, on animals, on the environment, and on our own health. Farmer Focus aims to change that. When Corwin Heatwole, founding farmer and CEO of Farmer Focus, first envisioned a different model of chicken farming, his priority was improving the lives and livelihood of generational chicken farmers. A sixthgeneration chicken farmer himself, Heatwole was keenly aware that his own farm wasn’t financially sustainable enough to pass down to his children, so he began seeking a solution. After talking with other farmers, he concluded that upending the traditional “integrator model” and giving farmers ownership of their birds and decision-making power on their farms would make the greatest impact. While the traditional model employed by larger poultry producers is to maintain ownership of the chickens and feed, Farmer Focus farming partners own everything on their farms. For these farmers, that means alleviating much of the financial toll of market fluctuations and competition, and it also affords them more control and nets them higher pay for their products — 25 to 35 percent more, on average. Farmer Focus guarantees its farmers a fair market price. “Our mission is to promote and protect generational family farming,” Heatwole says. “We’re the fastest-growing organic chicken brand in the country, and we’ve achieved that because farmers want to partner with us and our customers are invested in our mission.” In addition to economic factors, the Farmer Focus model allows farmers to be more invested in the process. They typically don’t just meet the third-party standards required of them — such as non-GMO, 100 percent organic, and Humane Certified — they often exceed them. Many Farmer Focus farmers feel empowered to use sustainable and regenerative farming methods to improve animal welfare while creating greater efficiencies.

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internal case positivity rates continuing to climb. “We’re also seeing that the health care workforce as a whole is contracted. There’s national data that suggests that maybe up to 100,000 have left the workforce and among them are some of our more experienced clinicians. … And acuity is so much higher, we actually had to have an additional fleet of ventilators arriving (Dec. 3) to support the demands in our ICU,” he said. Biersack said the onslaught of COVID cases has a ripple effect: Previously scheduled surgeries are delayed and visitation rules for the entire hospital have changed. “And I think the worst impact that we’ve seen from this pandemic has just been on our health care workers. Our staff are tired. I know they are at all of our health systems. They’re desperate for a reprieve from the pandemic,” he said. Hahn said UM Health-West has been operating at capacity for three months, and is, on average, at 90% of its staffed bed capacity and carrying its highest COVID inpatient census numbers to date. “So, this is absolutely, I think, a time of reckoning for health care, especially on the hospital side,” he said. “This prolonged delta surge combined with, you know, staffing shortages, exhaustion, it’s a very difficult time. And yet I think we all hold the line for the community.” According to Hahn, the bulk of COVID patients in critical care and on ventilators are Hahn unvaccinated and have a very long length of stay, often over two weeks, causing difficulty in terms of flow within the hospital. In the last two weeks of November, for example, UM Health-West delayed or canceled 70 “very important” procedures and put more emphasis on outpatient care due to lack of beds and staffing, according to Hahn. “... And obviously the vast majority of admitted COVID patients are unvaccinated. Over 90% of our patients who are on ventilators are unvaccinated, and if they’re vaccinated, what we’re seeing is these are elderly folks with multiple, multiple comorbidities,” he said. “…This is also affecting our emergency room where, on average, there can be a three-hour wait (and) sometimes up to a six-hour wait. And then on the other side of that, we’re having difficulty getting patients to short-term nursing facilities because of their own staffing issues, transportation issues, etc.” All West Michigan health system representatives offered similar pleas to the community to do their part to ease the burden on health systems, and to remain vigilant on safety guidance and get vaccinated. “Maybe before I start talking specifically about vaccines, I might put a little ‘why’ out there, CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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March 10th, 2022

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

Travel and tourism industry expects rebound in 2022 It may be 2023 before region begins breaking records again. Rachel Watson

rwatson@grbj.com

Travel and tourism in West Michigan will continue its upward trajectory in 2022 as it rebounds from the pandemic. Tory Richardson, president and CEO of Gerald Ford International Airport (GFIA), said he is optimistic that by the end of 2022, the airport will reach a point where it will be close to record-breaking growth in terms of travel numbers. “We had seven consecutive years of growth, record-breaking growth up until 2019,” he said. “That was our best year ever and that was on top of six other consecutive years of the best year ever. It was a pretty healthy trajectory, and we think that we are going to get pretty close to that at the end of next year and into what we consider is going to be growth going forward.” The Grand Rapids Business Journal reported that in 2019, 3,587,767 passengers flew in and out of GFIA. That was an increase of 9.88% from 2018. The steady increase in passenger travel started in 2013 when 2,237,979 passengers traveled in and out of the airport.

In April 2020, the airport saw more than a 96% drop in airport travel. Richardson said he expects to see between 81% and 82% of the pre pandemic number of people traveling through the airport this year. From January to November 2020, there were 1,615,006 passengers who flew in and out of the airport. During the same period this year, January to November 2021, there were 2,641, 866 passengers traveling in and out of GFIA. As the number of travelers increases, the type of travelers has changed. Richardson said leisure passenger traffic has increased.

“We were averaging 80% occupancy over Friday and Saturday nights during the summertime, with the majority of that being leisure business.” Doug Small He said while the number of business travelers is recovering, it’s not at the level prior to the pandemic. Richardson said approximately 60% of travelers at the airport were business travelers prior to the pandemic. Now, however, he estimates 80% of travelers are lei-

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sure travelers. Richardson acknowledged his estimation is anecdotal. He said he used to be able to differentiate business and leisure travelers by the way they purchased their tickets, but that, too, has changed. He based his estimation on what he sees when he is walking through the terminals. He said he sees more people traveling in groups and going to “fun destinations” with friends and family as opposed to people who are traveling alone, carrying a briefcase, and wearing clothing with their company’s name. “We are still missing a portion of our traffic mix,” he said. “I think some of those people opted to work remote and by working remote, you can either do that from your home here in West Michigan during the winter or go somewhere where it is sunny and warm and work from the beach or on the patio down south somewhere. So, we saw what would be business travelers convert to a leisure market traveler because they could do that and do their work from those locations, so they kind of converted to a leisure traveler as opposed to a business traveler. “I don’t think we’ll see the business traffic come back exactly the way it was pre-pandemic, but I do think we’ll see more of a business market mix come back once everyone is back in their offices and working more consistently from an office. It will not be

Gerald R. Ford International Airport experienced record-breaking travel numbers through 2019. Then the bottom dropped out during the pandemic. Courtesy of Haley Abbas

the same. It will not be a 100% of what it was before. I think technology has come a long way and people have found ways to make that technology be a tool that works for them, but there is still business development and creating new relationships that will have to happen with social interaction and networking, meaning people needing to connect in person as opposed to via Zoom.” The increase in leisure travelers also is notable to Doug Small, president of Experience Grand Rapids, an organization that mar-

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kets Grand Rapids as a visitor destination. Experience GR tracks the travel activities of different types of people who visit Grand Rapids, which includes leisure travelers, group travelers and corporate travelers. Small said March was the first month since the pandemic began that his organization saw hotel occupancy rates in Kent County exceed 2020 pandemic rates. “We were averaging 80% occupancy over Friday and Saturday nights during the summertime, with the majority of that being leisure business,” he said. “That compared favorably to what 2019 showed us. In fact, we had a couple weekend nights during the summer when we had 90% occupancy throughout the county. There are 10,300 hotel rooms in the county and so to us, the leisure business was back to what it was pre-pandemic.” While leisure business increases, Small said corporate transient business continues to “hold us down and not get us all the way back.” Although the organization does not track the number of different types of travelers, he said he believes that corporate travel is down approximately 50%. Small estimates group travelers are about 58% to 60% of what they were pre-pandemic because groups canceled or rescheduled the events they had planned in 2020 and 2021. “I think leisure will continue to be strong going in next year” he said. “I think we are going to see groups finally start to come back. By the end of 2022, we are predicting that we still will not be at 2019 numbers, but I think by 2023, we can be back to full. I think the last thing to come back, and may not ever come back fully, is that individual corporate traveler. I think a lot of corporations learned that they could do business online. This is just my own opinion, but I hope and think this will be fairly short-lived. At some point corporations will figure out that face-to-face contact wins business and it will come back. When that will come back, I don’t know, maybe 2025, but corporate transient will be the last segment of our business to come back.”

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

INSIDE TRACK

DECEMBER 27, 2021

McLemore’s artistic skills make messages pop In a world of computer-generated images, sign painting is a front-row seat to what an artist is still capable of creating. Paul R. Kopenkoskey

Special to the Business Journal

ost artists’ handiwork is displayed in art galleries or at private viewings. Randy McLemore’s craftsmanship can be viewed along highways, sidewalks, storefront windows, interior signs and more. Four years ago, McLemore launched his Grand Rapids-based Flourish! Sign Painter, putting his visual know-how to effective use thanks in part to the graphic design degree he earned from Western Michigan University in 1989, where he learned how to make visual communication clear, concise and aesthetically pleasing. Following college, McLemore worked stints in computer graphics for a number of eclectic nonprofit and for-profit organizations including Grand Rapids First Church in Wyoming; Barfuss Creative Services; Grand Rapids Community College; and Flashes of Allegan. He ultimately concluded working in advertising wasn’t for him. “I found out I don’t want to try to manipulate people, thinking about something that may not be necessary for them,” McLemore said. McLemore took a 21-year detour from visual communication, working as a crew leader for All Gutter Systems; conductor and then engineer for CSX Railroad; owning and operating his own gutter business; then selling Little Giant Ladders, barbecue grills, cutlery and roofing products. Working those varied jobs provided McLemore with additional skillsets in carpentry, mechanical drawing and sales acumen that he uses for his Flourish! business. “Those jobs have given me the ability to work with customers, to show them what is meaningful and what’s not meaningful in a sign,” McLemore said. “Typography, words and spacing are important to me.” Hitting the pavement to introduce himself to potential clients is his primary method of finding work, although his Instagram handle, @flourish_sign_painter, also

generates work. Amid the glow of neon and LED signs that dot a city’s landscape, McLemore has discovered there’s still elbowroom for a sign painter. McLemore takes weather-beaten signage on walls, awnings, billboards and the like and, using a brush, paint, handmade patterns and other equipment, restores or creates custom signs for his clients. When he’s done, the business signs pop and thus draw attention. Some signs are intentionally temporary, such as chalkboard A-frame signs that promote a limited-time product or service. Typically, images and lettering are painted by hand, requiring several kinds of brushes and specific colors to customize each sign according to specifications. In a world of computer-generated images, sign painting is a front-row seat to what an artist is still capable of creating. “You can actually see my brush strokes with my work,” McLemore said. Then there’s the gold-leaf lettering he does for doors and windows that involves using extremely thin sheets of gold that’s used for gilding, but it also can include using copper, silver and aluminum. “Usually, a business that applies gold leafing signifies a higher standard: a jewelry store, a law office or a doctor’s office, some of the higher-end professionals because it has that prestige associated with it,” McLemore said. No two signs are alike, a diversity McLemore relishes, but he keeps in mind a good business sign shares common goals amid a clog of signs attempting to draw the same passersby’s attention. “No sign job is exactly the same, I found out,” McLemore said. “There’s no template. Every business is different. But the principle needs to be the same: good design. It needs to be legible and clear, and it needs to communicate.” Some signs need a major facelift. A large-scale project McLemore completed is a once-weather-beaten billboard on the corner of West Chestnut and Blue Star

RANDY MCLEMORE Company/organization: Flourish! Sign Painter Position: Owner-operator, sign painter Age: 60 Birthplace: Grand Rapids Residence: Grand Rapids Family: Wife Colleen, six adult children, two grandchildren Business/community involvement: 12-string acoustic guitarist for traditional Irish folk band Biggest career break: “I was contracted to do mural in Hudsonville and from that job, the chief architect contacted me for the Ada redevelopment to do a ghost sign. It gave me more visibility and prestige for what I’m doing today.”

Randy McLemore’s hand-painted signs add a certain flair to today’s cluster of neon and LED messages. Courtesy of Randy McLemore

Highway in the Saugatuck-Douglas area that for over 30 years promoted Star of Saugatuck paddle wheel boat pleasure cruises. The board needed a long-overdue facelift. Lichen and moss had invaded the signboard’s face, which was removed, and new 6-by-4-foot wood braces were installed to support it to its proper 90-degree perpendicular position. It was then repainted with oilbased paints and lettering enamels. The layout changed somewhat as the owners wanted to omit some information and add some new. But the classic three-quarters view of the paddle wheel boat with its unmistakable stern wheel remain as the prominent feature of the sign. “The most challenging part was, at first, making sure the thing didn’t fall over when I began to straighten it up because the old posts were pretty much rotted through, and then the painting of the paddle wheel,” McLemore said. “I wanted to get that right with the proper perspective and correct positioning. There were so many crisscrossing lines and circles overlapping one another that I almost went cross-eyed trying to paint it.” McLemore recently refabricated Kutsche’s Hardware’s iconic key lock sign on Leonard Street NW. McLemore discovered Kutsche’s sign needed more than a new paint job. After getting the sign down to bare metal, McLemore discovered the lower portion of the metal sign was repaired with fiberglass. McLemore replaced that material with galvanized

sheet metal, thus refabricating that portion of the sign and restoring it to its original condition. “I had to refabricate the part that was rusted out and had to do some traditional metal work, tin smithing where my previous gutter business came in where I knew how to prepare the metal, knew how to solder it. I knew how to cut it and make the tabs fold under,” McLemore said. “It needed a drainage area, so I had to make sure it was open and accessible and still looked aesthetically correct and functional.” McLemore keeps an eye on sign restoration trends, including ghost signage — whereby it intentionally looks weather-faded. Such a sign took center-stage for the $13 million redevelopment at the 21-acre downtown area in Ada Village where the retail stores have vintage facades. McLemore employed a dry brush technique that involves painting onto the brick wall but not saturating the area of the sign with paint, intentionally creating an old and weathered look as if it had been there for many years. The name of his company, Flourish! Sign Painter, germinated from a Psalm in the Old Testament that affirms those planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish. That passage sparked his imagination and formulated a business model. “As I contemplated my next career path, I wanted to go back to my roots, so I took that word (flourish) and was thinking about what I was going to call this new entity and there’s the flourish

that’s with the graphic element and penmanship and a dance or movement element and a part of speech,” McLemore said. “It has a dual meaning that would also speak to my business and also speak to your business. If you hire my company, you will flourish.” On his bucket list is to travel to Europe some day, specifically the British Isles, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, as well as the Maritime Provinces in eastern Canada where he has ancestral ties. “It’s where my grandma’s side came from and settled in the 1700s in the New Brunswick area and then moved to Toronto and then immigrated to Michigan,” McLemore said. McLemore’s first job was when at 14 he worked the summer months as a carhop for Cook’s Hot Dog stand. “It was an uncommon job for a male,” McLemore said. “I learned how to keep on eye on a fellow employee who was stealing tips from my tray. I learned to save money because I wanted to buy a pair of Adidas shoes and a pair of Levi’s at Rogers Plaza at The Levi’s Loft. That’s where the cool kids went.” With a growing list of satisfied customers and a flow of new work in the pipeline, McLemore said he’s at a point in his life where he can keep the wolf from the door and gratify his creative soul. “If I can convey an idea crisply, cleanly, aesthetically pleasing, well laid out with as little frills as possible, I like that,” McLemore said. “A business with no sign is a sign of no business.”

DECEMBER 27, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Social Security Administration plans benefit changes for 2022 Recipients can expect an increase due to pandemic, inflation. Chelsea Carter

ccarter@grbj.com

In 2021, Americans experienced the highest spike in inflation in three decades, as measured by the Consumer Price Index. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the all-items inflation index rose 6.8% for the 12 months ending in November 2021, demonstrating the largest 12-month increase since the period ending in June of 1982. Noting these drastic inflation changes and in preparation for what 2022 would bring, the Social Security Administration issued a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in October that will impact more than 70 million Americans. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will increase by 5.9% beginning in January 2022, with benefits payable to more than 64 million Social Security beneficiaries. Additionally, approximately 8 million SSI beneficiaries will see increased payments beginning on Dec. 30, 2021, to accommodate the sharp inflation increase. Additional changes include an increased limit on taxed wages in 2022, an increased earnings limit for workers who are younger than “full” retirement age, as well as the first extension to full retire-

ment age since changes were last enacted in 1983. Lisa Hojnacki, participant services coordinator/team lead for Green Leaf Trust’s retirement plan services division, said the monthly increase for SSI benefits are due to near-term inflation as a result of the pandemic. “As costs have gone up, Social Security benefits are also increasing, (and) retirees are expected to see about 92 extra dollars per month (compared to 2021). So that’s a big increase, but the reality is, the cost of inflation of commodities and also Medicare Part B premiums will likely eat up a lot of that increase in benefits,” she said. While Social Security beneficiaries may initially be excited about the increase, Hojnacki suggests caution, noting the cost of goods and services including insurance premiums also are on the rise for seniors or those in retirement age. “So, while their monthly benefits are going up from Social Security, their insurance premiums are also increasing. In addition to health care insurance premiums increasing, so are regular goods, commodities like meat, gas and home heating, … fruits and vegetables and things like that. Those increased benefits are likely to not necessarily lead to a more comfortable lifestyle for seniors, just to probably maintain the lifestyle that they have.” Hojnacki said changes to Social Security benefits for the com-

ing year are both significant and rather abnormal, noting a combination of the pandemic and the growing wealth gap in the United States as primary drivers. According to a Social Security news release, other annual adjustments that take effect each January are based on average wage increases. Because of the 2021 increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax, or taxable maximum, will increase from $142,800 to $147,000. “So that means that those earning higher income will pay Social Security taxes on $4,200 more of income than they did in 2021,” she said. The Social Security Administration also will increase the earnings limit for workers who are younger than “full” retirement age from $18,960 to $19,560, with a deduction of $1 from benefits for each $2 earned over $19,560. Full retirement age is between 66 and 67, based on the year a person was born. Similarly, the earnings limit for those reaching full retirement age in 2022 also will increase from $50,520 to $51,960, as the SSA will deduct $1 from benefits for each $3 earned over $51,960 until the month the Hojnacki worker reach-

es full retirement age. For those workers who are full retirement age or older for the entire year, there is no limit on earnings. Hojnacki said the fourth major change on the administration side of Social Security includes a move to “full retirement age,” the first move of its kind in nearly four decades. According to ssa.gov, the nor-

“So, while their monthly benefits are going up from Social Security, their insurance premiums are also increasing.” Lisa Hojnacki mal retirement age (NRA) is the age at which retirement benefits (before rounding) are equal to the “primary insurance amount,” or PIA. The website explains PIA as the benefit a person would receive if they elect to begin receiving retirement benefits at their normal retirement age, at which point the benefit is neither reduced for early retirement nor increased for delayed retirement. Specific, individual retirement age can be calculated on SSA’s website. “Full retirement age is moving and it’s being extended, so full retirement age will be going up, that’s something for folks to keep an eye on. And right now, for most Americans, it’s age 66

and it’s moving back a little bit so that for those turning 66 in 2022, their full retirement age is being pushed back by two months, potentially, just depending on when that falls for them.” Hojnacki said the full retirement age up until 2022 was 66 and two months, with the age being pushed back to 66 and four months in the coming year and ultimately delaying benefits for some incoming beneficiaries by a few months. “Again, something to just keep an eye on as far as when you can start receiving that full benefit,” she said. Beyond 2022, legislators have begun to explore avenues to address the predicted depletion of Social Security benefits by 2038 through the recent proposal of House Bill 5723. “There’s a lot being proposed in this bill that would affect Social Security and also is an attempt to reduce the wage gap,” she said. As beneficiaries seek to navigate the changes coming in 2022, Hojnacki suggests making use of the Social Security Administration’s set of online resources. “The Social Security Administration has really great online tools. So, making sure that you create your online profile and pay attention to what they’re offering with their online tools, because that will give people the best, most informed, personal benefit experience that they can have.” Additional information is available at ssa.gov.

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

SBAM score card shows mixed bag for 2022 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

perienced by small businesses as compared to the year before the pandemic. •Rising costs are squeezing margins for small businesses, and supply chain disruptions are presenting challenges to economic recovery. Calley said the top concern he has been hearing from small businesses has been staffing shortages, which is worrisome because the labor force participation rate does not historically snap back as quickly as other economic indicators following a downturn. “The decline that we’re feeling today has been 20 years in the making,” he said. “Before the 2001 recession, labor force participation was more like 67-plus percent. It dropped down last year extraordinarily low (to just over 60%), then popped back up, but instead of getting back up to 64% or 65%, like it was pre-pandemic recession, it has only gotten back up to

about 61.7%. … History tells us that a growing economy does not solve the labor force participation rate problem that we find ourselves facing today.” He said this reality forces small businesses, particularly in the service sector, to make tough choices, such as limiting hours and days of operation while still having to pay fixed real estate and equipment costs; training workers to new levels of productivity; adding self-checkouts at grocery stores and iPad ordering systems at restaurants (or eliminating table service and switching to bar or counter service) — all so that the business can run with fewer workers. Changing consumer behavior regarding the shift to online shopping means small businesses that may not previously have done online sales have to enter the e-commerce realm — a very noisy and overwhelming place — to compete. “Even though most retail businesses do have and have had an

online procurement and order fulfillment system, the presence online is what is impossible for some smaller businesses to compete in without using somebody else’s platform,” Calley said. “There are certain stores that cater to office worker traffic, and that’s their market and their exposure, is the fact that they’re physically located in a place that is within the literal eyesight or within the purview of thousands of office workers. Overnight, the office worker habits, in terms of where and how they’re working, changes, and markets literally move from downtown areas to suburban areas.” He said it wasn’t easy for them to recover sales to that lost demographic, because being found online requires a new skill set and new level of resources. “Somebody can’t just throw up a website and have anybody online find them. When you search for things, a lot of the big, dominant, giant online retailers, they create and buy a presence that is liter-

ally not possible for most small businesses to replicate or compete with,” he said. “Either they have to sell through somebody else’s network and give them a piece, or there are some brands that are just strong brands with a loyal following, Calley and people seek them out.” Calley said some types of retail businesses are more impacted by this changing consumer behavior than others, but there will always be a segment of the consumer population that prefers to touch, feel and experience items before they buy. “That market, I think they’ll always be served, but it’s hard for me to imagine the proportion of online procurement getting smaller anytime in the foreseeable future,”

he said. Calley noted some large retailers like Meijer are providing a place for locally owned small businesses to sell their goods, which helps provide more sales channels. “I think the market is going to find its way to a new equilibrium. Some consumer habits won’t change back, and they don’t necessarily have to, but there will definitely be winners and losers in the mix of where things settle,” he said. “One thing I know about entrepreneurs is as long as they know the rules of the game, they’ll innovate, and they’ll find their new place in it. Where I draw my confidence is that while some industries are going to be irreparably damaged by the permanent changes in the pandemic, there are many entrepreneurs that are also going to take advantage of the situation to build a better mouse trap.” The full score card report is available to download at sbam.org/ scorecard.

The Right Place shares 2022 economic outlook CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

petitiveness was “very good” or “good.” “Now, two years into our threeyear cycle, we’re ahead of plan because of the great performance of the team and frankly, the great performance of our regional economy over the past year,” Thelen said in an interview with the Business Journal after the presentation. “We had a lot of pent-up demand, and decisions that were put off in 2020 took place this year, which was great, and then some companies started to recognize that when things are cloudy and the economy is not certain, it actually is an interesting time to invest, because you can then separate, distinguish, differentiate from your competitors and come out of this cloudy economy a bit faster. And we saw a number of businesses do just that.” Thelen touted The Right Place’s work facilitating West Michigan expansions and investments in 2021, including: •Cleveland, Ohio, tech company MCPc’s $2.8 million investment in Madison Square, where it will open a new facility in mid2022 that is expected to bring 75 to 100 jobs to the area •Autocam Medical breaking ground on a $60 million, threeyear expansion of its global headquarters and manufacturing footprint in Kentwood •Aerospace and defense manufacturer L3Harris spending $2.58 million to expand in Cascade Township in a move expected to create 50 jobs •BAMF Health building its new radiopharmacy and theranostics clinic headquarters on Medical Mile in Grand Rapids •Sparta-based Speedrack planning a $65 million expansion in Walker, bringing over 160 jobs to the area

The Right Place also assisted Comstock Park-based electronic and autonomous vehicle solutions provider Gen3 Defense & Aerospace and Grand Rapids-based pump and gas compressor manufacturer Blackmer with expansions totaling $15.5 million that are expected to create 319 jobs. With all the growth and new jobs coming to the region, historically low labor force participation rates present a big challenge, Thelen said. Three out of five companies in the region reported struggling to fill jobs as the labor force participation rate fell 3.2 percentage points, from 66% in February 2020 to 62.8% in September 2021. The region had nearly 8,000 more unemployed workers in September 2021 than it did in February 2020, Thelen said, with 65,000 people not currently in the workforce. At the same time, companies in the region posted an average of 51,330 job openings per month in 2021. “We know there are reasons why people are not running back into work, but as companies make their decisions about where to grow, where to invest … over all of 2022, frankly, we’re going to need to find ways to invite those folks back into the workforce and engage them,” Thelen said. “The workforce is there; we’ve got to find a way to get them back.” Industrial vacancies are at a worrisome 1.69%, or about 2 million square feet of vacancy, which “in the grand scheme of things, that’s zero,” Thelen said. He said The Right Place in 2022 will prioritize helping companies attain site readiness to increase the industrial vacancy rate so the region can become more competitive to companies looking to invest here. Other focus areas for The Right Place as it continues its strategic

plan will be talent and diversity, regional technology strategy, Industry 4.0/5.0 readiness and growth, and placemaking, especially considering Michigan’s aging workforce and declining population of people under age 18. “We recognize placemaking and enhancing quality of life is critical to our region’s long-term economic success, especially in a remote work or work-fromhome environment where people can and are choosing to live anywhere,” Thelen said. “… Downtown Grand Rapids has done incredible things over the past 20 years and really has become a great urban market. We need to continue to see that throughout the region, so that if somebody wants to come to West Michigan and enjoy an urban lifestyle, they can do so. If they want to come and enjoy a rural or suburban lifestyle, they can do so. We need to be able to show to newcomers that we have everything that they’re looking for. We might not be Chicago, where you have five of everything, but certainly in greater Grand Rapids, we should have one of everything.” Economic outlook summary Grimes provided a 2022-23 economic forecast. “The economic outlook and the current economic conditions are good. That may seem a bit insensitive when we’ve got over 1,000 people a day dying from COVID in the United States, and we’ve got record caseloads in Michigan and hospitals are full of patients. I’m very cognizant of the fact that, for a lot of people, things are not good, but I’m here to talk about the economy, and the economy, in general, is in pretty good shape right now,” Grimes said. He added for the general population, as well as for The Federal Reserve and policymakers, infla-

tion is one of today’s top concerns. Two of the major drivers are supply chain shortages and the price of oil, the latter of which is easing. To manage inflation, the Fed is expected to raise short-term interest rates, which had been held near zero during the pandemic to stimulate the economy, gradually up to about 1.3% between now and 2023. In addition, conventional mortgage interest rates are expected to go up from about 3.2% today to about 4% by the end of 2023. West Michigan’s share of the state’s payroll employment growth continues to outpace its share of the state’s population, and while the eight-county region’s real personal income growth has matched the state’s since 2007-08, the average real wage of West Michiganders lags behind the statewide average, at $54,000 per year versus about $59,000 per year. Grimes’ outlook also included the following takeaways: •U.S. gross domestic product in the third quarter of this year was 1.4% higher than the pre-pandemic peak in the fourth quarter of 2019. •The unemployment rate in the U.S. (4.2% in November) is less than 1 percentage point higher than the pre-pandemic low. (The unemployment rate measures the share of workers in the labor force who do not currently have a job but are actively looking for work, according to The Economic Policy Institute.) •In Michigan, the unemployment rate (6.1% in October due to new methodology but actually lower) is a little over 2 percentage points higher than the pre-pandemic low. •A qualifier is that the pre-pandemic unemployment rate in the U.S. was the lowest since 1969. In fact, the U.S. unemployment rate today is lower than it was in any

month between March 1970 and February 1999 and for any month between March 2001 and August 2017. Therefore, the U.S. unemployment rate today is very low by historical standards. The unemployment rate in Michigan also is low by historical standards, but monthly levels below the current value are not as rare. •The average net worth of American households, adjusted for inflation, increased 17.5% from the fourth quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021. The percentage increase in the net worth of the poorest 50% of households was greater than for the richest 1% of households, although in dollar terms, the increase in net worth was much less for poorer households. •Where the economy is falling short is in the number of jobs and the number of people in the labor force. In the U.S., there are 2.6% fewer jobs today than there were in February 2020, and in Michigan, there are 5.1% fewer jobs than in February 2020. The unemployment rate would be much higher except for the fact many of the formerly employed workers have dropped out of the labor force, which is down by 1.5% in the U.S. and 3.4% in Michigan since February 2020. •The imbalance between demand, which is higher than before the pandemic, and supply, especially labor supply, which is lower than it was before the pandemic, is generating price increases. Consumer prices in the U.S. were 6.2% higher in October than a year earlier and 9.8% higher in November, and prices in Michigan, measured by the Detroit Consumer Price Index, are 5.5% higher in October, the latest month for which numbers were available at press time. Price inflation is expected to fall to about 2.5% annually in 2022 and 2023.

DECEMBER 27, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

COMMENT & OPINION

GUEST COLUMN Lou Glazer

Michigan does not have enough young, educated adults

or years we ended our presentations with a slide that said, “Either Michigan gets younger and better educated or we will get poorer.” Younger meant a place where Michigan was retaining those who grew up here and attracting mobile young talent from any place on the planet. And better educated primarily meant increasing the proportion of adults — particularly young adults — who had a four-year degree or more. We did neither and we did get poorer. We fell from attaining 99% of the national per-capita income in 2000 to 90% in 2020. This dropped us from 18th in per-capita income to 33rd in 20 years. If Michigan had just stayed at the 99% mark, it would have meant another $5,656 in income per person in 2020. Maybe more concerning is this from a 2020 Automotive News article: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe “believes California is a cool place to be and Detroit has an old technology image,” a former Rivian executive told Automotive News. “He thinks California represents tomorrow and Detroit is all about yesterday.” I’m pretty sure when he references Detroit, he’s talking about the entire region and the automotive industry, not just the city. Another way of saying this is California is young, Michigan is old. Yes, old means the average age of residents, but it’s more about our communities and economy. Michigan is over-concentrated in neighborhoods of drivable suburbanism and under-concentrated in neighborhoods of walkable urbanism.

The state’s economy is over-concentrated in declining sectors and under-concentrated in the growing, high-wage, knowledge-based sectors. Michigan’s fundamental economic problem is that we do not have enough young adults — new entrants into the labor market — to replace retiring baby boomers. And of the young adults we do have, too few are high-skilled and too many lack four-year degrees. Using the Rivian CEO’s framing that California represents tomorrow, here is what the ratio of 20-to-29-year-olds compared to 55-to-64-year-olds looks like: in the United States, it’s plus-4.3%; in California, it’s plus-15.9%; in Michigan it’s minus-2%. If Michigan had the same ratio as the U.S., there would be 85,000 more 20-to-29-year-olds in Michigan today. If we had the same ratio as California, there would be 243,000 more 20-to-29-year-olds in Michigan today. In terms of young adults with a four-year degree or more in 2019, 37.1% of the nation’s 25-to44-year-olds had a B.A. or more. By comparison, California was at 38.2% and Michigan was at 34.4%. Michigan ranked 31st nationally. What is particularly worrisome is Michigan was doing worse on both measures in 2020 compared to 2010, which is commonly referred to the end of the so-called “lost decade.” In 2010, Michigan’s 20-29 vs. 55-64 age ratio was 100%; in 2020, it was 98%. In terms of 25-44 with a four-year degree or more, Michigan trailed

the nation in 2010 by 2.2 percentage points compared to 2.7 percentage points in 2019. If these realities don’t change, the state’s economy cannot grow much. Not having enough young adults is the path to slow growth. Not having enough young talent is the path to low prosperity. More than two decades of research has taught us one funda-

mental lesson: Talent equals economic growth. Michael Bloomberg, at the time the mayor of New York City, got it right when he wrote in a Financial Times column: “Many newly successful cities on the global stage — such as Shenzhen and Dubai — have sought to make themselves atCONTINUED ON PAGE 15

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usinesses must constantly earn the trust of their customers or risk losing them. Solving past problems doesn’t guarantee the ability to solve future problems. The only guarantee is that your customers will become more open to those with other solutions if they no longer feel you’re up to the task. Op-eds — shorthand for opinion columns that once ran opposite a newspaper’s editorial page — offer an incredible opportunity to demonstrate your value. You can present a compelling case to your customers as to why they should trust you with their scarce dollars and not your latest and greatest competitor. How to begin? Find your compelling argument, the reason for writing your piece. Start with your idea and connect it to a current news event if possible. For example, say a national crisis of failing cup holders emerges and you happen to manufacture the solution to mobile beverage stability. Once you identify your compelling topic and narrow its scope, outline your argument in 19 to 22 paragraphs. Plan on a word count of 600 to 750 for most print and online publications.

First, open your piece by identifying the problem you solve. Average cup holders are dangerous. Antagonize the problem by talking about the danger caused by inferior products. Average cup holders cause avoidable traffic accidents that endanger your family. You’ll want to own the problem as much as the solution. Illustrate the solution your industry offers. A new polymer becomes available that increases sturdiness. Mention how your company embraced it and how it contributes to the cup holder community, but nothing more. Readers only want to know how you solve their problems. They don’t want to hear your life story. Second, include three actionable steps or relevant examples for how to solve your customers’ problems. Educate them on the features of the new polymer, the models that use them and how to spot cheap imitators. Continuously contrast the problem with the solution throughout your piece. Juxtapose imagery of hot coffee flying around inside cars with your solution that firmly holds beverages in place while jumping over a river like the Dukes of Hazzard.

Third, conclude by summarizing your argument and foreshadowing the successful reality of mobile beverage security. Include a powerful call to action. Consumers should demand nothing less than the most intelligent cup holder available when they shop for cars. Where to place your newly minted op-ed? Find the publications read by your customers, like the head of GMC’s Department of Cup Holder Integrity. The fictitious “Cup Holder Digest” would seem an ideal publication. Publications often provide generic email addresses such as oped@newspaper.com or online forms to submit. Those never work. Instead, scrub the magazine’s website or other online databases for the email address of the editorial director or op-ed editor. Give them the courtesy of three days to respond. If that fails, find a phone number and call them. It could have easily slipped into their spam folder or became missed among the 300 other opeds they received that day. Be persistent, but move on to other publications after three attempts. Even though the editors at “Cup Holder Digest” passed, it might fit

better in another publication. If you continue to face roadblocks, consider working on another draft from a different perspective. Ask the editor why they didn’t publish it, and they will generally offer valuable feedback. Reputable public relations firms also can help you to discover and dissect your argument to make it more compelling, as well as identify the publications most keen on your ideas. Ensure you live up to your claims as your customers will expect a superior product that reflects your writing. No $20 word can substitute for an inferior offering. Don’t leave your customers wondering about whether your solution works for them. Write down your thoughts and publish them to ensure they consistently know that you lead your industry. The best part is that your market wants to hear from you. The last thing you need is to abandon your customers to their own devices. Inform them of your relevance regularly, and you will keep the trust you labored so hard to earn. Dave Yonkman presides over the Grand Rapids-based digital public relations firm DYS Media Relations.

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

COMMENT & OPINION LETTER

DECEMBER 27, 2021

LETTER

Thankful for Health care workers need State’s auto no-fault insurance health coverage their own ‘rapid response’ rules penalize accident victims Editor: Throughout my career as an educator, I was always supported by strong health care coverage. So, I was a little worried when I retired from Grand Rapids Public Schools that I would no longer be able to access the benefits and services I had relied on for decades. I am thankful every day that I chose to enroll in Medicare Advantage, which has provided me with phenomenal coverage and an array of care services that I can access through my plan. Not only am I able to access treatments and benefits, but Medicare Advantage operates as a convenient one-stop shop for all my health care needs. I never have to worry about being bogged down in complicated paperwork or insurance terminology — when I want to access a benefit, I know exactly what to do and who to contact should I have a question. My coverage also comes at an affordable cost, but that could be threatened if cuts are made to the program. Even a slight change to Medicare Advantage could mean premiums will rise. For those of us on limited incomes, price changes could make care unaffordable. I hope that Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Sen. Gary Peters will continue their advocacy for senior health and stand up against any proposed cuts to this program. Anne Krenselewski Grand Rapids

Editor: One in 10 COVID-19 cases in the United States is in Michigan as positive cases reach an alltime high throughout the state. This surge is causing an almost unmanageable strain on health care workers, both personally and professionally, causing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to call on the federal government to send additional medical teams to help relieve them. The recent spike, and the anticipated increase in cases due to the Omicron variant, is further compounding an ongoing nursing shortage, which has exacerbated burnout and compassion fatigue among nearly all health care professionals in Michigan. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing shortage is anticipated to reach 1.1 million by next year. With the demand for nurses on the rise, the currently employed frontline workers are in desperate need of support. Inside the walls of a hospital, nurses and doctors are familiar with the term “rapid response,” which refers to when a patient’s condition is quickly deteriorating and a specialized group jumps in to provide immediate help. Right now, our health care workers are finding themselves in need of a “rapid response” to ease the burden they continue to carry. What we know is that hospital and state leaders in Michigan have options to revive our health care workers and repair the industry as

a whole. While solutions to a crisis of this nature take time, there are certainly actionable steps that can be taken now, including reevaluating how hospitals deliver care and providing career advancement and accessible mentorship and opportunities. Access to affordable and flexible education opportunities through a university or training at the hospital, is critical to retain and upskill talent. Newer professionals, which may include licensed practical nurses or medical assistants, more often are equipped to step in and support the doctors, respiratory therapists, etc. Mentorship is another key component for the health care system, but the overall fatigue and staffing shortages have made it challenging for hospitals to identify qualified nurses to be preceptors, or nursing mentors who support our next generation of nurses by providing feedback, being open to questions and ultimately serving as a resource to help nurses excel. Nurses and health care workers are essential to those in need, but they are in dire need of a rapid response. Fortunately, there are solutions that can ease these challenges so that these professionals can rest, recharge and come back in full force to continue healing those in Michigan. Alison Bell Regional vice president Western Governors University

Editor: As a Michigan citizen, voter and avid observer of politics, I am in favor of passing an upcoming auto insurance no-fault bill to rectify the current legislation that is discriminating against victims of auto accidents, and the industry that has supported them for over 50 years. This necessary and overdue bill delivers much needed relief to victims and survivors of auto accidents. Auto no-fault legislation (signed in 2019) currently does not provide an appropriate level of reimbursement from insurance providers. The current level of reimbursement is unsustainable. It threatens to put businesses and services that give essential and life-saving support to these Michiganders out of business. That is an outcome that Michigan will suffer for, both socially and economically. In fact, insurance providers often have not been paying for services that are mandated for victims of auto accidents. This is unlawful, and reprehensible. Please pass the new auto nofault bill that gives victims, businesses and thousands of employees the ability to survive. I, myself, am a victim of an auto accident. I live with the uncertainty

that I won’t have appropriate care, caregivers and services that I count on for quality of life. My home care agency that employs the caregivers that I rely on every day is under financial duress, and going out of business is only a matter of time. The elimination of essential auto no-fault services would be a disaster. Michigan taxpayers would then bear the burden of paying the costs that are the responsibility of the insurance providers. This is not how auto no-fault is intended to work. The law is being manipulated by insurance providers for the sake of profits. The money given by Michigan citizens for auto no-fault is meant for the victims. It is not for insurance providers to dictate the terms of payment. In this holiday season, we should aspire to goodwill and compassion toward all, especially those that need it the most. Please pass the new auto nofault bill. Nearly 20,000 victims and hundreds of thousands of industry workers are counting on you to pass this now.

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 of the Business Journal.

Letters and columns may be edited for reasons of space or clarity. Please submit to: The Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 401 Hall St. SW, Suite 331, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or email bjletters@grbj.com.

Roderick Munro Grand Rapids

GUEST COLUMN Dave Kahle

The three most common mistakes sales managers make

n most organizations, sales managers are the essential bridge between the company’s sales goals and the realization of those goals. The gritty, dayto-day interactions between the salespeople and their customers are frequently filtered through the perspective of the sales manager on their way up the ladder. The aspirations and strategies of the company’s management must be imprinted by the realism of the sales manager as they come down from above. Sales managers are the conductors who carefully orchestrate the tentative entanglement of the salespeople with their management. It’s an incredibly important and difficult job. Unfortunately, it often is the most under-trained job in the entire organization. Instead of providing information on the best practices and processes of the job, most companies hope their sales managers will have learned enough during their days as a field salesperson to provide some roadmap as to how to do this job well. Alas, only a small percentage of untrained sales managers ever really figure it out, arriving by

trial and error and after hours of study at the best practices of an effective sales manager. The overwhelming majority find themselves caught up in the urgencies of the moment, the tempting details of all the transactions, and the continuing onslaught of crises, and never are able to set in place a systematic blueprint for their success. The net result? Few salespeople are effectively managed. All parties, executive management, sales manager and salespeople, bounce from one frustration to another. Company objectives are met frequently by happenstance, salespeople are not developed to their fullest potential and sales managers lurch from one crisis to another. Certain common mistakes often arise out of this unhealthy situation. As a longtime consultant and educator of salespeople and sales managers, I frequently see these three most common maladies suffered by sales managers. 1. Lack of an intentional sales structure This is such a foreign concept to many companies that the term

itself is unfamiliar. The structure of a sales force consists of all the articulated and unspoken rules, policies and procedures that shape the behavior of the salesperson. It consists of such things as: •The way sales territories are defined •The way salespeople go about their jobs •The way markets and customers are targeted •The way salespeople are compensated •The methods the manager uses to communicate with the salespeople •The expectations for the sales force •The training and development system of the company •The expectation for information collecting by the salespeople •The frequency and agenda for sales meetings •The sales tools used by the salespeople A highly focused, strategically designed sales structure can be one of the company’s greatest assets, as it ultimately shapes the behavior of the sales force.

Most sales structures, however, haven’t come under the critical review of the company’s management. Typically, the structure slowly takes shape over time. Decisions often are made with heavy input from the salespeople, almost always in response to a single event. These decisions slowly become codified into the company’s written and unwritten structure. As a result, many sales structures are vestiges of years gone by, the legacy of salespeople who may not even be with the company today. Why do you have the sales compensation plan that you have, for example? Is it because you crafted a strategic plan that directly compensates the sales force for achieving the company’s objective? Or, is it because it’s the plan you inherited? Why do some salespeople come into the office every week? Is it because you have determined that this is the most valuable use of their time? Or, is it because that’s just the way some of them like to do it? Why is it that some of your salespeople are highly organized,

with well-designed file systems and effective ways to track their interactions with their customers, while others continue to get by with scraps of paper and yellow pads? Is it because you have invested in a system that helps them become well-organized and information-savvy? Or, is it because that’s just how it’s worked out? Can you see the point? Many of these structural issues — spoken and unspoken rules about how the salesperson does the job — have evolved by the salespeople in response to their own specific situations. And most sales managers are oblivious to the impact of these decisions on the productivity and effectiveness of the salesperson. I recently had lunch with a friend — an entrepreneur who had successfully started and run a number of businesses. As we were discussing the pros and cons of organizing a sales force for his latest venture, he remarked that he has learned how easy it is to gradually cede control of the company to the sales force. One CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

South East Market looks to keep rolling CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

farm incubator to develop growers of color. “We see the market’s success hinging on the ability to work with diverse growers, and that’s something that’s really hard to come by on the west side of the state,” Kelly said. “The goal with Freedom School and this farm project is to increase access for people in urban areas, specifically people of color, to give them the

opportunity to engage with some of these concepts around growing and food justice or food sovereignty.” The grant will help WMEAC and South East Market explore the possibility of food forests and other avenues to support a healthy climate, while also tackling the inequities in Grand Rapids “around how communities of color engage with the environment,” Kelly said. She said the University of

Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability selected the South East Market as the subject of one of its master’s degree-level research projects, which means four or five U of M students will help the market build the urban agriculture plan funded by the USDA grant. In April, the South East Market won the $5,000 grand prize at the Michigan Good Food Fund Pitch Competition. At the end of September, the market won

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NEW WASTE TO ENERGY RATES AS OF MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022, Grand Rapids-area businesses and residents alike are required to pay a bit more to properly dispose of their waste and recycling. The Kent County Department of Public Works passed an increase of 35 percent for “tipping fees” last November. What are “tipping fees”? The term refers to the price per ton of municipal trash and recyclables that are brought to Kent County facilities for processing. Kent County’s Waste to Energy Facility is one of four facilities in Kent County’s integrated solid waste management fleet. In 2020, it marked its 30th year of operation serving Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Walker, Kentwood, Wyoming, and Grandville. As of the end of 2019, there have been more than 5.5 million tons of refuse processed in this facility since it first opened in 1990. The Kent County Waste to Energy facility is critical to Kent County’s integrated solid waste system: • It generates electricity for 11,000 homes — about the number of residences in the City of Walker. • It’s a baseload energy source, diversifying Michigan’s renewable energy portfolio. • It has recovered more than 136,000 tons of scrap steel that would otherwise not have been recycled.

• It has preserved 10 years of South Kent Landfill airspace, extending the life of the landfill. • It provides good jobs for 50 employees. • It generated 96,048 KWh of electricity in 2019. Kent County’s Waste to Energy Facility is recognized by MDEQ as a Clean Corporate Citizen. Waste to Energy’s incinerator rate has moved from $56.68 to $75.68 as of 2022 (a 35 percent increase), while the Recycle Center — as well as both the North and South Kent landfills — have each gone up $5 per ton for the new year. As the Kent County Department of Public Works explained last fall, haulers not only cover these increases within their charged customer rates, but they also include the costs associated with the driver, the truck, and labor/ materials per company. Business and industrial trash will likely be impacted the most by these changes, due to the sheer volume of materials they produce — although residents, too, will see a rise in the overall price of their curbside collections. The Kent County Department of Public Works has published more on this topic here: reimaginetrash.org/2022-waste-disposal-and-recyclingrates.

$20,000 at Start Garden’s Demo Day, a prize which, along with the funding, includes a year of free access to Start Garden’s physical space. The pitch funding will help support the South East Market’s mission going forward — including initiatives like the Thanksgiving Giveback and the Feel Good Fridge program at the Boys & Girls Club of Grand Rapids — and it also will aid the business in securing a larger location so it can

hire more community members, expand its stock and drive down prices. “One of the issues we have as a small store is tapping into economies of scale, so more space will translate to an all-around better experience for our neighbors,” Kelly said. In the new space, the market also will be able to add a commercial kitchen that will serve as an incubator for other food entrepreneurs and where South East Market employees will make and sell prepared foods and teach nutrition and cooking classes to neighbors. Kelly said one of the biggest lessons she and DeWit learned in 2021 is, “You can’t do it all.” “There are so many talented people on our team and in our community, and just leaning into working with people and letting their strengths shine has been really good for us — good for our relationship-building, but also good for our business,” she said. For example, in 2022, the market will hire a dietitian intern who will help assemble the produce subscription bundles, and it will continue with the partner-

“We see the market’s success hinging on the ability to work with diverse growers, and that’s something that’s really hard to come by on the west side of the state.” Alita Kelly ships mentioned above. Kelly said she is proud of the way the South East Market has been able to mobilize community support through its produce subscription and Pay It Forward program, to ensure neighbors experiencing food insecurity have access to high-quality food, rather than the food that others gave away because they didn’t want it. As women of color, Kelly and DeWit said access to capital remains the market’s biggest hurdle. The produce subscriptions — available at various pricing points for personal use or as a gift to another — are a sustaining part of the store’s revenue, and Kelly hopes everyone will consider subscribing. “I think as people see us receive these grants and these awards and things, they think that they can sort of opt out, but that’s hurtful to us because it requires everybody’s participation in continuing to elevate the store,” Kelly said. “That is the only way we’re going to continue to drive our prices down for our neighbors. “If people in our community who want to see this work continue are intentional about shifting some of their purchasing to South East Market, then we are going to be able to go the distance.” More information about the market and its programs and offerings is at southeastmarketgr.com.

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

Retailers adapt to new consumer trends CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

ly will continue to downsize and move much of their inventory online, he said. “The reason (anchor stores and malls) were put in years ago is they were a destination, they were a traffic driver. Well, no longer are they a traffic driver. So, we are going to see the anchor space in malls slowly shifting to other traffic drivers, whether retail or ancillary entertainment, experiential retail like a Top Golf or indoor karting, that kind of thing. That’s going to create traffic,” O’Brien said. After nearly two years of quarantines and mandates, many consumers have started to see shopping as more of an experience rather than a rushed, inand-out transaction. In the same 2021 Black Friday weekend survey from ICSC, 56% of shoppers spent money on dining, personal services, or entertainment over the Black Friday weekend, representing an increase from 48% in 2020. Similarly, even if consumers ordered products online, they O’Brien still managed to continue to shop in-store after pick-up as 72% of customers who purchased items online and picked them up in-store continued to spend additional money at the store or at the same shopping center. These shifting shopping patterns are causing retailers to reevaluate their business models while still grappling with low employment and product shortages. “Retailers have (been) pushed, and they’re going to be pushed further to upgrade their experience, and people are willing to pay for it. So, I think that we’re going to continue to see that in 2022, the shift for commodity-type retail goods to be something you’re ordering online. And again, the bigbox stores will be carrying this, but they’re all being pushed to be better operationally, and I think that’s a positive thing,” O’Brien said. “Since retail has started, there’s been a continual shift from what’s popular and what’s meeting the needs of the customer base and expanding the customer base, it’s a constant shift. So, it’s nothing new, it’s just that the pandemic really created an opportunity and a seismic shift and being nimble and being able to capitalize on (these changes).” Both experts said another major shift from the pandemic is the focus on making food retail and restaurants more accessible for take-out, drive-thru and grab-and-go orders. “Consumers are proving every day that they can’t get enough food and they’re sick of making it themselves. But they’re willing to sit in very, very long lines to get (food) from the nationals. The family-style takeout dinners at the sitdown restaurants are still popular.” Murray said fast food and quick-service restaurants still are trying to find space around

Grand Rapids. “West Michigan is probably at a higher clip right now than we’ve ever seen before, because so many of those restaurants are doing so well right now and they’re redesigning their buildings to, you know, be able to move traffic around the property more and have less people coming inside,” he said. Changes have ranged from designing buildings in a way that decreases barriers for food delivery service providers like Uber Eats

and DoorDash — like implementing “hot lockers” where delivery personnel can use a barcode to release the pickup without having to interact with restaurant staff — to more restaurants implementing multiple drive-thru lanes and reducing indoor seating areas to make take-out flows more efficient. Even in downtown areas, city governments have found ways to increase traffic by allowing and extending the use of “social zones” for grab-and-go food and beverages, along with dining

igloos and shelters providing additional outdoor seating options in the winter. Despite constant shifts and myriad challenges within the retail landscape from increased prices on goods to expected shortages in stores and a move toward graband-go dining, consumers still are willing to get out of the house and spend. Murray said he believes if retailers can attract more labor and get a few more products a little bit easier, it will help in making things

feel a bit more “normal.” “But I think all in all, retail is still very healthy in our market. We’ve survived through this a lot better than a lot of people thought we would have in terms of the retail stores and the tenants — whether they’re a mom and pop, a franchisee or a national — being able to weather the storm, reset themselves and stay relevant, and be able to make it to the other side. We see a lot more of them make it than we thought we would.”

Busy closing deals: Joshua Jacobs, Jonathon Hallberg, Abby Terpstra, Diane Tomasunas, Hillary Taatjes Woznick

Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a new year filled with gifts of peace, health and happiness! Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Grand Rapids Office 616 776 0100

Kalamazoo Office 269 353 0311

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

Rehmann wealth manager shares tips for 2022 CFP advises full review of charitable giving, stock portfolio, and retirement and estate plan. rwatson@grbj.com

they should make sure they have maxed out their tax-deferred retirement account contributions and allocated 401(k) profit-sharing amounts, and if they are looking for even more potential tax savings, consider putting money into a cash balance plan for each employee. An overview of cash balance plans is available at bit. ly/smartassetCBPexplainer.

Business owners and high net worth individuals who have been coasting on an outdated wealth management plan should make 2022 a year of review and change, according to a local financial planner. Ron Knipping, a certified financial planner (CFP) and principal in Rehmann’s wealth management division, spoke to the Business Journal this month about tax and economic changes happening now that will make 2022 a good year for reevaluating one’s charitable giving, retirement Knipping and estate plan, life insurance and investment strategy. Most company owners by now already will have their financial ducks in a row for the end of 2021, but Knipping said just in case,

Charitable giving High net worth individuals can use their time off during the holidays to map out their charitable giving for the next couple of years, Knipping said. “People who are successful typically realize that their community was a large part of that, and they want to give back, whether it’s to the greater community, a school, a church or any other philanthropic group, and the end of year is a really good time reflect and review on all of those things, whether it’s for yourself, your family or your community,” he said. Knipping recommended those who experienced a liquidity event in 2021 (or who are expecting one in 2022) — including an inheritance, the sale of a business, being bought out of a partnership or accruing stock bonuses — should consider setting up a donor-advised fund to channel their giving in a way that maximizes their tax benefit. “When people go through a li-

Rachel Watson

quidity event, like when they sell a business or they get bought out of their partnership, that is going to be their highest income level for the rest of their life, and it’s also going to be their highest tax year of the rest of their life,” he said. “A donor-advised fund acts similar to a private family foundation,” letting individuals place up to a certain percentage of their adjusted gross income into the fund without the added cost of operating a private foundation. The individual then can invest the fund in stocks or bonds and see it grow while also getting a tax write-off. Along with placing cash in the donor-advised fund, people can transfer stocks they hold, or even sometimes real estate, into the fund without incurring taxes, he said. Knipping said setting up donor-advised funds would make sense for individuals who expect to donate to charity more than the standard deduction of $24,000 in their high-income year, as well as for people who were already planning a certain dollar amount of charitable giving, say, over the next 10 years, and their liquidity event allowed them to place that entire sum for 10 years into the fund at once. “It’s one of those (scenarios where it’s) doing well by doing good,” Knipping said. Estate planning Those who are age 70-and-a-

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half or older should make sure they have drawn out their required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their individual retirement accounts (IRAs) by the end of 2021, Knipping said. One planning tool in the arsenal related to that is allocating a qualified charitable contribution as part of their RMD, which reduces tax liability on the distribution. Knipping said engaging a CFP or CPA to do a general review of a retiree’s estate planning strategy would be wise — both for the retiree and his or her beneficiaries. “Looking forward to 2022 and beyond, for people that have retirement accounts, IRAs or 401(k)s, typically greater than $5 million, you really want to take a look at your distribution strategy,” he said. “… The rules for retirement distributions changed last year, and the first year it’s going to be coming into effect is 2021, but really, 2022 will see more people affected.” He said when people start being required to take RMDs at 70-and-a-half, “the first couple of years aren’t bad.” “But if you’re just taking the minimum, your account is probably going to be growing and growing, and by the time you’re in your 80s, you’re taking out significant amounts, like, 10% a year. Not only are you getting taxed on that larger dollar amount, but that also is impacting the rest of your ordinary income, as well,”

he said. A rule that changed that impacts estate planning is when non-spouse beneficiaries inherit their parent’s or relative’s IRA after they die, they must empty out the IRA within 10 years. “Say you’re 45 or 55, and you’re in your peak earning years, and you inherit a $1 million IRA from your Mom and Dad, which is a good thing, but you have to take it out over a 10-year period. So, you’re in your highest earning period ... and then you’re going to have to take out IRA dollars, which are ordinary income (for tax purposes),” he said. “So, what’s important now more than ever, in 2022 and going (forward), is the distribution strategy from IRAs. It could include just taking the money out of the IRA, it could include Roth conversions, but it should be a plan, because million-dollar IRAs are a good thing, but they can also be considered a ‘tax bomb,’ and you typically don’t want to be around a bomb when it explodes.” Another upcoming change is the fact the estate tax exclusion threshold will in 2025 revert from $11.7 million per person, as it was under President Donald Trump’s administration, back to $6 million, like it was before Trump’s time. “It’s one of those things that CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

Steelcase, Inc. seeks a Consultant, Material & Process-Technical in Kentwood, MI responsible for coordinating concept and development projects. Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, & 10 years of experience in job offered or related. Send resume to: Katie Hoogewind, Steelcase Inc., Resume Processing/ JO#8421486, GH-3C, P.O. Box 1967, Grand Rapids, MI 49501. reference Job Code CMPT-1. No phone calls, please.

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

No relief in sight for housing rental rates CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

and will continue to do so in the coming year, including lack of supply, zoning restrictions and inflation. Bitely said there are not enough homes on the market, which forces individuals to continue to be renters instead of homeowners. “There is not enough transition housing available for people to buy,” he said. “Many times, rental is a transition for people to get to homeownership, and when there are not enough homes for people to buy for the price range they can afford, they are force to rent, which in turn shortens the supply of rentals even tighter.” Jason Wheeler, director of communications for Wheeler Development Group (WDG) and PURE Real Estate, said when the pandemic initially started in 2020, they saw a slowdown in new rentals and leases, but they also saw a much higher renewal rate. “Many people decided to stay once their lease expired and renewed them,” he said. “As we got into the spring of 2021, we saw

a huge amount of rental activity and our portfolio was 100% full. In our downtown apartments we saw our one-bedrooms with onsite parking as the most desirable and sought after. The townhome markets were very similar. What little inventory we had available in winter 2020 and 2021, it was absorbed and has remained full since 2021 spring. Both two- and three-bedroom homes are equally as popular.” One of the areas in West Michigan that has seen an increase in renters is Caledonia. Wheeler said his company is seeing a lot of renters seeking townhomes as they pursue a new single-family home, either through building a new home, or buying a home in the area. He said the activity is supported by new institutional and corporate growth in that area, including Switch, Davenport University Lettinga Campus, Amazon and University of Michigan Health-West. “As for the Caledonia market, PURE manages Portview Townhomes and Hanover Townhomes,” he said. “We have approximately 80 two- and three-bedroom

townhomes in Caledonia between these two properties. They are completely full, and we are adding homes to Hanover Townhomes in response to this growth.” There are several reasons why the supply of houses lags behind the increasing demand. Bitely said Sable builds approximately 100 homes per year, but the pandemic has driven the prices of those homes higher. “Homes that we used to build for $250,000 now cost $275,000 because of cost increases, whether it is large spikes in lumber or the shortage of lots, or because of anti-development people in municipalities,” he said. “They are not encouraging land to be developed for new houses.” While WDG has been able to build new townhomes in Caledonia, Bitely said there are many individuals in different municipalities who are against new development. “I encourage people who are in the rental world to realize that if they don’t support new housing, they are going to pay more rent,” he said. “Sometimes you see in the headlines, ‘Big devel-

opment shot down by the township,’ or ‘Voters turn out against the neighborhood’ — whether it is revitalization, whether it is a new development, whether it is a condominium project or a townhome project. Many times, the people who are complaining about it already own a house. The people who need a house or need rent to be affordable never go to those meetings and say, ‘Hey, we need this housing because we cannot afford to pay more and more and more.’” Bitely said there are other restrictions and regulations that hinder residential construction efforts including zoning, water control issues such as storm water, additional costs for building roads and a shortage of water main pipes. The increase in rental rates also will continue due to the predicted rise in interest rates next year, he said. “It will make new houses even less affordable, and my gut feeling is that it will make rent go up even more because it will keep more people from buying a new home,” Bitely said.

The three most common mistakes sales managers make CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

decision at a time, made in response to the passionate pleas of an individual salesperson, would form, over time, the structure that governed the sales side of the business. I was impressed with his insight. That very observation described the No. 1 mistake that sales managers make — they accept the historically evolved status quo for the structure, and don’t invest time in focusing it to provide the environment for sales success. 2. Lack of regular and systematic direction and feedback for the salespeople The relentless attraction of the urgent, and the demanding shouts of the transaction, like the pleading of a toddler, tend to overwhelm the time and attention of most sales managers. Sales managers often have the best of intentions. For example, they may need to do a set of performance reviews by the end of the year. But there is a big presentation for one account to which they need to attend. Another account wants to complain about some issue to the sales manager. Yet another needs the manager’s touch to smooth some feathers, etc. And they really do need to spend some time in the field with the new salesperson. And, and, and … the demands of the urgent once again force regular face-toface discussions about expectations and results to the bottom of the “to-do” list. As a result, most salespeople are left directionless and provided with little feedback on how they are doing. Of course, we publish sales numbers, but there are lots

of reasons why a set of numbers can be up, down or sideways above and beyond the impact of the salesperson. What do you expect of this particular salesperson? And how well is he/she doing? In most surveys of what salespeople really want from their managers, “direction and feedback” often are at the very top of the list. It’s one thing to talk about some account or some deal, it’s quite another to speak to the core issues of “my performance.” Sales is an isolated job. It is not unusual for a salesperson to spend as much as 70% of the work week by himself. All that isolation often leads to anxiety and self-doubt, which often expresses itself through complaints and finding fault with the company. All this negative energy can be prevented by providing the salesperson with regular direction, specific expectations and regular feedback. The old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind,” too often is the operational description of the typical sales manager. The salespeople are out there somewhere, doing their thing, while the tyranny of the urgent often occupies the manager’s time. As a result, salespeople are not nearly as focused as they could be; they default to unhealthy thoughts and they spend too much time expressing negative energy. 3. Lack of an organized training and development system No profession in the world expects the serious practitioners of that profession to figure it out by themselves. Quite the contrary. Every profession has determined some minimal acceptable course

of study, and typically has some event which signals the entry into that profession. It is for this reason that teachers, emergency medical technicians and ministers are licensed; and why attorneys must pass the bar exam, accountants must pass their certification exam, etc. Unfortunately, that is rarely true of salespeople. In only the leading companies is there some required course of study for entry-level salespeople, and some event which signifies the successful completion of that study and their entry into the profession. To even think this way is so outside of the reality of most sales managers that I can almost hear half of the readers of this article snickering over their coffee. “Some standard for allowing people into the job?” Incredible thought. But if you don’t insist on it, you’ll continue to labor with a hit-or-miss sales force where every hire is ultimately a shot in the dark. No profession in the world expects that once someone has become qualified to enter the profession, they then no longer need to invest in their own development. And every profession has expectations of the practitioners’ regular need to systematically improve himself or herself. Can you imagine a teacher who never attends an in-service training? A nurse who never invests in continuing development? A minister who never goes back to school? A doctor who never attends a conference? Even if such lackadaisical professionals could keep their jobs, you would not want them to have anything to do with your family. You never would put your health in the hands of a doctor who hadn’t updated himself since med school. You would not want your children

taught by the teacher who hadn’t learned anything since graduation. You would never put your lawsuit in the hands of an attorney who had never bothered to keep current. The examples can go on and on. But you get the idea. The professional who doesn’t regularly invest in his own continuous development is relegated to the dregs of the market. So, why is it the overwhelming majority of sales managers do not require regular and systematic involvement in continuous development events for their charges? It may be that they don’t see their salespeople (or themselves) as professionals. Or, it may be that they have never thought about it that way. Regardless of the reason, the reality of this malady is that the quality of the sales force is not nearly what it could be, if only the sales managers required some minimum standard for their entry-level people, and then regular and continuous development of those who were on the inside. The wise sales manager will assemble a system for the education and development of his salespeople. While there are as many other management miscues as there are sales managers, these three are the most common. Address them, and you’ll be well on your way to outstanding success in sales management. Dave Kahle is an author, consultant and speaker who has presented in 47 states and 11 countries, improved the performance of thousands of B2B salespeople and authored 13 books. Receive his insights on a regular basis here: https:// www.davekahle.com/subscribedaves-e-zines/.

DECEMBER 27, 2021

Michigan does not have enough young, educated adults CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

tractive to businesses based on price and infrastructure subsidies. Those competitive advantages can work in the short term, but they tend to be transitory. For cities to have sustained success, they must compete for the grand prize: intellectual capital and talent. I have long believed that talent attracts capital far more effectively and consistently than capital attracts talent.” Creating a place where people want to live and work becomes even more important as Michigan goes through at least a decade and a half where the number of older workers leaving the labor market will exceed younger workers entering the labor market. Regions without the quality of place that mobile talent is looking for will be at a substantial disadvantage.

“If Michigan had the same ratio as the U.S., there would be 85,000 more 20-to-29-year-olds in Michigan today.”

To create those places will require five fundamental shifts in Michigan’s approach to economic policy: •Shift from an emphasis on being a low-cost state to a state that develops, retains and attracts human capital as its core strategy for economic success. •Shift from intolerance to welcoming all people from any place on the planet. •Shift from an economic strategybased on low taxes to one that recognizes taxes must be balanced with the need for public investments in education from birth through college and in creating places where people want to live and work. •Shift from state limitations that prevent cities and regions from controlling their own destinies to giving them the flexibility to develop, finance and implement their own quality of place strategies. •Shift from accepting a crumbling 20th century infrastructure to providing a world-class 21st century infrastructure. Only then will we move forward as a state that can create its own momentum. Lou Glazer is president of Michigan Future Inc.

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

ACCOUNTING

Beene Garter LLP promoted Brandi Clark-Hubbard, Sarah Pattison, Elizabeth Potocki and Jennifer Stolsonburg to partner. Korte & Kowatch hired Trevor Maas as a tax associate and Joann Harding as an executive assistant.

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Taylor Kallio joined the staff at the Mill at Vicksburg as content creator.

ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERING Rochester Hills-based Spalding DeDecker hired John Fortunato as construction engineering senior project manager.

Union Bank hires Kowalewski as VP Robert Kowalewski joined Union Bank as vice president, director of business development. Kowalewski will focus on strategic initiatives that will help support and build the bank’s brand in the various markets Union Bank serves. This will include commercial, retail, consumer, mortgage, investments and treasury management.

ARTS

Kent District Library announced Darius Quinn is the recipient of the Library Champion Award for his consultant work that helped KDL move toward ensuring library services better reflect the diverse needs of the community. The Grand Rapids Historical Society elected for its 2021-22 board of trustees president Gina Bivins; vice-president Matthew Daley; treasurer John Gelderloos; secretary Nan Schichtel; Charles Bocskey; Angela Cluley; Thomas Dilley; Matthew Ellis; Chris Kaupa, Ed Paciencia; Jeffrey Sytsma; Julie Tabberer and Jim Winslow. The city of Muskegon received $50,000 from philanthropist Patrick O’Leary to create a fund to preserve the public art collection of Muskegon. O’Leary’s previous philanthropy spurred the creation of the Muskegon City Public Art Initiative, which has added six new artworks in the last three years.

AWARDS

Carrie Rivette, wastewater/stormwater maintenance superintendent with the city of Grand Rapids’ Environmental Services Department, is West Michigan Environmental Action Council’s eighth George Heartwell Environmental Legacy Award recipient.

(R-Mattawan) the Michigan Works! Association 2021 Legislator of the Year. Wave Burns of West Michigan Works! received a Shining Star Award from the Michigan Works! Association for her efforts to meet employment needs in Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon and Ottawa counties.

BANKING

First Community Bank hired Alicia Skiver-Palmer as branch manager of its newest full-service regional banking center at 4455 Cascade Road SE

BUSINESS SERVICES

BIFMA appointed Andi Barajas marketing and communications manager.

EDUCATION

Aquinas College for the third consecutive year was named by U.S. News and World Report a Top Performer in Social Mobility among national liberal arts colleges and Aquinas ranked 40th on the list among National Liberal Arts Colleges. Grand Valley State University has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report third overall for Top Public Regional Universities in the Midwest. Among regional universities in Michigan, GVSU is No. 1.

The Michigan Works! Association named state Rep. Beth Griffin

Veteran West Michigan educator Thomas DeJonge was named chair-

DEC 27-JAN 2 Grand Rapids Public Museum Snowflake Break. Special exhibits and activities for the entire family, including holiday exhibits, traveling exhibits POPnology and Bats: Masters of the Night, and educational Snowflake Break Camp opportunities for kids. Free general admission for Kent County kids 17 and under. Registration/information: grpm.org.

tion: bit.ly/LeadsGroup2022 or czuwala@ hudsonville.org.

DEC 28 Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services Open Job Interviews. Hiring on the spot for some positions. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Pine Rest Postma Center, 300 68th St. SE, Building C-entrance C2. Registration/information: pinerest.org/ CAREERS. DEC 28 Wyoming Business Leaders Meeting. 8-9 a.m., Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW, Wyoming. Registration/ information: (616) 261-4500 or d.kuba@ instantcashmi.com. DEC 29-JAN 5, 12, 19, 26 ResourceMFG Manufacturing Workforce Specialists Job Fair. 12 a.m.-11:59 p.m., 3108 28th St. SE. Registration/information: mayra. samano@resourcemfg.com or apply. resourcemfg.com/Account/Create. JAN 5 Hudsonville Area Chamber of Commerce Leads Group. A relationship-building group with the goal of establishing strong inter-business relationships to develop leads for the participating businesses. Noon-1 p.m., Hudsonville City Group. Cost: $50 per year, members only. Registration/informa-

JAN 5 The Tucker Team at Keller Williams Realty Grand Rapids East Webinar. Topic is The Benefits and WealthBuilding Potential in Owning a Home, by Tucker team buyer specialist Will Schafer and Treadstone residential mortgage lender/co-founder Kevin Polakovich. 6-7 p.m. Registration/information: bit.ly/TuckerHomeBuyerWebinar. JAN 6 The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids Presidents Post-Holiday Open House. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Registration/information: (616) 459-5640 or rotary@grrotary.org. JAN 10 The Economic Club of Grand Rapids Zoom Webinar. Topic is The Raging 2020s: Companies, Countries and the Fight for Our Culture, by New York Times best-selling author and leading expert on geopolitical, markets and innovation Alec Ross. Time TBD. Registration/information: econclub.net/ events-2/#. JAN 10 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce Government Matters Zoom Meeting with Elected Officials. Bring questions and interact with policy makers. 8-9 a.m. Registration/information: (616) 531-5990 or michelle@southkent.org. JAN 11 Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy Virtual Workshop. Topic is Putting Competency Models to Work: Impacting Organizational Strategy and Assisting in Client

person of the Grand Rapids Promise Zone Authority, overseeing the program that removes cost as a barrier to higher education for Grand Rapids students.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Aperitivo added Alex Blake as assistant general manager, Stephen Staggs as lead cheesemonger and Krystal Cripe as lead chef/kitchen manager. Fennville-based Waypost Brewing Co. was awarded a gold medal at the 2021 Great American Beer Festival competition presented by the Brewers Association. Waypost was recognized in the Classic Saison beer-style category for its Saison.

FOUNDATIONS

The Saint Mary’s Foundation announced four additions to its board of trustees for three-year terms: Erin Bonovetz, senior vice president/ general manager, OTC and Consumer Selfcare Americas at Perrigo Co.; Jill Onesti, medical director of Surgical Oncology at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s; Roslyn “Roz” Sullivan, student mentor at Catholic Central High School and volunteer executive coach/mentor for Exodus Place’s fundraising committee; and Ellie Frey Zagel, president and founder of Successful Generations Coaching. The following officers were appointed: Kim Clarke, chair; Scott Breslin, vice chair; Kim McLaughlin, treasurer; Jennifer

Coaching. 1-2:30 p.m. Cost: free/current GVSU students, staff, faculty; $60/general admission. Registration/information: bit. ly/CompetencyModelsWorkshop. JAN 11 Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce Economic Forecast Event. Featuring economist Paul Isely, Grand Valley State University, who will forecast local and state economies. 8-9 a.m., Haworth Hotel, 225 College Ave., Holland. Cost: $40/members in-person, $55/nonmembers in-person, $15/members livestream, $25/nonmembers livestream. Registration/information: (616) 928-9101 or colleen@westcoastchamber.org. JAN 12 Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy Virtual Workshop. Topic is Beyond Burnout: Redefining SelfCare in the Nonprofit Sector. 1-2:30 p.m. Cost: free/current GVSU students, staff, faculty; $60/general admission. Registration/information: bit.ly/ Redefining-Self-CareWorkshop. JAN 12 Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance HandsOn Workshop. Topic is Building Your Storytelling Chops: Creating A Storytelling Plan and Culture. Noon-4 p.m., Ottawa Area Intermediate School District Educational Services Building, 13565 Port Sheldon St., Holland. Cost: $30-$50. Registration/information: bit.ly/ LakeshoreStorytellingWorkshop. JAN 13 Builders Exchange of Michigan Webinar. Topic is Lien Law. Noon-1:30 p.m. Registration/information: (616) 9498650 or courtney@grbx.com.

CHANGE-UPS & CALENDAR

Crowley, secretary; Brian Hauenstein, officer; Rhonda Huismann, officer; and Ben Williams, officer.

GOVERNMENT

Kentwood Police Chief Richard Roberts has retired from the force. He initially served starting in 1987 as a police paramedic. During his more than 30 years with the city of Kentwood, Roberts served in many different roles, including 24 years in supervisory and management positions. As chief, Roberts led a team of nearly 95 personnel, including 70 sworn police officers.

GRANTS

Junior Achievement of the Michigan Great Lakes is the recipient of a $200,000 grant from the Perrigo Company and the Perrigo Company Charitable Foundation toward its capital campaign to create the JA Free Enterprise Center for students from across the region and scholarships for area students from Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.

HEALTH

Michigan HomeCare & Hospice Association in Okemos added board members Melinda Gruber, vice president, Continued Care Services, Spectrum Health Lakeland, St. Joseph, and Sara Lowe, executive director, Emmanuel Hospice, Grand Rapids, for two-year terms. The Michigan Works! Association named Kalamazoo-based Bronson Healthcare the 2021 Employer of the Year.

INSURANCE

Acrisure appointed Lowell Singer as chief financial officer. Singer joins Acrisure following 14 years with The Walt Disney Company, where he served as senior vice president of investor relations.

LEGAL

Rhoades McKee announced Meaghan Clayton joined the firm as an associate and member of the employment law team, and Nathan Russell as an associate and member of the business and corporate services team.

LEISURE & RECREATION

JAN 13 Grand Rapids Public Museum Concert Under The Stars. Normal Mode lo-fi space jazz music. Doors open 6 p.m., show starts 7:30 p.m. GRPM Chaffee Planetarium. Cost: $16/members, $20/ nonmembers. Registration/information: grpm.org. JAN 19 Hudsonville Area Chamber of Commerce Leads Group. A relationship-building group with the goal of establishing strong inter-business relationships to develop leads for the participating businesses. Noon-1 p.m., Hudsonville City Group. Cost: $50 per year, members only. Registration/information: bit.ly/JanuaryLeadsGroup. JAN 20 Grand Rapids Public Library/Mercy Health Program for People 65-Plus. Topic is Ask a Doctor and Ask a Lawyer about Advance Care Planning. 11 a.m., Main Library, 111 Library St. NE. Registration/information: grpl.org/seniorsbewell. JAN 24 Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce Breakfast With Legislators. Establish relationships with key decision makers and voice opinions on issues moving forward in Lansing. 7:30-9 a.m. Location TBD. Cost: $25/members, $40/nonmembers. Registration/information: grandrapids.org. JAN 24 The Economic Club of Grand Rapids Zoom Webinar. Topic is 2022 Economic Forecast, with Alan Beaulieu, president, ITR Economics. Time TBD. Registration/ information: econclub.net/events-2/#.

Wayland-based Gun Lake Casino opened two restaurants and a new entertainment space included in its most recent $100 million expansion that brings the total investment into the Gun Lake Casino property to $415 million. The expansion adds 72,000 square feet to the existing 156,000-square-foot facility.

MEDIA

MiBiz announced manufacturing and economic development executive Justine Burdette joined the company as associate publisher.

NONPROFITS

Arbor Circle announced Monique Carter as program director of Arbor Circle’s Youth Development Services.

PUBLISHING

Mark Peters, CEO for Butterball Farms Inc., has written a book titled “THE SOURCE” that explains how to develop meaningful leadership that succeeds in running a profitable business, improving the lives of frontline workers and helping the community. It’s for sale at amazon.com.

SPORTS

The Grand Rapids Gold hired Travess Armenta, Tamisha Augustin, Nathan Babcock and Jim Lyman Jr. as assistant coaches.

TECHNOLOGY

Coopersville-based IT Resource Inc. announced Community Bankers of Michigan has designated IT Resource as a Preferred Partner delivering intuitive managed support, managed security and compliance services to community banks throughout Michigan. The company also hired Carrigan Conaway as a customer service representative and Noah Veik as an IT support analyst.

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.

JAN 25 Wyoming Business Leaders Meeting. 8-9 a.m., Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW, Wyoming. Registration/ information: (616) 261-4500 or d.kuba@ instantcashmi.com. JAN 28 Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce 41st Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner. 6-9 p.m., Crossroads Conference Center, 6569 Clay Ave. SW. Cost $50/person. Registration/information: bob@southkent.org. JAN 29 Kohler Expos Bridal Show of Western Michigan. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave NW. Registration/information: kohlerexpo.com/winter-bridal-show. JAN 29 Kohler Expos Kids & Family Expo. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave NW. Registration/information: kohlerexpo.com/kids-and-family-expo.

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 bjcal endar@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.

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

PUBLIC RECORD MORTGAGES

Selected mortgages filed with Kent County Register of Deeds BIRCH TREE INVESTMENTS LLC, Mercantile Bank, Cannon Twp., $3,570,000 GRAYSTONE HOMES LLC, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Plainfield Twp., $1,118,720 TWO LABS PROPERTIES LLC, Horizon Bank, Parcel: 411325439001, $4,480,000 CHILDSDALE LAND CO. LLC, Great Lakes Business Credit, Plainfield Twp., $2,000,000 DAY THREE LLC, Dutch Masters Capital Corp., Parcel: 412319200016, $1,110,000 ANCHOR CASCADE SENIOR LLC, Horizon Bank, Cascade Twp., $4,250,000 OAK INDUSTRIAL LLC, Royal Neighbors Of America, Parcel: 411421426001, $2,500,000 687 BYRNE ROCKFORD LLC, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 410625426006, $2,420,000 TF GRANDVILLE MI LLC, UBS AG STAMFORD, Parcel: 411729253001, $460,000,000 TAR HEEL VENTURES LLC, Greystone Servicing Co., Parcel: 411430326003, $2,235,500 SILVA, Antonio et al, Hometown Lenders, Lowell, $428,304 MAURER, Scott et al, Arbor Financial Credit Union, Byron Twp., $369,400 ISAEV, Natalia et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Ada Twp., $427,500 ORUGANTI, Chinna N., Rocket Mortgage, Ada Twp., $440,901 JOHNSON, Karah L. et al, VanDyk Mortgage Corp., Alpine Twp., $403,750 WALSH, David et al, Flagstar Bank, Parcel: 411324453158, $376,000 LEMKE, William et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Vergennes Twp., $371,827 BLOK, Derek et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Parcel: 411430381076, $369,500 CHRIST OUR SAVIOR EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, Lutheran Association for Church Extension, Rockford, $2,300,000 SHAH, Tanmay et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Ada Twp., $490,000 HOFSTRA, Christopher et al, Ruoff Mortgage Co, Kentwood, $394,250 MCCLENTHEN, Jake Jr. et al, Mercantile Bank, Courtland Twp., $476,000 HOOPER, Daniel T., Old National Bank, Cascade Twp., $1,000,000 HUTCHINSON, Derek et al, Consumers Credit Union, Byron Twp., $723,588 MCIVER, Dustin et al, United Wholesale Mortgage, Algoma Twp., $360,000 STANLEY, Joseph D. et al, Mercantile Bank, Gaines Twp., $455,400 HASENJAEGER, John A., ChoiceOne Bank, Wyoming, $1,233,000 GALLAGHER, John E. II et al, Rocket Mortgage, Rockford, $471,600 BECKMAN, Jill, West Michigan Community Bank, Parcel: 411119100027, $400,000 INDI SUITES GRANDVILLE LLC, First National Bank, Parcel: 411730100073, $477,000 DIAZ, Marcos et al, Adventure Credit Union, Parcel: 410926451008, $420,700 MCKNIGHT, Darren G. et al, Neighborhood Loans, East Grand Rapids, $751,500 ELKINS, Patrick et al, Amerisave Mortgage Corp., Rockford, $481,983 VANLOON, Charles R. et al, North American Savings Bank, Cascade Twp., $400,000 NADERNAJAD, Navid et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Cascade Twp., $981,000 GORDON, Thomas et al, Neighborhood Loans, Parcel: 411430453007, $480,000 HEINZ, Jeffrey et al, Huntington National Bank, Plainfield Twp., $385,000 SCHUSTER, Patrick T., Lake Michigan Credit Union, Algoma Twp., $384,750 PETERSON, Alexander et al, Huntington National Bank, Parcel: 411430429014, $462,000 515 LAKESIDE LLC, Old National Bank, East Grand Rapids, $3,000,000 LITTLE CAT E LLC, Sturgis Bank & Trust Co., Kentwood, $487,500 SANBORN, Kenneth et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Cannon Twp., $453,900 HUBBELL, Collin J. et al, Intercontinental Capital Group, Cannon Twp., $488,600 DEKORNE, Mark et al, CIBC Bank USA, Ada Twp., $1,240,000 JTB HOMES LLC, Macatawa Bank, Cascade Twp., $554,571 STEIN, Martin W., Mercantile Bank, East Grand Rapids, $3,000,000 STEKETEE, Brian B. et al, PNC Bank, East Grand Rapids, $875,000 SYNHORST, David et al, Old National Bank, Plainfield Twp., $451,250 BAYLIS, Andrew et al, Flagstar Bank, Bowne Twp., $354,000 CARTER, Amanda et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Byron Twp., $520,800 PETERSON, Tanner et al, United Bank, Ada Twp., $433,000 TAYLOR, Brian et al, Neighborhood Loans, Cascade Twp., $425,000 HOLSWORTH, Tyler et al, Old National Bank, Vergennes Twp., $378,000 BORGULA, Matthew et al, Benchmark Mortgage, East Grand Rapids, $450,000

FITZELL, James, Huntington National Bank, Caledonia, $509,000 CORRADO, Terry et al, Bank of America, Parcel: 411803177006, $430,900 ERICKSON, Michael L. et al, Rocket Mortgage, Cascade Twp., $391,400 KRAUSE, Jill A. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Caledonia, $364,000 CUTLER, Brett J. et al, Rocket Mortgage, Cannon Twp., $468,000 2823 CLYDON LLC, First Community Bank, Wyoming, $440,000 VANHOUTTEGHEM, Mark et al, Neighborhood Loans, Cascade Twp., $440,000 BEUTHIN, Justin, Lake Michigan Credit Union, East Grand Rapids, $837,000 SCHROTENBOER TRUST, Fifth Third Bank, Courtland Twp., $548,000 WILLIAMS, Michael R. et al, Old National Bank, East Grand Rapids, $511,300 HEGSTRAND, Glen E. et al, Lake Michigan Credit Union, Wyoming, $522,500 DLUGOS, Thomas J. et al, Old National Bank, Cascade Twp., $374,000 SELIS, David et al, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Cascade Twp., $909,500 MESTER, Joseph, Neighborhood Loans, Parcel: 411430180003, $373,600 DUNCAN, Brody N. et al, Neighborhood Loans, East Grand Rapids, $485,100 BULTMAN, Cory S. et al, Consumers Credit Union, Cannon Twp., $500,000 JTB HOMES LLC, KFG Capital, Parcel: 411425102024, $390,000 JTB HOMES LLC, KFG Capital, Parcel: 411425102024, $350,000 ROSSI, Anthony J. et al, DFCU Financial, East Grand Rapid, $484,000 SCHNEIDER, Christopher et al, Neighborhood Loans, Parcel: 411413202018, $800,000

CO-PARTNERSHIPS FILED

Co-partnerships filed with the Kent County Clerk DIMICK DRIVE ASSOCIATION, 2900 Dimick Court NE, Rockford, Mert Peterson, Daniel J. Dixon ERICKSON EGG FARM, 4501 Burton SW, Charles Erickson, Julie Erickson MONSTORIUM, 26 Sheldon SE, Josephine Garcia, Theodore Smith J&K TRUCKING, 11275 Fay, Lowell, Janet M. Booth, Kenneth S. Booth REAL E DEALS, 1944 Glenmore Court SE, Kentwood, Diana Reynolds, Jeffrey Raab

ASSUMED NAMES FILED

Assumed names filed with the Kent County Clerk 616 GIFTED HANDS, 1611 Kentview NE, Daniel A. Andino AKPAN DESIGN & STYLIST, 454 Adams SE, Evita Akpaniyire CAREFREE LAWN SERVICE, 1874 Milford, Daniel E. Miller Jr. CLEMENTINE WELLNESS, 121 Madison SE, Christina Audino G.R. HANDYMAN SERVICES 2326, 1123 Alpine NW, Richard T. Sadvari Jr. GABBY SEEKELL CONSULTING, 3120 Uplands SE, Gabrielle L. Seekell GOODTIME RV AND CAMPER RENTALS, 2555 S. Division, Gabriel C. Lopez GR CARD GUY, 2927 West SW, Wyoming, Douglas W. Blevins GRAND RAPIDS SURGE, 1015 Carrier NE, Randall S. Edgerly HOUSKAMP DESIGN SERVICE, 1858 Menominee SE, Robert W. Houskamp INNO DESIGN, 2345 Walker NW, M.C. Bissell J&J AUTO, 3520 Chicago Drive SW, Wyoming, Jesse L. Groenke JIM HILL PHOTO, 4829 Boyd NE, James Hill JULIE’S BABY BOUTIQUE, 4501 Burton SW, Julie Erickson KRISTI LYNN ARTISTRY, 1941 Jennydale Court SE, Kristi L. Henderson LUSH LOCKS BY LEXI, 5336 Meadow Run SW, Wyoming, Alexis Deacon MACY NAILS, 3591 28th St. SE, Linh Nguyen MARTY’S ANTENNA SERVICE, 1150 Elmdale NE, Marty J. Doyle NEAL’S HOUSE RENTAL & MANAGEMENT, P.O. Box 88283, Kentwood, Oscar H. Neal NUEVE, 1642 Broadway NW, Anna Alvarez THE ELECTRIC UNICORN, 1727 Belden SW, Wyoming, Christine Watson TIENDA LA BENDICION, 1260 S. Division, Elizabeth Aguilar Perez VELISK, 15 Garfield SW, Karla A. Velis Brito WEST MICHIGAN PROPERTY CLEANING, 1697 Hillmount NW, Angelo L. Hernandez WOODLINE CUSTOM HOMES, 733 Collindale NW, Jeffrey Burke 12K GOLD COFFEE, 3520 Opal SW, Cameron T. Whitmore 810 SMOKE SHOP, 1129 Peaceful SE, Byron Center, Jeffrey A. Hawkins B.V. CONSTRUCTION, 775 Misty Hollow Court, Comstock Park, Brian K. Veenstra BILL’S TAXIDERMY, 4546 Six Mile, Marne, William T. Bettys

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

DECEMBER 27, 2021

Health systems grapple with COVID-19 and ripple effect CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

so why is this all so important?” Elmouchi said. “And obviously for most people, I think it’s pretty recognizable, but we really, over the last few months, put so much stress on the health care infrastructure of West Michigan and our state that it is getting to a point that we all should be concerned.” According to Elmouchi, Spectrum Health received 700 calls over a six-week stretch in late fall to accept patients from outlying hospitals in Michigan that needed a larger hospital with a higher level of care. Spectrum has had to deny all of those calls when historically, it accepts all of those patients. The organization also has had to defer more than 1,100 surgeries since the current surge began, which causes patient suffering and psychological trauma, he said. “That’s happening not just here, that’s happening across the state. So, you could be in the U.P., you could be somewhere up north, anywhere else, get in a car accident, have a heart attack, and even if it’s not COVID related, because the strain COVID is putting on a health care system, you could potentially not get the care you otherwise would,” Elmouchi said. “... So, one of the reasons that people should care about this,

even if they’re not terribly personally concerned about COVID, is it could impact any other part of your health. And then when you look at the caregivers, all of us and all the folks that work with us, people are really struggling. This is needless death day after day.” Biersack said Mercy Health also has canceled a number of surgical procedures and implemented other measures including opening an additional nursing unit to support patient care and converting COVID rooms into semi-private to accommodate the high level of needed care. He also highlighted the importance of vaccines by presenting Trinity Michigan data, showing statistical volume of vaccinated versus unvaccinated patients in the hospital. “The predominant number of patients in our ICUs and who are dependent are unvaccinated, and if we look at our Mercy Health St. Mary’s data, 86% of those in the ICU this week are unvaccinated, 88% of those that were on ventilators were unvaccinated. So, I think this demonstrates a dramatic effectiveness to vaccines,” he said. Spectrum Health showed similar figures comparing patients who have received the COVID-19 vaccine versus those who have not. “And I always tell folks that

are hesitant about the vaccine, if I could just tour you in ICU for five minutes, introduce you to pregnant women that are on the ventilator, introduce you to young people with kids there that are on the ventilator potentially dying, vaccines work. They’re incredibly safe, incredibly effective, and the only way we’re ultimately gonna protect our community and our health care resources,” Elmouchi said. As for the omicron variant, all representatives agreed the community should not panic as researchers don’t yet know if the variant will cause more severe disease. “... A lot of the (omicron) cases that were reported as of this first month were mild in nature. And again, it’s still unclear, a lot of these questions around transmissibility and severe disease, and so I think one of the take-home messages is that we still have to be highly concerned about what we’re seeing right now with delta before we become fixed on the impact of omicron,” Biersack said. “Delta is definitely the variant of the day and nearly the exclusive cause of COVID infections within our community and state. So, we still have much to do in terms of curbing the impact from delta while we await more information about omicron,” he said.

Wealth manager shares tips for 2022 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

people really need to look at again, because people have gotten numb to the idea of estate taxes — a lot of people have — because they go, ‘Oh, me and my wife, we have a $23 million exemption, and our estate’s only worth $15 million.’ Well, come the end of 2025, it’s going to be exposed to taxes again,” Knipping said. “They should really work with their CPA or their wealth manager to look at how the potential estate tax changes that will happen at the end of 2025 affect them, then work through how much they want to benefit their family members, what they want to do for contributing to the community and how much taxes they are willing to expose their estate to.” People whose parents already are in retirement — especially if a family business is on the line — should urge them to set up certain types of trusts and/or do a Roth conversion so that the next generation experiences wealth benefits and not tax penalties from their inheritance, Knipping said. Life insurance Another wealth management item business owners and individuals alike should review in 2022 is life insurance, Knipping said. “Life insurance is a financial instrument,” he said. “Most peo-

ple with a mortgage, another common financial instrument, look at refinancing and look at if that mortgage is appropriate at least every three to five years. You should do the same with life insurance. It shouldn’t just be bought and put in the drawer and never looked at again.” One consequence of not having sufficient life insurance is it could impact the ownership transfer of a business in the event of the death of one family member. “Say two brothers own a company. They have a buy/sell agreement, so if one brother dies, the other brother takes over,” Knipping said. “A lot of times, that’s at least partially funded with life insurance, so when my brother dies, there is some liquidity to pay off his family so they can keep living, and I’ll pay the rest out over time. Life insurance and buy/sell agreements typically are never looked at, but they should be.” Many times, a person will set up a life insurance trust to help pay for estate taxes after they die, but if the premiums aren’t paid up before they die, the policy could be invalidated, Knipping said. “Life insurance policies are fairly complicated and should be looked at every five years,” he said. “There are bad things that could happen, both in buy/sells and especially in life insurance trusts or estate planning, that can

really make a big difference in a family’s financial success moving forward.” Investment portfolios People who haven’t rebalanced their investment portfolio in a while should plan to do so in 2022, Knipping said. “The past five years have been pretty good for the stock market and pretty bad for bonds, so a lot of people have more stocks in their portfolio now than they did five years ago, so they’re exposed to more volatility and downside because of that allocation,” he said. “By re-looking-at their allocation on an annual basis, at least, that’s where you have a chance to keep the stocks and bonds in your portfolio in your original risk tolerance, so you’re not exposing yourself to greater and greater amounts of risk.” He said one way to manage risk could be to sell off some growth stocks, like Apple or Google, and buy less-risky dividend stocks, or invest in real estate instead of bonds. “If you reassess your investments each year, you have a chance to make a positive decision on how you want your portfolio to act, as opposed to just letting it run,” he said. “The answer might be just let it run, but if you don’t (reevaluate) your investments each year, you’re just rolling the dice to see what happens.”

GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

United Way drives BIPOC initiative Economic sense.

s part of Heart of West Michigan United Way’s ongoing commitment to fund programs that invest in diverse populations and communities, United Way partnered with 15 local BIPOC-founded/led nonprofit agencies to support their work in the community with more than $300,000 in grants. While research shows that hardship is pervasive across the state, United Way said inequity and widening disparities disproportionately affect people of color. A 2020 ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report shows that 63% of Black households in Michigan are unable to afford basic household essentials in their communities, almost twice the rate of hardship for white households. Initially, United Way partnered with Inclusive Performance Strategies to ensure that its grant-funding efforts provide equitable and accessible opportunities to leverage community resources for nonprofit agencies. As a result, United Way created the Opportunity Initiative to ensure that small grassroots and BIPOC-founded/led agencies have the necessary means to secure funding and resources. “In developing this initiative and the new partnerships that came with it, we have learned even

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more about these small, but mighty, organizations and the wealth of lived experience they bring,” said Shannon Blackmon-Gardner, vice president of community impact at United Way. “It is uplifting to see what nonprofits are doing to meet people where they are and address community needs on a more personal level. The dedication these agencies have for helping their neighbors is truly inspiring, and we are grateful to them for making our community a better place for everyone to thrive.” Fifteen nonprofit organizations, with budgets of less than $100,000 and services that aligned with one of United Way’s three focus areas, received a one-time grant for support in expanding their operations and programs. In total, United Way awarded more than $300,000, with grants ranging from $15,000-$22,000 each. Funding amounts were based on each agency’s self-reported financial needs through a short application process. These agencies included: •A Mother’s Touch •Better Wiser Stronger •Compassionate Awareness Autism Center •HOAP Inc. •Hope Gain Network •Meaning In Colors •New Destiny Pathways

What’s Your

•Noor’s Heaven •Positive Impact for Life •Project Green •R2H Secure Living •Realism is Loyalty •The Deborah House •The Delta Project •Young Money Finances Along with financial support, the agencies had opportunities to attend skill-building workshops throughout the year to increase their knowledge related to nonprofit business and prepare them for future funding processes. Topics included forecasting cash needs, measuring metrics and outcomes, social media, grant writing, technical assistance, capacity building and strategic planning. Other partner benefits included access to additional resources and networks through United Way that were not available prior to the partnership. The workshops have helped agencies increase their long-term viability, management skills, and overall program effectiveness and, ultimately, expand their reach and help even more people. “I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. I learned how to enhance every aspect of my organization. The resources that we received are going to change the dynamic of the programs that we offer,” said Henry Sapp, CEO of

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Better Wiser Stronger, an Opportunity Initiative partner. ECONOMIC FIREPOWER The Michigan Manufacturers Association (MMA) is lauding the passage of legislation that will allow Michigan to compete effectively with other states for new jobs and capital investment, and it is not the only organization that sees economic development help on the horizon. “As technological advancement drives new investment, our state must compete aggressively to retain new investment on our soil and maintain our national leadership in automobile development and production,” said John J. Walsh, MMA president and CEO. “The benefits of this effort will be felt throughout the manufacturing supply chain, and by families and communities throughout the state.” Business Leaders for Michigan, a roundtable of leading executives with a mission to push the state to the economic development forefront, also praised Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and legislators for their actions. “We applaud the Legislature for passing an economic development package that will help Michigan win more projects and create new jobs. The strong bipartisan support shows the sense of urgency around economic development and a recognition that Michigan has struggled to be competitive with other states,” said Jeff Donofrio, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan. “We commend Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, House Speaker

Jason Wentworth, Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich and House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski for their leadership in getting us to this milestone. Michiganders have made it clear they want a long-term strategy and sustainable tools to be competitive over the long-haul. (The Dec. 14) action marks an important step forward, and we look forward to working with the administration and Legislature on additional measures to help Michigan’s competitiveness, including in workforce and talent development and customer service.” The economic incentives should help more than just manufacturers. “The Legislature is taking action to provide critical small business support that is going to be a game-changer for Michigan’s small businesses trying to recover from the pandemic,” said Brian Calley, president of the Small Business Association of Michigan. “Earlier in 2021, pro-small business legislators proposed a thoughtful package of support to recognize and compensate for the extensive toll small businesses faced under the state’s pandemic response. SBAM was and is strongly in favor of that legislation and we are thankful to see it passed today alongside large deal economic incentives. Additionally, the House and Senate have worked together to pass a substantial increase of the small business exemption from the commercial personal property tax. This important action will exempt all parcels with up to $180,000 in value and save substantial administrative expenses.”

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GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS JOURNAL

DECEMBER 27, 2021

Moving forward together Moving forward together Moving forward together

We’ve been through a lot together and have proved to be resilient. The approaching new year brings with it new possibilities to help our clients, communities and teammates move forward and prosper — safely. ® ® Using industry-leading digital tools, like mobile deposits,The Erica, CashPro® and to Zelle, individuals and We’ve our been through a lot together and have proved check to be resilient. approaching newaccess year brings with it new possibilities to businesses are finding it easierand to do their everyday the country, the expertise of our specialists and our help our clients, communities teammates movebanking. forward Across and prosper — safely. teammates in financial centers is helping clients meet all their financial needs at every stage of their lives. ® ® Using been our industry-leading digital tools, like proved mobile to check deposits,The Erica, CashPro® and to Zelle, and We’ve through a lot together and have be resilient. approaching newaccess year brings withindividuals it new possibilities to In ourour communities, weitcontinue with banking. local partners, business leaders, experts and academics across businesses are finding easierand tototeammates docollaborate their everyday Across the country, the expertise of our specialists andthe ourpublic help clients, communities move forward and prosper — safely. and private sectors to fuel job growth andclients financial stability. More than $400 of stage our $1.25 billion commitment to advance teammates in financial centers is helping meet all their financial needsmillion at every of their lives. Using our industry-leading digital tools, like mobile check deposits, Erica,® CashPro® and access to Zelle,® individuals and racial equality and economic opportunity is already supporting diverse small businesses and partners, including many recipients In our communities, weitcontinue withbanking. local partners, leaders, experts and academics across businesses are finding easier toto docollaborate their everyday Across business the country, the expertise of our specialists and the our public here in Grand Rapids who provide job skilling and hiring programs. and private sectors to fuel job growth andclients financial stability. More than needs $400 million ofstage our $1.25 billion commitment to advance teammates in financial centers is helping meet all their financial at every of their lives. We’ve also increased resources to supportisour teammates’ emotional financial well-being. Recently, we raised our recipients minimum racial equality and economic opportunity already supporting diverseand small businesses and partners, including many In our communities, we continue to collaborate with local partners, business leaders, experts and academics across the public hourly U.S. employees tojob $21skilling per hour, closer to our goal of $25 by 2025. here inwage Grandfor Rapids who provide andmoving hiring programs. and private sectors to fuel job growth and financial stability. More than $400 million of our $1.25 billion commitment to advance My teammates andeconomic I look forward growing existing partnerships andand creating new ones aspartners, we work including together to make a We’ve also increased resources to to support teammates’ emotional financial well-being. Recently, we raised ourrecipients minimum racial equality and opportunity isour already supporting diverse small businesses and many difference. Have a safe andprovide happy holiday hourly for U.S. employees tojob $21skilling perseason. hour, closer to our goal of $25 by 2025. here in wage Grand Rapids who andmoving hiring programs.

What would you like theforward power to growing do? ® ourexisting My teammates and I resources look partnerships and creating new ones as we work together to our make a We’ve also increased to support teammates’ emotional and financial well-being. Recently, we raised minimum difference. a safe and happy hourly wageHave for U.S. employees to holiday $21 perseason. hour, moving closer to our goal of $25 by 2025. What would you theforward power to togrowing do? ® existing partnerships and creating new ones as we work together to make a My teammates andlike I look difference. Have a safe and happy holiday season. What would you likeRenee the power Tabben to do? ® President, Bank of America Grand Rapids Renee Tabben President, Bank of America Grand Rapids Renee Tabben President, Bank of America Grand Rapids

Learn more at bankofamerica.com/grandrapids Learn more at bankofamerica.com/grandrapids Learn more at bankofamerica.com/grandrapids

Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. Bank of America, the Bank of America logo, Erica® and CashPro® are registered trademarks of the Bank of America Corporation. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. Bank of America, the Bank of America logo, Erica® and CashPro® are registered trademarks of the Bank of America Corporation. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. Zelle and the Zelle related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license. Bank of America, the Bank of America logo, Erica® and CashPro® are registered trademarks of the Bank of America Corporation. Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

Grand Rapids Business Journal 12.27.21

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