GRAND RAPIDS — Williams Distributing Co., a Grand Rapids-based distributor of HVAC equipment and residential building products, has been acquired by a subsidiary of global manufacturer Daikin Industries Ltd.

HOLLAND —  Veteran food exec Tina Floyd will join family-owned Hudsonville Creamery and Ice Cream Company LLC on Feb. 13 as its next CEO, taking over for co-owner Denny Ellens.

BATTLE CREEK — Davis Oil Co., a convenience store operator with 21 locations in West Michigan, has sold to Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Majors Management LLC. 

PLAINFIELD TWP. — Eastern Kille Distillery will kick off the new year with a groundbreaking ceremony for its new headquarters, distillery operations, bar and restaurant in Plainfield Charter Township.

West Michigan’s manufacturing sector experienced a mix of highs and lows in 2022, as several major ventures plan to bring in billions of dollars in new investments while other companies contended with inflation, supply chain disruptions and labor availability.

After nearly two years of contending with a pandemic that brought fundraising uncertainty and growing community needs, West Michigan nonprofits spent 2022 finding new ways to serve and capturing much-needed federal relief funding.

The blockbuster merger of Spectrum Health and Beaumont Health in February of 2022 created a monthslong process, including a couple of name changes, to merge the two large health systems. 

CASCADE TWP. — Control Electric Inc., a residential and commercial electric services provider, was sold to an unnamed individual investor.

Major housing developments that would add hundreds of much-needed units and large entertainment venues in downtown Grand Rapids were among the top 10 most-read stories by MiBiz readers in 2022.

Union Home Mortgage — a retail, wholesale and consumer-direct mortgage company based in Strongsville, Ohio — has acquired Portage-based Amerifirst Home Mortgage.

GRAND RAPIDS — Franchise restaurant operator Meritage Hospitality Group Inc. is expanding its portfolio of Wendy’s restaurants with a deal to acquire a group of restaurants in the Midwest. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Regional business publication MiBiz will join the growing portfolio of Detroit-based Crain Communications Inc. under a new deal announced today. 

Holland Engineering Inc. aims to expand its offerings to municipal clients under a merger planned with another West Michigan civil engineering firm.

BATTLE CREEK — The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi has selected Frank Tecumseh to serve as its new CEO of its FireKeepers Casino Hotel enterprise. 

WYOMING — AMI Entertainment Network LLC, a provider of digital jukeboxes and other products for the restaurant and bar industry, has been acquired by a Los Angeles private equity firm.

West Michigan’s economy and workforce have largely rebounded from the pandemic-induced downturn of early 2020, according to a recent report from economic development organization The Right Place Inc.

ROCKFORD — Wolverine World Wide Inc. will divest its Keds brand and Wolverine Leathers business, while also implement staff reductions, in an effort to drive cost savings in 2023.

GRAND RAPIDS — Bob Von Kaenel, a longtime executive at Kentwood Office Furniture and Herman Miller Inc., has been named the new president and CEO of nonprofit health care services provider Hope Network.

WALKER — Automation solutions provider Axis Automation has announced a $5.7 million expansion in Walker that it expects could create up to 50 jobs.

ADA — Burke Porter Group is expanding its footprint to Ireland and bolstering its life sciences capabilities with the acquisition of a leading manufacturer of assembly products and storage solutions for the biomedical industry.

GRAND RAPIDS TWP.  — Diversified construction, packaging and industrial product manufacturer UFP Industries Inc. has expanded its packaging division with the acquisition of a Texas firm. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Grand Rapids-based I.T. services provider Micro Visions Inc. has sold to an Indiana consulting firm in what company executives described as a “natural fit.”

A roundup of mergers and acquisitions, expansions and other briefs across West Michigan.

Here are the staffing announcements from the Nov. 21, 2022 print edition. 

Jenny Waugh, director of sales and marketing at Fishbeck, discusses the talent shortage as the biggest obstacle to growth, how the full-service construction and design firm is managing through market disruptions, and how companies can achieve more equity and gender parity within their operations.

HOLLAND — An equity investment from United Airlines Ventures could allow a startup advanced battery company to ramp up production in Holland via a partnership with automotive battery supplier Clarios International Inc. 

CASCADE TWP. — Cascade Engineering Inc. has sold its powersports division to a private equity-backed firm, marking a second notable sale this year for the plastic injection molding manufacturer.

GRAND RAPIDS — Tommy’s Boats LLC, a retailer of ski, wake and pontoon boats, is expanding its operations in California with the acquisition of Larson Marine Inc., a Stockton, Calif.-based watersports dealer.

Ottawa County commissioners last week signed off on a $32.7 million spending plan that will direct federal stimulus funding to two dozen local projects.

A survey of more than 300 West Michigan business leaders shows that talent availability and inflation are their biggest barriers to growth, while investing in automation and raising prices will be key measures to overcome risk.