Displaying items tagged: Conway MacKenzie Inc

If the long-promised economic downturn is on the horizon, manufacturers will be the first to feel it in 2020. That’s according to economists and industry experts who say the U.S. economy has become virtually split as it’s powered by confident consumers but weakened by a cautious business sector that is reducing investments and bracing for a contraction.

Like more than half of Michigan’s manufacturers, business runs in the family at Grand Rapids-based Pridgeon & Clay Inc.

Interest rates likely will rise again in 2019. How much and how often remains the question following the latest quarter-point increase in the federal funds rate last week by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which for two years has been raising interest rates from historic lows reached a decade ago during the Great Recession.

GRANDVILLE — A 20-year-old mall in southwestern Kent County could potentially turn into a mixed-use “mini-city,” or be repositioned for a sale.

A turbulent period full of major disruptions for the automotive industry has translated into business doubling for Conway MacKenzie Inc., a Birmingham, Mich.-based turnaround firm.

It’s been a tumultuous time for large retailers as consumers gravitate to the convenience of e-commerce and consciously shift their buying habits to local options. As these shifts continue to drive change and stress in the retail industry, many stakeholders still believe it offers significant opportunity. In separate interviews, MiBiz connected with retail advisers to gather their thoughts on the state of the industry, why it’s changing and where it’s going. They were:

The uncertain future of Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grandville has cast a pall over West Michigan’s retail real estate market, where demand from new entrants is strong but places to put them remain in short supply.

The local and national retail industry faces many headwinds, but reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for April 16, 2018.

• M&A: Holland-based JR Automation Technologies LLC, a private equity-backed manufacturer of custom automation equipment, has acquired Setpoint Systems and Setpoint Inc. of Ogden, Utah. The deal further expands JR Automation’s industrial automation offerings for global clients, according to a statement. The acquired companies specialize in automation solutions and motion control systems for the e-commerce and amusement industries. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Management consulting and financial advisory firm Conway MacKenzie Inc. opened an office in the Waters Building on Ottawa Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids office.

The retail real estate sector could be on the verge of a major upheaval, beyond the near steady stream of headlines about brick-and-mortar store closures and bankruptcies in recent weeks.

Steven Wybo doesn’t see much of a happy ending for the vast majority of brick-and-mortar retail stores. The senior managing partner in the Birmingham office of international turnaround and restructuring firm Conway MacKenzie Inc. says the impending demise of West Michigan-based retailers like MC Sports and Family Christian Stores is indicative of the trends impacting larger mall anchors. In particular, they bear too much fixed cost and have to contend with ever-changing consumer trends. Wybo spoke with MiBiz regarding recent closures and the very limited number of options he sees for retail.