Displaying items tagged: Warner Norcross & Judd LLP

By and large, 2016 made for a record year for many in West Michigan’s commercial real estate and construction sectors. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Detroit-based Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP wants to build a presence in the Grand Rapids market based on the talent the law firm can attract.

New federal regulations that take effect Jan. 1 may require some employers to adjust the incentives they offer to get employees to join their workplace wellness programs.

GRAND RAPIDS — The largest bank headquartered in Michigan wants to increase its profile in downtown Grand Rapids in the years ahead. 

Attorneys working in the field of M&A like to say that there’s a story behind every transaction. That notion was on full display at last night’s MiBiz M&A Deals and Dealmakers of the Year Awards held at the Studio D2D in Grand Rapids. A common theme among the winners and finalists was a desire to preserve the culture of a company created by the sellers, even as the firm went through the transaction process.

In what he describes as a “good year,” Michael Jones was involved in closing 20 transactions in late 2015 and the first half of 2016 that had a collective value of $1.5 billion. 

Buying or selling a business or putting together a major deal is not the time to get cheap.

GRAND RAPIDS — Facing a dearth of high-amenity space in the downtown Grand Rapids market, commercial real estate stakeholders hope developers can soon begin to add Class A office inventory.

Here is the MiBiz Growth Report for June 27, 2016.

• M&A: German company Kion Group AG, an industrial truck, material handling and logistics automation equipment manufacturer, plans to acquire Dematic Corp. for approximately $2.1 billion in what executives described as a “landmark” transaction. The deal values the logistics and automation firm, whose North American operations are based in Grand Rapids, at an enterprise value of $3.25 billion, according to a joint statement. Dematic generated $1.8 billion in revenues and $166 million in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes during the calendar year 2015. Kion Group will acquire Dematic from funds managed by New York City private equity firm AEA Investors LP and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. The deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter pending regulatory approval, also carves out “certain liabilities,” according to a statement.

Perrigo Co. plc will sell off its vitamins, minerals and supplements business to International Vitamin Corp. of Freehold, N.J.

CWD Real Estate Investment Inc. appears primed to make another significant acquisition in Grand Rapids’ central business district.

As the craft beverage industry matures, it’s attracted new entrants who may be more concerned with making a quick profit than with the quality of the liquid. 

West Michigan contractors and architects point to the diversification of backlogged projects as further proof of a healthy regional economy. 

With nearly 2,000 new apartment units in the development pipeline for downtown Grand Rapids, many in the community have started to wonder when a full-service grocery store will open in the city core.

Industry watchers expect some of the same consolidation activity that’s taken the craft brewing industry by storm in recent years to spread into its agricultural supply chain, particularly for hops.

Despite a long career in the beer distribution business, Keith Klopcic lacked expertise in making the beverages he sold to bars and retailers around the state of Michigan. So when the opportunity arose to buy Comstock Park-based Perrin Brewing Co. last year, he tapped a partner with extensive craft brewing resources who had the know-how to help him continue scaling up the business.