Displaying items tagged: foodagri
Bell’s Brewery launches scalable giving initiative for clean water
KALAMAZOO — Bell’s Brewery Inc. has launched a new charitable initiative that expects to distribute $480,000 in donations in its first year and support social and environmental causes in communities where its products are distributed.
MiBiz on WOOD-TV8: Zeeland facility to prepare major shipment of specialized infant formula
A Mead Johnson & Co. LLC production facility in Zeeland is set to receive more than 300,000 pounds of infant base formula to blend, package and redistribute in the coming weeks as federal officials seek to ease an ongoing supply shortage.
Beverage companies seize on ‘mocktail’ movement driven by the sober curious
As a sober resident in a city widely recognized for its craft beer scene, Paul Clark struggled to find non-alcoholic options outside of soda, coffee or sparkling water.
Zeeland-based Mead Johnson facility to process millions of specialty infant formula servings
ZEELAND — A West Michigan formula producer will import roughly 331,000 pounds of infant formula base powder this month from a facility in Mexico to be blended, packaged and redistributed.
Long Road Distillers to close Cadillac location, citing staffing shortages
CADILLAC — Long Road Distillers LLC is shutting down its Cadillac tasting room after a year in business because of staffing challenges.
‘LONG OVERDUE:’ Restaurant workers welcome higher wages, benefits as owners warn of closures
While restaurant owners have warned of impending industry collapse — or at least uncertain operating conditions — of swiftly strengthening the state’s minimum wage and paid sick leave requirements, their workers have welcomed recent developments that they say ensure economic stability.
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Court ruling to raise minimum wage, paid sick time delayed to February 2023
Michigan employers will have at least six months to prepare for an increase to the state’s minimum wage and stronger paid sick leave requirements following a Friday court ruling that brought swift applause from restaurant owners.
Family owned food manufacturing giant Roskam Baking Co. sells to Chicago PE firm
GRAND RAPIDS — Roskam Baking Co., the quietly massive operation that helped put West Michigan on the map as a center for food manufacturing, has sold to new private equity owners after nearly a century as a family owned business.
Restaurant service provider 86 Repairs raises $15.2M in latest funding round
86 Repairs Inc., a restaurant equipment repair and maintenance company founded in Grand Rapids, has raised $15.2 million from investors to support the company’s ongoing growth.
Pandemic leads Michigan seafood processors to new retail-based environment
State officials are preparing to distribute federal block grant funding for Michigan seafood processors that significantly shifted from a wholesale to a retail focus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gordon Food Service invests in $595M food and retail VC fund
WYOMING — Food service distributor Gordon Food Service Inc. is among the returning investors in a Chicago-based venture capital fund that invests in the food and retail industries.
Meritage acquires 6 Wendy’s locations in Florida
GRAND RAPIDS — Restaurant operator Meritage Hospitality Group Inc. is expanding its holdings in Florida with a deal to acquire six Wendy’s locations in Jacksonville.
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Report: Spiking equipment repair costs add to restaurants’ challenges
Already pinched by an ongoing dearth of available workers, restaurants are also facing significant increases in their expenses tied to equipment maintenance and repairs.
New law slashes state markup for Michigan distillers that source grain from within state
Small distilleries and grain farmers in Michigan are poised to benefit from a new state law that incentivizes the use of Michigan-grown grains when producing liquor.
Kellogg to split into 3 separate companies under ‘next step’ of transformation
BATTLE CREEK — Kellogg Co. has unveiled plans to split into three independent companies and base the corporate headquarters for the largest of the three in Chicago.
GFS partnership addresses industry labor shortage with robotic food prepping
WYOMING — As a food distributor serving a large swath of the country, Gordon Food Service Inc. is closely involved with the pain points facing restaurants and food service operations.
SpartanNash acquires 3 Shop-N-Save West Michigan grocery stores
BYRON CENTER — Food retailer and distributor SpartanNash Co. has closed on a deal to purchase the Shop-N-Save Food Center chain of grocery stores.
MiBiz on WOOD-TV8: SpartanNash shareholders reject activist investor group’s board proposal
Following months of contention with an activist investor group, SpartanNash Co. shareholders late last week rejected an attempt to seat three new directors to the company’s board.
SpartanNash fends off activist investor group’s attempt to seat 3 directors to board
BYRON CENTER — Food retailer and distributor SpartanNash Co. has fended off efforts by an activist investor group to seat three directors on the company’s nine-person board.
Federal judge rules in favor of Northern Michigan wineries challenging local ordinance restrictions
PENINSULA TWP. — A group of Northern Michigan wineries have found relief from a collection of township ordinances that business owners said restricted their operations and limited significant revenue streams.
Metro Grand Rapids, Detroit selected for expanded federal urban agriculture program
Metropolitan Grand Rapids will be home to a new federal urban agriculture committee designed to help the nation’s Farm Service Agency administer its programs at a local level.
Hudsonville Ice Cream, Coastal Container plan Holland expansions totaling $87.7M
Two newly announced business expansions in Holland are poised to generate $87.7 million in private investment and bring 138 new jobs to the area.
West Michigan-developed ‘Craigslist for local food and farms’ app nears 100K users
Local entrepreneur Terra Osman leveraged her self-taught development skills to create a mobile app that connects buyers and sellers of local produce and garden supplies.
West Michigan investors join capital round for eco-friendly pesticide developer
Local investors joined an $82 million capital round for a company that began in Kalamazoo and developed an ecologically friendly pesticide.
SpartanNash renews executive team under Sarsam, faces new proxy fight with investors
When Tony Sarsam took the helm of SpartanNash Inc., he noticed parallels between the West Michigan food solutions company and the previous company he led.
Norton Shores coffee producer among West Mich. agriculture expansion grant recipients
State agriculture officials have announced $200,000 in grant funding to support a Norton Shores coffee producer’s expansion that would create the largest cold brew production facility in the United States.
Walters Gardens plans $9.15M expansion at Zeeland Twp. nursery
ZEELAND TWP. — Walters Gardens Inc. is investing $9.15 million to expand its operations in Zeeland Charter Township with a new 40,000-square-foot greenhouse.
Hospitality industry still struggling through staffing, supply chain shortages
A recent survey of nearly 150 Michigan restaurant and hotel owners shows that most are still struggling with inadequate staffing and supply chain disruptions, and almost all employers are raising wages for their workers to address staffing shortages.
MiBiz on WOOD-TV8: West Michigan food producers on front lines of formula shortage
Four food manufacturing companies with operations in West Michigan are on the front lines of the ongoing baby formula shortage that is causing significant challenges for families with infants.
SpartanNash, DoorDash partner to expand on-demand grocery delivery
BYRON CENTER — Grocery retailer and food distributor SpartanNash Co. has partnered with global tech company DoorDash Inc. to provide on-demand grocery delivery for a large swath of the nation.