Displaying items tagged: small business

A new training initiative wants to develop better leaders for family-owned businesses in West Michigan.

Jermale Eddie co-founded Grand Rapids-based Malamiah Juice Bar a decade ago, but he still feels like he’s running a “10-year-old startup.”

A Republican move to weaken minimum wage and paid sick leave ballot initiatives in 2018 was constitutional, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, keeping intact current wage and benefit requirements that were scheduled to spike Feb. 20 under a lower court decision.

GRAND RAPIDS — Ferris Coffee & Nut Co., a family-owned and Grand Rapids-based coffee and nut roasting business, has completed a succession plan that passes leadership to the next generation.

ZEELAND — West Michigan engineering, consulting and product development firm Disher Corp. has acquired leader-development organization Leading by Design LLC in what company executives call an “ideal fit.”

Amid rising costs and a national decline in freight volume, a family-owned business in West Michigan is closing its trucking division and selling its fleet.

West Michigan’s few cannabis microbusinesses are taking a page out of the craft brewery handbook with a clear focus on customer experience and an emphasis on locally produced products. 

Gazelle Sports CEO Jennifer Brummitt took her position at an interesting time. The 40-year-old, who has worked with Gazelle in various capacities since 2003, became the Kalamazoo-based company’s first CEO in July 2020.

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

Michigan’s minimum and tipped minimum wages are both set to increase in 2023, while pending litigation could cause even more significant changes for the hospitality industry that proponents say are overdue and some operators fear.

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

KALAMAZOO — Continental Linen Services Inc., a provider of uniform rentals and linen cleaning services, has completed a $6 million expansion following a pandemic-induced downturn that cut sales in half.

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.”

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.

GRAND RAPIDS — Rende Progress Capital, a small business lender to companies owned by entrepreneurs of color, will host a networking event Thursday that’s designed to introduce minority-owned businesses to one another and prospective new customers.

A spike in small business formations in Michigan that began in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic continues and easily outpaces the national growth rate.

GRAND RAPIDS — The owners of one of the few Black-owned businesses in downtown Grand Rapids say Ambiance GR Kitchen & Lounge has closed after being open for less than a year.

A pair of West Michigan distributors of construction and industrial supplies have been acquired by a leading direct-to-jobsite construction tools distributor specializing in commercial, industrial, mixed-use and infrastructure end markets.

GRAND RAPIDS — West Michigan Tree Services, an operating company of Grand Arbor Group Inc. of Grand Rapids, has been acquired by a New Bedford, N.Y.-based professional tree and shrub care company. 

MUSKEGON — A group of Michigan and Chicago-based entrepreneurs are developing a one-stop cannabis destination in Muskegon that would include a growing and processing facility, dispensary, consumption lounge, outdoor venue, restaurant and bar.

BENTON HARBOR — A new partnership hopes to improve the technical assistance available to Native American entrepreneurs in Southwest Michigan so they can have an easier time turning their business ideas into new startups and access funding. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Vertically integrated cannabis company Fluresh LLC has opened applications for the next round of participants in its cannabis accelerator program for entrepreneurs.

The Biden administration last month proposed new rules for employers that could have sweeping implications for small business owners who rely on independent contractors.

GRAND RAPIDS — Family-owned Bond Fluidaire Inc., a distributor of pneumatic and hydraulic hardware, components and systems, has sold to a southeast Michigan automation supply company.

WYOMING — Family-owned National Truck Brokers Inc., a Wyoming-based truckload carrier for grocery customers across seven Midwest states, has been acquired by a leading transportation and logistics company.

WALKER — A movie studio that formerly operated in downtown Grand Rapids is eyeing a larger industrial space in Walker to accommodate local filmmakers seeking to rent out production space.

GRAND RAPIDS — Growing software design and development consultancy Atomic Object LLC has opened its fourth office with a move into the Raleigh, N.C. market.

Grand Rapids ranks highly among cities nationwide for its number of employee-owned companies.

The Small Business Association of Michigan is building opposition to a proposed federal rule change that could affect millions of workers who earn their living as independent contractors.

BYRON CENTER — Information technology service provider People Driven Technology Inc. has acquired a Southeast Michigan tech consulting firm to build out its cybersecurity offerings after a two-year string of organic growth.