Displaying items tagged: small business

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.

TRAVERSE CITY — Hodges Fastener Corp., a woman-owned distributor of a range of fasteners, has sold to an Ohio-based firm that has been consolidating fastener distribution companies across the Midwest. 

Small business lender Northern Initiatives will receive $100,000 from major foundations annually over the next three years to help grow small businesses across Michigan.

Leaders in West Michigan’s Asian-American business community seek $6 million to provide a variety of programs and services to underserved communities, including minority- and women-owned businesses in the region.

GRAND RAPIDS — The city of Grand Rapids has issued a civil infraction against The Broadway Avenue, claiming that the venue’s policy of only hosting weddings between biological men and women is discriminatory and violates Grand Rapids’ human rights ordinance.

BATTLE CREEK — The federal Economic Development Administration has awarded economic development organization Battle Creek Unlimited more than $522,000 in grants to bolster a pair of food startup programs.

GRAND RAPIDS — Nagoya, a Japanese restaurant with an existing location in Kentwood, plans to open a second location in downtown Grand Rapids. 

GRANDVILLE — The owners of vegetation management company Integrity Tree Services LLC have sold the business to its workers via a new employee stock ownership plan.

TRAVERSE CITY — Technology startup incubator 20Fathoms has received a $50,000 state grant to help fund a position that can provide additional support services in the tech entrepreneurial space.

GAINES TWP. — Joining forces with its largest competitor will give Mobile Defenders LLC an opportunity to become part of the dominant player in the wholesale mobile device repair parts market with increased economies of scale.