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Nonprofits take leading role in community outreach for 2020 Census
As concerns over privacy and misinformation mount, federal and state officials are preparing for the 2020 Census by using nonprofits to collect an accurate count of the nation’s residents. As concerns over privacy and misinformation mount, federal and...
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GRCC becomes free for Grand Rapids students
Students who attend high school in Grand Rapids will soon be able to continue their education for free at Grand Rapids Community College. Students who attend high school in Grand Rapids will soon be able to continue their education for free at Grand...
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Founder sells Precise CNC Routing to local buyers
WYOMING — Precise CNC Routing Inc., a family-owned and operated manufacturer based in Wyoming, Mich., has been acquired by local investors. WYOMING — Precise CNC Routing Inc., a family-owned and operated manufacturer based in Wyoming, Mich., has been...
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Heartside Ministry, Mel Trotter Ministries announce merger
GRAND RAPIDS — Heartside Ministry and Mel Trotter Ministries, two nonprofits with missions concerning housing and homelessness, formally merged as of Jan. 1. GRAND RAPIDS — Heartside Ministry and Mel Trotter Ministries, two nonprofits with missions...
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Manufacturers expect first pullback on capex since 2009
Even as the state and national economy continues to eke out growth, manufacturers expect to reduce their capital spending in 2020. Even as the state and national economy continues to eke out growth, manufacturers expect to reduce their capital spending...
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MAKING THE CASE: Preserving local ownership a priority as West Michigan firms attract heightened PE interest
Locally owned and operated businesses are a unique asset to West Michigan’s economy, but that dynamic is changing as more owners opt to sell to private equity firms that have increasingly targeted the region for deals. Locally owned and operated...
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RoMan Manufacturing CEO: Capital equipment market to contract given place in business cycle
The U.S. manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index from the Institute for Supply Management hit new lows in the past few months — a leading indicator that manufacturers must change their tactics in the coming year, said Bob Roth of RoMan Manufacturing...
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Food Biz Outlook: Embattled ag industry hopes trade stabilizes in 2020
News that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement appears to be headed toward ratification comes as a positive for farmers across the country and especially in Michigan. News that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement appears to be headed toward...
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Manufacturing Outlook: West Michigan manufacturing could contract in 2020, economists say
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...
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Michigan dairy farmer hopes for best as pricing environment improves
Dairy producers are struggling to make ends meet, and many dairy farmers have lost money for months or even several years straight. Jem-Lot Dairy’s Stephanie Schafer, who is also a district director with the Michigan Farm Bureau, said the situation is...
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Herman Miller, Steelcase post mixed quarterly results
The two largest office furniture companies in West Michigan posted mixed results in their most recent quarters. The two largest office furniture companies in West Michigan posted mixed results in their most recent quarters. Zeeland-based Herman Miller...
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Herbruck Poultry Ranch reaches $93K settlement in EEOC lawsuit
Egg producer Herbruck Poultry Ranch Inc. will pay $93,000 to settle a disability harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Egg producer Herbruck Poultry Ranch Inc. will pay $93,000 to settle a disability...
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Partners form new association to serve small manufacturers
The Michigan Manufacturing and Technology Association (MMTA) launched last month to help the state’s smallest manufacturers become more competitive and prosperous. The Michigan Manufacturing and Technology Association (MMTA) launched last month to help...
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Pabst to ‘lean in’ with New Holland spirits to expand beyond beer
As Pabst Brewing Co. broadens its reach beyond the iconic Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, the global drinks company is increasingly leveraging its relationship with New Holland Brewing Co. to break into new categories. As Pabst Brewing Co. broadens its reach...
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Michigan’s Going PRO workforce training program grapples with $37.3 million cut
Two months after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an unprecedented number of line-item vetoes to the state Legislature’s budget plan, $37.3 million for statewide workforce development programs remains unfunded. Two months after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued...
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Report highlights disparity between food prices, farmers’ bottom lines
For every dollar that Americans spent on yesterday’s Thanksgiving dinner meals, growers and ranchers received just 12.1 cents — even less than their average slice of the pie throughout the year. For every dollar that Americans spent on yesterday’s...
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Negative outlook continues among auto suppliers
The collective outlook among automotive suppliers is moving deep into negative territory as trade tensions, declining volumes and weakness in the U.S. economy weigh on the minds of manufacturers. The collective outlook among automotive suppliers is...
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Industry turns to higher ed to fill specific talent gaps
At a state-of-the-art machine tool laboratory in downtown Grand Rapids, a group of non-technical sales professionals learns about carbide, a compound made from carbon and metal, as well as takes in lessons about radial chip thinning, blueprinting and...
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Gill reaches settlement with Benteler
GRAND RAPIDS — Tier 1 automotive supplier Gill Corp. has settled a lawsuit with Ann Arbor-based Benteler Automotive Corp. about payments Gill was demanding as it prepared to close its Bond Avenue production plant in Grand Rapids. GRAND RAPIDS — Tier 1...
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Facing insolvency, Gill Corp. seeks ‘exorbitant demands,’ customer alleges in bombshell lawsuit
GRAND RAPIDS — A bombshell new lawsuit alleges that Grand Rapids-based Tier 1 automotive supplier Gill Corp. is demanding “ransom” from its customers as the metal stamper dissolves its operations. GRAND RAPIDS — A bombshell new lawsuit alleges that...