A roundup of mergers and acquisitions, expansions, and other growth plans across West Michigan.

GRAND RAPIDS — Even as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, quality child care remains hard to come by for many Michigan families. That’s due in part to providers who left the field and didn’t return — and a handful of Michigan organizations hope to use new state grants to reverse the trend.

LANSING — Michigan notched a win with Ford Motor Co’'s decision to build a $3.5 billion, 2,500-job electric vehicle battery factory in Marshall.

GRAND RAPIDS — Sustainability, transportation and placemaking are top priorities for Grand Rapids residents as city officials prepare a 20-year master plan to guide future development.

Ottawa County would extend broadband internet service to unserved and underserved areas of the county through a $27 million public-private partnership with a southeast Michigan firm.

GRAND RAPIDS — Fox Motors Group LLC has widened its reach on the southeast side of the state, acquiring three new dealerships and a collision center in metro Detroit. 

Local governments across Michigan are using cannabis excise tax revenue to fund basic public services as well as programs that aim to expand equity in the industry.

Tribal affairs experts say the federal government erred in determining that the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians failed to meet the criteria for federal recognition and remain optimistic that the tribe will successfully obtain the crucial designation.

GRAND RAPIDS — Crain Communications announced leadership changes today at MiBiz and the Grand Rapids Business Journal to unify the organization in preparation for the launch of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.

LANSING — The Michigan House on Wednesday approved bills to add protections for LGBTQ people to the state’s civil rights law, capping a decades-long legislative effort to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, public services and housing.

GRAND RAPIDS — A long-running public art competition in Grand Rapids has tapped a former planner for the South by Southwest festival in Austin to lead the event into its next era.

This week, MiBiz is celebrating the winners of the 10th annual M&A Deals & Dealmaker Awards, which recognizes top businesses and individuals contributing to the region’s economic vitality.

A new 20-mile pipeline more than a decade in the making will support growth plans for multiple West Michigan agribusinesses that have been hampered by limited wastewater infrastructure.

Arjun Murthy’s career has taken him from the halls of Congress to Cascade Partners LLC, where he works as the investment banking firm’s youngest director. 

In his role at Allied OMS LLC, a doctor-owned and -led management services organization, Brian Hamilton traveled more than 40 weeks out of the year in 2022.

Buoyed by a rise in popularity of employee stock ownership plans among business owners, deal attorney Justin Stemple wrapped up the second busiest year of transactions he’s had in his 18-year career at Grand Rapids-based Warner Norcross + Judd LLP.

From transitioning to being an employee-owned company and moving its headquarters, Twisthink LLC is going through many changes as the digital consulting firm aims to attract more people to its team.

 Twenty-five years after founding AppleTree & Gilden Woods, President and CEO Brigdett VanDerHoff realized the timing was right for her to transition away from the early childhood and preschool care provider. 

When Jody Vanderwel first heard about Grand Angels, she knew very little about the business of angel investing. 

Grand Rapids-based Edustaff LLC has quickly grown over the last dozen years from a regional company to the third-largest staffing organization in the country for substitute teachers.

GRAND RAPIDS — Randy Thelen believes West Michigan needs to move away from its “best-kept secret” identity to a position of confidence if it wants to keep its momentum in attracting employers and talent.

GRAND RAPIDS — The U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed denying a decades-long effort by the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians to obtain federal recognition, a status that would bring numerous benefits to the tribe and its members.

University of Michigan economists remain confident that the state’s economy will hold up well over the next two years, even as U.S. economic growth slows and a potential mild recession looms.

Growing West Michigan’s advanced manufacturing, health sciences and technology sectors while expanding economic opportunities for minority residents are key components of The Right Place Inc.’s new three-year strategic plan.

Grand Rapids cannabis operators are renewing calls for city officials to amend social equity requirements, which they say have become unreasonably hard and even impossible to attain.

GRAND RAPIDS — Cannabis operators want Grand Rapids officials to provide more education and clarity around the city’s Cannabis Social Equity Policy, as well as make policy changes so more operators can comply with their social equity promises.

LANSING — The Democratic-controlled Senate on Thursday muscled through a sweeping plan to cut taxes and boost Michigan’s primary business-attraction fund, passing legislation that Republicans opposed because of a provision that would stop a permanent reduction in the individual income tax.

Visitors traveling to Kalamazoo to participate in sporting events spent $28.7 million last year, as sports tourism locally returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Ford Motor Co.’s plans to invest $3.5 billion to build an electric vehicle battery plant near Marshall came as good news to economic developers across West Michigan. 

As Ford Motor Co. and its Chinese battery partner close in on a home for a $3.5 billion EV battery plant, some residents are speaking out against development of the megasite in Marshall.

LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a budget Wednesday that would cut taxes and boost spending on business-attraction incentives and other priorities at a time Michigan is flush with billions of dollars in surplus revenue.