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. 

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.

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 — 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

GRAND RAPIDS — Jessica Ann Tyson is taking the concept of a dog-friendly restaurant a step further by making canines her main customer.

GRAND RAPIDS — Amanda Rostic on Wednesday night passed out samples of tea she batch brewed the night before with a special ingredient she thinks will set her product apart from other brands: hops.

GRAND RAPIDS — Longtime family-owned window covering retailer The Shade Shop Inc. has sold to another family-owned company in the Grand Rapids area.

MIDDLEVILLE — Backed by a group of business partners from West Michigan, The Botanical Co. is opening the first adult-use cannabis dispensary in the village of Middleville.

GRAND RAPIDS — After selling the church management software company he started in 2014, Jon VerLee decided to put his money into assisting other entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.

GRAND RAPIDS — Royals is relaunching next week as a pizza restaurant after the former East Hills brunch spot underperformed since launching at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state has begun the process to dispense nearly $237 million in federal funding to support small businesses.

GRAND RAPIDS — A husband and wife duo are moving their catering and personal chef business into the building formerly occupied by neighborhood staple Cherry Deli and Catering in Grand Rapids’ East Hills neighborhood.