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December 2008 $2.00

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Wind Turbine to Rise on KVCC CampusKalamazoo - Known once as “The

Windmill City,” Kalamazoo will be goingback to the future when work beginsMonday on bringing a 150-foot wind tur-bine to KVCC’s Texas Township Campus.

With the college receiving a special-use permit and an approval of a site planthis week from the Texas TownshipPlanning Commission, the 50-kilowattunit with its 125-foot tower and trio of

25-foot blades should be installedbetween Christmas and New Year’s Day,and be ready to generate 15 percent ofthe energy needed to power the technicalwing at KVCC by the first of 2009.

KVCC’s wind turbine, which could bethe first of four, will overlook the soccerand ball fields on the west end of thecampus. The $250,000 project is viewedas an investment in energy conservation

and in technical education. As an indicator that “everything old

is new again,” Kalamazoo is flashingback in its industrial history when in thelate-19th and early-20th centuries, thecity was home to several major manufac-turers that, at their peak, made 4,000windmills annually and sold 1,500 tooverseas markets.

Designed, built and installed by

Entegrity Wind Systems Inc., which has asales office in Boulder, Colo., the 50-kilo-watt wind turbine supplements the energysource needed to power large buildings andcombats rising utility rates. Its purchaseand installation is being funded by one ofthe college’s “Innovative Thinking” grants.

But it will also be a powerful teach-ing and learning tool for KVCC’s technicalprograms, and serve as the symbol of thecollege’s plans to establish a WindEnergy Center.

Earlier this year, according toDeborah Dawson, KVCC’s dean of busi-ness and advanced technology, theMichigan Energy Office awarded the col-lege a $6,000 grant to purchase equip-ment to provide students “real-time”experiences with this alternative sourceof energy and train the next generation oftechnicians in this field.

One of the purchases was a miniatureversion of a three-bladed turbine with afive-foot propeller span. KVCC’s technicalprograms are infusing wind-power com-ponents into their curriculums. In theworks is a one-year, 35-credit-hour cer-tificate for wind-energy technicians.

Other objectives include educatingthe public about alternative sources ofenergy and to get high school students,such as those enrolled at the KalamazooArea Mathematics and Science Center,involved so that they can increase theirknowledge and awareness about the effi-ciencies of wind energy.

“An educational institution leading byexample is the way I see it,” said JamesDeHaven, vice president for economic andbusiness development. He believes theKVCC Wind Energy Center, which will bebased in the M-TEC on the college’s GrovesCampus along I-94, will have educational,job-training, employment, entrepreneurial,and research-and-development ramifica-tions for this part of the state.

The turbine operating at the WMUCollege of Engineering and viewablealong U. S. 131 is a 1.8-kilowatt unit.The one on the Texas Township Campuswill 25 times more powerful.

While wind is now “in,” it’s been along time coming, according to one ofEntegrity’s executives.

“The time for wind energy came withthe first Arab oil embargo in late 1973when it became evident that energy wassuch a big part of the economy of every-body,” said Malcolm Lodge, who has 30years of wind-energy engineering to hiscredit as the firm’s president and chieftechnical officer.

According to a Michigan StateUniversity study, Michigan could produce320,000 megawatts of energy -- morethan 10 times the amount of electricityneeded during a peak-use period -- if100,000 offshore wind turbines operatedalong the Great Lakes.

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Family-Owned Businesses Find Partner in Private Equity

By Greg Myers

There comes a time in many businessowners’ lives when they want to exit theircompany. Unfortunately, many family busi-ness owners overlook exit planning and areuninformed about all the options available.As a result, numerous family-run companiesare caught unprepared, and face less thanoptimal ownership transition options, orsimply go out of business.

It’s critical that family business ownersconsider what will happen to the company ifthey retire. Most family business ownersassume another family member will take thereins, but according to statistics, that’s rarelythe case.

Thirty percent of family-owned busi-nesses successfully transfer from the firstgeneration to the second, about 12 percenttransfer to the third generation and onlyabout 3 percent make it to the fourth gener-ation, according to the Family BusinessInstitute, Raleigh, N.C.

While there are several exit options, anincreasing number of family business ownersare partnering with private equity firms.There are many benefits to a PE partnership,such as the opportunity to keep the businessindependent and avoid selling to a competitor,as well as the option to remain with the busi-ness or cash out. Meanwhile, business own-ers get a sense of comfort knowing that theircompany and its employees will be taken careof, and will not simply become a productionfacility or local branch for a competitor. New Ernest & Young Study Praises PE

A recent study by Ernest & Young pro-vides further support behind the value ofpartnering with a PE firm. The study ana-lyzed metrics for the 100 largest private-equity exits worldwide in 2007 alongside theperformance of comparable publicly tradedcompanies over the same period.

The study found that companies sold byprivate equity firms increased in enterprisevalue at an annual, compounded rate of 24percent while in a PE firm’s portfolio—dou-ble the rate of the comparable publicly trad-ed companies. PE firms also increased theearnings before interest, taxes, depreciationand amortization (EBITDA) of these portfo-lio companies 37 percent faster than theirpublicly traded counterparts did. Finally,these companies improved productivity lev-els 33 percent faster than publicly tradedcompany benchmarks.

The outperformance stems from the PEbusiness model, which produces measurablegrowth, productivity improvements andprofit increases at a greater rate. In turn,those gains increase enterprise value. Benefits of Private Equity Investment

Many business owners may not fullyunderstand the advantages they can gain byleveraging a PE investment. Following arefive of the most important benefits owners offamily-owned businesses can expect fromthe right PE firm. Spark business growth.

A good PE firm brings efficient systemsinto a company, narrows the focus, identifiesnew markets and integrates value-added

processes. Whether it’s in the form of a cap-ital infusion to bolster IT systems or a freshperspective on the marketplace, a PE’sinvolvement can breathe new life into amature company. Gain a strategic planning partner.

For many mid-market PE firms,involvement comes through strategic plan-ning and providing additional resources tohelp improve and build the business. Inaddition to capital, a PE firm may have a net-

work of other resources—such as a board ofdirectors with valuable industry experi-ence—to assist management teams inachieving strategic objectives. Plan for long-term growth.

PE is a viable alternative to the cashinfusion a public offering brings and itallows for steadier, longer-term growth.Under the public microscope, companies areheld to short-term growth goals measuredquarter by quarter. PE allows more flexibility

to make strategic decisions that can pay offin the long run, but wouldn’t be as attractiveto stock-market investors. Compete globally.

Globalization is now a major factor inmost industries. Some mid-market business-es may not be equipped to compete globally.

But the resources and know-how of aPE firm can help them enter new marketsand serve new customers worldwide.

Continued on page 8

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Cover: Haworth Celebrates 60th AnniversaryHolland - Haworth, Inc. celebrated

its 60th anniversary onsite its globalheadquarters – One Haworth Center. Amember reception featured DickHaworth, Chairman of the Board, com-memorating Haworth’s West Michiganroots, growth to becoming a world leaderin the design and manufacture of officefurniture and organic workspaces, anddedication of nearly 8,000 membersworld-wide.

“I’m honored to celebrate the jour-ney we’ve taken to providing workspacesolutions anywhere in the world with thehighest standard of quality,” said DickHaworth, Haworth Chairman. “I celebrateour members’ passion for serving ourcustomers, embracing change, continu-ously pursuing greater effectiveness,striving for excellence in quality, andstriving to make the world a better placeto live. These are the values which define

Haworth and are the same values onwhich Haworth was founded.”

HistoryInnovation and flexibility have been

Haworth cornerstones since the companywas founded in 1948. These principlesremain the driving force today, asChairman Dick Haworth and Presidentand CEO Franco Bianchi lead a worldwideeffort to create great, adaptable work-spaces.

Originally known as ModernProducts, the company's founder G.W.Haworth was driven by two dreams—tostart his own business and to put his fivechildren through college. Today, thosedreams have led to Haworth becoming aglobal leader in workspace solutions,with quality products and customer-focused members propelling the compa-ny’s growth.

In the beginning, Modern Productsrepresented a variety of wood products.In 1954, the company shifted focus tooffice environments with the develop-ment of modular office partitions, prede-cessors of panel systems. G.W. was anearly proponent of sustainability, decadesbefore the word entered the popular lexi-con. Stories abound of his legendary pas-

sion for reuse and recycling. His devo-tion to stewardship is one of his greatestgifts to the company as it continues onthe journey to sustainability.

The company name was changed in1976, with the introduction of the world'sfirst pre-wired modular panel. That year,Dick Haworth also became President andCEO. Business remained centered aroundoffice furniture systems until the early1980s, when office seating was added toHaworth's product offering. Since then,the company has continued to movetoward complete workspace solutions.

In the late 1980s, Haworth expandedglobally in North America, Europe andAsia, and continued to achieve moreindustry firsts. Haworth also earnedawards for sustainability, leadership,community service and member job satis-faction.

In 2005, Franco Bianchi became thepresident and CEO after more than 10years with Haworth in Europe, and DickHaworth assumed a new position asChairman of the Board.

In 2008, the new One HaworthCenter opened in Holland, MI showcasingthe best of the company’s adaptable, sus-tainable and user-focused innovations.

Today the family-owned privateHaworth, Inc. operates in three geograph-ic sectors: North America, Europe,Asia/Pacific. Haworth connects suppliersand more than 600 independent dealerswith 24 ISO-9001 registered manufactur-ing sites in 10 countries and offer prod-ucts and services in over 120 countries.

Haworth, Inc. is a global leader inthe design and manufacture of office fur-niture and organic workspaces, includingraised access floors, moveable walls, sys-tems furniture, seating, storage and woodcasegoods. Family-owned and privatelyheld, Haworth is headquartered inHolland, Michigan, and serves markets inmore than 120 countries through a glob-al network of 600 dealers. The companyhad net sales of US $1.66 billion in 2007.

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Publisher: Gary Kralapp

Senior Vice President: Jim LroyVice President: Diane LaPrezeDirector of Business Development: Tom Handy

Contributing Writers: Craig Datema, RolfDobelli, Mike Frandsen, Max Friar, MarlaHuizing, Jennifer Jordan, Howard Milove,Greg Myers, and Randall Patterson

Managing Editor: Carol M. KralappAssociate Editor: Matt DeckerPrinting/Distribution: News Web PrintingAccountant: Michael Tawney & CompanyLegal: Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone

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Wind TurbineContinued from page 2

That would be 80 times greater thanthe projected output of the world’s largestwind farm being planned by billionaire T.Boone Pickens in Texas.

In addition to the free winds thatcome across Lake Michigan, the state hasthe manufacturing infrastructure andtechnical workforce to become a majorplayer in this industry. While the UnitedStates ranks second globally to Germanyin the generation of electricity courtesy ofthe wind, that amount is only 1 percent ofthe nation’s total energy output.

Regarding noise and peril to wingedwildlife, John Patten, a WMU professor ofengineering who is serving as the col-lege’s consultant on the wind-energyproject, told an audience this fall that“windmills generate no more noise thanthe average conversation, and kill fewerbirds than cats, cars and skyscrapers –less than one for every 10,000 killed byhumans.”

Weightless Flight Program for Teachers Reports Dramatic Impact in Student Interest in Science and Math

Los Angeles, CA – The NorthropGrumman Foundation announced that arecent poll of more than 200 teachers whoparticipated in its 2006 and 2007Weightless Flights of Discovery Programreveals the initiative is meeting its goal indriving student interest in science, tech-nology, engineering and math (STEM).

The findings, which come amid theconclusion of the third year of theWeightless Flights of Discovery Program,are an encouraging sign given the demandfor skilled and talented labor to fill thetechnology and engineering jobs neces-sary for everything from the developmentof alternative sources of energy, to newtechnologies, to space exploration.

By focusing the Weightless Flightsprogram on teachers rather than students,the program has achieved maximum“reach” for the lessons of its microgravity“classroom,” delivering inspiration to anestimated 25,500 elementary, middleschool and high school students in its firstthree years. This year, teachers fromaround the country participated in the pro-gram, which made stops in San Jose, Calif;“Florida’s Space Coast ,” Atlanta, andChicago. It is expected the participation ofthis year’s teachers will reach an estimat-ed 6,000 students with the message that“science is cool.”

According to the online poll of 205teachers who participated in year one andtwo of the Northrop Grumman Foundationprogram, 91.9% report a notable increasein their students’ overall interest in sci-ence. Additionally, 74.6% report anincreased number of students expressing adesire to continue to study science andmath in high school and/or college with77.8% of teachers reporting a rise in thenumber of students who have expressed adesire to pursue a career in a science ormath related field – a key goal of theNorthrop Grumman Foundation program.

Traci Bourgeois, a teacher at Patrick F.Taylor School in Jefferson, New Orleans,who participated in the 2007 weightlessflights program, said, “I have studentswho for the first time want to becomeengineers instead of doctors or lawyers.”

“The results from this poll are trulyexciting and indicative of what theNorthrop Grumman Foundation is allabout in its mission to impact STEM,” saidSandra Evers-Manly, president of theNorthrop Grumman Foundation and vicepresident of Office of CorporateResponsibility for the company. “The needto ensure the competitiveness of the U.S.in the areas of engineering and technolo-gy for the future remains a very real chal-lenge, and much of the solution lies with-in our ability to instill a passion and inter-est in science and math among the nextgeneration.”

Nearly two-thirds of teachers(60.7%) also report more of their studentsare participating in science club and otherrelated extra-curricular activities.

Participants also reported a turnaround inthe number of notably disengaged stu-dents. According to 83.5% of teachers,students who were previously disinterest-ed in science and math have shownmarked interest. One respondent cited athird grade student with a discipline prob-lem who so enjoyed hearing about histeacher’s experience that the studentsigned up for an additional science-relatedinter-session course, created successfulexperiments, and has now set his sightson one day being part of the U.S. spaceprogram.

Charles Fulco, who teaches at PortChester Middle School in Port Chester,N.Y., said, “I formed an after-school sci-ence club because of my flight, and nowhave about 15 very interested childrendoing all sorts of science-related experi-ments and field trips.”

“The Northrop Grumman Foundationprovided me with an unforgettable experi-ence to which my students most definitelybenefit,” said Catherine Meechan ofSalem Middle School in Virginia Beach,Va. “My students are empowered to takemy achievements a step further, and theycould be astronauts or rocket scientists.”

The Northrop Grumman FoundationWeightless Flights of Discovery program isan initiative that places teachers on micro-and zero-gravity flights to test Newton 'slaws of motion so that the participantsmay energize students in the formativemiddle-school years. Selected teacher par-ticipants take part in a flight aboard a 727aircraft that creates weightlessness andlunar and Martian gravity environments inthe cabin by running parabolic (arc-like)flight patterns. Prior to the flights, teach-ers participate in one-day workshop wherethey learn about science and engineeringconcepts, zero-gravity environments, andscience and math curriculum development.The Northrop Grumman Foundation'ssponsorship enables participants to takepart in the program at no cost, excluding

expenses related to travel to and from theworkshops and flights.

According to the poll, 95.6% of teach-ers said they have incorporated theirweightless flight experiences into theirlesson plans; one teacher reported the cre-

ation of a school-wide “gravity day,” andanother used in-flight video of a ball drop-ping in front of a tape measure to havestudents determine what “G” they were inby calculating the acceleration.

Continued on page 12

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Rockford: 616-866-5469

Grand Rapids Industrial: 616-247-4754

Grand Rapids Professional: 616-247-0004

Grand Haven: 616-847-0020

Holland: 616-399-0500

As the end of theyear approaches, it isa good time to focuson last minute movesyou can make to saveon taxes – both foryour 2008 return andfor future years. Thisyear’s planning ismade more challeng-ing by the state of the

stock market, the upcoming leadershipchanges in the White House and Congress,as well as the possibility that another eco-nomic stimulus package with tax changeswill be enacted before the end of the year.

The time honored approach to taxplanning is to defer income and acceleratedeductions to minimize current year taxes.This strategy has been made a little easierwith the alternative minimum tax (AMT)“patch” for 2008, a number of additionaltax breaks and credits (including a taxcredit for first-time homebuyers), and50% “bonus” depreciation and beefed upexpensing options for businesses whoacquire new machinery and equipment.

However, certain “high income” tax-payers may want to consider a differentstrategy – accelerate income into the cur-rent year and defer deductions into nextyear.

Throughout Senator Obama’s cam-paign, he has indicated plans for reform ofthe tax system, and with the Democratscontrolling both houses of Congress it islikely we will see some of his proposalsrealized. As many of the tax cuts imple-mented during the Bush presidency are setfor expiration in 2010, the new adminis-tration will have to determine whether toextend those provision or let them expire.The current state of the economy and theincreasing budget deficit may cause thenew president to act on tax reform soonerrather than later.

Under Obama’s plan, tax rates for

“high income” taxpayers (adjusted grossincome of $250,000 for joint returns,$200,000 for single returns) wouldincrease from 36% to 39.6%, and the toprate for capital gains for these same tax-payers would increase from 15% to 20%.Fewer exemptions and deduction would beavailable, and an additional 2 to 4% pay-roll tax on employees whose earnings aremore than $250,000 is possible.

Obama has also proposed makingpermanent the estate tax, with a $3.5 mil-lion exemption and a top tax rate of 45%

For taxpayers not in the “highincome” category, Obama proposed addi-tional tax cuts, including a $1,000 taxcredit for low wage earners, a 10% mort-gage tax credit for taxpayers who don’titemize, oil company windfall tax to fund$1,000 rebates to help pay higher energycosts, expanded child and dependent carecredit, adoption credit, and the earnedincome credit, no income tax for seniorsearning less than $50,000, expanded col-lege credits, and penalty free withdrawalfrom retirement accounts and a removal ofthe Required Minimum Distributions forretirees older than 70 ?.

Without a multi-year outlook, youcan’t be certain maneuvers intended tosave taxes on your 2008 return won’tbackfire and cost additional money in thefuture. This is especially true this year,with many changes almost certain to takeeffect in 2009. For year-end tax planning,this year it certainly isn’t business asusual.

Marla is a Partner in Beene Garter'sTax Planning and Preparation Servicesdepartment. With over 25 years of publicaccounting experience, Marla has assitedclients in achieving their financial goals ina wide array of industries. Her areas ofexpertise include individual, corporate,partnership, limited liability company,estate gift, and fiduciary taxation.

Marla Huizing

The Year-End Tax PlanningChallenge Intern Initiative Grant

Kalamazoo - Businesses and indus-tries are invited to partner in a majorinternship initiative that Kalamazoo ValleyCommunity College plans to launch inJanuary.

Funded for a three-year period by theKVCC Foundation, the $100,000 projectseeks to place at least 55 students per aca-demic year with enterprises interested in agrow-your-own-workforce alliance.

The bulk of the grant funds will beused to pay up to 50 percent of the wagesfor KVCC students accepted for internshipsthrough December of 2011, with the com-panies they work for providing the bal-ance.

“The number of students who takepart could increase,” said DianeVandenberg, assistant director of the KVCCStudent Success Center, “if a companyagrees to increase the ratio to 75-25, or topay the entire amount.”

While the initiative is targeting enter-prises involved in bio-medical services,alternative fuels, and the digital arts, com-panies involved in other sectors of theregional economy are also invited to takepart.

The said salary terms will be estab-lished on a case-by-case basis and agreedupon prior to the commencement of theinternship. The pay can range from theminimum wage of $7.40 to $12 per hour.

Called the “Community PartnersInternship Program,” its parameters wereforged by Vandenberg, Lois Brinson andKaren Phelps. The latter two oversee thecenter’s Student Employment Servicesactivities.

“We see this as the college’s wishto join forces with Southwest Michiganemployers to produce and retain a highlytalented and trained workforce,”Vandenberg said.

For many enterprises -- and not justthose in emerging businesses -- the No. 1factor for achieving success is finding the

right people to fit the rightjobs. Internships are tried-and-true ways to “grow yourown” and identify prospectswith high potential.

It’s the classic win-winequation: great experiencefor those who are selected asinterns and a no-strings-attached arrangement on thepart of the employer becauseinternships are basicallyakin to temporary jobs.

The employer getsessentially a low-cost look ata potential permanentemployee who could eitherbe somebody who would notbe a good fit or somebodywho has “the right stuff” tobe a future leader.

In order to find that out,interns -- while supervisedand operating within a struc-

tured work environment – can be givenenough autonomy and enough leeway todetermine their own direction. Thatallows the employer to evaluate the per-son’s judgment, how he or she works withother people, and work habits. Few one-on-one interviews provide those types ofmeasurements.

“This will give students a strongfoundation of work experience,”Vandenberg said, “while providing anopportunity to cultivate professional net-works that could jumpstart their careerswith businesses in our part of the state.

“Because of financial constraints,”she said, “many students have not beenable to participate in an unpaid internshipprogram. KVCC will be able to attract morestudents in more career paths because ofthese paid internships.

“This connection with local business-es will allow students to practically applywhat they have been learning in the class-room,” Vandenberg said. “Better yet, theywill bring back that experience to ourclassrooms and help the college continueto provide relevant training and instruc-tions.”

KVCC students can apply when theyhave achieved the skills and educationrequired by the company offering theinternship, and when they have completed50 percent of the course work in theirrespective majors.

They will also be required to completepre-employment-skills training providedby the center’s Student EmploymentServices. This training will include resumewriting, effective cover letters, interview-ing skills, professional attire, personalhygiene, promptness and dependability,communication skills, and non-verbalbehavior.

Each company can request an internbased on the area of study, skills needed,duties expected, hours of work, and whenthe person is needed on the job. Each willselect an intern based on the organiza-tion’s existing hiring methods and criteria.

According to the National Associationof Colleges and Employers, nearly 70 per-cent of interns receive full-time positionsfrom their employers. This ratio hasincreased 13 percent since 2001.

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CEO Profile: Jeffery L. Brittan

by Matt Decker

Let’s play word association. Whatcomes to your mind when you read theword: envelope?

I’m going to go ahead and hazard aguess that you thought of a thin piece offolded paper. Unless you are JefferyBrittan, in which case you probablythought of the exterior of a building, thewalls, the roof, or the shell (BuildingEnvelope).

“I’ve been in the industry for 30years,” said Brittan, the Chief ExecutiveOfficer of StructureTec, “The focus (of mybackground) is on marketing, consultingservices in the construction industry forbuilding envelopes/structures.”

Brittan, who is 54 years old, has nowbeen in business for 18 years as CEO ofStructureTec. His college education camefrom Western Michigan University, andStructureTec sits not far from campus today.

“Today we are Nationally renowned inthe Industry and we’re headquartered inthe Business Technology & Research Parkwhich is part of Western MichiganUniversity in Kalamazoo. We haveRegional Offices in Chicago, Detroit, andCleveland,” said Brittan, “In addition tothat, we have a very significant nationalpresence.”

So, in addition to working at a place thatcan legitimately root for the Bears, Lions, andBrowns simultaneously, Brittan also has awonderful family to come home to.

“I have a great family,” said Brittan, “Ihave a son that is 23 years old and he alsoworks in the business. My wife is verysupportive and if we continue to grow at20% like we have been, there will be a lotmore travel involved especially as we lookNationally. I am very appreciative of mywife and family. My extended family is allresidents in the area of SouthwestMichigan as well.”

Brittan has over 30 years of experi-ence in building management regardingthe remediation of building envelopes androofs. He also has been personally anddirectly responsible in establishing andmanaging over 850 major capital projectsthroughout the United States, Canada,Mexico, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, andWest Germany.

That being said, when talking withBrittan, he has an air of someone who haskept his success in perspective.

“For me my prized possession is mypersonal relationship that I have withChrist,” said Brittan, “Our whole mindsetin the company is to serve the Lord and Ithank God for all he has done in my lifeand right now my personal passion is toreach other businessmen for Christ. We arestarting a nonprofit organization which iscalled the Christian Business Round Table.It is designed to minister and support thebusiness community from a faith perspec-tive.” Brittan went on to explain that hehas high hopes that this new organizationwill find success on a National andInternational level as well.

As busy as Brittan is, he does like tofind time to relax. He shared with me someof the activities he likes to do to wind downin his spare time. “I have an Audi TTRoadster and I like to rally in the car on theweekends and I spend a lot of time doingthat. I enjoy golf, fishing, and I have a realpassion for sailing. I’ve had several sail-boats over my life span.”

When asked to share some detailsabout the new developments going on atStructureTec, Brittan is excited to talkabout the national growth that his compa-ny is experiencing.

“Although we are growing at 20% per

year we have the opportunity to certainlyexceed that. Within the business portfoliowe actually have several companies thatare engaged with the client to provide a“total-turn key” approach. The wholeopportunity here, which is the key, is total-ly serving and meeting the clients’ needs.We not only have the consulting side of thebusiness but we now have the constructionside as well,” said Brittan, “In addition toproviding consulting and engineering serv-ices we actually have a contractor who canaccomplish a full “turn-key” service for theclient. For National Accounts we acquired acompany plane, a Cessna twin-engineturbo charged aircraft. Some members ofthe company from our management teamare traveling the country 3 to 4 days aweek in the plane now in order to serviceclients and grow the company on a nation-al basis.”

Brittan also went on to talk about thecompany’s “Platinum Program.” Heexplains that the program emphasizeswhat he calls the “turn-key” approachwhere the company is now engaged in theConstruction Management processes. Inother words, StructureTec manages theprojects from start to completion from aconstruction management process. Brittanreferred to this as an exciting opportunity

for the clients and something that is cer-tainly propagating the growth of theorganization.

More universally speaking, Brittanexpressed concern over the state of theeconomy but explained why he thinks hiscompany will be okay.

“I think the economy will more thanlikely continue to soften over the next sixto nine months before it stabilizes, I don’tthink we’ve reached the bottom yet,” saidBrittan, “but where all of us stand rightnow is we don’t have to worry about theeconomy around us as long as we focus onthe needs of our clients and make sure weare delivering the highest level of customerservice. We need to find ways to help ourclients succeed and support them throughthis economic process, which is the law ofreciprocity. We support our clients andenable them to perform better and enhancevalue to everything that is done then thatreciprocates and comes back. Don’t takeour eyes off the customer service andfocus, and things will take care of them-selves, in spite of the economy.”

So if you happen to see Mr. Brittantooling around the country side or up thecoast enjoying the back roads with the topdown, feel free to say hello.

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Business Cost Savings Ideas & Adviceby Max Friar

I never cease to be amused by the mosttypical reaction I get from business ownersor senior managers when I tell them that mycost management consulting group helpscompanies enhance profits by negotiatinglower operating costs for our clients. Thestandard response is "that sounds likesomething lots of businesses must need …just not my business. We're already savingall the money that we can." The ugly truth isthat every company is bleeding profitsthrough a thousand little cuts. While it'scomparatively easy to stay focused on high-dollar raw materials or the big annualhealthcare insurance renewal bill, few CEOs,CFOs and Purchasing Managers watch thepennies. In these most challenging of times,let's consider some ways that watching thepennies could help your company savemoney in 2009 and beyond.

Corporate Purchasing Cards: Placing acorporate purchasing card in the hands ofnumerous employees seems like a great ideaupfront. Unfortunately, this often becomesthe "black hole" of business expenses. Mostof the clients I've worked with who use thesecards simply treated "American Express" or"Corporate VISA" as a line item on the incomestatement and rarely, if ever, allocate theassociated expenses. The theory is that ifbosses review and approve expense state-ments, the purchases won't get out of hand.The reality is that your staff is buying a lot ofitems at full retail from multiple vendors ineach category rather than getting volume dis-counts by shopping through a designatedsupplier in each category. Most companieswouldn't dream of letting buyers purchaseraw materials or strategic components fromfive or six different sources. So why is itacceptable to purchase from multiple officesuppliers, MRO suppliers, travel agencies,maintenance providers, etc?. P-cards are con-venient, but they shield thousands of dollarsof inefficiency and wasted money. Periodicauditing of P-card related expenses is recom-mended as it is often illuminating...but justas often humilating and scary.

Parcel Shipping: Overnight shippingis another area where a little discretion cansave a lot of money. How often are packagessent via overnight delivery qualified to go2nd-day delivery? Is your company usingmultiple overnight shipping vendors andmissing out on volume discounts? Arethings routinely going via overnight deliv-ery that could go ground at a fraction of thecost? When the spend is marginal andemployees are free to choose the "conven-ient" way or work with suppliers that makethem "comfortable", accountability is lost inthe process. A few policy controls and a lit-tle supervision in this area can pay back bigdividends.

Association Discounts: Do any of yourindustry associations offer group purchasingdiscounts that your company can take advan-tage of? If you haven't explored these dis-counts, you should. While generally not thelowest costs available, these discounts canoften get you an easy 10% off retail with afew clicks of a mouse or a signature and a

fax. Sometimes it's as easy as asking. Typicalassociation-related discounts are related tofleet services, insurance, and maintenanceservices, but can often include uniforms,restaurants, hotels, telecom and workerscompensation premiums.

Travel & Entertainment: What sort ofpolicies does your company have on traveland entertainment expenses? Traveling staffare entitled to eat decent meals while on theroad serving the company's interest, but ifyou don't have a per diem allowance forfood when not entertaining a client you'reprobably paying a lot more to feed thetroops than you need to. If employees aretraveling on a corporate credit card, are theybeing directed to hotels in a specific hotelgroup to capture the bonus points for freefuture corporate room bookings? If not, youcould be missing out on a lot of free nightsfor future trips.

Utilities: There are lots of ways toreduce utility bills (and enhance your corpo-ration's "green" reputation) through energyconservation. Motion sensors to turn lightson and off in places like rest rooms, pro-grammable thermostats, company directivesto shut down computers at night before leav-ing, upgrades of fluorescent fixtures andmore efficient light bulbs, selling used corru-gated packaging and styrofoam to recyclers –the list may not be endless, but it's prettylong. Ask your electric power company for anenergy audit and recommendations on con-servation tools. They might even help youpay for some of them.

Supplier Consolidation: Set a goal ofreducing your total suppliers by 5% in thenext year, and pay employees a bonus eachtime they figure out a way to do it. Buyers inevery business develop purchasing habits ofbuying selected items from each supplier. Inmany cases, however, you can consolidatefive suppliers to three, or three suppliers totwo, and become a more valuable customerto the remaining suppliers. This practiceallows the negotiation of better pricingthrough higher volume, and it also con-tributes soft savings in bill processing, billpayment and time saved vis-a-vis fewer sup-

plier meetings, phone calls and emails.Most of these expense areas are tied to

the empowerment of staff to make purchaseswithout central controls. While I appreciatebeing treated as a responsible adult as muchas the next person, the evidence suggeststhat many companies have taken the "man-agement" out of cost management. Disciplineimposed through a little more corporatestructure and some external auditing canhelp to sometimes significantly improve yourbottom line. As a cost management colleagueof mine likes to say, "there are few ways tosave $1 million, but there are a million ways

to save a buck". From our experience, mostcompanies spend 15-30% more on indirectoperating costs than necessary. If you thinkyour company is saving everything it can,think again. Cost management is a processthat never ends, but the dollars you save andefficiencies you gain are real. Start watchingthe pennies and you'll see the dollars add up.

Max Friar with Alliance CostContainment is a national expense-reduc-tion advisory firm. With over 40 officesspanning North America.

8

Family OwnedContinued from page 3

Create liquidity.PE provides liquidity as a way of cash-

ing out or diversifying assets. Owners canachieve partial or full liquidity on their equi-ty ownership, diversifying net worth forestate planning purposes.A PE Partnership Success

In May 2007, Oliver Products Company,a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based manufacturerof food and medical packaging products,partnered with Milwaukee-based privateequity firm Mason Wells. The owners wereready to retire, but transferring the businessto another family member was not an optionfor various reasons.

As is typical in PE investments such asthis, Mason Wells obtained a majority own-ership position, with the balance of equityheld by management. While the PE firm’sleaders serve as advisors on the strategicdirection of the business and as board mem-bers, the company remains independent andthe management team steers decision mak-ing and day-to-day operations.

After just one year, the company hasincreased revenue nearly 10 percent. How?The partnership gave the management team

the confidence and sense of empowerment itneeded to move forward with strategicgrowth plans that had been on hold due tothe economic outlook and the company’sunderstandably cautious approach.

The influx of cash enabled OliverProducts to purchase new equipment andopen an office in China. In addition, the com-pany relocated its operations in theNetherlands to a larger facility, and R&Defforts have significantly ramped up todevelop new products. Lean manufacturingprincipals were implemented throughout theorganization, leading to improved efficiencyin manufacturing processes. Make sure PE is the Right Choice

A private equity investment may not beright for every family-owned business. First,business owners need to determine if they’reready for an outside partner. If they are, duediligence is key to ensuring that the rightpartner has been selected.

Greg Myers is a Managing DirectorMason Wells Buyout Funds, a Midwest-based private equity firm. Greg can bereached at (414)727-6404 or by e-mail atgmyers@masonwells.com.

Traits That Make Small Business Owners Successful, May Impact on Their Long Term Financial Planning

By Howard Milove,

Successful small business ownerstend to be hard-working, tenacious,smart and highly focused. They have tobe. According to a study by Dun &Bradstreet, businesses with fewer than20 employees have only a 9 percentchance of surviving a decade.

Yet, even those that are successfulfail miserably when it comes to planningfor their financial future. In fact, it’s theirproclivity to hone in so intensely on theirbusiness, certainly an attribute to beingsuccessful, that often gets in the way oftheir personal financial planning.

Take the case of a client of ours, hus-band and wife owners of an extremelyprofitable seasonal business. When wefirst started working with them, they hadbuilt a very profitable company thatearned millions in revenues. They spent24/7 on the business, constantly upgrad-ing the facility, traveling the world to buyinventory, always keeping their eyes onthe ball. Yet, they had not saved anymoney outside of the business, their ben-efits package was modest, and they hadlittle invested in their kids’ college ortheir own retirement funds.

Today, that same couple has pulledout more than $1 million from the busi-ness and placed it in a well diversifiedportfolio. They have opened a profitsharing plan for the company (of which85% of the $500,000 already invested isearmarked for them). And, they havepurchased appropriate life and disabilityinsurance and 529 plans to fund theirchildren’s college, while continuing toinvest in the business.

Their story is hardly unique. In fact,such a rosy financial outlook is possiblefor many small business owners – if theyare prepared to make a few changes.Here is a look at common mistakes made

by many successful entrepreneurs thatmay impede their financial future, andwhat can be done to help turn it around.

They do not implement proper bene-fits, such as health, life and disabilityinsurance, and retirement plans. This,unfortunately, happens in the case of toomany small business owners. When onebegins a business, benefits are often alow priority. Costs, after all, may be pro-hibitive. As time passes, the question ofpurchasing proper benefits is often notrevisited, even if the business has nowgrown and added employees so it cantake advantage of significant group dis-counts for benefits. In the case of retire-ment planning, there are many optionsavailable for small business owners,including those with built-in flexibilitythat take into consideration fluctuationsin annual cash flow. These need to betaken care of as soon as possible.

They do not properly provide fortheir families should the unexpectedoccur. Many small business ownersscrimp on life or disability insurance,rationalizing that “my business is worthmillions of dollars – if I die my family willbe taken care of once the business issold.” What they fail to consider is thatwithout them, the business is likely to beworth far less. How much life insuranceis enough? There is no hard and fast ruleand no formula that exists. Not all peo-ple who earn, say, $200,000, require thesame amount of life insurance. Rather, itdepends on one’s stage in life in terms ofongoing cash flow needs and financialobligations.

They do not save money outside thebusiness. Small business owners have atendency to become so focused on theirbusiness, pouring money into it so it cangrow and prosper, that they fail to savefor their future. They may enjoy a veryupscale lifestyle while the business is

alive and well, but end up with nothing toshow for it should the business fail. Thisis why some small business owners endup working well into their 70s and even80s – they never drew sufficient cash outand have no choice but to continue work-ing. To prevent this from happening,money needs to be invested during prof-itable times to fund retirement plans andinvest in a diversified portfolio. Thisdoes not mean sucking the business dry,but rather not putting all one’s eggs intoa single basket (i.e. the business). Thisway, even if the business ends, there canbe a comfortable retirement.

They do not establish business cred-it as soon as possible or use businessloans rather than personal credit. Manyfail to establish proper financing not onlyduring the very beginning, when person-al credit may be the only option, but alsoduring the growing stages of the busi-ness. Without proper financing, busi-nesses often cannot grow (unless ownerssink their own money into it, which caninhibit their ability to invest properly intheir personal financial future). The rec-ommendation is to acquire a minimumline of credit early on in the business’sname and to increase it over time to showbanks and other institutions the businessis a good credit risk, which in turn willhelp sustain business growth.

A proper succession plan or exitstrategy has never been developed. Manysmall business owners work very hard tobuild a viable enterprise and at the end,shortly before they plan to retire, sudden-ly wonder, “What am I going to do withmy business?” Usually by then, it’s toolate and the business dies. As a result,while the company may have sustainedthe owner’s lifestyle for many years, itsuddenly has no value. To prevent thisfrom happening, a plan needs to be put inplace five to seven years prior to one’s

planned retirement. It all starts with look-ing at where the owner wants the busi-ness to go (along with having the valueof the business assessed). Is there a fam-ily member to take over the business?Are there key employees? What aboutselling to a competitor? If the decision ismade to pass the business on to a child,should it be sold or gifted? (There maynot be any choice if a sale is necessary tofund retirement.) Finding someone whois willing to take over the business andsomeone who is capable of running thebusiness, are two entirely differentthings. We’ve seen too many businessesrun into the ground by the next genera-tion of ownership. The consequences canbe catastrophic, costing the owner his orher retirement stream of income.

They often live for today and nottomorrow. This is the philosophy of manypeople, not only small businesses own-ers. Yet, unlike those who receive W-2’sand know what they will take homeannually (with the exception of a verysmall minority of salaried employees whoreceive significant yearly bonuses), smallbusiness owners often experience up anddown years. While they may tighten theirbelts during the rough times, many makeup for it during the good years by spend-ing rather than investing for the long-term. And yet, it’s during these peakearning years that money needs to betucked away for the future.

For small business owners, runninga successful business is just the first hur-dle to achieving financial security. Theystill need to keep their eyes focused onthe finish line.

Howard Milove, CPA, PFS, is a finan-cial planner with the wealth managementfirm Access Wealth Planning in Roseland,NJ. He can be reached athmilove@awplan.com.

9

The Parent Trap: What You Need to Know About Family Responsibilities Discrimination

By Jennifer L. Jordan

Since the 1990s, the number of work-ers who have sued their employers for sup-posed mistreatment based on familyresponsibilities—pregnancy or a need fortime off to care for a child, parent, or otherrelative—has increased by as much as 400percent. According to one recent statistic,more than 1,150 such “family responsibili-ties discrimination” lawsuits have beenfiled in federal and state courts. In one case,a jury granted $11.65 million to a hospitalmaintenance worker who was penalized forhaving to care for his elderly parents.Recently, in Ohio, a jury awarded $2.1 mil-lion to an assistant manager who wasdemoted because she had several children.

These are numbers that have legaltrend-spotters, plaintiffs’ lawyers, and themedia talking. In the past year, the subjectof “family responsibilities discrimination”has been covered by CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN,NPR, and The New York Times. The EqualEmployment Opportunity Commission(EEOC) recently issued an official guidanceon it. With that kind of media coverageavailable to employees, employers ignorethe phenomenon at their peril.

That is family responsibilities discrim-ination? It is any discrimination against

employees based on their obligations tocare for family members, or stereotypesabout such obligations. Remarks like “Amother isn’t going to be cut out for this job,because it involves a lot of travel,” or “Whydo you need the time off? Why isn’t yourwife taking care of the child?”—still consid-ered appropriate in some work environ-ments—can now form the basis for a recog-nized cause of action.

What law supports such claims?Actually, except in Alaska and the Districtof Columbia, there is no law expressly pro-hibiting family responsibilities discrimina-tion, as such. Instead, these lawsuits derivefrom a surprising array of statutes thatwere originally designed to address otherconcerns: Title VII and comparable statestatutes prohibiting pregnancy and genderdiscrimination; the Americans withDisabilities Act and comparable statestatutes prohibiting discrimination againstthe disabled and the people who care forthem; and the Family Medical Leave Actand comparable state statutes prohibitingretaliation against employees who takeleave to care for certain family members,among others.

The rise in these sorts of claims isbroadly attributed to the increase in thenumber of working mothers over the past

two decades, changes in societal attitudesabout the assumption of traditional caregiv-ing roles, and an increase in employees’awareness of their legal rights. However, thereasons for the uptick in claims are general-ly of less interest to employers than howthey can protect themselves against them.

As an employer, you should carefullyconsider whether and how your policiesaffect employees’ family responsibilities.Uniform policies against telecommuting,strict attendance policies, and sick leavepolicies that don’t allow for care of familymembers may have a disparate impact onthose with caregiving responsibilities.Review them with counsel.

However, the cases strongly suggestthat what is most critical is to train super-visors and management personnel to avoidthe sorts of comments and decisions thatmay give rise to a cause of action for fami-ly responsibilities discrimination. Even asupervisor acting with the best of inten-tions—one who, for example, gives a newmother less challenging assignments sothat she can spend more time with her fam-ily (the EEOC calls this “benevolent stereo-typing”)—can give rise to liability. The keyis whether your company makes employ-ment decisions based on assumptionsabout the attitudes or abilities of employeeswho are also caregivers.

The EEOC, courts, and juries have

found family responsibilities discriminationin statements and actions of the sort thatare common in some workplaces. Wereapplicants asked whether they had youngchildren, or asked about their childcare andcaregiving responsibilities? Did managersor decision-makers complain that employ-ees with caregiving responsibilities wereless reliable than other workers? Wereemployees with young children given lessprestigious or challenging assignments, orsteered into lower-paid positions, regard-less of actual performance? Did managersand supervisors assume that pregnantemployees would quit once their babieswere born, and treat them accordingly? Didsupervisors or co-workers ridicule maleemployees who asked to take paternityleave? Did employees who took time off forcaregiving routinely receive lower bonusesand raises?

If any of this sounds familiar to you,or if you have questions about how to pro-tect your organization from these rapidlyproliferating sorts of claims, please youremployment attorney.

By Jennifer L. Jordan is a Member ofMiller Johnson and has been practicing lawsince 1996. She chairs the firm’s EmploymentLitigation practice group and is vice chair ofthe FMLA Solutions practice group.

10

CMU Opens New GrandRapids Center

Grand Rapids - West Michigan resi-dents seeking to expand their educationcan get a degree from Central MichiganUniversity at a new center in GrandRapids. The new facility was unveiled at agrand opening ceremony Nov. 18.

The event featured free presentationson tips to getting a job, leveling the play-ing field through a job interview and howto take an online class with CMU. The GaryD. DeWitt family was honored for a gener-ous scholarship donation to CMU's GrandRapids campus.

The new Grand Rapids center, whichprovides updated classrooms, a computerlab with state-of-the-art connectivity and a

lounge area, is adjacent to the KentIntermediate School District. CMU willwork with the district to create new pro-grams that will address increased educa-tional needs in the Grand Rapids area.

CMU's Grand Rapids center offersadministrative and business related bach-elor's degrees with online options for manyclasses. A Master of Science inAdministration degree and online Masterof Business Administration degree with anemphasis in SAP or value driven organiza-tion are also offered.

The new center is located at 1633 E.Beltline Ave., N.E.

Michigan Certified Development Corporation Announces Record Year

Lansing – The Michigan CertifiedDevelopment Corporation (MCDC)announced record fiscal year-end totalstoday, despite the difficult economy inMichigan. In the last year, MCDC approved225 SBA loans and 98 MCDC volumeloans in Michigan, a significant jump fromthe 89 loans approved during the previousyear.

“We work hard every day to assistMichigan businesses in reaching theirpotential,” said Jane K. Sherzer, presidentof MCDC. “We are thrilled with ourincreased lending activity that has helpedfurther Michigan business and we lookforward to continuing to make an impactas we move forward.”

During the last fiscal year, over $128million in total capital was accessedthrough the program, approximately $47

million of that provided by MCDC/SBA.Financing was approved in 30 Michigancounties and MCDC participated with 46different financial institutions during thelast fiscal year. As a result of this capitalinvestment, 925 jobs are expected to becreated during the next two years.

MCDC secured loans within variousindustries, helping finance business start-up and products needed to be successful.Most notably were the 19 loans in themanufacturing industry with totaled $30million in capital accessed and are expect-ed to create 184 jobs as a result offinanced expansions. Within the manu-facturing industry, three of the companiesare involved in higher tech manufacturingsuch as advanced instrumentation andprecision instruments for aerospace. Alsonoteworthy were retail loans totaling $13

million, medical related loans totaling $11million and recreation businesses totaling$7.7 million.

A new partnership also developed forMCDC during this fiscal year. MCDC part-nered with the Community ReinvestmentFund (CRF), a national nonprofit organi-zation that supplies funds for local com-munity development efforts around thecountry. This program will finance proj-ects that may not have otherwise beenable to secure a loan. Loan refinancingalso will be a new option, an alternativethat MCDC’s SBA 504 loan program can-not provide. This partnership gives MCDCa new source of loans to help Michiganbusiness reach its potential.

“Despite the tough economy and thebad banking news seen lately, we aregoing strong, working hard to provide

opportunities for Michigan business tothrive, said Sherzer. “Our partnershipwith Community Reinvestment Fund is akey example of our commitment to help-ing businesses reach their potential.”

Due to increased activity, MCDC hasopened new branch offices and hired newloan officers to better serve businessesacross the state. MCDC is pleased toannounce the opening of a branch in thegreater Grand Rapids area where KellyHutchings of Rockford will handleMCDC/SBA loans in Western Michigan.Phillip Weiss of Ann Arbor will overseethe new Ann Arbor office and handleloans in Ann Arbor and the western MetroDetroit area.

11

Business Education in 2008 by Mike Frandsen, Ph.D.

Business education, or perhaps moreparticularly management education, hasbeen criticized recently (see Bennis andO’Toole, 2005 or Mintzberg, 2005 forexamples). It has been characterized asdisconnected from practice, taught infunctional silos, and overly focused onquantitative analysis. Our current eco-nomic crisis certainly begs the question ofhow well our business leaders have beenprepared for the challenges of the 21stcentury. Executive pay is perceived as outof control and we are barely past the eth-ical scandals of Adelphia, Enron, Tyco,WorldCom, and others. What, then,should business education do to help cur-rent and future business persons?

Knowledge of the basic businessfunctions – accounting, finance, manage-ment, marketing, etc. – is necessary, butnot sufficient. To deal with the increas-ingly rapid pace of change, men andwomen in business need to bring a broadperspective to their work and to criticallythink about how to answer the questionsbrought on by advancing technology,increasing global interdependence, andgrowing environmental concerns. Theymust approach issues thoughtfully andethically. They must consider all thestakeholders in their businesses – share-holders, employees, customers, communi-ties, and others. They must be ready tochange, to reinvent their businesses andthemselves.

I believe these basic issues are thesame whether one is teaching undergrad-uates, MBA students, in an executiveeducation program, or in some other set-ting. However, they are not easy to teach.And while there is no “one best way”, inmy opinion the best ways include many ofthe following:

Development of communication skills. • This must go beyond the Public

Speaking course I took about 25 yearsago. It must include that, but also the useof technology, the ability to write in manyforms for a variety of audiences, and, per-haps most importantly, careful, attentivelistening. Appreciation for intercultural differences.

• Our world is interconnected likenever before. Within our country, we arebecoming more diverse on a variety ofdimensions. We need to appreciate andrespect these differences. Consideration of stakeholders.

• Recognition that business decisionshave far-reaching consequences. Teamwork.

• In situations that require both seri-al and pooled interdependence. Amongsmall and large groups. Where gettingthings done requires some negotiation. Creativity and innovation.

• Encouragement and freedom tothink of and try novel solutions. Hands-on learning.

• Internships, simulations, case stud-ies, project-based learning – some form oflearning by doing. Activities that promotethe practice of problem solving skills andinclude the necessity of dealing withchange. Reflection.

• So one really learns from the doing. Integration of theory, practice, and

current events. Many opportunities for discussion

and other forums for the exchange ofideas.

Mike Frandsen, Ph.D. is Director,Carl A. Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institutefor Professional Management AlbionCollege

Fewer Teens Interested inEntrepreneurship

Colorado Springs, Colo. – In its sev-enth annual “Teens andEntrepreneurship” poll, JuniorAchievement has found that 13-18 yearolds are less interested in starting theirown businesses than they were a yearago. In 2007, 67 percent of teens indicat-ed an interest in entrepreneurship; in2008 that number declined to 60 per-cent—perhaps as a result of the stagnat-ing economy.

Teens cited “unemployment,” “pos-sibility of recession,” and “the federalbudget deficit” as the top three threats tothe U.S. economy. But in a show of opti-mism, more than half (53 percent) pre-dicted they would be better off financial-ly than their parents.

With the national unemploymentrate at 6.5 percent, independent-mindedteens who were interested in starting abusiness cited “earn more money” and “I

don’t want to work for someone else” asthe top reasons why they would be inter-ested in starting a business.

Meet Jim L’roy

Jim Lroy is a funny guy.“What is my perfect vacation?” pon-

dered Jim, “If somebody else paid for it!” Jim, who is now the Senior Vice

President with Business Update, is a welltraveled man, having visited Jamaica, theBahamas, and Mexico 3 or 4 differenttimes in his life.

“I went to the Bahamas on a sixtyfoot sailboat,” said Jim, “that was a riot.”

Jim also is a man of many tasteswhen it comes to food. He likes Italian,Mexican, Chinese, but states he likesmost fine cuisine. Jim still works out threedays a week and enjoys getting some golfin, and snow skiing in the winter. “I’vebeen skiing for about 9 years now. I alsoenjoy riding snow mobiles in the winter,seems like I end up buying one every cou-ple years,” said Jim.

Jim has been with Business Updatesince 1996. Before arriving here heworked in sales at Centurytel (now Alltel)for 3 years in corporate sales. Jim sharesthat he did a lot of odd sales jobs as wellwhich adds up to 18 years total in sales.Before discovering his penchant for sales,Jim worked as a warehouse manager for10 years with Belwith International. Hegot his college education at Grand ValleyState University.

Jim’s daughter, Jamie, currentlyattends GVSU and is studying BusinessScience, although Jim says that he doesnot see her following him into sales.

So if you are interested in advertisingwith Business Update, or just want toshoot the breeze, feel free to give Jim acall at 204-4100!

12

Next Month Topicsin Industrial &

Health Care Sections

Mfg Equipment & Supply

Industrial Financing

Physical & Occupational Therpy

To be involved call 616-583-1577

Weightless Flight ProgramContinued from page 5

The Northrop Grumman FoundationWeightless Flights of Discovery program isone of several initiatives the foundationsponsors in support of promoting educationand student interest in the science, technol-ogy, engineering and mathematics fields.The foundation has targeted middle-schoolmath and science teachers primarilybecause the United States is experiencinga shortage of college graduates in these dis-

ciplines, a development that bodes ill for thenation's industries that depend on talentedscientists and mathematicians. Becausestudies have indicated most children makethe decision to pursue math and scienceeducation and careers during middle-school, the Northrop Grumman Foundationdeveloped the Weightless Flights ofDiscovery to engage teachers, key influ-encers in the lives of students during thesecrucial years.

www.gza.com

and Vision Environmental, Inc.Division of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.

13

Battle Creek Downtown Transformation Plan

Battle Creek - Battle Creek Unlimited(BCU)unveiled its strategy for redevelop-ing downtown Battle Creek. The plan callsfor leveraging current and future invest-ments in food science, technology andeducation to revitalize downtown.Elements of the vision articulated by BCUinclude: • A new six-story "green" office buildingto be financed and constructed by a localdeveloper and leased by KelloggCompany. • Infrastructure improvements toenhance the aesthetics of downtown,including a gateway enhancement projecton M-66, lighting enhancements andmore useable public spaces. • Establish a research center to promotethe formation and attraction of new com-panies and jobs by increasing research,development and commercialization ofnew technologies in food sciences andfood protection in Battle Creek. Programdetails may be announced by BCU inDecember. • Explore the potential of relocating andexpanding the Battle Creek Area Mathand Science Center to downtown Battle

Creek. This well-respected and innova-tive educational option for students fromarea school districts is operated by BattleCreek Public Schools. • Support collaboration efforts underwaybetween the Battle Creek Y-Center andthe city's Parks and RecreationDepartment that would include the cre-ation of a first class fitness and recre-ation center in downtown.

"We've been working diligently overthe past year with a group of stakehold-ers on a plan to revitalize the downtownarea," said Karl Dehn, Marketing Directorof Battle Creek Unlimited. "The plan hasa number of integrated elements toincrease the number of people who workin the central business district by lever-aging our strong competencies in foodscience, technology and education. Theincreased concentration of people andspending power will benefit our existingbusinesses and will also enable us toattract additional restaurants, retail, pro-fessional offices and residential activity."

As a part of this strategy, the devel-opment company McCamly Office, LLCplans to construct a "green" office building

adjacent to Kellogg Company's headquar-ters in downtown Battle Creek. Contingentupon securing local and state incentives,the sixstory, 122,500-square-foot buildingwill be financed and built by McCamlyOffice, LLC, and leased long term toKellogg Company. The project representsan estimated private capital investment of$22.5 million. It will enable Kellogg torelocate approximately 600 employeeswho currently work in its Porter Streetoffice complex to downtown Battle Creek.The new office tower, expected to be oper-ational in late 2010, will be certified by theLeadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign (LEED) Green Building RatingSystem™.

"The new office space will enable usto consolidate our employees downtownand create a campus-like environment,"said David Mackay, President and ChiefExecutive Officer, Kellogg Company. "Webelieve this is the right thing to do for ourBattle Creek-based employees and that itcan significantly contribute to the growthand revitalization of Battle Creek's central

business district." "Revitalizing our cities is a key com-

ponent of our strategy to growMichigan's economy and create jobs, butit requires a strong partnership betweenpublic and private sectors,II saidGovernor Jennifer M. Granholm. "Iapplaud Kellogg for its vision and gen-erosity to make Battle Creek a dynamiccity of the future."

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, mean-while, has approved up to $35 million tosupport various aspects of this redevel-opment effort. This money will be invest-ed as opportunities arise that resonatewith the Foundation's mission and visionof building a nation where all childrenthrive.

"It's a natural fit for us," said SterlingSpeirn, the Foundation's President andChief Executive Officer. "We have a his-toric commitment to investing in theassets of the community in which we arebased.

Continued on page 15

14

Construction Management Market Update by Craig Datema

Triangle Associates is fortunate toenter 2009 with the largest backlog in the90+ year history of our company. Withover $300 million in current and futureconstruction projects, our backlog contin-ues to grow despite the troubled economy.Current backlog is comprised of a varietyof building types; however it is largely

fueled by our reputation in the education-al and governmental sectors. Currently,we are working with eleven public schooldistricts and three universities. Our high-er-education work includes a $10 millionrenovation of the Owen Hall dormitory,our first project on the Michigan Statecampus in East Lansing. Added to this area number of governmental projects inKent, Ottawa and Muskegon Counties

comprised of various libraries, watertreatment plants and governmental sup-port facilities. We see continued strengthin these publicly funded market seg-ments.

The reason that publicly funded seg-ments will continue to grow is two fold: 1)Private equity markets have a major lackof credit at this time. 2) Unless you’retalking about Walmart, the decrease indemand for goods has curtailed theexpansion of private businesses.However, local retailers seem to be doingwell considering the soft times we areexperiencing right now.

A strong component for us is ourleadership in sustainable constructionand the LEED certification process forbuildings. Most of our customers are con-cerned with sustainable building practicesand many are requiring their buildings tobe LEED certified. Triangle has construct-ed 25 LEED certified buildings includingthe first school and first hospital in theState of Michigan. As sustainability andLEED Certification increase in popularity,we recognize the need to increase ourexpertise in implementing sustainablebuilding practices throughout our organi-zation.

Commercial and retail market seg-ments continue to be strong with ourexisting clients. Triangle continues tobuild retail centers throughout theMidwest including a number of new andrenovated Wal-Mart Supercenters acrossthe State of Michigan. Additionally, thisfall we broke ground on The Gallery,located on the corner of Fulton andDivision in downtown Grand Rapids. Thishigh profile, mixed-use project includesthe new home for the Urban Institute of

Contemporary Arts (Commercial), a 250space public parking garage(Governmental) and 56 market rate apart-ments (Housing). The Gallery’s 12-storyproject highlights the vibrancy that isdowntown Grand Rapids.

Despite growth in most of our mar-kets, we are experiencing a decline in ourhousing market segment. The Developersof governmentally funded housing proj-ects are seeing limitations in project fund-ing. This includes availability of fundsfrom governmental units as well asincreased difficulty in selling tax credits.On the private sector, new homes andcondominium sales are at an all time low.This is having a spill over effect in seniorhousing, where seniors cannot sell theirhomes and potentially make a lifestylechoice of moving into a condominium orretirement community.

Furthermore, the market has givenno reason to assume that 2009 will showany significant change. The housing mar-ket is faced with a limited amount offunds coupled a huge amount of oversup-ply. Even when the financing frees up, theinventory will need time to absorb andeven out.

The growth of businesses in the con-struction market will always come afterthe bell curve. Meaning that when othermarkets begin to pick up, it will takeabout a year at least before they begin toannounce additions or build new build-ings. Just as when other markets go sourit usually takes a year to get to the pointwhere the construction industry is hurt-ing.

Craig Datema, the Chief ExecutiveOfficer/President of Triangle Associates,has in-depth knowledge of architecturaldesign and contract documentation,along with a strong understanding ofproject management techniques and costcontrol. Prior to joining Triangle, Mr.Datema was a project architect andworked on a variety of commercial,industrial, and institutional projects.

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15

Battle Creek Downtown Transformation Plan

Continued from page 13

We also have a rich legacy of fundingfood science and healthy living programs,as well as education. By building on bothour legacy and existing community assets,this project will help position Battle Creekas a world leader in food science researchand place innovation at the center of thecommunity's ongoing downtown revital-ization efforts."

Speirn said that the Foundation ispleased with the plan developed by BattleCreek Unlimited and looks forward tohelping leverage the investments beingmade possible by Kellogg Company andother partners in our community. Over thenext several months, he said, the KelloggFoundation will be taking a closer look atthe project as it unfolds and deciding howits investments can best help the commu-nity achieve its goals. The Foundation is

committed to working with Battle CreekUnlimited to strengthen the downtowneconomy by improving its aesthetics andreactivating commerce, he said.

"We're particularly excited about thepotential for building a community thatactively engages scientists, young peopleand educators in learning and discoveryaround the critical issues of food supplyand safety," Speirn said. "We believe theBattle Creek New Vision project will helptransform the hometown of our founder,W.K. Kellogg, into a 21 st Century commu-nity with a global purpose -one that tiestogether its health and wellness legacywith the growing challenges of food qual-ity, safety and protection," Speirn said."These are important issues for the KelloggFoundation and we look forward to sup-porting this effort in meaningful ways."

"I'm very pleased to see BCU's excit-ing vision and strategy to transform ourdowntown area with economic develop-ment, education and quality of life compo-nents," said Battle Creek Mayor MarkBehnke. "This is an enormous opportunity

for Battle Creek to create a very special andvibrant downtown area while capitalizingon our unique food science technologyconcentration." BCU officials estimate thatits downtown revitalization plan couldrequire more than $86 million in newinvestment. It is pursuing various public

Next Month Topicsin

Business Update &Construction Sections

Accounting/Legal/Consulting

Architectrue &Green Building

To be involved call 616-583-1577

16

Grand Rapids, MI – Progressive AE ispleased to announce that 24 projectsrecently earned LEED® certification,including three LEED-Silver and 21 LEED-CI through the USGBC’s new Portfolio pro-gram, which is still in pilot phase. LEED,Leadership in Energy and EnvironmentalDesign, is the national benchmark for“green” building practices developed bythe USGBC (United States Green BuildingCouncil).

The three LEED-Silver projects were: Hauenstein Library at Aquinas

College: Progressive AE determined thatthe most efficient way to add a state-of-

the-art library to this urbancollege site was to add ontoan existing building and tobuild on its existing infra-structure. The designersuncovered innovative reusesof spaces to meet the needsfor Aquinas College whichrequired very few structuralchanges, reducing waste andnew material usage. Also,the designers incorporateddonated book shelves whichresulted in not only financialsavings to the College, butalso greatly decreased theuse of new materials.

West Michigan Centerfor Arts and Technology: Thesustainable story at WMCATis about rapidly renewablematerials. The floors, case-work, and other typical woodfeatures were substituted

with bamboo, which can grow approxi-mately three inches per day while beinglightweight and extremely durable. Thespace also used linoleum and rubber, bothof which are manufactured from rapidlyrenewable resources.

Harrison Park Elementary/MiddleSchool in Grand Rapids Public Schools:The main “green” features of this buildingaren’t even recognized. The renovation tothe 1950’s structure including extensiveenergy savings features, such as histori-cally appropriate windows that have mod-ern efficiency; upgraded heating and cool-ing systems that are more efficient andprovide more comfort; and lighting sys-tems that use less energy and can eventurn themselves off.

The USGBC’s portfolio program is anew system that is not yet available to thegeneral public. 26 companies were chosento take part in the pilot program, and oneof Progressive AE’s clients, a Fortune 500Financial Services company, was one. Theportfolio program was created to makeLEED certification cost effective andstreamlined for organizations with multi-ple facilities. Through Progressive AE’sleadership, this client was the first projectin the nation ever to be certified using thisrating system, and now the first “batches”of 21 projects have been certified.

These unique LEED certificationswere made possible because ofProgressive AE’s expert knowledge ingreen design and LEED certification, andby a diligent following of the process byall the team members.

Light Corporation Spins-off New Company and Joins the Emerge Alliance at Greenbuild

Grand Haven - Light Corporation, aworld-class specialty lighting manufac-turer whose product offerings enlightenthe workplace, has spun-off a new com-pany. This new company, KanepiInnovations, will focus on the on-goingdevelopment of the Intu! WirelessInfrastructure platform and technologybeing introduced this week at theGreenbuild International Conference &Exposition in Boston, MA.

Kanepi’s technology is the industry’sfirst true wireless technology. It wasdeveloped to replace the wiring infra-structure utilized in today’s constructionpractices as well as building automationsystems which are still dependent uponhomeruns and wiring configurations ofsome type. The system was designed tofocus on the use of electricity within theworkplace and to reduce the usage of thatelectricity through the use of scheduling

protocols, flexibility and individualaddressability of control for specificdevices, peak energy shaving, anddemand response applications. In addi-tion, Intu! acts as a technology “canopy”allowing for additional applications to besupported within the wireless infrastruc-ture – control of other devices such asVAV systems, humidifiers, fans, convey-ors, and security and asset tracking toname a few.

Based on this new approach to ener-gy control, monitoring, and wirelessinfrastructure, Kanepi was asked to jointhe Emerge Alliance, a group of like-minded organizations looking to create anew power, control and device-level tech-nology standard for commercial interiors,developed around the use of safe, low-voltage direct-current (DC) power. Intu!will be utilized to control the devices andfor location of those devices within the DC

building grid.“We’re very impressed with the

vision of the Emerge Alliance and the tie-in to our own vision for the responsiveworkplace,” said Larry Leete, Director –Sales, Marketing, and StrategicContinuity for Kanepi Innovations. “Ourview of the new sources of alternativeenergy, specifically wind and solar, allowfor the need of a DC based grid. Thisallows for a 12% conservation of energythat normally would be lost in the trans-formation of power from DC to AC andthen back to DC to power up the dailydevices that we need to utilize in today’sworking world. Our Intu! technology willsupport the “no-wires” thought processcurrently being adopted within the stan-dard. Reducing energy is just one aspectof this, however, and driving toward theability to better utilize our electrical needs

in a more granular way allows for conser-vation efforts to be better realized,” addedLeete.

Brad Davis, President of LightCorporation remarked on the timing of thisannouncement, “Greenbuild is the perfectplace to make these announcements. Whatwe’re doing to impact the betterment of theenvironment lies at the very heart of whoLight Corporation is. This technology, andnew business for that matter, has the abil-ity to positively impact organizations thatare looking to better themselves and bemore productive stewards as they deal withthe environment. How do we make thatminimalistic impact? Greenbuild is wheresome of these answers come from – andwe’re happy to participate in that dialogueby presenting some of our own thinking interms of products and services.”

24 Progressive AE ProjectsEarn Unique LEED

17

Land Surveying in the Present Dayby Randall Patterson

Land Surveying has been a longstanding profession in the Michigan areaas well as every other state in the nation.In an article published by the MichiganSociety of Professional Surveyors, thedivision of land in Michigan is explainedas follows.

“In Michigan, the primary systemused to describe boundaries is theRectangular System of Surveys, as estab-lished by the U.S. government.

In the early 1800’s, the federal gov-ernment in order to provide for the order-ly sale and settlement of territorial publicland, established a survey system whichhas been used for all government landsince that time. This survey divided allland into the familiar section units ofapproximately one mile square.Monuments were erected at the corners ofsections and townships. These corners arestill used today for surveying purposesand in describing public and privateboundaries in writing.”

“The statute of the State of Michiganexplicitly designates the licensedProfessional Surveyor as the only personempowered to apply the principles ofmathematics, science, and law to measureand locate property lines for the purpose ofpreparing and perpetuating maps, plats,and property descriptions.”

The trade has undergone manychanges over the past 200 years. It hasevolved from the days of transits andchains, to current technology of fullyrobotic total stations, electronic data col-lectors, Global Positioning Systems, andDigital Scanners. The land surveyor hasalways been relied upon to provide accu-rate measurements and legally bindingparcel descriptions for one of our mostvaluable commodities, “land”.

With our current economic decline itwould seem that surveying professionwould be in a state of turmoil due to thelack of development in our region. Oneonly needs to look at the subdivisions thathave been partially completed, put onhold, or abandoned to realize that thewinds of change are upon us. How theland development business will pan out isanyone’s guess at this point, and it isbecoming more evident with each passingweek that we’re in for a long road torecovery.

We had some discussion in lastmonth’s edition of “Business Update”regarding how we may see the Michiganmarket evolve. Although none of us havea crystal ball to know what the future willbring, it’s fairly certain that the businessof land development and the practice ofland surveying will need to evolve again toinsure profitability. Michigan developers

have taken advantage of the availability ofvacant undeveloped acreage and relativelylow real estate prices for many years.Although land prices have been steadilyincreasing over the past 20 years, the costof development has still been feasible. Wemay see a transition to more redevelop-ment in the years to come. With the cur-rent trend of companies closing up shopand the increase in foreclosed properties itappears that these conditions will dictatethe development environment of thefuture.

Land surveying seems to be taken forgranted as a necessary evil that is requiredby the bank and by the state in order totransfer ownership of real property. I’mnot sure that many people realize theimportance of the accurate measurementand description of this highly sought aftercommodity that we call real estate. Thecost for boundary surveys, topographicsurveys, and mortgage inspections, hasnot kept pace with many other disciplinesof development. If you compare the priceof a boundary survey to the value of theland, the cost is usually less than one per-cent of the property value. The cost of a“mortgage inspection” which has beenwidely accepted by almost every bank inMichigan barely covers the cost of labor toget to and from the site. How has ourindustry allowed this to happen?

The measurement and legal descrip-tion of the most valuable component ofany development project has becomethought of as simply a requirement thatmust be dealt with as the first step in theimprovement process.

Modern survey equipment hasallowed us to become more efficient, andincreasingly accurate in the way that wemeasure the land that we live on. The cur-rent equipment takes advantage of lasertechnology, and ruggedized electroniccomponents that have proven to be resist-ant to the harsh environments that wemust work in. Even though the Midwesthas a relatively temperate climate as com-pared to the extreme northern and south-ern regions of our world, Michigan sur-veyors must still subject their equipmentto a harsh environment. Long hot sum-mer days, dusty conditions within con-struction sites, rain, snow, and tempera-tures that can range from below zero towell above ninety degrees Fahrenheit. Idon’t think that there are many peoplethat would take there desktop, or laptopcomputer into any of the environmentsthat the surveyor is required to work inday after day. Our profession requires thatthe work be completed within strict dead-lines, and many times that means that thefield crews must work whether the sun isshinning or not.

“The services of a licensed

Professional Surveyor are essential toanyone involved in a property transaction.The Professional Surveyor can work withthe client’s attorney, realtor and lender toensure the client’s investment is not jeop-ardized by a faulty land description”(Michigan Society of ProfessionalSurveyors).

As Michigan continues to change,and the future requirements of land devel-opment evolve the Land Surveying profes-

sion will continue to provide these essen-tial services to our clients.

Randall Patterson, the BusinessManager with Latitude Engineering &Surveying Inc., has over 10 years experi-ence in the engineering and surveyingfield, teamed with 18 years in manufac-turing engineering and management. Theycan be reached at 616-583-1601 or atwww.latitude-inc.com.

Construction BriefsGrand Rapids - C. D. Barnes Associates,Inc. announces they have completed con-struction on the Caledonia ProfessionalOffice Building, a 2 story, fieldstoneoffice building. C.D. Barnes Associatescongratulates Dr. Tom Grias, DDS and Dr.Eric Hannapel, DDS, MS, PC on the com-pletion of their new, architecturally strik-ing, medical office building.

Holland - Lakewood Construction isadding another LEED facility to its portfo-lio, as it nears completion of a new16,500 sq. ft. facility for TechnicalEnergy Solutions in Byron Center, Mich.Technical Energy Solutions, Inc. is alicensed mechanical, electrical and tem-perature controls contractor serving com-mercial, industrial and institutional cus-tomers throughout Michigan, Indiana,Illinois and Minnesota. Recent growthhas led to the need for a new headquar-ters and service center, which will incor-porate many of the company’s energysystems in a sustainable design. The pre-engineered metal building is a Lakewooddesign/build project, with DixonArchitecture as the project architect.

Livonia - The Madonna University NewScience and Media Building has beenfully enclosed and remains on schedule forcompletion by Clark Construction in April2009. The New Science and MediaBuilding, located at 36600 SchoolcraftRoad in Livonia, is the University’s firststand-alone building constructed in 40years. The 64,000 square-foot NewScience and Media Building will includenew science classrooms and lab space,state-of-the-art TV and radio productionfacilities and an open-air gathering areafor students. Madonna University is seek-ing LEED certification from the U.S. GreenBuilding Council for the project, whichwould make the New Science and MediaBuilding Livonia’s first green building.

Grand Rapids - ENR magazine awardedthe top 100 contractors in the countrywith a ranking for green building.Pioneer Inc. received #55 with $92Million of “Green Revenue” in 2007,which is 49% of our total revenue. 62%of our green projects were in the educa-tion market and we have 5 LEEDAccredited Professionals on staff. Thisalso makes Pioneer Inc. #1 in WestMichigan

18

Construction BriefsByron Center - TurnKey NetworkSolutions, a leading contractor of telecominfrastructure, announces that it has bro-ken ground on its new facility inCaledonia Township. The building willserve as the corporate headquarters andmeet TurnKey’s need for increased work-flow efficiencies during a time of signifi-cant growth for the company. TurnKeyNetwork Solutions is a privately heldtelecommunications contractor that focus-es on providing complete telecom/fiberinfrastructure solutions to the market-place. With offices throughout theMidwest, TurnKey’s services range fromoutside plant engineering, construction,and maintenance to central office design,installation, and equipment test and turnup. Operating out of the company’s sec-ond location since its inception in 2000,TurnKey is once again in need of moreroom. TurnKey Network Solutions, recent-ly broke ground on the construction of a28,900 square-foot operational headquar-ters located within Caledonia’s SouthbeltIndustrial Park at 7020 Southbelt. Thenew building is designed by DixonArchitecture and built by Grand Rapids-based First Companies.

Ispheming - Hobbs+Black Architectsannounced the completion of design andconstruction for Bell Memorial Hospital.The ribbon cutting ceremony for the new109,000 square foot Critical AccessHospital took place on September 15 inthe Upper Peninsula town of Ishpeming.Hobbs+Black worked with the Oscar J.Boldt Company to develop thisDesign/Build project. Serving a ruralregion, the new one-story Critical AccessHospital was carefully and tightlyplanned in 108,050 gross square feet toefficiently accommodate all essentialhospital services. The compact facilityfeatures an emergency center, surgery,cardiology, imaging, lab, medical rehabil-itation, pharmacy, administration,dietary and support services, as well as a25-bed inpatient and nursing unit sup-porting birthing, acute care, and criticalcare centers. Additionally, an adjacent36,495 square foot new medical officebuilding houses all clinics. With opera-tional flexibility and visitor hospitalityhigh priorities for the remote hospital,the Hobbs+Black team developed ways tocombine or isolate designated areasaccording to the demand of the everchanging circumstances and patientneeds. A large central avenue allows vis-itors and patients direct access betweenthe main lobby, cafeteria, waiting room,and clinics, passing all departments with-out interfering with hospital operationsor entering sterile space. Architecture for

the new hospital draws heavily from sur-rounding vocabulary, uniquely translat-ing the local environment, history, andsentiment into a contemporary hospitaldesign. Surrounded by a 35-acre forestof mature birch trees, the one-story facil-ity resembles a modern mountain lodgeof wood timbers and stone.

Grand Rapids – Wolverine Building, Inc.has been hired as general contractor for awarehouse addition to Thierica’s displaygraphics manufacturing plant on 900Clancy in Grand Rapids. Thierica DisplayProducts Corp, a growing business forover 50 years, is a neighborhood compa-ny where many of its employees liveclose enough to walk to work. Its currentlocation at 900 Clancy NE, is vital to thelocal district and its success. Wolverinewill expand the building by 10,000square feet which is twice the size its lastexpansion Wolverine completed for theClancy facility in 2004. New parkingareas will be constructed as well toaccommodate the addition of newemployees. As a Design/Build project,Wolverine plans to finish constructionwithin 5 months, and operate withoutdisturbing any existing operations.According to project manager, Chris Nye,“Wolverine Building group has had anexcellent partnership with the Thiericagroup of companies for the past severalyears, and it’s refreshing to participate intheir continued growth yet again, espe-cially in the current economic conditions.I look forward to the completion ofanother successful facility expansion.”

Grand Rapids - C. D. Barnes Associates,Inc. announces their celebration of com-pletion on the Caledonia ProfessionalsOffice Building. C.D. Barnes Associatesheld its ribbon-cutting in November tocelebrate completion of the 2 story, archi-tecturally distinctive, fieldstone officebuilding. In attendance were Dr.’s Tomand Effie Grias, DDS; Dr. and Mrs. EricHannapel, DDS, MS, PC; members oftheir staff; the C.D. Barnes Associatesproject team; Design Plus and membersof the press.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Healthannounced Aero Med will began using therooftop helistop at Butterworth Hospitalfor training on November 17.Enhancements to the site are complete.The enlarged helistop accommodates twohelicopters and includes enhancementsfor safety, fire suppression and wind tur-bulence control. It features a platformraised several feet above the roof thatallows for two 60 foot by 60 foot landingzones. The new helistop has many

enhancements: A raised platform severalfeet above the existing roof. This makesthe helistop slightly larger in area than theroof, allowing for two 60 foot by 60 footlanding zones. The elevated helistop alsoallows wind traveling up the side of thebuilding to flow underneath the platform,which helps decrease air turbulence; Thehelistop has horizontal aluminum safetynetting extending several feet beyond theplatform; Additional emergency exits.Each landing zone will have an external,fire escape-type metal stairway leading tothe floor below; A fuel-water separatortank for each landing zone catches all liq-uid run off from the landing surface andblocks fuel from entering storm drains;An upgraded fire-suppression system canbe activated from either landing zone, inaddition to inside and outside of thestructure housing the elevators.According to the Federal AviationAdministration, a helistop is an areaused or intended to be used for the land-ing and takeoff of helicopters engaged indropping off or picking up passengers. Ahelipad is a surface used for parking hel-icopters and refueling. Helicopters at theButterworth Hospital helistop will remainthere only as long as it takes to transferpatients. The helistop will not be used forparking or refueling helicopters.

Kentwood - Wolverine Building Inc. &Post Associate Architects have beenselected by the City of Kentwood todesign and construct the new KentwoodDistrict Library. At approximately43,000 square feet, the new facility willact as the Kentwood District Library’snew flagship location. It will include thelatest innovations in Library Sciences, aswell as space for community gatheringsand functions. Land DevelopmentSolutions is assisting the team in select-ing the most appropriate location on theKentwood Municipal Campus on Breton

Avenue to place the building; whileMolinaro Architects of Evanston, ILguides the KDL through programming.The Wolverine team plans to breakground on the project in the Spring of2009. The $ 8 Million project betterserves Kentwood residents by providinga facility that will include larger readingselections, upgraded technology, and amore serene learning environment.

Walker - Wolverine Building, Inc. isproud to build the new Foot & AnkleSpecialists of West Michigan 9th loca-tion in Walker, MI. On the corner ofLeonard and Wilson, Wolverine brokeground on a new two-story medical officebuilding in September. The new buildingwill have many modern aspects designedby Wolverine’s in-house architects. Thedesign/build project will be over 11,700square feet total and will include a 1,200square foot basement. Foot & AnkleSpecialists will occupy the 2nd floor,while two tenant lease spaces will beavailable on the first floor. According toproject manager, Chris Nye, “It’s a pleas-ure to be working with Foot & AnkleSpecialists again on their new Walkerfacility. This new building will surely bea showcase for the City of Walker.”

Caledonia - DVK Construction has recent-ly completed the addition project forFlow-Rite Controls located at 960 74thStreet in Byron Center. The project brokeground in June of 2008 and was complet-ed ahead of schedule in November 2008.The 50,000 square foot addition is tosupport the expanded needs of the ware-housing, shipping, and productiondepartments. Flow-Rite manufacturersfluid control products based on the tech-nology of fluidics. Aivars Linde was thedesign build architect for the project.

JONKER LAND SURVEYSRANDALL J. JONKER

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PO BOX 385 616.878.9465 FAX

BYRON CENTER, MI 49315 jonkersurveys@sbcglobal.net

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Wright CoatingTechnologies

19

by Matt Decker

Kalamazoo is a great place to grow abusiness.

Back in 1979 Wright Coating got itsstart under Alan Wright. Almost 30 yearslater the company is still sticking to whatit does best: solve coating problems.

President Chuck Grimes, who is closeto celebrating 22 years with the company,said that the company has always aspiredto grow through quality and service. Hetold me that that was what Alan Wrightstressed, and what the company has car-ried on and found success doing.

“We have actually seven markets thatwe’ve been concentrating on as we workon diversifying in both our processes andour customer base,” said Grimes, “Wehave seven different markets that we areservicing customers in. Office furnitureand consumer’s goods are most dominantright now, but in addition to those two wehave architectural, automotive, appliance,RV, and Medical. We work with customersin each of those markets and we do spe-cialized coatings for them.” Grimes wenton to explain that the company also does awide range of general coatings like powdercoating and plastisol and nylons.

It is no secret that the medical field isa great one to be involved in during thistime in Michigan. So when asked pointblank about what that market specificallyhas to offer to a coating company, Grimeshad this to say:

“We’ve always tried to get into thatmarket because of it’s stability and growthhere and of course that is really a hot bedhere in Kalamazoo right now because ofwhat’s been spun off with Pfizer. The coat-ing portion of medical may not be as largeas an instrument manufacturer or some-thing like that, but there is business there.”

Of course, if Medical is the PeytonManning of fields to be involved in inMichigan, automotive is the Ryan Leaf.And Wright Coating is involved in both.

“I think that there is going to have tobe some changes (in the automotiveindustry). If part of our business is auto-motive of course it is going to be down butwhat part of our business isn’t down?”said Grimes, “Michigan has been hard todo business in if you are in automotive butif you’re in medical you’re probably doingpretty well. Office furniture is doing prettygood, but I think with the way the econo-my is right now that nobody is going to doreal well for awhile.”

While Grimes is very confident in hiscompany and where it is heading, he wasbrutally honest about how he perceived themarket to be faring in the individual sectors.

“Medical is the only one I’m reallyoptimistic about. I don’t see RV, I don’t seeautomotive, consumer goods: no, officefurniture has been steady but it is going tofollow everything else. I’m optimisticabout our company,” said Grimes, “Its justthe way it is.”

Grimes explained that Wright Coatingis financially strong and has process thatare proprietary to them.

“We got powder coating of plastics andwe have our thin film controlled technisnylon application which we call “rylon.”Those are unique to us. We also do generalcoating and plasticols. Those proprietarythings make it better for us no matter whatmarket you are in because you have limit-ed competition,” said Grimes.

In terms of new developments,Grimes informed me more about plastics.

“The newest one would be powder coat-ing of plastics. We call it plastic coat. It is theapplication of powder on nylon substrate.We started commercially at the end of 2004,beginning of 2005 so about 4 years and wehave expanded our customer base in thatsignificantly.” But more so than plastics,Grimes wanted to make sure that I knew thathis company is doing well fiscally.

“It really hasn’t been a tough year upexcept for the economy. Actually businesshas been really good up until Septemberand then all business has dropped off.We’re doing better than last year. We’vebeen growing every year since 2001, pro-gressively picking up new business andnew processes and new customers. But theoverall economy is going to affect every-body we just don’t have any control overthat. We still have the same customers

coming in they just don’t bring as muchwork as they used to,” said Grimes, “It’s avery competitive environment out thereright now so you’ve got to hang on to everycustomer you’ve got for sure and do yourvery best for them and try to have themstay with you. I think people are lookingmore internally at cost. That is what we are

doing just to make sure our spending is inline with our sales. Unfortunately we dohave to lay off some people, you don’t wantto do that but you have to reduce your costto a level of sales.”

In spite of the economy though,Grimes was sure to point out that the peo-ple of Michigan are good hard workers.

“The people in southwestern Michiganhave a very good work ethic and our laborforce is one of the best. I’d put them upagainst anybody. That is why we stay here.You know you could go somewhere else butI don’t know if the labor force would be asgood. There are some great companies inWestern Michigan, Steelcase, Hayworth,Herman Miller, Styker, there are some real-ly good companies in our area and we wantto be one of those and we do business witha lot of them,” said Grimes, “As long as wehave potential customers here, we will stayhere. If they leave I would assume that wewould have to too because we wouldn’thave any customers. But the work force isgreat and of course with our unemploy-ment there are a lot of people out therelooking for jobs and they are good, skilledpeople.”

“The Kalamazoo area is a great areato live.”

Call: 1.616.514.6000 or 1.888.609.8542Call: 1.616.514.6000 or 1.888.609.8542Ask for Donna Randall, Director of Marketing wwwAsk for Donna Randall, Director of Marketing www.columbian.us.columbian.us

900 Hall Street, Grand Rapids Michigan 49503

Want to know how we keep ourcustomers for over 100 years?

We partner with our customers,offeringWe partner with our customers,offering

solutions for all their logistics needs.solutions for all their logistics needs.

20

Trendway Bucks Industry TrendHolland - Trendway continues to

experience an increase in net sales num-bers while, according to BIFMA statistics,industry-wide shipments are showing adecline of one percent and new orders areflat. “Our sales are up 7 percent over2007 for the same time period,” says BillBundy, Trendway’s president and CEO.“Last year we grew at three times theindustry growth rate, and this year’sSeptember and October orders were thehighest monthly totals in our 40 year his-tory!” In addition, Trendway continues toenjoy significant success relative to itsFederal Government business.

Why such growth at a time whenbusinesses are reeling from the decline inthe stock market, from home foreclo-

sures, bankruptcies, and rising prices?“We attribute it directly to our servicemodel,” explains Bundy. “We are in the‘peace of mind’ business, delivering acomplete, ready-for-people workplace, ontime, as promised. This means our cus-tomers can spend less time worryingabout furniture and have more time toworry about everything else – and intoday’s environment there is plenty of‘everything else’ to worry about”

“Our continued sales growth is onlypossible through the ongoing efforts ofour dealers, sales representatives andfield leadership,” adds Mark Dlugolecki,Trendway’s vice president of sales.“When you add Trendway’s unyieldingcommitment to world-class customer

service and industry-best lead times, theresult is customer satisfaction – and thattranslates into sales.”

Trendway continues to hold to itsstrict standards. For an order to be recog-nized as on time and complete it mustinclude everything from service parts tomulti-part workstations. “When the cus-tomer knows that they don’t have toworry about the furniture, then they trulyhave peace of mind,” says Bundy.

Trendway’s Board Chairman DonHeeringa believes that there is anothersignificant contributing factor. “We havebeen an employee owned company fornearly two years now,” says Heeringa. “Ibelieve this has strengthened our teamenvironment and increased performance

excellence. As a result, we have been ableto issue quarterly profit sharing checks toour employee owners. Our employeesmake our success possible and, becausethey’re owners, they share in therewards.”

Whatever the reason for the positivesales numbers, Trendway remains dedi-cated to providing exceptional customerservice. “The global economy is in anunprecedented time of uncertainty,” saysBundy. “Nevertheless, we remainfocused. We are committed to being thebest and to getting better everyday.Customers will still buy furniture, and webelieve that most who do will want peaceof mind service, now more than ever.”

Current Business Trends: Another Down MonthWest Michigan - The greater Grand

Rapids economy is still down in October,according to a survey compiled by BrianG. Long, director of Supply Management

Research in the Seidman College ofBusiness at Grand Valley StateUniversity.

According to the monthly survey, theindex of new orders declined to -24,down from -21 in September. While stillnegative, the production index was -14,a little better than September's -24. Thepurchasing index sank to -35, down from-28. The employment index slid to -26from -21.

“We are now in the seventh monthof the downtrend for this report,” Longsaid. “Unfortunately, the statistics con-tinue to weaken, and there is no end insight.”

Long noted that the national econo-my has met the official definition of arecession. “Unlike the 2001 recessionwhich was largely the fault of the dot combust, the causes of this recession are farmore complex,” Long said. “Hence, these

problems will take much longer to correctthemselves — or to be corrected.”

Looking at individual industries,Long said the news is bad across theboard, with declines in the office furni-ture, auto, industrial distribution, capitalequipment and aerospace industries.

Long said President-Elect BarackObama will face a tough task. “We shouldnot expect any miracles,” Long said.“Indeed, Jimmy Carter noted after histerm in office that one of the most frus-trating part of his presidency was that theexecutive branch of government reallyhas very little control over the economy.Except for the proper administration bail-out package that has already beenpassed, there is really little that our gov-ernment, the Chinese government, andthe European governments can do exceptwait for the markets to work their waythrough the problems.”

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21

Industry Index Declines In Latest Survey West Olive - Michael A. Dunlap &

Associates, LLC announced the results ofthe 18th edition of its quarterly MADA /OFI Trends Survey, a unique tool thatdesigned to measure the current businessactivity of the office furniture industry andits suppliers. This survey was completedduring the month of October 2008.

The survey focuses upon ten key busi-ness activities, with respondents ratingeach area on a scale of TEN (the highest) toONE (the lowest). The business activitiesare Gross Shipments, Order Backlog /Incoming Orders, Employment Levels,Manufacturing Hours (Overtime vs.Reduced Hours), Capital Investment,Tooling Expenditures, New ProductDevelopment Activity, Raw Material Costs,Employee Costs, and the respondents’Personal Outlook on the industry.

The unique element of this survey isthe establishment of an Industry IndexNumber to quantify where the industry iscurrently performing. For example, anindex of 100 means that things “couldn’tbe better”, an index of ONE is “absolutelythe worst” it can be, and an index of 50means it is neutral; no change “up” or“down”.

The October 2008 Overall SurveyIndex is 50.54, the second lowest in overfour years. The previous low of 49.21 wasin April 2008. The highest recorded Indexwas 59.72 in July 2005. The average is

56.18 since the survey started in August2004.

Some individual index values declinedsignificantly between the July and Octobersurveys. In particular, Gross Shipments andOrder Backlog fell 61.25 to 53.29 and60.00 to 50.76, respectfully. Ironically, RawMaterial Prices and Employee Costsimproved 30.00 to 37.31 and 44.58 to46.03, respectfully.

Dunlap commented, “I’m glad to seeboth these index values improve, butMaterial costs are still impacting everyone,especially the small companies. They seemto suffer the most in difficult times like this.Everyone is aware that raw materials costsare skyrocketing, due to oil, steel, andrelated commodity price jumps. As foremployee costs (46.03), “for these costs tocontinue under 50.0 (index) is a never-ending battle. They won’t go into ‘reverse’;soon, now, or ever!”

Personal Outlook Index plummeted to41.41 in October 2008. In October 2007, itslipped to 59.10; below 60.00 for the firsttime in more than two years. Furnituremanufacturers were less pessimistic thansuppliers; 45.33 to 36.40.

“Suppliers are typically more pes-simistic”, Dunlap added, “they don’t see thesame picture as the OFM’s, and vice-versa.”

The majority of respondents cite theeconomic conditions, the credit crisis,healthcare costs, transportation costs and

especially energy costs, as the “largestthreats to individual company’s growth”.The “largest threats to the industry” aremost commonly identified as deep concernsfor the economic situation, the fluctuatingvalue of the U.S. Dollar, a fear of global eco-nomic recession, and the increasing costs ofoil and energy.

Dunlap stated, “We have been con-ducting the MADA / OFI Trends Survey formore than four years. This quarter hasshown a decline that was worse than I hadanticipated three months ago. Thedecreased backlog is worrisome, but I thinkthe industry is in a good position to absorbsome downturn. Then he added, “I wish my(and everyone else’s) ‘crystal ball’ wasmore clear. Unfortunately, this industrydoesn’t enjoy the long term visibility it onceenjoyed.”

He concluded, “There is no doubt thatthe industry is not as strong as it was 18 to24 months ago, but there are many bright

spots. The most recent quarterly reportsfrom the largest public companies generallysupport this.”

Dunlap closed with this comment.“Over 50% of our responses come fromexecutives who are the Chairman, CEO,COO or President of their organization. Thesenior leadership in this industry continuesto endorse this survey as an importantbusiness tool for the industry. Their strongparticipation supports this, and I am grate-ful for their support.”

The October 2008 MADA / OFI Trendssurvey was sent to more than 650 individ-uals involved with office furniture manu-facturing and suppliers throughout theworld.

Responses came from Asia, Europe,North and South America and from compa-nies ranging from more than $1 Billion insales to less than $10 Million in sales. Thesurvey repeats in January 2009.

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Vision Environmental, Inc. JoinsGZAGeoEnvironmental, Inc.

Norwood, MI & Walled Lake, MI -GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., a leadingenvironmental and geotechnical consult-ing firm, has announced that VisionEnvironmental, Inc (VEI) of Walled LakeMI has joined the company and signifi-cantly expanded GZA’s capabilities.

Vision Environmental, Inc. will addair quality, permitting, regulatory compli-ance and below-ground environmentalassessment capabilities to GZA’s GreatLakes operations. The move nearly dou-bles GZA’s growing air quality practiceand expands their services to the automo-tive and other industries in the Midwest.VEI is a 16-year old firm located inSoutheastern Michigan. The entire formerstaff of VEI will join the staff at GZA andthe founder of VEI, Tony Percha, willbecome Vice President in GZA and willwork from the Livonia, MI office. GZAanticipates that the entire VEI operationwill join the Livonia MI office in moving toa new location early next year.

With the emergence of climatechange, the increasing concern over theimpacts of greenhouse gas emissions andthe awareness of environmental sustain-

ability, this expansion of GZA’s air qualitypractice supports the company’s strategicdecision to enhance air quality, regulatorycompliance and permitting capabilities.

On-time, competitive andquality solutions to your cutting requirements.Please call, fax or email your request to...Precision Wire EDM Service, Inc. P: 616-453-4360 F: 616-453-2549 E: pwedm@aol.com

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22

ilumisys Debuts Products, Channel Partners in Growing LED Market

Troy - ilumisys, Inc., developer andproducer of next-generation solid-statelighting technology, announces a grow-ing roster of channel partners, two newadditions to its product line andincreased opportunities in the businessand government communities.

ilumisys, founded in 2007, is a spin-off of Altair, a global software and tech-nology company that has a growingpresence in the energy market. With thesupport of its majority owner, ilumisyshas a deep research and developmentbackground that includes more than 25patent filings. The company recentlyexpanded its channel partner network toinclude companies covering theNortheast, Midwest and Southwestregions, including Chicago-based LEDLighting; Orange County-based IHNcorp.and Ecogreen Solutions; and New YorkCity-based Greenlight Initiative.

The ilumisys product line nowincludes the MK1 lighting tube, therecently launched MK2 lighting tube and

the newly available CM 2x4 fixture.Patented circuitry enables ilumisys MK1LEDs to operate in existing fluorescentfixtures, without modifications to the fix-tures or ballasts. This allows users tosimply remove an existing fluorescenttube and replace it with the ilumisysMK1 product. The ilumisys MK2 runs offof 120 VAC and 277 VAC building cur-rents.

The CM 2x4 fixture is designed tofit in the same space as any other ceilingfixture of the same size, and has one ofthe lowest profiles on the market. By uti-lizing ilumisys’s MK2 tubes, the CM 2x4is easily upgradable to the latest in LEDtechnology. In addition, the CM 2x4 wasdeveloped within Altair’s award-winningindustrial design studio with an aesthet-ically elegant yet functional design.

“Our patented circuitry enables ourproducts to operate in existing fluores-cent fixtures without modifications,allowing users to simply remove anexisting fluorescent tube and drop in the

ilumisys replacement, saving energy andmoney over time,” said Dave Simon,president of ilumisys. “Businesses andgovernmental groups can transition theiroperations easily to solid state lightingwithout incurring costly infrastructurechanges."

Unlike the fluorescent tubes theyreplace, the ilumisys tubes are energy-efficient and are mercury-free, reducingtoxic pollutants. The 500 million to 600million fluorescent tubes discardedannually in the United States introducean estimated two to four tons of toxicmercury into the environment per year,despite industry and government effortsto limit mercury content and encouragerecycling.

Additionally, DTE Energy hasinstalled two tubes each in four fixturesin the Walker Cisler building at its Detroit

headquarters. DTE Energy is workingwith ilumisys to provide feedback on theperformance of the tubes. This will helpilumisys improve the design and func-tionality of its lighting technology.

“We see the value and promise ofLED lighting and we are working closelywith Michigan companies like ilumisys todevelop high-quality and high-efficiencylighting technology for the future,” saidGerald Polk, manager of EnergyPartnership & Services at DTE Energy.“ilumisys’ concept of replacing bulbsinstead of fixtures makes sense for officebuildings so we are pleased to collabo-rate on these ideas. Our commitment toimproving and enhancing LED lightingtechnology will be discussed at theupcoming DTE Energy Solid-StateLighting Symposium.”

SETTING THE PACE FOR TOMORROW

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Unshielded DistributionTransformers

Rosemont, IL - SolaHD, a leadingsupplier of power quality solutions,announced today a new line of unshield-ed general purpose distribution trans-formers that equally mix value and per-formance for outstanding energy-effi-ciency in commercial, institutional andindustrial facilities.

Utilizing the same feature-set thathas made the SolaHD ET series of shield-ed low voltage dry-type distributiontransformers successful, these newunshielded transformers offer improvedcost effectiveness and are fully compati-ble with the shielded ET units in mostapplications. The initial offering includesthe eight most popular ET part numbers

-- ET2 and ET5 Series, 15 kVA through75 kVA.

For those customers seeking an out-door transformer, the new units can beoutfitted with optional weather shieldswhich meet UL-3R requirements.

Key features for both shielded andunshielded SolaHD ET transformersinclude: · NEMA TP-1 compliance· UL Class 220° insulation system· Terminal board connections and spa-cious wiring compartments· Panel design that reduces labor time· Rugged stainless steel enclosures· High efficiency for low cost operation· Single and three phase availability.

23

Industrial BriefsHolland - Trendway announces

PackTM, a complete filing and storagesolution. With an exceptional range ofsizes, options and finishes, this versatilecollection offers great value. With heightoptions that support new lower profiledesign trends, Pack is designed to offercustomers versatility and value.

Numerous options and complete flex-ibility make this offering a simple solutionto a wide variety of workplace storagechallenges. “Pack becomes our most com-prehensive filing and storage line,”explained Bryan Speet, senior productdevelopment manager. “It has the broadesttotal offering of components and optionsfrom which to choose.” The Pack collectionincludes mobile personal storage optionsaffording flexibility for the individualworkstation. In addition, it offers all of theessential components for an organization’svolume storage needs.

“We are especially pleased to be part-nering with a manufacturer here in WestMichigan to produce this offering,” notedBill Bundy, Trendway president and CEO.“The addition of Pack enables us to pro-vide a more complete storage productthat’s aligned to Trendway’s commitmentto reliability, quality and industry-bestlead times.” This also better enablesTrendway to accommodate customers’needs for custom solutions. Pack productsare designed to meet Trendway’s stringentquality standards, as well as those ofBIFMA and GSA.

Minneapolis, MN & Holland, MI - TennantCompany announces that its breakthroughec-H2O™ technology, which converts plaintap water into a powerful cleaning agentwithout any added chemicals, has won a2008 R&D 100 Award. The R&D 100Awards, sponsored by R&D Magazine, rec-ognize the 100 most technologically signifi-cant new products and processes of theyear.

“ec-H2O is the result of years of researchand development at Tennant Company.Chemical-free and environmentally friend-ly, it is a highly innovative and category-changing advancement that is already rev-olutionizing the cleaning industry,” saidChris Killingstad, president and CEO ofTennant Company.

Holland – SAF-HOLLAND proudlyannounces that its Muskegon, MI facilityhas won the prestigious Masters of QualityAward for 2007 from Daimler TrucksNorth America, Freightliner CustomChassis Division. The Muskegon facility,which has been manufacturing Newaybrand air-ride suspensions for almost 60years for heavy-duty vehicles, was 1 ofonly 48 suppliers chosen to receive theaward from over 1,800 suppliers. Since1987, Daimler has evaluated suppliers onmore than 100 criteria, encompassingquality, delivery, continuous improvementand customer support.

West Michigan – Wynalda Lithoannounced that they were chosen to pro-duce the packaging for the DVD release ofthe Disney summer hit, WALL-E. Thepackages chosen for the single, double andtriple disc release are all from WynaldaLitho’s Wyn-Slide family and share a com-mon look but are all unique and weredesigned specifically out of paperboardmaterial, without the use of any plastic.Wynalda Litho’s Wyn-Slide was one ofhundreds of packages that were presentedto Disney for consideration to be the pack-age they would choose for the DVD releaseof WALL-E. The Wyn-Slide’s fun, interac-tive design combined with its unique abil-ity to hold multiple discs were advantagesthat made it an early contender. The Wyn-Slides ability to be automated, its compet-itive price and its small carbon footprintwere major factors in the final decision.

Waterwall System for Bank and Business FacilityManagement and Security

Baltimore, MD - CINTEC Americaintroduces the Waterwall™ System, aseries of water inflated, rapidly deploy-able, blast suppression devices designedto isolate or shield suspicious objects inorder to protect both people and infra-structures.

Ideal for security management ofbank or business lobbies, offices, andpublic/private areas, the Waterwall Systemcomes in various designs to suit manyscenarios. Extensive research and devel-opment has demonstrated the exceptionalqualities of the Waterwall in mitigating theeffects of a blast. Pressures behind theblast wave are substantially reduced, heat

is absorbed and fragmentation is eithereliminated or significantly decreased. TheWaterwall’s rapid deployment can alsolessen the inevitable disruption resultingfrom dealing with such an incident,whether it proves to be a genuine threat ora false alarm.

The Waterwall’s Suspicious ObjectIsolator (SOI) is designed to isolate poten-tially explosive devises that may be foundin employee offices, or unattended caseswithin a lobby. When required, it is firstinflated with air to provide stability, andthen filled with water through a fire-hose.The water displaces the air through aseries of pressure relief valves. Each unit

is open at the top and bottom to facilitatedeployment for access to, and inspectionof, the suspect object. In the event of ahoax device or redeployment elsewhere,the water can be pumped out and theBomb Bin deflated.

The SOI is designed by first respon-ders for use in responding to emergencysituations, or, to deploy when suspectobjects are identified, such as question-able items found in a bank waiting area.Its compact design allows for easy storageand rapid deployment wherever andwhenever necessary. Its specific dimen-sions are tailored to suit customer require-

ments, as is the selection of the internallyreinforced fabric used in its construction.

The exterior of a bank or businesscan be protected by the three meter highWaterwall, a formidable barrier that willprotect people and buildings from theeffects of a car bomb or similar device.The Cargo Isolation System is designed toisolate suspicious items when necessary.All of the products in the Waterwall seriescan be supplemented with the additionalappropriate chemicals necessary to treatCBR devices.

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24

Veolia Energy Purchases District Heating and Cooling System

Grand Rapids - Veolia Energy NorthAmerica, a leader in sustainable energyservices, facility operations and manage-ment solutions, and the owner and opera-tor of the largest portfolio of district ener-gy systems in North America, is pleased toannounce that it has purchased theDistrict Heating and Cooling system andgeneration assets in Grand Rapids fromKent County.The new name of the busi-ness is Veolia Energy Grand Rapids, LLC.The Veolia plant, located on Fulton Street,

across from the Van Andel Arena, housesfour industrial boilers that provide steamto more than 130 customers in downtownGrand Rapids via seven miles of steampipe. Customers include hospitals, collegecampuses, cultural and exhibition centers,commercial offices and retail store fronts.

Mayor George Heartwell said:“Veolia’s acquisition of the County’s steamsystem is an exciting development fordowntown Grand Rapids. The investmentsthey intend to make in order to upgrade

the plant will improve its efficiency andensure that a valuable and sustainableresource remains available for downtownbusinesses for many years into thefuture.”

Stewart A. Wood, CEO of VeoliaEnergy North America said: “We likeGrand Rapids, as it is a vibrant city. Webelieve that the Grand Rapids districtenergy system will be a valuable econom-ic development tool for the community, inaddition to providing thermal energy in an

efficient manner. We have a lot of capacityat the central plant and our goal is toexpand our customer base to efficientlyutilize that capacity.”

Keith Oldewurtel has been namedVice President and General Manager ofVeolia Energy Grand Rapids LLC. Thecompany has also established a businessoffice at 50 Monroe Avenue NW, Suite430, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Gill Industries Ramps Up Production For Rough Terrain Vehicle Frames

Grand Rapids – Gill Industries Inc. isramping up an automated production lineat its Trenton, Ga. facility to supply steelchassis for a new series of utility vehiclesby Club Car Inc. that targets the agricultur-al and outdoor recreation markets.

The Trenton facility will have thecapacity to fabricate up to 30 frames a dayfor the XRT950 side-by-side utility vehicle

that satisfies a demand for more horse-power and versatility for the mid-sizedutility vehicle market, said Scott Cronan,regional business development managerfor Gill Industries in charge of the Club Caraccount.

Introduced by Club Car in October, theXRT950 offers a number of features thatare resonating with consumers, such as a

twin-cylinder 14-horsepower engine thatis the largest in its vehicle class, inde-pendent suspension, four-wheel hydraulicdisc brakes, locking rear differential andnine inches of ground clearance fordemanding farm work and off-road tour-ing.

Saint Denis, director of operations ofthe Trenton facility said the plant employsabout 115 people, and the XRT950 workwill help to offset a potential downturn inorders from automotive customers. Whilehe doesn’t expect the line to create newjobs in the near future, Saint Denis saidthe new business creates a solid founda-tion for potential job growth in the longterm.

Saint Denis said technical personnelat the Trenton facility worked closely withthe Augusta, Ga.-based Club Car duringthe initial design of the frame to determinethe most cost effective ways to manufac-ture it. Gill Industries was able to design,install and debug an entire production linein about 10 months – one of the fastestimplementations of a production line inthe company’s history.

The production line employs

hydraulic presses, machining centers androbotic welding units to precisely bendand weld 2-inch-by-3-inch rectangularsteel tubing to make the XRT950 framesthat each weigh about 200 pounds.

“One particular challenge is theremarkable amount of welding we do oneach frame – about 47 feet total,” Cronansaid. “All of the vehicle components con-nect to the frame, so everything – bends,brackets, holes – have to be just right forsmooth assembly. There isn’t a lot of roomfor error.” After fabrication, the frames areelectrostatically painted and powder coatedbefore being shipped to Club Car’s assem-bly plant in Augusta.

The market for Club Car rough-terrainutility vehicles continues to grow in theUnited States as the products offer moreamenities, such as higher torque andhorsepower, improved suspension, andcoverings to shield occupants from theweather. A subsidiary of the Ingersoll-Rand Co., Club Car estimated that its over-all revenues rose about 10 percent last yeardue in part to the increased sales of its util-ity vehicle offerings.

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Awards

Grand Rapids - Grand Valley Health plan(GVHP) again ranks as one of the besthealth plans in the nation according to U.S.News & World Report and the NationalCommittee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)America’s Best Health Plans rankings. The2008 rankings, released today, placesGVHP in fourth place in the top 50 pub-lished by the magazine; 245 CommercialHealth Plans submitted data for considera-tion. This is the fourth consecutive yearthat GVHP has been named among the top50. Grand Valley Health Plan is also recog-nized as the highest ranked commercialhealth plan in the State of Michigan. Eachyear U.S. News & World Report and NCQAcollaborate to rank the nation’s healthplans based on member satisfaction, accessto care, prevention and treatment. The2008 America’s best Health Plans rankingswere featured in the November issue ofU.S. News & World Report.

Grand Rapids - HEDIS results are in! GrandValley Health Plan (GVHP) came out ontop and raised the bar for all health plans inthe state of Michigan. GVHP ranked as thebest Commercial Health Plan for the follow-ing 28 National Committee for QualityAssurance (NCQA) Quality of Care meas-ures: Prevention and Screening: ChildhoodImmunizations #1 in Michigan; BreastCancer Screening #1 in Michigan & #2 inNation. Respiratory & Cardiac Care:Appropriate Testing for Children withPharyngitis #1 in Michigan & #2 in Nation;Appropriate Treatment for Children withUpper Respiratory Condition #1 inMichigan; Appropriate Treatment forAdults with Acute Bronchitis #1 inMichigan; Appropriate Use of AsthmaMedication #1 in Michigan & #2 in Nation;Use of Spirometry Testing in Diagnosis ofChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease #1in Michigan. Cardiovascular Conditions:Cholesterol Screening #1 in Michigan;Controlling High Cholesterol (LDL < 100)#1 in Michigan; Controlling High BloodPressure—#1 in Michigan & #2 in Nation.

Comprehensive Diabetes Care; ControllingBlood Pressure—#1 in Michigan & #2 inNation; Cholesterol Screening #1 inMichigan & #1 in Nation; Controlling HighCholesterol (LDL < 100) #1 in Michigan;Eye Exam #1 in Michigan & #1 in Nation;Hemoglobin A1c Tested #1 in Michigan &#1 in Nation; Kidney Disease Monitoring#1 in Michigan. Behavioral Health Care:Antidepressant Med Managed ContinuationPhase #1 in Michigan & #1 in Nation;Effective Acute Phase Treatment #1 inMichigan; Optimal Practitioner Contacts #1in Michigan; Engagement of Alcohol &Drug Treatment #1 in Michigan. MedicationMonitoring: Annual Monitoring forPatients on Persistent Medications #1 inMichigan & #1 in Nation; AnnualMonitoring for Patients on ACE or ARB #1in Michigan & #1 in Nation; AnnualMonitoring for Patients on Anticonvulsants#1 in Michigan; Annual Monitoring forPatients on Diuretics #1 in Michigan.Member Survey Measures: Flu Shots forAdults #1 in Michigan; Satisfaction withPersonal Doctor #1 in Michigan. Access toCare; Prenatal Care #1 in Michigan;Postpartum Care #1 in Michigan & #2 inNation. About 400 Health Plans nationallysubmitted data to NCQA.

Grand Rapids – ENCOMPASS, LLC hasearned certification through the Women’sBusiness Enterprise National Council.ENCOMPASS has demonstrated the abilityto meet rigorous national standards ofbeing a majority female owned, operated,managed and controlled company. This isthe first year that ENCOMPASS has earnedcertification through WBENC.

Southfield – The J.S. Clark Agency wasrecently recognized by Crain’s DetroitBusiness as the 17th Largest Business-Insurance Agency in Michigan, whichincludes property and casualty insuranceagencies. This is an impressive feat for J.S.Clark, who specializes in employee benefitservices and does not offer property andcasualty insurance.

Grand Rapids – Hope Network recentlywas awarded a five-year, $1.75m federalgrant that will allow the Christian organi-zation to continue its efforts in workingwith Michigan companies to developindustry-specific training for individualswith disabilities. The intent of this pro-gram has been to teach individuals withdisabilities the skills necessary to obtainand retain jobs in the state’s ever-emerg-ing technology-based economy. The grantfunds will allow Hope‘s effort to run from2009 to 2013 in the counties of Kent,Montcalm, Muskegon, Mecosta, Osceola,Missaukee, Wexford, Ottawa and Allegan.

Grand Rapids - Smith Haughey Rice &Roegge has been presented with the firstever President’s Special RecognitionAward by the Michigan Defense TrialCounsel (MDTC). The award was given torecognize Smith Haughey’s outstandingleadership, professional achievements,and contributions to the MDTC.

Grand Rapids – The Grand RapidsExpress Employment Professionalsearned top honors at the GLAStar Awards(Great Lakes Area Star Wards) November8th in Lansing. The Grand Rapids Expressoffice received the award for BusinessPartner of the Year.

West Michigan – Wolverine BuildingGroup announced they were the recipientof the 2008 Excellence in Business Awardfrom the Grand Rapids Area Chamber ofCommerce. The award is one of three pre-sented at this year’s Salute to WestMichigan Business event that pays tributeto the Ford presidency. Wolverine ispleased to stand at the 13th annual Saluteto West Michigan Business, and gives spe-cial thanks to all of their 2008 clients whoalways steer us toward success.

Grand Rapids - Meijer was the recentrecipiant of Jennie-O Turkey Store’s DeliRetailer of the Year Award at their corpo-rate headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI.Being judged against supermarketsnationally, Meijer was selected due to theirconsistent delivery of high-quality prod-ucts, merchandising and promotionalinnovation, on-going commitment to thehighest standards for both food safety andcleanliness, as well as their emphasis onfriendly, engaging team members deliver-ing outstanding customer service.

Corporate Information 25

Go Green, Live Rich

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

This book lists 50 ways you can makeyour life greener. Readers who are alreadyconvinced of the need to act ecologicallywill be its best audience. The ideas areuseful, if not deeply innovative. Most ofthem will indeed help the environmentand save you money. And that’s a good

thing. However, author David Bach (writ-ing with Hillary Rosner) uses many semi-statistical claims without giving enoughdata or context to lend meaning to hisnumbers, though they may still encouragetrue believers in environmental action.Some of the book’s statistical conclusionsare based on fairly unrealistic extrapola-tions of averages. For example, sayingthat the average family works two to fourmonths out of the year to drive, insure,fuel and maintain its cars does not seem tocapture the fiscal realities and practicaloptions truly available to such families.Bach’s real message, of course, is to drivethoughtfully, save money and go easy onthe planet, so getAbstract suggests focus-ing on the good to be done, and being alittle forgiving about the math.

David Bach with Hillary Rosner. Go Green,Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save theEarth (and Get Rich Trying). BroadwayBooks, a division of Random House, Inc.2008. List Price: $14.95. ISBN-13:9780767929738.

getAbstract is the leading provider of businessbook summaries, with more than 4,500 titlescovered. www.getabstract.com

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Mergers & Acquisitions/Partnerships

Muskegon – The Rehmann Groupannounces its intent to merge withMuskegon-based Pridnia LaPres, PLLCeffective January 1, 2009. “With an ever-increasing presence in the Lakeshore mar-ket, we are better positioned to serve smallbusinesses and middle-market compa-nies,” said Steve Kelly, Chairman & CEO ofThe Rehmann Group. “Companies havebeen looking for alternatives in the profes-sional services marketplace, and webelieve the merger further enhances ourposition as that strong alternative.” Themerger brings together an alignment ofpartners with representative strengths inserving closely-held and family-ownedbusinesses. The Rehmann Group’s coreindustry segments include healthcare,manufacturing, distribution, real estate,construction, government/nonprofit andinternational services, according to Kelly.

New Business Agreements

Kalamazoo - The Association ofFundraising Professionals selectedMcCrosky Marketing Communications toreceive its Outstanding Corporation Awardfor 2008. The award was presented toMcCrosky Marketing on NationalPhilanthropy Day ceremonies at the FetzerCenter on Western Michigan University’scampus.

Kalamazoo – SalesPage Technologiesannounced a partnership with CoatesAnalytics. This collaboration integratesSalesPage Financial solutions and Coates’Managed Money Dashboard, providingSalesPage clients direct access to Coates’office-level data intelligence in theirSalesPage Financial client relationshipmanagement application. SalesPageTechnologies secured this partnership aspart of a continuous product developmentstrategy for empowering their clients toidentify and act upon opportunities,improve performance and remain compet-itive in today’s marketplace.

New Business/Products

Allegan – The Allegan CommunityFederal Credit Union announces it’s new“My Loan” product, which grants loanswith interest rates based on credit scores.The term “Personalized Lending Program”is a system enacted to determine interestrates and individualize loans dependingon one’s financial qualifications.Borrowers will be able to receive the mostcompetitive loan rates the credit union canoffer based on their credit score, the betterthe score the better the rate. Those whohave lower scores, but are still deemedcredit worthy, will be offered loans at aslightly higher interest rate. This will com-pensate the credit union in proportion tothe amount of risk taken.

Detroit - Miller Canfield announced thatthe Ministry of Justice of the People’sRepublic of China has approved its appli-cation and granted it a license to open arepresentative office in Shanghai. MillerCanfield principal Thomas Appleman willlead the Shanghai office and the firm’sAsia initiative. He will be joined by lifesciences attorney Weisun Rao, Ph.D., whospecializes in patent law and intellectualproperty transactions, and is a Chinesenational and fluent in Mandarin andEnglish.

Grand Rapids – Under the collaborationand direction of Colleen AC App, MD,FACS and John C. Rienstra, MD, FACS,mmpc will be opening the AdvancedBreast Care Center. The new site is locat-ed at: mmpc Advanced Breast Care Center,4069 Lake Drive SE, Suite # 117, GrandRapids, MI 49546.

Kalamazoo – PlazaCorp RealtyAdvisors, Inc., announces the additionof Thailand Cuisine to Drake Road locat-ed at the intersection of North DrakeRoad and West Main Street. ThailandCuisine will occupy 2,450 square feet inthe shopping center featuring a mix ofunique and authentic Thai Cuisine.

Okemos – CareSource, a nonprofit public-sector managed care company, has expand-ed its service into Muskegon County inwestern Michigan, effective November 1,2008. CareSource was approved to enrollmembers in Muskegon County by theMichigan Department of CommunityHealth. CareSource now serves 40 countiesthroughout the state of Michigan.

Relocation/New Construction

Grand Rapids - Hospice of Michigan isrelocating its offices. The new office,which opens on December 15, is locatedat: 989 Spaulding SE, Ada, Michigan,49301. The new offices reflect an evolu-tion in the work-life culture at Hospice ofMichigan where the emphasis is on time

spent at the bedside of patients and less inthe office. State-of-the-art technologyallows the hospice team to access andupdate records on laptops in real time.With less time spent at desks in a corpo-rate office it allows Hospice of Michigan toreduce office space and related costs.

Miscellaneous

Holland - Macatawa Bank Corp.announced that it has sold $26.2 millionof noncumulative convertible perpetualpreferred stock in a private transaction.The preferred stock was sold to WestMichigan investors. Dividends on the pre-ferred stock are payable quarterly inarrears at a rate of 12.00% per annum, ifand when declared by the Company'sBoard of Directors. The shares are con-vertible into common stock at the option ofthe holder at a price per share of $8.95.On or after October 31, 2011, the preferredstock will be subject to mandatory conver-sion into common stock under certain cir-cumstances.

Los Angeles, CA - Genre Film Partners, aLos Angeles and Michigan based filmfinancing and production company, haslaunched a new film fund to produce a slateof films in Michigan. The company plans toproduce 7 to 10 films budgeted between$2.5 M and $10 M, thereby injecting over$35M into the local economy over the nextfour years. Producer and ManagingMember Julie Richardson shares that “Thegenerous tax incentive offered by Michigancoupled with the vision of GFP ExecutiveKen Higbee (also owner of Sunbelt ofDetroit and other Michigan businesses)make it feasible for us to help bolster theMichigan economy by utilizing the richlocal resources. We at GFP are excited towork in concert with the Michigan FilmOffice to facilitate community involvementthrough our mentorship and training pro-grams to further build local infrastructurefor film and television production.” GFP’smentorship program for youth and adultswill work to train participants in all areas offilm production and post-production.

Corporate Information 26

Judgment

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

The focus of this book fills a hole inthe literature on leadership. Best-sellingauthors Noel M. Tichy and Warren G.Bennis concentrate on a key issue that iscentral to leadership: how leaders makejudgment calls, and how you should

make, execute and evaluate them. Theyprovide a good, useful framework to guideyour decision-making process. They offerintriguing tools, such as using a storyline,to encourage people to help implementyour judgments. The book does haveweaknesses, however, and those are dueto the authors’ definitions of two keyterms: “results” and “long-term.” Whiletheir case studies examine judgment callsthat they consider successful, they definesuccess as meeting “the espoused goals ofthe institution. Period.” This assumes thatthe institution’s goals are already exam-ined and valid, when in many cases theyare not. Their definition of “long-term”may strike some as only moderate – oreven short-term – in duration.Nonetheless, their work is clearly writtenand rich in examples. getAbstract recom-mends it to anyone who is seriously inter-ested in leadership, execution, and organi-zational strategy and culture.

Noel M. Tichy and Warren G. Bennis.Judgment: How Winning Leaders MakeGreat Calls. Portfolio, 2007. List Price:$26.95. ISBN-13: 978-1591841531.

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Grand Rapids - In the first five months oftheir new Energy Education program,Grand Rapids Community Collegereducedtheir energy use by 16.25% overthe same period last year. In today’s marketdollars, that translates to $224,152.66. Theactual energy saved comes to 1.2 millionkWh of electricity and 82.7 Therms of nat-ural gas, the equivalent of 230 cars beingpermanently removed from the highwaysannually. According to Thomas Smith,head of GRCC facilities, most of the col-lege’s success comes from having a trainedEnergy Manager on the job.

Michigan - Chestnut Growers, Inc.announces the introduction of CGIChestnut Slices™ available this holidayseason and for year-round use. CGIChestnut Slices are the most versatilechestnut product on the market to date.Freeze dried and packed in 8-ounce bags,the Chestnut Slices can be re-hydrated bysoaking in water for 15 minutes, yieldinga full pound of ready-to-eat, all natural,additive and preservative free chestnuts.

Kalamazoo - The training of technicianswho care for animals used in research isnext in the stable of Kalamazoo ValleyCommunity College’s workforce-develop-ment academies. Slated to begin in lateFebruary, the Animal Technician Academyis designed to provide pre-employmenttraining to students interested in enteringthis phase of medical and bio-technologyresearch.

Ottawa County - The Ottawa CountyHealth Department is offering five mini-grants in the amount of $1000 each toOttawa County worksites that want toimprove the health of their employees. Thegrants provide funding to assess how wellworksites support healthy eating, physicalactivity and tobacco-free living for theiremployees. The results are used to carryout strategies that improve these areas ofhealth. The grant application is availableat www.miOttawa.org/Health. Completedapplications are due by January 12.

Battle Creek and Grand Rapids –EmploymentGroup announced continuedrevenue growth for the first nine monthsof 2008, driven by new sales and organicgrowth. EmploymentGroup reported top-line growth of 10 percent for the period,citing revenue of $41.5 million, comparedto $37.8 million for the first nine monthsof 2007. The Company also announcedthe expansion of a key strategic initiativeaimed at responding to the current condi-tions impacting the staffing industry andbroader economy.

Fullerton, CA – Yokohama TireCorporation announced it will be the pre-senting sponsor and official spec tire ofthe newly-minted Patrón GT3 Challengeby Yokohama race series. The single-makeseries, featuring Porsche 911 GT3 Cupcars, is a support event for the AmericanLe Mans Series and is entering its fifthseason after previously being known asthe IMSA Challenge.

Muskegon – Lake Effect Winery is at 4285S. Brooks is housed in a former industrialcontracting machine shop that has under-gone a total renovation is the newest fruitwinery on Michigan’s west coast. LakeEffect Winery does not produce ordinaryfruit wines – we produce extraordinaryfruit wines made from premium Michiganfruits and berries. Lake Effect Winery usesall natural fruits in its 19 fruit wines anddoes not add any sulfites during the wine-making process.

Lansing - A new, statewide discount pre-scription drug card program called theMichigan Retailers Free Rx Card is nowavailable to Michigan residents. The free

program, available to all Michigan RetailersAssociation (MRA) members and their cus-tomers, is expected to provide savingsaveraging 30 percent on many prescriptiondrugs. There are no restrictions for receiv-ing and using the card — no income restric-tions, no age limits and no applications tofill out. The Michigan Retailers Free RxCard is accepted at more than 50,000national and regional pharmacies inMichigan and around the country.Participating pharmacies include KmartPharmacy, Meijer, Target, Wal-Mart, CVS,Walgreen’s, and Kroger Pharmacy, as wellas thousands of independent pharmacies.

Corporate Information 27

Family, Inc.

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

Imagine the conflict, arguments anddrama around almost every Thanksgivingdinner table, then imagine them playedout around a conference table and you’llsee the issues that arise in family firms.Emotional, volatile relationships can erodeeven the most solid of businesses. Larryand Laura Colin, who worked together in afamily company before it was sold, usetheir first-hand experiences to show youhow to avoid sacrificing your relationshipson the altar of the family firm and viceversa. They look at the characters thatpopulate many family firms, including“Dad the Decider,” “The Hard-ChargingSon” and “Mr. & Mrs. Inc.” Although theirinsights are just one step beyond commonsense, at least you don’t need a businessdegree to understand the conversationaland personable text. getAbstract recom-mends this to readers who must practicenepotism as an art form, working withbosses, colleagues and employees who arealso close-knit kin.

Larry and Laura Colin. Family, Inc.: How toManage Parents, Siblings, Spouses, Children, and In-Laws in the Family Business. Career Press, 2008. List

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Current Business Trends:Sharply Down

Grand Rapids - The greater GrandRapids economy, which has been down forsome time, declined even more sharply inNovember, according to a survey compiledby Brian G. Long, director of SupplyManagement Research in the SeidmanCollege of Business at Grand Valley StateUniversity.

According to the data collected in themonth of November, the index of neworders declined to -32, down from -24. Ina similar move, the production index fell to-30, down from -14. The index of pur-chases sank to -40, down from -35. Theindex of employment turned in its weakestperformance in the 20-year history of thesurvey, falling to -43, down from -26.

“The bad news is that we are in for arough ride. The worse news is that wedon't know how long or how rough theride is going to last,” Long said.

Long said that, when looking at indi-vidual industries, the office furniture, autoand capital equipment industries continueto fall, and the only industries that are stillholding up are those relating to defense,aerospace, or mining equipment.“Unfortunately, even these firms will not

hold up for long. The shock wave hasprobably just not reached them yet,” hesaid.

It seems that the news is grim — andis likely to stay that way for some time.“The question will be raised for months —where and when do we reach the bottom?Unfortunately, there are so many negativeeconomic things happening at once that itis difficult to aggregate an honest assess-ment,” Long said.

The Greater Grand RapidsAssociation of Purchasing Managementsurvey is a monthly survey of businessconditions that includes 45 purchasingmanagers in the Greater Grand Rapids and25 in Kalamazoo. The respondents arepurchasing managers from the region'smajor industrial manufacturers, distribu-tors, and industrial service organizations.It is patterned after a nationwide surveyconduced by the Institute for SupplyManagement. Each month, the respon-dents are asked to rate eight factors as“same,” “up” or “down.” An expandedversion of this report and details of themethodology used to compile it are avail-able at www.gvsu.edu/scblogistics.

Holland - Bob Wuerfel,President of Lighthouse TitleGroup, was elected to his 2ndthree year term on theMichigan Land TitleAssociation (MLTA) Board of

Directors at their Summer Convention.

Holland - Holland Hospitalannounced that urologist,Diane Bigham, DO, hasjoined Western MichiganUrological Associates, 577Michigan Avenue, #201, in

Holland. Dr. Bigham is a current memberof both the Michigan Osteopathic Societyand the Society of Women in Urology.

Grand Rapids - SMG announced theappointment of Kathy Bart as Director ofSales for DeVos Place Convention Center inGrand Rapids. Bart will work collectivelywith the Grand Rapids Convention andVisitor’s Bureau and area Hotels in fillingthe event calendar.

Grand Haven - Gazillion &One Inc. has added HillaryFuller to their staff as aMedia Buyer. Fuller will assistwith the annual planning,budgeting, and coordination

of advertising schedules for key clients.

Lansing -CPA, Michelle F.Gallagher, CPA/ABV/CFFrecently became Certified inFinancial Forensics (CFF)through the AmericanInstitute of Certified Public

Accountants. The CFF encompasses fun-damental and specialized forensicaccounting skills that CPA practitionersapply in a variety of service areas.

Grand Rapids - Plante & Moran, PLLCannounced that Michelle McHale hasbeen named firm-wide leader of the Fraud& Investigative Services Practice. McHalewill lead a team who focus their practiceson fraud investigation and prevention.

Grand Rapids -Aquinas Collegerecently namedMarjorie Kindelas the school'snew Director of

Planned Giving within theDepartment of InstitutionalAdvancement. She hasresponsibility for developingdonor relationships designed

to support the College's long-range goalsassociated with Endowments and PlannedGifts. Kate Davis and Cindy Dormanwere each given new responsibilitiesunder the same title of Manager ofAdvancement Strategies. They are respon-sible for facilitating the department goalsthrough donor relationships, event coordi-nation and grant writing. The College alsoannounced that Heather Hall has beenhired as Director of Student Activities andOrientation.

Grand Rapids – PonderaAdvisors, LLC announces theaddition of Dick Bertrand asa Leadership Consultant.Dick is a successful athleticcoach and business leader

with experience leading teams in a vastarray of areas, including ice hockey, insur-ance, and manufacturing.

Allegan - The Allegan Medical Clinicannounced that Dr. Timothy Dickinsonhas been granted the title of CertifiedMedical Director in Long Term Care (CMD)by the Board of Directors of the AmericanMedical Directors Certification Program.Dr. Dickinson is one of more than 2,300physicians nationwide who have receivedthe CMD designation since the program’sinception.

Grand Rapids - Helmholdt+Company LLP,CPAs announced that Michael M.Kornoely, CPA and Bradley S.Greenfield, CPA were promoted to seniormanagers, and Melissa A. McConkey,CPA and Staci M. Dawson, CPA to seniorstaff accountants.

Freemont/Muskegon - CarlaBurmeister, Area Managerfor Lighthouse Title Group,was Awarded the 2008 WestCentral Board of RealtorsAffiliate of the Year from the

West Central Board of Realtors. Carla man-ages the Fremont and Muskegon areaoffices for Lighthouse Title.

Grand Rapids -Sun Title Agencyin Grand Rapidshas created twonew employeepositions, thereby

expanding their services. Betsy Deanserves as the Full Service Escrow Officerand Stacey Gonzales is Sun Title's newClosing and Marketing Officer.

Holland - Holland HospitalVice President of Nursing andChief Nurse Officer, PattiVanDort, RN, BSN, MSN,NEA-BC, has been named the2008 winner of the Nurse

Leader Award from the MichiganOrganization of Nurse Executives.

Grand Rapids – Helen DeVos Children’sHospital announced the appointment ofpediatric sleep specialist JamesChamness, M.D., and pediatrician KarenThompson, M.D., to its medical staff. Dr.Chamness provides care for sleep-relatedneeds of infants, children and adolescentson an outpatient basis. Dr. Thompson pro-vides care, primarily on an inpatient basis,for infants, children and adolescents withlung and respiratory needs.

Grand Rapids – Kyle Layne Johnson,Program Manager of Junior Achievementof the Michigan Great Lakes, has beenawarded the organization’s “Rising Star”Award. The award is given to mid-levelstaff members who are emerging as lead-ers within the organization, and whodemonstrate outstanding, measurablesuccess in executing their responsibilities.

Personnel Updates 28

Business WBusiness Website ebsite DirDirectorectory Listingsy Listings

ConstrConstruction/Building/Enviruction/Building/Environmentonment

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Owen-Ames-Kimball Co - Serving ALL ofYOUR commercial construction needs. Call616-456-1521 for a FREE consultation onyour next project! www.owen-ames-kim-ball.com

Engineering & SurEngineering & Surveyingveying

Latitude Engineering & Surveying, Inc. – Bytruly understanding our client’s needs, we pro-vide the service and support necessary to exceedtheir expectations. Add some vision to your siteat www.latitude-inc.com

It SupporIt Supportt

2G TechWorks, Inc. provides IT support andwebsite development services specially tailoredto the needs of small businesses.http://wwww.2gtech.com

Powder CoatingPowder Coating

Magnum Powder Coating was extab-lished in 1992. Capabilities include pro-duction up to 8’ and custom up to 25’.www.magnumpowdercoating.com

Material HandlingMaterial Handling

Morrison Industrial Equipment Co. -Morrison - your one source for material han-dling equipment, service, parts, and rentals.Depend on Morrison and world-class manu-facturers. www.morrison-ind.com.

Andersen & Associates - TUSK counterbal-ance lift trucks, allows Andersen to supplyhigh quality, state-of-the-art products atcompetitive industry pricing. Ask about ourlow lease pricing with full maintenance pro-grams. www.andersenassoc.com

Marketing and SalesMarketing and Sales

MarketingHelp! - Your outsourced mar-keting department. We can help you catchand keep customers with better yet afford-able Marketing Plans, Programs andImplementation. www.mktghelp.com

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Summit Training Source offers healthand safety training solutions; includingOnline OSHA approved 10 & 30 Hourtraining. safetyontheweb.com

ConferConference Centersence Centers

Haworth Inn & Conference Center inHolland; 50 room lodging, meeting and ban-quet facilities serving 400 people. Ballroomand Breakout rooms. www.haworthinn.com

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Kalamazoo - Miller Canfieldannounces that MarcellaStewart has joined theKalamazoo office as an attor-ney. Stewart’s practice focuseson corporate records manage-

ment, e-discovery, and discovery and liti-gation project management as part of theCorporate Discovery Management team.

Grand Rapids -Kreis, Enderle,Hudgins & Borsos,P.C. announcesthat Andrew J.VanBronkhorst

and David C. Hill have joined the firm’sGrand Rapids office as associates.VanBronkhorst joins the firm’s litigationand business law practice. Hill joins thefirm’s corporate and real estate practice.

Holland - Elzinga & Volkers,Inc. announced the hire ofGordon Ralston as theNational Accounts Manager.Gordon’s job will be to assist inenhancing current client rela-

tions and establishing new ones throughcomprehensive sales plans and programs.

Grand Rapids – Angela M. Pfister hasjoined Miller Johnson as an Associate inthe Grand Rapids office. She will be a partof the firm's litigation practice group. Shewas admitted to the Michigan bar in 2004and the Illinois bar in 2008.

Grand Rapids - Open SystemsTechnologies, Inc. (OST) of Grand Rapids,Michigan announces the firm’s expansionwith the hiring of Brian Anderson.Anderson joins OST to help grow andmanage custom applications practice with-in OST’s services group.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health ContinuingCare has named Russell Lampen, D.O., asmedical director of Spectrum HealthInfusion Pharmacy Services. Dr. Lampenwas an infectious disease specialist forSpectrum Health Primary Care Partners.

Grand Rapids,Michigan -Waddell & Reedannounced todaythat ChadRayborn, Samuel

K. Mirto and Joshua Honghave joined the firm as aFinancial Advisor in the GrandRapids area. As a personalfinancial advisor, they will

help develop customized financial plans,recommend investment strategies andcounsel clients throughout the area.

Grand Rapids - MikeHartwigsen is the newAccount Executive for FirstTelecommunications inKalamazoo. His territory isbasically the 269 area code.

First Telecommunications is aCommunications Service Provider, provid-ing voice and data solutions to small andmedium sized businesses.

Grand Rapids - Richard D.Lewellyn, II, has joinedIndependent Bank as a mort-gage sales manager and sen-ior loan officer. Lewellyn willserve customers in the Grand

Rapids and Ionia areas. Lewellyn bringsmore than 21 years of mortgage lendingexperience to the position.

Grand Rapids – The Grand Rapids/KentCounty Convention & Visitors Bureau andthe Kent County Lodging Association haveannounced the winners of their inauguralWAVE Awards, a program which recog-nizes outstanding service providers in theGrand Rapids and Kent County hospitalityindustry. The 2008 winners, in theirrespective category, include: Dining: IvanRojas - White Lodging Services; Lodging:Maria Del Campo - Courtyard by Marriott- Airport/White Lodging; Nightlife:Kasandra Butler - Days Hotel GrandRapids; Transportation: Brent Wheatley -Metro Cab of Grand Rapids LLC; Retail:Mike Dombrowski - Art Of The Table.

Holland - Mark Giles joinedWindquest Companies as VicePresident of Finance andOperations on October 27,2008. Mark comes toWindquest Companies with a

broad financial background ranging fromlogistics and product quality to corporatestrategy, dealer channel development andpublic accounting.

Grand Rapids – mmpc announced hireingof: Elaine Leigh, NP, is working formmpc’s Holland Gastroenterology practice;Joanne Coates, RN, MSN, is working fulltime with the Holland Home Health Care;Sarah Akers, NP, is working as a nursepractitioner for mmpc’s Center for Diabetesand Endocrinology in Grand Rapids;Jessica Baxter, PA-C, is a physician assis-tant with Grand Rapids Hospitalists; HanhNguyen, PA-C, is also a physician assis-tant, working for the Grand RapidsHospitalists; Mark Rapson, PA-C, isworking with as a physician assistant withour Grand Rapids Critical Care office;Elizabeth Read, NP, will be joining ourInternal Medicine practice at 4100 LakeDrive, SE, as a nurse practitioner, in GrandRapids; Duane Scholtens, PA-C, will bejoining the Grand Haven Family MedicinePractice on a part-time basis as a physi-cian assistant; Sarah Tuinstra, LPC, isjoining mmpc’s Weight Loss Specialists asa behaviorist.

Grand Rapids -Grand Rapidsbased FirstCompanies, Inc.announced theaddition of Craig

Schroeder and Rick Striebe. Schroederjoins as Project Manager responsible forproject administration, scheduling, budgetcontrol, and project closeouts for ground upconstruction and tenant improvement proj-ects. Striebe assists in the roles of estimatorand project coordinator. Striebe joins theteam with over twenty-five years of experi-ence in the construction industry

Lansing – C2AE announced that twomembers of its Landscape Architecture &Planning team have successfully passedthe Landscape Architect RegistrationExamination to become RegisteredLandscape Architects. Amy J. Mazure,R.L.A. has been with C2AE for approxi-mately three years. Joe D. Wright, R.L.A.,has over 13 years of experience as aLandscape Architect.

Holland - Rutherford & Associates, theleading route accounting and managementsoftware for food and beverage distribu-tors, announces that Mason Koffman hasjoined the company as the national salesdirector. Koffman will be responsible forexecuting the national sales expansionplans and leadership of eoStar.

Personnel Updates 29

5 Future Strategies YouNeed Right Now

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

This is a slender but useful little

book. Early in it, George Stalk notes accu-rately that all too often, the mediaannounce the next big thing long aftercutting-edge companies have learnedabout the change, dealt with it and movedon to the next big innovation. High-profilestories end up trailing real change, ratherthan actually reporting it as it happens. Ifyou’re trying to plan for change by follow-ing the mass media, you’re going to be leftbehind. This leaves Stalk with a difficultchallenge: to address key changes that areemerging just now as they develop. Theresult is a bit uneven; the text is specula-tive at times, and his desire to write a brieftreatment means that he skims someareas. But that said, this is a more specif-ic and applicable treatment of the futurethan most books present, and getAbstractrecommends it to anyone planning realis-tically for change.

George Stalk. 5 Future Strategies YouNeed Right Now: Memo to the CEO.Harvard Business Press, 2008. List Price:$18.00. ISBN-13: 9781422121269.

getAbstract is the leading provider of businessbook summaries, with more than 4,500 titlescovered. www.getabstract.com

Grand Rapids – StephanieDenton has joined the WestMichigan Center for Arts andTechnology as associate direc-tor. Denton will manage thedevelopment, production,

operational and financial aspects ofWMCAT, a non-profit that provides oppor-tunities for at-risk teens and under-employed adults to engage with the artsand technology.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health ContinuingCare announced the promotions of: MarkGuzicki, formerly executive director ofSpectrum Health Visiting Nurse Association,is now vice president, community- andhome-based services; Jeff Mislevy, former-ly executive director for long term care oper-ations, is the new vice president, long-termcare and residential services for SpectrumHealth Continuing Care.

Wyoming/Kentwood - The following wereelected as Officers of the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce forthe 2009 year: Chairman of the Board -Todd R. Duncan, Consumers Energy; Sr.Vice Chair of the Board - Norine Mulvihill,Option1 Credit Union; Vice Chair of theBoard - Brent Holland, Chameleon, Ltd;Vice Chair of the Board - Skip Knapp,Edward Jones Investments; Vice Chair of theBoard - Kathey Batey, Priority Health &Spirited Presentations; Past Chair of theBoard - Tom Kruisenga, W MI BusinessGroup.

Holland - Steve Hamstra, ofGMB Architect-Engineers,has earned a High-Performance Building DesignProfessional certificationfrom the American Society of

Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).Hamstra is the first engineer in Michiganto achieve this certification.

Grand Rapids – Adamy +Company PC, CPAs andConsultants announce thatCatherine Van Proyen hasjoined the firm. Catherine willprovide income tax compli-

ance and accounting services to closelyheld businesses, their owners and highnet worth individuals.

Grand Rapids – Rachel L. Hillegonds hasjoined Miller Johnson as an Associate in theGrand Rapids office. She will be an integralpart of the firm's Bankruptcy -Creditors/Debtors Rights practice group.

Grand Rapids – Local First, a 450 membernetwork of locally owned businesses,added four new board members: CraigClark, Clark Communications; JoseReyna, Assistant to the City Manager forthe City of Grand Rapids; Steven de Polo,Grants and Special Projects Coordinator forGrand Valley State University; SaraLachman, Associate Litigator at MillerJohnson.

Grand Rapids - PelcoSolutions, a Grand Rapidsbased software developer, hasnamed Miranda Osburn asGraphic Designer. As a gradu-ate of Kendall College of Art &

Design, Osburn brings with her a BFA inVisual Communications and a customer-centric approach to design.

Grand Rapids - DVS, a GrandRapids based media duplica-tion, asset management, andcreative services company,has named Heather Mulleras Customer Service

Representative. Muller will be involved incustomer service, handling requests for CD,DVD, Blu-Ray, and USB Drive duplication.

Grand Rapids - KristyRoszkowski has been pro-moted to the position of SalesManager for DeVos PlaceConvention Center, an SMG-managed facility in Grand

Rapids, Michigan. Roszkowski will beresponsible for selling to associations,organizations and other groups represent-ing social, military, educational, religious,and fraternal markets.

Grand Rapids – Operation Smile, a world-wide children’s medical charity, has select-ed Dr. Steven L. Ringler, to receive the Dr.Stephen Pratt Award 2008 for excellence involunteerism in plastic surgery. Dr. StevenRingler, a plastic surgeon who is board cer-tified by the American Board of PlasticSurgery and a member of the AmericanSociety of Plastic Surgeons.

Lansing - Clark Construction Companyannounced that April Sutton has achievedthe status of LEED Accredited Professional(LEED AP). In order to become a LEEDAccredited Professional, April completedtraining and passed an exam evaluatingher understanding of green building prac-tices and principles and the LEED RatingSystem.

Grand Rapids - a.j. Veneklasen, Inc. wel-comes Ron Miller as AssistantSuperintendent. Ron is a graduate ofCentral Michigan University and bringsover nine years of experience in the con-struction industry.

Grand Rapids – Todd Brandstadt, DebbieLambrix and Chet Ortman, all financialadvisors and CERTIFIED FINANCIALPLANNER™ professionals, have joinedRaymond James & Associates, Inc. at itsEast Paris Avenue Grand Rapids branchoffice. Brandstadt has been in the finan-cial services industry since 1993. Lambrix,a first vice president of investments, hasbeen a member of the financial servicesindustry since 1984. Ortman began work-ing in the industry in Detroit in 2002.

Ada - Erhardt Constructionannounced that David Olsonhas joined the company asVice President– BusinessDevelopment. Olson has over18 years of business develop-

ment experience, managing sales and mar-keting teams in the Architecture,Engineering and Construction industry.

Grand Rapids – PonderaAdvisors, LLC announces theaddition of Dr. Mike Schuleras a Leadership Consultant.He has conducted research onaligning leaders and employ-

ees with organizational values and he hasapplied the principles of leadership in hispositions for over 20 years.

Lansing – The MichiganEconomic DevelopmentCorporation is happy to reportthat due to an increaseddemand in small businessloans, a Western Michigan

office is opening to cater to the region.Kelly Hutchings will work as a seniorloan advisor out of the new office inRockford, handling loans in WesternMichigan for MCDC. Hutchings will beresponsible for working with bankers andsmall businesses to help finance smallbusiness loans for new dollars expendedfor real estate or equipment purchases.

Ann Arbor/Wyoming - JulieForstner, M.D., will lead radi-ation oncology services at thenew 21,500-square-footCancer Center at Metro HealthVillage in Wyoming as part of

a joint venture with the University ofMichigan Health System. Forstner joinsthe faculty at the University of MichiganMedical School, where she received hermedical degree. She will hold the titleassistant professor of radiation oncology.As part of the U-M Radiation OncologyNetwork, Forstner will have full access toUMHS specialists and clinical trials. MetroHealth joined the network in June.

Holland - GDK Construction Companyproudly announces Project Manager KaraSlater has successfully received the LEED®Accredited Professional credential. Slaterhas been a part of the GDK Constructionteam for over 14 years. As ProjectManager, she has recently managed theCity Flats Hotel and Value Place Hotel, bothin Holland, and multiple Walgreens storesthroughout Michigan and Indiana.

Walker - Tubelite Inc. adds John Campbellas a product development engineer helpingexpand the company's offering of architec-tural aluminum products for the commer-cial glass and glazing industry. As part ofTubelite's engineering team, Campbellworks in close collaboration with manufac-turing, sales, marketing and client services.

Personnel Updates 30

Nudge

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

In this lovely, useful book, RichardThaler and Cass Sunstein examine choic-es, biases and the limits of human reason-ing from many perspectives. They disclose

amusing accounts of how they have fallenvictim to the limitations of thought, prov-ing that even educated, articulate individ-uals are not always rational or aware ofwhat influences them. Humans tend to fallprey to systematic errors of judgment, butyou can harness this problematic tenden-cy. To help people act better, you can makea law and punish them for breaking it. Oryou can design their options to “nudge”them toward better decisions. They’re stillfree to choose, but you’ve increased theodds of them acting sensibly. This “liber-tarian paternalistic” approach cares forpeople by guiding rather than regulatingthem. Not all of the authors’ suggestionsare practical but they are interesting.getAbstract recommends this book to any-one who wants to know how to shaperesponsible decisions.

Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein.Nudge: Improving Decisions AboutHealth, Wealth, and Happiness. YaleUniversity Press, 2008. List Price: $26.00.ISBN-13: 9780300122237.

getAbstract is the leading provider of businessbook summaries, with more than 4,500 titlescovered. www.getabstract.com

Grand Rapids – To supportcontinued growth over thepast five years, ServiceExpress, Inc., a leader indelivering customized solu-tions for on-site hardware

maintenance, has hired Jody Beamer asan executive assistant.

Grand Rapids - Open SystemsTechnologies, Inc. (OST)announces the firm’s expan-sion with the hiring of BrianAnderson. Anderson recentlystarted with the firm as

Custom Software Development Manager.Anderson brings over 11 years of infor-mation technology experience.

Holland - The H. E. Morse Co., known asHemco Gage, announced Michael Hop,Vice President & General Manager, hasbeen elected by his peers to the board ofthe American Measuring ToolManufacturers Association which wasestablished "to promote and further theinterests of its members in manufacturing,engineering, research, safety, transporta-tion and other challenges” for the indus-try. Michael Hop’s career with Hemcospans over 30 years, with nearly 20 yearsas a vital member of the Hemco’s leader-ship team.

Allegan - The Allegan General HospitalFoundation has named Brent L. Larson asits new full-time Executive Director.Larson replaces long-time Allegan commu-nity leader Lou Thierwechter, who iselecting to pursue other opportunities afterthree years as the Foundation’s lead execu-tive. Larson brings more than 25 years ofexperience in health care and non-profitmanagement, including positions in funddevelopment, external relations, govern-ment relations, and marketing and publicrelations.

Grand Rapids – Northern Jet Managementannounces the promotion of three individ-uals. Rick Hansen, who currently has 20years of aviation experience, will be pro-moted from Captain to Chief Pilot. DonaldJaeger III, who currently has 11 years ofaviation experience, will be promoted fromFirst Officer to Captain. And AnthonyShupe, who currently has 10 years avia-tion experience, will be promoted fromFirst Officer to Captain.

Grand Rapids – Metro Health HospitalFoundation announced the election of newofficers. The 2009 officers are: StephenKlotz, president and CEO of HuizengaGroup, chairperson; Daniel Pfeiffer, pres-ident of Pfeiffer Automotive Group, vicechairperson; John Van Singel, vice presi-dent of business development, UnitedBank, treasurer and secretary; RobertSweezie, president of ITSCommunications, immediate past chair-person

Ada – Dan VosConstruction Co.a n n o u n c e d :Derek Eade hasjoined as a projectmanager. Eade

will be responsible for managing all phas-es of DVCC’s renovations, additions andnew construction projects; Todd Musserhas been promoted to the new position ofinformation systems manager. He will beresponsible for managing the day-to-dayinformation technology operations.

Ada - Erhardt Constructionannounce that JimHathaway has joined thecompany as Project Manager.His responsibilities includeoversight of project scopes,

schedules, budgets, quality and safety; aswell as contractor coordination and clientrelations.

Grand Rapids - Calvin professors and stu-dents have been honored with a numberof research grants: Jim Rooks andKaiLonnie Dunsmore, professors of edu-cation, won their third consecutive State ofMichigan Improving Teacher Quality grantand will receive $200,000 for activities in2008-2010. The duo will continue to pro-

vide professional development in EnglishLanguage Arts to elementary schoolteachers from Buchanan, Potter's Houseand Calvin Christian. The new infusion offunds will allow that group of teachers tobe joined by middle school teachers fromGrand Rapids Public Schools as well asPotter's House and Calvin Christian;Biology professors John Wertz and RandyDeJong have received a three-year grantfrom the Howard Hughes Medical Instituteto participate in the Science EducationAlliance which is part of the NationalGenomics Research Initiative. Just 12institutions were selected to receive grantsto implement an already-prepared, two-semester, research-based course for 20first-year students each year. Calvin's newcourse will focus on genomics, bacteriolo-gy, DNA manipulation and sequencing,viral genetics, bioinformatics and electronmicroscopy. No specific amount for thegrant was listed but Calvin officials believeit will be in the range of $300,000 over thethree years; Chad Tatko, professor ofchemistry, earned $42,225 over the next

two years from the Research Corporationfor Science Advancement, founded in1912 to stimulate advances in science.Tatko won a Cottrell College Science awardto support his research on "Identifying theRole of Aromatic Networks in AmyloidProtofibril Formation and Anti-Alzheimer's Therapeutic Action." Thefunds will also support Calvin studentresearchers in the summer of 2009 and2010.

Kalamazoo – Steve East, President of CSMGroup, was appointed to serve a three yearterm as a Director of the economic devel-opment agency on the Board of Directorsof Southwest Michigan First.

Kalamazoo – Bob Henke joined theEstimating Department on a part timebasis in November. Bob is a mechanicalengineer with over 50 years experiencewho has worked for such firms as TowerPinkster and Kingscott.

Personnel Updates 31

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Wyoming KentwoodChamber Features:

Carol Crawford

by Matt Decker

Carol Crawford has curb appeal.As a member of the Strategic Planning

Committee and Chair of the Business ExpoSub-Committee Crawford has do handlemany exciting tasks.

“The Strategic Planning Committeedeveloped a plan and recommendations forthe Board for the 2009 year,” wroteCrawford in an email message, “Significanttopic discussions were about improving"curb appeal." We worked diligently toidentify what the Chamber can do tobring value to current members as well asattract new members. The Business Expo

was held on November 10th at the Hilton.According to John Crawford (the Presidentof the Wyoming Kentwood Chamber), theevent had the largest attendance of anychamber event, approximately 350. Thiswas the first ever BtoB event. We sold outwith 43 exhibitors. Again the goal was tobring value.”

Crawford, who serves as the Principalwith The Alternative Board of WestMichigan, has also been the Vice PresidentCorporate Services with United Bank ofMichigan, and Chief Financial Officer withGrand Rapids Public Schools in her day. Inaddition to these duties, Crawford servesas a Chamber Ambassador.

“Serving as an Ambassador one hasto be knowledgeable about all Chamberprograms and services. This has given mea chance to learn more about the organiza-tion and all it has to offer,” wroteCrawford, “As an Ambassador, I have hadthe opportunity to represent the Chamberon numerous occasions. I have met withmany members throughout the year to dis-cuss their needs and share informationabout Chamber opportunities and services.I have sponsored several new memberevents to help new members identify andbegin using Chamber programs. I havealso been the Ambassador liaison to rib-bon-cutting events recognizing neworganizations and/or relocation of busi-nesses.”

So if you are looking for informationon the Chamber and what is all about,please contact Carol Crawford!

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