West Michigan In The News

The announcement of Korea-based LG Chem's decision to build its first U.S. battery cell plant in Holland has turned the eyes of the electronics manufacturing world squarely on the city.

According to excerpts from the story:

Regardless of all the possible benefits of having a battery manufacturing industry in the U.S. for plug-in vehicles, building out that fledgling industry won't come cheap. This morning an announcement from LG Chem — the Korean electronics behemoth whose U.S. subsidiary Compact Power will supply lithium-ion cells for General Motors' upcoming Chevy Volt — offers a reminder of the big investments that lie ahead. LG Chem said today that it plans to build its first U.S. plant for battery cells — a $303 million project — in Holland, Mich.

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An expanded wind power development plan by a European company proposed this week to add a wind farms offshore in Lake Michigan, to attract a wind turbine manufacturer and to use a local alternative energy laboratory for research. All of this could mean hundreds of jobs for West Michigan.

According to excerpts from the story:

Scandia Wind Offshore unveiled a $4 billion regionwide wind energy development plan Monday that seeks to attract a turbine manufacturer and thousands of jobs to West Michigan.

Adding to its earlier plans for a wind farm near Pentwater, Scandia now wants an offshore wind facility six miles off the Grand Haven pierheads. It also suggests a smaller onshore wind farm at the Muskegon County Wastewater Management System, a utility-sized "test turbine" for the eastern end of Muskegon Lake and offshore turbine research and testing at the Grand Valley State University Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center.

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The Rapidian shares some secrets on how to enjoy some of the most interesting sights of downtown Grand Rapids for little or no cost.

According to excerpts from the story:

Why pay when you can have fun for free (or close to it)? Downtown Grand Rapids has hundreds of places to go and things to do. Entire Web sites and advertising campaigns tout the day-time events and vibrant nightlife, but these things cost money. All the free activities remain a closely guarded secret. It is time to unlock the true treasures of downtown: and they are all free!

Transportation
Parking is a big reason people avoid downtown. Parking meters, those money-swallowing, curbside sentinels, are nothing to fear if you know when and where to park.

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Now that low-cost carriers Air Tran and Frontier Airlines are offering daily service in the Grand Rapids market, it's likely air fares to and from Gerald R. Ford International Airport will drop.

According to excerpts from the story:

In fact, Air Tran claims - and industry analysts agree - that once they enter a market, fares for all carriers to all cities can drop 40 - 60%. Average fares dropped almost immediately and stayed that way.

"Basically, when all is said and done, I'd be surprised if airfare savings weren't in the millions and millions of dollars over the course of a year, easily," analyst Joel Antolini of Seabury APG told 24 Hour News 8.

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http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/your_money/Cheaper-GR-air-fares-coming-Really

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Construction is expected to begin in April on the new $755,800 Reeds Lake Waterfront Park in East Grand Rapids. The project will offer greater access to the lakeshore and more recreational opportunities for the public, including waterfront viewing stations, docks for wildlife watching and fishing, and walking trails.

According to excerpts from the story:

The boardwalks were designed to meander through the "fingers" of Reeds Lake, giving those areas some protection while still allowing walkers access to open water. Providing public fishing spots was central to the planning process.

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Holland entrepreneur Chuck Reid is in contention for a national award after the U.S. Small Business Administration named him the 2010 Michigan Small Business Person of the Year.

According to excerpts from the story:

"Design and creativity is what really drives everything," the 49-year-old Reid said of his company, Charter House Innovations. "If we aren't out there creating new cool stuff, you can't last long doing the same old, same old."

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Plans are under way to break ground in May for a $100 million milk processing facility on the site of the former Delphi automotive plant in Coopersville, says Steve Cooper, who is leading the effort.

Cooper hopes to have the Continental Dairy operational by December 2011 with as many as 70 employees.

According to excerpts from the story:

Cooper said Continental Dairy has already invested close to $10 million in the facility, with $3 million of that being spent on equipment that is already on site for the new plant.

The plant will process up to four million pounds (500,000 gallons) of milk into dry milk daily, and will have the capacity to store up to 30 days' worth of product at the plant. Dry milk is used in everything from candy to infant formula, Cooper said.

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Non-profit organizations ranging from Goodwill Industries of Grand Rapids to those affiliated with United Way campaigns in Kent and Ottawa counties are benefiting from the growing number of volunteers in West Michigan.

According to excerpts from the story:

Swelling the ranks in particular are skilled workers whose jobs were cut, Baby Boomers forced into early retirement; and families seeking a Disney promotion that offers a day of free admission to its amusement parks in exchange for volunteering.

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A Brooklyn, N.Y. woman was so impressed with Holland's image in a recent ABC newscast that she sent Mayor Kurt Dykstra a check for $250 to be distributed as $25 gifts for 10 individuals. Ramona Smith says she was moved by the spirit of the town.

According to excerpts from the story:

"The story touched me and the people," Scott said of recent media reports about Holland ranking second in the nation on a well-being index. "The main thing that touched me was the winter snow."

A fan of winter — "I love the winter; people think I'm crazy," she said — Scott thought the piece on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer showed Holland area residents to be community-minded and "a friendly little town."

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A new pilot program selects high school students as jurors for an alternative sentencing program for juvenile nonviolent offenders, instead of going through the traditional justice system. One up-side is that the offenders have the possibility of wiping their offenses off their records.

According to excerpts from the story:

No 16-year-old sips alcohol for the first time during second hour.

A jury made up entirely of Creston High School students kept circling back to that belief while deciding the punishment for a girl who admitted bringing alcohol to school.

"If this is what she's doing at school, I can only imagine what she's doing outside of school," said jury member Crystal Baird, a senior.

The jurors were taking part in a recent Teen Court -- a new alternative sentencing program for 11- to 16-year-olds who are nonviolent offenders and have admitted guilt. Rather than going through juvenile court, the offenders are sentenced by local high school students who are studying the legal system. Offenders who successfully complete their punishment get their criminal records scrubbed clean.

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Several West Michigan downtown developers shared ideas and visions for recruiting new businesses and building the economies of their downtowns at a recent conference in Grand Rapids. Developing relevant marketing materials and relationships with commercial real estate brokers topped Grand Rapids developers' list.

According to excerpts from the story:

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was doomed to push a boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down and have to start over every day.

Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. Business Recruitment and Retention Director Rob Peterson compared Sisyphus' fate to the task of attracting retail businesses to central business districts.

"There are days we all feel that way," Peterson joked at the International Council of Shopping Centers West Michigan Alliance program last week in Grand Rapids.

He led the roundtable "Sisyphus Speaks: Recruiting Retailers to the Urban Environment" with Anne Marie Bessette, development specialist for the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority.

With the current economy, and the struggles of retail especially, it has become even more important for downtown development organizations to work closely with brokers and property owners to attract and retain businesses.

A few years ago, the Grand Rapids DDA decided to make retaining and attracting businesses downtown a priority, Bessette said. One of its efforts last year included building a database of available storefronts, and the DDA works with brokerage firms to keep that up to date.

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A new state initiative to spur economic development has selected Muskegon Heights as one of a handful of Michigan towns that will receive training to develop strategies to revitalize their downtowns and commercial districts.

According to excerpts from the story:

A new state initiative designed to help revitalize traditional downtowns is being rolled out in seven Michigan communities, including Muskegon Heights.

Called the Downtowns of Promise, the program is expected to rely heavily on an action-oriented strategy and personal accountability to improve the downtowns and their use. Among the goals of the program spearheaded by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, in conjunction with the Michigan Municipal League, are increasing the amount of people who live in and the level of private investment in the downtowns.

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A petition drive launched by a Southfield-based group aimed at letting the voters decide on whether to amend the state's constitution could be the first step in opening a corporate casino in Muskegon.

If the group is successful and voters approve the proposal in November, the change would allow up to seven corporate, non-American-Indian casinos, including one in Muskegon.

According to excerpts from the story:

The proposal features some bold ideas, such as making sports betting legal at casinos -- including the three existing ones in Detroit and all of the state's Indian casinos.


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While many West Michigan residents have focused on the unsightly aesthetics of erecting a large scale wind farm on Lake Michigan, economic development officials say the potential for creating thousands of much-needed jobs gets nearly lost in the discussion.

Norwegian development company Scandia Wind LLC proposes a 1,000-megawatt Aegir Wind Farm for Lake Michigan off the Oceana-Mason county line.

According to excerpts from the story:

A study found that the West Michigan region could generate 4,000 jobs and an $800 million investment by producing alternative energy components.

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Michigan's top private-sector employer, the health care industry, generated nearly 10,000 jobs from 2006 to 2008 in Kent County alone, jumping to 69,473 people and bringing with it an annual $4.53 billion impact on the economy, according to a new report.

In a biannual economic-impact report from the Partnership for Michigan's Health, health care employed more than 900,000 in Michigan by 2008 and became an even bigger force on the state's economy.

According to excerpts from the story:

"This is a time when we can help provide some stability, even at a time when we've seen some huge declines in other employment sectors," said Peter Schonfeld, senior vice president for policy and data services at the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.

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