e cherish our WEST MICHIGAN IF the polls, clip coupons and ...media.mlive.com/businessreview/western_impact/other/west-michigan-trends.pdf28 percent have gone fishing within the year.

BY JULIA BAUER

THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS

W e cherish our Pontiacs, go to the polls, clip coupons and

cheer more for NASCAR than the NHL.

That’s the snapshot of West Mich-igan — from Pentwater, through Muskegon, Grand Rapids and Kala-mazoo, to Coldwater — in a pollster’s survey that compares the region to the rest of the country.

The study was done by Scarborough Research, a joint venture between Ar-bitron Inc. and The Nielsen Co., that polls 220,000 adults annually.

The data in the 2,000 consumer cat-egories help businesses detect trends and develop products. Retailers find the information helpful in everything from merchandise choices to online shopping behavior.

The poll’s West Michigan portion covers 14 counties: Allegan, Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Neway-go, Oceana, Ottawa, St. Joseph and Van Buren.

Scarborough, which usually charges for its research, offered media a free look at the findings on its Web site, weknowthelocals.com.

In love with the chromeThe region leads the nation in a

surprisingly singular category: Pon-tiac ownership.

According to Scarborough, 18 per-cent of adults polled drive Pontiacs, the greatest concentration in the country.

That is just ahead of the Flint, Sag-inaw and Bay City area, at 17 percent, and well beyond Detroit’s 10 percent. All three Michigan regions far surpassed the national average of 6 percent.

Dan Jensen can understand why West Michigan drivers would like their Pontiacs. He bought his first used GTO from Berger Chevrolet back in 1973, when he was a teenager going into his senior year at Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids.

Jensen still owns that 1971 beau-ty, amid a barn full of treasured restorations.

“Pontiac had such an image — per-formance, excitement — you didn’t have to be into hot cars to buy one. You just wanted to be seen in one,” Jensen said. And although he and his twin brother, Dennis, collect and restore Pontiacs, Jensen found the

Scarborough survey results a shock.“It’s still surprising that West Mich-

igan, of all of Michigan, has the high-est concentration,” he said.

Beyond the state line, though, Pon-tiac lovers are noticeably fewer, said another enthusiast, Wendell Miller of Zeeland.

“When we’re out West, we don’t see near the Pontiacs we see here,” Miller said. “We see a lot more of the foreign models on the West Coast.

But back here, we see a lot more of the Detroit cars.”

Frugal, civic-minded and generousThe region beat the national pace

in several categories, based on 2007 data:

78 percent vote in presidential elec- �tions, compared with 71 percent nationwide.56 percent bought gift cards in �the previous year; nationwide, 50 percent.18 percent use coupons once a week; �13 percent do so nationwide.On the sports front, 46 percent

of West Michiganders are avid NASCAR fans, while just 9 percent

rate themselves as avid NHL fans. And 28 percent have gone fishing within the year.

Other sports? Sixty-two percent are fans of Summer Olympics, and 11 percent cheer for professional bull riding, out-roping the U.S. pace of 8 percent. Tulsa, Okla., had the highest rate of bull-riding fans, and New York City had the lowest.

By two measures that were no surprise, this region placed near the top for its sweet tooth and love affair with boats; two out of three people said they had eaten candy in the past month. Boat ownership was nearly double the national average.

sEE cAtEgoRIEs, F3

YOU MIGHT BE FROM WEST MICHIGAN IF...

You use �coupons weekly

You volunteer �You read �

newspapers

SURVEY LISTS CONSUMER CATEGORIES IN WHICH WE LEAD THE U.S., RUN WITH IT, AND LAG

press graphic/ed riojas

CONNECTIn 2007, Scarborough launched a Web site �

for subscribers at weknowthelocals.com.

Source: Scarborough research on 14 counties: Allegan, Barry, Branch, calhoun, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon,

Newaygo, oceana, ottawa, St. Joseph, and Van Buren.

businessthe grand rapids press

SECTION

SUNDAY, NOVEMbER 8, 2009

hoLIdAY AIRFAREs tAAkIng oFF, F4

nameS and faceS In buSIneS f2 bank rate monItor f4

jobS f5

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IN bRIEF BAttLE cREEk

No more immunity claims for Krispies

Kellogg Co. said it will pull immunity claims from its Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies cereal boxes amid concern over swine flu. Kellogg began adding extra antioxidants to its cereal last year and began advertising the change with labels on cereal boxes that read: “Now helps support your child’s immunity.” The company said it is responding to concerns in the media about the timing of the claim and the flu outbreak. Company spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz said swine flu was not a concern when the product was in development. Kellogg said it will take several months to phase out the packaging but it will continue to offer the increased levels of certain vitamins in the cereal.

doWnERs gRoVE, ILL.

Sara Lee profit up 23% Falling commodity costs and internal cost-cutting helped food maker Sara Lee Corp.’s first-quarter profit rise 23 percent, the company said last week. The maker of Jimmy Dean sausages, Hillshire Farm deli meats and its namesake desserts and breads reported it earned $284 million, or 41 cents per share, up from $230 million, or 32 cents per share, in the same quarter last year. Revenue declined 7 percent to $2.59 billion as it sold fewer products.Sara Lee has a processing plant in Zeeland.

BLoomFIELd hILLs

Pulte has losing quarter Pulte Homes Inc. lost $361.4 million in the third quarter, but with the acquisition of Centex Corp., the homebuilder’s orders increased by more than a third. Pulte completed the purchase in August, turning the Bloomfield Hills-based company into the nation’s largest builder. The deal gave Pulte more communities with cheaply priced homes for first-time buyers. By combining operations, Pulte expects to save $440 million annually — $90 million more than when the deal was announced last spring.Richard Dugas, president, chairman and CEO, cautioned the market remains “choppy and fragile.”

nEW YoRk

Huge toolmaker mergerStanley Works is buying rival Black & Decker Corp. for $4.5 billion, the two companies announced last week, bringing together mammoth brands in the toolmaking business. Stanley shareholders will own about 50.5 percent of the combined company, which will be named named Stanley Black & Decker. Black & Decker shareholders will own an approximate 49.5 percent stake. Stanley Chairman John Lundgren will be president and CEO of the combined entity after the all-stock deal is complete. Boards of directors for each company approved the deal, which still must receive regulatory and shareholder approval.

nEWs In nUmBERs

October retail sales Initial claims for unemploymentbenefits decreased by 20,000 inthe final week of October.

NANCYCRAWLEY

bUSINESS EDITOR