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October 2010 $2.00

Features: Women in Business

Credit Union UpdateTransportation

PackagingSurveying

ConstructionDental

Travel & Lodging

Nancy Couturier –President & Ownerof Magnum Powder

Coating, Inc.

M a g n u mPowder Coating, Inc.was established in

1992 by Steve Couturier and became awoman-owned business under NancyCouturier in 2003 as a part of Magnum'sdiversification process.

“Being woman-owned was requestedand required by some existing and poten-tial customers,” said Couturier. “It was apositive business decision, being able to

further accommodate the needs of ourcustomers. Additionally, we expanded thescope of our services to accommodate dif-fering weights, thicknesses and gauges inmetals. We also started sand blasting andstripping parts in addition to many othernew accommodations we implementedover a few years. Magnum constantly

reinvests to improve our company, includ-ing but not limited to our customers,employees and suppliers. We are not thebiggest, although our goal continues to bethe best.”

Couturier has also been involved witha number of different organizationsincluding the Better Business Bureau, GRChamber of Commerce, MI Business &Professional Assoc., MI Retailers Assoc.,and the National Assoc. of ProfessionalWomen. She continues to lead MagnumPowder Coating in their reputation in goodquality services and quality parts. They’verecently invested in a truck for pick up anddelivery service and in the last 6 monthshave designed a company logo whichCouturier hopes will give Magnum’s nameand image more visibility and familiarity.

Lynn Smith – Co-inventor and Co-owner of iLean

Successful andgrowing Michiganstart-ups havebecome something ofa rarity these days,but that didn’t stop

Lynn Smith from taking hold of an ideaand letting it grow; Smith may be a famil-iar West Michigan resident well-knownfor her senior role in the financial servic-es industry, but recently she’s become aninventor too.

“I found myself needing a sturdy,yet flexible, storage piece,” said Smith,“and when I wasn’t able to find a productthat fit my particular needs, I decided tocreate something myself. The end resultwas a prototype of iLean, which is nowthe output of world-class design andengineering talent.”

While Smith’s original prototype wasfashioned out of chopsticks and earrings,she soon collaborated with MichaelSuman, another notable West Michiganresident holding 48 patents and knownfor his work with the Muskegon andGrand Rapids Inventors Networks. Usinghis engineering and manufacturingprowess, Smith developed her idea into aviable product, one that has become afast-growing business that could becomea lifestyle hit.

The leaning shelf system, madeentirely in Michigan, offers mobile storagethat is both sophisticated and versatile,easily adapting to individual space andstorage needs.

Continued on page 10

October is Women in Business Month here at Business Update. Each year, we take a month to put the spot-light on some of our local women and their organizations, leaders in their industries, highlighting their stories

and their increasingly important roles in our business economy.

Indian Trails Celebrates 100 YearsWith Unbroken Line of Family Leadership

Owosso, MI – Few companies canboast not only of a history that stretchesback an entire century but also 3 gener-ations worth of family ownershipthrough all those years. Indian Trails,one of the leading motor coach compa-nies in the United States, can do justthat. This year, they celebrate their 100thanniversary right here in Michigan attheir company headquarters in Owosso -the same city of the company's foundingway back in 1910. They're been celebrat-ing since the start of the year by givingaway a free charter date to a random cus-tomer every month and last Septemberheld an open house at their headquartersto honor past and present employees,vendors and customers.

President Gordon Mackay remainshumble about his company's success."Truthfully, I hadn't even been thinkingabout it!" he said. "It was only as webegan to draw closer to our anniversaryfunction in September that it dawned on

me what a milestone and achievementour 100 year anniversary really is."

Mackay is son-in-law to BillHimburg who joined the company afterreturning from active duty in the U.S.Navy in 1945. Himburg - who servedIndian Trails for decades as an operationsmanager, general manager, vice presi-dent, president and chairman - is himselfthe nephew of Cora and Wayne Taylor,the company's founders. This unbrokenchain of family leadership has keptIndian Trails consistently focused on itsgoals of providing unparalleled serviceand top-of-the-line quality to its cus-tomers. Throughout their history, IndianTrails has always tried to keep an over-riding philosophy of maintaining the fleetin as new a condition as possible.

"My father in law had a very strongbelief in replacing the equipment on aregular basis, being innovative andmoving the motor coach industry for-ward in a positive way," explainsMackay. "We have a fleet replacementprogram that's probably second to nonein the industry: All buses in the fleet arereplaced every 5 to 10 years."

This means that not only are thebuses' machinery as up-to-date as possi-ble, their features are also nudgingagainst the edge of modernity. "We'vealways been pushing the industry with

innovations like carpeted sidewalls,stereo systems that sound like the systemyou have in your living room and videotechnology," said Mackay. "We were thefirst company to put videos in the bus.Now that it's a standard practice every-where, I wish I'd patented the idea!

“We've been very proud of some ofthe things we've pushed the industry todevelop. We want to reflect changes inthe motor coach that make it moreappealing to the American public. Whenpeople think of a charter bus in Europe,they may see it as something very glam-orous, but over here, they don't think ofit the same way. In our own small wayhere in Michigan, we've tried to push theindustry to enhance the comfort, featuresand image of the industry."

Indian Trails' latest innovation is theutilization of wireless internet. They werethe first to install wi-fi on some of theirscheduled routs and experiment with theservice on their charter busses. It becameextremely popular, particularly with stu-dents, and the response was so over-whelmingly positive that they've nowequipped their entire fleet with wi-ficapability.

The company has definitely come along way since Wayne and Cora Taylorbegan providing passenger and freightservice from Durand Union Train Depot to

points around Shiawassee County. Still, itremembers its history and carries on itsold traditions. Cora Taylor, who ran thecompany during World War I and into the30s and was the first woman in the UnitedStates to be issued a chauffeur's license,was also a Michigan history buff. She dis-covered that one of their primary sched-uled routs - Highway 12 - was built overan old Indian migration route: The OldIndian Trail. This is where the companygets its name. After that, Cora beganresearching Indian chiefs native toMichigan and began a tradition of namingeach of the company's coaches after them.This tradition continues to this day.

Indian Trails continues to operate asone of the highest quality carriers in thecountry. Carrying more than 1,00,000passengers every year, their daily sched-uled routes run throughout Michigan andinto Chicago and Milwaukee. In additionto tour, shuttle and airport transfer, theyoffer charter service to anywhere in thecontinental US and Canada.

As time moves on, we cannot under-value the service and commitment toquality that a company like Indian Trailsoffers. "I see a transformation occurring,"said Mackay, commenting on his recentrotary presentation in Lansing. "For thelast 30-40 years, people have been mov-ing to the suburbs, and I think soon therewill be a large movement back into thecities. Providing mass transportationservices is going to be a key to that tran-sition and becoming less dependent onforeign oil in general. I think the motorcoach industry stands to really contributein a positive way to changes we need tosee in the way people move about thiscountry. The automobile will always behere, whether it be gas, electric or some-thing else. But I think what we need todo, and what Indian Trails continues todo every day, is transition the masstransportation services in this country toa system people choose to use ratherthan are forced to use."

4

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6Finance, Legal, Insurance BriefsKentwood – Regal Financial Group,LLC welcomed Steven Steelandt totheir team of independent financial advi-sors. Steelandt made the transition frommulti-financial securities corporation toAmerican portfolios on August 30.

Grand Rapids – Pondera Advisors, LLCannounced the addition of Doug Chaffeeto its growing team of leadership con-sultants. Doug will be focused on newbusiness development and consulting.

Grand Rapids – Echelbarger,Himebaugh, Tamm & Co. PC announcedthat David G. Echelbarger, CPA has beenelected as a new member of the MichiganAssociation of Certified PublicAccountants (MACPA) board of directorsfor the 2010-2011 season.

Sparta – The board of directors ofChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc.,and ChoiceOne Bank appointedRoxanne M. Page, CPA to the board ofdirectors for both entities at their August26 board meetings. Page is a certifiedpublic accountant and partner withBeene Garter, LLP.

Kentwood – Regulus Advisors, LLC is ajoint venture between FIG Marketing,headquartered in North Carolina, andRegal Financial Group. RegulusAdvisors has revamped their ownCorporate RIA platform, Regal InvestmentAdvisors. RIA currently have the follow-ing platforms active and are busy movingassets for several advisors to the platformthat works best with their practice:Fidelity, TD Ameritrade, Schwab, andLockwood/Pershing/BNY Mellon.

Lansing – Accident Fund InsuranceCompany of America presented checkstotaling $5,250 to a variety of charitableorganizations during the month ofAugust 2010: $750 to the Children’sAssessment Center in Grand Rapids;$2,500 to End Violent Encounters inLansing; $1,000 to Potter ParkZoological Society in Lansing; $1,000 toRisk Insurance Management Society(RIMS) in Rochester Hills.

Grand Rapids – Smith Haughey Rice &Roegge announced that the firm hasbeen ranked among the top law firms inthe United States in the inaugural publi-cation of “Best Law Firms,” published byU.S. News & World Report and BestLawyers.

Washington, D.C. – The Export-ImportBank of the United States (Ex-ImBank) approved the first transactionunder its new Supply-Chain FinanceGuarantee Program – a 90 percent guar-antee to support up to $100 million ofliquidity from Citibank N.A. (Citi) tosmall and medium-sized suppliers ofCNH America LLC, a subsidiary of CNHGlobal NV, in Burr Ridge, IL. The newprogram is part of President Obama’sNational Export Initiative goal to doubleexports in five years.

Grand Rapids – Twenty-two attorneysfrom Miller Johnson have been selectedfor inclusion in Michigan Super Lawyers2010 released last September. For thefourth straight year, Jon R. Muth hasbeen the only West Michigan attorneyselected as a member of the state’s Top10 list. In all, four Miller Johnson attor-neys are in the Michigan Top 100:Jeffrey S. Ammon, David J. Gass, JonG. March and Jon R. Muth. Carol J.Karr has been on the Top 50 Women listeach year since Michigan Super Lawyersinception. In addition, Maxwell N.Barnes was selected as one of theMichigan Rising Stars. Attorneys select-ed as Super Lawyers 2010 are: T.J.Ackert, Jeffrey S. Ammon, Mary V.Bauman, Frank E. Berrodin, Robert D.Brower Jr., James C. Bruinsma,Christopher L. Edgar, William H.Fallon, David J. Gass, Carol J. Karr, W.Jack Keiser, Peter J. Kok, Craig H.Lubben, Jon G. March, Lauretta K.Murphy, Craig A. Mutch, Jon R. Muth,Michael B. Quinn, Brent D. Rector,Thomas P. Sarb, Michael J. Taylor andThomas R. Wurst.

Grand Rapids – Plante & Moran, PLLC,,announced the curriculum for its secondannual "Topics 4 the Times" webinarseries. New this year is the addition ofCPE credits for several of the live webi-nars. Other topics (18 in total) includehealth care reform, changes in account-ing standards, tax planning and mini-mization strategies, data security, cloudcomputing and the advantages of aninternal audit.

Sparta – Sue Reeder is now an accountexecutive at Ottawa Kent specializing inpersonal lines insurance out of theirSparta office. Sue has 20 years of expe-rience and is licensed for both property& casualty and life & health insurance.

Middletown, CT – Asterisk FinancialInc., creator of Personal GuaranteeInsurance™, announced that it is nowlicensed to do business in Michigan andsix other new states: Kansas, Kentucky,North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvaniaand South Carolina.

Grand Rapids – Varnum attorney MaryKay Shaver was elected to serve on theboard of directors of Michigan Womenin Finance for a three-year term.

Grand Rapids – Echelbarger,Himebaugh, Tamm & Co. PC announcedthe hiring of Christopher J. Leikert as astaff accountant in their tax department.Leikert is a recent cum laude graduatefrom Aquinas College.

Grand Rapids – The law firm of SmithHaughey Rice & Roegge announcedthat attorney Robert Suarez has joinedthe firm’s Grand Rapids office.

7Finance & Legal BriefsGrand Rapids – Varnum attorney MaryKay Shaver was elected to serve on theboard of directors of Michigan Womenin Finance for a three-year term.Additionally, Varnum attorney MelissaPapke has been elected treasurer of theReal Estate Section of the Grand RapidsBar Association. Additionally, Varnumattorney April Sawhill has beenappointed to the board of directors ofHealth Intervention Services.

Grand Rapids - Price, Heneveld,Cooper, DeWitt & Litton, LLPannounced with sadness the passing ofRandall "Randy" G. Litton on August24, 2010. Litton was best known for hisintellectual property litigation expertiseand served as a highly successful coun-selor and litigator for several decades.

Holland – Macatawa Bank Corporationannounced that Wayne J. Elhart,Charles C. Geenen and Birgit M. Klohshave been elected to the Macatawa BankCorporation board of directors. All threecurrently serve on the board of directorsof the corporation’s subsidiary,Macatawa Bank.

Grand Rapids – John W. Cummiskey(1917 – 2002) has been chosen posthu-mously as the 2010 recipient of theFounders Award given by the MichiganState Bar Foundation to honor aMichigan lawyer for “exemplifying thehighest traditions of the legal professionand devoted service to the community.”

Saint Joseph – United Federal CreditUnion celebrated a major milestone asthey recently reached the 100,000 mem-ber milestone, the culmination of over60 years of steady growth which hasalso seen the credit union expand toinclude operations in five states.

Grand Rapids – Varnum LLP hasreceived Metropolitan First Tier rankingsin 16 areas of law and one nationalranking in the inaugural "Best Law Firm"survey recently completed by U.S. News– Best Lawyers. Varnum was the onlyWest Michigan-based firm to receive anational ranking which came in the areaof employment law – management.

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Departmentof Housing and Urban Developmentannounced a commitment to insure amortgage loan to Hayes Green BeachMemorial Hospital in Charlotte,Michigan. The $36.6 million loan will beused to expand and relocate certain out-patient healthcare services to a new siteand to refinance $22.6 million of long-term debt on the existing 25-bed CriticalAccess Hospital. Expanded and relocatedservices will include a women’s resourcecenter and a mammography service clinic.Funds will also be used for the purchaseof new equipment and related charges.

Fremont – Fremont MichiganInsuraCorp, Inc. now offers one of themost efficient automated interfaces foragents in the state, according to a recentsurvey by Michigan AGENT magazine.

Grand Rapids – Waddell & Reedannounced that Garry VonMyhr hasjoined the firm as a financial advisor inthe Grand Rapids area. VonMyhr willhelp develop customized financial plans,recommend investment strategies andcounsel clients throughout the area.

Lansing – The Gallagher Law Firm,PLC announced that Craig S. Gerard hasbeen selected for inclusion in the 2010Michigan Super Lawyers magazine asa “Rising Star.”

Grand Rapids - The Bank of Holland’sGrand Rapids office announced thatMichael Sytsma has joined the Bank’scommercial banking department as rela-tionship manager.

Onekama – The Michigan Association ofPlanning has announced that theOnekama Community Master Plan hasbeen selected for the annual DanielBurnham Award for a Comprehensive Planthat advances the science and art of plan-ning that reflects a group achievement.

Current Business Trends:Still Holding Steady

Grand Rapids - The greater GrandRapids industrial economy remainssteady, according to the results of amonthly survey compiled by Brian G.Long, director of Supply ManagementResearch in the Seidman College ofBusiness at Grand Valley StateUniversity.

The survey results are based ondata collected in the last two weeks ofAugust. The survey’s index of businessimprovement, called new orders, rosemodestly to +33, up from +30. However,the production index eased slightly to+36, down from +42. The index of pur-chases eased to +28 from +38. Theemployment index moderated to +44

from +46.Long said 50 percent of the firms

surveyed reported adding staff. “Overall,this month’s report still depicts theGreater Grand Rapids economy growingat a modest pace. So far, it looks like thistrend may continue for a few moremonths,” Long said.

Long said the revival in the officefurniture business is responsible forstronger sales numbers being reported,while automotive parts suppliers are stilldoing well, and production levels are sta-bilizing. He said automobile sales rose ata rate of 29 percent for the industry as awhole, with Ford reporting a 40 percentincrease over September of 2009.

8U.S. Retailers and Suppliers Remain

Cautiously OptimisticNew York, NY – Amid continued

trepidation about the health of ournation’s economy, retailers and suppli-ers believe consumer spending is betterthan last year and gradually making acomeback. According to the secondannual retail outlook study released byCIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT), a leadingprovider of financing to small business-es and middle market companies, 65%of retailers and 69% of suppliers believeconsumer spending may return to 2007levels by the end of 2011.

The research report, “U.S. SmallBusiness and Middle Market Outlook2010: Retailers and their Suppliers—Smarter. Leaner. Cautiously Optimistic,”prepared in association with ForbesInsights, examines how middle marketretailers (those with annual revenues of$25 million to $1 billion), as well assuppliers and manufacturers (thosewith annual revenues from $2 millionto $1 billion), have weathered therecession and gauges their outlook ofthe future.

"While the majority of retailers arecautiously optimistic about their future,more than two-thirds expect revenues togrow over the next 12 months,” saidBurt Feinberg, managing director andIndustry Group Head of Retail Financeat CIT. “The general consensus is that,having weathered the economic down-turn, most retailers are in better shapetoday than in 2009 and have positionedthemselves well to meet future con-sumer demand when it returns."

Since the market downturn, retail-ers and their suppliers have had towork smarter and operate more effi-ciently. They continue to maintain aconservative approach along the entiresupply chain by conserving cash, par-ing down inventories, and keeping stafflevels lean.

“Some valuable lessons have beenlearned from the economic crisis andmany suppliers believe they are betterpositioned for strong and sustained

growth once the economy turns,” saidJon Lucas, executive vice president andchief sales officer of trade finance at CIT.“This study reveals an industry that istransforming, top to bottom.”

Retailers also had a positive view ofthe upcoming holiday season, with morethan two-thirds (68%) of retailers plan-ning to hire more seasonal workers thanin 2009. In addition, 57% expect tostock more inventory than in 2009 and69% say they will advertise moreaggressively. However, 72% expect theywill discount more this year than last.

Key findings from the report:• Middle market retailers remain

cautiously optimistic and guarded intheir outlook. Sixty percent of retailerssay that over the last 12 months, theirrevenues have grown (55%) or grownsignificantly (5%) and two-thirds expectrevenues to be higher still in the coming12 months. However, sales expectationsmay still be below the levels seen priorto the economic downturn.

• Retail inventory levels are ris-ing, but retailers are proceeding cau-tiously. Nearly 60% say their currentinventory is higher than it was a yearago. At the same time, they’re quick toreduce prices to speed their inventoryturns and they’re using technology totrack demand and purchasing moreclosely.

• Retailers’ capital spending willconcentrate on technology. Over thenext 12 months, 83% of retailersexpect investments in their Web sitesto increase, 69% say they will increaseinvestments in mobile applications and66% will increase spending for integra-tion of in-store and technology-enabled channels.

• Small and middle market sup-pliers show a similarly positive, butcautious, outlook. Seventy-four per-cent of suppliers anticipate growth overthe next 12 months. Fifty-five percentwill achieve and support this growththrough new investment in product

development, while 51% will put greaterfocus on operating efficiencies.

• Suppliers continue to look forways to manage their cash flow moreeffectively. While one-third say it iseasier to manage their cash flow todaythan it was a year ago, 39% say it isharder. The number of suppliers indicat-ing that they have begun to use factor-ing or credit insurance rose from 23% in2009 to 35% in 2010.

• Financing conditions for suppli-ers appear to be getting better. Two-thirds (67%) of survey participants saytheir ability to secure financing hasimproved over the past year.Additionally, nearly two-thirds of sup-pliers and manufacturers say theyexpect their financing needs to grow(40%) or significantly grow (23%) overthe next 12 months.

MEDA Releases Recommendationsfor State Economic Development Strategy

Traverse City – The MichiganEconomic Developer's Association(MEDA) presented recommendations to"Remake Michigan EconomicDevelopment" at its Annual Conferencein mid-September. The report is theresult of a comprehensive eight-monthprocess that gathered information frommembers of MEDA and national andinternational sight consultants.

"With a new administration and alarge turnover in the legislature we feelit's necessary that the professionals onthe frontline be heard," said John Avery,MEDA executive director. "It will take awell thought out vision and strategicplan to move Michigan out of ourextended economic recession."

The following are some MEDA'snoted problems and solutions that makeup the bulk of their findings. They aredivided into three broad categories andthen weighed the intensity and signifi-cance of the issues.

Business Climate IssuesMEDA suggests eliminating or

replacing the Michigan Business Tax andsurcharge as these business-relatedtaxes defy comparison and are complex,uncertain, unpredictable and costly toadminister. They suggest replacing themwith a simple, predictable, and stableform of taxation.

The report indicates that permittingand regulatory processes are complex,slow, unpredictable and uneven. It iden-tifies four possible ways to improve themwith a customer service orientation.

MEDA recommends that a compre-

hensive workforce program review shouldbe one of the first orders of business forthe new administration. Workforce pro-grams have grown away from economicdevelopment even though the two appearto be joined at the hip. Practitioners fearprograms are not preparing people fornew economy ventures, for the advancesof technology in occupations and theenvironmentally responsible mobilizationof our natural resources.

Michigan’s reputation as a strong-hold for the unions causes many siteselection consultants to not even consid-er Michigan in any site selection search-es, despite the fact that Michigan allowsmany competitive advantages for busi-ness. MEDA believes that a new messagehas to be sent that labor-managementrelations are much more collaborativethan they were, even ten years ago.

Access to capital was cited by manypractitioners as putting the brakes onsmall business expansions. The problemis much more severe for the entrepreneurand start-up. They suggest revamping allsmall business financing programs in thestate and utilizing tax credits to induceinvestments or create a tax climatewhere venture investing is encouraged.

Economic DevelopmentMEDA believes that the state lacks

the expertise about what works at thelocal level and cannot design programswithout the input of experienced localpractitioners. The state must providelocal practitioners a seat at the table toassure appropriate coordination and exe-cution of duties in a cost effective way.

Economic development appears tobe of diminished importance at the statelevel. Many perceive the MichiganEconomic Development Corporation(MEDC) to be lost in The Department ofEnergy, Labor and Growth. They strong-ly urge making economic developmentand job creation the top priority of thenew administration.

The slow, complex and bewilderingregulatory and permitting processes robthe state of the very things capital invest-ment seeks: Stability, consistency, pre-dictability, and a reasonable expectationof a return. MEDA suggests at least threedifferent ways in which the permittingprocesses can be simplified and expedited.

MEDA suggests elimination of a

number of state programs which arearbitrary, often incongruent with localand regional efforts to build neweconomies and could be replaced by anew strategy with regional sub-strate-gies crafted to the competitive strengthsof the state’s various regions.

The report stresses that too mucheconomic change is occurring for theState of Michigan to be sitting on thesidelines. Despite the successes of com-mitted local programs, there is no inter-national economic development strategy.The state must work with the local pro-grams to create a new global effort.


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9

Credit Union UpdateCharles Rea, CEO and president of

Community West Credit Union gives ussome hard truths about where we arenow and where we should be headed.

“Our forecast for 2010 showed littlegrowth and very tight margins, withsome increase in borrowing mostly inautos. We believed that losses, particu-larly in real estate would continue to be aproblem in 2010. We did not believe theemployment picture would improve verymuch and we were skeptical of the stockmarket as any indicator of better times. Ithink it is clear that the worst arrivedrather than passed and it is going to staywith us for some time. Housing valuesare down, there is no prospect they willimprove any time soon, and many people

are underwater on their mortgages.There is a lot of refinancing going on totake advantage of the low interest rates,and we have not held these mortgages.Instead they are being purchased byFanny and Freddy, which I fear meansmore government bailouts in the future.Government policy is clearly hurtingconsumer confidence and there seems noend in sight for that. People are savingmore, not putting money into a stockmarket they don't trust and wisely notgoing into debt.

“Our deposits for the year are upabout ten percent even though rates arevery low. I think many folks want safetyand they know we operate in a conserva-tive fashion, are not for profit and have

insurance that protects those deposits.Loans for autos are not as strong as lastyear, though we have had reasonablesuccess in this area with low rates andan emphasis on quality service delivery.

“Where are we headed? I think thatuntil we understand that we have tohave a value adding manufacturing baseand that the service economy cannotsupport a prosperous lifestyle unless wekeep going deeper into debt, there is nosolution to this situation. Borrowingfrom our children and from the Chineseis delaying dealing with reality.

“For us personally, we will continueto emphasize service, low fees, excellentrates and take a conservative and sup-portive role in helping our members

squeeze more value out of the fundsthey do have. There are still many suc-cess stories out there. People who havejobs still go to work every day, pay theirbills as well as they can and try to do theright thing. Our job is to encourage themto do what is in their best interestsfinancially and to help them save moneyand spend wisely.”

Do you have any comments, ques-tions or would like to add your ownopinion? Send your letters to the editorat [email protected]. Yourvoice should be heard in our next issue.

Continued from page 2

It is also easily transported andstored, which allows iLean to stand outin a crowded and competitive shelvingmarket. Both stylish and functional,iLean has a myriad of applications, perfectfor organizing cluttered closets, pantriesand every room of the house. It can evenbe used outdoors for tailgating, picnicsand other unique events.

iLean will make its debut duringGrand Rapids’ ArtPrize as a display itemat the Grand Rapids Art Museum, theDiocese of Grand Rapids and the GrandRapids Arts Council. Smith and Sumanare enthusiastic about their enterpriseand are currently developing new addi-tions to the iLean family includingweather-proof materials, closet compo-nents and various applications tailoredspecifically for recreational vehicles andthe sporting goods industry.

Mary Kay Shaver –Partner and Attorney

at Varnum LLP

Last September,Varnum attorneyMary Kay Shaver waselected to serve onthe board of directorsof Michigan Women

in Finance (MWIF) for a three-year term.

Made up of 16 women, MWIF bringstogether an array of finance professionalsincluding bankers, legal counsel, trustofficers and analysts to gain insight intothe marketplace. Each year, the organiza-tion hosts conferences and meetings toprovide updates on the latest finance mat-ters as well providing an opportunity fordialogue and networking.

“I have been involved with MWIF forabout the last 5 years, and I've enjoyedthe opportunities to network with thesepeople,” said Shaver. “As an attorney,there are tons of law organizations butnetworking often isn’t a priority in them.WMIF provides a great connectionresource, particularly with contacts acrossthe state.”

Shaver also serves on the regionalboard for Inforum of West Michigan,another networking organization thatbrings women together from a variety ofindustries and positions together to con-nect and learn from one another.

“I keep coming back to networkingbecause for me, it's been very helpful,”Shaver added. “When I started, I came toGrand Rapids to complete my undergradu-ate studies at Grand Valley, so I knew theGrand Rapids area but I certainly wasn’tinvolved in the Business Community.Getting out there and meeting people pro-fessionally where I could assist them andvice versa has been instrumental to meand my professional life.”

Linda Pitsch –Senior VicePresident

at ChoiceOne Bank

Linda Pitsch hasstayed withChoiceOne Bank forover 40 years now,serving in a variety of

capacities including its board or directors.“The organization is very receptive

to the needs of women in the fact thatthey understand we have family respon-sibilities and things that can take youaway from the workplace at times,”explained Pitsch.

“They were really helpful to me andI liked working here, so I ended up stay-ing. I started as a teller on the line andjust worked my way up. I’ve also beenthe corporate secretary and the director ofthe organization.”

Pitsch also enjoyed the freedom shehad to continue her education. “When Istarted at the bank, I had an Associate’sDegree in accounting from DavenportUniversity. Helped by the bank, I wasable to take courses in the evenings andended up with my Bachelor’s degree.They also sent me to a specialized bank-ing school training, called GraduateSchool Banking, held at the University ofWisconsin - a three year program to helpunderstand banking as a whole and tofurther your career in the banking indus-try. Eventually, I also went back and gotmy Master’s Degree and I’ve done someteaching for Davenport as an adjunct fac-ulty professor in Accounting. I justbelieve in education 100 percent andwhat it can do for you and your career.Not only do I enjoy working with the stu-dents, it helps me stay current and on topof what's happening with my own careerand line of business.”

Pitsch has planned to retire nextyear but hopes to continue teaching andbeing involved with various special proj-ects at ChoiceOne Bank.

April Sawhill -Attorney at Varnum

Sawhill is a liti-gation and trialattorney with exten-sive experience incommercial disputes,insurance coveragedisputes and person-

al injury. She joined Varnum in 2007 andwas recently selected to participate inLeadership Grand Rapids class of 2011 -a nine-month intensive leadership pro-gram offered by the Grand RapidsChamber of Commerce. The program isdesigned for current and emerging com-munity leaders and brings together adiverse group of professionals to explorecity's challenges and opportunities, fur-ther equipping participates to be strongleaders.

Leadership Grand Rapids was estab-lished more than 20 years ago and theselection process is competitive as eachclass is limited to 35 members.

Sawhill also serves on the board ofdirectors of Health Intervention Services,a nonprofit servicing the uninsured andunderinsured in West Michigan, as wellas on the Michigan State Bar AwardsCommittee. She also plays a key role inVarnum's diversity initiatives.

Bonnie Nawara- CEO of GrandRapids Opportunitiesfor Women (GROW)

A Grand Rapidsnative and formerPlanned GivingDirector for theAmerican Cancer

Society (ACS), Nawara was just recentlynamed GROW's CEO by the organiza-tion’s board of directors.


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Inforum Launches NewSpeaker Series

Detroit – Inforum, Michigan's leadingbusiness forum for women, announced itwill launch a new speaker's series high-lighting women with lessons for anyonewho feels stuck in a rut or stifled by con-ventional thinking.

The series, called "IN4M: AfterHours, Ahead of the Curve," will kick offWednesday, Oct. 20, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.at the Birmingham-Bloomfield Art Center.The featured speaker will be Susan J.

Douglas, a University of Michigan com-munications professor and author of"Enlightened Sexism: The SeductiveMessage That Feminism's Work is Done"(Times Books).

The IN4M (pronounced "inform")series will highlight women who test thelimits in work, recreation and lifestyle.Speakers will be women who questionauthority, break rules and strive to makea difference.


“I am so thrilled with the opportuni-ty to lead an organization that has hadsuch a high degree of success helpingwomen to succeed in developing theirown businesses,” Nawara said. “As aformer business owner myself, I fullyunderstand the complexities of the busi-ness world and the difficulties a womencan encounter in start-up. My goal is tohelp more women, including those pro-fessional businesswomen and managerswho have been laid off during the currenteconomic downturn, develop new oppor-tunities for themselves.”

The Board selected Nawara from alarge field of qualified candidates and wasparticularly impressed with her entrepre-neurial, leadership, administrative, collab-orative and philanthropic skills.

Most recently, Nawara had servedsince 2004 as director of estate and assetservices for ACS, where she was the topfundraiser in total dollars raised in theACS Great Lakes region for the past fiveyears. Previously, she began the prof-itable printing business Sir SpeedyPrinting Center in Grand Rapids, whichshe operated as owner and CEO from1987-2003. She also served as partsdepartment manager for Freightliner ofGrand Rapids from 1981-87.

Nawara is involved in several com-munity organizations, currently serving asa Board member of the Golden K KiwanisClub and the West Michigan PlannedGiving Group. She is a member of the WestMichigan Estate Planning Council, theGrand Rapids Economic Club, the GreaterLansing Estate Planning Council andToastmasters. She also has been active inthe Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce,United Way, the Alliance of WomenEntrepreneurs, Quota International andthe Michigan Women’s Foundation.

Amy Ritsemaand Mary Kline –Co-Owners of OnSite

Wellness LLC

Both formeremployees ofJohnson Controls,Ritsema and Klinewent on to form theirown company to pro-vide medical educa-tional health andwellness services.Starting with about 6clients and expand-ing over the pastthree years, OnSiteWellness now pro-vides comprehensive

wellness programs to 18 businesses andcounting, helping their employees per-form and feel their best with customizedservices to meet each different corporatehealth strategy.

All but one of OnSite’s employees arewomen, though Ritsema says this wasn’ta conscious decision on their part. “Whenwe go and we look for potential employ-ees, there are simply more women oryoung ladies who are looking at gettinginto corporate wellness than there aremen,” she explains. “We’re actually excit-ed to work with men when we can;Having a male on staff often helps usrelate better to the men we care for whenwe address men’s health issues.”

Ritsema and Kline feel very fortunateand blessed serving as they do and hopeto continue expanding their business intothe future. “We just got our first client onthe east side of the state,” notes Ritsema.“We have clients now in the Traverse Cityand Petosky area, Holland, Zeeland,Grand Rapids, Hudsonville… the list goeson. As we move forward, health care

reform is going to be a big influence inour future and how much we’re going togrow. This process is nothing but enjoy-able for us: Helping companies figure outhow to make employees and their familiesmore healthy while saving insurance dol-lars. We hope the new focus on wellnessin our country will bring positive growthto our business.”

Joyce Lovse –Owner and Presidentof AngelCare, Inc.Home Health Care

Lovse had pre-viously served in thetravel industry, but astrong pull towardsseniors and the dis-

abled prompted her to brave the challengeof starting her own home health carebusiness in September of 2000. Sincethen, she and her Angel Team haveworked diligently not only to provide ahigh level of care and service for their

clients but to also develop internal poli-cies and procedures that empower theirwomen in the workplace.

Their work seems to have paid off.Recently, Angel Care was nominated forthe Grand Rapids Chamber Athena Awardand was an EPIC Finalist with the cham-ber for top women-owned business. TheWomen's Resource Center also honoredAngel Care in March of this year with aPillar Award along with Grand ValleyState University and Varnum for theirdedication to empowering women in theworkplace.

"We’re very proud of the investmentand attention that we show towards ourcaregivers," said Lovse. "For example, wehave a mentoring program that wasinspired by my experiences on the employ-ment board with the Women's ResourceCenter. I would see these women whoneeded help entering or re-entering theworkforce and how, through working withthe Center, they ended up flourishing.


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I thought, 'why can't we have ourown mentoring program right here atAngel Care for our home health aids?'"

This program also works alongsideAngelCare's relationship with GoodwillIndustries, allowing some of their aidsto work towards and become certifiednurse assistants.

"I do think that it is great when youhave a company that supports betteringyourself, gaining more knowledge, any-thing you can do to better your educa-tion as a person and a caregiver. I thinkthat's very important," said Lovse. "Wehad one employee in particular which,because of a cultural misunderstanding,was not doing very well in our organi-zation. We worked with the Women'sResource Center and sent some of ourown aids along with her on jobs to helpher in areas of misunderstanding. Shehas now continued in her education andis considering becoming a physical ther-

apist, inspired by the recommendationsof some of her clients. It's a wonderfulthing to see."

Betsy BuistBoss - President ofProfessional MetalFinishers

Buist Bossgrew up with afather in the metalfabrication busi-

ness, spending many of her weekendsdoing shop work at D&M MetalProducts - a business which her broth-er, Robert Buist, still owns. When herfamily purchased Professional MetalFinishers in 1986, she was able to tryher hand at the finishing side of theindustry as well, and through the expe-rience she gained working alongside ofher father, she gained the confidenceand skills to run Professional MetalFinishers (PMF) on her own when he

passed away. For the past decade, shehas been successfully leading her com-pany through the rough roadMichigan's manufacturing industry hasproven to be.

"Wading through rough economicwaters these past few years has not beeneasy," she said. "PMF has seen a steadyclimb in business, but not a great leap.This is probably a good thing thoughsince we had to scale back operations inorder to keep afloat. We do a fairammount of work in the furnitureindustry which is picking up. We alsocover the automotive, RV and medicalaccessories industries. All areas seem tobe on an uptick."

Recently, PMF has been involvedwith ArtPrize, providing finishing workfor several contest projects. "I alwaysenjoy meeting the artists and workingwith color, trying to match their imagi-nations," said Buist-Boss. "I love art andthe attention this has brought to ourcity. "Meeting new people is always one

of my favorite parts of this job. Everydaysomeone new stops in to get somethingfinished and usually PMF can help themout!"

Finally, while Buist Boss is pleasedto be involved in our Women inBusiness article here at BusinessUpdate, she has a couple admonitionsthat we might all do well to hear:

"I wish the industry didn't have toemphasize Women in Business," shesays. "I would have hoped by now wehad evolved enough to consider us as'on the same playing field' as the guys.There are so many competent people inbusiness; I wish that 'Good BusinessPeople' was brought up more."

It's a valid point, to be sure. Whatdo you think? Send your opinions,comments and letters to the editor: [email protected]

Betsy Buist BossBetsy Buist BossPresident

616.365.2620Fax 616.361.6048

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Meetings, Travel & Lodging BriefsEast Lansing – Twenty-five wine expertsgathered August 3 in East Lansing forthe 33rd annual Michigan Wine andSpirits Competition. Forty-four of thestate's 73 wineries entered a record 399wines for this year's competition, whichis open only to wines produced fromMichigan grapes and other fruit. From agroup of 52 gold medal winners, judgesawarded the top "Best of Class" awardsto: (Dry White) Black Star Farms -2009 Arcturos Pinot Gris; (Dry Red)Bowers Harbor Vineyards - 2007Cabernet Franc, Erica Vineyard; (Semi-Dry White) Black Star Farms - 2009Arcturos Riesling; (Semi-Dry Red)Lawton Ridge Winery - AZO;(Sparkling Wine) Black Star Farms -2008 Sparkling Wine; (Dessert Wine)Fenn Valley Vineyards - 2008 "42" IceWine; (Fruit Wine) Uncle John's FruitHouse Winery - Franc N Cherry; (Rose)Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery -2009 Blanc de Pinot Noir.

Paw Paw – St. Julian Winery’s SimplyPink was recently named “Rose of theYear” at the Indy International WineCompetition, held in early August inWest Lafayette, IN.

Chicago, IL – Don Armock, a partner inSparta, MI-based Riveridge ProduceMarketing Inc., is the winner of ThePacker's 2010 Apple Man of the Yearaward, presented by Tom Karst, ThePacker's national editor. Armock wonthe award last August at the Vienna, VA-based U.S. Apple Association’s AppleCrop Outlook & Marketing Conference.

Grand Rapids – The Holiday Inn-GrandRapids Downtown was recently awardedThree Diamond status by AAA demon-strating the hotel’s commitment to dis-tinguished style and marked upgrades inthe quality of physical attributes, ameni-ties, and level of comfort provided.

Kalamazoo – Imperial Beverage ofKalamazoo was named a 2010 CraftBeer Distributor of the Year Award final-ist. The Fourth Annual Craft BeerDistributor of the Year Award recognizesan exceptional American beer distributorwho actively markets, sells and pro-motes craft beer. Awarding parties areThe National Beer WholesalersAssociation and the BrewersAssociation, and the honor is bestowedeach year during the Great AmericanBeer Festival in Denver, CO.

Battle Creek – Just three-quarters ofway through 2010 and Arcadia Ales inBattle Creek is reporting recordgrowth, a trend that is expected toincrease throughout the year.According to VP of sales and marketingRick Suarez, numbers are up 55% inMichigan and 39% collectively in nineother states. That number will onlycontinue to rise as Arcadia adds twonew 40-barrel fermenters to its currentproduction line.

DeWitt – Hotel guests across the statewill be offered free locally-grownapples at check in, courtesy of theMichigan Apple Committee (MAC)and the 900 growers the organizationrepresents. A basket of fresh applesalong with copies of the 2010 MichiganFarm Market & Agricultural TourismDirectory will be delivered later thismonth to more than 400 lodging facili-ties across the state as part of the 5thannual "Check In To Michigan Apples" -a MAC promotion offered at no chargeto lodging facilities with a minimum of20 rooms.

Plainwell – Communities and individualsfrom across the state were honored lastSeptember at the 2010 MichiganDowntown Conference awards luncheonat the Doubletree Hotel in downtownBay City. The City of Plainwell was therecipient of the "Facade RehabilitationAward-Small Community" for its recentenhancement to 111 N. Main Streetwhich was made possible through aMichigan State Housing Authoritygrant and private investment partners.Other recipients of awards include:Green Project-Large Scale - ThirtyEight, Locus Development (GrandRapids); Green Project-Small Scale -Kalamazoo Window RehabilitationWorkshops; Innovation-Small Scale -Cops & Doughnuts (Clare); Innovation-Large Scale - ArtPrize (Grand Rapids);Living Downtown - 101 South DivisionLoft Apartments, Brookstone CapitalLLC (Grand Rapids). Awards given bythe Michigan Economic DevelopmentCorporation's Community AssistanceTeam include: Brownfield Project of theYear (Pop. over 50,000) - Thirty Eight,Locus Development (Grand Rapids);Brownfield Project of the Year (Pop.under 50,000) - One Water, CattDevelopment (Boyne City); LocalPartner - Jeff Radcliffe, Otsego CountyEconomic Alliance.

Grand Rapids – Craft-Revival, a newjewelry store featuring custom-designedjewelry and metal work, opened its doorsin the heart of downtown Grand Rapidson the ground floor of the Tannery Rowbuilding. Industry veterans Jayson Caseand his father Brandon decided to openthe store after they began to notice a sig-nificant paradigm shift in the jewelryindustry with more of a focus on mean-ing and value-added benefits.

Chesaning – The InternationalFestivals & Events Association paidtribute to the Party at MI Place cam-paign produced by Michigan Festivals& Events Association of Chesaning,Michigan during the IFEA/Haas &Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards Ceremony,bestowing on it a Gold Pinnacle Awardin the “Best New Promotion” categoryand also a second Gold Pinnacle Awardin the “Most Creative/Effective NewsStunt” category for their Party at MIPlace banner being on board NASASpace Shuttle Atlantis mission STS-132this past May.

Grand Rapids – The new green and blueHoliday Inn sign introduced in 2007 willnow light the way for visitors to theHoliday Inn Express Grand RapidsNorth. The new sign is the seal ofapproval that this hotel exemplifies thestandards of the $1 billion Holiday Innbrand family re-launch program estab-lished to create a more contemporarybrand image, increase quality and driveconsistency. Holiday Inn Express GrandRapids North is the second in GrandRapids and among the first hotels in theworld to receive the sign.

Grand Rapids – Sixteen members ofMichigan Lake to Lake Bed andBreakfast Association are among 20Michigan inns committed to providingfree lodging and breakfast to current andformer military personnel on the eve ofVeterans Day (November 10), part of acontinent-wide movement with morethan 275 inns in 40 states and Canada.To date, Lake to Lake-member "ThankYou Veterans" participants are:Adventure Inn (North Lakeport), Castlein the Country (Allegan), Dewey LakeManor (Brooklyn), The Gables B&B(Cheboygan), Garden Grove B&B(Union Pier), Hall Creek B&B(Interlochen), Inn at the Park (SouthHaven), Kalamazoo House(Kalamazoo), Martha's Vineyard (SouthHaven), Munro House (Jonesville),Parish House Inn (Ypsilanti),Prairieside Suites Luxury B&B(Grandville), The Sheridan House(Fremont), The State Street Inn (HarborBeach), Terrace Inn (Petoskey), andWhite Swan Inn (Whitehall).

Grand Rapids – The Prince ConferenceCenter (PCC) at Calvin College hasearned Green Lodging Michigan Stewardcertification from the MichiganDepartment of Energy, Labor andEconomic Growth. The PCC has imple-mented several environmental initiativesat their facility, including a linen andtowel reuse program, low flow fixtures toconserve water and a computerizedenergy management system with pro-grammable thermostats for commonareas and conference rooms.

13

14Education BriefsGrand Rapids – Wedgwood ChristianServices announced the creation of asecond specialized school for at-riskyouth: Hope Academy of WestMichigan. This new general K-12 char-ter school will open for the 2011-12school year at the site of the former St.Francis Catholic School, a 32,000-square-foot building located at 250Brown St. SE.

Muskegon – Baker College of Muskegonis offering cooking classes to the gener-al public. All classes will be held at theCulinary Institute of Michigan atBaker College of Muskegon.

Grand Rapids – Kendall College of Artand Design of Ferris State University,announced that the college has becomethe home of a library of new, innovativeand sustainable materials from NewYork City-based Material ConneXion, atrusted materials consultant andMaterials Library with over 5,000 of thelatest advancements for architecture anddesign, founded by George M.Beylerian, CEO.

Muskegon – Baker College of Muskegonregents have appointed Lee Coggin, JD,as Muskegon campus president. He suc-ceeds Mary Ann Herbst, Ph.D., whoretired on Aug. 31, 2010, after a 28-yearBaker College career. Coggin was mostrecently vice president for academics atBaker’s Muskegon campus.

Grand Rapids – The Grand Rapids cam-pus of Sanford-Brown officially becameSanford-Brown College, reflecting theState of Michigan’s recent decision togive the campus authority to conferassociate degrees in addition to the cur-rent diplomas offered.

Kalamazoo – Western MichiganUniversity's enrollment surged to25,045 - a nearly 2 percent increase overlast year's figure.

Allendale – Grand Valley StateUniversity officials and communityleaders broke ground and celebrated thestart of construction on the new MaryIdema Pew Library Learning andInformation Commons in late September.The Pew Library will provide approxi-mately 1,500 seats for student study, 20group study rooms, and offices and sup-port areas for faculty and staff members.There will be room for 150,000 books onopen shelves and 600,000 books in anautomated storage/retrieval system. Itwill replace the Zumberge Library on theAllendale Campus that was built in 1969for a projected student body of 5,000;Today, there are 24,500 studentsenrolled. In February, Grand Valley offi-cials decided to go forward with the PewLibrary without waiting for state fund-ing. More than 530 donors have con-tributed nearly $20.5 million to the proj-ect, and there is still $4.5 million toraise. Construction will begin in earnestthis spring and the library is expected tobe completed in 2013.

Allendale – Six Grand Valley StateUniversity students have receivedscholarships through a fund that is com-pletely supported by their peers – the2010 Student Legacy Scholarship. Eachstudent will receive a $500 scholarship.

Grand Rapids – The First-Time-In-Any-College and transfer student populationsremained steady at Calvin for the thirdstraight year. 935 first-time studentsjoined 100 transfer students to make upthe 2010-2011 entering class of 1,035.

Kalamazoo – Dr. Michael J. Barcelona,professor of chemistry and a veteranresearcher has been named WesternMichigan University's 2010Distinguished Faculty Scholar. Thishonor is the highest accolade awarded toa WMU faculty member and carries withit a $2,000 cash prize.

Grand Rapids – Cooley Law School willhost open houses for prospective stu-dents on four Thursdays in October. Theevents will be held 4-7 p.m. on all fourcampuses: Auburn Hills (2630Featherstone Road) on Oct. 7, Lansing(300 S. Capitol) on Oct. 14, GrandRapids (111 Commerce Ave., SW) onOct. 21 and Ann Arbor (3475 PlymouthRoad) on Oct. 28. The open houses arefree and include tours, opportunities tomeet staff, faculty and students, mockclasses and special sessions for acceptedstudents and honors scholars.

Muskegon – Baker College of Muskegonofficials report that all 54 of its 2008,2009 and 2010 radiologic technologyassociate degree program graduateshave passed the American Registry ofRadiologic Technologists certificationexamination on the first attempt. Thenational pass rate averages for 2008 and2009 were 91 percent and 91.4 percent,respectively.

Lansing – Small Business Associationof Michigan is kicking off its BusinessGrowth Strategies Series in partnershipwith Davenport University on Oct. 14,2010. Through an online virtual class-room, business owners from acrossMichigan will be able to participate in“Cultivating GREAT Customer Service,”a session helping organizations identifyand deliver the very best experiences fortheir customers.

AWRI Receives $1.4Million in Research Grants

Muskegon – Grand Valley StateUniversity’s Annis Water ResourcesInstitute (AWRI) has received nearly $1.4million in grant funding from theEnvironmental Protection Agency’s GreatLakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

The projects include:• $568,449 Observatory for ecosys-

tem changes in Muskegon Lake (BopiBiddanda, associate professor of environ-mental biology)

• $291,721 Coordinated lake-specific

onboard education and outreach (JanetVail, associate professor and research sci-entist)

• $247,212 Studies to supportRuddiman Creek implementation-ready(Alan Steinman, director of the AnnisWater Resources Institute)

• $232,910 Implementing GreatLakes coastal wetland monitoring (CarlRuetz, associate professor of environmen-tal biology; Alan Steinman, director ofAWRI).

MEDA ReleasesRecommendations


IncentivesThe incentives debate is a poster

child for the gap between theory andpractice. Study after academic study hasconcluded that incentives are not neces-sary and yet, economic development prac-titioners are confronted with the need forcompetitive incentives every day. MEDAadvocates a new rationale and strategyfor the accountable use of incentives.

Those critical of incentives believethat lower taxes and lower regulatoryactivity would improve the business cli-mate to the extent that incentives wouldno longer be necessary. Michigan eco-nomic development practitioners haveshown that states with far lower taxrates and far less regulation still utilizeincentives as part of their respective jobretention and attraction strategies.

Incentives are not assisting smallbusinesses and entrepreneurs. MEDAcontends that there are ways to changeincentives policy to help smaller busi-nesses and start-ups.

Many people (developers notwith-standing) believe there is a lack ofaccountability in the process of awardingand monitoring incentives. MEDA advo-cates for more self-regulating incentives

that trigger economic benefits uponreaching certain thresholds of job cre-ation activities. They also recommenddesigning a system that “frontloads”benefits early in the investment anddevelopment process, as incentives donot reflect net present value.

As Michigan does not derive fullleverage from its current array of incen-tives, MEDA strongly advises fosteringthe sale of research and development taxcredits, MEGA tax credits and creatingcredit enhancements for Tax IncrementFinancing Authorities.

Other IssuesMEDA members are concerned that

the multitude of local governing unitscreates slow, confusing, duplicative andconflict-ridden approaches to regionaleconomic development. MEDA membershave consistently articulated the need forfast, simple and predictable approachesto economic development strategies atthe local level.

Michigan economic developmentprogramming needs a strategy forrecruiting the talented and best educatedpeople in the world as there is concernthat far too little effort is expended uponthe recruiting of immigrants, foreign stu-dents and foreign entrepreneurs.

15

The importanceof preventative den-tal care to overallhealth is a messagethat has been widelyspread through theyears to the generalpublic by theAmerican DentalAssociation, dentalprofessionals and

others. What is unclear is how effective-ly this message has reached the massaudience. The interaction between dentalcare and systemic health may pose seri-ous implications on a person’s well-being particularly during a tough eco-nomic time when dental insurance cov-erage may be limited. Minimal dentalhealth benefits for those on Medicaidand Medicare is also an issue.Underprivileged, unemployed and elder-ly people may not be able to engage inroutine dental check-ups. As a result,there are more visits to the emergencyroom for dental related issues whichcontribute to escalated healthcare costs.Less insurance coverage, less disposableincome and poor dental hygiene habitsare a recipe for gum disease, tooth decayand related systemic issues.

Gum disease, or gingivitis, is a bigproblem in our society and affects 75% ofall adults in the U.S. This chronic inflam-matory state can cause and exacerbatemany systemic health issues. It allowsbacteria to enter your bloodstream andcauses problems in other areas of yourbody. The first sign of a disease canappear in your mouth. Unfortunately,gum disease does not hurt until it is welladvanced. Detecting early signs of the

disease is important so it can be man-aged and treated. Symptoms we com-monly look for are bleeding gums whentouched or brushed, bad breath, red hue,presence of pus and loose or missingteeth.

Oral health care professionals mayfind themselves in an opportune positionto enhance the well-being of theirpatients. General dentists consult regu-larly with periodontists on advancedcases of gum disease in their patients.However, there is a need for greater col-laboration between dentists and physi-cians in early detection of gum disease.This collaboration can greatly improvethe overall health of their patients, par-ticularly in the elderly and the poor.

Mission Integration at TrinityHealth supports community health pro-grams provided by various hospitals andhealth care facilities. They serve under-privileged people without insurance whocannot spare disposable income on den-tal care expenses. Daniel Dwyer, SeniorVice President, is concerned that thehealth care reform bill hasn't paidenough attention to oral health.

“One of the most striking gaps inhealth care with profoundly disturbingconsequences for our patients and fami-lies is limited access to dental care,” saysDaniel. “Our patients live in chronic painwith other chronic illnesses exacerbatedby poor dental health. You can take onelook at someone with poor oral conditionand predict fairly accurately that theyhave additional health problems.”

It is now well documented thatuntreated gum disease contributes to anincreased risk of cardiovascular disease(stroke and heart disease), respiratory

diseases, osteoporosis and pregnancycomplications. Some cardiologists aremandating that their patients see theirdentists as part of their regimen of treat-ment. Dr. Christopher Kazor ofProgressive Periodontics P.C. in Lansingshares that several recent studies havealso identified untreated gum disease asa factor in the development ofAlzheimer's disease and dementia.

“Untreated gum disease has longbeen recognized in the orthopedic fieldas a likely contributor to prosthesis fail-ure,” says Dr. Kazor. “Now I'm seeingmore referrals from other surgical spe-cialists and general physicians seekingto clear patients' oral health prior to sur-gery. Medial professionals are acknowl-edging the connection between themouth and the rest of the body. They aretaking a much more holistic approach totreating chronic and acute diseases."

So how can dental and health careprofessionals in our community collabo-rate more closely for the benefit of peo-ple’s long-term well-being?

Referral networkDentists and physicians can create a

more formal referral network by proac-tively connecting to one another andestablishing a relationship much like ageneral practitioner engages with a spe-cialist. More dentists should discuss riskfactors and signs of oral disease withphysicians. Conversely, physicians shouldask patients if they are regularly visiting adentist and, if not, urge them to do so.

CommunicationDentists can communicate with

physicians directly when detecting earlysigns of potential health risks. Thischannel of communication should

remain open between dentist and physi-cian to help facilitate patient treatment.By removing this responsibility from thepatient, the likelihood increases thatappropriate follow-up will occur. A sys-tematic approach to screening and com-munication with the physician’s office isnecessary to help eliminate oral healthrisk from the equation.

Oral health screeningPrimary physicians and specialists

such as cardiologists, gynecologists, andoncologists can receive training in oralhealth screening. A simple exam toscreen for gum disease and tooth decayexists called the Medical-PeriodontalRisk Assessment available to physiciansand dentists.

A greater commitment amonghealth care professionals to encouragepatients to visit their dentists regularlywill help establish the physician-dentistrelationship earlier in the process.Dentists can facilitate the relationshipwith their patients’ physicians immedi-ately when early signs of a systemic dis-ease are detected in the mouth. Thevalue of dental and health care profes-sionals collaborating holistically onpatient care will help broaden the reachof this important message: Poor dentalcare has serious implications on overalllong-term health.

Dr. Andrew Racek DDS, owner ofDental Group West, has been a practicingdentist in Grand Rapids for many years.He studied under some of the most promi-nent dental professionals at theUniversity of Michigan.

Dr. Andrew Racek

Dental & Health Care ProfessionalsTake Holistic Approach to Patient Care

Newest Foundation Grants Total $213,000+Grand Rapids – Grand Rapids

Community Foundation’s board oftrustees voted to approve $213,150 innew grants. The grants address two mainareas of need in Kent County: Economicgrowth and health.

Grants to Encourage Healthy People• $100,000 to Michigan Migrant

Legal Assistance Project for a program toassist migrant victims of domestic abuse.

Grants to Build Economic Prosperity• $25,000 to Literacy Center of

West Michigan for its Blueprint forLiteracy program. With this grant, theLiteracy Center aims to increase the num-

ber of students it serves, offer a technol-ogy based curriculum, provide more com-munity literacy workshops and classesand provide leadership to the literacyagenda of the community.

• $30,000 to The SOURCE for theHealth Field Collaborative. The SOURCEhas implemented a successful model forworkforce retention and training withlocal manufacturers. This grant will bringThe SOURCE’s proven model to thehealth care field. For 18-months, TheSOURCE will work with the Health FieldCollaborative, made up of seven GrandRapids health care providers, to develop

more robust programming around reten-tion, career coaching, training and thedevelopment of the pipeline for newemployees.

• $58,150 to Women’s ResourceCenter for its Fresh Start Program. A fed-eral funding cut left the Women’sResource Center looking for other fund-ing sources for its Fresh Start Program.

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16Health Care BriefsHolland – Holland Hospital welcomedtwo Orthopaedic Surgeons to the Bone &Joint Center in Holland. Derick Johnson,DO, and Carl Wierks, MD, are speciallytrained surgeons in the prevention, diag-nosis and treatment of musculoskeletalinjuries and conditions.

Zeeland – Zeeland Community Hospitalannounced the appointment of new foun-dation director Tamara VanderArk-Potter. VanderArk-Potter is completingher role at the end of the year as a two-term, governor-appointed member of theexecutive board for the MichiganChildren’s Trust Fund and chair of theMichigan Citizen’s Review Panel forChild Abuse Prevention.

Muskegon – Mercy Health Partners’Lakeshore Campus in Shelby announcedthe addition of telemedicine technology atthe campus that will enhance healthcareservices in Oceana County. The new tech-nology is the result of a collaborativeeffort by the Oceana CommunityCollaborative Committee.

Grand Rapids – MapleCreek has set up aResident Resource Center in TheTerraces as a one-stop shop to assist res-idents with a variety of needs. Similar toa concierge service like what you mightfind in a fine hotel, the center is run byDollie Grant, hired by Lutheran SocialServices of Michigan as the communitycoordinator.

Grand Rapids – For the third year in arow, Grand Valley Health Plan (GVHP)ranks as the highest health plan inMichigan and among the top ten healthplans in the United States by theNational Committee for QualityAssurance. The 2010-11 National rank-ing places GVHP as number six out of 300private health plans.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health is cele-brating the completion of the two year $98million Blodgett Hospital expansion andrenovation project. A 158,000 sq. ft. four-story patient care addition was construct-ed adjacent to the existing hospital facingWealthy Street. It will officially open topatients on October 10. The projectinvolved extensive remodeling and reno-vation throughout and includes 132 pri-vate rooms in the new addition along with8 new operating rooms, a 36-bed post-anesthesia care unit or PACU, a completeoverhaul of infrastructure systems andimproved parking areas.

Grand Rapids – The MichiganAssociation of Health Plans honoredGrand Valley Health Plan (GVHP) attheir 2010 Pinnacle Awards for BestPractice reception on September 21 inLansing. GVHP received an award forBest Practice in Balance Score Card. Agroup of GVHP employees developed a"Balanced Score Card" to translate compa-ny vision statements into actionable andmeasurable outcomes. The balance scorecard promoted focus on the big picture forall employees, created balance across allspectrums and most importantly drovechange. The direct result has been anincrease in quality of care, customer sat-isfaction, along with a decrease in healthplan expenditures.

Michigan - Value Health Partners, agroup of eight Michigan health careorganizations, announced significantclinical quality improvements as a resultof its collaborative efforts. Specific meas-ures in heart attack outcomes and post-surgery hip fracture complications haveimproved across the eight organizations.Value Health Partners includesAllegiance Health System (Jackson),Bronson Healthcare Group(Kalamazoo), Covenant HealthCare(Saginaw), Lakeland HealthCare (St.Joseph), Munson Healthcare (TraverseCity), Northern Michigan RegionalHealth System (Petoskey), SparrowHealth System (Lansing), and SpectrumHealth (Grand Rapids).

Muskegon – The Muskegon CommunityHealth Project (MCHP), a nationally rec-ognized nonprofit to improve health caredelivery and expand access to care, hasbeen acquired by Mercy Health Partnersunder a joint agreement with its parentcompany Trinity Health Corporation.Long recognized as a national model, theHealth Project has served the WestMichigan lakeshore community in assist-ing uninsured and underinsured peoplewith health care needs. In its new capaci-ty, the Health Project will now serve asthe external Community Benefit programarm of Mercy Health Partners and as anational Community Benefit model andtechnical assistance source for TrinityHealth Corporation. Based in NoviMichigan, Trinity Health is the fourthlargest Catholic health system in theUnited States.

Allegan – Allegan General Hospital hasbeen selected as one of the country’s BestPlaces to Work in Healthcare for 2010 byModern Healthcare magazine.

St. Joseph – Professional HearingServices has recently hired new customerservice associate Rhonda Siebenmark.Siebenmark most recently served as dis-trict scheduler for the U.S. House ofRepresentatives.

Muskegon – The Mercy HealthPartners’ Bariatric Surgical Weight Lossprogram, under the medical direction ofDr. Brian Gluck, D.O., has been recog-nized once again as a Bariatric SurgeryCenter of Excellence by the AmericanSociety for Metabolic and BariatricSurgery.

Grand Rapids – Cardiologists J. CraigMulligan, DO, Craig Alguire, MD, andAli Mahajerin, MD have joined WestMichigan Heart and are practicing atseveral locations in West Michigan.

Holland – Standard & Poor's RatingsServices affirmed its “A+” long-term rat-ing for Holland Hospital on MichiganState Hospital Finance Authority's$22.0 million series 2004A bonds, andon the Ambac-insured $15.6 millionseries 1996 bonds. In addition to the A+ratings, the Rating Services issued a “sta-ble outlook” for the hospital, reflecting anexpectation that Holland Hospital willcontinue to meet operating targets andmaintain its unrestricted cash levels.

Grand Rapids – The Great Start ParentCoalition sponsored a free conference lastSeptember held at Frederik MeijerGardens for parents, childcare providersand health experts to develop andembrace a community message andapproach to addressing childhood obesity.The discussion was led by Dr. TomPeterson of Helen DeVos Children’sHospital.

17Pennant Health Alliance Formed

to Support Local Independent ProvidersGrand Rapids – In a move designed

to strengthen independent communityhospitals and physician practices, MetroHealth, Trinity Health and University ofMichigan Health System have joined tolaunch Pennant Health Alliance.

The new support-services networkwas unveiled this morning by the sponsor-ing organizations. The alliance initially willoffer clinical support and administrativeservices in four key areas: physician align-ment and recruitment, health informationtechnology, revenue cycle managementand group purchasing. Other customizedservices, such as quality consulting andperformance reporting, will be available onan as-requested basis.

The announcement represents theculmination of months of discussiongeared toward offering independent com-munity providers a new option for busi-ness and clinical support in the region.The final approval was received just daysago, with the unanimous vote of theUniversity of Michigan HealthCorporation board.

Mike Faas, president and CEO ofMetro Health, will serve as ChiefExecutive Officer for Pennant HealthAlliance. The organization is now intro-ducing itself to the region and is activelycollaborating with providers seeking anetwork model focused on strengtheninglocal health care while supporting inde-pendence.

“We firmly believe that the besthealth care starts local and stays local,”Faas said. “Pennant Health Alliance offerssignificant operational, quality and finan-cial benefits without loss of control orownership. We feel that Pennant HealthAlliance will resonate with doctors andhospitals who want to practice good med-icine on their own terms.”

Pennant Health Alliance presents aunique model that independent hospitalleaders and physicians have helped tocraft through conversations and feedback,one that offers significant enhancementsto existing provider networks.

Amid national health care reformand the region’s aging population,Pennant Health Alliance will work toincrease patient access to local primaryand specialty care while helping toimprove the quality of health care andreduce operating and technology costs forhospitals and physician practices.Unmatched skill and scale will be lever-aged to deliver services, and the alliance’skey differentiator will be an ability to cus-tomize local solutions.

Pennant Health is backed by thesubstantial resources and communityhospital operations knowledge of TrinityHealth, the nation’s 10th largest healthsystem, and the University of MichiganHealth System.

“Pennant Health Alliance allows

community hospitals in the region achance to alleviate the operationaldemands of back-office services byaccessing the scale and benefits of ourlarger network,” said Roger Spoelman,president and CEO of Mercy HealthPartners and West Michigan regional

executive for Trinity Health. “We knowhow hard it can be for smaller hospitals tocompete effectively. Trinity Health’s trackrecord in developing successful ruralhealth networks demonstrates our abilityto assist communities while respectinglocal independence.”

Grand Rapids – Senior Neighbors, Inc.,a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, hasmoved their large benefit event TwilightShines to the Grand Rapids PublicMuseum at the same date and time:November 9 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.Ralph Hauenstein, 98, will be honoredwith the third annual Twilight ShiningStar Award for his quiet and generousdedication to his community.

Grand Rapids – The Right Place, Inc.received an Excellence in EconomicDevelopment Award for their WestMichigan Automotive Summit in the cat-egory of Special Events for communitieswith populations of 200,000 – 500,000from the International EconomicDevelopment Council (IEDC). Thehonor was presented at an awards cere-mony during the IEDC AnnualConference in Columbus, Ohio.

Saginaw – This year, the AmericanHeart Association celebrates the 50thYear of CPR. This lifesaving skill for vic-tims of sudden cardiac arrest is knowncollectively as Cardio PulmonaryResuscitation and celebrated its 50thbirthday on September 16. Less thanone-third of out-of-hospital sudden car-diac arrest victims receive bystanderCPR. The most effective rate for chestcompressions is 100 compressions perminute – the same rhythm as the beat ofthe BeeGee’s song, “Stayin’ Alive.”

Grand Rapids – The Center forCommunity Leadership, the communi-ty leadership program of the GrandRapids Area Chamber of Commerce,welcomes four new members to its boardof directors: Jen Crowley, owner of TheHighland Group; Kyle Ray, lead pastorat Kentwood Community Church; BobRoth, president & CEO of RoManManufacturing; and Steve Faber, exec-utive director of Friends of GrandRapids Parks. Each will serve a three-year term.

Grand Rapids – Advantage SignSupply, Inc. announced the addition ofthe HP Designjet L25500 printer to itswide format product line. Ideal for bothindoor and outdoor applications, theL25500 uses innovative latex printingtechnology for vivid durable prints.

Jackson – Kentwood Office Furnitureannounced that Heather Sliker hasjoined as a designer in the Jackson,Michigan office. Katie Koster also joinedKentwood Office Furniture as a salesadministrator in the Grand Rapids office.

Grand Rapids – The Center forCommunity Leadership, the communi-ty leadership program of the GrandRapids Area Chamber of Commerce,announced the addition of LizzieWilliams to its staff as marketing coor-dinator.

Grand Rapids – Bonnie Nawara, aGrand Rapids native and former plannedgiving director for the American CancerSociety, has been named CEO of GrandRapids Opportunities for Women bythe organization’s board of directors.

Grand Rapids – James P. White, presi-dent and CEO of White Development,Inc., has been inducted as the 2010-2011 president of The Rotary Club ofGrand Rapids.

Grand Rapids/Lansing – On NationalPCC (Postal Customer Council) Day,September 15, Theresa Peterlein ofPresort Services Inc. GrandRapids/Lansing was awarded the PCCLeadership Award, PCC IndustryMember of the Year for 2010 by theUnited States Postal Service.

Mobile, AL – Mark Bohdanyk, directorof business development for CU*South,has earned CUNA's Certified CreditUnion Executive designation fromCUNA Management School.

Grand Rapids – The Grand RapidsGriffins announced the hiring of KelliBytwork as community relations andcorporate sales assistant.

Zeeland – ISD Corporation, a leadingprovider of secure payment managementsoftware for merchants, announced thecelebration of its 25th anniversary as aleader in the payment software industry.

Battle Creek – The Japan-AmericaSociety of West Michigan entered its11th year with a new executive director,Tracy Miller. After graduating MichiganState University with a BA inManagement and an Asian Studies cer-tificate, Miller spent a decade living,working, studying and raising heryoung family in Tokyo.

Grand Rapids – CU*Answers has recent-ly announced the next collaborativemarketing contest in its series ofCU*Drive campaigns which will promoteEasyPay Online Bill Pay. The contestoffers the chance to win a Sony Bravia32” LCD HDTV for enrolling in EasyPaythrough It’s Me 247 online banking.

Middlebury, VT and Midway, UT –eDOC Innovations has recently com-pleted a certification with DocuSign forseamless integration between theDocuSign platform and eDOC'sDocLogic and idocVAULT solutions.eDOC's powerful automated loan pro-cessing and packaging system nowallows credit unions to integrate branchand online closings with effective elec-tronic package processing.

Lansing – The Small BusinessAssociation of Michigan (SBAM) wasrecognized with two significant awardsat the Michigan Society of AssociationExecutives (MSAE) 9th AnnualDiamond Awards Banquet, held in lateSeptember at The Townsend Hotel inBirmingham. Nearly 200 members andguests attended the event, designed torecognize excellence and innovation inassociations. Rob Fowler, SBAM’s pres-ident and CEO, was presented with theChairman’s Gavel Award, a special honorchosen by the MSAE’s past chairman.recognizing individuals who have donethe most to advance the goals and aspi-rations of the organization’s strategicinitiatives over the past year. SBAM alsowon a First Place Diamond Award for itswebsite (www.sbam.org) redesign,which increased membership andimproved member engagement.

Grand Rapids - The WyomingKentwood Area Chamber of Commerceannounced that Ken Malik has beenappointed as the new president/CEO.Malik has over 30 years of businessexperience with manufacturing andservice companies in consumer electron-ics, office equipment, contract office fur-niture and industrial distribution.

Lansing – The Small BusinessAssociation of Michigan has surpassed10,000 members. It’s an all-time mem-bership high for the statewide organiza-tion and represents a doubling of mem-bership in less than two years.

St. Joseph – Williamson StaffingServices, Inc. of Kentwood announcedthat Sergey Zybin and JamieHuddleston have been selected asStaffing Employees of the Year.Williamson Staffing Services, Inc. joinedstaffing companies across the country incelebrating National Staffing EmployeeWeek, Sept. 13–19, established by theAmerican Staffing Association to paytribute to the million Americans who areemployed by staffing firms every day.

Jenison – Family Hope Foundation hasawarded grants to 13 children with spe-cial needs and their families in the WestMichigan community. These grants willbe used to provide the children with spe-cial needs critical therapy that ordinaryinsurance will not cover. The grants pro-vide up to $1,000 of therapy to eachrecipient.

Grand Rapids – Springthrough, a lead-ing software and IT solutions companyand its affiliate ieQuery, LLC, unveiledieQuery Dashboard software - a newsoftware product that provides law firmswith updated report generation anddashboard tools to augment time andbilling management databases used byfirms across the country.

Grand Rapids – Newly formed CareerTransitions Center West Michiganannounced Russ Gardner as the organi-zation’s first executive director.

Corporate Information 18

19

I just need asurvey; Why are youasking me all thesequestions?!

In today’s com-mercial real estatemarket, carefulplanning must befollowed in order tocomplete a success-ful transaction. One

of the critical steps in preparing for atransaction is obtaining a current sur-vey of the property. In my career as aprofessional land surveyor over the pasttwenty years, the requirements for acommercial property survey haveevolved from a relatively simple andsometimes vague standard to a highlydetailed, nationally standardized check-list. The most widely used and recog-nized survey for commercial property isthe “ALTA/ACSM Land Title Survey.” Bydefinition, this is a survey prepared inaccordance with the standards andrequirements jointly developed andadopted by the American Land TitleAssociation (ALTA) and the AmericanCongress of Surveying and Mapping(ACSM).

The necessity for standardized sur-vey requirements originated as titleinsurance companies required that inorder to insure title to land withoutexceptions, certain information must beshown on the survey map. In order tomeet the title companies’ requirements,surveyors must be furnished with spe-cific information such as deeds of recordand recorded easement documents. Thetwo organizations (ALTA and ACSM)formed a joint committee to prepare alist of standards that were agreeable toboth and provided the property ownerswith a consistent and quality survey.The first Standard Requirements werepublished in 1986 and have beenupdated several times with the mostcurrent being the 2005 Standards.

The current published Standardsare separated into two sections. The

first section lists the minimum require-ments and information that must beshown on the survey to be acceptable inboth completeness and accuracy. Thesecond section (“Table A”) lists theoptional survey responsibilities andspecifications. With these optionalitems, the survey may be “customized”to meet the specific needs of both thebuyer and the seller. A few examples of“Table A” items are: flood zone infor-mation, existing ground contours orutilities serving the property. A com-plete list of the minimum and optionalrequirements can be found on the ALTAwebsite (www.alta.org).

Since the majority of commercial orindustrial real estate transactions willrequire this type of survey, contact aprofessional surveyor and specificallyrequest an “ALTA/ACSM Land TitleSurvey.” When ordering the survey, thefollowing information should be fur-nished to the surveyor:

• The legal description of the prop-erty (from a deed or title commitment)

• A copy of the title commitment, ifavailable, or authorization to order fromthe title company

• The optional “Table A” items tobe included in the survey

• Any specific certification lan-guage and/or requirements, as manylenders and national chain businesseshave their own requirements in additionto the minimum ALTA standards.

Once the surveyor has this infor-mation, an accurate estimate of costand time of completion can be prepared.Every property is unique and the costand timing of a survey will vary basedon the acreage of the property, theexisting improvements, the surveyrequirements and weather conditions.An ALTA survey can cost $1,000 to$50,000 with a time of completion ofone week to months.

After obtaining authorization toprovide the survey, the surveyor willproceed with the necessary research,field work, drafting and preparation of

the certification to complete the surveymap. Often the buyer’s and seller’sattorneys, real estate agents and the titlecompany review the survey. During thisprocess, it is common for some revi-sions, additions or deletions to be madeto the survey prior to the final closing onthe property.

My experience over the years hasconvinced me that the “ALTA/ACSMLand Title Survey” is the right tool formost commercial and industrial proper-ty transactions. It is nationally recog-nized and accepted by lending institu-tions and title companies. The mini-mum standard requirements provide aconsistent and dependable survey,while the optional “Table A” itemsallow the survey to be customized tomeet the needs of the entities involvedin the transaction. Commercial realestate transactions and surveys can becomplicated; Therefore, it is advanta-

geous to work with a real estate agentor attorney for the details of the surveyand title work. It is also important toestablish a good working relationshipwith a surveyor who will provide aquality job at a fair price. Standardizedrequirements and professional relation-ships will ensure a win-win situationfor all parties involved in commercialreal estate surveys.

Rod Unema is survey departmentmanager at Exxel Engineering, Inc. inGrand Rapids, MI and can be reachedby phone at (616) 531-3660. He hasa B.S. in Land Surveying from MichiganTechnological University and is licensedin Michigan, Alaska and New Mexico.

Rodney D. Unema

Just A Survey, Please

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20

Grand Rapids, MI 616-773-6300 www.securalarm.com

Putting the Pieces TogetherSEEING THE ENTIRE SOLUTION, NOT JUST THE PARTS

• Access Control

• Digital Video Surveillance

• Intrusion Alarm

• Fire Alarm

• Photo ID Badging

• Visitor Management

Construction BriefsGrand Rapids - The AmericanSubcontractors Association ofMichigan named the recipient of its firstever Contractor of the Year award: DanVos Construction Company (DVCC).DVCC topped the list of 10 nominees,after nominations were announced inAugust of this year. “We can’t be suc-cessful without all of you subcontrac-tors,” stated Vice President and ProjectExecutive Dan Vos. Vos was presentedthe award in front of a sold out crowd of330 attendees.

Holland – Dwelling Place officially brokeground this month on a renovation proj-ect that will transform the former EE FellJunior High School into MidtownVillage, an affordable housing commu-nity for individuals over the age of 55.

This $5.9 million construction projectwill be completed in the fall of 2011. The30 apartments in Midtown Village pro-vide community living in a historicatmosphere and will feature 1 and 2 bed-rooms with open, flexible living spacesand easy access to Downtown Holland.Apartments will be available to qualify-ing individuals with rents that rangefrom $580 to $605 per month.

Lansing – Designed by C2AE and builtby Dan Vos Construction Company,the new gymnasium and stage additionat Ada Christian School has receivedLEED® for Schools certification by theU.S. Green Building Council. It is oneof only 51 certified LEED for Schools inthe country.

Ada – Erhardt Construction announcedthat John Evans has joined the compa-ny as director of project development.Evans has over 36 years of experience inthe architecture, engineering and con-struction industries. Most recently, heworked with Spacewerks, Workstageand URS Corporation.

Detroit – U.S. Housing and UrbanDevelopment secretary ShaunDonovan announced Pontiac, MI willreceive nearly $2.3 million to supportcommunity development and producemore affordable housing. The fundingincludes Community Development BlockGrant funds and HOME InvestmentPartnerships funding.

Grand Rapids – C. D. BarnesAssociates, Inc. announced that DaleKraker, AIA has joined the company asa corporate secretary and partner. In hisrole, Kraker will be responsible forbroadening the company’s constructionmarket capabilities and reach.

Cascade Township – WolverineBuilding Group announced the comple-tion of ALDI in the Waterfall Shoppes at5114 - 28th Street. The project includedthe remodel of a previous Fresh Marketinto the discount grocery, ALDI. ALDI’snew store layout features an expandingcooler/freezer area, a larger selection ofproducts and an updated look to createan enjoyable shopping atmosphere.

September Named “MoldAwareness Month”

Huntersville, N.C – As documentedcases of residential mold contaminationand related health problems continue torise across the nation, the indoor airquality industry is on a crusade to edu-cate homeowners about the serious con-sequences of mold in the home.September 5 – October 5 was deemedMold Awareness Month by the industrybecause mold spores that commonlygrow in summer humidity are oftentrapped as people close up homes andfoundation vents in the fall. Just a few ofthese spores can make a family sick.

Consider this:• There are an estimated 10,000

mold-related court cases nationwide.• There has been a 300 percent

increase in litigation involving mold con-tamination over the past five years.

• The average mold claim costs$35,000 and many exceed $100,000.

Fast Facts about Mold: • According to the U.S. EPA, the air

inside the average American home canbe more than 100 times more pollutedthan the air outside. New homes usuallyhave poorer air quality than older homesbecause they’re air tight; Spores can’tescape, providing a perfect breedingground.

• Common household molds causeasthma, sneezing, runny nose, red eyesand skin rashes. Infants and the elderlyare most the at risk, because they oftenhave weaker immune systems.

• Mold is prevalent in most homesand it’s often difficult to eradicate, but all

mold requires moisture to grow, so reduc-ing moisture will reduce mold growth.

Where Mold Grows:• Windowsills, closets, wall paper,

flooring, in or around showers, dish-washers, washing machines and even inthe soil of potted plants.

• Mold can be caused by slow drip-ping pipes, condensation, standing wateron or under carpets and floor boards,leaky dryer vents, broken shingles andwet insulation.

Preventions and Control:• When water leaks, act quickly. If

you dry wet materials 24 – 48 hours aftera leak or spill, mold will not grow in mostcases.

• Clean and repair roof gutters andleaky roofs regularly.

• Point sprinklers away from thehome and siding.

• Make sure landscapes slope awayfrom your home’s foundation so waterdoesn’t collect.

• Keep relative indoor humidity low,if possible below 60 percent. Humidity ismeasured most accurately with a mois-ture meter, a small $10 - $50 instrumentfound at most hardware stores.

• Use air conditioners and dehumid-ifiers regularly.

• Run the bathroom fan or open thewindow when showering and up to 10minutes afterward.

• Use exhaust fans or open widowswhenever cooking, running the dish-washer or even washing dishes.

Wind Power and Human Health

Allendale – As the number of windfarms increases, people have becomeconcerned about possible health effects,particularly from wind turbine sounds.The West Michigan Wind Assessmentproject team at Grand Valley StateUniversity has issued a report to addressconcerns about flicker, noise and airquality.

Nordman said flicker can beaddressed in a variety of ways includinglandscaping to block the shadows or stop-ping the turbines during sensitive times.

West Michigan residents are alsoconcerned about the noise of wind tur-bines. “Studies show a single, modern,

utility-scale wind turbine producessounds at about the same loudness as anormal conversation, at a distance of 100feet from the turbine,” said Nordman.“Most scientific reviews conclude thatinfrasound at the levels produced by windturbines does not pose any direct humanhealth risk. It is a topic of ongoing scien-tific investigation.”

Nordman said studies suggest if 10-percent of West Michigan’s electricity pro-duction was replaced with non-pollutingsources like wind, 29 premature deaths,270 cases of serious illness and morethan 15,000 cases of minor illness couldbe avoided each year.

21Construction Update

A.J. Veneklasen, Inc.announced the completion of the GordonFood Service Marketplace in Okemos,MI. This marks the third GFS Marketplacein metro Lansing. Located at 1851Newman Road, the store was placed tobetter serve customers from the Okemosand campus area all the way into theeastern counties and opened last Augustwith a ribbon cutting, community openhouse and a giant tailgate party. Thestore will be more convenient for thoseliving on the east side of town and willshorten supply trips for restaurant own-ers. As part of its grand opening, GFSMarketplace donated $1,000 to CityRescue Mission of Lansing.

C.D. Barnes Associates, Inc.is currently working on The GooddardSchool – an 8,000 sq. ft. early childhooddevelopment center in Joliet, IL. They’realso engaged in the renovation of exist-ing office space for Notions Marketingin Grand Rapids and the construction of a100 unit, 3-story senior living facility forSerenity Lake in Gary, IN. Work hasbeen completed on a renovation andexpansion project for Classic Cinemas inElk Grove Village, IL as well as a 5,720sq. ft. meeting house for The Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints inMarshall, MI and a 23,879 sq. ft. expan-sion and renovation of theSouthwestern Michigan College AutoTech building in Dowagiac, for whichthey are also pursing LEED certification.

Dan Vos Construction Companyis currently working on a number of proj-ects in west Michigan:

• A two phase project at Dutton

Christian School featuring the additionof two early child developmental kinder-garten classrooms, two fifth grade class-rooms, a computer lab, music and artroom, reading recovery room and addi-tional gathering space with renovation ofadministrative offices.

• A 1,400 ton steel job on 485,000sq. ft. at Farmers Insurance in Caledoniafor a three-story glass atrium and interi-or/exterior courtyard

• Phase II (to be completed aroundearly November) of a Providence CRCproject in Grand Rapids, adding class-rooms, a kitchen, multipurpose room,youth room and restroom amenities.

• A new food processing/productionfacility for Request Foods in Holland.

• The remodeling of production areafor Twin City Foods in Lake Odessa –bringing the building up to FDA code,raising a portion of ceiling by removingsome of the current structural steel andplacing insulated metal roofing.

• A remodeled home made accessi-ble for various hospital features to serveas a Wings of Hope Hospice WingsHome in Allegan.

The company also recently complet-ed work on a tenant build out forCarelinc Home Medical Equipment andSupplies in Portage, a new church forKilpatrick United Brethren Church inWoodland, a new Spanky’s Pizza &Restaurant in Fremont and office reno-vations for the Puritan ReformedTheological Seminary in Grand Rapids.

DL Morse and Associateshas just finished building the shell fornew retailer The North Face at TheWoodland Mall. The 6,893 square foot

store, located across from Barnes &Noble in the Plaza wing, will offer cloth-ing, shoes and accessories geared towardseasoned climbers, mountaineers andsnowsport and endurance athletes. Thestore's grand opening will be held in lateOctober.

The firm has also hired a new seniorproject manager and 2 superintendents inlate September and is mobilizing theircrew to start work on a DEB store(women's clothing and accessories) inMacomb, MI.

Erhardt Construction• The Salvation Army Kroc

Community Center is nearing comple-tion and plans on opening its doors to thepublic in late October. The Center,designed and constructed for U.S. GreenBuilding Council LEED certification, willprovide an unprecedented opportunity toserve the community, especially veryneedy children and their families, provid-ing positive experiences, relationships,growth opportunities and spiritualexpression. The Center will contain achapel and an outdoor worship area, anaquatic center, a gymnasium and fitnesscenter, education rooms, banquet roomsand childcare facilities for patrons.

Erhardt is busy completing an ele-vated track addition and finishing detailslike carpet, millwork and paint touch up.The company has also received approvalto begin construction of the 4,000-squarefoot maintenance building on the eastside of the property which should becomplete before the end of the year.

• Erhardt was also recently involvedin the installation of WaterPrize - a 20 x16 foot stencil painting created byJohnny Clauson, Jon Bell and Kris

McNeil, exhibited at the Gerald R. FordPresidential Library and Museum dur-ing this year's ArtPrize event.

• Finally, Erhardt’s construction ofthe new process building and 500,000-gallon precast storage tank at the AlleganWater Treatment Plant has also movedalong smoothly. The tank is scheduled tobe complete in early October.

Wolverine Building Groupwas pleased to be involved in the rede-velopment of the Durant Hotel in down-town Flint. Built in the 1920s, TheDurant served as Flint’s finest and mostluxurious convention hotel for over 50years. In more recent decades, the turn ofeconomic hardship left the buildingvacant and neglected for many years.Much community effort and philanthrop-ic support went into making the $22 Mproject a success in hopes of kick-startingthe revitalization of Flint. The buildingnow houses 94 residential units gearedtowards students attending the UM ofFlint campus and commercial lease spacein the lower levels. With over 60% leasedunits in the first few weeks, it is expect-ed to reach near capacity in its first year.The success of the Durant is anticipatedto be a large catalyst in a serious of re-developments in effort to turn arounddowntown Flint to the beloved place itonce was.

Wolverine was also instrumental incompleting installation of the 55-footSteamPig - a looming unmissableArtPrize entry hanging in the parking lotof The B.O.B. in downtown GrandRapids. Bill Pursifull, Marty Smith andFred Gilbert all put a lot of time intohelping the artists with the monumentaltask of getting the pig to "take flight."

Unique Dealership JoinsSoutheast Grand RapidsGrand Rapids – Since the July 15

soft opening of Boondox® Motorsports,the newest dealership concept to appearin West Michigan, referrals have beenspreading rapidly as buyers from sur-rounding cities (and many out of state)make Boondox® their final destinationfor a pre-owned vehicle. Owner TroyRubey’s unique vision was to establishnostalgia from the past, where customerscould experience the camaraderie of asmall town country store while selectingfrom the very best in pre-owned HarleyDavidson’s, cars, trucks and SUV’s.

Boondox® Motorsports’ unique

method of negotiating their inventory,which is well below wholesale, sets thisnew dealership apart from their competi-tion. Motorcycles and vehicles are prima-rily purchased from large leasing compa-nies, finance companies and resourcesfrom their dealer network. In return, cus-tomers are already taking advantage ofnever-seen-before prices. Vehiclesreceive a full safety inspection from acertified technician and are professional-ly detailed before delivery. TheBoondox® commitment includes theexclusive “Lifetime Engine Warranty” onqualified cars, trucks and SUV’s.

Expert Reveals Secret Steps toWinning Federal Proposals

Arlington, VA – While many compa-nies during this economic period wouldlike to secure federal contracts, theyoften don’t know how to go about doingso in an effective way. What it reallycomes down to, according to experts, isknowing how to put together a success-ful proposal package.

“There is more that goes into theproposal package than one may think,and if you don’t have an effective pro-posal you will not be successful inobtaining government contracts,”explains Dick Griffin, an expert busi-ness-to-government consultant andowner of Arlington, VA-based TheGriffin Method, a firm whose expertshelp businesses secure federal contracts.“It is imperative that you approach theproposal from the right angle and includeall the right pieces.”

Griffin offers several steps for help-ing to increase your chances of proposalsuccess, including:

1. Have a strong Bid/No Bidprocess. Absolutely no part of the pro-posal process is more important thanhaving a good narrative that establishesa baseline for how best to meet the pro-ject’s requirements. A strong Bid/No Bidprocess helps determine how you qualifyand why you think you can win. In mostcases, your Bid/No Bid conclusions laythe foundation for the outline for the

task narratives you’ll need.2. Build a strong and complete

past performance file. The second mostimportant part of your proposal is provid-ing strong and fully supportive past per-formance evaluations. If you don’talready have a file filled with written let-ters of evaluation from past customers,spend the time it takes to build it, startingimmediately. For each past performanceyou select to support your contribution tothe proposal, take the time to write yourown case study specifically relating yourpast experience and past performanceevaluations to the task being bid.

3. Be clear on your role. When youare part of a team working on a project,check the results of your efforts. Takeextra care to cover your bases early bybuilding in a feedback loop. This adviceapplies particularly to sub-contractors. Ifyou are planning to sub-contract, remem-ber that you cannot always rely on aPrime Contractor to give you accurateinstructions or feedback on your role.

4. Use the debriefing to youradvantage, win or lose. During adebriefing, take good notes, and listencarefully. At a federal debriefing, federalevaluators want you to learn how toimprove your proposal, but they’ll be pri-marily charged with providing the gov-ernment’s documented position for dis-qualifying you.

5. Look for two or more subcon-tractors per major task. Subcontractorsare important components of most largecontracts, so responsible prime contrac-tors will generally be looking to get twoor more candidates for each sub-con-tracted task, along with their technicalnarratives.

6. Get signed teaming agree-ments. Competitive (successful) prime

contractors usually do not consider sub-mitting any part of a subcontractor’soffer as part of the proposal until there isa teaming agreement in place. Teamingagreements include nondisclosure phras-es that protect both parties from havingthe proposal 'leaked' before the submis-sion date, and are acceptable as a 'letterof intent', in most cases.

Function, Flair, Flexibility:Trendway’s New Desking

Holland – Trendway has recentlyintroduced the Pack Collection, a newly-expanded offering featuring metal desk-ing, new filing and storage solutions andmore. With a clean, classic design, theversatile, affordable Pack Collection hasall the elements needed to create smartstylish work environments. With anexceptional selection of models, sizesand options, Pack provides the freedomto tailor solutions to suit every need,taste and budget beautifully. Building onan initial Pack Filing and Storage offer-ing, the complete Pack Collection hasexpanded to include a complete free-standing desking solution.

"Pack Desking provides all the flexi-bility and modularity you can ask for in a

freestanding desking system with multi-ple power routing options," notes MikeAndrlik, Trendway Systems product man-ager. "And, it's teamed with the strengthand durability of an all-steel chassis."

The simple modular platform iseasy to specify, install and reconfigureto support different work styles andrequirements. In addition to the com-plete desking offering, extensive Packfiling and storage line includes over 75models to choose from, with numerousoptions to maximize planning flexibility.Pack products also integrate functional-ly and esthetically with all Trendwaysystems and architectural products for afull cohesive workplace solution anduniform aesthetic.

22Arcadia Ales Looks Back to Its Roots

for Packaging RedesignBattle Creek – Arcadia Ales was

established in Battle Creek in 1996 andhas been specializing in hand-crafted,British-inspired ales ever since. Usingthe finest raw materials available includ-ing premium English two-row maltedbarley and Pacific Northwest hops,Arcadia produces small batches of theirales in their authentic British 25-barrelPeter Austin Brewhouse and open-fer-mentation cellar, drawing on 250 yearsof brewing heritage.

It was this sense of heritage thatinspired the company to rethink its label-ing and packaging choices - the tried andtrue images that had clothed their ales’bottles for 14 years.

“We were looking for a more cohe-sive brand identity and architecture andwe're really excited to be accomplishingthat,” said Arcadia Ales founder and pres-

ident Tim Surprise. “We made the decisionabout a year ago, working with a designfirm out of Chicago to help us revitalizeand reinvigorate our branding. The resultis an all-new image, not only for our logobut our individual brand styles.”

With their wide stable of hand-crafted beers, Arcadia was looking for

something that spoke to their Britishinspiration and beer-making ancestry inthat part of the world. Their companylogo features a Celtic knot and strongswooping lettering reminiscent of olduncial calligraphy.

However, changing a brand identitycan be a difficult, even stressful experi-

ence. “It's been a process,” admitsSurprise. “When you're looking at a com-plete redesign of your logo and the famil-iar faces or images of your brands thathave stayed in place for 13 or 14 years, it'soften a bit more painful than one mightthink. It's like taking a nice very old com-fortable sweater out of the closet that youreally look forward to wearing every sea-son but eventually one day, it's too old andtattered and you have to throw it away andget a new one. Getting that new one isn'tas easy as it seems.

“Still, the process has been illumi-nating at the very least and I think itgave us a product image that we're allproud of. That, and it’ll be easier for ourcustomers to find us and identify us.This new cohesiveness and our refreshedbrand identity will give us at least anoth-er 10 years of vitality.”

24Industrial BriefsWest Michigan – The West MichiganChapter of Chemical CoatersAssociation International (CCAI)announced the creation of a specialaward in honor of a very active, life longmember. The Bob Warren DistinguishedServices Award was presented to thenamesake recipient during the 2010West Michigan golf outing in June.

West Michigan - The West MichiganChapter of the Chemical CoatersAssociation International announcedEd Dombrowski, president of TheIndustrial Metal Cleaning Corporationwas the recipient of the 2010-2011Vendor of the Year Award. This awardwas presented in recognition of his sup-port of the local chapter as well as coat-ing and manufacturing companiesthroughout West Michigan. In addition,he is owner of Encore SeatingRestorations, a leader in the restorationof auditorium and theatre seating.

Walker – Tubelite Inc. has addedMichael Augustine as its manufactur-er's representative providing storefront,curtainwall, entrance and daylight con-trol systems to commercial buildingteams throughout Indiana.

Walker – Tubelite Inc. has added a newcopper anodize finish which creates astriking visual effect that retains itsbright metallic appearance, while extend-ing the environmentally-responsible,low-maintenance benefits of its store-front, curtainwall, entrance and daylightcontrol systems. Ideal for theSouthwestern aesthetic and for historical-ly-influenced design palettes, the copperanodize withstands extreme environ-ments and the trials of time. Providingsuperior abrasion resistance and durabil-ity, the anodize finish is applied and test-ed to meet all AAMA 611 Class 1 speci-fications. This eco-friendly finish willnot reveal its age with a patina.

Holland – LeanLogistics announced theopening of a principal sales and serviceoffice in Mississauga, Ontario, operatingas LeanLogistics of Canada. The newoffice, the first for LeanLogistics ofCanada, will provide sales and supportfor the full suite of LeanLogistics On-Demand TMS® technologies and supplychain services. In addition, On-DemandTMS® offers both French and Englishinterfaces specific to Canadian regula-tions and processes.

St. Joseph – With refrigerated transporta-tion indexes pointing to pending capaci-ty restraints and Chicago area ware-housing needing additional deep frozen,high-turn space, Hanson Logisticsannounced it has taken several key stepsin its single-source marketing program.The company has completed its expan-sion of the temperature-controlledChicago Consolidation Center, located inHobart, Indiana. Consisting of new officeareas and 2,517,000 cu. ft. of warehous-ing space, the expansion includes 8,000new pallet positions, staging and dockspace for frozen and refrigerated foods.The flagship Chicago ConsolidationCenter is a three-phase, 14.5 million cu.ft. facility now in its third full year ofoperation. Hanson has also expanded itstransportation management services;Don Romniak has joined the Hansonteam as the director of distribution serv-ices. Romniak, who is stationed at theHanson Chicago Consolidation Center,brings a great deal of experience andknowledge to the department and willplay a large role in the future success ofHanson transportation. The company isalso implementing an electronic paymentprocess for its carrier community.

Holland – LeanLogistics recently hostedthe 8th annual ClientConnect,‘Delivering Maximum Value in aChanging Economy’, a customer sympo-sium, at the Grand Rapids JW Marriott.LeanLogistics clients from across theU.S. gathered for the three-day userevent, bringing together different per-spectives and expertise of industry con-sultants, operations managers and tech-nology experts.

Grand Rapids – Mark Armitage joinedmechanical contractor and fabricatorAndy J. Egan Co. as the company’squality process manager.

Auburn Hills – Chrysler Group, LLC wasrecognized with the Orion EnvironmentalStewardship Award for the auto giant’sdedication to protecting the health of theircommunities, natural resources and theglobal environment. In addition to devel-oping green products as part of theirSmartWay Vehicle Certification programand their work to develop alternative fuelvehicles, Chrysler is in the process ofcompleting energy efficient lighting retro-fit projects that will decrease their electric-ity consumption by 2.9 million kilowatt-hours a year at their GEMA Engine Plantin Dundee, MII and the Mt. Elliott Tooland Die Facility in Detroit. As a result,Chrysler will reduce 38,500 tons of green-house gasses throughout the life of thesystem including carbon dioxide, sulfurdioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury,which are all byproducts of electricitygeneration. The energy efficient lightingwas designed and manufactured by OrionEnergy Systems, a Manitowoc, WI-basedpower technology enterprise, and sup-plied by McNaughton-McKay ElectricCompany based in Madison Heights, MI.

Holland – LeanLogistics co-presented acase study session at the Council ofSupply Chain ManagementProfessionals (CSCMP) Annual GlobalConference 2010, held last September inSan Diego. This year’s CSCMP confer-ence consisted of a futuristic exhibit“The Supply Chain of the Future” as wellas educational sessions.

Troy – Altair Engineering, Inc.announced that it has purchased a136,000 sq. ft. commercial facility on 8.9acres of property at 164 Indusco Ct., inTroy. Following a full rehabilitation ofthe facility, initial plans include locatingAltair’s subsidiary ilumisys, Inc., devel-oper and producer of next-generationsolid-state lighting technology, into thenew building. This will include its head-quarters, research and development andfuture manufacturing operations.

Akron, OH – Thomas Venarge has beennamed president of APV EngineeredCoatings®. Venarge had served as thecompany’s vice president of manufactur-ing since 2004, and has also been theplant manager since 1999. Despite thechallenging economy, APV had its fifthbest sales month ever in August of 2010which is impressive, considering thecompany is more than 130 years old.

Review of Stop Self-Sabotage

By Rolf Dobelli, Chairman,getAbstract

Never has the saying “You are yourown worst enemy” taken on more mean-ing than in this analysis of self-sabo-tage. Clinical psychotherapist PatPearson takes a close look at how peopleprevent themselves from achieving

abundant success and happiness. Sheexplains that individuals set “DeserveLevels” for every aspect of their lives. Ifthey try to exceed these self-imposedlimits, they become conflicted and oftenundermine their success with variousself-sabotage strategies. Ultimately, ifyou don’t believe at your very core thatyou deserve something, you won’t allowyourself to have it. You’ll lose weight justto gain it back, fail to develop an inti-mate relationship or get fired from yourdream job. If you feel you are constantlyfalling short of getting what you want,getAbstract recommends this book toyou. Its systematic advice, self-tests,transforming exercises, concrete actionrecommendations, self-affirming strate-gies and real-life examples will help yousmash your “internal glass ceiling.”

Pat Pearson. Stop Self-Sabotage: GetOut of Your Own Way to Earn MoreMoney, Improve Your Relationships, andFind the Success You Deserve. McGraw-Hill, 2008. 240 pages, List Price: $16.95.ISBN-13: 978-0071603195

getAbstract is the leading providerof business book summaries, with morethan 5,000 titles covered.

25US Begins to Adopt

‘Front-of-Pack’ Nutritional LabelingBy Raghav Prashant Sundar andDr. Laura Bix

The link between diet and health haslong been recognized. Almost all majornon-communicable diseases includingcancer, heart disease and stroke aredeeply rooted in dietary habits. Obesity, inparticular, carries with it both medical andpsychosocial consequences. Expertsbelieve that if current trends prevail, 86%(8 in 10) of Americans will be obese bythe year 2030.

Labeling on food packages has longbeen seen as a means to help consumersmake healthy dietary choices. “NutritionFacts” labels that disclose nutrientamounts and Recommended Daily Intakeshave become ubiquitous since they werefirst mandated in the early 1990’s.Nutrition Fact Panels (NFP’s) have tradi-tionally been placed on the side or back ofa package. In the recent past, systemshave emerged that provide nutritioninformation on the “front” of packages.These front-of-pack (FOP) nutritionlabels can be anything from a few lines oftext inside a circle to official systems thatcombine graphic cues with textual infor-mation. Originally promoted as beingmore attention-grabbing and ‘in-the-way’of consumers making a purchase, theselabels have also been associated with

simplicity and ease of use.“Traffic light” label formats, a sys-

tem that combines color and text to con-vey the density of specific nutrients werefirst introduced in the United Kingdom inthe early 2000’s by the Food StandardsAssociation (FSA) - the UK equivalent ofour FDA. The color coding of nutrientsinto red, amber and green circles isbelieved to enable quick and easy com-parisons between products.

At approximately the same time, theFood and Drug Federation (FDF), a largeand influential industry consortium,came out with their own FOP label formatcalled the “%GDA” format leading to along drawn political/scientific debate asto which format is better suited. As oftoday, no consensus has been reachedregarding which format is better suited tobe an optimum FOP label.

In the United States, FOP icons andsymbols gained prominence when a con-sortium of manufacturers joined to createthe “Smart Choices” program in 2007.Member companies could add a green“smart choices” icon on the front of pack-ages that contained products that qualifiedfor the symbol with the intent of convey-ing a healthful message. This programgenerated a lot of negative publicity whenseveral consumer groups criticized it fornot having strong criteria for the inclusion

of products, and it was suggested that sev-eral of the qualified products were notoptimal choices for people pursuinghealthy diets. This program was suspend-ed shortly after it was introduced when theFDA announced its plans to study FOPlabel formats and create a uniform non-misleading system that all manufacturerscould use. While manufacturers wait forFDA recommendations, many FOP formatsthat offer at-a-glance nutrition summariescontinue to be used in the USA.

Consumer groups and manufactur-ers agree that there is an urgent need forevidence based research into the design,use and understanding of FOP labels.Researchers at the Michigan StateUniversity School of Packaging are hardat work, trying to apply basic research invisual cognition to answer the oftenasked question of what constitutes agood FOP label. Using novel techniqueslike change detection and eye tracking,researchers are characterizing the atten-tive and comprehensive behaviors ofindividuals when they view varied FOPdesigns, determining whether or not theFOP acts as a “short cut” to the compre-hensive information provided throughthe Nutrition Facts Panel and whether ornot the FOP formats facilitate quick andeasy nutritional comparisons.

Of further interest is the effect of the

study population on the behaviors ofinterest. Study participants will berecruited from populations that are dis-proportionately affected by obesity, andresearchers also plan to study children.Historically and in the FOP labelingtrend, children have not been consideredwhen nutritional labeling is developeddespite research suggesting that: 1)Childhood is a critical time for developinglong-lasting eating habits; 2) Children’spreferences are impacted by productpackaging and branding (i.e. children aresensitive to material that appears onpackaging) and 3) Child preferencesimpact parental purchasing behavior.

Regardless of the population beingtested, the ultimate goal of the research isto optimize nutritional labels so that theysuccessfully communicate nutritionalinformation by garnering attention,understanding and ultimately facilitatinghealthy dietary choices.

Dr. Laura Bix is an associate profes-sor at the school of packaging atMichigan State University where she spe-cializes in healthcare packaging. RaghavPrashant Sundar is a graduate studentworking under Dr. Bix. His Phd disserta-tion is focused on the design of front-of-pack nutrition labeling.

Altair ProductDesign Selects Odyssey forAdvanced Mass Transit Solution

Troy – In an effort to develop andcommercialize an advanced bus platformthat lowers the total cost of ownershipand environmental impact of commercialbuses, Altair ProductDesign moved onestep closer with the naming of LakeOrion, MI-based Odyssey Industries, Inc.as a fabrication partner for Altair’sBUSolutions program.

BUSolutions is a collaborative effortbetween public and private entities toresearch, develop and commercializeadvanced transit bus systems that aresignificantly more fuel efficient, havelower operating and maintenance costs,are competitively priced and can operatewithout updating the infrastructure ofexisting transit authorities.

Additionally, the BUSolutions pro-gram includes industry-leading compa-nies that will help to incorporate state-of-the-art components and technologies

from the transportation sector. Programsponsors include Arvin Meritor,Hamilton Sundstrand, PRAN, SikaCorporation, Alcoa Howmet, CarrierCorporation, LAAD Industries, PretoriaTransit Interiors, Shaw Development,USSC Group and Williams Controls.

Altair is working closely withOdyssey to fabricate the first technologydemonstrator bus. Fabrication of the busbody structure is currently underway atOdyssey and final assembly is slated tobegin this summer at Altair. Once thebuild of the first technology demonstratorbus is complete, Altair will conduct test-ing to validate the reductions in fuel,maintenance and lifetime-operation costs.

Since BUSolutions launched in 2005,Altair has worked closely with local tran-sit authorities, the Suburban MobilityAuthority for Regional Transportationand the Detroit Department of

Transportation to ensure the newlydesigned bus platform will meet regulato-

ry requirements and address the needs ofbus drivers and riders.

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26Sustainable, Reusable Packaging For Supply Chains

by Dr. Diana Twede

Sustainability is the hot new topic inpackaging and supply chain manage-ment. This trend presents a great oppor-tunity to simultaneously examine the costand the environmental effects of shippingcontainers. It’s natural to considerreusable packaging, since we humanshave a long history of reusing shippingcontainers from early wooden barrels totoday’s plastic totes. The sustainability ofreusable packaging systems depends onthe cost and benefits to the supply chainsthat use them. Durable, reusable shippingcontainers can be a profitable and sus-tainable investment…or a costly mistake.Often, it is more cost and environmental-ly effective to use an inexpensive,expendable, recyclable corrugated fiber-board box.

It has been over 15 years since theautomobile assembly industry began itsreusable plastic container initiative forthe purpose of reducing waste. Duringthat time, reusable containers havegained market share in other industriestoo, bringing with them benefits ofreduced purchasing cost and lean pro-duction opportunities. But there havealso been barriers to the use of reusablecontainers. A primary obstacle has beena lack of knowledge of the best supplychain practices and lack of understand-ing about how reusable packaging affectsprofitability. There is a need to betterunderstand the reverse logistics options,

costs and benefits.Deciding to invest in a reusable

packaging system is a very different taskfrom purchasing “expendable” contain-ers because they are an investment, notan expense (unless they are rented).Packaging and supply chain managersare not accustomed to thinking of pack-aging as an investment.

It is unfortunately common for deci-sion-makers to mistakenly apply a pay-back period approach. This would assume,for example, that if the cost for onereusable plastic container is ten times thecost for the equivalent disposable corru-gated fiberboard box, then it will “payback” after ten uses. This is a mistakebecause it ignores the other cost flowsassociated with reusable containers,including the positive returns after thepayback period. It is also a mistakebecause payback hurdles favor cheap, lessdurable containers that pay back quickly,but add replacement costs in the long run.

Like any investment, the decisionshould depend on a sound financial justi-fication over time using a Net PresentValue (NPV) model. Predicting the NPV ofa “fleet” of containers depends on the ini-tial cost (in year zero) as well as the oper-ating costs for each of the number ofyears they can be used (discounted for thefuture). These operating costs include allcosts of returning the containers to use.The NPV should also include the costsavoided by eliminating the need to repeat-edly purchase expendable packages as

well as replacement costs. It shouldinclude tax benefits for depreciating theinvestment and the recycling value whenthe containers are ultimately scrapped.

The initial investment depends onthe cost of each container and the num-ber needed. The number depends on thedaily usage and length of the cycle. Thecycle time depends on the time to deliverthe full package and the time to returnthe empty package to use. This is whythey are often used in just-in-time (JIT)logistical systems like the automobileassembly industry and for perishablefresh produce in supermarkets.

The operating costs depend on thenature of the reverse logistics system.The containers can be returned one-for-one, like dairy crates in a milk run, orthey can be pooled in an interchangeablesystem, like the nationwide redistributionof grocery pallets. They can be returned touse by a firm’s lead third party logistics(3PL) provider or by a 3PL that special-izes in returnable packaging service. Thecost of tracking and managing the fleet ofcontainers is easy to underestimate; Thishas proven to be one of the automobileindustry’s biggest challenges, which iswhy it now also uses 3PL services tomanage the information regarding con-tainer demand and supply.

The number of years that containerscan be used is difficult to predict. Itdepends on their durability, as well as thecare with which they are used. Tests fordurability usually focus on the package’sweakest area, such as hinges or thinspots. Training programs that show work-ers the right way to handle and stackthem will increase the number of uses.

Once a firm has made the invest-ment, the actual cost flows and durabili-

ty should be tracked in order to evaluatewhether it was, indeed, profitable.Unfortunately, this kind of real docu-mentation is rare, and most of the feed-back about reusable shipping containersis anecdotal.

The good news is that the news ismostly good. Some of the automobileindustry’s first plastic reusable contain-ers are unexpectedly still serviceable 15years later. The assembly plants are cleanand tidy compared to the previous pilesof trash in the aisles, which hasimproved workers’ morale. The modular,interchangeable containers are key tolean production. There are even stories ofcommunities like Alameda County,California, that encourages residents andbusinesses to switch to reusable contain-ers in order to “stop waste.”

But while it is rare to find a user whoadmits that adopting reusable containerswas a costly mistake, there are plenty ofstories of users who have underestimatedsystem-wide logistics costs. The answerto the question “Are they profitable?” is“It depends.” It mostly depends on goodsupply chain management.

Dr. Diana Twede is a CSCMP memberand professor at the School of Packagingat Michigan State University in EastLansing, Michigan.

This article appeared in the Councilof Supply Chain ManagementProfessional’s newsletter, CSCMP SupplyChain Comment, Volume 43, Spring2009. CSCMP Supply Chain Comment ispublished three times a year by CSCMP.©2009 Council of Supply ChainManagement Professionals.

ELFA Survey of Economic Activity

Washington, DC – The EquipmentLeasing and Finance Association’s(ELFA) Monthly Leasing and FinanceIndex (MLFI-25), which reports econom-ic activity for the $518 billion equipmentfinance sector, showed overall new busi-ness volume for August increased 16percent when compared to the same peri-od in 2009. When compared to the priormonth however, the MLFI-25 reportednew business volume declined from $5.6billion to $4.3 billion. This drop followstwo consecutive months of growth.

Credit quality is mixed as well.Receivables over 30 days increased to4.3 percent, up from 3.5 percent in theprior month, but improved when com-pared to the year-earlier period (5.0%).Charge-offs fell for the second consecu-tive month, from 1.5 percent in July to

1.3 percent in August, and there wasconsiderable improvement when com-pared to the same period in 2009.

The percentage of credit approvalsincreased to 73 percent in August,matching the highest approval ratio sinceSeptember 2008. Sixty-eight percent ofparticipating organizations reported sub-mitting more transactions for approvalduring the month. Finally, total head-count for equipment finance companiesincreased during the July-August period.Supplemental data shows that truckingand construction assets lead the under-performing sectors.

The Equipment Leasing & FinanceFoundation's Monthly Confidence Index(MCI-EFI) for September is 56.9, downfrom 58.2 in August.

Mission Possible: Technology Advances Spur Security and Safety Revolution

Grandville – As businesses, schoolsand government offices search for solu-tions to public safety and building secu-rity, a revolution is taking place withsecurity equipment and systems. Withthe latest advances in digital technology,business and public sector organizationscan implement security and buildingmanagement solutions that conjure upimages of the latest spy thriller. Evenbetter, the new age digital security plat-forms offer the promise of cost savingsand substantial reductions in energyusage, often while redeploying the com-ponents of existing systems.

“From the safety of employees andcustomers, to loss prevention and crisismanagement, most business recognizethat effective security and building man-agement measures are a cost of doingbusiness today,” said KevinVandeGuche, director of business devel-opment for Midstate Security. “Our chal-lenge is to show the efficiencies that canbe achieved—especially when budgetsare tight—using these cutting edge digi-tal systems.”

For anyone who goes to work in amodern office building, running an IDcard past a reader is nothing new. Morethan a few probably notice a video cam-era tucked somewhere in the ceiling,and everyone expects the presence offire detection equipment and burglaralarm systems. Through the skillfuldeployment of IP (internet protocol)technologies—much of the same tech-nology that drives telephone communi-cations systems and computer net-works—facilities can expand capabilitiesand bring these disparate systemstogether and make them accessible overthe Internet.

Compared to legacy analogy sys-tems, digital IP systems deliver signifi-cant benefits, including:

• Improved business continuity• Better collaboration with public

safety agencies• Reduced network and operational

costs• Synergies between physical secu-

rity and building facilities

Business Contingency PlanningFrom natural disasters to disgrun-

tled employees, growing numbers ofbusinesses have to plan for the unex-pected. If a crisis occurs at one location,whether it is across town or across theworld, the ability to monitor alarms,video surveillance cameras and sensorswhile managing building access controland controlling IP-connected buildingsystems such as HVAC systems, lightingand elevators is crucial.

Enhanced CollaborationToday, most enterprise safety and

security groups need to go through adispatcher to communicate with firstresponders because they use incompati-ble radios. With an IP-based, interoper-able communications system, internalsafety and security personnel can com-municate directly with executives andfirst responders using any communica-tions device including any type of radio,phone or even a laptop with the appro-priate software. If one site's networkgoes down entirely, a remote team canquickly reroute phone calls destined tothe affected site to ensure continuity.

Incident Detection and ResponseConsider the case of a suspected

theft from a job site. Using analog sys-tems, the security officers need to useaccess different systems to view videofootage, access badge scan systems forbuilding entry and yet another to dis-patch resources to begin the crime-in-progress response. Time spent switchingsystems can lead to errors that postponeincident detection and response.

With an IP-based security solutionsecurity personnel can use the wirelessnetwork to pinpoint the asset's locationand then poll all cameras in the buildingto look for suspicious persons. Buildingalarms can be checked to see if a badgeswipe was denied signaling unautho-rized entry by means of slipping inbehind authorized personnel. With thisintelligence, the security team canbroadcast a photo of the suspect to secu-rity personnel's PCs and smart phonesfor an alert.

Convergence and ConsumptionSimilarly IP-based systems allow for

a convergence between physical securityand building facilities systems. For exam-ple, failed door access control or a detect-ed gas leak affects both areas of security.The ability for both teams to access eachother's systems is often advantageous,such as when building systems need to beshut down in the event of a chemical leakor natural disaster.

IP-based building control systemscan also save substantial amounts ofmoney by effectively managing energyconsumption in real time. This enablesorganizations to identify anomalies thatcan indicate failed equipment. Similarly,organizations can participate in theirutility's demand-response program,which provides financial incentives toreduce consumption on high-demanddays. These systems can automaticallyadjust building temperatures seamlessly.

Preserving Existing InvestmentsEven better news is that adopting

an IP-based approach does not requirethe purchase of all new equipment.Instead, customers can mix and matchany open standards-based equipment:IP-based video surveillance systemswork with old and new analog and net-work cameras from any vendor.

“This is an industry that keeps itssecrets well,” said Midstate’sVandeGutche. “But word needs to getout: Digital systems can breathe new lifeinto legacy systems which makes themeven more cost effective.

“It may be hard to put a price onthe safety and security of your employ-ees and business, but IP-based securitytechnology makes it easy to justify theexpense of preventing the unexpectedwhile it simultaneously increases opera-tion efficiency.”

27

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