Ever vigilant for the business community, the Cornerstone Alliance's team at the Women's Business Center will team up this month with the Michigan Small Business Development Center to show small businesses how best to measure their own viability and sustainability in the work-a-day world of Michigan's Great Southwest. ... ...Read Full Story
Anybody who's ever been in a hurry to get business done during the month of December knows only too well how difficult it can be to get key decision's made…or even to gather together all of the key decision-makers. So, when measuring the scope and scale of the West Michigan Industrial Economy, Professor Brian Long rarely panics if the numbers in his monthly survey of business trends and forecasts tend to soften or even fall off. ... ...Read Full Story
Michigan Congressman Bill Huizenga has been selected to Chair the Financial Services Capital Markets, Securities and Investment Subcommittee for the 115th Congress according to Financial Services Committee Chair Jeb Hensarling. ... ...Read Full Story
Whether you're an employer dealing with unemployment agency issues through the Michigan Talent Investment Agency or simply a worker trying to access benefits, 2017 is on target to be a better year across the board.... ...Read Full Story
It's one of the coolest settings in the region…it's at the heart of the action…and it continues to draw rave reviews in "Michigan's Most Romantic City." Shadowland on Silver Beach is basking in sunshine on this snowy day in Michigan's Great Southwest having collected its fifth consecutive annual trophy as a 2017 winner in The Knot Best of Weddings. That's an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot — the leading wedding brand and marketplace. It's the 5th year in a row that Shadowland on Silver Beach has been selected for the honor.
In 2017, only 2-percent of the 300,000 local wedding professionals listed on TheKnot.com have received this distinguished accolade. In its eleventh annual year, The Knot continues its longstanding tradition of supporting local wedding vendors with The Knot Best of Weddings 2017, an annual by-couples, for-couples guide to the top wedding professionals across the country. To determine the winners, The Knot assessed almost one million reviews across the various vendor categories—venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more. These winners represent the best of the best for wedding professionals that a bride or groom would want to consider in order to inspire, plan and book their own unique wedding.... ...Read Full Story
The concept they called The Food District never really gained traction in it's 18-month run, and Jim Kramer is smart enough to recognize that it likely was never going to turn around, so Monday was its last day. The oversized front windows onto State Street in downtown St. Joseph have once again been papered over as work crews have launched remodeling changes to convert the eatery into a new authentic Italian restaurant under the watchful eye of veteran restaurateur Ray Mays.... ...Read Full Story
Lots of people got Amazon's Echo and Echo Dot for Christmas this season and have been enjoying their "always on" access to on-demand information of all sorts from Alexa, but now that technology is making its way into a considerably more meaningful platform in the form of new smart appliances for your home. Whirlpool Corporation is collaborating with the team at Amazon to usher in a whole new suite of home appliances that are responsive to your voice command and control.... ...Read Full Story
Whether you are a first timer or a regular donor, the American Red Cross has issued a nationwide emergency call for blood and platelet donors due to a severe winter blood shortage.... ...Read Full Story
The aggressive growth pattern of Crystal Flash will advance the company's footprint deeper into Southwest Michigan in the New Year thanks to the energy company's ninth acquisition in just five years' time. New to the Crystal Flash stable is Richardson Oil of Lawrence in Van Buren County. ... ...Read Full Story
Saying in a brief Tweet, "He has been an outstanding partner," Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has today announced his appointment of former State Representative & House Appropriations Chair Al Pscholka as the new Budget Director for the State of Michigan.
Pscholka, who was term-limited out of office at the end of 2016, will take over the position when John Roberts leaves in mid-February for a private-sector position. Until then, Pscholka will be working closely with Roberts as the Budget Office prepares to present the Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget.
The Governor said in a formal statement today: “Al has been an outstanding partner as we have worked to complete responsible, truly balanced budgets ahead of schedule six years in a row.” He added, “His experience and commitment to continuing to build upon the strong fiscal foundation we have laid make him an excellent choice to continue serving the people of Michigan as the state’s Budget Director.”
Pscholka, who served on the House Appropriations Committee for all six years as a state representative, was chair of the committee for the past two years. Before being elected to the state House, Pscholka served as a Lincoln Township Trustee for eight years. Pscholka was the district director for Congressman Fred Upton from 2003 to 2010. Prior to that position, he was in charge of marketing and communications for Cornerstone Alliance, the private, nonprofit economic development group in Southwest Michigan.
In response to the Governor's appointment, Al says, "My passion for the past six years has been protecting taxpayers through financial responsibility while crafting the state budget.” He adds, “Michigan has made great strides, eliminating $20 billion in debt, putting $700 million into the state’s savings account, improving our credit rating and producing the best budget process in the country."... ...Read Full Story
The New Year is just hours old in the business world and already excitement is coursing through the manufacturing community of Michigan's Great Southwest. With many of our local manufacturers engaged in the automotive world, the news from Detroit this morning is reverberating quickly. ... ...Read Full Story
Paula Wygonik was exactly what the United Federal Credit Union Board of Directors had in mind when they established an Associate Director Program to help build a bench of future directors to help guide the financial institution into its future.... ...Read Full Story
Heading to Las Vegas each year at this time is a big league thrill for innovators, engineers, marketers and beyond at the Consumer Electronics Show, but you can ratchet that excitement into overdrive when your team wins a half-dozen CES 2017 Innovation Awards before the doors are even open to the masses of trades people headed to the Nevada desert to see the latest and greatest.... ...Read Full Story
You could tell almost immediately what mood Frank Hoffmann was in. The big, full-tilt grin typically would give away the fact that he was doing fine and was happy to see you. If that was missing, things were probably not faring too well, or he had issues that needed to be dealt with. Fortunately, most of my contact with Frank generated the big smile that was absolutely infectious.... ...Read Full Story
Eighty-nine days and 2,000 temporary workers later, Indiana Michigan Power Company's Cook Nuclear Plant Unit 2 has completed an extended-length refueling outage and is back in service, online, connected to the transmission grid once again.... ...Read Full Story
The first business day of the New Year got off to a shaky start for a Benton Harbor store thanks to the armed gunman who decided he wanted their cash early today.... ...Read Full Story
It's no secret that Whirlpool Corporation is heavily invested in the world of innovation and product design excellence, and now they are throwing their support behind a dynamic new facility planned for the Kalamazoo Campus of Western Michigan University. Earlier this month the university announced receipt of a major gift from a Kalamazoo couple with a passion for the arts and a history of executive leadership. Their $3-million gift was set aside to support creation of a new product design and innovation facility, and Whirlpool and other manufacturers across the state are delighted to join the effort.... ...Read Full Story
When you're a professional engaged in the realm of Human Resource Management, leadership rapidly becomes the gold standard for success. With that in mind, a local group of HR managers and experts will gather shortly after the New Year to help promote the development of new leaders in a half-day summit for business professionals at Western Michigan University Southwest.... ...Read Full Story
While the new gas tax and higher automobile registration fees in Michigan may not be the welcome to 2017 you were hoping for, we may finally start to make some progress on the condition of Michigan roads and bridges as a result of those higher costs. ... ...Read Full Story
Sarah Damaske was an accomplished equestrian right up until her death nearly 7 years ago. Robert Egan was a legendary Hunter Jumper Trainer ensconced in the Hunter Jumper Hall of Fame. Thanks to both individuals, the Therapeutic Equestrian Center, or TEC, barn arena can now be used year-round for riding lessons. TEC held a small ceremony earlier this month to honor the memory of Sarah and Bob and accept their generous gifts to the organization allowing installation of heaters over the barn's arena paving the way for warm riding lessons regardless of the weather outdoors. ... ...Read Full Story
There's a new agent in the mix for Farm Bureau Insurance of Bridgman, and he brings to the table a career in IT business management along with his extensive new agent training recently completed. Kyle Hatheway of Stevensville joins the Farm Bureau Insurance Agency office at 9843 Red Arrow Highway in Bridgman.... ...Read Full Story
While there's already a business in downtown St. Joe with the "wanderlust" name, the ladies of the Lazy Ballerina Winery in the city's central business district have developed a serious case of their own wanderlust, and are striking off on a new adventure to the City of Bridgman next.... ...Read Full Story
It was supposed to be just another day at work in a busy holiday season for Edmund Hillman of New Buffalo. He was doing another tour of duty as a bus driver for his team at Four Winds Casino at New Buffalo. Something went tragically wrong shortly before 10am this morning when Hillman's bright red 2015 Coach Bus bearing the Four Winds Casino logos careened off the roadway in New Buffalo Township and came to rest alongside a tree.... ...Read Full Story
If you're tipping the scales far more than you anticipated following your Christmas cookie and egg nog binging, you can always do the ritualistic New Year's resolution to lose that nasty extra baggage…or you can get real about it, and undertake a more serious — and likely considerably more successful — approach with the team at Lakeland Health. ... ...Read Full Story
Occasionally folks will make fun of the Village of Baroda by pointing out the fact that the community's main thoroughfare through the central business district is a dead end street. Most members of the community long ago learned to shrug it off because they know that the tiny municipality is anything but a dead end community. In fact, a new book hot off the Andrews University Press provides an excellent snapshot of an impressive array of talented business people who comprise that community.... ...Read Full Story
No community in Michigan can take away your access to plastic shopping bags any longer. While there are more than 150 communities scattered across the nation who have taken it upon themselves to either ban plastic bags from retail stores or begun charging fees to allow continued use, that is no longer an option in the Great Lakes State. ... ...Read Full Story
The final numbers aren't in yet for the Michigan retail holiday shopping season, but if the final survey of the year is accurate, not only was the Christmas season a strong one, the forecast for the first quarter of 2017 is rock solid, ready to carry the momentum into the New Year.... ...Read Full Story
If you plan to join the ranks of those who will be giving up a smoking habit in the New Year, the Berrien County Health Department would like to help you in that effort with their "Freedom From Smoking" program as developed by the American Lung Association. ... ...Read Full Story
Chances are this is the type of story you've heard before. In fact, you might well have heard it at least three other times in the past year alone. Lansing-based Neogen Corporation is once again growing through acquisition. Just a week ago the financial report from the firm showed substantive growth through both organic growth and by acquisition, and now they have taken on a Brazilian company — Rogama Industria e Comerico, Ltda. ... ...Read Full Story
A couple of veteran Chicago brewers who finalized the deal to acquire the former Bridgman State Police Post just under two years ago and then hired contractors from Benton Harbor for a substantial makeover and expansion of the building for what has become the Haymarket Pub & Brewery on Red Arrow Highway are finally ready to throw open the doors and welcome you in just after the New Year. For those who have been waiting…it's a New Year of great anticipation.
Brewmaster Pete Crowley and his business partner John Neurauter closed the deal with Lake Charter Township officials in mid-March of 2015 and immediately dispatched crews from McGuire's Professional Construction of Benton Harbor to begin the conversion into a full-scale production brewery. The new venture joins the Haymarket Pub & Brewery in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, which the two opened nearly seven years ago.
The new brewery was acquired from Lake Township for $500,000 in a deal originally struck in the fall of 2014. It sits on a 17-acre wooded site, and will feature a large outdoor beer garden in the summer season, as well as space to host a variety of outdoor events.
In his original blog statement on Haymarket Brewing Company's own website, in the spring of 2015, Crowley voiced considerable excitement over the eastward expansion saying, "I'm proud to call myself a Chicagoan and be a part of its great craft brewing scene for over 15 years." He added, "During that time I met my business partner John Neurauter, who introduced me to beautiful Southwest Michigan. I am looking forward to joining a second amazing group of brewers and to be able to call both places my home."
The original Haymarket Pub & Brewery is located at 737 W. Randolph in Chicago, and was opened for business in 2010, specializing in "Classic Belgian and contemporary American brewing styles, with an emphasis on hops, barrel-aging and a wide variety of authentic Belgian yeast strains."
The new place in Bridgman has undergone a massive conversion including more than a million dollars in bottling equipment alone. The former State Police Post was built by Lake Township in 1994 for lease to the state of Michigan, but was vacated when budget cuts forced the closure in the fall of 2011.
Over the course of a three-year expansion plan in Bridgman, Haymarket Brewing projects up to 40 employees on staff with over half of those enlisted as full-timers in the bottling facility.
In the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, the Haymarket Pub & Brewery is housed in a 100-year old building a stone's throw from a historical marker dedicating the site of the Haymarket Riot of 1886. Their kitchen there offers "house-made sausages, smoked meats, specialty pizzas and other handcrafted fare," according to the online blog.
For Crowley's part, the web defines him as "A highly decorated brewer, having won 70 local, national and international awards for his beers, including medals from the World Beer Cup, Great American Beer Festival, and the Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer." His resume lists "Varieties ranging from refreshing Pilsners to hoppy ales and rich Imperial Stouts aged in bourbon barrels, a brewing technique that has put Crowley on the national beer map for his pioneering work with the specialty."
Haymarket's "The Defender" American Stout captured Gold Medals in 2014 at both the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival.
In Bridgman the Haymarket Pub & Brewery includes a taproom and kitchen serving those same wood-fired pizzas and house-made sausages in addition to the production brewery on site.
Haymarket Pub & Brewery of Bridgman has plans for a soft opening on the weekend of January 5th and a full Grand Opening celebration coming on January 12th. ... ...Read Full Story