BusinessBusiness

upda teupdate1993-2013 u b l i c a t i o nu b l i c a t i o n

Cover Story:Happy Anniversary,TowerPinkster –

Architects | Engineers!

Inside FeaturesInside FeaturesFamily Owened Business

Independent LivingContinuing Education

December 2013 $2.00

Ottawa Kent: Partnering with Business for Insurance and Risk Management

By Jane Whittington

Ottawa Kent started as an insuranceagency but has evolved into much more.In 1973, Gary Haverdink, who had pre-viously been an engineer and hadworked briefly as an insurance agent,decided it was time to go into businessfor himself as an independent insurancewriter, representing a number of carriers.In this way, Haverdink felt he could bestserve his clients by matching their needsto the specific products of differentinsurance carriers. Ottawa Kent startedwith a grand total of two employees inone location but now includes a staff of56 with four offices in Jenison, Sparta,Holland and Byron Center. About half ofthe employees work out of the Jenisonoffice.

Gary Haverdink retired in 1996 andsold the company to his sons, Mike andMatt Haverdink.

As the agency has grown, so haveits products and services. As an inde-pendent insurance company, OttawaKent’s menu includes insurance for auto,life, home, farm, renters, flood, boat andmotorcycle. They sell insurance both tobusinesses and to individuals, and theirsales are about evenly divided betweenthe two.

According to Ottawa Kent PresidentMike Haverdink, “We now representabout 20 insurance carriers and othercompanies continue to approach us torepresent them and offer their products

and services to our customers.”In addition, they offer expertise in

risk management, human resourcessupport, benefits administration, legalcompliance and assistance, health man-agement, training, controlling workers’compensation costs and administrationand also offer business insurance.

Haverdink says, “Essentially, wefunction as an outsourced humanresources department. We align our-selves well with companies with morethan 20 but less than 200 employees.We are able to keep these companies up-to-date in terms of things like compli-ance issues or the Affordable Care Act.

By using our services, they don’t have tosend their staff to dozens of seminars tokeep current. We do that for them. Wecan gather that information and thencome back and be a resource for them.”

He continues, “We’re not onsite forthe companies we serve, but we main-tain a relationship with them and pro-vide support and assistance.”

In terms of risk management,Haverdink says, “We help companies gothrough the five steps integral to riskmanagement. Those steps are identify-ing risk; analyzing risk; putting controlmeasures in place; purchasing theappropriate insurance for those things

that can’t be controlled; and, finally,ongoing monitoring. Businesses arealways changing and so is their risk. It’simportant for us to have that ongoingmonitoring piece in place. Risk manage-ment is never done; it’s constantlyevolving.”

Ottawa Kent currently works withabout 1,500 businesses, many in manu-facturing and construction.

Five times a year, Ottawa Kentoffers seminars for their customers ontopics like health care reform, wellnessand avoiding harassment, discrimina-tion and workplace violence. Expertspeakers are featured at these “Academyof Risk” seminars. They also offer amagazine titled Beyond Insurance totheir customers and other interestedpeople.

The agency was recently featured inRough Notes, a trade publication forinsurance professionals.

Haverdink points out that not onlyare they a family business, but there areseveral families who are their employ-ees. Randy Boss is one of their partners,and both of his sons, Josh and Dustin,also work at Ottawa Kent. And besidesthe Haverdinks and the Bosses, there arethree other families with multiple gener-ations working at the company.

Jane Whittington is a freelancewriter and editor who lives in GrandRapids.

2

Family Business Fast FactsThe Conway Center for Family

Business reports,, “Family firms com-prise 80 to 90 percent off all businessenterprises in North America.

The Family Business Alliance ofGrand Rapids is spearheaded by theGrand Rapids Chamber of Commerce andthe Family Owned Business Institute ofGrand Valley State University’s Seidman

School of Business and is supported byits members who are family-owned busi-nesses or firms providing service to fam-ily businesses. The FBAGR offers oppor-tunities focused on the challenges familybusinesses face. They are committed tohelping family businesses succeed gen-eration to generation. Their website iswww.fbagr.org

For 20 years, Glenn Muske of NorthDakota State University has been study-ing coupes who start businesses togeth-er whom he calls “co-preneurs”. Hisresearch has found that two-thirds ofbusinesses in the US as family owned,and a third of those are run by couples.

Kennesaw State University reportedthat 80 percent of the world’s businessesare family owned. Family businessesaccount for 60 percent of US employ-ment, 78 percent of all new jobs and 65percent of all wages paid in the US.

The University of Vermont says that24 percent of all family businesses areled by women.

The top ten family businesses in theUS are Wal-Mart (Walton); Ford MotorCompany (Ford); Cargill Koch Industries

(Koch); Carlson Companies (Carlson);Comcast (Roberts); News Corp.(Murdoch); HCA Holdings (Frist);Bechtel Group (Bechtel); and Mars(Mars).

The Churchin Family BusinessAdvisor reports that 70 percent of familybusinesses don’t make it past the firstgeneration. Fifteen percent don’t get pastthe second generation; 12 percent don’tmake it past the third generation. Onlythree percent of family businesses make itto the fourth generation and beyond. Theyfurther report that 67 percent of familybusinesses don’t have a succession planleaving only 33 percent who do.

Forbes reported in July 2013 thefamily businesses generate over 50 per-cent of the US Gross National Product.

Reproduced wiht permissionform Rough Notes®

Curbside Trash & Waste Services:Trash Cart • Yard Waste Cart • Recycle Cart866-669 2047 Jenison, Michigan

3

G. B. Russo and Son: Bringing La Dolce Vita to Grand Rapids Since 1903

By Jane Whittington

Trying to make a “quick stop” at G.B. Russo and Son is an exercise in futil-ity. This long-time Grand Rapids icon isso packed with delicious foods and bev-erages that customers find themselvesspending a delightful hour or so justlooking around. And those customersare sure to leave with at least some ofRusso’s unique products, or, if they givein to compelling temptation, a wholegrocery cart full!

It’s hard to resist when just a par-tial list of what they carry includes wine,both imported and domestic; exotic pas-tas with names like fusilli lunghi, pepeor taglioline nests; oils and dressingsfrom around the world; artisan breads; afull array of Michigan-made products;spices; delectable candies of all kinds;specialty coffee and coffee makers (andthere’s no better coffee than Italian cof-fee!); beers and liquors of all sorts; andoh, so much more.

Phil Russo says that his grandfa-ther founded the store in 1903.According to Phil, “My grandfathercame to the United States from Sicily inthe late 1890’s. He first settled inPittsburgh but then came to GrandRapids and opened a small grocery storein East Grand Rapids on Reed’s Lake.After three years, he moved the store tothe part of Grand Rapids that was thenknown as ‘Little Italy’, around Franklinand Division. In 1916, my father wasborn. My grandfather was so excited tohave a son that he renamed his store G.B. Russo and Son, and that’s the namewe have carried to today.”

He continues, “My father Frankgraduated in 1938 from what was thenthe Michigan State College ofAgriculture and Applied Science (nowMichigan State University). He served inthe Army for two years and then wentinto the Navy. Then it was home toGrand Rapids to go into business withhis father.”

Frank Russo has the distinction ofselling the first pizza in Grand Rapids inthe 1940’s. Still in the Franklin andDivision area, the store expanded toinclude three storefronts, and the familylived upstairs where there was also adance hall and meeting space.

Phil says, “During those years, itwas difficult for African-Americans or

Hispanic groups to rent space forevents. My father opened up the areaabove his store for everyone. He let peo-ple use it rent-free. I heard stories thatentertainers like Nat King Cole and B. B.King performed there when no one elsewould make space available for them. Inthe 1960’s, there were race riots inGrand Rapids; the stores on either sideof G. B. Russo were burned, but ourstore was spared. It wasn’t until myfather’s funeral that I found out allabout this; people came up to me to tellme how much he had meant to themand how they appreciated his willing-ness to give them a place to meet. “

Eventually the store moved toEastern and Burton for nine years andthen, in 1976, their current store wasbuilt at 2770 29th St.

By the mid-90’s, four of Frank’ssons, Phil, Dave, John and Joe, wereworking in the business. John and Joemoved on to other ventures, but Philand Dave remain at the helm. In addi-tion, Phil’s daughter, Kelly, and her hus-band, Nate Follett, are part of the busi-ness. Another son, Eric, lives and worksin Chicago but does some marketing forG. B. Russo. Phil’s other children, Julieand Mark, are still in college but work atthe store during vacations and sum-mers. Dave’s children are too young toplay a role at this point.

The store carries the Russo brandof many items, and Nate Follett preparesa variety of pre-made entrees anddesserts which have proven very popu-lar.

By about 2005, Phil and Dave cameto the conclusion that their businesswas doing so well, they either had to

move or expand. They chose to expandand doubled the size of the store. Whilethey did see some decline in businessduring the recession, it was minor com-pared to what many businesses experi-enced.

Dave is the wine and beer expert inthe family, and he travels around theworld to bring the best wines to GrandRapids wine aficionados. He says, “Wehave wine tastings in the store on

Friday and Saturday evenings. I want tode-mystify the whole wine experience,and I enjoy introducing our customersto new varieties. I also send out fre-quent e-mail notices of special buys I’vemade of wine as well as micro brewedbeer. The wine is about half importedand half domestic, but the beer is almostall made in the U. S., much of it inMichigan.”

The holidays are a particularly busyfor the store as families gather for spe-cial meals. It’s well-worth a trip to thestore to see all the seasonal items,including gift baskets which made greatpresents.

According to Phil, “We have manyloyal customers who have been with usfor years and many who travel some dis-tance to shop here. We know what ourcustomers want, and we are proud to beable to supply those special foods andbeverages.”

Jane Whittington is a freelancewriter and editor who lives in GrandRapids.

SPECIALIZING IN QUALITY ZINC BARREL PLATING

ISO 9001:2008 Certified

PROCESSES AVAILABLE AT DYNA-PLATE INC.(Barrel Plating Lines O nly)

TRIVALENT CHROMATES -AUTOMOTIVE APPROVED•ZINC WITH CLEAR CHROMATE (Flash - .0005 thickness)• ZINC WITH YELLOW CHROMATE (Flash - .0005 thickness)• ZINC WITH BLACK CHROMATE (.0001 - .0005 thickness)• DYE COLORS GREEN, RED & BLUE• BAKE FOR HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT

344 Mart SW Grand Rapids MI 49548

P: (616) 452-6763 F: (616) 452-6661 www.dynaplate.com

Publisher: Gary Kralapp

Business DevelopmentSenior Vice President: Diane LaPrezeSenior Vice President: Jim LroyCirculation:Aubrey Day

Contributing Writers: Jane Whittington,LouAnn Shawver, Dr. Tasha Eurich, JohnTschohl, John Graham

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

The monthly published Business Update Inc.®all rights reserved. No portion can be repro-duced without the written permission of the pub-lisher. The management of Business Update Inc.®is not responsible for the opinions expressed byits writers or editors. Nor is it responsible for anyinformation contained on any schedule or calen-dar. We invite editorial suggestions, reader par-ticipation, or article submissions. We reserve allrights in communications sent to our editorialstaff as unconditionally assigned for publicationor any other use Business Update Inc.® in its solediscretion, shall deem appropriate. All submis-sions are subjected to our unrestricted right toedit and comment. For further information con-cerning this publication, or past issues, pleasewrite or call:

8742 Bethany Dr SWByron Center, MI 49315

Fax: 888-728-0045Email: prupdate@businessupdate.com

BusinessBusiness

upda teupdateu b l i c a t i o n

Happy Anniversary, TowerPinkster – Architects | Engineers!

TowerPinkster is marking its 60thanniversary as one of the region’s lead-ing architecture and engineering firmswith a few looks back and plenty of look-ing forward.

With offices in Kalamazoo for 60years, and in Grand Rapids for 30 years,the company relocated its Grand Rapidsoffice in the heart of downtown in Octoberof this year, bringing nearly 30 creativeprofessionals to the center of the city. Themove came after more than two years ofplanning and collaboration with LocusDevelopment, of Grand Rapids.

Locus purchased the long-vacant,former home of Junior Achievement, 4 E.Fulton St., in 2010 and quickly retainedTowerPinkster to assist with design andengineering for the project. As work pro-gressed, TowerPinkster’s leadership real-ized the building’s incredible potentialand rich history made it an ideal spot forthe firm to relocate its Grand Rapids team.

Renovating the building gave thecompany a chance to implement thesame level of expertise at restoration andadaptive reuse it used for projects likeKendall College of Art & Design’s FederalBuilding (now renamed the WoodbridgeN. Ferris Building).

As with the Kendall project,TowerPinkster’s team designed the proj-ect with efficiency and preservation inmind, and is pursuing LEED certification(Platinum for Commercial Interiors inthis case).

“TowerPinkster may be celebrating its60th anniversary, but we’re constantlylooking for new ways to innovate,” said

Arnie Mikon, President and CEO of the firm.“Our rich heritage is a point of pride, butthis business is one that requires payingattention to the needs of today’s clients anddesigning 21st-century spaces that allowfor advances in technology and flexibility.

With offices in Kalamazoo and GrandRapids, Michigan, the firm has enjoyed avariety of notable accomplishments inrecent years, including being namedZweigWhite’s “Best Architecture Firm toWork for in the Nation” (2010).Additionally, Matt Slagle, AIA, LEED AP,was named the 2013 American Instituteof Architects – Grand Rapids’ Chapter“Young Architect of the Year”.

The firm got its start as a six-personoffice in Kalamazoo specializing in com-mercial and educational design. TodayTowerPinkster employs nearly 70 peoplein Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids in vary-ing disciplines including architects, engi-neers, interior designers, landscape archi-tects and planners.

The company’s portfolio includeswork for Grand Rapids Public Schools’Houseman Field, Kent CountyCourthouse, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre,Gerald R. Ford International Airport,Western Michigan University, KalamazooNature Center, Battle Creek Area Math andScience Center and Spectrum Health.

4

More Michigan Residents Optimisticabout State’s Future

Lansing – Michigan residentsappear to be regaining faith in the stateeconomy, but that confidence isn’t trans-lating into increased spending this holi-day season, according to a statewide pollreleased Tuesday by Lambert, Edwards& Associates.

Only 11 percent of the 600 likelyvoters polled statewide Nov. 12-14 saidthey plan to spend more than they didlast year, while 36 percent plan onspending less. Around half – 51 percent– did say they would spend the sameamount as last year’s holiday season,while 2 percent were undecided.

This status-quo sentiment comesdespite the fact that 56 percent said theythought the state economy was headedin the right direction, a 9 percentincrease over the 47 percent whothought the same in a July LE&A/DennoResearch poll. Twenty-nine percent ofvoters said in November that Michigan’seconomy was on the wrong track, com-pared to 41 percent in July.

Both telephone polls were conduct-ed by Denno Research and had a marginof sampling error of plus or minus 4 per-centage points.

“While Michigan’s economy is gain-ing steam, the unemployment rateremains at 9 percent and consumersremain cautious,” said Jeff Lambert,president and managing partner atLambert, Edwards & Associates.“However, over half of those polled nowfeel Michigan is headed in the rightdirection, a sign of optimism that shouldstrengthen as the state’s economy con-tinues to grow.”

With the major holiday shopping

days of “Black Friday” and “CyberMonday” just around the corner,Michigan retailers have the same senseof cautious optimism tempered by eco-nomic uncertainty that consumersreported. Retailers expect holiday salesto increase 1.3 percent over last year,according to the Michigan Retail Index, ajoint project of the Michigan RetailersAssociation and the Federal ReserveBank of Chicago. Fifty-three percent

expect to increase sales, 30 percent pre-dict flat sales and 17 percent projectsales will decline.

“Retailers and consumers seem tobe on the same page this year as far asshopping expectations,” said DennoResearch CEO Dennis Denno. “Theupward trend is slight, but it reflects that62 percent of people expect to spend thesame or more as last year, a positivesign.”

More Michigan Residents Optimistic about State’s Future

Lansing – Michigan residents appearto be regaining faith in the state economy,but that confidence isn’t translating intoincreased spending this holiday season,according to a statewide poll releasedTuesday by Lambert, Edwards &Associates.

Only 11 percent of the 600 likelyvoters polled statewide Nov. 12-14 saidthey plan to spend more than they did lastyear, while 36 percent plan on spendingless. Around half – 51 percent – did saythey would spend the same amount aslast year’s holiday season, while 2 percentwere undecided.

This status-quo sentiment comesdespite the fact that 56 percent said theythought the state economy was headed inthe right direction, a 9 percent increaseover the 47 percent who thought the samein a July LE&A/Denno Research poll.Twenty-nine percent of voters said inNovember that Michigan’s economy wason the wrong track, compared to 41 per-cent in July.

Both telephone polls were conductedby Denno Research and had a margin ofsampling error of plus or minus 4 per-centage points.

“While Michigan’s economy is gain-ing steam, the unemployment rateremains at 9 percent and consumersremain cautious,” said Jeff Lambert, pres-ident and managing partner at Lambert,Edwards & Associates. “However, overhalf of those polled now feel Michigan isheaded in the right direction, a sign ofoptimism that should strengthen as thestate’s economy continues to grow.”

With the major holiday shoppingdays of “Black Friday” and “CyberMonday” just around the corner,Michigan retailers have the same sense ofcautious optimism tempered by economicuncertainty that consumers reported.Retailers expect holiday sales to increase1.3 percent over last year, according tothe Michigan Retail Index, a joint projectof the Michigan Retailers Association andthe Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.Fifty-three percent expect to increasesales, 30 percent predict flat sales and 17percent project sales will decline.

“Retailers and consumers seem to beon the same page this year as far as shop-ping expectations,” said Denno ResearchCEO Dennis Denno. “The upward trend isslight, but it reflects that 62 percent ofpeople expect to spend the same or moreas last year, a positive sign.”

5

Gill Industries: A Family Business ProspersBy Jane Whittington

One of the defining characteristicsof an entrepreneur is a willingness totake risks. That certainly describes JohnGill who, in 1964 and with ten childrento support, quit his job and started hisown tool and die business. Today, thatbusiness, Gill Industries, which in thebeginning had only two employees, hasmanufacturing facilities in Grand Rapidsand Georgia, a sales office in Wixom,corporate headquarters in Grand Rapidsand two manufacturing facilities inMexico. There are a total of over 350employees in the US and 800 in Mexico.They also have a presence in Europe andAsia. Gill Industries has evolved farbeyond a simple tool and die operationand now includes stamping, welding andassembly along with product design andengineering.

As the Gill family grew to include 12children, the family’s participation grewas well. John Gill’s wife, Rita, took anincreasingly active role in the business.In 1985, she became general manager, aposition she held until her retirement(seven years after John retired) whenshe handed off her responsibilities to

daughters Mary Gill-Thornton and RitaWilliams who are now Co-CEOs of GillIndustries.

According to Gill-Thornton, “Mymother didn’t have any business experi-ence. In fact, she had returned to schoolto become an LPN after her children wereborn. But she said, ‘If I can raise 12 chil-dren, I can run a business.’”

Williams adds, “With so many chil-dren, she had excellent managementskills!”

When Rita Gill became CEO, thecompany was grossing close to $8 mil-lion in sales. When she retired in 2009,sales were over $100 million.

Besides Rita and Mary, their broth-ers John Jr. and Kenneth work within thebusiness as engineers, and three of orig-inal founders John and Rita Gill’s grand-children are also part of the team.

Gill-Thornton says, “I think myfather always intended that some of hischildren would continue on in the busi-ness.”

Williams says, “When my mom tookover as CEO, it became more than a smallfamily business. We hired consultantsback then to help us strategize for suc-cess. We also started an outside adviso-

ry board, which has evolved into a Boardof Directors. We decided early on to pro-fessionalize the organization. The biggerwe got, the more we understood that itwasn’t just about family. In fact, one ofour advisors told us that family businessis a contradiction in terms. It’s either afamily or a business.’ “

Gill Industries counts as its customersthe automotive industry, office furnituremanufacturers, the utility vehicle businessand wireless. Working with engineers anddesigners from those industries, they havethe ability to help design and manufacturenecessary parts. The automotive industrycomprises the largest part of their busi-ness. They work with American companiesas well as with automotive companies inEurope and Asia.

During the recent recession, GillIndustries, like so many other compa-nies, saw a precipitous decline in sales.Williams says, “We had to lay off somepeople and take pay cuts. But we haverecovered. Last year was even betterthan it had been before the recessionstruck, and we’re continuing to grow andhire new employees.”

Gill-Thornton says, “We makemechanical welded assemblies that go

into seating mechanisms or headrests orrecliners. Mostly, what we produce theend user doesn’t actually see.”

Technology has advanced to thepoint where much of the work done intheir manufacturing is automated orrobotic. Employees can learn on-the-jobor through programs at educationalinstitutions like Ferris State Universityand Grand Rapids Community College.

Gill Industries gives back to thecommunity in many ways. They areactive with Habitat for Humanity, holdfrequent blood drives, work with Gilda’sClub and participate in many other wor-thy causes. The company also pridesitself on its environmental awarenessand efforts.

Williams says, “We are very proudthat we are a successful family businessnow moving into the third generation.While many family members work here,there’s no free ride. They are heldaccountable, just as any employee is. Wemaintain our professional standardswhile still adhering to our family’s val-ues.”

Jane Whittington is a freelancewriter and editor who lives in GrandRapids.

Kent District Library to Partner with New York PublicLibrary, Others, to Improve Access to Libraries

Kent County - With print books andelectronic versions now available forfree checkout from your local library, doyou still find it easier to buy those mate-rials? Would you switch to an eReader ifyou could just figure out how to down-load from the library’s website? Want toborrow eBooks, but don’t want to haveto go to a library branch for a card first?

Kent District Library and nine otherU.S. library systems, including the NewYork Public Library, want to know youranswer to “I’d use the library if only…”by embarking on a project dubbed“Library Simplified.”

Over a two-year period, participat-ing libraries will explore how they canbetter use new technology -- includingand especially eBooks -- to reduce barri-ers to use. They also will examine whypeople don’t use the library, and look athow they might alter their policies sothey will. The effort is being funded by a$500,000 grant from the Institute ofMuseum and Library Services.*

“KDL and the other partners plan togather information from our patrons, tosee what works for them and what someof the barriers are, and to test some ofthe ideas the project comes up with,”

said Melissa DeWild, KDL collectiondevelopment manager. “We want tomake sure what we’re doing is scalableand can be used at libraries across thecountry.”

NYPL’s James English said librariesare finding that as technology changes,so do methods of access to resourceslibraries offer. “Libraries across thecountry must find ways to ensure dem-ocratic access to books, ideas and infor-mation, regardless of format,” he said.

KDL is the only Michigan library toparticipate in Library Simplified. Othersystems throughout the U.S. are

Alameda County Public Library,Brooklyn Public Library, Boston PublicLibrary, Chattanooga Public Library, ThePublic Library of Cincinnati andHamilton County, Cuyahoga CountyPublic Library Sacramento and SantaClara County public libraries. LibrarySimplified is aligned with the ReadersFirst movement, which is dedicated toensuring that library patrons haveaccess to both virtual and physical col-lections.

6

Toll Free 800-968-8608

Fax 616-997-7263modernofficeinteriors.com

7

Van Andel Institute Cancer research Study Discovers aNew Strategy to Target Cancer Cells

Grand Rapids – A discovery by sci-entists at Van Andel Institute offerspromise of an innovative treatmentstrategy to impair the growth of cancercells. The study identifies two com-pounds that slowed tumor growth whileprotecting normal tissue. The resultsmay lead to an improved and safer ther-apy for a variety of human cancers.

This new report, “Small moleculeintramimics of formin auto-inhibition: anew strategy to target the cytoskeletalremodeling machinery in cancer cells,”was carried out at Van Andel ResearchInstitute in collaboration with scientistsfrom Grand Valley State University andKalamazoo Valley Community College'sMichigan High Throughput ScreeningCenter and was published this week inthe journal Cancer Research.

“This discovery could lead to novelcancer therapies for hard to treat cancersand potentially serve as an alternative oran adjuvant to Taxol or Vinblastine,agents commonly used in chemotherapyto treat breast, ovarian, lung, testicularand certain blood cancers,” said Dr.

Arthur S. Alberts, Ph.D., Professor andhead of the Laboratory of Cell Structureand Signal Integration at Van AndelInstitute and senior author of the study.

ResultsAll cells have an internal structural

framework that makes it possible for thecell to move and divide. This “cytoskele-ton” is a valid target for currently usedchemotherapeutic drugs like Taxol andVinblastine. These drugs successfully tar-get the building blocks of the cytoskele-ton to keep cancerous cells from growingand dividing, which can prevent tumorgrowth.

This study describes a new class ofcompounds called Intramimics that targeta family of proteins in the cell calledformins. “Formins are the masons of thecell that assemble the individual buildingblocks into the structures that comprisethe cytoskeleton,” explained Dr. Albertswho has spent the past fifteen yearsstudying the genetics, molecular, and cellbiology of formins in cancer and otherdiseases.

Because their mechanism of action

is distinct from currently availablechemotherapeutic agents, it is hopedthat the Intramimic compounds canspecifically target cancer cells and sparehealthy cells without the dose-limitingside effects experienced with Taxol andVinblastine.

The two Intramimic compoundsidentified in this study were shown totrigger stabilization of microfilamentsand microtubules that make up the cel-lular cytoskeleton. Experiments on can-cer cells showed that Intramimics affect-ed changes in gene expression that areassociated with impaired cell growth andprogrammed cell death (apoptosis), thatwould be expected to reduce tumor size

or slow tumor growth, Indeed, in anoth-er experimental system, the Intramimicsdid slow tumor growth. Taken togetherthese studies suggest this strategy willbe effective for treating solid tumors.Other preliminary evidence suggestspotential application in the treatment ofblood cancers as well.

“This discovery provides a newdevelopment regarding clinically vali-dated drug targets in an area of researchwhere few new strategies haveemerged,“ Dr. Alberts said. “Intramimicswill serve as lead compounds for furtherexploration and pharmacological devel-opment.”

A New Conceptd for Long Term CareBy LouAnn Shawver

The silver tsunami is not a myth.Each day in this country, 10,000 peopleturn 65. This translates into 73millionpeople who will be 65 or older in 20years.

The question is, where will all ofthese people live, and who will take careof them?

The answer might be by changingthe way people think about retirementliving.

Traditional brick-and mortar com-munities enable people to move fromindependent living to assisted living to anursing home.

Over the past decade, a new concepthas evolved called Continuing Care atHome (CCaH). The premise is that peoplestay at home rather than move to seeklong term care services when needed.

CONTINUING CARE AT HOMEWITH AVENUES BY PORTER HILLS

Avenues by Porter Hills is a CCaHprogram offering a comprehensive pack-age of long-term care services to mem-bers enabling them to remain independ-ent and live at home even as their health

needs change.Applicants go through an initial

screening, and only those who are rela-tively healthy and can live independent-ly are appropriate for the program.Members pay an initial membership feebased on their age when they enroll inthe program and ongoing monthly fees.

The services covered by Avenues iscomprehensive that in most cases, mem-bers never have to live in an assisted liv-ing or nursing home community.

Rather, as health care needschange, the program arranges and paysfor services to be delivered in the mem-ber’s home. Services often include:• Care coordination• Home nursing, live-in, homemakerand personal care services• Meals• Transportation• Emergency response system• Social and educational opportunities• Referrals for home maintenance,housekeeping, lawn care, etc.

If a member no longer is safe in hisor her home, most programs also coverassisted living and nursing home care.

The cornerstone of Avenues is care

management and coordination. Eachmember has a care coordinator who getsto know the member personally.

The care coordinator routinely willevaluate a member’s health and func-tional status, recommend services andobtain and manage those services. Overtime, a trusting relationship develops,and the care coordinator becomes anadvocate on behalf of the member.

“The Avenues program not onlyfocuses on physical health, but also onemotional, spiritual, and recreationalhealth. We work with our members fromthe day they enroll in the program toinspire them to remain healthy andindependent,” said Paige Hendrickson,Wellness Coordinator for Avenues byPorter Hills.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO LONG TERMCARE INSURANCE

Avenues might be an alternative tolong term care insurance. The two con-cepts are often compared; however,there are many differences.

“Long-term care insurance is aboutmanaging claims for a company,Avenues is about managing care formembers. Members don’t wait for a life-

changing event to occur before they reapthe benefits of the program. The benefitsstart immediately and last a lifetime”states LouAnn Shawver, Director ofAvenues by Porter Hills

ALL THE HELP I NEEDFor Bob Boyer, a member of

Avenues by Porter Hills, membershiphas exceeded his expectations. “I wasrecently admitted to the hospital. Thefirst thing I did was call my wellnesscoordinator. Before I knew it, she wasvisiting me in the hospital and commu-nicating with my children, who both livehundreds of miles away. When it wastime for me to go home, she madearrangements for a home health aide tostay with me for the first week. I don’tknow how I would have managed on myown.”

“The best part is I never received abill for the home care I received. It wastaken care of through the program.”

Yes, the tsunami is coming, and it’simportant to plan for it by analyzing theoptions you may have for future longterm care needs.

—Information provided by PorterHills

Quality Office Furniture, at a price you can afford!

Bill Feyen616-554-0200

billfeyen@exceloffice.com

8

Current Business Trends:Continued Slow GrowthGrand Rapids - The greater Grand

Rapids industrial economy continues togrow slowly, according to the results of amonthly survey compiled by Brian G.Long, director of Supply ManagementResearch in the Seidman College ofBusiness at Grand Valley State University.

The survey results are based on datacollected during the last two weeks ofNovember.

The survey’s index of businessimprovement, called new orders,remained virtually unchanged at +16, upfrom +15. The production index remainedthe same at +13, and the employmentindex resumed its pattern of modestgrowth and rose to +9 from +0.

“For the 34th time since the recoverybegan, it can be concluded that slowgrowth for the West Michigan economycontinues, and probably will continue forthe foreseeable future,” said Long. “As

we enter the third month of collecting ournew ‘outlook’ statistics, the numbers arestarting to bounce around a little as atti-tudes and perceptions shift.”

For November, the short-term busi-ness outlook index rose significantly to +29from +17, and the long-term business out-look index advanced to +53 from +46.

Long said the office furniture firmsposted one of the best months of the year.“The recent uptick in office rentals aroundthe country have translated to the pur-chase of new, more modern office furni-ture,” Long said.

Long also noted a study released thismonth from NerdWallet, an internet-based personal finance consumer advoca-cy group. The study of employment labormarkets, called “The Ten Best Places inMichigan for Job Seekers,” names threeWest Michigan cities: Kentwood (5),Wyoming (8), and Portage (9).

5 New-Home Sales UpSharply in October

Washington, DC - Sales of newlybuilt, single-family homes rose 25.4 per-cent to a seasonally adjusted annual rateof 444,000 units in October, according todata released today by the U.S.Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The government also reported thatnew-home sales fell 6.6 percent inSeptember. The release of both theSeptember and October report weredelayed by the partial government shut-down in early October.

"The October sales numbers showthat there is clearly a demand for newhousing and the recovery remains ontrack," said Rick Judson, chairman of theNational Association of Home Builders(NAHB) and a home builder fromCharlotte, N.C. "However, the recoverycontinues to be slowed by political uncer-tainty in Washington and ongoing con-

straints builders face with regard to tightcredit conditions for consumers and theavailability of labor, lots and materials."

"The strong October results return usto the sales levels we saw earlier this yearand negate the pause caused by the sud-den jump in interest rates," said NAHBChief Economist David Crowe. "We expectsales to continue to rise as pent updemand is released and first-time homebuyers creep back into the market."

All four regions posted double-digitsales gains in October. Sales rose 19.2percent in the Northeast, 34 percent in theMidwest, 28.2 percent in the South and15.2 percent in the West.

The months' supply of new homesfell to 4.9 due to the quicker sales pace inOctober, and the inventory of new homesfor sales also edged down to 183,000units.

Construction BriefsHolland – Driesenga & Associates, Inc.,appointed John Tenpas, P.E., as Directorof Civil Engineering; Brian Sinnott, P.E.,joined as Project Manager in the firm’sCivil Engineering Group; and AlvinAquino joined as Staff Engineer in thefirm’s Civil Engineering Group.

Grand Rapids – Real Estate Broker andManaging Director Chip Hurley,CCIM/SIOR, will lead newly establishedWest Michigan office of Newmark GrubbCressy & Everett - a full-service com-mercial real estate brokerage, develop-ment and management company - prima-rily focusing on Grand Rapids, Holland-Zeeland and Muskegon.

Grand Rapids – Kentwood OfficeFurniture announced Sheila Wood, previ-ously from Stonesthrow Home Furnishings,joined Kentwood’s Inside Sales.

Big Rapids – Michigan ConstructionHall of Fame welcomed five inductees ata formal ceremony at Ferris StateUniversity’s Granger Center forConstruction and HVACR: Eileen M.McCarthy - McCarthy & SmithConstruction, Farmington Hills; Bob andKaren Schroeder - Mayberry Homes,East Lansing; Linda J. Vos-Graham -Vos Glass, Inc., Grand Rapids; and E.Edward Williams - Edwards GlassCompany, Livonia.

Grand Rapids - Signature Associateshas negotiated:• the lease of 1,797 square feet of indus-trial space located at 3890 East ParisAvenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan forthe tenant, Anderson Cabinet Co., LLC.• the lease of 1,332 square feet of officespace located at 311 Fuller Avenue NE,Grand Rapids, Michigan to Volunteers ofAmerica for the landlord, Green CaneProperty, LLC.• the sale of a 9,846 square foot officebuilding located at 4965 East BeltlineAvenue NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan to4965 East Beltline, LLC. for the seller, C-L Plainfield Associates, LLC.• the sale of a 17,864 square foot officebuilding located at 230 Fulton Street East,Grand Rapids, Michigan for the buyer,Ottawa House, LLC. Keller &Almassian PLC plan to move back down-town into the iconic building by nextsummer.• the lease of 1,488 square feet of retailspace located at 255 Seminole Road,Muskegon, Michigan for the landlord,255 Seminole, LLC, and the tenant,Arcadia Health Services of Michigan.

Grand Rapids – Progressive AEannounced the team’s design for 54JEFFwas recognized with an honorable men-tion in an international design competi-tion to re-envision the historic and iconicformer Grand Rapids Public Museum.

Lansing – C2AE, full-service architectur-al, engineering, and planning firm,announced addition of: Brett Dodge, PS,Professional Surveyor; Amelia Richards,IIDA, LEED Green Associate, InteriorDesigner; and Justin Wing, PE, DesignEngineer in C2AE’s Gaylord office.

Holland – G.O. Construction, local jointventure team comprised of GDKConstruction of Holland, and Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. of Grand Rapids,announced they were hired to manage the$31 million, 64,000 sq. ft. Jack H. MillerCenter for Musical Arts project at HopeCollege.

Holland – GMB Architecture +Engineering, Inc., announced it hiredMichael J. Lubbers, previous Designer atWight & Company of Chicago, as Directorof its Grand Rapids office. GMBae alsoannounced it will open an office in thehistoric Mass Ave district, downtownIndianapolis.

Kalamazoo – Owen Ames Kimball Co.announced opening a new branch officelocated at 161 E. Michigan Ave, Ste 102,Kalamazoo.

Grand Rapids – Progressive AEannounced C. Jonathan Clark, AIA,EDAC, earned certification of AmericanCollege of Healthcare Architects.

Kentwood – Bethany Christian Servicesand Wolverine Building Groupannounced grand opening of BethanyChristian’s first Thrift Store, a 17,000 sq.ft. warehouse located on 29th Street inKentwood. Store Manager Audrey Trevinostates proceeds from the 29th Street storewill benefit Bethany’s Grand Rapidsclients, particularly for unfunded orunderfunded projects such as refugeeservices and “other things that fallthrough the cracks.” Trevino is a formerBethany foster child and adoptee.

Grand Rapids – Interphase Interiors,local Haworth dealer, added three newmembers to its team: Lizabeth Reilly,Account Executive; Ashley Gibbs,Designer; and Chris Rozema, Installer.

Brighton – ASTI Environmental is one offive environmental consultants selectedby Oakland County to manage their$600,000 EPA Brownfield AssessmentGrant ($500,000 for hazardous sub-stances and $100,000 for petroleum sub-stances), and will recruit investors andeligible projects to the County, focusingon Farmington Hills, Ferndale, HazelPark, Madison Heights, Pontiac andSouthfield - each receiving $60,000, withthe remaining $240,000 spread through-out the other 55 jurisdictions in OaklandCounty.

Growth in Jobs, GDP Not Yet Accompanied by Rise in Purchasing Power

Atlanta, GA – On the surface, thenews is good. October non-farm numbersfrom the Bureau of Labor Statistics show204,000 total job gains, and job revisionswere revised upward by 60,000 for thetwo prior months. The third-quarter GDPreport showed 2.8% growth, a markedcontrast to the paltry 0.1% growth in thefourth quarter of 2012.

Is it time to pop open a bottle of bub-bly? Not quite, according to RajeevDhawan of the Economic ForecastingCenter at Georgia State University’sRobinson College of Business. “Althoughsuch numbers are welcome signs that theunderlying growth trend is still positive,the trend is not yet strong enough for usor for the Federal Reserve to breathe asigh of relief.”

In his Forecast of the Nation,released today, Dhawan writes that fac-tors including the quality of the jobs cre-ated, combined with wounds inflicted oncorporate and consumer confidence by thegovernment shutdown and worries aboutthe potential for another stoppage in the

new year, along with continuing globalmalaise depressing manufacturing, willdampen the GDP, weaken businessinvestment, and lead to a decrease in jobcreation in coming quarters and throughmuch of 2014.

Regarding the quality of jobs created,Dhawan points to the 60,000 new jobsreported in upward revisions forSeptember-October. Ninety percent of therevisions came from the low-payingleisure and hospitality category, with therest from retail trade, also low-paying.The bottom line, says the forecaster, “Itdoesn’t matter what the headline numberis. What matters is the purchasing powerof the jobs.”

The potential for more shenaniganswhen Congress opens in 2014 has intro-duced an element of uncertainty to corpo-rate and consumer confidence which hasimplications for retail hiring and spend-ing, household decisions, corporateinvestments and capital spending, andmore.

Dhawan expects that the Fed will

start a taper for “non-economic reasons”by spring 2014. He foresees consumptionand overall GDP staying around 2.0% in2014, moving towards 3.0% by late 2015.“A new Congress will be a factor in thatchange, ushering in the possibility of lesspartisanship and bickering. Such a shiftwill free investment to take off and, inturn, produce good job and incomegrowth in 2015.”

Highlights from the EconomicForecasting Center’s National Report

Real GDP grew 2.8% in the thirdquarter of 2013 after a 2.5% growth ratein the second quarter. Fourth quartergrowth is expected to be 2.0% concludingthe year with an annual growth rate of1.7%. Real GDP will expand at 2.1% in2014 and at a stronger rate of 2.5% in2015.

Business fixed investment will

grow by a weak 2.2% in 2013, expand by4.1% in 2014 and increase by 4.5% in2015. In the final quarter of 2013, theeconomy will add jobs at a monthly rate of138,000, then decrease to 130,000 newjobs per month in 2014, and returngrowth to normalcy with 175,000 jobs permonth in 2015. Unemployment will final-ly drop below 7.0% in late 2015.

Housing starts will average 0.887million units in 2013, rising to 0.901 mil-lion units in 2014 and 1.102 million unitsin 2015. Auto sales will average 15.4 mil-lion units in 2013, then decrease slightlyto 14.9 million units in 2014 and decreaseagain to 14.8 million units in 2015.

The 10-year bond rate will rise to3.3% by mid-2014. It will not cross the4.0% threshold during the forecast period(end of 2015).

Health Care BriefsGrand Rapids – Keystone Pharmacylaunched Keystone Nutrition, a new con-sulting division, along with two new linesof privately labeled, pharmaceutical-gradesupplements, and will provide free nutri-tion consultation services aimed at improv-ing overall health, diet and wellness.

Wyoming – Metro Health Hospital addedsix new primary care physicians to itsFamily and Internal Medicine practices:Larissa Dunker de Jesus, MD - Internalmedicine practicing at Comstock Park;Christina Garcia, DO - Family medicinepracticing at Cedar Springs; Hilary Schmid,DO - Family medicine practicing at CedarSprings; Amanda Huver, DO - Internalmedicine, practicing at Cascade; JenniferParks, MD - Family medicine practicing atCascade; and Marcia Nansel, DO - Familymedicine practicing at Caledonia.

Kalamazoo – Leah Predum, CertifiedPhysician Assistant, joined BorgessProMed Family Practice at WoodbridgeHills, Portage.

Kalamazoo – Bronson welcomed:Ashley Foster, FNP to Bronson FamilyMedicine Downtown; Lisa Ryan, MD, toBronson Internal Medicine HospitalSpecialists; Brenda Nishizawa, DO, RD,

to Bronson Internal Medicine Oshtemo;and Neurointensivist Jeffrey Fletcher,MD, to Bronson Neuroscience Center.

Grand Rapids – Holland Homeannounced Michael Loughman, SeniorLiving Consultant, and Carrie Koster,Marketing Coordinator, completedrequirements to become Certified TourismAmbassadors.

Holland – James Dumerauf, MD, StaffPsychiatrist with Holland HospitalBehavioral Health Service, was honoredby Michigan State University - College ofHuman Medicine with 2013 Excellence inTeaching Award, for his work with third-year medical students during their psy-chiatric rotation at Holland Hospital.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum HealthBlodgett Hospital was named 2013Guardian of Excellence Award winner byPress Ganey Associates, Inc., which rec-ognizes top-performing facilities consis-tently achieving the 95th percentile ofperformance in patient satisfactionamong Press Ganey hospitals in America.Only 5% of all Press Ganey clients reachthis threshold and consistently maintainit for the one-year reporting period.

9

12Water Watch for Electric Energy Production

Reston, VA - For the first time since1995 the U.S. Geological Survey will rein-state reporting the amount of water con-sumed in the production of thermoelectricpower.

Tracking the consumptive use ofwater by thermoelectric power plantscould allow water resource managers toevaluate the influence of this type of useon the overall water budget of a water-shed. The use of heat and water budgetsto estimate water consumption at individ-ual thermoelectric plants provides a usefulcheck on other estimation approaches andin many cases may be the most accuratemethod available.

Thermoelectric water withdrawalrefers to the water removed from ground-water or surface water for use in a ther-moelectric power plant, mainly for coolingpurposes. Much of the water that is cur-

rently withdrawn for cooling is reintro-duced into the environment, and immedi-ately available for reuse.

The consumptive use occurs whensome of the water is evaporated duringthe cooling process or incorporated intobyproducts as a result of the production ofelectricity from heat. Once the water isconsumed, it is no longer able to be rein-troduced into the environment.

"Thermoelectric withdrawal occurs inboth freshwater and saline watersources," says Eric J. Evenson,Coordinator, and USGS National WaterCensus. "It is the most significant use ofsaline water in the country."

This study presents a method for col-lecting location and cooling-equipmentdata. An upcoming study will be releasedproviding the consumption numbersderived from our heat/water budget mod-

els. About half of the water withdrawalsin the United States are for thermoelectriccooling water, however, most of the wateris returned to the environment after use.

The methods for estimating evapora-tion presented in this study will play a keyrole in the National Water Census, a USGSresearch program on national water avail-ability and use that develops new wateraccounting tools and assesses water avail-ability at the regional and national scales.

"The most significant contribution ofthis report," according to Diehl, "is to pres-ent an updated method for estimatingevaporation from surface water down-stream from once-through cooling sys-tems, and make the tool available in theform of a spreadsheet."

The USGS classifies water with-drawals for thermoelectric cooling by thetwo types of cooling systems used at the

plants: recirculating systems and once-through systems. A recirculating coolingsystem circulates water through the gen-erating plant condensers and is thencooled in a structure such as a coolingtower or cooling pond, before it is re-usedin the same process. A once-through cool-ing system withdraws water from a sur-face-water source to circulate through thegenerating plant condensers and then dis-charges the water back to surface water ata higher temperature.

"Most consumption by once-throughcooling systems and recirculating pondstakes the form of evaporation from surfacewater," said Timothy H. Diehl, Hydrologistat the Tennessee Water Science Center."This type of consumption has been esti-mated by a variety of methods and some-times considered insignificant."

Industrial BriefsHolland - The Stow Companyannounced that it will consolidate allmanufacturing into its newly expandedfacility in Holland. The decision is part ofa growth strategy that includes maximiz-ing manufacturing capacities and lever-aging a centralized, national shippingpoint. The Holland facility manufacturesproducts for all of the Company’s brands,including EasyClosets®, ORG Home® andEasy Track®, and has substantial roomfor further expansion. Approximately 40new full-time jobs are being created inHolland by the expansion. The recruitingand hiring process is already underway.

Holland – Advanced Furniture Testing,nation’s leading office furniture testingfacilities, is opening a new 9,600 sq. ft.facility in Jasper, IN, to accommodatemechanical furniture testing machines.

West Michigan – West Michigan Chapterof Chemical Coaters AssociationInternational elected the following offi-cers for their 2013-2014 Board ofDirectors: President - Ken Pelak,Broadmoor Products; First Vice President- Dale Mulder, Chemquest; Second VicePresident - Rich Saddler, George Koch &Sons; and Secretary - Bruce Connell,Environ.

Rockford – Wolverine Worldwideannounced appointment of FrankAnnunziata to Vice President andGeneral Manager of Sebago with respon-sibility for further development of thebrand's global growth platform offootwear, apparel and accessories.

IN – Andrea Hermer, 23 years of legalexperience specializing in commercial realestate, joined Ports of Indiana as GeneralCounsel for statewide Port Authority.

Zeeland – Gentex Corp announced itacquired HomeLink® product line, avehicle-based control system enablingdrivers to remotely activate garage dooropeners, entry door locks, home lighting,security systems, entry gates, and otherradio frequency convenience products.

Caledonia – West Michigan section ofAmerican Welding Society held its firstmeeting of the fiscal year at TÜVRheinland Industrial Solutions’ labora-tory, a full-service company assistingwelding businesses with necessary test-ing, inspections and certifications accord-ing to AWS codes and regulations, andinternational requirements.

Rockford – Wolverine Worldwideannounced appointment of Ira P.Hernowitz, previous Executive VicePresident of Toys R Us, Inc., as Presidentof the Stride Rite Children's Group.

Walker – Tubelite, Inc., appointed GlenBarfknecht to Vice President ofOperations.

Allegan – Perrigo announced KirkWalter was promoted to Senior Directorfor Tablet Value Stream and Non-Analgesics for cough and cold tablet area.

Grand Rapids – Sixarp LLC, PraxisPackaging Solutions announced addi-tion of Scott Volkert to their businessdevelopment team, and will focus ondeveloping and expanding current cus-tomer accounts.

Grand Rapids – Cascade Engineeringannounced Fred Keller, Chair and CEO ofCascade Engineering, is this year’srecipient of the Accelerate MichiganInnovation Competition’s Spirit ofMichigan Award - an award given eachyear to a Michigan business leader whodisplays entrepreneurial spirit, con-tributes significantly to the State’s eco-nomic recovery efforts, and employs aprimarily Michigan-based workforce.

Albion – Caster Concepts, manufacturerof heavy duty industrial casters and cast-er wheels, collaborating withPARTsolutions, announced launch of anew product configurator, the first cus-tomizable CAD designer for industrialcaster downloads.

For All Your Finishing Needs!• Vibratory Finishing • Parts Cleaning• Abrasive Blasting • Soda/Dry Ice Blasting

• Peening

West Michigan’s Leading Provider of Surface Enhancement Solutions

800- 968-1811 Byron Center, MI www.grandnorthern.com

13GR Spring & Stamping: A Family Company Grows

and ProspersBy Jane Whittington

GR Spring & Stamping is a familybusiness in more ways than one. Not onlydo three generations of the Zawacki fam-ily work at the company but also, accord-ing to CEO Jim Zawacki, “We think of ouremployees as family. We treat them welland listen to their suggestions. Many ofthem have been with us many, manyyears. In fact, one of our employees, CraigWeaver, recently celebrated his 41st yearwith the company.”

Three of Zawacki’s sons, Jim Jr., Johnand Steve as well as son-in-law DennisMcCarty are part of the business. Thenthere are the two grandsons, David andKevin McCarty who are with the companyand grandchildren Linsay McCarty, WillZawacki and Lauren McCarty who have allworked at GR Spring & Stamping eitherduring their college breaks or as interns.

The company was founded in 1960under the name Grand Rapids Spring &Wire and purchased by Jim Zawacki and

Ted Hohman in 1985. In 1995, the namewas changed to G R Spring & Stamping.Originally, the operation was located onAlpine Avenue. As the company grew,another facility was opened on Bond Streetin 1997. In 2004, two facilities were openedin Richmond, Kentucky, and, in 2009, asales office in Japan joined the family. GRSpring & Stamping now has over 500,000square feet of operating space.

According to Zawacki, “We recentlysold a small part of our business toAutomotive Spring in Grand Haven, but wecontinue to do stamping and assemblywork.”

He continues, “When we bought thecompany in 1985, there were 40 employ-ees and one location. Now we have over650 employees and five locations, and thebusiness is continuing to grow. We arenow concentrating 100 percent on theautomotive industry, and 60 percent ofour business is with the Japanese.”

Zawacki says, “In the early 90’s, wedecided as part of our strategic plan that

we wanted to grow our business with theJapanese. We like the way they treat theiremployees and suppliers, and we liketheir lean organizational model. At thattime, we also decided we wanted to con-centrate on larger parts and projects.”

The recent recession hit the countryand particularly Michigan and the auto-motive industry hard. GR Spring &Stamping felt it too. Zawacki says, “TheJapanese auto industry wasn’t immunefrom the economic downturn. During2007-2008, business conditions were badboth here and in Japan, but we managedto stay profitable, and our business isnow back to pre-recession levels. “

Much of the stamping and assemblyindustry has now been automated, andemployees need up-to-date skills in tech-nology. GR Spring & Stamping has in-house training programs and also workswith Grand Rapids Community College,Western Michigan University and FerrisState University.

In fact, this year, the company was

honored by Hitachi Foundation for “doingwell and doing good”. GR Spring &Stamping was recognized for its innova-tive training and personnel policies whichresulted in a 300 percent sales increaseover the past ten years and a nearly 30percent annual growth rate since 2009.The Hitachi Foundation named GR Spring& Stamping as one of 14 US companiesthat have “helped their workers gainskills, retain their jobs, advance and gen-erate greater value.”

GR Spring and Stamping is a familycompany that considers its employees, itssuppliers and its customers as an exten-sion of its family. The way the businessoperates and the way it treats everyonewith respect and trust has made it a suc-cess over time and will surely continueinto the future as the family—and thecompany—grows.

Jane Whittington is a freelancewriter and editor who lives in GrandRapids.

Industrial BriefsGrand Rapids – The Right Place, Inc., incollaboration with Michigan EconomicDevelopment Corp. and ByronTownship, announced approval of $2.75million in total economic incentives forGrand Rapids-based SpartanNashCompany to ensure retention of 620existing jobs, creation of 72 new jobs inWest Michigan while providing flexibilityto support 300 additional new jobs for thecompany’s future growth needs, andguarantee the company’s corporate head-quarters will remain in West Michigan.

Lansing – Mayotte Group Architects wel-comed Project Manager Sean Conklin,Associate AIA member and LEED® GreenAssociate, and Executive Assistant JenniferBrown as new Production Team members.

Kentwood – The Right Place, Inc., in col-laboration with Michigan EconomicDevelopment Corporation and City ofKentwood, announced approval of$650,000 in Michigan BusinessDevelopment Program incentives fromMichigan Strategic Fund that will enableVentra Grand Rapids 5, LLC, to launch acurrent automotive lighting product lineand acquire new work from automotiveOEMs in Michigan. Ventura will invest$16.3 million over three years with pur-

chase and renovation of an existing facil-ity, new equipment and machinery, andgenerate 150 new jobs for the area.

Grand Rapids – Owen-Ames-Kimball Co.announced receipt of esteemed ABCAward of Excellence in HistoricRestoration category for their work atTibbits Opera House.

Grand Rapids – Owners of East ParisCrossings located at 1144 East Paris,welcomed Cribs 2 Bunks and L. Marie &Co to the center. Cribs 2 Bunks specializesin furniture for children as they growfrom baby to teen and beyond, and L.Marie & Co., women’s clothing boutique,home accents, and holiday décor, recentlyrelocated from Gas Light Village.

Bloomfield Hills – Hubbell, Roth & Clark,Inc., consulting engineering firm, appointedRoland Alix, P.E., and Jesse VanDeCreek,P.E., Associate, as Vice Presidents/Partnersand members of its Board of Directors.William Davis, P.E., Associate, and DennisBenoit, P.E., Associate, were appointedSenior Associates.

Design, Fabrication, Manufacturing, PVC Coating, Insulation, Stripping,Sandblasting, Repairing, and Rebuilding of Anodizing, E-Coat, Painting, Plating, Powdercoating and PVD Racks, Baskets, Barrels and Screens

Phone: 616-453-8261 Fax: 616-453-38112855 Marlin Court N.W. Grand Rapids, MI 49544 racks@expertcoating.net

Why Our Addiction to Work Is Making Us Stupid,Depressed, Unhealthy, and Hurting Our Careers

By Dr. Tasha Eurich

Kmart’s recent announcement toopen its doors at 6am on ThanksgivingDay sent shockwaves throughout thenation. Though bargain-seekers werethrilled, many are questioning the retailchain’s decision. In recent years, such“Thanksgiving Creep” has inspired mul-tiple protests from employees, with onepetition calling it “inhumane and incon-siderate.”

And unfortunately, this problemdoesn’t just exist in retail establishmentsaround the holidays. Across all job typesand industries, Americans are workingmore than ever.

According to a recent WorkforceManagement study, since the greatrecession, 55% of employees have seentheir workload increase, and 27% say it’sdoubled. The constant pressure to domore with less, coupled with the beliefthat being busy means we’re important,is creating an unsustainable pattern.

For many workers, taking timeaway from their jobs feels like an unten-able luxury. Most European countriesprovide workers at least four weeks ofvacation each year—Germany andSweden are particularly generous withseven weeks. But a Center for EconomicPolicy and Research study reveals that25 percent of US employees don’t takeany vacation at all—either because theydon’t use their accrued time or theiremployer doesn’t provide it.

Why would anyone choose not totake the time away that they’ve rightful-ly earned? For many, fear is a factor—fear of missing out on promotions, top-ping the layoff list, being judged bybosses or coworkers, or the work thatwill inevitably pile up.

Certainty, anyone can work fifty,sixty, or eighty hours per week—andtake little time off—if they choose. But asit turns out, there are some profoundconsequences:

1. Working too much makes us

stupider.Research has shown that long hours

affect our brains. An American Journal ofEpidemiology study followed British civilservants over five years to understandthe relationship between long hours andbrain functioning. Compared to thosewho worked forty hours per week, par-ticipants who worked more than fifty-five hours showed poorer vocabularyand reasoning skills. In plain English,working too much actually makes usstupider.

2. Working too much makes usdepressed.

Research has shown that long hoursare also a significant risk factor fordepression. A study published in PLoSONE examined more than 2,000 workersin the United Kingdom over six years.They found that employees who workedmore than eleven hours per day hadmore than twice the risk of depressionthan those who worked seven to eighthours per day. The relationship remainedeven when researchers statisticallyremoved the influence of socio-economicfactors, chronic physical disease, smok-ing and alcohol use.

3. Working too much hurts ourcareer advancement.

When people think about how to getahead in their career, most have a “moreis better” approach. Just look at thehours worked at many law firms, techcompanies, and Wall Street. However,more hours does not always equal betterperformance, and human beings have anupper limit for productivity on any givenday. Somewhat counterintuitively, a2006 Ernst & Young study that found apositive relationship between vacations(i.e., fewer hours overall) and perform-ance: For each additional ten hours awayfrom the office employees took, their per-formance reviews were eight percenthigher the following year!

4. Working too much can actuallykill us.

In August of this year, a 21-year old

Bank of America intern was found deadin his London dorm room. During thecourse of Moritz Erhardt’s demandingseven-week internship, he had pulledeight all-nighters in two weeks.Although Erhardt’s case is as rare as it istragic, it reflects the general trend thatworking too much is simply not healthy.Luckily, when we take time away, theseeffects are mitigated. For example, theFramingham Heart study (a massive lon-gitudinal research program started in1948) reported that when workers takeannual vacations, their risk for a heartattack is reduced by 30% in men and50% in women.

Two Tips for Taking Time OffWithout Paying For It When You Return

Hopefully, cashing in some of thatvacation time feels more important thanit did a just few minutes ago. But if theidea of taking time off still feels difficultor stressful, here are a few tips.

First, it’s okay to start small. Shortvacations have similar positive effects aslong ones; one study from RadboudUniversity Nijmegen in the Netherlandsfound that even vacations of just a fewdays increased health and well-being.And because benefits from most vaca-tions fade after 5 days, frequent, shortervacations may actually be better. Soinstead of blocking off two weeks and

paying for it when you return, try a longweekend every month or two instead.

Second, it’s okay to check e-mail afew times while you’re away. The abovestudy also revealed that people whoworked during vacations still showedincreases in health and well-being, albeitsmaller ones. For many workers, beingable to check in at work eases anxiety.So, within the bounds of reason, go forit! Just don’t let things get out of hand,lest your spouse or partner lock youriPhone in the hotel safe.

Whether you’re being forced towork this Thanksgiving or not, the holi-days are a great time to re-prioritize. It’simportant to remember that family andfriends are life’s true gifts. After all, ontheir deathbeds, few people are likely tosay “I wish I had spent more time atwork.” So for goodness sake—take sometime off!

A proud leadership geek, executivecoach, speaker, and author, Dr. Eurich isthe author of the new book, BankableLeadership: Happy People, Bottom LineResults, and the Power to Deliver Both.She also helps organizations succeed byimproving the effectiveness of their lead-ers and teams. The majority of Dr.Eurich’s work has been with executivesin large Fortune 500 organizations.

14

MICHAEL A. TAWNEYINDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

& COMPANY, P.C.Professional services for your Business and Personal needs.

• Accounting • Payroll • Tax •Call us today for courteous, dependable, and rapid assistance

(616) 456-4700

Education BriefsGrand Rapids – Grand RapidsCommunity College, along with businesspartner Safety Technology USA, becamethe first training provider in the U. S.awarded Global Wind Organization(GWO) accreditation to deliver basic safe-ty training to wind farm workers. After anintense independent audit, GRCC was cer-tified to deliver four land-based GWOBasic Safety Training modules: workingat height, first aid, fire awareness, andmanual handling. Training takes place atGRCC’s state-of-the-art Tassell M-TECfacility.

Grand Rapids – Grand Valley StateUniversity officials announced they willask members of their Board of Trustees toapprove purchase of nearly 11 acresnortheast of downtown Grand Rapids toexpand GVSU’s health campus. GVSU isthe region’s No. 1 provider of health careworkers with 5,000 of its students study-ing in nursing and health related fields.

Grand Rapids – Kendall College of Artand Design Fashion Studies programannounced official naming of the programas Pamella Roland DeVos School ofFashion, named for President andDesigner Pamella Roland, and for herrenowned international fashion companyheadquartered in New York City.

Allendale – Grand Valley StateUniversity Assistant Professor ofSociology Laurel Westbrook, andUniversity of Chicago AssistantProfessor of Sociology Kristen Schilt’sarticle, “Doing Gender, DeterminingGender: Transgender People, GenderPanics, and the Maintenance of theSex/Gender/Sexuality System,” wasrecently published in Gender & Society.

Allendale – Grand Valley StateUniversity signed a reverse transferagreement with Monroe CountyCommunity College.

Communication & IT 15

Connect Michigan Releases New BroadbandAvailability Data in Support of GIS Day 2013

Lansing – Connect Michigan isannouncing the release of its new broad-band availability data. The researchshows that the broadband availability gapin Michigan is declining, with 98.37% ofMichigan residents now having access tobroadband speeds of at least 10 Mbpsdownload/1.5 Mbps upload (includingmobile wireless, but excluding satelliteservices), compared to 95.89% last April.

“We have seen many new and exist-ing broadband service providers investingand expanding service into previouslyunserved or underserved rural areas,”said Connect Michigan State ProgramManager Eric Frederick. “While somecommunities still struggle with broadbandaccess, Connect Michigan’s ConnectedCommunity Engagement Program isworking to identify these areas and con-nect them with service providers that areable to expand.”

GIS Day celebrates the use of geo-graphic information systems (GIS) to ana-lyze diverse topics in local, state, federal,and international applications. ConnectMichigan has been working since 2009 toensure that Michigan residents haveaccess to the economic, educational, and

quality-of-life benefits derived fromincreased broadband access, adoption,and use. Part of that work includes main-taining detailed GIS analysis of broad-band availability across the state to sup-port broadband planning efforts. This isthe eighth round of releasing these data.

Among the findings of the newbroadband availability research are:

• 97.73% of households have accessto fixed broadband speeds of 3 Mbpsdownload/768 Kbps upload or higher, therelevant metric the FCC uses to determineeligibility for Connect America Fund sub-sidies.

• Broadband availability at 6 Mbpsdownload/1.5 Mbps upload increasedmore than 2% from 96.29% in April 2013to its current 98.50% (including mobilewireless, but excluding satellite services).

• Broadband availability at 10 Mbpsdownload/1.5 Mbps upload increasedmore than 2% from 95.89% in April 2013to its current 98.37% (including mobilewireless, but excluding satellite services).

• 68.35% of Michigan’s householdsnow have access to fixed wireless broad-band service; this is an increase of 37%from October 2011.

• 83.33% of Michigan’s householdsnow have access to broadband service ofat least 50 Mbps download/1.5 Mbpsupload, excluding mobile wireless andsatellite services; this is an increase of34% from October 2011.

• 83.30% of Michigan’s households now have access to broadband serv-

ice of at least 100 Mbps download/1.5Mbps upload, excluding mobile wirelessand satellite services; this is an increaseof 60% since October 2011.

Communications & ITGrand Rapids – Ideomed, Inc.,announced its flagship solution Abriiz®,web and mobile based solution that helpspeople manage chronic medical condi-tions such as asthma, diabetes and heartdisease, is migrating to Amazon WebServices cloud. The highly customizableplatform is designed to help anyone -from pregnant mothers and their develop-ing babies, to teens working on weightissues, and those with multiple chronicillnesses.

Morgantown, WV – Online IntegratedMarketing Communications graduateprogram at West Virginia University’s P.I.Reed School of Journalism, announcedaddition of Grand Rapids residentChristopher Nicely, Executive Vice

President of Marketing at Holland Home(Michigan’s largest Continuing CareRetirement Community) to their GraduateStudent Committee Advisory Board.

Muskegon – Revel announced addition ofits newest Web Developer, MichaelSchaafsma.

Muskegon – Electronic EntertainmentExchange, Inc., DBA E3 Trade and Repairannounced they purchased Muskegon PlanN Trade franchise, and will close the storeDecember 31, 2013, and open a new store,E3 Trade and Repair, on the Northwest cor-ner of Seaway and Seminole in earlyJanuary, focusing on sale, trade, and repairof most electronics.

Education BriefsAllendale – Cynthia Grapczynski,Associate Professor and Program Directorof Occupational Therapy at Grand ValleyState University, was named Fellow byAmerican Occupational TherapyAssociation.

Allendale – Julie Guevara, Associate VicePresident for Academic Affairs at GrandValley State Univesity, was appointedby Gov. Rick Snyder to Hispanic/LatinoCommission of Michigan, and alsoappointed to Commission onAccreditation, a commission of Council ofSocial Work Education.

Allendale – Grand Valley StateUniversity is the first in Michigan to signreverse transfer agreements with all 28Michigan Community Colleges.

Grand Rapids – Davenport UniversityCollege of Health Professions is launch-ing a new Master of Science in HealthInformatics and Information ManagementDegree program Winter 2014 semester,available in-seat and online.

Big Rapids – National Center for

Educational Statistics ranked FerrisState University sixth among its top 10schools for construction managementdegrees. The rankings noted Ferris offerscertificates, associates, bachelors andmasters programs for people interested ina career as construction manager.

Grand Rapids – Van Andel InstituteGraduate School received institutionalaccreditation from Higher LearningCommission for its Ph.D. program in cell,molecular and genetic biology of humandisease which will combine translationaland biomedical research with profession-al mentorship by scientists of Van AndelResearch Institute with further adviceand evaluation from faculty members atother research institutes and universities.

Lansing – Kathy Lawrence,Administrative Assistant for CooleyCenter for Ethics, Service andProfessionalism, was honored byDepartment of Military and VeteransAffairs with its Legion of Merit award forher work with Michigan National Guardthrough Cooley’s Service to SoldiersProgram.

Report: In Michigan, Experian Gets Big ComplaintsLansing — A new report by PIRGIM

Education Fund found that the most com-plained-about credit reporting agency inMichigan is Experian, and that Michiganranks 38th nationally in credit reportcomplaints per 100,000 residents.

The report used data collected by theConsumer Financial Protection Bureau’spublic Consumer Complaints Database,which was created to help consumersresolve problems with their credit reports.The report compared complaints againstthe three nationwide credit reportingagencies (Equifax, Experian, andTransUnion), commonly referred to ascredit bureaus, who were togetherresponsible for 96% of all complaintsabout credit reporting.

“The CFPB is providing aggrievedconsumers with the opportunity todemand a response from credit reportingagencies and get real relief,” said Eric SMosher, PIRGIM Education FundAssociate. “The nationwide credit report-ing agencies effectively function as gate-keepers to financial and employmentopportunity, and the CFPB’s public data-base holds them accountable to a highstandard of accuracy.”

The report, “Big Credit Bureaus, BigMistakes: The CFPB’s ConsumerComplaint Database Gets Real Results forVictims of Credit Reporting Errors,” is the

third in a series of reports by the PIRGIMEducation Fund that analyze the com-plaints in the CFPB’s public ConsumerComplaint Database, which accepts com-plaints relating to a variety of financialproducts and services. The CFPB hasaccepted complaints about credit reportingsince October 2012.

Numerous studies by the PIRGIMEducation Fund and a 2013 study by theFederal Trade Commission have foundthat millions of Americans have seriouserrors on their credit reports. These errorscan severely inhibit a consumer’s abilityto get an affordable loan, rent an apart-ment, or even find a job.

Some key findings:• Michigan ranks 38th in complaints

per 100,000 residents, making residents38th most likely to file a complaint.Residents of the District of Columbia weremost likely to complain.

• The most complained-about creditreporting agency in Michigan is Experian.

• By far, the most common problemwas incorrect information on a creditreport, which accounted for 65 percent ofcomplaints.

• The CFPB has helped enable nearly3,000 consumers, or 30 percent of totalcomplainants, to receive relief such as fix-ing incorrect information on a creditreport or refunding service charges or fees

related to credit reporting.• The ‘big three’ nationwide credit

reporting agencies (NCRAs) — Equifax,TransUnion, and Experian — varied wide-ly in how they responded to complaints.Equifax responded to 63 percent of itscomplaints with non-monetary relief,while Experian did so in only 5 percent ofcases and TransUnion in 22 percent.Equifax provided monetary or non-mone-tary relief nearly three times as often asTransUnion and more than 10 times asoften as Experian.

• Consumers disputed the compa-nies’ responses to about 18 percent of allcomplaints.

The “big three” NCRAs collect, cen-tralize, and aggregate consumers’ finan-cial information. They source this infor-mation from public record databases ofbankruptcies as well as from creditors andother “furnishers,” who forward con-sumer bill payment history and othercredit information to them voluntarily.These “big three” NCRAs accounted for96 percent of the over 10,000 complaintson credit reporting.

In general, monetary relief is mostlikely due to complaints about add-oncredit monitoring subscription products

and non-monetary relief most likelyinvolves corrections to credit reports.

“An FTC report published inFebruary of this year found that 5% ofconsumers have significant errors on theircredit reports. If 5% of the toasters in themarket started fires in our kitchens, therewould be product recalls and we would dosomething about it. If 5% of our cars sim-ply stopped working, there would berecalls again,” said Attorney Ian Lyngklipof Lyngklip & Associates Consumer LawCenter, PLC. “Yet 5% of eligible consumershave significant errors on their creditreports and we simply have no data toproperly regulate the problem. In our cur-rent economy, can we really afford to have5% of the eligible population black-balledfrom credit and employment opportunitiesbecause of credit reporting errors?”

The report also highlights severalchanges the CFPB should make in order toimprove the accessibility and usefulnessof its database, such as adding detailsabout the consumer’s specific problemand how it was resolved. PIRGIMEducation Fund also urged the CFPB toorder the credit bureaus to comply withthe law’s accuracy and dispute reinvesti-gation standards.

Health Care BriefsAllegan – Allegan General Hospital’sBoard of Trustees elected Edelio Coipel,Senior Manager of Employee Relations atPerrigo Co., to its Board.

Grand Haven – Atlas Ergonomicsfounder Drew Bossen, will receive RobertG. Dicus Award, highest honor granted byPrivate Practice Section of AmericanPhysical Therapy Association.

Lansing – Members of the MI Air MIHealth Coalition called for swift action toreduce air pollution following news fromthe World Health Organization that airpollution from power plants is a leadingcause of cancer across the globe. Last weekthe International Agency for Research onCancer (IARC), the cancer agency of theWorld Health Organization, declared thatair pollution is a carcinogen. IARC had pre-viously deemed some of the components inair pollution to be carcinogens, but this isthe first time it has classified air pollutionin its entirety as cancer causing.

Kalamazoo – Megan Hass, certifiedphysician assistant, has joined the staff ofBorgess Orthopedics, part of the BorgessBone & Joint Institute.

Wyoming – Dr. Kevin Howard, Chair ofDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery andOrthopedic Surgery Residency Director atMetro Health Hospital, was named aFellow by American Osteopathic Academyof Orthopedics.

Wyoming – Metro Health Hospital wasrecertified as Primary Stroke Center fromHealthcare Facilities AccreditationProgram.

Grand Rapids – Dr. Abigail Veldkamp,and Dr. Shannon Stanek joined GrandRapids Ophthalmology.

Wyoming – Metro Health is expanding,and beginning Monday, Nov. 4, 2013,Metro Heart & Vascular will begin see-ing patients at Allegan General Hospitalwith interventional cardiologists Dr. FadiSaab, and Dr. Barbara Karenko.

Kalamazoo – Paul Peabody joinedBronson Healthcare as Vice President ofInformation Technology, and ChiefInformation Officer specializing in allaspects of healthcare operations, projectmanagement, information systems, andsoftware development.

Review of The Three Rules

Provided by www.getabstract.com

How do some companies turn inexceptional performance year after year?Deloitte’s Michael E. Raynor and MumtazAhmed apply a disciplined, statisticallyrigorous approach to determine whatmakes top companies great. The fruit of

their impressive research is three pivotalrules any company can follow. To uncoverthis strategic knowledge, the authorsworked as diligent “corporate paleontolo-gists,” carefully analyzing the “fossilrecord” of high-performing companies todiscover what makes them special. Theauthors back up their research with 110pages of detailed appendices that reflectthe meritorious rigor of their approach.Their intense research methods are solidand praiseworthy, but their opaque writingstyle is wearying, as is their criticism ofother books that offer business advicebased on anecdotes and one-off observa-tions. getAbstract recommends their thor-ough analysis and practical findings toCEOs, COOs, business owners, organiza-tional strategists, business professors,entrepreneurs, investors and avid studentsof the application of managerial theory topractical problems.

Michael E. Raynor and MumtazAhmed. The Three Rules: How ExceptionalCompanies Think. Portfolio, 2013. 384pages. ISBN-13: 9781591846147.

getAbstract is the leading provider ofbusiness book summaries, with thousandsof titles covered. www.getabstract.com

Customer Service Leaders Must Master SpeedBy John Tschohl

Among the many tools and tactics acompany can use to improve the cus-tomer experience, speed is the mostoverlooked. That’s unfortunate becausea major factor in creating a positive cus-tomer experience is speed. There arethree major obstacles to improving thecustomer experience through speed:

1. Employee mindset. If anemployee has four days to do a task,they will take four days to do the task. Infact, they won’t get started until thefourth day! And then they will usuallynot finish the task because they needhelp from another employee who calledin sick or is otherwise unavailable.

2. Company policies. Many com-panies have policies that slow downtasks that could be completed quicklyand easily. They might require two orthree sets of eyes and signatures forapproval before a task could be complet-ed when one set of eyes is really enough.Companies must eliminate policies andprocedures that add to the cost and timeof a task. That’s because every timeanother set of hands touches a docu-

ment, the company spends money. Whenyou buy an Apple product in their storesyou will see speed.

3. Disregard for the customerexperience. In today’s world, customerswant it now. They won’t wait in a doc-tor’s office for an hour. They won’t standon long lines. If they can’t get somethingquickly, they will go to another provider.

Companies that understand theneed for speed can actually profit greatly.Southwest Airlines’ planes have a 20-minute turnaround Because of thisspeed, they need fewer planes, whichsaves them billions of dollars. As aresult, they have been profitable for 40years while competitors in their industryhave posted huge losses.

In the early days of computing, Dellbecame a major player when they con-vinced customers they could create andship a fully customized computer in justfour hours.

In today’s competitive world, if yousnooze, you loose. Customers wanteverything faster. Employees mustunderstand that competition demandsthat employees work quickly. Every cus-tomer wants speed. They want every-

thing faster. Employees need to under-stand everything is urgent. Every extraminute they can save will translate to thebottom line.

Look at your company policies. When the order comes in, do you ship thesame day? When a loan applicationcomes in, does it get processed in oneday or in seven days? You better believethere is another company out there whocan do that job that fast. And they willget the business and you will lose thebusiness.

Every employee needs to figure outwhere they improve speed without fore-going quality. You can never compro-mise quality.

Management also must be open toemployees’ suggestions. After all, they dothe work every day. They know whatactions can be taken to make any processfaster and more efficient. Listen to them.They will feel appreciated and will bemotivated to do a better job. Individualswho master speed have the ability to moveup in the organization. Be on the lookoutfor employees who master speed. CEOs,for the most part, are driven by speed.

If you want to differentiate your

company in the marketplace, then youneed to show how you can dramaticallydeliver service and products faster thanyour competitors.

Fortunately, companies can create anew mindset that helps win the war onspeed:

1. Create a culture for the needfor speed. If the employees realize theimportance for speed, they will get thejob done faster.

2. Customer service is a skill. Itcan be taught. And it should be taughtevery four months with new and inter-esting materials to keep employees freshand engaged.

3. Modify policies that are speedtraps. The lack of speed can cost a com-pany a lot of money.

Speed is customer service at its best-- a powerful competitive advantage.

John Tschohl - described by Timeand Entrepreneur magazines as a cus-tomer service guru - presents strategickeynote speeches to companies world-wide. Contact him at John@servicequal-ity.com or http://www.customer-serv-ice.com/

17

Legal/Accounting/Consulting BriefsGrand Rapids – Warner Norcross &Judd, LLP, welcomed new attorneys:Racheal E. Fox, Amy L. Fredrickson,Patrick M. Gunton, Kelly R.Hollingsworth, and Ford J. Turrel.

Grand Rapids – Heidi Lyon was namedChair of Professional Staff Committee atWarner Norcross & Judd, LLP, and con-centrates her practice in employee bene-fits law.

Grand Rapids – Warner Norcross &Judd, LLP, was ranked one of 2014“Best Law Firms” by Best Lawyers andU.S. News & World Report, in areas ofenvironmental law and regulatoryenforcement litigation. In addition, threeof the firm’s offices received top-tier rat-ings in multiple practice areas.

Grand Rapids – For the fourth year, U.S.News & World Report and Best Lawyersrecognized Miller Johnson with toprankings for 25 practice areas in GrandRapids Metro area, and 8 in Kalamazoo.

Sterling Heights – UHY welcomed newmember firms Voscon CharteredAccountants, and Douglas GodwinsonWorld to their global accountancy net-work. Both firms will rebrand to UHYVoscon and UHY Godwinson respective-ly, and are both based in Accra, theGhanaian capital.

Muskegon – Brickley DeLong, PC, wasnamed both 2013 All-Star Firm, and 2013Fastest-Growing Firm according to INSIDEPublic Accounting, national publicationserving the accounting profession.

Grand Rapids – Hilger Hammond, PC,announced the firm received a Tier 1ranking in 2014 edition of U.S. News -“Best Law Firm”.

Lansing – Fredrick D. Dilley, shareholderin Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC(Grand Rapids office), was elected toserve as Vice-Chair on Board of Trusteesfor Michigan State University College ofLaw.

Detroit – Honigman Miller Schwartz andCohn, LLP, was among the nation’s mostprominent law firms in several key practiceareas in U.S. News & World Report and BestLawyers® 2014 “Best Law Firms” rank-ings, and the only Michigan-based firmranked nationally for its Venture Capitaland Information Technology practices.

Grand Rapids – Charles H. Worsfold,partner in Worsfold MacfarlaneMcDonald, PLLC, became a Fellow ofAmerican College of Trial Lawyers, a pre-mier legal association in America.

Grand Rapids – Douglas E. Wagner wasre-elected Managing Partner of WarnerNorcross & Judd, LLP, for a fifth term,making him the longest-serving manag-ing partner in the firm’s history.

Grand Rapids – Baker Holtz, local CPAfirm, announced: Jan Sheffield joined asParaprofessional, offering bookkeepingand seasonal tax preparation; JoAnneLocatis joined as Administrative

Assistant; Melissa Seguin was promotedto Tax Manager from Tax Supervisor;Phil Malnar was promoted to SeniorAssociate from Associate; and TiffanyTaft, Administrative Assistant continueseducation as Accredited Administrator inAccounting Practice Management.

Grand Rapids – Hilger Hammond, PC,announced the following officer appoint-ments: President Steve Hilger; VicePresident Aileen Leipprandt; andSecretary/Treasurer Ben Hammond.

Grand Rapids – Associate Attorney JohnTaylor II joined Foster Swift's GrandRapids office as a member of theirBusiness & Corporate Practice Group.

Fremont – H&S Companies joinedPracticewise, a results-focused group ofCPA firms across the nation formed byEide Bailly, one of the top 25 CPA firmsin the nation.

17

Twenty-Three Tools to Build Your BrandBy John Graham

Trashing branding has reached starstatus as critics dismiss it as passé in adigital environment. Who wants the“behind the times” label? It’s interestingthat those throwing the rocks at brandingcome prepared with a ready replacementthey want to sell us.

Because branding is how peopleexperience a company and its products,don’t fall for the idea that it’s obsolete.Just remember that no company goes togreater pains to protect its brand’sintegrity than does Apple, now the num-ber one brand in the world, according tothe 2013 Interbrand survey.

"Every so often, a company changesour lives, not just with its products, butwith its ethos," noted Interbrand CEO JezFrampton in the company’s report. "This iswhy…Interbrand has a new No. 1 --Apple."

No task is more critical for compa-nies, organizations and individuals thanbrand building. Here are 23 tools that canenhance a brand by giving it continuouscare and protection.

1. Give everyone hospitality train-ing. This is the place to start since mostemployees don’t know how best to inter-act with customers. Hospitality training ismandatory for all employees of Portland,Oregon’s Umpqua Bank and it has paidoff as demonstrated by the bank’s stellarperformance.

2. Align with a charity. Create along-term relationship with a charity thatshares your values and makes it possibleto leverage your company’s resources ––knowledge, skills, talent as well as mon-etary contributions.

3. Make marketing your mission.Business is all about attracting customerswho want to do business with you, a mis-sion requiring a plan that’s implementedconsistently.

4. Give customers what they want.That’s what T-Mobile’s “Un-carrier”rebranding is all about, starting withdumping contracts, followed by the Jump!early upgrade program and then the sign-ing of Shakira. The payoff has been hugewith more than one million new cus-tomers, increased revenues and positivechanges in public perception.

5. Respond quickly to a crisis.There’s no pause button; just ask FordMotors. It refused to recall 421,000 2012Escapes when stuck gas pedals causedaccidents until the company was forcedinto doing it, causing reputation damageand falling Escape sales. Be readybecause even a slight delay in respondingto a crisis can be costly.

6. Research ruthlessly. Mistakes

hurt and some can be fatal, so challengeyour ideas, options and opportunitieswith research and testing to avoid fallinginto embarrassing and costly debacles.

7. Articulate your mission. Forgetabout puffy-fluffy (and meaningless mis-sion statements). The famed industrialdesigner Niels Diffrient, who blended thetechnical and the aesthetic, had one goal:“Why would you design something if itdidn’t improve the human condition?”What an idea!

8. Understand your customers.Many say they know their customers anddon’t need any help. They’re kiddingthemselves about other things, too. Ittakes a combination of having the rightdata and having the smarts to figure outwhat it means.

9. Picture customers correctly. Take apage from Target and Dunkin’ Donuts,companies that view customers as“guests” who deserve to be treated thatway.

10. Avoid erraticism. This prevalentdisease eats away at business success byconstantly jumping from one non-solu-tion to the next, baffling and confusingboth customers and employees.

11. Make studied moves. Just becausea competitor does it or it “sounds good”doesn’t mean it’s right for your company.Without adequate preparation or seriousresearch, many companies jump intoeCommerce, launch new products, makeacquisitions, or expand, only to fail.

12. Admit mistakes fast. Too manybusinesses are living in the past whencover-ups were possible. Not so now ––there’s always a trail that leads to yourdoor. Don’t hope for the best; expect theworst and clear the air quickly.

13. Control enthusiasm. Enthusiasmis essential, but it can also dull cognitiveskills, obscure roadblocks, and blind usto unnecessary risks that can lead tounwelcome outcomes.

14. Build a case for receiving indus-try and civic awards. Valid recognition ismore than blowing your own horn; ithelps in shaping how customers, employ-ees and the public perceive a company.

15. Disallow excuses. Whether it’sletting yourself, your work group, or yourcompany off the hook by making excus-es, customers, shareholders and the pub-lic get the message: you can’t counted on.

16. Be crisis conscious. Asking thequestion “What would happen if…?” isthe most important component in makingdecisions. Failing to ask it is entertainingthe possibility of making costly mistakes.

17. Segment your customer base.Heard it before? Of course, but only asmall percentage of companies actuallysegment their customer database so they

can tailor their marketing message tospecific groups, and devote their effortsto those who produce the most revenue.

18. Be responsive. “They always getback to me quickly.” Because they createa lasting impression, these are the mostimportant words anyone can hear. Likenothing else, they send the message thatyou care. How fast? Now –– one hour orless. And there are no exceptions.

19. Educate customers. If customersaren’t learning from you, they’re vulner-able to competitor attack. Focus onemerging trends, dangers ahead, productuse, reducing costs, and solving prob-lems.

20. Think creativity. Nothing isworse than trying to eat when driving forfear of making a mess on our clothes.KFC solved the problem with its five-compartment Go Cups that fit in a cupholder and a menu of finger food.

21. Get rid of meetings without astrategic agenda. Meetings frustrate “goal-oriented high achievers,” says meetingexpert Larissa Barber of UNC, becausethey feel they are prevented from gettingwork done, while those who are moresocial and less self-structured like meet-ings “to catch up and talk with col-

leagues.”22. Get it right. Good enough is

never good enough when it comes to thecare and protection of a brand’s integrity.

23. Give everyone brand training.Branding depends on consistent messag-ing and that takes training. What valuesdoes it represent? Why does it resonatewith customers? What role do employeesplay in caring for our brand? How canthey help enhance it?

Brand building is a tough job andone that never ends. As difficult as it is tocreate a solid brand, it can be easily dam-aged or even destroyed. It needs constantcare. And, above all, it deserves tirelessprotection. It may never appear on a bal-ance sheet as an asset, but its value isimmeasurable.

John Graham of GrahamComm is amarketing and sales strategist-consultantand business writer. He publishes a freemonthly eBulletin, “No NonsenseMarketing & Sales.” Contact him at john-rg31@me.com, 617-774-9759 or johnr-graham.com.

Review of 12 Disciplines ofLeadership Excellence

Provided by www.getabstract.com

Great leaders from history – includingAlexander the Great and Frederick theGreat – left a legacy of leadership’s coreprinciples: “excellence, courage, determi-nation, fortitude, listening, integrity” and“caring” about your followers. But Alex

and Fred are long gone and employeesnow are more skeptical, self-interestedand demanding. Leaders face constantscrutiny from all corners and must consis-tently model the behavior and attitudesthey desire in their followers. Today, lead-ership demands a combination of 12 broad“disciplines” as put forward by prolificauthors Brian Tracy and Peter Chee, bothleadership experts. Their compilationoffers foundational and valuable leader-ship and management advice. You mayhave heard most of it before, but review-ing the tenets of leadership never hurtsand getting it all in one place, clearly stat-ed, is convenient. getAbstract recommendsthis step-by-step survey of solid but stan-dard instructions to novices and to thosewho’d like a short summary of fundamen-tal leadership advice.

Brian Tracy and Peter Chee. 12Disciplines of Leadership Excellence: HowLeaders Achieve Sustainable HighPerformance. McGraw-Hill Companies,2013. 240 pages. ISBN-13:9780071809467.

getAbstract is the leading provider ofbusiness book summaries, with thousandsof titles covered. www.getabstract.com

18

General BusinessGrand Rapids – According to a reportfrom Grand Valley State University’sJohnson Center for Philanthropy showsdonors in Kent County gave an estimated$624.7 million to charity and philan-thropic groups in 2011, an increase ofalmost $10 million from Johnson Center’sestimate of total giving in 2010.Individuals gave 57.5% ($359.2 million)of the donations, foundations contributed29.5% ($184.3 million), corporationscontributed 7.2% ($44.6 million), andbequests made up 5.8% ($36.4 million).

Ottawa County – Ottawa Countyannounced Lynne Doyle, previousDeputy Director, was selected as newExecutive Director of Community MentalHealth of Ottawa County. Doyle is aLimited Licensed Psychologist and hasMasters Degrees in CounselingPsychology and Public Administration.

Grand Rapids – The Skin RevitalizingCenter is one of the first facilities in theU.S. to offer miraDry® Procedure, a newtreatment providing safe and lasting solu-tion for excessive underarm sweat, adebilitating condition also known as pri-mary axillary hyperhidrosis.

Lansing – Michigan Liquor ControlCommission announced plans to start therule change process that prohibits barsand restaurants from utilizing logoeditems like glasses, coasters and napkins,also known as Secondary Use Rule. If therule is rescinded, bar and restaurant own-ers will be able to buy these items for

their establishments. Currently, Michiganis the only state that prohibits this com-mon marketing practice.

Grand Rapids – Nearly $200,000 in giftsand grants, with a lead grant of $100,000from Lowell Area Community Fund, issupporting Kent County’s purchase of 20acre “Keystone Parcel” - 13440 CoveredBridge Road - for $208,000, to expandFallasburg Park in Lowell to 287acres.

Grand Rapids – The third annual “JerryO’Bee Service Excellence Award” - devel-oped 2011, by CRN as memorial tribute tohonor O’Bee for his efforts in advocatingfor caregivers in West Michigan - wasawarded to Cindy Streekstra byCaregiver Resource Network.

Ottawa County – Don Disselkoen,Ottawa County Commissioner repre-senting District 3 (City of Holland Wards1, 2, 3 & 6, Ward 4 Precinct 3), wasunanimously awarded his second three-year appointment to MichiganTransportation Asset ManagementCouncil.Grand Rapids – Thirteen years ago,Michael Hines purchased his own LawnDoctor of West Michigan which hasinspired his eldest son, Kendall Hines tofulfill his father’s dreams and take overthe family business. Kendall is currentlyin Lawn and Landscape Managementprogram at Michigan State Universitywith an additional 13 years of lawn careexperience working with his father.

Battle Creek – W. K. Kellogg Foundationlaunched a new initiative, WKKFCommunity Leadership Network. Thenew initiative seeks to develop leadershipskills of individuals who will be commu-nity-based social change agents workingto help vulnerable children and their fam-ilies achieve optimal health and well-being, access to good food, academicachievement, and financial security. Atotal of 100 fellows will be equitably

selected from the foundation’s U.S. prior-ity places - Michigan, Mississippi, NewMexico, and New Orleans. Another 20 fel-lows will be selected from outside thesepriority places and will function as anational cohort whose work will focus onracial healing and equity.

Finance/Insurance/Banking BriefsGrand Rapids – Charter Group, a mergerand acquisition advisory firm focused onbuy, sell, and capital raise transactions,announced addition of Charles J.Vranian to its Advisory Board.

Grand Haven – Bank of Holland isexpanding at 111 N. Third St., with a new7,000 square-foot branch to house agrowing team of commercial and con-sumer lending experts, mortgage profes-sionals, and other support staff.

Detroit – SBA’s Michigan District Officeis now accepting nominations for its 2014Small Business Awards. Preliminarynomination letters may be submitted toMichigan District Office via email. Pleaseaddress some of the evaluation criteria forthe award category which includes: SmallBusiness Person of the Year, Exporter ofthe Year, Young Entrepreneur of the Year,and Family Owned Small Business of theYear.

Holland – Macatawa Bank announcedthey would begin offering SpotPay™,mobile payments solution for customerswhich enables merchants to accept cardpayments anywhere, anytime. UsingSpotPay, merchants are able to swipecredit and debit cards with their Apple®iOS or Android™ mobile device to acceptpayments.

Caledonia – Andrew Schutt is nowPresident of The Campbell Group, a divi-sion of Acrisure, and will oversee allProperty & Casualty operations for TheCampbell Group; Dan Mannes was pro-moted to Executive Vice President ofAcrisure Business Outsourcing ServicesSales, and will lead the national growth ofthis division of Acrisure; and Don Collinswas named Chief Operating Officer ofAcrisure, LLC, and will lead new acquisi-tion assimilation, coordination and devel-opment of operating strategies, andadministrative resources.

Midland – Chemical Bank announcedestablishment of the Chemical BankFoundation to better organize, prioritizeand execute Chemical Bank’s on-goingcommitment to philanthropy.

Bingham Farms – Wolf-ChandlerAgency, LLC, was formed marking afourth generation Wolf insurance busi-ness, and bringing together two experi-enced insurance professionals - MatthewR. Wolf, and Steven C. Luppenlatz.

Holland – Macatawa Bank’s held a rib-bon cutting ceremony November 20,2013, for expansion of its downtownGrand Rapids Office at 116 Ottawa Ave.NW, on the first floor of the former PennClub space.

Chelsea – Northpointe Bank, headquar-tered in Grand Rapids, opened a mortgageloan center August 2013, located at 134W. Middle St. Suite H.

Grand Rapids – Northpointe Bankannounced new employees David Kuiper,Vice President/Loan Officer, and JasonBakker, Vice President/Loan Officer.

Grand Rapids – Grand Angels, an invest-ment group, announced its fifth fundingcommitment of 2013, investing in AmbiqMicro, a leader in ultra-low power inte-grated circuits headquartered in Austin,Texas, and invested alongside venturecapital firms Austin Ventures, ARM®,Mercury Fund, Huron River Ventures,and other investors in the $10 millionSeries B funding round. Ambiq Micro,whose products are redefining the mean-ing of ultra-low power ICs, will use thefunding to expand the company’s SPOT™(Sub threshold Power OptimizedTechnology) design platform, acceleratenew product development, and expandworldwide market presence.

19

Education BriefsGrand Rapids – 2013 Open Doors Reportrecognized Calvin College as one of thetop-five baccalaureate institutions in the U.S. for enrolling 426 international students,and total number of students studyingabroad - 52 countries and six Canadianprovinces. In addition, Calvin’s current stu-dent body represents 45 states.

Grand Rapids – Aquinas College Board ofTrustees approved expansion of campushousing with construction on newApartment D building beginning earlyDecember 2013, and completion for nextacademic year (Fall 2014). It will be mod-eled after LEED certified Apartment D, withestimated cost of $5 million, approximately29,176 sq. ft., and accommodate 64 upperclass residents with single rooms, 2 largelounges, and 1 laundry facility.

Battle Creek – According to GibsonSurvey, an annual survey of tuition andfees at all 28 Michigan community col-

leges, reveals Kellogg CommunityCollege (KCC) is the fifth most affordablecollege in the state. Gibson’s 2013Survey, compiled and released this monthby Michigan Community College BusinessOfficers Association, shows KCC’s costper credit is $106.04. On the survey, costsper credit ranged from $82.11 to$171.42, with average being $124.73.Costs per credit differ from each college’stuition rate, which is a flat charge percredit hour. KCC’s tuition rate, for exam-ple, is $89.50 for in-district students.

Fremont – Baker College was rankedamong the nation’s top 20 online/nontra-ditional schools in annual “Best for VetsCollege” rankings by Military Times, afamily of newsweeklies providing inde-pendent information to service membersand their families.