Category: Around the Region

How urban planning and revitalization will shape the future of Kalamazoo. On a hot and hazy Thursday afternoon in August, a small crowd spilled from a white event tent on a construction site in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A dozen shovels jutted from the brown dirt nearby, symbols of the groundbreaking on 180 East Water Street, a […]

The 2017 Catalyst Education Awards, sponsored by the Michigan Lottery, recognize educational excellence. We sat down with this year’s winners to see their commitment to education firsthand. In these exciting times of astonishing access to technology and information, the traditional model of education has changed. The days of lecturing and rote memorization are over. Today’s […]

With its commitment to healthy vegetables, all in a row! Summer evenings are a time when many of us enjoy sitting down to fresh, locally-grown vegetables for dinner, whether it’s a ripe red tomato on a juicy cheeseburger or slices of zucchini served with barbeque chicken. But, for many Southwest Michigan residents, a regular supply […]

—Or see that special someone in it. Perhaps nothing is more personal—or more of a rite of passage—than choosing a prom or a wedding dress. To many prom-goers, as with prospective brides, the process is one fraught with anticipation, expectations, and emotions. Memories Bridal & Evening Wear aims to make the experience a joyful—and painless—one. […]

The Millennial Mindset: The day to day cross-generational experience. Today’s organizations are in the unique position of having employees who span four generations. Each with its own perspectives, qualities, and traits. Each shaped by the historical and cultural events of their generation. They are: Silent Generation: The smallest workforce subset, age 70+, were born before 1946. […]

When it comes to a career, it’s never too early to start preparing. When he was named president of Humphrey Products in April 2016, Dave Maurer inherited the desk of his recently retired predecessor. Within its drawers, Maurer found a sheaf of papers from 1998 describing a group of industry partners trying to solve a […]

The most “powerful weapon” a person can wield is an education; when it comes to Southwest Michigan, this weapon could use sharpening. South African President Nelson Mandela might have expressed it best: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Exchange “the world” for “Southwest Michigan” in that sentence, […]

More than an apple a day at Schultz Fruitridge Farms and Texas Corners Brewing Company. Not much says “Michigan” better than a crisp apple in the fall or, increasingly, a craft brew. Fortunately for the region, the Schultz family has found a way to provide both and a whole lot more. Schultz Fruitridge Farms is […]

If there is a blueprint for economic growth, a look at trend-setting regions around the nation tells us this: talent, education, and quality of life are key drivers. In that respect, the news is both encouraging and cautionary for Southwest Michigan. Among peer regions, Southwest Michigan has fewer high school dropouts than most—but it also […]

People are not your greatest asset. Talented people are! When your company or organization is ready to face the “talent” issue, you must decide whether you are building a house, doing an extreme makeover or putting on an addition—meaning you have something great in “one room” and are ready to expand to another “room,” department […]

In any successful economy, we must work to harness our most important tool: Human capital. BusinessDictionary.com defines talent as (1) a natural ability to excel at a duty or action or (2) a group of people who have a particular aptitude for certain tasks. Albert Einstein spoke to talent in a more plain-spoken way, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its […]

It all started with a Schwinn Typhoon… Mike Wood Founder of Team Active 22 Michigan Ave W Battle Creek, MI 49017 Mike Wood, of Team Active located on Michigan Avenue in downtown Battle Creek, Michigan, first fell in love with bikes growing up in Jackson, Michigan. Even with the many increasingly sophisticated bicycles available to […]