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September 2011 $2.00

Ensuring Success for Your Wellness ProgramBy Sandra Kuhn

Wellness programs have emerged asan important component of medical ben-efit offerings. Over the years, there havebeen a number of different strategiessuggested, tried and rejected – all in anattempt to manage the cost of deliveringthis employee benefit. Will the inclusionof education, prevention and targetedaction programs prove to be a worth-while effort and demonstrate its valueover time? The potential certainly exists;but there are several important consider-ations to keep in mind as you eitherbegin a program or refine your offering.

Organizational culture. Understandingyour organization’s ability to supportwellness efforts goes beyond affordabili-ty. Will senior management actively par-ticipate and promote wellness efforts?Are catering and vending practices con-sistent with wellness messages? Can thevision of the wellness program be linkedto organizational commitment toemployee well being?

Understanding the health of yourpopulation. Depending on the size ofyour organization and budget for well-ness, employers often use on site bio-metric screenings and health risk assess-ments to assess the current health statusand risks within their population. Theresults can provide meaningful insight toprogramming needs and ultimately cus-tomize the wellness program to the areasof targeted change needed for your pop-ulation.

Employee readiness for change. Awell designed health risk assessmenttool will address employee (or partici-pant) readiness for change. However,

even before launching efforts to under-stand the health status and risk of thepopulation, employers may consider anemployee survey targeted to assessingoverall employee interest, health con-cerns, willingness to participate, keymotivators and preferred activities tosupport wellness efforts. Do employeesprefer on-line programming or is accessto the internet a barrier? Do employeesunderstand the need for improved healthand are they willing to make personalchange to achieve certain goals? Whatmotivates behavior change?Understanding some of the key driversfor change within the population willenable more customization of your well-ness offering.

Budget and resources. As with anybenefit offering, careful consideration ofcost and resources needed to manage theprogram is critical to a long lasting andmeaningful program offering. As withthe design of the program itself, there isa wide spectrum of budget and adminis-trative options. Health plans typicallyoffer wellness tools and programming –and sometimes at little or no cost. Thirdparty vendors play a large role in provid-ing corporate wellness, offering a la cartservices to comprehensive risk assess-ment and programming support.Successful wellness programs can clearlycome in all shapes and sizes. One of themost overlooked components in offeringwellness programming is the amount ofcorporate support and identity that isgiven to the program.

Regardless of whether a program isfully administered in-house or out-sourced to a third party vendor, there isstill a tremendous need for broad based

participation in delivering services. Manyorganizations identify “wellness champi-ons” within the organization. Theseindividuals are the messengers of thevision for the wellness program. Theyoften help organize local activities andgenerate excitement and energy toengage their colleagues in change and infeeling supported for their efforts.

Moving from “awareness” ofwellness issues to “engaging”employees in meaningful lifestylechanges. It makes sense that new well-ness offerings begin with raising aware-ness of health and wellness education.Our medical system has been gearedtoward treating disease; not necessarilypreventing it, so the learning curve issteep. However, raising awareness ofwellness won’t necessarily drive behav-ior change. Only through understandingkey motivators and offering a broadarray of programming choices will youmove your population from being moreaware – to actually making lifestylechanges to improve their overall health.When reflecting on high levels of partic-ipation in biometric screenings andhealth risk assessments this fall, askyourself whether individuals are justparticipating (perhaps to avoid a higheremployee contribution) or do you seemeaningful change occurring?

Tracking data and measuringresults. The ability to track and measureresults will differ by the size of organiza-tion and the type of programming that isoffered. Larger employers utilizing selffunding strategies will likely have muchbetter access to information. For employ-ers whose medical programs are fullyinsured, obtaining data to prove the ROI

of the wellness program may not bereadily available. However, rememberthat wellness programs can impact notonly medical costs but also have beenidentified with improved productivityand reduced absenteeism – both contrib-utors to the business bottom line. If youare limited in measuring the impact onthe medical claims, then consider ana-lyzing the impact on absenteeism.

Promoting the value of wellness as abroad based business strategy will openthe possibilities of restating results, andlikely improve the ability to gain the buyin and commitment of senior executives.

Sandra Kuhn, MSW, is a health careconsultant at The Campbell Group, adivision of Acrisure, LLC. She has over20 years experience in working withemployers of all sizes in managing theiremployee benefit programs and offersspecific technical expertise in worksitewellness programs.

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Ready...Set...Go. O-A-K On The MovePop quiz. What do the following

West Michigan organizations have incommon? - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum- Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park- Van Andel Institute, Phase II- Grand Rapids Civic Theatre - Kent County Courthouse

Give up? The correct answer is that allof the above have been built by Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. (aka O-A-K). Founded inGrand Rapids, Michigan in 1891, the localconstruction company has quite the portfo-lio. But these landmarks were not builtovernight. In fact, O-A-K is celebratingtheir 120th anniversary in business thisyear. And they are celebrating the only waythey know how. With commitment.

"As an employee-owned corporation,we feel a genuine commitment to thecommunities where we build and we'refortunate to be able to demonstrate thatcommitment every day, in a number ofways," says Frank Stanek, Director of

Operations and Equal OpportunityEmployment.

For starters, O-A-K is demonstratingtheir commitment to both the localemployees and the City of Grand Rapidswith an extreme office makeover, com-plete with state-of-the-art technology,collaborative workspace design and awelcoming glass entryway.

The company has been headquarteredin downtown Grand Rapids since its found-ing in 1891. Their current building, locatedat 300 Ionia NW, has not undergone remod-eling since the mid-80s. Maroon decor andnon-handicap accessible entryways wereno longer acceptable in 2011, so the optionswere: a) relocation; or b) renovation.Although option "a" could have been farless expensive, option "b" made more sensefor the future.

"I'd like to say the renovation was ano-brainer. The truth is, a lot of urbanoffices have gone suburban over the pastfew decades, and for appealing reasons.But at the end of the day, that's not thekind of message we wanted to send. Welove this City and we plan to remaindowntown for decades to come," com-mented Bill Schoonveld, O-A-KPresident.

In addition to revamping their corpo-rate office, O-A-K is thanking the com-munity through an anniversary campaignthey're calling GIVE 120. Each monththroughout 2011, they are donatingmuch-needed resources to local organi-zations, whilst cleverly incorporating thenumber 120. For example, in Februarythey donated 120 books to BrooksideElementary School in Grand Rapids. Theyalso donated to the school in April, with120 white pine trees for Earth Day. InJune, they created a $120 scholarship,allowing two children to attend the CivicSchool of Theatre Arts' Kidsplay Kampand they sponsored the musicalHairspray.

O-A-K's commitment to the commu-nity does not stop with a giving cam-paign. Because the company prides itselfin hiring people based on attitude andtraining for skill, most of the employeesare actively involved with local organiza-tions outside of work. From little leaguecoaching to serving on non-profit boards,O-A-K encourages their employees to beactive and engaged.

"It's been that way for 120 years.The values that our founders held remaina major part of our company culture,"says Stanek.

This encouragement also acts as aninternal morale booster, which they firm-ly believe has an affect on the averageemployee's longevity. Currently, the

median employee within O-A-K'sMichigan operations has been with thecompany for 16 years. That's 11.8 yearslonger than the average American in theconstruction industry. (According to theUnited States Department of Labor,Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mediantenure for a construction employee withcurrent employer in 2010 was 4.2 years.

That longevity also contributes totheir high number of repeat clients,which was 95% in 2010.

"That's one of the most exciting thingsabout O-A-K. The majority of the peoplewe hire end up retiring from our companydecades later," says Schoonveld, who hasbeen with the company for 33 years.

Despite global economic hardships,O-A-K has continued to hire new talentover the past few years. In fact, they'vehad zero layoffs in 2011.

"We are managing to keep lots ofpeople at work. And we aren't taking thatfor granted," says Stanek.

O-A-K attributes a great deal of theirrecent success to the relationshipsthey've built with their clients. Becauseso many of their employees have beenwith the company for decades, they get toknow their clients on an individual basis.Many of those clients, like RockfordPublic Schools and Frederik MeijerGardens, work with the same O-A-Kemployees on all capital improvementprojects. But it's not just capital improve-ments that they build. O-A-K providesGeneral Contracting, ConstructionManagement, Design Build and skilledlabor for projects both large and small.

"Have you been to the Grand Rapids

Art Museum?" jokes Bill Ogden, Directorof Operations and Safety. "We didn't buildthat one, but we did change the lightbulbs!"

Although O-A-K has managed theconstruction for some of the most iconicprojects in West Michigan and has over-seen additional projects in 37 of the 50United States, they are not above rollingup their sleeves. In fact, they frequentlyremind themselves that their founders'resumes were written in the lines of theirhardened, calloused hands.

So, what does the future hold for O-A-K?They envision a future much like their

past. Where technology and innovation arebalanced with conservative financial prac-tices. Their field staff recently began carry-ing smart phones, so they can access thecompany's web-based project managementsystem from virtually anywhere in theworld. Also, being employee-owned hasand will continue to help O-A-K exerciseresponsible financial decision making,keeping the company strong and lean.

One of their core values is to nevercompromise the long-term condition forshort-term gain. This has paved the wayfor success in West Michigan for morethan a century. O-A-K expects to continueto build landmark buildings throughoutthe country for another 120 years, at least.

Rachael Ritzema is a freelancewriter. She is a member of the AmericanMarketing Association and holds aBachelor of Arts in English Literaturefrom Grand Valley State University.

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Rain Barrel ProgramDistributes 1,000th Barrel

Grand Rapids - West MichiganEnvironmental Action Council distrib-uted its 1,000th rain barrel earlier thismonth as part of an event in honor ofCoca-Cola’s 100th anniversary at JohnBall Zoo. Some 60 barrels were distrib-uted in just under an hour. As of the endof August, WMEAC’s rain barrel programhas distributed 1,023 rain barrels to theWest Michigan community. Last year,WMEAC distributed 508 barrels throughthe program, enough to remove 9 milliongallons of stormwater runoff from localwaterways.

Since 2009, WMEAC has offeredfree or low-cost rain barrels to GrandRapids residents as part of a partnershipwith the City of Grand Rapids, Coca-Colaand other partners. The barrels are dis-tributed through WMEAC and citizen-

hosted “Rain Barrel Parties.”Rain barrels collect storm and rain

from rooftops for watering of lawns andgardens. The barrel is generally attachedto the gutter system of a building and ascreen is installed between the down-spout and the barrel to collect debris andprevent mosquitoes from contaminatingthe water. An overflow pipe is attachednear the top of the barrel to preventexcess water from flowing out.

Keeping the rain on the propertyprevents the water from washing intostorm drains and contaminating localwaterways with the yard waste, sedi-mentation and chemical pollutants com-mon to all city residences and streets.Stormwater runoff is the leading sourceof water pollution in West Michigan.

EmploymentGroup: Providing Better Employees to Fuel West Michigan Businesses

By Jamie Thrams

Grand Rapids – While much of thecountry struggles to come out of a con-tinuing recession, the recent success ofWest Michigan’s EmploymentGroupshows that the region is a bright spot interms of job growth.

Founded in 1958,EmploymentGroup is based in BattleCreek and Grand Rapids, and specializesin recruiting, training, and placing per-manent and temporary field associatesin contract, administrative, professional,technical and light industrial positions.

In addition to temporary helpstaffing, EmploymentGroup providesmanaged services to help corporationswith non-strategic functions, such asmailroom centers, document manage-ment and archival services. With each ofthese components, EmploymentGroupseeks to improve both the efficiency andbottom line of their clients.

Though company offices are locat-ed in Michigan and Illinois,EmploymentGroup has partnered withboth local and global Fortune 500 com-panies to provide staffing solutions andbusiness services. EmploymentGroupseeks to understand the work culture ofthe client to ensure that they are identi-fying the best possible prospectiveemployees for each individual company.

Mark Lancaster, EmploymentGroupCEO has been with the company for 25years (the last decade in his currentrole) and recognizes the strength ofWest Michigan businesses as fueling the

strong job market in what is a tenuouseconomic time: “The way they [compa-nies in West Michigan] are run and thevalues they are based on has positionedthem well for the first part of the newdecade.”

Lancaster also points to the impor-tance of the auto industry in driving theWest Michigan economy, even thoughthe region has seen some diversificationof industries. American auto supplierslead 2010 job growth both locally andnationally. Also indicative of local eco-nomic strength is the recent success ofEmploymentGroup: over 1900 tempo-rary employees provided byEmploymentGroup have been hired onfull-time in the last 18 months, and thecompany enjoyed 63% growth in 2010.

Even with these positive signs,Lancaster warns of the uncertainty lyingahead, due to questioning of the recov-ery and indications that the countrymay have not begun to trend upward.He points to the nuclear disaster inJapan, the downward trending of theGDP and change of the United Statescredit rating by Standard and Poor’s ascause for concern. Of the current eco-nomical climate, Lancaster said “thingsare continuing to chug along, but we’restill facing very interesting times.

Although concerns persist regard-ing the national and local economy,EmploymentGroup has shown signifi-cant growth over last quarter. The firmreported a 10% increase in second quar-ter 2011 sales as compared to the year-ago period. In addition,

EmploymentGroup clients have hired onmore than 900 temporary associatesprovided by EmploymentGroup as full-time employees in 2011.

Lancaster said that he is curious tosee if the success ofEmploymentGroup’s temporary staff willcontinue, as he sees temporary to full-time employment as a barometer foreconomic confidence: “The whole tem-porary help industry goes as GrossDomestic Product goes.”

According to Lancaster,EmploymentGroup’s success is borneout of the intense focus placed on deliv-ering “measurably better employees” tocustomers and following up with “fanat-ical customer support.” To provide betteremployees, EmploymentGroup uses aproprietary 12-step screening process toassess both attitude and aptitude,including cognitive and personality test-ing. While these components are foun-dational to EmploymentGroup’sapproach to staffing, Lancaster recog-nizes the need to continue to adapt andshift with the market by continuallyevaluating both the processes utilizedby the company and the employees theyprovide.

When asked what needs employersare presenting most frequently toEmploymentGroup, Lancaster cited the ahigh level of need in the skilled trades,as the skilled worker population in WestMichigan has started to retire and therehave not been significant numbers to fillthose positions. Lancaster has seen “areal shortage of skilled machinists, jour-

neymen and die-makers” as fewer highschool graduates are electing to go intothe skilled trades, choosing instead topursue four-year degrees.

Furthermore, Lancaster noted theincreased need as West Michigan com-panies employing skilled workers con-tinue to see improving business.Currently, EmploymentGroup is recruit-ing temporary associates for a variety ofpositions in a variety of industries,including automotive, healthcare, andfurniture manufacturing. The demandspresented by EmploymentGroup clientsrun from entry level through skilled andprofessional positions. Regardless ofindustry, EmploymentGroup seeks towork with job-seekers who bring a greatattitude and the willingness to improvetheir skills and add value to a potentialemployer.

As Employment group lookstoward the future, they will continue toprovide solutions-oriented staffing and“better employees” for their clients.Even given the uncertainty of what liesahead in both the local and nationaleconomy, EmploymentGroup remainscommitted to continued measurement oftheir employees to connect them withthe needs of West Michigan companies.

“The reason we get out of bedevery day is to help people succeed,”Lancaster said. With continuous growthand a strong showing thus far in 2011,EmploymentGroup has shown its abilityto provide solutions for both job-seek-ers and companies in Western Michigan.

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Finance/Insurance BriefsGrand Rapids - Plante & Moran, PLLCnamed Ken Julien and Dori Draytonaas partners in the firm’s Grand Rapidsoffice. Julien focuses on providingstrategic planning, performance incen-tive systems, operations improvement,technology selection and deploymentservices to clients in the real estate andconstruction industries. Draytona focus-es her practice on investment and wealthplanning, and preservation strategies forhigh net worth individuals, companiesand governmental entities.

Grand Rapids - Lisa Raniga has joinedIndependent Bank, at the East Beltlineoffice in Grand Rapids, as a sales repre-sentative with Independent TitleServices. Raniga brings over seven yearsof experience to the position.

Lansing - Accident Fund InsuranceCompany of America recently donated$5,000 to Phoenix Society of BurnSurvivors, and $5,000 to help sponsorDisability Advocates’ fifth annual“Invest in Ability” fundraising event, tobe held held at Frederik Meijer Gardensand Sculpture Park on October 24, 2011.

East Lansing - Chelsey Otto has beenpromoted to banking office manager atIndependent Bank’s East Lansingoffice. Otto has been with IndependentBank for more than nine years and mostrecently served as the assistant bankingoffice manager.

Grand Rapids – Baird, an internationalwealth management, investment bank-ing, asset management and private equi-ty firm, has added Jeffrey Walsh as afinancial advisor at its Grand Rapidswealth management office. Walsh willwork with The Braun Walsh Group.Prior to joining Baird, Walsh worked forJohn Hancock as a retirement plan salesassociate.

Kentwood - Regal InvestmentAdvisors has hit $250,000,000+ inassets under management. Regal ranksin the top independent 250 nationally.

Grand Rapids – David McLeod hasjoined Varnum LLP as a counsel attor-ney in the Novi office. McLeod’s practicewill focus on the representation of lend-ing institutions in real property, acquisi-tion, and commercial financing transac-tions.

Kalamazoo - Economic DevelopmentFoundation announces José E.Santamaria has joined EDF as a LoanOfficer in the Kalamazoo and SouthwestMichigan areas where he will be respon-sible for all business development in forthe Economic Development Foundationin those areas.

Grand Rapids- Rhoades McKeeannounced that Rebecca M. Smith hasjoined the firm’s litigation practice groupas an associate.

Holland – Jennifer Siler has joinedMacatawa Bank as Retail CreditLending Administrator. In this position,Siler will be underwriting and makingcredit decisions through all retail lendingchannels.

Grand Rapids - Varnum has named attor-ney Joy Fossel as the firm's Diversity andInclusion counsel. Fossel's will lead thecoordination of Varnum's external diver-sity scholarships, and community initia-tives and donations.

Grand Rapids - Price, Heneveld, Cooper,Dewitt & Litton LLP has shortened itsname to Price Heneveld® LLP.

Muskegon – James Griffith has joinedWaddell and Reed as a personal financeadvisor. As a personal financial advisor,Griffith will help develop customizedfinancial plans, recommend investmentstrategies and counsel clients through-out the area.

Grand Rapids – Plante Moran FinancialAdvisors, an independent investmentadvisory firm, was ranked in the top 10of registered investment advisors byFinancial Advisor magazine for the sixthyear in a row.

Grand Rapids – Blackford Capital LLCannounced the addition of as AbigailHoekzema an Analyst. Hoekzema’sresponsibilities include conductingfinancial and operational reviews of newinvestment opportunities as well asmonitoring current portfolio companies.

Grand Rapids – HNi Risk Services ofMichigan LLC is a recently founded firmformed as a result of a partnershipbetween four proven insurance and riskmanagement professionals (JimMcKinley, Randy Phelps, John Rogers,and Nathan Steffen) and HNi RiskServices located in Milwaukee,Wisconsin to be a non-traditional advi-sory firm that specializes in turninginsurance into a strategic tool.

Grand Rapids – Plachta, Murphy &Associates partners with the MichiganEconomic Development Corporationby contributing $500,000 of legal servic-es over the next four years to help offsetthe costs of starting or expanding WestMichigan businesses in response toGovernor Snyder’s Pure MichiganBusiness Connect initiative.

Muskegon - John Oblak has been pro-moted to assistant vice president andbank office manager of IndependentBank’s Muskegon offices. Oblak’s careerwith Independent Bank includes servingas mortgage underwriter and a mortgageoriginator.

Grand Rapids – Varnum Consulting'sJennifer (Dowling) Maxson has beennamed a 2011 Athena YoungProfessional Award nominee. Maxson isthe practice group leader, consultant andcoach at Varnum Consulting, where shehas served as a business consultant fora variety of clients since 1996.

Grand Rapids – Melissa Papke, a part-ner in Varnum's real estate group, hasbeen appointed to represent Michiganand serve as the State Chair of theAmerican College of MortgageAttorneys; Papke was also elected toserve on the Council of the RealProperty Law Section of the MichiganBar Association.

Grand Rapids - Peopledesignannounced its placement in the 2011Inc. 500|5000 list of fastest growing pri-vate companies in America.

Grand Rapids - Miller Johnson reportsthat Mary V. Bauman was named byMichigan Lawyers Weekly as a 2011“Michigan Women in the Law.”

Holland – The Bank of Holland,announced the hiring of Mike Eling as aCredit Analyst. Eling has banking expe-rience and will be involved with TheBank of Holland’s ProfessionalDevelopment Program.

Big Rapids - Lerner Csernai & FathFinancial Group, LCF, has announcedthe selection of Cambridge InvestmentResearch, Inc. as its Broker/Dealerwhich processes its investment busi-ness. This choice by LCF allows for evenbetter opportunities to provide excel-lence in client relationships, service andsupport.

Grand Rapids — Jeff Case has joinedIndependent Bank as an assistant vicepresident of treasury management. Hewill be located out of the Rockford officeand serve customers in SouthwestMichigan including Big Rapids,Newaygo, Muskegon, Grand Rapids,Ionia, Portland and Carson City.

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Is Your Business PreparedIf Disaster Strikes?

As September is NationalPreparedness Month, West Michigancompanies need to ask themselves ifthey are ready to survive a damagingweather event.

While West Michigan may not be inTornado Alley or sit on a fault line, busi-nesses in the region still need to takeseriously the potential danger in naturalevents that can cripple a small business.The tornado that destroyed Joplin,Missouri is a sobering example of whatMother Nature is capable of and theimportance of preparing for severeweather events.

If your business is not prepared forsuch an event, it should be. Of all busi-ness that close following a disaster, 43%never reopen, and an additional 29%close permanently within two weeks.

Would your business be one of the 28%that can survive?

If your company does not have aDisaster Recovery Plan in place to com-municate with employees, assessresources and ensure business continu-ity, please refer to the websites below toget started.

Links:www.ready.gov/business/index.htm

l - Resources to start your preparednessplans

www.preparemybusiness.org –Provides planning documents andinformative webinars

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/cat.pdf - Community AssistanceTool document

7

Health insur-ance. Fewer thingsstrike fear in thehearts of peoplethese days as muchas those two words.Add to them, HealthCare Reform Act, andthey become down-right terrifying. Withthe constant change

of the health care landscape, and themore than one million pages of new leg-islation governing it, companies andnon-group sponsored individuals arestruggling to make heads or tails ofsomething so confusing, frustrating, butat the same time, necessary.

A Reliable GuideOwners, human resource depart-

ments, chief financial officers, and otherswith greater responsibility within anorganization have found that they haveneither the time, nor training needed tolearn hundreds of new laws, becomefamiliar with countless carriers, or tounderstand thousands of different planconfigurations. They are in need as neverbefore of a reliable guide, someone whocan represent them, and be the valuedresource that can help them navigatethese waters. A local independent insur-ance agency that has partnered withnumerous companies can provide thisneeded direction.

The Health Insurance SolutionNot too far in the distant past, com-

panies would pay 100% of employee pre-mium and sponsor the most comprehen-sive of plans. However, due to the risingcost of insurance, these same companieshave now demanded that employees con-tribute more to their plan, at times requir-ing the employee pay all dependent pre-miums. The unpopular strategy of lower-ing plan benefits has also been used tomanage costs.

The driving force behind premiumincreases, which can be from 10-50%annually, is utilization. Interestingly, thecumulative cost of major medical servicessuch as cancer treatments, organ trans-plants and others, pale in comparison tothe total cost of claims involving non-emergency situations, this being due tothe sheer volume of these types of claims.In order to curtail the unnecessary use ofbenefits there has been a movement thatencourages consumer responsibility. Theconcept calls on the insured to take moreresponsibility for their health care bycontributing more toward medicalexpenses up to an agreed upon amount.So instead of a trip to the emergencyroom for a sprained ankle, which couldcost $1000 or more after x-rays andpainkillers, the insured first considers hisfinancial exposure, contacts his familydoctor, and decides to ice and elevate theankle as an alternative. Responsible deci-

sion made. Of course one should notdecline needed medical attention, but theidea is that the everyday nicks andscratches that occur be cared for by theinsured, not the insurance company. Amore responsible approach regarding theuse of benefits results in fewer claimsand lower overall premiums.

About thirty percent of all Fortune500 companies have moved to some vari-ation of the consumer driven health plan.However, these types of plans are notlimited to large companies; they can bepurchased by groups with one or twoemployees, or as an individual policy notsponsored by an employer group.

“An Ounce of Prevention”Although a plan with more exposure

for the insured may seem scary; healthcare reform requires that qualified healthplans provide preventive services rated Aor B by the U.S. Preventive Services TaskForce without cost-sharing, co-pays, ordeductibles, as long as the services are innetwork. Recommended immunizations,preventive care for infants, children, andadolescents, and additional preventivecare and screenings for women, such asmammograms, pap smears, and PSA(prostate blood antigen exams) for menare included. Taking advantage of thesewellness benefits can accomplish 3 things:1) Encourage individuals to avoid or delaydisease by healthy living; 2) identify andtreat conditions the insured may not have

been aware of previously; 3) Prevent fur-ther disability of individuals with estab-lished disease. By taking advantage ofthese wellness visits the insured mayavoid serious illness in the future therebyshielding him from potentially enormousmedical bills, and the insurance companyfrom expensive claims.

There are also plans that provide alump sum cash benefit in the event ofserious illness such as cancer. These crit-ical illness cash payments may be used tosatisfy higher plan deductibles and co-insurance amounts.

Employer requirements, Medicare,medical loss ratio, high risk pools, theseare but a few of the many facets of healthinsurance and its reform, and learningeach aspect of it is a formidable endeav-or. Having an agent as a guide hasproven to be an invaluable resource forcountless groups and individuals. Don’t“go it alone”. Contact your local inde-pendent agent.

The PCE Insurance Agency hasestablished its reputation for being cus-tomer-focused. When it comes to insur-ance coverage – whether for personal,business, life or health insurance – PCEknows that people need to become edu-cated consumers. As a local independentagency, PCE. jevon@pceinsurance.com

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$500,000 to Assist Entrepreneurs and BusinessesGrand Rapids - The law firm of

Plachta, Murphy & Associates, P.C.,understands the obstacles and concernsthat are presented to small business own-ers. One of the biggest problems faced isthe cost of legal services it takes to get abusiness up and running, or continuingthe growth of an existing business. Inresponse to Governor Snyder’s PureMichigan Business Connect initiativeasking that Michigan businesses step upto the plate and help other Michigan busi-nesses, Plachta, Murphy & Associates isproud to partner with the Michigan

Economic Development Corporation bycontributing $500,000 of legal servicesover the next four years to help offset thecosts of starting or expanding WestMichigan businesses.

Plachta, Murphy & Associates’Business Law attorneys have more than25 years of expertise and will be helpingby providing free initial legal servicepackages to qualifying start-up compa-nies including:

Business Entity & FormationTax Compliance & RegulationsEmployment Law

Corporate Minutes Employee Handbooks & Procedures Contracts/NegotiationsThe $500,000 will be given over a

four year period at $125,000 annually.The annual $125,000 will be divided into50 small business packages for qualifiedstart-ups or existing businesses needinglegal assistance. Each qualified businesswill receive $2500 of free initial legalservices provided by Plachta, Murphy &Associates’ Business Law attorneys.After the free service package the busi-ness can continue working with Plachta,

Murphy & Associates, P.C. or have thefreedom to seek counsel elsewhere.

There are clear guidelines estab-lished to obtain free legal services. Forexample, candidates must have a strongbusiness plan, a need for legal assis-tance, and a commitment to remain inMichigan for at least five years. Fullguideline information can be found onthe Pure Michigan Business Connect(www.michiganadvantage.org/Business-Connect). Prospective small businessowners that fit these guidelines mayapply through that website portal.

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8The Costly Mistake of Misclassification

By Kurt Wagner

The Department of Labor (DOL) hasrecently increased its efforts to reduce themisclassification of employees and is let-ting employers know the emphasis theyare placing in this area. In fact, the DOLrecently announced the hiring of 350additional wage and hour investigators toenforce this agenda and established the“We Can Help” campaign exclusivelydesigned to help employees file com-plaints. One reason for the increasedefforts: according to DOL statistics, over70% of organizations are out of compli-ance with the Fair Labor Standards Act(FLSA). Since 2001 they have helped col-lect over $1.4 billion in back wages forover 2 million employees. A large per-centage of these recovery efforts were dueto the misclassification of employees. Thefollowing paragraphs address what itmeans to misclassify an employee andsteps that can be taken to ensure FLSAcompliance.

The DOL has focused its efforts ontwo main types of misclassifications. Thefirst is the misclassification of an employ-ee as an independent contractor. Whilethis is a problem, it is not the focus of thisarticle. Instead, this article focuses on themisclassification of non-exempt employ-ees as exempt. Exempt positions get their

name because they are exempt from bothminimum wage and overtime pay.Unfortunately, several organizations havethe misconception that salary and hourlyemployees are synonymous with exemptand non-exempt. This is not the case.Even though an individual is paid a pre-determined amount, he or she is still enti-tled to overtime pay unless they meet thespecific tests for one of the overtimeexemptions established by the FLSA. Theexemptions fall into the following cate-gories: Executive, Administrative,Professional, Computer, Outside Sales,and Highly Compensated. Below is infor-mation specifically pertaining to theExecutive and AdministrativeExemptions as these are the ones thatemployers struggle the most to correctlyclassify:

Executive Exemption • Compensated on a salary basis at

a rate not less than $455 per week• Primary duty must be managing

the enterprise, or managing a customarilyrecognized department of the enterprise

• Must customarily and regularlydirect the work of at least two or moreother full-time employees or their equiva-lent

• Must have authority to hire or fireemployees, or the employee’s recommen-dations as to hiring, firing, advancement,

promotion, or other change of status toemployees must be given particularweight

Administrative Exemption• Compensated on a salary basis at

a rate not less than $455 per week• Primary duty must be the per-

formance of office or non-manual workdirectly related to the management ofgeneral business operations

• Primary duty includes the exerciseof discretion and independent judgmentpertaining to significant matters

To learn more about these exemp-tions or for information on theProfessional, Computer, Outside Sales,or Highly Compensated Exemptionsplease visit the Wage and Hour websiteat http://www.wagehour.dol.gov.

To classify a position as exempt, itmust pass a salary level test, a salarybasis test, and a job duties test. Thesalary level and basis test is straightfor-ward and ensures that the individualearns $455 per week and is paid on asalary basis. Deductions from the salaryare not permitted based upon variationsin the quality or quantity of work per-formed and the individual generallymust be paid a full salary for any weekin which any work is performed. Theduties test is more complex for employ-ers to understand. One reason is that jobtitles do not determine status as anexempt or non-exempt employee, butinstead actual job duties performed.

Ensuring compliance:• Conduct a review of your classifi-

cations and identify who your organiza-tion has classified as exempt (not pay-ing overtime).

• Ensure each individual has a cur-rent job description that outlines theactual job duties they perform (remem-

ber job titles are not relevant).• Familiarize yourself with the

tests associated with each exemption.• Review the job duties outlined in

each job description to determine if theymeet the tests for one of the exemptioncriteria. Each exemption also has asalary basis of a minimum of $455 perweek that must also be met.

• Make the necessary changeswhere misclassification exists.

• Be prepared to explain whichexemption the position falls under incase this is challenged by the DOL.

Reclassifying positions can be achallenging task. However, the conse-quences of not reclassifying can besevere. Organizations could be liable forovertime back-pay awards extendingback two years (three years in cases ofwillful violations), liquidated damages,attorney fees and ongoing litigationcosts. With the increased attention givento this area, employers can no longerafford to bury their head in the sand andhope that they do not have any prob-lems with employee classification. Theburden is on the employer to maintainappropriate records to show that exemptemployees are properly classified andcompensated fairly.

Kurt Wagner is Operations Manageat Acrisure Business OutsourcingServices, Kurt has served in variousroles in the outsourcing sector for thepast six years. To contact:kwagner@acrisure.com

STEM Jobs Offer HigherPay, Lower Unemployment

Washington - The U.S. Departmentof Commerce’s Economics and StatisticsAdministration (ESA) recently released areport that profiles U.S. employment inthe science, technology, engineering andmathematics (STEM) fields. STEM: GoodJobs Now and for the Future offers aninside look at workers who are drivingour nation’s innovation and competitive-ness, and helping America win the futurewith new ideas, new companies and newindustries.

In 2010, 7.6 million people, or 5.5percent of the labor force, worked inSTEM occupations. Key findings fromthe report show that over the past 10years, growth in STEM jobs was threetimes greater than that of non-STEMjobs, and STEM jobs are expected togrow at a faster rate than other jobs, inthe coming decade. Meanwhile, STEMworkers are also less likely to experiencejoblessness.

Further findings show STEM work-

ers command higher wages, earning 26percent more than their non-STEM coun-terparts. STEM degree holders also enjoyhigher earnings, regardless of whetherthey work in STEM or non-STEM occu-pations. Likewise, college graduates, nomatter what their major, enjoy an earn-ings premium for having a STEM job.

In comparison to the average worker,STEM workers are highly educated. Morethan two-thirds of STEM workers have atleast a college degree, compared to lessthan one-third of non-STEM workers.

STEM: Good Jobs Now and for theFuture is based on analysis to date fromthe U.S. Census Bureau’s AmericanCommunity Survey and CurrentPopulation Survey. In this report, STEMjobs are defined to include professionaland technical support occupations in thefields of computer science and mathe-matics, engineering, and life and physi-cal sciences. The STEM occupation listcontains 50 detailed occupation codes.

Communication & IT 10

Social Media for BusinessesBy Dan Santonocito

Before the Internet, social mediaconsisted of people gathering and casual-ly sharing ideas and opinions with eachother. In the early days of the Internet,chat rooms and message boards wereconsidered social media. Now, there arehundreds of sophisticated social mediaoutlets to share your message with theworld. Messages that used to take weeksto pass from person-to-person, now takeminutes and travel by hundreds of peopleat a time.

Mention the term “social media” to abusiness owner and they tend to simplythink of Facebook and Twitter, but manyfail to realize the dozens of other meth-

ods that exist. Internet advertising, pay-per-click, mobile applications, and searchengines can all be considered socialmedia. Other grassroots efforts includeblogger relationships, site partnershipsand user forums.

Businesses have more reach thanever before, and it’s important that theyimplement and maintain a strong socialmedia campaign to take full advantage ofthe opportunity. Simply setting up aFacebook page or company blog is notgood enough. You have to first set goalsfor what you are trying to achieve. Are youlooking to increase awareness in a specificproduct or service? Are you trying to learnmore about your customers’ wants andneeds? Second, you have to engage your

audience. Ask them questions about whatthey would like to see from your business.Also, spend a few minutes a day sendingindividual responses to your followers.Third, and most important, listen. Listen towhat your audience is, and isn’t, saying toyou. If your followers are not commentingor responding to your message, maybe it’sbecause the content isn’t relevant to them.Are your competitors getting moreresponses and communication from theirsocial media outlets? What sites and meth-ods are you using? Not every social mediasite is for every business. It’s important tohave a proper strategy in place.

Social media is here to stay, and willonly get quicker and more important astime goes on. Mobile applications now

allow users to share opinions instantly,and a good or bad opinion can spread likewildfire whether you are watching or not.Businesses that start good social mediacampaigns now will have the upper handon their competition moving forward, andwill have the opportunity to forge long-lasting relationships with their audiencesthat will not be easily broken.

Dan Santonocito: Dan Santonocito isone of the two co-founders of BassoDesign Group an interactive marketingagency located in Troy, MI that special-izes in web development, mobile applica-tions, social marketing and internet mar-keting.

Building Secure “Guest Network” WiFi into Healthcare Facilities

by Scott Montgomery

A growing trend in healthcare tech-nology is to implement “guest” wirelessnetworks within and around the health-care facility. However, this trend doespoise some potential security concerns, ifnot implemented after considerable plan-ning. This article provides some point-ers, but cannot be considered a compre-hensive guide to securing wireless tech-nologies.

The primary concern in the creationof a guest wireless network should beisolation. Isolation of the wifi networkfrom all production networks, and isola-tion from the production internet connec-tion are both critical. Our experience hasshown that this is often overlooked in aneffort to establish a guest network quick-ly and economically.

Without isolation, a visitor usingthe guest network may have the abilityto establish connectivity to critical sys-tems, or eavesdrop on communications.This is obviously of great concern withinhealthcare.

Planning for a separate internetconnection is also necessary. Becausethe internet connection is often animportant communication link in health-care, sharing this connection with visi-tors is not a good idea. Visitors may usea considerable amount of bandwidth asthey watch videos, surf the web and playonline games. This additional band-width usage may have adverse effectsyour production environment. But

bandwidth is only one concern. A visitormay also perform unauthorized internetactivity that could result in a major secu-rity concern for the organization.Because you don’t have control overwhat the visitor is doing, you don’t wantto take the responsibility for this per-son’s activities.

The guest network should be namedso that the SSID is clearly named forguest and visitor identification. Forexample, use a name like “ABCHEALTH-VISITOR-WIFI” or “ABCHEALTH-GUEST”. Clearly naming your networkwill reduce confusion.

Requiring that a visitor acknowl-edge a usage policy for your guest wire-less network is also a good idea. Usethis policy to communicate what youindend to have this guest network usedfor. A policy web page can be displayedin the visitor’s internet browser prior tobeing provided access to the internet.

The organization should also con-sider limiting or restricting bandwidthspeeds. Guest networks are often usedto download copyrighted materials suchas music and movies. Not only are thesefiles large, their downloading/uploadingis often tracked by the copyrightedowner. If your guest network is usedregularly for distributing copyrightedmaterials, you may find that yourInternet Service Provider will disconnectyou.

Implementing Port Isolation is alsohighly recommended. This processrestricts one wireless device communi-

cating with another wireless device. Thepractice is recommended because itreduces the ability to spread worms andviruses.

Your guest network should also notbe used by other health care providerssuch as visiting physicians. Because a

guest network is normally not encrypted,a physician’s use of the network couldresult in a HIPAA breach by exposingePHI to other user of the guest network.

To summarize, a guest wifi networkshould consider the following:

Continued on page 14

11Avoid Wolves in Volunteers’ Clothing at School

By Bill Tate

The successful operation of a K-12school requires capable administrators toprovide instructional leadership andmanage the day-to-day activities of ourschools. Administrators with bottom lineresponsibilities often encourage parentsand other responsible adults to volunteerto offset the budget challenges that manyschools face. While these volunteers donot teach class or assign grades, theyoften step in to assist with extra-curricu-lar activities, field trips, special eventsand after-school programs.

The practice of background checksfor school employees is standard issuefor all employees with access to children.Background checks reduce organization-al liability, and help protect children. Sowhy should this practice differ withschool volunteers?

More and more districts across thecountry are adopting policies that ensurethat volunteers are screened through acriminal background check before work-ing with children. School districts inCharlotte, Nashville, Seattle and SanAntonio, for example, actively screenvolunteers who will interact with stu-dents. In 2007, the Board of Education inNorwalk, Connecticut, adopted a policyrequiring that adults, who volunteer toassist Norwalk Public Schools, in certainsituations, submit to a background checkthat includes fingerprinting and anational criminal database review forcriminal records or involvement withChild Protective Services.

While a growing number of publicand private schools across the countryhave implemented strict backgroundscreening policies for volunteers, othersbelieve that background checks on schoolvolunteers will reduce volunteer involve-ment. But every school needs to carefullyconsider who they allow to interact withtheir students – on school grounds and atschool-sponsored activities. Backgroundchecks on school volunteers may revealthat someone has a criminal history or isliving under an alias.

Administrators should work in con-cert with the Board of Education and theschool’s parent’s association to ensurethere is a high level of security estab-lished at each school with volunteers.When developing or reviewing a schoolbackground screening policy, theanswers to these questions may helpidentify areas in need of improvement:

Does the school have a policy inplace to ensure background screening forall employees of the school? Are teach-ers, crossing guards, teaching assistants,nurses, cafeteria workers, maintenancepeople – virtually, all paid employees –screened?

What type of background screeningis conducted on employees? Is a nation-al criminal background check conduct-ed? Is the school conducting drug andalcohol testing?

Do you permit parents, grandpar-ents and other family members to act asvolunteers?

Do you permit non-familial relations(i.e., area residents, nannies, familyfriends) to act as volunteers?

Is there mandatory backgroundscreening for all school volunteers –whether they are family members ornon-familial relations?

While some schools engage only inlimited county or state checks, thenational criminal background checkoffers the most comprehensive way toinvestigate someone’s criminal historywithin the United States. A nationalcriminal background check searches forcriminal and county court records, cor-rectional facility records, and sex offend-er, terrorist and “most wanted” criminalrecords. National criminal backgroundreports show current and historicalfelony convictions and misdemeanoroffenses.

Federal and state laws strictly regu-late drug testing procedures in order toprotect the interests and rights ofemployers and employees. Should teach-ers be randomly drug-tested? Practicesvary across the country. Teacher drugtesting was the subject of court cases in

North Carolina and West Virginia, whereeducators argued that time and costsassociated with random tests would bebetter spent in the classroom. Hence, it isno surprise that if our nation’s teachersare not subject to drug screening, thevolunteers are also getting a free pass.Every school should include a carefulreview of its state’s law, as well asteacher’s contracts and union agree-ments, when developing a backgroundscreening policy.

The school is likely to be heldresponsible if a child is placed in dangerfrom a volunteer or an employee. For thesafety of the students, the parents’ peaceof mind and the fiscal health of theschool, it makes sense to implement acomprehensive background screeningprogram.

It is important that schools establishcriteria for background checks, and

guidelines for unsupervised access tochildren, before accepting volunteerapplicants. Administrators, along withparent’s associations, teachers, schoolofficials and unions should work togeth-er to develop policies and processes tohelp safeguard students. Children areour most precious resource, and theymust be vigorously protected. Ensuringthat “wolves in volunteers’ clothing”don’t enter our children’s vulnerableworld is of paramount importance.

William Tate is president of HR Plus,a leading provider of comprehensiveemployment and background screeningsolutions and a division of AlliedBartonSecurity Services, and can be reached atWTate@hrplus.com.

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Lawyers have one of theHighest Employment Rates

Lansing – Drawing on data fromthe U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, theThomas M. Cooley Law School todayannounced preliminary results from aten-year study of employment in thelegal profession, showing that lawyershad among the lowest unemploymentrates of all management and profession-al occupations in 2010.

According to 2010 data reported inthe U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCurrent Population Survey, the nationalunemployment rate was 9.6% for alloccupations, while the unemploymentrate for lawyers was 1.5%.

Among the ten categories of man-agement and professional occupationsestablished by the Bureau, legal occupa-tions had a combined unemploymentrate of 2.7%, the second-lowest rate.Health care and technical occupationstopped the list with a slightly lower com-bined rate of 2.5%.

Bureau data also showed that

between 2001 and 2010, the economysupported an additional 246,000 jobs forthose in legal occupations, including123,000 additional positions for lawyers.Even during the recession and modestrecovery, the number of employedlawyers grew by 3.9% or 1.3% per year.From 2009 to 2010, the number ofunemployed lawyers fell by 33.3% --from 24,000 to 16,000 nationwide.

The School decided to release thestudy in a series of separate reports inorder to insert the nation’s most author-itative data into the public dialogueabout the national legal employment pic-ture. Report One covers the nationalemployment data compiled by the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics. Report Twowill cover the national employment datafor recent law school graduates releasedby the National Association for LawPlacement. Report Three will review thesalary information available from theseand other sources.

12Education BriefsGrand Rapids – The West MichiganScience & Technology Initiative(WMSTI) announced the addition ofChristopher Jarman as business andcommunity relations associate andEmily Terrill as communications andmarketing associate. Jarman will supportthe outreach WMSTI conducts to life sci-ences entrepreneurs and researchers inpromoting its new “mini-labs” program.Terrill will conduct marketing and publicrelations for the mini-labs program.

Battle Creek – Kellogg CommunityCollege is now offering an Associate’sDegree in Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) through the efforts of theMichigan Radiologic and ImagingScience (MiRIS) Consortium.

Grand Rapids - Calvin College has beenincluded in the 2012 edition of thePrinceton Review's annual college guide:"The Best 373 Colleges." Only about 15percent of the nation's four-year collegesare included in the guide.

Grand Rapids - Forbes ranked Calvin218th on their annual college guide listof 650 schools that were among the top20% of all undergraduate institutions,while the 2012 edition of the FiskeGuide to Colleges featured Calvin amongthe 315 best and most interesting col-leges and universities in the U.S.,Canada and Great Britain.

West Michigan - The West MichiganInternship Initiative received a$10,000 grant from the Grand RapidsCommunity Foundation, to supportoutreach to nonprofit employers in KentCounty. The Initiative’s 2009 goal was tocreate 3,000 new internship opportuni-ties in the region by the end of 2011, ofwhich 1,500 internships have beenestablished.

Flint – Baker College Center forGraduate Studies has received special-ized accreditation for its business pro-grams through the InternationalAssembly of Collegiate BusinessEducation (IACBE) located in Lenexa,Kansas, USA. The following programs inthe following degrees are accredited bythe IACBE: Masters in BusinessAdministration.

Muskegon – Baker College of Muskegonis adding a new Cisco broadband/healthcare IT certificate program to its curricu-lum this fall. The program focuses onbroadband, network security, wirelessand health care IT training skills.

Lansing - The $58.8 million renovation ofMichigan State University’s Brody andEmmons Halls have been successfullycompleted in time for the start of the2011-2012 school year. ClarkConstruction served as ConstructionManager for the Brody/Emmons projects.

Grand Rapids - Calvin biology professorAnding Shen has landed a $300,000grant from the National Institutes ofHealth to study the role of endothelialcells in HIV infection.

Grand Rapids - Calvin College is recog-nized among the best colleges and uni-versities in the nation in both Forbes'annual college guide and the latest edi-tion of Fiske Guide to Colleges.

Grand Rapids - Grand RapidsCommunity College officials announcedthat their newly renovated arena will benamed the Gordon Hunsberger Arenaafter the longtime GRCC athletic director,football coach, faculty member and alum-nus. The arena is located within theGerald R. Ford Fieldhouse. Theannouncement kicked-off the College'sopening day festivities, the annual gather-ing of GRCC's faculty and staff to intro-duce the new academic year. The arenaunderwent a $1.1 million overhaul,including installation of a new floor, pluslighting, sound and acoustics improve-ments in 2010, as a part of the GRCCWorks.Ask Anyone Capital Campaign.In addition to being the home court forGRCC athletic teams, the GordonHunsberger Arena is used by the commu-nity for various purposes and specialevents. Over 3,900 students use thearena each semester for GRCC wellnesscourses.

Big Rapids – Ferris State Universityhas announced that it was awardedLEED Gold as established by the U.S.Green Building Council for its EastCampus Suites buildings. LEED is thenation’s preeminent program for thedesign, construction and operation ofhigh-performance green buildings.

Grand Rapids – Grand Valley StateUniversity has selected VarnumConsulting to provide two programs aspart of the University's Full-TimeIntegrated Masters of BusinessAdministration curriculum.

Lansing – The Thomas M. Cooley LawSchool announced that the AmericanBar Association accepted the recommen-dation of the Accreditation Committee toconsent in the Thomas M. Cooley LawSchool’s application to open a TampaBay-area campus in Riverview, Florida.

Grand Rapids – Aquinas College hasbeen recognized as one of the nation’stop 100 “coolest” colleges by SierraClub.

West Michigan - The West MichiganInternship Initiative was awarded a$5,000 grant from the CommunityFoundation of the Holland/ZeelandArea, Vision Fund.

Growth Amidst Financial UncertaintyBy Patricia Saenz

Michigan residents are well versedin the realm of financial crises. The stateof Michigan has faced economic hard-ship for many years, often singled outfor having high unemployment rates and“dying” cities.

Even with the June 2011 unemploy-ment rate showing a sparkle of growth,having dropped 2.1% compared to lastyear’s numbers, there are still many whoare skeptical of accepting this as a signof change.

The recent drop in the Dow inAugust doesn’t help matters, with manyworried about Standard’s & Poor down-grading the United States rating fromAAA to AA+ and much debate over rais-ing the debt ceiling.

To make matters considerably morecomplex, the United States isn’t the one

treading murky financial waters.Economic hardships in Europe and Asiaalso pose a serious risk to world growth.

Amidst the current global financialuncertainty, it is pertinent to focus on thegood that is happening around theworld, particularly in West Michigan. TheRight Place, Inc. is a regional nonprofiteconomic development organization spe-cialized in building wealth and creatingeconomic opportunity in West Michigan.One of The Right Place’s three strategicpriorities is to strengthen the global com-petitiveness and innovation of our exist-ing regional manufactures. They alsoprovide information on all the interna-tional companies currently residing inright here in West Michigan.

Many may not realize the largenumber of international companies cur-rently in West Michigan. In the reportprovided by The Right Place, as of June

2011 there were 83 international compa-nies in West Michigan, many hailingfrom Germany as well as many otherEuropean countries as well as many fromCanada and Germany. Among thesecompanies there are many who report toa parent company located abroad. Thesecompanies have several different con-centrations, from manufacturing to tech-nology and are located throughout WestMichigan.

International business is not limitedto overseas companies bringing jobs toWest Michigan. Local companies reach-ing and growing abroad is anotherimportant aspect of international busi-ness growth.

CeeTox Inc., a West Michigan con-tract research company, plans to join thegroup of West Michigan businesses thathave expanded their business here andabroad. CeeTox was founded in 2003 in

Kalamazoo and has risen above its owneconomic hardships to become a thrivingbusiness. In August, CeeTox was award-ed a U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency grant that will allow them to addemployees and to expand into Europe.

Michigan may be used to economichardship, but many West Michigan busi-nesses and residents continually strive tomake Michigan better for the next gener-ation. The decrease of the unemploymentrate and CeeTox’s grant may be seen assmall victories compared to the currentnational and global financial issues.However, small victories still must beacknowledged and celebrated, as theymay all add up to a big victory in thefuture.

Patricia Saenz is a freelance writerand blogger based in West Michigan.Email: pljsaenz@gmail.com

13ChooseMyPlate Aids Borgess Experts in

Preventing Heart Attacks, StrokesBy Amy Cygan

The reign of the Pyramid has ended.The 1992-established Food GuidePyramid retired its four-tiered design in2005—replaced by MyPyramid which,six years later, would change its nameand swap out its triangular shape for acircular pattern: A plate.

In June 2011, and based on con-sumer research, the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture unveiled thesimpler, but eye-catching plate icon.ChooseMyPlate serves up four colorfulpie-slices, each representing a specificfood category: Fruits (20 percent-Redslice), vegetables (30 percent-Green),grains (30 percent, at least 15 percentshould be whole grains-Orange), andlean proteins (20 percent-Purple). Halfof the plate constitutes fruits and veg-gies—the other half, grains and proteins.And what about dairy, you ask? A small-er blue circle off to the upper right (imag-ine a glass of milk next to your breakfastplate) symbolizes the dairy group (3cups daily, preferred).

Other ChooseMyPlate recommenda-tions stress protein variation; food enjoy-ment, although portion controlled; andreduced sodium and sugar intake levels.Skim or 1% milk is favored and, of course,exercise goes without saying. All in all,the information regarding what to eat andhow much to eat hasn’t significantlychanged from the MyPyramid. And forthose who teach nutrition education andawareness—like Borgess Health’s JoyceRoss - registered dietician and CyndiKochevar - manager of the Borgess HeartAttack and Stroke Prevention Program—the primary information still speaks to thesame fundamentals: Proper nutrition (andexercise) promotes healthy living. Or toreverse the psychology a bit: Nutritionequals Prevention.

“The new plate visual is helpful formany people,” notes Ross. “The plateconcept presents a way of changing foodintake without counting, weighing ormeasuring anything. I have had peoplelose 10 pounds in one month simply byincorporating the plate ideology.”

Many of us can remember theambiguous 1992 guidelines for measur-ing out our portions—in servings.ChooseMyPlate references portion size inounces and cups (just like MyPyramiddid), but takes into consideration factorsof age, gender, and physical activity.

Whereas older food guides reference ablanket-population, the newer strategyaims to take individual circumstancesinto account. And yet, the top threenutrition problems that Ross sees todayare ones that have been commonlytalked about for years:

“Pop, juice, energy drinks, coffeedrinks, flavored waters—every week Ispeak to someone drinking 1,000 calo-ries daily,” says Ross. “If this were theonly change made, the person would losetwo pounds per week.

“Most people,” she continues, “arealso not eating enough vegetables, so theytend to lack the phytochemicals that pro-tect against heart disease and cancer—andfish should be eaten twice a week.”

Kochevar points out that propernutrition promotes healthier skin and hair,lessens the signs of aging (both externallyand internally), boosts the immune sys-tem, and helps prevent disease.

“According to the American HeartAssociation’s (AHA) Heart Disease andStroke Statistics—2011 Update,” saysKochevar, “100 percent of individualswith cardiovascular disease met three orfewer of the five components of thehealthy diet score. Also according to theAHA, cardiovascular disease is prevent-able for the vast majority of people; anindividual’s risk can be lowered by up to80 percent through proper nutrition, andby moving more and not smoking.”

Because heart attacks and strokescan be reduced and/or preventedthrough better nutritional eating habits,nutritional education, screenings, andrisk assessments, the Borgess HeartAttack and Stroke Prevention Programwas created. The program caters to alladults, regardless of gender, but alsohouses the original gender-specificBorgess Women’s Heart Program.

The DASH diet and the TLC diet arethe primary eating plans that thePrevention program utilizes, in additionto observing the ChooseMyPlate model.Kochevar explains some of the nutrition-al recommendations:

Be portion conscious: Portion sizestoday are way out of line with what theyused to be 10-20 years ago—comparethe size of a bagel from the 80s with onefrom today! Restaurant portions are dou-ble to triple what an actual portionshould be. Check labels – note what therecommended portion is of a given food.

Eat more whole foods and less

processed foods: This translates to ahigher intake of fiber and nutrients, whileoftentimes, consuming fewer calories.

Watch sodium levels: The vast major-ity of the sodium we consume comes from

canned, packaged, and processed foods.Reduce consumption of these.

Continued on page 14

14New Mercy Health System to Improve Care, Strengthen

Links between Grand Rapids and MuskegonGrand Rapids & Muskegon – Saint

Mary’s Health Care in Grand Rapids andMercy Health Partners in Muskegontoday announced their intention to estab-lish a multi-location healthcare system inWest Michigan under the name MercyHealth.

The Mercy Health system will pro-vide more services across the region, bet-ter communication with patients andhealthcare providers, and easier access tospecialists.

The system will include all hospitals,outpatient clinical service sites, andphysician network locations that servethe Grand Rapids metro area and thelakeshore. The system will offer theexpertise of more than 1,000 physiciansand other providers at:

· Saint Mary’s hospital, The LacksCancer Center, and The Hauenstein

Neuroscience Center, andThe Wege Institute for Mind, Body

and Spirit, all in downtown Grand Rapids· Saint Mary’s Southwest in Byron

Center· Advantage Health / Saint Mary’s

Medical Group, with locations throughoutthe Grand Rapids metro area

· Mercy Health Partners General,Hackley and Mercy campuses, and theJohnson Family Cancer Center, all inMuskegon

· Mercy Health Partners LakeshoreCampus in Shelby

· Mercy Health Partners LakesCampus in Norton Shores

· Mercy Health Partners PhysicianNetwork, with locations throughout thelakeshore area

· And outpatient clinical servicessuch as workplace health, outpatient

rehab, home health, and hospice.The decision to create a formal

regional system was made after discus-sions among the founding hospital sys-tems, supported by market research,revealed that a unique opportunity existsbecause of a shared vision, mission, andvalues, as well as commitment to person-alized health care. “Working together, wecan offer better service, better communi-cation between patients and providers,and more access to services and to spe-cialists,” commented Roger Spoelman,Regional Executive, Mercy Health andPresident and CEO of Mercy HealthPartners.

The healthcare organizations aredeveloping a structure that will enablethem to better coordinate care. “We arealready known for our commitment tocare that is centered on the patient;” com-mented Philip H. McCorkle, Jr., Presidentand CEO of Saint Mary’s Health Care.“Coming together as a system will enableus to work more closely together to deliv-er even better service for our patients andan experience that’s right for them.”

Each organization will retain its ownidentity, culture, medical staffs, manage-ment structure, and commitment to localcommunities. Together they will focus onfinding ways to deliver a wider range ofservices in each market. The organiza-tions will acknowledge the regional sys-tem through use of a tagline indicating

membership in Mercy Health (e.g., SaintMary’s Health Care — a Member of MercyHealth).

Mercy Health was selected as thename because of the shared history of theMercy name in all organizations. Thename Mercy connotes a culture that isgrounded in a spirit that focuses onbringing healing to all in need and caringfor others with a genuine hospitality,compassion, and inclusivity. “Mercytakes us back to the founding of bothhealthcare organizations,” said McCorkle.“It reminds us and our communities ofthe fact that not only do we have expert-ise in delivering care, but also deliver ourcare with compassion.”

The new Mercy Health system willbe phased in over the next 12 to 24months and be guided by representativesfrom Saint Mary’s Health Care and MercyHealth Partners. A committee composedof board members and physicians fromeach organization has been working todevelop a plan that will outline strategiesto create stronger alignment for theorganizations. The plan will be completedthis fall.

Spoelman noted that Mercy Hospital– Cadillac and Mercy Hospital – Graylingwill join the Mercy Health system laterthis year, and that Mercy Health will con-tinue its established history of collabora-tion and partnership with MunsonHealthcare in Northern Michigan.

Own the BoneKalamazoo - The Borgess Bone &

Joint Institute has implemented theAmerican Orthopaedic Association’sOwn the Bone™ Program. The programis aimed to better identify, evaluate andtreat patients that suffer from an osteo-porosis or low bone density-relatedfragility fracture (a broken bone thatresults from a fall from standing heightor less). The program brings focus to thesevere health implications of fragilityfractures and the multi-faceted approachhospitals or clinics can employ to ensurethese patients receive the most compre-hensive care.

Statistics surrounding this healthissue are alarming! According to theNational Osteoporosis Foundation(NOF), up to 50% of all women and 25%of men over the age of 50 years will sus-tain fragility fractures in their remaininglifetime. The American Bone HealthPrevalence Report states that more peo-ple in the United States suffer a fragilityfracture each year than are diagnosedwith a heart attack (MI), stroke or breastcancer combined and is projected to sig-nificantly increase as the populationages. Studies show that patients whohave had a fragility fracture are 2 to 4times more likely to experience anotherfracture than those who have never hada fracture. That is, once a patient experi-ences a fracture, they are very like to getanother one.

According to the NationalCommittee for Quality Assurance, only 1in 5 Medicare patients have received theosteoporosis care they needed after afracture. The Own the Bone Program isa national Web-based quality improve-ment registry that incorporates 10 meas-ures for reducing future fractures andprovides the Borgess Bone & JointInstitute with immediate feedback onprogram performance to measure theBorgess Bone & Joint Institute’s successand helps benchmark our institutionagainst other institutions. With Own theBone, The Borgess Bone & Joint Institutereduces this huge treatment gap andensure that our patients with fragilityfractures are screened and appropriatelytreated for low bone density or osteo-porosis.

“By following recommendations onpatient education, testing, and treatmentof osteoporosis, and entering informa-tion into the Web-based data registry,health care providers can begin to seehow their actions are positively affectingpatient care,” said Mary Vajgrt, MD,Primary Care Sports Medicine Specialistwith the Borgess Bone & Joint Institute.“The program is able to produce internaland external benchmarking results thatreflect how Borgess Bone & JointInstitute patients with fragility fracturesare being positively affected by Own theBone.”

Building Secure “WiFi into Healthcare Facilities

Continued from page 10

• Clearly name the guest wifi net-work for quick recognition by visitorsand guests.

• Isolate the guest network fromyour organization’s private internet con-nection and all other production net-works.

• Implement a Privacy and PolicyStatement Web Page that requires thevisitor or guest to acknowledge thestatement prior to gaining access to theinternet.

• Communicate via the PolicyStatement that the guest network is forthe private use of the organization’s vis-itors and guests that that the organiza-tion takes no responsibility for its use.

• Communicate via the Policy

Statement that the guest network is notintended to be used by a healthcareprovider for business use.

• Implement Port Isolation to reducethe spread of worms, viruses and eaves-dropping.

As always, verify that this networkis included in your annual InformationTechnology Security Assessmentprocess. Regularly testing the networkfor vulnerabilities and security weak-nesses is necessary to assure yourorganization is exceeding HIPAASecurity Standards.

Scott Montgomery joined OST in thespring of 2009 as the Manager of theOST Security Practice. Scott comes toOST with over 25 years of IT and ITSecurity related experience.

1515Use of Stem Cells to Prevent Leg Amputations

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health isparticipating in a clinical trial evaluatingthe use of a patient’s own stem cells inpreventing leg amputations and improv-ing circulation for people who suffer fromend-stage peripheral arterial disease(PAD). Spectrum Health currently is theonly health system in Michigan partici-pating in the trial and is currently recruit-ing individuals from West Michigan.

PAD, a serious disease which affectsabout 8 million Americans, occurs whenextra cholesterol and fat circulating in theblood collects on the walls of the arteriesthat supply blood to the limbs.

The clinical trial will test the safetyand effectiveness of the MarrowStim™P.A.D. Kit, a new investigational treat-ment strategy designed to improve bloodflow in the legs by attempting to increase

blood flow by enhancing the body’s ownability to grow new blood vessels, aprocess called angiogenesis. Thisinvolves extracting stem cells from bonemarrow and delivering them into the legthrough multiple injections.

About one in every 20 Americansover the age of 50 has PAD, a conditionthat raises the risk for heart attack andstroke, says study principal investigatorChristopher Chambers, MD, PhD, a vas-cular surgeon with the Spectrum HealthMedical Group. “Most patients with PADcan be treated with lifestyle changes,medicines, and endovascular or surgicalprocedures.“However, despite advancedtechniques and technology, about 10 to20 percent of people with severe PAD donot respond to these measures and are atrisk for lower limb major amputation. I’m

hoping this new investigational technolo-gy will give these patients anotheroption.”

Because of the location and extent ofthe blockages in certain individuals,standard treatments such as surgicalbypass (insertion of a vein or syntheticgraft to redirect blood flow around theblockage) and angioplasty (insertion of aballoon through the artery to open theblockage) will not improve blood flow tothe leg, and amputation is the only alter-native.

Trial sponsor Biomet Biologicsrecently completed a first-phase study of30 subjects to evaluate the safety ofusing bone marrow aspirate in this fash-ion. The results of that study were usedto advance the company’s MarrowStim™concentration technology into the cur-

rent, FDA-approved, pivotal trial. Overall, the trial will enroll 152

patients at up to 20 investigational sitesin the United States. Patients will be ran-domized to receive either the investiga-tional treatment involving theMarrowStim™ P.A.D. Kit (75 percentchance), or a placebo control involving asham procedure (25 percent chance).Patients will be regularly evaluated for ayear after the procedure.

Only those patients meeting the pre-defined approved inclusion/exclusion cri-teria are eligible for this clinical trial. Tolearn more about this clinical trial and tosee the qualifications for participation,visit www.clinicaltrialspotlight.com orcall toll-free at 877-788-3972.

ChooseMyPlate Aids Borgess Experts in Preventing Heart Attacks, Strokes

Continued from page 13

Reduce consumption of processedsugar and sugar additives: Both havebeen shown to negatively influenceweight and contribute to disease devel-opment. Watch out for hidden sugars inpackaged and processed foods. Andremember that sugar, especiallyprocessed sugar, can be listed undermany different names.

Include plenty of Omega 3 richfoods: Salmon, flax seed, and nuts are

examples.Replace unhealthier fats (saturated

and trans fats) with healthier monoun-saturated and polyunsaturated fats (likethe superstar Olive Oil).

Moderate meat consumption:Choose lean meats or non-meat proteins,and follow the plate method to keep theproper balance between the food groups.

Read labels: If you don’t understandthe ingredients that are listed, you prob-ably shouldn’t be eating them. Look foringredient lists that are smaller, with

names you recognize. With obesity and diabetes on the

rise, today’s patients (as well as every-day consumers) are more aware thanever of the importance of a healthy andbalanced diet. Choosing healthier foodoptions, however, still remains a chal-lenge, as Kochevar notes:

“People are more aware that theyshould be eating healthier, but are sabo-taged from a lot of directions. For exam-ple, restaurant portions are huge, and thefood is often loaded with sodium and fat.

“Consumers are also bombardedwith marketing strategies, some of whichpromote highly processed products, andenergy bars, meal bars and snack bars —foods that don’t resemble anything thatcomes from the ground, a tree or an ani-mal. A vast amount of coupons targetpackaged products—channeling in prof-itability for the food companies.Additionally, trends making foods soundhealthier have cropped up. For a while,everything was “low-fat.” Then we had“made from whole grain,” which doesn’t

mean the final product is whole grain,just that it was made from whole grain.”

On the flip side, Kochevar hasnoticed an increase in Farmer’s Markets,an emphasis on locally-grown products,a wider selection of whole grain cerealsand pastas, and fewer “all you can eat”restaurant buffets.

While the Borgess Health programsremain committed to bringing awarenessto the health incentives of a healthy diet,Ross reminds us that ChooseMyPlateoffers a great starting point for individu-als seeking to simply lose weight, orseeking to prevent the onset or recur-rence of a critical medical condition.

Individuals may request a physicianreferral to consult with a registered dieti-tian at Borgess for Medical NutritionTherapy.

Amy Cygan is a freelance writerpursuing a Bachelors in Creative Writingat Grand Valley State University. She canbe reached at 616.848.0780.

Cosmetic Surgery Market Mirrors Economic Growth

By Jamie Thrams

As the national economy eyes slowand gradual improvement, the cosmeticprocedure industry has seen similargrowth. Dr. Jonathan Sykes, current pres-ident of the AAFPRS (The AmericanAcademy of Facial Plastic andReconstructive Surgery) states, "Theincreased interest in aesthetic plastic sur-gery parallels the rebound in our econo-my.” The demand for plastic surgery pro-cedures increased almost 9% in 2010 toan average of 1,063 procedures per sur-geon. Felmont Eaves III, MD, AestheticSociety President foresees continuedgrowth, “as the recession eases and babyboomers and their offspring begin to

explore surgical and nonsurgicaloptions.” With Americans spendingnearly $10.7 billion on cosmetic proce-dures in 2010 and optimism for futuregrowth, it is clear that the cosmetic pro-cedure industry has a significant andundeniable presence in the Americaneconomy.

Cosmetic Surgery ResourcesThe American Academy of Facial

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery –www.aafprs.org

The American Soceity for AestheticPlastic Surgery – www.surgery.org

American Society of PlasticSurgeons – www.plasticsurgery.org

Toll Free 800-968-8608

Fax 616-997-7263

modernofficeinteriors.com

16

Construction BriefsGrand Rapids - C. D. Barnes Associates,Inc. welcomes Jill Heyboer as director ofbusiness development. Heyboer, withover 7 years of experience in sales andmarketing, will broaden the firm's clientbase, lead corporate marketing strategies,and develop new client relationships.

Grand Rapids - Progressive AEannounced that Craig Hondorp, ASLA,LEED AP has been appointed theMichigan contact and events organizerfor the American Society for LandscapeArchitects (ASLA) nationwide publicawareness campaign.

Muskegon – Jim Olsen of SignatureAssociates has negotiated the lease of1,420 square feet of retail space located at2437 W. Sherman Boulevard, Muskegon,Michigan to Harold Jackson.

Grand Rapids – Kathie Rademacher hasjoined Colliers International | WestMichigan as marketing manager.Rademacher will be responsible for lead-ing day-to-day marketing activities,including the creation and distribution ofmarketing materials to support the com-mercial real estate services firm.

Grand Rapids – Owen-Ames-KimballCo. announces its Director of Pre-Construction Services, Frank Bartoszek,LEED AP, has been elected to serve as aBoard member for the Grand RapidsCivic Theatre for the 2011-2012 term.

Denver, Co – In this year’s study, The J.D.Power and Associates 2011 HomeBuyer/Seller StudySM, home buyers andsellers rated RE/MAX as the highest inproviding overall consumer satisfaction.

Kalamazoo - David Weingart has joinedCSM Group as a Construction Managerworking on the Food & Beverage deliv-ery team. He will be responsible fordirecting and verifying contract compli-ance by the trade contractors.

Traverse City - The Builders LicenseTraining Institute, a Michigan licensedand EPA Accredited Proprietary Schoolnow offers online, and in citiesthroughout Michigan, both the 60-hours of state-approved prelicensureeducation and the continuing compe-tency courses.

Bloomfield Hills - Mark Balon hasjoined Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. toexpand its Pavement and FacilitiesManagement Program regionally andnationally. Balon has over 22 years of

professional experience with commer-cial, retail, municipal, healthcare andindustrial projects.

Lansing - Hobbs+Black Architectsannounce the promotion and growth ofour Mid Michigan office with the follow-ing additions to the firm: RobertDaverman, AIA, LEED AP has been pro-moted to the Director of the Mid-Michigan Office; George (Buddy)Huyler, AIA, LEED AP has joined as aProject Manager; Bill Swanson, PE,LEED AP, has joined as an ElectricalEngineer; Tim Bosma, PE, has joined asa Structural Engineer. The Lansing officeis also announced the hiring of the fol-lowing Project Assistant/CADTechnicians: Don Buczkowski, TeresaBrown, Amy Rydleski, Associate AIA,and Peggy Wyrembelski.

MSU Brody and Emmons Hall Renovations CompletedLansing - The $58.8 million renova-

tion of Michigan State University’s Brodyand Emmons Halls have been success-fully completed in time for the start ofthe 2011-2012 school year.Construction costs for theBrody/Emmons projects remained withinthe established budgets. Both projectshave been registered for LEED silver cer-tification from the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil. Clark Construction served asConstruction Manager for theBrody/Emmons projects.

“It was extremely rewarding for ourteam to meet the challenge of completing

projects of this complexity within thetimeframe provided. Work had to becompleted with minimal disruption toongoing services, making precise plan-ning and logistics a priority.” said GaryCiampa, Project Director for ClarkConstruction. “We actually constructed a12,000-square-foot temporary diningroom that served 4,000 meals per day,while we were building a major new din-ing facility at the same time.”

Brody Hall is in the center of MSU’s2,600-student Brody complex. The$49.8 million renovation and expansionwork at Brody included:

Re-configuration of the 65,000-square-foot dining hall and kitchen fromcafeteria style to a “marketplace” conceptwith nine separate dining venues capa-ble of serving 7,000 meals per day;

$3.6 million in food service equip-ment consisting of over 800 food serviceitems, 17 ventilation hoods and 14 walk-in coolers/freezers;

Construction of a new conveniencestore and adjoining café; and

Construction of a 15,000-square-foot atrium lobby Addition to providestudent gathering areas;

Renovation of the first floor to pro-

vide administrative offices, student proj-ect areas, classrooms and computer labs.

The 100,850-square-foot EmmonsHall renovation project included majormechanical, electrical and ventilationupgrades and replacements with thefour-story building. The renovationsincluded life-safety systems including100 percent automatic sprinklered space,ADA code-required modifications andupgrades, new elevators, lightingupgrades, flooring and ceiling replace-ments and lobby renovations.

Q & A WITH EXXEL ENGINEERINGQuestion: I was notified by our

mortgage company that I needed to addflood insurance coverage on my home.Even though I’ve already paid a two yearpremium, I’ve heard there’s a way to optout of the flood area. Please help!

John P.; Cascade

Answer: John, this issue certainlywarrants investigation. We have helpedmany home owners and businessesobtain release from the requirement andexpense of carrying flood insurance.

As part of the National FloodInsurance Program, the FederalGovernment has authorized the FederalEmergency Management Agency (FEMA)the task of mapping the Special Flood

Hazard Area (SFHA), otherwise known asthe 100-year flood plain, over practicallythe entire country. While some previously-mapped areas have been updated, otherareas will be mapped for the first time. Asthese maps become effective, lendinginstitutions will be notified of the map’seffective date. These lending institutions,either by federal mandate for federally-backed loans or based on their own crite-ria, will require that all property deter-mined to be in the SFHA must carry floodinsurance. This requirement applies to allfuture mortgages; it also applies to exist-ing mortgages. Because maps are eitherbeing updated or created for the first time,your property may now be in the SFHA.

FEMA develops its maps using the

best information it has available.Unfortunately, limitations in the infor-mation FEMA uses may cause areas tobe shown in the SFHA, even though theproperty is at, or above, the elevation ofthe 100-year floodplain.

If this is the case, in order to removeyour property from the SFHA so that youare no longer required to carry floodinsurance, FEMA has adopted a processreferred to as a Letter of MapAmendment (LOMA). This processrequires accurate survey information,and completion and certification ofLOMA forms by a Professional Engineeror Surveyor.

Filing a LOMA with FEMA often canbe completed for less than one year’s pre-

mium for flood insurance. Let’s investigatewhether your property can be releasedfrom the Special Flood Hazard Area.

Donald De Groot, P.E. is a professionalengineer in Michigan and New Jersey;has worked as a civil engineer for 29years; and has been employed for 22years as a project manager at ExxelEngineering, Inc., a civilengineering/land survey firm. De Grootis Exxel’s engineering department man-ager and can be reached at: 616.531-3660. Please contact Exxel or the pub-lisher to have your question answeredhere next month.

17Michigan CAT Named Authorized Dealer of Exodus

Wheeled Material HandersMichigan - Michigan CAT has

announced a new dealer agreement,which names Michigan CAT as the exclu-sive authorized distributor of Exoduswheeled material handlers in Michigan’sLower Peninsula. In providing and sup-

porting this product for the scrap andrecycling industries, the dealer feels it ismeeting a high-demand niche for theExodus product throughout its territory.

The agreement fulfills a need forboth organizations: Michigan CAT was

seeking purpose-built machines forindustrial customers, and Exodus desireda dealer who could provide best-in-classproduct support.

Terry Erickson, Michigan CAT’s salesmanager, views this agreement as anexcellent opportunity for customers toenjoy greater productivity and profitabili-ty within a market segment that remainsa vital component of Michigan’s recovery.

“Exodus sees a dealer withunmatched competitive advantages inthis territory—from experience with thescrap/recycling industry to CAT’s state-wide shop footprint and field servicecapability. For our part, we get to offer aunique machine with excellent capabili-ties—manufactured here in the UnitedStates,” Erickson said.

Unique features and benefits of theExodus machine include:

Ground level cab entry and ease of

transport, without removing the stick orcatwalks.

An electronic monitoring system,which provides alerts, preventative main-tenance reminders, and optimizedupdates on safety conditions, via positionsensors of the stick etc.

Machine utilization of proven partsand common components for ease oflogistical support.

A strong warranty of 2 years or4000 hours. Support from the manufac-turer is provided by the engineers whobuilt the machine. Customers have accessto the experts when specing and receiv-ing support.

Exodus currently fields a model inthe 100,000 pound class, with a larger125,000 pound offering coming later in2011. Michigan CAT will have their firstmachine introduced to dealer staff inearly August.

Construction BriefsWest MI – Signature Associates leasedor sold the following spaces in West MI:INDUSTRIAL: 2,500 SF-Byron Center(landlord-Mainstreet Group, LLC);12,550 SF-Ludington (landlord-SGSNorth America/tenant JWK Land,LLC); 2,400 SF-Wyoming (landlord-Grand Rapids Corporate Center,LLC/tenant-Comfort Temp Heatingand Cooling, Inc); 3,863 SF-Wyoming(landlord-Wendal Swanson/tenant-Frank’s Snack Shack). OFFICE: 1,001SF-Kalamazoo (landlord-Vander WeeleDesign/tenant-Contract Land Staff);2,160 SF-Muskegon (landlord-Gene S.Logan Trust/tenant-Kevin Johnson).RETAIL: 10,866 SF-Grand Haven (seller-Prescient Asset Management/buyer-Watermark Church); 5,250 SF-Kentwood (landlord-J & P PropertyManagement, LLC/tenant, TrueHoliness Ministries); 3,100 SF-Portage(tenant-Hometown Urgent Care);3,000 SF-Grand Rapids (landlord-Findling Law Firm/tenant-HendrickAutomotive); 3,000 SF-Grand Rapids(landlord-Rex Troost Trust/tenant,Queen Bee Quilt Shoppe, LLC).

Grand Rapids — West MichiganEnvironmental Action Council distrib-uted its 1,000th rain barrel earlier thismonth as part of an event in honor ofCoca-Cola’s 100th anniversary at JohnBall Zoo. Last year, WMEAC distributed508 barrels through the program,enough to remove 9 million gallons ofstormwater runoff from local waterways.

Grand Rapids - Signature Associateshas negotiated the lease of 10,000square feet of industrial space located at5130 Patterson Avenue SE, GrandRapids, Michigan. Cathy Bottema andSteve Burman, of Signature Associatesrepresented the landlord, Alexandria,LLC. Gene Szpeinski, of SignatureAssociates represented the tenant,Corporate Transit of America.

Grand Rapids – Progressive AEannounced the addition of three newinterior designers to its staff that contin-ue to build on the firm’s breadth of expe-rience: Sara M. Molina, SeniorInterior Designer; Todd D. Emeott,Interior Designer; and Brittany B.Boos, Interior Designer.

Kalamazoo - KAR Laboratories, Inc.announces their KARkit H2O AssureDrinking Water Test Kit. This drinkingwater sampling kit is designed to be aneasy, accurate, sensitive, and affordableway to monitor the purity of your drink-ing water.

Grand Rapids - C. D. BarnesAssociates, Inc. announces it has beenawarded the construction of BaggerDave’s Legendary Burger Tavern.Construction is expected to reach com-pletion in Mid-October.

Grand Rapids – Jeff Tucker and JohnMundell of Signature Associates hasnegotiated the lease of 6,489 square feetof office space located at 507 36th StreetSE, Wyoming, Michigan to ConsumerServices, Inc.

Battle Creek - Stetler Construction isnow Battle Creek’s leading 203KContractor/Builder. Stetler works withhomeowners who utilize HUD’s 203Kloan programs, which help with the pur-chase or refinance of a property byrolling-in the costs of repairs andimprovement.

Kalamazoo - Steve Jones has joinedCSM Group as a Construction Managerworking on the Food & Beverage deliv-ery team. He will be based out ofSeelyville, Indiana and will be responsi-ble for directing and verifying contractcompliance by trade contractors.

18Health Care BriefsKalamazoo - Yahya Bakdalieh, MD, aphysical medicine and rehabilitationspecialist has joined Borgess Spine, apart of the Borgess Brain & SpineInstitute.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health is par-ticipating in the Medtronic CoreValveU.S. Clinical Trial to evaluate a tran-scatheter alternative to open-heart sur-gery for patients with severe aorticstenosis who are at high risk or are inel-igible for open-heart surgery. The trial,expected to last five years, is underwayat the Fred and Lena Meijer HeartCenter, one of about 40 U.S. participat-ing hospitals.

Big Rapids – Dr. Matthew Maki assumedthe role of president of the MichiganOptometric Association Board ofDirectors in July. Maki will oversee allofficers and trustees as the organization’s2011-12 board now is set.

Gaylord - Otsego Memorial Hospital(OMH) in Gaylord has joined HelenDeVos Children’s Hospital’s Partnersin Children’s Health, becoming one of 31affiliated hospitals. The affiliation pro-vides for pediatric-specific continuingmedical education programming, andadvocacy for children’s health and safe-ty in Gaylord, among other allowances.

Grand Rapids - Pine Rest ChristianMental Health Services has joinedHelen DeVos Children’s Hospital’sPartners in Children’s Health in aneffort to enhance the care of infants, chil-dren and adolescents throughoutMichigan.

Grand Rapids – Pine Rest ChristianMental Health Service’s hospital basedservices recently initiated theCareAdmin barcode medication admin-istration scanning system that allows thenurse to electronically match a drug tothe patient.

Grand Rapids - An independent evalua-tion by SRA International of theChildren’s Healthcare Access Programin Kent County has found the programis succeeding in significantly reducingthe number of expensive emergencyroom visits and hospital admissionswhile improving kids’ health.

Big Rapids - Mecosta County MedicalCenter announced that SrikanthNallan, PT received certification in theMcKenzie Method of therapy by theMcKenzie Institute International. Nallanwill work with patients to not only elim-inate back and neck pain, but to preventthe pain from occurring in the future.

Muskegon - Consumer Reports,September issue, ranked West MichiganCardiothoracic Surgeons at Mercy HealthPartners among the top-rated heart-bypass surgery groups in the country.

Grand Rapids – Spectrum Health is par-ticipating in a clinical trial evaluating theuse of a patient’s own stem cells in pre-venting leg amputations and improvingcirculation for people who suffer fromend-stage peripheral arterial disease.

Holland – Holland Hospital’s cardiologyprogram has been awarded the GoldPerformance Achievement Award by theNational Cardiovascular Data Registryand American College of CardiologyFoundation. Only 167 hospitals nation-wide received the Gold PerformanceAchievement Award for 2011.

Grand Rapids - Alternatives in Motionrecently celebrated the major milestoneof providing mobility and independenceto their 1,000th recipient since 1995.This accomplishment represents over$4.1 million raised in cash and in-kinddonations benefiting 673 individualsfrom 133 Michigan cities and 21 states.

Grand Rapids - Saint Mary's DoranFoundation has elected four newTrustees, whose three-year terms:George Aquino, Karen Custer, CarlJandernoa, Gil Padula, MD. New offi-cers elected for are as follows: JoeSchmieder, Chair; Judson Lynch, Vice-Chair; Blair Sharpe, Treasurer; PaulFarr, MD, Secretary; Deb Bailey;Latricia Trice.

Lansing - Michigan hospitals participat-ing in the Michigan Health & HospitalAssociation Keystone: Intensive CareUnit collaborative prevented 3.4 to 7.2central-line-associated bloodstreaminfection deaths per year at each hospi-tal examined during a 3-year period,according to a study released yesterdayin the American Journal of MedicalQuality.

Lansing – Gov. Rick Snyder appointedConcha Allen, Francesca Pernice-Duca, Kathleen Jager and RichardWampler to the Michigan Board ofMarriage and Family Therapy. Theboard licenses and regulates the practiceof marriage and family therapy inMichigan.

Kalamazoo - The Borgess HeartInstitute has been designated an AetnaInstitute of Quality® Cardiac CareFacility for comprehensive heart andvascular treatment.

Muskegon - Health Plan of Michiganrecently recognized MERCY HEALTHPARTNERS’ Westshore FamilyMedicine of Muskegon for their out-standing quality and service. WestshoreFamily Medicine is among twenty-fivehealthcare practices throughoutMichigan to receive the distinction.Honored healthcare providers were iden-tified as the top primary care offices inthe state through a rigorous selectionprocess based on Health Plan ofMichigan’s 2010 Quality Incentive Plan.

Bethesda, MD – The Association forMolecular Pathology, an internationalmedical professional association dedi-cated to the advancement, practice, andresearch of clinical molecular laboratorymedicine, has retained Lambert,Edwards & Associates to provide pub-lic relations services for the Associationand the rapidly growing field of molecu-lar diagnostics

Grand Rapids – Sachin Kunde, MD,MPH, joined the Spectrum HealthMedical Group as a pediatric gastroen-terologist. Dr. Kunde treats children inhis office located at 35 Michigan StreetNE and at Helen DeVos Children’sHospital. Dr. Kunde provides care forinfants, children and adolescents withdigestive disorders. He has clinical andresearch interest in Crohn’s disease,ulcerative colitis, liver diseases andallergic gastrointestinal diseases.

Grand Rapids - Grand River Cardiologypractice will join Saint Mary’s HealthCare; and the Grand River Cardiologyproviders will become employees of theAdvantage Health/Saint Mary’s MedicalGroup.

Wyoming – Metro Health Hospital wel-comes Dr. Michael Jakubowski - physi-cal medicine and rehabilitation services;and Dr. James Spoto - ear, nose andthroat specialist.

Wyoming – Metro Health announcedthat Dr. Fadi A. Saab has joined itsgrowing practice in heart and vascularmedicine.

Borgess Programs HelpEmployees, Employers

Kalamazoo - In an era of increasingeconomic stresses and rising health carecosts, the Borgess Employee AssistanceProgram (EAP) and the Borgess CorpFitWellness Program are now available toarea businesses.

“The same types of problems existfor small and large organizations, asthey did 30 years ago,” said Dr. FrankJeremy, who helped to initiate theBorgess EAP in 1978. “However the highunemployment rate and ballooninghealth care costs are now twice as impos-ing to both employees and employers.

“More than 80 percent of Americanssay their lives are more stressful todaythan five years ago, with work as the pri-mary cause,” Jeremy said. “According tothe U.S. Centers for Disease Control andPrevention, 75 percent of employee’shealthcare costs and productivity lossesare related to employee lifestyle choices.

An employee’s health problem orpersonal problem easily becomes a work-place problem, according to Jeremy.

“The stressors usually show up intime and attendance issues, and withsick time usage, on-the-job accidents,conflict with co-workers, and decreasedengagement in the workplace,” Jeremysaid. “Early action and intervention is akey in responding to problems beforethey reach a crisis point.”

The cost of utilizing an EAP, like theBorgess Employee Assistance Program,is small compared to the $10,000 to$30,000 replacement costs of an employ-ee, or the high costs of employee absen-teeism.

EAP services are traditionallyoffered as part of the employee benefitpackage and are offered at no charge toemployees and to their immediate familymembers.

19Configura Inc.: Tech Company Plugs into

Traditional West Michigan IndustryWest Michigan - Those who have

experienced a West Michigan winteroften equate it with “days of gray.” Butfor Sweden native Peter Brandinger andothers who joined him six years ago inopening a Grand Rapids office forConfigura Sverige, the outlook is bright:

West Michigan is lower on the latitu-dinal than Sweden, so daylight hours inthe winter are longer here; and figura-tively – since landing in the USA,Configura has grown a high-tech nichethat plugs into the region’s long-estab-lished contract furniture industry.

Configura, founded in 1990, is head-quartered in Linköping, Sweden, home-town of founders Sune Rydqvist and hisson Göran, and Johan Lyreborn who is thecompany’s CEO. Configura makes designand specification software for four indus-tries: kitchen and bath, material handling,industrial machinery and contract furni-ture. The company counts more than8,300 users across the globe.

It’s the contract furniture industrythat brought Configura to North America.And it’s the industry’s giants that madeopening an office in West Michigan thelogical move.

“We started in Chicago – becausethat’s where NeoCon is – but the more welearned of the North American contractfurniture industry, the more we knewthat West Michigan was where we need-

ed to be,” said Brandinger, who isConfigura’s North (and now also South)American vice president of businessdevelopment.

It was at NeoCon in 2000 thatConfigura landed its first North Americancontract furniture clients – Spacesaverand Borroughs – and plans began to opena U.S.-based office.

Best-laid plansJust as Brandinger and others pre-

pared to uproot and move to the UnitedStates, the tech bubble burst, 9/11occurred and the economy tanked.Configura put on hold its plans to openan office in the U.S. but continued toserve Spacesaver and Borroughs fromSweden while pursuing more new busi-ness in the States.

In 2005, they signed Haworth.“Haworth was our first major client

on a new platform we were starting – CETDesigner – software that’s based onConfigura Extension Technology,”Brandinger said.

With CET Designer, manufacturerslike Haworth would benefit fromConfigura’s core platform while investingin an Extension loaded with their ownproduct symbols.

Based on PGCThe software originally was born of

founder Sune Rydqvist’s need for an eas-ier ordering process. Rydqvist had owned

an office furniture company and usedCAD-based tools to design and specify,but these tools didn’t solve the problemof the myriad technical details in specify-ing complex products.

Sune asked his son Göran – then acomputer science student – to develop abetter solution. Göran wrote a new pro-gramming language built on the conceptof Parametric Graphical Configuration(PGC), a term coined by the company tomean intelligently designed space.

Sune’s company became the firstclient to use the software. OtherEuropean clients followed, includingMarbodal, Electrolux, Kinnarps andDeLaval. With its growth in Europeancontract furniture market, the move intoNorth America was a natural.

Doors open“Partnering with Haworth was a huge

door-opener for us,” CEO Johan Lyrebornsaid. “After that, Peter [Brandinger] andhis team were on a roll.”

Lyreborn and Brandinger selectedGrand Rapids as the site for its U.S.-basedoperations with help from the SwedishTrade Council and The Right Place.

Configura’s Grand Rapids operationis in a renovated downtown building nes-tled against the S-curve. The office has20 employees – a blend of Swedes andAmericans. The company as a whole has80 employees.

Larry Lee, who works in GlobalInformation Services for Haworth, traveledto Configura headquarters in Sweden toinvestigate the solution before committingto it. “I found Configura’s developers espe-cially keen in their approaches and innova-tive in their solutions to issues,” said Lee.

Continued on page 20

Harbor Posts LargestIncrease

Burns Harbor, IN - The Port ofIndiana-Burns Harbor posted the largestincrease in international cargo of all theGreat Lakes ports during the 2010 naviga-tion season, earning it the prestigiousRobert J. Lewis Pacesetter Award from theU.S. Department of Transportation’s SaintLawrence Seaway DevelopmentCorporation (SLSDC). SLSDCAdministrator Terry Johnson presented theaward today to Port Director, Peter Lamanof the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor.

In 2010, the port registered anincrease in tonnage of 73 percent overthe 2009 navigation season. The porthandled 351,600 metric tons of interna-tional cargo, primarily comprised of windcomponents, steel and constructionequipment. In addition to the internation-al tonnage, the port shipped 14 timesmore project cargo in 2010 than the pre-vious year, resulting in a 43 percent

increase in overall shipments and a totaltonnage of 1.8 million metric tons.

The largest shipment of project cargoin the port’s history occurred during the2010 season as 134 complete wind tur-bine units arrived on 11 different shipsfrom various Great Lakes locations. Lastyear, the port also handled its first outgo-ing shipment of windmill components astwo ships loaded with wind turbines wereexported through the port to NewBrunswick, Canada.

The Pacesetter Award is presentedannually to U.S. Great Lakes Seawayports that register increases in interna-tional overseas cargo tonnage shippedthrough the Seaway during the naviga-tion season. Originally known simply asthe Pacesetter Award, the name changehonors long-time Seaway trade analystBob Lewis who passed away in 2001.

SETTING THE PACE FOR TOMORROW

Lacks Trim SystemsLacks Wheel Trim SystemsPlastic-Plate, Inc.

Manufacturer of plastic components for the Automotive, Business Machine, Electronics, and Telecommunications Industries.

5460 Cascade Road • Grand Rapids, MI 49546 • 616-949-6570

Industrial BriefsHolland – LeanLogistics, a global solu-tions provider of transportation manage-ment system (TMS) applications andsupply chain services, announced thelaunch of LeanFleet™, fleet routing andoptimization technology.

Milwaukee, WI - JPRS New Way, a pal-let recycler in Lannon, WI, sold its assetson May 12 to an investor group led byBlackthorne Partners Ltd. Through anorganic growth and acquisition strategy,Blackthorne and the investor group aimto increase both sales and profits at thenewly-named Pallet USA, LLC.

Walker - Tubelite Inc. announces thatSage Architectural Products, LLC ofAustin, Texas, will serve the state's cen-tral and southern region. As manufactur-er's representatives, the firm will provideTubelite's clients with storefront, curtain-wall, entrance and daylight control sys-tems for commercial building needs.Lansing – Gov. Rick Snyder appointedJim Federighe and James Lewis andreappointed Robert Hutsell to theBoard of Boiler Rules.

Lansing – Gov. Rick Snyder appointedDonald Purdie Jr. and Mark Smith tothe Elevator Safety Board.

Zeeland - Gentex Corporation hasappointed Ken Horner to vice presidentof quality. Horner totes 13 years of expe-rience in electronics, program manage-ment, and quality.

Holland - The Holland Board of PublicWorks has announced that GeneralManager Loren Howard has accepted anew position and will be leaving the util-ity after nearly 25 years of service.Howard, announced that he is leavingthe Holland BPW to accept a new posi-tion as chief executive officer of the SanLuis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative inMonte Vista, Colorado.

Hilbert, WI - Veolia EnvironementNorth America held a ribbon-cuttingceremony to mark the commencement ofoperations for its new landfill gas-to-energy project (LFGTE) at the Veolia ESHickory Meadows Landfill, located ineastern Wisconsin.

Holland - Gentex Corporation plans toinvest approximately $160 million overthe next five years to expand its facilitiesand add new production equipment inthe City of Zeeland and Holland CharterTownship.

Allegan - Perrigo, a leading pharmaceu-tical supplier, announced that MaurizioLaFranca has been hired as the compa-ny’s pilot.

Zeeland - Gentex Corporation teamedwith Hyundai to develop an automatic-dimming rearview mirror that acts as theinterface for Hyundai's new Blue Link™technology, which provides a significantnumber of automated services aimed atmaking the driver's life easier.

Holland – The Holland Board of PublicWorks has announced that TimHemingway was re-elected to serve aschairperson, and Diane Haworth as vicechairperson. Paul Elzinga, Philip D.Miller and Jim Storey also serve on theBoard of Directors. City Manager SorenWolff serves as an Ex Officio memberand Robert Vande Vusse is Council liai-son.

Grand Rapids - Summit’s DOT/CSA:Profiled in Safety, is now available inSummit’s interactive, online training for-mat.

20

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Configura Inc.Continued from page 19

Together, Haworth and Configuradeveloped Haworth’s CET DesignerExtension, dubbed Canvas, and went onto receive a Best of NeoCon Silver Awardin 2007 for the product.

Steelcase watched what was hap-pening with the Haworth-Configura col-laboration and weighed the benefits ofthe software becoming an industry-widesolution. “When you’re developing a newBest Practice, there’s strength in num-bers,” Steelcase’s Steve Eriksson said.

Steelcase and Configura collaboratedto produce an Extension dubbedSmartTools. In 2008, CET Designer andits Extensions took Best of NeoCon GoldAward in the technology category.

Configura has added Teknion,Spacefile, KI, Inscape and Aurora Storage

Products to its list of customers in NorthAmerica, and Carvajal Espacios andSolinoff in South America.

The company intends to become thesolution of choice for contract furnituremanufacturers and their dealers acrossthe globe – no small feat when so manydesigners are rooted in CAD.

“The challenge comes in being will-ing to change – in being willing to learnsomething new that enhances one’sexpertise and efficiency,” Brandingersaid. “Personally, I love change – moving[to West Michigan] has been a greatadventure, and we are making a differ-ence in the contract furniture industry.”

More information about Configuracan be found at www.configura.com.

Michigan Tower Clock Manufacturer Brings Swiss Precision to Timekeeping

Grand Rapids - Lumichron Clocks ofGrand Rapids, Michigan, is extremelyhappy to collaborate in the USA with themanufacturer of the world famous, icon-ic Swiss Railway Clocks – MOBATIME ofSwitzerland. Lumichron will present agenuine Swiss Railway clock,digital/system clocks, and time systemsat the American Public TransportationAssociation’s tri-annual Expo, October3-5 in New Orleans.

Family owned since 1938, MOBA-TIME is the supplier of rail station andairport clocks for Switzerland, France,Germany, other European and global

clients and is the premier brand for inno-vative time display, time distribution andsynchronization systems.

Lumichron, owned and operatedsince 1984 by Ian Macartney, is a GrandRapids, Michigan manufacturer of com-mercial clocks, and will be incorporatingand distributing the remarkable Swissequipment. Lumichron’s projects rangefrom a single exterior building clock, tomulti-faceted tower clocks, to synchro-nized clock systems used in rail stationsand airport terminals.

American mass transit infrastruc-ture is in the midst of an amazing renew-

al and redevelopment. For example, theFRA in August awarded the NortheastCorridor $745 million for improvements,and DOT awarded Dearborn, MI $28.2for rail facilities. ?With gas prices on therise and congestion clogging our roads,more and more Americans are choosingto travel by train,? said Federal RailroadAdministrator Joseph C. Szabo. ?Withour population expected to grow by 100million more people between now and2050, we are investing in a high-speedrail system that connects to other modesof transportation, reduces congestionand improves the efficiency and reliabil-

ity of travel in America.?These projects create a unique

opportunity to modernize public trans-portation in the United States, to make itamenable to public use—with one addi-tion—simple, basic analog clocks and thesophisticated technology to accuratelyrun them. Moser-Baer has developed andperfected the technology to link clocks ona network with a master clock, whichuses a universal GPS/DCF time code thatautomatically updates to be in sync withGPS time, over LAN/WAN with Ethernetcable, for a complete transit system.

21Foreign-Trade Zones Benefit US Firms

By Jan Frantz

Global sourcing – its benefits andshortcomings – dominates trade conver-sations. Yet in 1934, the United Stateslost manufacturing jobs to the prohibitivecost of importing essential raw materialsand low-value-added, unfinished compo-nents. Jobs fled to the offshore sources ofthese inputs.

Americans welcomed the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Act of 1934 as a sav-ior of domestic industrial strength. Sincethat auspicious beginning, the U.S.Foreign-Trade Zone program attractedinvestment, supported economic develop-ment, and generally contributed to thecreation and retention of U.S. manufac-turing jobs.

Some commodities, of course, aresimply not indigenous or available fromNorth American suppliers. Parts or com-ponents often derive little economic valuefrom U.S.-based production. With FTZdesignation, a U.S.-based factory oper-ates as if it were located, for U.S. Customspurposes, at the foreign source of theimported goods.

While U.S. labor transforms theinputs into finished products, a U.S.manufacturer could consider its opera-tions to be outside the United States—forCustoms purposes. Exports from U.S.FTZs totaled $28 billion in fiscal 2009.During the same fiscal year, FTZsemployed 330,933 persons, with 2,523firms actively served by FTZ services. InMichigan alone, annual volume of FTZactivity increased 46.9 percent, withexports increasing 22.1 percent to$662.79 million.*

The FTZ program continues to adapt

and meet the need of U.S. industry. Thebenefits regularly surprise those unfamil-iar with FTZs:

Elimination of U.S. Customs duty.Through an odd, but not uncommon, setof circumstances, imported, unfinishedgoods carry a higher duty rate than whenincorporated into a finished product. Animporter of titanium tubes, for instance,would be assessed about 15 percent dutyon the products. If the importer bringsthose tubes into a U.S. factory with FTZdesignation—incorporating the tubes intoa civil or military aircraft—the titaniumtubes become duty-free.

The same holds true for exportedaircraft. Waste and scrap on imported rawmaterials typically become duty-free.When destroying imported productsbecause they don’t meet quality specifica-tions, consider destruction in an FTZ, toeliminate the U.S. Customs duty.Similarly, foreign inputs consumed dur-ing research (and not entering the U.S.for consumption) are duty-free, too.

Reduction of U.S. Customs duty.Sometimes transformation of a foreigninput into an American-made productreduces the U.S. Customs duty obligation,instead of altogether eliminating it. Whilethe savings may be less dramatic, itimpacts profit margins and keeps U.S.industry on a level playing field with for-eign competitors.

Delayed payment of U.S. Customsduty. When goods are admitted to aForeign-Trade Zone upon arrival at a U.S.port (or transported in bond inland, to aport such as Battle Creek), they may bestored indefinitely in the FTZ. No U.S.Customs duty or excise taxes are dueuntil the goods are transferred out of the

FTZ for U.S. consumption. If the mer-chandise never enters the domestic com-merce, no duties or taxes are paid at all.

For example, imported industrialmachines are assessed a duty of approx-imately 4.4 percent, on a value oftenexceeding $100,000 per machine. Theimporter may store, test, exhibit ordemonstrate the machines to potentialcustomers in an FTZ without payingduty, until the machines are sold andshipped from the FTZ. If the machines areshipped across the border to a foreigncustomer, the importer pays no duty toU.S. customs.

Reduced transit time with directdelivery at an FTZ-approved location.With authorization from U.S. Customsand Border Protection, it is not necessaryto break the seals or file import docu-ments until the goods arrive at the FTZfacility.

Logistical benefits with weekly entryfiling summaries. Qualified FTZ usersreceive merchandise into their facilities,prior to filing Customs entry documentsand triggering payment of duty. Whenmerchandise departs the facility, oneentry summary covers the entire busi-ness week of shipments.

Foreign-Trade Zones must be affili-ated with Customs and Border Protection

ports of entry. In Michigan, locationsinclude not only FTZ 43 serving WestMichigan from the Port of Battle Creek,but also FTZ 16 at the Port of Sault Ste.Marie; FTZ 70 based in Detroit; FTZ 140for Saginaw, Bay City, and Flint; FTZ 189for Kent, Ottawa, and Muskegon coun-ties; FTZ 210 at Port Huron; and FTZ 275in Lansing.

Foreign-Trade Zones could be inyour industrial tool chest, and part ofyour solution for success.

*The impact of Foreign-Trade Zoneson the 50 states and Puerto Rico, FY2009, National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones

Jan Frantz, executive director of theBattle Creek/Calhoun County/KalamazooCounty Inland Port DevelopmentCorporation, administers Foreign-TradeZone 43 at the U.S. Customs Port ofBattle Creek. Frantz serves on the boardof directors for the National Associationof Foreign-Trade Zones. A licensed USCustoms broker, Frantz is appointed bythe Secretary of Commerce and the U.S.Trade Representative to serve as an advi-sor to President Obama on the “IndustryTrade Advisory Committee for CustomsMatters and Trade Facilitation.”

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Mold – Not Just a Problemin the Home

By Jamie Thrams

September has been designatedMold Awareness Month, and while manyare aware of the risks of mold in thehome, mold can also be a dangerousintruder into commercial and industrialbuildings. Molds can be found almostanywhere, mostly commonly foundinside of HVAC units and exterior wallsof heating climate locations. Respiratorycomplaints are the primary symptomsassociated with mold, but more severereactions do occur. The presence of moldcan be costly, not only in the costs of

remediation, but also the potentialeffects on employees. Please view theresources below to assess and preventmold in your workplace.

Linkshttp://www.epa.gov/iaq/large-

bldgs/pdf_files/iaq.pdf - Building AirQuality PDF

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/large-bldgs/i-beam/index.html - The IndoorAir Quality Building Education andAssessment Model

http://www.epa.gov/mold/mold_remediation.html - "Mold Remediation inSchools and Commercial Buildings"

22

Hotels/Restrauants BriefsRockford - Chef Glenn announced thisweek that Lance Climie will join Redson August 9, 2011 as Reds’ Front of theHouse manager. Climie has more than25 years experience and managementexpertise, and will oversee front of thehouse operations.

New Buffalo – Four Winds Casino®Resort announced that it won a total of34 awards from trade and regionalmedia. Earlier this year, Four Winds wasvoted Best Casino by readers of theSouth Bend Tribune in its 2011 Reader’sChoice awards and Best Hotel in theTimes of Northwest Indiana’s 2011 Bestof the Region awards.

Acme - Grand Traverse Resort & Spaannounced the opening of the newDylan’s Candy Bar Candy Café in the20,000-square-foot Gallery of Shopslocated on the hotel’s lobby level.

Grand Rapids - Travel Leaders wasnamed one of America's Top 10 travelcompanies in the "Power List" by TravelWeekly. Travel Leaders moved up onespot to #9 based on the company's whol-ly-owned annual sales volume of nearly$1.8 billion last year.

Saugatuck - The Starring family cele-brates the 30th anniversary of WestMichigan attraction Saugatuck DuneRides.

Grand Rapids – The Grand RapidsGriffins announced that the Detroit RedWings have hired John Bernal as theGriffins’ new athletic trainer. In addition,the Griffins announced the hiring of:public relations manager Kyle Kujawa,ticket operations manager AmandaGillard, and group sales account execu-tives Ashley Binning and Zack Krywyj.

Washington, D.C. - Wyndham HotelGroup will become the third major U.S.hotel company, along with CarlsonCompanies and Hilton Worldwide, tosign The Code of Conduct for theProtection of Children from Sexual

Exploitation in Travel and Tourism.Wyndham’s decision to sign comes afternearly 14,000 travelers signed a petitionon Change.org, a global social actionplatform.

Inn Reflects Historic Charm of Bygone DaysBy Dianna Stampfler

When I think about The BelvedereInn in Saugatuck, I imagine it the centerof social activity—much like in myfavorite novel, The Great Gatsby, whereNick Carraway, Tom and DaisyBuchanan, and Jay Gatsby gallivantaround during the Roaring 20s.

I picture cocktail parties that spillout onto manicured gardens—a canopyof stars above, the soft echo of voicesblending in with the buzz of cicadas, ahot summer night. A hopelessly roman-tic setting.

The Belvedere Inn property datesback to the mid-1800s, but it wasn’tuntil 1897 that the Comstock family ofChicago acquired the site with dreams ofbuilding their summer get-away.Eventually, a large wood-framed housewas constructed, along with a barn, gar-dener’s cottage and several outbuildings,on what became a working fruit farm.

In the spring of 1912, the farm wassold to Mr. and Mrs. John D. Williamson.

However, less than six weeks later, thestately mansion was struck by lightningand burned to the ground. The familyrebuilt a “fireproof” home on the proper-ty—inspired by the Prairie style of famedarchitect, Frank Lloyd Wright (anddesigned by his colleague, architectDwight Perkins). The new house wasnamed “Belvedere,” which is Italian for“beautiful view”—and that it certainly is.

Over its longstanding history, TheBelvedere Inn has welcomed severalowners and has been used for variouspurposes. In the 1990s, the house wasrestored to its grandeur and convertedinto a bed and breakfast inn. The currentowners, Shaun Glynn and Pete Ta,acquired the property in May, 2003. Withmore than 25 years combined in the hos-pitality industry, Glynn and Ta haveenhanced the overall lodging and diningexperience.

The Belvedere boasts 10 stylishguest rooms, each decorated with a flareof Old World European charm. Even theroom names sound austere—the

Balmoral, Canterbury, Cambridge, Abbeyand Windsor. And yet, comfort abounds.Cozy up next to the fireplace, or relax inthe whirlpool, in the second-floorBelvedere Suite, which also offers a sep-arate living room, and dressing rooms.Or snuggle up with a good book on thedormer-style window loveseat in TheFriston room. No matter which room youstay in, a full breakfast in the morning isincluded.

The year-round restaurant, open toinn guests and the general public, servesup a wide array of gourmet fare on itsfour-course menu. Start with Beet andAnjou Pear Carpaccio or Mussels inPernod Cream, and then move ontoGazpacho or a Classic Caesar Salad,before indulging in a main course likeConchiglie (jumbo pasta shells stuffedwith spinach and cheese, baked in toma-to sauce, and finished with toasted pinenuts and fresh parmesan cheese). ChefShaun’s signature dishes feature theButternut Squash Crabmeat Bisque andChateaubriand for Two (aged filet, carved

and served with pan jus and classic béar-naise sauce, and scallop creamed pota-toes). Sweet treats complete the meal,such as Warm Tart Tatin, Gelato, andChocolate Cheesecake.

The Belvedere Inn has garneredquite a collection of national awards, aswell as countless positive reviews ononline sites, such as Yelp.com (five-out-of-five stars, based on six posts).Reviewers on TripAdvisor.com rankedthe Belvedere #3 of 24 B&Bs in the area,with 37 reviews over the past few years.

“My husband and I can’t speak toohighly of the Belvedere,” writes a guestfrom East Chicago, Indiana. “Everythingabout it is wonderful: the rooms, thegrounds, the breakfasts and dinners, andthe staff. It has all the charm of aEuropean five-star inn, without the has-sle of flying to Europe.”

For more information about theBelvedere Inn, call 877-858-5777 or logonto www.thebelvedereinn.com.

‘Off Center Gallery’ hostsGR artists

Grand Rapids – The Green WellGastro Pub has created the Off CenterGallery in the restaurant to benefit bothlocal artists and its new non-profit part-ner Friends of Grand Rapids Parks. TheGallery is hosting and selling localartists’ work on their walls for guests tobrowse and buy. Each artist has commit-ted to giving 10% of their profits toFriends of Grand Rapids Parks.

Off Center Gallery now has threeartists displaying their work and plans tocontinue taking applications from artistswho are interested in participating. Theapplication can be found on The GreenWell website.

Last month, The Green Well teamedup with Friends of Grand Rapids Parksand closed their restaurant for one day togive Cherry Park a good clean-up. The

staff spent the day weeding, painting,tightening equipment, mulching andrepairing the horseshoe pit. Plans tomaintain the park and raise money fornew equipment are in the works.

The Green Well, an EssenceRestaurant Group establishment, serveshonest fayre with local flair in a green,neighborhood setting that keeps cus-tomers coming back. The innovative gas-tro pub is green beyond its name with aLEED® certified building that is ultraefficient and leaves behind the smallestpossible carbon footprint. Its creative,ever-changing menu features a globalrange of eclectic flavors prepared withingredients from local farmers, and thebeverage offering includes a wide arrayof local craft brews and wines, all to sup-port our local economy.

Does YDoes Your Tour Travel Agent Prravel Agent Provide Yovide Your Company :our Company :A company Frequent Flier program that compliments personal frequent fliers plans.

A 24 hour grace period after tickets have been issued to avoid the airline penalty of $150

A corporate car rental program that guarantees a car even when locations are sold out

An evening and weekend emergency center staffed 24 hours.

A corporate rate hotel program with over 120,000 properties.

If not call Mike Malaney at Travel Leaders 616-942-2860.

Troy – Dynamic Advisory Solutionswelcomes to its new advisory board, thefollowing members: David Farbman,CEO/founder - Outdoor Hub; StephenGross, Detroit managing member -McDonald Hopkins PLC; and JohnBower, CEO/founder - The BowerCompanies.

Grand Rapids - Women’s ResourceCenter has selected Floriza Genautis tochair the agency’s Board of Directorsthrough the 2012 term. Floriza takesover from chair Denise Sherwood.

Grand Rapids – The Grand Rapids AreaChamber of Commerce has announcedthe addition of Jordan O’Neil to its staffas Director of the Center for CommunityLeadership (CCL). O’Neil will be respon-sible for facilitation and day-to-daymanagement of CCL’s programs,fundraising and the strategic growth ofthe portfolio of leadership developmentand community orientation programs

New York- The International Council ofShopping Centers announced its volun-teer officers for the state of Michigan.Those representing West Michigan are:Earl K. Clements, ColliersInternational, Grand Rapids, StateDirector; Ann Marie Bessette, GrandRapids Downtown DevelopmentAuthority, Grand Rapids, has beenappointed the Alliance Public Sector Co-Chair. All appointments are for the2011-2012 term.

Kalamazoo - The Southwest MichiganChapter of the American MarketingAssociation announced its board ofdirectors for the 2012 fiscal year, includ-ing: Dr. Wes Martz, president; DanielleRohrer, president-elect; Alyssa Jones,secretary and treasurer; vice presidentsJohn Stap and Nancy Struck.

Grand Rapids - The Kent CountyAeronautics Board expresses its sin-cere appreciation and gratitude inannouncing the retirement of JamesKoslosky, executive director of theGerald R. Ford International Airport,effective January 1, 2012.

Holland/Zeeland – Jane Clark, HollandArea Chamber President and JimSchoettle, Zeeland Chamber Presidentannounced the results of their recentjoint member survey to measure theinterest of Chamber members in contin-uing the collaboration and potentialinterest in eventually creating oneChamber.

Lansing - The Mobile TechnologyAssociation of Michigan announcedthat it has partnered with the SmallBusiness Association of Michigan tooffer enhanced membership benefits toits members.

Grand Rapids – Custer Studio, a designfirm founded in 2006 in collaborationwith Steelcase’s 3D RenderingDepartment and later became a divisionof Custer Workplace has changed Itsname Dart Frog Creative.

Comstock Park - GMD FoodserviceMarketing headquartered in ComstockPark, MI was selected by RubbermaidCommercial Products as the exclusiveSales Representative for Michigan andIndiana. The contract is estimated toexceed $5 million in sales, year one,with a projected annual increase of 15%or more. GMD Foodservice Marketing isa full-service distributor and manufac-turer’s representative of foodserviceequipment and smallwares with a sec-ond location in southeast Michigan(33548 Lipke, Clinton Township).Rubbermaid Commercial Products’2011-2012 product line includes morethan 3,000 items ranging from cleaningequipment, washroom supplies, utilityrefuse and recycling containers to skincare dispensers, foodservice equipment,material handling trucks and carts, andtrash, and smoking receptacles.

Grand Rapids — The West MichiganChapter of the American MarketingAssociation released its 2011-12 boardof directors line-up: Sheri Stetson-Compton (President), Lisa Young(Secretary), Laura Pecherski(Programming Chair), ShannonCunningham (Membership Chair),Shelby Reno (Finance Chair), MindyKalinowski-Early (Collegiate RelationsChair), Jaime Beckstrom (TechnologyCo-Chair), Jorri Smith (Technology Co-Chair), Jason Dodge (CommunicationsCo-Chair), Kristen Meyers-Chapman(Communications Co-Chair), JennBumstead (Special Events Co-Chair),Sarah Lilly (Special Events Co-Chair).

Grand Rapids - In the 2010-2011 fiscalyear, the Grand Rapids Public Libraryhas seen a record number of materialscirculate and a record number of visitors.Over 1.3 million people visited the GrandRapids Public Library or used our webbranch in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, andthe 1,754,621 items circulated repre-sents a 9.53% increase from the previ-ous year.

Grand Rapids - The Grand RapidsPublic Library Foundation has granted$55,396 to the Grand Rapids PublicLibrary. The funds will support libraryprogram, materials and services.

Wyoming – The Wyoming PoliceDepartment’s Community Service Unitis distributing 500 copies ofComputerCOP Parental InternetMonitoring Software free to parents aspart of its community outreach initiativeto help parents protect their childrenfrom internet predators and cyber bul-lies. Parents receiving the software willalso be enrolled in a supplemental inter-net safety class.

Grand Rapids - Dan Cardosa has joinedPaul Davis Restoration of WesternMichigan as the company's associate.Cardosa will be responsible for construc-tion estimating and project management,and customer service.

Grand Rapids – Local First hasannounced new board officers for the2011-2012 term: James Berg, EssenceRestaurant Group, Chair; while EmilyLoeks, Celebration! Cinema, Vice-Chair. Outgoing chair Doris Drain, willcontinue to serve the Local First board asa trustee. Both Chris Lampen-Crowell,Gazelle Sports and Craig Clark, ClarkCommunications, will continue to serveas treasurer and secretary, respectively.

Grand Rapids – Brian Obits, LandConservancy of West Michigan devel-opment officer, has been named interimexecutive director of the organization asa search for a new executive director islaunched.

Howell – DisplayMax MerchandisingServices, an in-store merchandisingservices company for retailers and con-sumer package goods manufactures, hasannounced an office relocation andexpansion has moved its offices from theChilson Crossing office building to a newlocation at 2829 E. Grand River Ave.

Grand Rapids - The Area CommunityService Employment and TrainingCouncil (ACSET) announced that SylviaHopson has replaced the recently retiredBeverly Drake as executive director,and Dave Smith has been elected as theACSET Workforce Development Board(WDB) Chair, replacing Win Irwin. TheBoard has also elected Jay Dunwell,President of Wolverine Coil Spring Co.and longtime WDB member to be Vice-Chair.

Lansing - Gov. Rick Snyder appointedMike Busley and Jon Nunn and reap-pointed Roger Curtis to the MichiganTravel Commission.

Grand Rapids – Kantorwassink hasbeen named to Inc. magazine’s annualInc. 5000 list, a list of the nation’sfastest-growing private companies.

Grand Rapids – Lambert, Edwards &Associates (LE&A), a leadingMichigan-based public relations andinvestor relations firm, announced it hasbeen ranked #2,333 by Inc. magazinefor its fifth annual Inc. 5000 list.

Corporate Information 23