Chamber Members In The News

Deborah Johnson Wood

Members of the media received a sneak peak at the completed Secchia Center, the new home of Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. The tour showcased one of the most advanced – and beautiful – energy-efficient structures in West Michigan.

Construction of the $90 million state-of-the-art facility strategically situates the building at 15 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids, to maximize exposure to daylight and views of the city and Grand River.

A four-story atrium faces west with windows that frame nearby Bridgewater Place like a photograph.

"This is the 'living room' of the building," says Elizabeth Lawrence, assistant dean and project lead for the Secchia Center. "This is the focal point where students will gather."

Honey-colored wood, custom designed tile art, sage greens and burnt oranges fill the 180,000-square-foot building with warmth. Daylight streams through the windows, and a smart lighting system illuminates spaces only when light levels are low.

The building features 25 "exam rooms" where students learn how to interact with patients by "treating" standardized patients – actors hired to follow a script of medical maladies. Several empty rooms will be configured to fit the needs of the students and can simulate a room in a nursing home, a patient's house or a hospital.

The pristine lines of a five-story wood and glass staircase zigzag upward through the center of the building, open from top to bottom, creating an eye-catching sculptural effect.

On each floor, study pods, open spaces with comfortable couches, and alcoves with tables and chairs provide communal and semi-private areas where students can study and engage with each other one-on-one or in groups. Two lecture halls enable students from MSU's other six campuses to attend classes taught in Grand Rapids via video conferencing.

The college expects some 250 students this year, and predicts that many of them will complete their residencies in West Michigan after graduation.

"Last year, 17 of our 30 graduates stayed here for their residencies," says Margaret Thompson, M.D., associate dean.

The building is named for MSU alumni and lead donors Ambassador Peter and Joan Secchia. Funding for the project comes entirely from private donations, bonds and other sources, says Lawrence.

The architect of record is URS Corporation, the design architect is Ellenzweig of Cambridge, Mass., and the Christman Company constructed the building.

The college plans a public open house from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, September 11.

Source: Elizabeth Lawrence and Margaret Thompson, MSU College of Human Medicine; Wondergem Consulting

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.read on…

Sharon Hanks

Cascade Renewable Energy, a three-year-old division of Cascade Engineering, expects to create 183 jobs over the next seven years due to anticipated growth across its product lines.

Dirck Lyon, the company's director of new initiatives, says a $1.8 million tax incentive granted to the company by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority will allow the firm to invest $2.8 million into new equipment, property improvements, salaries and other capital expenditures. The average weekly salary for the jobs is $960, he says.

Located at 3400 Innovation Court SE in Cascade, the growing division sells a variety of sustainability products, including solar powered lighting, water saving products, energy saving kits and small wind turbine analysis.

Its first product was the SWIFT Wind Turbine, which provides renewable energy for residential, community and commercial use. More recently, it added a line of solar photovoltaic products to its portfolio. Finally, it developed a strategic relationship with Lowe's, the home improvement retailer, to introduce several renewable energy and energy efficiency products to customers at select Lowe's stories in the United States and Canada.

Lyon says the company will begin to post 24 positions on its website in September, signaling the start of hiring for the new expansion.

He attributes the growth to the company's culture that focuses on innovation and sustainability and cultivated by Cascade's chairman and founder, Fred Keller. "It's a great example of how changing a mindset has helped find ways to survive in a bad economy," Lyon says.

The company employs about 1,000 worldwide, with roughly half of them in Michigan.

Source: Dirck Lyon, Cascade Renewable Energy's director of new initiatives, Cascade

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.read on…

Sharon Hanks

John Scianna, 22, and Matt DeLong, 23, are perfect examples of the young, high-tech entrepreneurs West Michigan is trying so desperately to retain and attract.

The roommates recently launched Deka Creative, a digital advertising and design group from their Northeast Grand Rapids apartment near Diamond Avenue and Michigan Street, but not before seriously considering a move to Chicago to set up shop.

They concluded Grand Rapids was a much more appealing location for their fledging firm because it offered a lower cost of living, quicker drives to clients and other destinations, a vibrant community and a lot less competition in the 20-something crowd.

"There's definitely a huge design crowd in Grand Rapids, but they're a bit older than us -- 30s and 40s," says Scianna, a Jenison native and 2010 graduate of Kendall College of Art & Design. "We're young, fresh and understand how to connect with a younger audience," he says, adding the pair can offer clients a "rare mix" of strong design talent and a deep knowledge of Internet culture.

"Social media tools present a relatively low-cost, powerful and effective advertising opportunity," he says, but they are frequently untapped by businesses. By creating an intelligent online advertising strategy using Facebook, Google, Foursquare, Twitter, and Yelp, a brand can be reinforced and put into the forefront of the audience's mind, Scianna says.

The duo is dead serious about the business. DeLong was living in New Brunswick, Canada, when he learned nearly two years ago online at www.youngentrepreneur.com that Scianna was looking for a business partner. A series of e-mails, phone calls and collaborations with freelance design work ensued before the pair realized their potential as a team.

The budding entrepreneurs met for the first time in Chicago a few months ago. DeLong, a former student at the University of New Brunswick, moved in with Scianna at their apartment in early July.

"He picked up his whole life really, put it into his car, and drove 22 hours to Grand Rapids," says Scianna.

Last month they launched their website, announcing "We're the guys who connect your business with a world that changes every minute." They also joined the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and began filling out application papers to become a limited liability corporation.

"As we grow, we'd like to add more designers and a person dedicated to sales," he says. "With the next five years, we hope to have 15 to 25 people in an office downtown." At that point, Chicago could be in their business plans, but only for a second office.

Source: John Scianna, Deka Creative, Grand Rapids

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.

Photos:

Deka Creative Logo

John Scianna left; Matt DeLong right -Courtesy Photoread on…

Deborah Johnson Wood

Grand Rapids Community College didn't have much opportunity to renovate any of the former downtown Grand Rapids campus of Davenport University before students occupied some of the classrooms last year. This year is a different story.

GRCC purchased the campus for $9.5 million in 2009, after Davenport announced its move to property in Caledonia.

This summer, the three-story Sneden Hall, 415 E. Fulton St., has received new infrastructure, HVAC, new décor, wireless Internet technology and new technology in the classrooms.

The most exciting development for faculty and students is the installation of Steelcase's LearnLab Environment in two classrooms, which could have a significant positive impact on how students learn. The technology includes the CopyCam Image Capturing System and the eno Interactive White Board.

"Tables are arranged in a five-point starfish design," says Vicki Janowiak, GRCC's executive director of operational planning. "There are three points around the room where images will be projected on mounted screens. From any point in the room any student can easily connect with the images."

"We can capture digital images of any work students may do on any of the white boards around the room, the instructor can load it to Blackboard and the students can use the image to expand on their own work," Janowiak says.

The technology also enables users to instantly email the work from any white board, print it or save it to flash drive or a LAN.

Eno Boards act as a white board, magnetic board and multimedia projection screen and enable users to make notes on a projected image and save everything to post, print, email or project later to continue working.

GRCC plans to conduct a research study on the effectiveness of the new concept.

Source: Vicki Janowiak, Grand Rapids Community College

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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.read on…

Sharon Hanks

A documentary sponsored by Grand Valley State University that explores the struggles of African Americans' migration from the poor South to the North in search of jobs in Muskegon foundries keeps winning accolades.

"Up from the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream" has won the prestigious Paul Robeson Award at the 35th Newark Black Film Festival, the longest running black film festival in the country. Co-producers Jim Schaub and his brother, Rod Schaub, of Clear Vision Films in Muskegon will be among those heading to Newark, N.J. on Aug. 4 to receive the award.

Narrated by actress Cicely Tyson, the 56-minute film features the oral histories of more than 15 men and women, now in their 80s, who recall their World War II-era migration from the South to the more prosperous Muskegon. Many arrived in search of work at a foundry in Muskegon Heights or another one located on north part of Muskegon which became known as The Bottoms.

"I think what it's done in Muskegon is to spark a dialogue on racial issues," says Jim Schaub, a GVSU communication systems technician and adjunct film instructor. "It made people aware of why some in the African American community have the attitudes they do because they went through rough times."

The individuals recount the racism they encountered in Muskegon. They were forbidden from drinking water at "white only" fountains, allowed only to roller skate on Thursday nights because the other evenings were reserved for whites, and prohibited from sitting at a counter to enjoy ice cream. The film includes a soundtrack with music from Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis.

"Up from the Bottoms" also was recognized as "Best Film/Video" on matters relating to the black experience/marginalized people at the recent XXV International Black Cinema in Berlin, Germany. Last December, it won the 2009 Best of African Diaspora Film Festival in New York.

The documentary will be shown in about 75 Midwest theatres in August, Schaub says, with another premier planned for this Saturday at the 8th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival in Chicago. A complete list of past and future showings, purchase details, film trailers, photos and other information can be found at the documentary's website.

Besides GVSU, other film sponsors were the Michigan Humanities Council, the Community Foundation for Muskegon, and Alcoa Howmet.

Source: Jim Schaub, GVSU adjunct film instructor and communication systems technican

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.read on…

Deborah Johnson Wood

The next school environmental class to tour the new $11.5 million Kent County Recycling and Education Center will learn about the county's upcoming new single-stream recycling method from a bird's-eye view of the action – a catwalk that extends over the sorting equipment.

The new center at 977 Wealthy St. SW is nearly complete, and work crews are training on the new sorting equipment, says Dennis Kmiecik, Kent County's solid waste division director.

"The schools are emphasizing recycling in their curriculum," he says. "We got overwhelmed with tours in our old facility (322 Bartlett SW). So in the new facility we invested in a classroom that can seat 80 people and has all the new technology."

Interior windows allow students to observe workers and equipment from the classroom. What they'll see will be state-of-the-art sorting equipment that can handle a much higher capacity of recycled waste than the current equipment, all sorting from a single stream that contains plastic, glass, metal and paper waste products.

With single-stream, Kent County residents and businesses will no longer need to sort recyclables into separate bins, but can place them all in one cart they can wheel to the curb.

Kmiecik expects the city of Grand Rapids to offer 30-, 68- and 90-gallon carts, free. Individual haulers outside the city will determine what carts to offer customers and the cost, if any.

The change will take place mid-July, with how-to information available within the next week or so, Kmiecik says.

The new process should reduce the recycle center's operating expenses, but Kmiecik isn't making predictions on how much.

"We were running 13 hours a day, six days a week, with 90 to 100 community service workers each day," he says. "Now it will be eight hours a day, five days a week with a minimum of 20 people."

Kmiecik hopes the new process will mean more people will recycle. He says Grand Rapids has a 45 percent residential recycling rate; countywide the number is only 20 percent.

Source: Dennis Kmiecik, Kent County Recycling and Education Center

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.
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Sharon Hanks

In an unusual collaboration among competitors, five Michigan hospitals -- including the three major ones in West Michigan -- are launching a grassroots effort to accelerate the creation of an electronic medical record system to exchange patient information and clinical results between health care providers.

The advancement would make the transfer of such things as lab work results, analysis of X-rays, and the transcriptions of physician clinical observations, a paperless exchange and virtually eliminate the need for fax machines or computer print-outs.

Hospital representatives announced the formation of a non-profit alliance called Michigan Health Connect last week, noting its goal matches that of the federal government which is attempting to speed up the migration with federal stimulus financial incentives.

Doug Dietzman, executive director of Michigan Health Connect in Grand Rapids, says local hospital officials have been meeting for the past several months to determine the best way to help health-care givers migrate to the same technological platform to allow a secure delivery of private patient health information. They already use the same software to share limited amount of information. 

With an electronic transfer, health care professionals could access at their fingertips the most up-to-date and accurate records of their patients, promptly allowing physicians in offices, clinics, nursing homes, hospitals and emergency rooms to make the best medical decisions for them. To learn more the importance of the electronic exchange, view a video hospital officials have posted on youtube.

Spearheading the drive in West Michigan are Metro Health, Spectrum Health and Novi-based Trinity Health, the home office for Saint Mary's Health Care in Grand Rapids and Muskegon Mercy Hospital. The remaining hospitals are Lakeland Health System in St. Joseph and Northern Michigan Regional Health System in Petoskey. Dietzman say the initiative would impact an estimated 175 physician's offices, hospitals, laboratories, long-term care and public health facilities, clinics and other community organization health care organizations in West Michigan.

"I think this attitude of collaboration . . . is somewhat rare across the country." says Dietzman. There are many stories about in-fighting among health care organizations in the country, he says. "They don't get along and will argue forever about control. The fact that this group (of competitors) got together and decided to collaborate will make the activities and implementation a lot easier."

Source: Doug Dietzman, executive director of Michigan Health Connect, Grand Rapids

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the
column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.read on…

Rick Martinez

Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is making a bid to be the first of the affiliates in Michigan to build a Habitat net-zero energy home that is designed to generate as much energy as its household consumes.

The home proposed for the 300 block of Freyling Place SE is to feature passive solar heating and hot water, thermal mass, a wind turbine and "a tight envelope" with natural ventilation, says Chris Hall, Habitat's construction operations director. "Hopefully, we can influence the next generation of building, period, and not just Habitat homes."

It is the centerpiece of the Wealthy Heights Partnership Project. The 14-home effort, expected to be completed by November 2011, is the latest by the non-profit, which is collaborating with a dozen non-profits and governmental agencies on the effort.

Habitat, a Christian-based organization focused on building affordable housing in partnership with people in need, plans to gut, rehab and historically preserve four homes ranging from 900 to 1,700 square feet and build seven new 1,200-square-foot, single-story homes in Wealthy Heights' Eastown.

The Dwelling Place Inc., a non-profit focused on affordable housing, supportive services and urban revitalization, plans to build three new homes in the working-class neighborhood dating to the 1840s.

The project on Freyling, Donald, Robey and Visser places SE north of Wealthy also includes a weatherization program targeting up to 30 other nearby homes, a mix of working-class single-family and duplexes. In addition, the City of Grand Rapids is planning two one-block connector streets, linking Robey with Freyling and Donald.

Expectations are the homes will only cost slightly more than typical to build, says Mary Buikema, Habitat's executive director.

Habitat is partnering with the Ferris State University Energy Center, Grand Rapids Community College's Tassell M-TEC and Grand Rapids Public Schools' Academy of Design & Construction to make the project a learning laboratory. The non-profit rehabs homes in addition to building anew.

Several departments from Ferris State, which this fall offers a bachelor's degree in energy systems engineering, will be involved in the homes' design and study their energy usage. The project will provide 127 GRCC students green-building and deconstruction opportunities.
 
"We have a huge opportunity to learn and validate the energy-efficiency in these homes," says Arn McIntyre, Energy Center coordinator. "We need to learn how to do these things practically on house, after house, after house."

Carol Moore, a neighborhood resident for 32 years, is excited about preserving existing homes. Kathryn "K.C." Caliendo, East Hills Council of Neighbors neighborhood organizer, says the effort continues 30 years of revival in the area.

For the past three years, all new Habitat homes in Kent and eastern Ottawa counties have been certified Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), Buikema says. Habitat has built and rehabbed nearly 30 homes over the past year and about 300 since its 1983 founding, Hall says.read on…

Sharon Hanks

The Grand Rapids Urban Market was selected to receive a $150,000 grant from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation in its latest round of funding for 10 organizations that totals $1.5 million.

Proposed by the Grand Action group, the urban market would provide market space for vendors to sell food and other locally made goods at a renovated 3.5-acre complex at 435 Ionia Ave. SW. To kick-start the proposed urban market, the foundation gave the grant to conduct architectural and engineering work, tax credit planning and syndication, legal work and project management.

Roberta King, the foundation's vice president of public relations and marketing, says it's not unusual for the foundation to invest in predevelopment work, a sometimes "less glamorous thing" but critical part in launching a new endeavor.

In other awards:

• Kent County was granted $50,000 for its South Division Green Redevelopment Plan.

• Grand Rapids Community College Foundation received $375,000 to increase the number of students preparing for health careers including nursing, through renovations to Cook Academic Hall on its main campus.

• First Steps was awarded $250,000 to expand its Children's Healthcare Access Program to improve the health outcomes of low-income children.

• Spectrum Health Foundation received $75,000 to continue its school-based programming that empowers youth to choose a tobacco-free lifestyle.

• Community Rebuilders for its Housing Services Center was awarded $200,000 for its new center to be located at 1120 Monroe Ave. NW to improve access for people facing a housing crisis.

•The Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids received $140,000 for phase two of its "What's Your Art Grand Rapids?" campaign to further raise awareness of the rich arts and cultural offerings in Grand Rapids and to help the arts and cultural organizations increase earned income.

• Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids was awarded $150,000 for its Wealthy Heights Revitalization Project to rehabilitate up to five homes and construct six new homes in the Wealthy Heights residential area (officially part of the East hills neighborhood).

• The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan received $55,000 to continue its work to connect residents with community resources and advocate for change to stop foreclosures in Kent County.

• The Salvation Army, serving as the fiduciary for the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness, was awarded $100,000 to continue efforts to prevent and end systemic homelessness in Kent County by 2014.

Source: Roberta King, Grand Rapids Community Foundation's vice president of public relations and marketing, Grand Rapids

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.

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Sharon Hanks

A new custom-built condensing heat exchanger for the special steam system serving the central business district of downtown Grand Rapids has reduced the facility's carbon-dioxide emissions by 5 percent annually.

Veolia Energy Grand Rapids LLC installed the heat recovery system, called the Economizer, at the energy facility it purchased from Kent County in December 2008. Located at W. Fulton Street and Monroe Avenue, the facility provides steam to about 125 downtown commercial, government, institutional and healthcare customers to heat their buildings and their water.

The reduction of the facility's overall carbon footprint is the amount roughly equivalent to the annual carbon-dioxide emissions of 1,000 vehicles, says Veolia Energy Grand Rapids General Manager Keith Oldewurtel.

"It was something we planned on doing during the acquisition process to keep the facility competitive and to improve its sustainability," says Oldewurtel. The Economizer became operational last November at which time officials began completing the installation's punch list and pursuing necessary certifications to validate it was performing as expected, he says.

Veolia Energy contracted with Progressive AE of Grand Rapids last year to custom design and build the cutting-edge Economizer. In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the unit also has reduced the operation's consumption of fuel by at least 5 percent, ensuring competitive steam rates for customers.

DTE Energy was so impressed with the Economizer's efficiency, it nominated Veolia Energy for an award from the Energy Solutions Center, a North American trade association for utilities and equipment providers. Two weeks ago, Veolia Energy officials say they accepted the award in Detroit.

The Economizer is the latest efficiency upgrade Veolia Energy has made to the system that distributes steam to the central business district along four miles of high pressure and 1.5 miles of low pressure steam pipes. "It eliminates the need (for customers) to have their own boiler to produce their own energy," says Oldewurtel.

Boston-based Veolia Energy is a subsidiary of Veolia Environment, the world's leading environmental services company. It owns and operates the largest portfolio of district energy networks in the United States.

Source: Keith Oldewurtel, general manager for Veolia Energy Grand Rapids LLC

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.

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Deborah Johnson Wood

A new nature trail that winds around several ponds in the most undisturbed natural area of Kent County's Millennium Park opened last week.

The Hansen Nature Trail, named after donors Dick and Sandy Hansen who funded the $100,000 project, is just over a half-mile long, but it connects to more than 20 miles of the Fred Meijer Millennium Trail Network within the park as well as the Kent Trails system and a Grand Rapids City Trail along Wealthy St. SE.

The trail is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, made of compacted crushed stone that will accommodate wheelchairs and mountain bikes. The pathway loops through the property of a former fish hatchery near the intersection of Butterworth and Riverbend streets. Users can fish from a wheelchair-accessible fishing deck that extends over one of the ponds.

"The Hansen Nature Trail adds another element to the park," says Roger Sabine, director of Kent County Parks. "It's the most natural area we have that's open with trails, a little closer to nature than the rest of the trails. There are more sights and sounds than there might be on other trails because it's a little less busy."

Millennium Park is open to the public at no cost, and features age-appropriate playgrounds, picnic areas and a boardwalk along the water's edge. Access to the swimming area ranges from $2 to $4 per person per visit, or via a $50 family pass.

Source: Roger Sabine, Kent County Parks Department; Kate Washburn, Wondergem Consulting

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.read on…

Sharon Hanks

Someone forgot to tell Floriza Genautis the country is in a recession, with Michigan especially facing economic uncertainty. The talent recruitment firm founded by Genautis in downtown Grand Rapids has been growing quickly since it opened its doors in 2006.

In recognition of its growth, the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center named Genautis' company called Management Business Solutions, Inc. as its recepient of the 2009 Best Small Business Award from the West Michigan region, one of 12 companies selected in each of the state's 12 regions.

The award is the latest in a long list of accolades honoring the business acumen of Genautis, a Philippine native who migrated to California after college and moved to her husband Rob's hometown of Grand Rapids several years ago with their daughter Isabel, now 7 years old. Located at 77 Monroe Ave. NW, the company now employs six and has clients spanning from the Midwest to California.

Genautis says she was "speechless," when she learned MBS had won the award, attributing the recognition to the collaboration of her employees. "It was a team effort to lead us where we're at," she says. "Without the team and everyone's willingness to step up to the plate, we wouldn't be here."

That teamwork continues to build growth. "We're looking at the first half of this year and we've increased by 50 percent," she says. Among MBS's local clients are Meijer and Steelcase.

She also credits MBS's success to the advice she has received from the Small Business and Technology Development Center. In the fall of 2006, she sought help from the SBTDC with an idea as to what the ideal talent recruitment firm would be. Working with Regional Director Dante Villarreal, she developed a business plan and continued to meet with him monthly for help reviewing and executing the strategy.

"I still see Dante every month," Genautis says. "The SBTDC has been very significant in making sure we are always headed in the right direction."

This past fall, MBS received its SBA 8(a) certification which qualifies it to bid on federal contracts. Last year Genautis was named Minority Entrepreneur of the Year by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

The SBTDC provides counseling, training and advocacy for Michigan's new business ventures, existing small businesses, expanding businesses, new technology, and innovators. It is housed at Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business in downtown Grand Rapids.

Source: Floriza Genautis, founder and owner of Management Business Solutions, Inc.; Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Grand Rapids.

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.

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Sharon Hanks

Bring Fido to work? Why not? Bissell Inc. wants its product development employees to bring their pets to "Pet Spot" -- a special work area at the company's headquarters for pets and workers -- in hopes the furry friends will inspire their owners to come up with better cleaners of pet messes.

Long known for its vacuum cleaners, the Walker-based company recently opened the 1,000-square-foot Pet Spot as part of its $9 million Innovation Center, a renovated warehouse at its headquarters at 2345 Walker Ave. NW. Pet Spot features three indoor kennels and outdoor dog runs, three work stations, a conference table and a dog bathing area.

"People love it," says company spokesperson Beth Jester. "For years we've been sending pet products to pet owners for testing. This is a natural extension of that. The idea is that people who are working on product development for pet messes can be allowed to bring a pet to work for inspiration."

Employees have to sign up in advance, bring their own pet food, and work side-by-side their four-legged friend for the day. Only dogs are allowed at Pet Spot after they have passed a temperament test to ensure social harmony, but Jester says plans are to open the doors to cats as well.

Jester says Pet Spot was dreamed up by Cathy Bissell, director of corporate affairs and wife of Mark Bissell, the company's chief executive office and great-grandson of the company's founders. The couple has three black labs of their own, one adopted from the Kent County Humane Society.

Cathy Bissell also has been a big promoter of the company's growing line-up of pet home-care cleaning products launched in 2005 and of pet adoption. Its most recent line, "Pawsitively Clean," is available at national retail pet stores and offers an assortment of sprays to remove stains and odor.

In addition to spray cleaners, Bissell also sells a compact deep cleaning machine for spots and stains along with a vacuum brush attachment to capture "fly-aways" -- loose fur that can be brushed away before it shakes loose on one's carpet, hard floors and furniture.

Source: Beth Jester, Bissell Inc. spokesperson in Walker

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.

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Sharon Hanks

Grand Valley State University will offer a master's program starting in August in biomedical engineering, a welcome addition that supports efforts to grow the Medical Mile along Michigan Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids.

Associate professor John Farris and assistant professor Samhita Rhodes from GVSU's School of Engineering were awarded $699,997 from the National Science Foundation to develop the program. It will apply mathematics, science and engineering expertise to medicine and health to help increase understanding of areas from molecules to organ systems. That knowledge is vital to develop innovative approaches for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease for patient rehabilitation and for improving health.

Rhodes says the foundation courses will include human physiology, engineering principles that apply to problems in medicine and health, medical device design and research opportunities that will employ methods that translate ideas from concept to bedside. The 38-credit program will take two years to complete

"We're looking forward to students applying," says Rhodes, adding that the program will help diversify the skills set in West Michigan that for so long has been dominated by the automotive industry. "It's a nice new offering. We have wonderful faculty and research."

Students interested in the program will find more information at the School of Engineering's website that will soon be updated with additional details, she says.

Source: Samhita Rhodes, Grand Valley State University, Allendale

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.

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Deborah Johnson Wood

Plans are far from complete, but officials at Kendall College of Art and Design say they're working to get approvals by summer's end for a $27.9 million reconfiguration of the Old Federal Building into a creative space where the college, the public and the arts intersect.

"Kendall is growing and like any flourishing college involved with the arts, creative space is so important," says John Willey, Ferris State University's vice president for university advancement and marketing. Kendall is Ferris State's creative arts and design college.

"For about seven years we've been thinking about how we could expand in a meaningful way," he says. "Because of the federal building's proximity to Kendall (17 Fountain St. NW) and to our other building at 25 Lyon, we're thinking it would help connect several pieces that we're trying to do with Kendall College in downtown Grand Rapids."

Preliminary plans include a studio for ceramics and sculpture, another for metal sculpture, classrooms and lecture spaces, and "significant public areas where the public can come in and engage art and be part of a vivacious creative enterprise," says Willey. Those public areas may include a restaurant or café.

"We hope to have a major space dedicated to sustainable design," Willey adds.

Ferris recently added a sustainable design degree to its list of course offerings. A component of the coursework takes place at Kendall, which Willey says will move the college's expertise in forward-thinking furniture design to the larger built environment.

"Higher education is one of our core anchors of downtown and having creative young people occupying that building is a great extension on Kendall's and Ferris' presence here," says Jay Fowler, executive director of Grand Rapids' Downtown Development Authority.

The federal government transferred ownership of the building to the city of Grand Rapids when the Grand Rapids Art Museum planned to move into the space in the early '80s, says Fowler. GRAM relocated to 101 Monroe Center in 2007, leaving the building vacant,

Kendall is jumping some complicated financial hurdles to purchase the building. However, because of the building's historical significance, the federal government will have the final say on changes to the structure.

Source: John Willey, Ferris State University; Jay Fowler, Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority

Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at deborah@rapidgrowthmedia.com. Development News tips can be sent to info@rapidgrowthmedia.com.read on…