Category: Business

Just like during WWII, companies throughout our country have stepped up to help fight the most recent battle against COVID-19. Locally, we’ve seen retooling and innovation from companies to equip our frontline workers and the entire community with the personal protective equipment (PPE) we need to be safe. On Wednesday, more than 40 companies were […]

During these changing times, many employees are transitioning back to an office setting with safety measures in place, but a lot of people are still working on a flexible or hybrid schedule between office and home. For Gibson, insurance advisors and consultants serving Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana, the team has been transitioning back into […]

With a heart for community, faith, and good BBQ, Ken Smeader, owner of Skinny Kenny’s BBQ food truck, launched into the BBQ business following his retirement from serving as a pastor for 18 years. With a logo designed by a friend, a smoker gifted for his retirement, and an awesome deal on a food truck, […]

During the pandemic, the impact on business was felt very differently by every organization. For Naylor Landscape Management, a Kalamazoo family-owned full-service lawn and landscape service company, it was a weed that stopped its work altogether. However, eventually the situation blossomed into success. Shutdown for five weeks during what would have been one of its […]

Fueled by a deep love for food and bringing people together that dates back generations, Curtis Woods Junior was inspired to open his food truck, PJW Creole Cuisine as a way to support his goal of one day opening a restaurant where he could provide musicians a space to perform. “My great, great, great grandfather […]

Word on the street is that rapid-result COVID-19 testing is a hot commodity. Rapid COVID-19 antigen testing typically can provide results in as little as 30 minutes. In an article from the Wall Street Journal, it’s explained why this type of testing is very limited in availability right now—there are only two companies that produce […]

August celebrates many things, and one of the most important among them is Black Business Month. Across the country, black-owned businesses are on the rise. According to data gathered between 2007 and 2012, black-owned businesses grew 34.5 percent making up 9.4 percent of all organizations. However, this remains below the 13.4 percent black population rate. […]

Makers and entrepreneurs have set up shop in Downtown Kalamazoo since the county was organized in the 1800s. Products including Gibson guitars, Shakespeare fishing rods and reels, and Checker cabs were not only dreamed-up in the city but brought to reality. Although some of these products are no longer made here, the entrepreneurial spirit never […]

Most people would gasp at the thought of starting a business in February of 2020. Even more so, most would be alarmed by the idea of opening an ice cream shop during the thick of a Michigan winter. Despite the odds being stacked against him with a cherry on top, Matt Searles, owner and chief […]

In looking back on the past months during the COVID-19 crisis, Jamie Clark, president, founder, and owner of Clark Logic, has counted his blessings. Leading his company of over 100 employees through this time has been like no other in history. The 50-year-old third party logistics company puts its primary focus on service for industrial […]

Seasonally unadjusted jobless rates fell notably in all 17 of Michigan’s major labor market areas during June 2020, according to data released from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB). Michigan’s regional unemployment rates ranged from 10.5 to 17.8 percent in June. June jobless rate cuts were significant, ranging from 3.4 to 8.5 […]

To help our community members make informed choices in the upcoming election, we asked candidates running for important local, state, and national seats to participate in our Forum to help you get to know them better. Today, meet Mike Quinn. Following his time in Vietnam as a Marine, Mike Quinn chose a life of productivity […]