Category: Business

Today is National Eat Your Vegetables Day, and there’s no better place to spend it than in Michigan. Our state has over 9.9 million acres of farmland and produces more than 300 commodities, making it the state with the second most diverse agriculture industry in the nation just behind California. This means there should be […]

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 Mona Lisa Watson. Focusing on the top priorities of integrity, efficiency, and accessibility, Mona Lisa Watson is […]

10 New Jobs Headed to Coldwater Two Bandits Brewing Company out of Hicksville, Ohio will be opening a brewpub in the historic Kerr building on the corner of West Chicago and South Hanchett streets, just North of the Tibbits Opera House. Owners Mark Young and Bob Garza look to bring their lineup of crowd- pleasing […]

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 Jen Richardson. Seeking election as a U.S. House of Representatives representing Michigan’s 6th District, Jen Richardson’s motivation […]

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 Tom Graham. Longtime resident and businessperson, Tom Graham is running for the position as State Representative in […]

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. We will share responses as they are submitted. Stay tuned to become acquainted with your local legislative leaders. Campaigning […]

In downtown Kalamazoo, People’s Food Co-op (PFC) has remained a reliable destination to provide our community with a wide selection of nutritious, wholesome foods since it opened in 1973. With the tagline—locally grown, community-owned—the adaptations it has made during the pandemic to support the community, while not out of character, have benefited farmers, small businesses, […]

The team at FIRST & 42 is always one to embrace a little bit of history. When it comes to politics, we can’t resist the temptation to let our mind drift back to the days of Rome’s open-air Forum back in 500 B.C. It was at this Forum when people first began meeting publicly to […]

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)’s Match on Main program, which serves as a tool for local units of government, downtown development authorities, or other downtown management organizations to support place-based businesses, is being expanded to provide access for more communities. The program allows Main Street community-serving organizations to make grants to place-based small businesses […]

There’s nothing quite like a fresh coat of paint to update a room, but with executive orders limiting the work for local painting company Quality Touch, CEO Quincy Nunn decided to focus on cleaning-up something else, our hands with hand sanitizer! In late March, Quincy and his team closed up shop and headed home with […]

It’s that time of year in West Michigan for our standout companies to shine bright! On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, the Best & Brightest Companies to Work For® program celebrated regional award-winning companies for best practices  during its annual ceremony. Traditionally held during a luncheon, the event went virtual this year. The program was moderated […]

There are some serious benefits to us all taking precautions and wearing masks while out and about or at work. But has anyone noticed how uncomfortable those things are? Marie and Dennis Marsh, owners of Crown Trophy, took on the mission to alleviate the discomfort and ear pressure of masks by using their skills and […]