Insider Intelligence

During the 50th annual Michigan Restaurant Show, five Michigan restaurants were presented with “Michigan GROWN, Michigan GREAT” awards.  The awards were established to recognize restaurants that source fresh Michigan fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and beverages in their restaurants.  They were made possible through a partnership between the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the […]

As a follow up to my recent post about West Michigan’s Creative Class, I was set to share some creative culinary spots and history in the area, but then an article caught my eye, and I decided to shift gears. Last week, the Grand Rapids region was touted as being one of the best places […]

Once known as “Furniture City” for hosting some of the finest wood furniture designers and manufactures in the world (Think, access to native timber and a major river to carry it to the mills) – the Grand Rapids region identifies as having a large creative class and enjoys its economic benefits. The arts dominate in […]

This week, Governor Rick Snyder embarked on a trade mission to Japan and Germany.  While there, he will focus on attracting jobs, creating business investments, and promoting the state’s strength in the automotive and mobility sectors.  The Governor departed for Japan on Tuesday and will then travel to Germany on September 11, returning to Michigan […]

On Sunday, July 30, Governor Rick Snyder headed to China for his seventh trade mission to the country.  During the nine-day mission, he will focus on promoting job-creating business growth and attracting investment in Michigan, as well as pushing the state as a tourism destination.  Throughout the trip, the Governor will meet with government officials, […]

This week, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law a bipartisan three-bill package aimed at diversifying the state’s economy and attracting large-scale employers.  “The goal of this proposal is to bring businesses into Michigan who have a significant workforce.  Not only do the bills aim to create more jobs, it also seeks to bring well-paying jobs […]

On Monday, House and Senate Democratic members announced their “Michigan Jobs First” plan aimed at keeping jobs and tax dollars in state.  The members stated that unlike other states, Michigan does not give meaningful financial preference to Michigan businesses and workers in contracts.  Under legislation that will be introduced, any Michigan employers and small businesses […]

On Thursday, Governor Rick Snyder announced he is recommending Jeff Mason to lead the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) following Steve Arwood’s departure.  Mr. Arwood announced last month that he would be stepping down from the job on June 30.  The MEDC CEO is charged with implementing and executive MEDC’s core mission of business development […]