Business

My Town: Michigan fruit growers encouraged to complete USDA Fruit Acreage Inventory

Submitted by Cheri Mikowski, WZZM Receptionist & Community Blogger

Sunday, March 1st, 2015, 7:00am

My Town: Michigan fruit growers encouraged to complete USDA Fruit Acreage Inventory

---NEWS RELEASE---

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Jamie Clover Adams encouraged the state's fruit growers to complete the 2014 Fruit Acreage Inventory being conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

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Submitted by Cheri Mikowski, WZZM Receptionist & Community Blogger

Friday, February 27th, 2015, 2:29pm

---NEWS RELEASE---

The Viking Group, a global leader in the manufacture and distribution of fire protection products and services, is pleased to announce the following executive leadership appointments, all of which are effective immediately.

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Submitted by Cheri Mikowski, WZZM Receptionist & Community Blogger

Friday, February 13th, 2015, 7:00am

----NEWS RELEASE---

The Meijer Simply Give program – held three times a year – generated nearly $6 million in 2014 for food pantries throughout the Midwest, bringing the program’s overall donation total to nearly $14 million since it began in November 2008.

The retailer’s most recent campaign, which ended in January, was the most successful holiday campaign in the program’s history, resulting in a total of more than $1.8 million for hungry families.

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Submitted by Cheri Mikowski, WZZM Receptionist & Community Blogger

Tuesday, February 10th, 2015, 7:00am

My Town: Specialty crop grant opportunity

----NEWS RELEASE----

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Jamie Clover Adams today announced new opportunities for Michigan businesses thanks to the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Ag Marketing Services. The program is designed to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan’s specialty crops. Grant proposals must be received by MDARD no later than 3 p.m. on March 26, 2015 by submitting them to MDA-grants@Michigan.gov.

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Sable Homes president talks to state leaders about need for skilled trades talent

Submitted by Tyler Lecceadone on Monday, February 9th, 3:30 pm

LANSING, Mich.-- Members of the Home Builders Association of Michigan (HBAM) testified in the State House Friday to urge the legislature to find ways to increase the number of workers entering the skilled trades.

“The lack of workers going into the skilled trades is the biggest factor impacting the growth of Michigan’s home building industry,” said John Bitely, president of Sable Homes in Rockford. “The shortage of labor is resulting in construction delays and increased labor costs, and it’s dragging on our state.”

Bitely cited several Michigan laws that make it difficult for home builders to hire young workers and encourage them to look at careers in the construction industry.

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My Town: Battle of the Buildings energy reduction competition expands for second year

Submitted by Megan Susterich on Tuesday, January 20th, 7:00 am

Registration is officially open for Michigan commercial and industrial buildings of all sizes interested in joining the U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan's (USGBCWM) second annual Battle of the Buildings competition. The statewide competition is an expansion of the Battle of the Buildings that started in West Michigan last year.

Battle of the Buildings is an awards and recognition program for energy use reduction. The competition is a way to encourage energy-efficient practices in buildings across the state of Michigan and to instill a spirit of friendly competition among the area’s building owners and operators. Steelcase, Western Michigan University and Nichols have already committed for the 2015 competition totaling over 3,000,000 sq. feet.

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Submitted by Christa Ferguson, My Town Administrator

Wednesday, December 24th, 2014, 7:00am

WALKER, Mich.—Christmas came early to 213 Meijer shoppers, who received a checkout surprise.

On Dec. 13, the Walker-based retailer paid for all of the gifts and groceries filling each shopper’s cart, ranging from $350 to $1,200 each. The company posted video of the event on YouTube, which you can find here.

“The holidays are a time for kindness and joy, and the Very Merry Meijer event was a perfect opportunity for us to share the spirit of the season with those we hold dear: our customers,” Co-Chairman Hank Meijer said. “Our family has always believed that our customers don’t need us, but that we need them. That philosophy still guides us today. We are very thankful for our customers, and wanted to find a special way to wish them a very Merry Christmas.”