Business News

Husband and Wife Team win 2012 Entrepreneur Award

Wednesday, April 18, The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce awarded a Muskegon Lakeshore couple with the 2012 Outstanding Entrepreneur Award. Garry and Charlotte Olson, owners of Lakeshore Document Services, were awarded at the Annual Entrepreneur Award Luncheon at Watermark 920.

ABOUT THE OLSONS:
Garry and Charlotte Olson opened Lakeshore Document Services in 1995. They have since expanded services to include document shredding, film conversion, and internet-based file management. They have also developed digital document software for the libraries and museums that is now being marketed nationwide.  In the past five years, they have doubled the size of their workforce and increased revenue by 75%. In 2011 alone, they recycled 1.5 million pounds of shredded paper and achieved a document storage box count of over 100,000 containers. The company currently has clients all over the state, and is expanding into Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The Olsons work with companies to become more productive and efficient, while using fewer resources. Their “Scan-On-Demand” services have lowered costs for their customers and are environmentally-friendly. Community means a lot to this husband and wife team.  Over the years they have served on boards for Visiting Nurses, Friends of Hackley Library and their church.  They have also volunteered for Junior Achievement and Love, INC, as well as coached Mona Shores hockey, and worked with the school’s band and choir programs.  

ABOUT THE AWARD:
The Chamber received nominations from the community for the 2012 Entrepreneur Award, and a selection committee comprised of past award recipients chose this year’s winner. Other finalists for the 2012 award include Jason Piasecki for Revel; and Orville Crain, Matt Jacobs and Jeff Kempker for Klever Innovations. The candidates were evaluated using criteria, including growth in sales, innovation, staying power, employee relations, respect for the environment, response to adversity, and contributions to the community.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD:
Along with awarding an established entrepreneur, the Chamber also announced the winner of the 2012 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The 2012 winner is Nick Taylor, a senior from Holton High School and financial management/accounting student at the Muskegon Area Career Tech Center (MACTC).  His business concept is Heart, a sports training facility for young athletes looking to enhance their skills in baseball, soccer, or wrestling. He will receive a total of $1,000 in scholarship money from Next IT, Klever Innovations, and the Muskegon Inventors Network. 

This is the third annual Young Entrepreneur Award given to a high school student of the Muskegon Area Career Tech Center. Each student had to develop a credible business plan, meet with a business counselor, and present their proposed business to community leaders and entrepreneurs. The other 2012 finalists include Oakridge senior, Torey Melton and Muskegon Heights senior, Damarrius Houston.

ABOUT THE EVENT:
Roughly 200 people attended the 2012 Entrepreneur Award luncheon at Watermark 920, which featured a keynote presentation from Jon Sorber, Executive Vice President and one of the original ‘two men’ from Two Men and a Truck International. Sorber started the company while he was still in high school with his brother, Brig Sorber. The company that began in Grand Rapids Michigan has blossomed into one of the largest moving companies in the country with approximately 1,300 trucks on the road and 220 franchise locations world-wide. The story he shared with the audience was of his family’s triumphs and tragedies as the national brand was built.  

College students look to the Lakeshore for employment

The Pure Michigan Talent Connect West Coast event through the Michigan Economic Development Corp. brought nearly 100 job seekers to town on April 13. This event was not all about filling jobs but orienting young talented workers to the Muskegon and Grand Haven area and getting them excited to consider working on the lakeshore.

“It’s all about talent,” said Ed Garner, president of Muskegon Area First – the local economic development agency. “These folks here are the bright minds of our future. We want them to know about the opportunities in their own back yard.”

More than 30 employers had the chance to meet with recent graduates and all participating companies had immediate openings or specific new hires in the next six months. The job fair was set up with specific rooms for initial job interviews as several companies were sitting down and talking to the job seekers. Garner said one highly-sought applicant was offered two jobs before the afternoon session was concluded.

Click here to read more about this event on Mlive

Click here to see more about it on WOOD TV8

Click here to see more about it on WZZM TV13

MACTC students recognized as Young Entrepreneurs

Muskegon Area Career Tech Center (MACTC) students from three area high schools will be recognized on Wednesday, April 18, as “Young Entrepreneurs” during the Chamber's annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award luncheon at Watermark 920 in Muskegon. The students will be honored for the business plans they each created and presented to members of The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur Advisory Council. They will also share the spotlight with real-life nominees for the Chamber’s annual “Entrepreneur of the Year Award.”

Student winners were announced Wednesday, April 11 during a presentation at the MACTC. Holton High School student, Nickolas Taylor earned the Chamber’s “2012 Young Entrepreneur Award.” He will receive a total of $1000.00 in scholarship money from Next IT, Klever Innovations, and the Muskegon Inventor’s Network. Nick is a Financial Management/Accounting student at the MACTC. He presented his business plan for Heart, a sports training facility for young athletes looking to enhance their skills in baseball, soccer, or wrestling.

Financial Management students Torey Melton (Oakridge) and Damarrius Houston (Muskegon Heights) also competed for the award. Torey was first runner-up and will receive a $500 scholarship to attend Muskegon Community College for his business plan for Lanyards for Everyone. Damarrius, was second runnerup for his business plan for the urban apparel store, What’z Dat? He will receive a $500 scholarship to attend Baker College.

All participants were required to submit a detailed business plan using a provided rubric, spend a minimum of one hour in a mentoring session with a SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) volunteer, and make a formal presentation to a panel of judges. SCORE is a local group of volunteers dedicated to helping small business owners’ form and grow their businesses.

Whitehall to be featured on TV program of best places to live

Whitehall was chosen for a TV program highlighting the best places to live, work and play, City Manager Scott Huebler confirmed Thursday afternoon.

Huebler said he hadn't received details about when a film crew might arrive, and the city attorney will still have to look over a contract before the city commits to the project.

Click here to read the full article on Mlive

Muskegon County Hot Jobs List is Here!

Muskegon County residents will now have access to a “Hot Jobs” list containing information on what jobs are available in the community right now, what their starting salaries are and what education is needed to obtain a job in each field.

Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana has spent the last several months compiling this data with the help of Muskegon Area First and several other partners in hopes of potentially bridging the workforce development gap the Muskegon Lakeshore faces.

“Not only is this a great source of information for those looking to make a career change or looking for a job in the new economy, but this list also allows us to see where the skills gaps are in the community,” said Brittany Lenertz, Community Relations Manager for Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana.

Michigan Works is working with the local colleges to offer six month fast track programs in some of these areas so that job seekers can be job ready in a shorter period of time.  This will also help the employers fill these much needed positions.

The Hot Jobs list will be available at local organizations such as the Muskegon Chamber, Employer’s Association, Michigan Works and more. It will also be updated every 6 months so that the information is current and locally accurate.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LIST!

Muskegon County's Marketing taking on a multimedia approach

From a new “quality of life” video, a Muskegon Chamber smartphone application and newly designed website to more traditional billboards and a visitors’ guide magazine, the Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau will be using a variety of communication methods in the coming months.

As local tourism businesses are gearing up for what they expect to be a busy summer and tourism promoters are gathering this week in Grand Rapids for a statewide Travel Michigan conference, work continues on getting the message out on Muskegon as a travel destination.

Click here to visit MLive for the full story.

Lakeshore ATHENA Scholarship Program Accepting Applications

Applications for the 2012 Lakeshore ATHENA Scholarship Program are now being accepted at the Holland Area Chamber of Commerce. The scholarships, offered through the Lakeshore ATHENA Awards Program, a collaboration of The Chamber of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg, Holland Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, assist women in reaching their full potential through financial support for training programs and education.

“The Lakeshore ATHENA Scholarship Program differs in many ways from the usual scholarships young people apply for when they graduate from high school and are preparing for college,” said Julie Parker, Holland Area Chamber of Commerce. “For example, the applicant must be female, 30 years or older, and they must live or work in Ottawa, Allegan or Muskegon County.    Additionally, the funds can be used for other expenses beyond education to enable the student to attend classes.” Those expenses may be childcare, housing or transportation.

Other criteria the applicant must meet includes completion of one year of higher education, plans to continue  her education at a West Michigan area accredited 4-year, 2-year or technical or vocational program, and have limited financial resources.  Julie Parker said, “Applicants must also demonstrate a commitment to a professional, business or entrepreneurial career.”

The application deadline is May 16, 2012.  Scholarship recipients will be notified in August, and checks will be awarded at the Lakeshore ATHENA Award luncheon on October 9, 2012 at Trillium Events. To date, the program has awarded scholarships totaling $22,800.

Applications for the scholarship are available at The Chamber of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg, Holland Area Chamber of Commerce, Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Grand Valley State University, Aquinas College, Cornerstone University, Baker College, Davenport University, Western Michigan University, Grand Rapids Community College, and Muskegon Community College.  Additionally, applications are also available at non-traditional resources such as The Center for Women in Transition, Michigan Works, Careerline Tech Center, MTEC, Jubilee Ministries, and Good Samaritan.   You may also contact Julie Parker, Holland Area Chamber of Commerce, (616) 392-2389, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Click here for the 2012 online application.

Want to nominate someone for the 2012 ATHENA Award?  Click here to fill out a nomination form. 

2012 Entrepreneur Award Finalists Announced

A marketing executive, inventors, and document gurus make up the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Entrepreneur Award finalists.

While their business backgrounds may be worlds apart, they have more in common than one might think. They are all creative, passionate, and innovative entrepreneurs who are making a difference along the Muskegon Lakeshore. Not only do they provide our community with in-demand products and services, but each has had a positive impact on the community with the creation of new and much needed jobs.

The 2012 Entrepreneur Award Finalists are:

Jason Piasecki – Revel
Jason is a partner with Revel, a marketing and communications firm with offices in Muskegon and Grand Rapids.  In 2011 the company’s sales grew 25% and 4 employees were added.  Now 14 employees strong, Revel has invested heavily in their downtown Muskegon office space as well as new computer and video technology.  The company also introduced an innovative internal process for workflow called “The Revolution Cycle”. This process allows them to produce websites and print projects on tight deadlines.

Orville Crain, Matt Jacobs and Jeff Kempker – Klever Innovations
The three partners founded Klever Innovations in 2005 with the launch of their patented box-cutter, the Klever Kutter. They have since expanded their product line to include several models for different applications, and in 2011 they sold more than 3 million units and grossed $2.4 million in sales.  Their products are sold through leading safety product distributers such as Grainger and are used by major corporations including Coca-Cola and Lowe’s. In the next 6-12 months they plan to launch an entirely new line of box-cutters as well.

Garry and Charlotte Olson – Lakeshore Document Services
This husband and wife team opened Lakeshore Document Services in 1995. Since then, they have doubled their number of employees and increased revenue by 75%. They have expanded services to include document shredding, film conversion, and internet-based file management. They have also developed digital document software for the library and museum market that’s being used nationwide. The company currently has clients all over the state and is expanding into Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The finalists and winner are chosen by a committee comprised of past award winners. Cindy Larsen, Muskegon Chamber President said, “Choosing the winner is going to be a tough decision. These candidates are all phenomenal and deserving of the award.”

The award winner will be announced April 18, 2012 at the Annual Entrepreneur Award Luncheon. This event will feature keynote speaker, Jon Sorber, Executive Director and one of the original “two men” of Two Men And A Truck®/International, Inc. Along with the announcement of the Entrepreneur Award Winner will be the presentation of the third annual Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, awarded to a high school student with the passion to one day be a successful entrepreneur.

Seating is limited for this sell-out program. Make your reservations soon by calling the Muskegon Chamber at 231-722-3751 or registering online at www.muskegon.org.


ANNUAL ENTPRENREUER AWARD LUNCHEON AT A GLANCE:
What: Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce Annual Entrepreneur Award Luncheon
When: April 18, 2012 from 12 - 1:30 pm
Where: Watermark 920, 930 Washington in Downtown Muskegon
About: The announcement of the 2012 Entrepreneur Award Winner and 2012 Young Entrepreneur of the Year.  A keynote presentation will be given by Two Men And A Truck®/International, Inc. Executive Director Jon Sorber.

Annual Chamber survey shows worker training as top concern

Ask a typical business owner among the 1,100 members of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce what’s important and the answer this year will be worker training.

Muskegon Community College students participate in a basic math class. Most of the skills workers need for local jobs can be obtained through local colleges, worker training officials say.

One sign of the recovering economy is that business owners have jobs available but the troubling issue is that they are not finding enough qualified, skilled workers in the Muskegon area. That concern is reflected in a new chamber survey of issues facing the local business community in 2012.

Of the six top concerns, three of them were involved with workforce development, chamber officials said. The number one concern was the cost of health care but the second, fourth and six concerns involved worker training.

Click here to read the full story...