Author: KMF Infotech

Back

Blog

SURGE Holiday Gift Guide

Shop local by purchasing a gift from one of our West Michigan-based startups. Lakeshore Advantage has supported the growth of these companies through our SURGE program.  

 

Salted Perfection

Founder: Terri Wolters

Our unique flavored salts bring delight to your table through a special process that infuses them with a variety of flavors, producing a flavor-forward experience that complements nearly any dish.

 

Buy Now

 

 

 

 

Revolin Sports

Founders: Sophie Vandenbosch & Hugh Davis

Revolin Sports designs and sells high-performance pickleball gear that is more sustainable than any pre-existing options in the market. Revolin produces a high-quality, USA Pickleball Association approved, pickleball paddle known as the Equinox. The patent-pending Equinox is designed, manufactured, and assembled right in West Michigan. It features their proprietary BioFLX™ Composite Face, the first and only natural fiber-reinforced face used in Pickleball that offers a better feel, balance, and power than any other paddle.  Check out Revolin Sports showroom at 355 Douglas Ave, Holland!

 

Buy Now

 

 

Flamingo Society Stationary

Founder: Temple Smith

Hit the ground running in 2023 with one of Temple’s lovely, culturally reflective line of planners and stationery for women. 

 

“I wanted planners that featured the voices of Black women. We are brilliant, trendsetters, pioneers, brave, beautiful, witty, vibrant. I wanted planners that showcased that. At Flamingo Society our planners quote Black women.” –Temple Smith

 

Buy Now

 

 

Swaddelini

Founder: Liz Hilton

Hugs over Tugs! It’s 2am. Your baby has escaped the burrito… again! Your baby wakes up crying every 20 minutes from the moro-reflex. What do you do with that little Houdini? The answer? Swaddelini! Why use your brute force to wrap a baby tightly? Sure they love the compression but they also like to move and wiggle! Swaddelini has hacked it! Give your baby that hug feeling all night without restricting their movement. They can kick but they can’t kick out of it!

 

Buy Now

 

 

Pit Stick
Founder: Andria Sadowski

As an active working Mom, I was constantly on the hunt for a natural deodorant that actually worked. I struggled to find something that didn’t give me a rash, didn’t smell like lavender – or worse – the latest “cupcake” scent. Nothing was lasting a full day without leaving my armpits feeling wet or sticky. In 2014 I started formulating my own deodorant – it was incredibly effective even on the toughest days of meetings; so I started making some for co-workers, then friends, and now for you.

 

Buy Now

 

 

Audwell

Founder: Lauren Maat

audwell; /ōh – dwell/ ; noun; Design to bring harmony to your home and family

 

As a mother of two, Lauren was constantly on a quest to find children’s products that fit seamlessly into her home but found herself coming up empty handed.  She decided to make them herself. Lauren founded Audwell to bridge the gap between form and function in the children’s furniture category with sustainable, quality pieces that last from one child to the next. 

 

Buy Now

 

 

 

Cue

Founder: Abby Britt

As a Physical Therapist, Abby knows how important core strength is to atheltic performance and overall physical wellness.  That is why she designed CUE Apparel. CueLines remind you to engage integral core muscles, like a personal muscle memory academy, for improved strength, posture, body awareness, and relief from the hindrance of back pain.

 

Buy Now

Back

News

DeWys Metal Solutions Expansion in West Michigan Creates 80 Jobs

Originally published by Michigan Economic Development Corporation 

 

OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. (November 3, 2023)—DeWys Metal Solutions, founded in 1977 in Grand Rapids, provides full-service custom metal fabrication, laser cutting, powder coating, product assembly, and engineering and design services to many industries across the U.S. The company is headquartered in Marne and has approximately 280 employees in Marne and Grand Haven.

 

 

DeWys is experiencing significant growth and plans to construct a new facility at its existing site in Marne. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $3.4 million and create 80 manufacturing, engineering, and administrative jobs, supported by a $560,000 Jobs Ready Michigan Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen for the project over a competing site in Indiana.

 

“DeWys has seen significant growth over the past 45 years,” said Mark Schoenborn, president of DeWys Metal Solutions. “As the company continues to grow and expand, we are being strategic and intentional with the solutions offered to keep meeting our customers’ increasing needs. Rebranding in 2021 as DeWys Metal Solutions not only strengthened the brand identity, but it also aligned the division of companies to create a structure for expansion and additional acquisitions in the future. Staying committed to the success of all stakeholders is the DeWys way. This means caring about each other’s personal, professional, and financial goals. This grant will provide us the tools necessary to do just that.”

 

Lakeshore Advantage assisted the company in navigating local resources for its expansion.

 

“DeWys is committed to the local community and to the manufacturing industry, and it shows,” said Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage. “They are highly engaged in many community initiatives including Discover Manufacturing which opens the door to meaningful career exploration for local students. This is a company that shows up, gives back and has a deep commitment to developing and growing their team.”

 

The project will bring immediate, good-paying jobs with a large and expanding manufacturing company and could lead to future investment in Michigan. Wright Township will support the project in the form of a 12-year tax abatement, contingent on township board approval. Individuals interested in careers with DeWys should visit https://www.dewys.com/careers/.

 

“We welcome DeWys Metal Solution’s expansion and the opportunities it brings to our community,” said Wright Township Supervisor Rick Schoenborn. “DeWys has always been a great neighbor as well as an innovative resource for talented career development for many of our residents. This business approach aligns extremely well with Wright Township and its community.”

Back

News

Lakeshore Advantage Supports Three Expansion Projects

 40 new jobs and over $7 million investment in West Michigan’s lakeshore region

 

ZEELAND, Mich. (October 30, 2023)—Lakeshore Advantage announces three small business manufacturers are investing in West Michigan’s lakeshore region, creating 40 new jobs and retaining more than 130. These projects represent growth in the region’s furniture, healthcare, and metal manufacturing clusters.

 

“We are thrilled to see continued growth and investment from manufacturers in this region,” said Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage. “These expansion projects underscore the strength of the furniture, healthcare, and metal manufacturing clusters in Allegan and Ottawa counties. The new facilities and jobs created will provide exciting career opportunities for residents and will contribute to our manufacturing ecosystem.”

 

Furniture manufacturer Zordan Industries, medical product manufacturer InnerSpace Healthcare and machine shop Proto-Tec plan to grow in Holland Charter Township, Wright Township and the City of Zeeland.

 

“The growth of our region’s existing manufacturers highlights the opportunities for innovation and scaling production in West Michigan”, said Amanda Murray, vice president of business solutions for Lakeshore Advantage. “Our team worked closely with each of these companies to understand their needs and connect them to resources to support their expansions. We look forward to continuing to assist local manufacturers as they create new jobs and invest in their operations and facilities in the lakeshore region.”

 

Zordan Industries, headquartered in Italy, designs and builds retail spaces for luxury retail brands. The company established its North American presence in Zeeland in 2017 for optimal production and service delivery to its North American client-base. Zordan operates its two sites as a B Corp with a focus on environmental sustainability and currently has 20 employees in West Michigan.

 

 

 

Zordan’s operations in the North American market required a larger capacity production facility not available at the company’s previous site. The company moved to a new location in Holland Charter Township where it began renovation on a 35,250 square-foot facility with added production equipment. The project will bring production jobs as well as skilled carpentry jobs within a company with longstanding clients in the luxury fashion brand industry.

 

The company plans to invest $1.6 million in the project which will create 21 new jobs over the next three years. West Michigan’s lakeshore region was selected for the expansion due to the company’s established relationships in the furniture manufacturing cluster in the region. Holland Charter Township provided a 12-year tax abatement to support this project.

 

InnerSpace Healthcare manufactures mobile and stationary medical storage products such as carts, cabinets, open storage, and embedded technology and accessories for medical supply storage. The company is headquartered in Wright Township and currently employs 125 people in the region.

 

InnerSpace is expected to invest more than $4.5 million and create 17 new jobs as it expands its existing facility in Wright Township. The 26,000-square-foot expansion will be used to add a stainless-steel processing line, an assembly line, and more warehousing capacity.  Wright Township approved a 12-year tax abatement to support the InnerSpace expansion project.

 

 

 

Proto-Tec, Inc. is a computer numerical control (CNC) machine shop serving a wide range of industries including automation tooling, furniture manufacturing, metal stamping and more. The family-owned, Zeeland-based company currently has six employees. Proto-Tec will invest $1 million in the renovation of its existing facility to allow for the installation of the area’s largest CNC bridge mill. The expansion will create two new jobs and add 3,500 square feet to the facility. The City of Zeeland approved a 12-year tax abatement in support of Proto-Tec, Inc.’s expansion.

 

 

 

Lakeshore Advantage assisted all three companies in navigating their growth plans and providing state and local resources to support their expansion projects.

 

Back

Investor Spotlight

Investor Spotlight

Kent Ensing

Kent Ensing is the President of Global Concepts Enterprise in Holland since 2021. Prior to that he spent 20 years with Herman Miller and left as the Vice President of Global Supply Management. He provides leadership in the development and implementation of long-term strategies that provide Global Concepts with the best possible manufacturing and global value streams to meet customers’ needs while mitigating risk. He previously worked in the field of aerospace with Howmet Corporation and in the contract furniture arena with Nucraft Furniture. His roles included product engineering, engineering management, materials management, logistic leadership, and supply chain management.
Kent has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from Western Michigan University.
Kent is a former board member of a community agency responsible for business development and a multi-national board focused on sustainable business practices. He is active in his community through volunteer activities with various groups and boards focused on improving the life of social and economically – disadvantaged individuals. 

 

What led you down your professional path?  

 

I have always had a keen interest in understanding how things work and are put together.  I chose a career in engineering and focused on product development early in my career.  I was always looking for better ways to solve problems, either with simplification or innovation.   

 

 

What were some key turning points for you in your career? 

 

During one of my earlier jobs, I was given the opportunity to lead a large capital improvement project. Most of the project was familiar to me with plant design, process flow, and equipment layout. However, the new part was the equipment procurement which included specification design, negotiation and contract management. I completely enjoyed that aspect of the project which pivoted my career to supply chain management. Shortly thereafter, I was offered a New Product Development Supply Management role at Herman Miller. It was the perfect opportunity for me to blend my technical and business skills in a role focused on new products.  I spent 20 years with Herman Miller and left as their VP of Global Supply Management. I joined Global Concepts almost 3 years ago. 

 

 

Why is it a priority for Global Concepts to invest in our regional economy?   

 

I have lived in West Michigan my whole life. It is a great place to live and raise a family. I have done business extensively around the US and the world and I strongly believe that West Michigan is a great place for businesses. One of the most appealing aspects of the area is the diversity of industries, processes, and talent. The biggest concern will be the demand for talent over the next couple of years and having enough appropriate cost housing for the influx of people to fill all of the projected openings. 

 

What projects or initiatives have you most excited right now? 

 

With the supply chain crisis the last couple of years, we have seen an increased priority by our customers to de-risk their supply chains and look at either multi-streams of supply or a strategy to have their products produced regionally. Global Concepts has nine manufacturing and distribution locations around the world with three of them in West Michigan which allow us to support our customer’s global sourcing strategies. 

 

We are also excited about diversifying our customer and industry concentration.  We were founded by individuals from the furniture industry.  While our fastest growing segment is medical components, we are still very focused on furniture.  We also partner with customers in the construction and automotive industries. 

 

 

Talk to us about workplace culture. What are some values that you and your team live by?  

 

Global Concepts thrives because of our great group of team members.  We are certified minority owned which helps drive diversity and inclusion in our strategies from all team members.  We focus on the “whole” team member and not just the part that we see at work every day.  We try to develop team members and promote from within whenever possible.  This approach has led to many long tenured team members. 

 

 

What is a book that you’ve read or an influencer that you’ve listened to recently that has made you a better leader?  

  

I listen to the podcast “How I Built This” with Guy Raz when I exercise.  Hearing the stories from company founders allows me to have a better understanding of the multiple paths and the various struggles that they needed to overcome on their way to success.  In most of the stories the theme of perseverance and agility is resounding. 

 

  

 

Skip to content