ADA - Alticor, the parent company of Amway, has named former General Electric executive, Michael Cazer, as the company's chief financial officer. Cazer, 45, has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Alticor. In his duties as CFO, he'll serve as a member of the company's senior executive staff, reporting directly to
DETROIT ? Southwest Airlines is offering free photos with Santa for Holiday travelers at 21 airports around the country, including Detroit Metro Airport. Southwest has partnered with Microsoft in its Windows photo experience. The photos will be available at Gate D20 in the North Terminal through December 24. People can also enter a sweepstakes for
SAN FRANCISCO - The number of malicious apps mobile security firm Lookout has identified in less than six months has doubled to 1,000, according to a report from Lookout. The vast majority of those dubious apps are found on third-party app stores and alternatives to the official Android Market, the company said in a report
GRAND RAPIDS - More than 20 percent of the 1,400 chief financial officers surveyed for the Robert Half Financial Hiring Index said they plan to add full-time accounting and finance employees in first quarter of 2012. Only 11 percent forecast staff decreases. The resulting net 9 percent increase is up four points from the fourth-quarter
LANSING - The Michigan House and Senate completed a deal on restoring home heating aid for the poor and sent that legislation (SB 364 and SB 864) to Governor Rick Snyder for signature. The House, despite some reticence among conservative Republicans, passed a new structure for the state's film incentive program (SB 569 ) with
LANSING - After eliminating the state's lucrative film subsidy and replacing it with $25 million in incentives, the Legislature approved a framework Thursday to dole out those funds, with an extra incentive to hire Michigan workers. Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe), the bill sponsor, has said the intent of SB 569 is to make
LANSING - Governor Rick Snyder signed into law one of the biggest-ever changes to state employee benefits with an overhaul he said would prune $5.6 billion from the state's $15 billion in long-term unfunded liabilities. In signing HB 4701 and HB 4702 , designed to shore up the state's pension and retiree health care benefits,
GRAND RAPIDS ? The good news for West Michigan is for the first time in years the Grand Rapids area will add more jobs, says George Erickcek, senior analyst at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in Kalamazoo, who projects overall job growth of 1.1 percent next year, though public-sector employment will continue to
LANSING - A package of bills outlining the proposed structure of a $100 million business development fund to replace the state's soon-to-expire tax credit system was signed into law Tuesday by Governor Rick Snyder. The Michigan Business Development and Michigan Community Revitalization Programs replace the state's previous Michigan Economic Growth Authority, Brownfield and Historic tax
LANSING - A bill making major changes to the state's worker's compensation system is headed to the governor after the House concurred Tuesday with changes the Senate made to the legislation last week. The state's main business groups supported HB 5002 , but unions have strongly opposed it. The House approved the bill 60-47, and