LANSING The state of Michigan would create a $150 million venture capital fund to target technology start ups and repay investors with tax credits if it loses money under a proposal presented to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee this week. The bills unveiled Wednesday SB 834, SB 835, SB 836 would create the Michigan
BUCHANAN Venture capitalists have purchased a majority stake in Furniturefind.Com and replaced founder and CEO Steve Antisdel, who has stepped down to become a consultant. Larry Garatoni, a principal in HQ Venture Capital of Austin, Texas, is now CEO, while Pam Durkin keeps her post as president and chief operating officer. Its a change in
GRAND RAPIDS Five candidates are vying for four seats on the West Michigan Infragard Advisory Board, a public-private group that seeks to increase awareness about eSecurity practices. The election is scheduled for Nov. 13 at Alticor headquarters in Ada, a suburb of Grand Rapids. John Wierenga, Superintendent of the City of Grand Rapids Water Dept.,
LANSING Michigan Public Service Commission called on Congress to provide the federal agency that regulates electricity distribution with the power to enforce mandatory reliability standards the lack there of, from the findings in an MPSC study released Wednesday, triggered the Aug. 14 black out that left six million Michigan residents in the dark. The MPSC
GRAND RAPIDS The Western Michigan Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth has created two awards to showcase the regions top business growth success stories. Next spring, ACG will present the Outstanding Growth Award and the Transaction of the Year Award to two companies based in the West Michigan area. The criteria for the Outstanding
ADA On Wednesday we told you Quixtar.Com cracked the $1 billion sales figure for the most recent fiscal year; today Quixtar announced its resellers, dubbed Independent Business Owners, put $343 million of that billion bucks in their pockets. Turns out as well when you factor in the $58.3 million in revenue for Quixtars online Partners
WASHINGTON DC The U.S. Senate voted 97-0 in favor of an anti-spam registry much like the do not call list for unwanted telephone sales solicitations. The legislation, passed Tuesday, must still be approved by the U.S. House, where some key legislators have reservations about the registry. Whats more the federal agency that would run the
LANSING Headlines from the Small Business Association of Michigan this week include a drive to create competitive electricity rates in Michigan, escalating health-care insurance costs, credit assistance for small businesses, efforts to increases renewable energy sources. SBAM Asks MPSC To Foster Competitive Electricity Market SBAM called on the Michigan Public Service Commission to move aggressively
MADISON HEIGHTS - Sika Automotive has appointed Frank Hoefflin as Director of Research and Development for its R & D Group. Hoefflin comes to Sika with seven years experience in technology management, most recently at Exatec (GE/Bayer JV), where he held the position of Global Technology Manager. His resume includes experience with impact-modified epoxies, polymer
LONDON Auto makers BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen, along with auto suppliers, Bosch, Continental and Siemens VDO, have formed an industry partnership to create an open stand for auto electrical systems to help usher in the era of plug and play electronic components, including telematics. The group calls itself AUTomotive Open System Architecture. Its goals