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Certified Business Park Development News

Diverse Economic Growth for the City of Plainwell
We had a continuation of the same success we saw in 2007 during which three new businesses relocated to our Certified Industrial Park. For instance, in 2007, Circuit Board Services (929 Industrial Parkway), Ultimate Installations (921 Wakefield), and Poly Processors (401 N. Acorn) established themselves as successful additions to Plainwell's diverse economic base. 2008 saw the same success with three additional business relocations. For example, FBN Sales quickly saw an opporunity to relocate from Kalamazoo Township to the City of Plainwell when 928 Industrial Parkway, formerly Concept Manufacturing, became available. Definitely filling the void with Concept Manufacturing's absence, FBN Sales, a bottle component manufacturer that works with commercial beverage companies to provide their equipment and supplies, employs 12 people. Laughlin Mold and Machine, 418 N. Acorn, largely caters to the small proto-type injection mold industry with experience in larger production molds, blow molds, stamping die manufacturing and repair. Along with the expansion of the mold industry, Laughlin Mold and Machine has also begun manufacturing jigs, gauges, and end of arm tooling. JS Automation, Inc., 501 N. Acorn, also a relocated business from the surrounding area, employs approximately 12 people and caters to local OEM and manufacturing facilities in Kalamazoo and surrounding areas. Specifically, JS Automation, Inc. provides customers with Machine Panel Design & Engineering, Panel Assembly, Auto Cad Drawing, PLC programming, Touch Screen programming, Servo Motor programming, machine electrical troubleshooting and repair, field wiring, and machine start-ups as required. It is companies like these that the City of Plainwell is proud to welcome to our Certified Business Park and the community. Plainwell Industrial Park Webpage.

Technology Renaissance in Action
As Michigan searches for a new economic direction, Midland continues to be a bright spot in the state - and the nation - with explosive business growth in the chemical and technology industries. One look at Eastwick Industrial Park, located just north of Dow Corning Corporation's Midland Plant and The Dow Chemical Company's Michigan Operations site, serves as a microcosm of the technology renaissance occurring throughout the entire area.
A week ago, Lot 10 in Eastwick Industrial Park was lightly forested vacant land. Last Friday, however, Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar closed on the purchase of the lot to build a new facility there. Evergreen's Midland plant will prepare their proprietary "string ribbon," a crucial component of their cutting-edge solar panel manufacturing process. With the expertise of The Dow Chemical Company and Dow Corning Corporation here, not to mention the proximity of Hemlock Semiconductor, Evergreen Solar is taking full advantage of Midland's location, technology infrastructure and in-depth expertise in chemical processing and technology development business.
Chemical and technology companies require suppliers with broad industry experiences of their own. New-Tech™, founded and based in Midland since 1993, supplies custom chemistry laboratory equipment to meet the ever-expanding needs of chemical industry customers. Earlier this year - as they were in the midst of winning statewide recognition as one of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch in 2008 - New-Tech was building and relocating to a new 5,800-square-foot facility at the entrance of Eastwick Industrial Park to accommodate rapidly growing demand for their products. This strong and continuing industry demand resulted in building an integrated manufacturing facility expandable up to twice its size to accommodate future business.
Industrial businesses also rely on a reliable warehousing and distribution base. Central Warehouse, Inc., has been a tenant in Eastwick Industrial Park for the last seven years. A 50,000-square-foot expansion last year quickly proved inadequate to handle additional new contracts from Midland's economic base businesses, so the company purchased two additional lots on the north side of the park to construct another 50,000-square-foot facility that will be operational by December, 2008.
From suppliers to warehousing to the high-tech businesses themselves, Midland has a fully integrated chemical and technology industry infrastructure. Multiple expansions in Eastwick Industrial Park are only one aspect of business confidence in the community. Midland also boasts multiple new projects at Dow Chemical, Dow Corning, Hemlock Semiconductor, Mid-Michigan Health, Consumer's Energy, Mid-Michigan Energy 12 winners of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch competition over the past three years and an amazing high-tech product development pace. The Midland area is truly becoming the integral hub for Michigan's technology renaissance. Click to visit the Eastwick Industrial Park.

New Business in Plainwell Industrial Park
There is a new business in Plainwell's Industrial Park, Rope Lok LLC., which is 95% occupied. We only have about 19,000 SF available in the park as a whole, comprised of only two buildings. This business, Rope Lok, credits our small business revolving loan, availability of tax abatements, and the city's ability to help with business marketing through our website, press releases, and opportunities through MEDA, such as this newsletter to influence their decision to locate to 300 N. Acorn in Plainwell's Industrial Park.

The NO KNOT ROPE LOK is one of the most versatile and easiest tie downs you will ever own. It is so simple to use, loop the rope around your load bring the loose end to the NO KNOT ROPE LOK, insert the tail end into the lock and pull the rope tight, squeeze the lever down, your load is secured. To release, just lift the lever and the rope slides out freely and easily.

The idea for the Rope Lok came about when I had horses; I needed a way to secure the rope around the horse's necks. The need for a no knot rope-locking device that was easy to use, and would not was the main reason for the lock. It had to be easy enough for kids to use as well as be strong. Then it became apparent to me that this could be used for more than just a lead for horses, this could be used to secure anything a where rope is used. (Doug Hassing)

Our company consists of three people, my sister Becky, my brother Doug and I, we have been working to get this going since August of 2007. We have gone from Doug's drawing to product in about seven months. The first prototype was aluminum, after looking at cost and production time we decided to take it to an Injected molding company; from there it was refined and is the product that we have today. The No Knot Rope Lok is 100% Made in the USA, assembled right here in Michigan. We have a Global Patent Pending on our product and our logo is a registered trademark. In the few months following our first production run, we started selling the No Knot Rope Lok in about 13 different stores in the Kalamazoo area, with Doug going door to door selling it.

May 2008 there was a article in the local paper about our new business and how Rope Lok came about, the article talked about how Doug came up with the idea and how the three of us started the business. After the article came out, stores that were interested in selling the Rope Lok contacted us; a buyer from Meijer has contacted us about carrying Rope Lok in their stores. Gary Gerds from the Grabber Performance Group in Grand Rapids also contacted us; they wanted to be our distributor.

In June 2008, we rented a booth at the INPEX Inventors show in Pittsburgh, PA. The INPEX show is the largest of its kind for show casing new products, gadgets, tools and just about anything that is invented. We entered the No Knot Rope Lok in two categories the first was in the Recreational category and the other was in the Hardware & Tools category. After the four-day show, they had a banquet and handed out the awards. By the end of the night, we had won a Gold Medal in Recreation and Silver Medal in Hardware & Tools. The show was a success, there were distributors, manufacturers and retailers who all thought that this was a great idea.

After a successful show out in Pittsburgh and knowing we had a great product that consumers would purchase, on July 14, 2008 we met with the management of Grabber and decided to sign an exclusive distribution with them. They have distribution all over the US and the world, and that is what we needed to help our company grow.

After meeting with the team from GRABBER, and feeling comfortable with everyone we spoke with, we felt they were the right company for the distribution of our Rope Lok. Teaming up with GRABBER has afforded us to expand our product into areas that on our own would have taken us 5 years or more. GRABBER has the infrastructure and market share that will help Rope Lok grow, and be competitive in the market place for years to come. (Jay Hassing)

We have been with Grabber for eight months now and things are looking great, we have been able to get our Rope Lok into around 70 stores in 25 states along with Australia and New Zealand. Starting in March all of the Meijer's stores are now handling the No Knot Rope Lok in the automotive dept. This year should be a good year for us, we have been to a number of trade shows with Grabber and the response has been great. We have had a number of articles written about Rope Lok in different magazines, and trade show papers.

After a few orders came in, we started looking for a larger building. We wanted to stay in the Otsego or Plainwell area, but found nothing in Otsego. After Emilie from the city of Plainwell contacted us with a list of buildings, we found what we needed in the Industrial Park. We moved to our new location on March 24th 2009. We have office, warehouse area, and are ready to continue our growth here in Plainwell.

Rope Lok LLC. 300 N Acorn Plainwell, MI 49080 Ph 1.877.685.9133 / Fax 1.269.685.9733 / www.ropelok.com / http://ropelok.blogspot.com/

U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Grant in the City of Williamston
In March 2009, the US Department of Commerce awarded the City of Williamston a $400,000 grant to support and expand economic development and create much need jobs. Funds from the grant will enable the City to construct a connector road and expand public water, sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure in the Williamston I-96 Industrial Park, which initially will facilitate the development of Tri-State Hospital Supply Corporation's new headquarters and R&D facility. The improvements resulting from the grant will boost the City's efforts to attract private investment that support and compliment our existing businesses, while at the same time helping the City to attract other industries, such as renewable energy and film, to locate to the Williamston I-96 Industrial Park.

The grant application process was a multi year, multi-agency endeavor spearhead by Lisa Hitchcock, former Williamston City Manager with assistance from Tri-County Regional Planning and US Economic Development Administration (EDA) officials. Construction is anticipated to begin this summer. Click to visit the Wiliamston I-96 Industrial Park (Phase 1).

Cartridges Are Us Announces Major Expansion in Ithaca
Ithaca-based Cartridges Are Us announced its decision today to expand its existing manufacturing operations in the South Ithaca Industrial Park / Renaissance Sub Zone in Ithaca, Gratiot County, Michigan through the purchase and rehabilitation of a nearby existing building, as well as the addition of new equipment and shifts at both facilities. Cartridges Are Us, a division of Illinois-based Clover Technologies Group, is a global remanufacturer of inkjet cartridges and has been in Ithaca since 2003. The company expects to create 75 direct jobs next year, and up to 186 within 5 years through its $1.6 million expansion project. Click Here to read the rest of the article.
South Ithaca Industrial Park

Monosem Inc. to Locate in Ithaca Industrial Park
Kansas-based Monosem Inc. announced its decision today to invest in a new manufacturing facility in the Ithaca Industrial Park in Ithaca, Gratiot County, Michigan. Monosem is a global manufacturer/distributor of precision planters for the agricultural sector. The company expects to create 2 to 5 direct jobs this year, and up to 25 within 5 years. Click Here to read the rest of the article.
Ithaca Industrial Park

Tax Abatements Create Expansion and New Jobs
At a recent City Commission meeting, the City of Plainwell approved an "Industrial Facilities Tax Exemption Certificate" from TMD Machining, located at 751 Wakefield. TMD Machining needed additional space and equipment to allow for their continued growth in both the aerospace and medical fields. If the State of Michigan also approves TMD's application, this abatement would reduce the company's taxes on their $814,153 total investment in real and personal property. For instance, taxes on a 3,744 square foot addition will be reduced by 50% for twelve years, and personal taxes on equipment purchases in the amount of $622,707 will be reduced by 50% for six years.

TMD Machining employs 37 people and was established in 1995 to help meet the increasing need for on-time, quality, precision machined parts. As a result of their tax abatement, three existing jobs will be retained and four new jobs will be created.
Plainwell Industrial Park

Water Storage Tank Under Construction in Lawrence
We are pleased to announce the Lawrence -Crandall Business Centre has began construction of a new 200,000 gallon elevated water storage tank to service the Centre.This tank will meet fire protection requirements throughout the park as well as daily water flow needs of future occupants.

The project is scheduled for completion in July of 2008.
Lawrence -Crandall Business Centre