Michigan’s only gluten-free brewery is going out of business after four years in operation.  Jessica Stricklen, Brewery Nyx LLC In a social media post Friday, owner Jessica Stricklen cited an “unexpected and unfortunate turn of events” in announcing the closure of Brewery Nyx LLC, located at 506 Oakland Ave. SW in Grand Rapids. “We started this journey 4 years ago, with the vision to bring you the most amazing gluten-free beer ever produced. We believe we accomplished that goal,” according to the announcement. The post did not elaborate on the specific cause of the closure. Stricklen ackn ..read more

A bipartisan group of legislators in the Michigan House of Representatives announced a package of bills Friday that would establish an evergreen fund to support early-stage startups in Michigan. Reps. Jason Hoskins (D-Farmington), Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) and Greg VanWoerkom (R-Norton Shores) are sponsoring the three-bill package that would establish the $105 million Michigan Innovation Fund. The initiative is backed by more than 25 partners across the state of Michigan, including Michigan Central, Michigan Technological University, Detroit-based venture capital firm Renaissance Venture Capi ..read more

A Florida-based coffee roaster is moving into the Michigan market this summer under a franchise deal with Baton Collective, the family office for Cheri DeVos Ehmann.  The company plans to open Foxtail Coffee Co. franchise locations in Ada and Holland, where work is currently underway at the former Ferris Coffee location at 57 E. 8th St., which closed on March 23.  Sam Nichols, director of business operations at Baton Collective, said he believes the premium Florida coffee brand will “resonate really well with the community.”  Crews will renovate the Holland storefront over ..read more

Michigan cider makers say their ability to create products with the flavor profiles and carbonation levels that consumers want is hampered by antiquated federal tax laws that make the beverages uneconomical. John Behrens, Farmhaus Cider Simply adding fruit or additional carbonation to an alcoholic cider can increase the tax rate on the product by nearly 1,400%.  “The tax rate, as it is now, is really just wrong,” said John Behrens, founder and president of Blendon Township-based Farmhaus Cider Co. and board member for the Michigan Cider Association.  The recently introduced Bubble Ta ..read more

The Grand Rapids Ballet has announced a leadership transition in which Mary Jennings, a leader in rural arts and community engagement with a history in classical and contemporary dance, will take over the organization in mid June.  Current Executive Director Glenn Del Vecchio, who has been with Grand Rapids Ballet since 2009, is “ready for the next adventure in his journey” after 15 years of leadership, according to the organization. ”Having accomplished the goals he set for the Grand Rapids Ballet and knowing that the Grand Rapids Ballet was in a great place,” Del Vecchio announced to th ..read more

The founders of a new additive manufacturing startup in West Michigan are leveraging a partnership with multinational I.T. firm HP Inc. to innovate in the 3D printing space.  Brandon Teets and Tyler Marvin recently launched Accel Digital Solutions (ADS) at the beginning of 2024, basing their operations out of a facility at 2430 Turner Ave. in Walker.    ADS uses additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, to design and produce various types of complex parts and components for customers in the health care, aerospace, defense, automotive, sports, marine and consumer goods industr ..read more

Mackinac Island historic preservationists are celebrating an ordinance passed this week that they say will protect another segment of the island’s storied past, although some businesses anticipate it also may add extra red tape. The Mackinac Island City Council voted 3-2 on Wednesday to pass an ordinance designating an approximately five-block-by-two-block area east of downtown as the East End Mission Historic District, which is also known as the Mission District.  It joins other historic districts on the island, including Hubbard’s Annex formed in 2010 and the Market and Main Historic Di ..read more

CWD Real Estate Investment LLC plans to invest $31.7 million into renovations to turn the top seven floors of the Fifth Third Bank office building into residential units, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business has learned. The Grand Rapids-based commercial real estate development company filed plans with the city this week to expand the scope of the building’s brownfield plan at 111 Lyon St. NW in the central business district. The original plan was to rehabilitate the upper floors to attract a new anchor commercial or office tenant, but the company now is proposing to convert the space into 140 reside ..read more

Bing Goei is in the middle of succession planning for his businesses, which are mainstays in West Michigan, but he is hardly retiring.   Goei, 75, started stepping away from the day-to-day operations at Eastern Floral and the Goei Center over the past couple of years as his daughter, Rachael Goei Vander Heide, showed more interest in running them. Goei remains the CEO of both businesses, but his daughter is increasingly taking the lead and assembling her team. “My wife and I have always dreamt that as we continued to grow our family and entered into the business world that we could b ..read more

After nearly a year and more than $1 million in renovations, Railside Golf Club is opening a new restaurant, Alder & Iron, on April 30 in the former Railside Bar & Grill space. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant, located on the golf club grounds at 2500 76th St. SW in Byron Center, will offer elevated dining open to the public, with a focus on local and seasonal ingredients.  Alder & Iron replaces the former Railside Bar & Grill, which, according to General Manager Tammy Augustoni, “didn’t have a great reputation.”  When she joined the Railside team in August 2022, Augu ..read more