Grand Rapids Furniture Campus attracts i3 technology firm to city's West Side

For the past several years, employees of i3 Business Solutions have looked eastward across Forest Hill Avenue at Forest Hills Foods. As of July 1, they'll be gazing eastward at the Grand Rapids skyline from their new fourth floor location in the Grand Rapids Furniture Campus (560 5th St. SW).

"We'll be Tweeting traffic reports," says President Mike Ritsema with a laugh, remarking on his new bird's eye view of US-131 and I-196.

The decision to move from the suburbs to 3,000 square feet in a historic downtown manufacturing district came about because i3's Forest Hills office building will be demolished to make way for a new Walgreens store.

"My partner, Kathy Labozzetta, and I like the idea of an urban environment and we want to attract talent and young talent," Ritsema says. "We decided to locate in the central city, closer to our customer base in Western Michigan. I think if we develop the urban environment properly with a creative and open office space, (that) and its proximity to downtown will be contributors to growing the organization."

i3 provides network technology support, hardware and software for small and mid-sized businesses. The company brings 19 more employees to the West Side, many of whom work in its helpdesk support center. Ritsema says the company will add at least one more employee by year's end.

"In West Michigan, it feels like we're having an economic boom," Ritsema says. "Perhaps it's local, but this economy is doing well right now."

Source: Mike Ritsema, President, i3 Business Solutions; Daniel Leppink, CB Richard Ellis/Grand Rapids
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor