Along with dozens of comedy stars, WZZM-13 reports that LaughFest has signed the internationally renowned homeboys, The Verve Pipe, for musical entertainment on what the event has dubbed Super Saturday.According to excerpts from the story:The Verve Pipe, featuring local musician Brian VanderArk, will be playing at LaughFest this spring, according to festival organizers.The band will be playing during the March 19 Super Saturdays event at Ford Fieldhouse.Gilda's LaughFest runs from March 10 - March 20 at dozens of locations around Grand Rapids. Along with several regular comedy shows, there will be more than 100 free events during the ten-day event that benefits Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids.Read the complete story here.

Grand Rapids-based IT consulting firm, C/D/H, is growing, having added nine new hires in the past eight months. They are continuing to look for more talent. According to Sarah Woodruff, marketing manager, there is an increased demand from in the marketplace for their services as "businesses are more positive and budgets are opening up." Woodruff indicates it was difficult for awhile to find qualified and talented people, but the talent pool is deeper now. "Our staff needs to have technical expertise and business acumen," she says. "They need to be able to have a conversation about technology and business issues."   Woodruff indicates this "well-rounded" skill set is critical as their firm views IT as tool for innovation and "not just a cost center." For individuals looking to build a career around technology, Woodruff recommends that anyone coming out of school to secure an internship. She also recommends doing "a lot of reading," citing the need "to be able to communicate technology in business terms." For information on career opportunities at C/D/H, you can visit their site here. Source: Sarah Woodruff. C/D/H Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor

2011 is the 15th year anniversary of WizWheelz and the TerraTrike brand, but there won't be any party -- just more work, innovation and growth. Not content to pedal by serenely on the success of 2010, during which they shook up the industry by introducing Rover, a $795 radically designed trike, which ended up being the "Trike of the Year" on BentriderOnline.com, TerraTrike will rolling out 15 new products this year including 8 new trikes and 7 accessories. The Kentwood-based company is cruising on 30% growth over the last three years and has high expectations for the future. "We're busting at the seams," says Jeff Yonker, marketing director.   The success of their business has required a doubling in the size of their warehouse, and they are in the process of turning their shop into a destination retail location for trike enthusiasts from all over the country. Yonker points out the the trike industry is "part of the biking culture" that is also flourishing, but at the same time, trikes are a separate industry. "Our demographic is aging baby boomers who might be intimated by the 'Lance Armstrong' scene at many bike shops," Yonker says. With the expansion of their facility and the introduction of new products, TerraTrike is also hiring. You can view the online application here.    To learn more about WizWheelz and TerraTrike, visit their website here. Source: Jeff Yonker, WizWheelz Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs Editor

Construction to renovate three historic Grand Rapids buildings in the Heartside neighborhood into low-cost urban apartments begins on Feb. 14 with 17 Williams St. NE, the first of the three to undergo renovation. Midland-based developer Brookstone Capital, Inc., the company that dipped its toe into Grand Rapids' multi-million dollar redevelopment scene with projects like Metropolitan Park Apartments and 101 S. Division, plans to transform 209 and 217 S. Division Ave. into Division Park, with 30 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, including six live/work units on the ground level. Around the corner, Serrano Lofts (17 Williams) will offer 15 one- and two-bedroom units. "209 was originally built in 1911 as a hotel for furniture buyers who came into town during the furniture boom," says Aaron Jonker, project manager for Wolverine Building Group, the company handling construction. "It was billed as having indoor plumbing because it had two bathrooms for guests."Jonker expects the renovations, which are actually two separate projects, to receive LEED Silver certification. He expects LEED points will be given for green features including the reuse of buildings in a core city, proximity to transit, renovation of obsolete buildings (brownfield), and installation of high efficiency HVAC systems. Renovation of the buildings' exteriors includes replacing the windows with historically accurate and energy efficient types and cleaning and tuckpointing the brick facades. Norton Shores-based Concept Design Studio handled the architectural design.The expected project cost is $13 million, writes Brookstone's Development Coordinator Shawna Bergman in an email dated Feb. 7. She adds that public funding (approximately $12.4 million) will come from several sources: state and federal historic tax credits; MSHDA low-income housing tax credits; brownfield tax credits; City of Grand Rapids HOME Loan monies; and Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority grants. "I think these two projects have an opportunity to be a driver for development," Jonker says. "(The business district) has had some issues with keeping businesses in the area and the more people we can bring down there, the better."Source: Aaron Jonker and Danielle Wells, Wolverine Building Group; Shawna Bergman, Brookstone Capital, LLCWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News EditorRelated ArticlesMidland developer plans $13M apartment project for historic Grand Rapids buildings

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has awarded $200,000 in grant monies to fuel the continued development of two Grand Valley State University incubator programs for life sciences, high technology and alternative energy startups. The incubators, housed at the West Michigan Science and Technology Initiative (WMSTI) in Grand Rapids' SmartZone and the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) in Muskegon's SmartZone, each received $100,000 in separate grants. "MAREC has always had incubator capacity, but it's never been fully developed, never had staff allocated," says Director Arn Boezaart. "The grant will allow us to ramp up the visibility of the incubator and the incubator capacity, and have some money to help entrepreneurs." MAREC will combine the $100,000 grant with some $90,000 already on hand to fund enhancements that include furnishings, supplies, marketing and professional consultation services for incubator clients. The largest allocation ($44,000) will subsidize MAREC's first incubator manager, a two-year part-time position. Some $13,000 will also be allocated to a seed capital fund for energy and high-tech startups. Boezaart says 60 percent of MAREC's 6,000 square feet of office and dry lab space is available for high-tech and alternative and renewable energy startups. "Right now, MAREC is the lakeshore area's only publicly operated incubator facility," Boezaart says. "Given that we're so focused on economic development and entrepreneurial activity, it seems that we can make this facility as supportive as we can possibly be to new business development."WMSTI will invest its $100,000 grant to continue development of its mini-lab incubator option for life sciences and high-technology startups, and to increase its marketing research and communications capacities to reach biotech entrepreneurs who need immediate lab space, specifically those receiving SBIR/STTR grants. Background materials provided by GVSU state that the new funding will allow WMSTI to accommodate up to five more incubator members, who will have access to over 100 pieces of shared equipment and instrumentation.WMSTI's funding will also support professional consulting services, marketing, business development and licenses for specialized management and tracking software to assist incubator clients in the development and commercialization of their product.Source: Arn Boezaart, Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center; Bonnie Dawdy, West Michigan Science and Technology Initiative; Lambert Edwards & AssociatesWriter: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News EditorRelated ArticlesGrand Valley State University alternative energy center attracts another energy startup to MuskegonWest Michigan Science & Technology Initiative develops incubator labs for medical device startups