A sustainability initiative from Grand Valley State University is taking applications until Friday for speakers for an upcoming event in October in Allendale that is a self-organized conference patterned after the TED conferences in California.

Deborah Johnson WoodByrne Electrical Specialists, Inc. enters the energy efficiency market in a big way with its recent acquisition of XUS Corporation, an innovator in municipal LED lighting solutions. Byrne has moved all manufacturing from XUS' Holland facility to Rockford and will create some 10 new jobs ranging from production team leaders to thermodynamics and optical assemblies engineers. Byrne Electrical Specialists provides power and data technology primarily to the furniture industry. Furniture makers embed the technology in desk tops, conference tables and other furniture items for the office market, says Mike Lomonaco, communications manager. The company's 200 employees operate two manufacturing facilities in Rockford. The company also has operations in Mexico and China, and owns Byrne Tool & Die, also in Rockford. "Our initial focus is tooling and manufacturing of municipal luminaires for roadways," says Rusty McBride, director of business development. "The city of Grand Rapids and city of Traverse City are already onboard with prototypes of XUS Roadway installed by XUS in both cities. What makes the product so unique is that it has passive and active cooling systems." McBride says the key to the success of LED, or solid state, lighting is the ability to keep the product from overheating; the cooler it operates, the longer it lasts. McBride says one XUS Roadway LED operates at 155 watts and lasts a minimum of 50,000 hours, whereas normal street lights operate at 250 watts and last about 30,000 hours. Byrne Electronics has prototyped and tested another four LED products and is nearly ready to begin production, McBride says. Those products are aimed at the parking garage, industrial low bay, farming and flood lighting markets. "This is the direction lighting is going," Lomonaco says. "We're looking to partner with municipalities and some of the universities to light downtowns and outdoor walkways. We're not just looking in North America for opportunities, we're looking globally."Source: Michael Lomonaco and Rusty McBride, Byrne Electrical Specialists, Inc.Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

Grand Rapids will boast a new home for individuals with developmental disabilities this August, thanks primarily to the efforts of a Marne woman who saw a need in the community for special homes to house adults with special needs.

Deborah Johnson WoodThe rollers and berms on the pump track are in place, ready for the inaugural ride of Mayor George Heartwell during the Grand Rapids Bike Park grand opening Saturday, May 15. The mayor will lead his annual family-fun Mayor's Bike Ride after a morning of park cleanup by Friends of Grand Rapids Parks volunteers. The pump track, designed with mogul-like rollers, keeps a rider's momentum going without pedaling. But more than that, the track teaches balance and turning skills mountain bikers need to know, says Nate Phelps, president of the Michigan Mountain Biking Association. Phelps approached the city of Grand Rapids four years ago with the idea to create the urban bike park. The park, 580 Kirtland SW, is the only urban mountain bike park in the Midwest, Phelps says. Its design focuses on tracks and trails that help beginning mountain bikers learn basic skills and challenge experienced riders who want to build up speed and agility.Two additional tracks, The Bob Loop named after bike park volunteer Bob Zeilman and a beginner loop, are under construction but will have sections done for the grand opening for visitors to experience. "The Bob Loop is in the Plaster Creek riparian corridor, so we're making use of the unique terrain next to the creek," says Phelps. "The Bob Loop undulates with small climbs, but it's mostly about flow with big wide turns and a great line of sight with nothing hidden." Future plans include adding challenges like a mock log pile and stair steps, re"cycling" the concrete from the park's former baseball dugouts into raised tracks, and more riding loops. The grand opening celebration begins at 9 a.m. with a two-hour park cleanup open to anyone who wants to help (bring gloves), followed by a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., the Mayor's Bike Ride and a ride down the Plaster Creek Trail. Source: Nate Phelps, Grand Rapids Bike Park and Michigan Mountain Biking Association Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]. Development News tips can be sent to [email protected].

As reported by MiBiz.com, a recent report on the state of transportation in Michigan identified nine projects in Kent and Allegan counties as key to the economic turnaround of the region. The I-196 improvement project ranked sixth most important statewide.According to excerpts from the story:Nine transportation projects in Kent and Allegan counties are vital for Michigan's economic turnaround, a report released today says. Chief among them is the reconstruction and widening of a stretch of I-196 in the Grand Rapids area, according to the report, "Top 50 Surface Transportation Projects to Stimulate Michigan's Economic Recovery." The I-196 improvement was the sixth-highest priority project on the list. The report was issued by TRIP, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that promotes transportation policies to improve safety, protect the environment and enhance economic productivity. It said moving forward on the 50 transportation projects around the state could propel Michigan's economic turnaround. The projects carry a combined price tag of nearly $12 billion.Read the complete story here.