Hartford
Hartford, MI · Business
The Daily Spin
Bankrupt Wendy's franchisee confirms 30 restaurant closures
Wendy’s customers are about to have fewer places to grab a Baconator. Meritage Hospitality Group, one of the biggest Wendy’s franchisees in the U.S., has confirmed that it is closing restaurants as it works through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company operates
USA TODAY
Sorry, Buc-ee's, this convenience store is America's favorite
America's favorite convenience store might surprise you – and no, it's not Buc-ee's . Meijer, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-headquartered retailer, ranked No. 1 in the American Customer Satisfaction Index's annual convenience store rankings. Meijer operates more than 500 supercenters, grocery stores and neighborhood markets, including 244 Meijer Express locations, across Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The company also recently signaled plans to expand into western Pennsylvania . With a score of 82 out of 100 in ACSI's 2026 Convenience Store Study , Meijer improved from its 2025 score of 76 – the study’s largest improvement. For comparison, Buc-ee's earned a 77, down from last year's score of 79. Meijer's win shouldn't surprise many, said David Ham, vice president, communications and corporate strategy at the CFI Group, a founding partner of the ACSI. "While many consumers think of Meijer primarily as a grocer or superstore, Meijer Express locations compete directly in the convenience store space," Ham told USA TODAY. Qwik Trip, Sheetz and Wawa tied for second with scores of 80. Overall, customer satisfaction with convenience stores fell 1% to 75. Last year's top convenience store, Kwik Trip, dropped 6% to 79. ACSI surveyed 9,475 convenience store customers, which
thecollegiatelive.com
Downtown power outage has been restored, morning class canceled.
Today, Oct. 7, the power was out at both the main and DeVos Campuses at Grand Rapids Community College from approximately 7:30 to 9 a.m. This outage led to all morning classes before 11 a.m. being canceled. This power outage was due to a Consumers Energy outage affecting downtown Grand...
The Holland Sentinel
Plascore receives approval for new industrial building in Zeeland
ZEELAND — The Zeeland Planning Commission recently approved construction of a new industrial building from Plascore at 500 E. Roosevelt Ave. Plascore is a manufacturer of honeycomb cores for the aerospace, marine, mass transportation and construction industries. The honeycomb cores are manufactured in aluminum, aramid fiber, stainless steel and thermoplastic. The company's site plan for the new 83,500-square-foot building received approval Oct. 1, contingent on a stormwater management plan and final utility and fire access plans. The new structure will be located between two existing buildings, with a ground-floor loading area and offices. The project includes a parking lot expansion, landscaping and other site improvements, with construction expected to begin before winter or in the early spring of 2027. — Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com . Follow her on X @cassideykava. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Plascore receives approval for new industrial building in Zeeland
MLive
Gourmetory
Wendy’s customers could see more restaurant closures in the coming weeks as they work through bankruptcy
Meritage Hospitality Group, a major Wendy’s franchisee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 17 and said at least 30 more restaurants could close as it restructures. Five locations in Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia were already identified in court filings.
FOX 17 News West Michigan
Toys R Us makes comeback in Grand Rapids
ottawanewsnetwork.org
Zeeland, Coopersville businesses awarded state agricultural grants
OTTAWA COUNTY — Two Ottawa County food and agricultural businesses will scale up operations and add dozens of jobs following nearly $200,000 in state funding announced by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The state grants — $100,000 to Big Bear Honey LLC in Zeeland and $99,347...
MLive
Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch donates uniform, signed photos to Grand Rapids museum
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A new donation has touched down in the Grand Rapids Public Museum collections from the NASA Johnson Space Center. Grand Rapids native Christina Koch served as the mission specialist on NASA’s Artemis II lunar flyby mission on April 1. She was among the four astronauts who became the first crew to travel to the moon in more than 50 years.
westmichigannewspop.com
Manufacturing leader recognized with Lifetime of Service Award
West Michigan Works! honored Jay Dunwell, president, Wolverine Coil Spring with its Lifetime of Service Award for his contributions to regional workforce development during its year-end Industry Talent Council event. Six additional volunteers, representing each of West Michigan Works!’ Industry Talent Councils, were also recognized for their service. Across the councils, their work has inspired 61,780 students, engaged 588 businesses and trained 3,951 employees in 2026.
WOOD
Power restored to more than 1,000 in downtown Grand Rapids after outage
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — More than 1,000 customers across downtown Grand Rapids were without power for more than an hour Wednesday morning amid a sprawling outage Consumers Energy said was caused by a raccoon. An outage affecting around 1,150 Consumers Energy customers was reported around 7 a.m. Power...
13 ON YOUR SIDE
New homes under construction as Pierson Township grows
aftermarketmatters.com
GreatWater 360 Auto Care adds 20 shops in Q3
Additions include single-location shops, multi-shop groups and a new Houston market entry. “Our growth isn’t limited to one type of acquisition,” says CEO Jim Dykstra. Grand Rapids, Mich.—GreatWater 360 Auto Care has announced it added 20 automotive repair shops in the third quarter. The recent additions...
The Holland Sentinel
Automation company expects to create 40 jobs in expansion to Holland
Convergix Automation Solutions plans to expand to Holland with a new 60,000-square-foot facility that's expected to create more than 40 jobs. The company announced plans to open at 1362 Lincoln Ave. and said the added capacity will support about $40 million in revenue. Convergix provides automation, integration and advanced manufacturing solutions and operates locations across North America, Europe and Asia. The Holland site will be Convergix's fourth Michigan location, joining facilities in Bridgman, Shoreham and Auburn Hills, the latter of which is the company's headquarters. The company expects to bring the facility online in the coming months while building its local workforce. It's expected to support 40-plus jobs by early 2028. "We expect to occupy the facility by Nov. 1, with an initial investment of approximately $500,000 for renovations and updates, office furniture, and shop infrastructure and equipment, including power, air and lighting," said Katie Bartlett, internal communications for Convergix. The additional space is expected to support continued business growth while reinforcing the company's presence in Michigan. Sam Gooding, president of Convergix Industrial Solutions, called the expansion into Holland an "exciting step forward" for the company. "Demand for our solutions is growing, and this expansion gives us the capacity to
The Holland Sentinel
Holland Township tables residential chicken conversation, again
Holland Charter Township trustees again tabled a series of actions related to residential chicken ownership in the township during an Oct. 1 meeting. The discussion centered on three items: a second reading and consideration of zoning ordinance text amendments, the introduction and first reading of a residential chicken permit ordinance and consideration of a fee schedule regarding residential chickens. The zoning amendment was first discussed in March and returned this summer for a second reading, but was tabled until trustees could consider an ordinance on keeping residential chickens. During an Oct. 1 meeting, the items were tabled again after debate over whether backyard chickens should be allowed in some single-family neighborhoods. The zoning amendment would allow chickens at single-family dwellings in AG Agricultural, R-1 Low Density Residential and R-2 Moderate Density Residential districts. Chickens would remain prohibited in R-2A Medium Density Residential and R-3 High Density Residential districts. Under the proposal, properties zoned R-1 or R-2 would require a three-year permit. Chickens would need to be kept as a food source for eggs or meat, and outdoor slaughter would be prohibited. It would require chickens to be kept in a covered enclosure and remain within that enclosure or an adjoining
thecollegiatelive.com
Apple hiring event brings the world of tech to campus
If you have your eye on the world of technology, an upcoming event may pique your interest. On Monday, Oct. 5, Grand Rapids Community College’s Center for Career and Professional Readiness is working with the Apple Woodland Mall location to bring job opportunities to students. The event starts at 11 a.m. in ground-level two (G2) of the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall.