March 29, 2023 BATTLE CREEK, MICH. – Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), the economic development organization for the City of Battle Creek, welcomes Kris Martin as its new Urban Planner. Kris will manage BCU’s participation in Battle Creek’s efforts to naturalize the Kalamazoo River and help coordinate community development and placemaking projects throughout Battle Creek. Kris grew up in Buchanan, Michigan and attended Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and political science. Prior to college, Kris spent a year as an AmeriCorps intern with the Hawaii Department of Forestry and Wildlife. Since 2011, Kris has ...
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March 14, 2023 Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) will host its annual Economic Update on Thursday, April 27 at Kellogg Arena.  Doors will open at 7:30 AM, with the program scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM. Breakfast will be provided by FireKeepers Casino Hotel. This will be BCU’s first in-person update since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and there is a lot to talk about. BCU President & CEO Joe Sobieralski will report on the results of BCU’s 5-year strategic plan as well as Battle Creek’s overall economic health. Quentin Messer, Jr., President of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), ...
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BCU is pleased to share its Winter 2023 Quarterly Newsletter  This edition includes:     BCU Congratulates Ford for Choosing Calhoun County Site;     BCU President Receives 40 Under 40 Award;     BCU Acquires TreeHouse Site;     BCU Adds New Staff;     BCU Announces Changes to its Board of Directors;  ....plus other news and information. The newsletter is available to view as a PDF here. Our goal is to provide useful information to people who live and/or work in Battle Creek. We welcome your feedback and story ideas. Email your comments to BCUNewsletter@bcunlimited.org. You can also ...
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February 24, 2023 BATTLE CREEK, MICH. – Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) is excited to announce the addition of Gabriela Perez-Hernandez to its team as the Director of the Food Reimagined program. Food Reimagined is a new community-led initiative to foster emerging food & beverage companies in Battle Creek. As Director of Food Reimagined, Gabriela will create a multi-year strategy to launch and scale the program. She will lead in the marketing of the initiative and recruitment of companies to Battle Creek and provide technical support to companies as they scale their business. The program is being funded in part by ...
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February, 17, 2023 BATTLE CREEK, MICH. – Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) is pleased to announce several changes to its Board of Directors. In December, we bid farewell to Toshiya Kawashima of DENSO who returned to Japan. Mr. Kawashima will be stationed in Japan’s Tohoku region, where he will manage DENSO’s Fukushima facility. Joining the board will be Mike Way, Bronson Health; Neal Graziano, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; and Frank Tecumseh, FireKeepers Casino Hotel. With these additions, BCU once again has a full board of 15 members. Mike Way is the Senior Vice President for Supply Chain, Facilities & Real Estate at ...
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February 13, 2023 BATTLE CREEK, MICH. – Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) applauds the Ford Motor Co.’s decision to build its next battery manufacturing facility on the Marshall Mega Site, located in Calhoun County, Michigan. Ford and its partner Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) are expected to invest approximately $3.5 billion in the new facility, which will manufacture lithium iron phosphate batteries for electric vehicles. Ford anticipates the facility will create 2,500 new jobs. BCU commends the Michigan Economic Development Corp (MEDC), the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance (MEDA), Choose Marshall, the City of Marshall, Marshall Township, Calhoun County, the ...
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February 8, 2023 BATTLE CREEK, MICH. – Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) is pleased to welcome Heather Ignash to its team. Heather will serve as an Economic Development Specialist and will further BCU’s efforts in business retention, expansion, and workforce development. Heather brings a wealth of experience in Workforce Development and Human Resources to BCU. Most recently, Heather served as the Business Services Coordinator for Michigan Works! Southwest, based at the W.E. Upjohn Institute. While at Michigan Works, Heather worked with employers on issues related to staffing and training, and was responsible for administering training grant programs from roll-out through completion ...
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January 31, 2023 BATTLE CREEK, MICH – Joe Sobieralski, President & CEO of Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), has been announced as a recipient of the 2023 Economic Development 40 Under 40 Award, the biennial award recognizing rising stars under 40 years old in the economic development industry. The awards program is hosted by Development Counsellors International (DCI), a New York-based integrated marketing firm that works with economic development and travel organizations around the globe, and Jorgenson Consulting, a leading national executive search firm serving organizations in non-profit, economic, and community development industries. An independent selection committee of six economic development ...
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BATTLE CREEK, MICH. – In Fall 2022, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) recognized Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) with two awards for excellence for the McCamly Hotel renovation project. The IEDC recognizes outstanding and innovative development projects that significantly enhance revitalizations of communities, states, or regions. At the IEDC Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, BCU received the Gold award for Innovative Project Financing as well as the Silver award for Public-Private Partnerships. Applicants were selected by a diverse panel of economic and community developers from around the world. In 2022, the IEDC received over 500 submissions from four countries. "These ...
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BCU is pleased to share its Fall 2022 Quarterly Newsletter  This edition includes:     IEDC Honors BCU with Gold and Silver Medals;     Duncan Aviation Breaks Ground;     Going PRO Talent Fund Accepting Applications;     BCU Participates in CEO Action Summit;     Farewell Adam Reid; ....plus other news and information. The newsletter is available to view as a PDF here. Our goal is to provide useful information to people who live and/or work in Battle Creek. We welcome your feedback and story ideas. Email your comments to BCUNewsletter@bcunlimited.org. You can also follow BCU on Twitter, ...
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BCU is pleased to share its Summer 2022 Quarterly Newsletter  This edition includes:     John Gallagher Passes the Gavel to Erick Stewart      Critical Financing Secured for McCamly Renovation     Battle Creek TIFA Extended     BCU Acquires WMU's Kendall Center     KCC Dedicates New Mobile Trainer ....plus other news and information. The newsletter is available to view as a PDF here. Our goal is to provide useful information to people who live and/or work in Battle Creek. We welcome your feedback and story ideas. Email your comments to BCUNewsletter@bcunlimited.org. You can also follow BCU on ...
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Battle Creek Unlimited, St. Philip Parish, and Driven Design Studio are pleased to share an invitation for bid for the Southwest Michigan Accelerator Kitchen. The invitation for bid can be found here as a PDF. Submittals, inquires, and any other communication must be sent to smak@bcunlimited.org. Key Dates: Request for proposals issued – 12:00 p.m., August 30, 2022 Mandatory pre-bid meetings/site tours – 12:00 p.m., September 6, 2022 and 12:00 p.m., September 9, 2022 Contractor inquiries due – 12:00 p.m., September 16, 2022 Responses to inquiries posted – 5:00 p.m., September 22, 2022 Bids due – 5:00 p.m., September 29, ...
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Battle Creek Unlimited Secures Critical Financing for McCamly Hotel Renovation The MEDC will provide a $7.5 million loan from the Michigan Community Revitalization Program BATTLE CREEK, Mich.—Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) has secured a critical piece of financing for its renovation of the former McCamly Plaza Hotel. On Tuesday, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) announced that the Michigan Strategic Fund has approved $7.5 million in assistance from the Michigan Community Revitalization Program (MCRP). The program promotes community revitalization and provides gap funding for projects that are either contaminated (facility), blighted, functionally obsolete, or historic resources. The MCRP award for the ...
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BCU is pleased to share its Spring 2022 Quarterly Newsletter  This edition includes:     BCU Unveils Plan for McCamly Hotel     Bleistahl, Duncan Aviation Announce Expansions     BASF Toda America CEO Recognized     The Milton Honored for Historic Preservation     Watkins Road Upgrades Continue ....plus other news and information. The newsletter is available to view as a PDF here. Our goal is to provide useful information to people who live and/or work in Battle Creek. We welcome your feedback and story ideas. Email your comments to BCUNewsletter@bcunlimited.org. You can also follow BCU on Twitter, Facebook, ...
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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) and its affiliate, 50 Capital Ave Development Corp., have unveiled plans and a timeline for renovation of the former McCamly Plaza Hotel and adjacent McCamly Place. “We are so excited to return this historic property to productive use,” said Joe Sobieralski, president and CEO of BCU. “Having a hotel of this size and magnitude will significantly contribute to the economic vitality of downtown Battle Creek and the entire city. We cannot thank our partners and contributors enough for their continued support and generosity. This multi-faceted project will be a showpiece for our ...
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LINCOLN, Neb. — Duncan Aviation today announced plans to build additional hangar space at its existing MRO locations in Battle Creek, Michigan (BTL), and Lincoln, Nebraska (LNK). “The demand for the safety and flexibility that business aviation travel provides has continued to increase, as has the average size of business aircraft,” says Jeff Lake, President of Duncan Aviation. “This results in increased demand for the hangar space required to complete requested airframe, engine, interior, paint and avionics modifications for the business aircraft fleet. Looking to the future, we know that in order to meet current customer requests and needs, Duncan ...
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BCU is pleased to share its Winter 2022 Quarterly Newsletter  This edition includes:     Torti Taco Opens Downtown     Washington Heights Entrepreneurial Fund Awards $2M in Grants     New Tool Connects Manufacturers and Suppliers     Major Construction Projects Coming Soon     Michigan, Ontario Partner on UAS ....plus other news and information. The newsletter is available to view as a PDF here. Our goal is to provide useful information to people who live and/or work in Battle Creek. We welcome your feedback and story ideas. Email your comments to BCUNewsletter@bcunlimited.org. You can also follow Battle Creek ...
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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – The Washington Heights Entrepreneurial Fund (WHEF) is bolstering the community and an ambitious group of entrepreneurs-of-color through the distribution of $2 million in business support targeted at the Washington Heights neighborhood.  Award recipients receive training, grants and low-interest loans for business and real estate development projects. “We are truly grateful to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for this opportunity, and we are grateful for our incredibly dedicated and focused grantees and the team that reviewed and selected them,” said Joe Sobieralski, President and CEO of BCU. “These recipients have put in months of hard work to get ...
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BCU is pleased to share its Fall 2021 Quarterly Newsletter  This edition includes:     Viking-Cives Purchases 40 Acres     WMU Dedicates Expanded College of Aviation     BCU Competes in 2021 Kickball Classic     John Hughes Joins BCU Team     Aviation Director Larry Bowron Retires ....plus other news and information.  The newsletter is available to view as a PDF here Our goal is to provide useful information to people who live and/or work in Battle Creek.  We welcome your feedback and story ideas. Email your comments to BCUNewsletter@bcunlimited.org. You can also follow Battle Creek Unlimited on Twitter, ...
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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) is pleased to announce the addition of John Hughes to its team. Hughes will further BCU’s efforts in business retention, expansion, and workforce development. As an economic development specialist, Hughes will collaborate alongside the BCU team as it continues to generate jobs and investment in Battle Creek. Hughes brings experience in the industrial and commercial real estate industries. Most recently, Hughes held the position of EQS manager and lead trainer for GCI located in Coldwater, Mich. Prior to GCI, Hughes spent time working in the Battle Creek area as a commercial sales ...
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