Over the past three months I have been interning at Deksia. Coming straight from graduating college to the “real world” without any professional experience, I was terrified! All I had to fall back on were the horror stories from my brothers of the pains that come from having a “real job” (opposed to all the “fake” ones I have had over the years.) I had little to no idea of what to expect or if my education would be enough to get the work done that was expected of me.

After my first week of working I started to settle in a little bit. During that first week I didn’t seem to have any troubles accomplishing the tasks that were given to me (Ferris State education at work)! Throughout the next couple of weeks, I started to really get a feel for the culture at Deksia and how business operates. Every business one comes in contact with has one thing in common: everything they do is with their customers’ best interest in mind. Like the others, Deksia has the same philosophy, the difference being that Deksia walks the walk.  A billing issue occurred and that is when I first realized how true Deksia is to their customers. Our quote for some client work was significantly lower than what the bill was; upon contacting our vendor it turned out the vendor made the mistake and was going to have to take a huge hit. Deksia stepped up and altered the order without compromising quality or the client’s needs to help lower the hit as well as taking on some of the costs and not turning the cost over to our client. On this occasion as well as several others throughout the summer, I was reminded of the passion that Deksia has for what they do.

Overall, my intern experience has been great here at Deksia. The guys here have helped to give me a taste of what the “real world” is like and it’s not bad. They have been very kind to me and for that I am very grateful. I am confident that I will be able to find and take on a job that I am passionate about and will succeed. It was my pleasure to be able to be part of the team here at Deksia. Thanks for a great summer!

Downtown Grand Rapids has several new restaurant choices to look forward to this fall. First is Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The steakhouse will be located in the Amway Grand Plaza. Ruth's Chris Steak House will bring the feel of eating in the "big city" to downtown. This restaurant has been a chain restaurant spanning across America for 45 years. This brings mixed emotions for some natives of Grand Rapids. Many people think it is great to be getting a new chain restaurant while others would like to keep it local, with a one-of-a-kind mom and pop restaurant going in instead. Regardless, everyone will have one more option to add to the list when planning their night out.

Another restaurant chain that is moving to a downtown location this year is Buffalo Wild Wings. They are working on purchasing a location on Ionia Avenue to develop for the restaurant and are hoping to open the doors to the public by October. The restaurant will be a double decker, the first of its type in an urban location. Buffalo Wild Wings anticipates hiring 80 employees to work the new location. Considering downtown Grand Rapids for the last 15 years, they have finally decided to make their move. The owners don't foresee this location competing with the other four locations across Grand Rapids. This location will be restaurant number 35 in Michigan (23 of which are owned by the group putting the new one in.)

Grand Rapids continues to make a turn around. With the help and determination of the public, this city will be back on its feet in no time!

Once again Grand Rapids makes its way into the spotlight, only this time not for reasons to brag about. On July 7, 2011, the most devastating massacre in the history of Grand Rapids took place. A single individual – Rodrick Shonte Dantzler - killed seven people, ages ranging from 10 to 52 including two children, and later took three hostages who were thankfully released before he took his own life.

In the midst of such a tragedy, the residents of Grand Rapids and the surrounding area were shown the courage, talent and speed of those whose job it is to protect the community. The officers, the hostage negotiator, the emergency responders, and the EMTs all did an amazing job throughout the lengthy situation. The law enforcement where able to stay on Dantzler's tracks during a high-speed chase through downtown as he went into a wooded area and finally into an unsuspecting family's home and took three hostages. Negotiating with Dantzler for upwards of 5 hours made for a long, unsettling night for many. In such a tragic story we can be grateful that the three hostages lives were not taken.

The community has come together to morn the loss of the seven that were killed, leaving flowers, candles, and other memorable items on the doorsteps of where the murders happened.

A big thanks goes out to everyone who took part in keeping those around the area safe, as well as keeping those that were involved out of harm's way. Events like this remind people of how precious life truly is and how fast it can change.

Sietsema Orchards & Cider Mill is a family-owned, fourth-generation business in Ada, Michigan. The orchard opens to the public in the fall when families, school groups, and individuals can come and experience a traditional farm visit. Sietsema's strives to keep its orchard as natural and non-touristy as possible. They want people to be able to come down to visit the farm and be able to have the full experience and get away from the hustle and bustle of the city; although they are located just a stone's throw from Grand Rapids, you would never guess that while standing in their orchard.

 

This family orchard started in 1934 on the East Beltline and Knapp, which was outside Grand Rapids at that time. The orchard proved to be prosperous and kept its location until 1995. At that time, Sietsema Orchard's made a move to Ada. The farmers tried to steer away from operating an orchard by working in real estate, but some things are just in your blood. After being closed for 12 years, Sietsema Orchards & Cider Mill re-opened with an even larger passion for the trade than before.

The orchard has a lot to offer visitors, including hayrides, ciders, and the opportunity to pick your own apples right off the tree; in addition, there are fun activities for all ages to enjoy. With a large variety of apples to choose from, anyone with a taste for apples will be able to find the right species that will knock them off their feet. From Honeycrisp to Cameo, Golden Delicious to Carmel, the variety is at your fingertips! Apples and cider aren't the only things that you will find down on the farm. Sietsema's also grows peaches and pumpkins! The orchard has recently received their building permit and is working hard to make an addition to the farm to offer a bakery this fall. The bakery will offer homemade goods such as pies and donuts.

Be on the look out for Sietsema Orchards & Cider Mill's new look! With Deksia's help, they are currently working on re-branding their orchard. There are a lot of cool ideas bouncing around; soon they will have the best possible brand for their business. To learn more about the orchard, activities, and their hours, you can find Sietsema Orchards & Cider Mill online at www.sietsemaorchards.com, www.twitter.com/#!/Sietsemaorchard, or www.facebook.com/sietsemaorchards.

Innovative. Trustworthy. Knowledgeable. Passionate. Medbio, located just outside downtown Grand Rapids, strives to be the best for their customers. A full service partner for manufactured medical and biotech industries, they conduct business with high standards and integrity to achieve growth and profitability for their customers. Medbio provides many services in order to help their customers get exactly what they need at the quality they expect. From design support to precision molding Medbio is there to help the customer the whole way.

Medbio has been growing in the last few years and plans to continue their growth in the future with a move. In August, they will be relocating to a larger building that is designed for their workflow to run even smoother. Medbio anticipates, after the move, having no longer than a one-week's distribution on their products. This is great news for their customers; being able to get what they need faster leads to more business happening and less waiting.

Medbio, as well as other local companies, will continue to grow and help get Michigan's economy turned back in the right direction. To learn more about Medbio, visit their website at www.medbioinc.com.

Frank Sinatra in the background and the smell of blue Monster in the air welcomes you to Deksia. This may not be the average atmosphere in most businesses but Deksia is above average. We believe in building strong creative brands for all our clients and the variety of industries they reside. This summer Deksia has taken on several clients and we are excited to start working and building their brands; Siestema's Orchard will be one among them.

Deksia has also been continuing their work with Camp Henry as the camp season is now in session. Keeping their store stocked with their hot apparel line, producing maps, and designing their website, the team has continued to work hard for Camp Henry.

Many faces stop in to the office to meet with the team, from our clients to our vendors and everything in between. We enjoy having our clients come to our new space to meet and discus with them the possibilities of their brand. Deksia collects research to get to know your brand and the best-targeted customers. The team collects research in different ways in order to get the best information for the brand.

Deksia has been looking all summer to expand our team; we have been collecting resumes and videos about what applicants are passionate about in the business and branding industry, working to find the best fit for our company trying to find someone with the right experience to help Deksia grow. The search is narrowing down and a new member will hopefully be joining the team soon.

Part of the Deksia team is normally here during normal business hours, if you're ever in the area and want to see what's going on feel free to stop in for a visit!

This bistro was very active on the Thursday night I had the opportunity to stop and see what they had to offer. The Electric Cheetah is easily found on Wealthy Street near downtown Grand Rapids. Prior to setting our sites for the Electric Cheetah, a Google search was preformed followed by a quick evaluations of the menu and prices. Passing the test we decided to try it out.

When we arrived we were seated in the corner booth next to the window there was no doubt we had the best seat in the place. We could see everything that was going on, inside and out. From the waiters taking orders and delivering food to the pedestrians walking down the sidewalks, we wouldn't miss a thing from our seats. The service was great, we were brought waters and menus simultaneously as we were seated and given the appropriate amount of time to find what we wanted to order which was a difficult choice for all three of us. Being at a new place, one never quite knows what to try. The first question in your mind is always "do I get the safe choice that every restaurant offers (AKA chicken strips) or should I try something new?" We all decided earlier that night that we wanted to try something new. That just leads to the question of what to get? Was someone going to try the "I'm Not My Brothers Sandwich" or "The Club Tickle"? There were so many choices, but after some deliberation it was decided I would try "Western Chef Jeff's Chaps." The waiter returned and the three of us ordered. We were all eager for our meals to arrive to our table; while we waited we discussed plans for the weekend. Not a lot of time passed when our waiter brought out our meals. Everything looked delicious. As we started to taste everything we discovered it all was fresh and flavorful. We started to swap items with each other until we all had tried everything. Everything was phenomenal!

After the festivities of the night were over I took a closer look at the website (http://www.electriccheetah.com/) to see what more I could learn. I was intrigued to find that they use over 20 local businesses and believe in keeping as much local business as they can. Their website also directs you to their blog, which gives you a little peak at The Electric Cheetah's past as well as some fun pictures and videos of the customers. When you get a chance, stop in to The Electric Cheetah and see for yourself how great of an experience it is to dine there.

 

With the new camp season marks the birth of Camp Henry's new logo and tagline, "Where nature & nurture meets adventure." Camp Henry takes pride in being a traditional camp that cares for their campers both physically and spiritually. We believe that the new tagline and logo fits perfectly with what Camp Henry stands for. The Deksia team has worked hard on the re-branding and redesign of this non-profit client. Getting to know what the camp has to offer the public as well as the dedicated staff that keep Camp Henry running year after year has been an enjoyable experience.

From summer camps to family programs and from professional development to retreats Camp Henry has something for everyone no matter their age. With their beautiful facilities it's said to be the "perfect blend of the old and new." Camp Henry's facilities consist of a dining hall, cabins, heated lodges, health center, challenge course, spiritual resources, waterfront, wetland trial and bog walk. With all these great resources at the fingertips of visitors they are bound to have a fun memorable time at Camp Henry. Part of the Deksia crew was able to have a short retreat, two day one night, at Camp Henry last month. The retreat was a nice time to see their hard work start to come together as they worked on the camps store layout and sign placement. While at Camp Henry the team was also able to see the camp in action with campers participating in the ropes course and other activities.

Camp Henry's website is currently undergoing a makeover and will be a great place to see all the opportunities that are available for you, your kids or even your company. Check them out at www.camphenry.org.

From a dying city to being seen by over a million people worldwide Grand Rapids is back. On Sunday may 22, 2011 Grand Rapids produced its first ever LipDub video breaking a world record. The residents of the city came out to support Rob Bliss in his efforts to prove to Newsweek that Grand Rapids was not a dying city. In January Newsweek ran an article "America's Dying Cities" identifying the top ten cities that had the largest decrease of residents under the age of 18 reported on the 2010 census. Of those ten cities three of them found in Michigan, Grand Rapids appeared as the tenth dying city in America.

There are several reasons that can be attributed to the decline of younger residents in Grand Rapids from years past. Many people are not marrying at as young of an age, which leads to a gap in the birth rate. Some couples are waiting to have children later in their relationships due to economic conditions. The final reason and most publicized would be due to our states economic condition. Many people are believed to be moving out of state in order to find jobs and raise their families. 

The nearly 10 minutes long video was filmed in one continuous shot, with 5000 Grand Rapids participants lip singing to Don McLean's "American Pie" made this LipDub video a huge hit on YouTube. 24 hours after the video was posted it became the ninth most watched video on YouTube! The LipDub was no free walk in the park though. In order to get everything that was needed to produce, film, edit and post the video came to $40,000. With an economy like ours do we really have that much money to throw into a video? Well all the money came from donators in and around the Grand Rapids area. To see a full list of sponsors and watch the full LipDub go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjjZCO67WI&feature=youtu.be

Whether or not the LipDub proved that Grand Rapids is not a dying city is up for debate but the video did catch the attention of Newsweek and many others. Newsweek responded to the Lipdub video saying this "First off, we LOVE your YouTube LipDub. We're big fans, and are inspired by your love of the city you call home. But so you know what was up with the list you're responding to, we want you to know it was done by a website called mainstreet.com -- not by Newsweek (it was unfortunately picked up on the Newsweek web site as part of a content sharing deal) -- and it uses a methodology that our current editorial team doesn't endorse and wouldn't have employed. It certainly doesn't reflect our view of Grand Rapids." So for now you can see that Grand Rapids is here and isn't planning on going anywhere.

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