Grand Rapids innovation and design at 70 Ionia (GRid 70) is a newly opened (March 2011) business hub located in a gorgeous building in downtown G.R. Comprised of four very different companies this hub was created in hopes to help “to mix teams from a variety of backgrounds, encourage creativity, promote the region’s design expertise and foster a new generation of creative professionals.” Amway, Meijer, Steelcase and Wolverine World Wide currently occupy GRid 70. These four very different companies each have their own workspace but share common areas such as break rooms and conference rooms.
The idea behind these four businesses sharing a single location comes from a group known as “What’s Next?” Comprised of 30 West Michigan CEOs who all have a common goal, striving to find ways to help improve the economic situation in the Grand Rapids area as well as boost the attractiveness of the city to potential entrepreneurs and employees.
Along with these four companies IIT Institute of Design will be joining in on GRid 70 as they will hold classes for students starting in the fall. This gives students in the Grand Rapids area the opportunity to get a Master in Design Methods from IIT without having to relocate to Illinois for the program. This program is predicted to host 20 students for the 20-month Masters program, which helps to draw national attention our city.
GRid 70, the start of another great characteristic of Grand Rapids! Check out GRid 70 today!