Started during the Great Depression, the 76-year-old private family business warehouse is now run by the grandchildren of the founders -- Elmer "Al" and John Heeren -- with help from their children.

Al Longoria, left, and Larry Spoelman, right, sort through some tomatoes in the warehouse of Heeren Brothers wholesale produce.

The brothers would travel to southern states such as Alabama and Georgia to pick up loads of fresh fruits and vegetables to bring back to West Michigan to sell.

With just two trucks to the business, the brothers would meet at a halfway point to save time. They would swap vehicles so one could head back for another load of produce.

These days, the operation is much more sophisticated and the company employs more than 70 workers.

"We're one of the largest retail wholesalers in Grand Rapids," said Jim Heeren, noting that grocery chains Meijer Inc. and Spartan Stores Inc. operate their own produce distribution operations.

The oldest of the third generation, Heeren is president of the company. The others who work at the company are his brothers Tom and Dan; and cousins: Bill, Bruce, Brian and Mark.

All do a variety of jobs.

In addition to the 85,000-square-foot warehouse at 1060 Hall St. SW, the company has two apple-packing plants in West Michigan.

The company supplies more than 300 independent grocery stores from the Upper Peninsula. to northern Indiana and Ohio. In Grand Rapids, their customers include Ralph's Market, 655 Leonard St. NW;Kingma's Market at 2225 Plainfield Ave. NE; and Steve DeYoung's Big Top Market, 3630 Clyde Park Ave SW.

Peppers from Mexico in the warehouse of Heeren Brothers wholesale produce.

Thanks to the global marketplace, almost any produce is available year-round, Heeren said.

The options include grapes from Chile, oranges from South Africa, kiwi from New Zealand and tomatoes from Spain.

This month, the company is buying eggplants, peppers and cucumbers from Mexico instead of Florida because of the recent freeze in the Sunshine State.

Finding alternative sources when droughts, floods and freezes damage crops is "just the nature of the business," said Jim Heeren..

While Heeren Brothers has sources around the world, preference is given to buying local.

"There is a huge push on local products," Heeren said.

The company's last growth spurt was in 2006, when it merged with its neighbor, family-owned produce wholesaler J.A. Besteman Co.

"If we were any other state, we would be growing. But we are holding our own. We aren't losing any profits," said Heeren, adding sales have been stagnant the past three years.

Proposed legislation, expected to hit the floor of the state Senate by spring break, would offer tax breaks for new construction and building rehabilitations that achieve certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED.

"I would probably delay (the building) a bit in waiting for this," said Guy Bazzani, who helped write a package of bills introduced this month by lawmakers, including Sens. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, and Patty Birkholz, R-Saugatuck Township.

What could lead to Bazzani postponing the greening of a brownfield at 1350 Lake Drive SE also might prompt other developers to spend more green upfront to make their next projects LEED-certified.

The bills would give a tax abatement of up to 50 percent on LEED-certified construction and allow upfront costs for certain "green" items such as wind turbines, geothermal energy systems and underground parking to be paid with future tax revenue.

"There's got to be an incentive to get people over the hump of doing the lowest cost, cheapest building," Bazzani said. "Not enough people are doing it. We've got to throw the carrot out there.

"It'll help green projects go forward that otherwise wouldn't be green. We want it to be the norm. It isn't happening fast enough."

The package of bills has been referred to the Senate's Tourism and Commerce Committee. Committee Chairman Jason Allen, R-Traverse City, was in Grand Rapids earlier this month to vet the bills at a Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce forum.

"It's revenue neutral, and it's incentives for what Grand Rapids is already doing," said Andrew Johnston, the chamber's director of legislative affairs. "This might loosen up other projects. This could kick-start the action."

Grand Rapids already has a growing reputation for green buildings. It has the greatest number of buildings LEED-certified per capita than any other U.S. city, according to the American Institute of Architects.

Randy Zandbergen, chief financial officer at Pioneer Construction Inc., said it's "not a real huge upcharge," maybe 3 percent to 5 percent, for basic LEED-certification.

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The Allendale Downtown Develop Authority has given the go-ahead for several Allendale Community Park projects as well as two sidewalk projects to get underway as soon as August.

The projects, which are estimated to cost more than $350,000 (with the parks projects valued at $220,400 and the sidewalks at $135,000), are intended to "improve the quality of life," said Candy Kraker, the Allendale Charter Township clerk and chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Jerry Alkema, the Allendale Charter Township Supervisor, voiced similar feelings.

"We just try to make Allendale a better place to live," Alkema said. "As far as sidewalks, we're trying to get them going down main streets. Some of the improvements in the parks, we're getting more and more use so we're trying to make improvements there."

Kraker agreed, saying the additions to the parks would help to fulfill the community's recreational needs.

The parks projects include parking lots estimated to cost $120,000 to provide expanded parking at Allendale Township Hall along with added parking at local baseball fields.

In addition, Kraker said the added lights - estimated to cost $50,000 - will allow little leaguers and adult softball leagues to double their use of the fields.

Despite initial reports indicating the "splash pad" valued at $25,000 would be put on hold, Kraker said the DDA has approved the project.

"The splash pad was approved for a 2010 project by the DDA for $11,650. There is a family in Allendale who is contributing $12,000 from their fund in the Allendale Community Foundation," Kraker said. "I am contributing $550 from the fund I established in the Allendale Community Foundation in memory of my husband who passed away in 2003, and we are applying for a grant to the Allendale Community Foundation from the Greatest Needs Fund to fund the balance, which is $800."

In addition, the plans include funding of $23,000 for driveway lights - approved for safety reasons - and an additional $2,400 for a pickle ball court, a request from several senior citizens in the community.

Meanwhile, the sidewalk projects slated for the east side of 60th Avenue will take place from Burg Gemmen Street south to Maple Bend Trail and from Dewpoint Drive north to existing sidewalk. The added sidewalks will cost an estimated $60,500 and $74,500 respectively.

Parks and Recreation Committee member Tim Smit said safety provided a good reason to support the sidewalk improvements.

"It comes down to making the area more pedestrian friendly and ultimately safer," Smit said. "People are more likely to walk down the sidewalks than on the road."

The projects originated with the Parks and Recreation Committee, who proposed them to the DDA in 2009 for the 2010 budget. The proposals are based on determined need and available funding.

Kraker said the need is drawn from a variety of sources, including surveys - the most current being one from 2008.

"We do a survey every five years, in conjunction with updating the Township Parks and Recreation Plan," she said, noting the committee also surveys students from Grand Valley State University.

Kraker said the various projects' approvals have generated positive feedback from the community.

"We work very hard to represent the needs of the community, including the GVSU community," she said. "We are very aware of the need for sidewalks on 48th Avenue. This roadway is slated for improvements by the Ottawa County Road Commission in the near future, and at that time, sidewalks will be included in those improvements.

"Also, if there are any specific needs that GVSU students have that they would like to see addressed in the Allendale Community Park, please contact me," she added. "I was elected to represent you, too."

Kraker urged students to take advantage of the park and its facilities located at 6676 Lake Michigan Drive, behind the township office.

"Allendale is your home away from home and the park is for you to use," Kraker said.

Kraker can be reached by e-mail at candy@allendale-twp.org.

This article can be found at the lanthorn.com

A group of four seniors from the Seidman College of Business took top honors on February 12 at the Undergraduate Supply Chain Management Competition at Michigan State University.

The competition was organized and hosted by the Eli Broad College of Business of Michigan State University. The students are Kyle Koenigsknecht, Michael Hershfield, Jason Wilkie and Paul Rahrig. They competed against teams from 11 universities, including Michigan State, Penn State, University of Kentucky, Miami University of Ohio and Ohio State.

“The team wanted to win because we knew that beating some of the most well-respected supply chain programs in the country would bring recognition to the quality of Grand Valley's supply chain program,” Wilkie said.

The competition participants receive three hours of training in a simulation program developed at MSU involving a single manufacturing plant location serving the entire world. The competitors were then presented with a more complex global logistics challenge to solve using this simulation program, and limited time amount.

The students were guided and advised by management professors Ashok Kumar and Jaideep Motwani and marketing professor Vivek Dalela.

“Some of the competing schools have the best-known supply chain management programs in the country,” Motwani said. “This award — coupled with the fact that Grand Valley placed second in this competition last year — confirms the quality and rigor of Grand Valley’s Supply Chain Management program and establishes it as one of the best supply chain programs in the country.”

This article can be found here.

With nine weeks remaining in the winter semester, thousands of students are tweaking resumes and filling out job applications in the hope of securing permanent or temporary employment come summer.

While some individuals may know what their future holds, others are left to stare at the question mark obscuring their lives post finals.

The Grand Valley State University Career Services office offers assistance to students of all years and majors who are in the midst of exploring their options across the employment spectrum.

"We can give (students) individual assistance with their resume, advise them on aspects of their job search and ... (provide) simulated interviews," said Sue Smith, Career Services office coordinator for the Allendale Campus.

The office also offers the Laker Jobs board at http://www.gvsu.edu/lakerjobs/, which allows students to view job and internship postings, upload resumes, sign up for workshops and schedule interviews with employers who are visiting campus.

GVSU alumna Josh Yskes graduated in fall 2009 and despite posting his resume on multiple job boards, including Laker Jobs, he has yet to find employment in the Great Lakes region.

"The biggest problem I'm finding is there are not a lot of entry level positions," Yskes, a marketing and management information systems major, said. "Most of the jobs I'm looking at either require three-, five- or 10-years experience whether they're willing to look at your resume. There are a ton of jobs out there but they all require experience."

Because of the "experience required" hurdle, Latoria Thomas-Lee, assistant director of Career Services, said even more attention must be given to a student's cover letter and resume in the application process.

"When a student is crafting their resume for the job search, they must remember it is not a one-size-fits-all document," Thomas-Lee said. "There should be a specific resume for each position (a student) looks for and the same goes for the cover letter."

Career Services offers advisers on both the Allendale and Pew campuses and holds multiple workshops and career fairs every month.

The most recent career fair, GVSU Winter Careerfest & Health Career Day was held Feb. 9. More than 100 employers were present and some 1,000 students attended.

The next event, the Out-of-State Teacher Fair, is scheduled for March 8-9 on the Allendale Campus. The first day is open to all candidates, while the second is intended for interviews with candidates selected from day one.

For students feeling the crunch to apply and accept offers prior to graduation or summer vacation, Thomas-Lee advises students to remember the search for employment is a process.

"You don't always get the first job you apply for and you have to be patient, but diligent," Thomas-Lee said. "The very first offer you get might be an ideal one, but you have to weigh your options and do research. You have to interview the company just as they are interviewing you."

She added networking is the No. 1 way people land jobs and students should be prepared to articulate to an employer what they are looking for in a position and how they can contribute if given a position with that company.

This article can be found at lanthorn.com

With eating disorders most prevalent in the 15 to 25 age group, the affliction strikes college campuses hard.

Grand Valley State University will participate with others across the U.S. in National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which began Sunday and runs until Saturday.

To observe the awareness week, the Counseling Center will offer eating disorder screenings Thursday and an informational program Wednesday.

Intern counselor Dan Suitor, coordinator of the Counseling Center's screening days, said the center intends these screenings to create discussion and help inform students of the warning signs of eating disorders.

"We'd like to see the students become more aware of these afflictions," Suitor said. "We'd like to get family, friends, faculty and staff more aware of this problem so if they see the symptoms, they know what to do."

The screenings will occur at six sites and will offer eating disorder screening, literature and giveaways. Counselors will operate the locations and answer any questions participants might have.

Additionally, those who participate in the screening will enter a raffle for prizes such as dining cards or a 30 minute massage.

Students can also complete the test online at www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/Welcome.aspx.

Screening for Mental Health will supply the test materials. The nonprofit organization distributed its first testing in 1991 with depression screening. Since then, the organization has given those suffering from mental illness an outlet to seek help and offered opportunities for concerned family and friends to have questions answered.

The Counseling Center has used Screening for Mental Health supplies for previous mental health testing days, such as the depression screening in October 2009. The screening attracted more than 200 people.

The screening for eating disorders looks at how many behaviors are representative of eating disorders.

From the screenings, counselors sometimes refer participants to the Counseling Center, which can help students manage eating disorders. Students work with assistant director Pam Miller, who specializes in eating disorders.

Miller will lead a program on eating disorders from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Room 137 of North Living Center C.

The program includes a video with college students' testimonies of coping with eating disorders.

Miller will answer questions and offer handouts on how to speak with friends who might have eating disorders and how to manage diet and exercise to prevent development of an eating disorder.

She will include 10 tips to maintain positive body image in her session. Some tips include:

"Surround yourself with positive people. It is easier to feel good about yourself and your body when you are around others who are supportive and who recognize the importance of liking yourself just as you naturally are."

* "Wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you feel good about your body. Work with your body, not against it."

Miller said often, people do not seek treatment for their unhealthy eating patterns because it might cause more anxiety to change diets.

"They think, 'This is working for me,'" Miller said. "'I want to do this.'"

She said Eating Disorder Awareness Week can help those who do not suffer from the disorder also gain better perspective.

"The week puts an emphasis on education and promotion," Miller said. "It can give an awareness of why eating disorders are not easy things to change. It is not just a matter of saying, 'I'll stop.'"

Next week, the Women's Center will continue GVSU's look at body perceptions with its Conversations on Loving Your Body. Events will include the film "Beauty Mark," a jean swap and the program "How to Approach Someone You Think May Have an Eating Disorder."

This article can be found at lanthorn.com

You cannot eat the Mona Lisa, and Da Vinci might not appreciate someone trying to take a bite out of his work.

What you can eat, though, are the works that will be on display at the Eating the Art exhibit Tuesday.

Grand Valley State University art and design professor Kirsten Strom developed the idea for the exhibit after drawing inspiration from the book "Grapefruit" by Yoko Ono.

"It consists of a series of instructions for making art out of everyday life," she said. "Many of them are physically impossible, calling on readers to use their imaginations, but others are simple things, like screaming at the sky, that someone could actually do."

Strom said to her the book was about living life in a really engaged way and thinking of every moment as an opportunity to be creative.

The exhibit will run in essentially three phases. The first will happen on Monday when the descriptions and ingredients of each piece are posted in the Padnos Gallery in the Calder Art Center. The second phase will take place on Tuesday when the pieces are installed. Some of the works will be spread out on tables and others will be hung on the walls.

Before everyone begins to pick apart the works for the final phase, photographs will be taken to document each piece and will be displayed in the gallery Wednesday through Friday.

"In a few instances, the interesting thing about the pieces is that they have to be eaten in a particular manner, so the audience participates by eating them, meaning that act of eating is as much a part of the art as the object," Strom said.

One stipulation for submitted pieces is that they must vegetarian or vegan, so accordingly, many of the works will feature fruits and vegetables while others will involve sweets.

"I feel it is important for us people, at any age, to recognize how connected we are to the foods we eat," said Jenica Bock, art education student and exhibit participant. "It's imperative for us to realize and learn to appreciate what fuels us."

Bock said her art essentially fuels her and this is an example of art in particularly raw form.

"This work is left in its rawest form because I feel traditional masterpieces were done with raw passion; models and real life were not altered. It was often left as it stood -- bare or even nude," she said.

While it may be disconcerting for some to see food used in an exhibition for art considering current human crisis throughout the world, Strom said everyone participating is aware that one of the goals of the show is for everything to be eaten.

"At first it seems like this exhibit could be kind of wasteful," said education student Mac Parker. "But I think it's an interesting way to engage people to new art and expand on what art can be. People love and need food. This way people can admire what they eat, too."

Strom said most of the participants will either make works that do not require serving utensils, or they will provide their own reusable materials to minimize waste.

The show will begin at 5 p.m. Friday and will conclude when everything has been eaten. It will take place in the Padnos Gallery in the Calder Art Center.

This article can be found at lanthorn.com