Michigan Resources

Marty Peltier is the Chief Business Development Officer and Vice President at Lake Michigan Credit Union where he has worked since 2016.

Leading sales teams in both Michigan and Florida, Marty focuses on business opportunities and executes the strategic planning and implementation of relationship building for Lake Michigan Credit Union.

Prior to LMCU, Marty worked at Bank of America for 11 years managing the Mortgage Sales and Operations in their Michigan market. He has also worked at General Motors Corporation for 8 years as a Regional District Manager and at GMAC Mortgage as a Vice President for 11 years.

Contact Marty Peltier for help with or questions about:

• Commercial Lending
• Bonding Capacity
• Financial Planning
• Business Banking

5 Accounting Questions Contractors Should Ask When Starting a New Construction Company

Contact Andy Rose for help with or questions about:

• Accounting Services
• Payroll Best Practices
• Understanding Business Taxes

The Going PRO Talent Fund (Talent Fund) makes awards to employers to assist in training, developing, and retaining current and newly hired employees. Training funded by the Talent Fund must be short-term and fill a demonstrated talent need experienced by the employer. Training must lead to a credential for a skill that is transferable and recognized by the industry. To apply, visit the website here.

Opportunity Empowered is a pilot program being launched by the Urban League of West Michigan in partnership with Heart of West Michigan United Way.

This is for residents with grassroots ideas for an opportunity to empower community voices by ideating, identifying, and prioritizing solutions to issues identified.

This is an opportunity for those who may already be operating small-scale out of homes and churches, etc., and are looking to elevate their idea.

View more details on the Urban League website.

Start Garden created The 100 as a no-strings-attached way to fund people to take a shot at new endeavors each year. It’s a community-wide investment in the businesses and organizations of tomorrow.

The 100 exists to open the gate for the whole community to try out new ideas each year, knowing that some can be life-changing.

2023 submissions are now closed, but keep an eye out for 2024 dates!

View more details on the Start Garden website.

Spencer Olson joined BHS Insurance in 2014 as a Consultant in the Employee Benefits Department. He has over 10 years of specializing in employee benefits. After graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Spencer spent four years working in the insurance industry with MetLife; living in both Minneapolis, MN and Chicago, IL. His focus was on working with employer groups with up to 5,000 employees. Currently, he focuses on helping his clients with creative and innovative solutions and programs. Spencer is a licensed agent, both in Health and Life as well as Property and Casualty. He was recently named a Partner/Shareholder with BHS effective January 1st, 2020.

Contact Spencer Olson if you need help with or have questions about:

• Analysis of Benefit Plans & Costs
• Coordination of Benefit Program Design and Insurance Carrier Analysis
• Review of Contracts for Accuracy
• Develops Innovative Benefit Programs for Employees
• Educates Benefits Personnel on Compliance, Market Trends, Claims Experience, Administration Procedure, Open Enrollment, and more
• Helps Analyze Alternative Funding Arrangements
• Payroll/HRIS/Enrollment/Benefits Administration System Analysis

Denise Neuhaus joined BHS Insurance in April 2005. She serves as both our Agency’s Director of Human Resources as well as a Human Resources and Compliance resource for our clients. Denise has over 20 years of experience in the Human Resources profession and is well-versed in human resources and benefits compliance, employee relations, handbook and policy development, recruiting, and employee/supervisor training. She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Contact Denise Neuhaus if you need help with or have questions about:

• Employee Handbook Review
• Leave of Absence Management
• Employee Benefits Compliance Review
• Employee Relations Advice and Coaching
• Legislative Updates and Communication
• Workplace Discrimination Prevention
• Recordkeeping Review
• Wage and Hour Guidance
• Supervisor and Employee Training
• Job Description Review and Development

Lisa Knight holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Cornerstone University and an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. Lisa has co-facilitated training throughout Michigan for various non-profit and for-profit organizations. Lisa’s style of facilitation is very unique in how she engages her audience, utilizing her theatrical background to engage the audience and creating a safe space for participants to share.

Contact Lisa Knight if you need help with or have questions about:

• Workplace culture
• Microaggressions
• Bias in the Workplace – Best Practices
• The Unconscious Mind

Courtney Howe started The Yellow Umbrella Creative, a digital marketing and website development agency, with the goal of building up small businesses through simple, but effective, marketing strategies.

Contact Courtney Howe for help with or questions about:

• Building a Marketing Plan
• Email Marketing
• Social Media Branding
• Website Design and Development
• Logo and Marketing Material Design

Additionally, join the Affiliate HUB to get discounts on select marketing services from multiple providers!

Want to share your capabilities statement in our Contractor Directory? Submit it here.

Don’t have a capabilities statement? Let us know and we can help!

Bruce Courtade is on the Builders Exchange’s Board of Directors, and hosts or presents a series of construction-related seminars throughout the winter months of each year for Builders Exchange members. He has practiced construction law throughout Michigan for more than 30 years and is a past president of the 45,000+ member State Bar of Michigan. Bruce will be moderating our discussion, as well as discussing several of the issues on our agenda. Read Bruce’s full bio.

Tony Pearson currently serves as Rhoades McKee’s firm president. He is a member of the firm’s corporate practice group, specializing in helping businesses of all sizes, from single-person companies through publicly-traded corporations, in every aspect of their life cycle, from startup to mergers and acquisitions to business succession planning. Among other things, Tony will be talking about how to make sure that your company is best set up to address your needs and limit ownership disputes, shield your personal assets from liability, and planning ahead for when you may want or need to transition ownership of the business to someone else. Read Tony’s full bio.

Patrick Sweeney is no stranger to the Builders Exchange, having helped teach seminars on bonding, lien law, and other construction-related topics. A member of the firm’s Construction Practice Group and trial attorney, Patrick will offer insight into proper documentation (contracts, purchase orders, change orders, etc.), specific contractual provisions to understand and use, and other topics. Read Patrick’s full bio.

Other members of the Rhoades McKee Construction Industry Service Team include: Meghan Clayton, Patrick Drueke, Mark Greidanus, Todd Hendricks, Nathan Russell, Tom Saxe, Jon Siebers, Mark Smith, and Peter Veldkamp.

Contact the Rhoades McKee team if you need help with or have questions about:

• Choosing the right corporate entity when forming your company
• Filing legal paperwork for your company
• Legal consultations with a specialization in construction law.

To fill out the MBE/WBE Application Form through MSHDA, use this link.

For questions about this form or process, contact Haywood Edwards at 517.241.0541.

To apply for Micro-Local Business Enterprise (MLBE) Certification, use this link.

For questions about this process, contact AJ Hills at 616.456.3027.

The West Michigan Construction Institute provides the training, knowledge, and national certification for students to have a well-paid, high-demand, and meaningful career in commercial construction.

See upcoming classes on the WMCI website, or join the Affiliate HUB to get discounts on select WMCI classes!

The U.S. Green Building Council of West Michigan presents a unique opportunity for minority-owned contractors who wish to expand their skill set of energy efficiency and carbon analysis of buildings. This includes a potential for a professional certification and youth volunteer opportunity. Read more here.

It is estimated that 65% of the construction industry works on scaffolds, which is approximately 2.3 million workers. Our 1-hour OSHA Scaffold Safety Awareness Certificate Course details OSHA standards as they apply to scaffolding and gives you specific details about individual types of scaffolds and what safety measures are needed to protect yourself and others from hazards.

Find available classes here.

The Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council (MMSDC) is a non-profit organization promoting the economic growth of our corporate members and the minority-owned businesses that serve them. Learn more here.