$150,000 grant will support expansion of collaborative workspace
The Grand Rapids Chamber has received a $150,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation to support the expansion of its member-driven, collaborative workspace.
“At the Consumers Energy Foundation, we are committed to helping Michigan communities thrive and grow,” said Brandon Hofmeister, President of the Consumers Energy Foundation. “Supporting small and local businesses is a critical component of that community growth, and so we are grateful to have the opportunity to partner with an organization like the Grand Rapids Chamber and support them on a project that will allow them to continue doing that work.”
“We are thrilled to have the Consumers Energy Foundation as one of our partners in expanding the collaborative workspace that is a hub of West Michigan business activity,” said Rick Baker, President & CEO of the Grand Rapids Chamber. “Their support, along with many other regional business leaders, allows us to enhance an asset for our business community and further our mission of creating a thriving and prosperous West Michigan for all.”
The Chamber relocated its offices to 250 Monroe Avenue NW in March 2018 with a mission to align the facilities with the strategy of being an “epicenter of business activity” for West Michigan. The move has proven to be successful, even with the challenges of the pandemic. In fact, the pandemic has increased the utilization of the workspace by Chamber members.
“Research indicates businesses will continue to have unique meeting and office space needs into the foreseeable future. Expanding our footprint will create more opportunities for our members to meet their changing workforce and space needs,” continued Baker. “In addition, it will support impactful programming, training and assistance to help our members and community grow.”
The Chamber announced the expansion in August 2022. The expansion and investment campaign will leverage the physical environment to deliver value and opportunity to Chamber members and the community at large. Construction of the expanded spaces is set to be completed in June 2023.
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About the Consumers Energy Foundation
The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. The Foundation enables communities to thrive and grow by investing in what’s most important to Michigan – its people, our planet and Michigan’s prosperity. In 2021, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, its employees and retirees contributed more than $17.5 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more information, visit ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.