Cascade Engineering was founded in 1973, by company President and CEO Fred P. Keller, and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Cascade is a manufacturer and leading provider of engineered plastics systems and components, serving a multitude of industries. In addition to manufacturing, they offer design, development, and coordination of logistics, providing customers with complete service.  Cascade Engineering is nationally recognized for sustainable business practices and high quality, focusing on the Triple Bottom Line – having a positive impact on people, the planet, and profit. Today, Cascade Engineering is a global company, with 15 locations, 13 strategic businesses, and over 1100 employees, serving an array of industries including:

• CK technologies – Manufactures large plastic injection components used for commercial truck applications
• Cascade Engineering Automotive Americas – Plastics technology to replace heavier metal interior and exterior parts, resulting in lighter weight vehicles with improved fuel economy
• Cascade Engineering Automotive Europe – Manufactures and assembles plastic injection molded components used for vehicle HVAC, electrical and fuel management systems
• Cascade Cart Solutions – Provides products and services for the solid waste and recycling industry, including bins, rolling carts, front and rear-load commercial containers, lifters, and other service technology solutions
• Extreme RFID – Designs and manufactures RFID tags for harsh environmental conditions
• Cascade Engineering Commercial Products – Commercial seating plastic molding processes like co-injection, multi-shot, 3D suction blow molding, insert molding and fabric adhesion technology
• Invisible Waste Services – Provides valet trash services to multi-family residential communities using the patented “Bench” located near the resident’s front door
• Noble Polymers – Specializing in the development and production of compounded thermoplastic resins
• Decade Products – Provides a complete line of reusable plastic containers and pallets for industrial, agriculture and food processing applications worldwide
• Cascade Renewable Energy –  Provides wind and solar services including site assessments and feasibility studies, system design engineering, project management, installation construction, and technical support
• Cascade Consulting Group – Provides training, mentoring and consulting services to help organizations use sustainable solutions to produce business and community results
• Triple Quest – Manufactures and distributes the HydrAid® BioSand water filter which is capable of providing a family of 10 with safe drinking water for 10 years.

Cascade Engineering has been recognized for their sustainability efforts and accolades, which include:

• Platinum LEED Certified
• Certified “B” Corporation
• Finalist for the 2013 Grand Rapids Area Chamber’s Excellence in Business EPIC award
• Winner of the 2011 Innovation Michigan Lifetime Achievement Award

• City of Grand Rapids, Cascade Engineering Partner in Green Award 2013
• Ergonomic Success Award from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration 2005
• National Governors Association Distinguished Service Award
• Best Medium Company to Work for in America finalist 2004

Join us in congratulating Cascade Engineering on their 40th anniversary!

Jersey Junction is an iconic ice cream parlor, located at 652 Croswell Avenue SE, in ‘Gaslight Village’ East Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in October of 1963 by Doris ‘Chris’ Van Allsburg.  She originally opened the shop as a storefront for the East End Creamery, which was owned by her husband and his brothers.  Today, Jersey Junction is owned by Elias Olivarez and features West Michigan made Hudsonville ice cream.

From the outside, Jersey Junction resembles a little red train depot. Located at the front of the building is a deck for visitors to relax and enjoy their favorite ice cream; complete with the last remaining and functional gaslight from “Gaslight Village”.

Upon entering Jersey Junction, visitors are greeted by a wall of candy, reminiscent of an old fashioned candy shop, a favorite among the children waiting for their ice cream.  An old fashioned school bench also lines the wall, where visitors can sit. The ice cream parlor is covered in history, displaying Jersey Junction memorabilia as well as early photographs of Ramona Park, Gaslight Village, and more.   Encircling the parlor near the ceiling is a model of the Polar Express, the train from the children’s book authored and illustrated by Doris’s son Chris Van Allsburg, and later made into a Christmas movie starring Tom Hanks. The dining room contains an exact replica of Jersey Junction complete with working lights and a train.

The display also explains how the name Jersey Junction came about.  The word “Jersey” is representative of Jersey cows which are said to produce the best milk and therefore the best ice cream.  The word “Junction” means to come together.  Today, Jersey Junction remains a favorite place for families and friends to come together and enjoy delicious ice cream.

Join us in congratulating Jersey Junction on their 50th anniversary and on 50 deliciously successful years!

Frontier Airlines is celebrating their 19th anniversary this year.  Frontier Airlines is a wholly owned subsidiary of Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc, an airline holding company that also owns Chautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlines, and Shuttle America.  Frontier operates its primary hub at Denver International Airport. Today, Frontier operates more than 350 daily flights, serves more than 75 destinations in the United States, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico; and employs more than 4,500 professionals.

History

Frontier Airlines began as a local service airline, operating out of Denver’s Stapleton Airport, on November 27, 1946.  At that time it was known as Monarch Airlines, which serviced Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.  In 1950, Monarch Airlines merged with Arizona Airways, and Challenger Airlines, becoming Frontier Airlines.  Frontier then served the Rocky Mountain area, 40 cities in total, with 12 Douglas DC-3s in its fleet.  The airline carried millions of passengers over the years and had a reputation for great service and an outstanding safety record.  The airline declared bankruptcy in 1986,  and was subsequently purchased by Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. Then, in August of 1993, executives derived a plan to give Frontier Airlines a fresh start while looking to fill a huge gap left by Continental Airlines’ drastic cutback on flights to Denver’s International airport.  In November of the same year, executives finished the business plan to create the “new” Frontier Airlines.

1994: the beginning!

• February 8, 1994

The new company was incorporated as Frontier Airlines

• March 15. 1994

The new headquarters office opened with a staff of 22, on a sunny and chilly day in Denver, celebrating the milestone with a nice juicy steak.

• July 5, 1994

Take off! Frontier launches their first flights. Operations begin with two Boeing 737-200s on routes linking Denver to Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot, N.D. Champagne was served.

1999 – 2004: the wonder years!

• July 5, 1999

Frontier celebrated their fifth anniversary of flight operations, having carried approximately 5.8 million passengers since July 1994. Employees: 1,700.

• 2004

The fleet gets a makeover, with each plane getting a wild animal painted on the tail.  There are over 50 different animals with unique personalities in all.

• May 6, 2004

EarlyReturns® mileage program places in the top three in five categories at the 2004 Freddie Awards for frequent flyer programs. The awards came after Frontier’s “Talking Animals” advertising campaign which won widespread critical accolades in 2004, including the Denver Advertising Federation’s (DAF) “Fame and Fortune” Award, four New York Festival Awards, nine Mobius Awards and one Cresta Award.

2005-2009: into the wild blue yonder!

• July 1, 2005

For the third consecutive year, Travel + Leisure magazine recognized Frontier Airlines as one of readers’ “Top 10 Domestic Airlines” in its World’s Best Awards.

• Nov. 3, 2005

The Department of Transportation released the “On Time Arrival Performance” report ranking all carriers at the 33 largest airports in America, and Frontier ranked #1 with 92.1% of flights arriving on time.

• Nov. 30, 2006

Frontier is named the best U.S. low-cost carrier by the readers of Business Traveler magazine.

• Dec. 24, 2007

Frontier Airlines received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for best use of On Demand Technology.

• March 31, 2009

Frontier wins its tenth consecutive award for excellence in safety and training from the FAA. A record number of our maintenance and engineering employees win the Diamond Award of Excellence.

A green FRONTIER

Frontier Airlines takes pride in their green initiatives.   They are setting themselves apart from other airlines.  Their fleet is newer and more fuel-efficient than the average domestic fleet by 25%. They are working on reducing fuel consumption, and therefore emissions, by becoming more efficient.  They recycle 80% of aluminum cans from flights and virtually 100% of cardboard products.

Anniversary Celebration

Frontier is celebrating their 19th birthday this year by offering 19% off fares for travel on July 4th and 5th, 2013.

Congratulations to Frontier Airlines on 19 successful years of service!

Big Boy franchise is still growing, and has over 1,000 locations nationwide, with locations in Canada and even Japan.  The oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy restaurant is the one located at 4211 W. Riverside Drive in Burbank, California, and was declared a historical landmark by the state of California in 1993.

The Creation of the Big Boy Double Decker Burger

As it would happen, one night a regular customer to Bob’s Pantry requested a hamburger, but wanted something different.  Bob accepted the challenge, went to work on creating a new burger, and so the first double-decker hamburger was born.  Customers loved the burger so much that Wian added it to his menu.  There was one neighborhood boy in particular, Richard Woodruff, who loved the new burger.  He would offer to help Bob sweep the restaurant in exchange for a free burger. Wian was inspired by the boy and named the new burger the Big Boy.  Shortly thereafter, a regular customer and Warner Bros. animation artist Ben Washam, sketched the boy on a napkin, and the infamous Big Boy character was born. The rest as they say, is history.

New Developments After 75 Years

Big Boy is always working to improve their restaurant, and this 75th year of service is no different. Big Boy is currently trying out some changes to their menu. This year, they are testing a new Blockbuster Breakfast in the Grand Rapids, Michigan test market, which has garnered great success so far. Likened to the Denny’s Grand Slam breakfast, customers can mix and match 3 to 5 breakfast options at a more affordable price point.

They’ve also added the build-your-own-burger option, giving guests the ability to customize their burger to perfection. Some restaurants are also expanding their salad bars, with a build-your-own baked potato bar at lunchtime, and a taco bar at night.

Big Boy is proud of their 75 years of food service, with their 75th anniversary logo stamped on cups, napkins, banners, and other decor throughout their restaurant.

Congratulations to Bob’s Big Boy restaurant on 75 years of service!

MACkite, originally known as the Mackinaw Kite Co., has been in business for over 30 years. It was founded by brothers Bob and Steve Negen, whose passion for flying kites prompted them to try selling kites for a living. In 1981, the Negen brothers decided to open the Mackinaw Kite Co., located in Mackinaw City, Michigan.  Due to its popularity and success, a second store soon followed in 1986, which is located in Grand Haven, Michigan.  The Grand Haven location has grown exponentially to include not just kites, but yo-yos, unique toys, windsocks and spinners, kiteboarding equipment, paddleboard equipment, and surf shop apparel and accessories. Today, MACkite is one of the most renowned, largest, and oldest kite stores in the world.

MACkite carries kites for all skill levels from beginner to expert, as well as kites of all types, shapes, and sizes. MACkite also offers kite lessons and safety courses for those new to the fun sport and hobby of kite flying.

Free Kiting Events from MACkite

MACkite holds several free events and festivals annually to promote the hobby and sport of kite flying.  Events include:

• The Great Lakes Kite Festival in May, the weekend before Memorial Day at Grand Haven State Park
• The Mackinaw City Kite Festival in June
• The King of the Great Lakes Kiteboarding Competition in September at Grand Haven State Park
• >One Sky One World International Kite Fly For Peace, 2nd Sunday in October at Grand Haven State Park
• The Reeds Lake Ice Fly in January or February (depending on ice conditions) in East Grand Rapids

Great Lakes Kite Festival Celebration

Mackinaw Kites & Toys recently hosted its 25th Annual Great Lakes Kite Festival.  The festival is fun for all observers and participants of all ages and skill levels.  The activities included:

• Kite Ballets – watch some of the world’s best kite flyers fly their kites synchronized to music – Saturday and Sunday afternoon
• World’s Largest Outdoor Kite Store- browse the best in kite flying gear and more – Friday afternoon through Sunday
• Inflatable Obstacle Course for kids – Saturday and Sunday afternoon
• Giant Kites- watch several kites flying that are as large as a school bus – All day Saturday and Sunday- wind permitting
• Indoor Fly- indoor kite flying competition – Friday night
• Kiteboarding Demonstrations – Saturday and Sunday afternoon- weather permitting
• Night Fly – illuminated kites light up the sky – Saturday at dusk
• Open Flying Field- bring your own kite or test fly a kite – Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Congratulations to MACkite on more than 30 years in business and in celebrating the 25th Annual Great Lakes Kite Festival!