Williamston : Innovation & Job News

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

Lansing-based Granger Energy Services has added five landfill gas utilization projects this year and is looking to add at least two more by the end of the year.

The landfill gas utilization projects allow Granger to generate electricity by using engine generators set to recover methane gas produced by the landfill. The generated renewable energy is then sold to a local utility.

The Michigan-based projects that went online this year include the Wood Road Generating Station, South Kent Generating Station and White Feather Generating Station. Granger also brought the Conestoga Landfill Gas Recovery Project in Pennsylvania and the Trans-Jordan Generating Station in Utah online.

"We believe this type of renewable energy is the most reliable form of renewable energy because all plants are online 98 or 99 percent of the time," says Granger Chief Executive Officer Keith Granger. "Other sources of renewable energy, such as wind and solar, may only remain online less than 20 percent of the time."

Granger also builds "direct-use" fuel partnerships with landfills across the nation. These partnerships allow Granger to pipe the landfill gas fuel to nearby industrial users.

Combined, Granger has 14 direct use and landfill gas-to-electric projects online in six states. Granger is looking to add more sites as demand requires.

Granger was the first company in Michigan to sell landfill gas and is one of the few such companies that also develops these projects.

Source: Tonia Olson, Granger

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here. 

All Photographs © Dave Trumpie

Photographer Terri Shaver is using her art to help local families through the grieving process.

Shaver is the founder of The Oldham Project, a nonprofit photography effort that ensures families take family portraits before a loved one dies.

“Everyone talks about having a family portrait done, but they never make the time to do it,” she says. “Not until someone in the family passes away that they say, ‘I wish we would have done that.’”

Hospice of Lansing and Ele’s Place refer families to Shaver who photographs them in their homes or in her studio.

“The response has been so positive from those agencies,” she says.

Before starting The Oldham Project, Shaver volunteered with the Denver-based non-profit Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep where she photographed still born babies and babies that died while at the hospital.

“It occurred to me that there was nothing in place like that for older people or even for children,” she says. Shaver says she wants to make the experience as pleasant and as easy for the families as possible, which is why she is willing to travel to take the photos and does not charge for her services.  

Source: Terri Shaver, The Oldham Project

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) released a 10- year regional strategic plan that outlines a plan to improve the region by attracting and retaining talent, supporting business and entrepreneurship and creating a sense of place, among other things.

LEAP started working with the Michigan State University (MSU) Land Policy Institute on the assessment in January, first gathering and analyzing economic trends from across the country. Capital region assets were then assessed and compared to more than 50 other regions.

“This really came from the beginning of LEAP,” says Denyse Ferguson, LEAP president and CEO. “The idea was to get all of the different players in the region working together toward specific strategic objectives.”

The “Greater Lansing Next,” plan illustrates specific strategies for making the region more friendly to businesses and entrepreneurs; creating attractive live-and-work spaces; enhancing core assets; and strengthening regional cooperation.

“We will take all of the research and will work with self-selected leaders in each of the strategic priority areas and sector areas,” she says, adding that anyone is invited to participate in carrying out the plan.

Source: Denyse Ferguson, LEAP

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.

Lansing-based Prima Civitas is using its second $200,000 Mott Foundation grant to continue three programs designed to foster entrepreneurship in the region.

The grant funds three specific areas that fall under the Moving Ideas to Market (MI2M) initiative. The first, IGNITE (not to get confused with IgniteLansing!), focuses on integrating entrepreneurship into the K-12 education system.

“It also looks at components (projects) that are fun that can get kids interested in entrepreneurship,” says Holly Hetzner, special projects administrator and legal affairs specialist for Prima Civitas.

The second piece, EnGen, works toward creating entrepreneurial opportunities for college students.

“We’re building a network that universities can use to collaborate and feel free to talk about the programs going on in their host communities,” she says.

The last component, Jumpstart is “for everyone else.”

“This is for everyone who is not a child or a college student and wants to learn how to pitch before a venture capitalist,” she says.

All three of the teams are comprised of 20-25 volunteers. A MI2M conference is being held during Global Entrepreneurship Week starting at 9:30 a.m., Nov. 17 at the Lexington Hotel in Lansing. The event is open to the public and will feature each group. To RSVP by Nov. 13, click here.

Source: Holly Hetzner, Prima Civitas Foundation

Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains and can be reached here.