People talking about Grand Rapids

[RegalTDP]

"Bragging Rights: See where Michigan cities rank on best-of lists."

 

It's typical Mlive clickbait for sure, but I wasn't sure if it's meant be taken seriously or not.  It reads like a self-parody of GR's obsession with these dumb lists.

 

 

 

 

 

 -- Great picture, guys!  What an inspiring photo that perfectly encapsulates GR's bullish labor market.  YOU could be driving that school bus!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 -- Yep, sounds about right.

Edited November 29, 2014 by RegalTDP

[GRDadof3]

"Bragging Rights: See where Michigan cities rank on best-of lists."

 

It's typical Mlive clickbait for sure, but I wasn't sure if it's meant be taken seriously or not.  It reads like a self-parody of GR's obsession with these dumb lists.

 

 

 

 

 -- Great picture, guys!  What an inspiring photo that perfectly encapsulates GR's bullish labor market.  YOU could be driving that school bus!

 

 

 

 

 

 -- Yep, sounds about right.

 

I saw that article too and thought it was funny.

 

The most conservative and most liberal cities in America came out, and Grand Rapids!!!! Didn't make the list (either).

 

http://www.salon.com/2014/10/29/the_10_most_conservative_and_liberal_cities_in_america_partner/

[mpchicago]

I saw that article too and thought it was funny.

 

The most conservative and most liberal cities in America came out, and Grand Rapids!!!! Didn't make the list (either).

 

http://www.salon.com/2014/10/29/the_10_most_conservative_and_liberal_cities_in_america_partner/

 

The list was for cities with population over 250,000.  I guess we will have to wait for the list of cities under 250,000.

[RegalTDP]

The list was for cities with population over 250,000.  I guess we will have to wait for the list of cities under 250,000.

 

Since it's for cities and not metro areas, the City of GR wouldn't make top ten on those lists either.  Maybe Holland might.

[GRDadof3]

Since it's for cities and not metro areas, the City of GR wouldn't make top ten on those lists either.  Maybe Holland might.

 

Holland's city population is only 33,000.

 

It's interesting that they would only cover "cities" in this study and not MSA's, when most cities in the U.S. are only a fraction of their metro areas nowadays. Grand Rapids is only about 1/4 of its metro.

 

But anyway, I was joking.

[RegalTDP]

Holland's city population is only 33,000.

 

It's interesting that they would only cover "cities" in this study and not MSA's, when most cities in the U.S. are only a fraction of their metro areas nowadays. Grand Rapids is only about 1/4 of its metro.

 

But anyway, I was joking.

 

Yeah, only covering cities and not MSAs makes the whole exercise far less interesting of an endeavor.  #1 Mesa is Phoenix's largest suburb, but it's only about 11% of its own MSA.  So who cares, really...?

 

But anyways, yeah, I know you were joking. 

[arcturus]

Talking about the state (with an indirect local mention).  Pretty humorous.

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/ranking-the-united-states-of-america-from-best-to-worst?ref=twitter-869&share=c

[arcturus]

You guys are going to love this one:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/01/1417425/-When-Beer-City-Becomes-Fear-City-How-the-Billionaire-Class-Paints-Over-Poverty

 

[organsnyder]

We already have:

[Chester Cheeto]

I just ran across this article, I hadn't seen it posted on UP, so I apologize if I'm doubling up.

http://qz.com/495073/yet-another-great-thing-beer-can-do-revitalize-an-entire-midwestern-city/

[GRDadof3]

 

 

I just ran across this article, I hadn't seen it posted on UP, so I apologize if I'm doubling up.

 

http://qz.com/495073/yet-another-great-thing-beer-can-do-revitalize-an-entire-midwestern-city/

 

 

The Founders story is always interesting. Will be weird to see how much they grow in the next five years. I don't think people really understand how exponential it will be. 

Edited September 9, 2015 by GRDadof3

[EastownLeo]

 

The Founders story is always interesting. Will be weird to see how much they grow in the next five years. I don't think people really understand how exponential it will be. 

What volume are the currently producing?  What capacity does the new expansion allow?   With the Partnership with the european company they will be brewing in europe, correct?

At what point to the either hop over the roads at their current location or move some production off site?

[thebeerqueer]

What volume are the currently producing?  What capacity does the new expansion allow?   With the Partnership with the european company they will be brewing in europe, correct?

At what point to the either hop over the roads at their current location or move some production off site?

Their last expansion was a 300 barrel brew-house which puts their total capacity at around 900,000 barrels per year. I just listened to a Strange Brews podcast were Dave and Jeremy talked a lot about their partnership with Mahou-San Miguel. Eventually they will be brewing in Europe but that may take a while. I'd imagine that for a period of time they will be just distributing from Mahou. I wouldn't be surprised if they look out west in the next five years for some production there, while maintain the majority of production at their current location. I was just in Copenhagen and you can get All Day IPA and Porter on tap in some beer bars, not cheap but its available. It will be really interesting to watch their growth (and drink their beer) in the next few years.

[x99]

You guys are going to love this one:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/01/1417425/-When-Beer-City-Becomes-Fear-City-How-the-Billionaire-Class-Paints-Over-Poverty

What a fraud.  "Larry Hanley is the international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union..." (bio on ATUorg).  That explains a lot of his griping, which can be summarized as "screw those evil rich people that care about Grand Rapids.  They would do better  to leave the city to rot.  Rotten gentrifiers fixing up run-down slums and displacing the bus-riding elect.  Oh yeah, and can you believe they aren't giving bus drivers guaranteed pensions anymore and are paying the CEO 4.5x what a driver makes?  And that they raised the cost of a (still heavily subsidized) bus ticket? Those evil, conniving billionaires!"

Without the wealthy people who have given enormous sums of money, this city would be a rotting toilet.  Many of the comments are little more than intolerance and hatred for well-intentioned rich people, solely because said rich people might have a different political viewpoints, all topped off with a heavy dose of "conservative-church-on-every-corner Grand Rapids is an oppressive cesspit suckhole" talk.   Well, all of those churches did start Dwelling Place, Mel Trotter, and just about every other NGO in Grand Rapids that helps to serve the needs of the poor.  So there is that.  This sort of crap is why I try to avoid the highly partisan websites.  Far more name calling and thuggishness than thoughtfulness.

I like to see people talking about Grand Rapids, and helping to identify ways to help the poor, but some union president parading out billionaire paranoia and phony progressivism in order to promote a pay raise and benefit increase for local bus drivers who already make pretty good wages and benefits when compared to recent college grads?  Not to mention advocating the neighborhoods remains slums forever?  That doesn't really move the needle forward.  <tangent>Now, talking about the rules and regulations that make it almost impossible to build (or rebuild) affordable communities?  That would move the needle, but so far it hasn't become a popular cause or subject of discussion.  I'd love to see an article attacking the small apartment paranoia and railing against suburbaney greenspace, setback, height, and street width requirements.  But good luck with that one, since every good urban progressive these days needs a 900 square foot urban apartment sitting on a half acre lot with a yard next to a bike path.</tangent>

 

Edited September 9, 2015 by x99

[GRDadof3]

What volume are the currently producing?  What capacity does the new expansion allow?   With the Partnership with the european company they will be brewing in europe, correct?

At what point to the either hop over the roads at their current location or move some production off site?

Here's an article out recently. Interestingly All Day IPA is driving most of their sales (like Oberon for Bell's). 

http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/09/09/ipa-founders-brewing/71921888/

They're projecting to go from 420,000 barrels in 2016 to 900,000 in a few years. How is that possible? I was thinking that now that they've established a beachhead (established distributor relations) in 35 states, it's pretty easy to double your sales. If you have one distributor in each State (hypothetically speaking), which is the heavy work, it's relatively easy to establish another distributor. ie, you get a distributor in Denver, for instance. Once your brand becomes pretty well known, you'll have distributors in Boulder or Colorado Springs who want to carry your beer. In turn, those distributors are working hard to grow your brand into new restaurants and bars, if they know it's sought after and makes them good money. If each distributor grows the brand 20%, you're on fire (because the numbers are relatively small at each end of the network but all add up to monstrous volume back at home).

Add 10 more States and the numbers begin to really multiply. Take States where you might be able to set up 6 or 7 distributors, like anywhere on the East coast or Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, where there are 8 - 10 good sized metro areas, then that grows exponentially. My guess is that's why Founders is actually behind the 8 ball right now.

Obviously there's a point of diminishing returns, where you can't double every 3 - 4 years anymore. At what point, who knows. Maybe somewhere around 2 million barrels, about where the largest craft brewers now sit? Yuengling are the guys to beat right now. 

I wouldn't be surprised that in five years they're ramping up to handle 1.5 million barrels, whether they really want to or not. To go to that volume, will they be able to add on in the city of GR? 

As far as production goes, it's pretty cool that they decided to go vertical with their operations (build up). That way they didn't have to leave Grand Rapids yet. Plus, I have to believe that their costs will go down with expansion (economies of scale). Those big fermenters probably greatly reduce your cost per unit to produce. Wonder if the larger process affects taste?

 

 

I'm really just spitballing, but it's fun anyway to think about. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 2015 by GRDadof3

[x99]

Here's an article out recently. Interestingly All Day IPA is driving most of their sales (like Oberon for Bell's). 

http://www.freep.com/story/money/business/michigan/2015/09/09/ipa-founders-brewing/71921888/

Good for them, although it's sort of sad, because that is basically the PBR of craft beer.  

Edited September 9, 2015 by x99

[GRDadof3]

Good for them, although it's sort of sad, because that is basically the PBR of craft beer.  

I would compare it to Oberon, although I think it tastes better than Oberon (I can't get the taste of dish soap out of my mind when I drink it now).

I actually like Yuengling better than All Day though. 

[GRDadof3]

New York Magazine Travel section:

http://nymag.com/travel/weekend-escapes/grandrapids/

 

[GRDadof3]

The PR team for ArtPrize (take a wild guess) apparently put a bunch of NY arts writers on a private plane, put them up in the Amway Grand, chauffeured them around town in the AP sponsor cars, and the result was as you can imagine, less than stellar:

http://artforum.com/diary/id=55713

http://gawker.com/welcome-to-artprize-a-radically-open-far-right-art-c-1739167678

I don't mind critiques, especially of AP, but these seemed a big aloof and childish at the same time.

On the other hand, the organizers of Michigan House during AP invited a bunch of bloggers to come visit during ArtPrize and write about it. Nothing fancy, just a guided tour of many of GR's epicurean delights. The result was astounding.

If you go down to the bottom of this one, you can see all the links to all the blogs and Instragram accounts:

http://sidewalkready.com/2015/10/middle-west-and-michigan-house-a-recap/

 

[joeDowntown]

Pretty typical "flyover city" type reporting. Not a shocker.

Joe

[MJLO]

I'm not sure what the PR people thought was going to happen.  I've yet to read a piece like that where the author wasn't further left of Nancy Pelosi.  Of course they were going to take an opportunity to write a hit piece against the DeVos's.  

If they wanted more objectivity they should have kept the DeVos/Amway names as far away from it as they could. Let them stay at the JW and come and go as they please.  I'm sure they still would have belittled the crap out of the area, It still would have had them focus more on what they came for, than trying to advance an agenda.

[organsnyder]

They didn't expect him to be writing for Gawker:

Gaines said he wasn't surprised by the article.

"You don't get a Gawker article that's going to be a positive article about anything," he said. "They're in the business of writing salacious articles to titillate and outrage."

What did surprise Gaines was that details of Moskowitz' junket appeared in Gawker at all.

Moskowitz was accredited as a journalist working for Al Jazeera and The Guardian of London, Gaines said.

"We feel that his objectives were politically based, and we were misinformed," he said.

http://www.mlive.com/artprize/index.ssf/2015/10/visiting_gawker_correspondent_blasts_artprize_as_radically_open_far-right.html#incart_river_home

[GRDadof3]

I'm not sure what the PR people thought was going to happen.  I've yet to read a piece like that where the author wasn't further left of Nancy Pelosi.  Of course they were going to take an opportunity to write a hit piece against the DeVos's.  

If they wanted more objectivity they should have kept the DeVos/Amway names as far away from it as they could. Let them stay at the JW and come and go as they please.  I'm sure they still would have belittled the crap out of the area, It still would have had them focus more on what they came for, than trying to advance an agenda.

 

I agree, they should have downplayed the Amway angle, even though Amway provided the jet and the hotel rooms. The one writer for ArtForum said they spent an extra hour at Meijer Gardens touring the Japanese Garden, and when asked why that instead of seeing more ArtPrize, the delegation leader said that "Amway Japan was a priority to them." SERIOUSLY??

Talk about asking for criticism and wasting your guests' time.

It's what Amway does though. I was at a social media conference here years ago and an Amway rep said they invite their biggest critics to their HQ all the time and put them up in the hotel, in an effort to change their narrative about Amway.

The Gawker writer skipped out on a bunch of scheduled stuff so that he could sit down and have breakfast with Jeff Smith of GRIID, that bastion of unbiased journalism who flamed a racial war in East Hills that didnt' exist.

They also probably should have researched Peter Moskovitz first, who hit it big on Gawker with a hit piece against Detroit and Dan Gilbert (he seems to have some fascination with bashing Michigan cities):

http://gawker.com/how-two-billionaires-are-remaking-detroit-in-their-flaw-1700397768

 

 

 

Edited October 29, 2015 by GRDadof3

[GR_Urbanist]

They didn't expect him to be writing for Gawker:

http://www.mlive.com/artprize/index.ssf/2015/10/visiting_gawker_correspondent_blasts_artprize_as_radically_open_far-right.html#incart_river_home

I almost cant even type what I really think of these people.

I've just about had it with these  types. Every year it's the same snotty put-downs of ArtPrize by the same losers. The kind that like to call themselves "liberals" or "progressives". They are just intolerant jerks that seek to just crap on events like this and Grand Rapids as a whole. Why? Because they have to walk around people that live a different way than they? I guess the type of diversity they claim to crave doesn't include people here. And what makes me even more angry are the numerous posts on these stories from people that live here that are so hell-bent on making everyone as miserable as they are.

No matter how much money local places make. No matter how many good memories we all take away, no matter how great a vibe there is, they just want so badly to take that all away because they are the real Puritan kill-joys. They are the real psycho "morality" police they pretend everyone else is. Not to mention the dozens of comments on stories like this excoriating the DeVos family for the fact  that they even still breath the air they do, and had the nerve to create ArtPrize. I guess because the art event they had on the drawing board was just about to launch, but these people completely ruined it? These losers cannot stand that someone with money decided to create something for all of us to enjoy.

What was their alternative? WHERE IS THEIR ALTERNATIVE????? In the past 7 years I've yet to see any of these people put on anything remotely like this, but they have time to complain and be envious. They see themselves are so creative, yet they arent in one of those better cities making the big bucks. Oh nooooooo, they are in GR screaming about capitalism and Christians making their 1st world lives so "hard". Example quotes:

Not an Art Show, it's whore mongering for $$$$$$.

Art Prize was, is, and always will be a phony-baloney, plastic-banana, good-time rock 'n roll Charley trying to be something it clearly is not.

 

And just what do they find so distasteful about the entries at ArtPrize? They talk about them as if the stuff you find in some dank Brooklyn basement turned into a "hip" gallery has something more impressive? Open up a copy of Art in America or Artfourm magazine and you will find stuff you woulds swear was an ArtPrize entry. Like see the image below. THAT is in an actual NYC gallery. At Art Prize it would be called trash by these guys.

 

 

These are people that consider a Bansky stencil to be "cutting edge", but if it was in ArtPrize, they would be bellyaching about how low-brow and corny it looked. And where are their entries?

 

I lived here my whole life, and I've yet to find the fences keeping these people here. There are dozens of roads leading in every direction to finer destinations that these people need to start taking advantage of. If they dont seem able to pull off migrating to a better place, then maybe they can do us all a favor and put a sock in it and allow people to just enjoy this. Life is too short to live how these sad people demand we should.

[GRDadof3]

Here's one last piece about the guy, complete with an interview, and then it's probably time to move on.

http://fox17online.com/2015/10/28/grand-rapids-gawking-over-published-art-prize-slam/