Horrock’s installs turbine
to draw power from wind

Lansing-based Horrock’s Farm Market recently installed a wind turbine generator that will produce approximately 200-1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month—just under 10 percent of the electricity required to run the large facility. The turbine and its installation, provided by Bauer Power in Wayland, Michigan, cost approximately $15,000 and will help lower the business’s electricity bills, estimated at $150,000 per year.

The turbine—which is totally automatic, non-polluting and quiet—took less than a day to install. It is connected to Lansing’s power grid, so that when the store is not drawing power from it, the electricity goes out to supply the community.

“This is not rocket science—we know how to do these things, we just need to do them,” said Autumn Horrock, a spokesperson for the business.

Lansing’s Old Town business district has been named the grand prize winner of “Small Business, Big Dreams,” a national contest sponsored by Swiss retailer IKEA. Communities competed for a $50,000 “main street makeover” by creating videos promoting their local small businesses. The video submitted by nearby Grand Ledge was also highly rated by visitors to the contest’s website.

Old Town’s $50,000 makeover will include select use of IKEA designers and select furnishings from IKEA, to help transform the physical space of up to 10 businesses and a check for $5,000. Work is expected to begin in November.

James and Feyenne Storrer, longtime owners of Storrer’s Clothing in Owosso, have decided not to reopen their business after a fire at a nearby business on July 4 in downtown Owosso heavily damaged the store and the entire downtown block. The store had been in business since 1891.

The Gift and Home Channel, an Internet site targeting the independent retail industry, is holding The Great Halloween Window Contest, an opportunity for retailers to show off their creative Halloween window displays. The grand prize is $1,000 and nine runners-up will receive $500. All winning photos will be displayed on the website, and the grand prize winner will be interviewed and featured on the site.

The contest is open to any independent retailer in the USA or Canada. To enter, retailers must upload digital photos of their store window displays along with a brief description by midnight, October 31. For more information or to enter the contest, visit www1.giftandhomechannel.com.

Saper Galleries and Custom Framing, East Lansing, was recently honored by Décor Magazine, a national trade pub-lication serving the art and framing industry, with the Number One Gallery of the Year Award in 2007. Saper won in the category of exhibitions and events, based on the Picasso exhibition which it created and displayed in 2006. Galleries from around the world were judged by a panel of industry experts at the magazine’s national headquarters in St. Louis, with awards given in six categories.

Robert Price has joined the management team at Art Van Furniture’s corporate offices in Warren as vice president of merchandising. In his new role he leads the company’s buying staff and provides direction for merchandise selection and assortment mix. Price brings over 30 years of retail experience with JC Penney Company.

Walker-based Meijer has launched a new own-label line of electronics—including DVD players, televisions, stereos and clock radios—described as offering “excellent performance, modern styles and features at a great price.” The brand name being used is “gfm,” and the brand slogan being used is “technology within reach.”