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"Being a B CORP gives us more to think about as a company and inspires us to reach and stretch..."

“...From affordable healthcare, retirement planning, profit sharing, volunteering in the community working towards zero waste, and donating 10% of profits to charitable causes, we want Brewery Vivant to serve as a beacon in the beer industry while elevating the business community as a whole.”

- Kris Spaulding

Owner of Brewery Vivant

Local First Means...

Local isn't a place, it's people. It's reintegrating our lives, connecting in practical ways with the people we live and work with. Local First is another way of saying "People first." West Michigan is a region that has put people first, through entrepreneurial enterprise, compassionate service, and an intimate connection with the environment.

We have launched global businesses by doing the right things here at home. For us, sustainability isn't an ideal, but a foundational principle and lifestyle. Local First exists to assist and collaborate with sustainable enterprises in their success.

Fast Facts

Why Local First

Communities thrive when neighbors buy from locally owned businesses, those businesses invest in their neighbors as customers and employees, and everyone develops sustainable lifestyles that engage and enhance their physical environment.

Local First engages, humanizes, and preserves

what's best about people living and working together. It makes better places by making those places about people. It preserves and strengthens the social and economic bonds that hold a community together. It encourages investment and enriches families, homes, civic organizations, and businesses that are organized around them.

Local First Leads

PROMOTING B CORPS “B Corp” is short for “benefit corporation,” which is a designation earned by companies that are focused on the Triple Bottom Line of people, profits, and planet. Our goal is to grow the presence and impact of B Corps in West Michigan and be a national leader in convening B Corps invested in community impact.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS CONFERENCE In 2008, we launched our first conference, INsight, bringing together businesses and leaders to share their successes, struggles, and best practices.

LOCALMOTION AWARDS In 2011, we began these awards to promote best business practices and spotlight the outstanding work in sustainability that makes our community more vibrant.

MEASURE WHAT MATTERS In 2014, we partnered with B Lab and BALLE to create a baseline sustainability assessment for entrepreneurs to measure what matters and compare themselves to other businesses like theirs around the country.

Join the Movement!

With your support, we can deepen the impact of businesses in our community and continue to make West Michigan a national thought leader for sustainable business development.