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Commercial enterprises constituted the first organized wave of immigration from the Netherlands to North America during the early seventeenth century and led to the founding of Fort Nassau, which was only the second permanent European settlement in North America. Continuing Dutch immigration waves have produced …

“Dutch in Michigan”      Michigan has always attracted more Dutch than any other state. Most Dutch immigrants in the 19th century headed for Michigan. By 1900 Michigan counted one-third of the Dutch-born in the USA. Most Dutch lived in five counties—Allegan,Kent, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, and Ottawa. Southwestern Michigan was truly the Dutch center, centered in Grand Rapids. One-third of the Dutch …

The bridge between West Michigan and its Dutch roots is continuing to grow as a delegation of business leaders from the Netherlands again visited the region to explore West Michigan food processing and agricultural needs. >> Read Full Article

The Executive Committee of the West Michigan Global Initiative (WMGI) today announced the appointment of Holland, Mich., Mayor Kurt Dykstra to the WMGI Executive Committee and Advisory Board. Mayor Dykstra, who also is an attorney at Warner Norcross & Judd LLP in Holland, and his …

The One Fund’s mission to support those most impacted by the attacks iscontinuing as part of a collaborative effort to coordinate services tohelp the survivors and victims’ families. >> Read Full Article

Members of the West Michigan Global Initiative are wrapping up a seven-day trip to the Netherlands on Friday, as part of the organization’s focus on strengthening business ties between the country and West Michigan.  >>Read the full article

The Netherlands has the fifth-largest economy in the eurozone, even though its 2012 tax revenues dropped 9 percent and its GDP contracted.  Its estimated GDP is $770.2 billion, No. 24 in the world, according to the CIA World Factbook. In 2011, the U.S. imported $33 billion …