Founded originally in 1983 as the Grand Rapids Business Journal by publisher John Zwarensteyn, the publication came into being to offer a dedicated approach to the conventional news scene. The idea sparked when Zwarensteyn decided to create a platform that would strictly cover local business issues, economic events, and corporate growth in a way he felt was lacking in the mainstream daily newspapers of West Michigan. In 2023, the publication was rebranded as Crain's Grand Rapids Business, and the site continues to operate under the ownership of the national media powerhouse, Crain Communications. Today, Crain's Grand Rapids Business is run by a specialized team of local journalists and is mainly focused on business, commercial real estate, healthcare, and economic political news, generally bypassing standard pop culture entertainment and sports. They're based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and have made a name for themselves among business students, local entrepreneurs, and corporate professionals looking for a detailed take on the happenings in the regional economy. One interesting fact: A unique fact about Crain's Grand Rapids Business is how its modern version was born out of an intense local rivalry. To launch the site as it exists today, the parent company, Crain Communications, actually purchased two fiercely competing local business newspapers—the Grand Rapids Business Journal and MiBiz—and merged their competing newsrooms together into one single unified reporting team!