In the West Michigan Is Going Places series, we are talking with local business owners and community leaders about their business successes and challenges and highlighting the resources available in the West Michigan business community.
In this interview, we spoke with Glenn Turek of Meadows Crossing, an apartment community that provides affordable, upscale, off-campus housing In Allendale for Grand Valley State University students.
RM: Tell us a little about what your business does and how it got started.
Glenn Turek: At Meadows Crossing Apartments we rent apartments to college students. We developed the property in 2006–2007 to meet the growing demand for off-campus housing by GVSU students.
How has your business changed since you first started out?
Glenn Turek: In the beginning years, we rarely dealt with the parents of our student residents. Now parents are very involved in helping their children navigate selecting and leasing off-campus housing.
What makes you passionate about what you do?
Glenn Turek: We strive to offer more than just a place to live. Our goal is to positively impact the lives of our student residents by helping them learn to live safely and meaningfully away from home.
How has being here in West Michigan helped your business?
Glenn Turek: West Michigan has a healthy business climate and very nice natural amenities such as Lake Michigan.
What’s your approach to customer service and connecting with the community?
Glenn Turek: Our mantra is to listen carefully to our customers and be nice, friendly, and as helpful as possible to them.
How do you plan to grow or adapt your business for the future?
Glenn Turek: We are always listening to our residents’ concerns and then making adjustments based upon their feedback.
Are there any local organizations or networks that have been particularly helpful for you in building your business?
Glenn Turek: We have appreciated a close relationship with GVSU’s Housing Department. We meet with GVSU housing administrators throughout the year to discuss ideas to improve our mutual housing businesses.
We have participated in a security and safety group for 19 years. This group includes GVSU leaders, other student apartment community managers and owners, GVSU Police Department officers, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department officers, Allendale Township Fire Department firefighters, and the Allendale Township supervisor. We meet to discuss the safety of our residents in Allendale and to work together to proactively ward off crime schemes.
