Holland business owner honored by Obama

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A West Michigan man was honored in the Rose Garden of the White House Tuesday as a Small Business Owner of the Year by President Barack Obama.

Charles Reid purchased Charter House Innovations in Holland in September 2004 and re-branded it CHi. Since then, sales increased 450% and he's created more than 130 jobs.

CHi is a manufacturer specializing in fast food design concepts, and the newly re-opened McDonald's in Holland features their designs and furnishings.

At the Rose Garden ceremony, President Obama also announced a new package he says will spur job growth. This proposed program includes a $30 billion small business lending fund, a $20 billion fund that would be used by state programs to encourage lending.

Obama asked Congress for bipartisan support to quickly pass the initiative to fund what he called "the driving force behind this recovery."

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