Moving Up A Notch
By Business Journal Staff
Published: August 4, 2003
Notch up another: The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce office water cooler might have sprung a leak if the contest continued. It seems GRACC Vice President of public policy and governmental affairs Rusty Merchant initiated a new version of the male libido game, in which he “scored” for any mention of his name in Street Talk boldface type. The “contest” was limited in participation to GRACC President John Brown, by Merchant’s rules, believing he could best his boss on the back page (the contest for page 1 had not yet arrived). The contest was a direct result of the merciless teasing Merchant endured for his appearance in sister publication Grand Rapids Magazine as one of “20 under 40 Faces of the Future.” It wasn’t what he said (we’ll get to that), but the indescribable color of his socks worn in the accompanying photo shoot that had him posed cross-legged on the floor. (December 2002 issue, for those who want to look back.)

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