William D. Batt, president of the Grand Rapids By-Products Company and also executive head of W. D. Batt, dealers in hides and furs, gives the greater part of his time and attention to the active supervision of the affairs of the latter concern, he being virtually the sole owner of the business thereof. He is one of the vigorous and forward-looking business men of the type that has given precedence to Grand Rapids as an industrial and commercial center of great importance, and the city can claim no more loyal and pubic-spirited citizen than William D. Batt. He can claim the fine old Buckeye state as the place of his nativity, his birth having occurred at Oxford, Ohio, February 11, 1869, and he having been reared and educated in Ohio, where also were staged his earlier business activities. After his marriage Mr. Bat removed to Richmond, Indiana, where he engaged in the hide business, and in 1905 he came to Grand Rapids and became buyer for the Kiefer tannery. After the lapse of about eight months he transferred to the James S. Smith Company, local representatives of the United States Leather Company, of Ottawa County, Michigan, he remained six months with the latter corporation. He then purchased the business of this company, which he has since successfully continued under the title of W. D. Batt, with an extensive trade in hides and furs. He ships his produce mostly to Boston, for the eastern market, and has made numerous export shipments also. In addition to his conducting of this prosperous enterprise Mr. Batt is president of the Grand Rapids By-Products Company, the well-equipped manufacturing plant of which is established at 28-30 Louis street and given principally to the manufacturing of stock food.