Petoskey : Innovation + Job News

Each year, companies across Michigan that are in the second stage of development and poised to grow and succeed are chosen for the 50 Companies to Watch awards.

This year, there are a significant number of them located in northwest Michigan, which says only good things about the direction our regional economy is headed.

All together, the 50 companies honored this year had $937 million in revenue and added 728 employees from 2009 through 2012.

Traverse City is home to six of the 50 businesses. They are Altus Brands, LLC, a specialty brand manufacturer founded in 2007; Cherry Capital Foods, a agricultural distributor which is expected to add up to 38 jobs in the next few years; Critter Control, headed by Kevin Clark, which will bring as many as 25 jobs to the state in the next few years; Grand Traverse Distillery, founded in 2006, a craft liquor manufacturer; retailer M22, founded in 2003 by Keegan Myers; and Moomers Homemade Ice Cream, which will add about 30 jobs in the next couple of years.

In Reed City, H&H Wildlife Design and Fur Dressing, Inc., headed by Mark Marlette and founded in 2002, was also on the 50 Companies to Watch list, as was manufacturer Cadillac Culvert, Inc. in Cadillac, founded in 2012 and owned by Donald Aldrich.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Michigan Economic Development Corp.

Several northwest Michigan businesses were among those honored as "Stars" of the state tourism industry in April.

The Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association hands out "Star of the Year" awards each year at the Pure Michigan Governor's Conference, and this year our area was well-represented, with award recipients from Acme, Bellaire, Gaylord and Traverse City.

Aaron McIntyre of Treetops Resort in Gaylord was awarded Seasonal Star of the Year for 2013. He's the assistant manager for the resort's golf and ski shop, and has worked there since 2005. He won the award for his personal initiative to improve the golf shop and willingness to take on any task.

Doug Cook is the kids' experience coordinator at Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, and oversees the resort's childrens' club. He won the 2013 Attraction Star of the Year award and also recently won the hotel's employee of the year award for the regard in which Cook's fellow employees and happy customers hold him.

The 2013 Sales and Marketing Star of the Year was Chris Hale at Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire. Hale is VP of the resort and oversees all departments that produce traffic and revenue. His marketing efforts for Shanty Creek's fiftieth anniversary included extending the brand message with a statewide campaign, new resort-wide campaigns and launching a custom print publication called "Traditions."

The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Acme received the Good Earth Keeping Award for 2013, accepted by general manager Tim Norman. It's not the first time the resort's environmental efforts have gained notice; it won the Northern Michigan Environment Action Council award in 2011. Among its achievements: in the first year of a new green program, the resort composted more than 100 tons of food waste, diverted more than 40 cubic yards of plastics from landfills, and reduced overall waste by more than 40 percent.

Other award recipients came from Birmingham, Dearborn, Detroit, East Lansing, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Sault Ste. Marie.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association

Citizens National Bank locations in Alanson and Pellston have a new leader, as Suzanne Leestma was recently hired on as branch manager for both of those branches.

"Suzanne brings nearly 30 years of banking and leadership experience to Citizens National Bank and I am confident that her knowledge of the industry will allow her to be a strong leader in our Alanson branch and Emmet County," says bank president and CEO Sue Eno.

Leestma's educational background includes a degree from North Central Michigan College and the American Institute of Banking. She also holds a license in life, accident and health insurance.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Citizens National Bank

Family-owned clothing retailer Glik's announced its Petoskey store will have a new manager.

Diane Gofourth was promoted to manager of the Glik's store in the Bear Creek Crossings center in Petoskey. She previously was a manager of Glik's in Traverse City.

The apparel and shoe store is a private chain with 59 locations in nine states, and has been adding staff and locations across Michigan and Wisconsin in recent years.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Glik's

Petoskey Plastics announced that the company has named Todd Robinson to the position of director of film operations.

The company, which has facilities in Petoskey as well as Tennessee and Indiana, hired Robinson in 2010 as director of organizational development. His new position will require him to oversee the quality, manufacturing and engineering in all three of the company's facilities.

Robinson is no stranger to the blown film industry, having worked for Linear Films, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company and Atlantis Plastics.

He is a graduate of Northeastern State University in Oklahoma where he earned a bachelor's in industrial technology.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Petoskey Plastics

Three employees were recently promoted within the ranks of The Bank of Northern Michigan.

The company, which has offices in both Traverse City and Petoskey, announced that it has promoted Linda Reynolds, Betsy Van Orman and Michele Doucette.

Reynolds is the newest private banker for the company. She was promoted from her previous position of client services manager. Doucette is now a personal banker, having earned a promotion from deposit operations clerk. Van Orman, who was the previous personal banker, was promoted to the position of client services manager.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: The Bank of Northern Michigan

It looks like Century 21 Northland has no intention of slowing down its growth as it recently announced the hiring of four new real estate agents to its staff.

The real estate brokerage, believed to be the fastest growing in Northern Michigan, hired Molly Buttleman, Camille Campbell, Rebecca Mann and Cherie Robinson to help meet the needs of new and existing clients at the Century 21 Northland Traverse City office.

Buttleman is no stranger to the Traverse City area, bringing with her three decades of restaurant management in the area with focus on human resources and customer satisfaction. Buttleman also has a background in custom home construction.

Campbell, who will work with both the TC office and the Elk Rapids location, has four years experience selling real estate and specializes in properties in the Chain of Lakes region.

Mann has more than six years of experience in the real estate industry. She is from Traverse City and has thorough knowledge of the Northwest Michigan region.

Robinson brings more than a decade of real estate experience to Century 21 Northland and has gained it all while buying and selling properties in northern Michigan. She specializes in residential, vacant land and commercial properties and has been a multi-million-dollar producer for several years.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Century 21 Northland

Northwestern Bank has a new president and CEO with the retirement of Harry Calcutt and the hiring of Daniel Terpsma.

The bank, which is headquartered in Traverse City and has branch offices peppered throughout the northern portion of the state, named Terpsma the new president and CEO following Calcutt's announcement in January that he was retiring. Additionally, the bank announced Terpsma has also been appointed to the board of directors.

Terpsma has more than 30 years of experience in the financial field, including more than two decades in community banking. He has previously been a regional bank president, among other high-level management positions with various financial institutions.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Northwestern Bank

Downtown Boyne City has been serious about growth, redevelopment and placemaking in recent years, and some of that effort is paying off, as it recently got added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office, which is part of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, announced the addition of seven historic sites in Michigan to the national register, including central Boyne City.

The new Boyne City Central Historic District runs south from the Boyne River to Main Street, east from Front Street along Ray and Water streets, and from Boyne Avenue to Pearl Street.

"The designation of these properties and districts provides public recognition of their historic and architectural distinction and also opportunities for property owners to use federal historic preservation tax credits for rehabilitating the income-producing buildings," says state historic preservation officer Brian Conway. "The preservation of historic buildings preserves community identity. By rehabilitating and reusing these structures we contribute to economic growth without destroying what makes each community unique."

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Michigan State Historic Preservation Office

The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs announced more than 300 grants statewide, and many northwest Michigan agencies will be among those benefiting.

To receive the grants, 401 organizations applied, asking for $8.9 million. Overall, $5.7 million was granted statewide from the Program for Operational and Projects Support, the Capital Improvement Program, the Regional Regranting program and the Services to the Field program.

In Benzie County, the Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts got $40,500 while the Michigan Legacy Art Park got $19,000.

In Charlevoix County, the Raven Hill Discovery Center received $15,000, as did the Ludington Area Arts Council in Mason County and the Gaylord Area Council for the Arts in Otsego County.

In Emmet County, the Bay View Music Festival got $11,250; the Blissfest Music Organization got $48,750; the Crooked Tree Arts Council, Inc. got $67,500; the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society got $6,000 and Voices Without Borders got $10,455.

In Leelanau County, the Glen Arbor Art Association got $4,500 and the Leelanau Community Cultural Center got $19,000.

Grand Traverse County was far from left out, with the Great Lakes Children's Museum getting $17,000; the History Center of Traverse City getting $15,000; the Interlochen Center for the Arts getting $82,500; The Music House getting $15,000; Northwestern Michigan College's Dennos Museum getting $25,500, the Old Town Playhouse getting $15,000; Rotary Charities of Traverse City getting $42,920; and the Traverse Symphony Orchestra getting $5,000.

In total, the grants support organizations with 10,718 full time employees and an additional 54,868 contracted Michigan artists. The programs or exhibits offered will be attended by about 50 million people, about 10 million of which are youth.

"Once again we are grateful for the support this sector has received from Gov. Rick Snyder and the legislature and for their confidence in MCACA," said MCACA Chairman Drew Buchholz. "Their confidence in MCACA allows us to directly support organizations whose work does so much to enhance Michigan's image, improve education, stimulate cultural tourism, and strengthen communities statewide by impacting local economies and creating a better quality of life. This is truly an amazing sector."

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs

There are two new employees of Northern Michigan Review and their focus is the sale of advertising in the company's niche publications.

Carol Donohue and Robin Petruska recently joined the staff at the Petoskey-based company, which is the parent company of the Petoskey News-Review, as niche sales specialists. Their responsibilities are focused on helping advertising clients secure space in publications such as Home Life and Up North Bride magazines, summer and winter editions of The Guide, and the Northern Michigan Health & Wellness Directory.

Donohue has more than 30 years of experience in advertising and Petruska has held numerous sales positions.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Northern Michigan Review

If you're looking for a new chiropractor or are tired of not being able to get into one of the other offices in the area, you should get in touch with Dr. Lindsay Figley, the newest addition to the staff at the Saks Wellness Center.

Figley, who is originally from Roscommon, has a degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic. Prior to taking the position with the Saks Wellness Center, Figley practiced in Ireland.

Figley is currently accepting new patients and appointments. She is available at the Saks Wellness Center, which is located at 1447 S. Ostego Avenue in Gaylord.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Saks Wellness Center

Placemaking can cover a variety of initiatives and strategies, from the super-scaled to the very small. Some of those on the latter end of the spectrum are receiving micro-grants from the Northwest Michigan Council of Goverments locally.

Four placemaking projects are getting grants of $1,500 each in Boyne City, Petoskey, Manistee and Lake City. The grants, available in a competitive format to municipalities and governments in Charlevoix, Emmet, Manistee and Missaukee counties, are specifically to help achieve placemaking goals.

"The goal for these placemaking micro-grants is to assist local efforts to enhance their communities' public spaces and to begin to implement them," says Matt McCauley, NWMCOG director of regional planning and community development. "Often it is the small ideas that grow from the community that create interesting usable public places."

Boyne City will use its grant to install bicycle racks that also serve as public art in eight locations in the city's downtown, helping it be more bicycle-friendly and enhance the downtown.

In Petoskey, the money will help wayfinding efforts in the Bear River Valley Recreation Area, including mapping, brochures, kiosk construction, signage, and a cell phone interpretive tour.

The City of Manistee Downtown Development Association will use its grant on a signage and wayfinding project for the U.S. 31 and River Street intersection, which is designed to help U.S. 31 motorists navigate Manistee's historic commercial district.

In Lake City, the grant was also to the downtown development association, which will put it toward wayfinding for the new, permanent city dock. New signs will help dock users connect to the downtown district and associated businesses.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Matt McCauley, Northwest Michigan Council of Governments

Longtime Petoskey law firm Stroup Erhart and Lyons has not only a new name, but two new lawyers joining the company.

William Meengs and Jennifer Deegan are the two new hires, and will work from the firm's offices in Pennsylvania Plaza in Petoskey. In addition, Meengs' name is now part of the firm's; it will be Stroup Erhart, Lyons and Meengs, P.C.

Meengs has been practicing law for 18 years and focuses on estate planning, elder law, real estate and corporate law. A Petoskey native, he graduated from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1994. Most recently, he has been the owner and principal attorney of Meengs Law Group.

Deeganm, of Harbor Springs, has more than 16 years of experience and focuses on family law, divorce, criminal law, juvenile proceedings and general law. She graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy's School of Law in 1996, and her background includes work as a prosecutor in Wayne, Sanilac and Charlevoix counties.

Nathaniel Stroup, partner with the firm, says Meengs and Deegan bring new blood and a wealth of experience to the table.

"The firm is fortunate to have secured the services of two highly respected and experienced attorneys in the area to join our team," Stroup says. "Our team is now more age diverse, and poised to continue offering the same high-quality legal services that the firm has offered in Northern Michigan since 1959."

Meengs and Deegan joined a legal team that also includes attorneys Jim Erhart, Pete Lyons and Jane Nelson.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Mike Stroup, Stroup, Erhart, Lyons and Meengs P.C.

It is impressive when an employee hangs in a business for a decade these days, let alone 30 of them before deciding to buy the business and keep it running.

That's what Terry Holborn did. Holborn has worked at the Gaylord Dry Cleaners for three decades and this past spring she purchased the business and became the owner.

Gaylord Dry Cleaners is located a 209 S. Ostego Avenue and is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In addition to dry cleaning services, customers can rent tuxedos, shoes, have bulk laundry done as well as alterations.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Gaylord Dry Cleaning