Charlevoix : 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

Redevelopment is a long process for a lot of Michigan communities, and a new program from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is helping several cities and towns get on the right track for it.

The Redevelopment Ready Communities program will help local towns build a strong foundation for redevelopment initiatives and strategies. It will offer formal evaluations as a step toward RRC certification, and provide a set of best practices for redevelopment.

Boyne City is among eight Michigan municipalities that will receive an RRC evaluation right off the bat, as one of the top-scoring cities that applied to the program. Twenty-eight more will receive best practice training and assistance, including Fife Lake.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation

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

Castle Farms in Charlevoix has a new general manager, Anora O'Connor. As of Jan. 1, she replaces Marie Brown in the position.

O'Connor has worked at Castle Farms since 2003. She has an associate's degree from Northern Michigan University and a bachelor's degree in management and organizational development from Spring Arbor University. She also is a certified professional wedding coordinator with hundreds of weddings to her credit.

O'Connor was named the Ambassador of the Year for 2011 by the East Jordan Chamber of Commerce.

Brown isn't leaving Castle Farms, however, and will remain at the wedding and event venue and historic attraction as a consultant.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Castle Farms

Two employees at Citizens National Bank were recently promoted into new positions with the company.

Adam Newman was promoted to vice president of information technology while Sharon Coppernoll was promoted to the position of loan officer.

Newman has been with the company for quite sometime, having first joined Citizens National while in high school in 2002 and continuing work there in the summer while attending Michigan Technological University in Houghton before graduating in 2008.

"Adam has shown a true desire to move through the ranks of Citizens National Bank, and with his background and knowledge, along with the ever-changing role technology plays in our industry, he is a true asset to Citizens National Bank," Citizens National vice president Vicki Hand says.

Coppernoll was promoted from mortgage lender to loan officer after completing courses from the American Bankers Association. She began working with Citizens National Bank in 2002 as a teller.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Citizens National Bank

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

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

Honor Bank announced that Randy Williams of Traverse City will be the new VP and commercial lender for the northwest Michigan bank.

Williams has been doing commercial lending for more than 25 years, including work with commercial and manufacturing companies, oil and gas industries, and the real estate, hospitality and medical industries locally.

"I'm excited to join the region's best commercial banking team and work with this talented group of people who are all focused on helping customers reach their company and personal goals," Williams says.

On the personal side, Williams is a member of the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce Leadership Council, Rotary International, Michigan Oil & Gas Association, and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. He also is on the Board of Directors for the Traverse City Boom Boom Club through the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau and on the Traverse City Golf and Country Club's Finance Committee.

Honor Bank has offices in Bear Lake, Benzonia, Buckley, Copemish, Honor, Lake Ann and Traverse City, and its loan center is in Beulah.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Randy Williams, Honor Bank

Perry Adams will take on the title of VP and investment officer at Northwestern Bank, headquartered in Traverse City.
 
Adams joins the bank's investments, trust and retirement services area with more than 20 years of trust and investment experience. He recently spent ten years as regional manager for the trust department of another Traverse City bank.
 
He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Ferris State College, and a master's degree in finance from Walsh College.

Adams' other community involvements include serving as a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwestern Michigan and on the finance committee of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. He has volunteered with the Father Fred Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, as a board member of the Grand Traverse Area Sport Fishing Association, and as president and board member of the Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Twilight.
 
Northwestern Bank was founded in 1955, and now is the largest independent bank in northwest Michigan, with 28 offices throughout the region.
 
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Perry Adams, Northwestern Bank

Swan Valley Marina is no longer for sale, and the business is already making it clear that not only will they be back in full swing come the boating season next year, but they are offering storage services this winter as well.

The East Jordan-based company, which was listed for sale recently, was purchased in full by Kelly Robertson. She purchased the company from her former husband, Geoff Britt, and is the sole owner of Swan Valley Marina.

The marina is offering winter storage to anyone interested in the service, and is expected to resume full operations when the boating season begins again in 2013.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Kelly Robertson, Swan Valley Marina

The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is moving forward with a $1.62 million grant from the federal Department of Transportation.

The grant comes from the department's Public Lands Highway Discretionary program, and will be used to build 3.17 miles of the trail, starting at Port Oneida Road and ending at Leelanau County Road 669 (also known as Bohemian Road).

The multi-use trail will provide a non-motorized pathway for walkers, hikers, cyclists, and other alternatives to motorized transportation, parallel to M22 and M109 for a total of 27 miles through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It also will connect the national lakeshore's main points with Glen Arbor and Empire.

"The trail partners and supporters are very thankful for this grant award to continue towards expanding the trail," says Patty O'Donnell, project manager for the heritage trail. "The award recognizes that the SBHT will provide a meaningful transportation alternative for residents and visitors, as well as an outstanding recreational opportunity for all users, that is being demonstrated on the first completed section from the National Lakeshore's Dune Climb to Glen Arbor."

The grant will extend that existing trail a few more miles, connecting it to more of the park and allowing visitors and residents to travel farther on the hard-surfaced trail.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Patty O'Donnell, Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail