Northern Michigan’s event venues prep for another massive comeback year
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Traverse City-based 4Front Credit Union has announced it will acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of Old Mission Bank, including its branches in Sault Ste. Marie and Pickford, Mich. The deal is expected to close in late 2023 at which time the Upper Peninsula branches will become “Old Mission, a Division of 4Front Credit Union.” 4Front will operate the branches and retain the employees, according to CEO Andy Kempf. The transaction will grow 4Front’s assets to nearly $1.2 billion and 20 branches.
tools and actively investing in well-being programs designed to improve the health of employers’ workforces.
Traverse City Whiskey Co. broke ground late last month on its new facility in Leelanau County’s Elmwood Township. The $20 million, 70,000-square-foot headquarters will house both manufacturing operations and a tasting room at the site of the former Cherry Growers Co-op facility at 9440 S. Center Highway. The project is made possible in part to a $750,000 Michigan Business Development Program grant.
Company president and co-founder Chris Fredrickson said the new facility will also be able to act as an incubator for small and/or young craft distilleries trying to find a foothold.
“One thing that we realized is that this wasn’t just an opportunity to support our own operation,” he said. “It could be an opportunity for us to help others grow their operations, too.”
Demolition of the old Cherry Growers facility will happen over the next few months followed by construction, with a target of having the facility up and running in early 2024.
Grand Traverse County is a recipient of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Michigan Healthy Worksite Award. The award recognizes employers who are utilizing the Designing Healthy Environments at Work
Wheels on Rails LLC, the first rail-biking business in the state, is coming to the Grand Traverse area. The business gives people the opportunity to ride out-ofservice railroad tracks on specially made bikes: a tandem for two people and a quad for four. The business, located off of US-31 in Grawn, will offer six-mile guided tours Thursday-Monday for the 2023 season. The business is owned and operated by Macie Hefron. Visit wheelsonrailsmi. com, Facebook or Instagram.
Roaming NoMI - a mobile bar and bartending service - is now available for events around northern Michigan. The bartenders are co-owners Matt and Maria Drost and Adam and Danielle Oster. “We knew other big cities in the country were supporting mobile bars, and we loved the concept, but we wanted our bar to be special,” said Matt Drost. “We wanted it to make a statement, be beautiful, and elevate any event.” For more information, find Roaming NoMi on Facebook or visit Roamingnomi.com.
There’s a little bit of magic when we come together in a place like Traverse City. Where meetings have purpose, people have connection, and business has direction.
We can help put it all together… TraverseCity.com/meetings
There is still time for area employers to sign up for the region’s largest career exploration event for students. MiCareerQuest™ Northwest will be held May 11 at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center in Traverse City. The hands-on, career and college readiness event is focused on ninth grade students. Local employersfrom agriculture and construction to IT and manufacturing - will be in attendance. Register at nwm.org/micqnw.
will be moving into the former 4,000 square-foot Nest space at 218 East Front St., according to building owner Jennifer Ringl. Renovations are slated to begin soon, but no opening date has been set. Lululemon previously launched a pop-up store at 204 East Front.
The second location for Common Good Bakery has opened at 1115 East Eighth St., operating daily from 6am3pm. The new location is also offering Common Good @ Night, a pizza and pasta eatery with a full bar that operates Wednesday-Saturday evenings.
The Discovery Center & Pier in Traverse City will receive $1.6 million for the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center project as part of a federal government funding bill. Once complete, the Freshwater Research and Innovation Center will establish the Grand Traverse region as a hub for applied freshwater innovation. The project is a collaborative effort of 20Fathoms, Discovery Center & Pier, Michigan Technological University, Northwestern Michigan College and Traverse Connect. The funding will be used to take the next steps in building new facilities on the current site of the Discovery Pier and also provides a significant piece of the funding needed to help build a classroom, lab and docks for research vessels on the pier, enabling water-related research projects to begin at the facility as early as summer 2023.
Finally, local entrepreneur Whittney Allen is targeting a late winter opening of NoMI Collective at 1019 East Eighth Street (former Blue Photo Co. building). The beauty and wellness center is planned to have three components: The Label, a boutique retail space with gifts, housewares, and style pieces; The Collective, a co-working community of independent beauty and wellness practitioners (such as massage therapists, estheticians, and makeup artists) operating in 14 private studios; and The Eatery, a commercial kitchen space offering healthy prepared food. Allen also owns and operates Team Hair + Beauty and The Hair + Beauty Lounge in Traverse City.
Several new businesses have opened - or will soon - in and around downtown Traverse City. Le Macaron French Pastries will open at 332 East Front St. (the former Big Salad space) in April or early May. The franchise specializes in macarons and also offers gelato, gourmet chocolates, coffee, pastries and candies. It will be the second store for owners Bobbi and William Blanton, who also own a Grand Rapids location.
Athletic apparel retailer Lululemon
Hagerty has launched ECO, a voluntary Enthusiast Carbon Offset program to help motorists reduce the carbon footprint of their collectible cars, trucks and motorcycles. ECO will allow collectible vehicle owners to monitor their CO2 emissions by entering their vehicle’s type and the mileage they want to offset into a web-based emissions calculator powered by Chrome Carbon, a reforestation program and carbon reduction initiative for automotive enthusiasts. The calculator helps owners recognize their vehicle’s impact and allows them to offset multiple times its CO2 emissions by planting trees locally in the U.S, Canada or the U.K. Chrome Carbon partners with certified climate bodies and organizations to fund highly ranked reforestation and carbon reduction projects with real and measurable gains. Chrome Carbon then partners with organizations working with national forest agencies, local forest experts and farmers, to ensure the right trees are planted in the most relevant locations. Hagerty is also now offsetting all emissions from its own classic fleet and driving events. For 2022, this included the California Mille and Greenwich Concours Driving Tour.
VISION: Develop a new assisted living facility with formidable standards: homey, high-quality and affordable
I wouldn’t work with anyone else. Burdco was a true partner–with us, the subcontractors and everyone involved. Mike and his crew take ownership every step of the construction process. There were no headaches–and they were always reachable and always accountable.
Michigan’s economic health has always relied on a successful tourism industry. We’re proud of our remarkable natural resources, the diversity of our people and places that make us who we are as a community, and the authentic big cities and small towns where innovators are changing the world. These are the things that make us proud to live in Michigan. They connect us as a community.
We’ve all dealt with incredible challenges these last few years. No other sector of our economy has been hit as hard as the travel and tourism industry. Too many businesses struggled and were unable to make it through the pandemic and now that some of our favorite restaurants, retailers and attractions are no longer in business, we’ve learned how critically important these places are or were to our communities and our lifestyle. Like the old saying goes, sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.
Crisis and challenge have forced us to look at things in a different way. The travel industry has learned a lot about the importance of being innovative and being able to adjust to evolving worker and consumer needs and we’re adjusting to those expectations. I’m hopeful that consumers have also learned how important these people, who literally serve and host us, are to making our lives better. I’m hoping that we’re learning to show respect and appreciation of their work with every interaction.
As we look to the future, there are signs of recovery for the industry. We can learn from the recent past with the hindsight of 2021 travel data from industry researchers, Tourism Economics. Among other travel trends, the good news is that we see visitor activity increasing in Michigan as the impact of the pandemic waned and travel confidence improved. (For more information, go to www. Michigan.org and click on Travel Industry then Research, Reports & Marketing.)
This most recent report from Tourism Economics shows that tourism activity is moving in the right direction, but also shows slower improvement in the state’s urban destinations like Grand Rapids, Detroit and Lansing. Statewide, the number of visitor trips grew by more than 11 million, a 10% increase over the prior year. Spending grew by $5.2 billion to reach $24 billion at hotels, restaurants, retailers and other businesses supported directly by the visitor economy. Overall visitor spending has also rebounded to 91% of 2019 levels.
Closer to home, visitor spending in Grand Traverse County is showing strong growth. When comparing 2020 to 2021 numbers, visitor spending increased over $100 million, representing 26.6% growth and over $16 million in local revenue when compared to 2019 numbers.
I do want to take a moment to recognize Trevor Tkach and the entire Traverse City Tourism team for their undying commitment to promoting the state,
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their innovative efforts to keep tourism growing in the region, and their unwavering dedication to the partnership we have with them. They are the team that is driving the area’s success, and deserve to be recognized as such.
We are still in recovery mode with our bigger cities still reeling from the loss of conference and convention business, but it appears that segment of the travel industry will continue to rebound both this year and next. International travel should also start to return this coming year. Growing tourism in the state, regardless of the region, is a winwin for the state of Michigan as a whole, and also for the communities across both great peninsulas. Visitor perception continues to grow for Michigan as a four-season tourism destination and once visitors have the opportunity to experience what we have to offer, they tend to want to come back and explore other areas of the state.
A new Pure Michigan advertising campaign will be launched next month and we are optimistic about realizing a healthy return to travel this coming warm-weather season. Years of success with the Pure Michigan campaign puts us in a better position for a quicker rebound than many other destinations around the world. This effort has helped to change the dialogue about Michigan and Traverse City has been a long-standing partner in that effort.
People have come to know us as a place that offers spectacular lifestyle – more than just a place to vacation, they now see Michigan as a place to live, work, go to school, consider for investment, build a future and yes, play. I am proud of the efforts of the Travel Michigan team to work together with our partners at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in areas beyond just promoting the state as a travel destination. Together, we are working toward a holistic approach – across mobility accessibility, affordable and attainable housing, and workforce attraction, development, and retention –to ensure that Michigan remains a leading state for economic and equitable growth. These efforts have been recognized by peers and industry experts as some of the best, garnering countless awards both domestically and abroad.
We are always adjusting the way we present the Pure Michigan message to meet the ever-evolving needs and expectations of the traveler. This year and in the future, we will be more deliberate to take on bigger-picture issues, with consideration of travel trends and desires, while always being true to the core message that all are welcome in Pure Michigan.
Dave Lorenz is vice president of Travel Michigan at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. To learn more about how you can Pursue your Pure this winter and all year round, go to Michigan.org.
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As an event coordinator for a company looking to host meetings for your organization, are you likely to eschew centrally located facilities in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Detroit or elsewhere in favor of northern Michigan?
The answer, somewhat surprisingly, is often yes. While Grand Rapids boasts more than 100 facilities with meeting areas, including 48,000 square feet at the Amway Grand, 137,000 square feet at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and 240,000 square feet at Devos Center, northern Michigan holds its own.
And it’s not an urban oasis, because the region is not urban at all. In some places it’s a five-minute walk from your meeting room to the shores of Lake Michigan. Plus, the big cities can’t match this area’s other attractions, from winery tours and sailing to hiking, skiing, sunsets over the bay or a hundred other activities.
As to the meetings themselves, the region offers a number of small to medium-size options, well-appointed with the latest in technology, in comfortable settings ... most of which have been updated for this coming season. Large groups do have options as well, including the granddaddy of them all, the 10,000 square-foot Governor’s Hall at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
What’s New
Spring Breakout is an upcoming seasonal celebration at Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City. The annual celebration runs from March 3-April 30 and kicks off the season with special themed activities like Yoga Tails, springtime crafts and stories, games, and more.
Favorite Guest Activity
The Great Wolf meeting and events team works with guests to curate team-building activity add-ons, including mini golf and bowling, or memorable moments such as exclusive private access to the nearly 40,000 square-foot water park before or after hours.
Capacity
Great Wolf Lodge Traverse City offers more than 8,000 square feet of meeting space, including 10 breakout rooms for visitors to plan their next dynamic meeting or event. From the 4,042 square-foot White Pine Ballroom to the 312 square-foot Eagles Landing meeting room, there are spaces of all sizes for any meeting or event. The resort’s largest event space can host up to 300 guests for a banquet style event. Event spaces also offer full service and customizable catering options, full in-house A/V capabilities and separate entrances from water park guests.
Contact Tori Piersante, director of sales and catering; tpiersante@greatwolf.com.
What’s New
The hotel’s deluxe guestrooms are being renovated, with completion of the renovation anticipated this spring. Hotel guests, day pass guests or those renting a Cozy Cabana are welcome to Snow Days at Delamar, where they can enjoy the hot cocoa bar, fireside board games, the 93-degree outdoor pool, indoor pool and sauna. They can also enjoy discounted sessions at Yen Yoga and complimentary use of snow shoes, including a local trail guide.
The Top Quarks Physics Conference, an international workshop that brings together theorists and experimentalists from around the world. It will be great exposure to the international community for the area. Outside of their workshops, they will spend much of their time exploring Traverse City and all the great activities there are to do.
Favorite Guest Activity
There are so many to choose from! Start with sitting on the outdoor patio which overlooks West Grand Traverse Bay, enjoying an artfully curated cocktail, while listening to live music and enjoying the view.
Capacity
Groups from 10-200, with 6,600 square feet of meeting space and 173 guestrooms. Contact Taryn Miracle, tmiracle@thedelamar.com; (231)421-2149.
What’s New
Since its inception in 1963, the great room at The Lakeview Hotel has been the hub of guest activity. In September 2020, a portion of the great room was renovated to add a modern coffeehouse, called the CoffeeBAR. The remainder of the great room was renovated this past summer, transforming the restaurant, bar and the front desk.
The same modern style was applied to the remainder of the great room, with sharp angles naturally leading visitors to the most stunning feature of the great room – its panoramic views of Lake Bellaire and the northern Michigan outdoors. New furniture, countertops and service areas adorn the renovated space, and the new placement of the bar allows patrons to soak in wall-to-wall sunset views.
In addition to the renovations in the interior of the hotel, there were also renovations to the exterior, including a redesign of the front of the hotel, with heated steps and sidewalks and a new main entrance drive and parking lots. The roads that traverse the resort were also completely redone by the state, making travel around the 5,500-acre property much smoother and safer.
(MSAA) Summer Meeting & Trade Show, the largest annual gathering of MSAA membership, with ski areas from around the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin). It’s comprised of more than 40 breakout sessions, with industry suppliers and consultants, and offers the opportunity for ski resorts to make vital connections with other resorts in the Midwest.
Favorite Guest Activity
Shanty Creek is one of the largest golf resorts in the nation, with 90 holes of golf across five championship golf courses and famed designs. In the winter, guests enjoy the 42 downhill ski runs at Schuss Mountain and the Alpine Tubing Park at Summit Village. Bellaire offers Glacial Hills Pathway, Grass River Natural Area, swimming, paddling and splashing on Torch Lake, and many eclectic dining and craft beverage options, including Short’s Brewing Company, Mammoth Distilling, Bee Well Meadery and more.
Biggest Challenge
Capacity
Contact
Biggest Group
The biggest group at Shanty Creek is the Midwest Ski Areas Association
Like most other hospitality facilities, staffing continues to be a challenge. Shanty Creek’s operations model has evolved in light of the staffing problem to operate more efficiently with less staff.
Shanty Creek’s function space can fit anywhere from 500-600, depending on group needs (meeting space and meals). The majority of groups range from 25-300.
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Tracey Ramsey, vice president, sales and lodging, (231)533-3085; tramsey@shantycreek.com. around the country now. Subsequently, many
brides making up for COVID for the better-known comedians. Opera House; executive@cityoperahouse.org.
Biggest Group
The biggest group at Shanty Creek is the Midwest Ski Areas Association
ty Creek’s operations model has evolved in light of the staffing problem to operate more efficiently with less staff.
Shanty Creek’s function space can fit anywhere from 500-600, depending on group needs (meeting space and meals). The majority of groups range from 25-300.
What’s New
What’s New
What’s New
Since its inception in 1963, the great room at The Lakeview Hotel has been the hub of guest activity. In September 2020, a portion of the great room was renovated to add a modern coffeehouse, called the CoffeeBAR. The remainder of the great room was renovated this past summer, transforming the restaurant, bar and the front desk. The same modern style was applied to the remainder of the great room, with sharp angles naturally leading visitors to the most stunning feature of the great room – its panoramic views of Lake Bellaire and the northern Michigan outdoors. New furniture, countertops and service areas adorn the renovated space, and the new placement of the bar allows patrons to soak in wall-to-wall sunset views.
Since its inception in 1963, the great room at The Lakeview Hotel has been the hub of guest activity. In September 2020, a portion of the great room was renovated to add a modern coffeehouse, called the CoffeeBAR. The remainder of the great room was renovated this past summer, transforming the restaurant, bar and the front desk.
Best known as a facility for hosting concerts, shows and other such gatherings, the City Opera House also hosts wedding receptions and programs such as TCNewTech and the National Writers Series. Currently work is being done on the canopy over the front entrance.
Biggest Group
(MSAA) Summer Meeting & Trade Show, the largest annual gathering of MSAA membership, with ski areas from around the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wis consin). It’s comprised of more than 40 breakout sessions, with industry suppliers and consultants, and offers the opportuni ty for ski resorts to make vital connections with other resorts in the Midwest.
(MSAA) Summer Meeting & Trade Show, the largest annual gathering of MSAA membership, with ski areas from around the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wis consin). It’s comprised of more than 40 breakout sessions, with industry suppliers and consultants, and offers the opportuni ty for ski resorts to make vital connections with other resorts in the Midwest.
Ani Di’Franco returned for a show that sold out within a couple days. The last holdover from COVID cancellations will feature Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy returning on March 9.
Favorite Guest Activity
The same modern style was applied to the remainder of the great room, with sharp angles naturally leading visitors to the most stunning feature of the great room – its panoramic views of Lake Bellaire and the northern Michigan outdoors. New furniture, countertops and service areas adorn the renovated space, and the new placement of the bar allows patrons to soak in wall-to-wall sunset views.
Guests enjoy shows where the performers engage them with stories or information about a song they are going to do, and or come out to their merchandise table post show to sign and have photographs taken.
Favorite Guest Activity
Favorite Guest Activity
In addition to the renovations in the interior of the hotel, there were also renovations to the exterior, including a redesign of the front of the hotel, with heated steps and sidewalks and a new main entrance drive and parking lots. The roads that traverse the resort were also completely redone by the state, making travel around the 5,500-acre property much smoother and safer.
In addition to the renovations in the interior of the hotel, there were also renovations to the exterior, including a redesign of the front of the hotel, with heated steps and sidewalks and a new main entrance drive and parking lots. The roads that traverse the resort were also completely redone by the state, making travel around the 5,500-acre property much smoother and safer.
Biggest Challenge
resorts in the nation, with 90 holes of golf across five championship golf courses and famed designs. In the winter, guests enjoy the 42 downhill ski runs at Schuss Moun tain and the Alpine Tubing Park at Summit Village. Bellaire offers Glacial Hills Path way, Grass River Natural Area, swimming, paddling and splashing on Torch Lake, and many eclectic dining and craft beverage options, including Short’s Brewing Compa ny, Mammoth Distilling, Bee Well Meadery and more.
resorts in the nation, with 90 holes of golf across five championship golf courses and famed designs. In the winter, guests enjoy the 42 downhill ski runs at Schuss Moun tain and the Alpine Tubing Park at Summit Village. Bellaire offers Glacial Hills Path way, Grass River Natural Area, swimming, paddling and splashing on Torch Lake, and many eclectic dining and craft beverage options, including Short’s Brewing Compa ny, Mammoth Distilling, Bee Well Meadery and more.
Biggest Group
Biggest Group
The biggest group at Shanty Creek is the Midwest Ski Areas Association
The biggest group at Shanty Creek is the Midwest Ski Areas Association
There are a couple things happening post-pandemic that affect ticket sales and higher costs. It seems like the base of patrons’ habits may have changed during the two years of shutdowns, from life changes to a reluctance to return to in-person events. General sales are down about 40% from pre-COVID. Artists’ cost have also risen with the price of gas, hotels, food
What’s New
Best known as a facility for hosting concerts, shows and other such gather ings, the City Opera House also hosts wedding receptions and programs such as TC New Tech and the National Writers Series. Currently work is being done on the canopy over the front entrance.
What’s New concerts, shows and other such gather ings, the City Opera House also hosts wedding receptions and programs such as TC New Tech and the National Writers Series. Currently work is being done on the canopy over the front entrance.
Biggest Group
Biggest Group
Ani Di’Franco returned for a show that sold out within a couple days. The last holdover from COVID cancellations will feature Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy returning on March 9.
sold out within a couple days. The last holdover from COVID cancellations will feature Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy returning on March 9.
Favorite Guest Activity
Favorite Guest Activity
Biggest Challenge
Biggest Challenge
Like most other hospitality facilities, staffing continues to be a challenge. Shanty Creek’s operations model has evolved in light of the staffing problem to operate more efficiently with less staff.
Like most other hospitality facilities, staffing continues to be a challenge. Shanty Creek’s operations model has evolved in light of the staffing problem to operate more efficiently with less staff.
etc. Unfortunately, this is all too common around the country now. Subsequently, many venues are budgeting for fewer shows at a lower breakeven.
Rentals of all kinds are back to normal and increasing. Weddings overall have been up this past year, likely with
Capacity
Capacity
Shanty Creek’s function space can fit anywhere from 500-600, depending on group needs (meeting space and meals). The majority of groups range from 25-300.
many brides making up for COVID years. COH is still the host home for TCNewTech and the Writers Series, which will continue doing some virtual events as well. The new Traverse City Comedy Festival will be using the COH for the better-known comedians.
Contact
Shanty Creek’s function space can fit anywhere from 500-600, depending on group needs (meeting space and meals). The majority of groups range from 25-300.
Contact
Tracey Ramsey, vice president, sales and lodging, (231)533-3085; tramsey@shantycreek.com.
Tracey Ramsey, vice president, sales and lodging, (231)533-3085; tramsey@shantycreek.com.
ers engage them with stories or informa tion about a song they are going to do, and or come out to their merchandise table post show to sign and have photo graphs taken.
Guests enjoy shows where the perform ers engage them with stories or informa tion about a song they are going to do, and or come out to their merchandise table post show to sign and have photo graphs taken.
Biggest Challenge
Biggest Challenge
There are a couple things happening post-pandemic that affect ticket sales and higher costs. It seems like the base of pa trons’ habits may have changed during the two years of shutdowns, from life changes to a reluctance to return to in-person events. General sales are down about 40% from pre-COVID. Artists’ cost have also risen with the price of gas, hotels, food etc. Unfortunately, this is all too common around the country now. Subsequently,
post-pandemic that affect ticket sales and higher costs. It seems like the base of pa trons’ habits may have changed during the two years of shutdowns, from life changes to a reluctance to return to in-person events. General sales are down about 40% from pre-COVID. Artists’ cost have also risen with the price of gas, hotels, food etc. Unfortunately, this is all too common around the country now. Subsequently,
What’s New
Carriage and wagon rides! Also, a new catering menu for 2023.
Biggest/Most Interesting Group
A group came to Black Star Farms for a two-day meeting, and the host brought in two dozen female leaders from the sports industry from all around the country to hold a leadership conversation. They wanted the vibe to be very chill and non-threatening, to help facilitate discussions and a feeling of ease. In lieu of hosting in the Inn, they selected the Centennial Barn, brought in bean bag chairs and sofas, and held a really fun event. Everything took place in this space, from meals to the meetings.
Favorite Guest Activity
Wine tasting, of course! A progressive wine tasting with small bites at three different locations on the estate is popular with smaller groups.
Biggest Challenge
Staffing in high season to meet all our requests.
What’s New
Renovation of the upper level of the Crystal Center is slated to begin this month, with a completion goal of April. This means groups with reservations on the books for mid-to-late 2023 and beyond will be treated to a fresh new look. Upgrades include new flooring, giving the pre-function space and bar area a facelift, a fresh coat of paint and new furnishings to complete the look. Other renovations include all 22 of the Cottages have brand new kitchens complete with sustainable quartz countertops. The public space in Crystal Colony received a recent makeover, and the public space in Hamlet is next. Also on the docket for later this year are new furnishings in WinterGreen condos.
Favorite Guest Activity
It depends on the season. However, with the theme of renovations, those looking to hit the links should book a tee time on Betsie Valley. After recently widening fairways, building new tee boxes, planting new grasses, redesigning bunkers and more, the course is more scenic and playable than ever.
Capacity
It varies depending on the setup and how many rooms are booked. The single largest space is 6,500 square feet with a capacity of up to 400. Contact Group sales at (888)968-7686, ext. 6600 or email groupsales@crystalmountain.com.
hold non-threatening, really loca-
What’s New
The resort is encouraging a focus on health and wellness, and thinking outside the meeting space. That includes offering several different opportunities to craft a strategic planning/company retreat. If guests want more time to explore the sand dunes, visit the wineries or kayak down the river, that adventure is out there. A new location has been added to the meeting venues to allow groups to eat outside the meeting space, stretch their legs and enjoy the sunshine. Partnering with Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes Visitors Bureau, the Homestead is now offering yoga classes, wine and wellness dinners and much more.
Biggest/Most Interesting Group
A venture capital company that had two weeks full of meetings and events that were confidential and in full secrecy.
Favorite Guest Activity
Everything from the relaxing walk from a meeting to a private lunch location to enjoying the recreational offerings that have something to offer in all seasons. Fully engaging with the area, including exploring the sand dunes, Crystal River kayaking, wine tasting, charter fishing, and just exploring all that northern Michigan has to offer.
Biggest Challenge
Convincing guests to fully immerse themselves in nature and leave the technology behind, stepping away from the chaos of the city and resetting. The remote scenery and Lake Michigan view are hard to beat.
Capacity
The several different meeting spaces and conference areas can host from four to 160 guests.
Contact Megan Hicks, event sales associate, (231)334-5300.
What’s New
The newly-constructed outdoor pavilion on the piazza provides a perfect location for luncheons, receptions, and networking events. It’s adjacent to the bocce courts and available year-round.
Biggest/Most Interesting Group
We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to host the National Cherry Festival’s craft show outside on the lawn, which was our largest attended event.
Favorite Guest Activity
Guests can shop, dine, and explore while on property. From grabbing a freshly brewed coffee to experiencing an in-depth wine tasting, The Village truly has it all. Kirkbride Hall is located in the middle of Building 50 in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. This also allows us the unique opportunity to arrange for groups to take a guided historic tour of The Village campus, formerly the Traverse City State Hospital grounds.
Biggest Challenge
The unknowns and delayed negative effects with COVID-19 will likely cause issues as hospitality looks ahead, but as the last few years have shown, we are an adaptive industry and constantly thinking on our feet.
Capacity
Kirkbride Hall can accommodate up to 160 for a plated dinner or seated meeting, and up to 240 for cocktail receptions.
Contact Chelsea Harland, event and sales manager, chelsea@kirkbridehall.com.
If you are on an entrepreneurial journey, let’s talk. We’ve been on ours for 22 years. “Be Entrepreneurial” is a core value at Nicolet Bank. Founded by entrepreneurs. Built by entrepreneurs. Supported by entrepreneurs. Come join us.
Michael Caruso
SVP Commercial Banking Traverse City
231.941.6303
mcaruso@nicoletbank.com
Jeremy Harnish
SVP Commercial Banking Manager Traverse City 231.941.6306
jharnish@nicoletbank.com
Andrew Sabatine
SVP Commercial Banking Traverse City 231.941.6301
asabatine@nicoletbank.com
NicoletBank.com
800.369.0226
Member FDIC
86,500 square feet of remodeled space
State-of-the-art Crestron® sound system
Vibrant “lake effect” design theme
New air walls and LED lighting
Private meeting planner office
All-new digital signage
New look, long history. For over 30 years, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa has been Northern Michigan’s premier meeting destination. With our nearly $3 million renovation, including upgraded technology, services, and design, we’re bringing the future of meetings to life. Learn more at grandtraverseresort.com/meet.
What’s New
Remodeling the Hagerty Center courtyard, which is now in process. This will include the addition of lighting and a patio area for entertainment, as well as the resurfacing of the main courtyard area. This will allow guests to fully utilize this space during the beautiful northern Michigan summers.
The Hagerty Center is excited to host two conferences this year that are connected to academic programs within Northwestern Michigan College. The first is the Lakebed Conference, which is being held in partnership with the NMC Marine Center. The other is the Culinary Medical Conference in partnership with the Great Lakes Culinary Institute.
Favorite Guest Activity
Guests love to explore the waterfront area before, during and after events. Guests often wander the pier to take in the breathtaking views of West Bay as well as checking out the sights and sounds of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy.
Biggest Challenge
While staffing continues to remain
an issue in the hospitality industry, this year everyone faced new issues of product availability and steep price increases. Sourcing and purchasing of products
became very difficult as shortages became more prevalent. These shortages also led to price increases in areas not seen in recent years.
What’s New
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is currently undergoing a $10.5 million renovation to the property’s original six-story hotel. Work began on Nov. 7 and is expected to be finished this spring. This is the most extensive renovation to date of the Resort’s original hotel, which opened in 1980. The hotel renovation will include a total transformation of 242 guest rooms, including two junior suites, four hospitality suites, and all corridors. Each room will include 55-inch smart TVs, a mini-refrigerator, K-cup style coffee makers, updated bathroom vanities, and a tile shower.
Biggest/Most Interesting Group
The Resort is fortunate to have long-time groups return year after year for large conferences, conventions and meetings, some of which have been returning for 40-plus years. One of the most notable and largest is the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars.
Favorite Guest Activity
Many groups take advantage of the three championship golf courses: the Jack Nicklaus-designed The Bear, Gary Player’s The Wolverine, and William Newcomb’s Spruce Run. It gives guests the opportunity to relax, have fun, and enjoy professional development and networking in a unique way.
Capacity
The Resort is home to more than 85,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
• Governors’ Hall - 19,320 square feet
• Michigan Ballroom - 10,000 square feet
• Tower Ballroom - 4,770 square feet
• Mackinac Ballroom - 2,145 square feet
• Peninsula Ballroom - 2,145 square feet
• Executive Boardroom - 432 square feet
• Council Room & Director’s Room - 1,170 square feet
• Level 17 - 2,310 square feet
• Plaza Tent - 10,800 square feet of covered and patio space
• Pavilion - 8,000 square feet
Contact Katie Leonard, director of sales, Katie.Leonoard@gtresort.com, (231)534-6161.
With more than three decades of combined experience in employment law, DAR is the legal resource for employers.
What’s New
What’s New
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is currently undergoing a $10.5 million renovation to the property’s original six-story hotel. Work began on Nov. 7 and is expected to be finished this spring. This is the most extensive renovation to date of the Resort’s original hotel, which opened in 1980. The hotel renovation will include a total transformation of 242 guest rooms, including two junior suites, four hospitality suites, and all corridors. Each room will include 55-inch smart TVs, a mini-refrigerator, K-cup style coffee makers, updated bathroom vanities, and a tile shower.
Biggest/Most Interesting Group
Remodeling the Hagerty Center courtyard, which is now in process. This will include the addition of lighting and a patio area for entertainment, as well as the resurfacing of the main courtyard area. This will allow guests to fully utilize this space during the beautiful northern Michigan summers.
The Resort is fortunate to have long-time groups return year after year for large conferences, conventions and meetings, some of which have been returning for 40-plus years. One of the most notable and largest is the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars.
Favorite Guest Activity
Many groups take advantage of the three championship golf courses: the Jack Nicklaus-designed The Bear, Gary Player’s The Wolverine, and William Newcomb’s Spruce Run. It gives guests the opportunity to relax, have fun, and enjoy professional development and networking in a unique way.
Capacity
The Hagerty Center is excited to host two conferences this year that are connected to academic programs within Northwestern Michigan College. The first is the Lakebed Conference, which is being held in partnership with the NMC Marine Center. The other is the Culinary Medical Conference in partnership with the Great Lakes Culinary Institute.
The Resort is home to more than 85,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
• Governors’ Hall - 19,320 square feet
Favorite Guest Activity
• Michigan Ballroom - 10,000 square feet
• Tower Ballroom - 4,770 square feet
• Mackinac Ballroom - 2,145 square feet
• Peninsula Ballroom - 2,145 square feet
• Executive Boardroom - 432 square feet
• Council Room & Director’s Room - 1,170 square feet
• Level 17 - 2,310 square feet
Guests love to explore the waterfront area before, during and after events. Guests often wander the pier to take in the breathtaking views of West Bay as well as checking out the sights and sounds of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy.
• Plaza Tent - 10,800 square feet of covered and patio space
• Pavilion - 8,000 square feet
Biggest Challenge
an issue in the hospitality industry, this year everyone faced new issues of product availability and steep price increases. Sourcing and purchasing of products
Contact Katie Leonard, director of sales, Katie.Leonoard@gtresort.com, (231)534-6161.
became very difficult as shortages became more prevalent. These shortages also led to price increases in areas not seen in recent years.
While staffing continues to remain
What’s New
ATTORNEYS
Robert W. Parker
Scott D. Harvey
Jeffrey R. Wonacott
Peter J. Boyles
Andrew J. Blodgett
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is currently undergoing a $10.5 million renovation to the property’s original six-story hotel. Work began on Nov. 7 and is expected to be finished this spring. This is the most extensive renovation to date of the Resort’s original hotel, which opened in 1980. The hotel renovation will include a total transformation of 242 guest rooms, including two junior suites, four hospitality suites, and all corridors. Each room will include 55-inch smart TVs, a mini-refrigerator, K-cup style coffee makers, updated bathroom vanities, and a tile shower.
Biggest/Most Interesting Group
Anders Gillis has rejoined Parker Harvey.
The Resort is fortunate to have long-time groups return year after year for large conferences, conventions and meetings, some of which have been returning for 40-plus years. One of the most notable and largest is the Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminars.
Favorite Guest Activity
Many groups take advantage of the three championship golf courses: the Jack Nicklaus-designed The Bear, Gary Player’s The Wolverine, and William Newcomb’s Spruce Run. It gives guests the opportunity to relax, have fun, and enjoy professional development and networking in a unique way.
Labor and employment law attorney Anders Gillis has rejoined Parker Harvey. His focus is on advising public and private-sector clients on day-to-day employment challenges. He counsels business owners, in-house counsel, and human resource leaders so they can make strategic and effective business decisions.
Timothy M. White
Todd W. Millar
Anders J. Gillis
Jacqueline P. Olson
Stephen C. Chambers Emeritus
John R. Blakeslee Emeritus
Capacity
The Resort is home to more than 85,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
• Governors’ Hall - 19,320 square feet
• Michigan Ballroom - 10,000 square feet
• Tower Ballroom - 4,770 square feet
• Mackinac Ballroom - 2,145 square feet
• Peninsula Ballroom - 2,145 square feet
• Executive Boardroom - 432 square feet
• Council Room & Director’s Room - 1,170 square feet
• Level 17 - 2,310 square feet
• Plaza Tent - 10,800 square feet of covered and patio space
• Pavilion - 8,000 square feet
Contact
Katie Leonard, director of sales, Katie.Leonoard@gtresort.com, (231)534-6161.
Welcome back, Anders!
What’s New
Exciting changes are coming soon to the Lounge within Minerva’s Restaurant, which will offer additional on-site recreation for hotel guests, as well as the local community. The beautiful state-of-the art Conference Center is a popular convention venue. Guests can enjoy a spacious indoor pool facility with fitness room, Jacuzzi and children’s water feature and pool.
Biggest/Most Interesting Group
The International Astronomical Union Astrochemistry Symposium coming this summer. This conference will bring together the world’s experts on the chemical content of the cosmos, presenting cutting-edge scientific observatories such as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Favorite Guest Activity
The Park Place Hotel & Conference Center is located in the heart of downtown Traverse City. It is a hub for a variety of recreation and shopping opportunities. Many guests enjoy microbrew and winery tours, while others crave the excitement of water sports or a sail aboard a twin-hulled catamaran or a beautifully restored schooner. Each accommodates 42 passengers on West Grand Traverse Bay.
Biggest Challenge
Many major conferences extend over multiple days, thus requiring large room blocks. In most instances all attendees are able to stay onsite, but at times there is a demand for even more rooms and partnering with neighboring hotels to accommodate the additional lodging needs. Traverse City is a unique option for conferences, with the opportunity to create a city-wide event. The Park Place Hotel & Conference Center is the hub, with additional lodging, venues, and recreation in close proximity.
Capacity
One hundred and forty rooms, including specialty suites and balcony rooms, and 13,000 square feet of function space, featuring our state-of-the-art Conference Center completed in 2018.
Contact
Lisa Monache, director of sales and marketing, dos@park-place-hotel.com.
Unfinished units offer - 100 amp electrical service; lights; overhead doors; 5’ concrete approach; shingled roofs; service entrances to each unit; 4” reinforced concrete floors
714 sq ft - $54,900
1000 sq ft - $69,900
1428 sq ft - $107,900
Finished units offer everything the unfinished units offer plus heat, insulation and steel interior walls
714 sq ft - $69,900
1000 sq ft - $90,000
1428 sq ft - $137,900
2000 sq ft - $174,900
- Hilary
Are sports the big untapped frontier for northern Michigan’s tourism economy? Traverse City Tourism and Grand Traverse Resort and Spa think the answer is yes, and are taking sizable steps to harness athletic events as key drivers for future traffic and revenue.
Right now, there are eight hotels either under construction or in the development pipeline in the Traverse City area. If all those projects are built as planned, they will add nearly 800 hotel rooms to the area’s hotel stock – an increase of approximately 20% over the 4,000 or so hotel rooms that currently exist in the area. For Traverse City Tourism (TCT), that increase represents both a huge opportunity and a bit of a burden.
TCT, which earns a per-room assessment tax from each hotel that operates within its jurisdiction, is responsible for marketing the area as a destination and helping hotels fill those rooms yearround. Speaking last fall to TCBN sister publication The Ticker , TCT President and CEO Trevor Tkach expressed both excitement and apprehension about the area’s growing hospitality scene.
“It’s always exciting for us to see new and fresh product in the market,” Tkach said. “And there’s definitely demand for it at certain times of the year. But we also know we have to work hard to keep all of our transient options viable throughout the year. That is a challenge, and as we get more of these units in market, it’s going to become a bigger challenge.”
According to Tkach, Traverse City has more than enough tourism demand in the summer months to keep all the area’s hotels busy.
“Where I think we need to be mindful is with the other three seasons,” he said. “And that’s what TCT is here to help do. Keeping the travel economy strong throughout the year, keeping small businesses viable, and keeping workers fully employed and making better wages – those are our goals.”
It goes without saying that off-season Traverse City is missing perhaps the biggest draw of the summertime, which is glorious weather ideal for swimming,
boating, sunbathing, outdoor dining, and other activities.
But northern Michigan is also missing something else in the colder months that the summertime has in spades: a calendar jam-packed with events. From festivals to races to concerts and beyond, the months between May and September are filled with things to do for locals and
Graham said he’ll be looking to use both his sports background and his experience with concerts, shows, festivals, and other live draws as he works to attract new events to the Traverse City region.
In particular, Graham is hopeful that he can bring events to the area that not only draw tourists and fill hotel rooms, but which also appeal to locals. In the
Graham said of splashy live events.
If there’s going to be a bread and butter to Graham’s events focus, though, it’s likely to be athletics.
Local tourism professionals have already been working in recent years to attract more sporting tournaments to the region. Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, for instance, has long hosted tennis tournaments at its health club, and for many years served as a venue for Special Olympics Michigan.
Last year, the Resort took its athletic focus one step further, purchasing portable sports flooring that allows the property to convert its tennis courts into temporary basketball courts. The Resort premiered the new feature in February 2022 for an Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournament that drew an attendance of nearly 800 people across 34 youth basketball teams.
visitors alike. October through April, on the other hand? Those months are (much) more barren on the events front. TCT’s biggest plan for filling 800 new hotel rooms is aimed directly at that lack.
In November, TCT announced that it had hired Mickey Graham as its first-ever director of sports and events. Graham comes to the role fresh off four years as general manager of the Traverse City Pit Spitters, where he also oversaw a variety of non-baseball events hosted at Turtle Creek Stadium.
fall of 2021, Graham helped execute what he calls “the two largest events in Turtle Creek Stadium history” – the first a concert by the country band Old Dominion, the second a tour stop by the action sports performing crew Nitro Circus.
Both events moved boatloads of tickets and drew attendees from all throughout northern Michigan...and beyond.
“I think we showed with those events at Turtle Creek Stadium that there’s a market for those types of things here,”
Per Resort Communications Manager Caroline Rizzo, the sports flooring has generated strong return on investment throughout the first year of its deployment. Perhaps most notably, the Resort inked a partnership with FAAST Sports, a southeast Michigan-based organization that plans sports tournaments, leagues, and camps around the state, and has half a dozen tournaments scheduled with that brand throughout 2023.
Also on the docket: a three-day Detroit Pistons Academy youth basketball camp
“Keeping the travel economy strong throughout the year, keeping small businesses viable, and keeping workers fully employed and making better wages – those are our goals.”
- Trevor Tkach, president and CEO, Traverse City Tourism
that the Resort hosted in the summer of 2022. That event, Rizzo said, “sold out in just a few days” and drew boys and girls from all across Michigan; the Resort hopes to work with the Pistons on similar camps in the future.
“Each tournament we’ve hosted, we’ve seen room nights increase from attendees,” Rizzo said. “More and more families have realized you get to stay here and play here. You never have to leave the property.”
In addition to confirmed FAAST engagements, potential future partnerships with the Pistons, and other basketball events, Rizzo added that the Resort also has numerous other athletic tournaments on the schedule for 2023, including for volleyball and wrestling.
When the Resort first announced the sports flooring investment last year, the hotel shared three main goals for the new offering: that it would expand the property’s demographic reach, that it would boost shoulder season business, and that it would generate over 1,000 room nights per year.
So far, Rizzo said, the investment is exceeding expectations. The Detroit Pistons camp, for instance, was the first program of its kind that the Pistons organization had ever hosted in northern Michigan. Tournament traffic, meanwhile, is doing its job of injecting extra activity into the fall and winter months. While those
events vary in size, Rizzo told the TCBN that even smaller tournaments tend to bring a fair amount of business during slower months like November or March.
“We have had more than 30 teams at some tournaments,” Rizzo said. “Those teams have come from across northern Michigan, southeast and southwest Detroit, mid-Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Each team has 8-12 players, plus coaches and player’s families. So, there are times we have more than 550 people here for tournaments.”
The Resort’s success in morphing itself into more of a sporting venue, Tkach said, is proof that athletics is a largely untapped area of potential for local tourism. And it’s not just out-of-town events and organizations that are clamoring for more indoor sports infrastructure in northern Michigan.
“We’ve seen significant interest from our own community to have more sporting events and more recreational facilities available throughout the year,” Tkach noted. “I’m predicting we will see that start to come to fruition over the next five years. There is enough interest and enough demand, and now that we see these new rooms in market, there’s definitely justification to start to build more resources to help bring sports tournaments here, and then to use those events to fill rooms and keep businesses busy year-round.”
Already, there are investments happening for indoor sports facilities in northern Michigan. The new Traverse City Curling Club facility coming online at the Cherryland Center is one example. The promise of new indoor pickleball courts at a planned development in Acme Township – at the old Kmart/Tom’s Food Markets property – is another.
The elephant in the room on that front is the possibility of a dedicated indoor sports complex in Traverse City. That project has been a popular topic of discussion in the region for years, with TCT serving as one of the core advocates. In 2018, TCT even conducted a feasibility study to look into the idea in
more depth.
As of yet, no firm vision for the project has materialized – let alone the complex itself.
According to Graham, talks about the sports complex are still ongoing – even if there’s no concrete update on what might come next.
“There’s a group that’s been meeting about (the indoor sports complex project), and I know that group has had a few meetings recently, but I don’t think there are any major updates,” Graham said. “I know it’s a project this group really sees as an important piece to the region, and they’ve been working hard trying to see how they can get it done.”
It’s a seller’s market. No, not real estate, but employment. With signs in shops and restaurants saying “Help Wanted” and the classified online market much the same, workers are now able to sell themselves to the highest bidder. Those doing the best job selling themselves are likely to have multiple employers looking to hire.
But what if you’re on the other side of the equation? With unemployment at historic lows and numerous workers retiring or otherwise leaving the workforce, how can employers find enough employees?
Professional recruiters the TCBN spoke to recognize the market is different than it’s perhaps ever been.
“It’s a crazy time,” said Chris Rigan of the executive recruiting and human resources company Adam Kay Group.
Rigan and others offered some thoughts on how and when that’s likely to change, as well as some suggestions to employers seeking to find additional employees.
SELENA HUDSON PMP Personnel Services
Hudson said despite the current market, she sees companies becoming more selective about who they hire.
“Companies are getting pickier,” she said.
Hudson works out of Traverse City, but serves as a customer service representative for five offices: Petoskey, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, and the Tri-Cities as well as Traverse City. She works with markets including Charlevoix/Petoskey, Frankfort, Grand Rapids and the thumb, as well as the Grand Traverse area. Among the industries she serves are various facets of the medical field, manufacturing, agriculture and hospitality.
“A client in manufacturing might need X number of people,” she said. It’s then her company’s role to find the people for the necessary positions and make sure they’ve got the proper credentials and experience.
Among her suggestions to those looking to fill a position: Get out there. While it’s important to be on top of things online, with such sites as Indeed and LinkedIn, it’s just as crucial to be visible and knowledgeable about the real world, so acquaint yourself and your company with the area and potential employees. And let them know about you.
“Employers need to go out and about. Know your town. Go to the news outlets. Go to meetings,” she said, including those of the local real estate companies and associations. She said Realtors can be helpful in identifying housing opportunities for potential hires new to the area.
KEVIN“People are always leaving (jobs), but COVID and the Great Resignation really had people thinking, reconsidering their purpose in life,” said Main. That means employers have to work hard to showcase why their company is the best place to work.
Main does consulting for small- and medium-sized businesses that don’t have their own human resources departments. He previously practiced law in New Jersey for two decades before moving into business consulting, primarily in the New York and New Jersey areas.
“I did litigation and was coaching lacrosse. I got tired (of litigation),” he said, noting that the need to be in court, where cases could drag on, conflicted with coaching, and with life in general. “HR was more flexible, similar to coaching.”
He found his law degree beneficial and when he met a person from this area, he decided to relocate. Main subsequently expanded his market, though he still has clients back east and returns there monthly.
Main said the nature of work means there are always people coming and going in every industry. But the aforementioned Great Resignation was something brand new.
“You always have people leaving the market, but they were leaving to go somewhere else (to work),” he said.
So current circumstances mandate a change in attitude for employers.
“Companies have to become the employer of choice,” he said.
What does that mean? He suggests
employers look at every facet of their employees’ needs and desires, then showcase what they can offer.
“Compensation is always important, but there’s other things. A work/life balance,” he said. “Respect and recognition.”
His suggestions for success include posting the salary.
“In this market, you can’t try to undercut. Look for what your employees want,” he said, adding that could be flexible hours, wellness programs, recognition or meaningful work.
Further, he said it’s essential to not only hire good people, but keep them.
“You should always be recruiting and treating employees right. Create your own brand ambassadors,” he said.
Taking time on the decision is also critical, he said.
“The biggest problem is the rush to hire,” he said. “A bad hire is worse than no hire at all.”
“Coming out of the pandemic, everything was remote (working). The office I work in has a couple of vacancies. It’s scary. You don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Rigan.
Rigan opened Adam Kay Group after worked in recruiting roles for two large transportation companies. He then spent 11 years with a large recruiting firm. The company addresses staffing needs in the fields of information technology, engineering, sales, human resources, accounting/ finance and healthcare.
“Employers need to go out and about. Know your town. Go to the news outlets. Go to meetings.”
–Selena Hudson, recruiter, PMP Personnel ServicesHudson Main Rigan
“I moved to Traverse City at 8 (years old) and grew up here. I couldn’t wait to get out,” he said. “Twenty years later I couldn’t wait to move back.”
Like Main, he works for employers in other areas as well. “I do (recruiting) nationwide,” he said, noting that larger metro areas are sometimes easier, due to both more opportunities and a housing market that isn’t as tight.
“I can sell Traverse City,” he said, but lack of housing in general and the increasing interest rates make it much more difficult to attract workers from other areas.
So what to do?
He said those looking to hire workers from outside the area have to acknowledge the challenge of moving and finding housing and include perks to address them.
“Offer a one-time housing (bonus),” he said. “If people want to relocate, try to assist them.”
All three note that salary compensation is important, but isn’t necessarily a deciding factor.
“Look for what employees want: flexibility, wellness, meaningful work,” said Mains.
“You’re fighting over the same pool (of
employees),” said Rigan. “It’s probably not a pay increase (that will induce them). Companies hiring want people onsite.
That’s the challenge. Offer remote or hybrid work,” he said.
“There’s a reluctance to go back to the workplace,” echoed Mains.
When will the employment crunch begin to balance out?
“I don’t see it ending anytime soon,” said Hudson.
In fact, just the opposite. She said a number of manufacturers are behind due to the supply chain problems, while a number of people left the medical field due to COVID, leading to numerous vacancies in the workforce.
“I see (the challenge) getting bigger,” she said.
It’s likely to be exacerbated by the natural progression of business, added Rigan.
“There’s always turnover, always something around the corner. A company needs new stuff, has a new product, new software,” said Rigan.
And that means the company needs new employees, all of which will continue to present challenges for those in the recruiting industry.
“Our industry was completely dead for almost two years,” said Hudson. Now, “(i)t hasn’t slowed down.”
With the nation experiencing an historically tight labor market and post-pandemic realignment of workers’ needs and goals, one area agency is working hard to connect prospective employees and employers, and help organizations think creatively about where they can find talent.
Northwest Michigan Works! (NMW) is an arm of Networks Northwest and is one of 16 regional agencies that make up the Michigan Works! Association, the state’s primary workforce development agency.
The agency offers an array of services and resources for employers and job seekers alike. It also works with local stakeholders and economies to anticipate and train for future talent needs.
The regional agency serves a 10-county area spanning from Manistee to the Mackinaw Bridge, with job centers located in Traverse City, Cadillac, Manistee, and Petoskey. It is funded primarily through state and federal grants, and it uses those funds to provide career skills, workforce training, adult education, interview coaching, counseling, and much more.
“Oftentimes we get confused with the unemployment office, when we’re actually the agency that helps people find jobs and keep jobs,” said Chief Program Officer Jessica Willis.
With a staff of 50-60 across the region, NMW has teams working on both sides of the equation to bridge the gaps between job seekers and employers. The agency serves workers of all ages and stages in their work life, whether they are just starting out, returning to the workforce, or looking to make a career change.
“We can help young people who are looking for a summer youth experience, where they can get a stipend, all the way to someone who is shifting gears after the
pandemic...We can work in the whole spectrum,” she said. “We meet people where they are, and come up with a tangible plan for their career and goals.”
Gina, a recent client, was laid off after 10 years as a teacher and administrator. Through the agency, she created a profile on Pure Michigan Talent Connect, which is the state’s job board. Within 24 hours, a career services specialist had reviewed her profile and reached out with a job referral with NMW.
grant that works with people who have been impacted by the opioid epidemic,” Willis said.
Another special opportunity is the Offender Success (OS) program. When Chris returned home after being released from prison, he was referred to the OS program and received housing and job placement support. He was able to quickly get a full-time job, and OS staff helped with wraparound services, including work equipment and bus passes.
While NMW serves all sectors, it sees strong demand in manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare. It recently launched a program to connect prospective EMTs and first responders with training through the Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program.
“We were able to fund that training, and not just the training cost, but also supportive services such as the special watches and uniforms they need,” says Willis. “They could do this short-term training, and then be on the job in a manner of months.”
The agency also works directly with employers to develop and train their workforce. Although Grand Traverse County is a hot spot for population growth, demographically the county is aging. As a result, “we’re swinging back and focusing on our youth programming, and trying to build that talent pipeline and engage them as early as eighth grade,” Willis noted.
Ultimately, Gina was hired as a service center manager.
“(My) successful career change was largely due to the types of connections that Michigan Works! staff make every day,” she said.
NMW’s career advisors are a valuable resource for job seekers. They can offer career assessment tools, information about specific industries and occupations, and help line up the education and training needed to move into a new position.
Career advisors can also help workers determine if they’re eligible for job training funding and help to navigate the process. There are several programs and funds available of which job seekers may not be aware.
“Sometimes we have special grants that come through. For example, we have a
With OS program support, he was able to save a small amount of money, find an affordable room to rent, and recently celebrated a promotion and raise.
“This program has been an asset to the success after my release,” Chris said. “OS staff have gone above and beyond to ensure I had the tools to be successful.”
On the employer side, the OS program offers a new source of workforce talent.
“For years, we were doing a lot of outreach and educating employers on this talent pool,” Willis said. “And now, we have employers calling us and saying, ‘Do you have anybody coming from the Department of Corrections looking for a job?’ That’s a real flip from where we were just a few years ago. Employers are trying to get creative in how they attract and retain talent.”
Bill Marsh Automotive is one employer that has benefited from the agency’s Jobs for Michigan Graduates program. Through the program, local students meet with employers, learn about the types of jobs available, and receive assistance with employment barriers. Since 2017, 18 youth have completed work experience at Bill Marsh locations, and countless others have done tours and job shadows. Today, there are 21 former JMG program participants employed at Bill Marsh full-time.
For NMW, “it’s a pretty interesting time,” Willis said. “We’re at a 50-year low for unemployment, and there’s such a need for talent.”
Housing, childcare, and transportation are all contributing factors, she said.
“No one is going to solve these problems individually,” she said. “They’re all interconnected. We all need to be at the table.”
“We can work in the whole spectrum. We meet people where they are, and come up with a tangible plan for their career and goals.”
– Jessica Willis, chief program officer, Northwest Michigan Works!
Attracting and retaining employees is a real struggle, especially in an era where the advantage tilts in favor of the new-age worker. The departure of one or even two individuals can temporarily cripple an organization. Smaller companies are particularly vulnerable. This is why it is crucial for business owners to rediscover ways to attract and retain their biggest asset, happy hires.
Gallup’s recent poll indicated pay and well-being are the top ticket items that keep and attract employees. The current employee is seeking wider lanes of wellness; upskilling and financial tools that will help them to rediscover their work-purpose.
The “people first” culture is here to stay. Amid continued pressures of rising inflation, a business owner’s shrinking cash flows can create the perfect storm for a benefits’ balancing act. Enhancing your fringe menu with a few nimble programs can help to keep your hired happy.
Here are a few.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are a multifaceted benefit that serves both the employee and an organization. This type of work-life program encourages access to short-term counseling for individuals who are experiencing personal or work-related challenges that may be affecting their overall well-being and job performance.
Designed to encompass services that target and treat mental health, these plans include substance- and alcohol-related counseling and grief and family therapies that are provided by a licensed professional. EAPs can be drafted to allow for several confidential sessions with 24/7 access to hotlines for your staff at no charge to them. The delivery models may vary, yet can be as low as $15-25 per person per year. Minor administrative costs should be factored in as well.
EAPs may also provide an avenue to train leadership to recognize and possibly resolve job related concerns, before burnout occurs. Small business owners can learn new ways to manage and address positive workplace outcomes and grow through these new-aged challenges by this valuable instrument. Helpful resources include www.eapassn.org. Upskilling, cultivating and creating a runway for next-level-skills for your hired is a must-do. The recalibration of work-world priorities has created a sense of eagerness
Three
to learn new talents. Individuals are hungry to understand future career landscapes and what it will take to get them there. Motivated employees are likely to participate in opportunities that yield learning, so why not help them?
Empowering your workforce to create their own personalized development agenda will not only enhance their knowledge, competencies and skills, but also their longevity to the firm. Employers have a vested interest in supporting their teammates to reach full potentials. So listen to their needs, identify the best path to achieve their goals and make it happen.
Keep
Something as simple as providing the pathway for paid time off to participate in a skills-building course can do wonders for all parties. In our own backyard, Northwestern Michigan College is an inexpensive learning hub with robust courses focused on the business-minded.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) mechanics are not complicated, nor is the set-up. FSAs are an inexpensive versatile financial vehicle for your hires to shelter from taxation and budget for annual medical, dental and vision needs.
Families, too, may use this method to pay down daycare costs. An elected portion of taxable income is withheld
(tax-free) and deposited in a hands-off account. Once the need for eligible expenses arises, the employee has access to these funds.
Within this type of arrangement, employers can also entice participation by providing up to a $500 contribution that can be used toward the eligible financial need of the employee and their family. Participants in this type of instrument can receive roughly a 30% discount on allowable expenses (depending on their tax bracket). Note: The IRS does dictate maximum pretax payroll deductions per year.
Keep in mind that the employee experience will take center stage in 2023. Nurturing your new-aged workforce should be a high priority. Take time to measure your benefit offerings to see if they are fruitful and providing your staff what they truly want and need. Every quarter, encourage feedback so you can reevaluate the performance of all your programs. Start small, stay wise and work with your trusted experts.
Andi Dolan is the owner of Traverse Benefits, a local independent insurance agency advocating and providing health, life and disability solutions for employers, individuals and Medicare beneficiaries across northern Michigan.
“Things are getting better.”
When it comes to the staffing situation in northern Michigan, employers are happy to say or hear those words.
Rob Hanel doesn’t use those words lightly, either.
Hanel, who serves both as the director of people and space for TentCraft and as the newly elected president of the Traverse Area Human Resource Association (TAHRA), has been with TentCraft for seven years.
He has seen firsthand the unprecedented roller coaster of challenges that local employers have faced in finding, recruiting, hiring, onboarding and retaining top talent. First, in 2019, a booming economy and some of the lowest unemployment rates in American history had employers competing harder than ever to land top hires.
Then, 2020’s pandemic forced employers to lay off or furlough valuable employees, shift to remote work structures, and in some cases, adopt entirely new business models. Later, the Great Resignation saw a an historic shuffling of talent – and forced organizations to rethink their HR
strategies altogether.
Today, three years since COVID-19 made landfall in North America, things still aren’t normal for employers, but Hanel thinks most organizations are starting to find their footing amidst the upheaval.
“The general pulse is that things are getting better,” Hanel said when asked what the consensus is among TAHRA’s membership.
panicking, and in early 2022, you saw lots of organizations and industries do things like across-the-board entry-level wage increases,” Hanel explained. “You could see these companies and industries realizing that they needed to get aggressive about competing for talent.”
Perhaps just as big a piece of the puzzle, though, was what Hanel described as “the fast food factor.”
a feeling among employers that companies with lots of entry-level jobs – fast food restaurants, grocery stores, retail – were suddenly paying enough to draw candidates away from higher-level jobs in healthcare, manufacturing, and corporate business (to name a few).
Nationwide statistics confirm those assumptions about across-the-board wage growth: In 2021, the Average Wage Index (AWI) tracked a 8.89% increase – the biggest single-year AWI increase on record, per United States Social Security Administration data.
The organization spans employers of all sizes and from all manner of different industries, from local employers like Hagerty and Munson Healthcare to small manufacturers. While Hanel noted that the staffing situation remains harder for certain types of employers than others, he says he is hopeful.
“At the end of 2021, people were really
“Suddenly, people felt like they weren’t only competing with companies in their own industries, but also with the fast food industry,” Hanel said. “And I’ll use the fast food industry just as an example, but there are some other industries that drove this trend as well.”
In essence, Hanel explained, there was
Wage growth is one of many reasons that the post-pandemic moment has been viewed as a historic job seeker’s market for workers. But the same period has had employers fretting about finding enough people to fill jobs and keep operations up and running – let alone pursue growth strategies or new initiatives.
That short-staffing trend has been extremely visible in Traverse City, whether in the form of restaurants trimming their hours because of staffing shortages, or in Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) making unprecedented cuts to its busing
for some
“The general pulse is that things are getting better.”
– Rob Hanel, director of people and space, TentCraft
schedules due to bus driver shortfalls.
While these issues aren’t going away – the TCAPS Board of Education just discussed the district’s need for at least 15 more bus drivers at their January meeting – Hanel does feel that some sense of balance is returning to the employment ecosystem. Crucially, he said, more employers are realizing that they can compete for talent with more than just salary hikes.
“I think the mentality of competing with the fast food industry has waned,” Hanel said. “We’re seeing companies starting to realize that they’re offering things that the fast food industry doesn’t, and that if you can articulate those things in your job descriptions and in your culture, you will start to have an easier time recruiting.”
Hanel especially feels that local employers have been learning the lesson of just how powerful a good job description can be in a job seeker’s market. The ruptured economy of the late 2000s and early 2010s taught many employers an “if you build it, they will come” mentality around job listings – as in, any job posting would draw candidates simply because a lot of people were out there looking for any job. Hiring managers, Hanel said, are in the process of unlearning those lessons.
“If you are not leveraging your job descriptions as a marketing arm, you’re not competing for the best talent, period,” Hanel said.
Hanel says he tries to give little nuggets
in the job description that would represent TentCraft’s culture – whether that’s in the description of the role, or a description of the company, or in the benefits section.
“For example, are you doing things like paid parental leave? If so, that needs to be in your job description,” he said.
Hanel says he recently talked to a local company on a hiring spree without key information in the job description.
“They have a six-week paid maternity program – and a paid paternity program – yet they don’t mention it in their job description,” he said. “If you’re not including those types of details, you’re missing out on applicants.”
Jennifer Flick, vice president of human resources for Britten, said the company has seen a slew of hiring success stories lately because it is doing exactly what Hanel says: thinking about talent attraction as a form of marketing.
“We’ve taken this approach where we’re not just reactionary,” Flick explained.
Avoiding tactics like posting jobs and hoping, Flick says that Britten has taken a brand recognition recruiting approach, using social outlets like Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook to share content around “work at Britten” themes.
“We want to be the employer that’s always in front of you,” she said. “We want to be the employer that’s at the front of your mind, so that when you’re having a bad day and you decide to job search, you’re
like, ‘Man, I remember seeing that ad from Britten; I should check them out.’”
Across the board, Flick said that Britten has adopted a more strategic approach to recruitment – from establishing a company-wide minimum wage that’s higher than the state and federal standard, to leaning on partnerships with the Northwest Education Services Career-Tech Center or the Traverse Connect Northern Navigators program.
One successful strategy, Flick noted, has been an attempt to be clearer about key aspects of Britten’s company culture in job descriptions.
“We’re pretty nimble,” she said, referring to Britten’s reputation for taking on rush projects and pursuing aggressive project deadlines for major nationwide clients.
As a result, the business is often looking for a specific type of hustle in its hires – for instance, the ability to work 10-plus hours of overtimes some weeks when a project demands.
“That doesn’t mean you’re always going to be working 10 hours of overtime, but you’ve got to be able to have a little bit of flexibility to work within our culture,” she said.
Communicating those expectations up front, Flick said, has helped Britten improve the overall quality of its applicant pool. The result of those tweaks means that “the cloud is definitely not as dark and gloomy” for Britten’s hiring situation as it was earlier in
the Great Resignation era.
While many employers are seeing signs of life in the staffing world, though, Hanel stressed that plenty of others are still struggling.
“I think healthcare is struggling the most,” he said. “And manufacturing was struggling for a long time, but in general is getting better – slowly.”
The common denominator for businesses that are still having trouble attracting candidates? Inability to fully embrace the new normal of remote work.
“Any industry that can offer 100% remote work, they’re coasting a little bit easier than the rest of us,” Hanel said.
The collaboration required to manufac-
ture products is too important to offer many remote roles, and the remote work jobs are usually in things like direct sales.
“At TentCraft, we do not have any 100% remote employees,” he said. “Those corporate-only type organizations – like Hagerty –they’re able to lean on remote a little more, and that makes hiring easier.”
Still, even employers with operational models that demand in-person work have seen their fortunes improve in the past year or so.
One example is the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA), which has been short employees in most position categories – including bus drivers, dispatchers,
mechanics, and IT services – since before the pandemic.
While Director of Communications and Development Eric Lingaur acknowledged that staffing remains “BATA’s number one challenge impacting its ability to maintain and grow transportation options for customers,” he also noted that the organization has rolled out numerous aggressive recruiting and retention tactics over the past few years that are showing results.
Those strategies include decreasing wait times between applicants applying and being interviewed, paid CDL training for bus driver applicants, greater reliance on third-party recruiting companies and agen-
cies, and most of all, a $10,000 recruitment/ retention bonus that pays out over time in exchange for a three-year commitment to the organization.
Lingaur said that those tactics and others have increased BATA’s hiring rate “from a trend of 2.25 new employees per month to five new employers per month,” boosted the employee retention rate from 61% to 80%, and reduced its count of vacant full-time bus driver positions from 26 to 14.
Beyond the fact that many job seekers simply want remote or hybrid work arrangements, Hanel pointed out the fact that remote also helps employers get around the two biggest obstacles that local recruiters are facing right now: housing and child care.
Despite much conversation around those issues locally, Hanel said “there are no improvements there” for employers, and that “if anything, it’s worse than it was before the pandemic.”
“In 2022, we had multiple job offers at TentCraft that were initially accepted and then rescinded based on either child care or housing conflicts,” Hanel explained.
Now, TentCraft is “hyper-focused” on local candidates like never before.
“If we can find a candidate locally – even if they’re a little less qualified, or if they don’t have the experience but they fit the culture – we are going to be more open to training and developing somebody who lives here already, because then we’re not fighting tooth and nail to get them relocated to the
area,” he said.
Housing is the top barrier for another local manufacturer, too: Great Lakes Stainless, which specializes in making stainless steel cabinets, decorative metalwork, and more.
According to Great Lakes Stainless President Michael DeBruyn, that particular hurdle has gotten much higher in the wake of the pandemic because of housing pressure sparked by the pandemic migration.
“Indeed, we lost three employees over 18 months, each of which had a change in their housing situation, were unable to find affordable housing, and left the area,” he said.
Great Lakes Stainless also lost two potential employees, who were recent graduates of the top ranked welding school Industrial Arts Institute, because of housing difficulties.
Like other employers, though, Great Lake Stainless has adapted by implementing many of the competitive strategies that Hanel mentioned – particularly a more strategic approach to marketing the work and the culture of the business by highlighting interesting projects like airline ticket counters and high-end hotel lobbies.
“We work hard to highlight ... the variety and opportunities to gain new skills and work with new materials and processes,” he said. “And since the beginning of 2022, we have been able to add 10 new employees through hiring – and we are certainly looking to continue that effort in 2023.”
By Jennifer Ewing, columnist
Anyone who has hired in the last 12 to 18 months knows that the labor market is tight.
Candidates are limited especially when looking for a unique skill set. There have been many articles about being creative when posting, shortening your hiring process, looking at nontraditional candidates and other solid advice.
However, one important piece to the recruitment puzzle is how technology can positively impact the hiring process.
One critical tool in the staffing process is the use of an applicant tracking system (ATS). ATSs range from the simple and inexpensive to the complex and very expensive. An ATS can be used for any size employer. Be sure to shop these systems to find the right one for the size and needs of your organization. Though some payroll or ERP systems may offer an ATS as an addon, be sure to consider stand-alone systems as they may be more inexpensive or offer different features.
Some might think that the current system of emails and Excel files are working just fine, so why invest in additional software? Others assume just because they do not have to track their applicants for any EEO or affirmative action reporting that an ATS is not necessary. The reality is that the investment in an ATS will be gained back in efficiencies and the additional marketing you receive through even the most modest of ATS systems.
Most systems work with many of the job posting sites, such as Indeed or Monster to automatically post your opening with one click. Some systems will simultaneously post up to 20 different job boards for free. This saves time in pushing out an opening to multiple systems and eliminates the need to re-enter the same data over and over. This is time that can be used to review candidates and speed up the hiring process.
Once the job opening is available, the ATS allows individuals to apply online. Depending on the industry, this can be simple or complex to ensure the candidates meet specific criteria.
Normally, you are able to design your own application to meet the needs of your
organization. The application can also include a signature area where disclaimers can be signed and stored. The ATS can also require candidates to attach essential documents such as resume, cover letter, references or transcripts.
Links to these online applications can be embedded into your organization’s website so that potential candidates may not even be aware an external party is being used. Rather, your company’s logo and other information can be included in the application to share your culture and branding.
Most ATS’s allow you to ask screening questions relevant to the job. Just as in an in-person interview, it is important that these questions are related to the role and do not cause disparate impact against any protected class. So, be sure to tie any selection criteria directly back to the job analysis and job description for the position.
If using an employment website to advertise your opening that does not link to the ATS, you can simply embed the ATS link into the ad so that the candidate is directed to one system. Many sites, such as Michigan’s Creative Coast, Pure Michigan Talent Connect or Handshake, allow you to embed your application.
Another advantage to ATS’s is communication. You can easily share applications internally within the system to ensure resumes are not lost on someone’s desk or to track progress in the hiring process. Additionally, you are able to communicate with the applicants through the system via text, email or even allowing them to schedule their own interviews. This creates a trail of interactions that not only helps in managing the candidate through the process but also provides a record that can be used in the future if there are any questions around hiring decisions.
Though some of the more sophisticated systems can employ artificial intelligence (AI) to support the screening process, many of the more cost-effective systems leave the human resources or hiring manager in the driver’s seat.
This means you are still able to see and screen using more traditional methods of assessing experience and skill. If using
Though some of the more sophisticated systems can employ artificial intelligence (AI) to support the screening process, many of the more cost-effective systems leave the human resources or hiring manager in the driver’s seat.
AI, remember that all systems are created by humans and may still have inherit biases that eliminate potentially qualified candidates. It is important to validate the system and evaluate rejected candidates for possible unintended preference.
Another positive of an ATS is that it’s easily searchable. Because of this, applications can be marked with different statuses such as “consider for future role” so that you can easily identify someone who may not have been a good fit for one job but may be a great fit for another.
You can search for candidates via their name, phone or email to determine if someone has applied multiple times and review previous hiring notes around this person. An ATS will also track key measurables in the hiring process such as time to hire, where candidates learn about the openings or number of candidates per hire.
ATS’s can also be used to track applicants. Imagine that! For those who are
required to submit EEO-1 reports or have affirmative action plans, these systems can ask questions around the needed reporting information and run the necessary reports. Questions around protected classes such as race or disability are conducted in such a manner that the hiring manager does not have access to and will not see this information. Rather, specific reports must be run to gather this type of data.
Though there is not one magic wand for recruiting, melding many different tools together can help obtain a solid applicant pool of qualified candidates. Having a functioning ATS and utilizing the features can bring expanded reach, efficiency in communication and a smoother hiring process for both the organization and the candidate.
For years, businesses, recruiters and employees have assumed that most noncompete agreements are enforceable. Because of this, the threat of legal action has served as a powerful deterrent against going to work for, or hiring from, a competitor.
Nobody wants an expensive lawsuit.
In January, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) shook these assumptions to the core by announcing a proposed noncompete ban. In its announcement, the FTC argued that research shows noncompetes significantly suppress workers’ wages by limiting employee mobility.
The FTC’s logic is that if businesses hold employees captive with noncompetes, there’s no way for employees to negotiate fair wages. According to the FTC, noncompetes suppress wages by $296 billion annually and negatively impact everyone, from executives to janitors.
If the FTC’s proposed noncompete ban goes into effect, you’ll soon be able to recruit the best and brightest from your competitors, even if they have a noncompete. But it also means your competitor’s recruiters will soon be at your star employee’s doorstep, even if you have a noncompete.
This does not mean it will become permissible for employees to take company data or information on the way out the door. That’s never okay. But businesses need to be ready for how the FTC’s proposed noncompete ban could change the recruiting landscape.
Here are a few things worth considering in light of the FTC’s announcement.
A stay interview. With a noncompete ban on the horizon, employers need to anticipate a wave of aggressive recruitment. The cost of recruiting and training new employees is high. You should seriously consider a stay interview, which helps you figure out what might make your employee leave so that you can fix issues before the employee makes the decision to resign. This should be a
conversation, not an interrogation. A few questions you might consider include:
1. What keeps you working here?
2. If you could change something about your job, what would it be?
3. What would make your job more satisfying?
4. What can I do to best support you?
5. If you were to leave, what would be the reason?
It might be difficult to hear what an employee has to say. But it is always better to hear it before your employee tenders a resignation. A stay interview is an opportunity to show your employee that you care and are committed to the employee’s future.
Market analysis of pay scales and retention bonuses. Recruiters often get an employee’s attention with the prospect of a few extra dollars. If you have not done a market analysis of your pay scales in a few years, you should consider one. If you’re underpaying your employees based on
market rates, you need to make a market adjustment. The last thing you want is an employee to leave your business for a few extra dollars. You’ll spend far more recruiting and training a replacement than providing a modest raise to a current employee.
You may also want to consider a retention bonus. A retention bonus provides an employee with extra lump sum payments at certain agreed-upon intervals if the employee remains employed with your company. When properly structured, retention bonuses can be a great way to reward and encourage loyalty.
Nonsolicitation agreements. If the FTC’s noncompete ban goes forward, some of your top employees will most likely leave for what they perceive to be greener pastures. You need to be prepared for this and consider adopting nonsolicitation agreements. A nonsolicitation agreement prohibits your employee from soliciting employees or customers when they leave to work for a competitor. In other words, a nonsolicitation agreement prohibits poaching of
customers or employees. While it does not keep an individual out of an industry or from going to work for a competitor, it can be a powerful tool for ensuring your former employee does not engage in unfair business practices.
The FTC’s proposed noncompete ban presents opportunities and risks. You need to think about what you’ll do to keep your best employees and protect your company. Stay interviews, market adjustments to pay, retention bonuses and nonsolicitation agreements are just a few of the things in your toolbox.
No matter what you do, make sure you brush up on your company’s data, confidentiality and security policies and practices. If your employee walks out the door for your competitor, he or she should not be bringing anything from your company with them.
Anders Gillis is a labor and employment attorney at Parker Harvey PLC. He can reached at (231)486-4507; agillis@parkerharvey.com.
It’s for adults. It’s for students, whether elementary, high school or college. It’s for investors, entrepreneurs, business people and dreamers alike.
“It” is Northern Michigan Startup Week, and though it won’t be taking place until May, there’s no time to start preparing for Startup Week like – well, like now.
“The purpose is to showcase the innovation happening in our region,” said Bradley Matson. The longtime entrepreneur and tech enthusiast is heading up the program, celebrating its second year in 2023.
Startup Week – NMSW 2023 – will run May 5-12 at various locations in Traverse City. The celebration of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growing startup community in northern Michigan is a collaborative initiative organized by 20Fathoms, TCNewTech, Northern Michigan Angels, Newton’s Road, StartupGrind TC and other local partners.
“Bradley and Keith Kelly of Northwestern Michigan College did a TechStars weekend in 2014,” said Jennifer Szunko. “Last year they brought it back along with others for a week-long event.”
Formerly the head of TCNewTech, Szunko is now behind StartupGrind TC and among the organizers of the event.
Matson said last year’s event was a great start and that organizers learned a lot. That led to year two, and the inclusion of more local partners, including Traverse Connect, Discovery Pier and CommonPlace.
He said collaboration is a key for the event and for startups in general.
“We welcome both students and adults: those with an idea they want to explore and/or those who want to network and meet others in the community,” she said.
Chris Nesbit, the event, sales, and marketing director at TCNewTech, said that welcoming inclusiveness is one of
focused on the space industry. This year, it’s the blue water economy. Szunko said it will involve NMC and Michigan Tech, noting college and career possibilities, and Discovery Pier, with activities for all ages.
“Whether entrepreneurs launch their company, find a co-founder, meet someone new, or learn a new skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups,” said Szunko.
Nesbit said the event will include both in-person and virtual participation, but said there’s nothing like face-to-face interaction and networking.
“We encourage people to come in person,” he said.
“We want to prevent silos and highlight the entire ecosystem,” said Matson. “We want to broaden beyond startups, (creating) a broad pipeline.”
He said “startup” is kind of a catchall word, but emphasizes the role of innovators across the board. That includes focusing on STEM and innovation in education, hence the inclusion of organizations such as Newton’s Road and the Discovery Pier, increasing educational opportunities for students of all ages.
Szunko said everyone is welcome to attend any or all of the events, listed on the website at NMSW.co, and that there’s no need to be a startup to join.
the most valuable parts of the week.
“People can learn the startup process. Students can showcase what they’ve learned,” he said.
That includes the opportunity to work alongside others and eventually present their ideas to professionals.
“It’s an exciting thing to watch. It’s very entertaining and very educational,” Nesbit said of the presentations. “This will highlight the pitfalls and what’s well-received. Sometimes that’s not what we’d expect.”
While there is not a singular focus for NMSW, organizers do dedicate one day to a particular industry. Last year’s event
Szunko believes the region will continue to attract entrepreneurs who want to enjoy a work-life balance, whether they are from the area originally or have discovered it through vacations.
“I think a lot of our bright, talented local students who left boomeranged back during COVID,” she said. “This is a great place to launch a career or raise a family.”
Attracting this age group is key, said Matson, who works with Northern Michigan Angels and Spartan Innovations.
“The larger mission is to diversify the economy and attract younger professionals,” he said.
“The purpose is to showcase the innovation happening in our region.”
- Bradley Matson, organizer, Northern Michigan Startup Week
Matson believes the trend toward remote work, which kicked into high gear during the pandemic, demonstrated that areas such as northern Michigan could be successful hubs for innovation.
“The remote work (for) Googles and Apples is a trend, but we also want a wider net,” he said. “We don’t have the density of a Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor, but we could become the best in a niche.”
He said the ability to easily travel to other locales, whether downstate or across the county, also positions Traverse City and the region in general as a good
place to work from. While companies may not see it as a place for locating large groups of workers, events such as this and the monthly TC NewTech meetings, as well as cooperative working spaces such as 20Fathoms and CommonPlace, point to the opportunities for collaboration and cross-pollination among workers from different companies.
The event kicks off with TechStars Startup Weekend, a non-profit, global grassroots movement of active and empowered entrepreneurs who are learning the basics of founding startups and launching successful ventures. Startup
Weekends can be found in hundreds of cities around the world, from Mongolia to South Africa to London and now to Traverse City.
All such events follow the same basic model. Anyone and everyone is welcome to pitch a startup idea. The most popular ideas are determined by a vote, then teams are assigned to formulate a formal pitch, from creating the business model to design, marketing, and finally a presentation to entrepreneurial leaders.
In addition to the Startup Weekend, there will be a day focused on the local blue water economy and other water-re-
lated innovations, a university pitch competition and a local startup showcase and celebration. The week will conclude with Traverse Connect’s ScaleUp North Awards.
Northern Michigan Startup Weekend registration/event dates:
March 1: Registration opens for all events
March 31: Early bird pricing deadline
May 5-7: TechStars Startup Weekend
Traverse City
May 5-12: Northern Michigan Startup Week
Upper Floor Office Space Includes 3 Private Offices -2 Work StationsBuilt in Counter & Cupboards - French Glass Doors to Offices - Original Refinished Brick Walls - High Ceilings w/Exposed Ductwork - Skylights - Windows - etc. Rent Includes Electricity. Tenant Responsible for: Natural Gas/Heat - Trash - Phone/Computer. Shared Kitchenette & Restrooms & Hallway are nicely finished. Accessed by Wide Staircase to Front St & Rear Staircase to Alley.
Millions of dollars in federal funding is currently making its way to northern Michigan to aid in the buildout of fiber-optic broadband internet infrastructure throughout the region.
From the American Rescue Plan Act to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, numerous sources are delivering the money that could finally bring universal high-speed internet access to the area.
As an historic moment, these fiber internet investments mirror what the government did with electricity back in the 1930s. But are the investments good for northern Michigan, or are they inadvertently steering the region away from the kinds of local operators and stakeholders that are best positioned to provide stable, long-term solutions to the area’s connectivity challenges?
To find out the answer, the TCBN delved into the multiple prongs of northern Michigan’s in-progress broadband rollout.
First, a history lesson: On May 1, 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Rural Electric Administration as part of The New Deal. The agency, formed by executive order, was intended to promote the proliferation of electricity to farmers and rural residents across the United States. The following year, Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act, which officially created the federal loan program that enabled rural communities to pay for the development of electrical infrastructure.
In the years that followed, many rural
communities got electricity for the first time, including much of northern Michigan. At the time, Traverse City proper already had electricity – thanks to Traverse City Light & Power (TCLP), which had gotten its start in 1912 – but most of the outlying areas were still in the dark.
The literal light bulb moment for the region hit in 1938, with the establishment of the Cherryland Electric Cooperative. Thanks to a $372,000 Rural Electrification Act loan – equal to more than $7.7 million
cans have any kind of high-speed broadband internet connection at home – even if those connections aren’t fiber. Both of those statistics leave considerable room for providers to build out networks and close the gaps, and a recent surge in funding is making that possibility of universal broadband access that much more likely.
What are some of those funding sources? Northern Michigan locals are already seeing some of them in action. Last year, for instance, Leelanau County’s Board of Com-
town corridor, and a Phase 2 expansion that will bring the network to the rest of TCLP’s customers – will ultimately make fiber internet service an option for more than 11,000 customers.
There are other funding sources that could soon be making their mark on the local fiber internet map. In addition to ARPA funds, money is just beginning to flow from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), a bipartisan federal funding bill that specifically identified broadband as a top priority. That bill makes $1.2 trillion in funds available for infrastructure projects throughout the country, but only about 10 percent of the money has actually been directed so far.
in 2023 dollars – Cherryland was able to get started on infrastructure. And on May 25, 1939, the cooperative energized its first 302 miles of power line, bringing electricity to dozens of rural northern Michigan farms, homes and other properties.
What is playing out now in regards to fiber internet buildouts in rural parts of the country has been called a modern equivalent of the Rural Electrification Act. According to a 2022 report conducted by the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA), only about 43% of American households currently have access to fiber internet. And per a 2021 Pew Research Center report, only 77% of Ameri-
missioners voted to allocate $3.2 million of the county’s $4.2 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to build out a new fiber network. Once completed, the network will bring high-speed broadband internet access to nearly 8,000 unserved or underserved households in the county, mostly in Leelanau, Kasson and Solon townships.
In Traverse City, meanwhile, TCLP is in the midst of a citywide fiber buildout that was made possible thanks in part to a $14.69 million loan from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The first two phases of the TCLP Fiber project –an initial buildout that targeted the down-
Specifically, a $42.5 billion program within the IIJA that is intended to bridge the country’s gaps in high-speed internet service – called the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program – has yet to start moving. According to a December 2022 report from Fortune magazine, that money is still tied up due to the fact that “releasing the funding requires finalized maps from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that illustrate the areas and communities without highspeed internet access.”
The FCC unveiled drafts of those maps late last year, describing them as “the best picture available to date of where broadband is and is not available across the country.” Older FCC broadband maps collected data at the census block level, which meant that if even one home in a census block had broadband access, the entire block would
“We’re all about trying to play fair and equal for everybody, and bridging that digital divide is a big goal of ours – for everyone, not just people who live within our electrical service territory.”
–Scott Menhart, chief information and technology officer, TCLP
show up as having access.
That flawed approach to broadband mapping led to big misconceptions about America’s digital divide. Chris Scharrer, who serves as county broadband manager for Leelanau County’s fiber project, has said that older broadband maps for Leelanau showed the county being “98% serviceable.” That number proved to be a massive overestimate, hence the ARPA-funded buildout aimed at bringing fiber to thousands of Leelanau homes.
In general, newer broadband maps will be significantly more granular, which will in turn help the FCC decide where to allocate money for broadband projects.
In June 2021, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive directive that officially formed the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office (MIHI). Since then, the office has been working on mapping the location of high-speed internet infrastructure in each of Michigan’s 83 counties. Those maps will be used to help shape the final drafts of the FCC maps, and will therefore be critical in maximizing funds awarded to Michigan through the federal government.
Additionally, MIHI has its own grant program – called ROBIN (Realizing Opportunity with Broadband Infrastructure Networks) – which is seeded by money from the federal Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. ROBIN grants are intended to bring high-speed internet access to unserved locations throughout the state. The application process for the
grants officially went live on January 13, and the state will accept applications through March 14, 2023.
All these public dollars could theoretically help make lightning-fast internet speeds the rule rather than the exception in rural areas like northern Michigan. Right now, only small parts of the region – including the heart of the City of Traverse City and the northern half of Old Mission Peninsula – actually have access to fiber broadband speeds (or download speeds of 1,000 megabits per second). Other areas – particularly more rural parts of Leelanau, Kalkaska or Benzie counties – are dealing with much slower speeds.
Proponents of state and federal funding for broadband say public dollars are the key to unlocking better internet service to support robust business development, remote work possibilities, online education and improved quality of life in rural parts of the country. Building out local broadband resources by any means necessary certainly sounds like good news, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which underlined how important it is for everyone to have reliable, fast internet access at home.
Still, there are skeptics who say that state and federal funding for fiber and broadband might not necessarily result in the most stable, sustainable or complete networks. Christopher Varenhorst is one such skeptic.
Varenhorst is the founder and president of Eclipse Communications, a Benzo-
nia-based communications company working to build a fiber-to-the-home high-speed broadband network in Benzie County.
Since late 2019, Eclipse has invested more than a half a million dollars in putting the first pieces of its fiber network in place. In November, those investments led to one of the first big milestones for the buildout: the completion of Eclipse’s fiber backbone, which will serve as the foundation for the network.
As someone who has been working to bring fiber to Benzie County for more than a decade, Varenhorst is familiar with the significant costs associated with such a buildout – and with the huge challenges that rural areas especially pose to fiber development.
“It’s a very expensive realm to work in,” Varenhorst said of rural broadband. “Any given rural county is going to be in the $20 to $30 million range to completely deploy with fiber. And I mean fiber for everyone, not just hopping, skipping, and jumping between more densely populated areas – which is kind of how it’s been for four decades now in the entire greater broadband sphere.”
On the one hand, Varenhorst admits that big public funding campaigns have the potential to move the needle on bringing fiber to rural areas – simply by subsidizing the cost of these often prohibitively expensive projects. On the other hand, though, he’s worried that public money incentivizes outside players to come into markets they
don’t understand and aren’t fully invested in, with ultimately unpredictable results.
“One really has to play the long game of asking, ‘What comes next after ARPA funding?’ ‘What comes next after ROBIN?’ ‘What comes next after BEAD?’” Varenhorst said. “Being able to capitalize on and leverage those successes into the next chain of successes is necessary, because until you start getting a number in tens of millions of dollars, you’re not really getting a lot of people connected very quickly.”
Varenhorst’s worry is twofold. First, that funding from ARPA and other programs will “come and go” and will ultimately not be enough to be more than “a drop in the bucket” in the fight to bring broadband to all of rural America. And second, that outof-region or out-of-state broadband companies will come into areas like northern Michigan, “spend grant funding when they can get it,” and then pick up and leave when the funding dries up.
“I worry they will not do any form of investment in an area short of (what they can get grants for),” Varenhorst said of non-local providers. “And then that still leaves a lot of people waiting for infrastructure.”
Nonetheless, Varenhorst says he will continue chipping away at the block.
“That’s the role we play, in that where we live is where we operate,” Varenhorst continued. “It’s where we provide coverage, and it’s where we’re constantly working on building infrastructure and getting coverage out there day in and day out. And that’s usually out of our own pocket.”
According to Scott Menhart, who serves as chief information and technology officer for TCLP, the utility has a similar mindset to Varenhorst and Eclipse Communications about “chipping away” at northern Michigan’s fiber service gaps. Menhart said that, while TCLP is currently focused on finishing out its two-phase fiber buildout in the City of Traverse City, the organization is also toying with the idea of pushing beyond city limits to bring fiber to other Grand Traverse County neighborhoods and townships that don’t have it yet.
“We don’t want to stop (with the fiber
network) just because our electric footprint stops,” Menhart explained, noting that TCLP isn’t bound by the same geographic boundaries as a telecommunications provider as it is in its capacity as an electric company.
Menhart says since the infrastructure is already in pace, it makes sense to keep going.
“We’re all about trying to play fair and equal for everybody, and bridging that digital divide is a big goal of ours – for everyone, not just people who live within our electrical service territory,” he said.
While local players may be inherently more invested in the region, there is also reason to expect that Point Broadband, the Alabama-based telecommunications company that Leelanau County hired to build out its fiber infrastructure, is in it for the long haul.
The county pitched in $5 million for the project (including the $3.2 million in ARPA funds), but Point Broadband has pledged to foot the bill for the other $12.4 million of the project’s estimated $17.4 million capital cost – “plus another $10 million in ongoing operational, customer support, and network expenses over the coming years.”
“(Point Broadband) has two big benefits to being able to do this,” Scharrer previously told TCBN sister publication the Leelanau Ticker. “One is they’re going to be serving a community of 3,100 homes that have nothing right now (in terms of broadband internet service).”
With its contract, Scharrer says that Point Broadband can expect a 70-80% take rate, meaning 70-80% of those homes will sign up for service.
The other part of the reason they’re investing, Scharrer says, is that Point Broadband is also planning on eventually building some of the higher-density areas in the southern townships – including Bingham, Elmwood, and Suttons Bay.
“There’s existing Charter service, but Point Broadband will be able to start offering competitive services there,” he said. “The take rate will be lower in those areas, but there’s an established clientele, some of whom are looking for alternatives to Charter right now.”
Technology is an omnipresent aspect of modern life in 2023, so the TCBN reached out to area technology leaders to learn about the current tech trends, challenges and opportunities that drive their work – and how new technologies might change the way we do business and interact in the future.
Security threats are top of mind for area tech pros, and one of the most widespread (and dangerous) is phishing. Phishing is an email-based attack where scammers send messages that appear to come from reputable, commonly used companies such as Amazon, UPS and major banks. Users are tricked into clicking on links and revealing sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
A particularly insidious type of phishing is called spear phishing. Like typical phishing scams, spear phishers send emails that appear to come from a trusted source. But unlike phishing, which tends to cast a wide net, spear phishers take the time to target specific groups and organizations. In the workplace, employees may get a well-crafted email that appears to come from, for example, their HR department or supervisor.
According to Dan Wasson, director of systems and LAN management at Northwestern Michigan College, 84% of security breaches are traced back to phishing. While many email providers do a decent job blocking such messages, this high tech problem has a fairly low tech solution: training people not to fall for phishing attempts.
Chris Bott of BottTech, a Traverse City technology and cybersecurity firm, says there’s no such thing as a business that’s too small – any organization can be a target.
“All businesses need to provide security awareness training for all their employees,” said Bott. “It only takes an hour a month, and it’s a great value-add because you’re also training your employees to keep their own personal data safe.”
Credit card spinning is another type of threat affecting e-commerce websites. Scammers can purchase “databases full of stolen credit card numbers,” said Tom Barrons,
owner and programmer at web design company Byte Productions.
Barrons says scammers run the numbers through a website, to see which numbers work – leaving site owners on the hook for the $0.10-$0.30 per transaction processing fee, even if the charge doesn’t go through.
“Everybody’s web server is under attack, all day long,” Barrons said.
In the field of web design and development, Ray Weigel, principal and owner of Traverse City Web Design, has seen a lot of website trends come and go.
A large part of his business is helping area businesses transition from their simpler, DIY websites built on platforms like Wix and Squarespace, to more robust solutions. Businesses are also asking for help connecting existing websites to ancillary systems, like customer relationship management, social media, shipping, and e-commerce tools.
Weigel is also thinking about the future, and how new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) might change the business.
“AI is everywhere,” Weigel said. “I can go out today and get real, usable tools. We’re starting to use AI for website illustrations, which lets us make custom web graphics instead of using stock imagery.”
Other AI tools can write product descriptions and create social media posts.
While the specter of AI-generated term papers has gotten a lot of press, it’s not a big concern at Northwestern Michigan College at this time.
“There are a number of good resources out there that monitor and assist with academic integrity,” says Wasson.
David Bondurant, director of technology operations at Interlochen Center for the Arts, agrees.
“It’s on everyone’s minds, but it’s still so emergent,” he said. “Schools are just starting to come up with policies for this.
It’s more important to educate people on what (AI) could be used for, instead of blocking it outright.”
Interlochen IT staff are also looking at how AI technologies might help the institution accommodate growth and free up staff from redundant tasks, like answering the top 20 frequently asked questions about summer camp.
Virtual reality and the metaverse are other platforms that area organizations are keeping a close eye on, though they are still in early stages. Students at Interlochen have access to tools to create virtual environments and have hosted interactive displays in Interlochen’s gallery.
As for local businesses, Weigel says it’s coming, but they have so far had no clients ask for VR.
“Having the ability to offer clients virtual spaces is going to be something we will need in the future,” he said. “AI is here now; the metaverse is 10 years off.”
Even in an automated or virtual environment, “you still have to have the human that runs that system, and is paying attention to the security of that system,” said Wasson.
Technology is a growth sector in the Grand Traverse region, and has been identified by the Northwest Michigan Works! Agency as one of the fields experiencing the greatest labor shortage.
One solution to the region’s tech worker
shortage is encouraging more women to enter the traditionally male-dominated field. According to the Pew Research Center, women make up about 25% of workers in computing.
“In our area, that’s a realistic number,” says Gretchen Swanson, director of workforce development at startup incubator 20 Fathoms. But interest in the field among young people is closer to 50/50.
“That gives me a lot of hope in seeing where this can go, particularly in our area,” says Swanson.
To that end, 20 Fathoms hosts a monthly TC Women in Tech meetup series. The goal is to bring people together, fill the talent pipeline, and offer peer support. No two meetups are the same, and women at all different points in their careers are welcome, including students. The meetup also welcomes those whose jobs may be tech-adjacent, or those exploring a career transition.
One of the areas of tech experiencing big growth? Security.
“There’s a ton of opportunity for those who are specialists in cybersecurity,” says Swanson. “Women (in our group) have been interested in getting more training in that area.”
An overriding issue for area tech pros in 2023 is improving broadband coverage. While the most populated areas of the region have access and choice, one doesn’t have to drive far to reach areas where connections are slow and unreliable. Broadband coverage opens up a world of opportunities for employees and employers alike.
“It’s such an important economic driver,” said Swanson.
Tech leaders weigh in on security and Traverse City’s growth opportunities
Trendway Corporation has been doing business in Holland, Mich. for over 50 years. They know their way around quality office furniture. But when it came time to evaluate their business’ energy use and look for ways to save on operating costs, Trendway relied on Consumers Energy to identify energy efficiency improvements — like advanced lighting controls.
Working together with Consumers Energy, Trendway earned over $23,000 in rebates for installing their lighting controls. And that automated lighting project has reduced their lighting energy use by 70%* — saving them money year after year while helping to meet their sustainability goals.
Are you ready to take charge of your business’ energy use? Learn more at ConsumersEnergy.com/startsaving
Traverse City startup Revolok USA can’t solve all the problems of the trucking sector, which currently needs to hire nearly 80,000 drivers. But it has designed (and patented) the “Revolok 6600,” a handy tool that might encourage some veteran truckers to stay on the job longer, and a wider spectrum of applicants, including more women, to become truckers.
The “Revolok 6600” provides an easier, quicker way to secure truck loads. The Women in Trucking Association, which works to break down barriers to women in the industry, has already recognized Revolok for its innovation.
Officially, it’s called a drill-powered chain binder. It looks a bit like a shock absorber with two red hooks on both ends. Instead of manually securing their loads, drivers hook the 6600 to chains loosely pre-positioned to secure the cargo. Drivers then use a lightweight drill to set the 6600 to the correct amount of tension.
“We’ve found that sweet spot is between not enough tension and too much of it,” said Bill Sullivan, CEO, Revolok USA. “You can do it with one hand. Down the road, we think it will become the industry standard.”
Revolok’s back story is unique. Tim Squires, who serves as Revolok’s vice president of business development, and Engineering Manager Ken Lamb came up with the original idea when the strap holding a fellow hunter’s tree stand broke. He was paralyzed by the fall. Squires and Lamb wanted to make sure other hunters didn’t suffer the same fate. It turned out that with modifications, that early device was scalable to wider commercial applications, especially heavy cargo securement.
“A lot of people think drivers just drive,” said Blake Goodell, Revolok marketing and customer education manager. “But they also spend a lot of time loading and unloading, and they have to pull over all the time to make sure the loads are secure.”
It’s tough work because most of them are using old-fashioned ratchet chain binders, a technology that requires brute strength and often leads to chronic joint injury.
Revolok now has a finished product and P.I. and I. Motor Freight, a large Ohiobased flatbed trucking concern, has signed a letter of intent to outfit 350 of its drivers with the equipment. Closer to home, northern Michigan contractor Molon Excavating is using the Revolok 9200, a more powerful model designed to secure heavy equipment.
Sullivan says Revolok is also developing
ways to constantly monitor tension while loads are in transport. Ultimately, the goal is to send real-time data to drivers and, when needed, also to fleet offices. “Safety is the overriding benefit,” he said.
Sullivan added the Revolok 6600 (and 9200) are also good for the bottomline. He estimates the technology can save drivers as much 400 work hours per year. That, he argues, “can increase productivity and profitability not only for the companies but also for truckers.”
Word about Revolok is getting around.
“We’re at a stage where we’re looking to grow pretty rapidly,” Sullivan said. “We’re putting together investment portfolios right now. We’ve got inventory and have done all the right things to assure the quality of our products.”
“I’m encouraged,” he added. “What keeps me going is the reaction of the drivers. They rave.”
Sullivan thinks this is just the start.
“Right now we’re focused on the commercial trucking sector, especially those that use chains to secure heavy, valuable loads,” he says. “But we envision using our technology on trains, ships, aircraft and even in military settings. We can also see it in settings where straps are used.”
The Grand Traverse Area Manufacturing Council (GTAMC) sponsors this column. Its mission is to support a sustainable and globally competitive manufacturing sector for a stronger economy; makegreatthings.org.
734) 320-6667
By Chris Wendel
When looking for books to review for this space, I have some rough guidelines. The book has to relate to the business world or personal growth for one’s profession. It hopefully was recently written. And the book has to be worth reading.
With this in mind, I recently ran across a “New York Times” bestseller with an unusual title: “Everything is Figureoutable.” Written by online sensation Marie Forleo, the title is derived from a phrase that Forleo’s mother coined. Forleo grew up in a household with limited money and resources. This didn’t stop her mother from being creative with coming up with solutions for everything from stretching a household budget to home repairs. When Forleo would be frustrated with a problem, her mother would use the saying: “Everything is figureoutable.”
Part self-improvement book, part autobiographical, “Everything is Figureoutable” takes the challenges that Forleo experienced, chronicled with how she worked through them. This is done by paying close attention to what feels right and fulfilling, a theme that is the backbone of the book.
What results is a series of chapters that hone in on identifying what readers’ true beliefs and dreams are. Corresponding chapters walk through barriers, such as excuses and fears that prevent us from being true to ourselves and living satisfying lives.
Early on Forleo uses her own experiences of struggling when out of college, with endless false starts to figure out her life’s calling. Moving from one job to another, her inner voice kept telling her that things weren’t quite right. She accumulated plenty of frustration and personal debt along the way. Her saving grace was her work ethic, relentless drive, and pursuit of alternative career paths until she found fulfillment.
At the end of each chapter, readers are highly encouraged to go through written exercises that provide a framework for applying that chapter’s message into a tangible lesson the reader can build from. The chapter “How to Deal with the Fear of Anything” takes readers through an explanation of why fear is something to embrace, take notice of, and relate to with positive outcomes. Thinking of a worst-case scenario, examining the odds of it coming to fruition, and strategizing how one would solve bad outcomes if it did go poorly, goes a long way toward minimizing that particular fear.
“Everything is Figureoutable” is a book that anyone along their career continuum can benefit from. Forleo provides a similar foundation that books from a generation prior centered on, such as “The Path of Least Resistance” by Robert Fritz and “The
Psychology of Winning” by Denis Waitley (if you’ve never heard of these, I urge you to look them up). Forleo also weaves in plenty of motivational quotes, such as “limiting beliefs guarantees limited outcomes.”
Forleo has worked through and honed techniques that provide essential life advice missing from most recent personal improvement books and business biographies. She makes it very clear that the work we do has to come from our hearts. Simply working a job for the money and stability is why, according to the Gallup Corporation, the number of Americans today dissatisfied with their jobs is at an all-time high.
Forleo has a huge following through her web television show MarieTV. She is also the founder of Marie Forleo International, a business coaching practice that has evolved into a successful online business school. Out of this has come success for Forleo, including being named by Oprah Winfrey as “a thought leader for the next generation.”
“Everything is Figureoutable” is the relatable cornerstone of Forleo’s overall work. Perhaps the best attribute of the book is the author’s fun, conversational writing style that exudes both relentless enthusiasm and, when needed, a sense of humor. Don’t get hung up on the funky title with a made-up word. “Everything is Figureoutable” is a practical guide for those who are stuck in their work or those who are just starting out.
Chris Wendel works for Northern Initiatives, a mission-based lender located in Marquette, Mich. Northern Initiatives provides funding to businesses in Michigan and “know-how” to organizations throughout the United States. Wendel lives and works in Traverse City.
The Jan. 20 Northern Michigan Policy Conference held at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa included a Northern Caucus Panel with panelists State Rep. Curt VanderWall, State Rep. Betsy Coffia and State Rep. John Roth. The regional economic development conference is led by the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, a coalition of 16 chambers and economic development organizations and 7,000plus member businesses from across northern Michigan.
TCNewTech’s Return of the Champions event featured presentations from this year’s pitch competition winners who vied against one another for the title of Overall 2022 Champion. The Stocked squad secured the honor via audience vote. Broc Crandall and Zach Hite have since secured an exclusive deal with Meijer and a working relationship with Tom’s Food Markets.
After a three-year hiatus, Traverse Connect’s Annual Celebration Gala was held Jan. 20 on the 16th and 17th floors of the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa’s Tower. The event celebrated the business community of the Grand Traverse region. Pictured are members of Traverse City Young Professionals, who volunteered for the event. Photo by Crackerjack Photography
Copper Ridge Surgery Center recently marked the opening of its new state-of-the-art Advantage Plus Endoscopy Reprocessing System. Pictured: Harold Kranick, endo tech; Lynn Male, RN; Michael Polanski, facilities manager; Rex Antinozzi, MD, AGAF; Stephanie Comeaux, endoscopy team leader; Jill Drow, RN; Elaine Schultz, RN and Kathleen Roop, RN.
TCBN: So 2022 is complete. How was traffic at the airport?
Klein: We don’t have our final numbers just yet. But just based on initial TSA reports, it looks like it was our second best year ever.
TCBN: Nice! Second best behind…?
Klein: Behind last year, which was massive. But 2022 will turn out to be better than 2019, which was our best year previously.
TCBN: And where do we rank statewide? I know last year we had inched ahead of Flint to become the third busiest airport in the state.
Klein: It will be neck-and-neck with Flint, but we’re likely still number three. We’re definitely trending up, and they’re trending the other way
TCBN: I’m curious about the airlines. Are they becoming more and more alike in Traverse City, or more and more different? How has each airline’s presence changed here over time?
Klein: More and more alike. Several years ago, Delta had probably 50 percent market share here. Back when they were Northwest, it was probably 60 or 65 percent. Today, back to the July timeframe, United had 41 percent of our traffic, American had 31, Delta had
27, and the Allegiant had the rest. So the whole year will show everyone being pretty balanced.
TCBN: And do you prefer it that way?
Klein: I’d like to always see more seats in the market, but yes, good to have more competition here.
TCBN: I also wonder: How much of how these airlines grow here is due to your relationship with your contacts there and their familiarity with Traverse City versus just an overall corporate strategy and how aggressive a company is?
Klein: It’s how aggressive a corporation is. We have great relationships with all the airlines, but it’s about philosophy. Both American and United through the pandemic and coming out of it have been aggressive with seats and new markets. But Delta has followed their pattern of the economic downturns of 2008 and 2011, just being very conservative with their capacities; just kind of wanting to weather the storm. But now we’re starting to see some movement with Delta; they’re bringing back Boston [direct to TVC] May through Labor Day.
TCBN: So what are your goals at the airport for 2023?
Klein: Looking at our air service goals, one of the main goals is a suc -
cessful kickoff of our fifth and newest airline, Sun Country.
TCBN: And what would success look like there?
Klein: I’d say load factors [percentage of seats full] of around 80-85 percent.
TCBN: Sun Country is a huge airline in Florida and Minneapolis and other markets, but mostly unknown here. How does that change?
Klein: People will see their fantastic rates, and they will also do some aggressive marketing to their frequent flyer program members. We will also be doing some of our own marketing to introduce the brand here.
TCBN: What else is a priority?
Klein: The second big one is with American, having the Dallas flights go from 76 seats per aircraft last year to a larger mainline aircraft handling 150 seats. And then with United to Denver, same thing; it was one regional and one mainline aircraft last year to this year having two mainline aircraft. Great news. And then Delta doing Boston, so that will be serviced by both Delta and American, which will make it very competitive.
TCBN: What about at the airport?
Klein: Our number one goal here is to begin work on the instrument land -
ing system for runway 10, which should begin construction this year. The public will just notice some new antenna arrays put up, but this will eventually mean it will significantly reduce weather delays for flights when there are east winds. It could eventually impact about 100 flights a year, which is really significant.
TCBN: This has been on the drawing board for a while, right?
Klein: Yes, back in 2011, the FAA wanted to go completely to GPS systems and stopped installing new instrument landing systems. But we justified the need here, though we won’t be using federal grant dollars. This will come from the $4.50 PFC charge everyone pays on each ticket. All the airlines have approved it. It’s been a long time coming, but should bring some great benefits by end of 2023/early 2024.
TCBN: And what about the future terminal expansion? Anything happening there?
Klein: Yes, we will be expanding our terminal ramp itself, which we consider phase one of the new airport terminal construction. One reason we’re doing this is so we have ramp space during all the construction of the new terminal concourse, so we don’t have multiple planes waiting for gates. This will happen this summer, and is just the first step toward our eventual major airport terminal expansion.
To have less stress and more confidence about the future, taking the time to review account statements is helpful. But it can be even more meaningful to have a single place where you can see the total picture of all of your assets and liabilities — and how it may fluctuate over time. Building a comprehensive account summary or net worth statement can make it easier to connect the dots. As more dots are connected, you get a more meaningful picture and see a clearer, more actionable path.
As individuals build wealth, it becomes more challenging to keep track of one’s overall financial picture. There will likely be household cash accounts, investment accounts, retirement plans, real estate, loans, and a number of credit cards. Executives may have stock options and other equity-based benefits that vest over time, and deferred compensation plans. Business owners often have multiple entities related to their core business, along with real estate holdings connected to the business. You may have private investments as well.
So gathering financial information and documents from different sources can become a bit of a chore.
Don’t get overly complicated. Build something that works for you. Remember that the goal is to see the big picture, not to focus on the microscopic details.
Let technology do some of the work for you. Many credit cards offer very useful spending summaries. And increasingly, financial institutions are offering account aggregation tools that make it easier to see all your accounts, even at various institutions, in one place. After you take a little bit of time to set this up, you don’t need to wait for a monthly statement or quarterly review to get a broader view of your finances. Values are updated daily, so you can get a current picture any time it’s convenient for you to go online or check in on mobile.
Work with an experienced professional. An investment plan and net worth statement can form a “foundation built from facts” that may enable really good (if not always easy) conversations about spending, values, choices, and things to look forward to.
If I feel pretty sure that I am doing okay, why do all this extra work?
One reason is that having good metrics appears to be a hallmark of good performance. For example: successful business owner or executives can quickly tell you the key metrics that they watch to know how their business is doing. Athletes measure their training (and their rest) so that they will know whether they are progressing toward performance goals.
Another reason is, there is a payoff. We generally have more confidence when we know how we’re doing. Uncertainly, on the other hand, is likely to increase anxiety and stress.
Building a net worth statement is not an end in itself. But developing this positive habit can lead to lifelong benefits by providing a starting point for meaningful conversations about what we want our money to accomplish.
4 - Jim Hills has been promoted to vice president, mortgage lending sales manager. Hills has been with Honor Bank since 2009 and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2015.
5 - Shannon Jordan has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer. Jordan has worked in various capacities with Honor Bank since 2013, and was promoted to CFO in 2020.
6 - Keven Mathi s is now officer, mortgage loan operations manager. Mathis started with Honor Bank as a customer service representative and grew into various lending support roles over the past eight years.
the bank in 2015 and most recently served as manager of the Honor Bank Help Center.
9 - Kevin J. Harris, M.D., recently joined Munson Healthcare as a board-certified specialist in general surgery, with a sub-specialty in bariatric surgery. Dr. Harris practices at Traverse General Surgery and Trauma Care in Traverse City.
3 - Jena Posey has joined hemming& Wealth Management in Traverse City as operations specialist. She brings 12 years of experience in financial services with a background in compliance and administration.
7 - Alesha Paulsen is now Bank Secrecy Act manager. Paulsen joined Honor Bank in 2020 as an assistant branch manager, and moved into the security and compliance department in 2021.
10 - David Heimburger, M.D., has been named physician chief for oncology for Munson Healthcare, replacing David Gordon, M.D., who recently retired. Dr. Heimburger served as the radiation oncology program director for more than 20 years. He also serves as Munson Healthcare’s physician advisor on the Michigan Radiation Oncology Quality Consortium.
Honor Bank in Traverse City announces the following promotions:
8 - Amanda Stacy has been promoted to vice president, branch administrator. She began her career with
11 - Anders Gillis has rejoined the Parker Harvey law firm in Traverse City as a senior attorney. He focuses his practice on employment challenges, accommodations for individuals with disabilities, compliance with employee leave laws, wage and hour issues, and issues related to recruitment, hiring, performance management, terminations, and layoffs.
12 - Jordan N. Lindsey has joined Wilson Kester in Traverse City as an attorney in family law.
13 - Jacqueline Olson has joined the Parker Harvey law firm in Traverse City as an associate attorney. Her primary focus is real estate, construction, and property law.
14 - Kristen Wolfram has joined Wilson Kester in Traverse City as an attorney in family law. She also serves on the Council of the Family Law Section of
the Michigan State Bar, working to improve the practice of family law.
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15 - S helly Battershell has joined CENTURY 21 Northland’s Elk Rapids office as an agent. She specializes in residential and luxury homes.
16 - Amanda Brezzell has joined Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities in Traverse City as a policy engagement specialist focused on the 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms program. Brezzell works with legislators and government policy staff, media, other food advocates, and the general public to share the story of 10 Cents a Meal and keep it effectively funded to provide healthy food to children and support family farms.
17 - Marina Call of Northwestern Michigan College’s Office of International Services and Service
Learning was recently chosen as one of 40 worldwide participants to attend FEDELE’s Semana de Español 2022. The conference in Madrid brought together educators, tourism operators and international agencies to promote Spanish language, culture and educational travel.
18 - Greg Harrand has joined Safety Net in Traverse City as a senior fractional CIO. With more than 30 years of information technology experience, he directs systems planning and budgeting, assists in software selection processes, and facilitates the creation of disaster recovery and business continuity plans for several businesses throughout northern Michigan.
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