Success Stories

Creating prosperous communities and thriving businesses

Featured Success Stories

First Catch

Baraga, Michigan

Paul Smith really likes to fish and is more than ready to make a living at it. But sometimes, the winds of fortune blow strangely.…

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Millie’s Farms

Newaygo, Michigan

A loan to Millie’s Farms, a woman-owned family farm in Big Prairie Township near Newaygo, put Northern Initiatives over the $100 million mark in loans…

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Buck’s Port Hope Diner

Port Hope, Michigan

The 217 residents of Port Hope are grateful. “Thank you for investing in our town.” “You’ve changed my business by opening yours.” “You put Port…

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Americana Manufacturing

Lapeer, Michigan

For Ben Logan, school was often a struggle. Dyslexia made traditional learning challenging, and he spent much of his time watching cartoons in a special…

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2024 Gift Guide

All Over Michigan

Support these wonderful small businesses this giving season This year, skip the big box stores and discover unique, thoughtfully crafted gifts from small businesses across…

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Flowers Automotive Recyclers

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Ronald Flowers is using his business to save the planet, as well as create a family legacy. Ronald Flowers talks about…

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2023 Gift Guide

One of the best things about supporting small businesses is we know exactly where to shop - and now, so do you! 🧡Aaahhh🧡 Float…

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Fox and Hen Vineyards

Grand Haven, Michigan

Wil Malski was pretty excited when he planted his first grapes in 2014. The heartbreak was equally strong when he had to rip them out…

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Tastefull Vegan

Wyoming, Michigan

Kalene McElveen grew up on the east side of Detroit in a food desert. “Our closest grocery store was a liquor store,” she says. There…

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Suipi’s East End Eatery

Battle Creek, Michigan

Za Nei Thuai knows her gift is feeding people. “God gave me the talent to cook,” says the 49-year-old Burmese refugee known as Suipi (Swee-Pee).…

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Yummy Delights on the Lakeshore

Muskegon, Michigan

If you need another example of how business ownership builds generational wealth, there’s one happening in Muskegon. Mari Romero owns Yummy Delights by the Lakeshore,…

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Dabney & Co.

Kalamazoo, Michigan

For years, Daniel May has been a driving force behind community celebrations in Kalamazoo, including a Juneteenth bar crawl that left an indelible mark on…

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