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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All Success Stories

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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Four Leaf Brewing

Clare, Michigan

The whistle of trains mixes with the clop-clop of horses pulling buggies in downtown Clare. Outside of Four Leaf Brewing, it also mixes with the…

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RJ’s Printing

Kalamazoo, Mich.

Sean Hollins knows all too well the challenges of being a Black business owner – the search for funding, the wealth disparities, the lack of…

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J.bird Provisions

Charlevoix, Michigan

Jessica Nagel didn’t realize the depths of plumbing knowledge she was going to need to start a business. “There was virtually no plumbing I could…

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Sip Coffee and Cocktails

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Jonathan Farman says the best business move he ever made was finding the right partner. Jonathan Frantz, his partner, agrees. The two met in 2016…

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2022 Gift Guide

Small business is the best business. These entrepreneurs support their families and their communities and we're proud to support them. FOR SOMEONE WHO…

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