Success Stories

Creating prosperous communities and thriving businesses

Featured Success Stories

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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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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All Success Stories

PM Power Group
White Pine, Michigan
“Northern Initiatives told us, 'It's an honor. We've got faith in you.' That means a lot.” Zach Halkola, COO, PM Power Group Zach Halkola remembers…
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Ragsdale Home Furnishings
Battle Creek, Michigan
"I started my business using credit cards to purchase inventory and equipment. At the time, I didn't know groups like Northern Initiatives were out there…
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Drifa (Marquette Brewing Cooperative)
Marquette, Michigan
"Northern Initiatives took us from the days when we couldn't sell beer to when we could sell again!" David Gill, President of Drifa A global…
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Advanced Interactive Response Systems (AIRS)
Newaygo, Michigan
"I kept seeing issues with patients running out of oxygen or getting low. I knew I could design something." - Valerie Obenchain, founder of Advanced…
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Velodrome Coffee
Marquette, Michigan
"In the midst of the chaos, there were a few that seemed to wade into the uncertainly with us, one being Northern Initiatives. Northern Initiatives…
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Grand Alpaca Company
Montague, Michigan
“When I looked at the Northern Initiatives website, I could see they were there to help. They have all the resources you could need. And…
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Great Lakes Mobile Drug Testing
“The loan helped us purchase some breathalyzers and other equipment, rent office space, and get additional training and certifications. Northern Initiatives also showed us how…
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Reliable Medical Transport
Grand Rapids, Michigan
“Northern Initiatives really raised the roof of possibility for me. They took the time to see what I was doing in the business and saw…
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Superior Culture
Marquette, Michigan
  “Northern Initiatives was very responsive in helping me secure a loan to purchase a trailer and 55-gallon stainless fermenters. Without that, we would have…
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