Just two months old when the company began, Laura Bell, has been named chief executive officer of the brewing dynasty her father founded in 1985. Originally known as Kalamazoo Brewing Company, Bell’s Brewery is now considered to be the seventh largest craft brewery in the United States. The elevation of his daughter from vice president to CEO,
April Wagner, owner of Pontiac’s Epiphany Glass Studio, partnered with Miami-based design firm Britto Charette, to craft an award-winning glass vessel. The piece is designed by Jay Britto and former Detroiter David Charette. Called Puquios, it won one of Interior Design magazine’s 2016 Best of Year awards. More than 2000 entrants from 38 countries vied for the
(Livonia, Mich, October 6, 2016) – Buy Michigan Now is gearing up to host the 2nd Annual Buy Michigan Now Fall Fest presented by American 1 Credit Union, which will be at the Jackson County Fairgrounds October 22-23. The event celebrates and promotes Michigan-based businesses. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are now open. “We want to encourage people
If your summer included a visit to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, you might be surprised to discover that the Royal Glassmakers are not part of some national traveling troop. They are in fact part of a team of artisans frequently working out of a studio in Dearborn, Michigan called The Glass Academy. Glass Academy History Husband and
Ever since 1958, people have been gathering in St Ignace and Mackinaw City on Labor Day for the rare opportunity to walk across the magnificent 5-mile span of the Mackinac Bridge. This year, it was a privilege to be among those who took the trek, and the experience truly underscored what is so special about this state.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is looking for some new partners to help support state parks, trails, and waterways through sales of branded and co-merchandised products made within the state. The idea was piloted earlier last year through a collaboration with Chateau Grand Traverse. The Northern Michigan winery introduced the "The Wines of the Great
(Livonia, Mich, July 8, 2016) – The Buy Michigan Now Festival is on its way back to Downtown Northville, August 5-7. The event promotes Michigan-based businesses, which means vendor and sponsorship opportunities are now open. “When we held our first Buy Michigan Now Festival back in 2009 there were only about 40 companies. Now there are well
Some people dream of coming up with the “Big” idea in order to open a business. Others want to be their own boss so badly that entrepreneurship is about starting “Any” viable business. The approaches may be different, but inevitably they will have one thing in common—where does the seed money come from? Fortunately, compared to a
Traveling from vineyard to vineyard tasting fruit of the vine along one of Michigan’s wine trails has become one of the most popular things to do in our beautiful state. Each winery offers its own unique style, but it can be very time-consuming going from place to place, not to mention often involves travel. Well what if
Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday June 19th, and, according to the National Retail Federation, spending is expected to reach $12.7 billion. We want to make sure Michigan gets as big a piece of that money pie as possible. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing, and help you keep your Dad’s Day
(Livonia, May 19, 2016) – Buy Michigan Now (BMN) is excited to announce a new event called Michigan Market & Mayhem. The weekend market is built on the success of other BMN events around the state. This one is in partnership with Charity Celebration and Frankenmuth Brewery. It is scheduled for July 16 & 17, 2016, at
(Livonia, Mich, May 10, 2016) – MI Ice Pops is the Grand Prize winner of Buy Michigan Now's (BMN) latest entrepreneur contest. The competition was designed to help people learn about new products that are made in Michigan. It is part of the campaign’s 8th Annual festival in August. MI Ice Pops will receive marketing tools worth
Gubernatorial proclamations have made it an annual tradition for April to be celebrated as Michigan Wine Month. The designation kick-starts a season that attracts more than 2 million visitors. It’s also a good time to take a closer look at the economic impact of Michigan’s expanding wine industry, and toast the coming season. The number of wineries
I’d driven by Michigan’s Military and Space Heroes Museum many times on visits to Frankenmuth, but never stopped in, and now that I have, I realize it’s a very special place that many more people need to discover. Having seen the big plane out front, what I expected to find inside was more of the same. Planes,
(Livonia, Mich, March 2, 2016) – The Buy Michigan Now campaign is dedicated to helping businesses succeed in Michigan, and creating awareness of products made here. For the fifth consecutive year, in conjunction with the campaign’s events, entrepreneurs can compete to win free marketing exposure worth more than $1,000. The Up & Coming Entrepreneur Contest begins today.
The holiday season is in full swing, bringing with it some delightful events to warm up your December. Nov 20 Silver Bells in the City – Lansing Kick off your holiday season in our capitol city. The entire town will glow with thousands of lights for the Silver Bells in the City celebration, bringing together family and
Every once in a while an experience comes along that changes the course of your life, and sometimes even introduces you to people who want to take a similar journey. Such is the case with two Michigan girls who met at Rising Stars, a theatrical program in their hometown of Bloomfield Hills. Both went on to pursue
When you grow up in a city, it’s easy to become somewhat immune to the charms of the surrounding landscape. Skyline structures have often replaced towering trees. Parks are limited to small spaces between city blocks. Transportation to nearby wilderness is inaccessible or too expensive to be a viable option. Kids growing up in Detroit rarely have
(Livonia, Mich, May 28, 2015) – Organizers announce the creation of the Buy Michigan Now Fall Fest. The new event is built on the success of a similar annual festival in Northville. The fall fest will be presented by American 1 Credit Union. The celebration will take place October 24 & 25, 2015. It's at the Jackson
Since the inception of the Buy Michigan Now campaign back in 2007, there have been a few ongoing observations that have gnawed at me, and I suspect many of you are aware of them too. First is the way our state, and especially its cities, are portrayed in local, national, and global news. Most of the time
For those of us who partake, ice cream is truly one of life’s simple pleasures. In recent years, while the flavors have grown increasingly varied, many of the formulas have grown complex. Questions have arisen about ingredients, and in particular many people have grown concerned over the presence of rBST, a growth hormone commonly found in several
There are few things in life more exciting than buying your own home, planning your wedding, driving your fancy new car, or traveling to an exotic locale that you’ve always wanted to visit. There are also few things that wreak more havoc on one’s budget than paying for big dreams like those. Fortunately one Michigan company has
Five Michigan distilleries were honored with 16 individual awards last week at the 2nd Annual American Spirits Competition, presented by the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA)—a not- for-profit trade association dedicated to protecting and promoting American craft spirits. According to the Michigan Craft Distillers Association, New Holland Artisan Spirits received “Best of Class” in the Gin category for its Barrel Aged
Trained as a social worker by profession, Linda Yellin accidentally stumbled across her new direction as operator of a tour company in Detroit. A longtime supporter of the city, and passionate lover of food, Linda volunteered to be a tour guide during the celebrations surrounding Detroit’s 300th birthday. She led groups through historic Eastern Market, and absolutely
This has been a particularly brutal cold and flu season, but hope is on the horizon. There is one relatively new Michigan-made product that can really help us protect ourselves from the spread of germs and disease. It’s the Extreme Air CPC from Livonia-based American Dryer. The Extreme Air CPC is an automated hand dryer like you
