August 2020 Issue

From Prison to Tech Hub: Plans for Grand Traverse Science and Technology Innovation Center unveiled

By Craig Manning

A former prison will have new life as a tech hub after its purchase by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) this past spring.

Plans for the 180-acre site include state-of-the-art manufacturing technology, a technical education training center, a new railroad hub, and a command and control center for satellite launches.

The Grand Traverse Science and Technology Innovation Center (STIC) is a project being managed by Grand Traverse Economic Development (GTED), the non-gaming, economic development arm of the GTB.

The Michigan Department of Corrections closed Pugsley, previously a minimum-security prison, in the fall of 2016, citing …

That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea

By Chris Wendel

Published by Little Brown and Co., 2019; 336 pages; hardcover $29

By Marc Randolph

In a nutshell: The inside story of how Netflix grew from a quirky car ride conversation into a major communications company.

Who’s it for? General interest, a good read for business owners, managers, aspiring entrepreneurs.

Author quote: “The truth is that no business plan survives a collision with a real customer. So the trick is to take your idea and set …

Good Wages, High Demand: Skilled worker shortage an opportunity for youth

By Robert O'Hara

Imagine that you have all the money you need to build your dream home, but you can't find the carpenter, electrician, plumber, or roofer you need to complete the work. As time goes on, you find yourself outbid for desirable builders and lots.

Our region faces this situation now. A shortage of workers has contributed to rising prices and limited housing availability over the last decade, and the problem is likely to grow. When the …

The Power of Connection

By Connie Deneweth

Northern Michigan business owners won’t let COVID-19 take them down.

While it's true the crisis is impacting the small business economy in ways we never could have anticipated, many of our local businesses have learned to stay agile and stay connected to their customers during the COVID transformation.

Staying connected can help your business make the necessary changes both short and long-term to keep your customers happy and engaged.

I have discussed the impact of …

Stormcloud Brewery a year-round anchor for Frankfort residents

By Clark Miller

Room at the Top: Downstate businesses 'bullish' on Traverse City

By Ross Boissoneau

Fighting Back: Technology's role in pandemic gets businesses open again

By Craig Manning

'Michigan's Creative Coast' aims to enhance region’s creative and cultural economy

We find ourselves in trying times, with unprecedented public health challenges and historic economic uncertainty.

Let's be honest: As difficult as the current situation is, living in northern Michigan was never easy. We are a remote community far from large metro areas and the traditional centers of commerce. Even with …

By Warren Call

Remote Work Drives Surge in Telecommunications Business

By Craig Manning

Numbers Game: NMC reduces budget, watches enrollment

By Craig Manning

Opportunity Zone Still Open: No bites on the OZ that straddles portions of TC, Garfield Township

By Ross Boissoneau

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