July 2020 Issue

Northern Lights: Entrepreneurs making it happen in Emmet, Antrim and Charlevoix counties

By Craig Manning

The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Antrim, Emmet, and Charlevoix counties. Five outstanding business innovators from these counties represent a dynamic cross-section: a farmer; a drone pilot; a sock manufacturer; a makeup artist and a hairstylist. We’ve captured their stories here, along with how their businesses are changing the game for northern Michigan in ways big and small.

The Entrepreneur: Brian Bates

The Business: Bear Creek Organic Farm, Petoskey’s first-ever USDA-certified organic farm.

In its seventh growing season, Bear Creek has grown exponentially from its beginnings in 2014 to become one of Emmet County’s most reliable sources of …

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

By Chris Wendel

By Robert Iger

Published by Random House, Sept. 2019, 250 pages, Hardcover $28

Reviewed by Chris Wendel

In a Nutshell: The unlikely career path of Disney Chief Executive Officer Robert Iger and his personal philosophy that got him there.

Who’s it for? A perfect book for business owners, managers, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Author's Quote: “True authority and true leadership come from knowing who you are and not pretending to be anything else.”

The business biography …

One-Two Punch: New DOL apprenticeship program benefits students, hospitality industry

By Amy Lane

With at least a dozen restaurants operating during any given season at three northern Michigan properties, Boyne Resorts has no shortage of staffing needs.

But finding and retaining the skilled culinary workers for Boyne Highlands Resort, Boyne Mountain Resort and the Inn at Bay Harbor is an ongoing challenge. So Boyne is hoping an apprenticeship program it launched this year – unique in the region – will help.

“We struggle to get staff and team …

Going With the Flow: Tamarack shifts gears, continues growth

By Ross Boissoneau

The word “pivot” has been thrown around a lot lately as businesses look to shift the way they and/or their employees function. That can mean people working from home, businesses offering curbside or delivery service or even changing what they do – think restaurants becoming small grocers or distilleries offering hand sanitizer.

For Tamarack Holdings, pivoting has meant changing the way its three core divisions do business. Earthy Delights has become an e-commerce site focused …

Back to Health: While Munson ramps up operations, patient numbers remain low

By Craig Manning

In Deep Water: Protecting shoreline property a double-edged sword

By Craig Manning

Triple Whammy: Three post-COVID-19 issues to consider

The global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted business as usual for nearly all, especially in the areas of service workers, work from home options and racial inequalities.

Service worker shortage. Many services organizations cannot find labor to fill jobs. This was a problem last year, but it is even worse right …

By Katie Horvath

Altered Landscape: Uncertainty is an opportunity for growth

We moved to Traverse City’s central neighborhood in the summer of 2009. It was the bottom of the Great Recession with the national unemployment rate set to top out at 10% for the first time in a quarter century.

I was working in finance and had just switched firms, having …

By Warren Call

Reopening Your Business Part II: Practical considerations for the post-shutdown workplace

by Janis Adams and Linsday Raymond

Now that your business is reopened, what happens if an employee contracts COVID-19? Are you required to grant an employee’s request for leave related to COVID-19? Are you still required to accommodate requests to telework? In Reopening Your Business – Part II, we focus …

By Lindsay Raymond

Safer Surfaces: Great Lakes Stainless is fighting the virus with copper

By Todd VanSickle

The Aftermath: Cautious optimism guides three of northern Michigan's manufacturers

By Rick Haglund

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