May 2021 Issue

Raking It In: Top Realtors shine in 2020's record-breaking market

By Tcbn Staff

An unprecedented boom market. Seemingly endless demand. Very tight supply.

There seems to be no end in sight to the northern Michigan real estate boom, as 2020 demonstrated in spades. With more people working remotely and Traverse City showing up on more lists of “great places to live and work,” the region’s real estate players are raking it in.

Here’s our annual list of top real estate sellers, a group of experts who are navigating this record-setting market better than most, with many hitting all-time sales records of their own.

Editor’s note: This is the sixth year the TCBN has …

Need a Mobile Office? Britten launches division converting vans for commercial use

By Clark Miller

As a kid, Paul Britten Jr. had a head full of ideas. His dad, founder of Britten Inc., had a standard reply: “Build one.”

When the younger Britten took over leadership of the family business and got interested in getting into the van and trailer conversion business, he put his father’s advice into practice. With five major divisions to look after, he just needed the right person to lead the charge.

That’s when carpenter, skier …

Train and Retain: Going PRO funds help companies get back on track

By Amy Lane

At Crystal Mountain, delivering a good customer service experience to guests is paramount.

So, the resort is putting a nearly $27,000 employee training grant from the state toward that commitment.

Crystal Mountain is a first-time recipient of funds from the state’s Going PRO Talent Fund – a statewide program that awards grants to help businesses train, develop and retain current and newly hired employees.

In the program’s latest round, announced in January, 42 northwest Michigan …

Trick of the Trades: Funding sparks apprenticeship programs in northern Michigan

By Craig Manning

Last year, Michigan received more than $14 million in grant funding to foster and support registered apprenticeship programs.

The U.S. Department of Labor's grant to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity will be disbursed to employers ranging from manufacturers to craft breweries to honey farms through Northwest Michigan Works!

Nationally, apprenticeship programs have been on the rise in recent years. According to Department of Labor statistics, the U.S. gained 3,133 new apprenticeship programs …