Wormie’s

Luis Chen-Aguilera turns compost at Wormie’s Luis Chen-Aguilera is turning Kent County’s food and yard waste into fertile soil, with the…

Applecore General Store

Activity comes in waves in the Les Cheneaux region. There’s the summer onslaught, because who wouldn’t want to spend time in an area surrounded by…

Suipi’s East End Eatery

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).…

Messersmith Manufacturing

Messersmith Manufacturing of Bark River, Mich., designs, manufactures and installs biomass boiler systems. Messersmith was incorporated in 1982 by Gailyn and Valerie Messersmith and is…

First Catch

Northern Initiatives has been with Smith, from helping him buy his boat in 2023, to helping him after it sank. Traditional banks considered First Catch a startup and wouldn’t loan money to Smith. Funds from a revolving Community Loan Fund and an SBA microloan helped him purchase the Norska, a 40-foot 1950 beauty ready for trap netting.

J.bird Provisions

Jessica Nagel didn’t realize the depths of plumbing knowledge she was going to need to start a business. “There was virtually no plumbing I could…

Myconaut

While Joe Lane, left, and Ryan Iacovacci are growing mushrooms to feed people, they’re also working to save the planet. The owners of Myconaut were…

Americana Manufacturing

For Ben Logan, school was often a struggle. Dyslexia made traditional learning challenging, and he spent much of his time watching cartoons in a special…

Flowers Automotive Recyclers

Ronald Flowers is using his business to save the planet, as well as create a family legacy. Ronald Flowers talks about…

Bake Superior Bread

“The help we’ve received from Northern Initiatives has been extremely beneficial.” – Andrew Brand, Bake Superior Bread Andrew Brand isn’t sure where his business would…