Investing in Michigan's communities

by James P. Hallan
MRA President and Chief Executive Officer

During the past several weeks, my travels have given me the opportunity to visit many revitalized downtowns in our beautiful state.

From Birmingham to Fremont, Brighton to Holland, Holt to Mackinac Island, and many cities in between, to me the message is clear: Michigan is a special place, and it is the character of the people here that makes this state magnificent.

Certainly Michigan is facing challenging times. But retail will survive and prosper because it is the core of all communities. It is amazingly resilient. And there are bright spots in many communities, if we only take a minute to look around us. Clearly, our friendliness and “can do” attitude are strong points in Michigan’s favor.

In Fremont I enjoyed a visit with one of our long-time shoe members, Lon Vredeveld of Vredeveld Shoes. Like many communities, Fremont has undergone changes with the selling of Gerber, but Lon asked whether we would consider featuring Fremont in a future issue of the Michigan Retailer to showcase how they are doing there, and I agreed on the spot.

In fact, future issues will shine a spotlight on our diverse downtowns and how retailers contribute to their communities’ distinctive character.

If you would like your community featured in the Retailer, let us know.

While in Fremont, I also had the pleasure of having lunch with Dick Dunning, president of Fremont Insurance Company, a Michigan-based company founded in 1876. We discussed the profound impact we can all have by spending our money in locally owned businesses. That money continues to circulate in the community and state—employing our neighbors, supporting local businesses, going to local nonprofits and so on.

Our world is changing and business is no longer limited by artificial geographical borders. But none of us should ever forget our neighbors and core customers. Remember that a dollar spent next door may return either to you or other businesses in your community.