News

Sen. Mike Shirkey is MRA’s 2018 Legislator of the Year

Amy Drumm presents Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey with the 2018 Legislator of the Year award. (Photo by Patrick D. Kerwin)

By AMY DRUMM

State Senator Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) is in his second and final term in the Michigan Senate, where he was recently elected Senate Majority Leader by his Republican colleagues for the next four years.

Jeweler Becky Beauchine Kulka: Keen instincts and ‘luck in life’

New MRA board chair talks about her retail evolution

By MEEGAN HOLLAND

As Becky Beauchine Kulka looks back on 30 years as a Michigan jeweler, she laughs at her modest beginnings,

March 2 OSHA deadline coming up

Some of the filing requirements for OSHA have been dropped, but some employers still face a March 2 filing deadline.

March 2 is the deadline for electronically reporting the 300A data for employers with peak employment between 20 and 249 workers during the previous calendar year.

Snow, cold to blame for lower sales in January

The drop in temperatures coincided with a drop in retail sales in the first month to start 2019, according to the monthly Retail Index survey that Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) conducts in cooperation with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Detroit branch.

Lendio, MRA partner to offer easy access to business loans

Getting a business loan is made easier, thanks to a new partnership between Michigan Retailers Association and Lendio.

In a new pilot program, MRA members who are part of the association’s merchant processing program can now access Lendio,

State of the State: lots of work to do

Whitmer’s State of the State: lots of work to do

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave her first State of the State last night and listed several issues she hopes to tackle,

President/CEO James P. Hallan to retire from Michigan Retailers

Longtime President James P. Hallan of Michigan Retailers Association announced that he’ll retire on Aug. 26, capping a 34-year career with what is now the largest state retail association in the nation.

Michigan’s new Paid Medical Leave Act: FAQs for employers

By Amy Drumm

A new state law, Public Act 369 of 2018 requires certain employers provide certain employees with paid medical leave benefits beginning on March 29,

Michigan’s minimum wage increase: What employers need to know

By Amy Drumm

Public Act 368 of 2018 made changes to Michigan’s minimum wage, increasing it to $12.05 by 2030. Here’s what you need to know.

  • Takes effect on March 29,