By MEEGAN HOLLAND
They shared three loves: Michigan, Lansing and doing work that matters.
If anyone epitomized the Buy Nearby philosophy of the Michigan Retailers Association, it was former MRA board chairwoman Jan Hayhow and her husband, David Hayhow.
The two loved Michigan. David briefly published Great Lakes Life magazine. Jan led the Say Yes to Michigan campaign for the Department of Commerce under Gov. Jim Blanchard. Together, they came up with the concept for Michigania, a gift store selling Michigan-produced or Michigan-themed items. The popular store with its green and white awning was in downtown Lansing from 1988 to 2000; they also had locations in Birmingham and Detroit Metro Airport.
“Anything with a Petoskey stone was a highlight and the store always had lovely sets of pottery- bowls, mugs, etc. – by Michigan artists,” said daughter Betsy Hemming.
David died at age 86 in January, less than two years after Jan. The two were pioneers in the retailing field, contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to producers of Michigan products and crafts. They worked tirelessly to revitalize Lansing’s downtown. While Jan mentored many women along the way, David was prescient in knowing what a vibrant commercial district needs.
In a Greater Lansing Business Monthly story profiling David 1988, he noted that a downtown cannot thrive on business alone. It must have housing and specialty retail: “We really need to support neighborhood development and more good, quality housing downtown. Surely more people would choose to live downtown if more private homes, apartments and condominiums were available here.”
How did the couple manage the business of marriage and the business of retail?
“Dad was engaged, but not day to day in the store,” Hemming said. “They worked on strategy together, but my mom ran the store, so they made it work. They did travel the state together seeking out products for the store.” Hemming, who inherited her parents’ entrepreneurial spirit, runs c-link, an executive coaching and leadership development firm in Birmingham, Mich., after working for years in communications and organizational development at General Motors. Her brother Bill also owns a business in website design.
The Hayhows had not only busy professional lives but also busy volunteer lives. Jan was Downtown Business Association president and helped spearhead the Lansing Principal Shopping District. She was on the board of the Convention and Visitors Bureau and an adjunct member of Lansing’s Economic Development Corp., in addition to her stint as chair of the MRA board.
David, meanwhile, was on the boards of Olivet College, the MSU Foundation, University Corporate Research Park, Boarshead Theater and the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame (he was a former journalist). This was all while running the company he co-founded, Publicom, Inc.
“If I had to pick three loves that they shared, it was Michigan, it was Lansing and it was this spirit of doing work that matters and making a difference,” Hemming said, noting that her dad always had a sign on the wall of his office quoting Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Unique items. A clever retail concept. And owners who love people and supporting their community. That’s the formula for retail success, and the Hayhows knew how to make it happen.
