Business in Brief: 10/06/21 | Business

HR fundamentals workshop

TRAVERSE CITY — The Michigan Small Business Development Center Northwest Region and Northwestern Michigan College Extended Education Services co-sponsor a human resources workshop Oct. 7.

Annie Olds, SBDC regional director and business consultant, leads the workshop from 10-11:30 a.m. at NMC University Center Room 209. Topics include defining employees and independent contractors, financial planning and projections for hiring, interview strategies and employee reporting requirements.

A SBDC small business consultant leads a question-and-answer session at the end.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/HRworkshopOct. More information is available by contacting the local SBDC office at 231-929-5060 or by emailing sbdc@networksnorthwest.org.

Drive-thru meeting slated

TRAVERSE CITY — The Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency hosts its next Drive-Thru Neighborhood Meeting Oct. 19 from 5-6:30 p.m.

There will be a goodie bag with food and a gas card. Text or call 231-714-4578 to RSVP.

Shoptober returns

GLEN ARBOR — Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce announced Shoptober will return to the area for the second straight year, encouraging people to “shop small and eat local,” according to a release.

The campaign runs through the month of October. Participants send in their proof of purchases for at least $350 from local businesses for a chance to win $100 in “Glen Arbor Bucks.” Two winners are drawn Nov. 10 and announced via social media, visitglenarbor.com and in an email newsletter.

The Chamber provides event envelopes for participants to collect their receipts from local merchants. Envelopes should be turned in by Nov. 5 at the M22 Store in Glen Arbor or mailed to Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 217, Glen Arbor, MI 49636.

Receipts must be dated in October. There is a maximum of three entries per person.

Restaurant reopens

GAYLORD — CRAVE Pasta — Pizza — Pub reopened for business last week. CRAVE, one of two properties operated by Kosch Properties, suspended business earlier this month because of staffing issues.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. http://www.cravegaylord.com/

Star Line rewarding workers

MACKINAW CITY — Star Line Mackinac Island Hydro-Jet Ferry offers frontline medical professionals and first responders a free trip to Mackinac Island during October.

Those who qualify for round-trip tickets include physicians, physician assistants, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and respiratory technicians who provide direct care to COVID-19 patients; law enforcement officers including local and federal police officers, state troopers, county sheriffs and correctional officers; firefighters; Emergency Medical Technicians and 911 dispatchers, according to a release.

Qualifying workers should present their employee badge with professional credentials at the Star Line ticket office in Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. Complimentary tickets are not available online. More information: MackinacFerry.com.

LCC announces 2021-22 class

CHARLEVOIX — Leadership Charlevoix County announced a 13-person cohort for its 2021-2022 class.

This is the 10th class for LCC. A hands-on curriculum instructs members on “community awareness, networking opportunities and focuses on leadership skill development,” according to a release. Orientation began with a two-day retreat on Beaver Island Sept. 12-13.

This year’s class includes Savannah Bergmann, Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce; Sawyer Forton, Charlevoix State Bank; Josh Galle, Charlevoix County Veteran Affairs; Bethany Hedgepath, Boyne City Housing Commission; Kelly Miller, Charlevoix Emmet Intermediate School District; Aaron Nemec, Boyne District Library; Chelse Hawkins Olivo, North Central Michigan College; Barb Orban, City of Charlevoix; Tyler Richard Prange, Boyne Mountain Resort; Bryon Ries, East Jordan Family Health Center; Jeffrey Stimson, Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital; Melissa Suto, Jordan Valley EMS Authority; and Jackie Wilson, 4Front Credit Union.

Co-administrators of the program are Mary H. Faculak and Alison M. Hubbard. More information is available by emailing leadershipcharlevoixcounty@gmail.com or calling 231-357-7104.

Horizon Bank acquisition completeMICHIGAN CITY, Indiana — Horizon Bank formally announced the completion of its acquisition of 14 branches in 11 Michigan counties.

Horizon Bank acquired the 14 branches and associated deposits and loans from TCF National Bank, which is now The Huntington National Bank.

Conversion of the branches began Sept. 17 and continued through the weekend. All 14 locations reopened Sept. 20 as Horizon Bank branches. The transaction is Horizon Bank’s fifth in the last five years and 15th since 2002.

Horizon Bank operates 29 bank branches in Michigan and 88 in the Midwest. Customers of the new branches received information from Horizon Bank and Huntington National Bank, but can find more on the acquisition at www.horizonbank.com/welcometcf or by calling 888-873-2640.

Report looks at illegal shipments

LANSING — More than one-third of every bottle of alcohol shipped into Michigan in the first quarter of 2020 was sent illegally, according to a recent report from the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association.

The report used data from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and excise tax data from the state of Michigan, according to the release. The MB&WWA found 159,152 of the 410,304 bottles of alcohol shipped into Michigan from January through March 2020 “were shipped illegally from unlicensed, out-of-state retailers,” according to the release.

“While illegal wine shipping remains a pervasive problem in Michigan, the numbers are beginning to go down thanks to efforts from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and Attorney General Dana Nessel to crack down on the bad actors who are thumbing their nose at Michigan law,” said MB&WWA president Spencer Nevins in the release. “We urge the MLCC and attorney general to not let up and continue to target illegal wine shippers who are flouting state laws and hurting small, mom-and-pop retailers in the process.”

In 2019, more than 2.2 million bottles of alcohol were shipped into Michigan and 734,365 of those were illegally shipped, according to the report. Data for 2020 and 2021 “has been slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the release.

MDARD grants for rural areas

LANSING — The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development offers a competitive grant “to promote the sustainability of land-based industries and support infrastructure benefiting rural communities” in the state, according to a release.

MDARD holds an informational webinar on these grants Oct. 19 at 11 a.m.

Proposals are due by 3 p.m. Nov. 18 at Michigan.gov/MDARDGrants. All applicants must submit three letters of support.

Land-based industries include food and agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas production and tourism. Counties with fewer than 70,000 residents are eligible.

The competitive grant process allows a maximum of $100,000 per project. The total allotment of funding is approximately $1.74 million. Proposals require at least a 30 percent cash match.

Detroit Boat Show postponed

DETROIT — The 2022 Progressive Boat Show scheduled in the TCF Center in January has been postponed.

The Michigan Boating Industries Association announced it will not produce the 2022 event “due to on-going inventory shortages, COVID concerns, and a commitment to customer satisfaction,” according to a release.

The 65th Annual Progressive Detroit Boat Show is scheduled for Jan. 13-22, 2023 at the TCF Center in Detroit.

Going PRO applications open

LANSING — Applications for the Going PRO Talent Fund are open. The application period for $40 million in training funds ends Oct. 28.

The program “helps individuals secure employment, industry-recognized credentials and strong wages by providing training grants to Michigan businesses to support employees in high-demand, skilled trades industries,” according to a release. In addition to grants to train, develop and retain employees, the Going PRO Talent Fund is prioritizing grants for businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, those with disabilities and geographically-disadvantaged companies.

Selected applicants are announced in December. Michigan.gov/TalentFund.

Milestone for the new PPP

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the new Paycheck Protection Program Direct Borrower Forgiveness Portal recorded its one millionth loan forgiveness application from borrowers seeking forgiveness for loans of $150,000 or less.

The SBA received applications for more than $17 billion of relief since the portal launched Aug. 4. “In fewer than 45 days, 91% of all loans eligible for direct forgiveness in the 2020 PPP portfolio have been submitted,” according to a release from SBA. The number of Direct Forgiveness participating lenders went from 600 when the portal opened to more than 1,400 currently.

Of the 2021 PPP loans, 65% eligible for direct forgiveness have already submitted, according to the release.

The portal can be accessed at https://directforgiveness.sba.gov. Borrowers needing assistance can contact PPP customer service at (877) 552-2692, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

NAR names top office markets

NEW YORK — The National Association of Realtors released its Top 10 commercial office markets for 2021, according to a release.

Half of the top 10 commercial office markets are in Florida (Daytona Beach, Miami, Palm Beach) and Texas (Austin, San Antonio). Rounding out the list were Boise, Idaho; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Omaha, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah.

An analysis of 390 commercial real estate markets by the NAR “found a robust recovery with positive net absorption and strengthening rents across the multifamily, industrial and retail property markets as economic production rebounds to pre-pandemic levels,” according to a release.

NAR’s Commercial Markets Insights report is available at https://www.nar.realtor/commercial-market-insights/september-2021-commercial-market-insights.