Dennis Blanchette is principal of D. Blanchette & Associates LLC, an advisory firm in Northville, Michigan, which helps small and middle-market companies develop strong business practices to drive focused execution and achieve strategic growth. Dennis’ career spans nearly 35 years and includes more than 25 years of business management experience. He has led multiple organizations through successful acquisitions and on…
After his wife’s grandmother was ripped off by a remodeling contractor for $2,000, Keith Paul launched HandyPro Handyman Services in 1996. Based in Farmington, Michigan, the company provides professional handyman services to residential and commercial clients, protecting them from dishonest contractors. In 2000 the company established HandyPro International to expand through corporate and franchise locations, and today it has offices…
Cynthia Kay is the founder of Cynthia Kay and Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which produces high-quality communications for organizations from the Fortune Global 100 to small business. A graduate of Michigan State University, Cynthia holds a master’s degree in communications from Western Michigan University. Cynthia is a passionate spokesperson for small business. For more than 35 years, she has…
Tom Martin is co-founder of Pod Pack International LLC, which specializes in manufacturing single serve coffee and tea products for most of the coffee and tea brands in North America. In February 2021, Tom retired from Pod Pack as its president and CEO. Launched in 1996, Pod Pack partnered with LongueVue Capital, a New Orleans private equity firm, in 2018…
Erick Stewart is co-founder of Stewart Industries, a Battle Creek, Michigan-based provider of assembly manufacturing, inspection and foreign trade zone (FTZ) services to automotive, aerospace, medical device and defense industries. Erick launched the company in 2000 with his father and led it for more than two decades, with sales growth of more than $40 million. A skilled culture creator, he…
Barbara Stankowski is a retired naval officer and an experienced serial entrepreneur. Her 28 years in the U.S. Navy included more than seven years in command of large, diverse, geographically distributed shore-based commands. She is the recipient of numerous awards for leadership, corporate growth and business success. Her company, AMTIS Inc., was named to the Inc. 5000 for six consecutive…
“At the end of the day, creating a legacy is about creating the life you want to live after your business,” says Kathie Fuce-Hobohm, noting that she has had to “tiptoe” into retirement.
“There’s this interesting societal pressure that you’re supposed to retire at a certain point,” says Yan Ness. “I don’t think that’s what it’s all about.”
In June of 1987, the school building was moved across the fields and through the woods to Billieville, and a new building was erected. The new structure was designed in the style of a one-room schoolhouse, but serves as a check-in point for guests and as a historical exhibit of Ed Lowe’s business ventures, entrepreneurship initiatives and involvement in the…
Billieville, which today serves as a hub for the foundation’s retreat facilities, began life in the 1970s as two pole barns that housed antiques and equipment. To make these storage areas more interesting, the Lowes asked their craftsmen to construct facades so the buildings appeared to be part of an old western town. Ed christened the area “Billieville” after Darlene’s…