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MEDC’s Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC) facilitates connections between global buyers and Michigan suppliers across virtually any industry. Whether it’s a niche capability or a broader product or service offering, PMBC provides opportunities for all business sizes to access new and untapped markets.
Here are four Michigan businesses who found opportunity in unexpected places:
Cheeky Spices is a Michigan-made woman-owned business providing spice blends inspired by dinner recipes from across the world that taste great and don't hurt the stomach. CEO Rita Shelley has secured contracts with buyers through several PMBC food and agriculture initiatives including the Making It In Michigan Matchmaking event. Additionally, Shelley recognized a potential opportunity in applying to the Detroit Is The New Black (DITNB) brand accelerator and was selected as the first food business participant in the program.
"I am grateful to PMBC for the continued support and recognition of Michigan's growing small businesses. PMBC not only strives, but actually succeeds in building solid connections between Michigan businesses, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem for our economy to grow and thrive in.” - Rita Shelley, Cheeky Spices
Strategic Visionary Solutions
"I am grateful to PMBC for the continued support and recognition of Michigan's growing small businesses. PMBC not only strives, but actually succeeds in building solid connections between Michigan businesses, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem for our economy to grow and thrive in.” - Rita Shelley, Cheeky Spices
Strategic Visionary Solutions
Strategic Visionary Solutions is a service-disabled veteran-owned business providing a nano-technology coating product that brings asset protection and long-term reduction of maintenance costs on protective surfaces. While SVS traditionally serves customers in industrial, marine, fleet, and oil and gas markets, through the 2020 PMBC Supplier Diversity in Higher Education event and the recent West Michigan Public Purchasing Alliance (WMPPA) Reverse Trade Fair event, CEO Dennis Haag was selected for meetings with higher education, municipal and county purchasers.
“PMBC events have enabled us to meet with a variety of different businesses in many areas that we would not typically market our product line to. We have found niche markets and opportunities that we had not realized their potential and opened up new markets that complement us with our future customers.” - Dennis Haag, Strategic Visionary Solutions
AVE Solutions is a woman-owned, minority-owned business that excels at finding and supplying product solutions for office supplies, furniture, equipment, janitorial, and safety sectors – and more recently, PPE, MRO, and healthcare products. AVE Solutions serves government, education, manufacturing, and many other industries. Executive Vice President, Carol Kirkland recently attended the Michigan Furniture Industry Symposium where she met with Knoll Inc.
“[PMBC] events provide the opportunity to say “hi” and stay connected while also meeting new individuals from across the state, creating another opportunity for new business connections. Business is all about making connections and building relationships---these events are a great way to make that happen.” – Carol Kirkland, AVE Solutions
Elite Mold & Engineering, Inc is a minority and veteran-owned business providing plastic injection molding services traditionally serving the automotive, consumer, aerospace/defense, industrial, and medical industries. Elite has participated in a number of PMBC initiatives including a Kayser Automotive buyer tour of the Elite Mold & Engineering facility, and the recent Michigan Furniture Industry Symposium, through which Elite was one of several Michigan businesses who was able to access opportunities in the commercial furniture manufacturing industry for the first time.
“PMBC has been a fabulous resource for our company. Their events have introduced us to a new customer database that we probably would not have found on our own.” – Paul Patrash, CEO, Elite Mold & Engineering, Inc.
About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org
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