Development News

Next Level Transmission opens in Holt, creates four jobs

Mariam Henfling, The Next Level Wednesday, July 18, 2012

It’s not every day that one finds an auto repair business with a Tumblr account, but Holt’s new Next Level Transmission and Auto Repair isn’t a typical small automotive business.

“We’re trying to reach the market that everyone else isn’t,” says Mariam Henfling, who owns the business along with her husband Roger Henfling. “We specialize in transmissions, but we are certified in basically all automotive repairs except alignment and welding.”

The Henflings originally purchased J & D Transmission earlier this year. They moved the Downtown Lansing location into Holt and reopened as Next Level in April.

“My husband grew up in Holt. We purchased a home here and we like the whole area and community,” says Henfling. “It’s actually going really well. Sales are up probably 75 percent from what they were last year.”

The 3,700 square foot location employs both of the Henfligns, two full and one part-time employee. Next Level offers 24-hour customer service.

“We hope to grow as a business, become better entwined with the community and find a home here,” says Henfling.

Next Level will start that trend of community involvement by hosting the first ever Holt Hometown Car Show on August 25 in conjunction with the Holt Hometown Festival.

Michigan Ave salon doubles size, to add three jobs and local art

Beth Sanford, Rubie's Paradise Salon Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The new and expanded location of Rubie’s Paradise Salon is about more than just hair.

“We just really like to support our community,” says owner Beth Sanford. “It’s fun to mix it up a little bit.”

The new, 900 square foot location of Rubie’s Paradise Salon will display and sell local art, which will rotate monthly. It will also feature an additional room that will be utilized for additional services.

“We were looking around for a bigger space and with all the dispensaries that have closed, there were a million places on Michigan Avenue,” says Sanford. “It took quite awhile to find the proper place, but we found the place that we’re in and it’s perfect.”

Rubie’s made the move in mid-May, and is going strong enough already that Sanford is looking to hire two to three more stylists. Currently, three full and one part-time stylist are employed there.

“We have more clients than our stylists have time right now,” Sanford says. “Things are going quite well.”

The new Rubie’s location is just two blocks away for Sanford’s original space on Michigan Avenue, but is more than twice the size.

The Purse Rack moves into 1,200 sq ft Delta Township space

Lana Face, The Purse Rack Wednesday, July 18, 2012

It wasn’t Lana Face’s idea to open a designer purse store; it was her husband’s.

“We were in Grand Ledge, and he said, “What doesn’t Grand Ledge have?” says Face. “He said a purse store. A woman’s vanity is recession free. You come in get a purse and you feel good.”

The Purse Rack opened in Grand Ledge in November and is already moving into a new, more centralized location in Delta Township.

“Most people in the Grand Ledge area still come to the Lansing area frequently,” says Face. “We were hoping to centralize more, and pull some people from other areas.”

The Purse Rack has been open in their new, 1,200 square foot location next to US Nails on West Saginaw for about four weeks now. The business currently employs both Face and her husband.

“We get a lot of walk-in business from US Nails,” Face says. “When you’re stopped at the light and look around you can see our sign, that is bright and colorful and lights up.”

The Purse Rack sells both consignment and new designer purses and also hosts purse parties with a lower hosting rate than many other purse party venues.

$9M East Lansing development to be city's tallest building

Douglas Cron, Cron Managment Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Downtown East Lansing’s skyline is about to get taller. This month, work began on an eight-story, 60,000 square foot development named The Residences. It will include 42 apartments and 5,600 square feet of commercial space.

“It’ll be the tallest building in Downtown East Lansing,” says Douglas Cron of Cron Management, who is developing the property. “As you drive down Albert going east, you’ll be looking right at it. It will be extremely striking.”

The approximately $9 million project will features 28 two bedroom units, seven of each three and one bedroom units.

“The apartments are called adaptive residential,” says Cron. “They’re bigger units than what a lot of people are used to seeing. The bedrooms are bigger, they have walk-in closets, and the living rooms are larger.”

Cron adds that the inside of The Residences will have a contemporary, warehouse feel with exposed concrete and ten-foot ceilings. He expects the construction to continue for the next year, with the exterior framework completed by this winter.

CitySpa opens in 600 sq ft East Lansing location

Diane Lynch, CitySpa Wednesday, July 18, 2012

After years in the medical malpractice underwriting industry, Diane Lynch decided she needed a change.

“I found that a professional massage was a great way for me to decompress from everyday stressors,” Lynch says. “So much so that I made a major career change and went back to school at Lansing Community College in pursuit of my therapeutic massage certification.”

After working with various local massage and wellness companies for a few years, Lynch decided it was time to open her own business. Her new company, CitySpa, recently opened on Grand River near Downtown East Lansing.

“When I started looking for a place of my own, it was a stroke of good luck to find a beautiful office suite directly across from my alma mater, Michigan State University,” Lynch says. “I love the hustle and bustle of Grand River Avenue in East Lansing where city life is always new and exciting.”

Lynch also chose the 600 square foot location for its relaxing environment, including skylights, vaulted ceiling, a spacious waiting room and two treatment rooms. Lynch offers therapeutic massage, couples massage, reflexology, facials, body wraps, raindrop therapy and more.

“I care deeply about my work and that my clients not only find it relaxing but effective in addressing their soft tissue musculoskeletal issues,” says Lynch. “I continually strive to offer the latest and most effective techniques in my work.”

Local family to open 1,800 sq ft sub shop near Frandor, add 20 jobs

Cheryl Kellogg, Penn Station East Coast Subs Wednesday, July 11, 2012

A Lansing-area family will soon launch a delicious new venture. Penn Station East Coast Subs is a well-known name south of the Michigan border. And beginning this month, Lansing will get the chance to become familiar with it as well.

“It’s a quick-casual restaurant with 14 different kinds of subs,” says Cheryl Kellogg, who is partnering with family members Mark, Jeff and Chris Kellogg on the business. “It’s an open kitchen concept, so you order the sub and you can watch it being cooked. We do fresh cut fries that we cut in the morning form potatoes, and will have fresh-squeezed lemonade.”

A focus on fresh ingredients, Kellogg says, is the hallmark of Penn Station East Coast Subs' success. The new Lansing shop will open in a 1,800-square foot storefront at 3020 East Saginaw this month. The Frandor-area location is the first of four Greater Lansing shops the Kelloggs intend to open in the near future.

“We were looking for certain demographics,” says Kellogg. “This place happened to come up and was right near Frandor. I feel very fortunate we got that spot.”

Kellogg says the first Penn Station East Coast Subs will employ 20 workers. The family is looking to open future locations near Meridian Mall, in East Lansing and near the Lansing Mall. They also plan to open locations in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.

Eric's Specialty Foods opens in Lansing City Market

David Schaberg, Eric�s Specialty Foods Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Lansing City Market visitors with a hankering for snack foods now have a new source in Eric’s Specialty Foods. The new market business sells baked goods, gluten free items and gift baskets, but their specialty is their special brand of popcorn.

“It’s not patented yet, but we’re going to patent it,” says David Schaberg, father of Eric’s Specialty Foods founder Eric Schaberg. “We’ve been doing fundraisers with our flavored popcorn. It’s a specialty you won’t find elsewhere.”

Schaberg explains that the secret to their popcorn is that rather than being flavored with salt that comes off on your fingers, their flavors are glazed onto the popcorn.

“Because we cook with a glaze, the cheese never comes off,” he says.

The Schabergs have been operating Eric’s Specialty Foods for nearly two years, and are looking forward to their new, 150-square foot home in the Lansing City Market. It all started, Schaberg says, because of their family’s fondness for popcorn.

“It’s been for the love of the corn more than anything,” he says. “We couldn’t find what we wanted locally, and we thought we had a good idea of how to make it. As it’s developed, we were right on that.”

Eric’s Specialty Foods places a special focus on Michigan-made products and uses all of the in-state ingredients possible in their foods. The new location celebrated its grand opening at the market last week.

ListTrue,a new real estate concept will bring 15 jobs to Lansing

Brian Knight, ListServe Wednesday, June 27, 2012

A new option for homeowners in the real estate market is on its way to Lansing. ListTrue launched in Grand Rapids in January and will soon begin a statewide expansion with a Lansing office. The premise of the unique real estate service is that it allows homeowners to hand pick how much assistance they’d like in selling their home, potentially saving sellers lots of money in fees.

“If you’re a homeowner and you feel comfortable with paperwork, then you don’t have to pay us to do that for you,” says Brian Knight, president of ListTrue. “If you’re a newbie or want more hands-one help, we can do that too. People can either save money or use the savings to lower the price of their home.”

Knight uses the example of a recent Grand Rapids sale in which a couple chose a low-level of support from ListTrue, paying about $399 to list their home.

“We saved them about $5,000,” says Knight. “They sold their house in two days. So they were able to lower the price and get a buyer right away.”

The Lansing location of ListTrue is expected to open later this summer in a 3,000 square foot office on Pine Tree Road in Lansing. Knight expects to hire between 10 and 15 agents at the location. After Lansing, ListServe plans to expand throughout Michigan, and eventually nationwide.

Kick It Out Competitive Dance to open in 1,000 square foot East Lansing studio, adding four jobs

Denise Krumm, Kick It Out Competitive Dance Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Denise Krumm wants Lansing area dancers to unlearn some of the lessons they may have retained about competitive dance on shows like Dance Moms.

“I‘ve seen way too many children and adults turned away because someone says, ‘You’re not good enough,’” Krumm says. “I think if you have your heart and soul in it, there is a spot for everybody.”

Krumm’s new Kick it Out Competitive Dance will give all dancers the chance to compete. The new dance studio will place all students into appropriate levels so everyone from children to adults can learn dance, as well as enjoy the fun of competing.

“I had been coaching dance for over 15 years. I’ve been coaching the ages form kindergarten through high school. I decided it was time for me to branch out and get into business for myself. I’ve got a really good staff behind me of teachers and instructors."

Krumm’s new studio will employ two instructors and two assistant instructors specializing in lyrical, jazz, hip-hop and pom dancing.

“Our instructors are fantastic,” Krumm says. “They’re young, fresh and they know what they’re doing. They’ve done a lot of training, and I’ll also be sending them to additional trainings. I feel that they are going to pull in a lot of people because of their expertise and their enthusiasm.”

Kick it Out Competitive Dance will open on July 1 in a 1,000 square foot studio renovated by Krumm’s friends and family on Haslett Road in East Lansing.

Soulful Earth Herbals expands into REO Town location

Kathleen Parker, Soulful Earth Herbals Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Kathleen Parker’s Soulful Earth Herbals personal care products began when she made an herbal salve for her son when he was born. When other moms liked it, she turned her hobby of working with herbs into a business.

“I formulate and craft products, doing infusions with herbs,” Parker says. “I don’t use the harmful ingredient you’ll find in many products on the shelves in stores.”

After seven years of operating Soulful Earth Herbals at the Lansing City Market, Parker is expanding into her own REO Town shop. She will be located in the Art Alley building where she’ll enjoy nearly quadruple the space of her original location.

“It’s going to offer me an opportunity to completely move the business out of my home,” says Parker. “People will be able to see how the products are made, and I can better host classes and workshops.”

For Parker, choosing to open in REO Town makes sense for her as a nearby resident, and also allows her to be a part of a neighborhood she’s eager to grow with.

“REO is a growing community,” she says. “They are really mindful about how they are growing. I just feel that this is the kind of community I want to be a part of.”

Parker is currently in the process of moving out of her City Market space and will open in the Art Alley building in August. Soulful Earth Herbals will continue to be sold at the City Market though Sweet Seasons Orchards.

Sweet Seasons Orchard doubles space in Lansing City Market

Nan Jasinowski, Sweet Seasons Orchards Wednesday, June 27, 2012

One of Lansing City Market’s vendors is expanding, allowing the unique seller of grains, beans, soup mixes and more to offer a growing variety of goods.

“It will double my space,” says Nan Jasinowski of Sweet Seasons Orchards. “I’ve got lots of products, so we need to grow.”

According to Jasinowski, the additional room will give the businesses a chance to expand their varieties of flours, grains and beans. She also hopes to grow her gluten free offerings. New to the Sweet Seasons Orchard will be the Soulful Earth Herbals line of personal care products.

“I hope to get into some other things,” says Jasinowski, “but we’re ramping up for a big season now. We do the orchard thing, so we’re about to be very busy.”

In addition to a permanent location at the Lansing City Market, Jasinowski and her family operate Sweet Seasons Orchard near Concord and participate in weekly farmer’s markets around the region.

Jasinowski will begin to expand her Lansing location on July 1.

FC Mason company to expand into 265,000 sq ft St Johns facility, add 40 jobs

Brian Coughlin, Clinton County Economic Alliance Wednesday, June 20, 2012

A vacant St. John’s plant will see new life as a local company expands, thanks to a partnership between The Clinton County Economic Alliance, Clinton County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, City of St. Johns and the F.C. Mason company.

F.C. Mason will soon move its parts and supplies distribution company into the 265,000 square foot plant once occupied by Federal-Mogul in St. Johns. An increase of staff from 62 to 102 will accompany the move.

“We were able to secure a $1 million Clean Michigan Incentive grant from the MDEQ,” says Clinton County Economic Alliance President and CEO, Brian Coughlin. “That enables them to remediate some of the soil problems at that site.”

Coughlin says officials expect site improvements and renovations to begin on the site this summer. For those involved in the project and the residents of St. Johns, the work couldn’t begin soon enough.

“That plant has been empty for four years,” says Coughlin. “It was a constant reminder of how manufacturing in Michigan took such a hit. Now that we have the plant back on line with a new company and new [jobs], it’s a good thing to see for the community.”

A new look comes to downtown with 3,800 square foot Eden Rock

Jerome Abood, Eden Rock Wednesday, June 20, 2012

A highly visible change came to the 200-block of Washington Square in Downtown Lansing earlier this spring when the Wild Beaver Saloon transformed into a whole new kind of bar.

“It was operated and very successful for two years, almost to the date,” says Jerome Abood of Wild Beaver Saloon. “We closed it and remodeled the interior and exterior, and created an entirely new concept called Eden Rock. Our decision to close the Wild Beaver and convert to Eden Rock was all positive.”

The physical renovations include a cool white and blue exterior, classy outdoor seating and retractable glass doors.

“Like most of these buildings, being over 100 years old, they all offer so much charisma and charm,” says Abood. “From the beginning, our designs always wanted these bold architectural traits to be included as much as possible into the design to enhance the effect and feel of the casual diner or late night entertainment energy.

Eden Rock first opened over Memorial Day with weekend hours, and the 3,800 square foot bar and restaurant is now open six days a week. The new menu features organic, homemade recipes such as pizza, pasta dishes, nachos, tacos, fresh-made salsa, bean and cheese dips.

“The menu is to complement the interior,” says Abood, “fresh and eclectic, yet comfortable and familiar.”

Eden Rock currently employs 20 workers. Abood plans to allow Eden Rock to continue to grow and evolve while serving the Downtown Lansing market.

Nicholas Creative posts record growth, expands footprint and staff

Nicholas Chilenko, Nicholas Creative Wednesday, June 13, 2012

It’s turning out to be a strong year for Nicholas Creative, the boutique website creative agency located in East Lansing’s State News Tech Center. The firm, which got its start as one of the Technology Innovation Center’s first tenants, reported a record high first quarter profit in 2012 and expects that growth to continue

“The growth we have experienced in 2012 is attributed to a growing base of loyal clients,” says Nicholas Creative owner Nicholas Chilenko, “and our ability to deliver robust content-managed websites and custom web-based applications.”

Nicholas Creative’s growth is beginning to show. The company expanded its office space from 200- to 600-square feet within the State News Tech Center, in which they share more than 5,000-square feet of common space with four other businesses. That space is necessary to hold a growing staff. Now at three employees and two interns, Chilenko recently hired one full-time employee and plans to add two more new full-time employees by the end of the year.

“This year we are on pace to double last year's sales,” says Chilenko. “We will be releasing an updated version of our website in the third quarter and rolling out a nationwide sales campaign for our email marketing products.”

Historic DeWitt school to receive 9,700 sq ft addition to become senior living center, up to 15 jobs

Tim Brannan, Brandino Properties Wednesday, June 13, 2012

When Dr. Tim Brannan and his partner at Brandino Properties came across the vacant Gunnisonville Elementary Building in DeWitt, they saw the potential for the site to not only return to its roots as a place of learning for children, but so much more. The developers plan to renovate the 26,000-square foot school, as well as build a 9,700-square foot assisted living facility called Gunnisonville Meadows on the same site.

“For assisted living, we thought it would be an ideal setting,” says Brannan. “You’ll come right off the highway and you’re about five minutes away, and then you’re just five minutes away from Eastwood [Towne Center]. Families can come and visit and then take their senior out for dinner.”

Brannan was inspired to open an assisted living facility after his father was diagnosed with dementia and Alzheimer’s and he and his mother had a difficult time finding the right local facility for his care.

“There really wasn’t anyone who was well versed in the issues he was having,” Brannan says. “We wanted to provide some memory care options.”

Gunnisonville Meadows will share a site with the Blending Learning Academies charter school and Little Scholars Preschool and Childcare Center that will soon open in the renovated school. Interaction between students and seniors is expected to add to the learning experiences for kids and life enrichment for residents.

Work on the 20-bed facility will begin soon and Brannan hopes it will be open for residents by late 2012 or early 2013. He plans to employ 12 to 15 workers there.

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