Michigan Small Business Spotlight

Hey,

Every week I find myself thinking about how much is happening in this state that most people never hear about. Not because the stories are not worth telling. Because nobody is telling them.

That is what this newsletter is for. Each week I spotlight five small businesses, one from each region of Michigan, that are doing something worth knowing about. Real owners. Real stories. Real Michigan.

This week is a good one.

Detroit Sewn | Pontiac

Karen Buscemi opened Detroit Sewn in 2015 in response to something she kept hearing: Michigan brands wanted to manufacture here and could not find anyone to help them do it. She started with one sewer, one client, and one project. By 2020 she had built a real factory, and when the pandemic hit she turned it toward manufacturing PPE. Her team, along with partners, produced more than 500,000 reusable masks and 75,000 isolation gowns for hospitals across the country. Today Detroit Sewn is a full-service cut and sew manufacturer offering everything from product development to decoration, and every piece leaves the building made in Michigan.

Learn more at detroitsewn.com Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/detroitsewn

Allegiant Laundry Service | Kalamazoo

Jeremiah Smith was 23 years old when he launched a coin laundry business in Hartford in 2011. A year later, while visiting his immunocompromised mother in the hospital, he noticed nurses touching shared medical curtains and then touching patients, and a business was born out of that concern. He pivoted Allegiant into specialized medical textile and hospitality laundry services, and over the past decade has built one of the most trusted linen service operations in Southwest Michigan. In 2023 the U.S. Small Business Administration honored him with the Michigan Minority Owned Small Business Award. From a childhood chore to a company that protects patients, Jeremiah's story is exactly what this newsletter exists to tell.

Find them on Facebook: search Allegiant Laundry Service Kalamazoo Learn more at allegiantlinenservices.com

DelectAble Treats and Sweets | Battle Creek

Felicia Jaramillo went through recovery, earned her business degree through Michigan Reconnect, and in February 2026 opened DelectAble Treats and Sweets at the Battle Creek Innovation Hub. What makes this business different from the start is who she hired. Felicia employs people with disabilities, including two of her own sons, creating a workplace built around inclusion from day one. She had already been selling at farmers markets and building a following before she ever opened her doors. If you are in Battle Creek, go find her.

Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557690323679 Learn more at delectabletreatsandsweets.com

Pleasanton Brick Oven Bakery | Traverse City

Gerard and Jan Grabowski started this bakery in 1993 in Pleasanton Township in Manistee County. In 2008 they relocated to the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, a stunning campus of restored historic buildings on the grounds of the former Traverse City State Hospital. Their bread is made with natural leavening and organic Michigan-grown grains. Their menu has grown over the years from exclusively breads to brick oven pizzas, pies, and their celebrated Pleasanton cookie. Food and Wine Magazine named Pleasanton one of America's best bakeries, the only Michigan bakery to make the list. More than thirty years in, Gerard and Jan are still baking every day.

Visit them at 811 Cottage View Drive in Traverse City.

Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/pleasantonbakery

Stormy Kromer | Ironwood

The original Stormy Kromer cap was designed in 1903 by George "Stormy" Kromer, a railroad engineer who kept losing his hat in the wind and asked his wife Ida to fix the problem. She did, and what she created became an icon. Today the Stormy Kromer brand is owned and operated by the Jacquart family out of Ironwood, where it has been manufactured for decades. Gina Jacquart Thorsen and her family have kept the brand rooted in the Upper Peninsula, kept production in the U.S., and kept the spirit of that original hat alive through generations of Michigan winters. It is one of the great small business stories in the entire state.

Shop at stormykromer.com Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/StormyKromer

If you know a small business owner in Michigan who is doing something worth sharing, send me their name and where they are located. I read every nomination personally and I will reach out to them directly.

Reply to this email or message me at facebook.com/MichiganSmallBusinessSpotlight

I recently started a Facebook group called Michigan Hidden Gems where we share local businesses, restaurants, shops, and experiences worth knowing about. It is free to join and the goal is simple: keep Michigan dollars in Michigan.

Join us here: [HERE]

If you have been reading this newsletter and getting value from it, this group is the next step. Bring a friend.

Thanks for being here. See you next week.

Dave Baca Michigan Small Business Spotlight Troy, MI topchoicediscover.com

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Michigan Small Business Spotlight features independent businesses across all five regions of the state: Southeast Michigan, West Michigan, Mid-Michigan, Northern Michigan, and the Upper Peninsula.

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