Big George's Home Appliance
This project involved the construction a new building to house the expansion for Big George's Home Appliance Mart, which has operated at its current location on Stadium Blvd. since 1959. They built a new 19,000 sq. ft. retail showroom on the adjacent lot. The new store features a large open showroom and a "green design." Big George's has a solid reputation in the Ann Arbor area selling major appliances and electronics, outdoor living appliances, portable electronic devices, etc. Abbud "Bud" Bishar runs this business with the help of his son Mark, and his wife Mona. By using the SBA 504, Bud was able to obtain 100% financing by using existing equity in the property.

Mitchell Graphics
Mitchell Graphics is a second-generation business that was started in 1972 by brothers Bill and Andy Fedus. The business is now owned by Bill and his son, Gary. Mitchell Graphics is a printing company that offers a diverse array of products in both the printing and mail-service arenas. This project involved a new printing press that will enable the business to be more competitive and to stay current in printing technology. With this new printer, Mitchell Graphics will be able to pursue clients they have not been able to in the past. With the help of Bank of Northern Michigan and MCDC's SBA 504 program, this father and son team received fixed-rate financing for 10 years with only 10% down.

Kevin P. Cooper, DDS, PC
Dr. Kevin Cooper is dedicated to the community of Sault Ste. Marie and the dental health of its citizens. An alumni of Lake Superior State University, he serves as Vice President of the Lake Superior State University Foundation Board as well as President of the Sault Ste. Marie District Dental Society. His commitment to the community and his skill as a dentist resulted in growth in his dental practice, necessitating additional space. Dr. Cooper partnered with Old Mission Bank and the MCDC to obtain a below-market rate and extended terms on this project. He plans on using some of the savings to increase his staff to handle the increased patient load.

Holt Eye Care
Holt Eye Care, owned by Dr. Brian Houser and Dr. Amy Houser, had a large retail unit, but small patient base. In November 2004, they merged with Dr. Chris Kramer, who had a large client base, but no eye wear solutions. Since the merger, Holt Eye Care outgrew their existing leased facility, which lead the company to purchase a commercial retail condo unit in Holt. The borrowers were able to attain 90% financing, a low-fixed rate, and an extended term loan though the MCDC SBA 504 Loan Program.

The Goddard School
The Goddard School project involved the purchase of land and the construction of a 1.5 story, 10,300 square foot building for the Goddard School Franchise. Goddard School Franchises are headquartered in Pennsylvania and currently have 209 schools in operation. The school provides a preschool curriculum and care for children between six weeks and ten years of age. There is only one other Goddard School in Michigan located in Lake Orion. This land purchase and new building for The Goddard School was made possible through the use of the 504 program and by partnering with MCDC and Fidelity Bank.

Papa Joe's Oakland
Papa Joe's Oakland is a specialty fruit and vegetable retail market located in a revitalized area of Rochester Hills that once was vacant industrial buildings. The market is in a newly built building, although the business has been in existence for over 14 years. This SBA 504 loan involved the purchase of machinery and equipment to be used in the Gourmet Supermarket. This new state-of-the-art store offers gourmet-to-go options along with catering. The location of this market is excellent, being in a shopping center that has other large regional chain retail stores as tenants. With the help of National City Bank and the MCDC's SBA 504 program, the owners were able to purchase the equipment...

Storhaus Inventory Services
Storehaus Inventory Services is a wholesale distributor of motor vehicle replacement parts to new vehicle dealerships, jobbers, auto parts stores and auto repair facilities in the Southeast Michigan area. They are the largest Warehouse Distributor ("WD") of ACDelco products in the state of Michigan and one of only four exclusive ACDelco distributors to the Detroit metropolitan area, which includes Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair, Sanilac, Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston and Lenawee counties. This project involved the purchase of the 42,000 sq. ft. building that the borrower had been leasing. By using the SBA 504 program in participation with Zions Bank, the borrower's were able to purchase...

Jerome Country Market
Jerome Country Market is a deer processing plant that has been owned and operated by Bret and Pamela Griffis for over 15 years. The store processes deer from October through December. During the rest of the year, smoked meets and jerky are sold from vendor trailers. The company has outgrown its current location and this project involved the expansion to a high-traffic location on US 12. The new building will address their current capacity issues and also allow them to enter new lines of business, such as custom processing of other livestock, retail sales of specialty meats and cheeses, and taxidermy. The new location is open year round.

Great Lakes Home Health & Hospice
Founded in October 1994 by William Deary and wife Cheri Lyn, Great Lakes Home Health and Hospice (GLHHH) is now the largest "privately-held" Medicare-certified home health care provider in Michigan. GLHHH is a full service home healthcare agency serving 29 of Michigan's counties through its five locations in St. Johns, Albion, East Lansing, Adrian and Jackson. They provide assistance with activities of daily living, skilled nursing and other professional medical care and hospice for patients with special needs. The company currently has 250 employees consisting of nurses, social workers, dieticians, home health aids, physical therapists and physicians and has received patient referrals from...

Pauli Ford - Mercury
Frank Pauli has been with Pauli Ford-Mercury (f/k/a St. Johns Ford) since 1978. He purchased the dealership in 1984 and in 2004 Frank bought out McCrackin Ford to become the sole Ford dealership in Clinton County. The MCDC and Firstbank have participated in the purchase of land and construction of a new auto dealership on a 5-acre parcel of property along Business-27 in St. Johns, Michigan. The new site is a 17,000 square foot, 14-bay building. The new building will provide greater efficiencies than the previous 30-year-old building and more real estate to accommodate any additional inventory.

The Melting Pot
The Melting Pot provides unique, upscale, and intimate dining with an assortment of fondue cooked at the table by guests. The MCDC/SBA and LaSalle Bank participated in the financing for the purchase and renovation of an existing 6,000 square foot retail building in Novi, which now houses a new The Melting Pot franchise restaurant. This is only the second The Melting Pot in Michigan. Ruby is no stranger to the Melting Pot Restaurants. She owns a second restaurant in Wisconsin with her husband, Matt Soik as well. Through the MCDC/SBA, the trio received low, fixed-rate financing on the SBA 504 portion of the loan.

Culver's of Portage
The Culver's of Portage previously occupied by Hot 'N Now will be completely reconstructed on leased land. The Culver's concept was born on July 18, 1984 when Craig Culver, along with this wife Lea and parents George and Ruth, reopened a former A&W Restaurant as Culver's Frozen Custard of Saulk City, WI. The concept was to serve fresh, made to order, quality food, including their trademarked Butter Burgers and Frozen Custard at an affordable price. The Butter Burger is made from fresh ground chuck, not the frozen hamburger patties favored by McDonald's and other large fast-food chains. It is seared on the grill, and is named for its lightly buttered and toasted bun. Frozen custard is premium...

North Honda Motor Sports
North Honda Motor Sports is an exclusive full-line Honda dealer specializing in motorcycle, ATV, personal watercraft, and power equipment. Michael Bellisle purchased the Honda dealership in 1995. He turned a losing Honda franchise into the top sales store for the for the entire Upper Peninsula and North East Wisconsin region. Michael's son, Eric, started working for the business in 2005 joining his brother Todd whom had been active in the business for many years. With the help of the MCDC and Nicolet National Bank, the Bellisle were able to obtain the necessary financing to construct a new state-of-the-art facility and to meet the requirements to become a Honda Powerhouse Dealership,...

ESE LLC
ESE LLC was formed in 1999 as an engineering design company. Since its inception, the company has grown 20 fold! ESE LLC designs customer specific devices to inspect, test, assemble, manufacture, or aid in the manufacture of automotive, marine and aerospace components. They reached capacity at their 4,200 sq. ft. location in Lapeer and after consulting with Lapeer Development Corp contacted the MCDC. With the help of the MCDC and JP Morgan Chase, Eric and Aaron constructed a new building in rural Lapeer. By taking advantage of the SBA 504 program, they were able to obtain low rate fixed financing for the MCDC portion of their loan.

Walldorff Brewpub & Bistro
This project involved the purchase and renovation of an existing 12,000 sq. ft. building to house a new restaurant in rural Hastings, MI. The building is the historic three-story, Victorian style Walldorff Building built in 1868 in downtown Hastings. The building has sat vacant for the last eight years, which is why the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) of Hastings granted $202,500 toward the project. The Walldorff Brewpub and Bistro is a multi-level, multi-dimensional business complex. Their primary focus is the management of a fully-operational microbrewery and casual themed restaurant on the street level of the building. The second floor houses The Walldorff Ballroom, which is an...

Iroquois Cycle Shop
Iroquois Cycle Shop is located on Mackinac Island, one of Michigan's most popular tourist attractions. Owner, Ira Green, owns other businesses on the Island and elsewhere throughout Michigan. The Iroquois Cycle Shop is a bicycle rental business, which is a hot commodity since there are no automobiles on the Island. The shop is located next to the Shepler Boat Dock, which is the most common carrier used to bring visitors to the island. Iroquois Cycle Shop is a well-established business on Mackinac and has been in operation since 1967. Mr. Green is purchasing the building along with the bicycle licenses. This rural property purchase was made possible with the help of Citizens National...

Montgomery, Wiethorn & Burke, P.C.
Montgomery, Wiethorn & Burke, P.C. is a Certified Public Accounting firm serving both individual and business clients. The firm was established in 1986 and the principals combined have more than 80 years experience as CPAs. Tradition bank financing was an option for this firm, however, the reduced equity requirement and long-term, fixed-rate financing attracted MWB to the SBA 504. MWB was very satisfied with the process and expects to refer their clients to the MCDC and the SBA 504.

Metro Parent Publishing
Metro Parent Publishing is the publisher of several prominent publications in the metro Detroit area. Over 250,000 readers annually receive Metro Parent, Metro Parent Ann Arbor, The Party Book, Best of Times, Metro Baby, Metro Parent Educators Edition and Going Places. Alyssa Martina and Alexis Bourkoulas had been leasing space since the company started. By using the SBA 504 Loan Program, they were able to take advantage of a lower down payment and extended terms to purchase their own building on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale. This project involved the purchase and renovation of a former pet store to the class A office space it is today.

Blumz...by JRDesigns
Blumz...JRDesigns specilizes in floral and event design and has two locations, one at 1300 Broadway in Detroit and a new location at 503 E. Nine Mile Road in Ferndale. The new location, situated in the heart of the entertainment and retail downtown development districk of Ferndale, is pedestrian friendly and provides ample parking. The owners, Jerome Raska and J. Robbin Yelverton, are both very active in the floral design field and have worked a combined 60 years at all levels of the industry. Blumz...JRDesigns was recently featured in the Detroit News for being selected by the Michigan Floral Association as the Retailer of the Year 2007 at the annual Spring Conference in Grand Rapids....

John L. Spolar, D.D.S.
Dr. John Spolyar has practiced orthodontics exclusively in Michigan since 1972. He currently has two offices, one in Clinton Township and the other is Owosso. He had operated an office in Sterling Heights for over 30 years. That older, leased facility had limited space and no room for growth. Using the 504 program to purchase and renovate a new office in Clinton Township allowed his practice to modernize and continue to grow. This 3,000 square foot office condo is located just 5 miles from his previous location. Dr. Spolyar is a United States Naval Veteran, which fulfills an SBA public policy goal.

Majeske Machine, Inc.
Majeske Machine, Inc. was started in 1995 by Gerald Majeske, Jr. Majeske is a machine tool business specializing in CNC turning and milling, cutting of spur, helical, internal gears and splines, and research & development/prototype services. The business was outgrowing their current location and needed to find a larger building. By partnering with the MCDC and KeyBank, the company was able to purchase a 11,040 sq. ft industrial building located in Livonia, Michigan. This move allowed the borrowers to overcome capacity issues at their previous location.

Anderson Paint Company
Brothers Tony and Bob Anderson are third generation owners of the Anderson Paint Company in Ann Arbor. Their grandfather established the business in 1951. Anderson Paint is a retailer and wholesaler that has a well established reputation in the area. They are currently operating out of four locations and purchased this building in order to consolidate two of those locations, and to serve as their new headquarters. Ann Arbor Commerce Bank and MCDC's SBA 504 Program were able to help the Anderson brothers with this purchase with a fixed interest rate with only a 10% down payment.