Private sector procurement opportunities are becoming increasingly available to Michigan-based businesses.  Larger companies around the state are increasingly looking to other Michigan-based small businesses for products and services to generate new business growth and create new jobs here.

Michigan-based retailer, Meijer, has a commitment to buying local since they opened their doors nearly 80 years ago.  Today, guest blogger Hank Meijer, Co-Chairman of Meijer, tells us about the Meijer Locally Grown and Made in Michigan initiatives and how Meijer is continuing to invest and grow in the state.

Give us some background on Meijer and the strategy that has contributed to its success.

Customer experience and treating team members with dignity and respect are the basic philosophies that guided my grandfather, Hendrik Meijer, in 1934 when he opened the first Meijer store next to his barber shop in Greenville, Mich.

Our family followed those core values throughout the years as Meijer evolved into a 24-hour-a-day, 364-days-a-year supercenter. Today, my brother, Doug Meijer, and I work alongside a strong team that leads our privately-held company based in Grand Rapids, Mich.

We employ more than 60,000 team members in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. We opened our 200th store in May 2013 in Swartz Creek, Mich. – the first of six stores we’re opening this year in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. We also operate more than 180 gas stations, four distribution and two manufacturing facilities across our Midwest footprint.

Beyond pioneering the “one-stop shopping” concept, we seek to support the communities where our customers and team members work and live.

That commitment begins with excellent customer service, low prices, quality foods and broad selections of national and Meijer brand items. Meijer also supports a wide variety of nonprofit organizations by donating more than 6 percent of our net profit to charity each year, with a special focus on hunger relief.

As Meijer continues to grow, we will remain true to the simple philosophy of our founder: “… take care of your customers, team members, and community … and they will take care of you, just like a family.

Why is Michigan a good place to live and work?

Michigan has always been the home of great entrepreneurs, from Henry Ford and Ransom Olds to Herbert Dow, W.K. Kellogg and Rich DeVos.  It’s a vibrant state with a strong sense of community and collaboration for the good of our neighbors. In our town, we’ve developed partnerships with dozens of organizations that are all working together for the betterment of the community. We also buy some of the freshest produce farmed in Michigan fields.

What are the Meijer Locally Grown and Made in Michigan initiatives? What types of products can consumers find?

Meijer has a longstanding commitment to buying local, when available, and when the quality meets our high standards. It’s a business practice we’ve followed since our doors opened nearly 80 years ago. And we know from our customers that buying local is important to them as well.

Today, Meijer is one of the largest purchasers of local produce in the markets we serve. We’ve established relationships with more than 100 growers in our five-state region, accounting for some 75 different fruits and vegetables we offer our customers.

That commitment also led us to provide something our customers have been missing: Fresh, vine-ripened Michigan-grown tomatoes year-round – even in the middle of winter – thanks to Mastronardi Produce’s state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse in Coldwater, Mich.

This is unique because Michigan tomatoes typically grow from late June to October. The technology at the Coldwater greenhouse allows for fresh, high quality crops regardless of outdoor conditions.

The Michigan-grown tomatoes have been well received by our customers, who’ve expressed their appreciation at our stores and on our social channels.

We’ve also seen a lot of support for our Made in Michigan initiative that highlights small businesses throughout the state. We expanded that program earlier this year to feature 55 new Michigan-made grocery items in all our stores statewide.

The Made in Michigan initiative was originally launched in January 2012 in partnership with the Michigan State University Product Center. The goal is simple: help strengthen the state’s economy by supporting Michigan businesses.

This year’s lineup includes barbeque sauces, cherry butter, salsas, guacamole and kettle chips.

How does this impact small businesses or suppliers in Michigan?

Michigan is a great state, and Meijer is pleased to do what it can to stimulate growth. Partnering with local growers and businesses does just that. The locally-grown program has an economic impact of more than $80 million annually, and the Made in Michigan initiative is expected to generate an estimated benefit of $900,000 statewide, according to the MSU Product Center.

How can businesses or vendors become involved in these programs?

Meijer buyers are constantly searching for partners with high-quality products. Our team works closely with the MSU Product Center to identify great products made by small businesses statewide that can find a place on our shelves.

What is the benefit of doing business with local farmers and vendors to Michigan and to the consumer?

Buying local is important to us and to the customers we serve. I think everyone – farmer, business owner, retailer and community member – feels a sense of pride when partnerships like this are created. Customers recognize those brands on our shelves and appreciate not only the quality of the products, but the sense of community, which is something that Meijer stands behind.

Aside from that, buying local reduces food miles, and often gives us the opportunity to continue to keep our costs lower for customers.

What is next for Meijer?

We are pleased to continue to invest in the Midwest. This year that translates into nearly $200 million in new and remodeled stores.

That investment represents the construction of six Meijer supercenters in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, as well as major remodel projects at five stores in Michigan and Illinois.

In May 2013, we celebrated a milestone with the opening of our 200^th store, in Swartz Creek, which created 300 jobs in that community.

That will be followed, later this summer, by our first store in the city of Detroit, at the 8 Mile Marketplace, increasing the availability of fresh produce and meats to city residents.

We will continue our process of steady growth, a process that has allowed us to focus on our customers and team members while supporting the communities where they work and live.

Hank Meijer, 60, is co-chairman and CEO of Meijer, Inc. in Grand Rapids. He joined the family retail business at the age of 11 as a grocery clerk. After serving as a reporter for a Detroit-area suburban newspaper group, he became editor and later publisher of a weekly newspaper in Plymouth, Michigan. He rejoined Meijer in 1979 as assistant advertising director. Meijer is vice-chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. He also serves on the boards of Fifth Third Bank, the Kettering Foundation and the Food Marketing Institute, and is a member of the President’s Advisory Group of the University of Michigan. 

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has a similar initiative to Meijer Made in Michigan, Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC), that connects Michigan companies with opportunities for growth and expansion. By participating in the program, companies can find procurement resources to expand their supply chain, new business opportunities, access a new business-to-business network and receive business assistance at little to no cost like legal, accounting, and other services. For more information on how your company can get involved visit http://www.michiganadvantage.org/.

Are you an entrepreneur or business leader in Michigan and want to share your success story or tell how Michigan has helped your business grow? Share your story on the Michigan Advantage blog! Learn more about being a guest blogger.

Tagged as: Economic Development, Economic Growth, Frank Meijer, Hendrik Meijer, Jobs, jobs in michigan, Made in Michigan, MEDC, Meijer, Michigan, Michigan Advantage, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Produce, Michigan State University Product Center, Michigan-grown, Pure Michigan, Resources, Urban Economic Development

{ 0 comments - Read and add your own }