As an advocate for business in Delhi Township, the DDA is committed to using all available resources to help Delhi businesses succeed.

How do we help? Sometimes it's sharing the cost of replacing a sign or refurbishing a storefront. Sometimes it's working with a business owner to navigate local ordinances. Often, it's actively working to attract businesses to locate here, thus boosting the local economy and improving the quality of life in our community.

The Rehmann Group, LLC

What began in 1941 as a single Saginaw accounting firm has grown and evolved into The Rehmann Group, one of the largest CPA and business consulting firms in the Midwest.

Recognizing the ever-changing nature of business, The Rehman Group is a leader in adapting to meet the demands of today's small-to-mid-sized businesses by offering a greater scope of resources and expertise. And a vast scope of resources it is. The Group's services include virtually every aspect of tax and accounting support, strategic and financial planning, investment services, security consulting and much more.

Mary McCune is a principal of The Rehmann Group and was instrumental in their move to Delhi Township from Lansing. For Mary, "It was all about location." With 12 offices in Michigan, a central location with nearby highway access was a key consideration. Their 15,000 square foot building in Delhi also offered room for expansion. Mary also noted that Delhi is a growing area, and, of course, "We liked working with Delhi Township."

The Rehmann Group has 560 staff in 13 offices, with 55 employees in the Delhi office.

The Rehmann Group's Delhi Township office is at 4086 Legacy Parkway, Lansing, 517-316-2400.

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Wieland-Davco Corp. now based in Delhi

In early 2007, Wieland-Davco and its 65 employees moved to their new corporate headquarters in Delhi Township's Oakwood Executive Park. Wieland-Davco is a professional construction management firm handling major commercial building projects in Michigan and across the United States.

"We're really excited to be in Delhi," said Kevin Shaw, vice president of marketing. "It's at the center of it all. We're looking forward to being here and growing in this facility over the next couple of decades."

With 24,000 square feet on 4 acres of land, the new facility is made for growth-important for a company that has steadily grown and is on course to grow even more. Wieland-Davco has also had preliminary conversations with the DDA about taking advantage of the CRRP program for future exterior projects.

Founded in 1958 by Don Wieland in Bay City, Michigan, the firm moved to Lansing in 1985 to be closer to clients Dart Development and Dart Container.

"I think we've built everything for Dart over the last 30 years, including factories and commercial properties here and across the U.S.," Kevin said.

In addition to their work with Dart, Wieland-Davco develops new business in several ways. Their good reputation brings many referrals, and much of their work is repeat business from satisfied clients. They also have three full-time salespeople marketing to prospective clients.

Wieland-Davco is at 4162 English Oak Drive, Lansing, 517-372-8650.

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L & L Food Centers - A Family Tradition

It's hard to imagine that the L & L Food Center chain evolved from a one-room gas station-but that's exactly where it all began. In 1931, Walter and Anna Levandowski converted their small gas station at the corner of Jolly and Logan (now Martin Luther King Blvd.) to L & L Supermarket. "The success of the company goes back to a simple philosophy held by Walter and Anna," Holt L&L manager Scott Dobey explained. "Give people a good product and listen to their needs and they'll become loyal customers."

But it wasn't until their son Stanley joined the company that it started to evolve into what it is today. Stanley bought the original store from his parents in 1947, and in 1949, his new bride Patricia started working to promote it.

"She went door-to-door collecting addresses of prospective shoppers and used a manual press to print 'specials' for the week, which she mailed to the people on her list," said Scott. In time Stanley realized that a larger store would enable him to serve his customers better. He bulldozed the original building, removed the gas pumps, and built a 5,000 square foot "self serve" store, one of the first of its kind in this area.

By the early 1990's, Stanley II and his sister, Stephanie Birmingham, were fully involved in store operations. Throughout the '90s the company enjoyed rapid growth with the acquisition of several stores-and a new name, L&L ShopRite. The first store to carry that name was in the Holt Plaza-with new signage reimbursed in part by the DDA's CRRP program. In 1998, the family bought five Goff stores and changed the company name to L&L Food Centers.

Still family owned and operated, L & L demonstrates community commitment in many ways, including the sponsorship and support of projects to benefit Potter Park Zoo, the American Red Cross, the Greater Lansing Food Bank, and Haven House. "Being part of the Lansing area community means giving back," Stan says. "After all, our associates, numbering close to 800, live and work in this community. We're hoping to be part of this community for many years to come."

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Molded Plastic Industries, Inc.

From Holt to the World

The next school bus, firetruck, right-hand drive or other specialty vehicle you see just might contain components made right here in Holt.

Specialty vehicle and equipment manufacturers around the world—and just a few miles down the highway—rely on components from Molded Plastic Industries, Inc. The company designs and manufactures a diverse line of products including interior, exterior and under-hood components for medium- and heavy-duty trucks and specialty vehicles.

Molded Plastic's U.S. customers include General Motors Truck, Ford Motor Company's joint venture operations with International Truck & Engine, Oshkosh Truck, Pierce Manufacturing, Modine Manufacturing, and Spartan Chassis. They also export to countries around the globe.

Owner Frank Phillips, Jr., says, "Our customers want to separate themselves from managing Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers. With our capabilities, we represent an ideal source for engineering and program management."

Those capabilities include concept and prototype development, process control, and production. Molded Plastic can also develop CAD models from design renderings, produce mock-up units, and assist in revision or reverse engineering of an existing product.

Some of their capabilities are unique in the specialty vehicle market. Unlike other manufacturers, "We provide fully assembled, final painted components," Frank says.

Molded Plastic is opening a third plant in Holt and working on automating processes to keep up with increased volumes. They employ approximately 50 people with an average seniority of 8-10 years.

Molded Plastic Industries was founded in 1974. Frank Phillips, Jr., is CEO and engineering manager of the company, which he and his partners purchased from Frank Phillips Sr. Partner Scot Parker is production and operations manager, and the third partner, Steve Carlson, is treasurer.

The partners believe Delhi is a good place for their business. The Township was able to help them with a tax abatement on new CNC trimming equipment, and they have also taken advantage of the CRRP program for exterior upgrades.

Molded Plastic Industries' main offices are at 2382 Jarco Drive.

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Florheat

Warm floors are just the beginning

Imagine a heat system custom designed to keep your home at a consistent, comfortable 70 degrees on a cold day with no furnace, ducts or blowers. That's Florheat.

Florheat manufactures radiant floor heating systems and sells them nationwide. Company president Charles Krupka says that radiant heat systems offer the best comfort level, greatest health benefits, and highest level of energy efficiency to be found in a heating system.

"The rule of thumb is that it's 30-40% more efficient than forced air," Charlie says. Heat is maintained near the floor, furnishings and people, not wasted at ceiling level. And since there are no ducts and blowers, there are no drafts or blower noise, nor are pollutants such as radon, molds, pet dander, pollen, etc., circulated through the home as they are with forced-air heating.

Each Florheat system is custom designed for the specific home or commercial building. The process begins with a heat load analysis. Charlie explains that with larger buildings, high ceilings, or a lot of windows, "radiant heat can be 40-50% more efficient, because we're heating people and objects as opposed to heating air."

Many times the boiler that powers the radiant system can handle the home's hot water needs as well, increasing energy efficiency, and, conversely, some homes can power a radiant system with their existing water heater. The boilers are smaller than a furnace, can be hung on a wall, and can be powered by gas, propane or electricity. The newest boilers are 92% to 97% efficient and can be vented with PVC pipe.

Charlie and his partners founded Florheat in 2003, and in 2006 relocated to Delhi's Oakwood Executive Park for its central location and proximity to the freeway. While much of their business comes from new builds, the company also does a lot of renovations, using their own patented retrofit system.

Florheat is at 3120 Spanish Oak Drive in the Oakwood Executive Park, Lansing, 888-265-5455.

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Holt Products evolves and thrives

For most of us, just cleaning the garage is an accomplishment. Some 68 years ago, Clayton Earl and Ernest Hunt started a business in one. And that simple family business in the garage has evolved into a multi-million dollar manufacturer of precision parts.

“We're probably one of the older privately held corporations in Michigan still in business,” said Holt Products owner Tom Hunt, whose father and grandfather founded the company. At the time, Tom said, they never thought it would be anything more than just a way to pay the bills. Then came World War II, and making parts for the war effort enabled the small business to take off.

Tom explained that they've come a very long way from the old days of making screws and bolts. “Our industry sort of evolved into the manufacture of precision parts that are used in almost every product made today,” including the automobile, aircraft, aerospace and computer industries, among many others.

The company has completely retooled itself that in the past 10 years,Tom said. “We made a conscious decision to leave the old-school machine work behind and specialize.” They moved into CNC turning machines, and at one time had 24 multiple spinning screw machines and some single spinning machines. Now all but four have been replaced with new computer-controlled machines. “It's unbelievably technical,” Tom said, “We have robots, and everything is controlled by computer.” He added, “It was a do or die situation,” as simple screw machine work began leaving this country for China, Mexico, India and other countries. “Had we not made the decision to move into the very, very specialized parts, we would have been history 8 or 9 years ago.” Holt Products now builds component parts for companies including Harley Davidson, and Honda and Toyota's United States operations.

Tom and his two sons own Holt Products, with Tom serving as chairman of the board and still active as a consultant. Holt Products operates 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, and has about 65 employees, many of whom are 30-year veterans.

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RSDC

RSDC operates the largest distribution facility for automotive steel in North America—right here in Holt.

To meet the demands of its customers, RSDC of Michigan has the ability to handle more than a million tons of steel each year. This requires receiving and processing steel coils 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at the 600,000 square foot facility. Once complete, the product is shipped on a just-in-time basis to customers such as automotive stamping plants, to become a roof, door, or hood of a vehicle. By efficiently producing a very high-quality product, the company has been able to expand beyond Michigan and now ships to locations in Missouri, Louisiana and Canada.

RSDC of Michigan employs approximately 350 people—an increase of nearly 100 employees since 2000—making it one of the largest employers in Delhi Township. Here since 1999, credit for its success is given to its employees, suppliers and the surrounding community.

"The vision and efforts of the Delhi Township DDA, trustees and community development staff were critical to our decision to locate here," says Don Patterson, RSDC's administrative manager. "However, it didn't end there—they continue to be an integral part of helping the RSDC get things done. In my opinion, the DDA plays a critical role in making sure we are aware of how the process works and how to connect with the right people."

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Stealth Medical Technologies

How long does it take to become recognized as a leader in your field? For Stealth Medical Technologies in Holt, it happened quite quickly. Begun in 1994, the firm has established a solid reputation as a world leader in the production of orthopedic implants. And it has done it from Delhi Charter Township, where it can draw from a pool of highly-skilled workers and count on the support of the DDA and Township.

Specializing in products made with exotic alloys such as titanium, cobalt-chromium-molybdenum, and zirconium, Stealth Medical Technologies uses their specially-developed forging process to impart structural enhancements to the material. This enables Stealth to produce precisely crafted products that are exceptionally strong, durable, and manufactured to exact dimensional requirements with little to no machining—resulting in significant cost savings to their customers.

With advanced technical capabilities, state-of-the-art design technology, forging expertise and a highly skilled workforce, Stealth Medical Technologies serves as a comprehensive, "one-stop" resource for their customers. Partnering with customers at every step in the production process enables Stealth to provide cost-effective solutions to the toughest engineering problems, and deliver top-of-the-line products that are both customized and flawless.

Stealth Medical Technologies is certified to the ISO 9001 American National Standard, demonstrating that they have developed and implemented effective quality systems throughout their production process. They are committed to not only meeting but exceeding the stringent specifications of their customers. Headquartered in Holt, Stealth Medical Technologies also has coating and finishing operations in Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi.

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Oakwood Executive Park

Set on a 62-acre site at Pine Tree and English Oak Drive (bordering I-96) south of Jolly Road, Oakwood Executive Park is owned, developed and managed by Dart Development. Like other industrial parks Dart owns in Michigan and California, the park features "flex space" (combination warehouse and office), industrial, warehousing, and office space, as well as full-time on-site maintenance. Dart Development marketing manager Steve Mills says that the variety of space options available make the park desirable and adaptable to many types of commercial tenants. It also has excellent access to main arterial road routes, as well as air and rail, making distribution easy - throughout Michigan and beyond. Right now, spaces ranging from 103,000 square feet down to 3,500 square feet are available for lease.

Oakwood Executive Park consists of eight single-story buildings, seven of which each comprise approximately 20,000 square feet, some with a small mezzanine. Two of the buildings consist solely of office space. The eighth building, completed in 2004, is the largest space available in the park with 103,000 square feet.

Dart Development also owns an additional 30 acres adjacent to the park that is currently undeveloped.

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Two Men and A Truck

The concept of Two Men and A Truck was born in the early 1980s when Mary Ellen Sheets' two sons, Brig and Jon Sorber, started moving people in an old pickup truck for extra spending money in high school. To help attract customers, Mary Ellen placed an ad in a weekly community newspaper promoting a Lansing, Michigan–based business with a stick-men logo. The rest, as they say, is history.

Sheets made the customer the focus of her business. News of her success grew. She earned a spot on a panel at a Michigan State University graduate business seminar in 1987. Later that year, the first franchise was opened. William Edwards, president of Edwards Global Services, Inc., said Sheets is a classic example of an entrepreneur who used franchising to grow her business. "The Two Men and A Truck^® franchise system has enjoyed double-digit growth every year,'' said Edwards, also member of the IFA Certified Franchise Executive board. "That's an entrepreneur making the most of franchising by helping many people start and grow their own business."

Two Men and a Truck ultimately made the decision to locate its headquarters in Delhi Charter Township because of the Township's business-friendly reputation, and the fact that it offers a range of affordable sites and an ideal, centralized location from which to run a highly successful, growing company.

Currently Two Men and A Truck/International Inc. has 151 locations in 27 states and almost 1,000 trucks on the road. It has grown to become one of the largest moving companies in the United States. In 2005, Mary Ellen Sheets, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, was the recipient of the International Franchise Association Entrepreneur of the Year award - the first woman ever to earn the honor.

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Kitsmiller RV

While many local residents know that Kitsmiller's is a family business, they may not be aware that the business goes back to Ron Kitsmiller's paternal grandfather, who began with a mobile home manufacturing plant in Williamston. Ron's parents later took over the business and changed their product line to RVs.

Ron Kitsmiller got his start in the business as a pre-teen, washing RVs. Although the family business was eventually sold, Ron bought it back in 1981, and moved to his current 3-acre site in Delhi Township in 1995. He is pleased with his decision to locate here, noting that the area is easy to get to, "yet kind of out in the country, too."

Ron feels that local officials are helpful and easy to work with, making it easier for him to relocate. That same helpfulness came into play when Ron recently expanded the business, taking advantage of the DDA's Commercial Rehabilitation Rebate Program (CCRP) to help offset renovation costs. Kitsmiller's improvements included an enhanced display area, expanded parking area, and office renovations, with renovation of the service and parts departments and improved customer parking to follow. Ron again credits the DDA and a host of Township officials with helping him accomplish his goals for expansion.

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Total Firearms

With a 75' addition and extensive remodeling of the existing building, Total Firearms completed a construction project that tripled their size.

Owner Doug Carl operated two storefronts before closing them to concentrate on organizing and promoting sports shows throughout the state. Six years ago, Doug decided to re-establish a storefront and purchased the former site of Mark's Gun & Tackle in Delhi Charter Township, as well as the property next door, with the goal of expanding. Now that goal is a reality.

Total Firearms is a full service gun shop that has been in business for over 20 years. In addition to firearms (new and used), archery and sporting supplies, the store has both an indoor archery and indoor gun range. They also offer such features as gunsmithing and mounting of game. Future projects include indoor and outdoor paintball ranges, and Doug believes they can grow to be the largest paintball supplier in the area. Total Firearms also works with law enforcement agencies on firearms training. The central location, close to many major highways, makes it an ideal location to attract local and regional business and provides an ideal base for the gun and knife shows Doug hosts across the state.

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Rick Anthony's Flower Shoppe

For 25 years, florists Rick and Carole Anthony had admired the house at 2111 Cedar Street, thinking it would make an ideal flower shop. On Thanksgiving weekend 2004, they moved their Holt flower shop to their dream location.

"It's just a natural spot for a flower shop," says Rick, citing the layout and location. Carole and their daughter, Randi Kay, manage the Holt shop. "My wife is ecstatic," Rick says. "She thinks this is an excellent move. She is very happy."

In addition to their excitement about the new location, the Anthonys feel that Holt is a great place to do business. Rick and Carole have both lived here for 45 years, and, already owning an established flower shop in Lansing, they opened their second location in Holt 15 years ago. Although most of a flower shop's business comes from telephone orders, the Anthonys felt that having a shop in the area would make it more appealing for local people to do business with them. They first opened their Holt shop at Cedar St. and Holt Road, and two years later moved to a location kitty-corner from their current shop. Now they're settled in their dream location in Delhi.

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Everlasting Stitches

Pam Henrys and her family opened Everlasting Stitches in Holt because they felt it was a safe, friendly and growing community.

They also felt there was a niche in the area for a quilting shop, and the Holt community perfectly suited Pam Henrys' desire to create a business with a "laid-back, homey, user-friendly atmosphere."

Everlasting Stitches opened in 2002 in the Holt Plaza at Holt and Aurelius Roads, offering a full complement of quilting fabrics and supplies, as well as wool for rug hooking. There is also specialized equipment available for customers to use in the store when working on projects.

The store clearly fills a need, with a mailing list of over 600 customers and still growing. A variety of classes are held at the store, and Henrys publishes a newsletter to keep customers informed of special events and product offerings.

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