Saying Goodbye to Our Longtime Friend

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Longtime Monroe County BDC Board Member and Former Vice Chairman, Richard A. Sieb passed on Sunday morning, September 19, 2021 at the age of 90. Mr. Sieb was a supportive and hands on Board Member of the Monroe County BDC since 1984 and remained active on the board until his final days. His passing has, without a doubt, left a hole in our County and in our hearts.

Mr. Sieb was one of the utmost believers in Monroe County and graciously gave his time and resources to countless civic groups, organizations, churches, educational institutions and clubs. He was the longtime owner of Sieb Plumbing and Heating taking over the business from his father many years ago.

We feel fortunate that Mr. Sieb was part of our organization for well over 3 decades and are thankful for his service. He will be missed but never forgotten. Rest in peace our dear friend.

Opening the Doors

On Wednesday, September 22, we opened the doors for a very successful Open House at 9 Washington Street!

Four Monroe County non-profit organizations are housed under one roof in a historic building owned and operated by First Merchants Bank: Child Care Network, Community Foundation of Monroe County, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and the Monroe County BDC.

Thanks to Agua Dulce Cafe, Cakes by Stephanie, and Deb's Flowers for graciously supporting our event. We appreciate your kindness and all that you do for Monroe County. We also want to give recognition to our corporate investors: First Merchants Bank, La-Z-Boy Corporation, and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. None of this would be possible without your guidance, support and dedication.

H. Douglas Chaffin stated in an earlier released press release, “In my role as Chairman of the BDC, First Merchants Bank Board of Director, and as former First Merchants Bank Michigan Regional President, it has been rewarding to work with and watch these organizations come together. All of the organizations at 9 Washington St. play a vital role in supporting Monroe County and its residents and First Merchants is happy to collaborate with them on this opportunity.”

“We are excited to partner together in this space” said Tim Lake, President and CEO of the Monroe County BDC. “Our organizations share many key stakeholders so any chance to share costs allows us to utilize more resources on initiatives that help execute the mission and vision of each organization.”

Soon we will be sharing Launch 734, the entrepreneurial initiative that will be housed in 9 Washington. We have big things in store for Monroe County!

Thanks to all of our guests who had to dodge some rain drops to attend the Open House. We appreciate you taking the time and effort to join us!

Pitch and Pour Event Success

Launch 734 was proud to partner with the Monroe County Young Professionals for the second Monroe County Pitch and Pour event. The event was held at Pavlov's Brewing Company on September 14th. Nearly 60 people attended the event which saw presentations from 4 individuals.

The winner of the event, as voted on by the audience, was Xavier Turnage of The Chosen Few (TCF) Threads. TCF was a concept he developed named after what he and his friends would call each other in High School. Upon leaving Eastern Michigan University, Xavier decided to turn his love of fashion into a business. TCF creates high quality clothing items with a focus on quality over quantity. You can learn more and view their online store by click here: THE CHOSEN FEW (tcfthreads.com)

In second place was entrepreneur, Andrew Bentley, a local sommelier who is planning to launch the Michigan Wine and Beer Portal in Downtown Monroe. The portal will feature what the name implies, Wine and Beer that is unique to Michigan. As one of the first communities in Monroe County and one with a rich wine making tradition, Andrew hopes to share his passion with both residents and visitors alike.

Special thanks to Gold Sponsors - Huntington Bank and Monroe Community Credit Union, and Silver Sponsors - First Merchants Bank, Fast Signs, Personal Choice Catering and Pavlov's Brewing Company.

Act Fast, The Clock is Ticking

We are only a few days away from the Fall Monroe County EDC Municipal Planning & Zoning Conference. The event is being held live at the River Raisin National Battlefield Park Visitors Center on Thursday, September 30, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Monroe County's Administrator and CFO, Michael Bosanac, will present information on the American Rescue Plan and the County's strategy for disbursing approximately $30 million in funding received.

Given the importance of this topic, we will be hosting a virtual option as well for those unable to attend in person. For those attending in-person, festivities will kick off at 6:00 pm with light refreshments, appetizers, Michigan's Cornerstone shirt giveaways and a tour of the all-new Battlefield Visitor's Center. The virtual program will begin at 6:30 pm and will be held via Zoom webinar.

Please click on button below to register to attend IN PERSON event today. If attending virtually, click to register here.

Click Here to Register

Once again the State of Michigan is awarding Going Pro Talent Fund grants to employers to assist in training, developing and retraining current and newly hired employees. The fund provides reimbursement grants of up to $1,500 per employee or $3,000 per apprentice to offset training costs.

Monroe County Community College has prepared special individual pricing for popular training sessions that are eligible for State of Michigan Going Pro Funding for 2021-22. These classes can be customized and delivered exclusively for individual organizations. Here is a link to a list of the 2021-22 Going Pro Offerings at MCCC.

In order to start your Going Pro application or to learn more about the program, please contact Angela Barton, Michigan Works! Monroe Programs Manager (734-240-7981; or Matt at the BDC (734-241-8081 x3).

Monroe County Highlights by Florence Buchanan

The Monroe County Link Plan Pillar Teams have been busy with activity this past month. Please view the August highlights here.

If you would like to learn more or get involved in the Monroe County Link Plan, please contact the Project Manager, Florence Buchanan, via email or by phone at (419) 654-1934.

Registration Opening This Week!

Watch your email and social media for Registration information on this year's Focus On The Future event being held on Wednesday, November 3, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm.

We are only a click away ...