When asked to identify his proudest moment as a business owner, Dan Crannie has a difficult time pinpointing one particular project. After all, since launching in 1985, Signs by Crannie has become one of the state’s largest sign makers, with a sister site in Florida and a portfolio boasting thousands of signs, plaques and vehicle […]

Dwayne and Sonyita Clemons first met a few years ago through work. They were representing different organizations at a church health fair, and after stopping by Dwayne’s table, Sonyita set up a business meeting with him to discuss potential collaborative opportunities. “We went to lunch, and then to dinner, and now we’re married,” she says […]

Marcus Schulmeister may not have a traditional business background, but with over 10 years’ experience in armed security services, he’s uniquely qualified to lead Signal 88 Security of Flint. In fact, he credits the four years he spent in the United States Marine Corps — including two tours of duty in Iraq — for preparing […]

For nearly 10 years, Pharlon Randle had the same routine: wake up, make the rounds as a school bus driver in Mt. Morris, head home and oversee studio sessions for his business, Bangtown Productions & Recordings. During that decade, Randle helped produce about 60 albums by local punk rockers, rappers and R&B crooners. And while […]

In 2011, a stately 1926 colonial home in Flint caught the attention of Diana Phillips and her husband, Allan Griggs. But it had been abandoned for years and needed work. “We watched it sit on the market for six months and finally bought it,” said Diana, an Ohio native who has taught physical chemistry at […]

When Frank Kizy and his wife, Dr. Amber Kizy, sat down to pick a location for her first dental practice, they made a profound discovery from a simple Google search. “We had originally considered West Bloomfield, where we have family,” says Frank, who previously owned a Papa Romano’s Pizza franchise in Oak Park. “But when […]