Sports medicine and physical therapy are among the services. Tom Buchkoe
Giving back to the community is important for Active Physical Therapy. Tom Buchkoe
Active Physical Therapy now has three locations. Tom Buchkoe
Locations in Marquette, Ishpeming and Negaunee help better serve patients. Tom Buchkoe
Active Physical Therapy is expanding fast. Tom Buchkoe
Several new businesses are on the move--from jewelry to health care, keep a sharp eye on these new enterprises in the Upper Peninsula.
One of the most exciting things to discover in the Upper Peninsula is a new business open where there wasn't one before. It's usually local small business owners who push our communities forward and make these things happen. We talked to some local entrepreneurs with plans to expand about what's next for their small businesses.
The Gold Mine in St. Ignace
Yvonne and Tom Della-Moretta have been creating and selling jewelry in St. Ignace for nearly three decades and, after that amount of time, have developed a strong reputation both with locals and from visitors--some of whom make it a point to stop in during every year's vacation to browse through selections Yvonne designs.
Ruth Sanderson of Gowen is one of them--she visits the shop, aptly named the Gold Mine, annually.
"Every year I come back to this store to see what is new. A couple of years ago, I bought a ring from them and needed to have it sized," Sanderson says. "They knew it was going to be a rush order since I was going home the next day. They not only had it done on time, but it was so beautifully done you couldn't tell where the work had been done."
"They even called to let me know when it was ready. They never disappoint me with their unique jewelry, their great prices and their super service."
Debra Evashevski, director of the St. Ignace Downtown Development Authority, concurs.
"The Gold Mine is a great jewelry store in downtown St. Ignace. Yvonne is a very talented artist who developed a Mackinac Bridge ring that is a pretty hot item. The store has been there for a while but they are consistently trying new things and mixing it up."
Yvonne is a gemologist trained at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California, and her Mackinac Bridge ring is, indeed, a hot item--often purchased as a special souvenir, a vacation memory, or an engagement or anniversary gift. Even bridge walkers favor the bridge ring.
"It also represents home to people who have relocated. We have sold about 400 pieces of that ring in less than three years," Tom says. The wildly popular item comes in white gold, yellow gold or sterling silver, and traditionally is topped off by a three-quarters karat blue spinel to represent the sparkling waves of Lake Michigan..
"But we do what the customer wants--we've made them with different colored diamonds and
other precious stones," he says.
"Yvonne has a bridal collection and also a ring designed to look like a carriage. Since it represents the charm of Mackinac Island, we sell a lot of them to people who were born on the Island or have other emotional ties."
Their success story is about to go on the road. After nearly 30 years in business, the couple has decided to open a second location in Mackinaw City. It will open within the next year, according to Tom and will feature, along with the jewelry they've become known for, but also other artwork his wife creates--oil paintings, prints, pottery and more.
"You're probably wondering what the heck I do around here," he jokes. "I'm the front of the house; sales, customer service, anything else that needs to be done."
The Gold Mine is located at 280 North State Street in St. Ignace and you can keep up to date on the new store opening online here.
Active Physical Therapy in Marquette County
Active Physical Therapy is, according to Mark Slown, Ishpeming's city manager, the recent winner of Greater Ishpeming Negaunee Chamber of Commerce's business of the year award.
Its general manager, Dave Aro, also received the highly acclaimed Lake Superior Community Partnership Distinguished Service Award in 2014.
Active Physical Therapy is a locally owned and operated physical therapy practice specializing in orthopedics, spine, post surgical and sports medicine. With locations in Marquette and Negaunee, the Ishpeming location opened about a year ago, Slown says.
"We're very proud of the awards, but equally proud of the positive impact that we have made on the community," says Aro, who has been active in the local Kiwanis Club, the Red Cross, the Downtown Development Authority, Home Health and Hospice and more. "We give back to our community by doing lots of volunteering. We provide services for school athletic groups--in fact, we've given over $25,000 worth of athletic training services to local schools--and help churches, youth hockey groups, groups who really need us."
"You don't do these things because of your job--it's about the way you were raised, and I hope we're making a difference to young people by example," he says. "I hope we're helping the next generation learn to give back, too."
These are just two of the many businesses which can be seen expanding in the Upper Peninsula recently. Over in Menominee, Anchor Coupling is adding onto its manufacturing facility, and in Iron Mountain, American Comfort Systems is opening a new location. In Escanaba, the news is all about Upper Hand Brewery, which is now open for business, and in downtown Marquette, there are a few new entrepreneurs getting off the ground.
Do you know of any businesses newly open or expanding in the Upper Peninsula? Leave a comment for us below and let us know.
Jeff Barr is a freelance writer who has lived in Michigan for more than 46 years. He can be reached by email at jeffbarr88@gmail.com or on Twitter, @jeffbarr88.
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