My first sit down interview of Project Michigan was with Bob Sutherland, the founder and president of Cherry Republic, a Northern Michigan exclusive that sells a myriad of products incorporating one of Michigan's biggest exports: the cherry. (Fun fact: Michigan is the country's leading producer of the tart cherry, exporting up to 75 percent of America's crop annually.)
This is a caricature of president and founder Bob Sutherland. The car you see represents
Cherry Republic's humble beginnings as a business out of the car. / Samantha Franz
I was scheduled for an 11 a.m. interview with Bob at the company's flagship location in Glen Arbor, a three building campus of sorts complete with eating areas, a garden and a cherry spitting pit. (There are two embassy locations in Traverse City and Charlesvoix.) In my eagerness, I got to Cherry Republic 45 minutes early, giving me plenty of time to get a lay of the land. One of my favorite things about the place is the attention to detail. Everything from the way gift boxes are wrapped (complete with a pine cone and greens) to the treasure hunt of signs posted everywhere, there was plenty to look at while I waited.
While I waited, I also met with a very sweet woman named Melissa, a manager at the Stomphouse, a winery of sorts on the grounds of Cherry Republic, where guests can sample cherry wines and soda pops. An employee for nine years, Melissa has seen countless visitors take a little of Northern Michigan home with them. "It's so great to see people come in here and bring back something to their family and friends that you can't really get anywhere else," she told me with a sense of pride. We also talked about how the Cherry Republic now does their bottling of products in-state and even washes them out to be resued, which is not only better for the environment, but as Melissa put it, "It allows for a few more jobs for the people Michigan and every little bit helps." I can also tell Melissa has heard her fair share of pitches for new cherry products from customers. As I left for my interview, I could hear one such patron suggesting the idea of cherry beer.
I think it says a lot about a business owner when they opt to not run operations from afar, but rather, right in the thick of it. I instantly got that impression from Mr. Sutherland when I realized that conducting an interview at his home would require a jaunt no further than walking across the street. I wanted to learn a little more about the Cherry Republic: where the idea came from, the sense of pride that comes with selling a Michigan product, the climate of having a small business in Michigan and what the state means to him. He was a gracious host to me and a very kind man who, above all, loves his home state.
I am still working out the kinks of video editing (apparently, my computer is a tish too old to handle hi-def video and I need to find a program that won't break a graduate student's budget), but in the meantime, check out some highlights of the conversation:
On how long he has lived in the State of Michigan
"I have spent my life in Michigan for 49 years. I tried to live in Washington D.C. and Chicago, but I had to come back. Michigan is my home and I knew it is where I needed to be if I wanted to start anything."
On some of his favorite things about Michigan
"I think I am most drawn to the water and that nice blend of lushness that Michigan has. I can't see myself in the desert or the mountains. I love having that moisture in the air...this is my kind of climate."
On how the idea for Cherry Republic came about and the early days
"I've been selling to tourists since I was seven years old. Petoskey stones, T-shirts...everything you see with Cherry Republic is an evolution of what people like to buy and what I think is what Northern Michigan is all about. What I find is that a lot of people who come to Northern Michigan want to take some of it back home with them. What you see [at Cherry Republic] is what I feel captures the essence of Michigan and what people want to bring home with them."
On selling a Michigan-made product
"I think the cherry is the perfect fruit to showcase Michigan, because the tart cherry is truly a fruit that can only be grown in a few places, specifically here. It truly is an American product and we try to buy as Michigan as we can and that takes time. For a while, we did our bottling in Wisconsin, and it took a long time for us to bring it home. But now, we have a local guy bottling our soda pop and on top of that, we have a local company washing our bottles, so we can reuse them instead of sending money to an outside glass company."
On giving hope to those looking to start a business in Michigan
"I'm in an insulated environment here. Glen Arbor is a wealthier community that isn't as affected by the recession but because of that, I feel like we're going to be able to continue to grow and continue to create jobs for the state of Michigan. We are trying to keep more of our production in house, expand our Traverse City location and set up shop in a few other places to keep Michigan growing. We really need those positive stories in Michigan so people will look at our state and think, "Hey, maybe things aren't as bad as I thought!" If they can see a small business like ours grow, maybe it can give them hope."
On what Michigan means to him
"Michigan is home, the only one I have ever known. Nowhere else makes me feels as connected and in my own space like Michigan does."
Once I have the video edited, I promise I'll post on the Project Michigan website. A huge thanks to Bob and Melissa for their kindness and hospitality! :)
My favorite Cherry Republic sign I just had to throw in. / Samantha Franz
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