MSU Product Center Provides Services at the New Grand Rapids Downtown Market

Diane L. Smith, Michigan State University Extension -

Access to the expertise of the MSU Product Center is now provided to businesses that are part of the new Grand Rapids Downtown Market.

The Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center opened a new satellite location at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market in September 2013 when the market opened. The new partnership with the market had been exciting, to say the least, and has allowed us to share our expertise in food business development.

The MSU Product Center already has a formal connection with four of the businesses in the market, including Sweetie-Licious Bake Shoppe that is located immediately inside the market doors. The company owner, Linda Hundt, grew her business from a small pie shop to the store you now see within the market.

The market developers had the foresight to build a kitchen incubator on the second floor of the market. The incubator serves market vendors and entrepreneurs who are working to build a strong food business in the downtown. The staff of the kitchen incubator have welcomed the MSU Product Center to the market and included our assistance as a wrap around service for businesses that use the incubator and market.

In addition to providing direct business counseling services at the market, the MSU Product Center, in partnership with Michigan State University Extension, will offer educational seminars at the market. The first session, “Starting a Successful Cottage Food Business in Michigan”, will be held on Nov. 7 from 1 - 3 p.m.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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