Since 2004, Michigan Celebrates Small Business (MCSB) has put a spotlight on small businesses across Michigan, aiming to make Michigan the “State of Entrepreneurship.” The organization not only brings much-deserved attention to small businesses but also creates a sense of connection throughout the state’s small business community. The organization’s roots lay in collaboration, beginning when the Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM), the Small Business Advocate, and the Edward Lowe Foundation merged their individual small business awards into one statewide program.
As part of its efforts, MCSB releases an annual 50 Companies to Watch list that recognizes high-potential second-stage businesses. This year’s winners include companies from Benton Harbor to Marquette that operate across a wide variety of industries, including ironworks, wineries, and cybersecurity.
The breadth of Michigan’s small business ecosystem, the foundation of our economy, is truly impressive. Ninety-nine percent of Michigan businesses have fewer than 500 employees. 50 Companies to Watch focuses on businesses with fewer than 100 employees, which are major drivers of economic growth.
Southwest Michigan MCSB Award Winners
As a founding partner of MCSB, the MEDC is committed to helping Michigan and our small businesses grow. Several of the businesses named a Company to Watch received MEDC support, including a pair in Southwest Michigan.
Comstock Park’s Great Lakes Label, a veteran-owned company that produces custom labels and label applicators, received a grant from Michigan’s State Trade Expansion Program (MI-STEP), which helps Michigan small businesses export their products. Since 2011, Michigan companies have leveraged MI-STEP funding to generate over $6 billion in new export sales. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, businesses that export pay 18% higher wages than non-exporting businesses and are less vulnerable to economic downturns, thanks to a more diverse customer base.
A business can only win a Company to Watch award once, but is then eligible for a Distinguished Alumni Award. Grand Rapids’ Symplicity Communications earned the Strategically Focused Award, which recognizes a business previously named a Company to Watch that has shown growth in sales and employees.
“I’ve talked to some companies who say they’re not going to apply for the MCSB,” said Catherine Ripley, Symplicity president and CEO. “I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It’s such a great feather in your cap to know your business met the criteria alongside other amazing businesses. It’s such a pivotal moment. And here we are, eight years into winning the 50 Companies award, and it’s still affecting my business and giving us a huge sense of pride.”
Symplicity Communications helps companies choose technology to do better business, guiding them through complexities and creating more efficient, holistic systems. The company’s MEDC support came in the form of a partnership with the Michigan Alliance of APEX Accelerators, a statewide network that helps businesses secure federal, state, and local contracts.
“The APEX Accelerator, they were our coach,” Ripley explained. “They said, ‘Let me show you what NAICS codes are, here’s what you have on your state capabilities statement.’ They were there to guide us. That was pretty valuable.”
In 2024, the APEX Accelerator supported 3,420 businesses, helping to create 24,180 jobs and assist with securing $2.23 billion in prime and subcontract awards, simultaneously finding Michigan companies new business and strengthening our defense industry.
“What a lot of companies don’t understand is the impact of working with organizations like the MEDC,” said Ripley. “You have to be connected and plugged in to run a business, and there’s no better way to do that than with organizations like the MEDC and Edward Lowe. We have a gem of programs in Michigan, and I’m probably not even scratching the surface.”
MEDC Support for Companies to Watch Across the State
Beyond Southwest Michigan, MEDC-supported businesses made waves up and down the Companies to Watch list. Ann Arbor-based Backyard Brains makes neuroscience more accessible with experiments that teachers, students, and amateur scientists can take home. Backyard Brains leveraged the MI-STEP grant, helping to attract a wider audience and further their mission of bringing the wonders of neuroscience to more people.
Meanwhile, Block House in Alma blends two industries not typically associated with one another, restaurant and esports, into a one-of-a-kind experience in a renovated opera house. While Block House occupies the space today, the vacant Wright Opera Block was severely damaged by a fire in 2010. In 2014, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved funding, as part of the Michigan Community Revitalization Program, to renovate the historic Wright Opera House, which had been a cornerstone of downtown Alma since 1880.
Madison Heights’ Mettle Ops, a woman- and veteran-owned defense solutions company, received the Mobility Prototyping Grant. The company leveraged the grant to develop an automated stator-winding system, which helps power unmanned aerial system motors.
And would it really be a Michigan small business list without a brewery? Irish Kilt Brewing Company in Roscommon has become an attraction for the rising vacation destination. Roscommon is a part of the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) program, which assists communities in becoming more attractive to businesses and new residents through planning, zoning, and economic development best practices. Jim Perialas, owner of Irish Kilt and Roscommon’s economic developer, has been a driver of the RRC in Roscommon.
“Roscommon County is known for its three big vacation lakes, all with a very distinct identity,” Perialas told the MEDC. “My vision was to see Roscommon become more like Torch Lake’s Bellaire, a support community that has a brewery, restaurants, and walkable shops. When we moved to the area in the early 90s, the storefronts were empty downtown, but now we’re seeing kids on bikes riding through town, kids in the neighborhood, going to the parks. ”
Michigan communities like Roscommon are thriving all over the state thanks to small businesses. In 2025, the MEDC helped small businesses over 24,000 times, from providing owners with access to capital and international trade support to matchmaking opportunities. The MEDC also helped over 2,000 new businesses get started through direct or contracted partner support, helping a new generation of businesses that might just be future MCSB Companies to Watch.
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