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Eaton Rapids

Eaton Rapids

Featured Story

Ross & Associates serving Eaton Rapids area since 1995

Lisa Lee
Contributing Writer

(Photo by Lisa Lee: Ross & Associates can help you with more than just finding or selling a home.)

Ross & Associates Realtor, L.L.C. is more than a real estate agency. They also provide property management services, new construction and whole home remodeling. Duane and Brian Ross, father and son, started the business as a real estate broker in 1995. Brian soon expanded the business by obtaining a builder’s license
Joining Ross & Associates in real estate is Broker, Dale McNabb and Real Estate Associates, Brooke Stevenson, Barbara Rogers, Dale Ernst and Kelly Miller. In addition to being a Real Estate Associate, Kelly Miller is also the office manager and coordinates the rental property management.
Ross & Associates Professional Property Management Services has over 70 area rental units for which they provide services. About half of the units are owned by Ross & Associates, the rest are privately owned residential and commercial properties that are managed by them. As property managers, they collect rents, vet perspective tenants, show units, and maintain the property for the owners.
Brian Ross steers the construction and remodeling side of the business. Available construction services offered include new home building, additions, pole barn installations, new and replacement roofs, kitchen and bath remodeling, new siding and decks. Brian advises that the construction and remodeling business is really brisk at the moment and they are looking to hire qualified, experienced carpenters.
The office is located at 147 S. Main Street in Eaton Rapids, phone (517) 663-4500, or visit their web page at www.rossassociates.net.
Ross & Associates strives to create a lifetime of referral and repeat business from their clients and community involvement is very important to them. They are members of the Eaton Rapids Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary, and LDFA (Local Development Finance Authority). They also enjoy donating to Hearth and Hands along with the hospital and Christmas food drives. Brian has been reelected several times to serve on the Eaton Rapids Public School board. He also serves as the Chairman for the Eaton County Planning Commission. The Commission decides how to balance land use between the needs of the public and the needs of individual land owners. Together the Ross family and their associates are working with the community to provide services that strengthen the community.

Mason

Mason

Featured Story

Rives Quality Meats approaching 50 years of service

Christine Terpening
Contributing Writer

(Photo by Christine Terpening – Tom Hosler, his daughter Shelly Smith and his son-in-law Rob Smith)

 

These days quality and a bargain don’t always go hand in hand, but that’s not the case at Rives Quality Meats in Rives Junction. The establishment is bustling with customers on a daily basis, but approaching a holiday, such as Easter, they are really hopping. 

Owner Tom Hosler has a long history of being a butcher. He has been cutting meat since he was sixteen years old. He began working for a business that rented the basement of a downtown grocery store and he learned the trade. The owner of that business moved to Jackson and left Tom without a job, but also left him with a lifelong skill. With used equipment, and humble beginnings, Hosler was in business for himself at 26 years old. This October he will celebrate 50 years in business.

“They come from all over,” said the owner. He offers a large variety of meat cut right in the market. A big draw is his bulk meat. Hosler has a walk-in cooler where people can get bulk amounts of beef, pork and chicken. Though you can buy retail cuts piece by piece, the bargain is in bulk. Hosler and his team will even cut the bulk amount to better serve patrons. Rives Quality Meats sells a whopping 300-500 pounds of ground hamburger daily.  

This family business sells a large variety of fresh meats such as New York Strip steaks and Ribeye, breakfast sausage, chicken leg quarters, and boneless chicken breasts. Hosler’s crew also makes their own snack sausage and jerky. The list of products is enough to make a person hungry, but Hosler has a fix for that. “We’ve become a destination,” he exclaimed with a chuckle. They come from near and far for the freshest meat. Hosler said that he had a couple come all the way from Vermontville. “They spent a lot of money,” he quipped. 

Special orders are available. It’s worth a call to see what is available. Hosler said he had three cases of leg of lamb ordered for Easter. “We’ve been really busy every day and this is a holiday weekend, and it keeps us even busier. With Mother’s Day around the corner, Hosler says they won’t slow down all through summer. 

Most everyone that works for Hosler is family. The market has been a source of family pride for many decades. Hosler works alongside his wife and daughter, his son-in-law who is also a meat cutter, a sister-in-law and a nephew. But, he really beams when he talks about his great-granddaughters, ages 12 and 14, showing interest in the family business. “They both put in a few hours each week to help. That’s the next generation,” he said with obvious pride. 

Rives Quality Meats is located on the corner of Rives Eaton Road and Main Street in Rives Junction. It’s worth the trip to visit this welcoming business. You can contact them at (517)569-3915 to see how they can “meat” your appetite’s needs.

DIMONDALE

Dimondale

Featured Story

Rives Quality Meats approaching 50 years of service

Christine Terpening
Contributing Writer

(Photo by Christine Terpening – Tom Hosler, his daughter Shelly Smith and his son-in-law Rob Smith)

 

These days quality and a bargain don’t always go hand in hand, but that’s not the case at Rives Quality Meats in Rives Junction. The establishment is bustling with customers on a daily basis, but approaching a holiday, such as Easter, they are really hopping. 

Owner Tom Hosler has a long history of being a butcher. He has been cutting meat since he was sixteen years old. He began working for a business that rented the basement of a downtown grocery store and he learned the trade. The owner of that business moved to Jackson and left Tom without a job, but also left him with a lifelong skill. With used equipment, and humble beginnings, Hosler was in business for himself at 26 years old. This October he will celebrate 50 years in business.

“They come from all over,” said the owner. He offers a large variety of meat cut right in the market. A big draw is his bulk meat. Hosler has a walk-in cooler where people can get bulk amounts of beef, pork and chicken. Though you can buy retail cuts piece by piece, the bargain is in bulk. Hosler and his team will even cut the bulk amount to better serve patrons. Rives Quality Meats sells a whopping 300-500 pounds of ground hamburger daily.  

This family business sells a large variety of fresh meats such as New York Strip steaks and Ribeye, breakfast sausage, chicken leg quarters, and boneless chicken breasts. Hosler’s crew also makes their own snack sausage and jerky. The list of products is enough to make a person hungry, but Hosler has a fix for that. “We’ve become a destination,” he exclaimed with a chuckle. They come from near and far for the freshest meat. Hosler said that he had a couple come all the way from Vermontville. “They spent a lot of money,” he quipped. 

Special orders are available. It’s worth a call to see what is available. Hosler said he had three cases of leg of lamb ordered for Easter. “We’ve been really busy every day and this is a holiday weekend, and it keeps us even busier. With Mother’s Day around the corner, Hosler says they won’t slow down all through summer. 

Most everyone that works for Hosler is family. The market has been a source of family pride for many decades. Hosler works alongside his wife and daughter, his son-in-law who is also a meat cutter, a sister-in-law and a nephew. But, he really beams when he talks about his great-granddaughters, ages 12 and 14, showing interest in the family business. “They both put in a few hours each week to help. That’s the next generation,” he said with obvious pride. 

Rives Quality Meats is located on the corner of Rives Eaton Road and Main Street in Rives Junction. It’s worth the trip to visit this welcoming business. You can contact them at (517)569-3915 to see how they can “meat” your appetite’s needs.

Eaton County

Eaton County

Featured Story

114-year-old lumber company keeps thriving

Submitted by Ryan Upton from Johnson’s Lumber

(Photo by Pennie Lake/TCJ)

 

L.L Johnson Lumber in Charlotte, Michigan, has been a staple in the community for over a century, providing high-quality wood products to customers throughout the state. Founded in 1909 by Lauren Lewis Johnson, the company has remained family-owned and operated for four generations. Sherry Johnson-Guzy, Marketing Director, said of her great grandfather, “He was just known for being very honest and really taking care of his employees and customers.”
Over the years, L.L. Johnson Lumber has become known for its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The company sources its wood from responsibly managed forests and uses cutting-edge technology to reduce waste and minimize its environmental impact. This allows the company to offer high-quality products. “Customers can trust when they’re making a fine piece of furniture, the lumber they’ve gotten from us is high quality.”
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, L.L. Johnson Lumber has continued to thrive, adapting to new safety protocols and meeting the increased demand for home improvement projects. The company has also continued to invest in its operations, recently upgrading its equipment and expanding its product line to better serve its customers.
Guzy also said, “Our company was considered necessary. So, we did not shut down. We found that a lot of people, if they lost their jobs, they would come in and buy woodworking equipment and start their own woodshop businesses. We stayed open during COVID and did fine.”
As L.L. Johnson Lumber approaches its 115th anniversary the company remains focused on its core values of quality, sustainability, and customer service. With a strong reputation and a bright future ahead, it is clear that this Michigan institution will continue to be a force in the lumber industry for years to come.

Onondaga

Onondaga

Featured Story

Rives Quality Meats approaching 50 years of service

Christine Terpening
Contributing Writer

(Photo by Christine Terpening – Tom Hosler, his daughter Shelly Smith and his son-in-law Rob Smith)

 

These days quality and a bargain don’t always go hand in hand, but that’s not the case at Rives Quality Meats in Rives Junction. The establishment is bustling with customers on a daily basis, but approaching a holiday, such as Easter, they are really hopping. 

Owner Tom Hosler has a long history of being a butcher. He has been cutting meat since he was sixteen years old. He began working for a business that rented the basement of a downtown grocery store and he learned the trade. The owner of that business moved to Jackson and left Tom without a job, but also left him with a lifelong skill. With used equipment, and humble beginnings, Hosler was in business for himself at 26 years old. This October he will celebrate 50 years in business.

“They come from all over,” said the owner. He offers a large variety of meat cut right in the market. A big draw is his bulk meat. Hosler has a walk-in cooler where people can get bulk amounts of beef, pork and chicken. Though you can buy retail cuts piece by piece, the bargain is in bulk. Hosler and his team will even cut the bulk amount to better serve patrons. Rives Quality Meats sells a whopping 300-500 pounds of ground hamburger daily.  

This family business sells a large variety of fresh meats such as New York Strip steaks and Ribeye, breakfast sausage, chicken leg quarters, and boneless chicken breasts. Hosler’s crew also makes their own snack sausage and jerky. The list of products is enough to make a person hungry, but Hosler has a fix for that. “We’ve become a destination,” he exclaimed with a chuckle. They come from near and far for the freshest meat. Hosler said that he had a couple come all the way from Vermontville. “They spent a lot of money,” he quipped. 

Special orders are available. It’s worth a call to see what is available. Hosler said he had three cases of leg of lamb ordered for Easter. “We’ve been really busy every day and this is a holiday weekend, and it keeps us even busier. With Mother’s Day around the corner, Hosler says they won’t slow down all through summer. 

Most everyone that works for Hosler is family. The market has been a source of family pride for many decades. Hosler works alongside his wife and daughter, his son-in-law who is also a meat cutter, a sister-in-law and a nephew. But, he really beams when he talks about his great-granddaughters, ages 12 and 14, showing interest in the family business. “They both put in a few hours each week to help. That’s the next generation,” he said with obvious pride. 

Rives Quality Meats is located on the corner of Rives Eaton Road and Main Street in Rives Junction. It’s worth the trip to visit this welcoming business. You can contact them at (517)569-3915 to see how they can “meat” your appetite’s needs.

Charlotte

Charlotte

Featured Story

114-year-old lumber company keeps thriving

Submitted by Ryan Upton from Johnson’s Lumber

(Photo by Pennie Lake/TCJ)

 

L.L Johnson Lumber in Charlotte, Michigan, has been a staple in the community for over a century, providing high-quality wood products to customers throughout the state. Founded in 1909 by Lauren Lewis Johnson, the company has remained family-owned and operated for four generations. Sherry Johnson-Guzy, Marketing Director, said of her great grandfather, “He was just known for being very honest and really taking care of his employees and customers.”
Over the years, L.L. Johnson Lumber has become known for its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The company sources its wood from responsibly managed forests and uses cutting-edge technology to reduce waste and minimize its environmental impact. This allows the company to offer high-quality products. “Customers can trust when they’re making a fine piece of furniture, the lumber they’ve gotten from us is high quality.”
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, L.L. Johnson Lumber has continued to thrive, adapting to new safety protocols and meeting the increased demand for home improvement projects. The company has also continued to invest in its operations, recently upgrading its equipment and expanding its product line to better serve its customers.
Guzy also said, “Our company was considered necessary. So, we did not shut down. We found that a lot of people, if they lost their jobs, they would come in and buy woodworking equipment and start their own woodshop businesses. We stayed open during COVID and did fine.”
As L.L. Johnson Lumber approaches its 115th anniversary the company remains focused on its core values of quality, sustainability, and customer service. With a strong reputation and a bright future ahead, it is clear that this Michigan institution will continue to be a force in the lumber industry for years to come.

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