2023 Manistee National Forest Festival

Mark your calendars for the Manistee National Forest Festival, held from Thursday, June 29th - Tuesday, July 4th.

Drawing thousands of tourists to the area along with many residents returning with ties to the community, this festival embodies the idea of “Community” that so many love about this area. Each year, the Forest Festival highlights events such as the Festival Marketplace, Food Court, Carnival, Fireworks over Lake Michigan, and much more! Follow us on Facebook.

Are you interested in registering your float or vehicle for the Independence Day Parade? The parade will be held on Tuesday, July 4th at 10:00 a.m. located on River Street. Rates will increase starting 10:00 a.m. on May 1st, be sure to register your float in advance for the discounted price.

We encourage you to read and get to know a bit about your fellow Chamber Investors!

Fresh Start Tax Solutions - Started in 1991, we are a boutique CPA and law firm specializing in resolving IRS and State tax problems for businesses and individuals. Our staff includes attorneys, CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and we just opened an office in Manistee. If you or your company has a tax problem, call us. We have been helping taxpayers like you for over 30 years! 

Promaster Cleaning & Restoration - Pro-Master Cleaning & Restoration is a family-owned business, servicing Mason, Manistee, and Oceana (surrounding areas) counties for 18+ years. Our services include air duct & dryer vent cleaning, carpet & area rug cleaning, tile & grout cleaning, as well as fire & flood restoration for residential homes and commercial. We offer 24-hour emergency service and take great pride in meeting and even exceeding our client's expectations. Find us on Facebook or promastercarpetcleaning.com.

LifeCoach Counseling Services, PLLC - Frank E. Tabaczka, M.A., LPC, is a licensed professional counselor born and raised on the shores of Lake Michigan. He holds a Master's degree in professional counseling from Central Michigan University, and a B.A. in political science/pre-law from Michigan State University. After 25 years of experience in private practice, 30 years as college faculty, and 10 years as a college administrator/advisor, Frank continues to speak and lecture on individual & organizational growth right here in West Michigan.

Broadbent Photography - A professional photography service provider specializing in wedding, event, and portrait photography for any occasion. We bring studio lighting to any location on demand. We've been in business for nearly 9 years primarily serving the local manistee area, but capable of traveling anywhere in or out of state if desired. Whether you're getting married, want family photos, need headshots, or would like to update staff photos, Broadbent Photography has what you need!

Amazon Delivery Partner Program - We’re looking for a few great neighborhood businesses like yours to become package delivery partners for their communities. It’s a rewarding responsibility that adds a source of income without taking the focus off your business. Give your neighbors the joy of faster deliveries, plus the chance to see more of your customers every day. Becoming an Amazon Delivery Partner gives you the opportunity to earn more revenue and help your community get packages up to three days faster. We’ll deliver packages to your business every day and you and your staff will deliver those packages to customers’ homes.

Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance - 2022 Annual Report

The Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance released its 2022 Annual Report to its member organizations, summarizing the coalition’s accomplishments. The Alliance represents 16 chambers and economic development organizations, including your Chamber, and over 7,000 member businesses from across northern Michigan.

Our Chamber team has been working hard to keep the positive momentum going for all of Manistee County and building on past successes.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Manistee Waterfront is on schedule for a summer opening.  Visitors from this project are estimated to support area businesses with $16 million of annual visitor spending.
• New restaurants are opening this summer, including Lakeside Social, Outsider, Golden Stag, Hampton Inn, and four others.
• We are working on important housing projects and prospects, but more pre-development work needs to be done to get shovels in the ground.  Members have been supportive of our work here, so stay tuned for more ways to assist the Chamber’s priority for housing.  
• We are working on small but impactful projects in Arcadia and Onekama.  We hope to share more in the coming months. 

Thank you for your support.  We are making positive, incremental change happen in the area! For more information, please contact Marc Miller.

This February, our Leadership Class had a real eye-opener, and got to learn about our Government and Justice System in Manistee County.

The 2022/2023 Leadership Class spent the morning at the Manistee County Government Center learning about the City of Manistee and Manistee County government from our current leaders - County Commissioner Jeff Dontz, City Manager Bill Gambill, County Administrator Lisa Sagala, and City Clerk Heather Pefley. Followed by a tour of the Lakeshore Children's Advocacy Center and Manistee County Sheriff's Office.

The class ended the day at the Oaks Correctional Facility learning about their Leader Dog Program for the Blind.

Thank you to the Manistee County Sheriff's Office for sponsoring the lunch provided by Big Al's Pizza and Subs. Thank you to our power hour sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Thank you to our presenting sponsors: Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital, Filer Credit Union, and West Shore Community College.

Pro-Master Cleaning & Restoration - We are excited to be a part of the Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce, we are running a special to celebrate! Schedule an air duct cleaning and receive a complementary dryer vent cleaning. Need carpet cleaning? Schedule to have your carpet cleaned and we will add scotch guard to it as well. Just mention this newsletter!

Manistee News Advocate - For the first time in at least 20 years, the Manistee News Advocate has been named Class D Newspaper of the Year in the 2022 Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.

The News Advocate competes in class D for daily newspapers with a circulation of less than 5,000. Nearly 3,000 entries were submitted by 89 Michigan newspapers or individual members of the Michigan Press Association. The News Advocate also won 24 individual awards, including six first-place honors. Read more about their accomplishments this past year.

Manistee County Community Foundation - Fill out the Grant Inquiry Form and apply using this checklist before May 1st. The Community Foundation Grant Program will consider support for a wide variety of charitable purposes. Our interest areas encompass all aspects of life including youth and education, arts and culture, the environment, health and human services, recreation, community development, and more. For more information, visit their website.

To have your business update featured in the Chamber of Commerce Newsletter, please email cassidy@manisteechamber.com with the subject line "Member/Investor Updates."

These businesses have gone above and beyond to invest in the Chamber,

ultimately benefiting our community. Thank you!