Those whose commute winds past Comstock Park and up the hill to the downtown Adrian district may have noticed incremental changes to the exterior of the stone building that locals refer to as “The Armory.” A little paint, a new sign, some lovely flowers, and new landscaping are charming deceptions compared to the significant entrepreneurial developments happening inside.
Mark and Mary Murray, long-time entrepreneurs in the Adrian area, renovated and opened the facility as the Adrian Armory Events Center after it previously served as the home of the 156th Signal Company of the Michigan Army National Guard. Though they rent out office space and hold events of all sizes within the walls, they are using the facility as an opportunity to complete a bigger mission: finding and supporting big ideas that can turn into new businesses.
“We know there are a lot of people out there in our community with great ideas and that’s why we started the entrepreneurial program Launch Lenawee,” said Mary Murray. “There is no reason that the next big idea that changes the world cannot come from Lenawee County.”
The Next Big Idea in Food
Though the Murray’s have been running the Launch Lenawee entrepreneurial program for nearly a year, they realized a need for this type of facility to support budding food industry entrepreneurs.
“Right now, many people who start out making food products are operating under the Michigan Cottage Food laws and those are quite limiting,” said Mary Murray. “This space will provide entrepreneurs with an opportunity to not only access a commercial kitchen but also the chance to turn their idea into a viable business.”
Michigan’s cottage food laws allow residents to sell their homemade creations in farmers markets and at community events. However, it prevents small food producers from making certain types of food, restricts the amount of money that a producer can earn in a year, and limits the places that the products can be sold.
“Bringing a commercial kitchen incubator to Lenawee County opens up avenues to people that only have a small idea right now, but have the drive it takes to get to the next level,” said Jay Marks, the owner of Marks Trading Company, in a promotional video for the kitchen incubator fundraisers. “It could lead to an explosion of small businesses in Lenawee County.”
From Commissary to Incubator
Down the stairs of the Armory and through a large open room, four walls have been transformed from an area that used to serve soldiers their daily meals into an opportunity for entrepreneurs. The Murray’s knew that the possibility of developing a shared-use kitchen, which is a commercial space that is licensed and certified for safe food production, would require the support of many throughout the community.
“When Mark and Mary approached us with this idea, we weren’t sure that Lenawee County had a need for this type of facility,” said Tim Robinson, Director of Operations for Lenawee Now. “We asked our Business Acceleration Team to research this idea and they discovered there truly is a need for a kitchen incubator in our area. This will be another great asset in our growing list of entrepreneurial programs in Lenawee.”
Kitchen incubators allow qualified users to rent the use of the kitchen to produce their products, saving them a considerable amount of money compared to building their own commercial kitchen.
Kitchen incubators support the growing popularity of artisanal food production and the local craft economy. Stricter regulations have also made it appealing to share commercial kitchen space due to the rising cost of commercial-grade equipment and construction costs. Most users of kitchen incubators around the United States produce ready to eat foods, baked goods, and products for food trucks that they sell at farmers markets, small grocers, community events, online, and through catering.
In a recent State of the Kitchen Incubator Industry in the US report, nearly 70% of respondents noted that they think the industry will be growing over the next five years. They also identified access to kitchen space and equipment as the greatest need for growing their own business into something larger.
“One thing that will make our kitchen a little different than others is that we are linking it with our Launch Lenawee program,” said Mary Murray. “If someone wants to use the kitchen, we’re going to talk seriously about what their business plan is, what their product is and how well is it developed, and how serious are they. We’ll look for opportunities to connect them with the additional resources and the network they need to build their business.”
Success through Collaboration
Opening the kitchen is the result of valuable partnerships throughout the community. With the support of the City of Adrian and Lenawee Now, the Murray’s were able to access federal and state funding for the project.
“The Patronicity crowdfunding campaign matched $50,000 if we could raise $50,000,” said Mark. “Through the generous support of local organizations and donors, we were able to exceed the needed amount.” The one-to-one matching grant is administered through the Michigan Economic Development Corporations Public Spaces Community Places program.
In addition, Lenawee Now was able to acquire a $45,000 grant through a USDA Rural Business Opportunity Grant that would help purchase ovens and kitchenware and cover installation of the equipment.
“The community really came together to support this project,” said Jim Van Doren, Executive Director for Lenawee Now. “We love projects that put Lenawee County in the spotlight as a unique community in our region.”
The community will have another opportunity to support Launch Lenawee and its new kitchen incubator program with the non-profit’s inaugural fundraising event, Taste of Lenawee. The event will be held on February 21, 2020 and will feature over a dozen Lenawee County vendors who will prepare culinary treats for the attendees.
“This event will highlight local food producers and restaurants and serve as a celebration of the success of the Launch Lenawee program and the opening of this great new kitchen makerspace,” said Mary Murray.
Learn more about the event and purchase tickets at Eventbrite.
