Civil and Municipal - Jan 2024

“We have a very unique and robust small business collection.We have everything from coffee shops to a variety of ethnic restaurants, from Mediterranean to Mexican, and Italian. Boulevard Market has wonderful cheeses and wines from all over the world.We have this incredible melting pot of Americana and some European-influenced downtown stores that we are very proud of.” Preservation of the historic buildings in the heart of the city is also a focus, keeping the existing character while updating them to allow for future growth opportunities. Martin’s Home Center, an enduring presence in downtown Tecumseh, symbolizes the city’s strong sense of community spirit. During a significant snowstorm 13 years ago, the store’s roof collapsed. Despite the option to relocate to the outskirts at potentially lower costs, owner Donald Jr.Martin chose to remain downtown, investing in a multimillion- dollar building that revitalized the area. Baker expresses his gratitude for their continued impact, recounting, “Martin’s Home Center has been in business with the city of Tecumseh for over 70 years. It’s an Ace Hardware store, but it’s more than that. You don’t stay in business for 70 years in a community unless you do things the right way. They are our anchor downtown.” INFRASTRUCTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE Tecumseh’s dedication to infrastructure is evident in its aggressive capital improvements program, which Swallow says is taken seriously by both city council and city staff. He mentions the road funding challenges faced by the state, sharing that Tecumseh reached out to voters to approve a local millage for improving roads within the community. Noting that the approval was secured, he boasts, “I think most residents will say we have some of the best road conditions in our area and our region.” The city has also invested in water and wastewater facilities, ensuring that these systems are functioning well, and maximizing energy efficiency. Harris acknowledges, “We can offer water and sewer rates that are lower than a lot of our surrounding communities because we’ve made those investments We went from having a company that employed 5,000 men and women, and now that company is gone. And I can tell you that this community has not skipped a beat since then. We have gone and dealt with losing those employees, and this community is more magnificent, and more vibrant than it ever has been.” Swallow underscores Tecumseh’s commitment to economic development, sharing the city’s recent success in attracting Dorin USA, a compressor manufacturing company. “They have a new building and are a distribution center at our Business and Technology Park,” he conveys, adding that the city has also seen interest related to the battery industry, as suppliers look at the conversion from internal combustion to battery-powered vehicles. “There is a lot of interest in producing batteries, and also the parts,” he maintains. “One of the business advantages we have is that we have lower cost lands for development, as well as access to an employment market from all of those metropolitan areas that are a commutable distance.” Kelly Jo Gilmore, Economic Development Director says that the city also has a technology campus and is focused on working with state and regional economic entities to get new businesses to that site. Tecumseh remains deeply rooted in the automotive industry and is home to notable businesses like German company, Kirchoff Automotive. Additionally, technology-focused entities such as Glov Enterprises, which specializes in plastic extrusions, and Erwin Industries, manufacturers of metal materials, show the diverse economic development in the city. “We have some unique technology-based businesses here in Tecumseh. For a small community, to support that is, I think, impressive,” Swallow asserts. A VIBRANT SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY With 300 businesses throughout the community, support for small enterprises is a priority.“Tecumseh does a wonderful job of focusing not only on the vibrancy of our downtown, the small businesses, but also looking at where we can grow responsibly. I think one thing that we have focused on in the past is our downtown corridor,” says Gillmore. 156 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 01