Michigan Outdoor Industry Virtual Happy Hour and Small Business Showcase December 9, 2020 (hosted virtually)
MEDC and the Michigan Outdoor Recreation Industry Office are dedicated to supporting outdoor recreation companies of all sizes and have engaged more than 30 companies that are in the startup or innovation stage within the outdoor sector. Working with Pure Michigan Business Connect and the Michigan Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council, the Michigan Outdoor Industry Office hosted a “Michigan Outdoor Industry Virtual Happy Hour and Small Business Showcase” with the founders of:
Superior Wilderness Designs: Brandon McIntyre and Ashley Thick founded Superior Wilderness Designs in 2016 before heading out to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. They recently relocated operations from southeast Michigan to Wildwood Lake, near Wolverine, ensuring Brandon is able to get out to the Pigeon River Country State Forest most mornings.
JLF Adventures: Janice Falzon is a born and raised Michigander and industrial engineer who channeled her 20 years of experience in the automotive and energy industries into creating JLF Adventures in 2017, taking her love for the water and outdoor exploration to the development of tough, high-tech inflatable stand up paddle boards and kayak products that use multi-layer MSL fusion technology to reduce the weight and maintain durability.
Velocity USA: Jill Martindale of Grand Rapids is the co-champion of – and just one of just three racers to finish – the Iditarod Trail Invitational (ITI) 1000 that ended in Nome, Alaska, on March 23, 2020. Inducted into the Michigan Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2018 for her work in promoting the sport to women, Jill is a bicycle enthusiast who works at Velocity USA and rides for Salsa Cycles and 45NRTH. From this year’s race in Alaska to finishes of the Unbound Gravel (formerly known as the Dirty Kanza 200) to Coast To Coast and the Marji Gesick 100 mountain bike race, she’s proven that she can easily master gravel, MTB and fat bike racing. Jill handles sales and customer support at Velocity USA.
Complete Dominance Athletics: Milton Putnam is the founder of Complete Dominance Athletics and is on a mission to help brands within the health and fitness sector become more competitive. Milton is not just the owner of Complete Dominance, but a father, mentor, life and business coach, and the CEO and founder of Putman Speaks.
Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis: Jeff Thompson and his brother started building skis as a hobby in 2005. As co-owner of Shaggy’s, Jeff puts his Mechanical Engineering Degree from Michigan Technological University to work as the company’s ski designer and manufacturing problem solver. The company’s name is a nod to Jeff’s great-grand-uncle, who once carved skis years ago in the Keweenaw Peninsula region of Michigan’s UP.