SBAM’s Innovative Efforts Make a Difference for Michigan Small Businesses

Hello fellow SBAM members! I’m Park Kersman, the Board of Directors Chair for our 2022-2023 fiscal year. I’m proud to continue my work with the SBAM Board, and to drive and develop exciting new initiatives over this coming year.

First, a little about my business. I am the third-generation owner of Lorin Industries in Muskegon. Lorin Industries specializes in aluminum anodizing, providing prefinished aluminum solutions to a wide range of markets around the world.

Some of our most recent projects and products include the Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs; Rimowa suitcases, which has satisfied the demand of aluminum suitcases in North America and Asia; and last, but not least, and close to home—we are currently working on the Muskegon Museum of Art addition and renovation.

As a business owner, I am passionate about the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners and the value they bring to their communities. There is no substitute for the passion and commitment small business owners have for their communities and to the State of Michigan.

This past year SBAM hit the 30,000 member mark—a huge achievement in our 53-year history of serving small businesses. As we look to this next year, we aim to continue the momentum and engage with even more small business owners across our state. Here are a few things I’m looking forward to:

2022 is an election year, and a big one at that. SBAM plays a critical role in ensuring that pro-small business candidates are supported and successful at the ballot. Through the Small Biz Political Action Committee, we endorse bipartisan candidates that are best suited to stand behind and work for Michigan’s small businesses.

Once these candidates are successfully elected to office, we work hard to ensure an entrepreneurship-led policy agenda is created to drive opportunity and success. And then the work begins again, as SBAM ‘builds the bench’ by recruiting and preparing small business leaders for positions of influence.

You can visit www.sbam.org for our current list of endorsed candidates ahead of the August primary. The November/
December issue of Focus will include the general election endorsements.

A key priority at SBAM is to find meaningful ways to engage with our members. And with 30,000, engagement comes in a variety of ways. An easy way to connect is by visiting our website, www.sbam.org, to keep up-to-date on the latest small business news. Of course, you can also follow us on the social media channel(s) of your preference. But, what I like most is meeting other small business owners in person. SBAM’s Owner-to-Owner networking events are the best way to get out and meet with other owners in your area. You can learn more at www.sbam.org/O2O and find future events in your region.

We are looking forward to launching a new insurance-based platform that will keep small business owners up to speed with compliance changes and offer you a great selection of insurance and HR-related products. These products are tools that help you attract and retain talented employees and give you more time to focus on running your business.

This new platform is designed to help you navigate the chaotic world of insurance and compliance with happy and successful results. Watch for details in the coming months.

I am excited about and appreciate all of SBAM’s accomplishments. I look forward to continuing the ongoing effort to support the success of small businesses in Michigan. I am proud to be a part of such a meaningful organization that seeks to find innovative ways to make a difference for all Michigan small businesses.

Park Kersman is the owner of Lorin Industries and Chair of SBAM’s Board of Directors.