By J.D. Booth
Oct. 25, 2012
Few people today would argue the fact that it’s the entrepreneurs of this world who are truly responsible for most of the jobs created.
Indeed, whether the companies make it to the list of the biggest companies or not, they—and the entrepreneurs who created those ventures in the first place—are the heart and soul of the engine that drives our economy.
Certainly, as is the case with so many, there are those that stand out from the crowd, those “Entrepreneurs of Distinction” that Corp! magazine continues to feature.
Among them are those like Roger Betten Jr., who remembers to this day a conversation he had with his Dad before the pair founded MFP, one of the largest distributors of motion control and fluid power systems in the country. “If we wanted to be a nice family business, we needed to go on our own.”
Or John Bornoty, who runs The Big Salad, a fast casual restaurant in Grosse Pointe that’s poised to enter the world of franchising. “When I was young, I took risks and would shoot from the hip. Sometimes it worked but more times not. The lesson learned over the years is to take calculated risks.”
And Joseph Cipriano Jr., whose restoration company, Fraser-based ConstrucTeam Inc., is operated on the principle of constant change. “The only guarantee in life is that things will change. You simply cannot rely on yesterday's standards and expect to be the winner today."
Come along on our journey as we explore this year’s crop of Michigan Entrepreneurs of Distinction. We think you’ll agree with us that their stories are both instructional and inspiring.
Click a company name below to see their feature story