Three Van Buren businesses were honored at the seventeenth annual Michigan Celebrates Small Businesses Awards Gala this week, where they were added to the MCSB Michigan 50 Companies to Watch list for 2021.
Barber Packaging (Bangor), Riveer Environmental (South Haven) and Tri-Mation Industries (Mattawan) were each selected from a field of 575 companies who applied for the recognition.
“From our humble beginnings in our founders’ garage, we have stayed focused on driving innovative solutions to our clients,” said John Goodell, General Manager of Riveer. “Being recognized for our hard work and achievements is both humbling and gratifying.”
From 2017 to 2020, the Michigan 50 companies for 2021 generated $1 billion in revenue and added 1,038 employees, reflecting a 33.9% increase in revenue and a 77.9% increase in jobs in those four years. That translates to 10.3% annual revenue growth, and a 21.4% increase in jobs.
Blaine Borkowski, president of Tri-Mation Industries, thanked his team at the event, “for allowing us to compete in an ever-changing environment. We’re excited to receive this honor alongside two other Van Buren County employers.”
The Michigan 50 companies project a 31.9% increase in revenue for this year, and a 24.3% increase in employees compared to 2020. That translates to a total of $1.4 billion in revenue and 1,615 employees over the five-year period – a 76.5% increase in revenue, and a 121.2% increase in jobs since 2016.
“We are extremely honored to be among the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,” said Luke Barber, President of Barber Packaging.
“I would like to thank our team for being resilient throughout the last year and pivoting our operations to better serve the medical community. This award represents your hard work…”
Michigan Celebrates Small Business was founded in 2003 by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Small Business Association of Michigan, the Edward Lowe Foundation, the Small Business Administration of Michigan, and the Michigan Small Business Development Center to recognize growing companies in Michigan.
