Michigan ‘mom-and-pop’ businesses in bloom

St. Ignace in Bloom Greenhouse and Florist employs six residents as designers, logistics managers and client services specialists.; during the peak summer season, that number doubles.

Keeping communities vibrant

March 27, 2024

They’ve returned to the Mitten State, and shown off their green thumbs.

After living in North Carolina for five years, Michigan natives Alex and Samantha Belonga returned to St. Ignace in 2014, assuming ownership of St. Ignace in Bloom Greenhouse and Florist.

Husband and wife, parents of four, Alex and Samantha first gained hands-on experience about the floral and landscaping industries in high school, when each worked at a small business in the Upper Peninsula—Alex at a landscaping company, Cedars of Mackinac, and Samantha at the shop they now own.

“Interacting with customers, the discipline required . . . our small-business experiences taught us a lot,” shared Alex. “In the 10 years since buying the shop, we have a greenhouse and two storefronts, and we are keenly aware of the energy it takes to run them.”

Helping communities bloom

Every year on March 29, Mom and Pop Business Owners Day celebrates these small, family-owned independent businesses across the United States, whose customers are by and large from their own communities.

“We treasure our ‘mom-and-pop’ and other small businesses in Michigan,” said Lauren Brown, Enbridge’s community engagement advisor in northern Michigan. “A bakery, convenience store or hardware store − they are integral to filling a need and showcasing the community’s personality.”

Alex readily shared about the energy requirements for the business—such as diesel fuel not only for the shop’s delivery boats, but the ferries that transport visitors to Mackinac Island.

“We depend on energy to sustain our shop and greenhouse. The fans in the greenhouse, the fertilizer and containers we use, they all rely on oil and natural gas,” he said.

“In fact, the whole region depends on energy. Fuel for our vehicles, power for lights and appliances, natural gas or propane for heat—we need it. We are thankful for such energy resources, including Enbridge Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac.”

Local roots

Through St. Ignace in Bloom, the Belongas employ six residents as designers, logistics managers and client services specialists. During the peak summer season, that number doubles.

Committed to their Michigan roots, the Belongas believe strongly in cultivating a sense of community. Every April and as part of the Home Show, they open their greenhouse, welcoming guests with a premier exhibit. They also share fruit from their orchards and berry bushes.

“St. Ignace in Bloom is an award-winning florist,” said Enbridge’s Brown, herself a Michigan native and resident. “It is among the thousands of wonderful small businesses that help make Michigan special.”

By the numbers

• Small businesses comprise more than 98% of Michigan businesses and employ half of Michigan workers, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
• Michigan’s approximately 911,000 small businesses employ nearly 1.9 million people.
• In the Upper Peninsula, small businesses employ more than 75 percent of the workforce.
• Aligning with the SBA’s definition of a small business, Census.gov defines small business based on revenue and number of employees at the businesses’ combined locations. Varying across industries, the size of a small business can range from 100 to more than 1,500 employees.