Straits Area Services Finding Opportunities for Those with Unique Challenges
Straits Area Services is in the business of putting people faced with unique challenges to work. This is a difficult task due to the disability challenges they face. Because of the difficulty finding jobs that their clients can ‘fit into’, they often resort to developing opportunities for them either through partnerships or through job creation. This task is easier when potential partners know and trust them. Another hurdle is finding good staff to fit their needs internally.
In 1975, Cheboygan County received $96,000, from then Governor Milliken, to construct a county operated sheltered workshop in order to train and provide employment for handicapped persons. Originally ran by Lamplighter’s Work Center, a private non-profit providing services to “retarded adults,” Northern Michigan Community Mental Health assumed direct operation of the program in 1981. Then in March of 1994, it merged with Gaylord Opportunity Center, returning it to a private, non-profit, status. Finally, in October of 2003, Gaylord relinquished control of the program and we became known as Straits Area Services. In essence, they’ve been in business, performing the same function, since 1976.
Straits Area Services has been very pleased with the support received through Michigan Works! Michigan Works! has been a ‘go to’ partner of Straits Area Services since at least 2011. During that time they have worked with two Business Services Professionals, Randy Neumann and Niki Chamberlain, both of whom have been very helpful in finding qualified, caring, support staff when Straits Area has had turn-over, and also as they have developed new programs (i.e., a work enclave in Mackinaw City at Baymont Inn & Suites, and a work enclave in Cheboygan at Royal D Linen). More recently, Nicole Chamberlain has been instrumental in helping Straits Area rewrite their job posting which helped them to more quickly identify qualified job candidates.
Currently, we have 28 employees. Financially, we have grown from $912,000 in 2010 to $1,000,000 in 2015. Over the last 5 years, SAS has: celebrated 12 years of partnership with Emmet County Department of Public Works; Expanded our Cookie Cutter sales, which gives our clients bigger paychecks; Established a new business partnership with Liebner Enterprises, giving our clients new work opportunities, and purchased a local company that had been in business for over 10 years, requiring the hiring of two new staff and giving our clients even more opportunities to work.