JACKSON COUNTY, MI – A long-time business is closing, a clothing retail chain inside Westwood Mall is relocating are just one of many businesses making moves in Jackson County.
Here’s a look at some recent Jackson-area business stories that you might have missed.
Starting with a single ball of clay, Weaver Tile owner plans to retire after 22 years
When Scott Weaver first started making tiles, it came as a recommendation from his chiropractor.
After Weaver spent 30 years working as a stonemason, the labor became too hard on his body. His chiropractor suggested a less strenuous activity, proposing that he take tile-making courses at Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, Weaver said.
Despite never taking an art class in his life, Weaver began taking the classes in 1996 and immediately found an interest and business that has endured nearly three decades later.
“This business started with a ball of clay with one single flower design, and from there I sculpted everything else,” Weaver said.
After 22 years of the craft, however, Weaver has decided it is time for him to close up shop and focus on other interests. The 65-year-old say he will be retiring at the end of December.
A new flight school is helping students reach new career heights in Jackson
When the aviation program at Jackson College was discontinued in 2020, it left a hole for future pilots in Jackson County, Owner Clint White said. So, he decided to open his own flight school at the Jackson County Airport, 816 Airport Road.
Flight School of Jackson offers flight license courses on many levels, including a private pilot’s license, an instructor’s license and a commercial license.
Flight School of Jackson aims to open up career paths for people, make becoming a pilot more accessible and affordable and offer a flexible schedule, White said.
What’s that? See which store is moving from Westwood Mall to Jackson Crossing
Buckle, a fashion retailer, has been inside Westwood Mall, 1850 W. Michigan Ave., since it opened more than 20 years ago. However, the chain has decided it’s time for to seek a new location and is moving to Jackson Crossing in October, Buckle District Manager Amy Deeter said.
The reason to move was made by “a lot of people and a lot of factors,” Deeter said, adding that finding the right location for success was a big one.
“We want it to be the most successful that we can for our guests, our store and our manager,” Deeter said. “Our managers are paid a percentage of the net profit of the store they run, so a store that is able to make more money gives the manager more income. We weigh a lot of factors.”
Buckle is among a number of businesses that have or are expected to move into Jackson Crossing. It joins Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness and Eyemart Express in the 130,000-square-foot former Sears store. Other stores, like Burlington, are also slated to join the facility in the future.
Ring in fall with a caramel apple sundae at Sweet Scoops
Fall is just around the corner, and people can get into the spirit of the season with some sweet treats at Sweet Scoops in Jackson.
Sweet Scoops has been around for roughly 15 years, but Janet Parker has only owned it four of them. The assembly-line style ice-cream parlor is known for fresh, homemade ice cream.
It’s especially famous for offering unique, rotating flavors, such as Mountain Dew or bacon, Parker said.
Some of these include fall flavors, which customers can expect to see in the next week, Parker said. This includes a range of pumpkin spice, caramel apple, s’mores and carrot cake ice cream.
What’s that Jackson? A business in Westwood Mall is offering a new kind of hobby
After Chris Schiffman quickly fell in love with the remote-control drift car community he became a part of a couple of years ago, he wanted to share his passion with others.
Looking around southcentral Michigan, the Jackson resident noticed there was a lack of places for RC drift car drivers to meet, prompting him to open his own track, 517 Drift, inside of the Westwood Mall. Now, the racetrack business is hoping to introduce more people to the hobby, he said.
“Really, our main focus was just to give people an opportunity to try an RC car before they buy them because you can’t do that anywhere,” Schiffman said.
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