DETROIT – Thousands of dollars in grants are being awarded to longtime Detroit companies, giving them a much-needed business boost.
An exclusive celebration captured the moment’s excitement for recipients of the Detroit Legacy Business Project grants.
For some, like Graham’s Printing, winning $50,000 was a moment decades in the making.
Michelle McKelvie and Harold Graham, co-owners of Graham’s Printing, learned their family business had secured a grant from the project.
“This is definitely a pick-me-up for a company that’s been in Detroit since 1965,” Graham said.
Graham noted the printing industry isn’t as prevalent as it once was, saying, “This is one of the industries that’s kind of, I won’t say it’s dying, but it’s not as prevalent as it used to be because everything now is geared toward people that just do things on their own.”
The business was originally opened by his grandparents, the late Cecil and Betty Graham, on Holcomb Street, serving churches, weddings, and small businesses.
The company moved to Gratiot in the early 1980s.
Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield praised the longevity of Graham’s Printing.
“To have a legacy business like Graham’s Printing that’s been around for 60 years, that’s not easy,” Sheffield said. “I just think that we as a city have to do more to support them, to invest in them, and to ensure that they are growing and scaling right here in the city of Detroit.”
The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation offers grants to long-standing businesses that are part of Detroit’s cultural identity.
The grant money will help Graham’s Printing pay for a new air conditioning system and create opportunities for others.
“We got some upgrades that we want to make here for our security systems, phone systems, some new equipment upgrades, and we plan on hiring some more staff,” Graham said.
After 60 years, Graham hopes to take the business to the next level with 3-D printing and an internship program for students.
“When they think of printing companies, they don’t really come here as often as they used to, but we’re still here, and we’re still going to keep it going,” Graham said.
McKelvie added, “Graham always said he isn’t leaving Detroit. You know he’s always going to keep his business and keep everything in the city. He loved Detroit.”
Graham’s Printing is just one of 30 legacy businesses getting grants totaling $310,000.
And if you’re wondering, in order to gain that “Legacy” title, a business must have served Detroit neighborhoods for 30 or more years.