Coverage from First and 42, published 2026-03-12.
Southwest Michigan First and The Chamber promoted a community conversation on business succession and ownership transition, scheduled for March 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Catalyst Center in Kalamazoo. The event listing, posted by FIRST & 42, invited retiring business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs and operators, community partners and local leaders to discuss how legacy companies can change hands without leaving the region. Organizers wrote that more than 2 million people across Michigan are nearing retirement, including roughly 39,000 residents of Kalamazoo County, and that many small business owners in that group lack a formal succession plan or an identified buyer while capable local leaders lack the access and preparation needed to step into ownership.
The listing pointed to Tsunami Lab as one initiative preparing local entrepreneurs to purchase established companies, run them well and preserve what their founders built. Organizers projected that, done well, the effort could move more than 50 businesses to local ownership over the next decade and keep over $15 million of projected economic value in the region while stabilizing jobs. Registration was handled through Eventbrite.
