他们继续追求改变人们的生活
We always find it inspiring to revisit previously highlighted Member Profile businesses to get updates on what’s been happening with their companies. 这一次，我们来看看达顿农场和新生活.
你们可能还记得, Dutton Farm empowers and supports adults with disabilities to live full and purposeful lives. And Anew Life is a boutique, full spectrum, state of the art prosthetic and orthotic provider. 两人都对自己的事业充满热情, 并继续对人们的生活产生重大影响.
We caught up with each of them asking questions about how they’ve changed as owners, 密歇根州的小企业是什么样子的, 以及他们期待的事情.
专注: 自我们上次在2021年采访你以来，告诉我们一些亮点.
Casteel: We have added HAP (Health Alliance Plan) insurance to our list of partners/insurance companies, 哪个提供了获得质量的途径, 负担得起的医疗保健. And we continue to have a great working relationship with our other insurance companies. 我们还扩展了3D打印和扫描, 并添加了硅胶制品，如鼻子, 脚趾和手指.
We also partnered with Design Core the last few years and participated in adaptive design and manufacturing, involving regional and College for Creative Studies design students during the Detroit Month of Design. 仅供参考:底特律是美国第一个也是唯一一个这样做的城市.S. 被联合国教科文组织指定为设计之都. We expanded into working with more artists and local community groups on 3D scanning and printing projects, in addition to networking with other organizations to coordinate care services.
专注: 密歇根州的商业环境在过去两年中发生了怎样的变化?
Casteel: 几乎所有东西的成本都大大增加了(运输), 产品, 保险及材料, 劳动, 等.)，在矫形器和假肢护理方面还有其他障碍. We’re still paying a three percent sequestration tax on all Medicare services from the government shutdown in 2013.
Michigan auto law litigation and appeals have further impeded health care for those injured in auto accidents, 限制对患者的护理. 保险公司和工业制造企业不断合并, changing policies and procedures or otherwise making it increasingly difficult for providers to offer appropriate, 及时和具有成本效益的护理. Prior authorizations have further delayed patient care by extending time prior to care.
Michigan Medicaid limits miscellaneous codes to 17 percent over invoice cost which often doesn’t cover costs associated with regulatory requirements, 更不用说利润了. 病人支付缓慢或无力支付, 不了解他们的医疗保健计划, and we are spending much more time explaining their insurance benefits to them and notifying them why an item is or isn’t covered.
The 劳动 market continues to challenge us when we’re looking for qualified candidates. 不幸的是, 利率, regulatory issues and the current political climate have delayed our plans for expansion.
专注: When a drone strike hit a nearby car, a young boy was hit with shrapnel and lost part of his leg. 请分享你是如何帮助他和其他有类似情况的人的.
Casteel: We have been assisting PCRF (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund) for several years, volunteering our time and donating 产品 to assist several children who have lost limbs from war related disputes in Gaza and other countries. 我们为他们提供了服务、假肢和部件. We also received donated 产品 from several of our vendors, who’ve assisted us in the past. It’s been great working with PCRF to help these resilient young children and give them the ability to walk again.
专注: 对你的业务来说，任何新的和令人兴奋的事情?
Casteel: Our goal is to continue utilizing and expanding our 3DP and 3D scanning technology, 包括硅胶鼻和其他假体装置, 创造更多定制化和专业化的产品. 我们还将继续与当地社区组织和艺术家合作, 协助他们进行3d打印和扫描各种项目. 最终，我们希望在气候适宜的时候扩大我们的建筑面积.
专注: 我们很高兴地强调达顿农场继续做的伟大工作. 给我们一些快速的更新.
布朗: We’ve placed 50 individuals in jobs so far this year, all above minimum wage! 我们所有支持员工的工作保留率为94%!
我们为13个行业的员工提供支持, 包括零售, 景观, 教堂, 高级的生活, 市, 餐厅, 动物保健, 物流, 大学, 制造/生产, 家居, 医院/医疗保健和建筑.
我们还在进行两个扩建项目, expanding our capacity for our job training and upskilling program at our Oakland facility and launching a new site in Northern Macomb county. 我们很高兴能与小米工厂合作! over the summer to provide internships for job seekers who are enrolled in Mi Works! 编程.
专注: 告诉读者你与梅杰的合作.
布朗: Brian Calley held the MI Hidden Talent conference this year w在这里 Rick Keyes was the keynote speaker. 在瑞克的演讲结束后，布莱恩好心地介绍了我们俩, 我们交换了名片. I reached out to Rick via email about placing our 产品 in Meijer’s local markets, and he connected me right away with their team in Royal Oak to get the process started. 花了大约三个月的时间才把一切准备就绪, 但我们现在在皇家橡树的货架上! The next step is to work with the team to roll out in their other local markets. 我们非常感激和兴奋!
专注: 这种合作对你和梅杰有什么好处?
布朗: This partnership benefits our social enterprise significantly through validation of the quality of our 产品 and increases respect for the work that our employees do. 这种伙伴关系也改善了我们的财务状况, allowing us to continue making an impact to remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities.
We hope our partnership has benefitted Meijer by adding a local partner that consistently delivers quality 产品 to their customers, while also confirming the core values of Meijer by supporting local businesses and making a difference in the communities w在这里 they do business.
专注: 自上次面试以来，作为一名企业主，你有什么变化?
布朗: 自从上次面试以来，我在很多方面都变了. 企业的发展也需要作为领导者的个人成长. Some of the ways I have changed is in learning how to lead differently as our team grows—leading with a team of 30 is much different than leading a team of 75!
我还专注于建立强大的内部结构, using an EOS system and other leadership tools to enhance and maintain culture while also ensuring that we hit our goals and maximize our impact for the people we serve. 作为一个专注于增长的企业主, 我了解到提供培训是非常重要的, 你们未来的领导者成功所需要的资源和工具, 并使你的业务/组织朝着正确的方向发展.
专注: 达顿的计划是什么?
布朗: We’re launching a location in Macomb County, and we’re adding Art Therapy to our program. 我们希望在2024年在奥克兰县有一个艺术工作室! 我们正在奥克兰县进行竞选活动, 也。, 为需要我们服务的人建立能力. This campaign includes assembling a Victorian-style greenhouse shipped from Great Britain. 我们真的有很多令人兴奋的事情要做，让我们很忙.
By Bona Van Dis; originally published in SBAM’s November/December 2023 issue of 焦点 杂志