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MRA Selects Legislator of Year
Retail Sales Rose in ’16
Most Michigan retailers boosted their annual sales despite lower than expected holiday results. Page 3
State Senator Jim Stamas of Midland received the 2016 award for his outstanding work on behalf of retailers. Page 4
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Selling Diamonds to Millennials
De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver discusses how millennial diamond buyers differ from other generations. Page 10
® February 2017 Vol. 42 No. 1
New rule requiring public reporting of work injuries – nudge or public shaming? Many Michigan businesses will be required as soon as July 1 to start using a new, online system to report their companies’ work-related injury and illness records to the public. Federal safety officials say public disclosure is intended to encourage companies with at least 20 employees to create safer workplaces by giving them a “nudge.” Critics say the system amounts to little more than “public shaming” of employers and doesn’t enable them to provide fuller explanations of the information. The secure website enabling employers to comply with the new reporting requirement had not yet been finalized as Michigan Retailer went to press. It is expected to go live in February. When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is updated on the federal level, Michigan’s corresponding a g e n c y, M I O SHA, has six months in which to implement the new rules and/or standards. The new OSHA rule became final in January 2017. Worker Safety An OSHA fact sheet states: “We are taking information that employers are already required to collect and using these data to help keep workers safer and make employers, the public, and the government better informed about workplace hazards.” OSHA says public release of the data via website will: 1) Encourage employers to increase their efforts to prevent worker injuries and illnesses, and, “compelled by their competitive spirit, to race to the top in terms of Continued on page 12
The official publication of Michigan Retailers Association
www.retailers.com
New legislature faces repeat issues Nearly a third of lawmakers in the new 99th Michigan Legislature are new, as is the House leadership under new Speaker Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt Township). But they all head into 2017 facing a lot of big issues unresolved by the
previous legislature. In an unexpected twist, House Republicans won 63 seats in the November elections, increasing their stronghold in the 110-member chamber by an additional seat. Continued GOP dominance meant last session’s
leaders decided not to wrestle with too much tough legislation in the final days of the 98th legislature. The lack of hot button issues (with the exception of comprehensive energy regulation) in the usually wild “lame duck” weeks between the elections and the end of the legislative session led some to refer to last year’s post-election period as “tame duck.” That has pushed most of the leftover heavy legislative lifts (municipal and school pension reform, no-fault auto insurance reform, election reforms) into this new session. Michigan Retailers Association succeeded on a number of important legislative fronts in 2016, especially in stopping efforts by local governments to impose new and costly regulations on businesses. Continued on page 4
Dr. Ron Riebschleger, D.D.S. and his wife, Tracie, carry on the family popcorn and candy business that began at the turn of the 20th century. Photo by David Trumpie
Saginaw Roots The business traces its roots to either 1906 or 1907 – there’s a family disagreement about the exact
Applications are being accepted until February 24 for the hardware industry’s Young Retailer of the Year competition for 2017. Those eligible include retailers 35 years of age and younger throughout the United States and Canada. Winners will be chosen in three categories: retail outlets with sales under $2 million, retail outlets with sales over $2 million, and multiplestore retailers. Presentation of the awards will take place May 8 in Las Vegas, just before the start of the North American Retail Hardware Association All-Industry Conference and National Hardware Show. Winners are chosen based on career accomplishments, community involvement, hardware industry education and other activities, according to NRHA. “This national recognition program, now in its 21st year, identifies and promotes the next generation of aspiring independent home improvement retailers and recognizes individual achievement in the indus-
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Dentist’s ‘Sweet Tooth’ shop added to list of Centennials by Doug Henze As a dentist who sells popcorn and sweets on the side, Dr. Ron Riebschleger, D.D.S. is familiar with all the cracks. And not just the kind in teeth. “I get teased daily about being a dentist running a popcorn and candy shop,” said Riebschleger, president and owner of The Sweet Tooth of Rockford. But people are looking at the situation in the wrong way, he insists.
Hardware industry seeks young leaders for Retailer of Year
“I’m not making cavities, I’m still fixing the cavities my family created over the past 110 years,” Riebschleger quipped. That’s because the family snack operation goes back three generations – with a fourth in training. The Michigan Retailers Association has named The Sweet Tooth to its honor roll of Michigan Centennial Retailers, earning the business a commemorative brass plaque and certificate for 100-plus years of service.