Melissa Stanton - Coldwell Banker Groves Real Estate

Melissa Stanton

Coldwell Banker Groves Real Estate

By Elyse Apel

For Melissa Stanton, the path to real estate, property management, and entrepreneurship was never carefully planned. Instead, it unfolded one faithful step at a time.

“I never thought this would be my life,” Melissa says. “I really didn’t.”

A resident of Jonesville, Melissa spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, working at different times as a quality engineer and program manager. The work was demanding and high-pressure, often requiring 50- to 60-hour weeks of Melissa as she served major automotive manufacturers.

“It was a very stressful career,” Melissa explains. “I learned a lot, but it didn’t leave much room for family.”

The pivot came when her husband, Dewey Stanton, decided to open a property management business. One requirement stood in the way: someone needed a real estate license.

“That’s honestly why I got licensed,” Melissa says, laughing. “It wasn’t because I had always wanted to sell houses. We just needed it for property management.”

Melissa earned her license through Coldwell Banker and expected to work quietly in the background. Instead, clients began calling. It turned out that Melissa had quite the knack for finding families the perfect home. So much so that she even has a slogan now: “BUY and SELL with MEL!!!”

Melissa was also named a Community Choice Award winner for Best Real Estate Agent.

“I was floored,” she says. “Here I was thinking I’d just manage properties, and suddenly people are trusting me with the biggest purchases of their lives. It has been such a blessing. Now, I truly enjoy selling homes and working with the community.”

That trust for Melissa comes from her family’s guiding principle: a Christian dedication to God-honoring customer service.

“I don’t look at people as transactions,” she says. “I look at them as neighbors.”

That mindset carries through every venture Melissa is involved in, including Terrier Storage Solutions in Litchfield. A proud Litchfield native and former “Litchfield Terrier,” the name was deeply personal.

“Litchfield will always be home for me,” Melissa says. “Naming it Terrier Storage Solutions was a way to honor that.”

The first storage facility opened in 2024. Demand surged so quickly that a second building was constructed and opened in 2025. The two buildings sit side by side, and additional buildings are already being discussed.

“We honestly didn’t expect it to grow that fast,” Melissa says. “It was humbling.”

Terrier Storage Solutions is a collaborative effort between the Stantons, alongside business partners T.J. Jordan, Dave Wilson, and Clint Larson. It operates as a self-service facility, allowing customers to scan a QR code on the building, select a unit, create an account and manage everything online. That said, Melissa emphasizes that technology doesn’t replace human connection.

“I’m still the one they call,” she says. “If someone’s struggling, especially seniors or people going through a hard season, I work with them.”

In another family venture, Melissa also serves alongside her husband in Stanton Rental Management. That company oversees approximately 25 personally owned rental homes across Hillsdale County—from Litchfield to Camden—as well as about 25 additional properties for other owners.

Even in that though, Melissa and Dewey try to find ways to serve the community. Recently, they worked closely with a veterans organization to help place a veteran into housing in Cambria.

“That was a joy,” she says. “That’s the kind of thing that reminds you why you do this.”

When rentals aren’t available, Melissa explains that she will often then sift into an educator role as a real estate agent.

“Being a real estate agent often goes hand-in-hand with our property management services,” Melissa says. “Sometimes, I’ll have people call me who are trying to find something to rent, but don’t realize they could qualify to buy a house.”

Melissa is then able to walk her clients through the process, often referring them to a local loan officer Jessica Hall.

“I keep everything local when I can,” she says. “That matters to me.”

While Melissa remains very busy dedicating her time to serving the community, her clients, and her customers, faith is the anchor beneath it all.

“I’m a devout Christian,” Melissa says. “God is first in my life. Everything flows from that. It took a minute to fully surrender my life to Him, but now that I have, my whole life has changed for the better.”

That faith recently led Melissa back to an unexpected gift— drawing. After praying for a hobby that would glorify God, she picked up charcoal drawing for the first time since high school.

“I hadn’t drawn since I graduated in 1997,” she says. “I didn’t know if I even could.”

Her drawings quickly gained recognition. Two pieces won awards at the Hillsdale County Fair, including a People’s Choice Award. One Charlie Kirk portrait, completed the week of his assassination, was gifted to Hillsdale College’s President Larry Arnn.

“I prayed and asked God what to do with it,” Melissa explains. “It didn’t belong in my house. It belonged to someone who personally knew Charlie.”

She credits former Litchfield art teacher Jim Wildt for inspiring her early on. “I hope I would have made him proud,” Melissa says.

Faith and family remain Melissa’s greatest motivation. Leaving the automotive industry gave Melissa back flexibility and time. Which is exactly what she hoped for, especially with a two-year-old granddaughter, Remi, and a four-month-old grandson, Ruger.

“My family is my heart,” Melissa says.

Her children have also followed in her and Dewey’s entrepreneurial path.

Her son, Kurtis Hollenbeck, owns Hollenbeck’s Fleet Services, specializing in semi-trailer repair. Her daughter, Courtney Hollenbeck, is pursuing a career in cybersecurity. Her step-son, Conner Stanton, owns a power washing and painting business. Brady Stanton is working toward his master plumber certification. And her youngest, MJ Stanton, is an eighth grader playing AAU basketball and also plays for Jonesville Schools.

“She’s one to watch,” Melissa says with a smile.

At the center of Melissa’s whole world is gratitude and a deep-rooted faith in God. She explains that there are two Bible verses she is always holding close to her heart:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

. . . and . . .

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” — Romans 10:9

Melissa says she wouldn’t be where she is today without God. Ultimately, she explains that faith is what motivates her every day.

“Life is not just about my businesses and opportunities, but about spreading the gospel of our savior Jesus Christ,” Melissa says. “This isn’t about me. It’s about my love for Jesus, family, and community. I give God all the glory.”

For more information on Terrier Storage Solutions, visit www.terrierstoragesolutions.net. To speak with Melissa about a home purchase or Stanton Rental Management call (517) 610-0193 or email melissa@cbgroves.com.