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Safie Specialty Foods: How Michigan SBDC Helped a Family Business Expand Operations & Exports

July 8, 2026

Meet Mary Safie, president and owner of Safie Specialty Foods Company, Inc., a true go-getter and excellent entrepreneur who’s turning a family legacy into a modern manufacturing powerhouse.

More than just a job, this business is a century-long tradition of Michigan agriculture and pickled perfection. Located in Chesterfield Township, Macomb County, Safie Specialty Foods has expanded from a home-based startup—in the very house Mary’s grandfather began his business during the Great Depression—to a thriving enterprise, focusing on clean, natural, hand-packed specialty pickled vegetables while working with and giving back to the community. Her tenacious spirit and visionary leadership have been the driving forces behind the company’s incredible growth.

As the business grew, Mary and her dedicated team knew they needed strategic support. She relies on the exceptional talents of Chuck Drogosch, who runs Operations, and the incredible efforts of the Human Resources team, including Theresa M. Pavone and Sandra Collias. Their collective expertise and commitment are vital to the company’s success and expansion.

Seeking direction, Mary and her team turned to the Macomb County Planning and Economic Development team, who connected them with the Michigan SBDC and Business Growth Consultant Julie Oldham.

Julie began with a comprehensive assessment, helping Safie’s establish a stronger foundation and answer critical questions about growth, mission, and how the SBDC could help them achieve their goals. Julie’s extensive background in food & beverage, export and strategic analysis was instrumental in several key areas:

  • Financial Analysis: Securing crucial information to conduct a financial analysis to obtain a loan.
  • Export & International Growth: Assisting with export knowledge, connecting the company with the export community, and helping with foreign labeling compliance and landed costs analysis.
  • Market Expansion: Strategizing on gaining new accounts both domestically and internationally.
  • Digital Presence: Enhancing the company’s online visibility with domestic and international Search Engine Optimization (SEO) reporting.

The Safie’s partnership with Julie and the Michigan SBDC has been a game-changer. The result? A significant increase in revenue and staff expansion. Mary purchased necessary equipment, added an entire shift, and successfully branched into a new territory: food service (institutional sales). This division, primarily focused on peppers—an item Mary’s family was the largest U.S. producer of decades ago—is now a major area of growth, with a new dedicated production line being installed.

Julie shared that she has had the wonderful pleasure of being able to work with such a dedicated and talented group of people, including Mary, Chuck, Theresa and Sandra.

Mary extended her deepest gratitude to the Michigan SBDC, stating they were “instrumental in our foundation” and helped Safie’s “to grow and to achieve the success we have had.”

Zo’s Mini Donuts Finds the Recipe for Growth with Michigan SBDC

May 27, 2026

For sisters Zoey and Lydia Heyn, the mission of Zo’s Mini Donuts is simple and sweet: bring hot and fresh donuts to the community. What started in 2023 as a single food truck in Sawyer has blossomed into a thriving business with three mobile food trucks and a plan to double that number in the next year. This extraordinary growth, however, presented a new set of challenges for the young entrepreneurs.

The duo was confident in their family recipe and their ability to sell delicious donuts, but they needed guidance on the business aspects of how to grow their company. As they hired more employees, Zoey and Lydia found themselves needing a deeper understanding of financial management and human resources – which is exactly where the Michigan Small Business Development Center came in.

“We applied to our Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber HYPE pitch competition and we actually won,” said Zoe. “When we won, we were given a list of all these resources that we had access to that we didn’t know about.” One of those resources was the Michigan SBDC, which connected them with Southwest Region Senior Business Consultant Wendy Spreenberg.

“What we really needed was things that we couldn’t find on a Google search,” Lydia explained. “We needed contacts for suppliers, we needed contacts for packaging.” Wendy worked with the pair on their financial management, helping them understand cash flow and how to get the most out of their wholesale suppliers. She also provided them with invaluable knowledge and contacts for the behind-the-scenes operations of their business, which made their busy summers run more smoothly.

“Lydia and Zo were tremendously skilled already,” Wendy said. “What I brought to the table was helping them understand a little bit more about their finances.” 

With Wendy’s guidance, Zo’s Mini Donuts has been able to win additional competitions, expand its fleet of food trucks, and grow its team to 15 part-time, seasonal employees, with plans for more. The Heyns’ vision is to make Zo’s Mini Donuts a tradition in Southwest Michigan and eventually expand to college campuses and even retail.

“It was just so helpful to have someone to turn to when we hit a wall or we didn’t know what to do next.”

Zoey Heyn, Co-Owner of Zo's Mini Donuts Tweet

The Michigan SBDC is proud to support ambitious young entrepreneurs like the Heyn sisters. Their energy and drive are a perfect example of how a great idea, combined with the right resources, can lead to incredible growth.

“The best thing about working with the Michigan SBDC is working with the clients,” Wendy said. “They have unique stories and unique business approaches. Specifically for Zo’s, they brought the energy, the enthusiasm, the will and the desire – as well as the ambition to get their business not just started, but grown to the next level. I love working with them.”