The MLCC Administrative Commissioners at a recent licensing meeting. From left to right: Commissioner Dennis Olshove, Chair Kristin Beltzer, Commissioner Hoon-Yung Hopgood.
have close relationships with other organizations within the beverage alcohol industry. Without the ability to communicate effectively, the system can very easily fall apart and cause disruptions in sales.
This is why Beltzer makes it her priority to ensure the MLCC continues to work closely with all three tiers.
“ This system works really well for us, not only with the facilitation and collection of excise taxes, but also for product safety,” she explains.“ It’ s important for us to not only stay on top of safety issues and recalls, but also to work closely and build relationships with both the suppliers and retailers.”
Keeping these relationships strong requires a lot of dialogue, which Beltzer is great at achieving within her communities.
“ When there’ s consistency in terms of the people that you work with and the relationships that are in the MLCC, it truly makes for a greater, stronger system,” she says.“ That’ s not to say that there won’ t be issues along the way, but for the most part, we feel very good about the three-tier system that we have.”
MLCC ON THE ROAD
Since her Chairmanship began in 2023, Beltzer has worked hard to bring innovation and creativity to the MLCC, molding the organization to set up the businesses in the surrounding communities for success.
“ I talk with our team all the time about us being beacons of positivity and just to build relationships with stakeholders, licensees and applicants,” Beltzer says. One of the things we’ ve done is set up a podcast called MLCC On The Road, where we go out into the communities and meet with licensees, trying to educate them and help them understand the entire process before they fully get into business.”
Throughout the process of attaining a license, many businesses can get stuck halfway with delays or questions they don’ t know the answers to. With the help of Beltzer’ s ambition and the podcast, businesses can now get the help they need.
“ There was an instance where we did an MLCC On The Road show at the Detroit City Distillery,” explains Beltzer.“ This gave one of our partners there, Jamie Wright, the opportunity to showcase the distillery. And at the same time, we brought in people from the city of Detroit who were new entrepreneurs, as well as people who had been in business for a while, so they could ask questions.”
Starting any business is a difficult endeavor, but starting a business in the beverage alcohol industry can prove to be even more difficult with the different rules and regulations that need to be followed. With the help of the MLCC, entrepreneurs can get the proper help they need.
“ We’ re just trying to make the system a little bit easier for people to navigate,” says Beltzer.
The MLCC has helped quite a few businesses throughout this journey, one of the many being Gin Gin’ s restaurant in Grand Rapids.
The owner, Dave Reinert, owns a few other restaurants in the area, which has resulted in Beltzer establishing a relationship with him.
“ Dave feels comfortable now where he will text me about something and say,‘ Kristin, here’ s what we’ re trying to accomplish. Is there anybody on your team that I can get in touch with to give me some direction?’ And I say,‘ Absolutely, I have someone on my team.’ Next thing you know, it’ s working in the right direction.”
Reinert has shared multiple times just how helpful and great the MLCC team is with everything they’ ve done to help his businesses.
“ That’ s what we’ re here for. That’ s what we do,” Beltzer www. stateways. com Winter 2025 • StateWays 11