Hats off to Hiller's Michigan efforts

Jim Hiller is my hero. His efforts to keep Michigan moving during this ugly time of woeful economic news is uplifting and inspiring.

I cheered a few months ago when he announced that he would no longer sell cigarettes at his seven Hiller's Markets in Metro Detroit. That move cost him some revenue but Jim Hiller stuck by his beliefs. In fact, Gov. Granholm recently named Hiller a Hometown Hero for his admirable action.

Hiller has also announced that for the duration of the Passover holiday he's transferring ownership of leavened products so observant Jews can feel comfortable purchasing those items. Passover begins this year at sundown on April 8 and ends April 15 for Reform and Israeli Jews and April 16 for religious Jews. Already, all seven Hiller's Markets have offered paper-covered separate shelving and refrigerated cases for shoppers who have begun the Passover cleaning and shopping process. The West Bloomfield, Commerce and Ann Arbor stores carry the largest selection of Passover goods.

His Michigan Initiative, promoting products made in Michigan, which he identifies throughout his stores with a map of Michigan icon shelf tag, is another super move and he deserves our support.

For instance, products such as buffalo from Great Lake Buffalo Co. in Cheboygan, Dearborn Brand sausage and Jodi Bee Honey from Clarkston not only employ hundreds of Michigan workers (and worker bees!) but they are quality products and deserve a place on our dinner tables.

We all know that Better Made, Sanders and Faygo are quintessential Detroit, but thanks to Hiller, our awareness of other no-less fabulous made-in-Michigan products are just a shopping aisle away.

I've noticed other markets in Metro Detroit are doing much the same (promoting Michigan products) and you should definitely seek them out. (Hiller's actually puts a face on the statistics listing how many workers are employed by each company, however.)

But Hiller can't do this alone. Market Square, Nino Salvaggio, Westborn, Plum, Johnny Pomodoro's, Holiday, Randazzo's, Joe's Produce, Hollywood, Vince and Joe's and Papa Joe's and even Meijer are all just a few more locally owned markets that promote Michigan goods. We can help them help us and help our great state at the same time by reading labels and seeking out identifying shelf tags.

We're all in this together, as many of us are quickly realizing, and by choosing to spend our hard-earned money on Michigan products our economy and workforce will be all the better.

Click here to read original entry on detnews.com.

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