Tanner Comes Home to Grand Rapids
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New Coworking Space in Marquette Caters to Locals, Out-of-Towners
BY Kathy GibbonsPOSTED July 10, 2022
CoLAB is offering flexible coworking space in Marquette.
Photo credit: Courtesy of CoLAB -
New Coworking Space in Marquette Caters to Locals, Out-of-Towners
BY Kathy GibbonsPOSTED July 10, 2022
This floor plan shows the various uses of space at CoLAB in the Upper Peninsula city of Marquette.
Photo credit: Courtesy of CoLAB
Before founding The Technologist, a members-only, app-based technology advising service, Tony Mars ran a boutique technology advising firm in Chicago for more than 20 years.
During that time, his company utilized a variety of co-working spaces — WeWork and Industrious among them — in several locations that included downtown Chicago and San Diego. Today, he’s renting office space at CoLAB in downtown Marquette for his own business and says it’s “just as world class as what is offered by the big players in major cities.”
“We are able to plug into a fully functional office without any of the burden associated with setting up or maintaining the infrastructure,” Mars says. “This allows us to focus on our business and not our office.”
Just opened in April 2022 by Veridia Group in renovated historic buildings, CoLAB offers flexible working space without the commitment of a long-term lease. According to Manager Vicki Snyder, it’s geared toward professionals who need a quiet place to work whether they are local or traveling.
“We designed CoLAB with the professional remote worker in mind,” Snyder explains. “Unlike typical coworking spaces, we elected to create private offices along with open work areas that cater to a wide range of office needs.”
“There are a lot of professionals that are from other locations around the country and while they’re here, they have a space to land and even meet with other professionals if they want to.”
CoLAB also provides conference and meeting rooms, audio-visual equipment for remote meetings, high-speed internet, printing, a phone booth for private conversations, kitchenette, and private wellness room.
It all works for Mars, who says it’s a relief not to deal with building maintenance and management himself.
“Having run a company-owned office in the past, I know that it takes a tremendous amount of consistent effort to keep it in good shape and properly functioning, let alone aesthetically pleasing,” he says. “All of this is taken care of by CoLAB for us now and it’s hard to consider ever going back to a traditional office space where all of that burden falls on us … by being able to take internet, AC, cleaning, and a fully-stocked kitchen for granted, our bandwidth is freed up to focus on our enterprise.”
For more information, visit colabmqt.com.
Michigan hospitality industry professionals were recognized by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) for being top leaders during its annual Stars of the Industry Awards Dinner held recently at St. John’s Resort in Plymouth.
“It’s a wonderful occasion to be able to celebrate the achievements of some of the finest in our industry,” says MRLA President and CEO Justin Winslow. “These individuals have made an impact on the guest experience, their coworkers, and respective organizations.”
Marcy Simpson is the new executive director of the Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council. A lifelong southwest Michigan resident, she succeeds Millicent Huminsky, who recently retired after serving the council for 37 years. Brandi Tucker has been appointed to fill Simpson’s previous role as office manager. Sarah Steffens has also joined the organization, replacing Tucker as group sales and marketing coordinator.