DBusiness Daily Update: Shankar Distillers in Troy Launches New 102-proof Bourbon Varchas Reserve 102, and More

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies.
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Whiskey bottle
Varchas Reserve 102 was created in recognition of Detroit’s iconic Eight Mile Road. // Photo courtesy of Shankar Distillers

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.

Shankar Distillers in Troy Launches New 102-proof Bourbon Varchas Reserve 102

Shankar Distillers in Troy has launched a new straight bourbon whiskey as a tribute to its home state — Varchas Reserve 102 Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The new spirit was created in recognition of Detroit’s iconic Eight Mile Road. The new reserve is now available at select Michigan retailers, and consumers will have the chance to experience the flavor profiles at Shankar Distillery, opening later this year in Troy.

Varchas Reserve 102 is crafted from a blend of selected grains, with corn playing a prominent role to impart sweetness and depth to the spirit.

This 102-proof bourbon is combined with water from Michigan’s Great Lakes and is 51 percent ALC/VOL. The new reserve joins ranks with the brand’s other two premium spirits — Varchas Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Varchas Straight Rye Whiskey, which offer a flavor profile that is imbued with the boldness of Indian and American influences.

“Varchas Reserve 102 marks a significant milestone for our brand as we continue to capture the essence of diverse cultures in every sip, inviting consumers on a journey that bridges continents and celebrates the fusion of traditions,” says Varchas Shankar, founder of Shankar Distillers. “This new reserve reflects the strength, spirit, resilience and creativity that has defined Eight Mile Road, and we are looking forward to hearing feedback from fellow Michiganders.”

The Varchas Reserve 102 is aged in charred oak barrels, where it matures and interacts with the wood and infuses the bourbon with caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak flavors, creating a complex and nuanced profile. Honey-gold in color, the product is a well-balanced, aged bourbon that features the aroma of heavy caramel, vanilla and oak, the smooth tastes of caramel, vanilla, cocoa, roasted nuts, spice, and a little smoke.

To learn more about Varchas Spirits and Shankar Distillers, visit shankardistillers.com.

Credibly, Green Dot Team to Power Small Business Banking

Credibly, the Southfield-based fintech lending platform that for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), is partnering with Green Dot in Texas to expand its suite of small business financial products to include accessible, intuitive, and useful business banking solutions.

Powered by Green Dot’s banking-as-a-service (BaaS) platform, Credibly Business Banking should give small business owners a more seamless banking experience while addressing some of their greatest challenges with quick and easy account set up, improved cash flow management, and faster access to capital.

“The demand for seamless, accessible, and intuitive financial tools for businesses remains on the rise, and we are thrilled to partner with Green Dot to add small business banking to complement our lending solutions,” says Ryan Rosett, founder and co-CEO of Credibly. “With a business checking account, customers will have faster and easier access to the cash, credit and capital they need to run and grow their business.”

Green Dot and Credibly are partnering to design business bank accounts with these challenges in mind, empowering customers to more easily access the capital they need. The new accounts will feature online mobile banking with full customer service support, quick account set up, no fees for eligible deposits, overdraft protection, and a nationwide ATM network to access their money from anywhere.

Reseda Group Partners with Goalsetter to Build Next Generation of Savers

Reseda Group, a wholly owned credit union service organization (CUSO) of MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) in East Lansing, is partnering with fintech Goalsetter to empower the education-first family finance app to deploy its next-generation award-winning platform to MSUFCU and other credit unions.

The platform is designed to empower member families with smart spending, saving, investing, and financial education tools and resources to enhance their financial knowledge.

Through this collaboration, Reseda Group invested $1 million in Goalsetter, and MSUFCU will custom label Goalsetter’s acclaimed youth banking platform to cultivate the credit union’s next generation of members.

In addition, MSUFCU will deploy the Goalsetter Classroom curriculum with local school systems and community organizations across its branch locations. Based on a recent independent study of its 2023 classroom results, Goalsetter Classroom increased student user financial aptitude by up to 43% and resulted in scores of up to 90 percent financial literacy mastery.

Jabil in Auburn Hills to Supply California Broadband Provider Calix

California-based Calix Inc. affirmed its commitment to Build America, Buy America for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program during an event at Jabil Inc. in Auburn Hills.

The commitment includes expanding a manufacturing services agreement with Jabil at its Michigan facility. Jabil will produce optical network terminals (ONTs) and optical line terminals (OLTs).

Calix was founded 24 years ago with an exclusive focus on enabling rural broadband service providers (BSPs). Over the past 12 years, Calix has invested $1.2 billion to build the only end-to-end software and cloud broadband platform, further establishing the company as the leading technology partner to rural BSPs across the U.S.

Chuck E. Cheese Completes Market Wide Remodels in Detroit

Chuck E. Cheese is celebrating the grand reopening of its newly remodeled Dearborn location (24399 Michigan Service Road) with an event from 5-7 p.m. Sept. 28.

This event marks the completion of Chuck E. Cheese fun center remodels in the entire state of Michigan.

The 12 locations in Michigan have received $5.4 million in investments as part of the brand’s plans to renovate every fun center in the U.S. in the next three years.

A Grand Reopening Event will invite the community to Chuck E. Cheese with a purple carpet premiere that includes raffle prizes, free cake, and an appearance from Chuck E. Cheese and friends. Additionally, the first 50 kids in line will receive a grab bag with a chance to win two free hours of All You Can Play games.

New features include the most popular arcade, sports, and kid-focused games with varying skill levels for players of all ages, an interactive dance floor, a large format video wall and screens with audio connected throughout the fun center to provide a more immersive entertainment experience for guests and birthday parties.

Select Chuck E. Cheese locations open two hours early on the first Sunday of the month and offer a quieter dining and entertainment environment, dimmed lighting and a sensory-friendly arcade experience for families through its Sensory Sensitive Sundays program.

Caring Smiles Family Dentistry Moving to West Bloomfield Center Overlay District

Caring Smiles Family Dentistry is moving to 6745 Daly Road, in West Bloomfield’s Township Center Overlay District. A grand opening will take place from 5:30-6:30 on Oct. 5.

“We had a great experience at the Beaumont Medical Center of West Bloomfield and now we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to accommodate our increasing patient base,” says Dr. Warren Woodruff, co-owner of the office along with his wife, Dr. Amira May Woodruff.

With more than a decade of experience as practicing dentists, the Woodruffs attracted national media attention due to their proactive approach to serving patients during the pandemic in 2020, which established them as leaders in their profession.

McLaren Health Care, Saginaw Valley State University Partner on Discounted Tuition

McLaren Health Care in Grand Blanc has announced a partnership with Saginaw Valley State University that will provide all qualified full- and part-time employees wishing to further their education with a 30 percent discount on tuition and all associated fees for in-person and online courses.

All McLaren Health Care employees throughout the state — regardless of job classification — are eligible for all undergraduate, graduate, and certification courses offered through the award-winning university, effective with the beginning of the 2023 fall semester.