tA series of green banners adorning light poles in Detroit’s Eastern Market mark a new partnership between the regional food hub and Strategic Staffing Solutions. In addition to supporting the Friends of Eastern Market program, the Detroit-based IT and business services company will serve as the market’s winter sponsor for the next three years.
t“A lot of people don’t realize we’re open year round, so it helps promote the fact that the market is open (during the winter),” says Dan Carmody, president of Eastern Market Corp. “We also have special events and promotions — like bee keeping classes — that we can do more of with this sponsorship.”
tWhile Carmody could not disclose the amount of S3’s contribution, he confirmed that it is a “substantial, six-figure, three-year commitment.”
tCarmody says the market hopes to secure sponsors for each of the market’s seasons: winter, spring, summer, harvest, and holiday. “Throughout the year, the nature of the market changes with the seasons. By developing seasonal sponsorships … we hope to develop new programs and marketing materials that highlight each season’s distinctiveness,” he says.
tS3’s gift also supports the Friends of Eastern Market, which hosts events and classes centered on nutrition, gardening, and cooking.
tIn related news, renovations to Shed 5 are projected to be completed this year. The project includes a community kitchen that can be rented by the hour, new windows, new garage doors, new bathrooms, and radiant heating in the floor. A special events area also will be installed as part of a partnership with DTE Energy. In addition, a new Sunday market will launch by early summer, and the Dequindre Cut and Midtown Loop greenways will open in the fall.
