Michigan Matters: Talk of Gordie Howe Bridge and Gardner White stores
Rachel Stewart, CEO of Gardner White, talks about growth at her family's 114-year-old company as it adds 13 new stores in 2026 and adopts a new logo and marketing approach on this Sunday's Michigan Matters.
Stewart, the fourth generation to run the growing company, talked about their recent move of the headquarters from Warren to Bloomfield Hills and other topics.
She previewed the upcoming America's Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner White, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026.
Then, the high-powered roundtable of Jim Holcomb, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Donofrio, president and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan, and Glenn Stevens Jr., executive director of MichAuto at the Detroit Regional Chamber, discussed the road ahead after a seismic primary season. They talked about the U.S. Senate race and the gubernatorial contest.
The trio also discussed the state of education in Michigan and the future of data centers, as communities are grappling with them and how they might factor into how voters decide who to support in November.
Stevens talked about the new Gordie Howe Bridge, which finally opened, and how it is doing.
Holcomb and Donofrio talked about ongoing trade talks between the U.S., Canada and Mexico with an Aug. 19 deadline looming.
And they talked about the departure this week of Colin Bird, a frequent guest on Michigan Matters, who is retiring from his post as Canadian consul general to Detroit. Andrea Clements is coming in from the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., to take on the critical job. Her territory covers Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
Holcomb also talked about the civics bee contest his organization held last month for middle schoolers across the state, with the winner about to head off to Washington, D.C., this fall to participate in the National Civics Bee.
The trio talked about the importance of young voters in the November election.
(Watch Michigan Matters at its new time: 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50 WKBD).
(Carol Cain is the 13-time Emmy-winning senior producer and host of Michigan Matters).