Mindy - PASS Lapeer

“It was about 2011 when Lapeer Alcohol and Drug Screening opened. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time with six girls. We were homeschooling most of them and I wanted a part-time job that fit around what I was already doing. I wanted something close to home, where I set my own schedule, and something where I didn't have to have a fancy wardrobe or make any huge changes. Then this job opened up and God has really blessed my time here. I started in 2012 and in 2014, the owners of the business opened a branch in Burton. Then in 2015, they asked me if I wanted to buy it. We did and the rest is history. We changed the name to Professional Alcohol & Substance Screening, or PASS.
Because my business is kind of an oddball business, as a member of the DDA board I care about the businesses that don't necessarily fit the typical mold of retail or restaurants, for example, funeral homes. We reach out to business owners and try to help people come up with business plans that are sustainable to find a way of doing business that is right for them.
I also love all the little things that make a downtown area more homey, which is part of placemaking. I would love to see more bike racks in downtown Lapeer to make it bike and pedestrian friendly. I was recently walking downtown with our 18-year-old and she said something about seeing a TikTok video about ‘cities that you can walk in’. Because of my involvement in the DDA, I've seen the numbers so I said, ‘Lapeer is about 75% walkable.’
I remember one day, I was at work longer than I should have been and none of our kids could drive yet. I said, ‘Rogers Pharmacy is like two blocks from our house. You can probably see the back of it from our back window. Why don’t you walk over there?’ At that moment this light bulb went on with them saying, ‘Oh my gosh! We can go there by ourselves!’ They had never thought about that, but once they realized they could walk to Rogers and get snacks they would do it. They will have friends over and walk down to Blend, New To You, or go visit some of the shops downtown. There are so many other parks within walking distance of our house and they loved that.”
​​– Mindy Schwab, Owner of PASS and DDA Board Member
 

“We aren't originally from Lapeer. I was born in Nebraska and grew up in Kansas, and before we lived here, we lived in Virginia.
One of the things we loved about Lapeer is all the parks and the Rec Center, where we used to take our kids swimming there all the time. We have bike trails and so many people love using the walking paths in Lapeer and that's probably one of my favorite things. Along with a Sunday morning dog walk, we have the dog park where dogs can live their best lives, and the owners who are there at the same time every day get to know each other.
If you are in downtown Lapeer on prom or homecoming night, we have a huge number of spots where people take photos of their kids all dressed up, like on the courthouse steps or in the pocket park. It's neat to see so many people by The Pix sign around graduation when it says, ‘Congratulations, Class of whatever year’ and kids are out there taking pictures with the sign. There are just a number of locations in the downtown area that you'll see on certain days especially, or engagement pictures, senior pictures. It's neat to see the area being an important part of people’s lives.”
​​– Mindy Schwab, Owner of PASS and DDA Board Member
 

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“I joined the DDA board because I did one of those things where I made a great suggestion and he said, ‘Do you want to be on the board?’ They were looking for somebody who lived in the district: I do, my office is here, and we also own the commercial building, so we have a lot of skin in the game.
We moved into our house because we wanted to be in the center of things, but then there was a definite downturn in the downtown area with lots of vacant buildings at the time. I would go for a run and see all the businesses closing and empty storefronts.
As a property owner, you want to see your investment protected. As a mom, you want someplace safe for your kids. As a citizen, you want to see your community grow and thrive, and joining the DDA was an opportunity to help make those things happen.‘Downtown Development Authority’ is what the DDA stands for. I am on the placemaking and business development committees. Then, because my business is kind of an oddball business—you either need it or you don't—I care about the businesses that don't necessarily fit the typical mold of being a restaurant or retail. The funeral home was one I thought of today and that's another one that when you need it, you don't want it. We reach out to business owners and try to help people come up with business plans that are sustainable to find a way of doing business that is right for them. Then all the little things that make a downtown area more homey are part of placemaking, which was appealing to me.
It's been a real joy to see the downtown coming back. So many buildings now are occupied with thriving businesses, and seeing people walking around outside talking to each other has been awesome.”
​​– Mindy Schwab, Owner of PASS and DDA Board Member