MLBA returns to downtown roots with new office

Scott Ellis is taking his association back nearly 70 years. But that's OK. It's where, he says, they belong.
 
Partly to celebrate their 75^th anniversary, and partly to pick up efficiencies, the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association moved to a new downtown Lansing location in early July. The association moved from its former office on N. Fairview Avenue to an 8^th floor suite at 101 S. Washington Square, providing what Executive Director Scott Ellis says is a room with a view.
 
"We have a wonderful view of the Capitol now," says Ellis. "And we have a nice facility for fundraising and hosting meetings."
 
Although smaller than the previous location, Ellis says the new 3,200 square-foot office is just the right size for his seven-member staff.
 
"The other space was just way too big," he admits. "And being down here with all the energy of downtown and having a beautiful view has really motivated everyone."
 
Ellis says that the MLBA was founded in 1939 and started out with a desk at the Michigan Beverage News Office in the Fox Theater Building in Detroit. In 1946, the MLBA moved to 111½ downtown Lansing, into an inauspicious space above the once Jean's Bar. After a series of moves around town, the association landed on N. Fairview Street in 1994, where Ellis says they stayed until realizing their destiny was in the city center.
 
"This is where we should be," says Ellis. "We needed to get back to our roots, be close to the legislature, and be close to where the action is to be a strong presence for the state of Michigan."
 
Ellis added that proximity to other associations that deal in hospitality and small business is also a plus. He says the MLBA hopes to have an open house sometime in September to connect with constituents.
 
"It's nice to be among all the places and people we work with on a regular basis," he says. "My staff loves being down here, too, and not having to drive everyplace. It's exciting to see the continued growth of downtown Lansing."
 
Source: Scott Ellis, Executive Director, Michigan Licensed Beverage Association
Writer: Ann Kammerer, Development News Editor