Adrienne Lenhoff in her Shazaaam! public relations office in Novi, which was outfit-
ted with many trade arrangements.

in Detroit. It's another source to
gain customers, and I've gotten
a lot of residual business from it.
I don't discount services. Cash is
collected for the sales tax, and a
fee of 10 percent goes to the trade
company."
At least one other local Jewish
business owner has used trade
credits to cover a bat mitzvah,
held at the Edgewood Country
Club. This businessman, who
prefers not to be identified, is af-
filiated with Biologix, an environ-
mental maintenance company
that serves many commercial
food venues, such as restaurants,
hospitals and nursing homes.
Cleaning kitchen grease traps
in environmentally sound ways
generated sufficient trade credits
to cover food, beverages and even
embossed sweat pants for the bat
mitzvah party.
He values the bartering network
for helping boost sales.
"Sales is the hardest thing," he
said. "All this value found me with-
out expending the effort for sales."
Fred Detwiler, founder of
TradeFirst, said, "Yesterday's
unused capacity is gone forever.
We help companies sell what they
normally sell and take it in trade."
By selling goods and services
through his business exchange,
"trade credits are banked for a
rainy day."
TradeFirst has 35 employees
who staff offices in Michigan,
northern Ohio and southern
Florida. The company's busi-
ness members represent 1,000
categories of goods and services
with trade totaling more than $1

www.redthreadmagazine.com

billion since its inception. A travel
department helps members plan
business conferences and em-
ployee reward travel, and a media
department assists members with
advertising.
Metro Trading Association was
started 28 years ago by Al (Alan)
Wilson, who
formerly worked
in the radio
business. Both
trade networks
are affiliated with
exchanges in
other parts of the
country so that
Al Wilson
their members
can access other
markets.
Kenny Burin, owner of In-
dustrial Bag & Specialties, is an
enthusiastic barter participant
who uses his trade credits for
everything from a health club
membership to landscaping.
"The trade benefits are enor-
mous, but the biggest and most
exciting trade comes each year in
August when I take my rabbi —
Elimelich Silberberg of Sara and
Moris Bais Chabad Torah Center
in West Bloomfield — and his
entire family to Harbor Springs
where we stay for trade at the
Birchwood Inn.
"We have been taking this trip
now for some 22 years. It started
out with the rabbi and his wife,
Chaya Sara, and their 10 children.
Now we are up to some 25 adults
and around 35 grandchildren. To
put it mildly, this would not have
been possible if it weren't for the
trade," he said. RT

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RED MEAD I December 2013 43