Call Center Company in Sterling Heights, MI

The Salvation Army Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) will be opening a Salvation Army Thrift Store on Van Dyke Avenue that promises to be even better than its former location.

“The new Sterling Heights Thrift Store will offer untouched merchandise and updated building fixtures in a more central location,” said Envoy Jacqulynn Idzior, administrator for The Salvation Army Southeast Michigan Adult Rehabilitation Center.

To commemorate the move, the nonprofit will host a grand reopening event starting at 9 a.m. April 25. Community members, local partners and the public are invited to attend the event and explore the new space featuring 23,700 square-feet of thrift store items.

The new thrift store being relocated from Dodge Park Road to Van Dyke Avenue will be fully stocked, including new and gently used clothing, shoes, handbags, quality housewares, furniture, collectables and more.

“We look forward to welcoming the community back to the store they know and love in an upgraded space for an enhanced thrifting experience,” said Idzior.

Hours for the thrift store will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The former location at 35170 Dodge Park Road will remain open until April 24.

In the weeks leading up to the move, all merchandise excluding mattresses will be placed on clearance incrementally until the sales floor is cleared.

All proceeds from the Salvation Army’s 30 thrift stores go to support ARC in Detroit, which serves people throughout Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. The ARC provides substance-abuse rehabilitation, nutritious meals, leisure activities, individual counseling and spiritual direction, along with resources to develop life skills.

The new Sterling Heights Thrift Store opening is at 37600 Van Dyke Ave., in Sterling Heights. To learn more about The Salvation Army ARC, visit semichigan.satruck.org.

It was some 190 years ago, on March 17, 1835, when the area that would one day become site to Michigan's fourth largest city, Sterling Heights, was established as Jefferson Township. And while the sprawling city has grown mightily since its days as a bucolic farming community, there are remnants of its early history that still stand today. We went out and found some of them.

Restored in the early 1980s is the Upton House, which was built in 1867 by Sarah and William Upton on their farm.

Sculptor Janice B. Trimpe unveiled her tribute to the Upton Family, "Sarah's Heirloom," in 2002.

The Upton House is renowned for its design flourishes in the Italianate style.

The historic 1875 home of Albert and Mary Saal, located at 41577 Saal Rd.

The historic 1887 home of John and Margaret Ruby at 42369 Schoenherr Rd.

The Ruby House from another angle.

The historic 1891 home of Robert and Christine Petts at 5235 18 1/2 Mile Rd.

The historic 1875 home of John and Philena Rice at 37840 Utica Rd.

Three U.S. Civil War veterans are buried at the historic Edgerton Cemetery.

The historic cemetery is accessible to the public, although tucked away behind several relatively new housing developments.

Officially unveiled in 2023 on Dodge Park Road, the Holcombe Beach historical marker recognizes the area's deep history well before the establishment of Jefferson Township and Sterling Heights.

Read more articles by MJ Galbraith.

MJ Galbraith is a writer and musician living in Detroit. Follow him on Twitter @mikegalbraith.

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STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Some residents in Sterling Heights are hoping to save a centuries-old tree from being chopped down in favor of housing.

On Van Dyke Avenue just south of Canal Road in Sterling Heights, you can find a field with several towering trees.

One tree that especially catches the eye of residents like Emily Young is an 88-foot-tall chinquapin oak that's estimated to be somewhere around 250 years old, according to leaders with the Michigan Big Tree Program.

"This tree is from about the year 1750, before Sterling Heights. We had Native Americans still living in this area," Young said. "And it is the seventh-largest chinquapin in the state of Michigan."

According to the Chaldean Community Foundation's website, at the property, they are planning to build an 82-unit apartment complex along with retail space. The project could put the tree's future in jeopardy.

"It breaks my heart because we are a society that values our heritage and it is disappearing at an alarming rate. Once it's gone, there's no do-overs," Young said.

There's also concerns about how cutting the oak down could disrupt other forms of nature.

"Oaks support more life as a tree species than any other tree species in North America," Mark Graf, a Sterling Heights resident, said.

In response, Young has created an online petition to show support for preserving the tree. As of Monday, it had over 1,700 signatures, and petitioners hope it sends city leaders a message.

"I know they can change zoning, I know they can vote," Young said.

The city of Sterling Heights responded to the concerns in a statement:

"Change can be difficult, especially when it involves the removal of a cherished tree. Trees add beauty, shade, and character to our neighborhoods, and we all value the natural environment that makes our community special.At the same time, responsible municipal planning requires balance. The same thoughtful development that once made room for our existing homes, parks, trails, and even the local businesses and jobs we enjoy today also involved difficult decisions about land use. In this most recent case involving the North Van Dyke Avenue corridor, the new development in question will provide much-needed housing for residents who want to be part of our great community, supporting a thriving future for all.Sustainability is a cornerstone of the Sterling Heights Vision 2040 Plan which aims to maintain a city that is sustainable and environmentally responsible. This is evidenced by the City's Think Sterling Green umbrella brand for many different sustainability initiatives undertaken by Sterling Heights in the past 2-3 years including, but not limited to: celebrating nearly 40 consecutive years with the Arbor Day Foundation "Tree City USA" designation, conducting a citywide tree inventory, plans to create green microforests and reforest the city with 18,000 new trees, and a robust tree preservation ordinance applied to all city development projects. Smart Growth initiatives centered on sustainability have enabled the City to revitalize areas like North Van Dyke and the former Lakeside Mall with projects that are far more environmentally friendly then when first developed years ago.The Master Plan for North Van Dyke was developed after significant public input to revitalize an area that has been experiencing vacancies and varying degrees of blight for many years. The Master Plan includes Smart Development initiatives consisting of new pathways along the river, open space preservation, expanded pedestrian walkways, a lineal sculptured art park, roadway improvements and redevelopment of underutilized and vacant buildings. This development includes 10.5 acres, of which eight acres will be preserved as open space. The two acres being developed will be along the roadway, which is mostly void of trees. This $30 million development, along with others outlined in the North Van Dyke Master Plan, will help generate tax revenue necessary to fund the aforementioned amenities in the area including open space preservation, riverwalk and pedestrian connectivity and parks.Our tree preservation ordinance, one of the strongest in the state of Michigan, will apply to this development. As part of the review process, the City Planning department works with engineers, land owners and developers to minimize potential environmental impacts. When unavoidable impact occurs, such as tree removal, we rely on our robust tree preservation ordinance to create the necessary land use balance by requiring the developer to replace any "landmark" trees removed with new trees, inch for inch. In the long run, the large number of replacement trees (in addition to required landscaping trees) will aid in increasing the City’s overall tree canopy, bolstering the amount of carbon that is sequestered and resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Because of our tree preservation ordinance, if this tree ends up requiring removal, the developer will be required to replace it inch for inch with roughly 20 new trees.Sterling Heights remains committed to smart, sustainable growth—investing in green spaces, tree-planting initiatives, and thoughtful community design that ensures both progress and preservation so that we remain a community that is welcoming, vibrant, and environmentally responsible."

Despite the potential for new trees, residents believe the oak is irreplaceable.

"It might be replaced by a lot of little saplings. If they survive, they're not helping the environment like this oak is doing today for 20, 30, 40, 50 years," Graf said.

In a statement, Martin Manna, president of the Chaldean Community Foundation, also responded to worries about the trees at the property.

"We understand the concerns of the residents of Sterling Heights and always strive to be good neighbors. The new development is still in the planning phases. As such, we are always looking at all options aimed at preserving nature, including the implementation of some 15 acres of trees and greenways."

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At the new ABC Supply Co. Inc. branch in Sterling Heights, Mich., a different type of activity buzzed in the warehouse.

Tables from vendors and manufacturer partners lined the center aisle, tempting aromas from food prepared by local food truck Beef Daddy’s filled the air, and branch employees handed out ABC Supply-branded hoodies, notebooks and other swag to customers.

Amidst the festivities and warehouse staff navigating aisles with forklifts to fulfill orders — the branch was open, after all — there was an unmistakable feeling in the air as the staff hosted a grand opening last March: optimism.

“We’re here to serve the community,” said Branch Manager Christopher Kimber. “There’s a lot to learn when you’re the new guy in town, and that’s where we’re at … it’s all about developing relationships.”

Speaking with a handful of employees at the branch reveals a cross-section of how roofing welcomes people from all walks of life and what a distributor branch looks like as the industry continues to evolve.

Kimber first joined ABC Supply in August 2022 as an inside sales rep in the distributor’s Southfield, Mich., location. Shortly after, he became the location’s backup delivery services manager and was promoted to branch manager in December 2024.

“Christopher is dedicated to building strong relationships with his team and customers,” said Midwest Region Vice President Joe Small in a news release. “I’m confident he and his team will deliver exceptional service and create added value that drives the success of contractors’ businesses in the Sterling Heights area.”

Kimber previously worked in e-commerce and the music industry, building music studios. Like many in the roofing business, he became aware of its potential from family members who work in the industry. After the COVID pandemic, he wanted to make a change and looked into what ABC Supply had to offer.

“ABC seemed like the type of company that I really wanted to work for,” he said. “I was seeing the opportunity for what it was and being able to build something new and fresh, that I could put my experience and personal touch on, was very important to me.”

That personal touch will be important — the area around the branch is dotted with competitors, and plenty of new construction is taking place in the region, where Michigan’s yo-yoing weather can wreak havoc on rooftops.

“I feel good about having a little bit of a different perspective than some of these old guards that are around me that’ll set me apart from the pack,” Kimber said.

Joining him is Josh Martin, who serves as the delivery service manager. He previously worked as a driver and inside sales with ABC Supply, but before joining the distributor five years ago, he worked as executive chef at P.F. Chang’s. When the pandemic disrupted the restaurant industry, among others, Martin obtained his CDL and drove for ABC Supply.

“I thought it would be a fun thing to do because I like constantly moving and working,” he said.

He said he is glad to be a part of something that helps build from the ground up with the new location, having previously worked at the Warren, Mich., branch. He said he finds joy in helping out contractors.

“I get to communicate with contractors to help them get the products and service that they desperately need, and that's awesome,” he said. “We sell our customer service first and everything else second.

“That’s what customers need,” he added. “They need to feel appreciated and that's our job, to make them feel that way, so that way they always come back and that way, they always know that they can call us and we can get them taken care of.”

Contractor customers spoke with manufacturers while snagging ABC Supply swag.

The branch has its industry vets in place but also fosters future leaders with more than a passing interest in the industry.

“One of the really cool things that I like about this this industry is that it's still, and you don't see it a lot, but we're seeing second-, third-, fourth-generation roofers passing along this trade, this skill, this business to the next of kin,” Kimber said. “Fresh eyes, bold eyes, you mix them together — that’s what makes this industry awesome.”

One of the youngest members of the branch is Jenny Quiroz-Lopez, who is working inside sales and is graduating from Detroit's Wayne State University this year. She learned of ABC Supply from her father, a roofing contractor.

She has worked with her father for the past six years, helping with administrative work and making calls on his behalf using her bilingual skills. She became fascinated with the industry to the point where her father took her to jobs so she could learn first-hand.

“I started school and he always told me that I could do whatever I wanted, but I really don't have any interest in anything else, and I've always liked his passion for it,” she said. “I'm like, ‘You know what, I'm gonna study business’ and then I was able to get this opportunity here and hopefully just learn more about the industry, how it works.”

Her goal is to become the project manager for her father’s company and perhaps one day assume ownership, though she also expressed interest in working her way up at ABC Supply. Thanks to her bilingual abilities, she’s already proven to be a valuable asset.

“That’s a big thing here. A lot of the contractors that come by speak Spanish,” she said. “It’s better to have someone who speaks Spanish to communicate with them because it goes a lot smoother.”

Joining her in sales is Devin Webb, who works outside sales for the branch. He is currently studying sales and marketing at Western Michigan University, allowing him to apply what he’s learning in real-world scenarios.

“It’s the little things of don’t be afraid because, at the end of the day, you want to talk to these people like they’re your friends, and if you’re nice to them, they’ll be nice back, and just building relationships,” he said.

His stepfather works at the Taylor, Mich. branch, and knowing the industry's opportunities, he encouraged Webb to apply for the sales position. Since arriving at the branch, he said the atmosphere has been encouraging, which has been helpful as he learns the intricacies of roofing.

“It’s been a real eye-opener for me,” he said. “All these branches together are here to help each other out and the company, and everybody’s all networking. The easy way to put it is there’s no beef — everybody’s here to do their job and if it’s helping each other out to get that, then they’ll do it.”

It’s a lesson Kimber has worked to impart on the new branch’s staff.

“It's all about relationships. It's all about being honest, having good relationships with your clients. We can't succeed unless our customers succeed. That's the big thing,” he said.

KEYWORDS: ABC Supply Co. COVID-19 hires and promotions Michigan new location roofing distribution roofing suppliers

Chris Gray is the editor of Roofing Contractor and Roofing Supply Pro. He has worked in the fields of journalism and copywriting for nearly 20 years, ranging from local print newspapers to the multi-media promotion of international artists.

Reach him at 248-244-6498 or [email protected].