Brewing Business with Ben Marsh

Brewing Business with Ben Marsh

From Max Loves Midland by Max Loves Midland

March 4, 2026 · 50 min · Season 3 · Episode 2

About this episode

Ben Marsh shares the story of how a college coffee hobby evolved into Creation Coffee, a significant coffee roasting operation in Michigan.

In this episode of the Max Loves Midland Show, Kevin LaDuke sits down with Ben Marsh, co-founder of Creation Coffee, third generation Midlander, husband, and new dad, to talk about the unexpected journey that turned a college coffee hobby into one of Michigan’s largest coffee roasting operations. As Creation Coffee approaches its 10 year anniversary, Ben shares the origin story behind the business, from discovering a “life changing cup of coffee” in college to roasting beans in a garage with a $2 popcorn popper found at a Midland thrift store. What started as a way to make better coffee on a college budget quickly evolved into selling bags to friends and family, then to customers at the Midland Area Farmers Market, and eventually into a growing company with wholesale partnerships, multiple café locations in Midland, Saginaw, Frankenmuth, and Mount Pleasant, and a fifth location on the way through franchising in Wisconsin. Throughout the conversation, Ben reflects on growing up in Midland, leaving to pursue a career in advertising in cities like New York, Richmond, and Los Angeles, and ultimately returning home to build something tangible and meaningful in the community that…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin LaDuke

Guest: Ben Marsh

Topics covered

  • coffee business
  • entrepreneurship
  • local community
  • personal journey
  • Midland culture

Keywords

  • Creation Coffee
  • coffee roasting
  • Midland
  • entrepreneurship
  • local business
  • community culture
  • Ben Marsh

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Creation Coffee

Places: Michigan, Midland, Saginaw, Frankenmuth, Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, New York, Richmond, Los Angeles

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