Some know Marc Cooper as a Springfield Township trustee. Others remember him as the former president of the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce or the owner of The Impressive Type, LLC. Still others know him as dad, grandpa or a man of strong faith. Even more know Cooper for his devotion to friends, family and the community he calls home.
Cooper, 56, was born in Connecticut and moved to the Clarkston area in 1959, and never thought about leaving since.
Clarkston is where Cooper met his wife Martha, and the two have been married for 36 years. The couple has two children, James and Elizabeth, and as of March 1, six grandchildren ? Steven, Samuel, Sandra, Keturah, Marc and most recently Stoney.
‘I have had the privilege of being in there to help deliver my last three grandchildren,? Cooper said. ‘Grandfathers normally don’t get that privilege, that honor, but (Elizabeth) asked me to be in there.?
The Cooper family stayed close together all these years and became part of the Clarkston Community.
‘I graduated from Clarkston schools, my kids graduated from Clarkston schools, my grandkids are going to Clarkston schools,? Cooper said.
Cooper decided to stay close with his family, but always felt the need to be an active member in the community.
What started as a small printing service for a community church blossomed into a nationwide business for Cooper and his family. Even though the branches of the family company reach to both ends of the country, the roots are firmly planted in the Clarkston Community.
Work for Cooper started small in 1974, working out of a single office inside Pine Knob Community Church printing materials for the church.
As The Impressive Type, LLC grew, Cooper became more active in the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce. He sat on the board for 13 years and was a two-time chamber president.
‘I built a whole business by networking with people and I found that to be the best way to promote the company,? Cooper said. ‘Givers get, and that’s how we built the business, on giving.?
Cooper went beyond paper and t-shirt print long ago. Even as his business expanded, and orders started coming in from out of state, Cooper maintained the original spirit of his company and continues to work to support nonprofit organizations.
‘Fifty percent of our business is with non-profits and churches,? Cooper said.
Family also remains a focal point for Cooper, and three generations of the Cooper family work together. For several year, Elizabeth has helped her father keep the business going. Now her four-year-old daughter Keturah wants to help out.
‘Ketura cleans the toilets,? Cooper laughed. ‘After that, she goes around and does all the garbage cans.?
?(Elizabeth) has worked with me since she was roughly four years old, she actually learned how to correlate books. At that time, we didn’t have a machine, so we put a table and taught her how to take one sheet of paper off of each pile,? Cooper said, adding that Elizabeth continued to work for The Impressive Type, LLC part-time as she went through high school and college. She now works full time.
Working for so many smaller groups means Cooper makes enough money to expand slightly and pay the bills.
‘I’ve never really made money. It’s a ministry I’ve felt,? Cooper said.
Cooper has a degree in religious education from the Detroit Bible College and throughout his life made helping others through faith a top priority.
From 1975?85, Cooper worked for the Oakland County Sheriff’s department, but he was not your average deputy.
‘I had probably one of the most unique positions there that anyone has ever had,? Cooper said. ‘I was hired in as deputy. I was assigned to be the chaplain for the inmates… because I was an ordained minister… then I became MacGruff the Crime Dog, and I traveled the whole country doing that.
‘When I started there, there weren’t any religious services there, and we gradually built… when I left there were 14 church services a week.?
All the while, The Impressive Type continued to grow, from the church office to half the rooms in Cooper’s home. Before leaving the Sheriff’s department, Cooper said running the family company was more like a hobby, but he decided to go full time.
As business stabilized, Cooper decided to go another step to be part of his community and ran for an open seat for the Springfield Township board. A little more than a year ago, Cooper won the open trustee seat.
‘It’s just something I felt would be neat to give back to the community,? Cooper said.
‘I mean, it’s a real high paying job, you’re going to get rich at it,? he joked.
So far, Cooper said the trustee work is interesting Along with his own business, the trustee position raises a lot of concerns about the Michigan’s economy and looking ahead, Cooper sees several challenges.
‘I see some millage issues coming up. Business wise… I always like looking on the bright side of things. I know the economy is going to turn around. You just have to watch what you’re spending… Even when it’s negative you’ve got to think positive and that’s kind of the philosophy I’ve always had in life… Hey, you got up, you took a breath, let’s keep going.?