The future is here
U.P. Yarbo dealer reflects on business
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CHASSELL -- A balance between existing and thriving is something Mike Gaunt had said he always dreamed of. Now, six months into his tenure as a Yarbo equipment dealer, Gaunt is trying to spread his dream to the people of the Western Upper Peninsula and beyond.
Gaunt lives in Chassell. He operates Keweenaw Robotics from his residence and is a certified Yarbo dealer and repairman. Gaunt is also the Assistant Director of the Phoenix House in Calumet Township. "I can always do a side hustle, do a second job, get more money," he said. "But I can't get a second life to have more time. Time is the commodity and that's what these [robots] really give back."
The crux of Gaunt, and his wife's, mission with Keweenaw Robotics is balance and hope -- named after the business practice they both run. Gaunt said working with robots to prepare to for the future will help people in the long run. "Robots are not like going to a store and bringing the box home and opening it up and they do everything," he said. "That's an unrealistic expectation. Our goal is not to get a bunch of equipment out there. Our goal is to teach people how to use it."
Yarbo manufactures everything from autonomous lawn care to snow blowing. The robots go off on their own, take care of your yard and return to its charging stations. "Once it's set up, it mows grass, blows leaves, blows snow -- totally on its own," Gaunt said. "It's the best on the market. Their [Yarbo] support is the best on the market and that's why I chose it."
According to Gaunt, Yarbo's dealers are spread throughout the United States. He is one of the few in Michigan and the only one in the Western U.P. "There's about 50, 60 of us in the country," he said. "We are the one dealer that not only installs, sells, stocks, repairs, maintains, educates. But, I'm going to tell someone not to buy one if it's not a good fit."
Part of Gaunt's mission, is to build a relationship with his customer base, he said. "We don't want to be a big business right away," he said. "We want to grow organically and stay small."
The U.S.'s stake in AI, robotics and automation is worldwide. Guant said the best way to lean into the future the world is building is to connect with each other more. A goal, he said, is coming closer and closer to reality with his business venture.
"The governments aren't the people that are going to build the relationships between countries. It's businesses and it's individual people."
You can contact Gaunt at keweenawrobotics@gmail.com. To learn more about Yarbo and Keweenaw Robotics, visit balanced-hope.com/keweenaw-robotics.