TECUMSEH — Michaela Holdridge, owner of Anthro Apothecary, now operates a second business in downtown Tecumseh that features natural products made on site.
Mr. Holdridge’s Men’s Collection, located in downtown Tecumseh, is named to pay tribute to the family history of her husband, Matthew. The Holdridge family has been in the Tecumseh area since the 1830s, and helped settle the area.
“We really wanted the name to represent the history of the town,” Holdridge said.
Mr. Holdridge’s Men’s Collection is created around the idea of “Curated Excellence,” Holdridge said. The new store opened in September. Its product line features natural bath and body products, shaving syrups, organic simple syrups and drink mixes, as well as accessories such as hats, gloves and leather accessories.
Holdridge said the men’s line of products featured in the Mr. Holdridge’s Men’s Collection started in her Anthro Apothecary store, and it was so popular that, when the attached property became available, she “decided to go ahead and go for it and turn it into a specific men’s store.”
Anthro Apothecary opened in April 2020. Holdridge started marketing her “natural products for your health and more” in 2019, and sold them at the Tecumseh Farmer’s Market.
Her line of merchandise proved to be so popular that she decided to open a brick-and-mortar store. One benefit of operating out of a store is that Holdridge is able to make most of her products in a commercial kitchen that is located right in the store.
“I was actually teaching some college courses at the time, and then COVID hit and those courses kind of got put on hold,” Holdridge said. “I needed something to do with my time, and so I turned my hobby into a business.”
Holdridge named the store Anthro Apothecary because of her background in cultural anthropology.
“I did a couple of immersion studies in my Master’s program and really fell in love with how other cultures use herbs,” she said.
Anthro Apothecary features over 26 types of tea blends that are blended in-house. The kitchen and home section includes spices, and herbs by the ounce. The natural bath, body and face care line uses herbs and oils that benefit the skin. Jewelry and other accessories are also part of the collection. All the ingredients used in the products are ethically sourced, she said.
Mr. Holdridge’s Men’s Collection and Anthro Apothecary are at 128 E. Chicago Boulevard in downtown Tecumseh. The stores can be reached at 517-798-1732 or online at anthroapothecary.com. Store hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
