The Good Life: Meet John Metcalf
Watch Episode 36 of
The Max Loves Midland Show
Coming this Wednesday 03/25!
John Metcalf, In His Own Words:
“I’m John Metcalf, Co-Owner of Good Design Group, LLC, and Midland has been home to me for more than 30 years.
I originally came from Ohio, from a small rural community near Mansfield. I studied industrial design at the University of Cincinnati and graduated in 1992. Right after college, I moved to Japan and spent 2.5 years working for a small company on the east side of Tokyo, designing OEM products for electronics companies. I loved the culture. I loved living there. Japan expanded my world and changed the way I saw people, places, and possibilities. It also changed my life in a more personal way, because that is where I met my wife, who is from Tokyo.
When it was time for us to leave Japan, we moved around a little bit, looking for the right place to land. That place turned out to be Midland, Michigan, a place where my wife and I would eventually raise our daughter. A connection through the University of Cincinnati led me to Design Craftsmen, a respected local company with deep roots in this community. I sent a resume, the timing worked out, and before long, my wife and I were settling into a little rental house. We were newly married, still figuring out our future, but even then, we could tell Midland was a special place. It felt welcoming. It felt livable. It felt like somewhere we could build a life.
I spent more than a decade at Design Craftsmen before stepping out in 2006 to start my own business with my business partner, Good Design Group. That transition gave me a chance to keep doing the kind of interpretive and exhibit design work I love, while building something of my own right here in Midland. Over time, this community became more than the place where I worked. It became the place where I chose to invest my time and heart.
A big part of that has been my relationship with Japan and the Sister City program between the City of Midland and Handa, Japan. My experiences abroad and my belief in cultural exchange made that work a natural fit. I joined the Sister City committee around 2010, and I later took on a leadership role. I care deeply about the way this program opens doors for young people. When students travel, host, or simply get to know someone from another culture, their world gets bigger. They come back changed. I know that because it happened to me. Midland’s connection with Handa is not just symbolic. It is a real relationship built on trust, understanding, and shared respect, and I am proud to help keep it strong.
That same spirit of creativity and connection has shaped my involvement with Public Arts Midland and MCTV. Public Arts Midland gave me another way to contribute to the community’s creative energy, especially through projects that connect art, culture, and public space. MCTV has been another meaningful outlet for me, a place to tell local stories and help preserve the relationships and history that matter, including stories tied to the Sister City program itself.
When I think about the future of Midland County, I hope we continue to build on all of our strengths while reaching more people in more places. I want Midland to remain a place that values creativity, welcomes diverse cultures, supports young people, and offers reasons for them to stay. I hope we broaden our economic opportunities, continue investing in the whole county, and make sure the next generation sees Midland not just as a good place to grow up, but as a place where they can build a meaningful life.”
Do you have a Midland County story you would like to tell that aligns with our vision?