Millionaire Cuts & Style has been located at 4316 Saginaw St. in Flint for more than a decade, but it was only recently that the business installed a paved parking lot for its customers.

“I had been wanting to add it for some time now, but it was a big expense,” said Montez Boone, who owns the local barbershop.

But then, in 2023, Boone received a $10,000 grant through Moving Flint Forward, a grant program from General Motors and the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance that supports revitalization efforts in Flint by strengthening local businesses.

“That gave me the push I needed to make the upgrade,” Boone said. “Now I have 15 spots where my customers can easily park – that’s huge for my business.”

Boone is an alum of Southwestern Classical Academy and says he’s had a pair of clippers in his hand for at least 30 years. And for him, there’s no place he’d rather run his business, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“I’m a Flintstone,” Boone said. “This is where I get my support from. This is where my family is from. I love Flint.”

Boone is a member of Moving Flint Forward’s fourth cohort. The application process for the grant program’s fifth round is now closed; the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance looks forward to announcing the next cohort later this spring.