Leaders & Innovators: Michael Mihalich
Michael Mihalich is CEO and founder of MJR Digital Cinemas in Oak Park. MJR Digital Cinemas has eight locations with 132 screens in Michigan. More than 30 years ago, Mihalich moved to Detroit and started MJR Theatre Service Inc., with about 90 screens. MJR has a history of expansion and industdry firsts, including its Chesterfield Township location, which was one of the first theaters in the United States to be converted to stadium seating. Recently, MJR's Marketplace Cinema 20 in Sterling Heights has been the top grossing theater in Michigan. The company recently announced that it will build a $16 million, 74,000-square-foot theater in Troy. Scheduled to open in 2014, the theater will feature the MJR Epic Experience for extra comfort and the MJR Studio Bar & Lounge. Mihalich started his career at Warner Brothers and worked his way through various positions. He then partnered with Jim Payne and Marvin Mann to form Midwest Entertainment, an independent distribution, booking and buying company, which he later sold. He then worked at Cooperative Theatres of Ohio before founding MJR. Mihalich also has been the executive producer on three films, including "The Rosary Murders" with the screenplay written by Fred Walton and Elmore Leonard. Mihalich attended Arizona State University on a football scholarship until an injury ended his career. More at www.ltu.edu/leaders.
