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By Nicole Irrer
Some achievements deserve to be celebrated loudly, and Hart Enterprises’ turning 50 is one of them. The custom medical device company Al Taylor built in Sparta, Michigan, is more than a healthcare institution — it is a neighbor with a half-century of showing up for West Michigan. In communities where good opportunities have quietly disappeared, Hart Enterprises did something rare: It stayed. And it gave generations of workers a trade, a future, and a reason to put down roots.
As a businessman and a philanthropist, Al does not plan in quarters; he plans in generations. Al maintains a deep faith in the founding fathers and the Constitution. He believes we must protect liberty and pass opportunity on to future generations. His estate gift to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy is his way of doing that.
Al has been a friend of the Mackinac Center since the days of President Larry Reed. He knows people thrive when they have opportunity and are free to pursue it. That’s why he has long championed our free-market approach to economic policy. Al supported our work on affordable and reliable energy, and — perhaps most passionately — our Legal Foundation, which stands up for ordinary people against government overreach and never charges a client a single dollar.
Al’s interests extend well beyond public policy. He is an avid bow hunter and dedicated 50 YEARS STRONG 8 IMPACT | MARCH/APRIL 2026 The Story of Al Taylor and Hart Enterprises Photo by Al Taylor fisherman, so conservation is a way of life for him. In 2003 Al founded the Nimrod Society, a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about the vital role hunters and anglers play in wildlife conservation. He serves as president of the organization and in 2020 endowed the Nimrod Education Center at Hillsdale College — creating a permanent home for courses, scholarships, and grants that connect the next generation to America’s sporting and conservation heritage.
Bow hunting demands patience, precision, and an intimate knowledge of the natural world. Fishing offers something different: a quiet clarity that only comes with slowing down, reading one’s surroundings, and trusting the process. Both pursuits reflect the same instincts that built a 50-year company — the ability to be still, to be ready, and to know when to act.
Fifty years of Hart Enterprises. Real careers. Real opportunity. A lifetime of principle. The Mackinac Center is proud to call Al Taylor a friend.
