Erie and Anchor, Vermilion

Micah Roberts discovered the lure of Lake Erie when her family made their annual trip to Cedar Point from their home in Bowling Green when she was in elementary school. But it wasn’t until Roberts worked at The Boardwalk at Put-in-Bay between her sophomore and junior years of high school that she became transfixed by the water’s vastness.

“There’s this sense of peace that comes over you when you’re on Lake Erie,” she says. “I gained a new appreciation of what an incredible resource it is to have it at your fingertips.”

Roberts returned home, then moved to South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in corporate communications at the College of Charleston and pursued a career in pharmaceutical sales. While spending summers vacationing on the East Coast with her husband, Tim, who hails from Berlin Heights, Roberts couldn’t help but notice the popularity of maritime clothing brands sold in the states they visited.

“Vineyard Vines in Massachusetts and Southern Tide in South Carolina make a huge impact on instilling pride in keeping the ocean clean,” Roberts says. “I realized there’s nothing quite like that in Ohio for our lake.”

In 2017, Roberts launched Erie and Anchor, an online store specializing in apparel and accessories reflecting that appreciation. A Vermilion retail store followed in 2020. Products include hoodies, T-shirts, caps, tote bags, mugs, blankets and keychains. Five percent of all sales is donated to the Lake Erie Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to keeping water quality healthy.

“It’s so important to give back, especially in these times,” the Vermilion resident says. “We hope that when people receive or give our products, they feel a sense of community when it comes to making a difference and keeping Lake Erie clean.”

5499 Liberty Ave., Vermilion 44089, 440/963-9447, erieandanchor.com