Raji Singh, the company's brand ambassador, said Newby Teas partners with luxury hotels to help develop and add to their tea production.

“We’re following the same mission as partnering with luxury hotels to fulfill this mission,” said Singh, who is also an MSU alumna. “But also as we bring it to the U.S. It’s to act it as a tea educator and tea industry leader, which is why we partially chose to be right in East Lansing next to Michigan State, because this is really a hub for education.”

Singh said the company has been around for about 15 years and that the East Lansing education room will also hold workshops and seminars for people, groups and businesses on various aspects of tea, such as the manufacturing of tea, the history of tea and cooking with tea.

“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the city and for the state if they do what they hope to do, which is build a training center I think for tea and the production and the brewing of tea, history of tea here at East Lansing,” hospitality business professor Carl Borchgrevink said. “I think it will draw people in for training, draw people in to interact with the business and to purchase their products.”

Jade Sims, an international trade specialist at MSU, said there is room for growth with Newby Teas coming to East Lansing.

“The tea industry is one of the industries that (has) lots of opportunity for growth, especially here in the United States, where it hasn’t traditionally been a common beverage but it’s starting to pick up steam,” Sims said. “There is a huge upside and there’s a lot of potential for growth, which is really exciting.”