New Saab HQ in Royal Oak tops list of MEDC deals
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
An impressive list of companies are
investing in Metro Detroit after the latest round of tax deals from the
Michigan Economic Development Corp. At the top of that list is a car
company moving to Metro Detroit, for a change.
It's now a done
deal. Saab Cars North
America is setting up its headquarters in Royal Oak. Metromode
first
reported the pending move to an innovatively renovated office space
on the city's north side last fall.
The Swedish automaker is
moving into the home of Ronnisch Construction Group, 4327 Delemere Court
between 14 Mile and Normandy Roads. Ronnisch turned a dumpy old
industrial building overlooking railroad tracks into 13,300 square feet
of modern, edgy office space. That attracted Saab, which will invest
$2.4 million to move its marketing, sales and product evaluation arms
(60 jobs) into the building. The MEDC approved a $1.2 million tax break
over five years to give Royal Oak the edge over a competing site on the
East Coast.
Among the other job-creating, investment-generating
deals announced are:
- Ash Stevens, a life sciences
research and development firm, plans to use a $14.9 million investment
to expand its Riverview facility and create 60 new jobs. That money,
plus the $710,019 state tax credit over seven years that comes with it,
will allow the company to continue its research into cancer drugs and
other similar markets.
- Materialise USA will invest $12.5
million into its Plymouth facility to create 80 new jobs. The
subsidiary of the Belgian-based firm of the same name specializes in
three-dimensional medical image processing. It will develop software
applications used in surgery and other medical applications at this site
instead of another place in Indiana thanks to a $563,119 state tax
credit over seven years.
- Auburn Hills-based Oasis Advanced Engineering, a
software firm, will use a $1.4 million state tax credit over seven years
to expand its military research and development operations. The company
will invest $7.5 million to amp up its development of software and
embedded electronics for military combat vehicles. It will also
establish a production capability for switchable vision blocks for
current and future force military vehicles and for the design and
fabrication of training devices for the Army and National Guard. The
company plans to create 100 new jobs here instead of at a competing site
in Florida.
- RECARO
North America, an automotive firm, will invest $6 million to
consolidate some of its operations from China to Auburn Hills. The MEDC
gave a $519,000 state tax credit over five years for the company to
retain 69 jobs.
- ADCO Products will create 212 new
jobs and invest $17.3 million to consolidate its operations in Leoni
Township, which is just east of Jackson. ADCO manufactures sealants and
adhesives for the roofing, transportation, construction and solar
markets. The company is using its $1.2 million tax credit over five
years to further expand into the solar panel market here instead of in
Indiana.
- Masco also plans to consolidate the retail and
manufacturing operations of its cabinetry arm in Ann Arbor. It's a $20.6
million investment
that is expected to create 250 jobs over the next 10 years.
In
total, the MEDC
announced 13 deals that will help 11 companies grow and another two
brownfield construction projects move forward. Those deals are expected
to create 2,790 new jobs and spur $742.4 million in new investment
across the state.
Source:
Michigan Economic Development Corp
Writer: Jon Zemke
Wonderstruck Studios to open in Ford Field
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
Wonderstruck Studios plans to set up shop in the Ford Field complex in downtown Detroit.
The
digital content studio specializes in creating material for a broad
range of film industry niches, such as movies, TV, video games and
other forms of media. Much of that content includes animation,
graphics, images, and video.
Wonderstruck Studios announced a little more than a year ago that it would open its studio in the old MGM Grand building
on the west side of downtown Detroit's Central Business District. That
plan, called Detroit Center Studios, called for an $85.9 million
investment to create 413 jobs. A $16.9 million state tax credit had
also been approved. However, that deal fell through late last year.
Source: Wonderstruck Studios
Writer: Jon Zemke
A123 Systems opens Livonia battery plant, will create thousands of jobs
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
A123 Systems is getting geared up for some
more investment in Metro Detroit now that it is partnering with
Navistar to build lithium-ion batteries in Livonia.
The
Massachusetts-based company opens its Livonia lithium-ion battery plant
this month and will produce new advancements in automotive
electrification technology. This is expected to spur more job growth in
the company's facility in Livonia and its research and development
center in Ann Arbor.
"A123 expects to create thousands of jobs in
Michigan, and the details of those jobs are still being determined,"
company spokeswoman Kerry Farrell wrote in an email.
A123 Systems will
develop battery systems for Navistar's electric vehicle, a
commercial truck that is purpose-built to be electric. That means it
creates zero tailpipe emissions, while an equivalent diesel-powered
vehicle produces as much as 10 tons of greenhouse gases annually.
Its
battery pack enables Navistar EV to travel approximately 100 miles on
pure electricity before recharging. The battery pack will be capable of a
rapid charge rate.
The vehicle is set to launch this summer.
Source:
Kerry Farrell, spokeswoman for A123 Systems
Writer: Jon Zemke
Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions grows staff to 6, plans to hire more
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
Mark Hagerty didn't run away when he saw a perfect storm coming. He ran toward it, and ended up creating
Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions.
The Commerce
Township-based firm specializes in installing and connecting
alternative energy systems, such as solar panels and wind turbines. It
was a perfect fit for Hagerty, who had long been involved and invested
in alternative energy companies before starting Michigan Solar &
Wind Power Solutions two years ago.
"I saw a perfect storm
coming together from the legislation being passed to the increase in
education," Hagerty says. "In every dynamic it was beginning to look
like the way to go."
The company has gone from Hagerty alone to
six employees and 35 independent contractors today. Most of that
expansion took place in the last year. He hopes to hire a project
manager soon and a few more later this year to help with the increased
workload. Most of Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions's work
revolves around tying solar panels into the electrical grid.
Hagerty is also seeing two distinct yet significantly different customers emerge.
The
first group is the environmentalist crowd, while the second is the
world-is-about-to-end survivalist crowd. One wants to improve the
environment and the other wants to be self-sufficient if and when the
worst happens. Regardless, both sides want their solar panels and wind
turbines.
"I see the off-grid, stand-alone systems growing," Hagerty says. "I see storage systems like batteries growing, too."
Source: Mark Hagerty, president of the Michigan Solar & Wind Power Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke
Birmingham goes for Google Fiber Community project
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
A handful of Michigan cities are lining
up to become one of Google's first fiber communities, and now
Birmingham is throwing its hat into the ring for a chance at free
ultra-fast broadband access to the Internet.
"We're always
looking for ways to enhance our services for our residents," says Tara
Maguire, GIS coordinator for the city of Birmingham. "This is a good
opportunity for them. It also offers some economic development
opportunities."
Google plans to provide ultra high-speed
broadband internet to area residents and businesses in one or more
cities of its choosing. The Google Fiber program will provide
technology that can pump up Internet speeds more than 100 times faster
than what most Americans have access to today. Think 1 gigabit per
second Internet speeds for between 50,000 and 500,000 people.
Birmingham
officials see this as not only a way of enhancing local creative and
high-tech businesses, but also attracting more that want to take
advantage of this new technology. Google is letting people nominate their cities to become part of the experimental program. Birmingham has already created a Facebook page to help rally local support.
Other
Michigan municipalities are making a go at the Google Fiber program,
including Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and East Lansing. Ann Arbor was one
of the first cities to announce its candidacy for the program and has
since garnered the support of the University of Michigan and
neighboring Ypsilanti.
Source: Tara Maguire, GIS coordinator for the city of Birmingham
Writer: Jon Zemke
ecoSTORE USA creates 30 jobs, expects to hire more
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
Lyne Appel Downing used to be a hippie, an ultra-health-conscious diehards. In her later years, however, she drifted away from the ethos. But now she's back on track thanks to a little
inspiration from her daughter's new business ecoSTORE USA.
"I thought, 'This is what I want for my family,'" Appel Downing says. "It's perfect."
The
West Bloomfield-based business specializes in selling eco-friendly,
plant-based household cleaning products that are as effective as the
leading supermarket brands. It went from Appel Downing and a partner
three years ago to about 35 employees and the occasional intern today.
The
company employs mostly in Metro Detroit. It hired half a dozen people
last year and expects to hire anywhere from six to 20 more this year.
"I've got people all over the place," Appel Downing says. "We have people in Chicago and New York."
The
company got its start three years ago and actually saw its products hit
the shelves about a year ago. The products come from ecostore NZ, as in
New Zealand. That company got its start 15 years ago with an ethos of
organic growing and healthy living. It has since thrived, helping spur
its North American spin off in Michigan.
Source: Lyne Appel Downing, vice president of operations for ecoSTORE USA
Writer: Jon Zemke
Karmanos Cancer Center expands into Monroe, Toledo
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
Detroit-based Karmanos Cancer Center is spreading its wings into the Monroe and Toledo markets with its new Monroe Cancer Center.
Karmanos, which is based next to the Detroit Medical Center campus in Midtown, is partnering with Mercy Memorial Hospital of Monroe and ProMedica Health System of Toledo to make this happen.
"The
Monroe area doesn't have any sort of comprehensive cancer facility at
all," says Mary Short, vice president of the Karmanos Cancer Center.
"People who live there have to travel quite a ways for care."
The
partnership broke ground this week on the new cancer center at 800
Stewart Road, near the campus of Mercy Memorial Hospital. They plan to
create a world-renowned cancer treatment facility in Monroe, the first
integrated cancer center in the area offering medical and radiation
oncology services under one roof.
The $5 million project will
allow for the delivery of individualized cancer therapy, the latest
protocols for medical oncology, and advanced technology for radiation
oncology. The facility will include physician offices and offer
laboratory and other oncology-related services.
Karmanos
employs about 1,000 people, mostly in Detroit's greater downtown area.
It has 23 open positions for everything from nurses to laboratory
technicians.
"We're always looking for people," Short says.
Source: Mary Short, vice president of the Karmanos Cancer Center
Writer: Jon Zemke
WSU's Ligon Research Center of Vision lands $1M grant
Source: metromode, 3/18/2010
Things are becoming a bit clearer for Wayne State University's Kresge Eye Institute, but a $1 million grant will do that.
The Dryer Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to the Ligon Research Center of Vision
at the institute last week. The interest from the new endowment will
allow the center to hire more staff to help fight blindness and other
vision problems.
"We have plans to recruit a researcher who will
focus on disease of the retna and fighting blindness research," says
Erika Walker, director of development at the Kresge Eye Institute.
Walker quarterbacked the grant application.
The Dryer Foundation
is named after banking industry executive Edward Dryer and his wife,
Ellen. They were lifelong residents of Detroit. Edward Dryer suddenly
lost his sight while traveling on business in New York, which resulted
in the loss of his job. His wife helped him follow the market by
reading him The Wall Street Journal and other financial publications. That allowed Dryer to begin investing in the stock market, where his investments grew.
The
couple died 11 years ago. The foundation was established from their
estate. It now has a mission to aid people who have limited sight and
to aid research for the prevention of blindness.
Source: Erika Walker, director of development at the Kresge Eye Institute
Writer: Jon Zemke