Mercedes-Benz Hybrid sets up R&D center in Redford
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
Mercedes-Benz Hybrid is one step closer
to setting up a research-and-development center at the Redford Township
facilities of its parent company, Daimler AG, now that local officials
have approved a tax exemption for the expansion.
Mercedes-Benz
Hybrid plans to create the R&D center at the Detroit Diesel campus,
where it will develop and maintain a line of conventional and
alternative propulsion powertrain systems. Think hybrid and
electric-vehicle systems. Daimler is planning to consolidate a lot of
its resources, talent, and expertise at its Detroit Diesel campus.
"We looked at several locations inside and outside of Michigan," says Judy Brunson, operations officer for Mercedes-Benz Hybrid.
The
new $2.3 million R&D center is expected to have a staff about 100
people strong, mostly in the engineering and other highly technical
fields. Those workers will be responsible for developing conventional
and alternative propulsion powertrains and components including
EMotors, power electronics, and supporting software technology.
"We're looking to bring a highly skilled technical workforces to southeast Michigan," Brunson says.
Source: Judy Brunson, operations officer for Mercedes-Benz Hybrid
Writer: Jon Zemke
CareTech Solutions buys Penn-based IGCN
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
Another business from Troy is getting bigger now that CareTech Solutions has bought IGCN.
CareTech Solutions provides IT and web services to hospitals and other healthcare institutions. Pennsylvania-based IGCN, short for Interactive Global Communications Network, specializes in building and managing websites for hospitals.
CareTech
Solutions made the purchase to expand its client base and technical
capabilities. IGCN is 12 years old and employs about a dozen people,
some of whom will move to CareTech's offices in Troy.
"We expect some of them to [move] but the details are still being worked out," says Anne Santori, a spokeswoman for CareTech Solutions.
The
company employs just under 1,000 people across the U.S., including
about 650 in Troy. It made 200 hires within the last year and expects
to continue this in 2010.
"There has been a lot of hiring going on in the last year," Santori says.
Source: Anne Santori, spokeswoman for CareTech Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke
Center for Professional Studies cranks out new careers for engineers
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
The Center for Professional Studies used
to focus on business training for companies looking to sharpen their
performance. Then the economy took a turn for the worse, taking the
Center's business with it and forcing the Troy-based firm to change
over.
Today the 17-year-old company focuses on training out of
work automotive engineers for new careers. The school, which has always
been a licensed learning institute, gives these engineers
certifications in new fields, mostly in product design or development.
"The jobs they pick up are all design and engineering products that aren't automotive," says Daryl Patrishkoff, CEO of Center for Professional Studies.
Since this summer, 59 students have enrolled, with 22 of them
already finding new jobs. "We're enrolling new people every week,"
Patrishkoff says.
The Center's plan is to keep this going for
the next year or so until the economy bounces back. Once it does, the
plans are to go back to business development education.
Source: Daryl Patrishkoff, CEO of Center for Professional Studies
Writer: Jon Zemke
New strategy leads to growth, 7 hires for Bluewater
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
A new outlook on life is leading to new growth at Bluewater.
The
8-year-old firm specialized in advising national commercial lenders and
borrowers until about a year ago. It has since divided the company into
three tribes and expanded its staff from nine people last year to 16
plus a few independent contractors today.
"I think we sat back
and realized that there were a lot of opportunities that weren't being
realized," says David Vermeesch, director of marketing communications
for Bluewater.
The
three new divisions include Lender Analytics, Consulting, and Bluewater
Horizons. Lender Analytics serves large commercial lenders with
collateral evaluation. The Consulting group leads fraud investigation,
regulatory compliance, and forensic accounting. The Horizons group is a
venture capital practice.
"We want to do several new ventures in the Bluewater Horizons," Vermeesch says.
The
company is also planning to move its Warren headquarters to downtown
Mt. Clemens, where it plans to occupy part of the Station 65
redevelopment.
Source: David Vermeesch, director of marketing communications for Bluewater
Writer: Jon Zemke
Energy Conversion Devices debuts new solar roofing shingles on Gov's mansion
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
The newest solar product from Energy Conversion Devices can be found on one of Michigan's most prominent residences – the governor's mansion.
The
EnerGen solar system, which produces 3.2 kW of power, covers the ranch
home in the Moores River Drive neighborhood of Lansing. It has served
as the governor's residence since 1969.
The solar system is
made of thin-film flexible solar laminates incorporated into roofing
shingles. This product developed by the Rochester Hills-based
photovoltaics firm and roofing-specialist CertainTeed is slated for an official launch next year.
The
idea is to create a lightweight solar panel that blends in with regular
roofing shingles. The typical solar panel often sits on top of a roof
in an awkward position reminiscent of the TV antennas of old.
Source: Energy Conversion Devices
Writer: Jon Zemke
Seat of the Pants Productions focuses on news for kids
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
Patricia De Angelis always gets a kick
out of helping children realize their potential, so much so that she is
turning her idea into a Howell-based start-up – Seat of the Pants
Productions.
"It's a passion that I have always had, inspiring kids to excel," says De Angelis, CEO of Seat of the Pants Productions.
The
newly formed enterprise is creating a website that will offer a new
story for children on a monthly basis. It will include larger
vocabulary words that users can click to find the definitions and
synonyms and also use the words in a sentence.
The website is
similar to a game De Angelis played with her nieces and nephews where
she gave them a new vocabulary word, explained its meaning, and had
them use it in a sentence.
"They just had a great time," she says. "It's wonderful to watch them do that. It's a very empowering experience for them."
De
Angelis is looking for start-up capital to get the website off the
ground. She plans to nail it down and launch the site within the next
year.
Source: Patricia De Angelis, CEO of Seat of the Pants Productions
Writer: Jon Zemke
NextEnergy bids on wind turbine testing facility project
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
NextEnergy is bidding on a U.S. Dept. of
Energy project that could lead the way to a major wind turbine testing
facility near Detroit's Zug Island.
Drive trains for industrial
sized wind turbines, not just the normal ones you see on the sides of
houses, would be tested there. These turbines are some of the biggest
alternative energy generators in the world.
But the plans are far from a done deal, as it faces competition with eight other locations across the U.S. NextEnergy is based out of Detroit's TechTown campus and specializes in the development of alternative energy.
Source: NextEnergy
Writer: Jon Zemke
Fast Company: Robert Phelps, director of "Stick it in Detroit"
Source: metromode, 11/5/2009
Robert Phelps doesn't bleed Detroit's colors, but his new film, Stick It In Detroit, is dripping with the Motor City.
The Clerks-like
comedy about a gas station clerk in Detroit premiered to a few hundred
people in downtown Royal Oak's Main Art Theatre late last month. It's
set for a general release on Friday at the MJR theaters in Waterford,
Sterling Heights, and Southgate. Phelps, the film's writer, director,
and actor, agreed to email a few answers to some questions about making
a movie in Metro Detroit.
Describe Stick It In Detroit in two sentences or less?
A
flat out balls to wall comedy that will make you wonder if it is OK for
you to be watching what you are seeing and then once you answer "yes"
to that question you realize that you are on the floor from laughing so
hard and that you feel funny where you pee.
How have the film incentives helped other local filmmakers?
The
film incentives don't help the true indie filmmaker at all. They are
only for the big boys with more than $2 million to spend. It will be a
very rare thing when local filmmakers can raise more than $2 million to
spend on their indie projects. The films that are rolling though town
now are those backed by the studios or backed by a production company
that already has studio distribution locked up.
How do you see the local film landscape changing if the film incentives stay in place long-term?
We
are already starting to see the ripple effect of the incentives.
Outside investors are spending hundreds of millions on studios and
technical training facilities, most notably Unity Studios in Allen
Park. If the tax incentives remain we will begin to see the entire
infrastructure for a self sustaining film community that will offer
high paying jobs to thousands of Detroiters. We will begin to see large
investments on behalf of our local universities to train new film
workers. Most exciting, though, will be the development of new talented
filmmakers, writers, directors, and actors from our own backyards. This
is not the answer to all of Detroit's unemployment problems but it
could be a very large Band Aid on this gaping bullet hole.
Was making your movie here possible without the incentives? Could you have done this five years ago in a different climate?
We did make it without the incentives but no, we could not have made Stick It In Detroit
anywhere else. The support of our families and friends was the only
reason we were able to make the film. Like I mentioned before, the
incentives are only for those at $2 million and over. We put ours in
the can for $115K. But this will still trickle down to us little guys
who get to work with the new technologies and quite simply learn how to
make better movies.
What is one thing you would like to change about the local film scene in Metro Detroit?
The
apathetic nature of Detroit has to change. We have this inferiority
complex that holds most people back from really reaching their full
potential and settling for whatever the outside world tells us we are
suppose to be or do. We need to find the passion and the pride to
support one another and be the innovative squeaky wheel. I would love
to see Detroit be the place the rest of the country looks at as to what
is truly on the horizon of film.
Source: Robert Phelps, writer, director, and actor of "Stick It In Detroit"
Writer: Jon Zemke