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
Macomb, Oakland counties open biz assist centers
Source: metromode, 10/8/2009
The Business Assistance Centers for Oakland and Macomb counties are opening this week.
The
Wayne State University-sponsored centers will be located on Wayne
State's central campus in Midtown Detroit, its Oakland County campus,
and the Macomb County Building in downtown Mt. Clemens. They will be
staffed by Wayne State MBA students and staff. The idea is to let these
students apply their business knowledge to companies looking to grow or
get started, free of charge.
"The crux of this is to bring in as many available resources as
possible and make them as accessible as possible," says Maria Zardis,
spokeswoman with Macomb County Dept of Planning & Economic Development.
The consultations will cover a number
of different areas in business, including business plan development,
personnel issues, marketing, and general consulting. The service will
also allow students to get some real-world experience and a foot in the
door or two for possible jobs.
The centers are open to all businesses looking for help. For information, call (313) 577-1932.
Source: Maria Zardis, spokeswoman with Macomb County Dept of Planning & Economic Development
Writer: Jon Zemke
Macomb County uses coupons to inject cash into local economy
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
Macomb County continues to find new ways to work more county money into the small businesses of its local economy.
Its court system started a program
that paid jurors on the spot and allowed them to spend it in downtown
Mt. Clemens while waiting to be called to court earlier this year. Now
the county has found a way to help its local farmers, by helping local
seniors to eat more nutritionally.
The new Senior Project FRESH
program offers coupons to income-eligible senior (at least 60 years
old) residents of Macomb County. The coupons can be used for discounts
on unprocessed, locally grown fruits and vegetables from local farmers
markets.
"We're trying to help Michigan farmers and in turn
help seniors with nutritional value," says Robin Auten, spokeswoman for
Macomb County's Senior Project FRESH.
The program is supported
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Michigan Office of Services
to the Aging, and local donations. The coupons are expected to help
more than 300 local seniors this year.
So far, the response
has been so great that Auten's voicemail says that interested parties
may have to wait for a return call. Other local municipalities, such as
Detroit, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, also employ similar programs for
people using Bridge cards or WIC coupons at local farmers markets.
Seniors
who qualify for Senior Project FRESH coupons, which expire October 31,
will get 20, good for $2 off purchases in Macomb County. For
information, call Robin Auten at 586-466-8725.
Source: Robin Auten, spokeswoman for Macomb County's Senior Project FRESH
Writer: Jon Zemke
Macomb Community College expands green job training offerings
Source: metromode, 5/14/2009
Green jobs may be the wave of the future, and Macomb County is getting its residents out there to ride it.
Macomb Community College
is expanding its alternative energy and sustainability job training
programs, thanks in part to hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal
grants. The money will help the college train people for jobs in the
wind, solar, biomass, geo-thermal, and hydrogen fuel cell industries.
The renewable energy and energy efficiency industries are worth $1
trillion in the U.S. as of 2007.
The college is creating a
Renewable Energy Certificate and continues to develop its Center for
Alternative Fuels. About $800,000 in federal grants will go towards
this green curriculum and purchasing equipment for the courses.
It is also working with Wayne State University
on a plan for a Center for Advanced Automotive Technology. The center
would serve as a regional hub for the development and teaching of green
technologies associated with automotive applications.
"We are
working closely with Wayne State to partner with some of the programs
they are working on in terms of battery technology, both for stationary
and mobile uses," says Bill Stark, director of Macomb's Center for
Alternative Fuels.
Macomb Community College is also using a
$135,000 federal grant to create a construction industry training
program on weatherizing and retrofitting existing homes. The idea is to
make these buildings more sustainable by making them more
energy-efficient.
Source: Bill Stark, director of Macomb's Center for Alternative Fuels
Writer: Jon Zemke
Macomb helps enhance workforce with JET Plus
Source: metromode, 2/5/2009
Six is the magic number when it comes to Michigan's new Jobs, Education and Training program, and Macomb Community College is one of those lucky six pilot sites.
The JET program is meant to help out-of-work locals transition back into the workforce. Macomb Community College received a $738,486 federal grant to make that happen this year. Similar training is taking place in Genesee, Saginaw, and Berrien counties.
Macomb Community College is working with Michigan Works! under the new program to make sure laid-off workers can be retrained in 11 new career fields. These include phlebotomy, pharmacy technician, health unit coordinator, certified professional coding, patient access/accounting specialist, certified nurse assistant and eldercare specialist.
Source: Macomb Community College
Writer: Jon Zemke
Innovative & Sustainable Solutions grows in Mt. Clemens
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
Thirteen is the lucky number for Susan Zaffarano.
That's how many years she spent as a consultant at a big-name company
before starting out on her own. She turned that opportunity into her
own consulting firm - Innovative & Sustainable Solutions.
The Mt. Clemens-based start-up focuses on helping companies become more environmentally sustainable.
"The goal is to work with companies to understand what their perception of sustainability is to them," Zaffarano says.
It
does this by looking at how they interact with the other companies they
do business with and their customers. Zaffarano is concentrating on
attracting Macomb County companies because she sees there is a lot
opportunity there.
"There are a lot of different pieces of the puzzle," Zaffarano says. "What are we doing to put them together?"
Source: Susan Zaffarano, principal of Innovative & Sustainable Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke
Macomb Community College starts offering film industry training
Source: metromode, 1/15/2009
Now that Michigan's new film incentives are bringing more jobs to Metro Detroit, and there are definitely enough people here ready to work, the only left to do is prepare those workers.
Fade in on Macomb Community College. The college's Center for Continuing Education is offering a number of programs to help prepare more locals for film-industry jobs.
The Filmmaking Industry Training classes will be taught by a number of people with experience in the film industry, such as Jennifer Schaefer (a Michigan native who is the founder of PowerGirl Pictures), Laura Brody (costume designer) and Jeanne Van Phue (makeup artist). The classes will also teach how to locate and apply for these jobs.
The classes will be held for two weeks in early February and again in April. Each class costs $2,300.
For information or to register, send an email to continuinged@macomb.edu or call (586) 498-4000.
Source: Macomb Community College
Writer: Jon Zemke