Force Protection expands in Sterling Heights, plans to double staff
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
Sterling Heights has been on offense when it comes to attracting defense contractors. For years General Dynamics was the sole taker, but within the last year or two others, such as SAIC and VSE, have set up shop as well.
"Over
the last year there has been a ramp up of the number of projects and
offices moving here," says Luke Bonner, economic development manager
for Sterling Heights.
Add Force Protection
to that list. It’s opening up its own engineering office in Sterling
Heights after sharing space with another company for the last year.
There are currently 27 engineers working there, but that number could
go as high as 60.
"They will expand up to 60 in a very short time," Bonner says.
Force
Protection designs a variety of military vehicles, as many as 4,000,
that are used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Its new 8,800-square-foot
facility will play a critical role in designing its newest vehicles,
such as the Cheetah.
The
Cheetah provides state-of-the-art protection against blast and
ballistic attacks but weighs half as much as its competitors. Its other
signature vehicles are the Buffalo and Cougar, which specialize in defeating IED attacks.
The company finished 2008 with more than $1.2 billion in revenues while employing about 1,300 full-time people.
Source: Luke Bonner, economic development manager for Sterling Heights
Writer: Jon Zemke
JCS Computer Resources grows into bigger offices in Southfield
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
JCS Computer Resources has found a bigger and better home: Southfield.
The
tech firm just moved to a new space in Southfield, 27698 Franklin Road,
that is twice as large as its old Pontiac digs. The firm, founded in
1989, employs 18 people across the U.S., including six in Southfield.
JCS
Computer Resources has been able to make the move thanks to 30 percent
revenue growth last year. It hopes to hit that number again or possibly
exceed it a little this year. Jennifer O'Brien, president of the
company, expects to hire another 1-2 more people if it does.
The company provides technical support and training for SAGE software products, such as Peachtree, MAS 90, MAS 200, ACT! and Timeslips.
It also specializes in integrating accounting applications and
e-commerce shopping cards, along with point of sale systems and
customer relationship management applications.
Source: Jennifer O'Brien, president of JCS Computer Resources
Writer: Jon Zemke
Fisher Coachworks lands $2.65M from 21st Century Jobs Fund
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
Fisher Coachworks is getting another venture capital shot in the arm.
Michigan’s 21st Century Jobs Fund approved $2.625 million for the manufacturer of ultra-light buses. Troy-based Fisher Coachworks has already received large tax incentives to make the buses here.
The bus is expected to be half the weight of today's standard passenger bus, giving it twice the gas mileage. It can do this by using Nitronic 30 stainless steel, which is much lighter than regular steel and doesn't corrode.
It hopes to create about 1,000 new jobs, mostly in Metro Detroit, within five years making these ultra fuel-efficient buses. It also hopes to control 10 percent of the hybrid bus market.
About 5,000 hybrid buses are manufactured each year, however that number is increasing as cities around the world, such as Ann Arbor, start to switch their bus fleets to hybrids.
The investment was made possible after a couple of companies withdrew from the 21st Century Jobs Fund program.
Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Writer: Jon Zemke
Michigan moves up to No. 16 in venture capital rankings for 2008
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
Mo' money in Michigan means higher rankings for the Great Lakes state in the venture capital race.
Michigan
finished No. 16 in 2008 when it came to attracting venture capital.
That’s up from No. 25 in 2007, and one more sign that the state’s new
economy continues to grow.
Michigan-based companies closed 43
deals for seed money last year. That accounted for $245 million in
investment, more than double the $104 million Michigan attracted in
2007, according to the National Venture Capital Association.
This
year’s totals rival the Internet bubble's highs of 1999 and 2000. The
numbers fell quickly after that but have steadily increased ever since.
Michigan’s share of the venture capital pie is still paltry
compared to other states. California remains the big dog in the hunt
for early investment. It took in 50 percent of the venture capital,
amounting to $15.2 billion. The next closest was Massachusetts with 10
percent and $2.9 billion.
Source: National Venture Capital Association.
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
Sandler Training offers free seminars for local entrepreneurs
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
A free lesson or two in starting your own business will be available in Detroit today, thanks to Sandler Training.
The Ann Arbor-based firm is working with Wayne State University's business incubator, TechTown, and ShoreBank Enterprise Detroit to offer the free seminar. Sandler will hold the monthly series of seminars that focuses primarily on business development.
The first seminar, No Pressure Sales without Wimping Out, will be presented between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. today at the TechOne building in TechTown, 440 Burroughs St. in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Lunch will be provided to participants.
For information, contact Mike Wynn at wynn@marrsales.com or (734) 821-4830 or click here.
Source: TechTown
Writer: Jon Zemke
GREEN SPACE: A2 & Ypsi undergoing holistic sustainability training this weekend
Source: metromode, 1/29/2009
This weekend, about 50 participants from all over Southeast Michigan
will gather to undergo training in the Transition movement, which
emphasizes a local solution to the global issue of oil dependence.
Transition
was founded by Rob Hopkins in the UK, and has spread across the world
-- Boulder, CO, Portland, ME, and Ketchum, ID are all Transition towns.
It addresses food and farming, medicine and health, the prison
industry, education, the economy, transportation, energy and housing --
all with an eye towards local, sustainable thinking.
"We're
working towards an effective and meaningful response to global warming
and the end of cheap energy," says organizer Lisa Bashert. "Through
this process, we hope to come up with some plans towards a more
localized culture and way of life."
The planning team will be
led by trainer Michael Brownlee from Boulder County in Colorado, who
has been trained by Hopkins. The group consists of representatives from
the Ypsilanti Food Co-op, Growing Hope, the City of Ann Arbor's Energy
Office, Bioneers, Sustainable Ypsi and members of the Sustainable
Michigan/Peak Oil Meetup group. Bashert hopes the training will
encourage collaboration between participants.
While
registration for the training is closed already due to the high level
of interest, there are a couple of public events tied in. On Thursday,
January 29, from 7:30 to 9:30, the Detroit Evolution Laboratory
will host a welcome event for Brownlee in Eastern Market's Shed 5, on
Russell Street. On Friday night, the group will show the film The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil at the Ann Arbor Friends Meeting house.
To learn more about the Transition movement, check out these websites:
http://www.transitiontowns.org/
http://www.hopedance.org/cms/content/view/540/86/
http://www.transitionus.org/
http://TransitionMichigan.ning.com
Source: Lisa Bashert
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Adayana buys Gradepoint, brings more people to downtown Detroit
Source: Model D, 1/29/2009
Another downtown Detroit start-up is bought and the buyers plans to expand.
Excerpt:
Adayana has acquired downtown-based Gradepoint and plans to consolidate its operations there.
The Indianapolis-based firm already has an office of about 10 people in Metro Detroit. Bringing those people downtown to Gradepoint’s headquarters will up the number to about 50 people. Adayana also hopes to hire a few more people for its Detroit location later this year.
"We're a growth corporation," says Thomas Gahm, director of communications for Adayana. "We're planning on growing all of our locations."
Read the rest of the story here.
Ann Arbor's WindSight wins ACE competition, plans to add up to 60 people
Source: Concentrate, 1/29/2009
WindSight has its sights set on job creation in Ann Arbor, after taking home top prize at ACE's elevator pitch contest
Excerpt:
Ann Arbor's WindSight is on a hot streak and expects that to translate into upwards of 60 jobs within the next five years.
But the alternative-energy firm still has a long way to go to reach its goal. Right now it has two employees but expects that number to reach 10-20 by the end of next year.
"We're looking to ramp up hiring this year and next," Williams says.
Read the rest of the story here.
Kendle dips into Ann Arbor's talent pool for 26 new hires
Source: Concentrate, 1/29/2009
Kendle knows talent when it sees it. That's why the international corporation set up shop in Ann Arbor after Pfizer closed its Tree Town campus.
Excerpt:
The storyline is familiar now: Pfizer closes its Ann Arbor campus, new jobless pharma techies take a leap of faith and create their own start-up. The tale that isn't told is how Pfizer's closing attracted other companies to set up Ann Arbor offices.
Cincinatti-based Kendle is just one of those companies. It didn’t have an Ann Arbor office before the pharma giant's closure but it did soon after.
"A lot of talented people were leaving Pfizer and we wanted to hire those that wanted to stay in the Ann Arbor area," says Mel Kropko, director of global clinical development for North America for Kendle.
Read the rest of the story here.
Wayne State’s Motown classes explore Detroit's impact on music
Source: Model D, 1/27/2009
Wayne State University students are starting to understand just how big
of an impact Detroit has had on art, music and pop culture around the
world thanks to a new the Motown Global Learning Community.
The
new program uses two English classes over one year to study everything
from slam poetry to Motown to The White Stripes. Nationally and
internationally known poets, songwriters and musicians pop into the
classes.
Students tour through some of Detroit’s most famous
neighborhoods to get a better idea of where the music came from. There
is also an optional study abroad portion in southern Germany.
World-renowned poet and Wayne State Prof.
M.L. Liebler is organizing the program. For information, click
here.
Source: Wayne State University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Dearborn's ArabDetroit.com becomes hub for Arab-Americans
Source: metromode, 1/22/2009
The center of Arab-American life has been in Metro Detroit for generations, so it's no wonder that ArabDetroit.com is the home of Internet activity for Middle Eastern ex-patriots.
"ArabDetroit.com is the center," says Warren David, founder of ArabDetroit.com.
"It's the hub for Arabs in America."
David is a third generation Arab-American who runs his own public relations firm, David Communications, in Dearborn. He started the website in May, 2007 as a side project. It has since morphed into a destination site.
The
website started with 50,000 page views per month. It now takes in
700,000 page views a month and is aiming to break through the 1 million
barrier by doubling those views this year. ArabDetroit.com also has
20,000 subscribers to its newsletter, however, only about 60 percent of
them are Arab-Americans.
"It's the one place you can find a Muslim or a Christian, a Yemini or a Lebanese all on the same page," David says.
To
accommodate this convergence of local cultures, David has expanded his
staff to five people. He expects to hire a few more this year to
continue support of the rapidly sprawling site.
The site has grown to encompass every facet of the Arab-American online community. There is SoukDetroit.com that is similar to Craigslist. There are social gathering places and an Internet radio station. It's all part of David's serendipitous plan to make the site all things to Arab-America.
"I think it's going to be much more powerful than what it is now," David says.
Source: Warren David, founder of ArabDetroit.com
Writer: Jon Zemke
Strategic Energy Solutions grows to 21 people in Berkley
Source: metromode, 1/22/2009
Eleven years ago, Strategic Energy Solutions
employed three people and focused on the telecom industry. Today it has
a staff of 21 and focuses on designing sustainable mechanical and
electrical systems, such as geothermal.
One
thing has been constant for the Berkley-based firm – growth. It
averages a new hire or two each year. Last year was no exception for
Strategic Energy Solutions. It took on two more people and plans to do
so again this year.
"I want to not just survive, but thrive,"
says Steve DiBerardine, president of Strategic Energy Solutions. "I
refuse to participate in the downturn."
He is putting his money
where his mouth is, rehabilitating a new home with much more space in
Berkley. He should be set for the next seven years if he continues
bringing on two people annually.
Strategic Energy Solutions is also walking its talk, going for silver LEED certification for its new home. Not the cheapest way to go, but a sure-fire way to send a message that it means business.
Source: Steve DiBerardine, president of Strategic Energy Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County scores record biz development, job creation
Source: metromode, 1/22/2009
Oakland County knows manufacturing has
sustained Metro Detroit's economy for generations. Its leaders are
smart enough to also know those days are numbered. It's a big reason
why they have been touting the success of the county's Emerging Sectors business development strategy.
In
a decade where the manufacturing base has gone on a crash diet, the
Emerging Sectors program has grown fat with success after success. Last
year was its best year ever with 38 companies choosing to locate or
expand in the county. That translates into nearly $250 million in
investment and about 8,400 jobs.
Among those success stories are the Global Wind Systems (an alternative energy company) sinking $32 million into an operation in Novi that will create 356 jobs, and HoMedics, a medical device company in Commerce Township bringing in $11 million and 62 new jobs.
The
program began in 2004 and has helped more than 100 companies either
expand or move to Oakland County, bringing $1.2 billion in investment
and 14,500 new jobs with them. That also helped retain another 5,600
jobs and more than $30 million in local taxes.
The numbers of
participating businesses have risen each year. Although only four
companies came into the fold in 2004, that number grew to eight in
2005, 20 in 2006 and 31 in 2007.
Source: Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Longtime scribe breaks out on his own with PublicCity PR
Source: metromode, 1/22/2009
Jason Brown spent years and years working
journalism and public relations jobs for someone else, making them more
money than he was bringing in for himself. Not anymore.
The Oak Park resident struck out on his own last year with his entrepreneurial baby, PublicCity PR. The firm is going after the smaller clients who need the attention of a good PR guy but not the services of an entire agency.
"I
thought there was a tremendous need for someone like myself for
companies that only have something like $1,000 a month to spend on PR,"
Brown says.
He seems to be finding the sweet spot. He
immediately took on four clients and services about half a dozen today.
They range from the The Sports Club of Novi and West Bloomfield to CRUST Pizza in Rochester Hills to the Amae Plastic Surgery Center in Bloomfield Hills. That's plenty of work for one man.
"With everything going on it seems like that will change soon," Brown says.
Enough that he is considering bringing in a number of other like-minded professionals to help him carry the workload.
Source: Jason Brown, principal of PublicCity PR
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland U seeks to produce more advanced degree nurses
Source: metromode, 1/22/2009
It's not often you can call a nurse 'doctor', but that's happening more and more at Oakland University.
The
Rochester Hills-based college is expanding its nursing program to offer
more graduate-level nursing courses. That includes classes for those
pursuing a doctorate in nursing practice, the highest level of
preparation for clinical practice recognized by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
The
idea is to help train advanced degree nurses so that there will be
enough teachers at local nursing education programs. This will assist
in expanding the pool graduates and help solve the nursing shortage.
Whew! That's a lot of nurses, which is the point.
The new
Doctorate in Nursing Practice curriculum can be finished within two
years if the student already has a masters degree in nursing. It will
touch on subjects like advanced research methods, theory, leadership,
systems management and nursing informatics. There is also an
accelerated 16-month program.
Source: Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke
Lawrence Tech to help place displaced workers starting today
Source: metromode, 1/22/2009
It's not surprising that there are a lot
of people out of work these days. Slightly less surprising is
that there are still job openings. Lawrence Technological University is now trying to help introduce the former to the latter.
Lawrence
Tech's first of four networking receptions is set for tomorrow evening
at its Southfield Campus. It will host 50 companies that are looking to
hire people with degrees. It's not an economic turnaround, but
university officials hope it will help ease some of the economic pain
currently going around.
It's part of Lawrence Tech's $3 million Recovery Starts Here
program, which is aiming to help find jobs for displaced workers. The
program includes 0 percent tuition grants for laid-off workers looking
to further their education and improve their skill set. It's also
expanding curriculum in new economy-based fields, such as
sustainability, alternative energy and life sciences.
Lawrence Tech is also working with the The Ayers Group
of Southfield, a career transition management firm, on a career
services and networking workshop this morning and this evening at the
Taubman Student Services Center on the Southfield Campus. More
workshops will be held later this month.
The free reception will
be held between 5-9 p.m. Thursday at 21000 West 10 Mile Road in
Southfield. For information, send an email to recovery@ltu.edu or call
(248) 204-4100 or click here.
Source: Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke
GREEN SPACE: The crystal ball says develop alternative energy, leverage our resources
Source: metromode, 1/22/2009
The hundredth issue of Metromode
seems like a perfect opportunity to look, not backwards, but forward.
Where does Southeast Michigan need to be in ten years? In 20?
The
answer, my friends, is green, green, green. I know, real shocking to
read that in a weekly column that talks about sustainability. But it's
true, and pretty much everyone with even just a few brain cells would
agree with the sentiment.
Here are a few specific concepts worth implementing in big ways in the Mitten State.
- Embrace wind energy. Not only is it a
clean energy source that is in plentiful supply here, but we have
manufacturing capabilities that exist in very few other states or
countries. Let's get some of those plants back on line and former auto
workers back on the clock. Read more details about wind energy in
Michigan here.
- Similarly, make solar a part of our
energy diet. It doesn't have the generation capacity in megawatts that
wind does, but it still can be of great help in lessening our
dependence on non-renewable energy sources. Germany gets about the same
amount of sunshine that Michigan does and it's used way more there.
Let's take a cue from Bavaria. More data and info on solar here.
- Celebrate our water, the Detroit
River in particular. As Robert F. Kenndy Jr. so eloquently put it in
his Metromode interview about a year ago:
"Ultimately, in Detroit, the city's
water is going to dictate its health. [We have an] enormous problem in
the Southwest with sprawl development that is irrational, dangerous and
careless.
There's a train wreck coming, and the
cities that are going to end up with the strongest economies are those
with the strongest environmental base, and Detroit can be one of those
cities. Detroit has a future based on its waterways, and its water is
the best investment that Detroit can make right now: restoring public
access to waterways and fighting pollution in waterways.
Detroit -- looking at its landscapes
and surroundings -- is one of the greatest places to live, and that
value will be recognized by the marketplace and by people."
Read the entire interview here. It's good stuff.
- Think food. Michigan is fifth in the
nation in fresh vegetable production and eigth in processed vegetable
production. We lead the nation in tart cherries, we're eighth in milk,
third in apples...we've got it going on. But we need to do a better job
with food distribution and stop sprawl, which reduces the amount of
production acreage. Urban farming can certainly play a role in this as
well.
- Transit. Drive less. Bike and walk
more. Our region has a long, long way to go in these arenas. More bike
lanes and sidewalks should be a priority.
- The Big 3 (?) needs to evolve, and this is a much bigger topic than this one column can handle.
Michigan
is blessed with abundant natural resources, and figuring out how to
leverage them makes good economic and environmental sense.
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
Gyro Creative diversifies in Detroit, plans to hire
Source: Model D, 1/22/2009
Another downtown Detroit creative firm finds success outside of the automotive industry.
Excerpt:
Gyro Creative got its start a decade ago with a few projects here and there based in the automotive and manufacturing sectors. "Since then we have become more account focused and been able to get away from an automotive focus," says Angela Topacio, principal of Gyro Creative. "We have been able to develop some interesting products."
Topacio and her husband Matthew DiDio are the principals of the branding-and-design firm today. Today it employs a dozen people full-time, one more person part-time and the occasional summer intern.
Read the rest of the story here.
Ann Arbor SPARK raffles off Ypsilanti incubator space at ACE
Source: Concentrate, 1/22/2009
A new, free office space for start-ups is up for grabs in downtown Ypsilanti thanks to Ann Arbor SPARK.
Excerpt:
Everything an ambitious start-up needs to be successful will be up for grabs at the Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship tomorrow.
A whole lot of start-up know-how will be available at the conference, but something more valuable will also be on hand – free space in Ann Arbor SPARK's new East Business Incubator in downtown Ypsilanti. Ann Arbor SPARK plans to raffle off one free year's lease.
That free space, worth $4,800, will include access to a VOIP phone system, T-1 internet connection, a full kitchen, two conference rooms, free parking and administrative resources such as copiers and cleaning services. There will also be access to Ann Arbor SPARK's business acceleration services.
Read the rest of the story here.