metromode - Job News

Mango Languages creates 35 jobs; 30 more to follow

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Not all businesses are original. Many are take-offs of an idea that just didn't work out for someone else. That's the case with the guys behind Mango Languages, who turned an old idea into a fast-growing start-up. And creating jobs left and right in the process.

The four friends behind the Farmington Hills-based firm had been building a web-development firm earlier this decade. Part of their jobs included working on a foreign language learning program. The creator was having difficulty, so two years ago the foursome decided to make their own version and hence Mango Languages was born. Today the company employs 35 people, 60 independent contractors, and two interns.

"We're growing," says Beverly Cornell, marketing and social media director for Mango Languages. "We're adding about 30 developers over the next six months."

Mango Language's primary product helps users master foreign languages. They have been able to get their products in libraries across the U.S., including some of the big ones like the New York and Seattle public libraries.

"About 40 million people in the U.S. have access to Mango Languages for free," Cornell says.

Mango Languages plans to expand its product offering in the next year. That should include the release of its latest product � Mango Basic. The program teaches polite usage of foreign languages.

Source: Beverly Cornell, marketing and social media director for Mango Languages
Writer: Jon Zemke

DartAppraisal.com doubles staff in Troy

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The collapse of the housing market has destroyed many businesses in Metro Detroit, but it's helping enrich at least one - DartAppraisal.com.

The Troy-based firm has turned that big problem into a big opportunity and is hiring at a torrid pace now. The company had 14 people in early 2008 and now employs 30, plus 6,000 independent contractors and a few summer interns. It expects to hire another 5-7 people before the year ends and 7-14 more in 2010.

"It's been a great year," says Darton Case, president of DartAppraisal.com. "Everything has been hitting for us."

Not that the company was doing too badly during the housing boom either. The online appraisal management firm was able to switch out of the normal appraisal game when the bottom of the housing market fell out. Today it handles refinancing, purchases and foreclosures in big states like Texas.

All of this is from a business that started as a spin-off of Oakland Mortgage in 1989. That company, run by Case's father, is now gone and DartAppraisal.com is growing strong.

"It gave me a place to run and stay out of the my father's hair," Case says.

Source: Darton Case, president of DartAppraisal.com
Writer: Jon Zemke

Securely Yours plans to hire 10-15 next year

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Securely Yours has some big plans for its second year of business.

The Bloomfield Hills-based firm got its start this spring and is now run by two people with a Rolodex of 25 independent contractors. The company expects to break out in 2010 by upping its employment rolls to 10-15 strong and 50 independent contractors. It hopes to do this by hitting $5-10 million in revenue after doing six figures worth in 2009.

"We feel our business is positioned to take off faster," says Sajay Rai, CEO and founder of Securely Yours.

Rai knows a thing about the information security game in which his start-up is trying to gain traction. The former IBM executive and Ernst & Young partner has spent 32 years in IT and 20 of those in the security aspect of it.

His company focus will be on information security in the higher education, government, and healthcare industries. Rai also wants to expand into the finance and manufacturing sectors. He claims his business can provide solutions that can drop a company's security and IT costs by 25-40 percent.

"The focus on information security has never been greater," Rai says.

Source: Sajay Rai, CEO and founder of Securely Yours
Writer: Jon Zemke

Michigan Microloan Fund hits 4 more firms

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of Michigan's more innovative forms of supplying seed capital strikes again now that the state's Microloan Fund has made loans to businesses in Ann Arbor and Birmingham.

The four loans total $200,000 and are meant to help the fledgling firms grow their businesses and commercialize new products. The loans, which usually are for about $50,000, are administered by Ann Arbor SPARK and repaid with interest within a couple years. The loans are also normally precursors to investments by angel investors and venture capital.

The recipients include:

Solarflex. The Birmingham-based firm will use the money to commercialize organic solar cells. These cells have the potential to offer greater efficiency and lower cost compared to solar cells currently on the market.

Allinnova. The Ann Arbor-based firm is developing tools for a comprehensive corporate capabilities assessment. Its microloan will be used to commercialize a tool for determining a corporation's capability to be successful in a strategic partnership with another organization.

Procuit. The Ann Arbor-based software-development firm creates educational software engines. Its funding will help support commercialization of HomeschoolAdvantage.com, a product that serves as a dedicated portal for the 2 million home schooled children in North America.

The Whole Brain Group. This Ann Arbor-based firm will use the money to ease the transition from a service-based business model to a product-based business model. Its flagship product is a subscription-based service that provides accreditation services to life science research institutions.

Source: Ann Arbor SPARK
Writer: Jon Zemke

Productions Plus acquires The Talent Shop

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Productions Plus is adding to its business by acquiring a local competitor � The Talent Shop. The new company is Production Plus � The Talent Shop out of Bingham Farms.

"They have been a fine competitor," says Margery Krevsky, president and CEO of Production Plus � The Talent Shop.

The acquisition makes Production Plus one of the premiere talent agencies in the Midwest. It was already on its way up, adding two more jobs to its staff of 46. Of those positions, 32 are located in Metro Detroit. The others are split between offices in Chicago and California.

The Talent Shop's print, commercial, and film sectors are expected to beef up the new firm's capabilities. The big emphasis will be on taking advantage of Michigan's emerging film industry.

"We're capitalizing on the film incentives," Krevsky says.

Source: Margery Krevsky, president and CEO of Production Plus � The Talent Shop
Writer: Jon Zemke

More movies shoot in Russell Industrial Center

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Russell Industrial Center has already established itself as the center of entrepreneurship in Detroit, and now it's trying to stake a similar claim in the film industry.

The factory-turned-studio space near the corner of I-75 near Grand Boulevard is already home to hundreds of small businesses and artists who occupy small studios at dirt cheap prices in a place with few rules and obligations. The film industry is starting to recognize that reality and take advantage of it.

"Now we're seeing people shooting movies like it's an actual movie studio," says Eric Novak, leasing agent for the Russell Industrial Center.

The Russell Industrial Center has traditionally served as the home studio for independent movies and some commercial work. That has changed with Michigan's new film incentives. Two Tier 1 films, which cost more than $1 million to make, have shot there this month and more are on the way.

The movies are Crave and Vanishing on Seventh Street. Their decision whether or not to use the Russell Industrial Center doesn't make or break the facility's budget, but it does add another two percent in revenue.

"It's a nice two percent to put back into our infrastructure like fixing the elevator or updating the lighting," Novak says.

Source: Eric Novak, leasing agent for the Russell Industrial Center
Writer: Jon Zemke

DEEN creates jobs in Detroit's TechTown

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tekisha Lee used to work in advertising for one of the big agencies, handling ads for a major branch of the military.

"I saw an economic opportunity because of the minority market," Lee says. "A lot of the corporations don't pick up the minority brands but I know there are a lot of opportunities there."

That led to the creation of the Diversity Emploment & Education Network Management a year ago. It specializes in multicultural employee candidates and has found a home in Detroit's TechTown business incubator. It now employs five people and 2-3 independent contractors. It hopes to add 15 more next year.

One of its products in development is DiverseNote, which is similar to a combination of Monster.com and LinkedIn for minorities. It is also creating a version of that website, DiverseNote Green, that centers around sustainability-based jobs.

"We want to add a lot of engineering individuals in the alternative energy industry," Lee says.

Source: Tekisha Lee, founder and CEO of Diversity Emploment & Education Network
Writer: Jon Zemke

GREEN SPACE: Give thanks for increasing number of green options in SE Michigan

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Every year, it gets easier to impart the holidays with an air of sustainability -- which is something that Green Space is certainly thankful for. So, in the spirit of the most food-oriented holiday, let us suggest some options from which to purvey your Thanksgiving feast.

In her story "The Omnivore's Detroit", Model D's managing editor Clare Ramsey explores several options for obtaining local, organic turkeys for her family's dinner last Thanksgiving. She ended up scoring at Roeske Farms in Hartland, about an hour northwest of Detroit, near M-59 and US 23, but also found Sunshine Meadows Farm in Ortonville and Harnois Farms near Pinckney.

Concentrate ran a similar story for those who live in Washtenaw County.

Eastern Market and the Royal Oak Farmers Market boast plenty of locally-grown produce that will remind you that celebration of the harvest bounty is truly at the root of this November holiday.

In other news, the Lions game on the 26th will be a carbon-neutral event. For the third year in a row, the Lions are partnering with TechTown-based Carbon Credit Environmental Services (CCES) and the Greening of Detroit to plant 650 trees in Detroit that will negate the 466 tons of carbon dioxide emitted by travel to and from the game as well as energy used at the stadium.

To get around, consider The Night Move. Thanksgiving Eve, the green shuttle will run its regular weekend route between Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Downtown Detroit from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. as well as a free shuttle for The Night Before Thanksgiving party at the Roostertail (from the Red Wings game at Joe Louis, Fishbones in St. Clair Shores, and Excalibur in Grosse Pointe Park). There's also a Night Move shuttle running to and from the Thursday Lions game, but it's already sold out.

Thanks for reading Green Space!

Sources: Monica Tabares, Greening of Detroit and Jennifer Harlan, The Night Move
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Esperion reintroduces itself with new clinical trial, growth

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

An old successful name is creating some new jobs in the Ann Arbor/Plymouth area.

Excerpt:

Back again for the first time, Esperion is getting its heart rate up as it begins its first clinical trial.

The former Ann Arbor-based firm that now calls Ann Arbor SPARK's Michigan Life Science & Innovation Center in Plymouth home started its first clinical Phase I clinical study since Pfizer spun the company back to its original founder last spring.

Read the rest of the story here.

North American Bancard hires 50, moves to new HQ

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

North American Bancard continues its growth, adding 50 new employees this year and moving into a bigger and better headquarters in Troy this month.

About 300 people and 5-10 interns work at its new $25 million headquarters at the corner of Stephenson Highway and 14 Mile Road. That rate of growth is expected to continue next year as the firm continues to fill out its new 105,000 square feet of space.

"We're continually growing, so it's pretty steady," says Danielle Crane, director of human resources at North American Bancard.

The firm, founded in 1992, is a leader in the electronic payments industry. It creates credit card e-commerce technology, both hardware and software. If you swipe your debit or credit card, then there is a good chance you're using North American Bancard products.

North American Bancard processes more than $5 billion annually from 90,000 active customers as of 2008. It recently received a $21.5 million tax credit over 12 years to create 1,500 new jobs in the state.

Source: Danielle Crane, director of human resources at North American Bancard
Writer: Jon Zemke

Plex Systems nails down $6M in venture capital

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Plex Systems can now count all of the ways it's going to grow - six million ways, in fact.

That's how much venture capital the Auburn Hills-based firm received earlier this week. A combination of private-equity firm Apax Partners, company management, and founding investors made the investment so the firm can build its customer base, expand its product development and accelerate sales and marketing efforts.

Plex Systems has watched its recurring revenue grow 34 percent in the first nine months of this year compared to 2008. Total revenue is up 14 percent over the comparable period from last year. The company has expanded into new industries, such as food and beverage processing, aerospace and defense manufacturing, and medical device manufacturing. It also grew its position within automotive manufacturing.

"That's been pretty average for the last 2-3 years in a row," says Patrick Fetterman, vice president of marketing for Plex Systems.

The company employs 135 people and eight student co-ops from Lawrence Technological and Kettering universities. It has hired about 15-20 people so far this year and expects to continue to hire next year. It is preparing for an initial public offering in the next 2-3 years.

Plex Systems creates enterprise resource planning software that lets manufacturers work more efficiently and provide the same services on a website. It's widely used in the automotive, defense, life sciences, and food and beverage industries. Plex Systems competitors include the likes of Microsoft, Oracle, and the European SAP.

Source: Patrick Fetterman, vice president of marketing for Plex Systems
Writer: Jon Zemke

Unity Studios lands WAR Entertainment film biz

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Unity Studios has landed its first major outside tenant now that WAR Entertainment is moving its operations to its new studio in Allen Park.

The formerly Pittsburgh-based firm is packing up shop and moving to Unity Studios this week. The move will mean five new jobs at first and more once the film and TV production company begins its production schedule next year.

"Things just clicked," says Eric Cedo, spokesman for Unity Studios. "They saw opportunities to grow their business here in Michigan."

WAR Entertainment was founded by former Detroit Piston Dale Davis. The company found Unity Studios after its name came out on the top of a Google search for the words "film studio Michigan."

Unity Studios is in the first stages of transforming about 100 acres into a film studio space. The first phase calls for renovating a 600,000-square-foot building to add four feature-size sound stages on 10 acres. Each of the sound stages measures out at 25,000 square feet. Work on the first of those stages is set to begin later this month.

The building will also house the Lifton Institute of Media Skills and room for production support vendors. The Lifton Institute started offering classes earlier this fall.

The second and third phases include developing the 64 acres into Unity Village, a tourist destination with housing, retail, and complimentary commercial business. The whole project is worth $146 million.

Source: Eric Cedo, spokesman for Unity Studios
Writer: Jon Zemke

K&F Electronics adds 5 jobs, acquires Atlanta firm

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In a shrinking industry, K&F Electronics continues to grow.

The Fraser-based firm has added five new jobs (for a total of 28) since its last acquisition earlier this summer. That allowed the company to up its production from a four-day shift to a five-day shift plus overtime.

K&F Electronics is buying another firm, H and L Electronics of Atlanta. It hopes to double its sales with this latest acquisition and continue to grow. Another acquisition could be in the firm's future before the year is out.

"The weirdest thing is I have people who have 100 people and want me to buy them," says Rick Kincaid, president of K&F Electronics.

The circuit board manufacturer is one of only a few hundred such companies still left in a quickly consolidating industry. Kincaid is only looking to acquire firms right now and bring more work to his native Metro Detroit.

Source: Rick Kincaid, president of K&F Electronics
Writer: Jon Zemke

Liberty Center One grows hosting biz, plans to hire

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's been a long, winding journey for Liberty Center One, a journey that's not only continuing but picking up speed.

The Pleasant Ridge-based firm started out a dozen years ago focusing on automotive marketing. As the firm grew, it made increasing use of Internet hosting services, and then moved in that direction by buying Ann Arbor-based Web Elite.

"That was really the impetus for us to get into the hosting business," says Tim Mullahy, general manager of Liberty Center One.

Today the firm is hitting its stride with its new data center in Royal Oak, which has allowed the firm to grow to 30-35 people and another 20 or so independent contractors. Mullahy expects the firm to hire more people in 2010.

"We're pretty hopeful IT spending will be back up," Mullahy says. "We think there is some pent up demand."

One encouraging sign is the growth it has seen so far this year. The firm has been able to double its sales in the last six months and has experienced more revenue growth this year compared to 2008.

Source: Tim Mullahy, general manager of Liberty Center One
Writer: Jon Zemke

Brighton Ideas.com harnesses entrepreneurial ambitions

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There are half a dozen people who continue to ply their entrepreneurial hopes and dreams in a perpetual start-up called BrightonIdeas.com.

Bill Stumphauzer is the de facto sun of a little entrepreneurial universe where people try to make their visions come to life in their spare time while they work their 9-5 jobs. The South Lyon resident works as a director of infotainment at Sirius XM. Another member is a product engineer for Ford, and another is a retired legal counsel for a company.

"While we all have these 9-5 jobs we all have in the back of our minds the idea that we would like to run our own business," Stumphauzer says. "We all hold onto that idealistic dream of being our own boss."

The company started a decade ago with the idea of creating a virtual wardrobe website. That idea crashed and burned but they were back at it with a flying toy called the Stingray. That made it to the New York Toy Show before failing.

"That one looked the most like it was going to take off," Stumphauzer says.

Other ideas have come and gone over time, but the group is unfazed. It's still working on the next big idea that will make the business viable.

Source: Bill Stumphauzer, founder of BrightonIdeas.com
Writer: Jon Zemke

SpaceForm spins out of TechTown into new partnership

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit's TechTown can claim another success story now that SpaceForm has spun out of the business incubator and formed a partnership with Welding Solutions.

SpaceForm employed three people before the merger this month. Today it employs seven at its new home in Madison Heights. It also has access to the resources and expertise of the 125 people that work for Welding Solutions.

"It was an ideal way to get access to a lot of experience and infrastructure that exists at Welding Solutions," says Alain Piette, president of SpaceForm.

SpaceForm develops welding technology that is much quicker, more efficient and cost effective than the norm in the manufacturing industry. The Delphi spin-off was also one of TechTown's first tenants when it started in 2005.

"It's a Michigan jewel that unfortunately not too many people know exists," Piette says. "They know where the resources are and they know how to coach entrepreneurs at various levels."

Source: Alain Piette, president of SpaceForm
Writer: Jon Zemke

Guffly expands product availability to meet demand

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit's Guffly is gaining traction as it expands its product offerings to meet consumer demand.

The TechTown-based start-up features a new eco-friendly product on its website every day. It also makes a point to find products that have a bit of flair to them. The site launched late last summer and has met with a bit of success since then as people continue to demand some of the products.

"We're calling them out top Guffs because they're our top sellers we're making available," says Kelley Walker, chief interwebs troublemaker for Guffly.

Among those products are tote bags made of old seat belts and cuff links made of Legos. It all comes back to the idea that the green lifestyle needs to invoke a little more style.

The idea came from a couple of students at Bizdom U. They came up with the idea for the name by combining the words good and stuff with an -ly added to the end to make it catchy. The company's two founders are Chanell Scott (chief love distributor for Guffly) and Jordan Contreras (chief strategic friendship ninja for Guffly). They are working to establish the company in its first year and continue to build its network of suppliers.

Source: Kelley Walker, chief interwebs troublemaker for Guffly
Writer: Jon Zemke

GREEN SPACE: WSU grad student launching co. to develop solar water heater monitor

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

David Collins, an Ann Arbor resident and Wayne State University graduate student, was struck with the entrepreneurial bug when he became curious about the amount of energy his own solar hot water heater produced. Since he was already on his way to earning his graduate certificate in alternative energy, his next step was to launch a business, Qisol, that will develop a readily-accessible affordable performance monitor for solar hot water heaters.

An idea is one thing, funding and backing another. His was one of six student companies chosen for WSU's E2 Challenge, housed at TechTown. The program supports Wayne State students in exploring the potential of their own start-up companies and preparing for outside investment.

The student groups that won the challenge received financial support and a summer-long mentoring program to develop their business idea with the help of funding from the Michigan Initiative for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Now Collins, who is earning a graduate certificate in alternative energy technology at WSU, is well on his way to launching a business that will make heating water with solar power a more viable, efficient alternative. The program provided Collins with training in marketing, educated him on corporate structure, and provided the backing that made conversations with potential investors and customers possible.

"E2 was wonderful...When I was going out and talking with installers, utility companies, and state representatives, once I told them I had a grant they wanted to listen," says Collins. "Once they knew someone was backing me up, it carried a lot of clout."

Collins now has a prototype of his product and three electrical engineers and two web designers working for him. He submitted an application for a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Department of Energy in September and is currently developing a second prototype. He plans to launch his business in February 2010 and graduate in April.

Source: David Collins, Qisol
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Downtown Ann Arbor's re:group sees steady growth

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ann Arbor's re:group is doing anything but as it continues its steady growth in the college town's downtown.

Excerpt:

Ann Arbor's re:group deals with a lot of new economy business model like brand development and social media, but it depends on an old school business model to grow its own business.

The downtown-based firm focuses on growing its client base and existing business relationships. That led to landing a number of new clients (the latest is Health Plus of Michigan), pumping up its revenue 10 percent over last year as well as adding two people to its staff of 20 (and an intern).

Read the rest of the story here.

Mercedes-Benz Hybrid sets up R&D center in Redford

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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"

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

GREEN SPACE: Detroit riverfront companies receive $450,000 in federal cleanup dollars

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Southwest Detroit has borne a disproportionate amount of transportation-related environmental burdens for the entire Southeast Michigan region. Why is that? Its proximity to multiple freeways, train tracks, the Ambassador Bridge, and the Detroit River has resulted in a preponderance of transportation infrastructure and the accompanying emissions.

Some good news for the area: the receipt of two Michigan Clean Diesel Recovery and Reinvestment Project grants from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) that total more than $450,000. The money will be used by applicant partners Waterfront Petroleum Terminal Company ($309,913) and Nicholson Terminal & Dock Company ($141,700), both located on the Detroit River, to replace inefficient diesel engines. The grants are funded by the Diesel Emission's Reduction National Program (DERA) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 and were facilitated by AKT Peerless Environmental & Energy Services and the Detroit Wayne County Port Authority (DWCPA).

Established in 1993, Waterfront Petroleum Terminal Company is a fuel and energy supplier to electrical utilities, steel producers, road builders, vessels on the Great Lakes, and government clients such as the U.S. Department of Defense and municipal accounts including the City of Detroit. The company also provides downstream distribution services, transportation solutions, consultation, design, equipment, and financing solutions. The DERA grant dollars will go towards replacing propulsion engines, generator sets, and shore pumps with more efficient equipment.

Since its inception in 1928, Nicholson Terminal & Dock Company has been an above-the-waterline shipyard and shipping terminal. It operates two port terminals, one in Ecorse and one in Southwest Detroit, where activities such as truck, rail car, and barge loading and unloading, container stuffing and stripping, securing, cargo sorting, cargo assembling, and short- and long-term storage take place. Nicholson will replace old diesel engines with new ones in order to reduce emissions.

Source: Rebecca Binno-Savage, AKT Peerless
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

$19M in stimulus funds for U-M retirement study creates 60 jobs

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Who would have thought a big study about retirement would put so many people to work? Researchers at the University of Michigan, that's who.

Excerpt:

$19 million buys a lot these days, including a lot of research at the University of Michigan.

The U-M Health & Retirement Study, conducted by the university's Institute for Social Research, recently won four grants totaling $19 million from the federal stimulus package. That funding will translate into 60 new direct jobs and lots of other work for hungry researchers across the nation.

"We manage the activity centrally here in Ann Arbor," says David Weir, research professor for the U-M Institute for Social Research.

Read the rest of the story here.

MEDC approves brownfield projects, expected to create 1,500 jobs

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation approved 10 brownfield projects that are expected to create 1,500 jobs and help seven companies invest $254 million.

The projects include the normal automotive-centric projects and an IT center development in Detroit. The idea behind the tax credits is to turn some of the state's brown fields into viable commercial spaces available for investment and job creation. Michigan's definition of brown fields ranges from polluted land to obsolete buildings.

The Metro Detroit projects include:

Ohio Module Manufacturing Co. taking over ArvinMeritor's Southwest Detroit plant, saving 200 jobs that manufacture complete chassis modules for the Jeep Wrangler. The Toledo-based company plans to invest $21.4 million into the facility.
Detroit-based Strategic Staffing Solutions plans to spend $7.3 million to open a new IT center in the Motor City. That deal is expected to create 437 jobs.
Williams International expects to invest $12 million to update its Commerce Township facility so it can build small gas turbine engines for military, industrial, and commercial aircraft applications
The transformation of the old Ford Wixom plant received a big boost with $137 million in tax credits over 20 years. Clairvoyant Energy Solar Panel Manufacturing and Xtreme Power plan to turn the facility into an alternative energy manufacturing base that will create 3,250 jobs as part of an $856 million project.

Source: Michigan Economic Development Corp
Writer: Jon Zemke