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Genisys, Tri-Pointe Community credit unions kick off year with merger

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General

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February 5, 2015

Genisys Credit Union and Tri-Pointe Community Credit Union are merging into one financial institution which will continue on under the Genisys Credit Union banner. Auburn Hills-based Genisys Credit Union is the larger of the two financial institutions, a factor that played into Fenton-based Tri-Pointe Community Credit Union decision to join up. "Tri-Pointe Community was seeking another strong, larger credit union to combine with so that they could be sure that sufficient resources would be devoted to meeting the ever changing needs of its members," says Tom Alter, chief marketing officer of Genisys Credit Union. "Genisys was interested in expanding into Genesee County and a merger with a credit union as successful and strong as Tri-Pointe makes great sense for the members of both organizations." TriPointe Community Credit Union has five branches clustered in and around Flint. Those branches, along with the credit union's 63 employees, will be integrated into Genisys Credit Union’s operations. Combined, the credit union will have 29 branches, assets totaling more than $1.8 billion, and nearly 175,000 members. "The merger becomes official on April 1," Alter says. Genisys Credit Union has been growing steadily in recent years. It has hired 69 people in 2014 and is looking to add another four right now. Alter expects that hiring to slow a little bit this year as the credit union works to consolidate the merger. "It's going to be all hands on deck to get our systems combined," Alter says. Source: Tom Alter, chief marketing officer of Genisys Credit Union Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Cardiologist, successful chef and author behind GreenSpace Cafe in Ferndale

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Arts & Culture

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February 5, 2015

Construction and hiring are underway for a downtown Ferndale restaurant that plans to offer a menu that pleases the palate without hindering good health. GreenSpace Cafe is expected to open in March at 215 W. 9 Mile Road. The cafe is the brainchild of restaurateur Daniel Kahn, cardiologist and heart health author, Dr. Joel Kahn. George Vutetakis, chef, healthy eating author and former proprietor of the long successful Inn Season vegetarian restaurant in Royal Oak is developing the menu, which will be plant based and oil free. He is known as the Vegetarian Guy and is director of product research and development at Ferndale-based Garden Fresh Gourmet. Dr. Kahn is a vegan and author of books about the benefits and implementation of plant-based eating. The 1,700-square-foot restaurant will seat about 60 inside and about 40 on an expanded patio. The renovations are transforming the space that was Maria's Fine Italian Dining into a relaxed, rustic style eatery in the heart of downtown. Daniel Kahn hopes not only to attract vegetarians and vegans who don't limited quality options for dining out in metro Detroit as well as meat eaters who may be looking to improve the way they eat and discover a plant-based diet does not equal deprivation. Source: Daniel Kahn, owner, GreenSpace Cafe Writer: Kim North Shine

LJPR expands staff by 6 on double-digit revenue gains

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Economic Development

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February 5, 2015

LJPR is not one of those financial adviser firms that sits idly by and waits for things to turn its way. It goes out and gets what it wants. At least that is what it has done with hiring lately. The Troy-based firm has hired six people over the last year, including five in the last 100 days. Those new hires include tax professionals, financial advisers, support staff, and marketing professionals. It now has a staff of 23 employees and a handful of interns. It’s also looking to hire a financial adviser or two. "We are always looking for good people," says Leon LaBrecque, founder & chief strategist of LJPR. "Always. We will warehouse a good person if we can find them." The 26-year-old firm is centered around independent wealth management and is 100 percent employee owned. It specializes in individual retirement planning, investment management, executive financial counseling, nonprofit investment services, estate planning, and tax planning. The firm is currently managing $691 million in assets. "A lot of the time when there is turmoil in the market some financial advisers stick their heads in the sand," LaBrecque says. "We look for opportunities." Which would explain its most recent growth streak. LJPR's revenue is up 14 percent over the last year. It was also up 20 percent the year before that. This year it is shooting for a 15 percent gain. "We have had record earnings seven years in a row," LaBrecque says. Source: Leon LaBrecque, founder & chief strategist of LJPR Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Former Northville psych hospital to become massive commercial/public use space

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Arts & Culture

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February 5, 2015

After years of sitting dark and quiet, wasting way, the former psychiatric hospital property in Northville Township is undergoing changes that are part of a lively economic redevelopment that turns the 400-acre site into a walkable, shoppable, eatable, hang-outable, job-creatable project. Part of the project at 7 Mile and Haggerty roads, known as Northville Park Place, covers about 82 acres, and is being developed by Livonia-based Schostak and its Team Schostak Family Restaurants. A large portion is a public park, walking trails and other amenities that will give visitors a variety of things to do and also connect some locals to their neighborhoods via a trail system. The main hospital and other buildings have yet to be demolished, but the development is proceeding. As the retail and commercial portion of the project enters phase 2, several restaurants and retailers have signed leases to open. They include Tom + Chee, a specialty grilled cheese restaurant; Mediterranean eatery, Red Olive, North Dakota-based Granite City, Seattle-based MOD Pizza, BurgerFi, Chipotle, Jimmy John's are signed leases previously. Several stores are also signed on. Phase 1 was the 100,000-square-foot University of Michigan Northville Health Center. The final phase will be the public space that will also feature water falls, a pond, bike trails and outdoor seating. The re-use of the land was a source of debate for years in the township as several plans and promises were made and broken and red tape for the former state-owned property dragged out a re-use of the prominent piece of land. Source: Jennifer Frey, director of community development, Northville Township Writer: Kim North Shine

PublicCity PR adds to clientele as company grows

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General

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February 5, 2015

PublicCity PR has come a long ways in its first six years. The boutique public relations firm has literally gone from kitchen table to some of the larger boardrooms in Metro Detroit. The Southfield-based company has recently expanded its client list with some big names, including the likes of Gardner White, Belle Tire, Affinity Tool, InstaBOOST, Michigan Women’s Foundation, and TVStoreOnline.com. "I never imagined six years ago that we would be in this position to win business from such big establishments," says Jason Brown, founder & principal of PublicCity PR. "It's all from a lot of hard work." PublicCity PR started on Brown's kitchen table in Oakland County. At the time he was just a former reporter who had been working in PR for a decade, looking to scratch out a living in the communications world. Now he oversees a growing staff of four employees and an intern in the company's own office. Part of those gains have come from PublicCity PR joining the PRConsultantsGroup as the new Michigan representative. The nationwide organization is composed of senior-level public relations and marketing consultants in every major market in the U.S. Members often work together on projects with each member acting as the expert for their region. PublicCity PR recently work as part of that conglomerate on campaign for Travelocity where the company’s mascot (a gnome) made appearances across Metro Detroit. "That was an easy project but there is more work to come," Brown says. Source: Jason Brown, founder & principal of PublicCity PR Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

So, what does living ‘close’ to transit actually mean?

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Community Development

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February 5, 2015

Unless you've been living in a cave you've probably heard about James Robertson and his 21 mile daily commuter by foot. He's the perfect poster child for just how screwed up our public transit situation is. It also makes sense that his story would go viral. But will this mean real change? Or just an outpouring of support for one person and then ten more years of our community burying its head in the sand about how pitiful our transportation policies continue to be? So, what would a reasonable system look like? And what does it mean to live 'near' transit. Excerpt: "What both these studies point to is that "proximity" to transit is a rather flexible setting that's by no means limited to a quarter- or half-mile in all cases. Of course, most people prefer to walk as little as possible to reach a transit stop or station. But not all urban street networks are created equal (walking a half-mile in Manhattan doesn't feel the same as walking that far in, say, pedestrian-unfriendly Orlando) and not all riders have the same options. The recent findings at least raise the possibility that cities could increase both ridership and market opportunities by extending TOD planning at least a mile from a station." Read the rest here.

Attention haters: Muslims in Dearborn are… Americans

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Community Development

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February 5, 2015

As most metro Detroiters know, Dearborn, home to the Ford Motor Company and Carhart workwear, is also a peaceful melting pot of Muslim and non-Muslim Americans alike. But for some it's become a rhetorical punching bag, the target of bigoted conspiracy theories. The Daily Beast attempts to set the record straight. Excerpt: Folks invested in harmful myths about Dearborn, Stockton says, have “a social and ideological location within the population. They’re almost all on the right, they’re almost all Republicans, and they’re almost all over a certain age.” It’s part of a broader cultural battle, said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.“These people feel like they are losing their America, because the true America is reflecting and embracing more diversity,” he said. “… Many are using the politics of fear to galvanize their bases.” Read the rest here.

How are the kids in Kidpreneur doing one year later?

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Community Development

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February 5, 2015

About a year and a half ago Metromode wrote about Kidpreneur, a company dedicated to teaching tweens and teens about technology and entrepreneurship. Other publications soon caught on as well, writing up their own coverage. One, Xconomy, checks back in with the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Thanh Tran to see how things are going. Excerpt: "Kidpreneur recently began offering online classes over Skype, Sunday classes, and all-girl classes. In December, it participated in Hour of Code, a global initiative to teach kids coding basics; 400 kids from 10 schools in metro Detroit joined in the fun. Seidman says Kidpreneur is also working to find sponsors for interested students who can’t afford to attend classes, and the company is reaching out to schools and libraries to gauge interest in after-school programs taught by Kidpreneur in person or over Skype." Read the rest here.

Sea Life Aquarium ups metro Detroit’s tourist draw

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Arts & Culture

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January 29, 2015

More than 5,000 sea creatures, from sharks and stingrays to octopi and jellyfish, have settled in to their new home inside a Auburn Hills shopping mall as opening day for the Sea Life Aquarium arrives.   Sea Life Michigan, which is owned by United Kingdom-based Merlin Entertainments, opens today inside a massively overhauled space that was previously a Gameworks. The attraction at Great Lakes Crossing is expected to draw tourists from across the region and become a new thing to do for families and lover of ocean life, who will find an interactive touchpool, animal feedings, presentations from ocean life experts and more than 30 other tanks. Freshwater fish are part of Sea Life Michigan and will be a part of a Great Lakes education component. Sea Life is also expected to be a destination for school field trips and other educational endeavors. With its combination of fun, education and conservation/rescue it is expected to be a boon for the mall as a whole and for nearby hotels. Sea Life Michigan is one of eight U.S. locations and dozens more worldwide. Source: Steve Berlow, general manager, Great Lakes Crossing Writer: Kim North Shine

Reliance One hires 15 as it expands across Midwest

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General

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January 29, 2015

Reliance One has become a staple in the staffing business in Michigan over its 16 years. The Auburn Hills-based company is now working toward expanding that reputation, opening a new office in Chicago this winter. "We have clients in that market and clients we currently have locally have offices in Chicago," says Jim Beath, co-founder & chairman of Reliance One. "We need to continue that relationship with our clients." The company has grown significantly over the last few years, notching a double-digit revenue gain in 2014. It’s on pace to do it again this year. That growth has allowed the company to hire 15 people over the last year, including recruiters, administrative, and back office support staff. It now has a staff of 65 employees and an intern. It is also looking to hire four more recruiters and promote more people internally. "We added a lot of great people that have learned a lot about our company and our industry," Beath says. Source: Jim Beath, co-founder & chairman of Reliance One Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.