Economic Development

GM creates IT center in Warren for 1,500 software developers

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October 11, 2012

General Motors efforts to onshore more of its IT work are starting to surface in Metro Detroit now that the automaker plans to open an Information Technology Innovation Center in Warren. The plan is to bring in about 1,500 IT and software professionals over the next four years. The new workers will focus on developing new software and IT solutions that could have business development implications beyond the carmaker's normal business model. "It will gradually build up," says Juli Huston-Rough, director of media strategy for General Motors' IT Dept. "We're anxious and excited about it but we need to find the right people for the right positions." Onshoring IT work has proven to be a good strategy to grow a more traditional business. For instance, Domino's Pizza has reinvented itself through its newly found stature in IT and software, a move that has lead to new opportunities while bolstering its core business. GM is taking a similar path by opening four "Innovation Centers" across the U.S. The first was announced in Austin, Texas and the Warren center (formerly known as the GM Michigan Innovation Center) is the second. GM's leadership expects the innovation centers to create and deliver IT services with new capabilities that will help the company improve its performance, drive down the cost of ongoing operations and increase the level of innovation delivered to GM customers. Source: Juli Huston-Rough, director of media strategy for General Motors' IT Dept Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Latest in Economic Development

Investors, DDA plan several changes to downtown Farmington

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Arts and Culture

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October 11, 2012

The Farmington Downtown Development Authority is working with an investment firm that specializes in repositioning old or unused yet promising commercial spaces. At the same time that the firm, Manifold Ventures, takes over a shopping center that is anchored by TJ Maxx. Other improvements to downtown are unfolding. Annette Knowles, executive director of the Farmington DDA, says Manifold Ventures, was attracted by the DDA's offers to contribute funds toward facade improvements to a closed store and by the financial assistance they offered toward the interior renovation. "Manifold Ventures seeks to acquire buildings that exist in excellent locations but are in need of repositioning or recapitalization," says a statement distributed by Knowles. "The owners believe Farmington matches their vision of creating a walkable community with great potential." She says as the space occupied by TJ Maxx is renovated Manifold will look for high-quality tenants that contribute to a new vision of downtown Farmington, one that's more walkable and accessible to different transportation options. Work should begin in early spring 2013 and will coincide with improvements to Grove Street and a project that will add parking spaces to the center of downtown. “Our vision is to help transform Farmington into a walkable neighborhood community, with integrated shopping, dining, and recreation,” Ricky Singh, Manifold Ventures principal, says. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Annette Knowles, executive director, Farmington DDA

Specialty food market to open in downtown Pontiac’s Lafayette Pl. Lofts

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Arts and Culture

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October 11, 2012

In less than a month downtown Pontiac will have a grocery store, one with fresh foods, take-out lunch and dinner, a butcher, a cafe with coffee and baked goods and wide selection of merchandise like nothing the downtown has seen in years. The 10,000-square-foot The Layfayette Market will be run by Chris Monette, who's managed a successful market at Oakland University, and is part of the larger Lafayette Place Lofts, a project of developer Kyle Westberg's West Construction Services. Next door to the market, which is at 154 N. Saginaw, will be an Anytime Fitness, and above the two businesses will be 46 loft apartments. It's all inside the former Sears Department Store, a behemoth of a building that's been closed for years. The structure has historic architectural components that are being incorporated into the renovation, including the market's wood floors, which are original. The Lafayette Market will open Saturday, Nov. 17, and the apartments are expected to be completed in December. The market and lofts are close to Oakland McLaren Oakland Hospital. In the meantime there is an effort to learn what the community wants in the store through an online survey. "The community is very excited about this," says spokesperson Corinne Petras. "But the survey is to make sure it's clear what the community wants." Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Corinne Petras, spokesperson, Lafayette Lofts

Woodward Ave. communities plan for sustainability amidst growth

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Arts and Culture

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October 11, 2012

The goal of the Woodward Sustainability 5 partnership is to brainstorm and plan for development and economic prosperity while being mindful of how to achieve those things with limited resources and without detrimental impacts on the environment and future generations. The "5" refers to Berkley, Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak and Huntington Woods, all cities with Woodward as a common thoroughfare, and is an initiative of the Oakland County Planning & Economic Development department. The partnership is hosting public meetings, one tonight, Oct. 11, from 6-8 p.m. at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center. It is one of several meetings that will culminate in a plan that will outline ways the communities can "work together and leverage resources for a sustainable future," Steve Huber, marketing and communications officer for the department of economic development and community affairs, says in a statement announcing the meeting. A description of the initiative says, "the partnership seeks to engage a diverse cross-section of the community, including environmental, business, social services, health, and educational institutions. The goal of the group is to develop a plan which will help the communities work together and leverage shared resources for a sustainable future." The final plan, which is being paid for with a $25,000 of in-kind services from the county and a $50,000 grand from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, should be completed by March 2013. Writer: Kim North Shine Source: Steve Huber, marketing and communications officer for Oakland County's Department of Economic Development and Community Affairs.

Huntington Woods makes top ten list for city-loving burbs

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Community Development

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October 10, 2012

With the zoo in its backyard, tree-lined neighborhoods, and close proximity to Detroit, Huntington Woods ranks alongside Englewood, CA and Haworth, NJ for the tops in near urban suburban living. Excerpt: "No. 10 on the list is this Detroit suburb, also known as the "City of Homes," which was established in the early 1920s. One of the original developers was inspired by a trip to Huntingdon, England, and as a result, the streets and many historic homes have a distinctly British flavor. That also is reflected in street names such as York, Hereford, Huntington, Salem and Dundee." Read the rest here.

Crains picks this year’s 40 Under 40

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Economic Development

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October 4, 2012

Come on, admit it, you were hoping you'd make the list of Crain's best and brightest for 2012. Well, maybe you know someone who did... Here's a sample: "Driscoll had worked in the restaurant business in California to get experience. But after a visit back to Michigan -- his and Christine's home state -- they decided Detroit was a better place to invest. After nine months of searching for a property and then doing repairs on the one they bought on West Lafayette at 14th Street, Green Dot Stables opened in March. It didn't take long for word to get out about the sliders and fries." Read the rest here.

Maybe transportation mandates are what we need

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Community Development

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October 4, 2012

Public input and influence is an important part of our country's democratic process but sometimes it hinders necessary progress and yields stagnation. Nate Berg makes the case that when it comes to developing alternative public transportation systems maybe a little less democracy and a little more leadership may be needed. Excerpt: "Of the 225 metropolitan areas in the U.S. with populations above 100,000, those that show the most progress being made toward the widespread adoption of a multi-modal transportation diet are those located in states where comprehensive transportation planning is mandated. By looking at how transportation patterns changed between 1980 and 2008 in all these areas, Ohio State University researcher Anna McCreery found the most positive change in the places with top-down planning requirements." Read the rest here.

Popular Mechanics gazes into crystal ball, sees an amazing 2025 Detroit

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Arts and Culture

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October 4, 2012

You have to like an article that starts with "Detroit's comeback is not only inevitable, it's already underway." Makes you want to read more doesn't it? It's view of water and landscape is the stuff that dreams are made of. Excerpt: "Reemerging waterways and feral forests claim land left open by sharp population decline. Detroit goes green with planning that takes advantage of the city's unique ecology." Read the rest here.

Farmington equity firm director writes about cutting-edge tech investment

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Community Development

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October 4, 2012

Jeff Bocan of Farmington's private equity firm Beringea talks about his time at the National Science Foundation's I-Corps, a program at U-M designed to fast-track research from the lab to the real world, and how the government can help foster greater entrepreneurship by funding cutting edge R&D Excerpt: "I have just completed a tour of duty as a venture capital faculty member at the National Science Foundation's I-Corps (short for NSF's Innovation Corps - a program designed to fast-track research from the lab to the real world), delivered in partnership with the University of Michigan. I-Corps is like the scientific version of PBS' Antiques Roadshow -- NSF-funded technological gems that have largely been tucked away in the labs of America's research institutions are being dusted off, given a heavy dose of commercial polish and have been unearthed to unlock the potential to create a lot of value for the technologists, their universities and society in general." Read the rest here.

DEP & Autoline Industries USA invest $2.5M in new Troy HQ

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Economic Development

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October 4, 2012

Detroit Engineered Products and Autoline Industries USA are opening a new corporate world headquarters in Troy this week. The two automotive suppliers, the U.S. arms of Indian corporations, are moving into a new office space that is three times as big as their previous home and comes with an investment price tag of $2.5 million. That's thanks to all of the growth the firms have experienced. Autoline Industries USA has hired 10 people over the last year and has two more job openings for engineers. Detroit Engineered Products has hired 70 people in Michigan over the last year. "We have built our business (Autoline Industries USA) from $7 million to $60 million now," says Sri Bramadesam, president of Autoline Industries USA and vice president of Detroit Engineered Products. Most of the work is automotive related and coming from the domestic automakers. The companies chose to stay and keep growing in Troy because they have set down significant roots here since they formed in 2007. "We have been in Troy for years now," Bramadesam says. "A lot of our employees have bought homes here." Source: Sri Bramadesam, president of Autoline Industries USA and vice president of Detroit Engineered Products Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.