Entrepreneurship

Coverage of those starting up businesses and community resources to help them thrive.

Sphinx Technology Solutions doubles client base, plans first hire

By Newsroom

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January 27, 2011

Ryan O'Hara had that safe job. The kind that is rooted in the new economy and paid for by the big corporation. But after a few years of working in IT and other computer-related fields for SBC and Quicken Loans, O'Hara knew there was more out there for him.O'Hara started Sphinx Technology Solutions in Dearborn two years ago, working his day job while helping customers choose the best technology. Demand for his company's expertise soon outstripped the time he could put toward it while working for someone else, so he made that leap of faith into self-employment."More people were leaving these so-called safe jobs to do their own thing," O'Hara says. "For me it was equal parts fear and excitement."Sphinx Technology Solutions, a Mac and PC support specialist, has grown exponentially over the last 6-8 months, growing from 10 clients to 20 in that time. O'Hara is expecting that growth to continue and is planning to bring on his first intern and hire this year to keep up.Source: Ryan O'Hara, owner of Sphinx Technology SolutionsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

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Michigan earns middling scores on state competitiveness, says MEDC

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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January 27, 2011

One would think Michigan could definitely hold its own when it comes to business competitiveness with all of the news around here of the new economy, entrepreneurship, investment, and the comeback of the Big 3. However, when you compare it to the rest of the states of the union, Michigan still ranks in the middle of the pack, and that's according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Worthy news for Michigan, yes. An indication that we still have a ways to go, definitely. Check out the MEDC score sheet here.

Old School Meet New School: A Q&A with Brand Labs

By Jon Zemke

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Economic Development

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January 27, 2011

Just one word: e-Commerce. You thought we were going to say plastics, didn't you? The funny thing is, Rochester-based Brand Labs owes as much to plastics as it does to the Internet. Mixing old economy lessons with new economy business, Kevin Harman and Dane Downer's 3-year-old firm has found incredible success. Metromode finds out how.

Record number of new businesses open in downtown Rochester in 2010

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 27, 2011

The year 2010 saw 36 new businesses come to downtown Rochester, for a net gain of 26 new businesses, dropping the retail vacancy rate to a mere 3 percent, says Kristi Trevarrow, executive director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority."We're pretty proud of that," Trevarrow says.Recruitment efforts, incentives and other projects that make downtown more appealing, including bike racks used by downtown workers, are part of the DDA strategy to pump up downtown. The new businesses will be witness to one of the city's most popular events, the Fire & Ice Fest, which runs this weekend and becomes a venue for another business-boosting plan of the DDA: the Sweet Deals discount card.This is the first year that Fire & Ice is running three days, bringing visitors snow tubing hills, fireworks, and ice sculptures carved this year in the theme of toys and a light show, among dozens of other activities.Trevarrow says downtown businesses report this as being a top sales weekend. The hope is to feel the warmth again come February when the Sweet Deals discount card will give users 15 percent off at some 25 downtown restaurants, salons and shops.Source: Kristi Trevarrow, executive director, Rochester Downtown Development AuthorityWriter: Kim North Shine

The Night Move

By Tom Hendrickson

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Arts & Culture

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January 27, 2011

Where there's a need, innovation and entrepreneurship step in. Chris Ramos bought a bus to shuttle Metro Detroit's young professionals into downtown for events. Then he bought another. And another. Now, the carbon-neutral owner of The Night Move has 8 employees, a growing clientele, and high hopes for the region's future.

One of nation’s largest plumbing suppliers moves into new digs in Sterling Heights

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 27, 2011

One of the nation's largest suppliers of pipes and plumbing products is moving into larger digs in Sterling Heights, renovating the exterior of the building and making other improvements that amount to $3.6 million.The 360,000-square-foot space lets the company, The Macomb Group, consolidate some of its operations.The Macomb Group, which also supplies fittings and valves, is moving into the former Collins & Aikman facility on Van Dyke near 15 Mile Road.A MEGA tax credit from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is keeping the company in the state rather than consolidating elsewhere, possibly out of state.Luke Bonner, Sterling Heights economic development manager, says the decision "truly demonstrates Macomb Group's long-term commitment to Sterling Heights."Source: Luke Bonner, Sterling Heights economic development managerWriter: Kim North Shine

Streetscape grants from Royal Oak’s WA3 help unify Woodward Corridor

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 27, 2011

Five cities and communities with Woodward Avenue as their spine now have money to spend on projects to make their street fronts more appealing, inviting and useful.The money, $53,000 split among them, comes from the Woodward Avenue Action Association (WA3) via Federal Highway Administration Scenic Byway funds. WA3, a Royal Oak-based economic and community development organization with the mission of improving the visual, economic, function and historical character of the 27-mile long avenue, hands out the grants as part of its Streetscape Grant Program.The 2010 recipients run from Detroit north through Oakland County and up to Berkley. In 2009, WA3 awarded $118,000 in mini grants."We're looking for areas that can enhance Woodward as an entire corridor and also help communities fulfill their individual goals," says Heather Carmona, executive director of WA3. The projects are not only aesthetic but practical, she says. And the added bonus is that the grants bring federal tax dollars back home. Woodward Avenue, a history-rich and storied thruway, is designated an All-American Road, making it eligible for the funding.The allocations were:City of Berkley - $8,000 for median improvementsFerndale Downtown Development Authority - $10,000 for Wayfinding Kiosks, high-tech, outdoor directoriesArden Park-East Boston Historic District - $7,000 for historic entry gratesThe Park District (between 6 and 8 Mile roads) - $5,000 for beautificationSouth Oakland county - $13,000 for median improvementsThe program provides a simplified process to generate physical improvements for Woodward as a connected region by celebrating and promoting the byway and the communities it runs through.Source: Heather Carmona, executive director, Woodward Avenue Action AssociationWriter: Kim North Shine

Altair Engineering acquires ACUSIM Software, grows solidThinking subsidiary

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 20, 2011

Altair Engineering has got an idea or two about how it wants to grow in 2011, and the simulator-technology firm is already acting on them.The Troy-based company acquired ACUSIM Software last week, a brand-name developer of high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics solver solutions. The acquisition brings on the technology and expertise for a niche section of the simulation technology industry. "That allows us to simulate fluid and air flow around objects," says Michael Kidder, vice president of corporate marketing for Altair Engineering. That sort of technology, he adds, has a number of uses, such as increasing passenger comfort in the automotive sector.Altair Engineering now employs a little over 1,400 people worldwide, including about 500 in Metro Detroit. The ACUSIM Software acquisition brings about 10 people with expertise and industry leadership in their respective domains.The firm is also growing its solidThinking subsidiary, which specializes in global concept design and styling software. The division has been steadily growing its industrial design software market, recently announcing the addition of a dozen new customers.SolidThinking is capitalizing on its NURBS-based software, which focuses on design manufacturing and engineering. The software encourages improved computer-aided design collaboration and productivity between industrial designers and engineers during the product development cycle."It's probably one of our more exciting technologies," Kidder says. "It's at the front end of the design process."Source: Michael Kidder, vice president of corporate marketing for Altair EngineeringWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Venture Michigan Fund II has $120M potential for Metro Detroit VC firms

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 20, 2011

A second Venture Michigan Fund, Venture Michigan Fund II, is being deployed this year, and the $120 million that comes with it has big implications for Metro Detroit.The first Venture Michigan Fund, formed in 2006, made $96 million worth of commitments to 11 venture capital firms. All but one of those is either based in or has an office in southeast Michigan. Nine of those firms have Ann Arbor ties. About one third of that money has been invested in 15 Michigan-based start-ups, the vast majority of which are located in Ann Arbor.The Venture Michigan Fund was created to help grow Michigan's fledgling venture capital industry. A Thomson Reuters study shows that there were 26 VC investments in Michigan in 2006, representing $117.3 million. Those numbers went up to 44 deals worth $231.1 million in 2010, the year the U.S. officially emerged from a recession. Bob Payne, who manages the Venture Michigan Funds on behalf of Credit Suisse, credits Michigan's emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem for that growth."One thing that Michigan has is a wealth of ideas and a number of companies being formed around those ideas," Payne says.State vouchers are providing the capital for the Venture Michigan Funds. That money supported the creation of 200 new jobs and has leveraged $186 million from other investors.Source: Bob Payne, manager of Venture Michigan FundWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Double Lives: Jim Miller

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Arts & Culture

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January 20, 2011

Jim Miller is restless... In that fingers-in-many-pies sorta way. Not only is he Metro Detroit's go-to guy for marketing and PR as a member of Franco's Leadership Team, he's also a children's book author. As Nikka Costa sings, "everybody got their something".