Ann Arbor Archives – Page 64 of 147

Ann Arbor ranked among the best places to raise rugrats

By Newsroom

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November 13, 2008

Ann Arbor racked up another superlative - this time for raising kids in America. Business Week went out and pulled together a number of the best cities in the nation to raise children and Ann Arbor was one of them.Excerpt:We knocked out towns with populations of fewer than 50,000 and median household incomes of less than $40,000 or more than $100,000. And we ended up with a list that included some well-known places such as Phoenix, Columbus, Ohio, and Ann Arbor, Mich. But we also found some hidden gems such as Euless, Tex., smack in between Dallas and Fort Worth, which according to Sports Illustrated has the nation's top-ranked high school football team, and Murfreesboro, Tenn., a college town outside Nashville.Read the entire article here.

Metro Detroit’s Real Radio

By Dennis Archambault

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Arts & Culture

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November 13, 2008

As corporate radio blands out the airwaves with lowest common denominator programming, local college radio remains the last bastion for original and ecclectic soundscapes. And with the Internet, these student-run shows are finding listeners all over the globe.

Reinventing The Mundane: Detroit Design Center

By Lucy Ament

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Arts & Culture

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November 13, 2008

Most designers want to make bold statements, to put their signature on high profile projects. Brothers Erik and Israel Nordin of Detroit Design Center have more modest goals. They want to make their mark in the mundane, reinventing the functional design of components in residential and commercial spaces while bringing a new aesthetic to Metro Detroit.

Velesco Pharmaceutical Services looks to double staff in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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November 13, 2008

Velesco Pharmaceutical Services may be starting from the basement of the Ann Arbor SPARK building but it has its eyes on higher places.Excerpt:In the bowels of Ann Arbor SPARK's downtown building is a company composed of a happy little band of Pfizer refugees who are not only trying to make it, they're beginning to make it big. Say hello to Velesco Pharmaceutical Services, a firm started by ex-Pfizerites Gerry Cox and David Barnes. The two worked at Pfizer's Ann Arbor campus until the pharma giant decided not to work there anymore. The move prompted Cox and Barnes to round up a few of their co-workers and begin Velesco earlier this year. Today their company stands six people strong.Read the rest of the story here.

NanoBio adds 12 people in two years, looks to hire more

By Newsroom

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Health

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November 13, 2008

NanoBio has been growing at a rapid clip in the last two years, taking on ex-Pfizer employees and getting ready to license its products. Excerpt: What does $30 million buy a start-up these days? If it's NanoBio it’s a dozen new employees (including seven Pfizer refugees) and a couple of products very close to commercialization. The Ann Arbor-based firm received $30 million in private equity from Perseus in 2006. That allowed the spin-off from the University of Michigan's Center for Biological Nanotechnology to expand its staff to 20 employees and three interns. "We pretty much doubled in size right away," says John Coffey, vice president of business development for NanoBio. Read the rest of the story here.

Downtown Ann Arbor City Apartments project up for approval

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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November 6, 2008

Apartments named after the city they call home are coming to the city of Ann Arbor if the City Council approves the project.Excerpt:More tall buildings are lining up to be built in downtown Ann Arbor. A handful have already been approved and ready to rise with the latest green light going to the controversial 601 Forest. Next in line is Ann Arbor City Apartments, which will go for City Council approval Thursday night.That project has grown a little bit since it was first proposed. The 9-story building has gone from 146 units to 156. It's even added a few more parking spots, raising that number to 244. The idea is that adding the spaces and units made the building more efficient and profitable."It's a great opportunity for us because there are no projects in Ann Arbor like the one we are proposing," says Andrea Roebker, director of public relations for Village Green Companies.Read the rest of the story here.

McKinley to renovate old National City space on Liberty

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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November 6, 2008

McKinley is looking to continue improving the storefronts on Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor. Excerpt: The Liberty retail expansion for the McKinley Towne Centre has been downsized, but is still moving forward. McKinley will continue with its plans to renovate the old National City Bank storefront if the City Council approves the sale of some common space Thursday. McKinley originally planned to raze that structure and two more next to the towne centre and build a new 2-story retail space between it and the Michigan Theater. Those plans were shelved, but the existing retail space looks like it will not only stay but be updated to complement the recently refurbished towne centre. "We're adding a lot of brick detail on the facade so it will look very new," says Royal Caswell, executive vice president of commercial real-estate for McKinley. Read the rest of the story here.

LimeWire talks to Ghostly International

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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November 6, 2008

LimeWire interviews Jeff Owens, the label manager for Ann Arbors favorite electronic music label Ghostly International. Excerpt: It's the season of scary, and we recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Owens, the label manager for Ghostly International and Spectral Sound. Founded by Sam Valenti IV in 1999 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ghostly is one of America's most innovative and influential independent record labels. Continue reading to find out why... Read the entire article here.

Chicks With Sticks

By Amy Whitesall

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Community Development

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November 6, 2008

At hockey rinks around Ann Arbor, "You shoot like my mom," is not necessarily an insult. Scores of local women are tossing their figure skates aside, shredding ice and aiming to put their own 'bisquit in the basket.' Alaska's got nothing on SE Michigan when it comes to hockey moms.

Arbor Photonics lands $3 million investment, plans to create 136 jobs

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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November 6, 2008

Arbor Photonics is landing some big venture capital which is expected to lead to some big hiring in the next few years. Excerpt: Arbor Photonics is making the most of its $3 million infusion, laying out plans to create 136 new jobs within the next few years. The Ann Arbor-based firm recently received $1.5 million from Michigan's 21st Century Jobs Fund. That money will complement another $1.5 million from private investors. The 136 new jobs will be quite the jump in employment for the University of Michigan spin-off. As of today only two people work at the start-up. U-M Prof. Almantas Galvanauskas invented a new way to dramatically improve fiber lasers. Arbor Photonics was created last year to commercialize this technology. Read the rest of the story here.