Livonia

Largest lithium ion battery plant on the continent opens in Livonia

By Newsroom

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September 16, 2010

The largest lithium ion battery factory on the continent now belongs to Metro Detroit after A123Systems opened its newest facility in Livonia this week.With a capacity of 600 megawatts (which means it can produce lithium ion batteries for 30,000 vehicles annually) when fully operational, the plant is believed to be the largest of its kind in North America. A $249 million U.S. Dept of Energy grant received last year made possible the opening of the 219,000-square-foot facility. "When it comes to hiring there are a lot of highly skilled engineers, management, and laborers here," says Andy Chu, vice president of marketing & communications for A123 Systems. "There is a highly skilled labor pool here." The plant will manufacture prismatic cells and systems. These are seen as key components of the lithium ion battery, which is the primary piece to the next generation of electric vehicles made by the likes of Fisker Automotive. The factory will facilitate the production process, R&D, and manufacturing of the lithium ion battery's components, cell and module fabrication, and the final assembly of complete battery packs ready for vehicle integration. A123 Systems is based in Massachusetts and has a large engineering facility in Ann Arbor. It plans to open a coating plant in Romulus early next year, a move made possible by the federal grant and $125 million in state tax incentives from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. Source: Andy Chu, vice president of marketing & communications for A123 SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke

Madonna U building upgrades to LEED gold

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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August 26, 2010

Madonna University officials were hoping its new Franciscan Center building would be silver LEED certified, so when it was awarded gold status last month, it made the designation that much more, well, golden.The building, home to the university's science and media studies, opened in time for fall classes last year. It’s the first new building on campus in four decades, offering classrooms, offices, audio and television studies, a cafe, and a student gathering area in its 65,000 square feet.The 4,500-student university was sure it had earned silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, but last month brought home the gold from the Green Building Certification Institute, making it the first in Livonia. Madonna University President Sr. Rose Marie Kujawa says that because they’d never done a LEED-certified building before, they wanted to set a goal that was reasonable, and shot for silver status."We worked very diligently to earn every point that we could, only to find out we were just two or three points away from gold," she says.And because the point system determining LEED level -- certified, silver, gold, and platinum -- is ever-evolving, they took a closer look at anything additional that could be done to earn an extra point or two, such as using green maintenance products or managing the building's energy in a particular way. The $20 million invested in the building’s environmentally friendly features resulted in recycled carpeting, natural lighting, motion-detecting lights, low-flow plumbing, and cork and bamboo floors.Not only is the recognition to the university’s planning and commitment, but it also speaks to its Franciscan values as a Catholic university. Plus, the building looks nice, too. Sr. Kujawa says those involved the planning process didn’t think a green building had to look like a factory, and the architects successfully designed it around the campus’ pond, using a lot of natural light."Everyone who's heard about it is thrilled," she says. "It's not just good for Madonna University, it's good for the environment, city, everyone associated with city, everyone associated with green building concepts. We're very happy."Source: Sr. Rose Marie Kujawa, president of Madonna UniversityWriter: Kristin Lukowski

EDGE TV: A Few of Wayne County’s Mainstreets

By Tom Hendrickson

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General

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July 30, 2010

This month's EDGE TV travels to five of Wayne County's mainstreets and communities to discover what makes them unique.

NY Times spotlights Bizdom U, Quicken Loans’ Dan Gilbert

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 1, 2010

Detroiters know how to hustle. Bizdom U knows how to run a successful start-up. Quicken Loans Founder Dan Gilbert is putting the two together in an effort to reinvent Metro Detroit's economy. The New York Times takes an in-depth look at the initiative.Excerpt:James Smith Moore, the son of a single mother on Detroit's east side, knows how to hustle.He started a lizard-breeding business at age 15 and sold more than 500 hatchlings online for $15 to $80 apiece.At 16, after local stores ran out of a certain popular Nike sneaker, he hired a manufacturer in China to supply him with knock-offs, which he sold for $80 to $200 a pair on his own Web site as well as eBay and other auction sites. Four months later, he received a cease-and-desist letter, but he had made a $14,000 profit, enough to buy his first car.This bootstrapping spirit got Mr. Moore, now 21, accepted into Bizdom U, an intense boot camp for aspiring entrepreneurs who aim to start high-growth businesses in Detroit. Bizdom U is the brainchild of Dan Gilbert, a Motor City native who is founder and chairman of the online mortgage lender Quicken Loans. He also hopes to help revitalize his hometown.Read the rest of the story here and more here.

Technology Solutions adds positions, expects to grow globally

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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June 17, 2010

Technology Solutions may be based in Livonia, but it's got its sights set well beyond Metro Detroit.The telecommunications provider is getting ready to set sales records and take on customers from around the world. The firm of 10 employees, an independent contractor, and an intern has hired two people within the last year and is in the process of hiring three more."We're on a pretty torrid pace and I see that continuing," says Steve Futrell, president of Technology Solutions. "We have taken on our first global client and I have a meeting scheduled with another prospective global client."The company was able to maintain its profitability in 2009, which Futrell sees as the platform for some "big growth" over the next year or two."This year is where we're seeing our growth," Futrell says. "We will exceed last year's sales numbers by June."Source: Steve Futrell, president of Technology SolutionsWriter: Jon Zemke

New Generation Manufacturing

By Dennis Archambault

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Economic Development

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June 17, 2010

Business has long operated on the Darwinian principle: evolve or die. Though Metro Detroit's manufacturing sector has taken a beating these past few decades some local companies are not only weathering the storm but actually growing. Dennis Archambault talks with a new generation of leadership about their high-tech plans to diversify

Livonia gets top mark in Census return rate

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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May 6, 2010

Go to the head of the class, Livonia. You've just earned a gold star, a gold Census star. The suburb to the west of Detroit was tops in its return rate of the Census. Excerpt: Residents of Livonia, take a bow. Among larger communities across the country, the western Wayne County city had the highest return rate of the 2010 census forms, with 87 percent of households filling out the questionnaire and mailing it in. As the decennial count moves to its next phase, when 635,000 census takers begin going to the homes of those who did not turn in the form, Michigan is being lauded as having one the highest turn-in rates, with 77 percent of households, matching the percentage from 2000. The top five states are all in the Midwest: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa and Michigan. Other Metro Detroit communities made the top 50 among cities and townships with more than 50,000 people: Macomb Township (No. 10, 85 percent), Rochester Hills (No. 14, 85 percent), St. Clair Shores (No. 26, 84 percent), Troy (No. 27, 84 percent), Shelby Township (No. 36, 83 percent) and Canton Township (No. 43, 82 percent). Detroit's rate was just 62 percent, below its 2000 mail-in rate of 67 percent. But most communities were below their 2000 rate; Livonia had 91 percent then. Read the entire article here.

Video En Garde! Metro Detroit

By Tom Hendrickson

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Community Development

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April 22, 2010

It's chess at a 100 miles per hour! Salle d'Etroit is southeast Michigan's only full time fencing academy, with Olympic-style instruction, competitions and practice. Add in the largest fencing pro shop in the Midwest, and it becomes another 'I didn't know we had that' reason to love the Metro D.

A123 Systems opens Livonia battery plant, will create thousands of jobs

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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March 18, 2010

A123 Systems is getting geared up for some more investment in Metro Detroit now that it is partnering with Navistar to build lithium-ion batteries in Livonia.The Massachusetts-based company opens its Livonia lithium-ion battery plant this month and will produce new advancements in automotive electrification technology. This is expected to spur more job growth in the company's facility in Livonia and its research and development center in Ann Arbor."A123 expects to create thousands of jobs in Michigan, and the details of those jobs are still being determined," company spokeswoman Kerry Farrell wrote in an email.A123 Systems will develop battery systems for Navistar's electric vehicle, a commercial truck that is purpose-built to be electric. That means it creates zero tailpipe emissions, while an equivalent diesel-powered vehicle produces as much as 10 tons of greenhouse gases annually. Its battery pack enables Navistar EV to travel approximately 100 miles on pure electricity before recharging. The battery pack will be capable of a rapid charge rate.The vehicle is set to launch this summer.Source: Kerry Farrell, spokeswoman for A123 SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke

Buy Michigan Now launches TV show, preps iPhone app

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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March 4, 2010

Buy Michigan Now is diversifying its efforts to spread the gospel of buying local by launching a TV show and getting ready to release an iPhone application."I truly believe that people want to support Michigan businesses," says Lisa Diggs, founder of Buy Michigan Now. "I just want to make it easier for them to do that."The Livonia-based website is combination chamber of commerce and census for Michigan's companies. It catalogs the state's businesses and tries to drive more people toward in-state products. It's based on the old idea that spending money at area small businesses makes a profound positive economic impact on local communities.Novi-based Digital 10 Network is working with Buy Michigan Now to develop television programming that highlights Michigan-based companies. The Buy Michigan Now segment will run as part of a 30-minute programming loop airing in more than 100 Secretary of State offices beginning in April.The website will also offer an iPhone app. More than 700 people are testing out the alpha version, which directs people toward Michigan-based businesses. The beta version is expected to be released to the general public in April.Buy Michigan Now is also still trying to catalog every business that calls the state home in its Michigan Blue Pages directory. It's also encouraging visitors to take a pledge to spend more of their dollars in-state. So far, 4,171 visitors have taken it, up from 1,300 in late 2008.Source: Lisa Diggs, founder of Buy Michigan NowWriter: Jon Zemke