Northville

Old home restoration enjoys a revival

The city of Detroit and its older metros are full of 19th- and early 20th-century homes waiting for the right set of hands to fix them up. And as the housing market recovers, the demand for old-growth wood and period fixtures is returning. Excerpt: "Some owners don't start out as preservationists. Joseph C. MacLean, an attorney, picked out an 1873 Victorian in a historic district of Northville, Mich., because he and his wife, Margie, liked its simple style and location near downtown. After buying the house in December for $460,000, Mr. MacLean became interested in the home's history and started researching it, eventually hiring an architect who lived across the street to restore it... The project isn't extensive—mostly adding bathrooms and a back porch, and opening up the rooms. But staying faithful to the authentic materials, including recovering original floors, window trims and framing boards from 400-year-old trees, will cost about $200,000. "It takes more craftsmanship," says the architect, Greg Presley, who does about 10 such projects a year." More here.

Nom Nom’s Cupcake Factory to add third shop & pizzeria in Detroit

Urbanizing Metro Detroit’s Suburbia

The lines between suburban and urban are finally blurring in some Metro Detroit communities. And none too soon. Though our region ranks last in terms of urban revitalization among the 25 largest metros, things are looking up. "You're moving in the right direction," says Christopher Leinberger, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution.

Buy Michigan Now readies for annual market in Northville

A festival that comes to Northville each August may look like any summertime fair, but behind the temporary town of tents, banners, bands and children's play areas is a successful effort to build up fledgling Michigan-made businesses. For five years the Buy Michigan Now festival has shut down Main & Center streets and opened 2 1/2 blocks of downtown to small- and medium-sized Michigan businesses looking for exposure for their goods and services. Dozens and dozens of times over the years, says Buy Michigan Now founder Lisa Diggs, the vendor-customer connection made at the fair propels entrepreneurial ideas into commercial reality. "We've had businesses that grew out of the event in a great way, where they've gone on to get on store shelves. Others have opened their own shops or offices. We're sort of a little breeding ground for that kind of success," says Diggs. This year, as in past years, about 100 vendors will bring all sorts of products, such as foods, patio furniture, smartphone repair services, to the festival. Small businesses in downtown Northville are also part of the event, which draws large crowds with its carefully-screened vendors, a beer and wine garden where Michigan crafters sell their liquid handiwork, live entertainment and a kids' play area spread across the festival area. The 2014 festival is Aug. 1, 2 and 3, and applications for vendors are now being taken online here. "It's a campaign and a festival with a cause," says Diggs, an entrepreneur herself. Through Buy Michigan Now and her consulting work as owner of The Catalyst Co., she promotes businesses in a number of ways throughout the year, including providing publicity and media exposure that is normally too costly for a start-up. The first year of the Buy Michigan Now campaign was in 2007 and came with heavy involvement from the state of Michigan and Gov. Jennifer Granholm. It was a weeklong event with numerous celebrations and promotion. It formed at a time when Michigan's economy was tanking and when the mindset of buying local was taking shape. "We're literally about getting more people to sit up and take notice of where their product or service comes from. The idea when we started was to have a day for people to think about how to buy only Michigan products, make a meal only from Michigan. Then we realized we needed much more than a day." Source: Lisa Diggs, founder Buy Michigan Now Writer: Kim North Shine

Commercial Progression grows in new downtown Northville HQ

Alex Fisher worked at a startup when the economy crashed five years ago. That's when he got laid off and found himself at a crossroads in life. "It was the first chance to do whatever I wanted," Fisher says. So he gave being his own boss a chance, taking on a few software and digital marketing projects. That turned into the start of his current firm, Commercial Progression. "I figured I would keep doing that until I crashed and burned," Fisher says. "That hasn't happened yet," he laughs. In fact, Commercial Progression has flourished. It went from a virtual company to establishing its own office in downtown Northville a year ago. It has also hired four people over the last year, filling out its new space with a total core team of nine workers and two interns. "We have doubled in size over the last year," Fisher says. The firm has done that primarily by handling software and Drupal web-design projects for manufacturers and technology firms. Now that Commercial Progression has landed those clients, it is looking to capitalize on them in the new year. "Two-thousand-fourteen is going to be about cultivating relationships with these companies," Fisher says. Source: Alex Fisher, founder of Commercial Progression Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

IMET technology cleans diesel exhaust, improves MPG

IMET is racking up more recognition and gearing up to start selling its clean-diesel technology next year. The Northville-based startup's GreenPower Muffler system reduces diesel fuel emissions and helps improve MPG for heavy-duty trucks. It made the semifinals of the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition in Detroit last month and won a $750,000 matching grant from the Port of Los Angeles before that. The startup's team of six people is leveraging that recognition and money to get its technology to market. It needs approval from the state of California to make that happen, and it expects to receive that early next year. "Once we have that we can go into full production," says Nick Cherasaro, director of marketing for IMET. IMET's technology was developed by Julius J Rim, an engineer who worked at the GM Tech Center for decades. He launched IMET after retiring and now serves as the company’s president. "We have room to improve (diesel fuel technology)," Rim says. "That's why we're doing it." The GreenPower Muffler System is different from traditional mufflers because it doesn’t use precious metals, like palladium and platinum, and instead uses water and carbon-silicon composite filters. It recovers muffler-waste heat to generate water vapor to be re-combusted in cylinder combustion chamber at low combustion temperature for nitrous oxide reduction without Urea-SCR. This allows the technology to reduce particulate matter by 95 percent and cut nitrous oxide emissions by half. It is also half the cost of a regular muffler because it doesn’t use precious materials like traditional mufflers. "It can pay for itself on an average truck within 18 months," Cherasaro says. Source: Julius J Rim, founder & president of IMET and Nick Cherasaro, director of marketing for IMET Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Kidpreneur Teaches Tween Tycoons

Some tweens spend their free time playing XBox and Minecraft while others launch their own start-ups. From business cards to elevator pitches, serial entrepreneur Thanh Tran wants his Kidpreneur program to teach its middle school magnates both the thrill of success and the educational value of failure.

Why They Sit on Their Local School Boards

Let's face it, being a school board member can be a tough and thankless job, especially if you have kids enrolled in the very educational system you help to oversee. To get an insider's view, Metromode's Amy Kuras chats with parents of school-age kids who also serve as school board members in Dearborn, Northville and Royal Oak.

Northvillle’s Salvaged store does vintage furniture and home goods

A group of friends with a knack for spotting old furniture that's in need of a little TLC and an update have opened a store with their repurposed goods in downtown Northville. Salvaged opened just over a month ago on the square at 133 N. Main St. in Suite 200. Inside is home decor - furniture and accessories - in vintage, mid-century modern, industrial, shabby chic, electric, French provincial and French country styles. The owners, two pairs of sisters, are pros at hunting far and wide for furniture that needs a little freshening to become a stylish centerpiece or an accent that's a conversation piece. Source: Northville Downtown Development Authority  Writer: Kim North Shine