Welcome to the very first issue of Wayne County EDGE, a monthly e-newsletter that aims to bring you closer to what's going on in Wayne County. In this first feature we'll discuss the Detroit Region Aerotropolis initiative and redefining our region.
Turkia Awada Mullin, an assistant Wayne County executive, was named the new director of Economic and Neighborhood Development by Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano. She sits down with the Wayne County EDGE to discuss her what she does and what she'll do for Wayne County.
Spring is in the air and it's full of metaphors about sustainability and living green in Metro Detroit. Among them are a line of environmentally friendly events and giveaways in the next few weeks.The biggest will be the 2nd-annual Green Street Fair in downtown Plymouth during the first weekend of May. The fair features a variety of companies, non-profits, workshops and entertainment with a focus on sustainability. Last year those attending learned about local eco-friendly and organic products and initiatives. "We estimated we had about 80,000 people over the two-day event," says Mandi Buckland, one of the organizers for the Green Street Fair.Not to be outdone, Macomb County is teaming up with Walmart and the state to give away energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. The give-away, already in progress, will continue everyday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. until more than 165,000 CFLs are distributed. Basically that is enough CFLs for half of the households in the county. CFLs use about one quarter of the energy of an incandescent light bulb and last 10 times longer. Each can save up to $30 in electricity costs per bulb. They are being distributed at Walmart stores in Chesterfield Township, Roseville, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights.Lincoln Park is also looking at hosting a Sustainability Day on May 17 at its farmer's market. This would include a showcase of local environmentally friendly products.Source: Mandi Buckland, organizer for the Green Street Fair, Macomb County and Leslie Lynch-Wilson, organizer of the Lincoln Park Sustainability DayWriter: Jon Zemke
Walking is about to become a bit easier in Wayne County's suburbs this year now that the state has agreed to fund projects in the Plymouth/Canton area and the city of Wayne.The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to spend about $4 million rebuilding portions of the hiking/biking path along I-275 in Plymouth and Canton townships. The improvements will include new signage for the trail and bringing it up to Americans with Disability Act standards.The I-275 Bike Path has suffered a lot of wear and tear since it was built in the 1970s. Its 44 miles stretching between Northville and Frenchtown Township have watched erosion, decay and mother nature wreak havoc on the trail, making some parts impassable."It will be 100 percent better," says Nancy Krupiarz, director of the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance. "There is a lot of surface deterioration. There are a lot of bridges that can't be used anymore. There are a lot of sink holes. There are a lot of intersections that aren't passable."MDOT will also spend $177,890 to improve the streetscape on Wayne Road in the city of Wayne. The $222,362 project (the city is chipping in $44,472) will install brick pavers, planters and other landscaping on Wayne between Harroun and Annapolis streets. Work is set to begin this summer.Source: Nancy Krupiarz, director of the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance and the State of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke
Not long after Southfield-based information security provider Secure-24 put the finishing touches on its new data center in Plymouth, it signed one of its first clients -- and it's a big one.Wayne County will use the data center for all of its IT and technology needs. The county and its 43 communities is expected to occupy 2,000 square feet (with an option to expand up to 5,000 square feet) of the data center. "The success of this current initiative will dictate any future relationship," says Cheryl O’Brien, spokeswoman for Secure-24.The new $5 million facility measures in at 18,000 square feet and comes with all of the fancy bells and whistles that get nerds geeked up. Construction was completed last winter and the firm expects to open it this spring. In recent years, Secure-24 has hit triple-digit growth; headcount now exceeds 100. That growth helps explain why the Edward Lowe Foundation has named the firm one of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch.The firm, founded in 2000, manages the IT of financial, payroll and logistic services for companies like Foresee Results and GM Racing, among others. Its founders, Matthias Horch and Volker Straub, relocated from Germany and chose Metro Detroit over California.Source: Cheryl O’Brien, spokeswoman for Secure-24Writer: Jon Zemke
This might be the worst real-estate market in generations, but you can’t tell from the way Keller Williams Plymouth-Canton is growing.The firm recently added 21 new people to its staff and opened a new office in downtown Plymouth. The company also has big growth plans in the near term, which could mean lots of new jobs."That's our big goal," says Lesley Aiello, team leader and broker for Keller Williams Plymouth-Canton. "We're at a total of 89 agents right now. We'd like to be at 110 by the end of this year and 150 within three years."And that's while real-estate brokerages are closing left and right -- in a time when the term "foreclosure" rolls off the tongue too easily. They recently added almost a dozen new members from a rival brokerage specializing in Plymouth, including a Crain's Power Seller of the Year. Those 11 people are heading up the new downtown office."They wanted a presence downtown," Aiello says. "It was very important for them to get a great location."The firm has done that by restructuring its pay package, enabling its agents to work with less debt."I think Keller Williams was a little bit ahead of the pack as far as package pay and carrying debt," Aiello says.Source: Lesley Aiello, team leader and broker for Keller Williams Plymouth CantonWriter: Jon Zemke
Managed hosting provider Secure-24 is adding 250-300 IT jobs over the next five years to its Southfield and Plymouth Township operations. Secure-24 manages IT systems for middle-market companies and large enterprises. “We’ve been growing every year by about 100 percent for the last six years,” says president and CEO Matthias Horch. “I think businesses have started realizing that they should focus on their core businesses and let others handle their IT needs.” The consistent growth has the Southfield-based company investing $3.7 million in a new 18,000 square-foot data center in Plymouth Township and a 20,000 square-foot office facility in Southfield, which will allow it to consolidate its operations. Secure-24 received a $7.1 million tax credit over 10 years from the state to help defray the costs of the build-out. Horch cited the credit, as well as a public-private partnership with Wayne County designed to consolidate IT projects and attract other IT firms to the area, as his reasons for staying in the state. Secure-24 is providing 25 people for the Wayne County project. The firm is known for its intensive two-year training program in which employees are trained in labs so they don’t negatively impact clients while learning the ropes. Its new hires will include junior and senior positions. “It’s always a challenge to find the right people, but Michigan has a great resource pool with many leading universities,” Horch says. Source: Chelsea Nimiac, DP+CompanyWriter: Ivy Hughes is the managing editor of Capital Gains.
It should be no surprise that tending to the body is a growth industry, and that includes massage. How big? $11-15 billion dollars big. With a respected school in Southfield, local hospitals adding massage therapy to treatment and some businesses providing it as an employee perk, it's good to know our high tech world still values the human touch.
One of the most important pieces of downtown Plymouth is set to have some body work done this summer.The city is planning to spend about $200,000 to repair and renovate it's two-level parking deck in the heart of downtown. The deck, built in 1983, is located behind the commercial storefronts of the square block that is bordered by Main Street, Penniman Avenue, Ann Arbor Trail and South Harvey Street a stone's throw from Kellogg Park"It's one of the key parking areas for downtown, especially for long-term parking," says John Buzuvis, assistant director of operations for the city of Plymouth. "It's centrally located and convenient for the business owners and patrons."Engineers are currently assessing what has to be done and what it cost to renovate the parking structure. City officials expect it will need to be recoated, seals and joints redone and cement repaired.Work is expected to be done this summer.Source: John Buzuvis, assistant director of operations for the city of PlymouthWriter: Jon Zemke
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