Southfield

U-M, Barton Malow receive awards for internship programs

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June 10, 2010

The Detroit Regional Chamber has named some big local institutions and businesses as the winners of its first awards for the InterninMichigan.com program.The University of Michigan won the Nonprofit Employer of the Year award for its Development Summer Internship Program. That program exposes students to careers in philanthropy through a 12-week paid internship that combines four days of work with weekly learning sessions in a related U-M philanthropy course, leadership development workshops, and retreats. Southfield-based Barton Malow, a construction firm, was honored as the best private company. A Wayne State University student, Yan Isayev, was honored as Best Intern for his work at Blue Cross Blue Shield.The Detroit Regional Chamber has been promoting internships as a way to staunch Michigan's brain drain. Research has shown that students are far more likely to stay in the area where they intern because that usually leads to job prospects after college.To promote more internships in Metro Detroit the chamber has created a website, InterninMichigan.com, to pair potential interns with employers. So far the site has grown to 13,506 registered students and 1,079 Michigan employers.Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Oakland County’s OakGov Challenge taps techies for apps

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May 27, 2010

Oakland County is looking for a few good apps, or at least some for its OakGov Challenge.The county teamed up with AT&T to offer $10,000 in cash prizes to software developers to come up with applications, or apps, for smart phones, or web-based software that will streamline local government, making it more efficient and cost-effective. The OakGov Challenge's organizers purposely haven't asked for any specific types of apps and haven't specified which problems they are to address."What happens over time is the general public's needs change," says Phil Bertolini, deputy county executive and CIO for Oakland County. "We don't claim to know everything they want."First prize receives $6,500, second prize is $3,000, with $500 for third. The competition is open to anyone who lives, works or goes to school in Oakland, Genesee, St. Clair, Lapeer, and Livingston counties. Anyone who creates an app or comes up with an idea for one can submit it by June 11. The finalists will be chosen by July 8 and the winners will be announced on August 13.For information on the contest, click here.Source: Phil Bertolini, deputy county executive and CIO for Oakland CountyWriter: Jon Zemke

Q&A with Ron Campbell on the Oak Street Fair

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May 6, 2010

Preserving and improving existing building stock will be a central theme to this year's Oak Street Fair in Hazel Park. The event will focus on helping Oakland County's urban stakeholders revitalize their neighborhoods through sustainable rehabilitation and playing to the area's strengths, such as its local character.The free event will be held in Scout Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Ron Campbell, a principal planner/preservation architect for Oakland County Planning & Economic Development, is helping organize the event and Oakland County's Oak Street program. He agreed to answer a few questions over email about the event and preservation of the region's housing stock.In a sentence or two, could you sum up what people attending the Oak Street Fair could come away with in regards to improving their home and their neighborhood?Oak Street and the Oak Street House is a generic term that we are applying to any house built before 1960. We want these home owners to realize that their homes are unique. The issue of keeping and maintaining a house built in 1890 is going to be different than it will be for a house built in 1930, which will be different than for a house built in 1950. Homeowners should come away understanding that maintenance and repair can be very cost effective and there are resources available from experts who understand and have worked with older homes, which is far different than new construction. We want to build a resource bank of knowledgeable and skilled people to share with homeowners.Metro Detroit's urban housing stock is aging and in many cases crossing the century mark, but many of its building and housing policies, practices, and even conventional wisdom are geared toward new housing. Could you name one policy or idea that either already is or could help bring more of a focus on making the most of the building stock that we have?A good example that comes to mind is Oakland County's Oak Street program. The primary purpose of Oak Street is to make homeowners and local officials more aware of the economic and social value embodied in established neighborhoods. Also, there are many existing programs/movements focusing on the existing housing stock. The Community Development Block Grant Funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has also provided focus to the importance of existing neighborhoods and homes. But by far the best-known one is the green movement or sustainable design. If it makes sense to recycle soda cans and bottles, how much more sense does it make to recycle our buildings. The greenest house in America today is one that you don't have to build –because it already exists. Building green is more than using Energy Star appliances and bamboo flooring. It is far more environmentally friendly to repair than replace. Fairgoers will find exhibitors to show how you can be green, save money, and have curbside appeal for your home.Historic preservation is a term that everyone in Metro Detroit seems to easily identify with but is not the best at when it comes to practicing its ideas. The state also recently passed enhanced historical preservation incentives. How much of an impact could these incentives have on making local stakeholders more preservation inclined?There are various incentives for historic homes, including tax credits, which are effective for those stakeholders, but those incentives apply only to a very small percentage of the existing housing stock. While historic preservation is a component and tool within the Oak Street program, Oak Street is more of a smart rehab program than a historic preservation program. We would certainly advise homeowners to the principals of historic preservation when they repair and remodel their homes; but it would be more with an eye to the economic and environmental sense it makes. The more we can help people realize the extent of the investment our neighborhoods represent and the benefit that we all receive when that investment and unique character that distinguishes their house or neighborhood from others is protected, then the more new and innovative programs will be available to help this larger population.Name an idea, policy, or mindset from elsewhere that you would like to see this region adopt?We don't have to go too far to find examples of strong and vibrant neighborhoods. They are sprinkled throughout this region. What helps neighborhoods stand out comes from the housing stock being maintained and the intrinsic character of the houses and neighborhood being preserved. Recognizing what the important features and character are is difficult to put a finger on, but it includes everything from architectural style to walkability. Oak Street is envisioned to help homeowners and neighborhoods discover theirs and provide the means to protect it.Source: Ron Campbell, principal planner/preservation architect for Oakland County Planning & Economic DevelopmentWriter: Jon Zemke

Oakland County set for big job gains next year

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May 6, 2010

If it's always darkest before the dawn then the same sentiment rings true for job creation in Oakland County.The fourth-wealthiest county in the U.S. took it on the chin in 2009, losing 60,000 jobs. It's set to lose another 9,900 jobs this year, but those numbers will start to reverse considerably in 2011 and 2012. Oakland County can expect to create 2,400 jobs next year and 8,000 the year after, according to economists George Fulton and Don Grimes of the University of Michigan Institute for Research on Labor.A big part of this success is the county's efforts to diversify its economy away from over-reliance on the automotive and manufacturing industries. It's now capitalizing on other areas such as health-care and alternative energy."We feel we're quite diverse already," says Maureen Krauss, director of economic development and community affairs for Oakland County. "We know we have the assets that not only help the auto-supplying industry, but the robotics and alternative energy industries."Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson likes to call this plan a way to help make his municipality recession resistant. It's an economic formula that has been employed with success in other Rust Belt metro areas such as Pittsburgh."We understand that we not only need to invest in diversifying our economy but that it's a long-term commitment," Krauss says.Source: Maureen Krauss, director of economic development and community affairs for Oakland CountyWriter: Jon Zemke

Oakland County opens $500K microloan fund

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April 29, 2010

Microloan funds are spreading through Metro Detroit faster than the flu, with the latest outbreak taking place in Oakland County.The Oakland County Microloan Program will provide loans of $500 to $35,000 to small businesses. It is modeled after the highly successful Michigan Microloan Fund run by Ann Arbor SPARK. The idea of the microloans is to help fill the capital void for small businesses that want to grow and create jobs but are being hampered by the nearly frozen credit lines of the financial industry."We expect the demand will be high for these loans because traditional lending channels are all but dried up for small businesses," says Maureen Krauss, director of Economic Development and Community Affairs for Oakland County. "There are a lot of people who want to start their own businesses."Eligible businesses must be based out of Oakland County, pay a $75 application fee, have a business plan if they are under three years old, and at least two letters of denial from traditional lending sources. Owners must be current on child support, student loans, and income taxes.Oakland County, in partnership with the Center for Empowerment & Economic Development and the U.S. Small Business Administration, is giving $100,000 towards creating the fund, as well as a $500,000 pool to start with. The Michigan Microloan Fund draws from a $1.5 million pool and also from other six-figure funds provided by Washtenaw County and the city of Ann Arbor that are geared toward businesses in those respective communities. It expects to make 24-48 loans this year. Detroit's TechTown has also formed its own fund and Oakland University's OU INCubator is taking steps to set up its own program. Source: Maureen Krauss, director of Economic Development and Community Affairs for Oakland CountyWriter: Jon Zemke

Oakland, Macomb counties push forward green programs

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April 29, 2010

Oakland and Macomb counties are pushing toward a more sustainable government with a recent spate of announcements for environmentally friendly programs. Those programs include a website dedicated to information activities on sustainability, cutting energy costs through efficiency improvements, and challenging local residents and businesses to cut energy use by 10 percent within the next two years.That last one is called the OakGreen Challenge and was issued by Oakland County Executive L Brooks Patterson just before the county's second annual Green Summit in mid-May. The program is similar to Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje's Green Energy Challenge. That initiative, announced in 2005, calls for Ann Arbor to use 20 percent green energy by 2010 for municipal operations and by 2015 for the whole city. The city is now on a path to reach 30 percent green energy usage by the end of the year.Not to be left out of the energy efficiency fun is Macomb County, which recently announced that it has saved taxpayers $44,400 in energy costs through implementing energy efficient improvements. Those savings took place in the first two months of contracting electrical power from First Energy for nine buildings that draw power from its main powerhouse, plus the Administration Building. The savings are projected to hit $600,000 over the next two years.Macomb County also recently launched Green Macomb, a website dedicated to green initiatives and information. Think of the efforts being undertaken to create everything from energy efficiencies to clean water initiatives.Source: Oakland and Macomb countiesWriter: Jon Zemke

Q&A: Mark Brucki of LTU’s entrepreneurship survey

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April 29, 2010

A quick-yet-comprehensive survey of Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem is kicking off at Lawrence Technological University.The Southfield-based university's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Needs Assessment Survey will assess the strengths and weaknesses in resources required by entrepreneurs, small business owners, venture capitalists, corporate R&D departments, displaced workers, and business support organizations to spur innovation, entrepreneurship, and new business creation in Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. You can take the survey here.The survey is aiming to reach 25,000 people online. Some of those who participate in the Internet survey will be used for live interviews."We'll do some in-depth one-on-one interviews to discuss where people see the greatest needs for the region and themselves," says Mark Brucki, executive director of economic development and government relations for Lawrence Tech. Preliminary findings are expected to be posted in late July and full findings will follow by the end of August. Brucki, who is quarterbacking the effort, agreed to answer a few questions over email about the survey and state of Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem.What do you expect this survey to find as far as what the greatest needs are for Michigan's entrepreneurial ecosystem?We really need the 'voice of the customer' to be heard. We want the survey results to tell us what the greatest needs are, and not prejudge what's needed. We spent a significant amount of time interviewing people and testing questions to be "fact finding" without bias. This is the first survey that we know of that is going out to thousands of people across Michigan who live, breathe, and are challenged and motivated by innovation and entrepreneurship everyday so that we may be able to understand what resources they know about, what they are using, and what they potentially need. Our economic environment is not what it used to be. We encourage people from around the state to take the survey. Seed capital and financing is often cited by local entrepreneurs and start-ups as lacking in Michigan. How big of a need do you think this is today?Access to seed capital and financing always seems to be a topic that initially surfaces, especially with the financial issues that have developed over the past year and a half. It is one topic that most people can understand and agree with. The survey is designed not only to identify if there are financial needs, but the attitudes towards innovation and entrepreneurship in Michigan, and what internal and external barriers there may be that limit growth or that are needed to spur innovation and entrepreneurship in Michigan. Michigan has been aggressive in creating support systems to help grow its entrepreneurial ecosystem in recent years. Do you think this gives us an advantage over other major metro areas or states when it comes to encouraging economic development?Yes. Our economic development and business support organizations, foundations, universities, and the business community have helped cultivate and sustain the current ecosystem. The survey is designed to identify what may be needed to take our entrepreneurial ecosystem to the next level and continue having a competitive advantage. Critics of such government-funded support systems have said the money would be put to better use lowering the overall tax rate and cutting back the bureaucracy. How do you respond to that?The key is to find the correct balance of – and access to – public-private partnerships that provide transitional pathways for new industry segments to emerge, allow existing ones to adapt to market changes, and that foster ongoing collaboration and innovation without being an administrative, policy, or legal burden. If you could import one policy, idea, or mindset from another area to Michigan, what would it be?It would be one of having a dynamic system of open innovation, a sustained culture of entrepreneurship, a collaborative network of corporate, serial entrepreneur, and innovation mentors, and a renewed mindset for "tinkering" and applied research that results in Michigan being the global leader for ongoing new product development, manufacturing innovation, job growth, and talent attraction across multiple and varied industry segments.Source: Mark Brucki, executive director of economic development and government relations at Lawrence Technological UniversityWriter: Jon Zemke

MEDC lands two financial firm expansions, 2,765 jobs

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April 22, 2010

Metro Detroit has scored a couple of significant white collar job creators in its latest round of tax incentive deals from the Michigan Economic Development Corp.PSCU Holding Services and The Minacs Group USA have agreed to expand their presence in Southfield and Auburn Hills over the next five years. The $23 million investment will mean 2,765 new jobs.PSCU Holding Services will sink $12 million into expanding its software development, sales and technology-based call center and related support services in Auburn Hills. The financial service provider for credit unions plans to create 837 new jobs there over the next five years. To make this happen, the MEDC has given PSCU a $3.5 million tax credit (the city of Auburn Hills is considering one, too) so it would make this investment in Michigan instead of competing sites in Florida and Arizona.Not to be outdone, The Minacs Group USA will invest $11 million in a new facility in Southfield that will create 1,928 new jobs. The provider of marketing solutions and business support services for Fortune 500 companies received a $9.1 million state tax credit over four years that helped seal the deal for Michigan over a competing site in Ontario. The city of Southfield is considering an abatement in support of the project as well. Source: Michigan Economic Development CorpWriter: Jon Zemke

The Epitec Group acquires Rochester’s Creative Logic

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April 8, 2010

Southfield-based The Epitec Group has acquired Rochester-based Creative Logic, consolidating the two firms under Epitec's corporate umbrella.The four employees from Creative Logic will join the 430 employees at The Epitec Group. Thirty-five staffers are based in Southfield, with the rest scattered across Metro Detroit. The company expects to make 15 more hires over the next year.The Epitec Group specializes in technology services and staffing providers. Creative Logic works in the application and software development fields, servicing the financial services, high tech, health care, manufacturing, insurance, retail, and government sectors."It was really hard for us to penetrate the fixed prices of IT work," says Tony Hollamon, executive vice president of The Epitec Group. "We have been trying to break into that market. Creative Logic offered that credibility."Source: Tony Hollamon, executive vice president of The Epitec GroupWriter: Jon Zemke

Your People PR firm adds staff, plans Ferndale move

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March 25, 2010

There is a reason Lynne Schreiber's public relations firm is called Your People. The Southfield-based firm specializes in helping companies maximize their PR and marketing through their existing people and relationships."I basically help companies get organized and focused," says Schreiber, chief creative officer and founder of Your People. "I help them tell the stories that are already there. These stories are always lurking around in a company. We help them find and package them."Schreiber was a journalist for 15 years in Washington, D.C., New York, and most recently for The Detroit News. She started Your People in 2007 and now gives regular work to five independent contractors. She expects to make her first hire this fall and move to office space in downtown Ferndale later this year."I have always been fond of urban settings," Schreiber says. "I lived in Ferndale when I moved back to Metro Detroit."The company has an eclectic client list, including businesses like the Orchard Mall and AVE Office Supplies. It also recently signed five new clients, including Panache Entertainment and AskInYourFace.com.Source: Lynne Schreiber, co-founder and chief creative officer for Your PeopleWriter: Jon Zemke