Sterling Heights

Coliant expands by 6 people, opens new office in Sterling Heights

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November 1, 2012

Coliant has opened a new office in the Macomb-OU INCubator with offices at the Velocity Collaboration Center in Sterling Heights, a move that has led the Warren-based company to expand its staff. The 8-year-old firm employs 17 people and the occasional intern. It has hired six people over the last year, many of which are staffing the new office in Sterling Heights. Coliant created Powerlet, an electrical accessory in the powersport industry that allows users of things like motorcycles and ATVs to plug their gadgets into the vehicle. The company has expanded its domestic sales of this product and is expanding into military markets. "By focusing on sales we have grown exponentially," says Adam Bonislawski, vice president of sales for Coliant. Coliant is also a semi-finalist in the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. The company hopes to win the competition's $500,000 grand prize or one of its secondary prizes, which are usually in the five-figure range. "Access to capital is always necessary for a growing business," Bonislawski says. "We have to keep an eye out for any opportunities for new capital." Source: Adam Bonislawski, vice president of sales for Coliant Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Sterling Heights and Troy singled out for their biz dev virtues

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Community Development

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November 1, 2012

In an eCities study, eight Michigan communities were singled out by U-M Dearborn's iLab for their innovative approaches to business development. Sterling Heights and Troy made sure Metro Detroit was properly represented. Excerpt: "Eight communities across the state of Michigan are top performers at fostering entrepreneurial growth and economic development, according to the annual eCities study. The study, conducted by iLabs, University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation and Research, identified Alpine Township, Grand Blanc, Grand Rapids, Imlay City, Meridian Township, Midland, Sterling Heights and Troy for their incentives, innovative programs and best practices geared toward business development." Read the rest here.

Macomb-OU INCubator lands $700K grant from Michigan Strategic Fund

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Community Development

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October 11, 2012

The Macomb-OU INCubator has landed a $766,000 grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund to assist the state's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, commonly known as DARPA. The new two-year grant will allow the Macomb-OU INCubator to study the DARPA activity in Michigan, host semi-annual training courses for Michigan companies and organizations interested in DARPA, support organizations and companies that take on DARPA challenges and create a matching fund for companies and organizations that secure DARPA awards. "We expect to spend $150,000 in year one (on the matching fund)," says Larry Herriman, assistant director of the Macomb-OU INCubator. "We expect to spend $200,000 in year two. That's $350,000 in total." The grant comes as part of a larger $3.25 million grant that went to Grand Valley State University-Small Business Technology and Development Center, Macomb OU INCubator. and NextEnergy Center in Detroit. Source: Larry Herriman, assistant director of the Macomb-OU INCubator. Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

State awards $5.25M to SE Michigan to fuel tech innovation

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Arts & Culture

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October 11, 2012

Tech entrepreneurship doesn't just happen. Sometimes it needs a push or helping hand. The state has awarded strategic funds to organizations like the Institute for Research on Labor, Employment and the Economy at the University of Michigan, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center in Plymouth, and the Macomb-Oakland University Incubator in Sterling Heights. Excerpt: "The awards, which are designed to help organizations fill gaps in entrepreneurial service areas, were among several items approved Thursday by the Michigan Strategic Fund. A total of $3.25 million in assistance will help Next Energy in Detroit, the Macomb-Oakland University Incubator in Sterling Heights and the Michigan Small Business Technology & Development Center, housed at Grand Valley State University, to provide commercialization matching funds to companies receiving federal technology research grants. Next Energy will receive $700,000 over three years; Macomb-OU will receive $766,036 over two years, and the Small Business Technology & Development Center will receive $1.75 million for one year, according to state information." Read the rest here.

Infichem Polymers reaches Accelerate Michigan semifinals

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General

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October 4, 2012

Infichem Polymers isn't just making a name for itself as a plastics company but as a green company. The Sterling Heights-based start-up reuses a main chemical in polyurethane foam as a basic building block to manufacture new polyurethane foam. The old polyurethane foam comes from post-industrial scrap that is normally landfilled. Reusing it in Infichem's InfiGreen polyol helps reduce the Co2 emissions and is sustainable and contains natural renewable oils with reducing the amount of foam scrap that goes to landfill. "Our polyol is the greenest polyol in the world," says Gerald Winslow, vice president of sales & marketing for Infichem Polymers. And it has been in high demand. Infichem Polymers has signed up some large customers, such as Chrysler and Magna. That has allowed the 3-year-old firm to grow its revenues by 1,200 percent and hire six people. It now employs 12 people and expects to keep up that torrid pace of growth. Infichem Polymers has also made the semi-finals of this year's Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. It won the Advanced Materials category in the competition last year and is setting it sights higher this year. "We think we have a chance to win the top prize this year," Winslow says. Source: Gerald Winslow, vice president of sales & marketing for Infichem Polymers Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

BiancoCPA helps land more international biz in Metro Detroit

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General

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October 4, 2012

One of the most enjoyable trends in Lori Bianco's business, BiancoCPA, isn't its recent growth or helping small businesses (although those are positive things from her point of view) but helping bring more business to Michigan. The Sterling Heights-based accounting firm has watched a significant amount of its growth coming from helping international businesses set up operations in Metro Detroit. Often these companies are establishing a North America headquarters in southeast Michigan. "This has allowed us to bring more work into the U.S.," Bianco says. "That's pretty neat." BiancoCPA got its start in 1997. Since then it has handled a number of accounting jobs, such as helping small businesses with taxes and private accounting services. The company has grown to the point that it could hire another person over the last year, expanding its staff to five people. That's a significant jump for the company that was able to fight through the recent recession. "I am excited about it," Bianco says. "There was a dry period for a while and we were challenged like everyone else. Now there is a slow-but-steady increase in interest." Source: Lori Bianco, president & founder of BiancoCPA Writer: Jon Zemke

Sankuer Composite Technologies doubles staff in Sterling Heights

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General

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July 19, 2012

Sankuer Composite Technologies has doubled its staff on a significant bump in growth coming from broad range of new business for its products. The Sterling Heights-based company creates prototypes and customer products made of carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass components. The common denominator between the products is that they are all light weight, which means they have been traditionally used by the automotive, aviation and marine industries. Think racing cars and boats which look to reduce weight in order to increase speed. The 9-year-old company's growth is coming from not only increased business in those sectors but also expanding into new areas, such as exhibition. Those industries are looking to lower fuel costs with Sankuer Composite Technologies' lightweight products. "If they can use material that is much lighter it will cost them less money to ship them across the country, like the displays for the auto shows," says Tim Doty, director of business development/legal for Sankuer Composite Technologies. That new business has allowed Sankeur Composite Technologies to hire four people this year, doubling its staff. Doty believes his company could be hiring more before the end of this, perhaps as soon as later this month. Source: Tim Doty, director of business development/legal for Sankuer Composite Technologies Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

UHY adds 30 in Sterling Heights, Farmington Hills

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General

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June 14, 2012

Every one loves the feeling of saving money on their taxes. UHY is hiring in Metro Detroit by helping local companies achieve that feeling. UHY is an accounting firm that provides financial, tax, and business consulting services to mid-sized and larger companies. "We try to give them as many recommendations as possible to save them capital from taxes and help them grow," says Dennis Petri, partner with UHY. The 12-year-old firm has locations across the U.S., including offices in Sterling Heights and Farmington Hills that, together, employ about 250 people. The company has hired 30 people over the last year on 8 percent revenue growth. "Now that the economy is back businesses are doing a lot better these days," Petri says. He adds that the company's growth has come organically from attracting both new customers and growing the workload from existing ones. The plan for 2012 is to continue that growth path with a bigger bottom line and more hires. Source: Dennis Petri, partner with UHY Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Rave Computer adds to growing staff in Sterling Heights

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Economic Development

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June 7, 2012

Rick Darter grows his Michigan business, Rave Computer, by evangelizing his industry, which handles modeling, simulation and visualization work. The Sterling Heights-based company, formerly Rave Computer Association, has hired five people over the last year, expanding its staff to 40 employees and a few independent contractors. The 24-year-old firm has grown thanks to a diversifying client base that recognizes the value of simulation and modeling technology. "We have had significant growth and continue to grow in Michigan," says Darter, president & CEO of Rave Computer. "Me personally, I have become very involved in promoting modeling and simulation technology in the region." Rave Computer offers its technologies to a variety of industries, such as defense and automotive. Darter is working to make sure no one industry dominates his bottom line, and continues to work to diversify his client base. He expects this work to mean more hiring and potentially a bigger physical footprint for his company's offices. "We are positioned for significant growth by some of the opportunities we're pursuing," Darter says. Source: Rick Darter, president and CEO of Rave Computer Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Miss Michigan represents Metro Detroit’s growing Arab-American population

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Community Development

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June 7, 2012

"Here she comes, Miss Michigan..." Sterling Heights and Metro Detroit's Arab American community was in the house at The 2012 Miss USA pageant. Excerpt: "The Miss Michigan contestant competing in this year's Miss U.S.A pageant is a Chaldean American from metro-Detroit. Miss Michigan Kristen Samantha Danyal, 21, is from Sterling Heights. She's a Chaldean American, and a student at the University of Detroit Mercy where she was expected to graduate in May with a degree in business marketing. Initially she planned on becoming a physician's assistant, but that changed after her experience as Miss Michigan Teen USA 2009. " Read the rest here.