Oakland County

Ferndale Lofts on the 9 set to show off first unit this Friday

By Newsroom

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October 16, 2008

Lofts on the 9 will unveil its first unit Friday evening, several weeks before the project is set to wrap up.Lofts on the 9 is the little condo project that could, fighting its way through tough timing in an even tougher economy and the toughest housing market in a generation. But the developers are still optimistic, letting it be known that people are still lined up to buy their product and most of the retail space has been leased.The development's first residents are expected to begin moving in around Thanksgiving. Their new home will be one of the choice living options in downtown Ferndale. Lofts on the 9 is on East 9 Mile Road just east of Como's Restaurant and across the street from the Ferndale Public Library. The 4-story structure features units that are priced from $149,000 to the mid $400,000s. They range in size between 500 and 2,100 square feet, however, the 2,100-square-foot loft can be expanded up to 2,700 square feet by adding a rooftop deck. Each unit comes with a ground floor parking spot next to the building.The group of developers behind the Lofts on the 9 project also built the Troy, Main and Center street lofts developments in downtown Royal Oak.For information, call Adam Wolfson, sales broker for Lofts on the 9, at (248) 336-9600 or at (248) 535-4900.Source: Adam Wolfson, sales broker for Lofts on the 9Writer: Jon Zemke

Latest in Oakland County

Edutronix looks to nearly double revenue, add 5 staff

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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October 16, 2008

Edutronix has gone through its share of changes since setting up shop in 1948. But it wasn't until recently that the Troy-based company went through a major growth spurt. The 10-person firm (plus four independent contractors and the occasional intern) has nearly doubled in size since January, hiring four new people. If it hits projected growth goals over the next year, Edutronix says it'll to add another five."We won't double our revenue, but it will be close," says Bob Moesta, vice president and general manager of Edutronix.A big part of that growth for the software developer is launching a new product next year. That product is a software system for foreign language students who have at least two years of classes in a specific language under their belts.Edutronix specializes in training and educational software. Among the products it offers are multimedia, interactive learning systems, training materials and educational software tools that utilize proven learning theories. These products are made for a wide range of consumers, such as school districts, colleges and businesses.Source: Bob Moesta, vice president and general manager of EdutronixWriter: Jon Zemke

From Scratch: Dragon Bleu

By Amy Kuras

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Arts & Culture

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October 16, 2008

It was love at first swallow. When law student Moti Goldring and undergrad pal Jared Rapp discovered that French premium vodka Dragon Bleu wasn't distributed in the U.S. they did what any good entreprenuer would do: decided to sell it themselves. So, what does it take to launch a high-end liquor import business in Michigan? Metromode's Amy Kuras finds out.

Encryption Security Solutions plans to hire 5 now, 10 later

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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October 16, 2008

Encryption Security Solutions is on the move in more ways than one. The digital security firm has added space, a new office and is planning to add more staff.The company recently moved from Troy to a space in Lake Orion with a few thousand more square feet. It also opened an office on the west side of the state in Grand Lodge. ESS is made up of about a half dozen people and is looking to hire another five right now. Another 10 hires could be in the cards within the next year.A new product promises to propel Encryption Security Services growth as they plan to roll out a hard-drive-protection product for laptops in December. The intriguing thing is that the company hasn't even begun promoting it and yet, there is a backlog of orders."We have this trememdous backlog and we're not even actively selling it yet," says Kevin Lasser, CEO of Encryption Security Services. "The potential is huge."And there's more promise on Encryption Security Services' government wing, Pure Entropy Technologies."We have some very, very unique, exciting opportunities with the government," Lasser says.Source: Kevin Lasser, CEO of Encryption Security ServicesWriter: Jon Zemke

Gourmet grocers thriving as of late

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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October 16, 2008

The economy is struggling, that's undeniable. But, of course, there are bright spots that are equally undeniable. For instance, gourmet grocers are thriving. As this article states, the next best thing to going to Europe is eating as if you were in Europe. Excerpt: Despite the region's dismal economy, upscale grocers are flourishing in Metro Detroit, expanding and adding stores to serve a sophisticated and growing customer base that wants organic produce, natural and international foods, gourmet carry-outs and a glass of wine or a Sanders' hot fudge cream puff while they're shopping. "A trip to Europe may be out of the question, but consumers can still go to the grocery store and get the ingredients for a meal they would have eaten there," said Linda Gobler, president and CEO of the Michigan Grocers Association. "People want to do something to make themselves feel good." Read the entire article here.

Browsing By Design

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Arts & Culture

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October 16, 2008

Videos, Internet marketing, fine art and Kwame's mug. 323 East in Royal Oak has become one-stop shopping for creative inspiration. Home to the Ohm Creative Group, this storefront firm and art gallery is an ambitious (and successful!) merger of innovative business and unbridled expression.

NETPODS searches for $1.5 million in start-up capital, expects big growth

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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October 16, 2008

The mother-daughter team behind NETPODS is ready to take on the country, it just needs $1.5 million. That's the price the Troy-based start-up needs to pay to start a national campaign for the online directory/search engine. Chris Lakatos came up with the idea (originally called Network Pods) in 2005. She brought her mother, Linda Lakatos, on to run the money end of the company. The team has enjoyed a good bit of success locally but they're looking to expand. "The first three years were pretty much out of pocket," says Linda Lakatos, business development partner with NETPODS.But to take the firm to the next step takes more money than the change the two women can find in their pockets. They are looking to find an angel investor or two to help bankroll the firm's national rollout. They expect to firm up that start-up capital by the end of the year and launch nationally six months after that.Doing so would allow them to hire 42 people directly and another 20 vendors within the first year. The numbers for employment would shoot up to 112 people within five years.Linda Lakatos describes NETPODS as a cross between Yellow Pages and WebMD websites. They have 18.5 million listings on their server already and number of other tools to help fledgling businesses get their name out to the right people. To do that now, they just need the one or two right people to help get them going.Source: Linda Lakatos, business development partner with NETPODSWriter: Jon Zemke

Entrepreneur preaches passion, culture and values in workplace

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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October 16, 2008

Big Communications founder Lisa Stern told nearly 300 entrepreneurs at Wayne State University's E2detroit event that passion, culture, and values can go a long way in the business world. And she should know what she's talking about, she grew Big from a small start-up to a 90-employee company that pulled in $12.3 million in revenue last year. Excerpt: Big began recognizing its strengths not only as a company, but also the strengths of its employees. Culture and value became two important characteristics of the company. Positive attitude, champions of change, kind, creative, trustworthy, detailed and good communicators are some of the adjectives used to describe the company’s team members, according to Stern. Big developed a commitment to its established culture and values. The company’s mission was centered on hiring valuable team members to exemplify its commitment. “Culture and values are the soul of our company,” Stern said. Read the entire article here.

Oakland County names Hazel Park as first member of Oak Street program

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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October 9, 2008

A raging debate in central cities and inner-ring suburbs is whether downtowns or the neighborhoods should get more attention.There's little doubt that downtowns are getting the lion's share of attention, ranging from DDAs to TIFs. Oakland County is no different with its Main Street Oakland County program which is dedicated to improving downtowns throughout the county. Now the neighborhoods are getting a little more love with the Oak Street program.The initiative, a spin-off of the Main Street program, is dedicated to revitalizing and stabilizing mature neighborhoods. It's first candidate – Hazel Park."Hazel Park has a rich heritage and established neighborhoods that make it a natural for Oak Street," says Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. "These neighborhoods and their residents are the backbone of the county. Oak Street will help preserve the rich heritage of these wonderful areas while ensuring these neighborhoods remain desirable places to live and raise a family."Oak Street will provide education and technical assistance to the neighborhoods in an effort to preserve their history and character. One of the signature items of the program is a street fair that will be held for each participating city. The fairs, set for May, will include presentations on existing programs, sustainable rehabilitation and neighborhood heritage. The idea is to find more ways to invest in older communities.Two more participating communities for the Oak Street program will be announced later this year.Source: Oakland CountyWriter: Jon Zemke

Oakland University set to build new $61 million building in Rochester

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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October 9, 2008

Oakland University is set to build a new Human Health Building in Rochester now that the state will pay for $40 million of the $61 million project.The School of Health Sciences and the School of Nursing will occupy the 157,300-square-foot structure. The university plans to build the new space to facilitate the education of more medical professionals, thus helping address the looming shortages of health-care professionals. The new building will provide state-of-the-art simulation labs, media center, distance learning classrooms and a public health clinic for pre-symptom treatments. The new Human Health Building will complement the new Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, which is set to open in 2010.The push for new and improved medical education facilities is part of the Oakland Medical Initiative. The idea is to help cement Oakland County and Oakland University as centers for the rapidly growing health-care industry.Source: Oakland UniversityWriter: Jon Zemke