Technology & Innovation

Coverage of innovative research, development and deployment of technology and technological advance, including hardware, software and software as service.

New executive team positions Tegrit for growth in IT, software

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September 18, 2014

There is a new leadership team in charge of Tegrit, and the company has its eyes set on some significant growth. The Livonia-based firm had made a name for itself in software, specifically from software/IT services for the pension industry. Some of its marquee clients include the Municipal Employees Retirement System of Michigan, and the pension fund for Fresno County in California. "We built ourselves up from $8 million from almost exclusively pension software," says Jeff Adair, COO of Tegrit. Adair is part of a new trio of executives that has taken the reigns of the company this summer. He and Christian Curtis (the CTO) have worked at Tegrit for several years in leadership positions. They helped bring in Timothy McClure as the new CEO. He comes in with 10 new hires over the last year, all in IT positions. The firm now has a staff of 50 employees and four interns. The new leadership team is aiming to grow the company's current tech focus. The firm is looking to expand its focus to other IT and software sectors to help diversify its customer base and grow its bottom line. "We're looking to get a beachhead in new markets," Adair says. "Our objective is to become known as more than just pension software." Source: Jeff Adair, COO of Tegrit Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

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Danlaw adds 30 engineering jobs in Novi

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Economic Development

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September 18, 2014

Danlaw has enjoyed a healthy sales increase since the end of the Great Recession, including a significant spike over the last year. The Novi-based firm specializes in automotive-embedded electronics for network communications, infotainment, and telematics. Much of its recent growth has come from connected-vehicle technology work, which enables a car to communicate to other electronic devices around it. "It has grown a lot in the last few months," says Tom Rzeznik, president of Danlaw. "Our connected-vehicle division has propelled our growth over the last five years." That equates to an 80-percent revenue increase for the 30-year-old company between 2012 and 2013. It has hired 30 people in Metro Detroit over the last year, with a vast majority of those new hires being engineers. The firm now employs 150 people in the U.S. and 250 abroad in China and India. Rzeznik says the company is on pace to do similar numbers in the 2013 to 2014 year, which is why it continues to hire. "We're looking at significant growth this year as well," Rzeznik says. Source: Tom Rzeznik, president of Danlaw Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Orion Test Systems hires 6 as it expands globally

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Economic Development

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September 18, 2014

Orion Test Systems crossed a major milestone in the last year. The 10-year-old automotive testing company watched its revenue spike 25 percent over the last year, hitting a new plateau. "We went from $8 million to $10 million," says Bob Rogers, account manager for Orion Test Systems. The Auburn Hills-based company specializes in advanced engineering services. Specifically, it does life test and end-of-line test systems for electronic and mechatronic devices for customers in a wide range of industries, but a majority of its work is in the automotive sector. Driving a large part of Orion Test Systems's new growth is its global expansion, finding new clients in Europe and Asia. The company now has 75 employees, 15 of which are based abroad. The firm has also hired six people for its executive team and also for account management, design, and electrical engineering. It also has a couple of job openings now. "We're going to continue to grow this business," Rogers says. "We want to become a global leader in test equipment." Source: Bob Rogers, account manager for Orion Test Systems Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

C-Net Systems leverages new IT work to create more jobs

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September 11, 2014

Each year C-NET Systems hires a handful of people to keep up with its double-digit growth. It's a trend that has persisted for the Shelby Township-based IT firm for the last five years. "We have been in a pretty good growth pattern for the last five years," says Nick Tobin, owner of C-NET Systems. The firm has experienced 15-20-percent growth in each of those years. That has allowed it to hire two or three people each year, expanding its staff to a baker’s dozen today. Two hires (on-site service technicians) were made over the last three months. "We're looking to hire three more people by the end of the year," Tobin says. C-NET Systems specializes in providing IT services for small businesses in Metro Detroit. Some of its current clients include Energy Steel in Lapeer, Financial Architects in Farmington Hills, and AZA in Troy. Tobin plans to go after more medium-size and large clients this year as the company continues to grow. "We have more than enough business to keep hiring people," Tobin says. Source: Nick Tobin, owner of C-NET Systems Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

State Champs Sports Network adds 12 new hires

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Health

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September 11, 2014

State Champs Sports Network has come a long way in its first 10 years. The Southfield-based company got its start when Lou Bitonti was working at Chrysler managing the Jeep brand. Shortly after he left he started the high-school sports-centric broadcast company as a way to highlight Michigan’s emerging highlights. "I wanted a show that focuses on all of the sports," Bitonti says. "The kid that runs cross country or does swimming does as much as the kids that play football or basketball." State Champs Sports Network broadcasts local sports and feature TV shows, series, programming, and radio shows. Among its offerings are the State Champs! High School Sports Show, a weekly, half-hour TV program providing a comprehensive look at the athletic events, lives and accomplishments of Michigan’s high school athletes. Starting last month, State Champs Sports Network launched a radio program, called High School Football Report, that airs weekly on CBS Detroit’s WXYT-AM 1270 from 9 to 11 a.m. each Saturday. The company also expanded its audience when its four-time Emmy-award-winning High School Sports Show! began airing on FOX Sports Detroit each Sunday from 9 to 9:30 a.m. It is also debuting a new television program called Extra Point Football Show! on WXYZ-TV Channel 7. It will air weekly each Sunday during the area’s high school football season for 10 weeks. "We just started growing and we have a lot of shows," Bitonti says. All of this new programing has prompted a hiring spree at State Champs Sports Network. The company has hired a dozen people over the last year. It now has 14 full-time employees and another 15-20 independent contractors. "We're spreading the word out there," Bitonti says. "We're trying to keep this on a positive note. There are a lot of positive things happening in Michigan." Source: Lou Bitonti, founder of State Champs Sports Network Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

“The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation” show to premiere on CBS

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Community Development

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September 11, 2014

The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation show featuring thinkers and doers is set to premiere on CBS's Saturday morning lineup, beginning Sept. 27. Excerpt: "Hosted by Mo Rocca of CBS' "Sunday Morning," will be a weekly celebration of the inventor’s spirit - from historic scientific pioneers throughout past centuries to the forward-looking visionaries of today. Each episode tells the dramatic stories behind the world’s greatest inventions - and the perseverance, passion and price required to bring them to life. Featuring the "what if it never happened," "the innovation by accident" and a strong focus on "junior geniuses" who are changing the face of technology, this series will appeal to young viewers and their families. More here.

Moncur branding agency opens new offices in Miami, Austin

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September 11, 2014

Moncur is rebranding and expanding its presence across the U.S. The Southfield-based branding agency has been known as Moncur Associates for its 22 years until it dropped the latter part of its name this month. Moncur is also opening satellite offices in Miami and Austin. "There is a lot of stability that comes with geographic expansion and a lot of growth opportunity," says David Moncur, principal of Moncur. "By my estimation Austin is the next Silicon Valley." Moncur handles the digital and social media branding for the likes of Lear, Layne, Discovery Channel, the University of Michigan, Art Van, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. It’s revenue is up 50 percent over the last year and the company is on track to do it again. The company has hired six people over the last year, primarily in creative and technical positions. Moncur currently has a staff of 27 employees and one intern. It also has four open positions for technical and creative staffers, including a director of digital marketing. Moncur is looking to keep going by focusing on customers in the Metro Detroit, Miami and Austin markets over the next year. However, Moncur expects most of the growth to take place at its Southfield headquarters. "That has never happened to us in our company’s history," Moncur says. "It's an exciting ride." Source: David Moncur, principal of Moncur Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Metro Detroit to be testing site for “smart” freeways, talking cars

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Community Development

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September 11, 2014

The days where every car and driver are out for themselves may be numbered. The road is being laid for cameras, sensors, and car-to-car communication systems to improve traffic safety, and Metro Detroit is the hub of these new technologies. Excerpt: "Southeast Michigan will lead the nation in drastically improving traffic safety and flow because of an expanded public-corporate project. The Michigan Department of Transportation, General Motors, Ford and the University of Michigan will install a network of cameras and sensors along 120 miles of metro Detroit freeways that will propel development of safety technologies that help cars communicate with each other. The MDOT announcement over the weekend coincided with the 2014 Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress in Detroit, where about 10,000 auto and technology industry leaders are gathering to discuss autonomous vehicles. The collaborative venture expands a 2-year-old project already under way in Ann Arbor. It also should establish southeast Michigan as the hub of autonomous vehicle know-how. When completed, it will be the largest deployment of its kind in the U.S., GM CEO Mary Barra said." More here.

SA+A Architects takes on more design work, expands client base

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Arts & Culture

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September 11, 2014

SA+A Architects, which is short for Stephen Auger + Associates Architects, worked its way through the lean times of the Great Recession and is now starting to reap the benefits of the recovery. The Lake Orion-based architecture firm has hired two people over the last few weeks, including a project architect and an industrial designer. The 19-year-old company has a staff of a dozen employees and two summer interns handling a growing amount of work. "We landed some big projects," says Steve Auger, president of SA+A Architects. "We struggled through the downturn like everyone else. We had some nice projects on the bench, and a couple of those came alive." A lot of the new work is coming from faith-based organizations, specifically churches. SA+A Architects projects include an expansion of the Clarkston United Methodist Church and the building of a new mega church in Cincinnati called Rivers Crossing Community Church. "That's converting a movie theater to a 1,500-seat church," Auger says. SA+A Architects also got the green light from Oakland County to serve as one of its preferred contractors for architecture work. The approval puts the firm on the short list for architecture firms to do work on designing schools and other government buildings. "We just won a blanket contract with Oakland County," Auger says. "We want to do some more government work. We want to be more diversified." Source: Steve Auger, president of SA+A Architects Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

401K GPS brings retirement planning services online

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General

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September 11, 2014

401K GPS, an online retirement planning service, received its first outside investment this summer when it landed five figures' worth of seed capital from the state of Michigan. The Brighton-based tech startup landed $27,000 from the state's Business Accelerator Fund with the help of the Macomb-OU INCubator. That cash will go toward the company’s marketing efforts, building a new website, and licensing its technology. "It was a pretty big deal for us," says John Eaton, general manager of 401K GPS. "It was the first time we got any external money. We were entirely self-funded before then." 401K GPS sells a software platform that helps take the guesswork out of managing retirement plan investments. It got its start as a service so consumers could manage their own 401Ks. "It is a technology solution to an advisory problem," Eaton says. 401K GPS and its team of two employees and two interns changed up its business model earlier this year. It went from a consumer-facing platform to one that could be leveraged by financial advisors. The move allowed the startup to double its revenue. "That was a significant change in the business model," Eaton says. "We went where there was no competition." Source: John Eaton, general manager of 401K GPS Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.