Innovation & Job News

Success is breeding more and bigger successes at Secure-24 in recent years.

Before last year, the IT firm was doubling its revenue and staff. Last year its revenue jumped 41 percent, which allowed the Southfield-based company to hire 130 people, expanding its staff to 370 employees and a half dozen interns. It currently has 60 job openings to help it keep up with demand.

"We are seeing more and larger companies making the decision to go to a managed-services model (for IT)," says Mike Jennings, CEO of Secure-24. He adds that many of them are looking for more personalized customer services like Secure-24 can offer. "We're seeing a large trend of businesses coming to us from larger companies."

Jennings further explains that the shift to cloud computing and the overall trend of companies out-sourcing their IT work has helped power Secure-24's ascent. Plus there is the added bonus: showing the ability to handle bigger contracts has helped attract similar-sized clients.

"We have signed some larger customers over the years that has grown the size of our business," Jennings says. "We are managing more than 700 systems for our largest customer."

To help meet the demand for this new work, Secure-24 has enlisted a two-pronged approach to finding talent to fit the bill. It recruits senior folks from the market to harness their expertise. It also is hiring graduates directly from local colleges to train them at its integrated operations center. It takes 18 months to complete the training, at which point they will be full-time employees of Secure-24. That program has resulted in an average of five new hires a month.

Source: Mike Jennings, CEO of Secure-24
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Advenovation is working to not only give vision to manufacturing robots, which is already a reality, but to make that vision more intuitive and similar to how humans see and interact with things.

Although the technology has taken off,  says Adil Shafi, president of Advenovation,  and "a lot of problems have been solved, there are a lot of problems with it that are left to solve." 

Technically, the 3-year-old start-up specializes in the design, integration and implementation of vision-guided robotic solutions. It recently graduated from the OU INC in Rochester Hills. It is now moving into a 5,000-square-foot facility in Rochester Hills so it can continue developing its technology.

While going through the OU INC, Advenovation expanded its customer base six-fold. GM Powertrain requested that the company write its global standards for the implementation of machine vision in 2011. It is also working on the Orion Spaceship's heat shield.

That has allowed Advenovation to grow its staff to 15 employees and three interns after hiring seven people in the last year. Shafi expects those staff numbers to continue to grow thanks to a projection of sales doubling or even tripling this year as the company's technology progresses.

"We continue to pioneer and innovate solutions," Shafi says.

Source: Adil Shafi, president of Advenovation
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Metric-X recently made the move from its former home in Ohio to Metro Detroit, and it's easy to deduce why if you listen to the tech company's leadership.

"It's a happening area," says Saad Shah, founder & president of Metric-X. "The companies are coming back and getting stronger. They are investing in their IT technology."

The 13-year-old company specializes in providing software and mobile solutions to other businesses. It moved to Troy last year and just executed a move to downtown Rochester to accommodate the company's growth. It currently employs a dozen people and looks to continue to expand.

Helping drive Metric-X's growth is its expansion into creating its own software, launching an add-on for Microsoft Excel last year. "We think there is a lot of potential for it," Shah says.

Source: Saad Shah, founder & president of Metric-X
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

There was nothing small about the Great Recession for Patrick Schwager's family in Garden City. Both of his parents lost their jobs in mid-2008. He was just graduating from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a degree in business management and marketing in 2009 and his internship wasn't going anywhere.

That's when the family rallied together and made a go of it with its Aunt Nee's salsa business.

"For a solid year we were cash-strapped and unemployed," Schwager says. "We decided to make a major push to make it successful."

Aunt Nee's had always been a hobby business for the family. They were always disappointed buying prepared salsa, often with its lack of freshness. Aunt Nee's sells the seasoning to the customers so they can add their own produce to make fresh salsa. Schwager brought on a friend as a partner, Carlos Parisi, and the business took off.

"It's the best fresh salsa you can make yourself," Schwager says.

Today you can find Aunt Nee's in a wide variety of supermarkets across Michigan, including 45 Kroger grocery stores. It now sells a little more than 50,000 packets of seasoning annually. It is gearing up to begin online sales later this year. Schwager hopes to cross into six-figures worth of unit sales within the next year.

Aunt Nee's now employs five people and is looking to add a few interns this summer. It is also working with other local small businesses to help them get off the ground.

Source: Patrick Schwager, CEO of Aunt Nee's
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Seat Side Service is a start-up born out of frustration. Barak Leibovitz's frustration.

The 20-something was at a baseball game trying to buy a hotdog when the idea hit him. Repeatedly. First he had to wait 30 minutes for the vendor to come by. Then he didn't have enough cash on him to buy the hotdogs. Then he couldn't pay for it with anything other than cash. The process left the aspiring entrepreneur dumbfounded.

"It just didn't make sense at the time," Leibovitz says.

Seat Side Service is Leibovitz answer. The 1-year-old start-up creates software that allows athletic spectators to order what they want from their smartphone, pay for it online and then have the vendors deliver the food for tips from a centralized kitchen. The system simplifies the process so vendors no longer have to carry all of their food around and can instead focus on providing quality service.

"Your tips should reflect your hustle," Leibovitz says.

The Southfield-based business, which got its start in Ann Arbor's TechArb, currently has a staff of four employees and six interns. It is working on running a pilot program with the Toledo Mud Hens this summer and wants to take it to even more stadiums and arenas next year.

"I am engaging minor league stadiums because they don't have problems with bandwidth (cellular service)," Leibovitz says.

Source: Barak Leibovitz, founder & CEO of Seat Side Service
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Expanding Metro Detroit's knowledge workforce is a goal that garners much more talk than progress.

Square One Education Network works to make the latter happen. The Waterford-based organization specializes in helping further educational efforts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (commonly known as STEM) for educators.

"We do the train-the-trainer type of projects," says Barb Land, program director for Square One Education Network.

The organization, which is made up of two employees and half a dozen adjunct faculty, has watched its participation numbers jump in recent years. Its users number have gone up 3,000-4,000 people annually. Last year it handled 18,000 users and expects to jump above 20,000 next year as the emphasis on STEM educational efforts continues to grow.

"Everyone is really conscious of the need to have that tech-savvy workforce," Land says. "It's at the forefront of everyone's minds."

Source: Barb Land, program director for Square One Education Network
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

DBIT Consulting is launching its new WebTxt platform, a software tool that its creators think will bridge the latest gap in digital communication.

The Novi-based business' technology allows users to send text messages from web browsers. All the users need is a cell phone number. Previously, they also needed a phone number and service provider, such as AT&T. WebTxt makes the process simpler by just requiring the cell number.

"If you have a cell number you can send a text from any web browser from any device with an Internet connection," says Bill Schultz, president of DBIT Consulting. "If you can use a web browser email system, you can use this technology."

The 4-year-old company got its start when a couple of IT managers led by Schultz decided to strike out on their own. While the company does offer consulting services, it is more about creating new technology the co-founders are excited about.

"Our main goal is to write software," Schultz says.

The company has grown its revenue 15-20 percent each year since its launch. It now employs a team of six people after hiring a new person over the last year and is bringing on an intern this summer. All of DBIT Consulting's hires have been veterans.

Source: Bill Schultz, president of DBIT Consulting
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Bingham Farms-based d.Diversified Services has watched its work in staffing jump over the last year, and its headcount has increased accordingly.

The staffing firm has watched its independent contractor force grow by 50 people, to 250 overall in the last year. The three sectors that it services (engineering, finance and industrial) have all watched their revenues spike by double digits. Finance and engineering revenues are up 15 percent and 20 percent respectively, while industrial is spiking at 50 percent.

"That one has probably grown the most," says Steve Henes, president of d.Diversified Services. "All of the manufacturing going on here really opened up a lot of opportunities."

Henes bought the company in 1994 and he now oversees a staff of 14 employees and two interns. The company has hired four people in the last year. While the industrial sector is driving its growth today, engineering is proving to be the most in-demand.

"Our issue with engineering is finding people," Henes says. "Finding a good engineer is tough these days. These people have a lot of options and are hard to find."

He expects the double-digit gains to continue as the economy rises and more businesses add to their staffs. Henes sees only one thing slowing that growth down in the near-term.

"The only thing stopping us is finding good people," Henes says.

Source: Steve Henes, president of d.Diversified Services
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Bold Media got its start from a local college grad looking to make his way in his hometown by starting his own web-development business.

That mission was accomplished within a few years of its founding in 2008. The Livonia-based firm's progression to a growing small business is cementing Bold Media as a local company with staying power. It has developed 250 websites in its five years and expanded its services offerings to a number of different areas, such as search engine optimization, digital marketing and site hosting.

"It (Bold Media's growth) was just word of mouth and excellent customer service," says Haitham Fakhouri, owner of Bold Media.

He launched the company right after graduating from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelors in computer science. The idea was to create his own job instead of trying to chase one in a down economy or moving away in search of one. Today he employs five people after hiring two new employees over the last year. Bold Media also has one job opening now.

"Instead of moving out of state, I decided to open a business in my community," Fakhouri says.

Today that local business is looking to begin making the jump to a medium-size business. Bold Media hopes to land larger clients in 2013 and to continue to grow into a bigger role in the local business world.

Source: Haitham Fakhouri, owner of Bold Media
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Your People is walking the fine line of fostering growth but maintaining its status as a boutique public relations agency.

"2013 is really a growth year for us," says Lynne Meredith Golodner, chief creative officer & owner of Your People. "We are changing the way we do business to concentrate on a select group of core clients."

The end goal is to maintain the 6-year-old firm's status as a boutique agency that maintains a one-on-one relationship with its clients. That doesn't mean it's not growing. Your People has added two people to its team over the last year, so it now has a staff of four workers and an intern.

Your People is also launching its own DIY public relations conference for small businesses and non-profits. The Marketing, Messaging & Media: Storytelling to Build Your Business event will be held at Walsh College's Troy campus on Oct. 26-27. The idea is to help enable local business owners find the way to tell their stories without breaking the bank.

"Everybody needs PR but not everyone should pay a fortune for it," Golodner says. "That has always been the ethos of my company."

Source: Lynne Golodner, chief creative officer & owner of Your People
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

The creators of Partyline saw that dating sites were a bit dated and inefficient. Seeing the need, they decided to create a business to satisfy it that they hope will take social online interaction to the next level.

"We feel that social networking and dating sites have been pretty boring over the last decade," says Johny Thomas, co-founder of Partyline. "They are set up like a blog and with messaging. There isn't much interaction and it's time consuming to set up a profile."

Patryline focuses on enabling its users to set up an account within a few short minutes. It also allows users to speak to each other nearly instantaneously. The idea is the increased interaction and ability to glean more indirect information, such as a laugh, will help the process move along.

"You will know within a few minutes whether you can get along with the person or move on," Thomas says.

All from a mobile app that can be downloaded at the Apple Store. Partlyline launched the app in April and is currently in a public Beta. It hopes to hit in excess of 1 million users within a year.

"We have seen pretty healthy traction," Thomas says. "It's going pretty fast and we're excited about our growth."

Source: Johny Thomas, co-founder of Partyline
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

The cliche, "Get 'em while they're young" applies when it comes to the Walsh College Blackstone LaunchPad's Make It Better competition.

The event challenges Michigan-based high school students to think outside of the proverbial box and redesign an existing product or service or develop a new one. The end goal is to create something that helps improve the quality of life and improves their community or the Great Lakes State. The competition's goal is to foster critical thinking skills and encourage more young people to consider a life in entrepreneurship.

"They have no barriers in their thinking," says Carol Glynn, director of Blackstone LaunchPad at Walsh College in Troy. "We want them to start down a path of innovation. The older we get the more barriers we put for ourselves."

Among the winners are Kirsten Gendron, who took first place ($500) for her idea of a chewing gum that filters harmful toxins of second-hand smoke. Second place ($250) went to Rebecca List for her entry of a Wi-Fi Lifesaver Wristband. Hannah Beller won third place ($250) for her "Wake Me Up Blanket", an electric blanket that gradually circulates chilling temperatures as encouragement to get sleepy owners out of bed.

A grant from the Charles M. Bauervic Foundation funded the competition. It is open to all high school and college students in Michigan. This year's Make It Better competition was the second. Glynn says plans are in the making for a third installment next year.

"We definitely intend on doing it again next year," Glynn says. "We will probably do it earlier."

Source: Carol Glynn, director of Blackstone LaunchPad at Walsh College
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Slow and steady isn't just wining the race for Harley Ellis Devereaux, it's leading to some prolonged growth for the architecture and engineering firm.

The company has hired 40 people over the last year, bringing its overall staff to 226 employees and a couple of summer interns. The business has offices in California and Chicago but the lion's share of its employees are in its Southfield headquarters, a number that has been expanding thanks to new work in areas like corporate business and K-12 education.

"It's ramping up," says Michael Cooper, managing principal of Harley Ellis Devereaux. "It's been slow growth but it has been steady growth." He adds that he expects that streak to continue over the next year in all of the firm's offices. "People are feeling a bit more confident in what is happening," Cooper says.

Harley Ellis Devereaux has been winning some awards from the Construction Association of Michigan over the last year. It recently shared "Green Project of the Year" with Turner Construction for its sustainable design and buildout of  the Community Health and Social Services Center, a LEED Silver certified building, in southwest Detroit. Harley Ellis Devereaux and DeMaria Building Co were also recognized for  one of the "Most Outstanding Projects of 2012" for its work on Wayne State University’s Chemistry Building renovations and expansion.

"It's always nice when the industry and your peers recognize your work," Cooper says, adding that the awards have helped with the firm's public relations and recruiting efforts.

Source: Michael Cooper, managing principal of Harley Ellis Devereaux
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Howard & Howard Attorneys is expanding its practice, adding about 20 people to its staff over the last year.

The 150-year-old law firm has offices in Chicago, Ann Arbor, Peoria, and Las Vegas, but its headquarters in downtown Royal Oak is the main beneficiary of its growth. Its office at Fourth and Lafayette streets now houses 140 of the practice's 250 employees.

"We like downtown Royal Oak because of all of its amenities, its cost structure, its central location," says Mark Davis, president & CEO of Howard & Howard Attorneys. He adds the location also helps the firm with its recruiting efforts of fresh law school graduates.

Howard & Howard Attorneys focuses primarily on business law, such as business-to-business dealings and business ownership. It serves a global clientele that occupies a wide variety of sectors ranging from automotive to medical devices.

The law practice has doubled in size (both revenue and head count) over the last five years. It has accomplished that with about 15 percent year-over-year annual growth. Over the last year, Howard & Howard Attorneys has focused on expanding the legal skill sets it can offer. For example, it recently brought on a tax specialist that can help manufacturers best manage tax credits.

"Our goal is to provide all of the legal services a business would require," Davis says.

Source: Mark Davis, president & CEO of Howard & Howard Attorneys
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

When the construction industry hit the skids half a decade ago, Broder & Sachse didn't pull back to a skeleton crew and hope for the best. The downtown Birmingham-based company sat tight and began planning for the economy to inevitably rebound.

That rebound is happening now and the real-estate services company is not only poised for significant growth, it's capitalizing on it. The firm has been acquiring property for projects, adding more buildings to its management portfolio, and hiring. It has brought an extra dozen people onto its payroll over the last year, bringing its staff to 90 employees and a couple of summer interns.

"Because we preserved our infrastructure we were able to grow when things started picking up again," says Richard Broder, CEO of Broder & Sachse.

The nearly 20-year-old company has watched growth occur across the board, including in HVAC, construction services, property management, and other construction development areas. It has added more than 1,000 multi-family units to its property management business, and Broder expects that number to increase.

Broder & Sachse has also been playing a role in the redevelopment of greater downtown Detroit area, acquiring a couple of buildings for redevelopment. It now has property in its portfolio in the downtown and Midtown neighborhoods.

"It has been exciting to work with our sister company (Sachse Construction) downtown," Broder says.

Source: Richard Broder, CEO of Broder & Sachse
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.