Birmingham : Innovation & Job News

Brent Eastman has made his career in marketing, spending 25 years specializing in brand management. Most recently he served as a vice president of brand strategy & creative at Identity, a Bingham Farms-based public relations and marketing agency. This summer he is starting all over by launching his own marketing firm, Alchemy Group.

The Birmingham-based creative firm plans to focus on "research, engagement and actionable plans that make a real difference in an organization, both inside and out," according to the firm's press release about its launch.

"We're really focused on understanding client backgrounds and what's going on with them," Eastman says. "We want to help them evolve their brand."

Alchemy Group is currently composed of Eastman and a network of independent contractors. However, Eastman expects to begin making his first hires soon.

"I'd like to have 7-9 people in the next three years, according to my business plan," Eastman says. "I would like to have a couple by the end of the year."

Source: Brent Eastman, chief brand alchemist of Alchemy Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

A year ago, Tom Nixon launched his own public relations business. Today it has proven far more successful than he originally imagined.

The downtown Birmingham-based business now employs three people and eight independent contractors. It is also looking for summer interns. The company made it first hire within its first few months of business.

"I didn't expect I would hire someone within three months but my business was way up," Tom Nixon, president of LV8 Communications. "We hit our annual revenue goal within our first year."

LV8 Communications got its start in a small office in Grosse Pointe at first. It moved to downtown Birmingham last fall to help facilitate its growing staff and help growing the company's client list. Nixon expects his company to continue growing as more and more medium-size and second-stage businesses look for more marketing help.

"I think people are looking for general marketing help," Nixon says. "They don't know exactly what they're looking for but they know they need general marketing."

Source: Tom Nixon, president of LV8 Communications
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.

Schechter Wealth Strategies opened an office in New York City late last year as the Birmingham-based firm looked to capitalize on a growing economy.

The new office in Midtown Manhattan is the second satellite office for the 74 year-old wealth management firm, which also has an office in the Flint area. Schechter Wealth Strategies has notched close to 30-percent growth in the last two years. It has a goal of 15-percent growth this year and 65-percent growth by 2015.

"We felt that now is the right time with the economy on the upswing," says Stephen Blocki, COO of Schechter Wealth Strategies.

The New York City office is staffed by one person, who is one of the company's five new hires over the last year. Blocki was recently brought on as the company's new COO and Jimmy King (of the University of Michigan's Fab Five fame) as the new vice president of business development. The firm now employs 30 people.

Robert Langer is the managing director of Schechter Wealth Strategies' New York Office. Blocki says the firm decided to make the investment in a New York office as a way to replicate the firm's business model in new territory.

"Our goal is to grow into any market that has access to a network of high-net-worth individuals," Blocki says.

Source: Stephen Blocki, COO of Schechter Wealth Strategies
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

GSTV, the downtown Birmingham-based company that brought us TVs on gas pumps, is expanding into the mobile space with its new spinoff, Dmedia.

Dmedia will serve as a sister company of GSTV (formerly Gas Station TV), providing a built-in marketing partner to reach consumers and drive app interaction. The spin-off got started last fall with a handful of GSTV employees eager to take on the mobile space, leveraging their media experiences, technology and previous client relations.

"GSTV is the support system," says Carly Gordon, director of business operations for Dmedia. "It's the spark that helped us get started in the mobile space."

Dmedia currently has a staff of five people and expects to grow this year. It currently has four job openings: for director of business development, communications professionals, and web developers. It is currently working on making three custom apps for businesses. The apps under construction include,:BigNoiz (a local music and concert discovery app), Chitney (a customizable offer delivery platform) and gogo (a location-aware point of interaction app).

"Right now the long-term plan is to do these three apps really well and take that to the next level," Gordon says. "We want to grow with them."

Source: Carly Gordon, director of business operations for Dmedia
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

GSTV is fleshing out both its presence in major advertising markets across North America and its staff in downtown Birmingham.

The nearly 7-year-old company has added 12 positions to its workforce, expanding its staff to 60 employees and a couple of summer interns. It has more than a dozen open jobs now for positions in sales, marketing, business development, human resources and software development.

"We have gotten very busy in terms of hiring," says David Leider, CEO of GSTV. "We needed to hire a recruiter to handle it. We have 15 positions open now."

GSTV, formerly Gas Station TV, is the company that puts the TVs on top of gas station pumps. The screens flash news, weather forecasts and commercials during a couple of minutes when motorists are paused in their commute and looking for something to focus on.

The concept has taken off. GSTV is now in 1,900 gas stations across the nation, collecting 39 million monthly viewers. That's up from 1,300 stations. GSTV is in 36 states and every major media market in North America, doubling its presence in cities like Detroit, Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago. It expects to continue fleshing out its presence in 2013.

"We continue to grow quickly," Leider says. "By April we will have 2,000 stations and 40 million monthly viewers all over the country."

Source: David Leider, CEO of GSTV
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Plastic Surgery of Michigan has made the move from Southfield to downtown Birmingham, taking a suite at 640 N. Old Woodward Ave.

"It was a good opportunity to be in a nice area," says Dr. Andrew Lofman, president of Plastic Surgery of Michigan. "It's close to my home and in a beautiful office."

The 3-year-old company has watched its revenues grow by 50 percent over the last year, allowing it to expand its staff to two employees. The demand for a broad range of plastic surgery has pushed that growth, but Lofman says he has seen a jump in breast augmentation. He adds that his firm's new marketing efforts online and in social media have helped buffet its growth.

"My goal is to be the premiere plastic surgery center in Birmingham within a few years," Lofman says.

Source: Dr. Andrew Lofman, president of Plastic Surgery of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Blue Filament Intellectual Property got its start a year ago when Mary Margaret O'Donnell struck out on her own and launched her firm in downtown Birmingham. Today the intellectual property law firm has grown to five people - adding staff in its first year.

O'Donnell spent a decade working in large law firms and boutique intellectual property law practices. Today O'Donnell and her team have prosecuted and managed thousands of trademarks throughout the world.

"For me it was about building something from the ground up," O'Donnell says.

Establishing Blue Filament Intellectual Property proved to be the biggest challenge in the firm's first year, O'Donnell says. However, she adds that she was able to start with a large portfolio of clients from around the world that helped ease that transition. That was far from easy, but it was not something O'Donnell would advise other entrepreneurial attorneys from doing.

"I would tell them to have a strong heart and a strong mind to work very hard," O'Donnell says.

Source: Mary Margaret O'Donnell, owner of Blue Filament Intellectual Property
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Broder & Sachse is no longer just one company but three, a split that allowed the Birmingham-based firms to score double-digit growth over the last year.

The real-estate services company spun out Brewster Maintenance (a property-maintenance business) and Stuart Mechanical (an HVAC firm) last year. Since doing so the three companies, all still under the same ownership, have been able to add new customers and increase their revenues by 15 percent.

"These two companies have been growing, independently, very nicely," says Richard Broder, CEO of Broder & Sachse.

That growth has allowed the three companies to expand their staffs by 15 percent, hiring a dozen people. The three firms now employ a combined 90 people and a handful of summer interns. Stuart Mechanical and Brewster Maintenance now employ 20 people between them.

"We have added a couple of new employees to all three companies," Broder says.

Broder expects his companies to continue growing at their current rate for the foreseeable future.

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

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

Brogan & Partners is on the move in downtown Birmingham in more ways than one way.

The advertising agency recently moved to a larger office space on the north end of downtown Birmingham near the space for the Birmingham Farmers Market. That provides more room for the company's growing staff. It has hired four people over the last year, including a senior copy writer, senior strategist, technical director and a corporate support team member.

"We have a very solid infrastructure in terms of a team," says Ellyn Davidson, managing partner with Brogan & Partners.

The 28-year-old firm focuses on advertising on the Internet, social media and mobile mediums. It has offices in downtown Birmingham and North Carolina with nearly two thirds of its 36 employees and an intern working in Metro Detroit. The company has enjoyed a good bit of its growth by continuing to work on its new Entrepreneurial Operating System. "It allows us to work much smarter and focus on the business," Davidson says.

Brogan & Partners works on brand engagement and has a knack for marketing toward women. That speciality has continued to blossom in the last year. Davidson expects that trend to continue and to begin hiring again by the first of the year.

"We're always looking for great people," Davidson says.

Source: Ellyn Davidson, managing partner with Brogan & Partners
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Sheilah and Ray Markham have been married for 30 years and been in business together for 25 years, raising three kids in Metro Detroit in the process.

In that time, the Markham's have built up their business, California Closets to the point where, as Sheilah puts it, "business is really our family."

"Our business is our baby," Sheilah says. "We don't separate. We talk about it 24/7."

That baby has grown. The company now has showrooms in Birmingham and Commerce Township, where it also has it manufacturing facility. The firm employs 25 people after hiring five this year and up from just 10 at the height of the last recession.

California Closets creates closet systems and shelving, utilizing contemporary design and an ergonomic use of space. The Markhams are looking at upping the business' revenue to $3 million over the next year and penetrating the Ann Arbor area.

Source: Sheilah Markham, co-owner of California Closets in Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Gas Station TV is well on its way to becoming an American household name, or at least a ubiquitous brand in gas stations across the U.S.

The downtown Birmingam-based business, also known as GSTV, specializes in providing TV advertising at gas stations aimed at motorists filling up. The 6-year-old company's gas station fuel pump TVs capture a couple of minutes of downtime when patrons are fueling their vehicles. These TVs can be found in just about every major metro area in North America and the company continues to blanket the continent with its growth.

"The media world is changing," says David Leider, CEO of Gas Station TV. "The traditional media broadcast is not meeting the expectations of the past. DVR is going to penetrate 50 percent of the market by the end of this year and more people will fast forward through commercials."

Gas station patrons can't fast forward through Gas Station TV's commercials while filling up. It's why the company has spread into markets like Milwaukee, Baltimore, Columbus, Albuquerque, South Bend and Grand Rapids. Gas Station TV is also looking to add Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Harrisburg over the next year.

"The business has been very strong," Leider says. "We have added 300 stations this year and we have expanded into new markets."

This market growth has allowed Gas Station TV to significantly increase its employee base, hiring 28 people over the last year. It currently has a staff of 79 employees and one intern and has job postings for 11 more positions.

Source: David Leider, CEO of Gas Station TV
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Ignite Social Media is hiring across the board, creating 40 jobs in the last year and looking to hire another 20 people this spring/summer.

The downtown Birmingham-based company, which also has an office in North Carolina, did a round of hiring last fall to meet the demand of its growing customer base. It now employs 77 people and four interns. The company is looking to hire another 20 in everything from creative positions (writers and designers), computer programmers, financial professionals and a human resource director.

"We have had to hire to meet the demand of our new business," says Deidre Bounds, COO of Ignite Social Media. "We are looking to staff up in pretty much every department in the agency."

Ignite Social Media spun out of Brogan & Partners, the firms share the same office building, four years ago. It has taken on new clients over the last year, including Chrysler and Carlson, a hospitality firm. Ignite Social Media has also expanded its workload with some other big-name clients, like Samsung.

The company has doubled in size every year since its inception. Bounds expects the firm to do it again this year as the economy continues to grow.

Source: Deidre Bounds, COO of Ignite Social Media
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

A little more than a year ago, Brogan & Partners began implementing a new program focused on changing the company for the better called the Entrepreneurial Operating System.

The downtown Birmingham-based company's leadership says it has allowed the Internet advertising firm to clearly define its direction, management team and better focus on its goals. That has allowed it to grow its bottom line and adapt the shifts in its rapidly changing industry.

"We have gotten more done in the last year than we did in the last five years," says Ellyn Davidson, managing partner of Brogan & Partners.

Brogan & Partners focuses on advertising on the Internet, social media and mobile mediums. the 27-year-old company works on brand engagement and has a knack for marketing toward women. It has hired five new people over the last year, including a senior art director, a senior media director, an account manager and a social media expert. It now employs 30 people and two interns.

The company has also focused on the social media aspect of its business. It has worked to educate its senior staff about the ins and out of Web 2.0 while helping the social media-savvy younger workers become more intimate with traditional marketing tactics.

"We have spent a lot of time and training to bring our staff up to speed on social media," Davidson says.

Source: Ellyn Davidson, managing partner of Brogan & Partners
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

When an elderly family member begins to encounter health problems, many loved ones don't know to adapt adapt to the new change in lifestyle. ElderCompass, a new start-up coming out of Walsh College, wants to give them some direction.

"A lot of people don't know where to start when an older family member's health starts to fail," says Nancy Martens, managing partners & chief clinical officer with Elder Compass.

Martens was a geriatric nurse that was downsized in a corporate move a few years ago when she found herself looking for a job because a non-compete contract kept her out of her career. That's when she started ElderCompass to help families deal with elderly members.

For the last two years she has been working with the team at the Blackstone LaunchPad program at Walsh College to get it off the ground. That helped her execute a soft launch late last year and get her website to go live last week. The two-person start-up also recently won a $5,000 prize at the Get Launched business plan competition at Wayne State University last fall.

"That has been very helpful," Martens says. "Because of that I am on my way to the American Society of Aging Conference for Washington, D.C., for four days. I couldn't have done that without the Get Launched award.

Source: Nancy Martens, managing partners & chief clinical officer with Elder Compass
Writer: Jon Zemke

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