Northville : Innovation & Job News

CVMedia was founded in Southfield 12 years ago as part of its restructuring and overall growth. The company has evolved into a high tech multi-media production company that has found a niche by being able to adapt its production output to suit a client's needs -- no matter the size of the budget -- and has just moved to new digs in Northville.

From its humble roots as a video production company, CVMedia now produces podcasts, video encoding, Flash-driven websites and even video taping and production guidelines for clients ranging from small businesses to large corporations like BASF.

This diversification has directly caused the company's growth, which is expected to range from 20-30% in 2007. In a statement, Mike Mnich, President of CVMedia, explains his perspective on the realities of working within Michigan's economy. “We need to quit blaming the economy and continue reinventing ourselves as businesses. It's not business as usual anymore, especially in Michigan!”

Source: CVMedia
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

United Way of Southeast Michigan is forming a leadership development organization, Leadership Next, in an effort to connect with and empower the area's future leaders. Chairperson of the group, Matt Clayson, a Detroit resident and legal coordinator for Pleasant Ridge's ePrize says the goal of Leadership Next is "to get together group of civic minded younger leaders to talk about true regional collaborations." Clayson also hopes to address the region's brain drain of young people. We want "to give tangible opportunities to be connected to community initiatives and to social services, to give opportunities for volunteer involvement."

Clayson explains that another intent of the organization is to "build trust with the current generation of leaders and to learn from them – opening up a dialogue with them." 

Leadership Next is currently cultivating a roster for its leadership team and is holding a public launch on July 20 at 6 p.m. at McNarney's Public House, just east of the Renaissance Center in Detroit. Clayson says, "It's an opportunity for people who want to be involved or want to learn more." A keynote speech will be given by General Motors vice president Troy Clark, who will talk about leadership from the perspective of his generation. 

Clayson is motivated to attract and retain talent in Southeast Michigan. "People ask, 'Why should I stay in Detroit, stay in Southeast Michigan?'" he observes. He answers, "You can become involved here and have your voice heard. You can make a difference without the same type of social connections that you would need in a Chicago or a New York."

Clayson will be working to people the group's leadership team with a diverse mix of people, including city and suburban residents, representatives of stakeholder non-profit organizations and corporations and "a wide variety of cultures and races."

Source: Matt Clayson, Leadership Next
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Michigan House Democrats released a legislative proposal intended to both stimulate the use of renewable energy sources in Michigan and grow the alternative energy industry.

NextEnergy's Mark Beyer says the most significant component of the proposal is the establishment of Renewable Portfolio Standards for the state requiring 10% of Michigan's energy production to come from renewable sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric and biomass by 2015 and 25% by 2025. A NextEnergy report about RPS that was submitted to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality explored the effects of such a program on the state's economy and found it to be extraordinarily beneficial.

Beyer explains, "It would put people to work and decrease the cost of inputting energy. RPS is an attractive lure to [alternative energy companies] from out-of-state and out-of-the nation."

Beyer points out that 23 states and the District of Columbia already have RPS in place and one, Pennsylvania, has already attracted investment from a Spanish wind turbine manufacturer. "This is despite our manufacturing prowess! But RPS is very symbolic. It shows that we are dedicated to this industry. We won't be taken seriously by big international wind turbine manufacturers until we have RPS in place."

Other aspects of the plan, which is still being finalized, include alternative energy renaissance tax relief zones, the tightening up of energy conservation codes, sales tax exemption for the purchase of energy efficient home appliances, tax credits for solar power equipment purchase and an statewide reduction of 1% of energy consumption annually. The plan also will look to encourage worker training in renewable energy technologies at the state's community colleges.

Although alternative energy may not yet be fully on the radar of the mainstream, Beyer sees that day coming quickly. "It's showing up in more headlines, more stories," he says. "One day, the $5 gallon of gas will be on the cover of Time magazine."

Beyers is optimistic about the ultimate passage of the bill, saying "It's a bi-partisan issue."

Source: Mark Beyer, NextEnergy
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

A lot of water is wasted in your bathroom. Sorry if that makes you feel guilty, but it's true. A third of your home's water usage is literally flushed down your toilet.

There's a simple way to change that: installing a high-efficiency toilet  that uses less water per flush or, better yet, a dual-flush toilet that has two buttons: one for a number 1 flush and another that flushes more water for number 2.

If you have an older toilet and are not currently in the market for an upgrade, you can always consider what my family called the "cottage method." Basically, if it's yellow, let it mellow.

Now, for the shower. If you're super hardcore, you can take Navy showers, which basically means you get yourself wet, turn the water off while you lather and then rinse off. My hat is off to anyone that actually does this.

Or you can just install a high-efficiency shower head. They cost about $20 and can save you five times that in one year of usage.

Lastly, as if I need to tell you this: don't run the water while you brush your teeth.

Please.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Imagine a blue light on your dashboard that identifies a still-out-of-earshot ambulance. Or a red one that flashes when a bicycle is nearing an upcoming intersection. This is Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) and, it is not only possible, but is about to become a reality in Metro Detroit.

VII uses wireless and satellite technologies to enable vehicles to communicate with each other and the road itself in order to reduce congestion and crashes.
The United States Department of Transportation recently awarded the Michigan Department of Transportation $70 million for its Metro Detroit VII initiative. 

The bulk of the funding, $45 million, will be used to develop and construct a test bed facility in Novi. The remainder will go to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to develop an in-vehicle driver-vehicle interface. 

MDOT and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have already invested $9 million into VII infrastructure and development. Why the push? The Center for Automotive Research estimates that VII and associated vehicle electronics will create more than 20,000 jobs in the coming years. Michigan is currently on the forefront of this technology, and the state hopes to keep it that way.

Source: MDOT
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

A Michigan Insurance Coalition-commissioned study, "Insuring the Future: The Economic Importance of the Insurance Industry in Michigan," shows big growth in the coming decade for the Michigan insurance industry.

Pittsburgh-based GSP Consulting looked at the evolution of the industry in terms of the state's changing economy and predicted a 10% growth in direct jobs by 2014, adding 6,000 jobs. They are also calculating 10,000 additional spin-off jobs and nearly $125 million in tax revenue.

In a statement, MIC President James Miller says, "Most people don't realize the impact Michigan's insurance industry has on the overall state economy. The purpose of this study is to show that, despite Michigan's lagging economy, there are bright spots where industries are growing and creating jobs, and insurance is one of those bright spots."

The study also found that 40% of insurance industry employees enjoyed wages between $40,000 and $60,000. 

MIC prepared the report to demonstrate its growth potential as lawmakers consider replacements for the Single Business Tax. 

Source: Michigan Insurance Coalition
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh 

Walking the aisles of a supermarket can be a mystifying experience. Claims jump out at you –- Organic! All-natural! Locally-grown! -- making shopping a confusing proposition for anyone looking beyond Wonder bread and Kraft mac 'n' cheese. So what do those labels really mean?

Organic might be the simplest, just because the US Department of Agriculture does regulate the use of the term. Government-certified organic products may label their food package with a "USDA Organic" label and actually use the word "organic" on the front. There are several levels of organic standards:

"100% Organic" means that, yes, the product is 100% organic.

"Organic" means that the food is 95-100% organic. A listing of ingredients in the product that are organic -- for example, "Made with organic almonds and oats" – means that at least 70% of the total food product is organic. If the organic ingredients are listed on the side or rear panel, that just means that yes, those almonds and oats are organic, but the sum total of organic ingredients is less than 70%.
 
Government certification means that the food is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic or sludge-derived fertilizers, bioengineering or radiation. Meat and dairy products that are organic have been given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Water and soil conservation efforts are also taken into account by certifiers who visit the farm. 

A label claiming "all-natural" can be misleading. While it is typically true that said product does not contain any ingredient not occurring in nature, the process that make use of a particular ingredient might be far from natural.

A perfect example is with fructose corn syrup -- currently the whipping boy in the national obesity epidemic. High fructose corn syrup is natural -- it is derived from whole grain corn. But the corn is refined, the sugars extracted and thus concentrated. Technically all natural, but realistically, food borne in a laboratory.

Locally grown food can be tougher –- and arguably, "greener" than organic food grown thousands of miles away. While many smaller grocers make an effort to stock their shelves with locally-grown and produced foods, sometimes the print is fine and seeking it out takes time. One great way to learn about the origin of your food is to build relationships with the farmers at your local farmers market. You can generally tell what is locally in-season by a preponderance of one or several crops at many of the vendors' tables. Hint: mangoes are not local.

When you really start to get into food labeling and origin, it will add some time to your shopping trip. But what it really adds to is your quality of life. Knowing what you are eating makes eating itself a more special occasion -- which in turn, leads to a healthier relationship with food than has been common for many decades in the US.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

"I love the smell of exhaust. Smells like... profit."

Northville-based Climate Technologies is a 37-year old company that specializes in industrial climate control. This stable business is poised to explode with the development and marketing rights for fumes-to-fuel technology—which utilizes VOC fumes produced in industrial processes as energy.

Ford Motor Company and DTE hold the patents on the technology, but have given marketing and manufacturing rights to Climate Technologies for its "help in the early development stages," according to president Walt Zimmerman. He says, "We now have to build that business and tell that story worldwide." 

Fumes-to-fuel makes use of exhaust that is a standard by-product of various industrial processes such as painting, printing, microchip production, oil refining and wood finishing. Because the exhaust is regulated, it must be captured and incinerated, a costly proposition for a factory. 

What fumes-to-fuel does is concentrate the VOCs in the exhaust to a point where they will burn, thereby creating fuel that can power a generator that can manufacture electrical energy for the plant. The technology is currently in use at Ford's Rouge Plant and Michigan Truck in Wayne.

Zimmerman does the math. "This process can reduce energy consumption by 90% and green house emissions by 90%." To run a standard VOC incinerator can cost $100 per cubic foot per minute (CFM) of exhaust – and an industrial paint shop can blow from 100,000 to 200,000 CFMs. Zimmerman says fumes-to-fuel can cost just $17 per CFM. "That's a huge energy savings that would typically provide a two-year or better payback – on a system that costs more than $1 million."

Zimmerman is shopping the concept all over the world, and sees huge potential for his company. "We're presently a small company that typically does $2-5 million per year in this economy. Our business plan, which is based on research we've done at the University of Michigan with business school consultants shows us growing from a $2 million-per-year company into $200 million-per-year company in about five years if the business plan works out." He envisions his staff of eight growing to 70 or 80 as well as spin-off growth accruing to partners such as engineers, fabricators and contractors. The company is currently exploring the possibility of housing its fumes-to-fuel efforts at Detroit's TechTown.

Zimmerman says, "This technology is good for business, good for the economy and good for the environment. This is a worthwhile endeavor – it's good for everybody, from us to the end user."

Source: Walt Zimmerman, Climate Technologies
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The perfect expanse of lawn is embedded in the psyche of the American dream. Unfortunately, the dream is becoming a nightmare – water usage might not seem like a huge concern here in the Great Lakes state, but all those golf courses in Arizona will continue to get their water from somewhere. 

And pesticides and fertilizers are also serious problems. The Canadian Cancer Society has called for an outright ban on pesticides, noting that 19 of the 30 most commonly used pesticides have been linked with cancer. 

Ann Arbor has recently banned the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers in an effort to reduce the level of phosphorus in the Huron River. Part of the problem is that many generic fertilizers include phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, the Big 3 of lawn nutrients. But the reality is that most Michigan soil has plenty of phosphorus, so it is totally unnecessary to add more. Check the numbers on the bag of fertilizer before you buy it – even if you don't live in Ann Arbor, it's best to avoid phosphorus.

Simple advice for anyone with a lawn: Mow long and leave the grass clippings in place. If you must water, do so in the early morning or after dusk. If you must fertilize, use organic – there's tons of options on the shelves. 

If your lawn develops a pest problem, a good on-line resource for non-toxic advice can be found at the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides.  Or, if you want to hire someone to do the dirty work for you, Local-Motion has compiled a list of local companies that use organic fertilizer and natural pest control methods here.

Most importantly, relax. Your lawn, like your life, is never going to be perfect. And that is totally fine.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The 2007 Energy Conference and Exhibition will take place May 15 at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi.

Hosted by The Engineering Society of Detroit and DTE Energy, the one-day conference and exposition will cover the latest innovations in alternative energy sources and energy efficiency. One of the largest energy conferences and expositions held in metropolitan Detroit, the 2007 event is expected to have 100 exhibitors and attract 1,500 attendees.

Targeted for energy issues affecting facility management and planning, speakers include executives from automotive manufacturers and suppliers, health care, banking, the state department of environmental control, energy distribution and sustainable development. More at www.esd.org.
 
Detroit Regional Chamber and Charter One Bank announced plans to host a creative forum designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial and innovative environment in the Detroit Region.  This interactive event will feature successful entrepreneurs and innovators in the region as well as showcase best practices.  The event will further the critical dialogue on this issue started at the Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference last year.

The "Creating a Region for Entrepreneurs and Innovators" forum is May 15, 9-11:30 a.m. at The Parade Company in Detroit.  Admission is free. Individuals can register at www.detroitchamber.com.

The agenda includes:

• A keynote address by Josh Linkner, founder and CEO of ePrize, the world's largest international, interactive promotions agency headquartered in Pleasant Ridge.
• Facilitated group activities to inspire participants to become entrepreneurial and innovation stewards.

"The Detroit Region's economic transformation hinges on our ability to diversify the local economy by expanding our entrepreneurship and innovative capacities," said Richard E. Blouse Jr., president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber.
 
"Charter One cares deeply about the growth and vibrancy of our region," said Sandra E. Pierce, president and CEO of Charter One Bank, Michigan. "We are committed to supporting an environment that fosters economic vitality and strengthens the communities where we live and work."

Source:
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The United Nations Environmental Program estimates 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste is generated annually --85 percent of which ends up in landfills. Aren't Michigan's landfills big enough? 

As part of its ongoing partnership with Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit  and Dell Computers Reconnect Michigan, Wayne County is hosting a drop-off on May 12 in Canton for computers and other electronics that would otherwise be headed to the landfill.

The partnership means that some equipment dropped off will be repaired or retrofitted and put back into use—creating jobs in the process. What cannot be reused will be safely recycled, keeping pollutants such as lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury out of the waste stream. 

Mary Vangieson, who is the resource recovery coordinator with Wayne County's Department of Environment, estimates that 8,200 pounds of e-waste was collected at Wayne County's first such event, which was held last month in Riverview. 

Drop-off is free for any resident of Wayne County and will be accepted from 8 a.m. – noon at the Canton Township DPW. For more information, call 313.964.3900 x314.

To inquire about drop-off on other days, particularly from businesses, contact Goodwill directly at 313.964.3909.

Source: Mary Vangieson, Wayne County
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Harold Decker, Miller Canfield principal, said Michigan is still a good investment for life sciences companies.

"I'm very interested in the recrudescence of this state," said Decker. "I want to see it grow and prosper as I knew it as a child. And I think that because of some of the resources that we have here in the state of Michigan that we're ideally suited to do that."

At last week's Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, the 35,000 engineers in attendance focused on the conference theme of "Engineering for Global Sustainable Mobility—It’s Up To Us."

Mike Milliken's Worldchanging.com column, The Week in Sustainable Mobility, delves into the focus the brains of the automotive industry is putting on fuel efficiency and emissions reduction.

Excerpt:

"To say that the industry is aware of the need to address the two issues of greenhouse gas emissions and energy availability is an understatement. Presentation after presentation (and there were 1,500 technical papers presented) defined the framework for the research and development projects underway in terms of those two overriding factors. In a series of higher-level symposia hosted by powertrain engineering companies AVL and FEV, top engineering executives began their discussions of trends and possible outcomes practically with the same set of slides: climate change and energy availability."

Read the entire article here.

Last week, metromode rolled out SE Michigan cycling information, but sometimes, the road is just too tame a terrain. Time to hit the trails. 

This area might not be mountainous, but it packs some decent trails. To learn about them, your best resource is the Michigan Mountain Biking Association. Their website is active and informative, and will keep you up-to-date on the haps in the mountain biking scene. 

Trails in this area include:

Maybury Park in Northville is a fast, windy 5.6 miles. Brighton's Island Lake State Park has two loops—a seven-miler and a tougher five. You can link them together or separate them out. In summer, a dip in the spring-fed lake is a perfect after-ride tonic.

Highland State Recreation Area in White Lake is 16 miles, three loops…and tough, tough, tough. This is the place to ride when you have energy—and muscles—to burn. Pinckney State Recreation Area north of Ann Arbor has three trails ranging from two to 15.5 miles. It's an easier ride than Highland, but you have to watch the hikers on summer weekends.

Then there's Stony Creek Metropark in Shelby Township. Its wooded 14 miles feels like world apart from city life. 

On the flip side is the trail at Rouge Park in Detroit. A little-known fact: Rouge Park is actually larger than Belle Isle, so it makes sense that MMBA is building a trail there. It's currently short, but expansion plans are in the works. Least of all, it is nice to be able to ride a trail in the city.

MMBA's calendar features regular rides at Maybury, Stony Creek and Rouge Park as well as intermittent ones all over the map. Visit often and ride often!

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Two local entrepreneurs, Gene Gizzarelli and Mike Fisher, have launched a website, NeedHelpers.com, to connect local small businesses to potential clients. Gizzarelli explains their motivation: "We wanted to develop a site to address the economy, and what's happening in this state. With big business going under and causing a lot unemployment, more and more people are starting up their own operations as entrepreneurs and they need an avenue to help to expand their businesses."

The pair, who also own an IT company, hit upon the idea after asking themselves, "How do we expand our business in a cost-effective way?" Noting that many small businesses don't have the resources to hire sales staff or run print, radio or television ads, they launched NeedHelpers.com to help service-providers such as lawyers, doctors, electricians, landscapers and plumbers establish a web presence. 

NeedHelpers.com charges an annual fee to list service providers, but is free for anyone on the hunt for one. Gizzarelli points out that other similar sites charge users an annual fee to find service providers or are industry-specific such as Lawyers.com. The site also allows users to rate services they receive in order to help guide future browsers.

NeedHelpers.com went live the last week in March and Gizzarelli says, "It is growing on a day-to-day basis. We've gotten a really good response." The site is being advertised on billboards and buses. "We're spending money to advertise so our service providers don't need to."

Source: Gene Gizzarelli, NeedHelpers.com

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Renaissance have formed a panel of business executives to develop a set of recommendations for improving and growing Southeast Michigan's medical education and research capabilities as well as boosting collaboration between the region's medical institutions.

Chaired by former United States Congressman and Michigan State Senator Joe Schwarz, M.D. the panel will:

• Identify steps to increase graduate medical education to meet the region's needs for more doctors across specialty areas
• Identify short and long-term recommendations for substantially growing the region's medical education and research cluster
• Develop models for increasing collaboration throughout the region among healthcare providers, systems and education and research facilities to ensure access to quality care to all citizens of the region and the growth of the region's medical community.

"Business leaders are concerned that there continues to be inadequate collaboration among the region's medical institutions which could threaten access to quality care and the ability to maximize the growth potential of this industry, said Detroit Regional Chamber President and CEO Richard E. Blouse, Jr. "Dr. Schwarz brings a knowledge of the industry and a history of collaboration that will move the dialogue forward."

Dr. Schwarz recently served on a Congressional Panel tasked with investigating care at Walter Reed Hospital and is acknowledged as one of Michigan's most experienced leaders in health care policy.

Other panel members include:

Randolph Agley, Chairman and CEO of The Talon Group
Jon Barfield, Chairman and President of The Bartech Group
Alfred Glancy, Chairman, Unico Investment Company
Richard M. Gabrys, Retired Vice Chairman of Deloitte and Dean of the School of Business Administration of Wayne State University
Daniel J. Loepp, President and CEO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan
Florine Mark, President & CEO of the WW Group
Leslie Murphy, Group Managing Partner of Plante Moran
Cynthia J. Pasky, President, CEO & Founder of Strategic Staffing Solutions
Daniel F. Ponder, CEO of Franco Public Relations Group
Richard Russell, CEO of Amerisure Insurance Company.
 
"The business community believes medical education and research can play a major role in driving economic growth in the region and that a long-term strategy is needed to achieve this goal, said Detroit Renaissance President Doug Rothwell.  

The panel is expected to complete their work by August.

Source: Detroit Renaissance

"I believe that Michigan is on the verge of becoming an entrepreneurial state," Alami says. "We have some ways to go - but with our wealth of great talent, what we really need is a change of attitude at the state and local levels."

Read the entire article here.

Ypsilanti-based Clean Energy Coalition (CEC), along with the energy offices from Ann Arbor and the State of Michigan, are holding a contest from which 28 Michigan residents will win up to $10,000 in energy improvements to their homes.

One grand prize winner will win $10,000 in energy-related home improvements as well as access to the Environmental Protection Agency's Home Energy Rating System (HERS)  and the Energy Star program. This will assist the homeowner in maximizing the impact of their improvements.

Four first prize winners will receive energy analyses of their homes along with specific recommendations on how to lower their utility costs, and 23 second prize winners will receive $25 Home Depot gift cards.

In the contest announcement, CEC Executive Director Sean Reed said, “Our goal with this contest is to show how a one-time investment in energy efficiency improvements can save homeowner’s money every month for as long as they own their home. Given the fact that the cost of energy has been increasing most every year, it doesn’t take too long for this to add up to big savings.”

To enter, go to www.cec-mi.org/contest, where you will be asked to enter your utility usage over the last 12 months, by May 11.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Michigan has some of the richest bike offerings in the country, and the League of Michigan Bicyclists has much to do with that. Part ride-organizer, part educator, part advocate, LMB tries to get each and every Michigander onto a bike.

One of the most prominent ways they do this is by publishing an annual calendar of organized rides ranging from hard-core century time trials to a leisurely dozen miles in Dearborn each New Year Day. The calendar is an astonishing document that can't help but inspire even the most dedicated couch potato to dust off that Huffy and get to pedaling.

There are a few cool spring rides coming up in the Southeastern Michigan area that metromode wanted to be sure you knew about.

The Downriver Cycling Club is hosting its annual Metro Grand Spring Tour on May 6. The ride routes along the Huron River and country roads in Wayne and Monroe counties. Riders can choose from 25-, 45- and 62-mile routes, and there is a must-see-to-believe "Chris Cakes" pancake breakfast along the route. Online registration is available at www.lmb.org/dcc/mgst/ until May 2.

May 16 is a day that cyclists around the world recognize with "Rides of Silence" http://www.rideofsilence.org/ that honor riders that have been killed on the road and raise awareness about the rules of the road. There are several planned in the area, including:

Ann Arbor: A 12-14-mile ride that takes off from Wheeler Park. Meet at 6:30 p.m. to ride at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Mark Erzen.

Detroit: Meet at Scott Fountain on Belle Isle for a 10-mile ride at 7 p.m. Contact Marc Broadnax. 

Westland/Wayne County: Ride 15 miles of Hines Drive. Meet at Nankin Mills. Contact Joseph Foy for more information.
 
Memorial Day weekend is the annual Wolverine 200, when cyclists gather on Belle Isle to ride anywhere from 25 to 200 miles in from 2 to 12 hours. The bonus is that Friday night, May 24, is the only night that camping is allowed on Belle Isle.

Regular rides abound as well.

Dearborn's Saddlemen host Hines Drive rides every weeknight, geared toward different ability groups.

Beat the Train takes off from Fort Wayne in Southwest Detroit every Saturday morning for a 6 a.m. "urban mountain bike" ride through the streets of Detroit.

Sister's Cycling, a group for female cyclists, ride four times a week—in Southfield, on Belle Isle and at Rouge Park.

And Mt. Clemens-based Slow Spokes hosts rides regularly throughout the season in Macomb County.
 
Helmets are mandatory for all of these rides. metromode will do an area mountain biking overview in the coming weeks.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Does your workplace have groovy couches, an endless supply of soft drinks and hi-tech nap rooms?

Or maybe your boss is a saint disguised as a senior project manager.

Crain's Detroit Business is looking for the coolest places to work in Southeast Michigan. Teamed up with Southfield-based American Society of Employers, the business publication is looking or employers that have created work environments that attract and retain quality workers, especially younger workers.

The competition is dubbed "Cool Places to Work."

Anyone may nominate a company or nonprofit organization for the competition. Online nomination forms can be found at www.crainsdetroit.com, under the "Forms and Surveys" headline in the left hand column on the home page.

The deadline for nominations is May 1. Winning companies will be recognized in the Sept. 3 issue of Crain's.

Only companies located in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Washtenaw counties are eligible.

For more information contact Shawn Selby, Crain's Business Lives editor at sselby@crain.com or visit www.crainsdetroit.com

Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced that Northville Township was picked over Ontoraio, Canada for IAV GmbH of Germany's new engineering facility.

The company said it will invest $18.2 million to expand its operations from Ann Arbor to Northville, breaking ground this summer and opening in Spring of 2008. IAV GmbH currently employs 67 people at it Ann Arbor facility. The expansion will create 198 new jobs, 107 directly by the company.

Employing over 2500 people worldwide, IAV's primary mission is to provide engineering services in powertrain, electronics and vehicle development. The Ann Arbor division was formed in 1998.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) said a Single Business Tax credit of nearly $3 million over 12 years was approved to complete the deal. Northville Township is currently considering a$1.4 million tax abatement over a similar number of years.

"Aside from the strong business case made by the MEDC and Northville Township, Michigan’s outstanding workforce was the major factor in landing this project," MEDC President and CEO James C. Epolito said. "No other state can match our automotive talent, including the highest number of automotive engineers on the continent."

Securing IAV's expansion was only one of 10 economic development projects the MEDC claims will retain 4,237 jobs in Michigan and provide $167.7 million in new capital investment across the state. 

Source: MEDC

The Detroit Regional Economic Partnership, part of the Detroit Regional Chamber, recently teamed up with Oakland County to visit India in order to attract new businesses to Southeast Michigan.

Headed by Partnership Executive Director John Carroll, the ten-person delegation included representatives from the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership, Oakland County, Global Services Resources, LLC, Acro Service Corp. and Stonebridge Business Partners, a company that now has offices in two cities in India, Pune and Delhi, following the 2006 trip. 

The late March/early April visit was an aimed at building build on the success of the Partnership's 2006 mission to India. The group spoke with newspapers, held cocktail parties, hosted seminars and spoke to companies and people on a one-on-one basis through four cities.

Carroll said that having a high Indian population in Detroit was an advantage, and that many in India became interested in what they were doing and offered their assistance with the trip.

"We aimed to improve upon Detroit’s image, " said Carroll, who added the company has what he calls "28 good leads," which is what he refers to as businesses interested, as well as two "prospects, " which he calls companies that could potentially be moving offices to the East Michigan area within the next year or so. Although he could not give specifics, he did mention that one company was looking to bring around thirty new engineering jobs to the area. 

"The most important part of all of this is the end result, the ultimate deals, " said Carroll, who added the Partnership, which has created nearly 8,000 new jobs in the Metro Detroit area in the last decade, will continue talks with the Indian market, as well as local groups such as the Indo American Chamber of Commerce, in the hopes of securing these deals.

Source: John Carroll, The Detroit Regional Economic Partnership

If you're at all like me, gardening is a warm-weather activity that brings you great satisfaction. I am always looking for ways to improve my vegetable garden's output, but I'm not willing to kill myself over it. I use bagged manure for fertilizer, and that's kind of the end of it.

I've been thinking it might be time to start a compost pile for a couple of reasons. First, to help my garden grow, but also as a useful waste-reducer. I will admit, though, I've always been a bit scared of the smell and of pests.

To alleviate my fears and help me get started, I spent some time talking with Leah Retherford, an Americorps member working with the Greening of Detroit in their education and urban farming programs. She maintains compost piles in her backyard and one at the lower Cass Corridor community garden for which she volunteers, and she teaches students at Our Lady of Guadalupe Middle School for Girls in Southwest Detroit about gardening and ecology. I figured, if she can teach junior high kids, she'll be able to break down (no pun intended) the compost concept to me.

What it all comes down to, Retherford says, is recycling and replenishing. "For me, it started as a way to recycle. But now it is more. If you don't build your soil, you are just depleting it. 

A basic, and the least labor-intensive, method is a passive pile. Retherford recommends first picking a good spot in your yard—she chose a rear corner. Stake in some wooden posts and wrap them in chicken wire to create a fence to keep the pile contained and relatively pest-free. Put yard waste like grass clipping, leaves and weeds into the pile along with kitchen waste like coffee grounds, peels and cuttings from vegetables and fruits and even tea bags.

Avoid meat, fish, cheese, bones and anything greasy or cooked. This draws the pests. In urban areas, Retherford advises an additional caution again pests: always covering any food product with a layer of yard waste, just to be safe.

With a passive pile, all you do is wait—and your compost will be ready in about one year. 

An active pile can be ready in six-eight weeks, but they take more thought and effort. You start it just the same as a passive one, but sprinkle water on the pile every foot or so. After a few days, the pile will begin to get hot. After it cools down in a week or two, you mix everything up, encouraging it to warm up again. When it no longer heats up after mixing, the compost is ready.

Many gardeners have turned to composting machines to do the mixing for them. Retherford says the machines make it a lot easier to do the mixing that active compost piles require. Plus, there is the added bonus of keeping the compost completely unreachable to pests.

Currently, Greening of Detroit has a limited number of Earth Machine composters available for $35, a discounted rate from the normal retail price of about $85. Anyone interested in purchasing an Earth Machine should contact Ashley Atkinson at 313.237.8736.

Rubbermaid also makes a composting machine that is typically available at Home Depot and Ace Hardware stores. Composters.com carries dozens of brands and styles of compost bins, machines and accessories.

Because there are many things one can do to improve their compost, there are tons of tricks and tips on what to add and what not to add, when to add a particular ingredient, how to best mix the pile, and so on. Detroit's Garden Resource Program offers opportunities for serious gardeners to fine-tune their composting techniques. On July 26, there is a "Cover Crops and Organic Fertilizers" course that will discuss composting and on September 27, there will be a program on advanced composting. Greening's Compost Workgroup also hosts meetings quarterly. Course schedules and descriptions are available from the GRP website.

Once she has good compost, Rutherford adds it to her garden prior to the first planting of the season. "I put a layer on top of the dirt, break it up a little bit, then just plant right into it." The only time she puts more into her garden is if she is doing a succession planting—planting a second crop after an early one is harvested—or if a crop looks "dried out."

Sounds pretty easy. I just ordered my Earth Machine.

Source: Leah Retherford, Greening of Detroit

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Three local brothers—Sander DeVries, Tim Pfannes and Shane Pfannes—have turned their distaste for junk mail into a growing business. 41pounds.org, so named for the weight of the average amount of junk mail the average adult receives per year, offers customers a one-stop shop to stop each and every piece of junk mail and unwanted catalog from arriving in their mail box for five years—for just $41 per household.

DevRies explains that the business arose from their determination to shrink their own pile of unwanted mail growing on the dining room table. "We decided to so some research to see what we could do to stop this." It took some time and some digging, but their persistence worked.

They shared the information they gathered—who to call, mail and email to get off of every junk mailing list—with family and friends. Although people were interested in the concept, it was just too much work for the average person to tackle. DeVries remembers, "They all said, 'This is really cool.' But no one went through and did it."

Thus, in July 2006, 41pounds.org was born. Their task is to contact the junk mailers—an average of 20-25 of them—to remove their customers from their mailing lists. They will also tackle additional catalogs if asked. 
The 2,000 people who are signed up have already made an impact, DeVries points out. "That's over 2,400 trees saved, 1.4 million gallons of water saved and 920,000 pounds of carbon dioxide not released into the atmosphere."

41pounds.org is a national service: "We have tested the list at different houses in different areas," states DeVries, and they are finding that California residents are utilizing the service in high numbers. The brothers plan to launch a marketing campaign in late April to coincide with Earth Day, and hope to recruit more Michigan residents to the service at that time. 

41pounds.org also offers a unique fund-raising opportunity for non-profit organizations and schools: they get to keep $15 of the $41 fee for any new customer they recruit to the service. "People are sick of candy bars and wrapping paper fund-raisers. And it's easy. You just have to get people to sign up on a website and you're raising money," explains DeVries.

Local organizations already on-board include Judson Center, Roeper Schools and Bloomfield Hills Optimist Club.

The brothers also run a computer network maintenance company. DeVries says, "That was our main company and this was a side project, but it has turned into such a huge project." 41pounds.org is currently Ferndale-based and, despite its national appeal, he says the brothers have no plans to relocate. "We're gonna be here forever."

Source: Sander DeVries, 41pounds.org

Writer Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Governor Jennifer Granholm announced that MEDC will award $1.3 million in Economic Development Job Training grants to provide cutting-edge training in advanced automotive and manufacturing applications for 2,180 workers (and 251 new hires) in Southeast Michigan.

The funding is provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) as part of the Manufacturing Competitiveness Program (MCP), an initiative to encourage collaboration between regional employers. This joint effort will help streamline industry-specific training and make the best use of state funding.

Five grants were created  to support training through four academic institutions --Oakland University, Wshtenaw Copmmunity College, Schoolcraft College and Macomb Community College-- and Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, a manufacturing training and consulting service.

The grants are as follows:

$449,995 will be used to upgrade the skills of 569 current workers and 31 new hires at four companies in Oakland and Macomb counties through Oakland University. The companies include:

1. Benteler Automotive in Auburn Hills - 70 current employees, 10 new hires
2. Cadillac Products Automotive in Troy - 19 current employees, one new hire
3. EDS in Troy, which specializes in computer and Internet training - 330 current employees
4. General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, which designs, manufactures and supports land and amphibious combat systems for the U.S. Army - 150 current employees, 20 new hires. 

$335,274 will be used to upgrade the skills of 410 current workers and 90 new hires at five companies in Wayne County through Schoolcraft College. The companies include:

1. Ghafari Associates, an architectural and engineering firm in Dearborn - 85 current employees
2. G-Tech Professional Staffing in Dearborn - 139 current employees, 50 new hires
3. Yazaki North America in Canton, which develops automotive electronics - 88 current employees, 30 new hires
4. ZF Group NAO in Northville, which develops driveline and chassis technology - 89 current employees, 10 new hires
5. MJ Industries, which develops automitive assembly equipment in Livonia - 9 current employees

$181,138 will be used to upgrade the skills of 379 current workers and 19 new hires at nine companies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair counties through Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center. The companies are:

1. Advanced Accessory Systems in Shelby Township - 23 current employees
2. CBS Boring & Machine in Fraser, 59 current employees - 10 new hires;
3. JAC Products, which designs & manufactures roofracks in Pontiac - 45 current employees
4. Mueller Brass in Marysville - 28 current employees, one new hire
5. Mueller Impact in Marysville - 28 current employees, one new hires
6. Ralco Industries, which specializes in metal stamping in Auburn Hills - 53 current employees
7. Total Door in Pontiac - 30 current employee;
8. Industrial Control Repair, a robotics company in Warren - 43 current employees, three new hires
9. U.S. Farathane in Plymouth, which develops pastics for the auto industry - 70 current employees, four new hires.

$177,297 will be used to upgrade the skills of 448 current workers and 86 new hires at nine companies in Livingston and Washtenaw counties through Washtenaw Community College. The companies are:

1. Micro Gauge in Brighton - 28 current employees, one new hire
2. Liebherr Aerospace Saline in Saline - 65 current employees, 10 new hires
3. Saline Metal Systems in Saline - 20 current employees, 41 new hires
4. Control Gaging in Ann Arbor - 35 current employees
5. Milan Cast Metal in Milan - 19 current employees, two new hires
6. L3 Communications EO Tech, which develops holographic weapons systems in Ann Arbor - 97 current employees, three new hires
7. Recellular* in Dexter, which recycles & refurbishes cell phones - 120 current employees, 15 new hires
8. Adaptive Materials in Ann Arbor, which develops portable fuel cell technology - 22 current employees, six new hires
9. International Specialty Tube in Detroit - 42 current employees, eight new hires

$148,978 will be used to upgrade the skills of 123 current workers and 25 new hires at nine companies in Oakland and Macomb counties through Macomb Community College. The companies include:

1. Aerotek in Southfield, which specializes in technical staffing - three current employees, 12 new hires
2. Brose North America in Auburn Hills, which manufactures auto seating - eight current employees
3. Cadence Innovation in Troy, which manufactures instrument panels - 10 current employees
4. Cooper-Standard Automotive in Novi - 10 current employees, four new hires
5. Graph-Tec in Pontiac - 8 current employees, two new hires
6. Magna Steyr, which develops auto body shells in Troy - 51 current employees
7. RLE International, which specializes in auto engineering in Hazel Park - five current employees, five new hires
8. Utica Enterprises in Shelby Township - 18 current employees
9. RCO Engineering in Roseville - 10 current employees, two new hires

Since 1994, MEDC has awarded more than $339 million in EDJT grants, providing and upgrading the skills of 610,000 Michigan workers.

Source: MEDC

 *Recellular was profiled in the metromode article: ReCellular Rings Green

Using the plastic—and even paper—bags that stores provide is easy. But we all know it is inherently wasteful. Here are some local alternatives.

Ornj Bags by Conjoin design are actually made out of orange construction fencing, taking the whole recycling thing to the next level. Available at Pure Detroit.

IKEA is no longer providing free plastic bags, instead charging 59 cents for their reusable Big Blue Bag. You can then use them anytime you shop.  

Likewise, Trader Joe's sells its canvas bags for $2.99 and bags made from recycled plastic for 99 cents. Plus, use 'em and they'll enter you in a monthly drawing to win store prizes.

A bit higher-end, the Detroit Institute of Arts offers a black canvas bag screen-printed with The Thinker for $20. For the same price, Eastern Market mainstay R. Hirt Jr. sells a popular one that will show off your gourmet tendencies.

The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum sells a green tote with red straps for $11.99—maybe kicking the bag habit will be a lesson passed on to your kids?

If you do have a plethora at plastic bags at home, don’t throw them away. Recycle Ann Arbor and Recycle Detroit take them at their drop-off sites.  Or, if all else fails, offer them to someone with a dog, they might as well pull double doodie ...er... duty.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

The US Arbor Day Foundation released an update  to the US Hardiness Zone map that is a basic tool for gardeners as to what plants will thrive in their area. SE Michigan has shifted from Zone 5 to Zone 6, because as Bob Cairns, librarian for the Master Gardener Association of Wayne County explains, "average temperature has changed enough to rezone us."

As for the affect this change will have on the average gardener, Cairns expects little: traditional favorites such as geraniums, azaleas and roses are all hardy into much warmer and colder climates. But for serious gardeners, it is an opportunity to plant flowers and shrubs that would not have thrived in this area as recently as 5 or 10 years ago.

Carins, for one, looks forward to planting a crape myrtle tree in his backyard. Common in the Carolinas as a flowering tree with spectacular wintertime bark, the plant is only root hardy in Zone 5. Cairns explains that this means that the plant will survive a Michigan winter, but will die down its roots in the cold only to grow back the following spring. "We've never seen crape myrtle bark in Michigan," he says.

He also expects vegetable gardeners to enjoy a longer growing season. "They'll have more zucchini left over than they ever did before!"

The Master Gardener Association of Wayne County is a group of certified master gardeners that host regular educational events, perform volunteer gardening work and maintain a library of useful gardening resource books.

On April 18, Cairns will facilitate a course in the "Introduction to Gardening" series entitled "Get Ready for Gardening Part II."

For more information, visit the groups's website at www.mgawc.org; the calendar of events and classes is here. 

Source: Bob Cairns, MGAWC

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

High-efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs seem like one of those environmental choices that is a win-win. Sure, they cost more than traditional light bulbs, but they can last ten times as long and are about five times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. Subjectively, I prefer the light—it's a slightly warmer tone.

But, hold up. There is a downside. High-efficiency light bulbs contain mercury, and should not be disposed of with your garbage. (Um, mercury in landfills? Seriously bad news.)

Mason-based Cleanlites Recycling, Inc. can help small businesses (with average use of approximately 100 bulbs per year) safely dispose of their mercury-containing bulbs. Their Lamp Recycling Box Program is a pre-paid box that gets sent back to Cleanlites when full.

Companies and municipalities can explore other alternatives at LampRecycle.org.

For individuals, there are several options:

-Oakland County residents of SOCCRA member cities can take the bulbs to their facility by appointment.

-The Recycle Ann Arbor will accept the bulbs for $1 each.

-Residents of Washtenaw County can drop off their bulbs for free on Saturdays at the Washtenaw County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center on Zeeb Road (734.222.6865).

-IKEA has bins in their lighting department where customers can drop off their used light bulbs. This makes sense when you consider IKEA sells the bulbs…

-Other organizations offer a prepaid mail-back box option like Cleanlites' Sylvania charges $15 for a box that will hold a dozen bulbs; Bulbs.com  charges $94 for a box that holds 200.

Sources: Mike Kimmel, Cleanlites; Sarah Kubik, Recycle Detroit; LampRecycle.org; Crave.

Paul Schutt, co-founder & publisher of our own Model D and metromode, will be the keynote speaker at this Friday's 2007 Regional Redevelopment Summit.

Hosted by The Michigan Suburbs Alliance the event will be held FRIDAY, MARCH 23rd at The Fairlane Club in Dearborn (map) and is an opportunity for local leaders to learn how to craft an image that draws new investment.

Schutt will discuss how media is providing "alternative narratives" for neighborhoods, cities and metropolitan areas. Local officials, developers, realtors and others involved and interested in redevelopment are encouraged to attend.

(Attendees mentioning either metromode or Model-D get 75% off the ticket price.)

The half day event also includes panel discussions with Jim Townsend, executive director of Tourism Economic Development Council, Michael Finney, president and CEO of Ann Arbor Spark, Bill Milliken, Jr., president of Milliken Realty and Commercial Board of Realtors and Doug Brown, director of development at ASTI Environmental.

For speaker presentation overviews and a full agenda, visit the Suburbs Alliance website.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Tickets are $80
but metromode and Model D readers
can buy tickets for just $20! 

Register online or visit the Michigan Suburbs Alliance website to pay by check.

Questions?  Contact Melanie Piana at (248) 546-2380 or melanie@suburbsalliance.org. 

More information about the 2007 Regional Redevelopment Summit can be found at www.suburbsalliance.org/new_and_events/events.

As China emerges as an economic powerhouse the need for those who speak the language increases. Michigan Virtual High School, a division of the Michigan Virtual University, announced that they will now be offering a free semester of online instruction in Mandarin Chinese to one student from every public and private high school in the state.

These online courses were developed in collaboration with the  Confucius Institute at Michigan State University and China Central Radio and TV University.

Each high school in the state may submit the name of one student to request a scholarship by April 30. Unused scholarships will be administered to other schools. 

"This scholarship oppurtunity will help Michigan's students be better prepared to learn and work in the global community," said Kathleen Strauss, president of the Michigan State Board of Education. 

The high school courses will be offered in four levels, starting at the introductory level. The online middle school Chinese courses will include two course formats, one focusing more on Chinese language and the other on culture. These courses involve four hours of online learning and a one-hour virtual group tutoring session per week. 

For more information, click here.

Source: Michigan Virtual High School

"I use the quote that nothing heightens a man's creativity like the thought of getting hung in the morning,'' Holman said, referring to the state's growing need to reinvent itself economically. 

"The auto industry has been a rude awakening for some of us, and now we're scrambling to get to tomorrow's culture,'' he said. "Small business, for the most part, is taking up the slack.''

• expanding the capacity for entrepreneurialism and innovation in the region,

• identifying priorities and jointly seeking federal and state resources to advance economic development in Southeast Michigan, and
  

• partnering on policy initiatives that support economic growth in the region.

First, there is no painless path from struggling industrial hulk to prosperity, growth and economic diversity. Second, retreating to the past, where education was devalued and the factory floor delivered a middle-class life, is and will be a dead end.

And third, the tax-and-restructuring debate brewing in Lansing looms even larger than it did 24 hours ago. Policy-makers and the special interests pressuring them will either lay a foundation for Michigan's sustained revival or saddle the state and its taxpayers with short-term gimmicks, more denial, more pandering and more pain.