metromode - Job News

Metro Detroit creates $1 billion in investment, 19,688 jobs

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The economic development agencies that make up the Economic Development Coalition of Southeast Michigan helped bring more than $1 billion in investment to Metro Detroit in 2008, according to a report from Detroit Renaissance.

The coalition is made up of agencies like Ann Arbor SPARK and TechTown, which assisted 1,200 companies create 19,688 jobs last year through 183 projects. Automation Alley helped 24 companies to spur $9 million in investment and add 150 new jobs, thanks to $4.5 million of cash infusions.

"The water is not out of the tub in Southeast Michigan yet," says Kenneth Rogers, executive director of Automation Alley. "There is a heart beat here. There is still business going on in Southeast Michigan."

Source: Roger Curtis, executive director of Automation Alley
Writer: Jon Zemke

Macprofessionals hires 10, plans to add up to 5 more

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The money from all of those MacBooks, iPods and iPhones you see in coffee shops and classrooms isn't just going into Steve Jobs' pockets. Macprofessionals is getting its fair share and then some.

The Novi-based firm got its start in 2000, providing support for the growing contingent of Mac users. Today it employs 53 people and about 8-10 independent contractors on a consistent basis. That's up from 43 employees at the beginning of the year and it expects to hire up to five more people by year-end.

The firm, which is currently on the Edward Lowe Foundation's Michigan 50 Companies to Watch list, also recorded 25 percent revenue growth last year and expects to post a similar number next year.

"It's been growth year after year," says Maria Eby, finance controller for Macprofessionals. "A lot of companies are coming to us now."

It has been riding the Mac popularity wave and its own wave of good word-of-mouth marketing. Macprofessionals plans to focus on education this year as more schools get federal funding to provide computers and other electronics.

Source: Maria Eby, finance controller for Macprofessionals
Writer: Jon Zemke

Burn Rubber creates niche footprint in Royal Oak

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Downtown Royal Oak is known for its boutiques but few have as many unique aspects as Burn Rubber.

The small business is more than a shoe store, it's a sneaker boutique. Customers don't come in to buy shoes. Sneakerheads spend days in line Star Wars-style to buy kicks that double as art and status symbols.

"We sell a lifestyle," says Roland Coit, co-owner of Burn Rubber. "It's more about being your own person. Most of the stuff we have they only make 1,000 pairs or 500, or even less, and they sell out fast. It's a lifestyle of exclusivity."

It explains why Coit and his partner Rick Williams need only 480 square feet of space and six people to do business. It's unnecessary to have a large retail floor for shoes that come in short supply, like Nike Air Yeezys (Kanye West's shoe) and Clark Kent Air Force 1s.

These shoes are often made of expensive leather and horse hair. It explains why prices can get into the $300s for a pair or even higher. Coit and Williams even know where to point people who are looking for personalized shoes with graffiti-like art.

"That makes a shoe that much more limited," Coit says. "It makes it one of a kind."

Source: Roland Coit, co-owner of Burn Rubber
Writer: Jon Zemke

DRIVE Developments hires 2, plans to double staff

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ever wonder what makes the vehicles and robots in the U.S. military go? DRIVE Developments does.

The Sterling Heights-based firm specializes in diagnostics and controls for those types of vehicles. The company has turned this into a business with about a dozen people, up from just one person when it started three years ago. It has already hired two more so far this year.

"We're looking at doubling the size of our staff within the next year," says Larry Osentoski, CEO and founder of DRIVE Developments.

It has been able to do that by expanding its client base into different agencies in the U.S. Department of Defense. It expects to continue this in the near future as it develops new products.

"We're developing a lot of new technologies that we expect to present to the military for funding," Osentoski says.

Source: Larry Osentoski, CEO and founder of DRIVE Developments
Writer: Jon Zemke

JADI becomes iTrack, plans to Auburn Hills

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What was once JADI is turning into iTrack, taking in a nice tax incentive and planning to begin a big growth move next year.

"We are projected to grow to 25-30 people within five years," says Jerry Atkinson, CEO of iTrack.

The robotics firm got its start in Troy as JADI in 2004. It made the jump to Oakland University's SmartZone Business Incubator (OU INCubator) last year with the help of $250,000 from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund.

The company is working with a $3.5 million U.S. Department of Defense grant to develop a system that will allow people to track and control an autonomous robotic vehicle, like NASA's Mars Rover. Options are also being explored on the commercial market.

It made the change to iTrack earlier this year when it joined Oakland County's Emerging Sectors Program. It also formed a partnership that brought in a large state tax incentive to finish product development by next year. When that happens, it plans to leave the incubator and set up shop in Auburn Hills.

Source: Jerry Atkinson, CEO of iTrack
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland U pushes internships for local businesses

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Oakland University wants to see more of its students getting their professional feet wet at local businesses. But the Rochester-based school doesn't sees it as a one-sided proposition.

OU is starting a free workshop on creating an internship program for local businesses through Automation Alley. The workshop will cover the benefits companies enjoy by having interns. Those incentives range from lower costs to bringing in creative young people with fresh ideas.

"It's a win-win situation for both the employer and the students," says Michael Stromayer, job locator developer coordinator for Oakland University.

It will also show businesses how to find, process and treat an intern. The workshop will also detail how (in)expensive it is to keep an intern around to help out with work.

"It doesn�t cost a lot of money," Stromayer says. "A lot of internships are unpaid."

The all-day workshop is set for July 7 at Automation Alley's headquarters in Troy. For information, call (248) 370-3250 or click here.

Source: Michael Stromayer, job locator developer coordinator for Oakland University
Writer: Jon Zemke

GREEN SPACE: Three workshops explore triple-bottom-line for businesses

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Three workshops to be held over multiple dates throughout the summer will be designed to explain to business owners and nonprofits how to green their buildings, improve energy efficiency and -- perhaps most importantly -- finance their projects.

Here's the deets.

The intro class "Go Green to Improve Your Bottom Line" is free of charge and is intended as an overview of energy efficiency and green building principles and an explanation of the triple bottom line. It will be held twice in Detroit: June 23 at Hannan House (4740 Woodward) and July 1 at Sts. Peter & Paul (3700 Gilbert). Both take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Both of the other classes cost $25 apiece, but you can save $10 if you register for all three.

The second is called "Re-Energize Buildings, Systems and Behaviors". The focus is on planning the steps necessary to make significant energy changes in a building and, accordingly, evaluation tools will be presented. Dates are July 7 at Hannan House and July 8 at Sts. Peter & Paul.

The final class, "Financing Your Green Project', will be held July 21 at Hannan House and July 22 at Sts. Peter & Paul.

All classes take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

The classes are presented by WARM Training Center and Rebuild Michigan. Host organizations include Michigan Avenue Business Association, Greater Corktown Development Corporation, Southwest Detroit Business Association, and the Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation.

Register online at www.warmtraining.org.

Source: Dian Van Buren Jones, WARM Training
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Russell continues growth, now houses 285 businesses

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It might not be pretty and it might not be ideal, but the Russell Industrial Center has become home to hundreds of businesses in Detroit.

Excerpt:

Small businesses continue to flock to the Russell Industrial Center and Bazaar, making the old Rustbelt factory turned creative enclave arguably the most successful business incubator in Michigan.

Today more than 285 fledgling firms call the structure home. Six new tenants joined the complex in May, including a photographer, artist and lighting company. So far another four have signed up for space in June, including a web and graphic design firms.

The Russell Bazaar, a flea-market-style retail center, continues to attract more clients, too. Occupied by independent retailers, the Bazaar's tenants range from clothing makers to computer repair shops. With 125 businesses, it is now 70 percent full and continues to grow.

"We're seeing people coming in asking for more square footage," says Eric Novak, the Russell Industrial Center's leasing agent, adding that recent square footage requests he has seen have started at 10,000 square feet and up.

Read the rest of the story here.

HookLogic hires 10 people for new Ann Arbor office

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just because some of Ann Arbor's young talent leaves doesn't mean it doesn't come back and create jobs.

Excerpt:

HookLogic opened its new Ann Arbor office with three people about a year ago. Today that office employs 13 people and a few interns and expects to hire another 2-5 people this year.

That shouldn't cause too much of a surprise. Most of the New York-based firm got its start at a few software development firms in Ann Arbor at the height of the tech bubble about a decade ago. After the tech bubble burst those people moved to New York and started HookLogic before coming back to drink from the Ann Arbor talent pool.

"There is a lot of great talent in this city," says Gary Evans, general manager of HookLogic's Ann Arbor office. "We can get it a lot more reasonably priced here than we can in Manhattan."

Read the rest of the story here.

U-M students launch TechArb incubator

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Business incubators and co-working spaces are popping up like dandelions in Ann Arbor.

Excerpt:

"What about a place for the kids?" is a statement sure to make most eyes roll, but a group of University of Michigan students are dead serious about such a subject when it comes to business incubators.

These young adults know about Ann Arbor SPARK and co-working spaces in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, but they want their own home geared toward their needs. So instead of waiting for the grownups to get their act together, these kids decided to create their own � TechArb.

"The needs (that places like Ann Arbor SPARK cater toward) didn't necessarily cater to students," says Jason Bornhorst, an organizer behind TechArb. "The needs of students are definitely different than someone who has graduated."

Read the rest of the story here.

MEGA tax breaks mean 209 new jobs at three area firms

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A trio of generous tax incentives approved by the state on Tuesday are expected to help create 209 jobs and retain hundreds more in Metro Detroit.

The Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved tax breaks to Webasto Roof Systems, Ralco Industries and RS Technologies Acquisition Corp. These breaks range from a 50 percent to 100 percent retention of employment tax credit over seven years. Another 70 percent high-technology employment tax credit over seven years was involved, too.

Auburn Hills-based Ralco Industries plans to move to a bigger facility in Pontiac, which will serve as its corporate and manufacturing headquarters, to accommodate its rapid growth. The supplier of welded assemblies and metal stampings plans to invest $6.8 million in this expansion and hire 108 new people on top of the 50 it already employs.

"The talent here is exceptional and readily available, but that's not new news," says Tom Gitter CEO of Ralco Industries.

Webasto Roof Systems is the largest North American supplier of sunroof and panorama roof systems for automobiles. It plans to consolidate its operations in Metro Detroit, where it employs 490 people in Rochester Hills, Livonia, and Fenton. That means three new assembly lines in Rochester Hills and 61 new jobs as part of the $3.6 million investment.

"We have an existing, long established employee base here and we'd like to retain that," says Ted Zimbo, CEO of Webasto.

Last but not least is RS Technologies Acquisition Corp. The high-tech manufacturing firm plans to invest $1.7 million in Farmington Hills, while creating 41 new jobs. It already employs six people in Metro Detroit. The company's products range from portable battery powered systems to automated laboratory systems.

Source: Tom Gitter, CEO of Ralco Industries and Ted Zimbo, CEO of Webasto
Writer: Jon Zemke and Ivy Hughes

Gongos Research hires 21, plans for more growth

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to making the best use of interns, Metro Detroit firms should pay attention to Gongos Research.

The Auburn Hills-based company has hired four interns since the start of 2008, including one of its two hires so far this year. Those interns make up some of the 21 people the company has hired since January of last year. It has expanded its payroll from 75 people last summer to 80 this year.

Gongos Research conducts consumer research for businesses of all sizes, including the big boys like Domino's Pizza and GM. One of the ways it does this through polls, surveys and dialogues within consumer online research communities. That information helps tailor ad campaigns, new products, or even menu items.

"What we have seen is more clients looking for more ways to conduct traditional research within online communities," says Greg Heist, director of research innovation & technology at Gongos Research.

But the company sees that mindset changing this summer, enough that it expects its new clients to grow their workload as things get back to normal. Moving forward, its new products, like iCommunities, are expected to spur even more business.

"We've already laid the ground work to make that happen," Heist says.

Source: Greg Heist, director of research innovation & technology at Gongos Research
Writer: Jon Zemke

New Specs Howard classes focus on film

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The film industry incentives are spinning out in a number of different ways, with Specs Howard School feeling the latest vibrations.

The Southfield-based broadcasting school is offering classes focusing on teaching how to best take advantage of the emerging film industry. The Specs Howard On Location classes will be held in a new Studio Center motion picture production complex in Farmington Hills.

The courses will cover everything from basic education on movie making to editing films. Each class runs about two months and is meant to convey a comprehensive view of what is expected of employees in the film industry.

"We're thinking of it as a graduate course, almost," says Lisa Zahodne, president of Specs Howard School. "A lot of our graduates are interested in this."

The classes will cover both the macro view of the film industry and micro level of specific areas, such as editing and camera work. Instructors include people who have worked on independent films, at major television stations, and won major awards, such as Emmys.

Specs Howard School is looking at expanding this into its full-time curriculum in the near future. The idea is that the new movie incentives aren't going anywhere, and will promise to create a lot of new jobs Metro Detroiters may not be all that familiar with.

"We see this as here and here to stay," Zahodne says.

Source: Lisa Zahodne, president of Specs Howard School
Writer: Jon Zemke

Two money management firms merge to create bigger Planning Alternatives

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A couple of significant investment firms in Oakland County have become joined at the hip and expect to grow through the new merger.

Bloomfield Hills-based Planning Alternatives and Southfield-based Oakland Wealth Management combined forces earlier this month. Planning Alternatives is the been-around-the-block player, serving Metro Detroit for 27 years. Oakland Wealth Management is the new kid on the block that's enjoying a rapid growth spurt, according to the combined firms' new managing partner, Nathan Mersereau.

"It will build confidence that this firm will be around for a very long time," Mersereau says.

What is now Planning Alternatives employs 15 people. Mersereau expects to hire more in the near future as the new firm capitalizes on the established name and rapid growth of the combined firms.

Planning Alternatives has approximately $375 million under advisement and provides strategic consulting services to clients in 26 states.

Source: Nathan Mersereau, president of Planning Alternatives
Writer: Jon Zemke

Anesthesia Staffing Consultants makes 3-4 healthcare hires, more to come

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

ASC, short for Anesthesia Staffing Consultants, is the type of business that can put you to sleep, literally.

The Bingham Farms-based firm provides staffing and consulting for hospitals and private practices in the anesthesia area. That basically means they provide the people and advice that help patients drift off to sleep just before surgery.

"We're basically a niche market," says Teri Raisanen, director of marketing for ASC.

It may be a small market, but it's a growing one. The company is recording five percent growth, which has allowed it to expand to 23 employees and 100 independent contractors. It has hired 3-4 people within the last year and hopes to do it again in the same time frame.

The company got its start in 1991, but has been on a growth tear lately. It was named one of Michigan's 50 Companies to Watch by the Edward Lowe Foundation. But what would one expect from a business based on knocking people out?

Source: Teri Raisanen, director of marketing for ASC
Writer: Jon Zemke

Automation Alley plans to open defense office in Macomb

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Automation Alley is gearing up to open a new office in Macomb County that will focus on the defense industry.

The economic development agency plans to staff between 4-6 people at the office. Automation Alley's leadership is looking at opening it in either Sterling Heights or Warren before the summer is over.

"Our intent is to find defense procurement opportunities for businesses in southeast Michigan," says Ken Rogers, executive director of Automation Alley.

Automation Alley choose Macomb County because of the federal military lab located in Warren. There are also a number of defense contractors that have set up shop in Sterling Heights.

Source: Ken Rogers, executive director of Automation Alley
Writer: Jon Zemke

GREEN SPACE: Eliot Coleman, national organic expert, will be in Detroit June 19-20

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Detroit's Garden Resource Program (GRP) is busier than ever. It works with over 800 family and community gardeners in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park by providing plants, mulch, compost -- and educational opportunities ranging from rain barrel classes to canning demos.

One such opportunity coming up this weekend might be of interest to even the non-gardener with a salient interest in healthy food systems. Some of GRP's partner orgs and friends -- Greening of Detroit, MSU Student Organic Farm, Earthworks Urban Farm and Green Ribbon Collaborative -- are bringing Eliot Coleman, author of Four Seasons Harvest and The New Organic Grower, to Detroit on June 19 and 20.

On Friday the 19th, Coleman will speak at Detroit Waldorf, located at 2555 Burns in Indian Village on the topic of Food and Farming in the 21st Century. On Saturday the 20th, he will host a four-season farming workshop at Gleaners Food Bank on 2131 Beaufait, near Earthworks. The speech is free; the all-day workshop requires registration and is proced on a sliding scale of $10 to $100.

For info and registration, contact Kido Pielack at 313-237-8733 x243.

While on the topic of food, it's worth mentioning that GRP and, again, friends and partners, facilitate the Grown in Detroit program, which allows family and community gardeners the opportunity to sell extra produce at local farmers markets. Find them at Eastern Market and the East Warren Farmers Market every Saturday, the Wayne State University Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Northwest Detroit Farmers Market on Thursdays.

Buying local is becoming really, really local.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

GradeCheck.net expects to double customer base, plans to hire

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

GradeCheck.net is checking off a few more milestones in its growth plan as it continues to expand in TechTown.

Excerpt:

More than 4,000 student-athletes took advantage of GradeCheck.net's services last year and it's looking to pump up that number into the five figures in 2009.

Last year those clients were able to leverage more than $2 million in college scholarships. The 10,000 clients are expected to bring in well over $3 million this year.

GradeCheck.net focuses on making sure student athletes, mostly at the high school level, keep up their academics so they can qualify for college and possible scholarships. It also helps these student athletes take steps so they don't fall through cracks.

"They see us as being a tool they can implement so they can improve their students' educations," says Sheila McBride, founder and CEO of GradeCheck.net.

Read the rest of the story here.

Axiobionics plans Ann Arbor move, will create 100 new jobs

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, if we can't beat 'em at football we'll have to be content to take their businesses.

Excerpt:

Ann Arbor took another one from Columbus, and this doesn't have anything to do with sports.

Axiobionics has called Columbus home for 15 years, but it's packing up and heading to the land of Maize and Blue before the summer is over. The life sciences company, formerly BioFlex, is bringing its dozen or so jobs and plans to hire another 100 here within the next five years.

Read the rest of the story here.

Dexter Research Center plans to expand, hire 47

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A longtime business institution in Dexter plans to stay even longer, and create a few more jobs in the process.

Excerpt:

Sometimes the siren call for strategic partnerships is too strong to keep companies where they were founded. Not so with the Dexter Research Center.

The 31-year-old firm has renewed its lease on life by choosing to expand in its hometown, a move that will lead to 47 new jobs in the next five years. The defense contractor has strategic partnerships in Ohio and Massachusetts that were wooing the firm away from Michigan. A $313,000 state tax credit over seven years helped quiet them.

"We have always been here in Michigan," says Cory Ziegler, controller of the Dexter Research Center. "We enjoy being here."

Read the rest of the story here.

GM opens new advanced battery lab in Warren

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It looks like the consolation prize could turn into a very good thing for Warren. The inner-ring suburb wasn't successful in luring General Motors headquarters away from Detroit to GM's Tech Center in Warren, but it was able to land the next best thing � a coveted advanced battery lab.

The Global Battery Systems Lab is special because it will develop new advanced automotive batteries (think lithium-ion batteries) along with the electric plug-in, fuel cell, and hybrid cars designed to use them, such as the Chevrolet Volt.

The new facility will use 33,000 square feet of the Tech Center, which is about four times larger than GM's last Tech Center-based battery lab. More than 1,000 engineers are expected to work on batteries.

The lab, which is inside GM's Alternative Energy Center facility, became operational in May and is ready to begin conducting research. It has a number of environmentally friendly features, such as LED lighting and a floor made from recycled tires. Approximately 90 percent of the electricity used for battery testing can be recycled back to the local energy grid for use by homeowners and businesses.

Source: General Motors
Writer: Jon Zemke

Daggerfin hires three in Rochester, hopes to hire 3-4 more

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Meet Daggerfin. It's the new, bigger version of Catalyst Design, an ad agency that has been around Metro Detroit for 15 years.

The downtown Rochester-based firm made the name switch as part of a way to reinvent itself. It also hired another three people to round out its headcount to 12, and expects to create another 3-4 jobs within the next four months.

"We have some accounts in the pipeline that if they pop, that number will only be an eighth of what we need," says Scott Ingoglia, director of business development for Daggerfin.

The company focuses on aligning its branding and marketing strategies with clients' businesses.

The firm decided to change its name because it knew it would never own the word "catalyst", and instead went with Daggerfin because its president is a windsurfing fan, and the word stuck with him. A daggerfin helps a windsurfer navigate in rough waters.

"Catalyst was a little safe, a little conservative," Ingoglia says. "We want to think outside the box."

Source: Scott Ingoglia, director of business development for Daggerfin
Writer: Jon Zemke

Troy law firm opens North Woodward Tech Incubator

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Not all business incubators are government run. The North Woodward Tech Incubator is the latest example of one, stepping into the limelight with the likes of the Russell Industrial Center.

The new Troy-based incubator is geared much more toward high-tech, new economy start-ups so raw they can't afford the reduced rental rates of the likes of Ann Arbor SPARK and TechTown. The North Woodward Tech Incubator offers free office space to start-ups and all it asks for is the right to invest in the company later on down the development line.

The incubator is the brainchild of Andrew Basile, president of the North Woodward Tech Incubator. He also lives in Metro Detroit and runs the Silicon Valley office of Young Basile Hanlon MacFarlane & Helmholdt. The 1,200-square foot incubator is in the law firm's Troy office.

"I see so much potential in Michigan but I became frustrated with how it wasn't being realized," Basile says. "I just wanted to help."

The incubator has room for 4-5 start-ups and has already signed one firm, Leftos.com, the developer of a relationship website, run by one of the Technow09 organizers. The idea is to give them room and expertise to grow for 6-12 months before finding permanent space.

Basile would eventually like to find a permanent home for the incubator in downtown Royal Oak or Birmingham. He thinks the North Woodward Tech Incubator needs a home in a strong urban core with high-density and transit-oriented development.

"We believe that strong urban communities are essential to the formation of Silicon Valley-style companies," Basile says.

Source: Andrew Basile, president of the North Woodward Tech Incubator
Writer: Jon Zemke

K&F Electronics buys Cali firm, hopes to hire 5

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

K&F Electronics is part of a consolidating breed, but only because it's doing the gobbling.

The Fraser-based circuit board maker just bought Ultima Circuits of Sacramento, California. That leaves K&F Electronics as one of an estimated 240 companies left in the circuit board manufacturing industry.

The move is also expected to help the 37-year-old company expand its staff from its current size of 25 people. It hopes to add up to five CAD and tech people within the next year.

"I definitely see that helping," says Rick Kincaid, president of K&F Electronics. "We don�t want to leave Michigan."

He says one of the main reasons for staying is the high talent levels and quality of life in Metro Detroit -- including the snow and the distinguishable seasons that bring and take it away each year.

"You don't get that in other states," Kincaid says. "You get a one-season shot in California and Florida and elsewhere."

Source: Rick Kincaid, president of K&F Electronics
Writer: Jon Zemke

Northville's inFORM studio hires intern, wins AIA award

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The buildings that come out of inFORM studio look like structures that would be designed by an architecture firm. They emphasize what's today (and tomorrow) with strong, innovative features that tend to make jaws drop open and the "Wow" to fall out.

"We try to approach these things with a real fresh eye," says Cory Lavigne, design director for inFORM studio. "We don't try to regurgitate things over and over again."

There is an exception to that statement, sort of. The downtown Northville-based firm took many of the dying ash trees on the land where Ann Arbor's Traverwood Library sits and used them for its structural columns, flooring, and walls. The design helped the firm win a design award from the Michigan chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

That award comes on top of growth at the transitioning firm. It started as the Van Tine Guthrie Studio in 2000 before it merged with a South Carolina firm and became inFORM studio in 2007.

It now has 11 employees in offices in Northville, Myrtle Beach and New York City. Seven of those are in Metro Detroit. The firm also recently hired a University of Michigan graduate student that had recently interned with the studio.

"It's been pretty good, all things considered," Lavigne says.

Source: Cory Lavigne, design director for inFORM studio
Writer: Jon Zemke

Biomin International consolidates into one-stop shop, plans to hire

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to water purification, Biomin International knows what's in the market and what rises to the top.

It's why the Oak Park-based firm created Technofluids North America, a subsidiary that sifts through all of the water-cleaning products to find the ones that belong on the top shelf.

"Basically it's going to be a one-stop shop for water treatment globally," says Joseph P. Cool, international business development/export director for Biomin International. "We're putting together the best of the best."

One of those products, Organoclay, belongs to Biomin International. The product helps take impurities like oil out of water, making it drinkable. It has the potential to help a lot of third world countries, where fresh water is scarce.

The 20-year-old company has five employees and owns a factory in Oak Park. It hopes to hire as many as 10-20 people within the next few years.

Source: Joseph P. Cool, international business development/export director for Biomin International
Writer: Jon Zemke

GREEN SPACE: Ann Arbor's Green Fair set for Friday, June 12

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Summertime means festivals and fairs almost every weekend. Leave it to Ann Arbor to have one that is not just getting greener, but is wholly devoted to sustainability. The ninth annual Mayor's Green Fair on Main Street is on Friday, June 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. Downtown Main Street will be open to pedestrians for free entertainment and over 100 exhibits with environmental information, hands-on youth activities, clean energy, green construction, and transportation options.

The number of exhibitors is over the top, ranging from eco cleaning services to sustainable architects and builders to advocacy organizations to People's Food Co-op and Whole Foods. Plus, BikeFest 2009 promotes cycling shops and groups, Green Commute will highlight transit and ride-share options and Energy Coalition will showcase efficiency and renewable energy options.

Music includes country rock from Corndaddy, world beat from Muruga and the Rainforest Band, kids' songs from Joe Reilly and alt punk/pop from My Biography. Food vendors are Silvio's Organic Pizza, Pilar's Catering, Sweetwaters Cafe, and there will also be walking tours.

For more information on the Green Fair, call 734-794-6161 x41602.

Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

Wayne State prof turns energy grid into two-way street

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Wayne State University is working to reverse the flow of the energy river.

Excerpt:

A Wayne State researcher is working on a way to turn energy consumption into a two-way street.

Caisheng Wang, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and engineering technology, is using a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to figure out a way to make traditional energy from power plants play nicely with alternative energy generated from homes and businesses.

"The idea is simple," Wang says. "If we have more (energy produced from say solar panels on homes) we just sell it back to the company. Unfortunately, it's more complicated than that."

Read the rest of the story here.

ISSYS creates partnership and hires in Ypsilanti

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

ISSYS goes to Switzerland, creates a partnership and then adds more jobs in Ypsilanti.

Excerpt:

Good things come in threes for ISSYS. First the Ypsilanti-based firm hired two people since the last time we checked in with it earlier this year. Second it formed a partnership with a Switzerland-based firm, a move that is expected to (thirdly) create more jobs in Ypsilanti.

As of today ISSYS employs 32 people and has a couple of positions open right now. It expects to hire another 5-6 people by the end of the year. The Swiss firm, Endress + Hauser, might also open an office nearby.

Read the rest of the story here.

Damian Farrell Design plans to hire more in Ann Arbor

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Damian Farrell loves entrepreneurship so much, he won't let anything get in the way of his pursuit of it.

Excerpt:

Damian Farrell wanted to become his own boss so badly he did it twice. The owner of Damian Farrell Design Group started the company in 1992, sold it after a couple of heart attacks and went to work for someone else in 2002 before restarting again last summer.

"I had always wanted to be on my own," Farrell says. "I really wanted to focus on the type of architecture that interests me."

He restarted with two full-time employees and a part-timer last July. Today the downtown Ann Arbor-based company employs five people and two independent contractors. It just hired a former intern that graduated from college and expects to hire another person within the next six months.

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