In the News

Welcome to the economic rollercoaster that is Metro Detroit. Luckily, things are on the upswing, with employers adding a lot more jobs than they're losing.

Excerpt:

"From July to September, 27 percent of Detroit-area employers interviewed plan to hire more employees, while only 5 percent of employers expect to reduce staff. Another 68 percent expect to maintain their current work force levels.

That yields a Net Employment Outlook — the number that plan to add staff minus the number who plan to cut — of plus 22 percent. That’s the fifth best of any region in the nation."

Read the rest here.

Sure, Traverse City and Sleeping Bear get all the accolades but we've got some prime shoreline here in Metro Detroit too thank you very much.

Excerpt:

"But whether you're a nature-lover, waterslide fan or just someone who enjoys swimming in a hazmat suit, you'll find a Detroit beach to satisfy your summertime cravings -- without requiring a trip Up North."

Check out the slide show here.

Metromode has always admired the folks at B. Nektar and this video does a good job of capturing what they're all about.

Give it a look.

Airports matter when it comes to a region's economic development. But more important than the cargo they transport is the people. Richard Florida breaks it down for you.

Excerpt:

Airports have a bigger effect on economic development by moving people as opposed to cargo. Both the number of passengers and flights are related to economic output, wages, and incomes. However, we find little association between any of the above and cargo.

Airports are also closely associated with key characteristics of knowledge-based or post-industrial economies. Both the number of flights and passengers are correlated with the percent of adults that are college grads, the share of the workforce employed in knowledge-based, professional, and creative class jobs, and even more so with concentrations of high-tech industry. Again, we found little association between such factors and the amount of cargo that passes through metro airports.

Read the rest here.

There are all sorts of industry awards but it's nice to know that a Metro Detroit company is ranked tops with regard to how it treats and the opportunities it provides for its employees.

Excerpt:

"This past year has been exciting at Nuspire with the company amassing awards at a breakneck pace. In late 2011, for a third consecutive year, Nuspire was awarded a “Top Workplace” honor by the Detroit Free Press, and in January 2012 they won the “North America Frost & Sullivan Award for Entrepreneurial Company of the Year."

Nuspire has also been aggressively filling team positions as it keeps pace with its growing customer demands for managed network security services. Current open positions include: network engineers, national account executives, inside sales, application developers, and project managers."

Read the rest here.

"Here she comes, Miss Michigan..." Sterling Heights and Metro Detroit's Arab American community was in the house at The 2012 Miss USA pageant.

Excerpt:

"The Miss Michigan contestant competing in this year's Miss U.S.A pageant is a Chaldean American from metro-Detroit. Miss Michigan Kristen Samantha Danyal, 21, is from Sterling Heights. She's a Chaldean American, and a student at the University of Detroit Mercy where she was expected to graduate in May with a degree in business marketing. Initially she planned on becoming a physician's assistant, but that changed after her experience as Miss Michigan Teen USA 2009. "

Read the rest here.

They come from Pontiac, Ferndale, Troy, Rochester and more. Businesses that are giving Detroit's Woodward a whirl. Why? Short-term rent agreements that let these Metro Detroit businesses test Motown's economic waters.

Excerpt:

"Jon Hughes sees a lane of opportunity in Detroit. As the owner of Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop, he would like to sign a two-month lease in Detroit for space where he can test the urban trails and side streets for interest by city residents and workers in a full-service, cycling aficionados store.

Read the rest of the story here.

With the mind-blowing success of superhero cinema --ahem, The Avengers-- and last weekend's Motor City Comic Con it's about time we checked in on the local comic book scene.

Excerpt:

"What is Detroit Tradecraft?

They're a local organization that's reaching out for creative collaboration and invention among artists, authors, designers and other creators in the Metro Detroit area.

Right now, they're just stretching their legs into the comics arena. They have two issues of a comic, "The Door," that we've edited and published together. You can think of it as a cross between "The Wizard of Oz" and an African folktale.

The other project, Heather Spraga's "Angel Cry," is a gothic fantasy [graphic] novel about a young woman who finds out not only is the world not quite what it seems to be, but her place is far different than she could ever imagine."

Read the rest here.

In celebration of last week's American Craft Beer Week HuffPo featured the best of Metro D's brews in a wonderful photo essay. Feel free to heartily voice your support or angrily disagree.

Excerpt:

"There's all sorts of good beer news on the far side Michigan: Grand Rapids just tied Ashville, N.C., in a widespread online poll for the title of Beer City USA.

But you don’t have to drive west, or to Asheville, to get great craft beer. There's plenty of breweries in Detroit and the metro area."

Read the rest here.

Two words: Mobile learning. Could be the future. And Royal Oak-based Innovative Learning Group took home a Gold Hermes Creative Award for their multi-part learning series.

Excerpt:

"Royal Oak-based Innovative Learning Group has won a Gold Hermes Creative Award in the categroy of E-Communication Series for its email and video series, Mobile or Not…Here It Comes!, which is about applying mobile technology to learning."

Read the rest here.

BUT WAIT, there's more. Brogan beat out 11,000 other competing entries to win Telly Awards.

Excerpt:

"he Telly Awards, the premier award honoring local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs, video and film production and online commercials, has named Brogan & Partners a multiple winner of its 33rd annual awards. Brogan & Partners is honored to have its projects selected among nearly 11,000 entries from all 50 states and numerous countries. The announcement was made by Brogan Managing Partner, Ellyn Davidson.

Two Brogan & Partners projects – “STEM Interview” on behalf of the National Defense Education Partnership and “Secondhand Rose, Secondhand Smoke” on behalf of the Michigan Department of Community Health – were honored, the latter in two separate categories. “STEM Interview” received a Silver Telly, the Awards highest honor, in the not-for-profit category. “Secondhand Rose, Secondhand Smoke” was awarded both a Silver Telly in the public service category and a Bronze Telly in the not-for-profit category. "

Read the rest here.

Thomson Reuters selected Beaumont Hospital in Troy as one of the nation's premiere care facilities.

Excerpt:

"Beaumont Hospital, Troy was recently named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters. The recognition is based on a hospital’s overall organizational performance. This marks the ninth time Beaumont has been recognized as a top hospital.
The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® study evaluates performance in 10 areas: mortality; medical complications; patient safety; average patient stay; expenses; profitability; patient satisfaction; adherence to clinical standards of care; post-discharge mortality; and readmission rates for heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia. The study has been conducted annually since 1993."

Read the rest here.

This just cool. Really cool.

Watch.



The Free Press explains...


"A Birmingham design studio called Pluto released a 45-second video on YouTube that will knock your socks off. Pluto (hellopluto.com) is a media company that creates CGI content for television commercials, websites and other applications. They’ve been in Birmingham for 15 years."

What do Danny Thomas, David Alan Grier, Elizabeth Berkley, Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin, Mary Lynn Rajskub, George Peppard, Lee Majors, Gillian Anderson, Matthew Lillard, Casey Kasem, and Michael Moriarty have in common? If you said "The MItten" you are correct.

The bigger question is who did they miss (ahem Kristen Bell and Bruce Campbell)?

Excerpt:

"IF YOU PREFER MICHIGANDERS WITH A FLAIR FOR DRAMA: Watch Detroiter Della Reese in "Touched By an Angel," fellow Motown native Tom Skerritt in "Picket Fences," Lansing's Timothy Busfield on "Thirtysomething" and Mary Lynn Rajskub of Trenton on "24." Enjoy a bit of medicine with that drama? Examine Birmingham's Christine Lahti on "Chicago Hope" and Dearborn-raised Chad Everett on "Medical Center." Want some good-guy-versus-bad-guy action? Check out Dearborn High School grad George Peppard in "The A-Team," Grand Rapids-raised Gillian Anderson in "The X-Files," Detroiter Ted Raimi in "SeaQuest DSV" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," Mt. Clemens-born Dean Cain in "Lois & Clark" and Wyandotte's Lee Majors in "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Fall Guy."

Read the rest here.

So, you can look at this week two way: Either you will get a great work out, lower your carbon footprint, and enjoy the virtues of alterernative transportation first hand OR you can experience our current bike routes and lanes and see how much Metro Detroit needs to improve bike accessibility and commit to their success. Win win.

Excerpt:

"n fact, Mike is part of a growing trend. On average, the rate of bike commuters has increased by 39-percent between 2000 and 2010. The national average is about 0.6-percent of the population, but in bicycle friendly communities, the number is much higher. Many are realizing it's good for your body, the environment and your wallet."

Watch and read the rest here.

A recent NY Times article about how small businesses found success through expansion during the recession uses Rochester-based Bandals as an example for how it's done.

Excerpt:

"Lots of people advise staying aggressive during a difficult economy, but spending money when times are tough can be scary. This small-business guide looks at how Bandals and two other companies managed to do it.

CONSIDER NEW MARKETS When Mr. Sesti decided to focus on increasing revenue, his first thought was to find ways to balance the seasonality of Bandals, which sell best in warm months."

Read the rest of the story here.