July 8 was Energy Independence Day….according to Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens. That's when he began his campaign to wean Americans from foreign oil. He came to Ann Arbor to promote it in October and returned to Michigan again recently. More from Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus
New urbanists like to wax poetic about the importance of coffee houses and cafes as society's "third place," a urban destination for social interaction. Once upon a time these places were called diners. Concentrate takes you on a whirlwind tour of A2's and Ypsi's homiest.
Tax credits, vision and talent pool. Those are three of the main reasons why AVL Powertrain Engineering is establishing a hybrid and alternative fuel development center in Ann Arbor.The state is giving $298,559 in tax credits over five years to entice the multi-national corporation to expand its presence in Ann Arbor. It's a move that will create 40 new jobs within the next two years. Jobs the leadership at AVL doesn’t think it will have a problem filling from Ann Arbor deep technical talent pool."There is a technical expertise we're looking for," says Chet Ricker, vice president and CFO of AVL Powertrain Engineering. "These are high-tech positions for engineers."It also helps that Michigan has established itself as a leader in attracting advanced battery and hybrid technology development. AVL will invest $2.6 million to continue research on hybrid, electric vehicle and alternative fuel vehicle development, integration and testing services. Source: Chet Ricker, vice president and CFO of AVL Powertrain Engineering and Jerry Klarr, director hybrid programs for AVL Powertrain EngineeringWriter: Jon Zemke
One of Ann Arbor's own is a finalist for Entrepreneur Magazine's "Entrepreneur of the Year" award.Adaptive Materials co-founder and chief business officer Michelle Crumm is competing with five other people for prize that recognizes entrepreneurial leadership and excellence. You can view Crumm's profile and video for the award here.Crumm credits the strong support network for women in Ann Arbor as a key part of her success. She thinks the area needs more financing so it can continue to help its entrepreneurs grow their businesses. "We really empower each other," Crumm says. "We help solve each other's problems and we generate ideas together. It's a great peer group. Adaptive Materials specializes in fuel cell innovations. Its main product is powered by lightweight, inexpensive and globally available propane and provides power to the U.S. military and recreation vehicles. The company employs 63 people and 2-3 independent contractors. It has also hired seven people so far this year and has six open positions right now.Source: Michelle Crumm, co-founder and chief business officer of Adaptive MaterialsWriter: Jon Zemke
Molded Materials is casting a new die in Saline. The advanced materials technology company is consolidating its operations in the city southwest of Ann Arbor thanks largely to a tax break approved by the state."It keeps us in Michgan, basically," says Tom Elkington, chief operating officer of Molded Materials. "It was the tipping point for keeping us in Michigan."The state tax credit totals $420,388 over seven years and will result in hiring 29 people within the next five years, on top of its current staff of 45. Those jobs will come mainly from Molded Materials merging two of three plants in Saline, investing $2.9 million. It's Plymouth operation will also remain, but Saline will be the center of growth for Molded Materials."This community is very open and willing to work with companies to help them grow," Elkington says.Molded Materials designs, engineers and manufactures advanced composite components for a wide variety of industries.Source: Tom Elkington, chief operating officer of Molded MaterialsWriter: Jon Zemke
Ann Arbor's Stout Systems takes the "fake phone call to get out of a painfully long meeting" to a new level with its first iPhone application – ISoBusy. "Most of them (the other programs) ring your phone and you pretend you’re having a conversation," says John W Stout, president and founder of Stout Systems.ISoBusy actually provides a fake conversation to go with the fake phone call. They range from everything from a trainer yelling at you to work out to a fishing scam artist trying to steal money from you. Stout Systems hopes to capitalize on this with more iPhone applications.Right now it's capitalizing on its talent pool. The firm has hired 10 people so far this year, however, its employee turnover has keep the company's overall headcount to 25 people (the same as when we last checked in with Stout Systems) and a handful of independent contractors. Stout Systems started 15 years ago with just Stout. The firm specializes in software development and helping firms with technical staffing such as computer programmers or project managers. It hopes to add 1-3 more people by the end of the year as it continues to expand its product line."We're certainly adding to our staff," Stout says.Source: John W Stout, president and founder of Stout SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke
Well, the Elvi stampeded in and out of Ypsilanti's Depot Town and they brought 10,000 fans with them.Excerpt:A portion of the laundry list of recent celebrity deaths reads like this: Ed McMahon, TV personality, Michael Jackson, entertainer, Farrah Fawcett, actress, Billy Mays, TV advertiser, Steve McNair, NFL quarterback, Arturo Gatti, professional boxer.Unfortunately, there are plenty more names on the list, but these seem to be the figures who hit our collective headlines and the hearts the hardest.People will pay tribute to these icons for years to come, each, well deserving of adoration and remembrance for their contributions to the lives of millions of people across the world. Only one name on that list-also fittingly called "The King"-will see a comparable tribute to that of which "The King" Elvis Presley receives.Ypsilanti has played its role in paying tribute to Elvis each of the last 10 years in Depot Town's Riverside Park.This years Elvisfest drew upwards of 10,000 visitors for the 19-hour celebration.Read the rest of the story here.
The University of Michigan takes another award and makes another connection to the White House.Excerpt:Anthony Grbic, a University of Michigan electromagnetics researcher, will receive a White House award for outstanding young scientists.Grbic is one of 100 researchers to receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. It is the highest honor the United States government gives to young professors in the early stages of their independent research careers.Read the rest of the story here.
Urban chicken farmers in Ypsilanti are close to scoring a victory worth crowing... er... clucking about.Excerpt:Residents of the city of Ypsilanti are one step closer to being able to keep chickens.City Council passed an ordinance on first reading Tuesday night that would establish a permit system to allow property owners the opportunity to keep up to four hens in their backyards.The ordinance was passed in a 4-3 vote at City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday. Councilmembers Lois Richardson, D-Ward 1, and Michael Bodary, D-Ward 2, as well as Mayor Pro-tem Trudy Swanson, D-Ward 1, voted against the ordinance.If passed in second reading, the ordinance allows property owners in the city to apply for a $10 permit until June 2010. The permit, issued per property, would not expire. The principal use of the permit must be for one or two-family units, according to the ordinance.Read the rest of the story here.
It turns out that the Ann Arbor Art Fair means something to a lot of people outside of Tree Town.Excerpt:Ann Arbor's Art Fairs, which consume the city's downtown for a few days every summer, are overwhelming another popular destination: Google's servers.The phrase "Ann Arbor Art Fair" for a few hours this afternoon ranked 63rd on the Google Trends list, a fluid measurement of the hottest search terms on Google."It tells us that it's not just a premier event for Ann Arbor, it's for the nation," said Debra Power, president of Ann Arbor-based Power Marketing & Research.Read the rest of the story here.
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