Wolverine Brewing Co. readies for Ann Arbor opening

The Wolverine State Brewing Co. got the go-ahead to make its specialty lagers in its new location, on Ann Arbor's west side, and soon will be inviting people into its taproom to sit and enjoy a brew.E.T. Crowe, aka The Beer Wench, sales and marketing director for The Wolverine State Brewing Co., says the brewing company has had its share of the delays that come with opening a new business, but just last week cleared two major potential roadblocks -- a health department inspection, which gave them the OK to brew, and the official go-ahead from Ann Arbor city council's liquor committee. "It was a very good week," she says.Yet to be done is to install a supplemental air conditioning system for the taproom, after which the city should issue a certificate of occupancy and the fire marshal a capacity rating. All those pieces of paper go to Lansing for approval from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, and they're then good to go. Sales can begin after approval from the state, hopefully within four weeks.For now, health department clearance means brewing is imminent; Crowe says they're putting together some experimental lagers. "We're excited," she says. "It's getting really real."The taproom space was formerly the "scratch and ding" sale room for Big George's Appliances, on Stadium Boulevard. "What we want to do is make great beer and sell great beer, and offer people on the west side of Ann Arbor a place to hang out," she says.Not only did the official hurdles get taken care of, but glassware and club mugs have been coming in and the supply closet is ready to go. Crowe doesn't see the taproom offering food service any time soon, but is assembling a book of local eateries that would deliver to the bar."We're real happy with it," she says. "It's going to be great for everybody."Source: E.T. Crowe, The Wolverine State Brewing Co.Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Ypsilanti Food Co-op puts solar panels over bakery

With a wood stove that uses scrap wood and, soon, solar panels, the Ypsilanti Food Co-op's RiverSide Bakery could very well be producing carbon-neutral bread.The 30 solar panels are now in place above the bakery and just have to be wired, explains Dave Strenski, who started the grass roots project Solar Ypsi and was the force behind the solar projects on the co-op and on Ypsilanti City Hall. The bakery is on a separate circuit from the rest of the co-op, he explains, and if his calculations hold true, the panels could provide 100 percent of the power needed for the bakery.Over the past two weekends, with the help of volunteers, he hauled steel for the panel racks up to the roof, installed them, and then hauled up the panels. The 30 panels are about 30 pounds each, he says, and they also used cinder blocks to act as weights. "I was definitely tired," Strenski jokes.This week, his goal, now that all the heavy lifting is done, is to run some conduit and get the panels wired.The panels are the same as the 12 used on the co-op, but the new ones are a bit more efficient. The co-op will be able to bank its exported power for when it creates less in the wintertime, thanks to a one-year window DTE Energy offers."It should be interesting," he says. "We're hoping that through the summer, we'll be exporting lots of power, all the time."Daily, weekly, and monthly usage from both the co-op and the city hall can be seen here.Next on the docket is a solar tour on Oct. 2, a kind of open house where people can visit and learn about different solar systems. Strenski will be showing off the system at Ypsilanti City Hall, with another volunteer showing off the co-op's system. Strenski will be a guest speaker at Concentrate's October 7th Speaker Event. Read about it here.Source: Dave Strenski, volunteer with Solar YpsiWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Barton Hills Golf Club installs geothermal heat, LED lighting

With a hot summer behind it, the Barton Hills Country Club is finding its new geothermal heating and cooling system paying off -- literally.Club General Manager Corey Gerhart says the system offered exceptional comfort when the mercury rose. "We had much better control," he says. "We're running about 45 percent of a cost reduction right now, on electric use."The club installed the geothermal system and replaced its lighting last year for about $550,000. He expects a return on the investment in about seven years; the system should last about 25-30 years overall. He says the golf club eventually wants to be completely off the electrical grid and has looked into solar panels and wind turbines."Michigan tends to be slower as far as power integration," he says. "We're waiting for everything to catch up a bit."The indoor lighting was changed to LEDs, and the exterior uses inducting lighting, another system that is much more efficient. "We've been looking at alternative energy sources for years."Overall, both staff and patrons of the country club have been pleased, especially considering its Ann Arbor location. "We've been very pleased with it," he says. "The membership is proud that they did it. They’re seeing some reduction in cost, (because) our carbon footprint is pretty substantial."Source: Corey Gerhart, Barton Hills Country Club general managerWriter: Kristin Lukowski

Home brewer/biochemist plans Chelsea microbrewery

Chris Martinson dreams of beer, but unlike most guys, consumption is secondary to brewing. That's part of the reason why he is holding an informational meeting for investors for the Chelsea Ale House project in late October.The Grass Lake resident is a biochemist by day and a home brewer with years of experience otherwise. He wants to turn brewing into his full-time job by opening a microbrewery in downtown Chelsea within the next year."I have spent more and more time in Chelsea," says Martinson, whose wife is director of the Chelsea Center for the Arts. "I was really surprised to that there wasn't a brewery there."He says the new microbrewery will be similar to the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti. It will have a small deli-style kitchen and a tap room focusing on a full lineup of ales ranging from IPAs to wheat ales. "There will be a line of bottle beers but the focus will be on the tasting room," Martinson says. "I want to make beers that appeal to a wide variety of beer drinkers."Martinson has already lined up some seed funding but hopes to raise another $350,000 from the informational meeting. He has tried getting loans from traditional sources, such as banks, to no avail. He hopes to find a combination of primary investors and community investors to close the funding gap. Afterwards, Martinson expects it will take about eight months to get the right permits and finish build out of the space.The informational meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on Oct. 23. Each person attending will receive a free bottle of Profit Sharing Pale Ale. For information on how to get on the guest list, send an email to info@chelseaalehouse.com.Source: Chris Martinson, owner of the Chelsea Ale HouseWriter: Jon Zemke

Meet Ann Arbor’s newest VC firm: Huron River Ventures

"Venture capital" is becoming Ann Arbor's buzz words these days. Local start-ups are  raising VC funds and new VC firms setting up shop here in Tree Town. Add Huron River Ventures to that list.Two University of Michigan graduates, Ryan Waddington and Tim Streit, are setting up the downtown Ann Arbor-based venture capital firm. The two friends have worked in seed capital jobs across the country for years, ranging from DTE Energy Ventures to HSBC New Business Development, giving them backgrounds in both investment and clean technology."We both decided to come back to Michigan to pursue venture opportunities," Waddington says. "We see great opportunities in clean tech in an underserved market."Huron River Ventures is in the process of establishing itself and lining up financial support from the state of Michigan. Waddington declines to elaborate further because of SEC regulations."We're in the process of putting together a marking-and-communications plan that will allow us to be a little more open," Waddington says.Source: Ryan Waddington, co-founder of Huron River VenturesWriter: Jon Zemke

Adaptive Materials shares in $750K grant for renewable energy software development

Adaptive Materials has scored another round of seed funding, this time taking down $750,000 in cash from the federal government.The Ann Arbor-based firm is sharing the Small Business Innovation Research grant with fellow Ann Arbor firms, SRT Solutions and The Whole Brain Group. The three companies will use the funds, and potentially a follow-up grant, to create software that makes renewable energy suggestions."It allows our soldiers to pick the right energy sources when they're in the field," says Michelle Crumm, chief business officer of Adaptive Materials. "For instance, when it's a nice sunny day, use a solar panel."The grant will also allow Adaptive Materials to add to its staff of 56 employees, three independent contractors, and one intern. The company has hired six people over the last year and plans to add at least one more.Source: Michelle Crumm, chief business officer of Adaptive MaterialsWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M Ross School of Business starts Social Venture Fund

The Social Venture Fund, the newest seed funding source from the University of Michigan, is looking for a double bottom line.That's the buzz term that means an investment provided both a financial and societal return. The Social Venture Fund plans to invest in for-profit start-ups that make a positive impact on society. The idea is to reflect the broader sentiment of a student body receiving a liberal education.The new $200,000 fund will be run by students at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. "We are very committed to action-based learning for our students," says Gautam Kaul, a finance professor at U-M and managing director of the Social Venture Fund.A student-led committee will run the fund, doing everything from finding potential investees to determining which ones are ultimately worthy of funding. The fund expects to make it first investment before the end of the academic year.Source: Gautam Kaul, managing director of the Social Venture FundWriter: Jon Zemke

Second to None moves to Kerrytown, plans to hire

Downtown Ann Arbor is becoming increasingly in demand for tech growth companies, with Second to None the latest to make the move to the city's center.The customer feedback firm is taking over the former Sweet Lorraine's basement location on Detroit Street in Kerrytown, transforming the restaurant space into a raw office workplace with open space and exposed infrastructure. The idea is to have a city center office with a character that can stimulate creativity."We have a vision that this will be more than a typical office build out," says Jeff Hall, president of Second to None. "It's going to have more of a loft feel."The 60-employee company has a large stable of independent contractors, which has allowed it to move to a smaller space about half the size of its former location. That doesn't mean the 21-year-old firm is downsizing or finished growing. Many of its employees work from home offices and Hall expects to add 3-4 people over the next year with more Internet customer feedback and survey business."It’s a new and quickly growing area for us," Hall says.Source: Jeff Hall, president of Second to NoneWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M 1st in research spending, sets new tech records