2010 – Page 40 of 78

Ypsilanti approves Ford Rawsonville plant for battery pack work

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May 19, 2010

Change is coming to the Ford's Rawsonville plant in Ypsilanti, however, the full implications of that change are getting hard to nail down. Nevertheless, the signs are good ones.The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees held a public hearing Tuesday night on exempting the manufacturing facility on 10300 Textile Road from new personal property taxes. What that means for the future of the plant is still to be determined. The plant is in line to build battery packs for electric cars, according to a story in the Detroit Free Press in April. Repeated calls over several days.to the Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo were not returned. Ford declined to comment on the activity beyond this statement: "We are excited about our plans to bring battery pack development and assembly to Michigan and will share more details soon," If that holds true it will mean a new economy future for hundreds of jobs at the old economy stalwart. A letter from the UAW local for the plant says the facility has been selected to make hybrid battery packs for the Michigan Assembly plant. How much investment and how many jobs are still being worked out, according to the letter. Sometimes vague news can be good news too. Source: Ypsilanti Township, Ford and UAWWriter: Jon Zemke

ADR North America hires 4 at Domino’s Farms office

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Economic Development

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May 19, 2010

ADR North America is on the upswing in Ann Arbor where it is adding staff and launching new products.The supply chain management consulting company has hired four people so far this year, expanding it workforce to 20 people. Those twenty are evenly split between employees and independent contractors. The company also plans to bring on an intern this summer. ADR's numbers are up from a dozen people when we checked in last in the fall of 2008. The company, based out of Domino's Farms, hopes to add yet a few more people in the fourth quarter this year when its latest product hits its stride.ADR North America is launching ADR DNA Story to complement its consulting services. The software is being used at the Institute for Supply Management conference in San Diego. It enables managers to compare their teams' results with those of other sectors and identify skills gaps more easily."Supply chain management becomes a bigger part of the company then it finds out that it needs its best people managing it," says Bill Michels, CEO of ADR North America, adding that his company's new product helps determine where the strengths and weaknesses are in the supply chain for the user.Source: Bill Michels, CEO of ADR North AmericaWriter: Jon Zemke

NovoDynamics hires 2 in downtown Ann Arbor, plans to add more

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Economic Development

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May 19, 2010

NovoDynamics is a little coy about its current size, but the Ann Arbor-based business is not shy about expressing its growth.The downtown-based company has less than 50 employees and the occasional intern. Vague, yes. However, the firm has hired two new people this month and expects to keep filling positions throughout the rest of the year."We have other positions we're trying to fill," says David Rock, president and CEO of NovoDynamics. "Those would be development and sales positions."The 13-year-old firm specializes in software that turns paper trails into digital trails and helps translate this scanned paperwork. It has grown this business to the point where its revenue is up 10 percent in the last year, helping make the privately-held company profitable.It is launching a new product called Coronado this year. It expects this new product and more sales from both commercial businesses and government units to continue to fuel its current growth that "could easily double" the size of the company."We expect to see some really strong growth from the release of this product," Rock says.Source: David Rock, president and CEO of NovoDynamicsWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor’s SoloHill Engineering hires 10, most are scientists

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Innovation News

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May 19, 2010

SoloHill Engineering took a big step forward at a time when most businesses are focused on regrouping, hiring 10 people in 2009.Most of those hires were scientists, bringing the Ann Arbor-based firm's staff to 30 employees and the occasional summer intern. That's up from 20 people the last time we checked in with the company in the fall of 2008."2009 was a good year so we decided to invest in the future of the company by hiring research scientists," says David Solomon, chairman and CEO of SoloHill Engineering.The bio-tech company specializes is micro-carrier technology, which means it makes the tools used to produce animal vaccines. The main reason behind its 2009 growth spurt was one of its patents for hogs bred for slaughter came to fruition, drawing the interest and business of drug-maker Wyeth.But there's a catch to that. Wyeth was acquired by Pfizer last year, which means a corporate shake-up and re-evaluation of its business partners. That means SoloHill Engineering's 20-year relationship with Wyeth is now back to square one. That has put a hold on further expansion plans for SoloHill Engineering until that situation is worked out."It's sort of like a new marriage," Solomon says. "We're trying to figure out what they want."Source: David Solomon, chairman and CEO of SoloHill EngineeringWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor’s Project Green creates building internships galore

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Arts and Culture

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May 19, 2010

Project Green intended to become a center for green building education in Ann Arbor, but it has also turned into a place for landing an internship in this emerging field.The think tank, run by JS Vig Construction, employs one person from the Taylor-based firm and a handful of interns from the University of Michigan. That staff hosts tours and seminars centered on sustainable building at 157 E Hoover St. in the shadow of Michigan Stadium. It central location just south of downtown has made it convenient for both participants and interns."Essentially, it's on the campus," says Joe Vig, CEO of JS Vig Construction. "It's walkable to Central Campus." That in itself is an environmentally friendly attribute and one that helps facilitate the internship program, which Vig expects to expand later this year.So far 600 people have utilized Project Green's green building resources since it opened in late 2008. Those people include local building owners, architects and engineers, among others. They have participated in classes, seminars and tours that specialize in everything from LEED certification to building retrofits.Vig sees the later as a significant growth area in Michigan, a state that is fighting to rightsize itself and reinvent its economy. Put simply, there will be more demand for cheap existing building stock than creating expensive new construction."There is very little new construction and you have a lot of existing building stock," Vig says. "The average building is 30 years old and not very energy efficient."Source: Joe Vig, CEO of JS Vig ConstructionWriter: Jon Zemke

Bank of Ann Arbor acquires Plymouth bank as part of expansion plans

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Community Development

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May 19, 2010

There are two types of banks in this world. The big conglomerates everyone sees on the news taking the blame for the current state of the economy and the local banks using these problems as opportunities for growth. Bank of Ann Arbor is in the latter category.The downtown-based financial institution now employs 181 people, which is nearly double the 96 that were there when we checked in with the firm last fall. Last weekend, Bank of Ann Arbor also acquired the New Liberty Bank in Plymouth, adding another 16 people to its payroll, and expects to hire another 7-10 people over the remainder of the year for everything from commercial lending to investment management to IT."We're continuing to add people while other businesses are laying people off or not giving out raises or taking away 401Ks," says Tim Marshall, president and CEO of Bank of Ann Arbor.The acquisition of the Plymouth-based New Liberty Bank grows the number of locations for Bank of Ann Arbor to seven. It had planned to build and open a Canton branch a few years ago, getting to the point of picking out land and evaluating costs. However, it put the brakes on those plans when the economy started to falter.The opportunity for expansion into Wayne County presented itself again when New Liberty started to experience problems, prompting the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp to step in. The feds facilitated the acquisition of New Liberty Bank by Bank of Ann Arbor, opening up a whole new yet similar market for the 14-year-old bank."We believe that community [Plymouth] and this community [Ann Arbor] will go hand in glove," Marshall says. "There are a lot of people who work at the University of Michigan and other local businesses that live in the Plymouth-Canton area."He believes BoA2 will help facilitate those who want to bank locally, which they believe is a trend on the upswing after the financial meltdown. It's evidenced by Bank of Ann Arbor's $52 million in new deposits in 2009. It is also open to the possibility of acquiring other local banks in trouble if the opportunity presents itself."When we're contacted we would take the opportunity and evaluate it," Marshall says.Source: Tim Marshall, president and CEO of Bank of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M begins transition from old Pfizer campus to North Campus Research Complex

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In The News

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May 19, 2010

You know the transformation of the old Pfizer campus to the North Campus Research Complex is underway in earnest when the University of Michigan starts setting nine-figure fundraising goals.Excerpt:The University of Michigan is shifting into high gear the transformation of its North Campus Research Complex into the central hub of the university's research and commercialization activities.The goal is to double UM's $1 billion in annual research spending in 10 years and increase the number of startup companies and for-profit jobs created by commercializing university-developed technologies.Read the rest of the story here.

Ford, U-M partner on in-car cloud computing

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Arts and Culture

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May 19, 2010

Ford and the University of Michigan are seeming less like an odd couple and more like a match made in heaven when it comes to technology development. The latest partnership includes combing cloud computing and traveling in your car.Excerpt:Two Ford Fiestas will leave the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on May 13, and though the cars may be separate, they will be linked to each other and to the entire global community in ways that mark a new era in mobile connectivity.Embarking upon a week-long road trip to Maker Faire, Silicon Valley's annual ideas festival, the Fiestas and their occupants will be serving as messengers from Ford announcing the arrival of the car as a technology platform."The car is the ultimate mobile device," said Venkatesh Prasad, group and technical leader of the Infotronics team in Ford Research & Advanced Engineering. "Ford has led the convergence of the auto and consumer electronics industries, and now we're researching how to responsibly and safely harness the Internet to enhance drivers' time behind the wheel."Read the rest of the story here.

Michigan Football team members tape Funny or Die segments

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Healthy Communities

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May 19, 2010

Funny or Die is a laughing matter and the University of Michigan Football team's cameo in one of the comedy websites maybe, too, but it this fall in Ann Arbor will be anything but if the team doesn't starting winning a lot and soon.Excerpt:'A Michigan man is..."Normally a passionate rallying cry for Michigan football players sharing their pride, on Sunday, it was spun for humor.At the Champions for Children's Hearts golf outing, there was a backdrop set up behind the fifth tee, waiting for all the Michigan men to pass through.That's where funnyordie.com, one of the most-read comedy sites on the Web, was spinning the "Michigan man" phrase on its ear.Funny or Die president of production Mike Farah, an Ann Arbor native, attended a Los Angeles event for U-M's Mott Children's Hospital last year and was so moved by the cause, he figured the video shoot was a way to tie his day job in with the charity. He pitched it to Charles Woodson, who was at the L.A. event, and Woodson agreed.Read the rest of the story here.

Chelsea’s Bearclaw Coffee growing up and out

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Entrepreneurship

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May 19, 2010

Starbucks maybe on the retreat, but local coffee brewhouses are advancing. Chelsea-based Bearclaw Coffee is one of these local chains that is picking up where Starbucks left off.Excerpt:There may be fewer Starbucks in Michigan these days, but locally owned coffee chains are slinging more espressos and cappuccinos than ever.East Lansing-based Biggby Coffee reported its best year in 2009, with revenue topping $40 million, even as food and beverage retailers across the state reeled from a 4 percent drop in sales. Biggby recently opened new stores in Birmingham and Ann Arbor and has eight more in development.Although a Coffee Beanery franchise closed in Southfield two years ago, the Flushing-based company opened 12 stores last year, including one in Miami and three at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and more are in the works.Read the rest of the story here.And Ann Arbor-based Bearclaw Coffee Co. has 12 new stores in development and recently opened a mobile unit in Radcliff, Ky.Read the rest of the story here.