2010 – Page 6 of 78 – Concentrate

Professional Communications consults worldwide, grows staff

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November 17, 2010

Gary Salton worked in investment banking for decades, feasting or starving on commissions for years. A few of those cycles prompted Salton, who maintained a condo in Ann Arbor, to set up his own business in downtown in 1991.Professional Communications was the Seinfeld of start-ups then. It was company driven by an entrepreneur determined to make it on his own, but without a clear goal on what he wanted to do. "It was literally, 'I'm going to do something,'" Salton says.That turned into an organizational consulting firm specifically designed for a small staff. Today it employs three people that handle work for companies around the world. Salton recently stepped aside as CEO to become the company's chief of research & development. He expects the company to continue to grow by adding two jobs over the next two years."We're stretched to the limit over here," Salton says. "Even though machines do most of the work, we still need more people to answer the phones."Source: Gary Salton, chief of research & development for Professional CommunicationsWriter: Jon Zemke

Cielo MedSolutions lands $1.3M grant, doubles revenue

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 17, 2010

Cielo MedSolutions is raking in the revenue and research dollars, which all add up to more jobs for the Ann Arbor-based startup.The University of Michigan spin-off develops new software for the healthcare industry that ensures doctors connect with their patients when it's time for a checkup, test, or treatment they might otherwise forget. The company and the U-M Health System also received a $1.3 million National Cancer Institute grant to develop and prototype a next-generation clinical quality management solution.That's on top of Cielo MedSolutions doubling its revenue over the last year, allowing the 4-year-old firm to add two positions. It expects to add another 5-6 people in 2011 as it projects 100 percent revenue growth again this year. "The market has really evolved toward solutions like what we offer," says Dave Morin, CEO of Cielo MedSolutions. "The market really came on top of us. We have proven that our solutions have value and the market is recognizing it."Cielo MedSolutions has clients in 11 different states and plans to become a more nationally focused firm in 2011. It's also focusing on rolling out new products and services that revolve around electronic records for the healthcare industry.Source: Dave Morin, CEO of Cielo MedSolutionsWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor start-ups dominate Accelerate Michigan semi-finals

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Economic Development

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November 17, 2010

Ann Arbor-based start-ups are dominating the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, taking half of the 50 spaces in the semi-finals.Elizabeth Parkinson, director of marking and public relations for Ann Arbor SPARK, says this sort of showing isn't an anomaly. Tree Town-based start-ups regularly take half of the cash from Michigan's statewide Pre-Seed Capital and Microloan funds. "We used judges from across the state," says Parkinson. Ann Arbor SPARK is the lead organizer behind the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition. "Everyone has three looks from three different judges. Everybody got a fair look."And Ann Arbor firms shined through. On top of that another three startups are based in (Saline-based Sensors and Brighton-based Spinal Ventures) or have ties to (ShadePlex started in Ypsilanti) communities nearby. The list includes a number of firms that are well known for a variety of reasons, including Discera, which emerged as an issue in the recent gubernatorial race.Among the companies are Accio Energy, Advanced Battery Control and POWERleap in alternative energy, along with Arbor Photonics and ePack in next generation manufacturing. The medical device companies include Compendia Bioscience, Epsilon Imaging, Hygieia, OcuSciences, Vir(Sn) and ImBio. The life science firms are FreeStride Therapeutics, Life Magnatics, NextGen Metabolomics, and RetroSense Theraputics. The rest include Current Motor Company (advanced transportation); ElectroDynamic Applications and Mayaterials (both in advanced materials); Evigia Systems and Pixel Velocity (both defense & homeland security); Ix Innovations and Monarch Antenna (both products and services); TherapyCharts, and Reveal Design (IT).The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition is offering $1 million in prizes to start-ups in Michigan or planning to move to Michigan. The idea is to showcase the state's entrepreneurial ecosystem to a large audience of investors in town for the Big Chill hockey game at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 11.Source: Elizabeth Parkinson, director of marking & public relations for Ann Arbor SPARKWriter: Jon Zemke

Leon Speakers turns speakers into art, jobs

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Arts and Culture

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November 17, 2010

Leon Speakers got its start in 1997 when a trio of University of Michigan graduates who loved music, art, and engineering decided to combine art with audio by creating a custom speaker company."We're still trying to mix art with audio and business with Bohemia," says Noah Kaplan, president of Leon Speakers and the only one of the original three co-founders still with the company that reinvented the speaker industry. The firm got its start building custom speakers using silk screens and exotic hardwoods, taking advantage of a market that wanted better looking stereo speakers that could be installed in odd places. Kaplan says Leon Speakers came up with sound solutions for flat-panel TVs, developed the first speakers specifically for plasma TVs, and invented the sound bar."We were always trying to get the momentum," Kaplan says. "We knew plasma would take over the world. We have been working our faces off to keep up with technology."That has allowed Leon Speakers to establish a downtown Ann Arbor retail presence, a Whitmore Lake factory, $3 million in annual revenues, 650 dealers and a staff of 30 people. It expects to grow its revenue 55 percent in 2011 and make a few more hires on top of the six people it added this year."We're just starting to hit our stride," Kaplan says.Source: Noah Kaplan, president of Leon SpeakersWriter: Jon Zemke

Synergy Broadband acquires A2 data center, adds employees

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Economic Development

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November 17, 2010

With its recent purchase of a data center in Ann Arbor, Synergy Broadband continues its backyard expansion.The 12-year-old firm bought the data center in the Waterworks Building on State Street from an un-named company. The facility features state-of-the-art technology, including high-capacity cooling systems and diesel generators, around-the-clock security, redundant Cisco-powered networks, and multiple-carrier fail-over Internet connectivity."It was a very good fit for us," says K. Jenean Kaiser, vice president of operations for Synergy Broadband. "We have the infrastructure and staff to manage it. It's a very good complement."The data center will increase the Internet company's bandwidth. Its fiber reach now stands at more than 1,000 megabytes of capacity for data services in the local area. Synergy Broadband has been growing its staff recently to help meet this demand, adding three jobs over the last year to build a staff of 10 employees and a few independent contractors. It has one job opening now and plans another two or three in 2011.Source: K. Jenean Kaiser, vice president of operations for Synergy BroadbandWriter: Jon Zemke

Backyard Brains goes for $500K NIH grant, grows sales

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Innovation News

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November 17, 2010

Backyard Brains spent its first year and change establishing its product -- a kit that shows how the brain works for kids -- and has high hopes for 2011.The Ann Arbor-based startup is applying for a $500,000 National Institute of Health grant to help fund its product research and promotion. Backyard Brains will know the outcome of its application by January; if successful, it expects to double staffing from two to four people."If that gets funded it will dramatically grow our business," says Greg Gage, CEO of Backyard Brains.Gage and Tim Marzullo, both neuroscientists, started Backyard Brains as a way to provide a cost-effective product that teaches grade-school students the workings of neurons in the brain. So far it has sold 152 kits to four high schools. It's working to expand its market reach by marketing the kits directly to teachers, university professors, and summer camps.Source: Greg Gage and Tim Marzullo, co-founders of Backyard BrainsWriter: Jon Zemke

Cybernet Systems opens new offices in Florida and Ann Arbor, to add 20+ positions

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Community Development

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November 17, 2010

Cybernet Systems is moving into bigger offices as the company continues to grow in Ann Arbor.The 20-year-old company's Pittsfield Township office is in the location where Costco plans to build a new store. That prompted the firm to find a new space about a mile away that is about 15 percent bigger. This move will help accommodate the company's hiring of four people before this year ends as well as its plans to hire up to 20 more next year."There are a lot of possibilities for growth here," says Norma Heller, vice president of finance and operations for Cybernet Systems.The company now has 48 employees, including a handful at its newly opened Florida office. That office provides information assurance services, such as verifying and testing computer systems for government agencies. Cybernet Systems has two new products on offer, including a virtual lab for vehicles and a hand-held computer that helps Navy shipmen perform maintenance on their vessels. It is also hoping to land a large contract with its ammunition sorting machine.Source: Norma Heller, vice president of finance and operations for Cybernet SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke

Happy Thanksgiving!

By Jeff Meyers

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General

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November 17, 2010

'Tis the season to express our gratitude. Thanks for your criticisms, compliments, and comically cryptic comments over the last year. Thanks for providing us with great stories and provocative ideas. Thanks for being a part of this wonderfully innovative and vibrant community. And most importantly, thanks for reading Concentrate. We'll be taking next week off but will return December 1st with more tales from Michigan's new economy.

Founder Q&A: Bill Wagner and Dianne Marsh

By Jon Zemke

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Economic Development

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November 17, 2010

With over 100 start-ups, Bill Wagner and Dianne Marsh of SRT Solutions see Ann Arbor as a worthy contender to Silicon Valley for talent and jobs. Concentrate gets the duo's view of employee-friendly work spaces, active learning, and the TED talks.

Building An Empire With A Burrito Joint

By Richard Retyi

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Arts and Culture

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November 17, 2010

To the untrained eye, Adam Lowenstein and Justin Herrick look like accidental entrepreneurs. Tossing aside their academic studies, the former Californians opened a burrito joint and just kept growing. From Big Ten Burrito to Goodtime Charley's to Alley Bar to the alt-fueled BTB party buses, the two friends have built a small kingdom of successful businesses.