Ann Arbor

Clean Energy Coalition launches online green products store

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February 1, 2012

With the opening of its online Clean Energy Outlet, the Clean Energy Coalition (CEC) now has a new line of energy-efficient products available to complement the services and programming it offers to communities all over Michigan. "We're working with well over 40 communities across the state right now and we see a real need for business owners and for residential customers, whether they're renters or homeowners, to break down the barriers to access to these products and be able to get them into their businesses and their living spaces quicker and easier," says Joshua Brugeman, division manager at the Clean Energy Coalition. On offer are CFL and LED lightbulbs, shower heads, water aerators, and a variety of other efficiency products. The CEC carries a more specialized selection than what's available at big-box retailers. And you don't have to push the cart for miles with the blind faith that that 6-watt LED you need is in aisle 14. "The real advantage is that everything's in one location, whereas when you go to Lowe's and Home Depot it's scattered throughout the store and they're often hard to find if you're trying to complete your comprehensive energy project at home," says Brugeman. Home energy monitors utilizing real time web-based tracking of energy use are a more tailored type of item that the outlet carries, he adds. "By being able to see that information in real time people tend to make behavioral changes right away because they have that instant feedback loop." Brugeman says CEC is in the process of adding a brick-and-mortar component to its online store to help further its focus on building a Michigan-based clientele. Source: Joshua Brugeman, division manager, Clean Energy Coalition Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Student demand grows SE Michigan’s rental landscape

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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February 1, 2012

Three of the five top real estate deals in 2011 were in Ann Arbor... and fueled by the student rental market. SE Michigan has long lagged behind other metro areas when it comes to rental options - particularly in downtown settings. But it look like the market is slowly changing. Excerpt: "The vacancy rate for apartments in Ann Arbor was 3.6 percent at the end of the third quarter, according to information from Washington, D.C.-based REIS Inc.; compared with 5.4 percent for the region. That trend follows other sectors of real estate in metro Detroit. Ann Arbor enjoys a vacancy rate that is much lower than in other parts of the region. " Read the rest here

Endowment helps entrepreneurial U-M students to go from idea to biz

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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February 1, 2012

There's little doubt that the university is an incubator for big ideas. But how many of those ideas can be translated into business? And what is the process for doing that? Tim Mayleben, CEO of biotech firm Aastrom Biosciences and former COO of Esperion Therapeutics, decided to help that process along. Excerpt: "“There’s this gap between ‘I have this cool idea,’ which is not a business, but it’s a cool idea, it’s a kernel of a business, but how do you transfer into the framework of a business which you could then go do a feasibility study on to see if it’s worth doing?” said Tim Faley, managing director of the Zell Lurie Institute." Read the rest here.

Why Zingerman’s stays in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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February 1, 2012

Much has been written of Zingerman's - both locally and nationally. But few have bothered to ask why co-founder Ari Weinzweig chose and continues to choose Ann Arbor as the business's home. Until now. Excerpt: "Despite all this fame, you’ve had tussles with the city about expanding the deli. [Laughs] The town is very engaged, with highly educated and opinionated people. They’re good to sell specialty foods to, and it also means they have opinions about the way things should work. That’s the way it is. We’ve tried a number of times, and this last time [partners Paul Saginaw and Grace Singleton] had enough fortitude for four years of getting permission. The truth is, I’d say most businesses would have taken the money from Saline (a nearby town) or a mall or a developer and gone there and said, ‘forget it.’ I like the community and I don’t like the idea of not being able to know the people I work with and sell to." Read the rest here.

Ann Arbor ranks 6th in online giving

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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February 1, 2012

In 2010 Ann Arbor was number nine. Last year we notched up three spots to take sixth place in the list of the top ten generous cities. This is, in terms of per capita online giving. Excerpt: "The report ranks the 273 cities with total population of more than 100,000 based on per capita online giving and total amount donated through Convio’s online marketing and fundraising suites. The average gift size remained steady in 2011 compared to 2010 at $65, as more than $435 million was donated by people who reside in the 273 major cities. The donors in the most generous cities increased their total online contributions by more than 11 percent over 2010. The 2011 rankings are based on the almost $1.355 billion in total online donations generated through the Convio online marketing and fundraising suite that powers the online efforts of thousands of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations. The current rankings come from donations processed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011." Read the rest here.

Ann Arbor’s Real Time Farms triples staff, goes national

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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January 25, 2012

Real Time Farms got its start in Ann Arbor 18 months ago and is going national today as it continues to spread food transparency across the U.S. The Ann Arbor-based start-up is a combination social media tool for foodies and a nationwide online directory of farmers markets and what's available there. Users can share pictures of local markets and farm stands by posting them on the site, along with product information and handy tips for other patrons. "This isn't about sustainable or local," says Cara Rosaen, co-founder & director of vegetable outreach for Real Time Farms. "It's about transparency." Cara Rosaen co-founded Real Time Farms with her husband Karl, a former Google employee who moved back to Michigan to start the venture. They have tripled their team to six core members and another 20 interns. "Part of it is that this is the right time," Rosaen says. "The other part is we have a really solid tech team. That has really helped us grow." Real Time Farms has recently launched its software and has been gaining traction with users. More than 32,000 photos have been uploaded to its site. It just launched its software for restaurants so it can spread food awareness further into the food chain. "It's really just a matter of capturing people's enthusiasm that exists and creating systems to channel it," Rosaen says. Source: Cara Rosaen, co-founder & director of vegetable outreach for Real Time Farms Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Startup Michigan set to launch from ACE competition in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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January 25, 2012

Startup Michigan, the Great Lakes State's node for the Startup America entrepreneur network, is set to launch from the Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurs event next week. The Startup America Partnership is a national effort dedicated to helping startups grow by connecting entrepreneurs, investors and more than $1 billion in resources across the U.S. Regional affiliate Startup Michigan will launch with 10 other states next week. "It's the first time on a national level that there is a concerted effort on a national level to communication in the entrepreneurship community," says Diane Durance, executive director of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest, which oversees this year's Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurs, or ACE 12. She went on to compare Startup America's potential impact to the interstate highway system and how it connects businesses and people from states across the country. ACE 12, which will be held at Ann Arbor's Skyline High School on Tuesday, is an annual event that revolves around entrepreneurship in Michigan. The event features opportunities for entrepreneurial education, networking, funding and mentoring resources. This year's attendance is expected to exceed 1,000 participants. "We have a great entrepreneurial infrastructure," Durance says. "Other states don't have this kind of infrastructure." Source: Diane Durance, executive director of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur's Quest Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

U-M’s sustainability scoreboard released

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Development News

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January 25, 2012

The University of Michigan is balancing growth in its campus population and facilities with an overarching goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as per its recently released Annual Sustainability Report. Total greenhouse gas emissions for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2011 climbed by 7.5% as compared to the 2010 fiscal year, an increase significantly attributed to the ramping up of the new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital and the opening of the North Campus Research Complex last January, according to Terry Alexander, executive director of the U-M Office of Campus Sustainability. By the end of fiscal 2012, U-M is looking at having over 1,000 people working at the North Campus Research Complex, Alexander says. "Our goals just look at total numbers, but if you look at it on a per square-foot basis and per person basis, our energy use has actually reduced by about 21% since 2004," says Alexander. "That's a good trend, but we continue to grow and we're adding more people, we're adding more building space, so that number is going to continually change as we move forward." The year's highlights include completion of the Campus Sustainability Integrated Assessment, a plan of long-term goals in the realms of climate action, waste reduction, healthy environments, and community awareness. Action items include, for example, reducing greenhouse emissions created both onsite and through purchased electricity by 25% and cutting waste tonnage sent for disposal 40% by 2025. Other successes were achieved by the university's Planet Blue operations teams, which implement energy-saving measures in buildings and train occupants on proper usage of those systems. The teams scoured 71 buildings, resulting in an 8% less energy usage and $3.8 million in cost savings over the year. The university also reports cleaner-running buses and increased ridership. 6.9 million bus rides were taken in fiscal 2011, up from 6.5 million over 2010. Two new diesel electric hybrid buses are on the road, with another two are on the verge of being deployed. Three more are on order, to bring the total to seven such hybrid buses in circulation by the end of 2012, Alexander says. And now the athletic campus and other venues are under the green microscope for 2012. University officials are working with a group of student athletes interested in incorporating more sustainable features into campus athletic events. The new law school building and women's and children's hospitals are under review for LEED certification. And officials are also in the final stages of negotiating with DTE Energy for solar panel arrays for the engineering campus and the North Campus Research Complex, says Alexander. Already underway is the Planet Blue Ambassador program, in which students and staff members attend class together and then raise community awareness of energy conservation issues. "We hope by a certain time we'll have a couple of ambassadors in every building on campus so it can be our outreach effort on campus," Alexander notes. Sources: Terry Alexander, executive director, U-M Office of Campus Sustainability; U-M Annual Sustainability Report, 2011 Writer: Tanya Muzumdar

Biotechnology Business Consultants eyes big biz impact over next 3 years

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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January 25, 2012

Had you asked Lisa Kurek her opinion about the potential of growing biotech start-ups in Michigan late last year, she would have told you to ask her again in a month or two. Ask her today, and the managing partner of Biotechnology Business Consultants won't put off the question. She will exude confidence. Kurek points out that the recent reauthorization of the federal Small Business Innovation Research grants brought stability back to the bio-tech space. Add to that the state of Michigan recently reauthorizing spending up to $500,000 annually over three years for bio-tech business consulting, and the woman behind the Ann Arbor-based consultancy is feeling optimistic. "All of my clients breathed a sigh of relief," Kurek says. "It allows us to really ramp up what we were doing. This is a really good time after a lot of upheaval." Biotechnology Business Consultants specializes in helping bio-tech start-ups develop their technologies and grow their business, a process that often takes several years of work and millions of dollars in investment. The company recently added an independent contractor to its staff of five employees. Kurek plans to create two more full-time jobs in the next year as her 22-year-old firm works to build up its new clients. "My goal is not to be a high-growth business but to be a high-impact business," Kurek says. "I want to focus on our new clients we just landed." Source: Lisa Kurek, managing partner of Biotechnology Business Consultants Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Former brewery gets remake as office for tech firm HookLogic

By Tanya Muzumdar

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Economic Development

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January 25, 2012

At the southern reaches of Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor, a brewery-turned-tech-firm transformation will be emerging this spring when e-commerce and digital marketing software provider HookLogic takes over the former Leopold Brothers Brewery building at 523 S. Main St. The New York-headquartered firm will be consolidating from two other downtown Ann Arbor offices totaling 5,000 square feet. A $9.5 million venture capital infusion from Massachusetts-based Bain Capital Ventures last September is facilitating the firm's move into the 11,000-square-foot building. Besides the downtown location, other interior features the company found attractive were brick walls and dozens of windows and skylights. After some remodeling, the property should be ready for an April move-in, says Gary Evans, general manager of HookLogic. Renovations include adding shared offices, glassed-in conference rooms, and a break room, though the floor plan will primarily be open. "We tend to not use a lot of cubes and we don't even use a lot of offices," Evans says. "We like to create open working areas where you can share a lot of information and ideas pretty easily and you can get a lot of energy going in the space, so this is really well suited for that as well." The firm, which had about 30 employees as of September, is currently hiring and plans to add another 35 positions over the course of the year, according to Evans. He figures the new space can hold up to 100 people. "Our headquarters is in Manhattan but a lot of our growth is scheduled to be in Ann Arbor, and there's lots of reasons for that. Not least because of access to outstanding talent here," Evans points out, adding, "But we've also got a much bigger space here as well, which really makes it logical for us to build out teams here whenever we can. I think the majority of our growth moving forward is going to be in this office." Source: Gary Evans, general manager, HookLogic Writer: Tanya Muzumdar