Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor State Bank achieves profitability in second year, adds staff

When Ann Arbor State Bank records its second year's performance it uses black ink, thanks to double-digit growth in a number of areas.The downtown Ann Arbor-based bank grew from a $71 million institution in December, 2009 to a $105 million a year later, a nearly 50 percent gain. It hopes to grow by another $40 million in 2011. Deposits during that time jumped from $58 million to $88 million and loans increased from $43 million to $65 million. That all added up to an $800,000 profit in 2010."It was our first profitable year," says Bill Broucek, chaiman & CEO of Ann Arbor State Bank. "It was twice what we thought we would make in year two."The Ann Arbor State Bank's bottom line isn't the only thing that grew last year. It also hired six people, expanding its staff to 28 people. Broucek said those staff members, along with the problems with the banking industry at the national level, have made it possible for Ann Arbor State Bank to stand out early."It's mainly the service level and the problems in the banking industry now," Broucek says. "We are new so we don't have any bad loans. The service level is much different than the service you get at a national bank. We greet all of our customers by their first name."Source: Bill Broucek, chaiman & CEO of Ann Arbor State BankWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Sun shines on $4.4M extension of Michigan Renewable Schools program

The winds of change have been fanning 64 schools across Michigan over the last two years. The K-12 schools have adopted energy efficiency and renewable energy programs with the support of Energy Works Michigan, the non-profit that administers the Michigan Renewable Schools program. To date, solar and wind installations at participating schools have generated over 43,000 kiloWatt hours of clean solar and wind power, per Energy Works Michigan.And with Energy Works' receipt of a new $4.4 million contract funded by the Michigan Public Service Commission, 90 more schools are expected to benefit over the next three years. For the first time, colleges and universities will be included in this second round of funding. "The whole impetus for the installation of renewable energy at the K-12 schools is for educational purposes," says Kelly Weger, project coordinator at Energy Works Michigan. "There's no reason why that need doesn't still exist at some of these post-secondary institutions. And there are so many amazing programs we've learned about that are teaching students about renewable energy and energy efficiency - and they don't have actual installations on their school premises."In Washtenaw County, the installation of a 10 kW solar photovoltaic array on the roof of Rudolf Steiner High School in Ann Arbor is currently underway.The initial $3.5 million contract that kicked off the Michigan Renewable Schools program offered only solar photovoltaic and wind options. New to the mix in the second round, according to Weger, will be solar thermal systems to heat water as well as feasibility studies for geothermal systems.Applications for the second round will be accepted beginning in September, Weger adds. Source: Kelly Weger, project coordinator at Energy Works MichiganWriter: Tanya Muzumdar

Big name film events land at the Michigan Theater

Ann Arbor is for film lovers. Anyone who has been hanging out at the Michigan Theater long enough to read the marquee can see that lately. Whether its the Sundance Film Festival showing two of its films at the venerable venue, Kevin Smith's arrival (with horror flick in tow) in early March or the upcoming 49th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival later this year, Tree Townies can't seem to get enough art house productions. More proof can be found in FORMzine's write up of the recent Sundance showings.Excerpt:The citizens of Ann Arbor were treated to not one, but two Sundance films this past weekend, January 27 and 28. Out of the nine cities around the country selected to host a Sundance film, Ann Arbor was the only city selected to host two, and this was because the second film, “Cedar Rapids,” was filmed on-location in Ann Arbor. The other cities selected to host films, all on January 27, were Brookline, MA; Brooklyn, NY; San Francisco; Seattle; Chicago; Los Angeles; Madison, WI; and Nashville, and different films were shown at each location. “Cedar Rapids” was shown in Seattle on the 27th and then the director, Miguel Arteta, who had previously directed “Youth in Revolt” in Ann Arbor, flew to Michigan for the premiere.Read the rest of the story here, and check out how "Clerks" star will bring his new movie "Red State" to the Michigan Theater here and how Bill Maher of "Religulous" fame will do some stand up at the Michigan Theater here.

Google starts 2011 with plans to grow Ann Arbor office

Google is planning to expand its AdWords headquarters in Ann Arbor this year as the company gets ready for what it expects to be a year ripe for expansion."We just had one of our best quarters, and our emerging businesses are on fire," says Jake Parrillo, spokesman for Google. "Because of that we need to grow the team."Right now Google has eight different types of jobs open at its Ann Arbor office, but Parrillo adds that the company plans to hiring multiple people at each of those job descriptions. Google is looking for people who people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets who have entrepreneurial aspirations and "want to change the world." Check out the job listings here.Parrillo won't predict how many people Google will add in Ann Arbor over the next year beyond that it's more than just a few jobs. "We're growing the operations in a significant way," Parrillo says.Google established its AdWords office in downtown Ann Arbor nearly five years ago. It made a big splash with its innovative company culture and promises of rapid growth from one of the hottest companies in the world. It set up shop in the heart of arguably Michigan's most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem, downtown Ann Arbor, where one of its co-founders attended the University of Michigan."We know to attract the best talent we need to be in the places where people want to work," Parrillo says.When the office first opened, it was widely publicized that Google would create 1,000 jobs in Ann Arbor for its AdWords office. Google hasn't hit that mark yet. Parrillo declines to state how many people currently work in Google's Ann Arbor office beyond saying that Google employs "well over 250 people in Michigan" mainly in its Ann Arbor and Birmingham offices. He maintains that Google never made the promise to create 1,000 jobs in Michigan, but they remain enthusiastic about growing their presence here.Source: Jake Parrillo, spokesman for GoogleWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M hospital’s mental health unit gets $3.8M renovation

The paint is barely dry on the U-M Health System's inpatient mental health unit, which is currently receiving the finishing touches on a $3.8 million facelift. Enhancements include a new activity therapy room, library, computer terminals for patients to access the Internet, a dining room that remains open all day, and, in a mental health setting where safety is paramount, updated fixtures in bathrooms and patient rooms. Mirrors and light fixtures are near-shatterproof, and surfaces are constructed so that objects can't be wrapped around them. The remodel also allows for the potential addition of three more beds to the 22-bed unit. But the upgrades aren't only functional. A decorative tile from Ann Arbor's Motawi Tileworks is also displayed outside of each patient's room.  One particularly distinguishing feature of the revamp, says Michael Casher, M.D. and director of U-M hospital's Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, is the ability to turn a section of the space into a secure intensive care unit. And, in line with the university's position as a teaching hospital, "The renovation really brings the architecture of our unit up to the level of the care we provide," Casher says. "We have a team approach to patients that includes our psychiatrists who are attending physicians and faculty of the University of Michigan. Our nursing staff, activity therapists, social workers, nurse practitioners, and even clinical pharmacists that accompany us on rounds are all dedicated to taking care of the patients. We're a major training site for every one of those disciplines, including, now, physician assistant programs that are sending their students to us for training."Source: Michael Casher, M.D., director of U-M hospital's Adult Inpatient Psychiatric UnitWriter: Tanya Muzumdar

Arbor Brewing to extend microbrewery reach… into India

Who would have thought that a locally focused microbrewery would go international? Matt and Rene Greff, owners of Arbor Brewing Company and Corner Brewery, that's who. The duo are franchising the philosophy and beer behind their breweries in India thanks to a long-time patron who wants to start a craft beer boom in India.Excerpt:The Greffs, in Ann Arbor, Mich., were skeptical when Gaurav Sikka, a former University of Michigan student, approached them last year about opening a brewpub in Bangalore. Mr. Sikka, a native of India, was a regular at the couple's 200-seat Arbor Brewing Co. The couple had recently opened a small brewery in nearby Ypsilanti, and worried about stretching themselves too thin. "We said no, we don't have any time or money," recalls Mr. Greff. "He said: 'Don't rule it out of hand.' "The Greffs traveled to India, where they came to believe Mr. Sikka's idea was feasible. They found that southern India had a beer-drinking culture, as well as lots of U.S.-educated professionals, including plenty of University of Michigan grads. Moreover, it was an untapped market for traditionally crafted microbrews like the ones the Greffs serve in Michigan.Read the rest of the story here.

EngXT spins out of U-M and into Venture Accelerator

Electrostatic discharge. It's the bane of electronic companies and what EngXT is hoping to capitalize on.Electrostatic discharge is essentially sudden and momentary static electricity. These unwanted currents often cause damage to electronic equipment, such as integrated circuits. "It's estimated those zaps are a $10 billion problem in the industry," says David Hartman, a mentor-in-residence at the University of Michigan Office of Tech Transfer who is working with EngXT.The University of Michigan spin-out is developing technology that can detect when charges are building, utilizing technology that was originally used by NASA. The trio of guys behind EngXT has already come up with the first two generations of prototypes of the sensors. They look like a boom mike on a tripod. The start-up plans to become one of the first companies to take up residence at U-M's Venture Accelerator in the North Campus Research Complex. From there it plans to utilize the university's Tech Transfer resources to continue product development and explore potential partnerships or acquisition by larger corporations.Source: David Hartman, a mentor-in-residence at the University of Michigan Office of Tech Transfer and Nilton Renno, co-founder of EngXTWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

A medley of food carts is coming to Ann Arbor

Edwards Brothers expands staff with new partnerships

The folks at Edward Brothers don't flinch when a recession blows through the local economy. The Ann Arbor-based company has survived more downturns that most in its 118 years.However, the company is a little more cautious after surviving the Great Recession. The downturn took a toll on its book stores, schools (text books) and professional publications. "Just being here is a victory after 2009," says John Edwards, president & CEO of Edwards Brothers. "It's been a rough couple of years. We used to say we don't participate in recessions. This last one nearly got us."That doesn't mean Edwards Brothers is licking its wounds today. The company is starting to grow its traditional customer bases again (textbooks only last so long) and is exploiting new growing areas, such as custom publication and digital printing. "What we're seeing is shorter runs more often," Edwards says.Edwards Brothers is also picking up competitors its has bested through acquisitions and partnerships. It added 40 people to its staff last year through acquisitions. It also just inked a partnership with Rockpoint Logistics to provide digital printing services out of its Illinois facility. Those moves have allowed Edwards Brothers to expand its printing facilities portfolio to nine buildings, including two factories that specialize in both traditional and digital printi. Edwards Brothers' staff has also grown to 700 people, including 420 in Ann Arbor. It hopes to add a few more in 2011 and it continues to gain ground after a close economic call.Source: John Edwards, president & CEO of Edwards BrothersWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.