Ann Arbor

BTB Party Bus runs on churro power… or what they were fried in

By Newsroom

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November 19, 2008

Party buses in Ann Arbor are are turning to clean fuels --like used vegetable oils-- to transport revellers.Excerpt:BTB Burrito is already Ann Arbor's go-to spot for bar-goers who crave a late-night snack after last call. Now, BTB wants to give them a ride home, too - on a shuttle bus fueled by the waste oil that their churros were fried in.The BTB Party Bus - a bright-red, 14-seat, former airport shuttle - is powered by a diesel engine modified to run on used vegetable oil. It's indistinguishable from a normal diesel shuttle, except for the 20-gallon tank of grease that sits behind the driver and the tortilla-like aroma that lingers near the tank and emanates from the exhaust pipes. The homegrown mini-chain has been known best for fast, inexpensive Mexican food and a decidedly Ann Arbor attitude, from its funky interior design to its line of Hash Bash-themed merchandise. The turn toward eco-friendly transportation stems from the owners' interest in green innovation.Read the rest of the story here and a story on Ann Arbor's two electric cars here.

Ann Arbor in Top Five Surprisingly Gay Small Towns

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

Ann Arbor is gay (the traditional definition) about being recognized as a haven for gays raising families.Excerpt:There's one kind of scaling back that won't have you cursing the current economic climate. Opt for something a little smaller next time you pack up the Samsonite, and consider these delightfully diminutive gems, our top five surprisingly gay small towns.Read the rest of the story here and how Ann Arbor was rated one of the best places to raise kids in BusinessWeek here.

Ann Arbor’s greenbelt grows, but falling land values may make acquisitions harder

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

Ann Arbor's greenbelt is moving ahead at full speed but there might be a bump or two in the road ahead. Excerpt: Ann Arbor's greenbelt farmland preservation program added more than 330 acres this month, increasing its size by more than one-third, but falling land values have cast some uncertainty on the initiative's future. Declining values combined with historically high crop prices have greenbelt officials concerned that their offer to purchase development rights from farmers may not be as attractive as it used to be. The gap between the value of farmland in itself and the development rights is what made the sale of those rights alluring in the first place, and that gap is narrowing, said Peg Kohring of The Conservation Fund, a contractor managing the greenbelt program for the City of Ann Arbor. "I think the traditional farmer is not going to be motivated at all to sell their development rights," she said. "When you had the development rights higher, it really helped with the farmers' income." Read the rest of the story here.

‘Nanobama’ makes Obama’s likeness microscopic

By Newsroom

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Education

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November 19, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama is showing up in all aspects of our lives these days in ways both big and small.Excerpt:Barack Obama is larger than life these days. Except, that is, at the University of Michigan, where the president-elect has become remarkably small.Researchers have created carbon nanotube images of Obama that can be seen only through electron microscopes.John Hart, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering, led the team that created a "nanobama" flag and "nanobama" blocks. There’s also a "nanobiden" image of the incoming vice president."I really didn’t mean it in a political way," Hart said. "It was a basic demonstration of what we can do with nanotubes."Read the rest of the story here.

St. Joseph Mercy Hospital surgeons use robots to improve procedures

By Newsroom

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Education

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November 19, 2008

It looks like robots are taking over hospitals in the Ann Arbor area. Excerpt: Your doctor tells you that your prostate must be removed, or you need a hysterectomy, a heart bypass or lung cancer surgery. You're worried, of course, about your mortality. But you're also apprehensive about pain, blood loss, recovery time, getting back to work, the size of the incision, preserving erectile function, or the fact that your breastbone will be sawed open for surgery. A roomful of people with the same concerns recently got a chance to see and even operate briefly one of the high-tech alternatives - called the da Vinci Surgical System - during a presentation at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Superior Township. Read the rest of the story here and how the University of Michigan Hospital was rated a top hospital yet again here.

Ann Arbor SPARK fasttracks 12 local companies

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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November 19, 2008

Ann Arbor SPARK's 2008 FastTrack reads like a who's who of innovative Ann Arbor-area start-ups.There are media darlings like Menlo Innovations and up-and-comers like LLamasoft. All in all, the 12 are companies any other Michigan community would sell the farm (and the cow and the tractor) to attract to their backyard.Washtenaw County's 'Gleaming Dozen' were recognized for their outstanding business successes. And that's during normal economic circumstance. They get an extra attaboy for surviving the current economic climate.Companies that were recognized must be headquartered in Washtenaw County, have at least $100,000 gross revenue and average 20 percent growth for three years running.One-year recipients include LLamasoft, Saline Lectronics and University Bancorp. The list of two-year companies reads like ForeSee Results, Latitude Consulting Group and Shepherd Advisors.AKASHA, Adaptive Materials, Online Technologies Corporation and Soft-Link International received three-year FastTrack. And at the top of the list, four-year FastTrack: HealthMedia and Menlo Innovations.Source: Ann Arbor SPARKWriter: Jon Zemke

Phire Branding catches fire, hopes to hire more

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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November 19, 2008

For Jim Hume, the question isn't why does he run his business in Ann Arbor? For the principal of Phire Branding Company it's more like why wouldn't he?"Ann Arbor is obviously the center of growth in Michigan," Hume says. "There is a lot going on here."Which helps to explain why Phire Branding is doing so well. Hume started the firm that, wait for it, specializes in branding in 2004 with one other person. Today it employs 10 people and the occasional intern or independent contractor. Of those, four were added in the last two years.They have been able to do that thanks to 20 percent growth in its revenue. Its client list demonstrates diversity (Masco, Kraft and the University of Michigan), always a good sign in rough economic times. Phire Branding has landed these firms by staying flexible and constantly diversifying their client base. The firm hopes to focus on website creation and digital marketing in the future as it aims to keep its growth at the current pace.Source: Jim Hume, principal of Phire Branding CompanyWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M’s Michigan Difference campaign brings in $3.1 billion

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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November 19, 2008

The Michigan Difference aimed for the stars with a $2.5 billion goal and landed a galaxy away, raising $3.1 billion, making it the most successful fundraising campaign in the University of Michigan's history.More than 364,000 donors gave, helping such causes as student financial aid, the creation of new student programs, hire and retain outstanding faculty, supporting research and building new facilities. "Thousands of donors from throughout our state, around the country, and indeed the world, have shown they believe U-M is a great investment," says U-M President Mary Sue Coleman. "That investment will sustain the University's impact for generations and will allow us to continue to serve our state and our nation."The Michigan Difference helped building the likes of the new Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the restoration and expansion of the U-M Museum of Art. Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

New building construction nearly done at Ann Arbor Airport

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

It's not exactly Aerotropolis development, but the Ann Arbor Airport is indeed expanding.The small airport on the city's south side is preparing to open a few new buildings in the next few months as part of a $2.5 million improvement project. First up will be the six hangars set to open in January. A new maintenance shed will also open its doors early this spring.The new hangars will bump up the airport's total to 154. The 63-by-65-foot buildings will offer more hanger space, accommodating either a couple of smaller planes or small, private jets."Basically anything with a 60-foot wingspan," says Matt Kulhanek, the manager for the Ann Arbor Airport.The new 7,700-square-foot maintenance shed will replace the existing 4,000-square-foot structure. "We really can't even get all of our equipment in there," Kulhanek says. "It's basically an old pall barn that doesn’t even have running water or sewer in it."He adds this is the first expansion to the airport since the late 1970s or early 1980s. About half of the $2.5 million price tag is being paid for by state and federal grants. The rest comes from bonds the airport took out and will pay off with revenue it generates.Source: Matt Kulhanek, the manager for the Ann Arbor AirportWriter: Jon Zemke

EDF Ventures invests in downtown Ann Arbor, creates new fund

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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November 19, 2008

In a small, old house on the northern edge of Ann Arbor's downtown is one of the big players in Michigan's new economy – EDF Ventures.The venture capital firm invests in numerous early-stage health care companies. Today it has about $170 million worth of assets under management. About a third of those are based in Michigan. Its latest investment, for example, is in Grand Valley State-based TransCorp, a start-up that develops surgical instruments and implants.EDF Ventures has organized four investment funds since 1987 and is getting ready to start a fifth worth up to $50 million. It's that growth that inspired the firm to expand to four full-time and three part-time (including one intern) employees. Two new hires have already joined the firm and the company expects to add yet more next year when it gets its fifth fund up and running. Source: Linda Fingerle, chief financial officer and principal of EDF VenturesWriter: Jon Zemke