If you had any doubt that Ann Arbor was a unique place to live then riddle us this: Name another Metro Detroit community that has its own reptile zoo. Nestled along Jackson Road you'll find the Great Lakes Zoological Society, a place that's home to over 100 scaly critters - including a 19-foot-long python.
Ben Lorenz and his partners started Human Element a decade ago with the idea of working for themselves and doing less work overall. Their tech company didn't exactly provide for a leisurely work week but the co-founders are more than happy with the bottom line. "We started this company so we didn’t have to work 80 hours a week," says Ben Lorenz, managing partner with Human Element. "It started off as a lifestyle-change decision. People really liked our company so we ended up working even more." The downtown Ann Arbor-based company specializes in tech services and e-commerce platforms, specifically the Magento e-commerce platform. It has grown its sales 50 percent each year over the last few years and Lorenz is optimistic his firm will surpass that mark again. "We will eclipse that by the end of this year," Lorenz says. That growth has allowed Human Element to make three hires, including software engineers and project managers. It is also looking to hire a software engineer. The company currently employs a dozen employees and six independent contractors. Human Element has had to expand its office space twice in the last two years to accommodate its employee growth. Source: Ben Lorenz, managing partner with Human Element Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Michigan is known for what it has been able to forge out of metal and steel. Scott Lankton takes that to a whole other level. As a master blacksmith he's forged everything from a sword for the British Museum to hand-wrought railings for local clients. Concentrate's Patrick Dunn chats with this local artisan about living and working in Ann Arbor.
Rich Grousset and Raphael Meyer enjoyed eating out while going to college at the University of Michigan. However, the recent grads didn’t feel right about the disposable take-home containers that their food came in. That's what turned on the CFL above their heads. "We both really liked going out to restaurants but we both really disliked the waste," Grousset says. The partners started BizeeBox last summer with the idea of supplying reusable plastic container to local restaurants for take-out meals. The idea is the eateries would supply it to their customers who would then send it back, for a small fee, and eliminate more landfill waste. The customers can drop off the empty containers at a central location for cleaning within a certain time period. "As long as you get it back to us within 30 days we won’t charge you," Grousset says. The business started as Go Blue Box at the tail end of their college careers and has taken off as they begin their professional careers as entrepreneurs. "After graduating we decided we wanted to do this after school," says Rich Grousset, co-founder of BizeeBox. The partners are now ironing out the wrinkles in their business plan, such specifically what reusable container to use or how to set up a rewards program to coincide with restaurant patronage. The company plans to running a crowd-funding campaign to launch a small pilot program in Ann Arbor early next year. Source: Rich Grousset, co-founder of BizeeBox Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Avegant believe it is building a better night-vision goggle, which the downtown Ann Arbor start-up hopes to begin selling next year. The 1-year-old firm got its start when it co-founders were approached by military contractors while working in a government lab. The need was for a better night-vision equipment for military drivers during wartime. Soldiers were experiencing better results using thermal night vision while driving. The problem was the display was in their vehicle’s dash instead of over their eyes. "It's fairly difficult to drive a car like that, staring down at a monitor in the center dash while driving through a combat zone," says Edward Tang, CEO of Avegant. So Avegant has created a head-mounted virtual retina display, so it can give its users the same sort of freedom of movement when using it. The company and its team of half a dozen people are currently “heavily engaged in product development” while working on prototypes, according to Tang. Tang hopes to begin making sales of the technology on the consumer market in early 2014. "It's a pretty interesting technology and a pretty interesting idea," Tang says. Source: Edward Tang, CEO of Avegant Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Aside for its now dated reference to Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burgers, the folks at Livability.com make a good case for why Ann Arbor is such livable college town. Excerpt: "In addition to providing residents with opportunities to cheer for some of the best teams in college sports, U-M offers a lot of free arts programming, including plays, concerts and gallery tours. Dance Marathon, the largest student-run nonprofit event at the university, raised more than $516,000 to support pediatric patients at two local hospitals during the 2012-13 school year. Students also provide mentoring and tutoring to elementary school children, build homes for underprivileged families, and participate in programs to better the lives of residents in both Ann Arbor and Detroit." Read the rest here.
There have been more than a few references to the Ann Arbor "bubble" over the years. And it's relationship with Detroit, a mere 45 miles away, seems disproportionately distant. So, how does a black senior from Detroit attending U-M view our leafy college city? The answer may surprise you. Excerpt: "You have a campus that claims to be diverse, viewing the picture through a white lens, but falling pretty short of that mark.Some may argue, “Nothing is in Detroit; what good can you really say about it?” I have seen this in so many comment sections on blogs and news sites. My family lives in Detroit. I personally take offense to this remark because it pretty much implies my family’s existence is worthless. It hurts me every time someone makes a blanket statement about Detroit because I view it as a personal attack on who I am and what has shaped me." Read the rest here.
Ground has broken for the new headquarters for Control Gaging in Ann Arbor. The investment is expected to help the 41-year-old company take advantage of the growing manufacturing sector. The Ann Arbor-based company engineer, design and manufacture precision gauges for machine tools. It got hit hard in the recent recession but found a way to survive while many of its peers went under. Since then Control Gaging's revenue is up 250 percent. "There was a lot of demand pent up when that ended," says David Hayes, president of Control Gaging. The new facility will measure in at 24,500 square feet. It will allow for more flexibility in the manufacturing process. "Our principal facility isn’t set up for lean manufacturing," Hayes says. The new production plant will also have a number of green features, including green space for employees to relax in, a bike path around the facility and more than 200 trees on site. Hayes expects Control Gaging to move into its new home on July 1st of next year. Control Gaging currently employs 33 people. It has hired two more employees in the last year that specializes in machining and shipping & receiving. Source: David Hayes, president of Control Gaging Writer: Jon Zemke
Okay, there's three ways this story could go. There's the fiber that's good for your G-I tract. Then there's the high-tech data transfer medium so many techies crave. But here we're talking 'bout natural fibers, as in weaving, knitting and the like. Classes, vendors and spools and spools of the stuff will be on hand. Excerpt: "In recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in the fiber arts. The sustainable and green movement has brought a new life to the age old crafts of felting, knitting, spinning and other crafts using natural fibers. The economy has forced people to look towards entertainment at home, so the craft industry has been flourishing. One problem for those interested in these natural fiber arts is where to find materials for these crafts. " Read the rest here.
Renovo Power Technology has started to gain some traction with its alternative energy technology and is aiming to pick up speed next year. The downtown Ann Arbor-based company makes advanced inverters that help transition energy from solar panels to the electric grid. Its transformerless inverter technology gets rid of the copper coils of traditional transformers and replaces them with electronics that are both more efficient and cheaper to manufacture. Normal five kilowatt inverters weigh 150 pounds. Renovo Power Technology's inverters are less than 60 pounds. "This is like going from your old tube TV to the your flat panel LCD, an analog device to a digital device," says Shane LaHousse, vice president of operations for Renovo Power Technology. The company currently has a staff of four employees, three independent contractors and one intern. One-hundred-and-twenty-five projects across North America have used Renovo Power Technolgy's inverters over the last year. "We expect that in 2014 to at least triple if not quadruple that number," LaHousse says. Source: Shane LaHousse, vice president of operations for Renovo Power Technology Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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