Ann Arbor

Stout Systems hires 10 people, hopes to add more

By Newsroom

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July 22, 2009

Ann Arbor's Stout Systems takes the "fake phone call to get out of a painfully long meeting" to a new level with its first iPhone application – ISoBusy. "Most of them (the other programs) ring your phone and you pretend you’re having a conversation," says John W Stout, president and founder of Stout Systems.ISoBusy actually provides a fake conversation to go with the fake phone call. They range from everything from a trainer yelling at you to work out to a fishing scam artist trying to steal money from you. Stout Systems hopes to capitalize on this with more iPhone applications.Right now it's capitalizing on its talent pool. The firm has hired 10 people so far this year, however, its employee turnover has keep the company's overall headcount to 25 people (the same as when we last checked in with Stout Systems) and a handful of independent contractors. Stout Systems started 15 years ago with just Stout. The firm specializes in software development and helping firms with technical staffing such as computer programmers or project managers. It hopes to add 1-3 more people by the end of the year as it continues to expand its product line."We're certainly adding to our staff," Stout says.Source: John W Stout, president and founder of Stout SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor SPARK to put $7 million in pre-seed funding to use

By Newsroom

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General

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July 15, 2009

Funding for little businesses has a new home at Ann Arbor SPARK.The business incubator is now in charge of the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, which looks to command about $7.5 million by the end of the summer, funding fledgling small businesses. It has already made four investments for a total of $750,000 so far this year, and the pre-seed fund plans to make many more."It's about business acceleration and it's about products and services that are in the right place at the right time," says Elizabeth Parkinson, vice president of marketing and communications for Ann Arbor SPARK.The Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund is being deployed in three tranches (investment industry jargon for phases): The first tranche has already been invested and half of the second tranche ($1.5 million) has been dispersed. The Michigan Economic Development Corp is expected to sign off on the third tranche ($6.8 million) sometime in August or September.Pre-seed investments are usually the capital that comes before venture capital and angel investments. Such investment can range from high five figures to low six-figures. Ann Arbor SPARK has also secured three lines of micro loans for start-ups.Micro loans are the smallest of the investments made in start-ups and usually made first. These loans can range from $10,000 to $50,000 and are usually used to help fledgling businesses get the word out about their product or service. "There are companies that aren't even in the pre-seed stage yet," Parkinson says.The micro loans include $1 million from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, which can be invested in any company in the state. Another $225,000 came from Washtenaw County and $275,000 from the city of Ann Arbor. That money must be invested in companies based in the county and city respectively.Source: Elizabeth Parkinson, vice president of marketing and communications for Ann Arbor SPARKWriter: Jon Zemke

NanoBio nails down $22 million to finance future growth

By Newsroom

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Education

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July 15, 2009

NanoBio has some breathing room research-wise now that that it has locked down million of dollars in new financing. The Ann Arbor-based firm is expected to use its latest $22 million investment to fund the next two years of its clinical trails."It will fund several activities," says John Coffey, vice president of business development for NanoBio.That funding includes different phases of clinical trails of new drugs for acne, herpes and influenza. Right now the company's staff of 20 people (at the same level as the last time we checked in last fall) will handle that research. Coffey sees the company adding another 4-5 people within the next year or two.NanoBio, a University of Michigan spin-off, has taken in $60 million in private equity since 2006, including $30 million late last year. Source: John Coffey, vice president of business development for NanoBioWriter: Jon Zemke

The Whole Brain Group hires 2, looks for 2 more

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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July 15, 2009

Most people identify themselves as right- or left-brain people. The Whole Brain Group thinks that is a false choice.The consulting firm uses integrated thinking as a key philosophy for its business model. It focuses on finding one solution for a problem, and applying that solution across industries. "Most offices have the same problems," says Bonnie Valentine, business lead for The Whole Brain Group. "When people are being ineffective in the office world, we take something that has been applied n the research world and try to make it work in the legal world."The downtown-Ann Arbor-based company does this with a lot of basic office problems, such as cutting down paper usage. The average office worker creates 126 pounds of paper waste each year. The Whole Brain Group strategizes how to eliminate much of that waste, as it did for the University of Michigan this year. "The savings are just tremendous," Valentine says.The company started out as the Data Smith Group in 2002 and rebranded to The Whole Brain Group last year to reflect is expanding business model and philosophy. It employs six people and a handful of independent contractors and interns. It has recently hired two people, is looking to hire two people now and expects to hire a few more within the next year.Source: Bonnie Valentine, business lead for The Whole Brain GroupWriter: Jon Zemke

USPS upgrades W. Stadium post office in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 15, 2009

Patrons of the U.S. Post Office on West Stadium in Ann Arbor are probably starting to notice things are changing.The U.S. Postal Service is updating the building's lobby and customer service area in an effort to make it more efficient and customer friendly. Chief among the repairs are downsizing the number of windows from seven to five. The idea is to create more space at the windows that are consistently used."This is something that has been in the plans for a while," says Ed Moore, manager of communications for the Detroit District of the U.S. Postal Service.Work on the $230,000 project is expected to wrap up by the end of August. The branch of the city's west side, built in the mid 20th Century, is one of the Post Service's main offices in Ann Arbor.Source: Ed Moore, manager of communications for the Detroit District of the U.S. Postal ServiceWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M students turn iPhone app class into app start-up – Mobil33t

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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July 15, 2009

Jason Bornhorst, Kunal Jham and Mayank Garg took a class specializing in creating applications for smart phones, such as iPhones and turned it into a start-up based on the same concept.Mobil33t (treat the 3s like Es) creates applications for the more than 40 million iPone users in the world. Its first app (industry jargon for application) DoGood was inspired by the Pay It Forward concept. It reminds its user to do an anonymous good turn to a stranger, like leave a "You are awesome" note on a public restroom mirror. The app is catching on. Fickle iPhone users have been taking advantage of it for weeks instead of the usual lifespan of days."We wanted to make a very sticky (more industry jargon for a long shelf life) app," says Bornhorst, co-founder of Mobil33t and a senior in engineering at U-M.Right now the trio of U-M seniors and a recent graduate is weighing its options on where it wants to take the company next. It could keep it as a part-time gig and stick to their studies and day jobs. They could also branch out into contract work and turn this business into some more permanent."As far as which direction, we’re still trying to figure that out," Bornhorst says.Source: Jason Bornhorst, co-founder of Mobil33tWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor gets 93% of Michigan’s federal land preservation grants

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 15, 2009

When it comes to funding to preserve natural areas, Washtenaw County takes the lion's share of the lion's share of what comes to Michigan.This year Michigan claimed $2.9 million from federal government programs like Natural Resources Conservation Service Farm and Ranchland Protection to help preserve rural land. About $2.7 million went to Ann Arbor-area programs like the Greenbelt.This isn't unusual. For the last four or five years, Washtenaw County programs have taken a majority of Michigan's federal land preservation funding. Oftentimes it's take is in 90-plus percentile. "Part of it is we have funded local preservation programs like the greenbelt and the township programs so we can provide matches," says Ginny Trocchio, a spokeswoman for Ann Arbor’s Greenbelt program. "The other part is we have really good farm land here."Most of this year's money went toward the preservation of the Smyth and Merkel farms in Webster Township. That's another 247 acres adjacent to each other on Zeeb Road that have been added to the Ann Arbor Greenbelt, which now owns the development rights to more than 1,000 acres around the city.Source: Ginny Trocchio, a spokeswoman for Ann Arbor’s Greenbelt programWriter: Jon Zemke

Community Garden Tour puts the spotlight on local plots

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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July 15, 2009

Washtenaw County's budding community garden movement will be on display later this month as part of the Big Community Harvest Garden Tour.Dozens of community gardens have sprung up across the county in recent years as local residents have become acquainted with the joys of local produce and better land use. A number of organizations have sprung up to help spur this along, including Growing Hope, Project Grow Community Gardens and Food Gathers, among others.The dozens of plots that these groups maintain, manage or advise range from gardens at local schools to raised beds at group homes to gardens planted and maintained by local churches. The tour will showcase seven such gardens each day between July 22 and August 1. "These gardens go from teeny tiny to really big," says Amanda Maria Edmonds, executive director of Growing Hope.For information, call Growing Hope (734) 786-8401 or send an email to info@growinghope.net.Source: Amanda Maria Edmonds, executive director of Growing HopeWriter: Jon Zemke

Video Logan Restaurant

By Keith Jefferies

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Arts & Culture

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July 15, 2009

Upscale, tasteful and tasty, Logan is one Ann Arbor's must-visit bistros. With a menu and ambiance that would feel at home on either coast, it's one of the few restaurants in town where you can actually have a conversation with your dinner date.

Ann Arbor, America’s first no newspaper town

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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July 15, 2009

Ann Arbor is venturing into a brave new world, and without it's traditional newspaper. Are web-based publications ready to fill the gap?Excerpt:Ann Arbor will become the nation's first city to lose its daily newspaper next month when the Ann Arbor News ceases publication. Advance, which also owns Portland's Oregonian, is replacing the newspaper with an online news site called AnnArbor.com. This will be not be The News online. AnnArbor.com will not retain staff from The News unless they apply for jobs at the Web site.No doubt, this is a bold experiment. One I plan on tracking. Rick Edmonds from Poynter has an interesting take on the demise of The News and the rise of AnnArbor.com. He points out that Ann Arbor's seemingly desirable demographics might have worked against the newspaper. He points out that newspapers in other cities with similar populations have struggling newspapers. You guessed it, he mentions Seattle. He cites reporting in other publications that suggests a young, literate, tech savvy city might not be the best market for traditional newspapers.Read the rest of the story here.