Ann Arbor

Regional economic development organizations to leverage Michigan U’s in economic recovery

By Newsroom

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June 10, 2009

Biz incubators like Ann Arbor SPARK teaming up with major colleges like the University of Michigan could prove to be the economic engine that drives Michigan in the 21st Century.Excerpt:Relationships between regional economic development organizations and Michigan's top universities are poised to play an increasingly influential role in helping the state's economy recover from its devastating economic crisis. Central to Michigan's evolving economic development model is the tightening partnership between the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor SPARK.U-M Vice President for Research Stephen Forrest, SPARK's new chairman, said in an interview at the Mackinac Policy Conference that one of his top priorities is spreading SPARK's model across the state. He was elected chairman of SPARK after founder and possible Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder opted not to seek reelection.Forrest suggested that regional economic development organizations could drive economic activity throughout the state."We shouldn't be that concerned about it being in Ann Arbor," Forrest said. "It should be something that's good for the state and good for the region, because we're all in this together. Read the rest of the story here.

AIA Mich recognizes Ann Arbor’s Traverwood library for design

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 10, 2009

The Ann Arbor District Library's Traverwood branch looks like something that could be featured in Dwell or URBANLAND, which is why the American Institute of Architects Michigan chapter recognized it for its design.The AIA award jury describes Traverwood as a project that "shows a great sensitivity towards the timeless hallmarks of great design: space, materiality, lighting, form. The detailing is excellent; inventive design combined with rigorous execution."Put more simply, think modern, contemporary design, and lots of it. The library is truly a modern art masterpiece without the snideness that comment inspires. The Ann Arbor District Library built the library on four acres of green space at the southwest corner of Traverwood Drive and Huron Parkway. Northville-based inFORM studio tried to incorporate as much of the surrounding area into the design as possible.First it chose a corner of the green space so as not to disturb the rest of the natural area. It also used dying ash trees on the property to for everything from paneling to flooring to structural columns in the new library."If we're going to build here we need to be as respectful as possible," says Cory Lavigne, design director of inFORM studio.He describes the library as the urban edge or nose guard protecting the rest of the green space. He also says his firm tried to make the design complement the landscape.Source: Cory Lavigne, design director of inFORM studioWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor’s IMRA expansion nearly complete

By Newsroom

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Development News

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June 10, 2009

Work is nearly complete on IMRA America's expansion in Ann Arbor. All that's left is the asphalt paving and landscaping at the facility on the eastern edge of town.Now that construction is finished, the fiber laser company plans to start moving into the space slowly over the next year before hosting a grand opening next year."We have a lot of big equipment we need to move into the building," says Dennis Hawley, facilities manager for IMRA America.The 20,000-square-foot expansion practically doubles the firm's space. That's all research-and-development space at the company's home on Woodbridge Avenue, just east of the city limits off Dixboro Road, north of Geddes Road. It plans to fill up that extra space with 20 new employees. IMRA America is also applying for LEED certification for the expansion. Source: Dennis Hawley, facilities manager for IMRA AmericaWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor honors historic preservationists big and small

By Newsroom

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Development News

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June 10, 2009

Lots of little buildings or little parts of larger buildings were the big winners of the Ann Arbor Historic District Awards."It just works out that way sometimes," says Jill Thacher, historic preservation coordinator for the city of Ann Arbor.Most of the buildings are single-family houses with ages that stretch into triple digits. Even a few fraternity and sorority houses made the list this year, including the Alpha Phi Alpha house and the Phi Delta Phi house at the corner of Madison and Thompson streets in the shadow of the University of Michigan's South Quad.The circa 1916 Georgian style house has undergone extensive renovations over the years, including installation of a new roof, boiler and columns. However, it still looks the same as it did it was built. The Preservation Project of the Year went to the restoration of the Reading Room in U-M's Law Quad. That project brought the room's barrel vaulted ceilings back to life with new lighting and other work. It also replaced the floor with a cork floor, like what was originally there."The renovation was stunning," Thacher says. "The space was completely under-represented."Source: Jill Thacher, historic preservation coordinator for the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

MASTERMIND: Brian Spence

By Jennifer Eberbach

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Entrepreneurship

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June 10, 2009

Inventing a successful game isn't, well, all fun and games. It takes creativity, persistence and luck. Former Ann Arbor school teacher Brian Spence has those attributes in spades,allowing him to take his passion for invention into the product lines of toy companies like Hasbro and Mattel.

Virtual Health, Real Success

By Leia Menlove

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Health

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June 10, 2009

Michigan could take a lesson from Healthmedia. From it's early struggles to find local investment to its recent purchase by Johnson & Johnson, the innovative software-as-service company has stayed committed to remaining in Ann Arbor.

SRT Solutions hires 1, plans to add 5 more in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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June 3, 2009

Getting through today's economy is more about innovating and upgrading and less about waiting and praying. At least, that's the philosophy in at SRT Solutions. It's why the Ann Arbor-based firm is hosting a series of briefings next week on the latest and greatest in technology.SRT Solutions will host these executive meetings at Ann Arbor SPARK (June 16 & 18) and at Automation Alley on Troy on June 11. The idea is to help business owners understand the time and money-saving technologies that are coming online and their potential impact. "We're really trying to grow the entrepreneurial start-up culture in this region," says Bill Wagner, founder and software consultant with SRT Solutions. "To do that we need business leaders who can look further down the road."The software firm already does something similar to this with Mircosoft. The company routinely is briefed and helps develop some of the mega corporation's latest technology. That has allowed SRT Solutions to grow its employee base to 16 people today. That's down a couple from the last time we spoke to the firm, but it has hired a person earlier this year and expects to hire up to five more people by the end of the year.Source: Bill Wagner, founder and software consultant with SRT SolutionsWriter: Jon Zemke

U-M’s CLOSUP studies smoke-free impact, plans for more studies

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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June 3, 2009

Smoking, or the lack there of, in restaurants and bars doesn't make or break a business in Michigan, according to the latest study from the University of Michigan.The study was conducted by the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at the U-M Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. It showed smoking bans have not negatively affected revenues of restaurants or bars. However, the impact is less clear at casinos. "These studies didn't show negative impacts on businesses," says Tamara Wilder, post doctoral research fellow at the Ford School of Public Policy. "Some actually showed positive impacts."The study researched how other states’ revenues were affected by the smoke-free legislation. Such legislation is currently being debated and passed in different forms in the state Legislature. Currently the state House has passed a ban with the exception of casinos and cigar bars. The state Senate passed an all encompassing ban last year.The center plans to release other studies on business taxes, transportation funding, corrections expenditures, economic development and college scholarships, and the individual health insurance market later this summer. The idea is focus on issues that will come to a boil in 2009-10."We tried to come up with things that were very timely," Wilder says.Source: Tamara Wilder, post doctoral research fellow at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

MedHub signs three big clients, plans to hire later this year

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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June 3, 2009

MedHub has signed on three big clients, opening the door for some significant growth at the Ann Arbor-based firm.MedHub signed on hospitals at the University of Iowa, University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital. The last two are among the biggest and most prestigious teaching hospitals on the West Coast. "It's not stopping there either," says Peter Orr, president of MedHub. "We have a quite a number of things in the pipeline."These latest signings will allow the company to double in size. It has five positions open right now, which would double the firm's staff. The company started off in 2002 as a project at the University of Michigan meant to help bring more functionality to the university's hospital system. It quickly grew into a money-making enterprise that follows medical school residents and manages their performance. The program allows hospitals to make sure patients are being billed correctly. That can mean millions of dollars in Medicare reimbursements. MedHub is responsible for $85 million at U-M Hospital alone.Source: Peter Orr, president of MedHubWriter: Jon Zemke

Merit Network upgrades with 10G Routers, hires 6

By Newsroom

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Education

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June 3, 2009

Ever wish your Internet connection would just fix itself? It's more capable of doing just that if you use Merit Network.The Ann Arbor-based non-profit manages high-bandwidth communication lines between the major universities in the Midwest in cities like Ann Arbor, Chicago and Detroit. It recently finished upgrading its system with 10 gigabit routers and with new ones going in Chicago, Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. This helps the system fix its own problems before they snowball out of control and crash. "It's really important with that much traffic going over these lines to help keep resiliency and efficiency up," says Elwood Downing, vice president of member relation, marketing and communications for Merit Network.Merit Network has also been upgrading its staff this year. It has hired six people since January, including two more last week. Those hires have been in network operations and research and development. That bumps its staff up to 65 people and up to a dozen interns from the likes of the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. Merit Network hopes to continue to hire throughout the year.Source: Elwood Downing, vice president of member relation, marketing and communications for Merit NetworkWriter: Jon Zemke