Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor’s Enmark Systems doubles employees with new software

By Newsroom

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November 19, 2008

Enmark Systems was at a crossroads in the early 2000s. Some of its key employees were either ready to buy the business or break out on their own. They ended up buying it (for a handsome price) and have grown the software developer significantly.At the time, sales had slid from a high of $4.6 million in 2000 (thanks to the Y2K build up) to $2.4 million in 2002. Shortly after the employees took over. Since then they have built sales up to $5 million this year. They have also doubled the number of employees to 30, along with an intern and independent contractor."When you boil it down, they buy our product to save money," says John Bilek, president of Enmark Systems.That means the client either reduces costs, increases sales or both. Enmark has been able to do this by developing new software products for metal service center distributors. It's also allowed the ompany to spread their its base across North America, helping keep their bottom line growing.Even though Bilek is bracing his company for the worst, with the current state of the economy, he does see hope. For instance, he sees big potential in President-elect Barack Obama's pledge to heavily invest in the county's infrastructure."That's huge for our business," Bilek says.Source: John Bilek, president of Enmark SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke

Arbor Day picks U-M for Tree Campus USA planting kickoff

By Newsroom

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Development News

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November 19, 2008

It's almost too fitting that the Arbor Day Foundation picked the University of Michigan's campus --in a city commonly referred to as Tree Town-- as one of the kick-off points for its Tree Campus USA program.The program recognizes college campuses and surrounding communities committed to planting, maintaining and celebrating trees. There is a particular interest in schools that exhibit best practices in urban forestry.Walk through U-M's Diag and it's easy to see why it is getting a coveted spot in the program's inner circle. Among the other participating schools are Northern Kentucky University, University of Texas, Arizona State, Oregon State, the University of Nebraska, Virginia Tech, the University of California-San Diego, and Jackson State in Mississippi.Each school will be recognized with a tree-planting event. About 1,000 trees will be planted during the Tree Campus USA events. Source: Arbor Day FoundationWriter: Jon Zemke

Flagship Air looks to take off from Ann Arbor Airport

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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November 19, 2008

Tim Patton didn’t start out wanting to create a local airline but that's just what the veteran entrepreneur ended up doing with Flagship Private Air."It really started as a personal passion," Patton says.The chairman and CEO of Patton Holdings (based out of Domino Farms) bought a private plane a few years ago for his health-care company. He often needed to go to small, out-of-the-way places like Hershey, Pennsylvania, for business, places that were prohibitively expensive to fly commercially out of Detroit's Metro Airport.He wasn't alone. Plenty of local business people found flying either too expensive or too time inefficient using major airlines. And then the CFL went off over Patton's head."There is no one else doing this here in Ann Arbor," Patton says. "Why not make a business out of this?"Flagship Private Air is set to take off in early December. It has a handful of turbo-prop planes ready to fly from Ann Arbor's Airport to 47 locations throughout the continental U.S., but mainly focused on the Midwest. The chartered planes can carry private parties within 250 miles. Prices are usually kept under $1,000 per person with a minimum of two people. The company can also cater the flights food from Zingerman's as well as set up hotel or rental car reservations. And Patton plans to expand his business to summer resorts in northern cities, like Traverse City or Mackinac Island. The idea of hiring out a small plane for a few people at a reasonable price makes it worthwhile to local business people, especially those concerned with time efficiency. For instance, customers don't have to drive far, go through extensive security checks or fly at the whim of notoriously late airlines.The planes can be rented out on a per trip basis or customer can buy blocks of time at a discount. Flagship even allows clients to become fractional owners in a plane. Think of it like a private-plane timeshare.Patton has high hopes for Flagship Private Air as Ann Arbor's new economy business sector grows in both size and prominence.Source: Tim Patton, chairman and CEO of Patton HoldingsWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor zoning changes promote density, green building

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

The proposed zoning changes for downtown Ann Arbor are in the middle of their own campaign season as sponsors get ready to go before City Council early next year.The city's Planning Department is holding pubic briefings on the proposed changes this week now that they have been recommended for approval by the city's Planning Commission. Think of the Planning Commission's blessing as winning the primary and the getting City Council approval the general election. It's why city planners are making the rounds with local residents about the proposed changes in both scheduled formal meetings and informal ones."If someone wants to meet, I can do that," says Wendy Rampson, a city planner with the city of Ann Arbor.The proposed changes call for creating more density and a traditional urban environment in the city's core, downtown area. That basically means developers can build structures that are as much as 400 percent bigger than the lot size. Those numbers can go up if the developer meets certain criteria, such as making the building LEED certified or including affordable housing. For instance, a developer can build 650 percent bigger than the lot size if it’s a platinum LEED building. That number can bump up as high as 900 percent with onsite affordable housing.The city plans to hold meetings at 9 a.m. today in the City Council chambers of City Hall and again at 6:30 p.m. in the Washtenaw County building, 200 N Main St. Another will be held at 3:30 p.m. Thursday again in the county building. For information, call (734) 994-2802.Source: Wendy Rampson, a city planner with the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Stockwell renovation turns historic U-M dorm coed

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

The University of Michigan's Stockwell Hall is going to be different in more than one way when its renovation wraps up next fall.U-M plans to turn what has been traditionally a women's dorm into a co-ed facility. The thinking is that demand for all-female housing is dwindling. There are approximately 800 available spaces in all-women residences, but only about half that number of female residents requested such housing.Making the circa-1940 structure a co-ed building on the Hill area of the university's campus will allow for more flexibility in student housing options. There will still be four other female-oriented dorms on U-M's campus, including Betsy Barbour and Helen Newberry residences, Martha Cook Building and Henderson House. "We need to rebalance the availability of women’s housing to the larger preference for coeducational living," says Linda Newman, interim director of U-M's University Housing. "At the same time, we can increase the availability of single rooms desired by returning students – women and men." The university recently began renovating Stockwell as part of its Residential Life Initiatives, which is revitalizing and expanding student-living options on campus. The project will preserve the building's Tudor Revival architecture and interior character, while replacing old mechanical, electrical, plumbing, safety technology and elevator systems.The finished project will feature air-conditioned rooms, WiFi access, lounges, kitchenettes and remodeled community bathrooms. What was once the dining hall area will be turned into a new community spaces for music practice, recreation and informal performances. Residents will eat the newly opened Hill Dining Center.Source: University of MichiganWriter: Jon Zemke

Where The Deals Are Done

By Constance Crump

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Economic Development

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November 19, 2008

Gone are the days of smoke-filled backroom deals over jumbo-sized brandy snifters. Ann Arbor's investors and entrepreneurs tend to do business over a downtown omelette and espresso or microbrew and appetizer.

Video U-M’s Solar Car Team

By Keith Jefferies

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Arts & Culture

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November 19, 2008

Imagine, not paying for gas. Ever. U-M's Solar Car Team brings together engineering, business and design school majors to develop the ultimate sustainable vehicle. How successful have they been? The team has taken home top honors at the North American Solar Challenge for the last five years!

Looking for fairies in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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November 19, 2008

The little things in Ann Arbor continue to make a big splash around the world. Excerpt: Is there a truth emerging from the urban legend? There are so many fairy doors in Ann Arbor. Are we about to encounter this elusive life form? The first fairy door discovered in Ann Arbor is documented at the Urban Fairies website. Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor part of the urban poultry farming craze

By Newsroom

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Health

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November 19, 2008

Tree Town becomes Chicken City as it joins Missoula, Montana; South Portland, Maine; and Ft. Collins, Colorado on the list of grass roots urban poultry organizing.Excerpt:"As it turns out, Mackin is hardly an anomaly, in New York or any other urban center. Over the past few years, urban dwellers driven by the local-food movement, in cities from Seattle to Albuquerque, have flocked to the idea of small-scale backyard chicken farming—mostly for eggs, not meat—as a way of taking part in home-grown agriculture. This past year alone, grass-roots organizations in Missoula, Mont.; South Portland, Maine; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Ft. Collins, Colo., have successfully lobbied to overturn city ordinances outlawing backyard poultry farming, defined in these cities as egg farming, not slaughter. Ann Arbor now allows residents to own up to four chickens (with neighbors' consent), while the other three cities have six-chicken limits, subject to various spacing and nuisance regulations."Read the rest of the article here.

Green building gains momentum in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Environment & Sustainability

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November 19, 2008

The Ann Arbor building landscape is becoming more and more eco-savvy as green building takes root in Tree Town.Excerpt:Green building continues to gain momentum locally, as area professionals organize new initiatives to bring attention to the field and an established construction firm opens an Ann Arbor office focused on environmentally conscious project development and execution.Ryan Stoianowski of Willis Building Co. in Saline is co-chair of the Emerging Green Builders Committee of the Detroit regional chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. In May, Stoianowski was the only active member, but it has since grown to include chapters at the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit Mercy.He said the goal is networking and education."We want to reach out to teach sustainability to young professionals and college students," Stoianowski said. "We're trying to get mentorship opportunities off the ground."A local network of people interested in green building and development could help stop the "brain drain" of younger people to places like Chicago and San Francisco, Stoianowski said.Read the rest of the story here.