Ann Arbor

Google wants well-rounded staff for Ann Arbor office

By Newsroom

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October 22, 2008

It might not seem like anyone is doing well in this economy, but Google is still hiring for its AdWords headquarters in Ann Arbor. Excerpt: It's no surprise that employees at the Internet search giant Google -- whose wacky cubicles are known for their Mr. Potato Head, superhero and Elmo doll adornments -- was ranked as southeast Michigan's top workplace in the medium-sized company category (151-500 workers). "Our culture is something that we take a lot of pride in," said Jake Parrillo, spokesman for Google, which has offices in Ann Arbor and Birmingham. "Everything that we do, we do to make a better work environment for employees." Employees enjoy a vast menu of in-house perks that include massages, free gourmet lunches and gyms. Dogs can come in for visits. The Ann Arbor facility is the headquarters for Google's AdWords operations. Read the rest of the story here and an Ann Arbor Business Review story about keeping young talent local here.

Smaller 601 Forest gets big approval in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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October 22, 2008

It is over yet? Has the Ann Arbor City Council finally passed judgment on 601 Forest yet? Yes? Finally… The City Council approved the smaller version of the 601 Forest high-rise on development. Call it a downsized victory for the proponents of vertical, urban growth in Ann Arbor. The 'adjusted' version of 601 Forest is 14 stories tall. The developers, Hughes Properties and Omena Real Estate Investments, originally planned for of 26. They also wanted to build 1,100 beds in 342 units. The new plan calls for 150-175 rooms with 570-610 beds. All of those beds will be marketed toward students at the nearby University of Michigan. Each unit will come furnished with amenities like flat screen TVs and floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the surrounding campus area. There will also be a café, fitness facility, business center and a landscaped roof garden. The building will incorporate environmentally friendly construction techniques, materials and systems, such as passive solar technologies, advanced water recapture systems and a green roof. The developers are going for at least silver LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Village Corner party store and a nearby apartment building at the corner of South University and Forest streets will be leveled to make way for 601 Forest. The adjacent Mud Bowl will be left alone. Source: City of Ann Arbor Writer: Jon Zemke

University of Michigan student leader promotes energy conservation

By Newsroom

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Education

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October 22, 2008

Ann Arbor's townies aren’t the only ones trying to save the planet. The city's students are also making some big headway in that effort. Excerpt: Leaning forward at a table in a coffee shop near the University of Michigan Central Campus, Leslie Zaikis gazed at the screen of her laptop. Zaikis sat among a throng of other young people, some of whom seemed so engrossed in what they were doing they appeared oblivious to the sunshine outdoors, too busy in their work to notice. Zaikis admits she often feels as if she is always using her computer. She uses it a lot as president of the U-M College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Among her duties, she helps coordinate some of the college's projects, including collaboration with the Climate Savers Computing Initiative. To connect with students and university administration as well as promote energy awareness, the LSA student government helped plan the current energy-themed semester at the college. Read the rest of the story here.

Workers to restore historic St. Andrew’s Church in Ann Arbor

By Newsroom

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Community Development

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October 22, 2008

An old beauty of a church near downtown Ann Arbor is getting a facelift and a little interior work done. St. Andrew's Episcopal Church is investing $2.8 million in a new roof, windows and a refurbished hall, among other fixes to the 141-year-old stone structure. Most of the heavy work is expected to wrap up by the holiday season, but some smaller improvements will carry on into next year. "It's going to be quite stunning when it's done," says Mary Bishop, finance administrator with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The fixes include replacing the slate roof and refurbishing the church's windows. It's also renovating and modernizing Page Hall, along with improving it main entrance to make it safer with things like more walkable steps. St. Andrew's dates to 1827, making it Michigan's second oldest Episcopal church. It cost $30,000 to build the original church in the late 1860s. It was designed by Gordon Lloyd and is modeled after the country churches of England in the Gothic Revival style. The tower was built in 1903 and a bell was added in 1927. More information on the church's history can be found here. Source: Mary Bishop, finance administrator with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Writer: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor start-up Boomdash expands its reach

By Newsroom

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Entrepreneurship

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October 22, 2008

The Detroit Free Press' chronicling of Ann Arbor start-up Boomdash continues. Excerpt: When Cesar Nerys launched his Ann Arbor start-up company Boomdash LLC this spring, he didn't factor hurricanes into the list of potential pitfalls. But last month, the veteran entrepreneur remained glued to the TV screen as first Hurricane Gustav and later Ike churned toward the gulf coast. The first market for the search engine marketing firm just happens to be New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La. Gustav and an outer band of storms caused by Ike wound up delaying by almost four weeks a Boomdash sales training course for 15 employees at Sunshine Pages, a telephone directory publisher that's selling Boomdash's product. Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor’s Sungrace Software to add 6 people over next 6 months

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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October 22, 2008

The Sungrace name a family name. Sorta. Actually, it's a name Makarand Nalgirkar knows almost as intimately as his own.His father started the first Sungrace company (an engineering firm) in India several years ago. Nalgirkar and his brother started another Sungrace firm in India in 1997. Three years ago Nalgirkar started Sungrace Software in Ann Arbor.Today the company has grown its employee base to four people. It expects to add another six people within the next six months as capitalizes on some impressive quarterly growth statistics."The first quarter of this year was the best quarter we ever had," Nalgirkar says.That’s after the firm's revenue grew 200 percent in its first year and 60 percent the following year. It averages about 25 percent growth each quarter.Sungrace Software has been able to accomplish this by focusing on the quality of its product. It develops engineering software for everything but plans, trains and automobiles -- some of the most competitive areas for engineering firms. Sungrace’s software focuses on areas like architecture and the energy industry. Nalgirkar expects his firm to firm up its gains within the next year and build on them. In his eyes the company’s focus will be on continuing what it does best.Source: Makarand Nalgirkar, president and CEO of Sungrace SoftwareWriter: Jon Zemke

Ann Arbor’s Torrey Path plans to open data center

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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October 22, 2008

Torrey Path, the 1-year-old start-up, is off to a good start in Ann Arbor. The firm employs five full-time staffers, four people part-time and the occasional intern. It also just opened an office in California.Peter Dresslar started the firm after doing a stint as a consultant at a local pharmaceutical company. He discovered processes and designed software that can aggregate bio data easily and efficiently for research managers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields.The process has turned the firm to into an almost overnight success. Torrey Path counts three of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies as clients and hopes to expand its customer base to the low teens by 2010. But before that, Dresslar expects to break the $1 million revenue mark next year."We're at a point where our solutions are at a Beta stage, which makes it much easier to sell," Dresslar says.Which, of course, means more expansion for Torrey Path. The company plans to create a data center within the next year. It's currently looking at locations in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.Which will mean will mean another 5-15 jobs for the selected spot. Go Blue!Source: Peter Dresslar, founder and CEO of Torrey PathWriter: Jon Zemke

Plug-in Hybrids and Smart Grid Topics of Upcoming TechKnow Forum

By Newsroom

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Economic Development

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October 22, 2008

Themed “Recharging Michigan,” the 2008 TechKnow Forum will bring auto and energy stakeholders together to talk about the Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicle (PHEV) and the Smart Grid.“The goal for this forum is to explore two timely topics—the PHEVs and also the Smart Grid—that are also interdependent,” says Stephen Nose, with S-Y-N Associates, a strategy and sustainability consulting firm. “And rather than taking purely technical perspectives, we decided to take a multidisciplinary— more of a 360 degree—view.”The event is Thursday, Oct. 23 at the University of Michigan Power Center in Ann Arbor.PHEVs save money, reduce pollution and decrease dependence on imported oil. Forum guests will discuss these vehicles and the Smart Grid, which will power them.The PHEV panel includes industry representatives from Ford, Toyota and GM. Richard Curtin, with the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan, will also join the discussion. Curtin is conducting surveys to determine how much consumers will pay for this new technology.The Smart Grid discussion will include representatives from the University of Michigan, DTE Energy, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), Next Energy and the State of Michigan. You can click here for more information on the session.Source: Stephen Y Nose, S-Y-N Associates Writer: Ivy Hughes, Capital Gains

Bite-Sized Luxury

By Constance Crump

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Entrepreneurship

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October 15, 2008

Okay, so maybe you have to put off plans for buying a new car or upgrading your futon to a leather sofa. Luxury can still be had... in bite-sized morsels. Sweet Gem Confections is yet another example of Ann Arbor's ever-growing foodie culture, offering handmade artisan chocolates that won't stop the banks from failing but just might make the moment they do a little bit sweeter..

Video The Boardwalk Creative Center

By Keith Jefferies

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Environment & Sustainability

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October 15, 2008

The call for creative space in Ann Arbor has been frequent and loud -from cultural organizations feeling the absence of a community arts venue to businesses looking for neutral turf. Enter the Boardwalk Creative Center, which has become a much needed 'third place' for those seeking inspirational room to roam.