It seems like there isn't a pie that Google doesn't have its finger in. Count Eastern Michigan University among them now that Internet search giant is working with students at the school.
The old Ennis & Sons storefront in downtown Ann Arbor is about to undergo a dramatic transformation now that the Pacific Rim By Kana plans to take over the space.Ennis & Sons spent nearly a century selling work boots and clothes at 116 W. Liberty St. before closing up two years ago. University of Michigan architects Tom Buresh and Danelle Guthrie bought the late 19th Century structure shortly after and turned the upper floors into a home.The ground floor storefront stayed empty until Duc Tang (pronounced Duke Tan) recently agreed to expand his pan-Asian restaurant into the space. The change promises to be striking, turning the home of blue-collar uniform essentials, such as Red Wing boots and Carhartt jackets into the modern, Far East-inspired decor that of Pacific Rim.The 1,500-square-foot restaurant will nearly double its space, adding more dinning space, a bar and a private dining room in the 1,400 square foot Ennis & Sons storefront. "I always felt the restaurant was incomplete without those elements," Tang says. "We've gotten a lot of requests for a private dining area."The 7-year-old restaurant has enjoyed a good bit of success recently in the face of a tough economy. Pacific Rim recently logged its best two weekends of business, and Tang expect that to continue once the restaurant is enlarged.He plans to start construction later this month and have it finished by early next year.Source: Duc Tang, chef and owner of Pacific Rim By KanaWriter: Jon Zemke
Flexibility is something will all strive for, but it's Ann Arbor-based FlexSys' bread and butter.University of Michigan Engineering Professor Sridhar Kota started the form in 2001 after being inspired by nature. He noticed how many man-made objects are strong and rigid, but how most things in nature are strong and flexible.His company, now seven employees and three independent contractors strong, is taking that natural approach to heart. It designs products that are strong, have few parts and are incredibly flexibility."We can design things to have a minimal number of parts that can still perform a number of sophisticated functions," Kota says.The products range from blades for windshield wipers to helicopters. It is also worked to make the wings for airplanes more flexible (an idea the feds have been unsuccessfully trying to develop for years), thus reducing drag and making them more efficient.The company went from starting with a $100,000 grant to $5 million budget. It’s now trying create flexible blades for the blades of wind turbines. Kota expects that such flexibility could make them 15 percent more efficient, a huge step forward in developing that sector of sustainable energy.Flexsys expects to build and test a full-scale wind turbine employing their technology by the end of next year. If it pans out, it will mean at least 10 more research positions in the company and many more manufacturing jobs."We would add a significant number of people," says Sridhar Kota, president and CEO of FlexSysSource: Sridhar Kota, president and CEO of FlexSysWriter: Jon Zemke
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..
OccuSciences plans to start conducting clinical trails on its new diabetes early detection technology in November.If the tests go as expected the Ann Arbor-based start-up expects to go on a hiring binge within the next two years. The 1-year-old firm predicts a jump from its current staff of five people to 15 by the beginning of 2010. That could jump again to 25-30 people by the end of 2010.OccuSciences is a University of Michigan spin-off created by professors Dr. Victor Elner and Howard Petty. It's main product is a technology that assesses metabolic stress in the retina of a human eye. Put simply, it scans an eye to detect whether the patient has diseases like diabetes or glaucoma. "Our test measures how the actual cells and tissues are doing," says Matt Field, business manager with OccuSciences.This allows optometrists to see if someone has (or is at risk of developing) diabetes or glaucoma 10-15 years before it can be detected through traditional testing. And it can be done as quickly and easily as a traditional eye test.Right now, OccuSciences is using a $150,000 grant to develop a prototype of the technology. It plans to conduct testing through the latter part of this year, all of next year and into 2010. It hopes to begin commercialization (and job creation) soon after.Source: Matt Field, business manager with OccuSciencesWriter: Jon Zemke
Build it and they will come. Proving that the Internet makes all things global, 32-year old entrepreneur Shana Victor has turned her passion for the funky and frivolous into a million dollar local business with a decidely personal touch.
The applications are in and Ann Arbor SPARK is looking to firm up the commitments to its 14th Entrepreneurial Boot Camp this month.The entrepreneurial boot camp is a unique combination of hands-on learning and one-on-one mentoring facilitated by SPARK. It squeezes three months worth of learning curve into an intensive two-day business planning and preparation event. The point is to help early stage technology businesses refine their business concepts. That will help them attract additional funding and resources. Mobatech, a cell-phone software firm, won the last boot camp. It won a $5,000 initial engagement at the Ann Arbor SPARK Business Accelerator.This fall's boot camp will feature 15 teams made up of two people each. The boot camp will be held between the evening of Oct. 31 and the morning of Nov. 2. For information, click here.Look for Concentrate's first person account of the process later in November!Source: Ann Arbor SPARKWriter: Jon Zemke
The 9th Xchange was founded in Florida, but it opened up an office in Ann Arbor two years ago looking for more room to grow. But not too much. "We like being a big fish in a small pond," says John Bonaccorso, CEO of The 9th Xchange.The Michigan Economic Development Corporation reached out to Bonaccorso a few years ago about expanding in Michigan. Bonaccorso liked the idea of thumbing his nose at conventional wisdom and decided to grow his business in Michigan. In particular, he was attracted to the talent in Ann Arbor."The most important thing was the amount of technical people there," Bonaccorso says.It has since grown its offices in Ann Arbor SPARK to 15 people of the firm's 40 employees. Bonaccorso expects to double the number of people each year to complement the firm's expected 100 percent annual growth.The 9th Xchange creates a market for used intellectual property. So if a firm is finished using a piece of software it needed for a project, it can resell it. The 9th Xchange makes sure the original creators still get their fair share of royalties.Source: John Bonaccorso, CEO of The 9th XchangeWriter: Jon Zemke
The kitchen for downtown Ypsilanti's new Mongolian BBQ has been installed, and is yet another sign of how businesses are flocking to the city's downtown and Depot Town districts.J Neil's Mongolian Grille will occupy most of the ground floor of the Kresge Building, one of downtown's first loft conversions. That restaurant is set to open by the end of the month."We're very excited about it," says Eric Maurer, an Ypsilanti developer in charge of the building.The Keystone Martini Bar, which will occupy the basement of 200 W Michigan Ave., is set to open up later this year. Maurer is also rehabbing the Mack & Mack building in downtown, which will house Ann Arbor SPARK's East Incubator for small business. That space is expected to be done by the end of the year with lofts above it finished by next summer.Also joining this retail round up is the Thomas Blondi Salon on 36 N Huron St. It will occupy the ground floor of an old 19th Century hotel that most recently served as the home to a dance studio. Dwight Thomas, the salon's owner, expects to have the 1,800 square feet ready to go by the first week of November. "I wanted to be in the heart of Ypsilanti," Thomas says. "I wanted to give back to Ypsilanti, which is where I grew up."Next door the Old World Bakery is also holding its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday morning. The bakery moved into the space earlier this year to take advantage of the up-and-coming business district dominated by small businesses in downtown.Source: Eric Maurer, co-owner of Mauerer Management and Dwight Thomas, owner of Thomas Blondi SalonWriter: Jon Zemke
Ann Arbor-based Evigia Systems has big plans for its radio frequency ID tags, which should lead to greater local expansion."What we want to do to radio frequency ID tags is what has been done to cell phones," says Karl Ma, vice president of marketing for Evigia Systems. "We want to make them lighter, cheaper and smaller."The company started with one person in 2004 and has grown to 14 people today. Most of that growth has occurred in the last year as it added eight jobs. That expansion is expected to continue in the near future, with Ma foreseeing the firm's staff tripling.Key to that growth is landing a major contract, which Evigia hints will occur soon. The firm is partnering with "a well-known name brand" firm that Ma declined to name. He expects that partnership will be key in attracting the U.S. Department of Defense to the tune of $430-$480 million. Only a few other companies are competing for the contract and Ma sees Evigia as the company to beat. If all goes well, it will mean $100 million more in revenue and the addition of 70-100 people. A big bump in business for this small Ann Arbor start-up.Source: Karl Ma, vice president of marketing for Evigia SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke
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