PR/Marketing

Akervall Technologies scores DOD contract, doubles revenue

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June 22, 2011

Akervall Technologies has watched its revenue jump by triple digits and new contracts with the likes of U.S. Dept of Defense roll in, thanks in large part to the start-up's social media outreach efforts.The 3-year-old company makes an ultra-thin mouth guard called Protech Dent that allows users to drink, talk, and breathe normally while playing sports. Akervall Technologies brought in an outside consultant last year that performed a marketing analysis and created a marketing master plan. The result was a game plan that called for heavy focus on leveraging social media outlets, which contributed to the company's doubling of revenue."It's really helpful for someone to come in with fresh eyes and look at your company," says Sassa Akervall, COO of Akervall Technologies. "They have a lot of great ideas."Enabling that consultant's work was a microloan from the Michigan Microloan Fund. Akervall Technologies is on track to repay that microloan by early next year. The Ann Arbor-based firm is also looking at expanding its team beyond its core group of three and a small group of independent contractors later this year with a new hire or two.The product was developed by Dr. Jan Akervall, a local ear, nose and throat specialist, and husband of Sassa Akervall. It is made of non-compressible, perforated material and is 30 percent stronger than conventional mouth guards. Medical patients, athletes, and even soldiers are among the targeted clientele. Akervall Technologies recently scored a contract with the U.S. Dept of Defense to develop a second generation of the mouth guard for use by soldiers in combat."Our mouth guard stands up to the test," Sassa Akervall says. "It's quite strong, even though it's so thin."Source: Sassa Akervall, COO of Akervall TechnologiesWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

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Q LTD thrives on refreshing client brands

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Arts & Culture

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April 13, 2011

Q LTD knows brands. It knows when they're old, when they're new, and when they need refreshing. That last part is what is helping the Ann Arbor-based company grow these days. It recently refreshed the brand for the University of Michigan's School of Nursing, redoing its website, marketing materials for prospective students, and creating a strategy to coordinate these things. It also has done similar work for other local institutions, such as the Ypsilanti District Library. "They're 20 years old and realizing they need to have a current brand that matches what they do," says Paul Koch, creative strategist for Q LTD.The 30-year-old company has slowly grown through partnerships (it regularly collaborates with a European firm on its corporate culture) and good old slow, organic growth. It now has an employee base of 15 people and two interns, who work mostly in its Kerrytown office.This month Q LTD added a new employee, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan performing arts technology program who has worked as a media consultant for the University of Michigan Health System, Guitar World magazine, and Ghostly International. He will focus on digital media and has a decade of experience in creating websites. Source: Paul Koch, creative strategist for Q LTDWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

SimuQuest builds software from mathematical models; 40% sales growth last year

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Economic Development

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March 30, 2011

The story of SimuQuest is a testament to the idea of "I can do it better." When it came to developing mathematical models for software creation, the company's founder, John Mills, decided he could do it one better than his former employer. Today he is preparing for a significant growth spurt after taking on the marketing efforts for his Ann Arbor-based firm.SimuQuest creates algorithms that enable software to be automatically generated from mathematical models. The company's special sauce lies in providing the final step to make this solution a viable reality for clients, such as manufacturers."I see this paradigm taking off," Mills says. "We have really been pushing some unique ideas."Which means SimuQuest has been faring well. The nearly 10-year-old company has added two people over the last two years, expanding its staff to six employees and a handful of independent contractors. It has also pushed its revenue from $600,000 to $850,000 last year and expects to cross the $1 million mark in 2011. Helping this along is the ability of Mills and his team to sell their product. Mills has undertaken sales training and plans to launch a digital marketing campaign this year with a number of new tools, such as a fresh website. He expects these efforts to double the company's income by the end of next year.Source: John Mills, president & CEO of SimuQuestWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

PWB Marketing hires as it ramps up web-based work

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Arts & Culture

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March 16, 2011

PWB Marketing & Communications had one goal in 2009: stay in business. The Ann Arbor-based firm accomplished that and more, beginning a web-based rebound last year that is carrying through today.The 28-year-old company has watched its definition of integrated marketing evolve and broaden. This has prompted it to find new ways to integrate online and traditional media, such as making sure social media and billboards are on the same page."There are ways to brand your YouTube page so it looks like your website and its brand," says Sean Hickey, COO of PWB Marketing & Communications. "There are a lot of doors to the message now. You have to make sure all of your doors are covered."PWB Marketing & Communications' new philosophy has allowed it to hire one person to focus on social media over the last year as it has added new clients and grown business with existing ones. The agency expects to add a few more staffers this year as it continues to expand its client list and even bring a few dormant accounts back to life.Source: Sean Hickey, COO of PWB Marketing & CommunicationsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

VC Web Services spins out of SPARK East incubator, doubles revenue

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Economic Development

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March 9, 2011

VC Web Services, Ann Arbor SPARK East's first success story, is adding a few more story lines to its narrative. The Internet firm, formerly VC Web Design, is adding clients, jobs and services in downtown Ypsilanti."We're doing more than just web design now," says Vince Schmielewski, president of VC Web Services. "We're doing a lot of video work and IT support."The 3-year-old firm is the first to spin out of Ann Arbor SPARK's East Incubator in downtown Ypsilanti, taking office space nearby. It started out as one of the first incubator tenants with two employees and left with a staff of seven a year later. Today it employs 10 people and a few summer interns. The firm has five open positions now, ranging from back-end web developer to office assistant. The firm doubled its revenue over the last year and is looking forward to a 50 percent jump this year. "We're currently thinking of moving into a bigger space, but it would be in downtown Ypsilanti," Schmielewski says.Source: Vince Schmielewski, president of VC Web ServicesWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Splink Media links area musicians and businesses

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Arts & Culture

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February 23, 2011

Vaughan Taylor, AKA Texture, worked the underground music scene in Ann Arbor for much of the last decade as an emcee and producer for locally renowned hip-hop crew Athletic Mic League. That experience, along with a degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Central Florida, laid the groundwork for Taylor to launch Splink Media, a marketplace for linking artists and businesses. "I noticed the strengths of independent artists were in their ability to organize and get followers," says Taylor, CEO and co-founder of Splink Media. "It's not in selling records."The Ann Arbor-based start-up provides a platform for companies to tap into the creativity of local artists for marketing campaigns and advertising while also promoting these artists. The 1-year-old start-up is allowing that access on an invitation-only basis while its team of four works out the last of the website's bugs. Taylor expects to open up the site to more people by this summer."We'd like to see this as a local ecosystem for local artists and businesses," Taylor says. "[This could] be like a phone book for local artists."Source: Vaughan Taylor, CEO and co-founder of Splink MediaWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Big Chill media spotlight casts warm glow on U-M’s strong points

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Arts & Culture

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December 15, 2010

The Big Chill was more than a hockey game in a giant venue. It was a lightning rod for a number of positive strikes, ranging from the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition to improved public perception of southeast Michigan. Taking a common complaint about the Great Lakes State, snowy weather, and turning it into a fun asset has good implications for a broad swath of areas.Excerpt:To whet the appetite of Capitals fans looking forward to the Winter Classic, I visited the Big Chill at the Big House college hockey game Saturday in Ann Arbor, and if the New Year's Day game in Pittsburgh goes even nearly as well, fans are in for a treat. From weather to logistics, the event could not have come off much better than it did. You can read more here and then, more impressively, see more here.Read the rest of the story here and more from The Wall Street Journal here.

The Whole Brain Group reinvents biz model, doubles team size

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Economic Development

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December 8, 2010

Marisa Smith's company changed its name three years ago and its business model last year. Today what is now The Whole Brain Group is bigger and more lucrative after a year of growing in Ann Arbor."We really transformed ourselves 100 percent," says Smith, president of The Whole Brain Group. "We went from a bad 2009 to triple what we had in 2010. Switching gears has been really a go for us."The Whole Brain Group focused primarily on software development when the recession hit. It lost a lot of that work, forcing it to take on a broader range of projects. Today it handles Internet marketing, social media management and mobile application development. It's also looking into expanding its product offerings to include software as a service. Pair that with its new partnership with Adaptive Materials and SRT Solutions to develop alternative energy technology for military vehicles, and the question starts to become, is there anything The Whole Brain Group doesn't do?"That has been a really good project for us," Smith says. "We added another person for that project."All of that new work has allowed the 8-year-old company to double its team to 12 people, including interns and independent contractors. It plans to add two more jobs in 2011 as it focuses on becoming more efficient so it can cross the $1 million company threshold.Source: Marisa Smith, president of The Whole Brain GroupWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

3.7 Designs web consultancy looks at Midwestern expansion

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Arts & Culture

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November 10, 2010

For years, 3.7 Designs focused on website creation and increasing companies' Internet presence. Today, the downtown Ann Arbor-based consultancy is gaining traction by taking a more comprehensive view of its clients' Web needs.The 5-year-old company now focuses on how its Internet solutions can work more cohesively with a client's brand or marketing campaign. "It's more ongoing and focused on strategy than just visuals and function," says Ross Johnson, CEO, designer, and janitor for 3.7 Designs.That new approach and rise in consulting work has allowed 3.7 Designs to hire one employee and two independent contractors. That rounds out its staff to three employees, two interns, and two independent contractors. It hopes to add two more hires in early 2011 as more companies come on board. "There has been a huge upswing," Johnson says.This growth is also part of a plan to expand the clientele outside of Metro Detroit. It is aiming at growing in more Midwestern markets, including across Michigan and into Ohio, Indiana, and Canada.Source: Ross Johnson, CEO, designer, and janitor of 3.7 DesignsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Ann Arbor’s Clarity Quest Marketing adds Connecticut office, to expand nationwide

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Arts & Culture

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November 3, 2010

Clarity Quest Marketing has always been known as a company that can get the word out about techie startups. Now the downtown Ann Arbor-based firm is adding all things healthcare to that description.The 9-year-old marketing agency has traditionally done work for tech and bio-tech firms, but is now growing its customer base to include medical practices and physicians groups. The move is a logical one considering Clarity Quest Marketing's president, Christine Slocumb, is married to a doctor."It's a way to diversify," Slocumb says. "The healthcare industry doesn't go through as many ups and downs in hard times."Clarity Quest Marketing is growing now that the hard times are subsiding. The company has hired three people over the last year, expanding its staff to 12 employees, 10 independent contractors, and an occasional intern. About five of those employees are in the Ann Arbor office, with the rest spread between its Seattle location and the new office in Connecticut. The company expects to add another 3-5 positions over the next year as it continues its U.S. expansion."We're growing here to cover the entire country," Slocumb says.Source: Christine Slocumb, president of Clarity Quest MarketingWriter: Jon Zemke