20100104-NEWS--0001-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2009 6:37 PM Page 1 ® www.crainsdetroit.com Vol. 26, No. 1 JANUARY 4 – 10, 2010 $2 a copy; $59 a year ©Entire contents copyright 2010 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved Newsmakers Page 3 2009 $3M in repairs prep Cobo for auto show Fixes seen as essential to future of NAIAS BY NANCY KAFFER CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS REPAIR LIST Farmington Hills company of the Pre-North American International From roof leaks to electrical distribution, renovations big and small have creates ‘smart’ streetlights Auto Show repairs at Detroit’s been under way for weeks at Cobo Center in Detroit, home of the North American International Auto Show this month. Other project areas include: Cobo Center are complete, and auto show organizers couldn’t be Fire system repairs and Businesses see land mines inspection. more pleased. lurking in health bills “There had been the discussion Air compressor system repairs. about keeping the show at its Fixing water leaks in the cooling Battle expected over taxes, rightful home, which is of course system. at Cobo in Detroit, and we’ve been Fixing emergency lights and Year reforms in 2011 state budget able to do that because of being closed-circuit television monitors. able to initiate and complete the Restroom repairs. first steps of upgrading the facili- Inside ty to be on par with some of the ON WITH THE SHOW folks on the circuit,” said Sam Hospitals watch case that Locricchio, managing director The auto show begins Jan. 11 with the Press Preview. The Industry preview is Jan. 13-14, the Charity Preview is Jan. 15 and the show is open and head of the global automotive to the public Jan. 16-24. Details are online at naias.com. could expand treatment practice for John Bailey & Associ- responsibilities, Page 13 ates Inc. Public Relations in Troy. he 2009 INSIDE News- Locricchio handles public rela- obvious,” Brown said. Major preshow repairs have Q&A with Profiles, tions for the auto show. Cobo, which is owned by the been complete since mid-Novem- T makers Pages 6-7 Six projects priced at roughly city of Detroit, was transferred to ber, when exhibitors began set- Fred Leeb, began to over- Year in $3 million were targeted for com- a regional authority last summer. ting up, Brown said. Pontiac’s haul Detroit Review, pletion before the show, said Gary Members are appointed by the The less-obvious work Brown Public Schools, Pages Brown, chief construction officer governor, the mayor of Detroit described include things such as 10-11 emergency celebrated an for the Detroit Regional Convention and leaders of Wayne, Oakland fixing a glitch in Cobo’s fire sys- Facility Authority and owner of and Macomb counties. The au- tem, repairs to the compressor The financial anniversary, in- Dearborn-based Diversity in Design thority will oversee a long-term system and fixing leaking floor vested in the re- Newsmaker manager, of the Year GMB L.L.C. renovation and expansion funded boxes that provide water for the gion’s future will be “Some were more the notorious through the extension of an exist- center’s cooling system. Page 18 and won elec- announced items like the roof leaks and the ing tri-county liquor and hotel “We had to repair the compres- tions, among Jan. 11 electrical distribution, which tax. sors in the air dryers in the me- needed to accommodate some of The work, auto show organiz- chanical systems — when you use This Just In other actions. the differing voltages, and there ers said, was necessary to keep were some things that were not so the show in Detroit. See Cobo, Page 21 Dickinson Wright partners elect Burgess new CEO Detroit-based Dickinson Wright P.L.L.C. has a new ‘Biggest Loser’ adds bit of muscle to local economy CEO, Bill Burgess, and will ap- point a new chairman short- BY CHAD HALCOM Training a handful of sixth-season contes- ly to succeed former Detroit CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS the local contestants tants Amy and Shellay Mayor Dennis Archer. was enough to generate Cremen, and expects to James Samborn, 62, manag- Pounds lost translated to local dollars gained a career change and finish 2009 with rev- ing partner and CEO of the from “The Biggest Loser,” an NBC weight-loss new business for enue around $30,000, firm for 10 years, stepped reality TV series that may have generated up to William “Buddy” after seven months in down from the post effective $1 million in economic impact for Southeast Butcher, a former die business. Eventually Jan. 1 to focus on his practice Michigan in 2009. worker laid off from Ro- he hopes to build up as a partner in construction The long-running program, which returns to seville-based DieTech Buddy May’s into a law and commercial litiga- start its ninth season Tuesday night, has gener- North America L.L.C. commercial fitness tion and to aid the firm on ated a new crop of local startup businesses, ad- working part time as a studio. special projects, said Burgess. vertising campaign media buys, product en- wrestling coach at War- “That show has pret- Burgess, 50, a partner with dorsement deals and motivational speaking ren Mott High School. ty much done all the engagements tied to past Detroit-area contes- NATHAN SKID/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS See This Just In, Page 2 That was before he William “Buddy” Butcher, owner of Roseville-based work for me in growing tants on the show. co-trained Helen Buddy May’s Fitness L.L.C., saw his business bulk business. I’ve done a Phillips of Sterling up after training a winning contestant in NBC’s little self-promotional Heights, who became “Biggest Loser” competition. work, and some ap- the seventh-season win- pearances to help,” he ner on the show in May by dropping from 257 to said. “But mostly it’s been (that) one person 117 pounds. Now president and owner of Ro- says that they’re training with a guy who seville-based Buddy May’s Fitness L.L.C., he aver- trained Helen on ‘Biggest Loser,’ and then nine ages 25 clients a week as a fitness trainer and more people come knocking on my door.” about $800 in weekly revenue. Owner and CEO Joe Vicari of Warren-based He also handled some training for seventh- NEWSPAPER season contestant Carla Triplett of Detroit and See ‘Biggest Loser,’ Page 19 20100104-NEWS--0002-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2009 6:22 PM Page 1 Page 2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS January 4, 2010 BEST DEALS, DEALMAKERS 973 – also makes health insurer re- than 100 events, including a Pittsfield Township headquarters Involved in a merger, acquisition or THIS JUST IN imbursement or coverage for the Health Expo at Cobo Hall that was and add 131 jobs. expansion in 2009? new chiropractic services option- attended by more than 5,000 unin- It begins the new year, though, You may be eligible for the third ■ From Page 1 al, rather than required. sured or underinsured people. based at the Two Towne Square annual Crain’s M&A Awards. The governor is expected to The network also established building in Southfield. According Crain’s Detroit Business and the a focus in bankruptcy and insol- sign the bills. Covering Kids & Families Michigan, a to state records, the company filed Detroit chapter of the Association vency law and a 14-year member of — Amy Lane coalition of 24 organizations that articles of incorporation as Atwell for Corporate Growth will honor Dickinson’s management commit- enrolled 50,000 uninsured chil- L.L.C. on Oct. 30. companies and individuals in the tee group, was elected by partners. National Coney names new CFO dren into state-sponsored health When it applied for the tax cred- following categories: Archer becomes chairman insurance programs. it, it said it had considered expand- Ⅲ Best Deal of the Year: Under emeritus. The firm hopes to name Roseville-based National Coney — Jay Greene ing into Tennessee. $100 million and $100 million or a successor by the end of January. Island Inc. has named Daniel Roma The company still maintains a more. No one involved is leaving the CFO. Pittsfield location, according to its Ⅲ Dealmaker of the Year: M&A Roma, most recently vice presi- Atwell-Hicks changes name, HQ Web site. experts, lenders, CPAs, firm. dent at Soave Real Estate Group and Atwell-Hicks Inc. has a new name But the move means the compa- consultants and attorneys, among “Notwithstanding the tremen- others, are eligible. dous economic upheaval that this former director of asset manage- and new headquarters in South- ny is no longer eligible for the tax Ⅲ Best Expansions: This category state and region faced, particular- ment with Pulte Homes Inc., is re- field. abatement, Bridget Beckman, pub- includes physical plant ly in 2009, this was actually a sponsible for financial, account- In February, Atwell-Hicks, the lic information officer for the expansions, new product lines, record year in terms of revenue,” ing, human resource and strategic land development, surveying and MEDC, told Crain’s; the compa- diversification of client base and Burgess said. “It’s exciting to me planning. engineering firm, got a $1.4 million ny’s senior managers weren’t other similar activities that lead to personally to lead a firm that’s — Nathan Skid tax abatement from the Michigan available for comment in time for job creation and/or economic been able to show that resiliency Economic Growth Authority to expand deadline.