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www.crainsdetroit.com Vol. 31, No. 6 FEBRUARY 9 – 15, 2015 $2 a copy; $59 a year
©Entire contents copyright 2015 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved Page 3 Compuware units predict growth Nonprofit offers to help startups become high-fliers Lori Blaker: Strategy: Push mainframes, seed cloud biz LIFE AFTER COMPUWARE: Making a world BY TOM HENDERSON When Compuware, the Detroit- CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS based computer services company, WHATFORMER CEO of difference was bought by Thoma Bravo LLC, a BOB PAUL IS DOING with family biz Chris O’Malley, the president and Chicago-based private equity firm, CEO of Compuware Corp., which was for $2.4 billion in a deal that closed in – AND PLANNING reconfigured as a mainframe-only December, it was quickly split into Inventors make Ernest effort business in December, says he has two companies, which long had been PAGE 26 to revive the typewriter no intention of running a shrinking a goal of former Compuware CEO company. He says that within three Bob Paul. (See accompanying Q&A.) years he will halt a decade-long de- Compuware was founded in 1973 cline in revenue and prove wrong CRAIN’S O’Malley Van Siclen as a mainframe support business, those who say an ongoing slide for but recent acquisitions had made it MICHIGAN BUSINESS the aging computer platform is inevitable. a major player in the a segment known as application John Van Siclen, the president and CEO of Dynatrace performance management, which allows large compa- Kennedy: More LLC, the stand-alone business spun out from Com- nies to monitor in real time the performance of their than Obamacare puware to focus on cutting-edge, cloud-based technolo- various software applications. gies, says his company will beat early expectations, The mainframe business has high margins, but has mandate foe, too, and despite a round of layoffs in January is on a Page 17 fast growth track. See Compuware, Page 26 Second Stage On Feb. 11, 1985, Crain’s reported that Stroh’s Detroit LOOKING BACKDetroitplant was plant likely was to likely be torn to bedown. torn Stroh’s down troublesand razed. Thiswere storyan omen tells ofhow a shift Stroh’s in the troubles beer industry. were representative of a shift in the beer industry. ISTOCK PHOTO 30 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK How 3 startups survived the first 3 months, Page 11 This Just In For Stroh’s, the Bell’s tolled 2 businesses win $100,000 grants in NEI challenge The New Economy Initiative The crumbling of a Detroit institution rang in has announced the two win- ners of its $100,000 NEIdeas CLICK BACK crainsdetroit.com/30 challenge: Detroit-based J & G the era of craft breweries Pallets and Trucking and High- To read 1985 story: land Park-based Sherwood Pro- BY DUSTIN WALSH Also, look at Page One from Feb. 11, 1985, plus more about our 30th year. totype. The two firms will both CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS receive $100,000 grants to help them grow their businesses. troh Brewery Co. announced 30 years ago it would raze “These are businesses that its 1 million-square-foot brewery, bottling and ware- have wreathed a lot of storms house buildings on Gratiot Avenue at I-75. The late Pe- and have the potential to grow ter Stroh, chairman of the iconic Detroit beer company, quite significantly,” said Dave S Egner, executive director of said no amount of investment could save the brewery in the face NEI. of a declining beer audience — which dropped from 31 million NEI devised NEIdeas last barrels to 24 million barrels annually. year to help small businesses That year, 1985, marked the beginning of the in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck that have been end of Stroh and a culture shift for Michigan beer open at least three years and drinkers as a small-time home brewer took his are looking to grow. The chal- craft legal. lenge was broken into two Larry Bell founded Kalamazoo-based Bell’s Brew- parts: $10,000 grants to 30 ery Inc. the same year Stroh’s was razed and today is firms and $100,000 grants to one of the largest local beer producers — expected to The Stroh Brewery Co. plant along two firms. The program is ex- Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. Today, it’s the site of pected to relaunch this spring. produce 410,000 barrels of craft beer in 2015. Brewery Park, the headquarters of Crain Communications Inc. — Amy Haimerl – and where Crain’s Detroit Business has been written since 2001. Bell See Beer, Page 29 NEWSPAPER 20150209-NEWS--0002-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 1:57 PM Page 1
Page 2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015
MICHIGAN BRIEFS Survey: More small firms leave it ping channels or other repairs, re- placement or construction. to workers to buy health coverage State turns on money spigot to end Flint water torture Ⅲ A subsidiary of Grand Rapids- Only 28 percent of small-business based Universal Forest Products Inc. ac- owners who offer employee health The problems for the Flint water system just keep disinfectant byproduct. Flint, formerly a major cus- quired assets of Rapid Wood Mfg. LLC coverage indicated they intend to going drip, drip, drip. … Last week, the Genesee In- tomer of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, of Caldwell, Idaho, MiBiz reported. continue those benefits into 2016, ac- termediate School District said it had stopped using severed those ties last year to build a pipe into Lake In January, Universal acquired a cording to a Grand Valley State Univer- city water and was giving bottled water to about Huron, ostensibly to save money. majority stake in Australia’s Integra sity survey that asked how they were 1,300 preschoolers. Until the pipe is ready in 16 months, Flint gets wa- Packaging Proprietary Ltd. reacting to the Affordable Care Act. Also last week, Gov. Rick Snyder and the state ter from the Flint River, which residents say has the Ⅲ Carson Health in Montcalm That move stems in part from the stepped in, pledging $2 million in grants. The money smell, taste and appearance of something that looks County was acquired by Sparrow option available for individuals to will pay for a contractor to perform a leak detection less like water and more like, well. Health of Lansing, Sparrow said in buy coverage through public health survey of city water lines and shut down the Water Last year, a General Motors Co. engine plant a statement. Carson, with 61 beds, exchanges created under Oba- Pollution Control Facility incinerator, replacing it stopped using water from the Flint River after the had been an affiliate of the Spar- macare, MiBiz reported. with facilities allowing for waste disposal in land- automaker said it caused rusting on its engine row system since 1997. The results confirm much of fills, The Associated Press reported. parts. Ⅲ The Daily News in New York what insurance carriers have seen Flint’s emergency manager, Jerry Ambrose, said The decision is expected to cost the city about City reports that Dow Chemical Co. and heard from small employers, the financial relief also will free money to acceler- $400,000 per year in lost revenue. Chairman and CEO Andrew Liv- said Scott Norman, vice president ate the replacement of major pipelines, which he “The water today is within all acceptable guide- eris bought a condominium in Man- of sales and client services at Priori- said will increase water circulation and improve lines — and that’s an improvement over where it hattan’s Chelsea neighborhood for ty Health, which sponsored the quality. was a couple months ago,” Ambrose said. “That $10.75 million. The 2,500-square-foot GVSU survey. The results also In January, Flint’s system was in violation of the says the water is safe. It doesn’t say the quality is abode on the 17th floor has three point to the expected rise of the in- Safe Drinking Water Act because of high levels of a acceptable, and that’s not acceptable to us.” bedrooms, “sweeping views of Mid- dividual market. town ... and 12-foot ceilings.” It is said that his neighbors include ac- The de-malling strategy effective- will not cut back on its expansion Ⅲ The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tress Cameron Diaz. How can you save a mall? Some ly breathed new life into Grand plans or workforce despite an will spend an additional $12 million developers turn to ‘de-malling’ Rapids’ Centerpointe Mall, now about 8 percent decline in sales last year. this year on improvements to the Find business news from 98 percent occupied, according to Amway attributed the decline to a Great Lakes navigational system, around the state at crainsdetroit Despite numerous headlines Colliers International. The de-malling strong U.S. dollar and lower sales The Associated Press reported. The .com/crainsmichiganbusiness. touting the death of the American of Centerpointe has inspired devel- in China, the Ada-based compa- additional money allocated to the Sign up for the Crain’s Michi- shopping mall, West Michigan de- opers to do a similar project at an- ny’s largest market. Detroit district will pay for eight gan Morning e-newsletter at velopers have avoided an untimely other mall that has fallen on hard Ⅲ The latest quarterly survey of projects involving dredging of ship- crainsdetroit.com/emailsignup. demise. One key has been a push times in recent years: Holland’s office furniture executives by to effectively “de-mall” the sprawl- Westshore Mall on U.S. 31. Michael A. Dunlap & Associates found ing shopping complexes where the industry “very steady” heading CORRECTION stores are connected via interior MICH-CELLANEOUS in the new year. “We are confident corridors. Instead, they’re rear- that the industry is still on course to Ⅲ The cost of Oakland University’s Executive MBA, health care leader- ranging the traditional shopping Ⅲ Amway Corp. President Doug achieve its best year in more than a ship emphasis, is $42,500. An incorrect price was published in a list of malls so that the stores are only ac- DeVos told The Grand Rapids decade,” said Michael Dunlap, head selected area leadership programs in the Feb. 2 edition. cessible from outside entrances. Press that the direct-sales giant of the Holland consultancy.
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February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 3 Nonprofit’s goal: Help firms rocket Inside
ing, mentoring cess to investors to more than com- Endeavor starts affiliate to and inspiring panies. the next genera- It has shied away from the Unit- tion of local ed States because the support for boost Detroit entrepreneurs high-impact en- entrepreneurs is strong here, but trepreneurs.” Endeavor realized that a few U.S. BY AMY HAIMERL firms that are on the cusp of extra- Historically, cities face similar challenges to CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ordinary growth. the New York those entrepreneurs in emerging “The entrepreneurial talent in City-based orga- markets. So, in 2013, it opened a Help is coming for Detroit’s Detroit and the broader region is nization has Miami affiliate and now will make high-growth, high-impact entre- impressive,” said Endeavor co- worked in glob- Egner Detroit its second U.S. location. preneurs, whether they are in founder and CEO Linda Rotten- al emerging Endeavor made its way to De- technology or the trades. berg. “We’re excited to support markets, such as Chile, Mexico, troit through Dave Egner and the Celebrating a Soup that’s fed The global nonprofit Endeavor is these companies to scale, stay and Saudi Arabia and South Africa, launching an affiliate here to help multiply their impact by invest- bringing mentoring, talent and ac- See Endeavor Page 27 many a small biz, Page 10
Company index These companies have significant mention in this Making a world week’s Crain’s Detroit Business: Accountable Care Organization ...... 7 Active Solutions Group ...... 16 Atwater Brewing ...... 29 Autocam Medical ...... 17 of difference Autoliv ...... 21 Belfor Holdings ...... 21 If you were family ... he felt he was Bell’s Brewery ...... 1 TTI boss Blaker providing us with an opportunity Compuware ...... 1, 26 to work, and we should be happy Cooper-Standard Automotive ...... 21 with that.” Detroit Fiber Works ...... 11, 12 went global with But Blaker pushed for more. Detroit Regional Chamber ...... 17 And today, under her leadership, Detroit Soup ...... 10 the company now known as TTi Domino’s Pizza ...... 21 business, causes Global has grown to $110 million in Dow Corning ...... 21 revenue and has established a Dynatrace ...... 1 BY SHERRI WELCH presence in 25 countries. Edward Rose & Sons ...... 17 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS The obstacles Blaker, 57, had to Endeavor ...... 3 overcome along the way — includ- Federal-Mogul ...... 21 In the early 1990s, Lori Blaker ing sexism, divorce and the chal- Hello West Michigan ...... 20 was a divisional president at her lenges of balancing motherhood Inteva Products ...... 21 parents’ technical manual and with the company’s top job — to- ITC Holdings ...... 6 training company, working with day drive her efforts to help other Kelly Services ...... 21 Ford Motor Co. to train automotive women achieve success. Metaldyne ...... 21 electronic control technicians. She is active on the speaker cir- Mich. Center for Empowerment & Econ. Development 11 She was also a hostess at the cuit and spends time mentoring Michigan Charitable Gaming Association ...... 4 Palace of Auburn Hills’ Palace young women in metro Detroit. Michigan Gaming Control Board ...... 4 Grille. She’s also working to empower Michigan Office Systems ...... 17 A single mother with three chil- women internationally by sharing Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone ...... 29 dren, Blaker needed the second job her story and creating vocational MSX International ...... 21, 28 to make her house payment and programs to aid budding female New Economy Initiative ...... 27 keep shoes on her sons’ feet. entrepreneurs. Northern United Brewing ...... 29 “I was probably one of the But it all took root in the family Oakwood ACO ...... 7 worst-paid employees because I business. JOHN SOBCZAK Owens Family Foods ...... 11, 12 was family,” she said. Lori Blaker was the first employee of the company launched by her parents, but SkySpecs ...... 11, 14 “My dad was kind of old school. See Blaker, Page 28 had to prove to her father she was tough enough to be in charge. Southeast Michigan Accountable Care ...... 7 Strategic Staffing Solutions ...... 27, 28 Stroh Brewery ...... 1 TTi Global ...... 3 TRW Automotive Holdings ...... 21 “There is nothing to writing. All you do is Vistage Michigan ...... 16 Visteon ...... 21 sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” WADL TV-38 ...... 4 The Hemingwrite: To have electric and have not the Internet. — Ernest Hemingway
Y ILL HEA pair created a modern portable electric COURTESY OF B B S HEMINGWRITE CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS typewriter/word processor hybrid last fall that employs an e-ink screen (instead of Department index Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is paper or traditional LED display) on a de- Inventors no rule on how to write. Sometimes it vice that doesn’t allow the user to indulge BANKRUPTCIES ...... 4 comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it’s in the attention-gobbling distraction of In- BUSINESS DIARY ...... 24 like drilling rock and then blasting it out ternet browsing or social media. CALENDAR ...... 23 with charges.” In other words, no Trivia Crack, Face- CLASSIFIED ADS ...... 25 offer an Ernest effort However inspiration comes, Detroit- book or kitten videos. KEITH CRAIN...... 8 based inventors Adam Leeb and Patrick Enough writers are captivated by the Paul are banking that enough writers single-function Hemingwrite that they’ve MARY KRAMER ...... 17 want both nostalgia and a distraction-free pledged more than $342,000 in 45 days to OPINION ...... 8 to make keyboarding writing tool that they’ve created: the a now-closed Kickstarter fundraising cam- OTHER VOICES ...... 9 Hemingwrite. paign with an original goal of $250,000. Employing the name of the grandfather PEOPLE ...... 24 more like writing of 20th century American literature, the See Hemingwrite, Page 25 RUMBLINGS ...... 30 STAGE TWO STRATEGIES ...... 16 WEEK ON THE WEB ...... 30 Smile and say “Cheese” ... everyone THIS WEEK @ Have a scene from your city? Share it with @crainsdetroit on Instagram. We’re always WWW.CRAINSDETROIT.COM looking for photos to share on crainsdetroit.com 20150209-NEWS--0004-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 4:37 PM Page 1
Page 4 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 Court date set in battle over state gaming rules
BY SHERRI WELCH aire parties since last July. that can take place at a location, CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Those rules are enabling charity among other regulations. poker games to continue, albeit at The new rules — both emer- Oral arguments are set for a reduced rate, said Rick Kalm, ex- gency and proposed — are decreas- March 3 in a Michigan Gaming Con- ecutive director of the gaming con- ing charities’ ability to raise mon- trol Board appeal that will attempt trol board. ey through the games, said Jean to reinstate millionaire party rules Since July, the board has issued Kordenbrock, manager of the introduced last year. more than 1,000 millionaire party Michigan Charitable Gaming As- The case is the latest in nearly a licenses to charities, each license sociation. year and a half of legislative wran- good for up to four consecutive Charities are having a tough gling between the state board and days, he said. And it’s approved 25 time finding a spot to host a four- the Michigan Charitable Gaming As- new bar/restaurant locations as day event, especially on the west sociation over tighter regulation of sites charities can rent for the side of the state, Kordenbrock the charity poker games. games, adding to 40 other locations said. The Michigan Court of Claims last approved prior to 2011 and the Permanent poker rooms are an summer enjoined the new rules, charities’ option to use their own, important factor in helping chari- determining that the gaming con- private facility. ties — especially those from small trol board should have gone back Those approvals follow the clo- towns with limited populations — through the entire rule-making sure of 23 or more permanent pok- attract people to charity poker process after changes were made er rooms around the state that games, she said. following legislative and public were operating unlawfully, ac- Sherri Welch: (313) 446-1694, hearings. cording to the state board, and a [email protected]. Twitter: !3 0!24.%23 9/5 '%4 4/ &/#53 /. Emergency rules have been in reduction in the number of games @sherriwelch "5),$).' 9/52 "53).%33 place to govern ongoing million- 7(),% 7% &/#53 /. &).!.#).' )4 FCC significantly boosts opening bid for Adell TV station
The Federal Communications Com- mission has significantly increased its expected opening bid for local broadcaster Kevin Adell’s WADL TV-38 in Clinton Township to a maximum of $380 million with a median price of $360 million. That’s up from a possible $170 Increase your cash flow and pursue million last year. bigger opportunities with our customized, The revised estimate comes flexible lending solutions. from a new report on behalf of the FCC by investment firm Greenhill & s !2 &INANCING (248) 658-1100 Co. LLC. s ,INES OF #REDIT www.hitachibusinessfinance.com The FCC in early 2016 will auc- tion portions of the 600-MHz UHF over-the-air broadcast spectrum from TV stations to mobile wire- less providers that need more air- waves bandwidth . Adell will continue to own The Word Network, the Southfield-based Christian television programming satellite network that is a separate company. — Bill Shea
BANKRUPTCIES The following businesses filed for pro- tection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in De- Call Joe Haney troit Jan. 30-Feb. 5. Under Chapter 11, President-Principal a company files for reorganization. Certified Risk Architect Chapter 7 involves total liquidation. Al Huda Properties LLC, 4640 Nutmeg Drive, Ypsilanti; voluntary Chapter 11. Assets, $906,500; liabilities, $67,300. Al-Hafiz LLC, 4640 Nutmeg Drive, Ypsi- lanti; voluntary Chapter 11. Assets, $2,003,000; liabilities, $164,054. QSC-Novi LLC, 174 Ridge Road, Grosse Pointe Farms; voluntary Chapter 7. It’s time to rethink your insurance strategy Assets, $13,000; liabilities, $37,500 Town Center Flats LLC, 45343 Market 888.525.7575 | 586.323.5700 | sterlingagency.com St., Shelby Township; voluntary Chapter 11. Assets and liabilities not available. Sterling Insurance Group is a Michigan based company. — Chad Halcom DBpageAD_DBpageAD.qxd 2/6/2015 9:40 AM Page 1
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Page 6 February 9, 2015 THE MILLER LAW FIRM Changing the Odds in our Clients’ Favor ITC to expand grid, remakes executive team
BY JAY GREENE CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS
Novi-based ITC Holdings Corp. (NYSE:ITC), the nation’s largest independent electricity transmis- sion company, has reorganized its executive ranks to support expect- ed increased investment in elec- tric grid development activities. To prepare for nearly $4.5 billion in capital spending from 2014 to 2018, outlined in its five-year in- vestment plan, ITC CEO Joseph Welch announced the following: Linda Blair, executive vice president and chief business unit officer, will be responsible for leading all aspects of the financial and operational performance of The Miller Law Firm is Recognized ITC’s four regulated operating companies. She also will become president of ITC Transmission and as a Leader in Complex Business Litigation Michigan Electric Transmission Co. businesses. Gregory Ioanidis, to vice presi- Q Q Automotive supplier counseling Commercial and business lawsuits dent of business unit finance and rates for the four regulated operat- Q Employment litigation Q Shareholder and partnership disputes ing companies, from president of ITC Michigan. Referral fees honored on contingency fee cases Daniel Oginsky, to executive 950 West University Drive, Suite 300 vice president of U.S. regulated grid development, from executive Rochester, Michigan 48307 248-841-2200 millerlawpc.com vice president and general coun- sel. Kristine Schmidt, to vice presi- dent of regulated grid develop- ment, from president of ITC Great Plains. Terry Harvill, to vice president of international and merchant de- Our relationship with velopment, from vice president of grid development. Brian Slocum, to vice president our clients is always of operations, from vice president of engineering. Joe Bennett, to vice president of engineering, from director, fa- In Bloom cilities, safety and security. Gretchen Holloway, to vice pres- ident of finance, from director, fi- At ShindelRock, we know that a great client nance, special projects and in- relationship takes time to grow. That’s why vestor relations. Christine Mason Soneral, to vice we offer the services and expertise, like president and general counsel, year-round tax planning, to help take a from vice president and general counsel for utility operations. Metro Detroit business like Wesley Berry Simon Whitelocke, to vice presi- Flowers from seedling to spectacular. dent and chief compliance officer, from vice president, external and regulatory affairs. “In the 20 years we’ve been a client, Nina Plaushin, to vice president of regulatory and federal affairs and Maria and her team have been as will assume additional responsibili- passionate about growing my ty for regulatory issues. She had been vice president, federal affairs. business as I have been. They’re Kevin Burke, vice president of human resources, will assume ad- always there when we need them.” ditional responsibility for market- ing and communications. ~Wesley Berry ITC was born in February 2003 when a group of New York-based private equity investors acquired DTE Energy’s transmission sub- sidiary in Michigan for $621 mil- lion. Contact for Inquiries Through those subsidiaries, ITC owns and operates high-voltage Maria Montie, CPA, MST, CVA, CFFA transmission facilities in Michi- Managing Partner gan, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wesley Berry, President Maria Montie, Managing Partner Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. www.ShindelRock.com | 248.855.8833 It serves a combined peak load ex- ceeding 26,000 megawatts along 28100 Cabot Drive Ste. 102 | Novi, MI 48377 15,000 circuit miles of transmis- sion line. 20150209-NEWS--0007-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 1:57 PM Page 1
February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 7 ACOs saving millions under Medicare’s cost-cutting program
BY JAY GREENE One of metro Detroit’s newest with Medicare. Isenstein said the biggest area of physician services, home health, CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ACOs, The Accountable Care Organiza- So far, 243 ACOs saved Medicare savings for the Oakwood ACO nursing home and durable medical tion Ltd. (TACO), based in Farming- $877 million during an 18-month come through reduced hospitaliza- equipment, some ACOs contract or Many of the 15 accountable care ton Hills, also is saving Medicare period ending in 2013 and re- tions, reduced readmissions, fewer affiliate with organizations in Michigan are sav- money, but officials for the ACO couped $460 million for their hos- emergency visits and lower high- post-acute care ing millions of dollars for the said it is too early to predict finan- pitals and doctors, according to technology diagnostic tests for its providers. For Medicare program along with cial numbers for 2014, the physi- documents provided by the Centers 14,000 Medicare patients. example, TACO passing along significant financial cian-led organization’s first year. for Medicare and Medicaid Services. On the other side, Isenstein said, has a contract rewards to hundreds of participat- Other ACOs operating in Michi- While financial savings for 2014 the biggest area of lost revenue with Center ing physicians, according to sever- gan include the Genesys Physician haven’t been released, ACO sav- comes from patients choosing to Line-based Bin- al local ACO executives. Hospital Organization, Accountable ings appear to be ahead of projec- see physicians not part of Oak- son’s Hospital Sup- Under Medicare’s ACO cost con- Healthcare Alliance PC, St. John Provi- tions. In 2012, Medicare projected wood ACO and going out of the plies Inc. for tainment program — begun as dence Partners in Care and Physician $1 billion in savings for the first Oakwood post-acute care network. home medical three-year pilot projects outlined Organization of Michigan ACO. three years of the program and up “Hopefully our doctors do a good Margolis and respiratory in the Affordable Care Act of 2010 Tony Vespa, SEMAC’s executive to $5 billion through 2019. job at stressing the importance of equipment. — groups of hospitals, physicians director, said the shared-savings But ACO executives like Bill continuity of care, but the model Participating in TACO are 25 and other providers band together ACO ranked No. 4 in the nation in Isenstein, Oakwood ACO’s execu- we set up allows patients to go else- hospitals that are part of McLaren to coordinate care for seniors en- performance, saving $24.6 million tive director and COO, said second where for care,” Isenstein said. Health Care Corp., St. John Providence rolled in traditional Medicare. for Medicare from July 2012 and third year contract savings Medicare also is adding dozens Health System, Beaumont Health Sys- If they generate sufficient sav- through the end of 2013. may be lower than the first year be- of new ACOs, including several in tem and DMC. ings and hit predetermined quali- Ranked ahead of SEMAC were cause ACOs must hit predeter- Southeast Michigan. Nationally, Of TACO’s shared savings ty targets in their second contract Memorial Hermann ACO in Texas, mined quality targets to be eligible. there are more than 40 ACOs cov- share, 50 percent go to physicians year, the ACOs split the savings Palm Beach ACO in Florida and Still, quality also appears to be ering 7.2 million of 50 million based on volume and quality mea- with Medicare. Catholic Medical Partners in New on the increase for the Medicare Medicare beneficiaries. surements, 30 percent for share- In Southeast Michigan, for ex- York, Vespa said. patients. Over- In 2013, Jeffrey Margolis, M.D., holders, 10 percent for ACO leader- ample, Dearborn-based Oakwood “Our organization shared $12.1 all, ACO perfor- president of The Accountable Care ship and 10 percent is kept for ACO LLC saved Medicare $17 mil- million. There were a lot of happy mance on quali- Organization, said physicians, pri- infrastructure, capital reserves, lion and kept $8.4 million during doctors here who got their checks ty improved for marily affiliated with Michigan information technology and pa- its first 18-month period from July before Christmas,” said Vespa, 28 of 33 mea- Healthcare Professionals PC, formed tient education. 2012 to December 2013. United Out- noting that the 149 participating sures, including the ACO to coordinate care for Of the $8.4 million in shared sav- standing Physicians’ Southeast Michi- doctors were rewarded based on depression some 28,000 Medicare patients in ings for the Oakwood ACO, Isen- gan Accountable Care (SEMAC), number of patients, utilization, screening, med- their care and to reduce costs for stein said the 450 participating also based in Dearborn, saved $24.6 quality and ownership shares. ication reconcil- the Medicare program. physicians, including about 140 million and kept $12.1 million dur- Vespa said that through the iation, colorec- “So far The Accountable Care primary care doctors, split about ing the same period. third quarter of 2014 SEMAC is on Isenstein tal cancer Organization’s program seems to 80 percent with the higher per- Detroit Medical Center’s Michigan track to save about $16.4 million screening and be a success,” said Margolis, who forming doctors receiving larger Pioneer ACO, saved $14 million and for the second year. normalizing blood-sugar levels. also is president of Michigan shares. kept $6 million. Pioneer is on track Under the Medicare ACO pro- For example, data from Oakwood Healthcare Professionals. Jay Greene: (313) 446-0325, to generate similar savings in 2014, gram, ACOs that cut expenses by showed its ACO scored above aver- Because ACOs are rewarded for [email protected]. Twitter: officials said. at least 2 percent share savings age on 18 of 33 measures. lowering costs on hospital care, @jaybgreene
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Page 8 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 OPINION Walker puts face on area transit needs or years, public transit advocates have tried to find a champion to expand transit options in Southeast Michi- F gan to at least match other metro areas. But finding a “name” that resonates regionally rather than one of the five counties was hard. Until now. The Detroit Free Press profile of Detroiter James Robertson and his 21-mile walk to work in Rochester Hills has gone viral. Robertson’s face — and his work ethic and resilience — resonate with thousands of people — enough to have raised more than $300,000 in a crowd-funding page aimed at helping him buy a car, insurance and gasoline. Suburban Ford of Ster- ling Heights has given him a 2015 Ford Focus. But Robertson himself has said that he wishes the region simply had better transit. Rochester Hills, where his employer is based, opted out of suburban bus service, the kind of service that would have at least allowed him to cut down on the miles walked. But a more integrated city-suburb transit system is needed. Southeast Michigan’s nascent Regional Transit Authority will seek voter approval of some type of dedicated tax to expand transit — without communities being able to opt out. The RTA should get to know Mr. Robertson. He knows how to tell a story. TALK ON THE WEB From www.crainsdetroit.com Innovation comes in all sizes Re: Patterson proposes property tax in an instant. Reader responses to stories and BobNB Everything old is new again, as many have written. cut in Oakland County blogs that appeared on Crain’s website. Comments may be As Bill Shea reports on Page 3, a couple of Detroit-based in- The intentions are good and it edited for length and clarity. Re: Jeb Bush touts conservative ventors have mounted a successful Kickstarter campaign to plays well with hard-core Republi- cans. But I think most people policies to aid middle class, business build, well, a typewriter. politicians and council members. would much rather have the money It’s actually more sophisticated than Many of us in the private sector If the GOP wants to win in ’16, spent on the roads. that, an electric typewriter/word proces- would be lucky to get any pension. they had better get someone else be- Rock & Roll 35 sides the current clown car of sor hybrid called the Hemingwrite that Especially these days. Kaos Rex dummies they’re trotting out. uses an e-ink screen. Its most important Re: Ally seeks riskier borrowers as new They have zero chance. Apparent- asset? An aid to concentration in the CEO takes helm of auto lender Re: Gilbert, others eye city-owned sites ly they have learned nothing in the form of no Internet access. last eight years. Also looking to innovate an old tech- These companies seem to forget in Brush Park, Midtown, riverfront Trexinmichigan what got us in the position we Would be glad if Gilbert inter- The Hemingwritenology is Chris O’Malley, CEO of Com- were in just over six years ago. puware Corp., which post-acquisition is only in the business of The problem once again is greed to vened. There is so much well-locat- Re: Nexteer eyes bigger brand with HQ mainframes. As Tom Henderson reports in a Page 1 story, to drive the sales engine of lending. ed land that is completely empty. It move to Southeast Michigan We will never learn! needs a quality, rapid redevelopment. that end, the company has developed a product — the first new There are some lovely buildings Nexteer already has an office in jk6590 Troy from where a couple of execu- one for the company since 1999 — to help younger IT managers along John R, but I personally tives work. Although it’s a great understand what mainframes do and work with them. wouldn’t want to be surrounded by company to work for, they have Re: Pension cuts, interest paybacks from blocks of urban prairie. If a lot of Our takeaway is that these stories are a good reminder that been having a hard time recruit- bankruptcy prompt cries of betrayal quality mixed-use developments innovation comes in a number of forms, some of it disruptive ing engineers as it’s located in Sag- go in quickly, however, the look, and some of it involving legacy businesses and technologies. This is the price government inaw. So, I can understand the un- the safety and the appeal of the A good thought for old-line media companies as well. employees pay when corruption runs rampant in Detroit. Thank your neighborhood would turn around See Talk, Page 9 KEITH CRAIN: At least we know that action is coming Warren Evans, our newly elected payers and the resi- very good financial offi- is going to have to put into place a he is only cleaning up his predeces- executive of Wayne County, is try- dents of Wayne County cers, and I hope the ré- lot of the fiscal restraint. sor’s messes. Any pain and distrust ing to be as transparent as possible. before Robert Ficano sumés come to him to Certainly, the partially finished should be directed at decades of The county is in terrible finan- left office after badly give him some choices. county jail is a testimony to the in- malfeasance of his predecessors, not cial shape. The scope of the fiscal losing his re-election That’s going to be a key competence of the county and its the current administration. woes was sadly kept from the resi- campaign. spot in his newly elect- contractors. Everyone connected There is a lot to be done in Wayne dents of Southeastern Michigan by There should be a re- ed office. with that project had to know how County. Perhaps the lessons from the previous executive for years. quirement for an inde- Sadly, it would ap- misdirected it was and fiscally ir- the bankruptcy of Detroit will give There are massive shortfalls in pendent audit of these pear that Evans is going responsible. the new administration a road map terms of revenue and expenses. municipal governments to have to apply the Now Evans, right out of the box, for what has to be done. Evans realizes that to avoid anoth- on an annual basis. This tough medicine that the has to come up with a solution that It will not be a pretty picture for er bankruptcy, the county is going audit would be a means county has avoided all is bound to displease everyone. a while. Let’s hope that Evans has to have to take some draconian for representing the tax- these years. It would ap- The tough decisions because of the fortitude to stay the course. measures immediately before it payers of these government bodies. pear that the county has been liv- the budget crisis might alienate lots Any deviation will have disastrous runs out of money this summer. The results must be made public, ing way beyond its means and of people — from the unions to con- results for the county, Detroit and It is too bad that this financial not just given to the elected officials. stealing from Peter to pay Paul. tractors to employees to taxpayers. all of Southeastern Michigan. news wasn’t available to the tax- Evans is going to need some Now, our newly elected executive I only hope we all remember that We wish him well. 20150209-NEWS--0008,0009-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 11:39 AM Page 2
February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 9 OTHER VOICES: Biz-community college ties need to grow
President Barack Oba- firsthand the importance internationally. students across the country to nerships between businesses and ma’s recent proposal to pro- of establishing collabora- On community college campus- reach toward their educational community colleges as we work vide students with free tu- tive relationships be- es nationwide, students are taking dreams in an environment that collaboratively toward a shared ition to local community tween community col- classes across a broad spectrum of will not leave them saddled with goal of economic vitality. colleges underscores the im- leges and the businesses programs giving them the in-de- unimaginable debt. Data from a re- All of this reinforces why Obama portant role our institu- and industries that sur- mand skills for professions such as port released by the American As- felt so strongly about the economic tions play in the education round our campuses. We radiology, welding, information sociation of Community Colleges stimulus provided by community and training of today’s are doing a much better technology, advanced manufactur- titled “Where Value Meets Values: colleges. Talented workers are our workforce and that of the fu- job of listening to what ing, facilities and energy manage- The Economic Impact of Commu- most important resource. I encour- ture. the workforce demands ment, computer systems, nursing, nity Colleges” shows that for every age all business leaders to make im- A competitive business are today. sustainable building practices, $1 a student spends on a communi- portant connections with a local environment demands em- Rose Bellanca We take what we hear and surgical technology. ty college education, he or she sees community college to learn how fu- ployees and workers to be highly and translate it into curricula that The skilled trades gap is a na- a return on investment of $3.80. ture partnerships can mean greater trained and engaged from the very is relevant and gives our students tional challenge. A 21st century I agree with Gov. Rick Snyder productivity and enhanced business first day of employment. Commu- competitive advantages in the job requires knowledge and train- that Michigan can lead the nation success. nity colleges, through active part- workplace, allowing them to make ing — and it must be affordable. in developing an educated and Rose Bellanca is president of nerships with business, provide seamless transitions to careers That’s where the community col- skilled workforce. We are on the Washtenaw Community College in specialized training in focused in- across our state, the country and leges play a crucial role: enabling right track with innovative part- Ann Arbor. dustries, small-business assistance, career centers and continuing edu- cation for workforce development. According to a recent report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, economists project that by 2020, 65 percent of jobs will require some form of postsecondary education and training. At federal and state levels, leaders have taken strong stances to emphasize that commu- nity college curricula needs to bet- ter align with the demands of the 21st century workforce, particular- ly in the skilled trades and in-de- mand industries of information technology, advanced manufactur- WE BELIEVE ing and science, technology, engi- neering and math professions. In my role as chairwoman of the Region 9 Talent Council, which is part of the state of Michigan’s Re- PERSONAL ATTENTION gional Prosperity Initiative — I see IS BEST GIVEN IN PERSON.
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Re: Bracelets from crime scene bullet casings support gun buyback efforts More profiteering from crime doesn’t seem like the best idea to me. Hey, check out my new bracelet, it was used to kill four people. Isn’t it Eric W. Dietz cool? No, not really. E Stone E Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Private Client Group Re: Duggan gets high marks in Year 1; Huntington National Bank challenges turn complex Having lived across from De- troit in Windsor for 20 years and 220 Park Street then in Bay City for another 28 years, traveling through Detroit Birmingham, MI 48009 for most of that time, I can see the 248.637.8206 phone positive changes in the last year. So many positive comments coming 248.824.4441 cell out of the city and those who visit. [email protected] Hope is alive in Detroit. Mayor Duggan has started a fire, and it is contagious. I believe it started with Dan Gilbert seeing potential in a city that most had given up on. I believe one man can make a change, just as Martin Luther HUNTINGTON PRIVATE CLIENT GROUP King Jr. did. Mayor Duggan is a The Huntington Private Client Group is a team of professionals that includes Private Bankers and Personal Trust Administrators and Portfolio Managers from The Huntington no-nonsense, positive and for- National Bank and licensed investment representatives of The Huntington Investment Company, who work together to deliver a full range of wealth and financial services. ward-thinking person with the de- Member FDIC. ®, and Huntington® and Listen, Plan, Advise® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. Huntington® Welcome.™ termination to see things through. is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2014 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. I am betting on him doing what others have said is impossible. Don Davis 20150209-NEWS--0010-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 11:58 AM Page 1
Page 10 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 Fundraising party to celebrate 5 years of Detroit Soup pitch sessions
BY AMY HAIMERL their start pitching at community uals about what they would like to people that help make it happen CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS fundraising sessions hosted by De- accomplish in their neighbor- every month, I really wanted to troit Soup. hoods. At the end, the attendees raise awareness of our impact. Some of the brightest names in Soup is the I.R.L. (that’s “in real vote on the winner. That project Our hope is that the community Detroit small business have one life”) Kickstarter: People come to- gets the kitty plus a matching with whom we’ve built Soup will thing in common: Detroit Soup. gether once a month to crowdfund grant from Detroit Soup. turn out to learn about what we do, The Empowerment Plan, Rebel Nell, an idea. Participants pay $5 to “Detroit Soup was the catalyst to hear first-hand from winners Sit on It Detroit, Shakespeare in De- share bowls of potluck soup — or for really launching us,” said Amy about exactly how we make an im- troit, Fresh Cut Flowers and Always whatever volunteers bring — and Peterson, co-founder of Rebel Nell, pact and yes, I’ll say it — to donate Brewing Detroit, among others, got then listen to pitches from individ- which hires disadvantaged women to the cause.” to make jewelry from graffiti that Kaherl herself is now looking has flaked off Detroit walls. “We ahead to the next five years of were really fortunate to win and Soup. She would like to have an ecstatic for the financial support. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOUP event running in every City Coun- Amy Kaherl is Detroit Soup’s co- But it was so much more than that. founder and executive director. cil district. She is also heading to It was the validation from every- Nepal next month with the BBC to body who believed in us and the she’s also a DJ — they are hosting start a soup in Katmandu, and support from our community. a giant fundraising party to cele- then to SXSW (South by Southwest) That was really rewarding.” brate on Feb. 15 at Ford Field. The in Austin, Texas, with ad agency The first session was held above evening will feature dinner, danc- Team Detroit to host one at the mu- a bakery in Southwest Detroit, ing, live performances by Flint sic festival. She is also considering with “whiskey and potato leek Eastwood and Detroit Pistons DJ licensing the Soup name to others soup,” said Amy Kaherl, Detroit Emily Thornhill and past Soup seeking to start something in their Soup co-founder and executive di- winners, such as Rebel Nell’s Pe- cities. rector, laughing. “There weren’t terson and The Empowerment “I helped a friend in L.A. do a We are pleased to welcome even any pitches. We had doors on Plan founder Veronika Scott, two fundraiser, and I watched people milk crates.” of Detroit’s most famous social en- do a live auction and give $2,000, But there was an idea that De- trepreneurs. Empowerment hires $3,000, $5,000 — just open their Elizabeth S. Ottaway, CFP troit residents could come together previously homeless women to checkbooks — and I don’t live in and support their neighborhoods make sleeping bag coats for home- that world,” Kaherl said. “We real- for the small price of $5. less people ly want to be a resource in the fu- as an Executive Director of our Firm Now the group is celebrating “Everybody said ‘no’ to Veroni- ture to help other communities five years, 95 dinners and more ka, thought she was crazy, until like ours start up a soup. Not just a than $85,000 doled out to 108 pro- she came to Soup,” Kaherl said. one- or two-time thing, but some- jects. It’s also raised $300,000 in Tickets to the Soup event are thing sustainable.” 63 Kercheval Avenue, Suite 222, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 p.313.882.7100 grants that allows it to match the $25, or $125 for a VIP ticket that For tickets to the fundraiser or pointecapital.com dollars raised at each soup, fund grants entry to a private reception. to donate, visit detroitsoup.com. the organization and pay neigh- “We have had an incredible five Amy Haimerl: (313) 446-0416, borhood leaders to host soups. years at Soup,” Kaherl said. “Be- [email protected]. Twitter: So in classic Kaherl style — yond just wanting to celebrate the @haimerlad 20150209-NEWS--0011-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 11:21 AM Page 1
February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 11
‘30 DAYS MEANS 30 DAYS’ How one company got its customers to pay up promptly, Page 16
growing small businesses
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
Amy Haimerl is entrepreneurship editor and covers the city of Detroit. She can be reached at (313) 446-0416 or at [email protected]
Amy Haimerl A good week for entrepreneurs
It’s Detroit Entrepreneur Week! And it’s legit. In the past, I’ve found celebrating entrepreneurs for one week a year much like celebrating moms on one day each May or black history in February. It seems like we should be doing more to bake appreciation and respect into all 365 days. But this year’s program, organized by the Michigan Center for Empowerment and Economic Development, has a schedule to reinvigorate firms that have been around for at least two years and inspire those who aspire to entrepreneurship. “We are committed to rebuilding Detroit neighborhoods, and Detroit Entrepreneur Week is a great start. LARRY PEPLIN We are excited to be involved and look Najma Wilson (left) and Mandisa Smith found a storefront along Livernois Avenue in an area once known as the Avenue of Fashion — seemingly a good spot for forward to connecting entrepreneurs Detroit Fiber Works LLC. They signed the lease Jan. 1, 2014 — just in time for the polar vortex. So much for foot traffic in the first two months of business. to local resources,” said Robin Kinnie, communications manager for MICEED. The program is from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 10-14 at Focus: Hope Center for Advanced Technologies, 1400 Oakman Blvd. Plus, there is a Small Business Legal Academy being held at Wayne State University Law School on Saturday, Feb. 14. (Disclose: I’ll be hosting a panel on legal aspects of Startup diaries sales and marketing at the academy.) Here is the schedule of events: Tuesday: Building for business growth, moderated by Jill Ford, special adviser/entrepreneurship for Detroit Three businesses reveal secrets of the early months Mayor Mike Duggan. Presenters include Build Institute, ProperUS Detroit, BY GARY ANGLEBRANDT store for newbie business owners? Michigan SBDC and TechTown Detroit. SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS This month we asked three businesses that opened within Wednesday: Building food entrepreneurs, hosted by Food Lab hey say the first year or two of running a business the past two years to share their stories about grinding Detroit. is always the riskiest for a startup. through the early months. Thursday: Entrepreneurship and From funding to paying rent to marketing, the Here is how three companies adjusted to changing condi- neighborhood sustainability, hosted by early years amount to an education earned on the fly. tions, abandoned original plans, made the most out of little TechTown and Detroit Future City with a T number of neighborhood associations. But what’s it really like? What surprises are in and, above all, hustled. Friday: Two panels, one on sales and marketing and one on different approaches to lending. Saturday: Small Business Legal Academy, featuring “ask a lawyer” Detroit Fiber Works LLC Owens Family Foods LLC SkySpecs Inc. sessions with attorneys from some of Owners: Scott and Suzi Owens CEO: Daniel Ellis; CFO: Tom Brady the region’s most prominent firms. Owners: Mandisa Smith “We’re proud to support the growth and Najma Wilson I would cold call. I’d walk in You think a lawyer’s a and development of new, local “ “ businesses in Detroit because it is our We thought, ‘People love us; and say, ‘Can I talk to a lawyer and an accountant’s an hometown, and because we believe “ manager?’ It seems silly now, accountant. That’s 100 percent this is a great time for entrepreneurs to it’s going to work.’ Then get involved in building the city’s but it worked. not the case. You have to find prosperity,” said Rod Blake, director of January comes and nobody real estate and development at event ” one that specializes in startups sponsor Olympia Development of comes in here. and what you do. Michigan. ” To register for entrepreneur week, ” visit dew15.eventbrite.com. PAGE 12 PAGE 12 PAGE 14 20150209-NEWS--0012,0013,0014,0015-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:37 AM Page 1
Page 12 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 Second Stage Detroit Fiber Works LLC legal issues with other entrepre- 57th Annual neurs who were at the same stage. Opened: 2013 In October, John S. and James L. Location: Detroit Knight Foundation awarded Detroit Detroit Fiber a Detroit Knight Arts Chal- omething unexpected al- lenge matching grant of $20,000. The ways happens when starting money is to go toward building an Sa business. For Mandisa art installation using fiber art tech- Boat Show Smith and Najma Wilson, it was niques on the median on Livernois. the weather. Shinola invited Detroit Fiber The owners of retailer Detroit Fiber Works to participate in a pop-up February 14-22, 2015 • Cobo Center Works signed a lease on Livernois event last month, giving the busi- Avenue, in the strip north Seven ness another marketing boost. Mile Road once known as the Av- The combined efforts were in- enue of Fashion, on Jan. 1, 2014 — valuable, Smith said, especially in just in time for the polar vortex. Few providing support and structure in ,·Ye Gone Pore buVineVV on Py boat than in Py oIÀFe souls walked through the doors dur- the early months. ing the first two months of business. The most difficult part of run- “We had no idea. We thought, ning a small business has been the Find the boat of your dreams and enjoy a well deserved ‘People love us; it’s going to work.’ general uncertainty. Smith has an taste of summer in the middle of Michigan’s winter. Then January comes and nobody MBA and spent most of her career comes in here. We end the month working in marketing and dealer • It’s Back & Bigger with More Boats and More Fun with $500 in sales, and rent is a lot support for Chrysler, so retail is a • The best Prices, Selection & Time to Buy more than that,” Smith said. new experience. They managed to work through “That’s the worst part, not know- ‘RAIL JAM’ Wakeboard Demos those dark days and turned a corner ing how your month is going to go,” in March. It helped that Smith and she said. FREE Official Boaters Safety Course, Saturday, Wilson were frugal in launching “The reality is, the business their business. Rather than taking does become your life. I’m always February 21. Register Early — Space is Limited! out a bank loan, they spent about here. If I’m not here, I’m doing $7,000 out of pocket to get the doors something related to the busi- No better time to buy a boat! Get full value on your open. Plus, they had a fair amount ness,” she added. trade-in with Michigan’s new Sales Tax on the Difference. RAIL JAM! of goods to sell, and artists supply That fact sometimes is lost on new inventory on consignment, family and friends, too, who might which relieves upfront costs. think that the endeavor is just for The two originally planned to fun and that the owners, as their DetroitBoatShow.net open an artist cooperative but ad- own bosses, have a wide open justed their model after realizing all schedule. Wilson was expected to be ® of their time would be eaten up try- available for her grandchildren all ing to manage everyone in the co-op. the time, and Smith had to show her Detroit Fiber Works also benefit- husband she really meant business. ed from a slew of initiatives “My husband thought it was a launched to support Detroit entre- hobby at first. As time goes on, he preneurs. Key assistance came sees I’m really serious about this,” from Revolve Detroit, a program run Smith said. “People now are gener- by the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. ally on board that this is a busi- with the goal of sparking new retail ness and it takes time.” business in the city. Detroit Fiber scratched out a Revolve created a pop-up district profit in 2014, and this past Janu- on Livernois, funding the build-out ary was far better than that of 2014, of storefronts and negotiating with giving them high expectations for landlords for rent breaks during this year. But it’s still too soon for that time. It selected Detroit Fiber Smith and Wilson to start paying to participate in the program, themselves a salary. charging Wilson and Smith 10 per- One question hanging in the air cent of sales as rent plus utilities. It is the direction of the Livernois was successful enough that Wilson strip. Will it see the same success as and Smith decided to make their other Detroit neighborhoods, like store permanent — and Revolve Midtown and Corktown? News sto- pitched in a $1,000 startup grant. ries in 2013 pointed at early signs of “I tell people all time, if there a revival, and some new shops have were no Revolve Detroit, there’d be joined Detroit Fiber — at least five, no Detroit Fiber Works,” Smith by Smith’s count — in the two said. blocks around her business. She also received entrepreneur- “Midtown was not an overnight ial training through the Detroit success. It was decades in the plan- Build Institute (formerly D:hive) pro- ning. I’m hoping that it doesn’t gram, learning about business take a decade for Livernois to be- plans, accounting, marketing and come what it can be,” Smith said.
Owens Family Foods LLC 401(k)s and formed Owens Family Engineering/ Foods LLC, which makes “Scotty Business Computers Education Health Human Technology Services Opened: 2013 O’Hotty” brand hot sauces. They started by hustling sauces Location: Dearborn out of their car, taking samples to n 2011, Scott Owens went with grocery stores. “TO FIND QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES, I RELY ON his wife, Suzi, to a bank seeking “I would cold call. I’d walk in Ia loan to start a business mak- and say, ‘Can I talk to a manager?’ BAKER COLLEGE.” ing hot sauce. It seems silly now, but it worked,” said Scott, who is president of the “They basically laughed at us,” company. said Scott Owens. “The bank said, They got the sauces into 100 ‘We can’t even give you a $10,000 stores, Westborn Market and Hiller’s loan.’ ” .com Markets stores among them. Ready. Trained. Hire. Owens had been laid off from the But the Owens laid the founda- auto industry in 2008, and the fami- tion for several years before they ly’s Dearborn home was underwa- walked into those stores. They ter after a third of his neighbors spent two years methodically re- walked away from their mortgages. The service is free—the result is just the person you’re looking for. searching, getting food processing But he and Suzi didn’t put their FIND THE RIGHT CANDIDATE FOR THE JOB AT HIREQUALIFIED.COM licenses and trademarks, building a 6486HQ idea for a food business on the shelf. Instead, they cashed out their See Next Page 20150209-NEWS--0012,0013,0014,0015-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:37 AM Page 2
February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 13 Second Stage
From Previous Page hit as many events as possible, an av- website and perfecting the recipes. erage of three or “If I was going to do this, it had four a month last to be all or nothing. Nobody in my year. Sometimes family ever did anything like this. it’s a farmers mar- They all punched a clock,” Scott ket, other times it’s Owens said. “I figured, if I’m going a beer fest in Royal to do this, I’m not just going to go Oak, a trade show in and skip down a path.” in New York, the Suzi Owens attended a two-day Stars & Stripes Fes- Michigan State University Product tival in Sterling Center program on food entrepre- Heights or the Buy neurship, where she learned about Michigan Now Fest Food and Drug Administration rules, in Northville. bottling and manufacturing, pH Vendor booths testing, food safety and licensing. run anywhere “We were a little naive when we from $300 to $1,000 jumped into it. We didn’t realize the at these shows. rules and regulations,” she said. Sometimes these The MSU Product Center also events span sever- holds an annual Making It In al days. Long or Michigan conference where food short, the events entrepreneurs connect with ex- COURTESY OF OWENS FAMILY FOODS mean lugging a perts and buyers. The Owens have When Scott and Suzi Owens went to a bank to obtain a tent, money box, picked up valuable contacts loan to start their hot sauce business, “they basically product — the en- through the event and learned how laughed at us,” Scott said. “The bank said, ‘We can’t tire booth — to source bulk ingredients. For even give you a $10,000 loan.’ ” around and finding their first few product runs, the a baby sitter for the Owens paid retail prices at a tance of margins in the food busi- Owens’ two children. Kroger store, Suzi said. ness. It’s not enough to only build The events have been a primary The $50,000 to $60,000 price tag to in a profit margin to the retail cost source of education, though, as launch the business was covered of the product, but also to work in food entrepreneurs share tips and by the 401(k) money. Scott’s par- enough cushion to absorb the costs knowledge. Suzi called it “word-of- ents contributed to the purchase of of brokers and distributors. mouth learning.” a bottling machine (and have since Labor costs also have eaten up “We snuggled up to some of the been paid back). more money than expected. That is other made-in-Michigan compa- The Owens spent another the second biggest expense, after the nies,” she said. $25,000 to get the business up and cost of produce — peppers, tomatoes Owens Family Foods plans to running after launch, mostly to and onions. Then come the costs of hire more people this year, includ- buy machinery and graphics ser- bottles, spices and labels. ing a full-time accountant. For now, vices using money that came from The Owens of course don’t have the company uses a family member sales. Scott kept those expenses a big budget for advertising, so low by buying equipment on eBay. their marketing plan has been to See Owens, Page 14 He waits for good deals to pop up rather than waiting until he needs something at the last minute, and is gathering the equipment ahead of setting up a commercial kitchen in his own building when the time is right. After launching the business, he learned he was better off without a Uncovering your future building (and he couldn’t afford one anyway without that bank loan). There was no way he’d sell Opportunities await. We can help identify them. enough sauce right away to cover overhead and costs to keep the building humming. With increasing growth in key industries, Michigan is back in business. “I was looking at small build- And this could mean big business for you — but only if you can ings that cost $1,200 to $2,200 a month — and we’d still have to successfully leverage key opportunities. convert it — and we weren’t mak- ing that a month,” he said. Instead, they began using the Rehmann’s team of experienced consultants can help. If you’re ready services of The Culinary Studio LLC for growth throughout 2015 and beyond, contact us today. in Southfield, where food entrepre- neurs can rent commercial kitchen time for prototypes and small production runs. It wasn’t until last year that the Owens really felt they had the business up and running. Suzi quit her day job as a dental assistant. After making a first hire, a rela- tive, at the end of 2013, they added six more in 2014, bringing the total to seven part-time workers. Last summer, Jack Aronson of Ferndale-based Garden Fresh Salsa Sandy Gohlke, CPA, CGMA Co. Inc., well-known in the local Principal food world for his support of entre- preneurs, began advising the 248.458.7940 Owens, who rent time at his facili- [email protected] ties when they have bigger prod- uct runs. Without Culinary Studio and Aronson, Scotty O’Hotty sauces wouldn’t have been possible, as it saved them “a ton of money” on overhead and insurance, Scott Detroit, Ann Arbor, Farmington Hills, Troy said. rehmann.com | 866.799.9580 The Owens also are continually learning more about the impor- 20150209-NEWS--0012,0013,0014,0015-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:37 AM Page 3
Page 14 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 Second Stage Owens: ‘We were so wet behind the ears’ ■ From Page 13 who happens to be a CPA but is in first step. The company’s first few been akin to making 10 products, Florida. The Owens, who haven’t years were spent honing its prod- requiring even more capital. taken a paycheck out of the busi- uct and chasing money, whether at This decision was made just last ness, also want to hire someone to business plan competitions or June — two years after the company manage the kitchen full time and from investors. launched — when the company saw some marketing staff. Scott still SkySpecs raised $595,000 in seed that the drone industry had works as a mechanical engineer in funding, plus grants and prizes from changed. Many of the commercial- the aerospace industry. student business plan competitions, grade parts that go into drones were They expect a distribution deal including $10,000 from the Accelerate readily available, whereas a few this year to lead to big growth and Michigan Innovation Competition in short years earlier they hadn’t been. plan to invest in marketing, the 2012. It won $50,000 at the Michigan But the biggest expense is the company’s website and apparel. Clean Energy Venture Challenge in cost to develop the product. The company also is part of Forgot- February 2013. In November, “Staff for us is ten Harvest’s program to co-brand SkySpecs won the $500,000 first prize the clear leader food products in exchange for li- in the main portion of the Accelerate in terms of spend- censing fees that will raise money Michigan Innovation Competition. ing money. for the charity. So what has it done with all that About three- In retrospect, the Owens said money it raised? About 80 percent fourths to 80 per- they’re glad the bank declined to has gone toward people and re- cent of our give them a loan early on. The search and development. monthly burn company has zero debt now and It has taken time to home in on goes to develop- can take money from sales and im- what the product and market will ers and the rest of mediately put it back into the busi- be. Initially, SkySpecs planned to Brady the team,” said ness. make a complete drone, including a CFO Tom Brady. “We were so wet behind the carbon fiber frame and flight con- SkySpecs also has extracted mar- ears, we would have gotten too far troller. It’s since decided to limit its keting juice from Techstars, a lead- in before our revenue was where it scope to sensors and software. ing startup accelerator that recent- needed to be,” Scott said. The money raised gave the com- ly opened a Detroit program The Owens have not tried to ask pany time to make this adjust- banks for any expansion loans just ment. The first plan would have See Next Page yet, but Scott expects to seek a loan when it comes time to purchase a building and consolidate opera- tions. He’s waiting until they’re turning over at least 1,500 cases of hot sauce a month, a goal he hopes to hit this year. They’re doing between 250 and 350 cases a month now. The economy feels strong to the Owens, who just bought a brand- new truck and see people forking over $5.99 for a bottle of locally made hot sauce. But they haven’t yet checked with any banks to get a sense of how they’d fare if they tried to get a loan. “I’m in no hurry to go into a bunch of debt. But to go to the next step where want to be, we’re going to have to,” Scott said.
SkySpecs Inc. Opened: 2012 Location: Ann Arbor
enture-backed tech startups do things a little differently Vthan businesses that sell artsy goods and food products — they get their money first and then hope to get customers. Ann Arbor-based SkySpecs Inc. has raised $1.35 million in funding from business plan competitions, grants and venture backing, while still in what’s known in the tech startup world as a “pre-revenue” state of existence. The company, started by four Uni- versity of Michigan engineering stu- dents, makes control systems that automatically prevent commercial drones from crashing into things. The person holding the controller doesn’t have to worry about hitting a bridge or a person. But these startups hardly have it easy. They slog through early years developing often-complicated tech- nology and spending just as much time chasing money. It’s a drawn- out, gambling lead-up to one day having sales that reward the effort. SkySpecs launched on paper in 2012, but that was just one small 20150209-NEWS--0012,0013,0014,0015-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:37 AM Page 4
February 9, 2015 Page 15 Second Stage Invest Wisely Choose an Advisor Who Sees the Bigger Picture From Previous Page
focused on mobility. SkySpecs, WORLD CLASS MONEY MANAGERS | TRANSPARENT FEES INDEPENDENT ACTIVE TAX LOSS HARVESTING | ADVANCED TAX PLANNING however, was accepted into the New York program and has been operating from there since October. As an Independent Registered Investment Advisor, Schechter is freed from the constraints and economic pressure many advisors The company is used to the no- face at large brokerage firms. We have no one telling us to “sell” a specific fund or proprietary product. Come discover the madic life, first operating out of the UM incubator TechArb for six independent difference, where our clients get our best advice, solutions, and products no matter what.Trusted for 75 years. months, then out of a rented ware- house that was little more than a garage near Zingerman’s Deli for about a year, before taking up tem- porary residence at Techstars. At another point, they were shown a storefront for use as a pos- sible home. “We laughed. It was next to a mas- sage parlor,” said Danny Ellis, CEO of Sky- Specs. Drones are louder than people think, and there’d be inces- sant testing go- Bernie Kent, JD, CPA, PFS | Jason Zimmerman, MBA, CLU, CAP | Marc Schechter, CLU | John Stein, MBA, CFA | Brad Feldman, JD, CLU ing on. “The Ilana Liss | Jeff Vieder | Aaron Hodari | Jordan Smith, JD, LLM | Paul Snider | Chris Hale | Kevin Beauchamp | Larry Leib, JD neighbors are not going to like Ellis that.” With so much pressure to raise funding and build a product, some of the basics have gotten over- Contact a Schechter Expert to learn more about how an Independent advisor can make a difference: WWW.SCHECHTERWEALTH.COM looked and become headaches. The Call 1.866.731.9500 or email [email protected] BIRMINGHAM, MI | NEW YORK, NY entrepreneurs didn’t think at all about payroll taxes, for example, until tax time reminded them and Securities may be offered through NFP Advisor Services, LLC (NFPAS), Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory Services may be offered through NFPAS or Schechter Investment Advisors, LLC. Schechter Investment Advisors, LLC. is not affiliated with NFPAS. NFPAS does not provide legal or tax advice and is not a Certified Public Accounting firm. SIA is an SEC registered investment adviser; please consult the Firm’s Form ADV disclosure documents, available on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public they had a big bill. Disclosure website. “Payroll taxes are no fun. As a newbie business owner, I feel sheep- ish to say I didn’t know the compa- ny’s part of the taxes,” Brady said. Getting lawyers and accountants has proved less straightforward. “You think a lawyer’s a lawyer and an accountant’s an accountant. That’s 100 percent not the case. You have to find one that special- izes in startups and what you do,” Brady said. They went through two lawyers before finding one they liked. “We had not raised money yet, thank- fully,” Brady said. “You don’t want to be switching lawyers in the mid- dle of a fundraising.” As with choosing a bank, choos- Helping entrepreneurs and ing a lawyer and an accountant re- quired a long look at the company’s growing businesses in Michigan. plans. They wanted professional ser-
vices that were close to home and carried a personal connection, while fabricators
artisans
also being able to scale for growth. erectors We committed $1 million in free legal services “It’s not always the best idea to go advocates with the option that is cheapest or to help entrepreneurs and growing businesses. most available,” Brady said. architects educators
SkySpecs has eight full-time em- Over 130 clients have received legal services
ployees and has relied on its own network to find talent. The first idealists through MiSpringboard since June 2011.
hires that the owners didn’t already leaders know came to them through recom- makers defenders
scientists We are working with 35 partner organizations mendations from their circles. “We don’t look at résumés. It’s craftspersons who refer clients. personal recommendations fol- * *
lowed by time,” Ellis said. MiSpringboard clients are from 50 cities across Ellis expects to double the staff constructors inventors
size by the end of the year. Proto- physicians Michigan. counselors
type sales are planned for April, and innovatorsoriginators regular sales in the third quarter. pioneers As MiSpringboard enters its fourth year, the Another round of funding will be launched this year as well, and the trailblazers vibrancy, energy and potential we see in company should be settled into a visionaries Michigan appears unlimited. permanent base in Ann Arbor founders soon. It also is considering a sec- ondary space in downtown Detroit. specialists designers Ellis feels the economy moving in producers the right direction on the sales and fundraising fronts. More investors jumped into the game last year, dreamers making it easier to raise money. www.mispringboard.com “Even if it’s not directed at us, we’ve seen a lot more friends get access to capital in 2014 compared to 2012,” he said. 20150209-NEWS--0016-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:34 AM Page 1
Page 16 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 Second Stage Pressing for payment ‘worth the squeeze’ for Active Solutions
BY GARY ANGLEBRANDT Accounting turned into more of a “We’re seeing companies spend Reminding SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS ACTIVE SOLUTIONS GROUP INC. proper department, as any large money like crazy,” Kadaf said in late payers that company would have. It pressed December. they’re dealing At the start of 2014, 30 percent of Location: Dearborn customers, politely but firmly. It be- Expert opinion: A company should with businesses Active Solutions Group’s receivables Description: Supplier of voice-over- came a firewall between the head of never worry about appearing weak with the same were outstanding. “Another 30 to Internet phone systems as a service the company and overdue clients for demanding its money, said pressures, as 60 days and we would have went President: Frank Kadaf who wanted to bend Kadaf’s ear. Richard Beadle, founder and co- Active did, is a under,” said President Frank Employees: 10 “They always want to talk to me, owner of Vistage Michigan, a peer-to- smart tactic. Kadaf, calling it the “Battle of Ac- Revenue: $1.15 million in 2014 not accounting, so they can give peer business coaching organization Beadle also rec- counts Receivable.” Problem: Figuring out how to deal me a story,” Kadaf said. in St. Clair Shores. At 30 percent of ommended set- Active Solu- with slow-paying clients Sob stories were treated in-kind. revenue outstanding, Active had Beadle ting up terms tions, like Accounting was told to explain practically turned itself into a bank. where a third is paid up front, a many growing STAGE 2 Solution: Kadaf went to his ac- that Active was under duress, too, third at some midpoint of the pro- companies, Owners don’t have to be aggres- counting head and said it was time with employees to take care of and ject and the rest upon completion. STRATEGIES had expanded sive, but they should be assertive. to lay down the law. a chief not taking a paycheck. That way, the company always has significantly, “It’s not about, ‘I’m a weak soul, I A look at “We had to “The people on other end also “feeder money to get work done but its collec- need to ask for money.’ This is about problem-solving reach out to cus- are business owners; they under- running a business,” he said. and not have to go to a bank itself.” by growing tions system tomers who stand the pain. They pay more at- companies remained the were 30 days- tention and (are) more inclined to same. “I was- plus and get pay than just blow you off. It never n’t accustomed to having to handle them to pay worked to go at them with a hard that much in receivables,” Kadaf without upset- attitude,” Kadaf said. CRAIN’S SEEKS NOMINATIONS FOR 20 IN THEIR 20S said. “We’d been nonchalant about ting them,” The company got better results collecting. As long as we had a Kadaf said. from pressing right away and now Do you know a 20-something who is someone to watch? Crain’s 20 in their steady stream, we were good.” “Thirty days 20s recognition program seeks young professionals who are making their has a policy to never let receivables marks in the region. But without money for equip- means 30 days. go beyond 10 percent of revenue. Kadaf Candidates are not limited to any particular field or activity but include up- ment, Active Solutions couldn’t We added a late Active “took in a ton of money” supply new systems to customers, and-comers who are making waves as young professionals within a fee, which we never used to do. We in the first 45 days of this new direc- company, have shown success or originality as entrepreneurs, or have many of whom were in the middle sent a letter to everybody, saying tion, with a big chunk coming in made local impacts in some other demonstrable way. of tight schedules for moving their you have X number of days to pay.” the first two weeks. Active ate some Besides the corporate world, candidates are considered from creative offices or setting up new locations. The fee was the greater of 5 per- credit card fees, but as Kadaf said, industries, nonprofits and social entrepreneurship arenas. Active needed its clients to pay. cent or $25, compounding every 30 “the juice is worth the squeeze.” Winners will be profiled in the June 1 edition and honored at a future Making that happen, however, days. For companies owing $20,000, If Active hadn’t done this, it awards event. is a delicate balance. A small busi- that $25 turned into a more moti- might have missed out on the rest Nominees must be 29 or younger before June 1. Nominations are due Feb. 13. ness can’t go scorched-earth on its vating $1,000 base fee. of 2014, which turned out to be a To fill out the form, visit www.crainsdetroit.com/nominate. clients, but it also can’t go bank- Advance warning was given boom year as companies reinvest- Questions? Contact Amy Haimerl at [email protected] or (313) 446-0416. rupt waiting for payments. first, which prevented backlash. ed in infrastructure.
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February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 17
PUBLISHER’S NOTEBOOK
Contact Mary Kramer at mkramer @crain.com. CRAIN’S MICHIGAN BUSINESS Mary Kramer Narrative Autocam founder John Kennedy has navigated risks and rewards, about the D highs and lows — and a bit of controversy takes a U-turn When Grand Rapids-based Michigan Office Systems decided to open its eighth Michigan office, it considered Troy. The ‘quintessential But at the eleventh hour, MOS President Ralph Slider opted for downtown Detroit. Detroit? The decision reflects the changing “vibe” in the city. The office opens entrepreneur’ this month in 1001 Woodward Ave., facing Campus Martius Park. BY TED ROELOFS “We’ll be the only SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S MICHIGAN BUSINESS (office product) lunging down a twisting French mountain Slider manufacturer with an office in Detroit,” Slider said, road on a hot afternoon in 2006, John referencing Xerox’s ownership of MOS. Kennedy was determined to catch the cy- clist just ahead of him. For Slider, the new office is a P chance to sell copiers, office The last thing the West Michigan business own- technology and services to the er recalls is the sight of a large commercial van growing company base downtown. headed his way as he rounded a hairpin turn. For the city, it’s another example of “I think I made the mistake of braking, the changing Detroit narrative — from straight-lined and went right into it,” Kennedy downtrodden decay to Comeback Kid. recalled while sitting in the Kentwood office of Warren Rose experienced that Autocam Medical. With his recent $300 million change in the narrative when he sale of Autocam Corp. to Tennessee-based NN Inc., attended the National Multifamily the manufacturer of precision medical instru- Housing Council annual meeting last ments and devices occupies most of his energy as month in Palm Springs, Calif. CEO. Rose is CEO of family-owned Edward Kennedy would later learn he had broken his Rose & Sons, which has developed, humerus, clavicle, scapula and all of his ribs and owns and manages 60,000 apartment suffered a collapsed lung. units in 15 states from its Six months later, he was back on the bike, a mo- headquarters in Bloomfield Hills. ment he never doubted would arrive. Rose is used to seeing his home “I think I have this optimism that nothing is ever state in an underdog role. So he was going to put me down for long,” Kennedy said. surprised that the conference His response to that event more than eight included a two-hour general session years in the past says as much about this devout called “Reimagining Detroit” — Catholic as his business track record, his commit- featuring Daryl Carter, a Detroit native who chairs the housing trade group; ment to workforce training or even his well-publi- Jonathan Holtzman, who has revived cized — and eventually successful — legal chal- two flagging apartment buildings in lenge to the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that downtown Detroit; and Gina Metrakas, employers provide birth control coverage to em- a former federal housing official who ployees. now leads urban revitalization for Dan Gilbert’s Rock Ventures LLC. “It was a complete 180, from decay A career of twists, turns to ‘you’ve got to be a fool not to be in Kennedy, 56, recalled just how much of a calcu- Detroit,’ ” marveled Rose. lated risk it was to buy Autocam Corp., a sub- Detroit Regional Chamber CEO sidiary of Autodie Corp., in 1988. He put about $1.3 Sandy Baruah sees the same kind of million of his own money, earned in real estate in- “flip” in the Detroit narrative locally. vestments, against a debt of about $14 million. At The chamber’s fourth annual the time, the company, which made parts for fuel Detroit Policy Conference on Feb. 26 injection systems, had just one customer. offers a crash course on opportunities “I do remember harrowing times, days of angst in the city. Keynote speakers include about the hill you had to climb,” he said. “I re- Mayor Mike Duggan and Peter member thinking: ‘I’m 29 years old. If I lose all Kageyama, author of For the Love of this, I could start over and do it all again.’ ” Cities, and panels on education, entrepreneurship, neighborhood Birgit Klohs, president and CEO of The Right revitalization and whether the “two” Place Inc., a West Michigan economic develop- Detroits — divided by race, income or ment organization, has known Kennedy since the tenure in the city — can be united. early days at Autocam. Klohs calls him “the quin- A big difference over four years, tessential entrepreneur and innovator.” Baruah said, is that traditional Kennedy, she said, is blessed with acute finan- business and civic groups are cial instincts along with a knack for anticipating embracing the idea of making a industry trends before others do. difference in neighborhoods, not just She also credits him with taking a lead role in downtown and Midtown. West Michigan in promoting workforce talent de- JON BROUWER For information on the conference, velopment. John Kennedy made news for his court fight against the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for birth visit detroitchamber.com/dpc. control coverage. But before that, he built a business, sold it, bought it back and survived a bicycle See Kennedy, Page 18 crash. He’s now back in the saddle and hopes to build Autocam Medical into a $200 million business. 20150209-NEWS--0018,0019-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:47 AM Page 1
Page 18 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S MICHIGAN BUSINESS
Reliable, modernized grid
Energy is essential to the way we live, work and play.
ITC operates, builds and maintains the region’s electric transmission infrastructure. We’re a Michigan- PHOTOS BY JON BROUWER based company working hard to improve electric With the sale last year of Autocam Corp., John Kennedy reliability and increase electric transmission capacity turned his entrepreneurial throughout the Midwest. energies to Autocam Medical, where employees craft medical tools in a plant in Kentwood, near Grand Rapids (above). The exacting work requires the use of a microscope to check We’re ITC – your energy superhighway. products before they go out the door (left).
Kennedy: ‘A risk taker’ www.itctransco.com ■ From Page 17 In 2012, Autocam established the to stay at a company two years af- Advanced Manufacturing Pro- ter they complete the program to gram in collaboration with Grand have their full education paid. Rapids Community College and other Autocam Medical is joining the manufacturers to maintain a better program this fall. pipeline of manufacturing talent. “We don’t retain them all,” Applicants accepted into the pro- Kennedy said. “But the ones we do gram start at $13 an hour while work their butts off for us.” they attend classes for a two-year But beyond all that, Klohs points program paid in full by the compa- to one central quality that she sees ny, now called the Autocam Precision as key to the Kennedy code: “He is Components Group of NN. an optimist with tenacity and a lot Upon completing school and 8,000 of guts. He is a risk taker.” hours on the job, machinists earn at least $17.50 an hour at a plant where the average annual income for an Detroit roots hourly worker exceeds $50,000. Au- Growing up in suburban Detroit, tocam also picks up the tab if the that’s hardly how Kennedy viewed worker wants to earn a four-year de- himself. He describes himself as an 2015 gree in fields such as engineering. “above average” student — first at The Advanced Manufacturing Austin Catholic Preparatory High Program class that enrolled in the School in Detroit before it closed, fall of 2014 has 19 students, includ- then at Grosse Pointe North High ing six from Autocam. School, where he earned a scholar- In Southeast Michigan, in the ship to the University of Detroit. Michigan Advanced Technician Training Kennedy and his wife, Nancy, program, employers pay tuition for who have four children, met at UD, three years for employees, who ro- a Catholic institution, where both tate between work and earning an earned accounting degrees. Ken- advanced associate degree. Gov. nedy served in student government Rick Snyder cites the program, com- and ran cross-country and track. He ® Excel Downloads - Only $249 monly know as MAT2, as another worked part-time jobs to pay his solution to the skilled-worker gap. way through school and stayed at Kent County resident Madalyn home to save on room and board. • More than 1,000 high-quality Bueche, 21, hired in at Autocam in He graduated in three years in 2012 and simultaneously enrolled in 1979 at the age of 20, was hired as business development leads the GRCC Advanced Manufactur- an accountant for Deloitte LLP in ing Program. She graduated in 2014 Detroit and later transferred to the • Titles include CEO, Owner, President, and is now enrolled at Ferris State firm’s Grand Rapids office. He lat- University in Big Rapids, intent on er joined Autodie, a tool and die Chairman, CFO, COO, CIO, HR, earning a four-year degree in engi- manufacturer, where he was CFO. Marketing, Vice President and more! neering in three years while work- Having lived on both sides of the ing as a machinist full time at Auto- state, Kennedy has been frank cam Precision Components. The about the differences he perceives • Includes names and titles company pays for her education. between metro Detroit and West not published in print “It’s pretty awesome,” Bueche Michigan. said. “I’m going to go as far as I can He considered buying plants in go.” Southeast Michigan but told • Generate sales contacts Klohs said Kennedy was creat- Crain’s in 2011 that he decided ing such opportunities for workers against it “because the productivi- and mailing lists long before other employers. ty wasn’t there. I think Detroit has “It’s a passion of his,” she said. more of an entitlement culture in Kennedy thinks it’s the right the workforce generally, union or thing to do, both for the workers nonunion.” DOWNLOAD NOW! Crainsdetroit.com/lists the program trains and for the company. Graduates are required See Next Page 20150209-NEWS--0018,0019-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:47 AM Page 2
February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 19 CRAIN’S MICHIGAN BUSINESS
From Previous Page in federal court and said he would dential campaign, Kennedy bris- risk-taking that builds a nation. reach $100 million this year. drop the suit on behalf of Autocam tled at the assertion by President “In my mind, he’s sending the “I think we are in position to be By the 1990s, as he built Auto- Corp. with its purchase by NN. Barack Obama that success be- worst possible message to a young a $200 million business five years cam, Kennedy had made the tran- Then last month, Kennedy won longed not to the individual but to person,” Kennedy said. from now,” said Kennedy, whose sition from distance runner to cy- the suit on behalf of Autocam Med- collective effort: “If you’ve got a oldest son, John, is a product man- clist. He was riding more than a ical. Judge Robert Jonker of U.S. Dis- business — you didn’t build that. ager at Autocam Medical. hundred miles a week and joined a trict Court reversed himself after the Somebody else made that happen.” Building again West Michigan cycling club. Kennedy is still cycling, return- U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that In a column for MLive, referring The NN deal allowed Kennedy to ing to France in the summer of 2013. Which is how, in July 2006, he craft firm Hobby Lobby did not have to to the launch of Autocam Corp., concentrate on building Autocam He recalled that he and his broth- found himself along the side of the furnish such coverage to employees. road on the fringe of the Alps in Kennedy shot back: “No one else subsidiary Autocam Medical, er-in-law departed together at the Kennedy makes no apologies for southeastern France. gave a second mortgage to the where he is CEO and primary share- summit of one mountain pass, fighting for convictions that he “He was lying in the middle of the bank to finance the business or holder. The company was not part of headed for the valley floor several said stem from his faith. road and seizing,” recalled Randy guarantee personally all of its the NN purchase. thousand vertical feet and eight or Chilcote, describing the convul- “I’m not going to knowingly pay debts. No one else worked the hun- In 2011, Autocam Medical had 23 10 miles below. sions that stem from a concussion. for something that I am taught to dred-hour weeks my wife and I employees and sales of $4.5 million. He took his time. believe is not the way we are sup- Chilcote, a Grand Rapids emer- worked at the start.” It now employs 100 in Kentwood “I was stopping, taking in the posed to do that,” he said. gency room physician and part of But Kennedy said his greater and just over 200 in plants in Massa- scenery, enjoying the ride down,” the bike group, estimated it took 20 That’s not his only recent politi- concern is the implicit message he chusetts, California and Tennessee. Kennedy said. “He got down about minutes for doctors to arrive by he- cal jousting match. sees in Obama’s comment, one he It posted sales of $80 million in 2014, 15 minutes before I did, and that’s licopter. He nervously watched as In 2012, in the heat of the presi- thinks discourages the kind of and Kennedy projects that will all OK.” they tended to Kennedy for what he estimated was an additional 30 min- utes, spending considerable time trying to reset his humerus. Kennedy spent a week in inten- sive care in France and two weeks in a Swiss hospital before coming home. Knowing her husband, Nancy Kennedy was hardly surprised “ HOW CAN DTE ENERGY when he declared his intent to get back on the bike as soon as he re- covered. She works for NN as a quality auditor. HELP MY BUSINESS SAVE?” “I certainly encouraged him to be careful,” she said, “but there Each business is different, so DTE Energy offers an online Interactive Business tool which was no question he would get back into road biking.” lets you get information tailored to your specific business environment. From grocery stores to warehouses, you’ll find tips, incentives, rebates and more that will help you Surviving other crashes reduce your energy use. We also provide a number of other online tools to help our That attitude defines Kennedy’s business customers use less energy and save more money. tenure at Autocam, where he led the company through prosperity and recession and bought it back when it verged on bankruptcy. By 1991, Autodie was making enough money to go public. The stock offering helped Kennedy pay DTE wants to help you save, so get started at down the company’s debt. Eight years later, Kennedy sold dteenergy.com/interactivebusiness Autocam to a private equity firm but retained about 30 percent of the company. In 2004, the owners of the firm sold Autocam to the Wall Street investment firm Goldman Sachs with Penske Corp. as a partner. By 2009, with the auto industry having collapsed, Autocam was sad- dled with $120 million in debt and a bleak financial future. Kennedy in- vested all his personal assets along with those of other investors in a deal that purchased the debt at 40 cents on the dollar and converted it into equity in the firm. Kennedy did so on the condition he would have control of the company once again. Had Autocam foundered, Ken- nedy said, he could have lost every- thing. But with the gradual return of the auto industry and its debt sig- nificantly reduced, Autocam re- gained its footing. Then last year, it was sold to publicly held NN Inc. for just over $300 million in a deal that encompassed $244.5 million in cash, $25 million in stock and the assumption of $30.5 million in debt. Kennedy, subsequently appoint- ed to NN’s board of directors, re- mains a significant shareholder. But he is not just about com- merce and equity. He’s unafraid of controversy, particularly when his religious faith stirs him to action. In 2012, Kennedy filed suit against Start saving today visit: the federal government, challenging dteenergy.com/interactivebusiness its mandate under Obamacare that employers such as Autocam are re- quired to furnish free birth control to employees. He lost the first round 20150209-NEWS--0020-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 10:39 AM Page 1
Page 20 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S MICHIGAN BUSINESS Hello, expats: West Michigan group aims to bring you back
BY ROD KACKLEY attracting talent to a region bound- age is not limited ness of the region after moving here region of 1.6 million people. SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S MICHIGAN BUSINESS ed by Big Rapids to the north, Kala- to college gradu- from Chicago in 2005,” Harten said. “I suggested that we would be mazoo to the south, Battle Creek to ates. It runs all “I also quickly realized we were not much stronger if we put together an A 2010 survey by the Kalamazoo- the east and Holland-Grand Haven the way from doing a great job of packaging the entity called ‘West Michigan’ and based W.E. Upjohn Institute for Em- to the west — started an outbound doctorates to region as an entity sufficient to com- gave candidates a way to look at the ployment Research determined that marketing campaign in 2014 skilled manufac- pete” with similar-size markets. region as a whole, instead of Hol- a third of the open jobs in West turing personnel. through Facebook and Google ads Harten does not expect West land versus Grand Rapids versus Michigan through 2025 would have One of the seen where the expats are: cities Michigan to be able to compete with Muskegon,” Harten said. to be filled by employees who cur- founding mem- The conversation involving such as Chicago, Indianapolis and a market the size of Chicago, but rently don’t live there. Many po- bers of Hello Harten and fellow members of a Columbus, Ohio. Buffalo, N.Y., and “we sure should be able to compete tentially could be people who grew West Michigan business roundtable began in 2007. Pittsburgh will be targeted next. Harten with Milwaukee or Indianapolis.” up in the region. is Ann Harten, Hello West Michigan was the result. The problem, she said, is that re- To try to woo them back home, The reason for the looming short- vice president of global human re- It began with the launch of Hello West Michigan is going where age of talent local colleges and uni- sources at Holland-based office cruiters have been focused on hellowestmichigan.com in 2010. these expats live now. versities are not graduating enough furniture company Haworth Inc. helping individual companies or That website serves as a hub of infor- The organization — dedicated to people to meet demand. The short- “I quickly discovered the rich- communities rather than selling a mation — neighborhoods, schools, churches, things to do after 5 p.m. and other topics that would be of in- terest to the young professionals. Hello West Michigan has since advanced into social media adver- tising, selecting a target market for Google and Facebook ads that encompasses only people with a Michigan connection. “People put that information in their Facebook profiles so we can target the campaign specifically to people who have a hometown con- nection to Michigan or went to a Michigan college or university,” said Rachel Bartels, Hello West Michigan’s program manager. It is also a good bet that those people will be coming back for the holidays if they have family in the region. Hello West Michigan has been offering events the night be- fore Thanksgiving to sell expats on the idea of returning. Bartels declined to comment specifically on the budget for the campaign and admitted it is hard to measure how well it is working. But she said the Facebook page just passed its 3,000th “like.” “There isn’t just one thing that affects a person’s decision to move to a new community. It is the sum of a lot of things,” Bartels said. “If we can tell them about something that piques their interest or tell them about a job opportunity, we consider that a success as well.” Haworth’s Harten said re- cruiters in the region continue to find it difficult to attract the talent SIGN UP FOR FAST INTERNET AND ADD PHONE AND TV FOR JUST their companies require. When the sought-after talent is not a single person, the situation be- comes more complicated. If the hus- band, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend who is part of the picture wants to find a job, it is not hard to believe they could find one in a market the size of Chicago or Los Angeles, but West Michigan? Harten said even a single person being recruited might want to know that if the job doesn’t work out, he or she would be able to find a similar position without moving. Again, it is easier to believe that would be possible in a major mar- ket rather than West Michigan. “When you are looking at a loose- ly woven entity like West Michi- gan, we have to help them answer those questions,” she said. While Hello West Michigan’s work is not finished, Harten said its impact is being felt by re- cruiters like herself. “Here at Haworth, we have re- duced significantly the number of days it takes to fill a position,” she said. “So we would say it is still dif- ficult, but it is getting easier. It cer- tainly is getting faster.” 20150209-NEWS--0021-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 11:48 AM Page 1
February 9, 2015 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 21
Monthly France WHERE MICHIGAN DOES BUSINESS Autoliv Inc. ith a $2.739 trillion GDP for 2013, France Each World Watch features a Based: Auburn Hills gets one of its biggest ongoing economic different country. If you know Operations: Office in Paris, tech center in Wboosts from foreign tourists. Nearly 82 mil- of a Michigan company that ex- Gournay-en-Bray and seven plants through- lion tourists visit each year, according to the CIA ports, manufactures abroad or out France World Factbook. has facilities abroad, email Jen- Employees: 3,100 Manufacturing products are another big part of the nette Smith, managing editor, at Products: Airbags, seatbelts, steering French economy. Major exports include machinery, [email protected]. wheels, micro gas generators, passive safety plastics, chemicals, transportation equipment, phar- electronics maceutical products, iron and steel. France’s biggest Clients: Audi, Bentley, BMW, Citroën, Fiat, export partners are Germany (16.7 percent), Belgium COMING UP Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Mit- (7.5 percent), Italy (7.5 percent) and Spain (6.9 percent). March: Egypt subishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Rolls Royce, France’s major imports include crude oil, vehicles, April: Russia Metaldyne employs 190 in two cities. Scania, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo plastics, chemicals, machinery and equipment. Top executive: Jonas Nilsson, president of Autoliv Europe Metaldyne LLC Based: Plymouth Operations: Manufacturing, engineering, Boulogne and commercial operations in Lyon area and manufacturing facility in Décines- Charpieu Employees: 190 Products: Isolation pulleys, engine crank- Esson shaft dampers Paris Creutzwald Top executive: Ivan Martinez, managing Nanterre Lillebonne director for Crankshaft Dampers Europe Customers: BMW, Renault, PSA (Citroën, Peugeot), Ford, Jaguar, GM Opel Rennes More information: Metaldyne’s operations Belfor Holdings employs 115 in France. in France designs, tests and manufactures advanced isolation pulleys and crankshaft Belfor Holdings Inc. FRANCE dampers. Based: Birmingham MSX International Inc. Operations: 20 branches covering six re- Lyon gions, including Paris, East, South-East, Based: Detroit South-West, North, Rhône-Alpes and Brit- Operations: Headquarters in Nanterre tany Employees: 550 Employees: 115 Products: Retail Network Solutions, provid- Services: Building restoration for fire and ing parts and accessories sales programs, water damage, property restoration, ma- dealer standards and process improve- chinery restoration, document drying and ments, training, technical support services restoration, electronics and machinery and warranty solutions to vehicle manufac- restoration, asbestos remediation, leak de- turers tection and mold remediation Top executives: Olivier Campanello, man- Top executive: Léonore Boulte, managing aging director; and Eric Menoret, RNS re- director gional vice president ment facility in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont Clients: BMW, CNH Industrial, Fiat, Ford, Gen- Employees: 100 eral Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Nissan, Cooper-Standard Automotive Inc. Products: Enriching, reinforcing and mod- Peugeot Citroën, Volkswagen, Volvo and Yama- Based: Novi ifying technical polymers, including ha Operations: Manufacturing facilities in portable electronics and packaging applica- Creutzwald, Lillebonne and manufacturing tions. TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and technical facilities in Vitré and Rennes Top executive: Jean-Alain Pypops, site Employees: 1,615 manager Based: Livonia Products: Fluid transfer systems, fuel and Operations: Manufacturing facilities in brake delivery systems, sealing and trim Federal-Mogul Corp. Bonneval, Ingwiller and Bouzonville; sales systems and anti-vibration systems and distribution center in La Défense Clients: PSA (Citroën, Peugeot), Tata, Ford, Based: Southfield Cedex; plant in Brest; sales office in Paris Geely, Volkswagen, Renault/Nissan, Mecaplast, Operations: Manufacturing facilities in Employees: 1,000 Plastic Omnium, Toyota, Daimler, Magna, Faure- Chazelles-sur-Lyon, Garennes-sur-Eure, Products: Braking systems, suspension cia, Gestamp Automoción, Webasto, I.A.C., Del- Noyon Cedex, Saint Priest Cedex, Crépy-en- Inteva Products employs 958 throughout France. components, radar systems, engineered fas- phi, Gecam, Benteler, Trèves, Trakya Cam Valois and Saint-Jean de la Ruelle; one of- teners and components, shock absorbers Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai Sanayii A.S., Plastal, Leoni fice in Paris; a distribution center in Beau- and aftermarket components and systems Top executive: Pierre Blanchard, executive Top executive: Sylvain Broux, vice presi- vais Top executive: Thierry Metais, global ac- director of motors and electronics dent for France Employees: 1,600 count director Products: Piston rings and liners, engine Domino’s Pizza Inc. bearings, sealing and systems protection Kelly Services Visteon Corp. products, ignition products, friction prod- Based: Troy Based: Ann Arbor Based: Van Buren Township ucts, Operations: Headquarters in Clichy with Operations: Engineering and technical Operations: 239 pizza delivery and carry- Top executive: Emmanuel Couturier, man- 65 branches across the country including out stores aging director Versailles, Clichy Cedex, Issy-les-Moulin- center in Cergy; manufacturing plant in La Employees: 3,200 eaux, Villepinte, Lyon, Marseille, Annecy, Ferté-Bernard; software development facili- Products: Pizza and side items Grenoble and Nice ty in Sophia Antipolis Top executive: Andrew Rennie, president Inteva Products LLC Employees: 280 Employees: 755 of Domino’s Pizza Enterprises-Europe Based: Troy Services: Temporary work and permanent Products/services: Audio, body and securi- Operations: Four manufacturing plants placement in fields such as science, finance, ty, infotainment and controls, driver infor- Dow Corning Corp. and tech centers located in Esson, Saint-Dié insurance, IT, health care, office, manufac- mation, displays, clusters, dials, body con- and two in Sully-sur-Loire turing and logistics. troller module, head-up displays, telematics Based: Midland Employees: 958 Top executives: Franck Teboul, country and connectivity Operations: A wholly owned subsidiary of Products: Motors, latches, window regula- general manager; Natalia Shuman, senior Top executive: Martin Thall, executive vice Multibase, which makes thermoplastics tors and door modules vice president and general manager and president and president of electronics compounds, with one research and develop- Clients: PSA, Nissan, Renault, BMW, Toyota, COO for North Asia — Compiled by Natalie Broda 20150209-NEWS--0022-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 2/6/2015 12:11 PM Page 1
Page 22 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS February 9, 2015
CRAIN'S LIST: LARGEST GREATER MICHIGAN EMPLOYERS Ranked by outstate full-time employees
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