Carhartt and Soul

20091005-NEWS--0001-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 10/2/2009 6:37 PM Page 1 ® www.crainsdetroit.com Vol. 25, No. 39 OCTOBER 5 – 11, 2009 $2 a copy; $59 a year ©Entire contents copyright 2009 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved Page 3 Investor group proposes nine new nursing homes Biz, labor rally for coal plants Business groups get ready Permits take too long, groups say for battle over tax hikes We’ve got business and labor BY AMY LANE unite with Democratic counter- “ AND TOM HENDERSON parts in a rally on the steps of the coming together for one key CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS state Capitol to urge regulators to Inside speed up the stalled permit process issue: Put us back to work. Ever wonder what it takes to for two proposed new coal-fired ” achieve bipartisanship in this power plants. Patrick “Shorty” Gleason, state? Organizers say they hope a Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council FORTY Here’s the answer: Coal. crowd of 2,000 will help get the On that issue at least, folks in message across to Gov. Jennifer megawatt coal-fired plant near Lansing-based Michigan Building Lansing, as well as business and Granholm that there is broad- Bay City and a coal-fired plant pro- and Construction Trades Council. labor, can get along. based support to speed up the per- posed by Wolverine Power Coopera- “We’ve got business and labor UNDER On Tuesday, trade union offi- mit process and to urge the Michi- tive near Rogers City. coming together for one key issue: cials will unite with the Michigan gan Department of Environmental “It’s at high noon, like the shoot- Put us back to work,” he said. Chamber of Commerce, and some Quality to approve permits for Con- out at the OK Corral,” said Patrick Republican state legislators will sumers Energy Co.’s proposed 930- “Shorty” Gleason, president of the See Coal plants, Page 40 FORTY 2009 See who’s in this year’s class, Pages 9-26 Gilbert rolls Health Care Extra Carhartt and soul Slow with the flow: Hospitals lag in joining Workwear maker wants to be the dice for health info exchanges, Page 27 fashionable off the job, too Ohio casino BY NANCY KAFFER This Just In CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Buckeyes to vote; The model on the red carpet strikes a pose for a pho- Wayne State, Karmanos tographer, turning so his jacket is displayed to advan- Detroit casinos plan to expand partnership tage. The flashbulb goes off, and the model turns to the eye competition Wayne State University side, jacket once again prominent. School of Medicine and the What’s he wearing? It’s Carhartt. Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Dearborn-based Carhartt Inc., BY NANCY KAFFER Institute on Friday an- best known as a manufacturer CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS nounced they will work to ex- of workwear, might seem like Quicken Loans founder Dan pand their long-term part- We want an unlikely fit for the Fashion Gilbert wears a lot of hats: fi- nership agreement in cancer “ In Detroit event, held last week nancier, mort- research, education and clin- to mix the at the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak. gage magnate, ical care. But Carhartt’s vice president sports team Under the agreement, new with of merchandise and design, De- owner. which expands a 1994 pact, bra Ferraro, says the brand has the old. And if voters Wayne State’s medical always had off-the-job appeal. ” in Ohio go his school will create a new de- “We’re the brand of choice for Lindy Bleau, way on Nov. 3, partment for university sci- working-class America,” she Carhartt Inc. he’ll add anoth- entists whose primary ap- said. “And these guys do more er title to the pointments are at Karmanos. than work. They have an emo- list: casino own- Officials for the two De- tional connection to our brand.” er. troit-based institutions said Participating in events like Fashion in Detroit — Gilbert’s Rock Gilbert details of the new depart- whose organizers include former “Project Runway” Ventures L.L.C. is a major backer of ment will be worked out over contestant and Detroit native Joe Faris — puts Ohio’s Issue 3, a ballot proposal to the coming months. The goal Carhartt styles in front of new audiences or shows ex- A.J. MUELLER allow casino gambling in the is to encourage multidiscipli- isting customers different ways to wear the styles, Yup, it’s Carhartt on the red carpet (except for the Red state’s four major cities, Toledo, nary research, seek addition- Ferraro said. Wing boots). The clothing line known for ruggedness was Cleveland, Columbus and Cincin- al grants and, ultimately, in- The show includes some of Carhartt’s spring 2010 part of Fashion In Detroit last week at the Detroit Zoo. nati. Buckeye voters have defeated crease the number of looks, including traditional items and more main- past gaming proposals, but this medical researchers at the stream offerings, said Lindy Bleau, of Carhartt’s ree or the logger jeans, with some outerwear jackets, measure’s gaining traction. communications department. coats, sweatshirts, hoodies,” she said. According to a poll published See This Just In, Page 2 “All these items are paired with Carhartt’s vin- “We want to mix the new with the old. We’re last week in the Cleveland Plain tage product offerings like the double-front dunga- reaching out to our core consumer by offering cloth- Dealer, 59 percent of respondents ing that can be used on the job and off the job.” said they’d support Issue 3. The 120-year-old company has faced tough times And that has some in Detroit’s in the past years, as jobs have disappeared from its casino and tourism community core customer base. worried. Sales are down about 5 percent this year, Ferraro “Our research shows that gam- said. ing is Detroit’s number one Carhartt’s 2008 revenue was listed in Crain’s Pri- tourism draw, and our research vate 100 at $530 million, flat with the revenue it re- shows that Ohio is the top state for NEWSPAPER See Carhartt, Page 39 See Casino, Page 40 20091005-NEWS--0002-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 10/2/2009 6:16 PM Page 1 Page 2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS October 5, 2009 commission; Denise Ilitch, owner Ambassador Gateway Project to Terms of the deal weren’t made building after having owned it THIS JUST IN and publisher of Ambassador build a new interchange for the public. Match.com spent nearly since 1991. It is currently 40 per- magazine, owner of Denise Ilitch crossing and I-75 and I-96. $75 million in domestic measured cent vacant, according to data from ■ From Page 1 Designs, of counsel at Clark Hill “The bottom line of the report media last year and $37 million CoStar Group. The Southfield office P.L.C and former president of Il- is that the bridge is in perfectly over the first six months of 2009, of CB Richard Ellis represented the medical organizations. itch Holdings Inc.; and Joe Walsh, a good condition for the commerce according to industry reports. seller; Southfield-based Farbman “This new agreement solidifies retired Ford Motor Co. executive. that it does,” said Phil Frame, a di- —Bill Shea Group represented itself. Karmanos’ and Wayne State Uni- The team committed thou- rector of communications for The deal is so cheap that Farb- versity’s long-term commitment sands of volunteer hours, Ilitch Warren-based CenTra Inc., the par- Farbman Group gets deal man can now charge rent far be- to one another and supports our has said, meeting regularly to ent company of the firm that low the market rate, said Steve joint mission of excellence in can- present a straightforward view of manages the bridge. on Southfield building Morris, managing director of the cer research, education and clini- the city’s inner workings to Bing. Dingell wanted a copy of the re- A Class A office building in Southfield office of Newmark Knight cal care,” said Karmanos’ inter- —Nancy Kaffer port and its safety condition con- Southfield has been sold for at Frank. im CEO Ann Schwartz in a tent made public, something the least one quarter of its value from The competitive rate for leasing statement. bridge company scrambled to eight years ago and roughly 15 in Southfield is currently $17 per Dr. Valerie Parisi, Wayne State’s Detroit International Bridge Co. prevent in federal court because percent of the cost to build it new. square foot, Morris said, and he es- medical school dean, said the it believes the information to be sues to halt release of report The Riverside Center building timates that Farbman can make partnership “demonstrates the critical to national security and The Detroit International Bridge at 25925 Telegraph Road has been an operational profit even charg- principles of a true academic doesn’t want it falling into the Co. sued last week to stop the re- purchased by the Farbman Group ing $13 per square foot. partnership.” wrong hands. “They’re in a position now — Jay Greene lease of a report on the bridge to Dingell received the report for $5 million, according to U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Detroit, sources close to the deal. where they can undercut the en- from the highway administra- tire market if they want to,” he who had asked the Federal High- tion, which got it from M-DOT, The 183,000-square-foot build- said. Bing’s turnaround team way Administration for a copy in before a judge ruled this week ing was under contract to be sold The building sold for $27 per the spring.

Load more