DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 04-17-06 A 24,25 CDB 4/13/2006 2:49 PM Page 2 April 17, 2006 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 25 20 IN THEIR 20S AttractAttract andand RetainRetain Employees:Employees: Why she lives in metro Detroit: “Detroit intrigued me OfferOffer aa VanpoolVanpool ProgramProgram because it is a city in transition, and has the need for growth at the present time. Detroit’s history and role in American history is poignant. I wanted to contribute to the comeback of one of America’s most important Attracting and retaining good employees is one of your cities.” major business concerns. And MichiVan can help. An active vanpool program will expand your labor market, reduce parking requirements and help retain valuable employees during work site relocations. Plus, you can offer your employees a pre-tax benefit of up to $105 per month. Call MichiVan today to learn how a vanpool program can work for your company. JEFF PEARSON Christen McArdle, 29 Executive director 1-800-VAN-RIDE Ann Arbor Film Festival, Ann Arbor www.michivan.com Education: Bachelor of arts with land and served as executive direc- some of that culture back and/or studies in communications and lit- tor of the Cleveland Film Festival for to strengthen the artistic commu- erature, John Carroll University. a year after college, moved to Los nity,” she said. Turning the Facilities Alteration/Maintenance Industry Claim to fame: Led the revitaliza- Angeles to take a job at New Crime McArdle said she eventually tion of the Ann Arbor Film Festival Productions, a film company owned tired of L.A. and was looking for UPSIDE DOWN... Inc. by actor and director John Cusack. change. When a friend announced Next step: Researching Detroit For three years, McArdle she was moving to metro Detroit, “Service That Works”TM Mark, Gary or Andrew Andrew or Gary Mark, for a possible film festival. worked alongside Cusack. “Be- McArdle began researching the re- for Ask cause of John, I really got the Hol- gion and became fascinated with www.teammem.com Not long after she graduated lywood experience … and the its history and current politics. Hills Rochester • 248-299-4647 • M.E.M. Team from John Carroll University near whole culture of it,” she said. Last fall, she contacted Ann Arbor Cleveland, Christen McArdle did When she’d come back home to Film Festival Inc. to find out if it what many her age plan to do — visit family, she noticed that much needed help. She found that it was response quick • • very affordable very • she moved to a glitzy city to take a of the culture and diversity out without a staff to run the festival minimum no • glamorous job. West didn’t exist in the Midwest. since one of two staff members had McArdle, who grew up in Cleve- “I saw myself wanting to bring quit and another had been let go. time. no in out and in are we so equipment art the of state use We ! Special... Priority Spring our schedule to now Call She knew that overseeing the festi- Repair Pothole val would mean intensive work, but she decided to take the job. good looking rooms... “It was the city that made me quickly conference OK with the move,” she said. equipment... and “There’s something interesting and restrooms about Detroit. Which way it’s go- walls, doors, lobbies, We relocate relocate We ing, I’m not sure, but I wanted to rooms, break be here.” update We McArdle threw herself into planning the festival, working 60 new to 80 hours each week with a newly look they hired staff member and a group of offices... volunteers to plan the six-day festi- paint happy val and review films. and walls everybody holes in in holes The festival last year operated keep We on a budget of about $140,000, down fix We from $177,230 in 2004, McArdle said. time or smaller McArdle raised an additional first the bigger $17,700 in six months and used ... ... leaking much of it to institute new awards offices roofs from roofs that would engage the audience by make We allowing them to vote and give stop We their favorite independent film- makers a modest financial reward. effort. and money time, , saving you you saving , repair or alteration maintenance, interior/exterior “It was so intense, but it was in-house worth it; the festival went off with- most do can we so equipment and skills with business our fine-tuned out a hitch,” McArdle said. The has that firm maintenance and alteration facilities commercial a are We event, which took place March 21- support! your for Thanks 26, brought in more than 650 more people than the 2005 event. Years! 40 Celebrating — Sherri Begin DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 04-17-06 A 26,27 CDB 4/13/2006 3:25 PM Page 1 Page 26 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS April 17, 2006 20 IN THEIR 20S INDUSTRIAL STORAGE / Why he lives in metro Detroit: WAREHOUSE & DISTRIBUTION “Over the past couple of years I Over 500,000 sq.ft. have had the opportunity to Machinery, Dies, Fixtures, Racks, Parts, Etc. travel frequently and somehow 10 Truck Docks & On-site Rail Loading manage to meet Detroiters all over the country. I consider myself lucky when I cross paths with another Detroiter. What’s great about Detroit? Being from Detroit. Just tell somebody that’s where you are www.decnow.com from, that’s where your Detroit, Michigan / (313) 897-2277 ext. 238 Email: [email protected] business is, and nine times out ISO 9002 / QS 9000 of 10, you will get another few REGISTERED minutes in a meeting. Another few minutes in my business is the difference between writing a new order and writing no Intelligent Dating order at all.” DON KUREK Bryce Moore, 29 Co-owner Context Furniture L.L.C., Royal Oak Education: Bachelor of fine arts, College for Creative farm in Grand Rapids, Ohio, into furniture at The Studies. Emory. Claim to fame: Founded a furniture-manufacturing “Bryce bent over backward every step of the way to company in 2002 and established the company’s repu- really listen to what we were looking for and make it We Don’t Just Provide A Name. tation as a designer of distinctive furniture. happen,” Johnston said. “No other commercial seat- Next step: Establishing inventory management ing place was going to use our wood. It was a really We Arrange The First Date. practices and vendor relationships that will allow the nice touch and it meant a lot to us.” company to expand. Moore and his wife, Kerry, originally began mak- TREAT YOURSELF RIGHT. We match you with other clients with similar ing furniture for art galleries and decided to become a interests and make all the arrangements for you to meet for lunch or drinks Moore said he started building furniture while he furniture manufacturer after attending a convention after work in an upscale, discreet, no-pressure setting. was at the University of Montana “just basically out in High Point, N.C., in 2002 even though industry con- of necessity to get off of my milk crates.” It’s Just Lunch Directors: tacts discouraged them. Now Moore has three lines of designer furniture Moore said he expects Context Furniture’s sales and is shipping some of his work to a design show- will exceed $250,000 this year. The company is prof- room in Shanghai, China — more than a decade after itable, and the company’s designs have been noted in much U.S. furniture manufacturing was moved from a half-dozen architectural and design publications in- factories in North Carolina to China. cluding Interior Design and Display & Design Ideas, Paula Angela Nancy PJ Chris Johnston, co-owner of Woodward Avenue Brew- Komar Curtis Kirsch Osgood Moore said. ers in Ferndale, said he hired Moore more than a year Most of Context Furniture’s products are tables and Detroit 248.273.1000 Ann Arbor 734.327.2700 www.itsjustlunchdetroitsuburbs.com ago to design and build chairs and barstools for a chairs that are made out of fused Baltic birch plywood. restaurant called The Emory, which opened in Fern- In addition to small orders and customized designs dale March 1. Moore sells his furniture to about a half-dozen retail Moore, Johnston said, agreed to incorporate oak, stores and design studios throughout the U.S. walnut and other wood from his great grandfather’s — Brent Snavely Rebecca McGrane, 29 Project manager General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineer- “Seeing these two pictures brings home the ing, Texas A&M; master’s degree in engi- point that the work that I do every day has the neering mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic In- potential to impact the lives of people who stitute and State University. mean the world to someone,” McGrane said. Claim to fame: Overseeing the development McGrane leads a team of 15 working on the of a “concept tank” for the U.S. Army Future vehicle. She is responsible for all facets of Combat Systems, a $22 million project. the project, from budget to personnel. Mc- Next step: Test weapons in October 2007, Grane has been in charge of the project since and full-vehicle in July 2008. late 2004, after spending several years in- volved in technology development programs Rebecca McGrane need not look any fur- at General Dynamics. ther than her desk for inspiration to make McGrane said managing the project has sure she effectively leads a team developing taught her a lot that she’s had to learn on the a new military vehicle at General Dynamics fly, such as management of people and deal- Land Systems in Sterling Heights.