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Model citizens: Couple’s creations display city’s present, future, PAGE 18 JANUARY 4-10, 2016 Judge files to claim RiverWalk trademark Conservancy officials surprised at move; name is not protected

By Robert Snell [email protected] A Wayne County judge privately aims to snatch the RiverWalk name from the nonprofit group that built one of Detroit’s premier recreational spots and plans to profit off the brand name by peddling T- shirts, hats and hoodies. Judge Terrance Keith of Wayne County Pro- bate Court filed two trademark applications last month for the names “The - Walk” and “RiverWalk Detroit,” according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The move surprised Detroit RiverFront Conservancy officials, who admit they failed to trademark the name after the RiverWalk debuted in 2007. The move to sell merchan- dise stamped with the RiverWalk name could mean, if unchallenged, the nonprofit loses a potential revenue stream at a time when the riverfront is poised for expansion. “I’d like to give a portion of the proceeds to them, but not all,” Keith said. “If I can use this to further benefit agencies, OK, and still make some money for myself, that is what I would like to do.” The conservancy, launched in 2003 to

SEE RIVERWALK, PAGE 19 Million-dollar deals: Market for high-end homes sees best year in a decade By Vickie Elmer of $1.7 million nor icy roads slowed Dozens of homes in Birming- Special to Crain’s Detroit Business them down. The luxury-home mar- ham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, By the numbers On a cold, blustery day in late ket in shows no signs and elsewhere in Average days on market: December, Kay Agney drove an out- of slipping, according to sales data metro Detroit have sold for $1 mil- Homes priced in the $1 million-to- of-state buyer to see a few homes and agents such as Agney. lion or more in the past 12 months $2 million range in metro Detroit along Lakeshore Drive and else- “It’s been an incredible year for — so many that the high-end home were on the market an average of where in Grosse Pointe. the upper end of the market,” said market is on track to have its best 76 days, steady with 2014’s sales The buyers were eager to land a Agney, owner and broker at Higbie year in at least a decade, according pace of 76 days. luxury home, and neither price tags Maxon Agney Inc. to multiple listings service Realcomp II Ltd. Active listings: The number of Through October, 229 homes homes for sale in the $1 million- © Entire contents copyright 2016 sold at or above the $1 million mark and-up range totaled 597 in 2015, by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved. in metro Detroit, up from the 217 in up from 478 in 2014. The increase crainsdetroit.com Vol. 31 No 1 $2 a copy. $59 a year. all of 2014 and 211 in 2013, accord- is considered a barometer of an This home at 1990 Oak Pointe Drive in ing to Realcomp data pulled for improving market as more Rochester Hills is for sale for $1.3 million. Crain’s Detroit Business. optimistic sellers list properties. A record year for luxury homes New construction: Of the 106 permits issued in Oakland County from occurred in 2004, when 254 million- January 2012 through November 2015, the top three communities for new dollar abodes changed hands $1 million-plus construction are Bloomfield Township (37), Bloomfield through Realcomp. But marketing Hills(20) and Franklin Village (16). manager Francine Green noted that NEWSPAPER SEE HOMES, PAGE 20 Sources: Realcomp II Ltd., Homebuilders Association of Southeastern 20160104-NEWS--0002-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 3:15 PM Page 1

2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016

long as the industry adds 1,000 jobs. sonal-care products will be phased MICHIGAN Switch, which has mega-data cen- out starting in 2017 under federal INSIDE ters in Las Vegas and Reno, will legislation co-sponsored by a THIS ISSUE make Michigan the site of its first fa- Michigan lawmaker and newly BANKRUPTCIES ...... 19 CALENDAR ...... 17 cility in the eastern U.S. instead of signed by President Barack CAPITOL BRIEFINGS ...... 4 other states considered, including Obama, The AP reported. Lawmak- CLASSIFIED ADS ...... 17 New York and Ohio. Switch’s 1,000 ers said the bill — co-sponsored by DEALS & DETAILS ...... 17 BRIEFS clients include eBay and Amazon. Reps. Fred Upton, the St. Joseph OPINION ...... 6 Republican who heads the House PEOPLE ...... 16 Latest on Flint water crisis: edged that drinking water officials MIne’s future questioned Energy and Commerce Commit- RUMBLINGS ...... 22 MDEQ director resigns misinterpreted a federal rule gov- after iron ore shipment drop tee, and Frank Pallone, D-N.J. — WEEK ON THE WEB ...... 22 erning a switch in a large water sys- was needed to protect fish and Michigan’s top environmental tem’s source. A Flint water task Iron ore shipments out of Mar- wildlife that are ingesting the tiny regulator stepped down last week force appointed by Snyder recently quette’s Upper Harbor are down beads after they are rinsed down COMPANY INDEX: in the wake of Flint’s drinking water raised concerns about a lack of or- dramatically, prompting fears about drains and discharged into lakes SEE PAGE 20 crisis. The resignation of Depart- ganization in the response effort, the future of that area’s Empire and rivers. ment of Environmental Quality Direc- and early last week the state auditor Mine. According to the Lake Carriers’ Small grants are available to tor Dan Wyant was accepted by Gov. concluded mistakes were made. Association, roughly 460,000 tons of local governments that want to arenas, camps and other venues to Rick Snyder, who said he plans other Keith Creagh, head of the state iron ore shipped out of Marquette help clean up Michigan’s rivers, stock epinephrine injectors to personnel changes for the agency. Department of Natural Resources, will in November, compared with about streams and creeks, The AP report- treat allergic reactions, The AP re- In a written statement Dec. 29, lead the DEQ on an interim basis, 732,000 tons in the same month in ed. The state Department of Environ- ported. The newly signed measure Snyder apologized for what oc- Snyder said. Wyant’s spokesman, 2014. The average monthly ship- mental Quality and the Great Lakes permits doctors to prescribe and curred in Flint, where elevated Brad Wurfel, also resigned. ment between 2010 and 2014 was Commission plan to divide $25,000 pharmacists to dispense EpiPens blood-lead levels have been found about 791,000 tons. The Mining among selected applicants who are to youth sports leagues, amuse- in children, The Associated Press re- All Michigan data centers Journal in Marquette reported that expected to match at least 25 per- ment parks, religious institutions ported. The crisis began when the can get Switch tax break a similar downward trend was seen cent of the money. The local agen- and other places. The proposed city switched its supply but was not throughout the Great Lakes, ac- cies can team up with nonprofit or- law also establishes storage and required to immediately keep corro- Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law cording to the association’s report. ganizations or other volunteer training requirements, and limits sive river water from leaching lead tax breaks designed to ensure that a “It’s been a rough, brutal year, groups. Application deadline is Jan. liability from lawsuits. The state from service pipes into residents’ data center developer expands into and our customer demand is 25; winners will be announced in action follows a 2013 law requiring homes. Exposure to lead can cause West Michigan, The AP reported. down,” said a spokesman for Cliffs April. every public school to have behavior problems and learning dis- The bills also apply to roughly 40 ex- Natural Resources, which operates A new Michigan law permits EpiPens. abilities in young children. isting data centers in Michigan, so the Empire and Tilden mines in “I want the Flint community to Nevada-based Switch has no com- Marquette County. Meanwhile, Correction know how very sorry I am that this petitive advantage when it opens a shipments from Canadian seaway has happened,” Snyder said. “And I massive data center near Grand ports totaled 710,000 tons in No- A story on Page 3 of the Dec. 14 issue about development in want all Michigan citizens to know Rapids. vember, up 29.3 percent from 2014. Detroit’s Eastern Market should have attributed information from that we will learn from this experi- Under the laws, data centers and Boydell Development Corp. to Senior Project Manager Eric Novack. An ence, because Flint is not the only their “co-located” clients will be ex- MICH-CELLANEOUS incorrect name was used. Also, a $550,000 grant from the Kresge city that has an aging infrastructure.” empt from paying sales and use Foundation will help support Eastern Market Corp. operations, not just Wyant’s resignation came more taxes on computers, servers and Plastic microbeads used in those of a new development-oriented entity. than two months after he acknowl- other equipment for 20 years as soaps, body washes and other per-

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Big City, BIG DEALS with Kirk Pinho

Kirk covers real estate, Oakland and Macomb counties.

TWEET @KIRKPINHOCDB 20160104-NEWS--0003-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 4:07 PM Page 1

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 3 Saline firm finds the money’s where the mouths are Akervall Technologies takes bite of mouthguard market

By Tom Henderson SISUGUARD.COM [email protected] The Aero Guard, made by If you build a better Akervall, is an athlete’s mouthguard, the world will mouthguard designed beat a path to your door. to be thin and breathable. Or, at least send you an email and ask you to become a supplier. Akervall Technologies Inc. of Saline has built a lighter, thinner, stronger mouthguard, both for ath- be letes and for those who grind their finalized teeth while sleeping. So far, the in- soon. novation is paying off. And, in August, Akervall was The company was officially named the official mouthguard of founded in 2008 but started getting the National Lacrosse League. traction in 2010 after taking part in Akervall Technologies was an entrepreneurial boot camp host- named the top company in the ad- ed by Ann Arbor Spark. vanced materials category at the It had revenue of $1.4 million in last two recent Accelerate Michigan 2014 and $2.6 million in 2015 and Innovation events at projects revenue of $4.2 million in in Detroit, winning $25,000 each 2016 that will grow to $12.6 million time. in 2018. Making connections CCM, the iconic Canadian brand that has been making skates for Unlike most of her fellow finalists decades for everyone from peewees at the competition, President and to National Hockey League players, co-founder Sassa Akervall wasn’t has been selling Akervall’s mouth- looking for investments from angel guards since March as a result of the investors or venture capitalists. Ak- retail equivalent of a man-bites-dog ervall is cash-flow positive and ca- story — an executive in Montreal pable of funding growth from rev- heard about the Akervall mouth- enue. guard and sent the company an Dan Asma is president of Warren- email introducing himself and say- based McKeon Products Inc., which ing he might want to be a customer. has long sold its Mack’s brand of Later this month, 2,100 of the hearing-protection and ear-related 8,000 Walgreens drugstores in the products in drugstores around the U.S. will start carrying the mouth- U.S. and in 70 countries. pieces, with a national rollout to fol- He said he heard about Akervall’s low. Details of a rollout in another mouthpieces through a friend of his national drug chain are expected to SEE AKERVALL, PAGE 21

MUST READS OF THE WEEK Energy law’s still got the power Lawmakers haven’t adopted any updates, so key provisions in Michigan’s energy law continue into the new year. Page 4 Filling a cozy housing niche “Less is more” seems to be the adage for those planning micro apartments downtown and in the trendy suburbs. Page 7 20160104-NEWS--0004-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 12:44 PM Page 1

4 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 Sun doesn’t set on state’s energy law

LANSING — Key provisions in generation,” Austerberry said. Michigan’s energy law will continue The utilities and Snyder want to into the new year, despite require- end the mandates in favor of a ments that electric utilities meet re- longer-term planning process newable energy and efficiency tar- known as integrated resource plan- gets by the end of 2015. ning, as proposed in the legislation. Even though lawmakers haven’t But proponents of the mandates adopted bills to update the state’s 7- LINDSAY say utilities would have no incentive year-old energy policy, those stan- VANHULLE to continue renewable or efficiency dards don’t sunset — meaning utili- Capitol Briefings programs without the requirement ties only will have to maintain [email protected] they meet specific standards. current benchmarks unless or until Twitter: @LindsayVanHulle The Michigan Public Service Com- a new law is signed. mission, in a report this fall, said Without changes to policy, immediately know how much that electric utilities’ spending on pro- Michigan’s standards for renewable project would contribute above its 10 grams to reduce energy consump- energy and energy efficiency don’t percent renewable minimum, but tion in 2014 should save customers increase; utilities won’t be required said it provides a cushion to DTE’s at least $1.1 billion over the dura- to meet stricter goals than what target should customer load increase. tion of those programs. they’ve already achieved. Austerberry said DTE also is seek- “Clearly, no bill is better than a Under current law, utilities have to ing proposals from prospective ven- bad bill, because the existing struc- generate at least 10 percent of their dors to continue efficiency programs ture stays in place,” said Martin electricity from renewable sources through at least 2018, following the Kushler, a senior fellow with the — a target they’ve met — and to offer expiration of contracts later this year. Washington, D.C.-based American energy efficiency programs to cus- “Energy optimization makes a lot Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. tomers with savings equal to 1 per- of sense. It’s certainly one of the “The existing law is not too bad. cent of total electric sales. least-cost options when you look at There’s some important ways it “Life continues on,” said Valerie other generation sources, because could be improved,” he said — Brader, executive director of the when you save energy — when your namely, upping Michigan’s energy Michigan Agency for Energy, created customers are saving energy — you waste reduction standard to at least in 2015 by executive order from Gov. don’t need to provide additional 1.5 percent. Ⅲ Intellectual Property | Litigation | Technology Rick Snyder to administer the state’s energy programs. “I’ve heard people say, ‘So that means it expires.’ I just want everyone to be very clear: Absent a repeal, it re- Transactional mains there so the utility could never experience on par fall below 10 percent as calculated in the law going forward,” she said. with the major Silicon “While it expires in the sense that A Fee-Only Wealth Management Group Valley law firms. there’s no new requirement, it does not actually expire from a legal sense.” – BRAD KANCIGOR,KANCIGOR, ASSOCIATEASSOCIATE GC Yet Snyder and other interested Michigan’s Top NAPFA-Registered Synopsys,Synopsys, IncInc groups, including utilities, are call- * ing on the Legislature to adopt Fee-Only Financial Advisor changes to the law, known as Public YOUNG BASILE. Act 295 of 2008. The administration wants a Strategic advisors to the world’s statewide policy to help guide devel- most innovative companies. opment of Michigan’s plan to comply with new federal carbon rules, the first draft of which is due next Sep- ANN ARBOR TROY SILICON VALLEY CHICAGO tember. The state is tasked with www.youngbasile.com meeting an emissions reduction tar- get of 31 percent by 2030, Brader said. Charles C. Zhang Utilities also are taking several CFP®, MBA, MSFS, ChFC coal-fired plants offline this year Managing Partner and have said they want more cer- tainty for planning. The Legislature adjourned until mid-January without taking action on energy. In the House, two bills sponsored by Rep. Aric Nesbitt, R- Lawton, await a vote in the full chamber. In the Senate, the energy and technology committee contin- ues to work with bills sponsored by Jessica L. Rossana, CFP® Jeremiah Ludington III, JD Sens. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek, and Director - Client Services Manager - Client Services John Proos, R-St. Joseph. Renewable energy and energy ef- We Uphold a Fiduciary Standard ficiency are among the hotly con- tested issues. The bills would elimi- 101 West Big Beaver Road nate both mandates. Utilities, including Detroit’s DTE 14th Floor Energy Co. and Jackson-based Con- Troy, MI 48084 sumers Energy, say the cost has dropped to build renewable proj- (248) 687-1258 (888) 777-0126 ects, and they’ll have no choice but to pursue them to comply with new www.zhangfinancial.com federal carbon emissions rules Assets under custody of LPL Financial and TD Ameritrade. known as the Clean Power Plan. *Charles Zhang is Michigan’s Top Advisor as reported in Barron’s February 23, DTE recently said it plans to build 2015. Factors included in the rankings: assets under management, revenue and two solar projects near Lapeer that the quality of the advisors’ practices, and other factors. NAPFA-Registered can generate 45 megawatts. Utility status reported as of September 18, 2015 on www.napfa.org. spokesman John Austerberry didn’t Minimum investment requirement: $1,000,000 Project3 12/11/2015 5:20 PM Page 1

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6 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS A life filled with biz news …and newsrooms grew up in a newsroom. idea was considered a nonstarter My father, Don Goodaker Sr., by pretty much everyone he talked I was a newspaper photographer to. Most people did not believe that OPINION in southern Indiana for more than a business community outside the 35 years, first for the Evansville automakers existed beyond a few Press and later for the Evansville publicly traded companies. Courier. But, as Keith also has often said, I got to hang around newsrooms CINDY innovation doesn’t happen in focus Gun data should help when wire service machines were GOODAKER groups. clanking, pictures were developed Executive editor Other lessons gleaned over the from film seemingly by magic and a years: child could bang away without so of that running the newsroom. The people you work with damage on the Underwood type- It’s a road I feel remarkably lucky every day matter. Good people who form smarter policy writers then used by reporters to to have traveled. are smart and have a sense of write their stories. Pressroom wiz- But it’s time to explore other humor are the best. ards set my name in hot type and, paths and perhaps clear a few new Persistence matters. Look at nthony Tolson, 33, had just performed at a church when Dad wasn’t listening, told me ones. And so, as the new year rings Midtown, which became an service and was heading to visit family when he was inappropriate jokes while the ashes in, with metaphorical searchlight “overnight” success after two dec- A shot to death during a carjacking outside a Detroit on their cigars hung precariously and chainsaw in hand, I am going ades of hard work. party store. close to my face. to see what those might be. Curiosity may kill the cat, but Seven-year-old Chanell Berry was playing with Christmas Honestly, who wouldn’t want to I take with me many good rela- you’ll never learn anything without become a journalist after all that? tionships, memories and tales from it. presents when she was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting I certainly did. the front. I leave behind a lot of grat- Facts and truth are related, but that stemmed from an argument among adults a couple of And because of those early expe- itude, particularly to Keith Crain, are not the same thing. Everything days after Christmas. riences and others that followed, it whose vision of a business newspa- needs context. Whether it’s the mass has been my good fortune to be per that did not cover Ford, GM or And finally, metro Detroit right This is a business shootings that are too-fre- present for all but eight months of Chrysler led me to Crain’s in Sep- now is the place to be. I wouldn’t and economic Crain’s Detroit Business’ nearly 31- tember 1985. want to live anywhere else. quent headlines around year existence, with two decades or It’s worth repeating that Keith’s And that’s the truth. issue as much as a the country or crimes in societal our own back yards, vio- lence by firearms seems TALK ON THE WEB issue. epidemic. Re: How Detroit riverfront then again, there are two different De- And So what does one do with Reader responses to stories and troit experiences, aren’t there? lost out on Gilbert’s Quicken HQ blogs that appeared on Crain’s it an epidemic? Treat it like a Mr. 8149 website. Comments may be edited public health crisis, sug- Moving to the heart of down- affects for length and clarity. the gested our sister publica- town as did was infi- Re: 2015 saw big changes tion, Modern Healthcare, in nitely better for downtown’s health in Detroit media Detroit a cover story and editorial than moving to the riverfront, Providence will survive without the where workers would connect bad apples and will continue to pro- A great deal of change in one region — last month. We agree. much less with the CBD (and we vide the quality of care it always has. year, well-chronicled here. Going to and the Consider the numbers re- would not have today’s improved EVERYONE is replaceable. miss hearing from many of these voic- country. ported by Modern Health- foot traffic). Mixed-use tall build- NoName es and can only hope that the care: about 32,000 people ings with a heavy residential com- shakeup in the media world does die of gunshot wounds a year — on par with vehicle acci- ponent are now appropriate along Re: Bagger Dave’s downtown not lead to the evaporation of the dents. The Children’s Safety Network pegs the financial cost at the riverfront — make it a better Detroit location,7 others closed Fourth Estate and the loss of the version of Manhattan’s Battery vital role it plays in keeping us in- $174 billion a year for medical and mental health care, crimi- Park City. I like the location and interior formed. nal justice costs, wage losses and related costs. BobNB layout of the restaurant in East Jeff Stoltman This is a business and economic issue as much as a socie- Lansing. The price to take the kids is tal issue. And it affects the Detroit region — and the country. I love stories like this about Detroit. pretty high, though. The market re- Re: Ex-Lions QB’s essay paints Though many people cast the issue as a sacred gun rights Skepticalreason search in Indiana must have left lots to portrait of team’s internal rot be desired. matter, consider the parallel to public health reforms in auto- Re: Another offer rejected in Eric Schertzing Joey Harrington: Another blessed motive safety practices. Seatbelts were once considered an St.John Providence CRNA talks American who got very rich based on infringement on personal rights, but lawmakers began to re- Re: Detroit apartment renters give nothing. quire their installation and their use to curb highway deaths. Emergency room staff, radiology, city flunking grade,survey finds Carolyn Mazuriewicz Airbags and other safety designs followed. food service, etc., have all become Detroit Police Chief James Craig put it this way after the contracted employees in recent Interesting article. I’d be interest- Re: Judge sides with city of Flint years. What makes the MI68 so spe- ed to know how large the sample over water shutoffs death of Chanell Berry: cial? Why do they deserve this much size was and where these “regis- “People get to argue, but they don’t get to use this kind of publicity when hospital staff has tered users” are living, considering The people of Flint should not be response to resolve whatever their differences are. … It gone through this for years and it’s practically impossible to get any- forced to pay for poisoned water. seems to me — and this is not a criticism, this is factual — have had seamless transitions? thing downtown or in Midtown. But JestersTear people are desensitized. They’ve come to accept a level of vi- olence. ... So it’s not just, ‘Detroit police, what are you doing?’ Detroit RiverWalk: No Quicken? It’s ‘What are we going to do? When are we going to stand up No problem. and say enough is enough?’” The public debate needs facts, not emotion. How do shooters get guns? Can firearms be made safer to prevent the kinds of tragedies we’ve seen with children finding loaded weapons? Can revamped policies or agencies address people with mental health issues or anger management problems earlier — heading off many violent incidents at the pass? Answering such questions with data is a start. The last federally funded report on gun violence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was released in 1996. All lives matter. So why not invest in the research that

could lead to smart policy? DETROIT RIVERFRONT CONSERVANCY 20160104-NEWS--0007-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 11:43 AM Page 1

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 7 Micro apartments fill low-cost housing niche

By Kirk Pinho floor, said Bob Kraemer, principal of housing remains strong in the cen- [email protected] Detroit-based firm Krae- tral business district and elsewhere and other developers mer Design Group PLC, the architecture throughout the suburbs, even are taking the “less is more” adage to firm on Gilbert’s project, which is ex- among millennials, he said. heart with the planned construction pected to begin construction in the Demand is strong partly because of hundreds of new “micro apart- first quarter this year (and which will many are saddled with student loan ments” in the downtown core and have kitchens in each unit). debt and monthly rent payments the trendy suburbs. Therefore, square footage that that make it difficult for them to Whether it’s for proximity to a job would normally be consumed by an save for a mortgage down payment, or ease of access to specific neigh- in-unit cooking and eating area is re- he said. borhood amenities or good, old- served for other uses, making the “A lot of it is that many people fashioned cost, renters bent on being smaller space more livable than don’t have the ability to jump into near a particular location, such as The planned Amber Studios and Lofts in Troy. might otherwise be the case. that (home-ownership) space,” he Capitol Park downtown and around In addition, desktop computers said. the nightlife of downtown Royal Oak, You can also look for a pair of new Jerry Amber, vice president of Claw- are being replaced by laptops and Amber, vice president of Amber can expect to find smaller units com- projects by Amber Properties, which son-based Amber Properties. The tablets. Countertop-depth cooking Properties, said that while micro ing with much more affordable lease has 27 properties with about 1,300 project is expected to be complete in appliances are easily available. Wall- apartments fill a niche in Detroit — rates than a typical studio, one- or units in its multifamily residential fall 2017. mounted flat-screen televisions are and elsewhere in the Midwest, two-bedroom apartment in the portfolio. Also in greater downtown, a proj- replacing TVs over a foot in depth. where they are coming to market in same area. The first, the Amber on 11 Studios and ect to add about 200 micro apart- Old stereo systems are being tossed places like Kalamazoo; Des Moines, Defining what is and what isn’t a Lofts in Royal Oak, would have 36 ments by Dennis Kefallinos’ Detroit- in favor of devices that fit in your Iowa; and Columbus, Ohio — there micro apartment can be tricky. For units ranging from 275 to 356 square based Boydell Development Co. in a jeans pocket. In short, square won’t be a mass exodus of renters example, the Urban Land Institute feet renting for $845 to $1,125 per former phar- footage becomes less important, from spacious one- and two-bed- notes that major cities where micro month. Construction is expected to macy school building is progressing, particularly to younger generations. room units to the smaller apart- apartments are more prevalent — begin this spring at the northeast with new windows being added to “Many of these millennials are liv- ments. New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, corner of North Rembrandt Avenue the upper floors of the former Shap- ing minimally,” Novack said. “They “It comes down to what is suffi- Boston, Dallas and Washington, and East 11 Mile Road, with occu- ero Hall at 1010 Rivard St. near are focusing more on work and play. cient for their needs,” he said. “We D.C., for example — all have varying pancy expected in spring 2017. Lafayette Park, according to Eric No- And let’s face it, Detroit has a lot to are not disparaging the larger units. definitions established under local The second Amber Properties vack, senior project manager for offer this generation: good job We are not saying those units aren’t housing rules. planned “micro apartment” devel- Boydell. prospects and an entertainment dis- great. But there are people that The ULI, however, defines a micro opment is the Amber Studios and Aside from size, another thing that trict that is new and exciting.” don’t want a roommate, want a sim- apartment as a small apartment with Lofts in Troy, with 35 units ranging can separate a micro apartment But don’t get too bullish on the ple living, and don’t have a lot of be- specific designs making it appear from 355 to 486 square feet and from a traditional studio apartment demand for micro apartments, said longings.” larger than its size, generally 20 to 30 renting for $895 to $1,275 per is the lack of a kitchen. In micro Austin Black II, president of City Liv- The micro units, Amber said, are percent smaller than conventional month. Construction is expected to apartment developments without ing Detroit, a Detroit-based real es- just the right fit for them. Ⅲ studios in a given city and ranging begin in the fall this year on Liver- in-unit kitchens, renters share a tate brokerage firm. The demand Kirk Pinho: (313) 446-0412 from 280 to 450 square feet. Some nois Road north of Maple Road, said kitchen with others on the same for more traditional-sized rental Twitter: @kirkpinhoCDB smaller micro units under 350 square feet include built-in storage units and things like Murphy beds, convertible tables and hideaway kitchen modules, according to ULI. Whether it’s Gilbert’s project downtown or Clawson-based Amber Bethany Sweeny Properties Co.’s plans for new micro units in Royal Oak and Troy, location near employment and entertain- In Your Corner.® ment hot spots is key. “With most suburban neighbor- hoods, you’re looking for more long- Varnum welcomes Bethany Sweeny to the fi rm. term residents, but in your urban lo- ■ Defends claims of harassment, retaliation cations like this, their lifestyle is outside their apartment,” said Kevin and discrimination, as well as FMLA and Dillon, partner at the Troy office of whistleblower claims. Berkadia Phoenix-based . “You’ll find ■ Counsels employers on hiring, discipline these much more acceptable in your high-income, high-education neigh- and performance matters, wage and hour borhoods.” issues, employee leaves and accommodation More commonly found in most requests. established — and more expensive ■ — urban areas like New York City, Represents employers before the EEOC and San Francisco, Boston and Miami, at various state agencies. least four new developments would bring the tiny units, generally in the range of 300 square feet each, to De- troit and Oakland County renters. Much of their appeal is cost. For example, near Gilbert’s planned 219- unit development of micro apart- ments at the corner of West Grand River Avenue and , units ranging from 623 to 1,290 square feet in are renting for $1,200 to $2,500 per month, de- pending on size. But the budget-conscious or Capitol Park living could likely rent a smaller unit, with around 300 square feet, for about $700 per month in the planned project at the site of the for- mer Grind strip club, which was dam- Contact Bethany Sweeny at [email protected] aged in a February 2014 fire and is Ŷ Detroit Ŷ Novi Ŷ Grand Rapids Ŷ Kalamazoo Ŷ Grand Haven Ŷ Lansing Ŷ Ann Arbor Ŷ Hastings slated for demolition. PN Full pg_DBpageAD.qxd 12/16/2015 4:11 PM Page 1

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In Honor of Lear Corporation’s Matthew J. Simoncini Being Named a 2015 Newsmaker of the Year

The Lear Corporation team of more than 135,000 employees in 35 countries extends its congratulations and gratitude to Matt Simoncini for his leadership as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Lear Board of Directors.

Under Mr. Simoncini’s leadership, Lear has added Guilford Performance Textiles, Eagle Ottawa Premium Leather, intellectual property from Autonet Mobile and Arada Systems to our portfolio of industry-leading Seating and Electrical products.

Lear has never been in a stronger competitive position. We look forward to the future with the opening of new Centers of Excellence for Craftsmanship and Connectivity in Southfield, Michigan and a new Innovation & Design Center in Detroit next year. The Company is uniquely positioned to offer the best designs and highest level of craftsmanship in Seating, and to capitalize on the connectivity mega-trend in Electrical. 20160104-NEWS--0009-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 12:18 PM Page 1

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 9

THE ILITCHES Honors given for entertainment hub work and philanthropy

By Bill Shea hance and further those efforts.” the District Detroit project — among [email protected] Ilitch and wife Marian made their them navigating a complex city ap- Mike Ilitch in 2015 upped the ante fortune from the Little Caesars pizza proval process for various projects A Page 1 package in the Aug. 31 edition of on his big bet on . chain, and Chris Ilitch is both the and ensuring that the overall district Crain’s marked the end of the prep work at His vision, orchestrated day to day public face of the effort and the quar- has a unified feel — the project is well the new Detroit Red Wings arena site. by son Chris Ilitch, was introduced in terback behind the scenes who han- on its way toward a game-changing the summer of 2014 as a sprawling, dles not only the various business alteration of the downtown land- Additionally, the arena’s 52 corpo- 50-block, mixed-use redevelopment functions but also the details of The scape, said Michael Cooper, presi- rate suites and all but three of the 22 that would stitch together downtown District Detroit. dent and managing principal of mini-suites have been sold. Corpo- and Midtown and be anchored by a The younger Ilitch is president and Southfield-based architecture firm rate suites lease for more than state-of-the-art, 20,000-seat arena for CEO of Ilitch Holdings Inc. Corp. $300,000 a year and the leases are for the Detroit Red Wings. The centerpiece of the family’s ef- Cooper said the Ilitch family has seven to 10 years, which is at least This past year, the elder Ilitch em- forts is the arena, which is scheduled always maintained its commitment $109 million in revenue. bossed that plan, known as The Dis- to open in time for the 2017-18 hock- to the city of Detroit, even during The hockey arena isn’t the only LOOKING AHEAD trict Detroit, by adding $95 million in ey season. Its footprint will be on times “when very few people were major brick-and-mortar project ris- additional spending to the arena’s nearly 13 acres of mostly vacant or committed.” ing from the district in 2016: Work What the Ilitches (Mike original $527 million price tag, and derelict land acquired for about $50 “Anytime there is a revitalization will begin this year on an eight-story, Ilitch, top, and Chris Ilitch) pledged $40 million for a new Wayne million west of Woodward Avenue effort, you always need really big, 205,000-square-foot headquarters expect to focus on in 2016 State University business school that and north of the Fisher Freeway. grand things to happen, in addition for Little Caesars at Woodward Av- ■ Continue marketing for will be built next to the hockey venue. The arena’s concrete-and-steel to the smaller, everyday kind of enue and Columbia Street next to its retail, office and residential The Mike Ilitch School of Business, skeleton began to rise in 2015 from things. And the large and the grand current site inside the . developments in The expected to open sometime in 2018, the 40-foot-deep hole excavated as really helps pull in the regular, every- The Little Caesars Fox Office Cen- District Detroit. will be a 120,000-square-foot multi- the building’s lower seating bowl, and day investors,” he said. ter also will undergo a renovation. story building of classrooms, offices it will begin to take shape as work Olympia Development of Michigan, The headquarters, which will in- ■ Construction of the new and other spaces for about 4,500 stu- continues throughout the winter. the Ilitches’ real estate unit, is picking clude retail, will be built on a vacant Little Caesars dents. Wayne State will seek another The project’s goal was to have at up all costs for the project beyond lot and connect to the Fox at 2211 headquarters. $15 million to cover the full cost of least 30 percent of arena contracts go $250 million in bonds sold to finance Woodward Ave. through a pedestrian ■ Sign and announce the facility, and $5 million of the Ilitch to local companies, and the total is some of the construction. The ancil- bridge. Crain’s has estimated the cost additional sponsorships for donation is earmarked for an currently at 65 percent, the Ilitches lary development around the arena could be as much as $71 million. the Detroit Red Wings endowment. have said. Michigan businesses have will be entirely privately funded. The Ilitches can afford their plans arena. “That (Ilitch donation) is really im- earned 95 percent of the value of all The Ilitches also made progress in thanks to business holdings that had portant for us because it moves us contracts awarded so far. 2015 on the arena’s possibilities of $3.3 billion in combined revenue in ■ Proceed with additional much closer to the heart of economic The $95 million in additional generating revenue (all of which they 2014, and Forbes estimates Mike and planning, development and activity in Detroit,” said Robert spending on the arena will include an will keep under the deal inked with wife Marian themselves to be worth zoning for the Woodward Forsythe, dean of the Wayne State underground practice facility, an out- the city Downtown Development Au- $5.5 million. Square neighborhood business school. door plaza featuring a massive video thority, which ultimately will own the Marian Ilitch owns MotorCity Casi- (which encompasses the “If we do things the way we need wall, more green spaces, and a play- building). no Hotel, and Mike Ilitch independ- arena, entertainment to, it will benefit our students, our ers club for fans that will include a Olympia has, so far, five-year cor- ently owns the because concourse and more). faculty and the city of Detroit. … glass tunnel between the ice and porate sponsorship deals, for undis- of Major League Baseball’s rules against We’ve been branding ourselves as locker room in which Red Wings will closed amounts, with Meijer Inc. and casino cross-ownership. They jointly Detroit’s business school, and adding pass. St. Joseph Mercy Health System for the own the hockey team. the Ilitch name to that will only en- While challenges still lay ahead for new arena. Kirk Pinho contributed to this story.

A conceptual rendering shows the future Woodward Square that is part of The District Detroit. 20160104-NEWS--0010-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 10:47 AM Page 1

10 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 2015: THE NEWSMAKERS Cultivating Detroit’s young talent becomes a TONYAALLEN passion for leader of new education coalition

By Chad Halcom only answer. A story in the Dec. 15, 2014 [email protected] The organization wants edition of Crain’s set the stage Tonya Allen brought visibility and better quality controls in char- for the year to come for the advanced the conversation on educa- ter schools, a new Detroit Ed- Coalition for the Future of tional reform proposals in Michigan ucation Commission respon- Detroit Schoolchildren. during 2015, as co-chair of the Coali- sible for opening, closing and tion for the Future of Detroit School- picking locations for schools ings herself just to hear LOOKING AHEAD children. in the city, and an immediate members’ ideas. Allen is Allen’s outlook for 2016 But it was just one of several efforts return to elected leadership of also a Cornerstone board to cultivate training for young Detroi- the public school system. It member. Grow Detroit’s Young ters that she expects to escalate in also calls for the dissolution of “She’s been a very active Talent, which has averaged 2016. the Education Achievement Au- chairman, combining fewer than 3,500 students Allen, president and CEO of the thority established in 2011 that both the elements of dele- and people ages 14-24 in Detroit-based Skillman Foundation oversees 15 low-performing gation as a leader and a summer jobs in past years, since January 2014, said one of her Detroit schools. great deal of vested per- set a new goal of 5,000 high points this year — besides see- Group members so far have sonal interest,” he said. students for 2015 and ing the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent not seen the legislative support “But she cares very much exceeded it, at roughly 5,600 program expand by more than 2,000 they hoped for in Lansing for about kids no matter hires. That could grow to a new jobs — was a meeting with one measures to help retire Detroit Public whose students underperform on ac- where they are in school, a charter or goal of 8,000 this year. of its participants. The Detroit teen Schools’ crippling $515 million debt. ademic achievement tests. Cultural a school district or private school.” After the Legislature was so excited about a job he ob- But Allen said some improvements changes could include building a Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, a col- reconvenes Jan. 13, the tained through the ongoing initiative can also be made administratively, community focus on monitoring laboration between the foundation Coalition for the Future of that he applied for, and obtained, two and through culture change. school performance and holding community, City Connect and Detroit Detroit Schoolchildren more on his own. “We also think our role can include schools individually accountable. Employment Solutions Corp. that Skill- expects to renew its call for a “He was giving a lot of that income seeing to those recommendations “There is no reason why we are man helped to launch several years bill package to address to his family, and he appreciated the that can get executed regardless of keeping any low-performing schools ago, grew from placing fewer than reform in its reports from impact so much to his bottom line, he the Legislature, in terms of a set of ini- open. 3,500 young Detroiters ages 14-24 in 2015, such as retiring Detroit was doing all kinds of things to make tiatives that are voluntary and collab- “It’s a responsibility of charter years past to more than 5,600 in Public Schools’ debt. it possible to do more,” she said. orative, with some metrics that we set school operators, the EAA and the 2015. New responsibilities will The new education coalition, and be made accountable to meet- district to hold themselves and their Allen said the goal is to place 8,000 include chairing a youth- made up of businesspeople, nonprof- ing,” she said. “Because it’s going to schools accountable...” she said. in summer jobs this year — a reason- focused committee of the it leaders and labor groups, was or- require both structural change — Clark Durant, co-founder and for- able goal, she said, since cities like revised Detroit Workforce ganized in late 2014. Last spring, it from the Legislature — and a prac- mer CEO of Cornerstone Schools and a Baltimore and Philadelphia have Development Board, which published a report calling for several tices change.” co-chair of an academics subcom- roughly doubled that total. is seeking to land jobs for reforms in K-12 education within the Among the administrative mittee for the Coalition, said Allen She also sits on Detroit’s newly re- 100,000 job-seeking or city. The group will renew a call for changes, she said, is getting charter has been very focused on learning constituted Workforce Development detached city residents. new attention from the Legislature in school authorizers like Michigan uni- and student outcomes and has at- Board and said she hopes to cultivate 2016, but Allen said Lansing isn’t the versities to crack down on schools tended many of the committee meet- more jobs training and initiatives.

Garden Fresh Gourmet founder finds JACK ARONSON ideal ingredients for company’s sale

By Sherri Welch 450 employees at Garden Fresh and Phillips, head of communications to Forgotten Harvest in Oak Park after [email protected] offered them a bonus payable upon and public relations for the Campbell the sale of Garden Fresh. It’s not every day a Fortune 500 the closing. They quietly gave their Fresh division, in an email. But soon, the equipment will be company looks your way. employees millions of dollars. He’s also continuing to work with brought back to Ferndale to assist food Still, Garden Fresh Gourmet founders The gesture “made the employees business partners to grow Great startups including Detroit Water Ice Jack Aronson and his wife, Annette, excited about the deal closing, as op- Fresh. The 3-year-old company Factory, an Italian ice company that had seen interest in their company posed to dreading it,” said Mike Grif- planned in December to launch its Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch even before Campbell Soup Co. came fin, a partner at Garden Fresh and at new “Clean Planet Foods” line of Albom is launching to benefit non- LOOKING AHEAD along. the couple’s stuffed burger/fresh fresh, cooked meats that are profit S.A.Y. Detroit. Aronson’s predictions for Among others, PepsiCo had court- meat business, Clinton Township- processed with high pressures like Aronson is also continuing to ne- 2016 and beyond ed the Ferndale company. But none based Great Fresh Foods LLC. Garden Fresh salsa and will keep in gotiate with other, unnamed busi- of the companies were the right fit — “They earned it,” Aronson said. the refrigerator for up to 60 days. ness partners to bring a cold-water, Michigan’s food until the couple visited Campbell Soup “We certainly wanted to show them Aronson spends about five hours high-pressure processing line to Fer- processing ability will Co.’s Bolthouse Farms operation in our appreciation.” each week on efforts to expand Great ndale. The $7 million to $8 million in- double in the next five California. Despite the sale of Garden Fresh to Fresh; the rest of the time he’s focused vestment would fund the state’s first years, led by small food There, they found a culture that Campbell, Aronson still has a full on efforts to pay it forward. such line and give local fresh food companies. mirrored the one they had created at plate. At the top of his list is the relaunch manufacturers a more affordable op- All-natural, artisan Garden Fresh, a fresh salsa, hummus, He remains an adviser to the Gar- in the spring of the nonprofit Startup tion for using the technology. Aron- foods will continue to dips and tortilla chips company they den Fresh Gourmet business, helping Engine Entrepreneur Depot incubator son expects the line to be operational grow in popularity with launched in 1997 from their former develop and test new recipes for new for small food manufacturers in Fern- within six months to a year. rising consumer demand Ferndale restaurant, the Clubhouse products like a fresh gazpacho and dale. Founded by Garden Fresh and “We’re trying to be a part of the for fresh produce, deli and Bar-B-Q. providing insights on small-business Eastern Market Corp., SEED’s original food entrepreneur spirit here in dairy items. What sealed the $231 million deal operations and how to apply those manufacturing equipment, and the Michigan ... to give (food startups) an in June was Campbell President and ideas at Campbell, said Regan space that housed it, was transferred opportunity to manufacture their Revenue for his Clinton CEO Denise Morrison’s promise that products and find out if they are vi- Township-based Great it would keep the Garden Fresh oper- able before they go out and buy the Fresh Foods LLC (known ations in Ferndale, retain its 450 em- farm,” he said. for stuffed burgers) will ployees, make investments and never Aronson and his wife also have triple in 2016, with the change a recipe without the couple’s quietly donated about $25 million to launch of the “Clean approval, said Jack Aronson, 62. needs near and far, for causes that Planet Foods” line of As the deal neared closing, Aron- provide housing, support for kids, lit- fresh, cooked meats that son and his wife met with each of the eracy and other services. They creat- will keep in the ed a foundation in December, the Ar- refrigerator for up to 60 In a Second Stage report from the Oct. 12, tichoke Garlic Foundation (named after days. 2015 edition of Crain’s,Jack Aronson talked the first flavor of salsa they made), about the Garden Fresh sale. funding it with $10 million. 20160104-NEWS--0011-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 11:15 AM Page 1

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 11 2015: THE NEWSMAKERS

Meridian president oversees member, space JONCOTTON growth for family-founded health company By Jay Greene also has Medicare plans in Michigan, [email protected] Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. Jon Cotton had a busy year, over- Cotton also is proud of Meridian’s seeing Meridian Health Plan Inc.’s ranking with the National Committee 58 percent revenue growth to $3 bil- on Quality Assurance. It is the only lion, a 42 percent increase in employ- HMO ranked in the top 10 in two ees to 2,100 and a move into new cor- states — Michigan at No. 9 and Illi- LOOKING AHEAD porate headquarters at One Campus nois at 10. Cotton’s expectations for Martius in downtown Detroit. Meridian plans to expand 2016 But Cotton, 38, president and COO Medicare operations into Pennsylva- of Meridian Health Plan of Michigan, also A headline from the June 15, 2015 issue of Crain’s tells of Meridian’s growth. nia and Nebraska in 2016 and grow its Nearly double Meridian’s is enjoying the moment. Medicare business starting in 2017. Medicaid members to 1.2 “It is hard to think we’d be as suc- build its own new $111 million, 16- hired up and had big growth.” Because of the expansion, Meridi- million, double pharmacy cessful as we are,” said Cotton, one of story, 320,000-square-foot corporate Driving Meridian’s growth has an in 2015 added 880 employees to benefit members to 2 three siblings in the family business headquarters on 2 acres off Monroe been expansion of its Medicaid increase its workforce to nearly 2,000 million, increase Medicare started by his father, CEO David Cot- and Woodward avenues. health plans in Michigan, Iowa and in Detroit and 2,100 overall. Meridian members to 25,000 and ton. “Thank God it never happened. We Illinois, but also its 4-year-old phar- plans to hire another 400 in Detroit. add 400 employees to have The elder Cotton, a gynecologist, delayed our decision” and bought the macy benefit management company, Besides business, Cotton and his a workforce of more than founded Meridian in 1997 with his (old ) building at One MeridianRx Inc. family also are very much involved in 2,500. wife, Shery. Siblings include twin Campus Martius in “a solid deal” with MeridianRx now has 193 cus- civic affairs. Continued consolidation brother Sean and younger brother a “discount on the price,” he said. “We tomers with more than 1 million Since 2011, the Cotton family has of smaller, independent Michael. would have been out of space with members, up from about 50 clients acquired more than 30 properties in health plans. “Members want to choose our that (original) building.” and 50,000 members last year. working to create a business, dining Because of rising costs, health plan, and customers like the In late 2014, Meridian and Dan Said Cotton: “The model is very and entertainment district in Grosse Medicare could move in the story we have to tell,” said Cotton. Gilbert’s Bedrock Real Estate Services scalable, and we have been growing Pointe Park. Recent additions include next 10 years to a voucher “We deliver on our promises.” jointly purchased the 1.1 million- because of consolidation in the (in- a bakery and a “robot garage” for system or privatization with Even though Troy-based Molina square-foot former Compuware surance) industry.” fledgling engineers. about 30 percent of Healthcare of Michigan made two ac- building for an estimated $140 mil- While Meridian’s Michigan health To boost neighborhood values and enrollment now in private quisitions last year to add about lion. Since September, Meridian has plan grew by about 150,000 members bring younger people into the area, managed care plans. 180,000 members, Cotton said been moving into its new headquar- the past two years in part due to the Cottons also created the Grosse Meridian will still be the largest Med- ters, occupying five floors and about Healthy Michigan Medicaid’s expan- Pointe Housing Foundation for students Continued movement to icaid HMO in Michigan with 450,000 300,000 square feet. But Cotton said sion, Cotton said the largest increase in college or in professional programs value-based contracting to members. employee growth necessitated keep- was in Illinois, which grew to 250,000 like medical residents. reward quality and reduce “They will not surpass us,” Cotton ing three floors at One Kennedy members this year from 25,000 in “We have 120 students. We certify overuse of services. promised. Square at 777 Woodward. 2013. Overall, Meridian, which also the landlord properties to make sure Hospital mergers will But even Cotton acknowledged “We initially thought the entire operates Medicaid plans in Illinois they are nice,” said Cotton, who re- continue. Meridian dodged a bullet of sorts two company would fit into the new and Iowa, has more than 770,000 cently received an MBA in family busi- years ago when it was planning to headquarters,” Cotton said. “We Medicaid managed care members. It ness from Kennesaw State University.

State-record VC fund headlines JAN GARFINKLE another successful year for Arboretum

By Tom Henderson closed at $138 million. Garfinkle responded to a request way at all. I started Arboretum be- [email protected] There’s no secret why investors ea- from the Michigan Economic Develop- cause I wanted to change health care. “Arboretum just keeps knocking it gerly write checks to become limited ment Corp., which was offering I thought we could drive cost out of out of the park” has become a cliché partners — the headlines, and profits, $250,000 to cover legal and other ex- the system by providing great clinical in local venture capital circles. generated by other successful sales. penses for two new VC firms, contin- care.” Arguably the most successful VC In 2009, HandyLab Inc. of Ann Arbor gent on their being able to raise $5 Garfinkle, a past president of the firm in the state in recent years, Ann was sold for $275 million; in 2011, Ac- million. Michigan Venture Capital Association, a Arbor-based Arboretum Ventures LLC, curi Cytometers Inc. of Ann Arbor was Arboretum got one award, and member of the board of the National LOOKING AHEAD founded in 2002 by managing direc- sold for $205 million; and in 2014, At- Birmingham-based Seneca Partners Venture Capital Association and a Garfinkle’s expectations for tor Jan Garfinkle, has been making lanta-based CardioMEMS Inc. was sold Inc. got the other. member of the health care advisory 2016 big headlines since 2008, when one of for $435 million. Garfinkle was able to raise the con- board at the University of Michigan, its portfolio companies, HealthMedia Then there were the initial public tingent money, but it took her until said Arboretum will stay the course. Arboretum is targeting at Inc., was sold to Johnson & Johnson for offerings of other portfolio compa- 2005 to close out the first fund of $24 “We’ve been very focused on find- least three or four $200 million. nies: Ann Arbor-based Esperion Thera- million. She and partner Tim Pe- ing capital-efficient companies, and investments from its fourth Its most recent big headline came peutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ESPR) had an tersen raised a second fund of $73 being in the Midwest has really fund this year. in September, when the firm an- IPO of $73 million in 2013, had a sec- million in 2009. helped us to do that. Rents, vendor It will continue to look for nounced it had finished raising the ondary offering of $98 million in 2014 When asked if she ever imagined costs and salaries here allow us to do exit opportunities for current largest VC fund in state history, clos- and had a third offering of $190 mil- in the early days that her company that.” portfolio companies through ing Arboretum Ventures IV LP at $220 lion last March; and Goleta, Calif.- would have exits as large as $435 mil- Overshadowed by news that Ar- acquisitions by larger million, which was $5 million more based Inogen Inc. had an IPO of $70.5 lion, or see portfolio companies raise boretum had closed on its record- companies. than the target it had announced million last year. $361 million in public offerings, or breaking fund was news the week be- when it filed notice of the fund in All of which is a far cry from Ar- raise the largest fund in state history, fore that the firm was part of a $39.5 Some portfolio companies June with the U.S. Securities and Ex- boretum’s beginnings in 2002, when Garfinkle said: “I wasn’t thinking that million funding round for Plymouth funded from the third fund change Commission. Township-based Delphinus Medical will continue to get follow-on The previous largest fund in state Technologies Inc., thought to be the investments as they hit history was the $180 million Michi- largest single investment in a medical designated milestones. gan Growth Capital Partners II, raised device company in state history. A trend in health care, in 2013 by Farmington Hills-based Delphinus has developed a device according to Garfinkle, will be Beringea LLC. that uses ultrasound to detect breast bundling payments for Arboretum’s previous fund, raised cancer. That investment came out of health care, reducing the in 2011, also was oversubscribed. It Arboretum’s third fund. Garfinkle said number of procedures that had been targeted at $125 million and the fourth fund has made one new are paid for by fee for service. investment and is doing due dili- Companies that offer On Sept. 14, 2015, Crain’s reported on gence on two more investments. technologies to support that Arboretum Ventures’ raising of the largest “There are a lot of smart, really cre- trend will attract attention. VC fund in state history. ative entrepreneurs out there.” 20160104-NEWS--0012-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 10:49 AM Page 1

12 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 2015: THE NEWSMAKERS Office space a building problem fordowntown,but DAN GILBERT this majorcityinvestoris thinking upward on growth By Robert Snell years is going to be ‘vertical,’” he said. the 43-story One Detroit Center — the Book Building, a long-empty [email protected] “Absolutely, there is going to be new since renamed — building downtown. Detroit has a critical lack of office construction.” and an attached 2,070-space parking “It was barren and empty for so space that threatens to stymie growth Gilbert, 53, of Franklin, could make deck for about $100 million. long and being able to overcome that, in the central business district, Dan the first big office space announce- In May, his Bedrock Real Estate Ser- in a way, is symbolic for downtown,” Gilbert said. ment in early 2016. vices LLC bought the David Stott Build- Gilbert said. During an exclusive interview, the He is expected soon to announce a ing for $14.9 million and the Clark “It’s a special building, a beautiful LOOKING AHEAD billionaire entrepreneur said the city mixed-use development on the site Lofts in Detroit’s Capitol Park district. architectural gem. You can walk Gilbert’s predictions, is poised to enter a new phase of its of the former J.L. Hudson’s depart- Bedrock also paid a reported $30 mil- through it and get a feeling of what it post-bankruptcy revitalization. That ment store. Renderings that surfaced lion in August for the historic Book may be one day.” hopes for 2016 rebirth has been fueled in part by his in early 2015 showed a modern, Tower and Book Building, as well as a Looking ahead to 2016, Gilbert is Ⅲ Hoping the Cleveland roughly five-year spree of buying swooped building with a northward nearby two-story community center. expected to name the M-1 Rail street- landmark downtown properties, view of Woodward Avenue near Gra- In all, Gilbert owns more than 80 car line in Detroit. His Quicken Loans Cavaliers get their first which came to a head in 2015. tiot Avenue. properties in and around downtown Inc. has invested $10 million in the National Basketball Gilbert reflected on last year and The development is expected to — a more than $1.8 billion invest- project and owns the naming rights Association looked ahead to 2016 during a wide- include at least 225,000 square feet of ment totaling more than 13 million on the 3.3-mile rail loop that will run championship. ranging interview with Crain’s Detroit mixed-use space, at least 250 residen- square feet. from Congress Street downtown to Business. He touched on plans for the tial units and at least 900 parking During the buying spree, Gilbert Grand Boulevard in the New Center Ⅲ Continued diversity in former J.L. Hudson’s site, explained spaces. wondered if he would ever acquire area. retail downtown. the delay in naming the M-1 streetcar Gilbert did not reveal details Quicken has trademarked rail and talked about one real-estate but explained the delay in un- several names for the rail line, Ⅲ Expansion of Rocket purchase that stood out last year. veiling the project, which was including RocketRail, Quickline, Fiber, his ultrafast He also addressed what he said expected initially in late 2015. Qlink and Qline, according to could be a 10 million-square-foot “We’re working hard. We the U.S. Patent and Trademark Of- optical fiber Internet shortage of office space in coming have to get it right. We want to fice. In February, Quicken trade- service: “We expect the years — and his plans to help fix the make sure it’s a unique, special marked the name Qride. whole downtown by the problem. destination, something that Gilbert said he has not yet “You can make the case Detroit Detroiters and visitors can be picked the winning name. end of 2016, for the should be growing much faster and proud of,” he said. “Waiting a “We’re still a few weeks from most part, will have that Detroit should be attracting a lot few weeks to get it right is noth- knowing ourselves,” he said in access to it.” more businesses than are here now,” ing.” late December. Ⅲ Gilbert said. “It would be a shame if The Hudson’s site is just one Ⅲ Possible real estate we don’t have the space.” piece in Gilbert’s real estate acquisitions: “We’re He expects Detroit will see a flurry portfolio, which grew signifi- From Detroit 2.0, a Crain’s of office space construction in com- cantly in 2015. supplement produced in November, a opportunistic.” ing years. His biggest purchase was in graphic look at Dan Gilbert’s “I think the word for the next few March, when Gilbert bought ownership of downtown.

New battery tech powers ANN MARIE SASTRY success of her startup By Tom Henderson nounced, Dyson told The Wall Street try. ion batteries that has the potential to [email protected] Journal he planned to use Sastry’s “Our plan was to continue to raise overheat and has caused so many Ann Marie Sastry couldn’t have batteries, currently in prototype investment funds, but James and his meltdowns, fires, headlines and law- scripted a better year for Sakti3 Inc., stage, to power the first of 100 new team felt things were at the point suits over the years involving unsta- the lithium-ion battery company in products his company intends to where it would benefit all of us to join ble lithium-ion batteries. Ann Arbor that she spun off from the launch in four unspecified categories. fully. … It’s a great outcome for all of Sakti3 uses what is called a thin- University of Michigan in 2008. Dyson got interested in Sakti3 last us, the investors, staff and other film deposition process to make its She was raising money to start the year after articles in Fortune and Sci- stakeholders,” she said. batteries. That’s a process long used LOOKING AHEAD year and about to land the kind of entific American about leaps in ener- Sastry, who is president of the to make optical coatings, microchips strategic investor that founders of gy density Sakti3 had made with its newest Dyson business unit, said all and other semiconductor devices, Sastry’s expectations for tech startups dream of and rarely batteries. The Fortune article was of her almost two dozen employees depositing extremely thin layers of 2016 find. headlined: “Will this battery change were offered contracts, and all of material on a substrate one at a time In March, James Dyson, the British everything?” them accepted. to create a final product. Ⅲ To continue to improve inventor who built the vacuum that In September, Sastry was one of “It was a complete win-win, a prof- Sastry, who got her Ph.D. in me- energy densities for its Cornell Uni- bears his name, invested $15 million just 30 early-stage tech entrepreneurs itable exit for all involved,” she said. chanical engineering from prototype batteries. in Sakti3, part of a $20 million round from around the country invited to “But not just an exit, a very nice en- versity in 1994, has been co-inventor that was joined by a heavyweight ros- the first White House Demo Day in trance for all of us into the next phase on more than 70 awarded and filed Ⅲ Expand the team of ter of previous investors, including Washington to show off her battery of development.” patents, including about two dozen almost 24 scientists and Detroit-based General Motors technology to reporters and would-be Sastry said the company will re- that have been granted for Sakti3. Ventures, Silicon Valley VC firm Khosla investors. In October came the news main in Ann Arbor. From 1995 to 2012, Sastry was the researchers by half. Ventures, Tokyo-based Itochu Technol- would-be investors were no longer a What sets Sakti3’s batteries apart is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of me- “Dyson’s move to acquire ogy Ventures Inc. and Farmington goal. Dyson’s company, Dyson Ltd., they are solid state, unlike other lithi- chanical, biomedical and materials Sakti3 bodes well for Hills-based Beringea LLC. had bought Sakti3 for $90 million. um-ion batteries, which are filled science and engineering at UM. expansion,” said Sastry. What made Dyson’s investment “Dyson is a global heavyweight but with a liquid electrolyte. In 2003, she was the founding di- strategic was that he wasn’t investing still operates in many ways like an Eliminating the liquid not only rector of the Keck Nanoscale Intracellu- Ⅲ Remain in Ann Arbor lar Signaling and Transport Center the way most venture capitalists do agile startup in its technical pursuits, promises to let Sakti3 achieve higher at and not, as some other — to get an X times return in a few and particularly in the way they bet energy densities, but when the liquid UM, and in 2008, founding director of years. He was investing to accelerate on new technology,” said Sas- is eliminated, so is the component of the school’s Advanced Battery Coali- local tech companies the company’s technology and quick- traditional lithium- tion for Drivetrains, funded with $5 have done after being ly bring its batteries to market. million from GM. Sastry resigned acquired, move out of Or, more exactly, to power the next from UM to devote full time to Sakti3. state. generation of products he plans to Sakti3 gets its name from “sakti,” bring to market in the next two years. the Sanskrit word for power, and the Ⅲ Form partnerships, When his investment was an- numeral 3, the atomic number for through Dyson’s lead, lithium. Her father, Tony, a native of India, had been a mathematics pro- with other companies The Sept. 7 edition of Crain’s detailed the fessor at Bradley University in Peoria, globally. success of Sakti3’s battery technology. Ill. Ⅲ 20160104-NEWS--0013-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 11:16 AM Page 1

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 13 2015: THE NEWSMAKERS With deals in Detroit, CEO gives MATTSIMONCINI Lear bigger presence in hometown By Dustin Walsh technology and administrative to restore manufacturing capacity — again,” Simoncini said. [email protected] operations. and jobs — at the I-94 Industrial Park Lear also built on its two business Matt Simoncini, president and Then in September, it bought a near the American Axle & Manufactur- units with several local acquisitions. CEO of Lear Corp., is betting big on the building on State Street in Capital ing Holdings Inc. headquarters. Last January, it closed on an company’s hometown. Park to house an innovation and de- Simoncini said the company $850 million acquisition of Auburn He led the Southfield-based auto- sign center. The structure will house a hopes to have a manufacturing plant Hills-based automotive leather sup- motive seating and electronics sup- gallery, a seat design studio and a operating in the next 24 months. plier Eagle Ottawa LLC. plier on a buying binge in 2015 — for software design center. “We think we can create some- Nearly half of the cars on U.S. LOOKING AHEAD both building and business in a strat- Simoncini said the building’s prox- thing bigger, like a supplier park with roadways contain leather supplied by egy to vertically integrate its product imity to Wayne State University and manufacturing space that supports Eagle Ottawa. It generated nearly Simoncini’s predictions College for Creative Studies line on a foundation in metro Detroit. the makes the wishes of our customers while $1 billion in revenue in 2014, up from for 2016 Lear bought two buildings in the it a prime location to attract top de- creating good jobs in the city,” he $485 million in 2011. city of Detroit in 2015. In July, it pur- sign talent. said. In August, Lear bought the intel- chased the 50,000-square-foot Hem- “It’s a win-win and, frankly, I’m Simoncini makes no qualms about lectual property and technology of Ⅲ Connectivity will meter Building on Centre Street shocked more companies haven’t this love of the city and his commit- Santa Rosa, Calif.-based Autonet Mo- continue to expand. for nearly $6 million. It will made moves (to Detroit),” Si- ment to where he grew up. bile Inc., an Internet-based telemat- house employees from moncini said. “Hell, yes, In 2013, he won the Detroit Free ics and app service provider for the Lear’s shared servic- it’s a competitive advan- Press Automotive Leadership Award automotive market. Then in Novem- Ⅲ Lear will look to make es, information tage. You should see the for suppliers in part for spearheading ber, it acquired Troy-based automo- the seat more of a résumés that are com- the development of a program for tive connectivity supplier Arada Sys- ing to us from our com- Detroit schools that teaches mentor- tems Inc. connected device in the petitors.” ing skills to college-bound high “Connectivity will be the biggest car. Lear is also behind a school students. Lear, which was trend in this industry since the auto- city-led effort to establish founded in Detroit in 1917, also spon- mated assembly line,” Simoncini Ⅲ an auto supplier industrial sored its first float in Detroit’s Thanks- said. It will make more park in the city near the giving Day parade last year. “While our acquisitions in this acquisitions in the junction of I-94 and I-75. Simoncini is also a board member space have been relatively small, connectivity space. The push, supported by the of the United Way for Southeastern we’re happy with them and we’re Detroit 3 automakers — seeks Michigan. laser-focused on growth. We’re not But it’s the presence of Lear in the buying purchase orders; we’re buying Ⅲ It will invest more in city that makes him most proud. capabilities. data-capturing “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have “Our future has never been technology. A Dec. 13, 2015 headline on CrainsDetroit.com broke news some personal satisfaction from see- brighter, and we’re positioned to take of Lear’s interest in developing an I-94 Industrial Park site . ing the Lear logo flying downtown advantage of that trend.” Ⅲ

For more information on our portfolio of properties and leasing opportunities | 248 827 1700 20160104-NEWS--0014-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 11:16 AM Page 1

14 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 2015: THE NEWSMAKERS

Governor can boast of state’s economic boost; RICKSNYDER talent, schools among challenges for new year By Lindsay VanHulle training programs. Michigan’s 2016 about using $600 million in general talks stalled this fall, “I think you get Crain’s Detroit Business/Bridge Magazine fiscal-year budget will include $85 fund spending due to other looming back to the table,” Ananich said. “I LANSING — When Gov. Rick Sny- million for skilled trades. budget priorities, including Medicaid don’t blame him for that. That’s all of der talks about 2015, the first thing he “There was this bias toward saying expansion. That amount ultimately our failings.” points to is Michigan’s economic per- everybody needs a university degree, made it into the final plan, along with On Detroit Public Schools: Snyder formance. and that’s not a constructive metric,” higher fuel taxes and vehicle registra- proposed a $715 million plan to split LOOKING AHEAD In September, the state’s seasonally Snyder said. “We need both career tion fees. DPS into two districts — one to retire adjusted unemployment rate ticked paths being recognized as equally “I like the fact there’s additional the existing district’s projected $515 Snyder’s plans for 2016 down to 5 percent, the first time in 15 honorable and, in some cases, better- revenue, to be blunt,” Snyder said. million in debt, and the other, the years that Michigan’s monthly jobless paying.” “It’s more a portfolio approach.” new Detroit Community School District, Continued efforts to rate was below the nation’s (5.1 per- Snyder said he disagrees with The full $1.2 billion won’t be real- to handle teaching and all other oper- boost Michigan’s skilled cent that same month). analyses, including a recent report ized until 2020-21. Snyder said the ations. trades workforce “Economically, the state did well, from Lou Glazer and Ann Arbor- state is reviewing the possibility of ac- Snyder wanted the bills intro- and that’s the starting point,” Snyder based Michigan Future Inc., that argue celerating funding, even possibly is- duced before the end of 2015, but it Attention to a number recently told Crain’s in a wide-ranging Michigan needs more residents with suing short-term bonds with 10- or didn’t happen. Sen. Goeff Hansen, R- of legislative priorities: interview. bachelor’s degrees. 20-year limits, but hasn’t committed Hart, a likely bill sponsor, has been Yet while Michigan’s economy He said data instead should focus to doing so. gathering input from lawmakers and Detroit Public Schools might have had success last year, Sny- on young people starting their ca- “Listen, he would have signed any- district stakeholders to present bills reform, energy policy, der has been challenged in other reers rather than the entire popula- thing they would have sent,” Bal- with wider support, possibly early in criminal justice reform and ways, including on roads, efforts to tion, because Michigan’s older gener- lenger said about Snyder. “I think he 2016. Detroit Public Schools the threat of aquatic remake and cri- ations made a decent living without realized this is as good as it’s going “A lot of background work’s been sis over lead levels in Flint’s water. requiring a college education — to get.” done in terms of educating and get- invasive species in the “It (was a) mixed year,” said Bill which is no longer the case. State Sen. Jim Ananich, who said ting information to legislators,” Sny- Great Lakes Ballenger, founder of Lansing-based “At some point, I’d love to talk to he was disappointed in the final plan, der said. political newsletter Inside Michigan some of those groups that are citing credited Snyder for being willing to “In a lot of ways, I think I would A task force is reviewing Politics. “On balance, I would say those things to say, ‘I think you discuss a compromise. have preferred to have gone faster on what went wrong with mildly on the plus side of the ledger.” should recalibrate your numbers to Yet when Snyder cut off meetings the legislative track.” Flint’s water after children On the economy: Snyder’s adminis- be more representative,’” he said. with House and Senate leaders after His urgency is mostly due to tim- tration launched Rising Tide, a pro- On roads: The multi- ing: Snyder said he wants were found to have gram in 10 communities across the year road-funding con- the DPS issue resolved by elevated lead levels in their state, including River Rouge, to versation finally culmi- summer to prevent the blood, while construction strengthen local planning and zoning nated in a $1.2 billion district from winding up continues on the new ordinances and economic develop- deal in November, but in court over its ment tools. that was after voters finances. Karegnondi Water He plans to continue boosting pummeled a ballot ini- Authority to serve the skilled trades in Michigan. Snyder’s tiative in May by an 80 region’s residents administration last year awarded $50 percent margin. The road funding saga ended million in grants to community col- Earlier in 2015 Snyder Nov. 10, as reported on leges to help them buy equipment for said he was concerned CrainsDetroit.com.

Redico set to go big in DALEWATCHOWSKI metro Detroit development By Kirk Pinho than 900,000 square feet of office expected to contain everything from who I have not really had any prob- [email protected] space and a handful of other large retail to medical uses, entertainment lems working with,” said George Jack- It was only in the three weeks lead- projects completed, underway or space to a transit center and educa- son, the former president and CEO of ing up to the June auction of the Fish- planned in the past two years, Redico tional space for institutions such as the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., er Building and Building that has or has had its hands in more than the Wayne County Community College who worked closely with Watchowski Dale Watchowski’s development firm, $800 million in local development District. Part of the cost increase is on the $72 million Gateway Market- Redico LLC, became part of the acqui- and redevelopment efforts. based on how much retail is expected. place deal that brought the first Meijer sition team that eventually pur- “Our focus (recently) has been to Ground-up construction is expect- Inc. store to Detroit, as well as the ad- chased the New Center-area build- capitalize on the fact that we are one ed to begin in spring 2017. jacent but separate state fairgrounds LOOKING AHEAD ings for $12.2 million. of the few companies in the country However, demolition is already un- project. Watchowski’s expectations But it was the most recent in a involved in (development of) all asset derway at the site of some of the most “There is no way we’ll not be work- for 2016 string of mammoth — and in many classes,” said Watchowski, the presi- notorious local ruins outside of De- ing together in the future,” said Jackson, cases, monumental — Detroit and dent, CEO and COO of Redico. troit: the former Bloomfield Park site, who now runs his own development A more concrete suburban development/redevelop- “(We do) retail, office, office/med- now called the Village at Bloomfield company, Detroit-based Ventra LLC. redevelopment plan for the ment projects for which the South- ical, residential throughout our after Redico and California-based Pa- Watchowski is also president and and Albert field-based real estate company was mixed-use developments, hotels, cific Coast Capital Partners LLC pur- CEO of Bloomfield Hills-based Ameri- Kahn Building, along with in the driver’s seat in 2015. R&D and industrial. Because we are chased the foreclosure rights to the can House Senior Living Communities. retail tenant Between the New Center redevel- unique in that regard, we made a de- 87-acre site in Bloomfield Township American House is part-owned by announcements. opment of more cision to embark on large mixed-use and Pontiac last year. Redico and was recently ranked the Construction of new developments.” It’s expected to include retail and 15th-largest senior housing operator buildings to begin at the Large they are. Well north of $80 office space, a grocery store, medical in the U.S. former Bloomfield Park site, million will be spent on the Fisher office space, a movie theater, restau- Redico will also be opening a satel- now known as the Village at and Kahn building redevelopments, rants, senior housing and single-fam- lite office in the Fisher Building in Bloomfield. which are expected to include a sig- ily and multifamily housing in the 2016 as part of its efforts “to capitalize Site preparation to begin nificant portion of multifamily hous- planned $180 million project. specifically on Detroit as it continues on redevelopment of the ing, particularly in the Kahn building. Ground-up construction is expect- its comeback.” former Michigan State But the cost to redevelop the for- ed to begin in the fall. “We’ve played a significant part Fairgrounds site in Detroit. mer Michigan State Fairgrounds site There’s also the former Robert Scott and we’ve always had a presence, but at Eight Mile Road and Woodward Av- Correctional Facility site at Five Mile what we want to do and what we are Continued expansion of enue has nearly doubled to about and Beck roads in Northville Town- currently doing is establishing a sig- American House Senior $300 million, Watchowski said, up ship, where Redico plans a $150 mil- nificant focus of both financial and Living Communities, which from $160 million for the 157 acres lion mixed-use development of retail human resources to promote our is part-owned by Redico space, a 120-room hotel and about business in the city,” Watchowski said. and is now the 15th-largest A March 19 story on CrainsDetroit.com 150 residences developed by Farm- He added that Redico has “a senior housing operator in reported on the $160 million fairgrounds ington Hills-based Pinnacle Homes. pipeline” of projects that will lead its the U.S. site development. “He is a very skilled guy, someone Detroit efforts. DBpageAD_DBpageAD.qxd 12/28/2015 1:20 PM Page 1

HONORING CHRIS AND MIKE ILITCH

Featured Speakers - 2015 Newsmakers of the Year: THIS YEAR’S HONOREES: PHOTO: ASSOCIATEDPRESS

MATT SIMONCINI DAN GILBERT JACK ARONSON Lear Corporation Quicken Loans/Rock Garden Fresh Ventures

CHRIS ILITCH MIKE ILITCH

Join us Feb. 9, 11:30 a.m. MotorCity Casino Hotel Gov. RICK SNYDER ANN MARIE SASTRY JAN GARFINKLE Sakti3 Inc. Arboretum Limited Tickets Available! Ventures Crainsdetroit.com/events

Hear about the Ilitch vision from the source at Crain’s Newsmakers of the Year event. In addition, this lunch program will recognize our Top 10 2015 Newsmakers, our Best-Managed Nonprofit winner and our Newsmaker Student Scholarship awardee.

TONYA ALLEN JON COTTON DALE WATCHOWSKI Detroit Schools Meridian Health Plan Redico PREMIER Coalition/ MAJOR SPONSOR SPONSOR Skillman Foundation 20160104-NEWS--0016-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 11:44 AM Page 1

16 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 PEOPLE: Snyder’s retiring chief of staff to take job at Honigman SPOTLIGHT By Lindsay VanHulle In addition to leading the govern- United Conservation Clubs and vice Lansing, although he will travel be- Denso names Milam CEO Crain’s Detroit Business/Bridge Magazine ment relations practice, Muchmore president of the Michigan Chamber of tween Honigman’s five other offices of N.America thermal biz LANSING — Dennis Muchmore also will be part of a new faculty Commerce, and on the Oakland Uni- in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Ann will join Detroit-based law firm team that will provide training on versity board of trustees. Arbor, Kalamazoo and Chicago. Southfield-based Denso Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn public policy and the legislative “It’s just a great opportunity, I Muchmore’s departure is one of International America Inc. LLP next month after retiring as Gov. process to Honigman attorneys and think, for me to realize that one several recent staff changes in Sny- promoted Steve Milam to CEO of Rick Snyder’s chief of staff. clients, lawmakers and other staff piece that I always liked more than der’s executive office. Jarrod Agen, its thermal business operations Muchmore, members within state government. any other piece, which is being able Snyder’s communications director, in North America. Milam 69, will become “We’re just thrilled that Dennis is to mentor folks or help folks under- will succeed Muchmore as chief of replaces Shingo Kuwamura, who chairman of the going to really reinvigorate this stand better just how government staff, while Beth Clement will re- will assume a new role to be firm’s govern- group,” Foltyn told Crain’s. “We operates,” he told Crain’s. “It’s pretty main deputy chief of staff and serve named, the auto supplier said. ment relations have a number of up-and-coming important and always has been to as Cabinet secretary. Milam was COO of Denso’s and regulatory lawyers in the group, (and) we are me.” In addition, longtime press secre- North America thermal business practice group looking for this kind of leadership. Muchmore has a bachelor’s de- tary Sara Wurfel recently resigned to and president of its Canadian as of Feb. 1, said Muchmore joined the Snyder ad- gree in education from Eastern Illi- become public affairs vice presi- manufacturing operations. He’s David Foltyn, ministration as chief of staff in 2011. nois University and a master’s in pub- dent at Lansing-based lobbying had various management roles at Dennis Honigman’s His tenure included Detroit’s bank- lic administration from Michigan firm Truscott Rossman. Dave Murray Denso since 2006; before then, Muchmore: To chairman and ruptcy; Honigman represented the State University. was promoted to the job from he worked in the purchasing lead law firm group. CEO. The role Detroit Institute of Arts in the “grand Honigman’s new faculty team also deputy press secretary. Communica- department at Ford Motor Co. will require lead- bargain,” which leveraged state and will include former U.S. Sen. Carl tions staff members Laura Biehl and Rich vanOorschot, Denso plant ing a team of attorneys who special- private donations to protect pen- Levin, who joined the firm in April as Anna Heaton became deputy press director, will replace Milam as ize in such business policy areas as sioners and the city’s art collection. senior counsel; Lansing-based attor- secretaries, and former Michigan president of its Canadian health care, gaming and hospitality. In the 1980s, Muchmore co- neys John Pirich, Joe Garcia and An- journalist Meegan Holland joined manufacturing operations. Muchmore’s last day as chief of founded Lansing-based lobbying drea Hansen; and Detroit-based at- Snyder’s office as communications staff will be Jan. 20, though he expects firm Muchmore Harrington Smalley & torney Khalilah Spencer. director. Ⅲ Crain Communications to continue to advise the Snyder ad- Associates LLC. He also has served as The firm did not disclose Much- Lindsay VanHulle: (517) 657-2204 promotes publishers to VP ministration on special projects. executive director of the Michigan more’s salary. He will be based in Twitter: @LindsayVanHulle Detroit-based Crain ADVERTISING SECTION Communications Inc. promoted two of its publishers — Jason Stein of Automotive News and Brennan Lafferty of Plastics News HEALTH CARE HEALTH CARE — to vice president. Stein, 44, has overseen Mark Anthony, Elan Reisin, MD, Automotive Chief Administrative FACS, News, one of Officer, Medical Director, the world’s largest DMC Detroit Receiving Star Plastic Surgery automotive Hospital Elan Reisin MD, FACS, business-to- Mr. Mark Anthony has been Medical Director at Star business ADVERTISING & named Chief Administrative Officer at DMC Plastic Surgery in Novi, Michigan, was Jason Stein news outlets, MARKETING Detroit Receiving Hospital where his voted TOP DOC OF THE YEAR in Plastic as publisher responsibilities include day-to-day hospital and Reconstructive surgery in the 2015 and editor since May 2013. He Mark Bellissimo, operations. Mr. Anthony will report to Dr. edition of Hour Detroit Magazine Top Docs. joined Automotive News in 2003 CEO, Reginald J. Eadie, CEO of DMC Detroit Dr. Reisin is Board Certified in Plastic and and spent four years leading Auto- Receiving Hospital. In the past, Mark’s former Reconstructive surgery and has received JR Thompson and motive News Europe in Munich. positions included Executive Vice President, numerous national awards. He and his team Competition Graphics Lafferty, Chief Operating Officer - Borgess Health, of surgeons have completed over 15,000 45, has led Bellissimo has been Kalamazoo, MI; Senior Vice President - cosmetic plastic surgeries. Cosmetic the Crain appointed CEO of J.R. Munson Medical Center, Traverse City, MI; Surgery is all they do. You can reach Dr. Global Polymer Thompson Company (JRT) and Competition Administrator for Clinical Services - Oakwood Reisin at 248-735-2434 or Group in the Graphics (CG). A 29-year marketing and Healthcare System, Dearborn, MI www.mystardr.com. U.S. and advertising industry veteran, he’ll manage all Europe. He creative, business and financial aspects of has been JRT/CG, leading a combined staff of more than Linda Holliday, publisher of 100 people and focusing on building client LAW Business Brennan Lafferty Plastics News, relationships and driving long-term growth. Development the premier Bellissimo previously worked at Campbell- Margaret Baxter, Executive, plastics publication in the U.S., Ewald, advancing to the position of President Director of Southeast since July 2013 and before that and Managing Director and serving as a Ulliance, Inc. Michigan Operations, was publisher of Waste & member of the Board of Directors. He also Holliday is responsible Recycling News. Warner Norcross & Judd founded and managed Campbell-Ewald’s 180- for identifying and executing business Crain Communications has LLP person retail marketing agency, CE Retail. development strategies, establishing new 34 print and online publications An experienced automotive and maintaining existing business — among them Crain’s Detroit & international trade professional, Baxter will relationships, and securing new accounts Business — and employs more EDUCATION develop & implement business strategies to for Ulliance’s seven service lines. Holliday than 800 in 13 locations. support Warner's continued expansion in SE previously held various positions with Mich. She will work closely with teams in the Beacon Health Options, Blue Cross Blue McLaren Macomb agency Raymond Muscat, firm's Southfield & Macomb County offices. Shield of Michigan and John Hancock. She Industry Director, Baxter brings 25 years of leadership, business received her Master of Science in promotes interim head Tauber Institute for Global development & commercial trade expertise to Healthcare Services Administration from The Mt. Clemens-based Operations Warner, including positions at OESA, Canadian Central Michigan University. McLaren Macomb Healthcare Works in conjunction with the Consulate General and Detroit Economic Foundation named Louise Rallis- Tauber Institute Engineering Growth Corp. Most recently she was senior VP Wibbelman as director. She had and Business School faculty of Operations at OESA. led the organization in an interim Co-Directors, plus the Managing Director, to capacity since last spring, participate in strategic planning and leading/ succeeding Elsa Silverman. Rallis- coordinating strategic initiatives for the Institute. Crain’s has moved its complete list of appointments and promotions to Wibbelman had been development manager-events Mr. Muscat’s 37 year corporate career includes www.crainsdetroit.com/peopleonthemove. Guaranteed placement in print global experiences in the Automotive, Defense and corporate relations for the Electronics, Aerospace and Office Furniture and online can be purchased at this website. foundation since 2012. Ⅲ industries. 20160104-NEWS--0017-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 11:45 AM Page 1

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 17

Duo Security Inc., Ann Arbor, a cloud-based access security provider, has opened an office in CALENDAR Central London, United Kingdom. DEALS & Website: duosecurity.com. THURSDAY UPCOMING EVENTS JAN. 7 Diversity, Inclusion & Equity for Non- Community Choice Credit Union, Michigan Economic Outlook 2016. profits: Simple Steps, Real Change. 10 Farmington Hills, has opened a 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Detroit Econom- a.m.-noon. Jan. 13. Michigan Non- new branch at 30 E. Long Lake ic Club. Speakers include David profit Association. Speaker: Diana Road, Troy. Telephone: Sowerby, vice president, Loomis, Kern, vice president of programs, DETAILS (877) 243-3528. Website: Sayles & Co., and Steve Arwood, di- NEW, Solutions for Nonprofits. Event communitychoicecu.com. rector, Michigan Talent, and CEO, includes a series of small-group ACQUISITIONS TruStar Energy LLC, White Plains, economic development, Michigan conversations on nonprofit diversi- & MERGERS N.Y., a developer of compressed na- MOVES Economic Development Corp. Mo- ty, inclusion and equity. Each semi- The Promanas Group, Ann Arbor, a tional gas fueling stations and a Out of Ireland LLC, Ann Arbor, has re- torCity Casino Hotel, Detroit. $45 nar features a local nonprofit leader commercial real estate investment subsidiary of Fortistar LLC, has com- located its Real Irish retail store from DEC members, $55 guests of DEC who will share strategies for suc- and management firm, has com- pleted construction of a private 3030 Washtenaw Ave., Suite B103, members, $75 nonmembers. cess. United Way for Southeastern pleted acquisition of the Drake CNG station at the North American Ann Arbor, to 107 E. Grand River Phone: (313) 963-8547; email: Michigan, Detroit. Free MNA mem- Pointe office building, Farmington Detroit Terminal for FCA US LLC, Ave., Brighton. Telephone: (734) [email protected]. bers, $25 nonmembers. Contact: Hills. The acquisition adds 67,848 Auburn Hills. The CNG station will 846-2025. Website: realirish.com. Sarah Pinder, (517) 492-2439; email: square feet of multi-tenanted office fuel 179 tractor trucks in FCA Trans- SUNDAY [email protected]. Register at assets to its fund. Website: port’s fleet with natural gas. Web- NAME CHANGE JAN. 10 www.cvent.com promanas.com. site: trustarenergy.com. Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church, SAA Outlook Conference. 2-7 p.m. Detroit, has renamed its Warming Society of Automotive Analysts. Calendar guidelines. Visit Printing Stylecraft Co. Inc., Canton Lambert, Edwards & Associates, De- Center as the Pope Francis Center. Disruptors and taking on crainsdetroit.com and click “Events” Township, announced it has ac- troit, has been named the public re- Website: popefranciscenter.org. disruptors will be the topic for the near the top of the home page. quired Highlite Printers Co., Trenton. lations agency of record for Goodwill 2016 Outlook Conference. CNBC’s Then, click “Submit Your Events” Highlite has moved its order entry, Industries of Greater Detroit, Detroit. NEW PRODUCTS Phil LeBeau will open the from the drop-down menu that will estimating systems, client files and Websites: goodwilldetroit.org, Full Spektrem LLC, St. Clair Shores, a conference. Gem Theater, Detroit. appear. Fill out the submission form, certain pieces of production equip- lambert-edwards.com. marketing and manufacturing Price depends on membership then click “Submit event” at the ment into Stylecraft’s facilities in company, has launched a new web- status. Contact: Michelle Krebs, bottom of the page. Canton Township. The Trenton fa- Aqaba Technologies Inc., Sterling site featuring new packaging and (248) 760-3236; email: cility has been closed. Websites: Heights, has been retained by design for its Rock-it line of clean- [email protected]. More Calendar items can be stylecraftprinting.com, Malace HR, Troy, a business staffing ing products. Website: Website: saaauto.com. found at crainsdetroit.com/events. highliteprinters.com. company, for the development of rockitproducts.com. obile responsive website, Nation- ProQuest LLC, Ann Arbor, has com- wide SEO and Google Adwords ad- Infection Prevention Technologies LLC, pleted its acquisition of Ex Libris vertising. Websites: aqabatech.com, Auburn Hills, has updated its cor- Group, Jerusalem, a provider of malacehr.com. porate website enhancing the qual- MARKET PLACE cloud-based solutions for higher ity and availability of information education. ProQuest has formed a Delta Manor Inc. and Presbyterian Villages about the benefits of its family of of Michigan new business unit, Ex Libris, a Pro- , Southfield, entered into a ultraviolet light disinfection robots. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES LEGAL SERVICES - IMMIGRATION Quest Company. Websites: management agreement for Delta Website: infectionprevention proquest.com, exlibrisgroup.com. Manor, a 100-apartment senior technologies.com. Immigration Law Firm, AV-rated FOR SALE~ AEROSPACE Antone, Casagrande & Adwers, P.C. community in Detroit. Presbyterian MACHINING COMPANY Henkel Corp., Madison Heights, a Villages of Michigan will be respon- NEW SERVICES Dedicated to Business, Employment, Privately held Aerospace Machining company and Family Immigration Matters subsidiary of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, sible for the day-to-day manage- Rush Antiques and Rush Appraisals, located in Metro Detroit with long term agreements in place is for sale or merger. 31555 W. 14 Mile Rd. Ste. 100, acquired Magna-Tech Manufacturing ment operations of Delta Manor Rochester, has launched a website Owners retiring. AS-9100 and ISO-9001 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Corp., Muncie, Ind., a provider of with reporting accountability to the for worldwide sales of 18th, 19th registered. Very profitable niche product line with (248) 406-4100 www.antone.com proprietary processes. Send confidential reply to: vacuum impregnation services. Delta Manor board of directors. and 20th century antiques of PO Box 7416, Bloomfield Hills, Mi. 48302 Magna-Tech, which has 10 facilities Website: pvm.org. French, English, Chinese and across North America, will function American origin. Website: JOB as a subsidiary of Henkel Corp., op- U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Manage- rushantiques.com. MISCELLANEOUS erating as part of its Adhesive Tech- ment Command, Warren, has award- nologies business. Websites: ed General Dynamics Land Systems, Gale Group Inc., Farmington Hills, part NEED WAREHOUSING? FRONT henkel-northamerica.com, Sterling Heights, a business unit of of Cengage Learning Inc. and a publish- Plymouth & Livonia Area magnatechmfg.com. General Dynamics, a $92.2 million er of research and reference re- • Cross-Dock Services • Trucking Services SALES contract to upgrade M1A2 System sources, has expanded the integra- • Diverse Supplier • Reasonable Rates CONTRACTS Enhancement Package Version 2 tion of Google Apps for Education Call 810-701-0833 INSIDE SALES Technical Writing Solutions LLC, Abrams tanks to the M1A2 System into its product lines. Researchers REPRESENTATIVE Rochester Hills, a provider of Enhancement Package Version 3 can log into many of their school’s or AT EVENT SOURCE technical writing products and configuration. Work will be per- library’s Gale resources with their REAL Detroit, Michigan Location services, was selected by formed by existing employees in Google Account credentials and As an Inside Sales Representative, you will Humanetics Innovative Solutions Inc., Anniston, Ala.; Tallahassee, Fla.; save, share and download content. assist customers and clients with their rental Plymouth Township, to develop, Lima, Ohio; and Scranton, Pa. Website: gale.cengage.com. ESTATE needs, collecting all information necessary to write and edit a variety of user Website: gdls.com. ensure a successful event. You will recommend OFFICE SPACE items to support menu plans, suggest design manuals and other documentation STARTUPS schemes, prepare and present a quote to the client as well as follow-up. Necessary skill set for customers using Humanetics’ EXPANSIONS ModMart Detroit, a vintage resale and FERNDALE line of anthropomorphic test Belfor USA Group Inc., Birmingham, a consignment store featuring mid- 1000 sq. ft. Lower Level includes problem resolution techniques, objective Ideal for Artist, Storage, or ? listener, excellent customer service skills, devices. Websites: twsinfo.com, privately owned subsidiary of Belfor century modern furniture and decor, $500/mo. 248-398-7000 self-motivated, team player, organized and humaneticsatd.com. Holdings Inc. and operating under has opened at 932 W. 14 Mile Road, PROFESSIONAL OFFICE detailed oriented. Also has a systematic 9 MILE & WOODWARD approach to tasks and projects. Please apply the brand name of Belfor Property Clawson. Telephone: (248) 842-7542. 550 sq. ft., Furnished with private bathroom . online at: Aqaba Technologies Inc., Sterling Restoration, has opened a new of- Website: modmartdetroit.com. $600/mo 248-396-7000 www.eventsource.com/careers Heights, a Web design agency, has fice at 24750 21 Mile Road, Ma- added clients Facial Pain Clinic & comb Township. Website: Briggs Detroit Sports Bar has opened Call Us For Personalized MISCELLANEOUS Sleep Center PLC, Troy, and 3D Max- belfor.com. at 519 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit. illofacial Imaging Center PLC, Troy. Telephone: (313) 656-4824. Website: Service: (313) 446-6068 SURVEY Website: aqabatech.com. Lockhart’s BBQ, Royal Oak, has briggsdetroit.com. FAX: (313) 446-0347 opened its second location at 37 E. ANALYZE BorgWarner Inc., Auburn Hills, is ex- Flint St., Lake Orion. Website: E-MAIL: cdbclassified @crain.com Deals & Details guidelines. panding its engine timing business lockhartsbbq.com. INTERNET: MATCH in Korea by supplying its advanced Email [email protected]. cam torque actuated variable cam Impact Management Services, South- Use any Deals & Details item as a www.crainsdetroit.com/section/classifieds timing technology for Hyundai and field, a staffing company, opened a model for your release, and look for See Kia vehicles powered by 3.0 to 3.8 new office at 119 McCarthy Road, the appropriate category. Without liter V-6 gasoline engines. Website: Suite E, Appleton, Wis. Website: complete information, your item will Crainsdetroit.com/Section/Classifieds borgwarner.com. theimpactanswer.com. not run. Photos are welcome, but we for more classified advertisements cannot guarantee they will be used. CrainsDetroit.com/JobConnect | 20160104-NEWS--0018,0019-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 4:21 PM Page 1

18 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016

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ANDREW POTTER Dean and Aimee Zoyes of Zoyes Creative Group spent more than 3,500 hours creating this model of a fictional downtown Detroit for Bedrock Real Estate Services. Each inch of their 12-by-14-foot model equals 32 feet of the actual downtown. MODEL CITIZENS Couple create tabletop tableau of Detroit today ... and tomorrow

By Kirk Pinho troit-based architectural model- 3,500 man hours of cutting through [email protected] making company, Zoyes East Inc., paper, acrylic and plastic to create he converging point be- and Aimee’s Birmingham-based AC more than 200 replicas of the build- tween Dan Gilbert’s and the Illustration LLC merged under the ings that dot the downtown land- TIlitch family’s downtown Zoyes Creative name. scape. Properties light up when (or real estate investments isn’t just The company, which generated shortly thereafter) their real-life along Woodward Avenue. about $1 million in revenue last counterparts are added to the It’s also in a nondescript building year and projects $1.2 million this Bedrock Real Estate Services LLC real across from the Ferndale Dog Park, year, provides services ranging from estate portfolio. Owned properties where Dean and Aimee Zoyes’ pets architectural modeling to 3-D print- also are given an orange roof. can play on warmer days. A building ing to digital branding. It also cre- The pair did not disclose how where minicities also are created. ates websites, marketing materials much Gilbert’s team paid for the Most days, the dogs — Maggie, a and sales displays for real estate roughly 12-by-14-foot model, every 4-year-old golden retriever, and projects, among others. inch of which represents 384 inches Do you want to Luca, a 7-year-old Italian grey- “Kind of the full gamut,” Aimee (32 feet) of the real downtown. The Find new Reach the right people? hound — roam the office where the Zoyes, 45, said last week in the con- model, which is seen by thousands Generate content? husband-and-wife owners of Zoyes ference room of the company’s of- of visitors per year, sits on the 10th Creative Group designed and built fice at 1280 Hilton Road, south of floor of , the customers Organize, summarize the large tabletop models of down- Nine Mile Road. building that Bedrock and Detroit- and distribute fi ndings? town for both of the aforemen- Both Aimee, a University of Toledo based Meridian Health purchased a through Be seen as a thought leader? tioned real estate titans. The models graduate with a degree in painting, year ago from Compuware Corp. (De- are used to showcase both current and Dean Zoyes, a 44-year-old ar- troit-based Rossetti Associates intro- Crain’s Can Help! holdings and long-term plans. chitecture graduate of the then-Uni- duced Bedrock to Zoyes Creative engaging Model-making has been a labor versity of Detroit , say the Gilbert and while working on the 10th-floor Contact Marla Wise at of love for the Zoyes team — who Ilitch projects were thrilling to work build-out several years ago.) [email protected] or united in marriage in 2006 and in on and highly labor-intensive. content. (313) 446-6032 business in 2009, when Dean’s De- Gilbert’s tabletop model took SEE NEXT PAGE 20160104-NEWS--0018,0019-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 4:21 PM Page 2

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 19

In all, the machines printed for a total of 5,500 hours, and an addi- RIVERWALK tional 1,700 hours were spent as- FROM PAGE 1 sembling the base and painting and boost public access to the river- assembling building parts for the front and stimulate economic revi- replica of the Ilitch plans. talization, was unaware of Keith’s The model of the entire district is trademark applications until being scaled at 1 inch to 384 inches (32 told by Crain’s Detroit Business. feet), while the model of the arena is “I don’t think anyone is upset. scaled where 1 inch equals 128 It’s too early for any feelings like inches (nearly 11 feet). that,” said Marc Pasco, the conser- The cost to build the District De- vancy’s communications director. troit models was also not disclosed, “Our next step is to find out what but in real estate circles it’s estimat- his intentions are.” ed in the multimillions of dollars. The RiverWalk is a 3.5-mile path The models are housed in the dis- that stretches from Gabriel Richard trict’s sales center at Park. Park near the Belle Isle bridge west Zoyes Creative views itself prima- to . Once finished, DETROIT RIVERFRONT CONSERVANCY rily as an architectural imaging, en- the RiverWalk will span an addi- The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy trademarked “Detroit International vironmental design, and branding tional two miles from Joe Louis Riverfront” but not, apparently,“Detroit RiverWalk.” and marketing company. It sees De- Arena to the Ambassador Bridge. troit-based Skidmore Studio as its An $80 million project trans- Trademark sparring on the rise primary competition, although forming the east and west river- Federal statistics show increased disputes over trademark use nationwide. companies such as Detroit-based front has drawn donations from Lovio George Communication and De- the Troy-based Kresge Foundation, A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design that protects brand names sign and Detroit-based Gyro Creative Battle Creek-based W.K. Kellogg and logos used in goods and services. Trademarks in the U.S. are registered Group do similar work. Foundation and New York City- with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Since founding their individual based Ford Foundation. Trademarks are not necessarily required to protect brand names or logos. A companies in the 1990s and merging The 20-acre west RiverWalk party can establish “common law” rights based on having used the mark in six years ago, the couple, who have a opened in July 2014 with three commerce. 6-year-old daughter, have navigated pathways and space for outdoor an industry where tabletop models concerts on the site of the former Anyone who thinks he or she might be harmed by a trademark registration were said to be on their deathbeds, Detroit Free Press printing plant. has a limited time to oppose the registration. Disputes are heard in front of Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. as well as a crippling recession that The conservancy ended 2013 the forced significant staff reductions with more than $118.5 million in In general, someone can file a cancellation petition if he or she thinks the and in many ways the merger itself. net assets, but total revenue fell trademark registration would result in damages. But they say they are well- 36.2 percent to $12.9 million, ac- The number of trademark cancellations was up 2.3 percent in 2015 following R equipped to deal with future curve- cording to the nonprofit’s most re- a nearly 14 percent rise a year ago, according to the U.S. patent office. balls. cent tax filing. FROM PREVIOUS PAGE “We’ve been in business 20 years Today, the RiverWalk continues The number of parties trying to prevent trademark applications from being dealing with developers,” Dean to serve as a sort of connecting approved, however, is down 4 percent this year, according to the patent For the Ilitch family’s Olympia De- Zoyes said. “We are going to contin- glue for the riverfront investment office. velopment of Michigan models — one ue to be in business another 20 both announced and pending. measuring 12 by 14 feet and encom- years, hopefully for our daughter to Crain’s first reported in Novem- “... You only get common event. passing the entire 40-plus-block Dis- take over the company.” ber that General Motors Co. and trademark rights In 1992, a federal judge blocked a trict Detroit and one measuring 6 by It’s not just Gilbert and Ilitch who Dan Gilbert’s LLC are man from selling T-shirts and mer- 10 feet for the new Detroit Red Wings have made use of Zoyes Creative’s working to develop more than 20 from the use of chandise emblazoned with the arena — Zoyes Creative used a pair services. Penske Automotive Group, acres along the Detroit River east the mark, not words “Camden Yards” and ruled the of 3-D printing machines. They Toyota USA, Broder & Sachse Real Es- of the . state of Maryland owned the name. worked practically around the clock tate Services Inc., Ford Motor Co., Shi- The development, south of Jef- registration. I “You have to understand a really for nearly six months. nola, the Detroit Zoological Society ferson Avenue, would combine don’t know what important premise of trademark “Each building might have taken and the Detroit Institute of Arts are multifamily units, retail and other protection is you only get trade- about a day to make and then an- among the other big names on the uses, sources said. grounds (Terrance mark rights from the use of the other day to sit in an acid bath,” client roster. The project would be the largest Keith) would have mark, not registration,” said John Aimee Zoyes said. Branding, graphic design and web- Detroit development site involv- Rothchild, an associate law profes- That’s just part of the process and site design were part of Zoyes Cre- ing Gilbert, the founder and chair- asserted to sor at Wayne State University who part of the intricacy. ative’s job duties for The Albert, with man of Detroit-based Quicken register it.” specializes in trademarks. The district model has a video 127 apartment units on Griswold Loans Inc. and Rock Ventures. “I don’t know what grounds projection by Southfield-based Street in Capitol Park, and The Scott, Keith said moving to trademark John Rothchild, (Keith) would have asserted to reg- Bluewater Technologies showing cars currently under construction on the Detroit RiverWalk name is his Wayne State University ister it,” Rothchild added. moving up and down a bustling Woodward Avenue and planned to attempt to spotlight the “innate The conservancy can fight the Woodward Avenue, while the arena have 199 apartments in , beauty of Detroit,” an effort that “That was before my time. I trademark applications and argue model replicates a hockey game: said Richard Broder, CEO of Birming- gained momentum after he pub- would guess at some point in time that granting Keith’s requests could the sound of thousands of cheering ham-based Broder & Sachse. lished Sunrise on the Detroit River, we did that or should have done cause confusion among the public fans erupting when the Red Wings “They are creative and profes- A Love Letter to Detroit, a 2014 col- that,” Pasco said. about whether the merchandise is score a goal — and the accompany- sional, work well with our team and lection of photographs taken by According to the federal trade- being sold by the conservancy, he ing celebratory, pulsating lights. It’s they are helping us bring a particu- the judge. mark database, the conservancy said. a replica with all the bells and whis- lar brand to (The Scott) and our De- “No one in Detroit or anywhere has one live trademark, for the “They can say, ‘(Keith) can’t regis- tles imaginable and is part of the vi- troit-based multifamily projects in bothered to look at the innate words “Detroit International River- ter this mark because we have prior sual aids that can be used as the general,” Broder said. Ⅲ beauty of the river and thought front.” rights and have been using it before project is explained to future spon- Kirk Pinho: (313) 446-0412 about what it meant and what it That trademark was registered he was using it,’” Rothchild said. Ⅲ sors, suiteholders and investors. Twitter: @kirkpinhoCDB means to people who have en- in 2008. Robert Snell: (313) 446-1654 dured difficult days,” Keith said. After learning that “Detroit River- Twitter: @robertsnellnews The book and the reception Walk” was up for grabs, Keith filed from readers sparked an idea about the trademark applications Dec. 13. trademarking the RiverWalk name. “I said, ‘Well, maybe God is giv- BANKRUPTCIES “I was surprised to discover that ing me an opportunity to do it had not been trademarked,” something with this,’” Keith said. The following business filed Keith said. “For a person who genuinely has for protection in U.S. Bankruptcy So was Pasco, the conservancy affection for the river, the River- Court in Detroit Dec. 22-30. communications director. Walk and Belle Isle, this is an op- Under Chapter 11, a company Conservancy officials have talked portunity for me to help shape the files for reorganization. about offering branded items for image of the RiverWalk, along with Ⅲ Nu-Cast Step & Supply Inc., sale, he said, but so far do not. the conservancy, in a way that is 11745 Woodbine, Redford Town- Conservancy officials also have beneficial in a broader perspec- ship, voluntary chapter 11. As- contacted their lawyer to verify that tive.” sets not available; liabilities, THE DISTRICT DETROIT the name was never trademarked If the filing does result in a $2.4 million. A model of District Detroit is on display inside a preview center at . before Keith did so, Pasco said. trademark spat, it won’t be an un- Chad Halcom 20160104-NEWS--0020-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 4:26 PM Page 1

20 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016

“It’s really a mix of people moving into the area” and those CRAIN’S moving up into a dream home. Susan Campbell Johnson,an agent with Signature Sotheby’s in Birmingham DETROIT BUSINESS www.crainsdetroit.com Editor-in-Chief Keith E. Crain tion, the luxury home market re- Group Publisher Mary Kramer, (313) 446-0399 or [email protected] HOMES mains steady. Associate Publisher Marla Wise, (313) 446-6032 FROM PAGE 1 Through November, builders or [email protected] Editor Jennette Smith, (313) 446-1622 or have pulled 36 permits for $1 mil- [email protected] in 2003-2004, the organization lion plus homes, compared to 38 in Director, Digital Strategy, Audience Development Nancy Hanus, changed its data collection method- all of 2014, according to the Home (313) 446-1621 or [email protected] ology, so it’s impossible to draw a Builders Association of Southeastern Managing Editor Michael Lee, (313) 446-1630 or Michigan [email protected] true apples-to-apples comparison. . (The data includes multi- Managing Editor/Custom and Special Projects In earlier years, high-end sales were family projects in a nine-county Daniel Duggan, (313) 446-0414 or [email protected] grouped in the $400,000-and-up area.) Michael Stoskopf, CEO of the Assistant Managing Editor Kristin Bull, category. Home Builders Association, expects (313) 446-1608 or [email protected] News Editor Beth Reeber Valone, (313) 446-5875 While 2015 will be remembered 2016 to be the strongest year since or [email protected] as a “very strong year,” local agents 2006, and estimates 50 to 55 per- Senior Editor Gary Piatek, (313) 446-0357 say they are not seeing bidding wars mits for $1 million properties. or [email protected] Research and Data EditorSonya Hill,(313) 446-0402 or multiple offers for the most ex- Since 2012, around 70 percent of or [email protected] pensive homes. The average days PHOTOS COURTESY OF REALCOMP new luxury homes were built in Editorial Support (313) 446-0419; YahNica Craw- ford, (313) 446-0329 on the market for homes priced at The home at 2501 Iroquois Ave. (above) is one of the most expensive one for sale in Oakland County, with construction Newsroom (313) 446-0329, FAX (313) 446-1687 , $2 million or more declined from Detroit’s Indian Village; it’s $750,000.The Oakland Township home at 60 Piney Hill Road largely in three areas: Bloomfield TIP LINE (313) 446-6766 115 days last year to 103 days in (below) sold for $1.1 million last year. Hills and Township and the village REPORTERS 2015, Realcomp reported, though of Franklin, said Stoskopf. Jay Greene, senior reporter Covers health care, in- for those between $1 million and $2 surance, energy, utilities and the environment. City hot spots (313) 446-0325 or [email protected] million, days on market remained Chad Halcom Covers litigation, the defense indus- try and education. (313) 446-6796 or steady — declining slightly from 76 Detroit’s high-end housing, in In- [email protected] to 74 days. Both reflect year-to-date dian Village, and Tom Henderson Covers banking, finance, tech- nology and biotechnology. (313) 446-0337 or sales through November. some luxury condos in Midtown, [email protected] Sales price trends are inconsis- are selling robustly, agents say. Kirk Pinho Covers real estate, Oakland and Ma- comb counties. (313) 446-0412 or tent across the region. Some com- Some Indian Village mansions sold [email protected] munities are seeing 10-year highs for more than list price in 2015 and Bill Shea, enterprise editor Covers media, advertising and marketing, the business of while others, including Grosse received multiple offers, said Betty J. sports, and transportation. Pointe, are approaching but still Warmack of Real Estate One. Yet al- (313) 446-1626 or [email protected] Robert Snell, reporter Covers city of Detroit have not reached the pre-recession most all of them are selling at and regional politics. (313) 446-1654 or peaks. $500,000 to $800,000, a big increase [email protected] Lindsay VanHulle, Lansing reporter. (517) 657- As prices and sales gain momen- from a few years ago but still shy of 2204 or [email protected] tum, some property owners have the million-dollar mark. Dustin Walsh, senior reporter Covers the busi- ness of law, auto suppliers, manufacturing and decided to list properties that had The city’s rebound, with restau- steel. (313) 446-6042 or [email protected] previously been held off the market. rants, high-end retailers and more Sherri Welch, senior reporter Covers nonprofits, services, retail and hospitality. (313) By November, there were 597 active activity downtown, is spilling over 446-1694 or [email protected]

homes priced at $1 million or more, ability and move-in condition make regions — a trend other luxury real to homes in Grosse Pointe. ADVERTISING up about 25 percent from a year a luxury home a standout. estate agents also note. “I’m having damned near a Sales Inquiries (313) 446-6032; FAX (313) 393-0997 earlier. Zillow has reiterated in reports “It’s really a mix of people moving record year,” said Alex Lucido, Sales Manager Tammy Rokowski “That’s a lot of inventory,” said that “dense walkable suburbs with into the area” and those moving up owner of Lucido Real Estate in Grosse Senior Account Executive Matthew J. Langan Advertising Sales Christine Galasso, Catherine Jeff Barker, a broker with Max Broock an urban feel” are the hot buzz- into a dream home, said Susan Pointe. He’s sold eight homes on Grace, Joe Miller, Sarah Stachowicz Realtors who sells many lakefront words in residential real estate right Campbell Johnson, an agent with Lakeshore Drive, five of them cash Classified Sales Manager Angela Schutte, (313) Signature Sotheby’s 446-6051 properties and also West Bloomfield now. in Birmingham. offers, in 2015. Classified Sales Lynn Calcaterra, (313) 446-6086 and Franklin homes. “As prices have Still, some buyers in this price Many of her buyers are physicians The reason sales are robust: “It’s Events Manager Kacey Anderson increased, people are starting to point seek more acreage, with room or business owners who are thriv- so close to Detroit, downtown, Mid- Creative Services Director Pierrette Templeton Senior Art Director Sylvia Kolaski sell,” a reversal from 2007-2011, for a boat or a car collection, or even ing, though she’s also worked with a town. The whole resurgence of the Marketing Coordinator Ariel Black when most people felt prices were a pole barn to store their gear and recording artist and General Motors city — Grosse Pointe is a benefici- Special Projects Coordinator Keenan Covington too low and held onto their sprawl- toys, agents say. Waterfront proper- executives. ary,” he said. Sales Support Suzanne Janik, YahNica Crawford ing compounds or 1920s mansions ties, homes with “a view” and a The auto sector still drives many Agney and her daughter, agent Editorial Assistant Nancy Powers Production Manager Wendy Kobylarz if they could. chef’s kitchen are particularly in de- of the million dollar home purchas- Jaime Rae Turnbull, agreed that De- Production Supervisor Andrew Spanos Renewed demand for high-end mand in luxury homes, according es — whether it’s the historic troit’s comeback helps sales. CUSTOMER SERVICE homes started about three years to a National Association of Realtors Palmer Woods mansion purchased “There’s so much vitality in the city Main Number: Call (877) 824-9374 ago. But until 2014, there were more survey. by General Motors president Daniel right now,” Agney said. or [email protected] Subscriptions $59 one year, $98 two years. Out of buyers than inventory, said Brad Bloomfield Hills and Township Ammann and his wife for $1.55 mil- Many agents believe that vitality state, $79 one year, $138 for two years. Outside Wolf, managing director of Hall & accounted for 84 of the $1-million- lion or a suburban showcase will carry into 2016, with strong U.S.A., add $48 per year to out-of-state rate for sur- face mail. Call (313) 446-0450 or (877) 824-9374. Hunter Realtors in Birmingham. That plus sales last year, about 37 percent bought by a rival executive. sales. Compared to prices in Col- Single Copies (877) 824-9374 imbalance started tipping the other of them, with another 67 sold in orado, New York or Chicago, De- Reprints (212) 210-0750; or Krista Bora at Cash deals [email protected] way in 2014, “with more and more Birmingham, Barker said. troit’s luxury homes are still very af- To find a date a story was published (313) 446- 0406 or e-mail [email protected] listings,” Wolf said. Who buys million-dollar Often, buyers for the most ex- fordable, Agney said. Homes that are “closer to town or pensive properties pay cash for Several agents say the Federal Re- Crain’s Detroit Business is published by homes? Crain Communications Inc. in town” are more in demand and their new homes, in part because serve’s move to raise interest rates, Chairman Keith E. Crain those with three acres of land or While most ultra-luxury homes interest rates have been so low and even by a quarter percentage point, President Rance Crain Treasurer Mary Kay Crain more seem to have fallen in favor, a are purchased by locals, Agney, who the stock market has not appeared may spur some buyers who have Executive Vice President/Operations switch from the market a decade has sold homes in the Grosse to be a welcome place for investing waited to jump in and purchase this William A. Morrow Executive Vice President/Director of Strategic ago, Wolf said. “Size isn’t as impor- Pointes since 1980, recently has money, said Barker. Some 40 per- year — before borrowing rates be- Operations Chris Crain tant as location,” he said, and walk- seen an uptick in buyers from other cent of the $1-million-and-up sales come more expensive. Executive Vice President/Director of Corporate Operations KC Crain last year were cash purchases, and While the outlook seems positive, Vice President/Production & Manufacturing in the $2 million and up homes, it some sound a note of caution. Ris- Dave Kamis Chief Financial Officer Thomas Stevens INDEX TO COMPANIES rose to almost 70 percent, he said, ing inventories require sellers to Chief Information Officer Anthony DiPonio These companies have significant mention in this week’s Crain’s Detroit Business: citing data from the MLS. spend time and money to offer pris- G.D. Crain Jr. Founder (1885-1973) Mrs. G.D. Crain Jr. Chairman (1911-1996) Akervall Technologies...... 3 Ilitch Holdings...... 9 Others put down 50 to 60 per- tine properties with updated gour- Editorial & Business Offices Amber Properties...... 7 LaGrasso Bros. Inc. Produce ...... 21 cent of the purchase price, so their met kitchens and new smart home 1155 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI 48207-2732; Arboretum Ventures...... 11 Lear ...... 13 (313) 446-6000 mortgage falls below the jumbo features. Sellers “really need to have Cable address: TWX 248-221-5122 AUTNEW DET Bedrock Real Estate Services...... 12 Lucido Real Estate...... 20 mortgage threshold, which is their house in top, top shape and CRAIN’S DETROITBUSINESS ISSN # 0882-1992 is pub- Boydell Development ...... 7 Max Broock Realtors...... 20 $417,000 in Michigan, Campbell priced correctly,” Wolf said. lished weekly,except fora special issue the third weekof Coalition forthe Future ofDetroit Schoolchildren 10 Meridian Health Plan ...... 11 November,and no issue the third weekofDecemberby Detroit Red Wings...... 9 Olympia Development of Michigan ...... 9 Johnson said. Jumbo home loans Barker noted that he feels cau- Crain Communications Inc.at 1155 Gratiot Ave.,Detroit MI 48207-2732.Periodicals postage paid at Detroit,MI Detroit RiverFront Conservancy...... 1 Quicken Loans...... 12 do not have to conform to federal tious because of the presidential and additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Send ad- Garden Fresh Gourmet...... 10 Redico...... 14 mortgage standards, so lenders election, and uncertainty about a dress changes to CRAIN’S DETROITBUSINESS,Circula- Great Fresh Foods ...... 10 Sakti3 ...... 12 tion Department,P.O.Box07925,Detroit,MI 48207-9732. may vary criteria and the interest decline in stocks and more volatile GST# 136760444.Printed in U.S.A. Hall & Hunter Realtors ...... 20 Signature Sotheby’s ...... 20 rate may be higher than traditional days on Wall Street. “The stock mar- Entire contents copyright 2015 byCrain Communica- tions Inc.All rights reserved.Reproduction oruse ofedi- Higbie Maxon Agney...... 1 Wayne State University ...... 9 mortgages. ket affects high-end buyers more Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn...... 16 Zoyes Creative Group...... 18 torial content in anymannerwithout permission is When it comes to new construc- than interest rates,” he said. Ⅲ strictly prohibited. 20160104-NEWS--0021-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 4:26 PM Page 1

CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 21 done,” said Sassa, who had been a Sports customer growth AKERVALL TV producer, TV host and author in FROM PAGE 3 Finland. In 2011, Akervall landed its first company’s CEO, Devin Benner, and The company, which has filed customer, Cliff Keen Athletic, an Ann met with Akervall co-founder and for four patents, was co-founded Arbor maker of athletic gear for high CEO Jan Akervall, Sassa’s husband, by Jan, Sassa and Johannes school and college wrestlers. last year. Schwank, the James and Judith Wrestlers often wrestle without “We had been talking about di- Street professor of chemical engi- mouthguards so they can breathe versifying into other product cate- neering at UM and director of the unimpeded. gories, and Jan and I thought we school’s Electron Microbeam “They bought our first inventory could leverage each other’s Analysis Laboratory. of a couple of thousand guards, strengths. Theirs is innovation, and The company used an existing which was huge,” said Sassa. ours is working with retailers,” said thermoplastic polymer. Schwank, Up till then, Sassa had been the Asma. the company’s chief scientific offi- sole employee, working at the In March, McKeon began selling cer, set up tests to determine what kitchen table. The Cliff Keen deal al- a mouthguard for nighttime teeth shape and thickness provided the lowed her to hire her first employee, grinding under the LunaGuard best strength and shock absorp- Terry Rishoi, who is now office man- Nighttime Dental Protector brand tion. ager, and move from the kitchen to through regional outlets, which in- One claimed result was a guard bigger digs in the basement. cluded Discount Drug Mart in Ohio; that transmits nearly all the energy Another set of early customers Weis Markets Inc., a chain of super- TOM HENDERSON of a hit throughout the mouth- was the booming roller-derby com- markets on the East Coast; and Kin- Sassa Akervall, president and co-founder of Akervall Technologies Inc., launched the piece. One real-world guide for the munity. Also in 2011, Sassa and ney Drugs in upstate New York. company in 2008 along with her husband, ear, nose and throat surgeon Jan Akervall, company as they worked on proto- Lynne Schwank, Johannes’ wife and Asma said final details on a deal and Johannes Schwank, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of types was Sassa’s daughter, Miri- Akervall’s fulfillment manager today, with another national drug chain Michigan. am, a field hockey player who, like drove to a derby convention in are being worked out, and he ex- many athletes, hated her tradition- Chicago and set up shop. pects the mouthguards to be in generic e-mail address and sent a Akervall directly sells online or al mouthguard, taking it out often By 2013, there were six employees those stores soon. note introducing myself,” he said. though Amazon.com three mouth- to catch her breath. in the Akervall basement setup, “and “Akervall’s mouthguards are so “It’s really rare for us to reach out to guards under that brand — a stan- In 2010, Sassa went to the Spark we were trying not to drive each much better than traditional a company. Usually, they reach out dard mouthguard at $24.99, a high- boot camp, where she met Bill other crazy.” mouthguards,” said Asma. “Be- to us. er-impact guard at $34.99 and a kids Mayer, Spark’s vice president of en- In December 2013, Akervall cause they’re so thin, they’re very “These are extremely thin. They guard at $19.99. It also sells a guard trepreneurial services. bought a vacant 15,000-square-foot comfortable. Because they are have breathability, and they have a case at $8.99 and the Sova Night He gave her advice on growing a factory in an industrial park in made of thermoplastic that is re- fit that is on the level of a dentist- Guard for teeth grinders for $44.99. startup, hooked her up with a con- Saline and in July 2014 moved in to moldable. If you don’t get the fit made custom mouthguard,” he It competes with makers of tradi- sultant and mentor, Wayne Bran- the building, where it does sales quite right the first time, you drop it said. tional ethylene-vinyl acetate non, the former head of General Mo- and marketing, order fulfillment in warm water and remold it. And He said CCM validated Akervall’s guards, such as Minnetonka, tors’ European operations who and engineering research on the you can’t bite through it the way you claims about strength and better Minn.-based Shock Doctor Inc., the later joined Akervall’s board, and next generation of even thinner can with other mouthguards.” protection through energy disper- largest U.S. manufacturer of helped her get a microloan of mouthguards. Mathieu Filiatrault-Giroux is a sion. mouthguards. $15,000 from Spark. The company now employs 17. North American product manager CCM began selling the mouth- A surgeon’s tool “Fifteen thousand was huge at On the way toward profitability, for CCM in Montreal. CCM is part of piece in March, using the CCM the time,” said Sassa. “It allowed us Akervall kept the bills paid and the Canton, Mass.-based Reebok In- brand with the tag line “powered by Akervall Technologies was to buy material to start making funded research with a series of ternational Ltd. Sisu.” They are made by Akervall’s founded in 2008 after Jan Akervall, mouthguards and build our first three federal grants totaling He said the traditional mouth- outside contractors. an ear, nose and throat surgeon at inventory. We had two years to pay $970,000 — a Phase 1 small busi- guards CCM had sold for decades Filiatrault-Giroux declined to William Beaumont Hospital, devised a Spark back and paid it back in 10 ness innovation grant from the De- were long criticized for their bulki- provide sales numbers but said “our mouthguard to keep patients’ months.” partment of Defense, a Phase 1 SBIR ness and ineffectiveness. Players market share has increased signifi- teeth from being chipped by the Spark also helped find an afford- grant of $150,000 from the National had difficulty speaking with them in cantly since then.” heavy medical instruments used able contractor to mold the Science Foundation and a Phase 2 their mouths, didn’t like the way “Sisu” is the brand name Akervall during endoscopic surgeries. mouthguards and helped Akervall SBIR grant of $750,000 from the they felt, and suffered loss of teeth uses for its sports mouthguards. Ac- “One day, Jan came home with build a good website. NSF. even when wearing them. cording to Sassa Akervall, “sisu” is a this mouthguard and said, ‘I think “Sassa was great to work with,” Sassa said the Phase 2 grant is He said he spends a lot of time popular word in her and Jan’s native you should do this as a business.’ I said Mayer. “She wanted to learn. helping Akervall develop a new ma- visiting retailers and early in 2014 country of Finland. It has no direct had run my own production com- She was eager for advice. She’s terial for the mouthguards that will was told about a new mouthguard English translation but embodies pany in Finland and had devel- been the kind of entrepreneur who have other applications, too. Ⅲ someone in Michigan was making. “determination, strength and re- oped my own entrepreneurial spir- just keeps at it, keeps doing what Tom Henderson: (313) 446-0337 “I went on their website and got a silience.” it, figuring out how to get things needs to be done.” Twitter: @TomHenderson2 LaGrasso Bros.growing lettuce in upcycled freight box

By Rachel Premack Fleet Manager Joe LaGrasso said ronments remotely and digitally the application on the phone, what moved into its current space, a Special to Crain’s Detroit Business his family’s company, which was alter the containers’ pumps, lights needs to be done by hand as a 40,000-square-foot facility. It exper- Depending on where you dine founded in 1914 and passed down and other controls. Users can en- human and what needs to be done imented with selling pre-chopped in the Detroit area, your “farm-to- the family line, implemented sure temperature, humidity and by the machine itself.” produce in the 1970s. table” salad might have its origins Freight Farms technology to pro- carbon dioxide levels meet their This is LaGrasso Bros.’ first entry Its bread-and-butter is produce in an old shipping container. vide its clientele with fresh, local plants’ needs through their smart- into growing food. Though LaGras- sourced from states such as Califor- Since September, LaGrasso Bros. produce. phones. so said implementing Freight nia as well as growers in Michigan, Inc. Produce, a Detroit-based pro- “As an industry, we’ve noticed a LaGrasso said restaurateurs Farms has boosted his company’s which is inspected for quality and duce distributor, has been growing push toward local, in particular have “loved” the product: a blend clientele, LaGrasso Bros. is still safety in its 5001 Bellevue St. facility. and selling lettuce from an upcy- chefs wanting to source around of light and dark green and red let- judging to see if it will continue its The Freight Farms produce, whose cled freight container. It is the first where the restaurant is placed,” La- tuces with a “nutty and spicy flavor push into local farming. lettuce is delivered within hours of Michigan company to implement Grasso said. profile.” Restaurants in metro De- “We’re trying to figure out if this harvesting to customers, is a response technology from Boston-based However, with hail storms, polar troit and Traverse City have been is something that catches on in our from growing interest in fresh, local, sustainable food company Freight vortexes and blistering summers its purchasers. industry,” he said. “I could see us farm-to-table ingredients. Farms, according to a news release. all par for the course in this area, Moreover, growing produce in growing the growing aspect of our LaGrasso said wholesale distrib- The hallmark product is the “it’s hard to source local in Michi- an old shipping container has business, but it’s too early to see.” utors nationwide are experiment- Leafy Green Machine — a hydro- gan 365 days per year.” piqued the interest of current and The Leafy Green Machine starts ing with offering ultra-fresh pro- ponic farming system self-con- Leafy Green Machines are insu- potential customers alike, LaGrasso at $76,000 with yearly operating duce, but it’s too early to know if the tained in a 40 feet by 8 feet by 9.5 lated, with LED lights and in-unit said. costs averaging at $13,000. LaGras- demand will stick or if it’s simply a feet shipping container. It can grow sprinklers nourishing the crops. “They’re very impressed, very in- so said this was a big investment for trend. herbs, lettuces and cabbage year Along with being resistant to terested and want to know every- his company, but one perhaps ulti- “We have to feel the market out,” round, and Freight Farms estimates Michigan winters and other fickle thing that’s going on in the ma- mately sustainable. LaGrasso added. “Everyone in the 500 full heads of lettuce can be har- weather, Freight Farms allows chine,” he said. “They’re curious on LaGrasso Bros. started as a push- industry sees the local push and are vested weekly from a single unit. farmers to monitor growing envi- how it runs, what we can do with cart in Detroit in 1914 and, by 1980, trying to see their niche in that.” Ⅲ 20160104-NEWS--0022-NAT-CCI-CD_-- 12/30/2015 4:36 PM Page 1

22 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS // JANUARY 4, 2016 ON THE WEB RUMBLINGS WEEK DEC. 12-30 Yes — soup for you! Kroger picks Detroit Digits Public Lumber & Millwork and 80 multifamily Russell Street Deli were recipients A numbers-focused look at last of the Detroit New Economy up ‘Seinfeld’figure’s recipes units planned in week’s headlines: Initiative’s NEIdeas $100,000 Challenge. Both businesses will $13M riverfront receive $100,000 to further ans of the hit 1990s sitcom partment announced to fans 8 expand their companies. “Seinfeld” could find them- longer-lasting news: a 10-year, The number of Bagger Dave’s ITC Holdings Corp., the Novi- F selves face to face with one $1.13 million apparel contract with redevelopment Burger Tavern restaurants newly based power-line company that of the show’s iconic characters this Nike that is one of the largest athlet- closed by Southfield-based recently put itself up for sale, and month as a part of a promotional ic sponsorships for a mid-major planned $13 million rede- Diversified Restaurant Holdings. almost two dozen other owners of tour stop at a local Kroger store. school in the country. velopment along the east They include a downtown Detroit transmission lines in the Midwest Kroger stores in Michigan and Oakland athletics will receive A Detroit riverfront could location at 1224 Randolph St. and should cut rates and pay refunds, across the country have begun sell- $1.13 million in Nike Retail dollars bring about 80 multifamily units seven outlets in Indiana. a federal judge recommended. ing the soups made by New York- during the duration of the contract to the market. Roger Basmajian, Detroit-based DTE Energy Co. based Soupman Inc. based on the to purchase apparel, shoes and whose Detroit real estate portfolio announced the closure in mid- original recipes of Al Yeganeh, the equipment for all OU varsity sports has grown to nearly a quarter-mil- $460M January of a metallurgical coke founder of the soup business made teams with discounts ranging from lion square feet since 2013, said The price paid by IHS Inc. for plant it owns in Pittsburgh. The famous by the popular TV show 35 to 50 percent off retail prices. construction on the studio and London, Ontario-based Carproof Shenango Inc. coke battery plant that ended in 1998. The deal also includes 60 pairs of one-bedroom units at the three- Corp. Carproof provides vehicle employs 173. Actor Larry Thomas, whose char- shoes, 20 warmups, 20 bags and 20 story building is expected to begin history reports in much the same acter on the game balls for the men’s basketball late in 2016 or early in 2017. Bas- way that IHS-owned Carfax does OTHER NEWS show was based team in the first year of the con- majian closed on the purchase of in the U.S. IHS, a Colorado-based on Yeganeh, will tract. the building last month. market-research company whose A secret audit of Wayne appear at a Under the current contract, Nike IHS Automotive is based in County’s unfinished jail revealed Kroger in Ro- and authorized dealer Team Sports COMPANY NEWS Southfield, bought Carfax in 2013. negligence and exposed alleged seville as the Inc. has been the exclusive misconduct surrounding the Soupman, better providers of shoes, apparel and Two St. John Health System controversial project. Among the known as the equipment for OU since 2013. Nike hospitals last week appeared no 34,217 findings: County Auditor General “Soup Nazi” by LIDS will take over as authorized closer to a deal that would out- The announced attendance, Willie Mayo accused officials of LarryThomas: “Seinfeld” fans. dealer once the contract ends May source most of their current staff despite icy weather outside, at negligence for failing to disclose “Seinfeld” actor to The one-liner 31, 2016. of certified registered nurse anes- for the second Quick that construction cost estimates appear at Kroger. “No soup for The contract requires OU to thetists, and the system contend- Lane Bowl, in which the University in 2011 had swelled by $42 you!” — made spend a minimum of $150,000 a ed its new contract provider was of Minnesota defeated Central million. The audit, authored two famous by Thomas in a 1995 year with Nike; in addition, OU ath- ready to replace them. St. John Michigan University 21-14 on Dec. years ago, had been shielded from episode of the show — has played a letics will receive 10 percent back Providence hospitals said a third- 28. Detroit’s college football bowl the public amid the criminal part in the revitalization of the busi- on every dollar it spends. The deal party employment service con- game saw an uptick of more than investigation and prosecution ness, which went public in Decem- also includes promotional incen- tract was in place with newly 10,000 fans over last year’s until Wayne County Circuit Judge ber 2010. Yeganeh, who sold his tives for Nike, including game ad- formed PSJ Anesthesia PC and ex- inaugural Quick Lane game, in Timothy Kenny authorized its company in 2004, remained in con- vertisements, game tickets, recog- pected no interruption in service which Rutgers University defeated release. Its release came one day trol of the recipes and brands, ac- nition and signage at home games when that deal was to take effect the University of North Carolina. after county commissioners cording to a news release. and a foursome/hole sponsorship Jan. 1. approved an interim deal to settle In September, the company at the department’s annual golf After five years of planning autonomous cars under contract, a lawsuit involving the county launched four of its soups at Kroger outing. Coaches will also be re- and 18 months of construction, Automotive News reported. A and two contractors who worked stores: chicken noodle, crab and quired to attend clinics sponsored Haven Inc. will open its $8 million finalized announcement could on the jail project. corn chowder, chicken gumbo and by Nike. shelter for victims of domestic come early this month during the The Detroit City Council voted its best-selling soup, lobster bisque. and sexual abuse on Jan. 8 at Tele- International Consumer Electronics 6-1 to approve a zoning The soups, which are packaged in Ford,HFHS offer contest for graph Road and Vanguard Drive Show in Las Vegas. ordinance, effective March 1, that Tetra cartons (aseptic packaging health care apps for drivers in Pontiac. It sits on 6 acres of Detroit-based Huron Capital experts say could close up to half that can keep products fresh for land, with space for 55 beds in Partners LLC bought its first add- of the city’s medical marijuana months without refrigeration), are Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co. three connected buildings, which on company, National Paint dispensaries. After heated debate, available at 2,100 Kroger locations and Detroit-based Henry Ford Health total 36,000 square feet. Industries Inc., a North Brunswick, the council voted not to eliminate in Michigan and across the nation. System are sponsoring an innova- Moran Chevrolet in Clinton N.J.-based manufacturer of B2 and B4 zoning districts, which A 17-ounce carton of the soup tion challenge that offers $10,000 in Township bought the Summit specialized coatings used in include strip centers and sells for $3.49 on average, Soupman prize money to employees who Place Kia dealership building, near commercial flooring and other individual stores, from the Inc. CEO Jamieson Karson said. come up with smartphone apps its own site on Gratiot Avenue, applications, for one of its ordinance, thereby allowing “The Midwest (market) for our that link health care with vehicles. for about $1 million. Moran portfolio companies, Valentus dispensaries to locate in those product and category is great, we Ideas could include in-vehicle bought the building from Tibor Specialty Chemicals Inc. Terms were districts. are partnered with the best super- health monitoring and warnings, Gyarmati. Moran plans to renovate not disclosed; Valentus will be The Detroit Downtown market chains in the country and medical-test ordering and records the building as a collision repair headquartered in North Development Authority gave Dan they’re concentrated in a lot of the access from the road, appointment and paint operation, and Summit Brunswick. Gilbert-affiliated Rosko Midwestern cities,” Karson said. check-ins, prescription ordering Place Kia expects in January to The first of two waves of 90 Development Co. LLC another 30 Soupman products are available in and data that can be transmitted to move into its new $6 million employees of Fifth Third Bank days to finalize a development about 6,000 supermarkets nation- a doctor’s office or hospital. In theo- dealership nearby. Eastern Michigan moved into the plan amendment for the former wide. ry, the car and technology will do Ventra LLC, a real estate 25th and 26th floors of the One J.L. Hudson’s department store Thomas is scheduled to appear the work while the driver stays fo- company owned by George Woodward Building in downtown site. at the Kroger on 13 Mile Road in cused on the road. Jackson, former president and Detroit. A second and final wave Organizers of the North Roseville from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. Online submissions open on Jan. CEO of the Detroit Economic from the previous headquarters at American International Auto Show 17. The event will include free sam- 20. For more information, visit Growth Corp., was hired by Olympia the is launched a Crowdrise campaign ples of the soups and a chance to www.henryfordinnovation.com/ Development of Michigan as expected to move into the 12th to help raise more for the talk recipes with Thomas and Kar- healthcareonwheels. development consultant for and 13th floors of One Woodward children’s charities benefiting son. Ten finalists from online submis- residential projects in the new in late spring, and the building, from its Jan. 15 charity preview. sions will be chosen in March, fol- District Detroit. Jackson worked owned by Bedrock Real Estate Information is at OU extends Nike apparel lowed by prototypes, pitches and, closely on the district project — Services, will be renamed Fifth crowdrise.com/2016charitypreview. contract for 10 years finally, the selection of three win- which includes the $627 million Third Bank at One Woodward. ners by May or June. Detroit Red Wings arena to open in Performance Network Theatre OBITUARIES Oakland University nearly cele- The winning design will receive 2017— while at the DEGC, which was to close at year’s end for lack brated a landmark basketball victo- $5,000, with a runner-up prize of he left last year. of operating funds. A recent Daisy Elliott, a former state ry over Michigan State University — $3,000 and third-place prize of Dearborn-based Ford Motor campaign for emergency House representative and co- the OU men lost in overtime to the $2,000. Co. and Google Inc. are in talks to funding did not reach its goal, author of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen top-ranked Spartans at The Palace Individual submissions will be have the automaker build officials of the small Ann Arbor Civil Rights Act, died Dec. 22. She of Auburn Hills on Dec. 22. But at accepted, but employees are en- Google’s next-generation theater said. was 98. that game, Oakland’s athletic de- couraged to form teams. DBpageAD_DBpageAD.qxd 12/28/2015 10:19 AM Page 1

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