DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 05-28-07 A 9 CDB 5/25/2007 10:09 AM Page 1 May 28, 2007 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS Page 9 OTHER VOICES: Design matters in how we solve problems There is a silent conver- grew up in, our school character of the physical materials experience with current thinking sprawl, the environment, mass sation that always takes buildings and play- we use to construct these environ- into a set of basic principles for liv- transit, even our job base, may at place between ourselves grounds, or the cottage Up ments; the way one development able communities. They address first seem to be strictly economic and our physical environ- North that our grandpar- relates to another; the transitions issues such as the importance of or political issues. When we look ment. Buildings, parks, ents helped construct. in scale and building materials neighborhood identity and human closer, however, they often reveal walkways, even the orien- This year, the American that orient us in a community. scale in our physical environment; themselves as design challenges. tation of roadways con- Institute of Architects The goal of better design is sim- the role of choice in housing type, We can then address these chal- nect with us in many, marks its 150th anniver- ple — better communities in which shopping, recreation, transporta- lenges in less emotionally charged, mostly unspoken, ways. sary as the only profession- we enjoy raising a family and know- tion and employment; the value in more productive ways. Each of us in Southeast al group that helps educate ing our neighbors; where we feel se- preserving urban centers and As AIA architects, we believe Michigan could come up and set standards for our cure, productive and fulfilled; making good use of infrastructure that design matters; that design ex- with a Top 10 list of archi- Dennis King profession. where our investments are long- already in place; conservation of cellence is the foundation of suc- tectural environments that has As AIA architects, we under- lasting, positive ones, physically, landscape and environmental pro- cessful and healthy communities. comforted us, challenged us, in- stand that our profession is not environmentally and emotionally. tection; and the imperative of a vi- Now, let’s start talking. spired us or somehow made a dif- limited to “buildings” per se. Ar- In this task, we can learn from what brant public space. Dennis King is the president of ference in our lives. Some choices chitecture is about how we design has worked well in the past, while So many of the challenges we the American Institute of Architects would likely be among our area’s the spaces in which we live, work we devise ways to do better. face as a region and state, deterio- Michigan, and chairman and CEO architectural highlights — the cen- and play; the massing, volume and Still, the AIA has distilled past rating infrastructure, residential of Harley Ellis Devereaux Corp. ter court of the Detroit Institute of Arts, the gardens and buildings at Cranbrook, the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit Opera House, for examples. Some are known to a smaller circle — the house we 2007 LETTERS CONTINUED ■ From Page 8 Poor front-page choice Editor: That Crain’s Detroit Business would laud the $9.5 million pur- chase of a pornographic Web site Our customers have spoken. and give MXN Ltd.’s intent to fur- ther “develop” the site front-page coverage is stupefying (“Detroit REDICO has received the coveted firm buys adult Web site for $9.5M,” May 21). That you would encourage visitation to porno- CEL National Commercial Real Estate “A List” graphic sites by including — in boldface, no less — the URLs of Customer Service Award for Excellence four pornographic sites is even more appalling. Linda Angér across our entire portfolio of properties. President The Write Concept Inc. Rochester Hills AFTER YEARS OF CONSISTENTLY BUILDING AWARD-WINNING CUSTOMER Bishop gets it right SATISFACTION, REDICO HAS RECEIVED THIS COVETED REAL ESTATE AWARD Editor: FOR THE SUPERIOR LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED TO OUR TENANT After reading Amy Lane’s arti- CUSTOMERS. cle (“Job funds at risk,” May 21), it Being named as the national winner in our should be no surprise why the av- category reflects the unsurpassed REDICO passion for erage Michigan taxpayer has lost confidence in the ability of our pursuing customer satisfaction in everything we do: elected officials to address Michi- Developing a property, designing and building it, gan’s budget and economic prob- lems. While Medicaid reimburse- providing client-based leasing solutions, managing ments and police protection are on the property, and ensuring a “best-in-class” the cutting block, we are asked to shed a tear for the well-heeled re- customer experience through seasoned, cipients of corporate welfare who expert, and highly-professional ongoing may be asked to actually meet a payroll and build a business with facility services and tenant support. their own money, just as every oth- THAT’S WHY THE REDICO BRAND HAS COME er business in Michigan has to do. TO STAND FOR WIDELY-RECOGNIZED SUPERIORITY IN Sen. Michael Bishop should be applauded for being one of the few CUSTOMER SATISFACTION... AND WHY DISCERNING lawmakers in Lansing that gets it. CLIENTS SAY, That $300 million is much better spent holding off the foreclosure on the house, rather than making “I want to be in a REDICO building.” the monthly payment on the Mer- cedes. We have been told over and over by the apologists for tax in- creases that everything “has been ® cut to the bone,” but somehow we can afford to lavish $300 million on speculative ventures that may never amount to anything. Small TM wonder why the average citizen Building the Best in Real Estate and business owner isn’t buying it. Thank you for the reality check, Senator. We hope it is contagious. Charles Owens 248 827 1700 Michigan State Director National Federation of Independent Business Lansing DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 05-28-07 A 10,11 CDB 5/25/2007 10:05 AM Page 1 Page 10 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS May 28, 2007 PEOPLE ARCHITECTURE Terry Roylance to senior associate, IN THE SPOTLIGHT Lord, Aeck & Sargent, Ann Arbor, First-Class Services in Detroit from senior project manager. Also, Van Buren Township-based Rob Yallop to associate from project automotive supplier Visteon Corp. manager. (NYSE: VC) has named Michael IPOs Widgren vice president, corporate CONSTRUCTION controller and chief accounting M&As officer. Greg Uscicki to senior sales engineer, Hutch Paving Inc., Warren, from busi- Widgren, 39, joined Visteon in Bankruptcy ness development manager, August 2005 as assistant controller. Mathews Contracting, Rochester Before that, he served as chief Corporate Compliance Hills. accounting officer for Federal- Mogul Corp. ENGINEERING Investment Compliance He replaces William Quigley, who Michelle Racz to is now CFO. senior environ- Widgren has a bachelor’s degree Debt and Equity Offerings mental scientist, in accounting and an MBA from URS Corp. Great Michigan State University. Lakes, Farming- ton Hills, from se- HEALTH CARE nior geologist, Ge- oTrans Inc., Ann Sean Neall to vice president, brand Arbor. strategy and marketing, St. John Health, Warren, FINANCE from interim vice president of mar- Tim Hose to na- Racz keting. Also, tional sales man- Ernest Yoder to ager, Creative Mortgage Lending, vice president of Southfield, from regional vice presi- academic affairs, dent of production, Sebring Capital from chairman, L.P., Carrollton, Texas. internal medicine Scott Bailey to department, Prov- managing princi- idence Hospital, perfection pal, enterprise Southfield. risk management Joy Calloway to di- Financial communications delivered group, The Yoder rector of commu- by advanced technology, personal Rehmann Group, nity programs, St. Joseph Mercy Hos- Troy, from direc- pital, Pontiac, from executive service and industry insight. tor, technology director, Metro Healthcare Services risk management, Inc., Detroit. Jefferson Wells, Southfield. Also, HOSPITALITY DEALMAKERS AND COMPLIANCE PROFESSIONALS TURN TO BOWNE FOR SPEED AND ACCURACY. VISIT BOWNE.COM/SERVICES2 Nila Patel to net- Bailey work administra- Amy Chen to general manager, Hilton tor, from network technician. Garden Inn Downtown Detroit, Detroit, Nick Hill to associate vice president, from general manager, Residence Inn chief technology officer, Kaufman Fi- by Marriott Hotels, Innkeepers Hospi- nancial Group/Burns & Wilcox, Farm- tality, Troy and Livonia. ington Hills, from principal architect, Cognizant Technology Services, Tea- INFO/TECHNOLOGY neck, N.J. Also, Laura Vultaggio to di- Patrick Fetter- rector of corporate communications, man to vice presi- Burns & Wilcox, from manager of cor- dent of market- porate communi- ing, Plexus cations, Visteon Systems Inc., Corp., Van Buren Auburn Hills, Township. from president, Otto Hinzmann Jr. Mi8 Corp., New to director of core York City.. equity invest- Gerry Miller to ments, Telemus COO, ePrize Fetterman Capital Partners L.L.C., Pleasant L.L.C., Ann Arbor, Ridge, from global business manager, from vice presi- Microsoft, Detroit. dent and senior Mark Beyer to director of marketing Hinzmann portfolio manag- communications, NextEnergy, Detroit, er, Munder Capital Management, from vice president and executive cre- Birmingham. ative director, Peake Marketing & Ad- William Sanders to first vice presi- vertising, Southfield. Also, Pamela dent, commercial relationship officer, Hurtt to 21st Century Jobs Fund pro- Citizens Bank, Novi, from senior ject director, from project and opera- banker, vice president, nonprofit tions leader, the Motown Center, De- banking, JP Morgan Chase, Detroit. troit. Brad Southern to senior consulting Michael Blair to practice lead, C/D/H, manager, forensic, litigation and valu- - Rhonda Hollowell Royal Oak, from consultant. ation services group, UHY Advisors MI Bob James to director of operations, Director of Marketing, JOMAR Building Company Inc., Sterling Heights, from consulting re.Source Partners, Clinton Town- manager. Also, Tim Brennan, Jeff Kep- Member, Detroit Regional Chamber ship, from branch manager, Virginia pler, Connie Ku and Kurt Siebenaller Tile Co., Sterling Heights.