DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 03-27-06 A 1 CDB 3/24/2006 6:20 PM Page 1 ® http://www.crainsdetroit.com Vol. 22, No. 13 MARCH 27 – APRIL 2, 2006 $1.50 a copy; $59 a year ©Entire contents copyright 2006 by Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved THIS JUST IN Forecast: State tourism Parking choices should be better this year Michigan tourism should improve slightly in 2006, according to an indus- try forecast scheduled to be released Tuesday. The annual outlook by multiply downtown Michigan State University’s Travel, Tourism and Recreation Resource Center predicts Lots of spots may mean falling prices business and leisure travel will rise a combined 1 per- BY JENNETTE SMITH cent to 2 percent in 2006, AND ROBERT ANKENY compared with a decline in REBECCA COOK Darrin Eaton (rear) and David Morris CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS 2005, said Don Holecek, the have raised $10 million in capital for center’s director. investments later this year. Park at Miller Parking Co.’s Tourism spending, which Renaissance Center garage and rose 4 percent in 2005, it costs $15 for the day. should rise by 4 percent to 5 Park a few blocks north and percent in 2006, he said. VC company it could cost more than $20 in a Holecek said many fac- garage. Find a tors play into the industry HOW MUCH? spot in a city- growth, including the fact owned lot and that there is “a continuing to target Parking rates, it costs $5. trend towards people want- Page 25. Prices for ing to travel, and giving daytime park- that a priority in their ing in Detroit vary wildly be- household spending alloca- minority- cause of proximity to key build- tion.” ings. But parking executives The forecast will be pre- and industry observers say sented at the Michigan Lodg- prices are likely to edge down- ing and Tourism Conference owned firms ward at some sites this year as in Mt. Pleasant, a two-day downtown’s parking supply event that combines Travel continues to grow. JOHN F. MARTIN Michigan’s annual tourism BY TOM HENDERSON Brian Pastoria, co-owner of Harmonie Park Creative Group, switched his company’s parking to the $50-a-month Opera House garage to save money. meeting, MSU’s tourism CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS See Parking, Page 25 outlook conference and the The first venture-capital compa- Michigan Hotel, Motel & Re- ny in the state to target minority- sort Association convention. owned companies, Oracle Capital — Amy Lane Partners L.L.C., officially opens its Collins & Aikman to move offices Wednesday in the Guardian Building in Detroit. from Troy to Southfield Managing director David Mor- ris says the company has raised Collins & Aikman Corp. has Back on display $10 million in capital that it will in- signed a lease to move its vest solely in minority-owned headquarters to Southfield. businesses, primarily in Southeast on the showroom floor. David Youngman, vice Michigan. CHAIN This year, however, SAE of- president of communica- New features bring Lear, He said Oracle closed on that fered those suppliers an opportu- tions, said the company first round of fundraising in De- REACTION nity to rent 400-square-foot signed a lease for four and cember and hopes to raise about $30 other tier-ones back to SAE If you want to do spaces on the show floor in a a half floors in the Travelers million from financial institutions business in new area called the OEM/Sup- Tower II building. The com- BY BRENT SNAVELY and pension plans for its first fund. China, check your plier Park and paired that with a pany plans to move in supply chain, The largest such firm in the CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS private meeting room. when the space is renovat- Page 26. state, EDF Ventures of Ann Arbor, The return of the tier-one sup- ed, probably in late sum- After a six-year hiatus, Southfield-based Lear Corp. has about $170 million under man- pliers shows that the idea to put mer, Youngman said. will be back as an exhibitor on the showroom floor agement. Precise figures are hard suppliers and automakers in one area and other re- The company will move at the 2006 SAE World Congress. Lear will be joined by to come by, but Morris guesses his cent changes are working, said Dave Amati, direc- from its Stephenson High- six other tier-one suppliers at the April 3-6 confer- company, if successful on reaching tor of automotive business for the Warrendale, Pa.- way headquarters in Troy. ence at Cobo Center in Detroit. $30 million, would rank in the top based SAE International. As it operates in bankrupt- The Society of Automotive Engineers’ annual con- quarter of the state’s 22 venture- “We tried to address the issues and concerns (sup- cy, the company opted to re- vention is considered the largest original-equipment capital companies. pliers) had in the past,” Amati said. “This is a model ject leases early and move service and components exhibition in the world. He said Oracle tentatively plans that allows them to participate very cost-effectively.” to less-expensive space. Its But SAE has struggled for several years to attract to make its first two investments in Still, the participation of several tier-one suppli- real estate consultant is CB tier-one suppliers as exhibitors due to the cost, time the second quarter this year, one in ers does not return SAE to its heyday back in 2000, Richard Ellis, Southfield. commitment and lack of decision-makers walking a media company and the other in a when many tier-one suppliers had large, fancy ex- — Jennette Smith the show floor. Plus, many direct suppliers have hibits on the show floor and the event drew 49,300. maker of consumer goods. their own technical centers and prefer to showcase See This Just In, Page 2 See Oracle, Page 26 their proprietary technology in private, rather than See Engineers, Page 26 Focus NONPROFIT SALARY SURVEY NEWSPAPER Bigger raises are used to retain top talent. Our nonprofit salary survey begins on Page 11. DETROIT BUSINESS MAIN 03-27-06 A 2 CDB 3/24/2006 6:01 PM Page 1 Page 2 CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS March 27, 2006 SCCI Hospital changes name troit Masonic Temple. ours Cottage, had to restate earn- employee benefits practice group, THIS JUST IN James Barber, executive direc- ings after KPMG L.L.P. found ques- joined Honigman as partner and SCCI Hospital Detroit on Friday tor, said the association seeks a tionable financial statements co-chair of the tax department. ■ From Page 1 officially changed its name to Tri- partner that could help attract during an audit of the 65-bed Bon Stevan Uzelac, who was senior umph Hospital Detroit, following an shows and events in addition to Secours Cottage hospital. counsel in that Miller Canfield Butzel Long has new chairman earlier acquisition of the hospi- more meetings business. The as- — Sherri Begin practice group, is of counsel to tal’s parent company by Houston- sociation is talking to interested Honigman’s tax department. Both Philip Kessler has been named based Triumph HealthCare L.L.C. groups who would bring finan- Logicalis acquires business will work in Honigman’s Detroit chairman of Butzel Long P.C., suc- The hospital, which employs cial backing, Barber said. The as- office, CEO Alan S. Schwartz said. ceeding Richard Rassel, who be- more than 150, will continue to sociation has a goal to make a Bloomfield Hills-based Logicalis — Robert Ankeny comes director of global client re- operate its 53 beds, according to a deal within 90 to 120 days. Inc. plans to announce the acqui- lations for the Detroit-based firm. news release. The hospital takes Total annual expenses are sition of the Phoenix-based south- Kessler, said in a statement Palace Sports signs Belle Tire in patients from other area hospi- about $2.5 million, Barber said. west business of Conshohocken, that he plans to continue his tals when they require an extend- Energy and insurance costs have Pa.-based Alliance Consulting Group Auburn Hills-based Palace practice in prosecution and de- ed stay, the release said. driven up overhead. Associates Inc. for an undisclosed Sports & Entertainment said last fense of business disputes. — Anjali Fluker The 550,000-square-foot site in- amount. The acquisition adds week that Belle Tire has signed a Rassel, who led Butzel for 12 cludes two theaters. about 70 employees and $50 mil- five-year contract to be the pre- years, will resume his media and Ferndale Chamber has — Jennette Smith lion in revenue. senting sponsor at two of its am- international practice. He will — Andrew Dietderich phitheaters: DTE Energy Music The- oversee Butzel’s practice in Chi- new executive director atre and Meadow Brook Music na, Korea, Japan, Mexico and Eu- Ex-Bon Secours CFO The Ferndale Chamber of Com- Festival. rope, with an emphasis on assist- Two Miller Canfield tax merce board of directors on Fri- pleads guilty to fraud Bryant Fillmore, public-rela- ing non-U.S. companies with day announced Mailè Ilac Boeder lawyers join Honigman Miller tions coordinator for Palace David Zilli, the former CFO of investments in North America. is the new executive director. Sports, declined to disclose finan- Bon Secours Cottage Health Ser- Honigman Miller Schwartz and — Robert Ankeny Ilac Boeder replaces Bill Axtell, cial details. vices, alleged to have overstated Cohn L.L.P. added two veteran tax who left the chamber to take a po- Last year the presenting spon- the organization’s financials by lawyers to the firm last week, sition with Southfield fundraising sor for DTE Energy Music The- Munder names new president $117 million over a five-year peri- both from Miller, Canfield, Paddock firm John V.