Business Features

What happens when metro Detroit’s large, nonprofit hospitals suddenly get an infusion of private sector competition? The region is about to find out.

A breakdown of Metro-Detroit hospitals and office buildings.

Faced with a downsized automotive industry and dwindling public resources, Metro Detroit foundations are collaborating under new business models to better support the region.

When a hotel or shopping mall owner hires a cleanup crew to eliminate odors, mold, or a bacterial outbreak, they usually sweep any mention of the incident under the rug. But hitting the mute button seemed like a good waste of a crisis, says Larry Smith, president of BioGreen Solutions in Bloomfield Township.

We asked our readers to nominate regional business leaders in their 30s who were making a mark in Michigan and around the world. From the latest technological advances to financial services to bankruptcy reorganizations to health care initiatives, the executives on the following pages all share a passion for growth, teamwork, and ingenuity.

Restaurants are among the most difficult businesses to operate. In addition to creating, ordering, preparing, and serving memorable meals day in and day out, multiple tasks must be overseen and dealt with at a moment’s notice.

With an ample supply of empty office space in metro Detroit, why would a nonprofit organization build a $17.5-million headquarters in Farmington Hills?

Early retirement sounded great when John Bornoty sold his Royal Oak-based technology company in 2005. But he soon found out the easy life was harder than it looked.

An international lighting designer, Ron Harwood often uses metro Detroit as a test lab for enhancing consumer encounters around the world, whether at luxury shopping malls, entertainment venues, public squares, or college campuses.

What happens when a product is so advanced that few people understand it? “It’s pretty lonely out there,” says Donald R. Fullenwider, president of Plymouth-based City Simulation, which offers advanced virtual reality programs to businesses, municipalities, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.