Tom Beaman

Metro Detroit’s mortgage industry, which has three of the top 12 home loan companies in the nation, can realize further growth by taking advantage of new business-friendly regulations, investing more in technology, and providing a better customer experience.

Disruption is a key aspect of the 2017 class of 30 in Their Thirties, upending such traditional industries as the real estate title sector, metals recycling, 3-D scanning, point-of-sale systems, retail shopping, and logistics.

A lawsuit filed by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians seeks to claim a reservation over thousands of acres in northern Michigan. If the tribe wins the case, it could upset property rights, taxes, existing laws, and regulations.

A once “catastrophic” market for office, industrial, retail, and hospitality space in metro Detroit is now outpacing other cities in the Midwest — and, soon, is expected to do the same nationwide in average occupancy and rental rates.

Mike Simcoe takes the design helm at General Motors Co.

A nonprofit group transforms entire neighborhoods.

After working in the outdoor advertising industry in Chicago for 10 years, Candice Simons set out to explore opportunities in New York City. She soon had several job offers, but also faced a dilemma. “One path was leading me to these really amazing companies where I could have flourished, but I opted to take a chance and start my own company,” the Northville native recalls.

The all-too-frequent complaint of stale and underperforming websites, largely coming from smaller businesses, was the catalyst that led Wesley Mathews and a partner to form High Level Marketing in 2009 to serve customers who were starving for e-commerce know-how. “Early on I had a lot of experience with small businesses and I listened to what they were doing well,” Mathews says.

For many businesses, complying with Food and Drug Administration regulations and ISO standards is the price of entry into the market, but keeping up with so many requirements can be a costly strain on an organization.

Matthew J. Farrell was just 15 years old when his father passed away, but his dad had already taught Matthew many life lessons. Among them: If possible, avoid the auto industry. While the senior Farrell spent his entire career as an automotive supplier, he much preferred building his dream home on a lake north of Detroit.