Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
1939 Delahaye from Stahl’s Automotive Museum Tops Detroit Concours d’Elegance
Ted and Mary Stahl of Stahl’s Automotive Museum in Chesterfield Township were awarded Best of Show at the Detroit Concours d’Elegance for their 1939 Delahaye 135 MS by Figoni et Falaschi.
The 2023 Detroit Concours d’Elegance took place at Detroit Institute of Arts on Saturday.
Following the introduction of the 135 in 1934 Delahaye merged with French manufacturer Delage and inherited many of the marque’s wealthy clients who demanded both performance and elegance. The agile chassis and a 130 horsepower, 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine made for a wonderfully competitive road and racing car. The eye-catching Figoni et Falaschi coachwork was among the most exciting designs of the era and remains head-turning 80 years on.
This example was commissioned new by Parisian socialite and singer Lucienne Benitez-Rexach who was known for her lavish taste and famous friends such as Pablo Picasso.
“We’ve worked very hard to build something to this standard, deserving of Best of Show honors,” says Terri Coppens, general manager of Stahl’s Automotive Museum. “And winning the show in our home state is a wonderful thing. We are very happy,”
For more information, visit DetroitConcours.com.
Ferris State Opens Center for Virtual Learning in Big Rapids
Ferris State University in Big Rapids has opened its new, $32 million Center for Virtual Learning, a facility intended to prepare students for careers in fields that are rapidly evolving and might not even exist yet.
This new facility is located on the Big Rapids campus but will help Ferris State connect with students around the state and around the world. It is intended to be the physical hub of the Ferris State learning metaverse, bringing students, educators, and technology together, virtually, and physically, as a community pursuing innovation and excellence in their fields of study.
“The potential this building has for programming is amazing,” Bill Pink, president of Ferris State. “It has the kind of technology that is not only relevant for today but is malleable for skills for tomorrow.”
The building, constructed with state and university resources, houses programs aimed at tapping state-of-the-art technology, and teaching others how to adapt rapidly evolving tech skills to their current work.
Programs include:
- Information Security and Intelligence
- Esports Arena
- School of Education eLearning
- School of Digital Media
The building’s features include a Faraday Room, a super-secure room allowing for forensic analysis and artificial intelligence work. Students will work on cyber security and ways to spot and thwart malware, making our computers and world safer.
The Esports Arena is the first arena built purposely for esports. Students will be competing, but also gaining in-demand skills to design games.
For more information, visit here.
SME Education Foundation Launches Newest Local SME PRIME Program
The SME Education Foundation has launched the SME PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) program at the William D. Ford Career-Technical Center in Westland.
The students at William D. Ford Career-Technical Center will be focusing on curriculum that provides a manufacturing education and hands-on training in high-demand skill sets including computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, robotics, and 3-D printing as well as machining and fabrication.
“Now more than ever is a critical time to be teaching high school students’ skills on which they can build a career,” says John Dignan, superintendent of Wayne-Westland Community Schools. “The SME PRIME curriculum will help round out our students’ education and bridge the gap between the skills they use and being prepared for the workforce. We are excited to begin the program this year and look forward to training the next generation of manufacturers.”
SME PRIME has been implemented in 33 schools throughout the state paving the way to high-paying jobs for students – an average of over $85,000 annually for manufacturing workers in Michigan according to the U.S. Census Bureau – without running up massive student debt.
The program provides manufacturing education for high school students, creating a pathway to a career or additional manufacturing education opportunities post-graduation. The foundation is the philanthropic arm of SME, the Southfield-based nonprofit committed to accelerating new manufacturing technology adoption and building North America’s manufacturing talent and capabilities.
“We strongly believe manufacturing holds the key to economic growth and prosperity here in the US and beyond,” says Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education Foundation. “That starts with educating the future workforce and providing hands-on opportunities to encourage young adults to continue their manufacturing education at community college or a four-year university, or to enter the workforce directly after high school graduation.”
SME PRIME builds custom manufacturing and engineering programs in high schools across the country, providing equipment, curriculum, and professional development. It supports engagement in manufacturing-focused extracurricular activities for students and teachers as well as student applications for scholarship funding through the SME Education Foundation.
The program is designed to provide a “robust learning experience” that aligns with more than 30 industry-recognized certifications. Currently, there are nearly 500,000 manufacturing positions unfilled in the U.S. That shortage will grow to 2.5 million unfilled jobs by 2030. SME PRIME addresses this shortage by providing schools with resources for instruction that meets the needs of local manufacturers. To date, SME PRIME is in 93 schools across 23 states, serving 10,000 students. Most important, 91 percent of SME PRIME seniors pursue manufacturing post-graduation.
Connect 313 Sponsors Detroit Digital Inclusion Week Oct. 2-6
The future of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will be among several hot topics addressed on the opening day of Detroit Digital Inclusion Week, Oct. 2, at Wayne State University’s McGregor Memorial Conference Center (495 Gilmour Mall) in Detroit.
Experts say ACP, a Federal Communications Commission benefit program launched to help low-income Americans connect to the Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic, will likely run out of funding in 2024 if no action is taken to sustain it.
Through the efforts of Connect 313 and its partners, 123,825 eligible Detroit households representing more than 66 percent of qualified properties, have enrolled in the program — the highest enrollment nationwide for cities with more than 150,000 eligible households. Participants receive a monthly subsidy of $30 for their bill and a one-time $100 credit for a device.
To begin the city’s fifth annual Digital Inclusion Week, representatives from the city of Detroit and the Michigan High-Speed Internet Office will be among those on hand beginning at 9:35 a.m. to discuss “the state of digital inclusion.”
Panel 1: Digital Equity and Policy Research
- 10-11 a.m.
- 495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit
- Moderator: Scott D. Woods, president, Ready.net Inc.
- Panelists: Johnnie Turnage, co-founder and CEO of EvenScore and Black Tech Saturdays; Pierrette Dagg, director of technology impact and research at the Merit Network; Stephanie Vaughn, lead innovation educator at The Hidden Genius Project; and Allie Herkenroder, digital equity director for the state of Michigan
Panel 2: Advancing Digital Literacy to Promote Workforce Development
- Noon-1:15 p.m.
- 495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit
- Moderator: Christine Burkette, director of digital equity and inclusion for the City of Detroit Department of Innovation and Technology
- Panelists: J.R. Sledge, Connect 313 committee member and senior managing director of Per Scholas Detroit; Germaine Reece, business diversity manager-central at CDW; Jose Reyes, executive director at NPower; Jai Oberoi, senior vice president of data intelligence at Rocket Mortgage; and Myka Burley, associate director at Michigan Central
Panel 3: Fintech in Banking and the Impact on the Small Business Community
- 1:30-2:45 p.m.
- 495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit
- Moderator: Lashawna Manigault, Detroit Economic Growth Corp.
- Panelists:, Camille Walker Banks, executive director of LISC; Charity Dean, CEO of the Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance; John Wei, CTO and senior vice president of Comerica Bank; Mikiah Westbrooks, owner of Brix Wine & Charcuterie Boutique; and Erin Pineda, co-owner, 27th Letter Books
Panel 4 – Modeling Healthy Digital Habits for Detroit Youth, Seniors, and Families
- 3-4:15 p.m.
- 495 Gilmour Mall, Detroit
- Moderator: Hernan Londono, chief technology and innovation strategist at DELL Technologies
- Panelists: Elizabeth Stoycheff, WSU; Carrie Leach, Institute of Gerontology; Bernadette Hudgins, Golden Connection Senior Services; Reecha Bahl, Kresge Eye Institute; Cametta Lilly, Detroit Parent Network; and Richard Ramirez, head of innovation, technology, and corporate social responsibility at DTE Energy
The remainder of the week will include activities and community events at Connect 313’s Neighborhood Tech Hubs and other locations throughout the city. Activities will include STEM family game night pop-ups, community-led learning circles that lead small business owners and entrepreneurs through information and discussion about getting started with technology, and more. The full schedule will be available at connect313.org.
All events are free and open to the public. To register, visit here.
Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market in Clinton Township Celebrates 40 Years
The Vitale family is celebrating the 40-year anniversary of Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market in Clinton Township with a week-long celebration Oct. 11-17.
Each day will have different vendor samples and food demonstrations along with live entertainment and special pricing all week long. A formal ribbon cutting and re-grand opening will take place at 10 a.m. Oct. 13.
Since 1983, Vince & Joe’s has been serving the local community with fresh produce, hand-cut, grass fed, and organic meats and poultry, wild-caught seafood, imported cheeses, and much more. In addition, Vince & Joe’s makes house-made from scratch, fresh-baked artisanal breads, desserts, pastas, and a large selection of prepared gourmet foods available in store and for catered events.
The Clinton Township location was recently renovated and now includes an increased footprint bringing the store to 45,000 square feet. Features include a Brick Oven Pizzeria, large bakery department, improved meat department, along with other updates throughout the store. Vince & Joe’s second and flagship location in Shelby Township opened in 2006 with 65,000 square feet and the same products and services.
For more information, visit vinceandjoes.com.
Promising Students Benefit from Stellantis’ Commitment to Developing Diverse Talent
MBA candidates from 20 of the country’s top business schools competed for $50,000 in scholarships in the 2023 National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Graduate Student Case Competition, sponsored by Stellantis in Auburn Hills.
The NBMBAA/Stellantis Graduate Case Competition is an annual event that gives high-potential graduate students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and problem-solving skills in a formal competition.
The competition is run each year as part of the NBMBAA’s annual conference and exposition. This year, the Graduate Case Competition took place Sept. 13-14 in Philadelphia, and winning teams were announced Sept. 15.
“At Stellantis, we’re proud to continue our long-standing support of the National Black MBA Association and the Graduate Case Competition,” says Lottie Holland, vice president of diversity, inclusion, engagement, and EEO compliance for Stellantis North America. “This impressive competition is a showcase event for diversity, leadership and student achievement that allows our company to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to identifying, recruiting and developing diverse talent and future business leaders that will fuel our success.”
Stellantis has been the exclusive sponsor of the Graduate Case Competition since 1995, with nearly 5,000 students participating over the years.
This year, the students from Clark Atlanta University took home the first-place trophy as national champions and $25,000 in scholarships. The second- and third-place teams represented Vanderbilt University and Auburn University, earning $15,000 and $10,000 in scholarships, respectively.
Basis Industrial Closes on $8.3M Construction Loan for Detroit Self-storage Facility
Basis Industrial, a privately held and vertically integrated real estate owner and operator based in Boca Raton, Fla., closed on an $8.3 million construction loan on for a self-storage facility at 1610 Algonquin St. in Detroit. Basis Industrial acquired the land on which the storage facility is being built in October 2021.
Basis Industrial plans to break ground on the 78,187-square-foot self-storage facility in early October. It will feature 645 climate-controlled units, advanced security systems, and other amenities. Slated construction completion is fall 2024. Basis Industrial plans to have a third party, Public Storage, manage the facility upon completion.
Detroit-based Hacienda Mexican Foods Named an SBA Legacy Business
On Sept. 22, U.S. Small Business Administration’s District Director Laketa Henderson presented Lydia Gutierrez, owner of Hacienda Mexican Foods in Detroit, with an SBA legacy Business trophy during a ceremony at the company’s Detroit manufacturing plant.
Hacienda Mexican Foods is one of 68 Legacy Businesses the SBA is recognizing nationwide as part of the SBA’s 70th anniversary celebrations. Gutierrez started the company in 1994 with her late husband, Richard. She grew the company from eight to more than 50.
With an emphasis on purchasing local and its commitment to social accountability, Hacienda continues to grow in the heart of Mexicantown. The company’s products once were sold only in the metro Detroit area but now are available in more than 15 states and in parts of Canada.
“SBA has the pulse of the business community and has helped Hacienda Mexican Foods grow and stay in business,” Gutierrez says. “The SBA 504 program allowed us to purchase machinery that puts Detroiters to work. We thank the leaders of SBA for empowering small business to grow and make a difference.”
$1.5M Student Success Grants Awarded to Increase College Completion Rates
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s (LEO) Office of Sixty by 30, Global Detroit, and the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) awarded $1.5 million in Student and Immigrant Success Grants to support 12 Michigan community and tribal colleges in their innovative efforts to increase college completion for adult learners, international, immigrant, refugee or first-generation students.
“By increasing our state’s college completion rates, we are setting Michigan up to be a front-runner in a globally competitive economy,” says Susan Corbin, director of LEO. “The Student Success Grants will support community and tribal colleges across the state in doing what they do best – help more people get the skills and credentials they need to succeed in high-demand, high-skill jobs.”
The grants were awarded in two categories — both of which work toward achieving the same goal of equipping 60% of Michigan’s workforce with a degree or credential by the year 2030.
Sixty by 30 Adult Student Success Grant recipients include:
- Bay de Noc Community College ($92,840)
- Glen Oaks Community College ($199,997)
- Jackson College ($200,000)
- Kalamazoo Valley Community College ($58,850)
- Kellogg Community College ($54,713)
- Mid Michigan Community College ($200,000)
- Northwestern Michigan College ($193,600)
Immigrant Student Success Grant recipients and cohort participants include:
- Mott Community College ($156,000)
- Grand Rapids Community College ($81,000)
- Kalamazoo Valley Community College ($156,000)
- Muskegon Community College ($56,000)
- Monroe County Community College ($56,000)
- Schoolcraft College ($12,000)
HRSA Invests Nearly $3M to Expand Access to Youth Mental Health Care in Michigan
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $3 million to expand access to mental health care for young people in Michigan.
“Every child in Michigan should have the opportunity to live a safe and healthy life,” says Elizabeth Hertel, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “This funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration is another step in the right direction to make sure youth, and their families, have access to behavioral health care wherever and whenever they need it in the community.”
Today’s announcement includes the following HRSA investments:
- Growing the mental health care workforce: HRSA is awarding nearly $1.5 million to the University of Detroit Mercy, Wayne State University, and Saginaw Valley State University to train more behavioral health providers focused on serving children, adolescents, and young adults in underserved and rural areas. Funding will also help increase the number of clinical supervisors to ensure new trainees gain experience and mentorship in how best to support young people’s mental health.
- Integrating mental health care into pediatric practices: HRSA is awarding $847,400 to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to train pediatricians in mental health care and provide real-time teleconsultation for pediatricians to get expert support from psychiatrists and other mental health providers to help them care for their patients’ mental health needs.
- Expanding access to mental health care in schools: HRSA is awarding $350,000 to Baldwin Family Health Care to create new and expand existing school-based health centers, which for the first-time includes support for these school health centers to provide mental health services in schools.
To view the full list of recipients and award amounts, visit here.
Study: Kettering Graduates Have Highest Starting Salary in Michigan
Graduates of Kettering University in Flint enter the job market with a median salary of $75,700 — highest in the state of Michigan — according to new rankings from SmartAsset.
Kettering grads make $4,600 more than their peers from Michigan Technological University, which ranks second with a $71,100 median starting salary for graduates.
“Employers recognize the incredible value a Kettering University graduate brings to their organization,” said Enza Sleva, director of co-op operations at Kettering. “Our graduates have not only studied theories and methods but also gained firsthand experience and professional skills through our immersive co-op program. Kettering students join the workforce with valuable professional experience and are ready to make an immediate impact and contribute to the success of their employers.”
This is the second consecutive year SmartAsset has determined Kettering graduates have the highest starting salaries in the state.
Kettering significantly improved its SmartAsset College Education Value Index, jumping to 70.46 from last year’s 59.96.
To be considered a Best Value College, schools are evaluated on five categories: tuition, student living costs, scholarship and grant offerings, student retention rate, and starting salary for new graduates.
