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.
51st Annual Outdoorama Coming to Novi Feb. 22-25
The 51st Outdoorama will be taking place Feb. 22-25 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
Among the attractions are lumberjacks, Big Buck Night East, a fishing simulator, live birds of prey, a trout pond, displays of boats and other outdoor gear, and educational seminars.
Conservation continues to be the cornerstone of Outdoorama, according to show organizers.
“For more than five decades Outdoorama has been catering to thousands of outdoors enthusiasts,” says Ben Nielson, show manager. “With the wacky winter weather we’ve had in Michigan this year, outdoors people are searching for fun activities to do, and this year’s show offers plenty of outdoors relief in an indoor setting to help you get ready for spring.”
The Outfitters Expo provides show patrons with nearly unlimited family vacation and adventure travel, including hunting and fishing destinations throughout North America and beyond.
On Saturday, deer hunters can learn how to process their own deer when Steve Francis, owner of Country Smokehouse in Almont, gives a demonstration on field dressing, skinning, butchering, and packaging a white-tailed deer.
Continual seminars are scheduled over the four days and cover topics ranging from fishing and hunting to grooming land for wildlife or hunting. All seminars are free with admission.
Headlining the All-Star Seminar Lineup are deer hunting experts Tim Andrus, Tony LaPratt, and Tom Richardson. On the fishing side of the seminars are professional walleye experts Mark Romanack, Mark Martin, Lance Valentine, as well as bass professional Wayne Carpenter.
For more information, visit Outdoorama.com or call 616-447-2860.
Coldwell Banker Commercial Closes $6.1M Deal on Jenison Manufacturing Facility
Coldwell Banker Commercial Woodland-Schmidt in Troy has completed the $6.11 million sale of the 64,035-square-foot Altron Automation manufacturing facility in the Georgetown Industrial Center (2206 Pine Ridge Dr.) in Jenison, southwest of Grand Rapids, to Pleotint, a glass fabrication and innovation company.
Jim Edewaard of Coldwell Banker Commercial Woodland-Schmidt represented the seller.
The fully air-conditioned facility has a 54,184-square-foot footprint, a 9,851-square-foot finished mezzanine, and 25-foot clear ceilings. It includes 2- and 3-ton cranes and generates 2,000 amps. Additional features of the industrial facility are 25-by-60-foot column spacing, four docks, and four overhead doors.
New 2024 Jeep Wrangler Named Best SUV of 2024 by Cars.com
The new 2024 Jeep Wrangler is the Best SUV of 2024, according to Cars.com. The editors of considered all SUVs available in the U.S. to determine which vehicle demonstrates the best combination of capability, versatility and value, selecting the expansive Wrangler family as the best of the best.
The award applies to the entire 2024 Jeep Wrangler lineup, including Wrangler 2.0- and 3.6-liter gas models, the V-8-powered Wrangler Rubicon 392 and the plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe, which delivers 49 MPGe, 21 miles all-electric range and nearly 400 miles total range with no range anxiety.
“For 2024, Jeep has made the Wrangler and Wrangler 4xe, a plug-in hybrid variant, even better, thanks to key updates that improve their capability and comfort,” says Jenni Newman, editor-in-chief at Cars.com. “The 2024 Wrangler is versatile, capable and a deserving winner of our Best SUV of 2024 award.”
Alfa Romeo and GREATS Team Up with Limited-edition Sneaker
The Alfa Romeo brand of Stellantis in Auburn Hills has teamed with luxury sneaker brand GREATS to launch a new limited-edition Alfa Romeo-branded sport sneaker ahead of the Super Bowl in Las Vegas this weekend.
Alfa Romeo is partnering with high-end influencers and celebrities with transportation in Alfa Romeo Giulia, Stelvio, and Tonale vehicles to and from events throughout the weekend. Each will receive an exclusive pair of Alfa Romeo and GREATS-branded sport sneakers.
“Italian style, performance, and sportiness are hallmarks shared by both Alfa Romeo and GREATS, so it was a natural decision to come together in developing an exclusive Alfa Romeo-branded sneaker ahead of one of the world’s biggest sporting events of the year in the entertainment capital of the world – Las Vegas,” says Larry Dominique, senior vice president and head of Alfa Romeo North America. “What’s more, this collaboration is also a fantastic way to further connect with our brand enthusiasts while giving back to those less fortunate in the local area.”
During the weekend’s festivities, Alfa Romeo will hit the Las Vegas streets conducting random acts of kindness by gifting new pairs of limited-edition Alfa Romeo-branded sport sneakers to unsuspecting pedestrians. The collaboration also will include donating 75 pairs of new shoes to a local homeless shelter in the Las Vegas area.
City of Royal Oak Recognized as Honored Community by UM-Dearborn Research
The City of Royal Oak has been named a 2023 eCities Honored Community for its successes and efforts in contributing to Michigan’s growth through impactful policy and recruitment efforts that have spurred entrepreneurial growth.
The designation was given as part of the annual eCities study, conducted by iLabs, the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Office of Engagement and Impact. Including Royal Oak, only five communities across Michigan received the honor.
“Over the last several years, Royal Oak has prioritized improving our infrastructure, providing efficient and effective services, removing barriers to encourage sustainable development and showing entrepreneurs why Royal Oak is a great place to live, work and play,” says Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier. “We are grateful to be recognized as an eCities Honored Community and to continue our efforts to make Royal Oak an inviting, desirable and diverse community for all.”
Through its strategy to attract new businesses and retain its entrepreneurs, some actions taken by the City of Royal Oak include:
- Made investments in improving its roads and infrastructure.
- Updated its zoning and building codes.
- Prioritized relationship-building with the business community by actively soliciting feedback.
- Thoughtfully implemented American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund.
- Achieved accredited agency status for its police department through the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.
- The city additionally has engaged in partnerships for home buying and homeowner education, improved resident communication, developed a human rights commission, implemented an Aging in Place strategy and developed a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.
“Each year, the eCities project aims to highlight the successes and continued commitment of cities and townships to grow business and support entrepreneurship within their communities,” says Kari Kowalski, project manager at iLabs.
Public invited to Feb. 28 Career Fair at Washtenaw Community College
Job seekers are invited to Washtenaw Community College’s (WCC) Annual Winter Career Fair on Feb. 28.
Approximately 70 employers are expected to attend the fair, with many looking to hire for immediate job opportunities.
The event, which is free and open to the public and students, will run from 4-6 p.m. in the Morris Lawrence Building on the WCC campus, 4800 E. Huron River Drive.
Employers will represent the automotive, advanced manufacturing, banking/mortgage, computer science, education/childcare, engineering, health care, IT, government, manufacturing, welding/fabrication, and other sectors. Full-time, part-time and internship positions are open.
WCC also will offer free in-person and virtual opportunities in advance to help students and community members prepare to meet employers. Workshops are:
- 20, 3-4 p.m., Liberal Arts Building, Room 119.
- 22, 10-11 a.m., Liberal Arts Building, Room 119.
- 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Liberal Arts Building, Room 130
- 26, 5-6 p.m., Virtual Zoom Meeting
To learn more about or register for the workshops and to view the list of employers attending, visit the Winter Career Fair webpage.
Emagine Entertainment in Troy Brings Dementia Friendly Screenings to Additional Theaters
Emagine Entertainment in Troy announced it will be offering Dementia Friendly Screenings once a month at the Emagine Rochester Hills Theatre providing those with dementia and their caregivers a safe and enjoyable cinematic experience. Emagine Rochester Hills is located at 200 Barclay Circle.
Dementia Friendly Screenings, which started in March of 2023 at Emagine Saline, are continuing to make their way to additional Emagine Theatre locations.
Dementia Friendly Screenings will play on the second Wednesday of each month at Emagine Rochester Hills and will include exclusively selected classic movies and musicals. These films will be presented in a unique setting with softer sound and ambient lighting for the comfort of people living with dementia as well as their caregivers and friends. Guests are able to interact with the presentation and encouraged to talk back, clap, tap their feet, sway, sing along, and get up and dance.
Doors open at 1:15 p.m. and the film begins at 2 p.m. Guests are encouraged to come early and participate in pre-show mingling.
The Spring Lineup of films includes:
“Pillow Talk” — Feb. 14
“Easter Parade” — March 13
“Some Like it Hot” — April 10
“The Blues Brothers” — May 8
Tickets for Dementia Friendly Screening events are $5 and can be purchased at Emagine-Entertainment.com. Emagine also will be offering all Dementia Friendly guests a $5 concession package that will include a 44-ounce popcorn and a 20-ounce drink.
For more information, visit here.
Gaming Festival LTUX Returning to Lawrence Tech April 27
The LTU Expo, or LTUX — a celebration of gaming culture, anime, cosplay, and more — will take over the Southfield campus of Lawrence Technological University on April 27.
Events begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day, with most activities ending at 6 p.m. LTUX is free and open to the public.
Jose Gonzalez-Belmonte, lead faculty advisor of the event and assistant professor of computer science and game development at LTU, says the event is “intended for people interested in gaming in all its forms, be it casual, competitive, or professional game development. The event also is intended for other forms of geek culture such as anime, cosplay, tabletop games, arcades, and voice acting.”
Activities will take place throughout campus, but be concentrated in the Buell Building, Science Building, and Architecture Building (buildings 5, 7, and 4, respectively).
Visit here for a full schedule of activities.
Free Smoke Detectors Available for Pontiac Residents
The City of Pontiac is working with the Waterford Regional Fire Department to provide free smoke detectors for Pontiac residents in a collaborative effort to decrease the high fire fatality rate and keep the community safe.
“This is a great opportunity for our community’s residents to protect themselves and their families from the risk of home fires. We encourage everybody who’s in need of a smoke detector to utilize this program and get one free of charge,” says Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel.
The smoke detectors are donated by Kidde Fire Safety and MI Prevention. The initiative was developed to decrease fire hazards among the community, promote safety in the area, and ensure smoke alarms were more accessible for homes. The free smoke detectors are also available to Waterford Township and Lake Angelus residents.
Interested parties can fill out a form online or in person and retrieve the free smoke detectors at Waterford Fire Department’s Main Headquarters. Residents will receive a bag with a smoke detector and/or carbon monoxide alarms, a pamphlet about fire safety, and arrange a scheduled time for installation with their local fire department.
The fire department is working with the City of Pontiac’s Billing Division so it is more convenient for residents to access the forms.
Ele’s Place — Ann Arbor Hosting Fundraiser May 4 to Support Grieving Youth
Ele’s Place – Ann Arbor will be hosting its seventh annual Derby Day Soirée on May 4, at Revel Run in Chelsea.
The event, which will include live coverage of the 150th Kentucky Derby, live and silent auctions, Southern-inspired cuisine, and a dance party, is the largest fundraiser of the year for Ele’s Place – Ann Arbor.
“Children and teens experience many of the same feelings that adults do when someone close to them dies, but they process grief in different ways,” says Bree Arvai, director of Ele’s Place – Ann Arbor. “At Ele’s Place, children, teens and their families have a safe space to connect with their peers, express their feelings and develop healthy coping skills after the death of a parent, sibling or someone close to them.”
Founded in Lansing in 1991, Ele’s Place has provided free peer grief support groups and in-school programming to more than 32,000 Michigan children, teens, young adults, and families.
“Events like the Derby Day Soirée help ensure that there is never a cost for families to participate in our programs,” says Arvai.
This year’s Derby Day Soirée is expected to draw more than 400 attendees and raise nearly $420,000 for area children and teens. To purchase tickets, visit elesplaceannarbor.org. To learn about opportunities for sponsorship, live or silent auction donations, or volunteering, contact Andrea Gerber, events coordinator, at agerber@elesplace.org.
