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.
AFAR Magazine Names Detroit to ‘Where to Go Travel List’ for 2024
Travel magazine AFAR has included Detroit on its list of “25 Best Places to Travel” for 2024, which features 25 worldwide destinations, four in the U.S.
“Detroit’s Michigan Central, a Beaux-Arts former train station, has been reimagined as a transportation R&D lab with retail, dining, and community spaces — just one example of how everything old is new again in this city,” says the magazine’s article about the Motor City. “The hip Cambria Hotel (in a 1936 radio broadcasting building by Albert Kahn, one of Detroit’s great architects) is the latest in a string of landmarks refashioned as boutique hotels.”
Spanning cities, regions, and whole countries, the list is the result of months of research and reporting from AFAR’s cohort of correspondents and editors roaming the globe. It offers travelers ways to engage with major events such as the total solar eclipse that will be visible across the southern U.S., tips for plugging into music scenes around the world, and more —always with an eye on sustainable tourism that aligns with AFAR’s vision of travel as a “force for good.”
“Detroit and Detroiters have always moved the world with our music, innovation, and culture,” says Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit. “However, seeing so many national and international organizations praising our city is really special. AFAR is one of the most influential travel publications, and Visit Detroit is committed to doing its part to attract more visitors, investment, and residents to southeast Michigan.
AFAR joins a growing list of publications and organizations that are praising Detroit, including Conde Nast Traveler, TIME, the NFL, the NCAA, and many others, which encourage even more people to spend their time and money in Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties, and the city of Detroit.
More than 16.5 million people visited southeast Michigan in 2022, which contributed $9.2 billion dollars to our region’s economy.
See the full AFAR full list here.
Detroit Tigers Sign Pitcher Kenta Maeda to Two-year Contract
The Detroit Tigers have signed righthanded pitcher Kenta Maeda to a two-year contract worth $24 million. Maeda will make $14 million in 2024 and $10 million in 2025. He also will make an annual donation to the Tigers Foundation, donating $70,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025.
Maeda, 35, pitched in 21 games, including 20 starts, with the Minnesota Twins in 2023, posting a 6-8 record with a 4.23 ERA (104.1IP/49ER) and 117 strikeouts. Over his final 16 starts in 2023, after an injury, Maeda went 6-3 with a 3.39 ERA (85.0IP/32ER), allowing no more than two runs in 11 of those outings. His efforts helped Minnesota to win the American League Central Division, making two relief appearances during the American League Divisional Series against Houston.
Anonymous $10M Gift to Henry Ford Health Establishes Lung Cancer Tissue Repository
Henry Ford Health has received an anonymous gift of $10 million, which is poised to advance lung cancer research at Henry Ford Cancer.
This gift has enabled Henry Ford to establish a new lung cancer tissue biorepository, which is a facility that catalogs and stores biological samples for research. These samples — in this case, lung cancer tissue — are crucial for scientists who are studying the disease at a molecular level, which can lead to potential breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer for patients in Michigan and beyond.
This new lung cancer tissue biorepository strengthens Henry Ford’s position as a global leader in cancer research and mirrors the brain cancer tissue biorepository already in place at Henry Ford Cancer. Both facilities represent the institution’s commitment to cutting-edge research and personalized medicine. The lung cancer biorepository will house tissue samples from a diverse patient population, providing a valuable resource for researchers.
This gift has also enabled the strategic expansion of Henry Ford’s specialized clinical trials program. These developments are an important part of the health system’s ability to drive innovation for the benefit of patients not only in Michigan, but also around the world.
EVOL By Future Premium Cannabis Line Available Now in Michigan
Two-time Grammy winner Future’s ultra-premium cannabis brand, EVOL by Future, is now available in Michigan in partnership with House of Dank.
Michigan connoisseurs now are able to purchase EVOL’s elite flower offerings, strain specific hash-holes, and pre-rolls available at any House of Dank location.
EVOL by Future was launched earlier this year under Carma HoldCo, a global branding and licensing company behind celebrity and cannabis brands.
“Through our partnership with House of Dank, we’re delighted to bring EVOL by Future to discerning cannabis buyers in Michigan,” says Adam Wilks, co-founder and CEO of CarmaHold Co. “By combining the expertise of House of Dank with the global appeal of Future’s brand, we will elevate Michigan’s cannabis experience together.”
Prince Yousif, owner of House of Dank, says: “Future’s impact and influence on modern music and culture is undeniable, and we know that EVOL by Future will connect with cannabis enthusiasts throughout Michigan just as his music has. Teaming up with Carma to introduce the EVOL by Future line at House of Dank allows us to continue enriching cannabis culture throughout Michigan.”
StradVision Drives Global Business Expansion with Public Cloud ERP
StradVision, a South Korea-based AI vision processing technology company for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems with North American headquarters in Sterling Heights, is hoping to fuel global business expansion by adopting a public cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
As a software startup, StradVision says it’s the first to leverage the SAP HANA Cloud system, utilizing SAP S/4HANA Cloud and Public Edition as subscription-based software as a service (SaaS). This approach will reduce the initial input and maintenance costs and enhance agility and flexibility, addressing the limitations of traditional ERP systems and automating manual tasks to reduce settlement processing times significantly.
Since 2019, StradVision has initiated a serial production program, systematically increasing annual production in direct response to customer demand. This approach has resulted in the steady expansion of its established business operations. The growth is driven by the introduction of eight new model lineups by a German OEM set to commence in 2023.
Understanding that success hinges on robust back-office processes, StradVision is implementing a public cloud ERP system to facilitate a tailored construction that supports the company’s successful digital transformation (DX).
This transformation will empower StradVision to comply with international standards, improve transparency, and bolster internal stability, positioning it to expand its global business successfully.
The company aims to go live with the new system in March 2024.
RAVE Computer Showcases New Headset in Demo at Industry Event in Orlando
RAVE Computer in Sterling Heights will debut a new training and simulation collaboration at I/ITSEC 2023, the world’s largest modeling, simulation, and training event in Orlando.
The collaboration combines the latest technologies from RAVE Computer, Varjo, and NVIDIA — three industry leaders in immersive technology. The collaborative sand table demo will showcase the brand-new Varjo XR-4 headset powered by the RAVE RenderBEAST XLT — a multi-GPU tower optimized for lightning-fast image generation that leverages the power of multiple NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada Generation GPUs.
The demo was built using the latest version of NVIDIA Omniverse, a development platform for connecting and building generative AI-enabled 3-D pipelines, tools, applications, and services based on the Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) framework. The platform was used to geospatially fuse real-world terrain from Cesium 3D Tiles for stunning clarity and details, as well as to enable real-time ray-tracing in virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) for physically accurate scenes that adapt to any changes in the environment or light sources. The result a crystal-clear mixed-reality demo that’s geographically and physically accurate.
Varjo today announced their XR-4 series, their newest line of headsets with advanced capabilities such as inside-out-tracking and gaze-driven mixed reality autofocus cameras. RAVE Computer is the only Varjo Reseller to have an XR-4 demo available during I/ITSEC. RAVE’s flagship workstation, the RenderBEAST, has been tested and is Varjo Certified to power the new XR-4 headset. In anticipation of the new HMD release, RAVE has placed a significant XR-4 stocking order to provide quick turns on orders for the RAVE + Varjo ‘Better Together’ Immersive Bundle. RAVE’s bundled XR solution contains an HMD of choice, customized compute, monitor, keyboard/mouse, and other peripherals in a wheeled Pelican case with custom foam and telescoping handle.
Cost Savings from Roush-powered Propane School Buses Sustain Family Business
With propane school buses, powered by fuel systems from Roush CleanTech in Livonia, Snyder Bus Lines in Pennsylvania is proving that eco-friendly practices not only benefit the environment but also sustain a family business.
The rural school bus contractor, which serves three school districts, maintains a fleet of around 40 school buses, more than 30 are powered by propane autogas, a domestically produced, affordable, clean alternative fuel.
“Propane buses have sustained our family business, offering reliability, cost-efficiency, and environmental benefits,” says Jennifer Snyder, co-owner of Snyder Bus Lines. “I’m not sure we would have stayed open through the pandemic without the fuel’s operational savings.”
The company purchases used propane buses that allow reinvestment in business growth. Its oldest Blue Bird Vision Type C propane bus is still operational with very few maintenance requirements. Today, nearly all routes in the Everett and Bedford school districts operate on propane.
“Propane buses are the greatest thing that’s ever happened to us,” says Corey Snyder, co-owner of Snyder Bus Lines, which has been family-owned since the 1940s. “They’re truly a great fit for us.”
Snyder Bus Lines partners with AmeriGas, a Pennsylvania-based propane supplier, to supply its two 1,000-gallon on-site propane stations. The company currently pays $1.50 per gallon for propane before applying the federal alternative fuel tax credit, which reduces per gallon costs by an additional $0.37. Snyder estimates that they’ll use around 130,000 gallons of propane this school year.
Propane buses offer substantial savings in maintenance and operational costs compared to traditional diesel buses, which rely on costly particulate filters and consume more oil, according to the Snyders.
A growing trend among school districts and school bus contractors, propane autogas offers the lowest total cost of ownership while helping fleets stay ahead of emissions regulations.
“Propane is the common-sense approach,” says Todd Mouw, executive vice president of Roush CleanTech, the manufacturer of the propane fuel system. “it works and will do the job you need it to while meeting regulations. In an increasingly complex world, propane keeps things simple for fleet operators.”
There are about 1,400 propane school buses in operation across Pennsylvania and more than 22,000 in the U.S.
Schoolcraft College to Host Otaku U Anime Convention Dec. 2
An anime invasion is coming to Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Dec. 2, in the form of the Otaku U convention that attracted hundreds last year.
The event, put on by the Schoolcraft College Otaku Anime Club and sponsored by RIW Hobbies & Games, will have activities and event for all ages, including:
- A vendor hall filled with local vendors and artists
- Anime AMV viewings
- A cosplay contest
- An array of panels
- Tabletop gaming area hosted by RIW Hobbies & Games
- Name that anime team trivia
Musical guest Playing with Power will perform in the afternoon. Special guests voice actors Tyson Rinehart and Aaron Campbell, known for their work on anime programs, will host panels and sign autographs for fans.
The event runs from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. in the Vistatech Center on Schoolcraft College’s campus, located at 18600 Haggerty Road. Advance tickets for those who are 11 and up can be purchased for $7 and $5 for those 10 and under at otakuu.org. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 per person.
Michigan-filmed ‘That’s Funny’ to Premiere in Flint Dec. 7
The Capitol Theatre in Flint will host a red-carpet premiere for “That’s Funny,” a movie filmed in Michigan by Flint native, stand-up comedian, and actor Alex Grossman.
Grossman wrote, directed, and started in this film about a middle-aged man who craves fame as a comedian to the point where he misses out on life’s beautiful moments. “That’s Funny” was filmed in Flint, Hartwood Pines, Boyne City, and Charlevoix, and includes a large supporting cast with Michigan ties.
The event begins with a red carpet at 6:30 p.m. The film will be shown at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A. An after party will take place at Churchill’s Food & Spirits from 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
