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.
Amazon Launches Newest Last-mile Delivery Station in Canton Township
On Wednesday, Amazon celebrated the opening of its newest, 180,000-square-foot, last-mile delivery station in Canton Township.
The Canton Township delivery station is the 11th delivery station to launch in Michigan, where hundreds of new employees sort packages in preparation for deliveries that occur seven days a week. This delivery station serves as a last-mile delivery hub for Amazon in metro Detroit and provides indirect jobs, such as delivery service partner (DSP) and driver associate roles, to the local community.
The company says the site promotes an inclusive culture with an available prayer room, mother’s room, and the opportunity to join one of 13 Amazon affinity groups, like Black Employee Network and Glamazon.
Packages are shipped to this location from Amazon fulfillment, air hub, and sortation centers. Once these packages arrive at this delivery station, employees work with backend technology to sort packages by delivery route to maximize delivery efficiency and therefore, speed up deliveries for customers.
There are more than 1,000 Amazon Delivery Stations globally.
“Amazon is thrilled to expand our presence in Michigan by launching the new Canton Township delivery station, which provides great pay and comprehensive benefits that start on day one, in a safe, inclusive environment,” says James Kingsley, senior regional manager at Amazon. “We are excited about what this state-of-the-art facility will do to further support our customers, employees, and the surrounding community while meeting our operational needs.”
Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 26,000 jobs in Michigan and invested more than $6 billion across the state, including infrastructure and compensation to its employees.
Detroit Housing for the Future Fund Project Preserves, Adds Affordable Housing to Midtown
The Belnord, a historic apartment building at 324 Hendrie St. at Brush in Midtown Detroit, has been renovated by developer Ed Siegel’s Detroit-based JacobsStreet.
The $2.9 million renovation was made possible by a $2.46 million loan from Detroit Housing for the Future Fund. The scope included full renovations to the 24 existing units and converting 3,000 square feet of ground-floor space into five new garden-level units.
It also included upgrading the electric, plumbing and HVAC systems; replacement of the roof; improvements to the common areas; and other work. No current residents were displaced during the work, and all of them can continue living at The Belnord after the renovations. In addition, the affordability on all the apartments has been extended for at least the next 14 years.
All 29 units in the 26,652-square-foot building are affordable, with two apartments at or below 50 percent area median income (AMI), 16 at or below 60 percent AMI, and the remainder at or below 80 percent AMI. This means the housing is targeted at Detroiters making between $31,350 and $50,160. Rents start at about $700 and average less than $1,100. The building offers 19 one-bedroom apartments, seven two-bedrooms and three three-bedrooms.
“All over the city, including here in Midtown, we are creating and preserving quality affordable housing that Detroiters can afford to call home,” says Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “The Detroit Housing for the Future Fund is a key tool in our efforts of providing places for Detroiters to live where they want to be, and to getting a number of our smaller apartment buildings like the Belnord renovated without forcing residents out because of rent increases.”
For more information, visit here.
West Michigan’s Aspen Surgical Acquires Tennessee Medical Equipment Company
Aspen Surgical Products Inc. in Caledonia, south of Grand Rapids, has acquired Symmetry Surgical in Nashville, Tenn. from RoundTable Healthcare Partners for an undisclosed price.
This is Aspen’s 15th total acquisition and its sixth since Audax Private Equity’s initial investment in the company in 2019.
Based in Nashville, with additional operations in Louisville, Ky.; Tuttlingen, Germany; and Melbourne, Australia, Symmetry is a provider of high-quality surgical and specialty instrumentation, electrosurgery products, and minimally invasive surgical devices. Symmetry supports all surgical specialties and sites of care.
“Symmetry has a longstanding history of providing high-quality surgical devices and value-added services to the health care community, including iconic brands such as Bovie, Bookwalter, and Greenberg,” says Jason Krieser, CEO of Aspen. “The portfolio is synergistic with Aspen and supports our mission to deliver essential products that improve safety and efficiency in the surgical environment.”
The acquisition of Symmetry augments Aspen’s portfolio with additional clinically preferred brands; provides diversification into attractive adjacent categories; and adds new commercial competencies and routes-to-market with a national direct-sales infrastructure across both acute and non-acute settings of care.
Rehmann Publishes 2022 Michigan Cannabis CFO Outlook Report
Troy-based professional advisory firm Rehmann has published its 2022 Michigan Cannabis CFO Outlook Report in partnership with A&K Research Inc. It is the firm’s first statewide study on the cannabis industry.
The report shows that in July, for instance, Michigan set a new monthly record for marijuana sales, reaching nearly $210 million according to data published by the state Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA). Recent data also revealed a continuation of medical marijuana sales dropping and adult-use sales increasing.
The report surveys cannabis operations across the state and was created to empower cannabis licensees to make practical business decisions based on peer feedback.
“The cannabis industry is constantly evolving and facing new challenges, so the need for information will be helpful as the industry evolves,” says Chris Rosmarin, principal at Rehmann. “Our report offers cannabis licensees some data they may find useful in assessing how they compare to others in the industry, plan for the future as they respond to inquiries from stakeholders.”
The featured data includes challenges the cannabis industry faces in Michigan, including but not limited to financial management, acquisition operations, compliance requirements, and federal legislation. In addition, the report boasts industry spotlights highlighting actual businesses facing these issues in real-time and recommended solutions.
“This snapshot report underscores our commitment to the cannabis industry and encouragement of its growth across the state,” says Erik Schumacher, principal of advisory and tax services at Rehmann. “While Rehmann already boasts an impressive cannabis practice group, the report allows industry professionals the opportunity to see data from other businesses and actionable insights from experienced business advisors.”
To view the report, visit here.
Gale Business: Insights Designed to Enhances User Experience with New All-in-One Platform
Farmington Hills-based Gale announced the migration of its Business Insight platforms — Gale Business Insights: Essentials and Gale Business Insights: Global — to a single new and improved all-in-one platform, Gale Business: Insights.
With enhanced navigation and collaboration tools, business professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and researchers can spend less time searching and more time turning their findings into practical applications. Developed based on user feedback, this new platform supports usability and accessibility with a single database that encompasses the global nature of business.
“Business researchers need instant access to reliable, comprehensive data and the tools to analyze and interpret the information on a single platform,” says Seth Cayley, vice president of global academic product at Gale. “Gale Business: Insights’ new interface was designed with extensive input from students, librarians and business professors throughout the process to ensure easy access to the desired information. The updates we have made to this platform make it an invaluable source for compiling business intelligence.”
Gale Business: Insights combines Gale reference content with respected business sources and full-text periodicals to help researchers gain a broader understanding of the global nature of today’s business world. In addition, users can access daily updates, more than 450,000 detailed company profiles, and in-depth country and industry overviews.
Judson Center Planning ‘A Night to Embrace’ Gala Fundraiser Nov. 11
Judson Center is inviting the community to a night of food, fun, and entertainment to support the center’s mission of building brighter futures for children, youth, and families impacted by autism, abuse and neglect, disabilities, and developmental, behavioral, and primary health challenges.
The funds also will benefit the agency’s foster care, adoption, and mentoring services offered with its affiliate, Child Safe Michigan.
“A Night to Embrace” fundraising gala is returning to an in-person gathering from 6-11 p.m. Nov. 11 at The Henry in Dearborn after going virtual the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The gala is our signature event, and we look forward to welcoming our generous supporters back in-person for an exciting evening,” says Lenora Hardy-Foster, president and CEO of the Judson Center. “The money raised that night is critical to our mission and our impact in the community. Our services are life-changing, and it fills my heart with joy to see that we are making a difference in thousands of lives by creating stronger, healthier children and families.”
Information on event sponsorship packages and tickets ($300 each) can be found here.
Michigan Achievement Grant Benefits Future Northwood University Students
Northwood University in Midland encourages high school seniors to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so they can be considered for up to $4,000 in annual tuition assistance at Northwood.
“More tuition assistance is available for private school students than ever in Michigan’s history,” says Northwood President Kent MacDonald. “This is great news for the thousands of students considering Northwood as their college of choice because of our commitment to remain a small, residential university where students live, learn, socialize, and grow with other academically-focused people from across America and around the world.”
To be eligible for the new tuition assistance, students must complete their FAFSA. Make sure to include Northwood University as your first school of choice, using the ID 004072, so you can be eligible for the maximum federal and state aid available.
For maximum consideration, students living in the state of Michigan should complete their FAFSA between Oct. 1 and March 2023. Admissions specialists urge students to complete their FAFSA sooner rather than later.
Washtenaw Community College Offering Pharmacy Technician Boot Camp
A new 10-week Pharmacy Technician training program will be offered, starting Nov. 12, by Washtenaw Community College (WCC) in Ann Arbor to help meet a workforce shortage of skilled pharmacy technicians.
Pharmacy technicians are medical professionals who work alongside pharmacists to ensure quality patient care. Multiple placement opportunities include settings such as community and hospital pharmacies, as well as compounding pharmacies and insurance companies.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 419,300 pharmacy technician positions available in 2020. This number is forecasted to increase to 436,072 by 2030.
The Pharmacy Technician Boot Camp will be taught by WCC faculty and includes 170 hours of hybrid didactic sessions and 230 hours of on-site clinical experience.
The new program is one of the quickest pathways to enter the health care field, whether as an end-career goal or as a steppingstone to other health care fields such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, nursing, and physician assistants.
Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to take the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), which will allow them to work throughout the United States and apply for Michigan licensure.
For details on the program details , visit the pharmacy technician webpage, email workforcedevelopment@wccnet.edu or call 734-973-3681.
