DBusiness Daily Update: Barron Industries in Oxford Increases Capacity to Replenish Military Stockpiles, and More

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.
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Barron Industries has increased its capacity for casting and machining military components to replenish weaponry sent to the Ukrainian military. // Courtesy of Barron Industries
Barron Industries has increased its capacity for casting and machining military components to replenish weaponry sent to the Ukrainian military. // Courtesy of Barron Industries

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.

Barron Industries in Oxford Increases Capacity to Replenish Military Stockpiles

Barron Industries in Oxford has increased its capacity for casting and machining military components and assemblies to increase efforts to replenish weaponry sent to the Ukrainian military.

As the United States and its allies plan to bolster their arsenals, the Pentagon’s top defense contractors warn persistent parts shortages could continue into 2024. Castings are critical elements of military support systems and an essential part of the Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain. Over the past several decades, however, the casting supply chain has shrunk and the DoD is now reaching out to industry in an effort to meet the military’s rising demand.

“They’re talking about ways to help suppliers accelerate production and change procurement logistics enabling the supply base to fulfill orders on a timely basis,” says Bruce Barron, president and CEO of Barron Industries. “We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve by adding people and equipment so we’re ready to service our aerospace and defense customers.”

Despite the current shortage of parts and labor, defense contractors are confident of long-term growth due to plans by western governments to spend tens of billions of dollars on defense packages unanticipated prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The customer came to Barron with an urgent need to fill a supply gap of a component made of 17-4 PH stainless steel,” Barron says. “It was an extremely complex part so we used 3-D-printed patterns to create the molds. This saved the customer a significant non-recurring expense by eliminating the need for tooling as well as taking tooling lead time out of the planning equation.”

Barron manufactures precision cast components for the GDLS Stryker and Abrams tank programs, the Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), as well as BAE’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), Paladin Integrated Management (PIM), and Bradley programs. Barron also produces high-strength, lightweight aerospace components for companies like Boeing, Ball Aerospace, Curtiss Wright, General Dynamics, General Electric, Triumph Group, and more.

The investment casting foundry pours more than 200 ferrous and non-ferrous alloys that pass strict non-destructive testing requirements for thin-walled, lightweight designs.

Sunvera Group in Bingham Farms Expands Ohio Footprint in the Cleveland Market

Sunvera Group, a Bingham Farms-based management service organization supporting ophthalmology practices and ambulatory surgery centers, has formed a new partnership with Ophthalmic Physicians Inc. (OPI) and its affiliates in Mentor, Ohio.

The OPI family of practices consists of the clinical practice OPI, Lasik Vision Centers of Cleveland, and Surgical Care Center in Painesville, Ohio. This partnership will further advance Sunvera Group’s growing presence in the Ohio market and expands its Midwest network of ophthalmology practices and surgery centers.

OPI has provided a full range of specialty eye care services through award-winning medical professionals to the Metro Cleveland area since 1949. Their team of physicians offers comprehensive eye care treatment such as cataract surgery, LASIK vision correction, glaucoma management and retinal disease management. OPI is led by Drs. Gregory Eippert and Carrie S. Happ-Smith.

“Sunvera Group is committed to supporting practices that provide advanced clinical care to its patients throughout the Midwest,” says Greg Nodland, CEO of Sunvera Group. “As we expand our reach within the Ohio Market, we look forward to working with Ophthalmic Physicians Inc. family of practices and their fantastic team as we build on the foundation they have established.”

Poll: Inflation is The Grinch That Stole Holiday Profits from Small Business Owners

More than half of small business owners say that their profitability has not met expectations, even while 79 percent have increased prices compared to last year, according to the latest Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices released a new Small Business Pulse Poll.

Key small business pulse poll findings include:

  • Compared to last year, more than half (52 percent) of small business owners say their profitability has not met expectations. Almost 80 percent (79 percent) have increased prices compared to last year.
  • 40 percent said that demand has decreased compared to last year, with 33 percent saying it has stayed the same.
  • 84 percent of those surveyed believe bigger retailers have a competitive advantage this holiday season due to their ability to better withstand inflationary pressures and offer lower prices.
  • Inventory planning remains a challenge for small businesses with 27 percent reporting that they currently have excess inventory for current demand.

“Small businesses are the backbone of America,” says Janice Jucker, president and co-owner Three Brothers Bakery and a member of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices National Leadership Council. “Yet, as we enter this holiday season, we are finding it harder than ever to succeed. As our economy teeters on the brink of a recession, it’s more important than ever that Washington provide small businesses with the resources we need not just to get by, but to get ahead.”

The Small Business Pulse Poll surveyed 331 small business owners in the consumer product retail/wholesale, food and beverage retail/wholesale, and hospitality/restaurant sectors to capture their sentiments this holiday season. The poll was conducted Dec 1-7.

“Small business owners across America are doing more with less this holiday season,” says Joe Wall, national director of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices. “It’s critical that Washington meet their needs, and we are committed to ensuring that the voices of small business owners are heard at the highest levels of our government.”

Russell Family Foundation Tops $1M in Community Support

The Russell Family Foundation in Detroit announced nearly $330,000 in grants to improve the quality of life for youth in Michigan by providing support for academic and social services, skills training, and college and career readiness.

This year’s grants push the Russell Family Foundation’s total giving to more than $1 million since its inception in 2018. The Russell Family Foundation is an independent public charity whose funds are managed by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan.

“It’s incredible to think that this idea five years ago has led to more than a million dollars being granted to youth-focused organizations throughout southeast Michigan and the Lansing area,” says John Russell, chairman of the Russell Family Foundation. “Investing in our young people means we’re investing in the development of our region’s future leaders, entrepreneurs and citizens. We hope the programs we support encourage participants to achieve long-term success in their lives and communities.”

The Russell Family Foundation’s grantmaking focuses on programs for underserved youth, primarily in grades K-12, that address vocational and skills training, education, and health and wellness.

The Russell Family Foundation’s 2022 giving totals $329,607. Grants include the following:

  • Alternatives for Girls — $25,000 for a college and career readiness program that supports Detroit middle and high school students and their families.
  • Apex Academy — $50,000 for a program that provides academic, athletic, and personal support for student athletes in Lansing public high schools.
  • Boys Hope Girls Hope Detroit — $50,000 (over 2 years) for programming that addresses needs of students at home and in the classroom.
  • Children’s Center of Wayne County — $28,000 for literacy programming and training for basic needs and family safety.
  • Free Bikes 4 Kidz – Detroit — $25,000 to help collect, repair, and distribute bicycles to children in need in Detroit and nearby communities.
  • Haven — $15,000 for services to children impacted by intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
  • Kids on the Go — $36,607 for the Teens to Work program which prepares teens with special needs for employment and teaches the life skills required for living independently.
  • Michigan State University — $25,000 for adding modern technology to the Community Music School Detroit classrooms for youth music programming.
  • Oakland Family Services — $25,000 for high-quality academic instruction to preschoolers enabling them to enter kindergarten ready to learn.
  • SER Metro-Detroit Jobs for Progress — $50,000 for the construction of the Youth Reengagement Center in southwest Detroit.

AT&T Joins Forces with Customers to Gift Free Laptops to Detroit Families

As part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to help bridge the digital divide and support our communities through connectivity, it ran a holiday promotion called Connect & Give in Detroit-area retail locations from Nov. 28-Dec. 5.

For every new AT&T Fiber sign-up, including upgrades or migrations, the company is teaming up with Compudopt to donate a free laptop to a local family in need to help them access economic and educational opportunities the online world has to offer.

The Connect & Give promotion took place in four cities across the country including Detroit, AT&T will be distributing a total of 500 laptops to students and families, 125 of which were local.

These efforts are part of the AT&T Connected Learning initiative, created as part of its companywide, $2 billion commitment made in 2021 to help address the digital divide through internet accessibility, affordability, and safe adoption.

REDICO Wins Five Awards for Building Management and Operations Excellence 

Southfield-based commercial real estate company REDICO recently won five Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Metro Detroit awards.

The awards include:

  • President’s Award – Industry Leader: Dale Watchowski, president and CEO at REDICO.
  • 100,000-249,999-square-foot Winner: One Kennedy Square in Detroit.
  • 250,000-499,999-square-foot Winner: 150 West Jefferson in Detroit.
  • 500,000-1 million-square-foot Winner: Oakland Towne Square in Southfield.
  • Corporate Facility: Blue Care Network in Southfield.

“What a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Building Owners and Managers Association for five TOBY and leadership awards,” Watchowski says. “This is absolutely a team win. I am incredibly proud of my teams at REDICO, American House, AQUIS, and Continuum Services for working hard to deliver a higher level of service across metro Detroit. We are humbled and thankful to receive such prestigious recognition.”

Gesher Human Services and eCycle Opportunities Offer Toss Your TV Tuesday Jan. 3

Gesher Human Services Southfield and eCycle Opportunities, a nonprofit electronic recycling business that provides jobs for people with barriers to employment, will be offering metro Detroiters the opportunity to dispose of their old TVs for free on Jan. 3, 2023.

Toss Your TV Tuesday will take at Gesher’s headquarters in Southfield (29699 Southfield Road) and the normal $25 TV disposal fee for residents will be waived.

Other electronics, including computers, monitors, printers, phones, tablets, and accessories also will be accepted. All electronics will be safely recycled according to the government’s safe recycling standards, to keep hazardous materials out of landfills.

Doors will open at the south side of the building (which is marked as JVS Human Services Rose and Sydney Diem Building) at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. Note: this event is for residents only; businesses are excluded.

“Many families may have treated themselves to a new TV over the Black Friday and holiday sales periods and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to dispose of their old models, while protecting the environment at the same time,” says Justin Lunning, general manager of eCycle Opportunities. “Too many old TVs end up in landfills and as we start the new year, we would encourage everyone to do their part to protect our planet.”

For more information, visit ecycleopps.org.

Veteran Entrepreneurs Pitch Ideas for Cash Prizes at WCC

Washtenaw Community College student, Army veteran, and business owner Phillip Burtell won the $10,000 top prize in the Ann Arbor school’s recent WCC Veteran Business Pitch & Showcase Night.

Burtell operates a start-up manufacturing company, Elixir CNC, which provides automated manufacturing services to businesses and individuals. The company is so small that the work to fabricate tools and machinery parts for his clients is done from his parents’ garage in Saline.

The $10,000 winning prize from the Veteran Business Pitch will allow Burtell to install a heat-treat oven, which will allow him to increase productivity. Currently, he ships the steel and metal parts he makes for customers to be heat treated at other locations, a step that can add a couple of weeks to the production time. He’ll also purchase an air compressor for his sandblaster.

Burtell, who joined the Army after high school, always has been entrepreneurial-minded and interested in manufacturing. When the Veteran Business Pitch competition — hosted in partnership with Grand Valley State University MVE-Labs through WCC’s Entrepreneurship Center — was announced, he eagerly signed up.

Participants were coached and mentored on their plans and pitches during the free three-month Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur-Lab (MVE-Lab), culminating in the showcase event when a group of external judges from the business community picked the winners.

The MVE-Lab is an entrepreneurship accelerator for veterans or people connected to the military. The program provides hands-on education for people seeking to start or build a small business or to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor.

Participants at the showcase competition presented their businesses or business plans to the public and then gave a pitch later in the evening for judges. In addition to Burtell’s first-place prize of $10,000, another $10,000 was distributed to five other winners, including:

  • Linda Kay Pruitt for Mrs. Pruitt’s Gourmet CHA CHA, second place.
  • Jacob Inman for Veterans Sanctuary Foundation, third place.
  • Suzette Dexter for The Great American Pet Rescue, fourth place.