
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.
Bedrock, 20 Downtown Detroit Businesses to Host Decked Out Shopping Days
Detroit real estate developer Bedrock is partnering with 20 local businesses during four festive weekends — Nov. 30-Dec. 24 — for the third annual Decked Out Shopping Days.
From Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Avalon Café & Bakery, Hot Sam’s Detroit, Shinola, The Skip, and Woodhouse Day Spa will be offering special deals.
Salon 6, 7Greens, Iggy’s Eggies, Rebel Nell, and Standard Barber will be highlighted, Dec. 7-10.
Dec. 14-17, the spotlight will shine on Bonobos, Good Neighbor, Greyson Clothiers, Madcap Coffee Co., and Red Rose Florist.
Bon Bon Bon, Eatóri Market, Survived, Throwbacks Home, and the The Lip Bar will be featured Dec. 21-24.
For more information, visit DeckedOutDetroit.com.
Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center to Offer Free Technology Showcase Dec. 7
Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (MMTC) in Plymouth Township is offering a free technology showcase to demonstrate how advanced technologies can lead area companies into the future.
The Industry 4.0 Technology Showcase will take place from 9-11 a.m. Dec. 7 at Velocity (6633 18 Mile Road) in Sterling Heights.
It will include live technology demonstrations and opportunities to speak with experts on how each innovation can help their facilities. Manufacturers also are welcome to stay after the showcase to meet with area high school students regarding potential careers.
Attendees also will learn about MMTC’s free Technology Opportunity Assessment and how it helps identify technologies that will provide maximum improvements and return on investment.
The event is hosted in collaboration with Automation Alley, Velocity, and the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development.
Featured technology for the Industry 4.0 Technology Showcase includes:
Collaborative Robots/Automation
- MiR Robot – Used for material and food delivery, medical and industrial sanitation, inventory control, retail, banking, warehousing, smart cities, and agriculture.
- MuL Autonomous Mobile Robots – Low-cost cart with autonomous operation capabilities.
- Additive manufacturing.
- Raise3D FDM Printer, Formlabs SLA 3D Printer and SLS 3D Printer parts – Used for part design and prototyping, fixture design and prototyping, modeling, dental applications, jig creation, part replacement, and measurement devices.
Augmented/Assisted Reality
- Light Guide Assistive Reality Table – Used for assembly applications, operator training, quality control, data collection, process control, and document control.
- Industrial Internet of Things (IOT)/System Integration/Human-Machine Interface.
- Tulip Digital Work Instruction and IOT Gateway – Used for assembly applications operator training, quality control, data collection, process control, and inventory control.
- Amper Machine Monitoring and Dashboarding – Used for process and machine monitoring.
- Programmable Logic Controllers and Various Sensor Cart – Used for process monitoring, process control, quality control, quality assurance, safety, machine building, and machine monitoring.
Automation and System Integration
- Allen-Bradley PLC & Various Sensor Cart – Used for process monitoring, process control, quality control, quality assurance, safety, machine building, and machine monitoring.
- Vention Automation Systems.
- Universal Robots.
Registration and additional information are available here.
The Ally Challenge Golf Tournament in Grand Blanc Generates $1.1M+ for Charity
Officials of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, a PGA Tour Champions event played every August at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc Township, raised more than $1.1 million for charities in southeast Michigan.
This year’s total includes $879,214.27 in support of Genesee County Charities. Overall, more than 35 charities were positively impacted by The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren this year, including a portion of the funds for more than 20 plus programs identified by the tournament’s primary beneficiary, United Way of Genesee County (UWGC).
The Ally Challenge’s 2023 total charitable giving amount contains money generated through several philanthropic tournament initiatives, including the Ally Charity Chip In, Ticket’s Fore Charity, and the dollars raised by this year’s Celebrity Challenge.
The tournament’s investment will help support nearly 20 programs in Genesee County, impacting more than 30,000 individuals through three priority areas: Financial Literacy, Affordable Housing and Employment.
The 2024 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will take place the week of Aug. 19-25 at renowned Warwick Hills.
All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel.
Motown Museum’s Amplify Singing Auditions Coming Dec. 9
Auditions for Motown Museum’s Amplify: The Sound of Detroit singing competition will be taking place live from noon-4 p.m. Dec. 9 at Hitsville NEXT.
Ten artists will be selected to compete in Amplify 2024 for a chance to be awarded the title of Amplify Artist of the Year and win up to $15,000 in cash and prizes including professional artist development coaching, recording time in the Hitsville NEXT Studio, performance opportunities and more.
Artists should be ready to perform two songs that best demonstrate their vocal ability. Song selections should be clean and between 60 to 90 seconds in length. Pre-registration for the live auditions closes Dec. 7.
Learn more and pre-register here.
Registration Opens for Kevin’s Song Conference on Suicide
Registration is now open for Michigan’s largest conference on suicide — the Kevin’s Song 8th Annual Conference on Suicide: Continuing the Conversation — that features leading mental health professionals, educators and experts.
The conference takes place Jan. 25-27, 2024, at the Saint John’s Resort, 44045 Five Mile Rd., in Plymouth Township.
The three-day conference brings together educators, mental health professionals, professional trainees and students, business and community leaders, as well as the public, survivors of suicide loss, and attempt survivors and their family members. It addresses suicide as a public health crisis to better understand and prevent suicide while helping to build pathways to better models of prevention and treatment in order to save lives. It features keynote and breakout sessions as well as supportive resources for attendees.
New for 2024 will be a Pre-Conference Training Day on Jan. 24, featuring educational sessions for clinicians, including safeTALK, QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) and AMSR (Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk).
For a complete schedule and to register, visit here.
Waterford Oaks County Park Offering Platform Tennis this Winter
Waterford Oaks County Park (1702 Scott Lake Road) in Waterford Township is offering platform tennis this winter and hosting an open house from noon-2 p.m. Dec. 10.
Instruction will be provided by the Waterford Paddle Club, whose members are also available to answer any questions from those new to the sport.
This open house is an opportunity to see platform tennis in action and learn about play, as well as plenty of helpful tips and tricks, from local residents and experienced players.
Platform tennis is a family sport that is easy to learn, say county officials. Lighted courts include heated platform surfaces that are designed to remove ice and snow. It is the only racquet sport that players can enjoy outdoors in winter weather conditions because once any fresh snow is removed, the courts’ special floor heating units provide a dry playing surface.
The game is played on an elevated aluminum deck that is one-quarter the size of a regulation tennis court. Rules vary slightly from traditional tennis as a 12-foot high, taut 16-gauge “chicken wire” fence allows play off the walls, similar to racquetball or squash.
No preregistration is necessary to attend the open house, but participants should dress for the weather and wear tennis shoes.
The platform tennis season runs from October-April and is split into two halves: October to mid-January and mid-January to April. Half-season trial memberships are available for those new to the sport.