DBusiness Daily Update: CAM Magazine Selects MSU STEM Facility as Project of the Year, and More

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies, including updates about the COVID-19 pandemic. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
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CAM Magazine has selected the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility at Michigan State University in East Lansing as its 2021 Project of the Year. // File Photo
CAM Magazine has selected the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility at Michigan State University in East Lansing as its 2021 Project of the Year. // File Photo

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies, including updates about the COVID-19 pandemic. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.

CAM Magazine Selects MSU STEM Facility as Project of the Year

The Construction Association of Michigan’s CAM Magazine has selected the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility at Michigan State University in East Lansing as its 2021 Project of the Year.

Granger Construction Co. was the construction manager and Ellenzweig and Integrated Design Solutions were the architects/engineers for the project.

Encompassing 120,000 square feet of new construction with 40,000 square feet of renovated space, this project utilized an existing, out-of-use power plant as the central portion of the building, with large additions on the north and south sides. The completed building allowed the university to consolidate a number of teaching laboratories and classrooms that were formerly dispersed across campus, creating a central hub for STEM teaching and learning.

“MSU’s impressive adaptive reuse of its long-abandoned Shaw Lane Power Plant into a transformational space dedicated to science, technology, engineering, and math courses is the first building in the state of Michigan that is constructed with a newer mass timber framing product called cross-laminated timber (CLT),” the publication stated. “This type of timber is an engineered type of multi-layered wood extending in two directions; it has strength, sustainability and is moisture resistant, and it requires no sanding, painting, or staining.”

Kevin Kohler, president of CAM, says, “This project is a great representation of what the world-class architects, contractors, and men and women of Michigan’s skilled trades are capable of designing and constructing.”

Finalists for the 2021 program included:

  • CMU Chippewa Champions Center (Mt. Pleasant)
  • Henry Ford Health System Brigitte Harris Cancer Pavilion (Detroit)
  • Berkshire eSupply Headquarters and Fulfillment Center (Novi)
  • NMC Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center (Traverse City)
  • ZEISS Michigan Quality Excellence Center (Wixom)
  • UM-Flint William R. Murchie Science Building Expansion (Flint)
  • The Press / 321 (Detroit)
  • Beaumont-Farmington Hills Master Plan (Farmington Hills)
  • United Wholesale Mortgage Training Center Expansion (Pontiac)
  • Michigan Veteran Homes (Chesterfield Township and Grand Rapids)
  • Stellantis Mack and Warren Truck Assembly Plants Paint Shops (Detroit and Warren)

CAM currently is accepting submissions for its Special Issue 2022. To be eligible, projects must be constructed or designed by a CAM member company, and must have been completed — or reached substantial completion — between June 2021 and June 2022. The deadline for submitting projects is March 11, 2022. Advertising opportunities are available.

For more information and to submit a project, visit here.

First Independence Bank Teams with Operation HOPE to Support Clients

Detroit’s First Independence Bank (FIB) and Operation HOPE have announced an expanded, multiyear partnership as part of the bank’s commitment to bring access and solutions to build better lives and communities.

The partnership includes a series of collaborative programs such as HOPE Inside coaching, digital access that connects to education and First Independence Bank solutions, and HOPE’s 1 Million Black Business Initiative (IMBB),

First Independence Bank and Operation HOPE will expand their community-based approach to financial wellness to provide more people with the education, insights, and tools that will empower and build better lives.

To achieve this goal, First Independence Bank and Operation HOPE have entered into a two-year partnership that will expand and transform HOPE Inside coaching, bringing in-person and virtual financial coaching, educational content and solutions to FIB branches. Additionally, FIB and Operation HOPE will further expand digital and mobile access to financial coaches and a host of financial education resources to solve every day financial challenges.

The expanded partnership also supports Operation HOPE’s work toward launching 1 million Black-owned businesses by 2030. FIB is accelerating the program by offering small business solutions, along with in-kind support and a capacity-building investment.

“When two different entities come together who hold a common commitment to uplift communities through education, awareness and programs anchored in financial literacy, it is a collective win for all,” says Kenneth Kelly, chairman and CEO of FIB. “And when this alignment is implemented and successfully expanded to a national level, the needle of financial literacy will be moved on financial and personal growth.”

For more information, visit here.

J.D. Power: EV Owners Have Higher Satisfaction with ‘Next Level’ Home Chargers

The 2022 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study released today by J.D. Power in Troy shows customer satisfaction is highest among electric vehicle owners for Level 2 portable chargers and Level 2 permanently mounted home chargers, each garnering overall satisfaction scores of 752 (on a 1,000-point scale).

The study measures EV owners’ satisfaction in three charging segments: Level 1 portable; Level 2 portable; and Level 2 permanently mounted charging stations. Satisfaction is measured across eight factors: fairness of retail price; cord length; size of charger; ease of winding/storing cable; cost of charging; charging speed; ease of use; and reliability, all of which provide a comprehensive assessment of the owner experience and charger performance.

There is a 188-point gap in overall home charging satisfaction between EV owners who use a Level 1 charger (564) and those using a next-level Level 2 charger (752). Satisfaction improves the most year over year — 11 points — among EV owners using a Level 2 portable charger, while Level 1 satisfaction declines 10 points from the 2021 study.

“Home charging is an important aspect of owning an EV and taking that to the next level by utilizing a Level 2 charger is key to optimizing the ownership experience,” says Brent Gruber, senior director of global automotive at J.D. Power. “When upgrading to Level 2 charging, some home electrical upgrades may be necessary.

“Making those changes will mean faster charging and result in a far more satisfactory EV ownership experience. With battery ranges increasing, it makes sense for many owners to make the upgrade if they haven’t already. All parties involved in the EV marketplace need to pay special attention to home charging since 84 percent of owners regularly charge at home.”

For more information about the U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study, visit here.

U-M Recruits Students Across Campus to Fill Arts Internships

Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch have donated $250,000 to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to establish the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Michigan Culture Corps Internship Fund with the goal to diversify and enliven the cultural landscape.

The arts touch every academic discipline, from engineering and political science to nursing and the law. And yet, arts-minded college students in those majors rarely bring their unique talents to arts careers — talents that would enrich individual organizations and the culture at large.

“We are excited to support the bold vision of the Arts Initiative, especially its goal to fully integrate the arts into a Michigan education and encourage all students to deeply engage with the arts and art-making during their time on campus,” said Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch in a joint statement. “Our support for Michigan Culture Corps will help to expose students who possibly haven’t yet considered a career in the arts to the broad opportunities available in our country’s cultural sector.”

The fund will support the Michigan Culture Corps in recruiting BA and BS degree students — who are not necessarily arts majors — to pursue internship opportunities and careers in arts and culture organizations. The focus will be on first-generation students, community college transfer students, and other populations historically excluded from arts careers.

“Museums and other arts organizations are coming to terms with the lack of diversity and inclusion in leadership,” says Christina Olsen, director of the U-Michigan Museum of Art. “We want to create access at U-M for a broader group of arts-minded undergraduates to engage in an arts internship and then move toward a career in that sector.”

The Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Michigan Culture Corps Internship Fund will address the financial obstacles that often deter students — and organizations — from participating in an arts internship. Students will be paid a stipend for their work and have access to additional support for transportation.

Funds also will be used to support the program’s credit-bearing course based in the Department of American Culture, which will kick off the Michigan Culture Corps experience each winter. Host organizations will receive support and contribute their expertise to the planning of the first year of the program.

“Ideal partners include arts organizations, museums, and cultural nonprofits seeking a sustained pipeline of diverse talent,” says Christopher Audain, managing director of the Arts Initiative at U-M.

The program will launch its first cohort in March 2022.

JVS + Kadima to Offer Free Branding Webinar

Southfield, Mich. (February 23, 2022) –JVS + Kadima in Southfield will be offering a free, live webinar on Zoom at 11 a.m. on March 7 entitled “Your Brand in 2022,” to help Michiganders understand and create a professional brand both clearly and concisely, to help secure their dream jobs.

The program is designed to help individuals convey to potential employers their value proposition that distinguishes their skillset from other jobseekers in the marketplace. To register, visit here.

“Now you need to offer up to an employer who you represent, how people identify with you — a bigger picture of who you are, which is more specialized,” says Gerard Baltrusaitis, a career counselor and internship employment specialist at JVS + Kadima, who also is one of the webinar panelists.

The webinar will provide steps to secure a dream job such as tweaking a resume by offering a branding statement, updating LinkedIn, providing videos on YouTube and updating social media sites such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram.

Holly’s Rose Hill Center Receives $50K Grant from Flinn Foundation

The Rose Hill Center (RHC) in Holly has received a $50,000 grant from the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation to support its ongoing work to implement a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) environment within its comprehensive psychiatric treatment and residential rehabilitation programs.

TIC assumes that an individual is more likely than not to have a history of trauma. It recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role trauma may play in an individual’s life, including those of patients and staff. Further, the model of care places a value on acknowledging the impact trauma may have had not only in the lives of patients, but also those who treat and work with them. TIC strives to establish an environment that considers ways to mitigate the effects of trauma to allow patients and staff to thrive.

“Having a trauma informed approach will allow Rose Hill to better engage the individuals they serve, build trust, and ultimately improve treatment outcomes,” says Andrea Cole, CEO of the Flinn Foundation.

Rochelle Rothwell, CEO of the RHC, says, “Our next step in this process will be to conduct training geared toward building a Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Leadership Cohort comprised of staff leaders from the administrative, clinical, and support staff teams.

“This training will provide a holistic approach to leadership and incorporate day-to-day tasks of management, further establishing our organization as a leader in mental health care. We are very grateful for the ongoing support from the Ethel and James Flinn Foundation to help us in this endeavor.”