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.
CCS, Schoolcraft College Joining Production of ‘Detroit: The City of Chefs’ Documentary
Twenty clay puppets created by College for Creative Studies student Alexandra Martinescul will be featured in stop-motion animation in “Detroit: The City of Chefs,” a documentary by Wixom filmmaker Keith Famie and his Visionalist Entertainment Productions team.
The film, which will debut on Detroit Public Television/PBS this fall, highlights the rich culinary history of metro Detroit and showcases Detroit’s great chefs, its restaurants, and the hospitality industry.
They clay figures are look-alikes of some of Detroit’s best-known chefs and will be used in a custom-created studio set at CCS to be animated with stop-motion.
CCS in Detroit has dedicated a 15-week semester from January to May 2024 to creating an animated story that will open and close the 90-minute film. Adjunct professor of stop-motion Kevin Coyle and chair and associate professor for entertainment arts at CCS, David Gazdowicz, say they are fully behind the project.
The stop-motion animation is a collaborative effort with the team at Schoolcraft College Culinary Arts Department’s Certified Master Pastry Chef Joe Decker and Certified Executive Pastry Chef Heather Moore. These two chefs will be putting together a three-tiered cake that honors Detroit’s culinary heritage. Viewers will see the chefs putting this together, as well as pretending to create the miniature look-alikes that they will then place on the cake.
As the chefs leave to go home, the clay puppets come to life through stop motion and break into a song created by the sounds that they make with small kitchen utensils in a fun, whimsical way. This piece will end with a chocolate display piece with the title of the film, “Detroit: The City of Chefs” … Dedicated, Daring, Defiant.
The faculty helping with this project from Schoolcraft College are Program Coordinator and Chef Chris Misiak, Professor and Department Chair Jeremy Salo, and Associate Professor of Animation Josh Harrell. CGT faculty and Salo, in collaboration with the Sound Recording Technology Department, is working on creating the musical score.
Famie and his crew will be at Schoolcraft College today to embark on the first stages of this journey with the Schoolcraft College staff and the students with a recording session to record the sounds of kitchen utensils.
Filming with Decker and Moore will take place at 5 p.m. on Feb. 8. Once that filming is complete, the set then goes to CCS for the duration of the animation process.
For more information on the film, visit detroitcityofchefs.com.
Royal Oak-based Beyond Juicery + Eatery to Open White Lake Township Restaurant
Beyond Juicery + Eatery, the Royal Oak-based healthy fast-casual dining concept, has opened a new location in White Lake Township. The restaurant is owned by local entrepreneur and multi-unit operator Cris Battaglia and his business partner Miles Gatland.
Set to open its doors to the community on Feb. 3, the restaurant is located at 8200 Cooley Lake Road, Unit A.
The restaurant will host a variety of festivities starting with its grand opening on Feb. 3. The event will feature the following: the first 25 guests in line will be entered to win free smoothies for a year, Beyond Juicery + Eatery merchandise will be given to the first 100 guests, and complimentary 20 oz smoothies will be available from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
“I’m thrilled to be partnering up with Cris once again to open our fifth Beyond Juicery + Eatery location,” says Gatland. “Not only are we excited to bring Beyond to another community, but this location is special because it’s close to home for me. We are looking forward to providing our neighbors with a unique dining option with deep ties to the local area.”
Gatland and Battaglia currently operate Beyond Juicery + Eatery locations in New Baltimore, Great Lakes Crossing Mall, Clinton Township, and Shelby Township. Gatland also is in the commercial real estate business as both a broker and investor in addition to the venture with Beyond Juicery + Eatery.
“It’s great to continue growing our brand with operators like Cris and Miles,” says Mijo Alanis, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Juicery + Eatery. “We are thrilled to have awarded them the opportunity to serve their local community and look forward to the new location’s opening. The White Lake Township opening is a great way to kick off the year for our brand, and we can’t wait to continue hitting more milestones throughout 2024.”
Beyond Juicery + Eatery now has more than 40 locations open and is growing with restaurants in development in Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, and Florida.
The Macomb Group Expands into Indianapolis
The Macomb Group, a pipe and valve distributor in Sterling Heights, has expanded into Indianapolis with a 40,000-square-foot building.
Located just off I-465 and I-70, it is near the Indianapolis International Airport. Being situated in the beltway circling Indianapolis will allow for seamless transit for customers to get materials. The new regional branch will be supported by existing operations throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast.
“We have served the market for many years from existing locations in Jeffersonville, Ind., and Cincinnati, and have local staff in place familiar with the central Indiana customer base and needs,” says Scott Henegar, COO of The Macomb Group.
The branch is expected to serve a variety of commercial and industrial customers bolstered by the team and expansive warehouse.
“We’re bringing the full scope of pipe, valve, and fitting product as well as Macomb Group’s product specialty offerings and expertise in such areas as fire fabrication, custom hose assembly, valve automation and instrumentation, commercial plumbing and heating, fusion and specialty plastics, and lined pipe to the area,” Henegar says.
The branch is on track to be operational by March 2024.
AllGear Digital Acquires Travel and Detroit-based Gear Guide Pack Hacker
AllGear Digital, the Los Angeles-based leading publisher of media brands serving the outdoor and active-lifestyle enthusiast, has added Detroit-based Pack Hacker to its growing network, which includes GearJunkie, Switchback Travel, The Intertia, BikeRumor, iRunFar, and Explorer’s Web. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Pack Hacker was founded by Tom Wahlin, a former tech-industry designer with a passion to travel the world, in 2017. Pack Hacker uses a variety of digital media to test and review gear, and create guides, packing lists, videos, and other content to help readers travel smarter and more efficiently.
“This is an exciting day for the Pack Hacker Team,” says Wahlin. “Joining AllGear Digital means partnering with a team of like-minded subject-matter experts and gaining access to a sophisticated infrastructure to help us grow our reach and impact.”
Wahlin will continue to serve as general manager and editor-in-chief of packhacker.com, with the existing editorial team continuing to provide expert advice to its readers.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Pack Hacker to AllGear Digital” says Eric Phung, CEO of AllGear Digital. “Pack Hacker is a trusted authority for millions of readers looking to find the right travel gear. With Pack Hacker, we continue to execute on our strategy of acquiring category-leading brands that provide passionate audiences with the information they need to get the most out of their adventures.”
Highland Park’s Qualfon Group Buys Canada’s VoxData Solutions Inc.
Highland Park-based Qualfon Group VoxData Solutions Inc., an outsourced customer contact solutions provider in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
VoxData is a multilingual, outsourced customer contact center dedicated to upholding the brand image of businesses across North America. With more than 28 years of experience, VoxData uses its expertise to deliver omnichannel solutions tailored to the needs of its clients.
Qualfon is a global business services company providing multi-channel customer engagement lead generation and end-to-end integrated marketing, print, and fulfillment solutions. It strives to help companies reduce costs and deliver “superior” customer experiences. Qualfon has approximately 15,000 employees and locations in the U.S., the Philippines, Guyana, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and India.
The acquisition of VoxData will expand Qualfon’s global reach and service offerings to include Canadian on-site and remote French-language capabilities and further Qualfon’s mission to be an industry leader, offering an increasing number of employment opportunities worldwide.
Survey: Most Americans Who Intend to Buy a Vehicle Won’t Do So for at Least a Year
A new automotive insights report from LoopMe, a New York technology company that uses artificial intelligence to improve brand advertising performance, says 57 percent of Americans thinking of buying an automobile will make the purchase at least one year from now, with the figure rising to 65 percent if they already own another vehicle.
“The long automotive sales cycle makes brand advertising critical for marketers looking to maintain brand awareness, favorability and consideration throughout the purchase funnel,” says Dan Sicular, head of insight and analytics at LoopMe. “LoopMe’s data showcases key differences in auto consumer marketing needs, requiring distinct tactics, messaging, and timing to reach prospects.
“For instance, while the core pillars of price, reliability, and safety are paramount in most auto consumers’ minds, other factors like technology or performance may impact some purchase decisions.”
Other key highlights from the report include:
- Older respondents (55-64 years old) are 27 percent more likely than the general population to wait at least one year before buying a new vehicle. Younger respondent, however, were more likely to buy an auto within the next three months.
- Large, gas-powered vehicles are most popular with U.S. auto shoppers, especially older shoppers. More than eight in 10 Americans (82 percent) said they plan to buy gas-powered vehicles for their next auto purchase.
- Of respondents who know what vehicle they plan to shop for, 56 percent said they will buy large vehicles such as SUVs and trucks.
- Respondents who said they are likely to purchase an electric vehicle are more than 67 more more likely to consider purchasing a vehicle within three months vs. gas-powered auto buyers. Older consumers (55-64 years old) indicated that they are 30 percent less likely to shop for an electric vehicle than the general population average.
- Price, reliability, safety, and new technology all factor into auto purchase considerations: Price (22 percent), reliability (18 percent), and safety (16 percent) are the top auto consideration factors, however, respondents who are likely to purchase a luxury vehicle indicated that they are more than two times more likely to consider new technology vs. auto buyers overall.
- General market auto buyers value greater fuel efficiency.
To download the full report, visit here.
Ford Pro Expands Suite of Software, Technical Solutions
Ford Pro, the commercial division of Dearborn’s Ford Motor Co., has unveiled several new and improved software and technology features to give fleet managers more insight about and control over how their commercial vehicles are operated to manage fleet risk.
Ford Pro’s commercial solutions pull connected vehicle data and integrate it seamlessly into the Ford Pro Intelligence platform to arm fleet managers with a new level of insight about and control over vehicles on the road and when upfitted equipment is in use.
“Fleet managers have more to deal with than ever: managing fleets, maximizing uptime, and minimizing the risks of accidents to drivers, vehicles, and their business,” says Dave Prusinski, general manager of Ford Pro Integrated Services. “Ford Pro Intelligence, now with video telematics, gives fleet managers more visibility and control over what’s happening inside the cabin and on the road. It’s like having a coach in the passenger seat.”
Ford Pro now offers Ford Pro Telematics with Dashcam, that fully integrates video telematics into the Ford Pro Intelligence platform. The new solution uses a windshield-mounted, cloud-connected dashcam from Lytx, with two lenses to capture road-facing and in-cab footage. It delivers insights based on the customer’s Ford Pro Telematics subscription level and business needs. That data is stored within the Ford Pro Intelligence platform for 30 days, where customers can retrieve and view it at any moment within that time frame.
The dashcam’s outward-facing lens records footage that can potentially provide important evidence in the case of an on-the-job incident. It also can capture context related to vehicle alerts or driving events, such as harsh braking to help avoid a road hazard. This footage can be used to coach drivers on compliant driving habits and potentially strengthen cases against insurance claims.
The driver-facing lens captures behavior such as smoking, drinking, or cell phone usage to observe and potentially help correct and minimize distracted driving. Events like speeding, airbag deployment, or failure to wear a seatbelt4 will trigger the system to begin recording. The driver also can manually begin a recording when needed.
Other available features include:
Upfit Integration System: Makes upfitting commercial vehicles easier by eliminating the need for aftermarket modules, hard switches, and secondary control panels.
Fleet Start Inhibit: This feature uses embedded vehicle technology and the Ford Pro Telematics dashboard to let fleet managers remotely disable the start on their vehicles. Managers can create recurring and one-time schedules or send inhibit and de-inhibit commands remotely to secure fleet vehicles from unauthorized use.
Vehicle Security App: Allows fleet managers to trigger a vehicle alarm remotely and create security alerts. These include alerts when a vehicle is started away from its last location or when a door is opened during certain time windows.
Coming soon to the Ford Pro UIS is standard Vehicle Motion Inhibit Control. The new feature will allow upfitters to create logic to prevent the vehicle from being shifted into gear while powered upfit equipment is deployed (e.g., cranes and lifts). Sub Compartment Lock, another new feature, enables drivers to use a touchscreen button on the SYNC screen, door code, or key fob to lock and unlock compartments in which equipment or cargo is secured. This gives drivers the ability to lock and unlock rear compartments without the use of physical keys.
To learn more, visit fordpro.com.
Berkley’s Bagger Dave’s to Pursue Strategic Alternatives
North Dakota-based BT Brands Inc. and its 39.6 percent owned affiliate, Bagger Dave’s Burger Tavern Inc., which started in Berkley, are planning to review strategic alternatives for the Bagger Dave’s public corporation and the six Bagger Dave’s operating restaurant locations.
As part of this review, it is anticipated that a proposal will be made to Bagger Dave’s shareholders to change the name of Bagger Dave’s to align the name appropriately with a new business strategy. The company says it anticipates proposing to shareholders a reverse split of Bagger Dave’s outstanding shares, and plan to retain a PCAOB-registered audit firm to review the Bagger Dave’s financial statements audited for inclusion in a potential equity offering registration statement, which would coincide with an uplisting of the shares to NASDAQ Markets or another exchange.
Bagger Dave’s opened its first in Berkley in 2008 and grew to more than 25 units in three states. There are currently six Bagger Dave’s restaurants, including four in Michigan and single units in Ft. Wayne, Ind., and Centerville, Ohio.
“All six stores are in excellent locations representing an original investment of more than $5 million,” says Gary Copperud, CEO of Bagger Dave’s. “The stores range from 4,000 to 6,000 square feet, carry full liquor licenses, and are in excellent physical condition.
“We have had several restaurant professionals look at the locations over the last year, and all agree the units provide an outstanding footprint for a conversion opportunity. The Bagger Dave’s locations will continue normal operations as Bagger Dave’s, with the process of conversion to another concept expected to begin sometime later this year.”
Consumers Energy Foundation in Jackson to Provide $500K to Environmental Projects
The Consumers Energy Foundation in Jackson is calling on nonprofit organizations across the state to submit letters of intent for the 2024 Planet Awards. The grants will provide as much as $250,000 to two or more Michigan nonprofits or municipalities aiming to make a positive impact on Michigan’s land, water, or air.
A total of $500,000 will be awarded through this grant program.
The Planet Awards are the first of three $500,000 signature grant rounds in 2024, totaling $1.5 million, with the winners announced in April. Additional requests for proposals will be announced later in the year for the People Awards and the Prosperity Awards. Letters of intent must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9, to be considered for the next phase of the application process.
This year, the foundation is seeking letters of intent to support projects improving Michigan’s environment in the following categories:
Land: Projects aiming to protect, preserve, and restore land in Michigan, which includes protecting and improving the state’s natural beauty and wildlife habitat.
Water: Projects seeking to preserve and improve water quality in the Great Lakes, and the freshwater bodies that flow into them.
Air: Projects seeking to reduce carbon in Michigan’s air and improve air quality.
Gardner White, Serta Announce Partnership to Fight Cancer
Gardner White and Serta, two iconic Michigan brands, have teamed up to launch a year-long partnership to support the American Cancer Society.
Gardner White announced that a portion of every Serta mattress sale through Dec. 31 will support the American Cancer Society. As Michigan’s largest Serta mattress retailer in the state, Gardner White offers 18 Serta mattress models in all 13 stores throughout metro Detroit and online at Gardnerwhite.com.
“We were overwhelmed by the incredible support by our customers and team of our American Cancer Society partnership in October to support breast cancer awareness and were determined to continue the conversation and fight against a disease that impacts so many people and families in our community,” says Rachel Stewart, president of Gardner White. “We are grateful for our partnership with Serta in this yearlong effort to support an incredible organization working hard to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer.”
Larry Kraft, president and CEO of Serta Restokraft, says: “We are honored to partner with Gardner White for this incredibly important cause. Cancer impacts so many families and individuals of all ages. We are dedicated to supporting the American Cancer Society in their mission to fight cancer right here at home.”
