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.
Community Unity Bank Opens Wednesday in Birmingham
Community Unity Bank (CUB), which specializes in small business lending with fast and local decision-making, will have its official opening at 4 p.m. Oct. 18 at 34040 Woodward Ave. in Birmingham.
A reception with community and local groups will follow the ribbon cutting.
CUB says it offers high-tech and user-friendly digital banking technology, while never losing sight of the high-touch and welcoming in-branch banking that puts people first.
“Banking with CUB is primarily about two simple words: less stress,” says Andy Meisner, CEO of CUB. “Small businesses and families have enough financial challenges without their bank or credit union making life harder. What makes CUB different is our commitment to less stress in banking. That means less stress fighting with clumsy technology, and less stress fighting to work with an actual person.”
CUB’s team has a combined 150 years of experience in banking and says it’s “driven to provide superior customer service in an industry where human touch has fallen out of fashion.”
The bank worked with local investment firm Donnelly Penman on its capital raise and was represented by the law firm of FinPro during the startup process.
Blue Care Network’s Price Edge Service Saves Members $1M on Prescriptions
Blue Care Network’s Price Edge, a Detroit-based service that automatically finds the lowest price available on medications when members fill their prescriptions, has reached $1 million in total member savings in just four months.
The Price Edge program is one component of Blue Care Network’s ongoing efforts to help manage skyrocketing drug costs. Like coupon or travel apps that search and find the best deals, Price Edge scans and compares direct-to-consumer pricing with insurance pricing to give the best available price to members on select non-specialty, generic drugs. Price Edge works with both retail and mail order pharmacies and is being offered to Blue Care Network members automatically at no cost.
“We hear all the time from our members how unaffordable their prescription drugs are becoming – so we did something about it,” says Kathryn Levine, president and CEO of Blue Care Network. “We launched Price Edge to make our plans more affordable and convenient for our members. While there are hundreds of drug discount programs to help members save money, people don’t have the time and resources it takes to sort through all those programs, find the best deal and take all the steps required to obtain the discount.”
Through Price Edge, discounts on medications automatically will be searched for and applied. If a drug is covered by the member’s plan, the amount the member pays for the drug will be applied toward their deductible and out-of-pocket maximum balance. For more information on Price Edge, visit MIBluesPerspectives.com.
NextCycle Michigan Team to Showcase Recycling Advancements in Gaylord
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will host the NextCycle Michigan Team Showcase featuring businesses, organizations, and collaborative teams pitching projects that will improve recycling and composting in their communities and develop end markets for recyclable materials in Michigan.
The event will take place from 12:30-6 p.m. Oct. 23 at Treetops Resort in Gaylord. There is no cost but registration is required due to limited seating.
NextCycle Michigan, an initiative of Michigan EGLE developed by RRS and facilitated in collaboration with Centrepolis Accelerator and the Michigan Recycling Coalition, is an accelerator program designed to connect entrepreneurs, companies, organizations, and communities to technical support, financial resources, and capacity building for recycling, recovery, and reuse initiatives.
The Team Showcase event culminates a six-month Accelerator Track, where teams received business and technical support to take their projects to investment-attractive and implementation-ready. Teams will have the opportunity to share their accomplishments and pitch their innovative ideas in a five-minute pitch/five-minute question format to judges, industry leaders, public sector decision makers, and private sector investors. Judges will evaluate the pitches and award a total of more than $50,000 to winning teams.
For more information and to register, visit here.
Suburban Collection Showplace to Host 2023 Michigan Cyber Summit Wednesday
The 2023 Michigan Cyber Summit will take place Wednesday at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
The event, in its 12th year, will feature cybersecurity speakers, experts, and dignitaries from across the country. A full list of speakers and a detailed agenda are available here.
In addition, the final round of the Governor’s High School Cyber Challenge will take place. Winners will be announced during lunch. Finalists include nine teams from the following schools in Michigan:
- Canton High School
- Farmington High School
- Gull Lake High School in Richland
- Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center
- Lapeer County Education & Technology Center in Attica
- Muskegon Area Career Tech Center
- Newaygo County Career-Tech Center in Fremont
- Salem High School in Canton Township
- Westwood High School in Ishpeming
Michigan SBDC Offers No-cost ‘Forming Your LLC’ In-person Workshop
Small business owners and entrepreneurs are invited to learn about and create their own limited liability company (LLC) business entity and how to file their articles of organization using the state of Michigan’s Licensing and Regulatory Affairs’ (LARA) website at a no-cost in-person workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Schoolcraft College in Livonia.
Prospective attendees are encouraged to register early here so they can be informed in advance about what materials to bring to complete their filing. Michigan SBDC business consultants will be on hand to assist during the workshop.
“The Michigan SBDC understands that filing the application to start business might appear to be intimidating, and we are committed to helping interested small business owners initiate their LLC to separate their business and personal finances,” says Wendy Thomas, southeast regional director of Michigan SBDC. “Our expert business consultants will be there every step of the way at this hands-on workshop.”
Jewish Senior Life Announces Collaboration with Powerback Rehabilitation
Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit, in West Bloomfield Township, has announced a collaboration with Powerback Rehabilitation, one of the largest rehabilitation services providers in the United States, to further enrich and support active, healthy lifestyles for the nonprofit organization’s residents.
The collaboration began Oct. 16 and will include a range of complimentary services provided by Powerback Rehabilitation, such as in-depth vitality checks and the establishment of optimal health goals for every resident. Individuals at all functional levels have access to Powerback Rehabilitation’s proprietary Balance in Action program, which uses an evidence-based approach to decrease the risk of falls, the most common cause of injuries, hospital trauma admissions, and injury deaths in older adults.
In addition, Powerback Rehabilitation’s Age in Motion program is designed to help Jewish Senior Life’s older adult residents remain active and age successfully through wellness seminars, group exercise classes, online access to exercises and presentations, and more.
A Powerback wellness director will be available at each Jewish Senior Life building. If a resident needs physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech language therapy, the wellness directors will work with the individual’s physician to set up the appropriate therapy and treatment program at new onsite therapy gyms at each Jewish Senior Life residence. These outpatient therapies will be covered under Medicare (Part B) as well as additional insurances accepted by Powerback Rehabilitation.
The community can learn more about how the partnership will benefit older adults at Jewish Senior Life’s annual Fall Open House taking place from 1-3 p.m. Oct. 22 at its West Bloomfield campus (6760 W. Maple Road).
For more information, visit here.
Capuchin Soup Kitchen Hosts 25th Anniversary Celebration of Earthworks Urban Farm Oct. 18
The Capuchin Soup Kitchen is hosting a 25th anniversary celebration of Earthworks Urban Farm and a Fall Garden Blessing at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the greenhouse at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen on Meldrum Street in Detroit.
Earthworks Urban Farm, founded in 1998, is a program of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, which serves Metro Detroit by providing food, clothing, and human development programs to the community.
The Earthworks Urban Farm program harvests produce from a 1.25-acre USDA-certified organic farm and provides education on sustainable relationships between human beings and the earth. Earthworks provides fresh, seasonal organic fruit and vegetables that Capuchin Soup Kitchen chefs use to prepare the meals at its two meal sites.
For more information, visit here.
Auburn Hills Chamber Call for Gold and Silver Award Nominations
The Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce is calling for nominations for its Silver & Gold Awards through Oct. 23.
Nominators may remain anonymous or they can choose to be identified. The awards program is a way to recognize a colleague, company, or individual for the achievements they have accomplished. Nominate outstanding local businesses and individuals in the areas of innovation, leadership, and community involvement.
Nominees will be announced Nov. 2. Winners will be announced during the Silver & Gold Awards taking place from 9b:30 a.m.-noon on Dec. 8.
For more information and to nominate, visit here.
Dearborn Area Chamber to Present 2023 Holiday Gala and Auction Nov. 30
The Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce will present its 2023 Holiday Gala and Auction from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 30 at Pelister Park – The Venue in Dearborn.
Guests will have an opportunity to enjoy a strolling dinner from local favorites including Ford’s Garage, Amazing Subs, and Famous Hamburger.
Beers and wine will be provided by provided by Pelister Park: The Venue.
To register or for more information, visit here or call 313-584-6100.
