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.
Concours d’Elegance of America Set to Return July 23-25
The annual Concours d’Elegance of America is set to return to The Inn at St. John in Plymouth Township July 23-25. Starting next year, the event moves to downtown Detroit after being acquired by the Hagerty specialty insurance company in Traverse City.
The event starts off with a July 23 Motoring Tour, a Ride and Drive, an Invitational Art Exhibition, Battle of the Brands, and Cars Under the Stars.
Saturday, July 24, features Cars and Coffee, a Ride and Drive, Concours d’Lemons, Consours Seminars, the art exhibition, British Invasion II, and the Chairman’s Dinner.
On Sunday, the main event 42nd Annual Concours d’Elegance of America takes place featuring 300 historically significant cars competing on the basis of automotive design and engineering. The Parade of Elegance will take place at 1 p.m.
For more details on the event’s activities, visit here. For tickets, visit here.
Duggan Launches Grow Detroit’s Young Talent 2021 Summer Work Program
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has launched the 2021 edition of Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) summer work program with work experiences for more than 8,000 youths.
This year’s group of workers, who will be in a blend of in-person and remote positions, puts the program over the 50,000-job mark since its inception in 2015.
“This is a day I look forward to every year, but this year is particularly special,” says Duggan. “This year, we are creating our 50,000th GDYT summer work experience.”
The 2021 program will feature an expanded skilled trades track that provides opportunities to work with RAM Construction at a range of locations around the city, including the renovation of the Michigan Central Station.
“In 2020, three GDYT youth worked with Ford and RAM Construction on the Michigan Central Station project,” says Duggan. “That partnership was so successful that all were offered full-time jobs, and this year the number of youth working there has increased from three to 15, which goes to show what our city’s young people are capable of when they are given opportunity.”
“We want the next mobility revolution to be sparked right here in Detroit at Michigan Central and it must include equity and access for all,” says Mary Culler, development director for the project and president of Ford Fund. “Creating education and workforce training opportunities that link Detroit residents to the jobs of the future is critical to this – whether you want to be a software engineer or a mason. We are proud to partner with GDYT to offer Detroit youth the opportunity to build a long-term career in the skilled trades and play a role in restoring one of our city’s most iconic landmarks.”
GDYT this year will offer a range of career experience opportunities for the city’s youth. Some 5,000 virtual career exploration xxperiences will be provided, including junior police and fire cadets, in addition to 2,000 in-person experiences across a range of employment sectors such as skilled trades, supply-chain management, retail, health care, and hospitality. The remaining experiences will be hybrid in-person/virtual positions and industry-led trainings. Many youth involved in the virtual elements of the program will connect via laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots provided by GDYT either last year or this year.
The increased number working at the Michigan Central Station and other locations across the city will gain experience of a wide range of construction disciplines such as masonry, carpentry, and other skills that will allow them to determine which skilled trades paths appeal most to them.
GDYT also has partnered with Carhartt to ensure that youth working at the location have the clothing and equipment they need on the job, with the Michigan apparel manufacturer donating equipment including work boots, pants, shirts, and tool belts to each GDYT participant, in addition to equipment such as hard hats and PPE provided by RAM Construction.
Grow Detroit’s Young Talent has raised more than $11.3 million in 2021 to support the program from a wide range of funding partners, including Connect Detroit funding partner JPMorgan Chase.
GDYT youth will complete a total of 120 program hours, earning a stipend of up to $1,800 depending on age and experience. Career experiences will run until late August.
Flint’s XLerateHealth Selects Six Startups for 2021 Flint Cohort
XLerateHealth (XLH), a health care accelerator in Flint, today announced the selection of six startup companies to participate in its 2021 cohort. This year’s program will be fully virtual and is funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and 100K Ideas.
“We have seen exciting traction for XLH Flint companies over the last two years in regards to partnerships, funding and customer discovery,” says Jackie Willmot, co-founder and CEO of XLH. “We are excited to welcome a great class this year and are grateful for the continued support and engagement of the local Flint community.”
The Flint cohort kicks off its accelerator program on July 15, and will culminate with a virtual Demo Day pitch to investors, health care ecosystem partners, and the startup community on Sept. 22.
XLerateHealth’s 2021 Flint Cohort includes:
- Adlore in Kalamazoo, which is designing a next generation device for the treatment of lower extremity wounds.
- Isaab Innovations in Flint, a physician-founded medical device company that has innovated a patent-protected syringe to improve medication delivery.
- Vern Health in East Lansing, which detects emotions in communication in real time to support telehealth, customer service, and more.
- LINQ in Newton, which is creating a virtual cardiology office to enable enhanced connectivity between the patient and physician through proprietary vEKG and the mHeart App and Cloud.
- Intuitool Devices Inc. in St Louis, Mo., a medical device company that utilizes ergonomic designs to create cost-effective laparoscopic tools.
- MyHelse in North Beach, Md., a customizable Platform as a Service that leverages data and analytics to identify early risks at both the individual and population health level.
American House Changes Name to Baldwin House Senior Living
American House senior living communities in Birmingham, Hazel Park, Brownstown Township, Sterling Heights, and Grand Rapids are changing their names to Baldwin House Senior Living.
“Throughout our 40 years in business we believe in a simple philosophy of taking really good care of people,” says Rob Gillette, current CEO of Baldwin House. “We pride ourselves on an ability to find solutions that help navigate the aging process. We’re excited about the future and looking forward to growing Baldwin House Senior Living in Michigan.”
The operation has been a family affair since the beginning, according to Gillette, and add that the family feels that everyone is entitled to be respected and have pride in where they live or work. Gillette himself has more than 20 years of senior living experience working alongside his father, their partners Joseph Schwartz and James Nichols, and Tina Abbate Marzolf who has collaborated with American House for years. This team has more that 80 years of combined experience serving seniors, caregivers, and their families.
For more information, visit here.
Shelby Township’s LumaSmart Plans Move into New Headquarters
LumaSmart, a Shelby Township-based custom electronics board manufacturer that specializes in LED and surface-mount technologies, is moving to a new, 37,355-square-foot facility in September.
The new facility, at 51560 Celeste Dr., is less than two miles from LumaSmart’s existing location. It will allow the 15-year-old company to expand its range of offerings and manufacturing capabilities. Specifically, the larger building’s size and customization will help LumaSmart to increase assembly production by up to 50 percent, consolidate departments, implement new technology, and boost efficiency while delivering improved client services and support.
With plans to expand into the automotive and consumer electronics industries, moving to a larger facility also permits the company to modernize and launch new product offerings that are delivered in less time.
“LumaSmart’s new location offers exactly what we need to meet our deliberate goals for expansion and the growing demands of the marketplace,” says Antonio Zucca, president of LumaSmart. “To remain a leader in production-ready electronic components, we need a space that gives us the opportunity to reach new clients and offer an even higher level of efficiency and services, with the ability to manufacture any electronic component a client needs. The heightened flexibility and proficiency is going to fuel our growth for decades to come.”
LumaSmart currently occupies two unconnected buildings with a total footprint of 27,000 square feet. Though close in proximity, the separate spaces diminish efficiency and workflow, while neither is large enough to accommodate the company’s ever-increasing workload. By moving to a single building with more than 10,000 square feet, plant operations can begin to incorporate new equipment and automation technology, while also consolidating teams and setting up a superior assembly-line workflow.
“From design and production, to getting products out the door, the new building will give us an ideal assembly flow to operate more efficiently than ever,” says Carlo Ahee, plant manager at LumaSmart. “We have been lucky to experience some dramatic growth in recent years and while we have always been able to fully meet our client’s needs, the addition of so much more space is a true game-changer. Not only will it benefit our clients, but the entire LumaSmart workforce.”
Cleary University Introduces Two New Scholarships
Cleary University in Howell is offering two new scholarships — the Futures for Frontliners & Michigan Reconnect at Cleary Scholarship and the Courage and Public Service Scholarship.
Both provide accessible and affordable ways for adults to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Cleary University starting this fall. They provide a 50 percent tuition discount to qualifying students.
For Futures for Frontliners & Michigan Reconnect at Cleary, graduates of the state of Michigan’s Futures for Frontliners & Michigan Reconnect programs receive the discount to complete their bachelor’s degree at Cleary. Educators, first responders, emergency personnel, civic and municipal employees, and clinical health care professionals receive the discount for Courage and Public Service Scholarship.
For more information, visit here.
James Group in Detroit Celebrates 50th Anniversary by Launching JG Drive
James Group, a Detroit-based provider of global supply chain management services, announced the James Group Drive (JG Drive), a funding initiative to develop entrepreneurs and students in Detroit.
James Group is granting $100,000 total with $50,000 going toward education and $50,000 toward entrepreneurs. Entrants can receive anywhere from $1,000 to $50,000 based on their needs.
“My father, James Group founder, John A. James believes that education and entrepreneurial spirit are what allowed James Group to last for 50 years,” says John E. James, president of James Group. “To celebrate the 50th anniversary of James Group, the JG Drive will honor his legacy by helping to accelerate growth and excellence in our community.”
The JG Drive is taking submissions from Detroit-based entrepreneurs or students through Aug. 30 here. Entrants must submit a video pitch and explain why they’re a changemaker in the city of Detroit and share their video on social media.
Entrepreneurial entrants must live or work in Detroit and have a business plan that will not only help facilitate the recipient company’s long-term success but empower, inspire and include neighborhood Detroiters in that success. Students must be from Detroit or have graduated from or will be graduating from a high school in Detroit. The JG Drive will announce semi-finalists in September and finalists in October.
“In the 50 years we’ve been in business, we’ve never let up, never given up, and always put our community first,” says Lorron James, CEO of James Group. “The JG Drive is our way of helping other entrepreneurs, visionaries and hopeful scholars on their way to changing the world.”
James Group was founded in 1971 by John A. James as a provider of freight transportation services.
Lake Superior State University Renews Tuition Agreement with Coast Guard
Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie has renewed its long-standing annual tuition agreement with its local U.S. Coast Guard Sector. The collaboration, dating to 2009, encourages active-duty personnel, their spouses, and dependents to pursue higher education at LSSU by lowering the cost of study to do so.
“Every year I look forward to continuing this alliance because it epitomizes our mission of enhancing the quality of life of the Great Lakes region, reinforces community partnership that’s part of our strategic plan, and furthers our vison of identifying potential, enabling success, and driving social mobility,” says Rodney S. Hanley, president of LSSU. “As a military veteran, I’m thrilled to support this win-win accord. The Coast Guard serves the greater good and it’s only right that LSSU, housed on a former Army fort and established in 1946 for World War II veterans, gives back to them.”
The compact aligns LSSU tuition with the allowable amount offered by the Coast Guard’s tuition assistance program for Sector Sault participants. More than 100 Coast Guard-LSSU students have taken advantage of the opportunity since 2009, translating to more than $200,000 in benefits.
“Lake Superior State University’s flexibility and proximity to the sector provide our active-duty members and their families with an uncommon capability to advance their education and careers,” says Capt. Anthony Jones, commander of the Coast Guard’s Sault Sector. “More so, our relationship with the Sault Ste. Marie community is strengthened through our partnership with LSSU, whose students and staff are such predominant fixtures in the city’s life, and we appreciate our ongoing partnership with the university.”v
