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.
Dearborn’s Carhartt Launches AI Heated Vest
Carhartt in Dearborn has introduced what it calls the workwear of the future: the Carhartt X-1 Smart Heated Vest.
In partnership with clim8, the new intelligent heated vest from Carhartt is designed to adjust to fluctuating body temperatures and built to personalize heat and comfort both on and off the job.
Developed to help people live, work, and perform more comfortably in cold environments, the new Carhartt X-1 Smart Heated Vest is a lightweight, durable garment that intelligently responds to real-time temps, activity level and changing conditions. Built to eliminate the pain point of layering clothes while on the job, as well as overheating in cold-weather gear, the new smart vest from Carhartt frees workers from distractions with a personalized approach to regulating warmth.
“Mother nature presents all sorts of challenges, and this cutting-edge technology will enable users to manage their body heat and enjoy optimal comfort in cold conditions,” says Alex Guerrero, senior vice president and general manager of global product at Carhartt. “With changing temperatures, different work environments and fluctuating activity levels, our new heated vest offers a personalized experience and functions as a reactionary approach to body heat that enables users to get the job done regardless of the environment or climate.”
With three strategically mapped heat zones across vital sections of the torso, the Carhartt X-1 Smart Heated Vest is built to:
- Monitor temperature in real-time.
- Analyze the wearer’s profile, environment, and activity.
- Activate heat automatically and safely.
- Regulate warmth to reach optimal comfort.
- Reduce bulk by eliminating the hassle of adding and removing layers.
Powered by clim8 intelligent thermal technology, the AI-based heated vest features technological advantages over other heated technologies, according to the manufacturer, including intelligent heating modes that detect when to start/stop heating, an auto on/off wearing interface that detects when you put on or take off the vest, and a smart battery system that optimizes usage to ensure longevity.
Using the clim8 smartphone app, users can pair the vest via Bluetooth technology and calibrate it to their personalized comfort settings. It will automatically provide heating when it is needed to ensure the body remains at a comfortable temperature, maximizing performance despite cold mornings or late night on the job site.
“At clim8 we are proud of the launch of the Carhartt X-1 Smart Heated Vest,” says Florian Miguet, CEO of clim8. “Both teams have worked intensely over the past two years on field and lab testing to bring a cutting-edge product, merging Carhartt’s strong DNA of durability, performance and clim8’s unique thermal experience.”
The Carhartt X-1 Smart Heated Vest will be available at Carhartt.com for $220.
Davis & Davis, Woodbury Design Group Collaborate for Butzel’s Detroit Offices
The Detroit office of Butzel recently remodeled its offices, a job conceived by members of the firm’s management team and designed by Phil Melcher of Woodbury Design Group in Birmingham in coordination with Jamie Jordan of Davis & Davis in Farmington Hills.
Butzel imagined a flexible and adaptable space, able to withstand the on-going changes in the practice of law over the next 20 to 30 years.
Prior to the pandemic, firm leaders already were working with the design team to develop flexible, adaptable concepts that would allow them to maximize the use of space for their new Troy offices, which were completed in 2021.
The new Butzel Detroit offices are a continuation of those forward-thinking concepts. Joanne Klimko, chief administrative officer at Butzel, oversaw this entire project.
Some of the features are offices uniform in size, furniture, and equipment; lots of natural light; state of the art technology throughout, an office booking software that allows individuals to reserve an office or a conference room from an app on their smartphone; a room for nursing mothers, a meditation room, and a wellness room. There also are residential-feel gathering spaces for relaxation and collaboration which includes a fireplace.
“Working with Joanne and Phil to create and implement this forward-thinking program, a new model for the future of law offices, has been an honor and a privilege,” says Jamie Jordan, a partner at Davis & Davis. “Our firm enjoys the opportunity to develop progressive office space that transforms and elevates the experience for its end-users.”
New Day Foundation Receives $150K Grant from Total Health Care Foundation
New Day Foundation for Families in Rochester Hills has received a $150,000 grant from Priority Health and the Total Health Care Foundation to help remove barriers to cancer care by joining forces to address social determinants of health (SDoH).
The grant will help fund the Family Support Program in Detroit and throughout Wayne County to assist cancer patients with food and housing shortages, economic stability, and physical/mental health issues.
The program provides financial assistance, emotional support, and grocery support to families in active treatment for cancer who have experienced a loss of income due to the disease.
“Disparities in health care should not define a patient’s chance of survival, but they do,” says Gina Kell Spehn, co-founder and president of New Day. “SDoH barriers, such as employment, education, transportation, housing, access to healthy food, and poverty, are often a more reliable prediction of successful cancer outcomes than clinical care. We are committed to removing these barriers to treatment by helping families pay the rent, covering their utility bills or car payments and providing fresh food.”
Priority Health recognizes the vital role it plays in improving health and health care in Michigan and understands that addressing social determinants of health is key for achieving health equity.
Efforts to improve health outcomes historically have focused on medical interventions. Health care systems, however, increasingly recognize that addressing social determinants of health is just as critical to overcoming health disparities and improving care outcomes for all.
“Priority Health and the Total Health Care Foundation are proud to invest in organizations such as the New Day Foundation so they can strengthen their public services and initiatives that contribute to overall good health,” says Shannon Wilson, vice president of population health and health equity at Priority Health and executive director of the Total Health Care Foundation. “We cannot wait to see what amazing things these organizations are able to achieve through these contributions to their causes.”
For more information on the Total Health Care Foundation, visit here.
Michigan Landmarks Go Red for Women’s Heart Health
The Blue Cross Blue Shield tower in Detroit, the Grand Rapids skyline, and Devos Children’s Hospital, downtown Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo City Hall, and Blue Cross Blue Shield building in the state capital in Lansing and other buildings were bathed in red lights Feb. 3 in recognition of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
Go Red for Women is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.
