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.
Detroit Auto Show to Raffle Corvette, Bronco Raptor, or Grand Wagoneer
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA), organizer of the Detroit Auto Show, announced that show visitors may purchase a chance to win their choice of a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette, 2023 Ford Bronco Raptor, or 2023 Jeep Grand Wagoneer as part of the DADA Education Foundation’s Official Vehicle Raffle.
Tickets will be available onsite throughout the Sept. 13-24 show at Huntington Place in Detroit with the winner announced on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 4 p.m.
Show-goers may enter to win by purchasing a $1 digital ticket at designated booths inside the Detroit Auto Show main show floor. Admission to the show is required to access the purchase of tickets. There is no limit to the number of tickets that can be purchased. The raffle is open to anyone 18 years of age or older, and the winner need not be present to win.
Proceeds will support the DADA’s Education Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) charitable entity that promotes the next generation of mobility innovators while advancing new, clean energy pathways, motor vehicle safety and social responsibility.
Human Resources Group to Host Conference Sept. 21 in Southfield
The Detroit chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management is hosting its second day-long conference from 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Westin Southfield-Detroit.
HR professionals from all around southeast Michigan will meet at The Westin Southfield-Detroit for a day of inspiration, learning, and growing.
Danielle Crane and Susan Morgan Bailey will present the opening keynote: Thriving Workplaces: Culture is on TOP of the To-Do List. The closing keynote will be given by R.J. King, editor of DBusiness, DBusiness Daily News, and Detroit 500.
Breakout Sessions will include:
- Navigate a Mock Acquisition with DSHRM Resource Partners
- Crain’s Cool Places to Work Panel
- Better Together: Change Management, the Great Employee Experience Enabler
- Focus Your Locus: Gain More Control Over Your Life and Leadership in 2023 and Beyond
- Burnout-Proof Your Team: HR Edition
- The Real World: Working Parents Panel
- Keeping Up with the Generations: The Role of HR in Hiring, Training, Engaging and Retaining GenZ Talent in the New Economy
- Leadership Reset: Ctrl + Alt + Del
- Preparing You and Your Firm for Secure Act 2.0
- Rising Healthcare Costs: Is it time to rethink your benefit game plan?
- Getting Started with People Analytics and Workforce Planning
- Fireside Chat on Trend Benders and Game Changers
The day will conclude with a happy hour.
Companies interested in sponsoring the conference can visit here.
To register to attend, visit here.
50-Year-Old GMC Motorhomes Return to GMC Assembly Plant Location
On Monday, Sept. 25, to recognize the 50th anniversary of the GMC Motorhome, GMC Motorhomes International (GMCMI) will convoy from Shiawassee Fairgrounds in Corunna (west of Flint) starting at 10 a.m. to M1 Concourse in Pontiac, the site of the plant that produced the iconic motorhomes.
The event at M1 is not open to the public.
The GMCMI organization says it believes that this is the first time that 50-year-old motorhomes will caravan from Canada and the U.S. back to the plant location where they were built. Coaches will be grouped by their 1973 to 1978 year of manufacture while parading through Pontiac demonstrating the longevity and the GMC Motorhome Lifestyle in 2023.
Prior to the GMC Motorhome Homecoming, GMCMI members will participate in a six-day convention at the Shiawassee Fairgrounds from Sept. 19-25.
The GMC Motorhome (12,921 in total) was manufactured by the GMC Truck & Coach Division of General Motors Corp. from 1973-1978, at the present-day site of M1 Concourse. It was the only complete motorhome built by a major auto/truck manufacturer. Available in 23- and 26-foot lengths, the design was noted for its aerodynamic, front-wheel drive, low profile, and fully integrated body.
Stellantis Reveals its Proposal to the UAW
In a letter to the company’s employees from North American CEO Mark Stewart, Stellantis outlined its first proposal to the UAW.
“From the start of these negotiations, we have said we’re committed to fairly rewarding you for your hard work and contributions to the success of the company,” Stewart writes. “Today’s offer includes significant wage increases in each year of the contract and, in percentage terms, this opening offer is larger than where we ultimately landed in 2019.”
The proposal includes for most represented employees, wage increases in each year of the contract totaling 14.5 percent (no lump sums), as well as:
- Inflation protection — $6,000 one-time inflation protection payment in first year of the contract, $4,500 in inflation protection payments over the final three years of the contract.
- Juneteenth as a paid holiday for all represented employees
- Wage increase from starting rate of $15.78/hour to $20/hour (a $4.22/hour increase) for
- In-progression employees.
- Accelerate progression timeline from eight years to six years, potentially reducing the time that employees can reach the max wage rate by 25 percent.
“This is a responsible and strong offer that positions us to continue providing good jobs for our employees today and in the next generation here in the U.S.,” Stewart writes. “It also protects the company’s future ability to continue to compete globally in an industry that is rapidly transitioning to electric vehicles.”
For more information, visit here.
Cultured Kombucha Co. Expands Retail Footprint with Spartan Nash Stores
Traverse City-based Cultured Kombucha Co.’s assorted flavors of ready-to-drink kombucha can be found at all 85 Michigan Spartan Nash stores — a partnership that has expanded the company’s retail outlets and allows Michiganders across the state to access a locally produced, certified organic kombucha tea.
Cultured Kombucha Co.’s core product line launched from Spartan stores shelves Sept 8. Each store features four flavors of Cultured Kombucha offered year-round.
Customers can purchase the kombucha teas in individual bottles for $3.99 and can find the bottles in the produce department. Handcrafted in northern Michigan, Cultured Kombucha features organic, Michigan-grown ingredients in easy-to-sip flavors.
“This partnership with Spartan Nash is a great opportunity to expand our company mission to help consumers make healthier lifestyle choices — one sip at a time,” says Courtney Lorenz, founder of Cultured Kombucha Co. “We’re thrilled to provide easily accessible and affordable kombucha tea to every corner of the state. This is an incredible opportunity to increase healthy food access in the state of Michigan with the help of Spartan stores.”
Cultured Kombucha Co. products also can be found at all D&W Fresh, Family Fare, VG’s Grocery, and assorted Independent Spartan stores throughout Michigan.
Red Cross Facing a National Blood Shortage
The American Red Cross is experiencing a national blood shortage. Fewer donors than needed gave this summer, drawing down the national blood supply and reducing distributions of some of the most needed blood types to hospitals. Hurricane Idalia further strained the blood supply with blood drive cancellations and reduced blood and platelet donations in affected areas.
Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, especially platelet donors and type O blood donors, to ensure patients in Michigan and across the country continue to receive critical medical care.
“We want to reassure the community that the Red Cross is working with hospitals around-the- clock to meet the blood needs of patients,” says Mary Lynn Foster, regional CEO, American Red Cross Michigan Region. “However, we can’t do it alone. We need the public’s help and the generosity of blood donors.”
To schedule an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about sickle cell disease and boost access to matching blood products for patients living with sickle cell.
Sickle cell patients may require as many as 100 units of blood every year to maintain their quality of life. Without these transfusions, a person’s blood does not flow normally, putting them at risk for severe pain, tissue and organ damage, anemia – even strokes.
Blood donors who are Black are almost three times more likely to be a match for the blood most needed.
Consumers Energy Releases 56 Turtles Rescued During Pipeline Project
Consumers Energy in Jackson has released 56 turtle hatchlings back into natural wetland habitats after the juveniles were rescued as eggs along the path of the Mid-Michigan Pipeline Project.
The turtles came from eggs of adult females that were safely removed from the pipeline path throughout the course of the summer and were incubated and nurtured by Herpetological Resource and Management (HRM).
“At Consumers Energy we believe in leaving our communities better than we found them, and that is why years of careful planning with environmental partners at the local, state, and federal levels went into the execution of the first phase of this pipeline project,” says Chris Fultz, vice president of gas operations at Consumers Energy. “This work is not just about following the permit requirements, it is about doing what is best for the wildlife in the area, and we continue to be grateful for partners that help us do that.”
During the summer, HRM rescued and incubated Eastern Snapping, Midland Painted, and Blanding’s turtle eggs. The release included 39 Eastern Snapping turtles, 12 Midland Painted juveniles, and five Blanding’s turtles.
As a protected species in Michigan and one being considered for federal protection, several Blanding’s hatchlings that were rescued and incubated will continue to be cared for and monitored over the course of the winter at the HRM facility before being released next spring, significantly increasing the chances of survival and future reproduction. This process is known as head starting and can help rare species that are in decline increase populations for the future.
Livonia’s WorkForce Software Introduces the WorkForce Spark Program to Global Partner
WorkForce Software, a provider of integrated employee experience and workforce management solutions, announces WorkForce Spark, a comprehensive program to support the creation of rapid implementation solutions.
WorkForce Spark is designed to meet the increased demand from small and midsize businesses that are seeking solutions to modernize and digitally transform their workforce management (WFM), scheduling, time, and attendance technology, and employee communications.
“WorkForce Spark enables WorkForce partners to build rapidly deployable, pre-configured solutions to deliver enterprise-class capabilities significantly faster and at a lower cost per implementation to small and mid-sized organizations who also have more complex requirements,” says Mike Morini, CEO of WorkForce Software. “With WorkForce Spark, our partners deliver rapid implementation solutions for small and midsize businesses, offering the same advanced functionality that our multinational customers, including some of the world’s most prominent brands, have already harnessed.”
WorkForce Spark provides WorkForce Software’s global partner network with the guidance, tools, and technical and promotional support needed to rapidly build solutions for markets, industries, or geographies levering the WorkForce Suite’s powerful templating capabilities to meet the solution requirements of their customers in significantly less time.
Under the Spark program, several WorkForce Software global partners including EPI-USE, and regional partners including GroupeX, IN-RGY, and SD Worx, already have launched offers with reduced time and cost implementation packages and these pre-configured solutions are now available in North America, Europe, Australia, and other markets.
Alerje Earns $1M Phase II SBIR NSF Award to Support Life Food Allergy Immunotherapy
Alerje, the Detroit-based emergency medicine and food allergy management company, has received a Phase II, $1 million grant award from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The grant will expand the capabilities of the company’s patent-pending AI digital platform and help accelerate the manufacturing of Alerje’s internationally patented epinephrine auto-injector (EAI) solution.
Alerje’s digital platform features a variety of food allergy remote therapeutic management (RTM) tools, all designed to streamline the delivery of OIT regimens and ensure their successful completion by patients and doctors. The platform, which consistently achieved a user satisfaction rate of 92 percent during their Phase I NSF project, will continue to evolve in Phase II with the aim of enhancing user experience and ML capabilities.
SMART Announces Expansion of Transit Services in Oakland County
SMART has expanded its services in Oakland County by introducing 68 new bus stops, enhancing transportation options for passengers in Novi, Wixom, and Bloomfield Hills.
“We are thrilled to kick off this round of expansions in Oakland County,” says Dwight Ferrell, general manager of SMART. “It’s a momentous occasion as we bring transit service to communities that have been underserved for far too long. Our commitment to improving mobility options in the region is unwavering, and we are proud to get these buses on the road.”
The expansion of services reflects SMART’s ongoing commitment to enhancing regional public transportation options and improving accessibility for members of the southeast Michigan community. Notably, this marks the first time in 28 years that Novi and Bloomfield Hills will have transit services and the inaugural introduction of fixed route transit service in Wixom.
For more information, visit here.
Bedrock to Host 3-D Realities at Electrifly Detroit Immersive Art Gallery
The ground floor of Bedrock’s iconic First National Building at 660 Woodward Ave. will be showcasing the works of Detroit’s most iconic artists in the inaugural Electrifly Detroit Immersive Art Gallery through Sept. 30.
The gallery will host more than 20 interactive Augmented Reality Mural experiences every day between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. The artists being featured include Ouizi, Hubert Massey, Ricky Watts, Olivia Guterson, Sheefy McFly, Bre’Ann White, and Jimbo Phillips, whose work will “burst forth into vivid 3-D augmented reality.”
It’s made possible by a collaboration of BrandXR and Bedrock.
“Positioned as America’s sole Design City within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), Detroit reaffirms its commitment to the nexus of art and innovation through the Electrifly Detroit Immersive Art Gallery,” says Moody Mattan, founder and CEO of BrandXR. “This collaboration goes beyond mere exhibition; it envelops you in the very essence of art.”
For more information, visit here.
Detroit Historical Museum Offers Free STEM Program for Girls
The Detroit Historical Museum will host an international program that aims to boost girls’ interest in the STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — through a virtual racing experience.
“Sim 4 STEM” will be running programs for girls only Sept. 12-16 and everyone Sept. 17-20. ages 14-18, at the museum, 5401 Woodward Ave. In Detroit. Each daily session runs from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., in keeping with the school day.
Organizing the effort are Stefy Bau, a native of Italy, former professional motocross racer, and now CEO of Init Esports Inc., and Nicci Daly, a native of Ireland who played on that country’s 2020 Olympic field hockey team, and founder of Formula Female, an organization dedicated to fostering the involvement of women in motorsports.
To sign up for the free events, visit here. For a video preview of the program, visit here.
Touch a Job Invites Students to Schoolcraft MEC to Get Hands-on Experience
Teenagers can get a sample of jobs in public safety, energy, health, and advanced manufacturing during a new career-exploration event coming to Schoolcraft College in Livonia this fall.
Touch a Job is a free event for middle- and high-school students who want to learn about in-demand, good-paying careers that require an associate degree or skill certificate. This event will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sept. 30 at the Schoolcraft College Manufacturing and Engineering Center.
Young people can explore such careers as 3-D printing, advanced manufacturing, computer aided design, electric vehicles and mobility, energy, firefighting, health careers, police officers, robotics, and welding. Sessions will be led by the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, Schoolcraft College, AlphaUSA, Trane, the Livonia Fire Department, and the Livonia Police Department.
Career demonstrations will take place in 30-minute sessions at the MEC, Livonia Police training center, and the AlphaUSA facility along Glendale, west of Merriman Road. Students can visit up to five sessions of their choice. Shuttle buses will be available to transport visitors between sites.
Men’s Health Event Returns to Ford Field Sept. 30
The MIU Men’s Health Foundation is hosting the 13th annual Men’s Health Event from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 30 at Ford Field in Detroit.
Metro Detroit-area men 18 years and older, with or without health insurance, are encouraged to take advantage of this free event focused on preventative health care.
Services will include vital screenings, bloodwork, flu vaccinations, HIV testing, oral cancer and dental checks, vision and glaucoma screenings, skin cancer screenings, vein dopplers, diabetic foot checks, heart status monitoring, colorectal cancer FIT kits, posture and spine evaluation, lung function analysis, semenalysis education, kidney screenings, and mental health evaluations.
An assessment of current health and screenings for some of the most treatable diseases will be provided at the event. Since many illnesses are preventable, the event also offers a better understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle, information about men’s health topics and increased awareness about advances in health care.
The free health screenings and tests will be provided in partnership with Corewell Health, Ascension, Henry Ford Health, Wayne State Health, Detroit Mercy Dental, and Trinity Health, and are comprehensively valued at more than $2,000. In addition to standard vital measurements, blood screenings will test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), testosterone, A1c, and a full lipid panel.
The event will also include free lunch for attendees, the opportunity to kick a field goal, haircuts for men provided by the Michigan Barber School, and inflatables for kids. A job fair will include educational and vocational opportunities for skills-based training. A half-time show at noon will feature an in-depth discussion of what’s new in men’s health in 2023 called “What’s Up, Doc.”
Fitness classes will be conducted throughout the day on the field including yoga at 10 a.m. presented by Holy Yoga, a beginner bootcamp class at 11 a.m. presented by Detroit Strong Gym, and a beginner jiu jitsu class at 1 p.m. by Voyage Jiu Jitsu. A full list of screenings, vendors, and activities is available online and will be updated as additional groups join.
Autoimmune Association to Host Annual Community Summit Oct. 5-6
The Autoimmune Association in Clinton Township, a nonprofit organization dedicated to autoimmune awareness, advocacy, education, and research, will conduct its third annual Autoimmune Community Summit virtually from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 5-6.
This annual free event is open to anyone affected by autoimmune disease to share information, be inspired, create new connections, and learn about the latest treatments.
An autoimmune disease is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and damages healthy body tissue and cells, rather than protecting the body as it was designed to do. While the exact cause of autoimmune diseases is not fully understood, they are thought to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Autoimmune diseases affect approximately 50 million Americans, mainly women, and include a group of more than 100 chronic conditions, including multiple sclerosis, lupus, Crohn’s, and colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s, celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, and many rare diseases.
This two-day event, designed for patients and care partners, offers educational and empowering sessions led by autoimmune experts including scientists and researchers, physicians, mental health experts, policy leaders and patient advocates.
This year’s sessions include discussions on managing pain and fatigue; exploring complementary medicine and diet; understanding clinical trials; supporting care partners; understanding the autoimmune disease journey through patient stories; exploring autoimmune treatments on the horizon; understanding public policy; communicating effectively with your health care team; navigating insurance; and caring for your mental health.
For more information or to register, visit here.
Sessions will be led by leading professionals in autoimmune disease care and research, and patients who will share their stories of diagnosis, treatment, self-advocacy, and mental health care.
Key speakers include Dr. Kara Wada from The Ohio State University, a leading allergy and immunology specialist, who will discuss communicating effectively with your health care team; Vanessa Zinke, a psychotherapist who will talk about caring for your mental health while dealing with an autoimmune disease and Indie Lee, founder of Indie Lee & Company, who herself has autoimmune diseases and is a Board Member of the Autoimmune Association.
Lee Thomas, reporter and news anchor at Fox 2 Detroit TV, will deliver the keynote address. Thomas has been diagnosed with vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that destroys the skin’s pigment. Thomas will share his story and provide techniques on overcoming insurmountable obstacles through the power of empathy.
“It’s important for autoimmune disease patients to connect with others who are facing similar challenges, including the journey to diagnosis and coping with difficult symptoms,” added Murray. “The Autoimmune Community Summit provides a platform for patients to connect, share their stories, and build a supportive and encouraging network.”
