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 Baseball Legends Fantasy Camp Takes Over Former Dodgertown Fields Jan. 15-21
Forty years ago this year, Detroit native Jerry Lewis, a diehard Tigers fan and local manufacturer’s representative for a clothing line, learned that the Chicago Cubs were hosting a fantasy camp for fans to play baseball with their former heroes. Intrigued with the concept, Lewis contacted former 1968 Tiger Jim Price, and the two created a Detroit Tigers Fantasy Camp in Lakeland, Fla. in the spring of 1984.
The camps soon became a hit with participants ranging from auto executives, a priest, journalists, and blue-collar workers who were able to live the dream and wear the old English D under the watchful eyes of their coaches that included former Tiger stars.
After Lewis’s camp garnered national attention, nearly every team in Major League Baseball started their own.
This winter the Tigers are not conducting a fantasy camp, and so Lewis, who left the organization three years ago, is hosting his third annual Baseball Legends Fantasy Camp Jan. 15-21 at the historic Jackie Robinson Complex in Vero Beach, Florida, the former spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Each day of the camp starts with live batting practice thrown by a former major league pitcher while ex-Tigers Frank Tanana, Howard Johnson, Joel Zumaya, Jon Warden, Juan Berenguer, Doug Bair, Milt Cuyler, and Rusty Meacham serve as coaches for the campers who play two games a day during the week.
Each camper receives home and away MLB uniforms that are cleaned daily in the clubhouse. Other former players, not yet announced, will appear as guests during the week. The camp cost of $4,300 includes, accommodations, three meals a day, uniforms, a large major league clubhouse, access to an Olympic size swimming pool, and other recreational opportunities.
For more information contact Jerry Lewis at 248-821-0635 or by email at jerrylewis1968@yahoo.com.
GM, EVgo, Pilot Travel Centers Partner on Coast-to-Coast EV Charging Network
General Motors Co. in Detroit, EVgo Inc. in Los Angeles, and Tennessee-based Pilot Travel Centers today announced the opening of the first 17 locations of their previously announced national electric vehicle fast charging network.
Now available in 13 states, the network features an elevated charging experience, providing EV travelers access to the same amenities offered at existing Pilot and Flying J travel center locations.
“EV drivers are eager for a better charging experience and to have more charging locations along America’s most traveled corridors,” says Adam Wright, CEO of Pilot Travel Centers. “These new charging locations and the many more to come, will be critical for improving range confidence. As interest in EVs continues to grow, we believe our network can be a catalyst to getting more EV drivers on the road.”
Many locations throughout the network offer a variety of 24/7 amenities, products, and services, including:
- Multiple fast charging stalls at each site, with chargers capable of delivering up to 350kW.
- Canopies to help protect drivers from the elements during charging.
- Pull-through charging stalls to accommodate EV towing.
- Centrally located chargers in well-lit areas, monitored around-the-clock by onsite staff.
- Access to restrooms, food, and beverage options, and free Wi-Fi.
- Plug and Charge compatibility for a streamlined charging experience.
A digital user experience also has been built into this network. EV travelers will be able to easily find available charging locations via GM’s vehicle brand apps, Pilot’s myRewards Plus app, the EVgo app, PlugShare, and other applications designed for EV drivers.
Beginning in spring 2024, GM, and Pilot Travel Centers will introduce exclusive benefits for GM drivers, including the ability to reserve a charger, and discounts on charging.
“As GM continues to advance its vision of an all-electric future, we’re collaborating broadly to accelerate access to convenient charging at home and on the go, offering additional confidence to prospective single vehicle customers considering an EV,” says Wade Sheffer, vice president of GM Energy. “This new network will provide EV drivers with a quality charging experience and greater peace of mind during road trips.”
By the end of 2023, it is expected that at least 25 Pilot and Flying J travel centers will feature EV fast charging, with approximately 200 locations targeted by the end of 2024. In total, the network will include up to 2,000 high-power fast charging stalls at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers across the U.S., connecting urban and rural communities. Expansion sites for this network have been strategically selected for continued electrification of highly traveled corridors in every corner of the nation.
For more information, visit here.
Tigers Sign Hinch to Extension, Add Four Coaches to Major League Staff
The Detroit Tigers announced Monday that they had signed manager A.J. Hinch to a long-term contract extension and added four new coaches to its coaching staff.
Terms of Hinch’s new deal were not specified but the new coaches are Joey Cora (third base coach), Anthony Iapoce (first base coach), Ryan Sienko (catching coach), and Lance Zawadzki (assistant Major League hitting coach).
Cora joins the Tigers coaching staff after spending the previous two seasons as the third base coach for the New York Mets. Prior to his time with the Mets, Cora was the Pirates third base and infield coach from 2017-21. Cora enjoyed an 11-year Major League career with the Padres (1987; 1989-90), White Sox (1991-94), Mariners (1995-98) and Indians (1988).
Iapoce was promoted to the Major League coaching staff after spending the 2023 season as the manager for Triple A Toledo. Before joining the Tigers organization, he most recently worked in the Boston Red Sox organization as the senior hitting coordinator in 2022. Prior to his time with the Red Sox, he spent six seasons as a Major League hitting coach, three each with the Chicago Cubs (2019-21) and Texas Rangers (2016-18).
Sienko spent the previous two seasons as the Detroit organization’s director of coaching and field coordinator, where he coordinated the organization’s on-field activity and coaching initiatives. Prior to coming to Detroit, he spent six seasons as a catching coordinator with the Dodgers. Before joining the Dodgers, he was an associate scout for the Orioles from 2007-15.
Zawadzki joins the Tigers after spending the previous two seasons as the hitting coordinator in the Boston Red Sox player development system. Prior to that, he was the hitting coach for Double A Portland in 2020-21 and Single A Salem in 2019. He made his coaching debut with Single A Lowell in 2018.
J.P. Morgan Private Bank Releases 2024 Global Investments Outlook
J.P. Morgan Private Bank in New York released its 2024 Global Investments Outlook, “After the Rate Reset: Investing Reconfigured,” which defines five important considerations for investors as they navigate the dynamics of today’s new interest rate environment.
“Markets have entered an entirely new interest rate regime,” says Grace Peters, global head of investment strategy at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. “Three years ago, nearly 30 percent of all global government debt traded with a negative yield. It seemed the era of super-low interest rates might never end, but it did.”
The J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s 2024 Investment Outlook explores five important themes:
- Inflation will likely settle – you should still hedge against it.
- The cash conundrum: the benefits and risks of holding too much.
- Bonds are competitive with stocks – adjust the mix according to your ambitions.
- With AI momentum, equities seem to be on the march to new highs.
- Pockets of credit stress loom, but they will likely be limited.
For more information about J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s 2024 Global Investments Outlook and to download the full report, visit here.
The Brembo Group Celebrates a Year of Motorsports Victories in 2023
Brembo, a leader in the design and production of braking systems on Detroit, is celebrating a successful 2023 in motorsports with 70 world titles to its credit.
Brembo was the partner of choice for the winning teams in racing categories including Formula One, Formula E, MotoGP, and the World Superbike series, and several others.
Max Verstappen celebrated his third consecutive Formula One championship victory with Oracle Red Bull Racing using Brembo brake calipers; Pecco Bagnaia, with the Ducati Lenovo Team in MotoGP, repeated his 2022 triumph with an entire Brembo braking system and wheels by Marchesini, part of the Brembo Group; and at the WorldSBK championships, Alvaro Bautista of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team powered to his second successive win, also with a Brembo braking system and Marchesini wheels.
Brembo supplied braking systems to all teams in the Formula E championship. In Moto2, Pedro Acosta, riding with the Red Bull KTM Ajo Team, won with Brembo calipers and pumps, and Jaume Masiá of Leopard Racing clinched victory in Moto3 with Brembo calipers, discs and pumps. They were among numerous other world champions featuring on the world stage in motorsport competitions.
Brembo triumphed in the Hypercar category of the 100th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hour Race.
In 2023, Brembo surpassed 500 Formula One Grand Prix victories. All the Grands Prix races this year, 22 in all, were won by cars equipped with Brembo Group components. In collaboration with the principal racing teams, the Bergamo-based company boasts victories in 507 of the 851 GP races it has run since 1975, the year in which Brembo made its debut in Formula One. The victories include 29 drivers’ championships and 33 constructors’ championships.
Brembo components also were featured in the WEC, GT, IMSA, EWC, NASCAR, MXGP, Enduro, Trial, Formula 2, Formula 3, WRC, Super Formula, MotoAmerica, and Porsche Supercap competitions. This has resulted in more than 600 world title wins since 1975 across all categories.
Clark Hill Receives First Cannabis Law Firm of the Year Award
At the inaugural Emjay International Cannabis Awards ceremony on Nov. 30, Detroit-based law firm Clark Hill received the first Cannabis Law Firm of the Year Emjay Award, part of a program to recognize the top ancillary businesses supporting the cannabis industry.
The Emjays are a black-tie affair honoring the top accountants, attorneys, software companies, consultants, and other service-based categories.
“While recognition means a lot, what drives us is our focus and dedication to our clients and their pioneering tasks on a daily and weekly basis,” says Bob Hoban, Clark Hill’s cannabis industry group co-chair. “Groundbreaking entrepreneurs and clients require inventive legal counsel and advisory, and that’s what Clark Hill provides.”
Hoban and his fellow co-chair Sander Zagzebski, along with Xavier Jaillet, cannabis industry group coordinator, and Halston Trabucco, business development manager, accepted the award at MJBizCon in Las Vegas. The award is the second Clark Hill’s cannabis team has received this year. In September, Benzinga named the group Cannabis Law Firm of the Year. Clark Hill was one of seven firms nominated for the award.
“Our full service, multidisciplinary cannabis group includes partner level attorneys from each of our substantive practice areas and all of our firm’s major geographies,” Zagzebski says. “While many of our AmLaw ranked peers have experience in the industry, we think our cross-disciplinary collaboration and geographic diversity helped set us apart and contributed to our Chambers USA ranking, our award at the Benzinga conference and now this award at MJBiz.”
Troy’s G2 Consulting Group Announces Investment from Great River Co. Inc.
G2 Consulting Group, a full service geotechnical, environmental, and construction engineering firm in Troy, has received an unspecified investment from The Great River Co. Inc. (GRC) in Minneapolis.
Through this investment, GRC will partner with G2 leadership to continue the establishment of an engineering services platform with a core focus on geotechnical, environmental, and construction engineering.
G2 will continue to operate independently under its own brand and be led by its existing leadership team. Together, the leadership teams will focus on organic expansion and complimentary add-on acquisitions.
MSU College of Engineering Design Day on Tap for Dec. 8
Continuing a tradition that began in 1994, the Michigan State University College of Engineering in East Lansing will host its annual Design Day on Friday, Dec. 8, to celebrate innovation driven by Spartan engineering students.
Design Day gives students the opportunity to share their latest technological advances and research with the MSU community and corporate partners.
This year’s fall semester event will include 694 students representing 132 teams and seven courses in the fields of computer science and mechanical, civil, electrical, and environmental engineering. Spartan engineers are evaluated academically for these projects, and also professionally by potential employers.
Among this group are 435 graduating seniors on 75 teams that will present their final projects, including 67 sponsored by corporate and community partners.
“The headliners of Design Day are our graduating seniors,” says Leo Kempel, dean of the MSU College of Engineering. “Their projects represent the capstone of their educational career. You will see that our graduating MSU engineers are ready to lead, create and innovate.”
The lineup of student-created, solution-based, visual, hands-on projects sponsored by the university, community, and corporate partners include:
- Meijer: Enhanced AI-powered web app shopping experience focused on meal preferences, recipes, dietary restrictions, allergies and shopping history.
- Consumers Energy: Plans for 78-acre, 200-plus employee Lansing gas and electric operations center with warehouse, truck wells, loading docks, covered storage, detention ponds and office space.
- TechSmith: AI-guided Automated Content Editor web application that simplifies video editing by enabling users to edit videos using everyday language.
- Union Pacific: Railroad switch alignment training software with online courses that train employees to identify the alignment of railroad switches quickly and accurately.
- MSU Electrical and Computer Engineering: Interactive robot capable of autonomously identifying and locating sounds for seamless communication in remote professional settings.
- Village of Alanson, Mich.: Hand-propelled ferry, offering a much-needed, reliable and safe way for people to access Sanctuary Island Park in this Lower Peninsula town of 800 residents.
- MSU College of Music: Sound-sensitized board and computer system with movable 3-D notes that allows visually impaired people to experience music as it was written by composers.
Other corporate sponsors of student-led projects for Design Day include Amazon, General Motors Co., GE, Stryker, Whirlpool, Magna, Lockheed Martin, United, Volkswagen, Whirlpool, and Fraunhofer USA.
The College of Engineering awards 11 student projects. Each project is evaluated by a panel of corporate and faculty judges. The college’s Engineering Building also will host a Design Day competition for 140 high school students.
All Four One to Host Bowl-A-Thon Holiday Harvest Toy Drive Fundraiser Dec. 9
All Four One is hosting Bowl-A-Thon Holiday Harvest Toy Drive Fundraiser at 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at Mayflower Lanes in Redford Township.
The organization is looking to raise $1,000 for new toys to serve children facing illnesses such as sickle cell, cancer, and other critical medical turmoil and financial dilemmas in the upcoming holiday season.
The All Four One encourages participants to form teams and give them a sense of identity. All Four One Bowl-A-Thon promotes friendly competition between teams by creating leaderboards or awarding trophies for the best-performing team. This camaraderie will enhance the overall experience and motivate participants to invite their friends and colleagues to join in the fun.
For more information, visit allfouronedetroit.org or to donate, visit here.
Honor Community Health in Pontiac Looks to Boost Outcomes for Pregnant Women
Oakland Integrated Healthcare Network (dba Honor Community Health) in Pontiac is expanding its maternal health and early childhood programs through multiple federal and state grants.
“Addressing the critical health disparities faced by pregnant women and children in the Pontiac area has been a key focus area of ours for years,” says Debbie Brinson, CEO of Honor Community Health. “We’re thrilled to receive this funding that solidifies our commitment to being a part of the solution by amplifying our women and children’s health programs, and we look forward to working with community partners to ensure we serve as many families as possible throughout Oakland County.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded $2 million to Honor Community Health, funding that will be used locally to improve health outcomes for patients at the highest risk of maternal morbidity and mortality.
Honor Community Health also received expanded funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) as part of its Title X program to expand its reproductive health program. HRSA also awarded $200,000 to Honor Community Health to improve developmental outcomes among children up to age 5 through increased screenings and follow-up services.
To address challenges with maternal health care, Honor Community Health plans to implement innovative models of care for the community, including establishing a maternal health home, expanding telehealth and mobile community hubs, hiring doulas and midwives, and expanding programs such as CenteringPregnancy. Honor also plans to implement a Maternal Health Advisory Council to ensure the program is guided by the needs of patients and the community.
