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.
Detroit-based Cintron World Named Official Energy Drink of Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings have named Cintron World, a lifestyle beverage brand based in Detroit, as the team’s official energy drink. It will be served exclusively at Little Caesars Arena this hockey season.
Cintron also has made a long-term advertising investment with the Red Wings by having dasherboard placement of its logo for all home games.
“We are thrilled to announce our official partnership with both the Red Wings and Little Caesars Arena, as well as to have Cintron fully launch in Detroit, in such a fantastic way,” says Chelsea Brehm, co-founder and director of Cintron World. “We have been inspired by the continued revival of this beautiful multiethnic city over the last several years and are looking forward to being a part of its comeback.
“The Cintron brand is all about energizing everyone to become their best self, and we hope that through this partnership, Red Wings fans will be inspired to embrace us as we work to do the same for the Detroit community.”
Cintron’s sparkling energy beverages debuting at Little Caesars Arena feature natural ingredients, vitamin B-complex, are gluten-free with no preservatives, no aspartame, and no high fructose corn syrup.
“Partnering with Detroit-based businesses is something we’re passionate about, and we look forward to Cintron being available to our great fans when the season begins in Hockeytown next month,” says Peter Kent, senior vice president of corporate partnerships for the NHL team.
Amsted Automotive Expands Global Powder Metallurgy Capacity with JV
Amsted Automotive, a metal-forming, powder metal manufacturing, and electro-mechanical clutch designer in Southfield, has formed a joint venture with Anhui HOFO Mechanical and Electrical Co. Ltd. in China.
The new venture is called BN-HOFO Material Technology (Anhui) Ltd., or BN-HOFO. BN-HOFO joins the technology resources of Amsted Automotive’s Burgess-Norton business unit with HOFO’s Chinese manufacturing and technology base to further improve Burgess-Norton’s position as a leader in powder metal component manufacturing.
“The agreement combines Burgess-Norton’s more than 60 years of expertise in the design and manufacture of precision powder metal components with HOFO’s world-class facility in China and extensive engagement in the local market,” says Jeremy Holt, president of Amsted Automotive.
The joint venture will address the existing demands of the local Chinese powder metal market for large, complex components, and the growing market for electric vehicle components. BN-HOFO has the largest powder metal press in China, which will enable Amsted Automotive to provide solutions for the rapidly emerging need for powder metallurgy materials and technologies in Asia and with global customers.
Burgess-Norton will have the opportunity to increase its reach into the Chinese market with globally competitive powder metal technologies and materials, allowing Amsted Automotive to expand its footprint in powder metallurgy worldwide. The joint venture will be positioned to produce production-ready components in 2022.
Eaton in Southfield Introduces Power Takeoff Unit for Ford TorqShift Transmission
Southfield-based power management company Eaton today announced that its Vehicle Group has launched the Bezares 3940 series Power Takeoff (PTO) unit designed to fit the Ford TorqShift 10-speed automatic transmission.
A DIN 5462 output shaft and special output adapters provide versatility and allow for direct mounting of high-pressure piston pumps, such as a bent axis piston pump, to the PTO. This feature is unique to the Bezares 3940 PTO and is not available with other manufacturers’ PTOs designed for the TorqShift.
“We’re happy to provide owners of Ford medium-duty work trucks with a PTO designed specifically for their vehicles, which makes installation easier and provides increased performance,” says Tim Bauer, vice president of aftermarket for Eaton’s Vehicle Group North America. “Our expertise in managing power and the extensive PTO knowledge of our partner Bezares SA allows us to deliver specialized products that make it easier for our customers to order and install.”
The Bezares 3940 series PTO provides a single part number, which includes all installation components and a wiring harness that allows the PTO to work on both gas and diesel engine configured Ford trucks. The profile of the 3940 PTO allows for a faster and more versatile installation, as it was designed to minimize the number of components that need to be removed from the truck. This permits pump installation at 45-degree rotation intervals, increasing mounting flexibility and pump options.
The new PTOs, which provide 230 lb.-ft. of torque with a 130 percent final output ratio, have been engineered to produce less drivetrain noise and are a perfect fit for hydraulic systems requiring higher flow and/or pressure. These PTOs are typically installed on medium-duty work trucks to power a variety of accessories, such as sweepers, cranes, and air compressors.
Small Giants Community Launches Scholarship Program Aimed at Detroit BIPOC Leaders
The Small Giants Community in Detroit has launched the Small Giants Leadership Academy, a one-year certification program.
The training and resources are designed to prepare entrepreneurs to execute on their desire to make people and higher purpose their top priorities, allowing them to ensure their bottom line even while caring for people, customers, and the community.
The program runs from October 2021 through September 2022.
While the academy has been offered for several years, 2021 marks the launch of the LIFT Scholarship (Leaders for Inclusion, Fairness and Transparency), an initiative launched by Small Giants Community co-founder Paul Spiegelman to fund the costs of the academy for leaders of color in underserved business communities.
“The last year and a half raised my awareness of the continued existence of systemic racism in our society and I felt compelled to act,” Spiegelman says. “I recognized that there were many leaders of color who might not otherwise have access to this program or be able to afford the cost. I also committed to making the sometimes uncomfortable topic of racial equity part of our standard curriculum and training in the academy.”
For more information, visit here.
AdAdapted Partners with Buzzfeed’s Tasty and Northfork to Aid Online Walmart Shopping
AdAdapted, an Ann Arbor shopping list marketing and insights platform, has announced a new partnership with Buzzfeed’s Tasty, the world’s largest social food network, and top recipe shopping technology provider Northfork to assist online Walmart shopping.
This new partnership will benefit brands and consumers alike, according to the companies.
AdAdapted, Tasty, and Northfork will provide an Add-to-Bag service to CPG (consumer packaged goods) brands while simultaneously enabling consumers to directly select items for pickup or delivery at Walmart stores nationwide.
As a result of AdAdapted’s integration with Tasty, brands now will be able to ensure that their promoted products can be added to the Walmart “bag” within the Tasty app while consumers engage with Tasty in-app content, such as recipes and other food inspiration.
“AdAdapted is extremely excited to work alongside Tasty to expand each of our unique offerings in the CPG space,” says Mike Pedersen, founder and CEO of AdAdapted. “We look forward to helping our CPG clients engage recipe-minded shoppers while also assisting Tasty in streamlining the Add-to-Bag process.”
Tasty puts more than 6,000 recipes at users’ fingertips and includes an integration with Walmart that allows shoppers to add recipes directly to their Walmart “bag.” When they are ready, shoppers can choose to “Go Check Out at Walmart” and their whole bag is transferred over to Walmart.com or the Walmart app, where they can purchase and schedule their groceries for either curbside pick-up or delivery options.
“Tasty sets out to make cooking more accessible for our audience, and as part of that mission we are always looking for ways to make the conversion experience as frictionless as possible, and get our users the items they need to make our recipes,” says Brendan Kelly, senior vice president of Brand Partnerships at BuzzFeed. “With our long-standing relationship with Walmart and AdAdapted’s expertise in the add-to-list space, AdAdapted is the ideal partner to assist in this goal.”
