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 City Distillery Transforms Tasting Room into Winter Whiskey Wonderland
Detroit City Distillery (DCD) has decked out its Tasting Room (2462 Riopelle St.) for the holidays turning the space into a festive Winter Whiskey Wonderful complete with a brand-new holiday menu with 15 new artisanal cocktails.
“Think of this as a personal invitation to a fantastic Christmas house party with way better booze,” says Michael Forsyth, co-owner of Detroit City Distillery. “Our bartenders really pushed themselves to create some inventive and creative cocktails for the occasion. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but right now, my two are the Claus for Vacation and Fizzions of Sugar Plums, and pretty much everything on the whiskey side of the menu.”
As the holidays progress, DCD plans to add special programming with pop-ups from local chefs and more. Details will be announced on DCD’s social channels. While visiting, patrons also can purchase DCD’s spirits onsite for authentically Detroit holiday gifts.
Winter Whiskey Wonderland holiday favorites include:
- Claus for Vacation — Gilded Age Vodka infused with peppermint and almond tea, strawberry, fernet, heavy cream.
- Fizzions of Sugar Plums — Shopkeeper’s Gin, aperol, lemon, honey-plum tea jelly, bubbly
- Autumn Nights Brown butter Butcher’s Cut Bourbon, cinnamon-infused Homegrown Rye, maple, lemon.
- Neopolitan Dynamite — Gilded Age Vodka, raspberry, branca menta, allspice dram, Aztec choco bitters, egg.
- Smoke Show — Bloodline Whiskey, choco-chilli, passilla, aromatic bitters, sugar, smoke
- Winter Manhattan — Four Grain Bourbon, amaro angostura, cardamaro, allspice.
- Attack Of The Gingerbread Man! — Gilded Age Vodka, ginger, hazelnut, averna, whole egg.
- Coquito (frozen) — Puerto Rican egg nog with Summer Rum, coconut, sweet condensed milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon
- 40 Thieves (hot) — Four Grain Bourbon, hot apple cider, thieves spice blend with rosemary, cassia, clove, and lemon peel.
Small Manufacturers Receive State Support to Adopt Industry 4.0 Technologies
Twenty-four small manufacturers around Michigan have been awarded a total of $559,005 to help them adopt Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. announced Tuesday. The funds are part of the $3 million Industry 4.0 Technology Implementation Grant program.
“As Michigan continues to lead the world in advanced manufacturing, these Industry 4.0 grants will help Michigan manufacturers of all sizes adopt new and innovative technologies that will enable them to remain competitive well into the future,” says Quentin L. Messer Jr., CEO of MEDC and president and chair of the Michigan Strategic Fund board.
“By working with our partners in local communities around the state to equip risk-taking businessmen and businesswomen, Team Michigan is strengthening the advanced manufacturing and entrepreneurship sectors to create jobs and greater opportunities for future generations of Michiganders.”
In September, 49 companies were awarded a total of $1.15 million in grants and in July, 23 companies were awarded a total of more than $500,000 in grants. In total, 95 companies have received $2.2 million to date through the program. The amount of increased revenue as a result of implementing these technologies is expected to be approximately $112 million, with an estimated 336 jobs created and 1,542 jobs retained. Additionally, these projects leverage $13.1 million in private investment from small manufacturers.
Earlier this year, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved $3 million in awards for six nonprofit organizations to administer the implementation grants statewide. In addition, these organizations were tasked with promoting existing statewide resources to support Michigan small manufacturers with Industry 4.0 awareness and preparedness.
Grants are reimbursement-based and cover up to 50 percent of eligible technologies, including additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics, automation, and more.
Grants were awarded to the following southeast Michigan companies:
- Total Door II Inc., Waterford Township, $25,000
- Totally Automated Systems, Rochester Hills, $25,000
- Becker Orthopedic Appliance Co., Troy, $17,500
- Bru Tek, Shelby Township, $25,000
Launched at the end of 2020, the state’s Industry 4.0 initiative has reached more than 2,120 small manufacturers statewide through programming, events, training, and technology assessments.
For more information, visit here.
Marketplace Homes in Detroit Enters Rental Homes Joint Venture
Marketplace Homes in Detroit has entered into a joint venture with New York-based SVN/SFR Capital Management to acquire, own, and operate rental homes.
The joint venture will operate under the Curbside Residential brand and integrate Marketplace Homes’ end-to-end property management, asset management, leasing, maintenance, and resident service solutions with SVN/SFR’s national build-for-rent acquisition and operating platform with new construction builders and asset management support.
“The combined deal flow, large national footprint, and local operating capabilities between SVN/SFR and Marketplace Homes creates a JV that is scaling quickly and efficiently,” says William Dickson, president of Marketplace Homes. “There’s a lot of competition in SFR and BFR right now, but this is a partnership that will stand out for its unique acquisition pipeline, professional property management and vertical integration.”
With increasing home mortgage rates, the national demand for affordable single-family rental housing and BFR communities is at an all-time high across population segments (including millennials, young families with children and baby boomers), all of whom are seeking space, location, and professional home management.
“With the residential rental home sector experiencing unprecedented national investor and consumer demand, we believe now is the time to invest in SFR and BFR portfolios,” says Jeff Cline, CEO of SVN/SFR Capital Management. “Marketplace Homes’ depth in marketing, lease-up, maintenance and importantly, resident care, will deliver unmatched daily operations and instill the sense of community we strive for so rental residents stay happy and enjoy the community they live in longer.”
Bank of America Awards $500K Grant to Invest Detroit
Bank of America will grant $500,000 to Invest Detroit, a mission-driven lender and investor, to support small business and real estate lending programs that generate economic growth in underserved communities in Detroit.
The bank’s grant will help facilitate $100 million in additional economic development activity in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods over the next three years.
“Invest Detroit’s strong commitment to ensuring neighborhood revitalization in Detroit is aligned with Bank of America’s goal of providing economic stability and mobility to the communities we serve,” says Matt Elliott, president of Bank of America Michigan. “Our partnership with Invest Detroit will lead to opportunities for developers and business owners who help move Detroit forward.”
In partnership with the city of Detroit, Invest Detroit launched the Strategic Neighborhood Fund, an investment initiative that has focused more than $170 million in 10 neighborhoods, with plans to reach additional areas within the city. The new programs will address inequitable access to capital, lower personal wealth, and skill and experience gaps that create enormous barriers for local BIPOC, underserved and undercapitalized developers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners.
“This generous support from Bank of America directly increases our capacity to implement our mission of creating more jobs, density, and opportunities for BIPOC and other underserved developers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners in Detroit, the region, and across Michigan,” says Dave Blaszkiewicz, president and CEO of Invest Detroit. “Bank of America has been a long-standing partner of both Invest Detroit and our region, and we thank them for their continuing commitment to Detroit’s recovery.”
Hidden Genius Project Set to Host Annual Brothers Code STEAM Event Saturday
The Hidden Genius Project and Kapor Center invite young people of color in middle and high school to join the 10th Annual Brothers Code event from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Code313 STEAM eXperience Center (2987 Franklin St.) in Detroit.
The event is designed to expose young people to skills and networks that can guide them to exciting opportunities within the tech sector. Participants will:
- Play with technology while practicing coding and programming skills.
- Explore the vast range of career opportunities within the tech sector.
- Learn about the various opportunity pathways that can lead to participation in the tech sector.
- Investigate the various ways they can leverage technology to strengthen their communities.
- Network with enthusiastic tech sector professionals from a range of backgrounds dedicated to the success of youth in communities of color.
There also will be a concurrent program for adults, parents, and community stakeholders to discuss how they might support youth entrepreneurs in leveraging their talents and ideas to build out their own ventures.
Contact Karen Lewis at karen@goingpublicpr.com for further information.
For more information, visit here.
Zekelman Holocaust Center Invites Students to Enter Art and Writing Competition
The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills is accepting submissions for the 2023 Kappy Family Art and Writing Competition co-sponsored by the Family of Raphael Schwartz.
This year’s prompt is “Art as Resistance,” encouraging students to take inspiration from and apply the lessons of the Holocaust to their work in the categories of poetry, fiction prose, 2-D and 3-D art, and new this year, graphic art. The competition is open to seventh through 12th graders in Michigan, through March 24, 2023.
“Art has the power to open hearts and minds,” says Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO of The Zekelman Holocaust Center. “This competition invites our youth to give expression to their thoughts and feelings about the destruction of the Jews of Europe by the Nazi regime in Germany from 1933-1945. As they engage with the material, they become educated and empowered to make good choices that have a positive effect in their communities.”
Winners will be awarded $200. Additionally, the teachers of winning students will receive a $100 gift card. Winners will be celebrated at the end of the school year.
For more information, visit here.
Focus: HOPE Seeks Volunteers to Help Deliver Food Boxes to Seniors During Holiday Season
Focus: HOPE needs 400 volunteers to help distribute food boxes this holiday season.
AS many as 1,400 of the seniors in its Food for Seniors program will receive an additional holiday supplemental food box as part of the organization’s annual Senior Holiday Food Delivery Program, Saturday, Dec. 17.
“We’re hoping to have as many volunteers as possible for our annual Senior Holiday Delivery Program to make the distribution process easier to our seniors that are members of our Food for Seniors program,” says Portia Roberson, CEO of Focus: HOPE. “With the unyielding support of our partners and volunteers, we are grateful to offer additional food boxes to combat food insecurity during the holiday season.”
Participants will be pre-selected from Focus: HOPE’s Food for Senior program to receive this special holiday food box. Each family style holiday meal box will include a turkey and ingredients that will feed up to 6 people.
Interested individuals and companies can call 313-494-4270 or email volunteer@focushope.edu.
For more information, visit here.
Lighthouse Assumes Common Ground Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs
Lighthouse, a Pontiac-based nonprofit, will take over, in February 2023, leadership of the following three runaway and homeless youth programs previously operated by Common Ground:
- Sanctuary, a three-week overnight residential shelter for youth ages 10-16 with individual, group, and family counseling, art therapy, life skills development and more.
- A Step Forward, an 18-month transitional housing program for youth ages 16-18 to foster independence, reunite with family, or locate safe, stable, housing.
- Graduated Assistance Program (GAP), a two-year transitional housing program for youth up to 25 years of age.
“When we were approached by Common Ground about assuming responsibility for the runaway and homeless youth programs, it was an absolute yes for us,” says Jenny Poma, COO at Lighthouse. “We are proud to be trusted stewards of these critical programs because of our experience, capacity, and dedication to our mission.”
No immediate staffing changes are expected; the programs, which serve approximately 150 youth annually, will continue to operate as they currently do.
“We now have three Oakland County legacy programs under one roof. Common Ground, Lighthouse, and South Oakland Shelter all started as grassroots initiatives responding to the immediate needs of the community,” Poma adds. “We are proud to continue to grow and expand our services in a thoughtful way to meet the changing needs that exist today.”
For more information and to contribute, visit here.
