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 Pistons 2022-23 Schedule Sees LeBron James, Other Stars Coming to Motor City
The Detroit Pistons have announced the 2022-23 schedule and home game promotional schedule, opening the season hosting the Orland Magic at Little Caesars Arena on Friday, Oct. 19.
The Pistons first road slate will begin on Friday, Oct. 21 as the team travels to New York to square off against the New York Knicks, followed by contests at the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 22 and Washington Wizards on Oct. 25.
Home game highlights of the 2022-23 schedule include the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors traveling to Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 30, as well as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics coming to town on Nov. 12.
Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks will visit the 313 on Dec. 1, with LeBron James and the L.A. Lakers traveling to Detroit on Dec. 11. The Pistons will host Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 8, and the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 23 and March 27.
On January 19, the Pistons will travel to Paris to host the Chicago Bulls at Accor Arena. The Pistons final homestand of the season will see them host Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on April 4, and the Brooklyn Nets on April 5.
The new “Pick 10” program is a completely customizable ticket package that allows fans to select any 10 or more games with no exclusions. Benefits of the program include more than 15 percent savings per game with no fees, guaranteed access to purchase home playoff strips, access to giveaways, access to Pistons ONE rewards and 10 percent off merchandise discount.
The Pistons will host “In It For My City” presented by Ally gameday activations for select games — including March 13 against the Indiana Pacers (313 Day) — that lean into spotlighting local performers, highlighting small businesses, and celebrating all things Detroit.
Additional theme nights include Pride Night presented by Allegiant Air, Women’s Empowerment presented by Ally, Kids Day presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and more.
December will see the Pistons celebrate the “Season of Giving,” and Black History Month will be celebrated during each February home game. The Pistons will honor first responders on Nov. 27 during First Responders Night presented by Belfor Property Restoration and will host their Basketball For All game on Dec. 28 in association with UWM and Strategic Staffing Solutions.Detroit vs. Everybody and the Pistons joined forces to create this year’s schedule release video, which can be found here.
The Pistons are scheduled to be on national television four times throughout the regular season. TNT will broadcast the team’s road contest against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 10, while NBA TV will broadcast the Dec. 1 matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, the Jan. 19 game in Paris versus the Chicago Bulls, and the home contest against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 27.
All ticket purchases can be made here.
Dearborn’s Fairlane Town Center Launches Shop Now! Digital Shopping Platform
Fairlane Town Center, a three-level super-regional shopping center in Dearborn announced it has launched a new e-commerce platform called Shop Now! that will enable its customers to search all products and in-store inventories from select stores at the shopping center using the center’s existing website.
Shoppers can use the tool to pre-plan their in-person visit, adding products to a wish list that acts like a shopping list to help make their trip more efficient and enjoyable. The tool will help those planning a trip or those already at the center by showing, in real time, what items are in stock at their favorite retailers at shopnow.shopfairlane.com.
“We are excited to launch this innovative, first-to-market program in the Detroit Metropolitan area just in time for back-to-school shopping,” says Dan Fayad, general manager for Fairlane Town Center. “Shop Now! will give our guests extraordinary access to product and inventory information for their favorite Fairlane Town Center retailers, as well as the ability to build a wish list and access that information from the comfort of their homes or on their cell phones, helping them plan their visit before they arrive. Why shop online when you can Shop Now?”
Fairlane Town Center will hold a “Win Your Wishlist” contest from Aug. 23 through Sept. 23 where guests can log into the Shop Now! platform and the center will randomly select one winner who will receive up to $500 to use toward the items on their wish list.
Centennial, the real estate investment firm that recently purchased Fairlane Town Center, first launched Shop Now! in late 2020 on several of its shopping center websites, beginning with. At that time, the cutting-edge Shop Now! platform, created in partnership with Adeptmind. was the first of its kind in the U.S.
Since then, Centennial has added Shop Now! capabilities to the websites at several the shopping centers it owns or manages nationwide. With today’s announcement, Fairlane Town Center becomes the first shopping center in the Detroit area to add this unique kind of search engine to its many service offerings.
“Centennial has earned a reputation as a thought leader in the retail real estate industry, and our relationship with Adeptmind is yet another example of our innovative nature,” says Colleen Heydon, senior vice president of marketing at Centennial. “With Shop Now!, Centennial has once again led the industry with a new service that revolutionizes the way people interact with their local shopping center.”
The Shop Now! platform is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. There are no apps to download; it’s as simple as visiting the shopping center’s website and using the search bar or clicking Shop Now! from the main navigation menu to shop and compare the products of retailers at Fairlane Town Center.
There are currently 24 retailers participating in the Shop Now! program at Fairlane Town Center, including customer favorites such as Macy’s, Foot Locker, H&M, and ALDO.
This change is just one of many planned for Fairlane Town Center. Since acquiring the shopping center earlier this year, Centennial has begun to court new prospective tenants, launched the new Shop Now! digital platform, and planned a series of fun-filled community-focused events for the shopping center’s guests.
Detroit Receives $6.9 million for Four New Electric Busses and Charging Equipment
The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) will receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding to buy four battery electric buses and charging equipment, the FTA announced earlier this week.
The $6.9 million will be used to purchase two 40-foot and two articulated 60-foot buses from manufacturer New Flyer according to Mikel Oglesby, executive director of transit at DDOT. Funds will also be used to purchase and install charging equipment for the new buses.
The purchase will double DDOT’s electric fleet from four to eight, as DDOT brought into service earlier this year four electric buses from manufacturer Proterra. The FTA funding allows DDOT to test which buses are best suited for Detroit’s climate, charging conditions, and other real-world factors before a larger scale investment is made in electric technology.
“This funding allows DDOT an excellent opportunity to get information and user feedback as to which electric bus is best for Detroit’s riders,” says Oglesby. “We’re excited about this chance to make the smartest, greenest investment possible, which will benefit not only DDOT’s riders but the entire city of Detroit.”
In an additional effort to make the transit system as environmentally friendly as possible, DDOT recently launched 28 new clean diesel buses and decommissioned 28 of its oldest models. This makes DDOT’s fleet the youngest and greenest it has been in years.
In response to the Notice of Funding Opportunity, FTA received 530 eligible project proposals totaling approximately $7.72 billion in requests. In total, $1.66 billion was awarded to transit agencies, territories, and states across the country to invest in 150 bus fleets and facilities.
Funded the Infrastructure Law, more than 1,100 of those vehicles will use zero-emissions technology, which reduces air pollution and helps meet the President Biden’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This year’s funding alone will nearly double the number of no-emission transit buses on America’s roadways.
Jeeter Cannabis Named to Inc 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies
Jeeter, the number one pre-roll cannabis brand in the U.S. with its Michigan headquarters in Detroit, has been named to the Inc 5000 2022 fastest growing companies list.
Known for its infused pre-rolls and 360 lifestyle brand which includes live events, pop-ups, celebrity collaborations, and apparel, Jeeter took home the 144th spot overall, and 15th for fastest growing consumer product brand.
Since launching its Detroit location this Spring, Jeeter has hired hundreds of employees in the area. Jeeter is currently hosting a 100-stop pop-up tour with dozens of stops in Michigan.
Since its launch in 2019, the company has seen more than 1000% growth, selling more than 3.5 million pre-rolls per month in California alone. It employed approximately 1,000 at the start of the year and will nearly double that number by year’s end.
Launched in 2019 Jeeter has executed many celebrity collaborations with folks including Gabrielle Union, Ludacris, Demi Lovato, Issa Rae, and Ricky Williams. Earlier this year they named fan and collaborator, Dwayne Wade, to its board.
Jeeter also announced the addition of Jeeter Live — a dedicated events portion of its busines, which makes 100-stop Jeeter Mart pop-ups possible. It also launched for the first time direct to consumer in California.
Bankjoy in Detroit Joins the Jack Henry Vendor Integration Program
Detroit-based digital banking provider Bankjoy announced that it has joined the Jack Henry Vendor Integration Program (VIP) to provide it with access to Jack Henry’s technical resources to enable Bankjoy’s digital banking platform to integrate with Symitar.
The Vendor Integration Program is designed to ensure that Jack Henry’s customers can easily deploy third-party products.
“For most financial institutions, online and mobile channels have become as important — if not more important — than branches and ATMs. Data shows that mobile banking is now the primary method that consumers use to access their accounts, surpassing visits to physical locations,” says Michael Duncan, CEO of Bankjoy.
“Joining the Jack Henry Vendor Integration Program ensures our credit union clients are able to quickly and easily deploy Bankjoy’s online and mobile banking platform to deliver an exceptional digital banking experience for their members. We’re proud to participate in this program and make a positive impact in how credit unions empower members to manage their finances.”
Jack Henry’s VIP takes the customer out of the middle, providing vendors with direct access to Jack Henry’s technical resources and test systems. VIP inclusion is not an endorsement of the vendor’s product.
Engineered by credit union executives, Bankjoy delivers modern banking technology, including mobile and online banking, e-statements, online account opening, online loan origination, and conversational AI to financial institutions of all sizes.
With its comprehensive suite of online and mobile banking features that integrate directly with Symitar and other third parties, Bankjoy makes it easy for Jack Henry’s Symitar customers to offer a seamless digital banking experience for their members across all channels.
ISAIC Receives $259K Grant to Expand Detroit Operations
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) announced that national nonprofit for the sewn trades ISAIC is expanding its operations in Detroit to accommodate increased demand from an existing client.
The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $550,000 and create up to 74 jobs, supported by a $259,000 Jobs Ready Michigan grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund. Michigan was chosen for the project over competing sites in New York and Missouri.
ISAIC, founded in 2017 as the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center in Detroit, is a nonprofit national institute for the sewn trades. The organization was developed by a group of industry stakeholders recognizing an opportunity to change the way the industry operates. The group focuses on training in a way that prepares individuals for advancement in the industry while supporting the industry with highly skilled employees.
The organization has identified new opportunities with a current client and plans to expand at its facility in Detroit, where it will add machinery and equipment. The R&D aspect of the project will involve the creation of technology that can respond to on-demand cut and sew needs from clients.
This technology can help reduce overall costs of production while responding to the changing needs of clients within 24 hours. The project builds on MEDC’s efforts to strengthen Michigan’s advanced manufacturing industry and create jobs for future generations of Michiganders.
“The MEDC has been on the forefront of fostering not only our state’s existing industries such as auto and mobility but also supporting emerging sectors in the advanced manufacturing of product including apparel. In addition, it will help to support our continued collaboration with the Advanced Robotic Manufacturing Institute,” says Jen Guarino, CEO of ISAIC. “We are grateful for the MEDC support of ISAIC and our impact on our community.”
ISAIC offers an apprenticeship program and has partnered with Carhartt and others to grow the industrial sewing trades in Michigan as well as innovate for advanced manufacturing in the sewn goods industry. ISAIC also partners with local nonprofits to provide wraparound services to its employees and to target outreach to underrepresented populations and provides opportunities for growth and promotion to its employees.
The Detroit Economic Growth Corp. (DEGC) will continue to provide staff time and assistance to the organization and will connect ISAIC with its workforce development system to access talent. For information on careers with ISAIC, click here.
“As proud partners of ISAIC, we are excited by this investment and its contribution to advancing economic opportunity in the City of Detroit’s growing fashion and apparel sector,” says Kevin Johnson, president and CEO of the DEGC. “We look forward to building upon our efforts in providing Detroiters with access to jobs.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in Michigan in 2020, ISAIC pivoted its training and manufacturing efforts from apparel to isolation gowns and masks to address the shortage of personal protection equipment. With the help of $150,000 from PMBC’s Emergency Access and Retooling Grant program, more than 550,000 disposable face masks and 500,000 isolation gowns were manufactured.
To learn more about ISAIC’s continued commitment to growing and thriving in Michigan, click here.
