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.
Eruption Green to Debut on 2022 Ford Bronco’s, Throwback to First-Generation Color
Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn announced the 2022 model year Ford Bronco will have Eruption Green available as modern interpretation of Mallard Green, featured in the first-generation Bronco models.
“Automotive enthusiasts, and especially Bronco fans, are passionate about colors and will be excited about Eruption Green,” says Barb Whalen, Ford color and materials manager. “Paint has a wonderful way of evolving because of technology. Eruption Green is a contemporary color, but there’s a connection with Bronco heritage. It’s evergreen-inspired, with yellow highlights that really tie it into nature.”
The company is also introducing Hot Pepper Red metallic tinted clearcoat. Both were introduced at the 2021 Woodward Dream Cruise. Antimatter Blue, Lightning Blue Metallic, and Rapid Red Metallic tinted clearcoat will be available exterior color options until the end of the 2021 model year. Orders for the 2022 two- and four-door models will open later this year.
‘White Boy Rick’ Announces Cannabis Brand
Rick Wershe Jr., also known as ‘White Boy Rick,’ announced the launch of his new cannabis brand The 8th, which references the eighth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
In a partnership with Pleasantrees Cannabis Co., which will be the exclusive provider of cannabis for the brand, Wershe will dedicate a substantial portion of proceeds toward the release of wrongfully or excessively imprisoned drug offenders. He will work closely with Jerome Crawford, director of social equity at Pleasantrees.
Wershe was recently released from prison after serving more than 32 years for non-violent drug offenses allegedly committed while he was a minor. He is the longest serving non-violent juvenile offender in Michigan’s history.
The brands slogan, ‘Time is Money,’ acknowledges the damages owed to those who are wrongfully or overincarcerated, including Wershe, who is suing the city of Detroit for $100 million due to his conviction.
A release party will be held in Detroit in early fall 2021 to celebrate the release of the products, which are expected to be on retail shelves this fall.
Pleasantrees is one of Michigan’s largest wholesalers of medical and recreational cannabis while operating three recreational cannabis retail establishments of its own in Hamtramck, East Lansing, and Denton Township, Michigan.
City of Detroit to Introduce Public Healing Memorial for COVID-19 Pandemic
The City of Detroit Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship, Cranbrook Art Museum, the TCF Center, and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy will present a large-scale art installation Tuesday, Aug. 31 that features hundreds of colorful fabric pouches created by southeast Michigan residents to help them heal from the losses of the pandemic.
The Healing Memorial will be located at the north end of TCF Center at the corner of Congress Street and Washington Boulevard, on Level 3.
The public art installation was designed to provide support and healing for residents who have experienced all kinds of loss – such as lost loved ones, lost homes, lost jobs, and lost hope — during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project is open to all regional residents who experienced physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, and environmental loss.
“COVID-19 has taken a profound toll on our region and many Detroiters and Metro Detroiters share a common grief over the loss of a loved one,” says Mayor Mike Duggan. “We hope this very personal memorial will help in the healing process and serve as an opportunity for people across our region to understand and support one another. I’m grateful to Rochelle Riley and our partners at TCF Center, Cranbrook and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy for helping to make the vision for this memorial a reality.”
Detroit ACE will host a making station in Spirit Plaza from 1 to 3 p.m. following Tuesday’s unveiling. People can drop by, socially distanced, to make a pouch there. The project is a living installation, meaning residents anywhere in the region can continue to make pouches at their churches, in their homes or at their own making stations through July 2022. The pouches can be dropped off at Valade Park, 2670 E. Atwater from noon to 4 on Sundays through September 30th, 2021.
“We are proud of the important role the Riverwalk and the Dequindre Cut played during the pandemic,” says Mark Wallace, president and CEO of the Conservancy. “People see our public spaces as a place of comfort and respite. The Healing Memorial project is yet another step we all take together to help us heal during this challenging time.”
PACE Association of Michigan Partners with Health Care Provider
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Association of Michigan (PAM) in Lansing has partnered with CareVention HealthCare, a division of Tabula Rasa HealthCare Inc., to expand CareVention’s products and services.
PAM is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative aimed at enabling older adults who have been deemed nursing home eligible to remain in their homes as they age.
Under the agreement, PACE will recognize CareVention HealthCare as the association’s preferred provider of services, including MedWise medication safety management and customized pharmacy services by CareKinesis. There are 14 independent PACE organizations serving more than 4,000 participants in Michigan.
“CareVention HealthCare and its service lines have outstanding reputations in the PACE community,” says Stephanie Winslow, executive director of PAM. “CareKinesis and its PACE-specific pharmacy services should be of particular interest to our members.
“CareKinesis MedWise Safe Use of Medication offering has been shown to identify participants at risk for adverse drug events and premature mortality, improving clinical outcomes and saving PACE organizations millions of dollars in medical costs. This agreement will bring these advanced, PACE-proven services to more of our plans while supporting our association and enabling PAM to expand programming and advocacy efforts.”
OPUS IVS Announces 1 Million Collision Scans
Opus IVS, a leading OEM-endorsed and aftermarket diagnostic scanning, calibration, programming, and live expert support in Detroit, announced it has surpassed 1 million collision scans delivered through its new ScanSafe and DriveSafe family of products.
It has achieved success in the collision market by combining a comprehensive OEM scanning solution and its aftermarket QuickScan feature, and by integrating it with CCC ONE estimating software. The result is a single tool, integrated into a shop’s workflow with scanning and reporting to help repairers deal with increasingly complex repairs, especially from ADAS-equipped vehicles.
“Reaching our millionth scan was accelerated by Opus IVS’s technology focus allowing us to bring wide coverage for OEM scanning combined by fast, easy QuickScan for certain pre-scan and in-process diagnostics where the shop decides an OEM scan isn’t needed,” says Brian Herron, president of Opus IVS.
“We are seeing significant growth in our business, and we are on track to deliver over 2 million scans next year, helping customers to ensure that essential vehicle safety systems are functioning properly after collision repair.”
QuickScan provides fast, easy scanning often in 2-4 minutes without the need for remote contact. The QuickScan originated from the Giotto scan tool, through Opus’s 2020 acquisition of AutoEnginuity.
