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.
Gabe’s Department Store in Utica to Stage Grand Opening on Saturday
Gabe’s, a West Virginia-based off-price department store, is celebrating its grand opening at Utica Park Place Shopping Center (45460 Utica Park Blvd.) on Saturday.
This second Michigan Gabe’s location is a 61,000-square-foot storefront at the corner of Hall Road (M-59) and the Van Dyke Expressway (M-53). The grand opening is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Oct. 22 and the first 200 people in line will receive a gift.
“The addition of Gabe’s gives metro Detroiters a high-quality discount retailer, while adding an exciting new store to our bustling and vibrant Utica Park Place Shopping Center,” says Dale Watchowski, president and CEO of REDICO, the real estate development company that operates Utica Park Place.
Gabe’s off-price department store joins a store line up that already includes Sam’s Club, Best Buy, At Home, Harbor Freight, and Value City Furniture at the 477,000-square-foot shopping center.
“Our new Utica location is the perfect place for Michigan shoppers to find all their favorite brands at unbeatable prices,” says Jason Mazzola, CEO of Gabe’s. “At Gabe’s, we believe every family deserves the best — no matter the budget. We’re excited to introduce our new Michigan community to exceptional value and great experiences for all.”
Frankenmuth Mourns Passing of Business Leader Judy Zehnder Keller
One of Frankenmuth’s legendary businesswomen, Judy Zehnder Keller, died peacefully at her home in Frankenmuth Oct. 19 with members of her family by her side.
A long-time entrepreneur, community leader, women’s advocate, working mother, wife, and grandmother, Zehnder Keller was the eldest daughter of the Bavarian Inn Zehnder family founders Tiny and Dorothy Zehnder. She was 77.
Founder and president of the Bavarian Inn Lodge, Zehnder Keller built the resort in 1986 and led it through six expansions. She helped develop and manage other family businesses in the community such as the Schnitzelbank Shop, Covered Bridge Shop, Frank’s Muth, and numerous retail stores within Frankenmuth River Place Shops. She also was the owner of the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus and in 2018 led its expansion to a new location on Main Street.
In June 2022, she designed and donated Frankenmuth’s “Sister City Chair” in recognition of the 60th Anniversary relationship between Frankenmuth and Gunzenhausen, Germany.
Private funeral services will be conducted at Cederberg Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Underground Railroad, CAN Council, and the German Heritage Fund at the Frankenmuth Community Foundation. She will be interned at St. Lorenz Lutheran Church.
Zehnder Keller is survived by her husband of 53 years, Don Keller, along with her children, Michael Keller Zehnder (Kimberly), Martha Zehnder Kaczynski (John), and William Zehnder Keller and 5 grandchildren.
TrialAssure Pharmaceutical Software Surpasses 30M Markup Milestone
TrialAssure, a global pharmaceutical clinical trial software-as-a- service (SaaS) provider in Canton Township, has surpassed 30 million markups in its best-selling product TrialAssure Anonymize.
A markup is an individual piece of text that TrialAssure identifies, categorizes, and transforms to reduce and help eliminate the chance of re-identification of personal protected information (PPI) or protect commercial confidential information (CCI).
“We built this software to empower the pharmaceutical industry to share information with confidence, knowing that patient and company confidentiality are protected, and this milestone gives us reason to take notice and celebrate the achievements of our team during this transformational regulatory period,” says Zach Weingarden, director of product solutions, TrialAssure.
This milestone is the culmination of hundreds of client projects and nearly 8 million pages of documentation prepared for submission to pharmaceutical industry regulators across Canada, Europe, and the United States.
For more information, visit here.
7-Eleven Signs 20-year Michigan Clean Energy Agreement with DTE Energy
DTE Energy and 7-Eleven Inc. have announced the convenience store chain’s enrollment in MIGreenPower, DTE’s voluntary renewable energy program.
The enrollment will enable 7-Eleven to achieve 100 percent renewable energy for all 160 of its southeast Michigan locations for 20 years beginning in 2025. 7-Eleven’s 32,000-megawatt hour clean energy commitment has the environmental benefit equivalent to taking nearly 3,000 gasoline-powered passenger cars off the road each year.
7-Eleven set a goal of reaching a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from its stores by fiscal year 2027 and achieved this goal well ahead of target with a 25.8 percent reduction in carbon emissions in fiscal year 2019. 7-Eleven continued to show progress in 2021 with a 27 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. As a result, the company has expanded its goal to achieve 50 percent reduction in carbon emissions by fiscal year 2030. Going forward, 7-Eleven says it will continue to promote activities aimed at reducing its environmental impact, including the installation of electric vehicle charging stations and the expansion of stores that use 100% renewable energy.
Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Earns Accreditation for Rectal Cancer Program
Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, recently earned a three-year accreditation from the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer, or NAPRC.
“Currently, four hospitals hold such accreditation in the state, and Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, is the first hospital in the metro Detroit area to meet these standards,” says Dr. Harry Wasvary, the director of the Multidisciplinary Colon and Rectal Cancer Clinic at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.
To achieve NAPRC accreditation, centers are required to establish a multidisciplinary rectal cancer team that includes clinical representatives from surgery, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, has had a multidisciplinary colon and rectal care team since 2008.
“To be recognized as an accredited rectal cancer program is a reflection of the hard work that is being done by those caring for cancer patients in our hospital,” Wasvary says. “This was truly a collaborative effort in which multiple specialties worked together to improve the care of rectal cancer patients at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.”
Rectal cancer programs accredited by the NAPRC undergo a site visit every three years and also are accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Opens Advancing Maternal Health Equity Grant Applications
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation are partnering to provide funding through the Advancing Maternal Health Equity grant program to support Michigan community-based organizations implementing sustainable initiatives that advance health equity and reduce a birthing person’s risk of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity.
The partnership seeks grantees with innovative programming that will reduce risks and improve health through all stages of gestation: before pregnancy, during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum.
Projects ideally will address local challenges to maternal health equity that impact maternal mortality, maternal morbidity, or severe maternal morbidity and their upstream causes. Michigan Regional Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaboratives (RPQICs) in select regions and their partners are invited to apply.
Invited RPQIC members in regions 1 (Upper Peninsula), 3 (northern lower Michigan), 6 (thumb), 8 (southwest Michigan), and 10 southeast Michigan) may apply for funding to support projects that advance maternal health equity by addressing disparity-related factors in maternal health.
Grant awards will be announced in December. Grantees will be awarded up to $50,000 for 12 months and the program period begins January 2023. Programs will demonstrate improved health before and during pregnancy, through labor and delivery, and postpartum with primary interest in proposals that support women of color, support individuals in underserved and marginalized communities, address implicit bias and provide culturally relevant interventions – key to Blue Cross’ goal of reducing maternal disparities by 50 percent.
For more information, visit here.
Lawrence Tech to Host Stormwater Summit Friday
Approximately 150 government and engineering leaders will discuss the latest science surrounding stormwater runoff can cause catastrophic flooding Friday at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, during the annual Regional Stormwater Summit.
The event runs from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at LTU, 21000 W. 10 Mile Road in Southfield in several meeting rooms of LTU’s Architecture Building and its University Technology and Learning Center (Buildings 3 and 4). Free parking is available nearby.
Opening remarks will be offered at 9 a.m. by Nabil Grace, dean of the LTU College of Engineer-ing; Mark Brucki, LTU associate vice president for economic development; Oakland County Water Commissioner Jim Nash, and Donald Carpenter, principal at Drummond Carpenter and director of LTU’s Great Lakes Stormwater Management Institute.
Experts from around the country will follow making presentations on stormwater management, creating climate change resilience, and nature-based design. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy also will make a presentation on funding opportunities for municipalities in fighting stormwater damage.
The event is presented by LTU, the Oakland County Water Resources Commission, and the nonprofit Pure Oakland Water. Event sponsors include the Clinton River Watershed Council, Friends of the Rouge, and the engineering firms Giffels Webster, Hazen and Sawyer, Hubbell Roth & Clark Inc., NTH, OHM, and Spicer Group.
For more information and to register, visit here.
Derek Dickow to Host Networking Event for Cannabis Industry Dec. 8
The Derek Dickow professional consulting firm specializing in public relations, event management, and fundraising is presenting Creating Powerful Connections in Cannabis, from 2-8 p.m., Dec. 8, at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.
This immersive event promises to be the largest 1:1 speed networking event focused in the B2B cannabis industry. Guests will have opportunities for structured networking with industry professionals, municipal leaders, and cannabis leaders including retailers, processors, manufacturers, transporters, lab testers, and banking professionals.
The goal of the event is to connect industry leaders and provide opportunities to help facilitate powerful, long-lasting connections. It will include networking, a cocktail reception, speed networking session, exhibit space, keynotes, four panel discussions including industry leaders and experts, branding opportunities, and education.
An afterglow will follow at 8:30 p.m. To register, visit here.
Salvation Army Receives $10K Donation from Vibe Credit Union
The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit recently received a $10,000 donation from the Novi-based Vibe Credit Union benefitting the nonprofit’s 13 corps community centers that provide vital social programs to those in need throughout the metro Detroit area.
The gift will provide support to The Salvation Army’s community programs including a food pantry, meals, summer day camps, youth programs, and Christmas gifts and holiday meals for families and shut-in seniors.
“The social and financial support programs provided by our corps community centers are crucial for families struggling to make ends meet,” said Lt. Col. John Turner, divisional commander and regional CEO for The Salvation Army Great Lakes Division. “Vibe Credit Union’s generous gift will help bolster these services and aid our organization in serving metro Detroiters in urgent need.”
The $10,000 donation comes on the heels of the 74th annual International Credit Union Day on Oct. 20. The theme of this year’s International Credit Union Day is to “Empower Your Financial Future with a Credit Union.”
“At Vibe Credit Union, we admire The Salvation Army’s dedication to assisting our community’s most vulnerable,” says Stephanie Leahy, vice president of marketing at Vibe Credit Union. “The Salvation Army’s life-changing social assistance programs help so many families and individuals 365 days a year. It’s our honor to support this incredible work and serve our neighbors in need.”
National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Ball Coming to MotorCity Casino Nov. 19
The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan’s (NKFM) Kidney Ball returns at 6 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the MotorCity Casino Hotel, 2901 Grand River Avenue in downtown Detroit.
This signature fundraiser hosts hundreds of area business, health care, and philanthropic leaders to support the NKFM’s many programs and services for preventing kidney disease and helping the more than 1 million Michigan residents living with it. The NKFM expects to raise more than $375,000.
The evening will feature an open bar with drinks and appetizers, live and silent auctions, dinner, and dancing.
Dinner at 7:30 p.m. is followed by a short program and a live auction. This year’s live auction offerings include a Tigers Suite for 18 people; a seven-day stay at the Villa Calcinaia and Winery in Tuscany, Italy; a Shinola Hotel package; and more. Afterward, a candy bar and late-night Coney dog station will open.
“At the Kidney Ball, we come together with our many friends and supporters from across the state,” says Linda Smith-Wheelock, president and CEO of NKFM. “In addition to fundraising, we’ll highlight a family impacted by kidney disease, recognize special people who have helped NKFM and show our gratitude for those who have helped us with our challenges.”
Co-chairing the Kidney Ball are Scott LaRiche, executive manager and vice president of Lou LaRiche Chevrolet; Dr. John C. Magee, of the University of Michigan Medical School; and Loren Venegas, president of the IDEAL Group.
Major sponsors include Michigan Medicine, Meijer, General RV Center, Hershey, LaMarca Prosecco, High Noon, Louis M. Martini Winery, Franciscan Estate, Loren and Deb Venegas, Dickinson Wright, Molson Coors, MotorCity Casino, Henry Ford Transplant Institute, and VTC Insurance Group.
Tickets are $350 per guest and are available here or by calling 800-482-1455.
Detroit Institute of Arts Presents Printmaking in the 21st Century
The Detroit Institute of Arts will present Printmaking in the 21st Century, an exhibition that celebrates the range and ingenuity of artwork by contemporary printmakers, from Oct. 21-April 9, 2023.
This exhibition features works using the latest digital tools, techniques used in the 15th Century, and a combination of these methods that speaks to our current times. It also highlights many works acquired recently by the DIA.
Printmaking in the 21st Century is free with museum admission, which is free for residents of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
Included in this exhibition are more than 60 prints, posters, and artists’ books by diverse local, national, and international artists, such as Hernan Bas, Susan Goethel Campbell, Enrique Chagoya, Marc Dion, Nicole Eisenman, Walton Ford, Chitra Ganesh, Rashid Johnson, Julie Mehretu, Michael Menchaca, Ryan Standfest, Katia Santibañez, James Siena, Dyani White Hawk, Ai Weiwei, and more.
Printers and publishers include Crown Point Press, San Francisco; Durham Press, Durham, Pa; Gemini GEL, Los Angeles; Harlan & Weaver, New York; Highpoint Editions, Minneapolis, Minn.; Signal-Return, Detroit; and Stewart & Stewart, Bloomfield Hills.
This exhibition includes the full set of 24 posters in the On Press Project: Prints for Nonprofits, 2018-22, printed and published by Signal-Return. The project highlights 24 Detroit-area artists including: Mark Arminski, Ouizi (Louise Jones), Sabrina Nelson, Renata Palubinskas, Pat Perry, Vito Valdez, W. C. Bevan, Olyamai Dabls, Andy Krieger, Nicole MacDonald, Azucena Nava-Morena, Renee Rials, Tyanna Buie, Sue Carman-Vian, Mary Fortuna, Charles McGee, Hubert Massey, Ryan Standfest, Jide Aje, Carole Harris, Kathy Leisen, Yvette Rock, Tylonn Sawyer and Clinton Snider. The Detroit nonprofit letterpress printshop, Signal-Return, continues the history of letterpress and relief printing as a way of making affordable works of art for everyone.
“This exhibition celebrates the incredible range of contemporary prints being made today. From the most ambitious, large, and technically complex series to smaller, witty comments,” says Clare Rogan, the DIA’s Curator of Prints & Drawings, Department of Prints, Drawings and Photographs and exhibition curator. “The artists bring their diverse experiences and identities (Black, Latinx, Native American, white, female, male, LGBTQ) to create work that responds to life today.”
For more information, visit here.
