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.
Gentherm Receives First ClimateSense Order for a Production Vehicle
Northville thermal management technology company Gentherm has received its first production vehicle award for its ClimateSense technology on an all-new 2024 model year electric vehicle with a global automaker.
ClimateSense is Gentherm’s proprietary microclimate solution comprised of advanced thermal products, integrated electronics, embedded software, and a thermo-physiology based, human-centric approach.
“Our ClimateSense microclimate technology will help OEM customers achieve their electrification goals by increasing vehicle range and energy savings, while delivering a best-in-class personalized thermal experience,” says Phil Eyler, president and CEO of Gentherm. “We are excited about this first production award for ClimateSense and the potential our technology has to address the growing needs of the electric vehicle market.”
Designed, developed, and manufactured by Gentherm, ClimateSense technology seamlessly integrates into the existing vehicle architecture utilizing localized convective and conductive heating and cooling solutions, to create personalized comfort while significantly reducing HVAC energy consumption. Published studies show the technology can deliver between 50 to 69 percent energy savings in cold-weather testing and 34 percent energy savings in hot weather testing, when compared to only using the existing central HVAC system.
American Advantage Home Care to Add Offices in Detroit, Trenton
American Advantage Home Care, a Dearborn-based, full-service home health care agency that provides skilled medical care 24/7, is opening additional offices in Detroit and Trenton Aug. 1.
The new offices will serve as regional administrative hubs, supporting American Advantage’s patients in Wayne and Monroe counties. The offices are located at: Durfee Innovation Society, 2470 Collingwood St., #327, in Detroit; and 1545 Kingsway Ct., Ste. 102, in Trenton.
The agency also operates a regional administrative hub in Grand Blanc.
“The counties of Wayne and Monroe are areas in which we have seen significant patient growth in the past year,” says Cleamon Moorer Jr., president on AANC. “Indicators show there is additional interest in our services in those areas, and these new offices will support that growth.”
American Advantage also is hiring clinicians and accepting new patients in Wayne and Monroe counties as well as across its geographical service area of southeast Michigan.
For more information, visit here.
Madison Heights Restaurant Week Returns Sept. 19-24
The City of Madison Heights is staging its second annual Restaurant Week, Sept. 19-24, offering visitors to participating restaurants specials on both dine-in and carry-out dining options.
Throughout the week, patrons also can enter online contests by posting their Madison Heights dining experiences on their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages using the hashtag #MHRW2021contest, for chances to win $50 dining gift certificates each day the week of the event.
To participate in Restaurant Week, each Madison Heights restaurant must be independently owned, no chains or franchises allowed. Restaurants must be willing to offer menu deals during Restaurant Week and promote the week on social media and in marketing materials.
The deadline to apply for participation in Madison Heights Restaurant Week is Aug. 13. Applications are accepted online here or via email at info@madison-heights.org.
“Once again this year, Madison Heights Restaurant Week will shine a spotlight on the city for the dining town that we are,” says City Manager Melissa Marsh. “This is the perfect way to let residents and guests support local restaurants while in turn enjoying great dining discounts. The Madison Heights restaurant scene is the best kept secret of the area, and we want to share the news of our diverse dining choices for everyone to explore and indulge.”
Participating menu specials will be announced on the city’s official Madison Heights Restaurant Week website.
Meijer Seeks BIPOC Michigan Business Owners for New Product Showcase
Grand Rapids-based Meijer announced that it will host a supplier diversity product presentation event in September, giving Michigan businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, and people of color the opportunity to showcase their offerings for interested Meijer merchants.
The event will leverage the retailer’s partnership with Start Garden, a Grand Rapids-based business incubator focused on empowering start-ups through financial, intellectual, and social capital. It will be the fourth supplier diversity event the retailer has hosted since 2020.
“Our supplier diversity efforts represent an ongoing commitment to our customers and team members to offer products and invest in partnerships that represent them and their communities,” says Peter Whitsett, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing at Meijer. “We look forward to expanding our product assortment and creating a positive economic impact in our communities through this event.”
The multi-day event will take place in person and will focus on the following categories: apparel, footwear and accessories, and general merchandise.
Black, Indigenous, and people of color-owned Michigan-based businesses with retail-ready products in those categories can apply by Friday, Aug. 27 for consideration here.
“After the success of our first three virtual supplier diversity events, we’re excited to try something a little different by focusing on local brands and offering a live opportunity for these vendors to build relationships with our team,” says Jamie Akemann, group vice president of global sourcing, indirect procurement, supplier diversity, and product quality at Meijer.
Once applications for the event are submitted, the Start Garden and Meijer teams will review and select the vendors to participate in the event in September. There, Meijer merchants will meet with chosen vendors to learn more about their products, business models, and plans for growth through five-minute presentations.
After getting to know the participants, Meijer merchants will award retail opportunities to vendors ready to expand into Meijer stores with products that will best serve Meijer customers. Vendors who are not ready to receive business offers at that time, will be invited to the retailer’s upcoming Roadmap to Retail event to learn more important skills to help them succeed in the future. Through this event, Meijer plans to nurture long-term relationships with vendors and help them grow into future partners.
Ascension Providence Rochester Expands Pediatric Services for Oakland County Families
Ascension Providence Rochester is expanding the spectrum of care for residents of Oakland County by offering pediatric services at St. John Children’s Center Rochester at 1135 W. University Dr., Ste. 355.
“One of the benefits of working for a national health care system is our ability to provide access to various specialties,” says Dr. Marcus DeGraw, chief of pediatrics at Ascension St. John Hospital. “Our highly experienced team of board-certified pediatricians and pediatric specialists from Ascension St. John Children’s Hospital is thrilled to offer a variety of services to community members in Rochester and surrounding areas.”
Ascension St John Hospital St John Children’s Center Rochester currently offers general pediatrics and pediatric cardiology. The center eventually will expand its patient offerings to include gastrointestinal and neurological services.
“The center is a welcome addition to the community because now we can serve our smallest patients in a comfortable environment,” says DeGraw. “From the moment a parent walks through our doors, they can feel at ease knowing their child will receive compassionate, personalized care.”
Call 248-844-6030 for more information.
EMU Assistant Professor Gets $1.86M Grant to Improve Access to Behavioral Health Services
Alexandros Maragakis, an assistant professor in Psychology at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, has received a $1.86 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to improve access to behavioral health services for children in Michigan.
Maragakis will receive approximately $465,000 per year for four years to integrate behavioral health services with pediatric primary care practices in a variety of urban and rural Michigan communities.
According to Maragakis, Michigan has a number of underserved urban and rural communities with limited access to quality mental health services for children, yet most children in these communities have access to primary care.
“The integration of behavioral health within primary care has recently gained global attention given that almost half of all pediatric primary care visits have some type of behavioral health concern documented,” says Maragakis. “The goal of this grant is to grow the behavioral health workforce to improve access to behavioral health services for children in Michigan.”
Trainees, which will include students from EMU’s clinical psychology and social work programs, will participate in interdisciplinary education that will expose them to various health care professionals, prepare them for both in-person and telehealth integrated behavioral health services, and emphasize experiences for working with minority cultures.
Motown Museum Announces August Activations
The Motown Museum in Detroit today announced its plans for outdoor activations to connect with the community through the month of August.
Tours of the full indoor exhibition are on pause to prepare for Phase Two of the museum’s nearly 50,000-square-foot expansion.
The museum’s tour guides will be available Thursday-Sunday every week in August to continue offering a way for guests to visit and engage with the destination while the full indoor tour experience is paused — taking photographs of fans on the iconic steps of Hitsville U.S.A. They also will engage with Motown fans on two available experiences:
- The “Empire” Tour”: An outdoor tour of the “Empire,” where tour guides will share the history of Motown-era, original homes on W.Grand Blvd, featuring a stop inside Studio A where visitors can stand inside the world famous recording studio. Tickets must be purchased in advance on the museum’s website for $10.
- The “Still Going On” Motown Mile: The free, outdoor, walkable installation, which stretches from Woodward Avenue to the front steps of Hitsville U.S.A., was introduced earlier this summer to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s groundbreaking ‘What’s Going On’ album. Each stop along the “Still Going On” exhibition is a pairing of historical and contemporary photographs with selected tracks from the album meant to inspire introspection and conversation about what has — and hasn’t — changed since the album was first released in 1971.
“We are keeping our connection to the community alive through the month of August with outdoor activations for Motown fans and we will continue to roll out virtual programming as we prepare for Phase Two of our expansion,” says Robin Terry, chairwoman and CEO of the Motown Museum. “While our full indoor tours will be on pause, there’s still so much to learn and interact with at the museum in the coming months to stay inspired through the history of Motown.”
Phase Two of the Motown Museum expansion includes an outdoor events plaza behind the newly completed Hitsville NEXT, in addition to the historic restoration of Hitsville U.S.A.
Outdoor performances in the museum’s “Dancing in the Street” Park (next to Hitsville U.S.A.) are set for Saturdays Aug. 7, 14, 21, and 29, and include a lineup of singer-songwriter showcases, a salute to James Jamerson, a birthday celebration for Michael Jackson, and more.
An outdoor pop-up retail shop will offer fans the opportunity to purchase a selection of special Motown-themed merchandise.
For more information, visit here.
Kroger to Host Zero Hunger Emergency Food Drive
Kroger, online radio company Audacy, and local first responders are inviting the community to help fill a patrol vehicle with non-perishable food items to help feed hungry friends and neighbors.
Ninety participating Kroger locations throughout southeast Michigan will be collecting donations from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, July 31 and Aug. 7. All items collected will be donated to local food banks/food pantries to help fill the critical need for food arising in summer months.
Visit here for the list of locations.
JVS Human Services Offer First Financial Friday Webinars
JVS Human Services in Southfield is offering free webinars to Michigan families and new businesses to help them choose the best banking options for their personal and business finances.
The August and September virtual events are part of a series titled First Financial Friday and are sponsored by TCF Bank. For families, Banking in Today’s World will explain the many savings accounts available and how to choose the best account for a family’s needs and will take place on Aug. 6 at 10:30 a.m. Banking for Entrepreneurs will explain everything a new business in Michigan needs to know about how business banking accounts work, and will be conducted Sept. 3 at 10:30 a.m.
Registration for the programs can be accessed through the events page on the JVS Human Services website.
“It is very common for people to begin with a bank in their teens or early 20s and then never move from that bank, or ever check what new banking products are available,” explains Laltsha Cunningham, financial capability supervisor at JVS Human Services. “So many people just look at their statements and that’s it, while there could be additional benefits they aren’t receiving like, for example, a money market account which could provide interest.”
Lansing Credit Union Offering Free Personal Finance Course
LAFCU is inviting the public to enroll in its new comprehensive personal financial course that helps strengthen the financial stability of individuals in Michigan. The enrollment deadline is Monday, Aug. 9.
The free, virtual course, named Pathway to Financial Transformation, will help participants, ages 20 and over, enhance current financial behavior and build a roadmap to attain financial freedom.
The 16 one-hour sessions will be presented on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month, excluding holidays, at 6 p.m. Aug. 12-April 28, 2022.
“Pathway to Financial Transformation is the result of many years of providing education through LAFCU’s financial literacy program,” says Shelia Scott, community financial education and business development officer at LAFCU. “We’ve listened to people’s concerns about finances, and LAFCU specialists have identified topics they believe will support an individual’s pursuit of financial freedom.
“Attaining that freedom means having control of your finances instead of being controlled by them. You are able to make life decisions without financial impact being the primary driver. You’re also in a better position to qualify for lower loan interest rates, to purchase a home and to just live better.”
The course will cover all facets of personal finance and will identify many traps that often derail a person’s financial stability. It is structured similar to a college course with a syllabus, assignments such as completing a budget worksheet, and quizzes. The course is interactive as participants can ask questions during class.
Topics include savings, budgeting, managing credit, lending, investing, improving one’s credit score, home purchases, home ownership, and information about possible barriers that have prevented equal access to financial resources.
For more information, visit here or call 800-748-0228.
Topey’s Kitchen Restaurant Opens on Detroit’s West Side
Topey’s Kitchen, a family-owned Caribbean and American restaurant in Detroit, has opened and is being overseen by longtime Chef Joel Topey and CEO Jerome Topey. Located at 14621 Fenkell Avenue, the menu offers such dishes as whole chicken with mac and greens, baby back ribs, salads, chicken wings, a jerk burger, fish sandwiches and dinners, Jamaican rum cake, sweet potato pie, peach cobbler, and more. For more information, visit www.Topeyskitchen.com.
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