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.
Launch Family Entertainment Opens Dearborn Location
Rhode Island-based Launch Entertainment has opened its newest location at 5901 Mercury Dr., Suite 101 in Dearborn, its sixth facility in Michigan.
Launch Dearborn offers a bowling alley, XP Arena obstacle course, laser tag, trampolines, ninja course, battle pit, x-treme dodgeball, air track basketball, a full arcade, private birthday party and event rooms, Krave restaurant, and Bar Hops beverage service.
Memberships are available starting at $19.99 per month that includes a daily two-hour action pass, 10 percent Krave discount, and 20 percent off on birthday parties or events.
Launch Dearborn expects to create an inclusive atmosphere with special weekly events like Toddler Time, Teen Nights, V.I.P. Time, and 21+ Nights, fostering a sense of community for all residents.
For more information, visit here. For franchising inquiries, visit launchfamilyentertainment.com.
Detroit RV & Camping Show Opens Today in Novi
The 58th Annual Detroit RV & Camping Show is opening today at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
General RV, Michigan’s largest family-owned RV dealer, is participating in the show, bringing more than 140 RVs for display. Show attendees will be able to see the latest 2024 RV models and the top RV accessories.
For more information, visit here.
Warby Parker Opening in Downtown Birmingham Feb. 3
The Warby Parker eyeglasses brand is opening a store in downtown Birmingham (120 W Maple Road) on Feb. 3.
As a one-stop-shop, the new store is intended to make it easier for metro Detroit customers to access all their vision care needs. The location will carry a full assortment of sun and optical offerings (including the latest Spring 2024 collection), its brand of daily contact lenses Scout by Warby Parker, in addition to third-party contacts, and more.
Artwork from James Noellert will be showcased in-store, as well as opening day treats from Bakehouse46.
JPMorgan Chase Closes on $10M Low-cost Loan to Invest Detroit Fund
JPMorgan Chase has closed a new, $10 million low-cost loan to the Invest Detroit Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution that JPMorgan Chase has supported since 2013.
The investment will be used for strengthening neighborhoods by encouraging business development, housing creation, transportation, and other community resources. It is expected to help create high-quality residential, commercial, and retail development in underserved neighborhoods, and provide small- to medium-sized businesses with the capital they need to grow and expand in Detroit.
Jeep Brings 35-inch Tires to Two-door 2024 Wrangler for the First Time
The Jeep brand of Stellantis in Auburn Hills is taking its two-door 2024 Jeep Wrangler to new heights, literally, and bolstering the Wrangler’s 4×4 capability and go-anywhere attitude by announcing a new Xtreme 35 Tire Package, offered for the first time ever on the new 2024 Wrangler Rubicon and Willys two-door models.
The Xtreme 35 Tire Package first debuted on Wrangler four-door in 2021, enabling customers to add a common capability upgrade straight from the factory.
“Our passionate Jeep Wrangler customers are always asking for more — more capability and more adventure — so it’s a natural follow up to the success we’ve seen on the four-door Wrangler to now — for the first time ever — offer the 35-inch Tire Package on the two-door Wrangler,” says Bill Peffer, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand North America. “These 35-inch BF Goodrich KO2 tires on the two-door Willys and Rubicon models deliver extreme capability, including best-in-class breakover angle of 32.4 degrees, straight from the factory with a factory warranty.”
Priced at $4,495, the Xtreme 35 Tire Package is available on Wrangler Rubicon and Willys two-door models equipped with the 2.0-liter turbo engine. The package includes:
- LT315/70R17C (35-inch) BF Goodrich KO2 all-terrain tires.
- 17-by-8-inch beadlock capable wheels.
- Swing gate reinforcement.
- 56:1 axle ratio.
- 5-inch factory suspension lift with uniquely tuned shocks.
At a starting U.S. MSRP of $62,295 (excluding $1,895 destination), the new 2024 Wrangler Rubicon X two-door model with the 2.0-liter turbo engine features the Xtreme 35 Tire Package as standard equipment.
Customers can order the Xtreme 35 Tire Package on the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon two-door model with the 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine starting now. The package will be available to order on the Jeep Wrangler Willys two-door model with the 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine later this quarter.
Production at the Toledo (Ohio) Assembly Plant will start in March.
Oxford Commercial Finance Reports $64M in Funding During 2023
Oxford Commercial Finance (OCF), a subsidiary of Oxford Bank, marks its first year with $64 million in funding for small and mid-sized businesses across numerous industries and states.
Collaborating with its partners, OCF completed 60 transactions, funding approximately $51.7 million in new business in 2023. It also acquired eight new patient loan pools through its HELP joint venture, adding another $12.4 million in funding.
OCF accomplished the following in 2023:
- Reviewed 200 applications through its Working Capital division, totaling just more than $400 million of facility limits.
- Funded 29 new deals amounting to $27.7 million.
- Completed nine new term loans totaling $7 million.
- Facilitated 20 transactions totaling $10.7 million in new business through its leasing joint venture with VFS.
- Purchased eight pools of patient loans through its patient receivable joint venture, contributing $12.4 million in new funding.
- Closed two transactions in alternative energy, adding about $6 million in new funding.
“Since Oxford Bank’s strategic move to launch OCF and the acquisition that brought Robyn Barrett, senior vice president and managing director, and a team of talented professionals on board in 2022, it’s been an incredible time of growth. The OCF team has ambitious goals for 2024, and we plan on keeping the momentum going with new and creative financing solutions that enable businesses across the U.S. to expand and thrive.”
For more information, visit oxfordcommercialfinance.com.
Detroit Pistons Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey Get Nod to Play in NBA Rising Stars Game
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren and guard Jaden Ivey were selected to play in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. The game will take place Feb. 16, at 9 p.m. on TNT.
The pool of 28 players for the Panini Rising Stars consists of 11 first-year NBA players, 10 second-year NBA players, and seven players from the NBA G League. The competition will consist of three teams of seven NBA players and one team of seven NBA G League players, who were selected by the NBA league office. The two semifinal games will be played to a Final Target Score of 40 and the final game, featuring the winners, will be played to a final Target Score of 25 to determine the tournament champion.
This is the second consecutive season that Duren and Ivey have been selected to the Rising Stars game, joining Andre Drummond, Brandon Knight, and Greg Monroe as multi-time Rising Stars selections for Detroit. This is the third consecutive season that Detroit has had at least two players selected.
Foremost Farms USA in Greenville Joins Farm Powered Strategic Alliance
Foremost Farms USA in Greenville (northeast of Grand Rapids), one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the United States, has joined the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA), an organization in pursuit of sustainable organic waste reduction and renewable energy generation within the dairy industry.
Foremost Farms, owned by hundreds of dedicated Midwest dairy farm members across seven states including Michigan, has been recognized for its commitment to producing high-quality milk used in the creation of award-winning cheese, butter, and dairy ingredients. By joining the FPSA, Foremost Farms says it aims to further strengthen its dedication to sustainable practices and support generational dairy farmers across America.
“Foremost Farms is dedicated to building strong partnerships with organizations that focus on sustainability in the dairy industry,” says Greg Schlafer, president and CEO of Foremost Farms. “We’re pleased to join the FPSA as another step in continuing our trajectory as environmental stewards that take care of our world and create value for dairy farm families.”
For more information about the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance, visit here.
Consumers Energy and Foundation Donates $11M+ in 2023
The Jackson-based Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, and its employees and retirees donated more than $11 million dollars in grants, sponsorships, and other supportive funding to nonprofits and municipalities across the state in 2023, empowering organizations to better the lives of people in Michigan, to bolster prosperity for communities, and protect the planet.
“Being a good corporate citizen means not only keeping the lights on and homes and businesses heated, but making an active contribution to bettering our communities,” says Angela Thompkins, chief diversity officer and vice president of community affairs for Consumers Energy. “Giving of our time, talents, and dollars outside of work is a core part of our company culture, and we’re immensely proud of the work our employees and our giving teams did over the last year.”
Highlights of these significant contributions include:
- $1.5 million in signature grants focused on neighborhood revitalization, providing economic security for community members, protecting endangered species and restoring natural green spaces.
- Over $755,000 donated by employees and retirees as part of the annual company-wide United Way campaign.
- $200,000 for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grantmaking Program to support community foundations across the state working on DEI initiatives.
- Employees and retirees volunteered more than 65,000 hours to support nonprofits in their communities.
- Employees across the state supported their communities during the holiday season. Jackson area employees supported 82 families and more than 240 individuals through the Adopt-a-Family program, in addition to donating more than 1,300 toys for Toys for Tots.
- More than $440,000 donated to nonprofit organizations through the employee and retiree volunteer grant and matching gift programs.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Buildings to Go Red to Mark American Heart Month
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan buildings statewide will turn red in observance of American Heart Month and the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” campaign on Feb. 1.
Participating buildings include:
- Blue Cross Lafayette Tower in Detroit (red dress and red heart on opposite sides of building).
- Renaissance Center in Detroit.
- AF Group Headquarters in Lansing.
- Blue Cross Lyon Meadows Conference Center Water Tower in New Hudson.
“American Heart Month is a key focus for us at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,” says Daniel J. Loepp, president and CEO of BCBSM. “Every February, we light our buildings in red to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease. Touching both men and women, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Heart health is essential to overall well-being; we encourage embracing healthy habits like proper nutrition, exercise, blood pressure monitoring, and stress management — this month and year-round.”
Consulate of Italy Commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Remembrance and Italian commitment to the fight against xenophobia and discrimination were the central themes of Italian Consul Allegra Baistrocchi’s introduction to a Jan. 27 event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The event was free and open to the public. Almost 300 people participated, mostly members of the Italian, Jewish, and Italian American communities.
The “Giorno della Memoria” in Italy was established in 2000 and Italy was a strong proponent within the United Nations to mark Jan. 27, the day Allied troops broke through the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.
Part of the event was a viewing of the film “The Last Time We Were Children,” which recounts the story of three children who go in search of a friend who has disappeared during the Nazi raid of the Jewish ghetto in Rome.
“To remember is to possess and to protect the memory from oblivion, with the hope that this will help prevent acts of hate, acts of racism and acts of discrimination,” says Baistrocchi. “And unfortunately, we are all becoming anesthetized to what is the normalization of violence.”
JARC’s Fall Fundraising Campaign Raises $1.4M, Passes $1.2M Goal
JARC, a Bloomfield Hills-based nonprofit agency that serves individuals with developmental disabilities, announced its 2023 fall fundraising campaign exceeded the fundraising goal of $1.2 million, and netted $1.4 million for the nonprofit.
Funds raised support 120 people with developmental disabilities at 45 locations in metro Detroit, including 24-hour care in group homes, independent living settings for adults, and respite services for children, teens, and young adults.
“While we’re very fortunate to be the beneficiaries of state funding, there’s no way that we could provide the level of community that we do for the people we serve or be able to get everyone where they want to go, if it weren’t for our generous donors,” says Shaindle Braunstein, CEO of JARC.
For more information, visit jarc.org.
Eisenhower Dance Detroit Presents ‘DUOS: Unmei’ Feb. 17 at CCS
Eisenhower Dance Detroit will present “DUOS: Unmei,” an “immersive evening of dance, design, and the delight of food and drink,” at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Valade Family Gallery on the College for Creative Studies campus (460 W. Baltimore) in Detroit.
The evening is designed to awaken guests’ senses as they stroll the gallery, enjoying dance duos, tasty bites, and a sensual design tapestry.
Appearing alongside Eisenhower’s professional company dancers is local Creative Director Asa Nagao of Cocoya Studio in Detroit, who uses her experience living in the United States and Japan to create and consult on projects across a variety of design media, and Chef Niina Lobbestael of Gastro Creative, whose background in nutrition and food science has informed her mission to create food experiences that provide nourishment and inspire a mind- body connection.
Tickets, which are $50, are available at eisenhowerdance.org/duos. Space is limited to 65 tickets per showing.
