DBusiness Daily Update: LIFT Plans to Expand Innovation Institute Operations to Puerto Rico, “Detroit: City of Churches” Premieres on DPTV on Dec. 12, and More

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.
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LIFT plans to begin technology and talent development operations in Puerto Rico in support of the island’s manufacturing base and workforce. // Courtesy of LIFT
LIFT plans to begin technology and talent development operations in Puerto Rico in support of the island’s manufacturing base and workforce. // Courtesy of LIFT

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.

LIFT Announces Plan to Expand Innovation Institute Operations to Puerto Rico

LIFT, the Detroit-based Department of Defense national manufacturing innovation institute, today announced plans to begin technology and talent development operations in Puerto Rico in support of the island’s manufacturing base and workforce.

The institute, a nonprofit public-private partnership between industry, academia, and government, is supported by $1.9 million in funding from the Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology Program, overseen by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. LIFT will immediately begin convening local stakeholders to further assess how it can meet the innovation the needs of the island’s manufacturers as well as prepare the workforce to work in the advanced manufacturing sector.

“As a national manufacturing innovation institute, we have a national mandate to support manufacturers and their workforce wherever we can, and that includes expanding beyond our headquarters facility in Detroit,” says Nigel Francis, executive director and CEO of LIFT, and echoed by Victor Claudio, Chief Financial Officer and of Puerto Rican heritage.

“There is no doubt that innovation is place-based, which means we not only plan to bring the support of our existing ecosystem to support Puerto Rican manufacturers, but we plan to develop an engaged ecosystem of local manufacturers and help advance their technologies towards commercialization.”

To lead its efforts on the island, LIFT has hired Juan M. Aguayo-Leal as the new Director of LIFT Puerto Rico. Aguayo-Leal is a former infantry paratrooper, operations and logistics officer with the 101st Airborne Division in the U.S. Army and former director of business development for the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Co. for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico with more than 25 years of experience in business communications.

Manufacturing accounts for nearly half of the gross domestic product of Puerto Rico and the Island has a long history of manufacturing and a diverse manufacturing economy, including biotechnology, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, agroecology, aerospace, electronics, computing, engineering and construction, and apparel.

LIFT will bring to Puerto Rico its technology program, Leading Innovations for Tomorrow, and its talent program, Learning Innovations for Tomorrow. Both programs are led out of LIFT’s Detroit headquarters facility, which operates as both a showcase for the “art of the possible” and the future of manufacturing, and a “sandbox,” in which the Institute’s national ecosystem can come to design, test and prototype new materials, processes, and systems.

LIFT also plans to deliver Operation Next, a training and credentialing program providing a blended learning curriculum to active-duty soldiers and National Guard and Reserve members on the island, enabling them to earn nationally portable, standards based, industry recognized credentials in high demand manufacturing fields.

‘Detroit: The City of Churches’ to Premiere on DPTV Dec. 12

The latest production from producer Keith Famie and his Visionalist Entertainment Productions team — “Detroit: The City of Churches” — will debut on Detroit Public TV (PBS) at 8 p.m. Dec. 12.

The 90-minute documentary, introduced by longtime Detroit news personality Chuck Gaidica, takes the audience on an in-depth look at Detroit’s history from the perspective of 17 of the city’s most iconic houses of worship.

At one time, Detroit had more churches per square mile than any other city in the country, serving a population of multiple nationalities and many faiths. “Detroit: The City of Churches” captures the city’s early settlers, as well as the Underground Railroad, automotive boom, and civil rights movement to frame how Detroit’s spiritual leaders, their places of worship, and their congregations helped guide the city as it is known today.

As part of this story, Famie says the audience will gain a deeper understanding of the origin of stained glass, various architectural designs, the significance of church bells, the historic organs that drive the Sunday services, Pewabic Pottery, and the history of Detroit’s Eastern Market.

The film also features an important story about the impact the sisters — Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Felician Sisters — had on many congregations. Famie and his team built and filmed 60 custom historical image sets over a three-week period, which are seen throughout the documentary.

To learn more about the film’s production and how to be featured as supporter, visit detroitcityofchurches.com. For more information on Detroit Public TV’s series “The Black Church in Detroit,” visit here.

Michigan Hospitality Operators Encouraged to Apply for GoingPRO Grants by Dec. 12

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA) is encouraging Michigan restaurant and hotel operators to apply for the GoingPRO Talent Fund, which awards grants to help business owners invest in their workforce by providing employees with training to sharpen their industry skills and develop as leaders.

The program, which is part of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity-Workforce Development (LEO-WD), is accepting applications through Dec. 12.

The hospitality industry has been historically underrepresented as GoingPRO Talent Fund recipients. While the hospitality industry, which includes restaurant, lodging and tourism workers, comprises 10 percent of Michigan’s workforce and 12.5 percent of the state’s GDP, only 2.1 percent of the applications submitted in 2021 came from this sector. Out of the more than $40 million granted between 2021 and 2022, the hospitality industry was awarded $455,799, or 1.1 percent of all awards.

“When people are given the chance to grow on a professional level, it results in happier employees who stay longer, and go further in the industry,” says Justin Winslow, president and CEO of MRLA. “This year, we don’t want to make the mistake of leaving this tremendous opportunity on the table. We encourage business owners to apply and give their employees the chance to develop the skills they need to succeed and find a rewarding career.”

Plymouth Growth Partners in Ann Arbor Invests in Minnesota’s CloseSimple

Plymouth Growth Partners, a growth equity firm based in Ann Arbor, has made a multi-million-dollar investment in CloseSimple, an innovator in Minneapolis.

The new capital will enable CloseSimple to hire top-tier talent, accelerate product development, and broaden its outreach to companies in the title industry seeking a modern platform to provide a cohesive digital closing experience.

“Plymouth is thrilled to have the opportunity to invest in such a rapidly growing company as CloseSimple,” says Jeff Barry, a partner at Plymouth Growth. “Their unique technology addresses critical communications and workflow issues in moving to close transactions. CloseSimple’s strong customer focus impressed us from the start and has led to significant credibility in the marketplace that we fully expect to continue.”

CloseSimple is used by title companies, escrow companies, and real estate attorneys to enhance the experience of closing on a real estate transaction with automated text message updates, custom branded email, the Pizza Tracker for Title visual timeline, and client-facing portal.

The platform leverages strategic integrations to bring buyers, sellers, realtors, lender,s and attorneys into one digital closing experience, driving efficiencies, consistency in process, and differentiation in the market for its customers.

“From the beginning we’ve been tackling this big need for more transparency and visibility in the real estate process, and it’s been incredible to hear how CloseSimple is helping our clients do just that.” says Paul Stine, co-founder and CEO of CloseSimple. “Right now, companies in our industry are doubling down on tech, and with the backing of Plymouth Growth, we have the opportunity to continue meeting the needs of our clients, and ultimately simplify the real estate transaction for all parties.”

Inc. Recognizes Traverse City’s Truly Free with Best in Business Award

Truly Free, a Traverse City-based non-toxic and refillable cleaning product, tops Inc. magazine’s “Best in Business Awards” in the E-commerce category.

Truly Free pioneered the refillable cleaning industry by offering refillable everyday cleaning products via monthly memberships that help create a greener future, not just a clean home.

The company’s mission to free more than 10 million homes from harmful toxic chemicals and excess plastic waste, helping thousands of Americans subscribe to safer laundry wash and every day cleaner options available as starter kits or refills monthly. So far, Truly Free is being used in more than 230,000 homes.

Truly Free also helps employ women freed from human trafficking situations and support safe-houses and orphanages in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico.