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.
Lions Head Coach Named Saturday Race Grand Marshal for Detroit Grand Prix
New Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been named Saturday Grand Marshal of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear to be run June 12. The Detroit NTT IndyCar Series race also will feature a Sunday race.
As grand marshal, Campbell will participate in many activities including delivering the start engines command before the start of the first Chevy Dual in Detroit, which will be televised live on NBC and locally on WDIV Local 4 in Detroit, beginning at 2 p.m.
“This is a special honor to be named grand marshal of the Detroit Grand Prix and help kickoff the first big event of the summer in the Motor City,” says Campbell, who played for the Lions as a blocking tight end 2006-2008. “Detroit is such a great sports city and whether it’s on the gridiron or on the track, we know our fans will be revved up in the Motor City. It’s awesome to welcome the Grand Prix back to Belle Isle and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Michael Montri, president of the Grand Prix, says, “We are excited to welcome the Detroit Lions new leader, Dan Campbell, as our grand marshal for Saturday at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. We look forward to welcoming Coach Campbell to Belle Isle and we know his fire and enthusiasm will help us wave the green flag on one of the best weekends of the summer in the Motor City.”
Tickets for the 2021 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear are on sale now with general admission tickets starting at $45. For more information on the Grand Prix and to purchase tickets, visit www.DetroitGP.com.
Great Lakes Segway Opens Pedego Walled Lake
Pedego Electric Bikes, an electric bike brand with a storefront now open in Walled Lake, is celebrating its grand opening on Friday, June 11, with an open house from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and a ribbon cutting at noon.
The event, which will take place outdoors to ensure proper COVID-19 safety guidelines, will feature free Pedego test rides, free t-shirts, giveaways, music, refreshments, and more. In addition, Pedego Vice President of Marketing Cassidy Castleman will be in attendance to connect with local Pedego enthusiasts.
The celebration also will feature the Pedego Hello Fun Tour Bus. The bus is on the nationwide Hello Fun Tour, designed to celebrate existing and new Pedego owners and their electric bikes.
“We have been blessed to see an explosion in the interest in personal mobility, especially in a time when it was difficult to actually move around and go places,” says John Smith, owner of Pedego Walled Lake. “Pedego Electric Bikes and our Segway line offer people of all ages great freedom to travel in their local neighborhoods, communities and even beyond that.”
Smith says he is looking forward to opening the kind of electric mobility business that offers “unique outdoor recreation opportunities” in Walled Lake, the surrounding communities, and all of Michigan.
“Pedego Electric Bikes’ motto is ‘Hello Fun!’ and that is exactly what Pedego Walled Lake is bringing to the local community,” he says. “We’re going to have our celebration, rain or shine and we want to make this a fun event for the entire community.”
Pedego Walled Lake is located at 239 E. Walled Lake Drive and open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
All-Star Lineup Set for RMC’s Area 313 Celebrity Scramble
After a year off due to the pandemic, the PGA Tour’s best special event of 2019, the Area 313 Celebrity Scramble, returns to the Rocket Mortgage Classic at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, at Detroit Golf Club featuring some high-powered pros and notable local celebrities.
PGA Tour stars Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Bubba Watson, Harold Varner III, Jason Day, and Rickie Fowler each will captain a four-player team consisting of celebrities including Larry Fitzgerald, Barry Sanders, Tom Izzo, LPGA pro Lexi Thompson, and Maurice Allen. Each team also will include a participant from The John Shippen National Invitational and a sponsor representative.
Area 313 (holes 14-16 at Detroit Golf Club) has established itself as one of the most entertaining trio of holes on the PGA Tour, and now the event aims to make them “The Most Charitable Three Holes in Golf.” The tournament’s goal is to raise more than $1 million through fan engagements and returning initiatives at its three-hole stretch, as part of a larger fundraising effort to support the tournament’s multi-year Changing the Course initiative to end the digital divide in Detroit.
Tickets for the event are extremely limited and are only available by making a donation to the tournament’s “Faces of AREA 313 Presented by Priority Health” program.
Little Caesars Launches Pepperoni and Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza Nationwide
Detroit-based Little Caesars is launching its $10 “ExtraMostBestest” pepperoni pizza, with a crust stuffed with more cheese and more pepperoni nationwide.
Little Caesars newest cheesy, meaty creation starts with a round pizza, topped with the chain’s famous fresh, never-frozen mozzarella and Muenster blend and pepperoni slices, then stuffed with mozzarella cheese and more savory pepperoni. Little Caesars makes its dough fresh in stores daily and tops its pizzas with sauce made from fresh-packed, vine-ripened California crushed tomatoes.
“This pizza is so cheesy and delicious, you just have to turn your slice around to eat it crust-first,” says Jeff Klein, chief marketing officer at Little Caesars, “It’s the best way to really enjoy what has, until now, been the most underappreciated part of the pizza.”
Customers can order the Pepperoni and Cheese Stuffed Crust pizza via the Little Caesars app for convenient Pizza Portal pickup at any participating Little Caesars location nationwide.
Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world, with stores in each of the 50 U.S. states and 27 countries and territories.
Pistons and UWM Announce Jersey Partnership
The Detroit Pistons and United Wholesale Mortgage in Pontiac have unveiled a multi-year corporate partnership that brands UWM as the franchise’s new jersey partner and designates it the exclusive mortgage partner of the Detroit Pistons. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
As part of the deal, UWM will have its logo prominently featured on the left front strap of official Detroit Pistons team jerseys beginning with the start of the 2021-22 NBA season. Other elements of the partnership include television and radio broadcast advertisements and features, rotational banner placement on Pistons.com as well as courtside rotational signage and basket station digital signage inside Little Caesars Arena.
“United Wholesale Mortgage is a premier Michigan-based company that shares our mission for providing unparalleled service to customers while making a difference in the community,” says Arn Tellem, vice chairman of the Pistons. “Our relationship with UWM will provide the opportunity to engage fans in a variety of ways by collaborating on off the court on initiatives that honor those who serve and drive youth participation and excitement through basketball.”
Mat Ishbia, CEO of UWM, adds, “UWM has been embedded in metro Detroit for over 35 years. Our company culture and success has multiple ties to basketball and a team working together towards a common goal. From my time playing basketball for Tom Izzo at Michigan State to the way we use sports terminology, teamwork mentality, and relentless pursuit to improve ourselves each day we are very aligned with the Pistons organization. We are excited to partner with the Pistons for years to come as we both continue to grow and achieve monumental goals for our organizations and the community.”
Unique to other jersey partner deals, UWM will be designated as a supporting partner of the Detroit Pistons “Hoops For Troops” community relations platform that includes on-court recognition of a selected “Military Hero of the Game” at 10 regular-season home games and presence at the club’s annual veterans job fair. The mortgage leader will also be designated as presenting sponsor of “Home on Sundays” game nights that will take place during each Sunday regular season game.
Brose Partners with DTE Energy on Clean Energy Purchase
DTE Energy and Auburn Hills automotive mechatronics supplier Brose announced Brose’s enrollment in DTE’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program.
Brose’s clean energy purchase of 11,445 megawatt hours annually, sourced from new clean energy projects that are currently under development and scheduled to come online in early 2023, will avoid 81,110 metric tons of CO2 over the company’s 10-year contract. This has the environmental benefit equal to the carbon sequestered by 99,000 acres of U.S. forests in a year.
“Brose has been operating in North America since 1993,” says Wilm Uhlenbecker, president of Brose North America. “In this market, and at our locations around the world, we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and greening all aspects of our operations. Joining MIGreenPower is helping our company deliver on its commitment to sustainability.”
Brose joins more than 350 Michigan businesses and 31,000 residential customers who are using MIGreenPower to reduce their impact on the environment and support the development of Michigan-made clean energy.
Justice System Reform Projects Receive $2M+ in Support from Community Foundation
A group of national and local foundations announced more than $2 million in support to 12 organizations through the Michigan Justice Fund, a Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan initiative designed to address inequities in the criminal justice system throughout the state.
The Michigan Justice Fund primarily seeks to help stem the flow of individuals into the criminal justice system, support the investment of public dollars to community-driven alternatives to incarceration, and ensures that those returning home after incarceration receive the support they need to flourish.
“Practitioners and advocates, those closest to the work of justice reform, have helped the Michigan Justice Fund to build a strategy for enacting smart and racially equitable justice policies that keep our communities safe and reduce barriers to opportunity,” says Melanca Clark, president and CEO of the Hudson- Webber Foundation and chair of the Michigan Justice Fund Steering Committee. “We are thrilled to deploy a round of investments to support organizations and projects that will move our state forward.”
Those receiving grants include:
- ACLU Fund of Michigan ($316,320)
- Aspen Institute ($175,000)
- Center for Employment Opportunities ($200,000)
- Citizens for Racial Equity in Washtenaw ($200,000)
- LINC UP ($80,000)
- Michigan League for Public Policy ($400,000)
- Michigan Prison Doula Initiative ($50,000)
- Neighborhood Defender Service ($200,000)
- Luke N.E.W. Life Center ($200,000)
- Wayne State University ($200,000)
- Women’s Resource Center ($200,000)
- Youth Justice Fund ($50,000)
“The Community Foundation is committed to improving racial equity and reducing Michigan’s reliance on detention and incarceration through an evidence-based and data-driven approach,” says Mariam Noland, president of the Community Foundation. “With this initiative, we are supporting economic prosperity strategies by partnering with foundations and organizations that are committed to strengthening the justice policy reform ecosystem in our state.”
Oakland County to Present Virtual Economic Outlook Meeting June 9
Oakland County is presenting a virtual meeting covering the 2021-2023 Oakland County Economic Outlook Summary at 10:30 a.m. on June 9.
This is Oakland County’s “must-see event” for business, education, and community leaders. University of Michigan economists Gabriel Ehrlich and Donald Grimes present their three-year forecast on the county’s economic future.
The event is free and will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook. To register to receive the broadcast link and a digital copy of the report, visit here. Questions can be directed to Laura Dodd at doddl@oakgov.com.
Stout and Dykema to Host Webinar on PPP Forgiveness Procedures
Stout and Dykema are hosting a webinar on PPP loan forgiveness applications, denials, and appeals on June 24 at 1 p.m.
The webinar, moderated by Steve Sahara of Stout and Thomas Vaughn of Dykema, is designed to answer questions of businesses in the following categories:
- High-risk borrower ($2 million or more in PPP loan proceeds, public company, PE backed, foreign ownership)
- Are concerned the PPP forgiveness application may be denied in whole or in part
- Are at risk for a subsequent audit of a PPP loan
Other webinar speakers, with dispute and government expertise, include: Jesse R. Morton and Steve Lovoy Jr. of Stout, and Jonathan Feld and Alexis Schostak of Dykema.
To register for the webinar, visit here.
TCF Financial CEO David Provost to Deliver Walsh Commencement Address
David Provost, CEO of TCF Financial, will be the keynote speaker and receive an honorary Doctor of Laws at the Walsh’s 116th commencement at Walsh College in Troy, which will be a virtual ceremony, on Saturday, June 26.
Provost was named CEO of TCF Financial in Oct. 2020 after serving as executive chairman. He has also served as president and CEO of CHFC, the holding company for Chemical Bank and as chairman and CEO for Talmer Bank and Trust.
“As a leader in business committed to driving positive change through community service, David Provost represents the kind of well-rounded success Walsh graduates can aspire to, and we are honored to welcome him as our commencement keynote speaker,” says Michael Levens, president and CEO of Walsh.
Troy Rotary, Explore Yoga Honor International Day of Yoga June 21
The Troy Rotary Club and Explore Yoga are hosting an event at 6:30 p.m. on June 21 recognizing the International Day of Yoga.
This event, which will take place in the large field behind the Troy Sports Center, is a fundraiser for Troy Rotary to help it raise money to support all of the service projects it does throughout the year. Suggested donation for this event is $15. Cash, check and online donations are accepted.
Tickets for the event can be acquired here.
Busch’s Fresh Food Market in Tecumseh Undergoes Complete Remodeling
The remodeling of Busch’s Fresh Food Market in Tecumseh is now complete with many new features including a Starbucks with a full-service menu and a seating area for guests.
This is the fifth Busch’s location to include a Starbucks. Other locations featuring a Starbucks include Brighton, Canton, Dexter, and Livonia with more to come.
“Tecumseh was one of our first stores and we have always enjoyed wonderful support from the local community,” says Todd Robinson, vice president of Marketing at Busch’s. “Updating our store to provide an even better shopping experience for our guests is our way of showing our appreciation for those many decades of support.”
In addition to the Starbucks, the Busch’s in Tecumseh now has a new sushi station with a dedicated chef making fresh sushi every day. The beer, wine, and liquor departments have been revamped with new coolers, cases, industrial shelving, and hundreds of new offerings.
A new soda department has been added with dozens of unique craft soda options along with the regular assortment. The meat and seafood departments as well as deli, bakery, and floral departments have all been redone with new cases, fixtures, and offerings.
To officially launch the remodeled store (1450 W. Chicago Blvd.), a ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. on June 7.
