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.
Michigan State, Jewish Center to Host World Premiere of ‘Lost Rhapsody’
The Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, the Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival, and the Michigan State University College of Music will present the premiere of “The Lost Rhapsody: A World War II Survival Story and Musical Legacy” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at MSU’s Fairchild Theatre in East Lansing, and at 2:25 p.m. Oct. 15 at the JCC of Metropolitan Detroit’s Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield Township.
The event includes a screening of David Hoffert’s documentary film, “The Rhapsody,” about composer and Holocaust survivor Leo Spellman who, at the age of 98, set out on journey toward artistic liberation, followed by a live performance of Spellman’s 24-minute “Rhapsody 1939-1945.”
This is the first time anywhere that the film “The Rhapsody” will be paired with Spellman’s symphonic piece that was lost and forgotten for more than 50 years, performed by MSU Symphony, conducted by Octavio Más-Arocas, associate professor of music and director of orchestras at MSU.
Tickets for the MSU event can be purchased here. Tickets for the JCC event can be purchased here.
Oakland County Launches OakAlert Emergency Notification System
Oakland County is encouraging its citizens to keep themselves safe by signing up for OakAlert, the county’s emergency notification system.
OakAlert sends texts, calls, and emails when emergency situations occur. Because notices come from Oakland County Emergency Management, participants can get information faster than from the news or social media. Among the emergencies covered include:
Chemical spills impacting public health (like a shelter-in-place order)
- Outdoor warning siren activation
- Active assailant situations causing an evacuation
- Closure or interruption in service of County operations
- Additional notifications affecting the health and safety of the county
Self-registration takes 90 seconds with name, personal contact information, username, and password for this no-cost service.
To sign up, visit here.
Lotus Cars and Santander Consumer Join Forces on New Auto Financing Programs
Lotus Cars in Plymouth Township is partnering with Texas-based Santander Consumer to provide new U.S. customers with dealer financing programs.
Santander Consumer will provide nationwide loan and lease options to Lotus customers and dealers with this exclusive, multi-year agreement.
“We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with Santander Consumer to provide financing options to customers in one of our largest markets,” says Ben Dodds, CFO of Lotus Cars. “Providing convenient options for our customers stays true to our brand promise to be ‘For the Drivers’, and we are excited to have them along with us on this journey as we deliver our new line-up.”
North America is a key market for Lotus, as the business expands globally. The company had more than 44 stores in its retail network as of June 30, and plans to almost double its presence with 80 stores expected to open by 2025.
Onaway Spruce Becomes State of Michigan’s 36th Official Christmas Tree
The Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget (DTMB) has selected the official 2023 state Christmas tree — a 60-foot spruce that will be harvested from Onaway, east of Indian River in the northern Lower Peninsula.
Onaway resident Vic Ruppert and his family have donated the tree in honor of his late wife Shirley Ruppert. The spruce will arrive in downtown Lansing Oct. 28 and grace the Capitol lawn during the holiday season.
This is the first tree from Presque Isle County, and the 13th from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula since an official tree began being placed at the Capitol each holiday season in 1987.
The tree will be harvested Oct. 26, and transported to the Capitol with help from the Michigan Association of Timbermen, the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, and DTMB’s Christmas tree crew. Once at the Capitol, local Boy Scout troops will continue the tradition of untying the tree. The HI-Ball Co. of Lansing will provide a crane and crew to hoist the spruce into place near the intersection of Capitol and East Michigan avenues.
Once in place, the City of Lansing’s forestry team will prepare the tree for the lighting scheme and decorations developed by the Michigan Capitol Commission and the Lansing Board of Water & Light. The entire journey culminates with a tree lighting ceremony Nov. 17, at the 39th Annual Silver Bells in the City celebration.
Silver Bells includes an electric light parade featuring more than 70 entries decked out with thousands of lights, high school marching bands, horse drawn carriages, and the arrival of Santa Claus; lighting of the state tree; community sing; and drone holiday light show. The event concludes with a fireworks display over the Capitol.
For more information, visit SilverBellsintheCity.org.
Lawrence Tech’s Centrepolis Accelerator awarded $150K SBA Grant
The Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield has won a $150,000 Stage Two Growth Accelerator Fund grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Investment and Innovation.
Centrepolis was one of only 35 awardees nationwide, two of which were in Michigan.
The SBA’s Growth Accelerator Fund program aims to boost equitable investment in innovative startups and high-growth small businesses. Priorities of the program are National Security and Global Competitiveness; Domestic Manufacturing and Production; Climate and Renewable Energy; and Underserved Communities.
Centrepolis is one of just a handful of hard tech accelerators nationwide focusing on developing physical products, not software and services. Its award came under the domestic manufacturing priority.
The SBA award enables Centrepolis to dedicate grant services to develop physical products for tech companies in the Upper Peninsula in partnership with the UP’s designated SmartZones, MTEC in Houghton, Innovate Marquette, and Sault Ste. Marie, along with UP universities and other economic development partners, including Invest UP and Shophouse Park.
A complete list of winners can be found here.
Priority Health Receives High-level Quality Ratings for Health Plans
Priority Health in Grand Rapids has been recognized as a top performer by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for its accredited Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial health plans.
In NCQA’s Medicare Health Plan Ratings 2023, Priority Health’s Medicare HMO/POS plans received 4.5 stars (out of 5), making them the top-rated Medicare plans in Michigan and among the highest-rated plans in the nation. Priority Health’s Medicare PPO plans received 4 out of 5 stars.
NCQA also recognized Priority Health’s commercial and Medicaid plans. In NCQA’s Commercial Health Plan Ratings 2023, the commercial HMO/POS and PPO were among the top-performing commercial plans in Michigan; each received a 4-star rating (out of 5). In a report of NCQA’s Medicaid Health Plan Ratings 2023, Priority Health’s Medicaid product remained a high-performing plan.
“Priority Health’s history of receiving national recognition for the quality of our health plans is a direct reflection of our commitment to ensure our members receive high-quality care and service,” says Praveen Thadani, president of Priority Health. “We are dedicated to our mission and vision of making health simple, affordable, equitable and exceptional. I’m so proud of our team for this great accomplishment.”
Pet Supplies Plus, Wag N’ Wash Commit to Sustainability, Partner with TerraCycle
Livonia-based Pet Supplies Plus and its sister company Wag N’ Wash, have announced a partnership with TerraCycle, a provider of innovative sustainability solutions.
By doing so, the companies are the first pet retailers in the U.S. to embrace more eco-friendly options.
The new partnership with TerraCycle will create an in-store recycling program that offers a free and convenient solution for neighbors to give any brand of pet food packaging a second life. Neighbors can drop off eligible empty flexible plastic pet food and treat bags in a designated collection bin at their local participating Pet Supplies Plus or Wag N’ Wash locations. All collected waste will be sent to TerraCycle to be cleaned, sorted by material type, and reduced into material that can be remolded to make new recycled products.
“We take pride in offering our neighbors a simple and convenient solution to aid in keeping our planet waste-free,” says Chris Rowland, CEO of Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash. “The partnership with TerraCycle is a natural progression as our brands continue to meet the needs of our neighbors and do our part to reduce waste.”
70+ County Jobs Available at Oakland County’s Oct. 17 Virtual Job Fair
Several county departments have full- and part-time job openings and will be participating in the Oakland County’s virtual career fair from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 17.
“We have incredibly talented people who make up our workforce at Oakland County,” says Dav Coulter, Oakland County Executive. “Whether you are beginning your career or advancing it, Oakland County has a broad range of positions available in a welcoming work environment.”
County departments and divisions that are hiring include Vehicle Operations, Information Technology, Corporation Counsel, Parks and Recreation, Sheriff’s Office, Workforce Development, Children’s Village, Human Resources, Water Resources Commissioner, Community Corrections and Equalization. These departments will have virtual booths at the job fair to answer questions about county operations, the diverse career opportunities that are available, and what it takes to get hired and succeed.
Some of the positions include social worker, maintenance laborer, general staff nurse, sheriff deputy, custodial worker, office support clerk, dispatch specialist, legal secretary, and more.
Registration is required for the job fair and can be done so here. To learn more about available positions, visit here.
MSU to Address Global Water Issues Through New Alliance
Michigan State University in East Lansing has harnessed its water research expertise to create the MSU Water Alliance, a bridging organization among existing water science units on campus and among faculty with water expertise to address challenges.
“PFAS and wastewater pollution is degrading rivers all over the world,” says Joan Rose, the Homer Nowlin Endowed Chair in Water Research in MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who will lead the MSU Water Alliance. “Pathogen risks are increasing and nutrient pollution in fresh water will cause algal blooms and make these waters unsuitable for drinking or recreation. In addition, climate change and weather instability will cause water and food shortages as well as natural disasters, which impact life and property.”
The demand for water science, technology and policy is great and will increase, said Doug Buhler, associate vice president in MSU’s Office of Research and Innovation.
“Water is a crucial and limited resource for human well-being that is threatened by global change,” Buhler says. “The integration of multiple disciplines and engaged approaches to address water challenges is urgently needed. Data science and engineering are especially critical to address climate change and water scarcity, which require the use of advanced computational technologies. These areas are a strength at MSU.”
In addition to harnessing internal expertise, the alliance will work with external partners including the Michigan Network for Environmental Health and Technology, or MiNet. MiNet is a statewide network of laboratories that use advanced methods to assess recreational water quality, identify sources of fecal contamination in surface water and monitor SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19, in wastewater.
The alliance also will address environmental inequities that have arisen for key populations, Rose says.
“We need to modernize water testing and water technology for a large portion of people who live in small, rural and recreational communities who are at increased risk due to water pollution associated with septic tanks, agricultural inputs, poor infrastructure and lack of assessment.”
Metric Marketing Wins Rapid Growth Award for Fourth Consecutive Year
Metric Marketing, a digital marketing agency based in Ann Arbor, has been presented with a FastTrack Award by Ann Arbor SPARK for the fourth year in a row.
Receiving the award for the fourth year indicates that Metric Marketing hit the minimum threshold of achieving at least 20 percent increase in average revenue per year for six years straight, starting at a minimum revenue of $100,000.
“We are honored to be recognized for our growth over the past few years,” says Hannah McNaughton, CEO and Founder of Metric Marketing. “This award is a testament to our team’s hard work, innovative thinking, and dedication to driving real results for our clients.”
National Defense Consortium Pledges $125K to Local Veterans Organization
The Ann Arbor-based National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) has announced a five-year, $125,000 partnership with Fisher House Michigan to support both the Ann Arbor Fisher House and soon to be second location in Detroit.
The $125,000 will be distributed over five years to support veterans and their families with lodging and transportation.
“We are dedicated to assisting families and veterans in our community through our partnership with Fisher House Michigan,” says Alissa Roth, executive director of NAMC. “Our two organizations hold the same values of providing our military with much-needed support once they return home. We want to support our heroes and their families at every step of their journey.”
Since inception, Fisher House Michigan has hosted over 7,300 military family members and veterans from Michigan, more than 21 other states, and five countries. The VA Ann Arbor Fisher House is the first to be built in the state, serving as a home away from home. The organization is currently fundraising for the VA Detroit Fisher House, a second property with 16-suites for those needing support.
Visit here to register for Build it for the Brave, the Fisher House Michigan 2023 Gala taking place Oct. 26.
Baker College Commits to Tuition Freeze, Free Housing Opportunities
Baker College in Royal Oak announced that it will continue this fall with a tuition freeze for undergraduate programs, offer a reduction in graduate tuition, and now provide free housing opportunities. Additionally, there is no application fee.
“For so many, the desire to attend college is overshadowed by the inability to do so affordably,” says Denise Bannan, chair of Baker College Board of Directors. “At Baker, we want to do what we can to ensure those that want a degree can find a tenable path to earning one.”
As National Transfer Week approaches (Oct. 16-20), Baker says it’s committed to making higher education even more accessible for transfer students. The school’s transfer-friendly process, accompanied by transfer scholarships and the opportunity for free housing during the spring semester, simplifies the transition.
Students seeking affordable tuition and the added benefit of free housing, should contact Baker Director of Admissions Amanda Gebhardt-Keeton at agebha06@baker.edu or 810-510-4915.
National Dance Competition Comes to Detroit
The dance competition — Freestyle is the Key Style — is taking place starting at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at Big Pink (6440 Wight St.) in Detroit.
The event is part of SNIPES’ 4th Quarter Series, dedicated to celebrating the dance culture across the United States.
Freestyle is the Key Style promises “an unforgettable evening” with eight top competitors chosen through a prelim qualifier, elimination rounds, and a live DJ set to elevate the competition’s excitement. Special guests include:
Judges: Mike Manson, Hallow Dreams, and Loose Joint
Special Guests: Tony, Renegade, Flash, The Crown, and Randi
Hosts: Rocka James and Queen Gabby
