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.
Shimmer on the River Returns Sept. 17
The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is staging its annual Shimmer on the River fundraiser, Sept. 17, after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Themed the Riverfront Reunion, the event is the conservancy’s first in-person fundraiser since 2019.
The evening will feature a live performance from Detroit legends the Spinners, food and refreshments, family games and activities, and other surprises. The event will honor two individuals with the Shimmer Award, long-time board member Larry McLaughlin, and the late Evelyn Johnston, a founding board member of the conservancy.
To purchase tickets, become a sponsor, or donate to the conservancy, visit here.
Beaumont Opens Outpatient Care Campus in Macomb County
Southfield-based Beaumont Health today opens a new, multidisciplinary outpatient care center in Lenox Township in northern Macomb County.
The 110,000-square-foot facility, Beaumont Outpatient Campus – Lenox, is near I-94 and 26 Mile Road in Lenox Township. Located inside the Bay River Marketplace adjacent to Meijer, the campus offers:
- Emergency center care.
- Noninvasive cardiology services.
- An infusion center.
- Physical therapy.
- Diagnostic imaging.
- Breast imaging.
- Pulmonary function testing.
- A Beaumont outpatient pharmacy and laboratory.
- Affiliated primary and specialty care physician offices.
Cancer services, including radiation oncology and an independent, outpatient surgery center, are part of the future plans for the facility.
“We are delighted to offer the residents of Macomb and St. Clair counties such highly sought-after health care services,” says Carolyn Wilson, executive vice president and COO for Beaumont Health. “We identified this location because of its convenient access to major thoroughfares in a growing and thriving community.”
The new emergency center offers the staffing and appropriate technology to handle any emergency, expedites emergency care, and eliminates the need to travel to a hospital campus.
“In addition to top-of-the-line emergency care, this leading-edge campus was designed with the consumer experience top-of-mind,” Wilson adds. “Medical appointments will be offered in a spacious, modern environment that puts the patient’s comfort and convenience first. Investments in digital technologies and facility design will make the experience welcoming and efficient.”
Patients who come to the Lenox campus will also gain convenient access to Beaumont’s network of experts and services, located throughout the eight-hospital system.
Beaumont partnered with NexCore Group, a national health care real estate developer, to build the campus. NexCore will handle financing, development, leasing, property management, and asset management.
There are additional opportunities for independent physicians and groups to open offices at the site.
Beaumont plans to launch a similar outpatient center in Livonia in the spring of 2022. The Lenox and Livonia campuses support Beaumont Health’s strategy to serve as a leading health care network.
“We see these sites as major community assets we can all be proud of,” John Fox, president and CEO of Beaumont Health. “Our goal is to expand our high-value care to more of our neighbors. If you live in and around Lenox, please let your neighbors know this will be a great place to receive the extraordinary care they expect from Beaumont.”
For more information, visit here.
Detroiter Samia Gore Launches Supplement Line at Vitamin Shoppe
Body Complete Rx (BCRX), a Black female-owned supplement company operated by Detroit native Samia Gore, has launched plant-based, vegan weight management supplements at The Vitamin Shoppe.
BCRX introduced its TRIM line in more than 700 retail locations nationwide, making it the first Black female-owned brand to launch in the retailer’s weight management category.
Founded by Gore in 2017, BCRX is a self-funded wellness and lifestyle brand that has grossed more than $10 million in sales in less than four years. Its natural, vegan supplements, which enjoy a celebrity following, provide a range of benefits based on customers’ specific needs, including weight management, and improving energy, skin health, and nutrition.
Products include vegan protein powders, supplements, a Vitamin C serum, collagen-boosting powder, women and men’s multivitamins, and superfood bars.
BCRX’s launch at The Vitamin Shoppe’s brick-and-mortar retail stores follows the brand’s recent rebranding and repackaging campaign, which included the launch of five new product lines of plant-based, vegan supplements, including Trim, Thrive, Glow, Nourish, and Perform.
“We are so excited to launch at one of the top retailers of nutritional supplements in the country because it’s a true testament to the efficacy of our brand and products,” explains Gore, who earned degrees at Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan universities. “As the first and only Black female-owned brand in The Vitamin Shoppe’s weight management category, I am excited to make these wellness products more accessible to customers across the country and support their journey towards wellbeing.”
For more information, visit here.
Motor City Car Crawl Coming to Detroit This Weekend
The Motor City Car Crawl Presented by Huntington, is a a free, outdoor, city-wide event hosted by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association and the Downtown Detroit Partnership to showcase new vehicles from Detroit area dealers, takes place this weekend at six downtown Detroit parks.
Attendees will find displays at Beacon Park, Cadillac Square, Campus Martius, Capitol Park, Grand Circus Park, and Spirit Plaza.
The Crawl kicks off on Thursday and is open from noon-9 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, it’s open from noono10 p.m. On Sunday, the hours are noon-5 p.m.
Additional attractions include:
- A free performance by Grammy Award-nominated Lucky Daye at Beacon Park on Friday sponsored by the DTE Beacon Park Foundation.
- A free, live orchestral performance of popular movie scores from the Michigan Philharmonic on Friday at Campus Martius.
- Family movie night showing “Cars 2” on the lawn at Campus Martius following the Michigan Philharmonic performance on Friday.
- Ticketed Charity Gala featuring a performance by Grammy Award-winning Sheryl Crow on Saturday, benefitting nine Detroit-area children’s charities.
- A free silent disco in Beacon Park, where attendees dance to music from local DJs through color-changing headphones (headphones available at event) on Saturday.
- Multiple exhibits including luxury cars, off-road, and electric vehicles.
- Food trucks and beverage tents on site.
Northpointe Storage in Casco Township Building Eight New Units
When Northpointe Storage in Casco Township, north of New Baltimore, finishes construction on eight new self-storage units, the business will be the largest family owned and operated self-storage business in the region.
“For nearly 25 years, our family has been providing area residents with safe and secure options for storing their belongings,” says Adam Janusch, owner of Northpointe Storage.
The business has a 130,000-square-foot presence on Marine City Highway (26 Mile Road) just east of I-94.
Northpointe Storage was established in Casco Township 1998 by Janusch and his father-in-law Wally Evans. Janusch’s two college-age sons have been involved in the family operations, which also includes a RV resort, marina, and multiple landscaping businesses. With the current building expansion and the upcoming new storage builds proposed in the surrounding area, Northpointe Storage is slated to become the region’s largest family owned and operated self-storage facility.
The company is in the process of building eight new drive-up self-storage facilities in Casco Township. These new buildings will offer nearly 75,000 square feet of storage or close to 500 storage units to the residents in St. Clair County and northern Macomb County. The facility will add 309 outdoor and 160 new inside climate-controlled storage units.
Since its start, the Casco facility has continuously grown. The company has developed 30 out of 57 acres it currently owns with a 2020 expansion of nearly 26,000 square feet and an additional 22,000 square feet in 2021.
“We’ve been gauging the growth of the area and recognized now would be a good time to do an expansion,” Janusch says. “We are excited to offer our neighbors an affordable option for storing their off-season, large, or specialty items.” With a large boating and RV community, Janusch says he sees a lot of opportunity for their indoor/outdoor storage options.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of interest and inquires as people have had to stay more in their homes during the last year and a half,” says Janusch. “They are noticing there is a lot more they could be doing with their home if there was less clutter and stuff.”
Janusch says he expects to break ground in mid-2022 on an Ira Township facility and 2021 for Lennox Township. These facilities will offer special indoor units especially for RVs and boats.
For more information, visit here.
Royal Oak Communications Agency Expands to Marquette
Siren, a communications firm in Royal Oak, is opening a second office in Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The Marquette office will be headed by the firm’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, Adela Piper.
Siren has had its eye on expansion to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula since beginning work with Northern Michigan University three years ago.
“Marquette is significant to Michigan’s future and Siren is going to be part of that,” says Lindsey Walenga, co-founder and CEO of Siren. “Climate migration and remote work are real factors that are driving the growth of cities like Marquette. We’ve been on the ground serving economic development and education-based clients in the U.P. and we see great potential for Siren there. To truly become a statewide firm and invest in the best of what Michigan has to offer, we are committing to a future in both Marquette and metro Detroit.”
Along with Northern Michigan University, Siren also is the public relations firm of record for Innovate Marquette SmartZone.
“This opportunity is equal parts right for our family, and right for our careers,” says Piper. “Marquette is a special place for us, and soon it’ll be home. We value the outdoors, sustainability, arts, and culture, a small-town feel… this place has all of that while also providing innovation and opportunity on the business side.”
Siren’s presence in Marquette will begin in September with Piper’s relocation, and the firm expects to have a business address there by the end of 2021. All of Siren’s additional team members will remain based in Royal Oak.
Windquest Board Appoints New President and CEO
Dick DeVos is retiring from his day-to-day role as president of Grand Rapids-based Windquest, the privately held enterprise and investment firm he and his wife, Betsy, founded. He will remain as chairman of the board, working with new president and CEO Greg McNeilly to continue the organization’s growth.
“Betsy and I remain committed to Windquest and its holdings and are excited to see the next generation of our family branch actively engaged in its governance,” says DeVos. “We understand the importance of making space for new energy and the talent of the rising generation.
“I am proud of what our family has built at Windquest and look forward to what it will continue to accomplish,” adds DeVos. “Greg McNeilly is a long-time colleague and proven leader who has demonstrated the vision and determination needed to continue Windquest’s growth.”
McNeilly joined Windquest in 2009, serving initially as vice president of administration and then as COO. During his time with the firm, Windquest holdings have grown six-fold. The organization employs nearly 1,000 people.
“It’s an honor to continue serving the Dick and Betsy DeVos family,” McNeilly says. “Windquest and its related firms represent highly talented people who every day make our communities better with the products and services they provide.”
All Hands and Hearts Disaster Relief Team Headed to Detroit
The Massachusetts-based international disaster relief organization All Hands and Hearts (AHAH) recently announced that it is sending a team to Detroit in response to the torrential rainfall that inundated Wayne and Oakland counties in late June.
The Michigan Community Service Commission and the city of Detroit asked AHAH for assistance in gutting and mold sanitation operations.
“There are roughly 2,500 homes in Detroit alone that need our help, and according to city officials, many of those were part of the city’s most vulnerable populations,” says Jess Thompson, interim CEO of All Hands and Hearts. “While debris has been steadily removed over the past several weeks, the majority of homes still need additional clean-up, particularly with gutting and mold mitigation to make them habitable again.”
AHAH staff and volunteers are mobilizing and heading to Michigan this week to begin meeting with local partners and begin intakes and assessments of impacted homes. In partnership with the city of Detroit, AHAH will be identifying and assessing homes with high vulnerability. The focus of AHAH operations will primarily be mold sanitization in homes that have been gutted by other groups, along with gutting homes that still need additional work.
“Our specialized team of volunteers is ready to hit the ground running and not only help Detroit recover, but thrive,” says Thompson. “We never know when disaster will strike, but it is our job to be prepared for it and provide the relief these communities so desperately need.”
Pontiac and Lighthouse Join Forces for $40.3M Rehab of Apartments
Pontiac-based nonprofit Lighthouse and the Pontiac Housing Commission, which controls and manages all publicly owned housing in the city of Pontiac, announced a $40.3 million project to rehabilitate Carriage Circle Apartments, one of Pontiac’s largest and most significant affordable housing developments.
All 234 units will be completely renovated, improving quality of life for more than 300 residents while updating every facet of the 150,230-square-foot building’s infrastructure, from plumbing to new roofs, windows, HVAC systems, landscaping, and more.
“Lighthouse is honored to partner with the Pontiac Housing Commission on the redevelopment of Carriage Circle,” says Ryan Hertz, CEO of Lighthouse CEO. “Both organizations recognize the value of preserving affordable housing units and investing in a higher quality of life for our community members across the economic spectrum.”
A BBQ kick-off event for Carriage Circle residents will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, on the apartment’s lawn. Live music, a barbeque lunch, and refreshments will be served.
“We are so excited to celebrate the beginning of this journey with our residents,” says Ahmad Taylor, executive director of the Pontiac Housing Commission. “In 18 months, they’ll be coming home to a completely new Carriage Circle. We’re addressing a common misconception when it comes to affordable housing through this project by showing that, with diligent partnership, we can find ways to drastically change the landscape for those who rely on vouchers for a place to stay.”
Residents will continue to live in the buildings during renovation. As crews go floor by floor, a relocation specialist will assist residents with temporary housing while their units are under construction. The project is expected to be completed by winter 2022.
This transformational project is being funded by MSHDA Tax credits with support from Oakland County HOMES funds and reserve funds from the Pontiac Housing Commission.
WCC Offering New Health Administration Degree, Management Certificates
A new associate degree in health administration and a slate of other management and health certificates to be offered this fall at Washtenaw Community College (WCC) in Ann Arbor.
Designed to fill a talent need in a fast-growing high-skill job field, the new health administration associate of science degree provides students with skills for entry-level employment in health care management.
Other new management fields of study starting this fall at WCC are the arts management certificate and sports and entertainment management certificate. Also, a new certificate of completion in telemetry monitoring will start in the winter semester.
“These new programs are responsive to industry changes and demands and complement our current program offerings,” says Kimberly Hurns, executive vice president for instruction and academic affairs at WCC.
For more information, visit here.
