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.
Shinola, Detroit Grand Prix to Host Pine-car Derby Showcase Sunday
Shinola Detroit, the official timekeeper of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear, will host a pine-car derby between 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday at the Shinola Canfield Store (441 W. Canfield St.) in Detroit.
All metro Detroit area children and their families are invited to join in creating pine-car derby cars to take home. All materials will be provided on-site.
Participants will have the opportunity to see an official Detroit Grand Prix IndyCar show-car up-close, check out the Shinola limited-edition Canfield Speedway Lap 5 watch, and enter for a chance to win a family four-pack of tickets to the Detroit Grand Prix, taking place on the streets of Detroit, June 2-4.
Additionally, in collaboration with Detroit artist Phillip Simpson, Shinola will unveil the official, limited edition Shinola x Phillip Simpson x Detroit Grand Prix Hoodie. The exclusive commemorative piece is designed, dyed, cut, and sewn all in Detroit.
Hino Trucks in Novi Names Preferred Software Provider for Dealerships
Hino Trucks, which has its North American headquarters in Novi, has selected Procede Software of San Diego as the preferred dealer management system (DMS) for its dealerships.
This marks the first time Hino Trucks has named a single company as a preferred DMS provider and reflects, according to Procede, its long-term strategy to proactively build healthy relationships with OEMs across the industry.
“Procede and Hino Trucks are a great match in terms of the ability to execute quickly on new, innovative solutions and a shared commitment to exceptional customer service,” says Glenn Ellis, president of Hino Trucks. “By partnering with Procede as our preferred DMS provider, Hino Trucks dealerships stand to benefit significantly from tight integrations with our proprietary systems. We look forward to continued collaboration with Procede as we work together to find new ways to innovate and better serve our shared customers.”
Procede’s Excede dealer management system is built on Microsoft SQL, a relational database designed to provide unprecedented reliability, scalability, and access to data. The enterprise business system provides comprehensive functionality across all commercial vehicle dealership departments and is a smart solution for truck, bus, and trailer dealerships of all sizes.
Hino Trucks dealerships that make the move to Excede can expect to benefit from integration with OEM-proprietary systems and from integrations with Procede Certified Partner systems, which include a wide variety of third-party solutions.
Humanetics Biomed in Farmington Hills Expands its Outsourced Manufacturing Capabilities
OpTek, part of Humanetics Biomed in Farmington Hills, has agreed to a multi-year agreement with California’s David Schnur Associates (DSA), a supplier of outsourced technical sales and marketing services for the medical industry.
The partnership offers Humanetics Biomed customers a seamless pathway from process validation to full-scale production by leveraging OpTek’s experience in contract manufacturing and precision laser micromachining.
OpTek utilizes a diverse range of laser wavelengths to provide capabilities including precision micro hole drilling in polymer applications such as microtubing and balloons for filtration and precise drug dosing control.
EMU Construction Management Alumni Establish Scholarship to Honor Slain Graduate
The Construction Management Alumni Chapter of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti has established an endowed scholarship to honor Aishwarya Thatikonda, the 2020 EMU graduate killed in the May 6 Texas mall shooting.
The scholarship will be available to international students looking to complete their undergraduate or master’s degree in Construction Management at EMU. The scholarship is not intended to be need-based or dependent on academic standing.
Anyone who would like to donate to the scholarship can visit here. An anonymous donor will match all donations 100 percent up to $25,000. Checks may be sent to Eastern Michigan University Foundation, P.O. Box 972057, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.
Meijer Opens New Supercenters in Ohio
Grand Rapids-based Meijer recently opened two new 159,000-square-foot supercenters in northeast Ohio, bringing its state-of-the-art retail experience, featuring multiple ways to shop, to customers in Warren and Wooster.
“Meijer is a family company committed to bringing value and convenience to local families while also serving as a strong community partner,” says Hank Meijer, executive chairman of Meijer. “We are honored by the warm welcome in Ohio today and look forward to truly becoming part of the Warren and Wooster communities in the years to come.”
The new stores feature convenient digital shopping solutions, including Shop & Scan, which allows shoppers to scan barcodes via a mobile app and bag their items as they shop to make checkout convenient. The stores also feature deep discounts on surplus food via the Flashfood app, expanded areas to manage orders for Meijer Home Delivery and Pickup services, as well as mPerks rewards to help customers earn on every dollar spent.
In Warren, the new store incorporates an underground stormwater detention system that retains and filters water in the parking lot to ensure clean stormwater discharge and reduce the impact on existing retention ponds and city infrastructure.
Kellogg’s Mission Tiger Partner with Meijer to Expand Access to Middle School Sports
Battle Creek-based Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Mission Tiger is teaming up with Meijer to make a $55,000 donation via the education nonprofit DonorsChoose to help fund middle school sports projects and keep kids active.
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and its mascot Tony the Tiger have embarked on a mission to give more kids access to the benefits of sports with the launch of Mission Tiger, an initiative to help save middle schools sports. Now, Meijer and Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes are joining forces to bring the mission to their shared Michigan community by helping fund the purchase of new sports equipment at Waverly Middle School through DonorsChoose.
“Tony and Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes have always believed in the power of sport,” says Amy Davis, vice president of sales account at Kellogg Co. When we learned that middle school sports are disappearing, we knew something needed to be done. We are thrilled to announce this donation to help support local middle school sports, thanks to support from Meijer. Together, we can help all kids play like tigers.”
Since it began, Mission Tiger has helped more than 1 million kids across the country by repaving courts, refurbishing sports facilities, providing new training equipment, and more. Fans can help schools in their communities by joining the mission, grabbing a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and uploading their receipt to MissionTiger.com to spark a $2 donation to DonorsChoose.
Michigan Science Center Celebrates Women in STEM May 27
The Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci) in Detroit is celebrating women in STEM careers with its STEMinista Spring Celebration from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 27.
The day-long event will feature special programming and presentations highlighting women in science and is open to the public. It is presented in with support from the STEMinista Project premier sponsor, the Barton Malow Foundation.
“Women are underrepresented in STEM fields, and we at the Michigan Science Center want to make sure any young girl can see herself in a STEM career someday,” says Christian Greer, president and CEO of Mi-Sci. “Our STEMinista celebration will showcase women making a difference in science, technology, engineering, and math. Our goal is to inspire those passionate about pursuing their dreams of becoming a STEM professional to go for it.”
Among the day’s activities will be programming with partner organizations as well as a special planetarium showing of “Big Astronomy: People, Places, Discoveries.” The film explores three observatories located in Chile at extreme and remote places, showcasing examples of STEM careers needed to maintain these observatories, and is narrated by Chilean astronomer Barbara Rojas-Ayala.
The event will also welcome the STEMinista Statewide Cohort and their families to celebrate their becoming STEMinista Ambassadors.
Michigan Glass Project to Host Glassblowing Arts and Music Festival June 9-11
The Michigan Glass Project is hosting its ninth annual glassblowing and live arts festival June 9-11 primarily at the at the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit.
The festival will open at 7 p.m. June 8 at the Detroit Institute of Arts open with a documentary that tells the story of a dedicated community of artists who dig deep to give back to their struggling city.
At the Russell Industrial Center, local and national glassblowing artists, live painters, and musicians will support the mission of providing children with artistic outlets. Proceeds from the event will benefit Art Road nonprofit, which immerses students from metro Detroit schools in the benefits of art instruction. This year marks the sixth year that Art Road has been a beneficiary and so far has received $475,000 from The Michigan Glass Project.
“At no other event will you find hundreds of artists working in unison, all with a mission to donate as much of their artwork as possible over three days,” says Allison Key, co-founder and executive director of The Michigan Glass Project.
“There is beauty in the ease with which individuals can contribute to the mission on a grassroots level by donating art, buying art, simply showing up to see music, or watching glassblowing. The huge donation check we write to Art Road each year is a testament to what a united force of people can do when they pool their talents and resources.”
Tickets for the documentary screening are $15 at the door, $75 for a weekend festival pass, $30 for a day pass, and $10 at the door for after parties.
For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit themichiganglassproject.com.
High School Baseball Players to Converge on Comerica Park in Search of Scholarships
College scouts will have a change to check out the skills of high school baseball players from around the state and country when the Stadium Series High School Showcase Camp comes to Comerica Park in Detroit and Avondale High School in Auburn Hills June 27-28.
Part of the No Doubt Showcase, the high school camp goes all day June 27 at Comerica Park and concludes with a two-hour event at Avondale High School June 28.
The athletes will showcase their talents by participating in fielding, pitching, and batting practice on the Comerica Park field. They will be observed by scouts from more than 40 regional colleges, including multiple division one schools.
“By participating in this event, potential student athletes not only enjoy a world-class experience on a major league field but also have the opportunity to work towards their goal of improving their skills and playing at the next level,” says Joshua Simonis, co-owner and director of business for No Doubt Showcases. “We are excited to host players and coaches from all over the country here in the great city of Detroit.”
Each athlete that participates in the event receives an online profile on No Doubt’s website where scouts can easily search the stats, metrics, and video of all participants at No Doubt’s camps and showcases. Participants also receive a No Doubt shirt, hat, and coaching from college baseball coaches.
The Stadium Series Youth Camp, for athletes ages 10-14, takes place at Comerica Park from 1-5 p.m. the same days as the high school showcase.
To register for either event, visit here.
New Experiences Await Guests at The Highlands in Harbor Springs
The Highlands in Harbor Springs is gearing up for its peak summer season with several new experiences for guests.
New experiences and features at The Highlands include:
Trail & Youth Bike Free on Thursdays
The Highlands Bike Park opens for the season on May 27, and with 22 miles of natural terrain and lift-served mountain biking, this park ranks top in the state. It’s suitable for all levels of riders, and that includes kids. This summer from June 22-Aug. 31, kids ages 12 and younger, bike for free with an adult on Thursdays and can also swing into the Slopeside Lounge for a free Orange Crush. A new trail, Swayze Express, features large jumps, turns, rollers, and more on North Peak. A First Ride Party is planned for opening day from noon-3 p.m. offering music, food specials, a Boyne Country Sports pop-up store, giveaways, and the official launch of The Highlands’ own Heather beer, a Petoskey Brewing collaboration. For more information, visit here.
The Heather Beer
The Highlands is unveiling its own brew, The Heather, to guests of the resort this summer. A wheat ale crafted in collaboration with locally based Petoskey Brewery, located on M-119, The Heather is infused with a subtle hint of lemongrass and sweet orange peel. It is being served in each of the resort’s restaurants, as well as on all four golf courses. The resort also is hosting several events on Memorial Day Weekend. For more details on resort happenings, visit highlandsharborsprings.com.
Aonach Mor Twilight Dinner Series
The Highlands is unveiling a new dinner series this summer, the Aonach Mor Twilight Dinner. Guests can surround themselves in the beauty of northern Michigan’s pristine natural surroundings atop North Peak relishing the long summer nights. Each dinner event takes place outdoors on the mountain’s top and is available on select dates in June, July, and August. The evening features a chef-crafted menu that celebrates the finest local ingredients, ensuring a unique culinary experience. Transportation to North Peak is included. For more information or tickets, visit highlandsharborsprings.com.
Spring and Summer Lodging Offers
The Highlands is offering a lodging special now through June 1 where guests can stay two or more nights and receive 20 percent off on lodging. For the summer season, 10 percent savings is offered on select weekends from June through September, including Father’s Day Weekend and Labor Day Weekend. For a limited time only, guests who book lodging at The Highlands in July or August can receive $20 off adult tickets to The Young Americans Dinner Theatre. Offers cannot be combined. For lodging reservations, visit highlandsharborsprings.com.
