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.
Suburban Collection Showplace to Host Lakefront Living Show in February
The Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi will be hosting the 16th annual Cottage and Lakefront Living Show Feb. 23-26.
“Whether you own a cottage, rent a cabin, or live on a lake, our pre-season show offers the perfect opportunity to help you make this summer the best ever,” says Dawn Baker, show manager of ShowSpan Inc., which produces the event. “The show brings together exhibits and experts who specialize in cottage and lakefront properties for summer or year-round living.”
Advice and ideas for vacation or waterfront locations will be available from show exhibitors and at the Cottage Living Seminar Stage. Professionals will share information on cottage family succession planning and how to get the most out of a cottage and lakefront life. Attendees can list their vacation property or look for availability on the For Sale or Rent bulletin board.
Show features include The Beach, the show’s massive sandbox, as well as lawn games. Families can locate and mark where their vacation home is located on an oversized Michigan map. There also will be a Water and Woods Photo Contest.
Michigan artists featured in the Cottage Art Show will present metal art, wood furniture, jewelry, and photography for one-of-a-kind cottage items. Decorative accessories, gourmet foods, cottage décor, handcrafted items along with Michigan-themed merchandise will be available for purchase in the Lakefront Marketplace. The Michigan Chapter of Antique and Classic Boat Society, dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of historic boats, will have restored watercrafts on exhibit.
Exhibitors are available for planning and purchasing, whether someone is looking to buy, build, rent, or maintain a vacation property, with demonstrations, information, and educational materials. Displays include builders, contractors, realtors, boats, docks, decks, seawalls, landscaping, indoor and outdoor furniture, outdoor recreational equipment, and water toys.
“Visit the show to help you get started early on your next project and schedule ahead your renovations or purchase now what you need to create this year’s family memories,” said Baker.
For more information, visit here.
Michigan’s Minimum Wage Set to Increase on Jan. 1
On Jan. 1, Michigan’s minimum wage rate will increase from $9.87 to $10.10 per hour as set by Michigan’s Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act of 2018 establishing the annual schedule of increases.
Effective Jan. 1:
- The minimum hourly wage will increase to $10.10 per hour.
- The 85 percent rate for minors aged 16 and 17 will increase to $8.59 per hour.
- The tipped employee rate of hourly pay increases to $3.84 per hour.
- The training wage of $4.25 per hour for newly hired employees ages 16 to 19 for their first 90 days of employment remains unchanged.
There is pending litigation that might affect this minimum wage increase.
In 2018, a petition initiative organized by One Fair Wage sought to allow voters to decide on raising Michigan’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2022 and raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to 80 percent of the standard minimum wage in 2022, 90 percent in 2023 and ultimately match it in 2024.
The Legislature adopted the legislation and then amended it in 2018, putting in lower wage thresholds that increased the minimum wage to $12.05 by 2030 instead of 2022 and kept the tipped minimum wage at 38 percent of the standard one. As a result, the state’s current hourly minimum wage is $9.87 and $3.75 for workers who are expected to make up the difference in tips.
The Legislature’s amendment has been challenged in court as unconstitutional. On July 19, the Court of Claims issued a decision that agreed with that challenge and voided the amended versions of the Michigan Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act and Paid Medical Leave Act in favor of their original, unamended versions.
On July 29, the Court of Claims entered an order staying the effect of this decision until Feb. 19, 2023, to give employers and the relevant state agencies time to accommodate the changes required by the ruling.
The Court of Claims’ ruling has been appealed. Pending final resolution of the appeal, and lifting of the stay, under the potential implementation of the originally adopted petition, the minimum wage rate for 2023 would be $13.03 and $11.73 for tipped employees.
For further information regarding the pending minimum wage litigation, and potential amended minimum wage rates as a result of that litigation, or a copy of the Improved Workforce Opportunity Wage Act and related resources, including the required poster, visit here.
New Order Coffee Sets Up Shop in St. Clair Shores
New Order Coffee has returned to metro Detroit, reviving cereal milk lattes, cold brews, custom roasting, and its signature electric roasted coffee in St. Clair Shores at 25107 Jefferson St.
The company originally opened its first location in Detroit in 2017 and Royal Oak in 2019. After closing the storefronts and retiring in 2020, owner Liz Rose, passed the business to Patrick Seeney.
Seeney was part of the company since its inception and has kept the operations running, even without a physical storefront. Since the start of the pandemic, he has been roasting beans to order and hand-delivering them throughout metro Detroit and also shipping throughout the U.S. He’s also been a regular staple at local farmer’s markets, selling bagged beans and cold brew.
“Since New Order first came to fruition, it has built such a fiercely loyal customer base. I’m so thankful we’ve been able to keep the business going by selling our custom roasted coffee beans,” Seeney says. “I’m even more thrilled to bring back the in-person New Order experience back to Metro Detroit this winter.”
New Order Coffee’s St. Clair Shores location features walk-up coffee service and patio seating in partnership with neighboring Baffin Brewing. The 1,500-square-foot space serves drip coffee, espresso, regular and cereal milk lattes, fresh roasted coffee, K-Cups, and more. The café also features baked items by local baker Kristen Berger Martinez.
Additionally, New Order Coffee features a rotating selection of fresh baked cookies from Detroit Cookie Co, which is opening its St. Clair Shores location soon at 25600 Harper Ave.
Celanese Corp. In Auburn Hills Will Match Up to $12,500 for Grace Centers of Hope
Grace Centers of Hope (GCH) in Pontiac announced that Celanese Corp. in Auburn Hills will match all donations made between Dec. 1-14 (up to $12,500) to support the nonprofit’s comprehensive life skills programs for people battling homelessness and addiction.
Donations will help provide food, clothing, and shelter for more than 120 men, women, and children who are currently enrolled in the one-year life skills programs at GCH, and are part of the nonprofit’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” match campaign challenge.
“This holiday season, the need to help Michigan residents facing addiction and homelessness is greater than ever, and we welcome the support of local businesses like Celanese in Auburn Hills to help Michigan families this holiday season,” says Kent W. Clark, pastor of GCH. “At Grace Centers of Hope, we are truly blessed by the community’s generosity, and by matching $12,500 in donations, Celanese is showing how a community can come together to help its most vulnerable people.”
Individuals interested in supporting GCH and the Celanese Corp. “I’ll be Home for Christmas” matching challenge can visit gracecentersofhope.org to make their donation. Donations also can be made by calling 1-855-HELP-GCH or via mail at 35 E. Huron St., Pontiac, MI, 48342.
In addition to providing food and shelter to those in need during the coldest months of the year, money donated will also support GCH’s one-on-one case management, mentoring and specialized classes for residents.
Hope Boykin Brings Alvin Ailey Aesthetic to Eisenhower Dance Detroit
Acclaimed dancer and choreographer Hope Boykin, who just wrapped her 20th and final year with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York, is bringing her artistry to Detroit as guest choreographer for Eisenhower Dance Detroit, Dec. 5-17, where she will set an original work on the company.
Boykin, a two-time Bessie Award winner, has choreographed for countless dance companies including Philadanco, Ballet Black of London, Minnesota Dance Theater, and American Ballet Theater Studio Co. She has created three works for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and has had commissions ranging from contemporary dance to ballet by Damian Woetzel, The Kennedy Center, and Vail Dance Festival.
“We’re very excited for the opportunity to work with Hope,” says Stephanie Pizzo, artistic director of the Eisenhower Dance Detroit. “Her works, very much representative of Black culture, will have a significant impact on our dancers, and I hope our Detroit community gains something special from her artistic voice.”
