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.
The Ice Rink at Campus Martius Opens Nov. 18
The Downtown Detroit Partnership has announced The Rink at Campus Martius Park presented by Visit Detroit will open the 2023-2024 season with a weekend celebration on Nov. 18-19. The celebration will feature guest appearances on ice and special offerings.
The outdoor ice rink in the heart of downtown Detroit welcomes nearly 100,000 people annually. Following its festive opening weekend, The Rink will be open daily, including holidays, through March 3, 2024.
“Winter in Detroit is a magical experience for both residents and our millions of visitors,” says Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit. “That is why Visit Detroit is proud to continue collaborating with the Downtown Detroit Partnership to support The Rink at Campus Martius Park. Nothing epitomizes the enchantment of Detroit during this season more than skating outside with family and friends.”
Events surrounding The Rink’s opening include:
- Skating with Santa, Nov. 18, noon-4 p.m.
- Ugly Holiday Sweater Party, Nov. 18, 6-11 p.m.
- “Frozen” Skate, Nov. 19, noon-4 p.m.
The Rink at Campus Martius Park is marking its 20th anniversary year. The world’s best Olympic and U.S. champion athletes perform and skate there annually — from gold-medalists Nathan Chen, Meryl Davis and Charlie White and U.S. champions Ashley Wagner, Jeremy Abbott, Karen Chen and many others. It also serves as a base for dozens of mission-driven community events and campaigns, including Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, Make-A-Wish, Menorah in the D, Salvation Army and more. This year’s Rink season welcomes the following:
- Learn to Play (Hockey) Clinics, Saturdays Jan. 6-Feb. 10, 204, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
- Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer, Feb. 8, 5-8 p.m.
For more information, visit DowntownDetroit.org.
Turkish Airlines Launches its 13th U.S. Gateway in Detroit
Turkish Airlines is opening its 13th U.S. gateway, at Detroit Metro Airport, beginning Nov. 15 when the airline will introduce flights connecting travelers in the Midwest region to Turkey’s tourism hub, Istanbul, and the airline’s more than 340 destinations in 129 countries across five continents.
The airline will operate three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between Detroit Metro and Istanbul Airport using the carrier’s new Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Starting Dec. 25, the airline will operate four weekly flights, adding Saturday to the schedule.
The inaugural flight, TK205, is slated to take off from Istanbul Airport (IST) on Nov. 15 at 3:45 p.m. local time and arrive in Detroit the same day at 6:50 p.m. local time. The first Turkish Airlines flight from Detroit Metro, TK206, will take off on Nov. 15 at 9:35 p.m. local time and arrive at Istanbul Airport (IST) on Nov. 16 at 3:35 p.m. local time.
For more information, visit turkishairlines.com or call 800-874-8875.
Voters, Business Leaders Say One-size-fits-all Nursing Ratios Will Harm Patients
A diverse coalition of health care, business, and advocacy organizations published a letter to members of the Michigan Legislature opposing the proposed House Bills 4550-4552 and Senate Bills 334-336, which threaten to put patient care at risk across Michigan.
“These partners from a broad collection of industries all agree imposing a one-size-fits-all legislative mandate to hospital nurse staffing will harm patients and severely restrict access to care in Michigan communities,” says Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. “Our nurses, patients, and communities deserve more than political posturing that puts health care access at risk.”
The proposed bills would mandate one-size-fits-all nurse staffing ratios for all Michigan hospitals, which would not solve existing staffing shortages, as evidenced in other states that have tried this policy.
In California, which has had legislatively mandated staffing ratios for more than two decades, the state still faces a shortage of 40,000 RNs. Additionally, Michigan outperforms California in hospital quality, as Michigan has both a higher percentage of four- and five-star hospitals than California (49 percent to 35.3 percent), and a lower percentage of one- and two-star hospitals (18.4 percent to 38.7 percent), according to CMS Care Compare Hospital Overall Star Ratings.
The coalition emphasizes that mandatory nurse staffing ratios have a broader impact beyond hospitals alone, affecting all health care providers’ ability to hire nurses. With a finite pool of available RNs, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, physician practices, and other health care settings will experience increased difficulty in recruiting and hiring nurses, especially as hospitals compete for the same talent pool.
“The entire health care sector is facing historic workforce shortages,” says Melissa Samuel, president and CEO of the Health Care Association of Michigan. “We all need more nurses. Unfortunately, these bills exacerbate the problem and fail to offer meaningful solutions.”
For more information, visit here.
Dec. 1 Colors of Detroit Gala at Motown Mansion Benefits WDET and Concert of Colors
“Colors of Detroit,” a WDET-FM and Concert of Colors benefit gala, will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Motown Mansion Dec. 1.
The Motown Mansion, in the historic Boston-Edison neighborhood, is the former home of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and now owned by renowned arts consultant Alan Brown.
The evening will feature local Detroit entertainment and cuisine from some of the area’s best chefs. Programming will include a live-to-tape recording of The Don Was Motor City Playlist with Don Was and Ann Delisi, a live performance by Bomba group Rican Struction, and DJ sets by WDET music hosts Ismael Ahmed and Nick Austin, a silent auction, and strolling heavy appetizers served in the Zen pool house, the basement ballroom, and the dining room.
For more information and tickets, visit here.
Best-selling Business Author, Journalist to Speak at LTU Commencement Dec. 2
Award-winning business journalist and author Charles Fishman will serve as a speaker at the 95th Commencement Exercises of Lawrence Technological University in Southfield on Dec. 2.
Fishman has studied the inner workings of curiosity, innovation, and creativity, is a New York Times bestselling author and three-time winner of the Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial journalism. He will speak during the 10 a.m. ceremony at LTU’s Don Ridler Field House.
Report: West Michigan Economy Continues Slowing Trend
A monthly economic report by a Grand Valley State University researcher suggests that the West Michigan economy is continuing to slow in part due to the recent United Auto Workers strike and the Federal Reserve’s rising interest rates.
Brian Long, director of supply management at GVSU’s Seidman College of Business, says his survey shows growing pessimism among local manufacturers and businesses.
Several of the key indicators in Long’s report continued their downward trend in October. New orders, employment and lead times all slumped last month.
“It’s not too much of a surprise that our October numbers show a little bit of softening in the West Michigan economy,” Long says. “Some additional softness can be attributed to the UAW strike that affected some of our local firms. But the strike is now over, and the West Michigan economy is slowing, but that’s what the Fed wanted the economy to do to tame inflation.”
In his report, Long says he doesn’t forecast an imminent recession, but noted that surveyed businesses are preparing more for an economic slowdown than a collapse. Many are feeling the pinch of the Fed’s higher interest rates, they said.
“For October, our local unemployment index posted the first significantly negative reading we’ve had since the pandemic,” Long says. “Although some of the softness may relate to the UAW strike, which is of course now over, there is nonetheless plenty of evidence that the West Michigan economy is in fact slowing.”
For more information, visit here.
Macomb Community College Spotlights Apprenticeship Nov. 13-19
The week of Nov. 13-19 is designated as National Apprenticeship Week by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and Macomb Community College in Warren is showcasing the proven and industry-driven model that paves the way for rewarding careers.
While historically apprenticeships have been associated with trade professions, currently more than 1,000 occupations have been approved for registered apprenticeship by the DOL.
Macomb Community College currently provides education to approximately 700 apprentices employed by more than 100 companies in the engineering and advanced technology sector as well as in health care. Apprenticeship provides an opportunity for individuals to earn a good wage while they learn, with students working for their sponsoring company and getting real-world experience while completing coursework at Macomb.
While an apprenticeship program helps employers attract and retain qualified employees, reducing recruitment and training costs, it also can increase job satisfaction and reduce employee turnover, MCC says.
MI Nonprofit Relief Fund Helps Nonprofits Assist More Michiganders Make Ends Meet
The Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) in Lansing has announced the list of 1,373 nonprofit award winners of the MI Nonprofit Relief Fund, a lifeline for Michigan’s charitable organizations grappling with the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fund, announced in February of 2023 and totaling $35 million, is dedicated to assisting small charitable nonprofit organizations that have been tirelessly serving their communities in these challenging times.
“These relief funds are a lifeline for those most in need across the state who look to nonprofit organizations in their community when they have no one else to turn to,” says Kelley Kuhn, president and CEO of the MNA. “We are grateful for our partnership with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity who have helped to make these funds a possibility for Michigan nonprofits.”
The MI Nonprofit Relief Fund was established through the collaborative efforts of MNA and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) relief funds awarded to the State of Michigan. The fund was designed to support Michigan-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofits with annual revenues of less than $1 million, demonstrating necessary expenditures and losses incurred after March 3, 2021, due to the pandemic.
Michigan-based nonprofits applied to the MI Nonprofit Relief Fund in the spring of 2023. More than 2,000 applications were reviewed by a panel of Michigan nonprofit leaders in the summer and a total of 1,373 awardees were selected so far, with additional nonprofits possibly being awarded yet this year. The full list of grantees can be found here.
The MI Nonprofit Relief Fund is awarding one-time grant funds ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to nonprofits in areas most affected by COVID-19, especially those underserved and underrepresented populations. Nonprofits in rural areas and those led by, and serving, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing pandemic.
In addition to the MI Nonprofit Relief Fund, an additional $15 million MI Impact Grant program is being administered by LEO to support larger nonprofits that work toward lifting people out of poverty and above the ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed) threshold. This project is being supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRF4948 awarded to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Development by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
For more information about the MI Nonprofit Relief Fund, including details about all grantees, visit here.
Detroit Makes Toyota Mobility Foundation’s Shortlist of Cities in $9M Global Challenge
The Toyota Mobility Foundation, in partnership with Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute, announced the shortlist for the $9 million Sustainable Cities Challenge and Detroit made the list.
Launched in June 2023, the global mobility challenge aims to help cities prepare for the future and has the potential to transform the lives of millions of people around the world.
Detroit, known as the first Motor City, has a heavy manufacturing and commercial freight industry. High vehicle traffic has led to severe health and environmental problems, particularly poor air quality. To combat these issues, Detroit aims to address growing freight emissions as global trade expands.
Other cities making the list include:
- Bengaluru, India
- Fortaleza, Brazil
- Medellín, Colombia
- Mexico City, Mexico
- New Orleans, La.
- Seberang Perai, Malaysia
- Varanasi, India
- Venice, Italy
- York, United Kingdom
The shortlisted cities are invited to attend a capacity building academy and will receive support developing their challenge design, becoming part of a wider network of other innovative city teams. Open innovation Challenges often develop and evolve throughout the process as the city’s specific needs are understood more closely.
Three cities from the shortlist will be selected to launch their own City Challenges and in mid-2024, the call will be launched to global innovators to work with the winning cities. Innovators could be homegrown — living in the city or country chosen — or may be from anywhere across the globe, but with solutions applicable and tailored to the winning cities.
The semi-finalist innovators for each city will be decided in late 2024, and the winning cities and innovators who are announced in 2026 will share $9 million in funding to test and roll out their solutions.
Report: Many Michigan Employers Still Recovering from ‘Great Resignation’
Many employers are still recovering from the “Great Resignation” that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Bank of America’s recently released 13th annual Workplace Benefits Report.
Based on nationwide surveys of more than 1,300 employees and nearly 800 employers conducted during the first half of this year, the new workplace report examines how employees feel about their financial well-being, their optimism for the future, and more.
Key findings include:
- Women are feeling financial stress. Only 38 percent of women feel financially well in 2023, a drop from 55 percent last year, and half (54 percent) feel that they won’t be able to make ends meet due to inflation, compared to 32 percent of men.
- Employers are underestimating caregiving. While more than half of employees (56 percent) identify themselves are caregivers, employers believe only 35 percent of their workforce are caregivers. The results are higher turnover and employee stress. While 89 percent of employers offer some sort of caregiving support, only 41% of employees are aware of these resources’ existence and even less (32 percent) utilize the support.
- Staffing continues to be a challenge. While employee attrition rates have decreased from last year, nearly one-third (32 percent) of employees report switching jobs or have considered leaving their jobs in the past year. Top reasons? Burnout (53 percent), size of pay increases (44 percent), and work-life balance (41 percent).
One workplace benefit for long-term employees that is gaining some attention is sabbatical programs. As an organizational psychologist noted in his article for Harvard Business Review, those who took these sabbaticals, reported a reduction in stress and an increase in overall well-being which often remained long after they returned to work.
Sustainable Urban Design Summit 2023 is Taking Place Today at Newlab Detroit.
The Sustainable Urban Design Summit 2023 is taking place today until 9 p.m. at Newlab Detroit (2050 15th St.).
Attendees are fostering networking opportunities and engaging in discussions on urban cities and sustainability.
According to organizers, the summit is bringing together visionaries, thought leaders, and enthusiasts including:
- Carla Walker-Miller, founder and CEO of Walker-Miller Energy Services
- Ian Lambert, dean of graduate studies and research at CCS
- Mama Shu, founder and CEO of The Avalon Village
- Melanie Markowicz, executive director of the Greektown Neighborhood Partnership
For more ore details and to register, visit here.
Gardner White to Host ‘Twinkle Town’ Free Holiday Event Tonight
Gardner White will host “Twinkle Town presented by Gardner White,” a free holiday kick-off celebration from 6-8 p.m. this evening at the Gardner White flagship store in (6500 W. 14 Mile Road) in Warren.
Guests will enjoy a tree lighting, treats, festive fun, fireworks, Santa’s arrival, and more. They also will receive an exclusive Gardner White discount offer.
The highlight of the evening will be Twinkle Town’s exclusive Parade of Trees featuring 14 holiday trees, decorated by local celebrities and influencers to benefit Detroit-based charities.
The public is invited to vote online at gardner-white.com from Nov. 9-Dec. 13. The winning participant’s charity of choice will receive a $10,000 donation. All charities will walk away with a donation from Gardner White to their cause.
Other highlights from the evening include live performances by the Detroit Academy of Arts & Science (DAAS) Choir, Warren’s Cousino High School marching band, face painting, magician, balloon twisters, Parade Company Big Heads, and more.
Council Re|Sale in Berkley to Offer 50% Off on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday
Council Re|Sale (3297 W. 12 Mile Road) in Berkley will be cutting its prices by 50 percent for Black Friday, Nov. 24, and Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25.
Warm coat brands like North Face, Columbia, Patagonia, and London Fog all will be half price: a Patagonia jacket (which would retail for $200 plus) and currently priced at $60 at Council Re|Sale will be $30; a Columbia jacket (which would retail $100 plus), currently priced at $25, will be $12.50.
Woolly hats and gloves, which normally sell for $5 in the store will be $2.50 and warm scarves will be $3 instead of $6. Boot brands like Ugg also are available. Customers looking for party wear and formal wear will find dresses from $7.50 and up with brands like Black and White, Max Studio and Kate Spade in the store.
Men’s suits and jackets also are available: an Armani or Hugo Boss blazer, which would normally sell for $50 at Council Re|Sale will be $25.
During the two-day event, customers also will be asked to help Council Re|Sale by taking part in a social media contest organized by Oakland County. Local Gems sweepstakes is asking residents to take a selfie outside their favorite local store, including Council Re|Sale, for a chance of winning cash prizes. The effort is to encourage Oakland County residents to shop locally.
For more information, visit councilresale.net.
Forgotten Harvest’s Hope for the Holidays to Bring Food Relief Today-Dec. 13
Forgotten Harvest in Oak Park, in partnership with the Kroger Co. of Michigan and the Lineage Foundation for Good, will supply nearly 12,000 metro Detroit households with free food boxes containing the fixings for holiday meals.
From today through Dec. 13, all Forgotten Harvest mobile pantries will give away Hope for the Holidays food boxes to community members in need. For a list of Forgotten Harvest mobile pantries, visit here.
There are an estimated 612,000 people in metro Detroit facing food insecurity, not knowing where their next meal will come from. 180,000 of them are children. Forgotten Harvest exists to increase our neighbors’ access to fresh, nutritious food all year round, but there are some staples to holiday meals that may be missed in regular food distributions.
