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 Parade Co., Barton Malow Unveil New Float
The Parade Co. and Barton Malow, a large contractor in Southfield, unveiled a new float, “Building Today for a Better Tomorrow,” at The Parade Co.’s recent Pancake Breakfast presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
The new float will make its debut in America’s Thanksgiving Parade on presented by Gardner White on Nov. 23.
“Barton Malow is an incredible company, and we are thrilled to have them join America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner White,” says Tony Michaels, president and CEO of The Parade Co. “Barton Malow’s dedication to our city and communities across the country shines through in their remarkable projects. We are honored to help kick off their 100th anniversary with a new float on Woodward Avenue Thanksgiving morning.”
Designed and built by The Parade Co. artists, “Building Today for a Better Tomorrow” is more than 100 feet long and 28 feet high at its highest point. The float features Barton Malow’s iconic local and national projects, including the Detroit Post Office, Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital, Camden Yards (home of the Baltimore Orioles), Little Caesars Arena, Ultium Cells, Daytona International Speedway, and the Hudson’s site development project.
“It’s an exciting time to be at Barton Malow as we get ready to kick off our centennial celebration,” says Ryan Maibach, president and CEO of Barton Malow. “Part of this celebration is honoring our history and heritage while looking ahead to our future. The float represents the diversity of work that we do across North America and the tremendous accomplishments of our 3,500-plus team members.”
“Building Today for a Better Tomorrow” pays tribute to Barton Malow’s history, highlights its diverse project portfolio, and honors the men and women in the skilled trades. The float will make its debut, passing Barton Malow’s original headquarters and many buildings that it’s had a role in constructing or renovating, including Little Caesars Arena, the Shinola Hotel, and the Hudson’s site development project.
Spencer Torkelson Named Tiger of the Year
Spencer Torkelson has been named Tiger of the Year as voted by members of the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 15 of the 25 votes cast. Kerry Carpenter, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jake Rogers, and Tarik Skubal also received at least one vote.
Torkelson, who is one of four finalists for the Silver Slugger Award among American League first basemen, appeared in a team-high 159 games in 2023, batting .233/.313/.446 with 34 doubles, one triple, 31 home runs and 94 RBI. His 31 homers ranked tied for eighth in the AL and were the most in a season by a Tigers player since Miguel Cabrera (38) and Justin Upton (31) in 2016.
Torkelson became the first player in franchise history to have 30-or-more doubles, 30-or-more homers and 90-or-more RBI in his age-23 season. Among Major League players in their age-23 season or younger in 2023, Torkelson ranked second in home runs and doubles and third in RBI.
MotorCities National Heritage Area Hosting 25th Anniversary Gala Tonight
The MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership, part of the U.S. National Park Service’s National Heritage Area System, will celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary at its 10th Annual Michigan Auto Heritage Day Gala from 5:30-9 p.m. this evening at the Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores.
The event will include a silent auction, dinner, and keynote speaker Frank Markus of Motor Trend. Sen. Debbie Stabenow will be awarded the organization’s Champion Award and William R. “Bill” Chapin will receive the Milestone Award.
For more information and tickets, visit here.
Opus IVS Partners with National Windscreens PTY LTD of Australia
Dexter automotive diagnostic software provider Opus IVS has forged an exclusive partnership with Australia’s National Windscreens and its Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) diagnostics and calibration division.
This alliance will pave the way for the development of cutting-edge diagnostic and calibration services and solutions to automotive collision and mechanical repair facilities, windshield and windscreen repair centers, and calibration facilities across Australia.
ExperiGreen Lawn Care in Detroit Completes 10th Acquisition
ExperiGreen Lawn Care in Detroit has consummated its 10th acquisition since partnering with Huron Capital in August of 2022.
Huron’s partnership with ExperiGreen marked the launch of an ExecFactor initiative in North American residential lawn care. The company currently serves more than 100,000 residential lawn care and related services customers across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Canada.
“We are off to a great start executing the growth plan we laid out with Huron and our board,” says John Moehn, president of ExperiGreen. “We’ve partnered with 10 exceptional independent lawn care businesses that have outstanding customer and technician retention metrics, which has been our north star when evaluating fit.
“We are seeking partnerships with companies that have decades of experience in delighting their customers with great service and treating their employees well. We hope to be great stewards of their legacies, while also bringing expertise in areas such as marketing and IT systems.”
For more information about partnering with ExperiGreen, contact Moehn at jmoehn@experigreen.com or call 844-397-3744.
PulteGroup’s Presents Air Force Veteran with Keys to New Mortgage-free Home
U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Paulus Obey and his family recently received the keys to their new home through PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program.
During a dedication ceremony at Pulte Homes’ Thornton Farms West community in Dexter, Obey became the latest veteran to receive a new, mortgage-free home from the homebuilder.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program recognizes and thanks returning military personnel who have been injured during their term of service. This is the third Built to Honor home dedicated in Michigan.
“On behalf of the entire team at PulteGroup, it is my honor to welcome Master Sergeant Obey and his family to their new home and to the Thornton Farms West community,” says Kevin Christofferson, president of PulteGroup’s Michigan division. “While our country can never do enough to express our gratitude to Master Sergeant Obey and so many other people like him, we do our part through what we do best: building incredible homes where people live out their dreams.”
MSU, JDRF Working to Help Promote Success of Type 1 Diabetes Treatments
Researchers at Michigan State University in East Lansing have teamed up to create a new way to image immune cells in living subjects that could enable new treatment opportunities and better outcomes for patients with Type 1 diabetes.
In particular, the new approach could help bolster the success of cell transplantation strategies used to treat and cure Type 1 diabetes, as well as broaden the pool of patients who are eligible for this promising clinical procedure.
“When transplants work, they work great,” said Bryan Smith, an associate professor in the MSU Department of Biomedical Engineering. “But they can be rejected by a patient’s own immune system, which is obviously a major problem. Things can spiral quickly.”
Smith also works in the Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, or IQ, where his lab is developing new approaches to diagnose and treat disease, specifically cancer and heart disease.
The researchers specialize in creating tiny, engineered particles that team up with immune cells to help spot or remedy problem sites inside the body.
Although Smith had never applied his approaches to diabetes before, the methods represented the kind of innovative ideas an organization called JDRF was looking to support.
Established in 1970 by parents determined to find a cure for their children with Type 1 diabetes, JDRF is the leading global organization funding Type 1 diabetes research, working to “advance life-changing breakthroughs to prevent, treat and cure Type 1 diabetes and its complications.”
“I am not certain how they identified me, but they reached out and said our work might be a good fit,” Smith says. JDRF let him know about a grant opportunity and invited him to chat if he had any questions about it.
After talking with Jaime Giraldo, associate director of research and lead for the cell therapy project at JDRF, Smith agreed the fit felt right. But he needed to find collaborators with complementary areas of expertise to set the team up for success in addressing a condition that Smith hadn’t worked on before.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to look far to find those collaborators right at MSU to create a proposal that earned the team a $750,000 grant from JDRF.
Joining the effort are Anna Moore, director of the Precision Health Program and assistant dean in the College of Human Medicine, along with Peter Wang, an assistant professor in Moore’s lab group and the Precision Health Program.
Illinois Credit Union Implements Mahalo Banking Platform
Mahalo Banking, a Troy-based credit union service organization, has launched its digital banking platform with Loves Park, Ill.-based Rock Valley Credit Union (RVCU).
The Mahalo platform allows the credit union to centralize its digital banking services and offer a cohesive omnichannel experience across all channels.
Mahalo’s digital banking platform enables RVCU to deliver an easily navigable digital interface, streamline its member communication and integrate seamlessly with third-party solutions, enhancing its digital capabilities. The platform gives RVCU members convenient access to money movement options, card controls, debit card rewards, credit score information and more. The credit union has also seen a notable increase in members engaging with its financial education resources.
By implementing Mahalo’s multi-lingual features, RVCU has expanded self-service options for its Spanish-speaking members, advancing its commitment to service inclusivity.
“The Mahalo team was incredibly flexible and dedicated to ensuring all of our needs were met during implementation,” says Tanya Peterson, executive vice president of RVCU. “The benefits of the Mahalo platform have been twofold – now our team can retrieve all the banking information they need to effectively serve members and our members enjoy easier access to all of their financial management activities on any device. We have already received very positive feedback from our members as they explore the platform’s user-friendly layout. This partnership empowers our team to explore new vendor integrations to continue building upon our exceptional digital experience.”
Bloomfield Hills’ Blue River Advises ARMStrong RM on Acquisition of NEIS
Blue River Financial Group in Bloomfield Hills has advised ARMStrong RM, leading provider of cashflow enhancement services to the commercial insurance industry, on its recent acquisition of NEIS Inc.
This move further solidifies ARMStrong RM’s commitment to innovation and to diversifying its insurance cash flow enhancement offerings to meet the evolving needs of its valued clients.
ARMStrong Receivable Management is the largest commercial B2B receivable management firm in North America. NEIS Inc. is an Insurance service solutions provider specializing in premium audit and loss control services. As part of the ARMStrong RM family, NEIS will continue to operate under its brand name, maintaining its reputation for excellence and client-centric solutions.
Global Health Charities to Host 10th Annual Gala Nov. 17
Farmington Hills-based Global Health Charities (GHC), a nonprofit committed to reducing maternal and infant mortality in resource-scarce environments, announces its annual gala will take place from 6:30-11:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Studio Center in Farmington Hills in honor of a decade of remarkable achievements. The gala is scheduled for Friday, November 17, at the elegant Studio Center, located at 23689 Industrial Park Dr. in Farmington Hills.
“We are genuinely excited to host our 10th annual gala on November 17, as we pay tribute to our exceptional partners, devoted volunteers and generous donors,” says Patricia Williams, founder of GHC. “It is the unwavering dedication of these individuals that enables us to assemble and deliver our life-saving birth kits to some of the world’s most remote and underserved regions.”
Gerard Van Grinsven, former president and CEO of Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and Cancer Treatment Centers of America, will serve as master of ceremonies.
The gala will feature guest speakers Benita Mulamba, from one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s largest maternity facilities, and Sr. Mary Lou Stubbs, who has partnered with GHC to deliver kits in Africa.
For further details about the gala or to register for the event, visit here.
McLaren Greater Lansing is First in Midwest to Operate with Advanced AI surgical Platform
McLaren Greater Lansing, part of McLaren Health Care, became the first hospital in the Midwest to perform a vascular surgical procedure for aneurysm repair featuring advanced AI technology.
Vascular surgeon and director of the Heart and Vascular Center at Michigan State University, Dr. Jordan Knepper, applied Cydar Maps augmented artificial intelligence technology to a Nov. 1 procedure, making him and the McLaren Greater Lansing surgical team one of 20 pilot sites in the United States capable of using the advanced system.
The AI-equipped Cydar Maps surgical platform provides surgeons and clinicians with the ability to create a detailed 3D map personalized to each patient’s unique anatomy for the purpose of planning a procedure and navigating the complexities of their vascular system.
Use of this platform results in a more precise procedure plan in addition to a 50 percent reduction of radiation exposure for both the patient and surgical team while also decreasing pre-operative prep time.
Power Connections in Cannabis Draws Top Professionals to Townsend Hotel
More than 400 professionals and leaders from Michigan’s cannabis and business community gathered at The Townsend Hotel on Oct. 26, 2023 for the Power Connections in Cannabis networking conference.
“Not only did we have more than 400 hundred engaged attendees and some of the best speakers in the state, they were incredibly generous and helped us raise $54,500 for The Children’s Foundation. I’m so grateful that we were able to raise so much for a great cause.” says Derek Dickow, organizer of the event.
The Children’s Foundation advocates for the health of children in Michigan through research, education, programs, and other initiatives.
“We are grateful to Derek Dickow, his team and the generous attendees for this impactful donation,” said the foundation in a statement. “It will help advance the health and safety of children in our state and beyond.”
Attendees heard an update from Brian Hanna, executive director of the Cannabis Regulatory Agency, and participated in a 1:1 speed networking session.
For more information, visit DerekDickow.com.
Salvation Army of Metro Detroit Receives $50K Grant from Bank of America
The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit has received a $50,000 grant from Bank of America to help feed individuals and families in need.
The grant from will be used to provide thousands of Bountiful Boxes — holiday food boxes with ingredients for a variety of meal options — to individuals and families in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties.
Bank of America volunteers will pack the Bountiful Boxes on Dec. 6 and The Salvation Army will deliver to local families for the holidays.
“Thousands of families across metro Detroit are facing food insecurity, leaving them hungry and malnourished – something no family should have to face,” says Maj. Toni Dorrell, metro Detroit area commander for The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit. “We are grateful for Bank of America’s generous grant; it will be used to fill families’ stomachs, hearts, and bring cheer to the most vulnerable during the holiday season.”
The grant is part of Bank of America’s philanthropic giving efforts in local communities. Awardees were selected for their commitment to economic mobility, addressing health and jobs.
Retailers Foundation Turkey Drive Supports Michigan and Ohio Families in Need
The Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA), based in West Bloomfield Township, is set to distribute 844 cases of turkeys (3,376 turkeys) for families in need through its nonprofit arm the Midwest Independent Retailers Foundation (MIRF).
This November marks the 43rd Year MIRA is hosting its annual Turkey Drive. Since 1980, MIRA and its members have supplied more than 200,000 Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families through donations and wholesale pricing.
MIRA members take part in the annual event by hosting an annual High Five Turkey Drive campaign within their stores where customers can buy hand-drawn turkey pictures for as little as one dollar and include their name on the drawing which is then displayed prominently inside the store during the holiday season.
“The campaign is the major fundraiser for the MIRA Foundation and sales of the turkey hands have been brisk so far,” says Bill Wild, president and CEO of MIRA. “A lot of our members participate because it allows them to further their engagement with their customers, while many chose to make an annual contribution to this worthwhile cause, or match their customers’ donations, dollar for dollar.”
To meet the demand of the multi-state effort in a market of rising turkey prices due to shortages of products, MIRA has partnered with longtime member Harvest Sherwood Food Distributors, which is headquartered in Detroit.
MIRA works with IRS-approved 501(c)(3) organizations to distribute the turkeys each year out of its office in West Bloomfield Township and from a site in Lyndhurst, Ohio, with the help of a member retailer and the local mayor. This year’s Ohio distribution date is Nov. 13, and the Michigan distribution date is Nov. 17.
