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.
Turkish Airlines to Begin Service from Metro Airport in November
Turkish Airlines is expanding its opening of its 13th U.S. gateway at Detroit Metropolitan Airport beginning Nov. 15, connecting travelers in the Midwest to Turkey’s tourism hub, Istanbul, and the airline’s more than 340 destinations in 129 countries across five continents.
Turkish Airlines 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 at DTW at 6:50 p.m. The first Turkish Airlines flight from Detroit, TK206, will take off on Nov. 15 at 9:35 p.m.
“It’s exciting to open another gateway in the Midwest region, connecting travelers from neighboring areas through the bustling hub of Detroit,” says Ahmet Bolat, chairman of Turkish Airlines. “This is a significant opening in our expansion plans for North America as we continue our mission of connecting more people and more destinations through our robust global route network. As flights from Detroit Metropolitan Airport take off this fall, we warmly welcome travelers to explore Istanbul and beyond.”
To view the flight schedules, visit turkishairlines.com or call 800-874-8875.
Discover the Power of Culture and Emotion in Marketing with ‘Brand Love’
Lydia Michael, founder and CEO of Blended Collective, a multicultural marketing and brand consultancy, has released her first book — “Brand Love: Building Strong Consumer-Brand Connections.”
The book provides insight on how the best brands evoke the emotions of their customers by tapping into their hearts and minds and shares tools to build and grow successful brands.
Within “Brand Love,” Michael breaks down strategies for maintaining strong consumer-brand connections to build loyalty and advocacy through emotional engagement. She introduces “Brand Love Drivers” and “The Eight Brand Love Stages” model to provide marketers with a practical guide to create human-centric and relevant brands for companies to remain profitable and a source of inspiration.
“I wrote ‘Brand Love’ to provide a timeless perspective on what it means to build a brand that’s human and emotional with culture, diversity, and strategy in mind,” Michael says. “It’s a book for marketers, but also for entrepreneurs and anyone focused on consumer-facing strategies to guide them on how to grow and build a brand, small or big, that can result in deep loyalty.”
According to the author, the new book:
- Helps marketers inspire and create strong, long-lasting, emotional relationships with their customers.
- Introduces “The Eight Brand Love Stages” model to guide marketers through the process of
- building and growing a brand.
- Shares insight into the emotional and rational “Brand Love Drivers,” including the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in a marketing strategy.
- Features more than 100 brands, exclusive interviews, and case studies from multicultural
- companies like Huda Beauty, Toyota, and LEGO.
- Includes perspectives from global corporate brand leaders and business owners, along with the author’s entrepreneurial journey, who have seen the positive impact of brand love.
“Brand Love” is available anywhere books are sold starting July 25.
Michael will be signing books from 6-7 p.m. July 25 at Source Booksellers (4240 Cass Ave., Ste. 105) in Detroit and on Aug. 17 from 4:30-6 p.m. at TechTown Detroit (440 Burroughs St.).
Alcantara to Unveil Concept Car Sear Designed with Alpina
Italian automaker Alcantara will unveil a car seat with a new design developed with Alpina, which has a facility in Windsor, Ontario, at the German Car of the Year’s Summer Fest program later this month in Alsfeld, Germany.
The seat made by Alpina is dressed in bright orange Alcantara with laser-cut accents that underline an emerging trend toward brighter, more striking automotive interior and exterior colors.
A modern look with vibrant colors mask complex processing technologies such as electro-welding, screen printing, and twist embroidery that allow for a high degree of customization.
Lab-Aids Partners with Michigan State University to Publish Connected Mathematics4
New York-based Lab-Aids, which publishes and manufactures hands-on, evidence-based science programs, has started a partnership with Michigan State University in East Lansing to publish the fourth edition of the Connected Mathematics Project (CMP) curriculum.
Developed at MSU with support from the National Science Foundation, CMP is widely used in middle grades classrooms across the United States and several foreign countries.
“For over 60 years we have held fast to the belief that students best learn science through real world issues and problems with relevant and relatable content,” says Jonathan Atkins, president of Lab-Aids. “We are elated to partner with Michigan State University who has spent the past 30 years proving this approach also works best for students in mathematics.”
CMP’s guiding philosophy has been that students can make sense of mathematics if the concepts and skills are embedded within contextual problems. If time is spent exploring interesting mathematics situations, reflecting on solution methods, examining why the methods work, comparing methods, and relating methods to those used in previous situations, then students are likely to build more robust understandings of mathematical concepts and related procedures.
A problem-centered curriculum not only helps students to make sense of the mathematics, but also helps them to process the mathematics in a retrievable way, the partners say.
University of Detroit Mercy, GM Partner to Build Tomorrow’s Leaders
University of Detroit Mercy and General Motors Co. in Detroit joined forces to host the GM Student Corps/UDM College Experience event on July 11 at the school’s McNichols Campus.
Nearly 100 students from 14 high schools in southeast Michigan participated in the event that provided a walkthrough of a typical day in the life of a college student. They learned about the significance of navigating the higher education journey through topics like financial aid, class schedules, and more. Students also participated in hands-on learning experiences with UDM faculty from the College of Liberal Arts & Education.
By collaborating with Detroit Mercy, GM says it aims to inspire and empower these students by highlighting the transformative power of education and equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to pursue higher education.
“Engaging in a real college classroom where students solve a cybercrime, create an electronic puppet, and learn their leadership style gives them the chance to experience the exciting and transformative opportunities available at universities such as Detroit Mercy, where we can help make their hopes become realities,” says Jocelyn M. Boryczka, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education at UDM.
The GM Student Corps was founded in 2013 by GM President Mark Reuss and a group of GM employees and retirees, including UDM alumnus Mike DiGiovanni as part of a commitment to advance education, jumpstart student careers, and support the community.
The goal of the GM Student Corps is to develop professional skills in the students, engage them in their communities and provide mentors and guidance as they progress.
GM hires approximately eight students from 14 different high schools across metro Detroit, Flint, and Pontiac to participate in the corps. These high school interns are paired with a college intern and two GM retirees who serve as mentors during the summer program and beyond.
High school interns attend training to develop skills such as business etiquette, networking, and financial literacy. Each team works together to select and manage its own community service project that benefit their schools, neighbors, and community.
Ziebart in Troy Gives Back to Detroit Community During Franchise Reunion
Troy-based automotive appearance and protection services Ziebart says it delivered on driving the brand forward at its recent Franchise Reunion with the introduction of new products and services, recognition of outstanding franchise owners and store leaders, and a successful collaborative community outreach effort to benefit Detroit Meals for Hope.
Throughout the event, franchisees, members of the World HQ Support Center team, and corporate store leaders worked together in a volunteer effort to pack more than 10,000 meals with Detroit’s Meals for Hope for donation to Gleaners Community Food Bank.
Giving back to the communities in which it operates is a pillar of the Ziebart brand, says Thomas A. Wolfe, president and CEO of Ziebart International Corp.
“Our mission at Ziebart is to not only provide exceptional automotive appearance and protection services to extend the life of vehicles, but also extend our reach beyond vehicles to care for the communities we serve,” Wolfe says. “I’m extremely proud that our franchisees and corporate team leaders carry that same level of commitment in everything they do, whether it be helping their communities, or providing the best services to our loyal customers.”
Dozens of franchisees and corporate store leaders were recognized for their achievements through Ziebart’s annual Dealer Awards. The Mattiacio Group, a family-operated multi-unit franchisee out of Rochester, N.Y., which owns and operates 10 stores, won the Dealer of the Year award.
In addition, The Mattiacio Group’s Pete Chapin was honored with Ziebart’s new award for Top Sales Professional of the Year, recognizing his sales results and longtime dedication to the Mattiacio family.
In another new award, Michael Schwarz of the Lester Group’s Utica, N.Y. location, was named Top Technician of the Year. The Lester Group says in Schwarz’s 11 years with the franchise, he’s become instrumental to the success of four franchise locations, exemplifying a tireless dedication to the business that goes above and beyond expectations.
The New Dealer of the Year honor went to Ben Moeller, who opened his Ziebart franchise location in Highland with his wife, Sophia, in April 2022. John Lemon of Westland was named Manager of the Year for his focus on executing sales, leading to his store seeing the biggest increase across all Ziebart locations.
The brand also announced the introduction of new products, tools, and partnerships. These include hand tools to improve efficiency, Z-Shield Ceramic Coating specifically engineered to be extremely hydrophobic and provide outstanding UV rejection to protect paint protection films and vinyl wraps from damage and staining while enhancing the vehicle’s shine, and a partnership with Dr. Color Chip Automotive Paint Chip Repair Systems to provide high-quality, long-lasting paint chip repair.
Meijer Recognized as Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion
Meijer in Grand Rapids has earned the title of Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion from the Disability Equality Index (DEI) for the seventh year in a row, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to championing a culture of dignity and respect for its team members.
The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN, the global business disability inclusion network, to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. It is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the continued recognition of our efforts in nurturing an inclusive culture that uplifts and supports our team members, customers and communities,” says Timothy Williams, vice president of diversity and inclusion at Meijer. “The unwavering passion and dedication of our team members across our six states, particularly through the Meijer Disability Awareness and Advocacy Group (mDAAG), play a pivotal role in our success. Together, we strive to create a world that celebrates and empowers individuals of all abilities, fueling our shared achievements.”
American Cancer Society Moves Detroit Discovery Ball to The Fillmore
Celebrating the courage and determination of individuals touched by cancer and supporting those working to find its cure, the American Cancer Society (ACS) announces the fourth annual Detroit Discovery Ball, which will take place Nov. 11 The Fillmore in Detroit.
The Detroit Discovery Ball, led by honorary co-chairs Eric Krupa (vice president of global engineering at Lineage Logistics) and Rachael Krupa (a therapist a Thumb Coast Counseling), raises needed funds for life-saving cancer research, advocacy, patient programs, and services.
“Rachael and I are delighted to help raise funds for ACS as our lives, as well as so many others, have been touched by cancer,” Krupa states. “We are so proud that Lineage will be a part of this amazing event for the second year and look forward to seeing community members help us end cancer as we know it, for everyone.”
Proceeds from the event will go directly to the American Cancer Society and its Road to Recovery program and transportation grants. ACS transportation programs provide options for those with cancer who do not have reliable transportation or are unable to drive themselves.
Lineage Logistics is presenting sponsor for the Detroit Discovery Ball. Emcees for the evening are Christy McDonald of WDIV and Roop Raj of Fox2 Detroit.
The evening’s honorees will include:
- Mission Honoree, Dr. Eleanor M. Walker, director of breast radiation oncology and medical director of integrative services at Henry Ford Cancer.
- Detroit Red Wings Foundation for its years of fundraising support.
- General Motors Co. executive Gary L. Cowger (posthumously) and his wife, Kay Cowger for their leadership with Detroit Discovery Ball’s predecessor, Cattle Baron’s Ball, which raised $16 million for ACS.
“While every year is meaningful, this year’s fourth annual Detroit Discovery Ball will have a heightened energy and meaning as we honor the legacy and life of Gary Cowger, a man who was pivotal to the presence and growth of Detroit Cattle Baron’s Ball now transformed into our Detroit Discovery Ball,” says Jenni Beamer, senior executive director of ACS Michigan. “There is a great deal of excitement with the new location, entertainment, and new activities. Those in the room with us will be change makers, leaders, activators, and positive influencers working to change the trajectory of cancer for the better.”
The evening includes live and silent auctions, dinner, and late-night dancing. The Mission Speaker will be Saunteel Jenkins, CEO of The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW).
Individual tickets are $250 and are available at detroitdiscoveryball.org.
Fair Food Network in Detroit Urges Congress to Expand Nutrition Initiatives
The Fair Food Network in Detroit joins more than 600 farm, food, and health leaders urging key Congressional leaders to strengthen and expand the successful Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) in the 2023 Farm Bill so it can help more families, farmers, and food businesses across the country.
“In order to benefit more local economies and help more families improve dietary quality, GusNIP needs to evolve and grow so it can reach its full potential,” wrote the groups. “With robust funding and improvements to support the partners who deliver this program, GusNIP can expand its reach to help even more American farmers, grocers, and families experiencing poverty nationwide.”
Since its inception as a pilot program in 2008, GusNIP has worked as an effective public-private partnership that has expanded healthy food choices and sparked economic opportunity. The program supports nutrition incentive projects at the state level, which enable families who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to use their benefits to buy more fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and grocery stores. GusNIP also supports produce prescriptions that allow healthcare providers to give their patients vouchers to buy fresh produce so they can add more healthy food to their diet.
