U.S. Dept of Commerce backs Statewide Entrepreneurial Support System project
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
This is Detroit. We make things here. U.S.
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke blew through the metro area
Wednesday to help drive home that point, explaining that this means
everything from traditional exports to job creating start-ups.
The
U.S. Dept. of Commerce will open a CommerceConnect office in
Pontiac, which will serve as a clearing house for businesses looking for
resources to grow. Federal officials will work with state and local
stakeholders to organize, coordinate, and facilitate these resources for
local businesses.
"What CommerceConnect is all about is
providing a one-stop shop for small business owners," Locke told a
gathering of business owners at Automation Alley. Representatives from
that office will not only work to direct businesses toward those
resources, such as where to find seed capital or customers, but also
serve as an advocate for those businesses. "I am confident we are moving
in the right direction, but there will be a learning curve," Locke
said.
Locke also announced that the U.S. Dept of Commerce will
partner with the Michigan-based non-profit The MORE Program to develop
the Statewide Entrepreneurial Support System. That initiative, headed up
by downtown Detroit-based Digerati, will catalog and make
available resources of all shapes, sizes, and sources that could help
entrepreneurs. Think everything from Ann Arbor SPARK programs to local
grassroots business meet ups, such as the Soup
meetings in southwest Detroit. The idea is to create a Google-like
system that connects entrepreneurs to what they need with minimum
hassle.
Locke also drove home the point that the Obama
Administration plans to capitalize on its goal of doubling U.S. exports
within five years and Michigan, which is the fifth largest state when it
comes to export-related jobs, will play a key part in making that
happen. For Metro Detroit, that could mean everything from alternative
energy manufacturing to building lithium ion batteries for the next
generation of electric automobiles. A conference room full of local
manufacturers at Automation
Alley applauded the goal.
"You can sense the hum and
activity of all of the work that is done here at Automation Alley,"
Locke said.
Source: Gary Locke, secretary of the U.S. Dept of
Commerce
Writer: Jon Zemke
First Tech Direct expands into Grand Rapids, Chicago
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
Nearly a decade ago, John Silvani took an old company apart and
rebuilt it into a growing new economy firm that's hiring in Royal Oak.
Along
with five employees from his former firm, Silvani started First Tech
Direct. Today it has 39 employees, 12 independent contractors, and an
intern after making nine hires over the last year. Five more openings
are expected by the end of the year.
"We just have a lot of
demand from our clients right now," says Silvani, president and CEO of First Tech Direct.
First
Tech Direct helps business streamline their operations by providing
software from the likes of Microsoft
Dynamics Academic Alliance. It has grown continuously since its
founding. With revenue up 25 percent over the last year alone, the
company has landed a place on the Inc. 5000 list.
The
software firm has a varied client roster ranging from the Detroit Lions
to Motor City Casino to a number of auto suppliers. This diversity has
led to an office opening in Grand Rapids, plus a new Chicago location is
in the works.
"The company has done a fantastic job," Silvani
says. "We're doing great."
Source:
John Silvani, president and CEO of First Tech Direct
Writer: Jon Zemke
Pushtwentytwo expands online presence, adds jobs in downtown Pontiac
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
The economy hit pushtwentytwo like most
other businesses in 2008-09, but now the public relations/marketing
agency is on the rebound and hiring.
The 6-year-old company
recently added two positions in its downtown Pontiac headquarters and is
looking for two more in administration and graphic design. It currently
employs 14 people and the occasional independent contractor or intern.
It expects to make 2-4 more hires over the next year.
That's on
top of the company's revenue growing by 25-30 percent since the
recession hit its peak. But pushtwentytwo's
leadership is being a bit cautious
as the economic recovery begins to take hold.
"As much as our
clients are spending money again they are being very careful, so we have
to be very accountable," says Mike Verville, partner with pushtwentytwo.
The
firm is expanding its online presence to fuel growth by moving into more
Internet services, such as web development and social media. "There are
a lot of opportunities for companies looking to enter the digital
space, and companies that have been quiet for a while."
Source: Mike Verville, partner with
pushtwentytwo
Writer: Jon
Zemke
Troy's Dynamic Advisory Solutions opens Ann Arbor office
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
Want a sign that Metro Detroit's
entrepreneurial ecosystem is on the rise? Take a look at Dynamic
Advisory Solutions.
The Troy-based financial firm credits its
growth to helping small- and medium-sized businesses make smart
financial decisions -- the kind that let their money work them. The
company has actually seen its business go up in the recent economic
downturn by providing the advice that helps these businesses keep their
financial house standing.
"We help companies ride through chaos
in a crazy environment," says Ren Carlton, president and CEO of Dynamic Advisory Solutions.
"We help them ride through the tough times."
Which now equals
good times for the 10-year-old firm. It has expanded its staff to 10
employees and an intern after two hires in the last year. It also
recently opened a satellite office in Ann Arbor to take advantage of
that growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. It expects to add two more
people in Troy over the next year and a handful more in Ann Arbor.
Source:
Ren Carlton, president and CEO of Dynamic Advisory Solutions
Writer:
Jon Zemke
Healthcare providers team up on blood clot prevention
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
A group of prominent healthcare
organizations are partnering to cut the occurrence of blood clots by as
much as 50 percent over the next two years in a coordinated effort to
improve patient care and reduce medical costs.
Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Michigan, Blue
Care Network, and the University of Michigan Medical Center are
leading the effort with 16 hospitals from across the state, including Beaumont
and Oakwood
healthcare systems. The idea is that this collaboration, part of Value
Partnerships, will expand its focus.
"The expectation is the
collaboration will take on other things as the years go by," says Tom
Leyden, manager of clinical program development for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
For
now, the new initiative will focus on getting the state's major
hospitals to reduce the risk of blood clots, a common problem that
causes further sickness or even death. The new consortium will work in
unison to study, benchmark, and implement best practices to eliminate
preventable blood clots.
Just about all patients who are
hospitalized are at risk of suffering adverse effects from clotting,
some of which are often as serious as death. A double-digit reduction
would be a seen as a big step forward.
"It's not perfect," says
Scott Flanders, a professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center
and the project director for this initiative. "We're never going to be
able to get rid of these things."
Sources: Scott Flanders, professor of medicine at the
University of Michigan Medical Center; Tom Leyden, manager of clinical
program development for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
Quantum Software expects 50% sales growth this year
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
Quantum Software's growth is in its
revenue numbers. The Auburn Hills-based company's sales figures were up
30 percent over the last year. It expects this year's sales to be up by
50 percent.
"People aren't as shy to call in and ask for what
they want," says Loretta Hall, president of Quantum Software. "It has been very
encouraging."
The six-person firm develops and sells
applications, a.k.a. solutions, for SAP software programs. These
programs, called Blocks, help make other businesses more efficient and
profitable. They range from the Time Block program for consulting
companies to the Rent Block program for equipment rental firms. The firm
is in the process of developing a more cost-effective option for its
software package with more basic features.
"It will facilitate
all of the areas but it won't be quite as robust," Hall says. "We still
do customization and implementation."
Source: Loretta Hall,
president of Quantum Software
Writer: Jon Zemke
Northville's Green Light Productions spotlights local films, Elmore Leonard adaptation
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
Green Light Productions is moving a couple of local movies into the starting blocks, beginning with an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard book, Freaky Deaky, this fall.
"It's going to be a Michigan book by a Michigan author filmed in Michigan," says Keith Simon, president of Green Light Productions. "We're not shooting California in Michigan. We're shooting Michigan in Michigan."
The
downtown Northville-based firm is working on a couple of other
productions for later this year and next. This isn't how the former
banker saw the company, now nearly two years old, taking off. It was
founded with the idea of connecting local filmmakers to funding sources,
with the idea of finding another Kevin Smith, the Michigan-raised
director of indie-film cult favorite Clerks.
However, that
hasn't happened yet. The pair have gone through nearly 2,000 project
pitches and have worked on getting a few of those off the ground, but to
no avail as of yet. That hasn't stopped the seven-person firm from
hiring over the last year. While Green Light Productions continues to
pursue that business angle, it's focusing more on production work now.
"We've worked on funding several small budget films, but we haven't been able to make anything work," Simon says.
Source: Keith Simon, president of Green Light Productions and Kevin Weedmark, CEO of Green Light Productions
Writer: Jon Zemke
Motor City Connect membership jumps
Source: Metromode, 9/2/2010
Motor City Connect's membership is up.
The
Bloomfield Township-based networking website site membership has grown
from 300 to 3,000 people in its first year and then from 3,000 to nearly
5,000 today. And that's after its founders cut away dozens and dozens
of inactive emails.
"It continues to shine a light on the great people we have in Metro Detroit," says Terry Bean, chief networking office for Motor City Connect.
The
2-year-old website provides the virtual introductions for people to set
up real-life meetings and events. It's a non-profit run on the spare
time of Bean and his partner, along with a few other volunteers.
Source: Terry Bean, chief networking office for Motor City Connect
Writer: Jon Zemke