Innovation & Job News

Lee Industrial Contracting has one of those business models that defies the region's cyclical economy.

The Pontiac-based business specializes in providing turn-key solutions for industrial projects, such as moving machines or installing alternative energy systems. The firm's systems work to minimize downtime and miscommunication to streamline the process of completing the project.

So when a downsizing manufacturer needs to turn three facilities into one, Lee Industrial Contracting can make that happen. And when those same manufacturers need to expand and turn one facility into three, Lee Industrial Contracting makes that happen, too. That has meant big growth for the company over the last two years. Its revenue was up double digits two years ago and single digits last year while the company executed its "planned management growth strategy."

"We want to to continue to put processes in place that would allow us to operate the company in an efficient manner," says Ken LaBruyere, COO of Lee Industrial Contracting.

The 25-year-old business has hired 80 people over the last two years, including 25 in the last year. Of those new hires, 20 work in the field and the other five in administration for the company. It now employs 250 people and has a few interns in its IT department. The company regularly promotes its interns into full-time employees.

Source: Ken LaBruyere, COO of Lee Industrial Contracting
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

One Team US traditionally makes custom mobile apps for clients, but the 3-year-old firm is expanding more into retail apps with its newest offering, Highway Dining.

The idea is that traveling motorists know what restaurants are coming up at the next exit, but not much after that. A family looking for the best option to satisfy everyone often wants to know what all of its options are in the near future. Highway Dining, which is priced at $0.99, does that.

"The app tells where you are right now but also where you will be in 20 minutes and 30 minutes and tells you where you can eat," says Kris Gazley, director of business development for One Team US. "It's quite useful."

The Troy-based company has produced 250 mobile apps for Apple products and another 80 for Android. The company currently has four in the process of being developed, including one that a local plastic surgeon plans to use to educate patients on their options.

"We're always putting out more apps," Gazley says. "We always have three or four in development."

One Team US currently employs 30 people after hiring a dozen over the last year. Gazley attributes that expansion to organic growth from good old word-of-mouth marketing.

Source: Kris Gazley, director of business development for One Team US
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Dimensional Control Systems released its latest version of software last year and is in the process of expanding the next version.

The Troy-based business provides quality software solutions for engineering tasks, like analysis, and quality management systems, mostly for manufacturers. It also offers consulting services. Dimensional Control Systems' principal products are 3DCS (an analysis tool) and QDM (a quality management system). The two tools can be interconnected to close the loop on an organization's ability to carry quality initiatives from design all the way through execution.

"We're looking for sales to pick up later this year," says Ben Reese, marketing specialist with Dimensional Control Systems.

The 19-year-old business is currently working on the sixth version of 3DCS (3DCS V6) and is Beta testing it. It hopes to release the new version later this year while it also works to further develop its QDM.

Dimensional Control Systems has hired seven people over the last year, upping its staff to 110 employees and two interns. "We're very excited to see this (software system sales) picking up," Reese says. "We are looking forward to this becoming a much bigger enterprise."

Source: Ben Reese, marketing specialist with Dimensional Control Systems
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Schechter Wealth Strategies opened an office in New York City late last year as the Birmingham-based firm looked to capitalize on a growing economy.

The new office in Midtown Manhattan is the second satellite office for the 74 year-old wealth management firm, which also has an office in the Flint area. Schechter Wealth Strategies has notched close to 30-percent growth in the last two years. It has a goal of 15-percent growth this year and 65-percent growth by 2015.

"We felt that now is the right time with the economy on the upswing," says Stephen Blocki, COO of Schechter Wealth Strategies.

The New York City office is staffed by one person, who is one of the company's five new hires over the last year. Blocki was recently brought on as the company's new COO and Jimmy King (of the University of Michigan's Fab Five fame) as the new vice president of business development. The firm now employs 30 people.

Robert Langer is the managing director of Schechter Wealth Strategies' New York Office. Blocki says the firm decided to make the investment in a New York office as a way to replicate the firm's business model in new territory.

"Our goal is to grow into any market that has access to a network of high-net-worth individuals," Blocki says.

Source: Stephen Blocki, COO of Schechter Wealth Strategies
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Prosthetics have come a long way since the days of The Fugitive with Dr. Richard Kimble trying to track down a one-armed man. Ask Gordon Maniere and he will tell you there is still a long way to go, even with a man racing with prosthetic legs in the Olympics.

So the certified prosthetist is turning that journey into a start-up, Advanced Amputee Solutions.

"No one has really tackled the problem of where the bone meets the prosthetic," Maniere says. "That's the biggest problem because the amputee won't wear the prosthetic if it causes pain."

Advanced Amputee Solutions is developing its I.E.P. technology, specifically a polymer that cushions the cut bone of the amputee. It applies exoskeletal principles endoskeletally, killing the pain problem at the point of contact. I.E.P. is applied during the amputation surgery so it protects the amputated bone and seals the bone marrow.

This eliminates the problem of trying to make a rigid tool (the prosthetic) comfortably fit with a human body that is never the same two days in a row. "The tissue is constantly changing shape everyday," Maniere says. "Eating salt can cause a wide variety of size in the tissue."

Maniere and his co-founder, Jack Wheeler, are working to build their start-up team and raise a $500,000 angel round of seed capital. Maniere will present his company's technology at the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium next week to help further its fundraising.

"It's really kind of a coming out party," Maniere says.

Source: Gordon Maniere, CEO of Advanced Amputee Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Dynamic Intelligent Solutions is pivoting its business model to expand its sales and grow staff.

The Clinton Township-based firm specializes in optical measurement services when testing products under extreme climatic conditions, dimensional stability, and durability in the automotive, aerospace, government, marine, recreational vehicle and consumer goods markets. It allows researchers to see how extreme temperatures impact the auto parts.

"We're going from the service side to selling equipment," says Jim Arnone, managing partner with Dynamic Intelligent Solutions.

That equipment is a chamber camera, specifically one made by Aicon 3D Systems. Dynamic Intelligent Solutions is selling Aicon 3D Systems' products to complement the one that it uses in its optical measurement services.

"We built a system that surrounds their product," Arnone says. "It puts a camera in the chamber."

The 3-year-old business currently employs four people after hiring a replacement technician last year. It's also looking to add two interns this summer.

Source: Jim Arnone, managing partner with Dynamic Intelligent Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Laurus Strategies is 8 years old but it has really hit its stride in the last two, hitting 200 employees and a handful of interns in that time.

"We used to be a really small company," says Cassie McDonagh, a marketing consultant for Laurus Strategies. "Over the last two years we have almost doubled in size."

The human resources consulting firm has hired 75 people in the last year. It currently has between 10-15 open positions. The company's headquarters is in Brighton but it also has offices in Chicago, Louisville, Dallas and Illinois. It has also acquired a couple of human resource tech firms in Chicago and Milwaukee over the last year to help boost its service offerings in an attempt to offer a more comprehensive solution.

"Laurus has some unique infrastructure that can handle the whole employee life cycle," says Scott Slyfield, principal with Laurus Strategies.

The company has been focusing on building out its business in the middle of the country in recent years and its looking at continuing that aggressive growth by capitalizing on the re-emergence of Metro Detroit's automotive market.

"The next five years are going to be busy for us," McDonagh says.

Source: Scott Slyfield, principal with Laurus Strategies and Cassie McDonagh, marketing consultant for Laurus Strategies
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Vectorform is recovering nicely from the worst of the economic downturn, expanding its staff and experimenting with new technologies.

The Royal Oak-based tech firm has hired 20 people over the last year, expanding its employee count to 100. Those hires were made possible by 20-percent revenue growth in the last year and similar gains since 2009. It now services 20 Fortune 500 companies, among its growing clientele.

"We have doubled our staff since 2009," says Trevor Anulewicz, director of creative & content strategy for Vectorform.

Vectorform also has a half dozen interns. The company has made a habit of turning its interns into employees. An average of 80 percent of its interns are promoted to full-time employees. "That's a great opportunity," Anulewicz says. "We try to have these folks come in and make an impact and stay."

The 14-year-old company's leaders attribute the company's current growth trend to staying ahead of the tech curve. It has carved out a nice niche creating mobile apps and mastering new software platforms, such as Windows 8. It is also one of the early tech firms to get its hands on Google Glass.

"We will be procuring the device in the coming weeks and we have six great ideas we will be employing with it," says Kevin Foreman, director of product vision for Vectorform.

Source: Trevor Anulewicz, director of creative & content strategy for Vectorform and Kevin Foreman, director of product vision for Vectorform
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

UHY, an accounting firm, has traditionally scored its revenue gains from word-of-mouth marketing for most of its 40-plus years of doing business. Now the Farmington Hills-based firm is helping buffet its current growth streak with some more conventional marketing efforts.

"We have done a lot of branding over the last couple of years," says Dennis Petri, partner with UHY. "We have done a billboard campaign highlighting some of the principals in the firm."

That work has allowed the company to notch significant revenue gains (either high single digits or low double digits) in each of the last few years. Last year it hit 8-percent growth and is on track to do it again in 2013.

UHY specializes in providing financial, tax, and business consulting services to mid-sized and larger companies. It has been able to attract a number of new clients in the last year, which has allowed it to hire nearly 20 people in the last year. The company now has 260 employees and more than a dozen interns, most of which are in its Farmington Hills headquarters and its Sterling Heights office.

"We have an excellent recruiting program," Petri says. "We have a couple of excellent individuals who do recruiting for us, most of which occurs at college campuses."

Source: Dennis Petri, partner with UHY
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Metro Detroit made quite the impression on Lawrence James when he worked in the region more than a few years ago. The United Kingdom expatriate referenced that experience when he convinced his current company, The Frameworks, to set up shop in Metro Detroit.

"I found Michigan to be a really great place," says James, senior partner with The Frameworks. "The people are amazing. The economy goes up and down but there is a solid infrastructure in place."

Of course there were some good business reasons for making the decision, too. James' partner wanted to set up the global branding firm's North American headquarters in either Chicago, San Francisco or New York City. James made the argument about why expanding in Metro Detroit made better business sense.

"There are great people here. That's talent," James says. "The cost of entry is affordable and the people here are warm and welcoming."

That decision was made in 2010 and the London-based firm set up shop in Troy. It now employs a dozen full-time employees, three part-timers and an intern after making six hires over the last year.

That staff now services some big client names, such as IBM, Bloomberg and Toshiba Americas. IBM has expanded its business with The Frameworks, which now works with the multi-national corporation's safety and technology groups.

Source: Lawrence James, senior partner with The Frameworks
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Axis CrossMedia knows that once it grows comfortable in its space, it will soon become uncomfortable whether it likes it or not.

The Troy-based creative agency has continued to grow in recent years by working to stay ahead of the technology curve.

"Constant reinvention. Constant keeping up with market demand and being able to assimilate with new technologies," says Lee Kirchner, principal & creative director of Axis CrossMedia. "There isn't a lot we don't do in house."

The 14-year-old company started out by providing creative services for print media. That evolved into web development and then mobile. It also keeps its creative chops sharp. Today the only thing the company doesn't do is print production.

Axis CrossMedia recently hired an art director/designer, a move that expanded its staff to 10 people.

Source: Lee Kirchner, principal & creative director of Axis CrossMedia
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Rob Battaglia wasn't inspired to start his own company because he lost his job in the recession or to realize a lifelong dream of owning a business. He started We Tech 24 years ago because he worked for a computer company and saw them giving away the training, which he considered the real business opportunity.

"I decided to start my own company," Battaglia says. "That has grown to training and training support and sales. It then grew into a Dell partnership and now we're an HP partner."

The Holly-based business started out as a computer training company in 1989. It has moved into IT support, desktop support and software sales to small- and medium-sized customers on top of its normal training services.

We Teach has been Battaglia's full-time gig for more than two decades. It not only provides him with a job but steady work for four independent contractors. Battaglia prefers to keep his business small and nimble by employing contractors, which gives both them and his business flexibility to do the work the best way they can see fit.

"I can find best in class," Battaglia says. "I want to find the best trainers I can find. I am very picky about who I put in a classroom."

Source: Rob Battaglia, owner of We Teach
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Genisys Credit Union is riding high on some sizable growth numbers. The Auburn Hills-based financial institution has watched its membership, loan growth and employee base jump in the last year.

Membership for the credit union is up 7 percent, reaching a total of 138,000 members in Metro Detroit. That has allowed the credit union to hire about a dozen people, rounding out its staff to nearly 350 people. Its loan growth is also up several percentage points and is on track to be up between 10 and 11 percent in 2013.

"That's one of our best years ever," says Jackie Buchanan, president & CEO of Genisys Credit Union.

Genisys Credit Union got its start in 1936 as the credit union for workers of General Motors Truck & Coach and Burroughs Corp. It merged with three other credit unions five years ago to create Genisys Credit Union.

Since then the company has focused on growing its membership (credit unions are member-owned) by focusing on customer service. It doesn't try to push certain products on its members, instead focusing on finding ways to save them money in financial transactions. It has also been building out its technology to make banking easier for its membership.

"We have some really good technology," Buchanan says. "We have a really robust online platform and our mobile banking platform. We're adding to that all the time."

Source: Jackie Buchanan, president & CEO of Genisys Credit Union
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

The challenge for Wellco these days isn't convincing companies to adopt a health-and-wellness program. It's making the ones that exist work. That makes the Royal Oak-based business more a fixer of these programs instead of an establisher of them.

"The three biggest pitfalls include a lack of employees participating, a lack of leadership support and a lack of return on investment," says Scott Foster, president of Wellco.  "Wellco achieves all three of them."

The 17-year-old business sells software and programs it has developed that allows companies to document and track the health of their employees. That has allowed it to grow to 16 employees and the occasional intern. It has hired two people over the last year and plans to add another five employees over the next 12 months.

Driving this growth is acceptance and employment of health-and-wellness programs to help lower the overall bottom line by trimming health-care costs and improving productivity. The institutions of things like Obamacare have helped make them more popular in recent years.

Wellco has watched its revenue jump by 30 percent over the last year. Foster says a majority of that business is from companies that are looking to maximize near-dormant health-and-wellness program to help improve their overall profit margins.

"We're finding a tremendous need from employers to provide dependable results," Foster says.

Source: Scott Foster, president of Wellco
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

The Automation Alley Seed Fund has struck again, investing $150,000 into TerraYebo.

This is the Troy-based business accelerator's second six-figure investment in the micro-funding website start-up. It invested $100,000 in the Madison Heights-based firm earlier this year.

"Our investment committee liked their entrepreneurial team," says Thomas Anderson, senior director for Automation Alley. "We thought they were smart and focused."

TerraYebo is the company behind MyInchofTheEarth.com, a micro-funding platform for nonprofits. The website enables users to claim any virtual inch of the earth or ocean, share why that place is important, and choose a nonprofit that either supports the preservation of that place or a nonprofit that does good in the world. The idea is to let people's life experiences at different institutions (such as their alma mater) or places (a national park) prompt them to give small amounts to non-profits that fund them.

The 3-year-old company has signed up a number of name-brand institutions for MyInchofTheEarth.com, including The National Park Foundation, CURE International, VH1 Save the Music, Veterans of Foreign War Foundation and The Pink Fund. TerraYebo's team of four people, it has hired two people so far this year, plans to use the new seed capital to continue the build out of its website and developing its market.

"We want to continue to focus on the user experience of our website," says Dan Glisky, president of TerraYebo. "That is first and foremost."

The Automation Alley Seed Fund invests in early-stage start-ups with high growth ceilings. Investments range from $50,000 to $300,000. The fund is similar to the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, which is managed by Ann Arbor SPARK.

The Automation Alley Seed Fund got its start in 2004 and has received $6 million in funding, primarily from the state of Michigan. It has invested $8 million over that time, including a couple of start-ups that have either repaid the loans, cashed out the equity in the investment or have been acquired. One start-up, University of Michigan spin-out CieloMed Solutions, was acquired last year and provided a healthy return to the Automation Alley Seed Fund.

Source: Thomas Anderson, senior director for Automation Alley; Dan Glisky, president of TerraYebo and Michele Favoretto, CEO of TerraYebo
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.