Innovation & Job News

Eco Products produces new insulation tech for windows

Metromode Thursday, December 16, 2010

Eco Products has a solar product that doesn't generate electricity or warm water. It helps keep warm houses warm in the winter and cool houses cool in the summer.

3S SOLAR BLOCK is a coating that can go on windows. It permits the light through but helps keep the heat in (or out, depending on which way it's facing). The coating is so clear that it doesn't obstruct the view from the glass. Eco Products is in the later stages of commercializing it after spending most of its short existence developing 3S SOLAR BLOCK.

"That process took two years and an awful lot of money," says Tom Carmichael, CEO of Eco Products.

The Royal Oak-based company has already lined up some distributors in the window and skylight markets. It expects to hit $3.5-$4 million in sales by the end of 2011, which should allow it to expand its staff of four people. Eco Products also rode the success of 3S SOLAR BLOCK to the semifinals of the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition.

Source: Tom Carmichael, CEO of Eco Products
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Royal Oak's Visual IMPACT! reinvents customer base

metromode Thursday, December 09, 2010

Visual IMPACT! used to do a lot of marketing work for advertising agencies, so much so that all that work for a few agencies turned into the bread and butter of the downtown Royal Oak-based firm. That is until the recession hit and that work largely evaporated.

Today Visual IMPACT! still does a lot of marketing work, but for more customers (mostly small businesses) working on small projects. Those projects now include production studio work, Internet marketing and creating mobile applications.

"In 1991 we were one of the first 1,000 websites on the Internet," says Mark Besh, president of Visual IMPACT!. "But we're a multi-media company. We do all media, even a little print."

Reinventing Visual IMPACT!'s customer base allowed it to hold its own during the economic downturn, maintaining a staff of six employees, an intern and 12 independent contractors. The company expects to hire another 2-5 people and 6-12 independent contractors in 2011 on the strength of tripling its customer base or better.

Source: Mark Besh, president of Visual IMPACT!
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Howard & Howard Attorneys expands, opens offices in Chicago and Las Vegas

Metromode Thursday, December 09, 2010

Howard & Howard Attorneys is a law firm that has been around a while (140 years), so it knows the value of words like diversification and has used it as a key cog to spur growth in 2010.

The downtown Royal Oak-based firm has grown its practice in some high-profile new economy-based sectors, such as alternative energy and intellectual property. It has hired about a dozen people over the last year, rounding out its staff to 235 employees, six interns and two independent contractors. In some cases, Howard & Howard Attorneys' new hires are young people who specialize in those new economy sectors that grew into important roles at the law firm.

"There has been a real nice organic growth in our intellectual property practice in terms of interns maturing into lawyers and joining our practice," says Mark Davis, president and CEO of Howard & Howard Attorneys.

The firm specializes primarily in business-to-business and business owner law in a number of industries ranging from gaming to automotive to medical devices. It has set up offices in Ann Arbor, Chicago, Peoria, Ill., and Las Vegas. This has also allowed the firm to grow its revenue by 20 percent in 2010, 15 percent above its goal. Davis hopes to hit 10 percent revenue growth and a few more hires in 2011.

Source: Mark Davis, president and CEO of Howard & Howard Attorneys
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Lawrence Tech now sees through $769K electron microscope

metromode Thursday, October 28, 2010

Lawrence Technological University's new environmental scanning electron microscope, the first in Metro Detroit, isn't just a cool new toy for faculty and students at the university. It's also a new tool for a number of local businesses.

The $769,000 microscope, funded by a federal grant, is being used by Lawrence Tech and Beaumont Hospitals. It will be primarily used by researchers at both institutions for such things as studying orthopedic implants. Wayne State University researchers are also lined up to use it, along with scientists from General Motors who are working on lithium ion battery technology.

"We will see a pretty broad impact from this microscope," says Yawen Li, assistant professor of bio-medical engineering at Lawrence Tech and one of the principals responsible for obtaining the grant.

The electron microscope can be used to scientifically characterize wet, oily, porous, and soft materials, which are traditionally considered impossible to study under conventional microscopes. This greatly enhances a variety of research activities in areas such as biomaterials, orthopedics, tissue engineering, construction materials, automotive components, and lithium ion batteries.

This microscope can produce very high-resolution images of a sample surface, revealing details less than a nanometer (one billionth of a meter) in size. The maximum magnification of more than 500,000 times is about 250 times the magnification limit of the best light microscopes. This piece of equipment has a large depth of field, yielding a three-dimensional image that is useful for studying surface structure.

Source: Yawen Li, assistant professor of bio-medical engineering at Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

Verde Lifestyles focuses on best-selling green products

metromode Thursday, October 07, 2010

For Verde Lifestyles, less is more, as in less product and more profits.

The Royal Oak-based startup specializes in selling green products online. Upon its launch a year ago the company planned to spotlight a new item everyday. Today, the company has created efficiencies by narrowing its product offerings to its three best sellers: bamboo rugs, wood furniture, and organic pillows.

"We cut out a lot of work for ourselves," says Danielle Brycz, co-owner of Verde Lifestyles. "We have simplified and made it as simple as possible."

Brycz created the website with Ryan Forest while the two focused on their day jobs. It now creates part-time work for both co-founders and two interns. The partners hope a more focused inventory will allow the hiring of another intern to help with its search engine optimization and marketing work.

Source: Danielle Brycz, co-owner of Verde Lifestyles
Writer: Jon Zemke

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

RTT lands VC investment from Siemens, adds jobs

metromode Thursday, September 09, 2010

Realtime Technology, commonly known as RTT, is picking up a lot of checks these days, and that's a good thing. Revenue up, check. New hires in Royal Oak, check. Venture capital investment from major company, check.

That last check comes courtesy of Siemens Venture Capital GmbH, which recently made a capital investment so it can execute the next phase of RTT's growth strategy. RTT specializes in high-end visualization technology. Three-dimensional visualization software and services are utilized in the automotive, aviation, and consumer goods industries. It will now run at the Siemens Team Center to help improve these products.

"Everything we do these days is moving toward customization," says Peter Stevenson, co-CEO of RTT. "This partnership lends itself toward that."

RTT has also watched its revenue pop this year, up 58 percent in the last six months. It's also adding people in its Royal Oak office, where it has 65 employees, six independent contractors, and 3-4 interns. It has made 20 hires over the last year and expect to add 20 more in the next six months.

Source: Peter Stevenson, co-CEO of Realtime Technology
Writer: Jon Zemke

First Tech Direct expands into Grand Rapids, Chicago

Metromode Thursday, September 02, 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

Healthcare providers team up on blood clot prevention

Metromode Thursday, September 02, 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

Skidmore creative marketing agency is expanding in Royal Oak

Metromode Thursday, September 02, 2010

New clients equal new hires, or at least that's the formula at Skidmore Studio. The downtown Royal Oak marketing agency has just hired a senior graphic designer and plans to further expand its staff later this year.

"We have some new clients that are pushing our capacity and capabilities," says Tim Smith, president and CEO of Skidmore Studio.

Those new clients include Troy-based North American Bancard and Sport U Technologies (Brighton), locally based companies with a footprint that extends into the Midwest or nationally. Skidmore Studio plans to hire a web programmer and media planner buyer with national experience later this year. A new project manager and account executive may also be added to the staff of 21 people.

Skidmore Studio is filled with creatives, including graphic designers, illustrators, interactive designers, copywriters, and motion artists. The agency has specialized in design and illustration in Metro Detroit since the 1950s. It has relied primarily on customer referrals for its growth, a plan Smith intends to stick with for the foreseeable future.

"We need to concentrate on doing an extraordinary job for our clients," Smith says.

Source: Tim Smith, president and CEO of Skidmore Studio
Writer: Jon Zemke

Realtime Technologies fills out customer base in Royal Oak

Metromode Thursday, August 26, 2010

Realtime Technologies continues to grow its downtown Royal Oak office as it builds its high-end 3D visualization technology for its base customers.

"We just want to be like Pinky & The Brain and take over the world... but in a nice way," says Clayne Woodbury, national sales director for Realtime Technologies.

The company employs 10 people at its Royal Oak office and is looking to add some staff there in the near future. Part of the reason for that expansion is its increased sales volume to its existing customer base and expanding into emerging markets, such as China.

"We have had some huge projects, and it's been multiplying," Woodbury says.

Realtime Technologies creates simulators for the likes of the automotive industry and is expanding to other areas, such as simulating soil shifting for environmental firms. It's also looking at expanding into the video game world.

Source: Clayne Woodbury, national sales director for Realtime Technologies
Writer: Jon Zemke

Oakland County Medical Main St attracts $11M in investment, 275 jobs

Metromode Thursday, August 12, 2010

Healthcare, an industry long taken for granted in Metro Detroit, is proving to be an increasingly strong job source in Oakland County.

The Oakland County Medical Main Street program has attracted $11 million in investment, creating 275 new positions, over the last two years. The latest round comes from Royal Oak Medical Devices. The company plans to spend $2.6 million to expand its medical device design, manufacturing, and distributing operations, a move that is expected to create 26 new jobs over the next few years.

"In the past we have taken these jobs a little for granted because they were part of our infrastructure," says Maureen Krauss, director of the Dept of Economic Development and Community Affairs at Oakland County.

No longer. Oakland County's life sciences industry employs 93,000 people and is projected to create another 45,000 jobs over the next decade, according to a study by the Anderson Economic Group. This industry also has deep roots in the research sectors. Just under 4,900 clinical trials are currently underway in Oakland County -- more than what is taking place in California, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey.

Oakland County started its Medical Main Street program in 2008 with the idea of helping fast-track growth in the life sciences industry. "It keeps the talent, assets, and people here," Krauss says. "It's a really strong part of our retention program."

Source: Maureen Krauss, director of the Dept of Economic Development and Community Affairs at Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke

Royal Oak's Vectorform grows staff by 50%

Metromode Thursday, August 12, 2010

Condense the words "early adoption" into one and there is a good chance it might spell Vectorform.

The Royal Oak-based firm has turned creation of the latest in applications for mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad into a steady stream of hires around the world. It has gone from a staff of 70 people worldwide last summer to 100 today, including 30 in Royal Oak.

"We have been growing fairly substantially," says Alison Weber, director of communications for Vectorform. "We have probably added 30 people, primarily in the Seattle area." The company has made eight hires for its Royal Oak office, including a couple of former interns. It hopes to add eight more positions there over the next year.

Vectorform specializes in interactive design and development, such as web design and multi-touch hardware for the likes of the iPhone and Microsoft Surface. It recently released for the iPhone "The Ancient Game of GO", inspired by a 2,500-year-old Chinese game. GO focuses on capturing territory on a game board by surrounding your opponent's respective stone chips with yours.

"We're starting to become a more recognized and respected name," Weber says. "Until this point we have been a bit of a well-kept secret."

Source: Alison Weber, director of communications for Vectorform
Writer: Jon Zemke

Wellco's health tracking software a hit, adds positions

Metromode Thursday, August 12, 2010

Royal Oak-based Wellco isn't a provider these days as much as it is a fixer when it comes to improving the health of Metro Detroit's workforce.

"We have become much less a wellness provider and more of a company that fixes wellness programs," says Scott Foster, president of Wellco. "Wellness has become such a hot topic but companies have no idea whether their programs are effective or not."

Wellco has developed software and programs for companies to document and track the health of their employees. The idea is to create a healthier, more productive workforce that ultimately saves significant sums of money in medical costs, both in the short- and long-term.

Its newest technology, HealthHammer, helps its customers benchmark, measure, and improve healthy lifestyles. It also gives them the Top 15 health conditions to avoid, such as back pain, diabetes, and depression.

Wellco has avoided its own pitfalls and experienced some healthy growth in the last two years, adding two hires to round its staff out to a dozen people and three independent contractors. It currently has one open position for a wellness specialist and expects to create another five jobs over the next six months.

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

Dark Spark Media at tip of film industry spear

Metromode Thursday, August 05, 2010

The people at Dark Spark Media are big on Michigan and its emerging film industry.

The Royal Oak-based post-production house was the first local firm to do post-production work on a movie last year. That work is normally shipped back to California or other places that have more established film industry infrastructure.

Dark Spark Media is also the driving force behind Under the Radar Michigan, a new local-centric TV show on PBS. The show profiles cool and sometimes eccentric aspects of Michigan's towns. It does three of these profiles with each episode and could be used as a template for other states looking to beef up their brand image.

"It's all about refreshing and rejuvenating the attitude about Michigan," says Annie Harrelson, sales and marketing manager for Dark Spark Media.

The company used to specialize in creating training films for the likes of the automotive industry, but began to diversify into live exhibits and other filming when the car sector began contracting. Last year it moved into feature film and TV work to take advantage of Michigan's new tax incentives. Headcount now stands at 10, including the eight founders and two interns hired last year.

Source: Annie Harrelson, sales and marketing manager for Dark Spark Media
Writer: Jon Zemke

Beaumont Hospital wins $4.8M grant for cancer research

Metromode Thursday, July 29, 2010

Cancer research at Beaumont Hospital is catching a second wind now that the National Cancer Institute has renewed its cancer program designation.

The confirmation means the Royal Oak-based hospital will stay a Community Clinical Oncology Program for five more years. It also comes with a $4.8 million grant that will keep the program's 35 people in the lab and hospital room working on an answer for cancer.

"It's a win-win for both the patients and the physicians and the hospital," says Dr. Gary Chmielewski, the principal investigator for Beaumont Hospital's Community Clinical Oncology Program. "It helps provide jobs and treatment for people."

The grant supports Beaumont's ongoing participation in NCI-sponsored clinical research trials. Such trials, for both adults and children, focus on cancer prevention or treatment and translational research. The federal government created the Community Clinical Oncology Program in 1983 and has 47 participating hospitals across the nation. The programs use highly trained cancer doctors in community settings to bring the benefits of research to a greater number of people, such as making the latest findings available and helping round out and diversify the pool of participants in clinical trials.

Source: Dr. Gary Chmielewski, the principal investigator for Beaumont Hospital's Community Clinical Oncology Program
Writer: Jon Zemke

Royal Oak : Innovation & Job News