Sean Brennan of Baseline Capital Partners Sells Warehouse

RUMBLINGS Jay Farner’s $52 million payday from Rocket puts him in highest echelon of CEOs.

NOTABLE WOMEN IN LAW: Honorees stand out in a competitive world. PAGE 15

PAGE 30

CRAINSDETROIT.COM I APRIL 19, 2021

HEALTH CARE

ER doctors 'manage chaos' amid COVID-19 surge

REAL ESTATE

DIFFERENT DREAM

Emergency doctors and nurses in Michigan are seeing a massive increase in patients seeking care in hospital ERs, a mixture of ailments not seen before in previous COVID-19 surges.

Some people are flocking to hospital ERs suffering from such traditional emergencies as stroke, chest or abDr. Robert Takla dominal pain, visits which they might have tried to avoid last year.

Others, those in their 30s or 40s, and some teenagers and children, are coming in with COVID-19 illnesses or symptoms, ER health care workers tell Crain's.

Dr. Robert Takla, chief of emergency medicine at 615-bed Ascension St. John Hospital and Medical Center, said patient volumes have been steadily increasing for the past month. Staff is tiring, but energized by a common desire to help all comers, he said.

"It is very busy, but we manage chaos. That's what we do as ER physicians.

We try to take chaos and make it into an orchestra," said Takla, adding: "People aren't coming in for nonsensical things.

Some of it is COVID-related, but a lot of it is also due to patients sometimes putting off coming to the ER or going to their primary care doctors because of previous COVID concerns. There may be some unintentional neglect."

Terri Dagg-Barr, an ER nurse at McLaren Macomb and chief steward of the OPEIU Local 40, said the hospital has been filling up over the past two weeks.

The ER has been regularly holding 40 patients waiting for an inpatient bed, she said.

See COVID SURGE on Page 28

KRIK PINHO/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

BY JAY GREENE

Multifamily condos like The Park 54 development in Hazel Park are becoming the housing option that’s most accessible to first-time buyers who want something newly built.

Single-family starter homes harder to find, afford

BY KIRK PINHO

Just 1.4 percent of the new homes being built in the region would be considered starter homes based on price.

Decades ago, the region was built out with thousands of modest, single-story homes as the middle class was born.

But today, you will likely never see the proliferation of single-family starter housing at the scale it was once built.

“The days of a bulldozer running a mile north and south, you are not go-

ing to do that anymore,” said Jim Clarke, president of Bloomfield Hillsbased homebuilder Robertson Bros.

The lack of new starter home construction in the region becomes problematic in a number of ways, as a shortage of on-market listings of existing homes continues to create a seller’s market, driving up prices and creating affordability issues for some buyers (the median sale price for a home in March was $210,000, according to Farmington Hills-based Realcomp Ltd. II, up from $180,000 a year prior).

The inner-ring suburbs are builtout, meaning that new single-family construction largely has to be in areas farther from Detroit and other employment centers like Troy, Southfield and Farmington Hills.

That creates additional budget strains for homeowners embarking on the purchase process for the first time.

A survey by the National Association of Home Builders, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, found that 38 percent of registered voters believe housing affordability is a

KIRK PINHO/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

NEWSPAPER

VOL. 37, NO. 15 l COPYRIGHT 2021 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. l ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

“major problem” in Michigan and 38 percent believe it’s a “minor problem.” When asked about housing affordability in their city, 33 percent said it was a major problem and 40 percent said it was a minor problem.

Nearly a quarter of Michigan residents pay more than 50 percent of their income on their rent or mortgage, well north of the one-third that most experts recommend, meaning that one in every four is severely burdened by their housing costs.

See HOME SALES on Page 28

FOCUS | MORE RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

In one of the hottest markets we’ve seen, a look at housing in metro Detroit. PAGES 8-10 Realtor churn: More agents than properties? PAGE 8 Lumber woes: High prices drive construction costs through the roof. PAGE 9 Zoom zoom: Sizzling market favors sellers. PAGE 10

NEED TO KNOW

BOOK BUSINESS

THE WEEK IN REVIEW, WITH AN EYE ON WHAT’S NEXT  FORD DELAYS OFFICE RETURNS UNTIL OCTOBER THE NEWS: Ford Motor Co. is delaying by three months return-to-work plans for most of its U.S. salaried employees amid a surge in virus cases in Michigan. The automaker had previously planned to allow non-place dependent workers the opportunity to return to the office starting in July and confirmed the timing as recently as last month when it announced a new hybrid work model. Now that has been delayed until October.

WHY IT MATTERS: Employers are wrestling with difficult questions and don’t have a crystal ball on what direction the pandemic will go next.

 OFFICIALS TOOK SPRING TRIPS DESPITE GUIDANCE THE NEWS: Michigan health director Elizabeth Hertel traveled with family to Alabama for spring break despite her department’s guidance to avoid out-of-state travel while Michigan suffers a raging coronavirus outbreak. The trip was first reported by the Lansing-based publication MIRS. WHY IT MATTERS: The disclosure came days after Breitbart News reported that a top aide to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, chief operating officer Tricia Foster, traveled to Florida for spring break despite the governor’s public “concern” about trips to that state.

Texas-based internet retailer it accuses of ripping off the company’s slogan and refusing to stop. That is not the case, said Jonathan Garriss, owner of Gotham City who said his spat with Detroit Vs Everybody started around two years ago. Garriss has challenged Walker’s trademark right back.

 POPE FRANCIS CENTER GETS UNSOLICITED $7M GRANT THE NEWS: Pope Francis Center’s plan to create a bridge housing facility for the homeless in Detroit has attracted a $7 million grant from a California-based foundation. The grant from the Julia Burke Foundation was announced during a virtual fundraiser held by the Pope Francis Center.

WHY IT MATTERS: “Talk about an act of God,” said the Rev. Tim McCabe, executive director of the Pope Francis Center. “I’ve never had a foundation call me and say, ‘We want to give you money. What do you need?’”

 DETROIT VS EVERYBODY VS DETROIT VS EVERYONE THE NEWS: It’s another round of Detroit Vs Everybody LLC versus alleged trademark infringement, but this time the accused copycat is punching back. The popular clothing brand

by Tommey Walker has filed a lawsuit against Gotham City Online LLC, a

WHY IT MATTERS: Trademark infringement has been a continual headache for Walker, but this is the first time his company has had to go to the lengths of filing a lawsuit.

Linkner hits shelves again  Entrepreneur and author Josh Linkner is hitting bookshelves again.

The one-time founder of ePrize and former CEO of Detroit Venture Partners is publishing a new book, “Big Little Breakthroughs,” scheduled to be released by Post Hill Press on Tuesday.

The book focuses on “small creative acts that unlock massive rewards over time,” the publisher says. It is Linkner’s fourth published book.

Linkner in 1999 founded Pleasant Ridge-based ePrize Inc., a digital marketing and customer loyalty firm. ePrize was bought in 2012

by Greenwich, Conn., private equity firm Catterton Partners and later renamed HelloWorld Inc. Linkner left the Detroit-based Detroit Venture Partners in 2014, saying he wanted to focus on a career as a speaker and author.

 GILBERT SPECULATES STOCKX IPO IN 2022 THE NEWS: Billionaire Dan Gilbert says that Detroit-based e-commerce reseller StockX LLC could well have its initial public offering some time next year. Speaking in a report published Thursday by TechCrunch, Gilbert — who is an investor in the rapidly growing StockX — said he thinks an IPO is coming soon for the company.

“I think the next step for StockX will probably be an IPO. It’s just a matter of when,” Gilbert told TechCrunch.

“Probably sometime in 2022. I’m not saying anything official here; I’m just saying there’s a good chance it will.”

WHY IT MATTERS: An IPO for StockX could net billions and would be the second for Gilbert’s family of companies after Quicken Loans (now Rocket Companies) itself.

Josh Linkner and his new book, “Big Little Breakthroughs.”

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CYBERSECURITY

SPORTS BUSINESS

Businesses seek ways to mitigate data breach risk Distribution of data can raise threat

IN THE MARKET FOR A MAJOR

BY NICK MANES

The South Course at Oakland Hills will open in July after a nearly two-year, $12.1 million restoration. | OAKLAND HILLS

Oakland Hills targets U.S. Open as it readies South Course for summer reopening

BY KURT NAGL

Finishing touches are being made to the famed South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club, which is preparing to reopen the course in July after being closed nearly two years for a $12.1 million restoration.

The club is planning a grand opening celebration for its members. Also likely to be on the guest list are U.S. Golf Association officials, who the club has been courting in an attempt to land the U.S. Open in 2028.

The private club in Bloomfield Township recently brought on a club management ace to help make it happen. Christine Pooler, 50, began as general manager at Oakland Hills in December, becoming the first woman to take

that role. She replaced Rory Godfrey, who left last summer.

“Respecting the history of this club is something that is very much in my DNA,” Pooler said. “I’m very much a protector of the brand. I love tournament golf. I love the history, more importantly, of the game.”

With 27 years of experience in the industry, Pooler has had a hand in some of golf’s biggest tournaments. She was general manager of Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania in 2013, the year it hosted the U.S. Open won by Justin Rose. In 2017, she took a job as director of club operations at the exclusive Augusta National in Georgia — where Hideki Matsuyama won the Masters Tournament last weekend.

From there, she spent a short

time at Indian Creek Country Club — nestled away on a private island in Miami — before being recruited to Oakland Hills at the beginning of winter. It wasn’t the weather that brought her to Michigan.

“I wanted a challenge,” she said.

“Augusta is wonderful. There’s a lot of staff, lots of people and the way they do business is unique and unrivaled. … Oakland Hills is the perfect place for me to be involved in big events and still do the personal touch service to members.”

The biggest challenge Oakland Hills faces is balancing its ambitions to host major golf tournaments with the wants and needs of its members, who are the lifeblood of the business.

See OAKLAND on Page 26

“OAKLAND HILLS IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR ME TO BE INVOLVED IN BIG EVENTS AND STILL DO THE PERSONAL TOUCH SERVICE TO MEMBERS.” — Christine Pooler, general manager, Oakland Hills

The days of trying to full-on stop cyberattacks have passed. Risk management and risk mitigation makes for the new game.

Experts in the cybersecurity space say that as work increasingly becomes more distributed and business between one company and a whole host of third-party software providers continues, so to does the risk of data breaches.

“No one is ever going to be like 100 percent suc- Oberheide cessful in preventing breaches. That is kind of the reality,” said Jon Oberheide, the co-founder and CTO of Ann Arbor cybersecurity firm Duo Security, which was acquired by software giant Cisco for $2.35 billion in 2018.

“So it’s about risk management for your business. … You can imagine the CFO and CSO of a corporation is thinking every day about ‘what risks do we face? Have we clearly identified risks in the first part, and then are we making an educated decision on whether to mitigate those risks?’”

Business concerns about cyber threats have grown considerably in just the last year, as work became more distributed because of the pandemic.

In a 2020 survey of CEOs by consulting firm PwC, 33 percent listed cyber threats as potential threats to growth, behind over-regulation, trade conflicts and uncertain economic growth.

See DATA on Page 27

FINANCE

University startup efforts push forward as new capital comes available

BY NICK MANES

A long-planned philanthropic venture capital fund sponsored by the University of Michigan is up and running, with the goal of bolstering early stage startups in Ann Arbor and around the state.

The Accelerate Blue Fund aims to be a $20 million fund targeted at early stage companies looking to spin out from the university. All returns the fund realizes would be reinvested.

As new startup capital comes available at UM, university executives at the state’s other research institutions say the pandemic has done little to slow efforts to help startups form. If anything, the nature of the pandemic allowed for new opportunities for many college-level entrepreneurs.

Kelly Sexton with the University of Michigan’s technology transfer office speaks about the Accelerate Blue venture capital fund | UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

The emergence of another capital option for early stage startups comes as universities, particularly amid the pandemic, see the need to take important research, often funded by entities like the National Institutes for Health and the National Science Foundation, and try to commercialize it for use beyond a university laboratory.

“So I think what you’re seeing is the trend that universities are recognizing that this was part of our mission,” said Kelly Sexton, associate vice president at UM overseeing research, technology transfer and innovation. “This is one of our responsibilities as a recipient of research funds in the world. And this is a great way we can do it.”

Having just closed on its initial $2 million, the university has announced

that the fund has made its first investment from ABF: $150,000 into Movellus Inc. as part of a larger $3 million capital raise for the company.

A 2014 UM spinout company focused on adding proprietary technology to boost the performance of semi-conductor chips, Movellus CEO Mo Faisal told Crain’s earlier this month that the company is well-positioned given explosive demand for microchips and a global supply shortage.

The university has had other venture capital funds in the past, said Sexton, who added that some have been student-run, and others were narrowly focused on investments in areas such as biomedical technologies.

See STARTUP on Page 27 APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 3

REAL ESTATE INSIDER

The owners of the Penobscot Building downtown are appealing judgments on nearly $30,000 in blight tickets. | LARRY PEPLIN FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

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Simmons said what’s called a “fair warning meeting” was held March 9 — “typically a last step before litigation” — in which an inspection of the major maintenance issues was agreed to. That inspection was started March 31 but “terminated before completion over disputes regarding the need for attorneys to attend,” Simmons said.

“We are actively pursuing correction and actively mitigating the risks of further delay through avoidable litigation,” Simmons said.

The building had a fire in January 2020. People were trapped in elevators last month. Human excrement accumulated in nonworking toilets.

The heat went out during the winter for several days. Debris and waste built up.

“THAT MATTER IS PENDING AND THE PARTIES ARE EXPLORING WAYS TO RESOLVE IT.” — Nicole Simmons, press secretary for Mayor Mike Duggan

The Apostolopoulos group doesn’t have the building on the market for sale, but I’ve been told that it has been approached with offers of $70 million and rebuffed them, seeking at least $100 million for the building they paid about $5 million cash for in 2012. It likely needs tens of millions of dollars in improvements.

The building’s assessed value is

$30.7 million, according to city of Detroit land records.

In addition to the serious maintenance issues facing the building, it is only about half full.

CoStar Group Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based real estate information service, says only about 53.5 percent of the building is leased, leaving hundreds of thousands of vacant office space on the market.

The asking rent is $21 per square foot per year.

At that rate, the leased space would bring in $11.18 million per year, or $931,782 per month.

Capitol Park building sale price revealed The former Lear Corp. building in Detroit’s Capitol Park neighborhood traded hands last month for $7.375 million.

The price an affiliate of Farmington Hills-based H.W. Kaufman Group. paid for the building has been listed in CoStar Group Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based real estate information service.

At least some of the 34,500-squarefoot building will become a satellite office for the Kaufman Group network of insurance companies, the chairman, president and CEO of the firm said in an emailed statement confirming the purchase late last month.

Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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The owner of the troubled Penobscot Building downtown is seeking to have judgments on dozens of blight tickets tossed out in Wayne County Kirk Circuit Court.

PINHO Triple Properties Inc., the Toronto-based owner, filed the appeal late last month after it was found responsible for payment on 42 blight tickets totaling a little under $30,000.

Detroit-based law firm Honigman LLP is representing the Apostolopoulos family, which owns the skyscraper that for decades held the title of Detroit’s Tallest Building.

A representative for the Honigman attorney hired by Triple Properties did not respond to a request for comment.

“That matter is pending and the parties are exploring ways to resolve it,” Nicole Simmons, press secretary for Mayor Mike Duggan, said in an email.

As I said last month, the building has not received the attention and care it needs and deserves under its current ownership, which for years has refused to address the serious issues plaguing it.

The city has said for more than a year that it is exploring a nuisance abatement lawsuit to bring Triple Properties into compliance with building codes but has not yet filed one.

A new lease signed, Volkswagen’s Auburn Hills building put up for sale

BY KIRK PINHO

The Volkswagen of America Inc. building in Auburn Hills is being shopped around for sale.

The German automaker, after considering moving its Auburn Hills operations to Southfield, ultimately signed a new lease in the 365,000-square-foot building at 3800 Hamlin.

With new lease in hand, owner MAK Real Estate Investment Inc., controlled by Kuwaiti billionaire Fawzi Mohammed Al-Kharafi, is seeking to sell the building, according to

sources familiar with the matter.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Friedman Real Estate had been nearing a deal to move Volkswagen to the Galleria Officentre property the Farmington Hills-based company owns near 12 Mile and Telegraph roads and build an addition west of the complex.

The automaker was to occupy the 200 Galleria building, which is 250,000 square feet across four stories, and the 100 Galleria building, which is about 242,000 square feet. VW was to take all of the 200 Galleria building and possibly part of the 100 Galleria building.

VW slammed the brakes on that plan during the pandemic.

An email was sent to a Cushman & Wakefield broker responsible for the sale seeking comment. An email was also sent to a spokesperson for Volkswagen.

Prior to the pandemic, the automaker had 1,000 or more people in Auburn Hills. Most of the workers in that building continue to work from home.

Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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COMMENTARY

Investors amp up pressure on corporate political stands Chad

LIVENGOOD

Norcia

ward C Levy Co., First Independence Bank, Magna International, The Ideal Group Inc., the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Lions.

It wasn’t a coalition that would normally be standing in the same line as the League of Women Voters and the Michigan

Democratic Party.

But the 2020 reckoning on race in America following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, the economic and racial inequities exposed by the coronavirus pandemic and the deadly Jan. 6 attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol have changed the way corporations respond to public sentiment on the issues of the day.

“We’re seeing an interesting dynamic where the big companies are driving, demanding political change and accountability,” said Jeff Timmer, a longtime Michigan political consultant and owner of Two Rivers Public Affairs in Lansing.

Timmer is a senior adviser to the Lincoln Project, a group of former Republicans that opposed former President Donald Trump’s re-election.

Now they’ve pivoted into a broader effort to get corporations involved in defending democratic institutions and norms in the face of efforts by Republicans in statehouses to add hurdles to voting or administering elections that clerks say are onerous.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

D

TE Energy Co. CEO Jerry Norcia is no longer getting an earful from just employees or customers who want the utility company to take public stances on social and political issues well outside the boundaries of energy policy.

The publicly traded company’s investors are now looking for the Detroit-based energy giant to take a more activist role in issues that have nothing to do with the electric grid, nuclear power or the storage or delivery of natural gas, Norcia said.

Investors also want executives at DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) to be more discerning in how they dole out corporate funds and employee contributions to politicians and political causes, Norcia said.

And the top brass at 1 Energy Plaza in downtown Detroit are listening.

“It’s not only DTE and its leadership team and its employees, it’s really the people who invest in our company saying, ‘You have a social responsibility,’” Norcia said last week in an interview with the Crain’s editorial board.

“What we’re talking about is getting a lot more attention in our investor discussions than it ever has in my history in corporate America … and I think it’s a good thing.”

Last week, DTE Energy executives organized a letter signed by 37 CEOs and board chairs of Southeast Michigan’s largest companies that tiptoed into the national debate over voting rights as Michigan Republican lawmakers consider measures to restrict voter access to ballots.

The business leaders laid out guiding principles, opposing so-called election reforms that reduce voter participation and saying “our democracy is strongest when we have the greatest level of participation by our citizens in a representative government.”

The letter was signed by the top executives at the Ajax Paving, Bridgewater Interiors, Continental Automotive North America, Ed-

“We’re not just focused on increasing awareness or mobilizing or pushing customers to act a certain way and put pressure on companies and politicians, but it’s the employee bases of these companies — it’s a labor issue,” Timmer said. “If labor within the workforce is saying, ‘We need this change’ or ‘We’re against this change.’ That’s something that management listens to.”

Corporate leaders across the country are increasingly mindful as well of what their investors want to see in their public statements and actions on social and political issues, Timmer said.

“That’s another big voice inside the C-suite,” he said.

Norcia, a 19-year veteran of DTE Energy’s C-suite, said the voice of investors is louder now than it’s ever been in his career.

Since succeeding DTE Executive Chairman Gerry Anderson as CEO, Norcia has been doing a live “Ask Jerry Anything” videoconference call with employees.

The questions often get into public affairs and the news of the day, he said.

After a pro-Trump mob’s siege on the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the presidential election results, employees at DTE and other corporations demanded a halt in their contributions in political giving to members of Congress who voted against awarding Joe Biden his electoral votes.

DTE temporarily suspended all corporate contributions to political causes and halted donations from its employee-run political action committee.

See GIVING on Page 7

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A tribute to an influential woman

DANIEL SAAD FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

TO THE EDITOR: In light of your forthcoming 100 Most Influential Women feature, I wanted to ensure that one of Detroit’s most influential women in memory, Rosemary Kelly, was appropriately included. As many readers of Crain’s Detroit Business are aware, Rosemary passed away in early March. With her husband, Dan, she was the founder of Rose Hill Center in Holly, serving as the vice chairman of the board for 30 years. Set on a 400 acre wooded campus, Rose Hill is one of the country’s leading residential treatment and rehabilitation centers for the seriously mentally ill — at inception, the third of its kind in the nation and the only such facility west of the Hudson River. Since opening, it has helped nearly 2,000 residents and graduates achieve their highest level of independence. Rosemary was the heart and soul of Rose Hill.

To all who knew her, Rosemary was a constant source of warmth and energy. I often, however, think of her in her role as vice chairman of Rose Hill. She was at the center most every day, ensuring that all of the infinite op-

Write us: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited for length or clarity. Send letters to Crain’s Detroit Business, 1155 Gratiot Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, or email crainsdetroit@crain.com.

Please include your complete name, city from which you are writing and a phone number for fact-checking purposes.

6 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

erating details were perfect — from smaller touches like the seasonal decorations and furnishings to setting the tone, over decades, for the family culture that defines the center. At any given time, she knew each of the approximately 80 residents personally. Her beloved late son, John, was a longtime resident and the catalyst for the founding of the center.

Rosemary ran meetings as well as any executive I met in my 40-year consulting career — and, more importantly, she got things done.

Nothing got in the way of her achieving her goals. She simply would not quit, and she always found a way.

Rosemary will be profoundly missed by her husband, Dan, three daughters and the thousands of residents, families, health care professionals and fellow mental health advocates she so positively and permanently impacted through her life and dedication to Rose Hill.

Rose Hill is her legacy.

I think you can see why I believe Rosemary Kelly is the most influential woman I know.

Cameron Duncan Retired Partner Deloitte

Sound off: Crain’s considers longer opinion pieces from guest writers on issues of interest to business readers. Email ideas to Managing Editor Michael Lee at malee@crain.com.

COMMENTARY

Want that house? Get your bid in yesterday The metro Detroit housing market is officially nuts.

As Crain’s Karen Dybis reports this week, buyers need steely resolve, guile and a Kelley gambler’s tolerROOT ance for risk to land a property in one of the hottest sellers’ markets in years. I know this firsthand — and I don’t even *need* a new house.

Call it the pandemic itch. I love my home, but staring at the same four walls every day for the past year while working from my dining room table sent me to a dangerous place: Realtor.com.

What could it hurt to look?

It turns out, the answer is your wallet and your sanity. Because those tempting properties you can click on aren’t actually for sale. Ha ha!

Sure, they are technically available for about a half-hour after they hit the web. But in the time that it takes for you to screenshot the listing and text it to friends with a hopeful “this one looks good!!”, someone else has already moved in their three-piece sectional and planted some perennials.

The competition is cutthroat. The average number of showings per home is at an all-time high of nearly 20, according to RealComp, Michigan’s largest Multiple Listing Service. A year ago at this time, it was only 6.9.

Average days on market dropped from 66 days in March 2020 to 38 days last month, according to RealComp.

And in some areas, it’s far less than that.

“It’s like gladiators, all fighting to get

GIVING

From Page 6

“We did a whole recalibration of our political giving process, our PAC contributions and our corporate contributions and spent a lot of time with our board,” Norcia told Crain’s. “We spent a lot of time talking about it with our investors because our investors are more and more interested in social issues.”

DTE executives have established new policies that Norcia said will consider a politician’s “bad behavior” when deciding whether or not to support them financially.

He didn’t define what bad behavior would entail or whether that means Michigan’s congressional members — U.S. Reps. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, and Tim Walberg, R-Tipton — who voted to block Biden’s decisive election victory won’t a see check from the DTE PAC next year.

“We’ve resumed some (contributions), but not all. And that’s as far as I’ll go,” Norcia said. “But I can tell you we’ve been much more discerning on how we’ve resumed and also how we will think about it going forward. …

There needs to be a change.”

FOCUS | REAL ESTATE  Starter homes, agent glut, COVID-plagued supply chains and home sale market on fire. PAGES 1, 8-11 one property,” Rondre “Key” Brooks of Southfield’s Skyline Realty Group told Crain’s.

In my experience, every listing with a modicum of potential is either “pending” or “contingent.” Those that are available are either a) behind a public works storage yard; b) above a clay sewer line of dubious integrity; or c) labeled as “opportunity to make it your own,”

which in this market means the bathroom is probably on the back porch.

Properties are going so fast that open houses aren’t even necessary. A few weeks ago, I was the first person inside a modest little Cape Cod just hours after it hit the market. While we were touring it, my Realtor’s cell phone buzzed: Home’s already been sold, sight unseen. Don’t let the lockbox hit you on the way out.

A few weeks later, though, hope. The buyers wanted a few thousand dollars in repairs. Seller wouldn’t budge. Deal was souring! Did I want to put in a backup bid? Sure. Did my backup bid prompt the buyers to suddenly rethink their demands? Of course. They’re

probably enjoying a cocktail on the (slightly splintered) back deck now as we speak.

It’s a roller coaster out there. And I don’t even need to be riding. My own house would undoubtedly sell quickly, but I’m not (yet) willing to list it without another property locked up. The will to move is there, but my stomach for the fight is not.

I am lucky, of course. First-time homebuyers and those without resources for a hefty down payment are especially struggling right now. As Karen reports, historically low inventory means sellers can entertain multiple offers above asking price. Buyers are doing whatever they can to stand out,

real estate experts say, from waiving home inspections and appraisals to extending the time sellers can stay in the home after closing.

Every market cycle cools down eventually. Interest rates, though still temptingly low, are creeping up. As more Michiganians get vaccinated and the pandemic’s grip loosens, perhaps new construction will pick up and supply will start to catch up with demand.

In the meantime, though: I plan to stay off Realtor.com.

Unless something looks *really* promising.

Kelley Root is executive editor of Crain’s Detroit Business.

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APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 7

ON FIRE Fast-paced Metro Detroit home sales spark ‘buyer fatigue’ PAGE 10

REAL ESTATE

CYDNI ELLEDGE FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

FULL HOUSE With too few listings to go around, real estate agents struggle to find elbow room

Real estate agent Dino Ricci at a property in Grosse Pointe: “Everybody’s business is going to take a hit because there’s less pieces of the pie out there. We’re all fighting for it. “

BY KAREN DYBIS | SPECIAL TO CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

A hot residential real estate market is having a cooling effect on some agents, who are putting their licenses and marketing efforts on hold as the industry faces a dearth of new listings and a glut of competition for the limited homes available for sale.

In Southeast Michigan, there are approximately 18,000 real estate agents and about 9,700 single-family homes for sale in the first quarter of 2021, said Frank Tarala Jr., broker and owner of SIRE Realty Services in Rochester and a past president of Greater Metropolitan Association of Realtors, a Southfield-based industry association. “There’s just not enough cheese for all of the mice right now,” Tarala said. “Everything people are hearing and seeing says that real estate is hot. It is, if you’re the seller. If you’re a buyer or an agent, it’s in recession. Solid agents who use this as a career to put food on the table are struggling.”

8 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

The picture across the United States is similar. The National Association of Realtors said there were 1.04 million homes for sale in January — down 26 percent from the same period in 2020. At the same time, NAR had 1.45 million members, up 4.8 percent from the previous year.

NAR also reports that 65 percent of Realtors are licensed as sales agents, and the typical Realtor is a 55-year-old white female who attended college and is a homeowner.

The median real estate experience is nine years, and most Realtors worked 36 hours weekly in 2019, NAR said. The median number of transactions per residential Realtors was 12. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists real estate agents as making an average of $48,930 per year as of May 2019, the most recent data available.

The coronavirus pandemic and related quarantines that paused real

“THE PANDEMIC MADE CONTINUING VERY DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE IN THE BUSINESS.” — Greta Guest, journalist and communications manager at the University of Michigan

estate showings and slowed sales in mid-2020 caused agent Greta Guest to sit out this past year as an agent.

“The pandemic made continuing very difficult for everyone in the business. Since I had a full-time job that allowed me to work remotely, I decided to mostly pause my real estate work until after it felt safer to be out with people,” said Guest, a metro Detroit journalist and communications manager at the University of Michigan.

Guest received her real estate license in 2008 and has worked part

time as an agent for the past two years. The former real estate writer for the Detroit Free Press said her mother was a Realtor. She said she hopes to get back into real estate in a few years when she retires.

Realtors have a double-sided challenge, said GMAR’s current President Katie Weaver. On one hand, the public equates Realtors to used-car salespeople because of the volume of practitioners right now. In reality, Weaver said of the 34,000 agents in Michigan, a third don’t use their license, while others do fewer than five transactions a year. She estimates that 20 percent of Michigan’s Realtors do 80 percent of the residential real estate business annually.

On the other hand, Weaver said, home buyers and sellers need Realtors for their skills as negotiators, especially in hot markets like now.

See AGENTS on Page 10

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The Stonegate Village development in Wixom has 60 homes for sale. The price on one increased 14 percent since September due to increased materials cost. | KIRK PINHO/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Historic Detroit “Gold Coast” Condo

Supply chain hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic drives up home prices Materials cost increases most dramatically seen in lumber market

BY KIRK PINHO

If you wanted to buy the model home in the Stonegate Village development in Wixom seven months ago, it would have cost you $387,900.

Today, it’s $441,900, an increase of 14 percent.

MJC Cos., which is developing the 60-home site off Wixom Road, says the price increase is solely a reflection of material cost increases.

“We are not making any additional profit,” said Barbara Gates, director of customer service and assistant director of sales and marketing for the Macomb Township-based homebuilder.

“Our margins are lower right now than what they were to begin with,” said Jason Meldrum, project manager for MJC, who is responsible for things like budgets and purchasing.

The materials cost increases are most dramatically seen in lumber price spikes during the COVID-19 pandemic, fueled by mills closing in the Pacific northwest and southeastern United States leaving shortages, tariffs imposed on Canadian softwood lumber, increased demand for new housing, more home renovation projects and other issues.

“It’s an imperfect storm,” said Dominic Moceri, partner of finance and acquisition for Auburn Hillsbased homebuilder Moceri Cos. Pointedly, the National Association of Home Builders said in February that lumber prices have increased 180 percent since April, from $350 per 1,000 board feet to $975 per 1,000 board feet (a board foot is one square foot of lumber that is one inch thick) — and now it’s even higher.

That, in turn, has caused the price of an average new single-family home to increase by $24,386, the association said.

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MJC Cos., which is developing the 60-home Stonegate Village site off Wixom Road, says price increases are a reflection of material cost increases. | KIRK PINHO/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Although the Commerce Department cut tariffs on Canadian lumber from 20 percent to 9 percent in December, “more needs to be done,” National Association of Home Builders Chairman of the Board Chuck Fowke said in a statement at the time.

“Tariffs have contributed to unprecedented price volatility in the lumber market in 2020, leading to upward pressure on prices and harming housing affordability for American consumers.”

Data provided by Michael Stoskopf, CEO of the Home Builders Association for Southeastern Michigan, shows that a typical 2,000-squarefoot home uses about 16,000 board feet of lumber and 6,000 square feet of structural panels like oriented strand board or plywood.

At $400 per 1,000 board feet, a typical framing lumber package is $9,764, Stoskopf said; at today’s

INDUSTRY ACHIEVERS ADVANCING THEIR CAREERS

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$1,050 per 1000 board feet, it’s $25,639.

That doesn’t include things like finished flooring, wall and ceiling finishing, cabinets, doors, windows, roofing or siding, not garages, porches, decks, railing, fencing and landscaping walls, Stoskopf said.

But it’s not just lumber driving up costs.

Short supply Things like home appliances, heating and cooling systems and other smart technology built into today’s new homes have also been difficult to come by for some builders as demand for new housing has increased and home remodeling projects have been popular during the pandemic.

For listing opportunities, contact Debora Stein at dstein@crain.com or submit directly to

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See SUPPLY on Page 11 APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 9

FOCUS | REAL ESTATE

AGENTS

From Page 8

“We’re helping our clients make the most expensive decision they’re going to make in their lives,” Weaver said. “You have to choose wisely.

Just because you can pass the (real estate licensing) test doesn’t mean you can be a good Realtor. … Some people think it’s a fly-by-night profession and they go in and quickly make a lot of money. That’s unfair to us who stick around and tough it out during the down times.”

Realtor Dino Ricci said he advertises the 25 years he has in real estate so clients know he has the experience to work in this current market, where he recently helped a buyer purchase a home sight unseen. Ricci, who mentors younger agents at his office at Sine & Monaghan Realtors in Grosse Pointe Farms, said he feels for these newbies joining the industry.

“Everybody’s business is going to take a hit because there’s less pieces of the pie out there. We’re all fighting for it. The tried-and-true, experienced agents who have name recognition will get the pieces of the pie,” Ricci said. “I’m about repeat, referral business. I’m going to give you my honest opinion, and you may or may not like it. But you’ll know that I’m working for you.”

Vaughn Derderian is one of those newbies. Derderian has name recognition down pat — he’s the for-

mer chair of the Oakland County Democratic Party and recently sold his family’s longtime business, Detroit’s storied Anchor Bar. Derderian passed his real estate licensing exam in March, and he admits he wished he had jumped into the Realtor pool five years ago when his work at the Anchor gave him access to a wide pool of people on a daily basis.

“It’s a soft-skill business. It’s a people business,” Derderian said. “I see this as an opportunity to combine my interests together and see where things go from here. …

Whether it’s the best time or the worst (to get into real estate), everyone always has a reason why this is a great time or a horrible one. I enjoy the entire process so I’m looking forward to where I go from here.”

Eventually, Realtors including Ricci and Guest agree that the market will normalize as best as it can.

Guest said she expects to reactivate her license sooner than later as a result.

“I realize how fortunate I’ve been to weather this pandemic with a full-time job outside of real estate.

This is because the low supply of homes for sale, which was a trend that began before the pandemic, along with restrictions for showing homes has really made it hard to put deals together,” Guest said. “But I’m hanging in there, and recently heard from a seller I’ve been working with for several months who wants to put her home on the market this spring.”

Metro Detroit home sales pace: on fire Lack of inventory sparks ‘buyer fatigue’

BY KAREN DYBIS | SPECIAL TO CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS

Vaughn Derderian, former owner of the Anchor Bar, has gone into real estate. | CYDNI ELLEDGE FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

10 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

Metro Detroit’s single-family home shopping spree is likely to continue well into fall as buyers and Realtors aggressively seek new house listings, drop contingencies to seal a deal and work to combat “buyer fatigue” in a market where homes are selling quickly and at record-high prices.

For-sale signs are popping up in yards with a bright “Coming Soon” on top. Realtors are comparing themselves to zombies with workloads cranking up. Homes from Canton Township to Lake Orion to Utica are selling within days of listing, frustrating buyers who are finding it hard to even schedule showings.

“It’s bonkers,” said Ryan Cooley, owner of O’Connor Realty in Detroit.

“When we were shut down for two months in 2020, we were telling clients we really thought the market would be soft because we didn’t know who would come out. But it hasn’t stopped growing since then.”

Cooley said he has buyers offering to cover the appraisal gap between a home’s selling price and what it appraises for only to lose out to a competitor who waives that cost entirely.

As a result, many buyers who are los-

ing multiple offers are starting to feel buyer fatigue.

“The lack of inventory is the worst ever,” Cooley said. “Interest rates are so incredibly low that it’s so affordable to own. In most cases, it’s more affordable to own than to rent. That’s not typically how the market is supposed to function.”

In its March report, Farmington Hills-based Realcomp recorded the highest median sale price for the month of March in 18 years at $210,000. Realcomp also recorded the highest average number of showings per listing in 16 years since showings have been tracked at 19.5.

Compared to March 2020, months-supply of inventory was down by 61.5 percent from 2.6 to 1.0 for Southeast Michigan. A six-month supply is considered typical.

The story is similar nationwide. In March, the Realtor.com Housing Report showed for every 10 homes for sale last year, there are fewer than five available today. Despite some improvement, 117,000 fewer homes are being listed each month compared to recent years. Moreover, the typical home is selling in 54 days, nearly a week faster than a year ago.

“We’ve been grumbling about it,” said Marianne Burrows, a Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/

Cooley

Turn

The Loft Warehouse in Detroit.

“We’re getting to the point where we’re calling the listing agent and asking whether our clients should even bother putting in an offer on a home with a bunch of offers already.

More often than not, the answer is no.”

Jaime Rae Turnbull recently turned to friends and neighbors she knows through a Facebook group to fish around for homeowners looking to sell. The longtime Realtor at Higbie Maxon Agency in Grosse Pointe Farms said her atypical pitch got her “two to three possible listings just out of that one post that I made.”

“In all of the Grosse Pointes, there’s less than 80 homes on the market.

That’s it. That’s the lowest inventory we’ve seen since the 1990s,” Turnbull said. “We’re not just seeing people moving up or rightsizing but people are looking to move from the East Coast and Chicago.”

Buyer Erica Stewart of Detroit personifies the current hot residential real estate market. When the house she fell in love with showed up online as “pending” before she could make an offer, she called the listing agent

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FOCUS | REAL ESTATE

A home that sold in Grosse Pointe Park last summer. | LARRY PEPLIN FOR CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

Turnbull

Burrows

directly to plead her case.

“My mother had a saying: ‘We have not because we ask not,’” Stewart said. “I knew the market was volatile now (and) something about that house wouldn’t let me be. I couldn’t be still. So I found the listing agent’s number on the website and called her.”

Stewart had looked at five houses over two days with her Realtor, Rondré “Key” Brooks of Southfield’s Skyline Realty Group. Thanks to that call, the newly divorced mother of three got her dream four-bedroom home when the original buyer dropped out without explanation.

“I was crying tears of joy and happiness,” said Stewart, who said the home’s library and cozy fireplace won her heart. “It will help me and my kids be comfortable.”

Brooks said being a Realtor can sometimes feel like being a coach or a personal therapist, depending on the client, in this tough market.

“Offering ‘highest and best’ isn’t always about bringing the most cash.

It may be that the buyer is willing to waive the inspection, meet the appraisal gap or writing a letter about

how much they love a home,” Brooks said. “People are trying their hardest to get the house they fell in love with.”

Nationwide, Realtors from Arizona to Metro Detroit to Boston are working overtime to serve their clients during this once-in-a-lifetime moment, said Robert Kinlin, co-owner and broker of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Robert Paul Properties and one of the top luxury brokers in Eastern Massachusetts.

“We’ve always been spoiled: We’ve always carried a fair amount of inventory — new, used and teardowns,” Kinlin said. “There is such limited product now. I’ve never seen it like this in 35 years. You have people who want to trade up and there’s nothing to buy. There are people who want to trade down and there’s nothing for them to go to. It’s a double-edged sword.”

People’s reactions to coronavirus also are playing into current market trends across the United States, Kinlin said. Buyers had an “overabundance of enthusiasm and panic” to move out of cities and get into larger spaces, he added.

“We probably sold three years of

inventory in one year, whether it was $20 million or $100,000 or anything in between,” Kinlin said. “It was a combination of things for buyers.

COVID-19 pushed a lot of people out of fear. But it also pushed people who had been thinking about doing something, like buying a second home. Another part was just the normal trading up or down. It all came together at once.”

Homes that were turnkey or ready to move into went first. Next were the homes that needed some work. Today, people are looking at homes even if they feel like they have to tear them down and rebuild because of low inventory. Many buyers also are looking for homes that are fully furnished because of delays with furniture shipments related to the coronavirus.

“You have some homes that had been perceived as needing too much work. Now, you’re finding people who say that’s OK. If it’s a bit dated, they’re willing to work on it either immediately or live with it and work on it over a period of time,” Kinlin said.

Cooley agreed. He’s seeing buyers who feel fatigued by market challenges step back and decide to renovate an attic for more space in their current home and stop looking entirely. One of his jobs is to help these buyers with expectations and factual information, he noted. “(New listings) are trickling in, but I definitely don’t anticipate enough listing coming online for the buyer pool we have right now. Not this year,” Cooley said. “What we’re telling people right now is to have patience. It’s an investment, but it’s also more about your quality of life and what works best for you.”

“TIME IS MONEY. YOU ARE ACCRUING PROPERTY TAXES, EXTRA ENERGY TO HEAT AND COOL THESE HOMES DURING CONSTRUCTION, LABOR, REDUCTION IN ECONOMIES OF SCALE — THESE DELAYS CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PRICE INCREASES DUE TO ECONOMIES OF SCALE. IT’S NOT A $24,000 (INCREASE DUE TO LUMBER), IT’S 24 PERCENT.” — Dominic Moceri

SUPPLY

From Page 9

A National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index survey found that about nine of 10 builders had difficulty getting appliances in a timely fashion, with 51 percent saying it was a “major” problem and 38 percent saying it was a “minor” problem.

“We ordered appliances six months ago and they still haven’t come,” said Matt O’Laughlin, a Realtor and partner in the Detroit office of Chicago-based @properties who is working on selling units in a Brush Park development by Alex Monsour at John R and Erskine streets.

Other products needed to build new homes are also increasing in price, Stoskopf said.

“A lot of the material that goes into a house, whether it’s limestone for gypsum boards or concrete, all of those were interrupted but the demand continued,” he said.

For example, Construction Dive

reported in February that iron and steel prices shot up 15.6 percent from January 2020 to January 2021, and 8.2 percent alone between December and January.

Jim Clarke, president of Bloomfield Hills-based homebuilder Robertson Bros., said additional costs are being incurred for things like roadways and stormwater retention system requirements.

“It’s a myriad of all well intentioned good ideas that have added up to put us where we are,” he said.

The delays in getting appliances and other supply issues are having real-world impacts on construction budgets, Moceri said.

“Time is money. You are accruing property taxes, extra energy to heat and cool these homes during construction, labor, reduction in economies of scale — these delays cause significant price increases due to economies of scale.

It’s not a $24,000 (increase due to lumber), it’s 24 percent.”

Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

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APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 11

CRAIN'S LIST | GENERAL CONTRACTORS Ranked by 2020 revenue COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE; WEBSITE

1

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE(S)

REVENUE ($000,000) 2020/2019

VALUE OF NEW CONTRACTS ($000,000) 2020/2019

LOCAL EMPLOYEES JAN. 2021

TOTAL NEW PROJECTS 2020/2019

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN PROJECTS STARTED 2020

BARTON MALOW HOLDINGS LLC

Ryan Maibach president and CEO

$2,336.5

$3,879.9 $1,699.6

1052

356 403

112

2

WALBRIDGE

Michael Haller 1 CEO John Rakolta III president

$1,912.3

$0.0 NA

500

256 NA

57

3

BELFOR HOLDINGS INC. 2

Sheldon Yellen CEO

$1,778.9

$1,732.7 $1,823.0

1312

176,000 164,000

3619

4

CLARK CONSTRUCTION CO.

Sam Clark CEO

$450.0

NA NA

120

NA NA

NA

5

ARISTEO CONSTRUCTION

Michelle Aristeo Barton president

$392.5

NA $375.5

316

327 461

245

6

COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING CORP.

Steve Fragnoli president and CEO

$390.8

$376.1 $426.1

185

NA NA

NA

7

THE CHRISTMAN CO.

Joseph Luther vice president and general manager, Southeast Michigan operations Mary LeFevre regional vice president of Business Development

$338.3

$1,195.1 $1,136.7

106

330 354

63

8

GEORGE W. AUCH CO. (DBA AUCH CONSTRUCTION)

Vince DeLeonardis CEO Jeff Hamilton president

$279.6

$257.2 $435.8

120

112 145

112

9

RONCELLI INC.

Tom Wickersham president, Roncelli Inc. Gary Roncelli chairman and CEO

$245.0

$169.0 NA

198

48 NA

45

WALSH CONSTRUCTION CO.

John Kiessling senior vice president

$208.6

$123.0 $87.4

100

6 3

4

11

TURNER CONSTRUCTION CO.

David Kelly vice president and general manager

$207.6

$286.1 $118.9

88

33 30

30

12

IDEAL CONTRACTING LLC

Frank Venegas Jr. chairman and CEO

$186.0

$175.0 $228.5

375

498 1,368

494

13

DEARBORN MID-WEST CO.

Jeff Homenik president, Michigan group

$185.0 3

NA NA

NA

NA NA

NA

14

DEVON INDUSTRIAL GROUP

David Burnley president and CEO Stephanie Burnley co-CEO/business development manager

$168.0

$168.0 NA

70

NA NA

NA

15

THE COLASANTI COS.

Carey Colasanti CEO Pat Wysocki president

$167.0

$65.0 NA

335

5 NA

3

16

OLIVER/HATCHER CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT INC.

Paul Oliver principal Paul Hatcher president

$159.0

$110.3 $93.5

42

12 17

12

17

GRANGER CONSTRUCTION CO.

Tim VanAntwerp vice president

$127.6

$350.7 $480.2

97

72 70

13

18

ALBERICI CONSTRUCTORS INC.

Aaron Walsh general manager

$126.0

$100.6 $103.1

18

8 8

2

KIRCO MANIX

Douglas Manix president

$125.0

$135.0 $130.0

40

18 20

17

20

SACHSE CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT CO. LLC

Todd Sachse CEO and founder Steve Berlage president and COO

$121.5

$202.0 $239.0

150

171 172

150

21

KASCO INC.

Michael Engle vice president

$121.2 3

NA $60.0

NA

NA 100

NA

22

FRANK REWOLD & SONS INC.

Frank Rewold president and CEO

$106.4

$114.5 $89.5

60

25 30

25

O'BRIEN CONSTRUCTION INC.

Timothy W O'Brien president

$106.1

$50.7 $110.0

54

4 12

4

DEMARIA

Joseph DeMaria Jr. CEO Anthony DeMaria president

$99.6 3

NA $95.0

NA

NA 47

NA

MARSH CONSTRUCTION (T.H. MARSH)

Ryan Marsh CEO

$90.0 3

NA NA

NA

NA NA

NA

10

19

23 24 25

26500 American Drive, Southfield 48034 248-436-5000; www.bartonmalow.com

777 Woodward Ave., Suite 300, Detroit 48226 313-963-8000; www.walbridge.com

185 Oakland Ave., Suite 150, Birmingham 48009 248-594-1144; www.belfor.com

3535 Moores River Drive, Lansing 48911 517-372-0940; www.clarkcc.com 12811 Farmington Road, Livonia 48150 734-427-9111; www.aristeo.com 4260 N. Atlantic Blvd., Auburn Hills 48326 248-209-0500; www.cccnetwork.com

The Fisher Building, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Suite 2600, Detroit 48202-3030 313-908-6060; www.christmanco.com

65 University Drive, Pontiac 48342 248-334-2000; www.auchconstruction.com

6471 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights 48312 586-264-2060; www.roncelli-inc.com

3011 W. Grand Blvd., Suite 2300, Detroit 48202 313-873-6600; www.walshgroup.com 535 Griswold St., Suite 1525, Detroit 48226 313-596-0500; www.turnerconstruction.com/office-network/detroit 2525 Clark St., Detroit 48209 313-843-8000; www.idealcontracting.com 20334 Superior Road, Taylor 48180 734-288-4400; www.dmwcc.com 535 Griswold St., Suite 2050, Detroit 48226 313-221-1600; www.devonindustrial.com

24500 Wood Court, Macomb Township 48042 586-598-9700; www.colasantigroup.com

27333 Meadowbrook Road, Suite 100, Novi 48377 248-374-1100; www.oliverhatcher.com

39475 13 Mile Road, Suite 100 , Novi 48377 248-724-2950; www.grangerconstruction.com 26711 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 255, Southfield 48033 734-367-2500; www.alberici.com 101 W. Big Beaver, Suite 200, Troy 48084 248-354-5100; www.kircomanix.com 3663 Woodward Ave, Suite 500, Detroit 48201 313-481-8200; www.sachseconstruction.com

226 E. Hudson St., Royal Oak 48067 248-547-1210; www.kascoinc.com 333 E. Third St., Suite 300, Rochester 48307 248-651-7242; www.frankrewold.com 966 Livernois Road, Troy 48083 248-334-2470; www.obriencc.com

3031 W. Grand Blvd., Suite 540, Detroit 48202-3008 313-870-2800; www.demariabuild.com

100 W. Long Lake Road, Suite 200, Bloomfield Hills 48304 248-586-4130; www.thmarsh.com

$1,900.0

$1,810.0

$1,812.4

$350.0

$467.8

$280.2

$321.8

$213.8

$302.0

$161.7

$247.0

$227.3

$189.0 3

$142.0 3

$136.0

$141.0

$167.9

$71.3

$89.0

$208.0

$123.8

$97.9

$86.8

$101.8

$92.0 3

Researched by Sonya D. Hill: shill@crain.com | This list of general contractors is a compilation of the largest such companies in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Livingston counties. It is not a complete listing but the most comprehensive available. Crain's estimates are based on industry analyses and benchmarks, news reports and a wide range of other sources. Unless otherwise noted, information was provided by the companies. Companies with headquarters elsewhere are listed with the address and top executive of their main Southeast Michigan office. NA = not available. NOTES: 1. Succeeded John Rakolta Jr. as CEO after he was confirmed by the Senate in September to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. 2. Sold to New York private equity firm, American Securities LLC in June. 3. Crain's estimate.

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CRAIN'S LIST | BIG DEALS: REAL ESTATE SALES Ranked by square feet 2020 PROPERTY

BUYER

SELLER

BROKER

SQUARE FEET

PRICE ($000,000)

1

2011 CENTERPOINT PARKWAY, Pontiac

United Wholesale Mortgage, Pontiac

Industrial Commercial Properties LLC, Solon, Ohio

Signature Associates Inc.

880,087

$45.4

2

TROY TECHNOLOGY PARK, Troy

Apex Equity Group, Mich Capital Inc., New York City

Friedman Real Estate, Farmington Hills

Friedman Real Estate

425,192

$40.2

3

FORMER SAKTHI AUTOMOTIVE GROUP USA INC. PROPERTY, Detroit

Bedrock LLC, Detroit

Lark Advisors LLC (receiver), Grosse Pointe Farms

Friedman Real Estate

576,000

$38.5

4

3600 GIDDINGS ROAD, Auburn Hills

Randal Bellestri, Auburn Hills

George P. Johnson Co., Auburn Hills

Signature Associates Inc., Cushman & Wakefield

443,340

$30.5

5

FORMER STACY'S GOLF CENTER, Warren

Stockbridge Capital Group, San Francisco

Hillwood Enterprises LP, Dallas

CBRE Inc.

295,510

$30.5

6

FORMER ULTIMATE SOCCER ARENAS , Pontiac

United Wholesale Mortgage, Pontiac

George Derderian, Pontiac

Dominion Real Estate Advisors LLC

378,400

$23.3

7

GLENGARRY PARK APARTMENTS, Waterford Township

GSH Group Inc., Clawson

Investors Equity Group, Lansing

Income Property Organization

-- 1

$22.6

8

1400 ROCHESTER ROAD, Troy

Flex-N-Gate LLC, Urbana, Ill.

Bostick Development LLC, Troy

Colliers International Inc., Scavone LLC

205,569

$14.0

9

BUSKE LINES INDUSTRIAL CENTER, Brownstown

Neal Maclean, Ferndale

Republic National Distributing Co., Cincinatti

CBRE Inc.

301,644

$12.5

10

FORMER DAIRY FRESH FOODS INC. HEADQUARTERS, Taylor

Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern MI, Detroit

Dairy Fresh Foods Inc., Taylor

Signature Associates Inc.

180,986

$10.8

11

5855 INTERFACE DRIVE, Scio Township

Nexient LLC, Newark, Calif.

Comcast Corp., Philadelphia

Colliers International Inc., Avison Young

109,254

$9.6

12

TOWN CENTER FLATS, Shelby Township

Joshua K. Sterling, Southgate

Vincent DiLorenzo, Shelby Township

Income Property Organization

-- 2

$9.0

13

GREYBERRY APARTMENTS, Waterford Township

Friedman Real Estate, Farmington Hills

Barry Cohen, Berkley

Friedman Real Estate

-- 3

$8.4

14

KOPPERNICK CORPORATE PARK, Canton Township

AIC Ventures, Austin, Texas

GNS North America Inc., Holland

Newmark Knight Frank

115,521

$8.3

15

21666-21700 MELROSE AVE., Southfield

Landmark Dividend LLC, El Segundo, Calif.

Hillcorp Properties, Lansing

CBRE Inc.

208,653

$8.0

16

CHALET VILLA, Clarkston

Canyon Park Capital LLC, Birmingham

Judith Tuson and Robert Tuson Jr., Clarkston

Income Property Organization

-- 4

$8.0

17

500 WEST LONG LAKE ROAD, Troy

WLLR LLC, Troy

Bostick Development LLC, Troy

Signature Associates Inc.

136,632

$7.9

18

SOUTHFIELD RESEARCH PARK, Southfield

Glenn DesRosiers,Farmington Hills Harvey Kleiman, Bingham Farms

Delta Management Co. LLC, Shelby Township

Friedman Real Estate

200,268

$6.9

19

5411 JACKSON ROAD, Ann Arbor

RSB Equities LLC, Dexter

Malloy Inc., Ann Arbor

Colliers International Inc.

181,364

$6.8

20

21000 - 21010 TROLLEY INDUSTRIAL DRIVE, Taylor

IWH Capital LLC, Cedarhurst, N.Y.

Palmer Moving & Storage, Warren

Signature Associates Inc., Baseline Capital Partners

208,000

$6.6

21

7000 NINETEEN MILE ROAD, Sterling Heights

Burton-Katzman LLC, Bingham Farms

The Mancini family, Sterling Heights

Newmark Knight Frank, Dominion Real Estate Advisors

134,000

$6.4

22

3000 RESEARCH DRIVE, Rochester Hills

Nick Palushaj, Madison Heights

Lear Corp., Southfield

Signature Associates Inc., CBRE Inc.

94,832

$6.4

23

FORTERRA EXECUTIVE PARK, Warren

Eugene Sherizen, Oak Park

Glass Block Sales Inc., Warren

Signature Associates Inc.

159,757

$6.3

24

28153 EIGHT MILE ROAD, Livonia

Pogoda Cos., Farmington Hills

William Davis III, Ann Arbor

Colliers International Inc.

57,703

$6.0

25

WOODCREEK OFFICE CENTER, Farmington Hills

John Hallquist, Livermore, Calif.

Carson Equities, Bloomfield Hills

Friedman Real Estate, L. Mason Capitani Inc.

60,200

$5.7

26

10885 TEXTILE RD, Belleville

Neal Maclean, Ferndale

ITC Holdings Corp., Novi

Colliers International Inc.

135,369

$5.5

27

190 - 194 E MAPLE ROAD, Troy

Asia Automotive America Inc., Troy

Bostick Development LLC, Troy

Colliers International Inc., Keller Williams

60,000

$5.3

28

AUBURN HILLS COMMERCE PARK, Auburn Hills

Knight Global, Auburn Hills

General Development Co., Southfield

General Development Co., Colliers International Inc.

55,278

$5.0

29

THE UNIVERSITY INN ANN ARBOR, Ann Arbor

Beztak Cos., Farmington Hills

Wixted Group, Palos Verdes, Calif.

Colliers International Inc.

-- 5

$5.0

Researched by Kirk Pinho | List is based on information from CoStar Group Inc., Crain's research, from published information or as submitted by brokers, advisers or property owners. Crain's has tried to list all brokers involved in a transaction, but in some cases brokers may have been omitted. NOTES: 1. 300 units. 2. 67 units. 3. 128 units. 4. 123 units. 5. 55 rooms.

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CRAIN'S LIST | BIG DEALS: INDUSTRIAL LEASES Ranked by square feet 2020

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

PROPERTY

OWNER, OWNER CITY

TENANT

BROKER

SQUARE FEET

PINNACLE LANDING COMMERCE PARK, Romulus

Hillwood Enterprises LP, Dallas

Amazon.com Inc.

Colliers International Inc.

752,400

LIBERTY PARK COMMERCE CENTER, Sterling Heights

Ashley Capital, New York City

Amazon.com Inc.

Colliers International Inc., Signature Associates Inc.

569,532

PINNACLE LANDING COMMERCE PARK, Romulus

Hillwood Enterprises LP, Dallas

Amazon.com Inc.

Colliers International Inc.

516,760

9075 HAGGERTY ROAD, Plymouth

Metro Opportunities 7 LLC, Dearborn

Amazon.com Inc.

Newmark Knight Frank, Colliers International Inc.

414,700

WARREN COMMERCE CENTER, Warren

Stockbridge Capital Group, San Francisco

Modular Automotive Systems LLC

Colliers International Inc.

295,510

ROMULUS BUSINESS CENTER, Romulus

Ashley Capital, New York City

Hawthorne Hydroponics LLC

Signature Associates Inc., CBRE Inc.

254,625

4250-4280 HAGGERTY ROAD, Canton

Dembs Roth LLC, Farmington Hills

P&THE Global Packaging & Assembly LLC

Signature Associates Inc.

215,604

28251 VAN DYKE AVE., Warren

KUKA Systems North America LLC, Germany

KUKA Systems North America LLC

Newmark Knight Frank

176,541

OAKLAND PARK, Highland Park 1

Stuart Frankel Development Co., Troy

Great Lakes Coca-Cola Distribution LLC

CBRE Inc.

175,766

GATEWAY INDUSTRIAL CENTER, Detroit

Innovo Development Group LLC, Kalamazoo

Quality Team 1

Colliers International Inc.

175,600

ROMULUS BUSINESS CENTER, Romulus 1

Ashley Capital, New York City

Owens & Minor Distribution Inc.

Newmark Knight Frank

164,486

ECORSE COMMONS INDUSTRIAL PARK, Romulus 2

NorthPoint Development LLC, Riverside, Mo.

Lowe's Cos. Inc.

JLL, CBRE Inc.

163,285

17500 23 MILE ROAD, Macomb Township

Salvino & Sons LLC, Macomb Township

Century Plastics LLC

Newmark Knight Frank

152,000

TRI-COUNTY COMMERCE CENTER, Hazel Park

Ashley Capital, New York City

Amazon.com Inc.

Signature Associates Inc., Colliers International Inc., KBC Advisors Inc.

150,160

JOSLYN COMMERCE PARK, Auburn Hills

General Development Co., Friedman Real Estate, Southfield, Farmington Hills

Unique Fabricating

General Development Co.

150,102

Researched by Kirk Pinho | List is based on information from CoStar Group Inc., Crain's research, from published information or as submitted by brokers, advisers or property owners. Crain's has tried to list all brokers involved in a transaction, but in some cases brokers may have been omitted. NOTES: 1. Lease renewal. 2. New lease.

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CRAIN'S LIST | BIG DEALS: OFFICE LEASES Ranked by square feet 2020

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

PROPERTY

OWNER, OWNER CITY

TENANT

BROKER

SQUARE FEET

3800 HAMLIN ROAD, Auburn Hills 1

MAK Real Estate Investment, Kuwait

Volkswagen of America

JLL

359,376

26555 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, Southfield

Dembs Development Inc., Farmington Hills

Marelli North America Inc.

CBRE Inc., Cushman & Wakefield

188,000

4505 WEST 26 MILE ROAD, Washington Township 1

W. P. Carey Inc., New York City

ZF Passive Safety Systems

Colliers International Inc.

132,000

RENAISSANCE CENTER, Detroit 1

General Motors Co., Detroit

Urban Science Applications Inc.

Colliers International Inc., CBRE Inc.

85,395

ALLY DETROIT CENTER, Detroit 2

Bedrock LLC, Detroit

Ally Financial

JLL

73,888

22355 WEST 11 MILE ROAD, Southfield 1

thyssenkrupp Materials NA Inc., Chicago

thyssenkrupp Materials NA Inc.

Colliers International Inc.

64,607

44000 GARFIELD ROAD, Clinton Township 1

Monahan Development Corp. , Eastpointe

Change Healthcare Technology

CBRE Inc.

63,560

SEVEN MILE CROSSING II, Livonia 1

Universal Properties and Management Inc., Livonia

Workforce Software LLC

Friedman Real Estate, Plante Moran CRESA

61,335

GALLERIA OFFICENTRE, Southfield

Friedman Real Estate, Farmington Hills

Doner Partners LLC

Friedman Real Estate, CBRE Inc.

56,497

900 WEST MAPLE ROAD, Troy

ATM of America Inc., Hazel Park

Virginia Tile

Signature Associates Inc.

48,616

CROSSINGS TECHNOLOGY PARK, Auburn Hills 1

JAR Development Co. LLC, Farmington Hills

Inalfa

Signature Associates Inc.

44,700

WOODLANDS OFFICENTRE, Farmington Hills

Redico LLC, Southfield

Faurecia

Redico LLC, Colliers International Inc., Cushman & Wakefield

40,692

150 WEST JEFFERSON, Detroit 1

Redico LLC, Southfield

KPMG LLP

CBRE Inc.

40,250

HAGGERTY CORRIDOR CORPORATE PARK, Novi

Northern Equities Group, Farmington Hills

Novelis Inc.

Newmark Knight Frank

40,000

HILLS TECH CENTER, Farmington Hills 3

Lordstown Motors Corp., Lordstown, Ohio

Lordstown Motors Corp.

Signature Associates Inc.

39,661

Researched by Kirk Pinho | List is based on information from CoStar Group Inc., Crain's research, from published information or as submitted by brokers, advisers or property owners. Crain's has tried to list all brokers involved in a transaction, but in some cases brokers may have been omitted. NA = not available. NOTES: 1. Lease renewal. 2. Renewal plus expansion. 3. Sublease.

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14 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

FROM THE BOARD ROOM TO THE COURT ROOM, Crain’s Notable Women in Law are seeking justice, setting precedent and managing high-profile cases for their corporate clients. They are mentors, champions and beacons of their community.

The honorees were selected by a team of Crain’s Detroit Business editors based on their career accomplishments, track record of success in the field and mentorship of others, as outlined in a detailed nomination form.

Notable Women in Law was managed and written by Leslie D. Green. For questions about this special report, contact Amy Elliott Bragg: abragg@crain.com.

ANDREA ARNDT

MIRIAM AUKERMAN

RAECHEL BADALAMENTI

Member and Partner, Dickinson Wright PLLC Marquette University Law School

Senior Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan New York University School of Law

Litigation Head, Kirk, Huth, Lange & Badalamenti, PLC Wayne State University Law School

Miriam Aukerman has earned the State Bar of Michigan’s 2018 Champion of Justice Award, among other honors, for her work litigating systemic change.

She is leading a team of lawyers from six different firms in a class action suit to prevent the deportation of Iraqi nationals before they are heard in court. As a result, many have won their immigration cases and become citizens, and the attorneys secured the release of nearly 400 people awaiting trial.

Aukerman also participated in Arab American Civil Rights League v. Trump, which challenged the ban of people from seven predominantly Muslim countries. She helped set precedents through a case challenging the detention of medically vulnerable immigrants during the pandemic.

“Her incredible talent for advocacy is paired with deep humility and humanity.

That makes her someone I always know I can trust not only with important legal issues but also with the safety and the feelings of our clients and communities,” said IJP Managing Attorney Susan Reed.

Raechel Badalamenti has had several opinions published in state and federal courts, most notably the decision in Big Dipper v. Warren et. al., which changed the definition of public speech.

In 2018, she provided pro-bono services to Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, amicably resolving trademark infringement claims brought against it by Wigs for Kids Inc. in a way that permitted both nonprofits to continue helping children living with hair loss.

Badalamenti also represented the prevailing party in Seafood of Detroit v.

Lafever, et. al., preventing a competitor from benefitting from the use of the Joe Muer Seafood name.

As the head of the litigation team at her firm, Badalamenti mentors law clerks in undergraduate and law school programs and new associates interested in private practice and donates time as a judge in mock arguments competitions at WSU Law School.

She is a Fellow of the American Bar Association.

Andrea Arndt is a global intellectual property strategist specializing in medical devices, software, electrical technologies, fashion and advances by high-value startups. Because her clients’ work is often subject to counterfeiters who manufacture and sell forged products online, she devised a strategy to quickly obtain effective and enforceable intellectual property rights.

In addition, Arndt works through the Detroit Expungement Clinic to help Michigan residents determine if they are eligible to have their criminal records erased. She also supports The Alpha Group, for startup businesses, of the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce.

“The expertise she brings in the area of copyright, trademark and patent law has been an invaluable benefit to our members in protecting their ideas and brand,” said The Alpha Group Founder Matthew Liston.

DANIELLE BASS

MICHELLE BASS

LAURA BAUCUS

KEELEY BLANCHARD

Partner, Honigman LLP University of Michigan Law School

Senior Attorney, Wolfson Bolton PLLC University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC Wayne State University Law School

A critical member of Honigman’s technology transaction team, Danielle Bass focuses her practice on information technology, intellectual property, data and media with an emphasis on commercial transactions. Her work sometimes requires her to work alongside in-house legal teams.

“Danielle runs a fast-moving, complex portfolio of commercial and technology projects.

One of the reasons this works so well is that the client’s legal and business teams trust her judgment and all-around legal excellence,” Honigman Partner Karl Hochkammer said.

Bass mentors students at her alma mater and lectures on matters involving IT and corporate law. She is also a council member of the Information Technology Law Section of the Michigan State Bar and a member of the Association of Corporate Growth Detroit.

Michelle Bass has been leading Wolfson Bolton’s Consumer Bankruptcy Group since she joined the firm in 2017. She also serves in a leadership role on the Consumer Bankruptcy Committee of the American Bankruptcy Institute.

In 2020, Bass represented the nation’s first Chapter 11 debtor to confirm a plan under the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019. By converting her client’s then-Chapter 11 case to a small-business case, she was able to settle a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the client and his company.

“Michelle is a leader in consumer bankruptcy law,” said Scott Wolfson, member of Wolfson Bolton. “She also gives back to the bar as a frequent speaker and author, including as a contributing author to a recently published treatise, and in leadership of the field’s professional organizations, like the American Bankruptcy Institute and the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation.”

Laura Baucus, who began directing Dykema Gossett’s automotive industry group in February, leads 140 attorneys and other professionals around the country in auto-related cases such as product liability, commercial litigation, defects, class actions, antitrust and more.

She has worked toward bridging the gap between auto and tech companies entering the electric and autonomous vehicle transportation market and has managed up to $500 million auto and aerospace cases.

“Both Dykema and its clients are fortunate to benefit from Laura’s legal acumen, incredible work ethic, and natural leadership capabilities,” said Dykema Member Michael Cooney, director of Dykema’s Litigation Department.

Moreover, Baucus, who has managed hundreds of multistate financial services lawsuits for national banks and servicers, is vice chair of the business court committee for the Oakland County Bar Association.

Trial Lawyer, Blanchard Law Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Keeley Blanchard and her husband established Blanchard Law to focus on people accused of crimes or who have been wronged by the criminal justice system.

She represented a child on the autism spectrum who prosecutors wanted to try as an adult.

During the designation hearing, Blanchard shared her client’s story of previously undiagnosed autism and the bullying he endured.

As a result, the court determined the client would remain in juvenile court.

Blanchard teaches her storytelling skills at the Trial Lawyers College, the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Trial College and Evidence Boot Camp. She is also program manager of Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Trial Skills Simulation Program, which provides training to attorneys assigned to indigent defense cases.

“Keeley has been an incredible attorney and trainer for years, helping criminal defense attorneys in Michigan improve their representation in indigent cases statewide,” said Marla McCowan, director of Training, Outreach & Support, Michigan Indigent Defense Commission.

APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 15

KAITLIN BROWN

LISA BROWN

KELLY BURRIS

ANGELA CALIGIURI

C

Shareholder, Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller PC Washington & Lee University School of Law

Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC University of Wisconsin Law School

Owner and Founder, Burris Law PLLC St. Louis University School of Law

Counsel, General Motors Wayne State University Law School

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller named Kaitlin Brown as a member of its executive committee in January. Brown also co-founded and co-chairs her firm’s Success through Empowerment & Engagement committee, which supports the advancement of women attorneys.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, she investigated a sexual harassment complaint in a client’s workplace.

Afterward, she updated the client’s employee handbook and conducted the necessary training.

“One of the most important initiatives of the Oakland County Bar Association … is the advancement of diversity and inclusion in our profession. Katie Brown has spearheaded these efforts as chair of our association’s standing committee on diversity and inclusion. Her passion for the cause and seemingly unbounded energy has contributed mightily to the advancement of these objectives,” said Oakland County Bar Association President Keefe Brooks.

Lisa Brown handles complex commercial matters and large cases, including automotive supply chain litigation. She was part of the team in the retrial of Westgate Ford Truck Sales v. Ford Motor Co. in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, that successfully reversed the $2 billion verdict.

Brown also leads Dykema Gossett’s associate hiring efforts, which includes on-campus interviews and diversity scholarships.

“Lisa has played a vital role in shaping the careers and bringing out the inherent talent of many of Dykema’s youngest women attorneys, both in her role as a mentor and through her dedicated leadership and involvement in the firm’s Women’s Business Initiative,” said Peter Kellett, Dykema’s immediate past CEO and chairman.

Before launching her boutique law firm, Kelly Burris was an aeronautical engineer.

Now she specializes in intellectual property and serves clients in aerospace, automotive semiconductor processing and other manufacturing and technology industries.

In recent years, she wrote a patent application for the grille design of Ford’s new Mach-E electric car. And her team wrote a patent for a robot to support the automaker’s autonomous vehicle factory.

Burris also wrote patents for Watlow Electric Manufacturing, which designs and manufactures ceramic heaters used to heat and disinfect the air in medical ventilators.

“Kelly is always on the lookout for potential opportunities for us, even those that we are not yet aware of … and looks for ways to get us there,” said Watlow Engineering Department Manager Jacob Lindley.

Burris is also a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight Central and Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, which provides necessary transportation for medical patients.

When Angela Caligiuri began at General Motors five years ago, she drafted and prosecuted utility patent applications. Now, she manages the automaker’s global design patent portfolio and legal aspects of its licensing and brand protections.

Caligiuri has identified and pursued infringers of GM’s portfolio and helped defend attempts to kill some of the automaker’s patent rights. Last year, she was inducted as a master member of the invitation-only Michigan IP Inn of Court.

In addition, she partners with groups focused on anti-counterfeiting.

“She has provided insight to the Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council with legal discussions around intellectual property rights, and has been particularly active in our endeavors with governmental agencies,” said council Secretary/Treasurer Chris Caris.

C B W

16 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

C U I f

d s i b r c c

b P L

i e o C

f

e

”

CHANILLE CARSWELL

KIMBERLY CLAYSON

MARY COMAZZI

SARAH CYLKOWSKI

Chief Diversity Officer and Litigation Co-Chair, Brooks Kushman PC Wayne State University School of Law

COO and Senior Attorney, Maxwell Dunn PLC University of Detroit Mercy Law

Of Counsel, Barnes & Thornburg LLP Ave Maria School of Law

Kimberly Clayson leads Maxwell Dunn’s legal and operations team with a focus on facilitating the professional development and growth of the firm’s staff.

Last year, as part of the Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019, Kimberly Clayson was selected to serve as one of the inaugural Chapter 11 Subchapter V trustees in the Eastern District of Michigan.

“Kim … has helped countless businesses and individuals navigate difficult legal and financial issues. Additionally, she serves our bankruptcy court as a small business trustee, helping businesses and their owners navigate the difficult Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. This work has never been as important as it is now in the wake of COVID-19,” said Paul Hage, an attorney at Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC. In recent years, Clayson was co-counsel on the restructuring of Eteron Inc., an automotive flocking production company, and the asset sale to JVIS USA Inc. She also represented Sentinl Inc. in its chapter 11 restructuring, which resulted in the sale of its Identilock patent and trademark.

As a member of Barnes & Thornburg’s aviation practice group, Mary Comazzi has managed $500,000 to $60 million in aircraft transactions and aviation mergers and acquisitions and implemented FAA-compliant ownership and operating structures.

She also advised clients under the Payroll Support Program, created for airlines under the CARES Act. As such, she was part of a team representing Fly Over All Traffic in an $8 million bankruptcy court-supervised auction.

“Mary doesn’t simply take responsibility for projects, she takes ownership of them and marshals each of them forward to ensure a positive outcome for the client, the firm and the overall practice of law,” said Barnes & Thornburg Partner Todd Dixon.

Member, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bodman PLC University of Michigan Law School

Chanille Carswell leads a team that handles U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and International Trade Commission cases in federal courts. She also manages the foreign opposition and cancellation proceedings for a client with a substantial global portfolio, which requires Carswell to help shape and guide the client’s global strategy.

As Brooks Kushman’s first chief diversity officer, Carswell oversees the strategic planning of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Strategies include benchmarking, training and education, recruiting and talent pipeline efforts, community outreach and mentoring and career development.

In addition, Carswell is membership board chair for the Michigan Intellectual Property Inn of Court and a member of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

“Year after year, she has been an indispensable resource for insight and experience in the careful management of our members,” said Inn President Anthony Cho.

Sarah Cylkowski is vice chair of Bodman’s Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Group, co-chair of the inaugural Culture and Social Action committee, recruiting co-chair and a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee.

Cylkowski, whose practice includes counseling clients through large-scale discovery during litigation, has been part of a team representing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan in a class action challenge of the health insurer’s structure.

“As an attorney, (Sarah) is passionate and tireless in her pursuit of justice, whether representing a corporate client in a multi-million-dollar business dispute or providing pro bono services to improve the lives of individuals in underserved communities,” said Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Bridget Mary Hathaway.

“Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

– Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Bassett Business Group

Congratulates Sue Ellen Eisenberg On this well-deserved honor of being the recipient of “Notable Women in Law”

by Crain’s Detroit Business Sue Ellen Eisenberg and Associates are nationally recognized experts in employment law with more than 60 years of experience successfully resolving employment problems through individually tailored negotiation.

The Bassett Business Group I 313-965-3010 I BassettBusinessGroup.com APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 17

MICHELLE DONOVAN

STEPHANIE DOUGLAS

EBONY DUFF

SUE ELLEN EISENBERG

N

Senior Counsel, Clark Hill Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School

Member, Bush Seyferth PLLC University of Michigan Law School

Shareholder, Garan Lucow Miller, PC Wayne State University Law School

Stephanie Douglas has had a busy few years.

Ford Motor Co. selected her to serve as its advanced motions counsel for matters involving driver-assist technology. She successfully defended SAS Institute Inc. in a multibillion dollar, civil rights, class action suit alleging use of a computer program to falsely find tens of thousands of unemployment claimants fraudulent and terminate benefits, which resulted in fines, penalties, garnished wages and more.

In addition, Douglas represented clients in five U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court and represented Michigan legislators in claims that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violated constitutional separation of powers.

Douglas is a fellow for the Lawyers for Civil Justice and serves on the Sixth Circuit Advisory Committee on Rules, which reviews possible changes to the court’s local rules and internal operating procedures.

“Stephanie is one of our most trusted and capable outside counsel partners and first on the list of people we go to for thought leadership on complex appeals and advanced motion practice, where she has helped shape and clarify the law in important areas,” said Ford Motor Co. General Counsel John Mellen.

Ebony Duff is consistently recognized by her peers and clients as an invaluable resource.

As general counsel to the Detroit Regional Convention Center Authority, she handled the $33 million, 22-year naming rights deal to rename Cobo Hall the TCF Center. She also negotiated contracts with federal and state agencies, contractors and suppliers to erect a COVID-19 related alternate-care facility at the TCF Center and more recently contracted with the city to host a drive-thru vaccination clinic there.

In addition, Duff serves as city attorney for Oak Park and handles litigation matters for MotorCity Casino, the Great Lakes Water Authority and others through her insurance defense practice.

She also serves as a trustee for the Michigan Opera Theatre.

Principal & Managing Partner, Sue Ellen Eisenberg & AssociatesPC University of Michigan Law School

P A U

After working on the team that drafted federal guidelines on sexual harassment for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Sue Ellen Eisenberg launched her namesake law firm.

Some of her notable cases include a pregnancy discrimination matter her team successfully resolved, a gender discrimination matter that allowed her client to retain her benefits and a multimillion dollar discrimination matter she successfully settled in a case against a Fortune 100 company.

“She has been a consistent and clear voice advocating for women, BIPOC and LGBTQ communities in the workplace.

Beyond her work, she generously donates her time and resources to nonprofits that represent the arts, mental health care (the University of Michigan Depression Center) and women in business and the law,” said Michelle Martinez-Bassett, executive vice president of client services, Bassett & Bassett Inc.

N D p l

Michelle Donovan is director, legislative committee member and co-chair of the social committee of the State Bar of Michigan’s Cannabis Law Section.

In 2018, she obtained the first provisioning center medical marijuana license in Oakland County. She also obtained an emergency rule allowing patients to temporarily purchase medical marijuana from licensed caregivers, who purchased from licensed provisioning centers.

“It is refreshing to find an attorney who isn’t just interested in earning money in the cannabis industry but someone who truly gets it,” said Jerry Millen, a member of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association board.

Donovan is also faculty law member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Real Property Law Section.

Congratulations 46th District Court Chief Judge

Shelia R. Johnson On being selected as a 2021

Crain’s Detroit Business Jones Day congratulates our Detroit-based Intellectual Property partner Emily Tait for being recognized as a Notable Woman in Law by Crain’s Detroit for her contributions to both the legal profession and Detroit community.

2500 LAWYERS. 42 LOCATIONS. 5 CONTINENTS. ONE FIRM WORLDWIDE®. JONESDAY.COM 18 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

Notable Women In Law Honoree!

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NICOLE GOODSON

WHITLEY GRANBERRY

JENNIFER GRIECO

CHRISTINA HINES

President and CEO, Legal Aid & Defender Association Inc. University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Attorney, Detroit Justice Center American University Washington College of Law

Shareholder, Altior Law PC University of Toledo College of Law

First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Washtenaw County Wayne State University Law School

Nicole Goodson joined the Legal Aid & Defender Association in 2009 to pursue her passion for serving underserved and low-income residents in the tri-county area.

Goodson, who was promoted to her current role in 2019, provides legal services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, among others.

Under her leadership, LAD earned the 2020 Community Leadership Award from First Step for its work with survivors of domestic violence. In 2021, LAD won the Hon. Wade H McCree Jr. Award, from the Federal Bar Association-Eastern District of Michigan Chapter, for the advancement of social justice.

Goodson is also a member of the Michigan Racial Justice Collaborative, which conducts implicit bias training throughout the state.

Whitley Granberry is a staff attorney in the Detroit Justice Center’s economic equity practice and an intern/externship coordinator who collaborates with other organizations across the country.

Her work ranges from helping law students improve their movement-lawyering skills to leading community education on governance documents, employment laws and business entity formation and assisting community groups with issues like community benefits agreements.

Granberry and a team successfully challenged a 36th District Court edict banning nonlawyers from bringing pencils into the courthouse, saying it prevented them from participating in their own cases because, in part, they couldn’t take notes.

“Whitley has quickly become Detroit’s go-to legal expert on worker-owned cooperative businesses. More importantly, Whitley knows how to listen and find ways to support visionary Detroiters who are working to build a stronger co-op ecosystem,” said DJC Founder and Executive Director Amanda Alexander.

As recent past president of the State Bar of Michigan, Jennifer Grieco rallied other industry leaders to provide trauma training to lawyers and free legal services to victims of human trafficking. She also was crucial to committee chairpersons, State Bar staff and the Board of Commissioners coming together for unconscious-bias training, which now is offered to all members of the State Bar. “Jennifer is an innovative and caring lawyer. ... She originated the OCBA Mentor Match program, which matches young lawyers with more experienced attorneys to help people who cannot afford an attorney. … Jennifer’s passion has led her to create Peak Law, an organization for members of our profession to ‘raise the bar’ in tackling social injustice and inequality,” said Altior Managing Partner Kenneth Neuman.

From there, Grieco launched a Black Law Matters podcast to address what members of the bar endure and discuss how lawyers can unite to end racism. In addition, she represented 39 insurance agencies in an action for payment of profit sharing owed to each agency pursuant to their sales agreement with the insurance carrier.

Grieco’s efforts earned her several awards over the past three years, including the Women’s Bar Association’s Evelyn Forrest Respected Advocate Award for ensuring clients are properly represented.

When Christina Hines started working at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office in 2014, she was an unpaid intern. Now, as a top prosecutor in Washtenaw County, she leads both the Appeals, Training and Forfeiture Unit and the Special Victims Unit, which handles sexual assault and child abuse cases.

Hines is also working toward expanding the Restorative Justice program to offenders who have already served prison time and, eventually, offenders of domestic violence and sexual assault.

“Christina was compassionate toward our victims and their families, compassionate toward the offenders and always looked for ways to attain justice in ways that balanced the rights and needs of the victims with the rights of offenders. She looked toward rehabilitation and healing whenever possible,” said Carin Goldfarb, lead attorney at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.

Last year, Hines became chair of the Criminal Law Section of the Michigan State Bar. She’s the youngest chair in the section’s history.

Warner Congratulates

Linda Paullin-Hebden

Crain’s Detroit Business has recognized Warner’s Linda Paullin-Hebden as one of the “Notable Women in Law” for a second time. Her accomplishments and leadership, both professionally and in the community, have earned her this honor.

As the executive partner for Warner’s new Detroit and Bloomfield Hills offices, Linda is revered as a leader in the law among clients, colleagues and peers across Southeast Michigan. To learn more about Linda and our new Detroit and Bloomfield Hills offices, please visit wnj.com.

wnj.com APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 19

LAVONDA JACKSON

SHELIA JOHNSON

CHERYL JORDAN

SUSAN KORNFIELD

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Associate General Counsel, Great Lakes Water Authority George Washington University

Chief Judge, 46th District Court University of Michigan Law School

Deputy Director of Corporation Counsel, Wayne County Western Michigan University Thomas M Cooley Law School

Partner, Bodman PLC Indiana University Maurer School of Law

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Susan Kornfield, chair of Bodman’s Intellectual Property Practice Group, serves as an expert witness, mediator and arbitrator in intellectual property disputes.

Within a few weeks, she was able to successfully block a client’s foreign competitor from importing infringing goods, cancel its U.S. trademark registration and take down hundreds of websites that promoted and sold its goods.

In addition, Kornfield is co-chair of her firm’s Pro Bono Committee; adjunct professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School; a member of the committee at Stanford University that advises on matters involving libraries, copyrights, and academic information resources; and an avid supporter of The Henry Ford, to which she provides legal counsel.

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Lavonda Jackson’s knowledge of emerging water and wastewater contaminants makes her a go-to resource for the Great Lakes Water Authority and its numerous member partners.

Jackson, who is an active member of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, has completed several GLWA patents, helped negotiate research and innovation agreements and coordinated the new ethics and compliance hotline and website. She was also crucial to securing approval of GLWA’s Industrial Pretreatment Program.

Prior to her current role, Jackson worked for Wayne County.

“As the first known African American female county drain commissioner in Wayne County, Lavonda oversaw the start and completion of maintenance and projects that improved surface drainage through numerous watersheds,” said Elmeka Steele, deputy director and drain commissioner for Wayne County’s Environmental Services Division.

Howard

Shelia Johnson is the first African American elected to serve the 46th District Court and first African American female elected as a district court judge in Oakland County. She has been re-elected three times.

As chief judge, she manages administrative aspects of the court, including docket and case flow, implementation of technology and preparation of budget and finances.

In 2018, Johnson was elected as president of the Michigan District Judges Association, where she successfully lobbied for legislation that ended driver responsibility fees, easing the financial burdens that prevent many poor and unrepresented people from obtaining a valid driver license and employment.

“She has led our court through many positive changes … including initiating a program for online ticket and warrant resolution and enhancing our domestic violence probation services. She also spearheaded improvements to our working environment and employee morale,” said District Judge Cynthia Arvant.

Howard is Proud to Congratulate

EVONNE on her selection to

In recent years, Cheryl Jordan negotiated the sale and development agreement for 650 acres known as the “Pinnacle” site, which now is being developed into a $150 million logistics project.

She evaluated the legality of using the county’s CARES Act funds to create a grant program that provided $500 to restaurant and entertainment workers who lost income due to COVID-19 restrictions. And she helped negotiate a collective bargaining agreement for attorneys within the department, which, in part, gives staff 10 hours of paid time a year for pro bono services.

“Her background in civil engineering, boots-on-the-ground experience in the field, her law degree and her significant career in public service have immeasurably helped demystify the potential in our industry each time she has addressed, volunteered, advocated for our members and for our gender,” said Rita Brown, CEO and president of Brown Construction Collective + LLC.

CHRISTINA HINES

XU

Congratulations!

20 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

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MARY KUCHAREK

STEPHANI LABELLE

SUSAN LICHTERMAN

MARY MASSARON

Shareholder, Beier Howlett PC The University of Detroit School of Law

Lead Attorney, City of Detroit Wayne State University Law School

Partner, Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss PC University of Michigan Law School

Partner, Plunkett Cooney Wayne State University Law School

The year is starting well for Mary Kucharek.

Beier Howlett made her an equity partner, and she became city attorney for their client the city of Birmingham. She is also chief city attorney for the city of Orchard Lake and the village of Lake Orion.

“Mary has an incredible depth of knowledge, always ready with valuable resources needed for efficient and effective deliberation. She is the epitome of the ‘caring lawyer,’ with a professional and intelligent style, a sharp wit and a confident presence so critical to a body of decision makers,” said Ken Van Portfliet, council president for the village of Lake Orion.

Kucharek encourages police chiefs to provide officers with emergency mental health intervention training so they can help people in need rather than sending them to jail. She advocates for fellow lawyers to also learn about the mental health system and helped build a relationship between the Oakland County Bar Association and the Oakland Community Health Network.

In 2019, Stephani LaBelle became lead attorney of Detroit’s Project Clean Slate, a free expungement program for Detroit residents.

Working with Mayor Mike Duggan and legislators to expand the expungement law, she testified before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. The expanded law, which makes people with up to three felonies and unlimited misdemeanors eligible, takes effect this spring.

“Stephani LaBelle is a great attorney and transformational leader. Her leadership, passion for helping people, and ability to optimize the expungement process, has led Project Clean Slate to become a nationally recognized model,” said Carrie Jones, senior adviser to Duggan and Project Clean Slate team lead.

Susan Lichterman co-founded and leads her firm’s Family Practice group. She has successfully advocated for women and men in domestic relations matters before trial courts throughout Michigan, the Michigan Court of Appeals and the Michigan Supreme Court.

Lichterman also sits on a panel of the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board, the adjudicative arm of the Michigan Supreme Court, where she helps conduct trial level proceedings that address alleged professional misconduct of members of the state bar.

“Susan has been absolutely instrumental in effectively building our family law practice group at Jaffe. That is a testament to Susan’s extraordinary professionalism and determination to take the firm’s level of expertise to new heights,” said Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss Managing Partner Jeff Weiss.

Lichterman also handles pro bono matters through the Family Law Assistance Project and Jewish Family Services and volunteers with the Capuchin Soup Kitchen Legal Clinic.

Mary Massaron loves life and the law and shares that passion with newer attorneys, helping them hone their writing skills, use logic and prepare persuasive, deeply researched legal arguments.

She also co-chairs Plunkett Cooney’s class action, aggregate litigation and mass tort practice group. One notable case includes arguing an appeal in the Sixth Circuit overturning a multimillion-dollar judgment against a police officer on the basis that he could not be held liable for a wrongful incarceration when his limited role meant he had no duty to further investigate at the early stage of the arrest and incarceration.

“Mary’s zealous commitment to improving the civil justice system is evidenced by her volunteer work, including her service as the first woman president of Lawyers for Civil Justice,” said LCJ Executive Director Andrea Looney.

Massaron also volunteers her time on three Detroit Institute of Arts auxiliary boards and Marygrove College’s board of directors.

THE LAW FIRM OF GARAN LUCOW MILLER PC

PROUDLY CONGRATULATES OUR COLLEAGUE

Ebony L. Duff FOR BEING HONORED AS ONE OF CRAIN'S 2021 NOTABLE WOMEN IN LAW

A HERITAGE OF DISTINCTION.....A LEGACY OF SUCCESS.

APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 21

BRANDY MATHIE

ALISON NELSON

MEGAN NORRIS

JENNIFER OERTEL

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Member, Kerr Russell Wayne State University Law School

Director of DEI Strategies and Program Planning, Ford Motor Co. Michigan State University College of Law

CEO, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone University of Michigan Law School

Member, Bodman PLC Northeastern University School of Law

Megan Norris, a veteran labor attorney who advises clients on matters from hiring to termination, is the first female CEO of Miller Canfield’s 169-year history. She is a fellow in the invite-only American College of Trial Lawyers and the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has successfully defended clients in courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Norris was lead partner in a suit against the University of Michigan that alleged discrimination, harassment, defamation and retaliation.

The case went to trial, and the jury returned a verdict in favor of the university. She also successfully defended Lowe’s in a matter brought by an employee regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act, extended time off and termination.

“Megan Norris is not only a well-known and respected litigator; she is also a highly effective leader,” said Michael McGee, former Miller Canfield CEO.

Jennifer Oertel previously served as the impact investing expert in residence for the Council of Michigan Foundations, resulting in $211 million of additional funding to Michigan communities.

In recent years, Oertel has represented international charity Extracorporeal Life Support Organization in structuring the COVID Critical Care Consortium with Oxford University and the University of Queensland and ELSO in providing a mechanism for doctors around the world to share real-time data.

Shortly after joining Bodman last year, she became co-chair of its new Exempt Organizations and Impact Investing group, vice chair of its diversity, equity and inclusion committee and a member of its Lateral Member Onboarding Task Force and bSuccessful (mentoring) Program committee.

“Jen Oertel embodies one of the most valuable skills of a leader, the ability to listen,” said Bodman member Jay Long.

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In addition to co-chairing Kerr Russell’s Associates’ Committee, Brandy Mathie is the firm’s first female chair of its Real Estate Practice Group and an original member of its relatively new Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Mathie played an integral role in helping Electrify America establish a public, national network for electric vehicles. She helped a municipal client redesign its downtown to include a new office building, a state-of-the-art police station and a reimagined city hall.

And she and her team also negotiated the new real estate services contract for a large automotive manufacturing client and the lease for its current U.S. headquarters.

“Brandy is a sound, practical attorney who has a grounded understanding of how business works. She also is very passionate about her clients and has involved herself with our nonprofit because she believes in what we do and not just because we are a client,” said Brad Coulter, president and CEO of Matrix Human Services.

In leading Ford’s diversity, equity and inclusion holistic governance and strategies, Alison Nelson is creating and implementing a companywide sponsorship program to increase the pipeline for a diverse group of leaders.

One such pipeline is the Ford Law Career Academy.

The academy, which Nelson leads, provides an immersed learning experience to spark in high school students, particularly minority and underrepresented students, an interest in pursuing legal careers.

“I have seen her engage in legal diversity pipeline efforts, engaging the next generation of underrepresented attorneys and encouraging them to persevere,” said Kwamina Thomas Williford, immediate past chair of NBA-CLS Commercial Law Section.

Further, Nelson advised on the Ford-Domino’s pilot program to use autonomous vehicles to deliver pizzas and led the termination of the distribution agreement for a dealership in Kuwait.

CHRISTINA HINES

Congratulations to our partner Congratulations!

Congratulations!

Susan Lichterman

Mary Massaron

Crain’s 2021 Notable Women in Law

Passionate.

Innovative.

Determined.

MARY MASSARON 38505 Woodward Ave., Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 T: (313) 983-4801 x mmassaron@plunkettcooney.com Michigan x Indiana x Illinois x Ohio x 22 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

www.plunkettcooney.com

SOUTHFIELD | DETROIT • 27777 Franklin Rd., Suite 2500, Southfield, MI 48034 248-351-3000 • JAFFELAW.COM

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LINDA PAULLIN-HEBDEN

WENDOLYN RICHARDS

DAMALI SAHU

LAYNE SAKWA

Executive Partner, Detroit Office, Warner Norcross + Judd LLP Wayne State University School of Law

Principal and Pro Bono Counsel, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC University of Virginia School of Law

Member, Banking Practice Group, Bodman PLC University of Michigan Law School

Partner, Fried Saperstein Sakwa PC University of Detroit Mercy School of Law

Linda Paullin-Hebden oversaw the construction of Warner’s new 30,000-square-foot Detroit office, which includes 70 offices and will focus on client service and attorney recruitment and retention.

In recent years, Paullin-Hebden has represented an automotive supplier’s more than $100 million sale of equity and assisted a technology company in raising more than $60 million in venture funds. She also represents investment advisers, many with more than $1 billion in assets.

Additionally, Paullin-Hebden is a co-founder of Belle Capital and helped develop the Michigan Women’s Foundation loan fund.

“Because of her work with us and her tremendous expertise in her field, she has encouraged us to ‘think big;’ and because of her legal counsel, MWF has been able to grow and become expert in areas like microlending, mergers and acquisitions and impact investing,” said MWF President and CEO Carolyn Cassin.

Wendolyn Richards manages more than 100 attorneys working more than 8,000 hours of pro bono service each year.

“Her leadership inspires us and enables us to take on complex pro bono matters in pursuit of promoting access to justice for all,” said former Miller Canfield CEO Michael McGee. Most recently, Richards led 14 firms nationwide in coordinating a state-specific poll worker guide project for the Brennan Center for Justice, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Association of Pro Bono Counsel. The project encouraged qualified candidates to apply to be poll workers on election day.

She also collaborated with Michigan Community Resources and the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation to establish a remote COVID-19 Small Business Clinic in Detroit, which pairs businesses with attorneys for short-term consultations on critical legal needs.

In addition to her involvement with several nonprofits and industry groups, Richards is a member of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (National) board and chair of the Voting Rights Working Group for the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance.

Tireless by nature, Damali Sahu leveraged her California licensure to develop a niche practice negotiating and documenting loans to technology-based companies that originate in California. To make this work, Sahu developed a new service delivery model that relies on advanced remote access technology.

“As a banking attorney, she has helped open new markets for our firm by developing a national practice in technology lending,” said Bodman Chair Carrie Leahy.

In recent years, she represented lenders in multimillion-dollar credit facilities to an international media and entertainment company, a digital health media company and a software company with an artificial intelligence engine.

“Within Bodman, she has (also) been a powerful voice in support of our efforts to increase the participation of women and minorities within the firm, including in leadership positions,” added Leahy.

Layne Sakwa, who has also represented politicians, athletes, entrepreneurs and domestic violence survivors, is a Category 1 on the Criminal Assignment Committee for Oakland County, meaning she is qualified to handle all life offenses.

In 2019, a few years after the U.S. Supreme Court required states to review cases of juveniles sentenced to mandatory life without parole, Sakwa was tasked with representing Sheldry Topp, the longest serving “juvenile lifer” in Michigan. Topp had been incarcerated for more than 56 years. After a three-day hearing, Sakwa was able to show he had been rehabilitated and secure his release.

“Layne Sakwa … developed a reputation for diligence and excellence in the practice of law. She presently serves with me on the Oakland Circuit Court Criminal Assignment Committee, the Women Officials Network Foundation, and is co-leader of the upcoming Oakland County Bar Association Circuit Court Bench Bar Conference-Criminal Section,” said Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Denise Langford Morris.

APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 23

ALEXIS SCHOSTAK

SARAH SCHULTE

SANGEETA SHAH

EMILY TAIT

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Member, Dykema Gossett PLLC Emory University School of Law

General Counsel, Michigan Technological University University of Michigan Law School

CEO, Brooks Kushman PC Wayne State University Law School

Partner, Jones Day University of Torino

As CEO of Brooks Kushman, Sangeeta Shah leads 160 attorneys and staff. She is also co-chair of the firm’s Post-Grant Practice Group of attorneys who confront and defend patents using challenges in the wake of the America Invents Act. According to IAM Patent 1000, she “does an immaculate job of breaking down complex patent law and technology concepts and relates well with other people.”

Shah successfully represented Ford Motor Co. before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and GKN Automotive in claims related to switchable four-wheel and two-wheel mode drivelines.

In addition, Shah, who was the firm’s chief diversity officer, hosts a podcast, called “Breaking Mindsets,” which features leaders who are overcoming barriers in their lives and in the legal industry.

Shah belongs to the American Intellectual Property Law Association and Intellectual Property Owners Association as a member of the U.S. Post-Grant Patent Office Practice Committee, among other organizations.

Emily Tait, who was Jones Day’s first Detroit intellectual property attorney, is immediate past president and a co-founder of the Michigan Intellectual Property American Inn of Court.

Tait has helped a software client fend off allegations of source code theft, guided an autonomous vehicle manufacturer through aspects of software licensing activities and compliance, and assisted nonprofits to secure IP rights.

To ensure she’s of service, she earned certification in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy from the MIT Sloan & Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.

“She brings a unique blend of smarts, intellectual curiosity and practicality to every matter,” said Tim Melton, Partner-inCharge of Jones Day’s Detroit office.

Tait also works toward combatting human trafficking and advancing civil justice reforms.

L I o

When the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lockdown orders, Alexis Schostak, who is Dykema Gossett’s member in charge of associate development, didn’t cut back on mentorship. Instead, she increased meetings from quarterly to weekly to ensure staff had the support they needed during difficult times.

Schostak also leads her firm’s Paycheck Protection Program loan response team. In 2020, she advised on more than 50 merger and acquisition transactions where PPP loans were involved. Her work has been key to Dykema adding 16 new private equity funds as clients.

“She interpreted and applied a hurriedly passed federal statute to real-life scenarios, helping clients to make difficult business and legal decisions. Under Alexis’ leadership, the Dykema team was able to shape the new law in a number of key areas favorable to the firm’s clients,” said Thomas Vaughn, member and co-leader of Dykema’s M&A Subgroup.

Sarah Schulte, who serves on the MTU President’s Council and board of trustees, educates on legal issues, helps assess risk and helps develop strategies to reach university goals.

“In addition to her general counsel responsibilities, over the past year she has exhibited a keen acuity for illuminating and managing risk as chair of the university’s pandemic response team. Her innate ability to lead teams and engage with university stakeholders through the lens of her legal training has been central to MTU’s successful pandemic response,” said Michigan Tech President Rick Koubek.

Prior to joining MTU, Schulte was chief of the University of Washington’s Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

The Kenwal Steel Corporation and The Eisenberg Family

Congratulate Sue Ellen Eisenberg Awarded by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of 2021’s “Notable Women in Law” “Next to excellence is the appreciation of it.”

– William Makepeace Thackeray

Sue Ellen Eisenberg and Associates are nationally recognized experts in employment law.

www.kenwal.com 24 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

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PERVIN TALEYARKHAN

KIMBERLY THOMAS

AMANDA VAN DUSEN

EVONNE XU

Legal Counsel, Whirlpool Corp.

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Priority Health Notre Dame Law School

Senior Counsel, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC University of Michigan Law School

Partner, Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC Fordham University School of Law

According to the Intellectual Property Association, Whirlpool is among the top 300 patent filers in the country. As the manufacturer’s legal counsel, Pervin Taleyarkhan handles matters such as patents, litigation, opensource software, international patent filings and third-party contractual agreements. She is the youngest member and only woman on the global patent legal team.

As a member of her 100-lawyer department’s Global Growth and Development Committee, Taleyarkhan is responsible for helping members remain current on topics of interest to the company and connect on processes and substantive legal issues.

Taleyarkhan is also an adjunct professor at Indiana University. As the school’s IP Clinic director, she provides businesses and inventors trademark and patent-related legal advice and provides law students with practical, collaborative experiences.

Kimberly Thomas has helped double the insurer’s revenue and membership, lower overall legal costs, improved contract provisions and reduced contract turnaround time.

Her career highlights include overseeing Priority Health’s merger of Total Health Care, a $340 million organization with nearly 100 employees.

Thomas also serves on the executive board of the Michigan Association of Health Plans.

“When I came on board as deputy executive director, Kim was integral in leading succession planning and leadership searches all while putting together a strategic plan to help amplify MAHP’s mission and create measurable outcomes for our organization,” said MAHP Executive Director Dominick Pallone.

Amanda Van Dusen, the lead finance lawyer for the city of Detroit during its bankruptcy, is bond counsel for financings and advises public sector clients on other matters affecting the business side of their operations.

Significant matters in recent years include being counsel for the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department as it and the Great Lakes Water Authority settled into their new role and helping the city through its related rate structure.

She was also bond counsel to the Detroit Public Schools in three refinancings of legacy voted debt of the old school district totaling $523 million. As a result, the district achieved more than $75 million in savings.

“Evonne is a corporate attorney possessing excellent technical skills and a sharp business mind who not only understands but anticipates the client’s needs, which results in an optimal outcome in transactions in which she is involved,” said Joseph DeVito, corporate group head at Howard & Howard.

Evonne Xu represented Alta Equipment Holdings Inc. in its public listing by merging it into a special purchase acquisition company with a pro forma enterprise value of approximately $540 million. Afterward, she represented the company in additional acquisitions totaling more than $200 million.

She was general outside corporate counsel to a Chinese home tool manufacturing company during its purchase of a U.S. brand under liquidation and advised on the rehire of 300 employees.

Xu also founded Chinese in Michigan, a networking platform for young Chinese professionals.

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Crain’s Detroit Business is seeking nominations for its 2021 class of 40 under Forty. We’re looking for today’s brightest under 40 who continue to make their mark within their company, their industry and their community.

SD ET RO

Nicolet Lewis

Winners will be featured in a special section of the Nov. 1 issue of Crain’s Detroit Business.

ATED FRO

store or 2.5 miles of a participating rs inCustomers who live within from commercial custome restaurant can order delivery Station and Tios Mexican Cafe. clude Zingerman’s, the Produce his Ph.D. in robotics from the the Midwest. The experience prepared her go the UM tons’ front office and 250 administrative for moving the PisJohnson-Roberson, who of tor employees to Detroit.

Australia, is also co-direc The team hired Lewis in the University of Sydney in founded and April 2019, and she was Vehicles ous promoted & Ford Center for AutonomPerception Lab, which research- this past June to senior vice presiden t of human resources with added oversight for commu d school’s Deep Robot Optical nity and social respons by foo systems. robotic for on r. ibility.

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BY CHADtrying, pandem but ic to building basketballfind 13 worke ntee all of the fourth19 small fraternity of artificial and trust ofCO er. there STIN WA d oth courts throughout the community. So, the Pistons 9 hit, turned to Lewis, A lot of people are out zer anhas helped city, AND DU guara have 25 by the end of Septemb four times since COVID-1 nd Or- theSm eltLewis uses to do making a native Detroiter who knew autonomous vehicles.

RVED coach to West Wia positive grantthe o neighbo. team there’s no experience and skill set —on TS RESE At the mi Le list needed someon with the city.

RIGH r im delivery orders are up three nts and stores on a waiting“They group ALL or orsmall . l rhood ms ore KE in Professio orn impact. up lab it is a very IONS INC. far Ventures e who understood the landscap 28 restaura xico-b re- and farm lab fac ICATStefanski, a managing director of eLab get the -pick show naltosports BEAR LAcapital city and somebody who on Page and the company has e of the MUN e Me the Bob Th NBA con said in particula tacts to r have it,” IN COM understood the complex ventureRKERS longtime the de in Ann Arbor. become s fornthighligh le move someon leto hand y of farm ting social is to as nature of what l COPYRIGHT 2020 CRAAnn Arbor, which joined in a recent $5 million See WO it is as it builds more vehicles chards, serves platform needs sweeks. a variet injustice e,” Lewis vehicle, called the REV-1, t end up migrahave a thealPistons NO. 36 l in been directly 36,the eltzer in recent Tom Henderson The three-wheeled robotic weighs about 125 pounds, ple tha erWhile Magan of season city ofisDetroit and was really said. “I was born and raised VOL.in h falnot from round for Refraction. — ers Sm involved ls of apin player ebike, excited about the rebirth ples eacLewis 22 supporti apstrikes, to six 34, 0 bushe rkets, hard cidprotests gally categorized as an cruiter to pickand holds up Lewis, of the city.” ic M-said formerly a human resource 100,00ng Black bucol 10-15 miles an hour and it maLives Matter on social media rkers the has fru s partner been about 4 feet tall, travels wo sh importa with Corp. ng Target fre and nt ty. for establishing the team’s Flagstar Bank, spent the alo in ment. values. yee first half of her career tee Coun grocery bags in its compart we look orchards in Manis“When ploat the road, opening and the turbulent times we’re on nd em closing banks and stores facing, just in in the nation, I think it’s highway , ageneral year-rou throughout tough for us to make sure Magana the community knows that we’re there for them, and it’s something that we strive to do every single day,” Lewis said.

— Kurt Nagl CRAIN’S

DETROIT

BUSINES

S PORTRA

ITS CRE

Senior vice president, hum an ction AI;resou Co-founder and CEO, Refra eering, rces, Detroit Pistons Associate professor of engin The Detroit Pistons and Nicolet Lewis wanted to return to their roots.

University of Michigan

John James September Hargrove Tom Leonard Kumar Kintala

Marc Hudson

NEWSPAP

ER

NOMINATIONS CLOSE: JUNE 30

ndate sting ma e t 9 -1 ID COV n state’s h back o s u p s r e rk farm wo Migrant

Christopher Letts

UNDER

FORTY

CRAIN’S DETRO IT BUSINESS

“MY PRIMARY GOA L VERY BEGINNING FROM THE WAS TO ENABLE THE PRIVATE SEC TOR TO CONTINUE DOING BUSINESS WH ON THE SAFETY AND ILE FOCUSING OF DETROITERS.” WELL-BEING — Chari ty Dean

“FOR YEARS, ONE OF ADVANTAGES RET THE BIGGEST AIL LENDERS HAVE HAD MORTGAGE INDEPENDENT MO OVER RTGAGE BROKERS IS THE Y ARE RELENTLES S WHEN IT COMES TO RETENTION AND CLIENT MA BRAND 360 LEVELS RKETING. FIELD AT NO COS THAT PLAYING T TO THE BROKER — Sarah DeCia .” ntis

Charity Dean

Director, Departm Rights, Inclusion ent of Civil , City of Detroit and Opportunity, When COVID-19 from Detroit Mayohit Detroit, Charity Dean receiv r Mike Duggan: ed The director of Help keep busin a mission diately set to work civil rights, inclusion and oppo esses afloat. government-ord to rescue small businesses in rtunity immethe city beset by ered “My primary goal closures and fear of the new virus. from the very private sector begin ning was to continue doing to the safety and business while enable the well-being of focusing on Detroiters,” Dean Dean, 36, first said. launched a curbs uted parking signs ide program, whic to businesses h distribb curbside picku p to do business. that abruptly had to switch to The city depa rtment also helpe negotiate the d hundreds complications of governmen of businesses t programs de de-

President, James Group it ce Vice president, head of Detro e International; CEO, Renaissan Co-founder and former CEO nthropy, JPMorgan Chas phila Global Logistics signe d ed Gove to Fiber see them throu rnment relat Rocket Chase & Co. announc gh, JPMorg ions, sedic incluan tion publ trucking and York-ba ding the Progr New father’s vari varia his 2014, am in in In Paych forgiv Detroit working in bilDirec able loan eck Prote invest toam idea to a torc-of deve E. James was program progr and ninth When John Another,focus polic $100 million lopm had pitched a business and other y and commua five-year ent summer betweendayeighth loans, y. regu of the s. commu lator compan By age 33, Marc Hudson low-interest busin yincludin to pract g grants Co-fo having unde ing logistics business in the iceessandassist about scaled and sold the resulting technolance tion, of ways, esses etybusin r, The Pine Harbor progr revitaliza get up to speed Bedr rhood complaining one am was ock lionaire, and then built, startupp helpt financing,onneighbo anity-dev grade, he remembers grou critical lifelin e-commercexpansio down on Detroit’s elopmen leader,ers e for Plun siness e, which n.

Now he wants to double busin kett became Coon and Grou ent esses stuck with clean bathrooms. eyofsmall-bu that p; First vice president, P.C. inside their that has e developm could,n’t was fully workforc money welco stores ahead that me custo ogy sector. schedule John A. James, had a response Kumar of Rocket Fiber, g the Kintala m- is working His father, shutdown in April And serving as CEO two yearsdurin 2017, she In million. on helpe $50 some al Former later. ns of d the addition Before co-founding and lead House largest real estate unicatioSpeakees and May. ed an a coalit Morgyou develop announc son a quarter-century r Tom ment ion of Chase Leonard projects his andhad to launc edthe gover year to Cleveland telecomm of the in downtow committ part barely up behind people, then an Stanley nment and h was busin clean settled n hisNorthvil Detroit’s native new Detro can’t Hargrove le into er which sold earlier this job you history.

‘If as it head Septemb Mean said, the But of resou ess“He the Plunkett and in 2018, s Busin he knows s LLC, recalls.

yearCooney Solution rces availa ess the That ity. “I wasthat, as director of develop them,’” the son porta law firm’s commun ment Loans sInc., l,Dan ble to help in front governa guide company Everstream into forofbillionai money to the practiceDean thatbusin Gilbert’s can’t expect to standment U.S. Senate, putting when engineer at Quickenrelation esses Bedrock LLC, and Christo bid for the week coronav Chase isteam pher Letts founded the second re athe he needs gradu gh theevery irus New swept ideaMichiga for then. pandem to Detroit making to look worked as a user interface ate of from pand Yorkthrou 39 and ic at thehis emicmicrom Oakla Pine Harbor Group, a wealth big picture, Now age . nd Unive than — who foundgreeflying Dan Gilbert on theinto and forth fromback anaging rsity andrather the Unive ment .James tells that story often about his fathermanage where he pitched founder startup. has Leonard’s first day role, rsity a law she said. of Detro as angroup at Morgan Stanley, six years ago, city,” So ic the 1971 — he withMarch hasdein growJohn it Mercy. Prior helped firm taken she activity was and has International ingrown waswas it to ag staff Bedrock’s developm of at the director Byup broadband internet provider exited that week, to her bank’s econom — terms the thenext Michiga a of five and $825 million under business of2.the entGroup curre Detroit-based James team from years before n was headed people city’s been heading Program, to shehired aed had 11,ifnt and She into Bridg management her for becomin a lockdow whos some 300 families. asked ing pair lesson ip he learnedtwo bank done. n e main of But just because he’s now Neigh isvirus, the to manager contain leadersh spread in When Hudson borh s funct for of the basis. the mean two oods early of thoseerlarge interim ion was to use projects: triggerin muniDetroit — doesn’t Ryan jumped g months pilot. ty Schell to manage beneon title,n she Letts, 36, nce offundi daily fitsan of her Army helicopt millio crises is a 2006 graduate of the the sale were not disclosed ” out $32 really busy,” the $909 inedmillion firm’sgot forpeop the “interim ng business in Point-tra law quickly to word combut West Renaissa the help developm y off, clients. on take the Eli Broad College of Busitime to the of subsidiar ent former J.L. Hudson’s departm Delra wanted le y neighborhood ness at Michiga Busi “So I took a little bit the deal t of JGI and CEO of its to the city. being reloc closing ated ent store neveron James is presiden fromclear to make really and moved site, and for Ford Motor n State University and is the first in his Rouse got a Inter few months since “I chance logistics full last Sam to the natio way manage at orientat the export became of it , for nal said the ion,” to graduate His college. $830Global family the Gordie Howe Leonard Bridg Hudson million , which existing , 39,and e. the data Monroe erallyfull Logistics said.

“Lit- research as again.”

Blockshandles I was becominDean into ally got my plate project eastChrysler Automobiles. from “Digging econom economof has serve growingRocket Companies Inc. ted in Co. and Fiat at De- g acclima A native was theGilbert’s with Everstream. “I accident has been thethe d on of the firm, . Toronto area, he (NYSE:Motors helping home I was greatest RKT) headqua chairman Co., General board sent and out Detroit’s working intymy that ofliability rters. is a citizen of three counAssoc the percent to me their father remains Grandmon baseme up 80year iation has of maket“Last been about tries, includin ntinworking In the short term, Hudson coun is CEO of JGI, and it prepares to ns, as through Detro building Com Lorron, America hours working it17 brother, a team and African daywho reins After earninggaCanada. His mother is Bahamian for and giving - on Wom is a amem space Bamboo Detroit executiv ic inequity themin 2012. to muni execute business e en’s orders Com and Letts is a for more citizen , 35.of the Mich with the family troit-based coworking projects,”James missi clients.” ofUniverHargroveber rejoined36, has plans the Bahamas; his grandfat on. — said Kintala, saidael andBloomfi on,” Oak, State Mich igan Royal populati Penn to in eld a graduate city’s from Hills-ba CEO, Universi the ent Lee her is Irish and Letts is of the sed Plunkett Cooney hired ed Jamie Dimon, Chase’s ty of Michigan and Massach managem open a second location citizennofinIreland. in supply chain a 2014, He was in the process Leonard to fill a hole in its practice Institute Universi And so she convinc nology. by the end was degree an usetts Tech-ty of Michiga of getting his U.S. citilocations. zenship, but the pandem MBA from the of to dive in “head by establishing million, to be invested“The priority governm citi to ready $50relation anda team.” grow alent sity said he’sand lobbying anaaddition em emic has slowed that process, s budget has been Kintala of RGL in 2015.

In the longer term, Hudson started financiael in Lansing . She said about $15 million of that likely a new presenc and it will at wait$29 miluntil James became from y in 2016CEO next year.

Neither early next year with afford the compan and has worked the firm’s partners nor to’saffordof 2022. revenue rs access Hudson onhas grownIn 2017, Letts first” later this year or JGI’s annual site development, Leonard a focus giving Detroitethe 2010, has onpredicte Since have now began a two-year stint as how important it would still working on. slated to include growing ployed, withcould d James said the business helpwith foot ip and tower president of the local technology concept he’s ownersh million last year.a 680hotel and resident chapter $122 “And I’m incredibly end up being d home during said. “continlion to ial of and this the , increase gy Hudson Associat pandem business housing space, technolo Detroit,” ion ic, able in as es for making talent, have Corporate Growth, at age had ond-tallest building in it in other the secto navigate Gov. Gretchees.

“I’m staying investments through seen all of these youngest president ever 33 the grownand m because we’ve business n Whitmer’s exec- master’s utive policy the state; brand the Monroe their orders and federal of the local chapter and in public their ect, which rounds bullish on the ecosyste opera econom has faced got her the youngest improvement.” Blocks projtionsprogram she stimulus anylunch,” when of the James and comp significant ... Series B type setbacks 2011, your ACG’s 59 chapters worldwi Har designuous eat of From s. ete on that companies ic 2015, Harand yourdelays tion ty, to competi recently exits and, you know, really going on.”Leonard has become that but de. haswill the firm’s Harvard Universi gone don’t,other lendattorney level from through indus-he “If you directly gto lead this year, Also with inlast plannin are in the zoning big ment interpre relationship process maintain Whitmer’sEdi and, urban consumers “For years was appointed to the develop ting a 50-year a 535-foot and significant raises that riseicon Demajeand in .econom orders, highone the site at 32 Monroesaid. ers, executiv finance advisor y “You don’tfor of roles often of athe board at the Broad variety fellow co-found biggefor had issues St. It’s lenders have grovetriaging st advan ents of other expected to include a mix the cliCollege of Business, While Hudson and his tages retail their legacy of resident Fiber, partners in the firm. had over indep ial, if you’re not good.” where he has trying to office tryacross mortgage helped . beendevelop and on from Rocket has retail Orleans moved support ende James to New , are s have the nt “I multiple relen cwake business Foster, resource school’s new wealthmort up every tless when it is passionate using buildings.

Randy infrastru gage about day and never Other broke an internet projects Outside of his family management rsLewis, come know what curriculum. keeping ber able to build is they of Kintala “Septem the sissue director to clien busy are the redevelo to be,” is going the DeCiantis t reten 80 ating,” Pamela elected office. will remain that they were 10 employe said “I spend around of tion to said. n themark eshe said. pment owners,” site etand campaig day underse break through into that onceion “Bran business lost ahas rved from housed the a problem d-solver.”

360 levels Republican“Chris costall a giftw.for connecting with half-built Wayne nity Foundat to the being ton Hills Leonard, a Republic ture company that grew the Commu Farming broker. Econom for playi County solidate an from Initiativethat people and an energy ConIn 2018, the ng d Jail field at DeWitt, Debbie and served threey terms at Gratiot Avenue drive Stabeno to asking no the New edproject that is infectious. I have “Brokers House, the last ina2017-201 seat against incumbent lot of our in the time of the sale.

I-375. is also fullyItcommitt can Senate d served on many boards n. “She setAfter is now expected for the U.S.and it and Michiga st forge the biggest story is (that) — Chad col and colyearsLivengoo to become for Southea over t it,” he and I have yet to see one Gary Peters. the lost the Unite of8 as speaker. the Detroit sherace things better, for attorney general 2018 “And so I think probably said. a bunch is taking Shore Center on making James for on function as effectively as tion, CEO Innovas, insisting This year, against dDemocr a joint ,” he said. “There are MatNessel, question effort on right ACG departed Ishbi between is at the Henders board Dana drivin the team a Tom Gilbert, ip ce — has under g started a public done.” called fellow billionaire Stephen leadersh his leadership, and leading force” in Unite experien Leonard d affairs things DeCi to get Ross others antisand consultin g dwith the University of Michiga with a lot of ... first-han “a key Whol g firm leaders is extremely difficult,” said laboratin with Quicken esale Mort come ex the large Loans free agents out there of his mainManes n. — Kirk Pinho as one gage’s growth Mark Winter, presiden clients. He worked st wholesale lende gy company.” — Nick to bet of Identity, a on the Bingham Farms marketin passage of auto insuranc DeCiantis r in the coun building up a technolo reform last year for the Detroit-b came to Unite g firm. — Tom Henders d Shore in 2014e try. ased mortgag on and Entertainm 7, 2020 e compan | SEPTEMBER In y. from Palace Sport late 2019, Presiden ent and the 18 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS t Donald Detro Trump nominated itLeonard s as vice president Pistons, where to be the U.S. attorney of marketing, she served in Grand Rapids. amon the Pisto But g his nominaother was blocked by U.S. Senate ns after several years tion roles. She came Democrats. — Chad Livengo to at advertising The Wayn e State agencies. od — Kumar Kintala 20 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS as one| of the mort University graduate has SEPTEMBE been recognized 2020 industry’s fessional Amer R 7,gage “Hot 100” by Mort ican and “Top gage Pro40 gage Profession al magazine. — under 40” by National Mort Michael Lee

SUBMIT A NOMINATION TODAY at crainsdetroit.com/nominate “AS A LAWYER, IT’S THE TANGIBLE PAR HARD TO SEE T BUT WITH THIS JOB OF YOUR WORK, YOU CAN.” — Katrina Desm ond

Sarah DeCian tis

Executive vice pre marketing officer sident and chief Financial Servic , United Shore es LLC

Solving the puzzle of how kers comp ete to help smal l mortgage bro with brosumer mortgage the marketing muscle of direct-to-con lenders has been onCiantis. a mission for Sarah DeDe DeCiantis, 38, mortgage whol has overseen marketing and esaler United advertising for Shore Financial 2017, a period during which Servi ces since the company’s pled to $1.09 billio reven trilist of fastest-grow n, earning it the top spot on ue nearly tri Crain’s Fast 50 ing companies Last year, DeCi this antis spearhead year. called Brand ed the launch 360 of a portal dent broker custofor Pontiac-based United Shore’s indep mers intended ento give them the ability to

CONGRATULATI

ONS

2020 40 Under 40 Ho noree

“LAST YEAR HAS BEEN ABOU T BUILDING A TEAM AND GIVIN TO EXECUTEAPRIL G THEM 19, 2021 | RITY CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS REINS ON PROJECTS. THE PRIO WAS TO GROW A TEAM.”

Katrina Desm on

Principal Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC

d

Disappearing blight and finan cities tell Katri cially sound na Desmond schools and she’s making The 34-yea ad

| 25 © 2020 JPMorgan Chase

& Co.

ST

KUR NAG CRA N D RO BU N

F om

The c ubhouse a Oak and H s Coun y C ub

Burns & McDonne Andrew K ne o ns Bu ns & McDonne n De o o suppo wa e and was ewa e des gn and cons uc on p o ec s eg onw de W h nea y 15 yea s o expe ence And ew has ed he de a ed des gn and ma n enance o e ec ca con o s and SCADA n as uc u e h oughou No h Ame ca se v ng he wa e was ewa e ede a comme c a ansm ss on/d s bu on and ndus a sec o s He has been ns umen a n he de ve y o c ca n as uc u e p o ec s o commun es ac oss M ch gan

PROMOTE. Why not?

PROMOTE. Why not?

PROMOTE. Why not?

September 2, 2019 | crainsdetroit.com

UNDER

Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations and Labor Relations, Oakland Schools

hroughout Dandridge Floyd’s careers — whether as a social worker, attorney or assistant superintendent of Oakland Schools — making change has always been a center point.

When United Way pitched a framework to Oakland Schools for a countywide breakfast program to address poor nutrition as a way to improve academic achievement, Floyd — who experienced food insecurity growing up — knew firsthand the powerful impact it could have.

To secure the needed funds, Floyd led a team that earned support from all 28 local districts to finance the program — despite the fact that a majority of them would see no benefit.

“The local districts were phenomenal,” Floyd said. “The biggest surprise was how quickly it happened. Education is a democratic system and democracy can be very slow, but this happened in six to seven months. That showed how committed people were to making sure the students of Oakland County have everything they need to be successful.”

In a county where over 7,000 children suffer from hunger, and only two in five eligible students access a school breakfast, Floyd said a common misperception is that “Oakland County is rich.”

“That makes this program all the more important, because if that is the bias or the thought process people have about Oakland County, then these kids would have never gotten help.”

In a groundbreaking public/nonprofit partnership between the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, Oakland Schools and United Way, Oakland County is Better with Breakfast was born.

“I’m impacting lives now,” Floyd said. “I know the effect food insecurity had on me and my peers growing up, and this was an opportunity to make a change that I wish an adult could have made for me.”

— Laura Cassar

October 30, 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

UBS to open downtown Detroit office

By Annalise Frank

October 30, 2017 | crainsdetroit.com

• UBS plans to open wealth management office in Detroit in mid-2018 • Office to include 6,000-squareBy Annalise Frank foot space30,nonprofits and civic October 2017 | crainsdetroit.com groups • UBS plans to open wealthcan use free of charge • Bedrock-owned buildings office in Detroit “I’m impacting lives now. management I know undergoing renovations in mid-2018

UBS to open downtown Detroit office

UBS to open downtown Detroit office

6,000-squarethe effect food insecurity• Office had onto includeUBS plans to open an office in downfoot space nonprofits and civic town Detroit in mid-2018, the company Annalise Frank growing groups meByand my peers up, andcan useannounced free of charge Monday.

• Bedrock-owned buildings

Bedrock LLC

ENG NEER NG / DES GN

UBS Group AG’s U.S. and Canadian UBSan plans to open wealth this•was opportunity toundergoing make a renovations wealth management business, New Jer-

management office in Detroit

sey-based Wealth Management change I wish an adult UBScould plans to open an office UBS in downin that mid-2018 Americas, to lease 13,000 square town Detroit in mid-2018, theplans company • Office to include 6,000-squarefeet on the connected sixth floors of have made for me.” announced Monday. foot space nonprofits and civic

UBS will lease 13,000 feet from Bedrock LLC starting around mid-2018 in two buildings: the Grinnell Building (center left) at 1515 Woodward Ave. and the Sanders Building (center right) at 1529

buildings at 1515 Wood- Woodward Ave. Group AG’sneighboring U.S. and Canadian groups can use free UBS of charge ward Ave. and Fourteen metro Detroit employees don’t really have adequate resources wealth management business, New 1529 Jer- Woodward Ave. • Bedrock-owned buildings The twoManagement buildings built around 1900 are will move to the downtown office to or adequate office space to host dosey-based UBS Wealth undergoing renovations

by Detroit-based will lease LLC 13,000 feet from Bedrock LLC starting around mid-2018 buildings: Grin- meetings or things nor events the or board start, but the office has the capacity toin two Americas, plans toowned lease 13,000 square UBSBedrock nell Building (center at 1515 Woodward andnew the Sanders Buildingalong (centerthose right) at 1529 Bush said. and are undergoing said left) lines,” hold another six toAve. eight staff memon inthe connected sixth floors of renovations, Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All RightsUBS reserved. plans to open anfeet office downAve. for bers, Bush said. It will act as an extension John Bush, 60, WoodMichiganWoodward market head UBS’s investment in the new ofneighboring buildings at 1515 Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD1134 town Detroit in mid-2018, the company UBS Wealth ManagementFourteen Americas.metro of fice will resources be “significant,” he said, as its the other wealth management offices. don’t really have adequate Detroit employees announced Monday. ward Ave. and 1529 Woodward Ave. “The real impetus open atonew The twoCanadian buildings built around 1900 arefor us “uniqueness Bush is based Birmingham office space to hostcomes do- at a price.” He said willto move the downtown office out to ofortheadequate UBS Group AG’s U.S. and office inBedrock Detroit is to support what’s owned by Detroit-based LLC he could or not yet provide an estimate but travels to to the will meetings norothers eventsand or board things start, but the goofficeoffice, has the capacity wealth management business, New Jering renovations, on in the city, ” saidhold Bush, a Detroit and are undergoing said on the be spending in thealong Detroit branch. those lines,” Bush said.cost of the build-out, as some another six to eight new stafftime memsey-based UBS Wealth Management nativemarket who grew City.

“We John Bush, 60, Michigan headup forin Garden have yet The location have atheless UBS’s investment in the new of- to be finalized. said. will act asDetroit an extension fromBush Bedrock LLCItstarting around mid-2018 in twowill buildings: Grin- contracts Americas, plans to lease 13,000 square UBS will lease 13,000 feetbers, UBS Wealth Management Americas. really felt like we wantedofto have a physfice will be “significant,” hecompany said, as its the other wealth management offices.

The plans to start its buildtraditional, more “urban” feelright) than 1515 Woodward Ave. and the Sanders Building (center atthe 1529 feet on the connected sixth floors of nell Building (center left) at “The real impetus for us to open new ical presence to reinforce “uniqueness comes at saidnext year, depending Bush is based outothers, of the he Birmingham outa price.” processHeearly said. New York-based architecAve. adowntown neighboring buildings office at 1515 Wood- toWoodward in Detroit is our support go-particular vision what’s for this areatravels and toture he will could not yet an estimate office, but the firm others and will Cale on when renovations on the buildings Verderame design the provide ward Ave. and 1529 ing Woodward Ave. don’t really have adequate resources Fourteen metro Detroit employees on in the city,”tosaid Bush, a Detroit reinforce our on Barton the costMalow of the build-out, as some be spending time inspace; the Detroit branch. are complete.

Southfield-based The two buildings builtnative around 1900 areup in adequate office space to have host dowill moveCity. to tothe officelocation to or will who grew Garden “Wedowntown commitment contracts finalized.

The Detroit have aon less based in Switzerland, employs Co. has signed as general contractor.yet to beUBS, owned by Detroit-based Bedrock nor events or board or things start, thea physoffice has the capacity really felt likeLLC we wanted tobut The company plans to startacross its buildtraditional, moreto“urban” than the outmeetings the city. ” have 60,000 54 countries. About 34 UBS feel plans to rent about half of the and are undergoing renovations, along those lines,” Bush said. early next year, depending hold six to eight new he staff memical presencesaid downtown toWealth reinforce out process others, said.

New office York-based architecUBS another percent of them work in the Ameri— 6,000 square feet — at no cost John Bush, 60, Michiganour market head UBS’s investment the renovations new of- on the buildings bers, said.

It will act an extension vision for for thisMparticular oninorganizations, when tureasfirm VerderametoCale will design theother a n aBush g e marea e n tand cas, according to a news release. UBS nonprofits and UBS Wealth Management will beMalow “significant,” he said, as its of the other also wealth management offices. ficeBarton to Americas. reinforce our Americas are be complete. space; Southfield-based Bush said. The space will called UBS Wealth Management Americas em“The real impetus for commitment us to open a new “uniqueness comes at a price.”

He said is based thehas Birmingham to has Bush based signed on as Woodward general contractor. metro De- out ofCo. ploys 280employs in Michigan, 225 of whom Gallery. Its UBS, design and in artSwitzerland, office in Detroit is to support what’s go- office, but travels to theUBS heabout couldhalf not yet provide an estimate others and the city. ” 60,000 across 54 countries.

About 34 Detroit. plans towill rent will out of the troit offices in aim to showcase Detroit’s history are based in metro ing on in the city,” said Bush, on the cost the build-out, asthem somework in the Amerispending Detroit branch.

UBS a Detroit Wealth B be percent office — 6,000 square at noofcost irm i n g h a time m , in the The wealth management business andfeet a— hub-and-spoke layout ofwill renative who grew up in Garden contracts have yet tocas, be finalized.

M a n a gCity. e m“We e n t Troy, The Detroit locationtowill have a and less other according to a news release.

UBS nonprofits organizations, Farmington recorded operating income of $2.13 flect the city’s road system. really felt like we wanted to have a physAmericas also Hills, The plans to startManagement its buildtraditional, more “urban” Wealth Americas em- quarter of 2017 — a Bushfeel said.than The the space will becompany called Plymouth in the third “Some of theUBS organizations that op- billion ical presence downtown to reinforce has metro De- others, he said. New York-based outdesign process early year,280 depending architecploys in Michigan, 225 of whom Woodward Gallery.

Its and art next John Bush erate and Dearborn. and provide services in the city 7 percent increase over last year. our vision for this particular area and troit offices in ture firm Verderame Cale when renovations the buildings the onDetroit’s in metro Detroit. will will aimdesign to showcase history areonbased to reinforce our B i r m i n g h a m , space; Southfield-based complete.

Malow arelayout The wealth management business andBarton a hub-and-spoke will reReprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. commitment to Troy, Farmington Co. has signed on as general UBS, basedis prohibited. in Switzerland, employs income recorded operating contractor. flectFurther the city’s road without system. duplication permission Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936of $2.13 Hills, Plymouth the city.” billion in About the third “Somehalf of the organizations that op60,000 across 54 countries.

34quarter of 2017 — a UBS plans to rent out about of the John Bush and Dearborn.

UBS Wealth 7 percent and provide city work percentinofthe them in theincrease Ameri-over last year. office — 6,000 squareerate feet — at no cost services Management to nonprofits and other organizations, cas, according to a news release. UBS Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved.

Americas also Wealth Management Americas emBush said.

The space will be Detroit calledBusiness.

UBS © 2019 Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936 has metro DeWoodward Gallery. Its design and art ploys 280 in Michigan, 225 of whom troit offices in will aim to showcase Detroit’s history are based in metro Detroit.

Birmingham, The wealth management business and a hub-and-spoke layout will reCRAINSDETROIT.COM I MARCH 9, 2020 I Troy, Farmington recorded operating income of $2.13 flect the city’s road system.

THE CONVERSATION Hills, Plymouth “Some of the organizations that op- billion in the third quarter of 2017 — a John Bush erate and provide services in the city 7 percent increase over last year. and Dearborn.

Bedrock LLC

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Bedrock LLC

The course overhaul, led by revered golf course architect Gil Hanse, sought to restore it to its Donald Ross roots and make it easier and more enjoyable for members but also flexible enough to challenge the pros with a championship setup.

“This place is going to be tournament ready the day we open it,” said Steve Brady, head professional at the golf club. “We’re not going to open it without it being A1 quality.”

The pricey PrecisionAire temperature control systems have been installed under every green, and the “Better Billy Bunker” sand traps have all been completed. Brady said the first 12 holes are in “fantastic shape” and ready to play, while the final six just require a bit more grow-

DA

ple on the grounds.

F om “THIS PLACE IS GOING TO BE TOURNAMENT But the exposure of a major championship raises the profile of a F READY THE DAY WE OPEN IT. WE RE NOT course, and for a club like Oakland cen GOING TO OPEN IT WITHOUT IT BEING A1 Hills, its reputation as hallowed abo ground for the best in the game pan QUALITY.” boosts the value of a membership ng — S eve Brady head pro ess ona Oak and H s there.

Securing the U.S. Open is more of Ris a delicate dance than a bid, according in and a touch of “finishing car- est in becoming a member has ing to Pooler. The invitation is out, A grown significantly now that the pentry.” and the club is waiting patiently for mor Understandably, members are South Course is set to reopen. Poola response.

Lov getting antsy. The number of rounds er said Oakland Hills is “at the preci“I have a wonderful relationship g ve played on its North Course — the pice” of a waitlist. The club has 575 (with the USGA),” Pooler said. “I s Ce Success or“Th other 18-hole course that has re- full-time members. know them all.ebrate They’re my your very good Prospective members must be remained open — is up significantly friends. earnednts their& respect as a w thI’veRepr Recogn t onLov ferred by current members. The cost from last year. leader in the industry … I think the Ca “It’s been a long time coming for to join is a $75,000 one-time initiation most important thing is that Products! we F rs the membership,” Brady said. fee and $900 per month for golf; food prove our preparedness, which I H and beverage not included, a club “Members are excited.” think this club has done.” acco Brady said the club did not see spokesman previously confirmed to occu members opt to leave when con- Crain’s. Members paid for the renovaContact: knagl@crain.com; 12 o struction started, but he said inter- tion project via a new assessment.

(313) 446-0337; @kurt_nagl cou 40 asse 40 cord T L Advert s ng Sect on ness —F To p ace your st ng v s t www cra nsdetro t com/peop e-on-the-move wd dors or for more nformat on contact Debora Ste n at 917 226 5470 / dste n@cra n com add “A ha GOVERNMENT / NGO REAL ESTATE we u sou D str ct Cap ta LLC Oak and Commun ty no Hea th Network Celebrate your Success oco Gr ffin Sa e has o ned with Reprints & Recognition Vas s K Poz os hem D s c Cap a as a M D DFAPA s he cus Products!

F nanc a Ana ys P o a new Ch e Med ca o o n ng he eam orn Ce ebrate your Success O fice a Oak and G fin wo ked a secu Commun y Hea h w th Repr nts & Recogn t on Hun ng on Na ona De r Ne wo k OCHN n Bank whe e he pe o med c ed 40 Products! fie d Dandridge Floyd, 37 h s o e he ove sees OCHN s 40 ana ys s o ex s ng and po en a ong T mp emen a on o c n ca enan s wo ked on oan wee p ac ces o ensu e he unde w ngs nc ud ng enewa s beca hea hca e de ve y sys em prac ex ens ons and new money ma n a ns v a ou comes o “S dea s He had ass s ed on he 40 peop e se ved D Poz os s whe 40 po o os o CRE and Laura Picariello a o boa d ce fied n o ens c and T Commun y Deve opmen Repr n s Sa es Manager secu gene a psych a y w h h oughou he M dwes G fin whe Phone (732) 723-0569 spec a zed a n ng n v o ence g adua ed om he Rube Schoo com sk/ h ea assessmen H s Fax (888) 299-2205 o Bus ness – Be a m ne (cou n e es n educ ng men a ness Un ve s y w h a bache o s Ema p car e o@cra n com end s gma s eflec ed n nume ous deg ee n F nance d sp academ c and popu a caus pub ca ons dv and be w Established in 1916, Oakland Hills has hosted six U.S. Opens — its last in 1996. It hosted the Ryder Cup in 2004, and the last major to take place there and in the state was the PGA Championship in 2008. In 2016, it hosted the U.S. Amateur — the nation’s top tournament for amateur golfers, which is hosted by the USGA. Pooler said the club is focused on hosting USGA events, including its flagship major. U.S. Open sites have been selected through 2027, leaving clubs to vie for the next available slot.

The USGA did not respond to a request for comment.

Hosting a major golf tournament is a heavy lift for club management and often a hassle for members, who lose access to the course during preparations for the event and deal with the wear and tear of grandstands, tents and thousands of peo-

PHOTOGRAPH BY JACOB LEWKOW FOR CRAIN’S

OAKLAND

F om Page 3

Th ph s y Ama w S s yF Ven s ar Red men Th gear s ag mar ves Chr or R Arbo men B ue “A cap hey s ag “Wh eed

Albert Berriz talks workforce housing, Ann Arbor and Cuba

Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2019 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. | BY KIRK PINHO Further duplication without permission is prohibited. Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936

MCKINLEY INC.: Ann Arbor-based real estate company McKinley Inc. saw the writing on the wall for its retail portfolio a few years ago and cut bait, turning its focus primarily to its large crop of tens of thousands of workforce housing units across the country. One of the people at the helm of that decision was Albert Berriz, CEO and managing member, who came to America as a young boy fleeing Cuba and now steers a large company with a portfolio valued at more than $4 billion. `Crain’s Detroit Business: Can you talk a little bit about how the McKinley portfolio began and where it’s at today?

Berriz: McKinley started in 1968 in Ann Arbor, and it was founded by (former U.S.) Ambassador Ron Weiser. It started in the student housing business and eventually transitioned into more traditional multifamily housing, and in addition to that, office and retail, as well. Today, we’re primarily a workforce housing multifamily operator. We have essentially disposed of our retail and office assets in an effort to really focus on multifamily and also focus on an asset class that I think is more in line with our current goal, which is to have a generational multifamily real estate enterprise and a pool of assets that really are long term in nature.

workf housing versus ` Explain workforce affordable housing.

We’re not in luxury housing. Our residents are working. They’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and go to work. Our average rents are, for example, in Washtenaw County, about $1,100 to $1,200 or in Orange County, or Seminole County, Florida, $1,400 or $1,500. So these are affordable rents. And the difference between us and affordable housing is our buildings are not subsidized. They’re all market rate, and they’re all privately owned. The owners are not receiving any form of subsidy, nor are the residents.

However, if you wanted to sort of assess residents and low-income housing tax credit deals compared to ours, they’re probably not too dissimilar, the median incomes. The McKinley residents in, let’s say, Washtenaw County, when you look at the numbers are probably not going to be too much different than what you would see in a traditional LIHTC deal.

But again, our buildings, the primary differences, our buildings are market rate and they’re not subsidized any way.

`II don’ don’t think it’s overblown to use the word “crisis” for Ann Arbor’s afford affordable housing situation. Give us your perspective on how the city should go about addressing it.

I think it’s a supply issue. The reality is that Ann Arbor has not really welcomed solutions from the private sector and has only sought solutions from the public housing side or the community nonprofit side. And both of those groups, while I think they’re very well intentioned, don’t have the capital and the expertise to resolve the problem at the scale it’s needed. To put it in perspective, you know, the Washtenaw County study that came out had a need of about 3,000 units.

And if you look at the cost per unit today, and let’s say $250,000 or $300,000 per unit to build a brand new unit today, you know, it’s an $800 million to a $1 billion problem, so I don’t think that’s a problem that gets resolved on the public side or on the community nonprofit side.

You know, they have to go to places to seek capital and there just isn’t enough capital, nor do they have enough resources or expertise to resolve the problems. So the city I think, by and large, has attempted to do this in those ways because they really haven’t welcomed the private side. And there is a lot of expertise and there’s a lot of capital that could do this, from the private side perspective. It just hasn’t been the way that Ann Arbor operates, so you see what has happened in Ann Arbor year over year, decade over decade is there’s a lot of conversations about affordable housing, but there’s no solutions. `You were talking a little bit earlier about how McKinley got out of retail and office. What led to that decision and how has that reflected or shaped your business strategy?

It was a risk profile that we were just not comfortable with. We are a generational business and so we look at our assets in

a way that we never expect to sell them.

We expect to invest in them so they last for long term, and we just couldn’t see that on retail. We saw a significant degradation of our rent rolls. We had buildings that were, let’s say, 70 percent to 80 percent investment-grade credit tenant composition and then we saw that we saw that quickly degrade. We just didn’t see a place where we could really have an asset class retail that would last for the long run.

And then office in many ways, the same way. The way people are shopping and the way people are occupying offices today, the risk profile is very different than it was, let’s say, when we were making those investments 20 and 30 years ago, so for us, it was the right move.

It’s paid off because, had we held many of the assets today, they would be significantly compromised. I think they would be worth a lot less. We started those sales about six years ago, and we sold a lot of that early on, so we sold them still at a time they were being valued significantly more than they would be worth today, in our opinion.

And we sold some big buildings.

I mean, these weren’t small buildings. We sold a 1 millionsquare-foot shopping center, for example, in Norfolk, Va., which is one of the largest power centers in the state of Virginia. So these weren’t small assets. So they were important for us to move them out at the right time, and for people that thought that was there was a good upside for them, so we actually sold them at good prices, and certainly we couldn’t have sold them at those prices today.

trajectory was to where you are today in terms of the head of McKinley.

I left (Cuba) compliments of Fidel Castro in early 1959 because of the Cuban Revolution. We had to flee. It was survival to leave the country at the time and my parents relocated to Miami. We were fortunate for that. We’re fortunate to have left alive, fortunate to have resettled in what is without question the greatest country on the planet. I was not born here. I was born in Havana and I emigrated as a Cuban refugee just before I was 4 years old with my parents.

`What consumes your day outside of the office?

My wife and I walk. We like to boat, so those are the two things. In our summers we live at Saugatuck, and it’s a great place to live. We’d live there year-round, but it’s a little too cold in the winter.

`Can you give thumbnail sketch of coming here and what your

Albert Berriz, CEO and managing man member, McKinley Inc.

Reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business. © 2020 Crain Communications Inc. All rights reserved.

Further duplication without permission is prohibited. #CD1156

26 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

Laura Picariello

Reprints Sales Manager Phone: (732) 723-0569

STARTUP

From Page 3

KURT NAGL/CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS

The Accelerate Blue Fund is purely philanthropic, according to the university, and has a host of donors, including Amazon. Any returns from investments will be cycled back into the fund.

Similarly, the Michigan State University Foundation operates the Red Cedar Ventures funds to help commercialize startups at the East Lansing institution.

Red Cedar has assets under management of $11 million.

The emergence of another VC fund geared toward investments in early stage startups helps to fill a gap in the market and provides validation for investors down the road, according to Chris Rizik, the CEO and fund manager for Renaissance Venture Capital in Ann Arbor, and who also chairs the investment committee for the Accelerate Blue Fund.

“As we’re trying to attract venture capital funds from around the country, they typically are not looking at the stage that Accelerate Blue is,” said Rizik.

“What they’re looking for is stuff that is teed up.”

Lanier wrote in an emailed statement to Crain’s.

The bank declined any further comment.

Additionally, Livonia-based health care system Trinity Health said earlier this month that some of its data had also been compromised in the Accellion breach, which began late last year.

Included in the breached files were names, addresses, and various medical records.

“A very small number” of those imCRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS pacted had their Social Security and credit card numbers breached, the health care system said.

“At Trinity Health, safety is a top priority — including the safety of personal information,” a Trinity Health spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to Crain’s. “Trinity Health took immediate action and launched our own internal investigation as soon as we were notified of the security incident by Accellion. Trinity Health takes these matters seriously and follows all the regulatory report-

“TOO OFTEN, FAILURE TO BE TRANSPARENT IS ONLY GOING TO COME BACK AND BITE YOU LATER IN TIME.”

nization to identify and contain a breach: 280 days.

The report looks at four main areas of cost for an organization dealing with a breach: detection and escalation, lost business, notification and ex-post response.

Lost business is the largest contributing cost factor, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the average total cost of a breach, according to the report.

“Lost business costs included increased customer turnover, lost revenue due to system downtime and the increasing cost of acquiring new business due to diminished reputation,” according to the report.

So what happens when a company is victim of a breach, whether directly or through a third-party? Koering with Miller Canfield says executives walk a fine line between mandated legal disclosures — which can differ from state to state — and public relations, especially given that the largest cost associated with a hack tends to be the loss of business, in part from a diminished reputation.

Therefore, it’s best to provide notification to those potentially affected, “but not to over-notify,” said Koering.

Lovell with First State Bank agreed, saying that given people’s broader awareness of cybersecurity, transparency can typically be a business’ best friend.

“Too often, failure to be transparent is only going to come back and bite you later in time,” said Lovell. “And none of us want to hurt anybody else.

We want to be as open on these things as we can, and quite often, we’re just learning things ourselves.”

— Eugene Lovell, president and CEO, First State Bank

Locals impacted

Between 1996 and 2017, academic technology transfer contributed a total of $865 billion to the U.S. GDP, and “supported” 5.9 million jobs, according to figures from AUTM, an industry trade group formerly known as the Association of University Technology Managers.

Closer to home, the Lansing-based University Research Corridor serves as an alliance between the state’s three research institutions, UM, Michigan State University and Wayne State University.

While the group has not put out an updated economic impact report, URC Executive Director Britany Affolter-Caine told Crain’s that research activity from the three institutions amounted to a net impact of $19.3 billion for the 2019 fiscal year, up from $18.7 billion the previous fiscal year.

While 2020 was undoubtedly a year of hardship given the pandemic and ensuing economic struggles, business formation at the university level has been steadily increasing, multiple sources said.

From Page 3

Flash forward one year, and 47 percent of CEOs expressed concern about cybersecurity, second only to pandemics and health crises, according to the PwC report.

OTE.

Risks abound

e of ordout, for

As hacks and breaches become more common, bankers like Eugene Lovell are on particularly high alert, ship given that banks are popular targets . “I such hacking attempts. rood Successfor“Th is is where the money is,” said as a Lovell, the president and CEO of St. cognition the Clair Shores-based community bank Products! we First State Bank. h I Hacking attempts of various sorts, according to Lovell, are a near-daily occurrence at First State Bank, with 12 locations in Macomb and Oakland counties and just under $1 billion in assets as of the end of last year, according to a federal regulatory filing.

Like most banks — and other businesses operating during these times — First State Bank is dependent on a town Detroit office wide assortment of third-party venDetroit office dors for various functions, which just office adds to vulnerability.

“And I think one of the biggest risks that we face is … all of (the software we use is) provided from a third party source,” said Lovell. “And if they’re not following appropriate safety protocols, not only are they endangering themselves, but they’re endangering customers and that would be us.”

Jacob Koering, a Chicago-based attorney and the founder of the cybers security and data privacy practice for n Detroit-based law firm Miller Can! field, said that too often he sees long-established partnerships between companies and vendors go bad because proper risk-management practices are not put in place.

“So decades-old relationships, where the original formation of the relationship didn’t really consider the security impact of what happens when you’re sharing data amongst companies, and what the end result (could be),” said Koering. “And those om end up being the biggest and ugliest disputes between companies, because they just haven’t articulated or divided the risk on how data sharing and issues are going to be dealt with between the parties.”

y not?

Bedrock LLC

ainsdetroit.com

Bedrock LLC

t from Bedrock LLC starting around mid-2018 in two buildings: the Grinat 1515 Woodward Ave. and the Sanders Building (center right) at 1529

Bedrock LLC

Detroit employees don’t really have adequate resources wntown office to or adequate office space to host doting around mid-2018 buildings: Grin- meetings or things nor events the or board as the capacity toin two andnew the Sanders Buildingalong (centerthose right) at 1529 Bush said. lines,” ht staff memUBS’s investment in the new ofact as an extension fice will resources be “significant,” he said, as its anagement offices. don’t really have adequate “uniqueness ofortheadequate Birmingham office space to hostcomes do- at a price.” He said he could or not yet provide an estimate he will meetings norothers eventsand or board things on the healong Detroit branch. those lines,” Bush said.cost of the build-out, as some have yet ntwowill have atheless UBS’s investment in the new of- to be finalized. buildings: Grin- contracts will be “significant,” hecompany said, as its The plans to start its buildban” feelright) than gfice (center atthe 1529 “uniqueness comes at saidnext year, depending outa price.” processHe early ork-based architeche will could not yet an estimate on when renovations on the buildings Cale design the provide adequate resources on Barton the cost of the build-out, as some are complete. ed Malow space to have host docontracts finalized. based in Switzerland, employs eneral contractor.yet to beUBS, meetings or things The company plans to start its buildut about half of the 60,000 across 54 countries. About 34 Bush said. early next year, depending e out feetprocess — at no cost percent of them work in the Amerintoninwhen the renovations new of- on the buildings cas, according to a news release. UBS her organizations, cant,” he said, as its are complete. will be called UBS Wealth Management Americas ems atUBS, a price.”

He said based ploys 280employs in Michigan, 225 of whom Its design and in artSwitzerland, rovide an estimate across 54 countries.

34 Detroit. are basedAbout in metro e 60,000 Detroit’s history build-out, asthem somework in the Ameripercent of The wealth management business ke layout will reocas, be finalized. according to a news release.

UBS recorded operating income of $2.13 ystem. ns to startManagement its buildWealth Americas em- quarter of 2017 — a in the third nizations that op- billion ext year,280 depending ploys in Michigan, 225 of whom ervices in the city 7 percent increase over last year. ns the buildings areonbased in metro Detroit.

The wealth management business 019 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights reserved. witzerland, employs income recorded operating ted.

Visit www.crainsdetroit.com. #CD936of $2.13 billion in About the third ountries.

34quarter of 2017 — a 7 percent work in theincrease Ameri-over last year. news release. UBS s Inc. All Rights reserved. ent Americas em.com. #CD936 gan, 225 of whom Detroit. nagement business g income of $2.13 quarter of 2017 — a over last year.

?

Jeff Wesley, executive director of Red Cedar Ventures, acknowledged that certainly the pandemic has hit some segments of the university tech startup sector, but many entrepreneurs were able to pivot quickly.

“People are looking at this and seeing this is an opportunity,” said Wesley, adding that those with a medical device startup, for instance, went and figured out how to get the device situated for use at home.

Others, he said, took advantage of the all-virtual world many found themselves living in and sudden ability to pitch their company anywhere over Zoom.

“So it created new opportunities for them,” he said.

Stephen Lanier, vice president for research at Wayne State in Detroit, also said tech transfer has remained healthy.

“Overall, deal activity and discussions have remained steady during the pandemic period as business strategies adjusted to the larger economic dynamics depending on the specific technology sector with a notable uptick in deal interest and spinouts beginning in fall of 2020,”

DATA

amf a and wed ame ship

.

No slowdown

Koering

Lovell

As threats ramp up, banks are April 19, 2021 spending more on security. A Deloitte report last August found that banks and other financial services firms had increased spending by 15 percent in an effort to protect athome computer networks.

Average spending per employee was budgeted at $2,691, up from $2,337 in 2019, according to the poll conducted by Deloitte and the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an industry group known as FS-ISAC. Some firms have budgeted as much as $3,322 per employee for cybersecurity, up from the $3,000 maximum last year.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., the country’s largest bank with north of $3 trillion in assets, spends upward of $600 million per year on cybersecurity protection, according to a letter to shareholders written and published earlier this month by CEO Jamie Dimon.

“Threats to our cybersecurity need urgent attention from our government as issues of national security and impediments to trade,” Dimon wrote. “Governments should build on prior agreements in the United Nations, recognizing the applicability of international law to cyberspace and enforcing obligations to hold bad actors accountable.”

Costly business The Ponemon Institute in 2020 put the average cost of a data breach at nearly $4 million, according to its annual Cost of a Data Breach report.

The average time it takes for an orga-

In recent weeks, two large metro Detroit-based institutions have acknowledged that customer data was compromised as part of a large breach of a third-party vendor.

Troy-based Flagstar Bancorp. in early March informed customers “that the unauthorized party was able to access some of Flagstar’s information” on the platform of file-sharing company Accellion Inc., a large-scale hack which began late last year and has impacted scores of businesses and institutions.

As a result, Flagstar said it will offer those impacted a free two-year membership in credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.

Filling a need Startup activity at UM has been steadily on the rise as well. As Crain’s reported last September, the Ann Arbor university reported 31 startups launching from the institution in the 2020 fiscal year, a 40 percent increase over the previous year.

All of the university’s startups raised a total of $237 million in the 2020 fiscal year, while startups in the previous fiscal year raised $643 million.

More deals at smaller values became a common theme in the angel investing community last year.

Sexton with UM’s tech transfer office told Crain’s that getting out of perpetual fundraising mode and building the Accelerate Blue Fund to the goal of $20 million as quickly as possible remains a goal.

The university will use convertible notes and an investment mechanism known as SAFE, or Simple Agreement for Future Equity. Pioneered by startup accelerator Y Combinator,

the instrument allows for money up front for a founder with the promise to the investor of shares further down the road once the company raises a priced round.

The university says its investments will be in the range of $25,000 to $250,000.

To be sure, a great many other research institutions around the country have university-sponsored venture capital funds akin to the Accelerate Blue Fund, including many of UM’s rivals in the Big Ten. Sexton said she anticipates the university investing to only increase as time goes on, particularly as much of the traditional VC community prefers less-risky, later stage companies.

“We’re not the only university that’s, you know, recognizing this as a need,” said Sexton. “Even universities that are in some of the richest investment ecosystems in the world are seeing the need to support these tough tech startup companies with early stage, patient, risk-tolerant capital.”

Contact: nmanes@crain.com; (313) 446-1626; @nickrmanes ing requirements related to privacy and security incidents. You can find additional information on our substitute notice page Accellion Data Event.

We have no further details to share on this matter.”

Accellion has since said that the vulnerabilities that allowed for the breach have been fixed.

While there’s no way to ensure 100 percent safety from breaches, experts say building a culture of security in the workplace goes a long way.

“When you establish security protocols, follow them,” suggests Lovell with First State Bank. “A lot of times, you put these in place, and you think that risk is so remote, you don’t pay attention when the bad person is basically knocking at your door.”

— Crain’s Detroit Senior Reporter Jay Greene and Bloomberg News contributed to this report Contact: nmanes@crain.com; (313) 446-1626; @nickrmanes

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APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 27

HOME SALES

COVID SURGE

From Page 1

“The other part of it is a newer home is safer and more energy efficient, as well,” said Michael Stoskopf, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan. “If the only house that a younger couple can afford is a 1952 ranch in Sterling Heights or St. Clair Shores, it was probably insulated with crushed up paper and the wiring may be suspect.

If you are paying $400 a month in energy bills in the winter, it makes that less affordable as well because more of your income is going to support the maintenance and ongoing operation of the home.”

Increased building costs have placed new housing out of reach for first-time buyers, many of whom are already saddled with things that previous generations were not: namely large student loan debt obligations and high health care costs shouldered

“You walk in and it is just insanity. Every room is full. The waiting rooms are always full.

You see wheelchair after wheelchair,” Dagg-Barr said. “It takes eight to nine hours to find an ER bed and people are waiting two days for a hospital bed.”

Dagg-Barr said the nurses and technicians are getting exhausted. “It is a constant struggle to treat patients. You look down the hall and see more and more patients,” she said. “People are just sicker. Everyone took a break from seeing their doctors, and now they are coming into the ER.” Dr. Rob Davidson, an ER doc-

Townhomes like these by Robertson Bros. in Hazel Park are increasingly becoming the most accessible housing for first-time home buyers.

on a lesser scale by their employers, among other factors.

Things like land prices, infrastructure, local zoning and building requirements, materials (see related story, Page 9) — all of those add to the

WHERE TO BUY

Least expensive, most expensive metro Detroit communities What follows are the communities in southeast Michigan with the most expensive new single-family housing starts and the communities with the least expensive new single-family housing starts.

This list was calculated based on data from the Home Builders Association for Southeastern Michigan, which provided a list of all the communities in the nine-county region it tracks, the number of single-family housing permits in each community and the construction value listed on those permits, which were issued between January 2020 and February this year.

An estimated sales price was calculated by adding 40 percent to the average construction value of those permits to account for things like developer profit, land costs and other things.

Number of Permits

MOST EXPENSIVE ORCHARD LAKE

$7.525 million

2

FRANKLIN

$1.18 million

3

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP

$993,745

66

ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP

$915,338

16

FLINT

$910,000

2

BLOOMFIELD HILLS

$879,200

6

BIRMINGHAM

$789,880

80

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

$735,994

69

ROCHESTER

$734,000

7

HARRISON TOWNSHIP

$706,745

11

LEAST EXPENSIVE ROMULUS

$127,449

86

WOODHAVEN

$128,358

19

MUSSEY TOWNSHIP

$130,200

1

PORT HURON

$158,200

4

HAZEL PARK

$163,230

27

WALLED LAKE

$168,000

36

BRIGHTON

$178,885

40

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP

$195,338

91

TRENTON

$207,200

7

TIE

$210,000

See Below

LYNN TOWNSHIP (one permit); EAST CHINA TOWNSHIP (one permit); RILEY TOWNSHIP (three permits); LASALLE TOWNSHIP (five permits); EMMETT TOWNSHIP (five permits); KENOKEE TOWNSHIP (five permits); CASCO TOWNSHIP (six permits); CHINA TOWNSHIP (six permits); WESTLAND (seven permits); BERLIN TOWNSHIP (eight permits); BELLEVILLE (nine permits); WALES TOWNSHIP (10 permits); RAISINVILLE TOWNSHIP (17 permits); LAPEER (35 permits); and HOLLY TOWNSHIP (76 permits): $210,000 (one permit).

28 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

ultimate end cost of a new home.

“Ordinances in regards to density, in regards to preserving woodlands and natural features, other costs in regards to necessary public safety and welfare infrastructure, building and master plans,” said Dominic Moceri, partner of finance and acquisition for Auburn Hills-based homebuilder Moceri Cos. “I’m not going to say it’s because of government overreach, because there are regulations that better our lives, and that doesn’t come cheap. There are great improvements to quality of life, but it’s not free. Those advancements come at a cost.”

Definitions are fickle, but Zillow Group Inc., the Seattle-based online housing marketplace, says the average starter home nationwide is currently $131,740. Those homes are typically owned by first-time buyers and have 750 to 1,250 square feet with one or two bedrooms and one bathroom.

Owners usually only own them for three to seven years or long enough to see a return on their investment before moving on to more expensive, larger homes, Zillow says.

In fact, just 1.4 percent of all the new single-family housing permits issued between January 2020 and February 2021 in the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan’s nine-county coverage area would cost the average nationwide price or less.

That’s just 106 out of 7,328 permits: one home in Mussey Township in St. Clair County (estimated sale price of $130,200); 19 homes in Woodhaven (estimated sale price of $128,358); and 86 in Romulus (estimated sale price of $127,449).

The estimated market values were calculated by adding a 40 percent premium on to building permit value to account for land acquisition costs, overhead and developer profit, said Stoskopf.

Based on that, with permit values of $2.05 billion, the total home construction value permitted during that 13-month period is about $2.87 billion. The 106 homes being built with sale prices of $131,740 or less account for a total of $13.53 million in market value, or just 0.47 percent of the total market value being built.

“It really comes down to cost,” said Barbara Gates, director of customer service and assistant director of sales and marketing for Macomb Township-based homebuilder MJC Cos. “Before the recession, land costs were very high and then the banks kind of flooded the market with all the repossessed vacant land and lots ... We do build condominiums under $200,000 but there is no way we could build a house under $200,000. If it was 1,000 square feet, the land cost for individual lots would be $80,000 at least.”

Contact: kpinho@crain.com; (313) 446-0412; @kirkpinhoCDB

Dr. S

“IT IS A CONSTANT STRUGGLE TO TREAT PATIENTS. YOU LOOK DOWN THE HALL AND SEE MORE AND MORE PATIENTS.” — Terri Dagg-Barr, ER nurse at McLaren Macomb Hospital

tor based in Fremont and affiliated with multiple hospitals, said half of the patients entering small and rural hospitals in West Michigan have COVID-19.

“The fortunate thing that’s going on now versus the wave in the fall and last summer, and it is a testament to the vaccines, is that they are younger. We are seeing 40-year- olds and some in their 50s. Some of these people are very sick and are getting admitted to the hospital,” said Davidson, who also is president of the Committee to Protect Medicare, a national group of doctors who support expanding the Affordable Care Act. "We aren't seeing as many people go into the ICU, so the curve of deaths is definitely flatter," he said.

Even as the state surpasses 5 million vaccine doses, several hospitals have limited visitation, delaying some elective surgeries and procedures and expanded ICU capacity and medical floors for COVID-19 patients. Beaumont started setting up outdoor patient triage stations in front of its Grosse Pointe hospital emer-

cent, Beaumont Hospital Wayne at 94 percent, Detroit Receiving Hospital at 98 percent, Beaumont Hospital Dearborn at 97 percent and Beaumont Hospital Farmington Hills at 95 percent.

More than 19 percent of Michigan hospital beds hold COVID-19 patients, up from 15 percent two weeks ago. Some 32 percent of ICU beds are full of COVID-19 confirmed or suspected patients, the state said.

Dr. R

'Exponential growth' in patient numbers Despite the crowded ERs and long waits, Bob Riney, president of hospital operations for six-hospital Henry Ford Health System, said people should not delay coming to the hospital or clinic for needed care.

"Our emergency rooms have processes to ensure that you are kept safe and to take good care of you," Riney said. "If you delay care, you will complicate your own medical condition. And you will complicate the resources required from the health care community."

In the Michigan Thumb, Dr. Mark Hamed, director of emergency and hospital medicine at McKenzie

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JAY GREENE/CRAIN’S DETROIT

KIRK PINHO/CRAIN’S DETROIT

From Page 1

the load in our emergency centers."

Four hospitals reached 100 percent bed capacity last week — Beaumont Hospital Troy, Ascension St. Joseph Hospital in Tawas City, Sheridan Community Hospital and Ascension Standish Hospital — and 30 more have exceeded 90 percent, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on April 15.

Two hospitals that were at 100 percent capacity on April 12 dropped to 91 percent April 15: McLaren Macomb in Mt. Clemens and Ascension Macomb-Oakland in Warren.

Nearing maximum capacity are hospitals that are part of Henry Ford Health System, Beaumont Health and Detroit Medical Center. For example, Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township was at 97 per-

Henry Ford Hospital, like other area hospitals, has seen busy emergency rooms as COVID patients and those with other ailments converge.

gency department. Its hospitals in Farmington Hills and Dearborn are also considering the same move.

"Some of our hospitals have gone back to establishing a curbside triage center for some of the intake of these patients as they come to our emergency centers," said Dr. Nick Gilpin, Beaumont's medical director of infection prevention and epidemiology.

"That's just to help sort of balance

Health System in Sandusky, said multiple facilities are seeing an increase of patients with COVID-19 symptoms. McKenzie has medical centers in Port Sanilac, Croswell, Peck and Sandusky.

At eight-hospital Beaumont Health, Susan Grant, the system's chief nursing officer, said "hundreds and hundreds of (patients are) coming through our emergency rooms and being admitted to our hospitals and our intensive care units."

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"None of us would have imagined going through that extraordinarily difficult time (last year) that we would be here again, same time this year, and that we would be working and seeing so many patients who are infected with coronavirus."

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Dr. Seth Krupp, medical director and vice chair of operations in emergency medicine at Henry Ford Health, said Henry Ford Macomb has the system's highest number of COVID-19 patients. He said all hospitals have delays getting patients admitted as most are nearing maximum capacity.

"We've just seen exponential growth in our patients. We feel it in lots of ways.

The pace of growth feels similar to the first wave in March and April, but the patients we are serving is different," Krupp said.

"Fewer patients need to be on ventilators because we are seeing younger populations," he said. "The first wave our overall volume was down by half.

The second wave we probably were down by 30 percent. This wave, we're probably closer to down by the order of 10 percent."

Riney said Henry Ford Macomb has been limiting some elective surgeries and procedures or redirecting them to other system hospitals.

"Our other four hospitals (in metro Detroit) continue to provide a full slate of services to meet the needs of our patients," even though bed occupancy is above 90 percent, Riney said.

Last week, Ascension St. John Hospital's bed occupancy rate was listed by the state on April 15 as 74 percent, but Takla estimates those numbers are closer to 90 percent. Other Ascension hospitals in Southeast Michigan are in the mid-80s, Ascension Providence Hospital Novi at 86 percent and Ascension Providence Hospital Southfield at 85 percent.

"Patients are unfortunately waiting a little bit longer. But we've had safety mechanisms in place where we have a medical screening examination that's taking place when the patients arrive," said Takla, adding that the sickest patients are treated first.

On staffing, Takla said staff fatigue has set in with some frustration among doctors and nurses that Detroit is facing yet another surge at a time when vaccines are being administered to everyone over the age of 16.

"There is great camaraderie and teamwork. It's a lot easier when when we're all working together," Takla said.

BEAUMONT HEALTH

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Critical care nurses and other staffers work on a Beaumont Health COVID-19 unit in Dearborn. Beaumont Health officials warned last week that hospitals and staff have hit critical capacity levels as patient volumes exceed the volume from the fall.

But Takla said he has seen a few pediatric patients with COVID-19 in the 1 to 14 age range. Daily pediatric COVID-19 admissions have increased by more than 250 percent since Feb. 19 and there are now 50 pediatric patients hospitalized as of April 15, up from 41 the week before, the state said.

"They're having some of the similar symptoms of like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort," he said. "I would say less of the shortness of breath type of presentation."

'Wear your damn mask'

Younger patients, less severity Many health care experts are asked: Why is the latest COVID-19 surge happening?

Takla believes it comes from a combination of factors, including the more contagious variant from the

“THE FORTUNATE THING THAT’S GOING ON NOW VERSUS THE WAVE IN THE FALL AND LAST SUMMER, AND IT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE VACCINES, IS THAT THEY ARE YOUNGER. “ — Dr. Rob Davidson, ER doctor based in Fremont

only physically tired and worn, they're emotionally tired and worn," said Grant, adding: "That emotional exhaustion has come from experiencing and being present for observing the the enormous toll that this virus has taken on patients on families on their own personal lives."

Jeff Morawski, a cardiac catherization nurse at McLaren Macomb, said people are coming in with heart attacks, strokes and various traumas.

"We are full and the hospital hasn't stopped doing procedures. We are holding ICU patients in the ER and in my department, we are still doing cardiac cath procedures," said Morawski, who also is president of OPEIU Local 40. "(Managers) are asking for volunteers to watch these patients (overnight)."

United Kingdom, B.1.1.7. Michigan has now reported 3,020 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant. In addition, there are 11 confirmed and two probable cases of the B.1.351 strain first detected in South Africa.

"People have become lax in social distancing, not masking up, especially those between 20 and 40" who are still unvaccinated, he said "We are seeing a younger generation being really frustrated with cut off and maybe maybe taking more chances," he said. "Some may have put a false sense of security in the vaccine as well. They're not a passport of immunity, and they don't necessarily prevent those that have been vaccinated from carrying the virus and potentially spreading it to others."

On the other hand, Takla said far fewer people ages 65 or older are presenting in the ER compared with March and April of last year. "They are vaccinated or more diligent in taking care of themselves, probably a little bit frightened, and that is what's motivating them. It's probably a combination of adhering to the appropriate necessities to decrease COVID transmission,

as well as being vaccinated."

Those under 50 who are hospitalized are sick with COVID-19 with all the classic symptoms, Takla said. Most, however, don't require oxygen or mechanical ventilators.

"Fortunately, the mortality rate is significantly lower," he said. "Because they're younger, they don't have as many comorbidities."

Davidson said the biggest reason people go to the ICU is to get advanced oxygen support for their breathing. Patients in the ER or ambulance can receive high-volume supplemental oxygen support, but ventilator support is typically given in ICUs. "We also place people in the ICUs because a lot of people with COVID are getting gastrointestinal symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, and they end up severely dehydrated. Sometimes they can be septic," he said.

Since spring break and Easter between March 24 and April 4, Hamed said the surge of patients to hospitals has been building.

"I told my staff to be prepared. It's gonna get worse over the next week or two, then we will assess at that point," Hamed said. "Because patients are much worse, they are going to be in the hospital for days, even after it is over. We may have a declining number of cases, but with a lot of people in hospitals, it's still gonna cause a strain in the health care system."

With all three hospitals in Macomb County above 91 percent bed capacity, Morawski said he can guess why so many people in the community are becoming infected. He said most people in public settings — stores, restaurants and bars — don't wear masks.

"People are just not taking it seriously. As nurses, our message is we need people to take things more serious. This means, 'Wear your damn mask,'" Morawski said. "Go out when you have to but social distance. No one is telling you they have to get a vaccine, but you should consider it.

This isn't a political discussion anymore. It is life or death."

Contact: jgreene@crain.com; (313) 446-0325; @jaybgreene APRIL 19, 2021 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | 29

THE CONVERSATION

‘Dr. Ziggy’ calls for changes to improve outcomes for inevitable next pandemic UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY: As the COVID-19 pandemic began to fill hospitals in early April 2020 and local health departments were tasked with contact tracing outbreaks to minimize community spread, health administration associate professor Zigmond Kozicki wanted to know if the mobilized health organizations were prepared for what he believed was a 100-year population health event. As the months dragged on and casualties mounted, it became clear that problems with resources and coordination slowed the response. Kozicki felt research was needed to gather the baseline information necessary to come up with a new strategy to improve outcomes for what he believes could be an even worse next pandemic. | BY JAY GREENE ` Tell me a little something about yourself.

I was born in Brooklyn. I’m a firstgeneration American and the first in my family to earn a college degree. My father survived five years as a POW in a German prison camp. My mother was a war orphan. My friends and wife call me “Ziggy” and my students call me “Dr. Ziggy.” Before coming to the university in 2012, I worked at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw and MidMichigan Health in Midland, where I became interested in population health as a way to improve outcomes. I also have been a mental health program administrator, substance abuse counselor and private practice psychologist. ` How did you go about gathering information from hospitals and health departments during a time of so much stress for them?

I put together a team, including my wife, research and attending veterinarian Dr. Stephanie BaiyasiKozicki of Saginaw Valley State University, and two university students in the health services administration program, to conduct two surveys that sought to determine if hospitals and health departments were prepared for this environmental event. The first covered June 30 to Sept. 16, 2020, and the second was Dec. 17 to Jan. 22 of this year. I wanted to consider if a future strategy to improve a response to this kind of population health threat would improve population outcomes. ` What did you find?

Hospitals and public health systems lacked resources and preparation for the pandemic. Both experienced significant operational challenges and health care workers experienced traumatic stress taking care of patients. Local health departments faced resistance when advocating for

safety measures against coronavirus and health systems faced significant financial disruption. Those people who did not mask, social distance and heed public health guidelines worsened the pandemic and placed strain on health care workers. Federal, state and local government directives and requests were not effectively coordinated.

Misinformation from politicians added to the confusion. ` The second survey found that 92 percent of hospitals needed help?

Hospitals needed everything: PPE, test kits, ICU nurses and beds, financial support to cover lost revenue, security people to manage visitors, effective treatment approaches for COVID-19.

Health care workers became exhausted.

There weren’t enough backup staff to allow time off. Hospitals lost revenue when they shut down non-elective procedures and needed state and federal stimulus dollars. Public health agencies needed more nurses, assistance completing case tracing and faced pushback and criticism from segments of society. ` Were disaster plans insufficient to deal with the pandemic?

Yes, based on the reported outcomes.

Hospitals needed to offer more aggressive support of public health initiatives, even as they struggled themselves, to stop the spread of the virus. Hospitals and health departments need a shared strategy to minimize impact from next pandemic. A more functional statewide plan also will be needed to coordinate a community response because individual health organizations cannot make it up as they go. Too much misinformation was spread by political people that too often went unchallenged by local medical experts. Conspiracy theories that questioned the credibility of

health care professionals undermined appropriate public health directives.

Finally, economic pressures to return to the pre-COVID business cycle has led to further and unnecessary outbreaks. ` What could have government, public health agencies and hospitals done better?

COVID-19 is a population health problem that could be managed better if health care systems and other organizations work together to improve community health outcomes. There was not a national response to coordinate how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in hundreds of thousands of avoidable deaths and the near collapse of the U.S. health system. ` What worsened the structural problems?

The magnitude of this kind of event was known to be possible but considered unlikely. On April 8, Michigan reported 723,297 confirmed cases and 17,450 deaths. Before the pandemic really spread, I heard many people say we were prepared for this virus and that minimizing it would not be a problem. Some were bragging about how we would show the rest of the world how to get it done. We were overconfident in our health care and public health system, which has been underfunded and undervalued for decades. We can’t afford to make the same mistake again.

Many health care workers are considering leaving health care. The risk associated with infectious disease and the demand especially to ICU professionals is adding up. As Michigan responds to yet another surge, the accumulated stress is forcing people to look at their own well-being. This pandemic has created an adverse workplace for many professionals.

REPORTERS

Zigmond Kozicki is an associate professor of health administration at University of Detroit Mercy.

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RUMBLINGS

At nearly $52M, Rocket CEO Farner among highest-paid execs

30 | CRAIN’S DETROIT BUSINESS | APRIL 19, 2021

Rocket Companies CEO Jay Farner

time nearly $29 million repayment for taxes due on shares of the company he was awarded. The CEO, who made total compensation of just over $11.7 million in 2019, earned a 2020 base salary of $712,500; a $30.5 million bonus, which includes the tax

payment; as well as stock and option awards and other compensation, according to the proxy statement.

Minus the one-time repayment for taxes, Farner would have made about $22.8 million last year, which still would have topped the list of highest-paid CEOs locally last year.

The average compensation for a Fortune 500 CEO in 2019 was about $12.3 million, according to a survey done by The Associated Press.

Booth’s 2020 compensation reached more than $8.66 million, up from $453,100 in 2019; Walters made over $10.1 million last year, up from $258,100 in 2019; and Vitale earned $5.3 million last year, up from $403,100 the previous year.

General Motors Co. Chairman

Jason Davis, small and emerging businesses.

(313) 446-1612 or Jason.davis@crain.com Annalise Frank, city of Detroit.

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(313) 446-0337 or knagl@crain.com Kirk Pinho, senior reporter, real estate.

(313) 446-0412 or kpinho@crain.com Dustin Walsh, senior reporter, economy and workforce, manufacturing, cannabis.

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WITH NEARLY $52 MILLION in total compensation in 2020, Rocket Companies CEO Jay Farner stands in the upper echelon of chief executive pay within the lucrative Fortune 500 world.

Each of the top executives for the Detroit-based financial services giant — CFO and Treasurer Julie Booth, President and COO Bob Walters and General Counsel and Secretary Angelo Vitale — saw a big boost to their pay in 2020, following the August initial public offering for the company. That’s according to a proxy statement from the company filed Wednesday evening with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Farner’s more than $51.7 million in total pay last year includes a one-

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and CEO Mary Barra led Crain’s 2019 list of top-compensated CEOs in metro Detroit with total compensation of over $21.6 million.

Rocket Companies, which serves as the parent company for Detroit billionaire Dan Gilbert’s financial empire, includes the flagship Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest mortgage lender. The company netted $1.8 billion in its August 2020 IPO and now has a total market capitalization of about $44 billion.

In a banner year for the mortgage business, Rocket Companies last year reported total profit of $9.4 billion on revenue of about $15.7 billion, and the company announced a one-time $2.2 billion dividend to shareholders.

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