GLBM 2015

BUSINESS MONTHLY GR E ATE R LANS ING

JULY 2015

FRONT COVER

CEO Daryl Adams Expects Growth at Spartan Motors In this issue •

FIBER INTERNET REVOLUTIONIZES HIGH-SPEED CONNECTION

•

RESHORING OF AUTO PRODUCTION BRINGS BUSINESS BACK TO THE UNITED STATES

•

PROPOSED BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM COULD REDUCE COMMUTE TIMES IN THE LANSING AREA L

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G R E AT E R

L A N S I N G

BUSINESS MONTHLY

BUSINESS MONTHLY G RE ATER L A N S I N G

JULY 2015

News The Future of the Internet...................................................................................................................... 6 Creating Greener Transportation....................................................................................................... 8 Proposed Bus Rapid Transit Could Bring More Business to the Lansing Area......... 10

Features CEO Daryl Adams Expects Growth at Spartan Motors In this issue •

FIBER INTERNET REVOLUTIONIZES HIGH-SPEED CONNECTION

•

RESHORING OF AUTO PRODUCTION BRINGS BUSINESS BACK TO THE UNITED STATES

•

PROPOSED BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM COULD REDUCE COMMUTE TIMES IN THE LANSING AREA

The Lansing Metro Reception on Mackinac Island.................................................................. 12 History of the Camaro........................................................................................................................... 14 Creating an Equal Environment for All.......................................................................................... 16 Continued Growth Expected for Spartan Motors................................................................... 18

Cover photography by Mark Warner

Departments The Greater Lansing Business Monthly (Volume 28, Issue 7) The Greater Lansing Business Monthly is published monthly by M3 Group at group 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933.

Periodicals postage paid at Lansing, Michigan USPO. USPS number 020w807.

Subscriptions: Subscriptions are available at $22 per year for postage and handling or $38 for two years.

Call (517) 203-0123 or visit lansingbusinessnews.com to subscribe.

Postmaster: Send address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, 614 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933. Send additional subscription requests and address changes to The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc., 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933.

Copyright © 2015 The Greater Lansing Business Monthly, Inc. All rights reserved.

Commentary ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Man on the Street.................................................................................................................................... 24 GLBM List.................................................................................................................................................... 26 Regional Roundup.................................................................................................................................... 28 Real Estate................................................................................................................................................... 30 Workforce Issues...................................................................................................................................... 32 Business Calendar.................................................................................................................................... 34 Notable News............................................................................................................................................. 36

Editorial Office: 614 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933 lansingbusinessnews.com 2

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C O M M E N TA R Y

G R E AT E R

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BUSINESS MONTHLY Publisher: Tiffany Dowling tiffany@m3group.biz Sales Manager: Jennifer Hodges jhodges@m3group.biz

Driving Growth

I

think we can all agree that the Lansing region has many community assets.

Recognizing, reinventing, embracing or enhancing these assets is how communities assess what they have and build plans on how they’re going to move forward. For me, some of the assets that mean the most to my lifestyle include: vibrant businesses that give back, the River Trail’s connection to many communities, Lansing Lugnuts baseball, Big 10 Sports and the Wharton Center.

Media Specialist: Jill Bailey Account Managers: Megan Fleming

Although my short list may be different than yours, most of us understand that we need to be thoughtful about the needs of the next generation. You know … the one that seems to be taking their youth and brainpower to a nearby city.

Manny Garcia Elaina Gonzales Production Director: Kelly Mazurkiewicz Art Director: Brooke Erwin

There are probably many items on the list for young people we could consider important, but I think next to jobs the top of that list has to be transportation. In fact, when I see graduating students, most seem to talk about living and working in places that are walkable and have solid transportation options.

Brand Manager: Ami Iceman Creative Manager: Mark Warner Editor: Alicia Pilmore Graphic Artist: Mike France Web Manager: Skylar Kohagen Event Calendar Manager: Jaime Hardesty

GLBM Editorial Board: April Clobes — President and CEO, MSU Federal Credit Union Trish Foster — Senior Managing Director & COO, CBRE|Martin Lisa Parker — Director of Alumni Career and Business Services, Michigan State University Alumni Association Deb Muchmore — Partner, Kandler Reed Khoury & Muchmore Tom Ruis — Vice President, Fifth Third Bank Doug Klein — Executive Director, Mason Area Chamber of Commerce Mark Hooper — Partner, Andrews Hopper Pavlik Diontrae Hayes — Legislative Director for State Senator Coleman Young, II

The good news is that Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) is on it. They have been working to find solutions for several years. And, they’re not alone. The community has been contacted from businesses in the surrounding areas, to local leaders and individuals who might be interested in a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a global nonprofit that helps cities design and implement high-quality transit systems, offers communities advice on developing transportation plans to make communities more livable, competitive and sustainable. They recommend thoughtful ideas including: BRT Basics — median-aligned busways, dedicated right of way, platform-level boarding, off-board fare collection and intersection treatments.

Service Planning — multiple routes running on the corridor and longer hours.

Infrastructure — passing lanes at stations to increase capacity, high-quality pavement to improve comfort and minimized bus emissions.

Station Design — wide, weather-protected stations and multiple doors on buses for faster boarding.

Quality of Information — cohesive branding and real-time passenger information.

Integration and Access — disability access, integration with other public transport and bicycle-sharing integration.

While there are many aspects still in flux, the situation needs everyone involved in this. In fact, CATA would welcome business partners willing to sponsor stations or otherwise help fund this large investment in our future infrastructure. Organizations would get naming rights at stations and it could be a company’s permanent billboard.

I encourage you to consider how a solid step forward in the transportation area will benefit the community as a whole.

Be dynamic in all you do,

Tiffany Dowling | Publisher 4

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NEWS

The Future of the Internet

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

L

ess a revolution than a communications evolution, fiber optics is spreading steadily across phone and data networks in mid-Michigan, replacing traditional and increasingly dated copper wiring.

While fiber optics lines, with their astounding ability to transmit information, have for years been part of the region’s communications network, large and small service providers like Comcast, AT&T, LightSpeed and ACD are investing heavily in technology that supports the voracious digital appetites of businesses, schools and households.

With fiber, download speeds for information from the Internet or other digital sources, previously measured in megabits per second, are measured now in gigabits, a thousand times faster.

“Our goal is to have the average consumer not care or measure how many megabits or gigabits they have,” said Jason Schreiber, founder and chief executive officer of East Lansing-based LightSpeed. His is a small company, certainly compared with AT&T or Comcast. But unlike his larger competitors, LightSpeed is an all-fiber business.

“DOWNLOADING A HIGH DEFINITION MOVIE OFF OF NETFLIX IS DIFFICULT OVER AN EXISTING COPPER BASED CONNECTION. FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER, WHEN THEY CONNECT WITH FIBER, ALL OF THOSE GLITCHES GO AWAY.” — JASON SCHREIBER

The year old company began connecting homes to its fiber network last October and currently has about 8,000 customers.

“We are now averaging 10 new customers a day and are hoping to double that over the next one or two months,” Schreiber said.

Light Speed sells 1 gigabit of service for an introductory price of $49 a month and is currently waiving the installation fee.

It is building its network from the ground up, house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood, an ambitious plan that Schreiber thinks is overdue. LightSpeed has pending requests for 19,000 installations, he said, adding that LightSpeed expects to service 45,000 homes in the Lansing area over the next 18 months.

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Installation progress map of the Lansing area. Go to golightspeed.com to check construction statuses.

“What we have is a unique mission to bring fiber to the people, to the common Internet consumer in an affordable way,” Schreiber said. “Consumable media is where the current state of the Internet is showing its age. Downloading a high definition movie off of Netflix is difficult over an existing copper based connection. For the average consumer, when they connect with fiber, all of those glitches go away.”

Before starting LightSpeed, Schreiber founded Arialink, a web hosting services, wide-area networking and telephone services company, which he sold in 2012. But not all of it; he said he retained about 90 miles of the 500-mile fiber network, serving small business customers and retaining elements of the network he needed for his newest venture.

Another local company helping customers transition to fiber is ACD, which positions itself as mid-Michigan’s largest phone and Internet provider. The company, which serves “a large percentage of businesses and a fair number of apartment complexes, has been building fiber in Lansing since 2000,” said CEO Kevin Scheon.

It has begun wiring residences in Lansing, Haslett, Okemos, Eaton Rapids and Mason, Scheon said. Because of its business customer base, the company has a high capacity fiber that criss-crosses the region and is expanding service branches into community neighborhoods adjacent to its network.

Altogether, ACD has about 1,800 fiber customers: governments, schools and residences, mostly in apartment complexes. “The next

NEWS

step is single unit properties,” Scheon said. The company cites 4,000 back orders for fiber service. “We are taking sign ups for all areas. When we get a concentration of customers, we begin installing.”

Roughly half of the company’s 110 employees are involved in its fiber operation. The company’s introductory rate for 1 gigabit service is $39.95 a month for the first year. It will increase to $60 in the second year.

Big national providers like Comcast and AT&T use fiber as the foundation of their networks, but are not as invested in residential services.

“Currently we offer speeds of 105 megabits per second,” said Dale Kirk, Comcast’s regional vice president for engineering.

“However, we have announced nationally that we would be rolling out fiber to the home nationwide across the network by

the end of the year. It’s a 2-gig service called Gigabit Pro.” Comcast has more than 145,000 route miles of fiber across its national service area, feeding its hubs and nodes, said spokesperson Michelle Gilbert.

“Right now it is slow going into the homes.

But you have to take into consideration that not everybody will have the need for 2-gig service. For a lot of people, for the way they use the Internet, it works great.”

Comcast’s goal, she said, was to continue investing in its network and to stay ahead of customer demand for speed and value.

For AT&T, fiber is part of a product mix that included elements of its existing copper-based network.

“AT&T invested more than $1.7 billion in Michigan’s wireline and wireless networks

from 2012 through 2014 to connect customers to the people, entertainment and information they care about,” said Teresa Mask, a spokesperson for the company’s heartland division.

“For home Internet, we offer a choice of speeds, including up to 75 Mbps in parts of Lansing and four other major Michigan markets: Detroit, Flint, Grant Rapids and Saginaw.”

Mickey Hirten is an award winning writer and editor.

He has been executive editor of the Lansing State Journal, the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, and was the financial editor and a columnist for the Baltimore Evening Sun. He is the current president of the Michigan Press Association. His wife, Maureen Hirten, is director of the Capital Area District Library.

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NEWS

Creating Greener Transportation

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

G

eneral Motors is heavily invested in Lansing and reflects the region’s progressive spirit and willingness to adapt to change. How the auto industry manufactures cars has changed dramatically in recent decades, and so have those working in the industry.

And it’s not just how cars are made, but also how they are used, or not used.

Lansing and East Lansing, as well as other area communities, have embarked on an array of environmental initiatives tied to transportation and automotive issues.

They range as widely as alternative fuels for municipal vehicles to bike sharing and even car sharing programs.

Solar electric vehicle charging station.

According to Tim Dempsey, East Lansing’s director of planning, building and development, the approach is cautious, awaiting solid research and understanding of costs and benefits.

“We like to pilot programs before we fully commit,” he said.

East Lansing has two downtown car charging stations, one at city hall and the other at its library. Both are free. “People can bring their car, park in one of the spots and charge up,” Dempsey said. “We want to get a sense of how many people utilize them to better understand the demand.”

In Lansing, the Board of Water and Light (BWL) has established charging stations throughout the city and for the past year has had a “Plug in Electric Vehicle” reimbursement program to help customers defray the cost of installing home charging stations.

It offered 10 qualified residential customers as much as $1,000 to purchase and install equipment. BWL also offers owners of electric vehicles a reduced off-peak electric rate of 6 cents per kilowatt hour compared with a peak rate charge of 14 cents per kilowatt hour.

The two cities’ support for electric vehicles represent just a small share of the dozens of charging stations available throughout the region. Owners of electric cars can charge their vehicles at locations as diverse as the Lansing Mall, the Michigan Manufacturer’s Association, the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, Studio C! Cinema or the East Lansing Marriott at University Place.

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But electric vehicles are still an emerging market, at least in East Lansing.

“I don’t know that electric car sales have been as strong as manufacturers had hoped; not as many vehicles on the road,” said Dempsey. “We see times when vehicles are there and times when they are not. Part of our challenge is the opportunity for people to know that the stations are in place and then getting the word out about that.”

East Lansing has partnered with Zipcars, which has two vehicles in the city parking lot at Abbot Rd. and Albert St. It is an extension of the Zipcar program on the Michigan State University campus and Dempsey said the company reports that the cars are used regularly. The benefit of the short-term rental program ($7.50 an hour) to East Lansing, Dempsey explained, is fewer cars on the road.

In Lansing, one of its initiatives to reduce traffic congestion is van pooling. Working with the Capital Area Transportation Authority, the city offers reduced parking rates for downtown parking. “We work with employers to reduce the need for parking and infrastructure.” CATA provides a free rider matching service for those interested in van and carpooling. It works with businesses throughout the region to improve commutes and reduce costs, congestion and emissions.

Lansing also is addressing road congestion by optimizing traffic signals. The goal is fewer cars stopped at fewer lights, said Andy Kilpatrick, a city traffic engineer.

NEWS

Based on traffic counts, the city adjusts signal timing using in-pavement and video sensors. “The cameras we have at intersections aren’t for surveillance. They are linked to a video processor inside the cabinet that can detect when a car is there. If there is just pavement, it can change the signal,” Kilpatrick said. That’s if the stop lights are needed at all.

“The other “green” process we have is to periodically review the traffic signals to see if traffic volumes have changed such that existing signals aren’t needed, new signals should be installed, or the signals need to be re-timed to improve operations” Kilpatrick said in an email.

“Over the last three to five years, we’ve removed a number of signals, which obviously saves 100 percent of the energy costs, and also reduces stops, delay and fuel consumption/emissions for drivers.”

Also related to traffic signals, the city is cutting its electric usage by switching signals from incandescent to LED bulbs, a move than can produce real savings.

Between 2010 and 2015, Lansing increased LED lighting from 19 percent to 49 percent for an annual savings of $44,000. According to Kilpatrick, the change costs between $5,000 and $6,000, and the payback period is between five and eight years.

An important adjunct to area Green initiatives is bicycle programs. Lansing has more than 40 miles of bike lanes, trails and paths, all of which are integrated into a non-motorized plan that was adopted in 2010 and that Kilpatrick said is being updated this year.

East Lansing also has a non-motorized plan and will soon expand its bike lanes along Harrison Rd., north of Saginaw St.

“We will be shifting from four to three lanes and using the excess space for a bike lane,” Dempsey said. He added that the city is watching the bike sharing program at MSU before deciding how it might proceed with its own program. “It’s a significant investment in infrastructure.”

Mickey Hirten is an award winning writer and editor.

He has been executive editor of the Lansing State Journal, the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, and was the financial editor and a columnist for the Baltimore Evening Sun. He is the current president of the Michigan Press Association. His wife, Maureen Hirten, is director of the Capital Area District Library.

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NEWS

Proposed Bus Rapid Transit Could Bring More Business to the Lansing Area

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

A

fter years of planning and study, the make-or-break point for establishing a light-rail like bus route along the Michigan Ave. / Grand River Ave. corridor is approaching.

The $167 million project still needs approvals, most notably from the federal government, which is supplying most of the money. But officials at the Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) are confident that the details will fall into place and the proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system will begin operating in 2018.

It would replace the conventional Route 1 bus service, which operates between the CATA bus station in downtown Lansing and Meridian Mall in Okemos. The route serves about 6,000 riders a day on a trip that end-to-end takes as little as 29 minutes with light traffic or as long as 42 minutes on the westbound leg, which adds Lansing Community College and sometimes a Capitol loop to the run.

The BRT would be a different transit experience altogether, with dedicated bus lanes, just 28 stations, fares paid at the station and level boarding that will be fully accessible. The route will be served by 60-foot, hybrid-fuel articulated buses with doors on both sides.

It will feature signal preemption — transit talk for a system that allows the buses to avoid the dozens of lights along the route. These enhancements will trim seven or eight minutes from travel time between Lansing and Okemos.

It’s a transit enhancement that has broad support from the business community, which has been involved in the planning and input phase of the project.

“Our Economic Development Corporation engaged the business community and we had great participation from them,” said CATA board member Julie Brixie, Meridian Township Treasurer. “This has the potential to be the greatest economic driver we’ve seen in 20 years.” It is, in fact, this potential that justifies the project.”

CATA projects that the BRT will add more than a thousand daily riders to the route, which by itself does not justify the investment, said CATA board member Mark Grebner. “If BRT works here, it’s because it changes the way the Lansing area works, changes the focus so that new residential construction will be primarily along that line and that jobs will be heavily concentrated along that line.”

Grand River Ave. in East Lansing.

There are already indications that this is happening.

The proposed $276 million Red Cedar Renaissance project, featuring student housing and market-rate apartments, and the nine-story, $77 million “Sky Vue” with 375 apartments, are both adjacent to the BRT line. Two large student-oriented housing projects are planned in Meridian Township just west of the shopping center that features Food for Living and the Salvation Army Thrift Store.

And there have been many smaller projects along the corridor.

“It is a transformational project to this region.

Instead of solving this one problem, we’ll leverage fellow investments and bring something greater to the region if we use this opportunity correctly,”

Michigan Ave. by Sparrow Hospital.

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R EN D ER IN G S P ROV I D ED | P HOTO B Y MA R K WA R NER

NEWS

Proposed raised bus platform.

Debra Alexander, CATA Assistant Executive Director

said Debra Alexander, assistant executive director at CATA.

overnight, but there is a new generation more dependent on public transportation.”

The Gillespie Group, with residential projects like the Stadium District, the Midtown, Marketplace and the under construction Outfield project is well positioned for the new transit line.

Alyssa Arnet, who works at Kellie’s Consignment in Okemos, where the Route 1 bus line ends, uses public transportation to get to work.

“It is very important that public transportation is reliable, more frequent and accessible,” said Pat Gillespie, president of the company. Based on feedback from tenants in his properties, he said “you need to be able to count on it, more like big city rapid transit.”

“It doesn’t hurt to have a bus stop within 100 yards of your business. Every one of our urban projects sees great benefit from a rapid transit system.” Gillespie estimated that he has 350 to 400 apartments along the proposed BRT route.

Gillespie sees the beginning of a shift from cars to mass transit among those in his apartments. “I don’t think it happens

Owner Kellie Johnson said that she employs a number of people who don’t have transportation and use the bus. Better service helps them and her business. “I think anything that dumps off people near my front door is great,” said Johnson.

The expectations of the BRT are similar at Foods for Living, located along Grand River Ave. in Meridian Township. “Plenty of people who work here take CATA,” said store director Kirk Marrison, adding that many shoppers come from East Lansing. “[BRT] would be a huge benefit. It takes the obvious hassle out of riding the bus. That would be attractive to anyone.”

Support in the business community is tempered by its understanding of the project and some of the changes it will

bring. It will require medians in some of the wider sections of the roads, limiting lefthand turns and requiring right hand turn only from driveways. Road side parking will be affected. Some dedicated bike lanes will need to be shared with traffic.

“I think that a lot of people see a slowdown of traffic and less freedom to go in and out of businesses,” said Shawn O’Brien, a senior vice president at CBRE Martin, which has its headquarters on Michigan Avenue. “People need to be educated about the BRT; they just don’t understand it,” he said. “But if it’s convenient, people will use it.”

Mickey Hirten is an award winning writer and editor.

He has been executive editor of the Lansing State Journal, the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, and was the financial editor and a columnist for the Baltimore Evening Sun. He is the current president of the Michigan Press Association. His wife, Maureen Hirten, is director of the Capital Area District Library.

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F E AT U R E

The Lansing Metro Reception on Mackinac Island

BY A M I ICEMAN

O

n May 28, 2015, regional partners hosted a reception at Mary’s Bistro during the Detroit Chamber Policy Conference on Mackinac Island.

The event was attended by successful business leaders and key players from the region, who are examples of why Lansing metro is the premier location for governmental, organizational or business activity. The Lansing Metro Reception gave business professionals,

Event decor and sponsorship promotional items.

Participants gather for the event.

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legislative leaders, CEOs and entrepreneurs from around the state an opportunity to connect.

The regional reception worked to highlight and showcase all that metro Lansing has to offer. The Lansing Metro Reception was the ideal opportunity to share growth that has been happing in the region and prepare for more through new partnerships, an exchanging of ideas and camaraderie with people throughout Michigan.

F E AT U R E

CAMW!

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Third-Generation, 1992 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Convertible

First-Generation, 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS Z28

See how the Camaro has changed since the first-generation.

Second-Generation, 1978 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

Fourth-Generation, 2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS

eneral Motors’ (GM) Grande River Assembly plant in Lansing will see $175 million in upgrades due to the arrival of the sixthgeneration Camaro. GM will also bring back 500 area workers to complete the job in late summer. The current generation of Camaros has been America’s favorite performance car for the last five years making the anticipation for the new sixth-generation model higher than ever. The sixthgeneration Camaro will elevate every aspect of the current version with new technology, higher performance levels and a more athletic design, not to mention better fuel economy. Lansing is proud to welcome the Camaro to the Grand River plant where GM also builds Caddillac ATS and CTS models.

The $175 million investment comes as part of GM’s plan to invest $5.4 billion into U.S. facilities over the next three years.

G

BY AMI ICE MAN | PH OTO S PROVID ED BY G EN ERAL MOTO R S

History of the Camaro

Fifth-Generation, 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS

The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro at its world debut Saturday, May 16, 2015 on Belle Isle in Detroit, Mich.

Š G ENERA L MOTORS

F E AT U R E

Creating an Equal Environment for All

BY A LICIA PIL MORE

Although progress has been made, there are still many issues facing women that prove they are not yet seen as equal to men. Discrimination against women exists today in the form of pay inequity, underrepresentation of women in leadership roles and in many other ways.

Women’s rights activist Jessica Neuwirth is calling for an end to inequality between men and women through the ratification of an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), ensuring that women are guaranteed the same rights as men under the Constitution.

“This is not only the best time for an Equal Rights Amendment, it is the only time,” said Neuwirth at a lecture hosted by the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame on June 10.

THE HISTORY OF THE ERA The ERA is not a new idea; in fact, it was first introduced to Congress in 1923

by Alice Paul, a suffragist leader and founder of the National Women’s Party.

It was then introduced in every session of Congress until it was passed in 1972.

Over the next 10 years, the ERA was ratified by 35 states, falling just three states short of the 38 required for it to become part of the Constitution. Since then, the ERA has been reintroduced into 16

every session of Congress, but has never been taken to a vote.

Neuwirth speculated that the reason the ERA hasn’t passed in Congress is not because people are against it, but because they are misinformed about what rights are actually afforded to women in the Constitution.

“More than 70 percent of people think the ERA is already in the Constitution,” said Nuewirth. “And the majority of them are actually shocked and angry when they find out that it’s not.”

P H OTO S P ROV I D ED

W

omen have been fighting to be seen as equal to men in the eyes of the law since the beginning of the Women’s Rights Movement in the 1800s. Because of women like Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul and other early feminists who fought relentlessly for the rights of women everywhere, great strides have been made towards ensuring equality for women. Women now have gained the right to vote, are able to enter the workforce and have control over when and how they choose to start a family.

INEQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE The absence of an Equal Rights Amendment is most evident in the workplace, especially when it comes to equal pay for equal work. In her lecture, Neuwirth stated that women who graduate from high school earn an average of $700,000 less than men in their lifetime, while college graduates earn $1.2 million less and those with graduate degrees earn up to $2 million less than men.

Jessica Neuwirth

Although the Equal Pay Act makes it illegal for companies to pay women less than men for equal work based on their sex, some of the wording in the Equal Pay Act allows businesses to pay a person less on the basis of “factors other than sex.”

“A person’s previous salary can be considered a factor other than sex,” said Neuwirth. “If a woman was paid less in her previous job because she is a woman, and is paid based on that salary, ultimately this institutionalizes past sex discrimination resulting in wage differences based on sex.”

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Many women have brought their employers to court in protest of unfair pay, but Neuwirth said that intent to discriminate must be established in the courts, which can be difficult to prove.

Another issue facing women in the workforce that Neuwirth discussed was pregnancy discrimination. Many companies fail to make accommodations for pregnant women, and some women have lost their jobs because of it. Some of the forms of pregnancy discrimination that Neuwirth cited were not allowing more bathroom breaks for pregnant women, not allowing them to sit instead of stand and termination when they are not able to lift more than a certain amount of weight as mandated by the company.

F E AT U R E

“A lot of times these women end up on state-funded aid when all they wanted to do was continue working,” said Neuwirth.

CREATING AN EQUAL ENVIRONMENT

involve businesses in the fight for an Equal Rights Amendment. If you are interested in involving your business in ensuring equal rights for women, visit eracoalition.org, or email Jessica at jneuwirth@eracoalition.org.

Although many of these issues are prevalent in the workplace, things are slowly getting better for women as more businesses create policies to prevent discrimination.

Alicia Pilmore is a communications specialist at M3 Group in Downtown Lansing. She enjoys writing, volunteering and everything related to social media.

“I THINK THAT MORE AND MORE BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN EITHER BE PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF THE SOLUTION. IT’S MY HOPE THAT BUSINESSES WILL CONTINUE TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE THE LEAD ON THESE ISSUES.” — JESSICA NEUWIRTH And while Neuwirth commends businesses that take steps to make their businesses equal, she says that ratifying the ERA is the best way to ensure that these issues don’t continue to arise.

By establishing an ERA, women who experience discrimination of any kind will be protected under the Constitution.

“I think that more and more businesses understand that they can either be part of the problem or part of the solution,” said Neuwirth. “It’s my hope that businesses will continue to step up to the plate and take the lead on these issues.”

Neuwirth, who is president of the ERA Coalition, is currently working on a corporate outreach initiative to further

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manpower.com

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COVER

Spartan Motors’ Chief Executive Officer Daryl Adams 18

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COVER

Continued Growth Expected for SPARTAN MOTORS B Y MI C KE Y H I RTEN | P H OTO S B Y M A R K WA R N ER

T

he announcement last month that General Motors will begin selling six new models of medium-duty commercial trucks was welcome news at Spartan Motors, Inc. in Charlotte.

following the retirement of John Sztykiel, who during his 30 years with the company transformed a $10 million-a-year fire truck chassis company into a $500 million global manufacturer of specialty vehicles.

a mix of trades, assemblers, engineers, sales people, drivers, office staff and more.

Producing its vehicles and assemblies, said Adams, is a very complex process requiring many different specialties.

The company, which has a diverse product line that includes emergency response vehicles like fire trucks, low-kneeling buses and replacement parts for mine-resistant ambulances for the military, is a long-time contractor for Isuzu, GM’s partner in the new truck line.

As a result, Spartan occupies a unique niche in mid-Michigan’s automotive economy.

“When compared with GM, we are very small in the big scheme of things,” said Adams. “But we do believe we play an important part in the greater Lansing area, especially in Charlotte.”

“Our workforce is highly skilled — a great workforce, great people. We don’t have the automation and high-tech equipment that GM might have, but that makes our skills set a little unique. They [workers] are flexible and adaptable,” Adams said.

Spartan will manufacture about 20 percent of the GM-branded trucks at its Charlotte plant. Sales will begin in 2016. “We’re pretty excited about it,” said Spartan Chief Executive Officer Daryl Adams. “If GM sells more trucks it means we have to sell more in Charlotte.”

The company has units in South Dakota, Pennsylvania and Indiana, but the facilities in Charlotte are the heart of the operation. At its sprawling campus, Spartan manufactures emergency response vehicles and specialty chassis, has warehouses and a research and development operation all housed in facilities that occupy more than 620,000 square feet, about equal to 11½ football fields. It employs about 640 workers,

Adams, whose specialty is engineering, assumed the top post at Spartan in February

Unlike regimented auto assembly lines, production work at Spartan plants is fluid, allowing workers flexibility and the opportunity for problem solving.

At Spartan, Adams said, “the task is always changing.”

While Spartan’s production methods and workplace organization may be different from other large automakers, the tight relationship L

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COVER

Spartan Motors at a Glance Manufacturing sites: Charlotte, Mich.; Bristol and Wakarusa, Ind.; Brandon, S.D.; and Ephrata, Pa. 2014 financial highlights: • Revenue of $506.8 million, up 7.9 percent from 2013 • Gross margin of 12.4 percent, compared to 11.3 percent for the previous year

• Net income of $1.2 million, or $0.03 per share, compared to a net loss of $6.0 million, or ($0.18) per share, for the prior-year period • Year-end order backlog: $243.7 million • Cash on hand: $28.6 million

• Operating loss of $1.2 million, versus an operating loss of $8.2 million for 2013

and reliance on subcontractors is similar. Spartan said its supply chain includes approximately 100 companies, employing more than 6,400 Michigan workers.

Adams knows about automotive subcontractors. Before joining Spartan as chief operating officer in 2014, he was CEO of the Midway Products Group, a tier-one automotive supplier and major manufacturer of metal stampings. Before that, Adams was a senior official with Lear Corp., a leading supplier of automotive seating and electrical distribution systems. He has 25 years of experience in the automotive business.

Source: Spartan Motors

His elevation to the top job at Spartan happened quickly.

Adams joined the company in August 2014 as chief operating officer and in December, Sztykiel announced to the board of directors that he planned to retire. “He said they felt the company was in good hands with me,” said Adams, who on Feb. 29 took over as president and CEO. “I was only here a few months to understand the culture of the company and what was going on. If you read through some of our annual reports or the transcripts for earning calls, we had operational issues.”

“OUR WORKFORCE IS HIGHLY SKILLED — A GREAT WORKFORCE, GREAT PEOPLE. WE DON’T HAVE THE AUTOMATION AND HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT THAT GM MIGHT HAVE, BUT THAT MAKES OUR SKILLS SET A LITTLE UNIQUE. THEY ARE FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE.” — DARYL ADAMS

Fire truck frame.

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Spartan Motors has a diverse product line that includes emergency response vehicles like fire trucks.

Addressing these was a top priority for the new CEO. In short, the company’s products — well regarded and innovative — have been better than financial performance. Spartan has had operating losses for the last three years and its shares have languished in a recovering stock market.

“The first thing was to improve the operation’s performance. In very broad terms, this means that plants are running profitably,” Adams said.

In 2014, the company had sales of $506.8 million and reported an operating loss of $1.15 million. This compares with sales of $469.5 million in 2013 and an operating loss of $8.2 million. The company also had an operating loss in 2012. Shares in the company, which are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, last year floated between $6.78 and $4.30 in 2014. This past June shares traded in the $4.75 range. According to

the company’s 10K report, since 2009, a $100 investment in Spartan stock would have grown to just $102.45 by the end of 2014. By comparison, for the same period a $100 investment tied to the NASDEQ Composite Index would be worth $220.26.

To address these issues, Adams is stressing fundamentals. Blocking and tackling, he called it.

Nationwide, Spartan employment numbers are 1,600, a workforce that produced 17,400 vehicles in 2014. The product line is diverse and is grouped into three vehicle segments: emergency response, delivery and service, and specialty chassis. Of these, emergency response vehicles — chassis, emergency response bodies and aerial equipment are an important part of the Charlotte operation — accounted for $185 million of the company’s 2014 sales, but at a $7.1 million operating loss.

The other segments performed better: $210 million in sales and an operating profit of $8.3 million for the delivery and service operation; $112 million and a $7.4 million operating profit in specialty chassis.

Addressing the lagging performance of its emergency response unit is the first of five initiatives Spartan plans to strengthen its performance. In January, Spartan hired Daniel Slater as president of its emergency response business, where Adams acknowledged that he wants to “accelerate the pace of change.”

Slater, he said, “has demonstrated his ability to turn a loss-making operation into a significantly profitable business.”

A restructuring plan started in 2014 addressing ordering, pricing, design and engineering, with the intent of making its trucks easier to build profitably.

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COVER

Along with fixes to its emergency response line, Spartan is focusing on operational discipline and performance, lean pricing and continued improvement, reducing quality and warranty expenses and strengthening its team.

“Regardless of what people tell you, I believe 100 percent that employees are the most important asset,” Adams said.

Spartan’s employee initiatives include better communications and quarterly meetings. And time with Adams: “I like to be on the floor as much as possible.”

Still, Adams acknowledges the depth of the challenges he faces at Spartan and

“REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU, I BELIEVE 100 PERCENT THAT EMPLOYEES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET. I LIKE TO BE ON THE FLOOR AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.” — DARYL ADAMS said that long-term problems won’t be fixed instantly. But he feels his company is ready and willing. “It’s human nature

Various stages of assembly at Spartan Motors.

22

to be concerned about change and people accept it in different ways. But if you communicate and show that it will be positive for them, people buy in and accept it.”

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Mickey Hirten is an award winning writer and editor.

He has been executive editor of the Lansing State Journal, the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, and was the financial editor and a columnist for the Baltimore Evening Sun. He is the current president of the Michigan Press Association. His wife, Maureen Hirten, is director of the Capital Area District Library.

COVER

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MAN ON THE STREET

M AN on the STR E ET Do you prefer to buy cars from foreign or Michigan companies? Why? COMPIL ED BY K YL E D O W L I N G

“I have only bought one car and it was made in the U.S., but I think that most companies are international now so it’s not like you’re buying local. There’s no farmers market for cars.”

Nathan Santelli

“I would choose Michigan companies. I would drive a foreign car, but I prefer to help Michigan’s economy.”

Glen Stonehouse

“It’s six of one, a half dozen of the other. If I’m going to buy foreign it will be a Mini Cooper.”

Lonnie Kellogg

“I’d buy a Michigan made car. I like to support local if I can. I haven’t bought a new car in a long time though.”

David Faiver

“We only buy domestic cars. I grew up in a General Motors town and my family worked for Chrysler.”

Colin Maguire

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Resounding Golf Clap Please...

As we thank our 2015 Sparrow Health Classic sponsors and golfers, whose support is an investment in the health of our region.

Presenting Sponsor SEI Investments

Hole-In-One Sponsor Okemos Auto Collection

Platinum Sponsors Cisco Systems Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance Company Sentinel Technologies

Silver Sponsors AppSense Coverys Insurance Services Drinker Biddle & Reath John E. Green Company Kaufman Hall & Associates L J Ross Associates Michigan Health & Hospital Association Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine NBS Commercial Interiors Pro-Tech Cabling Systems Regency Group Sparrow Community Care Superior Electric of Lansing, Inc. Trizetto a Cognizant Company

Cart Sponsor Client Financial Services

Sparrow Health Classic

19th Hole Dinner & Awards Sponsor Milliman Lunch Sponsor Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbook Flag Sponsors Comprehensive Pharmacy Services Gunthorpe Plumbing & Heating Beverage Cart Sponsor Dewpoint Gold Sponsors Agfa Healthcare Foresight Group GlobalCare International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 324 Lansing Sanitary Supply Skytron Driving Range Sponsor River Caddis Development Putting Contest Sponsor Michigan State University Federal Credit Union

See you June 16, 2016 Visit SparrowFoundation.org/HealthClassic for a complete list of our sponsors and a photo gallery from this year’s event.

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GLBM LIST

Car Service Stations and Retail Stores

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Name

Specialty

Address

Location

AutoZone

Auto Parts and Equipment

4301 W Saginaw Hwy.

Lansing

AutoZone

Auto Parts and Equipment

3237 N East St.

Lansing

AutoZone

Auto Parts and Equipment

610 N Cedar St.

Lansing

Cat’s Partsmart Auto Salvage

Auto Parts and Salvage

5405 W Mt Hope Hwy.

Lansing

Discount Tire Store

Brakes, Tires, and Oil Changes

5803 S. Pennsylvania Ave.

Lansing

Discount Tire Store

Brakes, Tires, and Oil Changes

4830 W. Saginaw St.

Lansing

Heights Auto Parts

Auto Parts

16800 Old U.S. 27

Lansing

Muffler Man

Repair and Maintenance

7007 S. Cedar St.

Lansing

Muffler Man

Repair and Maintenance

2600 E. Michigan Ave.

Lansing

Muffler Man Auto Services Center

Repair and Maintenance

5103 S Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Lansing

Napa Auto Parts

Car parts, brakes, oil

3503 W. Saint Joseph St.

Lansing

Napa Auto Parts

Car parts, brakes, oil

533 E. Northrup St.

Lansing

Napa Auto Parts

Car parts, brakes, oil

2702 E. Kalamazoo St.

Lansing

O’Reilly Auto Parts

Replacement Parts, Fluid, and Performance

5128 S. Cedar St.

Lansing

Shroyer Auto Parts

Auto Parts and Towing

2740 Eaton Rapids Rd.

Lansing

Tuffy Auto Services Center

Brakes, Car parts, and Full Service

5217 S. Pennsylvania Ave.

Lansing

Tuffy Auto Services Center

Brakes, Car parts, and Full Service

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4200 W. Saginaw Hwy.

Lansing

GLBM LIST

Each month, the Greater Lansing Business Monthly compiles a list relevant to the publication’s theme. The lists are not comprehensive, but rather, a snapshot look at what is publicly available on various industries and organizations. The following is a list of car service stations and retail stores in the city of Lansing in alphabetical order. To submit your company information for future GLBM lists, go to lansingbusinessnews.com/get-on-the-list.

Hours of Operation

Phone Number

Website

M-Sat: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun: 8 :30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

(517) 327-6097

autozone.com

M-Sat: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun: 8 :30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

(517) 371-4644

autozone.com

M-Sat: 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

(517) 372-9716

autozone.com

M-F: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(517) 322-2350

catsautoparts.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(517) 393-8702

stores.discounttire.com/mi/lansing/mil-15/

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(517) 323-2167

stores.discounttire.com/mi/lansing/mil-10/

517) 485-2276

heightsautoparts.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

(517) 699-2244

mufflermanoflansing.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(517) 487-2010

mufflermanofeastlansing.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(517) 394-5060

mufflermanoflansing.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sun: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

(517) 267 - 1645

partsplacenapa.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(517) 393-6676

partsplacenapa.com

M-F: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

(517) 482-4008

partsplacenapa.com

M-Sat: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun: 8 :30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

(517) 394-3379

oreillyauto.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(517) 887-1700

shroyertowing.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(517) 393-7400

tuffysouthlansing.com

M-F: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

(517) 323-2222

tuffywestlansing.com

M-F: 8 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m.

(

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REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Naturally Grand

BY GRAND L EDGE CIT Y A D MI N I ST R ATOR A DA M SM I TH

T

he City of Grand Ledge is busy managing a number of commercial, industrial and residential development and redevelopment projects this year in its 21st century community commitment.

From a former city hall site to a vacant 42,000 square foot grocery store to residential subdivisions to multifaceted agribusiness expansion, the City is enhancing essential assets and welcoming new investment.

In the recent months, City Council approved a buy/sell agreement with Stein Brothers, Inc. for the reuse of the former city hall property, subject to development requirements, for the establishment of a brew pub and restaurant downtown; approved of a special use permit and site plan for the commercial redevelopment of a A future brew pub and restaurant will replace the former city hall property.

42,000+ sq. ft. former Felpausch Food Center on the corner of M-43 and M-100; saw reuse of its last available industrial building; and the grand opening of a new AutoZone location along Saginaw Highway. Nonetheless, the City has several ideal commercial and light industrial properties remaining that are available for future development and redevelopment opportunities.

The City’s industrial park, a Michigan Certified Business Park, has significant assets which include direct access to rail, the City’s municipal airport and the I-96/I-69 interstate corridors. In an effort to effectively “pitch” the potential value of the Park, the City has enlisted the services of one of “Michigan’s 50 Companies to Watch,” Kuntzsch Solutions (also of downtown Grand Ledge) to support the City in market research and analysis to demonstrate the Park’s unique assets to companies and site selectors, as well as communications and marketing services to promote the Park. Grand Ledge is currently home to Zion Industries, Lowes Distribution Center, American Bottling Co., Enerco Corporation, ETM Enterprises, Roberts Sinto Corporation, Pro-MEC, Shappell Corporation and most recently NorthStar Cooperative.

NorthStar Cooperative, a producer-owned, multi-faceted agribusiness, provides genetics, reproduction, laboratory and consulting services to dairy and beef producers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio. NorthStar Cooperative has committed $750,000 for the relocation of its laboratory services to the Grand Ledge Industrial Park.

“We have quickly become a “one-stop shop” for dairy producers with our current diagnostic menu, and through continued research and development, plan on additional options that

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bring safety and value to food animal production,” stated Todd Byrem, Ph.D., director of Antel BioSystems.

Commercial operations are expected to begin in August 2015, employing 15 management, laboratory and research staff.

“We considered several locations,” said Byrem, “and the Grand Ledge site offered a great community atmosphere, centralized location and room for future expansions.”

Through its Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) and Antel BioSystem’s (AntelBio) business units, NorthStar offers an extensive menu of laboratory and diagnostic tests to enhance animal health, well-being and productivity.

Steady growth in its laboratory services has necessitated relocation and consolidation of its current facilities to accommodate anticipated growth of its testing and research operations.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

According to Ginni Sheridan, director of NorthStar DHI, “We’ve surpassed two million tests per year, making our current facility a bit crowded and not as efficient as we could be.”

In recent years, the concept of placemaking has become important in local government behavior and as we embrace the new economy, the knowledge economy, the attraction and retention of knowledge-based workers is essential in sustaining 21st century communities.

The City of Grand Ledge places a high priority on placemaking. Below are some efforts in our continual development of “sense of place” in our community that we invite you to come experience:

Adam R. Smith was appointed Grand Ledge City Administrator in 2014. As City Administrator, his duties include oversight of the day-to-day municipal operations of the City. Prior to his service in Grand Ledge, he served as the manager for Mackinaw City and the City of Jonesville, Mich.. Adam serves on the Board of Directors of the MLGMA, the MML Workers’ Compensation Fund Board of Trustees, and is licensed by the State of Michigan Bureau of Aeronautics as an Airport Manager. He received his graduate degree from CMU and remains committed to life-long learning.

DESIGN Whether you’re looking to build your brand image from the ground up or you have a one-off design project for us, our professional and award-winning team of graphic designers allows you to keep your mind focused on your business.

• Downtown Riverwalk along the

Grand River and historic Island Park restoration • Free music, movies, and farmers’

market in the Bridge Street Plaza Park

PRINT

• Downtown’s Fitzgerald Ballpark

and historical mural of Grand Ledge history

Our digital printing method eliminates multiple steps in the printing process saving you time and money. Our inhouse digital printing facility offers both small and large format capabilities, from small business cards to large trade show displays and signage.

• Free downtown parking lots with

limestone slabs reflecting our “ledges” • Repurpose of an old school

building in a residential neighborhood for the new City Hall and community center

SUPPORT We offer various services to support the design & print process throughout your project timeline, such as scanning, mailing, installation, display system hardware, and more. For a full list, please visit our website.

• Community arts Ledge Craft Lane

and historic Opera House • Ledge’s Playhouse restoration • DDA financial assistance on

nostalgic theater marquee downtown ($2 movies!)

• Numerous festivals and parades

throughout the year Come see what Grand Ledge is all about!

capital-imaging.com We’re kicking off our 20 year anniversary celebration in style with a new website. Let us know what you think!

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R E A L E S TAT E

Reshoring of Auto Production is a Catalyst for Growth

BY TRICIA FOS TER, S M D/C OO, C B R E /MA RT I N

T

he reshoring of auto production is spurring growth in U.S. and Mexican industrial markets. U.S. logistics hubs in San Antonio, Dallas, Kansas City and Chicago are also poised for growth given the anticipated increase in auto distribution demand.

Volvo Car Corporation announced it would break ground on its first U.S. manufacturing facility in California, and is expected to begin production in 2018. Earlier this year, Mercedes Benz announced they would be building an auto manufacturing plant in Charleston, South Carolina.

At the end of April, GM announced it plans to invest $520 million for tooling and equipment for future new vehicle programs at the Lansing Delta Assembly plant. This announcement is just one of many across the country where GM plans to invest over $5 billion to improve U.S. plants over the next three years. A majority of the build-to-suit opportunities in Detroit and Lansing are for auto manufacturing suppliers.

These announcements are just the latest in a growing trend of auto manufacturers moving production from Asia to North America.

Slumping sales and increased production costs in China, along with the complexity and risk of an Asia to U.S. supply chain, have forced auto manufacturers to consider reshoring a large portion of production.

Huge economic gains are being seen in the American South as a result, too. The rebirth of the auto manufacturing business in the U.S. and Mexico has had a profound impact on the industrial real estate market in the southern and midwestern states. These states continue to leverage their port infrastructures, pro-business governments, low labor costs and strong manufacturing bases to attract auto manufacturing, says CBRE’s U.S. Marketflash.

The seaports of Atlanta, Houston and Greenville are active, yet the biggest winner of all is Mexico, which saw auto production increase by 10.2 percent in 2014 and another 15 percent through April 30, 2015. Toyota, Ford and Goodyear have collectively announced more than $25 billion in future investments in Northern and Central Mexico.

Reshoring will also have a long-term material effect on the U.S. distribution and logistics business as more than 70 percent of the

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Mexican auto production is exported to the U.S., so markets in the Midwest will experience an increase in auto distribution demand.

These trends will also push cargo volumes higher as the year goes on and have placed pressure on other modes of transportation along the supply chain. It was speculated that cargo shippers would shift more of their business to the East and Gulf Coast ports. This is happening more quickly than anticipated, as Savannah has been experiencing steady growth, and in March surpassed the Seattle Tacoma alliance as the fourth largest North American port in total TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units). This is signaling a preference for users to bring a portion of their cargo in on the East Coast and spread their risk across multiple ports of entry while utilizing other supply chain methods to get cargo to the end destination in the U.S. This widespread growth is a reflection of broader trends such as a stronger dollar and increased consumer consumption, both of which contribute to a strong import economy and improved commercial real estate metrics in Lansing, Grand Rapids and Detroit.

Tricia Foster, CPMÂŽ, ACoMÂŽ is Senior Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at CBRE|Martin.

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WORKFORCE ISSUES

Increased Potential for Manufacturing Jobs in Mid-Michigan

BY E DYTHE HATTER-W I L L I A MS

M

anufacturing, particularly automotive manufacturing, in the greater Lansing region isn’t a new concept, and it isn’t going anywhere. Not only is it here to stay but, the manufacturing industry as a whole makes up a large number of our region’s jobs.

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data series found that of the 152,940 private employment jobs in the Lansing-East Lansing Metropolitan Statistical Area, 19,440 jobs are concentrated in the manufacturing industry, totaling about 12.7 percent.

The industry may not be where it was during the third quarter of 2001, but it’s showing promising growth.

The State of Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) shared that the capital area’s manufacturing industry grew from 14,250 jobs in the third quarter of 2009 to 19,443 jobs in the third quarter of 2014, totaling about 27.1 percent. This growth is larger than the 8.3 percent growth of private payrolls in our region over the same period of time, and may also shed some light on how much of our manufacturing industry was affected during the recession. account for 18.5 percent of total wages in the third quarter of 2014, according to the State of Michigan DTMB. WE CAN WORK TOWARD MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE NECESSARY WORKERS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY BY INSTILLING THE IMPORTANCE OF STEM EDUCATION AT AN EARLY AGE. THE SOONER WE MAKE SURE CHILDREN ARE ENGAGED IN STEM EDUCATION, THE BETTER OFF THE FUTURE IS OF NOT ONLY THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, BUT OTHER IN-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS. The number of jobs in the manufacturing industry isn’t the only appealing factor for job seekers. Manufacturing establishments

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A majority of the manufacturing industry in the greater Lansing region is transportation equipment manufacturing, at 43 percent of total manufacturing employment. However, Lansing’s manufacturing industry isn’t just automotive, as some folks may think. There are various types of positions manufacturers can explore such as fabricated metal product manufacturing, machinery manufacturing and chemical manufacturing.

Having a thriving industry is a great asset to the greater Lansing region, but the success is limited without an adequate number of qualified employees to fill the necessary job positions.

One way to make sure employers have the number of employees they want is by increasing the awareness of manufacturing being an in-demand industry and the types of requirements needed for the available jobs.

The Capital Area Manufacturing Council is playing a role by trying to increase awareness with its recent Michigan Manufacturing Connect initiative. The initiative, made possible

WORKFORCE ISSUES

through a partnership with WLNS-TV6, features nine local manufacturers, the Ingham Intermediate School District and Lansing Community College, and exposes both the demand for manufacturing and eliminates common manufacturing myths.

While addressing the shortage of manufacturing workers now is vital, it’s important to start preparing the manufacturing workers of the future.

We can work toward making sure we have the necessary workers for the future of the industry by instilling the importance of STEM education at an early age. The sooner we make sure children are engaged in STEM education, the better off the future is of not only in the manufacturing industry, but in other in-demand occupations. Currently, Quarterly Workforce Indicators data from the second quarter of 2014 reported that women only make up approximately 25 percent of the manufacturing workforce.

This statistic emphasizes the importance of guiding both males and females in the direction of STEM careers at an early age.

Also tying into having adequate STEM education and teaching young students about the opportunities in the manufacturing industry is the need for requirements for manufacturing positions.

About 30 percent of the individuals in the manufacturing workforce in the greater Lansing region hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to Quarterly Workforce Indicators data from the second quarter of 2014. And although a bachelor’s degree isn’t mandatory for every position, most positions in the industry have some sort of training or education requirement.

For some job seekers, these types of requirements may steer them away from the open positions, but with the help of our community partners and employers, we can better inform them about available programs and outcomes of completing them.

The manufacturing industry has made progress over the years, and now is the time to make sure we have an educated

workforce to help the automotive industry, and the manufacturing industry as a whole, continue growing in the greater Lansing region.

talent investment network that partners with businesses to develop recruiting and retention strategies and partners with job seekers to enhance education and career opportunities.

On the Web at camw.org.

Edythe Hatter-Williams is the chief executive officer of Capital Area Michigan Works!, a

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BUSINESS CALENDAR

July 2015 BUSINESS EVENTS

7/9

BASIC SUPERVISION SEMINAR, LANSING. This one-day seminar is perfect for new managers, senior managers, mid-level managers and even the “non”-mangers.

You will learn many tips that will enable you to have a positive and productive work day every day of the week. This one-day seminar will be held at Radisson Hotel, located at 111 North Grand Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. The cost to attend is $149/person or $139/person for groups of five or more. For more information, visit events.pryor.com/298273 or call (800) 556-2998.

7/15

DEVELOPING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, LANSING. Do you want to learn how to interact, communicate and collaborate with people successfully? If so, this seminar is for you. You will learn the needed skills to gain revealing

Jacqlyn Schneider, Mary Judnich and Denis West attending the Michigan Good Food Fund event. insight into what makes people act the way they do, work effectively with others, learn how to keep your emotions under control and so much more. This informative one-day session will be held at the Radisson Hotel, located at 111 North Grand Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. The cost to attend is $99/person or $89/person for groups of five or more. For more information, visit events.pryor.com/298018 or call (800) 556-2998.

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From pre-press/graphic design and printing, to bindery and mailing — your project is in-house and under control.

and it shows in everything we do.

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912 West St. Joseph, Lansing, MI 48915

BUSINESS CALENDAR

8 /15

BIKE TO BUILD, DEWITT. Ride the countryside and help support Habitat for Humanity of Lansing and Clinton County with each push of the pedal. Riders can choose from four scenic routes featuring a family ride (approximately 3 miles), a 20-mile ride, a 45-mile ride or a 75-mile ride. There will be SAG support, rest stops with refreshments and lunch. This event is rain or shine. Registration is from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. followed by the rides. Riders will start and finish at Northpointe Community Church, located at 505 East Webb Drive. Registration is $35/ person and riders will receive a t-shirt if registered before August 1.

For more information, visit habitatlansing.org or habitatclinton.org.

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HOME IN ONE GOLF OUTING, LANSING. Join Habitat for Humanity for the Home in One Golf Outing. Spend the day golfing and help support a great cause.

The Home in One Golf Outing will be held at the Country Club of Lansing, located at 2200 Moores River Drive, starting at 8 a.m. The cost to participate is $150/person and includes a cart and lunch.

For more information, visit habitatlansing.org.

Lansing Open will be held at Eagle Eye Golf Club, located at 15500 Chandler Road. Registration and Networking will begin at 8:30, followed by a 10 a.m. shotgun start and dinner at 4 p.m. The cost to attend is $295/person or $800/foursome. For more information, call (517) 853-6463, email trichardson@lansingchamber.org or visit lansingchamber.org.

8/19

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS: HOW TO CONDUCT THE CONVERSATION, WEBINAR. Attend this one-hour webinar and discover how Part of to the take CBRE accountability affiliate network to motivate, inspire and get employees during performance reviews, instead of alienating them.

You will gain the tools needed to listen and give productive feedback, make sure performance reviews are forwardlooking and much more. This webinar will be held from 10 Part of the CBRE affiliate network to 11 a.m. The cost to attend is $75/members and $95/nonmembers. For more information, visit michamber.com.

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2015 LANSING OPEN, BATH TOWNSHIP. Attend the 2015 Lansing Open and enjoy a fun day of golf while networking with the area’s top business leaders.

This event attracts hundreds of golfers every year. The 2015

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HOLLISTER BUILDING OFFICE SPACE ALLEGAN AND WASHINGTON

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Prominent office space in the heart of the busy downtown Washington Square shopping district!

Located just one block from the Capitol with excellent visibility and high foot traffic.

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• Historic six-story brick building with up to 25,000 SF of office space available • 1,010 SF of charming boutique ground floor retail store front also available • Parking available along both Allegan Street and Washington Square

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www.LansingOffice.net

For more information call Eric F. Rosekrans, CCIM, CPM or Thomas Jamieson 517.351.2200.

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PHOTO PROV IDED

GORDMANS EXPANDS INTO LANSING Gordmans, a Nebraska-based everyday value priced retailer, continues its expansion across the country with the July 16 opening of a new 50,000-squarefoot store at Meridian Mall Shopping Center, in Okemos, Mich.

Gordmans is a one-stop shopping experience for the entire family. The retailer offers a wide array of merchandise including apparel for all ages, designer fragrances, footwear, accessories, home décor and more. The retail store will bring approximately 125 jobs to the Lansing area.

The Grand Opening Celebration will take place July 18-19, beginning at 9 a.m. Store hours will be Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

LOCAL NOTABLE NEWS:

from popular musicals like “The Lion King,” “Mamma Mia,” “Rent” and “Hairspray.”

LANSING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 86TH SEASON

For ticket information symphony.org.

The Lansing Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is proud to announce their 86th season, continuing under Music Director and Conductor, Timothy Muffitt. This season will bring in world-renowned guest artists, feature classic works as well as contemporary pieces, and highlight Lansing’s own talented musicians.

MSUFCU PARTNERS WITH VISA IN MSU DONATION

visit

lansing

The year’s MasterWorks Series includes music from all over the world and features guest artists from all over the United States.

Opening the season is local pianist, Ralph Votapek, performing works by American composer George Gershwin.

Beginning the year 2016 is one of the world’s preeminent violinists, Rachel Barton Pine.

Pine promises to deliver a breathtaking rendition of Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy.”

The 2015-2016 Pops Series kicks off with the traditional afternoon Holiday Pops concert, featuring Soprano Mara Bonde and the Arts Chorale of Greater Lansing. “Broadway Rocks!” will be a collaborative concert with local high school choirs joined by three guest vocalists performing Broadway music 36

MSUFCU will develop the financial education curriculum, which will include budgeting in college and after, understanding credit, and identity theft.

In addition, peer educators will provide one-on-one sessions to assist students in establishing their budgets.

For 20 years, Visa has been a private sector leader in developing innovative, free programs that help people effectively learn the fundamentals of personal finance, including budgeting, saving, responsible spending and the wise use of credit. Visa’s flagship financial literacy initiative, Practical Money Skills for Life, is a free program to help parents, teachers, students, and consumers of all ages learn the essentials of personal financial management.

LANSING MADE IS THE NEW HUB FOR ALL THINGS METRO LANSING

April Clobes, President and Chief Executive Officer of MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU), is pleased to announce that MSUFCU, in partnership with Visa Inc., will provide Michigan State University $250,000 in funding for the next eight years to underwrite the Financial Peer Education Program, which will be available to MSU students beginning in Fall 2015.

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You may have seen this Lansing logo around town, on window clings, or on t-shirts worn by Lansing enthusiasts.

All of this swag stems from the grassroots organization, Lansing Made. Melik Brown, the founder and Lansing Fun Finder, speaks of Lansing Made as “a place to find cool stuff.”

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The mission of Lansing Made is to be the hub to create a positive, enlightening conversation with the people, places and entities that make up this expanding region.

Lansing Made includes Metro Lansing from St. Johns to Mason to Grand Ledge to Williamston.

“Lansing Made is a centralized hub where people can find cool stuff that is happening across Metro Lansing such as events, attractions, places to visit, landmarks and stuff to do, all in one place,” added Brown.

Brown says he got tired of people saying there was nothing to do here in Metro Lansing. He realized he needed to stop waiting for someone else to do something about it, and decided he would be the one to act.

Brown’s hope is not only for Lansing Made to be an information hub, but also for the people of Lansing to get excited about where they live and work and that they’ll want to wear it with pride. In the future, Brown would like to be able to provide a scholarship fund for young people to keep them excited about being in Lansing. Also, he’d like to see a mentorship program established that brings youth together with local businesses to talk about available job options after graduation.

award is based on sales volume and achieving an outstanding level of customer service.

Located at 2863 Jolly Road, Allegra Marketing Print Mail is locally-owned and operated and is a member of Alliance Franchise Brands network, a world leader in marketing, graphics and visual communications, linking nearly 600 locations in the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom.

For more information, contact Allegra at (517) 333-0713, or visit the company’s website at allegra-okemos.com.

MOORE RECEIVES GOLDEN GAVEL AWARD Liza Moore, a shareholder of Foster Swift Collins and Smith, P.C., has been selected as the 2015 Golden Gavel Award recipient by the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel. The Golden Gavel Award is an

annual award given to an outstanding defense attorney in Michigan who has been practicing for ten years or less.

This award is carefully chosen by peer defense attorneys throughout the state of Michigan.

Moore is a member of Foster Swift’s Litigation Practice Group. She has worked on matters ranging from civil rights cases to land use disputes to employment issues. In 2012 Moore worked with other attorneys to create the Agricultural Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan, and was elected the section’s first chairperson in 2013.

Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC is a full service law firm founded in 1902. The firm employs 90-plus attorneys and more than 100 support staff in five locations; Lansing, Detroit, Farmington Hills, Grand Rapids and Holland. For more information, visit fosterswift.com.

CONGRATULATIONS

Find out more at lansingmade.com or like them on Facebook and view videos of what’s happening across Metro Lansing on YouTube.

ALLEGRA EARNS INTERNATIONAL SALES AWARDS Dave Muhleck and the team of Allegra Marketing Print Mail in Okemos received monthly International Sales Growth Awards for two consecutive months for being among the top 10 businesses in increased sales volume for North America from leading franchise network, Alliance Franchise Brands.

Account Manager Michelle DeVore was also recognized with an Honors Sales Club Award for her outstanding sales achievement. This quarterly

TO JOEL FARRAR AND LIZA MOORE! JOEL FARRAR 2015 Volunteer of the Year

LIZA MOORE 2015 Recipient

Selected by the Entrepreneur Institute of Mid-Michigan. Joel assists new entrepreneurs with forming and growing start-up businesses.

of the Golden Gavel Award This is an annual award given to an outstanding defense attorney in Michigan who has been practicing for ten years or less.

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YMCA OF LANSING ON NATIONAL STAGE AT CAPITOL HILL BRIEFING The YMCA of Lansing received national exposure at a legislative briefing on Capitol Hill on June 2, to discuss the importance of summer nutrition programs for youth. Ricky Wright, Executive Director of the YMCA of Lansing’s Mystic Lake Camp, was selected by Y-USA to speak on behalf of Y’s nationwide about the vital role nutrition plays in fueling children’s physical and cognitive development while school is out of session.

Wright addressed lawmakers on the impact of the Y’s Year-Round Food Program, funded with support from the Walmart Foundation, and how similar programs can help fight hunger, combat childhood obesity, and prevent summer learning loss.

The briefing was sponsored by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), whose

“Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation” report shows millions of low-income children are benefiting from summer nutrition programs. The Y and other invited speakers examined ways to expand access to nutrition programs in more communities nationwide, and discussed how successful programs are serving nutritious meals and offering enrichment and physical activities to ensure children stay active and learn throughout the summer months.

CASE CREDIT UNION IS PARTNERING WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY TO AID LANSING NEIGHBORHOOD CASE Credit Union is proud to announce that it partnered with Habitat for Humanity in June to assist in beautifying a current rehabilitation home in Greater Lansing.

Through the work of Habitat for Humanity, thousands of low-income families have found new home in the form of

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affordable housing. CASE Credit Union, as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), is extremely proud to join together with Habitat for Humanity to successfully tackle a significant social problem — decent housing for all. More than 10 CASE Credit Union employees donated their personal time to volunteer in this beautification project.

STATEWIDE NOTABLE NEWS: HONIGMAN EXPANDS INTO CHICAGO WITH THE ADDITION OF SCHOPF & WEISS Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP has announced it is joining with litigation firm, Schopf & Weiss LLP, establishing a Chicago presence as part of a strategic growth plan aimed at better serving clients and expanding its national reach. As part of the expansion, the firm also announced the addition of two partners to the Chicago office as the first step in rounding out the new location’s practice areas. Corporate partner René Ghadimi will join Honigman from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, while Paul Hastings LLP attorney Gregory A. Morris will come on board as a partner in its Intellectual Property Department.

Already Michigan’s largest law firm, Honigman now has more than 300 legal professionals in the Midwest and a growing national client base served by prominent practices in intellectual property, private equity, corporate and securities, real estate and litigation, among others. Effective today, it will be joined by 14 litigators from Schopf & Weiss, augmenting its deep bench of litigation talent and enabling Schopf & Weiss clients to benefit from the resources of a full-service law firm.

New Chicago office hire Ghadimi, who has 20 years of experience, will represent a wide variety of clients, including private equity firms, in highly complex U.S. and international financing transactions, while Morris’s practice will focus on patent litigation for a broad range of technologies.

Morris will also help lead the firm’s Life Science Intellectual Property Litigation

Practice, including Post-Grant Proceedings.

For more information, visit honigmangainground.com TWO NAMED SENIOR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

Wissel

Tracy Wissel and Sandra Hoisington have been promoted to Sr. Customer Service Representatives of Wolverine Bank, in Midland, Mich.

Wissel and Hoisington are primarily responsible for coordinating the prompt handling of customer requests and inquiries, whether in person, via telephone or Hoisington the internet, along with providing extensive and expanded administrative and operational assistance for several departments, including branch deposit operations, loan and deposit operations, collections, loan servicing, marketing and business development.

Wissel has been with the company since 2000. Hoisington has been with the company since 2006, and has nearly 20 years of experience in customer service and as an administrative assistant.

Wolverine Bank, headquartered in the Great Lakes Bay Region since 1933, currently operates three fullservice banking offices in Midland and Frankenmuth, as well as a loan office in Saginaw.

NATIONAL NOTABLE NEWS: NATIONAL OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS AWARDS PRESENTED AT CHAIRMAN’S DINNER EVENT DURING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK

FOCUSED LEGAL STRATEGIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS • • • • •

Employee Benefits Employment Law Entity Selection & Planning Financing Intellectual Property

• • • • •

International Expansion Mergers and Acquisitions Real Estate Tax Planning Technology

View our blogs or read our business newsletters at fosterswift.com.

FOSTERSWIFT.COM | 517.371.8100

Late last year, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, in

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LANSING TOPS LIST OF MIDWEST COMMUNITIES ATTRACTING JOBS In a report released by The Hackett Group, Sourcing Location guide: United States, the Lansing region claimed the top spot for Midwest communities and 4th overall behind Syracuse, Jacksonville and Tampa in providing a top location for the return of what were once outsourced service industry jobs. The report ranked communities whose environments are the most supportive for service industry companies and jobs which are being “in-shored” from other countries to the U.S. This was done using a site selection methodology that uses over 30 key indicators including business climate, workforce quality and cost, and infrastructure availability. partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and BJA’s VALOR officer safety initiative, launched the Destination Zero Project to highlight agency-level achievements in the area of officer safety and wellness. The primary objective of the program is to drive down causal factors that kill and injure law enforcement

“Of the 33 cities that were evaluated, nine were Midwest cities.

Lansing topping that list speaks to the environment we have to support these global service industry jobs that are returning from abroad; a statement further demonstrated by looking at the burgeoning insurance and financial services industries in the region,” said Keith Lambert, Tri-County Development Manager for LEAP. The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) is a coalition of area leaders committed to building a prosperous and vibrant region where business can thrive. To do this, we help entrepreneurs start new businesses, help existing businesses grow, and attract new businesses to the region. For more information, visit pure lansing.com.

officers, and to help officers live safer, happier, healthier lives. The result of this project culminated with the presentation of the inaugural National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s annual Chairman’s Dinner on Tuesday, May 12, 2015.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and the Bureau of Justice Assistance are proud to announce the inaugural 2015 Officer Safety and Wellness Award winners: • • • •

General Officer Safety: Dallas (TX) Police Department Officer Traffic Safety: Yolo County (CA) Sheriff’s Office Officer Wellness: Indianapolis (IN) Metropolitan Police Department Comprehensive and StrategicallyImplemented: Orange County (FL) Sheriff’s Office

In addition to the winning agencies, the following finalists were also acknowledged: • •

• •

Officer Safety: Fairfax County (VA) Police Department Officer Traffic Safety: Los Angeles (CA) Police Department and Prince George’s County (MD) Police Department Officer Wellness: Oregon City (OR) Police Department and Tulsa (OK) Police Department Comprehensive and StrategicallyImplemented: Harford County (MD) Sheriff’s Office

The National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards will be presented annually and agencies are encouraged to submit details about their successful safety and wellness programs to Nick Breul, Director of the Memorial Fund’s Officer Safety & Wellness Initiative, at DestinationZero.org.

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25 years allegra okemos

2015 WIINNER OF

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REGIONAL SALES AWARDS

Okemos

Allegra Marketing l Print l Mail of Okemos has received six Regional Sales Awards in 2015.

“Allegra Marketing of Okemos owes all of our blessings and success over the last 25 years to our loyal clients. It is a privilege to work with the businesses and organizations in this community.�

Dave Muhleck, President

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G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY Part of the CBRE affiliate network

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