GLBM June 2015

BUSINESS MONTHLY GR E ATE R LANS ING

JUNE 2015

FRONT COVER

Jim Lammers and Christine Waltz, of Dart Container,

Talk Manufacturing in Mid-Michigan In this issue •

LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE INVESTS $8.8 MILLION IN SKILLED TRADES

•

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS AT THE YOUTH STARTUP CHALLENGE

•

LOCAL TV STATIONS UPGRADE TECHNOLOGY AND DOWNSIZE NEWSROOMS L

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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

JUNE 2015

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JUNE 2015

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

JUNE 2015

News New Technology Propels TV Stations Forward ........................................................................... 6 Michigan’s Booming Farm Industry Expects Another Good Year....................................... 8

Features Local Theatre Brings Business and Art to the Greater Lansing Area............................. 12 Jim Lammers and Christine Waltz, of Dart Container,

Talk Manufacturing in Mid-Michigan In this issue •

LANSING COMMUNITY COLLEGE INVESTS $8.8 MILLION IN SKILLED TRADES

•

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS PURSUE THEIR PASSIONS AT THE YOUTH STARTUP CHALLENGE

•

LOCAL TV STATIONS UPGRADE TECHNOLOGY AND DOWNSIZE NEWSROOMS

Don’t Be A Manufacturing Hater..................................................................................................... 14 The Coming Retirement Boom.......................................................................................................... 16 Lansing Community College Invests in Skilled Trade Education...................................... 18 Building a Manufacturing Empire..................................................................................................... 20 Startup Challenge Encourages Youth to

Cover photography by Mark Warner

The Greater Lansing Business Monthly (Volume 28, Issue 6) 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.

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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.

Explore Their Passion for Entrepreneurship.............................................................................. 26

Departments Commentary ................................................................................................................................................. 4 He Said She Said........................................................................................................................................ 28 Man on the Street.................................................................................................................................... 30 GLBM List.................................................................................................................................................... 32 Collectibles.................................................................................................................................................. 34 Business Calender................................................................................................................................... 36 Notable News............................................................................................................................................. 38

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

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

JUNE 2015

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C O M M E N TA R Y

G R E AT E R

L A N S I N G

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

The Future of Manufacturing

M

anufacturing is undergoing a rebrand of sorts. It might not be official or intentional, but the way people talk about manufacturing and its general perception is shifting. There is increased understanding about how we are making products from cars to widgets. The visibility of the industry has helped create a clearer picture of the technology necessary to meet the demands of today’s manufacturers.

Media Specialist: Jill Bailey Account Managers: Megan Fleming Manny Garcia Elaina Gonzales Production Director: Kelly Mazurkiewicz Art Director: Brooke Erwin 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

With the loss of manufacturing to other countries over the years, some may have felt that it was part of the overall cycle for the types of jobs that would be available locally. After all, we were very focused on the knowledge economy and the positions it would produce. Although high tech jobs and the knowledge economy are part of our overall fabric, the tapestry would not be strong without understanding that America and Americans should make things. And, whether you witnessed the marriage of manufacturing and technology, it indeed happened.

With the ability to research products and social media broadcasting so much information related to how and where products are made, manufacturers have had to become more final customer focused. You may be seeing that today locally. Alro Steel is advertising or sponsoring the news lately, when they have traditionally been silent in media circles like other manufacturers. There was a time not too long ago that manufacturers focused solely on a traditional business-to-business model. And, even though technically it may still be where the checks are written, consumers are demanding to hear more from manufacturers.

This gives manufacturers a voice to tout all the great jobs available in the industry, how technology is advancing products, reveal good corporate citizenship and how the company is working to be sustainable. This information can create goodwill and shift perspectives on how the industry is viewed. Today, I think there would be very few people who wouldn’t agree that a healthy manufacturing sector is important to the overall economy.

This community has been aware of the manufacturing impact for decades. After all, a group of supporters launched the “Keep GM” campaign when the thought of losing the mega manufacturer was a possibility. Although the visibility of the car companies is significant, there are multitudes of smaller manufacturers that support families and the economy. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero has been a strong proponent for making products in Michigan and our country for a long time. In fact, Mayor Bernero has taken to Facebook and Twitter to convey his opinions about manufacturing, international trade and his overall thoughts on the changes in the industry.

I definitely want to help perpetuate the positivity of the manufacturing industry as part of a well-rounded economy. Another equally tantalizing area is Michigan’s impact in growing fruits and vegetables. I always knew we had an amazing industry, and cherries are an important part of it, but I was surprised to see how many other commodities we excel in. We’re not only beautiful; we’re bountiful.

Be dynamic in all you do,

Tiffany Dowling | Publisher 4

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

JUNE 2015

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NEWS

New Technology Propels TV Stations Forward

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

T

P HOTOS PROV IDED

o a discerning viewer, the new studio set unveiled by WILX in April was just a modern upgrade from the temporary quarters it had set up in the station’s break room during four months of construction.

But the new look aside, what viewers really saw was another salvo in the tech revolution that is reshaping the local television market. The giant touch screens, virtual studios and digital 3D graphics that are commonly used by networks are migrating to midsized and even small television stations. At WILX, an NBC affiliate, it is advancing with the new set and slicker technology.

“We always say sets don’t bring you ratings,” said WILX news director Kevin Ragan. “It’s the tools that the set brings that allow you to tell stories and enhance stories.

We always try to get the attention of the audience. A set sort of marks who you are.”

Gray Television, which owns WILX and has stations in 44 markets, spent in excess of $200,000 to update its Lansing operation. “It’s a significant investment in this television station and shows the regard the company holds for WILX,” Ragan said. It is one of two stations where Gray recently built new sets. The other is in South Bend, Indiana, which was completed slightly before Lansing.

The new WILX studio is open and flexible, featuring light boxes with color changing LEDs. TV furniture enhanced the visual, and off to the side of the main set, a green screen area is designed for digital sets. The studio also added an 85 inch interactive display panel.

“Think of the display as an 85 inch iPad. Its primary use is to dissect issues and display them in a clear and easy to understand format,” Ragan said. Smaller versions of this type of display screen often are used during weather segments to track fronts, display graphics and view videos, enabling reporters and newscasters to interact with information. The new screen at WILX is being integrated with the broader newscast, though Ragan cautioned that the staff is moving slowly with this technology, avoiding the temptation to treat it as a gimmick.

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With video displays, what the viewer sees is real. Not so with green screens. “Stay tuned. There is a lot more coming,” Ragan said of the station’s Chroma key technology. “This allows us to use virtual sets.”

This technology is rapidly changing what viewers see and is in most ways undetectable from a traditional hard set, said Mack McLaughlin, CEO and creative director at FX Design Group,

NEWS

which worked with WILX to develop and fabricate the new studio. “It’s designed to move forward as they develop virtual set technology.” McLaughlin expects this to reshape television news. They allow a station to produce a talk show at noon and a sports show in the evening without elaborate and expensive set changes.

“Virtual was around 20 years ago, but it was expensive, slow and clunky. Now it is a tenth of the price and 10 times the speed.

With a well-designed virtual set, audiences didn’t discern a difference.”

Realism is important, McLaughlin explained. “One of the reasons people choose a station is trust in the anchors and reporters.”

This flexibility can be important for a station like WILX, which also produces daily news coverage for the region’s Fox affiliate, WSYM. It broadcasts eight hours of news each day, starting at 5 a.m. through the 11 p.m. wrap-up newscast. The station has a news staff of about 34, Ragan said.

Besides the use of more virtual sets, WILX will in the future introduce augmented reality into its news story presentation.

These are the 3D graphics that appear and often float as live elements on the screen. There is no timetable for this enhancement, Ragan said. It requires new lenses for the station’s robotic cameras.

This technology complements the station’s website. Although it might merit just a minute or less on the evening newscast, live coverage of a news conference or accident scene could be streamed live and at length online, Sardar explained.

Like WILX, WLNS integrates green screens and interactive displays with its news reports. And its parent company, Media General, with stations in 48 markets, also contracting with the FX Group has introduced sets on three of its stations with many of the features used by WILX. FX Group said of the new sets for WFLATampa, WSPA-Greenville/Spartanburg and WCBD-Charleston: “Each station sports a very contemporary design with utmost flexibility for breaking news, weather, entertainment and traffic. The highlights are LED curtains, LED color changing VacuForm walls, vertical columns and headers. All three stations have 3 x 3 x 46

“Backpacks give us an opportunity to go live from places we’ve never been able to go live from before,” Sardar said. “We used to be tethered to a live truck and the cable would have stretch to the tenth floor of city hall or into the courtroom. Now we can go live from those places.” The station produces five hours of news each day with a staff of about 40, Sardar said.

Ragan, with 39 years in the television news business, acknowledges the pace of change in his industry and sees no let up. “We’ve been on a rocket ship with technology,” he said. “It’s only the first stage.”

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.

FOCUSED LEGAL STRATEGIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS »

At WLNS, the region’s CBS affiliate, the news set is more traditional. It uses touch screens for weather and for other reports, but News Director Jam Sardar said the station’s staff is focusing on reporting from the field using backpack transmitters that eliminate the need for cumbersome satellite trucks.

monitor walls and 80 inch touch screens for anchor and reporter interaction.”

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NEWS

Michigan’s Booming Farm Industry Expects Another Good Year

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

Y

ou think you have worries? Consider farmers. If there’s not too much rain, there’s too little. There are pests and weeds, fuel prices, the cost of fertilizer, over supply, under demand, capital investment, finding laborers, the strength of the dollar. And that’s just before breakfast.

They manage million dollar businesses in Michigan’s billion dollar food and agriculture industry that is optimistically approaching the 2015 growing season after a series of record years.

“For corn and soy, we are coming off a period of very high prices and excellent income,” said Bob Boehm, manager of Michigan Farm Bureau’s Center for Commodity, Farm & Industry Relations.

“We are going into the year with excellent planting progress, off to a good start with over half of the corn crop planted by the fifth of May.” The state’s food and agriculture industry is valued at more than $100 billion, Boehm said, adding that the state is second only to California in the diversity of its farm economy. It produces products as diverse as black beans, maple syrup, Christmas trees and winter wheat, thanks largely to the moderating effect of the Great Lakes.

In mid-Michigan, the farm economy is dominated by field crops: corn, soy and wheat. For 2015, the start of the planting season has been extraordinary.

Jeff Oesterle and his sons Don and Russ farm more than 4,000 acres just south of Mason. “So far this spring it’s going well getting our crops in the ground,” Oesterle said. All of his corn and soy was planted by the second week of May. A strong start will be important for area farmers, who after years of strong prices for their crops, face a weaker market for their commodities.

“Prices are down considerably from the past few years,” Oesterle said. “Corn is starting to fall back because our exports are falling off. The price for beans has fallen back. There has been a pretty decent crop out of South America.”

A year ago, corn was selling for about $4.96 per bushel. This year the price is in the $3.50 per bushel range. For soy, the year-overyear price has declined from $14.68 to $9.78. Winter wheat, which is harvested in July, has fallen from $9.30 to $7.20 per bushel.

Contributing to the price pressure is the higher value of the U.S. dollar. “We farm and market in a global economy, as opposed to a U.S. economy,” Oesterle said. “We need to make sure that we live within our means based on the price of crops. That depends on the world market where we don’t have any more control of that than we do the weather.”

Farms in mid-Michigan produce significant amounts of corn, soy and wheat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2014, farmers in Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties collectively planted 193,000 acres of corn which yielded a harvest of 28.8 million bushels. For soy, 185,900 acres were planted with a yield of 8.6 million bushels. Wheat accounted for 54,900 acres with a yield of 4.1 million bushels.

Area planting in 2015 should follow this pattern, Boehm said. “Things are pretty consistent. Farms and acreage don’t change dramatically.”

Farmers like Oesterle hope to offset lower commodity prices with better seed variety to improve yield. He said that he has been using a variety of corn that allowed 44,000 plants per acre. Even higher population seed are

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“THE MICHIGAN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE BUSINESS, INCLUDING LOCAL FARMS, HAVE HELPED LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR MICHIGAN’S ECONOMIC COMEBACK. WHILE THE IMPACT IS STATE-WIDE, THE EFFECT IS ALSO LOCAL.” — JENNIFER HOLTON

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NEWS

available, he said, adding that when his father started farming the average was 18,000 to 22,000 plants per acre.

The Oesterle farming operation is branded Little Creek Cattle and Grain and is among the largest farming operations in the region.

In Ingham County, the average farm is 212 acres — about a third of a square mile, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which periodically details the scale of farming operations at the county level. Oesterle and his family farm about six; three miles of fields.

The USDA’s latest report (2012) identified 944 farms in Ingham County with an average land and buildings market value of $866,715. In Clinton County there were 1,128 farms, on average, a bit larger at 216 acres and with higher land and market value — $939,125. Eaton County had 1,163 farms averaging 192 acres valued at $714,449.

Collectively, the economic impact of these operations is significant: $25.9 million in Ingham County, $72.8 million in Clinton and $37.4 million in Eaton.

“Michigan’s agri-food system has a total economic impact of $101.2 billion. We hit that in October 2014,” said Jennifer Holton, director of communications for the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

“The Michigan food and agriculture business, including local farms, have helped lay the foundation for Michigan’s economic comeback,” she said, adding that while the impact can be statewide, the effect is also local.

“It’s investment in the community and the creation of hometown jobs,” Holton said.

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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JUNE 2015

NEWS

Agriculture in Michigan Producing more than 300 commercial commodities, Michigan ranks second only to California in agricultural diversity. It is what propels the state’s $101.2 billion food and agricultural business sector. Less a bread basket than a fruit bowl, these are some of the state’s agricultural superlatives as reported by the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

Cherries: More than any other state — 70 to 75 percent of the nation’s tart cherries and 20 percent of the nation’s sweet cherries.

Asparagus: Third in the nation producing up to 23 million pounds annually.

Cucumbers: At 162,400 tons, first in the production of pickling cucumbers.

Blueberries: The top producer: 114 million pounds of 30 different varieties.

Nursery/perennial plants: Fifth largest shipments to 35 states, Canada and Mexico.

Carrots: Second in the nation producing 112 million pounds in 2013.

Grapes: Fifth among all states in the production of wine grapes.

Christmas trees: Ranked number three with an annual harvest of 3 million.

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F E AT U R E

Local Theatre Brings Business and Art to the Greater Lansing Area

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

I

t seems impossibly small for the large role in the region’s arts community, but that’s the Williamston Theatre — just 100 seats in a city of 3,900, an Equity showcase, six productions a year (some of them premieres) and dozens of awards, including a $12,000 National Theater Company Grant in 2014.

Add to that a significant role in the revitalization of Williamston, where it now owns its Putnam St. home and the true picture of the theater company’s success emerges. It is understated by the mission it describes as offering affordable professional theater, education and employment

opportunities to artists and audiences in Michigan and the Midwest.

There is much more, and it all happens on a $400,000 a year budget.

In many ways, the Williamston Theatre is a labor of love; it was founded in 2005 and is still managed by Executive Director John Lepard, Managing Director Chris Purchis, Artistic Director Tony Caselli and Development Director Emily Sutton-Smith.

But it’s also a business that weathered the recession and is strengthening financially, though not necessarily smoothly.

For the 2013-2014 season (its September through August fiscal year reflects the performance schedule), the company said it posted $43,908 gain in net assets — an indicator of profitability. Its financial stability relies in large part on contributions.

For its last fiscal year, the company reported revenues of $413,630, expenses of $464,318 and reserves of $195,575. As a measure of its success, it also is growing audience, topping 10,000 last year, according to Sutton-Smith.

“We’re actually in pretty good shape.

We don’t carry any debt and that’s a big thing,” Sutton Smith said. “A lot of arts organizations borrow money to get through tough times. In December we were able to purchase our building and now we have a fairly nice asset.”

The Williamston Theatre ranks in the smallest tier of companies as measured

by Theatre Communications Group, which reports on the financial health of not-for-profit theaters. Its finances reflect the general performance of other small organizations.

Altogether, Williamson Theatre derives about half of its revenue from contributions and grants: $202,646 for the 2013-2014 year, off slightly from the previous year.

Sutton-Smith plans to broaden the search for grants and for the first time, the company has produced audited financial statements, which are required by some donors. It receives support from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Capital Region Community Foundation and the Arts Council of Greater Lansing.

Then there is Steve Zynda, who runs Cardinal Fabricating in Williamston. His wife Debra, who sits on the company’s board of directors, is Lepard’s sister. His support

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PHOTO B Y CHRIS PURCHIS

Arthur J. Beer, John Lepard and Dominique Lowell in “Outside Mullingar” by John Patrick Shanley.

allows the Williamston Theatre to stretch beyond what a company its size normally attains. Zynda was there at the start.

“He was the man who helped us,” said Sutton-Smith, speaking of her brother-inlaw. Yes, Williamston Theatre is very much a family affair; she and Lepard are married.

“He kind of gave us a springboard. Back when we were wanting to start a theater he said ‘I’ll buy a building for you to use if you turn it into a theater.’ He charged us a dollar a year,” Sutton-Smith said. Volunteers, hard work and grant money turned the building into a small black-box theater. The original 88 seats were expanded to 100, and in 2014 the company was given an opportunity to purchase the building.

“Steve said he didn’t really want to own the building and told us that if we could raise the money to buy it, he’d sell it really cheap and match a portion with money from his family foundation,” Sutton-Smith said. “We went to our top contributors — there are nine of them — and said this is a great opportunity to support the theater. We completed the transaction by the end of 2014.”

For Zynda, support for the theater reflects his commitment to Williamston and a passion for performance. “The help from Debbie and I allowed them to succeed, but we’ve been blessed to be in a position to help them to achieve their success,” he wrote in an email.

Zynda also seems to have an inner artist; “on a more positive note, I hope to write a play they might produce someday, but I’m afraid they’re a bit too smart to do so.”

Perhaps. Professional theater is different from community theater. “With an Equity company you want to employ people who are professional,” Sutton-Smith said. “But it’s expensive. Not necessarily from a salary standpoint; actors don’t make a huge amount of money. It’s the pension and welfare costs.”

Equity actors earn $332 a week in addition to $500 for health insurance and pension payments. Sutton Smith said the artistic director and managing director are each paid $26,000 a year. Steve Zynda covers her $26,000 a year salary. Lepard, the executive director, is unpaid with only a token payment for his board participation.

The company’s principals supplement their Williamston Theatre work with part time employment: teaching, acting, directing, audio book voice-overs —whatever it takes.

The payoff, said Sutton-Smith, is providing a “meaningful cultural experience,” a personal connection that impacts lives. And that’s in the theater.

“We’re just so happy that they chose Williamston,” Barbara Burke, Executive Director of the Williamston Area Chamber of Commerce, said of the theater. “It’s an anchor that draws people to Williamston all year long. They eat in our local restaurants, shop in our stores and walk around town.”

It’s a view echoed by Dawn-Marie Joseph, head of the Williamston Downtown Development Authority, and owner of Gracie’s place, across the street from the theater. As it has grown, so too has her restaurant. What started as a coffee and dessert shop is now a full restaurant and bar.

Joseph has found the successful formula, as has the growing roster of Williamston restaurants. Still she said, “we’d have to work it very differently without the theater.”

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OPINION

Don’t Be A Manufacturing Hater

BY CHUCK HADDEN

Y

ou think you know manufacturing? You may think it’s a dark, dirty profession, and that most of the jobs have gone away. You might also think that the rest of the jobs are ones of last resort. But these assumptions about manufacturing are simply not true. Manufacturing is in Michigan’s DNA. Don’t be a manufacturing hater.

This is where the excitement is!

A career in manufacturing can be very lucrative; we pay our employees far above the national average, plus benefits. In fact, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the average manufacturing worker earned $77,506 in 2013.

The average worker in all other industries earned an average of $62,546.

Manufacturing workers are also some of the hardest working people you’ll ever meet. According to data collected by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), manufacturers in the United States are the most productive in the world, surpassing worker productivity in every other major manufacturing economy, leading to higher wages and living standards.

Manufacturers also utilize the world’s most advanced equipment and work closely with the newest technology.

With most of the technology used in manufacturing, it’s likely that we’ve also created it.

Although Michigan is well-known for manufacturing cars and car parts, the list of products manufactured here is much more extensive: • Cars and trucks

Name it, and Michigan has most likely had a hand in making it.

If it hasn’t been invented yet, don’t worry; manufacturers are leaders in research and development. Once we invent it, we’ll make it too.

• Airplanes and ships • Food and beverages

People choose to be manufacturers. They want to do more; they want to create, to innovate, to make.

• Furniture • Chemicals • Defense

Apply to be a manufacturer. Everyone is welcome.

Don’t be a manufacturing hater. This is where the opportunities are.

• Clothing • Technology

Economists will tell you there are three ways for a state to prosper: extract something, grow something or make something; Michigan has chosen to make everything. Manufacturing is all around, especially in Michigan.

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• Energy • Plastics, metals and rubber

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

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Chuck Hadden is the President and CEO of the Michigan Manufacturers Association.

Chuck ensures that MMA’s member companies remain competitive.

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OPINION

The Coming Retirement Boom

BY ST EPHEN L . HICKS , J D, MB A , MS, C PA , A N D RO G ER L . M ILLB RO O K , JD, CPA / P FS

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

JUNE 2015

, FREE ON STMENTS VE

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Tax-smart investing consists of designing investment portfolios utilizing an optimal balance between investment performance (including expected return and risk characteristics) and the attendant tax consequences specific to a particular investor. It is the systematic and continual application of evolving tax strategies based upon new information, changing tax rates and laws and the needs particular to the investor. At its core, tax-smart investing concerns itself

G

IN

While an investor cannot control market returns, they can control the costs of investing in the market. Start with avoiding commissions (also known as

TAX-SMART INVESTING

IN

SI

COMMISSION-FREE, LOW-COST INVESTMENTS

The best practice for low-cost investing is passive institutional investing (wholesale) as opposed to retail investing in commission products. The problem for investors is that most advisers have limited or no access to passive institutional investments. Investors should seek out fee-only (not merely fee-based) fiduciary advisers who offer 100% passive institutional investments that are low-cost, no-load, penaltyfree investments.

CO M LOW M -C O S

&

T

An investment policy statement (IPS) is, for most investors, their first ever written investment plan. An IPS provides a detailed description of investment plan objectives, constraints and asset allocation. The standard estate plan consists of a revocable living trust, pourover wills, durable powers of attorney for property, healthcare and mental healthcare. A more involved estate plan arrangement for estate tax considerations would include the use of A/B trusts, irrevocable trusts, qualified gifting strategies, family limited partnerships or a family foundation. Regardless of the type of estate plan that you have or will require, it is vital that your estate plan and investment plan are seamlessly integrated and kept up-to-date. Without excluding other well-qualified advisers, such as CPAs, we recommend working with wealth advisers holding law degrees to best coordinate efforts with your estate lawyer or your existing estate plan.

AN

IS

INVESTMENT PLAN INTEGRATED WITH ESTATE PLANNING

loads). Commissions are a real and significant drag on a portfolio’s performance. Commissions are common with actively managed retail mutual funds (A, B and C shares, etc.). It is important to note that commissions are paid on top of the annual expense charges of the mutual funds.

Purchasing a variable annuity from an insurance broker or adviser often has significant fees associated with it, including management fees, mortality and expense fees and possibly surrender penalties.

INVESTM EN TP ESTATE PL AN L N

E

ach day for at least the next 15 years, approximately 8,000 baby boomers will turn 65. According to the Washington Post, 10,000 individuals are retiring on a daily basis, with no end in sight. How best for these retirees, or soon to be retirees, to invest? Start with a written investment plan that integrates seamlessly with your estate plan, then consider sensible ways of reducing the often high costs of investing.

RETIREMENT BOOM

TA X-S M

ART INVESTI

NG

with after-tax returns over time. Taxsmart investing is not simply a product.

It is a process that comes directly from applied research found in professional journals and academic literature. As such, we recommend that you work with investment advisers who are also Certified Public Accountants (CPA).

Stephen L. Hicks, JD, MBA, MS, CPA, and Roger L. Millbrook, JD, CPA/PFS, are Fee-Only Fiduciary Investment Advisers with Siena Wealth Advisers. Siena is consistently recognized by CPA Wealth Provider and Accounting Today magazines as one of the Top Investment Advisory Firms in the United States. Only five firms in the state of Michigan have been so recognized. Siena advisers can be reached at info@sienainvestor.com.

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F E AT U R E

Lansing Community College Invests in Skilled Trade Education

BY MICKEY HIRTEN

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ansing Community College is embarking on an $8.8 million expansion of its West Campus mechatronics laboratory.

The curriculum, mechatronics, may not be familiar, but the skills that students learn should be; the students learn about electronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, mechanics, welding and other skills needed to maintain the machinery of manufacturing.

The college received a $4.8 million award from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). and is self-funding the remainder of the project. It’s a favorite program of LCC President Brent Knight, illustrated by the jar of assembly line pickles he keeps on his desk.

“It’s not because I like pickles,” Knight said “We are in the business of training people to install and service the line equipment that makes everything from Cadillacs to pickles.”

Knight pitches the school’s mechatronics as he might a high school shop class. “Learn to work with sheet metal, rivets, learn basic welding, brazing, soldering, probably glues and sealants.

Understand meters, gauges, electronic measures, test equipment ... fasteners of all types, hardness of fasteners, fittings, bearings.”

confidence to fill needed jobs,” LCC said summarizing the program.

“Employers are looking for an individual who has multiple skill sets; who can figure out problems and develop solutions at ground zero,” Garcia said, offering these scenarios.

“If a line were to shut down because of a quality issue or if products with defects were produced; if there are delays in production for some reason, there is a mechanical issue. These individuals (mechatronics graduates) in the workplace will be able to support engineers, to modify machines, to make changes in equipment, repair, test and provide maintenance for equipment.”

“WE WANT TO PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS THE SAME LOOK AND FEEL OF A MAJOR MANUFACTURER SO THAT OUR STUDENTS FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING FROM OUR FACILITY INTO A MANUFACTURING FACILITY.”

And he’s just warming up. He breezily cites dozens of additional crafts that capture the essence of the program.

— BO GARCIA

“Mechatronics is a combination of a number of skill sets that give somebody a jack-of-all-trades background,” said Jerry Hollister, Chief Operating Officer of Niowave, Inc., the Lansing manufacturer of superconducting electron accelerators.

To train these students, LCC will build a 12,000 square foot addition at the West Campus where it will reconfigure 24,000 square feet of existing training space and install equipment that mirrors local advance manufacturing operations. It expects to complete the expansion in the third quarter of 2016.

Niowave is one of 17 local manufacturing companies that provided a letter of support for LCC’s MEDC grant application, said Baldomero “Bo” Garcia, executive director of the college’s Business & Community Institute. Among those who sent letters were Alro Steel, Camron Tools, General Motors Corp., Linn Products, Orchid Orthopedics and TRW Automotive.

The mechatronics lab expansion is designed to help address what LCC and its business partners have identified as a shortage of nearly 2,000 skilled trade workers. This comes as the region is experiencing the expansion of its manufacturing base.

“Without a facility capable of quickly training workers in needed skill areas, this shortage could reduce area manufacturer’s 18

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“We want to provide an environment that has the same look and feel of a major manufacturer so that our students feel comfortable going from our facility into a manufacturing facility,” Garcia said.

Students enrolled in the program will pay regular LCC tuition of $85 per billing hour for in-district residents.

The mechatronics program is structured along different lines, some of it leading to an associate’s degree, with other programs providing professional certification in Manufacturing Engineering Technology Design (METD), Manufacturing Engineering, Technology Machining (METM), Manufacturing Engineering Technology Systems (METS), Welding Technology, Electrical

F E AT U R E

Technologies and Computer Information Technologies.

Garcia said the program expects enrollment increases of 10 percent a year with the goal of 810 students in 2017. Current enrollment is approximately 450.

Mechatronics training is designed for older students with workplace skills and students right out of high school. “Actually, we want both, those coming out of high school and perhaps those looking to upscale and enhance their existing manufacturing competency.”

The offerings through the mechatronics laboratory will reflect this approach. It will provide training in product management, product development and design, AutoCAD, CNC machining and process controls.

Pay for workers with mechatronic skills start at about $35,000 a year and can be well above that.

Relating mechatronic careers with Tri-County median wages, LCC identified the annual salary for manufacturing production technicians at $52,000, electrical and electronics engineering technicians at $51,600, industrial machinery mechanics at $50,200 and mechanical engineering technicians at $44,400.

But while these jobs may seem fixed, the labor market can be quite fluid.

“Because technology advances very quickly even with a two year program, if it get too specialized, things can change between the first and second year,” Hollister said. “What they (graduates) need are good fundamentals so that they are able to complete the tasks.

The skills needed to succeed can change rapidly.”

Like the other businesses working with LCC, Niowave finds that the labor market is tightening. His firm employs about 65 workers, some with advanced degrees in physics and nuclear engineering; others are assemblers or machinists.

“Five years ago we didn’t have trouble finding skilled workers in the area. Now you’ve got unemployment levels dropping so low that it’s hard to find people not employed. You have to entice others to leave another job and we don’t like to do that,” Hollister said.

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COVER

BUILDING A MANUFACTURING EMPIRE B Y K A LY N N E M CI N TY R E

A

lthough many individuals may not know the company name, most have used their products. “Dart began as a foam cup company, but we are so much more than that now,” said Jim Lammers, president of Dart Container Corporation, as he reflected on where Dart is today and just how far they’ve come.

For more than 50 years, Dart Container has been a representative of excellence in both people and products. Today, they are still making significant strides in the manufacturing industry, both in the international market and at the local level.

MICHIGAN MADE

The Dart story began right here in Michigan, down the road from the capitol in a small machine shop in Mason. With the demand for plastic products high after World War II, Dart Container thrived on producing a wide variety of products, including key cases, identification tags for the armed services, rulers and more.

In the late 1950s, experimentation with expandable polystyrene (EPS, or more commonly known as foam) began, bringing in a whole new line of products. The idea was to mass-produce a high quality, low cost foam cup — which was something no one at the time had truly mastered. In 20

1960, Dart finally cracked the secret and created the now famous H-cup, paving the way for a whole line of products including cups, lids, bowls and more. Dart continued to play with different materials, moving from foam to Polyethylene terephthalate (PET, a common type of plastic).

By 1969, Dart had grown to 100 employees and four plants, totaling 470,000 square feet of workspace. In the next 40 years, Dart’s growth would explode both locally and internationally, adding thousands of employees and millions of square feet worldwide.

In what could be considered one of their biggest moves yet, Dart purchased the Solo Cup Company in 2012, broadening their material base and acquiring a new yet publicly well-known brand. This acquisition added more than 7,500 employees, 20 new production plants and roughly 16 million square feet of workspace worldwide, helping maintain Dart’s status as one of the biggest manufacturing companies in the industry.

KEEPING IT LOCAL

Since 2012, Dart’s Mason campus has been an ongoing construction site, adding more than 640,000 square feet and renovating another 600,000 more of existing

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property. The company’s growth has meant growth in the local economy as well by adding hundreds of jobs in construction, landscaping, paving and moving. In addition, Dart has added more than 100 jobs in the high-tech IT and engineering positions, attracting and retaining new skilled employees to the Lansing area. Jobs have also been added in the administration, sales, finance and facilities departments.

“We have challenging and interesting work for people to do,” said Christine Waltz, executive vice president of finance and chief financial officer of Dart Container. “Why do people come here? We’re growing. We’re in Michigan. We believe in inspiration and innovation, and we’re not going anywhere.”

Adding new jobs and attracting new talent has meant good things for the housing market and local businesses as well. According to Doug Klein, Executive Director of the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce, hotels and transportation services have all seen an uptick in business.

“Dart Container has been a good neighbor to the Mason community, especially the business community,” said Klein.

“They provide lots of support in terms of sponsorships for community events throughout the year.”

P H OTO B Y M A R K WA R N ER

Chrstine Waltz and Jim Lammers at the Dart Container Corporation located in Mason.

The housing market has seen significant changes as well.

“Since Dart has expanded, I have definitely seen a change in the real estate market in Mason,” said Kelly Hude, a RE/MAX Realtor in the Lansing area. “The average home is only on the market for six months or less, which signals a seller’s market. There are definitely more buyers than homes that are available at this time. That’s a huge change if you look at statistics from three or four years back.”

With new people moving to the area and spending more money, Mason has seen significant growth over the past decade.

“Mason has experienced continued growth over the last ten years, essentially matching Dart as the corporation has expanded,” said Klein. “Our town has expanded in terms of residential and other personal and business services.”

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

In addition to bringing new jobs to the area, Dart’s business model is designed to keep them here too. Dart produces much of its own resin, meaning it produces more products here than outsourcing them to a different site. Those same products are then packaged in Dart materials, put into cartons and printed with Dart ink. Finally,

they’re shipped on Dart-owned trucks, keeping as much as possible within the company itself.

“We are probably more vertically integrated than our competitors,” said Lammers. “We make a lot of our own resin, which means more products made here…we believe that’s one of our biggest strengths as a company.”

When you think of a manufacturing company, often times what comes to mind are parts being made and then put onto a conveyor belt. What you don’t think of is just how much those products are incorporated into your everyday routine.

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PHOTO B Y MA RK WA NER

Dart provides customers like Sisco and US Food Service with the products that they use every day, which in turn we as customers are buying. Without manufacturing, your cup of coffee would be served very differently. The same goes for buying paper and plastic products in a store. At Kroger or Meijer for example, there are three kinds of products available: Solo, Dart or a private label. No matter what the packaging says on the outside, those products were manufactured by Dart, Lammers said.

“Most of the time, people aren’t purchasing our products outright,” said Lammers.

“They’re purchasing a good that’s used our products in some way. Many people don’t see it like that.”

Ultimately, Dart’s goal is to provide consumers with a product that is quality and reliable, every single time.

“To us, a big competitive advantage is the value of proposition. If we say we’re going to do it, we’ll do it. We’ll have the right product at the right time. We’re just in a faster paced world and every industry is different.”

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COMPANY CULTURE

THE NEXT STEPS

While Dart’s business and recent growth has certainly attracted plenty of new talent, the office culture that has been carefully cultivated is something that makes employees want to stay.

While Dart has made significant strides in the past few years, the plan is to continue to move forward. With new ideas and technology constantly on the horizon, the pressure to be innovative in a fast-paced world is constantly felt.

“Business is ultimately, for us, a human endeavor,” said Lammers. “You can have great technology, a lot of great ideas, but you have to have good people. We are not a robotic society. You have to strike the right balance of management and skillset and training to create something incredible.”

Dart has always been privately owned and operated within the Dart family, and its management has done its best to instill those same values throughout the company.

“We strive to maintain an open door policy with our employees,” said Waltz. “We believe that you must take care of your people in order for them to take care of you. Career advancement and aspirations are taken very seriously here, as is the development of our staff.”

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“When you think of innovation, it’s a real spectrum. Some of it can be sort of a ‘wow’ moment, but a lot of it is a series of improvements that can really lead to some good competitive advantages,” said Lammers. “Just as hitting a single homerun is fabulous, hitting singles is just as good when you’re doing it consistently.”

Whatever their next move is, rest assured that Dart will continue to be a key player in both the mid-Michigan community and the international market.

Kalynne McIntyre is the Digital Branding Specialist at M3 Group in downtown Lansing. She is a Michigan State University graduate, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising.

COVER

Manufacturing’s Impact on Mid-Michigan While Dart plays a large role in the manufacturing industry, they’re not alone. Several other companies have made significant impacts in the mid-Michigan area, including the following: General Motors

Dowding Industries

Gestamp Group

Eisen Fastener Products

Local, national and international company

Mid-size manufacturing firm

Local, national and international company

Local, national and international company

Has more than 32,000 workers world wide

Has a presence on four continents

Specializes in metal automotive components

Specializes in automotive racks, power controls and fasteners

Employs more than 212,000 workers world-wide Specializes in automotive parts

Has more than 80,000 square feet of manufacturing space Specializes in sheet metal and stamping Located in Eaton Rapids, Mich.

Locations in more than 120 countries

Located in Mason, Mich.

Located in Lansing, Mich.

PHOTO PROVIDE D

Organizations included represent a sample of the manufacturing industry. This is not an exhaustive list.

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JUNE 2015

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F E AT U R E

Startup Challenge Encourages Youth to Explore Their Passion for Entrepreneurship

BY KRIS TINE RICHMON D

P HOTOS PROV IDED

T

he Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) awarded $13,000 to young entrepreneurs from around the Lansing region as part of the second annual Lansing Youth Startup Challenge held at the Lansing Center on April 29.

“The Lansing Youth Startup Challenge provides an outlet for students who are interested in exploring a world where they can be their own boss. Each of them can dream up the grandest idea, test its viability, and then be on to the next great idea the next month. This type of programming is a great way to play around and learn the ropes of that entrepreneurial mindset,” said Sara Parkinson, director of talent communications at LEAP. Middle and high school students from Charlotte, DeWitt, Haslett, Holt, Lansing, Leslie, Olivet, Potterville and Vermontville showcased their diverse business ideas, including women’s hunting apparel, home cleaning services, baked goods, cosmetics, Cajon drum systems and a fitness studio.

Tony Willis and Sara Parkinson from LEAP with the grand champion Samantha White (center).

Students presented their businesses in an expo-like format for attendees to view throughout the day. Each student submitted an executive summary business plan while also creatively displaying their product or service to wow the judges. Additionally, this year the event included the first-ever Youth Hatching Competition where eight students pitched their business ideas in front of judges for five minutes.

Twenty awards were given out in a variety of categories including first, second and third place business plans and table pitches as well as best marketing plan, best ecofriendly Bob Trezise, President & CEO of LEAP. business, socially responsible business and more. The $1,000 Grand Champion was awarded to the student with the best business plan and best product display and pitch. Awards were Monthly. “If we can start encouraging creativity in our youth now also given to the top three students with the best Hatching pitch. through events like this, I can only imagine the new products and The awards were generously sponsored by 14 local businesses that businesses that will result.” believe in the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. M3 Group was one of the sponsors.

This year’s Grand Champion was Samantha White from DeWitt High School, who took home $1,500 for her winning business “We are so excited to have the opportunity to invest in our idea, Huntress Heaven. Her company is a camouflage clothing line youth. They are our future CEOs, marketing directors, store made for today’s female hunters. For White, entrepreneurship owners, inventors and more,” said Tiffany Dowling, president began at an early age. and CEO of M3 Group and publisher of Greater Lansing Business 26

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F E AT U R E

“When I was in middle school, I used to run dance camps in my neighborhood. I would have all of the neighbor girls over and I would charge them $5 a class. I would teach them a dance to a song and that would be something fun to do in the summer,” said White in a recent Pure Lansing interview on the Michigan Business Network.

“EACH OF THEM CAN DREAM UP THE GRANDEST IDEA, TEST ITS VIABILITY, AND THEN BE ON TO THE NEXT GREAT IDEA THE NEXT MONTH. THIS TYPE OF PROGRAMMING IS A GREAT WAY TO PLAY AROUND AND LEARN THE ROPES

Factory, would provide space for personal trainers and other fitness instructors to rent out. “I always knew I never wanted to work for anyone else so I thought I’d start my own business.” Wade plans to start her company after high school.

Parkinson said that LEAP plans to continue this event next year.

“We are currently trying to firm up a process in which students can participate in a series of multiple events region-wide in preparation for this event next year.”

The tentative plan, according to Parkinson, would be to partner with other similar business pitch competitions. Students could enter these competitions, practice their pitches and tweak their presentations in preparation for the next Youth Startup Challenge in the spring.

For more information about the Lansing Youth Startup Challenge, visit purelansing.com/youthstartup.

OF THAT ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET.” — SARA PARKINSON Another winning business idea came from Abigail Wade, also from DeWitt High School. She won a $250 award for the best marketing plan, sponsored by M3 Group. Her business, Fitness

Kristine Richmond is the Public Relations Specialist at M3 Group. She specializes in helping clients tell their stories of changed lives, fiscal success, philanthropic support and more by creating engaging messages that grab customers’ attention and cause them to act.

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“

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HE SAID/SHE SAID

He Said She Said

Each month The Greater Lansing Business Monthly invites authors from two views — one conservative, one liberal — to share their thoughts on a rotating topic. This month’s topic: How important do you think skilled trades are? What is the most desirable skilled trade?

EARLY TECHNICAL TRAINING DEVELOPS LOCAL TALENT TO MEET INDUSTRY NEEDS

By Cindy Anderson

As businesses grow in the mid-Michigan region, the need for qualified employees continues to rise. Our region consists of many different industries that all need talented candidates. The career outlook through 2020 for our area shows growth in many industries, primarily in health, technology, engineering and manufacturing. As an education entity, Ingham Intermediate School District provides numerous career pathway options for students through Capital Area Career Center (CACC) programs before they leave high school.

Career Center programming is known as Career and Technical Education (CTE).

Although many still refer to CTE as vocational training, we do not call it that anymore. Why might you ask? Because it’s no longer your father’s shop class. In 28

CTE programs, students can earn high school academic credit, state and national technical certifications and college credit at no cost. CTE students compete in student professional organizations on a regional, state and national level to illustrate the depth of their knowledge, skills and professionalism. Students graduate from high school with the basic skills and educational background for their chosen career field before they enroll in college or enter the workforce.

Today’s CTE courses are much more rigorous than they were 20 years ago, and students complete CTE programs more prepared for college and careers. In Michigan, 93 percent of CTE students are enrolled in college, working or serving in the military within one year of high school graduation. CTE students are 10 percent more likely to earn their high school diploma than their peers, outperform other students in reading and test twice as high in math. It is predicted by the year 2018, Michigan CTE graduates will qualify for more than 450,000 jobs in our state alone.

At the CACC, we offer 18 programs to students across the Ingham ISD service area in fields, including health, culinary, engineering, welding, precision machining, construction, law enforcement, cosmetology and many more. Next fall, four new programs are being added in the areas of aviation, cybersecurity, insurance and bioscience. By 2020, The Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Statistics expects an increase of more than 15 percent in mechanical and industrial engineers, medical assistants, emergency medical technicians and more

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than 20 percent for financial analysts, computer analysts, software developers and veterinary technicians. Students do not have to wait until college to begin training for their careers. By starting early, students will decrease tuition costs and increase higher wage employment opportunities if attending college, entering the workforce or earning an apprenticeship.

As a region gaining momentum in the economic recovery, we want our area employers to know high school CTE programming is a great way to find qualified, talented employees. Businesses currently work with local CTE programs across the state to offer work-based learning opportunities, provide oversight on business advisory councils to ensure programs meet industry needs and volunteer in classrooms to share their knowledge and experiences.

Working together, we can help students develop career plans that create an educated and skilled workforce for Michigan’s future.

For more information about Career Center programs please call (517) 244-1330 or visit our website at inghamisd.org/cacc.

Cindy Anderson is the Assistant Superintendent of Instruction at Ingham Intermediate School District (ISD) and serves as the Career and Technical Education Director for the service area. She joined Ingham ISD in 1998 and has experience in all instructional areas including Early Childhood, Special Education, General Education and Career and Technical Education.

Anderson received both her Bachelor and master’s degrees in education from Grand Valley State University.

HE SAID/SHE SAID

SKILLED TRADES ARE VITAL TO MICHIGAN’S ECONOMY

LCC currently supports more than 300 apprentices and partners with 50 local employers to fill jobs ranging from Manufacturing Technicians and Electricians, to IT Specialists. Additionally, the College is launching the Michigan Advanced Technician Training Program this fall. Apprentices will alternate classroom work with on-the-job training with an employer, who will interview and hire them at the outset. The training will be free for the apprentices, and upon completion of the program, the apprentice will receive an associate’s degree, a Department of Labor Apprenticeship Certification and the guarantee of a job at the sponsoring employer.

By Brent Knight

Skilled trades workers are arguably the unsung heroes of today’s society. You won’t see their faces on billboards or photographers taking photos as they walk down the sidewalk. However, skilled technicians play an instrumental role in manufacturing some of our state’s most important products.

As important as it is to get Michiganians trained and into these jobs, it is equally important that Michigan businesses take advantage of the programs in place.

Employers can establish partnerships with area community colleges to ensure that training focuses on needed skill sets

and develop a recruitment pipeline for new workers.

Skilled trade occupations are vital to our state’s economy. As Michigan’s skilled workers retire and the advances in technology continue, we will depend highly on the specialized work of tradespeople.

By shedding light and creating focus on this industrial shift, we can begin to move the needle.

Dr. Knight became the sixth president of Lansing Community College on July 1, 2008.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ferris State University, a Master of Arts degree in business and community college teaching from Western Michigan University (WMU) and a doctorate of education in educational leadership from WMU before becoming a visiting scholar in strategic planning at the University of Michigan. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of Public Service by Ferris State University in 2012.

In Michigan, working in the skilled trades has always meant good jobs and being the heart of the economy. But today, as a result of the large volume of retirements, the recession and increased technology use, thousands of positions are vacant – and employers struggle to find workers to fill those jobs.

According to the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives (LMISI), between 2012 and 2022, Michigan will have an additional 27,150 skilled trade jobs available due to growth and replacement. In the manufacturing industry alone, there will be 33,450 job opportunities and not nearly enough skilled workers to fill those positions.

Community colleges are organized to serve as a link between unemployed workers and employers seeking to hire.

They are affordable, have partnerships with local businesses and have longstanding experience in worker training and certification programs.

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MAN ON THE STREET

M AN on the STR E ET What skilled trade do you think is the most important to have in the Lansing area?

COMPIL ED BY K YL E D O W L I N G

“I support them all. I don’t want to pick one over the other. I work for the Democrats and we support all skilled trades.”

Kris Young

“I think that being a machinist is the most important. Some type of high-tech machinists.”

Mike Quilinan

“In terms of skilled trades, I would say that all skilled trades are important. We are working on passing legislature to support skilled trades all over Michigan. Skilled trade are important to meeting the needs of the area. My father was a skilled trades worker and I support them.”

Senator David Robertson

“I do IT, so I think information technology is most suited to the Lansing area. It’s always changing and evolving to create new jobs.”

Margaret Woodbury

“Manufacturing related jobs are the most important. It’s part of our history and has always been our strength.”

John Mulcrone

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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

JUNE 2015

JULY 7-12

DOWNTOWN LANSING 2 0 1 5

A R T I S T

L I N E U P

JULY 7 MEGHAN TRAINOR MISTERWIVES / SKIZZY MARS / CHARLIE PUTH / LIFE OF DILLON / RAJIV DHALL FLINT EASTWOOD / THE SPECKTATORS COLLECTIVE / LESS IS MORE

JULY 8 JANE'S ADDICTION Common Ground IN THIS MOMENT / FAILURE / HERE COME THE MUMMIES / ALIEN ANT FARM EYES SET TO KILL / KALEIDO / VANDALAY / HEARTSICK THE M MOST POWERFUL WEAPON / ANA

JULY 9 THE BAND PERRY

PARMALEE / GAELIC STORM / OLD DOMINION / CHASING CRAZY / BRETT KISSEL / ARSTIDIR THE ANATOMY OF FRANK / STEVE RIVERS / BEAR CREEK BROTHERS / SHELBY ANN-MARIE MILLER

JULY 10 THREE DAYS GRACE P.O.D / FINGER ELEVEN / ALL THAT REMAINS / THE COLOR MORALE / I PREVAIL MR. DENTON ON DOOMSDAY / DEVERAUX / CRITICAL BILL / JONESTOWN CROWES

JULY 11 SNOOP DOGG JU

TECH N9NE / DJ QUIK / HEEMS / BLAT! PACK / B SYKES / AND MORE!

JULY 12 EMPIRE OF THE SUN THE FLAMING LIPS MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK / MAN MAN / MEWITHOUTYOU THE SPILL CANVAS MACHINEHEART / FOXING / MIKE MAINS & THE BRANCHES / SORORITY NOISE

MORE INFO AT COMMONGROUNDFEST.COM L

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GLBM LIST

Manufacturing Companies

32

Company

Industry

Product

Alro Steel

Mining and Metals

Metals, plastics and industrial supplies

Cameron Tool

Metals

Sheet metal die

Capital Steel & Wire

Metals

Hot rolled steel wire

Chassix

Automotive machinery

Chassis casting and machining solutions

Clark Trombley Randers

Engineering

Electrical and Mechanical engineering services

Dart Containter

Plastics

Cups, plates, plastic containers, etc‌

Demmer Corporation

Defense, aerospace and automotive

Machinery

Douglas Steel Fabricating Corporation

Metals

Steel products

Dowding Industries

Mechanical/Industrial Engineering

Stamping and sheet metal fabrication

EISEN

Supply Management

automotive racks, power controls and fasteners

F.C. Mason Company

Agriculture and Construction

Machinery

Franchino Mold and Engineering

Molds and Die

Die cast dies, plastic injection molds, contract machining and engineering services

General Motors Lansing Region

Automotive

Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave

Gerdau Steel

Metals

Steel products

Gestamp Group

Automotive

Automotive components

Hydrodynamics International Inc.

Agriculture

Growth Technology

IMPCO Technologies

Machinery

Microfinishing solutions

L.L. Johnson Lumber Manufacturing Co

Lumber

Lumber Products

Lansing Forge, Inc.

Industrial Manufacturing

Hand tools

Metalist International, Inc.

Machinery

Machine repair

Niowave

Mechanical/Industrial Engineering

Superconductinc electron accelerators

Ranch Life Plastics

Plastics

Outdoor vinyl products

RSDC

Metals and Machinery

Metal coil and blank processor

S Group Automotive

Automotive

Automotive plastic parts

Spartan Motors

Automotive

Specialty vehicles

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

JUNE 2015

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 manufacturing companies in the Lansing area in alphabetical order. To submit your company information for future GLBM lists, go to lansingbusinessnews.com/get-on-the-list.

Location

Phone Number

Website

Date Established

Number of Employees

Lansing

(517) 371-9600

alro.com

1948

1000+

Lansing

(517) 487-3671

camerontool.com

1966

75

DeWitt

(517) 277-0500

capitalsteel.net

2001

50

Howell

(517) 548-0500

chassix.com

2012

1000+

Lansing

(517) 886-0550

ctrlansing.com

1961

20+

Mason

(800) 248-5960

dartcontainer.com

1960

1500+

Lansing

(517) 321-3600

demmercorp.com

1951

300+

Lansing

(517) 322-2050

douglassteel.com

1952

100+

Eaton Rapids

(517) 663-5455

dowdingindustries.com

1964

100+

Lansing

(517) 393-5850

eisennet.com

1994

15

St. Johns

(989) 224-3291

fcmason.com

1898

100+

Lansing

(517) 321-5609

franchino.com

1955

20+

Lansing

(517) 377-5000

gm.com

1908

3,500

Lansing

(517) 485-5090

gerdaumacsteel.com

1901

1000+

Mason

(517) 244-8800

gestamp.com

1997

32,000

Lansing

(517) 887-2007

hydrodynamicsintl.com

1997

6

Lansing

(517) 484-9411

impco.com

1937

50

Charlotte

(517) 543-1660

theworkbench.com

1909

30

Lansing

(517) 882-2056

lfitools.com

1956

15

Lansing

(517) 371-2940

metalist.com

1961

50

Lansing

(517) 999-3475

niowaveinc.com

2005

65

Eaton Rapids

(517) 663-2350

ranchlifeplastics.com

1987

15

Holt

(517) 699-7732

rsdcmi.com

1998

50+

Webberville

(517) 521-4205

N/A

2006

N/A

Charlotte

(517) 543-6400

spartanmotors.com

1975

1000+

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COLLECTIBLES

Enjoy Your Hobby and Make History

BY PATRICK A. HEL L E R

Editor’s note: This is part two of a two-part column.

L

et me continue with my personal story about how pursuing a hobby can lead to creating history.

As I said at the end of April’s article, the Michigan Quarter Commission settled on five design concepts for the 2004 Michigan Statehood Quarter to recommend to Governor Engler to submit to the U.S. Mint for evaluation.

Unfortunately, the Commission’s work was not yet finished.

Beyond receiving concepts, the US Mint engravers, members of the Fine Arts Commission and the members of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee that would be creating and evaluating actual designs would need guidance as to location, size and orientation of the design elements, along with any desired special features.

Further, they requested information discussing the relevance and significance of each design element to Michigan.

So, I approached the chairman and offered to write this documentation myself and have a couple of people proofread it. The chairman approved, and I proceeded to create detailed descriptions for each of the five concept designs, including the discussion of the importance to Michigan of each design element.

Then, Lansing historian Craig Whitford and U.S. coin designer Steve Bieda reviewed my drafts to make improvements. As I was mostly the primary writer who told the U.S. Mint engravers how to design the 2004 Michigan Statehood Quarter, I have since called myself the “unofficial artist” of the coin.

I SUGGESTED THAT MOVING COMMENTS MADE

BY COMMISSION MEMBER JERRY LINENGER (AN ASTRONAUT ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE AND THE RUSSIAN SPACE STATION MIR) ABOUT HOW DISTINCTIVE MICHIGAN WAS FROM SPACE BE CONSIDERED FOR THE NEWS RELEASE ANNOUNCING THE WINNING DESIGN. The concepts and the accompanying information were forwarded to the US Mint. Mint engravers turned the written instructions into prospective coin designs. Mint officials and the members 34

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

JUNE 2015

Patrick and his son Daniel Heller at the Michigan Quarter Ceremonial Strike Ceremony on January 8, 2004. Daniel is the youngest person on record who has ever struck a United States coin.

of the Fine Arts Commission and Citizens Coinage Advisory Commission then evaluated the designs and approved all five for the actual coin issue.

By then, Jennifer Granholm was Michigan’s governor. Her office received the instruction to select which design would appear on Michigan’s quarter.

I was the only member of the Michigan Quarter Commission to meet with Governor Granholm and others on September 30, 2003 when the governor selected the simplest design, showing just a map of Michigan and the Great Lakes to represent the state. I suggested that moving comments made by Commission member Jerry Linenger (an astronaut on the Space Shuttle and the Russian space station Mir) about how distinctive Michigan was from space be considered for the news release announcing the winning design.

Normally, the Mint Engraver who prepared the preliminary design work for a coin is the one who then prepares the master dies. In this instance, Maletsky had moved on to other tasks. Mint Engraver Donna Weaver, whose initials appear to the lower right of Lake Erie, was assigned to complete the task.

COLLECTIBLES

Production of Michigan Statehood Quarters began in early January 2004.

The 2004 Michigan Statehood Quarter Ceremonial Strike Ceremony was held at the Denver Mint. Normally this event would take place at the Philadelphia Mint, but Denver Mint Plant Manager Tim Riley was born in Muskegon and graduated from Western Michigan University; I suspect he asked to host the occasion.

There were no Michigan state officials in attendance at the strike ceremony, however, I was one of six members of the Michigan Quarter Commission to participate. My 6-year-old son, Daniel was one of the six other visitors to strike coins that day. Riley struck the first coin, which now resides in the Michigan Historical Museum. Daniel struck the second coin to be presented to Governor Granholm.

Another boy struck the third coin, to be presented to former Governor Engler. I struck coin number six. Daniel struck the

15th and final coin of the event, which was later presented as his memento of the event.

U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore and Governor Granholm conducted the public release of the 2004 Michigan Statehood Quarter at the State Capitol in Lansing on January 26, 2004, the anniversary of Michigan statehood.

Daniel’s first grade class from Resurrection School recited the Pledge of Allegiance for the occasion. I joined other members of the Michigan Quarter Commission on stage. Liberty Coin Service sponsored the red, white and blue cakes served for refreshments — as in Michigan cherries, apples and blueberries.

Many collectors have enjoyed the opportunity to help make history through their hobby. It is just one more way you might enrich your collecting experience.

Patrick A. Heller was the 2012 American Numismatic Association National Coin Dealer of the Year.

He is the Communication Officer and Owner Emeritus of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, the largest coin dealership in Michigan. He writes a monthly newsletter, Liberty’s Outlook available at libertycoinservice.com), and commentaries on precious metals and collectibles on various websites. His awardwinning radio show “Things You ‘Know’ That Just Aren’t So, And Important News You Need To Know” can be heard at 8:45 AM Wednesday and Friday mornings on 1320AM WILS in Lansing (which streams live and is archived at 1320wils.com). He is also the Executive Producer of the forthcoming movie “Alongside Night.” Heller was the unofficial “artist” of the 2004 Michigan Statehood Quarter.

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

We’re professionals — and it shows in everything we do.

BRDPrinting.com

tel 517.372.0268

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fax 517.372.4922

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912 West St. Joseph, Lansing, MI 48915

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BUSINESS CALENDAR

June 2015 P H OTO B Y M IK E FR A NCE

BUSINESS EVENTS

Bethany Walter, Melissa Spadafore, Jessie Hartman and Chloe Henderson attending the second quarter Connections and Coffee networking event.

6/2 - 6/4

BUILDING WINNING TEAMS, EAST LANSING. Join some of MSU’s all-star coaches including Tom Izzo and Suzy Merchant, as well as world-renowned management faculty for Building Winning Teams. In this dynamic and unique three-day learning experience you will learn how to promote accountability and efficiency, encourage creativity and innovation, enhance current skills and develop new ones and much more. This session will be held at MSU’s James B. Henry Center for Executive Development. The cost to attend this incredible session is $4495/person and $3495/each additional person from the same organization. For more information or to register, visit broad.msu.edu/bwt, email stmarie@broad.msu.edu or call (517) 353-9711.

6/10

ATHENA POWERLINK APPLICATION/ NOMINATION KICK-OFF RECEPTION, LANSING. Join the APL Governing Body for the Athena PowerLink Application/Nomination Kick-Off Reception. You 36

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

JUNE 2015

will learn what APL is, how they advance women in business one woman business owner at a time, help determine qualified candidates and support and grow Lansing’s regional economy.

The kick-off reception will be held at The Plant Professionals building, located at 16886 Turner Street, from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, visit lansingchamber.org.

6/11

6TH ANNUAL DAPPER DADS CHALLENGE & FASHION SHOW, LANSING. Join the Sparrow Foundation’s Women Working Wonders (W3) for the 6th Annual Dapper Dads Challenge and Fashion Show.

Community members can go online until June 10 at 3 p.m., and vote for a winner from among more than 40 participating mid-Michigan business leaders and professionals. The challenge concludes with the “Dapper Dads Fashion Show” at Kositchek’s in downtown Lansing on June 11, where this year’s top Dapper Dad will be chosen. A VIP reception and reserved fashion show seating will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $60/person, or general admission for the fashion show only at 6:30 p.m. is $30/person. Both include wine and hors d’oeuvres. Proceeds will benefit women’s healthcare in our region. To buy tickets, cast ballots and find the complete list of this year’s models, visit SparrowFoundation.org/DapperDads.

6/1 8

HR LAW 2015, LANSING. Are you looking for ways to cut your liability risk, understand employment law, develop a system for dealing with employee situations consistently, avoid the legal hot spots, manage the demands of changing workplace legislation and more? If so, attend the HR Law 2015 seminar. You will learn everything you need to know in order to keep your organization compliant. This seminar will be held at Causeway Bay Hotel, located at 6820 South Cedar St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. The cost to attend is $249/person or $229/person for groups of three or more. For more information, visit events. pryor.com/297218 or call (800) 556-2998.

7/9

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

You will learn many tips that will enable you to have a positive and productive work day every day of the week. The seminar will be held at Radisson Hotel, located at 111 North Grand Ave., 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 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.

15,000 Employees

40 1

Locations worldwide

Hometown

Now HiriNg 120 Mid-Michigan positions open in IT, HR, Tax, Accounting, Engineering, Corporate Training and more.

Dart.jobs L

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N O TA B L E N E W S

SPARROW HOSPITAL GUILD AWARDS 30 MINIGRANTS TO SPARROW HOSPITAL DEPARTMENTS. Sparrow Hospital Guild has a 90 year history of giving to programs and projects of Sparrow Hospital. The Guild has donated $1.3 million since its founding in 1934. Funds for the mini-grants were raised by Sparrow Guild at the 2014 Charity Ball and various other Guild sponsored events.

DEWPOINT WELCOMES NEW EMPLOYEES TO LANSING Dewpoint, a leading provider of technology consulting and implementation solutions, is pleased to welcome several new employees to Lansing: Michael Auxer – Senior Project Manager Stacy Colombo - Business Analyst Bob Davis -Testing Lead Jake Herrera - Senior Project Manager Kimberley Schrauben - Project Manager Vasundra Suchit - Senior Project Manager Founded in 1996, Dewpoint experts have a long success record of helping to develop short- or long-term strategic technology plans to maximize current resources and better position your organization for the future.

Dewpoint collaborates with enterprise clients across numerous industries, including state and local government, health care, financial services, biotechnology, manufacturing, insurance and more.

Headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, the company also maintains offices in Greater Detroit and Indianapolis. While many of the company’s clients are located in the Midwest, Dewpoint also supports organizations across the country.

Dewpoint recently relocated its headquarters to the newly renovated Knapp’s Centre in downtown Lansing, Mich. Additional information about the company is available at dewpoint.com.

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A committee of five Sparrow Guild members and Melissa Sherry, director of volunteer services at Sparrow Hospital, reviewed all mini-grant requests. The 30 mini-grants for 2014-2015 totaled $63,000.

Sparrow Guild mini-grants provide for staff education and program recertification’s; patient education materials; specialty supplies for pediatric; adult and Sparrow community programs.

TOP ADVISORS EARN PRESTIGIOUS CLUB LEVEL DISTINCTION Sal Durso, of The Centennial Group & Principal Financial Group, has announced that five members of his firm recently qualified for Principal Financial Group’s Donovan prestigious Honor Council award. The Honor Council recipients include: Ryan Donovan, CFP, Ryan Moser, Steve Grimes, CLU and Steve Handeland, ChFC, CLU, RHU. This Principal Financial Group award is an exclusive level of distinction given by the company. Career producers with The Principal® work with growing businesses, their Grimes executives and employees on identifying their financial needs. These needs are met with financial products and services that include the full range of financial services products offered by the Principal Financial Group.

Handeland

The Honor Council award recognizes producers for their outstanding achievements. Producers who qualify for this distinction are some of the very best producers nationwide.

For more news and insights from The Principal, connect with us on Twitter at twitter.com/ThePrincipal.

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

JUNE 2015

The Principal Financial Group (The Principal®) is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset Moser management. For more information, visit principal.com.

DART BANK WELCOMES NEW VICE PRESIDENT/COMMERCIAL LENDER

Rhodes

Peter Kubacki, President and CEO of The Dart Bank, is pleased to announce the addition of Kassie Rhodes as Vice President/Commercial Lender.

Rhodes started her banking career in 1990 and has more than 19 years of commercial banking experience, including positions as a Credit Analyst, Commercial Lender and Special Assets Officer. In addition to her commercial banking experience, Rhodes brings a significant SBA Lending background to our team. Rhodes graduated from Holt High School and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Michigan State University.

Rhodes has been involved with Junior Achievement as a teacher in the local school classrooms as well as in fundraising activities. She is also a past committee member on the Small Business Advisory Council for the Lansing Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, Rhodes is active with Franklin Street Community Housing

N O TA B L E N E W S

Auto-Owners Insurance was founded in 1916 in Mt. Pleasant. Auto-Owners Insurance is a Fortune 500 company and is the 15th largest property/casualty insurance company in the nation, based on written premium. Auto-Owners Insurance Group is one of only 12 groups of insurance companies in the United States to receive the highest rating possible, A++ Superior, by A.M. Best, which is a nationally recognized rating agency for insurance companies. Auto-Owners is headquartered in Lansing, Mich., and serves policyholders in 26 states.

WHARTON CENTER’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MIKE BRAND RECEIVES NATIONAL BROADWAY LEAGUE AWARD Mike Brand, executive director of Wharton Center for Performing Arts, was honored at this year’s Broadway League Conference in New York City with the Samuel J.

2015 -2016 SEASON

Marcus and Chris

Callis

S GLASS SLIPPER .

K C A ARE SO B

THE STORY THE STORY OF OF FRANKIEFRANKIE VALLI VALLI THE FOUR & THE &FOUR SEASONS SEASONS

ay cast): Joan

Auto-Owners Insurance is pleased to announce that Meiers Lombardini Lemanski Insurance of East Lansing, Mich. has been named one of the Top 10 growth agencies for the Company in the Western Michigan Region for 2014. The agency was recognized at a luncheon meeting in Lansing and at a reception with all regional associates, where they and other recipients were presented with a plaque commemorating their accomplishment.

Meiers Lombardini Lemanski Insurance has represented Auto-Owners since 1997.

Dan Thelen, Executive Vice President of Auto-Owners, thanked the agency for its support and its business, stating, “their growth and support only help to make the entire community stronger and more secure. We are grateful they choose to do business with us.”

J. L’Hommedieu Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement among presenters, was given to Brand on Tuesday, May 12 for demonstrating excellence in management and leadership. At Michigan State University’s Wharton Center, Brand supervises a dedicated staff and oversees planning and programming a diverse season of entertainment in four venues: the Cobb

Photos (Broadw

INSURANCE AGENCY RECOGNIZED AS A TOP 10 GROWTH AGENCY

L’Hommedieu Award.

This is the highest award that can be given to an executive of a performing arts center affiliated with touring Broadway, and speaks volumes about Brand Brand’s vision, leadership and respect within the industry. The Samuel

RAYMOND LUKE, JR. AND BRYAN TERRELL CLARK PHOTOS BY JOAN MARCUS. ALL OTHER PHOTOS BY ANDREW ECCLES.

Corporation (now an agency of the Capital Area Housing Partnership). She currently serves on the board of directors for that organization.

RODGERS + HAMMER

STEIN’S

• Groups as few as 10!

• Discounts up to 30% OFF • Great for corporate groups, employee outings, and client entertaining!

For more information, please contact Tara Peplowski at tarapep@whartoncenter.com or 517-884-3148

WHARTONCENTER.COM • 1-800-WHARTON L

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N O TA B L E N E W S

Great Hall, Pasant Theatre, MSU Concert Auditorium and Fairchild Theatre.

Brand has nearly 35 years of performing arts experience as a performer, teacher and presenter. Prior to his appointment at Wharton Center, Brand served as a regional vice president for Clear Channel Entertainment, overseeing the Baltimore and Minneapolis regional offices. From 1986 through 1994, he served as the first vice president for programming and marketing at the Ordway Music Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Brand’s performing credits include 16 seasons performing trumpet with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as regular engagements with the Minnesota Orchestra and the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. Brand held artist-in-residence contracts with Carleton College and St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

RUNWAY’S FIRST SPONSOR RENEWS: FOSTER SWIFT CONTINUES SUPPORT OF LANSING’S FASHION INCUBATOR Foster Swift Collins and Smith, PC is renewing its sponsorship of The Runway, Michigan’s premier fashion incubator. The Runway helps fashion designers create a foundation for their business and provides them with the resources needed to produce their collections and move their product to market.

Deanna Swisher leads a team of Foster Swift attorneys who provide specialized services to fashion and design industry clients. The team, Fosterfashion, works with designers to protect their brand, minimize risk and structure the business for long term growth.

These attorneys also author the Fosterfashion blog (fosterfashion.net), which keeps designers and other participants in the fashion industry abreast of legal developments as they impact the fashion industry.

In February, The Runway was awarded a $65,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to continue developing programs that help fashioncentric entrepreneurs build their businesses.

The Runway launched new programming at the beginning of May with the creation of a monthly speaker series as well as other programmatic events for the designers.

The programs are also open to the public in an effort to expose The Runway to the community and vice versa.

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 about the firm, its attorneys and to access recent publications, visit fosterswift.com.

Sparrow Health Classic Exceptional Golf to Support

Extraordinary

Care

Wednesday, June 17, 12:30 shotgun start at Hawk Hollow & Eagle Eye Golf Courses The Sparrow Health Classic offers an unforgettable day of golf.

All proceeds benefit the health and care of our community. Join us.

» Serious golfers will love the challenges offered by some of the toughest holes in the region.

» Recreational golfers will enjoy the scramble format, the beautifully manicured greens and the fun gifts for every golfer.

» Not a golfer? Sign up for the 18-hole real-grass putting course at Little Hawk, then join the golfers for dinner following play.

No matter how you choose to participate, you’re helping us continue to provide the best, most advanced healthcare services available to the men, women and children who come to Sparrow for care each day.

Generously presented by

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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

For more information, visit SparrowFoundation.org.

Questions? Call 517.364.3621.

JUNE 2015

N O TA B L E N E W S

WOLVERINE BANK ADDS NEW COMMERCIAL LOAN OFFICER BRIAN CHERRY Commercial Loan Officer Brian Cherry has recently joined Wolverine Bank’s commercial lending team. Cherry brings with him more than 13 Cherry years of banking, mortgage and commercial lending experience. His primary focus will be the growth and development of the commercial line of business for Wolverine Bank in the Greater Detroit Metro Area of Southeast Michigan.

he earned his Certified Public Accountant license. Additionally, Hunkins has held various faculty roles at Northwood University, teaching in the DeVos Graduate School of Management and serving as the undergraduate department chair for the university’s accounting program.

Hunkins holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Northwood

University, a Master of Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a Juris Doctorate degree from Michigan State University.

Extend Your Reach, formerly Presort Services, Inc., has been partnering with businesses for more than 30 years to provide quality direct-mail pieces and lowcost mailing services. Today, the company

Cherry holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts. He currently resides in Washington, Michigan with his wife and three children.

Wolverine Bank, (wolverinebank.com) headquartered in the Great Lakes Bay Region, provides an assortment of competitive commercial services throughout the State of Michigan, including SBA financing.

EXTEND YOUR REACH WELCOMES NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Hunkins

Extend Your Reach, a mail presort and integrated marketing service provider, recently welcomed Brett Hunkins as Chief Financial Officer.

Hunkins joins Extend Your Reach as successor to Jenny Hackett-Miller, the company’s Vice President of Finance, who plans to retire in July.

Hunkins most recently served as CFO for Managed Programs, based in Auburn Hills.

He spent several years of his early career in public accounting, during which time L

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offers complete integrated marketing services, graphic design, print services and data management. With facilities in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Extend Your Reach serves customers throughout Michigan and nationwide. To learn more, visit extendyourreach.com.

program on behalf of the Michigan Retailers Association, which was designed to both generate excitement about the retail opportunities in Michigan and increase awareness of the economic benefits of keeping retail dollars in the state.

The Central Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (CMPRSA) presented Lambert, Edwards & Associates (LE&A) with a Pinnacle Award for Organizational Relations and an Award of Excellence for Media Kits during the 2015 PACE Awards celebration on Thursday, April 30.

In the Media/Press Kits category, LE&A was recognized for its support of Michigan’s University Research Corridor — an alliance between Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. The initiative unveiled their seventh sector report, detailing the role that the three URC universities play in protecting the water resources of Michigan and the Great Lakes region and using those resources to promote economic development in the state and globally.

LE&A was recognized in the Organizational Relations Campaign category for a strategic communications

Held annually, the CMPRSA PACE Awards are mid-Michigan’s highest honor of public relations efforts and are awarded to

CMPRSA HONORS LAMBERT, EDWARDS & ASSOCIATES WITH PINNACLE AWARD

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public relations practitioners who, in the judgment of their peers, have successfully addressed a contemporary issue with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness. More than 300 organizations have been recognized by CMPRSA for excellence in public relations over the past two decades from nonprofit organizations, corporations and public and private agencies in Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Ingham, Jackson, Livingston and Shiawassee counties.

Submissions are judged by a national PRSA chapter based on quality of research, planning, execution and evaluation.

LE&A (lambert-edwards.com) is a top10 Midwest-based PR firm and a top-15 investor relations firm nationally with clients based in 20 states and six countries.

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter @ LambertEdwards for more information.

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IDV SOLUTIONS AND NC4 ANNOUNCE TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIP, INTEGRATION Enterprise Risk Visualization software integrated with Enterprise Incident Feed gives early alerts to risks IDV Solutions, LLC, the leader in enterprise risk visualization and NC4, the leader in enterprise risk data, today announced the companies have formed a technical partnership.

joining an elite group of only eight dealers. DBI has been awarded Best in Class distinction each year of the program’s existence.

Haworth works with a network of more than 250 North American dealerships — independent businesses — that provide sales and support to customers by assisting architects, designers and

Through the partnership, NC4’s Enterprise Incident Feed can be integrated into IDV Solutions’ Visual Command Center® Enterprise Risk Visualization (ERV) software. The new integration will bring NC4’s real-time global incident information and intelligence to Visual Command Center’s comprehensive platform for risk awareness and response.

facility managers in the complex process of selecting, specifying, planning and purchasing furniture and workspace interiors. Each year, Haworth’s Best in Class standards become more stringent and dealers that are multi-year Best in Class designees exemplify a commitment to high performance and the maintenance of rigorous standards over time.

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.

IDV Solutions, LLC is the global leader in delivering Enterprise Risk Visualization capabilities through software and services that enable organizations to protect their assets, ensure continuity of operations and optimize performance. For more information, please visit idvsolutions.com.

PRINT 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.

NC4 delivers safety and security solutions for both business and government organizations.

We revolutionize how organizations and communities collect, manage, share and disseminate information to reduce cyber threats, fight crime, mitigate risks and manage incidents. NC4 also provides secure communication and collaborating solutions for public and private sector communities. For information about NC4, visit NC4.com or call toll-free, 1-877-624-4999.

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.

DBI EARNS HAWORTH’S BEST IN CLASS DISTINCTION FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR Haworth, Inc. has designated DBI as a 2015 Best in Class dealership based on exceptional performance in sales and customer satisfaction, operational excellence as well as enterprise development. DBI is a four-year honoree,

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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a gala event on Tuesday, June 9, at 6 p.m., at Fairchild Theatre and the new Courtyard. The evening’s events will include food and wine, a live auction and raffle and a private performance of the first play in the Summer Circle season, “Mr. Burns, a postelectric play.” The opening of the play the following night will mark the beginning of the 55th season of free summer theatre at MSU.

GROUP MEDICAL COVERAGE

Tickets for the event are $40 and available online at theatre. msu.edu (click on Buy Tickets to the Friends of Theatre Gala 2015) or by calling (517) 355-6691.

Guests will enjoy food from Woody’s Oasis and wine on the Fairchild stage before moving to the Courtyard for dessert, coffee and the play.

Proceeds from the event will help fund student fellowships for the Summer Circle Theatre Company. In addition, event sponsorships are available from $250, with additional credits as “Show Sponsor,” “Actor/Designer/Manager/Technician Named Fellowships” and “Season Sponsor” at levels up to $3,000.

“We are thrilled to accept Best in Class on behalf of our5/4/15 team,” 4:55 PM said DBI President & CEO, George Snyder. “Workspaces are such an important investment for our clients, DBI remains dedicated to delivering exceptional services that help create high-performance spaces.”

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MSU FRIENDS OF THEATRE CELEBRATE NEW COURTYARD STAGE AT GALA The Friends of Theatre at Michigan State University will celebrate the opening of the new Summer Circle Courtyard with

At the end of April, Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, Mich. went live with an updated, feature-filled, state of the art coin dealer website. The new site, libertycoinservice.com, replaced the company’s previous website, which debuted in 1999.

“After a year of work, Liberty is now one of the early coin dealerships to have a mobile-friendly website,” said Liberty Coin Service Owner and General Manager Tom Coulson.

“After reviewing the best features of dozens of dealer sites, we incorporated an extraordinary amount of content for the benefit of our visitors. The website makes it easy to find coins and collectibles you seek and is easy to navigate.”

(Available through marketing arrangement with Dearborn National® Life Insurance Company.) ® (Dearborn National Life Insurance Company is not owned by and is a separate Dearborn National® Life Insurance Company is a separate company, not owned by Blue Cross company that does not Blue Cross Blue Blue Shield of Michigan or services.

Blue Shield of Michigan, and provide does not provide Blue Cross Shield of Michigan products or ® ® Products and services marketed under Dearborn National brand is star logo services.

Products and services marketed underthe the Dearborn National brand and the ® ® underwritten provided Dearborn National Life Insurance Company, are underwrittenand/or and/or provided by by Dearborn National Life Insurance Company, which is solely responsible for theresponsible life and disability products described above.products A15-0025-0415 BCBSMI which is solely for the life and disability described in this ad.)

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Businesses and individuals interested in sponsorship levels for the Friends of Theatre “Celebrate the Stage” gala may contact Joan Mattson at joanmattson@gmail.com.

LIBERTY COIN SERVICE UNVEILS STATE-OF-THEART COIN DEALER WEBSITE!

DISABILITY, TERM LIFE INSURANCE GROUP DISABILITY,

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The season of GREAT STORYTELLING will open with “Mr. Burns,” a play with music, and be followed by David and Amy Sedaris’ “The Book of Liz,” “The American Plan by Richard Greenberg, a musical version of The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Rob Roznowski and Chelle Peterson and “An Adult Evening with Shel Silverstein.” Performance dates and details are available at theatre.msu.edu/sct.

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The website also features guides for collecting a variety of coin series, collector checklists, archives of our monthly newsletters, current spot price information and access online to our popular ŒCash In Your Treasure’s brochure.

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Frequently honored Liberty Coin Service, established in 1971, is Michigan’s largest rare coin and precious metals dealership.

It is one of only five coin dealerships worldwide that has four or more staff who are members of the elite Professional Numismatists Guild. Former owner Patrick A. Heller was honored by the American Numismatic Association as the 2012 Harry Forman National Coin Dealer of the Year. Liberty Coin Service has been located in the Frandor Shopping Center in Lansing since 1975.

DENTAL AND VISION

MICHIGAN-BASED CONSULTING FIRM’S CREATIVE DIVISION GROWS 40 PERCENT; REBRANDS UNDER PARENT COMPANY Former Strudell Studios rebrands as Courtland Consulting Creative Division.

The former Strudell Studios® Creative Division of Courtland Consulting® announced today it will rebrand under Courtland Consulting, a small business enterprise technology consulting firm. East Lansing-based Courtland Consulting established the Strudell Studios brand in 2008 to promote the company’s creative services for graphic design, web design and web development. Courtland’s Creative Division serves a large number of community-based organizations, nonprofits, small businesses and local governments.

As of May 2015, Strudell Studios creative division has been consolidated exclusively under the Courtland Consulting brand.

Courtland Consulting serves as a leader in system implementation, project evaluation, web design and training services to public, private and nonprofit sectors. They deliver system deployment to end users for large-scale projects, conduct evaluation services for program measurement and reporting, and design and build websites and eLearning programs.

For more information about Courtland Consulting and their services, please visit: courtlandconsulting.com MICHIGAN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION NAMES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Mark Schostak is executive chairman of TEAM Schostak Family 5/4/15 4:56 PM Restaurants, which owns and operates 166 restaurants in Michigan, including Applebee’s, Burger King and Del Taco. He resides in Huntington Woods.

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ROGER WISE NAMED STEVENS WORLDWIDE VAN LINES VP OF SALES AND MARKETING Stevens Worldwide Van Lines is pleased to announce that Roger Wise has accepted the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Wise has been with the Stevens family for seven

BLUE CROSS COVERS EVERY CORNER OF YOUR BUSINESS.

The Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) is pleased to announce the addition of Brian Ewbank and Mark Schostak to its Board of Directors. The new members represent the food and hospitality industry from locations across the state.

Brian Ewbank is vice president of food and beverage at Stafford¹s Hospitality in Petoskey, which owns and operates Pier Restaurant, Weathervane Restaurant, The Drawbridge Bistro and multiple lodging facilities in northern Michigan. He resides in Harbor Springs.

BCBSM.COM/EMPLOYERS Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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years as the Vice President of Sales and Agency Recruiting and most recently, Vice President of Agency Development.

Prior to joining Stevens, Wise held positions with large moving and storage companies both as a sales team leader and as a general manager. With his 30 years of industry Grimes experience, he has proven himself as a dynamic leader and as a subject matter expert for Stevens. The success Roger has enjoyed with Stevens’ agency family will blend in nicely in his new role of leading Stevens’ National Account Sales & Marketing Teams.

Established in 1905, Stevens Worldwide Van Lines is a full-service moving and storage company based in Saginaw, Michigan that specializes in local, out-ofstate, corporate and international moves.

Stevens has contacts with more than 900

agents around the world, enabling the Stevens team to provide each customer with a wealth of valuable knowledge and resources that will make any move smooth and stress-free.

to help them better understand their competitive position in the marketplace, provide insight into industry trends and assess the financial implications of their growing, wine-making and marketing strategies, decisions and practices.

MICHIGAN WINERIES NOW HAVE THEIR OWN INDUSTRY BENCHMARKING PROGRAM

North Coast Ag Advisors serves as the primary contact for winery and vineyard owners and managers; collecting and analyzing business data, conducting an annual conference and performing one-on-one review sessions with each participating winery and vineyard.

GreenStone Farm Credit Services is pleased to announce a partnership with North Coast Ag Advisors and Farm Credit East to launch the Michigan Winery & Vineyard Benchmark Program for Michigan winery and vineyard owners and managers. GreenStone is the sponsoring underwriter of the program. Farm Credit East provides the technology tools for data analysis.

A first of its kind in Michigan, the program is designed for winery and vineyard business owners and managers

Eligibility for participation is based on the winery’s ability to provide accurate financial and operational information about their business. In order to maintain program participant confidentiality, all data is scrubbed of any identifying information and then analyzed to determine financial ratios, operating efficiency and other key performance indicators. The data from all program

EYDE COMPANY

Eyde Parkway

Knapps Centre

Heritage Office Park

Hagadorn Road

300 S. Washington Square

Okemos and Bennett Road

View all of our available properties at eyde.com or call us at 517-351-2480.

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participants is then gathered together to produce an annual industry report. An annual conference is held to share the findings, followed-up with one-on-one consultations with each winery.

The Michigan Winery Benchmark Program is now officially launched and will continue for at least the next three years. A goal is to attract at least a 20 percent participation rate with all eligible wineries and vineyards.

grow and learn, just as he did. Marsalese gives the next generation of restaurateurs a good name, striving to lead by selfless example.

The Restaurant Manager of the Year is Lea Schofield from Bill’s in Bloomfield Hills.

Schofield provides world-class service to guests and is a well-respected leader to

employees, treating both as if they are guests in her own home.

Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) is the recognized leader of Michigan’s hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice community.

Founded in 1921, the MRA represents nearly 4,500 Michigan foodservice

For more details and qualification information, visit JimCasler.com/wine.

MICHIGAN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PRESENTS INDUSTRY CHAMPION AWARDS The Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Michigan Restaurant Industry Champion Awards. The awards were presented at the Association’s Dinner with the Champions event, held on April 27 at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids.

The Michigan Restaurant Industry Champion Awards recognize outstanding employees of the food service industry who have demonstrated professionalism in performing their jobs and have contributed to the positive image of Michigan’s restaurant industry.

The winner of the Front of the House Restaurant Employee of the Year is JJ Caldwell from Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern in Northville. Caldwell goes above and beyond to create a fun, hospitable environment for guests.

The Heart of the House Restaurant Employee of the Year resulted in a tie.

Elliot Webb from Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern in Bloomfield Hills and Joe Marsalese, from Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille in Caledonia, will share the award this year. Webb worked his way from a novice fry cook to gifted executive chef, never compromising on quality or standards and showing gratitude by providing his team an environment to

Here to help your business grow.

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We are where you are. mercbank.com

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establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan’s economy, employing more than 415,000 people and creating nearly $14 billion in annual sales.

GREATER MICHIGAN CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY RECEIVES ACCET ACCREDITATION Greater Michigan Construction Academy (GMCA) has been granted accreditation by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET).

The Accrediting Commission of ACCET voted to grant GMCA their accreditation status at their April 2015 meeting.

This grant of accreditation includes the following sites and program: Midland Campus Carpentry Electrical HVAC

Industrial Maintenance Mechanic Instrumentation Insulating Ironworking Masonry Millwright Pipefitting Plumbing Sheet Metal Welding Lansing Campus Electrical The Greater Michigan Construction Academy is the first vocational school of its kind to go through the process and receive ACCET accreditation.

For more information on pre-requisites and class fees contact GMCA at (989) 832-8879, sdavis@gmcacademy.org or visit our web site at gmcacademy.org.

MCLAREN NURSES CELEBRATE RECOGNITION WEEK BY SERVING COMMUNITY Nurses at McLaren Greater Lansing and McLaren Orthopedic Hospital provide compassionate care for the community throughout the year. McLaren honored their nurses’ commitment during National Nurses Week, May 6-12, while their nurses celebrate the recognition by serving local organizations.

McLaren showed appreciation for its nurses during Nurses Week with events that included entertaining, educational presentations related to nursing excellence, complimentary food, beverages, massages and more. In addition, nurses at McLaren planned community service events to support the Meals on Wheels program, The Pines Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, as well as collecting food and other donations for the Greater Lansing Food Bank.

Whether it’s to purchase your dream home or to refinance your exisiting mortgage, we are here for you. We offer competitive rates, low closing costs, local processing and personalized member service.

Our service. Your success.

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www.casecu.org JUNE 2015

Federally Insured by the NCUA

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DO WHAT YOU DO BEST CBRE

You have your business. You have customers, sales, expenses, inventory, payroll, taxes and deadlines. You have enough to handle without worrying about real estate.

At CBRE|Martin, commercial real estate is our business. Our professionals can help you open for business in your first “real” storefront; analyze market data to find the best location for your second; and guide your expansion into the next city, state or country.

Call (517) 351-2200 today and put our best to work for you.

1111 Michigan Avenue, Suite 300 | East Lansing, MI 48823 +1 517 351 2200 | www.cbrelansing.com

Part of the CBRE affiliate network 50

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

JUNE 2015