DBusiness | May-June 2022

INSIDE: 30 IN THEIR THIRTIES | ACG M&A ALL-STARS | CAMP INNOVATION

— 15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY —

T O H S H UG

RO

Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township is rebuilding after a devastating February fire burned much of its iconic century-old clubhouse to the ground.

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CONTENTS

05-06.22

30 in Their

47 35

ACG M&A All-Stars FOCUS: The region’s top

dealmakers, as selected by the Association for Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter, advanced the local economy with new investments, jobs, and expansions.

Profiles by R.J. King

40

Camp Innovation PERSPECTIVES: The U.S. Army and the Michigan National Guard are opening their training centers and military bases in the state to private industry around the country, to promote new technologies.

By Calli Newberry

47

30 in Their Thirties This year’s 30 in Their Thirties class is a diverse group — many hailing from other parts of the country — representing a wide variety of professions and industries. By Jake Bekemeyer, Dan Calabrese, Bill Dow, Tim Keenan, and R.J. King

64

MATT LAVERE

Thirties Rough Shot Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township is rebuilding after a devastating February fire burned much of its iconic century-old clubhouse to the ground.

By Tim Keenan

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05-06.22

CONTENTS

NICK HAGEN

32 Foreword

Commentary

The Ticker

18

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

18

READERS' LETTERS

23 CARBON GAMES The electric vehicle market has a long way to go before becoming a mainstream pillar of the transportation sector.

30 DIGITAL LANE A local entrepreneur helps auto dealers create commercials in-house.

By R.J. King

32 PDA Q&A Josh Linkner, co-founder and managing member, Muditā Venture Partners, Bingham Farms.

By R.J. King

20

CONTRIBUTORS

24 PUBLIC SAFETY: EARNEST VIGILANCE Detroit has been commended for reaching out and listening to the concerns of protestors in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

31 BIG STAGE Jenny Feterovich shines a spotlight on successful small businesses.

By Jake Bekemeyer

34 SPINNING VINYL Dearborn Music has overcome many obstacles to take its place as one of the top record stores in the country.

By Tim Keenan

24 HEALTH CARE: COVID-19 REALITY Have some politicians hijacked the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting aftermath to advance their respective agendas?

26 COMPENDIUM How outsiders view Detroit.

31 HOMEMADE PARTS Ford has released CAD files for its new Maverick pickup, and now customers can 3-D print their own accessories.

By Tim Keenan

34 MICHIGAN METAL Phillip Fikany of Troy solves the problem of wallet wear by making products made of anodized aluminum and carbon fiber.

By Jake Bekemeyer

32 OLD BARN, NEW TRICKS Reclaimed Michigan, located in Waterford Township, was born from a home remodeling project.

By Jake Bekemeyer

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05-06.22

CONTENTS

Exec Life 71 FORE PLAY Michigan’s resort sector is preparing for an even busier year after seeing demand for hospitality and recreational offerings skyrocket since the outset of the pandemic.

By Norm Sinclair 76 RETURN ON INVESTMENT Sundae Dreams: Taylor native Dylan Lemay is living an entrepreneurial dream, thanks to ice cream.

By Tom Murray 78 PRODUCTION RUN Happy Juice: Husband-and-wife team steer Beyond Juicery + Eatery to steady growth.

By Tim Keenan 80 PATENTS AND INVENTIONS Tin Cup: Elijah J. McCoy, an inventor and engineer, revolutionized transportation and the efficiency of machines in the steam age, but he failed to cash in among investors.

By Norm Sinclair 82 OPINION Smart Growth: The path from startup to the middle market sector can be uneven, and often involves bringing in new partners and processes to reach and exceed profit goals.

By Michael T. Kulka 84 THE CIRCUIT Our party pics from exclusive events.

89 FROM THE TOP Top Hotels Outside Metro Detroit, Largest Accident and Health Insurance Firms, Largest Business Insurance Firms, Largest Contractors, Largest Law Firms, and Southeast Michigan Chambers of Commerce.

98 CLOSING BELL Boy Wonder: Stephens T. Mason was 24 years old when he became Michigan’s governor in 1837.

By Ronald Ahrens

ON THE COVER Photograph by LC Lambrecht/ Oakland Hills Country Club

78

NICK HAGEN

Et Cetera

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Letters

All Aboard

E

ver since the City of Detroit sold its streetcar system to Mexico in the mid11950s, 950s, fans of rail transporta transportation have longed for a modern replacement.

But the concept never left the station — save for the QLine, which runs up and down Woodward Avenue between Hart Plaza and New Center.

The 3.3-mile trek, which opened for service in 2017, is ideal for local residents and visi visitors but it doesn’t connect to a wider rail network, like the L in Chicago.

Over the years, mass transit pro proR.J. KING ponents routinely sought access to existing rail lines to bring forward an efficient train system to connect the city with the suburbs, but high costs, along with political indifference, have doomed every effort. These days, few people are talking about mass transit for the region, especially since the pandemic exposed the risk of crowding people into confined spaces.

Even so, our abundance of rail lines — a vestige of the Industrial Age that saw Detroit build thousands of locomotives and railcars between 1840 and 1930 for use around the country — have, in recent years, turned into a community asset. Long an eyesore, unused railroad tracks are now serving to connect neighborhoods via landscaped passageways complemented by retail shops, food trucks, and community events.

Few people recall when rail lines ran parallel and perpendicular to the Detroit River — at the site of today’s Renaissance Center was Brush Street Station, while to the west was the original Michigan Central Station at Fort and Fourth streets — but most know that what were formerly tracks for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad have been converted into the Dequindre Cut greenway (its two phases opened in 2009 and 2016).

The landscaped passageway, which runs from Gratiot Avenue to Atwater Street, has been a popular attraction for east side residents and visitors.

Now comes the west side’s equivalent, with construction underway for the Southwest Greenway, a mile-long former rail line that will connect the future Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park along the riverfront to Ford Motor Co.’s emerging Michigan Central mobility innovation district at Michigan Avenue and 14th Street.

The Southwest Greenway, scheduled to open this fall, is a key part of the Joe Louis Greenway, a $211-million, 27.5-mile path under construction around Detroit that will provide greater connectivity to the riverfront and the suburbs. The Southwest Greenway and the Joe Louis Greenway, which is projected to be completed in 2030, are just a portion of the 160 miles of paved trails in southeast Michigan.

“This really is an extraordinary time in Detroit, with so much work being done to create beautiful new recreational opportunities that connect our neighborhoods to our riverfront and to each other,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan says.

Both the city and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy are helping to oversee the existing and upcoming greenway system. The Conservancy, formed in 2003, has invested more than $200 million in the revitalization of the riverfront. Its efforts are highlighted by the River Walk, which will soon stretch from Belle Isle to the Ambassador Bridge.

The Conservancy reports it has generated $2 billion in public and private investment. But there’s more to funding new civic infrastructure beyond removing eyesores, explains David Egner, president and CEO of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in Detroit. “Parks and trails contribute greatly to the quality of life in our region, bringing with (them) better public health outcomes and helping people connect more to one another and places,” Egner says.

R.J. King rjking@dbusiness.com

EMAIL US AT: editorial@dbusiness.com SEND MAIL TO: Letters, DBusiness magazine, 5750 New King Drive, Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098 Please include your city of residence and daytime phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and content.

TOP CORPORATE CULTURE AWARDS

I really enjoyed the Top Corporate Culture awards event on March 3 (at the Daxton Hotel in Birmingham). It was a great event. Your team did a great job putting it together. It was nice to be back in person and see so many familiar faces, and it was nice that DBusiness had staff there to mingle and there was time to network.

Nikki Little Detroit

CRYPTO CURIOSITY

I read your article about the BitNile Bitcoin mining plant and data center in Dowagiac. I’m excited that they plan to be one of the top 10 Bitcoin mining companies in the country and that they decided to locate in Michigan. It’s fantastic that they’re bringing a modern technological industry to Michigan, where diverse industries are welcome. I hope they’re happy with their decision. Thanks so much for covering the story. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have heard about it because no one else covered it that I’m aware of. I’m so excited that Michigan is drawing technologically advanced new businesses to relocate here. I sure hope we get more innovative businesses following their lead and coming to Michigan to do business.

Christina Bussell Detroit

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Contributors

CONTRIBUTORS DETROIT’S PREMIER BUSINESS JOURNAL

VOLUME 17 • ISSUE 3 PUBLISHER Jason Hosko

CALLI NEWBERRY

Calli Newberry is a freelance journalist based in Michigan. A recent graduate of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, she has contributed to a wide variety of publications including DBusiness, Automotive News, and The Detroit News, and is a regular writer for Blue Water Healthy Living, where she covers local high school sports. She also serves as the editorial director for The Flyover Coalition. While in college, she was the sports editor for the campus newspaper and wrote a devotional book for teen girls titled “Semester Together.” In this issue, Newberry explores the cooperative efforts between the military and private industry in Michigan to advance new technologies.

CONTRIBUTION: Writer, Perspectives | SEE IT HERE: Page 40

JUSTIN STENSON

Justin Stenson is the new art director for DBusiness. He grew up in Royal Oak and studied at Wayne State University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and graphic design. Previously, he worked as a production assistant, marketing manager, and freelance designer before discovering the joys of editorial design and joining the staff at DBusiness. In his spare time, Stenson is a digital illustrator, a painter, a costume fabricator, and a chronicler of Detroit’s Garage Rock History. He loves taking his senior dog, Calvin, for nature hikes with his wife, perfecting his pizza recipe, and folding origami dinosaurs out of Post-It notes.

CONTRIBUTION: Art Director

EDITORIAL EDITOR R.J. King MANAGING EDITOR Tim Keenan ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jake Bekemeyer COPY EDITOR Anne Berry Daugherty DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Justin Stenson ADVERTISING SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cynthia Barnhart, Regan Blissett, Karli Brown, Maya Gossett, Donna Kassab, Lisa LaBelle, Mary Pantely and Associates OUTREACH SPECIALISTS Paige Fritts, Alice Zimmer PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jenine Knox SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTISTS Stephanie Daniel, Robert Gorczyca DIGITAL AND PRINT ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jill Berry GRAPHIC ARTISTS Jim Bibart, Colin McKinney WEB DIGITAL DIRECTOR Nick Britsky DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Matt Cappo WEB PROJECT ASSISTANTS Mariah Knott, Luanne Lim, Bart Woinski VIDEO PRODUCER Ken Bowery VIDEO EDITOR Taylor Lutz DIGITAL COORDINATOR Travis Cleveland IT IT DIRECTOR Jeremy Leland CIRCULATION DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Michelle VanArman CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers CIRCULATION COORDINATORS Barbie Baldwin, David Benvenuto, Elise Coyle, Cathy Krajenke, Rachel Moulden MARKETING AND EVENTS MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER Jodie Svagr MARKETING AND EVENTS COORDINATORS Kelsey Cocke, Drake Lambright MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATOINS LEAD Asia Jones

PATRICK GLORIA

Patrick Gloria earned his electrical engineering and MBA degrees at the University of Detroit Mercy in Detroit, then had a 30-year career at DTE Energy as an electrical engineer and account executive. During his spare time over those years, Gloria pursued what would turn out to be a second career as a professional fine arts and freelance photographer and portrait artist. He formed his company — Photographic, Art and Teaching Services — in 1990. He has photographed the region’s notable social events for DBusiness for more than a decade. As an artist, Gloria has completed commissioned portrait paintings and has illustrated a variety of books and publications.

MARKET RESEARCH MARKETING RESEARCH MANAGER Ana Potter MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATOR Georgia Iden MARKETING RESEARCH ASSISTANT Alexandra Thompson PRS GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alexa Dyer BUSINESS CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Kathie Gorecki ASSISTANT OFFICE MANAGER Natasha Bajju SENIOR ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE Andrew Kotzian ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATES Sammi Dick DISTRIBUTION Target Distribution, Troy

CONTRIBUTION: Photographer, The Circuit | SEE IT HERE: Page 84

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronald Ahrens, Dan Calabrese, Bill Dow, Michael T. Kulka, Tom, Murray, Calli Newberry, Norm Sinclair CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Gabby Barbosa, Lauren Fortinberry, Patrick Gloria, Staff Sgt. Jay Grabiec, Nick Hagen, Matthew LaVere, Capt. Joe Legros, Moxie Portraits, Mike Rosenthal, Master Sgt. Scott Thompson, James Yang, Brad Ziegler

Postmaster: Send address changes to DBusiness, 5750 New King Drive, Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098 For advertising inquiries: 248-691-1800, ext. 126 To sell DBusiness magazine or for subscription inquiries: 248-588-1851 DBusiness is published by Hour Media. Copyright © 2022 Hour Media.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. DBusiness is a registered trademark of Hour Media.

20 DBUSINESS || MAY - JUNE 2022

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COMMENTARY

JAMES YANG

05-06.22

ELECTRIC CARS ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE THE MARKET BY STORM, BUT IT’S GOING TO BE A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT.” — CARLOS GHOSN, FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CEO, RENAULT AND NISSAN

p. 24

p. 26

Carbon Games

Compendium

Earnest Vigilance COVID-19 Reality MAY - JUNE 2022 || DBUSINESS.COM 23

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Commentary

AUTOMOTIVE

Carbon Games

T

INSIDE THE NUMBERS THOUSAND

434

Number of battery electric vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2021

3

PERCENT

56

THOUSAND

Percentage of battery electric vehicles compared to overall 2021 U.S. vehicle sales

$

Average transaction price for a battery electric vehicle in 2021

Sources: Reuters, Kelley Blue Book

he electric vehicle market has a long way to go before becoming a mainstream pillar of the transportation sector. Anyone looking to purchase an electric vehicle today may want to offset higher prices for gasoline or diesel, but the savings are often illusionary for drivers accustomed to quick fillups, long trips, and ready access to multiple fueling stations.

In fact, even as automakers prepare to convert traditional vehicle lineups to electric propulsion, there’s been pushback. “What’s clear is that electrification is a technology chosen by politicians, not the industry,” Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, which has its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, said during a recent media presentation.

He and others have been sounding the alarm that the introduction of electric vehicles isn’t being driven by market demand. Dealers report EVs are often slow to sell among everyday consumers; instead, most buyers are wealthy individuals who share a passion for environmental sustainability. At the same time, politicians are pushing to ban internal combustion engines and replace them with so-called zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

What political leaders fail to account for, or conveniently leave out of their rosy projections of an all-electric utopia, are the human and environmental factors of mandating EVs. Consider child-labor issues of sourcing rare minerals needed for battery production, supply-chain challenges for raw materials, the environmental cost of producing batteries, and waste disposal — when the batteries reach the end of their lifespan, there are major challenges in recycling what are toxic materials, including lithium-ion, nickel-metal oxide, and nickel-cadmium.

What’s more, purchased EVs lose considerable value once they’re driven off a dealer’s lot, which is why most consumers opt to lease such vehicles. The problem is compounded by the high costs of EVs. Even though zero-emission vehicles (what comes out of the tailpipe) have 10 percent of the parts of a gas-powered vehicle, they’re much more expensive. Bloomberg reports “less than 15 percent of U.S. drivers can afford a battery-powered set of wheels.”

In Europe, where environmental sustainability is more pronounced than in the United States, “an electric car needs to drive 70,000 kilometers (43,500 miles) to compensate for the carbon footprint of manufacturing the battery alone and to start catching up with a light hybrid vehicle, which costs half as much as an EV,” Tavares recently told reporters.

Apart from sticker shock, EVs can take hours to recharge, have lower range than traditional cars and trucks, and suffer from a drop in efficiency in colder weather. In addition, there are too few charging stations across the nation, and the electric grid can be compromised if two or three EVs are charging on the same block in a subdivision — which is a safety hazard for other homes on that block.

So where does the industry go from here? When politicians thrust CAFE standards on the auto industry in the 1970s, it took a decade or more for OEMs to recover. To avoid a repeat performance — developing entirely new vehicles is tremendously expensive — the industry should push back on politicians until the technology is more affordable and fill-up times and range are comparable to gas-powered engines.

PUBLIC SAFETY

EARNEST VIGILANCE

VIOLENT CRIME HAS BEEN RAMPANT in multiple cities across the nation since the tragic death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, following his arrest by the Minneapolis Police Department. While most Americans were supportive of police reform to prevent such incidents, they didn’t approve of the violent crime wave that resulted from the many protests that swept through many large cities.

Detroit, which saw minimal damage to its downtown buildings following Floyd’s death, has been commended for reaching out and listening to the concerns of protestors. The police allowed the demonstrations to continue as long as the crowds remained peaceful.

The earnest, yet cordial, vigilance exercised by the Detroit Police Department should continue lest the city experience an explosion of crime similar to what has occurred in other metropolitan centers over the past two years.

Consider Seattle: Following Floyd’s death, anti-police protestors took over several blocks and converted the area into an anti-police zone.

After a few weeks, police moved to take back the area following an explosion of violence.

Other parts of Seattle, meanwhile, are still being impacted. In March, Amazon announced it was moving 1,800 workers out of a downtown Seattle office building due to rampant crime in the neighborhood. By allowing peaceful protests, and quickly arresting those who seek to harm people or damage property, Detroit has avoided the relocation of businesses.

HEALTH CARE

COVID-19 REALITY

AS SOME POLITICIANS argue for additional COVID-19 relief funds from Congress — $40 billion more was requested by the White House in mid-March — a look at the actual impact of the virus is illuminating. Consider nearly 80 million cases of coronavirus in the U.S. resulted in 969,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), meaning 1.2 percent of those who became ill died.

Taking it a step further, and factoring in an estimated U.S. population of 332,400,000 people, the death rate from COVID-19 was roughly 0.14 percent in each of the last two years. But the actual death rate is, in fact, lower, considering many medical professionals counted anyone who happened to have COVID-19, no matter what other fatal medical issues they were suffering from, as passing from the virus.

Rather than ask for additional funds for COVID-19 treatment at a time when the virus is impacting fewer people, politicians must base such requests on accurate numbers (or the actual “science”). That’s especially important since no other coronavirus, other than COVID-19, has counted death rates with such a broad brush, which makes it difficult to compare the current virus to past outbreaks like SARS or MERS.

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Commentary

COMPENDIUM: HOW OUTSIDERS VIEW DETROIT TOO MUCH NEW, DAMAGED FURNITURE GETS THROWN OUT. THIS COMPANY PROVES THERE’S A BETTER APPROACH.

FAST COMPANY FEB. 24, 2022

BY MARK WILSON Go to almost any big furniture store, and there’s a room in the back with scratched tables and returned couches. These damaged goods are sold at a discount, offering a project to someone who is handy, or imperfect but-functional furniture to someone on a budget.

However, as online furniture sales have exploded in recent years — it’s now around a $58 billion market in the U.S. — that discount room has ostensibly disappeared. If your coffee table arrives at your house scratched, and you return it for a refund, chances are good that it’s simply sent to the landfill, or you’re asked to dispose of it yourself.

Because that’s how retailers handle all sorts of home goods, even goods that are still in perfect shape.

But the Detroit-based furniture company Floyd is proving that another model can work. Their program, Full Cycle, takes back items damaged in transit, which is under 2 percent of their total orders. Then it mixes and

matches parts, like table legs, as necessary to make fully functional (if aesthetically flawed) kits.

Floyd resells these items online at a discount.

The model doesn’t sound all that complicated, but it’s also a rarity in the industry — a rarity that’s already working out pretty well for everyone.

Now a year into the program, the company has revealed just how well Full Cycle is going...

AT 85 YEARS OLD, LONGTIME DETROIT ARTIST GETS A SHOW OF HER OWN SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE MARCH 4, 2022

BY NORA MCGREEVY

Artist Shirley Woodson has seen Detroit through it all. In 1936, her family moved to the city’s north side when Woodson was just three months old.

She earned art degrees at Wayne State University in Midtown and, over her six-decades-long career as a professional artist and arts educator in the city, steadily championed Detroit’s thriving Black arts scene, her colleagues say.

Now, at 85, Woodson has put on a major solo exhibition of her works at the Detroit Institute of Arts. On view through June 12, “Shirley Woodson: Shield of the

Nile Reflections” showcases 11 of the artist’s colorful canvases rich in Afrocentric symbolism, according to a museum statement.

“Shirley’s art exemplifies her quiet determination to creatively express what she has learned about herself and the world she inhabits during the course of her life and career,” said Valerie Mercer, exhibition curator and department head of the DIA’s Center for African American Art, in the statement. “Through her skillful drawing combined with her exuberant palette, she lets us know that it’s always a balancing act to assert the complexities of her existence as a Black female artist, a wife, a mother, a mentor, a friend, and a human being.”

As a part-time gallery owner, art historian, and educator, Woodson made a point throughout her career to nurture the careers of young Black artists. Several artists from Detroit, including nationally recognized fiber artist Sonya Clark, credit Woodson as a mentor, as Maureen Feighan reported for The Detroit News in October 2021.

Even as an octogenarian, Woodson’s career isn’t slowing down: in 2021, she was named a Kresge Eminent Artist, a prestigious Detroit-based distinction…

DETROIT CAR THIEVES TARGET AUTOMAKERS’ OWN STOCK

CAR AND DRIVER • MARCH 20, 2022 • BY SEBASTIAN BLANCO

Brand-new trucks are disappearing out of the parking lots outside Detroit-area assembly plants in a new twist on car theft — so brand-new, they are still in the custody of the manufacturer.

Truck thieves have targeted at least three locations full of new vehicles in the metro Detroit area recently. The details of these thefts are under investigation, but the general plan seems to be that the thieves break into the lot somehow and then drive the new trucks away, maybe by smashing a gate or fence on the way out.

A Stellantis spokesperson responded to Car and Driver’s inquiry about these news reports with a short statement on the situation. The statement said Stellantis is working with the Sterling Heights Police Department on the theft of several vehicles from a shipping yard that services the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant managed by a third party.

“As this is an open investigation, the company is not commenting any further on what vehicles were stolen or how they were stolen,” the spokesperson said.

According to an Instagram post by themetrodetroitnews.com, however, at least 15 vehicles have been stolen in the past month, including new Ram trucks, a Jeep Wagoneer, Charger Hellcats, and a Jeep Trackhawk. Stellantis locations that have claimed to have vehicles stolen recently include a lot in Shelby Township, the Chrysler plant in Auburn Hills, and the Jefferson Assembly plant in Detroit. At least four trucks were stolen from one location in a single night, including a Ram TRX worth more than $100,000. The thief driving one of the trucks quickly crashed the new car into a nearby semi-truck before being picked up by a thief in a different stolen truck.

Themetrodetroitnews.com said it can’t confirm if all of these thefts are connected, but there are definite connections between some of them. They claim that two high-end vehicles, including a $90,000 Jeep Grand

Cherokee Trackhawk, were stolen from the Stellantis Jefferson North Assembly Plant a few weeks ago and then, in an unusual twist, the thieves used the Trackhawk to go back to the lot and steal a Dodge Challenger Hellcat a few days later.

It might be easier to steal these new vehicles than outsiders assume, according to a report by Detroit’s WDIV-TV that notes that Stellantis and its partners do use prominent security guards at these locations. But the automaker could possibly change a policy to make these new vehicles more difficult to steal.

“Insiders tell us it’s really no secret that keys are put in these brand-new, high-dollar trucks and thieves sneak onto the property, somehow undetected, get into the trucks, and wait for the key moment to drive off,” Click On Detroit reporter Shawn Ley said in a video report.

Thieves have targeted Detroit-area car factories as easy targets in the past. In 2018, for example, as The Detroit Bureau reported at the time, a group of thieves first stole a 2003 Ram truck, then used that truck to approach the Fiat Chrysler plant in Warren, Michigan, in the middle of the night. From there, they cut a hole through the fence and then drove away with eight new trucks that had recently come off the production line. At the time, there were questions about why the thieves could so easily steal those trucks and it was assumed that the keys were kept in the vehicles. Fiat Chrysler declined to comment on that policy. …

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Commentary

IN DETROIT, A BET THAT HEALTHY RESTAURANTS CAN HELP THE CITY

THE NEW YORK TIMES • MARCH 1, 2022 • BY BRETT ANDERSON April Anderson built Good Cakes and Bakes, her bakery on this city’s west side, by attracting customers to linger over cupcakes and cookies inside a 70-seat storefront on Livernois Avenue.

“It worked for us,” she said, “until we had to close the doors on March 17, 2020.”

But when it came to facing the difficult new reality the pandemic imposed on restaurants, Ms. Anderson held an edge: the experience with hardship that she and other Detroiters share.

Ms. Anderson, 49, belongs to a generation of business owners bringing vitality back to neighborhoods after decades of economic decline. Many have received help from a network of philanthropists, activists and civil servants united in their belief that locally owned restaurants and food businesses are critical to reviving Detroit’s economy and that Black, immigrant and women entrepreneurs are a valuable resource historically neglected by investors.

Those efforts, which began more than a decade ago, have helped diversify dining options and create jobs and wealth. The pandemic has both stress-tested and reinforced these accomplishments.

Today, Ms. Anderson is looking ahead to the fall opening of a second kitchen near Good Cakes to fulfill online orders that have snowballed since the COVID-19 shutdowns.

“We’ve got three freezers now, but we don’t have any more space,” she said. “I’ve got people ordering cakes on Goldbelly from Idaho and South Dakota.”

The city’s economic troubles — its current population of roughly 640,000 is less than a third of what it was in 1950 — are extreme and persistent. In a January survey by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, more than three-quarters of the state’s restaurant operators said their businesses were less profitable than before the

pandemic, and that conditions were worse than three months ago.

But as cooperation among the public, private and nonprofit sectors becomes more common across the country as the restaurant industry struggles to recover from the pandemic, Detroit provides an example of the results that communities can expect where entrepreneurship and activism converge.

To keep Good Cakes alive during the pandemic, Ms. Anderson, along with her wife and business partner, Michelle Anderson, turned to the network of public and private agencies that provide support, including grant money, to small businesses in Detroit. This coalition ... was forged in the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009…

‘A REALLY BAD DEAL’: MICHIGAN AWARDS GM $1B IN INCENTIVES FOR NEW ELECTRIC CARS THE GUARDIAN FEB. 25, 2022

BY TOM PERKINS

In September, Ford stunned Michigan when it announced plans to build two massive electric vehicle (EV) plants in the nation’s southeast instead of its midwestern back yard. Fearing the future of the automotive industry was leaving Detroit, the state’s political class swung into action.

Four months later, lawmakers responded by handing a staggering new subsidy deal to GM that they claimed would fortify the Motor City’s standing as the world’s auto capitol during industry electrification: In

exchange for $1 billion in tax incentives, the Detroit-based automaker promised $7 billion in investment for new battery and EV plants that could create 4,000 new jobs.

“This news is great for us and for Michigan, the epicenter of where we’re developing EVs,” GM president Mark Reuss said during the announcement.

But what’s good for GM may make less sense for state taxpayers, a Guardian analysis of the deal finds. Once again large corporate subsidies — paid for by taxpayers — look set to benefit the corporations while leaving taxpayers out of pocket.

Michigan has effectively agreed to compensate GM more than $310,000 for each job created, but during the next 20 years, the positions are unlikely to generate more than $100,000 in tax revenue in the very best-case scenarios.

Collectively, the plants’ jobs will probably return less than $300M of the state’s $1B investment when contributions to state income, sales, property, and other taxes are factored in.

The state also claimed the direct and indirect jobs created by the project will generate $29B in new income over 20 years, or the equivalent of 29,000 jobs paying $50,000 annually. Economists from across the ideological spectrum who reviewed the analysis said that level of job creation is highly unlikely and pointed to a U.S. Commerce Department report that labels such claims “suspicious.”

Moreover, a state memo shows GM agreed to create only 3,200 positions…

SUZANNE SHANK IS PAVING A PATH FOR COMPANIES TO PUT WOMEN AND PEOPLE OF COLOR IN POWER MARKET WATCH • MARCH 8, 2022 • BY JOY WILTERMUTH

Suzanne Shank says she didn’t set out to change Wall Street.

But as a Black woman and a powerful investment banker, she has been doing exactly that...

After an unconventional start designing nuclear submarines, Shank spent nearly a decade working her way up on Wall Street. Ultimately, she set her sights on building Siebert Williams Shank — not as a place for women and people of color to have a peripheral seat in the world of high finance, but for them to start calling the shots.

“I felt if we didn’t do it, who would?” she said.

Shank, the firm’s chief executive and president, recently talked with Market Watch for The Value Gap about her journey to the top of Wall Street, including her recent work helping Fortune 500 companies look inward at injustices that can act as a barrier to financial, social and career success, and ensure their workplaces are diverse, equitable and inclusive.

“It really starts with a CEO,” Shank said. “The CEO has to set the tone and then everybody from the bottom up has to be accountable.”

Market Watch: I was interested to see in your engineering background with General Dynamics GD, -1.29% that you helped build nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy. How did you go from there to co-founding a broker-dealer with Muriel Siebert, the first woman to ever hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange?

Shank: It’s not the normal career path to Wall Street. I attended Georgia Tech. I am very proud to be a graduate of their engineering program, which is very rigorous. I ended up working with General Dynamics on the electric boat division, which is the one that designed submarines, the Trident in particular. I had the fortune of going to Groton, Conn., and actually walking on submarines a few times, which was quite interesting. …

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CONGRATULATIONS, ALLISYN MATTICE -ESKAU Director of Government & Regulatory Affairs, McLaren Health Care

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NICK HAGEN

05-06.22

THE TICKER

34 MEMORY LANE Dearborn Music, in Dearborn, has survived market trends detrimental to music stores and is thriving, due in no small part to the fact that the company’s buyers work the shop’s floor and know what customers want.

p. 30

p. 32

p. 34

Digital Lane

Old Barn, New Tricks

Spinning Vinyl

Homemade Parts

PDA Q&A

Michigan Metal

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Digital Lane

A local entrepreneur helps auto dealers create commercials in-house.

BY R.J. KING

DBUSINESS DIRECT

GM Creates Cross-brand Commercial Growth Strategies General Motors Co. announced the creation of a new organization — Commercial Growth Strategies and Operation — to oversee cross-brand activities that strengthen GM’s brands and the company’s market position.

INSIDE OUT Lane Fortinberry, founder of Formatic Digital in Clarkston, took his experiences working with a dealership, an automaker, and Google and created a digital ad platform.

very clear: There was a large disconnect between the priorities of the OEMs, who fund much of the dealership digital marketing that gets executed, and the priorities of the dealers themselves,” Fortinberry says. “The dealers all wanted to innovate in the areas of mobile and video, but they were handcuffed to ‘preferred partners’ that executed their digital media, often with little to no customer service and almost no idea of what their actual ROI was on the money that was being spent.”

After a year of hearing dealers complain about not having any good video options and not being able to properly measure their advertising effectiveness across myriad online tools, Fortinberry launched Formatic Digital in Clarkston in early 2021.

The company delivers digital ads across all of Google’s platforms — search, YouTube, display ads, Gmail, and more — and leverages artificial intelligence to optimize the ads using data from advanced measurement systems put in place for clients.

“We also solved a problem that dealers had by creating a nationwide team of actors and videographers who can be in any dealership in the country within a week, shooting high-quality video content that outperforms all of the ‘templated’ ads with payments or rebates being pushed by the OEM ‘preferred vendors,’ ” he says. “Essentially, we’ve become the local TV crew for the entire country.”

Today, Formatic Digital has multiple dealership clients in three states. The company recently signed a large corporate client that provides services, warranty, and financing products to car dealerships nationwide. “I’m most proud that I was able to do all of this and keep it in metro Detroit,” Fortinberry says.

NFL Bringing 2024 Draft to Downtown Detroit The National Football League has selected Detroit to host the 2024 NFL Draft. It will take place in the areas around Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. The draft has evolved to become one of the major sports events of the year.

Oakland Mall in Troy Acquired by MKiezi Investments MKiezi Investments in Troy has acquired the landmark Oakland Mall on 14 Mile Road at I-75 in Troy for an undisclosed amount from CenterCal Properties. The new owner plans property improvements including freshening mall entrances.

Stellantis and LG Energy Will Build $4.1B EV Battery Plant in Windsor Stellantis and LG Energy Solution have established a joint venture to build a $4.1 billion large-scale, domestic electric-vehicle lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Windsor to meet a significant portion of Stellantis’ production.

LAUREN FORTINBERRY

L

ane Fortinberry grew up working at his father’s Chrysler Jeep dealership in Clarkston, where he learned every aspect of the business. After graduating from Northwood University in Midland, he was ready to take over the operation once his dad retired — but his life took some unexpected turns that paved the way to an entrepreneurial journey.

During Chrysler’s 2009 bankruptcy, the Fortinberrys’ dealership was one of 700-plus locations that were closed as part of the government-controlled proceedings. During the same week, the family learned a former business associate and used car broker had embezzled nearly $1 million to start a company to convert minivans for wheelchair use.

“Not a fun week,” Fortinberry says. “We promptly sued and seized all assets from that company and moved it into our dealership building in Clarkston, and started converting minivans for wheelchair use within a couple months.”

At the same time, Fortinberry began moonlighting as a social media marketer for a few local car dealers in Detroit. Two years later, in 2012, he received a message from a recruiter on LinkedIn saying that the recently formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (today Stellantis) was looking to fill a newly created digital marketing manager position. After interviewing at the automaker’s Chicago office, he was offered the job on the spot.

“It was at FCA that I got to work very closely with a few folks at Google on a regular basis, and 18 months later I ended up applying and getting hired to go work at Google,” Fortinberry recalls. “I literally could barely breathe when the recruiter called me one Friday afternoon in the winter of 2013.”

Working at Google’s local offices in Birmingham and Detroit, he saw firsthand how automakers spend billions of dollars in advertising each year. In addition, over the next seven years, he learned how the largest automotive dealership groups went to market with their advertising programs.

“From those two experiences, one thing became

GM Begins Production of 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ at Spring Hill Plant General Motors Co. has begun retail production of the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ at its Spring Hill, Tenn., assembly plant. The launch occurred while the team is assembling the Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia.

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The Ticker

FORD MOTOR CO. in

Dearborn has released CAD files for the storage area under the rear seats and other areas of its new Maverick pickup, so customers can 3-D print their own accessories.

There are a total of eight Ford Integrated Tether System (FITS) slots in the vehicle: one behind the center console, where a cupholder would normally go in many vehicles, and seven under the rear seat bench.

They’re designed to be modular, allowing customers to order a set of accessories to fit different needs, like storage dividers to separate items.

The company sells a FITS accessory kit for $50; it’s available when building and pricing the Maverick. The kit includes a rear cupholder, cable organizer, bag hooks, a trash can, and dividers.

Customers with a 3-D printer and some design knowledge can create and produce their own FITS using the provided CAD files.

“Maverick customers are doers, and this truck is built for their creativity,” says Trevor Scott, marketing manager for Maverick. “Beyond the available FITS Accessory Kit bundle that we offer as an aftermarket Ford accessory for purchase, we’ve seen great 3-D-printed custom designs from our customers, including a dog water bowl, dual cupholders, a trash can, a tilting iPad holder, and a Nintendo Switch holder.”

— By Tim Keenan

Detroit Region and State Dealing with Labor, Supply Chain Issues The Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2022 State of the Region report shows businesses are facing challenges with labor, supply chain issues, a spike in demand for goods, and a large influx of government spending.

Big Stage

Jenny Feterovich shines a spotlight on successful small businesses via “Start Up” on PBS.

BY JAKE BEKEMEYER

T

he first business Jenny Feterovich opened, right out of high school with a loan from her mother, was a resale shop in Hamtramck. As a refugee from the former Soviet Union, she found beauty in American entrepreneurship. The shop, however, didn’t fare as well as she had hoped.

“It failed miserably because I did not know a lot about business, specifically location. People kept breaking into it and it would cost me more money to replace the glass than (I was making),” she says.

Since then, she has opened several other small businesses, including a production company called Parliament Studios, which collaborated with Gary Bredow and Big Bang Productions on a television project called “Start Up” in 2013. The show documents the stories of small business owners and entrepreneurs across the country and airs nationally on PBS. Bredow is the creator, host, and a producer of “Start Up,” while Feterovich is the casting director and a producer. The two merged their companies in 2014 to create Arcadius Productions in Ferndale.

The show is now in pre-production for its 10th season, which is set to air later this year. As the casting director, Feterovich estimates she’s interviewed more than 1,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs.

What has she learned?

“It’s really consistent execution and an ability to learn from your mistakes and move on quickly,” she says. “Because we’re all going to make them, right?

But you can cry about a mistake or think, How can I do it better? How can I be better than I was yesterday? And (those) are the people I see that are enjoying a lot of success.”

Season 10, as in previous seasons, will feature businesses with an underlying social mission to their operations. The ninth season opened with TRU Colors Brewery in Wilmington, N.C., owned by George Taylor, which has a mission of ending gang violence.

“He started a business that only hires opposing gang members. It’s phenomenal,” Feterovich says.

“We’re really seeing a lot of businesses caring about what’s happening in the world and around them.”

U.S. Census Bureau data shows 4.4 million business applications were filed during 2020 — many at the height of pandemic restrictions. A lot of people re-evaluated their situations and decided to follow their dreams, which has Feterovich excited.

Roush Opens Orlando Facility to Support Theme Park Industry Livonia-based Roush has opened a second 40,000-square-foot facility in Orlando to support the fabrication, assembly, and testing of products for the themed attraction industry. It’s been in Orlando since 2018.

Royal Oak’s Graphex Selects Warren Site for Graphite Facility Graphex Technologies in Royal Oak has selected the Emerald Business Park in Warren for a new 150,000-square-foot graphite processing facility that’s expected to cost between $50 and $60 million and add 125 new jobs.

LG Energy Solution Invests $1.7B in Holland, Adds 1,200 Jobs LG Energy Solution is investing $1.7 billion and creating 1,200 jobs at its current location in Holland.

The expansion will quintuple the plant’s capacity to help produce battery components for electric vehicles.

“We’re going to find some of the best stories wherever we are, create more inspiration, more education, and be at the backbone of shining a light on the American small business community,” says Feterovich, a member of EO Detroit (Entrepreneurs Organization). “Small business is everything.

I love this idea of living in communities, people serving their communities, and really following their dreams. It’s the essence of passion.”

BORN ENTERTAINER Aside from her role co-producing “Start Up” on PBS, Jenny Feterovich has been a DJ since she was a young adult. Today, she plays weekly sets in Detroit.

START UP TV

HOMEMADE PARTS

GM Increases Ownership Stake in Cruise with $3.45B Investment General Motors Co. will acquire SoftBank Vision Fund 1’s equity ownership stake in Cruise, an autonomous vehicle company in San Francisco, for $2.1 billion. It also will make an additional $1.35 billion investment in Cruise.

For full stories and more, visit dbusiness.com/daily-news to get daily news sent directly to your email.

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The Ticker

Old Barn, New Tricks Reclaimed Michigan in Waterford Township was born from a home remodeling project.

BY JAKE BEKEMEYER |

NICK HAGEN

B

ill McDonald and Matt Halcrow moved into neighboring Waterford Township homes around the same time. McDonald, looking to spruce up his new place, asked Halcrow to help him salvage the wood from an old barn in Imlay City. When there was material left over after his projects, McDonald sold it quickly — which sparked an idea.

For McDonald’s next home improvement effort, the duo made sure to “pick up some extra (wood) to pay for the project, and it slowly started getting out of control from there,” McDonald says. It wasn’t long before they decided to get serious. “I felt bad asking Matt to come over and help me drag beams off the trailer all the time, so I just asked, ‘Hey man, you want to just do this with me?’ ” That’s how Reclaimed Michigan — a business specializing in one-of-a-kind custom wood furniture and lumber recovered from old barns — was born.

The company’s first warehouse was 7,000 square feet, but the space was quickly outgrown, and now the enterprise operates out of a more than 14,000-square-foot facility in Waterford Township.

The entrepreneurs both had backgrounds that fit the business — Halcrow’s father was an apprentice cabinetmaker, and McDonald has a master’s degree in engineering — but they couldn’t keep up with the initial demand by themselves.

Their first full-time employee, Tracy, was hired to help keep up with the building demands after being a customer of the business.

Then a woman named

DEEP ROOTS Matt Halcrow, co-founder of Reclaimed Michigan in Waterford Township, right, says he and his business partner, Bill McDonald, salvage old wood from barns for remodeling projects.

Leslie came to the shop to buy material, which McDonald suspects was a guise to see if she could get hired to build, making their first two employees in the male-dominated field of woodworking women — both of whom were coming back to the workforce after raising their children as stay-at-home mothers.

The material — nearly 200,000 board feet — sits on storage shelves along the warehouse walls and in nearly every open space, shelved or not. All the wood comes from barns within a three-hour radius of the warehouse. Word of mouth is what grew Reclaimed Michigan’s initial network of salvagers, and now the salvagers come to them.

“They’re actively looking for stuff to tear down and salvage,” Halcrow says. “We have one guy who looked at a barn and said: ‘Oh, that’s a Reclaimed Michigan barn’ right away. (He called and said) ‘I’ve got all this stuff for you, you guys got first dibs on it.’ ” The custom furniture, barn doors, beams, corrugated roofing, and all other products come with a story.

Whether it’s a beam from a barn in Ohio or lockers from an unconventional salvage — like E.T. White Junior High School in Lapeer — preserving history is a crucial aspect of the business. “Anybody can have an old chunk of wood,” Halcrow says. “We can (share information about) where it came from.”

PDA Q&A: THE E-INTERVIEW JOSH LINKNER Co-founder and Managing Partner Muditā Venture Partners, Bingham Farms

JL: In Austin, Texas, where I just finished giving a keynote presentation. I’ve written four books and have done more than 1,000 keynotes all over the world. Today, I spoke to a large financial services company, including the CEO and several finance and distribution partners.

DB: WHAT’S NEXT?

JL: I had one year where I

did 163 keynotes, but it proved to be too much.

My target this year is to do 80 keynotes, which is a better balance, and I’ll hit that target. I have my guitar with me, and you may recall I’m a jazz guitarist. I’m heading to Dallas next, where I’ll be doing a jazz performance and a keynote presentation for the same client.

DB: HOW’S THE NEW FUND?

JL: My brother, Ethan, and I formed a new venture capital firm called Muditā Venture Partners that invests in early-stage software companies. It’s a $40-million fund that we launched late last year, and we’re looking to do five to seven deals a year. The goal is to make money, but we’ll really focus on finding companies to invest in that

will have a positive impact on the world.

DB: WILL YOU SERVE AS AN ADVISER?

JL: I’ve made mistakes of my own along the way, so we plan to share those, when relevant, as well as add value to a company by helping it scale and win. We want to mitigate risk and accelerate growth. We do that through our own

experiences, and I can tap business leaders I’ve met from around the world for their knowledge.

DB: ARE YOU WRITING ANOTHER BOOK?

JL: Last year I came out with “Big Little Breakthroughs,” and that went well. But I’m taking this year off from writing to focus on Muditā Venture Partners and my family.

— R.J. King

JOSH LINKNER

DB: WHERE ARE YOU?

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The Ticker

MICHIGAN METAL

PHILLIP FIKANY SAW A

gap in an important market. After switching from leather wallets to metal, to avoid wear and tear and the need for frequent replacements, he was still disappointed. The metal wallets were either too heavy or utilized materials such as elastic, which wore down even faster than leather.

“I thought, my background is engineering, I can do better,” Fikany says. “So I chewed on it, did the benchmarking to see what the competition was doing, came up with my own design, drew it up in CAD, and had a couple of samples machined.”

That was the start of Traguardo Wallets.

Traguardo means “finish line” in Italian, which Fikany says is intended to make the product a reward of sorts. Made from anodized aluminum and carbon fiber, the wallets are lightweight yet maintain their durability.

They also offer RFID protection, which prevents credit card information from being stolen.

Fikany designed the product at his home in Troy, machines the wallets in Mount Morris, and anodizes them — a process in which dye is infused into the metal — in Detroit. The wallets are available online at tgwallets.com.

“I really want to keep it in Michigan,” he says. “It’s something you put in your pocket and pull out every day. And you’re looking at it, and you feel a little bit more pride knowing that it’s (from here).”

Spinning Vinyl Dearborn Music has overcome many obstacles to take its place as one of the top record stores in the country.

BY TIM KEENAN |

NICK HAGEN

D

earborn Music, unlike thousands of other record stores, has survived the advent of big-box stores, lightning-fast internet speeds, satellite radio, and streaming services — and now it’s caught the new wave of popularity for vinyl records.

Between 2003 and 2008, 3,500 independent record stores closed, according to Rick LeAnnais, co-owner (along with his brother, Kevin) of Dearborn Records, which has been named by Spin magazine as one of the Top 10 record stores in America.

To survive since 1956 — when LeAnnais’ father bought the Dearborn Music Shop on Michigan Avenue — until now is a testament to the family’s willingness to adapt and pivot to stay relevant.

The original Dearborn Music sold guitars, sheet music, and 45 and 78 rpm records, in addition to offering music lessons. Instrument sales were phased out in 1976.

The store moved to the corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street in 1958 and stayed there until 2012, when it moved to the current 7,900-square-foot location at 22501 Michigan Ave. Dearborn Music also had a store in Canton Township between 1989 and 2008, and opened a 6,400-square-foot store on Grand River Avenue in Farmington last year.

LeAnnais says Dearborn Music really had to adapt in the 1990s, when big box stores were allowed to sell CDs for below cost.

“They were using CDs as a loss leader,” he explains.

“That was one of the biggest hurdles we had to combat. That’s when we started bringing in used CDs. They can’t offer that. We started bringing in deeper catalogs of music. They can’t do that.”

The next hurdle came in the early 2000s, when internet speeds made streaming a viable alternative to buying records and CDs. “Napster really hurt the industry,” LeAnnais recalls.

“We started taking stuff off the wall. You’re no longer ordering 608 Pearl Jam records; you’re ordering 30. You don’t have to display all that stuff. What do you put on the bare walls? We tried T-shirts and action figures.

We tried anything music-related to put on our walls.

We were trying to reinvent ourselves.”

Dearborn Music still offers a wide array of musicand pop culture-related T-shirts, games, mugs, socks, signs, accessories, lunchboxes, stereos, and other merchandise which, combined, makes up 10 percent of the store’s sales.

The current hurdle the store faces is that fewer CD players are being put in new vehicles. But the market seems to be helping in that regard. LeAnnais says 42 percent of his sales are new vinyl records, while 38 percent are CDs. About 20 percent are used records and discs.

“Vinyl is no longer nostalgia, or coming back. It is back,” he says. “It’s a hot thing. Production can’t keep up with the demand for all the genres.”

— By Jake Bekemeyer

RECORD REVIVAL According to Dearborn Music co-owner Rick LeAnnais, the record industry is doubling its capacity to produce LPs in 2022, due to rising demand.

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AC A CG C G MA ALL-STARS &

The Association for Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter and DBusiness magazine honor the 7th annual winners.

BY R.J. KING |

BRAD ZIEGLER

DBusiness magazine partnered with the Association for Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter to honor its recipients of the seventh annual M&A All-Star Awards for 2021 activity. Winners will be recognized during an event at the Townsend Hotel in downtown Birmingham on May 3 at 6 p.m.

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ACG MA ALL-STARS &

DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR Huron Capital • Detroit • Jim Mahoney • Managing Partner WHY HURON CAPITAL IS THE ACG DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR Pent-up demand caused by COVID-19 and more efficient communication tools helped lead to a record year for Huron Capital, a middle-market private equity platform in Detroit. “Our team was firing on all cylinders last year,” says Jim Mahoney, managing partner of Huron Capital. “Coming into 2021, we’d planted a lot of seeds that began to bear fruit.”

Consider the records the company set in 2021, with 41 total transactions that included 27 add-on acquisitions, the sale of eight platform businesses, and the purchase or creation of six new platforms. The performance came as Mahoney was appointed managing partner in February 2021 and Huron Capital evolved its investment strategy to focus more narrowly on 10 specific niches across three key services sectors: commercial and industrial services, professional services, and consumer services.

The results can be seen through the prism of the rapid growth experienced by three portfolio companies in the commercial and industrial services sector.

Pueblo Mechanical and Control saw four add-on acquisitions that led to an expansion into Texas and Utah; Sciens Building Solutions was sold in December to funds managed by Carlyle, a global investment firm, after completing 13 acquisitions in five years ( five of which were in 2021); and Albireo Energy has completed 24 deals since 2014.

“One of the keys to our success was going through the process to make sure we had the right focus by all parties involved, given the sheer volume of marketplace activity,” says Mahoney, who oversees a team of 24 employees. “We were very balanced in terms of exits, acquisitions, and our overall portfolio, and all three legs of the stool were moving in the right direction.”

At a time when overall market activity was robust, Mahoney notes it was a challenge to find legal and financial advisers with the capacity to handle multiple deals. Locally, Huron Capital works with Detroit-based Honigman for primary legal counsel and Plante Moran, with offices in Detroit and Southfield, for audit and tax services.

Since joining Huron Capital in 2007, Mahoney has led numerous successful investments and has served on the board of more than a dozen portfolio companies. In addition to managing day-to-day operations, he led several successful deals, was a key member of the investment committee, and now serves on Huron Capital’s board.

“There’s still a lot of private equity out there chasing deals, and our (overall) portfolio remains strong,” Mahoney says. “Following the first quarter, we’re dealing with inflation and supply chain issues, but our top line demand continues to be robust.”

PREVIOUS PAGE From left to right: Mike Stornant, Blake Krueger, Amy Klimek, Kyle Hanson, Brendan Hoffman, Jim Zwiers

ABOVE Jim Mahoney, Heather Madland

NEXT PAGE, LEFT Clockwise from upper left: Kyle Hanson, Amy Klimek, Jim Zwiers, Mike Stornant, Brendan Hoffman, Blake Krueger

NEXT PAGE, RIGHT Peter Bosanic, Michael T. Kulka

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DEAL OF THE YEAR OVER $50M

DEAL OF THE YEAR UNDER $50M

Wolverine Worldwide Inc. • Rockford Brendan Hoffman • President and CEO Jim Zwiers • President, Global Operations Group

PM Environmental • Lansing Peter Bosanic • Co-founder | Michael T. Kulka • CEO

WHY WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE IS THE ACG DEAL OF THE YEAR OVER $50M The board at Wolverine Worldwide Inc. in Rockford was looking to explore further strategic acquisitions to complement its footwear and apparel offerings when it hired Brendan Hoffman as president in 2020. A year later, Hoffman took on the added title of CEO, succeeding Blake Krueger, who was named executive chairman.

When he was CEO of Wolverine Worldwide, Krueger transformed the company’s lifestyle and footwear portfolio by adding such strategic acquisitions as Merrell, Saucony, Sperry, Stride Rite, Keds, and Chaco. Krueger also led annual revenue growth to almost $2 billion, which translated into a significant expansion of the company’s market capitalization.

“When I was recruited, there was an appetite by the board to get back into strategic acquisitions. Jim (Zwiers), myself, and our entire team began looking for opportunities that broadened our skill set beyond traditional footwear, and when we came across Sweaty Betty, it checked off a lot of boxes for us,” Hoffman says.

Consummated last August, Wolverine’s all-cash, $410-million acquisition of London-based Sweaty Betty came about through a highly competitive auction set up by seller L. Catterton, a brand-focused private equity fund. In 2021, Sweaty Betty had revenue of $250 million, 650 employees, and more than 60 stores.

By comparison, Wolverine had 2021 sales of $2.4 billion, 4,500 workers, and sold its products in 170 countries. Key retail outlets include Nordstrom, Macy’s, Amazon, Zappos, and DSW. To grow through acquisition, Hoffman and Zwiers looked for companies with strong consumer brands, a robust e-commerce platform, and a focus on women’s activewear apparel.

In a race against the clock, due to the way the auction process was set, the entire transaction was closed three weeks after Wolverine was selected as the winning bidder. “It was a highly competitive environment,” Zwiers says. “There were still travel restrictions in place, but our key banker had offices in London, while our legal team, Honigman in Detroit, had a global reach. Having that kind of experience allowed our overall team to move very quickly.”

Another aspect of the deal, which included such outside advisers as Baker and McKenzie and E&Y, is that Wolverine Worldwide has the opportunity to leverage the Sweaty Betty brand into new markets beyond Europe, including the United States and Asia. Women’s active and performance-wear apparel is a growing category for fitness and style.

“The growing number of women who work from home (since the outbreak of COVID-19) also played a role in the deal,” Hoffman says. “Sweaty Betty is led by Julia Strauss (CEO), and she has a terrific senior leadership team. It was important to us that the company was founded and led by a woman.”

WHY KCM ENVIRONMENTAL’S ACQUSITION OF PM ENVIRONMENTAL IS THE ACG DEAL OF THE YEAR UNDER $50M For several years, Michael T. Kulka and Peter Bosanic, co-founders and principal engineers of PM Environmental in Lansing, were seeking to establish a leading environmental risk management firm in the United States and Canada. Since the company’s founding in 1992, the two partners have sought to expand nationwide, and over time they established more than two dozen offices.

In some cases, though, the expansion effort proved to be too much, with a number of new offices adding to revenue growth but contributing little in the way of profits. Kulka and Bosanic decided to pull back and focus on being a regional market leader with 12 offices in Michigan and the southeastern U.S. At the same time, they searched for a strategic partner to realize their goal of servicing clients domestically and across Canada.

“We’d been looking at one opportunity, but due to the complexities and changing market dynamics in the early days of COVID-19, we passed on the deal,” says Kulka, CEO of PM Environmental. “We kept looking for the right partner, and in the process of negotiating with Keystone Capital Management, the lead attorney passed away in the middle of the transaction. Fortunately, we had a great team in place.”

Working with Foster and Swift (legal team), PSMJ Resources (investment banker), and Clayton and McKervey (accounting), PM Environmental partnered with Keystone Capital Management, or KCM Environmental, in December. A few weeks later, in February, Pinchin Ltd. in Ontario came into the fold and now the expanded enterprise has access to 1,000 employees among 46 office locations in North America.

“The best thing we did was to be patient,” Bosanic says. “We had looked at a dozen potential buyers, and we met with strategic buyers and PE firms, and we finally got down to what we felt was the right partner. It was like speed dating. Now that we’re part of a bigger company, we’ve positioned ourselves for additional targeted acquisitions in the U.S. and Canada.”

Among the services the combined entity offers are environmental site assessments, brownfield redevelopment, environmental compliance audits, industrial hygiene services, and underground storage tank management.

“With this partnership, we see a significant opportunity to better serve our clients through greater geographic reach and a broader set of capabilities,” Kulka says. “We evaluated the DNA of each bid, and one thing we learned is don’t necessarily go with the highest bidder. Had we done that, we wouldn’t have met our goal of establishing a top brand in our space across the U.S. and Canada.”

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RISING STAR

ADVISER OF THE YEAR

Justin Hanna • Associate • Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, and Weiss • Southfield

Lee Kellert • Partner • Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, and Weiss • Southfield

WHY JUSTIN HANNA IS THE ACG RISING STAR In a remarkable year for deals, one week stood out as especially noteworthy for Justin Hanna, an associate and part of the M&A practice group at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, and Weiss in Southfield. From Nov. 1-8, Hanna helped close four transactions — a $40 million buy-side, new platform deal; a $100 million sell-side deal; a $60 million add-on acquisition; and a separate $16 million add-on acquisition.

“If that wasn’t enough, my wife and I bought a house last year and we had our second child, so we have two kids under 2 years old. Some of the deals were highly complex and involved representation and warranty insurance policies (RWI), which required more due diligence,” Hanna says. “Over that week in November, I remember I had a cold and worked through two weekends to get everything done.”

Hanna joined Jaffe Raitt five years ago, and says each year has been busier than the previous one. In 2018, he assisted in closing 10 transactions collectively worth more than $300 million, while in 2019 he helped conclude a half-dozen deals with an aggregate consideration of $2 billion, followed by closing 11 deals in 2020.

But that pales to his performance in 2021, when he helped close 20 deals — five of which were new private equity “fundless” sponsor platforms, where equity and debt financing are coordinated on a deal-by-deal basis. He was the lead attorney on eight of those transactions, responsible for negotiating, drafting, and managing the overall deal process. Of the 20 transactions, all but one was a buy-side deal, and eight involved RWI. All told, the transaction activity in 2021 represented more than $550 million in aggregate consideration. Apart from an intense week in November, Hanna closed a couple of platform deals for two private equity fundless sponsors during a single week in June.

In some cases, add-on transactions to existing portfolio companies are challenging because the owners may have never gone through a sale process, while their counsel often aren’t experienced in the M&A process. As a result, Hanna and his team frequently had to do extra work to meet closing deadlines.

“Each of the deals we closed during that week in June had its own complexities,” Hanna says. “To keep it all straight, you must stay organized with your notes, emails, and checklists, along with having regular conversations with clients. We’re big on checklists. What I’m finding today is I’m able to run more of these transactions and lead the negotiations. I’m taking more of a leadership role, and that will bode well for my career.”

WHY LEE KELLERT IS THE ACG ADVISER OF THE YEAR A self-described “adrenaline junkie,” Lee Kellert, a partner at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, and Weiss in Southfield, spends his downtime racing a Chevrolet Corvette — both against other drivers and against a clock. The 2003 race car, with its interior cage, a seat, and safety straps, is ideal for track racing.

“It’s a lot of fun, and the racing helps me get away from everything at the office,” says Kellert, who’s coming off the busiest year of his career. Throughout 2021, the lawyer led nearly 30 transactions that collectively totaled more than $1 billion. Of those, five were new platform deals for independent sponsors, each of which included an acquisition, senior and mezzanine debt financing, and an equity raise, adding additional layers of complexity.

Kellert also worked on several transactions both on the buy-side and the sellside, and within very accelerated time frames; he says some deals were closed in 30 days or less. The volume of deal opportunities was unlike anything he’d previously seen in the market, he adds, and came at a time when PE funds were flush with cash and looking to deploy resources to the right opportunity.

“I’ve never seen the market that busy, and I don’t think we’ll see it again,” Kellert says. “Last year required a lot of dedication. For the first time in my career, there were long days pretty much every day, and I was even putting in time on Saturdays and Sundays. I worked at night catching up on emails and staying organized — really hyper-organized. I tend to multitrack things, and that played to one of my strengths.”

Among the transactions, Kellert closed eight add-on acquisitions for Bloomfield Hills-based ARCH Global Precision, a contract manufacturer in the aerospace, defense, medical, and semiconductor sectors. In addition, he created three new platform deals for Strength Capital Partners in Birmingham, and a new platform deal for Leelanau Private Capital and Credo Private Capital. His team of advisers included E&Y, PWC, UHY Advisors, Gallagher, and Lockton.

“There was pent-up demand from uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, money was cheap, a lot of VC firms were flush with cash, and all of that drove the market activity,” Kellert says. “Some firms were so busy they were turning away work, some CPAs had backlogs, and there were lots of delays on the service provider end. You really had to stay on top of everything because some of the deals had to be closed in short time frames.”

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Focus

In Memoriam

Cliff Roesler • Managing Director • Angle Advisors • Birmingham

Sharon Kimble • Executive Director • ACG Detroit

WHY CLIFF ROESLER IS THE ACG INVESTMENT BANKER OF THE YEAR If 2020 was a nightmare due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns, Cliff Roesler cites last year as the “perfect honeymoon” to address pent-up demand for M&A activity, both here and across the globe. Capital was widely available, inflation was still at manageable levels, and buyers and sellers were anxious to close transactions.

“What surprised me in 2021 was how much of our work was still being done virtually; we had transactions closing without anyone getting together,” says Roesler, managing director of Angle Advisors in Birmingham, which he co-founded with Kevin Marsh in 2010. “If you had told anyone you would close virtual transactions before COVID-19, you would’ve been laughed out of the room.”

Last year, Roesler worked on three buy-side and 10 sell-side transactions, with a total enterprise value of $437 million. Seven of the deals were international in nature and involved Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and China.

Adding to the complexity were potential tax code changes. As a result, two deals that were scheduled to close in 2022 were concluded before the end of the calendar year; one buyer decided to close a deal on Dec. 20.

“I never had 13 deals, which is double what would be a big year,” Roesler says. “If I completed six deals (in a year), I’d be thrilled. Having so many deals was unusual, but it speaks to the remarkable efficiency of the American economy. Despite the virus, the economy persevered and the transactions accelerated. I would never have predicted that.”

Due to high demand for deals, an unusual aspect of 2021 was finding service providers in support of M&A transactions, Roesler says. From the second quarter onward, there was a shortage of accounting and legal professionals, and by the fourth quarter underwriters had stopped taking on new representation and warranty insurance policies (RWI).

“The last two years have taught me to embrace change,” Roesler says. “COVID19 seemed like a complete nightmare, but we learned we can work successfully without spending two days traveling for a two-hour meeting. Whether working from the office or home, we can be more efficient using the cloud, and by scheduling events to include more people at one time. Despite some heartbreaking losses, two years of COVID-19 taught me there’s a silver lining in every dark cloud,” he adds. “Even very, very dark clouds.”

WHY SHARON KIMBLE EARNED ACG’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD In 2000, when Sharon Kimble began working as executive director of the Detroit chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, a global organization for middle-market M&A professionals, she had several clients in the group management and event planning industry.

But after a few years, she took a chance and began working with ACG Detroit full time. “She made the decision to go all in to ACG and give up her other clients, and I admire her for that,” says Tom Vaughn, a member and co-head of the M&A Group of Dykema in Detroit, a board member of ACG Detroit, and chair of the organization’s annual M&A All-Star Awards. “It was a risk, and in some ways she was an entrepreneur herself.”

In February, Kimble passed away from complications from Guillain-Barré Syndrome. She had been battling the aggressive inflammatory disorder for nearly a year. To honor her work, ACG Detroit selected Kimble for its Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given out annually as part of the M&A All-Star Awards.

“Sharon was the most dedicated person ACG Detroit has ever had,” says Douglas P. LaLone, a partner at Fishman Stewart in Troy and a board member of ACG Detroit, which has 360 members. “She always knew how to get things done on time and with her friendly smile.”

The award recognizes Kimble for her work in building ACG Detroit into a premier M&A association. Under her leadership, the organization received back to back recognition from ACG Global as Chapter of the Year in 2015 and 2016, a distinction that helped the organization become one of the leading ACG chapters in the country.

“I’ve known Sharon for 14 years, since I first met her at an ACG event,” says Kim Easterle Mattes, a vice president at Aon and a board member of ACG Detroit. “ She was always kind, giving, thoughtful, and generous with her time. She is so missed.”

Kurt Harvey, managing director of dental and health care at Caber Hill Advisors in Detroit, and president of ACG Detroit, says “words cannot adequately describe the meaningful and measurable impact that Sharon had on all of us personally and professionally.”

FILE PHOTO

INVESTMENT BANKER OF THE YEAR

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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Camp Innovation The U.S. Army and the Michigan National Guard are opening their training centers and military bases in the state to private industry, in a bid to advance new technologies on the battlefield and within the consumer marketplace.

BY CALLI NEWBERRY

T

he future of innovation has found a home in Michigan, where military assets and capabilities are being used as testing grounds and creating synergies for private businesses to invent, test, and produce technologies in protected and safe environments.

The companies are revolutionizing military vehicles, developing the next iteration of flight, taking mission planning to the next level for the private and public sectors, and providing crucial satellite information to soldiers on the ground, improving — and saving — lives in the process.

This activity can all be found within the National All-Domain Warfighting Center (NADWC), an effort

by Michigan’s National Guard to unite four different existing capabilities spanning the Lower Peninsula: the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, the

Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, and Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.

Together, these four locations offer everything necessary to propel innovation, thanks to the unique combination of Michigan’s inherent land and climate, and the intangible leadership and vision of those in charge of the resources within NADWC. Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, adjutant general of Michigan, is an experienced and visionary leader who previously served as the director of the U.S. Army’s Tank and Automotive Research and Development Engineering Center (TARDEC) in Warren, where he worked alongside businesses, startups, and academic institutions in addition to the U.S. Army.

“I think that experience really gave me an appreciation for the strong dynamics in the Detroit area between the business sector, academia, and the government sector, and the influence (that collaboration)

has across the entire state,” says Rogers, who earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton.

“Getting into this role, I’ve recognized that we have some capabilities to bring to the table. We’re always seeking ways of making people aware of the capabilities/resources available within the NADWC and showing them how they can leverage the resources here in Michigan to really amplify their business models, their research, and their development, in any different form or fashion.”

Rogers has turned his sense of appreciation into a new vision for what Michigan’s National Guard could do not only for the U.S. Department of Defense, but also for industry partners with — and even without — a military nexus. He wanted to promote Michigan’s capabilities in a new way, making them more attractive and accessible to businesses with civilian purposes, which was one of the key reasons Rogers was appointed adjutant general of Michigan, according to Capt.

Andrew Layton, deputy state public affairs officer.

Since his promotion in early 2019, Rogers has moved at the speed of business. By July 2020, he and his team had successfully rebranded the four individually existing installations within the National Guard into one entity: NADWC. “It was a way for us to take all of the separate entities and put them into one brand, and then present it

U.S. AIR NATIONAL GUARD | STAFF SGT. JAY GRABIEC

Perspectives

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READY AND WAITING A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper from the Arizona Air National Guard 214th Attack Group, parked on the flight line at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Alpena, as its crew prepares to participate in the Northern Strike exercise on Aug. 5, 2021.

Northern Strike is a National Guard Bureau-sponsored exercise that is a tailored readiness producer bringing together 5,100 participants from various states and countries at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center at Camp Grayling.

to the Michigan market and the national market as a resource that can be harvested,” Rogers says. “Coming into this position, even after being a part of the (National Guard) for three decades, I never had full visibility until I became the adjutant general of what we had available and (saw) the possibilities of connecting it all together to really make something that’s unique to Michigan and unique within the entire nation.”

Over the last year and a half, the 148,000 acres of ground maneuver space at Camp Grayling, the 17,000 square miles of restricted airspace at Alpena, the 9,000 feet of runway at Selfridge, and the 35,000 square feet of classified processing areas in Battle Creek have been owned and operated as one under Michigan’s National Guard.

“Those two words are very key: ‘own’ and ‘operate.’ We schedule, we manage, (and) we own the largest overland air space complex east of the Mississippi River,” says Brig. Gen. Bryan Teff. “When you combine all of those things together on the airspace side, and (see) how it overlaps and integrates with the ground maneuver space, we have tremendous capability in Michigan.”

Last year alone, Teff says 7,000 military aircraft were able to rack up 60,000 training days — and that’s only a portion of the military training conducted within NADWC. With events like Northern Strike, a semiannual military exercise that offers some of the most

JOINT FORCES The National All-Domain Warfighting Center was formed in July 2020 to unite the Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, and Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

extreme conditions in the cold of January and heat of August, Michigan presents itself as one of the best places for such training to occur. It also allows opportunities for innovators to test their latest technologies.

As the military and private industry come together for exercises like these, they’re not only bolstering the strength of the DoD, but also the productivity of Michigan’s economy. As reported by the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Northern Strike generates approximately $30 million in military pay, travel, and local spending each year.

Beyond its natural landscape and resources, Camp Grayling offers an urban environment that simulates small towns in Michigan. Details such as roundabouts have proven to be big factors when testing ground mobility vehicles. “(Grayling has) roundabouts and paved streets and underground tunneling with sewer systems and multifloor complex buildings. All of those things provide an environment that’s extremely useful when we talk about mobility or ground mobility,” says Col. Scott Meyers, the commander at Camp Grayling. “We’ve had a couple (industry) partners reach out who want to test some of their ground mobility vehicles and (find out) how they work in a roundabout, unmanned.”

As a result, businesses from around the state, and even around the nation, have been able to take advantage of the resources at what Meyers calls a “disgustingly

inexpensive” rate, noting that one industry partner was able to use 3,000 acres for just $150 per day.

Meyers says that in the past, the National Guard didn’t necessarily advertise the opportunities available at Camp Grayling, but as more and more businesses have come to the site for testing and demonstrating their products, word has gotten out.

“Ever since we unveiled NADWC, my phone has been ringing off the hook with private industry trying to get into this space. And the advantage is that we have a lot of availability and a lot of land for folks to come out here and play,” Meyers says. “The interest I have as the commander here at Grayling is to try to create an environment where you always have the latest technologies around those war-fighting functions when they’re ready.”

There’s still plenty of room for more interest, as Rogers says they’re nowhere near the point of having to turn people away because of how much land there is to support demand. The facility and its environs attract companies like EOTECH in Ypsilanti, an award-winning optics company recognized by the National Rifle Association, and AM General, an automotive company that produces specialized vehicles for military and commercial use — most notably the Humvee. After using the facilities at Camp Grayling for its product testing and development, EOTECH decided to open a manufacturing facility in Traverse City. AM General, meanwhile, has found great value in the real-time feedback it receives from the military at Camp Grayling.

“One of the things we’re looking at is how we can better improve the effectiveness of soldiers and provide better survivability. We currently tow artillery systems behind our vehicles, and the way they’re currently in place hasn’t really changed since World War I and World War II,” says Michael Evans, director of soft recoil technology and mobile fires MAY - JUNE 2022 || DBUSINESS.COM 41

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CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF his own drone company. But with a desire to do more than create the latest technology, he decided to pursue a more humanitarian mission, meeting the needs of people around the globe.

And so, while still in high school, Taylor studied aerospace engineering and built a new company, Orb Aerospace, just two years later.

“Our products (are called) ‘Orbs’ because they’re not eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, or aircraft), according to the traditional paradigm of eVTOLs,” Taylor says.

“They’re not necessarily airplanes. They’re the next iteration — the next step or quantum leap — that was supposed to happen probably 20 years ago and didn’t, because of the national defense industry — large bureaucracies not doing what they should with the technology that they have.”

Over the past five years, Taylor has challenged the slow-moving system with a strong sense of urgency, which he says stems from his background working on multiple missions overseas. After his experiences with the wreckage and poverty many people are living in around the world, he’s not wasting any time.

“It’s both the greatest opportunity in my life and the greatest burden in my life to know exactly what I was supposed to do with (my skill set) from a very young age, and that was to solve some of the hardest problems in the world with aviation,” Taylor said recently, in an episode of the “Asleep in the Storm” podcast.

With this purpose in mind, he has engineered the technology necessary for delivering aid, conducting rescues, and even offering personal transportation to places that don’t have the infrastructure required for traditional land and air vehicles.

“At Orb Aerospace, we started developing aerial solutions for developing nations,” Taylor says. “(Our mission became), ‘How can we get into some of the most hard-to-reach places in Papa New Guinea and Polynesia?’”

His company, based in Lowell, east of Grand Rapids, quickly proved its concept, found venture capital funding, and became “in demand” by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Taylor’s growing team of engineers has completed several rounds of venture capital funding to design its first prototypes, including the first full-scale model of the “Nomad.”

Taylor calls it “the proverbial crossover,” as it’s not quite a plane or a drone, or even a flying car, but more of a combination of an airplane and a helicopter. It will fly up to 1,000 nautical miles at 185 miles per hour, carry up to 500 pounds of payload, and provide an uncommon solution to an all-toocommon problem.

“Nomad is a design we think will serve a lot of missions extremely well. We’re excited to bring the platform to where the needs are most, letting need drive adoption in developing nations,” Taylor says. “Our initial deployments will be to beta programs in partner nations, and we’re considering sales of experimental kit-built options locally in the U.S. as an efficient way of getting Nomad in the hands of a few American pilots for everyday use.”

— By Calli Newberry

Instead of pursuing ideas that have capabilities at AM General. “We’re already been tested and found unworfighting new and improved enemies FIRING LINE thy of further pursuit, or instead of with much better capabilities, so what Charlie Battery, 120th Field Artillery Regiment, 32nd waiting months for research to be finalwe were looking at was developing Infantry Brigade Combat Team, ized or to find the perfect contact, the howitzers that could drive into posiWisconsin National Guard, conducted a fires mission at trailblazers at Camp Grayling and tion, shoot, and drive out, and convert across NADWC often share informatheir existing towed cannons into a Camp Grayling in January. The event took place during tion and experiences, collectively expemobile wheel platform.”

Northern Strike 22-1, a National diting their successes.

Over the last two years AM General Guard Bureau exercise with “Having a group of people who are provided soldiers at Camp Grayling an participants from several U.S. states and partner forces. running into the same struggles is always opportunity to test the new soft recoil beneficial, and we can, I hate to say, use technology, and from those exercises each other, but sometimes that’s what it comes down to. the company obtained a contract with the U.S. Army We can all benefit from each other,” says Aaron Schradin, to buy two prototypes for further testing.

“We can fail and not have to worry about having the co-founder and interim CEO at Virtual Sandtable in whole world come down on us, as if we were in a formal West Olive, south of Grand Haven. “The saying is the tide test,” Evans says. “I think it’s really important to get the raises all ships, so when we’re able to get ahold of (Meyers) or someone else and have a question answered, it’s engineers out there in the real environment, not just a test track, and actually take (the equipment) out and not on (Meyers’) shoulders, necessarily, to go and convey that information to everyone else. That’s something that put it through the rigor of going over various types of sometimes we can do ourselves.” terrain and various weather conditions.”

Virtual Sandtable is a virtual reality technology Orb Aerospace, an electric aviation company based in Lowell, east of Grand Rapids, is another company that creates both the hardware and the software for soldiers and civilians alike to use when planexample of the impact of the testing grounds and ning missions or events. The technology allows users facilities at Camp Grayling. Since 2017, Orb Aeroto fully rehearse a situation through an immersive space founder Alex Taylor has received several contracts with venture capitalists, a Thiel Fellowship, and experience before anything ever takes place — a large most recently, a Phase II contract from the U.S. Air improvement from the dirt and sticks that Schradin says his friends were originally using for mission planForce, which he says has helped his company scale by ning in the special forces.

1,200 percent in the past four months.

“We had friends in the special forces that, believe it “We just got our Phase II Air Force contracts, in large part due to the support of (Camp) Grayling and or not, when they planned missions, they were using the Michigan National Guard, by making sure the Air dirt, sticks, rocks, and little army figurines. They reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, is there maybe a betForce knew it was able to provide Orb the opportunity ter way that we could go about planning our missions to demonstrate at a military exercise at the end of this so that we could have a more realistic idea of what contact,” Taylor says. we’re up against?’ ” Schradin recalls. “I went away with “There’s no other test range that has four seasons, there’s no other test range that has the spectrum a question and came back in a couple of months with a prototype, and that was the first Virtual Sandtable. availability, there’s not another test range that has This was six or so years ago.” even just the personal relationships. So when it Now, Virtual Sandtable is being used across all comes to being the first electric aircraft company to take four special ops guys and drop them on the roof industries, from military missions in the Middle East of a mock school or a mock bank, we can only do that to private organizations planning events. It’s even used in schools, to prepare for active shooters. Soon, because we’re in Michigan.”

Personal relationships are something Taylor has groups looking to test and train at Camp Grayling will be able to prepare in advance, as the company is in the found to be pivotal for the growth of his company. As process of creating what Schradin calls a “digital twin” Orb Aerospace and other pioneers within this commuof the facilities and environment at Camp Grayling, nity of innovators test their wares while military leadallowing people to come in even more prepared. ers work on their own projects, Taylor says they’re able This fast-moving innovation and tight-knit to share common goals, values, and even frustrations.

U.S. ARMY NATIONAL GUARD | CAPT. JOE LEGROS

WHEN ALEX TAYLOR WAS 14 YEARS OLD, HE STARTED

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Perspectives

collaboration between military and industry partners is all part of Rogers’ vision for NADWC and the unique role he expects it to play within the DoD. There’s a sense of urgency here, something Taylor says used to exist in Michigan, and he’s determined to bring it back — and it’s becoming possible because of NADWC. “Michigan used to be known for mobility. In fact, the very first regularly scheduled commercial flight was from Grand Rapids to Dearborn,” he says. “So, long ago we were the first, and we’ve kind of lost that through the Great Recession and automotive companies becoming complacent and Tesla taking that crown from them. We sort of lost that ‘What is more bold? What is really the next 10 years versus the next two years or three years?’ ” Helping that transition is Steve Jacobs, CEO of Velocity Management Solutions, a defense contractor in Ann Arbor. The enterprise helps other private companies coordinate with Meyers and the rest of the team at Camp Grayling by offering logistic services like warehousing and ranges, while also providing the technology necessary for data capture and analysis.

“There’s a technology platform that we can offer to help capture that data (and) computer systems, so folks can have those engineers iterate those development cycles faster because they can be right there,” Jacobs says. “They can see the results of the test, and then they can make the change and test again immediately.”

Jacobs calls his company “the easy button” for helping companies use the capabilities at Camp Grayling and make the most of their time there, which is just another examPREPARE TO LAND ple of how NADWC is An A-10 Thunderbolt II from set apart in terms of the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison speed and collaboraTownship prepares to land on tion among private a public highway in Alpena last industry and the DoD. August. The landing was part “(This) is the very of Exercise Northern Strike 21-2, an annual multinational, early stages of what large-scale military training (Rogers) would like to event that tests the rapid see happen as part of his insertion of an Air strategic vision ... to creExpeditionary Wing into a bare-base environment. ate within the NADWC

framework a sustainable, long-lasting innovation ecosystem,” Jacobs says. “(It’s) all of us working independently on our own programs and our own systems, but also working very closely together, looking for opportunities to create (a) force multiplier effect on our innovation. At the end of the day, it’s part of the reason Camp Grayling is going to become a very important place, because it gives the opportunity for that innovation to get into the hands of the warfighter quicker, and we can make that happen quicker.”

And that’s exactly what’s happening. For example, Orbital Effects, a radar satellite imagery company in Ann Arbor, has developed new technology that provides satellite imagery directly to people in less than seven minutes from the time of their request.

“We’re talking a lower-level solider on the ground getting satellite imagery upon request. That’s just unheard of,” Meyers says. “We’re really opening that aperture and getting some unique technologies.”

Just because these technologies are available, it doesn’t guarantee that they’ll be used immediately by the United States military, although they could be used in the private sector. That’s where NADWC comes in. It offers unparalleled assistance by not only fostering the environment and community to allow such innovation to occur and provide the resources necessary to do so, but also by offering a third and crucial component: direct military access.

“Camp Grayling is a land of opportunity, a great framework proving ground to hang many successes on,” Schradin says. “The current leadership of Rogers and Meyers understands that, and they’re fighting the good fight to create those opportunities and are jointly risking, along with industry, to start something that could be big and self-perpetuating.”

Many military groups and companies share this mission: creating many opportunities and solutions, all in one state. And that’s what NADWC is fighting to promote. “The National Guard is a community-based organization, so if our communities are successful, then the National Guard in Michigan is successful.

And those communities are never successful unless business is successful,” Rogers says. “It’s a tie that binds us all together.”

RAPID FIRE WHAT STARTED OUT AS A HORSE-DRAWN WAGON

manufacturing company in the mid-19th century has become a 21st century leader in military vehicle innovation and technology.

The company, AM General, has experienced several acquisitions and breakthroughs, but there’s no denying it has come a long way in the last century and a half. To date, it has built 1.5 million vehicles, of which more than 300,000 have been Humvees, a staple in military transportation — and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Based in South Bend, Ind., AM General operates its technical engineering center in Auburn Hills, where engineering, product planning, and prototyping take place. In recent years, the company has been tapping numerous testing facilities owned by the Michigan National Guard.

“We have quite a large presence in Michigan with our technical engineering center,” says Michael Evans, director of soft recoil technology and mobile fire capabilities at AM General, formerly the general products division of Jeep when it was owned by American Motors Corp. “Michigan is the center of automotive technology, so we’re hiring a number of people from the area. We’re certainly looking for more engineers, as well.”

Professionals considering working for AM General would be joining a team that’s pioneering new technology, as Evans says the company has also been working on semiautonomous operations and new cameras. Most recently, its engineers have been working on artillery system technology — something that hasn’t changed in nearly 100 years.

In an effort to keep the U.S. military at the forefront of technology, Evans says AM General is working hard to keep up with “new and improved enemies,” and increasing the speed and efficiencies of towed howitzers is one key in the race to develop more nimble, yet powerful, weapon systems.

“Current towed howitzers are trailer-mounted and are emplaced manually. It takes a lot of labor for the soldiers to move the cannon into place and fire,” Evans says. “It also takes precious time emplacing.”

He referenced the most recent conflict in Ukraine, where artillery fire is abundant and rapid, and time is of the essence. “When you fire, you can expect enemy radars to pinpoint you and return fire quickly,” he notes.

As a solution, AM General’s Soft Recoil Technology Systems have removed up to 70 percent of the force produced when a shell is fired, allowing soldiers to mount and fire cannons directly from the platform — removing the need for a trailer and making the entire process quicker.

“Soldiers are able to emplace in under 90 seconds, fire, and displace in under 60 seconds,” Evans says.

“This allows them to transition from a move, quickly fire, and displace before the enemy can locate them and return fire. It will revolutionize the way many artillery units operate and increase the tempo of operations to keep up with maneuver forces.”

Prototypes with the new soft recoil technology have now been accepted by the U.S. Army for further testing.

It’s an exciting milestone not only for AM General, but for the lives of the soldiers and the civilians it could potentially save.

— By Calli Newberry

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Leading tomorrow today.

Congratulations to General Motors’ very own marketers, Tarshena Armstrong, Ajay Kapoor and all the 30 in Their Thirties honorees shaping the future today.

everybody in. gm.com ©2022 General Motors. All Rights Reserved.

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Feature

30 in Their

Thirties The 2022 class of 30 in Their Thirties oversees operations on multiple fronts, from building residential, commerical, and industrial developments to running major medical facilities to selling luxury cars. Join DBusiness magazine in honoring this year's class at a special breakfast at the Daxton Hotel in downtown Birmingham on June 8 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. The keynote speaker will be past 30s honoree Linzie Venegas, vice president of Ideal Group in Detroit.

For tickets, email Drake Lambright at dlambright@hour-media.com.

Profiles by: Jake Bekemeyer, Dan Calabrese, Bill Dow, Tim Keenan, and R.J. King Photography by Matt LaVere

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Tarshena Armstrong, 35 Director of Diversity Marketing and Development, General Motors Co., Detroit Employees: 157,000 Revenue: $127B College: Wayne State University

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er parents met at Fisher Body and later worked at the Buick City factory in Flint, so Tarshena Armstrong has been part of the General Motors family her entire life. “My mom would take my sisters and me to ‘bring your daughter to work day,’ and I always wanted to work for GM,” says Armstrong, who started at the company 14 years ago as an internship student with the ACDelco marketing team.

Grateful that GM provided her with “stretch assignments” throughout her career, Armstrong recently completed her first year as director of diversity marketing and development, a newly created executive position.

“I like to say that I earn cultural capital for GM,” says Armstrong, who has spearheaded numerous multicultural initiatives to ensure that diversity is “woven into brand strategies for everything from media to analytics.”

In addition to building a new, modern marketing curriculum for 250 marketing employees in the U.S., and increasing the company’s competitive advantage, she was instrumental in the planning and execution of GM’s first Diverse Media Summit, which included more than 200 virtual attendees and led to the automaker securing greater relationships with Black and diverse-owned media.

“The minority today is the future majority of tomorrow, so the goal is to gain even greater cultural awareness and trust with these unique audiences,” Armstrong says. “I’m excited for the future of the electric auto industry, and also the huge shift to our multicultural audiences as we bring more customers to the GM family. Our talent will also be more reflective of the consumers we serve.”

Prior to stepping into her new position, for one year Armstrong was the business planning manager for Mary Barra, CEO and chair of GM. “It was the best experience I could ever have hoped for because it gave me a 360-degree view of our organization. Mary is such a dynamic leader, and I learned from her to move quickly, test boundaries, and to not just look at things as they are but as they could be in our glide path to the future,” says Armstrong, who, as a Black female executive in a male-dominated industry, found it challenging at times as she rose up the corporate ladder.

“It took a while to feel comfortable in bringing my authentic self to work and to stop comparing myself to others, because even though I didn’t have the upbringing of some of my peers, I’ve brought a valuable diversity perspective,” she says. — Bill Dow

Gabriel Bedoya, 37 Partner, Honigman, Detroit Employees: 500+ Revenue: NA College: New York University School of Law

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n 2016, after working at large New York law firms for several years, Gabriel Bedoya, a first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Paraguay in 1980, decided to move his young family to Michigan, where his wife had grown up.

Looking to continue his law career, Bedoya applied at Honigman, long known for its commitment to the Detroit community. “When you practice law at a big firm in New York, it’s hard to claim ownership of your career,” he says. “Honigman is incredibly entrepreneurial, and you can position yourself well through hard work and networking to develop the kind of practice you want.”

A litigation partner and a board member, Bedoya built a practice that centers on complex commercial litigation matters. He also serves as co-leader of Honigman’s Emerging Companies Group, which he helped form with fellow partner Alex Bowman in 2020.

“In my career, I’ve come across a handful of entrepreneurs in need of legal services who couldn’t afford an attorney,” Bedoya notes. “Our mission is to provide entrepreneurs with uniquely tailored, cost-effective, and high-quality legal services. It helps our community grow new businesses and provides our younger

attorneys with the opportunity to develop their own clients.”

Along with Chauncey C. Mayfield II, Bedoya serves as assistant recruiting partner for associates and summer associates. “Having two minority attorneys in these positions proves that Honigman remains committed to diversity and hiring attorneys who look like America,” says Bedoya, who speaks Spanish and French and is global chair of the litigation group for Interlaw, a law firm network of more than 7,500 lawyers worldwide.

“Our attorneys come from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, ultimately ensuring that Honigman provides the best legal services to a diverse clientele.”

While he enjoys mentoring new attorneys, Bedoya says he appreciates the constructive nature of corporate law. “I listen to my clients to determine how best to help them. Resolving their issues through litigation isn’t always the most effective solution. Although disputes may end up in court, I also enjoy the fight.”

Unlike his experience in New York, Detroit has been a breath of fresh air. “Honigman’s leaders believe that we work to live, not live to work, and that, while we all work hard, there’s a whole lot more to life than billable hours.” — Bill Dow

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David Berman, 34 Managing Partner, Lorient Capital, Birmingham Employees: 24 Assets Under Management: $900M College: University of Maryland

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GABBY BARBOSA

don’t think I’ll ever retire,” says David Berman, managing partner at Lorient Capital in Birmingham. “I love what I do.”

What he does is oversee his firm’s continued growth by leading its investment activities, portfolio company initiatives, investor relations, and talent development, as well as all administrative, operational, and financial matters.

“I love partnering with these businesses,” says Berman, the father of near-year-old identical twin boys. “For me, it’s about growing and scaling what we’ve done so far, and doing the same thing with my business that I’ve helped other entrepreneurs do with their businesses.”

Berman’s journey began in the greater Boston area, where his parents were involved in public health. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2009 and spent five years in investment banking on Wall Street for J.P. Morgan and the boutique firm Zeigler and Zeigler.

He moved to Michigan in 2013 to take a position with U.S. Medical Management, where he was involved in developing what he calls one of the most successful accountable care organizations in the country after helping sell USMM to Centene.

He established Lorient Capital in 2015 and has since made 13 platform investments and opened a second office in Miami.

Lorient focuses on investing in health care companies that offer better patient outcomes. It provides capital and expertise to founder-owned, mission-driven companies that are ready to grow to the next level. Lorient brings firsthand, real-world health care experience and creativity to the day-today challenges of scaling its clients’ businesses.

“We look for high-growth businesses that have found a product-market fit, provide a great service for their customers, and retain their employees but have struggled with that growth,” Berman explains.

“They might have outgrown the people they started the business with, don’t have the right infrastructure in place, or they’re managing the business by gut instinct rather than through data.

“We empower those entrepreneurs by installing the systems, tools, processes, and the right people around them to be able to continue that growth.”

He credits his success with being given opportunities early in his career “to take a lot of ownership of decisions and make a lot of mistakes. That really provided the foundation for me to learn a lot and apply that moving forward.” — Tim Keenan

Joe Cauley, 34 Co-owner, Sales and Marketing Manager, Cauley Ferrari, West Bloomfield Employees: 31 Revenue: $49M College: Northwood University

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any young college graduates who are offered a position with their family’s business prefer to explore other pastures, at least for a while. When Joe Cauley graduated from Northwood University in Midland with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, focused on automotive management and marketing, he had many options from which to choose — but he saw no reason to deny himself his passion for cars, and a career with the Cauley family of West Bloomfield-based dealerships. The most recognizable one at the time was Cauley Chevrolet, where Joe Cauley soon took over as used car manager.

There was one problem, though. When Cauley entered the business in 2009, General Motors was going through bankruptcy and cutting dealerships. “Literally, the day I started after college was the day we got the FedEx from General Motors saying we were winding down,” Cauley recalls. “It was completely out of left field. We were always among the top of the rankings, especially in Corvette sales.”

There was no sense lamenting what happened. As the family wound down its Chevrolet dealership operations, Cauley moved over to the very-much-alive Cauley Ferrari dealership — and it was there that he found his place as sales and

marketing manager.

“Looking back on it, I’m happier with where (I am),” Cauley says. “The Ferrari brand is much more of a relationship business. It’s one-on-one. We’re selling dreams, not a monthly payment.”

As a result, Cauley has learned to foster relationships, sometimes over the long term, that he hopes will eventually result in lucrative sales. That might involve inviting people to special dinners and giving them the chance to drive a car.

“We have some people who will own a car for five or 10 years, but more than half of them are every three years,” Cauley says, “and we have a handful of clients who are getting something new every 12 to 18 months. The day they’re taking delivery on one, they’re sitting down and designing an order for the next car.”

Under Cauley’s growing leadership role, Cauley Ferrari, which he co-owns with his father, Jeff, has begun hitting record numbers on both the new and pre-owned sides of the business. It recently received Ferrari’s Cavallino Award, which is given to its top dealers. As 40 percent owner of the dealership, Cauley is on a track to become its primary owner over time. In the meantime, he just keeps selling those dreams. — Dan Calabrese

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Dave Clifford, 39 Vice President, Machine Learning, Cavnue, Arlington, Va. and Dearborn Employees: 50 Revenue: NA College: George Washington University

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t’s not often people get to live their childhood dreams. Dave Clifford, vice president of machine learning at advanced roadway technology developer Cavnue — which is working with Ford Motor Co. at Michigan Central in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood on connected road systems of the future — is one who does.

Clifford was an aficionado of science fiction while growing up in a small town in Connecticut, a passion that carried over to his early career when he worked on robotic prosthetics for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the Defense Research Projects Agency (DARPA) after graduating from the University of Maryland.

“As a sci-fi lover growing up, working at DARPA was the equivalent of being handed the keys to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory,” Clifford says. “At DARPA I had the good fortune to be able to give back to returning veterans by working on things like robotic prosthetics. A lot of that work was really rewarding.”

After seven years at DARPA and two years at Patients Like Me, a Washington, D.C.-based

online social network for people with chronic health conditions, Clifford came to Michigan to work on General Motors Co.’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence.

In 2021, he joined Cavnue as head of strategic innovation, and he’s now vice president of machine learning. The company is developing roadway technology that’s expected to unlock the full potential of connected and autonomous vehicles. As the head of strategic innovation, Clifford was responsible for envisioning how the company’s technology would drive innovations in roadway operations.

Now he leads a team of machine learning engineers to create and advance sci-fi-like perception systems and algorithms designed to deliver near-real-time insights to automated driving systems, road operators, and the traveling public.

“Washington, D.C., and Michigan are both places where individuals who want to take on really big challenges can get their hooks into those challenges and make a difference in an organization,” Clifford explains. “One of my skills is figuring out the folks across the

country who have interesting ideas that are relevant to the challenge we have in front of us and enrolling them in the mission. The challenge is transferring advanced technology into normal use.” — Tim Keenan

Chantal Cornfield, 34 Regional Director of Operations American House Senior Living Communities, Southfield Employees: 2,526 Revenue: $159.6M School: University of Detroit Mercy

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hantal Cornfield moved around a lot as a child, from her hometown in Limehouse, Ontario, to South Carolina, and from there to south Florida. As a result, she didn’t get to spend much time with her grandparents, who lived back in her hometown.

Through this experience, she developed a desire to serve the senior community, believing they’re the foundation for future generations.

After a brief stint playing basketball for the University of Tampa, she decided to focus on her pre-med education by transferring to the University of South Florida, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in health science.

After an internship with a home-visit medical company, she found her current position at American House Senior Living Communities in Southfield, which owns and operates dozens of residence facilities in six states, including 30 locations in Michigan.

“Originally I started out in sales and made a name for myself for producing results,” Cornfield says. Through that process, she says she developed an “understanding of what the residents really desired, and investing in what our employees needed.”

She realized she wasn’t satisfied with sales, and recognized that to affect change on the

level she wanted to, it had to be from the operations side of the business. Since being named regional director of operations at American House, Cornfield says she’s found what she’s looking for.

“If we’re truly going to serve the most important people that we’re here to serve, which is our residents first and employees second, I need to understand what their challenges are on a day-to-day basis,” she says. “I make it a priority to be in the communities and really understand what those challenges are, so they trust me and I can provide feedback on what type of process we need to put in place to fix (a problem).”

Cornfield readily admits that the COVID-19 pandemic put an incredible strain on both the residents and her team. With seniors at particular risk of contracting the virus, she and her team had to innovate to provide the two most anticipated and essential services residents needed: food and activities.

“I feel like, for us, it was getting back to the basics,” she says. “We would do the hallway activities; we would take residents one-on-one and just interact with them or do walks around the community. For us, it wasn’t anything over the top.” — Jake Bekemeyer

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Andrew Dunlap, 36 Vice President of Acquisitions and Investments, REDICO, Southfield Employees: 3,000 Revenue: NA College: Bentley University

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ome people just know what they’re going to be when they grow up. One of those people is Andrew Dunlap, vice president of acquisitions and investments at REDICO in Southfield.

While growing up in a suburb of Portland, Maine, Dunlap knew he would be involved in some kind of investing, since many members of his family and their friends were investors. “I just didn’t know what kind,” he recalls.

Then, while in college at Bentley University near Boston, he says, “I started leaning toward real estate and infrastructure finance.”

When a job offer from Wall Street didn’t pan out following his 2007 graduation, REDICO CEO Dale Watchowski invited Dunlap to intern at his commercial real estate agency. Watchowski has since become Dunlap’s mentor.

“I totally fell in love with real estate and have worked my way up ever since,” says Dunlap, who started in operations and leasing, moved to acquisitions and asset management, and in 2015 joined the acquisitions and investments department.

While on the asset management team, he guided a portfolio of assets valued at more than $300 million, and was responsible for leasing oversight, refinancing, recapitalizing, and dispositions.

“I’m super passionate about what I do,” Dunlap says, explaining his rapid career rise. “I surround myself with really good people that I lean on to help me a lot. It takes a lot of people to get deals done. It takes a lot of people to execute deals once you’ve actually bought them.”

As vice president of acquisitions and investments, Dunlap is responsible for sourcing, underwriting, and closing new investments, including acquisitions and developments. He also focuses on sourcing, securing, and managing REDICO’s relationships with institutional capital partners, lenders, operating partners, brokers, and other sources of deal flow.

According to the company, Dunlap has sourced, closed, or has under contract transactions valued at more than $1.5 billion.

He’s also active in industry associations including the Urban Land Institute and the International

Council of Shopping Centers. “I’m a sponge. I love to learn. I love to engage with people and collaborate on teams to get projects done,” Dunlap says.

“I’ve come a long way, but I feel like I have a lot of room to grow.” — Tim Keenan

Marco Eadie, 39 Managing Director, O’Keefe, Bloomfield Hills Employees: 45 Revenue: NA College: Wayne State University

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rowing up in an entrepreneurial family — his father owned several restaurants in metro Detroit and Florida — Marco Eadie spent his free time during high school washing dishes, bussing tables, and helping out in the kitchen. He switched to valet-parking cars after enrolling at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he earned dual majors in business planning and public affairs.

His first “real job” was serving as a clerk for Hon. Daniel Patrick O’Brien at the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County. “It was the most impactful experience of my life up until that time,” says Eadie, managing director of O’Keefe, a financial advisory, business consulting, and strategic planning firm in Bloomfield Hills.

“I was considering attending law school, and the clerk position was a good way to learn about how businesses worked. I also was an intern for DBusiness magazine, which really brought the business world into focus. After college, I co-founded Maverick Media in Detroit, where we did media planning, creative, and public relations.”

Over a period of three years, Eadie worked with such clients as the Melting Pot Restaurant Group and G-Star Denim. From there, he joined Paint

Creek Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm in Troy. It was the start of a 15-year career focused on transaction advisory services including M&A, divestures, restructurings, and debt and equity capital raises.

Following two years at Paint Creek, Eadie became a principal at CoreCap Investments in Southfield, where he did M&A work for the firm’s private client group. In 2015, he left and co-launched Boulevard & Co., a middle-market boutique investment banking and direct investment firm in Royal Oak. “We had Boulevard & Co. for five years, (and) in 2020 an opportunity came forward to join O’Keefe and develop a corporate finance group,” Eadie says. “We’re doing bankruptcy and investment banking services, and we’ve been busy from day one. The good thing is we have a platform that can be expanded around the country.”

Last year, he was honored with the Emerging Leaders Award from M&A Advisors, a professional industry group. “I’ve been fortunate to work across so many industries, from aerospace and defense to health care and manufacturing, and more,” Eadie says. “The one thing I learned is that if you work hard, good things will happen.” — R.J. King

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Chris Economeas, 37 Director of Community and Social Responsibility Detroit Pistons, Detroit Employees: 132 Revenue: $192M College: Wayne State University

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hris Economeas grew up on Detroit’s east side, near Cadieux Road and East Warren Avenue. He spent time in the city’s parks and other youth activity centers, so the opportunity to identify community involvement opportunities for the Detroit Pistons fell to a person very familiar with the community’s character.

But Economeas took a challenging route to get to his current position as the Pistons’ director of community and social responsibility. After finishing school at Wayne State University in Detroit, he took a position with the Eisenhower Center, a rehabilitation facility for victims of brain injuries in Ann Arbor, where he served as a primary care associate.

Some of his duties included assisting in day-to-day care, as well as taking patients on group outings.

He says the job taught him empathy.

“They were regular people, just like us, who had happened to take a bad turn in life that wasn’t necessarily their fault,” Economeas says. “It put them in a position where they needed assistance. At the end of the day, I got to go home, but they were there — in some cases, long-term.”

When Economeas left Eisenhower Center, he says, he bounced between various positions while hoping to find something in sports. That led him to

a moment in which he was able to choose between two new career choices: take a full-time job with Quicken Loans (now Rocket Mortgage) or work as a game-night intern with the Detroit Pistons. The former offered security and stability, but the latter provided an entry into the sports world, which was something Economeas really wanted.

“From day one, I understood (the internship) was temporary, so my goal was to meet as many people as I could in the organization,” Economeas says. “(I was hopeful that) they could find a role for me with the Pistons.”

He made a positive impression, and found a mentor in Erika Swilley, vice president of community and social responsibility. “She taught me how to build out programming and make an impact on the community,” Economeas says.

Today, he oversees the Pistons’ participation in the NBA Cares program, seeking out opportunities for the team to make an impact in the community. It's a chance for Economeas to take his relationship with Detroit full circle. “Being able to go back into the city’s parks, YMCAs, and Lions Clubs, and make an impact and create change in a positive way, is what I’ve found to be most satisfying,” he says. — Dan Calabrese

Jonathan Eyerman, 37 Manager of Sales, Engineering, and Support, 123Net, Southfield Employees: 200+ Revenue: NA College: Purdue University Global

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he desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives is what has propelled Jonathan Eyerman, manager of sales, engineering, and support at 123Net in Southfield, to help expand what is the largest fiber internet provider in Michigan.

“My passion is to help people,” says Eyerman, a product of Garden City High School and Purdue University Global. “You can have knowledge, you can have skills, but you need passion to drive.

There’s obviously continuing education and things you do to support your career, but you can’t do it without that passion to help others.”

Eyerman took a bit of a nontraditional route to his current position. After graduating from high school he enrolled at Baker College, but a career in IT lured him away from academia to Crystal Clear Solutions (CCS) in Livonia, where he worked on servers, networks, and managed services.

After seven years at CCS, he moved to TDS Telecom, also in Livonia, where he was a sales engineer. He joined 123Net as a sales engineer in 2017, finished his degree with Purdue University Global, and was promoted to manager of sales, engineering, and support last September.

“Every day is different here at 123Net,” Eyerman relays. “I do a little bit of everything. I primarily work in sales, so I might be meeting with clients or working on product and service development and support. It’s all over the place. It’s nice coming to work. You just never know what you’re going to get.”

He attributes his rapid rise to the company’s culture. “When I came to 123Net they kind of let me do what I could do,” he explains. “The company believed in me — and when you’re in that place, it’s really easy to come along quickly because there are no borders on what you can achieve.”

Eyerman displays “decisive leadership and mentorship,” says Danielle Ross, marketing communications manager at 123Net. “He’s able to understand the scope of a situation, decipher what needs to be done, and choose the course of action that’s best for the company, not just individualistic gain.”

While Eyerman says he does plan to retire one day, he also says he “might be one of those people who will always work. I think an executive-level position is something I would really enjoy doing.” — Tim Keenan

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Jonathon Feldotte, 37 Vice President of Work Acquisition, Barton Malow Co., Southfield Employees: 3,000 Revenue: $1.7B College: Michigan State University

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aginaw native Jonathon Feldotte used the first several years of his career, which he spent working in Chicago, to catapult himself to vice president of work acquisition at Barton Malow Co., a large contractor in Southfield.

First as an assistant project manager and field manager at Wolgast Corp., then as a project engineer at Berglund Construction, followed by a similar post at Barton Malow’s Windy City office, Feldotte gathered a lot of experience that paid off later.

“I was exposed to a lot right out of the gate,” Feldotte says. “The time I spent in Chicago had me wearing every single hat. I had to play the role of a superintendent, a project manager, scheduler and estimator, the safety guy, and quality guy day in and day out.”

When he returned to Michigan in 2012, he was assigned a completely different role on a large DTE Energy project that added to his experience profile.

“I was looking at things like production, forecasting, profit and loss, (and) dealing with the client on higher-level estimating for the future of the program,” Feldotte says. “That experience started to

open my eyes to the broader scheme of what we’re doing.”

His next challenge, spending two years working on a job in west Michigan that was fraught with problems, led to his current role.

“A lot of our breakdowns on that job happened before we ever stuck a shovel in the ground,” Feldotte explains. “It happened during the pre-construction time frame, where we left a lot to be desired on how to plan a job and price a job. When I came out of that, I was asked to take a role that didn’t exist at the time, a heavy planning role, building processes to do things like manage the design of a project.”

In the last three years, he’s developed new companywide processes that have created jobs, lowered operating costs, and achieved project timeline certainty. The innovations have helped increase customer satisfaction and win new work.

In addition to his impact on the business, Feldotte says employee development and community engagement are other personal achievements. “I’ve had incredible mentors at Barton Malow. I would like to think it’s been a win-win relationship.” — Tim Keenan

Eddie Hall III, 34 Partner, General Manager, CFO, Hall Automotive Group, Royal Oak Employees: 342 Revenue: $380M College: University of Michigan

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ver since Eddie Hall III was in elementary school and began doing odd jobs on Saturdays at his father’s Briarwood Ford dealership in Ann Arbor, it was assumed that he was destined to continue the family legacy.

Prior to his graduation from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Hall had worked as a receptionist and a cashier, and ran the internet department for his father, Eddie Hall Jr., who at 17 had been a porter at a used car dealership he eventually purchased.

“At business school there was an allure to Wall Street, and I had great job offers, but I had seen my father build his business and I knew in my heart that I wanted to be a part of it and continue his legacy,” Hall says.

Today, Hall has taken on multiple responsibilities as a partner, general manager, and CFO of Hall Automotive Group, which is comprised of Briarwood Ford, Royal Oak Ford, Northland Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (the only Black-owned Chrysler dealership in metro Detroit), and the recently acquired Feldman Ford, the lone minority-owned Ford dealership in Detroit.

In addition, Hall has been an important advocate in the auto industry for expanding minority

dealership representation. He has served on Ford and Chrysler dealership committees, and as vice president of the NextGen board for the National Association of Minority Auto Dealers. “The biggest obstacle has been access to capital,” Hall says of the challenges facing prospective minority dealership owners. “The OEMs recognize it’s an issue, so I’m working to come up with creative ways to get more minorities in the dealer network.”

While overseeing the day-to-day operations of the dealerships, Hall directs strategy and planning, works directly with manufacturers, and pursues expansion opportunities. “I’m very excited about helping the transition to electric vehicles and the digital age,” he says. “Our industry has been one of the slowest to adapt to online sales.”

Hall says the biggest challenge of late has been dealing with global supply shortages, an inventory crisis that has driven up prices, and a switch to a new OEM ordering model. “Consumers are often waiting three to four months to pick up their vehicle, instead of leaving the same day with one.

There are pluses to this new model, but it’s been a tough switch for many. There’s a happy medium that we have to get to.” — Bill Dow

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Jesse Henry, 30 Co-founder and CEO, Heartland, Ann Arbor Employees: 7 2021 Revenue: NA College: Florida State University

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esse Henry’s life journey to Ann Arbor — where he’s co-founder of advanced biomaterials developer Heartland — began with his birth in Boston; a move to Florida, where he was raised; and then a journey to the West Coast, where his career began in earnest.

Trying to make his way in the Midwest manufacturing industry was the furthest thing from his mind as a youngster playing hockey and volleyball, and running track and cross country at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Entrepreneurship, however, was always on his radar. He studied business along with sales at Florida State University, and started an entrepreneur organization and an entrepreneurial bureau of student government at the school.

While in Tallahassee, Henry interned at an insurance company, and launched a koozie company and a video production company. After college, he gave a TED talk that led to speaking with Tony Robbins, a life and business strategist, at corporate training events.

Fighting boredom, he wrote a book about young people in the workplace called “Millennial Merger.” From there, he went to work for

Intersection Capital, an investment bank in San Diego. Boredom ensued once again, and he moved to Phoenix, where he met his business partner, Tim Almond.

Together, the pair started focusing on making military technology useful for commercial markets. One example was an explosives sensor that they tweaked to detect impurities in agricultural products.

That led Henry to Ann Arbor — where, long story short, he and Almond founded Heartland and began selling hemp-based bioplastics. “We were advised to find a way to align with the preexisting supply chain,” Henry recalls, so Heartland decided to sell hemp oil as an additive to plastics to make them stronger, lighter, cheaper, and more sustainable.

“That inflection point is what allowed us to really start penetrating these Fortune 500 manufacturing supply chains,” he says. “I think what Heartland can become over the next three decades could really make a massive impact on the world and take our planet into the sustainable future that it needs and deserves.”

— Tim Keenan

Michelle Ilitch, 38 Vice President of Network Solutions and Value-based Programs Priority Health, Southfield Employees: 2,016 Revenue: $5.7B College: University of Washington

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ne might expect to find someone with the last name of Ilitch working in the family pizza business, but Michelle Ilitch has chosen to make her way in the health care industry.

Ilitch is the great-niece of legendary Little Caesar’s pizza magnate and Detroit Tigers and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch. Her father, Matt, was president of Blue Line Distribution, an Ilitch Holdings company.

“I was so fortunate, while growing up in a business family, to have been in the room well before I was old enough to contribute,” says Ilitch, who got an early taste of the health care industry while attending Mercy High School in Farmington Hills and working for the EHIM pharmacy benefits management company in Southfield.

After graduating from Albion College, she went back to EHIM to start her career — filing, working in the call center, and setting up new groups for pharmacy benefits. “I literally grew up there,” Ilitch says.

She earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of Washington in Seattle, after which she joined the value partnership division at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. She left Blue Cross in 2013 in favor of a position at Trinity

Health in Livonia. After seven years with Trinity, Ilitch landed at Priority Health.

“I was attracted to Priority Health because I thought it would be the best environment to accomplish my curiosity in complex problem-solving,” says Ilitch, who oversees contracting statewide for Priority Health.

“The smartest person in the room is the room,” she says, explaining her problem-solving philosophy. “What I do at Priority Health is create rooms for people to discuss problems and solve them; (I bring) physicians, hospitals, ancillary providers, plans, and delivery systems together.”

In her position, she secures and maintains provider contracts, leads value-based programming, and streamlines communication between providers and Priority Health.

She’s credited with guiding the provider contracting and data strategy for the integration with Total Health Care and setting up the company’s first external facing provider network management tool.

“I feel so alive in health care because it’s an industry that needs a lot of continuous innovation and re-engineering, and it’s very complicated to untangle — and I love untangling things.” —Tim Keenan

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Raymond Jonna, 36 Senior Vice President The Jonna Group/Colliers International, Birmingham Employees: 15,000 Revenue: $3.6B College: University of Michigan

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aymond Jonna has wrestled his way to success in the real estate investment arena, literally. A star high school wrestler in the San Diego area, where he grew up, Jonna says ahe took many lessons from the mat to college and on to his career as senior vice president of The Jonna Group of Colliers International in Birmingham.

“I think wrestling was instrumental for me in growing up and maturing,” says Jonna, who gave up the sport when he enrolled in the University of Michigan. Following graduation in 2008, he joined his older brother, Simon, at the Marcus and Millichap real estate investment firm in Southfield. Simon Jonna had already distinguished himself in the real estate business.

“I said to myself, I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, but let me join Simon for a year or two and then make a decision,” Jonna recalls.

“I started doing really well.”

He remained at Marcus and Millichap until 2020, and won the company’s Pacesetter Award in his first year. Then, Colliers International recruited the brothers. “We couldn’t say no to

the sweetheart deal they put together for us,” Jonna says. “We had one of our best years ever last year and have several hundred million (dollars) under contract.”

Jonna credits his brother for helping him get off to a running start in the business. “Simon has been an instrumental mentor for me. He’s a genius in the industry. One of the best in the country. I watched and learned from him in my early years, and molded my own style and approach, and I’ve built long-lasting, fruitful, successful relationships with clients all over the country. That’s the main thing — the relationships.”

As senior vice president and principal partner at The Jonna Group of Colliers International, Jonna has transacted real estate investment sales in 46 states. He and his team handle all investment sales product types, from net-leased to multifamily to industrial and beyond.

The future looks bright for the former high school wrestler. “I want to keep expanding our business here. I want to keep expanding our team. Real estate is an endless world of opportunity.” — Tim Keenan

Ajay Kapoor, 37 Global Director, Performance Driven Marketing General Motors Co., Detroit Employees: 157,000 Revenue: $127B College: University of Michigan

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pon graduating from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Ajay Kapoor applied to medical school and law school.

But deep down inside, the Livonia native realized he was “entrepreneurial by heart.”

After co-founding three startups over a seven-year period, Kapoor led Procter & Gamble’s brand management into the digital age, and later landed top-tier global marketing positions at SharkNinja and Helen of Troy.

“It was very motivating and rewarding to participate in the innovative startup community, but then to be able to transfer that passion to bring modern, best-of-world thinking to large corporations, where you touch billions of people, has been phenomenal,” says Kapoor, who in 2011 co-founded the highly successful nonprofit Grow Detroit, which has spurred startups in the region.

In January 2021, Kapoor was named global director of performance driven marketing at General Motors, where his mandate is to “build the best-of-world modern marketing ecosystem.”

His responsibilities include implementing analytical marketing storytelling, driving analytics for investments, targeting audiences, orchestrating modern marketing technology to drive the best personalized consumer experiences, and creating

robust internal and external marketing data.

At the same time, Kapoor and his team are far more conscientious about customer privacy and content space as a way to further trust and create marketing content for GM’s recently launched digital business team. Kapoor is especially focused on the changes in customer expectations regarding how they receive communications.

“We moved from linear TV and being forced to watched ads to Netflix and how brands show up,” Kapoor says. “GM already created a good foundation in that arena, but as the world has grown, we’re looking deeper into seeing that our marketing has communicated well with our customers and that we’re speaking to them where they prefer — whether it’s TV, TikTok, or somewhere else.

“We’re trying to take it to the next level by leveraging all of the technologies that are out there. In the end, it’s about driving sales.”

Working at GM is a dream come true for Kapoor. “I’m a kid from Detroit. To be here as a leader at GM, at the precipice of our industry going through a very sizable change over the next few years, is amazing. I feel lucky, privileged, and proud to be back in Detroit, and I’m excited for the impact GM is bringing to our region and community through our strategy and work.” — Bill Dow

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Blake Kolo, 38 Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer, Head of Investor Relations United Wholesale Mortgage, Pontiac Employees: 8,500+ Revenue: $2.97B College: Michigan State University

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lake Kolo has made it a point, since his first internship at the business advisory firm of Ernst & Young in Detroit, to keep in touch with everyone he’s worked with, because he believes in the importance of building a strong network.

After earning two degrees — a bachelor’s in finance and a master’s in accounting — from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Kolo started his career at Ernst & Young, where he had interned the previous two summers. He eventually joined United Wholesale Mortgage in Pontiac, after having spent a period of time with other consulting firms.

“It’s very rare to get an opportunity like this,” he says. “Working for a CEO who’s as entrepreneurial and as much of a vibrant leader as Mat Ishbia — the energy that he brings, the passion he brings, is contagious. And I’d like to think I’m the same way in terms of that spreading to me, and me spreading it to everyone I come into contact with.”

Kolo was part of a small group that led the company’s public stock offering in January of 2021.

Today, he leads United Wholesale Mortgage’s investor relations team, handling everything from filing the proper forms to communicating with current and potential investors.

Despite holding four certifications — as a public accountant, a valuation analyst, a fraud examiner, and in financial forensics — his accreditations don’t come into play much these days, but he knows they got him to where he is. “It helps to open up doors. Everything that you work toward builds to the next thing,” he says.

He faced a unique challenge during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the numbers of people working from home rose and UWM saw its biggest year of growth ever, hiring more than 4,000 people. Throughout that time period, a major challenge was making up for the company’s lively office environment.

“Trying to figure out how we (could) make it so people understood what we really have here while working remotely (was a challenge),” he says. “We have a unique environment. When we’re together as a team, we’re truly better.” — Jake Bekemeyer

Jonathan LoPatin, 34 Vice President, LoPatin and Co., Farmington Hills Employees: 2 Revenue: NA College: Michigan State University

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lthough his grandfather and father worked in the development business starting in 1950, Jonathan LoPatin always had his eye on the construction industry. At a young age, production jobs didn’t faze him, and he made pizzas for Little Caesars and set bricks as a mason, building an AutoZone store in Chesterfield Township.

After earning a graduate degree in construction management from Michigan State University in East Lansing and working as an intern for Taubman Centers Inc. in Bloomfield Hills — at the time, the nation’s largest developer of luxury shopping malls — LoPatin was tempted to join the family business, LoPatin & Co. in Farmington Hills, but opted to join a construction firm in California.

“The people from Taubman would call from time to time while I was in California, and they asked if I would like to work with them in Florida, but I wasn’t interested,” LoPatin says. “But one day they called and said they had a project in Hawaii, and I said, ‘Where do I sign up?’ ” In 2013, LoPatin was off to Honolulu, where over the next three years he helped oversee the construction of the International Market Place mall. It was unlike any building project he had ever seen. For starters, by law, excavation couldn’t commence without the presence of an archeologist.

“Along with the archeologist were native representatives, and we wound up uncovering 22 burial sites,” LoPatin says. “Each one had to be addressed

differently and be approved by the Oahu Burial Council. They could shut the project down if things weren’t done properly, so everyone was very mindful of what we were doing.”

From there, LoPatin moved to Nashville, where he helped renovate and expand another Taubman center, The Mall at Green Hills, before being transferred to the developer’s headquarters. “I was with Taubman for almost seven years, and when COVID-19 hit I decided it was time to join my dad,” LoPatin says.

Today, LoPatin and his father, Mark, are working with St. Louis-based NorthPoint Development to build industrial projects throughout metro Detroit, including demolishing the former Cadillac Stamping Plant south of Detroit City Airport and replacing it with a 684,000-square-foot building, two-thirds of which has been leased to Lear Corp. in Southfield.

Other projects with NorthPoint include replacing Eastland Mall in Harper Woods and the former AMC headquarters in Detroit with industrial developments, along with building the Romulus Commerce Park in Romulus.

“I thought it would be great to work alongside my dad one day, and now that I am, it’s been an incredible experience; he has so much knowledge,” LoPatin says. “I also think back to my days as a laborer, and it really makes me appreciate what I have today.” — R.J. King

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Bailey Zurawski Mattacola, 32 Vice President of Operations, Shinola, Detroit Employees: 438 Revenue: NA College: University of Michigan

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hinola is a brand that has become tied to Detroit, a city known for its manufacturing capability. So it’s fitting that its vice president of operations would share that passion for making things. Bailey Zurawski Mattacola grew up in Dearborn and knew from a young age she had a knack for math and science.

That led her to study engineering in college, and to spending time at places like Walt Disney World and GE Healthcare. She was scared to do both — and to accept her current role — but she’s stuck with her gut: “I’ve always wanted to challenge myself to do what felt scariest at that moment in my career,” Mattacola says.

She wears a lot of different hats, overseeing distribution, production, quality, materials, and supply chain — something that has become drastically more challenging over the past two years. Her team, she says, pushes through even the most difficult times.

“It’s about prioritizing what we’re going to tackle as one team,” she says. “There are so many different things we could tackle; if we all went at it

one at a time, we wouldn’t make any progress. We just try to get all our efforts on solving one problem.”

Her core responsibility, she says, is to support some 150 people who work in operations, and that includes walking the production line nearly every day and having one-on-one meetings with her colleagues to get a sense of where the team is at any given moment.

It also includes the larger goal of supporting that team as the company sets its sights on growth. Mattacola says Shinola prides itself on promoting people from within the operation and doing things themselves, which means not leaving anyone behind.

“How can we develop as a team? We have big training going on right now, and we’re always looking at what opportunities we have to send people to other (manufacturing) plants to learn or build capabilities in-house, so we keep growing,” she says. “We want to make sure the team can come with us. And as roles get bigger, we (want to be) ready for them.” — Jake Bekemeyer

Allisyn Mattice-Eskau, 30 Director of Government Relations, McLaren Health Care Corp., Grand Blanc Employees: 21,000 Revenue: $6B College: Michigan State University

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llisyn Mattice-Eskau is likely in the perfect job for someone who’s passionate “about public policy and could read public policy every single day and never get bored.”

She’s director of government relations for Grand Blanc-based McLaren Health Care Corp., and has an office in Lansing with a view of the state capitol dome.

A native of rural Bad Axe, located toward the tip of Michigan’s thumb region, Mattice-Eskau discovered her passion for public policy after earning degrees in economics and psychology from Michigan State University in East Lansing.

At the time, she was also working in the office of a state representative and found she enjoyed diving into policy matters.

Pursuing a law degree from MSU ensued, as did a three-year hitch in the Michigan House Republican Policy Office, where she was a policy adviser and deputy budget director. While working in that office, Mattice-Eskau was exposed to health care policy matters for the first time.

She joined McLaren as manager of corporate government relations days before pandemic shutdowns started in March 2020. Since then, according to colleagues, she has become an

“integral part of the government relations team” and was promoted to director in early 2022.

As a registered lobbyist, Mattice-Eskau analyzes legislation and advocates for McLaren in the halls of Michigan government.

During the 2020 legislative cycle, when very little was able to be accomplished on the policy front due to the pandemic, Mattice-Eskau led an effort to establish legislation on swing beds for Michigan’s rural hospitals. Additionally, she has helped secure millions of dollars in appropriations for McLaren, to aid the system during a difficult time in health care.

“With facilities in places like Bad Axe and Petoskey, and in Macomb and Oakland counties, we have a unique ability to advocate for both the urban and rural communities,” she says.

“My father instilled a hard work ethic into (my siblings and I), and we were raised by a strong woman who provided me with values to allow others to put their trust, respect, and opportunities with me,” she says, explaining her rapid ascent in the business world. “I’ve been surrounded by other females who knocked down some barriers and offered encouragement, and allowed me to explore my passion for policy and be self-motivated.” — Tim Keenan

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Dominic F. Moceri, 30 Executive Project Manager, Moceri Cos., Auburn Hills Employees: 200+ Revenue: NA College: Northwood University

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t 8 years old, Dominic F. Moceri was sweeping up sawdust in the basements of homes under construction by Moceri Cos., a residential development and building company in Auburn Hills started by his grandfather, the late Dominic Moceri, in the 1950s.

Since its inception, the company has built some 60,000 residences, ranging from multifamily properties to single-family subdivisions. The patriarch referred to the developments as communities, where families could age in place and enjoy recreational offerings and nearby shopping and entertainment venues.

“When I was really young, I would walk around with the trim carpenters on the job sites and help them any way I could,” says Moceri, executive project manager of Moceri Cos. “Building those relationships at a young age came full circle because I’m working with some of those same carpenters today.”

After graduating from Northwood University in Midland, Moceri started working for the family firm full time, first on a multifamily project in Orion Township, before building luxury townhomes at Iron Gate of Birmingham. In his 20s, Moceri built some 600 luxury apartments and dozens of luxury homes priced from $1.8 million to more than $5 million.

In 2021, he received the “Young Builder of the Year” award from the Home Builders Association of Michigan, in recognition of his accomplishments in custom home-building and new developments.

“I tend to favor custom home-building because you really develop a nice relationship with the client, and it’s way more involved than luxury multifamily projects,” Moceri says. “Now I’m building new residences for some of those same clients.”

It's a long way from the west side of Detroit, where his great-grandfather, Sebastian “Buster” Moceri, immigrated from Sicily and established a grocery store called Your Market. “We’re a fourth-generation family business, which is fairly rare and something we’re very proud of,” Moceri says.

Currently in the planning stages of $100 million in new developments in communities from Clinton Township to Lake Orion, Moceri has started to work with his uncle, Dominic J. Moceri, on master planning and land acquisition.

“I’m getting more experience now, which will be good for the future,” Moceri says. “My grandfather gave all of us a lot of advice, which we still follow — strive to be better, be modest, keep your head down, and work hard.” — R.J. King

Austin Niemiec, 36 Executive Vice President, Rocket Pro TPO, Detroit Employees: NA Loan Volume: $120B College: Hillsdale College

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he transition from Hillsdale College to Rocket Mortgage couldn’t have been more natural for Austin Niemiec. Upon the 2008 completion of his bachelor's degree in business management and marketing, Niemiec quickly landed a position as a loan officer. It checked all his most important boxes: It was a reputable company in metro Detroit at which he could build a career.

And he took to the work right away.

“I was young — 22 years old — and I was able to help American families buy houses and save a bunch of money on refinancing,” Niemiec recalls.

“I was speaking to American families all day long, helping people, learning a lot about finance and psychology, and how people make decisions.”

That early success got the attention of the company, and after a few years his boss asked him to lead the team that was building the business-to-business wholesale channel that would become Rocket Pro TPO (third-party originator).

According to Niemiec, the new venture has grown into the nation’s second-largest business-to-business wholesale channel, closing nearly $120 billion in volume in 2021. The key to that success, Niemiec says, is understanding the

needs of the brokers who work with Rocket Pro TPO each day.

“Business is pretty easy when you break it down to the basics,” Niemiec says. “Know who you’re serving and go talk to them, and become obsessed with them. Ask them what they love about our product and about working with us.

Ask them what they hate, and what they need more of.”

On the leadership side, Niemiec says the main lesson that’s helped him succeed is realizing that leaders don’t have to have all the answers.

“As a leader, your responsibility is to understand where you’re ultimately trying to go, and to paint a very clear and specific vision,” he says.

“Then you lean on your team members who are in the trenches — either building the product, selling the product, or moving the product through our operations team — and listen to them, and let them figure out how to get there.”

A key philosophy for Niemiec is this: “Numbers and money follow. They don’t lead.” Rather, he encourages his team to put their focus on the things that move money and numbers, including people, culture, innovation, and creativity.

— Dan Calabrese

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Milton Putman, 35 President and CEO, Complete Image Manufacturing, Detroit Employees: 5 Revenue: NA and instructions required for manufacturing fter working in the retail sector for two clothes at volume. years while attending the Academy of The company, which recently signed a partnerMichigan high school in Oak Park, Milship deal to produce fan apparel like shirts and ton Putman began a 10-year career at Chrysler’s hoodies for Detroit City FC, a professional soccer Jefferson North Assembly Plant on Detroit’s east club in Detroit, also performs pattern grading, side. But one day, after working his way up the ladwhere a suit jacket, for example, can properly fit a der to become a team leader and an alternate pattern to a range of sizes. Putman also was union steward, he had a revelation. recently named executive manager of the Detroit “I woke up and realized there was more to life store for Taylor-based Tayion Collections. than getting up every day and working the same “We do everything from design, pattern-makjob,” says Putman, president and CEO of Coming, sew-and-cut manufacturing, product developplete Image Manufacturing in Detroit. “I wanted ment, and retail placement,” says Putman, a to build a legacy for myself, my family, and others, member of the National Entrepreneurs Associaso I quit my job and started Complete Domition and a board member of The Young Entreprenance Athletics. neurs. “Getting your fashion line in stores across “Today, with my different companies, we’re supthe country is no easy task, so in addition to makplying goods to the fashion and sportswear indusing the clothes, we can assist with distribution.” tries, and raising the profile of Detroit and Michigan A certified personal trainer, Putman says he as a hub of the fashion industry. The good thing initially launched Complete Dominance Athletics about Detroit is you have access to so many differto help others better manage their health. “As I was ent manufacturers — but we need to grow the fashtraining people, I wasn’t too happy with the sportsion industry here and create more jobs.” wear collections I was seeing, so I decided to proA native Detroiter, Putman, a graduate and cerduce my own,” he says. “Now I’m building on that tified entrepreneur through the Harvard Business platform with Complete Image Manufacturing.

School, started producing clothes and accessories My dream would be to see Detroit become a fashin April 2021. He and his team create blueprints, or ion mecca.” — R.J. King so-called tech packs, that contain the materials

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Jacob Shapiro, 37 Vice President, Ivanhoe Cos., West Bloomfield Employees: 25 Revenue: NA College: University of Illinois Chicago School of Law

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alancing two businesses is no easy feat.

As vice president of Ivanhoe Cos. in West Bloomfield, Jacob Shapiro — together with his father, Gary — acquires, entitles, and develops single-family and multifamily parcels before selling all or portions of the land to builders.

At the same time, Shapiro is a founding partner of Shapiro Strane, a law firm in Chicago that represents developers and individual real estate transactions. “I worked with my dad as a kid, but as I got older, I wanted to find my own path and do my own thing,” Shapiro says. “That led to Chicago. Before law school, I started negotiating and implementing federal leases for the General Services Administration.”

In 2017, he began working more with Ivanhoe Cos., a client of his law firm. “The more I got into it, I decided to move home and work full time developing land,” Shapiro says. “I started focusing on the trends of what my generation was looking for in housing projects, such as smart home technology, sustainability, and integrating new technology in our multifamily portfolio.”

Every deal and project are unique, Shapiro says, and there’s no set formula as to how many

sites the company will develop each year for either single-family homes or apartments. “We also manage apartments, so we stay ahead of the trends by offering Energy Star-rated appliances, EV charging stations, and open spaces,” he says.

In recent years, Shapiro has been the catalyst, from inception through execution, of the development of multiple residential and multifamily communities. As Ivanhoe Cos. acquires land, it must maintain a strong relationship with builders.

“Two years ago, we really focused on providing land for single-family homes and condominiums, but today we have more of a focus on multifamily projects,” Shapiro says. “When new land becomes available for acquisition, we ask who the end customers will be — retirees, empty nesters, growing families, or younger people?”

For his work with the law firm, Shapiro, an experienced litigator, represents both residential and commercial clients. “We do everything from foreclosures to code violations,” he says. “When I graduated from Michigan State University, I didn’t set out to work two jobs, and while it can get busy, I enjoy the work and the positive outcomes we deliver.” — R.J. King

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Alex Simmons, 31 Co-founder and CEO, Boon Health, Birmingham Employees: 13 Revenue: $1M+ College: University of Michigan

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career in finance was supposed to be the direction for Alex Simmons. Upon completing his MBA at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Simmons earned his CPA and moved straight into a position with Huron Capital, a lower-middle-market private equity firm in downtown Detroit.

From there he moved on to Mesirow Capital, a middle-market investment bank in Chicago.

Along the way, he recognized something: He was stressed out. And it wasn’t just him.

“All of my colleagues were miserable and burned out,” Simmons recalls. “And from a personal and professional mental health perspective, all they had to take care of that was an antiquated employee assistance program.”

The longer he worked 80 to 100 hours a week in finance, the more convinced he became that he could offer the professional world something better. That came in the form of Boon Health, which makes a network of 150 coaches available to employees of the more than 50 companies that contract with Boon for the service.

Simmons says an average of 30 percent of the employees at client companies are making use of the coaching service, which he emphasizes isn’t the same as therapy.

“When you think about therapy, you’re talking about the past — understanding your childhood thoughts and behaviors, and how that shaped you into the person you are today,” says Simmons, co-founder and CEO of Boon Health. “When you think about coaching, which we think is the much better modality for the workplace — here’s the challenge I’m dealing with today, here’s the game plan we’ve put together to overcome the challenge — it’s very much future-oriented.”

Simmons launched the business with Robin Axelrod, Boon’s chief clinical officer, who earned a master of social work degree from U-M and is accredited by the International Coaching Federation. Axelrod put together the clinical structure, while Simmons leads the business operations.

Clients see Boon as a professional development tool as well as a mental health resource.

So far, Simmons can point to a major return on investment for client companies: Boon users are 50 percent less likely to turn over than nonBoon users. “We see ourselves being the future of how businesses approach mental well-being and professional development in the workplace,” Simmons says. — Dan Calabrese

Alex Simpson, 38

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lex Simpson didn’t always want to be a lawyer. In fact, with no attorneys in his family to counteract television depictions, the profession seemed rather grueling to him.

His mother was a social worker, and he started out doing foster care casework after college. But while working with attorneys as part of the nonprofit work, he decided to change course.

After starting out in the Highland Park School District, Simpson moved on to Eastern Michigan University for his undergraduate degree. He then obtained his master’s degree from the University of Michigan. Soon after, he attended Maurer School of Law at Indiana University, where he earned his Juris doctor and interned at Bodman, a Detroitbased law firm.

While at Bodman, Simpson decided to switch course again to focus on business and commercial law. He found the work interesting and challenging, and the office environment proved to be the opposite of what he saw on TV. After earning his degree, he joined Bodman and learned he could count pro bono work toward his billable hours.

“I felt like I was able to give back to my community, (and) leverage the law firm’s resources to do (the) kind of things that I was passionate about,” he says. “Ultimately, I was able to make a greater impact than if I would have become an attorney in the child welfare space, as I originally planned.”

In his current role for Microsoft, in Southfield (he joined the company in January 2018), he’s responsible for negotiating contracts for the various partnerships — IT, intellectual property, and more — the technology giant has in the Midwest and in the automotive market.

He also handles day-to-day questions and concerns regarding the agreements. He thinks of his work as a creative outlet.

“My business partners will describe to me what arrangement they’ve come to with our partner or customer,” he says.

“I have to take the blank canvas — that blank Word document — and craft an agreement (with enough detail) so that if someone picks it up five years from now, they’ll understand (the arrangement). When it comes to that, I’m like Picasso.”

— Jake Bekemeyer

WE WORLDWIDE

Lead Attorney for Midwest Region and U.S. Automotive Business Line Microsoft Corp., Southfield Employees: 181,000 Revenue: $168B College: Indiana University Maurer School of Law

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Michael Tomey, 32 Co-owner, CFO, Tomey Group, Farmington Hills Employees: 540 Revenue: $37M College: Eastern Michigan University

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Tomey family trip to a 2003 Eastern Michigan University baseball game wasn’t intended to set the stage for the establishment of a family business. And while a post-game stop at a local Jimmy John’s didn’t look promising at first glance — the line extended well out the door — the Tomeys were amazed at the speed and efficiency with which they were served, and ultimately decided to become Jimmy John’s franchise owners.

For 13-year-old Michael, that meant a job doing dishes and cleaning bathrooms — at least until he turned 16 and could drive delivery cars.

Today, Tomey is CFO for Tomey Group in Farmington Hills, but he says his family made it clear from the start that he was going to have to earn a role in the business.

“They told me, ‘You need to go to school. This isn’t a gift to you,’ ” he recalls. “I actually (was general manager of) a store when I was in college, and once I graduated from college I took over the financial duties.”

Tomey took business finance classes at EMU as part of his business degree program, but he says he’s learned more about business finance from doing the job and from his father, who

served as CFO of a large auto supplier before the family went into franchising.

The learning curve has been steep, as the company has grown from three stores in the early years to its current 50 locations throughout the region, including locations in Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clarkston, Detroit, Ferndale, and Royal Oak. “The fact that it was my brother, my uncle, my sister, and myself working in the stores every day — that’s what helped us to grow,” Tomey says. “We’re not owners who can’t make a sandwich.”

Tomey says the growth is sometimes just a matter of “doing the same thing, but with bigger numbers.” Being CFO is also a matter of working with larger bank loans and more sophisticated financial concepts, he explains.

And yet, as recently as November 2021, he was still helping the business by making deliveries. It’s part of the culture of the company, he asserts.

“If somebody calls and says, ‘We’re getting (busy) over here,’ we’ll be there,” Tomey says. “I can’t sit in front of a computer all day. And we all feel that way.” — Dan Calabrese

Corey Welch, 33 Head of Direct Acquisition, Rapid Finance, Royal Oak Employees: 150 Revenue: NA College: Eastern Michigan University

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orey Welch’s journey to being head of direct acquisition at Rapid Finance, a Rocket Cos. company, started back when he was an All-State wrestler and football player in his native Akron, Ohio.

An athletic scholarship to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti continued leading Welch down the road to both athletic and business success in the Great Lakes State.

“A kid from Ohio doesn’t typically think of going to Michigan for college, but I looked at the opportunity when (I was) given a football and wrestling scholarship at Eastern,” says Welch, who ultimately focused on the gridiron and played four years for EMU as a running back, slot receiver, and kick returner.

Once he graduated from college, fellow EMU football alumnus Pat McInnis, then president of Quicken Loans and eventually CEO of Fathead, advised Welch to stay in Michigan — specifically in Dan Gilbert’s orbit.

When Gilbert, founder and chairman of what is now Rocket Cos. in Detroit, acquired Maryland-based small business lender Rapid Finance in 2015, Welch grabbed the opportunity and ran with it. They moved the company’s headquarters

to Detroit, took five Quicken Loans interns, and in six years Rapid Finance went from practically zero in loans to $1 billion. The five interns have blossomed into a staff of 150 employees.

Sitting now as the nation’s No. 3 small business lender, Welch has his eyes on the No. 1 spot, which he figures will take getting to $3 billion in loans.

“I’m a competitor. I’m an athlete,” Welch says. “I don’t like to lose. I have an obsessive personality, so when I set my mind on something, I go and get it,” he says.

What is Welch’s plan to get Rapid Finance to the top of the small business lending mountain?

“Technology and marketing are the two biggest elements to growing volume,” he explains. “It still takes us 24 hours to 48 hours to close a business loan, which is the fastest in the space, but we have to get this down to seconds and minutes. We can do that, but it’s going to take a lot of investment in technology. And we’re starting to mobilize our technology with the help of Rocket.”

The keys to his success so far, Welch says, are “building relationships and getting clients to trust, like, and want to work with (us), and being able to motivate and inspire leaders and team members.”

— Tim Keenan

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Loni Winkler, 39 Managing Director/Partner UHY Advisors/UHY LLP, Farmington Hills Employees: 1,100 Revenue: $221M College: Eastern Michigan University

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ccounting always came naturally to Loni Winkler, who earned both her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti after growing up in the downriver city of Woodhaven.

An internship at the former firm of Southfield-based Follmer Rudzewicz, one of seven firms that became UHY, got her into the industry.

“I didn’t want to stay in public work, that wasn’t the plan,” Winkler says. “I did the internship to fill out my resume and so I had an ‘in’ somewhere else. And then, in a dorky kind of way, I liked public accounting. I liked the sense of accomplishment and the fast pace and crossing things off the list.”

UHY has become Winkler’s second home.

Over the past 18 years there, she’s gotten married, had kids, and risen through the ranks. Initially, the company planned for her to lead the Farmington Hills tax department. After two years, she was charged with leading UHY’s entire tax department.

As a result, she spends less time these days checking tax returns and more on advising and consulting clients on tax strategies.

This has led her to believe, perhaps challenging generalized perceptions of accountants, that the core of the business is built on people and relationships.

“I like talking to people. You wouldn’t think that accountants do a lot of talking, but one of the most important things we do is advising and consulting with our clients,” she says.

Winkler often finds herself in Sterling Heights or Ann Arbor — away from her Farmington Hills base — building relationships with those she hasn’t worked with day-in and day-out. She also finds herself coordinating training activities, sitting in on performance reviews, and setting up Sunday lunches during the busy season. “Running the gamut,” as she calls it.

“I think the people here have great pride in what they do. I see it in my clients and that resonates with me. I enjoy watching them be successful and being part of that.” — Jake Bekemeyer

Mitchell Zajac, 32 Shareholder, Butzel, Detroit Employees: 235 Revenue: NA College: Western Michigan University–Cooley Law School

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fter joining the Butzel law firm in 2017 as a summer associate, patent attorney Mitchell Zajac achieved shareholder status in less than the standard time while serving in the litigation and dispute resolution practice group. The Holt native has always been a high achiever.

At Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Zajac earned bachelor’s degrees in German and mechanical engineering, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He obtained his law degree at Western Michigan University – Cooley Law School.

He also was a four-year starting linebacker and team captain his senior season, and became a Rhodes Scholar finalist with a cumulative 3.95 grade-point average. Before joining Butzel, Zajac was an engineer at Fiat Chrysler, where he led the international engineering team producing the Ram ProMaster City and had a leading role in FCA’s corporate audit group.

Today, his law practice includes counseling automotive and transportation companies, developing IP portfolios, assisting startup company capitalization development, and helping multimillion-dollar global automotive companies navigating international trade issues.

“I like to think of myself as a bit of a translator because I was in the automotive engineering industry in a variety of roles, from production to program management internationally,” he says.

“It’s rewarding to help colleagues at work, and to sit down with clients to help them understand issues and map out their business strategic path forward, in view of all the potential risks and benefits along the way.”

Beyond his busy practice, Zajac enjoys volunteering in the community. In addition to providing pro bono legal services for the Eastern District of Michigan’s Access to Justice program, he serves as finance chair of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners, is a board member of the Western Michigan University – Cooley Law School, and is president of the Association for Child Development, a nonprofit organization that provides healthy meals to children. He also is a football and track coach in Howell.

“My attitude is there’s not a task too tall to meet,” he says. “I get fired up trying to solve problems, and I love working with people. I had a lot of great mentors growing up, including my parents, various coaches, and family friends. I was lucky. It shaped me to want to pass that on.” — Bill Dow

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CONGRATULATIONS! The Ivanhoe Companies congratulates its honoree,

Thank You to Our Supporters and Sponsors Diamond Sponsor:

Jacob Shapiro, for being named 30 In Their Thirties for 2022

Ruby Sponsor:

Emerald Sponsors:

ACG Detroit Congratulates the 2022 All Stars Wolverine Worldwide Inc.’s Acquisition of Sweaty Betty All Star Deal of the Year Over $50M KCM Environmental’s Acquisition of PM Environmental All Star Deal of the Year Under $50M Lee Kellert Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C. All Star Advisor of the Year

Cliff Roesler Co-Founder and Partner, Angle Advisors, LLC All Star Investment Banker of the Year Justin Hanna Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C. Rising Star

We honor Jacob for his integrity, dedication, ingenuity, creativity, and commitment to excellence.

Huron Capital All Star Dealmaker of the Year

Sharon Kimble Executive Director, ACG Detroit, presented posthumously Lifetime Achievement Founded in 1954, ACG is the premier M&A dealmaking community with 59 chapters worldwide. ACG’s global network comprises more than 100,000 middle market professionals who invest, own and advise growing companies. ACG Detroit, which was established in 1984, facilitates a variety of business meetings and networking events for members across the metro Detroit area to drive middle-market growth.

ACG Detroit was named Chapter of the Year in 2015 and 2016. To learn more, visit www.acg.org/detroit.

A Tradition of Excellence ivanhoecompanies.com

Driving Middle Market Growth®

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T O H S H G U

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Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township is rebuilding after a devastating February fire burned much of its iconic century-old clubhouse to the ground.

BY TIM KEENAN

LONG GAME Oakland Hills is committed to replacing its historic clubhouse, which was destroyed during a fire in February, with a replica.

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THE MONSTER Oakland Hills’ historic clubhouse overlooks the restored South Course.

LC LAMBRECHT

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he Bloomfield Township Fire Department responded to a report of a smoke odor at Oakland Hills Country Club at 9:18 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17. Within a few hours, the 100-year-old clubhouse — called by many the Cathedral of Golf — had been consumed by flames.

The charred result of the fire plunged the club’s members and staff into a major rebuilding project.

“When we arrived, it looked like Oakland Hills on any regular day,” says Bloomfield Township Fire Chief John LeRoy. “We were inside the building for approximately 25 minutes or 30 minutes before we even found the fire. We had smoke that was getting worse, and we were trying to figure out where it was coming from. Once we found it and started to open the walls, we realized how long it had been burning in the walls unchecked. It was quite a bit ahead of us at that point.”

Oakland County and township officials said in a mid-March press conference that it appears from surveillance video that the fire was accidental, and possibly started by maintenance workers using a propane torch while working on an outdoor patio facing the club’s famed South Course.

LeRoy explained that the construction of the clubhouse, said to be the second-largest wood structure in the state, assisted the fire in its spread. The so-called “balloon frame” building was a popular construction method in the 1920s, when the clubhouse was built.

“That type of construction has solid wood stud space all the way from the ground level to the attic, so it’s basically like a vertical chimney in the wall,” LeRoy says. “It allows the fire to go unimpeded up the wall, between the floors, and all the way up into the attic.”

Eventually the Oakland Hills conflagration became a four-alarm blaze, with each alarm bringing as many as three fire departments from neighboring jurisdictions. In total, more than 100 firefighters responded from 14 area fire departments. Firefighting apparatus filled the Oakland Hills parking lot and neighboring Maple Road, which had to be closed to traffic.

“Just the size of the building and the type of construction made it a difficult fire to fight,” LeRoy says. “We kept trying to get ahead of it with what we call trench-cutting, which is cutting holes in the roof and trying to create a fire break, but we couldn’t get ahead of it. It was moving so fast in the attic.

“We maxed out the water system that day. We flowed 8,000 gallons to 10,000 gallons (of water) a minute at this fire, and we couldn’t slow it down.”

Fire crews didn’t leave Oakland Hills until four days later — midday on Monday, Feb. 21. By then, LeRoy estimates that firefighters had poured between 10 million and 11 million gallons of water on the clubhouse.

Several weeks after the fire, the club began organizing focus groups among its members to discern their input on the future.

“The restored, rebuilt clubhouse will be a replica of what the iconic clubhouse was before the fire,” said Richard Palmer, president of Oakland Hills

Country Club, during a press conference in the parking lot as fire trucks were leaving the property. “Our membership and the national golf community really made that a very easy decision for us because of the outpouring of how special it is. Even our golf course architect, Gil Hanse, wants the clubhouse to match his beautiful restoration work.”

It was Hanse who designed and oversaw the recent $12 million restoration work on the famed South Course, dubbed The Monster by legendary golfer Ben Hogan in 1951.

In the meantime, the club is working out of the headquarters of Barton Malow Co., a large contractor in Southfield. “We were up and running, from an administrative perspective, 48 hours after the fire,” Palmer says.

While detailed plans for the clubhouse rebuild still are being formulated, plans for the 2022 golf season and other member activities are being addressed more quickly.

“Our tennis building, golf operations building, and our maintenance facility were all untouched,” Palmer says. “Our senior leadership is figuring out what normal member activity can look like and (how we can) have a full schedule not impacted at all except by whatever structure gets put up for food and other amenities.

“We want to move quickly, but we want to make a decision that will last for not only 2022, but 2023 and possibly 2024.”

Amid a stream of goodwill following the fire, some 20 area clubs, including the Detroit Athletic Club, are making their facilities available to Oakland Hills members, and national golf organizations have also vowed to be of assistance.

“We’re thankful to the golf communities in southeast Michigan and nationally that have offered to help in one way or another,” Palmer says. “Our partners at the USGA have been incredibly supportive in their calls. They have offered to provide temporary structures and have given us the name of their contractor, if that’s the direction we go.”

In addition to temporary structures, Oakland Hills received welcome news when the USGA announced on March 22 that the club had been awarded eight championships, including U.S. Open tournaments in 2034 and 2051. The 2034 U.S. Open will take place 110 years after the first U.S. Open at Oakland Hills in 1924, and the 2051 U.S. Open will be played a century after Ben Hogan won the storied tournament at Oakland Hills and gave the South Course its Monster nickname.

The USGA also awarded the club the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 2029 U.S. Women’s Amateur, the 2038 U.S. Girls Junior, and the 2047 U.S. Amateur.

The 2031 and 2042 U.S. Women’s Opens had been announced before the fire.

According to USGA and club officials, the decision for Oakland Hills to host the events was made months beforehand. Since the fire, the club has rejected any offers to reschedule the tournaments, including the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur.

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Cover Story

TIM KEENAN

HISTORY PRESERVED Replica trophies from the major tournaments played at Oakland Hills were saved by firefighters.

“We are thrilled, excited, and honored,” Palmer says. “The commitment of two U.S. Opens as well as four top amateur championships is a testament to the fabulous work of everyone at Oakland Hills. With a total of eight USGA championships coming to our club starting in 2024, we can’t wait to add to our storied history. We look forward to continuing our championship golf tradition at Oakland Hills and our long-standing relationship with the USGA.” The club is planning as if it will take three years to rebuild the clubhouse, including one year for demolition, design, and municipal approvals. Actual construction is expected to take two years. The estimated cost to rebuild could be in the range of $40 million to $60 million.

The new clubhouse will be rebuilt in time for all the recently announced USGA events, except the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur. “We won’t have a clubhouse, but we’ll put on the best U.S. Junior Amateur ever,” Palmer vows.

In the wake of the fire, the club also is working to take care of its day-to-day

staff of 25 employees, a group that swells to approximately 300 during prime golf season. “We’re addressing how we’re going to help and support our staff who have lost their place of work,” Palmer says, adding that funds were set up by the ClubsHelp Foundation and National Club Association to assist Oakland Hills’ workers.

The fire is causing the relocation of weddings and other events scheduled to take place at Oakland Hills for the next couple of years. “With regard to charity parties and banquets, Oakland Hills is working with the hosts for those events to try to get them placed at alternative sites, because the reality is a lot of those will not be feasible to have,” Palmer says.

Although the investigation into the fire points to workers on an outdoor patio, the fire first appeared shooting through the roof of the 90,000-squarefoot building and quickly spread throughout the wooden structure. No injuries were reported, but a great deal of history went up in smoke that fateful day — fortunately, not as much as originally thought.

“We’re grateful to the fire personnel who had the presence of mind to begin the process of saving many historic and priceless items as the fire was burning,” Palmer explained at the news conference just days after the fire. “We are in the process of assessing the condition of those items and we’re hopeful to retrieve more.”

According to Palmer and LeRoy, a mutual aid crew from Southfield knew there was a short window of time to retrieve any items and asked where the most important things were.

“They kept going in and out of the facility and actually passed (items) out to our employees, who formed kind of a bread line and loaded it into a van,” Palmer says. “There are a lot of items that got recovered. A lot of our valuable items got recovered. We’re just assessing whether they’re fully OK unrestored.”

Christine Pooler, general manager and COO of Oakland Hills, reports that “trophies from our main display case and original artwork were brought to safety. Unfortunately, it is too early to determine our full inventory of items that were retrieved from or survived the fire.”

Lost were many pictures on the second floor — but Palmer says all the pictures were digitized and can be reprinted. In the basement of the club, a vault with many historic documents was recovered, although some of the contents had sustained water damage.

OAKLAND HILLS TIMELINE

COURTESY USGA ARCHIVES, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

1937 1924 1916 — Oakland Hills Country Club founded by Joseph Mack and Norval Hawkins.

1920 — Hagen resigns as Oakland Hills’ pro.

1916 — Initial club property purchase of 250 acres.

1921-22 — Clubhouse designed and built.

1917 — Donald Ross first visits the Oakland Hills property.

1922 — The club hosts the Western Open.

1917 — Work on the South Course begins.

1924 — North Course opens in May.

1918 — The South Course is formally opened on July 13.

1924 — Hosts its first U.S. Open, won by Cyril Walker.

1918 — Walter Hagen hired as club’s first professional.

1937 — Hosts U.S. Open, won by Ralph Guldahl.

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WALTER P. REUTHER LIBRARY

PRESIDENTIAL NOD The Oakland Hills clubhouse was designed to resemble George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Lost also, at least for the time being, is the view of the clubhouse from just about anywhere on the South Course, which had reopened last July after being closed for a year and a half for the hole-by-hole restoration. Many trees were removed from the course during the work, to improve the views of the white clubhouse that was designed to resemble George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

In the days following the fire, club officials were in the process of assessing the loss of museum-quality golf artifacts and putting a financial figure on the loss of the building, which was built in 1922.

“Our insurance carrier will make the final determination as to whether it’s a total loss, but we’re operating internally and planning as if it’s a total loss, and we’re taking steps assuming that will be the case,” Palmer says.

It has not yet been determined if the fire will result in any additional cost for the club’s 750 members, who pay a reported $8,400plus per year in fees and dues, plus food and beverage minimum charges. That comes after a reported $75,000 initiation fee.

Non-golfers and those not concerned with the country club life might ask what’s the big deal? Old buildings burn all the time. Why is this one so important?

The big deal is history. The history of the region, architecture, the auto industry, and of course golf.

Over the years, Oakland Hills has counted among its members John and Horace Dodge, Edsel Ford, and former Detroit Mayor James Couzens. More recent notable members include local news anchorman Bill Bonds; Detroit Tigers legendary player, broadcaster, and executive Al Kaline; mega auto dealer Hoot McInerney; and the late Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Tigers and Red Wings. Today, many executives from the auto and banking industries are members.

Hall of Fame golfer Walter Hagen was Oakland Hills’ first golf professional, the person who ran the club’s golf operation and gave lessons to members.

Players who have won tournaments at Oakland Hills include the likes of Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.

Cover Story

SCORECARD ROUND 1 OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB LOCATION: BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP FOUNDED: OCT. 17, 1916

In a statement following the fire, Nicklaus, nicknamed the Golden Bear, said the clubhouse “is as much a part of the story as the golf itself. It is a sad day for the membership, but also for the countless people, like me, who respect and appreciate Oakland Hills. They will be able to rebuild the clubhouse, but it will be difficult to replace the many memories lost.”

Andy North, who won the 1985 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills, said in Golf Digest the day after the fire, “My first thought is the history of the club. Buildings can be rebuilt, but you can’t rebuild the memorabilia that they might have lost. That building is a huge part of our golf history, with the displays of the champions and the championships they’ve had. They will rebuild a great new clubhouse, but they can’t rebuild all those things they’ve lost. It’s unbelievable.”

Players who haven’t been quite as successful on The Monster as Nicklaus and North include Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Billy Casper, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods.

Oakland Hills was founded on Oct. 17, 1916, by Ford Motor Co. executives Joseph Mack and Norval Hawkins at a meeting of 47 friends and associates at the Detroit

1951 — Hosts U.S. Open, won by Ben Hogan, who dubs the South Course “The Monster.”

MEMBERS: 750 (ALL LEVELS) INITIATION FEE: $75,000 OFFERINGS: SOUTH AND NORTH 18-HOLE GOLF COURSES, TENNIS, SWIMMING, LESSONS, AND MORE. NOTABLE MEMBERS: JOHN AND HORACE DODGE, EDSEL FORD, JAMES COUZENS, BILL BONDS, AL KALINE, STEVE YZERMAN, HOOT MCINERNEY PRESIDENT: RICHARD PALMER GENERAL MANAGER: CHRISTINE POOLER

1985

1961 — Hosts U.S. Open, won by Gene Littler.

1968 — Clubhouse undergoes major renovation.

1972 — Hosts PGA Championship, won by Gary Player.

1979 — Hosts PGA Championship, won by David Graham.

1961

1981 — Hosts U.S. Senior Open, won by Arnold Palmer.

1985 — Hosts U.S. Open, won by Andy North.

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Cover Story

SCORECARD - ROUND 2

PREMIER GOLF EVENTS PLAYED AT OAKLAND HILLS YEAR

EVENT

WINNER

1922 1924 1929 1937 1939 1946

WESTERN OPEN U.S. OPEN U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR U.S. OPEN WOMEN’S WESTERN AMATEUR HEARST NATIONAL JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP U.S. OPEN U.S. OPEN CARLING WORLD OPEN PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PGA CHAMPIONSHIP U.S. SENIOR OPEN U.S. OPEN U.S. SENIOR OPEN U.S. OPEN U.S. AMATEUR RYDER CUP MATCHES PGA CHAMPIONSHIP U.S. AMATEUR

MIKE BRADY CYRIL WALKER GLENNA COLLETT RALPH GULDAHL EDITH ESTABROOKS

1951 1961 1964 1972 1979 1981 1985 1991 1996 2002 2004 2008 2016

MACGREGOR HUNTER BEN HOGAN GENE LITTLER BOBBY NICHOLS GARY PLAYER DAVID GRAHAM ARNOLD PALMER ANDY NORTH JACK NICKLAUS STEVE JONES RICKY BARNES EUROPE PADRAIG HARRINGTON CURTIS LUCK

FUTURE PREMIER GOLF EVENTS AT OAKLAND HILLS YEAR

EVENT

2024 2029 2031 2034 2038 2042 2047 2051

U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN U.S. OPEN U.S. GIRLS’ JUNIOR U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN U.S. AMATEUR U.S. OPEN

Athletic Club. It was resolved that there would be 140 charter memberships at a cost of $250 apiece.

The club purchased 250 acres of property south of Maple Road in December of that year — 170 acres for the new club, and 80 acres for home sites. The club also had options on an additional 170 acres north of Maple Road.

Famed golf course architect Donald Ross visited the site in late 1916 or early 1917 and told Mack, “The Lord intended this for a golf course. I rarely find a piece of property so well-suited for a golf course,” according to the club’s website.

The South Course formally opened for play on July 13, 1918. In 1961, the course was the subject of a Sports Illustrated cover story previewing that year’s U.S. Open.

The fated clubhouse was designed and built between 1921 and 1922, at a total cost of $650,000 — more than $300,000 over budget, according to reports from the period. It was designed by club member C. Howard Crane, who also was the architect for Orchestra Hall, the Fox Theatre, and the Capitol Theatre (today the Detroit Opera House).

The club’s North Course, also a Donald Ross design, opened in May 1924, the same year Oakland Hills hosted its first U.S. Open tournament. That event was won by Cyril Walker, who beat Bobby Jones by three strokes. Jones would go on to found Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia and The Masters tournament.

The clubhouse received its first major renovation in 1968. Areas that were once sleeping accommodations on the second floor were turned into rooms for private parties. Between 1999 and 2000, the clubhouse was renovated again, to the tune of $16.3 million. That update saw the construction of a new and expanded pro shop, and a new first tee facility that includes bag storage and a cart garage.

Two years later, the club transformed its Casino Bar into a Heritage Room featuring photographs and plaques that provided an overview of the club’s history.

In 2012, the Mixed Grill was remodeled and transformed into the Hagen Grill, to honor Oakland Hills’ first professional.

In 2015, the Majors Trophy Case was installed in the clubhouse’s main foyer to display replicas of trophies for the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur (Havemeyer Trophy), U.S. Women’s Amateur (Cox Cup), U.S. Senior Open (Ouimet Memorial Trophy), PGA Championship (Wanamaker Trophy), Ryder Cup, and Western Open (J.K. Wadley Trophy). The next year, the Heritage Room was redesigned and rebuilt to commemorate the 1951 U.S. Open.

Palmer says it’s important to put the situation at the country club into perspective.

“What happened at Oakland Hills was very devastating emotionally, but tragedies are what happened at Oxford High School (a major shooting) and the COVID-19 pandemic. We lost things,” he says. “We are resolved and dedicated to come back stronger than ever. We’re confident about our future and all the great things we hope to achieve.”

1991 — Hosts U.S. Senior Open, won by Jack Nicklaus.

1993 — Walk of Champions is built at the first tee; a series of plaques mounted on stone commemorate the winners of the club’s major championships and matches.

1996 — Hosts U.S. Open, won by Steve Jones.

1999-2000 — Clubhouse receives a $16.3-million renovation. New pro shop and first tee facility are built.

1991

2002 — Club transforms the Casino Bar into the Heritage Room, showcasing photographs and plaques that provide an overview of its history.

2002 — Hosts U.S. Amateur, won by Ricky Barnes.

2002

2004 — Hosts Ryder Cup Matches, won by Europe.

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Monster’s Ball

Ben Hogan’s dramatic U.S. Open victory in 1951 put Oakland Hills Country Club on the map and left him wreathed in glory.

A

fter scoring 76 in the 1951 United States Open’s first round, Ben Hogan anguished in his room at the Sheraton-Cadillac Hotel in downtown Detroit. “I made six mistakes and shot 6-over (par),” Hogan told his wife, Valerie. “You can’t steal anything out there.”

It was Thursday, June 14, in the year of Detroit’s 250th anniversary. Hogan and 159 fellow golfers had just tackled the redesigned South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township. Only 55 would make the cut after round two and continue through Saturday and Sunday, in pursuit of the 8.5-pound silver trophy.

Hogan was seeking his third U.S. Open championship win in three attempts. Having prevailed in 1948 at Los Angeles’ Riviera Country Club, he spent 1949 recuperating after a terrible highway accident but made a stunning return in 1950, winning at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia. Now trailing Sam Snead by five shots, he may have had some doubts. “He thought the course was just too difficult, too unfair,” Valerie said later.

Oakland Hills Country Club was 35 years old by this time.

The club’s founders chose golf architect Donald Ross — who designed 200 Michigan courses between 1911 and 1936 — to build the course. His layouts suited the bump-and-run style of play prevalent in that era, with low shots whistling over the fairways. Bunkers were shallow and crusty, and balls landing in them sometimes rolled back out. Crowned greens presented another sort of challenge.

Walter Hagen was Oakland Hills’ first professional, and received $300 a month plus incentives on sales of golf equipment. The winner of the 1919 Open at Brae Burn Country Club near Boston, Hagen stayed in metro Detroit until 1920, when he nominated friend and competitor Mike Brady to replace him.

Brady left in 1924, but saw the clubhouse open. For C. Howard Crane, North America’s leading designer of movie

palaces, the clubhouse was a different kind of theater, and the Mount Vernon template he used featured a long porch and a three-part structure. A cupola added an extra note of formality. Two dozen guest rooms, each with its own bath, satisfied the need for overnight accommodations.

Four years ago, Architectural Digest rated the clubhouse as the most beautiful in Michigan. “Up in the hills, it looked so pretty,” says Bob Denney, PGA historian emeritus, by phone from Florida. Upon hearing news of the clubhouse fire, Denney checked with a Michigan friend who “considered it her second home — she took the news terribly.” Recalling the second-floor museum and the archival material kept in the basement, Denney says he’s mourning the loss. “You hate to see a piece of history destroyed,” he says.

The North Course opened for play three weeks before the 1924 U.S. Open on the South Course — a 6,874-yard, par-72 layout. As Ed Gruver points out in “Bringing the Monster to Its Knees: Ben Hogan, Oakland Hills, and the 1951 U.S. Open,” the United States Golf Association, which sanctions the Open, allowed the use of steel-shafted putters for the first time ever in the 1924 tournament. Cyril Walker’s victory owed much to the tricky 10th hole, which stymied runner-up Bobby Jones in every round.

The South Course has hosted six U.S. Open and three PGA championships, national men’s and women’s amateur tournaments, two U.S. Senior Opens, and the Ryder Cup. Minor changes for the 1937 U.S. Open increased the length to 7,037 yards. With his caddie burdened by a bag with 19 clubs, Ralph Guldahl topped Snead by two strokes, helping the USGA decide on a new rule limiting a player’s club count to 14. In 1946, MacGregor Hunter took the Hearst National Junior

2004-05 — Driving range is doubled in size and an allseason golf instruction facility is built. A new swimming pool, tennis courts, and pool/tennis house are constructed between the parking lot and Oakhills Drive.

2008 — Hosts PGA Championship, won by Padraig Harrington.

GETTY IMAGES

BY RONALD AHRENS

Championship over 16-year-old runner-up Arnold Palmer on the North Course.

By the postwar period, golf had changed. Hickory-shafted clubs gave way to steel. The 1.68-ounce balls were so lively that, through testing, they were restricted to a velocity of 250 feet per second at impact. Because of the new aerial game, the South Course needed a redesign.

Donald Ross died in 1948, leaving his drawings to guide Robert Trent Jones. While Ross’ frugal style had required little site excavation, Trent Jones scooped out target areas on the fairways and raised up fortress greens surrounded by chasmlike bunkers with sticky, sugary sand. “Let’s see them tear that apart,” he said of the 6,927-yard, par-70 layout.

“I thought I was going to a golf tournament, not on a safari,” quipped Snead, who shot 78 in round two. Meanwhile, Hogan moved onto the leaderboard after a 1-over 71 in round three. A record gallery of 18,000 swarmed the course during his heroic final round.

Arriving at the 18th tee, Hogan had birdied three holes on the back nine, with one bogey. The 459-yard, par-4 was, in Trent Jones’ estimation, “a truly great finishing hole” that would determine the championship. After a perfect drive off the tee and a brilliant approach with a 6-iron, Hogan sank a 15-foot putt for a monumental birdie 3, claiming the title and $4,000 by a margin of two shots.

Before the Open, he had said, “If I had to play this damn course every week, I’d get into a new business.” Receiving the trophy changed his tune: “I’m glad I brought this course — this monster — to its knees.”

2015 — A Majors Trophy Case is installed in the main foyer to display replicas of the trophies awarded for the major events played at Oakland Hills.

2016 — The Heritage Room is redesigned and rebuilt to commemorate the 1951 U.S. Open.

2016 — Hosts U.S. Amateur, won by Curtis Luck.

2012 — The Mixed Grill is remodeled and transformed into the Hagen Grill, to honor the club’s first professional.

2019 — Ryder Cup Room is opened to commemorate the many personalities and events that connect Oakland Hills with the Ryder Cup.

2014 — The Professionals Room, honoring the club’s head professionals, is opened at the north end of the clubhouse on the second floor, replacing the Jones Room.

2019 — South Course closes after Tom Watson swings a final drive off the first tee during a fundraising event on Sept. 30. From there, architect Gil Hanse begins to restore the original Donald Ross design.

2015 — A Hall of Champions is installed in the second-floor hallway, featuring displays celebrating every major golf competition held at Oakland Hills.

2021 — Restored South Course opens for play in July.

2022 — Clubhouse severely damaged in a fire on Feb. 17.

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EXEC LIFE

05-06.22

THE HIGHLANDS

Green Acres

72 COURSE CORRECTION The Highlands at Harbor Springs offers replicas of the best holes designed by golf course designer Donald Ross.

The Donald Ross Memorial is the golfing equivalent of a “greatest hits” compilation.

p. 76

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Return on Investment

Production Run

Patents and Inventions

Opinion

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Fore Play Michigan’s resort sector is preparing for an even busier year, after seeing demand for hospitality and recreational offerings skyrocket since the outset of the pandemic.

BY NORM SINCLAIR

W

New York City, Newark, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and Charlotte.

Kevin Klein, general manager of Cherry Capital Airport, says officials are working with their airline partners and the FAA on plans to expand the main terminal’s five-jet-bridge concourse for passenger arrival and egress to 10 jet bridges inside a second concourse by 2030. By the end of the decade, peak summer traffic is expected to hit 150,000 monthly passengers, representing a 32 percent increase.

“We could use those 10 jet bridges today,” he says, noting that the longer-term plan under discussion is to have 15 bridges by 2035.

Around the state, golf resorts such as Boyne and Treetops are doing major renovations of their courses.

Holland-based golf designer Ray Hearn, the architect behind a project at the Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth Township, is working with Boyne Resorts to restore holes at the Highlands facility. He also designed a ninehole, Par-3 course that will be built this fall at The Highlands at Harbor Springs. Paul Albanese, another prominent local designer from the firm Albanese and Lutzke in downtown Plymouth, is the consultant for Treetops on the modernization of its five courses.

Aside from golf, one of the summer’s largest northern Michigan attractions is the annual Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, which spans 13 weeks and attracts 5,000 horses, thousands of well-heeled spectators, and top riders and trainers of all stripes — juniors, amateurs, professionals, and Olympians — who compete for more than $4 million in prize money.

Klein says each of the 5,000 horses taking part in the summer-long events account for eight to nine people — or 40,000 who fly in and out of the airport.

“It’s a fabulous event that just keeps expanding, and the economic impact it has on the community is amazing,” he says. “I find it’s such a wonderful thing to watch those magnificent horses and riders perform.”

The events are staged at the 130-acre Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, 10 miles outside of downtown Traverse City.

A study last year by the Sport Management Research Institute (SMRI) showed that 33.5 percent of

EAGLE’S NEST For approach shots on the 10th hole at the Fazio Premier Golf Course at Treetops in Gaylord, it’s often best to aim for the left side of the green.

attendees were from 46 states and 28 countries, and had annual household incomes of more than $500,000, while 50 percent of attendees had incomes of more than $300,000. The majority of participants are college educated women between the ages of 40 and 59.

Despite not having spectators last year due to COVID19 restrictions, the economic windfall for the local tourism industry was more than $120 million, according to the study.

The other major tourism highlight in Traverse City, the National Cherry Festival, will run from July 2-9 and feature big spectator attractions like the U.S. Navy Blue Angels air show and nightly concerts. In addition to the daredevil fighter jets returning to the sky over the bay this year, acts including ZZ Top, Cheryl Crow, and Boyz II Men will headline the concert stage.

Another equestrian venue making news this season is the 23-acre hillside facility overlooking Little Traverse Bay outside of Petoskey that was part of Boyne Resorts’ Bay Harbor recreational and residential community created by mega developer David V. Johnson of Bloomfield Hills.

The property was purchased last December by Petoskey-based High Five Spirits, a two-year-old whiskey distillery founded by twin brothers Adam and Michael Kazanowski. The 42,000-square-foot, barnstyled center will reopen in June as Gypsy Farms and will house a distillery, tasting room, and beer garden, and offer space for weddings and receptions. An outdoor concert venue is in the plans. The Gypsy name is adopted from High Five’s popular vodka line.

“The equestrian center was a passion project for Johnson, and he had other offers that involved tearing the building down,” Adam Kazanowski says. “We told him we would never think of tearing it down, and he worked out a deal to help us buy it.”

Kazanowski says new equipment installed at the site will allow his group to produce up to 2,500

TREETOPS

ith two years of pandemic restrictions in the rearview mirror, Michigan’s golf and tourism industries are primed to build on last summer’s growth, which was fueled by pent-up demand from travelers who hit the road in record numbers.

From the Upper Peninsula to Mackinac Island and across northern Michigan, operators of resorts, golf courses, and hotels — not to mention officials at the Traverse City Airport — are expanding or renovating their properties to cope with the crowds they experienced last year.

Property owners say a joint marketing effort by convention bureaus in Gaylord, Petoskey, and Traverse City, which highlighted their tie-ins with Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City and the Pure Michigan tourism campaign, resonated with travelers from southern and western states, where scorching summers make Michigan an inviting destination.

Included in the joint marketing blitz is the Gaylord Golf Mecca — a collection of 17 courses, golf resorts such as Treetops in Gaylord and Garland in Lewiston, and 21 hotel properties. Also participating is America’s Summer Golf Capital, which counts Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, and Shanty Creek in Bellaire among the seven resorts and 22 courses in its group.

“These partnerships are invaluable for getting the word out about northern Michigan,” says Barry Owens, general manager of Treetops. “A foursome living on Long Island can find out they can fly nonstop to Traverse City, rent a car, and play first-class golf ( for less money) than it would cost in their own backyard.”

Judging from the record crowds of travelers passing through Cherry Capital Airport last summer, Michigan’s golf and resort offerings are playing well not only in expensive East Coast areas like Long Island, but also in hot-weather states such as Florida, Arizona, and Texas.

Last year, Cherry Capital, the state’s third busiest airport behind Detroit and Grand Rapids, served some 600,000 travelers, with 17 nonstops among its 72 daily summer-season flights. In July, the airport recorded its busiest month ever, with nearly 113,000 passengers passing through its gates. The facility is ranked among the top 25 growing airports in the country.

United, Delta, American, and Allegiant Airlines provide service not only to sun-baked states, but they also bring visitors from as far away as Denver, Minneapolis, and large East Coast population centers like 72 DBUSINESS || MAY - JUNE 2022

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barrels of whiskey annually, making High Five Spirits one of the largest distilleries in the state. He says a Mexican-themed restaurant and a burger restaurant styled after Birmingham’s iconic Hunter House will provide food service.

With a tip of the cap to the nearby Bay Harbor Golf Club, Kazanowski says golf simulators will be installed, as well. “The setting is just fantastic; it’s a beautiful piece of property and we can’t wait for people to come out and enjoy it,” he says. The distillery’s original tasting room is in downtown Petoskey. Last summer, the brothers opened the Mackinac Island Rum Co. on Mackinac Island.

Another nearby Boyne property undergoing a generational transformation is its venerable Highlands resort in Harbor Springs. Starting with a name change, the nearly 60-year-old golf and ski resort now is known as The Highlands at Harbor Springs, eliminating any confusion with Boyne Mountain, the company’s sister property 25 miles to the south in Boyne Falls.

The name change is the easy part of an ambitious remaking of the resort to recast it as one of the top luxury destinations in the country by 2030. A pre-Christmas fire in 2016 that damaged 70 of the 148 main hotel rooms was the impetus to reinvent the property as a boutique hotel.

“The modernization of the Main Lodge is a pivotal piece of a larger resort transformation that will be underway throughout the next 10 years,” says Mike Chumbler, president and general manager of Boyne Highlands Resort. “The Main Lodge is at the heart of the experience and stands as a testament to the elevated caliber of service, amenities, and accommodations our guests can expect.”

Visitors this summer will experience a new lobby in the Main Lodge featuring a larger reception area and a bar. Eighty-seven guest rooms were rebuilt and offer more spacious, elegant luxury accommodations ranging from standard king and queen bed configurations to deluxe, premium, and suite layouts.

A European-styled spa and pool complex is also on the drawing board. Boyne says a wellness team has

been working for two years with “some of the most successful European spa consultants and, with their guidance, have created a true immersive experience.”

When completed, the 16,000-square-foot facility will offer thermal baths and saunas, including a traditional Russian steam room, salt therapy, and other therapeutic elements. In turn, the new 1,600-square foot main pool will have scenic views of the ski hills, hot tubs, a café, a casual restaurant, and a private outdoor yoga pavilion.

While its efforts won’t be as dramatic, the family-owned Gull Lake View Golf Resort, located between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, has begun a two-year renovation of the 67 villas that make up the hotel component of the property, which offers six different golf courses. Upgrades are slated for all kitchen and dining areas, bedrooms, and bathrooms, and will include new plumbing, flooring, fixtures, windows, and a key card entry system.

As part of a new attraction, in June Boyne Mountain will unveil SkyBridge Michigan, a 1,203-foot-long, 118-foot-high pedestrian bridge connecting the peaks of the McLouth and Disciple’s Ridge ski hills. Boyne says it will be the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge. The 5-foot-wide SkyBridge Michigan will be accessible by chairlift and will provide yearround panoramic views over the ski hills and the valleys below. It is also connected to the resort’s extensive paved trail network.

The concept is modeled after the Gatlinburg SkyBridge, a successful but unlikely Boyne property that’s part of the Gatlinburg SkyLift Park in Tennessee. Ski lift chairs rising out of downtown Gatlinburg take sightseers on a 20-minute ride up 1,800 feet on Crockett Mountain to a lookout park where a 600-foot pedestrian bridge dangles 140 feet over exhilarating views of the Smoky Mountains.

Boyne Resort’s founder, the late Everett Kircher, CHANGES AFOOT High Five Spirits in Petoskey has acquired a former equestrian center in Bay Harbor and is converting it into the multi-faceted Gypsy Farms.

EAGLE EYE A STORIED CAREER that began humbly, as a bag boy, and transitioned into becoming one of Michigan’s most influential golf executives is winding down as Bernie Friedrich steps away from his longtime role as senior vice president of golf and resort sales for Boyne Resorts in Boyne Falls.

In the senior position he’s held since 1999, Friedrich was one of the country’s leading golf operators and was instrumental in developing Boyne’s 13 golf courses, as well as overseeing the company’s branding and retail operations at three resorts in northern Michigan, two in Maine, and Big Sky in Montana.

“After 46 years here I’m getting a little long in the tooth, and now it’s time to do something else and maybe play some golf,” Friedrich says. Admitting he was a little nervous about filling the amount of time he devoted to his job, he says his wife had to remind him that he owns a boat.

Supervising 13 golf courses meant he was responsible for staffing pro shops, hiring golf professionals, and overseeing the agronomy crews maintaining the courses. Along the way he took on all of Boyne’s golf and snow sports equipment and apparel retail operations, as well as resort marketing and sales. Friedrich was also president of operations of Boyne Resort’s semiprivate Bay Harbor Golf Club and the Country Club of Boyne.

While giving up operational duties, Friedrich will collaborate with golf course designer Ray Hearn on Boyne’s companywide, multiyear plan to renovate and update its golf courses.

Despite the cache of accolades he’s earned over the years, Friedrich says his most important achievement was developing a team of devoted employees who really enjoy the business. That esprit de corps he created is reflected in the loyalty of those he hired. His successor, Josh Richter, has spent 22 years with Boyne Resorts, since being hired as an intern. The PGA professional with the least seniority on Friedrich’s staff is a six-year Boyne employee.

“I’m proud of where we’ve taken Boyne golf, and I’m proud of the reputation we have in the golf business,” Friedrich says.

Friedrich, who arrived in America from Germany when he was 3 years old, is a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame and the Michigan PGA Hall of Fame. He twice was named the Michigan PGA Section’s Golf Professional of the Year. Always nattily dressed, Friedrich is a five-time recipient of the Michigan PGA’s Merchandiser of the Year award.

“He’s going to be a key person on many transformational and exciting projects,” says Stephen Kircher, president and CEO of Boyne Resorts. “I don’t look it as stepping down, but starting a new chapter and focusing on something he has had a lot of passion for since we built the Donald Ross Memorial (golf course) all those years ago.”

GYPSY FARMS

— By Norm Sinclair

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THE HIGHLANDS

HIGH LIFE The Kircher family owns The Highlands at Harbor Springs, which has undergone a major renovation, including updating 87 rooms and the modernization of the Main Lodge.

built the Gatlinburg operation in 1954 and credited the novelty chairlift attraction with paying for the development of Boyne Mountain.

What’s more, at the Island Casino and Resort outside Escanaba, operators are looking for big cash returns on their $33 million investment in 138 new guest rooms and suites and a new steak house restaurant in an existing 11-story hotel. The added rooms will boost hotel capacity to 400 rooms and suites. With two award-winning golf courses, Sweetgrass and Sage Run, and more than 1,200 slot machines, gaming tables, a poker room, a bingo hall, and a sports book, the resort is one of the largest golf, casino, and entertainment destinations in the Midwest.

The new accommodations include designated golf and spa suites with hot tubs and in-room massages.

Thirty-four of the new rooms can be converted into 17 family-style suites for guests bringing children to the new waterpark and pool area.

Earlier this year, the Sweetgrass course — designed

by Paul Albanese — received one of golf ’s most prestigious awards when it was named the 2022 Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association during its annual business conference in Orlando, Fla. The award is based on four criteria: quality of the golf course, quality of ownership and management, outstanding contributions to the local community, and significant contributions to the game of golf.

Tony Mancilla, general manager of Island Resort and Casino, says the expansion, which includes more convention space and a water park, was driven by customer demand. The property is owned and managed by the Hannahville Indian Community of the Potawatomi Indian Tribe.

“The backlog of guests who wanted to get in on the

weekends had become overwhelming,” he says. “The waiting lists of 150 people to 200 people every weekend made us realize how much we needed new rooms, a high-end dining option, and additional options for the family. On the golf side, this (award) continues to elevate our status as a premier golf destination.”

Expansion also is in the air in Gaylord, where Barry Owens at Treetops Resort reports the recent multimillion-dollar renovation of the facility continues, with the conversion of six unused chalet buildings into six two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units that will be available for families or golf groups this spring.

Another welcome addition is a new 87-room Comfort Inn hotel in downtown Gaylord that opened for business this past winter, the fourth such new hotel to open in four years in the Bavarian-themed resort town straddling I-75 in Otsego County. The addition of hotels raises the capacity for the area, including those in Golf Mecca resorts, to 1,337 rooms — a 15-percent increase.

“The pandemic was unkind to some businesses and kind to others,” says Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Gaylord Convention and Tourism Bureau, who reported record increases in various business benchmarks, including room capacity, in the past year. Room bookings for the area rose 15 percent over 2019, and were up a whopping 58.2 percent over the pandemic-stricken year of 2020.

On the golf side of the ledger, the 17 courses and 21 lodging facilities in the Gaylord Golf Mecca reported revenue of $17.5 million last year, a 22.3 percent increase, Beachnau says. Golf revenue is tallied from green fees, cart rental, pro shop proceeds, food, and driving range sales. Last season the courses recorded 256,000 rounds played, a 10.5 percent increase.

“We did better than the state, where rounds were up 10 percent, and rounds played in the U.S., which were up 5.6 percent,” Beachnau says, citing data from the National Golf Foundation.

He says even now, with COVID-19 restrictions almost nonexistent, the impetus the pandemic forced on travelers to do outdoor activities is still in place.

“We’re really bullish on this coming season. Everything we’ve seen in trends and advance room sales are up, and least 65 percent of last year’s visitors say they’re coming back,” Beachnau says.

North of Gaylord, operators on Mackinac Island are prepping for the season with even more new attractions and updates following a year that saw a record number of visitors on the island. “We believe the number of visitors last year was in the range of 1.1 million to 1.3 million,” says Tim Hygh, executive director of Mackinac Island Tourism. “The preseason bookings are brisk and we’re anticipating another really good season.”

After spending $10 million renovating and adding new features to its 220-foot-long swimming pool, the owners of the historic Grand Hotel are pouring another $8 million this season into a new nature center, pickleball courts, a putt-putt golf course, a bicycle rental area, and a BMX off-road bicycle course for kids 12 and under. The iconic 600-foot porch at the Grand Hotel is getting 100 new rocking chairs, as well.

The investment comes from KSL Capital Partners, a private equity group that bought the hotel from the Dan Musser family three years ago. The hotel is managed by the Davidson Hospitality Group of Atlanta.

“Our members continue to invest in making their properties even better, and we’re very fortunate to have owners who can afford to make the investments,” Hygh says. “The feedback on the changes at the pool (at the Grand Hotel) has been phenomenal.”

Other improvements are taking place at Mission Point Resort, which has added private hot tubs in 14 suites and enhanced outdoor deck seating for diners.

The Chippewa Hotel, the home of the popular Pink Pony Bar, has installed a new 25-person hot tub with a pink pony logo on the bottom.

Moving closer to home, the Pulte family, new owners of The Inn at St. John’s in Plymouth Township, is converting the dated 27-hole golf facility into a toptier, 18-hole championship course to complement an AAA Four-Diamond-rated hotel that offers convention, wedding, and dining facilities. Hearn blew up the original 27-hole course and is in the process of building a 7,000-yard championship layout as its replacement. The new 18-hole course is projected to open in mid-summer next year.

“It’s a tremendous project, not just golf, but the convention center, a 600-person wedding center, and all the other amenities they have out there,” says Hearn, who is also designing a seven-hole, Par-3 course, and a Himalaya-style putting course that will cover 2 acres. With the five sets of tees he worked into his design, the designer says the new course will offer players of every skill level multiple angles and options.

Sparing no expense to ensure the best product, the Pultes hired LaBarr Golf Renovations of Basking Ridge, N.J., one of the top golf construction firms in the country. LaBarr was the construction crew on the recently completed renovation of Oakland Hills Country Club’s famed South Course. “I’m really looking forward to working with them,” Hearn says. “With USGA- specific greens and 007 bentgrass fairways, the course will rival the look of a private club.”

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DON'T LOSE ANY MORE GROUND WITH YOUR KEY ACCOUNTS

Gerry Weinberg & Associates

REMOTE SELLING QUIZ Today’s sales landscape is going through significant short and longterm changes due to the current socio-economic changes. Are you still waiting?

Has your team adapted to online meetings with buyers?

Will you regain revenue in Q4?

Are employees effectively engaging with prospects and customers while working from home?

Weinberg.FP.DB.0522.indd 1

3/17/22 1:48 PM

Exec Life

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Sundae Dreams

SWEET SUCCESS Dylan Lemay grew up in Taylor and began working at a local Cold Stone Creamery franchise, where he hit on the idea to create video posts of his work experiences. Within a few days, he generated thousands of views on social media.

Taylor native Dylan Lemay is living an entrepreneurial dream, thanks to ice cream and social media channels.

BY TOM MURRAY

Best of all, there was a Cold Stone Creamery branch in Springfield, and Lemay worked at the store throughout college. He was eventually joined by his sister, Destiny, at both college and the Cold Stone Creamery location. “She’s two years younger than me, so we went to school together for two years — her first two and my last two,” Lemay says.

By the time Lemay graduated, he was the manager of the Cold Stone Creamery store. When the time came to hire an assistant, the choice was obvious. “Destiny had grown as an employee and started taking ownership, so she earned her position and it only made sense for her to be my assistant manager,” he says.

Soon after making that decision, Lemay experienced what he calls his “tripod moment.”

“It was January or February of 2020, pre-pandemic, and I ordered a tripod for my iPhone. As I was pulling it out of the box, Destiny asked, What’s that for? And I told her I was going to become famous on TikTok. I was completely joking. I just was bored, and I needed something to do, like a new hobby, because I didn’t know what to do with my free time.”

There was soon plenty of free time to kill, of course, because everyone was staying home as the world seemed to shut down because of the pandemic.

“About a month after I got the tripod I was talking to some friends,” Lemay says, chortling, “and they were telling me they didn’t know how to cook and they were going to die because the pandemic was happening and all of the restaurants were closed.”

Lemay grabbed his tripod and went to work.

“I jokingly made a few cooking tutorial videos,” he says. “I was trying to figure out how to record them so I could use both my hands. So I took the tripod and I tucked it down into my shirt, and showed how to make hash browns and eggs. I accidentally dropped like half my hash browns onto the stove, and they were burning. It was just a mess of a goofy video and I sent it to these friends as a joke, not thinking anything of it. But that idea stuck in my head.”

Shortly afterward, Lemay had another idea for a video. “I made a gender reveal cake for one of my friends, and this was the first time I really put effort into making a video to post on TikTok,” he says.

The result was stunning. “It got 300,000 views, and so I was mind-blown,” he says. “I thought it was the coolest thing, and I was like, OK, I think I get this. I understand what I need to do.”

What he needed to do turned out to be filming a slew of additional videos while he was actually working at Cold Stone Creamery, simply going through the steps he takes during a regular shift. The response the videos generated was encouraging enough for Lemay to keep producing them.

“There was the Saturday where I had this idea,” he says. “I thought it was probably really dumb, but I was going to do it anyway. I didn’t care. I thought it was fun. So, I made this video, like it’s your first day at Cold Stone, and I talked to the viewers and I was training them, scooping out the ice cream and wearing the

MIKE ROSENTHAL

D

ylan Lemay’s website proudly proclaims he’s the “largest ice-cream focused digital creator in the world.” What does that mean, exactly? Stand by for details.

In the meantime, ponder the numbers Lemay is pulling in these days on his social media platforms: 11 million followers on TikTok, 3 million on YouTube, and another 317,000 on Instagram.

Which is why it’s difficult to comprehend that when Lemay got his first job at age 15, dishing ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery in Taylor, his hometown, it was an unmitigated disaster on the very first day.

“I wasn’t a quick learner, and I was just really overwhelmed and nervous,” Lemay recalls. “I was afraid to disappoint people and let them down, and that was all kind of running through my head.

I just didn’t want to mess up — and in the process of not wanting to mess up, I was messing everything up and overthinking and coming off as really annoying.”

He says he was especially bothersome when he asked questions about what seemed to be the most obvious tasks. “Like when they told me to wash the dishes and change the water, and I asked how to do that, they said take out the plug in the sink — and I asked, Where’s the plug?” Lemay says, sheepishly.

At that point, he was a student at John F. Kennedy High School in Taylor — and a kid who loved to play hockey. “I had skates on from pretty much the time I was able to walk all the way until my freshman year of high school,” he says. “That was the last year I played. It just seemed like it was time to grow up and get a job, so that’s what I did.”

When Lemay’s fledgling career blew up at that Cold Stone Creamery branch in Taylor, he didn’t even think about putting his skates back on and continuing his hockey career. “I went to the Cold Stone in the city next to us, in Allen Park,” he says blithely, “and got a job there.”

That gig worked out and he kept the job right up until the time came for him to attend college. “I grew up in a Christian household and we were taught that you have to go to college, so I thought if this is what I’m told to believe, let’s go to a Christian school and learn more about it,” he recalls. “I went to Baptist Bible College, a really small school in Springfield, Mo. I enjoyed it. It was a fun time. I learned a lot.”

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Exec Life

tripod on my neck, putting all the stuff onto the stone and mixing it up.”

He posted the video and continued work as usual.

“By the end of my shift, I had 7 million views,” Lemay says, still incredulous. “I was mind-blown. I thought it was a dumb idea, but people loved it because they’d never seen anything like it before, and they were comparing it to watching somebody play a video game. So then I made a video of your second day, your third day, all the way up to the 14th day.”

Less than two months after the video of Lemay’s gender reveal cake pulled in those first 300,000 views on TikTok, he hit 1 million followers on that platform.

His career as an entrepreneur clearly seemed to be well on its way. It was virtually assured on a day Lemay will never forget.

“August 18th, 2020,” he says. “That’s when TikTok’s Creator Fund started. This was a giant chunk of money they set aside and it would be split up between the creators who had the videos with the most views.

Once I got my first check from that, I realized I could make a living doing it.”

At first, Lemay thought about using the money to become a Cold Stone Creamery franchisee. “But I realized I was thinking way too small,” he says.

“Instead, I wanted to start my own ice cream shop.

Through the pandemic, I think one thing that’s really been lacking is just good, authentic customer experiences where you feel engaged and cared about, and somebody actually enjoys their job and getting to serve you.”

That’s how he came up with the idea for his own ice cream store, called CATCH’N Ice Cream. “We’ve all seen a bartender making a cocktail and throwing stuff around and making a fun show for you,” Lemay says. “Same thing when you go to Benihana, and the chefs have fun grilling in front of you.”

Late last year, Lemay began looking for investors to help him transform his idea into a reality. The money people clearly bought the pitch; Lemay raised $1.5 million and is scheduled to open his inaugural CATCH’N Ice Cream franchise in New York City this summer. So, what will make his place any different from the usual experience of buying a cone or a milkshake?

“As soon as you walk in, you’ll see people throwing ice cream around,” he says with a laugh. “Like Benihana with ice cream. And that might be a little overwhelming, but it’s just going to be a fun show. The goal is for you to see some fun tricks, engage in conversation, and have some fun. I’ve had 10 years of serving ice cream, so I’ve really been able to practice and refine how to make a good customer experience, and

(I know) how much that can impact your day.”

Lemay, at 25, is understandably still processing his success, and how quickly it all happened.

“I’m kind of overwhelmed all the time, trying to take it all in,” he says. “My dream for a long time was just to continue to work with ice cream. Not even two years ago, I was just a manager of an ice cream shop.

Now I’m opening my own shop in New York City. But that’s just the beauty of the internet these days. It can change your life quickly. I’m constantly trying to take that all in and digest it, and figure out what to do with all that information — because it’s crazy, and it happened very fast.”

Not too fast, though, for the still remarkably humble Lemay to remember how and where he got his start in the business, a scant 10 years ago. And that only reinforces his commitment to give back however he can.

“I travel to a lot of independently owned momand-pop type ice cream places, and I help make videos that advertise for them,” he says. “They don’t have a marketing budget or a team making all kinds of content. I’ve made friendships and I make videos with them, and just try to help support these small, local ice cream shops. I’m currently working on something big with my brand, to hopefully help do that.

“There’s enough room for all of us,” he continues, “because in the ice cream world, it’s not a competition. It doesn’t matter how big the ice cream shop or the brand that we’re creating grows; I’ll always look for ways to be there and help all these people who helped me out from the start.”

STORE RENDERINGS COURTESY OF TLG (THE LIONESS GROUP)

MOXIE PORTAITS

MIKE ROSENTHAL

SCOOP IT UP Dylan plans to open his first CATCH'N Ice Cream store this summer in New York City. Plans are to expand the retail experience to other cities.

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PRODUCTION RUN

Happy Juice Husband-and-wife team steer Beyond Juicery + Eatery to steady growth.

BY TIM KEENAN

SMOOTH OPERATORS The husband-and-wife team of Pam Vivio and Mijo Alanis launched Beyond Juicery + Eatery in 2005 with a location in Birmingham. Today, there are 38 locations in Michigan and Ohio, with more planned.

“My father-in-law (John Vivio) taught me what it was like to stick the key in the door in the morning and lock it up at night,” Alanis says. “He taught me about the cost of electricity, the carpet, about payroll tax, insurance, napkins, linens, straws — the nuts and bolts of the business. More than anything, he taught me how to live a family life in the restaurant business.”

Shortly after the turn of the century, Alanis started noticing that his Vivios customers were throwing away their hamburger buns and French fries.

“People were starting to eat healthier, asking to replace French fries with side dishes like sliced tomatoes, salads, and cottage cheese,” says Alanis, who also remembered the burst of energy he felt after drinking fruit juice while hiking back in Arizona. Then came that drive along Woodward.

Early in the first store’s history, it sold only juices and smoothies that were mixed in the store. One customer came in and ordered six to take on a weekend up north. That gave Alanis the idea to start bottling his concoctions.

Manufacturing began daily at 4 a.m. in the kitchen of Vivio’s restaurant. Eventually, Alanis had to farm out the juice-bottling to a company in Chicago that specializes in high-pressure processing. The so-called HPP machines look like a mini submarine and take the product — made with no preservatives — and applies 87,000 pounds of pressure. The pressure breaks the cell membranes of any type of bacteria or mold and kills it.

Alanis prefers HPP to pasteurization, which involves applying heat. “When you heat it, you kill everything,” he says. “You’re killing the micronutrients, all the good stuff that’s in there. The HPP process is relatively new. It’s an expensive process, which is why it’s a premium product. It’s all organic. You can’t get any better than that. We can’t make it any cleaner.”

Beyond Juicery started to grow after Alanis went to an International Franchising Association meeting. “When I went to my first IFA meeting, I felt like I was with a bunch of like-minded people. I hadn’t had that feeling, ever.”

In 2014 and 2015, Beyond Juicery + Eatery expanded to three additional locations (the original in Birmingham is still in business, along with stores in Southfield, the Somerset Collection, and Eastern Market), and added a commissary on Cole Street in Birmingham to prepare the foods.

Alanis and Vivio used the four local outlets to figure out how to make the system work before recruiting franchisees. The pair signed their first franchisee in 2018. The brand closed out 2021 with 38 locations — 30 in Michigan and eight in Ohio.

BEYOND JUICERY + EATERY

A

lifetime in the restaurant business and a drive along Woodward Avenue in 2005 led Mijo Alanis and his wife, Pam Vivio, to start Beyond Juicery + Eatery.

“I was driving up this road right here,” Alanis says, gesturing through his Royal Oak conference room window toward Woodward, “and I noticed there was no place to buy a banana.”

Not long after that epiphany, the husband-andwife team opened their first store at 270 W. Maple Rd., in Birmingham.

Since 2005, the brand’s growth has been steady.

When the store first opened, Alanis had a goal of selling 100 bottles of juice per day. Today, Beyond Juicery orders 9,960 bottles every three weeks. It also goes through 23 truck trailers full of fresh strawberries each year.

About those bananas Alanis couldn’t find? He now goes through 25,000 cases of bananas, or 1 million pounds of bananas, a year.

The Beyond Juicery story, however, began long before the fated Woodward Avenue revelation.

Alanis started in the restaurant business when he was 15 years old, washing dishes at Bob’s Big Boy in Prescott, Ariz. He kept climbing the Bob’s Big Boy ladder, shunning a potential career as a professional baseball third baseman and pitcher.

“I decided I wanted the prep cook’s job,” Alanis recalls. “He was making onion rings, so I taught myself how to make onion rings and became a prep cook.

Then I noticed the cook had the power in the restaurant, so I became a cook. Then I became a server, host — I did it all — and when I graduated from high school, I was asked if I wanted to be a manager.”

Fast-forward several years and Alanis was working in a bar in Scottsdale, Ariz. A lady walked in toward the end of his shift. After an internal debate about whether or not to wait on this last-minute patron, he decided to help her. Good thing. He ended up marrying Pam Vivio, who was from Michigan and attending graduate school in Arizona.

“You have to treat the first customer and the last customer the same,” Alanis says. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

The couple ultimately moved to Michigan and Alanis went to work for his wife’s family restaurant, Vivios in Detroit’s Eastern Market.

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THE RUNDOWN

1.4 million smoothies blended in 2021

1 million pounds of bananas used

95% sales increase in 2021 from 2020

90 employees at Beyond Juicery + Eatery

Source: Beyond Juicery + Eatery

Alanis says 50 more units should come online before the end of 2022, including an outpost in Florida. “The growth is organic,” Alanis says. “We haven’t really marketed yet. We hope to get there at some point.”

A franchise fee of $30,000 gets a franchisee set up. Once a location is up and running, Alanis receives a 6 percent royalty and a 2 percent brand fund contribution.

Beyond Juicery + Eatery offers more than just juices and smoothies. There are a variety of wraps, sandwiches, veggie bowls, soups, and acai sorbet bowls, along with eight choices of bottled juices, six varieties of raw juice by the cup, three kinds of wellness shots, and juice cleanses.

Smoothie options include Total Energy (strawberry and banana), Total Energy Plus (strawberry, banana, spinach, kale), Mango Tango (mango, pineapple, banana, cream of coconut, and honey), Razzle Dazzle (raspberry, strawberries, banana, coconut water, lime), and more.

Although healthy eating was the impetus of starting Beyond Juicery + Eatery, Alanis says a customer survey showed that taste is what keeps bringing people back.

“The true differentiator is in the other products that we have,” he explains. “Our salad dressings are clean. They’re made with coconut aminos, not soy.

Our chicken is clean. Our salsa is clean. I think I was about four years ahead of my time. People on the East Coast were trying to eat healthier at the time (the store opened in 2005). It finally came here.”

The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for many businesses, especially restaurants, to survive, much less thrive. Not so for Beyond Juicery + Eatery.

“We were able to move very quickly in technology,” Alanis says. “We became slender. We became closer with our vendors, with our franchisees, and with our customers. We stayed open and actually thrived. We had a lot of good things come out of it.”

Alanis uses a football analogy to describe the state of his business and where he says he is, en route to his goal of 1,000 stores in 10 years with average revenue per store of $2 million.

“The pass has already been thrown,” he says. “We just have to get underneath it and catch it. The difference is making that catch and getting it across the goal line. A lot of people get it to the one-yard line and can’t get into the end zone.”

Alanis says he and his wife have every intention of scoring that touchdown.

NICK HAGEN

BEYOND JUICERY + EATERY

MANGO TANGO The menu at Beyond Juicery + Eatery includes numerous smoothies, bottled juices, wellness shots, sandwich wraps, and salads. Above, Doug Drouillard, a barista, prepares a smoothie.

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Exec Life PATENTS AND INVENTIONS

Elijah J. McCoy, an inventor and engineer, revolutionized transportation and the efficiency of machines in the steam age, but he failed to cash in among investors.

BY NORM SINCLAIR

T

he improbable life story of one of Detroit’s most notable inventors, Elijah J. McCoy, seems as unbelievable as most Hollywood movie scripts.

A Black man, the son of American slaves, he was born in Canada, educated in Scotland, and moved to Ypsilanti in 1866, where racial discrimination forced him to take an unskilled railroad job.

That experience inspired him to invent a mechanical part for lubricating railroad steam engines, revolutionizing train travel worldwide while making millions of dollars for railroad companies. McCoy would go on to file 72 patents for various inventions including a folding ironing board, a lawn water sprinkler, and rubber heels for shoes.

Despite the enormous impact his lubricating innovation had on the operation of steam engines, McCoy never shared in the fortune it made for the railroads and steam-powered transatlantic shipping companies and factories. His achievements have faded into history, but the idiom “the real McCoy,” coined for his automatic lubricator invention, has long been part of the American lexicon.

McCoy’s parents, George McCoy and Mildred Goins, fled their lives as slaves in Kentucky and escaped to Canada through the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and routes from the South through Detroit and across the nation’s northern border.

The couple arrived in Ontario just as a rebellion broke out in 1837 pitting native Canadians against British rule in the country. George McCoy enlisted with the British military, which successfully put down the rebellion. Extending a measure of goodwill, the Canadian government awarded him 160 acres of farmland in Colchester, Ontario, near the shores of Lake Erie in southwest Ontario. Here, he and his wife raised 12 children, including Elijah, who was born in 1844.

As a child, young Elijah was fascinated by machines and mechanical devices. He would frequently take them apart and tinker with them, observing how they worked, before reassembling them. Realizing their son had an aptitude for mechanics, his parents shipped him off at age 15 to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he finished his schooling as a master mechanic and was certified as a mechanical engineer.

In 1866, at age 22, McCoy returned to the U.S., became an American citizen, and settled in Ypsilanti.

Despite his quality education, as a young Black man in America after the Civil War, McCoy couldn’t get an engineering job.

Instead, he signed on with the Michigan Central

Robert C. Hayden, author of “Eight Black American Inventors,” quoted a railroad superintendent praising the McCoy Graphite Lubricator: “There is a decided advantage in better lubrication and reduction of wear in valves and piston rings, and as a well lubricated engine is more economical in the use of fuel, there is unquestionably a saving in fuel.”

McCoy’s lubricators were so much in demand throughout the steam engine era that most purchasing agents insisted on buying “the real McCoy.” Some archivists believe the description was adopted into general conversation for the “real thing.” Others believe it referred to a brand of whiskey.

In Scotland, fans of Mackay Scotch whiskey in the 1880s referred to their favorite drink as the “clear Mackay” and, during Prohibition, American furtive drinkers were known to ask for “the real Mackay.”

In his personal life, McCoy was married twice. His first wife was 25 when she died after four years of marriage. His childless second marriage lasted 50 years.

In 1920, the 77-year-old McCoy found investors to set up Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Co. in Detroit to manufacture and sell his graphite lubricators.

Shortly afterward, he and his wife, Mary, were involved in a traffic acciden; she died as a result of her injuries in 1923. McCoy’s injuries caused his health to deteriorate, and he was hospitalized with dementia before he died at age 85 on Oct. 10, 1929.

To help keep his memory alive, Michigan Historic Society markers were placed in front of his former home-workshop on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti, and at his Detroit home at the intersection of Lincoln Street and Elijah McCoy Drive near Wayne State University.

In 2001, he was elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Va. Eleven years later, the country’s first satellite trademark office, located in Detroit, was named the Elijah J. McCoy United States Patent and Trademark Office, ensuring the inventor’s legacy will be memorialized for years to come.

YPSILANTI HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Tin Cup

Railroad as a locomotive fireman and oiler, one of the most physically challenging jobs on a train. A fireman was expected to shovel two tons of coal each hour into the firebox of the locomotive, while an oiler walked the length of the train with an oil can during its frequent water fill-up stops, squirting oil on its axles, bearings, and other moving parts as well as lubricating the locomotive.

Because the engines were powered by steam, the pressure propelled the train but also pushed oil away from the moving parts of the engine, necessitating frequent stops to shut off the engine to keep it lubricated.

McCoy soon figured out how to harness the steam to constantly pump oil where it was needed most.

At the machine shop in his home in Ypsilanti, McCoy went to work on his idea. He designed a container he filled with oil, which he named a lubricating cup. Inside the cup was a steam-driven piston that would push a steady stream of oil to multiple operating parts at once.

On July 23, 1872, McCoy received a patent for his device. Soon afterward, he demonstrated it to his bosses at Michigan Central Railroad, received their support, and installed the lubricator on one of their locomotives. The device worked perfectly and quickly became standard equipment on all the railroad’s locomotives.

The invention was a boon in efficiency, as it meant trains didn’t have to stop frequently for oil, reducing travel time for passengers and cargo. What’s more, the engines lasted longer and needed less maintenance, saving the rail companies even more money. The device also was adopted on steam engines used to power boats, ocean liners, and in factories.

Very little of the monetary windfall the companies enjoyed wound up with McCoy. He didn’t have the money, nor could he raise the capital to mass-produce his invention, so he was forced to sell it to investors for a modest amount. He continued to work for Michigan Central for 10 more years before he could afford to leave the railroad, move to Detroit, and continue working on inventions.

From there, he became a consultant to industry, including for the Detroit Lubricator Co. More than a decade after his lubricator invention, McCoy took on another problem for steam engines. Because of increasing passenger and freight demands, railroad engineers developed much larger and more powerful locomotives that generated added horsepower.

In a bid to reduce the use of coal per mile, engineers came up with the concept of superheated steam to boost engine efficiency; it was an early forerunner of today’s turbo chargers.

But the development created a new problem.

Normal-grade oil couldn’t fully protect engine cylinders, leading to a mixture of soft, greasy, and powdered graphite that could withstand high temperatures. The mixture, however, was prone to clog up an engine.

In April 1915, McCoy applied for a patent for his improved Locomotive Lubricator, which prevented graphite from clogging.

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CHRIS PHILPOT

Exec Life

DRIP, DRIP The lubricating cup, designed by Elijah J. McCoy in 1872, allowed trains to travel much farther. Prior to his invention, railroad personnel had to stop every few miles to add oil to any moving parts lest they seize up and potentially cause a derailment.

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OPINION

Smart Growth

The path from startup to the middle market sector can be uneven, and often involves bringing in new partners and processes to reach and exceed profit goals while enhancing employee culture. resulted in top-line revenue growth but little bottom-line profit.

Rather than continue down this path, our C-suite team, with assistance from our consultants, conducted a thorough analysis of the financial performance of the company and an assessment of what had made us successful.

What did we learn from this process? We needed to focus on growing our company in the regions that had made us successful and pull back on being a national firm. We were struggling with

WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THIS PROCESS? WE NEEDED TO FOCUS ON GROWING OUR COMPANY IN THE REGIONS THAT MADE US SUCCESSFUL ...”

While the middle market is made up of former small business owners who have evolved their operations into a much larger company, many times the principals of such firms have no exit plan or even a solid succession plan. Proper planning, rather than waiting until the last minute, can help preserve their legacy and the value in what they’ve built.

Fortunately, my partner and I planned well, which positioned our company, PM Environmental Inc. in Lansing, for a bright future. We started our journey 30 years ago with two environmental engineers and a pickup truck (PM 1.0).

As time passed, we achieved consistent growth.

Twenty years later, we were a lower-middle-market company with two 50/50 owners who weren’t getting any younger. Although in our 40s at the time, we recognized the need to explore the next chapter. We retained industry-specific financial and operational consultants to evaluate and implement the changes necessary to better streamline our operations, add talent where needed, and develop a more sophisticated structure.

We then entered PM 2.0. As we marched forward, we began to prepare for a leadership transition by enhancing our C-suite with the promotion of key professionals who were essential to supporting strong leadership and growth.

What followed was a move to transcend our regional growth into a company with offices from coast to coast. While some of this expansion was profitable, other aspects of our targeted advancement

organic geographic expansion while excelling at organic growth in our key markets. We had the special sauce to succeed, but experienced limitations in geographic expansion, including acquisitions.

Still, we didn’t drop the goal of becoming PM 3.0, where we could build on our legacy and pursue continued growth and geographic expansion. To get there, we recognized we needed help pursuing financial growth through a partnership. We were seeking a financial partner with seasoned acquisition professionals who had M&A experience in building a human capital technical services platform.

What followed was a partnership with Keystone Capital Management, a private investment firm in Chicago, and Pinchin Ltd. in Ontario. The new direction, announced in February, allows for the expansion of our collective environmental risk management, engineering, and health and safety consulting services to corporate real estate owners, developers, end users, and government agencies in the United States and Canada.

At the time of the deal, PM was a regional market leader serving clients out of 12 offices in Michigan and the southeastern U.S., while Pinchin operated out of 34 offices across Canada. As a result of the partnership, PM can now serve Canada with 34 locations coast to coast, and benefit from access to 1,000 employees among what are now 46 office locations across the continent.

Apart from our circumstances, there are many models of partnering that can lead to growth, ranging from adding financial muscle to pursuing an organic merger, undertaking leveraged debt buyouts, bringing in minority interest partners, and exploring other opportunities that provide much-needed business and financial expertise that companies may lack.

Part of the success of PM 3.0 will rely upon attracting talent from technical universities and trade schools. In addition, we’re working with the Michigan Economic Development Corp., which offers several programs to assist middle market firms, in order to establish an apprentice training program for the many blue-collar, higher-paying jobs that will evolve to support the growing environmental remediation and sustainability focus of the global marketplace.

While our growth trajectory wasn’t a straight path, we found success by gathering and considering multiple options to advance the business for years to come.

MICHAEL T. KULKA

Co-founder and CEO of PM Environmental Inc. in Lansing, which is a full-service environmental consulting firm founded in 1992. He’s also a board member of the Detroit chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.

NICK HAGEN

M

any middle market companies — those that produce annual revenue of between $10 million and $1 billion — are started by one or two entrepreneurs who are laser-focused on growing the business and succeeding.

They never take their hands off the wheel, and their eyes are constantly scanning the horizon and looking for future opportunities, efficiencies, and new ways to introduce or better refine a product or service.

BY MICHAEL T. KULKA

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4/14/22 12:45 PM

Big things are happening at MarxModa.

We’re thrilled to announce the addition of Knoll alongside Herman Miller as we continue our work as Michigan’s Certified Dealer.

Scan the QR code to learn more. marxmoda.com

MarxModa.FP.DB.0522.indd 1

Coming this Spring, MarxModa will represent the full product portfolio of Knoll and Herman Miller. We’re eager to continue making a difference with more creative solutions than ever.

3/31/22 12:06 PM

The Circuit

TIGERS OPENING DAY PATRICK GLORIA

As part of Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers on April 8, multiple companies and individuals hosted parties, including Troy-based Signal Restoration Services, Detroit-based UHY, and Michael Higgins, owner of the David Broderick Tower.

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1. Steve Harris, Monique Holiday-Bettie, Kevin

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Johnson, Michael Higgins 2. Rick DiBartolomeo, Kevin Rinke, Ron DiBartolomeo 3. Mark Gregory, Gregg Williams, Mark Marangon, Greg Liposki 4. Lauren Mattes, Kim Easterle Mattes, Jim Mattes 5. Dave Petosky, Mike Holycross, David Young, Jeff Leithauser

ALTERNATIVES FOR GIRLS CELEBRATION CHRISTINE MJ HATHAWAY

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Alternatives for Girls, a nonprofit organization in Detroit, hosted its annual Role Model Celebration on March 30 at MGM Grand Detroit. The event raised more than $325,000 to support the organization’s mission of helping homeless and high-risk girls and young women avoid violence, teen pregnancy, and exploitation, and encouraging them to explore and access support.

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6. Sabrina Galloway, Ewenique Wilson,

Justin Milhouse 7. Jim Spangler, Howard Friedrichs, Marlene Martel, Linda Krupsky 8. Kennedy Montgomery, Kathryn Wilson 9. Helen DeAvila, Cathy Lombardo 10. Gabriella Burman, Adam Kaplan

FIGHT FOR JUSTICE GALA CHRISTINE MJ HATHAWAY

The Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL), a nonprofit organization, hosted its 10th annual Fight for Justice Gala on March 31 at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center in Dearborn. The event highlighted major civil rights issues in the community, and acknowledged excellence in community service and social justice.

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11. Nabih Ayad, Nicole Satler, and Monica,

Wedelaya, and Dr. Wendell Anthony 12. Hon. David Allen, Hon. Sean Cox, Hon. James Chylinski 13. Hon. Warren Evans, Nilaja Stewart, Tene Ramsey 14. Hon. Megan Cavanaugh, Hon. Elizabeth Welch 15. Aya Beydoun, Nasser Beydoun

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4/14/22 3:55 PM

VISIONARY COMPANIES AREN’T FORGED FROM SPREADSHEETS

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Visit MuditaVP.com to learn more about our unique approach to seizing opportunity, driving innovation, and making this crazy world a little bit better.

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3/7/22 10:24 AM

The Circuit

KIDNEY BALL PATRICK GLORIA

The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan hosted its annual Kidney Ball on April 2 at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit. Proceeds from the event, which totalled $406,000, will support NKFM’s programs and services for preventing kidney disease and helping the more than 1 million Michigan residents living with the ailment.

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1. Front: Courtnie Sanchez, Shelly Bastian

Back: Joe Chandler, Elizabeth Clement, Derrick Thomas 2. Patrick Rugiero, Laurie Tannous, Mischawn Fosse, Jerry Ruggirello 3. Loren Venegas, Michelle Venegas, Hector and Lisa Romero, Patricia Wells 4. Laura Szymonski, Justin Fishaw 5. Frank Venegas, Barb and Doug Brewster

BEYOND BASICS PATRICK GLORIA

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Beyond Basics, a nonprofit literacy organization, hosted its annual Coming Together for Children event on March 25 at the Detroit Athletic Club. The event raised $300,000 to help meet the organization’s goal of ensuring local students read at grade level, which paves the way to an equitable society by allowing children to access their education and pursue their dreams.

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6. Timothy Grandberry, Annette Aronson,

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Dajuan Grandberry 7. Fellekech Lessanework, Carol O’Keefe, Selam Sanders, Keri James 8. Zachary Van Elslander, Christina Calcaterra 9. David Van Elslander, Jennifer Minaudo, Haley Jakabcsin, Douglas Van Elslander 10. David and Sue Van Elslander

ITALIAN DESIGN DAY PATRICK GLORIA

The Consulate of Italy in Detroit hosted its Italian Design Day 2022 on March 28 at The Firehouse in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. The event highlighted Italian luxury brands and made-in-Italy designs and featured a presentation by renowned Italian architect Roberto Palomba.

11. Karl and Pamela Bell, Barry Johnson

12. Franco Bianchi, Roberto Palombo, Allegra Baistrocchi 13. David and Eva Evola, David Mendelson, Jeff Cauley 14. Cyndy Doherty, Alex Decker 15. Andrew Forbes, Cathy and Nate Forbes

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4/14/22 12:44 PM

Congratulates NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY

P R O U D LY

TradeFirst

Keeping Communities Strong by Keeping byKeeping

Local Businesses First.

Join Today!

SINCE 1978

(248) 544-1350 www.tradefirst.com

TradeFirst_14_3-4wx4-69h_dbus_mayjun2022.indd 1

87_DB0522.indd 1

JOE CAULEY

Cauley Ferrari of Detroit • Northwood Alumnus

On his recognition of 30 In Their Thirties - 2022 from DBusiness magazine.

northwood.edu • 800.622.9000

We develop free-enterprise leaders who drive global economic and social progress.

3/25/2022 12:39:55 PM

4/12/22 12:34 PM

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

TRUSTED ADVISERS Q&A Q: Do I need a lobbyist in Lansing?

A: Lobbyists represent multiple businesses or interests to the Legislature, Administration, and regulatory bodies. It’s their role to know the process, people, and politics of what goes on in Lansing. Lobbyists work with business leaders or in-house government relations teams to identify and navigate issues.

There are countless examples of where businesses that regularly engaged in the legislative process were asked their opinions on proposals. Also, there are numerous examples of a business scrambling to find a lobbyist to get them a seat at the table after

a bill was introduced. Nearly 3,000 bills have been introduced since January 2021. Chances are one of those bills could severely impact the way you do business, or if you do business at all. If you’re not at the table, you could be on the menu.

A Trusted Adviser/Lobbyist working for you in Lansing will help you identify where you need to be engaged, develop a strategy for your engagement, and offer a fair price for the work that needs to be done. They become an extension of your business operation serving as your eyes and ears in Lansing.

Plunkett Cooney Peter J. Langley Senior Attorney 101 N. Washington Square Suite 1200 Lansing, MI 48933 517-324-5622 248-901-4040 (F) plangley@plunkettcooney. com

Q: Why should companies expand their benefit offerings?

A: From medical insurance to retirement plans benefits are an important part of employees’ total compensation and may have a lot of sway in recruiting new talent. Encouraging current employees to make the best use of their benefits allows them to save money, stay healthy and enjoy peace of mind. Benefits can also improve employee focus and overall job satisfaction. We have long been committed to the whole health of our employees and members.

In January, we partnered with VSP® Vision Care to offer Delta Vision® vision insurance to our groups. Launching a new product is one of the biggest

announcements we have ever communicated to our customers and agent community. VSP is a national leader in vision benefits and is well known for their best-in-class vision programs, making them the ideal complement to our dental program.

Dentists and optometrists are trained to detect early signs of many conditions, including some cancers and diabetes, which can lead to earlier intervention and better health. We also know that employees are spending more time in front of screens. Even those who don’t need glasses may turn to their vision benefits to help reduce eye strain and the effects of blue light.

Delta Dental of Michigan Anthony Robinson Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer 4100 Okemos Road Okemos, MI 48864 deltadentalmi.com

Q: Which industries are expected to drive the M&A market in 2022?

A: Almost all industries are experiencing

transaction volume growth, but for different reasons. Increased deal activity by industry can be more broadly characterized and understood in two categories: Cyclical Industries: These industries have historically tended to ebb and flow with cyclical forces, whether it be commodity pricing, consumer sentiment, administration/regulatory changes, and/or construction spending.

Illustrative examples include building products, metals and mining, chemicals, business and consumer services, paper and packaging and certain real estate sectors.

Technical Change: These industries have been significantly influenced by technological change that has either shifted consumer preferences or created an entirely new industry segment.

Examples include automotive, distribution, transportation and logistics, energy, consumer and the general technology sector.

The last 24 months have proven to be a

Q&A.FP.DB.0522.indd 1

unique and exciting market in M&A resulting in a remarkable increase in transaction activity.

This historic increase was the result of several factors, the most prevalent being the release of pent-up activity that was deferred in 2020 as the world was adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, there was a shift in macro-dynamics, resulting in a disconnect in global supply and demand dynamics.

The environment afforded several industries to achieve outsized growth. The result has been increased valuation multiples, encouraging more sellers to market while building momentum into 2022.

KeyBank J.R. Doolos Managing Director 216-689-7674 jdoolos@key.com

This article is for general information purposes only and does not consider the specific investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs of any individual person or entity. KeyBanc Capital Markets is a trade name under which corporate and investment banking products and services of KeyCorp® and its subsidiaries, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Member FINRA/ SIPC, and KeyBank National Association (“KeyBank N.A.”), are marketed. Securities products and services are offered by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and its licensed securities representatives, who may also be employees of KeyBank N.A. Banking products and services are offered by KeyBank N.A.

4/1/22 11:03 AM

From the Top

TOP HOTELS OUTSIDE METRO DETROIT EAST LANSING MARRIOTT EAST LANSING AT UNIVERSITY PLACE 300 M.A.C. Ave. East Lansing 48823 517-337-4440 marriott.com/lanea Rooms: 181 Meeting Rooms: 9 Dining: Bistro 43 breakfast; Great Room Restaurant and Lounge, lunch and dinner Meeting Capacity: 12,927 sq. ft.

GRAND RAPIDS AMWAY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL, CURIO COLLECTION BY HILTON 187 Monroe Ave. NW Grand Rapids 49503 616-774-2000 amwaygrand.com Rooms: 664 Meeting Rooms: 42 Dining: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, MDRD, IDC, Lumber Baron Bar, Rendezvous, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, The Kitchen Counter by Wolfgang Puck, Starbucks, Taco Alley, Woodrows Duckpin Meeting Capacity: 47,000 sq. ft.

CITY FLATS HOTEL 83 Monroe Center St. NW Grand Rapids 49503 616-608-1720 cityflatshotel.com Rooms: 48 Meeting Rooms: 4 Dining: CitySen Lounge Meeting Capacity: 6,000 sq. ft.

EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON GRAND RAPIDS DOWNTOWN 710 Monroe Ave. NW Grand Rapids 49503 616-512-5700 hilton.com/en/embassy Rooms: 250 Meeting Rooms: 5 Dining: Free breakfast and evening reception, Whitewater Lounge, Big E’s Sport Grill Meeting Capacity: 6,176 sq. ft.

JW MARRIOTT GRAND RAPIDS 235 Louis St. NW Grand Rapids 49503 616-242-1500 ilovethejw.com Rooms: 340 Meeting Rooms: 9 Dining: Margaux, Jdek at Margaux, Starbucks Meeting Capacity: 15,756 sq. ft.

RADISSON HOTEL GRAND RAPIDS RIVERFRONT 270 Ann St. NW Grand Rapids 49504 616-317-6874 radissonhotel.com Rooms: 162 Meeting Rooms: 3 Dining: River Rock Restaurant and Lounge Meeting Capacity: 2,592 sq. ft.

HOLLAND CITYFLATSHOTEL 61 E. 7th St. Holland 49423 616-796-2100 cityflatshotel.com Rooms: 56 Meeting Rooms: 3 Dining: CitySen Lounge, CityBru Coffee Meeting Capacity: 3,846 sq. ft.

KALAMAZOO RADISSON PLAZA HOTEL & SUITES AT KALAMAZOO CENTER 100 W. Michigan Ave. Kalamazoo 49007 269-343-3333 radisson.com

MISSION POINT RESORT, MACKINAC ISLAND

Rooms: 340 Meeting Rooms: 22 Dining: Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill, The Morning Dish, Brick and Brine, Starbucks, room service Meeting Capacity: 44,000 sq. ft.

MACKINAC ISLAND GRAND HOTEL 286 Grand Ave. P.O. Box 286 Mackinac Island 49757 800-334-7263 grandhotel.com Rooms: 388 Meeting Rooms: 17 Dining: Grand Hotel Main Dining Room, Grand Luncheon Experience, Grand Coffee & Provisions, Esther Williams Pool Bar, The Jockey Club, Woods Restaurant, The Gate House, Fort Mackinac Tea Room, Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor. Cocktails available at Audubon Wine Bar, Cupola Bar, Geranium Bar, and Bobby’s Bar at Woods.

Meeting Capacity: 24,878 sq. ft.

MISSION POINT RESORT One Lakeshore Dr. Mackinac Island 49757 906-847-3000 missionpoint.com Rooms: 241 Meeting Rooms: 20 Dining: Chianti, Round Island Kitchen, Bistro on the Greens, Boxwood Coffeeshop & Café, Lily’s Lemonade, Strait UP Coffee Meeting Capacity: 33,452 sq. ft.

AMWAY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL

MIDLAND

AMWAY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL, GRAND RAPIDS

THE H HOTEL 111 W. Main St. Midland 48640 989-839-0500 thehhotel.com Rooms: 130 Meeting Rooms: 10 Dining: ONe eighteen, Café Zinc,

Oxygen Lounge, and 24-hour room service Meeting Capacity: 8,000 sq. ft.

Grand Lobby Bar, Marketplace, in-room dining Meeting Capacity: 86,500 sq. ft.

MOUNT PLEASANT

INN AT BAY HARBOR 3600 Village Harbor Dr. Bay Harbor 49770 844-827-1959 innatbayharbor.com Rooms: 105 Lakeside Cottages: 23 Cottages at Crooked Tree: 15 Meeting Rooms: 7 Dining: The Sagamore Room, Inn Café, Vintage Chophouse Wine Bar, Cabana Bar (summer only), The Links Grille (summer only) Meeting Capacity: 8,110 sq. ft.

SOARING EAGLE CASINO & RESORT 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd.

Mount Pleasant 48858 GPS address: 2395 South Leaton Rd. 989-775-5777 soaringeaglecasino.com Rooms: 514 Meeting Rooms: 17 Casino Tables: 70 Dining: Ascend Sportsbook Bar and Lounge, Siniikaung Steak and Chop House, Legend’s Diner, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Central Deli and Slice, Native Grind Coffee Shop, Little Eagle Café Meeting Capacity: 70,000 sq. ft.

ST. JOSEPH THE INN AT HARBOR SHORES 800 Whitwam Dr. St. Joseph 49085 269-983-1111 innatharborshores.com Rooms: 92 Meeting Rooms: 5 Dining: Plank’s Tavern on the Water, Plank’s Dockside Bar, Rise and Vine, Torch and Tapas Meeting Capacity: 13,000 sq. ft.

TRAVERSE CITY GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT AND SPA 100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd.

P.O. Box 404 Acme 49610 231-534-6000 grandtraverseresort.com Rooms: 550 Meeting Rooms: More than 20 indoor and outdoor venues Dining: Aerie Restaurant & Lounge, Sweetwater American Bistro, The Grille, Jack’s Taproom, The Den Bar,

MISSION POINT RESORT

(SELECTED BY AAA AND DBUSINESS FOR HOSPITALITY EXCELLENCE)

WALLOON LAKE HOTEL WALLOON 4127 N. M-75 Walloon Lake 49796 231-535-5000 hotelwalloon.com Rooms: 32 Meeting Rooms: 4 Dining: Lakeside dining at Barrel Back and Walloon Lake Inn Meeting Capacity: 3,700 sq. ft. of customizable space

WINDSOR CAESARS WINDSOR CASINO AND HOTEL 377 Riverside Dr. E. Windsor, Ontario 800-991-7777 caesarswindsor.com Rooms: 758 Meeting Rooms: 7 Casino Tables: 95 Dining: Neros Steakhouse, Market Buffet, Legends Sports Bar, Spago Trattoria, Café 377, Johnny Rockets, Tim Horton’s, room service Meeting Capacity: 100,000 sq. ft.

Source: DBusiness

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From the Top

LARGEST LARGEST CONTRACTORS IN ACCIDENT AND METRO DETROIT HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES IN MICHIGAN (RANKED BY 2021 REVENUE)

1. BARTON MALOW HOLDINGS 26500 American Dr. Southfield 48034 248-436-5000 bartonmalow.com 2021 Revenue: $3.43B 2020 Revenue: $2.33B Regional Employees: 3,000 Top Local Executive: Ryan Maibach, president and CEO

2. WALBRIDGE 777 Woodward Ave., Ste. 300 Detroit 48226 313-963-8000 walbridge.com 2021 Revenue: $2.26B 2020 Revenue: $1.91B Regional Employees: 1,500 Top Local Executive: Michael Haller, CEO

3. BELFOR HOLDINGS INC. 185 Oakland Ave., Ste. 150 Birmingham 48009 248-594-1144 belfor.com 2021 Revenue: $1.96B 2020 Revenue: $1.78B Regional Employees: 1,646 Top Local Executive: Sheldon Yellen, CEO 4. ARISTEO CONSTRUCTION 12811 Farmington Rd. Livonia 48150 734-427-9111 aristeo.com

2021 Revenue: $412.4M 2020 Revenue: $392.5M Regional Employees: 400+ Top Local Executive: Michelle Aristeo Barton, president

5. COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING GROUP INC. 4260 N. Atlantic Blvd.

Auburn Hills 48439 248-209-0500 cccnetwork.com 2021 Revenue: $376.2M 2020 Revenue: $390.8M Regional Employees: 209 Top Local Executive: Stephen Fragnoli, president and CEO

6. AUCH CONSTRUCTION 65 University Dr. Pontiac 48342 248-334-2000 auchconstruction.com 2021 Revenue: $256M 2020 Revenue: $279.76M Regional Employees: 120 Top Local Executives: Vincent DeLeonardis, CEO; Jeffrey Hamilton, president 7. IDEAL CONTRACTING 2525 Clark St. Detroit 48209 313-843-8000 idealcontracting.com 2021 Revenue: $214M 2020 Revenue: $186M Employees: 376

Top Local Executive: Frank Venegas Jr., CEO and chairman 8. TURNER CONSTRUCTION CO. 535 Griswold, Ste. 1525 Detroit 48226 313-596-0500 turnerconstruction.com/ office-network/Detroit 2021 Revenue: $188.4M 2020 Revenue: $207.6M Regional Employees: 80 Top Local Executive: Robert D. Bowen Jr., LEED AP, general manager 9. ALBERICI CONSTRUCTORS INC. 26711 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 255 Southfield 48033 734-367-2500 alberici.com 2021 Revenue: $172.2M 2020 Revenue: $127.3M Local Employees: 21 Top Local Executive: Aaron Walsh, general manager and market leader 10. SACHSE CONSTRUCTION 3663 Woodward Ave., Ste. 500 Detroit 48201 313-481-8200 sachseconstruction.com 2021 Revenue: $134M 2020 Revenue: $122M Regional Employees: 150 Top Local Executive: Todd Sachse, founder and CEO Source: DBusiness research

PRIORITY HEALTH, GRAND RAPIDS

(RANKED BY MICHIGAN MARKET SHARE; AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)

1. BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. 600 E. Lafayette Blvd.

Detroit 48226 313-225-9000 bcbsm.com Assets: $10,045,479 Surplus: $6,039,139 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $9,576,680 Michigan Market Share: 26.96% Type: LH-MUT 2. BLUE CARE NETWORK OF MICHIGAN 20500 Civic Center Dr. Southfield 48076 248-799-6400 mibcn.com Assets: $2,872,294 Surplus: $1,908,518 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $4,101,543 Michigan Market Share: 11.55% Type: HMO-NP 3. PRIORITY HEALTH 1231 E. Beltline Ave. NE Grand Rapids 49525 833-489-5443 priorityhealth.com/aboutus Assets: $1,898,725 Surplus: $1,129,062 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $3,957,616 Michigan Market Share: 11.14% Type: HMO-NP

PRIORITY HEALTH

4. MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN OF MICHIGAN INC. 1 Campus Martius, Ste. 700 Detroit 48226 313-324-3700 mhplan.com Assets: $784,729 Surplus: $255,023 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $2,121,512 Michigan Market Share: 5.97%

Type: HMO-P 5. MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF MICHIGAN INC. 880 W. Long Lake Rd. Troy 48098 248-925-1700 molinahealthcare.com Assets: $564,009 Surplus: $160,077 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $1,782,867 Michigan Market Share: 5.02% Type: HMO-P 6. HEALTH ALLIANCE PLAN OF MICHIGAN 2850 W. Grand Blvd.

Detroit 48202 313-872-8100 hap.org Assets: $615,184 Surplus: $337,750 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $1,511,818 Michigan Market Share: 4.26% Type: HMO-NP 7. UNITED HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY PLAN INC. 26957 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 400 Southfield 48034 800-903-5253 uhccommunityplan.com Assets: $342,097 Surplus: $152,527 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $1,060,277 Michigan Market Share: 2.99% Type: HMO-P 8. BLUE CROSS COMPLETE OF MICHIGAN 100 Galleria Officentre, Ste. 210 Southfield 48034 800-228-8554 mibluecrosscomplete.com Assets: $377,631

Surplus: $134,188 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $917,571 Michigan Market Share: 2.58% Type: HMO-NP 9. HUMANA INSURANCE CO. 26600 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 220 Southfield 48033 800-486-2620 humana.com Assets: $9,393,515 Surplus: $4,375,364 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $859,510 Michigan Market Share: 2.42% Type: LH-STK 10. MCLAREN HEALTH PLAN INC. G-3245 Beecher Rd. Flint 48532 888-327-0671 mclarenhealthplan.org Assets: $365,182 Surplus: $210,939 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $849,361 Michigan Market Share: 2.39% Type: HMO-NP 11. UNITED HEALTHCARE INSURANCE CO. 26957 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 400 Southfield 48034 877-832-7734 uhc.com Assets: $21,587,266 Surplus: $7,611,231 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $751,920 Michigan Market Share: 2.12% Type: LH-STK 12. DELTA DENTAL PLAN OF MICHIGAN 4100 Okemos Rd. Okemos 48864 800-524-0149

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From the Top

deltadentalmi.com Assets: $721,393 Surplus: $545,117 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $595,915 Michigan Market Share: 1.68% Type: HMDI 13. AETNA LIFE INSURANCE CO. 28588 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield 48034 248-208-8600 aetna.com Assets: $24,057,314 Surplus: $5,163,629 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $538,816 Michigan Market Share: 1.52% Type: LH-STK 14. PRIORITY HEALTH CHOICE INC. 1231 E. Beltline Ave. NE Grand Rapids 49525 833-489-5443 priorityhealth.com/about-us Assets: $270,572 Surplus: $154,291 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $483,432 Michigan Market Share: 1.36% Type: HMO-NP 15. HUMANA DENTAL INSURANCE CO. 26600 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 220 Southfield 48033 800-486-2620 humana.com Assets: $213,439 Surplus: $116,292 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $398,849 Michigan Market Share: 1.12% 16. AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF MICHIGAN INC. 1333 Brewery Park Blvd., Ste. 400 Detroit 48207 313-465-1500 aetnabetterhealth.com/michigan Assets: $139,989 Surplus: $53,925 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $359,764 Michigan Market Share: 1.01% Type: HMO-P

17. AETNA BETTER HEALTH OF MICHIGAN INC. 1333 Gratiot Ave., Ste. 400 Detroit 48207 313-465-1500 aetnabetterhealth.com/michigan/ Assets: $131,261 Surplus: $57,923 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $218,428 Michigan Market Share: 0.94% Type: HMO-P 18. PRIORITY HEALTH INSURANCE CO. 27777 Franklin Rd., Ste. 1300 Southfield 48034 800-528-8762 priorityhealth.com Assets: $142,231 Surplus: $71,501 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $316,206 Michigan Market Share: 0.89% Type: LH-STK 19. PRIORITY HEALTH INSURANCE CO. 1231 E. Beltline Ave. NE Grand Rapids 49525 833-489-5443 priorityhealth.com/about-us Assets: $137,250 Surplus: $62,531 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $297,481 Michigan Market Share: 0.88% Type: LH-STK 20. ALLIANCE HEALTH AND LIFE INSURANCE CO. (Part of Health Alliance Plan of Michigan) 2850 W. Grand Blvd.

Detroit 48202 313-872-8100 hap.org Assets: $150,363 Surplus: $66,650 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $292,204 Michigan Market Share: 0.82% Type: LH-STK 21. HUMANA MEDICAL PLAN OF MICHIGAN 26600 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 220

Southfield 48033 800-486-2620 humana.com Assets: $95,010 Surplus: $44,037 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $279,200 Michigan Market Share: 0.79% Type: HMO-P 22. UPPER PENINSULA HEALTH PLAN 853 W. Washington St. Marquette 49855 906-225-7500 uphp.com Assets: $130,638 Surplus: $66,942 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $272,075 Michigan Market Share: 0.77% Type: HMO-P SUBTOTALS Assets: $74,767,059 Surplus: $28,596,201 Michigan Direct Premiums Written: $31,027,136 Michigan Market Share: 87.35% Key/Definitions: HMDI (Health, Medical, Dental Indemnity): Nonprofit insurance carriers governed under specific Michigan laws.

HMO-P, NP (Health Maintenance Organization – For Profit/Not for Profit): Deliver health care through contracted providers.

LH-STK (Life and Health – Stock Companies): Stockholder-owned companies authorized to sell life insurance and/or health insurance.

Assets: Investments, cash on hand, items of value.

Surplus: Assets minus obligations.

Michigan Direct Premiums Written: Premiums written directly to Michigan consumers from insurance companies.

Source: Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, 2022 Annual Report (for 2021 activity)

MICHIGAN FINANCIAL

MICHIGAN FINANCIAL, SOUTHFIELD

LARGEST BUSINESS INSURANCE AGENCIES IN METRO DETROIT (RANKED BY 2021 REVENUE) 1. AMERISURE 26777 Halsted Rd. Farmington Hills 48331 800-257-1900 amerisure.com 2021 Revenue: $711.9M 2020 Revenue: $754.9M 2021 Premium Volume: $770M Local Employees: 304 2. BROWN & BROWN OF DETROIT INC. 5250 Corporate Dr., Ste. 200 Troy 48098 586-977-6300 bbrown.com 2021 Revenue: $83M 2020 Revenue: $72.6M 2021 Premium Volume: $849M Employees: 628 3. MARSH MCLENNAN AGENCY 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 2300 Troy 48084 248-822-8000 marshmma.com 2021 Revenue: $48.3M 2020 Revenue: $47.1M 2021 Premium Volume: $1.94B Employees: 172 4. KAPNICK INSURANCE GROUP 769 Chicago Rd., Third Floor Troy 48083 248-352-4455 kapnick.com 2021 Revenue: $40.5M 2020 Revenue: $35.7M 2021 Premium Volume: $375M Employees: 96 5. HYLANT GROUP 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr., Ste. J4100 Ann Arbor 48105 734-741-0044 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 400 Troy 48084 248-643-8750 hylant.com 2021 Revenue: $33M 2020 Revenue: $31.4M 2021 Premium Volume: $430.4M Employees: 178

6. MICHIGAN FINANCIAL COS. INC. 28411 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 1300 Southfield 48034 248-663-4700 michiganfinancial.com 2021 Revenue: $28.9M 2020 Revenue: $22.8M 2021 Premium Volume: $2.6M Employees: 112 7. ASSURED PARTNERS INC./ MICHIGAN* 3099 Biddle Ave. Wyandotte 48192 734-283-1400 assuredpartners.com 2020 Revenue: $24M 2019 Revenue: $22.885M 2020 Premium Volume: $364M Employees: 100 8. THE HUTTENLOCHER GROUP 1007 W. Huron Waterford Twp. 48328 248-681-2100 hgway.com 2021 Revenue: $19.1M 2020 Revenue: $19.25M 2021 Premium Volume: $163M Employees: 110 9. RALPH C. WILSON AGENCY INC.* 26026 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 100 P.O. Box 5069 Southfield 48086 800-638-1174 rcwa.net 2020 Revenue: $8.2M 2019 Revenue: $8.6M 2020 Premium Volume: $150M Employees: 5,110 10. KOROTKIN** 26877 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 400 Southfield 48033 248-350-5801 korotkin.com 2020 Revenue: $7.5M 2019 Revenue: $8M 2020 Premium Volume: $65M Employees: 51

11. ALLIANT INSURANCE SERVICES 1050 Wilshire Dr., Ste. 210 Troy 48084 248-540-3131 alliant.com 2021 Revenue: $5.1M 2020 Revenue: $4.2M 2020 Premium Volume: $68.3M Employees: 24 12. GOODMAN VENEGAS 2800 Livernois Rd., Ste. 170 Troy 48083 248-740-9090 goodmanvenegas.com 2021 Revenue: $4M 2020 Revenue: $4M 2021 Premium Volume: NA Employees: 15 13. INSURANCE ADVISORS* An ACRICURE Agency Partner 8884 Commerce Rd. Commerce Twp. 48382 248-363-5746 ins-advisors.com 2020 Revenue: $3M 2019 Revenue: $2.6M 2020 Premium Volume: $20.9M Employees: 24 * Did not respond to requests for information This list, the most comprehensive available, was compiled through individual interviews with each of the respective business insurance agencies. The agencies located in the region — Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Livingston counties — are ranked by total 2021 revenue.

For agencies with headquarters located outside the region, revenue and employment are based on area activity.

Source: DBusiness research

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LARGEST LAW FIRMS IN METRO DETROIT (BASED ON NUMBERS OF LAWYERS IN WAYNE, OAKLAND, MACOMB, WASHTENAW, AND LIVINGSTON COUNTIES AS OF MARCH 2021) 1. HONIGMAN 2290 First National Building 660 Woodward Ave. Detroit 48226 313-465-7000 honigman.com Total Attorneys: 300 (metro Detroit), 353 (firmwide) Specialty: 60+ practice areas 2. DICKINSON WRIGHT 500 Woodward Ave., Ste. 4000 Detroit 48226 313-223-3500 dickinson-wright.com Total Attorneys: 168 (metro Detroit), 203 (Michigan), 477 (firmwide) Specialty: 40+ practices 3. BODMAN 1901 St. Antoine St. 6th Floor at Ford Field Detroit 48226 313-259-7777 bodmanlaw.com Total Attorneys: 163 Specialty: 40+ practices and industries

6. DYKEMA* 400 Renaissance Center Detroit 48243 313-568-6800 dykema.com Total Attorneys: 127 (metro Detroit), 154 (Michigan), 377 (firmwide) Specialty: 100+ practices within five departments 7. JAFFE, RAITT, HEUER & WEISS 27777 Franklin Rd., Ste. 2500 Southfield 48034 248-351-3000 jaffelaw.com Total Attorneys: 121 Specialty: 26 practices 8. MILLER CANFIELD 150 W. Jefferson, Ste. 2500 Detroit 48226 313-963-6420 millercanfield.com Total Attorneys: 120 (metro Detroit), 156 (Michigan), 201 (firmwide) Specialty: 100+ practices

CLARK HILL

4. BUTZEL LONG* 150 W. Jefferson, Ste. 100 Detroit 48226 313-225-7000 butzel.com Total Attorneys: 147 Specialty: 67 practices, 24 specialty groups

5. CLARK HILL 500 Woodward Ave., Ste. 3500 Detroit 48226 313-965-8300 clarkhill.com Total Attorneys: 130 (metro Detroit), 163 (Michigan), 696 (firmwide) Specialty: 20 practice areas, 24 industries (metro Detroit); 26 practice areas, 27 industries (firmwide)

9. KITCH DRUTCHAS WAGNER VALITUTTI & SHERBROOK 1 Woodward Ave., Ste. 2400 Detroit 48226 313-965-7900 kitch.com Total Attorneys: 113 Specialty: 106 practice areas 10. CANTOR COLBURN 201 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 1101 Troy 48084 248-524-2300 cantorcolburn.com Total Attorneys: 100 Specialty: Intellectual property, patent, trademark, copyright, litigation, transactions, post grant 11. PLUNKETT COONEY 38505 Woodward Ave., Ste. 100 Bloomfield Hills 48304 248-901-4000 plunkettcooney.com Total Attorneys: 95 (metro Detroit), 140 (firmwide) Specialty: 28 practices in business, 34 practices in litigation (metro Detroit and firmwide) 12. HOWARD & HOWARD ATTORNEYS 450 W. Fourth St. Royal Oak 48067 248-645-1483 howardandhoward.com Total Attorneys: 66

CLARK HILL, DETROIT

Specialty: 15 in practice expertise, 11 in industry expertise 13. GARAN LUCOW MILLER 1155 Brewery Park, Ste. 200 Detroit 48207 313-446-1530 garanlucow.com Total Attorneys: 76 Specialty: 24 practice areas 14. BROOKS KUSHMAN* 1000 Town Center, 22nd Floor Southfield 48075 248-358-4400 brookskushman.com Total Attorneys: 74 Specialty: 10 practice areas 15. KERR, RUSSELL AND WEBER* 500 Woodward Ave., Ste. 2500 Detroit 48226 313-961-0200 kerr-russell.com Total Attorneys: 60 Specialty: 38 practice areas

16. COLLINS EINHORN FARRELL 4000 Town Center, 9th Floor Southfield 48075 248-355-4141 ceflawyers.com Total Attorneys: 57 (metro Detroit and firmwide) Specialty: 11 practice areas

19. HARNESS DICKEY & PIERCE 5445 Corporate Dr., Ste. 200 Troy 48098 248-641-1600 hdp.com Total Attorneys: 47 (metro Detroit), 91 (firmwide) Specialty: Intellectual property law

17. GIARMARCO, MULLINS & HORTON 101 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy 48084 248-457-7000 gmhlaw.com Total Attorneys: 52 Specialty: 16 practice areas

20. MADDIN HAUSER 28400 Northwestern Hwy., 2nd Floor Southfield 48034 248-354-4030 maddinhauser.com Total Attorneys: 41 Specialty: 18 practice areas

18. SECREST, WARDLE, LYNCH, HAMPTON, TRUEX AND MORLEY 2600 Troy Center Dr. Troy 48007 248-851-9500 secrestwardle.com Total Attorneys: 61 (metro Detroit), 66 (firmwide), 78 (firmwide including of counsel) Specialty: 20 practice groups

* Did not respond to requests for information Source: DBusiness research

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN METRO DETROIT (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER) AMERICAN ARAB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE* 12740 W. Warren Ave., Ste. 300 Dearborn 48126 313-945-1700 americanarab.com Members: 1,500 Focus: Local, national, and international Meetings: Networking events, monthly seminars, annual Celebrating Success Dinner, Arab-American Golf Open, Building Economic Bridges Banquet, quarterly Business Builder series, international delegations Dues: $250-$5,000 Employees: 21 Founded: 1992 Contact: Fay Beydoun, executive director ANN ARBOR/YPSILANTI REGIONAL CHAMBER 2010 Hogback Rd., Ste. 4 Ann Arbor 48105 734-665-4433 @a2ychamber.org Members: 1,300 Focus: Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti region Meetings: Monthly networking meetings, Foundation Gala Dues: $395-$5,000 Employees: 9

Founded: 1919 Contact: Diane Keller, president and CEO ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 54 Clawson 48017 248-430-5855 apacc.net Members: 3,000+ in Michigan and U.S. Focus: Asian/Pacific Islander American and U.S. businesses Meetings: Networking, personal, and professional development Dues: $200-$1,200 Employees: 3 Founded: 2000 Contact: Duc Nguyen Abrahamson, executive director AUBURN HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 214083 3395A Auburn Rd. Auburn Hills 48321 248-853-7862 auburnhillschamber.com Members: 400 Focus: Uniting organizational leaders in driving a world-class business community

Meetings: 100+ educational and networking events per year; several scheduled each month Dues: $295-$1,950 Employees: 6 Founded: 1991 Contact: Jean Jernigan, president BERKLEY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 72-1253 Berkley 48072 248-414-9157 berkleychamber.com Members: 155 Focus: Berkley, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, Royal Oak, Southfield Meetings: Monthly networking events, State of the City, Berkley Art Bash, Berkley Pub Crawl, Berkley Street Art Fest Dues: $120-$500 Employees: 2 Founded: 1984 Contact: Darlene Rothman, executive director BIRMINGHAM BLOOMFIELD CHAMBER 725 S. Adams Rd., Ste. 130 Birmingham 48009 248-644-1700 bbcc.com

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Members: 730 Focus: Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Franklin Meetings: Vine and Dine, Village Fair, Forecast Breakfast Series, Professional Edge Workshop, Business After Hours, member coffees, Community Leadership Luncheon, Legislative Reception Dues: $330-$945 Employees: 4 Founded: 1947 Contact: Joe Bauman, president BRITISH-AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL OF MICHIGAN 150 W. Jefferson Ave., Ste. 100 Detroit 48226 248-825-7075 babcmichigan.org Members: 40 Platinum, Gold, and Silver members Focus: Providing Midwest businesses and organizations with opportunities to extend their reach into the UK, and for UK companies to deliver their products, services, and messages to the entire Michigan region Meetings: Local events and seminars, annual transatlantic business conferences Dues: $30-$750 Founded: 2006 Contact: Helen French, executive director CHALDEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 30095 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 101 Farmington Hills 48334 248-851-1200 chaldeanchamber.com Members: 975 Focus: Advocacy, economic development, community development, cultural preservation Meetings: Quarterly networking meetings, educational forums, annual awards dinner, annual meeting and board election, annual business luncheon, annual golf outing Dues: $100-$1,500 Employees: 8 Founded: 2003 Contact: Martin Manna, president CLARKSTON AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 5856 S. Main St. Clarkston 48346 248-625-8055 clarkston.org Members: 450 Focus: Clarkston, Davisburg, Independence Township, Springfield Township Meetings: Lunch mixers, breakfasts, after hours, young professionals, women’s group Dues: $265-$565 Employees: 2 Founded: 1987 Contact: Kendal Penney Petzold, assistant executive director CLAWSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 425 North Main St.

Clawson 48017 248-435-6500 clawsonchamber.org Members: 200 Focus: Clawson Meetings: Morning and after-hours networking events, quarterly Oakland County network mixers, seminars Dues: $65-$200 Employees: 1 Founded: 1939 Contact: Char Larson, president

Members: 300+ Focus: Twenty-one downriver communities, from Allen Park to Wyandotte Meetings: Monthly breakfast, lunch, and evening networking events; quarterly business expos; DBA Spring Expo Dues: $250-$1,500 Employees: 3 Founded: 2005 Contact: Laura Fennell, director

DEARBORN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 22100 Michigan Ave. Dearborn 48124 313-584-6100 dearbornareachamber.org Members: 590 Focus: Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, Garden City Meetings: Thirty-nine annual events including 15 complimentary monthly morning and after-hours networking events, Meet the Candidates, small business luncheons, two golf outings, Taste of Dearborn, 20+ Teacher of the Year celebrations, holiday gala Dues: $295 and up Employees: 4 Founded: 1944 Contact: Jacqueline Lovejoy, president

FERNDALE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 1938 Burdette St. Ferndale 48220 248-542-2160 ferndaleareachamber.com Members: 300 Focus: Ferndale, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge Meetings: Networking events (two morning, one lunch, and one after-hours), annual awards gala, annual Rainbow Run, annual Artist in You event Dues: $250-$450 Employees: 1 Founded: 1936 Contact: Joy R. Weis, director of operations

DETROIT CHINESE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION* 3250 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 430 Troy 48084 248-918-0391 dcba.com Members: 3,100 Focus: Michigan Meetings: Quarterly networking events, annual China Forum, U.S.-China business forum, Chinese New Year gala, DCBA International Golf Open Dues: $300-$10,000 Employees: 3 Founded: 1995 Contact: Brian Gao, president DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER 1 Woodward Ave., Ste. 1900 Detroit 48226 313-964-4000 detroitchamber.com Members: 1,700 Focus: Ten counties in southeast Michigan Meetings: More than 80 programs and events, including the Mackinac Policy Conference; meetings with local, state, and national government officials; small business events; leadership and talent development programs Dues: Vary Employees: 80 Founded: 1903 Contact: Lori Ostrow, senior director, engagement DOWNRIVER BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 3200 Greenfield Rd., Ste. 300 Dearborn 48120 313-595-2624 dadba.org

FRENCH AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – MICHIGAN CHAPTER 2000 Town Center, Ste. 1800 Southfield 48075 248-365-0535 faccmi.org Members: 5,000+ Focus: To contribute to the improvement of economic, commercial, and financial relations between France and the U.S. Meetings: Business seminars and round-table events with high-level speakers, networking receptions, annual meeting, annual gala and awards ceremony Dues: NA Employees: 5 Founded: 1992 Contact: Lisa Roland, executive director GERMAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL OF MICHIGAN 2000 Town Center, Ste. 1800 Southfield 48075 248-826-8806 gabcmi.org Members: 80 Focus: Foster investment and trade relations while cultivating business between Germany and the state of Michigan Meetings: Networking events, lunchtime speaker series, German Haus at NAIAS, annual fall dinner, monthly round table, August Welcome to Michigan event for all expats Dues: $25 (student), $150 (individual), $300 (small business), $500 (corporation) Employees: No full-time employees Founded: 1994 Contact: Henry Julicher, vice president of membership GREATER FARMINGTON AREA

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 32780 Grand River Ave. Farmington 48336 248-919-6917 gfachamber.com Members: 460 Focus: Farmington, Farmington Hills Meetings: Two to three monthly networking/professional development events, annual Business Expo, business development luncheons, Taste of Two Cities, Founders Festival (July), Bunkers and Bogies golf outing, annual dinner and awards program Dues: $290-$5,000 Employees: 5 Founded: 2009 Contact: Connor Osborn, executive director GREATER WEST BLOOMFIELD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 5745 W. Maple Rd., Ste. 206 West Bloomfield 48322 248-626-3636 westbloomfieldchamber.com Members: 350 Focus: Keego Harbor, Orchard Lake, Sylvan Lake, West Bloomfield Meetings: Weekly networking events, business matchmaking, Connect with an Expert, V.I.B.E. (Virtual Innovative Business Event), leadership luncheon, holiday party, officer installation, health and wellness fair, annual awards dinner, W.I.N. (Women’s Inspiration Network), B.I.G. (Business Innovation Generator), Senior Resource group, Y.E.N. (Young Entrepreneur group) Dues: $195-$5,000 Employees: 1 Founded: 1976 Contact: Suzanne Levine, executive director GROSSE POINTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 106 Kercheval Ave. Grosse Pointe Farms 48236 313-881-4722 grossepointechamber.com Members: 650 Focus: The Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce promotes businesses and engages residents for a thriving community Meetings: Monthly Business Before Hours and Business After Hours, Learn at Lunch, annual membership dinner and Pointer of Distinction Awards, committee meetings, Chamber Foundation Dues: $100-$2,500 Employees: 3 Founded: 2006 Contact: Regan Stolarski, director of administration HOLLY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 300 East St. Holly 48442 248-215-7099 hollyareachamber.com Members: 156 Focus: Groveland Township, Holly Township, Rose Township, Springfield Township, Village of Holly Meetings: Monthly board meeting,

monthly networking breakfast, periodic after-hours networking events Dues: $150 (nonprofit), $225 (business) Employees: Volunteer board of directors, 1 paid director Founded: 1918 Contact: Richard Kinnamon, executive director HURON VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 317 Union St. Milford 48381 248-685-7129 huronvcc.com Members: 450 Focus: Commerce Township, Highland and Highland Township, Milford and Milford Township, White Lake Township Meetings: Monthly and bimonthly networking events, Milford Memories summer festival, Brewed in Michigan, coffee clubs, networking events Dues: $75 to $525 Employees: 4 Founded: 1962 Contact: Joell Beether, executive director INDO-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE* IACC-USA P.O. Box 250125 Franklin 48025 248-506-7555 iaccusa.org Members: 150 Focus: Networking opportunities for business professionals to develop economic, commercial, and financial relationships; business-related education; advocacy of issues pertinent to business owners in Michigan and nationwide Meetings: Six to eight meetings per year, golf outing, annual banquet Dues: $100 (individual), $250+ (business) Employees: 2 Founded: 2003 Contact: Nandita Bhattiprolu, executive director ITALIAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF MICHIGAN 51194 Romeo Plank Rd., Ste. 354 Macomb 48044 586-925-2020 iaccm.net Members: 190 Focus: Business and professional growth, inclusive of the organization’s Italian history and culture; commercial, educational, and charitable forums to inspire pride throughout the Italian community; establishing a relationship of trust and service Meetings: 10 meetings per year Dues: $400 Employees: 1 Founded: 1919 Contact: Charles Shermetaro, president

Formerly the Chamber of Commerce for the South Lyon Area P.O. Box 69 New Hudson 48165 248-444-2420 kensingtonvalleychamber.com Members: 250 Focus: Charter Township of Lyon, Green Oak Township, New Hudson, Salem Township, South Lyon Meetings: Bimonthly breakfast, one after-hours monthly mixer, networking group, ribbon-cuttings, special events Dues: $195-$480 (based on size of business) Founded: 1965 Contact: Andrea Meyer, executive director LAKES AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 305 N. Pontiac Trail, Ste. A Walled Lake 48390 248-624-2826 lakesareachamber.com Members: 450 Focus: Commerce Township, Union Lake, Walled Lake, Waterford, White Lake, Wixom, Wolverine Lake Meetings: Monthly business “spotlight” lunches, annual State of the Lakes luncheon, annual Black & White Awards Ball, 1st Friday and 3rd Thursday networking breakfasts, annual golf outing, Rockin’ Under the Stars Summer Concert Dues: $195-$550 Employees: 3 Founded: 1950 Contact: Laura Bolyard, executive director LIVONIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 33300 Five Mile Rd., Ste. 212 Livonia 48154 734-427-2122 livonia.org Members: 940 Focus: Livonia and surrounding communities Meetings: Two to three monthly networking events, annual golf outing, annual home improvement show, diversity and inclusion training, Livonia State of the City Luncheon, Western Wayne Business Leadership Banquet Dues: $289-$1,000 Employees: 4 Founded: 1950 Contact: Dan West, president

MACOMB COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 28 First St., Ste. B Mount Clemens 48043 586-493-7600 macombcountychamber.com Members: 1,000 Focus: Macomb County Meetings: Monthly networking/ economic development/public policy meetings, Lake St. Clair Appreciation Day, Macomb County Hall of Fame, Athena Awards, aerospace and defense meetings Dues: $335 to $1,680 KENSINGTON VALLEY CHAMBER OF Employees: 6 COMMERCE Founded: 1892 Contact: Kelley Lovati, CEO CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE MADISON HEIGHTS/HAZEL PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 300 E. 13 Mile Rd. Madison Heights 48071 248-542-5010 madisonheightschamber.com Members: 300 Focus: Hazel Park, Madison Heights Meetings: Three networking events per month, auction, State of the Cities annual address, golf outing, BRAND referral group Dues: $10-$1,000 Employees: 1 Founded: 1969 Contact: Nancy Smith, executive director MICHIGAN HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE* P.O. Box 397 New Baltimore 48047 248-792-2763 mhcc.org Members: 200+ Focus: Hispanic business enterprises, supplier diversity, automotive, professionals, financial, and more Meetings: Monthly third Thursdays, Economic Forum Breakfast, Supplier Diversity Matchmaker, annual golf outing, annual Fiesta Gala Dues: $25-$3,000 Employees: 4 Founded: 1989 Contacts: Mark A. Moreno, executive director; Laura Huber, business manager; Dina Fattom Wagner, membership and program director; Raquel Adam, marketing and communications lead MICHIGAN IRISH-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE* Beverly Hills 48025 231-590-0003 michiganirishchamber.com Members: 70 Focus: Individuals, businesspeople, and other community members working together to advance the business, culture, education, and civic welfare of the residents of Michigan who are of Irish descent Meetings: Vary Dues: $100 (full-time students under 25), $200 (business and professional level), $500 (Business Bronze), $800 (Business Platinum), $1,200 (Chairman’s Circle) Founded: 2012 Contact: Dave O’Connor, president MICHIGAN VETERANS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Phone 734-606-9622 michiganveteranschamber.org Members: 327 Focus: Supporting veterans, veteran-owned businesses, and veteran-supporting businesses Meetings: Monthly at member locations Dues: $255 Founded: 2021 Contact: Tracy Congdon, executive director

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS – GREATER DETROIT CHAPTER 26677 W. 12 Mile Rd. Southfield 48034 313-961-4748 nawbogdc.org Members: 200 Focus: Southeast Michigan; some out-of-state membership Meetings: Monthly networking events, annual Top 10 Michigan Businesswomen’s Awards, Women on Board, Circle of Learning education program, golf outing, holiday reception Dues: $239-$479 Employees: 1 Founded: 1975 Contacts: Nicole Lewis, chapter president NATIONAL BUSINESS LEAGUE INC. Formerly Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce 1001 Woodward Ave., Ste. 910 Detroit 48226 313-818-3017 nationalbusinessleague.org Members: 3,500 Focus: To economically empower and sustain African-American businesses as enterprises by advocating for economic development through entrepreneurship, procurement, community reinvestment, programmatic and professional development, and capitalistic activity throughout the United States and Black Diaspora Meetings: To be determined Dues: $19 and up Employees: 3 Founded: 1900 Contact: Ken Harris, president NORTHVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 195 S. Main St. Northville 48167 248-349-7640 northville.org Members: 400 Focus: Northville and surrounding communities Meetings: Rise and Shine mixers, New Member Coffee, FUEL Young Professionals, First Friday networking, State of Community Luncheon, Veteran Banner Program, Farmers Market, Flower Sale, Tapped in the ‘Ville Craft Beer Festival, Fourth of July Parade, Heritage Festival, Streets of Treats, Holiday Lighted Parade, Greens Market Dues: $85-$650 Employees: 2 Founded: 1964 Contact: Douglas Wallace, executive director NOVI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 41875 W. 11 Mile Rd., Ste. 201 Novi 48375 248-349-3743 novichamber.com Members: 372 Focus: Greater Novi area

Meetings: Various networking events/month, educational seminars, sales leads, young professionals, golf outing, Novi Dinner Tour, holiday luncheon Dues: $150-$720 Employees: 2 Founded: 1967 Contact: Farah Shammami, executive director ORION AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 1335 Joslyn Rd., Ste. 100 Lake Orion 48360 248-693-6300 orionareachamber.com Members: 300+ Focus: Auburn Hills, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Orion Township, Oxford Meetings: Monthly morning and evening networking meetings, monthly luncheons, two annual community expos, Women in Business Conference, annual golf outing Dues: $35-$1,800 Employees: 3 Founded: 1950 Contact: Noelle Champagne, executive director OXFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE P.O. Box 142 22 W. Burdick St. Oxford 48371 248-628-0410 oxfordchamber.net Members: 170 Focus: Addison Oaks, Clarkston, Lake Orion, Lapeer, Metamora, Oxford Meetings: Mixers with neighboring chambers, annual Women’s Expo, annual Chamber Challenge 5K and 10K Dues: $150 Employees: 1 Founded: 1950 Contacts: Nicole Stirrett, executive director; Amy Desotell, administrative assistant PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – MICHIGAN* 17356 Northland Park Ct.., Ste. 200 Southfield 48075 586-774-1800 Members: 90 Focus: Michigan Meetings: Monthly board meetings; networking and educational events; leadership, management, and organizational events Dues: $200-$1,200 Employees: Volunteer officers and board Founded: 2008 Contact: Betsy Henry, president PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 850 W. Ann Arbor Trail Plymouth 48170 734-453-1540 plymouthmich.org Members: 670 Focus: To stimulate growth and prosperity for a healthy business community

Meetings: January and November Dues: $265-$1,350 Employees: 5 Founded: 1954 Contact: Wes Graff, president PONTIAC REGIONAL CHAMBER 402 N. Telegraph Rd. Pontiac 48341 248-335-9600 pontiacrc.com Members: 250 Focus: Pontiac and surrounding communities Meetings: Weekly, monthly, and quarterly networking, professional development events, and speakers Dues: Varies by company size (minimum $99/year, maximum $5,000/ year) Employees: 2 Founded: 1904 Contact: Damany Head, president and board chair ROCHESTER REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 71 Walnut St., Ste. 110 Rochester 48307 248-651-6700 rrc-mi.com Members: 800 Focus: Oakland Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills Meetings: Community Outlook Breakfast, Legislative Affairs Committee, Sunrise Pinnacle Awards Ceremony, Coffee Talk Networking, Ambassador Network, Preferred Client networking groups, Peer Solution groups, Women in Business Luncheon, Rochester Area Hometown Christmas Parade, Leadership Greater Rochester, Youth Leadership of Greater Rochester Dues: $275-$1,500 Employees: 5 Founded: 1955 Contact: Maggie Bobitz, president ROYAL OAK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 200 S. Washington Ave. Royal Oak 48067 248-547-4000 royaloakchamber.com Members: 550 Focus: Royal Oak and surrounding communities Meetings: Three monthly networking events; three community events each year: Royal Oak in Bloom, Art of Fire, Barktoberfest; four networking groups that meet bimonthly Dues: $275-$465 Employees: 4 Founded: 1936 Contact: Shelly Kemp, executive director SOUTHERN WAYNE COUNTY REGIONAL CHAMBER 20904 Northline Rd. Taylor 48180 734-284-6000 swcrc.com Members: 500+ Focus: Twenty-one southern Wayne

County communities Meetings: Monthly morning and evening networking events, legislative and business forums, Young Professional group, Chamber Connection groups, Black Tie Gala and Expo, golf outing, Taste of Downriver, Women of Achievement Awards, and more Dues: $255 Employees: 4 Founded: 1967 Contact: Ron Hinrichs, president SOUTHFIELD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 20300 Civic Center Dr., Ste. 1102 Southfield 48076 248-557-6661 southfieldchamber.com Members: 300 Focus: Lathrup Village, Oak Park, Southfield Meetings: Monthly networking events, golf outing, State of the City, education series, Taste of Southfield Dues: $285-$2,100 Employees: 3 Founded: 1953 Contact: Jasmine Patton, executive director STERLING HEIGHTS REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 12900 Hall Rd., Ste. 100 Sterling Heights 48313 586-731-5400 shrcci.com Members: 1,200 Focus: Clinton Township, Fraser, Macomb Township, Shelby Township, Sterling Heights, Utica, Warren Meetings: Weekly Business Resource Alliance Group (leads groups) networking, ambassadors, Public Policy Committee, Tourism and Hospitality group, Health and Wellness group, Nonprofit Network Dues: $285 (different rates for nonprofits, certain industries) Employees: 5 Founded: 1961 Contact: Stacy Ziarko, president and CEO SWEDISH-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DETROIT 2000 Town Center, Ste. 1800 Southfield 48075 saccdetroit.org Members: Around 100 Focus: Enhance trade, commerce, and investment between the Detroit region and Sweden Meetings: Three major events per year, virtual pub nights Dues: $50-$1,000 Employees: 0 Founded: 1988 Contact: Roger Lidgren, president

Members: 75 Focus: Southeast Michigan Meetings: Chinese New Year Banquet, annual professional development seminars, picnic, golf outing, banquet Dues: $200 Employees: Volunteer board Founded: 1996 Contact: Duc Nyugen Abramson, executive director TROY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2125 Butterfield, Ste. 100N Troy 48084 248-641-8151 troychamber.com Members: 670 Focus: Troy Meetings: Monthly morning, afternoon, and evening networking events; Tee Off Fore Troy golf outing; Top of Troy Women in Leadership event; Your City Your State Government Relations event, Made in Michigan Holiday Luncheon; quarterly CEO Series; TC Business Excellence Awards; economic development forums; diversity summit; Nonprofit Management Conference; outdoor summer series; Young professional mixers, Troy Restaurant Week Dues: $325-$3,045 Employees: 5 Founded: 1959 Contact: Tara Tomcsik-Husak, president and CEO WATERFORD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2309 Airport Rd. Waterford 48327 248-666-8600 waterfordchamber.org Members: 650 Focus: Clarkston, Waterford, White Lake Meetings: Monthly and bimonthly networking events, periodic luncheons, annual State of the Township breakfast, annual Business and Home Expo, Business Success Conference, annual dinner and awards, annual golf classic, United Professionals Network Dues: $225 Employees: 3 Founded: 1998 Contact: Nikki Tippett, executive director *Member of the Council of Ethnic Chambers of Commerce Source: DBusiness research

TAIWANESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF GREATER DETROIT* 6636 Maple Creek Blvd.

West Bloomfield 48322 248-681-4068 apacc.org

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kerr-russell.com Momentum by Brad Ziegler

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4/13/22 11:34 AM

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES SPONSORED BY DBUSINESS

ASSOCIATION FOR CORPORATE GROWTH The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Detroit Chapter is a nonprofit business organization of professionals from corporations, lenders, and private equity firms who advise, invest in, as well as own middle-market companies. This group also includes professionals from accounting, investment banking, law, and other firms. It curates and facilitates more than 40 middle market driven business/networking events for 400-plus local members annually. For more information on upcoming events and how to become a member, visit acg.org/detroit.

AUBURN HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | WOMEN EMPOWERED Join the Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce for Women Empowered on Monday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event, held at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, offers an opportunity to connect with fellow business professionals while enjoying a fabulous lunch. An esteemed panel of high-profile female executives who will speak includes: Kelly Carroll Burgin, president and founder, K. Carroll Accessories; Smita Mehta, director of diversity, equity, & inclusion, Faurecia North America; Shannon Striebich, president, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland. These women will share inside perspectives on positioning themselves at the top of their professions, different challenges they faced, and lessons learned. To inquire about details, participate as a sponsor, or submit registration, call 248-853-7862 or visit auburnhillschamber.com.

BEAUMONT HEALTH FOUNDATION | WALK FOR MIRACLES Superheroes of all ages are invited to Beaumont Children’s Walk for Miracles at the Detroit Zoo. Join us on Saturday, June 11, beginning at 7:30 a.m. In addition to exploring the zoo exhibits, attendees will enjoy refreshments and snacks. Meet Super Beau, the Beaumont Children’s bear mascot, as well as other popular comic book and fairytale heroes! Participants are encouraged to dress as their favorite superhero and will receive a special cape. Beaumont Health Foundation is proud to partner with the Royal Oak School District for this event. Walkers must make a minimum donation of $5 per person or $20 per family. Proceeds benefit pediatric programs and services through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital at Beaumont Children’s. For sponsorship opportunities, contact charlotte.alex@beaumont.org. To register in advance, visit beaumont.org/walk-for-miracles.

BEAUMONT HEALTH FOUNDATION | WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE CLASSIC Beaumont Health Foundation presents the Women’s Health Care Classic on Monday, June 13, at 8:30 a.m. Join us to support women’s breast cancer programs offered by Beaumont hospitals in Dearborn, Taylor, Trenton, and Wayne. This is a two-course golf tournament, as exclusively women are invited to play at the Dearborn Country Club, while both men and women are welcome to take on challenging TPC Michigan. Attendees will enjoy a day on the links, complemented by breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The event includes a cocktail hour and awards reception. Funds are also being raised through an online auction. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact karen.whetter@beaumont.org. To register, visit beaumont.org/whcc.

DEREK DICKOW PRESENTS: POWER CONNECTIONS | BUILDING POWERFUL CONNECTIONS IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE Renowned networking expert Derek Dickow kicks off his 2022 season with a powerful business-to-business event that unites professionals within the commercial real estate industry. Please join him at The Townsend Hotel in Birmingham on Thursday, June 9, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This immersive seminar offers a large 1-1 speed networking session, as well as an opportunity for structured networking among developers, service providers, real estate investors, and municipal/government leaders. For additional information and to register, visit derekdickow.com/events/power-connections-incommercial-real-estate.

DETROIT PUBLIC SAFETY FOUNDATION | DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT GOLF OUTING The second annual Detroit Police Department Golf Outing takes place at renowned Detroit Golf Club on Monday, May 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Enjoy a round of golf on the North and South courses, lunch, open bar, dinner, as well as silent auction. Proceeds benefit Chief’s Neighborhood Liaisons Unit, which is dedicated to community events that connect the Detroit Police Department with its citizens. These funds support engagement programs to build effective and transparent initiatives that focus on youth, social justice awareness, etc. For sponsorship inquiries, please call 313-595-8868. To register, visit detroitpublicsafety.org/dpd-golf-outing.

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4/15/22 8:50 AM

EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES SPONSORED BY DBUSINESS

DETROIT PUBLIC SAFETY FOUNDATION | WOMEN IN BLUE Women in Blue is a celebration of Detroit’s female first responders within the police, fire, and emergency medical services units. The Detroit Public Safety Foundation hosts this annual breakfast to recognize and honor women who spearhead these incredible accomplishments. This event takes place at MGM Grand Detroit on Wednesday, May 25, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. It features a sit-down meal and keynote remarks from Melanca Clark, president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation. A presentation of the Detroit Police Department Women in Blue Officer of the Year and Detroit Fire Department Woman of the Year awards will conclude the morning festivities. For sponsorship opportunities, call 313-628-2162. To learn more, visit detroitpublicsafety.org/women-in-blue.

ENNIS CENTER FOR CHILDREN INC. | SCRAMBLE FOR KIDS GOLF OUTING Coyote Preserve Golf Club in Fenton will host the 29th annual Scramble for Kids Golf Outing on Friday, June 17. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. It will be a fun-filled day of golf and entertainment! Participation includes 18 holes of golf with a cart, contests, continental breakfast, lunch, dinner, two drink tickets, golf shirt, door prizes, photographs, raffles, silent auction, and more. A reception is planned to highlight the experiences and stories of each guest speaker. Festivities end at 5 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Ennis Center for Children and its programs for abused/neglected children as well as families in crisis. To register, please contact the Development Department by phone at 810-233-4031, or email development@enniscenter.org. For details, visit enniscenter.org.

ENTREPRENEURS’ ORGANIZATION – DETROIT CHAPTER As a business owner or entrepreneur, how would you best review your company? Get some tips as we host Alan Miltz at The Kingsley in Bloomfield Hills (DoubleTree by Hilton) on Wednesday, May 18, from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. An award-winning speaker, Cash Flow Story founder, and co-author of Verne Harnish’s No. 1 business bestseller/multi-award winner, Scaling Up, this expert shares financial performance review advice. Throughout his presentation, he will wear the hats of CEO, CFO, and COO to explore how success is achieved. Enjoy drinks to conclude the event. Admission is free if you are interested in joining this professional group. RSVP is mandatory. Please email admin@eodetroit.com.

PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLANNERS OF AMERICA | SWING INTO SPRING CHARITY GOLF OUTING The fourth annual Swing into Spring Charity Golf Outing takes place on Monday, May 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please join us at Greystone Golf Club in Washington. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, driving range, golf cart, lunch, awards ceremony, dinner, raffle prizes, silent auction, golf ball launch cannon, gift bag, PGPA’s $10K Hole-in-One contest, and more! A portion of the proceeds will be donated to New Paradigm Family Services. This local non-profit organization provides individuals and families with a full range of resources necessary to overcome physical/social challenges, while presenting new opportunities. Thanks to Parks Services, a family owned and operated company that specializes in outdoor maintenance, for serving as the title sponsor.

For further details and sponsorship inquiries, visit progolfplanners.com/events.

PROFESSIONAL GOLF PLANNERS OF AMERICA | THE GODFATHER CHARITY GOLF OUTING The Godfather second annual Charity Golf Outing is slated for Monday, May 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please join us at Greystone Golf Club in Washington. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, driving range, golf cart, lunch, awards ceremony, dinner, raffle prizes, silent auction, golf ball launch cannon, gift bag, PGPA’s $10K Hole-in-One contest, and more! At both of its locations, The Godfather offers clients delicious food and an unparalleled cigar selection in a world class setting. For 11 years, the owners have chosen to support Yellow Ribbon Fund Inc. as a philanthropic endeavor. This veterans service organization supports ill and wounded military members by providing caregivers, shelter, and transportation. Piedmont Managed Services is serving as the title sponsor. With a national footprint, this property management company focuses on a technology-based client experience. To learn more, visit progolfplanners.com/events.

THE SALVATION ARMY | WALK FOR JUSTICE Put your walking shoes on and join The Salvation Army’s 10th annual Walk for Justice! Your whole family is welcome at the Detroit Zoo on Saturday, May 14, from 8 a.m. until noon for a fun day supporting this great cause. Registration is $40 for adults, which includes admission, parking, refreshments, shirt, and entry into a kettle raffle. Children attend for free. There will also be a silent auction that features exciting experiences and items. All proceeds benefit the William Booth Legal Aid Clinic – the only free legal aid clinic of The Salvation Army – which provides quality guidance in a variety of areas including homelessness, child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, and consumer advocacy. Last year alone, the clinic helped resolve nearly 1,800 legal issues affecting low-income individuals, families, and U.S. military veterans. For registration and ticket information, visit walkforjustice.org.

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4/15/22 8:50 AM

Closing Bell

Boy Wonder Stevens T. Mason was 24 years old when he became Michigan’s governor.

T

he run-up to the Toledo War of 1835 found the Michigan Territory’s leaders hanging on to a 75-mile strip of land along their southern border. As the result of conflicting surveys, parallel lines a few miles apart extended from Indiana to Lake Erie, creating the disputed area.

The grand prize was Maumee Bay, starting point of a potential canal leading south, and Ohio wanted it.

“When the dispute with Ohio is called in question, we have but one course to pursue,” proclaimed Michigan’s acting governor, Stevens T. Mason, a Democrat who was 24 years old. He meant to prevent new federal legislation on behalf of Ohio’s claim to the strip. But Ohio had already achieved statehood and it boasted a congressional delegation, not to mention electoral votes — all of which the Michigan Territory lacked.

Both sides organized militias, and the parties nearly faced off in April of 1835 before being disbanded in favor of negotiations. Mason — whom President Andrew Jackson called “Hotspur,” after Shakespeare’s character in “Henry IV” — wouldn’t relinquish Michigan’s claim. When a surveying party tried in the fall to re-mark the earlier, northern boundary line favorable to Ohio, a Lenawee County posse arrested nine men.

Mason’s biographer, Lawton Hemans, writes that others fled toward Perrysburg, with “someone of the Michigan party, to increase their speed, fir(ing) a gun over their heads, which had every effect that could be desired.”

STAND PROUD A statue of Stevens T. Mason, Michigan’s first governor, was created in 1908 by Albert Weinert and placed in Capitol Park in downtown Detroit. The statue still stands in the park, which marked the location of the state’s first capitol, but was moved several feet as part of a recent renovation of the urban square.

Additional negotiations and congressional debate settled the matter in 1836, when Michigan agreed to honor Ohio’s claim to title in exchange for a surplus-revenue payout from the National Treasury and adding the Upper Peninsula.

Mason’s father, John, had brought his family to Detroit in 1830 after President Jackson appointed him secretary to territorial governor Lewis Cass. The following year, Cass went to Washington, D.C., as Secretary of War, John Mason embarked on a mission to Mexico, and Stevens Thomson Mason — then just 19 and commonly known as Tom — served as secretary to the new governor, George Porter. It was a patronage appointment for Porter, a member of the so-called Lancaster (Penn.) Regency that aided Jackson’s election.

Porter soon returned to Pennsylvania on business, and Mason — not even old enough to vote — started his first stint as acting governor. The Western Emigrant newspaper of Ann Arbor called him “the stripling,” but Mason encountered editor George Corselius in Detroit and “administered to the newspaper man a most vigorous cuffing,” Hemans writes.

Young Mason served until June 11, 1832, and was commander in chief at the outbreak of the Black Hawk War. With Porter back in town, he resumed secretarial duties and endured that summer’s cholera epidemic. After the scourge abated, he advocated establishing “common free schools” and helped to lay the groundwork for statehood. Porter died two years later in a second epidemic. Replacing him once again, Mason became established as the “popular idol of the Territory.”

After the Toledo War, President Jackson appointed John Horner as governor — but an election weeks later, on Oct. 5, 1835, ratified a new state constitution and returned Mason to the governorship. Michigan was effectively a state without a union until statehood was granted on Jan. 26, 1837.

The Panic of 1837 marred Mason’s four-year term; railroad and canal schemes failed, leaving a deep debt. Mason didn’t seek re-election and his successor, William Woodbridge, sought to humiliate him. With his wife, Julia, Mason went to New York City to practice law but died there at age 31 of “a suppressed scarlet fever.”

Today, his remains are interred in Detroit’s Capitol Park, inside the pedestal of Albert Weinert’s bronze statue of the boy governor.

WALTER P. REUTHER LIBRARY

BY RONALD AHRENS

98 DBUSINESS || MAY - JUNE 2022

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4/14/22 12:43 PM

photograph: Joseph Thekale

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3/4/22 9:46 AM

T U S H A R

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VA K H A R I YA & A S S O C I AT E S

3/23/22 3:12 PM