DBusiness | January-February 2024 by Hour Media

INSIDE: ART OF THE DEAL | WINTER WONDERLAND | VENTURE CAPITAL January - February 2024 THE GRIZZ | ART OF THE DEAL | WINTER WONDERLAND

THE GRIZZ MAURICE “MORRY” TAYLOR, WHO BUILT TITAN INTERNATIONAL INTO A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE HEAVY-DUTY TIRE AND WHEEL BUSINESS AND ONCE RAN FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, SAYS THE NATION IS EAGER FOR A BUSINESS LEADER TO RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE.

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CONTENTS

01-02.24

34 Tow the

Line

FOCUS: As damaging storms

have flooded metro Detroit’s freeways over the past three years, arguments over billing charges between stranded motorists and towing companies have risen precipitously. By Norm Sinclair

38 Ms. Koch Goes

to Washington

PERSPECTIVES: Cathy Koch went from K-Tec Systems in Ferndale to the nation’s capital to advise the United States Senate and the federal government about the obstacles facing women entrepreneurs. By Ronald Ahrens

42 Art of the

Deal

50 The

The “Grand Bargain,” an $820 million plan to save the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts from creditors during the City’s historic bankruptcy, has proven to be one of the most consequential adversary proceedings in municipal history. By Bill Dow

Grizz

JACOB LEWKOW

38 56 Winter

Maurice “Morry” Taylor, who built Titan International into a major player in the heavy-duty tire and wheel business and once ran for president of the United States, says the nation is eager for a business leader to return to the White House. By Dale Buss

Wonderland Over the past 150 years, Gaylord’s business and resort community has survived economic downturns, two pandemics, and severe weather conditions — only to come out better on the other end. By Norm Sinclair

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01-02.24

Foreword 16

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

READERS' LETTERS

CONTRIBUTORS

Commentary

CONTENTS

22 CRISIS MODE Michigan’s overall infrastructure — roads, bridges, water lines, sewer systems, and the electrical grid — is considered to be in poor condition, and that factors into the state’s population loss and its inability to attract new residents. 22 MIGHTY MITES Bigger isn’t always better. As Michigan and other states work to expand sources of “green” energy — namely, large wind turbines and expansive solar arrays — they have yet to overcome challenges such as the need to connect the devices to the electrical grid (an expensive and labor-intensive proposition). 22 CAUSE AND EFFECT When the Michigan House and Senate recently passed measures that raised labor costs, the price of attracting new developments went up. In some cases, millions of dollars in potential incentives aren’t enough to lure job creators. JOSH SCOTT

24 COMPENDIUM How outsiders view Detroit.

The Ticker 28 CRITICAL MASS How KSI Kitchen & Bath in Farmington Hills amassed a home improvement juggernaut. By Tim Keenan 29 RECREATIONAL WORKHORSE California’s Toro Bravo 4×4 is bringing RV manufacturing to Michigan via a partnership with Roush in Livonia. By Tim Keenan 29 KAISER IS ROLLING The Kaiser Enterprise in Troy acquired a majority interest in Ferndale-based Rival Insulation. By R.J. King 30 SPEED OF CHANGE Walsh College in Troy is at the leading edge of cybersecurity. By Jim Stickford 30 PDA Q&A Carma Peters, CEO, Michigan Legacy Credit Union, Wyandotte. By R.J. King

32 BOYNE’S NEW LIFTS Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls has added two new lifts and an array of upgrades, attractions, and experiences meant to build on its legacy as one of the top winter destinations in the Midwest. By Jim Stickford

70 PRODUCTION RUN Pop Goes the Business: In the three-year span since he acquired Detroit Popcorn Co., Ken E. Harris has expanded the product line, moved the business to Ferndale, and hired more employees. By R.J. King

Exec Life

74 PATENTS AND INVENTIONS Angle of Attack: Michigan native Kelly Johnson arguably was America’s most accomplished aircraft designer, overseeing the development of supersonic aircraft, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, and Area 51. By Norm Sinclair

64 A GLASS ACT April Wagner, of Epiphany Studios in Pontiac, balances high-volume gift production with large sculpture work. By Tim Keenan 68 RETURN ON INVESTMENT Muse of Detroit: Writer and playwright Dominique Morisseau is directing her first film in her hometown. By Tom Murray

32 PIZZA AMORE Visit Detroit creates the Detroit Pizza Pass to promote the “Best Pizza in the U.S.” By Tim Keenan

76 OPINION Digital Development: Reliable internet access across Michigan is essential for work, school, communication, and recreation. By Chuck Irvin

Et Cetera 80 FROM THE TOP Top Hotels in Metro Detroit, Top Corporate Counsel 2024, Michigan Venture Capital Firms 2024, Michigan Private Equity Firms, Metro Detroit Investment Banks, Michigan Family Funds, Michigan-Based Angel Investor Groups, Economic Development Organizations. 90 CLOSING BELL Carve-Outs: Detroit sculptor Corrado Parducci took the art of architecture to another level. By Ronald Ahrens

ON THE COVER Photo by Matt Levere

77 THE CIRCUIT Our party pics from exclusive events.

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Letters

Gold Standard

e’ve all heard stories about the janitor who makes his or her way to the top echelons of a major corporation. But what about the janitor’s assistant who, in 1947, met Henry Ford II, president of Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, and went on to craft a plan to take the automaker public? Consider the life of Sidney J. Weinberg, who joined Goldman Sachs & Co. in 1907 as an assistant to the janitor. One of his responsibilities was to polish the brass spittoons at the company’s R.J. KING headquarters in New York City. Weinberg quickly made a name for himself with his hustle and drive, and he caught the attention of Paul J. Sachs, a partner at the time of what today is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company with more than $1.4 trillion in assets. Sachs’ grandfather, Marcus Goldman, launched the firm in 1869 in a single-room basement office adorned with a coal chute. Goldman’s son-in-law, Samuel Sachs (Paul’s father), came on board in 1882. As Paul Sachs opened doors for Weinberg, the young apprentice was quickly noticed and rose through the ranks of Goldman Sachs, becoming a senior partner in 1930. After meeting Ford II, the two became friends and, in 1956, Weinberg put together the automaker’s first public offering. At $657.9 million ($7.3 billion today) and 10.2 million shares, the Ford IPO, led by Goldman Sachs, was the largest common stock offering of its day. Soon after, Weinberg became one of Ford’s first outside directors. The lasting friendship between Weinberg and Ford II continues to add dividends today. Goldman Sachs first opened an office in Detroit in 1946, where it advised corporations and multifaceted family

businesses. Although the office was closed in 1990, the company maintained strong ties to Detroit and the region. Last September, that all changed when Goldman Sachs, recognizing the vast amount of wealth that has been built up here — the region is home to 18 Fortune 100 corporations — opened a private wealth management office in downtown Detroit. It’s the only office of its kind in the Midwest outside of Goldman Sachs’ office in Chicago. Brian Grzelakowski, who serves as the Midwest head of the firm’s private wealth management and institutional client solutions practice, says the region’s growing wealth played a role in the firm’s return to Detroit. But he also was struck by the city’s startup spirit. After launching a program called 10,000 Small Businesses in 2010 — it’s a $500 million initiative of Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation in the United States, the United Kingdom, and France — Detroit soon appeared on the radar. Fast-forward to today, and the program has served more than 790 small business owners in Detroit through a partnership with Wayne State University. These small business owners represent nearly $883 million in collective revenue and employ 11,700 people. “The city has a very vibrant startup community that spans fintech, health care, consumer products, and more, and that helps serve as a very attractive and compelling story for the types of clients we work with,” Grzelakowski says. “Detroit is an example in the Midwest where the revitalization has gone very well, and we’re excited to be a part of it.” In the same way Detroit embraces its entrepreneurial roots, Weinberg never lost his passion for business. To be sure, in his office he proudly displayed one of the spittoons he polished as an assistant to the janitor — a humble reminder that the true gold standard in life is to add value to others.

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.

PARTNERSHIP PLAUDITS

The (Oct. 6 DBusiness Daily News) article on the partnership between Automation Alley and SensCy (a cybersecurity firm in Ann Arbor) is great, and wonderful timing to help support making Michigan manufacturers safer. Thanks for the support.

Rick Snyder Ann Arbor

INCREASING SCHOLARSHIPS

Thanks so much for including the Joyce Ivy Foundation’s expansion into Indiana in DBusiness Daily News. We’re grateful MacArthur Fellow Jennifer Carlson has made this possible through her gift, and we were thrilled to see your article. We sure appreciate all your help as we work to increase the number of scholarships we can provide to deserving young women. Thanks for spreading the word.

Catherine Ticer Birmingham

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AWARDS

On behalf of the Bedrock team, I wanted to send a huge thank-you for recognizing our leaders and downtown Detroit development efforts at the DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards. We very much look forward to continuing to work together.

Lora Brand Detroit

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Contributors

CONTRIBUTORS

DETROIT’S PREMIER BUSINESS JOURNAL

VOLUME 19 • ISSUE 1 PUBLISHER Jason Hosko

DALE BUSS

Dale Buss is a contributing editor at Chief Executive magazine and a contributor to Forbes, Corporate Board Member, Automotive News, and many other publications. He also works with CEOs to tell their stories in book form and is founder of the Flyover Coalition, promoting America’s Heartland. Buss started his career at The Wall Street Journal and spent six years in the newspaper’s Detroit bureau, where he, along with co-workers, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. In this issue of DBusiness, Buss profiles Titan International Inc. Chairman Maurice “Morry” Taylor in the cover story. CONTRIBUTION: FEATURE: THE GRIZZ | SEE IT HERE: Page 50

BILL DOW

Bill Dow is a Detroit-area freelance writer based in Birmingham whose work has appeared in DBusiness, Hour Detroit, Metro Parent, Detroit Home, The Detroit News, the Detroit Free Press, USA Today, Baseball Digest, and the New York Daily News. His writing covers sports history, business, and health. He’s co-author of the book “Tiger Stadium, Essays and Memories of Detroit’s Historic Ballpark, 1912-2009.” In this issue of DBusiness, Dow looks back at the decade-old Detroit bankruptcy and the Grand Bargain that set up the Detroit Institute of Arts and the city for ongoing success. CONTRIBUTION: FEATURE: ART OF THE DEAL | SEE IT HERE: Page 42

EDITORIAL EDITOR R.J. King MANAGING EDITOR Tim Keenan ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jim Stickford COPY EDITOR Anne Berry Daugherty INTERN Valentina Tersigni DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lindsay Richards ART DIRECTOR Justin Stenson SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTIST Stephanie Daniel JUNIOR ART DIRECTOR Steven Prokuda GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kathryn Dave ADVERTISING SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Cynthia Barnhart, Karli Brown, Cathleen Francois, Donna Kassab, Lisa LaBelle, Mary Pantely and Associates, Jessica VanDerMaas DIGITAL SALES LEAD Scott Drummond PRODUCTION PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jenine Knox SENIOR PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Jill Berry PRODUCTION ARTIST Jonathan Boedecker ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Amanda Kozlowski GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jim Bibart HOUR CITY STUDIOS GENERAL MANAGER OF VIDEO PRODUCTION Nick Britsky VIDEO PRODUCER Nicole Toporowski VIDEOGRAPHER Heather Moody DIGITAL DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Travis Cleveland DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Matt Cappo SR. DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Luanne Lim DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS Jim Bowser, Connor McDonald DIGITAL MEDIA ASSISTANT Robyn Banks IT IT DIRECTOR Jeremy Leland CIRCULATION DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Geralyn Wilson CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers CIRCULATION COORDINATORS David Benvenuto, Susan Combs, Cathy Krajenke, Rachel Moulden, Michele Wold MARKETING AND EVENTS MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER Jodie Svagr MARKETING AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Jaime Presnail COMMUNICATIONS AND PR Regan Blissett

JACOB LEWKOW

Jacob Lewkow is a Detroit-based commercial and editorial photographer specializing in capturing the essence of people, food and beverage, hospitality, lifestyle, and cannabis. Noteworthy clients include brands such as Campbell’s, Bacardi, Red Bull, Shinola, and General Motors Co., as well as publications like Forbes, Fortune, and Hour Detroit. When not on location for a shoot, Lewkow can be found at his Midtown Detroit loft — adorned with approximately 250 houseplants — that serves as his office, photo studio, and an event venue. In this issue of DBusiness, Lewkow photographed Cathy Koch, founder and president of K-Tec Systems in Ferndale. CONTRIBUTION: PERSPECTIVES | SEE IT HERE: Page 38

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronald Ahrens, Dale Buss, Bill Dow, Chuck Irvin, Tom Murray, Norm Sinclair CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Patrick Gloria, Nick Hagen, Mack Joplin, Matt Lavere, Jacob Lewkow, Searra Liggett, Trever Long, Matthew Murphy, Lindsay Schweickert, Josh Scott, James Yang

MARKET RESEARCH MARKETING RESEARCH DIRECTOR Sofia Shevin MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATORS Alyssa Fueri, Kristin Mingo MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR Alex Thompson MARKETING RESEARCH SALES ASSISTANT Theresa Lowery GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kendra Okamoto MARKETING RESEARCH INTERNS Emily Crisenbery, Caroline Johnson, Kelly Pham 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, Kate Manley, Austin Schmelzle DISTRIBUTION Target Distribution, Troy

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 © 2024 Hour Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. DBusiness is a registered trademark of Hour Media.

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COMMENTARY

66 OUR NEW CONSTITUTION IS NOW ESTABLISHED, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO PROMISE IT WILL BE DURABLE; BUT, IN THIS WORLD, NOTHING IS CERTAIN EXCEPT DEATH AND TAXES.” — BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

p. 22

p. 24

Crisis Mode

Compendium

Mighty Mites Cause and Effect

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Commentary

INFRASTRUCTURE

ENERGY

Crisis Mode

MIGHTY MITES

INSIDE THE NUMBERS THOUSAND

Miles of the state’s highway system the Michigan Department of Transportation is responsible for

Michigan’s rank for national highway pavement quality among all states (M, I, and U.S. routes)

Michigan’s rank for gas taxes among all states (28.6 cents per gallon, 6 percent sales tax, and 18.4 cents federal tax)

Source: Citizens Research Council of Michigan

ichigan’s overall infrastructure — roads, bridges, water lines, sewer systems, and the electrical grid — is considered to be in poor condition, and that factors into the state’s population loss and its inability to attract new residents. According to a recent report from the Citizens Research Council of Michigan, a nonprofit organization in Livonia that works to improve local governments by providing factual, unbiased, and independent data, the state, along with counties and municipalities, continues to embrace a development pattern of suburban sprawl. As more people sought to move away from dense urban environments like Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw, governments encouraged the migration by approving new roads, water lines, and sewer systems. What’s more, between 1950 and into the 1980s, banks and lending institutions made it more difficult for minorities to access mortgages, often referred to as redlining. The practice, coupled with real estate agents who used scare tactics to encourage White urban residents to move away from cities like Detroit, contributed to suburban growth and left older cities with a predominately Black population. While the federal government eventually cracked down on such practices — banks today have to provide lending to urban projects in the form of community reinvestment — it was too late to prevent sprawl. The result is that “Michigan residents are now responsible for more infrastructure per person than in previous decades,” according to the report. Such costs factor into a business owner’s decision on where to locate a new office or a manufacturing operation, further impacting the state’s ability to grow its population. According to the Citizens Research Council, an estimated 270,000 people are expected to leave the state by 2050, while Michigan’s population growth is one-third of the national average. Factoring in an aging population, a poor K-12 public education system, and older infrastructure takes the state to a crisis mode. Consider: Michigan is in the bottom 10 states for electricity reliability, 34th in household income, and 36th in K-12 public education outcomes. Before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took office in 2019, the state was in the top 10 of many national measurements related to economic development, and it was a Right to Work state (Whitmer signed legislation in 2023 to end Right to Work). What’s more, Michigan’s highways are the fourth worst in the nation, while local roads are in poorer condition. In turn, Michigan’s national highway system ranks 47th in pavement quality — which is worse than all nearby states and well below the national average. As for funding, the state has the sixth highest total tax on gasoline in the country. So, how can the tide be reversed? For starters, require local governments to approve more urban projects at the expense of extending water, sewer, and electrical infrastructure; increase road funding; add more tutors to boost educational outcomes; and lower the amount of government “red tape” to complete new developments.

BIGGER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER. As Michigan and

other states work to expand sources of “green” energy — namely, large wind turbines and expansive solar arrays — they have yet to overcome challenges such as the need to connect the devices to the electrical grid (an expensive and labor-intensive proposition). Enter new sources of clean energy like compact wind turbines that can be set on roofs, located in fields, or placed along busy highways. One test of a new compact turbine system installed on the roof of a BASF plant in Wyandotte is showing promise; the unit was designed by Aeromine Technologies, a startup in Los Angeles. Other companies, like Vortex Bladeless and Alpha 311, offer similar compact devices. According to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal, small energy systems placed on rooftops or along freeways don’t require a connection to the electrical grid; the units provide power to the respective buildings themselves. Compact turbines set along busy roads and rail corridors also can power lights and LED signs. While the small power systems won’t meet all of the mounting requirements for green energy, they can help fill a gap and lower costs for the owners of technology and industrial parks, housing developments, retail centers, arenas, and schools, all while providing carbon independence. DEVELOPMENT

CAUSE AND EFFECT

WHEN THE MICHIGAN HOUSE AND SENATE

recently passed measures that raised labor costs — witness the repeal of Right to Work legislation, which gave workers the choice of whether to join a union — the price of attracting new developments went up. In some cases, millions of dollars in potential incentives aren’t enough to lure job creators. Consider that in 2023, Michigan offered Stellantis, which operates its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, $1 billion in direct incentives to build a large EV battery plant in the state. The automaker turned it down and instead is building the factory in Kokomo, Ind., in partnership with Samsung SDI in South Korea. The State of Indiana, by comparison, offered fewer incentives, totaling some $360 million, to lure Stellantis and Samsung SDI. While Michigan has scored some successes in winning supplier operations for EV battery manufacturers, those have come at a steep cost. By making manufacturing plants more expensive to operate relative to other states and countries, Michigan’s current Legislators are leaving residents behind. At the same time, voters are pushing back on EV plants tied to the Communist Party in China, namely in Big Rapids. The best way to lure jobs is to reduce overall taxes, lower regulations, and let workers decide whether to join a union.

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Commentary

COMPENDIUM: HOW OUTSIDERS VIEW DETROIT FORD TAURUS, DODGE CARAVAN LIVE AGAIN IN 1995 DETROIT AUTO SHOW RETRO VIDEO MOTOR1.COM NOV. 25, 2023 BY CHRISTOPHER SMITH

As folks in the United States enjoy a long holiday weekend, consider for a moment what the world was like almost 29 years ago as this MotorWeek retro video returns us to the 1995 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It opened to the public on Jan. 7, promising a glimpse into the future of motoring. Simmer on that thought as we give you a quick summary of what was happening in Motown back then. The 1996 Ford Taurus debuted in all its jellybean glory, featuring more curves and oval shapes than a full season of NASCAR. It was as risky a design move as the first-generation Taurus was a decade prior, but with the benefit of hindsight, we know the gamble failed. … That was arguably the big debut for the show, but it wasn’t the only reveal by far. A new-generation Dodge Caravan flew into the show, and we mean that literally. Dodge had quite the display set up for the minivan, which boasted new styling and rear seats that were easily removable — a big deal for the day. It was joined by

upscale Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Town & Country variants, none of which exist today. There was at least one accurate prediction for the future, however. General Motors launched four-door versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs. What about concepts? Some might call the ’90s a golden age for such vehicles, where even a minivan could get some cool cred. Ford’s SHOstar concept plugged the epic 220-horsepower Yamaha-sourced 3.0-liter V6 from the Taurus SHO under the hood of a Windstar. … The big concept news for 1995, however, was undoubtedly the Ford GT90. We recently waxed poetic about this car, packing a big V12 with edgy styling that pointed toward the future. The actual Ford GT we got a few years later didn’t have a V12, nor did it have much in the way of sharp lines. But other FoMoCo machines did get sharper. …

MICHIGAN WON AT ALL COSTS AND YOUR TEAM WOULD TOO NEW YORK MAGAZINE NOV. 25, 2023 BY BILL LEITCH

The thing you need to keep in mind about college football right now is that everything is about winning. No matter what it

takes, no matter how much of yourself you have to give up, no matter how far from your original path you have strayed — if you win, all those sacrifices paid off. Think about how far this sport has traveled. When today’s college football fan first began following the sport, the idea of a single “champion” was not only not the singular focus, the entire notion of it was seen as sort of besides the point. They used to call teams the “mythical national champions,” as if trying to determine a true winner was like capturing a minotaur, or basilisk. And you know what? It was fine. The world kept turning. People still loved college football. They loved it a lot. What the College Football Playoff, in accordance with Justice Kavanaugh’s infamous 2021 Supreme Court concurrence that essentially eliminated the NCAA as any sort of arbiter or overarching authority, has done is turn a once-charming regional pleasure into a wild, lawless, undignified, and (yeah) deeply entertaining bloodsport in which august, revered institutions of higher learning have gleefully turned themselves into ATM machines for television networks, dispatching with every principle they have espoused to their students since their founding in the name of Winning It All. This

is a sport run by terrifyingly intense middle-aged men in visors in league with billionaire robber barons, who have decided their lives lose palpable, tangible meaning if their alma mater does not beat your alma mater to win a championship that, again, did not actually exist 15 years ago. It’s lunacy, destructive, amoral, end-stage-capitalism behavior that flies in the face of everything higher education has ever purported to stand for. And then you watch Michigan beat Ohio State, and you totally understand why they do it. It still isn’t worth it. But in the moment, it sure feels like it is. …

PEYTON MANNING AND A BATHTUB OF BOOZE MAY HAVE TURNED LIONS AROUND NEWSWEEK NOV. 13, 2023 BY ROBERT READ

The Detroit Lions improved to 7-2 this season after kicker Riley Patterson hit a game-winning, 41-yard field goal as time expired in a back-and-forth, 41-38 shootout victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. And the Lions may have Peyton Manning to thank. OK, maybe not. But the Hall of Fame quarterback’s production company was quick to point out on X, formerly Twitter, that Detroit is 15-4 since Manning “reversed” the “Curse of Bobby Layne.” The curse has loomed over the Lions since they traded Layne to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1958, just one season after the quarterback helped Detroit win its third championship of the

1950s. As the legend goes, Layne — a Hall of Famer — was upset by the move and supposedly said the Lions wouldn’t win a championship for another 50 years. And plenty of bad luck has followed the franchise since. Detroit has won one playoff game since trading Layne, hasn’t won a division title in decades, and became the first NFL franchise to ever go 0-16. That’s where Manning comes in. Detroit was 1-5 to start last season when Manning came to town. On an episode of his ESPN Peyton’s Places program titled “The Curse of Bobby Layne,” the five-time MVP made a trip to Ford Field in an effort to ease Lions fans of some pain. And he brought actor and Detroit sports fan Jeff Daniels along with him. “I strongly believe the recent success of the Detroit Lions is due to ownership, the general manager, the coaching staff, the players, Peyton Manning, and me,” Daniels said in an email to Newsweek. Manning urged Daniels to help him try to break the curse by reciting incantations over a bathtub filled with whiskey, which the QB said was one of Layne’s drinks of choice. Yes, really. “Why the (expletive) is there a bathtub in the end zone of Ford Field,” Daniels said to Manning during the episode. “Am I on drugs?” “Trust me, Jeff,” Manning said before claiming he couldn’t use these powers to hex his rival New England Patriots because Bill Belichick’s dark magic was too strong. ... In all seriousness, coach Dan Campbell and company deserve the credit for turning the franchise around. But there is a coincidence in the timing of the episode and the team’s performance on the field since. Detroit won eight of its final 11 games last season after Manning and Daniels did whatever exactly you want to call what they did. And the Lions currently stand in first place in the NFC North as Week 10 comes to a close. The franchise is seeking its first division title since 1993 and first playoff win since the 1991 season. Oh, and its first championship since the days of Layne.

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Commentary

GOODBYE TO DETROIT’S ASSET FORFEITURE RACKET

REASON • DECEMBER 2023 • BY C.J. CIARAMELLA A federal appeals court has dealt a welcome victory to vehicle owners and a scathing rebuke to Detroit’s asset forfeiture racket. A panel of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit unanimously ruled in late August that Detroit’s practice of seizing people’s cars for months at a time before giving them a chance to contest the seizure violates vehicle owners’ 14th Amendment right to due process. The panel found that Michigan’s Wayne County, which includes Detroit, “violated that Constitution when it seized plaintiffs’ personal vehicles — which were vital to their transportation and livelihoods — with no timely process to contest the seizure.” The 6th Circuit ruled that Wayne County must provide car owners a post-seizure court hearing within two weeks. The ruling is the latest development in a series of lawsuits arguing that Wayne County uses civil asset forfeiture to seize cars and then forces owners to pay a $900 settlement fee, plus towing and storage fees, to get them back — or wait months, even years, for a court hearing. The Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm, filed a class-action lawsuit in 2020 on behalf of three Wayne County residents whose cars were seized for crimes they were either acquitted of or never charged with, arguing that the shakedown violated their Fourth, Eighth, and 14th Amendment rights. Under civil asset forfeiture laws, police can seize property suspected of being connected to criminal activity, even if the owner is not charged with a crime. Law enforcement says civil asset forfeiture is used to disrupt drug trafficking and other organized crime by targeting illicit revenue. But Wayne County was using its less fortunate residents as a piggy bank. In a concurring opinion, U.S. Circuit Judge Amul Thapar wrote that Wayne County’s scheme “is simply a money-making venture — one most often used to extort money from those who can least afford it.”

Wayne County seized over 2,600 vehicles between 2017 and 2019 and raked in more than $1.2 million in asset forfeiture revenues, according to public records obtained by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a free market Michigan think tank. Of those seizures, 473 were not accompanied by a criminal conviction. In 438 of those cases, no one was even charged with a crime. After summarizing the experiences of the three plaintiffs, Thapar asked: “Does this sound like a legitimate way of cleaning up Wayne County? Or does it sound like a money-making scheme that preys on those least able to fight it? To ask the question is to answer it.”

A MAN WON MORE THAN $400,000 ON A LOTTERY HE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HE ENTERED BUSINESS INSIDER NOV. 14, 2023 BY MIA JANKOWICZ

A Michigan man was the surprise winner of a $416,322 lottery prize, despite the fact that he didn’t even know he had entered. The 67-year-old man from Kalamazoo County was selected in a random draw on Oct. 11, according to state lottery officials. The man, who chose to remain anonymous, had unknowingly entered the state’s Big Ca$h 2nd Chance Jackpot, officials said. In that lottery, every $0.50 spent on a selection of other online games earns the player an entry into the draw. “I play games online a lot, but I had no idea I was earning entries into a second chance giveaway

when playing certain games,” he told lottery officials. Even then, he might have missed out. “I saw an email from the Michigan Lottery saying I’d won a $416,322 second chance prize and I figured it was a scam email since I didn’t enter a giveaway,” he said. Thankfully, he called them to check — and learned it was genuine. “I still can’t believe this is real,” he said. “It is a crazy feeling to win such a large Lottery prize!” The second chance drawing takes place once a month and has jackpots as large as $729,743. The surprise winner says he plans to share the winnings with his family and put the rest into savings, lottery officials said. This isn’t the first time that someone almost missed out on a big lottery win. In August last year, fellow Michigander Floyd Warstler almost forgot about a ticket he bought and left in his car for weeks. The ticket turned out to be worth $390,000. And in another surprise win, in May, California’s Ruby Evans believed she had won $2,000 in a scratch-off ticket that actually turned out to be worth $2 million.

DETROIT STARTUPS TO WATCH IN 2024 INC.• NOVEMBER 2023 • BY MATT DECOURSEY

Detroit, once synonymous with the automotive industry, has transformed into an unexpected epicenter for tech startups. It blends its industrial heritage with cutting-edge innovation. Beneath its gritty exterior lies a burgeoning ecosystem redefining the city’s identity. The city has over 140 co-working spaces and incubators, including TechTown and WeWork. The environment fosters collaboration and creativity. Office space costs are significantly lower than in coastal cities, luring entrepreneurs seeking to stretch their capital further. Moreover, its rich history of music and culture adds a unique flair to the startup scene. Startup Hustle puts a spotlight on top startups in different cities each month. These 10 Detroit startups are tech-related, one of which is in AI-based auto repair. Other companies address insurance, truck security, cryptocurrency, investment brokerage, cybersecurity, construction, and board meetings.

Detroit is home to 215 startups founded since 2018; 58 are tech related. Among the best are: Canopy A quarter of vehicle thefts are full-size pickup trucks. Canopy produces after-market security cameras for vehicles to prevent theft. It uses cutting-edge AI technology and a layer of expert monitoring from security specialists. … CoverTree Approximately one in 10 new homes in the U.S. are manufactured homes, representing the residences of 22 million Americans. Manufactured homes are prefabricated and installed onsite. They come under specialty insurance, which is difficult to underwrite. CoverTree provides insurance for these homes in various states across the U.S. … FairSide Network Many people have a personal wallet containing cryptocurrency that traditional insurers will not typically cover. FairSide Network is a subscription-based decentralized cost-sharing network that caters to cryptocurrency users. It provides coverage for 1.95 percent annually for provably fair claims and blanket coverage up to 100 ETH regardless of the type of token or platform. … Hush The potential for cybersecurity breaches is an ever-present risk, including identity theft. Hush is an AI-powered cybersecurity platform providing digital privacy management services. It protects businesses against impersonation, phishing, social engineering, and brand risk. The platform minimizes the threat by removing online information that could result in privacy issues. …

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NICK HAGEN

01-02.24

THE TICKER

32 THAT’S AMORE Visit Detroit has started marketing the region as the Pizza Capital of the World via its Pizza Pass program. The effort includes offerings from Mootz Pizzeria in downtown Detroit (above).

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Critical Mass

Speed of Change

Pizza Amore

Kaiser is Rolling

PDA Q&A

Boyne’s New Lifts

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The Ticker

Critical Mass

LOCAL CUISINE Farmington Hills-based KSI Kitchen & Bath Owner Bryan Tolles and CEO Tony Achatz have been in growth mode since 2019, acquiring six related companies.

as its business expanded with a network of showrooms. From there, KSI added Cabinets Express locations to offer customers a selection of value-oriented products. Shortly after Tolles purchased KSI he hired Tony Achatz as CEO, and the buying spree began. In May 2020, KSI acquired luxury cabinet provider Maison Birmingham. In March 2021, it purchased Starlite Kitchen and Bath in Grand Rapids. It bought Paramount Fence in Livonia and ASA Cabinetry in Commerce Township in July of 2021. In September 2023, KSI picked up Henderson Glass in Rochester Hills and Bloomfield Hills’ Riemer Floors. Tolles, who estimates he’s invested more than $10 million in the consolidation effort, says the growing enterprise is working to finish combining the administrative parts of the various businesses to improve efficiencies — no small task, considering KSI now consists of three warehouses, 10 KSI stores, three Cabinets Express locations, six Henderson Glass sites, and two Riemer outlets. Overall revenue grew to between $65 million and $70 million in 2023, from less than $30 million in 2019. Today there are more than 220 people in the six businesses, up from fewer than 100 employees. “We’re committed to, and starting to see, improvements in being the employer of choice in these industries,” Achatz says. “We had to take the time to understand the nuances of each of these industries and make tweaks, improvements, and enhancements to our business to attract top talent.” One might expect KSI to become a sort of one-stop-shop for homeowners and contractors. Tolles says that kind of cooperation between the new companies is starting to occur. “If customers can come to a source they can trust and be provided with multiple products and multiple services, it’s easier for them and better for us,” Tolles says. When asked if KSI is finished acquiring companies in the home improvement space, Tolles says he’s “always looking for something.”

Hamilton’s Restaurant Opens at Godfrey Hotel in Corktown The Godfrey Hotel in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood has opened its full-service restaurant, Hamilton’s. The restaurant’s food and beverage offerings highlight local and seasonal ingredients, in keeping with classic American fare.

Stellantis Begins Construction at Canadian Battery Plant Stellantis in Auburn Hills has placed the first of 228 steel structural columns at the company’s new North America Battery Technology Centre, located at the Automotive Research and Development Centre in Windsor, Ontario.

How KSI Kitchen & Bath in Farmington Hills amassed a home improvement juggernaut. BY TIM KEENAN |

NICK HAGEN

ver since Bryan Tolles acquired Farmington Hills-based KSI Kitchen & Bath and Cabinets Express in 2019 from founders Don Fisher and Don Ziegle, he’s made it his mission to accumulate companies that can handle most any remodeling or new-build project. The goal is to partner with great brands that are well-established in the building products space, whether it be retail consumers, home builders, or multifamily developers, says Tolles, whose background is in private equity and investment banking. “From my perspective, if we can bring these companies together and give them resources, a great team, and professional management, they can grow,” he says. KSI started in 1971 as Kitchen Suppliers Inc. in Oakland County, and supplied Merillat Cabinetry to home builders. It eventually moved to Brighton,

DBUSINESS DIRECT

Great Lakes Water Authority Earns AA-rated Credit Status The Great Lakes Water Authority earned an AA credit rating for its most recent bond issuance, which will provide $250 million in new funding for regional water and wastewater system capital improvements.

Great Lakes Passenger Cruising Adds $1.5M to Detroit Economy Great Lakes cruise passenger spending generated nearly $1.5 million in direct economic impact for Detroit in 2023, when approximately 14,000 passengers visited Detroit aboard seven cruise ships.

Ford Scales Back BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn has resumed work on its BlueOval Battery Park in Marshall after a pause caused by the UAW strike. The battery facility, however, will be smaller than originally planned.

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The Ticker

KAISER IS ROLLING

COURTESY TORO BRAVO

THE KAISER ENTERPRISE

in Troy acquired a majority interest in Ferndale-based Rival Insulation. Rival’s existing ownership will remain in place. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Rival, which opened in 2011, specializes in mechanical insulation for a variety of industries including health care, automotive, education, commercial, government, and heavy industrial. “We continue to search for opportunities to grow our vertically integrated enterprise,” says Robert Kaiser II, owner and CEO of Kaiser Enterprise. “Rival Insulation is a natural complement, as they fit into our core businesses. “By expanding our in-house expertise, not only does our entire enterprise become more successful, but our customers are provided with higher-quality products, better pricing, and an improved ability to meet aggressive schedules,” he adds. Rival Insulation, located at 840 Hilton Rd., now has access to in-house expertise and expansive square footage within the enterprise. The recent investment brings together a unique collection of capabilities between each of the business units within the Kaiser Enterprise. Overall, the nine companies have more than 1,400 employees. Rival will maintain its Ferndale location, along with offices at the new Kaiser Enterprise headquarters at 5555 New King Drive in Troy. — R.J. King

Gilly’s Clubhouse and Rooftop to Open Downtown in Spring 7OH2 Hospitality announced Gilly’s Clubhouse and Rooftop in downtown Detroit will open in spring 2024. Operated by 7OH2, in partnership with Rock, Gilly’s is intended to bring a multifaceted dining and sports entertainment experience to the city.

Recreational Workhorse California’s Toro Bravo 4×4 is bringing RV manufacturing to Michigan via a partnership with Roush in Livonia. BY TIM KEENAN

company based in California that’s run by a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker is looking to bring recreational vehicle manufacturing to Michigan. Toro Bravo 4x4, located in Manhattan Beach, is working with Roush in Livonia to produce its 2024 Silver Spear all-in-one work truck, RV, and toy hauler for bicycles and motorcycles. The vehicle made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November 2023. The multipurpose vehicle, using a Ford F-450 chassis as its base, begins production in January 2024 and will be available through RV dealerships in March. It will have an MSRP of $299,000. “It’s an opportunity for Michigan to get in the RV game,” says Jeff Rohrer, founder and CEO of Toro Bravo 4x4. “Right now, 95 percent of the market is made in Elkhart, Ind.” When Rohrer retired as a linebacker with the Cowboys in 1991, he put his Yale education to work as a line producer for television commercials — a few of which found their way into Super Bowl broadcasts. Rohrer discovered that using the digital technology that made computer-generated images (CGI) possible also allowed for detailed digital prototyping of military projects, most of which he still can’t discuss. One project he can talk about is a set of pontoons for a C-130 cargo aircraft, which were 9 feet high by 40 feet long. “Through special effects, we created photo-real, 3-D renderings,” he says. “Siemens then put our data into its system and stress-tested the pontoons. It streamlined the project from seven years to seven months.” And that’s how quickly the Silver Spear came to be. “The team I was working with on that project are off-roaders and outdoorsmen,” Rohrer says. “They came to me with this idea about an RV that could double as a work truck and toy hauler.” That was in December 2022. In February 2023, Rohrer and

American Battery Solutions Acquired by Komatsu American Battery Solutions in Lake Orion will be acquired by Komatsu, a Japanese manufacturer of construction, mining, forestry, and industrial heavy equipment. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Recaro Automotive NA Acquires Material Supplier Clinton Township-based Recaro Automotive North America has acquired the assets and technology of C12 Technology in South Carolina. C12 Technology specializes in advanced material component development and production.

Macomb Community College Adds $890M to County Income Macomb Community College and its students add almost $890 million in income to the county’s economy, according to a new economic impact study by Lightcast, a data analytics provider with headquarters in Idaho and Massachusetts.

his team released a rendering of the vehicle. “We created quite a buzz,” he says. Rohrer had worked with Roush in the past, and decided to bring the Livonia specialty vehicle manufacturer into the fold. One design benefit is that the truck cab is separated from the rear box by a few inches, which helps keep it from shaking while off-road. “Roush is an amazing company and a great partner,” says Rohrer, who adds that the goal in 2024 is to produce 300 to 400 Silver Spears, and jump to the thousands in subsequent years. “It’s not fancy,” he says of his new Michigan-made vehicle. “We’re not taking the living room outdoors. The outdoors is the living ON THE ROAD The Toro Bravo 4x4 is a room. You can sleep in it, combination work truck, shower in it, but it’s not like toy hauler, and recreational most motorhomes. It’s very vehicle, built by Roush in utilitarian.” Livonia.

Louisiana Creole Gumbo to Move to Eastern Market One of Detroit’s oldest Black-owned restaurants, Louisiana Creole Gumbo, is moving and expanding two blocks from its original location along Gratiot Avenue in Eastern Market. The move represents a $1.5-million investment.

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

Speed of Change Walsh College in Troy is at the leading edge of cybersecurity. BY JIM STICKFORD

CYBER DEAN Dave Schipper, dean of academics and professor of cybersecurity and automotive cybersecuirty at Walsh College in Troy, helps train aspiring computer engineers on security threats.

start from scratch when learning about cybersecurity,” says Dave Schipper, dean of academics and professor of cybersecurity and automotive cybersecurity at Walsh. “It’s important that you love working with technology.” As data changes and improves, cybersecurity experts must keep up with the times. The school maintained its Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) from the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security

designation for the past two decades. Organizations with a CAE-CD must renew it every three years. “I talk with people in business and they tell me they love our graduates, and the only problem is that there’s not enough of them,” Schipper says. “In any given year, about 200 students graduate from our cybersecurity program and it’s easy for them to get jobs. In our technical culture, we know students must get value from degrees or they — and employers — won’t be happy.” The speed of change in the field of cybersecurity is only accelerating. Students who can learn how to keep up can have their pick of jobs. That’s something the staff at Walsh knows, and it’s reflected in a curriculum that will give students a start in a field where the demand for experts will only grow.

COURTESY WALSH COLLEGE

s cars become more automated, cybersecurity becomes more important. Walsh College in Troy, located in the center of the automotive industry, understands that. Perhaps surprisingly, the school teaches its students how to protect against cyber breaks by teaching them how to commit cyber breaches. Tom Petz, COO of Walsh College, says by discovering vulnerabilities, students can patch those holes in security. And it’s a never-ending process for students and engineers. “We have a unique opportunity to teach students, being in the Big Three’s backyard,” Petz says. “We can educate students and we can educate engineers about security. It’s hard engineering cars, and security (is often) an afterthought. We’re working to embed an ethos that has cybersecurity in the minds of engineers from the very beginning.” Walsh believes in hands-on teaching and making sure students leave school with a degree that can get them a job in the real world. That’s why the college emphasizes getting a practical education. The proof of the school’s success is that its cybersecurity graduates are in demand. Students who get into the field must be prepared for a lifelong learning process. That means learning to code, how to use a system, and how to upgrade that system. It also means being able to produce results daily. “We design our programs so students can

PDA Q&A: THE E-INTERVIEW CP: In Vancouver, at the World Credit Union Conference.

minister from Kenya. There are 3,000 attendees, and I’m part of a delegation from Michigan.

CP: It’s really fascinating to get the perspectives of people from all over the world. Some of the credit unions in other countries deal with different issues. I was able to learn about the latest fintech and digital transformations, and I met a

CP: We’re doing very well. We dealt with the challenges of COVID-19, and we continue to refine our strategic plan. It’s amazing to help people reach their financial goals. We’re seeing an increase in credit card and consumer credit from

DB: WHERE ARE YOU?

CARMA PETERS CEO Michigan Legacy Credit Union, Wyandotte

DB: HOW’S IT GOING?

DB: WHAT’S BUSINESS LIKE?

our members. That’s when credit unions shine.

DB: IN WHAT WAY?

CP: We offer some of the best interest rates in our region and state, we help people face the challenging waters ahead, and we sit down and talk to our customers and look to see where they can save money. We have $260 million in combined assets, and branch locations in

Wyandotte, Warren, Pontiac, Highland Township, and Flat Rock.

DB: ANY NEW TRENDS?

CP: More members are using our electronic services with their smartphones and tablets. They can open an account, apply for and close a loan, and sign any documents all through a video platform. We have an eye on digital cards and integrating them into our

core processing platform.

DB: WHAT ELSE IS COMING?

CP: We’re looking at remodeling one of our branches in Highland Township, and we’re integrating technology in a way that’s friendly. Customers can get things done easily, whether in one of our branches or as part of our digital offerings. We make things convenient for them. — R.J. King

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DIGITAL ADVERTISING SOLUTIONSCALL CALL 248-268-8026 FOR FOR DIGITAL ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS 248-268-8026 COMPASSMEDIA.COM COMPASSMEDIA.COM CompassDigital_FP_HD.indd 1

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The Ticker

BOYNE’S NEW LIFTS BOYNE MOUNTAIN IN

Boyne Falls, just south of Petoskey, has added an array of upgrades, attractions, and experiences meant to build on its legacy as one of the top winter destinations in the Midwest. This season, Boyne Mountain’s 75th, the resort has two new lifts: replacements for Boyneland and Superbowl. The new lifts come after last winter’s opening of Disciples 8, the Midwest’s first eight-person chairlift. Boyneland now is a four-person Dopplemayr fixed-grip chairlift that expands capacity and transports riders uphill in less than four minutes — half the former ride time. The Superbowl lift, servicing expert-rated terrain on the south end of the slopes, has been replaced with a three-person Dopplemayr fixed-grip chairlift — the fastest in the Midwest, at 2.5 meters/ second — for more laps in this popular area. Both the new Boyneland and Superbowl lifts have loading conveyors and RFID gates, providing hands-free, direct-to-lift access to the slopes. In total, Boyne Mountain now offers nine lifts and one covered conveyor servicing 65 runs and 415 skiable acres. Another uphill advancement at Boyne Mountain this winter is a new 400-foot Sunkid covered conveyor, which replaces the existing conveyor in the beginners area. Boyne Mountain also has a new fleet of cross-country ski equipment serving the resort’s 35 kilometers of Nordic skiing. — By Jim Stickford

Pizza Amore Visit Detroit creates a promotional campaign that touts the region as the Pizza Capital of the World. BY TIM KEENAN |

NICK HAGEN

laude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, the region’s main tourism bureau, calls metro Detroit the Pizza Capital of the World. Few locals would give him an argument. With pizzerias like Buddy’s and Cloverleaf offering authentic Detroit-style pizza, and Mootz Pizzeria in Detroit and Brooklyn Pizza in Birmingham hand-tossing their classic creations, not to mention being the headquarters of global chains like Little Caesars, Domino’s, Jet’s, and Hungry Howie’s, metro Detroit is the place to be for pizza of most any style. To showcase the region’s plethora of pizza, Visit Detroit has launched the Detroit Pizza Pass, a digital pass designed to help locals and visitors alike explore the options. “Detroit is probably the pizza capital of North America, if not the world,” Molinari says. “We have every different genre of pizza, and we want to help people who are here for business and events find our partners’ businesses. Having a vibrant restaurant scene is important to us. To showcase our partners to prospective customers is a value-add.” Pass-holders earn points by checking in at participating restaurants. The points they collect can be redeemed for prizes in the online rewards store. In its first month — the Pizza Pass was launched in October 2023, to coincide with National Pizza Month — 22 restaurants signed on, more than 1,000 potential customers signed up, and 130 pizza-eaters redeemed a prize (a Visit Detroit Pizza Pass-branded apron, among others).

Participating merchants range from spots serving authentic Detroit-style pizza in the heart of the city to classic hand-tossed pies from shops across the region. The Detroit Pizza Pass, according to Molinari, is a celebration of Detroit’s pizza scene, and a testament to the time-honored pizza heritage that’s a staple in Detroit’s food culture. Tony Sacco, owner of Mootz Pizzeria along Library Street in downtown Detroit, has been at his location for five years. He welcomes any assistance the Pizza Pass offers, especially since he’s planning on expanding into the vacant space adjacent to his restaurant in the coming months. “Usually when someone offers you a program like this, it costs money — but this is a bonus to being part of Visit Detroit,” Sacco says. The Pizza Pass was inspired by two other Visit Detroit programs, the Explore Detroit Pass and the Detroit Brew Trail. More than 3,100 visitors have signed up for the Explore Detroit Pass and 860-plus explorers have redeemed prizes. Meanwhile, over 1,200 people have started hiking the Brew Trail, comprised of 31 participating craft breweries, and more than 700 have redeemed prizes. Across the three passes, Visit Detroit has had people sign in from 42 states and more than 10 countries. Based on the success of the passes, Molinari envisions future programs highlighting other cuisine and activities. “There are so many things to see and do here in the Detroit area,” he says. “I’d love to be able to help our partners succeed. If they succeed, we succeed.”

RISING TO THE TOP Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, prepares to dig in at Mootz Pizzeria in downtown Detroit, a participating Detroit Pizza Pass restaurant.

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Focus

Tow the Line As damaging storms have flooded metro Detroit’s freeways over the past three years, arguments over billing charges between stranded motorists and towing companies have risen precipitously.

s general manager of Frog Holler Produce, a Detroit company that operates a 25-truck fleet that delivers fresh produce daily to clients across the state, Clay Verkaik routinely deals with traffic accidents, breakdowns, and other road emergencies. He wasn’t prepared, however, for what happened last spring when one of the company’s brand-new semitractor-trailer trucks was involved in an early morning two-vehicle accident on I-75, near downtown Detroit. Days after the accident he received a bill for $18,073 from Goch & Sons Towing Inc. in Detroit, one of the companies the Michigan State Police Department’s troopers call to clear the scenes of traffic accidents on area interstate freeways. “I was just dumbfounded. We’ve had trucks towed before that flipped over on the highway where there was gas or oil spilled, and we never experienced anything like this,” Verkaik says. “We’ve had trucks that rolled, loaded with produce, that looked like a bomb

went off — produce exploded everywhere over the highway — and our charges weren’t this high.” Verkaik says when he went to the tow truck company’s office to check on the truck and get an explanation of the charges on the bill, he couldn’t talk to anyone in person. Instead of an office, he says he walked into a small space, about 3 feet by 3 feet, with a receptionist behind a one-way mirror. “You don’t see who you’re talking to. I never got face-to-face with anybody,” he says. “I never saw the receptionist, as she was behind the mirror.” Verkaik says he grudgingly paid the bill because he had to recover the truck. The person behind the glass who took his credit card promised the sales manager would call him to go over the itemized charges. He says about a week later someone finally called and said the bill was what it was. Verkaik compared that incident to one involving another company truck that ran off the road in the Oxford area two years ago. That truck ended up in a drainage ditch.

“The nose of the truck was submerged about 5 or 6 feet deep. The fuel tanks were underwater and it took two large tow trucks to get our truck out,” Verkaik says. “It took seven-and-a-half hours to get that truck out of that ditch and towed away.” A towing service based in Lake Orion charged $6,000; a price Verkaik says was fair for the time and effort spent in getting the truck out of the ditch. Public ire toward towing companies has always been high, but recent weather events in the Detroit area and rising inflation have exacerbated patience levels. Record-high flooding in June 2021 shut down sections of nearly all metro Detroit freeways, leaving thousands of vehicles submerged and in need of rescue. More flooding the past two summers continued to aggravate those traditional tensions between motorists and tow truck companies. Verkaik’s sticker shock over the Goch & Sons tow bill is similar to that experienced by operators of GM Freight Inc., a Taylor based family-owned trucking service.

MACK JOPLIN

BY NORM SINCLAIR

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The accident involving the Frog Holler truck happened at 4:30 a.m. on April 7, 2023. The brand-new vehicle, a Hino L Series semitractor-trailer, had 700 miles on the odometer when it collided with a Nissan Altima sedan. Both vehicles were changing lanes to get to the center lane when they collided on I-75 near downtown Detroit. The impact of the truck hitting the back end of the smaller vehicle bashed the Altima into the cement lane divider. Neither driver was hurt, but the car was heavily damaged. At first glance the truck seemed to have sustained damage only on the right front, the right tire, and a wheel. The driver initially thought damage to the truck was minor. Neither the driver nor Verkaik were aware of the details of the four-hour operation to remove the box truck and the car, and the extensive cleanup required to reopen the expressway. Goch’s bill to Frog Holler included $2,500 for a street sweeper, four hazmat technicians for $2,100, $3,000 for a heavy-duty rotator truck, $1,575 for three other service trucks, $2,550 for three flatbeds, and $1,015 for 29 buckets of material to dry and remove liquid contaminants from the roadway. The truck was towed less than 10 miles.

The bill the Altima driver ultimately paid was $1,217, most of which was for storage after he left his car on Goch’s lot for 21 days after the accident. Mike Smith, general manager at Goch & Sons, says he understands why owners like Verkaik and others are upset over costs, especially truck accidents. “I can see both sides. People are taken back by the cleanup costs when they get into these truck accidents,” he says. “It’s not the towing that cost the money, it’s the cleanup and the equipment, and the specialized personnel we have to send out there. The cost of the equipment we had on this job was over $2 million.” Smith says to qualify for the state police’s contract list of tow companies they assign to certain sections of area expressways, a company must have hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment and manpower in that area on standby to respond immediately, any time of day or night, to a call to clear an accident. “They want companies that can throw people at it immediately so the rest of us can enjoy a freeway that moves,” he explains. “They want you to throw everything and the kitchen sink to get this road open, and at 4:30 in the morning, they were putting some pressure on our guys to get that road open before rush hour.”

PLUM ASSIGNMENT Frog Holler Produce in Detroit has seen its drivers get into plenty of fender benders, but nothing prepared the company for an $18,073 towing bill when one of their trucks got into an accident and was submerged in stormwater. Clay Verkaik, general manager of Frog Holler, says he has never had a towing bill so high.

That company’s bill from Goch & Sons was $9,100 for pulling out and towing their submerged truck from floodwater on I-94 at Livernois in the summer of 2021. “I think it’s highway robbery, literally,” GM Freight’s Adam McClure told WDIV-TV. “Over $9,000 to get a truck out and towed seven miles is ridiculous.” A report on this incident, under the headline “Semi Trucks Are Not Submarines,” turned up two months later in the August issue of the towing industry’s American Towman Magazine. The article included McClure’s quote. Without consulting anyone from Goch & Sons, the magazine used industry rates to compute GM Freight’s bill and concluded Goch undercharged for the six-hour recovery of the fully loaded semi-truck from 5 feet of rainwater mixed with sewage. The magazine blamed the truck driver for driving into the deep water. McClure declined to comment on that report, or their driver’s role in the incident. January - February 2024 || DBUSINESS.COM 35

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STICKER SHOCK Clay Verkaik says the bill from Goch & Sons Towing was hard to swallow, given the Frog Holler truck that was involved in the accident was declared a total wreck.

The contract with the state police dictates “fast response time and available equipment,” Smith says. “If the police order your car towed, it costs you more than a regular tow because we must have a certain number of tow trucks standing by for an emergency call,” he explains. “Unfortunately, that’s part of the price that’s built into it.” The Frog Holler accident scene was complicated because the truck traveled nearly 1,000 feet before stopping after impact with the car, he says. “It was a big accident. He hit the curb and took off pieces of the cement with the truck. There’s cement damage to the highway. He took down a traffic sign. The impact was so severe it shifted the (trailer) box off the frame of the truck,” Smith points out, using pictures Goch team members took at the scene. The most expensive charge on the Frog Holler bill was the $3,000 for the heavy-duty rotator truck used to lift and secure the trailer box back onto the frame. This truck is specially designed for difficult roadside truck accidents. It has a 360-degree rotating arm capable of lifting 70 tons of weight 30 feet up. Fluids from the truck from the point of the impact ran down a gutter across a ramp entrance to where the

truck was parked. Because Verkaik says the diesel fuel tanks were intact on the truck, Smith surmises the fluid on the roadway was from a broken radiator and an oil pan that might have been damaged when the truck ran over roadway cement. “It’s not like the truck stopped where the impact was; he kept going until he parked it and more ( fluid) spilled out. You can see in the pictures there’s a ton of Floor-Dry under the truck,” Smith says. The truck’s frame was bent, which meant it could no longer transport a trailer. The $141,000 truck was declared a total wreck, useful only for scrap parts. Smith says the unusual office layout at the Goch yard, where female employees deal with vehicle owners from behind a one-way mirror, is a security measure to protect the workers. “We tow vehicles from crime scenes, we have angry people whose cars were towed coming in here, and we don’t want our people coming face-to-face with them at a Walmart,” he says. One of the most publicized complaints against Goch & Sons was filed with the Detroit City Council, which led to an October 2022 meeting by the activist group New Era Detroit and rapper Trick Trick.

Isiah Williams of New Era said they confronted and videotaped a Goch tow truck driver before he could hook and illegally tow a woman’s car, minutes after she parked in an apartment space at the Detroit Medical Center. The tow would have occurred before a 15-minute grace period had expired. In a statement to the council, Goch denied the allegation and said their driver was so threatened by the activists he called the Detroit Police Department. Goch included a statement from apartment management praising the professional service the tow company provides its residents. At that time, City Council President Mary Sheffield was withholding approval for a pending $187,500 City towing contract with Goch. Two months later, Sheffield killed the contract. Danny Wimmer, press secretary to Attorney General Dana Nessel, says the office’s Consumer

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WE NOW WILL DOCUMENT EVERYTHING FOLLOWING AN ACCIDENT, AND EVERY TRUCK HAS A LIST OF TOWING COMPANIES TO CALL THAT WE TRUST. WE DON’T WANT TO BE AT THE MERCY OF ANYONE.” — CLAY VERKAIK

Protection Division has received 40 customer complaints against Goch & Sons since 2012, with 29 filed after January 2021. None resulted in formal investigations or action by the attorney general’s office, he says. He was unable to compare the number of complaints against Goch with other tow companies because his office’s internal tracking system doesn’t sort complaints in a way that makes that possible. Mike Shaw, a first lieutenant at the Michigan State Police Department, says tow companies submit proposals to work crash sites in certain sections of area freeways and are selected if their tow yard is located in that area and if the company has equipment, including the heavy-duty rotator trucks that can tow semi-trailers. There are no contracts involved, he says. The department’s Motor Carrier Division is responsible for vetting applicants. That process, however, has

METAL YARD Goch & Sons Towing lost out on a $187,500 towing contract in Detroit following a complaint filed with the city council by the activist group New Era Detroit and rapper Trick Trick.

been tied up in court for three years until recently. The state police are now in the process of compiling a current list of eligible tow companies, Shaw says. “The attorney general investigated the complaints. We charged the rates set by the state police,” Smith says. “They looked at all the cases and didn’t find one case where we overcharged anyone. We had the pictures and documentation for every vehicle.” Reflecting on what happened with Frog Holler’s truck last spring, Verkaik says he has since instituted new actions and procedures. “We now will document everything following an accident, and every truck has a list of towing companies to call that we trust,” he says. “We don’t want to be at the mercy of anyone.” January - February 2024 || DBUSINESS.COM 37

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Perspectives

Ms. Koch Goes to Washington Cathy Koch went from K-Tec Systems in Ferndale to the nation’s capital to advise the United States Senate and the federal government about the obstacles facing women entrepreneurs. BY RONALD AHRENS |

JACOB LEWKOW

uffering from nerves one morning last July, Cathy Koch ordered breakfast but couldn’t eat. So the president and CEO of K-Tec Systems Inc. in Ferndale fasted en route to the United States Capitol. Koch (pronounced “Cook”) had been tapped just two weeks prior to appear before the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for a hearing called “Pathways to Women’s Entrepreneurship: Understanding Opportunities and Barriers.” Leaving her hotel, her first stop was the office of Goldman Sachs & Co. on Constitution Avenue, where Koch met Jennifer Prosser, a regional director for the investment bank’s 10,000 Small Businesses “Voices” team. Koch herself is an alumna of the program that provides practical business education to enrollees; Prosser would serve as her guide through the D.C. labyrinth. After a practice session at Goldman Sachs, Prosser and Koch walked up Constitution Avenue to the Russell Senate Office Building for preliminaries with representatives of the committee’s ranking member, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. From there, they rode the elevator down to the basement and went through a tunnel that connects to the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The tunnel was a hustling and bustling microcosm of Congressional staffers wending their way through a big cluster of kids from Future Farmers of America in hats, blazers, and boots. Arriving inside Room 106, Koch and Prosser found about 150 women from business centers across the country.

CAPITAL RETURN Cathy Koch, president and CEO of K-Tec Systems Inc. in Ferndale, says she wasn’t able to secure a bank loan without a co-signer until 2020. Her company has recorded annual profits since its founding in 1989.

Starting with Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, the committee chairman, and with Sen. Ernst and 17 other senators, along with their attendants, Koch felt the power and energy inside the room. Added poignancy in the moment came from the fact it was the oneyear anniversary of her mother’s death. When her time came to speak, Koch clattered along for five minutes of charm and passion in the vinegary rat-a-tat of her Cincinnati hometown. By the second sentence of her speech, she was talking about wire harnesses and temperature sensors. She soon explained how she had launched K-Tec, which today has 18 employees. The “K” in “K-Tec” is not for “Koch,” but for degrees Kelvin, and refers to the low-temperature sensors and control systems the company produces for multiple industries. “Let me start from the beginning of this journey,” Koch said. “The year was 1989. I had a 1-year-old daughter, I was a recently divorced single mother, and I was working in sales in the male-dominated automotive industry.” After hitting a glass ceiling, she drafted a business plan for her own startup but was refused a loan and ended up borrowing $10,000 of capital against the equity in her house. “In fact,” she continued, “I hadn’t been able to secure a loan without a co-signer until three years ago, even though I have been profitable every year in business.” Reduced to its essence, her message was this: If women are so good at entrepreneurship, why can’t federal and local officials help more with basic issues like child care, lending, mentoring, and government contracts?

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“I thought no one heard me because I talked so fast,” Koch says. “As you know, I’m a fast speaker, especially being from Cincinnati.” She throws in a giggle. “And when I get nervous, it goes 10 times faster.” Sen. Cardin had to tame the raucous crowd as Koch scored point after point, and the world felt the impact of her words. “Cathy’s been a solid soldier,” says Melanie Duquesnel, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Detroit and Eastern Michigan. “When she told me she was going in front of Congress, I was like, ‘W-h-a-t?’ ” Cathy told her, “Somehow, I landed in this seat. I’m running at it.” “Go for it,” Duquesnel replied. Women-owned businesses in the United States employ 9.4 million people and report $1.9 trillion in revenue, according to Duquesnel. “So, this whole thing about women in business, and what they can and cannot do, has been unrestricted by less than a generation.” There also are what she calls “kitchen-table-type businesses,” such as a child-care operation that takes on five or six kids. “When you’re looking at that kind of contribution to the economy, we should be noticed. We should be considered viable credit risks in a banking setting,” Duquesnel says. Congress outlawed discriminatory practices with the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988. The act also created the National Women’s Business Council, and provided money for women’s business centers. These centers provide training, technical assistance, and support for entrepreneurship. Yet old biases are slow to fade away. Sharing another statistic, Duquesnel says 62 percent of women entrepreneurs report they’ve experienced gender bias during the funding process. The mere fact K-Tec Systems survived COVID-19 so Koch could go to Washington, D.C., is something of a miracle. Koch majored in marketing at the University of Cincinnati before going to work at United States Shoe Corp. “I was always inside sales,” she explains. “They wouldn’t put women in sales back then, even selling shoes in the retail business. That’s just the way it was.” Love and marriage brought her to Detroit, and she took a job in customer service with George Instrument Co., a seller of instrumentation that measures temperature, pressure, and flow rates. She worked there more than seven years. During that time, she took maternity leave only to find, upon returning, that her position was no longer available. It may have been a bitter pill, but it also was a stroke of fortune. She went to work briefly for Industrial Temperature Control, then founded K-Tec Systems in August 1989. “Without even knowing it, I had learned the business from the ground up — accounting, marketing, customer service, the works,” she says. Getting established as a rep and a distributor, Koch worked toward the goal of manufacturing K-Tec’s own products. In 2015 and 2016, she went through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses

METAL WORK K-Tec’s Holly Roddenbery welds parts for the company’s line of low-temperature sensors and control systems, while Michael Feldpausch adds resin to wires.

program: a series of 12 classroom sessions with lectures, guest speakers, and simulations. Among other things, it emphasized creating a sound business plan. “They call it the growth plan, which was spot-on to what we needed to have, and we still revamp and use (it) to this day,” she says. Offering K-Tec’s own line of products was a big step forward. Today, the company makes, installs, and services an array of control devices. Applications range from plant floors to brew tanks, and from test tracks to ice cream shops. Thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors — or RTDs — produced by K-Tec are used in medical and aerospace industries. The Ferndale factory has an ISO 17025-certified lab for testing the accuracy of the RTDs. With teamwork among the engineers, electricians, fabricators, assemblers, and the business and sales staff, and with Koch’s vision, K-Tec can design and bundle wiring harnesses for automotive engine-testing equipment or portable medical treatment devices. As the manufacturing initiative was becoming well established, COVID-19 hit with a splat and K-Tec’s future looked somewhat dubious. The staff of 15 trickled away despite Koch’s efforts to provide health insurance and food relief. “I’ve been through a lot of down times, but I think that was one of the worst,” she admits.

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NATIONAL REACH

THE WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE National Council

blankets the United States with 14 regional chapters. One of its functions is to certify women-owned businesses. “We actually go out and kick the tires, interview the owners, make sure they understand, and really educate the site visitor on what the business is all about (and) who does what,” says Melanie Duquesnel, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Detroit and Eastern Michigan, and a former banker. “I used to do that for the local chapter, known as the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council.” One role for the council, the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council is located in Livonia, is providing instructions on how to write proposals to large corporations where diversity investment and spending goals include a certain percentage of womenowned companies. “So that certification through the WBENC is vital to them at least clearing one of the first hurdles for consideration in applying for contracts,” Duquesnel says. “They also do financial training, training on leadership, on staffing, legal issues, and contract issues.” A modest amount of lending is another function. Loans up to $75,000 are available for entrepreneurs in southeast Michigan — even higher in specific areas. But Duquesnel asks, once again, if that’s enough. “From Cathy Koch’s perspective, that’s not near what she would need to fulfill a large-scale contract if she needs to build up equipment or infrastructure, or hire additional staff over and above what she’s already got. She’s going to need $1 million or $2 million.” Duquesnel calls the council’s lending “stopgaps.” She adds: “It’s not the be-all, end-all. It’s not the solution, just part of the solution.” — Ronald Ahrens

Through a partnership in Seattle, though, she found a key new employee and two associates, and moved them to Detroit. And then two miracles struck. No. 1: A bank had actually lent her money without a male co-signer. No. 2: K-Tec Systems landed the job of making the temperature sensor for the mRNA vaccine, a wondrous device that she says is capable of 196-degrees-below-zero-Centigrade performance. “We were proven to be the most accurate in that temperature range, we could get it up and running, and we could build this temperature sensor,” she relays. The next landing maneuver was the monitoring system for a new cancer drug to be stored at temperatures colder than any recorded, even in Antarctica. “I wanted to show that manufacturing could be cool and innovative and creative instead of the dark, dirty word of MAN-u-facturing that everybody thinks it is, right?” she says. “And we’re a Michigan manufacturer selling into the automotive space, which I think (I was) the only woman in that industry at the time. So, what we did, I wanted to have a space that showed a lot of light, showed innovation, and showed clean.” As Koch continued with her testimony, it resonated with Deana Neely, who has guided a smart idea into a trendy company, Detroit Voltage, located in Greektown. The company has seven employees, including administrative, and performs a range of electrical tasks. It’s also been doing a lot of EV infrastructure lately, with prospects of nationwide expansion. Along with classmates during the final session of her own Goldman Sachs program, Neely watched Koch testify before the Senate committee on a live stream. “I’m like, my goodness. It was so good, it literally gave me goose bumps,” Neely recalls. “You could see, amongst all the women in the class, I think some might even have been teary-eyed. It was so good and relevant and necessary to advocate for women all across the country.”

DOWN TO THE WIRE Mikiyah Womack strips wires at K-Tec Systems. The company, which serves multiple industries, is looking to add new employees. The starting pay is $18 an hour.

Among the many parallels in the stories of Koch and Neely is being single moms. “And the other thing is we both are in male-dominated industries,” Neely says. And one might add a third parallel: namely, Detroit Voltage also is on the profitable side of the ledger. Today, Neely is a mentor through the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, which she calls “a wonderful opportunity to give back to other women business owners.” Meanwhile, she’s writing a book, to be called “Women in Construction Survival Guide,” and planning a digital program to go with it. “The book I’m writing aims to support women in launching, expanding, and scaling businesses within the construction industry,” Neely says. “The digital program will offer startup strategies, expert insights, resources, and interactive learning to launch and grow a business in the construction industry.” During the testimony before the Senate, Koch made a point of saying she had overcome challenges. “But those same challenges persist,” she told them, “and are a devastating detriment to a large number of female small-business owners.” When Mariyah Saifuddin saw Koch’s social media post with the link to her testimony, she thought, “Fabulous.” The CEO and co-founder of Innovative Solution Partners in West Bloomfield had met Koch 10 years ago — “She was one of the first friendly faces (I encountered)” — and the two reconnected during COVID-19. “She was rebuilding, I was rebuilding,” Saifuddin says. With about 10 employees, Innovative Solution Partners is an SAP (Systems Applications and Products) services partner. “Our role is to get data from where it’s being stored to those nice dashboards used by C-level executives,” Saifuddin says. Applications are wide-ranging, but one example is the National Hockey League, which uses SAP to analyze the massive amount of data that’s generated by the sport’s frenetic action and add tweaks to the game. “The needs of women business owners are a little nuanced in their roles,” Saifuddin continues, citing the wide support for modernization at the U.S. Small Business Administration. “So, child care, elder care, and what resources are available to support our staff as well as ourselves in those arenas?” Like many other women in her position, Saifuddin brings up the mystifying process of government procurement, saying, “The barrier to entry is very high. For a small business to bid on a government contract, it’s a different skill set from a commercial business.” Pursuing RFPs (Requests for Proposals) for government contracts is often time-consuming and expensive. Saifuddin says she knows of a small business owner who spent $100,000 to open an office in Washington, D.C. “I’m looking at where I’m going to invest my time and resources — where’s my return?” Upon her own return to Detroit, Koch looked forward to fine-tuning her staff at K-Tec. “We’re in the hiring process,” she says. While the Michigan minimum wage is $10.10 per hour, K-Tec starts employees at

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THE GOLDEN TOUCH

AN INCIDENTAL TAKE-AWAY

EXCEED THE NEED Neill Koivu helps keep track of K-Tec’s inventory. The company balances the introduction of cost-saving solutions while maintaining quality and supporting a high level of productivity.

$18 per hour with full health benefits and two weeks’ vacation. “That’s with no experience,” she adds. Still, in finding employees, there are issues: transportation, housing, and, of course, child care. “The neighborhood we’re in is great — livable, walkable. But the housing has gone through the roof. This used to be an inexpensive place to live. It’s crazy.” K-Tec is several blocks off the transit line, which adds another degree of difficulty. “We had one young lady working for us who would try to take a bus, and she would Uber. We paid for her Uber between home and work. Now she’s working on getting her driver’s license.” To help give back, K-Tec has partnered with COTS, founded in Detroit in 1983, to provide emergency shelter and transitional housing to men, women, and children experiencing homelessness. “We’re teaching them how to strip wire and make harnesses because, when we lost our staff, we thought, ‘Well, we’re going to have to train and teach our own.’ But it’s hard to find women to really get into the program because they find out, when they get a real job, they’re going to lose a lot of those resources, and it’s just a spiral.” In the course of its 34 years, K-Tec has grown and reconstituted itself, always looking to be part of the solution. Koch also is involved in the MentorWE program at the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council and other volunteering activities. Then, Koch admits, there’s always the nagging thought: “What am I going to do next?” She thinks of starting another company or taking a consulting role. “What’s my next move? I don’t think I’ll stop. I don’t know what to do.” So she goes forth, holding her lantern against the darkness.

from Cathy Koch’s story is about the efforts to continue her education. Some programs short of an MBA are designed to fine-tune entrepreneurial skills. When preparing in 2015 to start manufacturing at K-Tec Systems in Ferndale, Koch went through an executive growth program at Dartmouth University’s Tuck School of Business. The intensive, week-long course is a way to “level up your leadership skills,” according to one graduate. The current Leadership and Strategic Impact program is offered twice a year, with the next course set for May 5-10, 2024. The $14,000 tuition fee includes program materials, most meals, and hospitality accommodations. “After that I went to the Goldman Sachs program, which was helpful for me to get into my manufacturing space that I’m in today,” Koch says. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program represents a $500-million investment by the company in the name of small-business growth. At no cost at all to participants, 10,000 Small Businesses offers 12 regional education programs in the United States, featuring a curriculum designed by Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. The next Detroit “cohort,” as Goldman Sachs calls it, starts Jan. 25, 2024, and ends on April 19. It includes an orientation and reception, followed by 11 learning sessions at Wayne State University. The sessions cover such topics as growth assessments, financial statements, human resources, and marketing skills. Two sessions are devoted to negotiation techniques. There also are multiple simulations during sessions titled “You Are the Lender” and “You Are the Leader.” Overall, studies show graduates of the 10,000 Small Businesses program grew revenue and added jobs in their businesses at a rate that more than outpaced the national economy. — Ronald Ahrens

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Feature

Art

Deal

The “Grand Bargain,” an $820 million plan to save the vast collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts from creditors during the City’s historic bankruptcy proceedings, has proven — a decade later — to be one of the most consequential adversary proceedings in municipal history. BY BILL DOW

ne of the most valuable and treasured pieces of “art” that graces the Detroit Institute of Arts on Woodward Avenue hangs on a wall outside of public view within the third-floor lobby of the museum’s administrative offices, high above the African American and Modern Art galleries. The framed ink-and-graphite sketch and its accompanying notes, drawn on a cardboard backing from a legal pad, is named the “Grand Bargain Doodle.” It was created by former Judge Gerald Rosen, who, in 2013, as

the Chief U.S. District Judge in Detroit, was named the lead mediator in Detroit’s bankruptcy proceedings — the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. The sketch and notations represent an early vision of his innovative plan, which ultimately secured $820 million from charitable foundations, the State of Michigan, and the DIA (gifts from individuals and corporations) in an unprecedented partnership that saved the museum and its art, reduced City employees’ pension cuts, and helped resolve Detroit’s 2013 bankruptcy in just 17 months.

STAFF PHOTO

of the

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In addition, two property tax millages passed by voters in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties in 2012 and 2020 represent nearly twothirds of the museum’s $39.3 million annual operating budget. With a growing endowment from philanthropic support, the DIA is now on solid financial ground. “When I arrived in 2008, the DIA was trying to survive, but today we’re in a very stable financial situation,” says Salvador Salort-Pons, who’s been the director of the DIA since 2015.

CRITICAL DESIGN Left: Diego Rivera’s "Detroit Industry" mural at the DIA was among several pieces on the potential chopping block during Detroit's bankruptcy.

Rouge Plant in Dearborn, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014. And to think that all of this could have been lost nearly 10 years ago, if not for the “Grand Bargain.” The story of how the Grand Bargain was accomplished could serve as a master’s course in innovative thinking, negotiations, fundraising, “crucial conversations,” and governance. Four months after then Gov. Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency and appointed Kevyn Orr as Detroit’s emergency manager on July 18, 2013, with estimates of a debt level as high as $18.3 billion, 60 percent of which was tied to unfunded public employee pension and health care benefits, the City filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. A month later, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes named Gerald Rosen, U.S. District Chief Judge for the Eastern District, as the chief judicial mediator for the bankruptcy case. In turn, Rosen appointed other mediators, including the late attorney Eugene Driker, and several members from his court, to help settle the case. Rosen first kept a long-standing Florida golf trip with his 15-year-old son, Jake, and departed with court reading materials that disclosed an assetless bankruptcy except for the DIA’s art collection and building. “I thought, Oh, great, my legacy will be selling one of the great art collections in the world to the sheiks of Dubai and oligarchs in Russia; what did I get myself into?” says Rosen, who today serves as a mediator with JAMS, a judicial arbitration and mediation services organization. “One of the creditors had talked about cutting up pieces of the Diego Rivera murals and selling them, and even though I wasn’t a DIA person, I thought liquidating the DIA would have been like dropping a hydrogen bomb in Midtown, one of the few areas being revitalized at the time. Litigation

DRAWING COURTESY GERALD ROSEN

STAFF PHOTO

The original Detroit Museum of Art was privately founded in 1885 and opened its first building along East Jefferson Avenue in 1888. In 1919, after running into funding problems, it was rechristened the Detroit Institute of Arts and became a City department. In 1997, the City transferred all museum operations to the Founder’s Society, although it retained ownership of the art and the current building, which opened in 1927. The DIA’s collection, which consists of 65,000 works and artifacts, is among the top five in the United States and is represented by exceptional American, European, Modern and Contemporary, and graphic art, while its hallmark is its diversity with significant works of African, Asian, Native American, Oceanic, Islamic, and Ancient art. Among the famous artists represented are Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Rodin, Van Gogh, Picasso, Giacometti, Warhol, Rothko, Whistler, Rubens, Cezanne, Matisse, Gauguin, Seurat, Monet, Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, Eric Thomas, Maria Blanchard, and Artemisia Gentileschi. During the 2013 Detroit bankruptcy proceedings, widely disparate estimates of the value of the collection ranged from $454 million to as high as $8.5 billion. The museum encompasses 658,000 square feet and houses more than 100 galleries, lecture spaces, and a 1,200-seat theater that has hosted the Detroit Film Theatre for half a century. Every year, dozens of workshops and events take place at the museum that Salort-Pons has called “the region’s town square.” One of the crown jewels of the institution is Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry” murals, completed in 1933. The monumental frescoes, highlighted by two main panels on the north and south walls depicting workers at Ford Motor Co.’s massive

Above: A thank you plaque for the donors who helped make the Grand Bargain possible. Right: The original "Grand Bargain Doodle" that former Judge Gerald Rosen created in 2013 hangs in a private area of the DIA.

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THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS drives significant revenue, notoriety, and tourism from exhibitions large and small, including the Masterpieces of Early Italian Renaissance Bronze Statuettes, which includes four bronze figures from the Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence, Italy. The show, which runs through March 3, is the first time the Italian statuettes have been on display in America. To complement the exhibit, the DIA reached into its own collection of Italian Renaissance sculptures, paintings, and period furniture. Among the museum's most popular exhibits was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the DIA’s 1922 purchase of Vincent van Gogh’s 1887 painting “Self Portrait” (the DIA was the first American museum to acquire a Van Gogh), which ran from Oct. 2, 2022, to Jan. 22, 2023. The event drew rave reviews, international media coverage, and a quarter of a million visitors from around the world who came to see Van Gogh in America, which featured 74 original paintings, drawings, and prints by the Dutch post-impressionist artist. Salvador Salort-Pons, the director of the DIA, says two other recent successful exhibits, Star Wars and the Power of Costume (2018) and Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City, 1950-2020 (2020-2022) also attracted many first-time visitors to the museum. “The work we did 10 years ago with the renewed millage and the Grand Bargain has brought a great return on our investment because the DIA and the entire cultural community are thriving,” Salort-Pons says. Paired with the exhibitions was a $158-million renovation and expansion of the DIA in 2007, led by Eugene Gargaro, who stepped down last May after serving for 20 years as the chair of the museum board. The work helped maintain the fiscal health of the institution during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, initiated the two property tax millages, and achieved the DIA’s $100 million commitment to the Grand Bargain in 10 months, while securing its art collection and independent status for generations to come. The overall results are impressive. The DIA was chosen as the No. 1 art museum in America as part of USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards in 2023 (in a nationwide poll, experts selected the top 20 nominations and readers made the final decision by casting their votes). In addition, the DIA’s success was recognized in 2022 by the American Alliance of Museums when it renewed the museum’s accreditation — considered the gold standard of museum excellence — stating, “the DIA is on a very strong footing overall, and has the capacity, leadership, organizational culture, and structure to thrive over the next 10-year period.” According to Salort-Pons, 2023 annual attendance at the DIA approached 700,000 visitors (near pre-pandemic levels), while more than half a million K-12 students and 9,000 senior groups have toured the museum in the past 10 years, thanks to the partnership with the three millage-supporting counties (Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb), whose residents receive free admission. — By Bill Dow

Le Cirque, Henri Matisse, 1947 from "After Cubism: Modern Art in Paris." Currently on display.

The Nicholas Brothers, Stormy Weather, 1943 from"Regeneration: Black Cinema, 1898–1971," opening Feb. 4.

would have taken years, and there would have been nothing left but dust and legal fees, so a fight over the art was a non-starter. It would have been the exclamation point of Detroit’s obituary.” At 5 a.m. one day, over coffee, Rosen — who likes to doodle conceptual ideas — ran out of paper on his legal pad and began to sketch on the cardboard backing. He drew a protective square around the word “art,” which he placed between the words “state” and “pensions,” and scribbled questions on possible funding sources including “private donors,” “foundations,” and “the DIA.” Suddenly, Rosen had formed what became known as the “Grand Bargain Doodle.” “The original idea was to get the state to kick-start the funding, put the art in a trust, lock it off from all the other creditors, and flow any money we could raise from the State and any other resources to the retirees, because they were the largest single group of creditors,” Rosen recalls. “This triangular bank shot would reduce the pension debt, get them off the runway, and then use whatever was left to address the other creditors.” After being told by Gov. Snyder that there would be no money from the State, especially with a Legislature not inclined to bail out Detroit, Rosen had a chance meeting at a downtown deli with Mariam Noland, then president of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Soon after, on Nov. 5, Noland helped form a gathering of 15 foundation leaders from around the country to hear Rosen’s compelling pitch that “the bankruptcy was the most consequential event in the city’s history in our lifetime” and that the “missions of cultural preservation, the city’s revitalization, and human needs (the retirees’ pensions) were worthy of support.” A month later, Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation in New York (founded by the Ford family) told Rosen that his organization would provide a conditional gift of $120 million, the largest in its history. The Kresge Foundation in Troy followed with a commitment of $100 million, the Knight Foundation provided $30 million, and nine other foundations contributed even more ($370 million in total), with the condition that the State and the DIA would also have to ante up. Rosen was told that each charitable organization had given the largest single grant in their respective histories. Armed with the pledges, Rosen and Driker, who early in his career was a lawyer under Attorney Gen. Robert F. Kennedy and went on to become a founding member of the multifaceted business law firm Barris, Sott, Denn, and Driker in Detroit, drove to Lansing to sell Snyder on the plan. Rosen says the governor was stunned when he heard the contributions were expected to be $350 million and that the State needed to match it, with the understanding that another $100 million would be needed from the DIA and private donors.

COURTESY DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

Exhibit A

GREAT EXPOSURE Hercules and Anteaus, Antonio del Pollaiuolo, c. 1470-75 from "Masterpieces of Early Italian Renaissance," on view at the Detroit Institute of Arts through March 3.

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COURTESY DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

ART FOR THE AGES With more than 100 galleries and thousands of works of art, the DIA, built in 1927, has one of the most significant collections in the United States.

“I told Rick that there was no Plan B, and that he had made a very difficult decision to put the City in bankruptcy, and it was the right decision, but he couldn’t throw his arms up now and say, ‘Not my problem,’ ” says Rosen, who, along with Driker and others, lobbied every State legislator. The Detroit News leaked a story about Rosen’s meeting with the foundations that the mediator thought could spook the respective boards and upset other creditors, while a Detroit Free Press cover story in December of 2013 about Rosen’s efforts was the first to label the effort “The Grand Bargain.” Upon reading the Free Press article, Paul Schaap, founder of Lumigen, a prominent medical technology company in Southfield, informed Rosen that he was contributing $5 million for the effort and would conduct a news conference to announce the gift. “Paul told me the idea of a Grand Bargain was inspiring, and that everything he had done he owed to Detroit,” Rosen says. “It was the first of many individual gifts that soon followed, and I thanked him profusely. That was a tonic for our mediation team.” Meanwhile, Rosen and Driker met with Eugene Gargaro, a longtime executive with Masco Corp. and chairman of the DIA board, who had just come off fundraising and millage campaigns. Initially Gargaro thought he could raise $25 million, and then slowly committed to a “soft” $50 million. When Rosen told Snyder about his discussion with Gargaro, Snyder invited the DIA leader to join him in Washington, D.C., where the governor was being honored by Americans for the Arts with a leadership award. The two met for breakfast, and Snyder gave

READY FOR BATTLE "Officer of the Hussars" by Kehinde Wiley (2007) is one of 65,000 works of art at the DIA.

Gargaro an update on the legislative status before telling him that he needed the DIA to participate. “I said ‘Rick, I don’t have it yet, and I’ll need your help, but I have wonderful news, I’m here to offer $50 million to help get this past the goal line.’ Without blinking he said, ‘Gene, I know how hard that’s going to be, but the number needed is $100 million.’ I said, ‘I don’t know where $50 million is coming from, so I certainly don’t know where $100 million is coming from, but we’re in.’ ” Gargaro called Rosen and told him, “that was the most expensive breakfast I’ve ever had,” then promptly held an emergency meeting with his board to inform them of the new commitment.

“You could hear a pin drop, but when I made a motion for a $100 million commitment, every hand went up in support,” says Gargaro, who started receiving donations before he even made a pitch to the Big Three automakers and others about the importance of saving the pensions, helping Detroit exit bankruptcy, and preserving a great cultural institution. Gargaro says one gift that sticks out came following a 30-minute meeting with Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corp. in Bloomfield Township. “He said, “Gene, I’m not an arts guy, but I know that to have a great city you need arts and culture so I’m in for $10 million, but the only ones you can tell are Bill Ford Jr., Mary Barra, and Sergio Marchione.’ I

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Pictures of Value

"THE WEDDING DANCE" Bruegel the Elder ca.1566, oil on panel Est. value: $100M-$200M

"SELF PORTRAIT WITH STRAW HAT" Vincent Van Gogh 1877, oil on artist board Est. value: $80M-$150M

"PORTRAIT OF POSTMAN ROULIN" Vincent Van Gogh 1888, oil on canvas Est. value: $80M-$120M

"THE VISITATION" Rembrandt van Rijn 1640, oil on panel Est. value: $50M-$90M

"MELANCHOLY WOMAN" Pablo Picasso 1902, oil on canvas Est. value: $60M-$80M

I'll never forget sitting with Gene Driker in the Capitol gallery when, just before the House bill passed, a Tea Party legislator from northern Michigan stood up and said, 'Today we are all Detroiters.' ” — GERALD ROSEN

could have hugged him and knew that would set the floor for what the auto companies would contribute,” Gargaro says. In June of 2014, the Big Three announced a $26 million contribution to support the Grand Bargain, with $10 million from Ford Motor Co., $6 million from Chrysler Group, $5 million from General Motors Co., and $5 million from the General Motors Foundation. Gargaro says following that major announcement, other companies followed and began making major gifts to the effort. “The whole experience is something you just cannot forget about — how so many people came through” Gargaro says. Remarkably, Gargaro and the DIA secured $100 million in commitments in just 10 months, while Gov. Snyder and the Legislature committed $350 million. “I’ll never forget sitting with Gene Driker in the Capitol gallery when, just before the House bill passed, a Tea Party legislator from northern Michigan stood up and said, ‘Today we are all Detroiters,’ ” Rosen says. In November, Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes approved the City’s Plan of Adjustment and described the groundbreaking Grand Bargain, in particular, as the “cornerstone” of the plan that provided for the contribution of $820 million over the next 20 years from the State, certain charitable foundations, and the DIA for the benefit of Detroit’s pensioners. At the same time, the City, led by Mayor Mike Duggan, irrevocably transferred all of its title in the DIA art collection and building to a perpetual charitable trust. The move served to protect the City from any claims during the bankruptcy proceedings. Five weeks later, on Dec. 10, the City exited bankruptcy in just 17 months — a remarkable feat in the world of municipal bankruptcies. “There are still some folks angry about the bankruptcy and some of the cuts the pensioners did take, but is Detroit better off now compared to 10 years ago?” Rosen asks. “It would be hard to say that it isn’t, and the Grand Bargain was at the core of it. There were a lot of heroes.” Snyder, who is now the CEO of SensCy Inc., an Ann Arborbased cybersecurity company, says the deal was successful due to “Judge Rosen and his team, the Legislature, Kevyn Orr, and Judge Rhodes, along with the significant gifts from the foundations, individuals, and corporate donors that made it happen. “There were also sacrifices made by the pensioners, and that should not be forgotten. The DIA is a world-class asset that legally had to be on the bankruptcy table, so it was great that we were able to save it. I’m very proud for what we all did for the city and it was one of my biggest accomplishments as governor.”

COURTESY DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

Below are a selection of artwork from the DIA appraised by Christie's –in late 2013.

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COURTESY DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

Feature

Orr, the partner in charge for the U.S. Offices of Jones Day, remarks: “There were a lot of leaders in this process who were courageous and creative, and I think the Grand Bargain was essential and unprecedented. The ability to bring in more than three-quarters of a billion dollars in commitments from the private sector, the foundations, and the State of Michigan was unprecedented and it allowed us to move forward without having to engage in a significant amount of litigation. “That process was crucial. Providing the Grand Bargain to preserve the DIA was a gift that allowed me as a receiver to meet my fiduciary obligation.” Still, had the 10-year tri-county property tax millages to support the DIA in 2012 not passed, Gargaro says the museum would have likely failed even before the bankruptcy. During the period of the national financial crisis in 2008, Gargaro says then Gov. Jennifer Granholm had cut the DIA’s annual State support of some $7 to $8 million a year to “maybe a quarter of that,” while the City of Detroit had cut funding completely. During the same period, the costs of running the museum continued to mount. After meeting with officials from the Detroit Zoo on how it was able to successfully pass a millage in 2010, Gargaro and his team led the effort that convinced voters in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties that the museum needed tax support to remain open and to allow it to raise a large enough endowment so that in the future public subsidies wouldn’t be necessary. “If the millage hadn’t passed, we didn’t believe the DIA would survive,” Gargaro says. “We could have employed some drastic options, but it really would have restricted the DIA to the point that it could have easily closed.” This past June, Julie Schima, 33, of Roseville was admiring the Diego Rivera “Detroit Industry” murals. “I’ve been coming here for 25 years and I love the DIA and the mixture of art styles in different parts of history,” she says. “When I was first able to vote ( for the measure), I supported the millage, and I did a second time because I think it’s very important that it’s shared with younger generations.” In March 2020, voters in the tri-county region overwhelmingly approved renewal of the DIA millage for another 10 years, while separately the museum increased its endowment. “The current value of the unrestricted operating endowment is around $350 million, which is quite amazing because when I started as director in 2015 the value was around $120 million,” Salort-Pons says. “Through our strategic plan we set a goal for raising our endowment to $500 million by 2027. Right now, we’re supported by the very generous millage, but we would like to achieve our independence in the future. I’ll let the people who run the museum in the future determine whether it will still be necessary to ask for

Cue the Lights IN 2012, AS A 22-YEAR-OLD INTERN in the Detroit Institute of Arts’ prints, drawings, and photography department, Livonia native Marc Langlois’ career unexpectedly and suddenly took off in another direction. In the midst of framing an exhibit that needed to be lit, the museum’s lighting technician temporarily left on medical leave. Opportunity knocked for Langlois, who had obtained a degree in graphic design at Schoolcraft College in Livonia before studying art history at Wayne State University in Detroit. “A director asked if I would try my hand at lighting the exhibit and said that Robert White, a renowned lighting designer with Iluminart in Ypsilanti, would help me. I was up for the challenge,” Langlois recalls. “I didn’t even know that a lighting designer was even a position. “Within 15 minutes of working with him, he told me, ‘This is what you’re going to be doing forever because you’ve got the eye and the drive.’ I knew nothing about lights, but when I realized this was really something for me, I bought a bunch of books and came home every night to read about lighting.” After first working as a lighting technician, in 2016 Langlois was named the museum’s lighting designer — a position most art museums don’t have. With more than 6,000 lighting fixtures in 100-plus galleries, in addition to the 300 to 500 fixtures that typically need to be designed and installed for special exhibits, Langlois thrives with the challenge and responsibility. “My job is to show the visitors all parts of the art object and how the artist wanted it seen,” says Langlois, who first creates digital renderings on a computer while testing the light level, so as not to damage the art. “Beyond color, there are infinite textures, shapes, and mediums, so pieces of an entire story can be lost if I overlook how even the smallest detail is lit — and that can be the most important part,” he adds. “However, we have to be incredibly careful because conservation is the No. 1 consideration. When I finish the lighting, my job is to disappear and let the art speak for itself. If we do our job right, you don’t notice the lighting.” For the recent Van Gogh in America exhibit, which featured 74 works by the Dutch artist and drew rave reviews and thousands of visitors from around the world, Langlois worked closely with the show’s curator, Jill Shaw. After first finalizing the exhibit layout and floor lighting to guide people through the space, each painting required a lighting plan and a fixture (with one LED bulb) that’s first modeled on a software program. It took Langlois a week to oversee and install the lighting with the help of a technician, following countless hours of planning and design.

RARIFIED VIEW Marc Langlois started out as an intern at the DIA in 2012. Today, he's the museum's lighting designer.

“My goal is to design the exhibit lighting just as the curator dreamed it would be. Jill wanted it dark, which I also prefer, but we did it as safely as possible,” says Langlois, who spent at least three hours over two days lighting the painting “Starry Night Over the Rhone.” The pressure was on, as each work of art had its own challenges. “Van Gogh painted it in the dark and he knew how the light worked, so I didn’t light it any more than what he would have wanted — but I showed everything that he wanted you to see. The biggest challenge was that he painted with such texture that you could get different shadows from the depth of the paint, but we made it work,” says Langlois, who was later thrilled to learn that the Van Gogh Museum representatives from Amsterdam were “incredibly happy with the exhibit.” Although Langlois says technology and materials have improved markedly since he started 10 years ago (“like night and day”), certain objects — like stained-glass windows and shiny automobiles — present challenges that sometimes require experimentation and insights from others. For the 2020-2022 exhibit Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City 1950-2020, Langlois conferred with Brienne Musselman and his mentor, Robert White, whose company had lit numerous auto shows. “I had never lit cars before and they’re challenging, particularly with prototypes, since there are so many curves, bubble windows, and reflections. But I was so excited to do it,” says Langlois, who first lit diecast cars while making miniatures on a computer. “But that only gets you so far.” Langlois created a plan for lighting a stained-glass window when daylight isn’t available, and he’s since shared it with other lighting designers at other venues. “It was just me going down a rabbit hole, but I finally developed a flexible LED sheet,” he says. Langlois also enjoys collaborating with lighting companies and other lighting designers. “I love testing new products, because I want the design industry to progress. I have a great relationship with a lighting designer at the Smithsonian, and we enjoy picking each other’s brains. I also enjoy helping other designers who have contacted me for my insights,” he says. “It’s still exciting to me and I just have this obsession with lighting. Without quality light shown from all the right angles and the right temperatures, how can one truly see the rich orange hues in a Rothko or the mesmerizing blues in a Picasso or the sunny yellows in a Van Gogh?” — By Bill Dow

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Pictures of Value Cont.

"THE WINDOW" (LE GUERIDON) Henri Matisse 1916. oil on canvas Est. value: $40M-$80M

"WOMAN SEATED Pablo Picasso 1923, oil on canvas Est. value: $40M-$60M

7 "COTOPAXI" Frederic Church 1862, oil on canvas Est. value: $40M-$60M

"BANK ON THE OISE AT AUVERSE" Vincent Van Gogh 1890, oil on canvas Est. value: $40M-$50M

"DANCERS IN THE GREEN ROOM" Edgar Degas 1879, oil on canvas Est. value: $20M-$40M

another millage in 2032, when this millage ends. Ten years from now is a long time.” Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit, says when trying to attract visitors, events, and conventions, “the DIA is a huge differentiator for us.” “We’re not going to have our many venerable institutions without a very strong philanthropic community, and we’ve been blessed in this region that people have stepped up for years,” Molinari says. “I’m also really proud that when it came to the ballot initiatives, the tri-county residents decided it’s worth it.” Although Gargaro is proud of the way the DIA and donors came through on their part of the Grand Bargain, and that ownership of the building and its art is in a perpetual trust insulated from the ups and downs of municipal administrations, he says the two millages have paid huge dividends — not just in the form of financial support, but also with the thousands of schoolchildren and seniors who are able to visit every year. “The DIA is much more public today because people look at it as a gathering place, and not a foreboding place,” Gargaro says. “Once they come, they come back — and not just because it’s free admission for tri-county residents, but because they generally appreciate the experience. Education is really the veneer over the entire museum.” Salort-Pons says the DIA sets itself apart from other art museums through visitor interactions with 160 trained volunteer docents, “who really work hard to make sure that the visit is extraordinary. “One of the greatest competitive advantages of the DIA, when you compare it to other museums in the world, is that a visitor doesn’t need to know anything about art history,” he adds. “The museum provides an opportunity for the visitor to connect with the art in a personal and meaningful way through the stories that we tell, and that allows for a great experience. I think that’s why people come back to the DIA.” Six months after sketching the Grand Bargain concept, Rosen was cleaning out his office when he came across his cardboard doodle and initial notes. “Coincidentally, Gene Gargaro was coming into lunch that week, so I put it on my desk and when he came in, I said, ‘Look what I found,’ ” Rosen says. “He knew immediately what it was and asked for it, saying, ‘This has to hang in the DIA.’ ”

FOR ART'S SAKE A DIA visitor in front of "Union I," a 1966 work by Frank Stella. The vast collection of the museum is a major tourist draw, and helps Visit Detroit attract conventions to the city.

COURTESY DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

IN AN ARMCHAIR"

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Breakfast Series One-of-a-kind networking opportunities and compelling business content across a wide range of industries and topics await you at the DBusiness Breakfast Series. DBusiness magazine’s event series are bi-monthly panel discussions and award shows. 2023 topics presented have included: Top Corporate Culture Awards, Commercial Real Estate Awards, 30 in Their Thirties Award Show and Powered by Women.

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 25th, 2024 Scaling Minority Owned Businesses February 28th, 2024 Top Corporate Culture Awards May 21st, 2024 30 in Their Thirties For more information and tickets to upcoming events:

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Cover Story

BY DALE BUSS |

MATTHEW LAVERE

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dbrief TITAN INTERNATIONAL INC. Products: Global manufacturer of off-highway wheels, tires, assemblies, and undercarriage systems Headquarters: West Chicago, Ill.

Revenue: $2.2B (FY22) EBIDTA: $253M (FY22) Employees: 7,500 Manufacturing plants: 6 Chairman: Maurice “Morry” Taylor

“The good is that his business is his name,” says Taylor, lounging in a sweater and sneakers in the front sunroom of the home built in 2005 by he and his wife, Michelle, a former flight attendant who married him in 1973 (they have three children). “Trump’s had to fight, and they’ve pulled a lot of stuff on him. He’s smarter than all the guys he’s running against, and he understands their gig. “The bad,” Taylor continues, is that “he believes he can show everyone how good he is, and they’ll like him. But sometimes you can’t be liked.” And the ugly of Trump, he concludes, is where the former president hurls personal insults. “Why waste time telling someone they’re a fat slob? You’re the president of all the people. Leave it alone.” Taylor was born in Detroit, the son of a toolmaker; was raised in Ellsworth, just south of Charlevoix, in northern Michigan; graduated with an associate degree in accounting from Northwestern Community College; and finished his undergraduate studies at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. His entrepreneurial bent showed even before he got out of college, when he blithely registered successively as a sales representative for a building company, then for a car-wash equipment company — and, after he understood the business, got his friends in the civil engineering program to help him build his own car wash. After joining General Motors as a plant engineer in Saginaw, Taylor worked for his father’s toolmaking business in Detroit in the early 1970s, but he was peripatetic. Soon, he began a 20-year career as a superstar salesman, at first representing machine toolmakers, selling their wares to the auto industry. “All our European competitors had the rug pulled out from them when I showed up,” he says. From a Canadian industrialist, Joseph Tannenbaum, Taylor learned “how to do a deal.” That came in very handy when Taylor soon wanted to help Tannenbaum buy a steel rim-and-wheel operation in Quincy, Ill., that Firestone had shuttered. What Taylor saw in 1983 was that a Firestone-owned company, Electric Wheel, had about 65 percent of the U.S. tractor-wheel business, but tractor sales were declining. Firestone wanted to close the UAW-represented plant in Quincy, where the union wouldn’t consider contract concessions. Tannenbaum was willing to bite if Taylor got the right price. “When I walked through the plant, I didn’t have some grand vision,” Taylor recalls. “It was simple: If I could figure out how to get the money and buy this, if it

COURTESY TITAN INTERNATIONAL

ndustrial magnate Maurice “Morry” Taylor is very comfortable with long-ago glory. He and his wife, Michelle, live half the year in a cream-colored stone mansion in the Grosse Pointes, a mystically timeless place. Taylor even has a huge “sports house” out back where he used to smoke cigars, play poker, and watch football games on TV with Tony Soave, Richard Manoogian, and other local captains of industry. Now it mainly houses framed autographed jerseys from Detroit athletic heroes — and a dormant racquetball court. Like many of his peers, Taylor also has a home in Florida, and lives there the other half the year to qualify for its nonexistent income tax. He also memorializes erstwhile accomplishments in a way only a handful of Americans can do by bringing out buttons, flyers, and other swag from his own presidential campaign. In the 1996 contest, Taylor was a credible enough candidate to make it to the televised debate stage, taking a businessman’s point of view and mostly raging at national irresponsibility about deficit spending. He had some currency for a few months in the Republican nomination contest, but it was eventually won by Bob Dole, who lost to Bill Clinton. That was then; this is now. And Morry Taylor is all about now. In fact, he’s chairman of Titan Industries, the $5-billion manufacturer of tires, wheels, and undercarriages for tractors and trucks that he founded in 1992 after a brilliant career as a manufacturer’s sales rep. He remains so actively engaged in helping guide the business that he, not CEO Paul Reitz, is at times the executive quoted about Titan’s business performance in its quarterly earnings reports — an unusual wrinkle for a publicly held company. Not surprisingly, Taylor wants to remain relevant in the political realm, as well. He’s been plotting a comeback of sorts. At the age of 79, Taylor harbors no thoughts of running for president again, even though President Biden will be 81 if he stands for re-election next fall, and Donald Trump is 77 years old. Instead, what Taylor wants to do is influence what the politicians do no matter who wins, and straighten out a binder full of policies that mean the U.S. government makes even less sense now, in his view, than it did 27 years ago when he first tried to rectify things by becoming president. These days, Taylor is sounding off about political issues in ways that he hasn’t in decades. He’s even talked about writing a book he wants to come out in time to give Trump some useful advice and help him win the 2024 campaign in the form of assessing the “good, bad, and ugly” of the former president.

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DOWN ON THE FARM

orry Taylor doesn’t suffer fools gladly. So while he’s enjoyed the attention being paid to Titan International Inc. by an upcoming documentary produced by the actor Dennis Quaid, Taylor says he didn’t appreciate the lack of understanding of agriculture and farm equipment from the film crew when they arrived last fall at a John Deere dealership in Assumption, Ill. “These people show up and have no idea how farming works,” Taylor complains about the production for Discovery and PBS. “It’s like having to explain wheels and tires to a 5-year-old.” After three decades of growing, running, and overseeing the success of Titan, Taylor could be excused for idling. But he still loves serving as chairman of the company that made him wealthy, and he relishes competing on the playing field of business, so he keeps doing it. “He feeds me with passion and he feeds the company with passion,” says Paul Reitz, president and CEO of Titan, who joined the company as CFO in 2010, became president in 2014, and CEO in 2017. “With a publicly traded company, his role as chairman requires a lot of responsibility; it’s not just a sit-back, do-nothing kind of role. He loves what he’s doing to this day.” Tony Soave, chairman of Soave Enterprises in Detroit and a Titan board member for more than 20 years, agrees. “That company is in his blood,” he says. “I joined the board because I admired what he was doing. He has a tremendous manufacturing mind; he thinks fast and he knows how to organize a company.” The legends that stem from Taylor’s stewardship of Titan include what happened after the company’s purchase of a Pirelli Armstrong tire plant in Des Moines in 1994. The 680 members of the United Rubber Workers there had struck the plant, but Taylor was in no mood to coddle them. Instead, he pulled a Shawn Fain, two decades before the United Auto Workers president theatrically threw Stellantis contract proposals in a garbage can last summer. “The union had two thick documents, each of them a 3- or 3.5-inch binder, one on economics and one on health benefits,” Taylor remembers. “I picked them up and put them in trash cans. The union boss said, ‘It took us 35 years to get all of that.’ I said, ‘Another way to say that is it took you 35 years and you’re broke, and that’s why (Pirelli) sold you.’ ” Taylor settled the strike more or less on Titan’s terms, which didn’t surprise Soave. “Morry was fighting it, and he didn’t give up very easily. He’s like a tiger

when he goes after something.” Taylor did, however, introduce profit-sharing for employees of Titan’s wheel plants, which aren’t unionized. These days, Reitz is happy to report to investors that Titan followed up its record sales and earnings of 2022 with another strong year in 2023. Third-quarter results (revenue of $1.9 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $210 million) proved that Titan’s recent strategy was “accomplishing exactly what (it) was designed to do: mute the cyclicality of certain aspects of our business and drive performance when market conditions are volatile.” Specifically, in 2023 Titan was dealing with what Reitz told investment analysts was a “de-stocking dynamic” by tractor manufacturers of their inventories of wheels and tires — something that was drawing to a close and would allow Titan to “enter 2024 with relatively normal market conditions.” Those market conditions, Reitz says, include the fact that “farmer income remains healthy” and there’s a “solid demand picture” from large agricultural operations. This is no small thing, because farmers big and small are notoriously exposed financially to factors that range from season-long droughts to floods to drastic changes in overseas markets. Meanwhile, a typical piece of equipment, like a combine, can cost upwards of $700,000. “Even if (farmers) make a lot of money, they’re not just giggling,” Taylor observes. “They still (complain).” New technology continues to help farmers improve their incomes, and Titan has done its part to assist in the form of low-sidewall tires that Taylor was instrumental in inventing. Titan has proven that the company’s low-sidewall wheel and tire assemblies can save farmers up to 6 percent in efficiency and up to 5 percent in yield gains. Such performance not only has pleased Titan’s customers, but it also has led to the growth of a strong aftermarket business over the past four or five years. But any company like Titan that’s dependent on the robust but volatile American farm economy faces big risks. “What happens in our business,” Taylor says, “is (companies) build all these tractors and combines, but up to two weeks before one is shipped, a farmer can say, ‘I don’t want those (standard) tires and wheels because it’s been raining and the ground is soft, so I want bigger tires.’ That doubles the number of wheels and tires we have to keep around.” — Dale Buss

didn’t work, in three years I would close it down and scrap everything and get our money back. Firestone was willing to sell it to me for $6 million, which was $4 million less than what Tannenbaum thought was the best price I could get.” Over the next 10 years, that business, renamed Can-Am, grew to $100 million in sales. When Tannenbaum’s original Canadian factories closed, Taylor snapped up the equipment and moved it to the United States. He went on to buy up other closed factories. When Tannenbaum died in 1992, Can-Am was split three ways: between his estate, Taylor, and Masco. The CEO of the then Detroit-based manufacturer of plumbing and building materials, Richard Manoogian, helped Taylor put together a leveraged buyout of the Tannenbaum estate’s share of the company, which they renamed Titan Wheel International. “In (private equity), they look to buy five outfits and, if only one succeeds, they’ve made money,” Taylor says. “They’re all numbers boys. I looked at it a little differently. I was in the wheel business as a rep, but my background of being a toolmaker and welder is understanding metal. It wasn’t that hard when you looked at it.” Sure enough, by the next year, Taylor had pulled Titan out of the tailspin that was afflicting the industry, and Titan International went public in 1993, yielding some $40 million to Taylor. The enterprising new industrialist accelerated his empire-building at that point, purchasing one woebegone wheel-making operation after another, around the world. Titan also acquired its first tire plant, a facility in Tennessee that made wheels and tires for ATVs and lawn and garden equipment. Getting his first integrated look at tractor wheels and tires together, Taylor realized that the technology behind both kinds of devices had advanced little over the course of 30 or 40 years. So he put together a team of engineers, including himself, to start working on a new approach to tires that he called “low sidewall.” The idea behind “LSW” tires was both simple and revolutionary in the agricultural sector: They help reduce what’s called “power hop” and “road lope,” as well as soil compaction, according to research Titan has conducted over the years. By the end of the 1990s, Titan was able to persuade Caterpillar to become the first original equipment manufacturer to offer factory-installed equipment with LSW tires, specifically its line of skid steers. When Titan struck an agreement with Goodyear to get a national tire brand behind LSWs, Titan’s ticket to continued prosperity was punched. Not long after he became a wealthy man, Taylor became intrigued by the idea of teaching the nation what he’d learned as a successful business-turnaround artist. It all made sense in his head. “I thought he was nuts,” remembers Soave, founder of what has become a highly diversified and successful business empire, Soave Enterprises in Detroit, and a friend of Taylor. “We were driving down Lake Shore Road, and he said, ‘I’m going to do it.’ I said, ‘Do what?’ He said, ‘Run for president.’

COURTESY TITAN INTERNATIONAL

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“I thought he meant president of some club he was involved in,” Soave continues. “So I asked him, and he said, ‘Run for president of the United States.’ I said, ‘What?’ I had to pull over. I thought he’d lost it.” Indeed, Taylor did lose it — the 1996 presidential race, anyway. He defied the skepticism of Soave and many others and entered the fray with his usual enthusiasm, but bowed out after several months. As Michael Lewis would write in “Trail Fever: Spin Doctors, Rented Strangers, Thumb Wrestlers, Toe Suckers, Grizzly Bears and Other Creatures on the Road to the White House,” his book about the 1996 campaign, “Morry learned nothing running for president, except that the American people are not yet ready to do business.” But what an impression Taylor made along the way. He was the “unlikeliest presidential candidate” of the cycle, wrote Lewis, the fabled author of bestsellers such as “Liar’s Poker,” “Moneyball,” and “The Blind Side.” Lewis noted that in Iowa in January, Taylor campaigned in a string of six Airstream motor homes that blared Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” out of the lead vehicle as they traversed past cornfield after cornfield along Interstate 80. “The way Morry saw it, he’d roll his land yachts into town, surround the local courthouse, flip on the rooftop speakers, tap a few kegs of beer, and have everyone talking for weeks about the new Republican candidate for president, Morry Taylor. He was right.” Taylor’s platform — which Lewis described as “one part economic conservatism, one part social liberalism, and one part titan of commerce” — was highly agreeable to the citizens of Iowa at that time, polls showed. Taylor was able to boast that he was the only candidate to finance his own campaign. And Iowans loved his streak of independent thinking — for example, they mostly nodded when candidate Taylor pledged that he could straighten out America’s problems in four years, and had no interest in a second term if he won. “Why the hell would I want to do that?” he said, according to Lewis. “I like my life.” Taylor’s platform included a number of ideas that he called “practical business sense applied to politics,” including slashing the federal workforce by one-third, especially lawyers; cutting required regulatory paperwork; and simplifying the tax system by eliminating deductions except for mortgages. On a radio talk show in Iowa, Taylor bellowed, “Anyone who wants to come and help, call 1-800-USA-BEAR.” The host on the other end of his cellphone asked him why that number. “Well, I use the bear number because my nickname is ‘the Grizz,’ ” he replied. Turns out Taylor had gotten the nickname from business associates after he took Titan public, when they gave him a plaque bearing the inscription, “In North America there is no known predator to the grizzly.” The appellation quickly took over from Taylor’s previous nickname: “Attila.”

SPOKES-BEAR Titan International’s mascot, The Grizz, is based on Taylor’s nickname.

BLUE SALUTE Taylor has hundreds of stories and artifacts from his days as a corporate titan, including how he once tipped a Soviet Army captain $100, and the captain gave him his hat. The tip was more than the captain made in a month.

STAFF PHOTOS

COURTESY MORRY TAYLOR

COURTESY TITAN INTERNATIONAL

FUEL UP Race car driver Dale Fischlein sent Taylor a thank-you letter for sponsoring his No. 70 car at NASCAR’s Busch Grand National at the Charlotte Motorspeedway in June 1995. The red, white, and blue car highlighted Taylor’s 1996 presidential campaign.

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ON THE ROAD Taylor and his wife, Michelle, during a stop on the campaign trail in 1996.

THE MAN TO BEAT An article in the March 17, 1996, issue of the Reading Eagle lists Taylor as the winner of an informal poll, even though he had just dropped out of the race.

Feverishly working the campaign trail in appearance after appearance, in Lewis’s telling, Taylor slammed a lot of doors, loudly. He tromped through a school and left “a trail of startled adolescents in his wake.” He “swagger(ed) like a quarterback on the way back to a huddle,” bespeaking his background as a top athlete in high school. Talking to a gymnasium full of kids riveted by his unorthodox style, Taylor described his Republican opponents as “three talk-show hosts, four politicians, and an heir.” Then he singled out the nomination favorite, Bob Dole, before pivoting to his real point. “He’s been running for president for 20 years and spent 30 million of your dollars doing it. Which one of them has created any jobs? Thousands of jobs? Only myself.” In the end, his determination, gusto, candor, and nickname couldn’t overcome the name recognition, war hero’s resume, and seeming inevitability of Dole’s nomination, which Taylor ended up supporting. “We traveled to Texas one time during the campaign,” Soave says, “to an event hosted by Ross Perot,” who had run for president as an independent in 1992 and was running his candidacy back again four years later. “I brought down a plane load of supporters, but there were three to four thousand people in the audience. Perot introduced each candidate, and then they’d get a chance to explain what they thought they could do for the country. “No one had heard of Morry. After he was through, I made the people who had been on the plane with me jump up and holler, ‘Yay!’ People looked at them, but they still didn’t know who he was.” In his own book, published after the election, “Kill All the Lawyers and Other Ways to Fix the Government,” Taylor summarized his approach this way: “The one thing America doesn’t have a deficit in these days is people complaining about what’s wrong with our society, and in particular, our government. Unfortunately, complaining doesn’t get much accomplished. I know some of my ideas are off the wall, and I’m no intellectual. But the one thing I’ve got going for me is that I get things done.” Another renowned observer who got to know Taylor during the campaign, as Lewis did, was satirist Dave Barry. “He tends to be blunt, and bluntness is a quality that simply is not tolerated in American politics,” Barry concluded in an introduction to “Kill the Lawyers.” “But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t have been a good president.” Reitz, who has worked with Taylor since becoming CFO of Titan in 2010, observes, “What’s unique is the way he gets attention around things, the way he thinks, and the way he operates. He’s not crazy or off the wall. He’s very intelligent. He cuts through a lot of bull crap and has a very sound path on how to do things. He knows in his head where he wants to go; how he articulates it is just Morry’s style.” He also was one of the few businesspeople ever to run for the office, and a precursor not only to Trump but to others who’ve campaigned for president since Taylor, such as Herman Cain, the late former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, who ran to some effect as a Republican in 2012. At the same time, one business tycoon who hasn’t run — and Taylor wishes he would — is Roger Penske, one of the most iconic entrepreneurs and company owners in Detroit’s history. “Roger would make a great president,” Taylor says about his billionaire 86-year-old friend, who built an auto-racing and retailing empire, among other enterprises. “He’s just smart. But he didn’t want to go through the beating.” If Taylor’s quixotic presidential campaign and unvarnished rhetoric sounds vaguely like the rumblings Trump made over the years before getting serious and running for the office in 2016, Taylor invites the comparison. To an extent, he believes he was Trump before Trump.

COURTESY MORRY TAYLOR

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CREATIVE COMMONS

COURTESY MORRY TAYLOR

“I understand Trump,” Taylor says. “Look at his history and background. He toyed for 35 years with the idea of running for president. Is (Trump) egotistical and everything else? Yes. But he’s America first. And he’s smarter than any of them who’ve run for president lately. He’s smarter than I am. But he made a lot of mistakes in trying to hire Washingtonians. You don’t hire or make recommendations from (partisan bureaucrats), or you’re going to get screwed.” Taylor also has a lot to say about the governors with whom he’s dealt, mostly to great frustration, especially when they don’t seem to understand the benefits and needs of businesses in their state and do a poor job as fiscal managers. “I was with the former governor of Illinois the other day, Pat Quinn,” Taylor told an interviewer in 2011, “and he was talking to six of us business guys. I had to say, finally, ‘You’ve put this state in bankruptcy. You’re so far below, you’re in so deep, you’re not even solvent.’ He’s raised taxes 66 percent and it doesn’t even cover half the deficit. His background probably was political science or history — it sure wasn’t math.” Taylor reserves even more ire for the current governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer. She’s “trying to go down the same road that Illinois went down,” he says. “You can’t have people running the state who’ve never run anything. If you know ( former Gov. Rick) Snyder, you know that his personality wasn’t over the top, but he did a good job. You’ve got to get some people in and turn it around.” Taylor scoffs at a major prong of Whitmer’s economic-development strategy, which gives away millions of dollars in tax credits and other incentives with little to show for it. “You have a very low tax state, so why aren’t people moving here? Why is the population falling on her watch? “She works more for the Democratic Party than Michigan. That’s the problem. Plus, she’s using her position to try to get a job in Washington. She’s a weak leader, driven by polls, and is a prime example of why we have term limits.” Such discussions demonstrate how revved up Taylor is once again to register his views with the public and, if possible, make a difference in the political arena. In the view of those who know him best, that means one thing: watch out. “What he does, he wants to be all in, and committed, and make a difference,” Reitz says. “He could go do something else with his energy, but he sees that the political system, or politics, is broken. It’s what he said 25 years ago, and it’s hard to argue that the path we’ve been on since then has been good.” Soave calls Taylor’s ideas then and now “a good prescription. It doesn’t get old. It’s some basic stuff, but it would be good if we could do it.”

MORRY-ISMS MORRY MORRY-ISMS

Morry Taylor produced a well-thought-out platform when pursuing the White House in 1996, and he’s similarly got a sophisticated prescription for America today. These sound bites illustrate some of what he believes and would like to see done, as well as his views on other current matters and people. ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: “It runs by itself. D.C. has never had a recession or a depression. And basically, the state capitals haven’t, either. Everything the federal government touches, eventually they screw up. The next item they’ll take on will be Medicare. Health insurance used to be pretty reasonable until the feds got involved, so I want to get the feds out of it. Have every state be in charge of their borders, and figure out how much money we have and pass it back to the states. Eliminate the federal bureaucracy.” ON THE PRESIDENTIAL-CANDIDATE RACKET: “In a presidential race, if you raise money, then the Federal Election Commission matches it. Pat Buchanan was making $6 million a year when he ran (in 1992 and 1996), plus he got to write a book about it.” ON COMPENSATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE CEOS: “Paying top executives what they did the last few years was sheer stupidity. They did it because they’re all members of the higher echelon of corporate executives. If the head of GM wanted (exorbitant) pay, I’d have no problem with that: go private. Get banks to give you the money; don’t rob it.” ON THE U.S. MILITARY: “World War II was won by a bunch of sergeants. There were 2.4 million people under arms then. Now it’s 1 million, but we’ve got 10 times the officers. They’re tripping over themselves.” ON NUCLEAR ENERGY: “Most people don’t understand what it takes to generate power. The cheapest power in the world is nuclear. If you look at submarines and aircraft carriers, they run on it, and there are 5,000 people on a carrier. So we should have nuclear all over. Build small reactors to run for 10,000 or 15,000 people. It’s not going to do the damage people think.” — Dale Buss

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES WITH MICHIGAN TIES

Ulysses S. Grant, who lived in Detroit from 1849 to 1851, is the only candidate elected to office. JAMES G. BIRNEY, presidential candidate, Liberty Party, 1840 and 1844 LEWIS CASS, presidential candidate, Democrat, 1848 ULYSSES S. GRANT, 18th American president, 1869-1877

JAMES G. BIRNEY

LEWIS CASS

THOMAS DEWEY, presidential candidate, Republican, 1944 and 1948 GEORGE ROMNEY, governor of Michigan, 1963 to 1969, ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968

MORRY TAYLOR

GERALD FORD, vice president, 1973-1974, assumed the office of the president in 1974 ULYSSES S. GRANT

THOMAS DEWEY

MORRY TAYLOR, ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 1996

MITT ROMNEY

MITT ROMNEY, Detroit native and later governor of Massachusetts, presidential candidate, Republican, 2012 PERRY JOHNSON, ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2023 GEORGE ROMNEY

GERALD FORD

PERRY JOHNSON

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Over the past 150 years, Gaylord’s business and resort community has survived economic downturns, two pandemics, and severe weather conditions — only to come out better on the other end. BY NORM SINCLAIR

downtown area on the east side of the freeway was left untouched and is undergoing a revival of its own. Despite a sluggish economy impacted by high interest rates and inflation, Gaylord is booming. Over the past two years, the northern retreat has seen double-digit increases in tourists, shoppers, golfers, and outdoor enthusiasts flocking to the easily accessible town, ideally situated at the crossroads of two major highways. “Hotel room sales through September were up 15 percent,” says Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Gaylord Area Convention and Tourist Bureau. “In June, room sales were up 25 percent. I’ve never seen anything like that before.” In the past three years, four new hotels have opened in the downtown area, increasing hotel room inventory by 15 percent. The addition of the Comfort Inn & Suites, Tru by Hilton, Mainstay Suites, and the Hampton Inn raised the number of available rooms to 1,357. Older hotels like the Best Western Gaylord and Quality Inn stepped up their game and renovated their facilities, as well. A pair of year-round attractions, Treetops Resort and the Otsego Resort, which attract golfers and winter sport enthusiasts, also have spruced up

ALPINE VILLAGE Gaylord was settled in 1873 after a railroad line came through the small village. Today, the city is a major tourist draw and is home to around 4,300 people.

their facilities in recent years. For example, Treetops invested more than $12 million in renovations, new lodging, restaurants, and ski operations, while $3 million in upgrades have been added at the Otsego Resort. Meanwhile, six years after the city approved the project, a 220,000-square-foot Menards home improvement store is under construction adjacent to a Meijer superstore on M-32, on the far west side of town. Competitors Home Depot and Lowes are already established in the market. Beachnau credits a forward-thinking city council for its support of downtown development and infrastructure, including the maintenance and promotion of a 108-acre elk park where visitors can catch a close-up view of some 40 animals. The park will soon be enhanced by a $700,000 grant the city recently received from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to fund an accessible elk viewing platform, an additional entrance into Aspen Park, and a playground.

COURTESY VISIT GAYLORD

n May 2022, a tornado packing winds of 150 mph slammed into a mobile home park before ripping through a section of a strip mall on Main Street/M-32 near downtown Gaylord, the Alpine-themed town along I-75 in Otsego County. In the 11 minutes the tornado was on the ground, two residents of the mobile home park were killed and 44 other people were injured. The twister also flipped over cars, uprooted trees, and knocked homes off their foundations. On the west end of the Pine Ridge Square shopping plaza, the roof of the Hobby Lobby store was torn off, which damaged the interior. Several adjacent businesses — Maurices, the Goodwill store, and a Jimmy Johns restaurant — suffered similar damage. A nearby Aldi’s market, a Five Guys eatery, and a Panera Bread restaurant also were damaged, while a gas station and a Little Caesars Pizza store across the street from the shopping center had to be demolished. Nearly two years later, a new Hobby Lobby and a Goodwill store are under construction, while most of the other businesses have reopened — including Maurices, which now occupies a larger footprint in the plaza than before. While these businesses on Main Street on the west side of I-75 were rising from the storm’s wreckage, the 56 DBUSINESS || January - February 2024

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COURTESY TREETOPS RESORT

SNOW BOUND Treetops Resort in Gaylord offers plenty of ski runs, trails, and golf courses, along with numerous hospitality options. Like many attractions in northern Michigan, the resort benefits from multiple direct flights from around the country.

“It’s a million-dollar project, and we’re helping to fund that with some matching funds,” Beachnau says. He suggests two reasons for the surge Gaylord is experiencing: its location at the intersection of two major highways, I-75 and M-32, and its lower price points compared to Traverse City, Charlevoix, and Petoskey. “We’re becoming more of a regional shopping hub because we’re easy to get to. People from smaller communities around us, like Mackinac City, Hillman, Alpena, and Grayling, are coming here because of the growing retail we have,” Beachnau says. “They come for a day, do some shopping, and stay overnight with the nice restaurant vibe we have going.” Taking a bow for efforts by the convention and tourism bureau, Beachnau points to the group’s yearround efforts to publicize the town. “We’ve developed a really strong marketing program for Gaylord; our brand is all outdoors,” he says. “We’re not necessarily the cheapest destination, but we’re one with value as an alternative to more expensive areas.”

Beachnau and others in the tourism industry believe the growing number of non-stop airline flights during the summer from hot-weather locations into Traverse City is having a trickle-down effect on Gaylord, which conducts cross-promotional campaigns with airports in cities like Dallas. “Our Google analytics data shows Texas is now No. 7 in our Top 10 list of outside visitors. We’re seeing people from Florida coming on. These are states that never showed up before,” Beachnau says. “Climate tourism is the new buzzword, and we’re embracing it. People are looking to get out of those heat domes and we’re positioned very nicely.” Barry Owens, general manager of Treetops Resort, says he’s watching similar trends. “We’re tracking our visitors’ ZIP codes and we’re getting guests from areas where direct flights are coming in from Dallas, or from the East Coast, or from Florida,” Owens says. Susan Wilcox–Olsen, a spokesperson for Cherry Capital Airport in Traverse City, says by last October, the airport had already broken its annual

record for passengers served, with more than 619,000 coming through the gates. The previous record was 609,000 passengers. “We attribute a lot of that to our partnerships with northern Michigan communities like Gaylord. Gaylord is a key component, especially in the Dallas market,” she says. “Golfers are coming in from all over to play Treetops (and other courses) and are really making an impact.” A new year-round route starting this year from Fort Lauderdale will be the 18th market the airport services, with 20 non-stop flights, Wilcox-Olsen adds. To handle the uptick in demand, three new gates were recently added at the airport, and three more are scheduled to go into service this year. In 2022, 17 golf courses the Gaylord tourism bureau promotes as the Gaylord Golf Mecca recorded revenue of $18.9 million, an increase of nearly $1.3 million over the year before. The 2023 returns are not yet completed, but Owens and Beachnau are confident they will surpass the previous year. To help meet visitor demand, on the east side of Gaylord on Main Street/M-32, a new five-building apartment complex recently opened. An upscale RV park next door will open this spring. The Pines45 complex, with five three-story buildings, offers 228 apartments spread across 37 acres — it’s located across the road from the Otsego Resort. The development includes a community and fitness center, garages, an outdoor pool complex, a dog park, a playground, picnic and grilling areas, and walking trails. Units range from 600-foot studios to

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1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom models. All have stainless steel appliances and 9-foot ceilings. Monthly rent ranges from $1,045 for the studios to $2,025 for three-bedroom units. Gary Vollmar and his wife, Kathie, owners of the Otsego Resort, say their new neighbors are welcome additions. “The apartments are a little top end, but they’re doing well and they’re really needed, as housing has always been a problem in Gaylord,” Gary says. “They (city and county economic growth officials) are working hard to alleviate that issue, but we still have a shortage.” The RV park, Alpen Bluffs Outdoor Resort, is expected to open this spring on 20 acres. Each RV site has 50-amp electric service, hook-up for city sewer and water, a patio area with a picnic table and a fire pit, and access to cable and Wi-Fi. RV owners can book added guests into a camping yurt — a circular, fully furnished canvas tent that accommodates up to six people. Each yurt is equipped with a small kitchen, a bathroom with a stand-up shower, a television, heat, and air conditioning. In the near future, a number of home cabins with lofts that sleep up to eight people will be added. They will be fully furnished, and have heat and air conditioning. Those new amenities will be joined by a convenience store, retail space, a car wash adjacent to the park, and a bar-restaurant with a patio and seven golf simulators, to be called Mulligans at the Bluffs.

Common park amenities include a pond with inflatable attractions for kids, play structures, an outdoor pool and a hot tub, pickleball courts and mini golf, a dog park, laundry facilities and showers, and a camp store. “It’ll be great for tourism,” says Kim Awrey, city manager of Gaylord. “We don’t have anything like it in the Gaylord area.” Since purchasing the Otsego Resort in 2018, the Vollmars have been upgrading the golf and ski club, founded in 1939 as a private club and a playground for auto industry families from metro Detroit. Gary Vollmar says his first order of business following the acquisition was bringing both of the resort’s golf courses — the Classic and the Tribute — up to first-class condition. “We put a lot of manpower and resources into it,” he says. “We fixed the broken irrigation system,

bought new equipment to maintain the courses, and acquired new golf carts to upgrade the experience on our courses.” A new halfway house on the Tribute course will open this spring, while new red tin roofs, fresh paint, and new woodwork are being added on all nine buildings across the Otsego campus. In turn, the resort’s celebrated restaurant, The Duck Blind Grille, was recently renovated to make it more of an open space. The upgrades included the addition of a 14-seat, horseshoe-shaped bar. Nearby, the River Cabin bar in the valley at the base of the ski hill was similarly redone and added a new L-shaped, 14-seat bar. “A lot of this is driven by the huge support we get from the community in Gaylord and surrounding areas,” Vollmar says. “Last winter, we opened up Wednesday and Thursday skiing at a reduced rate,

COURTESY TREEOPS RESORT, OTSEGO RESORT

HAPPY TRAILS Whether hitting the slopes at Treetops Resort or taking in a round of golf at Otsego Resort, Gaylord literally offers something for everyone all year round.

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ROBERTO VIA ADOBE STOCK, GRAYLING VISITORS BUREAU

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and 700 to 800 skiers, mostly locals, (regularly) showed up on those two nights. It’s been a big hit.” Vollmar says this year he’s focused on developing real estate for residences or second homes. Construction is slated for the first of six lots that were recently sold at the Woods Cabin development. That project was stalled for years, with only five cabins built at that site. He says when completed, the development will have 14 cabins. At Treetops, a new restaurant space in the main lodge lobby was carved out for Bar 81, serving handcrafted cocktails — some with hand-stamped ice cubes — with a breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner menu. “It’s a limited dinner menu but you see people down there now with their computers, or they may have eaten in one of our other restaurants and came back there for a glass of wine,” Owens says. The bar features a wide choice of Iron Fish distillery products, which are made in Thompsonville near Lake Michigan, an expansive wine list, and local craft beer from the Big Buck and Snow Belt breweries. The Bar 81 concept was developed by new food and beverage director Greg Jones, who has stepped up all the offerings at all four Treetops restaurants. New lodging units also are on tap at Treetops. Six old chalets with 30 rooms have been rebuilt into two buildings with six two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units. Four new rentals, the Jones Cottages, have been built on the hillside overlooking the Par-3 fourth hole on the Masterpiece course, while four more will be built in the next 15 months, Owens says. Last year, the Tradition golf course was given a major face-lift as 1,000 trees were removed, giving the layout the open look of an inland links course. “It’s really neat. From one spot on the course you can see 16 flags on the other holes,” he says. The open layout also cuts down on maintenance costs and keeps tree leaves from impacting the greens during the fall. Owens is excited about this winter season, as well. Nearly $3 million has been invested in upgrades in snowmaking equipment, tubing offerings, two new ski runs, and two belt-like Magic Carpet conveyor lifts to transport children and beginners up the slopes. “This season we’re introducing a new teaching program that makes it easier for beginners to learn to ski,” Owens says. “It’s a program, Terrain Based Learning, that’s been tested, proven, and trademarked throughout the country.” In northern Michigan, the program is exclusively offered at Treetops. “They do everything from helping to train our instructors to showing our Snow Cat operators how to groom the area where people will be learning,” Owens says. “Terrain Based Learning has had great success in converting beginner skiers to fulltime skiers.”

COMEBACK CITY Downtown Grayling is drawing unique eateries like Paddle Hard Brewing, which offers outdoor dining igloos in the winter.

OR MANY TRAVELERS HEADING TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN,

the small city of Grayling, just off I-75, is a pass-through on the road to other destinations. Those who stop and visit, however, may be surprised to discover a vibrant community anchored by a picturesque Victorian-themed main street, flanked by one of the state’s most famous outdoor attractions, the AuSable River. The community also is home to Camp Grayling, the largest National Guard training center in the country. At 148 acres, the base is the largest employer in Crawford County, generating more than $30 million annually for the local economy. Fly-fishing on the AuSable is one of Grayling’s most notable attractions, as is the restaurant in the decades-old Gates AuSable Lodge. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the 40-seat restaurant overlooks the river and offers an ever-changing dinner menu that puts a creative spin on favorites such as trout and walleye. Reservations are a must for dinner. Every July since 1947, the City of Grayling stages the week-long AuSable River Festival, which features the AuSable canoe marathon — one of the premier canoe races in the country. With a population of less than 2,000 residents, the small city punches above its weight in attractions, new developments, and community involvement. On the construction front, two new apartment complexes are in the works; one with 108 units opens this spring, and another with 44 units is scheduled to begin construction by the summer. The city also boasts three breweries — Paddle Hard Brewing, Dead Bear Brewing Co., and Rolling Rock Brewing Co. — that were the impetus for the recently designated Brew Avenue social district. In the area surrounding the breweries, patrons can stroll downtown streets sipping their favorite beverages. Paddle Hard and Dead Bear have full restaurants, while Rolling Rock offers a food truck. Also in the district is Spike’s Keg ’O’ Nails, a Grayling landmark, founded in 1933 the day after Prohibition ended. Recent renovations include garage-like doors that open the back of the restaurant to the AuSable River. A new gas station and convenience store might not count as a major development in some areas, but when two old stations near downtown were torn down and replaced, it was good news in Grayling. “These aren’t big developments, but they spruce up the community,” says Erich Podjaske, Grayling’s city manager. “The BP Easy Mart gas station took down an old car repair shop and put in a brand-new building. It’s a lot cleaner and looks nice. Across the way, a Shell gas station demolished their building and is putting up a new structure that will be another thing to spruce up downtown.” The impetus for the 108-unit apartment development came from officials at Camp Grayling, who approached the city about

the need for housing that allowed tenants to sign short-term leases. Now, the three-building complex going up along M-93 will be available for military and civilian renters. In turn, a vacant lot across the railroad tracks from the downtown Crawford County Courthouse is the site of The Sawmill Lofts project, which has been on the drawing board since 2021. The five-story building with 42 apartments also will offer 3,000 square feet of commercial space. In adjacent Grayling Township, Arauco North America’s $450 million particle board plant employs more than 200 workers, many of whom come in from neighboring communities and drive up revenue for Grayling businesses. “Businesses report their sales have grown in the last four years, year over year, since the plant opened, so it has had a positive impact for us,” Podjaske says. Along Michigan Avenue in downtown Grayling, meanwhile, a vacant historic storefront built in 1934 is being transformed into a 175-seat performance theater, artist studios, and retail space. The new facility is the work of the AuSable Artisan Village, a nonprofit organization founded by Terry Dickinson, a local artist. Podjaske says the theater and live concerts it plans to stage, along with pottery studios and an art gallery, will have a big impact on bringing more visitors downtown. He expects similar results when Mimi & Pipi’s Casa Italiana restaurant opens this summer. The upscale eatery is owned by Gaylord residents and benefactors Matthew and Christine LaFontaine. The couple also owns the Matt LaFontaine Automotive dealership. “Our focus is trying to attract businesses, locally owned businesses,” Podjaske says. “We’re not looking for chain or franchise restaurants or stores. We like our quaint community and want to keep its original charm.”

— By Norm Sinclair

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Owens says the investments in golf and skiing are paying off. “We’re up in excess of 20 percent in golf rounds played, room nights, and revenue — all across the board,” he says. Perhaps the most remarkable turnaround in Gaylord is the exploding restaurant and dining scene. Nearly a dozen new restaurants have replaced wornout diners or eateries that succumbed to some of the worst COVID-19 shutdowns in the country. Choices now range from sushi to Italian to steak and seafood. “Our restaurant scene is totally different from what it was. We have a very nice selection of restaurants with a really different vibe,” Beachnau says. “We have some really good spots that focus on cuisine and atmosphere.” Some of that vibe is found at the former Sugar Bowl restaurant, a family-owned landmark along Main Street for more than 100 years. The last surviving family member retired and sold the business in 2017. While the venture didn’t survive the pandemic, it’s now home to El Patron Grill, an upscale Mexican eatery operated by veteran restauranteur Caesar Umbral. Cut stone walls, a granite bar top, and colorful walls have transformed the rustic Up-North look of the Sugar Bowl into that of a bright, colorful hacienda. Umbral and his two associates who launched El Patron, Jerman Venegas and Rafael Vidal, also are involved in Rafi’s Hibachi & Sushi Bar, which opened last summer down the street from the former Sugar Bowl. The new restaurant occupies a space that, for three decades, was the original home of Diana’s

Delights, a popular breakfast, lunch, and Sunday brunch spot. The same emphasis on fresh ingredients found at El Patron is in play at Rafi’s. Seafood including lobster, shrimp, and scallops is delivered by a Chicago-based supplier that services other northern Michigan restaurants. Another changeover sharing the 138 W. Main Street downtown address with Rafi’s is the Karma Taproom, a replacement for Taproom 32, another establishment that didn’t survive the fallout from COVID-19. As the taproom name suggests, Karma, which opened in August 2022, is a beer and craft cocktail bar that doesn’t serve food. Karma features more than 20 mostly craft beers on tap, as well as a selection of locally produced spirits. The team behind the Karma Taproom consists of Eric and Samm Hamina, who have experience in the local bar and restaurant scene — he’s a former manager of Gaylord’s Applebee’s restaurant, and his wife worked as a bartender at Snowbelt Brewing Co. A few doors down on Main Street, the Crave Pasta-Pizza-Pub, located in a 142-year-old building that housed Gaylord’s first hardware store, gets rave reviews for its “absurdly fast” baking time — three minutes — for pizza coming out of an oven that reaches 1,100 degrees and simultaneously heats from the top and bottom, The restaurant is owned by Gary and Wendy Kosch, who also oversee Alpine Tavern and Eatery, a sports bar around the corner on South Otsego Avenue.

One of Gaylord’s longest-running eyesores was the defunct Fire Side Inn and its adjoining softball field on South Otsego Avenue, which went out of business in 2002. The property was purchased six years ago by local residents Lindsey and Ed Taylor and their business partner, Tony Vaden. After renovations, the trio brought the business back as the Blind Squirrel, a family-friendly sports bar and restaurant. The softball field was also restored, and dozens of co-ed teams now play there in a Monday-Thursday summer league. Another destination restaurant with a big impact on Gaylord is the Big Buck Brewery, mothballed for several years and rescued in 2018 by Shawn and Kathy Smalley. The couple spent months renovating the space and upgrading equipment. Although steak remains on the menu, they dropped “steakhouse” from the original name, Big Buck Brewery & Steakhouse. The towering beer bottle that stands outside the restaurant and is visible from I-75 was restored. The artist who painted the original deer label on the bottle was brought back to freshen up his work. The brewery uses Michigan-grown hops and produces more than a dozen different craft beers and cider that flow into taps in the restaurant. The eclectic menu ranges from bison and elk to fresh walleye, tacos, and pizza. Perhaps the most impactful player on the Gaylord restaurant scene is Kat Steinbrecher, who opened her fourth restaurant last summer when she bought the property that housed the Bearded Dogg, once an

COURTESY VISIT GAYLORD

MAIN COURSE El Patron Grill in Gaylord offers Mexican cuisine and plenty of craft cocktails, left, while the Crave Pasta-Pizza-Pub along Main Street boasts an oven that reaches 1,100 degrees and simultaneously heats from the top and bottom.

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Dining is a vital aspect of travel, and experiencing locally owned, distinctive cuisine is a priority for many guests and is part of (Gaylord’s) overall charm.”

COURTESY VISIT GAYLORD

— PAUL BEACHNAU

intimate dining spot that enjoyed a decade of success as a niche spot for foodies. In its place, Steinbrecher created Kanes Lobster Pot & Bourbon Bar, serving Cajun/Creole cuisine. Her purchase included the attached Old Spud Warehouse, a trendy home décor merchandise shop that also introduced various lines of hip, offbeat women’s clothing and shoes. Two food trucks on a lot behind the warehouse are part of the deal, and Steinbrecher now operates them, as well. The other three Steinbrecher restaurants are the Porter Haus, a steak and seafood house that was once home to the Stampede Saloon on Gaylord’s south end; Mary’s Stein Haus, a German-themed restaurant that replaced Mary’s Tavern on Main Street; and Abi’s Bistro, next door to Mary’s on Main Street. The bistro took over the site of the former Arlene’s Diner, and is a breakfast and lunch operation. “Kat has done a very nice job. She goes all out. She does the theme of each restaurant really well, and she’s put a lot of money in them,” Beachnau says. “She’s doing really well at each location.” In May of 2022, Steinbrecher was honored with the Trailblazer Award from the convention and tourism bureau. The annual award recognizes an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to improving the local tourism product within Gaylord/Otsego County and the surrounding area. “Dining is a vital aspect of travel, and experiencing locally owned, distinctive cuisine is a priority for many guests and is part of our overall charm,” Beachnau says. “Kat has not only breathed new life into empty buildings, but she also gives them a creative flair that’s especially appealing to visitors.”

SURF OR TURF The Big Buck Brewery in Gaylord was originally opened in 1995, and today is owned by Shawn and Kathy Smalley. The establishment is a major tourist draw, and offers an extensive menu of steak, fish, pasta, salads, pizza, and burgers.

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EXEC LIFE

TREVER LONG

01-02.24

66 GLASS MENAGERIE Epiphany Studios in Pontiac creates blown glass art pieces as small as a swizzle stick, as large as a sculpture for a public or a private space, and everything in between.

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A Glass Act April Wagner, of Epiphany Studios in Pontiac, balances high-volume gift production with large sculpture work. BY TIM KEENAN |

TREVER LONG

ASSEMBLY REQUIRED When April Wagner, owner of Epiphany Studios in Pontiac, creates a glass sculpture, she blows many individual pieces of glass before putting them together in artistic designs to finalize the work.

lassblowing is a skill that’s been refined since the first century, but April Wagner of Epiphany Studios in Pontiac is taking the art form to new heights — literally. Wagner’s delicate work can be found hanging high above the lobby of the Inn at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph, on the shores of Lake Michigan; along the wall above a staircase in Huntington Place in downtown Detroit; and in multiple other places locally and nationwide. Far from the smallish glass balls usually associated with glassblowing, Wagner’s larger pieces look more like elaborate sculptures than artfully arranged pieces of glass. When you see her installations at St. Joseph Hospital and the Strand Theatre in Pontiac, the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, McLaren Hospital in Petosky, the lobby of a mediation company in New York, and Excelon Corp. in Baltimore, one would never guess they were glass. Born in Muskegon, Wagner had an early appreciation for the arts and earned a scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy, where she initially focused on ceramics and model smithing. She left the state to study at Alfred University in New York, took a class in glasswork, and developed a passion for blowing glass. “I was in love with ceramics, but then I tried glassblowing and realized I never wanted to work in clay again — I’d found the thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Wagner recalls.

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THE HEAT IS ON Glassblowers Grant Mayberry, Eric Baker, and Dominique Larson help Epiphany Studios produce glass sculptures for retail and wholesale orders from around the world.

In the meantime, she returned to Michigan and finished her degree at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. “I came specifically to Detroit because the CCS program was so open. I came in as a second-semester sophomore and was able to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whereas at Alfred I would have had six hours a week as a senior.” In 1993, before graduating from college, Wagner started Epiphany and began renting studio space and selling her works at art fairs. Even though she was in business just a few years after taking up glassblowing, she says it took 10 years to develop what she considers an artistic competency in the craft. “A happy accident is one thing, but control of the material, control of the color, understanding the craft is another thing,” she says. “To put the artistic element on top of it, you have to be a good craftsman first.” Wagner purchased the current Epiphany facility, tucked into a woodsy area on Orchard Lake Road in

Pontiac, in 1997. It’s a 4,000-square-foot hot glass facility and gallery, and the largest glassblowing studio in Michigan. In 2021, Epiphany expanded into an adjacent 2,600-square-foot space where Wagner creates her large-scale sculptures for corporate, residential, and public installations. “I really wanted these tall ceilings because I do a lot of work that’s two or three stories tall,” she explains. Wagner currently has seven employees on staff and will contract out when she needs additional help, which tends to be seasonal. “At Christmastime, it’s ornaments. Around Valentine’s Day, it’s hearts. We have something going on every season.” Wagner has four other glassblowers on staff, who each bring their own individual artistic talents to the operation. “They each have different skill sets, so I have to assess where they’re at and design a career path for them and figure out how I can activate each person.

I try to give them opportunities to grow in areas that interest them,” Wagner says. “One glassblower may be more technical and be able to repeat the same thing many times. Others might be more whimsical.” All of the Epiphany glassblowers use the same basic techniques and $500,000 worth of equipment, purchased in 2000. Among the gear are two gas-fed furnaces: one is a 200-pound furnace that’s a specialty color tank, and the other is an 800-pound furnace for clear glass. It runs around the clock at 2,000 degrees. When melting glass, the furnace gets turned up to 2,400 degrees. The furnaces were rebuilt last year. “The bills are ridiculous, and I don’t even get a Christmas card from Consumers Energy,” Wagner jokes. Epiphany also has two annealing ovens, which take stress out of glass to lessen the chance of breakage. Pieces can spend anywhere from 12 hours to a couple of years in these ovens, depending on the thickness of the glass. The studio features 1,000-amp electrical service, a generator in case the power goes out, and a huge collection of glassblowing tools. “We also have a number of safety systems,” Wagner says. “I’m in this for the long haul. I don’t want to kill myself accidentally.” Most of Epiphany’s creations start out as clear glass, which the artists make from scratch out of soda ash, limestone, and silica sand. “We’re melting it into glass, which makes it first-use glass, which isn’t recycled. We’re not very green in that respect, but it allows us to make really fine art glass that has a lot of clarity, and it will hold a color base.” The palette of color comes from large cabinets containing glass rods and powders of every hue and shade one can imagine. A lot of the raw materials come from Russia and Ukraine and must be processed in Europe,

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MELTING POINT Baker (left) heats his glass so it can be blown, stretched, bent, colored, and molded into almost anything he desires. By drawing the glass, Baker can pull a piece of hot glass to make it narrower.

KILN TIME Mayberry (right and below) heats glass material in a furnce set at 2,400 degrees. At times, a form — usually made of clay, wood, or metal — is used for shaping glass.

so the supply chain has been strained since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Other factors are complicating Epiphany’s supply chain. The supply of lithium, which goes into Wagner’s clear glass, has tightened with the demand for electric vehicle batteries. That issue alone has doubled the price of clear glass. Raw materials such as cobalt and copper can be acquired in the U.S., but the cost is often prohibitive. One U.S. manufacturer of glassblowing color didn’t survive the COVID-19 pandemic. “In the fall, we were inundated with orders for pumpkins and we couldn’t keep them in stock because we couldn’t get enough color to make them,” Wagner says. Another area of unavoidable cost for Epiphany is glass breakage. “We do have a significant amount of waste,” Wagner says. “Every week we’re throwing out between 150 and 200 pounds of glass. There’s definitely a lot of trial and error before I take something into production.” When asked if breakage costs are factored into the price of her products, Wagner replies: “That’s R&D.” Although Epiphany Studios produces about 10,000 hand-blown glass items per year — half for the retail market and half sold wholesale to art galleries, stores, and museums nationwide — Wagner’s passion is her large sculptural glasswork. “The sculpture work is where I really want to focus my time,” she says. “I really enjoy the hanging sculptures. I think glass is really interesting in the air because it has an inherent motion to it, and you think about it floating over your head.”

Even these major pieces start out as blown orbs of melted glass. Once blown, they’re cut into strips while still hot and formed into the desired shapes. She likens the process to pulling pasta or taffy. “You need to capture it at just the right moment, when it starts to stiffen as it cools down.” Obviously, these larger works take much longer than a small Christmas or Halloween ornament, especially the ones slated for a public square. A piece she did in Oregon took a year to finish when adding up finalizing the design, consulting with structural engineers, getting all the permits and licensing that were required, and her actual artistic work. Ultimately, Wagner says she’s doing what she loves and isn’t driven by financial gain. “I’m an artist. It’s a labor of love,” she says. “There are things I haven’t done or purchased because I’m here working, but this is what I love to do. I love the material. Every day I’m intrigued by the next thing I can make.”

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Exec Life

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Muse of Detroit

Writer and playwright Dominique Morisseau is directing her first film in her hometown of Detroit. BY TOM MURRAY

STAR TURN Actress and playwright Dominique Morisseau, who grew up on Detroit’s west side, has been nominated for a Tony Award and was selected for a MacArthur Fellowship.

“I had an aunt who was a dancer,” she says. “She started the Detroit Dance Center, and I grew up dancing with her. So there was always the performing, and I had theater too. My family took me to see plays.” Morisseau was always inspired to write about what she was seeing and hearing around her. “I don’t remember a pivotal moment in which I knew I was a writer,” she says. “Writing is something I’ve always done since I was a child. It just was always in my wheelhouse and it was always encouraged of me, and I don’t know that I have a good answer for how I developed my ear.” She readily gives credit to her education, which her parents prioritized. Morisseau attended Bates Academy, a public magnet school near Eight Mile Road and Wyoming, and it was there that she first caught the acting and performing bug. “That happened as early as second grade, when we were doing plays,” she says, giggling. “That’s the first time I remember wanting to be in a play, and not getting the role I wanted. But I stayed with it. “Then, in sixth grade, a teacher brought plays to class every semester. She was the first person to really affirm that I was a performer for the stage, and it was something I could think about pursuing. And everybody speaks highly of Mrs. Willie Bell Gibson, who is probably Bates Academy’s most noted teacher.

“Language arts was her thing, and she had us way ahead of the game. Being in her grasp, if you will, was how my articulation as a poet came out.” Morisseau stood out for her performances in numerous musicals in high school, and by the time she arrived for classes at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, she was an accomplished writer and performer, and eager to display her talent in both disciplines. “But I was told I should focus on one or the other,” she says, “not try to be a writer and an actor. And I was frustrated with the lack of roles I was getting as an actor, and then I realized — I’m a writer, why don’t I write myself a role? I was discouraged by some of my professors, but I did it anyway.” The result was Morisseau’s first play: “The Blackness Blues: Time to Change the Tune, A Sister’s Story,” inspired by “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide,” by the late playwright and poet Notzake Shange. Initially, Morisseau’s piece was intended for only three characters, but once the word spread around campus, African-American women from all corners — far beyond U-M’s theater department — reached out to Morisseau, anxious to tell their stories onstage. “That was my entry point into the playwriting of poetry,” Morisseau says. “Notzake gave space and

COURTESY DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU / PARADIGM TALENT AGENCY

ctress and playwright Dominique Morisseau has written at least nine plays on an ever-growing list, three of which comprise what she calls her Detroit Project. In 2018, she was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship — also known as the Genius Grant — and more recently she was nominated for a Tony Award for her work as the book writer of the Broadway musical “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations.” Her frequent collaborator, Kamilah Forbes, the director and executive producer at Harlem’s storied Apollo Theater, says of Morisseau: “She writes plays that carry pieces and threads and glimpses of people who have raised her, who she loves and cares for fiercely.” Morisseau’s uncanny ability to capture the voices and emotions of the subjects in her plays can be traced back to her earliest days in the Marygrove neighborhood on Detroit’s west side. “I grew up at Six Mile and Livernois, and I always felt very comfortable in my neighborhood,” she says. “The families all knew each other, and a lot of the kids on the block would always come over to our house to play basketball or double-Dutch. I had a very happy childhood in Detroit.” Morisseau’s mother spent 40 years teaching in nearby Highland Park, she says. Her father, meanwhile, “wasn’t an educator, but he did a lot of educating of people in the family.” Morisseau pauses here, then laughs softly at her subtle joke, adding: “He was a political science major and a mathematical genius and a scholar who was very much a part of the computer engineering world — computer technology and computer science. “He had a stroke when I was really young, and he ended up not being able to work. But he took care of a lot of kids on our block. Our home was sort of like the stable home in the neighborhood.” Growing up, Morisseau performed in plays at her father’s church.

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permission for young women, and particularly young Black women like myself, to find our voice through poetry and our declaration of our young Black womanhood through poetry and through theater.” Morisseau graduated in 2000 from U-M’s School of Music Theater and Dance with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater performance. Soon after, she moved to New York City to pursue dancing, while writing performance poetry on the side. “I was a word artist doing slam poetry, which is competitive poetry,” she explains. “You’re competing in a contest to see who is the best spoken word artist.” Morisseau won her share of poetry slams, but her winnings were mostly used to pay her rent, and she felt she was losing touch with her loftier goals as an artist and a writer. She joined the Creative Arts Team (CAT) at City University of New York, and the Emerging Writers Group at New York City’s prestigious Public Theater, and her hometown soon became the impetus for her to reconnect with her innate talent as a writer. “I started to write about Detroit history as a playwright,” she says. “My first body of work that really got me launched in New York productions was the work I was writing about Detroit.” The body of that work, mostly one-act plays, prompted Morisseau to compose the full-length “Follow Me to Nellie’s,” which focused on a family member from the distant past. “My great aunt was a madam in Natchez, Miss., during the civil rights movement,” Morisseau says. “I didn’t know what her profession was when I was a kid,

MATTHEW MURPHY / FILE PHOTO

COURTESY DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU / PARADIGM TALENT AGENCY

TREAT HER LIKE A LADY Given her Motor City roots, Morisseau was a natural for joining the production of “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations.”

but I’d been to the brothel and knew she was important because a lot of the people in the city respected her. I didn’t know why.” Eventually Morisseau found out. “She was known for being a philanthropist as much as she was for being a madam, and for putting her women in the brothel through college with the money she earned. And she assisted the civil rights activists with the brothel money, bailing them out of jail and being an activist for social justice. She had everybody in the city in her pocket, and was a formidable woman.” The deep dive into Morisseau’s family history was a prelude to a similar extensive exploration of her hometown, inspired by August Wilson’s 10-play cycle, which chronicled the Black experience in America in each of the 10 decades of the 20th century. Morisseau’s Detroit Project was the result — a story told in three plays, each one set around a pivotal moment that had a significant impact on the city. “Paradise Blue,” the first of the three plays, is set in the same year as the Housing Act of 1949, which was enacted to help curb the decline of urban housing in the wake of the end of World War II, which triggered urban renewal and the flight to the suburbs. The focus of “Detroit ’67,” the second play, is on the days leading up to the Detroit riots and the confrontation between the city’s Black working class community and federal troops, the National Guard, and local police. “Detroit Project, Skeleton Crew” is the finale, set in 2008 in a small auto stamping plant. It addresses the consequences of “ White flight” to the suburbs, the decline of the auto industry, and the financial collapse of the city. “Skeleton Crew” was staged on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award for best play in 2022.

“Paradise Blue” was performed off Broadway at the Signature Theater in 2018. But it was “Detroit ’67” that established Morisseau as a prominent playwright. The play was performed at the Public Theater, and won the 2014 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama. “The Detroit cycle became sort of an undeniable force about my voice as a playwright,” Morisseau says. “And the Detroit stories have become a major part of my voice as a writer, and (they’ve) defined me to the entire theater community, even in film and television. People call me a lot of times, telling stories about Detroit, or wanting to tell Detroit stories, and they seek me out to articulate it for them, or to be a part of their team.” That explains why Morisseau, who lives in Los Angeles, was an obvious choice to join the production team of “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations.” “I’m a Detroit girl, and I’m raised in Detroit,” she says, proudly, “so of course I was raised on the Temptations’ music. That’s definitely a no-brainer. And it was also exciting to be able to tell the Temptations’ story through my lens as a Detroiter, so I could put a very strong Detroit touch on the musical, to make sure it was authentic and give Detroit its due in being the glue and foundation for how the Temptations were formed.” Just last spring, Morisseau received a Doctor of Fine Arts honorary degree from U-M, as she was immersed in developing another project especially close to her heart. “I’m shooting a film in Detroit based on one of my own stories,” she reveals. “And that’s where I’d next like to move my career and artistic attention — into film, as a director.” The screen production based on one of her plays will give Morisseau an opportunity to demonstrate her talent as a storyteller in a new and different genre. “I don’t subscribe to the idea of getting big breaks in life,” she asserts. “I believe life is a series of things you do. But I think there are definitely moments that helped usher me forward with more visibility, and launched me. It was a series of ongoing things, and continues to be a series of ongoing things that allow people to know my work.” People know her work only because of how well Morisseau knows and values the people who’ve inspired it, since her earliest days. “Writing has always been my wind, and I just really love the people I write about. I listen to them with my heart, and it guides me in how to tell the stories about them, and it was always affirmed for me by my parents and my family. “And Detroiters are part of my family, so they’re in my bones and in my practice, and they come to me, speak to me, and I want to tell their stories and honor them. They’re the people who shaped me and showed up for me in this world.”

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PRODUCTION RUN

Pop Goes the Business In the three-year span since he acquired Detroit Popcorn Co., Ken E. Harris has expanded the product line, moved the business to Ferndale, and hired more employees. BY R.J. KING |

JOSH SCOTT

t first blush, Detroit Popcorn Co. drives revenue by popping hybrid corn kernels grown at Metzger Popcorn Farms in northern Ohio. Once the kernels are popped and bagged, Detroit Popcorn ships its ready-to-eat snacks, available in multiple flavors, to stores, restaurants, theaters, schools, and businesses. Founded in 1923, Detroit Popcorn also operates another line of business, renting everything from cotton candy, pretzel, and pizza makers to ice cream and popcorn carts, lemon squeezers, nacho heaters, shake and slush mixers, hot dog warmers, fryers, and snow cone machines. “We’re two businesses in one,” says Ken E. Harris, CEO of Detroit Popcorn, which he acquired in 2020. “There’s a lot of history here. We have a popcorn machine from the old Tiger Stadium (since torn down and converted into a community sports complex flanked by apartments and retail spaces) that we no longer use, but it’s a good reminder of the company’s nostalgia that we have on display. “Bringing it full circle, we’re in Comerica Park (home of the Detroit Tigers), the Fox Theatre, the Redford Theatre, the Detroit Zoo, the University of Michigan, and many other places. When I acquired the company, I had no idea about all of the logistics that go into running the business. There’s also a charitable aspect to the company, in which we help nonprofit organizations with fundraising programs.” After operating for years at a spacious warehouse facility along Telegraph Road in Redford Township, Harris moved the business last summer to a newer facility at 3155 Bermuda St. in Ferndale. Located near the convergence of I-696 and I-75, the 17,105-squarefoot space allows for faster delivery times while lowering the company’s overall fuel expenses.

MR. POPCORN Ken E. Harris, owner and CEO of Detroit Popcorn Co. in Ferndale, sells more than 500,000 pounds of the confection each year. He also drives revenue via equipment rentals and servicing.

“We can get to the east side that much quicker, which will open a new customer base for us,” Harris says. “Another new line of business we’re offering is the Pouch Pak, where you have corn kernels that can be popped in a microwave and then you pour butter flavored with salt over the popcorn.” The new line is available at multiple Pilot Flying J truck stops and travel centers, and Harris is working to offer the Pouch Pak in Kroger and Meijer stores, among other retail centers. There’s also a wide range of gift baskets, snack tins, and tubs available for sale, whether for popcorn, caramel corn, roasted cashews, or assorted chocolate candy. Harris, managing partner of Harris Financial, a minority-owned-and-led investor group, says he was fortunate to buy the company. It became available after a previous owner, Evan Singer, posted a racially charged comment on Facebook. That didn’t sit well with David Farber, who held an option to reacquire the business. A few weeks later, in the summer of 2020, Harris bought all of the assets of the company from Farber for an undisclosed price. Soon after, Harris set up a program to donate a percentage of the company’s proceeds to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. The company also has formed a partnership with Yesterday’s Negro League Baseball Players Foundation, a nonprofit in Milwaukee that’s committed to preservation, dedication, and education about Negro League Baseball. Working with Delaware North, the two companies sell special pins and donate part of the proceeds to the Yesterday’s Negro League Baseball Players Foundation.

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THE RUNDOWN

MAIZE CRAZE Once the corn kernels are added to heated oil, a proprietary mix of butter and salt are blended in. Below, Kendra Meade distributes popcorn on a perforated stainless steel sorter so it cools evenly.

75% 20% 5% Percentage of sales from popcorn/rental machines/ servicing

500K

Amount of popcorn sold annually (pounds)

80/20

Percentage of customer base, commercial/retail

25 Product lines Source: Detroit Popcorn Co.

“Popcorn and watching baseball go so well together,” Harris says. “This company, for whatever reason, has always had this charitable aspect to it. Other businesses support their communities, and I think because popcorn is so universally loved, and it’s fun to pop the corn, we’re always looking for new ways to help people.” To that end, Detroit Popcorn is looking to develop a workforce development program with the Hope Network in Grand Rapids. The nonprofit organization helps people with social, physical, and mental barriers find either full-time or part-time work at 300-plus locations across Michigan, including Kroger and Meijer stores. The goal, Harris says, is to hire 10 young adults with autism to complement Detroit Popcorn’s workforce of eight employees. “The biggest challenge in employing people with mental or physical disabilities, along with serving refugees who may have language barriers, isn’t the job itself, but the transportation needs,” says Eddie Murray, director of donor relations for southeastern Michigan for the Hope Network, and a former kicker for the Detroit Lions (1980-1991) and other NFL teams. “We serve more than 40,000 people annually, mostly in the seven-county area around Grand Rapids, but we also serve all 83 counties (in Michigan). January - February 2024 || DBUSINESS.COM 71

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POP CULTURE Above: Rental machines are a growing part of the business. Left: Russell Lyttle sorts and transfers freshly popped corn into 10-pound bags for commercial vendors. Below: The new location near the convergence of I-75 and I-696 will help grow Detroit Popcorn’s business on the east side and lower its shipping costs.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT A COMPANY LIKE DETROIT POPCORN, IT’S A BELOVED BUSINESS AND OUR YOUNG ADULTS WILL ENJOY WORKING THERE.”— EDDIE MURRAY Now we’re moving more into metro Detroit. When you look at a company like Detroit Popcorn, it’s a beloved business and our young adults will enjoy working there. I mean, who wouldn’t want to work in such a fun business?” In addition to cleaning and storing the rental machines, one popular duty at Detroit Popcorn is bagging all the popped kernels. The main workhorse of the task is a large, stainless steel sorting machine that looks like a launch pad for a rocket. Once the kernels are popped, they travel via a conveyor belt to the top of the machine. From there, gravity takes over and the popcorn is sorted through a series of channels that guide the snack into plastic bags. The bags are then sealed before being prepared for shipping. “Popping the kernels is a fairly automated part of the business, and then it’s a matter of providing the different flavors,” Harris says. “We’re always looking to expand the business, and we hope to participate in the NFL Draft (coming to Detroit April 25-27). The other great part of the business is meeting so many wonderful people. You say Detroit Popcorn and you can see a smile form across everyone’s face. As I like to say, we’re still popping after 100 years.”

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PATENTS AND INVENTIONS

Angle of Attack Michigan native Kelly Johnson arguably was America’s most accomplished aircraft designer. He oversaw the development of supersonic aircraft, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, and Area 51. BY NORM SINCLAIR

ABSOLUTE ALTITUDE Clarence “Kelly” Johnson with a scale model of the F-80 Shooting Star. The aircraft was America’s first combat jet fighter, and had a top speed of more than 500 mph.

His original designs included the F-80 Shooting Star, America’s first combat jet fighter that, in 1945, hit a top speed of more than 500 mph; the sleek F-104 Starfighter, the first production airplane to surpass Mach 2 with a top speed of more than 1,600 mph; and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance jet, still the fastest and highest-flying aircraft ever, breaking the Mach 3 barrier with a top speed of more than 2,000 mph and reaching an altitude of 85,000 feet, or 16 miles above the earth. In addition, Johnson was co-designer of the P-38 Lighting, the most formidable fighter-bomber aircraft in World War II. The P-38 hit a top speed of more than 400 mph, 100 mph faster than any other aircraft at that time. It could climb to 3,300 feet in less than 60 seconds — a huge advantage in aerial dog fights. Kelly also designed, and his team built, the high-altitude U-2 spy plane that gained worldwide Cold War notoriety when it was shot down in 1960 over Russia. The pilot, Gary Francis Powers, who worked for the CIA, was captured. The downing of the U-2, thought to be impregnable to other aircraft or missiles, was the impetus for Johnson to design the SR-71 Blackbird to outrun Russian missiles and “rule the skies for decades.” Johnson’s design of this aircraft was one of the best examples of his innovative genius. “It was no easy task. Everything about the SR-71 had to be invented from scratch … the design, the technology, even the materials,” he said in Haynes’ biography.

To make it all a reality, Johnson was the first to use titanium for the skin of an aircraft so that it could withstand 550 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures, which were caused by the friction of the air passing over the plane flying at more than 2,000 mph. The record-setting aircraft is still the King of Speed, the fastest production aircraft ever built when it was retired from service in 1997. Johnson wasn’t just a passive designer behind a desk. He was a test pilot and flew the chase, or support, jet while developing the SR-71. Ironically, even though he logged 2,300 hours flying some of the fastest and most sophisticated airplanes of the day, he didn’t obtain his pilot’s license until he was 62 years old. He secured the license so he could do aerial surveys of ranch land he bought in California. Although he initially wasn’t a fan of the slow-flying C-130 Hercules propjet transport air freighter, Johnson contributed to its design and development. The workhorse aircraft remains in service more than 60 years after its inception. During his teenage years, Johnson’s parents, immigrants from Sweden, moved to Flint from Ishpeming. In high school, he worked for his father’s construction company and in the motor testing section of Buick Motor Co. By the time he graduated in 1928, he had saved $300. At the time, Johnson tried to sign up for flying lessons at Flint Airport, but the instructor refused his money and told the youngster to use it

COURTESY LOCKHEEN MARTIN

n 1910, seven years after Wilbur and Orville Wright made history with the world’s first powered flight in their Kitty Hawk Flyer, Clarence L. Johnson was born in Ishpeming in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. As a 12-year-old growing up in the rural mining town, Johnson became fascinated with airplanes and the exploits of the Wright brothers. His curiosity was further piqued by the Tom Swift series of science fiction and adventure novels popular at the time with young readers. “I read every Tom Swift novel I could get my hands on. I read, ‘Tom Swift and his Airplane’; ‘Tom Swift and his Electric Car’; ‘Tom Swift and his Submarine’; and I said that’s for me,” he recalled in a biography by Leland Haynes. At age 13, prior to seeing his first plane in the sky — the World War I-era Curtis Jenny military training aircraft — he won a contest for an airplane design he named The Merlin 1, Battle Plane. And before he grew up to gain worldwide acclaim as Kelly Johnson, one of the most brilliant and innovative aircraft designers in American aviation history, he had to deal with the youthful baggage of his given name, Clarence. In grade school he was bullied and teased by boys who made fun of his name, calling him Clara. One morning while waiting in line to get into a classroom, a boy mocked him as Clara. Johnson had heard enough. He knocked the boy over and broke his leg. “The boys then decided I wasn’t a Clara, and looking for a new nickname, started calling me Kelly,” he said. “The name came from a popular song at the time, ‘Kelly with the Green Neck Tie.’ From that time forward, it would always be Kelly Johnson.” Today, Johnson’s aeronautical accomplishments seem as though they were from a fictional movie script. In a 50-year career with Lockheed Corp. (once owned by Detroit Aircraft Corp.), he personally designed or led the design team that produced 40 of America’s most iconic military and commercial airplanes. 74 DBUSINESS || January - February 2024

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TIM KEENAN

MACH SPEED Johnson’s design of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance jet still holds the world record for the fastest and highestflying aircraft ever made. It has reached an altitude of 85,000 feet, or 16 miles above the earth.

for college. Johnson would later say it was the best advice he ever received. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and applied for a job with Lockheed, today Lockheed Martin Corp. He was turned down for lack of experience. He went back to Michigan and obtained a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering in 1933 and reapplied at Lockheed. This time he was hired as the company’s sixth engineer at a salary of $83 per month. Soon after he signed on, he expressed doubts about the stability of the company’s new 10-passenger Model 10 Electra aircraft. Lockheed’s chief engineer, Hall Hibbard, took the new employee’s concerns seriously, and sent him back to the University of Michigan to further test a model of the airplane in the university’s wind tunnel. Johnson’s testing led to changing the airplane’s single tail into a double tail design, which cured its aerodynamic problems and earned him a promotion to full aeronautical engineer. The twin-engine Electra became a commercial success, and later on gained notoriety as the airplane

that flew Amelia Earhart into eternity when she disappeared on an around-the-world flight in 1937. Johnson’s reputation for brilliance was cemented when, at age 29, he traveled to England with a Lockheed director to deliver plans for the Lockheed Hudson bomber for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The British had other ideas for the bomb racks and machine guns, and rejected the design. Johnson went back to his hotel room and went to work redesigning the airplane. Two days later, he emerged with a design that met the British specifications. The subsequent request for 200 airplanes was the company’s largest peacetime order. By the end of World War II, Lockheed built 3,500 Hudson bombers for the RAF. Another of Johnson’s lasting contributions to the lore of Lockheed was the company’s top-secret design and manufacturing unit, named Skunk Works. In 1943, as Lockheed was churning out 28 various World War II airplanes per day, there was little available workspace for Johnson and his team to meet a deadline to build the top-secret XP-80 (later known as the F-80 Shooting Star) jet fighter.

Not one to be dissuaded, Johnson set up a secure makeshift workshop under a rented circus tent near a manufacturing plant. Trouble was, the factory’s exhaust emitted a foul odor that sometimes permeated the tent. One of Johnson’s engineers, a fan of Al Capp’s “Li’l Abner” comic strip — which featured a mysterious Dogpatch Skonk Works where characters brewed a strong, smelly beverage from skunks, old shoes, and other weird ingredients — began using the term “Skunk Works” when answering the phone, and the name stuck. Working around the clock in the impromptu workshop, Johnson and his small, dedicated team produced what was the prototype of America’s first jet fighter, the XP-80, in a record 143 days. Lockheed later changed the name of the facility to Skunk Works, and registered it as a trademark for Johnson’s development unit. Meanwhile, the U-2 aircraft, which the team delivered in nine months, is a testament to Johnson’s motto: “Be Quick, Be Quiet, and Be on Time.” Today, Lockheed Martin’s 215,000-square-foot Skunk Works facility is located in the desert at Palmdale, Calif., 62 miles north of Los Angeles. It houses one of the most secretive aircraft design and production plants in the world. Johnson’s career at Lockheed saw him hold every top engineering and research position up to the rank of senior vice president as he continued to oversee Skunk Works projects. Three times he turned down the presidency of the company to continue with his Skunk Works crew, although he served on the board from 1964 to 1980. In addition, he helped design a secret airbase in Groom Lake, Nev., later known as Area 51. The facility was used to test many of Johnson’s new aircraft, including the Dragon Lady and the U-2. In his 50 years at Lockheed, he was showered with dozens of prestigious national and international aviation awards. Four of those were U.S. presidential citations, including the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest civilian award. Johnson officially retired from Lockheed in 1975. For another five years he remained on the company’s board of directors while serving as a consultant to his beloved Skunk Works and other Lockheed special projects. Kelly Johnson died in 1990 at age 80 and, fittingly, is buried among Hollywood’s most famous stars in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. He was enshrined in the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame in 1988. Upon Johnson’s retirement, Lockheed President Carl Kotchian summed his career up best: “It is not probable that we will (ever) see Kelly’s like again.”

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OPINION

Digital Development Reliable internet access across Michigan is essential for work, school, communication, and recreation. BY CHUCK IRVIN

he United States is, and has been, playing catch-up in the race for global internet connectivity. The greatest challenges today exist in rural areas and low-income urban environments, which often have limited or no access to comprehensive, affordable internet coverage. The consequences of the connectivity gap were fully exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The world became much more reliant on the internet than ever before, and reliable home digital access became essential for school, work, communication, and recreation. This connectivity challenge is close to home in metro Detroit and statewide, but in different ways. While more than 99 percent of households in the region have some access to the internet in their homes, a gap remains for those who can actually afford it. According to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, in Oakland County 3 percent of children don’t have household internet; in Macomb County it’s 4 percent; and in Wayne County it’s 12.4 percent. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program is working to bridge this gap. According to Michigan’s BEAD website, as of 2023 close to 500,000 mostly rural households statewide are unserved or underserved by high-speed internet infrastructure. Additionally, another 730,000 households statewide face barriers related to affordability, adoption, device access, and digital literacy. Taken together, this represents more than 10 percent of Michigan’s overall population. On Nov. 15, 2021, at the height of the pandemic, President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. This act earmarked $65 billion to bridge the digital divide in the country. The enormous funding investment emphasizes the significance of digital infrastructure. Michigan’s allocation is nearly $1.6 billion, which is the fourth-largest share among states — behind Texas, California, and Missouri. The potential to carefully deploy these funds to address Michigan’s infrastructure shortfall is an opportunity that’s unlikely to come again in our lifetime. Bridging the rural connectivity gap with BEAD in

Michigan will have a positive impact for online learning, health care, business, and other economic opportunities still to be realized. BEAD also will enable internet service providers to help expand high-speed internet to every home in the state, including remote areas, and provide funding to make it more affordable. The internet has had a major, transformative impact on rural economies and in virtually all aspects of our daily lives. In areas where farming and agriculture are essential to the local economy, the impact can be transformative. Soon, rural Michigan farmers, armed with access to fiber networks, can deploy cutting-edge agricultural technologies that will increase output and quality, lower costs, create sustainable practices to protect Michigan’s rich farmland, and foster economic growth in communities. Education, of course, is the cornerstone of any forward-looking, thriving community. The lack of reliable internet in rural areas has disadvantaged Michigan children. BEAD will change this by enabling seamless distance learning for rural schools and homes, connecting young people to worldwide resources and endless learning opportunities. Telemedicine, meanwhile, is a critical issue that’s fundamentally changing health care as we know it today. Although its advantages are many, it’s all predicated on stable connectivity. Many people across the state simply are not well enough to travel to receive specialty medical care — a problem even more pronounced in rural communities. BEAD will enable medical consultation from the state’s health care industry to truly be just a click away. Finally, the BEAD program aligns with environmental sustainability goals by allowing for remote work, reduced transportation needs, and lower carbon emissions. It will open possibilities for transforming even hardto-reach places like Beaver Island (in northern Lake Michigan) into viable locales for professional careers. Achieving internet for all in Michigan won’t happen without

challenges. Network-builders face hurdles, including high deployment costs, a challenging permitting environment, and a shortage of trained telecommunications labor. Innovative solutions like public-private partnerships are addressing these challenges. Consider, for example, 123Net’s public-private partnership with Allegan County (south of Grand Rapids), which is deploying a 1,100-mile countywide fiber network project fully aligned with community needs. Service levels, quality, and pricing are guaranteed. In addition to grant support, Allegan County contributed $17.5 million to enhance the network’s viability and achieve universal access within the county, overcoming the high deployment costs of rural networks. None of this would be economically possible for local ISPs or counties if not for the outside funding from programs like BEAD, which makes it a paramount opportunity. The BEAD program is more than a government initiative. It’s a beacon of hope for rural Michigan and all who struggle to afford internet access. I believe the BEAD program will ultimately prove every bit as impactful on our country as the transcontinental railroad in 1873, bringing people, geographies, and opportunities closer together than ever before.

CHUCK IRVIN

Chuck Irvin is executive vice president of 123Net in Southfield. He has spent his career designing, engineering, and constructing one of Michigan’s most sophisticated and reliable fiber internet networks for businesses and consumers.

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CASINO ROYALE LINDSAY SCHWEICKERT

1 3

The Rugiero Promise Foundation presented its 13th annual Casino Royale event on Oct. 14 at the ICON building on Detroit’s waterfront. The theme of the evening was “A Night in Monte Carlo,” and attendees enjoyed food, a specialty bar, casino-style gambling, live entertainment, dancing, raffles, grand prizes, and both silent and live auctions. Proceeds from the event benefit diabetes research at Michigan Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

1. Brian Yaldoo, Michael Yono,

Rudy Patrous, Nick Haddad 2. Christina Rugiero, Enrica Rugiero, Kristina Rugiero 3. Frank Moceri, Chris Aslanian, Dominic Moceri 4. Perry Hollie, Donna Harrell 5. Your Generation Band performance

NFL DRAFT PATRICK GLORIA

The Detroit Sports Commission and Visit Detroit announced that Beyond Basics, a literacy nonprofit organization active in Detroit and across Michigan, and Project Play, a program started by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, will be partners in the 2024 NFL Draft, April 25-27, 2024, in downtown Detroit. The $1-million gifting announcement was made during a Nov. 27 press conference at Ford Field. The nonprofits were selected by a committee of community leaders.

6 8

7 10

6. Alexander Sanders, Derron Sanders 7. Christina Lovio George, Micah Coleman 8. Dave Girodat, Gina Carrier, Nicholas LaChapelle 9. Pamela Good, Elijah Kraft, Dave LewAllen 10. Roary, Katie Nienstedt

DETROIT AGLOW PATRICK GLORIA

The Downtown Detroit Partnership hosted its 2023 Detroit Aglow dinner fundraiser on Nov. 20 at Eastern Market Shed 3. For nearly 40 years, the event has kicked off the holiday season with a celebration of the city and DDP’s work. Funds raised at Detroit Aglow strengthen DDP’s mission to foster a more sustainable, equitable, and vibrant downtown Detroit. 11 13

11. Cindy Pasky, Paul Hogan, Faye Nelson

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12. Eric Larson, Jessica Parker, Charles and Melanie Simms 13. Hassan Beydoun, Tom and Jenell Leonard, Jeffery Gerish 14. Mark Gassney, Tricia Keith, Matt Cullen, Hon. Debbie Dingell 15. Nevan and Roshni Shokar, Ray Solomon II January - February 2024 || DBUSINESS.COM 77

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Exec Life

HOB NOBBLE GOBBLE PATRICK GLORIA

The Parade Co. in Detroit hosted its annual Hob Nobble Gobble event, presented by Ford Motor Co., on Nov. 17 at Ford Field. Funds raised go to support the nonprofit’s production of America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner White, in addition to other community activities. More than 2,000 guests enjoyed a carnival midway, games, free prizes, a gourmet buffet dinner, and live entertainment.

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1. John Pitts, Brenda Jones-Pitts, Gary Pollard

2. Daniel and Amy Loepp 3. Dr. Sonia Haddan, Mayor Mike Duggan 4. Brian and Maria Callaghan, Dawn and Scott Ingoglia 5. Marcy Fikany, David Fikany, Luca Markus, John Fikany

FUND MORNING PATRICK GLORIA

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The Association of Fundraising Professionals — Greater Detroit Chapter celebrated the 32nd Annual National Philanthropy Day on Oct. 26 by hosting its National Philanthropy Day Breakfast Roundtable. The event took place at the Durfee Innovation Society, home of Life Remodeled in Detroit, and brought together a group of the greater Detroit community’s individual, corporate, and foundation philanthropy leaders for a discussion about the important and changing role of philanthropy in Detroit. 6. Allison Gowan, Jen Heard, Rebecca Weil-Hoskins 7. Madeline Wyatt, Mary Culler 8. Steve Ragan, Mitch Albom, Ric Devore, Tanya Griffith 9. Tomika Moch, James Coleman 10. Wendy Kemp, Fred Hunter, Jane Alessandrini

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RIM FOUNDATION PATRICK GLORIA

The RIM Foundation Go Beyond Gala took place on Oct. 21 at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit. The Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Foundation was established in 2013 with the goal of making a significant and positive effect on people who have had life-altering disabilities and work to “go beyond the impossible.” 11. Jim and Patti Anderson, Bridget and Sharif Farhat 12. Joe Torre, Sheriff Michael Bouchard 13. Lisa Boggs,Reggie Roland 14. Nikki and John Studstill 15. Walid and Rita Fakhoury, Patty Jobbitt, Dougall Hoskin

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From the Top

TOP HOTELS IN METRO DETROIT

(SELECTED BY AAA AND DBUSINESS FOR HOSPITALITY EXCELLENCE) ANN ARBOR

GRADUATE ANN ARBOR 615 East Huron St. Ann Arbor 734-769-2200 graduatehotels.com/ann-arbor/ Rooms: 204 Meeting Rooms: 4 Dining: The Allen Rumsey Supper Club, Poindexter Meeting Capacity: 7,700 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly; event planners; catering; fitness center; complimentary pass to nearby recreation building for racquetball, basketball, weight-lifting; complimentary Wi-Fi; Olympic-size pool; complimentary bicycle rental; valet; pet-friendly rooms

BIRMINGHAM

DAXTON HOTEL 298 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham 248-283-4200 daxtonhotel.com Rooms: 151 Meeting Rooms: 6 Dining: Madam Meeting Capacity: 8,490 sq. ft. Amenities: Lobby bar, more than 400 pieces of art curated by Saatchi Art, fitness center, bedside wireless charging pads, valet parking, free Wi-Fi, laundry and dry cleaning, pet-friendly THE TOWNSEND HOTEL 100 Townsend St. Birmingham 248-642-7900 townsendhotel.com Rooms: 150 Meeting Rooms: 10 Dining: Rugby Grille, afternoon tea, 24-hour room service Meeting Capacity: 17,590 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, iPod docking stations, ATM/banking, coffee in lobby, complimentary newspapers, event catering, fitness center, concierge services, multilingual staff, seasonal outdoor seating offered by Rugby Grille and The Corner, pet-friendly environment, wedding services

Meeting Capacity: 11,313 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly; plush pillow-top bedding; RFID card or smartphone door locks; in-room laptop safes; balcony suites; complimentary Wi-Fi; modern furnishings; luxuriously appointed guest rooms; serene courtyard; large, flat-screen HDTVs; premium cable; mini fridge; coffeemaker with Starbucks coffee refilled daily; 24-hour fitness facility; on-site business center; shuttle service; valet and self-park; indoor saltwater pool

DEARBORN

DEARBORN INN, A MARRIOTT HOTEL* 20301 Oakwood Blvd. Dearborn 313-271-2700 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwdi-the-dearborn-inn-a-marriott-hotel/overview/ Rooms: 229 Meeting Rooms: 12 Dining: Edison’s, Ten Eyck Tavern, room service Meeting Capacity: 17,000 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, messenger service, notary public, overnight delivery/pickup, seasonal outdoor pool, fitness center. Guest rooms have plug-in technology for iPods, cameras, game systems, etc. * Closed for renovations, planned reopening sometime in 2024.

THE HENRY, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION Fairlane Plaza 300 Town Center Dr. Dearborn 313-441-2000 behenry.com Rooms: 308 Meeting Rooms: 13 Dining: TRIA, 24-hour room service Meeting Capacity: 26,295 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, shoe-shine services, fitness center, indoor pool with whirlpool, concierge services, wedding accommodations, notary public, AV equipment, messaging services, overnight delivery/pickup, pet-friendly, post/ parcel service

DETROIT

ATHENEUM SUITE HOTELS 1000 Brush Ave. Detroit 313-962-2323 atheneumsuites.com Rooms: 173 Meeting Rooms: 8 Dining: Pegasus Taverna, Symposia, A-Bar, 24-hour room service Meeting Capacity: 31,000 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, wedding accommodations, hotel shuttle service, health and fitness facilities, catering services BOOK TOWER (ROOST APARTMENT HOTEL) 1265 Washington Blvd. Detroit

844-431-1100 myroost.com/extended-stayhotel-detroit-michigan Rooms: 117 Meeting Rooms: 3 Dining: Le Suprême, The Rotunda, Kamper’s, Conservatory Ballroom (the latter is for booked events) Coming soon: Hiroki-San and other unique bar experiences Meeting Capacity: NA Amenities: Fully equipped kitchen, complimentary Wi-Fi, smart TV, SONOS speakers, hardwood floors, living plants, vintage rugs, handpicked artwork, blackout shades, on-site maintenance, washer and dryer (in unit), fitness center, weekly housekeeping, in-suite safe, and same-day dry cleaning and laundry services (fees apply) CAMBRIA HOTEL DOWNTOWN DETROIT 600 W. Lafayette Blvd. Detroit 313-733-0300 cambriadetroit.com Rooms: 158 Meeting Rooms: 4 Dining: Cibo Detroit, Detroit Taco Co. Meeting Capacity: 18,000 sq. ft. Amenities: Beve Detroit lobby bar, rooftop pool and Cielo poolside bar, Balla Nightclub, Five Iron Golf and entertainment center, free Wi-Fi, fitness center and sauna, valet parking, sundry shop, business center COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT DETROIT 333 E. Jefferson Ave. Detroit 313-222-7700 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwdc-courtyard-detroit-downtown/ overview/ Rooms: 260 Meeting Rooms: 7 Dining: Applebee’s, IHOP Express Meeting Capacity: 6,468 sq. ft.

Amenities: Business center, fitness center, Wi-Fi, pool DETROIT FOUNDATION HOTEL 250 W. Larned St. Detroit 313-800-5500 detroitfoundationhotel.com Rooms: 100 Meeting Rooms: 4 Dining: The Apparatus Room Meeting Capacity: 3,623 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, fifth-floor event space, complimentary Wi-Fi, 24-hour fitness center with free workout classes, same-day laundry and dry cleaning, complimentary Detroit Bikes rental, pet-friendly DETROIT MARRIOTT AT THE RENAISSANCE CENTER Renaissance Center 400 Renaissance Dr. Detroit 313-568-8000 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwdt-detroit-marriott-at-the-renaissance-center/overview/ Rooms: 1,298 Meeting Rooms: 38 Dining: Starbucks, Motor City Pantry, FUELL Meeting Capacity: 96,104 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, overnight delivery/pickup, secretarial services, translator, on-site car rental, fitness center DOUBLETREE SUITES BY HILTON HOTEL DETROIT DOWNTOWN – FORT SHELBY 525 W. Lafayette Blvd. Detroit 313-963-5600 hilton.com/en/hotels/ dttlfdt-doubletree-suites-detroit-downtown-fort-shelby/ Rooms: 203 Meeting Rooms: 19 Dining: Motor City Kitchen and Round Bar, room service

Meeting Capacity: 18,535 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, complimentary coffee or tea, audio/ visual equipment rental, 24-hour business center, complimentary printing service, express mail, secretarial services, video conferencing, catering menus, fitness center ELEMENT DETROIT AT THE METROPOLITAN 33 John R St. Detroit 313-306-2400, ext. 0 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwel-element-detroit-at-the-metropolitan/overview/ Rooms: 110 Meeting Rooms: 3 Dining: RISE Meeting Capacity: 2,817 sq. ft. Amenities: The Monarch Club on rooftop (indoor/outdoor), fitness center, bike rentals, pet-friendly, in-room kitchens, complimentary Wi-Fi FORT PONTCHARTRAIN, A WYNDHAM HOTEL 2 Washington Blvd. Detroit 313-965-0200 hotelpontchartrain.com Rooms: 367 Meeting Rooms: 20 Dining: Tabacchi Lounge Café, Urban Cellars Meeting Capacity: 32,000 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly; wedding accommodations; pool, spa, sauna, fitness center; catering services; business center; valet; short walk to Huntington Place GODFREY HOTEL 1401 Michigan Ave. Detroit 313-385-0000 godfreyhoteldetroit.com/ Rooms: 227 Meeting Rooms: 4 THE STUDY, ROOST APARTMENT HOTEL, BOOK TOWER, DETROIT

THE KINGSLEY 39475 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills 248-644-1400 thekingsley.com Rooms: 144 Meeting Rooms: 5 Dining: Zalman’s serves breakfast, lunch, and entrees; The Duke Lounge

COURTESY BOOK TOWER

BLOOMFIELD HILLS

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From the Top

Dining: Hamilton’s Meeting Capacity: 6,292 sq. ft. Amenities: IO rooftop lounge, room service, fitness center, free Wi-Fi, valet parking (fees apply) HILTON GARDEN INN DETROIT/ DOWNTOWN 351 Gratiot Ave. Detroit 313-967-0900 hilton.com/en/hotels/ detdhgi-hilton-garden-inn-detroit-downtown/ Rooms: 198 Meeting Rooms: 6 Dining: The Chrome Bar and Grille, The Garden Grille and Bar, room service Meeting Capacity: 3,456 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, audio/ visual equipment rental, complimentary printing service, gift shop, express mail services, ATM machine, wedding accommodations, multilingual staff, secretarial services, fitness center, pool HOLLYWOOD CASINO AT GREEKTOWN 1211 Chrysler Dr. Detroit 313-223-2999 hollywoodgreektown.com Rooms: 400 Meeting Rooms: 11 Casino Tables: 61 Poker Tables: 13 Dining: 313 Burger Bar, Rock Bar, Prism, Urban Cocktail, Barstool Sportsbook Bar, Detroit Taco Co. Meeting Capacity: 20,000 sq. ft. Amenities: Business center, fitness center, valet, in-room dining, wireless internet, state-of-the-art meeting/audio/visual equipment, concierge services MGM GRAND DETROIT 1777 Third Ave. Detroit 877-888-2121 mgmgranddetroit.com Rooms: 401 Meeting Rooms: 6 Casino Tables: 140 Slots: 3,500 Dining: Breeze Dining Court, Tap at MGM Grand Detroit, D.PRIME Steakhouse, Topgolf Swing Suite, Palette Dining Studio, The Roasted Bean, room service, complimentary food and nonalcoholic beverages on the concierge level Meeting Capacity: 30,000 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, built-in video and teleconferencing services, fitness center, indoor pool, distinct lounges, meeting and event planning, concierge services, shoe-shine, hotel sundry store, IMMERSE Spa, AXIS Lounge, V Nightclub MOTORCITY CASINO-HOTEL 2901 Grand River Ave. Detroit 866-782-9622

motorcitycasino.com Rooms: 400 Meeting Rooms: 14 Casino Tables: 59 Dining: Assembly Line, Amnesia, Grand River Deli, Iridescence, Little Caesars, Lodge Diner, Sweet Ride, 24-hour room service Meeting Capacity: 67,500 sq. ft., including 19,604 sq. ft. of pre-function space Amenities: Business-friendly, complimentary printing, 24-hour fitness center, concierge services, wedding accommodations. Smoking is only allowed on the casino gaming floor. The smoke-free gaming area is located at the main casino entrance (a 17-table, smoke-free poker room is available). ROBERTS RIVERWALK URBAN RESORT HOTEL 1000 River Place Dr. Detroit 313-259-9500 detroitriverfront.org/riverfront/ east-riverfront/roberts-riverwalk-hotel Rooms: 108 Meeting Rooms: Yes Dining: Roberts Riverwalk Bistro & Bar Meeting Capacity: 12,000 sq. ft. Amenities: River views, business center, fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, high-speed Wi-Fi, parking SHINOLA HOTEL 1400 Woodward Ave. Detroit 313-356-1400 shinolahotel.com Rooms: 129 Meeting Rooms: 6 Dining: Penny Reds, San Morello, The Brakeman, Evening Bar Meeting Capacity: 16,150 sq. ft. Amenities: Wi-Fi, Parker’s Alley shopping, HDTV, fitness center, pet-friendly, mini bars, Shinola turntables and record library in select rooms THE INN @ 97 WINDER 97 Winder St. Detroit 313-832-4348 theinnat97winder.com/ Rooms: 10 Meeting Rooms: NA Dining: None on-site Meeting Capacity: NA Amenities: Continental breakfast, antique furnishings, spa, private fenced parking, European-style garden and walkways, high-speed Wi-Fi THE SIREN HOTEL 1509 Broadway St. Detroit 313-277-4736 ash.world/hotels/the-siren/ Rooms: 106 Meeting Rooms: NA Dining: The Siren Café, Candy Bar,

Albena, Ash-Bar Detroit Meeting Capacity: NA Amenities: Social Club Grooming, Sid’s Gold Request Room, Paramita, The Siren Shop, concierge, free newspaper, flower arrangement service, fitness center, bicycle rentals, pet-friendly rooms THE WESTIN BOOK CADILLAC DETROIT 1114 Washington Blvd. Detroit 313-442-1600 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwcw-the-westin-book-cadillacdetroit/overview/ Rooms: 453 Meeting Rooms: 20 Dining: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, The Boulevard Room, The Motor Bar, Starbucks Reserve Café Meeting Capacity: 36,658 sq. ft. Amenities: Meeting and catering services, wedding specialist, audio/ visual and production services, video conferencing, Service Express, concierge desk, WestinWorkout Studio, heated pool and spa, Spa Book Cadillac, complimentary daily national newspaper, laundry/dry cleaning, shoe-shine, luggage storage, in-room iPod docking station, high-speed internet THE DAVID WHITNEY, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION 1 Park Ave. Detroit 313-237-1700 davidwhitneybuilding.com/about. html Rooms: 160 Meeting Rooms: 5 Dining: None on-site Meeting Capacity: 10,262 sq. ft. Amenities: WXYZ Bar, Re-Fuel by Aloft, re:charge (SM) gym, pet-friendly, complimentary Wi-Fi, valet parking, beauty shop and barber shop, on-site laundry and dry cleaning

FARMINGTON HILLS

DELTA HOTELS BY MARRIOTT DETROIT NOVI 37529 Grand River Ave. Farmington Hills 248-653-6060 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwdf-delta-hotels-detroit-novi/ overview/ Rooms: 139 Meeting Rooms: 3 Dining: Founders Tavern Meeting Capacity: 4,284 sq. ft. Amenities: Indoor pool, fitness center, free Wi-Fi, coffee shop, hot tub, laundry

LIVONIA

DETROIT MARRIOTT LIVONIA 17100 Laurel Park Dr. North Livonia 734-462-3100 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwli-detroit-marriott-livonia/ overview/

Rooms: 224 Meeting Rooms: 5 Dining: FINS Kitchen and Bar Meeting Capacity: 5,769 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, coffee in the lobby, indoor pool and whirlpool, concierge services, 70+ retailers and restaurants (hotel is attached to Laurel Park Place Mall), fitness center, overnight delivery/ pickup, wedding accommodations, post/parcel services

NOVI

THE BARONETTE RENAISSANCE DETROIT-NOVI HOTEL 27790 Novi Rd. Novi 248-349-7800 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwdn-the-baronette-renaissance-detroit-novi-hotel/overview/ Rooms: 155 Meeting Rooms: 7 Dining: Toasted Oak Grill & Market, room service Meeting Capacity: 8,213 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, data port in each room, concierge services, fitness center, ATM, outdoor garden terrace, wedding accommodations, near Twelve Oaks Mall, West Oaks, and Fountain Walk

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP

SAINT JOHN’S RESORT 44045 Five Mile Rd. Plymouth 734-414-0600 saintjohnsresort.com Rooms: 118 Meeting Rooms: 22 Dining: Five Steakhouse, Wine Grotto Meeting Capacity: 38,912 sq. ft. Amenities: 18-hole championship golf course opens spring 2024, heated driving range and retail outlet at Carl’s Golfland, fitness center, complimentary weekday newspaper, Jacuzzi, wedding accommodations, chapel, food and beverage services, indoor pool with waterfall and bubble lounge

PONTIAC

AUBURN HILLS MARRIOTT PONTIAC AT CENTERPOINT 3600 Centerpoint Pkwy. Pontiac 248-253-9800 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwpo-auburn-hills-marriott-pontiac/overview/ Rooms: 290 Meeting Rooms: 13 Dining: Woodward’s, Starbucks, room service Meeting Capacity: 23,283 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, messenger service, overnight delivery, translation services, wedding accommodations, indoor and outdoor pools, cocktail terrace, fitness center

ROCHESTER

ROYAL PARK HOTEL 600 East University Dr. Rochester 248-652-2600 royalparkhotelmi.net Rooms: 143 Meeting Rooms: 12 Dining: Park 600, Royalty Tea, 24-hour room service, seasonal outdoor seating on the terrace Meeting Capacity: 17,486 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, audio/ visual services, bicycle rental, wedding accommodations, seasonal fly-fishing equipment rental, putting green, 24-hour fitness center, spa services, outdoor bocce and croquet courts, concierge services, 21 miles of jogging trails

ROMULUS

DELTA HOTELS BY MARRIOTT DETROIT METRO AIRPORT 31500 Wick Rd. Romulus 734-721-3315 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwde-delta-hotels-detroit-metro-airport/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197a979c79310b0 Rooms: 271 Meeting Rooms: 9 Dining: Delta Prime Steakhouse Meeting Capacity: 12,555 sq. ft. Amenities: Sustainability, indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center, convenience store, laundry and dry cleaning service, wake-up calls THE WESTIN DETROIT METROPOLITAN AIRPORT 2501 Worldgateway Place Detroit 734-942-6500 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwma-the-westin-detroit-metropolitan-airport/overview/ Rooms: 404 Meeting Rooms: 35 Dining: Reflections Restaurant & Lounge, 24-hour room service Meeting Capacity: 28,844 sq. ft. Amenities: Lobby access to the McNamara Terminal’s 90 shops and services, perfect meeting location without leaving the airport, 24-hour shuttle service to the North Terminal, complimentary fitness center, indoor heated pool, hot tub

SOUTHFIELD

DETROIT MARRIOTT SOUTHFIELD 27033 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield 248-356-7400 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtwsl-detroit-marriott-southfield/ overview/ Rooms: 226 Meeting Rooms: 4 Dining: Fire Iron Grill, Lobby Lounge, room service Meeting Capacity: 4,283 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, overnight delivery/pickup, wedding accommodations, indoor pool,

full-service bar, concierge services, fitness center RADISSON HOTEL SOUTHFIELD-DETROIT 26555 Telegraph Rd. Southfield 248-469-4867 radissonhotelsamericas.com/en-us/ hotels/radisson-southfield?cid=a:se+b:gmb+c:amer+i:local+e:rad+d:us+f:en-US+h:USADSMI Rooms: 206 Meeting Rooms: 8 Dining: Telegraph Road BBQ Meeting Capacity: 20,057 sq. ft. Amenities: Complimentary full breakfast, hot tub, exercise facility, wedding services, free Wi-Fi, 24-hour business center THE WESTIN SOUTHFIELD DETROIT 1500 Town Center Southfield 248-827-4000 westinsouthfielddetroit.com Rooms: 388 Meeting Rooms: 31 Dining: Jamocha’s Coffee Shop, Tango’s Restaurant, Level 1 Lounge, 24-hour room service Meeting Capacity: 47,718 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, wedding accommodations, allergy-friendly rooms, concierge services, pet-friendly environment, indoor heated pool, whirlpool, hot tub, fitness center

TROY

DETROIT MARRIOTT TROY 200 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy 248-680-9797 marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ dtttt-detroit-marriott-troy/overview/ Rooms: 350 Meeting Rooms: 21 Dining: 200 West Restaurant and Lounge, room service Meeting Capacity: 16,881 sq. ft. Amenities: Business-friendly, catering, concierge lounge, indoor pool, safety deposit boxes, complimentary daily newspapers, shuttle within five-mile radius of hotel, post/parcel services, fitness center EMBASSY SUITES BY HILTON DETROIT TROY – AUBURN HILLS 850 Tower Dr. Troy 248-879-7500 hilton.com/en/hotels/ dtttres-embassy-suites-detroit-troyauburn-hills/ Rooms: 251 Meeting Rooms: 9 Dining: Riparian Grille Meeting Capacity: 7,327 sq. ft. Amenities: Complimentary breakfast, digital key, EV charging on-site, indoor pool, fitness center, pet-friendly rooms, business center Sources: DBusiness research, AAA

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From the Top

TOP CORPORATE MICHIGAN COUNSEL 2024* VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS 2024 MONICA BARBOUR University of Detroit Mercy

DAN ISRAEL Goldfish Swim School Franchising

MATTHEW READ Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US

STEPHANIE L. BARR ITC Holdings Corp.

TOM JABERO Plastipak Packaging Inc.

ERIC ROGERS AGC Automotive Americas

RACHEL BAXTER North America Kongsberg Automotive

BARRY JENSEN Walbridge

LINDA ROSS Trinity Health

ERIN BEHLER Rocket Central

MICHELLE JOHNSON-TIDJANI CommonSpirit Health

ADAM RUBIN Shift Digital

TIMOTHY J. BLANCH Visteon Corp.

STEPHANIE JONES General Motors Co.

JOSH SHERBIN The Shyft Group

DANIEL BYRNE Ford Motor Co.

HARRY A. KEMP Lear Corp.

KIRSTEN SILWANOWICZ Great Lakes Water Authority

ELIZABETH CALLAHAN-MORRIS Henry Ford Health

HOWARD M. KLAUSMEIER Ameriprise Financial Inc.

MICHAEL SOCHA Ally Financial Inc.

MATT C. COHN Axiom at CDW

DEANNA KOSSARAS KELLY Harman International

LAWRENCE SOMMERS Comerica Bank

SARA CONN Corewell Health

KILEY LEPAGE Compuware Corp.

JAMI STATHAM Nexteer Automotive Corp.

TERESE FARHAT CRANE Corewell Health

LANCE LIS Inteva Products

ANTHONY SUKKAR Brose

JESSICA L. DADAS-SCHULZE Schulze Law & Consulting

BERNARD LOURIM FANUC America Corp.

SATYAM TALATI Mahindra Automotive North America Inc.

JEFF DOBSON ITC Holdings Corp.

NATHAN M. MANNI United Road Services

GABRIEL B. VALLE ITC Holdings Corp.

CARMEN DORRIS Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US

ERIN MARTIN Little Caesar Enterprises Inc.

MARGARET VAN METER Trinity Health

DAVID GEISS Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

CHRIS MAZZOLI Lear Corp.

MICHAEL J. VUKICH Lear Corp.

COURTNEY GILLIAM Superior Industries International Inc.

LISA MIKALONIS Tenneco Inc.

EDWARD A. WALTON Ameriprise Financial Inc.

KENNETH GOLD General Motors Co.

MICHAEL MINNA BorgWarner Inc.

DANIEL WARSH Garrett Advancing Motion

MICHAEL GRUSKIN General Motors Co.

APRIL E. MOORE USA Underwriters

IAN WILSON Corewell Health

GLORIA HAGE University of Michigan

JUSTIN “J.P.” MORGAN JBM Law

ADAM WOLFE United Wholesale Mortgage

ALAN N. HARRIS Atwell

MIYUKI OSHIMA BorgWarner Inc.

ANDREW WORRALL Comerica Bank

BETH T. HILL FordDirect

KEVIN PLUMSTEAD General Motors Co.

JOSHUA W. YAKER Dentsu International

WARREN HUNT Magna Exteriors

AMANDA PONTES Lear Corp.

MARLA G. ZWAS Cabinetworks Group

ANNA M. INCH Carhartt Inc.

MICHAEL QAQISH IAC Group

*Selected by private attorneys in metro Detroit as part of DBusiness’ Top Lawyers annual peer-to-peer survey.

42 NORTH PARTNERS 171 Monroe Ave. NW Grand Rapids 616-325-2100 42np.com

BAIRD CAPITAL 2950 S. State St., Ste. 401 Ann Arbor 734-302-2900 bairdcapital.com

ABUNDANT VENTURES 42690 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills 248-481-3157 abundantventures.com

BELLE IMPACT FUND 217 Lake Shore Dr. Grosse Pointe Farms bellefunds.com

AMHERST FUND 401 E. Stadium Blvd. Ann Arbor 734-662-2102 amherstfund.com ANNOX CAPITAL 40701 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills 248-712-1086 annoxcapital.com APJOHN VENTURES 350 E. Michigan Ave., Ste. 500 Kalamazoo 269-349-8999 apjohnventures.com ARBOR PARTNERS 130 S. First St., Ste. 200 Ann Arbor 734-668-9000 arborpartners.com ARBORETUM VENTURES 303 Detroit St., Ste. 301 Ann Arbor 734-998-3688 arboretumvc.com ARIA VENTURES 380 N. Old Woodward Ave., Ste. 290 Birmingham 248-766-2903 ariaventures.com ARSENAL 303 Detroit St., Ste. 301 Ann Arbor 734-436-1496 arsenalgrowth.com ASSEMBLY VENTURES 1555 Broadway St. Detroit assemblyventures.com AUGMENT VENTURES 206 S. Fourth Ave. Ann Arbor augmentventures.com

BERINGEA 32330 W. 12 Mile Rd. Farmington Hills 248-489-9000 beringea.com BIOSTAR CAPITAL 206 Bridge St. Charlevoix 231-497-1286 biostar.capital BLUE VICTOR CAPITAL 2103 Rochelle Park Dr. Rochester Hills bluevictorcapital.com BOOMERANG CATAPULT 236½ W. Front St. Traverse City 231-631-1734 boomerangcatapult.com

Ann Arbor 734-215-7577 drapertriangle.com DTE ENERGY VENTURES 414 S. Main St., Ste. 600 Ann Arbor 734-302-5309 EDF VENTURES 425 N. Main St. Ann Arbor 734-663-3213 edf.fr/en/pulse/ventures EICONICA CAPITAL 34300 Woodward Ave., Ste. 200 Birmingham 248-981-6688 eiconicacap.com EIGHTEEN94 CAPITAL One Kellogg Square Battle Creek 269-961-2000 1894capital.com ELAB VENTURES 505 E. Liberty, LL500 Ann Arbor 734-926-5221 elabvc.com

CANTILEVER INVESTORS 600 S. Wagner Ann Arbor cantileverinvestors.com

ENVY CAPITAL 39665 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 200 Farmington Hills 248-522-7166 envycapital.com

CITY SIDE VENTURES 34300 Woodward Ave., Ste. 200 Birmingham 248-535-1306 citysideventures.com

EVERGREEN CAPITAL PARTNERS 201 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy 248-619-1864 evergreencappartners.com

COURTSIDEVC Detroit courtsidevc.com

FIREFOX VENTURES Bloomfield Hills 248-766-3040 firefoxventures.com

DETROIT VENTURE PARTNERS 1555 Broadway, 3rd Floor Detroit detroit.vc DOW VENTURE CAPITAL 2030 Dow Center Midland 989-636-1000 corporate.dow.com/en-us/about/ venture-capital.html DRAPER TRIANGLE VENTURES 303 Detroit St., Ste. 100

FONTINALIS PARTNERS One Woodward Ave., Ste. 1600 Detroit 313-432-0321 fontinalis.com GENERAL MOTORS VENTURES 300 Renaissance Center Detroit gmventures.com GENESIS INNOVATION GROUP 13827 Port Sheldon St.

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Holland 616-294-1026 genesisinnovationgroup.com GIBBS CITY INVESTMENTS Ann Arbor gibbscity.com GRAND VENTURES 99 Monroe Ave. NW, Ste. 502 Grand Rapids 616-326-1585 grandvcp.com GROW MICHIGAN 2 Lone Drive Bloomfield Hills 248-593-4810 growmichiganfund.com HONOR EQUITY 63 Kercheval Ave., Ste. 111 Grosse Pointe Farms 313-444-0093 HOPEN LIFE SCIENCE VENTURES 171 Monroe Ave. NW, Ste. 410 Grand Rapids 616-325-2110 hopenls.com HURON RIVER VENTURES 303 Detroit St., Ste. 100 Ann Arbor huronrivervc.com INVEST DETROIT 600 Renaissance Center, Ste. 1710 Detroit 313-259-6368 investdetroit.vc INVEST MICHIGAN 19 Clifford St. Detroit 313-727-2500 419-345-7688 investmichigan.org JXP CAPITAL 6735 Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Hills 248-550-0838 jxpcapital.com KELLY INNOVATION FUND 999 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy 800-535-5901 kellyservicesinvestments.com LIS VENTURES 28555 Orchard Lake Rd., Ste. 100 Farmington Hills lisventures.com LUDLOW VENTURES 1555 Broadway Detroit ludlowventures.com MADDOG TECHNOLOGY 233 Pierce St. Birmingham 248-686-0900 maddogtechnology.com

MCKINLEY TECHNOLOGY GROUP 106 S. Walnut, Ste. 1 Bay City 866-616-1463, ext. 4 mckinleytechnology.com MERCURY 303 Detroit St., Ste. 100 Ann Arbor 713-715-6820 mercuryfund.com MICHIGAN ACCELERATOR FUND 140 Monroe Center NW, Ste. 300 Grand Rapids 616-235-3567 linkedin.com/company/ michigan-accelerator-fund-i/about/ MICHIGAN BIOMEDICAL VENTURE FUND 3350 Duderstadt Ann Arbor 734-763-1021 innovation.medicine.umich.edu/ michigan-biomedical-venture-fund/ MICHIGAN CAPITAL NETWORK 40 Pearl St. NW, Ste. 336 Grand Rapids michigancapitalnetwork.com MICHIGAN INVESTMENT IN NEW TECHNOLOGY STARTUPS 2281 Bonisteel Blvd. Ann Arbor innovationpartnerships.umich.edu/ ventures/

NORTH COAST TECHNOLOGY INVESTORS 206 S. Fifth Ave., Ste. 550 Ann Arbor 734-662-7667 northcoastvc.com

SECRET SAUCE CAPITAL 28 W. Adams Ave. Detroit 313-818-3260 linkedin.com/company/ secret-sauce-capital/

NORTHBROOK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT 2149 Jolly Rd., Ste. 500 Okemos 517-347-0347

SI CAPITAL 38955 Hills Tech Dr. Farmington Hills sicapitalllc.com

OMEGA ACCELERATOR 3707 W. Maple Rd., Ste. 100E Bloomfield Hills 248-633-8557 omergaaccelerator.com PLYMOUTH GROWTH 555 Briarwood Circle, Ste. 210 Ann Arbor 734-747-9401 plymouthgp.com QUANTUM MEDICAL CONCEPTS 120 W. Saginaw St. East Lansing quantummedicalconcepts.com QUANTUM VENTURES OF MICHIGAN 1030 Doris Rd. Auburn Hills 248-292-5680 quantumventures.com

MICROTECH VENTURES 550 Merrill St., Ste. 240 Birmingham microtechventures.com

RED CEDAR VENTURES 325 E. Grand River Ave., Ste. 275 East Lansing 517-256-4040 msufoundation.org/ redcedarventures

MILLER CAPITAL PARTNERS 1411 W. Long Lake Rd., Ste. 100 Troy 248-901-1650 millercapital.com

RENAISSANCE VENTURE CAPITAL 201 S. Main St., 10th Floor Ann Arbor 734-997-8661 renvcf.com

MISSION THROTTLE 2 Towne Square, Ste. 900 Southfield 248-415-1455 missionthrottle.com

RESONANT VENTURE PARTNERS 425 N. Main St. Ann Arbor linkedin.com/company/resonant-venture-partners/

MK CAPITAL 353 W. William, Ste. 303 Ann Arbor 734-663-6500 mkcapital.com

RHV CAPITAL INVESTORS 38710 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills 248-561-5508 rhvcapital.com

MONROE-BROWN SEED FUND 2281 Bonisteel Ave. Ann Arbor 734-763-1021 innovation.medicine.umich.edu/ michigan-biomedical-venture-fund/

RIZVI TRAVERSE MANAGEMENT 260 E. Brown St., Ste. 2500 Birmingham 248-594-4751 rizvitraverse.com

MUDITA VENTURE PARTNERS 30300 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 370 Bingham Farms muditavp.com NARROW GAUGE VENTURES 330 Detroit St., Ste. 200 Ann Arbor narrowgaugeventures.com

ROCK COS. 6400 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 2500 Bloomfield Hills 248-430-7712 RPM VENTURES 350 N. Main St., Ste. 400 Ann Arbor 734-332-1700 rpmvc.com

Ann Arbor tamarind-hill.com TAPPAN HILL VENTURES 425 N. Main St. Ann Arbor 734-355-7399 tappanhillventures.com TGAP VENTURES 7171 Stadium Dr. Kalamazoo 269-217-1999 tgapvcfunds.com

SKYPOINT VENTURES 601 Saginaw St. Flint 810-547-5591 skypointventures.com

THIRD SHORE GROUP 25909 Meadowbrook Rd. Novi 248-291-7758 linkedin.com/company/ third-shore-group/about/

SLOAN VENTURES 430 N. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham 248-540-9660 SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN FIRST LIFE SCIENCE FUND 261 E. Kalamazoo Ave., Ste. 200 Kalamazoo 269-553-9588 southwestmichiganfirst.com SPECTRUM HEALTH VENTURES 221 N. Michigan St. NE, Ste. 501 Grand Rapids 616-281-6720 corewellhealthventures.org

TKM VENTURES MANAGEMENT 706 Dornoch Dr. Ann Arbor 734-369-3456 tkm-ag.com TRANSHUMAN CAPITAL Ann Arbor transhumancapital.com TROUT CREEK VENTURES Grand Rapids troutcreekventures.com

TAMARIND HILL 220 E. Huron St., Ste. 650

VENTURE INVESTORS HEALTH FUND 201 S. Main St., Ste. 900 Ann Arbor 734-274-2904 ventureinvestors.com VINEYARD CAPITAL GROUP 26111 W. 14 Mile Rd. Franklin 248-415-8000 vineyardcap.com VOYLET CAPITAL 719 Griswold, Ste. 820-101 Detroit 734-788-4199 linkedin.com/company/ voyl%C3%A9t-capital/about/ WAKESTREAM VENTURES 40 Pearl St. NW, Ste. 200 Grand Rapids wakestreamventures.com WHITE PINES VENTURES 2401 Plymouth Rd., Ste. B Ann Arbor 734-747-9401 WOLVERINE VENTURE FUND 701 Tappan Ave., R3200 Ann Arbor 734-615-4419 zli.umich.edu/programs-funds Sources: Michigan Venture Capital Association, DBusiness research

MICHIGAN PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS ABUNDANT VENTURES 390 W. Dryden Rd. Metamora 248-812-2418 abundantventures.com

AR2 3600 Wabeek Dr. W Bloomfield Hills 812-418-0639 linkedin.com/company/ar2-llc/

BLACKEAGLE PARTNERS 6905 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 119 Bloomfield Hills 313-647-5340 blackeaglepartners.com

ALIDADE CAPITAL 40900 Woodward Ave., Ste. 250 Bloomfield Hills 248-593-7878 alidadecapital.com

THE ASCENT GROUP 28 W. Adams, Ste. 800 Detroit 313-908-0476 ascentgroupmi.com

BLACKFORD CAPITAL 190 Monroe Ave. NW Grand Rapids 616-233-3161 blackfordcapital.com

AMERIVEST GROUP 119 Church St., Ste. 236 Romeo 877-745-1976

AUXO INVESTMENT PARTNERS 146 Monroe St. NW Grand Rapids 616-980-9810 auxopartners.com

BLUE WATER EQUITY PARTNERS 251 E. Merrill St., Ste. 202 Birmingham 248-792-3644 bluewaterep.com

AVENIR GROUP 380 N. Old Woodward Ave., Ste. 314 Birmingham 248-594-6350 avenirgroupinc.com

BRIDGE STREET CAPITAL PARTNERS 171 Monroe Ave. NW, Ste. 410 Grand Rapids 616-732-1051 bridgestreetcapital.com

ANDERTON INDUSTRIES 3001 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 310 Troy 248-430-6650 andertonindustries.com

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CAMELOT VENTURE GROUP 27725 Stansbury St., Ste. 175 Farmington Hills 248-741-5100 camelotvg.com

EVANS INDUSTRIES 200 Renaissance Center, Ste. 3150 Detroit 313-259-2266 eiihq.com

LAKELAND VENTURES DEVELOPMENT 410 Lakeland St. Grosse Pointe 313-886-8370

NORTHSTAR CAPITAL 100 Jackson St., Ste. 206 Jackson 517-783-5325 northstarcapital.com

CHESTMORE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT 43842 W. 12½ Mile Rd., Ste. 150 Novi 248-231-0900

FRESH WATERS VENTURE FUND 7600 McCain Rd. Parma 517-914-8284 freshwater.ventures

LONG LAKE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT 74 E. Long Lake Rd., Ste. 210 Bloomfield Hills 248-712-6160 longlakecapital.com

O2 INVESTMENT PARTNERS 40900 Woodward Ave., Ste. 200 Bloomfield Hills 248-540-8040 o2investment.com

CITG CAPITAL PARTNERS 354 Indusco Centre Troy citgcapital.com

GAL-MAR 32255 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 290 Farmington Hills 248-522-6964

COLFAX CREEK CAPITAL Birmingham 248-631-4620 colfaxcreek.com

GR INVESTMENT GROUP 839 N. Rochester Rd. Clawson 248-588-3946

LONG POINT CAPITAL 26700 Woodward Ave. Royal Oak 248-591-6000 longpointcapital.com

OAKLAND STANDARD CO. 280 W. Maple Rd., Ste. 305 Birmingham 313-701-7735 oaklandstandard.com

STAGE 2 INNOVATIONS 26800 Haggerty Rd. Farmington Hills 248-536-1970 stage2innovations.com

CONCURRENCE HOLDINGS 1600 E. Beltline, Ste. 213 Grand Rapids concurrence.holdings

GRAND SAKWA CAPITAL 28470 13 Mile Rd., Ste. 220 Farmington Hills 248-855-5500 grandsakwa.com

LONGHOUSE PARTNERS Detroit 313-618-9735 longhousepartners.com

OTTAWA AVENUE PRIVATE CAPITAL 126 Ottawa Ave. NW, Ste. 500 Grand Rapids 616-454-4114 linkedin.com/company/ ottawa-avenue-private-capital

STONE RIVER CAPITAL PARTNERS 261 E. Maple Rd. Birmingham 248-203-9840 stonerivercap.com

CORTEX GROUP 383 Elmington Court Canton 734-981-1027 COVINGTON PARTNERS 1734 Crooks Rd. Troy 248-450-5900 covingtonllc.com CRESCENT WAY CAPITAL PARTNERS 339 E. Liberty St. Ann Arbor 734-276-9914 crescentwaycapital.com DEMPSEY VENTURES 40 Pearl St. NW, Ste. 1000 Grand Rapids 616-259-8430 dempseyventures.com DETROIT VENTURE PARTNERS 1555 Broadway St., 3rd Floor Detroit detroit.vc DIVERGENT CAPITAL 21411 Civic Center Dr., Ste. 211 Southfield divergentfund.com ENDURANCE VENTURES 121 W. Washington St., Ste. 400 Ann Arbor 734-994-3406 enduranceventures.com EQUITY 11 2701 Cambridge Court Auburn Hills 248-377-8012

GREENSTONE INVESTMENTS 2605 Greenstone Blvd. Auburn Hills 248-276-0800 GREYSTONE FINANCIAL GROUP 665 Hulet Dr. Bloomfield Hills 248-267-1270 greystonefg.com GVD INDUSTRIES 3440 Windquest Dr. Holland 616-836-4067 gvdindustries.com HIGHGATE 260 E. Brown St. Birmingham 248-385-5285 HURON CAPITAL PARTNERS 500 Griswold St., Ste. 2700 Detroit 313-962-5800 huroncapital.com INVESTMICHIGAN 500 Griswold St., Ste. 1640 Detroit 313-244-0667 investmichigan.org JACOB AND ROHN EQUITY 1345 Monroe Ave. NW, Ste. 410 Grand Rapids 616-710-1437 LAKE STREET CAPITAL Detroit lakestreetcapital.com

LORIENT CAPITAL 55 W. Maple Rd. Birmingham 248-247-3900 lorientcap.com LV2 EQUITY PARTNERS 2013 W. Wackerly St., Ste. 200 Midland 989-631-2687 lv2partners.com M GROUP 805 E. Maple Rd. Birmingham 248-540-8843 mgroupinc.com M3 CAPITAL PARTNERS 5755 New King Dr., Ste. 210 Troy 248-247-3045 mcubedcp.com MICHIGAN CAPITAL ADVISORS 39520 Woodward Ave., Ste. 205 Bloomfield Hills 248-590-2275 michigancapitaladvisors.com MILLER CAPITAL PARTNERS 1441 W. Long Lake Rd., Ste. 100 Troy 248-901-1650 millercapital.com MOTORING VENTURES 29155 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield 248-795-5469 motoringventures.com NEW CENTURY INVESTMENTS 1 Towne Square, Ste. 1690 Southfield 248-262-3140

PENINSULA CAPITAL PARTNERS One Towne Square, Ste. 1400 Southfield 313-237-5104 peninsulafunds.com RAINSTAR CAPITAL GROUP P.O. Box 140991 Grand Rapids 616-200-8677 rainstarcapitalgroup.com RIVERSTONE GROWTH PARTNERS 6400 Telegraph Rd., Ste. 2000 Bloomfield Hills 248-430-7961 linkedin.com/company/ riverstone-growth-partners-llc/about/ ROCKBRIDGE GROWTH EQUITY 1070 Woodward Ave. Detroit 313-373-7000 rbequity.com SENECA PARTNERS Two Towne Square, Ste. 810 Southfield 248-723-6650 senecapartners.com SIGMA INVESTMENT COUNSELORS 186 E. Main St. Northville 248-223-0122 sigmainvestments.com SIMON GROUP HOLDINGS 335 E. Maple Rd. Birmingham 313-662-3538 simongroupholdings.com

SOARING PINE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT 335 E. Maple Rd. Birmingham 313-662-3538 soaringpinecapital.com SPEYSIDE EQUITY Ann Arbor 212-994-0308 speysideequity.com

STRATFORD-CAMBRIDGE GROUP 801 W. Ann Arbor Trail, Ste. 235 Plymouth 734-667-1925 scgequity.com STRENGTH CAPITAL PARTNERS 350 N. Old Woodward Ave., Ste. 100 Birmingham 248-593-5800 strengthcapital.com STURBRIDGE CAPITAL 280 N. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham 248-220-8400 sturbridgecapital.com SUPERIOR CAPITAL PARTNERS 500 Griswold St., Ste. 2320 Detroit 313-596-9600 superiorfund.com TALON GROUP 400 Talon Centre Dr. Detroit 313-392-1000 talon.us THORNLEA CAPITAL 380 N. Old Woodward Ave., Ste. 205 Birmingham 248-225-3616 thornleacap.com TILLERMAN AND CO. 59 Baynton Ave. NW Grand Rapids 616-443-8346 tillermanco.com

TTRP CAPITAL PARTNERS 380 N. Old Woodward, Ste. 205 Birmingham, MI 48009. 248-648-2101 trpfund.com TRUE NORTH EQUITY 477 S. Main St. Plymouth 248-890-3961 truenorthequity.com UNION LAKE MANAGEMENT 7609 Locklin West Bloomfield Twp. 248-363-0080 VALSTONE PARTNERS 260 E. Brown St. Birmingham 248-646-9200 valstonepartners.com VEKST CAPITAL 620 Wing Ave. SE Grand Rapids 616-588-0040 vekst.com VENTURE INVESTORS 201 S. Main St., Ste. 900 Ann Arbor 734-274-2904 ventureinvestors.com VISION INVESTMENT PARTNERS 700 N. Old Woodward Ave., Ste. 300 Birmingham 248-865-1515 visioninvpartners.com VOLUTION CAPITAL MANAGEMENT 130 S. First St., Ste. 201 Ann Arbor 734-669-8260 THE WINDQUEST GROUP 201 Monroe Ave. NW, Ste. 500 Grand Rapids 616-459-4500 windquest.com WOLVERINE CAPITAL PARTNERS 2478 Heronwood Dr. Bloomfield Hills 248-220-2200 wolverinecapital.com Sources: Michigan Venture Capital Association, DBusiness research

TMW ENTERPRISES 101 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste. 800 Troy 248-844-1410, tmwent.com

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METRO DETROIT INVESTMENT BANKS AMHERST PARTNERS 255 E. Brown St., Ste. 120 Birmingham 248-642-5660 amherstpartners.com

BOULEVARD AND CO. 333 W. Seventh St., Ste. 280 Royal Oak 313-230-4156 boulevardusa.com

GREENWICH CAPITAL GROUP 189 Townsend St., Ste. 200 Birmingham 248-480-2030 greenwichgp.com

ANGLE ADVISORS 101 Southfield Rd., Second Floor Birmingham 248-605-9550 angleadvisors.com

CASCADE PARTNERS 29100 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 405 Southfield 248-430-6266 cascade-partners.com

P&M CORPORATE FINANCE INC. 2 Towne Square Southfield 248-223-3300 pmcf.com

ARBOR CAPITAL MARKETS Ann Arbor 734-678-0483 arborcapitalmarkets.com

CHARTER CAPITAL PARTNERS 1420 Broadway St. Detroit 313-879-2565 chartercapitalpartners.com

PAINT CREEK CAPITAL PARTNERS 755 W. Big Beaver Rd. Troy 248-792-3644

BEACONVIEW CAPITAL 1002 N. Main St. Rochester 248-302-0671 beaconviewadvisors.com BLUE RIVER FINANCIAL GROUP 1668 S. Telegraph Rd., Ste. 250 Bloomfield Hills 428-309-3730 goblueriver.com

COWEN 300 Park St., Ste. 480 Birmingham 248-594-0400 cowen.com FINNEA GROUP 34977 Woodward Ave., Ste. 210 Birmingham 248-792-3000 finneagroup.com

PENDO ADVISORS 400 Renaissance Center, Ste. 2600 Detroit 313-309-7134 pendoadvisors.com UHY CORPORATE FINANCE 719 Griswold St., Ste. 630 Detroit 313-964-8311 uhy-us.com/services/ corporate-finance

MICHIGAN FAMILY FUNDS TALBERT “TED” AND LEOTA ABRAMS FOUNDATION 271 Woodland Pass East Lansing 517-853-6900 the-abrams-foundation.org

COOK FAMILY FOUNDATION 120 W. Exchange St., Ste. 202 Owosso 989-725-1621 cookfamilyfoundation.org

ALLEN FOUNDATION 812 W. Main St. Midland 989-832-5678

WILLIAM DAVIDSON FOUNDATION P.O. Box 1688 Birmingham 248-788-6500 williamdavidson.org

BAIARDI FAMILY FOUNDATION 2328 Pinecrest St. Harbor Springs 231-526-8395 baiardifoundation.org

(DOUGLAS AND MARGARET) DECAMP FOUNDATION 3485 W. M 179 Hwy. Hastings 616-945-4700

(GUIDO A. AND ELIZABETH H.) BINDA FOUNDATION 15 Capital Ave. NE, Ste. 205 Battle Creek 269-968-6171 bindafoundation.org

(DANIEL AND PAMELA) DEVOS FOUNDATION P.O. Box 230257 Grand Rapids 616-643-4700 dpdevosfoundation.org

(DICK AND BETSY) DEVOS FOUNDATION P.O. Box 230257 Grand Rapids 616-643-4700 dbdvfoundation.org (DOUGLAS AND MARIA) DEVOS FOUNDATION P.O. Box 230257 Grand Rapids 616-643-4700 dmdevosfoundation.org

989-839-2740 avdowfamilyfoundation.org

989-362-9117 laidlawfoundation.com

989-832-0066 strosacker.org

(VERA AND JOSEPH) DRESNER FUND 6960 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield Twp. 248-785-0299 dresnerfoundation.org

(RICHARD AND JANE) MANOOGIAN FOUNDATION 21001 Van Born Rd. Taylor 313-792-6246

(A. ALFRED) TAUBMAN FOUNDATION 200 E. Long Lake Rd., Ste. 190 Bloomfield Hills taubmanfoundation.org

MCGREGOR FUND 333 W. Fort St., Ste. 2090 Detroit 313-963-3495 mcgregorfund.org

(HARRY A. AND MARGARET) TOWSLEY FOUNDATION 240 W. Main St. Midland 989-837-1100 towsleyfoundation.org

ERB FAMILY FOUNDATION 215 S. Center St., Ste. 100 Royal Oak 248-498-2503 erbff.org

MEIJER FOUNDATION 80 Ottawa Ave. NW, Ste. 101 Grand Rapids 616-453-6711 meijercommunity.com

(JOHN E.) FETZER INSTITUTE 9292 W. KL Ave. Kalamazoo 269-375-2000 fetzer.org

MORLEY FAMILY FOUNDATION P.O. Box 2485 Saginaw 989-753-3438 morleyfdn.org

(MAX M. AND MARJORIE S.) FISHER FOUNDATION Two Towne Square, Ste. 920 Southfield 248-415-1444 mmfisher.org

(CHARLES STEWART) MOTT FOUNDATION 503 S. Saginaw St., Ste. 1200 Flint 810-238-5651 mott.org

FORD FOUNDATION 320 E. 43rd St. New York 212-573-5000 fordfoundation.org

TUMMALA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION 1240 Woodkrest Dr. Flint 810-733-8673 (HAROLD AND GRACE) UPJOHN FOUNDATION 300 S. Westnedge Ave. Kalamazoo 269-385-0439 haroldandgraceupjohnfoundation.org VAN ELSLANDER FAMILY FUND 6500 E. 14 Mile Rd. Warren 586-939-0800 vanelslanderfoundation.org

FORD MOTOR CO. FUND 1 American Rd. Dearborn fordfund.org

(RUTH) MOTT FOUNDATION 111 E. Court St., Ste. 3C Flint 810-233-0170 ruthmottfoundation.org

FREY FOUNDATION 40 Pearl St. NW, Ste. 1100 Grand Rapids 616-451-0303 freyfdn.org

R.E. OLDS FOUNDATION P.O. Box 4900 East Lansing 517-402-1009 reoldsfoundation.org

GENERATIONS MANAGEMENT 13919 SW Bayshore Dr. Traverse City 231-946-8772 generationsmgmt.com

SUZANNE UPJOHN DELANO PARISH FOUNDATION 211 S. Rose St. Kalamazoo 269-388-9800

KAREN COLINA WILSON FOUNDATION P.O. Box 728 Grosse Ile kcwf.org

HAGERMAN FOUNDATION 601 S. Saginaw St. Flint 810-285-9223 thehagermanfoundation.org

PORTER FAMILY FOUNDATION 212 W. Summit St. Ann Arbor 313-881-0500

RALPH C. WILSON, JR. FOUNDATION 3101 E. Grand Blvd. Detroit 313-885-1895 ralphcwilsonjrfoundation.org

REID FAMILY FOUNDATION 3159 Alco Dr. Waterford 248-766-3738 reidff.org

(EDWARD AND JUNE) KELLOGG FOUNDATION 1250 Byron Rd. Howell 517-546-3330 W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION Battle Creek 269-968-1611 wkkf.org

(HERBERT H. AND GRACE A.) DOW FOUNDATION 1018 W. Main St. Midland 989-631-2471 hhgadowfdn.org

(JOHN S. AND JAMES L.) KNIGHT FOUNDATION 440 Burroughs, Ste. 380 Detroit 305-908-2600 knightfoundation.org

(ALDEN AND VADA) DOW FUND 315 Post St. Midland

LAIDLAW FAMILY FOUNDATION 314 Newman St. East Tawas

RUSSELL FAMILY FOUNDATION 333 W. Fort St., Ste. 2010 Detroit 313-961-6675, ext. 118 cfsem.org/organization/ Russell-family-foundation

WALTERS FAMILY FUND P.O. Box 370 Midland 248-205-1390 waltersffmi.org WILLIAMS FAMILY FUND 380 N. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham 248-642-0333

MATILDA R. WILSON FUND 1901 St. Antoine St., 6th Floor Detroit 313-392-1040 Source: DBusiness research

SCHAAP FOUNDATION P.O. Box 75000, MC 3302 Detroit 313-222-3568 CHARLES J. STROSACKER FOUNDATION 812 W. Main St. Midland

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MICHIGAN-BASED ECONOMIC ANGEL INVESTOR DEVELOPMENT GROUPS ORGANIZATIONS ANN ARBOR ANGELS 201 S. Division St., Ste. 430 Ann Arbor annarborangels.org Mission: Invest in young companies with breakthrough products or services while sharing expertise, providing mentoring, and facilitating connections to the broader marketplace.

CAPITAL COMMUNITY ANGEL INVESTORS 1181 Ridgewood Dr. East Lansing 517-242-0972 Mission: Introduce qualified entrepreneurs to member investors, focusing on disruptive early-stage investments that offer a sustainable competitive advantage.

ARK ANGEL FUND 30095 Northwestern Hwy., Ste. 101 Farmington Hills 248-851-1200 arkangelfund.com Mission: The fund invests in early-stage, startup, and other technology-based businesses, along with assisting in the development of such firms.

COMMUNE ANGELS 440 Burroughs St., Ste. 631 Detroit communeangels.com Mission: To expand access to angel investing and capital investing in scalable consumer, enterprise, and life science companies that transform lives. Diversity is essential to transformative innovation, and members are committed to contributing their experiences, relationships, and resources to drive better outcomes for investors, portfolio companies, and their customers.

BELLE MICHIGAN IMPACT FUND 217 Lake Shore Rd. Grosse Pointe Farms bellefunds.com Mission: Provide superior returns for investors while serving the early-stage capital needs of companies led by women. BIRMINGHAM ANGELS 34300 Woodward Ave., Ste. 200 Birmingham 48009 248-535-1306 citysideventures.com/ Birmingham-angels Mission: Building a network of active, progressive, and innovative investors who are committed to turning the U.S. into a powerhouse startup ecosystem. BLUEWATER ANGELS INVESTMENT NETWORK 1320 N. Michigan Ave., Ste. 6 Saginaw bluewaterangels.com Mission: Recognize the value of supporting and nurturing the entrepreneurial community for the economic benefit of mid-Michigan and Michigan in general.

GRAND ANGELS 40 Pearl St., Ste. 336 Grand Rapids 616-566-1770 grandangels.org Mission: Invest in new ideas that will have a positive effect on the world, focusing on west Michigan and border states. GREAT LAKES ANGELS 568 Woodway Court, Ste. 1 Bloomfield Hills glangels.org Mission: Provide funding to capital-efficient, early-stage companies located in the Midwest. KA-ZOO ANGELS 40 Pearl St. NW, Ste. 336 Grand Rapids 616-566-1770 grandangels.org Mission: Measure impact through

business growth, job creation, and the attraction to and retention of talent in west Michigan. (This is an affiliate of Grand Angels.) MICHIGAN ANGEL FUND 201 S. Division, Ste. 430 Ann Arbor miangelfund.com Mission: Provide funding to the most promising, capital-efficient, early-stage companies in Michigan. MICHIGAN CAPITAL NETWORK 37 Ottawa Ave. NW Grand Rapids 616-566-1770 michigancapitalnetwork.com Mission: Through prompt investment and constant monitoring, assist entrepreneurs who want to establish world-class businesses. MUSKEGON ANGELS 200 Viridian Dr. Muskegon muskegonangels.com Mission: Find, fund, and mentor great young companies, from pitch through successful exit, with a priority on job creation and development in the Muskegon area. POINTE ANGELS Grosse Pointe pointeangels.com WOODWARD ANGELS 616-566-1779 woodwardangels.com Mission: Invest in tech and digitally scaling companies in and around Detroit at the pre-seed and seed stage. Sources: Michigan Venture Capital Association, DBusiness research

ANN ARBOR SPARK 330 E. Liberty St. Ann Arbor 734-761-9317 annarborusa.org Mission: Advance the economy of the Ann Arbor area by establishing it as a desired place for innovation and growth. DEARBORN ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 16901 Michigan Ave., Ste. 6 Dearborn 313-943-2180 cityofdearborn.org Mission: Business retention, attraction, and investment; improving neighborhoods; contributing to a high quality of life. DETROIT ECONOMIC GROWTH CORP. 500 Griswold St., Ste. 2200 Detroit 313-963-2940 degc.org Mission: Design and implement innovative solutions that attract investment, create jobs, and advance Detroit’s economy for all residents. FLINT COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1101 S. Saginaw St. Flint 810-766-7015 cityofflint.com Mission: To improve the quality of life for all residents of the city of Flint through the creation of safe and healthy neighborhoods, and promoting a growing and diverse economy. GRAND TRAVERSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. 202 E. Grandview Parkway Traverse City 231-995-7108 grandtraverseedc.com Mission: To help grow, retain, and expand businesses in the Grand Traverse region. LANSING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. 1000 S. Washington Ave., Ste. 201 Lansing 517-702-3387 lansingmi.gov Mission: Attract, expand, and retain business and industry in the city of Lansing.

LIVONIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 33000 Civic Center Dr. Livonia 734-466-2200 livonia.gov Mission: The retention and expansion of existing Livonia businesses, and attracting new business. MICHIGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP. 300 N. Washington Square Lansing 888-522-0103 michiganbusiness.org Mission: Market Michigan as the place to do business, assist businesses in their growth strategies, and foster the growth of vibrant communities across the state. THE RIGHT PLACE 125 Ottawa Ave. NW, Ste. 450 Grand Rapids 616-771-0325 rightplace.org Mission: To build the next chapter in west Michigan’s growth story. STARTUPNATION 34300 Woodward Ave., Ste. 200 Birmingham 1-866-59-STARTUP startupnation.com Mission: Provide resources and services to start and grow a business. STERLING HEIGHTS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 6633 18 Mile Rd. Sterling Heights 586-884-9322 sterling-heights.net Mission: Attract, expand, and retain business and industry. WESTLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 36300 Warren Rd. Westland 734-467-3264 cityofwestland.com Mission: To provide leadership in the retention, expansion, and attraction of businesses. Source: DBusiness research

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Congratulations Jessica Dadas-Schulze Top Corporate Counsel 2023 It is with immense pleasure and pride that we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Jessica on being chosen as a Top Corporate Counsel award winner for 2023. This prestigious recognition is a testament to your exceptional skills, unwavering dedication, and outstanding contributions to our organization.

NATHAN M. MANNI TOP CORPORATE COUNSEL WINNER

Congratulations, Nathan!

unitedroad.com | 800.221.5127

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Congratulations, honorees.

Miyuki Oshima

Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer and Data Privacy Officer

Thank you to the incredibly hard-working members of our Legal team, whose excellence is recognized in the 2024 Top Corporate Counsel Awards. Your commitment and dedication help us charge forward to a cleaner, more energy-efficient world.

Michael Minna Senior Intellectual Property Counsel

This holiday season, we send our best wishes to you and yours for a prosperous and healthy New Year. Andrew Howard Senior Vice President Financial Advisor 130 Kercheval Avenue Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 313-343-8471 andrew.howard@morganstanley.com

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EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES SPONSORED BY DBUSINESS

FATHER OF THE BRIDE Jan. 10 - Feb. 4 mbtheatre.com

Poor Mr. Banks! His jacket is too tight, he can’t get a cocktail, and he’s footing the bill — he’s the father of the bride. Stanley Banks is just your ordinary suburban dad; he’s the kind of guy who believes that weddings are simple affairs in which two people get married. But when daddy’s little girl announces her engagement, Mr. Banks feels like his life has been turned upside down.

DETROIT FASHION CHOICE AWARDS Jan. 28, 7 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. detroitchoiceawards.com

Experience the glamour and excitement of the fashion world at the highly anticipated Detroit Fashion Choice Awards. This spectacular event brings together the city’s most talented designers, stylists, models, and fashion enthusiasts for a night of glitz, glamour, and celebration.

The Detroit Fashion Choice Awards is about more than fashion; it’s about recognizing the extraordinary talent and hard work of those who have shaped the industry. The Vanguard Honorees, true pioneers in their respective fields, are celebrated for their significant contributions and unwavering dedication to pushing boundaries and breaking barriers. Witness the heartfelt speeches and sincere tributes to these trailblazers as they’re honored for their invaluable impact on the fashion landscape.

The Detroit Fashion Choice Awards is an event like no other — it’s a celebration of art, creativity, and innovation. Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast, industry insider, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of design, this is an experience you won’t want to miss. Get ready to be dazzled, inspired, and immersed in the world of fashion at the Detroit Fashion Choice Awards.

SOUP CITY Jan. 24 cotsdetroit.org/soupcity

COTS Soup City, an evening of compassion and community, takes place on Jan. 24 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. This is COTS’ signature fundraiser, dedicated to helping Detroit families break the cycle of generational poverty and homelessness. It’s also a celebration of family triumphs and partnerships built at COTS over the past year.

Enjoy a delightful soup stroll, savor exquisite dishes from more than 25 metro Detroit restaurants, and explore the COTS Art of Family gallery, which tells the stories of those who have overcome adversity through art, and aims to reshape perceptions about poverty and homelessness. In addition to the delicious food and inspiring art, enjoy live music and a silent auction. Your admission is more than a ticket; it’s an invitation to partner with COTS in Creating Opportunities to Succeed! For updated details, visit cotsdetroit.org/soupcit.

MACOMB COUNTY ECONOMIC FORECAST Feb. 23 macombcountychamber.com

The Macomb County Economic Forecast is an annual event aimed at addressing Macomb County’s economic outlook for the year. Attendees hear from a panel of subject matter experts on topics including talent pipelines, the future of manufacturing and the auto industry, and the emerging workforce.

The 2024 Macomb County Economic Forecast will be held on Friday, Feb. 23, at Macomb Community College’s South Campus. This event is presented by the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce and Connect Macomb. It’s open to the public, and sponsorship opportunities are available. The planning team appreciates Wayne State University’s support as the Premier Sponsor for this event. For more information, contact the Macomb County Chamber at events@ macombcountychamber.com.

YEAR IN CELEBRATION Jan. 26, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. familyyouth.com

The Year in Celebration event is Family Youth Interventions’ third annual gala fundraiser. All profits will go back to the youth the organization serves. Join them for an unforgettable evening filled with live music by local youth, an exciting raffle, and a chance to make a difference in the lives of runaway and homeless youth. The gala takes place at the prestigious Emerald Theatre and is exclusively for those aged 21 and up. A ticket to the event ensures an evening of enjoyment with access to the open bar, a delicious dinner, and all the exciting features of the night.

ADV E RTI SE ME NT

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Carve-Outs

Detroit sculptor Corrado Parducci took the art of architecture to another level.

hundred years ago, architect Albert Kahn made one of his regular visits to New York City to meet with architectural sculptors. Kahn had big commissions from the University of Michigan and General Motors, and in light of the time-consuming train trips, bringing back a sculptor seemed smart. He lured Corrado Parducci — who had apprenticed with American sculptor Ulysses Ricci — to work on the First State Bank building in downtown Detroit. From this starting point, Parducci spent the rest of his career carving up Detroit like no other town. “He came here in 1924 and he was really doing work up until he died in 1981,” documentary filmmaker Jennifer Baross told The Huffington Post. “He thought he was going to be here for only two months, but he was so flooded with work, he called his wife in New York and said, ‘You’re going to pack up the house; I can’t come get you.’ ” Parducci established a studio on Cass Avenue and became almost as prolific as Kahn, creating adornments for about 600 buildings. Besides Detroit, his work is found in at least 11 Michigan cities, from Marquette to Ypsilanti and from Saginaw to Grand Rapids. He worked in every style from Romanesque to Art Deco. An early effort in Detroit was the interior of the Masonic Temple. At first, he collaborated as a studio assistant with the New York master Anthony DiLorenzo, but then took over the job. Downtown, he adorned the Buhl, Penobscot, Guardian, and Fisher buildings as well as the U.S. District Court. He did newspaper offices for the

BEAR IN MIND The Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain at the Detroit Zoo, also known as the Bear Fountain, was designed by Frederick A. Schnaple and sculpted by Corrado Parducci. A prolific artist, Parducci’s work can be found across Michigan, including reliefs on either side of the main entrance to the Guardian Building in downtown Detroit.

Detroit Free Press, Ann Arbor News, and Kalamazoo Gazette. There were corporate headquarters and factory buildings, but also houses for Frank Couzens and Edsel and Eleanor Ford. Parducci and his artisans spent six months executing the carved-plaster ceiling of the Christopher Wren Dining Room at Meadow Brook Hall for Alfred and Matilda Dodge-Wilson, now part of Oakland University in Rochester Hills. He sculpted the Horace Rackham Memorial Fountain, a.k.a. the Bear Fountain, at the Detroit Zoo in 1939. Corrado Giuseppe Parducci was born in Italy in 1900. At 4 years old, he immigrated with his family to New York City’s Greenwich Village. Dale A. Carlson, co-author of “Corrado Parducci: A Field Guide to Detroit’s Architectural Sculptor,” says their MacDougal Alley neighborhood was a fertile center for sculptors, led by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney; her studio was a community point of pride. “She was a sculptor in a time when it was dominated by men, so that makes her extra notable,” Carlson says. “She tried to find kids in the public schools and get them involved in extra art activities.” Young Parducci — later called Joe — merited special attention by drawing playful decorative sketches on the classroom chalkboard. With Whitney’s support, he received thorough training. Parducci fascinated later artists like Detroit sculptor Sergio De Giusti, who curated “Patrimonio: 100 years of Italian Art in Michigan” at Wayne State University in 1996. “I once went … all around the city to find his works,” De Giusti says. He sees an extraordinary accomplishment in Parducci’s efforts at the National Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak. “The Stations of the Cross (there) will rival anything in the Renaissance. He was capable of creating great works as a sculptor, but his dedication was to architectural sculpture.” A problem was the emergence of the International Style after World War II. Instead of adornments like columns and arches, the new style outwardly expressed the internal structure of a building. Minoru Yamasaki’s One Woodward Avenue is an example. Commissioned in 1958, its welded steel gridwork and precast concrete panels left no opportunity for ornamentation, and was said to make sculptors curse when passing by. Will the old embellishments ever come back? “I don’t think so,” De Giusti says. “I don’t see it.”

SEARRA LIGGETT, W.P. REUTHER LIBRARY

BY RONALD AHRENS

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