DBusiness | November-December 2025

20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

INSIDE: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AWARDS | CEO GIFT GUIDE | TOP LAWYERS

$5.95 November/ December 2025 dbusiness.com

Back TO School

Cornerstone Schools in Detroit has long achieved academic excellence by working closely with the region’s business community, but now the partnership is facing a new challenge as changing family dynamics impact basic reading skills, attendance, and classroom culture.

An Iconic Legacy.

Staying true to the legacy, the historic Westin Book Cadillac Detroit offers meeting and event spaces thoughtfully redesigned for every occasion—from intimate board meetings to largescale conferences and sophisticated celebrations. Discover our reimagined guestrooms and suites, and impress clients or colleagues with a dining experience at Sullivan’s Steakhouse and the newly opened Haus of Brunch. Just steps from major corporate headquarters and downtown attractions, our location puts Detroit’s best right at your doorstep.

Connect with a meeting specialist today at 313-442-1616 or visit westinbookcadillac.com.

TAYLOR FORD COMMERCIAL

TRUCK CENTER

Your Business. Our Power.

Discover the complete lineup of Taylor Ford Commercial vehicles, engineered to meet your every need, from the versatile Transit to the powerhouse F-750.

Ford Employee Pricing. You Pay What We Pay. From America. For America.

Special Friends and Family Pricing For DBusiness Magazine readers

Scan Shop SAVE NOW

WHETHER YOU NEED ONE VEHICLE OR AN ENTIRE FLEET,

TAYLOR FORD HAS YOU COVERED!

Taylor Ford Commercial Department

Shoptaylorford.com | (888) 312-6864 truckpros@shoptaylorford.com

Left to right: Ryan Sullivan (Sr. VP/Team Lead), Mike Dolson (Sr. VP), David Mannarino (Market President & Regional Commercial Executive), Paul Whalen (Sr. VP), John VandenBrink (VP)

Strategic solutions are our business.

No matter what your industry, ESOPs of all sizes rely on our capital corporate services and expertise to ensure their success.

We offer commercial payments and investment banking as well as employer from our industry experts.

Take advantage of our local team: David Mannarino KeyBank Market President 4000 Town Center, Suite 1260 • Southfield, MI 48075 Phone: 248-204-6550 David_Mannarino@keybank.com key.com/commercial

Securities products and services such as investment banking and capital raising are offered by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. and KeyBank National Association are separate but affiliated companies.

Securities products and services: Not FDIC Insured • No Bank Guarantee • May Lose Value All merchant services, credit, loan and leasing products are subject to collateral and/or credit approval, and terms of service. SBA Preferred Lender.

Banking products and services are offered by KeyBank National Association.

Key.com is a federally registered service mark of KeyCorp. ©2024 KeyCorp. KeyBank Member FDIC. 220601-1597429

Kitch Attorneys & Counselors Proudly Congratulates our Top Lawyers

Greg Drutchas

Christina Ginter

John Hessburg

Meghan Kennedy Riordan

John Sier

Health Care Law

Appellate Law

Health Care Law

Immigration Law

Construction Law

Serving the Metro Detroit Area for Over 50 years

Client: David Stark Design and Production | Project: Uber’s “The One Party” at Super Bowl LIX

ONE EVENT FOR A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES. From iconic props to full environments, Display Group’s Custom Fabrication team brings imagination to life.

DisplayGroup.com/Custom-Fabrication

Congratulations on being named one of Metro Detroit’s Most Powerful Business Leaders The Detroit 500 Your commitment to making health care better for people is what sets you apart. Thank you for your inspiring leadership.

Tina Freese Decker President & CEO Corewell Health

Nick Gates President (interim) Priority Health

Lamont Yoder, RN President Corewell Health Southeast Michigan

CONTENTS

11-12.25

35

DEARBORN INN, DEARBORN

35 Commercial Real

Estate Awards

FOCUS: Welcome to the third DBusiness

Commercial Real Estate Awards, honoring 21 people, companies, and projects that are transforming metro Detroit. By Dan Calebrese and Michael Strong

45 Economic Forecast:

Tariff Tumult

PERSPECTIVES: Ever-shifting tariff and immigration policies make it difficult for companies to set growth plans in the United States, Michigan, and metro Detroit. By Tim Keenan

12 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

54 Top

Lawyers The region’s top attorneys in more than 50 practice categories, as voted by their peers through Professional Research Services.

70 Back to

School

Cornerstone Schools in Detroit has long achieved academic excellence by working closely with the region’s business community, but now the partnership is facing a new challenge as changing family dynamics impact basic reading skills, attendance, and classroom culture. By Bill Dow

ISAAC MAISELMAN

Commercial Real Estate Awards

A HUB FOR OPPORTUNITY, A LANDSCAPE OF INNOVATION.

MICHIGAN

CENTRAL

In 2024, Detroit was named the #1 emerging startup ecosystem in North America, and Michigan Central’s renaissance is at the center of it all.Supported by the

MEDC, the landmark’s renovation has created a hub for 100+ Michigan startups to

seize their opportunity. Ready to seize yours? Visit MICHIGANBUSINESS.ORG and discover why Michigan is the ideal state to live, work and prosper.

11-12.25

Foreword 16

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

16

READERS' LETTERS

18

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTENTS

Commentary 22 FROM BAD TO WORSE Michigan’s deteriorating roads and bridges, from the Ohio/Indiana border to the most northern tip of the Upper Peninsula, have yet to receive a long-term comprehensive funding plan from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

22 POWER POLITICS The replacement of Enbridge Inc.’s Line 5 pipeline, which runs along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, is of vital interest to the federal government, according to a recent court filing. Both Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel oppose the replacement project, but they haven’t proposed an alternative.

24 COMPENDIUM How outsiders view Detroit.

The Ticker 28 HOME TEAM The Schluter & Hughes Law Firm in Bloomfield Township has launched a customized wellness service for parents and others caring for elderly relatives. By R.J. King 29 LASTING IMPRESSION Stealth in Northville redefines marketing campaigns using a fractional team approach. By R.J. King 29 CHANGE-MAKERS Project for Public Spaces has selected Detroit as the host city for the fifth annual International Placemaking Conference, to be held from June 24-26, 2026. The Downtown Detroit Partnership will be the conference’s co-host. By R.J. King 30 CROWN ROYAL Dr. Robert DiPilla has invested in cutting-edge dental technology to provide concierge-level care in downtown Birmingham. By Sarah Oleinick

90 30 PDA Q&A Andrea Trapani, managing partner, Identity, Birmingham. By R.J. King 32 PAIRED TREATMENT Jeff and Esther Selik quickly grew Gameday Men’s Health Birmingham/Bloomfield to the No. 5 company franchisee in the country.

By R.J. King

Exec Life 88 CEO GIFT GUIDE Do you know chief executives who think they have everything? Try giving a Garmin Fenix 8, a Detroit City Football Club Suite in its new stadium, a condo at The Residences at The Detroit EDITION, or the Disney 21 Royal Experience. By R.J. King and Stephanie Daniel

14 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

JOSH SCOTT

22 JOBS WANTED Michigan is shedding jobs and losing out on major industrial projects like advanced computer chip manufacturing facilities, due to a lack of leadership. To improve the state’s fortunes, Right to Work must be brought back and red tape should be eliminated, while public K-12 education needs a complete overhaul.

90 PRODUCTION RUN Brewery Blueprint: DesignTeam Plus in Birmingham has carved out a niche for itself designing breweries. By Tim Keenan 93 PATENTS AND INVENTIONS Cereal Brothers: John H. and Will K. Kellogg, through their shared development of a breakfast staple, helped establish Battle Creek as an economic and health mecca. By Norm Sinclair 95 OPINION Rx AI: The health care industry is increasingly using artificial intelligence to improve patient care, reduce costs, and speed diagnostic accuracy. By Dr. Anthony Oraha 96 THE CIRCUIT Our party pics from exclusive events.

Et Cetera 101 FROM THE TOP Club Life: A guide to the Top Private Clubs in southeast Michigan, Largest Multitenant Office Buildings in metro Detroit, and Largest Hospital Systems in Michigan.

106 CLOSING BELL Steps Beyond: The DAC Briefcase Drill Team takes up the mantle from the Fred Hill Briefcase Drill Team for America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.

By Ronald Ahrens ON THE COVER Illustration by Justin Stenson

Tomorrow is more memories in the making Energy isn’t just power—it’s possibility.

It transforms a house into a home, bringing warmth, comfort, and the promise of moments that matter.

From preparing nutritious meals to sharing the joy of cooking with loved ones, the energy we deliver fuels family memories and sparks the moments that light up our lives.

Because with energy, we don't just cook—we create memories.

Letters

My Robot

H

aving met a few humanoid robots at area trade shows, it’s always been b een a one-sided conversation save for one encounter with the proverbial “man behind the curtain.”

As the inquisitor prodded me to say something funny so he could send a signal to make the android shake wildly, it was clear future demand for personal robots will require a supporting cast of engineers, designers, integrators, and technicians.

Taking it a step further, jobs in R.J. KING programming, operations, training, and maintenance and repair will generate demand for insurance, accounting, cybersecurity, and other across-the-board services.

Right now, industrial robots dominate the industry. But as Elon Musk and others ramp up the production of humanoid robots, mechanized, programmable executive assistants are not too far away.

Musk, CEO of Tesla, announced in July that the base Tesla Optimus humanoid robot will have a starting price of $18,999, with the first units to be delivered in early 2026. Once production scales, the price is projected to drop to as low as $15,000 per unit.

Think of the possibilities a humanoid robot could have at the office, at home, or on the road.

Imagine practicing a speech with your new assistant and getting real-time feedback on the presentation itself, your body language, or your tempo.

Given humanoid robots can double as an avatar, an executive could develop a digital twin android that, in the future, will be programmed to check and approve payroll, authorize and administer contracts, or sense a mood and recommend a suitable selection of music.

But things could get tricky. People with direct access to an executive may not know if they’re actually speaking with a human or their robot assistant. And what happens if multiple digital assistants are messaging back and forth with little or no supervision?

A case also could made where a humanoid robot in a boardroom can record meetings, provide critiques or research on demand, operate AV equipment, and set the table and serve a threecourse meal, along with refreshments.

Once the meeting is over, the robot would signal other personal robots to bring the board members’ respective vehicles to the front entrance, send out a meeting recap to pre-approved personnel, clean up the space, and then power down and wait for the next assignment.

At home, robots can clean, cook, cut the lawn, order takeout food, suggest recipes or decorating tips, interact with children and help them with their homework, feed and walk the family dog, provide a massage, or oversee a physical therapy plan.

But if personal robots become a successful market where there are millions of mechanized assistants, what will happen at major events like a football game, a concert, or a ballet?

Will there be signs at the front entrance of a venue that all robots must remain in their vehicles or stand in a designated area? Given some people will want their robots with them at all times, can a person buy, for example, a concert seat for their android?

Add in aerial taxis and, yes, we will have achieved what the popular animated series “The Jetsons” first portrayed in the early 1960s. In fact, we may be ahead of the game. The show was set in 2062 in the fictional metropolis of “Orbit City.”

As personal robots move from simple tools to become intelligent managers, assistants, educators, and companions, the future isn’t just around the corner — it’s here.

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.

16 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

AVIATION HEADWINDS

Nice piece on Sid Taylor (in the Letter from the Editor in the September-October issue of DBusiness). I just reached out to him to help validate the headwinds we even face in higher ed, having had the joy and tumult of starting a very successful aviation maintenance technology program.

John Cox, President Cape Cod Community College Barnstable, Mass.

POWERED BY YOUTH

Thanks for shining a light on Detroit Catholic Central student Dominic Recchione in your Powered by Youth article in the July-August issue of DBusiness. He is one of many examples of the type of highly motivated students walking the halls at CC. The school has an incredible culture and a unique business curriculum that supports young entrepreneurs. I’m sure the Detroit business community will hear about young men like Dominic making an impact for years to come.

Mike DeVilling Birmingham

WWII LEGACY MEMORIAL

Thank you for coming to the Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial’s Wild Game Dinner fundraiser.

We’re raising $3 million to complete the memorial as designed. We’re passionate about telling the stories and preserving the legacy of our state’s home front and warfront heroes.

Their role in the most pivotal event of the 20th century cannot be lost.

Judy Maten Royal Oak

Get the Plunkett Cooney Perspective

™

Business leaders say they trust the attorneys of Plunkett Cooney to anticipate legal pitfalls, to resolve high-stakes litigation and to craft contracts they can sign... with confidence.

See your business differently. Get the Plunkett Cooney perspective.

Appellate Law n Banking, Bankruptcy & Creditors’ Rights n Business Transactions n Cannabis Law n Commercial Litigation n Estate Planning & Business Succession n Foodservice & Hospitality Law n Government Relations & Public Policy n Health Care Law n Labor & Employment Law n Mergers & Acquisitions n Nonprofit Law n Real Estate Law n Tax Law n Zoning, Planning & Permitting n

ATTORNEYS & COUNSELORS AT LAW Jeffrey C. Gerish President & CEO

®

Michigan

|

Ohio

|

Indiana

| Illinois

248.901.4000 | jgerish@plunkettcooney.com |

www.plunkettcooney.com

Contributors

CONTRIBUTORS DETROIT’S PREMIER BUSINESS JOURNAL

VOLUME 20 • ISSUE 6 PUBLISHER Jason Hosko EDITORIAL EDITOR R.J. King

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 explores Detroit’s charter Cornerstone Schools and the businesspeople who are investing in it to take it to the next level.

CONTRIBUTION: Writer, Back to School | SEE IT HERE: PAGE 70

MANAGING EDITOR Tim Keenan COPY EDITOR Anne Berry Daugherty EDITORIAL INTERN Sarah Oleinick DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lindsay Richards ART DIRECTOR Justin Stenson SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTIST Stephanie Daniel ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Steven Prokuda SALES MEDIA ADVISERS Samantha Alessandri, Cynthia Barnhart, Hannah Brown, Karli Brown, Sarah Cavanaugh, Cathleen Francois, Donna Kassab, Lisa LaBelle, Mary Pantely & Associates PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER Crystal Nelson PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Alessandra Taranta

DAN CALABRESE

Dan Calabrese has been reporting on business in Michigan since 1992. He started at the Grand Rapids Business Journal and became a frequent contributor to DBusiness in 2009. He has written for a variety of trade magazines, including Transport Topics, Pet Age, ICF Builder, and several others. He also has authored four novels: “Powers and Principalities,” “Pharmakeia,” “Dark Matter,” and “Backstop.” Calabrese lives in Royal Oak with his wife, Angie, and their son, Tony. In this issue, the graduate of Western Michigan University contributes several of the profiles of the DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Award winners.

CONTRIBUTION: Writer, Commercial Real Estate Awards | SEE IT HERE: PAGE 35

ACCOUNT MANAGER Elizabeth Kowalik SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITORS Emily Doran, Olivia Sedlacek DIGITAL DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Travis Fletcher DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Matt Cappo SENIOR DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Luanne Lim DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Brian Paul IT IT DIRECTOR Jeremy Leland CIRCULATION CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers CIRCULATION COORDINATORS David Benvenuto, Cathy Krajenke, Rachel Moulden, Michele Wold MARKETING AND EVENTS MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER Regan Wright MARKETING AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Puja Trivedi MARKETING AND EVENTS ASSISTANT Kayla Yucha MARKETING AND EVENTS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Connor Cooper MARKETING RESEARCH MARKETING RESEARCH DIRECTOR Sofia Shevin MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATOR Kristin Bestrom

BRIAN BRITIGAN

Brian Britigan is a Minneapolis-based illustrator, artist, and educator. Born and raised in Iowa City, Iowa, he studied art and animation at the University of Washington in Seattle before earning his MFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Working as a freelance illustrator since 2015, Britigan creates images for print and online publications, animations for documentary projects, and original artworks for gallery exhibitions. In addition to earning a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators, his work has received recognition from American Illustration, Communication Arts, 3×3, and Spectrum, as well as a News and Documentary Emmy nomination. For this issue, he illustrated the 2026 Top Lawyers list.

CONTRIBUTION: Artist, Top Lawyers | SEE IT HERE: Page 54

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronald Ahrens, Dan Calabrese, Bill Dow, Sarah Oleinick, Dr. Anthony Oraha, Norm Sinclair, Michael Strong.

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Brian Britigan, Connor Cieslak, Patrick Gloria, Nick Hagen, Trever Long, Isaac Maiselman, Brandon Nagy, Josh Scott, James Yang, Sarah Zagacki

18 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR Alexandra Thompson MARKETING RESEARCH SALES ASSISTANT Theresa Lowery GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kendra Okamoto MARKETING RESEARCH INTERNS Rachel Randazzo, Keerthana Reddy, Gwen Zych BUSINESS CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Kathie Gorecki MEDIA ASSOCIATE Lachlan O’Neill SENIOR ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE Andrew Kotzian ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATES Jenna Glod, 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 © 2025 Hour Media.

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

JAMES YANG

11-12.25

COMMENTARY

22 WE HAVE A LONG ROAD BACK TO GOOD ROADS.” — DENISE DONOHUE, CEO, COUNTY ROAD ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN

p. 22

p. 24

From Bad to Worse

Compendium

Power Politics Jobs Wanted NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 21

Commentary

ENERGY

INFRASTRUCTURE

From Bad to Worse

M

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

17

BILLION

$

Annual cumulative cost to Michigan drivers due to poor road conditions

THOUSAND

3

$

Average annual repair cost for Michigan drivers due to poor roads ($2,921)

PERCENT

1.2 %

Michigan’s annual job growth rate since 2019

Source: TRIP

ichigan’s deteriorating roads and bridges, from the Ohio/Indiana border to the most northern tip of the Upper Peninsula, have yet to receive a long-term comprehensive funding plan from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

On the campaign trail in 2018, during her first run for the office, Whitmer promised she would “fix the damn roads.” Perhaps more people should have asked when. Now, in her seventh year in office, the state’s overall road infrastructure may be worse than ever.

According to a new report from TRIP, a nonprofit transportation research organization in Washington, D.C., Michigan’s economy is being negatively impacted by poor roads in the form of higher vehicle repair costs, added traffic (which generates more pollution and diminishes overall productivity), and a loss of construction jobs tied to infrastructure.

“The ability to restore our roads and bridges is foundational to a prosperous Michigan that saves our vehicle drivers money in repairs and sets our state up for a more prosperous future,” Denise Donohue, CEO of the County Road Association of Michigan (CRA) in Lansing, said when the organization released its 2025 County Road Investment Plan in September.

With county road agencies overseeing 75 percent of Michigan centerline miles and 52 percent of its bridges, the report documents a shortfall in money to repair, preserve, replace, and sustain Michigan’s 5,868 county bridges.

In the most recent assessment of county conditions, 72 bridges are closed, 77 bridges are rated in critical condition, and another 255 bridges are in serious condition, based on data from the Michigan Department of Transportation made available in September.

Across the entire state, 2,737 bridges are in need of repair, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

In turn, around 20 percent of the state’s roads are in poor condition, based on TRIP figures.

At the same time, construction and material expenditures have surged due to inflation and other factors — bridge costs alone have jumped 32 percent since CRA’s 2023 County Road Investment Plan.

Based on most state rankings, Michigan gets poor marks for its infrastructure. For companies looking to expand or open new operations in the state, the condition of roads and bridges can be a vital consideration, especially for businesses in the transportation sector.

Consider, in the 2025 Best States rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Michigan is ranked 43rd overall. Among key sectors, the state is ranked 44th for infrastructure.

Looking ahead, CRA’s Investment Plan pegs the necessary level of investment in the county road and bridge system to meet modest improvement goals at $4.5 billion annually, up from $4.1 billion in the 2023 plan. When current road funds are subtracted, the remaining need, or gap, is $2.4 billion. Across the state, the annual shortfall is $3.9 billion. (Next year, the state budget adds another $1.1 billion to roads.)

Donohue sums up the funding crisis best: “County road agencies aren’t asking for autobahns and high-tech bridges, they’re simply trying to meet their statutory responsibility to serve their communities with a safe and efficient county road and bridge network.”

22 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

POWER POLITICS

THE REPLACEMENT OF ENBRIDGE INC.’S LINE 5

pipeline, which runs along the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac, is of vital interest to the federal government, according to a recent court filing. Both Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel oppose the replacement project, but they haven’t proposed an alternative.

In September, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in a federal court supporting Enbridge’s plan to build a new pipeline inside a concrete-lined tunnel 100 feet beneath the lake bed. The filing notes, “Michigan is trying to usurp the DOT’s statutory authority” to regulate pipeline safety and overall energy supplies.

First operational in 1953, the pipeline transports light crude oil and natural gas liquids to the tune of 540,000 barrels per day. That fuel provides 65 percent of the Upper Peninsula’s annual propane supply to heat homes and businesses, provides jet fuel at major airports, and powers multiple manufacturing and industrial facilities.

The Michigan Public Service Commission has approved the project, and local unions are in favor of it. Rather than continuing to block the replacement section, Whitmer and Nessel should drop their opposition, given the commission — following a years-long review — has determined “there is a public need” for a new pipeline.

EMPLOYMENT

JOBS WANTED MICHIGAN IS SHEDDING JOBS AND LOSING OUT

on major industrial projects like advanced computer chip manufacturing facilities due to a lack of leadership, the loss of Right to Work initiated by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and a median household income that trails the national average.

To improve the state’s fortunes, Right to Work must be brought back and red tape should be eliminated, while public K-12 education needs a complete overhaul. According to the 2025 Best States rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Michigan ranks 45th when it comes to education. The report also shows Michigan lags every Great Lakes state in multiple sectors.

Based on the 2024 American Community Survey, Michigan’s median household income is $72,389, well below the national average of $81,604. On the educational front, 61 percent of third-graders in Michigan’s public schools can’t pass a basic reading proficiency test.

In turn, the state’s unemployment rate was at 5.2 percent in August — the second-worst showing in the country. The U.S. national employment rate during the same period was 4.3 percent. Rather than providing excuses for the state’s poor performance, the governor, legislators, and business leaders should work more closely to improve the state’s economic standing.

Commentary

COMPENDIUM: HOW OUTSIDERS VIEW DETROIT DETROIT’S CARMAKERS TO SAVE BILLIONS IN EMISSIONS ROLLBACK BLOOMBERG SEPT. 8, 2025

BY DAVID WELCH

President Donald Trump’s

push to cut federal sales incentives and roll back emissions standards is shaping up to be a multibillion-dollar gift to Detroit’s automakers as they shift investments into gasoline-fueled cars.

General Motors Co. said it would cut electric-vehicle production plans at two factories as it overhauls a third plant to make gas-fueled pickups, instead of battery-powered trucks.

Ford Motor Co. is moving funds from a canceled three-row electric SUV to future internal combustion engine vehicles and hybrids, while Jeep owner Stellantis NV is resurrecting the thirsty Hemi V-8 engine.

Although not yet finalized, the deregulatory push is clearing the way for Detroit’s legacy automakers and their traditional rivals to reallocate billions of dollars earmarked for EVs and other costs linked to pollution rules. GM has spent $3.5 billion since 2022 purchasing so-called regulatory credits to help the company meet fuel economy and tailpipe emissions requirements — a less-needed currency if

Trump’s policies stick.

Ford has similarly cut its own credit-purchase commitments by nearly $1.5 billion this year alone, money it now plans to reallocate to gas-powered models and hybrids.

The shift in policy “has the potential to unlock a multibillion-dollar opportunity over the next two years,” Ford CEO Jim Farley recently told analysts.

Trump’s $3.4 trillion fiscal package sunsets the $7,500 tax credit for EV buyers on Sept. 30. It also zeroed out fines faced by automakers that fell short of fuel-economy mandates, negating the need to buy credits under those rules.

Stellantis paid $190 million in penalties in each of the last two years.

Eliminating the fines “will save us money in 2026 and beyond for sure,” GM Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson told investors in August. …

AMAN-RA ST. BROWN CALLS LIONS SEASON ‘ALMOST ALL OR NOTHING’

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SEPT. 5, 2025

BY EMMETT MATASOVSKY During the Detroit Lions’ turnaround, the consistent face in Dan Campbell’s rebuild has been wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

From an 0-10-1 start to his career to the playoffs in

24 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

each of the last two seasons, the receiver has been the model of consistency.

Before the season opener at Green Bay, which the Lions lost 27-13, he called his upcoming fifth season in the league an all-or-nothing campaign for the Lions. Even though the same core of players are under contract for the 2026 season, the USC product knows there are no guarantees in the NFL. “Last year we wanted to get it done. I felt like last year was the first year where …” St. Brown trailed off. “We were close the year before, the NFC Championship, then last year was like, ‘All right, we want to get it done this year,’ and we didn’t get it done last year. This year it’s almost all or nothing.

“Even though, in reality, our nucleus will still be in here next year, we’ll probably have a pretty good team next year.

There’s no saying what can happen; for us, it’s like, ‘we know we got the guys right now on this team, we got everything we need, all the pieces, and let’s just go out there and try to win the whole thing.'”

The reason for this sustained success and this window has been the consistency year after year. St. Brown called that a big reason for the success, but also mentioned the talent that Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes added each year.

“I think it’s big. A lot of us that came in in 2021 are still here … ” the pass catcher pointed out. “I think that’s a big reason why we’re at where we’re at today, including coaches. …”

CONSIDERING HISTORY: TRACING THE STORY OF AMERICA FROM NEW ORLEANS TO DETROIT THE SATURDAY EVENING POST • SEPT. 1, 2025 •

BY BEN RAILTON

In late August, we dropped off our younger son, Kyle, to start his first year at the University of Michigan. Before heading home, and through the proud but bittersweet dad tears, I had the chance to explore the neighboring city of Detroit for the first time.

I was particularly struck by three essential elements: how much its cultural landscape captures mid-20th century Black music’s evolution and vital role in America; how fully its architecture and neighborhoods reflect the goals and challenges of historic preservation and urban communities; and how strikingly it embodies the crises of 21st century American cities, and the need to resist abandonment and instead to fight for all those cultural, historic, and civic layers.

What stood out to me most about all those essential elements is how much Detroit echoes my favorite American city, New Orleans. This interconnection between two of our great but endangered historic cities also exemplifies a multilayered American story, one with a lot to tell us in 2025.

In the first few decades of the 20th century, Detroit grew from a relatively small community into the nation’s fourth-largest city, and it was the influx of African Americans from southern communities like New Orleans that really drove that growth. Between 1910 and 1930, at the height of the mass movement known as the Great Migration, Detroit’s Black population grew from around 5,000 to over 120,000. By 1920, more than 85 percent of the city’s Black residents had been born outside of the state, reflecting this explosion of new arrivals. In 1912, the NAACP founded a Detroit chapter, while the rival civil rights

organization the Urban League did so in 1916.

Unfortunately, the racial prejudice and violence that African Americans had faced in southern communities like New Orleans followed them to these new urban spaces.

Domestic terrorist groups like the KKK and the Black Legion became dominant forces in Detroit in the 1920s and ’30s. Racial massacres like those New Orleans had experienced since the 1860s became a recurring part of Detroit’s story, as exemplified by the city’s 1943 and 1967 white supremacist riots.

And as historian T.J. Sugrue traces in his important book, “The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit” (1996), the racial segregation that came to define the city’s and nation’s urban spaces in the 20th century was developed during the Great Migration.

Despite these ongoing attacks — and indeed in response to them — Detroit’s expanding African American community quickly became a fixture on the nation’s cultural landscape. It did so first through the Great Migration journey of the Delta Blues from its Mississippi origins to its evolution in Detroit, as embodied by the paths of pioneering musical giants John Lee Hooker and Big Joe Williams. But it was with the 1959 founding of Tamla Records by Detroit’s own Berry Gordy Jr. that the city’s cultural influence truly exploded.

Incorporated a year later as the Motown Record Corp., this record label built on the foundational stories of New Orleans Black rock and rollers like Dave Bartholemew, Fats Domino, and Little Richard. …

Commentary

when pollution levels are elevated, people should “consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects.”

In addition to limiting outdoor physical activity, the agency has urged people and businesses to “avoid activities which lead to ozone formation,” listing out activities like refueling vehicles or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment. ...

DETROIT IS ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTED CITIES ON EARTH RIGHT NOW

NEWSWEEK • AUG. 4, 2025 • BY THEO BURMAN Detroit has logged one of the worst air qualities of any city in the world, surpassing other international urban hubs as pollution levels spike due to wildfires across the border in Canada.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires has continued to drift over the Midwest, blanketing the region with haze and poor air quality, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue alerts across several states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.

Newsweek reached out to the National Weather Service via email for comment.

Why It Matters — The increased concentration of airborne fine particulate matter, PM2.5, from wildfires can worsen respiratory and heart conditions, making sensitive groups particularly vulnerable, especially people with asthma, heart disease or other pre-existing respiratory conditions.

Air quality alerts have been in place for a couple of days, with individual National Weather Service offices previously reporting unhealthy conditions. Earlier this week, wildfire smoke from Canada was so thick over Chicago that the city recorded the worst air quality in the world.

What To Know — On the World Quality Air Index, which measures global pollution, Detroit saw a sharp spike as ash and other particulates drifted over the border from Canada.

At the time of writing, Detroit ranks third in the entire world, behind Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Toronto, which is also being affected by the Canadian wildfires.

The current rankings indicate that Detroit is more polluted than Kolkata, one of India’s largest cities, and every other city in the United States.

The Air Index assigned Detroit an air quality score of 155, making it one of only five cities in the world currently considered “unhealthy” to be in.

Across the eight affected states, the NWS warned that

DON WAS ANNOUNCES ALBUM, TOUR CELEBRATING ‘BLUES FOR ALLAH’ 50TH ANNIVERSARY LIVE FOR LIVE MUSIC SEPT. 2, 2025

BY JAMES SISSLER

Don Was — Grammy-winning producer, bassist for Bob Weir & Wolf Bros, and president of Blue Note Records — has announced the debut album from his band The Pan-Detroit Ensemble, along with the first leg of an extensive headlining tour. The tour will showcase songs from the band’s forthcoming record alongside a complete performance of the Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah in honor of the album’s 50th anniversary.

Launched in 2024, the nine-piece soul jazz band draws inspiration from the Motor City’s wide-ranging musical history, citing influences ranging from John Lee Hooker, Donald Byrd, and Joe Henderson to George Clinton, Mitch Ryder, The Stooges, and Electrifying Mojo.

“There’s a unique sound and feel to Detroit that permeates the music in a way that resonates all over the globe,” said Was. “There is a rawness, a lack of pretension and an unmistakable, underlying

groove that reflects the people and culture of the entire city.”

Led by Was with Dave McMurray on sax, Luis Resto on keys, Vincent Chandler on trombone, John Douglas on trumpet, Jeff Canaday on drums, Mahindi Masai on percussion, Wayne Gerard on guitar, and Steffanie Christi’an on vocals, the band debuted last spring, performing a mix of originals and songs by Yusef Lateef, Olu Dara, Henry Threadgill, and more during a short run spanning intimate clubs, historic concert halls, and major festival stages.

Was characterized the band’s sound as “Jazzy and improvisational but also glued together with a sinewy R&B groove. It’s not slick or smooth — it’s a very raw, honest, Detroit kind of thing,” he explained.

He went on to describe how his experiences touring with Bob Weir and working with artists on the Blue Note roster “have pointed the way toward realizing that sound,” adding, “The Pan-Detroit Ensemble finally manifests that ‘thing’ I’ve been pursuing. The intention is to make communicative music that gets under the listener’s skin and brings them some joy, comfort and understanding in deeply troubled times.

It’s all connected.”

With the band’s debut album due out this fall via Mac Avenue Music, Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble will kick off their fall tour in Japan with a three-night, six-show residency at Blue Note Tokyo leading up to an appearance at Blue Note Jazz Festival in Japan on Sept. 27. The band will then return to the States in October. ...

3 LESSONS FROM DETROIT ON HOW PERSONIFYING A BUSINESS FUELS GROWTH FORBES • SEPT. 18, 2025 • BY DAN RINGO

Founders often struggle to separate their personal identity from the identity of their business. When leaders blur those lines, they unintentionally create fragility: decision-making, loyalty, and culture can become dependent on one person instead of the company’s mission. Businesses that are treated as their own entity — complete with systems, standards, and a distinct identity — are far more sustainable.

Building a Mission Bigger Than the Founder — A common challenge for founders is separating personal ambition from the company’s larger role in serving its customers and community. When leaders make it clear that the business is bigger than themselves, teams begin to see the organization as an entity with its own identity, purpose, and future.

That distinction matters. When employees view the business as a character with its own mission, they buy into its long-term success. This reduces friction and builds cohesion because the team is motivated by what sustains the organization rather than what satisfies one individual.

Systems That Empower Teams — For many founders, stepping back is difficult because decision-making often rests solely on their shoulders. The shift happens when companies establish clear processes, accountability measures, and customer-focused standards that guide decision making. By putting systems in place, employees can act in alignment with the mission — even if their decisions differ from what the founder might have chosen.

This is a hallmark of personification. As highlighted in Your Business Isn’t You, organizations with transparent systems shift power from personality to process. That shift empowers teams, builds resilience, and eliminates bottlenecks created when every decision must flow through the founder.

Loyalty to Vision, Not Personality — Another key principle of personification is rethinking loyalty. Employees should be loyal to the mission and longevity of the business — not to the individual leader. ....

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 25

NICK HAGEN

11-12.25

THE TICKER

30 PERSONAL SPACE Offering a business model centered on comfort and technology, DiPilla Denistry’s new practice in downtown Birmingham is designed to promote relaxation.

p. 28

p. 30

p. 32

Home Team

Crown Royal

Paired Treatment

Change-Makers

PDA Q&A

Lasting Impression November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 27

Home Team

FULL SPECTRUM Dawn M. Schluter, bottom right, a partner at Schluter & Hughes Law Firm in Bloomfield Township, helps lead a special practice area for seniors and their families.

“We offer a centralized place and a care coordination team to help manage your loved one’s affairs, and we share important medical information with the entire care team,” says Dawn M. Schluter, a partner at Schluter & Hughes who has extensive experience in estate planning, wealth transfer planning, probate litigation, taxes, and family law matters.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, she completed her juris doctorate and an LLM in taxation at Wayne State University in Detroit. She’s also a DBusiness Top Lawyer, having been nominated by her peers annually for Family Law and Trusts and Estates since 2009.

When developing a plan of action for a potential medical emergency, the care team provides the patient with a binder that details their medical history and needs.

The binder, or portfolio, which can travel with a patient to a hospital or a medical center, serves as a centralized record-keeping system tailored for each person’s specific needs and might include an estate plan, a care coordination plan, important legal documents, and an emergency care plan.

The team also uses tools such as medical alert systems, emergency contact screen-savers for smartphones and tablets, and QR codes that provide health information to ensure the entire care team is up to date.

All services are billed at an hourly rate. Services are concierge style, and no minimum service contract is required.

In addition to navigating the maze of aging services, the care team provides in-home safety suggestions, can assist with moving a patient to another setting like a nursing home, and is able to help a client and/or their family navigate options and implement solutions.

The team also can review financial, legal, or medical issues and arrange referrals as needed, assist in discharge planning and necessary rehab services, and provide an annual review of emergency medical information.

Little Caesars Expands to MSU Athletic Venues Little Caesars in Detroit is bringing its brand of pizza to the three main athletic venues at Michigan State University in East Lansing: Spartan Stadium, the Breslin Center, and Munn Ice Arena.

Metro Airport Ranks No. 2 in North America for Customer Satisfaction Detroit Metro Airport was recently ranked second in customer satisfaction among mega airports, according to J.D. Power in Troy. Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport ranked highest, with a score of 660.

Metro was at 649.

For parents and others caring for elderly relatives, the Schluter & Hughes Law Firm in Bloomfield Township has launched a customized wellness service.

BY R.J. KING

A

s many families are challenged by balancing the medical needs of both their children and their older parents or relatives, the Schluter & Hughes Law Firm in Bloomfield Township has developed a special practice area called Care Coordination.

A customized service for seniors and their families, the law firm will provide an initial assessment of an elderly client’s residential setting, develop a personalized care plan, and arrange and monitor home health or medical facility services.

The care team also will schedule medical appointments; provide routine wellness checks via a professional care coordinator, a registered nurse, or a care professional; and attend doctor visits as requested.

The team can serve as a family advocate, as well.

The law firm’s Care Coordination services are especially useful when parents prefer to age in place and their relatives live in different cities, states, or countries.

DBUSINESS DIRECT

Humanetics Merges its European Group with Sensor Manufacturer Humanetics has merged Humanetics Europe GmbH with German safety system sensor technology provider mg-sensor GmbH. The deal brings two key competencies together under one structure to streamline operations.

28 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

123Net Completes Major Expansion of its Southfield DC1 Data Center 123Net has completed a major expansion of its Southfield DC1 Data Center, adding advanced colocation space and infrastructure tailored for the demands of AI inference and other data-intensive applications.

LIFT in Detroit Awarded $9M to Develop Materials Solutions LIFT in Detroit’s Corktown district has been awarded a four-year, $9 million contract to accelerate the development of ceramic-based matrix composites and ultra-high-temperature materials for use in the industrial and defense sectors.

COURTESY SCHLUTER & HUGHES

The Ticker

The Ticker

CHANGEMAKERS

PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACES has selected

Detroit as the host city for the fifth annual International Placemaking Conference, to be held from June 24-26, 2026.

The Downtown Detroit Partnership will be the conference’s co-host.

More than 500 public space professionals, including urban planners and designers, public officials, place managers, and researchers, will attend what’s called Placemaking Week, which emphasizes hands-on learning and innovative social events while leaving behind a public space legacy.

The theme for the 2026 conference, From Recovery to Resilience through Placemaking, is designed to serve as a reminder of the transformative influence of community-powered spaces.

“We’re thrilled to bring together placemakers from all around the world to learn from Detroit’s groundbreaking placemaking efforts,” says Nate Storring, co-executive director of Project for Public Spaces in Brooklyn, N.Y. Over the past decade, Detroit has turned once-neglected areas into community spaces through grassroots innovation, public-private collaborations, and cultural investments.

Landmark projects, according to the organizers, include Campus Martius Park, Michigan Central, the Joe Louis Greenway, the Detroit Riverwalk, and Belle Isle, among others.

Lasting Impression Stealth in Northville redefines marketing campaigns using a fractional team approach.

BY R.J. KING |

W

BRANDON NAGY

esley Mathews sees two voids in the marketing world: clients that don’t get the results they expect, and a lack of measureable accountability.

For more than 15 years, Mathews, co-founder and CEO of High Level Marketing in West Bloomfield, helped create and execute marketing campaigns for scores of small- and medium-sized businesses across the United States.

In 2001, when the company was sold, Mathews stayed on for two years as chief growth officer before taking a break to rest and consider his next move. “I wasn’t ready to retire and walk off into the sunset,” he says.

Instead, he “got the band back together.” With his former business partner, Jon Bowerman, and a past High Level board member, Josh Linkner, Stealth was founded in Northville in late 2023.

In its first full year of operation, Stealth, which provides a fractional marketing team to develop and execute campaigns, had 15 clients and posted more than $1.1 million in revenue.

“I’ve sat in that marketing seat and, to me, unless you have a company making more than $100 million in (annual) sales, you don’t need a chief marketing officer,” says Mathews, co-founder and CEO of Stealth. “What we developed is a new way to use the fractional model to bring experts to every marketing campaign.”

— By R.J. King

Henry Ford Health in Detroit Taps Robotics to Speed Rx Delivery Henry Ford Health is partnering with Becton, Dickinson and Co. in New Jersey to develop a robotic solution that will enable patients to pick up prescriptions at their convenience — 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cost to Repair County Road Bridges in Michigan Soars 32% Michigan’s 83 county road agencies face a local bridge funding crisis and growing overall funding gap, according to the latest findings in the County Road Association of Michigan’s 2025 County Road Investment Plan.

Hungry Howie’s Takes DetroitStyle Pizza Nationwide Hungry Howie’s is the first national pizza chain to offer Detroit-style pizza across the country. The launch celebrated the brand’s hometown heritage — it was founded in Madison Heights in 1973.

BAE Systems Partners to Advance Autonomous AMPVs BAE Systems, which operates part of its Platforms and Services business sector in Sterling Heights, and Forterra, a provider of autonomous systems in Warren, are collaborating to rapidly prototype an autonomous armored multipurpose vehicle.

Fractional executives aren’t new, but Mathews says Stealth is pioneering a marketing team concept that combines strategy, leadership, and execution as a single solution for growth-minded businesses.

“We bring four people to each client relationship — a strategist, a marketing director, a marketing product manager, and someone who oversees everything and works directly with the client,” Mathews says.

“It’s hard for smaller companies to find or afford good marketing people, so we fill that gap and save clients time, money, and efficiency that’s resultsorientated. For example, our client Minc Law (in Cleveland) has posted record revenue month over month since realigning their strategy with us.”

Once a new client is engaged, Mathews and his team build out a campaign that typically lasts six months or longer, dependPOWER SOURCE ing on the need. The comWesley Mathews and Jon pany charges $7,500 a Bowerman, co-founders of Stealth, have their offices in a month for its services, former Ford valve plant near which includes developing downtown Northville. an initial blueprint that follows a half-day “deep dive” evaluation and custom strategy plan.

“Coming out of that first session with the client, we execute the deliverables,” Mathews says.

Linkner, co-founder and managing partner at Mudita Venture Partners in Bingham Farms, says the investment firm “saw something special in Stealth — a disciplined approach to marketing leadership that actually moves the needle where others don’t. Their ability to generate measurable ROI for clients is exactly why we backed them.”

Indochino Opens New Custom Suit Showroom at Somerset Indochino Apparel, a purveyor of custom-made clothing, has opened its newest showroom at the Somerset Collection in Troy. The new showroom is designed to offer customers the opportunity to design one-of-a-kind garments.

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

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 29

The Ticker

Crown Royal Dr. Robert DiPilla has invested in cutting-edge dental technology to provide concierge-level care in downtown Birmingham.

BY SARAH OLEINICK |

D

NICK HAGEN

r. Robert DiPilla describes himself as a technology-driven dentist who has invested $2 million in building out DiPilla Dentistry at 720 N. Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham.

The new office features natural materials, floor-toceiling windows, and artwork by his daughter, Winter Shaw. The result is a welcoming space that showcases DiPilla’s passion for patient-centric dentistry and cutting-edge technology.

The new, 5,400-square-foot office has nine private and semiprivate operatories, which is triple the capacity of his former space. To bring his vision to life, DiPilla worked with interior designer Patricia Barnett Kelter of Kelter Schwartz Design, K4 Medical + Dental Construction, and Robert J. Cliffe, an architect at Moiseev/Gordon Associates Inc. On the technology front, DiPilla has started using an AI diagnostic program, Pearl AI, which he describes as one of the most interesting advancements in dental science.

“The human eye can recognize four to six variations of shades of gray, (but) AI can recognize 1,000,” DiPilla says. “The program uses analytics to differentiate whether (a tooth) has a cavity, a fracture, or (something else).”

He adds the AI visualization outputs are great for patient education.

The 3-D X-ray technology, or CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography), enables DiPilla and his staff to see issues going on behind and below

BONDING TOGETHER Left: Dr. Robert DiPilla, principal of DiPilla Dentistry in downtown Birmingham.

Below: Dr. Kayla Tile consults with a patient using the latest imaging technology at DiPilla Dentistry’s new space.

teeth, including infections in the root that can’t be seen on traditional X-rays.

Other advanced features include a Waterlase Laser, which can be used for a range of procedures from cosmetics to no-shot fillings; iTero Element 5-D scanning technology, an improvement over clunky impression materials; and Sirona Primeprint 3-D printers.

“Let’s say we’re doing a crown. Instead of taking an impression, we scan over it with the 5-D scanner and it gets printed in the (office), or we can send it to a laboratory in New York and we can fabricate a beautiful porcelain tooth,” DiPilla says.

The official dentist for the Detroit Pistons, DiPilla has 34 years of experience practicing dentistry in New York City and Michigan. In addition to Birmingham, he has offices in Detroit, New Baltimore, and St. Clair Shores.

In downtown Birmingham, his office and consultation room feature a private operatory to discretely accommodate VIP patients. The office also offers elevated care services such as ozone and redlight therapy.

“I wanted a space that when patients come in, they would be amazed,” DiPilla says. “Our staff is trained to make sure each patient is taken care of from the first phone call all the way to the end. I want a concierge feeling, where we know you and we know your family. That’s the type of environment I wanted to create here.”

PDA Q&A: THE E-INTERVIEW DB: WHERE ARE YOU?

ANDREA TRAPANI

Managing Partner Identity, Birmingham

AT: I’m in San Diego. I’m here with a colleague and we’re meeting with a relatively newer client that’s a global food service and facility management provider.

DB: HOW’S IT GOING?

AT: We’re meeting with their communications team to review their strategy,

30 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

storytelling, and overall plans for their PR program, with Identity being their partner.

DB: WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING?

AT: What’s very culturally relevant today is how people gather with food. In addition, people are eating healthier. We also focus on the importance of

authenticity, transparency, and storytelling — what are the stories that will move people?

DB: DO YOU APPROACH CLIENTS DIFFERENTLY TODAY THAN IN THE PAST?

AT: In 2021, we moved to a new office in Birmingham and made the very intentional decision to draw a line in the sand

with our operating model.

We are remote, first, and we gather at the office for training, culture programs, and meeting new clients.

DB: DOES THAT HELP WITH RETENTION?

AT: Yes, both for employees and clients. We offer a different employment model in our industry. We’re more

immersed with our clients, and our team has a better understanding of what they’re going through. We spend more time on the road at client locations, and we do a multiday deep-dive into what our clients are doing and what their goals are, going forward.

— R.J. King

photo: james haefner

Celebrating 45 Years. Our work enhances human experiences by integrating nature with exceptional site and landscape design. As professional landscape architects we have consistently provided our clients with unexpected, thoughtful, and timeless design solutions. Our design signature lets each project speak for itself ...

D U L D E S I G N.CO M

Is your insurance broker MIA?

Choose a partner, not a renewal broker.

Insurance, employee benefits and risk management consulting for businesses and individuals.

Scan here to learn more about how we can help your business succeed.

HYLANT-DETROIT 248-643-8750 | hylant.com

The Ticker

WELLNESS RETREAT Jeff and Esther Selik opened Gameday Men’s Health Birmingham/Bloomfield in Bloomfield Township in May 2024. It was an opportunity for the couple to put their entrepreneurial skills to work.

Paired Treatment Jeff and Esther Selik quickly grew Gameday Men’s Health Birmingham/ Bloomfield to the No. 5 company franchisee in the country.

E

veryone who has visited a health care clinic typically checks in with a receptionist who sits behind a sliding glass panel in a waiting room — but at Gameday Men’s Health Birmingham/Bloomfield in Bloomfield Township, co-owner Jeff Selik personally greets every patient by name.

Since Selik and his wife, Esther, opened the clinic in May 2024, the couple has welcomed more than 500 patients to their facility, which specializes in providing men with testosterone replacement therapy, ED treatments, and general men’s health services.

The self-described entrepreneurs are on a roll: The clinic was recently ranked No. 1 in Michigan and No. 5 in the country by the franchisor for top-line revenue.

Overall, Gameday Men’s Health, which has its headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., has 385 locations.

“When the franchisor suggested we design the space with a sports culture, I said we’d like to theme 32 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

it to our Detroit sports teams,” says Selik, who previously was president of Hillside Furniture in Bloomfield Township, which was sold to Art Van Furniture in 2016. From there, the 2012 DBusiness 30 in Their Thirties honoree served as president of Scott Schuptrine Furniture for three years.

“When our patients walk in, they see a large, black-and-white mural of Ford Field, Comerica Park, and downtown Detroit,” Selik says. “It’s a safe place, akin to a man cave. We wanted a welcoming space because, for men, a medical appointment is often the last thing they want to do and the first thing they want to cancel.”

The husband-and-wife team have complementary skill sets — Jeff has long operated consumer businesses, while Esther is a family nurse practitioner with experience in hormone optimization and regenerative medicine; she previously practiced at Refuah Healthcare Services in Southfield.

Their one-stop clinic offers an initial free testosterone test with in-house lab results available in minutes. First-time patients receive an initial consultation, with lab results and a treatment plan completed within a 45-minute visit. No referrals are needed and insurance is not accepted.

“If we accepted insurance, we’d be mimicking a typical medical office environment and they stack

their patients in a waiting room where they wait for 30 minutes to see a medical practitioner for maybe five or 10 minutes, only to find that insurance doesn’t often cover their needs,” Selik says.

“The good news is we do accept health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts. We also provide a 20-percent discount to veterans and first responders, as a way to say thank you to them for protecting our communities. They collectively represent 24 percent of our business.”

The 2,100-square-foot clinic, located at 10 W. Square Lake Rd. (at the northwest corner of Square Lake and Woodward Avenue), can handle a roster of up to 1,000 patients. Once the maximum is nearly reached, the Seliks have the rights to another franchisee location in the Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield area.

“With those two franchisee locations, we can cover a geographic area from Pontiac to Royal Oak, and Woodward to Commerce Township,” Selik says. Two other Gameday Men’s Health clinics are open in Troy and Rochester Hills, and are run by other entrepreneurs.

“It’s been an amazing journey, and we’re happy for all of the men we’ve helped. We also have two medical assistants working with us, so you truly are walking into a family-run, friendly environment.”

COURTESY GAMEDAY MEN’S HEALTH

BY R.J. KING

FOR POSSIBILITIES THAT ONCE SEEMED UNREACHABLE. CANCER IS A BEGINNING. As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center in metro Detroit, we give you access to more than 250 promising new treatments found only at Karmanos. We give you your best chance forward.

1-800-KARMANOS

KARMANOS.ORG

Resident Driven Developments FHS developments deliver elevated luxury living with modern amenities, advanced technology, and thoughtful hospitality across Southeast Michigan.

2025 Recipient of Best New Multi-family Project

ANN ARBOR

Nominated for the DBusiness Redevelopment of The Year Award for 2025

FHSLiving.com

Focus

DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards 2025

The DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards, now in its third year, honors 21 people, companies, and projects that are transforming metro Detroit.

From dozens of reader nominations, we chose three finalists for each category, with a focus on developers, brokers, architects, and real estate professionals.

From there, we selected a final winner for work approved, commenced, or completed over the past 12 months. Please join us for the DBusiness Breakfast Series, where we will announce the winners, on Oct. 30. The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit.

For tickets, email Regan Wright at rwright@hour-media.com.

PROFILES BY DAN CALABRESE AND MICHAEL STRONG

INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES PIONEER AWARD

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Finalists Jeff Haupton, Oxford Cos. Dominic J. Moceri, Moceri Cos. Moussa Sobh, Empire Realty Group

Finalists Josh Sirefman, Michigan Central Paul Choukourian, Colliers International Jared Friedman, Friedman Real Estate

BRAD ZIEGLER

S

uccess in real estate development requires many things, and while the old adage states that it’s all about location, location, location, Dominic J. Moceri, partner at Moceri Cos. in Auburn Hills, would argue that timing usurps location.

Moceri, along with his brothers, Frank and Mario, is continuing the legacy created by their father, the late Dominic S. Moceri, of being at the forefront of development of residential real estate across metro Detroit.

During the company’s 67-year history, it has built more than 65,000 homes, including some of the most opulent executive residences in the country. However, the company’s focus on family is what puts it at the forefront of innovation in the residential construction industry.

“We want to be inclusive for generations of Michigan families, to make sure we’re including all ages, segments, and socioeconomic incomes,” Dominic J. Moceri previously told DBusiness.

“We’re focused on that, because you can’t have a sustainable community without that diversity.”

Moceri’s leadership has resulted in projects focusing on low-income developments with affordable prices, and incorporating cutting-edge

D technology. Recent projects have seen the company finding ways to incorporate historic structures within new developments.

The company’s $90-million Mystic Cove development of townhomes and apartments, located on Lake Orion, meant that several existing older homes had to be torn down. However, Moceri is saving a Victorian-style home that was among the first to be built in Lake Orion in 1885.

“We're going to move that property, that home, and it's going to be a leasable residence for the community,” Moceri told The Detroit News.

Prior to that, the company moved forward with a group of luxury townhomes in downtown Rochester, but saved the grain elevator that was the city’s oldest business. It will be incorporated into the site, although its exact use hasn’t yet been determined.

— Michael Strong

etroit’s renaissance received a massive infusion of energy and investment in 2018.

That was when Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford announced the company planned to invest nearly $1 billion to redevelop the former Michigan Central Station into an innovation hub that would lead the automaker’s autonomous vehicle development efforts as well as be a home to other cutting-edge businesses.

Josh Sirefman, a Michigan native and urban planner, subsequently led the effort to restore the Beaux Arts-style building to its former glory while ensuring it could meet the needs of modern businesses. As the project got underway, Sirefman returned home to Detroit from New York City, where he had co-founded Sidewalk Labs in 2015 as Google’s arm for urban innovation.

While leading the resurrection of one of the city’s iconic symbols of its glory days may have been daunting for some, Sirefman was right in his comfort zone.

The University of Michigan graduate has overseen a range of transformative developments, including Cornell University’s new applied sciences campus in New York City, the University of Chicago’s transformation of Hyde Park through the redevelopment of a vibrant new mixeduse district, and the repositioning of the New York Public Library’s renovation of its flagship building.

Today, Michigan Central is home to Ford employees and others. The historic struture will add a Nomad Hotel, the luxury brand of the Hilton hotel chain. The 180 guestrooms to span five upper floors will be joined by a signature restaurant and bar on the first floor.

“There is nowhere quite like this, (and no one is) doing what we’re doing at Michigan Central,” Sirefman told the Detroit Free Press. “The model here is where one company has created an opportunity for all kinds of entities to be participants in this innovation. That’s really powerful.”

— Michael Strong

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 35

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES

EMERGING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR UNDER 40 Finalists Bryan Barnas, Colliers International Regan Kennedy, REDICO Michael Ferlito, Ferlito Group

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKER OF THE YEAR Finalists Randy Book, Colliers International Alan Stern, Friedman Real Estate Kevin Jappaya, KJ Commercial

B

eing a recognized leader is nothing new for Colliers International’s Randy Book. In fact, you could argue it’s in his blood.

The Book name is well-known in Detroit. One need only look to the recently restored Book Tower along Washington Boulevard in downtown Detroit as a preview of Book’s success.

His grandfather, Frank, along with other family members, built the impressive structure that recently reopened after a multimillion-dollar renovation, and Book actually helped cut the ceremonial ribbon to reopen it.

Book came to Colliers Detroit’s offices in 2011 and has been a leader since his arrival. He focuses his practice on tenant and landlord representation for lease evaluation, renewals, and new lease negotiations.

Throughout his 25-year career, he’s focused his practice on tenant and owner representation around the world. As executive vice president, Book has completed transactions that include office space, building sales, land leasing, purchases, and buildto-suit projects.

And he’s got a list of accolades and honors that reflect his long-term success. Every year from 2016 to 2024, Colliers International recognized Book and his team with numerous awards, including the Everest Award as a Top 5 Broker in Detroit, Top Outgoing Referral, Top Office Transaction, Top Land Deal, and Top Retail Transaction.

He’s also been featured by DBusiness magazine as part of its Detroit 500, a comprehensive list of the most powerful executives across metro Detroit and Michigan. His focus over the past several years has been to bring new businesses to Michigan.

— Michael Strong

36 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

Kennedy has led the company’s efforts to address the financing needs of existing clients. While right-sizing debt isn’t uncommon, higher-than-traditional interest rates have made it “pretty challenging,” he says.

“We’ve been able to work through that,” Kennedy says.

“Since I’ve been back, the portfolio has had its challenges due to the macro economy. We’ve done a really nice job of dealing with the financing operations and dealing with choppy capital markets.”

To that end, the company has seen occupancy growth in its current holdings, while finding acquisitions to grow the portfolio.

These results only confirmed why the company was pleased with his return, noting that it is a “recognition of his unparalleled ability to create value, inspire teams, and drive strategic growth.”

REDICO officials also note that Kennedy’s ability to attract new out-of-state capital partners, now actively investing alongside REDICO in metro Detroit, has expanded the company’s reach and opportunities.

Through his strategic vision and hands-on involvement, he continues to shape REDICO’s growth and investment strategy, delivering value to the organization and its partners.

— Michael Strong

DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR Finalists Maha Banno, Blackacre Management Reed Fenton, EIG14T Commercial Real Estate Philip Kafka, Prince Concepts

W

hen it comes to the redevelopment of a large city, much of the focus typically centers on big projects that lure new business to the area or the revitalization of some grand or iconic structure — but Philip Kafka sees things just a little differently, and it shows in his projects.

Kafka is president of Prince Concepts in Detroit, which owns and is activating approximately 750,000 square feet of real estate — all contiguous — in downtown Detroit. Some of the successes in Detroit to date include managing the design and development of Takoi restaurant on Michigan Avenue and the development of True North apartments.

“I’m a small-scale developer who’s doing made-by-hand projects where I really try to consider my surrounding environment — not only the physical environment, but also the cultural and the social environment — and try to create capital and culture simultaneously.”

However, it may be Core City, just west of the Woodbridge neighborhood, that best highlights Kafka’s approach to the development of award-winning residential and mixeduse projects. He took over six vacant buildings and open spaces in order to create a collection of apartments, offices, restaurants, and parks across 22 acres.

The effort has captured several awards along the way, including Architecture News’ 2022 Best of Design Award in the landscape category for the rewilding of a 28-stall parking lot where cars and plants share the same space.

Now, a project called The Canopy is finished, and it’s home to a rental development with duplexes featuring two units per structure including five studios, four one-bedroom

apartments, and one two-bedroom apartment. Kafka not only focuses on restoring what’s on the sites, but he’s also planted nearly 1,000 trees within them; he says he was inspired by his Lafayette Park residence, which features trees and other natural elements.

— Michael Strong

COURTESY PRINCE CONCEPTS, REDICO

T

he recent volatility in the economy means there have been plenty of headwinds for those looking to find success in the commercial real estate market. Of course, where there’s strife there also is opportunity — and REDICO’s Regan Kennedy is seizing the moment.

Kennedy is responsible for a $1 billion-plus portfolio of commercial assets that covers office, retail, industrial, and research and development properties. And while some have seen the value of their portfolios shrink, that’s not the case at REDICO. After leaving the company for a two-year stint at Crestlight Capital, Kennedy returned to REDICO to a larger role as director of asset management and investments, where he’s reshaping the company’s approach to growth. Much of that starts with securing what’s already in the portfolio.

INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES

EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN Finalists Victor Saroki, Saroki Architecture Brian Rebain, Kraemer Design Group Dominick Tringali, Moceri Cos.

COURTESY SAROKI ARCHITECTURE, COMPASS

V

ictor Saroki’s influence on the architecture and design of residential and commercial buildings across metro Detroit has been unparalleled during his more than four decades of work. A graduate of Lawrence Technological University in Southfield and now chair of the university’s board of trustees, Saroki’s influence can be seen simply by driving through Birmingham.

“We’ve done more than 100 buildings in Birmingham,” he said during a recent interview for his work on the Chaldean Cultural Center in West Bloomfield.

Saroki Architecture, founded by Saroki in Birmingham, has garnered more than 80 awards during the company’s 42 years, most recently the 2024 Building Award from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network for the design of Maplewood, which is essentially two structures: the Parks Building and the Wooster Building.

The brick facade of the Parks Building was meticulously recreated to match its historic appearance, and it features limestone trim, decorative brickwork in the cornice, and compatible storefronts. The Wooster Building's non-historic storefront was replaced with one more appropriate to its historic character.

The first floors of both buildings were combined into one retail space that houses a furniture store, while the upper floor serves as office space.

Working with the Boji Group, the Maplewood building, located in downtown Birmingham, is a two-story site that was a Panera restaurant. After the $17.5 million restoration project was completed, Crate and Barrel subsidiary CB2 moved in on the first floor while the Boji Group took over the second floor.

As president of Saroki Architecture, Saroki has handled an array of projects for retail, hospitality, mixed-use, and custom residential clients. Some of the firm’s more recent projects include the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, the Birmingham Theater, Rudy’s Prime in Clarkston, and a number of Plum Market stores.

— Michael Strong

Commercial Real Estate Awards | Focus

EXCELLENCE IN CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING Finalists John Rakolta III, Walbridge Susan Harvey, Ashley Capital Ryan Maibach, Barton Malow

D

etroit is home to a number of innovations, the moving assembly line perhaps being the most famous.

However, Barton Malow CEO Ryan Maibach may have introduced something that rivals it: LiftBuild. The new LiftBuild process was used to construct one of the latest additions to the city’s skyline, The Exchange Tower.

Using LiftBuild technology, Barton Malow’s team erected the 13-story tower one floor at a time, starting from the ground. Each floor was lifted into place at a rate of about 20 feet per hour, while construction on the next floor began.

The process is safer, 30 percent faster, and as much as 20 percent cheaper than conventional construction, according to the company, and Maibach says the process is now being used for other projects nationwide.

“I grew up around the business. I don’t remember the time the first time I heard about Barton Malow,” Maibach, who’s the fourth generation to work at the Southfield-based company, told The Detroit News last year.

“When you work in this business, and when you work in

this industry, you feel a sense of ownership in the buildings that you’re a part of.”

Maibach also is getting used to setting new benchmarks for the industry, noting that the company’s construction of Little Caesars Arena in 2017 “set the gold standard” for arenas around the country.

He also points to the company’s involvement in Camden Yards, home to the Baltimore Orioles, which opened in 1992 and ushered in the trend of including older, existing structures into the design of new stadiums and arenas.

Maibach says he’s been able to enjoy full-circle experiences, as the company built Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings for decades, as well as the team’s new home, the aforementioned Little Caesars Arena. It’s the same for Henry Ford Health’s new $1.8 billion campus in the New Center area, as Maibach was part of the team that completed Henry Ford’s facilities in Detroit nearly 30 years ago.

— Michael Strong

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE Finalists Lynn Drake, Compass Commercial Mohammed Qazi, Ciena Healthcare Scott Shefman, Friedman Real Estate

C

ommercial real estate is a tough business, and for decades it was a male-dominated one. However, Compass Commercial founder and CEO Lynn Drake wasn’t bothered by that at all.

After spending the early part of her career as a bookkeeper, then moving on to Kelly Services in Troy, where she led its real estate business, she decided she needed a change. Her next step was set in motion after she completed a physically and mentally demanding mountain-climbing excursion.

In response to her desire for change, she formed Compass Commercial, a woman-owned commercial real estate sales business that’s been successful. In 2024, she managed more than 1,700 real estate transactions, 60 percent of which were for women and minorities.

Drake’s success has led her to mentor other business owners through MentorWe, a Great Lakes Women’s Business Council program that helps women business leaders bolster their leadership and communication skills.

Additionally, she teaches new business owners how to lease commercial buildings, and she’s written two books aimed at helping others get into the business: “Do You Speak Lease?” and “Do You Speak Purchase?”

“A client once told me she had met with several male brokers and none of them took her seriously,” Drake wrote in a recent LinkedIn post. “She found her way to me, and not

only did I help her business grow, but she also now refers others my way.

“That’s what keeps me going — mentoring women, guiding small business owners, and helping people find answers and confidence in their business journeys,” she says. “I believe giving back isn’t just charity; it’s using your experience to create opportunities for others. At this stage of my life, I feel I have more to give than ever before.”

In addition to those efforts, she’s given back in other ways, by supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as well as serving as a planning commissioner for the City of Troy.

— Michael Strong

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 37

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

BEST LAND DEAL Finalists VTECH, REDICO Soccer Stadium, Detroit City FC Little Caesars Arena Hotel, Olympia Development Even when a match isn’t going on at the stadium, team officials believe the venue can serve to boost economic development and overall neighborhood vitality.

“We’re honored to collaborate with Detroit City FC on a project that will celebrate the club’s pasALUMNIFI FIELD, DETROIT sionate supporters while energizing the city,” says Chris DeVolder, “This partnership with HOK marks an exciting new chapter for director of sports and recreation and entertainment at HOK. “The stadium will be a vibrant example of urban our stadium project and DCFC,” Mann says. “This stadium repplacemaking. Our design will embrace the unique site resents more than a home for our club. It’s a testament to the and offer fans an exceptional, hospitality-driven game- passion and resilience of our supporters and the spirit of our city.

“As one of the first major projects led by a new generation of day experience.”

Sean Mann, CEO of Detroit City FC, noted the signifi- Detroiters, we take immense pride in creating a place where our cance of the project being driven by a new generation of community can gather and celebrate for years.”

— Dan Calabrese community leaders.

BEST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SALE

BEST RELOCATION

Finalists

Finalists

600 Renaissance Center, Friedman Real Estate Stellantis in Center Line, Ashley Capital Bueche Portfolio, SPERRY — Property Investment Counselors

O

ne of metro Detroit’s most venerable industrial complexes, designed by legendary Detroit architect Albert Kahn and occupied by Chrysler/Stellantis since 1953, was sold in December 2024 to a partnership made up of Ashley Capital and CSC Capital Group.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

The complex, located in Center Line, was originally the world headquarters of Mopar, which produces original equipment parts, accessories, and customer care for Stellantis brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat.

At its peak, the facility employed more than 1,000 people, most of whom were engaged in warehouse and packaging operations. Over time, the majority of the administrative employees moved to the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills.

The entire 1.4-million-square-foot, four-building industrial complex, which sits on 78.8 acres at the northwest corner of 12 Mile and Van Dyke roads, is set to be demolished in 2027 to make way for two new state-of-the-art distribution centers totaling 1.2 million square feet.

Until that time, however, Stellantis will continue to occupy the land on a lease basis for the operation of its Center Line Parts Distribution Center. Eventually, Stellantis will move that operation to Van Buren Township, which will be the home of a new parts distribution facility on Ecorse Road south of Willow Run Airport.

In addition to the 978,000-square-foot warehouse that serves as the parts distribution center, the Center Line campus also consists of a 135,000-square-foot office building, an 87,000-square-foot ancillary building, and a 207,000-square-foot smaller warehouse.

According to Ashley Capital, brownfield incentives will be factored into the broader development project, which will be led by Hillco/Sterling Group. Future plans for the site are expected to be announced next year.

— Dan Calabrese

38 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

T

Fairway Packing, Fraser Dykema, Detroit Gensler, Detroit

he burgers Detroit Tigers fans enjoy at Comerica Park are produced by Fairway Packing, a longtime Eastern Market-based business whose recent growth required the company to develop a 35,000-square-foot facility in Fraser and move from its 6,000-square-foot facility in Detroit.

Grosse Pointe-based Allegra Development, owned by John Secco, was the builder.

The company completed its move into the new facility last November.

“We needed a much larger facility,” says Emmet Baratta, owner of Fairway Packing. “It allowed us to equip the facility in the way we did, with the latest and greatest state-of-theart equipment.”

That equipment includes a massive burger grind operation and a laser-cutter for steaks.

The new facility, located along 15 Mile Road, has enabled the company to expand its employee base to 106 workers from the 46 people it had in Eastern Market.

“The past year has opened up a tremendous amount of opportunity for us,” Baratta says. “We’ve been able to take on stadium business such as Little Caesars Arena and

Comerica Park, and we’ve been able to open up our distribution partners to get regional chain business.”

Fairway is the supplier for burgers at two locations in Comerica Park — the 313 Grill and the Marketplace area behind the scoreboard in left field.

The opportunities have allowed Fairway to expand not only throughout the state of Michigan, but into Ohio and other parts of the country.

“It’s allowed us to ramp up our burger production,” Baratta says. “We’ve always had a really good burger, and we’ve had some of the best grinds in the business.”

Fairway has recently tripled its burger production to more than 100,000 pounds of hamburger a week. It also offers a wide range of steaks, chops, pork, lamb, veal, and both Wagyu and Piedmontese beef, among other selections.

The company had been in Eastern Market since 1986, although its family roots in the meat industry date back to 1956, when Baratta’s grandfather opened his first meat processing business in the city.

— Dan Calabrese

RENDERING COURTESY DCFC

T

he relationship between Detroit City FC and southwest Detroit comes together with the rise of AlumniFi Field, a 15,000-seat stadium that will host the United Soccer League franchise starting with the 2027 season.

But the vision for the project’s impact is broader than that.

With the project going up on the site of the long-abandoned Southwest Detroit Hospital, both the team and people in the surrounding neighborhoods hope for real community revitalization stemming from the completion of the stadium.

Detroit City FC acquired the land in May 2024 for an undisclosed price. The team’s new home, which is expected to cost $150 million, will be located at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and 20th Street.

The designer on the project is St. Louis-based design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm HOK, whose vision for the project has been described as a welcoming hub bridging downtown with Corktown, Mexicantown, and other southwest Detroit neighborhoods.

PROJECTS AND DEALS BEST NEW INDUSTRIAL PROJECT

Commercial Real Estate Awards | Focus

HUDSON'S DETROIT, DETROIT

Finalists Eastland Commerce Center, NorthPoint Development Fort Street Industrial Campus, Bedrock FANUC North America, General Development

R

obotics technology developer FANUC America announced in 2022 that it would be expanding its Auburn Hillsbased West Campus to span nearly 2 million square feet, including a 655,000-square-foot facility for manufacturing, engineering, and research and development.

The $110 million project was completed in June 2024 and is now operating at 2600 Featherstone Rd. in Auburn Hills, just south of Stellantis’ North American headquarters.

The project required the acquisition of 67 acres of land, plus the repurposing of the former Thomas M. Cooley Law School campus. The latter will be used to educate future employees in robotics and automation under the name FANUC Academy.

All told, the expansion added 788,000 square feet of additional operational floor space.

The contractor for the project was General Development, while GAV & Associates served as the architect.

The new West Campus facility, which provides advanced product manufacturing and customized automation systems, made its official debut in July

2024. The campus also includes warehouse space for more than 6,000 quick-delivery robots and tens of thousands of parts.

According to GlobalData, the robotics industry is expected to grow to a value of $218 billion in 2030 from $76 billion in 2023, with cloud computing and artificial intelligence the two most significant drivers of the growth.

When the facility opened, Mike Cicco, president and CEO of FANUC America, which has its headquarters in Rochester Hills, said the investment was in response to the changing demands of the marketplace.

“This major expansion represents our growth strategy in the U.S. and our steadfast commitment to the future of the automation and robotics industry,” Cicco says.

“While manufacturers continue to adapt to changing market demands, our ongoing upward trajectory allows us to better support our customers with cutting-edge robotic and automation solutions, helping to drive more efficiency across all industries.”

— Dan Calabrese

Finalists Woodlands Officentre in Farmington Hills, REDICO New Center One in Detroit, Axis Advisors Ven Johnson Law, Bedrock

COURTESY BEDROCK

R

Finalists Hudson’s Detroit, Bedrock Newlab, Ford Land Fisher Building, Michigan State University

R

BEST OFFICE LEASE

EDICO’s redevelopment of the Woodlands Officentre in Farmington Hills was designed to give new life to an existing office building that offered good highway access and a setting characterized by natural beauty.

The 235,000-square-foot facility at 31440 Northwestern Highway presented those attributes effectively enough to achieve 100 percent occupancy; major tenants include the Sam Bernstein Law Firm, the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness, Amentum Technology, and Fishbeck, Thompson Carr & Huber. The newer tenants join longtime tenant Attorney’s Title.

“These companies collectively leased over 132,000 square feet, bringing the building up to 100 percent occupancy this year,” says David Haboian, REDICO’s senior vice president of operations. “This was an incredible achievement and collective effort (between) the landlord and tenant(s), (who collaborated) with the architects, contractors, and city officials to bring everything together seamlessly.”

Dale Watchowski, REDICO’s president and CEO, took a leadership role in conceiving and completing

BEST NEW OFFICE PROJECT

the redevelopment project, along with Haboian and a larger team.

The accommodations made for the Kirk Gibson Center were especially noteworthy, as the organization renovated 40,692 square feet to offer programming for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. The effort involved the removal of walls and the development of a fitness room, a spin studio, second-level walking track, locker rooms, a boxing room, training rooms, and offices.

The newly refurbished Woodlands Officentre is characterized by a park-like environment that includes award-winning landscaping and natural space, with walking trails winding through 8 acres of undeveloped woodlands. The facility also includes a full-service fitness center available to all tenants, and on-site dining facilities that bring in local guest restaurants to offer daily meals.

It also offers secure underground parking with EV charging stations. “(This has) been a home run for our tenants and REDICO,” Watchowski says.

— Dan Calabrese

ising above downtown Detroit on the site of the old Hudson’s Department Store on Woodward Avenue, Bedrock’s new Hudson’s Detroit development establishes a new level of Class A amenities for office facilities in the metro area.

The tower structure is 685 feet — short of the distinction of the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center — while a neighboring midrise building spans 12 stories and features more than 400,000 square feet of Class A office space, with General Motors as the primary tenant.

Ven Johnson Law and Accenture also have committed to lease office space in Hudson’s Detroit, along with Rock (Dan Gilbert's family office) and the Gilbert Family Foundation.

Among the midrise facility’s other amenities are 13,000 square feet of private terraces on its fourth through 11th levels, surrounding a 9,000-square-foot central atrium with work spaces. Hudson’s Detroit was designed to offer flexibility in office floor plans, with 46-by-30-foot column spacing being adaptable for a variety of sizes and uses. A restaurant is planned on the top floor.

“The development is redefining the modern office building, with on-site meeting and event space, a seven-story atrium, a fitness center, a tenant lounge, and underground parking,” says Naumann Idrees, senior vice president of leasing at Bedrock.

Office tenants will enjoy a 360-degree city view, along with 24/7 security, and a wide variety of on-site and neighboring retailers including 6 Salon, Gucci, Shinola, Lululemon, Citizen Yoga, Nike, Apple, Alo, Tecovas, and several more that have yet to be announced.

Other features include concierge services, private fitness training rooms exclusive to office tenants, bicycle storage, and three floors of meeting and event space for large-scale conferences as well as smaller gatherings.

Architects on the project, which got its start in 2017, were SHoP Architects and Hamilton Anderson Associates. The office building will open early next year, followed by the residential and hotel tower in 2027.

— Dan Calabrese

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 39

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

BEST INDUSTRIAL LEASE Finalists Millennium, Friedman Real Estate LuxWall, Bedrock Livonia Commerce Center, Livonia payback three times faster than other glass products.

“LuxWall’s decision to expand in Detroit represents the perfect intersection of innovation, sustainability, and inclusive economic development,” says Jared Fleisher, president of Bedrock. “It’s a testament to what’s possible when mission-aligned partners come together with a shared commitment to revitalizing our neighborhoods. We’re proud to welcome LUXWALL, DETROIT LuxWall to the historic Delray District and we look forward to seeing Bedrock serves as both developer and landlord the impact their technology will for the LuxWall facility, which will be located on the have not just in Detroit, but across the globe.” former Sakthi Industrial Campus. Oliver/Hatcher ConThe project got a boost from a $31.7 million grant struction is serving as the design-build general confrom the U.S. Department of Energy, along with a tractor on the project. successful round of Series B funding led by Climate — Dan Calabrese Investment and Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital.

BEST RETAIL LEASE OR PROJECT

Finalists

Finalists Cosm, Bedrock Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness, REDICO Maxx Sports Arena, Friedman Real Estate

B

edrock’s Development at Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit looks to take immersive technology and media to another level by offering Cosm’s Shared Reality sports and entertainment concept at its nucleus.

Cosm’s technology provides “sensorial experiences” for sports and entertainment fans, bridging the virtual and physical worlds to make those who are present feel as if they’re part of the experience. It’s as if every guest has a front-row seat.

Detroit-based architectural firm Rosetti is designing the Cosm Detroit project, which will feature a 26.6-meter, 12K-plus LED dome, and Shared Reality technology. It will feature sports and entertainment programming from NBC, UFC, TNT Sports, ESPN, Fox Sports, and the National Football League.

Other experiential content will include a production of Cirque du Soleil’s “O” and immersive art experiences from creators such as new media artist Nancy Baker Cahill, Planetary Collective co-founder Guy

BEST NEW MIXED-USE PROJECT

Reid, and composer/new media artist Ricardo Romaneiro.

Cosm also will present a film titled “Inside Pop Art,” which will include works from guests including Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring.

Bedrock officials say the project is designed, in part, to bring a revival to Detroit’s historic Paradise Valley entertainment district. The Cosm feature is part of a broader 1.5-million-square-foot Development at Cadillac Square project.

“Cosm Detroit is a game-changer, not just for downtown but for how we think about sports, entertainment, and placemaking in urban centers,” says Jared Fleisher, president of Bedrock.

“Being recognized underscores the power of visionary partnerships and the role bold ideas play in reimagining our city’s future. Cosm will be more than an experience; it will be a destination that brings people together to cheer for their teams, and it celebrates the spirit of the city of Detroit.”

— Dan Calabrese

40 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

Hudson’s Detroit, Bedrock Sakura Novi, Sakura Novi LLC/Robert B. Aikens & Associates/Robertson Brothers Homes JW Marriott Detroit at Water Square, Sterling Group

W

ith the Asian community’s impact on metro Detroit’s economy continuing to grow, especially in western Oakland County, the concept of an Asian-themed retail and mixed-use development fits the region more than ever.

The vision drove Robert B. Aikens & Associates in Birmingham, and parytners, to form Sakura Novi and pursue a new mixed-use development of the same name.

Sakura Novi includes three elements.

The first is an apartment complex featuring 132 town homes built by Robertson Brothers Homes in Bloomfield Hills. Next is a 43,000-square-foot retail development offering a wide selection of stores and restaurants that will make their individual debuts in the coming weeks.

The third element is a Japanese-themed garden path, which includes a playground and a sensory garden.

The entire development sits on 16 acres at Grand River Avenue and Town Center Drive in Novi.

Scott Aikens and Phil Kim are the partners at Sakura Novi, while Darian Neubecker headed up the residential building

portion for Robertson Brothers Homes.

The project has had a long development time.

“It was begun before COVID-19, around 2018,” Scott Aikens, vice chairman of Robert B. Aikens & Associates, said during a mid-September interview. “We’re completing it right now. The first 50 people live there and the first store opened a couple weeks ago.”

The initial store is a family arcade called Klawsome! It will soon be joined by Paris Baguette, Chubby Cattle Wagyu House, a Korean steakhouse called Dancing Pine, and a Japanese bookstore known as BookOff. The retail portion will also feature an Asian-themed department store called Tessa Life.

“The Asian-themed restaurant and retail collection were designed to be a cultural contribution to the region,” Aikens said.

According to Aikens, a small second phase is planned for an unspecified point in the future, and will include 14 additional town homes. A larger subsequent phase is expected to add another 45 apartments, but, he noted, “that’s a little ways away.”

— Dan Calabrese

COURTESY BEDROCK

D

etroit’s Delray neighborhood is getting a major boost from the decision by LuxWall to lease a new, 276,000-square-foot facility along Fort Street that has been developed by Bedrock. Construction began late in 2024 and the facility is expected to be completed and ready for operation next year.

It's Ypsilanti-based LuxWall’s second production facility, and is expected to employ 277 people when it’s fully operational.

LuxWall manufactures vacuum-insulating glass that’s designed to produce the same energy-efficiency as a conventional wall. Using a material known as LuxWall Enthermal VIG, the company says the product is five times more insulating than double-paned glass and reduces energy loss by 45 percent.

According to LuxWall, Enthermal VIG is ideal for retrofitting buildings, due its thin profile — which makes it easy to install in existing window frames.

The company states the product can produce a

PROJECTS AND DEALS

BEST NEW MULTIFAMILY PROJECT

Commercial Real Estate Awards | Focus

BIRMINGHAM POINTE, BIRMINGHAM

Finalists City Modern, Bedrock Birmingham Pointe, FHS Birmingham Mystic Cove, Moceri Cos.

W

here luxury meets technology — and adds a generous helping of amenities — is where you’ll find the innovative development known as Birmingham Pointe.

The 358,000-square-foot mixed-use community, located at 707 S. Worth St. in Birmingham’s Triangle District, is the product of a three-way partnership between The Forbes Co., Hunter Pasteur, and Soave Real Estate. Collectively the group is known as FHS Birmingham.

The project offers 152 residences including one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, along with 10 penthouses that range from 1,850 to 2,175 square feet and boast expansive layouts and panoramic views. The homes are augmented by 4,400 square feet of retail, an integrated parking garage, and 35,000 square feet of resident amenities.

The latest technology includes eight-gigabit internet speeds for each home, roaming Wi-Fi coverage throughout the property, and access control technology for keyless building, garage, common area, and home entry. In addition, residents are provided with advanced communication, building, and community services via the Livly app.

Neumann/Smith Architecture served as the architect of record, with Christopher J. Longe AIA as the designer. M. Shapiro Real Estate Group manages the property.

“Birmingham Pointe’s finishes, design, and amenities are like no other project in the state,” says Nico Schultz, senior vice president of Soave Real Estate. “The amenity-rich living with technology is one of the concepts that drove Birmingham Pointe’s design and development.”

Other features include a 3,000-square-foot, hotel-styled lobby; a 12,000-square-foot landscaped rooftop with a pool, a spa, cabanas, gathering areas, and fire pits; and a 5,000-square-foot indoor entertainment venue knows as “The Club” — including a kitchen, a game lounge, club rooms, and private dining.

The European-style landscaped courtyard spans 8,000 square feet. There’s also a 5,000-square-foot fitness center and 1,500 square feet of workshare space, a curated art collection with more than 200 works, and a luxury pet spa with an indoor dog park.

— Dan Calabrese

BEST REDEVELOPMENT OR RENOVATION Finalists Big Rock Italian Chophouse, Luna Entertainment/Cameron Mitchell Piquette Flats, REDICO/The Platform Red Arrow Lofts, Hunter Pasteur/ Oxford Capital Group/The Forbes Co.

COURTESY BIG ROCK, BIRMINGHAM POINTE

T

he iconic Big Rock Italian Chophouse in Birmingham almost didn’t make it to the list of renovation projects embraced by Columbus-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants.

“It’s such a beautiful building,” says Steve Weis, vice president of development for Cameron Mitchell. “The first time we actually looked at it, it was still operating as the former incarnation of Big Rock, with Norm and Bonnie LaPage (as owners), but they were near the end of their run.

“At first we thought it was a really big project and we weren’t sure we wanted to take it on,” he adds. “So initially, we decided not to do it.”

Enter Tom Celani, CEO of Luna Entertainment in Novi, and Dario Bergamo, CEO of The Globale Group in Warren and a former cigar bar proprietor.

“Dario and I brought the idea of adding an expanded cigar lounge on the second floor of the

building to Cameron Mitchell, along with other components, and he liked the new concept,” says Celani, an investor in the project with the restaurant group. “Now, Dario is there almost every night helping to oversee the cigar bar.”

From there, Mitchell brought in Buckeye Hospitality Construction, which subsequently connected with a variety of Detroit-area subcontractors. The design was handled by Chicago-based Mark Knauer. Work began in early 2024.

“It’s so iconic,” Weis says. “You don’t build buildings like this anymore, (with) the beautiful slate roof and the barrel vault ceiling in the main dining room. There were pieces of it that were just spectacular.”

While the outside remains primarily the same, apart from a mostly new roof, the interior was completely redone. New features include a four-season

room that opens to a patio, a new kitchen, and an expanded dining room as well as a relocated bar.

The new Big Rock Italian Chophouse opened July 15, 2025.

“Obviously it was such a beautiful building that we wanted to honor that,” Weis says. “We probably spent more money than we originally planned to rehab it, but we think it’s a community icon.”

— Dan Calabrese

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 41

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

BEST HOSPITALITY PROJECT Finalists Dearborn Inn, Ford Land Vanguard Hotel, Robert Finvarb Cos./Milford Singer & Co. AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle, Roxbury Group

O

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD Kirk Gibson, Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness Frank Venegas Jr., Cadillac Urban Gardens Anthony and J.J. Curis, Little Village (Detroit)

COURTESY KIRK GIBSON, DEARBORN INN

W

hen iconic Detroit Tigers outfielder Kirk Gibson announced in 2015 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, it proved to be far from the end of the story.

In true Gibson fashion, it was the start of a fight that was destined for victory not only for Gibson himself, but for many others who found themselves struggling with Parkinson’s.

One of that fight’s most prominent wins has been the establishment of the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness, which opened in August at REDICO’s Woodlands Officentre in Farmington Hills after eight years of fundraising. The grand opening took place exactly 30 years to the day Gibson retired from the Tigers to end his career as a major league player.

The 40,692-square-foot facility provides myriad amenities and services for those dealing with Parkinson’s. Offerings include a fitness room, a spin studio, a walking track, locker rooms, a boxing room, and training rooms, along with cognitive improvement programs including

speech therapy, art and music therapy, and a variety of educational sessions on issues like safety and nutrition.

Other features include a cafeteria, music rooms, quiet spaces, and social lounges to bring together patients, visitors, and caregivers.

“Opening this Parkinson’s Center means providing a center of hope for anyone fighting the battle with Parkinson’s,” Gibson says.

“Every step forward, every breakthrough we make together, reflects the strength we find in each other. This journey is personal, but it’s also for all those who need to know they’re not alone.”

Steve Annear, CEO of the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s, says the Woodlands facility provides the organization with a unique combination of an easy-to-access location and state-of-the-art spaces.

“The design of the building itself is a great fit for the programming we’ll provide and the community we aim to build,” Annear says. “Our partnership with REDICO has been important to making this happen.”

— Dan Calabrese

42 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

riginally built in 1931 by Henry Ford and designed by legendary architect Albert Kahn, the 135room Dearborn Inn reopened on March 19, 2025, after a sweeping renovation that began in 2023.

With Ford Land leading the effort, design partners included AvroKO, Dash Design, Kraemer Design Group, and restoration architect Quinn Evans.

While the renovation preserved much of the Dearborn Inn’s historical characteristics, including checkerboard marble flooring and the green marble fireplace in the lobby, it added several new concepts.

One is Clara’s Table, a farm-to-table restaurant inspired by Ford’s wife, Clara, who loved gardening. There’s also a craft cocktail bar known as Four Vagabonds, inspired by the legendary road trips taken

by Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, John Burroughs, and Harvey Firestone.

Interior features include original Platner chairs, Eames furniture, and a variety of bespoke pieces from local artisans. Each guest room has a fourposter walnut bed.

DEARBORN INN, DEARBORN

In total, the Dearborn Inn has 95 standard guest rooms, 20 deluxe rooms, 16 junior suites, three vice presidential suites, and one presidential suite.

Before the end of the year, Ford Land is expected to complete the restoration of five Colonial-style historic homes on the property that offer a total of 18 rooms, including three standard guest rooms, 12 suites, the Edgar Allan Poe suite, and two hospitality suites.

Other amenities include a 24/7 fitness center, an expansive patio, and an outdoor fire pit.

“From the moment guests step through our doors, we want them to feel inspired by the history that surrounds them and by the trailblazers who once walked these halls,” says Joleisha Bradley, general manager of the Dearborn Inn, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection.

“The hotel is both a welcoming retreat and a living museum, with historic artifacts woven throughout the property,” she adds. “We look forward to continuing the tradition of hospitality that has made Dearborn Inn so beloved.”

— Dan Calabrese

Michigan’s Advocates for the Injured

Sinas Dramis Law Firm are EXPERTS in auto accident laws. If you are looking for an understandable explanation of the Michigan Auto No-Fault Insurance Law and how it works, need someone to explain your rights and discuss how to best proceed under your circumstances, and/or looking for representation, I would HIGHLY suggest Sinas Dramis Law Firm! ~ Past Client

SinasDramis.com | 866.758.0031 SERVING ALL OF MICHIGAN

Congratulations BRIAN MCKENNA!

370 BROWN ST, BIRMINGHAM, MI 48009

Luxury Living

Simplicity Meets Elegance

Coming Spring 2026

Leasing Inquiries: www.370brown.com 248.432.3205

Birmingham’s Premier Lifestyle Destination

LYNN DRAKE Founder of Compass Commercial

Your Single Source Commercial Real Estate Service Provider The Friedman Family of Companies Brokerage | Multifamily | Financing | Construction Commercial HVAC | Facility Management

248-817-5400

ld@compass-commercial.com www.compass-commercial.com

Lynn Drake, owner of Compass Commercial, began her career in 1985 as one of only 14 women in industrial real estate at Central Transport. She spent 15 years in corporate real estate before founding Compass Commercial, a tenant-focused brokerage now celebrating 15 years of service.

Lynn has dedicated her expertise to supporting nonprofits, saving organizations millions of dollars, including more than $1 million in rent for the Girl Scouts on a major relocation. She has also assisted Gifts for All God’s Children, The Troy Chamber and other community groups. With over 1,700 transactions, she pairs industry knowledge with community service.

880 W. Long Lake, Suite 225, Troy, MI 48098 WWW.FRIEDMANREALESTATE.COM

Perspectives

Ever-shifting tariff and immigration policies make it difficult for companies to set growth plans in the United States, Michigan, and metro Detroit.

BY TIM KEENAN ILLUSTRATIONS BY RUSTY FEATHERS DESIGN

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 45

Perspectives

E

conomic forecasts are difficult enough under normal circumstances.

Global events, natural disasters, pandemics, and consumer whims can turn the most scientifically based prediction on its head at a moment’s notice.

But President Donald Trump’s unconventional tariff policies are making corporate planners and economists’ jobs even more challenging.

Although economic prognosticators are cautiously optimistic about the fortunes of the national, state, and local economies, every forecast begins with the words “depending on what happens with tariffs.”

“Clearly the Trump administration strategy is different and a dramatic economic change from the coalition that was built around free trade principles starting from the Eisenhower administration,” says Sandy K. Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber. “We don’t know what the results of that are going to be, but certainly the short- and medium-term effects for manufacturing states like Michigan are clearly going to be challenged.

He adds that the tariff policy has been uncertain.

“The tariffs come on and off. They get increased.

They get decreased. There are tentative deals that are announced, but details aren’t known. It’s a very dynamic strategy that makes it very hard for capital-intensive industries like manufacturing to plan and to invest.

“It’s also very hard to make cap ex decisions like building factories and moving production lines if you don’t know what the rules of the road are going to be,” he adds.

Shooshan Danagoulian, associate professor of economics at Wayne State University in Detroit, says she expects “cautious growth” in the next year, but the uncertainty about tariffs could cause a slowdown.

“The economy in the United States is facing quite a bit of uncertainty for next year,” Danagoulian says.

“There’s a lot of business uncertainty around tariff policy, as well as federal contracts and federal regulations around contracts. A lot of businesses are pausing major investments and certainly pausing hiring. In the employment market, there’s a lot of wait-and-see happening.

“If or when tariffs become permanent, businesses will be able to decide whether to pass the increased costs on to consumers or to absorb the costs and decrease investment and employment.”

In August, The Conference Board predicted that higher tariffs are set to weigh on real GDP growth in the second half of 2025 and into 2026, as consumers are expected to bear the brunt of higher prices.

“Businesses will navigate the tariff landscape with more clarity than was the case earlier this year,” the prediction continued. “Even though tariffs could eat into their profit margins, accelerated depreciation, one of the key provisions in the latest fiscal legislation, could incentivize business investment in the coming months.”

The Conference Board estimates the bulk of tariffs will impact Q4 and early 2026.

COST PERSPECTIVE Businesses large and small are navigating new economic policies that encourage domestic production at a time when access to skilled and specialized trades is waning.

Foreign trade remains the sector with the biggest question marks surrounding the economy, according to Michael Wolf of the Deloitte Global Economics Research Center.

“Tariff details are being changed frequently,” Wolf recently wrote. “Two federal courts ruled against President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on trading partners. On May 28, the Court of International Trade invalidated the tariffs on a nationwide basis, while a separate court invalidated the application of tariffs more narrowly on the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

“Both rulings have been temporarily stayed and the cases are in the process of appeal, which has made the future path of tariffs and trade policy even more uncertain. Further, the rulings do not apply to tariffs imposed under other statutes.”

The Trump administration insists the increased revenue from the tariffs will lead to all sorts of positive outcomes — including paying down the national debt, for one.

Official U.S. data shows that in June 2025, tariff revenues were $28 billion — triple the monthly revenue seen in 2024. The U.S. Treasury reported August tariff receipts of $29.5 billion after being at $27.7 billion in July.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated in June that the increase in tariff revenue, based on the new U.S. tariffs imposed between January and May 2025, would reduce cumulative U.S. government borrowing costs over the next 10 years by $2.5 trillion.

Officials also say tariffs will encourage foreign companies to manufacture more in the U.S., incentivize U.S. companies to reshore manufacturing, and ultimately grow the economy.

Apart from tariffs, at the national level, inflation and a soft labor market caused the Federal Reserve Board to lower interest rates .25 percent, to 4.25 percent, in September after holding firm at 4.5 percent to fight inflation.

The Fed decided to cut the rate, under pressure from the White House to cut the interest rate even more. Its hesitancy and the .25 percent cut came with the Consumer Price Index nudging to 2.9 percent in August, above the Fed’s 2 percent target. It also came as the labor market began showing signs of weakness, taking back almost 1 million jobs from previous reports.

“Our tools can’t do two things at once,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said at the time. “What we do is we ask is how far is each (inflation and employment) from the goal, and how long is it expected to get to the goal?”

Those questions should be answered when the Fed makes the two additional interest rate cuts it signaled at the last meeting.

According to the Michigan Department of Treasury’s latest report, the U.S. can expect modest economic growth throughout the next three years. Real, or inflation-adjusted, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is forecast to rise 1.1 percent in 2025, 1.3 percent in 2026, and 2.1 percent in 2027.

12-Month Percent Change, Consumer Price Index

(Gray areas represent a recession.)

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

46 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

Perspectives

U.S. wage and employment figures are set to increase over the forecast horizon, rising by 1 percent in 2025, .3 percent in 2026, and .8 percent in 2027.

The U.S. unemployment rate is forecast to increase to 4.4 percent in 2025, 4.9 percent in 2026, and 4.8 percent in 2027, due in part to expected increases in the national labor force.

Housing starts, meanwhile, are expected to grow by .6 percent in 2025 and increase by 2.7 percent in both 2026 and 2027.

With tariffs affecting prices, light vehicle sales are forecast to decline slightly to 15.7 million in 2025 and 15.5 million in 2026, but then they are expected to increase to 15.7 million in 2027.

The pace of inflationary growth, according to the Michigan Treasury, is forecast to increase, and then fall back to its 2024 level. The Consumer Price Index, which rose by 2.9 percent in 2024, is predicted to rise by 2.9 percent in 2025, advance by 3.5 percent in 2026, then increase by 3 percent in 2027.

New data released in September by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that the Trump administration’s across-the-board tariffs are increasing inflation. The report shows inflation ticking up in August, with the Consumer Price Index rising by .4 percent month-over-month and 2.9 percent year-over-year.

Core inflation — which strips out food and energy — rose .3 percent in August and 3.1 percent annually, matching July’s pace. Rising costs for shelter, food, and gasoline all contributed to the increase.

Since April, Trump has imposed across-the-board tariffs of 10 percent to 50 percent on nearly all imports, with higher rates for dozens of countries and industries. The average tariff rate now tops 18.6 percent, the highest since 1933. While some businesses initially absorbed the cost, companies are starting to pass the increases on to consumers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND Tariffs are upendeding global trade, but at the same time, have generated new revenue for the federal government.

Tariffs’ Effects on Michigan

What are the effects of tariffs and interest rate cuts on businesses in Michigan?

Tariffs are expected to hurt the auto industry, while the Fed’s interest rate cuts could benefit both automakers, who rely on loans to move their products, and the mortgage industry, which has a heavy presence in southeast Michigan with Rocket in Detroit and United Wholesale Mortgage in Pontiac.

“When you think about Michigan’s industrial mix, you have automotive and mortgage that are sensitive to interest rates,” says Gabriel Ehrlich, an economist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “We do expect the rates to keep coming down and that will help these industries. We expect slow economic growth and job growth to continue at a moderate pace. The uncertainty about tariffs makes it really hard to plan, and that has effects.”

Wayne State’s Danagoulian says, “Michigan is particularly vulnerable to tariffs because of the auto industry’s production process. Even American cars are made with parts that are often made outside the United States. Any tariffs that are implemented will be hitting these industries. And Michigan businesses, being so close to Canada, are impacted by the trade war between those countries.”

She notes that some small businesses may have to file bankruptcy to restructure their debts because of contracts that are no longer viable, depending on how the tariffs shake out.

Despite the turmoil, the Michigan Treasury says it expects employment in the state to grow .6 percent by the end of 2025 and increase by .4 percent in 2026 and 2027. It expects the wages and salaries of Michiganders to grow 3 percent in 2025, 3.3 percent in 2026, and 3.4 percent in 2027.

In May, the Michigan House Fiscal Agency projected a moderately weaker employment picture than the national economy with slower employment growth, averaging about .4 percent annually, and the unemployment will peak at 5.9 percent in 2026 before falling to 5.7 percent in 2027.

The same report forecasts Michigan wage and salary employment to increase by .4 percent in 2025, .3 percent in 2026, and .4 percent in calendar year 2027. Michigan’s unemployment rate is expected to increase to 5.6 percent this year and 5.9 percent in 2026, before decreasing to 5.7 percent in 2027.

Ehrlich says U-M research projects that the state’s economy will continue to grow moderately over the next two years.

“We expect tariffs to reduce employment in Michigan’s auto industry by a little over 5,000 jobs,” Ehrlich says, “but the reason we’re forecasting growth in Michigan is because of the growth in noncyclical industries like education, health, government, and leisure and hospitality.”

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 47

Perspectives

Payroll Employment Thousands of jobs 600

Projected

400 200 0 -200 -400 -600 -800 2004

2008

2012

2016

2020 2024 2028 Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Michigan, however, faces employment headwinds more daunting than other states.

Its unemployment rate increased faster than the national average over the past year, while many rural counties in the state are experiencing deepening economic distress, according to a Labor Day report released by the Michigan League for Public Policy.

The report, “A Snapshot of Michigan’s Workforce,” determined that Michigan had the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the nation, at 5.3 percent as of June 2025, compared to the national average of 4.1 percent.

Meanwhile, more than half of Michigan’s counties — 54 out of 83 — reported unemployment rates of 6 percent or higher, with rural communities hit the hardest.

The report also found that workers’ real earnings are being eroded as wage growth in Michigan is being outpaced by rising costs, with 27 percent of Michiganders reported to be employed, but under the classification of “asset-limited and income-constrained.”

In 2024, only two major Michigan industries surpassed the job growth rates of their national sector counterparts, according to the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics: Financial Activities and Construction. The government sector in Michigan and the U.S. noted the same change rate between 2023 and 2024 (2.5 percent), while information technology saw the greatest reduction in average payroll employment (-2.6 and -2.1 percent, respectively) across the state and nation.

One area of Michigan’s economy that experts are pointing to is Detroit’s modest increase in population.

“What cuts through everything is population growth,” says Sam Huszczo, founder and chief investment officer at SGH Wealth Management in Lathrup Village. “Without population growth it’s difficult for an economy to kick into gear. With 1.1 percent population growth, Detroit ranks better than the state and nation.

“The population growth has been encouraging.

Also encouraging, payrolls are up modestly. All of that is encouraging and a bedrock to continue the growth.

I anticipate more good things to happen from that standpoint.”

Like U-M’s Ehrlich, Huszczo looks for growth in areas apart from the auto industry.

48 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

INFLECTION POINT As global companies look to open domestic operations, they are offsetting labor challenges by tapping into new automation products and services.

“We’re still way too dependent on the auto industry,” Huszczo says. ‘In Michigan, the biggest positive GDP percentage changes were in construction, information technology, and real estate. The agriculture segment is down and has taken the biggest step backward as a result of the tariff situation.”

Unlike other states, Michigan “is actually dependent on international immigration and, with Trump’s policies, that’s kind of stalling,” Huszczo adds. “Because of the business dynamics, which don’t compare favorably to other states, we might not be able to rely on a large amount of international immigration, which might make it a tougher path for Michigan.”

Ehrlich says, “There’s no question that the population growth we’ve seen is a positive sign. As we look forward, we see immigration slowing down — and what does that mean for the positive trends? There are real questions as to what that’s going to look like.”

To combat the negative outlook and spark positive changes, the state of Michigan has been investing in talent retention and population growth initiatives, which officials say are paying off.

“We’re cognizant that there’s economic uncertainty, but the good thing for Michigan is there’s a good wind at our back because of the strategic investments that we’ve made that are really starting to pay off (talent retention, housing, child care, community college scholarships, and support for entrepreneurship and innovation, for example),” says Hilary Doe, chief growth officer for the state of Michigan.

“Detroit’s population grew, but so did Flint’s. Most importantly, (included) in those trends are young adults, (and that) number is growing faster than in 45 other states. It implies that things are going in the right direction.”

Another plus in Michigan’s favor is its emergence as a leader in forward-looking technologies to boost economic opportunities.

“Michigan has been a leader in energy jobs, with one of the fastest energy sectors in the country and some of those in clean energy manufacturing,” Doe says. “That’s a positive sign of our economic diversification, along with the fast-growing entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. We also have a fast-growing defense and aviation industry.”

An area of concern to the auto industry, and in turn the southeast Michigan economy, is the Trump administration’s de-emphasis on clean energy and, in particular, electric cars.

Perspectives

CURING ECONOMIC CANCER “Electrification of vehicles has become political, which is unfortunate,” says the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Baruah. “Electrified vehicles certainly aren’t for everyone today. They’re right for some people and very wrong for other people.

It’s very clear that the mobile industrialized world is moving to a more electrified vehicle fleet.

“The fact that our industries, our OEMs, our Tier 1s and our Tier 2s have invested so heavily in electrification and now have had the rug pulled out from under them means they’ve wasted a lot of their hard-earned shareholder money in a strategy that the U.S. government will no longer support and/or we’re about to cede 25-35 percent of the global vehicle market to other countries, namely China, that have a leadership position in electrification.”

Detroit’s Economic Future

U.S. economic and immigration policies and their influence on Michigan naturally have a trickle-down effect to southeast Michigan and the city of Detroit.

Despite the headwinds, U-M economists say Detroit is expected to see an increase in jobs, wages, and resident employment in the next five years.

Among the highlights of the U-M August report: • Wage growth at jobs located in the city will average 3.2 percent annually from 2025 through 2030, faster than the state of Michigan overall. After adjusting for local inflation, Detroit residents’ average real wages are expected to climb to 4.9 percent higher in 2030 than in 2019. Although that may seem modest, it outpaces the growth in average real wages at Michigan and Detroit establishments.

• Detroit is expected to add an average of 1,500 payroll jobs per year during the forecast period, an annual growth rate of .6 percent. Economists forecast resident employment to rise by an average of .4 percent annually. The slightly slower average growth of resident employment reflects its stronger recovery since the pandemic, which leaves less room for catch-up growth.

• Detroit’s unemployment rate is expected to continue rising through the first half of 2026, reaching 10.2 percent in the second quarter. Michigan’s unemployment rate is projected to peak at 6 percent in the same period. The forecast calls for the city and state unemployment rates to decline in the following years, as lower interest rates work their way through the economy. By 2030, Detroit’s jobless rate should decline to 8.9 percent, while Michigan’s rate falls to 5.6 percent.

• The number of jobs at Detroit establishments will recover to the pre-pandemic level by the second quarter of 2026, and researchers project it to rise to 3.1 percent above that level by the end of 2030. Resident employment is projected to surpass its pre-pandemic level by 4.5 percent at the end of 2030 and exceed its 2023 peak by 1.4 percent.

• Higher tariffs will weigh on employment in Michigan’s transportation equipment manufacturing sector over the next several years. Subdued expectations for statewide growth in the auto sector feed into the forecast for Detroit’s economy. Industries expected to see job gains over the forecast years include finance, leisure and hospitality, and public administration.

“We believe Detroit’s firmer footing augurs well for its economic performance over the next several years,” the economists, including Ehrlich, say in their report, “but the outlook is clouded by a high degree of uncertainty over the course of economic policy.”

Huszczo, of SGH Wealth Management, also is bullish on Detroit’s economic future yet cautions against “irrational exuberence.”

“Detroit is on a growth path, but it’s more vulnerable to unexpected events than an average U.S. city,” he says. “What we learned from the COVID-19 experience is that even though Detroit is on a growth path, any derailment from that path results in the economy being hit hard. Detroit doesn’t have the kind of wealth and assets to easily weather that storm.”

Ultimately, “the way the auto industry goes might be putting a damper on Detroit, as well,” he adds.

The uncertainties caused by national policy could at least be holding Detroit’s growth back, if not hurting it directly, according to Maureen Donohue Krauss, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Partnership.

BY DAVID L. LITTMANN

A

review of my forecasts for calendar years 2024 and 2025 was eye-opening, as they proved accurate. But in two especially fateful ways, they referenced the twin evils that plague our economy and financial outlook for 2026 and beyond.

Careless, unprofessional federal data-collection and reporting practices, along with the politization of the Federal Reserve, constitute a third-stage cancer throughout the economy.

These cancers must be removed permanently if the nation is to succeed.

Fortunately for the 2026 outlook, it appears real GDP growth and the average inflation rates will both average 3 percent.

Interest rates will be lower, in recognition of recent policies by Washington to reduce crime and to expand net exports and stable prices via mutually agreed-upon tariff rates with our trading partners.

These initiatives are bolstered by lower tax rates and new incentives aimed at raising overseas investments in the U.S., together with lowering cost-curves for both large and small firms.

Real wealth, purchasing power, savings, and investments are the classical keys to higher productivity and innovation for our future.

CARELESS DATA-HANDLING In September, we learned that data released from 2024 through mid-year 2025 was grossly overstated when reporting growth in U.S. employment and GDP. Revisions revealed that the U.S. economy slid into a mini recession entering 2025. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics overstated U.S. inflation rates between April 2024 and March 2025.

This overstatement slowed real GDP growth, largely because Federal Reserve monetary policies during 2024 and early 2025 made borrowing costs more expensive, which affected prospective home buyers, builders, and other private sector industries. It also

accelerated an already burgeoning cost of U.S. debt, now approaching $38 trillion.

Massive errors and data revisions compel forecasters to revise the basepoints from which 2026 activity can be confidently estimated.

Poor data-collection, like defective products, wastes time and money by deceiving data users, consumers, businesses, and policymakers. Damage also is done to both the private and government sectors of our economic system.

Persistently large misreadings of our vital data bases further erode confidence in what government says and does.

RUINOUS DEBT Even more diabolic is the out-of-control federal spending. If we plan to survive as a nation beyond our 250th anniversary, the Federal Reserve must refuse to monetize debt by saying “no more” to the U.S. Treasury.

Careless spending is the most treacherous economic threat we face. It might re-elect politicians, but it inevitably destroys the economic system. True independent status, granted by Legislative statute to the Fed in 1913, buttresses its stand against purchasing escalating mountains of new debt, now nearly double the value of GDP. At the same time, the dollar continues to wither on the vine.

Interest costs on current federal debt alone exceeds $1 trillion annually. This cost is demonic, and crowds out private enterprise while supporting a bankrupt and bloated public sector, including the Central Bank and much of the welfare state.

Economic suicide is an inevitable outcome of such trends — a conclusion justified by reasoned logic, unequivocal empirical evidence, and fundamental economic texts written by the finest monetary and economic thinkers and practitioners since 1776.

A frequent contributor to DBusiness magazine, David L. Littmann is a senior economist with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland. Previously, Littmann served for 35 years as senior vice president and chief economist at Comerica Bank in Detroit.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 49

Perspectives

TAXING TAXES

I

t’s often said the only certainties in life are death and taxes, but business leaders frequently cite Michigan’s flat 6 percent corporate income tax rate and other levies as impediments to attracting new companies to the Great Lakes State.

The state’s corporate tax rate is 0.5 percent lower than the national average of 6.5 percent and ranks 26th in the country, according to the Tax Foundation.

Neighboring Wisconsin has a 7.9 percent corporate income tax rate, while Illinois and Indiana charge 9.5 percent.

Ohio has a commercial activity tax, which is a tax on a company’s gross receipts.

But Michigan does carry one of the highest gas tax rates in the nation, with a base rate of 48 cents per gallon — and that could make a company think twice about moving here, especially if it’s a business that relies on transportation.

“There are a lot of elements in the state, particularly taxes, that aren’t very business-friendly,” says Sam Huszczo, chief investment officer at SGH Wealth Management in Lathrup Village.

Michigan’s tax rates are generally middle of the road compared to other states, but the tax burden for residents can vary depending on individual and city-specific income taxes. For 2025, the Tax Foundation ranks Michigan’s overall tax system 14th nationally for its competitiveness.

Michigan uses a flat 4.25 percent individual income tax rate, which is relatively low compared to the top tax brackets of states with a progressive tax system.

The state started collecting income tax in 1967, when it set a 2.6 percent rate. It jumped to 3.9 percent in 1971 and 4.6 percent in 1975. The tax rate reached its apex for a few months in 1982 before settling at 4.25 percent in 2015.

Michigan’s income tax is high compared to its neighbors. Indiana collects 3 percent from its workers and Ohio reportedly is working toward a lower flat tax.

Yet, Michigan’s 6 percent (since 1994) sales tax rate is lower than Indiana’s 7 percent and Ohio’s 7.2 percent combined state and local sales taxes. Michigan is one of only 13 states that doesn’t permit local sales taxes, which helps its ranking as the 38th lowest sales tax in the nation.

According to SmartAsset, Michigan’s average effective property tax rate is 1.34 percent of a home’s market value, which is higher than average compared to many other states. Michigan, however, doesn’t impose an inheritance or an estate tax, which can make it attractive for high-net-worth individuals.

David L. Littmann, a senior economist with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, recommends Michigan adopt a zero-income tax-policy.

“With this suggestion comes the equally urgent and powerful recommendation that Michigan gather its best private and public sector brainiacs to present a MOGE counterpart to DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency),” Littmann says. “DOGE was a starting point for the national effort to reduce waste, fraud, subsidies, and abuse in government budgets.

“Fifty years ago, Michigan sparked the Michigan Efficiency Task Force to do much the same thing. For Michigan, nothing would be more fitting than to inaugurate a Michigan equivalent with a serious deadline. It would blend in with the spirit of what made Michigan great and honor the state’s contribution to 250 years of America’s economic pre-eminence.”

— Tim Keenan

50 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

CHANGE COURSE Michigan doesn’t have a tax problem; rather, the state itself fails to deliver services that allow companies to expand unencumbered by multiple regulations and delays.

“There’s pent-up demand from companies that have been waiting for more certainty to announce new locations or start to build a facility,” Krauss says. “The pipeline is still strong, but eventually these companies have to pull the trigger on projects. Still, location choices are being broadened to other countries (like Canada) because of uncertainties about things like tariffs.”

Planning also is made more difficult by uncertain national policy.

“Companies are used to doing two- or three-year strategic plans,” Krauss says.

“They say they can’t do that anymore. It impacts financing, staffing allocations, and all of the basics that companies have to put together to charge ahead with taking on new projects or building new space.”

In general, economists tend to be cautiously optimistic about the economic prospects of the U.S., Michigan, and metro Detroit. They predict moderate growth in GDP and employment, with inflation having less of a grip on consumer budgets.

Changing tariffs and immigration are holding the economy back.

“When you have a ton of uncertainty, predictions become a lot of junk science,” Huszczo says. “The certainty that comes with permanent tax law fighting against the uncertainty of tariffs is a situation we’re all going to (have to wait and) see who wins. I’m excited about Detroit, mildly excited about the United States, and neutral on the state of Michigan.”

Baruah says, “The best-case scenario is that in the next three months or so, the United States is able to (sign) solid agreements with our key trading partners — the European Union, Mexico, Canada, and Japan — especially around manufacturing, automotive, and mobility. If we’re able to do those things, and have a concerted Western industrialized world strategy with China between now and the end of the year, 2026 could be a fabulous year.

“If we don’t do those things, I think 2026 will be a tough year for Michigan.”

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

© 2023 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

© 2023 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.

Joseph N. Ejbeh Banking & Financial Service Law

Kathryn R.S. Spray Corporate Law

Benjamin J. Aloia Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law

Aaron M. Keyes Commercial Litigation

HOL003 CRC 6005455 10/23 HOL003 CRC 6005455 10/23

Nina Paolini-Lotarski Family Law

Timothy G. Orlando Commercial Litigation

Congratulations to Aloia Law’s 2026 DBusiness Top Lawyers 48 S Main St #3, Mt Clemens, MI 48043 | (586) 783-3300 | www.aloia.law

Brian Akkashian founded Paesano Akkashian, PC in 2011 with his partner, Anthony Paesano. Paesano Akkashian is a full-service business litigation, corporate transactional, real estate and securities boutique.

Prior to founding Paesano Akkashian, Brian was a partner at Dickinson Wright PLLC from 1999-2011 in the Firm’s commercial litigation group and an associate attorney at Howard & Howard Attorneys, PLLC from 1996-1999. Brian has nearly 30 years of experience in commercial and business litigation, alternative dispute resolution, mediation, and arbitration. His practice in these areas has provided extensive experience in customersupplier disputes, automotive, manufacturing and supply chain litigation, shareholder disputes, fraud, insurance defense and employment litigation. Brian also counsels clients on all aspects of their business operations, including contract negotiation and formation, employment, compliance, and many other issues.

Brian has been a Michigan Super Lawyer in Business Litigation for the last ten years and was named a 2024 Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly Leader in the Law and 2024 DBusiness Top Lawyer. Brian has previously served as a member of the Executive Board of the Federal Bar Association for the Eastern District of Michigan and as co-chair of its Complex Commercial Litigation Committee. He has published articles and presented seminars on various topics in commercial and business litigation and is a current member of the Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Sections of the Michigan State Bar. In addition to his litigation practice, Brian has an active alternative dispute resolution practice having participated in hundreds of mediations and numerous arbitrations. His decades of experience as a trial lawyer, counselor, and advocate have made him uniquely qualified to work with attorneys and their clients in all aspects of dispute resolution. As litigation has become more time-consuming and expensive than ever before, with fewer trials and more emphasis by courts, attorneys, and clients on settlement, mediation has become an indispensable part of virtually every litigation matter. Brian has reacted by expanding his practice to include more work as a mediator. He uses his deep knowledge and broad legal experience, his pragmatic business approach and his ability to manage the personal and emotional aspects of litigation to find creative solutions and resolve even the most difficult cases.

(248) 792-6886

www.palawyers.com

7457 Franklin Road, Suite 200 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Q&A with Brian Akkashian Q: What does the typical mediation process look like when working with Paesano Akkashian PC. A: In general, mediation is a facilitative process involving consultation with attorneys and their clients to reach a compromised resolution of a dispute. Every mediation is different and it’s my job to tailor the process in each case to maximize the chances that the parties can resolve their case. This may involve a collaborative session with both sides and their counsel working together in the same room, private sessions with each side to allow open communication in a confidential setting and/or shuttle diplomacy between the parties to convey information and facilitate compromise.

Q: How does mediation reduce stress for both attorneys and clients?

A: The mediation process itself can be stressful. A good mediator may be able to reduce the parties’ stress by listening and demonstrating to the parties that their key issues and concerns are being heard and given serious consideration. In addition, while a negotiated resolution seldom produces an ideal outcome for either party, it resolves the dispute and eliminates the greater stress inherent in protracted litigation.

Q: How do you see the role of mediation evolving in the legal field?

A: Clients are rightfully concerned about the time, cost, stress and uncertainty involved in litigation. As a result, mediation has become an invaluable tool to resolve cases before clients spend time and incur substantial costs in litigation. Mediation also allows parties a greater say in the outcome of their dispute. In business court cases, mediation has become nearly mandatory at some point during the case. The trend towards mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution is unlikely to end any time soon. If anything, it’s likely that parties, attorneys and judges will continue to rely on mediation to resolve many, if not most, legal disputes.

Q: What’s the best way for attorneys to collaborate with you on their next dispute?

A: Pre-suit mediation is becoming more prevalent. It’s also not uncommon for a single case to include multiple mediation sessions or early mediation with continued involvement by the mediator as the parties proceed with litigation. My best advice is for counsel to identify and retain a mediator early (maybe even before litigation is filed) so the mediator has a firm grasp of the issues at every stage of the case and can provide maximum assistance in resolving the dispute.

Contact Brian Akkashian for your legal or mediation needs: bakkashian@palawyers.com

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

Top 2026 Top

Law yers INDEX ANTITRUST LAW .............................................................55 APPELLATE LAW .............................................................55 ARBITRATION..................................................................55 BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICE LAW ..........................55 BANKRUPTCY & CREDITOR/DEBTOR RIGHTS LAW......56 COMMERCIAL LAW ........................................................57 CONSTRUCTION LAW ....................................................57 COPYRIGHT LAW............................................................57 CORPORATE LAW ...........................................................57 CRIMINAL DEFENSE – NON WHITE-COLLAR ...............57 CRIMINAL DEFENSE – WHITE-COLLAR ........................58 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAW ............................................58 ENERGY LAW ..................................................................58 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ..................................................58 FAMILY LAW ....................................................................59 FOOD & BEVERAGE LAW ...............................................60 FRANCHISE LAW ............................................................60 HEALTH CARE LAW ........................................................60 IMMIGRATION LAW ........................................................60 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & DISCOVERY LAW.........................................................61 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW ..............................61 INSURANCE LAW............................................................61 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & PATENT LAW ..................61 INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW ........................................62 LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW........................................62

54 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

LAND USE & ZONING .....................................................63 LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW ............................................63 LITIGATION – ANTITRUST ..............................................63 LITIGATION – BANKING & FINANCE..............................63 LITIGATION – COMMERCIAL .........................................63 LITIGATION – CONSTRUCTION .....................................64 LITIGATION – INSURANCE.............................................64 LITIGATION – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.....................65 LITIGATION – LABOR EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS...........65 LITIGATION – PATENTS ..................................................65 LITIGATION – REAL ESTATE ...........................................65 MEDIATION .....................................................................65 MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW .......................................65 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS LAW ..................................66 MUNICIPAL LAW .............................................................66 NONPROFIT/CHARITIES LAW ........................................66 PERSONAL INJURY ........................................................66 PRODUCT LIABILITY.......................................................67 PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE LAW ............................67 PUBLIC FINANCE LAW ...................................................67 REAL ESTATE LAW ..........................................................67 SECURITIES LAW ............................................................68 TAX LAW..........................................................................68 TRUSTS & ESTATES ........................................................69 WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW.................................69

T

he research for the 2026 Top Lawyers list was created by PRS (Professional Research Services) and is based on an online peerreview survey sent out to the certified lawyers within the metro Detroit area. Many votes were cast honoring excellence in the legal field. Inclusion in DBusiness magazine’s Top Lawyers list is based solely upon one’s standing within their peer group. Listings in Top Lawyers cannot be purchased.

The 2026 Top Lawyers list will be posted at DBusiness.com on Nov. 17, 2025.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN BRITIGAN

TOP LAWYERS |

ANTITRUST LAW Gregory L. Curtner Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila Howard B. Iwrey Dykema Gossett Sheldon H. Klein Butzel Long Robert E. Murkowski Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Paul F. Novak Weitz & Luxenberg Thomas C. O'Brien Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone L. Pahl Zinn Dickinson Wright

APPELLATE LAW Stephanie Arndt Appellate Partners LeRoy L. Asher Jr. Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Keith Banka Mike Morse Law Firm Trent B. Collier Collins Einhorn Farrell Michael J. Cook Collins Einhorn Farrell Phillip J. DeRosier Dickinson Wright Timothy A. Diemer Jacobs and Diemer Stephanie A. Douglas BSP Law Don Fulkerson Fabian, Sklar, King & Liss Jeffrey C. Gerish Plunkett Cooney Christina A. Ginter Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

2026

Caroline B. Giordano Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Kurtis T. Wilder Butzel Long

Mark Granzotto Granzotto & Wittmann

I. W. Winsten Honigman

Gregory P. LaVoy Harvey Kruse

James L. Woolard Jr. Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Derek J. Linkous BSP Law

BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICE LAW

Daniel J. McCarthy Butzel Long Susan M. McKeever BSP Law Edward M. Nahhat Kemp Klein Law Firm Matthew T. Nicols Secrest Wardle Ronald S. Nixon Kemp Klein Law Firm Brian J. Richtarcik Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip Robert M. Riley Honigman

Kasturi Bagchi Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Megan R.I. Baxter-Labut Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Douglas C. Bernstein Plunkett Cooney Matthew K. Casey Warner Norcross + Judd Michelle "Cheli" Bleda Drew Honigman Kimberly A. Dudek Honigman Joseph N. Ejbeh Aloia Law

Madeline Sinkovich Mike Morse Law Firm

Robert B. Goldi Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Beth A. Wittmann Granzotto & Wittmann

Shawn N. Hopper Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

ARBITRATION

Joseph C. Huntzicker Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Frederick A. Acomb Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Joel C. Bryant Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Gene J. Esshaki Merry, Farnen and Ryan Patrick F. Hickey Hickey Hauck Bishoff Jeffers & Seabolt Samantha S. Galecki Sager Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Kimberly L. Scott Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Barbara A. Kaye Honigman Steven A. Roach Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Michael J. Romaya Varnum James J. Sarconi Smith & Sarconi Wayne S. Segal Dawda Clara L. Seymour Honigman

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 55

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

LAWYER POPULATION IN MICHIGAN 2015–2024

2015

34,739

2016

35,087

2017

35,236

2018

35,362

2019 2020

35,360 35,214

William P. Shield Jr. Dickinson Wright

Joshua Gadharf McDonald Hopkins

Larry R. Shulman Bodman

Jonathan S. Green Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Frank R. Simon Simon

Steven G. Howell Dickinson Wright

Theodore B. Sylwestrzak Dickinson Wright

Scott B. Kitei Honigman

Kristen M. Veresh Varnum

Anthony J. Kochis Wolfson Bolton Kochis

Robert A. Wright III Dawda

Richard Kruger Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

BANKRUPTCY & CREDITOR/DEBTOR RIGHTS LAW

Scott M. Kwiatkowski Goldstein Bershad & Fried

Melvin J. Babi Babi Legal Group Marc M. Bakst Bodman Jason W. Bank Kerr Russell & Weber

2021

35,114

2022

35,139

Brendan G. Best Varnum

2023

34,577

Jeffrey H. Bigelman Osipov Bigelman

34,366

Lynn M. Brimer Strobl

2024

Source: Michigan Bar Association

Stanley M. Bershad Goldstein Bershad & Fried

Charles "Chuck" D. Bullock Stevenson & Bullock Tracy M. Clark Steinberg Shapiro & Clark Steven J. Cohen The Smart Law Group Elliot G. Crowder Stevenson & Bullock Robert J. Diehl Jr. Bodman

56 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

Stephen S. LaPlante Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dennis W. Loughlin Warner Norcross + Judd Ralph E. McDowell Bodman Shantelle N. Neff Law Offices of Joshua B. Sanfield Dean R. Nelson Jr. Taunt Law Norman D. Orr Kemp Klein Law Firm Yuliy Osipov Osipov Bigelman James A. Plemmons Dickinson Wright E. Todd Sable Honigman Ronald A. Spinner Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Marc N. Swanson Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Julie B. Teicher Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller Glenn S. Walter Honigman

TOP LAWYERS |

Scott A. Wolfson Wolfson Bolton Kochis

Corinne S. Rockoff Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

K. Dino Kostopoulos Kostopoulos & Rodriguez

Craig E. Zucker Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

Mark D. Sassak Deneweth, Vittiglio & Sassak

Donald J. Kunz Honigman

COMMERCIAL LAW

Anthony Vittiglio II Deneweth, Vittiglio & Sassak

Jeffrey L. LaBine Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Karl A. Hochkammer Honigman

COPYRIGHT LAW

Daniel H. Minkus Clark Hill

Chauncey C. Mayfield II Honigman

Joseph A. Bellanca Hertz Schram

CONSTRUCTION LAW

J. Michael Huget Honigman

R. Edward Boucher Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Susan M. Kornfield Bodman

Tim P. Brady The Tim Brady Law Firm

Julie E. Reitz Honigman

Michael D. Carroll Kerr Russell & Weber

CORPORATE LAW

James R. Case Dykema Gossett

Thomas G. Appleman Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Peter J. Cavanaugh Cavanaugh & Quesada

Richard C. Buslepp Kerr Russell & Weber

Timothy P. Dugan Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Alfredo Casab Dawda

Douglas W. Eyre Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Ralph A. Castelli Kemp Klein Law Firm

Patrick A. Facca Facca, Richter & Pregler

Forrest O. Dillon Bodman

Eric J. Flessland Butzel Long

Michael D. DuBay Honigman

Scott D. Garbo Clark Hill

Steven J. Enwright Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

J. Christian Hauser Frasco Caponigro Wineman Scheible Hauser & Luttmann

Laura E. Johnson Butzel Long

Kevin S. Hendrick Clark Hill Ronald E. Hodess Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone John R. Prew Harvey Kruse

Loukas Panayiotis Kalliantasis Clark Hill John P. Kanan Honigman Justin G. Klimko Butzel Long

2026

Matthew J. Moussiaux Honigman Joshua F. Opperer Honigman Alex L. Parrish Honigman Linda Paullin-Hebden Warner Norcross + Judd Marc K. Salach Dawda Kathryn R.S. Spray Aloia Law Cynthia L. Umphrey Kemp Klein Law Firm Shusheng Wang Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

CRIMINAL DEFENSE – NON WHITE-COLLAR Sherman Abdo La Grasso, Abdo, & Silveri Raymond A. Cassar Law Offices of Raymond A. Cassar David R. Cripps Cripps & Silver Law Loren M. Dickstein Lewis & Dickstein Gerald K. Evelyn Gerald K. Evelyn Attorney & Counselor Steven Fishman Attorney at Law

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 57

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

James W. Burdick Burdick Law

Katina K. Gorman

Kenneth R. Chadwell Plunkett Cooney

Deborah L. Grace

Ronald W. Chapman Chapman Law Group

Roberta P. Granadier

Thomas W. Cranmer Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Frederick W. Gregory

Colin A. Daniels Neil Rockind | Rockind Law

Edward C. Hammond

George B. Donnini Butzel Long

Mark W. Jane

David F. DuMouchel Butzel Long

Samantha A. Kopacz

Marc E. Hart The Law Offices of Marc E. Hart

Gerald J. Gleeson II Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Brian A. Kreucher

Joshua A. Kaplan Dizik | Faber | Kaplan

Patrick John Hurford Patrick Hurford

Lynn McGuire

Joseph A. Lavigne Law Offices of Joseph A. Lavigne

Mark J. Kriger LaRene & Kriger

Cynthia A. Moore

Mariell R. Lehman Lehman Law Firm

Walter J. Piszczatowski Hertz Schram

Jessica S. Rowley

Robert W. Palmer Pitt McGehee Plamer Bonanni & Rivers

Matthew Schneider Honigman

Charles M. Russman

Mitchell Ribitwer Ribitwer & Sabbota

James C. Thomas O'Reilly Rancilio

Kenneth J. Sachs

Neil S. Rockind Neil Rockind | Rockind Law

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAW

Jordan Schreier

Jerome Sabbota Ribitwer & Sabbota

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dickinson Wright Dickinson Wright Dickinson Wright Clark Hill

Butzel Long Honigman

Howard & Howard Attorneys Butzel Long

Dickinson Wright AsherKelly Varnum

Bodman

Dickinson Wright

William E. Altman

David B. Walters

Gabi D. Silver Cripps & Silver Law

Michelle "Mickey" Bartlett

ENERGY LAW

Kimberly W. Stout Kimberly W. Stout Attorney at Law

Alexander J. Burridge

CRIMINAL DEFENSE – WHITE-COLLAR

Amy M. Christen

Jewel Haji Boelstler Honigman

58 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

Fisher & Phillips

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Honigman

Dykema Gossett

Jaclyn Culler

Dickinson Wright

Bodman

Karen L. Boore

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW Richard A. Barr Honigman

TOP LAWYERS |

Kurt M. Brauer

Nicholas J. Tatro

Russell J. Bucher

Tyler D. Tennent

Michael L. Caldwell

FAMILY LAW

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Zausmer

Brian J. Considine Dawda

Fredrick J. Dindoffer Bodman

Nathan D. Dupes Bodman

Stephen R. Estey Zausmer

Grant P. Gilezan Dykema Gossett

Beth S. Gotthelf Butzel Long

Mohamad Hussein Houjaij Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip

Mark D. Jacobs Dykema Gossett

S. Lee Johnson Honigman

Susan L. Johnson Butzel Long

Kurt A. Kissling

Warner Norcross + Judd

Matthew C. McCann

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip

Steven C. Nadeau Honigman

Susan J. Sadler Dawda

AnnMarie Sanford Dickinson Wright

Erica J. Sarver Bodman

Arthur H. Siegal

Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip

5

TOP

Warner Norcross + Judd

Dawda

Jeffrey Lance Abood The Abood Law Firm

Mark A. Bank Bank Rifkin

2026

POPULATIONS OF LAWYERS

BY STATE (+MICHIGAN)

Carol F. Breitmeyer Breitmeyer Cushman

Kyle Bristow Bristow Law

Erica Grand Brown Erica Brown Law

Cristina Crescentini Hertz Schram

Kathryn M. Cushman Breitmeyer Cushman

Jordan S. Dizik

Dizik | Faber | Kaplan

Roquia K. Draper

Warner Norcross + Judd

Laura E. Eisenberg

NY

CA

TX

FL

IL

MI

Erin Flynn

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

10.

Eisenberg & Spilman Flynn Law

Amy B. Folbe Honigman

Staci D. Giske

Giske Law Center

Lorne B. Gold

The Gold Law Firm

Ruth Goldner Goldner Deeg

Marcy Hahn

Lotus Legal Solutions

Elizabeth A. Hohauser Elizabeth A. Hohauser

1. New York 2. California 3. Texas 4. Florida 5. Illinois 6. Pennsylvania 7. Massachusetts 8. New Jersey 9. Ohio 10. Michigan

187,656 175,883 98,345 80,080 62,093 47,519 40,075 39, 311 36,488 34,366

Source: 2024 American Bar Association National Lawyer Population Survey

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 59

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

Lynn Capp Sirich

John Paul Hessburg

Amy A. Stawski

Michael R. Janes

Lisa D. Stern

Matthew Keuten

Jessica R. Woll

Peter B. Kupelian

Dickinson Wright

Kemp Klein Law Firm Hertz Schram Woll & Woll

FOOD & BEVERAGE LAW J. Patrick Howe Honigman

FRANCHISE LAW Keela P. Johnson

Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton

Ryan Kelly Kelly & Kelly

Channelle Kizy-White Kizy Law

Rebecca S. Klein Rubin Frampton

Courtland W. Anderson Bodman

Bernard J. Fuhs Butzel Long

Gary M. Remer

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

David Steinberg

Kitch Attorneys & Counselors Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Honigman Clark Hill

Mark R. Lezotte Butzel Long

Silvia Alexandria Mansoor Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip

Lori-Ann Rickard Rickard & Associates

Alan "Al" T. Rogalski Warner Norcross + Judd

David L. Rogers

Rogers & Associates

Daniel J. Schulte Kerr Russell & Weber

Elia Law

Robert H. Schwartz

Sarty Lindquist and Robl

HEALTH CARE LAW

Keith J. Soltis

Angela Medley

Jennifer L. Benedict

Jennifer Lindquist

The Medley Law Firm

Honigman

David S. Mendelson

Reesa Benkoff

The Mendelson Law Firm

Benkoff Health Law

Nina M. Paolini-Lotarski

Liza Roe Brooks

Aloia Law

Dykema Gossett

Julia A. Perkins

Elizabeth Callahan

Varnum

Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman

Kristyn P. Recchia

Brandon M. Dalziel

Dickinson Wright

Bodman

B. Andrew Rifkin

Jovan Dragovic

Bank Rifkin

Dykema Gossett

Chase S. Robl

Gregory G. Drutchas

Sarty Lindquist and Robl

Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

Kurt E. Schnelz

Debra A. Geroux

Schnelz Wells

60 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

Butzel Long

Butzel Long

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Andrew B. Wachler Wachler & Associates

Mark E. Wilson Dickinson Wright

IMMIGRATION LAW James G. Aldrich Dykema Gossett

N. Peter Antone

Antone, Casagrande & Adwers

Edward A. Bajoka Bajoka Law Group

Elizabeth B. Baker

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Dorothy H. Basmaji

Antone, Casagrande & Adwers

TOP LAWYERS |

Sarah R. Bileti

Warner Norcross + Judd

Robert M. Birach

Law Office of Robert M. Birach

Meghan N. Covino Honigman

Jalal J. Dallo Dallo Law

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & DISCOVERY LAW Megan C. McKnight Tealstone Law

Angela Emmerling Shapiro Butzel Long

Aaron Herskovic

Fabian, Sklar, King & Liss

Kimberly A. Kardasz Harvey Kruse

Stacey L. King

Garan Lucow Miller

Adam B. Kutinsky Kutinsky

Christopher M. Dutot

Jason J. Liss

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW

Rami Fakhoury

Danielle F. Bass

Fadee A. Nakkash

Rick A. Decker

Travis J. Peterson

Emily E. Hughes

Daniel S. Saylor

Michael S. Khoury

Michael F. Schmidt

Gregory Mitchell

Stuart A. Sklar

Claudia Rast

Robert M. Unatin

INSURANCE LAW

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & PATENT LAW

Fakhoury Global Immigration

Afaf Vicky Farah

Law Offices of Afaf Vicky Farah

Suzan Gabbara Eaman & Gabbara

Marshal E. Hyman

Marshal E. Hyman & Associates

Elise S. Levasseur Dickinson Wright

Clara DeMatteis Mager Butzel Long

George P. Mann

George P. Mann & Associates

Eli Maroko

Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

Kathleen M. McCarroll Kerr Russell & Weber

Elisheva G. Mosko Mosko Law

Reginald A. Pacis Butzel Long

Meghan Kennedy Riordan Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

Julianne Cassin Sharp

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Suzanne K. Sukkar Dickinson Wright

Honigman Miller Law Miller Law

FisherBroyles Miller Law

Butzel Long

Mohammad G. Beydoun Secrest Wardle

Fabian, Sklar, King & Liss Secrest Wardle Harvey Kruse

Garan Lucow Miller Harvey Kruse

Fabian, Sklar, King & Liss Plunkett Cooney

Charles W. Browning

Daniel P. Aleksynas

Jeffrey A. Bussell

Thomas J. Appledorn

Michael G. Costello

John S. Artz

George F. Curran III

Robin W. Asher

Nancy V. Dembinski

Kimberly A. Berger

Michael H. Fabian

Daniel H. Bliss

Lawrence E. Gursten

Andrew J. Boes

Plunkett Cooney

Michigan Auto Law Bodman

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Landry, Mazzeo & Dembinski Fabian, Sklar, King & Liss Michigan Auto Law

2026

Young Basile Hanlon & MacFarlane Honigman

Dickinson Wright Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Howard & Howard Attorneys Honigman

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 61

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

CATEGORIES WITH THE MOST REPRESENTATION

CATEGORY

Kelly K. Burris

Bruce C. Thelen

Burris Law

Dickinson Wright

Eric M. Dobrusin

Randolph M. Wright

Glenn E. Forbis

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW

The Dobrusin Law Firm

COUNT

Litigation — Commercial Labor & Employment Law Real Estate Law Trusts & Estates Bankruptcy & Creditor/Debtor Rights Law Family Law Appellate Law Medical Malpractice Law Immigration Law Intellectual Property & Patent Law Environmental Law Corporate Law Health Care Law Banking & Financial Service Law Tax Law Personal Injury Mergers & Acquisitions Law Employee Benefits Law

46 38 37 34

34 34 24 24 24 24 23 23 22 22 21 20 20 20

Harness IP

Eric S. Hydorn

The Dobrusin Law Firm

Erin Klug

The Dobrusin Law Firm

Anessa Owen Kramer Honigman

Anita C. Marinelli

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Mary Margaret L. O'Donnell Blue Filament Law

Paul J. Palinski

The Dobrusin Law Firm

Kristen L. Pursley

The Dobrusin Law Firm

Philip E. Rettig Dickinson Wright

Mark D. Schneider Dinsmore & Shohl

LAW FIRMS

Eric J. Sosenko Honigman

WITH THE MOST REPRESENTATION LAW FIRM

Steven Susser Evia Law

COUNT

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Honigman Dickinson Wright Bodman Butzel Long Kemp Klein Law Firm Dawda Kotz Sangster Wysocki Miller Law Michigan Auto Law Harvey Kruse Varnum Warner Norcross + Judd

89 75 32 31 28 25 21 16 13 12 11 10 10

62 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

Matthew H. Szalach Honigman

Daniela M. Walters The Dobrusin Law Firm

Rebecca L. Wilson

Berry Moorman

Margaret Carroll Alli Ogletree Deakins

D. Kyle Bierlein

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Terry W. Bonnette

Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer

Deborah L. Brouwer

Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer

Aaron V. Burrell Dickinson Wright

Ahmad Chehab

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Randal R. Cole Dawda

Michelle P. Crockett Honigman

Sean F. Crotty Honigman

Rebecca S. Davies Butzel Long

David R. Deromedi Dickinson Wright

Matthew S. Disbrow Honigman

Sue Ellen Eisenberg

Sue Ellen Eisenberg & Associates

The Dobrusin Law Firm

Barry S. Fagan

INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW

Gary S. Fealk

Fagan McManus Bodman

Joseph D. Gustavus

Mark R. Filipp

Jeffrey G. Richardson

Lawrence T. Garcia

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Kemp Klein Law Firm Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

TOP LAWYERS |

Joseph A. Golden

Heidi T. Sharp

Matthew L. Turner

Aaron D. Graves

LAND USE & ZONING

Darice E. Weber

Elizabeth P. Hardy

LeRoy L. Asher Jr.

Timothy H. Howlett

Daniel P. Dalton

Mark C. Knoth

David B. Landry

Frank T. Mamat

Richard D. Rattner

Debra M. McCulloch

Michael Vogt

Kostopoulos & Rodriguez Bodman

Kienbaum Hardy Viviano Pelton Forrest Dickinson Wright

Kerr Russell & Weber Plunkett Cooney McCulloch Law

Jennifer Lossia McManus Fagan McManus

Brett J. Miller Butzel Long

Megan P. Norris

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Heather G. Ptasznik Ogletree Deakins

The Sharp Firm

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dalton & Tomich

Landry, Mazzeo & Dembinski Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett Dickinson Wright

LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW David C. Anderson Collins Einhorn Farrell

Theresa M. Asoklis Collins Einhorn Farrell

Donald D. Campbell Collins Einhorn Farrell

Sommers Schwartz Secrest Wardle

LITIGATION – ANTITRUST David A. Ettinger Honigman

Larry J. Saylor

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

LITIGATION – BANKING & FINANCE Kasturi Bagchi

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Rian C. Dawson Honigman

Raymond W. Henney Honigman

Scott R. Lesser

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Harvey R. Heller

LITIGATION – COMMERCIAL

Jeffrey S. Hengeveld

Devon P. Allard

Plunkett Cooney

Miller Law

Jeffrey R. Hicks

Benjamin J. Aloia

Collins Einhorn Farrell

Aloia Law

James S. Rosenfeld

Tom Howlett

Alexander A. Ayar

The Googasian Firm

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Tad T. Roumayah

James J. Hunter

Angela L. Baldwin

Collins Einhorn Farrell

Miller Law

Erika L. Ruskin

Kathleen H. Klaus

J. Adam Behrendt

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

Bodman

Jennifer L. Sabourin

Edward G. Lennon

John E. Benko

Brian Schwartz

David M. Saperstein

Mark D. Chutkow

Rebecca C. Seguin-Skrabucha

Michael J. Sullivan

Dennis K. Egan

Matthew E. Radler Honigman

James M. Reid IV Honigman

Miriam L. Rosen McDonald Hopkins Butzel Long

Sommers Schwartz

Kotz Sangster Wysocki Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Bodman

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

Lennon Law

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller Collins Einhorn Farrell

2026

McDonald Hopkins Dykema Gossett

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 63

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

Erika L. Giroux

Sean P. Murphy

James P. Davey

Jennifer Grieco

Moheeb H. Murray

Michael C. Decker

Rebecca McLaughlin Haines

Kenneth Neuman

Ronald A. Deneweth

Shawn H. Head

Timothy G. Orlando

Head Murphy Law

Aloia Law

Lawrence M. Dudek

Michael P. Hindelang

Eric A. Parzianello

Honigman

Hubbard Snitchler & Parzianello

Ethan R. Holtz

Michael Petrus

Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Benjamin W. Jeffers

Daniel D. Quick

Hickey Hauck Bishoff Jeffers & Seabolt

Dickinson Wright

Christopher D. Kaye

Daniel L. Ravitz

Aaron M. Keyes

Steven M. Ribiat

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Altior Law

Head Murphy Law

Miller Law Aloia Law

Mark L. Kowalsky

Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

Eric A. Ladasz Dawda

Jeffrey K. Lamb Honigman

Timothy J. Lowe McDonald Hopkins

Gerard V. Mantese Mantese Honigman

James A. Martone Dickinson Wright

Stephen McKenney Altior Law

Roger P. Meyers BSP Law

E. Powell Miller Miller Law

Head Murphy Law BSP Law

Altior Law

Miller Law

Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco

Brian H. Rolfe

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Mark C. Rossman Rossman

Brian M. Saxe Miller Law

Scott T. Seabolt

Hickey Hauck Bishoff Jeffers & Seabolt

Bruce L. Sendek Butzel Long

Daniel N. Sharkey

Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco

Mark Steiner

McDonald Hopkins

Kevin J. Watts Miller Law

Frances Belzer Wilson Dawda

Sonal Hope Mithani

LITIGATION – CONSTRUCTION

John Mucha III

R. Edward Boucher

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dawda

64 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Kemp Klein Law Firm Butzel Long

Deneweth, Vittiglio & Sassak Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Eric J. Flessland Butzel Long

Faith M. Gaudaen Kemp Klein Law Firm

Richard T. Hewlett Varnum

Raymond L. Morrow Kemp Klein Law Firm

Emily C. Palacios

Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey

Jeffrey M. Sangster Kotz Sangster Wysocki

John M. Sier

Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

Brandon J. Wilson Honigman

LITIGATION – INSURANCE Derek J. Brackon Michigan Auto Law

Matthew J. Consolo Secrest Wardle

Michelle Thurber Czapski Bodman

Justin A. Grimske Secrest Wardle

Rabih Hamawi

Law Office of Rabih Hamawi

Alexander P. Kemp Michigan Auto Law

TOP LAWYERS |

Mark F. Masters Secrest Wardle

Richard A. Moore Michigan Auto Law

Anthony A. Randazzo Secrest Wardle

Mark E. Servais Michigan Auto Law

LITIGATION – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Frank A. Angileri Brooks Kushman

David Louis Atallah Carlson, Gaskey & Olds

Marjory G. Basile

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Michael P. Coakley

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Richard W. Hoffmann Reising Ethington

Marc Lorelli

Brooks Kushman

Patrick M. McCarthy

Howard & Howard Attorneys

A. Michael Palizzi

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Wendolyn Wrosch Richards Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Steven Susser Evia Law

Deborah "Bea" Swedlow Honigman

Leigh C. Taggart Honigman

Emily J. Tait Jones Day

Brian D. Wassom

Warner Norcross + Judd

LITIGATION – LABOR EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS Scott P. Batey

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

John F. Birmingham Jr.

James J. Rashid

Muskan B. Ali

Foley & Lardner

Sommers Schwartz

Sheryl Laughren

Matthew G. Curtis

Berry Moorman

Sommers Schwartz

Robert C. Tice

Albert J. Dib

Littler Mendelson

Jefferson Law Center

Jerome R. Watson

Andy Dragovic

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Sommers Schwartz

LITIGATION – PATENTS Sarah E. Waidelich

Tom McNeill

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW

D. Kyle Bierlein

Honigman

Thomas G. McNeill

Judicial Resource Services

Batey Law Firm

Scott D. Barnett

Paul J. Dwaihy

Nauts, McKinney, Dwaihy & Beach

Chad D. Engelhardt Goethel Engelhardt

Honigman

Lisa Esser-Weidenfeller

LITIGATION – REAL ESTATE

Richard L. Groffsky

Sommers Schwartz Sommers Schwartz

Benjamin J. Aloia

Randall A. Juip

Joseph Doerr

Marc E. Lipton

Brandan A. Hallaq

Donna M. MacKenzie

Livia Khemmoro

James R. McCullen

MEDIATION

Brian J. McKeen

Aloia Law

Doerr MacWilliams Howard Hirzel Law

Hirzel Lawt

Kathleen L. Bogas Bogas & Koncius

Nicholas A. Huguelet

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Daniel P. Makarski Secrest Wardle

2026

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip Lipton Law

Olsman MacKenzie Peacock & Wallace Reiter & Walsh — American Baby & Child Law Centers McKeen & Associates

David R. Nauts

Nauts, McKinney, Dwaihy & Beach

Emily M. Peacock

Olsman MacKenzie Peacock & Wallace

Anne Randall

Reiter & Walsh — American Baby & Child Law Centers

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 65

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

Jesse M. Reiter

David D. Joswick

Lauren T. Rhoads

Lee Kellert

Jennifer Secorski

Evan J. Leibhan

Laura H. Selzer

Steven J. Migliore

Judith A. Susskind

Michael T. Raymond

Matthew Turner

John P. Ulrich Jr.

Rebecca S. Walsh

Matthew R. VanWasshnova

Dina M. Zalewski

Richard A. Walawender

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS LAW

Sarah J. Williams

Brad B. Arbuckle

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Reiter & Walsh — American Baby & Child Law Centers Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip Reiter & Walsh — American Baby & Child Law Centers Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Sommers Schwartz Sommers Schwartz

Reiter & Walsh — American Baby & Child Law Centers Sommers Schwartz

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Robert S. Bick

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Richard C. Bruder Kemp Klein Law Firm

Timothy R. Damschroder Bodman

Jacob D. Drouillard Honigman

Zhiguo Du

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Matthew W. Frank Kemp Klein Law Firm

Arthur L. Griem

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Stephen M. Gross McDonald Hopkins

Eric M. Jones Honigman

66 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Taft, Stettinius & Hollister Honigman Honigman

Dickinson Wright

Kotz Sangster Wysocki Honigman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Bodman

Gregory L. Wysocki

MUNICIPAL LAW

NONPROFIT/CHARITIES LAW Celeste E. Arduino Bodman

Robin D. Ferriby Clark Hill

Jeffrey D. Moss Dawda

Lisa J. Hamameh

Jennifer M. Oertel

Rosati Schultz Joppich & Amtsbuechler

Bodman

Melvin Butch Hollowell Miller Law

PERSONAL INJURY

Steven P. Joppich

Mike Morse Law Firm

Rosati Schultz Joppich & Amtsbuechler

Steven D. Mann

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Michael P. McGee

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Daniela Peric

Wayne County Prosecutor's Office

Thomas R. Schultz

Rosati Schultz Joppich & Amtsbuechler

Amanda Van Dusen

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Matthew Bates

Donald J. Cummings Mike Morse Law Firm

John T. Eads III Marko Law

Jordan M. Ewald Michigan Auto Law

Joshua Farr

Mike Morse Law Firm

David C. Femminineo Femminineo Attorneys

Christopher Filiatraut Mike Morse Law Firm

TOP LAWYERS |

Steven Gursten

Amy M. Johnston

Steven M. Frank

Lauren Gwinn

Dennis A. Lienhardt Jr.

Craig W. Hammond

Christopher C. Hunter

Christina J. Marshall

Michael P. McGee

Thomas W. James

William E. McDonald III

Patrick F. McGow

Joseph Patrick McGill

REAL ESTATE LAW

Michigan Auto Law Michigan Auto Law Michigan Auto Law Raitt Law

Ven Johnson

Ven Johnson Law

Jody B. Lipton Lipton Law

Jonathan R. Marko Marko Law

Jason R. Mathers Harvey Kruse

Brian A. McKenna Sinas Dramis Law Firm

Mike Morse

Mike Morse Law Firm

Kevin H. Seiferheld Michigan Auto Law

Joshua R. Terebelo Michigan Auto Law

Javon Williams

Mike Morse Law Firm

PRODUCT LIABILITY Sharon S. Almonrode Miller Law

Bishop A. Bartoni BSP Law

Dale R. Burmeister Harvey Kruse

Michael D. Cummings Harvey Kruse

Fred J. Fresard

Klein Thomas Lee & Fresard

Dennis M. Goebel Harvey Kruse

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Miller Law

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone BSP Law

Foley, Baron, Metzger & Juip

David C. Moll Harvey Kruse

Stephen J. Ott

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Patrick G. Seyferth BSP Law

Matthew Warmbir

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Justin B. Weiner BSP Law

Michael D. Cummings Harvey Kruse

Kari Melkonian Fieger Law

PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE LAW Michael W. Hartmann

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

James J. Hunter

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dickinson Wright

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

C. Leslie Banas

Kemp Klein Law Firm

David M. Barbour

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Kylie E. Bergmann Dawda

Jonathan R. Borenstein Honigman

Alexander J. Clark

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Erin R. Cobane Dickinson Wright

Tracy Danner-Bond Hirzel Law

Edward C. Dawda Dawda

Joseph M. Fazio

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Robert J. Gavin Shifman & Carlson

Collins Einhorn Farrell

Edward S. Gusky

PUBLIC FINANCE LAW

Daniel M. Halprin

Jeffrey S. Aronoff

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

John A. Carlson Shifman & Carlson

Thomas D. Colis

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

2026

Varnum Dawda

Matthew W. Heron Hirzel Law

Kevin M. Hirzel Hirzel Law

Ronald E. Hodess

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 67

2026 | TOP LAWYERS

Brian H. Holt

Erin Bowen Welch

David J. Jacob

Grant W. Williams

Joseph M. Judge Dawda

SECURITIES LAW

Thomas A. Kabel

Matthew P. Allen

Butzel Long

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Kayleigh B. Long

Michael S. Ben

Hirzel Law

Honigman

Michael J. Lusardi

Richard C. Bruder

Dickinson Wright

Kemp Klein Law Firm

David D. Marsh

Patrick J. Haddad

700,000

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Kerr Russell & Weber

600,000

Christopher R. Martella

Miles D. Hart

Maryam Karnib Parshall

John A. Hubbard

Karen R. Pifer

Jeffrey H. Kuras

J. Adam Rothstein

Peter C. Rageas

Lowell D. Salesin

Gary M. Saretsky

Alan J. Salle

Brian Witus

Steven D. Sallen

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

TAX LAW

Nicholas P. Scavone Jr.

William B. Acker

Bodman

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Todd A. Schafer

Marko J. Belej

Dawda

Taft, Stettinius & Hollister

C. Kim Shierk

Steven R. Cole

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Bodman

David S. Soble

James H. Combs

Andrew Z. Spilkin

Jackie J. Cook

Eric M. Stein

Sean H. Cook

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

U.S. LAWYERS

Honigman

1920 - 2024

1,400,000 1,300,000 1,200,000 1,100,000 1,000,000 900,000 800,000

500,000

Dawda

400,000 300,000

Honigman

200,000 100,000

Honigman

0 1920

1940

1960

1980

2000

2020

M 1.3 M

There are more than lawyers in the United States. To be precise, there were 1,322,649 active lawyers as of Jan. 1, 2024, according to the ABA National Lawyer Population Survey, a tally of lawyers in every U.S. state and territory.

Over the past decade, the number of lawyers nationwide has grown by more than 41,000 41,000, according to the survey — an increase of from 2014 to 2024.

3.2%

Source: American Bar Association

Honigman Honigman Honigman

Soble Law Bodman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

68 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

Dawda

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Saretsky Hart Michaels + Gould Hubbard Snitchler & Parzianello Honigman

Law Offices of Peter C. Rageas Saretsky Hart Michaels + Gould Saretsky Hart Michaels + Gould

Honigman Honigman

Warner Norcross + Judd

TOP LAWYERS |

2026

David R. de Reyna

Hameed Jamal Dakroub

Katie Lynn Ringler

Katrina Piligian Desmond

David R. de Reyna

Stephen C. Rohr

Scott D. Foess

Julius H. Giarmarco

Glenn G. Ross

Gary R. Glenn

Kristen R. Gross

Dawn M. Schluter

Rebecca L. Grove

William Haines

Mark M. Snitchler

Varnum

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Michael K. Hauser

Brian R. Jenney

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Jeffrey S. Sternberg

Honigman

Michael A. Indenbaum

Robert B. Labe

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Grace K. Trueman

Honigman

Dennis Alan Kent

David P. Larsen

Michael J. Vomastek

The Silver Tax Group

Bodman

Stewart L. Mandell

Elizabeth L. Luckenbach

Linda A. Wasserman

Honigman

Dickinson Wright

Honigman

Amanda Afton Martin

Julia C. Massaro

Robert S. Zawideh

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Bodman

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Jeffrey M. McHugh

Chiara F. Mattieson

Eric M. Nemeth

Alan A. May

WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Honigman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Varnum

Gregory A. Nowak

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Neal Nusholtz

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Chad C. Silver Silver Tax Group

TRUSTS & ESTATES

Dakroub Group

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Giarmarco, Mullins & Horton Law Offices of Kristen R. Gross

Couzens, Lansky, Fealk, Ellis, Roeder & Lazar Kemp Klein Law Firm

Andrew W. Mayoras

Barron, Rosenberg, Mayoras & Mayoras

Monica D. Moons

Couzens, Lansky, Fealk, Ellis, Roeder & Laza

Michael E. Morden Honigman

Marc Nakisher

The Nakisher Law Firm

Thomas H. Bergh

Charles Nida

Kelly M. Burnell

Robert P. Perry

Varnum

Honigman

Bodman

Butzel Long

Joseph P. Buttiglieri

Austin W. Probst

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Andrew H. Curoe

Christopher Rambus

Bodman

Bodman

Dawda

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dawda

Schluter & Hughes Law Firm Hubbard Snitchler & Parzianello Kotz Sangster Wysocki Honigman

Head Murphy Law

Joel Alpert

Alpert & Alpert

Todd Barry

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Alex Berman

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

John P. Charters

Charters, Tyler, Zack & Shearer

William E. Gray

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Andrea L. Hamm

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Richard Hogg

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Jeffrey E. Kaufman

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Richard Warsh Alpert & Alpert

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 69

Cover Story

Back to School

T

hirty-five years ago, newly installed Roman Catholic Archbishop of Detroit Adam J. Maida addressed 400 luncheon attendees at the Economic Club of Detroit, including Mayor Coleman A. Young. His speech, “Partners in Building a New City,” received a standing ovation.

During his presentation, Maida challenged business leaders to “help create a private nonsectarian school in the inner city that would be a joint venture by the business, civic, and religious communities. Such a school would not be a threat to the public school system, but an alternative model.”

In what became a lasting comradery, Detroit-area business leaders and companies helped launch Cornerstone Schools in the city and continues to support the educational mission be it through philanthropy, the mentoring of students, internships, and, in some cases, providing educational experiences on campus or at company facilities.

Yet in recent years, Cornerstone Schools — like many K-12 educational institutions — have struggled with dynamic family trends including a rise in one-parent households; absenteeism, partly caused by families that move often due to the loss of a job or other challenging economic conditions; and low morale among students who trail their classmates.

“A child may be in the third grade but they don’t come back for the fourth grade, or we take students from other schools who have poor reading skills,” Clark Durant, president of the New Common School Foundation, and co-founder, current chair, and now retired CEO of Cornerstone’s charter management company, says. “If a student falls behind for whatever reason, it affects the student and his family.

“To turn that around, we’ve brought in new reading programs supported by our business community and others. What we hope to find and create is that the parents and their children are more engaged, and it leads to even more positive results and a better overall culture — but it wasn’t easy, due to social circumstance beyond our purview.”

At the time of Maida’s address, Durant, a 41-year-old attorney, was campaigning for statewide office and wasn’t in attendance. However, when The Detroit News’ editorial page editor Tom Bray told him about Maida’s speech, Durant drove to the archdiocese, obtained a copy, and read it right there in the lobby.

“When I read the paragraph about his vision for a new kind of school, my heart leapt and I knew I was born to help him create it,” Durant says. “I started my law practice representing people in Detroit who couldn’t afford a lawyer. I knew the other side of life for kids in the city.”

In February of 1991, Maida convened a meeting of 85 people who had responded to the call to start a school. Ultimately, the archbishop selected 13 people, including Durant, to meet every two weeks.

Two months later, Archbishop Maida (he was elevated to Cardinal in 1994) asked Durant to head the institution, now named Cornerstone Schools. Durant had previously served as a vice president at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, and had been nominated by President Ronald Reagan, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, to serve on the Legal Services Corp. board, a nonprofit that provides civic legal aid to the poor. Durant served as chairman for four years.

Within a few months, Durant and a friend, Mike Timmis, raised $1.2 million 70 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

Cornerstone Schools in Detroit has long achieved academic excellence by working closely with the region’s business community, but now the partnership is facing a new challenge as changing family dynamics impact basic reading skills, attendance, and classroom culture.

BY BILL DOW |

TREVER LONG

in scholarship pledges from four families to start the school.

Later, Durant secured $1.6 million in scholarship pledges for the new school from companies, foundations, and individuals to offset the cost of private-school tuition.

By September 1991, in 10 months’ time from Maida’s original address, Cornerstone opened two “Christ-centered” schools in Detroit and enrolled 167 students. (Three years later, in 1994, Durant was elected to the Michigan State Board of Education and served as president of the board before stepping down after five years to focus more on Cornerstone Schools.)

Today, the schools continue to grow, thanks to the continuing philanthropy of businesses and multiple donors, large and small. However, in 2008, during the global economic crisis, Durant was forced to change direction.

“During the economic tsunami, Rick Wagoner (chairman and CEO of General Motors) told me that ‘GM can’t support you in the same way anymore, and neither can the suppliers. Cash is tight.’ ” Durant recalls. “I then asked Bill Pulte ( founder of Pulte Homes) to chair a strategic planning group with Tony Earley, Walt Czarnecki, David Baker Lewis, and others. That plan recommended public-funded charter schools.”

Today, the six Cornerstone charter schools, all named after an American founding father and a civil rights leader, are tuition-free, and have a total typical enrollment of 3,000 students chosen on a “first-come, first-served lottery system.” Ninety percent of the students come from Detroit families living at or below the poverty line.

The K-5 school is Adams-Young Elementary; the K-8 schools are Madison-Carver Academy, Jefferson-Douglass Academy, and Washington-Parks Academy; the school for grades 6-8 is Adams-Young Middle School; and the high school is Lincoln-King.

According to Durant, although the charter schools aren’t religious, their mission is largely influenced by the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his call to live the three dimensions of “The Complete Life.”

“Such a life is of Length (to live for a purpose), of

Cover Story

WHAT WE HOPE TO FIND AND CREATE IS THAT THE PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN ARE MORE ENGAGED, AND IT LEADS TO EVEN MORE POSITIVE RESULTS AND A BETTER OVERALL CULTURE...”

— CLARK DURANT

TEAM CORNERSTONE Back row: Joshua Speyers, facilitator, Success for All; Keenan Penn, principal; Bo Young, founder, Greenwood (son of Ambassador Andrew Young); Fred Ridley, partner, Foley & Lardner; Anthony Irvin, dean of students; Rosalind Grayson, interventionist.

Front row: Students Sophia Allen, Shiloh Allen, James Christian, Journee Daniel, and Aziz Niang.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 71

Cover Story

Breadth (to be a person for others), and of Height (to know God),” Durant says.

He proudly recites the schools’ overall mission quickly: “We seek to prepare ourselves and our students, faculty, and families to live The Complete Life, a life of excellence and virtue in the unfolding of the American Promise.”

Over the years, Durant has adeptly worked closely with numerous business executives and companies to secure philanthropic and programming support for Cornerstone. For example, Livonia-based Roush Industries CEO Evan Lyall and his wife, Laurie, have been involved with Cornerstone for nearly 20 years.

“We were first impressed with the good work and positive impact that Cornerstone Schools were having on people’s lives, and then we got more involved with our personal philanthropy,” says Lyall, whose company bio states, in part, “Evan and his wife are active supporters of the Cornerstone Schools. Laurie has also mentored students and met with teachers.”

The company, in turn, continues to donate funding and has provided internship opportunities to Cornerstone students.

In 2014, Durant reached out to Lear Corp. in Southfield for philanthropic support, and he also asked if a top executive would sit on its board.

“For more than a decade we’ve been proud supporters of Cornerstone Schools and their mission to inspire and educate Detroit’s next generation of leaders,” says Ray Scott, CEO of Lear. “Through their involvement in literacy initiatives, STEM programs, mentoring, and internships, our employees are deeply engaged in providing opportunities for Cornerstone students to learn, grow, and succeed.”

Earlier this year, Madison-Carver Academy Principal Markisha Stovall partnered with Lear to conduct a “Shark Tank” like competition for third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. Following a presentation

by Lear seating engineer Brianna Williams about design and the variety of careers at the company, over the next two weeks the students designed their own seats before presenting their renderings to a team of seven volunteer Lear judges.

“We have several initiatives we expect to roll out in 72 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

OPEN HORIZON In September, Cornerstone Schools, in partnership with the Success for All Foundation, introduced a new program for students that requires 90 minutes of daily reading.

the next year, like ‘Tech Talks,’ designed to give students information on technology, science, and engineering so they have knowledge of different STEM careers,” says Williams, Lear’s liaison to Cornerstone.

Jason Cardew, senior vice president and CFO at Lear, has sat on the Cornerstone board since 2014.

“The broader STEM initiatives will hopefully help build the pipeline for Detroitarea companies because there aren’t enough students going into STEM programs and careers,” Williams says.

“I think these types of programs help make the math and science classes more real and makes learning more exciting. It’s been incredibly rewarding working with Cornerstone for me and hundreds of Lear employees who have been involved over the years.”

Beginning this year, at the forefront of priorities for the Cornerstone Schools is the need to increase reading proficiency, particularly in the lower grades.

The results of Michigan’s latest reading scores showed that just 38 percent of third-graders and 42.4 percent of fourth-graders scored proficient in the state’s English language arts tests, down from the previous year. Scores are typically much lower in inner-city schools.

According to Durant, reading proficiency scores for grades 3-7 at Cornerstone fall between approximately 12 percent and 15 percent. Those scores aren’t uncommon for most inner-city schools across the country, yet Durant says they’re still unacceptable.

Research has long concluded that students who aren’t reading proficiently by third grade are significantly disadvantaged, and are at a higher risk of dropping out of school. Illiteracy also can trap individuals in a cycle of poverty.

This year, Cornerstone adopted an ambitious new reading program, in partnership with the Baltimore-based Success for All Foundation, after raising $1.6 million in funding.

“Our team goal is that within three years, Cornerstone students will become the best readers in Detroit and this will lay the foundation for lifelong habits of learning,” Durant says.

In short, the plan calls for every student to be tested to see what reading level they’re at, and then for 90 minutes every day (and longer, if a tutor is needed) they will read alongside their peers who are at the same reading, level regardless of grade.

From there, students will be assessed regularly and can move up as they progress. In addition, parents are asked to have their children read to them at home, and if that isn’t possible, the student is to read to any adult at school — whether it’s a teacher or a custodian.

“It’s the most comprehensive, systematic, and rigorous program that I’ve ever

Cover Story

Taking the Turn I

n the 35-year history of Cornerstone Schools, its most impactful fundraising event took place at the first annual Turning Point Invitational in 2004 at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe Farms.

The event celebrated the 50th anniversary of golf legend Arnold Palmer winning the 1954 U.S. Amateur Championship at the course and raised more than $6 million for Cornerstone Schools, a group of charter schools in Detroit. Proceeds from the invitational led to the establishment of the Arnold Palmer Education Fund and supported a handful of other children’s programs.

At the largest gathering ever of U.S. Amateur golf champions, 24 other past winners paid homage to Palmer, one of the players who popularized golf. The list included Phil Mickelson, Mark O’Meara, and Lanny Wadkins.

For the 2004 invitational, each former champion played with four amateurs who paid $25,000 each to compete in the best ball tournament, while gallery tickets sold for $1,500 each. The night before, a $500-per-ticket black tie dinner honoring Palmer was held at the club.

The event came about after Cornerstone co-founder and past CEO Clark Durant and former Ford Motor Co. CEO and Chairman Harold “Red” Poling traveled to Palmer’s home in Latrobe, Pa., to make a pitch for the honorary tournament.

“I told him, ‘We want to honor your 50th anniversary of the U.S. Amateur Championship, but the truth is we want to create turning points in the lives of children,’ ” recalls Durant, former director of the private management group at Munder Capital Management, an investment firm in Bloomfield Hills.

“Palmer raised his index finger, went to his bookcase, and pulled out a book that he gave to me titled, ‘The Turning Point: The 54th Amateur Championship of the United States Golf Association, Winner Arnold Palmer.’

“He said, ‘That was the turning point of my life and if my coming will help the turning point for those kids, I will come for free. I’ll come a day early and we can have a big dinner that will raise more money and I’ll visit one of your schools’ — which he did.”

Established in 1897, the Country Club of Detroit, the oldest private golf club in the Detroit area, first hosted the U.S. Amateur Golf Championship in 1915, when Robert Gardner won it.

For the 1954 championship, held at the Grosse Pointe Farms club, some 200 top-ranked American amateurs ranging from 18-year-old Rex Baxter to 64-year-old Charles “Chick” Evans, who won the first of his two U.S. Amateur championships 20 years before Baxter was born, competed.

Joining the field was 24-year-old paint salesman Arnold Palmer, seven months from serving in the U.S. Coast Guard.

It was reported at the time that brothers Henry Ford II and William Clay Ford Sr., some of the club’s most avid golfers, bought 1,000 tickets and distributed them to Ford employees.

The second issue of the then-new magazine, Sports Illustrated, featured a preview of the tournament penned by legendary writer Herbert Warren Wind. The scribe went on to summarize the results in the magazine’s fourth issue, reporting that the dark horse Palmer rallied and upset former British Amateur Champion Robert Sweeney, 1-up over 36 holes.

Fifty years later, one of the participants at the Turning Point Invitational in 2004 was 1981 U.S. Amateur and 1983 Walker Cup champion and former pro player Nathaniel Crosby, the seventh child of legendary singer Bing Crosby. From 1978 to 1985, Nathaniel hosted the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.

ACE IN THE HOLE Arnord Palmer won his first tournament, the 1954 U.S. Amateur Championship, at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe Farms. He returned in 2004 for the Turning Point Invitational, which raised money for Cornerstone Schools.

“The 2004 Turning Point Invitational was a fantastic event, and it was a great honor to be a part of it,” says Crosby, 64. His wife, Sheila, is the daughter of the late Raymond Biggs, a longtime member of the Country Club of Detroit.

“There were a lot of incredible champions there from different generations and my caddie that day was my son, Nathaniel Jr., who was 14 or 15 at the time,” Crosby says.

“When I started 5-over through three holes, he was ready to put a brown bag over his head,” he adds with a laugh. “He was like the caddie of shame. I may have shot 80, I think. I’m a huge fan of what Clark Durant is doing and what he has accomplished with Cornerstone Schools.”

Two weeks after winning the ’81 U.S. Amateur, Crosby recalls a special moment with Palmer when the two had lockers near each other at another tournament.

“We were the only two there and he put his hands on my shoulders and said: ‘Congratulations, that’s as good as it gets. My U.S. Amateur win was the most special moment of any moment I’ve ever had in golf, so relish it and enjoy it.’ That was very cool.”

This year, the annual Turning Point Invitational and dinner, held at the Country Club of Detroit in September, wasn’t a fundraiser; rather, according to Durant, it was a way of saying thank you to generous donors while also serving as a platform to discuss Cornerstone’s new literacy initiative.

Seven threesomes each had sports broadcaster Mike Tirico and Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament, who won the U.S. Amateur 50 years ago, walk with them for three holes. Nearly 70 invited guests, meanwhile, attended the dinner.

— Bill Dow

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 73

FILE OHOTO

seen, and it encompasses the entire school culture,” says Joshua Speyers, one of Cornerstone’s Success for All facilitators.

At a private dinner held in September at the historic Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe Farms, a capacity of 86 invited guests, primarily prominent Cornerstone supporters, heard a 30-minute discussion about the new reading initiative from a panel that included the school principals and Superintendent Taiwo Da-Silva.

The discussion was moderated by Fred Ridley, a partner at Foley & Lardner and chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters tournament, and sports broadcaster Mike Tirico. Both men were named the honorary co-chairs of Cornerstone’s 21st Annual Turning Point Invitational, a golf fundraiser for the schools.

During the panel discussion, Lincoln-King High School Principal Andy Anuzis reiterated the importance of Cornerstone’s new reading initiative.

“As a high school principal, it’s not unusual for me to have a student show up from a Detroit or Cornerstone School who is at the fourth- or fifth-grade reading level,” Anuzis says. “We now have Lawrence Technological University (in Southfield) that wants to provide the opportunity to earn associates degrees in cybersecurity and computer sciences at the school, and companies like Lear and Roush that have given our students so many amazing opportunities.

“But for our kids, they must read to grasp those opportunities. The reading program isn’t just for college-bound kids or (those who want to get into the) skilled trades. This is going to help our families and have a huge impact on our city.”

Roush CEO Lyall and his wife, Laurie, attended the dinner and came away impressed.

“The Q&A session was inspiring and clearly demonstrated how committed the school principals and faculty are in seeing that the literacy initiative is successful,” Lyall says. “We’re supporting it and hope it will grow and catch fire. Cornerstone has a good track record of trying to improve and help students do better.”

Adds Lear’s Cardew, who also was in attendance: “It’s such an important initiative, we would be happy to steer future financial support both from the company and personally.”

Tirico, an Ann Arbor resident for 25 years, closed out the discussion on a positive note.

“We’ve brought people here from all over the country working ( for NFL games held at Ford Field) and they say so many nice things about Detroit,” Tirico said. “What you’re doing is building on this foundation. It’s not brick and mortar, and another Dan Gilbert-financed project, (although) those are all great and important.

“What’s important is that people are being raised in Detroit and taught, and they will spread the word by what they do — whether they go to the trades or college. You are truly touching hundreds of lives every day and making a difference.”

A week before Principal Anuzis participated in

Cover Story

CORNERSTONE SCHOOLS Adams-Young Elementary School Adams-Young Middle School Jefferson-Douglass Academy Lincoln-King High School Madison-Carver Academy Washington-Parks Academy (K-5) Washington-Parks Academy (6-8) MICHAEL DIXON

EVAN LYALL

Senior Director of HR Business Partners, Corewell Health

CEO, Roush Industries

RAY SCOTT

ANDREW BERENZWEIG CEO, Hylant

President and CEO, Lear

FRANK MIGLIAZZO

Managing Director, MG & Associates Merrill Private Wealth Management

TATIANA GRANT

Principal, 2050 Partners Inc. CEO, Grant Ventures

74 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

the roundtable, he and Durant provided a tour and overview of Lincoln-King High. In most cases, when groups like donors arrive, they are greeted by a small group of students wearing uniforms.

Anuzis explained the school’s educational philosophy.

“At the high school, I believe students need to learn experientially to be able to try different things, perhaps build a robot, take a culinary class, see how culinary businesses are built, or work on construction projects at school,” he said.

“That’s why we have clubs and encourage students to take different electives, so they can taste a bit of everything and see what they like. We have students going to college, trade schools, the military, and law enforcement, and we don’t deem any of those paths to be better than the other.”

Cornerstone’s high school doesn’t have a highly structured STEM program, but instead draws in the business community to share what’s in the real world, Anuzis explains.

“We went to some businesses and said that we want to launch a strong career tech program and it was a real eye-opener for us because they said, ‘Don’t overtrain them in high school, we’ll do that; we’re looking for students who know how to work on a team, communicate, and have good soft skills.’

“It’s very nice to have a nice, shiny lab with lots of equipment, and that’s helpful, but the more important thing is to give students exposure and experiences so they develop a general interest in the area.”

Tasja Bovee, who has been a culinary health and science instructor at Lincoln-King High School since 2022, a year after the curriculum was created, says the program “prepares our youth for higher education, workforce readiness, or entrepreneurship, and in that process we teach them how to make nutritious and healthy meals, how to be better leaders, and to improve their own community by their own efforts.”

Bovee attended Cornerstone Schools in the seventh and eighth grades, and later received a degree in culinary arts and hospitality management from Henry Ford College in Dearborn. She also operated her own cake decorating business and previously worked in all departments at several hotels in the area.

Bovee says Lincoln-King opened a student-led cafe this school year with the goal that a full commercial kitchen will be built so that, in two or three years, students will provide freshly made lunches that will feed Cornerstone Schools’ 3,000 students. It will replace eating prepackaged meals.

“Being a part of this program has really shown me that our students are able and capable to be the best versions of themselves, because I came from the same situations as our students,” Bovee says. “So I can say to them, ‘I was in your shoes once, and if I can do it you can do it.’ ” This fall, in an effort to broaden student learning, the high school developed a special partnership with Lawrence Tech University.

“My husband and I went to high school with Andy Anuzis, and we began talking to Cornerstone off and on,” says Lisa Kujawa, vice president of enrollment management at the university.

“We invited Clark Durant to have lunch with our president, Tarek Sobh,

COURTESY CORNERSTONE

Cover Story

and they had a two-hour discussion. They are both creative and innovative leaders who share the same vision for educating students from disadvantaged school districts and families.”

As a result of the initial meeting, Lawrence Tech began offering different courses at Lincoln-King High this year.

“We will then be moving to an early college program with Cornerstone where a student can earn a high school diploma and, at the same time, earn an associates degree — all in four years,” Kujawa says.

Lawrence Tech currently has 75 partnerships in metro Detroit high schools, with dual enrollment programs.

“The second phase in our relationship with Cornerstone will be to move to an early middle-college dual enrollment program, where a student earns their high school diploma and receives an associates degree in computer science and cybersecurity, all in five years,” Kujawa says.

She adds that Lawrence Tech has a number of Cornerstone graduates who attend the university. “You can tell from working with high schools if the students are organized and proficient, and with Cornerstone grads we found they are. They also have a vision and stick with it,” she says.

Over the years, scores of executives from different companies have helped Cornerstone in some significant ways.

They include Mike Dixon, senior director of HR business partners at Corewell Health; Frank Migliazzo, managing director and private wealth adviser with the MG Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management in Bloomfield Hills; Tatiana Grant, co-founder of Flash Hub Delivery and a principal with 2050 Partners Inc., an integrated marketing company; and Andrew Berenzweig, CEO of Hylant Group Inc., an insurance firm that has its headquarters in Toledo.

“In 2015, Cornerstone approached us at (what was) then Beaumont Health to help with a health care curriculum and provide students with some experiences at the hospital, which we have done over the years,” says Dixon, who for 10 years has been a board member of Cornerstone’s Lincoln-King and AdamsYoung schools.

“We’ve also done career and health fairs, provided some internships, participated in readings at the elementary schools, and we continue to provide hospital tours.

“To see the students’ eyes light up while observing mock surgeries is special. I grew up a mile from the school, so it’s been an honor to go back to my roots and give back. It’s been a special experience for me and our volunteer employees. I encourage senior executives all the way down to frontline employees at other companies to get involved. The kids are our future.”

Dixon also attended the Turning Point Invitational dinner in September and came away impressed with Cornerstone’s new reading proficiency initiative.

“We have a lot of work to do, but I’ve never been so optimistic,” Dixon says. “It’s like a renewed commitment, and I’ve never seen the principals and the faculty so excited about a new program.”

Merrill wealth adviser Migliazzo first became involved with Cornerstone more than 20 years ago when he began mentoring students, one of whom he has worked with for 15 years and says “is doing great.”

SMART ZONE Adams-Young Middle School in Detroit is one of seven institutions operated by Cornerstone Schools. Each facility is named after a former U.S. president and a civil rights leader.

Even when Cornerstone became a charter school system, Migliazzo and his wife continued to philanthropically support the schools, including the new reading initiative.

“This new school year my wife and I, and a couple of my partners and their wives, read to Cornerstone second- and fourth-graders. Going forward, it’s going to include having the students read to us,” Migliazzo says.

“Clark Durant and his board are great visionaries and get so many people involved. It has really changed people’s lives. Education is so important, and I’m a big fan of Cornerstone’s spiritual component. It’s a winwin, and it’s fun to be a part of it.”

Grant, CEO of Grant Ventures, has served on the board of the Cornerstone Schools Association since 2020, and continues to philanthropically support the school.

“For a time, Cornerstone was a client of mine, and I became impressed with the mission and saw firsthand the impact of their work and that they were really doing it,” says Grant, who on occasion talks to students about careers.

“As the daughter of an immigrant mother and an African-American father, my parents instilled in me at a very young age that the only way you can accomplish things is by being educated,” Grant adds.

“The long-term skills you need to develop and be successful stems from the ability to read and comprehend, and that’s why the effort to improve reading proficiency is so important. Cornerstone is seeing this as a challenge and an opportunity for the children and families of Detroit, and this is something that we all need to be standing behind.”

Hylant Insurance has insured Cornerstone Schools for some time, and according to CEO Berenzweig, about a year and a half ago, Durant approached him knowing that he was a golf fan.

“Clark told me about the Turning Point Invitational and dinner, and we formed a relationship,” Berenzweig says. “The Hylant Family Foundation is helping to fund the reading initiative.

“We have a passion to support the inner-city community, many of whom have been underserved.

It’s important to give them the same opportunities that others get. We look forward to seeing the results, and that the reading initiative is working, because that would be even more of a reason to continue to support Cornerstone.”

For Durant, the challenging work at Cornerstone Schools continues.

“I’ve been very blessed with a number of different experiences — but, without question, being able to do this work has been the most rewarding and satisfying. … I want these children to experience the American Promise of self-determination, opportunity, and the ability to create a better future for all.”

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 75

Your destination for legal insight and practical business advice

WE HELP BUSINESSES ADAPT AND OVERCOME Providing businesses with the best legal solutions for success, communicated clearly and concisely.

With a team of experienced litigators and business counseling attorneys well-versed in bankruptcy and restructuring, labor and employment, commercial litigation, data privacy, real estate, and mergers and acquisitions, we are the destination firm for individuals and companies looking for business-focused solutions to complex legal issues.

Congratulations to our attorneys named as 2025 Top Lawyers!

John Benko

Joshua Gadharf

Stephen Gross

Timothy Lowe

Miriam Rosen

Mark Steiner

DICKINSONWRIGHT.COM MICHAEL C. HAMMER 734.623.1696 MHAMMER@DICKINSONWRIGHT.COM mcdonaldhopkins.com

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

FIND THE FACES OF: Auto Law ................................................................................................................................ 78 Estate Planning Attorneys ..................................................................................................... 79 Generational Wealth Estate Planning ....................................................................................80 Legal Malpractice Litigation .................................................................................................. 81 Medical Malpractice Law ....................................................................................................... 82 Personal Injury Law ............................................................................................................... 83 Proven Results .......................................................................................................................84 Strategic Counsel for Business ............................................................................................. 85 77

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACES OF

AUTO LAW A. VINCE COLELLA AND DAVID MOSS — MOSS & COLELLA, P.C. 28411 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE 1150, SOUTHFIELD, MI 48034 | 248-945-0100 | MOSSCOLELLA.COM What drew A. Vince Colella and David Moss of Southfield-based Moss & Colella, P.C., to auto law is the intersection of personal tragedy and systemic injustice. Every case represents a life fundamentally altered within seconds.

Today, with drivers able to choose their own coverage limits, there are often tragic situations where people thought they were adequately covered but face financial ruin when their medical bills exceed their policy limits.

Knowledgeable in the changing landscape of auto negligence 78

and no-fault cases, David and Vince are at the forefront of efforts to effect changes in Michigan law to better serve the needs of residents.

During the span of their practice, the partners have successfully litigated numerous multimillion-dollar cases and thousands of cases for clients who have been injured and in need of representation. They have achieved well over $100 million in auto accident recoveries, including a $15 million verdict for a family devastated by a drunk driver near a Detroit casino.

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACES OF

ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEYS SCHLUTER & HUGHES LAW FIRM, PLLC 43902 WOODWARD AVE., SUITE 210, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48302 | 248-692-7392 | SCHLUTERHUGHESLAW.COM Estate planning isn’t just about documents — it’s about people.

Schluter & Hughes Law Firm, PLLC, a woman-owned practice, is redefining estate planning by uniting legal guidance with in-house care coordination. This approach brings together attorneys, nurses, and care specialists to help provide seamless support. Using its custom Continuum LifePlanSM model, the firm creates holistic plans designed to adapt to growth, change, and the unexpected.

Attorneys Dawn Schluter and Kristin Hughes have decades

of experience helping families prepare for life’s most important transitions, whether that’s legacy planning, trust administration, navigating health care decisions, protecting assets, probate, or supporting a child’s educational journey.

This dedication to innovation and compassion has earned the firm recognition throughout the community, and co-founder Dawn Schluter a place in Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Hall of Fame. At Schluter & Hughes, the belief is simple: Every life’s a journey, and no one should have to navigate it alone.

79

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACES OF

GENERATIONAL WEALTH ESTATE PLANNING DUGGAN BERTSCH, PLLC 41000 WOODWARD AVE., SUITE 350 EAST, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48304 | 248-206-8636 | DUGGANBERTSCH.COM DUGGAN BERTSCH, PLLC, is a premier law firm serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and businesses in estate planning, wealth preservation, and corporate matters. With a multidisciplinary approach integrating legal, tax, and financial strategy, the firm delivers tailored solutions across trust and estate administration, probate, guardianship, and conservatorship.

From forming family offices to navigating complex business structures and cross-border planning, DUGGAN BERTSCH 80

provides clarity and confidence at every step. Its attorneys are nationally recognized for thought leadership and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Clients rely on DUGGAN BERTSCH for personalized service, deep legal insight, and trusted counsel in an everevolving landscape. Whether protecting assets or planning for succession, the firm stands as a beacon of innovation and integrity.

Connect with a member of the team today!

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACE OF

LEGAL MALPRACTICE LITIGATION MATTHEW L. TURNER — SOMMERS SCHWARTZ, P.C. ONE TOWNE SQUARE, 17TH FLOOR, SOUTHFIELD, MI 48076 | 248-355-0300 | MTURNER@SOMMERSPC.COM | SOMMERSPC.COM Even the most experienced attorneys and best law firms can make mistakes representing business and individual clients. When those mistakes harm clients, those clients turn to Matthew Turner of Sommers Schwartz, P.C., to hold the attorneys accountable.

Legal malpractice typically includes missed filing deadlines, conflict of interest violations, inadequate factual and legal research, failure to properly advise the client, and failure to follow client instructions. These errors can derail transactions, cause lawsuits to be lost, or result in legal and regulatory

noncompliance, potentially causing millions in losses and putting your company or livelihood at risk.

Matt Turner brings over 30 years of legal knowledge and litigation experience to every malpractice case. A skilled trial lawyer, he has represented people and organizations in professional negligence claims involving corporate transactions, intellectual property disputes, estate planning and probate, real estate, and commercial litigation. Matt reconstructs what should have happened and builds a compelling case to obtain the recovery you deserve.

81

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACE OF

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW BRIAN J. MCKEEN — MCKEEN & ASSOCIATES, PC

2000 TOWN CENTER, SUITE 1200, SOUTHFIELD, MI 48075 | 313-961-4400 | MCKEENASSOCIATES.COM A relentless and fierce advocate for his clients, Brian J. McKeen is one of the foremost medical malpractice and birth injury attorneys in the nation. During his 43-year legal career, Brian has perennially supervised or generated Michigan’s top verdicts and settlements, including the 2024 $120 million jury verdict for a child who suffered permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy due to the delay in his delivery via C-section and the 2018 $130 million verdict that won McKeen & Associates The

82

National Trial Lawyers’ Trial Team of the Year Award.

Brian served as co-chair of the American Association for Justice’s Medical Negligence, Professional Negligence, and Birth Trauma litigation groups from 2006 to 2008 and belongs to numerous professional associations, including the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group limited to 100 lawyers of excellent character and integrity, representing people throughout the United States.

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACE OF

PERSONAL INJURY LAW VEN JOHNSON — VEN JOHNSON LAW, PLC 535 GRISWOLD, SUITE 2632, DETROIT, MI 48226 | 855-836-3444 | VENJOHNSONLAW.COM For nearly 40 years, Ven Johnson has been going toe to toe against insurance giants, corporate behemoths, and the government — and winning big for clients across the country.

As a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney specializing in civil rights, police misconduct, product liability, and medical malpractice, Ven has a sterling track record that includes jury verdicts and settlements over $1.5 billion, with 30-plus verdicts exceeding $1 million. His landmark $100 million victory in Edwards/Blasingame v. Grubbs in 2022 represents the

largest police excessive force jury verdict in the U.S. to date.

Beyond the courtroom, Ven is a sought-after legal authority.

Providing expert commentary on today’s top issues, he’s frequently featured by CNN, CBS News, ABC News, Fox News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Forbes, and others.

An active member of the legal community and a recognized champion of the law, Ven and his team continue to battle relentlessly for clients every day — because justice is worth the fight.

83

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACE OF

PROVEN RESULTS TODD FLOOD — FLOOD LAW PLLC 155 W. CONGRESS ST., SUITE 350, DETROIT, MI 48226 | 248-547-1032 | FLOODLAW.COM Results speak louder than promises. After decades fighting complex cases on both sides of the courtroom, Todd Flood has learned what it takes to win.

Starting as an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County, he worked with the best people on every level — people who cared and took a vested interest in teaching. Some of the best trial lawyers in the country were in Frank Murphy Hall of Justice.

84

Flood has taken his decades of experience and put together a team with the same drive, passion, and heart to fi ght for justice. Flood Law delivers victories for people on every level, from the small to the catastrophic. For people who have lost loved ones or have had life-changing injuries, for people who have been assaulted or abused, for people who have suffered from a hostile work environment, the Flood Law team has fought those fi ghts and won.

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

THE FACES OF

STRATEGIC COUNSEL FOR BUSINESS PAESANO AKKASHIAN, PC 7457 FRANKLIN ROAD, SUITE 200, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48301 | 248-792-6886 | PALAWYERS.COM The team members at Paesano Akkashian, PC are committed to providing the highest-quality legal services with the personalized care of a boutique practice. They understand that each client has unique goals and that every matter presents specific challenges and opportunities. Their mission is to craft thoughtful, strategic solutions that protect their clients’ interests and drive their success.

The attorneys at Paesano Akkashian have deep and broad knowledge and experience in all aspects of business. They

serve a wide range of clients, from families and entrepreneurs to established corporations. Whether navigating a complex dispute or structuring a business transaction, they approach every matter with precision, creativity, and integrity.

At their core, the team members at Paesano Akkashian are more than just legal advisers. They are partners in their clients’ success, delivering tailored counsel, safeguarding what matters most, and helping clients move forward with confidence in a constantly changing business and legal landscape.

85

Your Trusted Partners

The contemporary business

landscape is evolving at an unrelenting pace. Today’s leaders need rapid, impactful results. Since 1874, Kerr Russell has been setting the standard for legal innovation in and beyond Michigan. kerr-russell.com

THE ULTIMATE BOOK ABOUT DETROIT’S HISTORY

For author presentations, call 248-691-1800, Ext. 135

Explore the latest book from award-winning journalist and DBusiness magazine editor R.J. King. “Detroit: Engine of America” is the real life story of how the city grew, step by step, from a French fort on the riverfront in 1701 to become the world’s largest manufacturing economy in 1900.

To purchase copies of “Detroit: Engine of America” personally signed by the author, visit DetroitEngineofAmerica.com.

Audiobook Now Available on Audible

EXEC LIFE

COURTESY LINCOLN

11-12.25

88 LUXURY FLOW The all-new 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label makes a great gift for executives on the go. It includes Lincoln’s BlueCruise technology for hands-free driving on compatible highways.

p. 88

p. 90

p. 93

p. 95

p. 96

CEO Gift Guide

Production Run

Patents and Inventions

Opinion

The Circuit

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 87

Exec Life

CEO Gift Guide 1

BY R.J. KING

Garmin Fenix 8 Looking to run, jog, swim, or walk in style? As a premium multisport GPS smartwatch, the Garmin Fenix 8 is just what you (or the recipient of your gift!) will need. The dive-rated watch includes a speaker and a microphone for voice messages and a built-in LED flashlight, and features leakproof buttons, a metal sensor guard cover, a scratch-resistant lens, and a titanium bezel. There’s also a round-trip routing feature that allows users to enter a preferred distance and receive suggested routes. In addition, users can view terrain contours on TopoActive Maps 3 to access preloaded maps for golf courses and ski resorts around the world. Available online or at Gazelle Sports in Northville Township.

Price: $1,099.99

2

Detroit City Football Club Suite The next big thing in sports entertainment is the Detroit City Football Club’s new 15,000-seat stadium, which is scheduled to open at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and 20th Street in southwest Detroit in spring 2027. To be called AlumniFi Field, the venue will offer a number of luxury suites, exclusive club access, all-inclusive premium food and beverage options, and parking. Once open, the facility will be used primarily as a soccer stadium, but there will be an opportunity to host other activities such as outdoor concerts, large conferences, and community events.

Price: $500 deposit for suites, total cost NA

3

The 21 Royal Experience Wondering what it would be like to experience signature cocktails, a lavish dinner, and dessert on a private balcony perched above Royal Street in New Orleans Square at Disneyland? Located upstairs from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, the 21 Royal package offers a seven-course dinner, wine pairings, park-hopper tickets, valet parking, and luxury coach transport. To obtain the freshest ingredients, the Disney culinary team works directly with premier suppliers including farmers and fishermen, as well as other sustainable sources. Reservations are available for up to 12 guests.

Price: $18,000 for 12 people (price subject to change)

4

Shinola 7-carat and 5-carat Diamond Tennis Necklaces Available in yellow gold or white gold, Shinola in Detroit has created its first diamond tennis necklace. The heirloom, which plays off the convergence of sport and popular culture, can be worn every day or on special occasions. The 18-inch necklace sparkles with 115 diamonds and has an average metal weight of just under 28 grams. To complement the jewelry piece, Shinola offers a 7-inch diamond tennis bracelet (1 carat) for $2,895 or a 7-inch diamond tennis bracelet (4 carat) for $7,495.

Shinola also carries watches, straps, leather goods, leather bags, other jewelry, and a lifestyle collection for the home or office.

Price: $17,150

88 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025

Exec Life

5

The Residences at The Detroit EDITION No one ever spent the night at the famed Hudson’s department store in downtown Detroit, but the next best thing is to live on the upper half of a luxury tower built on the site of the famous retailer from bygone years. The 48-story tower, which will include The Detroit EDITION Hotel, is scheduled to open in 2027. The tower is separated by a walkable plaza that connects to a 12-story mixed-use structure that will include General Motors Co.’s new world headquarters, offices for Ven Johnson Law, other Class A office space, retailers like Avo, new restaurants, and activated public spaces. Overall, the two buildings span more than 1.5 million square feet of space.

Price: $1M+ per condominium (exact pricing NA)

6

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, which made its debut in September, features a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display, an A19 Pro chip for advanced performance, an upgraded 18MP Center Stage front camera, and an all-new telephoto camera with 8x optical zoom and an 8x optical quality zoom. It boasts enhanced thermal management with an Apple-designed vapor chamber and longer battery life, and supports advanced connectivity like 5G and Apple Intelligence. The smartphone also supports Hollywood-level effects with the first-ever Genlock feature for camera synchronization. Available at local Apple stores, including the new store in downtown Detroit, online, or through mobile carriers.

Price: Starts at $1,199 for the 256GB model, $1,999 for the 2TB model

7

Lincoln Navigator Black Label Whether arriving at an opera, a symphony, or a concert, nothing beats pulling up in an all-new 2025 Lincoln Navigator Black Label SUV. With seating for up to eight people, the Navigator Black Label offers the highest level of luxury, space, and technology in the Lincoln lineup; the Black Label trim options include exclusive design themes, premium materials, and special features such as massaging seats, virtual scents, pre-programmed seat reclines, and calming rejuvenation modes. It also includes Lincoln’s BlueCruise technology for hands-free driving on compatible highways.

Other customization includes exclusive exterior colors, special interior materials, and unique trim elements.

Price: Starts at $116,995

8

Casino Royale For those looking to recreate a casino setting at home, an office, or a local banquet hall, Las Vegas Knights in Burton offers a range of custom-made tables for classic games like craps, roulette, blackjack, poker, or Texas hold ’em. Other games include Money Wheel, Red Dog, Baccarat (preferred by James Bond), Chuck-a-luck, and Casino War. Ryan Doyle, owner of Las Vegas Knights, began crafting casino tables with his dad in the late 1980s. Doyle says he uses multiple woods, but favors cherry wood and walnut. He also creates leather-wrapped padding. The company arrives with most everything for a casino-style event, including gaming tables and dealers. The host typically provides chairs and any prizes.

Price: Starts at $550 for two tables, gambling items, and dealers NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 89

Exec Life

PRODUCTION RUN

Brewery Blueprint DesignTeam Plus in Birmingham has carved out a niche for itself designing breweries across Michigan.

BY TIM KEENAN |

F

JOSH SCOTT

or patrons of microbreweries in Michigan, there’s a good chance their favorite spot was designed by DesignTeam Plus in Birmingham, which has completed nine projects and contributed to the design of many more since 2015.

The company’s brewery projects stretch from downtown Farmington to Cheboygan, and have ranged from basic interior redesigns to historic preservations and, more recently, ground-up construction projects. Each design reflects the vision of the brewery’s owner.

“When they come to us, we ask them to give us three adjectives to describe how they want their space to look,” says Shari Stein, co-owner and principal interior designer at DesignTeam Plus. “Every single brewery that we’ve done is completely different.

They all want to be different than anyplace else. No cookie-cutters.”

How did a design shop in Birmingham that opened in 2012 become a go-to for breweries? It began with the first establishment it took on: Draught Horse Brewery and Spirits in west Oakland County’s Lyon Township.

“It all starts with an individual story,” says Harold Remlinger, co-owner and principal architect at DesignTeam Plus. “In this client’s case, he and his wife are horse owners. We started looking at old equestrian barn interiors so those ideas could translate to their brand identity.”

The overall objective, according to Remlinger, was the adaptive reuse of a vacated 3,600-square-foot Mexican restaurant. DesignTeam Plus’s response was to create a horse stable tack room.

The interior tap room design incorporated: • Blackened metal welded frames to resemble horse stalls.

• Reclaimed barnwood beams at the ceiling level with wood block tackle, to resemble a morticeand-tenon barn construction.

90 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

LAGER AND LACE Harold Remlinger, co-owner and principal architect of DesignTeam Plus, specializes in crafting one-of-a-kind breweries built around themes and personal client stories.

• Wood plaster lath walls salvaged from homes demolished in Detroit as part of the city’s blight removal program.

• Double-hung windows that were reclaimed on-site.

• Tabletops and bar tops that were made from repurposed compressed straw, reinforcing the overall horse theme.

• Wall art made from a variety of the owners’ collection of antique saddles, bridles, stall doors, and hand tools.

The exterior design included: • Preserving the building facade’s board-and-batten siding treatments.

• Installing large streetside windows to enable patrons to see the brewery equipment in production from the street.

• An entry door resembling a horse stall door with forged metal grillwork over-glazing.

• An all-season outdoor terrace with wood timber beams and a fireplace.

• Oakland County’s only township-approved horse parking lot spots, with hitching posts that meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service’s Equestrian Design Guidebook’s specifications.

The success of the Draught Horse Brewery and Spirits project led to others, which led to others.

“One thing we like about the beer industry is every microbrewer is a friend of another microbrewer, and they welcome each other into their community,” Remlinger says. “They help each other out.”

Word of mouth led to more projects, and once DesignTeam Plus gained added experience, it developed a proficiency.

“You have to understand it to be able to design it,” Remlinger says, especially when it comes to the brewhouse infrastructure.

“With the brewery in mind, you’re dealing with waste disposal that includes solids,” he explains.

“There’s storage for used grain, glycol chillers that are going to all the fermenters, and CO2 storage, delivery, and monitoring systems. You have to understand the flow and function of the back room, from the raw materials coming in to the completed product going to distribution.”

Another notable project was Stiggs Brewery and Kitchen in Boyne City.

“Stiggs was the former Boyne City-to-Gaylord-toAlpena railroad office building,” Remlinger says. “That was a historic preservation project.”

Maintaining the character of the building’s interior and exterior was critical. The flow and organization of the interior space was guided by the original glass hallway partitions, according to Remlinger.

Preservation of the original wood tongue-and-groove beadboard paneled walls, ceiling, and hardwood floors influenced the interior design.

DesignTeam Plus collaborated with a local artist to create a bottle cap mosaic on the bar face, which was reminiscent of the historic flow-through spittoon trough bar face and gutter. The designers also integrated mosaic patterns for the tabletops.

Reminiscent of 19th century life, the bar’s 31 taps were mounted to a 72-inch lumberjack cross-cut saw.

The bar is a solid piece of white pine, the exterior door handle is a logging hatchet, and the plaid bottle cap design of the tabletops plays off the stereotypical plaid flannel worn by lumberjacks.

Exec Life

DESIGNTEAM PLUS BREWERY CLIENTS

THE RUNDOWN

17

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Black Hop Brewstillery, Berkley Cadillac Straits Brewing Co., Madison Heights Cheboygan Brewing Co., Cheboygan Drafting Table Brewery, Wixom Draught Horse Brewery, Lyon Township Heights Brewing Co., Farmington Loaded Dice Brewing Co., Troy Rustic Leaf Brewing Co., Waterford Township Schmucks Brewing Co., Howell Stiggs Brewery and Kitchen, Boyne City Stumblebum Beer Co., Troy

3 10

Number of breweries designed

5.5k ft2

9

8 5 4 6 11 7 1 2

Largest project: 5,546 square feet

13 Number of church/ synagogue projects

DRAUGHT HORSE AND STIGGS PHOTOS COURTESY DESIGNTEAM PLUS

11 Number of states worked in

Source: DesignTeam Plus

NOBLE HOPS Top: Draught Horse Brewery and Spirits in Lyon Township.

Middle: Stiggs Brewery and Kitchen in Boyne City features a bottle cap mosaic bar face and wood floors.

Bottom: Heights Brewing Co. in downtown Farmington.

Closer to home, Heights Brewing in downtown Farmington is another DesignTeam Plus project.

The clients, owners Ryan Kavanaugh and Shawn MacDonell, wanted their business to connect with the community.

“One of the things I very much wanted was for people to have the experience of being able to look in and see the fermenters, see everything going, and try to figure out what’s coming out next,” Kavanaugh says of his vision.

“I wanted a brick wall, which is part of the schtick for our lifetime mug club. Every name you see is a member of the mug club. We wanted to make people part of the establishment; put them on the wall.”

The interior design also incorporates a custom wallcovering of a “beer map” of Michigan, tagging a brewery to each beer style — all connecting back to Heights Brewing. It also features the building’s original concrete floor from the 1940s, as well as a mosaic from the restaurant’s past when it was called Steinhaus.

“This is history,” Kavanaugh says of the establishment. “This is gorgeous.”

Critical to the design of the brewery was the necessity to offer a gluten-free beer and food menu, creating an additional level of planning and design. To brew gluten-free beer, the brewery must shut down and all the equipment has to be thoroughly cleaned so the gluten-free beer can be safely brewed.

“We created two grain mills, regular and gluten-free,” Remlinger says. “Both rooms have exhaust systems, so they’re removing any particulates in the air.”

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 91

Exec Life

BREWING IN MICHIGAN state of Michigan ranks eighth in the U.S. in its number of craft breweries, with 418, and is 15th in breweries per capita at 5.5 per 100,000 people older than 21. Michigan has been a beer-brewing mecca since the 1800s, when commercial brewing took hold in places like Detroit and Milwaukee.

Between 1930 and 1950, English, Irish, and Scottish settlers brewed predominantly ales, which was reminiscent of the Old Country. In the 1850s, German brewers like Bernhard Stroh began producing the lager style that was part of their heritage.

Prohibition put a dent in the beer-brewing business between 1917 and 1933, and companies like Stroh made “near beer” and ice cream to stay afloat.

After Prohibition and World War II, Stroh, Goebel, and Pfeiffer were the major players in Detroit brewing. Through acquisition, Stroh

became the third-largest brewer in America before closing its iconic Detroit plant in 1985.

While Stroh was winding down its operations, microbrewers like the Real Ale Co. in Chelsea, Kalamazoo Brewing Co., and Frankenmuth Brewery began popping up in the 1980s. Between 1992 and 2013, the craft brewing universe grew to 151 establishments from three.

Now, with more than 400 microbrewers operating around Michigan, the industry maintains more than 14,000 jobs and generates in excess of $1.8 billion in revenue, according to a presentation made by Scott Graham, executive director of the Michigan Brewer’s Guild, which represents about 75 percent of the state’s brewers. The industry also supports local agriculture that grows raw materials like hops, barley, fruit, herbs, and vegetables.

— Tim Keenan

92 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

HOUSE OF ALE Top and center: Heights Brewing Beer Map; Remlinger and co-owner Ryan Kavanaugh inspect the brewing process.

RIght: Remlinger and Kavanaugh with co-owner Shawn MacDonell.

At most microbreweries, the brewhouse is separated from the taproom but visible through a window, like at Heights Brewing. One exception is Cadillac Straits in Madison Heights, which also serves as a supply house for home-brewers.

“At Cadillac Straights, the brewhouse sits in the middle of the restaurant,” Remlinger says. “They wanted to do a teaching brewery for their homebrewer clubs.”

Until recently, all of the projects DesignTeam Plus has worked on have been redesigns of existing spaces.

Current and future projects will feature new-builds including a brewery in Wyandotte and a distillery in Detroit, and working as a consultant on a ground-up brewery project, also in Detroit.

DesignTeam Plus has another somewhat surprising specialty in addition to its focus on breweries: Coptic Orthodox churches and other religious buildings.

To date, the company has worked on the design of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox in Troy, St. Nina Coptic Orthodox Church in Shelby Township, St. Mary and St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Retreat and Conference Center in Newport, north of Monroe, and the Jewish Resource Center in Ann Arbor.

Remlinger, who also has projects in health care, commercial retail, law enforcement, and other sectors in the DesignTeam Plus portfolio, says, “We found that being diverse helps you ride the ebbs and flows of the industry.”

BEER MAP PHOTO COURTESY DESIGNTEAM PLUS

IT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE that the

Exec Life

PATENTS AND INVENTIONS

Cereal Brothers John H. and Will K. Kellogg, through their shared development of a breakfast staple, helped establish Battle Creek as an economic and health mecca.

BY NORM SINCLAIR

WIKIPEDIA CC, COURTESY W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION

T

he history of corn flakes, the cereal that dramatically changed breakfast habits in America and worldwide, began when two brothers in Battle Creek accidentally discovered how to make flaked cereal from wheat grain 130 years ago.

It’s also a tragic tale of a bitter sibling rivalry that consumed their lives for generations until they were, literally, on their deathbeds.

John H. Kellogg, a renowned doctor and author, and his brother, Will K. Kellogg, eight years his junior, each claimed credit for the breakthrough of first making flakes from wheat crumbs before using corn to produce the iconic breakfast favorite.

Although various reports have blurred the narrative of who was first, most biographers agree a boiled batch of wheat-berry dough that John Kellogg most likely had mixed to make bread was forgotten on a counter overnight, and that oversight began a process that eventually made the Kellogg name famous.

Instead of throwing out the now-fermenting dough mixture the next morning, John and Will decided to roll the mixture flat, which caused it to break into flakes. The brothers baked the flakes and added milk, and were pleased with the positive feedback they received from their taste-testers.

A patent for “Flaked Cereals and Process of Preparing Same” was issued to John H. Kellogg on May 31, 1895. The patent recognition, however, triggered the Kelloggs’ first public spat, as Will insisted he should have been recognized and given more credit for the discovery of flaked cereal.

The invention and worldwide acclaim for corn flakes would come a few years later, when the development further fueled the dysfunctional relationship between the brothers that likely emanated from their abnormal childhood.

John Kellogg was born in 1852 on a farm in Livingston County. His brother, Will, was born after the family moved to Battle Creek. Will was the seventh of their father’s 16 children, which included six from his previous marriage.

The family’s early frontier living was hard on the

ALPHA-BITS Above: John H. Kellogg Right: Will K. Kellogg scraping flakes off rollers.

group. Six of the children died within a nine-year span of various infectious diseases.

John survived tuberculosis, although he had to deal with one functioning lung for the rest of his life. He also suffered from painful bowel and digestion disorders, precursors of his later preoccupation with diets and healthy eating habits.

Their parents, John Preston Kellogg and his wife, Ann, were reluctant to educate their children, assuming it wasn’t worth the effort since they would probably die from disease anyway. They were also converts to a newly founded religion: the Seventh-day Adventists, whose followers believed the Second Coming of Jesus was imminent. Since the world could come to an end at any time, the parents reasoned that education didn’t matter.

John was their favorite and brightest child, while Will was dismissed as unintelligent and dimwitted. His parents rarely intervened when John repeatedly bullied and verbally and physically abused his brother.

The family’s relocation to Battle Creek was spurred by the parents’ desire to join the large founding Seventh-day Adventist congregation in that city. John Preston Kellogg also saw a business opportunity to start what became a thriving broom factory.

Over time, the Kelloggs relaxed their views somewhat on education and allowed John to attend grammar school. The boy’s reading skills were so pronounced, he attracted the attention of the most influential elders in the church — James and Ellen White, the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist faith.

John was 12 years old when the Whites hired him as a novice to work in the church’s print shop. He rose from errand boy to editorial assistant, and in the process absorbed many of the articles written about the Seventh-day Adventists’ focus on healthy living and eating habits.

At age 20 he enrolled in a teaching course offered

by Michigan State Normal School, now Eastern Michigan University.

With support from the Whites, John attended a

six-month medical course in New Jersey, gained admission to the University of Michigan’s medical school, and upon graduation spent a year of residency at Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City.

In his mid-20s, he returned to Battle Creek. With the backing of his patrons, the Whites, he was named director of a massive clinic, the Battle Creek Sanitarium, owned by the Seventh-day Adventists.

The San, as it was called, was a multifaceted facility — part hospital, rehab center, and spa. At its peak, the resort-like San accommodated 3,000 guests and patients. The newly minted doctor found it a perfect fit, as his theories for healthy living mirrored the teachings of his church.

Treatments for patients at the San espoused by Kellogg included a vegetarian diet, enemas to clear “intestinal flora,” exercise, sunbathing, fresh air, lectures on personal hygiene, drinking plenty of water, good sleep habits, and abstinence from using tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine.

He also promoted sexual abstinence, and believed that rich or spicy food stimulated sexual desires and should be avoided in favor of plain, bland-tasting food like grains and nuts.

Will Kellogg’s path to adulthood, meanwhile, was much more painful than that of his older brother. His father dismissed teaching him to read as a waste of his time, and his mother never warmed up to him.

Will was 6 years old when his father put him to work full time, six days a week, in the broom factory.

Young Will had Saturday, the Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath, as his day off.

A few years later he was allowed to attend school, but his education ended in the sixth grade when his father pulled him out of class to become a salesman, peddling brooms for the family business.

In his 20s, Will discovered that his perceived lack of intelligence was the result of previously undiagnosed nearsightedness. Upon receiving corrective lenses, he engaged in extensive self-education through reading, and subsequently earned a bookkeeping certificate from Parson’s Business College in Kalamazoo.

In 1880, Will went to work for his brother at the November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 93

Battle Creek Sanitarium. In a time when Americans were obsessed with digestion and healthy bowel movements, Dr. John Kellogg had become a nationally known health guru through his extensive writing of articles and books on diets and healthy eating habits.

The doctor’s prominence attracted patients and guests from abroad as well as numerous American celebrities. Visitors to the San included President William Howard Taft, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, playwright George Bernard Shaw, Amelia Earhart, Johnny Weissmuller, the Tarzan movie star, Black activist Sojourner Truth, and others.

Although Will was hired with the title of bookkeeper, his brother treated him as his flunky. He insisted Will always address him as Dr. Kellogg, andWill was required to follow John around with a notebook, writing down his brother’s thoughts, even during trips to the bathroom.

Visitors to the San would gape at the sight of John riding his bicycle across the campus with his brother running alongside, trying to keep pace while taking notes.

With his interest in creating digestible food and meat substitutes, John spent hours in the sanitarium’s test kitchen concocting grain-based mixtures. He was assisted by his wife, Ella Eaton Kellogg, herself the author of cookbooks devoted to vegetarian diets.

Among the 30 patents John was awarded are a peanut butter paste, soy milk, and Protose, a meat substitute he created from grain and nut cereals. Other patents were for his design of medical devices.

The brothers’ discovery of baked wheat flakes served with milk was an instant hit with patients and clients staying at the San. It also created a revenue stream, as John instructed Will to institute a mail-order service to enable former patients to buy and continue enjoying the new breakfast food at home.

One of those patients who took notice was C.W. Post, who went on to produce his own line of toasted cereals. He introduced Grape Nuts cereal based on John Kellogg’s granola biscuits, and created a cereal-based drink he named Postum, copied from Kellogg’s imitation coffee drink. Post’s Postum Cereal Co. reportedly earned $3 million in 1900.

His immediate success wasn’t lost on Will Kellogg.

Despite serving in a subordinate position to his brother, Will’s strong work ethic enabled him to become the leading manager of the sanitarium. He acted as the institution’s administrator, oversaw the publishing house responsible for distributing John’s books, and managed the new mail-order food service.

Will noted, albeit discreetly, that he was working up to 120 hours per week while receiving only a modest salary from John.

At his brother’s bidding, Will developed a small factory in the San where he sold 10-ounce packs of wheat flakes for 15 cents. In the first year of production, they sold 113,000 pounds of flakes.

Unlike his brother, whose interest in the venture was promoting good digestion, Will saw the commercial value of convenient, tasty breakfast food.

He began devoting considerable time to experimenting with various grains, adding ingredients like

sugar and salt to improve the taste. Eventually he focused on corn, which was sweeter.

In 1897, John agreed to partner with Will in forming Sanitas Food Co. to meet the growing demand for the cereal they named Granose. The following year they introduced Sanitas Toasted Corn Flakes, followed

by Granose Biscuits.

In the early 1900s, Will was pushing his brother to add sugar to their corn flakes, but John balked at the idea. That disagreement prompted Will to buy John’s rights to the manufacture of corn flakes. In 1906, Will founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Co. and hired his first 44 employees.

Will’s flair for advertising drove his new company to ship out 175,000 cases of corn flakes that first year.

Sales grew fifteen-fold during a newspaper and magazine advertising campaign he created that instructed women to “wink at your grocer and see what you get.” What you got was a free sample of Kellogg’s corn flakes.

Will Kellogg’s breakfast-served-out-of-a box cereal gained traction across the country, showing up in nearly every pantry in America. Soon, Battle Creek was nicknamed Cereal City as more than 30 cereal manufacturers, including C.W. Post, set up shop there.

In 1908, John created his own cereal company and began marketing his version of corn flakes with the name Kellogg, touching off a decade-long legal battle between the brothers.

Will was afraid consumers would confuse his brother’s corn flakes with his sweeter version. He went to court and obtained a court injunction to stop John from using the family name on his cereal boxes.

Will introduced Kellogg’s Bran Flakes in 1915 and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies a year later, even as the legal battle played out.

In 1920, the Kellogg fight reached the Michigan Supreme Court. The justices ruled in Will’s favor, upholding a lower court ruling preventing John from RISE AND SHINE An early advertisement from Will K. Kellogg distinguishing his “sweeter” flakes.

using the Kellogg name on his cereal products.

Adding more fuel to their sibling fire, the court ordered John to pay Will’s legal fees, and to pay him the profits John’s cereal business had earned in the preceding 10 years.

After that decision, the brothers rarely spoke to each other. If they had to meet, Will insisted a third person be in the room.

In 1922, Will changed the company name to the WK Kellogg Co and expanded the business to Canada, Britain, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

The private lives of both men remained chaotic.

John was never able to shake off his jealousy and anger over Will’s success, while Will, despite emerging from his brother’s shadow and earning immense business success, alienated those around him as he turned bitter, paranoid, and hostile.

He married twice and had five children with his first wife before she died; two of those children also died young. His two surviving sons eventually severed their relationships with him.

Because of his celibate views, John and Ella Kellogg never consummated their marriage and maintained separate bedrooms throughout their 40-year union. And despite John’s avowed views as a segregationist, he and Ella legally adopted eight children and were foster parents to 34 others.

Will, who once complained that as a child he never learned to play, gave away much of his wealth to charities that supported youth activity.

In 1934, during the Great Depression, he donated $66 million to establish the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to help families pay for care for their sick or injured children. The foundation remains one of the world’s largest philanthropic organizations, and has spawned other institutions such as the Kellogg Eye Institute at the University of Michigan.

According to Grand Rapids-based author Erica Emelander, the battling Kellogg brothers experienced one last tragic twist in their relationship just before each man died.

In 1943, at age 91, when John was on his deathbed, he dictated a letter to Will apologizing for his lifelong bad treatment of his brother, and asked to make amends for his mistakes.

His secretary decided, however, that the letter made John, the boss she admired, sound weak and she never delivered it until eight years later, when Will — by then also 91 years old — was near death.

Ironically, the letter had to be read to him because glaucoma had robbed him of his sight over the last 10 years of his life.

In 2023, the WK Kellogg Co was split into two independent businesses. Kellanova became a global snacking operation, based in Chicago, while the North American cereal business WK Kellogg Co. remained in Battle Creek.

Earlier this year, the Italian chocolatier Ferrero Group, which produces Nutella, Kinder, and Ferrero Roche, agreed to buy the cereal company for $3.1 billion in cash. When the deal closes at the end of the year, Battle Creek will continue as the Kellogg brand’s North American headquarters under Ferrero.

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 94

COURTESY W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION

Exec Life

Exec Life

OPINION

Rx AI

The health care industry is increasingly using artificial intelligence to improve patient care, reduce costs, and speed diagnostic accuracy.

IMPROVING PATIENT OUTCOMES — AI has made incredible strides in the field of diagnostics by analyzing radiology/medical imaging, lab results, and patient data. In an emergency department in a rural location, for example, before a patient team suspects a stroke caused by a large blood clot that’s removable (curing the patient), it typically obtains a CT angiogram of the patient’s head and neck.

Upon performing a CT scan, it typically takes anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes before a radiologist can make the crucial decision of whether or not to transfer the patient for a life-saving procedure.

Today, this decision can be made in seconds, thanks to an AI interpretation of the imaging. This leads not only to improved outcomes for the patient and efficiency in the emergency department, but it also reduces diagnostic error.

BEHIND THE SCENES WORKFLOW — In recent years, doctor’s offices have improved their efficiency and accuracy by relying on an AI scribe. With consent, the doctor can use the AI scribe to spend more time communicating with the patient instead of typing and clicking off boxes on a computer.

During busy emergency department shifts, my microphone listens in and is able to differentiate the patient, medics, and family members while accurately documenting the encounter.

Multi-site studies and real-world deployments report less after-hours charting, lower documentation burden, and better clinician focus on the patient — small gains that compound across thousands of encounters.

PERSONALIZED MEDICINE — I’ve seen this in my practice, most notably in the field of oncology. Imagine a patient receives a life-changing cancer diagnosis. Now, using AI, the patient’s tumor is analyzed for very specific biomarkers, which are then overlapped with hyper-focused treatments.

From there, the data is assessed alongside hundreds of clinical trials, minimizing side effects and maximizing patient outcomes.

candidates to be included in experimental trials for medications — a current hurdle across the entire pharmaceutical industry.

PREVENTIVE CARE — As wearable devices continue to grow, doctors are using the data to their advantage to track biometrics that may reflect chronic conditions. We now have the ability to collect and analyze real-time data using AI, which can be used to notify physicians and predict complications before hospital admissions are required.

Through these AI-driven monitoring systems, hospitals can provide better care and reduce the strain on their limited resources.

In private practices, preventive care has been enhanced using AI. At my longevity and preventive health practice, we use AI tools to get in-depth pictures of coronary arteries — the vessels that supply blood and nutrients — to understand risk, create a comprehensive plan, and assess plaque by the cubic millimeter. This was previously impossible.

PATIENT EXPERIENCE — AI-powered assistants and virtual chatbots have eased the process of making appointments, sending reminders for medications, and following patients after they’re discharged. AI reminders and prompts have improved patient compliance and reduced no-shows for appointments.

In turn, AI-driven apps allow patients to see their results and health trends in real time. In my practice, we’ve implemented an AI-driven app that’s physician-led and enables my patients to trend their datapoints, and enables me to assess this in real time.

Looking ahead, AI is absolutely revolutionizing health care, enhancing diagnostics, adjuncting physician skills, accelerating drug discovery, and assisting with administrative tasks.

The end goal is clear: improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and increase efficiency.

As AI evolves, so will its challenges. In the future, I see a health care model where we can instantaneously run clinical findings, labs, imaging, and other biomarkers alongside thousands, if not millions, of other biodata points for diagnostics, treatment, and predictive models for patients.

As the technology continues to grow, so will its potential to impact health care.

THE OPERATING ROOM — Recently, a robot autonomously and successfully removed the gallbladder of a cadaver pig after watching (or mimicking) surgeons at Johns Hopkins University. While more time is needed before we see robots operating independently in the operating room, today AI is augmenting surgeons and the difficult decisions they may face in the operating room.

With the assistance of AI, patients may reduce surgery complications by 20 percent and improve recovery times by 15 percent.

IMPACT ON PHARMA — Most notably (and impressively), AI has been implemented in the pharmaceutical industry. It has been able to increase the speed of drug discovery as well as clinical trials. AI now gives us the ability to analyze large data sets, identify potentially promising drugs, and predict their efficacy.

Discovering new drugs, a process that can take years, now takes weeks.

Most statistics predict that AI will reduce drug discovery time by as much as 50 percent. With its ability to analyze millions of data points, AI can predict successful patient outcomes more accurately, and it can quickly screen patients who are

DR. ANTHONY ORAHA

is founder and medical director of Synergy Longevity Centers in Novi, a precision clinic that specializes in providing its patients with personalized health road maps.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 95

CONNOR CIESLAK

A

rtificial intelligence is transforming health care on both the patient-facing side and behind the scenes.

From hospitals to private practices, AI is changing the way care is delivered. It improves processes and functions, and helps medical practitioners provide better patient care. The integration of AI allows more personalized and effective treatment plans, reduces health care costs, and boosts diagnostic accuracy

BY DR. ANTHONY ORAHA

Exec Life

PILLARS OF VIBRANCY PATRICK GLORIA

The Community House of Birmingham hosted its annual Pillars of Vibrancy Jubilee on Sept. 27 at the Community House. The event included a plated dinner and a program that included a keynote interview between the organization’s chair, Camille Jayne, and Ret. Judge Gerald E. Rosen, chief mediator in the Detroit bankruptcy and author of “Grand Bargain: The Inside Story of Detroit’s Dramatic Journey from Bankruptcy to Rebirth.” Six community leaders, including Rosen, were honored.

They included Sheri Mark, Anthony Marsalese, Lisa Phillips, Ed Siaje, and Dr. Jesse Selber.

1 3

2

4

5

1. Lisa Phillips, Tresa Galloway 2. Sherry Singer, Anthony Marsalese, Bobbie Tweddle, Deric Righter 3. Ed and Noell Siaje 4. Malak Fawaz, Moe Hammoud 5. Lindsay Shanahan, Dr. Jesse Selber

AUTO HALL OF FAME PATRICK GLORIA

6 8

9

The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn conducted its 2025 Induction Ceremony on Sept.

25 at The Department at Hudson’s in downtown Detroit. Inductees included legendary automotive journalist David E. Davis Jr.; Ayrton Senna, one of history’s greatest Formula 1 drivers; Betty Skelton, a trailblazer in American motorsports and aviation who broke barriers for women in male-dominated industries and helped develop and promote the Chevrolet Corvette; and former top Daimler and Mercedes-Benz executive Dieter Zetsche, who was introduced by Roger Penske, founder and chairman of Penske Corp. in Bloomfield Township.

More than 500 guests enjoyed a strolling cocktail party, a plated dinner, and the induction ceremony.

7 10

6. Don Husby, Dieter Zetsche, Roger Penske, Sarah Cook 7. Alex Copenhaver, Aaron River, Lori Lancaster, Joann Barber 8. Bianca Senna 9. Mark Royce, Robbie Buhl 10. Sean Silver, Ajay and Anna Chawla

FAIR LANE PATRICK GLORIA

Fair Lane: Home of Clara and Henry Ford in Dearborn hosted its annual An Evening for Fair Lane fundraiser on Aug. 27. The event began on Fair Lane’s outdoor north patio and continued through the estate’s restored first and second floors. From there, guests strolled through Clara’s gardens before enjoying a strolling dinner beneath the stars in the tented Bowling Green. Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e, and his wife, Marci, and Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of Clara and Henry Ford, hosted the evening.

11. Andrew Frick, Elena Ford, Callie Rippolone, Marci Frick 12. Robert Bury, Patricia Mooradian, Ellen Hill Zeringue, Spence Medford, Mary Ann Bury 13. Gary and Christine Gonzalez, Linzie and Jon Rimanelli 14. Alfred Miller, Mark Douglas 15. Carol and Mike Ritchie 96 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

11 13

14

12 15

Since 1947

265 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham

248-642-2555

Monday - Friday 10:00 – 6:00pm Saturday 10:00 – 5:00pm

Congra MOJO

ON YOUR 2025 INDUCTION TO THE RADIO HALL OF FAME!

Exec Life

DETROIT 500 PATRICK GLORIA

DBusiness magazine hosted its third Detroit 500 Soirée at The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms on Sept. 4. The event celebrated those listed in the magazine’s annual list of the 500 most powerful business leaders in more than 30 industries across metro Detroit and Michigan.

Guests enjoyed a strolling dinner, champagne, cocktails, live music, a casino, and a cigar lounge.

The event was sponsored by Walsh College, Bellisario Florist, the Detroit Pistons, Great Lakes Landscape Design, Hylant, Mercantile Bank, the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Quix Chocolate, Plunkett Cooney, Fifth Third Bank, Kitch Attorneys & Counselors, First Independence Bank, Shenandoah Country Club, and others.

1 3

2

4

5

1. Patty and John Crowe 2. The Snethkamp Family 3. Angelica Zerka, Anthony Oraha 4. Craig Catallo, Hassan Yazbek 5. Suzy Siegle, David Petosky

CRYSTAL BALL PATRICK GLORIA

6 8

9

The Crystal Ball Neon Nights fundraiser for the McLaren Macomb Foundation took place on Sept.

20 at the MGM Grand Detroit. The black-tie evening featured a cocktail reception, a gourmet dinner, an auction, entertainment, and dancing.

The event honored long-serving McLaren Macomb physicians and recognized several nurses with the annual Daisy Award for excellence in nursing care.

The foundation promotes philanthropic support of McLaren Macomb in Mount Clemens.

7 10

6. Michelle Linebach, Laura Atsoff,

Rachel Schick, Allison Wankitisu 7. Suzanne and Dino Marra, Judy and John Line 8. Hannah Chong, Sam Reenders 9. Alana and Tim Donohue, Pat Keigher 10. Robert and Shirley Butts

CHECKERED FLAG BALL PATRICK GLORIA

M1 Concourse in Pontiac hosted its fifth annual Checkered Flag Ball at the Event Center at the motorsport’s track and private garage campus on Oct. 4, in conjunction with the annual American Speed Festival. Civic and industry leaders from across metro Detroit enjoyed a plated dinner, live entertainment, and an awards program. The evening’s honored guest was the 2025 American Speed Festival’s Master of Motorsports award recipient Al Unser Jr., a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the CART championship. The ball supports the Pontiac Community Foundation through M1 Mobility, which provides free van rides to almost 20,000 people in need.

11. Ralf Lindackers, Riya and Adrian Nalichowski 12. Al Unser Jr., Paul Zlotoff 13. Steve and Robin Palazzolo 14. Kassandra and Antoine Jackson 15. David Beattie, Chris Keats 98 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

11 13

14

12 15

Timeless Elegance.

Unforgettable Celebrations.

From lakeside dinners to grand holiday galas, The War Memorial delivers elegance at every scale.

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY EVENT TODAY! warmemorial.org/venue 313.881.7511 eventsales@warmemorial.org

Mention this holiday promotion at the time of booking to receive 50% off your room rental and a choice of two tray passed hors d’oeuvres on your event booked for November 2025 through January 2026.

PROMOTIONAL CONTENT

T RU STE D ADVI S OR S Q: What are the most common mistakes you see businesses make with securities compliance, and how can we avoid them?

A: The biggest mistake I see is treating compliance as a fire drill — something you scramble to do only when raising capital or getting contacted by regulators. That approach almost guarantees mistakes, whether it’s outdated offering documents or sloppy recordkeeping. The best-run companies bake compliance into their routine day-to-day operations pursuant to a written standard of procedure, and it pays off. A little discipline up front can save you from very expensive headaches later.

Paesano Akkashian, PC Anthony Paesano, Founding Partner 7457 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 248-792-6886 | apaesano@palawyers.com | palawyers.com

PRESENTING SPONSOR

OCTOBER 29, 2025

| 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM

EXCITE YOUR SENSES at

G R E AT F O O D CONNECTIONS THRILL RIDES

From the Top

CLUB LIFE

venues, swimming pool, swim team, tennis courts, fitness center, weddings, private events.

The club hosts the annual Rocket Classic.

A RESOURCE GUIDE TO THE TOP PRIVATE CLUBS IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. BARTON HILLS COUNTRY CLUB 730 Country Club Rd. Ann Arbor 734-663-8511 bartonhillscc.com Members: 600 (est.)

Initiation fee: Social $15,000, Resident $40,000 Monthly fee: Social $361, Resident $811 Offerings: Signature Donald Ross golf course; tennis & pickleball courts; fitness center; renovated dining room, wine bar, and resort-style pool complex with an outdoor pavilion.

BAYVIEW YACHT CLUB 100 Clairpointe St. Detroit 313-822-1853 byc.com Members: 700 Initiation fee: $2,500 Monthly fee: $220, $150 quarterly club fee Offerings: Indoor and outdoor dining, banquet space, marina, sailing lessons and races, regattas, and cruising activities.

BIRMINGHAM ATHLETIC CLUB 4033 W. Maple Rd. Bloomfield Township 248-646-5050 bacmi.net Members: 600 Initiation fee: $15,000, multiple membership classifications Monthly fee: $695 Offerings: Recently renovated indoor and outdoor dining areas,

two pools, nine clay tennis courts, six squash courts including one international court, four paddle tennis courts, four brand-new pickleball courts, two-level fitness center.

BIRMINGHAM COUNTRY CLUB 1750 Saxon Dr. Birmingham 248-644-4111 bhamcc.com Members: 624 Initiation fee: Social $20,000, Corporate $60,000 Monthly fee: Social $745, Corporate $1,085 Offerings: Golf course, pool, tennis, fitness facilities, indoor and outdoor dining, pickleball, banquet space.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS COUNTRY CLUB 350 W. Long Lake Rd. Bloomfield Hills 248-644-6262 bloomfieldhillscc.org Members: Limited, must be nominated by member Initiation fee: $75,000 Monthly fee: $1,275 Offerings: Golf course, dining facilities.

BLOOMFIELD OPEN HUNT 405 E. Long Lake Rd. Bloomfield Hills 248-644-9411 bohclub.com Members: 250 Initiation fee: Social $7,500,

COURTESY BARTON HILLS

BARTON HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, ANN ARBOR

Stockholding $15,900 Monthly fee: Social $550, Stockholding $750 Offerings: Dining room, swimming pool, fitness studio and yoga center, indoor and outdoor tennis, platform tennis, stables, indoor and outdoor equestrian facilities, kids’ activity center, social and holiday events for members.

dining, banquet facilities, junior golf, swim team.

COUNTRY CLUB OF DETROIT 220 Country Club Dr. Grosse Pointe Farms 313-881-8000 ccofd.com Private club, keeps information private.

Members: 800+ Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Golf course, cross-country skiing, clubhouse, indoor and outdoor dining, tennis, paddle tennis, pickleball, pool, bowling, fitness center, children’s day camp, guest rooms, dog park.

DETROIT ATHLETIC CLUB 241 Madison St. Detroit 313-963-9200 thedac.com Members: 4,000 Initiation fee: Resident $13,500 (34 and older), Intermediate A $4,050 (age 29-30), Intermediate B $3,375 (age 26-28), Intermediate C $1,350 (age 21-25) Monthly fee: Resident $582 (34 and older), Intermediate A $304 (age 29-30), Intermediate B $266 (age 26-28), Intermediate C $239 (age 21-25) Offerings: Fully restored Albert Kahn-designed clubhouse built in 1915, full-service athletic facilities, pool, restaurants, ballrooms, meeting rooms, guest rooms, newly renovated bowling alley, salon, pavilion. Named No. 1 athletic club in the country from 2018-2025 by Platinum Clubs of America.

DEARBORN COUNTRY CLUB Only gives out information through members.

800 N. Military Dearborn 313-561-0800 dearborncountryclub.net Members: 300 Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Donald Ross golf course, swimming, fitness area,

DETROIT GOLF CLUB 17911 Hamilton Rd. Detroit 313-345-4400 detroitgolfclub.org Members: 800 Initiation fee: Available upon membership inquiry Monthly fee: Available upon membership inquiry Offerings: Two 18-hole golf courses, clubhouse, three dining

DETROIT YACHT CLUB One Riverbank Rd., Belle Isle Detroit 313-824-1200 dyc.com Members: More than 800; less than half are boating members Initiation fee: Active members $1,500, Boating active members $3,000 Monthly fee: Active members $434, Boating active members $474 Offerings: Restaurant and bar, outdoor and indoor pools, swim team, adult and junior sailing, kayaking, tennis courts, social activities, weddings, events, more than 300 boat slips for boating members.

EDGEWOOD COUNTRY CLUB 8399 Commerce Rd. Commerce Township 248-363-7112 edgewoodcountryclub.org Members: 450 Initiation fee: Class A $23,000, Social $4,000 Monthly fee: Class A $845, Social $390 Offerings: Golf course, golf simulation, casual and fine dining, outdoor pool, fitness center, massage therapist, event space.

FRANKLIN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB 31675 Inkster Rd. Franklin 248-851-2200 franklinhills.com Members: 500; New members must be nominated by five members, with one acting as lead Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Albert Kahn-designed clubhouse, Donald Ross golf course, tennis, swimming, banquet space, dining room.

GROSSE ILE GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB 9339 Bellevue Grosse Ile 734-676-1166 gigcc.com Members: NA Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Donald Ross golf course; two full-service dining rooms; swimming pool; GIGCC swim team; clay and hard surface tennis courts featuring adult and

youth leagues, individual instruction, and professional tennis staff; social events year-round for all ages.

GROSSE POINTE YACHT CLUB 788 Lake Shore Rd. Grosse Pointe Shores 313-884-2500 gpyc.org Members: 800 Initiation fee: Active (boating) $15,000, Social $9,500 Monthly fee: Active (boating) $703, Social $570 Offerings: Three dining rooms with views of Lake St. Clair; ballroom and main dining room with Italian architecture perfect for weddings, special occasions, or corporate events; fitness center; Olympic-size pool, bowling recreation center, and family activity center; 2,440-square-foot Marine Activity Center with sailing, watersports, and boat rentals. Named a Platinum Club of the World.

INDIANWOOD GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB 1081 Indianwood Rd. Lake Orion 248-693-2598 iwgcc.com Members: 500+ Initiation fee: Class A membership (NA), Class B membership $3,500, Family fitness membership $1,500, Social/Pool family membership $899 Monthly fee: Class A membership (NA), Class B membership $130, Family fitness membership $130, Social/Pool family membership $130 Offerings: 18-hole New and Old golf courses, driving range, Junior Golf Program for children, clubhouse, dining areas including Pipers Pub and Men’s Grill, health club, variety of club and social events.

KNOLLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB 5050 West Maple Rd. West Bloomfield Township 248-855-1800 knollwoodcountryclub.net Members: 250 Initiation fee: Golf $35,000, Social $17,500 Monthly fee: Golf $1,500, Social $750 Offerings: Golf course; three Har-Tru clay tennis courts; four hard surface pickleball courts; aquatics center with new zero-entry kids pool and splash features, snack bar, and outdoor dining; 55,000-square-foot clubhouse; fitness center; pickleball; golf

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 101

From the Top

LOCHMOOR CLUB 1018 Sunningdale Dr. Grosse Pointe Woods 313-885-6966 lochmoorclub.com Members: 450 Initiation fee: Full golf $30,000, Social $5,000 Monthly fee: Full golf $995, Social $442 Offerings: Golf course; men and women’s golf leagues; creative pop-up dining events and seasonal menus; seasonal pool bar and patio area with outdoor dining; wine club that features wine tastings/dinners; swim team for children; tennis programs; junior sports such as golf and tennis; Lochmoor Athletic Center with year-round golf training; four Trackman simulators; 1,000-square-foot indoor golf practice area with chipping, putting green, and sand bunker; fitness center; fitness trainers and physical therapy; two indoor tennis courts and two indoor pickleball courts; bar; food service.

M1 CONCOURSE 1 Concourse Dr. Pontiac 248-326-9999 m1concourse.com Members: 210 Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Cost information reserved for members who own a garage at the track. Seven hours of track time per week; use of M1 Fleet Vehicles such as Dodge Hellcats and Lexus Performance Coupes; instruction provided by high-level driving instructors, including notable racers such as Johnny O’Connell; autocross competitions; guest events for friends/family of members to drive; exclusive social events.

MEADOWBROOK COUNTRY CLUB 40941 W. Eight Mile Rd. Northville Township 248-349-3600 meadowbrookcountryclub.com Members: 698 (there is a two-year waiting list) Initiation fee: Social $12,500, Golf $65,000 Monthly fees: Social $480,

quarterly food and beverage $600, golf $710, monthly capital $250 Offerings: Golf course; 25-meter pool, lap pool, and wading pool; fountain and wading pool for little ones; private tennis programs led

by Wayne Jackson; tennis events, lessons, and tournaments; indoor and outdoor dining options.

OAKHURST GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB 7000 Oakhurst Lane Clarkston 248-391-3300 clubcorp.com Members: NA Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Golf course, four tennis courts with USPTA pro available for clinics or private lessons, six pickleball courts, executive chef, cabana bar, junior Olympic-size resort-style pool, 1,600-square-foot fitness center, variety of social functions.

OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB 3951 West Maple Rd. Bloomfield Township 248-644-2500 oaklandhillscc.com Members: 500 Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: South and North 18-hole golf courses, tennis, swimming. Using temporary facilities while new clubhouse is under construction.

ORCHARD LAKE COUNTRY CLUB 5000 West Shore Dr. Orchard Lake Village 248-682-0100 orchardlakecountryclub.com Members: NA Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Golf course and driving range; six-tiered clay tennis courts and four platform tennis courts; seasonal menus prepared by award-winning chefs; lakefront dining; ballroom for wedding celebrations; racquet classes, competitions, and tournament training for all ages; personal training and group fitness programs; sailing clinics; swim lessons for children.

PAINT CREEK COUNTRY CLUB 2375 Stanton Rd. Lake Orion 248-693-4695 paintcreekgolf.com Members: 70 Initiation fee: None

102 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

Annual fees: Pool and fitness $1,100, Corporate membership $3,900, Family membership $3,700 Offerings: Golf course, fitness center, pool, 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, 300-seat dining room.

PINE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB 3300 Pine Lake Rd. Orchard Lake 248-682-1300 pinelakecc.com Members: 550 Initiation fee: Social $20,000, Stock $45,000 Monthly fee: Social $886, Stock $1,270 Offerings: Golf course, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, Olympic-size pool, fitness center, clubhouse, dining room, grill.

Waiting list for boat slips for stock members.

PLUM HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB 21631 Lahser Rd. Southfield 248-357-5353 plumhollowcc.com Members: 400 Initiation fee: Stock $20,000, Social $1,500 Monthly fee: Varies based on membership category Offerings: Golf course, caddie program, three Har-Tru clay tennis courts, Olympic-size pool, swim teams, casual and fine dining options.

POLO FIELDS GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB 5200 Polo Fields Dr. Ann Arbor 734-998-1555

polofieldsccmi.com Members: NA Initiation fee: Full golf family $7,300, Single golf $4,800, Non-resident social $1,000, Dining only $100 Monthly fee: Full golf family $640, Single golf $420, Non-residential social $90, Dining only $150 (quarterly) Offerings: Golf course, clubhouse, indoor and outdoor dining, pool, lounge area, fully equipped fitness center, snack bar, patio, golf simulator, year-round events.

RED RUN COUNTRY CLUB 2036 Rochester Rd. Royal Oak 248-548-7500 redrungolfclub.com Members: 690 families Initiation fee: Social $35,000, Stock $7,500 Monthly fee: Social $350, Stock $720 Offerings: Golf course, Olympic-size pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, fitness center, indoor golf practice area, bowling leagues, casual and formal dining.

SHENANDOAH COUNTRY CLUB 5600 Walnut Lake Rd. West Bloomfield Township 248-683-6363 shenandoahcc.net Members: 1,800; membership restricted to Chaldeans or the spouses of Chaldeans Initiation fee: $25,000 Annual fee: $2,500 Offerings: Golf course; clubhouse; dining; partitionable 11,336-square-foot banquet

room; two pre-function areas; 4,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, pool, and splash pad; fitness center. The general public can hold banquets, weddings, and other events at the club.

TAM-O-SHANTER COUNTRY CLUB 5051 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield Township 248-855-1900, ext. 408 tamoshantercc.org Members: 350 Initiation fee: $20,000 Monthly fee: $1,000 Offerings: Golf course, clubhouse, dining, four hydro-clay and two hard-surface tennis courts, Olympic-size heated pool, fitness center, banquet facilities, youth programs, pickleball.

WABEEK CLUB 4000 Clubgate Dr. Bloomfield Township 248-855-0700 wabeekcc.com Members: 600 Initiation fee: Social $4,000, Golf $12,500 Monthly fee: Social $325, Golf $795 Offerings: Golf course designed

by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye; clubhouse; formal and casual dining; pool; pickleball; fitness center; spa; banquet and private event space; kids room; TrackMan golf simulators; outdoor sport court, volleyball, and youth tennis configurations.

313-531-1240 westerngcc.com Members: 400 Initiation fee: Full membership $15,000, Anyone 21-38 $8,250, Athletic social $4,400 Monthly fee: Full membership $695, Anyone 21-38 $395, Athletic social $275 Offerings: Donald Ross golf course, year-round events, four dining rooms, swimming pool, tennis, pickleball, snack bars, Kid Kamp, golf simulators, junior programs, and a brand-new clubhouse that opened in 2021.

Celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2026.

WYNDGATE COUNTRY CLUB 1975 W. Gunn Rd. Rochester Hills 248-652-4283 thewyndgate.com Members: NA Initiation fee: NA Monthly fee: NA Offerings: Two 18-hole golf courses, clubhouse, gardens, banquet and event facilities, junior golf program, golf lessons, club fitting, club repair, Olympic-size pool, splash pad, 3-foot-deep transitional pool, swim team.

Source: DBusiness research

WESTERN GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB 14600 Kinloch Redford Township WYNDGATE COUNTRY CLUB, ROCHESTER HILLS

COURTESY WYNDGATE

simulator studio; banquet space for 350 people; Troon Privé – Private Clubs of Distinction; member golfing privileges at Troon-managed clubs, resorts, and courses worldwide. Newly renovated ballroom opening May 2026.

From the Top

LARGEST MULTITENANT OFFICE BUILDINGS (LISTED BY SIZE) ONE CAMPUS MARTIUS 1 Campus Martius, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 1.3M Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com

THE FISHER BUILDING 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 634,819 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 66,841 Office Rent Avg.: $24 Owner/Broker: JLL Contact: AJ Weiner, 248-581-3335

PENOBSCOT BUILDING 645 Griswold St., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 1.2M Avail. Sq. Ft.: Less than 300,000 Office Rent Avg.: $25 Owner/Broker: Triple Properties Detroit Contact: Alex Loewy, 313-961-8800

DETROIT EXECUTIVE PLAZA 1200 Sixth St., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 612,890 Avail. Sq. Ft.: Vacant Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Detroit Executive Plaza Contact: Derrick Danou, 313-962-9595

ALLY DETROIT CENTER 500 Woodward Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 1M Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 888-300-9833 DOMINO’S FARM OFFICE PARK 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr., Ann Arbor Total Sq. Ft.: 920,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 55,717 Office Rent Avg.: $34-36 Owner/Broker: Domino’s Farms Office Park Contact: Margaret Parkinson, 734-930-4425

COURTESY BEDROCK

FIRST NATIONAL BUILDING 660 Woodward Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 830,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 888-300-9833 COREWELL HEALTH CENTER (FORMERLY FIRST CENTER OFFICE PLAZA) 26901 Beaumont Blvd., Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 680,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 0 Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Corewell Health Contact: NA

SOUTHFIELD TOWN CENTER – 1000 TOWN CENTER 1000 Town Center, Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 597,346 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 183,000 Office Rent Avg.: $22-24 + electric Owner/Broker: Transwestern Management Contact: Clarence Gleeson, 248-440-1411; Patrick Schlenke, 248-440-1448 PNC CENTER 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy Total Sq. Ft.: 597,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 119,839 Office Rent Avg.: Floors 1-13, $21.50; Floors 14 and above, $24,50 Owner/Broker: Friedman Real Estate Contact: Steve Eisenshtadt, 248-848-3535

SOUTHFIELD TOWN CENTER – 3000 TOWN CENTER 3000 Town Center, Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 586,038 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 35,600 Office Rent Avg.: $22-24 + electric Owner/Broker: Transwestern Management Contact: Clarence Gleeson, 248-440-1411; Patrick Schlenke, 248-440-1448 RENCEN – TOWER 300 300 Renaissance Center, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 584,531 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 0 Office Rent Avg.: $25.50 Owner/Broker: CBRE Contact: Jasper Hanifi, 248-351-2020 RENCEN – TOWER 400 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 576,449 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 55,000 Office Rent Avg.: $25.50 Owner/Broker: CBRE Contact: Jasper Hanifi, 248-351-2020 SOUTHFIELD TOWN CENTER – 2000 TOWN CENTER 2000 Town Center, Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 556,014 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 101,600

Office Rent Avg.: $22-24 + electric Owner/Broker: Transwestern Management Contact: Clarence Gleeson, 248-440-1411; Patrick Schlenke, 248-440-1448

AMERICAN CENTER 27777 Franklin Rd., Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 512,374 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 97,878 Office Rent Avg.: $19.95 gross Owner/Broker: REDICO Contact: 248-827-1700

ONE TOWN SQUARE 1 Towne Square, Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 427,013 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 65,611 Office Rent Avg.: $14.50 Owner/Broker: REDICO Contact: NA

444 MICHIGAN AVE. 444 Michigan Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 551,453 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 402,538 Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Reign CO1 Propco Contact: NA

NEW CENTER ONE BUILDING 3031 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 510,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: Approximately 100,000 Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: NAI Farbman Group Contact: Andy Gutman

SOUTHFIELD TOWN CENTER – 4000 Town Center 4000 Town Center, Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 383,005 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 65,653 Office Rent Avg.: $22-24 + electric Owner/Broker: Transwestern Management Contact: Clarence Gleeson, 248-440-1411; Patrick Schlenke, 248-440-1448

MASONIC TEMPLE 434-500 Temple St., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 550,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Masonic Temple Association Contact: Ryan Groat, 313-832-7100 THE QUBE (CHASE) 611 Woodward Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 530,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 888-300-9833

150 W JEFFERSON 150 W Jefferson, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 489,786 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 64,061 Office Rent Avg.: $28.50 gross Owner/Broker: REDICO Contact: NA 300 RIVER PLACE 300 River Place, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 455,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 888-300-9833

HUDSONS DETROIT 1240 Woodward Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 366,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 888-300-9833 Source: DBusiness research

ONE CAMPUS MARTIUS, DETROIT

RENCEN – TOWER 200 200 Renaissance Center, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 593,480 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 277,000 Office Rent Avg.: $25.50 Owner/Broker: CBRE Contact: Jasper Hanifi, 248-351-2020 RENCEN – TOWER 100 100 Renaissance Center, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 587,973 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 88,000 Office Rent Avg.: $25.50 Owner/Broker: CBRE Contact: Jasper Hanifi, 248-351-2020

November - December 2025 || DBUSINESS.COM 103

From the Top

LARGEST HOSPITAL SYSTEMS IN MICHIGAN (LISTED BY 2024 OPERATING REVENUE) 1. COREWELL HEALTH 100 Michigan Ave. NE Grand Rapids 866-989-7999 26901 Beaumont Blvd.

Southfield 248-898-500 corewellhealth.org President/CEO: Tina Freese Decker 2024 Revenue $16.4B 2023 Revenue: $15.1B 2022 Revenue: $14.7B 2024 Employees: 67,409 Operations: Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Troy); Corewell Health Beaumont Grosse Pointe Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Grosse Pointe); Corewell Health Dearborn Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Dearborn); Corewell Health Farmington Hills Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Farmington Hills); Corewell Health Taylor Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Taylor); Corewell Health Trenton Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Trenton); Corewell Health Wayne Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Wayne); Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak)

2. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. Ann Arbor 734-936-4000 uofmhealth.org Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Michigan; CEO, Michigan Medicine: David C. Miller, M.D., M.P.H. Dean, U-M Medical School: Thomas J. Wang, M.D. 2024 Revenue: $7.9B 2023 Revenue: $7.9B (July 2023-June 30, 2024) 2022 Revenue: $5.5B 2024 Employees: 47,000 Operations: University Hospital; C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital; Von Voightlander Women’s Hospital; Frankel Cardiovascular Center; Rogel Cancer Center; Kellogg Eye Center; University of Michigan Health–West; University of Michigan–Sparrow 3. HENRY FORD HEALTH 1 Ford Place Detroit 800-436-7936 henryford.com President/CEO: Bob Riney 2024 Revenue: $6.5B

HENRY FORD HEALTH, DETROIT

2023 Revenue: $4.95B 2022 Revenue: $4.2B 2024 Employees: 51,772 Operations: Henry Ford Hospital; Henry Ford Allegiance Health; Henry Ford Macomb Hospital–Clinton Township; Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital; Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital; Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital 4. ASCENSION MICHIGAN 28000 Dequindre Rd. Warren 586-753-0911 President/CEO/Interim Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Michigan: Carol Schmidt 2024 Revenue: (Entered into joint venture with Henry Ford Health on Oct. 1, 2024) 2023 Revenue: $4.51B 2022 Revenue: $4.5B 2024 Employees: 50,693 Operations: Sixteen hospitals and hundreds of related health care facilities including Ascension Borgess Hospital; Ascension Borgess – Allegan Hospital; Ascension Borgess – Lee Hospital; Ascension Borgess – Pipp Hospital; Ascension Brighton Center for Recovery; Ascension Genesys

Hospital; Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital (Madison Heights Campus and Warren Campus); Ascension Providence Hospital (Novi Campus and Southfield Campus); Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital; Ascension River District Hospital; Ascension St. John Hospital; Ascension St. Joseph Hospital; Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital; Ascension Standish Hospital 5. TRINITY HEALTH MICHIGAN 1600 S. Canton Center Rd., Ste. 310 Canton Township 844-237-3627 stjoeshealth.org; mercyhealth.com President/CEO: Shannon Striebich 2024 Revenue: $4.74B 2023 Revenue: $4.34B 2022 Revenue: $4.16B 2024 Employees: 25,681 Operations: St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor; St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea; St. Joseph Mercy Livingston; St. Joseph Mercy Oakland; St. Mary Mercy Livonia; Mercy Health Muskegon; Mercy Health Grand Rapids; Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus

6. MCLAREN HEALTH CARE One McLaren Parkway Grand Blanc 810-342-1100 mclaren.org President/CEO: Philip Incarnati 2024 Revenue: 6.65B 2023 Revenue: NA 2022 Revenue: $3.8B 2024 Employees: 18,725 Operations: McLaren Bay Region; McLaren Caro Region; McLaren Central Michigan; McLaren Flint; McLaren Greater Lansing; McLaren Lapeer Region; McLaren Macomb; McLaren Northern Michigan; McLaren Oakland; McLaren Port Huron; McLaren Thumb Region; Karmanos Cancer Institute 7. BRONSON HEALTHCARE 301 John St. Kalamazoo 269-341-6000 bronsonhealth.com President/CEO: Bill Manns 2024 Revenue: $1.9B 2023 Revenue: $1.76B 2022 Revenue: $1.62B 2024 Employees: 9,300+ Operations: Bronson Methodist Hospital; Bronson Battle Creek Hospital; Bronson LakeView

Hospital; Bronson South Haven Hospital; Bronson Medical Group; Bronson at Home; Bronson Commons; Bronson Athletic Club; Bronson Wellness Center; Bronson Health Foundation 8. MYMICHIGAN HEALTH 4000 Wellness Dr. Midland 989-839-3000 mydmichigan.org President/CEO: Dr. Lydia Watson 2024 Revenue: $1.49B 2023 Revenue: $1.33B 2022 Revenue: $1.2B 2024 Employees: 6,032 Operations: MyMichigan Medical Center Alma; MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena; MyMichigan Medical Center Clare; MyMichigan Medical Center Gladwin; MyMichigan Medical Center Midland; MyMichigan Medical Center Mount Pleasant; MyMichigan Medical Center Sault; MyMichigan Medical Center West Branch; Mackinac Straits Hospital, Health System; Mackinac Island Medical Center (not affiliated with University of Michigan Health) 9. DETROIT MEDICAL CENTER 3990 John R St. Detroit 313-745-1250 dmc.org CEO: Brittany Lavis 2024 Revenue: $1B (est.)

2023 Revenue: $1B (est.)

2022 Revenue: $1B (est.)

2024 Employees: 9,033 Operations: DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan; DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital; DMC Harper University Hospital; DMC Heart Hospital; DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital; DMC Hutzel Women’s Hospital; DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan; DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital

COURTESY HENRY FORD HEALTH

Source: DBusiness research

104 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

HOB NOBBLE GOBBLE® PRESENTED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY Nov. 21, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. theparade.org/hob-nobble-gobble/

As the most magical annual fundraiser for The Parade Co., Hob Nobble Gobble presented by Ford Motor Co. is on Friday, Nov. 21, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Ford Field. Produced by and benefiting The Parade Co., the evening includes a fabulous carnival midway, exceptional food and delights, and live entertainment from end zone to end zone for kids and adults alike.

Hob Nobble Gobble helps to raise important funds for The Parade Co. to produce the iconic America’s Thanksgiving Parade presented by Gardner White. Tickets to the black-tie evening are limited. To reserve your tickets or tables, please contact CarolAnn at cbarbb@theparade.org or 313-432-7831.

NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY STROLLING DINNER & AWARDS CEREMONY Nov. 13, 5:30 to 9 p.m.

afpdetroit.org

The National Philanthropy Day Strolling Dinner & Awards Ceremony, presented by the Kresge Foundation, will be held Nov. 13 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. Hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter, the event includes networking, a strolling dinner, and the presentation of annual awards and recognition of Distinguished Volunteers. Proceeds support AFP’s year-round programs for fundraising professionals. Registration is now open.

ABOVE & BEYOND AWARDS CEREMONY Nov. 13, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

detroitpublicsafety.org/above-beyond

The 13th annual Above & Beyond Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, will take place Nov. 13 at Ford Field. The event honors Detroit Police and Fire Department members for acts of bravery, service, and sacrifice. Awards include the Medal of Valor, Purple Heart, and Public Safety Distinguished Service Award. Community nominations are accepted, and additional honors recognize emergency medical services personnel and public safety partners.

POWER CONNECTIONS CANNABIS Nov. 21, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

powerconnectionsco.com

The annual Power Connections Cannabis event will be held Nov. 21 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The one-day conference brings together cannabis industry professionals for networking, expert-led panel discussions, and one of the region’s largest speed networking sessions.

More than 500 attendees are expected to connect, share insights, and explore business opportunities.

KIDNEY BALL Nov. 22, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

nkfm.org

The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan will host its 20th annual Kidney Ball on Nov. 22 at The Monarch ballroom at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth. The evening begins with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, dessert, live entertainment, and silent and live auctions. Known as “the most fun black-tie event in metro Detroit,” the ball draws more than 500 guests in support of kidney health initiatives.

AUBURN HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SILVER & GOLD AWARDS Dec. 4, 9 a.m. to noon

auburnhillschamber.com

The Auburn Hills Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Silver & Gold Awards on Dec. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon. Held during a festive holiday brunch, the event honors outstanding businesses and professionals in the Auburn Hills community. More than 350 business and community leaders are expected to attend.

Award nominees and recipients will be announced.

ADV E RTI SE ME NT

Closing Bell

Steps Beyond The DAC Briefcase Drill Team takes up the mantle from the Fred Hill Briefcase Drill Team on Nov. 27 for America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.

106 DBUSINESS || November - December 2025

FORWARD MARCH The Fred Hill Briefcase Drill Team, above, which appeared in multiple parades from 1985 to 2012, is being recreated by the Detroit Athletic Club. The new group, the DAC Briefcase Drill Team, will make its debut at America’s Thanksgiving Parade Presented by Gardner White on Nov. 27. The parade route follows Woodward Avenue from Midtown to downtown Detroit.

Airport’s new runway in Romulus, and took a regular spot in Traverse City’s Cherry Festival Parade.

Their routines included singing “Do-Wah-Diddy-Diddy,” Manfred Mann’s No. 1 hit from 1964.

Hill closed his store by 1992, went into real estate, and continued leading the group of men. They perfected such sarabandes as the stutter-stepping “Businessman Boogie” and the “Airport Delay,” in which they sat on their briefcases.

Hailed far and wide, they marched at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., and the Indianapolis 500. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade included them in 2008 and 2012, before the aging team disbanded to rest their aching backs and knees.

“If you notice, people don’t carry briefcases anymore,” Hill told DBusiness in 2014. He passed away in 2021.

Before too long, though, a drill team revival was conceived. Longtime banker David Provost had belonged to Hill’s unit for a time in the 1980s, until he got married and moved from Plymouth.

“It was a well-tuned fighting machine,” says Provost, the 2025 president of the Detroit Athletic Club. “We had a couple of times where briefcases would get dropped, but it was interesting because we actually practiced (what to do) if somebody dropped their briefcase. One time the parade was really slow, and we had to stand in one spot for 20 minutes.”

Capable of a limited number of routines, they improvised. “We put our briefcases down and went around and shook hands with the crowd,” Provost says.

“We’re going to incorporate that into this year’s parade.”

For the 2025 America’s Thanksgiving Parade Presented by Gardner White along Woodward Avenue from Midtown to downtown Detroit, the DAC Briefcase Drill Team will field more than 20 team members carrying briefcases.

“I think the most challenging thing was to find the drum major,” Provost says. “I was very lucky to get a gentleman named Scott Idle who has a lot of drill team experience and a loud voice.”

For Provost, putting the team together substantiates the inkling he had about reconstituting the act.

“We have new members, we have seasoned members, and we’re forming a nice bond in a nice group,” he says. “It’s just another way that the DAC is really a connector in the community.”

FILE PHOTO

F

or a hometown Plymouth act that launched in 1985 as a spoof, the Fred Hill Briefcase Drill Team ultimately marched far from its Main Street starting point in the Fourth of July parade. It might be said the concept of self-deprecating businessmen left room for development.

After getting the team on its feet for Independence Day, and then other celebrations, Hill approached The Parade Co. in 1988 about joining America’s Thanksgiving Parade, but was rebuffed. He was told the act just seemed too kooky.

A timely story in The Wall Street Journal raised the team’s profile, and with a coincidental change of parade management, an invitation to the group went out in 1989. The team of 16, representing all walks of professional life and ranging widely in age, donned their dark suits, red ties, and Santa caps for the threemile sojourn over Woodward Avenue.

“We’re like an army of IRS agents,” Hill, a former Green Beret in the U.S. Army, said in 1996. “It’s an absolute hoot — our version of going hunting.”

The owner of Fred Hill Haberdashers took initial inspiration from the 1981 film “Stripes” and a lawnmower consort in another parade. At first Hill’s team wielded umbrellas, but they eventually embraced briefcases, and gave five performances per year after receiving up to 40 invitations.

Sometimes they marched for free. When a fee was received, it went to charity.

Following two heralds with a banner, the 16 marchers went four abreast as Hill directed the team with a drum major’s precision. Besides Detroit at Thanksgiving, they celebrated in the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup parades, commemorated Detroit Metro

BY RONALD AHRENS

YOUR

PREMIUM

EXPERIENCE AWAITS

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

REAL ESTATE

TUSHAR VAKHARIYA + RENEE LOSSIA ACHO T VA R L A . C O M | 2 4 8 . 7 8 6 . 7 7 9 0