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

PLUS:

U.S. DEBT CRISIS

By David L. Littmann

POST-PRODUCTION $5.95 November/ December 2026 dbusiness.com

Emagine Entertainment founder Paul Glantz used guts and outside-the-box thinking to build a Midwest chain of luxury movie theaters.

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CONTENTS

11-12.26

DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards 2026

35 Commercial Real

Estate Awards

FOCUS: Welcome to the fourth annual DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards, honoring 21 people, companies, and projects that are transforming metro Detroit. By Dan Calabrese, Tim Keenan, R.J. King

COURTESY CUNNINGHAM LIMP

35 47 Economic Forecast:

Opportunity Cost

PERSPECTIVES: Michigan’s economy will hold its own in 2027 but remains susceptible to trade barriers and national trends. By Ronald Ahrens and Tim Keenan PLUS: Economist David L. Littmann examines the U.S. debt.

12 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

56 Top

Lawyers The region’s top attorneys in more than 50 practice categories, as voted by their local peers through Professional Research Services in Troy. The list will be posted at dbusiness.com on Nov. 16.

72 Post

Production Emagine Entertainment founder Paul Glantz used guts and outside-the-box thinking to build a Midwest chain of luxury movie theaters. By Dan Calabrese

11-12.26

Foreword 16

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

READERS' LETTERS

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTENTS

Commentary 22 WEB 3.0 Businesses and individuals concerned about entrusting their key data to a third party, like a tech-hosting firm, now have access to Web 3.0, or the owned internet. 22 AI-PROOF During a recent interview on Fortune’s Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast, Mary Barra, CEO and chair of General Motors Co. in Detroit, said the United States must get past its “societal problem” of how it views skilled tradespeople like electricians, plumbers, welders, and machinists.

24 COMPENDIUM How outsiders view Detroit.

The Ticker 28 SOLE OPERATION A private specialty medical practice in Auburn Hills strives to stay independent. By R.J. King 29 LEAP OF FAITH A pair of contractors say they’re poised to assist the Archdiocese of Detroit as it navigates a major parish renewal project. By Tim Keenan 29 FRIENDLY SKIES Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus ranked second in the JD Power 2026 North America Airport Satisfaction Study. By R.J. King 30 LADY OF THE STREAM An effort to return an iconic fish to Michigan’s rivers involves support from a family-owned distillery. By Geoff Koch 30 PDA Q&A Mitch Zajac, shareholder, Butzel, Detroit. By R.J. King

32 32 SIGNATURE RECIPE Two business partners took a contemporary spin on Middle Eastern cuisine to distinguish My Big Fat Shawarma from the competition. By R.J. King

Exec Life 96 CEO GIFT GUIDE What do you give chief executives who think they have everything? How about a Swiss bunker for their most valuable objects, a VERTU Luxury Mobile Phone, a getaway at The Mill at Zehnder Park in Frankenmuth, a PoppinPod 2, a Chip electric “life utility vehicle,” a Curated by Cadillac EXCALADE IQ, an NCAA Final Four fantasy weekend, or a membership at the new Motorsports Club at M1 Concourse in Pontiac. By R.J. King, Tim Keenan, and Justin Stenson

14 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

98 RETURN ON INVESTMENT Reverse Motion: David Prybil’s career, cast in Hollywood, shares the backdrop for a new film being produced in the place he calls home: Ann Arbor. By Tom Murray 100 PATENTS AND INVENTIONS Ground Control: Christoper Ruf, a space science engineer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, developed a satellite system that monitors the Earth’s surface for weather events. By Norm Sinclair 102 OPINION Tailored Support: The future of cancer care is personalized, precise, and still human. By Dr. Julian Jeberaeel 104 THE CIRCUIT Our party pics from exclusive events.

Et Cetera 109 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. 114 CLOSING BELL Corner on Fashion: For 70 years, Winkelman’s in Detroit and beyond was known for high-quality women’s wear. By Ronald Ahrens ON THE COVER Photo by Nick Hagen

COURTESY MY BIG FAT SHAWARMA

22 WORTH ITS SALT As the United States and nearly every developed country in the world scrambles to find, mine, and process rare Earth minerals to produce lithium-ion batteries, an alternative energy source — sodium-based batteries — can lower reliance on critical elements and reduce energy costs.

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Letters

Required Reading

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2026

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 2026

VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 5

pledged to make literacy one of her top priorities when she took office. Overall, her track record consists of spending tax dollars to grow a government that is literally failing its citizens. In fact, the Progressive Policy Institute in September reported that states dominated by Democratic leadership have historically been much slower to adopt mandatory, evidence-based “science of reading” reforms. Overall, Michigan ranks 44th in the country in elementary student reading, according to a recent report from Education Trust Midwest. As for the Michigan Department of Education, it talks — but it doesn’t walk the walk. In response to consistently poor test scores, State Superintendent Glenn Maleyko, like his predecessors, recognizes that Michigan trails almost every other state in public school outcomes, yet he offers few “roll up your sleeves” solutions to reverse the tide. He took the helm last December. “We need to improve the results of all these assessments for our students moving forward,” said Maleyko, according to various media reports. “Michigan proficiency rates are not where we want them to be. We must increase proficiency rates in all subjects and areas, and in all grades. And we must do this over time, showing steady improvement in all areas.” Jase Bolger, former speaker of the Michigan House, acknowledges Whitmer and the current Legislature are implementing initiatives to boost reading levels, but he believes the state should bring back a requirement that held third-grade students back until they reached reading proficiency — a measure Whitmer and the Legislature ended in 2023. “What we have seen, I fear, is lip service,” Bolger, president and CEO of the West Michigan Policy Forum, told Bridge Michigan. “We’ve certainly seen more money — in fact, a billion dollars more — but spending more isn’t caring more. And it’s proven that (more money) certainly isn’t more effective.”

IDEAL GROUP | TOP BUSINESS RESTAURANTS | MICHIGAN VENTURE CAPITAL REPORT

usinesses have enough on their plate as they juggle finances, market m arket expansion, and operational efficiency to sustain profits and growth. What they don’t need are young job applicants who lack basic reading skills. And yet, here in Michigan, the latest third-grade reading scores are dreadful. The foundational pillars of government are education, infrastructure, and public safety, which allow communities and businesses to grow in a secure R.J. KING environment. Taxes are levied to ensure the three legs of the municipal stool are sturdy and sound. So when the government fails to keep its end of the bargain as it relates to what are unacceptable reading outcomes in public schools, it’s time to make reading fundamental again. Based on the latest third-grade public school reading scores in Michigan, 38.2 percent of students are proficient in English language arts, based on M-STEP tests taken in the spring. That’s down from 2025, when nearly 39 percent of thirdgrade students could read competently. In the hyper-competitive world of business, if a company operated at less than 40 percent efficiency, it wouldn’t last long. But based on legacy organizations like politically influential teachers’ unions, poor results at public schools barely seem to register. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited and leaves office in January following eight lackluster years at the helm, has presided over a steady decline in the state’s economy, infrastructure, and business attraction. What’s more, the state routinely reports the highest unemployment rate in the country. When pressed on the poor reading results, Whitmer demurs and blames others, even as she

INSIDE: VENTURE CAPITAL REPORT | TOP BUSINESS RESTAURANTS | CARBON ROCKS

The Ideal Way Alongside building Ideal Group into a $650-million automotive, construction, and materials management conglomerate, the Venegas family is helping to lead a long-term revival of Detroit’s Mexicantown neighborhood.

MICHIGAN’S FUTURE

First of all, thank you for pointing out ways toward getting Michigan into the future with exciting and well-paying jobs. I believe in this wholeheartedly, and I approach the new economy with opportunities in finance, law, and technology. Speaking of the finance industry, thank you for your article on Modell Capital in Bloomfield Hills. It’s great to see a local publication support the local team that’s providing great jobs to our community.

Kevin Yousif Bloomfield Hills . INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM

I’ll definitely tell (people) the great feedback and experience I had after the profile on me was published in the July-August 2025 issue of DBusiness. Not only did I hear from people I haven’t spoken to in decades, but also from other publications that thought they knew me until they read the piece. (It’s) funny that someone even mentioned it when I spoke at a conference in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Tess Mateo Troy

Contributors

CONTRIBUTORS

DETROIT’S PREMIER BUSINESS JOURNAL

VOLUME 21 • ISSUE 6 GROUP PUBLISHER Jason Hosko EDITORIAL EDITOR R.J. King MANAGING EDITOR Tim Keenan

TOM MURRAY

Tom Murray has been a regular contributor to DBusiness for several years. He began his career in print journalism, then made an unplanned turn to broadcast television, where he was an award-winning anchor and reporter for three decades, covering everything from sports to fine wine and true crime. His work for DBusiness is a return to his early aspirations in the business world; as a kid growing up in his native New York City, Murray’s regular summer job through high school and college was on the floor of the stock exchange. In this issue, he wrote the Return on Investment piece on David Prybil, a writer, producer, and filmmaker from Ann Arbor.

COPY EDITOR Anne Berry Daugherty DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lindsay Richards ART DIRECTOR Justin Stenson JUNIOR ART DIRECTOR Sabrina Seldon SALES MEDIA ADVISERS Samantha Alessandri, Cynthia Barnhart, Karli Brown, Danielle Elliott-Smith, Cathleen Francois, Donna Kassab, Lisa LaBelle, Amanda Muszynski, Mary Pantely & Associates PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER Crystal Nelson ACCOUNT MANAGER Elizabeth Kowalik SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITORS Morgan Brown,

CONTRIBUTION: Writer, Return on Investment | SEE IT HERE: Page 98

Olivia Sedlacek DIGITAL DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Travis Fletcher

DAVID L. LITTMANN

David L. Littmann is a senior economist with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland. He retired from Comerica Bank in 2005 as senior vice president and chief economist after a 35-year career in charge of Comerica’s Economics Department and Research Library. In addition to contributing to DBusiness, Littmann has authored business barometers and developed many leading indicators for the local and national economies, covering everything from tourism to the auto industry. In this issue, he looks at U.S. debt and how it’s affecting the local and national economy. CONTRIBUTION: Writer, Perspectives Sidebar | SEE IT HERE: Page 51

DIGITAL STRATEGY SPECIALIST Alessandra Taranta DIGITAL STRATEGY ASSISTANT Jacalyn Wyka DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Matt Cappo SENIOR DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Luanne Lim DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Brian Paul IT DIRECTOR OF IT 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 Lachlan O’Neill EMAIL MARKETING COORDINATOR Mitch Ackerman MARKETING RESEARCH MARKETING RESEARCH DIRECTOR Sofia Shevin MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATOR Kristin Bestrom MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR Alexandra Thompson

NICK HAGEN

Nick Hagen is a Detroit-based photographer specializing in journalism and portraits for editorial and commercial clients. He’s an alumnus of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies and, along with working for local clients, he’s regularly commissioned by national and international outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Politico. From covering political rallies to photographing intimate portraits, Hagen showcases people who aren’t typically in the spotlight. His ultimate goal is to honor the everyday with honest photography and storytelling. In this issue, Hagen photographed Emagine Entertainment founder and brand officer Paul Glantz in his natural habitat — a movie theater. CONTRIBUTION: Photographer, Cover | SEE IT HERE: Page 72

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronald Ahrens, Dan Calabrese, Dr. Julian Jeberaeel, Geoff Koch, David L. Littmann, Tom Murray, Norm Sinclair CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Patrick Gloria, Nick Hagen, Rusty Feathers Design, Matt LaVere, Marcin Szczepanski, Palmer Werner, Joseph Xu, James Yang

18 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

MARKETING RESEARCH SALES COORDINATOR Theresa Lowery MARKETING RESEARCH ASSISTANT Abby Galanty PRS GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kendra Okamoto MARKETING RESEARCH INTERNS Allison Bose, Dennis Koval, Camryn Buckley BUSINESS CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo COO Edward Peabody DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Kathie Gorecki MEDIA ASSOCIATE Ariana Biondo SENIOR ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE Andrew Kotzian ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATES Stephen Diaz 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 © 2026 Hour Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. DBusiness is a registered trademark of Hour Media.

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11-12.26

COMMENTARY

JAMES YANG

22 WEB 3.0 IS A NEW ERA OF THE INTERNET, WHERE USERS WILL HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR DATA.” — DAVID SIEGEL, AMERICAN COMPUTER SCIENTIST AND ENTREPRENEUR

p. 22

p. 24

Web 3.0

Compendium

AI-Proof Worth Its Salt November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 21

Commentary

WORKFORCE

AI-PROOF TECHNOLOGY

Web 3.0

INSIDE THE NUMBERS BILLION

6.9

Projected market value of the global Web 3.0 market in 2026

BILLION

33.5

Projected market value of the global Web 3.0 market in 2030

49.3

Compounded annual growth rate of Web 3.0

Source: Grand View Research

usinesses and individuals concerned about entrusting their key data to a third party, like a tech-hosting firm, now have access to Web 3.0, or the owned internet. Instead of contracting for space on outside corporate servers, enterprises and other users can own their digital footprint, assets, and identity. Put more broadly, it’s akin to renting a place to live rather than owning a home. The third generation of the internet, Web 3.0 uses blockchain technology and what’s known as the decentralization of peer-to-peer networks to shift data control from host firms back to users. No outside corporation can lock your digital front door or take your data without permission. The current platform, Web 2.0, which was developed more than 20 years ago, provides for social media and video uploads, among other digital tools, but hosting companies store and monetize that data and can sell it to targeted advertisers, consultants, or forecasting agencies. As a result, key information may be subject to security risks or mismanagement, potentially resulting in the loss or misuse of user data. With Web 2.0, computers use HTTP in the form of unique web addresses to find information, which is stored at a fixed location, generally on a single server. Web 3.0 information is accessed based on its content and, as a result, can be stored in multiple locations at the same time. In essence, Web 3.0 breaks down the massive central databases currently held by internet giants and hands greater control to users. As an example, Ethereum, a decentralized, open-source blockchain network, allows developers to build and run programmable applications and smart contracts without a central authority via Web 3.0. It’s a distributed platform that uses blockchain technology and allows anyone to create anything and retain ownership. Content such as images, articles, videos, and more can be tokenized (assigned a value by the blockchain network), which establishes ownership and ensures anyone using that content has permission to do so. Put another way, an artist using Web 3.0 owns the platform, music library, and access to fans. When a new song is released, the artist gets paid per stream. Consumers pay the artist directly via a smart contract. The result is there’s no streaming service that takes a cut. Specific industries utilizing Web 3.0 include agriculture, healthcare, energy and utilities, travel and hospitality, manufacturing, entertainment, insurance, banking and financial services, logistics, and education, among others. While there are some impediments to Web 3.0, such as regulatory uncertainty in different countries, integration with legacy systems, security risks from badly written smart contracts, and investment costs, it’s recommended that potential users interested in tapping into the new technology work with a trusted development partner skilled in building secure solutions.

22 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

DURING A RECENT INTERVIEW on Fortune’s Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast, Mary Barra, CEO and chair of General Motors Co. in Detroit, said the United States must get past its “societal problem” of how it views skilled tradespeople like electricians, plumbers, welders, and machinists. Barra pointed out such workers have access to high-paying careers that are less susceptible to being upended by artificial intelligence. A technician can make $80,000 to $90,000 a year and “potentially even higher, depending on how many hours they work,” she noted. Her message hits close to home, given Michigan is a heavily industrialized state. According to the Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, the country may have a potential shortage of around 2 million skilled-trades workers by 2030. That’s a big reason Barra and others like Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, are pointing out the difficulty in finding recruits as more companies onshore production of cars, semiconductor chips, and drugs. To help fill those positions, Barra told Fortune the U.S. should embrace skilled labor, like Europe, which “has much more respect for the trades and the importance of people who do very technical things, but work with their hands and build things and make things and service things.” ENERGY

WORTH ITS SALT

AS THE UNITED STATES and nearly every developed country in the world scrambles to find, mine, and process rare Earth minerals to produce lithium-ion batteries, an alternative energy source — sodium-based batteries — can lower reliance on critical elements and reduce energy costs. Today, sodium-based batteries are largely made in China, though the energy storage products represent less than 1 percent of all batteries delivered in 2026, according to a recent report in The Wall Street Journal. Given Michigan has a deep pool of skilled engineering talent, especially in manufacturing, electrochemistry, and systems integration, the state can be a leader in the new technology. Currently, General Motors is advancing alternative battery chemistries at its Warren Technical Center, and recently collaborated with Peak Energy to target grid-scale battery storage facilities. In addition, sodium-ion chemistry energy platforms could be used to help power data centers. As it stands, sodium-ion-powered energy storage systems have the potential to operate without active cooling units, and with much less system complexity, writes Kurt Kelty, GM’s vice president of battery and sustainability. It’s “exactly the performance profile that makes sodium-ion so well-suited to grid-scale applications,” Kelty adds.

Commentary

COMPENDIUM: HOW OUTSIDERS VIEW DETROIT

DETROIT WANTS CHINESE CARS BANNED BUT TRUMP SAYS BRING ON THE FACTORIES CARSCOOPS.COM SEPT. 13, 2026 BY STEPHEN RIVERS

President Donald Trump

says he’s fine with Chinese automakers coming to America. There’s just one major condition. They need to build their cars here and hire Americans to do it. That’s a rather different message from the one coming out of Detroit, where automakers are pushing Congress to permanently shut the door on Chinese vehicles. “If China wanted to come in and open a plant to build their cars here, I’d be okay with that,” Trump told Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle in September. Trump compared the idea to Japanese automakers operating factories across the United States, emphasizing the jobs those plants create. What he doesn’t want, he said, is Chinese automakers setting up production in Mexico and shipping those vehicles north into the U.S. “I’m not knocking Chinese cars,” he added. These comments came moments after saying that he wouldn’t allow them in. The position puts Trump in an interesting spot relative to America’s own auto industry.

Chinese automakers are already effectively locked out of the American new-car market. Rules finalized under the Biden administration restrict connected-vehicle hardware and software linked to China and Russia, while tariffs provide another substantial barrier. A Senate committee advanced legislation in July that would make the restrictions even tougher. Interestingly, Trump’s comments aren’t a sudden reversal. He has previously said he’d welcome Chinese automakers if they invested in American manufacturing and created American jobs. The comments also arrive amid some confusing signals from Washington. ...

DETROIT’S ROSEDALE PARK EXPANDED ACCESS TO HOME OWNERSHIP

NAR REALTOR NEWS SEPT. 3, 2026 BY DINA CHENEY Historic Rosedale Park in northwest Detroit is an area with well-maintained homes and green space. But it’s a lot more than that. The community was a blueprint for high-quality middle-class housing, says Cheryl V. Davis, managing broker at Robinson Realty & Management Group, as well as a local homeowner. Before Rosedale Park (and decades before Levit towns became synonymous with middle-class homeownership), owning a

24 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

home was largely restricted to the wealthy, Davis says. Auto Industry Drove Housing Demand Rosedale Park was “a new type of neighborhood, a new level of social and architectural attainment for the average American,” adds Cassandra Talley, principal and co-founder, Loggia Preservation, and a fellow Rosedale Park resident. The community’s story begins in 1916. Detroit’s auto industry was booming, leading to an influx of new residents from the American South and Europe. Many were enticed by Ford Motor Co.’s January 1914 announcement that it would double workers’ daily wages to five dollars. There wasn’t enough housing to meet the increased demand, Talley says. “People lived right near their place of work because, in the 1910s, you likely didn’t own a car. … You might have been living in a duplex or … sharing a house with another family. And often there were no yards.” Enter the Rosedale Park Land Development Co., which bought land just south of the streetcar line on Grand River Avenue. The company created a subdivision with tree-lined streets, sidewalks, landscaped medians and buildable lots — then marketed the new neighborhood as offering an easy commute to work,

yet without the crowded, polluted conditions of areas around the factories. The company’s slogan for Rosedale was “Out of the smoke zone and into the ozone.” The marketing worked. The first home was built in 1917, with another 14 constructed by the end of World War I. Development slowed during the Great Depression. Then it boomed beginning in 1934. …

DETROIT SCHOOL PAYS STUDENTS $100 A WEEK TO COME TO CLASS; IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT ATTENDANCE INC. • AUG. 23, 2026 • BY VICTORIA SALVES

For schools across the U.S., chronic absenteeism is often a top problem. One public school district has taken an unorthodox approach to combating it. High school students within the Detroit Public Schools Community District can earn $100 a week for perfect attendance. The initiative, which was established in January 2025, was recently renewed for a second year. This year, students in sixth through eighth grade will also be eligible for $50 weekly payments. Nearly $13.9 million of the district’s $1.1 billion 2026-2027 budget is allocated toward the initiative, which is paid out through Visa gift cards. The program is run on a number of five-day cycles that typically occur between January and March, per The Source. The approach has shown measurable success. According to the district, it has led to a 9 percent drop in chronic absenteeism among Detroit high school students since it was implemented. Experts aren’t necessarily surprised by the outcome. “Existing scholarship suggests that financial incentives can encourage desired behavior, particularly in the short term, but the effectiveness depends on how the incentive is structured and the behavior being targeted,” Ericka Weathers, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, told Inc. To measure long-term effectiveness, she suggests tracking individual attendance data before, during, and after the incentive, as well as measuring student engagement, class participation, and involvement in extracurricular activities.

However, incentive programs can “become a Band-Aid for a larger problem,” she noted. “An incentive may get a student through the schoolhouse door, but it doesn’t tell us whether the student is engaged once inside or whether the underlying reason for the student’s absences has been addressed.” Various barriers can contribute to a rise in chronic absenteeism among students, including housing inequality, familial responsibilities, and economic barriers. “A financial incentive may function as more than an incentive. It may also provide additional resources to families who need them,” Weathers said. According to the school district, students have put the funds toward a number of everyday needs, including prom fees, clothes, food, and household goods. Part of the recent announcement includes addressing another one of the barriers that may be at play: transportation. The district recently announced the introduction of a $500,000 rideshare pilot program at select schools, and a $1 million state grant that will continue to ensure that the Department of Transportation bus rides remain free for students in all grades. “Transportation is a well-established barrier to consistent school attendance,” Weathers said. “Sometimes the most effective attendance intervention is not about motivating a student to attend,” she added. “It is about removing the barrier that is preventing that student from attending in the first place.”

Commentary

TO SAVE A CATHOLIC CHURCH IN DETROIT, THE ARCHDIOCESE LET IT GO

NATIONAL CATHOLIC REGISTER • SEPT. 13, 2026 • BY MATTHEW MCDONALD Msgr. Chuck Kosanke had run out of options. He had been sent as pastor to a parish now known as the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Détroit in 2016 to try to save the twin-spire, brick-and-stone Gothic-Revival church built in 1886, which, after years of deferred maintenance, was in tough shape. He had experience with that sort of thing — his nickname in the Archdiocese of Detroit is “Mr. Fix-It” — but after trying everything he could think of, he had raised only about $5 million of a projected $26 million needed to restore the church. The parish, though growing, was poor and unable to contribute much. Msgr. Kosanke felt he had gotten as much from outside donors as he could. Some prospects expressed skepticism that he could raise the amount needed, had concerns their money wouldn’t accomplish the goal, and told him to come back when he had a better plan. “Now, even though I pray before the Blessed Sacrament every morning, I finally had to have a come-to-Jesus meeting with Jesus,” he told the Register, referring to a time in the spring of 2022. “So, one morning I was discouraged because I didn’t see this going anywhere. And I just said to Jesus, ‘Look, if you want this basilica restored, you’ve got to do something.’ ” About 10 minutes later, Msgr. Kosanke thought of Mark Pulte, a builder and vice chairman of the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, whose father, the home-building entrepreneur Bill Pulte (1933-2018), had been a major donor to the Catholic Church and other charities. That connection with the Pulte family led to an unusual offer: We’ll give more money than you asked for, but the Catholic Church can’t own the property. And that’s what happened. About a year and a half ago, in March 2025, the Archdiocese of Detroit and a nonprofit organization called The Catholic Initiative announced that the Vatican had approved a unique arrangement: The archdiocese would transfer ownership of the buildings and grounds to the nonprofit organization, which would

give the archdiocese a 200-year renewable lease to run the property as a Catholic parish for $1 a year. The Catholic Initiative, which was formed by the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation in March 2025, agreed to provide $30 million for the restoration of the parish’s physical plant and another $20 million for an endowment to pay for future needs. The property changed hands from the Church to the nonprofit in July 2025. The church building, which closed in January 2026 after the boiler failed, is scheduled to reopen in late 2027. The arrangement is the first of a type that The Catholic Initiative hopes will help preserve “high-faith, low-funds” parishes in cities and make them what Kevin Doyle, co-founder and executive vice chairman of the nonprofit organization, calls “missionary hubs.” The lay-owned model may also help overcome what Msgr. Kosanke told the Register are common objections he hears from wealthy Catholics about making donations: the perception that the Church “doesn’t manage money very well,” he said, and the concern that donations will be used to pay clergy sex-abuse claims or some other liability. …

NFL GAME DAY COSTS JUMPED 72% IN A DECADE: WHY EVERYTHING FROM TICKETS TO BEER PRICES ARE OUTRUNNING INFLATION STUDYFINDS.COM SEPT. 11, 2026 BY JOHN ANDERER

A Detroit Lions fan who walked into Ford Field in

2015 with a $100 bill could cover a ticket, a beer, a hot dog and a shared parking pass, with about $2 left over. Ten years later, that same afternoon runs $429 per person. The basic ritual had not changed: a seat, a beer, a hot dog and a place to park. The price had. That 336 percent increase is the sharpest in a new FinanceBuzz analysis tracking what it costs to attend a game for all 32 NFL teams over the past decade. Across the league, the average per-person price of a ticket, a 16-ounce beer, a hot dog and half a parking pass climbed from $114 in 2015 to $196 in 2025, an increase of 72 percent. National inflation over that same stretch was 36.5 percent. Football, in other words, got expensive roughly twice as fast as everything else Americans buy. Costs also accelerated recently rather than creeping up steadily. In 2024, the league average sat at $158. One season later it had jumped nearly $40 per fan. … Detroit sits at the extreme end. A home Lions ticket averaged $79 in 2015 and $386 in 2025, an increase of about 387 percent on the ticket alone. FinanceBuzz argues that on-field success is the main reason: the franchise won the NFC North for the first time in team history in 2023, then posted the conference’s best regular-season record in 2024. Decades of mediocrity had kept Ford Field cheap. Two good years erased that discount, and a 9-8 finish in 2025 was not enough to cool demand. …

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN LAUNCHES AN ULTRASOUND-BASED CANCER TREATMENT CENTER FORBES • SEPT. 15, 2026 • BY MICHAEL T. NIETZEL

The University of Michigan has launched a first-of-itskind center devoted to using ultrasound to treat cancer. The new University of Michigan Histotripsy Center will expand the study and application of histotripsy, a non-invasive technology that was invented by University of Michigan researchers in 2002. In histotripsy, a robot directs ultrasound waves from outside the body to create microbubbles inside a targeted tumor. As the microbubbles expand and then collapse, they break down the structure of the tumor cells, liquifying them into a debris that the body can absorb, destroying the tumor without radiation, surgery, or chemotherapy and with few side effects to patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved histotripsy treatment for liver tumors in October 2023, and thousands of patients have already been treated with the technique. Other clinical trials for the non-invasive treatment of kidney and prostate tumors are also underway. According to the university’s news release, $10 million in financial support to establish the center has been provided by HistoSonics (a startup founded by the University of Michigan engineers who developed histotripsy), Michigan Engineering and some private donors. HistoSonics was recently valued at $3.75 billion and now has about 500 employees, with offices in Ann Arbor and its corporate headquarters in Minnesota. “Michigan is at its best when our brightest minds connect to tackle the most consequential challenges facing society,” said University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso, in the news release. “We see that today in the Histotripsy Center. Decades from now, I believe histotripsy will be spoken of alongside U-M’s historic contributions to the polio and influenza vaccines, and the many other discoveries that have defined our university’s commitment to improving and saving lives.” …

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 25

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11-12.26

THE TICKER

32 BOWL GAME My Big Fat Shawarma in Southfield, which operates fast-casual dining restaurants in Beverly Hills, Detroit, Warren, and West Bloomfield, is looking to have 30 stores over the next five years.

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Sole Operation

Lady of the Stream

Signature Recipe

Friendly Skies

PDA Q&A

Leap of Faith November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 27

Sole Operation

PERSONAL CARE Left: Occupational Therapist Brady Harbaugh of the Center for Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Auburn Hills, works with a patient. Right: Dr. Nicholas Frisch, a partner and surgeon at the private practice.

scarring, a fall-prevention program, remote therapeutic monitoring, and improved digital transactions. The move worked, especially streamlining cash and credit card payments, leading to an increase in such receivables to $2.4 million last year from $2 million in 2019. Now, cash as a share of total revenue is 21.2 percent — up from 17.6 percent in 2019. With nine physicians and 75 overall employees, keeping up with inflation across office overhead, wages, and benefits is a balancing act. Since 2001, the Center for Advanced Orthopedics’ practice costs have expanded by 59 percent. At the same time, medical liability premiums have risen seven straight years through 2024 (up 84 percent of reported Michigan premiums), according to the American Medical Association. Many private practices maintain the drop cannot be recovered by raising prices. “In addition to our subspecialty depth, shared fixed cost, and new services, physical and occupational therapy revenue rose 24 percent (to nearly $2.6 million in 2025),” Frisch says. “That held total revenue flat, given we had a 6 percent decline on the physician side.” Growing up in Michigan, Frisch learned the family’s roofing business. “Early on, I saw operational issues and financial constraints, which is one reason why I have my MBA. It helps me understand the back end (of the business) with finance operations, and at medical school and in my early practice, I was able to better understand policy and how it impacts private practices.” Overall, health care organizations face financial pressure; reimbursement uncertainty from Medicaid, Medicare, and insurers; and evolving regulations tied to digital medical files, AI-powered automation, and cybersecurity. “While costs are up since 2019, in an odd way COVID-19 allowed us to slow down and revisit all contracts and expenses,” says Garett Smith, the center’s chief administrative officer. “We reached out to our vendors, and rather than make monthly payments, we paid for the year and saved 10 percent. We upgraded our software, as well.”

Macomb Community College Raises $18M in Campaign Macomb Community College raised $18 million as part of its five-year Transforming Tomorrows fundraising campaign, topping the $15 million goal. The funds will support students, and academic and workforce development.

Swarm Defense Books $25M Order for 4,000 Kiwi Attack Drones Swarm Defense Technologies in Auburn Hills has received a prototype delivery order for 4,000 Kiwi one-way attack drones from the Department of War. The order has a minimum value of $25 million, including munitions.

A private specialty medical practice in Auburn Hills strives to stay independent. BY R.J. KING

ithin the ever-changing health care sector, the Center for Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Auburn Hills is facing the same challenges as other private medical practices — rising costs and lower reimbursements. It’s also a case study in staying independent in an era of hospital consolidation. “Running a private practice is getting more expensive,” says Dr. Nicholas Frisch, a partner and surgeon at the Center for Advanced Orthopedics, and chief of surgery at Henry Ford Rochester Hospital. “To balance those costs, our group added resources rather than sell the business.” New services introduced since 2019 include Class IV laser therapy, platelet-rich plasma, post-operative dressings to reduce infection and

DBUSINESS DIRECT

Detroit Pickleball Club, The Foundry, Coming to Detroit’s Rivertown Local partners Alan Brown and Rahul Baweja have unveiled details for their redevelopment of 3201 Franklin St., bringing a year-round, 40,000-squarefoot Detroit Pickleball Club and The Foundry to Detroit’s historic Rivertown neighborhood.

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Auto Industry Asks White House to Keep Chinese Autos Out of U.S. The Detroit Three automakers joined four other vehicle manufacturers and other industry organizations in a letter asking President Donald Trump to keep Chinese vehicle manufacturers out of the United States.

Former Auto Dealer Jim Koons Pledges $30M to Northwood Jim Koons, a 1973 alumnus of Northwood University in Midland, has pledged up to $30 million to the school to transform residential facilities, advance automotive education, expand scholarships, and support enrollment growth and future fundraising.

COURTESY CENTER FOR ADVANCED ORTHOPEDICS

The Ticker

COURTESY REWOLD & EZZO

FRIENDLY SKIES

DETROIT METROPOLitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus ranked second in the latest JD Power 2026 North America Airport Satisfaction Study. While crowded terminals and full flights aren’t typically the best recipe for a positive airport experience, the study suggests the nation’s airports are finding ways to defy the odds. Detroit Metro Airport, like dozens of others across the country, have completed major airport capital improvement projects in recent years. In 2002, Detroit Metro built the $1.2-billion, 97-gate McNamara Terminal, followed in 2008 by the new $310-million Evans Terminal, which replaced the Smith and Davey terminals. More recently, the airport has upgraded and elevated stores, restaurants, restrooms, and other services. In addition, Delta Air Lines operates five Delta Sky Line Club lounges at the airport, all of which are continually updated. According to the JD Power report, overall passenger satisfaction with airports in North America increased significantly in 2026, despite passenger volume continuing to run at or near the record levels set in 2025. “For the better part of the last decade, nearly every airport, from the largest international hubs to midsized airfields, has undertaken a significant capital improvement project aimed at streamlining passenger flow, adding attractive food and beverage options, and improving overall passenger experience,” says JD Power. — R.J. King

Sling Therapeutics Secures $123M to Advance TED Treatment Sling Therapeutics Inc. in Ann Arbor has closed $123 million in Series C financing to support the development of Linsitinib, an oral medication for thyroid eye disease (TED). TED affects more than 200,000 people in the U.S.

Leap of Faith

A pair of contractors say they’re poised to assist the Archdiocese of Detroit as it navigates a major parish renewal project. BY TIM KEENAN

he Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is in the midst of a transformational parish renewal project with the potential of closing or repurposing a significant number of its church buildings starting in July 2027. Rewold & Ezzo Property Management and Frank Rewold & Sons, both in Rochester, say they’re poised to assist the archdiocese and its parishes as they navigate these changes, and they’re prepared to handle any property management or construction projects that may arise as a result. “Frank Rewold & Sons has a long history with the Archdiocese of Detroit, and now we have a property management arm and are hoping to make ourselves available to help with this major effort that they’re undertaking,” says John Ezzo, co-founder of Rewold & Ezzo Property Management. “Credibility should not be an issue. Trust should not be an issue. With those things in place, we can pretty much accomplish anything else.” Over the 108-year history of Frank Rewold & Sons, it has worked on many projects for Catholic and Catholic-affiliated concerns — including, most recently, the $50 million multiyear transformation of the Saint John’s Resort and Conference Center in Plymouth Township and Cardinal Adam Maida’s former residence on the property. Other projects include a STEM Center at De La Salle Collegiate in Warren and a multimillion-dollar, multi-phase columbarium addition and facilities improvement project at St. Paul on the Lake Church in Grosse Pointe Farms. The company also worked on a 62,000-square-foot addition and renovations at Grosse Pointe Academy, next door to St. Paul. At St. Regis Catholic Church in Bloomfield Township, Frank Rewold & Sons acted as the construction manager on a $754,700, 2,000-square-foot chapel addition to the main church. The company also built the George & Mary Turek Hall of Science at Catholic Central High School in Novi. Apart from the Archdiocese of Detroit, the company served as the construction manager for an extensive $8.9 million expansion and renovation at St. John Lutheran Church and School in Rochester. Rewold & Ezzo Property Management, for its part, is managing the property for St. John.

EPIC Insurance Co. Acquires Korotkin Insurance Group Korotkin Insurance Group (KIG) in Southfield has been acquired by New York-based EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. KIG is an independent brokerage with more than a century of history in Michigan.

May Mobility to Go Public After Combination with Texas Company May Mobility, an autonomous vehicle technology company, has joined forces with ACP Holdings Acquisition Corp., an alliance that positions May as the first U.S. publicly listed autonomous, pure-play ride-hail company.

Interstate Capital Plans $500M in Industrial Projects Along I-94 Interstate Capital has five developments in the works along the I-94 corridor. The $500 million in projects are expected to cover more than 600 acres and provide capacity for more than 5 million square feet of industrial space.

“It’s a nice symbiotic relationship, and that’s what our goal is with the Archdiocese of Detroit,” Ezzo says. “Our understanding is that the archdiocese doesn’t have a centralized property management function, and individual priests in parishes are chasing down contractors,” Ezzo says. “What we do for our customers is provide a centralized function for TIES THAT BIND all of that. If the priests The historic Chapel of or deacons or parishioSaints Mary and Joseph at Saint John’s Resort and ners have an issue, they Conference Center in report it to us and we Plymouth Township. take care of it.”

Ypsilanti’s LuxWall Building Detroit Manufacturing Facility LuxWall, an Ypsilanti-based manufacturer of vacuum insulation technology, is constructing a 276,000-square-foot facility in Detroit to produce transparent insulation. Production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2027.

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

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 29

The Ticker

Lady of the Stream An effort to return an iconic fish to Michigan’s rivers involves support from researchers and a family-owned distillery. BY GEOFF KOCH

NATIVE TRAITS The Arctic grayling features a sail-like fin that’s adorned with an array of iridescent colors including red, aqua, pink, or purple.

Program funders include the Henry E. and Consuelo S. Wenger Foundation, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Saugatuck Brewing Co. in Douglas, and Iron Fish Distillery in Thompsonville. Early on, some brown trout anglers worried the reintroduction could hurt their fishery, but Alex Ontkos, a fisheries biologist with the tribe, notes that the eggs are placed only where local angling and conservation groups support the reintroduction — mostly in the upper Manistee watershed, which spans 1,800 square miles across seven counties. Iron Fish Distillery, a family-owned company operating on a 120-acre farm along the Betsie River watershed, got involved around 2018 after connecting with several Michigan State University researchers.

PDA Q&A: THE E-INTERVIEW

DB: WHERE ARE YOU?

MITCH ZAJAC Shareholder Butzel, Detroit

MZ: In Warsaw, Poland. I’m speaking at the Lex Mundi Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution European Regional Practice Group Meeting. DB: WHAT’S GOING ON?

MZ: Lex Mundi is a global affiliation for law firms, and Butzel is the Michigan representative. A majority of the states and most developed

30 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

As a way to support the initiative, a spring bottle release event for its Arctic Grayling Rye Whiskey drew a capacity crowd. An added draw was a pair of government fish biologists who introduced the incubator system as guests sipped on grain-to-glass rye. Taking it a step further, this year Iron Fish released around 1,000 bottles of its Arctic Grayling Whiskey; the whiskey sold out within a week. Troy Anderson, marketing manager at Iron Fish, calls the unique partnership “mutually beneficial.” The distillery process, he points out, uses the same water that feeds those trout streams. Protecting one means protecting both. The ultimate goal is a robust, self-sustaining grayling population. “It’s more of a marathon than a sprint,” says Ed Eisch, assistant chief of the DNR’s fisheries division. “It’s a holy grail for some anglers.”

countries are here, and it’s an opportunity for law firms from around the world to share best practices, and discuss differences in laws and practices in separate jurisdictions, and it provides for collaboration.

issues, and the changing landscape of EVs and how that affects the supply chain. But it’s not just autos; there’s pharma, data, technology, data centers, and other business sectors.

often arbitration, but different countries have different rules for how evidence is protected and used. The European Union, for example, has stricter privacy laws than the U.S. Civic and criminal cases can vary, as well.

MZ: Supply chain and international trade

MZ: The mechanics for a dispute that has arisen is

MZ: In addition to the conference, there’s a

DB: WHAT ARE SOME TOP ISSUES?

DB: HOW ARE DISPUTES ADDRESSED?

DB: WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?

historical tour of Warsaw, a nice dinner, and a walk and run the following morning with Artur Kuciapski, a Polish runner who won a silver medal in Europe (in 2014). When we get home, Lex Mundi shares a download (summary) with all the member affiliates. — R.J. King

ADOBE STOCK

amed Michigan writer and outdoorsman Jim Harrison, who devoted ample prose and poetry to fishing, was born in Grayling — named for the fish that once thrived in Michigan’s cold-water streams. But by the time Harrison was a boy in the 1940s, the Arctic grayling was long gone, thanks to the introduction of a European species that, along with extensive logging, helped drive the native fish to extinction. To reverse the tide, a nonprofit initiative is leading an effort to bring the “Lady of the Stream” home. The Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative, co-led by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, recently began utilizing remote-site incubators, modeled on an approach that’s been adopted in Montana. The incubator system, placed at shorelines, hatches fish eggs and releases the young fry directly into local waters. For the tribe, the return of the grayling would restore a source of protein and an inherent part of Anishinaabe life on the Manistee River. In May of 2025, roughly 180,000 fry were released into three northern Michigan streams. Last spring, that number had grown to more than 1.1 million. Since the launch, biologists have been tracking survival through environmental DNA sampling and surveys.

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The Ticker

MIX AND MATCH My Big Fat Shawarma, based in Southfield, got its start in 2022 in Warren. The menu includes custom bowls and wraps, beef filet and organic chicken, and desserts like the Big Fat Cookie.

Signature Recipe Two business partners took a contemporary spin on Middle Eastern cuisine to distinguish My Big Fat Shawarma from the competition by offering halal and organic selections.

s consumer tastes continue to evolve and demand grows for fresh, fast-casual dining options, My Big Fat Shawarma offers a compelling example of how a locally founded restaurant concept can successfully scale while remaining true to its roots. Launched in Warren in 2022, My Big Fat Shawarma now has four area restaurants, with more in the pipeline. In addition to Warren, the company has locations in Beverly Hills, Detroit, and West Bloomfield. What sets the company apart is a hyper focus on quality halal food — beef filet, organic chicken and vegetables, and non-seed cooking oil. At the same time, the two partners and longtime friends are building a recognizable identity in the fast-casual dining landscape. “Over the next five years, we plan to have 30 stores,” says Marcos Kiminaia, founder and CEO of My Big Fat Shawarma in Southfield, “but our growth will be strategic. The right location is the key to our success, so we take our time researching every potential new site.” 32 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

After Kiminaia opened the first location in Warren, he reached out to Leith Sawa, who grew up in metro Detroit but moved to Kansas City, Mo., where he owns and operates two Wild Bill’s Tobacco locations. A third store is set to open early next year. “Kansas City is like my second home,” says Sawa, managing partner and COO of My Big Fat Shawarma. “I had kept in touch with Marcos over the years, and when his first restaurant proved successful and he wanted to grow, I was happy to come back and join him.” Given Kiminaia had been in the restaurant business for more than 25 years — he sold several Front Page Deli locations in 2020, after launching the brand in 2008 — he saw an opportunity to provide healthy, Middle Eastern cuisine prepared fresh daily. Rather than offer dozens of items, My Big Fat Shawarma provides bowls and wraps that can include beef filet, organic chicken breast, crispy chicken, and falafel (proteins can be combined), along with 18 toppings like hummus, Turchi, tabbouli, sumac onions, and beets. There are

also five different sauces that are made from scratch. In addition, the menu features several sides like homemade fries and potato bombs, two soups, four desserts including banana pudding, and a selection of soft drinks. “I learned from my past restaurant experience that less is more, as long as you offer high-quality food,” Kiminaia says. “Measured growth also was important. We’ve seen a lot of brands expand too quickly, and then the business can’t be sustained and some stores may close. We wanted to avoid all that.” The sweet spot for a new location is a high-traffic area with available parking, and around 2,000 square feet of space. The Detroit store in Midtown offers around 1,000 square feet, while the largest, at 3,300 square feet, is in Beverly Hills. “We added the extra space in Beverly Hills because we use that as our catering hub,” Sawa says. “Our culture is another big focus. We offer great benefits and are looking to add more people. Those added benefits help us compete in what is a tight labor market in the food industry.”

COURTESY MY BIG FAT SHAWARMA

BY R.J. KING

For innovation that drives industry, Look to Michigan. Semiconductors power nearly every part of modern life — but disruptions can bring entire industries to a standstill. That’s why U-M researchers are strengthening the Midwest’s semiconductor ecosystem. By combining expertise in chip design, advanced materials, and nanofabrication with the region’s manufacturing capabilities, they’re preparing the U.S. to develop and produce the chips of tomorrow. For advancing technology beyond today’s limits, Look to Michigan.

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DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards 2026

The DBusiness Commercial Real Estate Awards, now in their fourth 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 Commercial Real Estate Awards, where we will announce the winners, on Nov. 3. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Michigan Central in Detroit. For tickets, email Regan Wright at rwright@hour-media.com.

INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

PIONEER AWARD Finalists

Finalists

Peter Spickenagel, Citizen Storage Management Andy Gutman, Farbman Group Jared Fleisher, Bedrock Detroit

Michael Kalil, Farbman Group Michael Ferlito, Ferlito Group Jared Fleisher, Bedrock Detroit

COURTESY FARBMAN

ndy Gutman, president of the Farbman Group in Farmington Hills, has been with the company for 31 years, and in that time it has grown into a full-service commercial real estate platform offering brokerage, construction, maintenance, and trade services to its clients. In the more than three decades that Gutman has been with Farbman, the company has grown to 35 million square feet of managed property from 8 million square feet, expanded into 10 states, and moved its headquarters to Farmington Hills from Southfield in 2024. In the past five years, the Farbman Group has started several companies that Gutman says allow the real estate firm to be the full-service platform envisioned by founder Burt Farbman. “Burt Farbman started as a real estate broker,” Gutman says. “He was frustrated that he (had) to find other sources for the various services he needed. He built this company to be a one-stop-shop for commercial real estate needs. Every day, we get closer to that vision.”

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Among the subsidiary enterprises Gutman has helped develop are Huntington Construction; APEX Mechanical Solutions, an HVAC company; and FarbNET, a financial company. “Having that breadth of capability lets us solve problems most firms can only hand off to someone else,” Gutman says. “That’s how we’re innovating and pioneering. We look for opportunities to be able to help our clients do business in the real estate world.” Quick to share credit for the success of the company, Gutman, an author of children’s books and a songwriter, says, “Anything that’s been accomplished here has been a team effort. Burt’s sons, David and Andy Farbman, are the most impressive, entrepreneurial leaders that I’ve ever worked with. They’re always thinking of the next phase.” — Tim Keenan

ared Fleisher, president and CEO of Bedrock Detroit for a little over a year, is embarking on the biggest project of this generation — the redevelopment of the Renaissance Center along the Detroit River and the transformation of several surface parking lots. If that isn’t enough, Fleisher and Bedrock expect to finish the massive Hudson’s Detroit project by the spring of next year; it will include a 43-story tower that will offer close to 100 highend condominiums and a 227-room Detroit EDITION luxury hotel. To the immediate north is General Motors Co.’s headquarters, as well as several other office tenants, the Department at Hudson’s event space, and new retail and restaurant tenants. In turn, work continues on the redevelopment of Cadillac Square, and Bedrock recently delivered The Belle Detroit, a 43-unit residential project along Broadway Street near the Detroit Opera House. “I have a great team that makes it possible,” Fleisher says. “We’ve done

some reorganizing to make sure we have the right people in the right places. We’ve done some things internally to make us more efficient, so we’re able to execute these massive undertakings.” Before taking the CEO helm, Fleisher served as vice president of the Rock Family of Cos., which includes Rocket Mortgage, the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA, and Bedrock. The Harvard University graduate and Harvard law degree holder says one of his strengths as a leader is being “smart enough to be dangerous” in several areas of the commercial real estate world. “I have the ability to ask the right questions and understand the issues in construction, financing, and the public-facing part,” he says. “I’ve also learned that not making a decision is a decision. I try to be decisive in every meeting that we have, if there’s a decision to be made. And if we can’t make a decision, let’s get the information we need to make it.” — Tim Keenan

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 35

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

EMERGING COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR UNDER 40

INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES

FORMER EMBASSY SUITES, SOUTHFIELD

Finalists

avid Jappaya, vice president at KJ Commercial in Farmington Hills, began his career in 2018 with a client-first approach to help investors, landlords, tenants, and business owners achieve their real estate goals. Specializing in the sale and leasing of retail, industrial, office, and development properties throughout southeast Michigan. Jappaya and his team have represented multiple clients and properties, including the recent representation of the seller in the $7-million sale of a 68,300-square-foot office building at Big Beaver and Livernois roads in Troy. He and his team also represented the seller and purchaser in the sale of a large trophy retail center in downtown west Dearborn for $10.5 million, and represented the purchaser in the acquisition of a shopping center in Clawson for $12.5 million. “I attribute much of my success to my cousin and mentor, Kevin Jappaya (president of KJ Commercial), who taught me the business and gave me the foundation to develop my own style,” says Jappaya, who over the course

of his career has completed more than 185 commercial real estate transactions totaling $160 million in volume. “I’ve also learned that there really is no substitute for consistently doing the basic work every day. Making the cold calls, following up, and focusing on the fundamentals of brokerage have helped create opportunities for me and, more importantly, for our clients.” One project that stands out is representing The New Foster Care in the acquisition of the former Embassy Suites hotel in Southfield. Plans are to convert the property into what is planned to be the largest investment in the United States dedicated to supporting youth aging out of foster care. “I’m extremely grateful for the trust our clients place in us and the opportunities they give us to represent them,” says Jappaya, who earned a master of accountancy degree with a specialization in finance from Walsh College in Troy. “When our clients win, we win.” — R.J. King

COURTESY KJ COMMERCIAL

Andrew Bell, Lormax Stern Amanda Bastien, Bedrock Detroit David Jappaya, KJ Commercial

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKER OF THE YEAR Finalists

imon Jonna, founder and CEO of Jonna Group of Colliers in Birmingham, executed a wide spectrum of commercial real estate transactions in 2025 across retail, multifamily, theater, and mixed-use assets. His deal sheet reflected both range and scale, advising on assignments for clients including Regal Cinemas, MI Hospitality, Real Estate Ventures, Derm Holdings, and Diversify Developing, among others. One of the principles he follows is finding the highest and best use of a given property, rather than accepting the first opportunity that comes along. One notable transaction was the sale of the former Regal Cinemas Commerce Township in Walled Lake, which closed in September 2025. The 14-screen theater building was sold for $5.5 million to local investors, and almost immediately calls started coming in for leveling the structure and building a multifamily project on the 12.75-acre site.

36 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

“It’s a signature property, and we had a three-hour meeting with City officials, and they were open to multifamily if the design consisted of attached townhomes — but the developers have their own concepts, given the density needed,” says Jonna, who founded Jonna Group in 2005 with his brother, Raymond Jonna. “I suggested that the City consider retail for the site, maybe a golf retail concept or something experiential. Now there’s some different concepts that are coming forward for family retail activities, such as Battle Cart or Fun City. There’s quite a few nice homes in the area, and families are looking for more things they can do together.” Overall, Jonna, a DBusiness 30 in Their Thirties alumnus, completed more than two dozen transactions last year. He says his strengths are identifying hidden value, resolving complex transactional challenges, and excelling in competitive markets. “Big retail, e-commerce, and neighborhood retail are evolving, and our goal is to stay at the forefront of the industry,” Jonna says. — R.J. King

FORMER REGAL CINEMA, WALLED LAKE COURTESY JONNA GROUP

Mojahed Abubars, Insite Commercial Simon Jonna, Jonna Group of Colliers Lesley Gutman, Farbman Group

INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES

FISHER BODY 21 RENOVATION, DETROIT

Commercial Real Estate Awards | Focus

EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN Finalists Ryuichi Ashizaawa, Ryuichi Ashizawa & Associates Michael Poris, McIntosh Poris Architects Bob Kraemer, Kraemer Design Group

DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR Finalists

COURTESY PRINCE CONCEPTS, REDICO

terling Group, a privately held real estate and investment firm in Detroit, set the stage for the new JW Marriott Detroit Water Square luxury convention-style hotel on the site of the former Joe Louis Arena. It’s joined by Sterling’s Residences at Water Square, a 496-unit luxury apartment building that opened in 2024. Set on a 5-acre site that was once home to Hockeytown, Sterling Group acquired the property for $14.1 million from one of Detroit’s creditors following the city’s 2014 bankruptcy. The firm recently purchased a 3-acre parcel between the Residences at Water Square and the Riverfront Apartments that includes marina rights. As Sterling Group expands along the riverfront, it has spent months consolidating an entire city block immediately north of Huntington Place for a new convention-style hotel. It also purchased the Comerica Bank building along Fort Street. Elie Torgow, CEO of Sterling Group, who joined the firm in 2008, works in acquisitions, leasing, property management, development, and operational management. He was named CEO in 2013. In recent years, Sterling Group completed an historic renovation of the Guardian Building in downtown Detroit, ground-up development of Amazon distribution centers at the former Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit and an industrial site in Shelby Township, and the 157 residential unit Lofts of Merchants Row in downtown Detroit. It also completed the Michigan Orthopedic Institute in Southfield. Active in several community organizations, Torgow currently serves on the boards of the Judson Center, Downtown Detroit Partnership, and City Year Detroit.

GUARDIAN BUILDING, DETROIT Sterling Group was founded in 1988 by Gary Torgow, Elie’s father, who today serves as executive chairman. The elder Torgow also is chairman of Huntington Bank. Elie Torgow is joined at the Sterling Group, a family business, by his three brothers: Yoni (chairman), Manny (president), and Jacob (COO). — Tim Keenan

or spearheading the adaptive reuse of the 600,000-square-foot former Fisher Body 21 Plant on the northwest corner of I-94 and I-75 in Detroit, Michael Poris, founding principal at McIntosh Poris Architects, helped assemble a team to redevelop one of the city’s eyesores. Once an emblem of the Motor City’s urban decay, the former Fisher Body plant will soon be home to 430 apartment buildings, 20 percent of which will be affordable housing. “We’re cutting some big atriums into it so that we’ll have units facing out and in,” Poris says. “On the ground floor there will be retail and a market, a pool, and a community room. It’ll have a rooftop community room and a workspace.” The finished product also promises to maintain the industrial character of the structure, defined by its concrete walls and large-scale proportions. “The biggest challenge is economic,” says Poris, who recently moved the firm to Detroit from Birmingham. “How do you design it in a way that it will not only be good but be economical to build? One way is looking at all the existing stairs and elevators, and figuring out how to reuse some of them so we’re not building new ones.” Some of Poris’ previous work around Detroit includes the Foundation Hotel, the East Riverfront Framework Plan, and the Amsterdam Lofts, a former Cadillac assembly plant that has been converted into a housing complex. Other current projects include preserving and renovating Detroit’s historic buildings and working with nonprofits. They include work on the Motown Museum, the Detroit Horse Power urban riding facility, Mitch Albom’s SAY Detroit after-school program at the former St. Cecilia Church and School, two housing projects in Brush Park, and two restaurant projects. It’s the huge Fisher Body Plant renovation that likely will be Poris’ crowning achievement, however. “It’s a building that nobody thought could be saved,” he says. — Tim Keenan

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COURTESY MCINTOSH PORIS

Joey Agree, Agree Realty Corp. Jared Fleisher, Bedrock Detroit Elie Torgow, Sterling Group

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

EXCELLENCE IN CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING

INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES

MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES, FARMINGTON HILLS

Finalists

ver the past 12 months, Duane Allison, senior project manager at KIRCO MANIX in Troy, has shepherded work on Saab's state-of-the-art defense manufacturing campus in Grayling. His efforts included helping the project team navigate an aggressive construction schedule while delivering reinforced, blast-resistant facilities during one of northern Michigan's harshest winters. “Despite severe weather, complex Department of Defense requirements, and the technical demands of constructing H-1 High Hazard facilities within a fully secured defense campus, he remained focused on disciplined execution, proactive planning, and collaboration,” says Kara Vendittelli, marketing specialist at KIRCO MANIX. “Through continuous coordination with project partners, flexible scheduling, and rigorous

attention to quality, safety, and compliance, Duane helped keep the project on its critical path while meeting key milestones for one of the nation's most technically demanding defense manufacturing projects.” Allison has more than three decades of construction experience and expertise in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for delivering technically complex projects through “thoughtful planning, disciplined execution, and a collaborative leadership style.” “What makes Duane especially deserving of recognition is his willingness to step into any project where his experience can add value,” Vendittelli says. “Whether leading his own assignments or supporting fellow project

managers, he consistently puts the success of the client and the company first.” Allison is known for his technical knowledge, attention to detail, process-driven approach, and no-nonsense leadership, making him “a trusted resource for both clients and colleagues.” He also played key roles in the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA complex in Farmington Hills and the Our Next Energy (ONE) building in Novi. “His commitment to excellence has contributed to the successful delivery of advanced manufacturing, automotive, defense, and industrial projects throughout the region,” Vendittelli says. — Tim Keenan

COURTESY KIRCO MANIX

Duane Allison, KIRCO MANIX John Rakolta III, Walbridge Matthew Lewis, WJE Detroit

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE Finalists

ochelle Lento, a participating member (owner/ partner) at Dykema, has been at the Detroit law firm for 20 years specializing in legal work for developers of low-income housing, but she’s been working in this field for 35 years. Lento not only handles legal issues for such developers, but she often deals with structuring financing, environmental concerns, zoning, and governmental regulatory requirements. “Most of our transactions involve various arms of government, from the city to the federal levels,” she says. Lento was a community organizer before deciding a law degree might help her make a bigger impact. While at the University of Michigan Law School, she started an affordable housing clinic where students assisted nonprofits working to provide affordable, multifamily projects. The clinic was able to assist in two or three transactions each year. “One of my early motivators was during law school, (when I had) an externship at HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). I became fascinated with rebuilding communities and neighborhoods,” she says. At Dykema, Lento works on 15 to 25 transactions each year.

“Sometimes it’s new construction,” she explains. “Sometimes it’s rehabilitation of existing buildings. Projects can be anywhere from 24 units to over 300 units, depending on size and scope.” Among the projects Lento has worked on are: Peterboro Arms Apartments — Worked with COTS on the $17 million restoration of the former Hotel Imperial into 56 affordable two- and three-bedroom homes for Detroit families. Residences at St. Matthew — A $20 million conversion of a vacant Catholic school on Detroit’s east side into 46 affordable homes for seniors. Twenty-five units received project-based vouchers for permanent supportive housing, while the former gymnasium provides health-focused programming for residents and the surrounding Morningside community. Dunbar Tower in Ann Arbor — The $34 million project created 63 affordable homes on an underused downtown site, with preference given to people experiencing homelessness and those working in creative fields. “I often say that in the kind of law I practice, you can work really hard, but you can (also) feel really good about the end result,” Lento says. “I have a passion for it.” — Tim Keenan

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COURTESY COLLIERS, DYKEMA, KIRCO MANIX

Rochelle Lento, Dykema Susan Light, Clean Agent Victor Dukaj, U&S Cos.

HUNTINGTON TOWER, DETROIT

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Commercial Real Estate Awards | Focus

BEST LAND DEAL Second Huntington Place Hotel, Sterling Group Ridge 5 Plymouth Township, Hillside Development SAPA Transmission Inc., SAPA Transmission

owntown Detroit has long sought to add convention hotels to help attract large conferences to Huntington Place, boost tourism, and add to the city’s revenue stream. The challenge was that the convention facility was landlocked by Joe Louis Arena, office buildings, and commercial venues. But that all changed following the city’s bankruptcy and the opening of Little Caesars Arena in 2017. Since then, Joe Louis Arena has been torn down and replaced by The Residences of Water Square and the upcoming 600-room JW Marriott Detroit Water Square hotel, both developed by the Sterling Group in Detroit. The latter development, set to open in January, will be connected via a skywalk to Huntington Place. Looking for other opportunities to add another large convention hotel, the City; the Detroit Regional

Convention Facility Authority; Visit Detroit; Congress & Associates, an affiliate of the Sterling Group; and others worked together to assemble multiple real estate parcels immediately north of Huntington Place, bounded by Congress, Fort, and Cass streets, along with Washington Boulevard. The site, once cleared of existing structures, will be home to a yet-to-benamed $450 million hotel that’s expected to add approximately 600 rooms to the city’s inventory. Officials say the project will create more than 600 union construction jobs, 1,000 new permanent hospitality positions, and generate $100 million in annual spending. “This is another milestone moment for hotel development in Detroit and puts

BEST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SALE

Huntington Place in a prime position to secure even more industry-leading meetings, conventions, and large-scale events,” says Claude Molinari, chairman of the board of DRCFA and president of Visit Detroit. “We’re appreciative to once again collaborate with the team at the Sterling Group to develop a connected property that will be a differentiator for the region.” Construction on the hotel is slated to begin sometime in early 2027, and will take up to two years to complete. — R.J. King

COURTESYBEDROCK

Finalists

GM AT HUDSON'S DETROIT

Finalists Huntington Tower, Colliers The Century, Foster Financial Co. Inc. Downtown Pontiac Revitalization Project, Oakland County

untington Tower, along Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, made headlines when it opened in 2022, while its recent $156 million sale represented a landmark transaction for both Detroit and the State of Michigan. The deal, completed in March 2026, was the highest-priced private net-lease transaction in Michigan history, and the most expensive office property sale ever completed in the City of Detroit. Raymond H. Jonna, executive vice president and net lease specialist at Colliers in Royal Oak, served as the sole broker in the transaction, representing the buyer and the seller. The assignment required Jonna to manage the interests of both sides, navigate multiphase negotiations, and structure a transaction capable of accommodating substantial existing financing and long-term investment objectives. The 21-story Huntington Tower includes 203,300 rentable square feet of Class A office space, 10 levels of integrated structured parking, a ground-floor Huntington Bank branch and lobby, collaborative work areas, flexible floor plates, rooftop and outdoor terraces, and accommodations for up to 800 employees.

The property is secured by a long-term triple-net lease to Huntington Bancshares, an investment-grade regional banking institution with more than $200 billion in assets and more than 1,000 branches. The lease extends through June 2044, and includes annual rent increases while providing the purchaser with durable, predictable income. “The transaction established a new benchmark for institutional-quality real estate in Detroit, and demonstrated that exceptional assets with strong credit, long-term occupancy, modern construction, and irreplaceable locations can command national investor interest,” Jonna says. The deal was substantially more complex than a conventional property sale, given it carried a significant existing financing structure with specialized debt mechanics. Successfully closing the transaction required a tailored capital solution that aligned the purchaser’s investment strategy with the ownership’s objectives, the existing loan structure, the long-term lease economics, and the parties’ tax and timing considerations. — R.J. King

BEST RELOCATION Finalists General Motors Co., Detroit University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor AvFlight Detroit, Detroit City Airport

eneral Motors Co. made a massive impact on the profile of downtown Detroit when, in 1996, following an international search for a new headquarters, it announced it was leaving its longtime home in New Center for the Renaissance Center, along the Detroit River. With that iconic structure’s long-term fate now being studied for redevelopment, last year GM completed yet another move of its headquarters to make a further mark on the Motor City by relocating to the new Hudson’s Detroit at 1240 Woodward Ave. With its move to floors 8 through 11 in Hudson’s Detroit, General Motors has established a new home for its top executives while also making space for features and displays that celebrate the company’s history. Occupying 200,000 square feet, GM’s executive offices are located on the 11th floor. The company also has access to a fifth-floor atrium that includes ficus trees

and a sculpture created by Harry Bertoia. There’s a showcase for concept cars on the first floor, at Woodward Avenue and Nick Gilbert Way. The space now housing GM’s executive team is less than one-third the size of the space GM had at the Renaissance Center. At an Automotive Press Association event in January 2026, General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra said the new space is a better fit for GM’s needs because the closeness of its people in a smaller space helps to facilitate better collaboration. GM signed a 15-year lease with landlord Bedrock Detroit to occupy the space. Barton Malow in Southfield, the general contractor, handled the GM fit-out, including the office space buildout. GM and Bedrock continue to consider options for the future of the Renaissance Center, but they have made no announcements regarding any final decisions. — Dan Calabrese

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 39

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

BEST NEW INDUSTRIAL PROJECT

STELLANTIS MOPAR HUB CONCEPT RENDERING, VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP

Finalists

ommitted to a long-term plan to modernize and centralize its Mopar service parts distribution network to lower costs and improve efficiency, Stellantis went all in by investing $388 million to develop the Metro Detroit Megahub in Van Buren Township. The new facility, set to launch in 2027, will save on expenses by consolidating multiple parts distribution centers in Michigan and Wisconsin. The operations — Center Line, Warren, Warren Sherwood, and Milwaukee — were recently part of a

sale-leaseback agreement. The deal was timed well, given area industrial vacancy rates are at 3.6 percent, according to CBRE Detroit. With a net gain of jobs, total employment at the Megahub will be around 490 UAW-represented workers. Mopar — MOtor and PARts — got its start in 1937. Today, it completes and distributes vehicle care and authentic performance parts. Apart from divesting and consolidating its real estate footprint, Mopar will introduce AutoStore automated storage and retrieval systems at the Megahub, where compact robots will navigate tracks above a dense grid of storage bins to retrieve parts and deliver them to workstations. From there, employees will pack and process the final shipments.

The advanced automation layout is designed to improve order speed and accuracy, maximize storage efficiency, and help accelerate delivery times for customers and dealers. “The investment reflects our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence, while also creating a modern, high-tech workplace for our employees,” says Darren Bradshaw, senior vice president and head of Mopar North America in Auburn Hills, where Stellantis operates its North American headquarters. The new facility also puts the operations immediately north of Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti Township, and only a few miles from Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus. A freight line owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway runs just north of the upcoming Megahub. “We’re building a faster, smarter, and more reliable parts distribution network,” Bradshaw says. — R.J. King

BEST OFFICE LEASE Finalists The Piston Group, Transwestern Real Estate Services One Campus Martius, Friedman Real Estate Ven Johnson Law, Bedrock Detroit

hile the ads from the firm emphasize that its leader fights in court, Ven Johnson Law made news in February 2025 by coming to an agreement with Bedrock Detroit to become one of the major tenants in the new Hudson’s Detroit at 1240 Woodward Ave. Ven Johnson Law moved into the property in fall 2025 and occupies approximately 25,000 square feet on the building’s fifth floor — Suite 525. It’s a space that sees daily activity from the firm’s 40 employees, as well as a variety of clients who come from the local area and across the country. In addition to offices and conference rooms, the Ven Johnson Law space features a dedicated media room that’s equipped to host live press conferences with full audio and visual capabilities. It also has a “war room.” Floor-toceiling windows overlook Woodward Avenue. The lease was negotiated with Bedrock Detroit on Ven Johnson Law’s behalf by Anthony Long, a partner and firm counsel at Howard & Howard Attorneys in Royal Oak.

The move is part of a broader expansion strategy. Ven Johnson Law recently announced it is opening a new office on the top floor of the Exchange Building in downtown Kalamazoo, and it’s expanding its office in Flint. “We’re really, really proud to be part of these communities, and also our communities up in Flint,” Johnson HUDSON'S DETROIT says. “We’ll continue to fight for our clients anywhere they are in the state of Michigan, or nationwide.” Prior to moving to Hudson’s Detroit, the firm occupied 14,346 square feet on the 25th and 26th floors of Detroit’s Buhl Building at 535 Griswold St. The firm was the second tenant committed to Hudson’s Detroit, following an announcement by General Motors that it would lease 200,000 square feet in the building. Today, those tenants are joined by Accenture, JPMorganChase, ROCK (the Gilbert Family Office), and the Gilbert Family Foundation. — Dan Calabrese

40 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

COURTESY BEDROCK

COURTESY STELLANTIS

Stellantis MOPAR Logistics Facility, Van Buren Township Romulus Light Industrial, NorthPoint Development Junction McGraw, Latimer Ashley Development Group

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Commercial Real Estate Awards | Focus

JST, FARMINGTON HILLS

BEST NEW OFFICE PROJECT Finalists

t took 12 years, but the 76,000-square-foot JST Detroit Engineering Center in Farmington Hills is finally complete. The JST Detroit Engineering Center (JST stands for Japanese Solderless Terminals) is a sustainable, innovation-focused facility delivered through an integrated approach. The project features extensive mass timber construction, geothermal energy systems, and biophilic design. Biophilic describes anything relating to or characterized by an innate human tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. It was this sort of design that faced the Novi-based Cunningham-Limp Development Co. when it was introduced to the project more than a decade ago. “It started about 12 years ago,” says Sam Ashley, president and CEO of Cunningham-Limp. “I saw an artfully done hand-sketch of a campus, and they asked if we’d agree to build it for $25 million. I agreed, and it started with a year of

them explaining to us why they decided to do it way they were doing it. “We planned it for six and a half years before we broke ground. And it took about four years to facilitate construction.” The goal of the project, according to Ashley, was to create unity between nature, people, Japanese industry, the North American workforce, and animals and humans. Specialists from Japan were brought in to record the species of every tree, plant, and animal — and even to document wind patterns — at the site. In a year and a half, they’ll come back and take more measurements to see if the project has achieved its goals. “The whole idea is to teach sustainability in development that improves the existing conditions,” Ashley says.

“We had to maintain all of the existing topography. We could only work on about four of the 10 acres on the site. If a tree had to be removed for the footprint of a building, it had to be incorporated back into the project.” The first phase of the project opened two years ago, and the final phase was completed in June. When asked if JST was the most interesting project he ever worked on, Ashley says, “by leaps and bounds.” — Tim Keenan

BEST INDUSTRIAL LEASE Finalists Stellantis MOPAR Logistics Facility, Sterling Group Renaissance Global Logistics, James Group Morgan Foods, Cushman & Wakefield

COURTESY RGL

etween October and November 2025, Renaissance Global Logistics (RGL), part of the James Group in Detroit, had six weeks to help an OEM client prevent a production slowdown. An external quality issue at an aluminum supplier threatened to idle multiple assembly plants within days, and the OEM needed an immediate solution. The answer was to stockpile thousands of transmissions, secure nearly 500,000 square feet of warehouse space, and mobilize transportation capacity — all within less than 72 hours. In those six weeks, RGL executed 1,292 truckloads, activated two warehouse facilities with multi-shift operations, and maintained zero production interruptions across four OEM plants. RGL reports that it stabilized freight costs during a volatile market, secured specialized high-value insurance coverage, and built custom inventory systems — all while the OEM’s requirements evolved daily. Throughout the program, RGL continued uninterrupted service for existing

export operations, demonstrating the capacity to scale emergency response without compromising ongoing commitments. “RGL didn’t broker solutions; we executed them in our facilities, with our equipment, and our teams,” wrote Eric Reese, vice president of sales and business development at RGL, in a case study. “We didn’t advise the OEM on what to do; we did the work while they maintained RENAISSANCE GLOBAL LOGISTICS, DETROIT focus on their core manufacturing operations.” The solution involved identifying the ware- lease at competitive rates. RGL secured verbal occupancy house capacity requirement, conducting market approval before the final contract award, enabling mateanalysis, and securing 500,000 square feet of rial flow to begin immediately upon OEM confirmation. space in a matter of days. “This advance preparation eliminated what would The team ultimately re-engaged the landlord typically require weeks of facility search and negotiation,” of a Romulus facility that RGL had vacated just Reese wrote. two months earlier and negotiated a short-term — Tim Keenan

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 41

COURTESY CUNNINGHAM-LIMP

JST Cunningham-Limp Development Co. De Jong DUKE, PCI-Daily Co. Fisher Building, Michigan State University

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

BEST RETAIL LEASE OR PROJECT COURTESY BEDROCK

Finalists Cosm, Bedrock Restoration Hardware, Boji Group Eastern Market Shed 7, Eastern Market company plans to open a new facility in Cleveland in the summer of 2027. Right from the start, Cosm has featured a full slate of National Football League games on a weekly basis, including Thursday night, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, and Monday night broadcasts. It has also featured college broadcasts, soccer, and National Hockey League contests, in addition to UFC matchups and a screening of “The Matrix” in an immersive, shared reality display. Other films shown in the Cosm setting have included “It” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Tickets are available for dome reserved seating, hall reserved seating, or general admission. “Detroit embodies the right mix of sports fandom, enterprising spirit, and energy, and we’re honored to be part of the downtown revitalization that Dan Gilbert and his team are driving,” says Jeb Terry, president and CEO of Cosm. — Dan Calabrese

JW MARRIOTT DETROIT AT WATER SQUARE

COSM, DETROIT

BEST NEW MIXED-USE PROJECT Finalists Monroe Streetscape Project, Greektown Neighborhood Partnership Nick Gilbert Way at Hudson’s Detroit, Bedrock Detroit JW Marriott Detroit at Water Square, Sterling Group

hat was once known throughout the region as the JLA (or just “The Joe”) is nearly complete in its transformation to the JWM — Detroit’s first JW Marriott Hotel. Located on the former Joe Louis Arena site, the JW Marriott Detroit at Water Square is being developed by Sterling Group — and designed by Southfield-based Neumann Smith Architecture, along with Looney & Associates — as a 601-room, 25-story luxury hotel that includes convention space for major events, weddings, and celebrations. The project has already scored success on that front, as multiple groups promoting tourism in Detroit report the hotel helped secure the 2027 NCAA Men’s Final Four basketball tournament, to be played at Ford Field next April 3-5. To assist in attracting conventions, the JW Marriott will be directly connected to Huntington Place via a pedestrian skybridge. The JW Mariott, located at 100 Steve Yzerman Dr., will include two large

ballrooms that overlook the Detroit River — part of its 53,000 square feet of meeting space. Several restaurants will operate within the JW Marriott, including Joe Muer Seafood + Chops, which will replace the establishment at the Renaissance Center early next year. There’s also Veren, an all-day dining destination operated by the hotel, a lobby bar called The Assembly that has an outdoor terrace, and a JW Market for grab-and-go food, snacks, coffee, and beverages. Also included in the project is a 50-foot indoor lap pool, while the Executive Lounge will offer a “serene retreat for privacy and personalized service.” The hotel rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, many of which have views of the Detroit River, its bridges, and Windsor. The hotel expects to begin booking guest rooms in the first quarter of 2027. — Dan Calabrese

COURTESY STERLING GROUP

adillac Square finally became home to a long-awaited multimedia entertainment venue when Cosm Detroit opened on Sept. 10. Designed by Detroit-based Rosetti Architects, the Cosm Shared Reality sports and entertainment center boasts an 87-foot, 12K-plus LED dome, and features sports and other entertainment offerings in the midst of Bedrock’s emerging Development at Cadillac Square, located just east of Campus Martius Park. “Cosm is the future of sports and entertainment, putting people in the front row of the world’s biggest events,” says Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Bedrock Detroit. “This is a transformative technology and experience that we knew we had to bring to Detroit.” At 70,000 square feet and three levels, Cosm’s Detroit location is actually its smallest. It has room for up to 1,500 people, which includes an outdoor terrace with fire pits. Cosm’s other operations are in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta, and the

PROJECTS AND DEALS

BEST NEW MULTIFAMILY PROJECT

Commercial Real Estate Awards | Focus

THE DOWNS NORTHVILLE

Finalists City Modern, Bedrock The Downs Northville, Hunter Pasteur Founders House, Olympia Development/Related Cos.

COURTESY HUNTER PASTEUR

hen the Northville Downs Race Track ceased operations in 2024 after 80 years of active horse racing, the loss of such an institution came with spectators anxiously wondering: What’s going to happen to the property? The answer came in the form of The Downs Northville, A 443-unit residential development by Farmington Hills-based Hunter Pasteur. The development team includes The Forbes Co. in Southfield and Soave Enterprises in Detroit. “From day one, our goal has been to create homes that feel authentically Northville — homes that honor the community’s architectural heritage while embracing the needs of today’s residents,” says Randy Wertheimer, CEO of Hunter Pasteur. “The mix of brownstones, townhomes, and carriage homes offers something truly unique for buyers who want to live steps from downtown and the new River Park.”

Designers on the project included Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects, along with local firms Neumann Smith Architecture of Southfield, Northville-based M Architects, and Northville-based Presley Architecture. Developed in a town-square style, with 1.25 acres of public green space available yearround, The Downs Northville is a mix of luxury residences, ground-floor retail, more than 15 acres of shared natural green spaces, and a 10-acre park alongside the Rouge River with pedestrian bridges, trails, benches, bike stations, and riverfront views. Among the residential offerings are four-story brownstones, two- and three-story townhomes, two-story carriage homes, and residential flats. Asking prices start at $989,000 and run as high as $1.7 million. The restoration of the Rouge River was one of the more ambitious elements of The

Downs Northville project. Since 1962, the water had flowed through an underground pipe underneath the racetrack and the property’s redevelopment. The Rouge was “daylighted” in August 2025 and now runs through the new park, which features landscaping that includes more than 1,000 newly planted hardwood trees and other vegetation. — Dan Calabrese

BEST REDEVELOPMENT OR RENOVATION Finalists Hudson’s Detroit, Bedrock Detroit The Christian Co., Detroit The Belle, Bedrock Detroit

COURTESY BEDROCK

he J.L. Hudson Department Store was a Detroit institution for more than 100 years. The company opened its first store on Woodward Avenue in 1891, and began construction 20 years later on the 29-story building that would eventually become the world’s tallest department store. Hudson’s was not only a shopping destination; it was so iconic it became synonymous with downtown Detroit’s America’s Thanksgiving Parade. When the store closed in 1983 and was demolished 15 years later, it left a literal hole in the central business district that could not be filled quickly or easily. The future of the former Hudson’s site finally cleared up in 2013 when Bedrock, founded and owned by Dan Gilbert, acquired the property and announced plans for Hudson’s Detroit. The project consists of two buildings: a 12-story low-rise that’s the new corporate

headquarters of General Motors Co., and a 685-foot tower that’s Detroit’s second-tallest building, behind the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. The two buildings at Hudson’s Detroit are separated by a programmed, pedestrian plaza called Nick Gilbert Way, which runs from Woodward to Library Street. “Ten years in the making, Hudson’s Detroit is elevating downtown and creating space for the community to come together,” says Gilbert, founder and chairman of Rocket Cos. Among the amenities featured at Hudson’s Detroit are The Department at Hudson’s, a flexible full-service event space, private meeting rooms, and ground-floor retailers. In addition to General Motors, corporate tenants include Accenture, JPMorganChase, and Ven Johnson Law, along with ROCK (the Gilbert family office) and the Gilbert Family Foundation.

HUDSON'S DETROIT

Hudson’s Detroit will also open a 227-room hotel — The Detroit EDITION — along with 96 condominiums, restaurants, and meeting spaces in 2027. Architects for Hudson’s Detroit included SHoP Architects and Hamilton Anderson Associates. The general contractor was Barton Malow, which is headquartered in Southfield. — Dan Calabrese November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 43

PROJECTS AND DEALS

Focus | Commercial Real Estate Awrads

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD

BEST HOSPITALITY PROJECT

Finalists

Finalists NoMad Detroit at Michigan Central, Ford Land EDITION Hotel, Bedrock Detroit AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle, Roxbury Group

Seth Herkowitz, Hunter Pasteur Jared Fleisher, Bedrock Detroit Anthony & J.J. Curtis, Little Village

COURTESY BEDROCK

ccording to Jared Fleisher, president and CEO of Bedrock Detroit, long-term gains supersede shortterm investment strategies. Bedrock, owned by Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Rocket Cos. in Detroit, has been at the forefront of mixing real estate and philanthropic investment. “Frankly, the way in which Dan develops is unique,” Fleisher says. “Most people in real estate try to maximize short-term return on investment. Dan has a much more civic-minded approach where we’re trying to take a city that was really challenged for a long time and turn it into something that’s thriving.” That, he says, produces a fundamental community benefit by driving the economy and adding to the growth of the city.

“We make that possible by Dan’s very patient approach to deploying capital with a return horizon that’s very different from a typical investor,” Fleisher says. Fleisher cites the upcoming $1 billion Renaissance Center redevelopment as an example of Gilbert and Bedrock’s investment strategy. “There’s one person in the universe who would take on the Renaissance Center, which is empty and dying, commit $1 billion with a -2.4 percent rate of return, and do it in such a community-minded way,” he says. Fleisher projects the end result will feature a renovated hotel; affordable housing; 18 acres of public space, activated and programmed for the community; a movie theater; and a water park. “We have a deep and abiding commitment to activating our public and civic spaces,” he says of Bedrock’s other community-focused activities. “We’ve spent a lot of time and effort to activate Gilbert Way (at Hudson’s Detroit). “We’re a big part of activating Cadillac Square and Campus Martius. We believe we put on the best downtown holiday experience in the country. To the extent we have vacant storefronts, we activate them with arts and crafts for the kids. “It’s core to what we do here.” — Tim Keenan

NICK GILBERT WAY, DETROIT 44 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

southeast Michigan and certainly the city of Detroit. “The train station, which was once the poster child for everything that was wrong with Detroit, is now completely transformed into a hub of mobility, electrification, and autonomous vehicles, and has a super high-end hotel (coming in 2027). I couldn’t be happier,” he says. When the announcement of the NoMad was made, Bill Ford, executive chair of Ford Motor Co., said: “The new NoMad Detroit hotel will not just be a place to stay, but an energetic and exciting gathering place for years to come.” NoMad’s interior design is expected to celebrate the work of Detroit artists and makers throughout the public and guest spaces, continuing the brand’s tradition of working with local collaborators to make its hotels at once global and rooted locally. "NoMad has built a reputation for developing hotels that take inspiration from the history, art, design, and culture that make a place unique, and NoMad Detroit is poised to be no exception,” says Andrew Zobler, founder and CEO of Sydell Group, which owns NoMad. — Tim Keenan

MICHIGAN CENTRAL, DETROIT

COURTESY FORD

MATT LAVERE

or years, the knock against Detroit’s ability to attract major conventions and events was its lack of hotel rooms. Developers have been rectifying that problem in recent years, and one of the newest players in the space is the NoMad Hotel, which is slated to occupy five floors of Michigan Central in 2027. The NoMad at Michigan Central will have nearly 180 guest rooms, including 30 suites, on floors 14-18 on the west side of the former train station. The hotel also will have luxury wellness facilities and additional amenities. It will be the first time in the building’s more than 100-year history that its top five floors will be occupied. The hotel’s entry into Michigan Central is the result of an agreement between Ford Motor Co., Sydell Group, which owns NoMad, and Hilton, which holds a controlling interest in Sydell Group. “It’s such an amazing story,” says Claude Molinari, president and CEO of Visit Detroit. “The fact that those top floors were never finished and now it’s going to be home to a fourstar hotel — I think it’s spectacular for

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Perspectives

SPECIAL REPORT 2027 Michigan Economic Forecast

TRADE WAR Michigan’s economy will hold its own in 2027, but remains susceptible to trade barriers and national trends.

BY RONALD AHRENS AND TIM KEENAN ILLUSTRATIONS BY RUSTY FEATHERS DESIGN NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 47

Perspectives

SPECIAL REPORT 2027 Michigan Economic Forecast

Opportunity Cost Michigan’s economy will hold its own in 2027, but remains susceptible to trade barriers and national trends.

nalysts can’t help but use automotive jargon when projecting the 2027 Michigan economic forecast. One report says the state’s economy “has been holding roughly steady around cruising speed,” but its author worries about “demographic speed limits to growth.” The same report looks at trends in manufacturing and proclaims: “Light Vehicle Sales Coasting in Neutral.” Yet another forecaster has the national labor market “stuck in second gear.” These familiar metaphors help express the consensus that things aren’t exactly roaring along on the way to becoming the Cadillac limousine of all economies — but neither are they going in reverse and crashing, as seen in the 2008 fiscal crisis and the more recent salvage-yard episode of COVID-19. Today, there are worrisome national currents such as the Federal Reserve’s quarter-percent rate hike in September, with perhaps another boost to follow. The widespread, low laborparticipation rate, now at its nadir since Local Area Unemployment Statistics record-keeping started in 1976, also is worrisome. For its part, Michigan faces well-known concerns regarding the kickback of tariffs and an aging workforce. Yet Detroit and Michigan may be rallying against these challenges. “Michigan’s economy is well-positioned to chug along,” says Shooshan Danagoulian, associate professor of economics at Wayne State University in Detroit, using another automotive performance term. “It’s a strong economy that’s based on manufacturing, on products, and services that aren’t going to be changing rapidly over the coming years.” A summary of the latest forecasts supports Danagoulian’s view despite some puzzle points. A recent Ernst & Young study gives some examples. While consumer spending continues at an encouraging pace, price sensitivity is pressuring sales margins. Simultaneously, business investment in AI development is surging. In turn, wide swings in trade flows create uncertainties as some tariffs expire and new ones come into play. 48 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

While the study foresees moderate growth, the spikes in energy prices “could lift inflation further and force the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy.” Ernst & Young forecasts national GDP growth of 1.9 percent in 2027. Going into the new year, headline inflation — the prices of all goods and services — moves to 3.4 percent, while core CPI inflation, which leaves out food and energy prices, “eases” to 2.4 percent. The same study finds payrolls increasing modestly. The latest figures last spring showed the three-month average pace of job growth at a “modest” 111,000. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics placed national unemployment at 4.1 percent, but Ernst & Young finds that labor demand “remains highly selective amid structural labor supply constraints stemming from demographics and lower net migration.” Beyond these standard metrics, there’s the clamor generated by tariffs. With concern continuing, it’s worth assessing the current status. The 10 percent global import surcharges imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 expired on July 24 after a 150-day run, the maximum allowed by law. Upon this expiration, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, an agency of the executive branch, laid on new tariffs under Section 301 of the 1974 Act’s forced-labor prohibitions. It set duties up to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 countries, including Canada, China, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Exceptions are made for raw materials critical to domestic supply, for specific products that may cause economic disruption, and for products that can’t be grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S. Additional tariffs are imposed by authority of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, determines whether certain imports may “threaten to impair” national security. The invocation of Section 232 is familiar from President Donald Trump’s first term. On April 2, President Trump once again used this authority to proclaim broader tariffs and, for steel and aluminum, hiked the penalties.

NEST: ADOBE STOCK

BY RONALD AHRENS AND TIM KEENAN

Perspectives

INFLATION HEATS BACK UP 9 8

Annual Inflation, Percent

Forecast

Headline Detroit CPI

9 8

ROLLER COASTER Uncertainties surrounding tariffs and conflicts in the 1 Middle East, which drive up energy prices, has 0 contributed to inflation. But once the conflict with Iran is -1 resolved, gas and diesel -2 prices are expected to drop.

1 0 -1 -2 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 Source: University of Michigan

Besides metals, Section 232 extends to light vehicles and parts, trucks and buses, timber and lumber, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals. The president has also announced negotiations related to potential duties against critical minerals and aircraft, and to future restrictions on polysilicon — used for making semiconductors and solar panels — and drones. Current rates are 50 percent on raw metals and 25 percent on derivative products ranging from musical instruments to tanker trailers. The president’s emergency IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs on major trading partners were struck down in February by the U.S. Supreme Court, and refund processes are still being clarified. Complaints about tariffs center on their effects on business planning and operations. In March, a Michigan Retailers Association survey revealed nearly 75 percent of state retailers experienced negative impacts from tariffs in the preceding year, and 56 percent said uncertainty surrounding tariffs has affected their businesses, in addition to the effects of the tariffs themselves. The imposition of duties on some countries on the Section 301 list, such as Algeria or Uruguay, is unlikely to upend or stall too many Michigan businesses. The duties against Canada are another matter. In 2025, imports from Canada totaled $381.9 billion, which was 7.2 percent less than 2024. At the same time, Canada imported $333.6 billion of U.S. goods, down 4.8 percent. “As a trading partner, if you think about the relative scales, Canada-Michigan is more important than U.S.-China,” says Nick Juhle, chief investment officer at the Kalamazoo-based wealth advisory firm Greenleaf Trust. “Canada is more important to Michigan than China is to the U.S. It’s a big deal.” In July, after weeks of wildfire smoke from northern Ontario blanketed Midwestern cities, the president took the unprecedented step of invoking Section 338 of the long-dormant Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 against Canada. The step imposed a 50 percent tariff against multiple industries that collectively ship products

worth $20 billion to the U.S. After further negotiations failed in August, the administration made automobiles and auto parts subject to 50 percent tariffs. “Parts move back and forth daily for the auto industry, but also agriculture, lumber, energy, and fertilizer products,” Glenn Stevens, executive director of MichAuto, told the “Daily Detroit” podcast. “It’s all traded back and forth. That’s $70 billion between Ontario, Canada, and Michigan every year. This is a very difficult situation because it wasn’t that long ago that we had free trade with Canada — about a year and a half ago.” In “dollar-for-dollar” countermeasures on Sept. 8, Canada retaliated with 15 percent to 50 percent levies against 700 U.S. products, totaling $20 billion. The highest are on steel and aluminum, as well as furniture and clothing. The 25 percent tariffs are on appliances and some seafood, USA Today reported. Electronics and tools face 15-percent tariffs. Canada’s retaliation openly targeted specific states including Michigan before the midterm elections. The move is designed to hit Washington, D.C., with pressure from the affected states. “We are Canada’s largest trading partner here in the state of Michigan and vice versa,” says Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber. “That really impacts our manufacturing and technology industry. It really impacts our tourism industry. Despite those challenges, we’re holding up fairly well. I would expect that to continue into 2027 as long as these trade tensions get resolved in a productive way.” The tit-for-tat disruption of a once-seamless trade partnership is just one element in the larger economic-forecast panorama. Surveying the broader macroeconomic indicators leads first to interest rates. September’s quarter-point hike was the first in three years. Blaming oil prices, the Federal Open Market Committee unanimously voted to raise its benchmark rate to the range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent, up from 3.5 percent to 3.75 percent. This translates to a prime rate, which is set by major banks, of around 7 percent. NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 49

MICHIGAN’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HOVERS NEAR 5 PERCENT 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Percent

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020 2022 2024

Forecast

2026 2028

19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Source: University of Michigan

“We now have data broadly defined that says the economy has, indeed, strengthened,” Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh said in a recent press conference. “Underlying growth is higher. Inflation is the problem.” He added that employment is strong, and the committee thinks inflation can be squelched without affecting growth. “I don’t believe that the two parts of our mandate — price stability and full employment — are working at cross purposes over the medium term.” The great majority of Fed officials reportedly see a second hike in 2026 but project steadiness throughout 2027. Headline inflation will rise to 3.7 percent. That’s up .1 percent. Core inflation will rise by the same amount, to 3.4 percent. The Fed’s action didn’t meet with universal exultation. “The era of low interest rates is long over,” Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said in a statement. “The trillions of dollars borrowed under the premise that money was free is now costing us dearly.” MacGuineas looks at the potential for Social Security insolvency and the accompanying chaos of a fiscal crisis by 2032. Thoughts of achieving stability by cutting government services aren’t shared in all quarters, though — not even with the federal deficit now reaching $40 trillion and interest payments at $1 trillion annually and rising fast. “To say that the Federal Reserve should not accommodate government spending is, in practice, to say that business should pay,” economist George Gilder writes in “Wealth and Poverty.” He reasons the Fed should “expand credit only in a prudent way, in proportion to the growth of government and business,” but shocking the supply of credit will lead to worse inflation. “The expanding money supply merely makes it possible for private activity to continue despite massive diffusion of taxes.” Increased productivity is the only relief. What the quest for increased productivity points to is an economic force captained by AI development. “Never before has the U.S. economy been so dependent on the buildout of a single industry,” The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 24. “You have to go back to the railway boom of the late 19th century to find the last time the buildout of one new industry accounted for a larger share of the economy.” This boom offers the promise of jackpots down the road. In the interim, as AI creates new jobs, prices are rising by 20 percent for software, semiconductors, computers, and peripherals such as hard drives. The Ernst & Young report notes the national economy’s acceptable performance in 2026 and expects an additional 1.9 percent of growth in 2027, yet an appended concern is the pace of labor-market growth. “Labor demand remains highly selective amid structural labor supply constraints stemming from demographics and lower net migration,” the report says, noting that job increases were “moderate” nationally. An economic outlook released in September by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor finds “a puzzling story” about the state’s economy and particularly job growth. The Michigan unemployment rate has held steady at 5 50 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

DIMINISHED RETURN Michigan’s unemploymemt rate remains one of the highest in the country. Turning the tide requires fiscal discipline, restoration of right-to-work laws, and eliminating the state income tax.

percent since May of 2025, and stood at 5 percent in August (it often leads the country). Wage and salary employment increased by 8,200 jobs from July of 2025 to July of 2026, yet the count of employed Michigan residents has dropped by 135,600. The report projects the addition of 15,400 jobs in 2027 with unemployment continuing to hold. By 2028, when growth will slow to 4,200 additional new jobs, the state’s payroll job count will be 1.5 percent above the pre-pandemic level but 3.9 percent below the record high in 2000. The U-M study spotlights the construction industry’s loss of 2,100 jobs from the second quarter of 2025 to Q2 2026. “The residential portion of the industry has contended with high mortgage rates, weak homebuyer demand, and builder pessimism. On the other hand, the AI buildout has supported demand in commercial construction.” Forecasting “modest” growth of 1,400 jobs in 2027, the U-M study says the “level of employment in the industry remains healthy.” A forecast by Michigan’s House Fiscal Agency (HFA) describes the labor market as “stable but narrowly supported.” It finds the level of U.S. employment to be 4.2 percent above the prepandemic level, and within Michigan nearly 1.1 million jobs have been added since April of 2020. The largest gains are in health care. In the vital category of motor vehicle sales, the outlook is for more of the same, with continuing adversity from high sticker prices. “The (auto) market is relatively stable for new vehicle sales,” Stevens, of MichAuto, tells DBusiness. “It’s not robust but it’s not a disaster, either. It’s bumping along.” Trends in sales find the Detroit Three claiming 34.3 percent of light vehicle sales in 2027, the same as this year. The companies will sell about 5.4 million vehicles in calendar year 2027, as the HFA forecasts. Confronting the lack of overall market growth, the Detroit Three are diversifying. One means of diversification is via an old avenue: a return to Arsenal of Democracy mode. Even before the Iran war, President Trump encouraged automakers to produce weapons and battle gear. Now the Detroit lexicon has added the word “adjacencies.” “We do believe we have a lot to offer,” Ford President and CEO James Farley said in a July earnings call, “but we’ll think through this as an adjacency.” Ford, GM Defense, and BC Customs, a family-owned Utah company, are developing their own prototypes of a new six-seat Heavy Infantry Squad Vehicle. Besides battlefield mobility solutions, the so-called adjacencies could also find Detroit companies making parts for humanoid robots and energy storage systems for data centers, according to Autoline Daily. Judged against all the gloomy appraisals of past decades, and despite some concerns arising in current appraisals, the economic outlook has more than porch lights aglow.

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Perspectives

U.S. Debt Crisis

— By David L. Littmann

QUILL: ADOBE STOCK

FORTY CENTURIES OF RECORDED HISTORY provide us valuable and

worrisome clues regarding the outlook for America’s financial destiny. Despite denial by most of our politicians, journalists, professors, and even Wall Street gurus, our national debt continues on a recognizable path to disaster. Furthermore, the media and most of its adult audiences haven’t fully absorbed the growing illness of our two largest federal trust programs, Medicare and Social Security. Yet, half the U.S. population appears to be quite aware and displeased that the U.S. dollar’s value since the beginning of the 21st century has slipped 48.7 percent. The price level has doubled, confirming debt trouble. It is imperative at this late date to fully comprehend both the great economic value of debt, as well its economic lethality, when continuously mismanaged. The chronic failure of our elected legislators to balance federal budgets explains Washington’s unbroken chain of deficits that now have bloated our national debt to $40 trillion. Fiscal mismanagement is equivalent to toxic drug addiction. It foreshadows the same pitiful economic consequences for firms and individuals with habitual behaviors of spending more than they earn, produce, or save to invest. Without savings that can be prudently invested to create new assets for households, firms, or the nation, any prospect of ever acquiring repayable loans to survive lean times or sudden misfortunes vanishes. Microcosmically, this rule applies to individual workers. Macrocosmically, it pertains to elected officials and their workforces, as well as regulators in government bureaus and departments. They take oaths of office, swearing vigilance to safeguard precious tax revenues they allocate to priority programs. This has become a hoax. For, as we know, not only do we surrender to elected and appointed officials and regulators portions of our income for protection and defense, but equally, we expect from them their oversight, public accountability, and professional foresight and insight into what they select, yearly, as funding priorities. Indeed, our debt is rising more quickly than the GDP. Federal spending unabashedly continues outpacing tax revenues. Thus, annual budget deficits fuel an already-immense U.S. debt. Multiple analyses reinforce the conclusion that high and accelerating debt hinders economic growth. Higher

tax rates and the redistribution of private sector income to government coffers further depress GDP growth potential and reduce the appetite of foreign and domestic purchasers of Treasury borrowing instruments (i.e., bonds, notes, and bills). Like the cat chasing its own tail, just the cost of interest on debt being paid to holders of Treasury issuances added more than $1.2 trillion in budgetary overruns and greater volumes of U.S. debt in 2026. No amount of Washington-driven subsidy programs can reduce budget deficits or debt. Nor will the purchase of Treasury securities by the Federal Reserve (our fiat money-printing Central Bank) reduce inflation or the higher interest costs of federal spending. Wider, deeper, and persistent efforts of the current Trump presidency — and hopefully future administrations and legislatures — to remove blatant and ubiquitous fraud, waste, and corruption associated with federal governmental agencies and programs would undoubtedly prove helpful in many ways, including raising morale, productivity, trust, and the confidence of citizens everywhere. Today, 80 percent of our $40 trillion debt is held by the domestic investing public, which consists of domestic and foreign creditors. Foreign government holdings account for $9.1 trillion. The balance (20 percent) represents internally owned debt held chiefly in intragovernmental trust funds, the two largest being the Social Security- and Medicare-related holdings. Some misinformed skeptics claim that U.S. debt poses “no economic risk because we just owe it to ourselves.” But the father of modern economic science and the author of the seminal text, “Wealth of Nations,” in 1776, was shocked by comments like this during his lifetime. Adam Smith was vindicated in full by Britain’s fiscal and economic calamities in the 20th century. England’s monstrous debt necessitated the painful sales of precious stocks of her gold assets. Why? Britain’s decline in economic trade, prestige, leadership, and domestic tranquility demanded pay-down of its ballooning debts. Smith had explained to his 18th century parliamentarians the fallacy and

smugness of thinking “we just owe it to ourselves.” We still ignore the risks of out-of-control spending and debt accumulation. Here are a few of the existential risks to any economy, stemming from years of inattention and poor debt management: • Slowing GDP growth by choking private sector investments. • Reducing the national income by sending interest payments to foreign debt-holders. • Insurrection and chaos in the populace. • Authoritarian mandates, fostered by inflation, that impose further distortions into economic activity, i.e., myriad attempts to control wages, prices, profits, rents, and credit. • Loss of purchasing power. • The diminished willingness of bond-holders to fund or reinvest. • The destruction of intergenerational equity by shifting debt burdens and their consequences onto future generations, even the yet unborn. Financial carelessness always handicaps lifestyles, livelihoods, and perhaps life itself. What are the chances of reversing these historical abuses of thoughtless behavior? Usually, people can stand what they can understand. One option of reducing debt is to sell valuable assets such as government

land, buildings, research and other training facilities, equipment, museums, and national parks. But how would a nation like ours tolerate the sale of federal properties? Our first treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, said, “A national debt, if it is not excessive, will be to us a national blessing.” Productive loans to the private sector have been key to U.S. comparative advantage for innovative risk-taking. Let’s see where we stand. In 1940, U.S. debt stood at 42.4 percent of GDP. By 2015, that ratio reached 99.1 percent. As of 2025, it was 130.6 percent. At this pace, the projected ratio of debt to GDP becomes 171 percent in 2035 and 227 percent in 2045. In other words, 20 years from now, continuing on this trajectory, federal debt will have absorbed and swallowed the entire productive capacity of the U.S. Long before two decades elapse, interest payments alone would crowd out defense and non-defense spending. Ditto with programs that once served as “rainy day” reserves for emergencies encountered across the 50 states and other territories. Prudent stewardship and respect for budgeting and managing debt with foresight, as both Smith and Hamilton urged, will bless our nation with safety, prosperity, and gratitude from other nations for perhaps another 250 years.

RED ALERT To reduce $40 trillion in U.S. debt, government leaders must manage and reduce the deficit, continue to root out fraud and waste, and slow spending across multiple departments and agencies.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 51

TRADE BATTLES The U.S. is expected to outlast Canada during the current tit-for-tat tariff war. Between 66 percent and 71 percent of Canada’s merchandise exports go to the U.S., while around 15 percent of U.S. goods go to Canada.

Short of an AI bust or a debt-inspired fiscal crisis, the national economy is growing at a sustainable rate. On Sept. 29, the U.S. Commerce Department raised its GDP growth estimate for the first quarter to 2.5 percent from 2.1 percent, and in the second quarter it rose to 2.2 percent from 1.5 percent. Overall, business investment and consumer spending have been stronger than economists first thought. “There is one big wild card, a huge wild card — the UAW negotiations,” Stevens says. “The contract will be up in the spring of 2028, but you can imagine we’ll start to hear quite a bit about that mid-next year. There won’t be any impact, but it will be on the horizon as you get into the second half of next year.” What’s happening in Detroit meshes well with the mood of U.S. consumers. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence survey found people “mildly positive” about business conditions and expressing improved perceptions of the current labor market. “Expectations for household incomes moderated but remained optimistic overall,” the survey found. Another report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that, between 2018 and 2025, wage growth in Michigan was second-lowest among 10 Midwestern states, only ahead of Illinois. But the U-M forecast predicts personal per capita income will grow by an average of 3.6 percent annually, reaching $74,000 by 2028 — more than 50 percent above the 2019 level. The HFA forecast points to wage and salary income increasing by 3.2 percent in CY 2027. “We’re seeing growth in areas like health care, financial services, and construction,” Greenleaf Trust’s Juhle says. “It’s good for the state overall to have a more diversified economy, and a little less dependence on manufacturing as the growth driver.” In hopes of further encouraging news, heads turn toward Lansing, where a new governor will be inaugurated in January. Expectations range from indifference to optimism. The next governor will find baseline General Fund–General Purpose and School Aid Fund revenues increasing by 2.2 percent in FY 2026-27 and 2.3 percent in FY 2027-28, according to the HFA forecast. The boosts come from strong harvests of individual income tax, online gaming, and state education tax intakes, which together offset weaker ones from sales tax. State revenue will be up by $541.7 million in FY 2026-27 and $626.1 million in FY 2027-28. Juhle, for one, acknowledges that “policy matters,” but he doesn’t see a change of administration as “a major catalyst.” Rather, he says, “A single leader only has so much authority and so much power. In order for either candidate to implement their agenda, they have to get buy-in or compromise from the Legislature.” One step suggested by Adam Majestic, director of public policy and business advocacy at the Detroit Regional Chamber is to fully fund the Michigan 52 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

Achievement Scholarship and restore the Going PRO talent training program to $55 million. The programs are part of the push to boost post-high school educational attainment to 60 percent of graduates by 2030. Michigan also has started to see some success in drawing companies from elsewhere. A fertile bed of investment initiatives has something to do with that, but nudges from Lansing could be helpful, as well. “When we think about our workforce and why our workforce is moving abroad, I think the answer lies in the opportunities that are on hand for companies to be based in Michigan,” Wayne State’s Danagoulian says. “Maybe the next governor would be well-placed to think about attracting these companies into the state.” Both she and Baruah mention an underrated wild card in attracting new and existing enterprises: the weather. “I’m very optimistic about Michigan, both in terms of its climate as well as its accessibility to scarce resources, water being one of them,” Danagoulian says. “I think it’s well-positioned in that respect. So even if we have this period where we have been seeing the census registering an outflow of population from Michigan in particular — noting also an outflow of working-age population — I expect this outflow is going to be to be reversing in the next five years.” Baruah gives a nod to the “one-firm economic-development machine” of Rocket Cos. and Bedrock Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert, then adds: “The other thing we have going for us, compared to other areas of the country, is fairly stable and predictable weather. We don’t have hurricanes. Tornadoes are rare. More and more companies are looking at stability and that makes Michigan more attractive.” There’s also the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which Danagoulian says “adds to the appeal of businesses in the Detroit area and Michigan.” Additionally, she says it aids tourism and improves the cross-border labor flow. It’s Danagoulian, though, who also has a caveat for the weather-and-water recipe. It has to do with the aforementioned pall from Canadian wildfires that throttled Michigan summers for too long, including this year’s stretch in June and July. Calculations by Anderson Economic Group in Lansing tabulate nearly $6.7 billion in lost Michigan income in 2026 from suppressed economic activity and $38.2 billion across 10 states. The losses came from the closures of amusement parks, tourist destinations, and sporting events, and from medical aid to workers. “The wildfires aren’t something Michiganders can do anything about,” Danagoulian says. “We’re subject to the effects of smoke, despite having absolutely no control over the situation.” To revert to automotive terms, it’s a new source of friction that can’t be addressed by visiting the corner shop for a lube job.

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Perspectives

CONGRATULATIONS Brian McKenna

A DBusiness Top Lawyer for the sixth consecutive year!

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Congratulations to our 2026 DBusiness Top Lawyers!

John Benko

Joshua Gadharf

Stephen Gross

Patrick Karbowski

Timothy Lowe

Miriam Rosen

TRUSTED ADVISORS

Rosati Schultz Joppich & Amtsbuechler, PC is pleased to announce the well-deserved recognition of

Q: When should a business owner start talking with a lender about financing? A: Usually earlier than they think. A lot of owners wait until they’ve found the building or equipment they want, and then everything feels urgent. You don’t need to have every detail figured out before we talk. I’d start with what you’re trying to do and when you’d like to do it. From there, we can talk through what the financing might look like, what information you’ll need, and whether the timing makes sense for your business. Sometimes that conversation confirms you’re ready to move forward. Sometimes it gives you a clearer plan for getting there. Either way, you can make decisions with a better sense of what’s possible. And when the right opportunity comes along, you’re not starting from scratch.

STE VE N P. J OP P I CH an d

L ISA J. H A M A M E H

as 2026 Top Lawyers We are very proud of Steve and Lisa for being named a part of this distinguished group. R S

J A

Community Choice Credit Union Barb Babington Vice President of Commercial Lending bbabington@communitychoicecu.com communitychoicecu.com

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EXCELLENCE 2027 DBusiness Top Lawyers Commercial Law – Kenneth Neuman

Litigation – Commercial Jennifer Grieco David Mollicone Stephen McKenney Matthew Smith Kevin Hirsch

Business Litigators | Business Lawyers altiorlaw.com | 248.594.5252 Our Partners | Kenneth Neuman, Jennifer Grieco, Stephen McKenney, Matthew Smith, and David Mollicone

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2027 | TOP LAWYERS

Top 2027 Top Lawyers

ANTITRUST LAW .............................................................61 APPELLATE LAW .............................................................61 ARBITRATION..................................................................61 BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICE LAW ..........................61 BANKRUPTCY & CREDITOR/DEBTOR RIGHTS LAW......61 COMMERCIAL LAW ........................................................62 CONSTRUCTION LAW ....................................................62 COPYRIGHT LAW............................................................63 CORPORATE LAW ...........................................................63 CRIMINAL DEFENSE – NON WHITE-COLLAR ...............63 CRIMINAL DEFENSE – WHITE-COLLAR ........................60 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAW ............................................60 ENERGY LAW ..................................................................60 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW ..................................................60 FAMILY LAW ....................................................................60 FOOD & BEVERAGE LAW ...............................................61 FRANCHISE LAW ............................................................61 HEALTH CARE LAW ........................................................61 IMMIGRATION LAW ........................................................62 INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & DISCOVERY LAW.........................................................62 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW ..............................62 INSURANCE LAW............................................................62 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & PATENT LAW ..................63 INTERNATIONAL TRADE ................................................63 LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW........................................64

56 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

LAND USE & ZONING .....................................................64 LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW ............................................64 LITIGATION – ANTITRUST ..............................................65 LITIGATION – BANKING & FINANCE..............................65 LITIGATION – COMMERCIAL .........................................65 LITIGATION – CONSTRUCTION .....................................66 LITIGATION – INSURANCE.............................................66 LITIGATION – INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.....................66 LITIGATION – LABOR EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS...........66 LITIGATION – PATENTS ..................................................67 LITIGATION – REAL ESTATE ...........................................67 MEDIATION .....................................................................67 MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW .......................................67 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS LAW ..................................67 MUNICIPAL LAW .............................................................68 NONPROFIT/CHARITIES LAW ........................................68 PERSONAL INJURY ........................................................68 PRODUCT LIABILITY.......................................................69 PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE LAW ............................69 PUBLIC FINANCE LAW ...................................................69 REAL ESTATE LAW ..........................................................69 SECURITIES LAW ............................................................70 TAX LAW..........................................................................70 TRUSTS & ESTATES ........................................................71 WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW.................................71

Research for the 2027 Top Lawyers list was conducted by PRS (Professional Research Services) in Troy, and is based on an exclusive online peer-review survey sent out to certified lawyers within the metro Detroit area. Many votes were cast honoring excellence in the legal field. Inclusion in DBusiness magazine's annual Top Lawyers list is free, and is based soley upon an attorney's standing within their peer group. Listings in Top Lawyers cannot be purchased. The 2027 Top Lawyers list will be posted at DBusiness.com on Nov. 16, 2026.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JUSTIN STENSON

TOP LAWYERS |

ANTITRUST LAW Nicholas P. McElhinny Bodman Paul F. Novak Weitz & Luxenberg Kimberly L. Scott Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone L. Pahl Zinn Dickinson Wright

APPELLATE LAW Donovan S. Asmar Bodman Michael J. Cook Collins Einhorn Farrell Fawzeih H. Daher Bodman Nancy V. Dembinski Landry, Mazzeo, Dembinski & Stevens Phillip J. DeRosier Dickinson Wright Timothy (Tim) A. Diemer Jacobs and Diemer Jeffrey C. Gerish Plunkett Cooney Mark Granzotto Granzotto & Wittmann Kimberly A. Kardasz Harvey Kruse Mary Massaron Plunkett Cooney Matthew T. Nicols Secrest Wardle Ronald S. Nixon Kemp Klein Law Firm

Larry J. Saylor Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Damali A. Sahu Bodman

Michael J. Talbot Bodman

Wayne S. Segal Dawda

Geoffrey S. Wagner Giarmarco Mullins & Horton

Clara L. Seymour Honigman

Beth A. Wittmann Granzotto & Wittmann

Bonnie S. Sherr Bodman

ARBITRATION

Colleen M. Shevnock Dickinson Wright

James L. Woolard Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

BANKING & FINANCIAL SERVICE LAW Hebba Aref Bodman Megan R.I. Baxter-Labut Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Michelle (Cheli) Bleda Drew Honigman Kimberly (Kim) A. Dudek Honigman Robert (Rob) B. Goldi Kotz Sangster Wysocki Scott P. Gyorke Bodman Shawn N. Hopper Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Steven G. Howell Dickinson Wright Joseph J. Kochanek Bodman Melissa A. Lewis Bodman

Thomas J. Rheaume Jr. Bodman

Adam B. Norlander Bodman

William F. Rivard Harvey Kruse

Michael J. Romaya Varnum

2027

William P. Shield Jr. Dickinson Wright Larry R. Shulman Bodman Eric M. Stein Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Theodore B. Sylwestrzak Dickinson Wright Robert A. Wright III Dawda

BANKRUPTCY & CREDITOR/DEBTOR RIGHTS LAW Marc M. Bakst Bodman Jason W. Bank Kerr, Russell & Weber Megan R. I. Baxter-Labut Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Douglas C. Bernstein Plunkett Cooney Brendan G. Best Varnum Jeffrey H. Bigelman Osipov Bigelman William (Bill) C. Blasses Kerr, Russell & Weber

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 57

2027 | TOP LAWYERS

LAWYER POPULATION IN MICHIGAN AND THE U.S.

1.3 M M

There are more than lawyers in the United States. To be precise, there were 1,374,720 active lawyers as of late 2025, according to the American Bar Association's Profile of the Legal Profession, a tally of lawyers in every U.S. state and territory. That's up nearly 1.4 percent from the 2024 profile.

In Michigan, there were 34,199 34,199 lawyers in 2025, down slightly from 34,366 practitioners the previous year. But those numbers could rise given law school enrollment across the country was up in 2024. Overall, resident active lawyers in the U.S. has grown by 73,363 over the last 10 years.

12%

Source: American Bar Association

AVERAGE ATTORNEY ANNUAL SALARY IN MICHIGAN

$312,858 $190,700 PRIVATE PRACTICE

NON-PRIVATE PRACTICE

Source: Michigan Bar Association

58 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

Charles (Chuck) D. Bullock Stevenson & Bullock

Jaimee L. Witten Bodman

Robert J. Diehl Jr. Bodman

Scott A. Wolfson Wolfson Bolton Kochis

Joshua Gadharf McDonald Hopkins

Doron Yitzchaki Dickinson Wright

Jonathan S. Green Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Craig E. Zucker Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

Stephen M. Gross McDonald Hopkins

COMMERCIAL LAW

Scott B. Kitei Honigman Scott R. Lesser Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Ralph E. McDowell Bodman Norman D. Orr Kemp Klein Law Firm Yuliy Osipov Osipov Bigelman

Courtland W. Anderson Bodman Jonathan S. Berg Bodman Dennis K. Egan Kotz Sangster Wysocki Patrick F. Hickey Hickey Hauck Bishoff Jeffers and Seabolt Chauncey C. Mayfield II Honigman

James A. Plemmons Dickinson Wright

Kenneth F. Neuman Altior Law

Steven A. Roach Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Anthony A. Randazzo Secrest Wardle

E. Todd Sable Honigman

Kyle W. Traver Bodman

Jason P. Smalarz Gold, Lange, Majoros & Smalarz

CONSTRUCTION LAW

Ronald A. Spinner Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Marc N. Swanson Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Julie B. Teicher Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller Brian R. Trumbauer Bodman Glenn S. Walter Honigman

Harvey W. Berman Bodman R. Edward Boucher Kotz Sangster Wysocki Alexander Choi Bodman Christopher A. Cornwall Dickinson Wright Michael C. Decker Butzel Long

TOP LAWYERS |

2027

Ronald A. Deneweth Deneweth, Vittiglio & Sassak

Ralph A. Castelli Jr. Kemp Klein Law Firm

Alex L. Parrish Honigman

Timothy (Tim) P. Dugan Kotz Sangster Wysocki

John W. Crowe Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Adomas N. Rauckis Bodman

Patrick A. Facca Facca, Richter & Pregler

Edward C. Dawda Dawda

Jeffrey G. Richardson Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Joseph C. Huntzicker Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Forrest O. Dillon Bodman

Marc K. Salach Dawda

Mark W. Oszust Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Zhiguo Du Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

David M. Walker Bodman

Michael (Mike) D. DuBay Honigman

Gregory (Greg) L. Wysocki Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Joseph N. Ejbeh Aloia Law

CRIMINAL DEFENSE — NON WHITE-COLLAR

Corinne S. Rockoff Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Samantha S. Galecki Sager Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone John M. Sier Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

Steven J. Enwright Taft Stettinius & Hollister

Raymond A. Cassar Law Offices of Raymond A. Cassar

Joseph D. Gustavus Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Jalal J. Dallo Dallo Law

Mark R. High Dickinson Wright

Colin A. Daniels Rockind Law

Loukas P. Kalliantasis Clark Hill

Loren M. Dickstein Lewis & Dickstein

Steven Forte Honigman

John Kanan Honigman

Daniel T. Geherin Geherin Law Group

Donald Kunz Honigman

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

Eric I. Lark Kerr, Russell & Weber

Shawn H. Head Head Murphy Law

Joseph P. Michniacki Bodman

Joseph (Joe) A. Lavigne Law Offices of Joseph A. Lavigne

Daniel H. Minkus Clark Hill

Robert W. Palmer Pitt McGehee Plamer Bonanni & Rivers

Matthew (Matt) J. Moussiaux Honigman

Christopher W. Quinn II The Law Office of Christopher W. Quinn II

Joshua (Josh) F. Opperer Honigman

Mitchell Ribitwer Ribitwer & Sabbota

Anthony R. Paesano Amundsen Davis

Joseph A. Simon Law Offices of Joseph A. Simon

Isidoro (Sid) A. Spano Kotz Sangster Wysocki Thomas Trapnell Bodman

CORPORATE LAW Brian M. Akkashian Amundsen Davis Robert S. Bick Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett Richard M. Bolton Dickinson Wright Gene P. Bowen Bodman Richard (Rich) C. Buslepp Kerr, Russell & Weber Alfredo Casab Dawda

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 59

2027 | TOP LAWYERS

CRIMINAL DEFENSE — WHITE-COLLAR

Mark W. Jane Butzel Long

Grant P. Gilezan Dykema Gossett

Patrick T. Barone Barone Defense Firm

Samantha (Sam) A. Kopacz

Kenneth R. Chadwell Plunkett Cooney

Lynn McGuire

Kurt A. Kissling

Martin E. Crandall Clark Hill

Cynthia A. Moore

Steven C. (Steve) Kohl

George B. Donnini Butzel Long

Christina L. Nechiporchik

Susan J. Sadler

Bodman

Dawda

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

Charles M. Russman

Erica J. Sarver

Varnum

Bodman

Mark J. Kriger LaRene & Kriger

Kenneth J. Sachs

Arthur Siegal

Bodman

Taft Stettinius & Hollister

Walter J. Piszczatowski Hertz Schram

David B. Walters

Nicholas J. Tatro

Bodmann

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Neil Rockind Rockind Law

ENERGY LAW

Mark E. Wilson

Jerome Sabbota Ribitwer & Sabbota

Karen L. Boore

FAMILY LAW

Matthew Schneider Honigman

Russell J. Bucher

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAW

Rodger A. Kershner

Amy M. Christen Dykema Gossett

Katina K. Gorman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Honigman

Butzel Long

Dickinson Wright

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Howard & Howard Attorneys

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW Kurt M. Brauer

Warner Norcross + Judd

S. Lee Johnson Honigman

Warner Norcross + Judd Warner Norcross + Judd

Dickinson Wright

Jeffrey Lance Abood Abood Law Firm

Mark A. Bank Bank Rifkin

Daniel B. Bates Daniel Bates

Sherri L. Bono Bono Legal Group

Michael L. Caldwell

Carol F. Breitmeyer

Brian J. Considine

Cristina Crescentini

George F. Curran III

James P. Cunningham

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Eric W. Gregory II

Fredrick J. Dindoffer

Kathryn M. Cushman

Dickinson Wright

Bodman

Breitmeyer Cushman

Edward C. Hammond

Nathan D. Dupes

Jordan S. Dizik

Deborah L. Grace Dickinson Wright

Roberta P. Granadier Dickinson Wright

Frederick W. Gregory Dickinson Wright

Clark Hill

60 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

Zausmer

Dawda

Bodman

Breitmeyer Cushman Hertz Schram

Dizik | Kaplan

TOP LAWYERS |

Roquia K. Draper

Lisa D. Stern

Laura E. Eisenberg

Matthew R. Van Steenkiste

Warner Norcross + Judd Eisenberg & Spilman

Erin Flynn Flynn Law

Amy Folbe Honigman

Randi P. Glanz Clark Hill

Lorne B. Gold

The Gold Law Firm

Ruth Goldner Goldner Deeg

Keela P. Johnson

Hertz Schram

Matthew S. Weaver

Giarmarco Mullins & Horton

Keri Middleditch Wigod Middleditch Law Firm

Miriam Z. Wolock

Law Offices of Miriam Z. Wolock

FOOD & BEVERAGE LAW J. Patrick Howe Honigman

FRANCHISE LAW

Ryan M. Kelly

Courtland W. Anderson

Channelle Kizy-White

Joel C. Bryant

Kizy Law

David S. Mendelson

The Mendelson Law Firm

Nina M. Paolini-Lotarski Aloia Law

Julia A. Perkins Varnum

B. Andrew Rifkin Bank Rifkin

Kristen L. Robinson Mellin Robinson

Bodman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

David Steinberg

HEALTH CARE LAW Jennifer L. Benedict

11.

1. New York 2. California 3. Texas 4. Florida 5. Illinois 6. Pennsylvania 7. Massachusetts 8. New Jersey 9. Ohio 10. Georgia 11. Michigan

190,015 181,048 99,867 80,976 61,945 47,764 42,653 39,670 37,086 34,716 34,199

Source: 2025 American Bar Association National Lawyer Population Survey

POPULATION OF LAWYERS BY COUNTY

Honigman

Reesa Benkoff

Benkoff Health Law.

Elizabeth Callahan

Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman

Brandon M. Dalziel

Kurt E. Schnelz

Allison C. Dolson

Schnelz Wells

Dickinson Wright

Lynn Capp Sirich

Jovan Dragovic

Dickinson Wright

Dykema Gossett

Amy A. Stawski

Gregory Drutchas

Kemp Klein Law Firm

David L. Steinberg

Jorin G. Rubin Rubin Frampton

POPULATIONS OF LAWYERS BY STATE (+MICHIGAN)

Garmo & Kiste

Giarmarco Mullins & Horton Kelly & Kelly

2027

Bodman

Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

2. 1. Oakland 2. Wayne 3. Kent 4. Ingham 5. Washtenaw

5. 11,178 6,310 2,703 2,331 1,813

Source: Michigan Bar Association

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 61

2027 | TOP LAWYERS

Debra A. Geroux

Christopher M. Dutot

Mark G. Malven

Ann T. Hollenbeck

Rami Fakhoury

Fakhoury Global Immigration

INSURANCE LAW

Robert S. Iwrey

Suzan Gabbara

Plunkett Cooney

Matthew Keuten

Dalia Rasha Kejbou

Annalise Lekas Surnow

Elise S. Levasseur

Gregory W. Moore

Kate M. McCarroll

Lori-Ann Rickard

Michael P. Nowlan

Alan T. (Al) Rogalski

Reginald A. Pacis

Daniel (Dan) J. Schulte

Meghan Kennedy Riordan

Keith J. Soltis

Julianne Cassin Sharp

Annalise Lekas Surnow

Suzanne K. Sukkar

Butzel Long Jones Day

The Health Law Partners Honigman Bodman

Taft Stettinius & Hollister Rickard & Associates

Warner Norcross + Judd Kerr, Russell & Weber

Kotz Sangster Wysocki Bodman

Andrew B. Wachler Wachler & Associates

Deborah J. Williamson Williamson Health Law

Mark E. Wilson Dickinson Wright

IMMIGRATION LAW N. Peter Antone

Antone, Casagrande & Adwers

Dorothy H. Basmaji

Antone, Casagrande & Adwers

Justin D. Casagrande

Antone, Casagrande & Adwers

Meghan N. Covino Honigman

62 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Eaman & Gabbara

Law Offices of Dalia Rasha Kejbou Dickinson Wright

Kerr, Russell & Weber Clark Hill

Butzel Long

Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dickinson Wright

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT & DISCOVERY LAW Nicholas (Nick) D. Weier Honigman

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LAW Danielle F. Bass Honigman

Jennifer A. Dukarski Butzel Long

Charein R. Faraj

Innovation Attorney & Counseling

Michael S. Khoury FisherBroyles

Dykema Gossett

Charles W. Browning Thomas W. Cranmer

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

George F. Curran III Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Michelle Thurber Czapski Bodman

Todd B. Denenberg Denenberg Tuffley

Michael H. Fabian Liss & Earls

Julie I. Fershtman

Foster Swift Collins & Smith

Steven M. Gursten Michigan Auto Law

William O. Hochkammer Honigman

Christopher C. Hunter Michigan Auto Law

Stacey L. King

Garan Lucow Miller

Adam Kutinsky Kutinsky

Geoffrey D. Marshall

Bowen, Radabaugh & Milton

James T. Mellon Mellon Pries

Richard M. Mitchell

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

Frederick Plumb Garan Lucow Miller

Julie E. Robertson Honigman

TOP LAWYERS |

Daniel S. Saylor

Mark A. Cantor

Michael F. Schmidt

John E. Carlson

Harvey Kruse

Carlson, Gaskey & Olds

Kevin H. Seiferheld

Gregory D. DeGrazia

Michigan Auto Law

Bodman

Stuart A. Sklar

Megan E. Fink

Garan Lucow Miller

Liss & Earls

Nicole E. Wilinski Collins Einhorn Farrell

Douglas Young

Young Insurance Law

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & PATENT LAW William G. Abbatt Brooks Kushman

Michael C. Adams Reising

Daniel P. Aleksynas

Young Basile Hanlon & MacFarlane

Thomas Appledorn Honigman

Robin W. Asher

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

David L. Atallah

Carlson, Gaskey & Olds

Andrew S. Balazer Bodman

Charles A. Bieneman Brooks Kushman

Jeremy D. Bisdorf

Taft Stettinius & Hollister

Andrew Boes Honigman

Kelly K. Burris Burris Law

2027

Brooks Kushman

Bodman

Karl A. Hochkammer Honigman

J. Michael Huget

Mark D. Schneider

Eric S. Hydorn

Cesare A. Sclafani

Matthew M. Jakubowski

Eric Sosenko

Erin Klug

Michael B. Stewart

Susan M. Kornfield

Angela Alvarez Sujek

Anessa Kramer

Matthew H. Szalach

Douglas LaLone

Daniela M. Walters

Michael N. MacCallum

Rebecca L. Wilson

Gerald E. McGlynn III

INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW

Honigman

Dobrusin IP Law

Brooks Kushman Dobrusin IP Law Bodman

Honigman

FisherBroyles

Dickinson Wright

Howard & Howard Attorneys

Katherine M. Pacynski Dobrusin IP Law

Dinsmore & Shohl Dinsmore & Shohl Honigman

Fishman Stewart

Bodman

Honigman

Dobrusin IP Law Dobrusin IP Law

Frederick A. Acomb

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Paul J. Palinski

Angela Gamalski

Bill C. Panagos

Bruce C. Thelen

Kristen L. Pursley

Richard A. Walawender

Julie Reitz

Shusheng Wang

Dobrusin IP Law

Panagos Kennedy Dobrusin IP Law Honigman

Honigman

Dickinson Wright

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

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 63

2027 | TOP LAWYERS

TOP

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW John T. Below Bodman

AREAS OF PRACTICE FOR MICHIGAN LAWYERS

John F. Birmingham Jr. Foley & Lardner

Kathleen L. Bogas Bogas & Koncius

Terry W. Bonnette

Nemeth Bonnette Brouwer

Aaron V. Burrell Dickinson Wright

Kerry K. Cahill Bodman

Randal R. Cole 1.

1. Private Practice

15,671

2. Government

3,437

3. Corporate Counsel

3,324

4. Legal Services

2,497

5. Non-law Related

1,328

Source: Michigan Bar Association

Dawda

Michelle P. Crockett Honigman

Sean F. Crotty Honigman

Matthew (Matt) S. Disbrow Honigman

Amanda McSween Empey

NUMBER OF LAWYERS IN MICHIGAN BY GENDER Female

12,685

Bodman

Barry S. Fagan Fagan McManus

Gary S. Fealk Bodman

Lawrence T. García

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Male

20,087

Aaron D. Graves Bodman

Elizabeth P. Hardy Other

Kienbaum Hardy Viviano Pelton Forrest

Mark C. Knoth Source: Michigan Bar Association

Kerr, Russell & Weber

Frank T. Mamat Plunkett Cooney

64 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

Jennifer Lossia McManus Fagan McManus

Brett J. Miller Butzel Long

Eric J. Pelton

Kienbaum Hardy Viviano Pelton Forrest

Matthew E. Radler Honigman

James Reid IV Honigman

Miriam L. Rosen McDonald Hopkins

James S. Rosenfeld Butzel Long

Tad T. Roumayah Sommers Schwartz

Erika L. Ruskin

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Rebecca C. Seguin-Skrabucha Bodman

LAND USE & ZONING LeRoy L. Asher Jr.

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Alexandra E. Dieck Bodman

Jerold Lax

Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels

Richard D. Rattner

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Tyler D. Tennent Dawda

LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW Michael P. Ashcraft Jr. Plunkett Cooney

Kathleen H. Klaus

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

Jeffrey G. Raphelson Bodman

TOP LAWYERS |

LITIGATION — ANTITRUST

Joseph A. Doerr

Matthew Mrkonic

David A. Ettinger

Stephen P. Dunn Bodman

John Mucha III

Honigman

Robert E. Murkowski

Kaitlyn M. Elias

Lawrence J. (Larry) Murphy

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Dickinson Wright

LITIGATION – BANKING & FINANCE

Walter B. Fisher Jr.

Marc L. Newman

J. Adam Behrendt

Seth D. Gould Miller Law

Linda Oszust

Bodman

Eric S. Bergeron

Patrick B. Green

Ryan C. Plecha

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Dickinson Wright

Raymond (Ray) W. Henney

Jennifer Grieco Altior Law

Daniel D. Quick

Honigman

Stephen S. LaPlante

Ziyad I. Hermiz Varnum

Wendolyn W. Richards

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Brandon Wilson

Michael (Mike) P. Hindelang Honigman

Robert M. Riley

Honigman

LITIGATION — COMMERCIAL

Kevin B. Hirsch

Brian H. Rolfe

Ethan R. Holtz

Mark Rossman

Eric A. Ladasz

Jonathan H. Schwartz

Timothy J. Lowe

Joseph J. Shannon

Sara K. MacWilliams

Frank R. Simon

James A. Martone

Matthew D. Smith

Stephen McKenney

Brian C. Summerfield

E. Powell Miller

Thomas Van Dusen

Sonal Hope Mithani

Ian M. Williamson

David A. Mollicone

Frances Belzer Wilson

Benjamin J. Aloia Aloia Law

Alexander A. Ayar

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Donald R. Bachand III Dawda

Dirk A. Beamer Wright Beamer

Gabriel Esteban Bedoya Honigman

John E. Benko

McDonald Hopkins

Michael Brady

Warner Norcross + Judd

Emily A. Cross Bodman

Rian C. Dawson Honigman

Doerr MacWilliams Howard

Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Altior Law

Taft Stettinius & Hollister Dawda

McDonald Hopkins

Doerr MacWilliams Howard Dickinson Wright Altior Law

Miller Law

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Altior Law

2027

Honigman Dawda

Warner Norcross + Judd Miller Law Rossman

Butzel Long

Dickinson Wright

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Honigman

Kemp Klein Law Firm Rossman

Honigman Bodman

Simon Attorneys & Counselors Altior Law

Schenk & Bruetsch Bodman

Mantese Honigman Dawda

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 65

2027 | TOP LAWYERS

William (Bill) J. Yochim Jr. Kotz Sangster Wysocki

LITIGATION — CONSTRUCTION R. Edward Boucher Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Michael (Mike) D. Carroll Kerr, Russell & Weber

Lawrence M. Dudek

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Douglas (Doug) W. Eyre Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Eric J. Flessland Butzel Long

Gregory P. LaVoy Harvey Kruse

Jeffrey (Jeff ) M. Sangster Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Brandon J. Wilson Honigman

LITIGATION — INSURANCE Jeffrey Bullard Jr. Secrest Wardle

Michael G. Costello Bodman

Sarah L. Cylkowski Bodman

Jordan M. Ewald Michigan Auto Law

Alexander P. Kemp Michigan Auto Law

Richard A. Moore Michigan Auto Law

Travis J. Peterson Bodman

Dayne J. Rogers Secrest Wardle

66 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

LITIGATION — INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Frank A. Angileri Brooks Kushman

John S. Artz

Dickinson Wright

Justin P. Bagdady Bodman

Scott Barnett Honigman

Marjory G. Basile

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Harness Dickey & Pierce

Maxwell Goss Goss Law Group

Kristopher K. Hulliberger Howard & Howard Attorneys

Patrick (Pat) M. McCarthy Howard & Howard Attorneys

A. Michael Palizzi

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Steven Susser Evia Law

Deborah (Bea) Swedlow Honigman

Sarah Waidelich Honigman

LITIGATION — LABOR EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS D. Kyle Bierlein

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

John C. Cashen Bodman

Ahmad Chehab

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

David R. Deromedi Dickinson Wright

Amanda McSween Empey Bodman

Katherine K. Gorman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Timothy H. Howlett Dickinson Wright

Megan P. Norris

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

TOP LAWYERS |

Jennifer L. Sabourin

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Brian Schwartz

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Robert C. Tice Littler Mendelson

Jerome R. Watson

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

LITIGATION — PATENTS Anita C. Marinelli

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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LITIGATION — REAL ESTATE Jackie J. Cook Honigman

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW D. Jennifer Andreou Plunkett Cooney

Albert J. Dib

Jefferson Law Center

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Sommers Schwartz

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Reiter & Walsh American Baby & Child Law Centers

Jenna Wright Greenman Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Ralph F. Valitutti

Kitch Attorneys & Counselors

Rebecca S. Walsh

Reiter & Walsh American Baby & Child Law Centers

Dina M. Zalewski Sommers Schwartz

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS LAW

Richard L. Groffsky

Andrew A. Ayar

Victoria S. Lehman

Allison R. Bach

Kara Tertzag Lividini

John M. Malone lll

Richard C. Bruder

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Tom McNeill

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Ruggirello, Burke, Reizen & Fox

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Reiter & Walsh American Baby & Child Law Centers

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Arthur L. Griem

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Lipton Law

Reiter & Walsh American Baby & Child Law Centers

Eric M. Jones

I.W. (Bill) Winsten

Jennifer Secorski

Lee Kellert

Honigman

Reiter & Walsh American Baby & Child Law Centers

2027

Honigman

Taft Stettinius & Hollister

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 67

2027 | TOP LAWYERS

Christopher J. Dine Bodman

Jennifer M. Oertel Bodman

PERSONAL INJURY Heather Joy Atnip Atnip & Associates

Dale R. Burmeister Harvey Kruse

Jeffrey A. Bussell Justin G. Klimko Butzel Long

Robert (Bob) C. Kotz Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Carrie Leahy Bodman

Evan J. Leibhan Honigman

Steven (Steve) J. Migliore Honigman

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Adomas N. Rauckis Bodman

Michael T. Raymond Dickinson Wright

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John (Jack) P. Ulrich Jr. Kotz Sangster Wysocki

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MUNICIPAL LAW Jeffrey M. Candela Aloia Law

Anthony K. Chubb

Giarmarco Mullins & Horton

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Garan Lucow Miller

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Debani T. Gordon-Lehman Bodman

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Rosati Schultz Joppich & Amtsbuechler

Steven P. Joppich

Rosati Schultz Joppich & Amtsbuechler

Steven D. Mann

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Daniela Peric

Wayne County Prosecutor's Office

James (Jim) E. Tamm Kerr, Russell & Weber

Amanda Van Dusen

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

NONPROFIT/CHARITIES LAW Celeste E. Arduino Bodman

Jennifer E. Black Bodman

68 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

Michigan Auto Law

A. Vince Colella Moss & Colella

Todd Flood Flood Law

Bob Giroux

Giroux Pappas Trial Attorneys

Lawrence E. Gursten Michigan Auto Law

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Michigan Auto Law

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Ven R. Johnson Ven Johnson Law

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Jason R. Mathers Harvey Kruse

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Brian J. McKeen

McKeen & Associates

Brian A. McKenna

PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE LAW

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Honigman

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Secrest Wardle

Edward G. Lennon

Dana Kreis Glencer

Lennon Law

Dawda

PRODUCT LIABILITY

Katharine B. Smith

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Varnum

PUBLIC FINANCE LAW

Daniel M. Halprin

Sinas Dramis Law Firm

Mike Morse

Mike Morse Law Firm

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Plunkett Cooney

REAL ESTATE LAW

Bob Tyler

Melvin J. Babi

Tyler Law Firm

Babi Legal Group

2027

Dawda

Ronald E. Hodess

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

David Jacob Honigman

Joseph M. Judge Dawda

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Aaron M. Keyes Aloia Law

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Jason C. Long

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Michael J. Lusardi Dickinson Wright

David D. Marsh

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Christopher R. Martella Dawda

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 69

2027 | TOP LAWYERS

Timothy G. Orlando

Devin Bone

Maryam Karnib Parshall

Robert J. Cambridge

Michael B. Peterman

Patrick J. Haddad

J. Adam Rothstein

John A. Hubbard

Mark D. Rubenfire

Mark L. Kowalsky

Lowell D. Salesin

Jeffrey (Jeff) H. Kuras

Alan J. Salle

Jeffrey L. LaBine

Steven D. Sallen

Jessica P. Lange

Nicholas P. Scavone Jr.

Gary M. Saretsky

Todd A. Schafer Dawda

TAX LAW

C. Kim Shierk

Bodman

Aloia Law

POPULATION OF LAWYERS BY GENERATION

Honigman Bodman

Honigman

Taft Stettinius & Hollister

T. Pre 1944 B. 1944-1960 X. 1961-1980 M. 1981-1996 Z. 1997+

981 9,496 13,501 9,494 693

Honigman Honigman

Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller

Source: Michigan Bar Association

TOP

Bodman

TOP 5 LAW SCHOOLS ATTENDED BY MICHIGAN LAWYERS*

Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett

Andrew Z. Spilkin Bodman

Erin Bowen Welch Dawda

Grant W. Williams

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Gregory (Greg) J. Wolenberg Kotz Sangster Wysocki

Katheryne L. Zelenock Dickinson Wright 1.

1. Wayne State University Law School 6,663 2. Western Michigan University Cooley Law School 6,146 3. Michigan State University College of Law 5,895 4. University of Detroit Mercy School of Law 4,682 5. University of Michigan Law School 2,360 * Other law schools 8,016 Source: Michigan Bar Association

70 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

SECURITIES LAW

BoneLex

Warner Norcross + Judd Kerr, Russell & Weber

Hubbard Snitchler & Parzianello Taft Stettinius & Hollister Honigman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Bodman

Saretsky Hart Michaels + Gould

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Matthew P. Allen

Scott D. Foess

Michael (Mike) S. Ben

Gary R. Glenn

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Honigman

Honigman

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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2027

Michael Hauser

William E. Haines II

Rachel Tucker

Michael (Mike) A. Indenbaum

Michael J. Jameson

Michael J. Vomastek

Emily J. Kwolek

Brian R. Jenney

Linda A. Wasserman

Stewart L. Mandell

Robert B. Labe

Robert S. Zawideh

Amanda Afton Martin

David P. Larsen

Jeffrey M. McHugh

Elizabeth L. Luckenbach

WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW

Honigman Honigman Bodman

Honigman

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

Jeffrey D. Moss Dawda

Eric M. Nemeth Varnum

Gregory A. Nowak

Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone

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Dickinson Wright

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Joelson Rosenberg Head Murphy Law Honigman

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Joel Alpert

Alpert & Alpert

Todd Barry

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Alex Berman

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

John P. Charters Charters Law

Neal Nusholtz

Chiara F. Mattieson

Daimeon Montrez Cotton

Jeffrey (Jeff) S. Sternberg

Alan A. May

William E. Gray

TRUSTS & ESTATES

Michael E. Morden

Andrea L. Hamm

Charles Nida

Danial J. Hebert

Austin W. Probst

Richard Hogg

Kemp Klein Law Firm

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Christopher Rambus

Jeffrey E. Kaufman

Bodman

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers

Katie L. Ringler

Jeffrey S. Kirschner

Dawda

Jeffrey Kirschner Law

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Great Lakes Family Probate & Estates

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Giarmarco Mullins & Horton

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Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone Dawda

Grace K. Trueman Honigman

Cotton Law Center

Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers Michigan Workers Comp Lawyers Charfoos Reiter Hebert

Giarmarco Mullins & Horton Garan Lucow Miller

Richard Warsh Alpert & Alpert

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 71

Cover Story

Post-Production Emagine Entertainment founder Paul Glantz used guts and outside-the-box thinking to build a Midwest chain of luxury movie theaters. BY DAN CALABRESE |

NICK HAGEN

72 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

Cover Story

DBRIEF EMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT INC.

aul Glantz hedges a little when he’s referred to as an entrepreneur. His track record makes the label hard to argue with, but he still offers a caveat. For most of the 29 years he owned and operated Emagine Entertainment Inc. in Troy, Glantz had a full-time day job while operating his “hobby.” When Glantz sold Emagine in 2025 to Belgian cinema operator Kinepolis Group for $111.5 million, that sideline hustle proved to be a profitable enterprise. But Glantz, 70, will be the first to tell you it took a lot of guts and some outside-the-box thinking to make Emagine such a winning endeavor — and to establish a legacy of entrepreneurial success. Glantz grew up in Redford Township, near Telegraph and West Chicago roads, and attended Thurston High School. It was a well-funded school due to taxes culled from the local Detroit Diesel plant, and Glantz was able to take bump-and-paint auto body courses after school. An only child (“I highly recommend that”), Glantz believes growing up in a home of modest means helped to build his strong risk tolerance. “My physical possessions were never something where I would kill myself if I didn’t have it,” he says, matter-of-factly. “I can only watch one television at a time, sit on one couch at a time. So that played into my ability to accept risk. I was happy without material possessions.” He admits he didn’t know what he wanted to do when he grew up, and enrolled at Wayne State University in Detroit. He quickly took to finance and earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration, followed by a Master of Science in taxation at Walsh College in Troy. Following graduation from Wayne State in 1980, Glantz was hired as a commercial loan analyst at Comerica Bank in Detroit. Soon after, he took the Uniform CPA Examination and passed it at the first sitting. Facing the requirement to work in private practice or the IRS, the tax practitioner knew he had learned enough at Comerica Bank about reading financial statements and understanding business plans and loan applications. In short order, Glantz joined Ernst & Young, where he attained his CPA designation. He later became president of Proctor Financial Inc. in Troy, where he led the sale of the company to insurance intermediary Brown & Brown.

PROFILE: A movie theater business that grew to 14 multiplex cinemas, 177 screens, and 18,000 seats. Known for pioneering leather power-recliners, heated seats, reservations, and more, it was sold to Belgium-based Kinepolis Group in November 2025 for $111.5 million. FOUNDER AND BRAND OFFICER: Paul Glantz LOCAL HEADQUARTERS: Troy EMPLOYEES: 750 FOUNDED: 1997 (Glantz opened his first theater in 1989)

AND ACTION ... Paul Glantz, founder and brand officer at Emagine Entertainment Inc. in Troy, long desired to have a business of his own. In 1989, with nine years of accounting experience, he acquired the Clarkston Cinema, located along Dixie Highway, just south of the Village of Clarkston.

Even after getting into the theater business in 1989 and launching Emagine Entertainment in 1997, Glantz continued full time in his financial position until he was pushed out of Brown & Brown in 2018. Nearly 20 years earlier, in 1989, Glantz acquired the 265-seat Clarkston Cinema for $125,000 — $75,000 of which he borrowed from a bank; the rest he put on credit cards. Glantz was already doing well in his career as a financial professional, and he had no particular passion for movies at the time, but he wanted a business of his own. “I bought the Clarkston Cinema because we could buy it right,” Glantz says. “I found this classified ad in The Detroit News for a one-screen movie theater. We had looked at family restaurants, dry cleaners, and bars. We would go talk to the owners, but we couldn’t pay for phantom cash flow.” That was something Glantz understood well from his career in finance. When he dug into the financial statements of the Clarkston Cinema, he says it took some forensic accounting to figure out what was going on. “An accountant was pretty well-suited to that task,” Glantz says. “We could buy the business at a really good value, two times pre-tax cash flow, and it wasn’t a distress sale — although they hated their landlord. I came to hate the landlord, too.” He came to love being a business owner and learned the theater business well enough that by 1996, Glantz was ready to take the next step in the industry — building a six-screen facility in Birch Run. Accounting industry colleagues Dale Hohl and Jim Haan — the latter had served as a mentor for Glantz — were among the first major investors in the $450,000 project. “Without Jim and Dale, we would have been able to do nothing,” Glantz says. “They really took a flyer. And our lead outside manager, Brian Brizard, was instrumental in helping me with capital formation efforts. A lot of Brian’s contacts invested their hard-earned capital and entrusted it to us.” Not every entrepreneur can successfully convince even close associates to invest in their ventures. Glantz says he gave himself an advantage in the process by doing his homework in the industry, so he could assure investors he knew what to do with their capital. “Instead of just operating it as a hobby business, we actually became students of the industry,” Glantz says. “We would go to industry conventions, including one that was called ShowWest in Las Vegas and is now called CinemaCon. We would go and seek people out who were successful in the industry and listen to them. “By the mid-’90s, when Jim and Dale invested their capital with us, we had a reasonably good knowledge of the industry — notwithstanding the fact that we were minnows.” NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 73

Cover Story

It was a big moment for Emagine when Box Office Magazine ranked the company 284th on its Giants of Exhibition list — because it added to the satisfaction that came years later when Emagine made the top 10. But before that happened, Glantz recalls taking advantage of his master’s degree in taxation from Walsh College to realize one of the top achievements in his financial career. During his years at Proctor, the firm had a large government contract in which his knowledge of the Intergovernmental Tax Immunity Doctrine ended up saving everyone involved a substantial amount of money. It was something he learned at Walsh — and it’s a story he has shared many times with Walsh College President Suzy Siegle, as well as many of the students there. “Paul has spoken to many of our students, particularly our doctoral students,” Siegle says. “They love him and he has come to a couple residencies in a row. I think it’s great, and he’s always meeting with students who enjoy learning that he’s a Walsh alum.” In fact, Siegle has made sure that Glantz maintains a literal presence on campus by offering him office space on the college’s main campus and conferring on Glantz the title of Entrepreneur in Residence. “We want to make sure he stays connected to his alma mater, (particularly) with students who really want to know about business and life, and how to run a company,” Siegle says. Those doctoral students can now relate to Glantz in a different way, since the college awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2024 — along with an invitation to be that year’s commencement speaker. In addition to being available to students, Glantz sponsors a table every year for Walsh 74 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

TICKETS, PLEASE In addition to offering food, snacks, and beverages, the Emagine Royal Oak includes 10 movie screens, a four-lane bowling alley, heated power recliners, and a semi-private balcony called The Skybox.

College guests at the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants awards dinner, which has made it possible for several of Walsh’s accounting students to attend the event. “He has really helped the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders and accountants,” Siegle says. “He has added so much value to our students, and he is all about giving back.” The ending to that chapter of his story could have been a much less happy one. While Emagine’s growth was steady throughout its first 20 years, it appeared to have been stopped in its tracks by COVID-19. Just as the pandemic spelled the end for many restaurants and other public accommodation businesses, theaters across the country — their volume already threatened by streaming and other changes in entertainment habits — saw no way to come back from the situation and closed. Glantz didn’t entirely disagree with that forecast, but he took a different approach in responding to it. “That type of pressure led me to believe that, if the industry wasn’t coming back, why not go out with a bigger bang?” Glantz recalls. “So, we did something at that point that our banks absolutely hated. We acquired four new locations on Sept. 20, 2020, when we had one theater open in Lake Geneva, Wis., showing classic films because there were no new releases.” Such a bold move might strike an observer as evidence of strong confidence in the outcome. Glantz quickly corrects any such notion. “I wasn’t confident at all,” he says. “I had people telling me this industry is over. Everybody is watching streaming; why would anyone go out to the movies? The way I saw it, it was binary. Either the industry was coming back — and if that was the case, it was the best time to buy — or you were the walking dead. And if you’re the walking dead, what do you have to lose? I’d go bankrupt with more assets than liabilities.” Decisions like that represented more of Glantz’s risk-tolerance, but at this point the decision-making was not a one-man show. While Glantz owned the company and was closely involved in its operations, the executive team at Emagine for its final decade was a three-person crew. Dirk Kjolhede, an early investor in the venture, joined Emagine in 2016 as CFO. Anthony LaVerde, who knew Glantz from serving with him on several community boards, came on full time as CEO in 2017. Kjolhede, who continues as CFO in managing the remaining real estate left over from the acquisition, says he saw early on that Glantz was venturing into unusual territory for theaters — like gaining a liquor license for the Novi

Cover Story

(PAUL) HAD A DAY JOB, A FULL-TIME GIG, SO I WOULD GET EMAILS FROM HIM AT NIGHT WHEN HE WOULD WORK ON EMAGINE STUFF.”

JASON LOUDERMILK / COURTESY WALSH COLLEGE

— DIRK KJOLHEDE

operation and then later for the Canton Township operation, where Kjolhede initially invested. As he dug into the company’s finances, Kjolhede got a sense of the energy he would be dealing with in working for Glantz. “He was running an insurance company at the time,” Kjolhede says, “and he said, ‘You’re the CFO. The accounting’s kind of broken. Get it fixed.’ And he had a day job, a full-time gig, so I would get emails from him at night when he would work on Emagine stuff. “I would come in in the morning and there would be another five emails. He has a pretty strong motor.” LaVerde says the three-way decision-making dynamic sharpened all of the participants and led to the best decisions for the company. “The reason Emagine operated at such a high level, and ultimately was monetized, was that Paul, Dirk, and myself had to agree on every decision, and we looked at everything from such a different lens,” LaVerde says. “It really gave us a confident stroke when the three of us agreed on something.” As LaVerde explains the dynamic, Glantz was the master of the financial elements of getting things done, while Kjolhede understood the levers of how to make things an economic success. LaVerde, meanwhile, had extensive experience on the operational side. To be sure, not every idea that Glantz got behind made it through the committee. Kjolhede recalls a proposal to add an event auditorium to the Emagine theater in Saline, and his own reservations that ultimately scuttled the idea.

SCHOOL TIES Clockwise from top left: Glantz receives an honorary degree from Walsh College President Suzy Siegle in 2024. In addition to teaching, Glantz serves as brand officer at Emagine Entertainment.

“I get more headaches from that one because it’s the science of the number you have to nail down in assuming how many more guests you think that will draw,” Kjolhede says. “(Glantz) was generally more aggressive with respect to expansion, and we looked at that three or four times and took hard runs at it. But we never did add that expansion in Saline.” Kjolhede also shared strong reservations about a proposed acquisition in Illinois of a theater that had gone bankrupt during COVID-19, because he knew too much about the neighborhood. “It was a decent opportunity if you could buy the shell,” Kjolhede says, “but I found the location wildly undesirable. I knew Paul and Anthony were open to it, and I told them that if we did the deal I’d do everything the CFO is supposed to do for it, but (I was) never going to go there because I (wouldn’t) feel safe.” They passed. And there were no complaints, because all three of Emagine’s top leaders understood that the committee meetings consistently led to good decisions that strengthened the organization. “All of us adding our input to this mosaic structure was something special that I hadn’t seen up to that point,” LaVerde says. According to LaVerde, that decision was typical of the mindset that often drove high-level decisions between Glantz, Kjolhede, and himself. “The three of us weren’t afraid of taking shots,” LaVerde says. “I remember the dark days of COVID-19 with Paul, Dirk, and myself sitting there explaining to the bank why it made sense to grow as much as we could during the pandemic, when the world was shut down and we had zero revenue coming in. “But we were receiving funds from our investors, and I don’t think anyone really said no to us. It’s a testament to Paul’s desire to always communicate with investors and banks, and to be open and transparent. Ultimately, we were rewarded for years of doing that.” Emagine didn’t only take the risk of acquiring new theaters during COVID19; it also took the step of paying the health insurance for all the furloughed employees they would want to bring back upon reopening. Glantz says he NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 75

STUDIO TIME

RISE OF THE RESISTANCE “Avengers Doomsday” and “Dune: Part Three” join other sequels from “The Hunger Games,” “Avatar,” and “Zootopia” this holiday season. Looking to transcend the blockbuster strategy, Glantz and others are supporting more independent filmmakers.

CAN MOVIE THEATERS CONTINUE TO THRIVE with the kinds of films they’re showing from Hollywood these days? Paul Glantz isn’t content to just wait around and find out, which is why he’s working within the industry to make sure independent theater operators have better content options. The conventional wisdom consigning the movie theater industry to doom is nothing new to Glantz. He recalls that the same predictions accompanied the rise of VHS tapes, and of DVDs, and even of television. While the film industry certainly faces its challenges today, none of these developments has yet spelled its doom, as many predicted, and Glantz — who last year sold Emagine Entertainment Inc. to Kinepolis Group for $111.5 million — confidently pinpoints the reason. “There’s something special about the experience of sitting with a group of strangers watching a film,” he asserts. Still, that brings forth one important detail that will always be true: No one will go to the movies if the product fails to excite the consumer. And in recent years, the industry has seen a narrowing of the types of content sent to theaters — with a heavy emphasis on superhero films, remakes, and continuations of existing franchises. “The five major studios would certainly fall into the category of corporatist,” Glantz says. “What do you do if you want to minimize risk? They’re gonna make superhero films. They don’t think outside the box, and they miss a large portion of the potential audience for that reason.” In fact, theaters can struggle on certain weekends when there isn’t a major release from the big studios, which robs the business of the draw they need to build frequency in their customer base. That can limit the options available for theater groups, so Glantz is forming alliances within the content-creation industry to flip the script. That includes Hardy Far Far, founded by former Funny or Die CEO Mike Farah (a Michigan native)

and his partner, Rob Ferreti. Glantz is supporting the efforts of Hardy Far Far to boost the number of comedies that are released in theaters — a number that has dropped precipitously in recent years. “Rob and Mike are trying to fill the void, and I’ve been one of their biggest supporters,” Glantz says. “I’m investing capital with them. I think this void will be filled, because nature abhors a vacuum.” Glantz also got Emagine involved in the Independent Cinema Alliance, which seeks to curate films and works with directors and producers to get their films distributed. In addition, he cited the impact of Angel Studios, which emphasizes the development of faith-based and family-friendly films, such as the recent film “The Brink of War,” which tells the story of the 1985 Reykjavik summit and stars Jeff Daniels as President Ronald Reagan. “It’s important that our industry not sit back and say, ‘Oh, Disney didn’t give me a film this week, woe is me,’” Glantz says. “Self-help is here. What do you say we try to control our own destiny? The major studios have their business interests, and it doesn’t necessarily align with that of theater owners. So, you’re not going to be able to tell Universal or Disney or David Ellison what to do. But what do you say we try to support independent filmmakers and carry them forward?” If the vision is realized, the result may be that independent filmmakers who never would have gotten a look from the big studios could get access to financing for their films because they already know there’s a distribution method for the films to get released. And the theaters will have access to new material, even when Skydance (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Sony Pictures, and Walt Disney Studios don’t come through for them. “You can’t be a passive theater operator anymore,” Glantz says. “We’ve got to give filmgoers more opportunities to see up-and-coming directors and actors.” — Dan Calabrese

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didn’t want employees having to choose during that period between buying groceries and paying their COBRA premiums. So, Emagine stepped up to pay 100 percent of those premiums — a bet that paid off later when the federal government decided to apply the Employee Retention Tax Credit to the COBRA expense, so Emagine would be reimbursed every penny. Still, Emagine didn’t know that would happen when deciding to pay the premiums, which required Glantz to make one of the most difficult decisions of his career. “I apparently have a large ability to accept risk, because I’ve taken risks in my career that most people can’t stomach,” Glantz says. “Probably one of the most hair-raising examples was personally guaranteeing $55 million worth of debt when COVID-19 hit.” The personal guarantee he offered lenders turned out to be the only terms they would accept. Glantz was convinced supporting his people was critical to maintaining Emagine’s viability, and that extended beyond the company. In line with how LaVerde, now chief strategy officer at Voltava in Auburn Hills, first came to know Glantz, he says Emagine’s willingness to support community organizations remains one of his favorite elements of his experience there. “I don’t think there’s a charity we said no to, whether it was free movie tickets or hosting the teen prom every year; it was endless,” LaVerde says. “That’s the way Paul and (his wife) Mary view the world, and I know they’re extremely generous and charitable to the causes they believe in. That flowed throughout the whole organization.” Reflecting on his divestiture of Emagine, Glantz says he didn’t sell because he no longer likes the industry or didn’t want to stay involved with it. In fact, he negotiated a role for himself in promoting the company as its lead brand ambassador. After all those years of receiving investment support from hundreds of people, he didn’t want the prospect of his own decline to jeopardize the fate of those investors. “If I had died with my boots on, I would have done a terrible disservice to my investors,” Glantz says. “I had more than 100 investors — mostly friends and family — so there had been a lot of capital formation efforts in my career. “The last thing I wanted was for my legacy to be, ‘He did a great job of shepherding our capital while he was alive, but then he died or became disabled and he left us in a lurch.’ I thought that would be the wrong way to end my career.” The impetus to sell, Glantz emphasizes, didn’t come as a result of pressure from investors, although everyone involved realized that no one in the process was getting younger.

COURTESY DISNEY, WARNER BROS.

Cover Story

It was in 2019 that Glantz first engaged the New York-based investment banking firm EFA Partners, with its CEO Ralph Willis, to seek out a buyer. The opportunity was well received by the market at the time, and Glantz says a deal was three weeks away from closing when COVID-19 turned the entire world upside-down. That was when Glantz and his committee members agreed to change course and get more aggressive about investing in Emagine’s growth, team, and overall capacity. Unfortunately, the deal that almost happened in 2019 couldn’t be revived. “The original suitor did not have the means at this point to re-up and buy us, so we only did a very small outreach — because, candidly, there aren’t a lot of buyers in our industry,” Glantz says. But during the initial phase of sale exploration, one of the potential buyers that came close to making the cut was Kinepolis, which also owns and operates Bloomfield Hillsbased MJR Theaters. In 2025, when Glantz was ready to make another run at selling, he recalled the positive impression Kinepolis had made on him and reached out to its CEO, Eddy Duquenne. “He’s probably glad he didn’t buy it in 2019, because COVID-19 came along and it was a little bleak for a while,” Glantz says. But 2025 was an entirely different story, as Emagine’s aggressive investment strategy had paid off. At the time of the sale, Emagine was running 14 multiplex cinemas in four states, with 177 total screens and 18,000 seats serving an estimated 6 million visitors each year. Even as he continues to put a strong focus on his family — including his wife, Mary, sons Jack and Jim, and grandchildren Jim, Peter, and Lucy — Glantz isn’t done building his legacy. While the sale of Emagine takes care of his investors, and his work with students at Walsh College is setting the stage for future professionals, Glantz exudes real satisfaction even as he keeps working toward what’s next.

LEADING MAN Glantz displays a collection of artwork and awards at his office at Walsh College. It includes a Jerry Berta Star Theater Neon Sculpture — the marquee features “It’s A Wonderful Life, Starring James Stewart” — as well as a caricature by James Honeycutt.

“Looking at the blessings I’ve been bestowed with, the opportunity to participate in the world of commerce and to have so many wonderful teammates and to have made lifelong friends and earn a good living, I’d like to recognize those blessings more than any grievance,” Glantz says. He admits he wonders at times what might have happened if he had given up that day job years earlier, but he quickly lets the thought pass. “That didn’t happen, and it’s not going to happen now,” he says. “But I still wouldn’t change it.”

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DALIA RASHA KEJBOU AND DAUGHTER ALEXANDRA MARIE KASMIKHA — LAW OFFICES OF DALIA RASHA KEJBOU, P.C. 74 W. LONG LAKE ROAD, SUITE 203, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48304 | 248-646-1711 | KEJBOULAW.COM For more than 25 years, immigration law has been more than Dalia Kejbou’s profession; it has been an opportunity to guide people through the most important and uncertain moments of their lives. Now, Dalia is incredibly proud to have her daughter Alexandra join the practice. As a motherdaughter team, they are committed to serving individuals and families navigating an increasingly complex immigration

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14 FIRST ST., MOUNT CLEMENS, MI 48043 | 586-465-4900 | CHIOINIGROUP.COM A divorce involving a business demands more than an understanding of family law. Ownership interests, real estate holdings, and other complex assets can greatly affect the outcome in a client’s case. At Chioini Group, PLLC, attorney Randall J. Chioini brings nearly 20 years of experience representing families and business owners using his unique background in finance, real estate, and civil litigation.

Rooted in Mount Clemens, Michigan, the firm represents clients throughout the state in business and complex divorce matters involving custody and parenting time issues, property division, and business valuations. The firm maintains an array of representative business clients across a variety of industries, providing it with firsthand working knowledge to achieve the best possible outcomes in its cases.

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ANTONE, CASAGRANDE & ADWERS, P.C. 30150 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 410, BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 | 248-406-4100 | ANTONE.COM For more than three decades, Antone, Casagrande & Adwers, P.C., has helped businesses and families navigate U.S. immigration law. Since 1993, the firm has advised multinational corporations on immigration decisions that affect their ability to recruit, transfer, and retain talent. General counsel, HR leaders, and law firms without immigration departments turn to its attorneys for guidance on employment visas, corporate transfers, and green cards. The team develops strategies around each client’s workforce needs, helping

employers plan ahead and respond to changing circumstances. The firm’s work is equally personal. Its attorneys assist individuals and families with petitions for loved ones, marriage and fiancé(e) visas, permanent residency, and citizenship, understanding that every case represents a future together. With thousands of employment visas, green cards, and family petitions under its belt, Antone, Casagrande & Adwers brings experience to each matter. The firm has held a Martindale-Hubbell AV rating for more than 10 consecutive years. 83

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6632 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 245, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48301 | 248-410-3839 | FORTARISCAPITAL.COM Kevin M. Cronin is founder and CEO of Fortaris Capital Advisors, a corporate intelligence and investigations firm serving law firms, private equity firms, family offices, corporations, and international clients nationwide. A former special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, Cronin brings more than 30 years of experience in federal investigations, corporate security, crisis management, and risk management. He has also served as vice president of global crisis management 84

and security for a major e-commerce company. Today, Cronin leads a national team of former federal investigators, security executives, forensic accountants, and fraud examiners specializing in corporate and white-collar investigations, due diligence, asset tracing, litigation support, and security advisory. Fortaris delivers independent, discreet, and defensible intelligence when the cost of being wrong is highest. Cronin holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University.

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JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE BRIAN J. MCKEEN — MCKEEN & ASSOCIATES, PC

2000 TOWN CENTER, SUITE 1200, SOUTHFIELD, MI 48075 | 313-961-4400 | MCKEENASSOCIATES.COM Brian J. McKeen is one of the nation’s leading medical malpractice and birth injury attorneys, recognized for a distinguished career spanning more than four decades. A relentless advocate for individuals and families affected by medical negligence, he has secured and supervised many of Michigan’s most significant verdicts and settlements, including a $120 million jury verdict in 2024 on behalf of a child who suffered permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy following a delayed C-section. He also led the team that

achieved a landmark $130 million verdict, earning McKeen & Associates The National Trial Lawyers’ Trial Team of the Year Award. A respected national leader in medical negligence litigation, Brian has served in leadership roles with the American Association for Justice and is a member of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only organization limited to 100 of the nation’s most accomplished plaintiff trial lawyers. 85

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321 ½ S. MAIN ST., SUITE 201, ROCHESTER, MI 48307 | 248-833-8333 | BONELEX.COM Specializing in securities, commercial litigation, and business transactions, BoneLex is reshaping how a law firm engages with its clients. At its founding, BoneLex scrapped the traditional hourly billing model for client-friendly subscription and projectbased fee agreements. The business-forward approach to client engagement has been mutually beneficial. Clients’ litigation and transaction costs have decreased substantially while the firm’s professionals are able to focus on what matters: providing sharp, creative legal representation. 86

Embracing modernity made sense to founder Devin Bone. “According to the Michigan Bar, the average business attorney’s hourly rate has increased by 50% over the past six years,” he says. “Inflated hourly rates are turning businesses away from legal counsel. We want to change that dynamic.” BoneLex was built from the ground up to provide efficient, cutting-edge legal representation. Modern businesses deserve modern business counsel, and BoneLex is proud to lead the push for innovation.

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BOB GIROUX, EVAN PAPPAS, MELANIE DUDA, AND SAGE CAPERTON — GIROUX PAPPAS LAW 31700 MIDDLEBELT ROAD, SUITE 125, FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334 | 248-531-8665 | GREATMIATTORNEYS.COM With more than 30 years of litigation experience, Bob Giroux has built his career representing individuals and families facing complex medical malpractice and personal injury cases. Now, DBusiness has named the founder and managing partner of Giroux Pappas to its 2027 Top Lawyers list, adding to a distinguished record of professional recognition. Medical malpractice cases are among the most complex in law. They require a deep understanding of medicine, careful analysis of evidence, and the experience to prepare a case for 88

trial from the beginning. Giroux brings together experienced attorneys and legal professionals to collaborate on medical, legal, and strategic details. The team pictured above recently secured a $4.4 million verdict in a wrongful death medical malpractice case. Giroux’s leadership philosophy centers on preparation, integrity, direct attorney involvement, and personal attention to clients. That approach extends across Giroux Pappas, where dedicated teams represent clients in a broad range of personal injury matters.

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stand up to powerful opponents. Flood invests in the city where he practices. His purchase of the historic Detroit Trust Company building at 201 W. Fort St. creates an opportunity to restore a long-vacant landmark and expand the firm’s downtown presence. For Flood, growth means strengthening the advocacy his clients receive while helping bring a piece of Detroit’s architectural history back to life. Both reflect his commitment to lasting results.

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VENAR AYAR — AYAR LAW 30095 NORTHWESTERN HWY. SUITE 102, FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334 | 248-262-3400 | AYARLAW.COM Metro Detroit native Venar Ayar practiced law in southern California before returning home in 2012 to establish Ayar Law. As founder and principal, he built the firm to provide clear guidance to taxpayers facing financial uncertainty. More than a decade later, Ayar Law continues to help individuals and businesses navigate complex IRS and Michigan tax matters, including audits, back taxes, liens, levies, foreign account compliance, and criminal tax allegations. Ayar brings an entrepreneur’s perspective to his practice, 92

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EXEC LIFE

11-12.26

COURTESY THE MILL

BOUTIQUE AND CHIC Now a luxury hotel by Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, the base structure of The Mill at Zehnder Park was built in 1848 as part of the local milling industry. It’s located along the Cass River.

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Return on Investment

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Exec Life

CEO Gift Guide BY R.J. KING

The Mill at Zehnder Park Looking for a memorable getaway? In June, Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth opened The Mill at Zehnder Park, a luxury boutique hotel and hospitality destination that transforms one of Frankenmuth’s most historic properties into a one-of-a-kind guest experience along the Cass River. Originally established in 1848 as part of the area’s early milling operations, the property has been restored and reimagined while incorporating modern amenities and contemporary design. The boutique hotel features four individually designed luxury suites, each offering spacious living areas, fireplaces, and exposed beams. Price: Nightly rates range from $550 to $2,500 per unit

A Swiss Bunker for Your Gold and Ferraris There are safe rooms to protect people and luxury goods, but for even more protection, consider storing valuable objects and products in a network of underground vaults being carved into the Swiss Alps. The natural storage site is heavily fortified and offers a safe place to stash everything from jewels to luxury vehicles, artwork, wine, and gold. The unique space is the work of Swiss businessman Thomas Gasser, chairman of the board of Brünig Mega Safe, who is carving out the storage areas beneath the Brünig Pass near the village of Lungern. Price: Sold on a 99-year lease for around $1.2 million.

VERTU Luxury Mobile Phone Make a statement with VERTU luxury phones, which include the AI-powered Agent Q, the foldable AlphaFold and Quantum Flip, and the iconic Signature collection. The choices include an AlphaFold Stitched Calfskin unit offered in three colors, with a starting price of $6,880. Overall, there are 120 different options including an Agent Q Himalaya Alligator gold and full diamond unit that retails for $109,680. At that price, the “Track my phone” application is a must. Other VERTU accessories include the Lumina AI Bracelet for $599, the Cor Chain Bracelet for $550, and a V Reserve Energy Card for $499. Price: Starts at $3,500

PoppinPod 2 For private conversations, the PoppinPod 2 offers a ready-made meeting room that’s ideal for a home or work setting. With booth seating, a built-in work surface, and a monitor mount, it’s designed to help two people collaborate comfortably. Conversations stay confidential thanks to an anti-eavesdrop design, which includes thick acoustic foam walls, while the smart lighting and ventilation adjust automatically. Ideal for one-on-ones, mentoring sessions, handing out bonuses, or quiet time with a teammate. What’s more, no contractors are required. Price: Starts at $16,999

96 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

Exec Life

Chip Getting around a neighborhood, a residential golf community, or a large ranch is made easier with Chip, a stylish, street-legal electric “life utility vehicle.” With seating for four to six people, it’s built for the everyday short haul — errands, the coffee shop, the theater, or a trip to the beach. Chip offers 100 miles of range and uses a standard NACS charging port. Plus, a Chip Go teleoperation service can summon the vehicle to you with no one behind the wheel. Available in various styles and colors, Chip can be utilized to haul anything from plywood to strollers, groceries, golf bags, and surfboards. Price: Starts at $15,000

Curated by Cadillac ESCALADE IQ Curated by Cadillac ESCALADE IQ is extending the brand’s concierge-led experience to its all-electric flagship SUV, delivering an elevated and distinctly Cadillac experience. “Curated by Cadillac ESCALADE IQ gives clients the chance to create a vehicle that reflects their individual taste by working alongside expert Cadillac designers,” says Kristian Aquilina, vice president, Global Cadillac. Every Curated by Cadillac ESCALADE IQ will be hand-built at the Artisan Center in Warren for model year 2027. The vehicle will be sold in the U.S. and Canada, and deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2027. Price: Starts at $130,300; the package price is $54,995

NCAA Final Four Fantasy Weekend Can the University of Michigan repeat as winners of the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball National Championship? To see the Final Four up close and personal, a pair of floor-level, half-court seats for all three NCAA Final Four basketball games to be held at Ford Field from April 3-5, 2027, go for $38,644. For overnight lodgers, three nights in one of the 1,850-square-foot Vice Chairman Suites at the new JW Marriott Detroit Water Square hotel next to Huntington Place will run $5,250, while a curated dinner for two with a riverfront view at the new Joe Muer Seafood + Chops restaurant at the JW Marriott Detroit Water Square is an estimated $600. Price: $44,494 (total)

M1 Motorsports Club The new Motorsports Club at M1 Concourse in Pontiac gives members nearly unlimited access to the M1 Circuit, with the freedom to drive their own sports, exotic, vintage, or race cars in a safe, professionally managed environment. It includes the new M1 Karting facility, which features new electric karts and a dedicated track where members can sharpen their racing skills, compete with fellow enthusiasts, and enjoy an additional layer of motorsports excitement. The new venue includes the Apex Grille, Apex V2R Racing Simulators, Slot Car Tracks, and the Apex Skydeck. Price: Adult membership is $11,500 per person

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Exec Life

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Reverse Motion

David Prybil, who has spent his career in Hollywood, is producing a film in the place he calls home: Ann Arbor. BY TOM MURRAY

98 DBUSINESS || NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026

ROLL THE CREDITS Producer David Prybil has worked on such films as “Crash & Burn,” “Saved!,” and “Out of Exile.” Prybil, who attended Huron High School and the University of Michigan, both in Ann Arbor, is working on a second novel and scouting locations in the city for a new film.

“For me, that was literature, philosophy, and history — a nice grab bag of stuff.” In other words, BGS was the perfect major for a student who wasn’t quite certain of what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Following graduation, Prybil made his next move. “I went to New York City and tended bar at a very, you know, kind of ‘the moment’ nightclub, called Au Bar.” The establishment was the latest creation of Howard Stein, who initially stamped his name on New York’s disco and nightclub scene in the 1970s with Xenon, an early competitor of Studio 54. “I was very lucky to stumble into that bartending gig,” Prybil says. “I had put in a couple of months at Howard’s restaurant, Prima Donna, before he opened the club and moved me over. I had some incredible experiences there. “Howard and I used to do the crosswords every day, and I recall tending bar for John Casablancas at a party for his model agency the night the actress Kathleen Turner was kind of wired up and out on the dance floor, and another night when I was introduced to Princess Stephanie of Monaco. But my favorite memory was (artist and photographer) Peter Beard, so effortlessly cool and just sitting at my bar.” But the Au Bar diversion soon ran its course. “I was only in Manhattan for nine months, but they were a very lively months,” Prybil says. From there, he veered into the lane of higher education, enrolling at Indiana University. But his most valuable and impactful experience during

this time in his life had very little to do with pursuing dual law and business degrees. He got a side gig as a production assistant on the movie, “A League of Their Own,” filming just down the road from Indiana University. “Most of the shoot was based in Evansville, which is where my parents lived for that brief window of time,” Prybil says. “It was all shot in the Midwest, and they built a stadium and cast thousands of extras — a lot of them girls for the teams. “I set the tee times for the producers on Sundays, and because I was a local, I did some location scouting. I even found antique stores for the director, Penny Marshall, to go to between setups. So, I made the most of that, for sure.” As he checked every box required to be a dependable and indispensable PA, Prybil became enthralled with all aspects of filmmaking — large-scale productions, the construction of huge sets and stages, the circus-like atmosphere involving thousands of period-dressed extras, and storytelling. “I got a fair amount of encouragement from a number of the producers on the movie, saying I could definitely make a career of it. I picked their brains, and they said development was the best path for me,” Prybil says. A move to Los Angeles seemed the inevitable next step for Prybil, who stayed in a friend’s apartment. Soon, he began getting traction as a script reader, initially working for free, before landing jobs with producers like Dawn Steele and Jerry Bruckheimer. That led to his first big break,

COURTESY DAVID PRYBIL

riter, producer, and filmmaker David Prybil will never forget his first day in Ann Arbor. “It was January, in the middle of a snowstorm, and we flew in to tour available houses,” he says, grinning at the memory. “But when we got to our rental car, it was totally iced in, and we didn’t have a chipper. It was freezing, you know, like a cold I had never experienced before.” Prybil was 15 years old at the time, and his family was moving to Ann Arbor from Richmond, Va. His father had accepted a new job as a local hospital administrator. Soon enough, Prybil thawed out and settled in at Huron High School, where he became president of the student council and captain of the golf team. “I have to tell you, achievement-wise, Huron just totally outstripped the prep school I’d been at before,” Prybil says, “especially the film class, where we made our own movies. It was a lot of fun. I mean, we were essentially editing these old film strips with scissors.” Long before he arrived in Ann Arbor, Prybil was a movie buff. “That was always the thing I did with my dad,” he says. “He was the major influence when he wanted to have some son time with me, and he took me with him to whatever he wanted to see, so I grew up with all the Steve McQueen movies, ‘The Godfather,’ and all the great cinema of the 1970s, which I probably was too young for, but it sunk in.” Prybil stayed in Ann Arbor and attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies — or BGS, in student parlance. “Yeah, I gotta tell you, I’ve not seen that nomenclature, the BGS, anywhere,” he says. “But it’s shocking how many of my friends ended up going that route. I think (it was) because there wasn’t a language requirement, and you were able to pick three emphases, where you did the bulk of your studying.

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COURTESY DAVID PRYBIL

FIELD OF DREAMS Above: Prybil and Director Trevor Zhou posed at the 50-yard line at the Big House while recently scouting the stadium for a movie called “Ann Arbor,” which begins filming in May 2027. Right: Prybil’s novel, “Golden State,” was published in 2010.

at Prelude Pictures, a production company based at Paramount. By the time he left three-plus years later, Prybil had risen from story analyst to director of development, and had worked on dozens of projects and produced several films. “And then I went off on my own,” he says. “I’d met a number of writers, and I helped develop scripts at a time when spec scripts were selling. So, I got in the trades a bunch as the guy who developed this or that script. “We got one little independent film made, came close with another we were trying to make for $5 million, and just couldn’t get it over the line. But I guess I got some ‘juice’ as an up-and-coming guy.” As Prybil began a decade-plus stretch working for himself while also becoming a partner in a production management firm, he met his wife, Robin, who at the time was working for Robert Evans. “We were both on the Paramount lot. Our offices faced each other across the courtyard,” Prybil recalls with a smile. Evans, the legendary producer of classic films like “The Godfather,” “Chinatown,” and “Love Story,” provided a list of credits Prybil could only dream about replicating. “Obviously, when I was starting off trying to produce on my own, I wasn’t getting access to big writers; it was younger writers,” Prybil reveals, adding there was an upside. “In developing the scripts, I found myself becoming more and more hands-on, not just giving notes but suggesting scenes and dialogue, and I started bringing concepts and pitches to writers.”

During this time, Prybil decided to write a novel, “Golden State,” inspired by the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, ultimately won by Arnold Schwarzenegger. As Prybil says, “That election was really anything goes. I mean, there were like 150 candidates — ex-child actors, a former porn star, some people who you thought would really rise to the top — and it just seemed like a great kind of starting point to explore the notion of the American Dream.” The book was well-reviewed, and spent nearly a year and a half on the Amazon Top 100 Rated Literary List. Today, Prybil is writing a second novel — “still chipping away, not satisfied with it,” he says. He also reconnected with his roots in Ann Arbor through the screenwriting program Jim Burnstein

supervised for 30 years as professor of entertainment at U-M’s Department of Film, Television and Media. “David contacted me, and because I worked in the business, I knew what he had done,” says Burnstein, who is retiring at the end of the year. “When he said he was coming to Ann Arbor, I asked him to sit in on my class and work with my students. “He’s judged some of our screenplay contests, and when students move out to L.A., he’s had a lot of them over to his house and helped point them in the right direction. So he’s been really valuable to our program.” Prybil says his commitment to Burnstein and his students became supercharged during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was trying to pay it forward,” he says. “Every couple of months, I’d send a Twitter (X) blast, saying I’d read two feature scripts and two pilots, so send me your stuff and I’ll pick two out of the hat, and give constructive feedback based on having done that job for 20 years. “And that’s how I met Trevor Zhou, who sent me his script called ‘Ann Arbor,’ which is very focused on his journey as an only child of Chinese immigrants growing up in Ann Arbor.” The 61-year-old Prybil and his wife, the parents of four grown children, live in the hills of Tarzana, Calif. In May 2027, Prybil will take the reigns as the producer of Zhou’s debut feature film. He’ll be spending a lot of time around old haunts in Ann Arbor, shooting the film on location around town and on the U-M campus, which Prybil’s old friend Burnstein assures him will be a dream memory. “We have a lot of alums who’ve gone on to various roles in Hollywood, and they’ve been very generous to our program,” Burnstein explains. “When they come back, they all do the same thing — walk around and go to the place where they met a girl, or had their first beer, or whatever. “I don’t care how successful they are, they look at this town like they’re 18 years old. It never loses that magic, like it’s the Vatican or something, and David has that on steroids.” Prybil offers a ready explanation for a devotion to his hometown that began soon after he first arrived on that inhospitably frigid day. “It felt very inclusive right away, especially coming from a city like Richmond, which was kind of the Mason-Dixon line,” he says. “There was a lot of stuff going on there that wasn’t inclusive. There are a lot of college towns where the townies feel excluded, and there’s a hostility. I’ve never felt that in Ann Arbor.” It “really made me and formed me, and it gave me a confidence and a range of interests and knowledge, and I have very fond memories and fulsome, lifelong friendships from both my high school and college years. “I always cherish my time back in Ann Arbor, which, despite my family’s many moves through the years, is always the place I will think of as home.”

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 99

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PATENTS AND INVENTIONS

Ground Control

Christoper Ruf, a space science engineer at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, developed a satellite system that monitors the Earth’s surface for weather events. BY NORM SINCLAIR

100 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

FINAL FRONTIER Christopher Ruf, professor of climate and space science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, inspects the electronics platform for the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System.

who spent 20 years working as a scientist for NASA before turning to academia. Ruf credits him with encouraging his interest in joining NASA after graduation, and for his interest in studying Earth’s environment remotely. “That’s how I really got plugged into the whole NASA world, but even back then I was building radars that could measure properties of clouds and rain and things like that,” Ruf says. “I think I used a lot of the knowledge that I gained from building band equipment. There are some differences between band equipment and a radar, but there’s a lot of similarities, too.” In the mid-2000s, Ruf and his U-M team revolutionized the study of Earth science by creating the first constellation of multiple miniature satellites that collect high-quality environmental data by picking up GPS microwave signals reflecting off the surface of the Earth. By deciphering distortions in the reflected signals, scientists are able to predict changing conditions on the planet. Because GPS signals aren’t affected by intense rainfall, the system allows observers to measure wind speed even in the eyewall of a hurricane. The unique approach of hacking into and reading existing GPS signals from the Earth’s surface is also inexpensive, as Ruf ’s satellites — about the size of carry-on luggage — use existing GPS satellites for transmission. This budget-friendly approach allows Ruf ’s team to link multiple satellites to form

constellations that accumulate GPS data from multiple directions. From there, scientists can sample conditions at the same spot on Earth at an estimated rate of 10 times more often than a single large satellite is capable of doing. CYGNSS is now an integral component of NASA’s climate portfolio, as well as a staple of the forecasting industry nationally and worldwide. When it was launched in 2016, Ruf ’s team estimated it would function for two years. But the forecast proved wrong. In December, NASA will finally retire the system after a decade of forecasting. It’s being replaced with a series of newer satellites. Initially, Ruf ’s goal was focused on capturing images of wind in the middle of a hurricane. Almost by accident, he and his team discovered another avenue of research. “Because we never turn these satellites off, they’re also making measurements when they’re over land as well as when they’re over the ocean,” he explains. The land-based GPS readings spawned numerous other useful applications and a lot of follow-on work — especially in agriculture, for irrigation, and for forecasting floods or landslides. By reading signals reflecting off hillsides and cliffs after heavy rainfall, scientists are able to determine the saturation level of soil and the likelihood of floods or landslides. Over dry areas, the system is critical in wildfire prevention. The innovations developed in Ruf ’s lab in Ann Arbor are being deployed in similar programs around the world. “These new missions that are popping up, a couple of them still are focused on hurricanes, but most of them are actually focused on the various applications over land,” he says.

JOSEPH XU, U-M ENGINEERING

efore he became one of America’s foremost space science engineers, Christoper Ruf, professor of climate and space science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, served an unlikely apprenticeship as a guitar player in rock-and-roll bands. In October, the one-time entertainer secured his profession’s most prestigious honor: election to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Class of 2026. Ruf, who also is director of the University of Michigan Space Institute, was recognized by NAE for leading his space science team in developing unique small satellite constellations that accurately monitor the Earth’s surface for weather events such as storms, droughts, wildfires, floods, and other extreme conditions. The innovation is the basis of the National Aeronatics and Space Administration’s Earth-monitoring Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System, often called CYGNSS. Ruf credits his early rock-and-roll period for stimulating his engineering prowess. His musical chops began taking shape in elementary school, when he was a member of a fan club consisting of schoolmates who were devoted to The Monkees, a late 1960s pop-rock group. “Every month we’d get a new Monkees song in the mail, we all had cheap guitars, and we’d get together and learn the new songs and sing them. That’s how I started playing guitar,” Ruf recalls. “I played in bad rock bands in high school, and then when I got to college, I kept at it, still playing guitar.” One of his bandmates in his college years was a physics professor. “He was very good with electronics, and he taught me a lot of practical (skills), like audio electronics for the band,” that included how to build amplifiers, mixers, synthesizers, and other equipment used to create and shape sound, Ruf says. “So I started making band equipment. And that’s how I sort of got into the engineering side of things.” Another major influence on Ruf was his adviser for his doctorate program, a professor

COURTESY NASA, MARCIN SZCZEPANSKI, U-M ENGINEERING

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“There’s a number of satellites that the European Space Agency have built, and there’s a number of them being built right now by the Spanish space agency (that are) scheduled to launch next year.” The Indian Space Agency is also using Ruf ’s satellite system, while China, the Taiwanese Space Agency, and the Brazilian Space Agency are building similar units that will be launched next year. “They’re the children of my mission; I have 40 or 50 grandchildren on orbit right now,” Ruf jokingly told a student publication discussing the proliferation of the satellite technology emerging from his lab on the university campus. On campus, the engineer displays a parental pride as he describes the roles of his former students in taking the technology abroad. “A lot of the leaders at these new missions are quite young. As grad students or post-docs, they worked on my mission, so I know most of these people,” Ruf says. “It’s really nice to see these students who were doing their Ph.D. here developing the techniques for our mission — how to use the data, or calibrate the data, or how to build these things — and now they’ve gone off to become the young leaders at these other space agencies. It’s really wonderful to see it take off like this.” Ironically, Ruf ’s success began with a chance encounter he had with a despondent colleague, Aaron Ridley, in a hallway of U-M’s Climate and Space Research Building in the 2000s. “Aaron had done a lot of work developing the concept of constellations of small satellites to do science from space for a completely different application, studying the ionosphere,” Ruf says. “That project was canceled before it really even got going. He had spent the better part of a year working on it, so he was very disappointed that all that work was kind of going down the drain.” Ridley asked if there was anything in Ruf ’s area of Earth science that could use the capability of coordinating a lot of small satellites for a single task. For Ruf, it became the key complement he needed for work he was doing on measuring wind velocity during hurricanes using GPS signals from navigation satellites. “This was like 2012 when I first got going on this, and that was the very beginning of the whole revolution in miniaturized satellites that’s now very well established, but at the time it wasn’t,” he says. Ruf ’s professional journey to Ann Arbor began in Boston, his hometown, where he attended elementary and high school. His interest in science didn’t come from his father, a philosophy professor who Ruf says was not technically inclined. Rather, Ruf recalls that during elementary school, he became interested in what was happening with NASA. “I was really fascinated by the space race, the Gemini project, and then the Apollo missions,” he says. “I had posters of astronauts on my walls in my bedroom, and I made little models of the different rockets, and knew all of them. I was really into it.” As a young student, he says he was attracted to math and science.

“So I just kind of assumed, from when I was a kid, that I would go into something technical as an adult. I always wanted to work for NASA, and that’s what I ended up doing,” he says. “A lot of people my age that I know in the business have the same kind of backstory. They, too, were inspired by what happened with the space race and going to the moon. It’s a really common kind of influence for a whole generation of geeks.” In 1982, he earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Reed College in Portland, Ore., before returning to his home state for a doctorate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1987. The following year he joined the technical staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles, where he worked as a member of the team developing experimental new weather satellites for the National Weather Service. Ruf left NASA in 1992 to join the Penn State University faculty as an associate professor. In 2000, he moved on to the University of Michigan, where today he serves as the Bartman Collegiate Professor of Climate and Space Science.

In addition, Ruf is a paid adviser to Muon Space, a space systems and satellite manufacturing company based in Mountain View, Calif. The company maintains technological and advisory agreements with U-M. FireSat, a Muon Space constellation that uses engineering developed by Ruf ’s team to monitor wildfires, was named one of Time magazine’s Best Inventions of 2015. The impact of Ruf ’s CYGNSS system on science and disaster monitoring also earned it a spot in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “Ours was sort of the first generation,” Ruf says of his decade of work on satellite constellations. “The second generation is already up there now, and there’s a lot of work going on to make the technology even fancier and do even more,” including deploying drones, Ruf says. “Working on that technology development is something that I’m really interested in. We have new versions of the stuff that was on my NASA satellites that we’re testing out that will likely make it to space as the next generation down the road.”

FORWARD VELOCITY Above: a rendering of the CYGNSS satellite flying over the eye of a hurricane. Right: A smartphone displays soil moisture data uploaded from a ground sensor.

November - December 2026 || DBUSINESS.COM 101

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OPINION

Tailored Support The future of cancer care is personalized, precise, and still human. BY DR. JULIAN JEBERAEEL

more clearly, define their extent, and understand how close they are to critical organs. In radiation oncology, millimeters can mean galaxies. A small shift may mean the difference between fully treating a tumor and unnecessarily exposing healthy tissue. Modern radiation, therefore, bears little resemblance to the old perception of “point, shoot, and pray.”

THE FUTURE OF ONCOLOGY WILL BRING MORE DATA, MORE SOPHISTICATED IMAGING, MORE PRECISE TREAMENTS, AND LIKELY, MORE AI.” imagine cancer treatment much as they did decades ago — broad, punishing, and one-sizefits-all. That image is increasingly outdated. As a radiation oncologist, I often meet patients who arrive expecting the treatment to be barbaric. But they’re often surprised to learn how much information now goes into a single cancer decision. We no longer simply say that someone “has cancer.” Think of the organ where a cancer begins as its address; it tells us where the disease lives, but not everything about what is inside. Two houses on the same street may look similar from the outside, yet they may have completely different blueprints, foundations, wiring, and structural weaknesses. Cancer is much the same. We define where it began, how far it has spread, what it looks like under a microscope, which genetic or molecular features it carries, and how those characteristics may influence its behavior and response to treatment. The location gives us the address, but the biological blueprint helps us determine the best way inside. That distinction matters because two patients with the same diagnosis may have very different diseases. One tumor may carry a mutation that makes it vulnerable to a targeted drug. Another may respond better to immunotherapy. A third may be best treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a carefully chosen combination. The goal is no longer to choose the standard treatment for an average patient. It is to choose the right treatment for the person sitting in front of us. Imaging has transformed that process. Modern CT, MRI, and PET scans allow us to see tumors

Treatment can now be shaped tightly around a tumor, delivered from multiple angles, and guided by imaging performed immediately before or during treatment. In some cases, highly focused radiation can be delivered in only a few sessions rather than over many weeks. In others, daily imaging shows changes in the tumor and surrounding anatomy. Some newer systems can even adapt the treatment plan while the patient is on the table. For patients, these advances aren’t merely technical. Fewer treatments may mean fewer missed workdays, less travel, lower caregiver burden, and a faster return to normal life. For a business owner or a manager, that can influence whether an employee remains engaged at work or must step away entirely. However, as our technology advances, so do our team members. Artificial intelligence is likely to become another important part of this evolution. While some may view AI as a replacement for physicians or nurses, I see it as an additional member of the team — one that can analyze images, detect patterns, organize information, and assist with repetitive technical tasks. In oncology, AI may help identify suspicious findings, support extensive treatment planning, or help clinicians manage increasingly complex data. However, AI should never be confused with judgment. It cannot understand the fear in a room when a patient hears the word cancer. It cannot fully appreciate that one patient is trying to attend a daughter’s wedding, another is caring

for a spouse, and another cannot afford to miss a month of work. Technology can support a decision, but it cannot decide what matters most to a person. That’s where personalization becomes more than a medical buzzword. For one patient, the priority may be a cure at all costs. For another, it may be preserving speech, maintaining independence, or minimizing time away from work. The best treatment is not always the most aggressive option. It’s the one that best balances the biology of the cancer, the evidence behind the treatment, and the patient’s goals. This matters beyond the hospital. Cancer affects workplaces, household finances, caregiving responsibilities, and entire families. The future of oncology will bring more data, more sophisticated imaging, more precise treatments, and, likely, more AI. But progress shouldn’t be measured by the complexity of the technology alone. It should be measured by whether patients live longer, experience fewer side effects, spend less time away from what matters, and feel more informed about their choices. That’s the promise of personalized cancer care: technology not replacing humanity, but serving it — because when we treat cancer, we’re never treating only a tumor. We’re protecting the life built around it.

DR. JULIAN JEBERAEEL

is a radiation oncologist at Henry Ford Health, and is affiliated with Henry Ford Rochester Hospital, Henry Ford St. John Hospital, and Henry Ford Warren Hospital. He received his medical degree from the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine in North Carolina.

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COURTESY OF DR. JULIAN JEBERAEEL

s children, many of us feared the boogeyman: a faceless figure hiding in the dark, frightening because we could not see or understand it. As adults, that fear takes on a different form — and for nearly everyone, cancer eventually becomes one such fear. It can touch a parent, a spouse, a friend, a colleague, or an employee. Yet, many people still

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FAIR LANE PATRICK GLORIA

An Evening for Fair Lane took place on Aug. 26 at the historic Fair Lane Estate in Dearborn. The theme of the event, which benefited Fair Lane, was The Vagabonds, inspired by the legendary camping trips of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs. It included cocktails on the Music Room Terrace, remarks from special guests including Ford executives and descendants of the Ford family, tours of the restored first and second floors, and a strolling dinner in the gardens.

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1. Andrew and Marci Frick, Edsel Ford 2. Jim Demmer, Linda Demmer, Anna Demmer, Rob Demmer 3. Albert and Anne Ford 4. Mitch Seldi, Elena Ford, Spence Medford, Brent Ott 5. Michael Lee, Vinnie Johnson

NIGHT OF GIVING PATRICK GLORIA

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Liz and Nino Cutraro hosted A Night of Giving on Aug. 31 at Bella Piatta Restaurant in downtown Birmingham. The event raised more than $500,000 for Variety the Children’s Charity, the Children’s Miracle Network at Corewell Health, and scholarships for children in Nino Cutraro’s hometown of Grammichele, Italy. Presented by TI Automotive, Dana, and Tenneco, the evening included cocktails, dinner, and a live auction featuring exclusive items and experiences.

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6. Marla Feldman, Mike Jacobson, Liz and Nino Cutraro, Jay Feldman, Randi Matalas 7. Van and Karen Fox 8. Celia and Byron Foster 9. Vincenzo and Michelle Celani 10. Lamont and Charlene Yoder

CHAMPION OF HEARTS PATRICK GLORIA

Variety — The Children’s Charity hosted its Champion of Hearts event on Sept. 24 at Andiamo Celebrity Showroom in Warren. Guests enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a gourmet dinner, and a keynote from Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo. Glenda Lewis from WXYZ-TV7 served as the emcee. The raffle winner drove home with a two-year lease on a 2026 Ford Bronco 4DR 4×4 Outer Banks LUX. 11. Shannon Mokhibzr, Tom Izzo, Ron Mokhibzr 12. Una Jackman, Carmie Gray, Joann Gordon, Jan Hoge 13. Andrew Skandalaris, Laura Skandalaris, Lee Skandalaris 14. Paul Buscemi, Rosalie Vicari, Stephanie Buscemi 15. Rick Colcomb, Sue Pitrone 104 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

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The Robotics Division of Nachi America Inc.

eadquartered in Novi, Michigan, The Robotics Division of Nachi America Inc. is a leader in industrial robotics manufacturing and the development of robotics solutions for a broad range of applications. Known for its speed, strength, and precision, the division has delivered more than 35,000 robots across North America. As a full-service provider, the company offers robotic application design and engineering, turnkey robotic automation solutions, installation, user training, field service, and preventive maintenance. A commitment to around-the-clock technical and service support has helped generate widespread customer satisfaction. Nachi America’s remarkable history traces back to 1928 when Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. was founded in Toyama, Japan. In 1969, the company became one of the first global manufacturers of robots, and in 1989, it established its Nachi Robotic systems in Novi to support original equipment manufacturers (Toyota and Subaru of Indiana Automotive) and tier suppliers. The robotics division soon became a top supplier to Ford and Chrysler. It has branch offices in San Jose, California; Toronto, Canada; and Mexico. Today, the robotics division is a leading manufacturer of highperformance robots for automotive, electronics, and general industries. It has met growing demand with moves to larger facilities in 2005, 2013, and 2018. Innovation has been central to the company’s growth. The robotics division has introduced cutting-edge technology, like servo welding guns in the late 1990s, that is commonly used in the industry today. More recently, the division became the first in the robotics industry to manufacture touchless collaborative robots. Also key to the company’s success is the longevity of its roughly 60 employees. Many started in the service department, learning the business from the ground floor up and becoming experts on its products and services.

“We have a pretty large core of employees that have been here 20-plus years,” says Curt Rusu, vice president of sales for The Robotics Division of Nachi America Inc. “It shows the belief and support that the team members have in the product.” This confidence in the product extends to the robotics division’s customers, who also benefit from the company’s focus on cost efficiency. By prioritizing reliability, the division helps customers save with decreased manufacturing downtime. Additionally, its application software allows robots to be repurposed for future applications, eliminating the need for relicensing fees. “The robotics division requires total employee involvement and dedication,” Rusu says. “It also demands excellence to

ensure the reliability, maintainability, durability, and continuous improvement of the products and processes.” After 37 years, The Robotics Division of Nachi America Inc. continues to drive the industry forward with cutting-edge innovation, responsive service, top-notch products, and creative solutions. ■

Nachi America 248-305-6545 ml-nrs.sales@nachi.com nachirobotics.com

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Doshi Financial Your Financial Guide in Uncertain Times

oday’s financial world is full of ups and downs, complex rules, and changing tax laws. That’s why businesses and high-networth individuals are reconsidering how they plan for the future — and who they trust to guide them. For more than 50 years, Bloomfield Hills-based Doshi Financial has served as a trusted adviser to more than 1,600 clients nationwide, navigating high-stakes financial decisions and offering a strategic perspective that extends beyond traditional accounting. Led by Managing Partner Nisha Doshi (a certified CPA and CFP®), Doshi Financial helps high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners secure their financial futures. The firm specializes in tax planning, accounting, wealth management, advisory, long-term business strategy, and more. Clients rely on Doshi Financial to spot future opportunities and protect them from financial risks. “Today’s environment requires anticipatory planning,” Doshi says. “As our clients grow, their needs evolve. Our role is to stay ahead of that growth — helping them reach informed decisions at every stage.” A graduate of the University of Michigan with industry experience working for corporate giants PricewaterhouseCoopers, BDO Seidman, and Arthur Andersen, Nisha is passionate about helping clients succeed financially by growing their assets, lowering their taxes, and making their wealth work harder for them. The firm combines expert tax knowledge with personalized wealth management services covering retirement, estate planning, and investment strategies, offering comprehensive financial services that provide deep expertise while keeping the friendly, personal feel of a small company. Doshi Financial works with a broad range of industries, including retail businesses and professional service providers. The firm’s extensive experience in every facet of business and financial consulting helps clients get their businesses off to a great start, establish the right operational systems, develop and maintain sound financial practices, maximize profits, and plan for strategic growth.

Noted for a strong commitment to integrity, Doshi Financial also stands out for tailoring services to meet the individual needs of each client. “Everyone’s lifestyle and dreams are different,” Doshi says. “We not only realize that, but we want to see people actualize their full financial potential and achieve financial freedom.” As certified public accountants (CPAs), Doshi Financial firmly understands the core of business from a technical standpoint and looks beyond the obvious to help clients discover what is not as evident. Using fresh insights, current tax laws, and advanced technology, the firm acts as a strategic partner to build a custom action plan with one clear goal: to maximize business value and profitability while ensuring complete tax compliance.

As financial markets become harder to navigate, Doshi Financial provides the clear guidance, discipline, and long-term planning to help entrepreneurs, professionals, and high-net-worth individuals build, manage, and protect their wealth. ■

Nisha Doshi, CPA, CFP® Doshi Financial 42717 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 248-858-8580 | doshifinancial.com

From the Top

CLUB LIFE

venues, swimming pool, swim team, tennis courts, fitness center, weddings, private events.

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,

MARINAS.COM

DETROIT YACHT CLUB, DETROIT

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,

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 simulator studio; banquet space for 350 people;

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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. Recently suffered a total loss of its clubhouse due to a fire. M1 CONCOURSE 1 Concourse Dr. Pontiac 248-326-9999 m1concourse.com Members: 210 Initiation fee: $20,000 (tied to owning or joining a private garage unit) Annual fee: Around $3,750 to $3,950 per year. Varies based on membership. 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: $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the specific membership classification Monthly fee: Full golf memberships and higher tiers generally range from $5,000 to $10,000+ 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: $150,000 (increased when the new clubhouse reopened in early 2026) Monthly fee: $800+ per month before additional fees Offerings: South and North 18-hole golf courses, tennis, swimming. New clubhouse is open. ORCHARD LAKE COUNTRY CLUB 5000 West Shore Dr. Orchard Lake Village 248-682-0100 orchardlakecountryclub.com Members: 600 (est.) 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;

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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; variety of membership options 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. WESTERN GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB 14600 Kinloch Redford Township 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 clubhouse. Celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2026. WYNDGATE COUNTRY CLUB 1975 W. Gunn Rd. Rochester Hills 248-652-4283 thewyndgate.com Members: NA Initiation fee: $30,000 Monthly fee: $600/month (depending on the specific tier) 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

ORCHARD LAKE COUNTRY CLUB, ORCHARD LAKE VILLAGE

GOLF DIGEST

Troon Privé – Private Clubs of Distinction; member golfing privileges at Troon-managed clubs, resorts, and courses worldwide. The newly renovated ballroom just opened in May.

From the Top

LARGEST MULTITENANT OFFICE BUILDINGS (LISTED BY SIZE) ONE CAMPUS MARTIUS 1 Campus Martius, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 1.331M Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 313-373-8700

THE FISHER BUILDING 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 634,819 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 24,556 Office Rent Avg.: $24 Owner/Broker: Redico/ ownership entity; 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.: 968,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: $29/SF/year Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 313-373-8700 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 DETROIT

FIRST NATIONAL BUILDING 660 Woodward Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 871,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: 144,467 Office Rent Avg.: $29.50 Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 313-373-8700 COREWELL HEALTH CENTER (FORMERLY FIRST CENTER OFFICE PLAZA) 26901 Beaumont Blvd., Southfield Total Sq. Ft.: 680,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA 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+, $24.50 Owner/Broker: Friedman Real Estate Contact: Steve Eisenshtadt, 248-848-3535

Redevelopment Contact: Jasper Hanifi, 248-351-2020 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.: 585,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA — redevelopment Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: GM/Bedrock Redevelopment Contact: Jasper Hanifi, 248-351-2020 RENCEN – TOWER 400 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 576,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA — redevelopment Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: GM/Bedrock Redevelopment 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 444 MICHIGAN AVE. 444 Michigan Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 551,453 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Reign CO1 Propco Contact: NA MASONIC TEMPLE 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.: 504,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock

Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 313-373-8700

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

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

HUDSON’S DETROIT 1240 Woodward Ave., Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 400,000+ Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock Contact: LeasingInquiry@ bedrockdetroit.com, 313-483-3666

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

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

300 RIVER PLACE 300 River Place, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 455,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: Office/retail opportunities available; current SF not published Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: Bedrock

Source: DBusiness research

HUDSON’S DETROIT, DETROIT

RENCEN – TOWER 200 200 Renaissance Center, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 593,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA — redevelopment Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: GM/Bedrock Redevelopment Contact: Jasper Hanifi, 248-351-2020 RENCEN – TOWER 100 100 Renaissance Center, Detroit Total Sq. Ft.: 588,000 Avail. Sq. Ft.: NA — redevelopment Office Rent Avg.: NA Owner/Broker: GM/Bedrock

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LARGEST HOSPITAL SYSTEMS IN MICHIGAN (LISTED BY 2025 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 2025 Revenue: $17.6B 2024 Revenue: $16.4B 2026 Employees: 58,727+ 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. HENRY FORD HEALTH 1 Ford Place Detroit 800-436-7936 henryford.com President/CEO: Bob Riney 2025 Revenue: $13.1B 2024 Revenue: $6.5B 2026 Employees: 55,000 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; 16 former Ascension 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;

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH, ANN ARBOR

Ascension River District Hospital; Ascension St. John Hospital; Ascension St. Joseph Hospital; Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital; Ascension Standish Hospital 3. 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: Ganesh S. Palapattu, MD, FACS, FRCS (GLASG) Dean, U-M Medical School: Thomas J. Wang, M.D. 2025 Revenue: $8.7B 2024 Revenue: $7.9B 2026 Employees: 30,000 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

4. TRINITY HEALTH MICHIGAN 1600 S. Canton Center Rd., Ste. 310 Canton Township 844-237-3627 stjoeshealth.org; mercyhealth.com President/CEO: Shannon Striebich 2025 Revenue: $3.55B 2024 Revenue: $4.74B 2026 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 5. MCLAREN HEALTH CARE One McLaren Parkway Grand Blanc 810-342-1100 mclaren.org President/CEO: Philip Incarnati 2025 Revenue: $6.9B 2024 Revenue: $6.65B 2026 Employees: 20,000 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 6. MYMICHIGAN HEALTH 4000 Wellness Dr. Midland 989-839-3000 mydmichigan.org President/CEO: Bryan Cross, Pharm.D., FACHE 2025 Revenue: $5.1B 2024 Revenue: $1.49B 2026 Employees: 13,200+ 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) 7. DETROIT MEDICAL CENTER 3990 John R St. Detroit 313-745-1250 dmc.org CEO: Brittany Lavis 2025 Revenue: $3.3B (est.) 2024 Revenue: $1B (est.) 2026 Employees: 10,000+ 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 8. BRONSON HEALTHCARE 301 John St. Kalamazoo 269-341-6000 bronsonhealth.com President/CEO: Bill Manns 2025 Revenue: $1.5B 2024 Revenue: $1.9B 2026 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

COURTESY THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Source: DBusiness research

112 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

GUIDING HARBOR’S 41ST ANNUAL AUCTION: HARBORITAVILLE November 7, 6 to 11 p.m. guidingharbor.org

Escape to Harboritaville, where tropical vibes meet community impact. Guests will enjoy island-inspired decor, live entertainment, signature cocktails, silent auctions, and more while supporting youth and families impacted by foster care. The event brings together community leaders, businesses, and supporters from across southeast Michigan for an evening of celebration and generosity. Proceeds beneﬁt Guiding Harbor programs that provide safety, stability, and opportunities for children and young adults navigating the foster care system.

16TH ANNUAL RUGIERO CASINO ROYALE November 7, 5 to 10 p.m. rugieropromise.org

Casino Royale is an evening of gaming, entertainment, and philanthropy beneﬁting diabetes research at the University of Michigan Diabetes Research Center. Guests will enjoy Vegas-style casino gaming, signature cocktails, gourmet dining, live entertainment, and exciting auctions and rafﬂes. Funds raised through sponsorships, donations, and event participation support innovative research aimed at improving diabetes treatment, reducing complications, and advancing future breakthroughs. The event brings the community together to support discovery, hope, and progress in diabetes care.

35TH ANNUAL NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY AWARDS CEREMONY AND DINNER

November 12, 6 to 8:30 p.m. afpdetroit.org/national-philanthropy-day/strolling-dinner-awards

AFP Greater Detroit’s 35th Annual National Philanthropy Day Awards Ceremony and Dinner celebrates the individuals, organizations, and businesses making a difference through philanthropy across southeast Michigan. Presented by The Kresge Foundation, the event features networking, recognition of distinguished volunteers, the presentation of AFP’s annual awards, and a keynote address from Nicole Sherard-Freeman, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Guests will enjoy a strolling dinner at The Henry Ford Museum while honoring this year’s philanthropic leaders and changemakers.

RED TIE HOUR AND DINNER

November 19, 5 to 6 p.m. corewellhealth.org/foundation/southeast/events/red-tie-hour

The Red Tie Hour and Dinner marks the grand ﬁnale of the 104.3 WOMC Turn Up the Miracles Radiothon on Nov. 19. Guests can attend a live broadcast from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by a strolling dinner and exclusive concert at Sound Space at Audacy Detroit inside Hockeytown Cafe. Proceeds beneﬁt pediatric developmental and behavioral health services at Corewell Health Children’s, supporting children and families throughout southeast Michigan.

HOB NOBBLE GOBBLE® November 20, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. theparade.org/hob-nobble-gobble

Ford Motor Company’s magical, black-tie fundraiser for The Parade Company will take place on Friday, Nov. 20, at Ford Field. Produced by and beneﬁting The Parade Company, the event features a headline performance by Soulja Boy, a fabulous carnival midway, exceptional food, and entertainment from end zone to end zone for kids and adults alike. Hob Nobble Gobble® helps raise important funds for The Parade Company to produce the iconic 100th America’s Thanksgiving Parade®, presented by Gardner White. Tickets are limited, and this event sells out annually. For more details, please contact CarolAnn Barbb at cbarbb@theparade.org or 313-432-7831.

KIDNEY BALL November 21-22, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. nkfm.org/kidneyball

It’s time for the 2026 Kidney Ball, “the most fun black-tie event in metro Detroit.” This signature fundraiser hosts hundreds of movers and shakers who support the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan’s mission to prevent kidney disease and improve quality of life for those living with it. The evening features a cocktail hour, live and silent auctions, dinner, a candy “bar,” and an after-party you can’t miss! Tickets are available for $350 each.

AUBURN HILLS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2026 SILVER AND GOLD AWARDS

December 14, 9 a.m. to noon auburnhillschamber.com

More than 350 business and community leaders are expected to attend this annual celebration recognizing excellence across the Auburn Hills business community. The event honors organizations and individuals making a meaningful impact through leadership, innovation, workplace culture, community engagement, and business achievement. Award recipients will be revealed during a holiday brunch at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, bringing together some of the region’s most inﬂuential professionals. ADV E RTI SE ME NT

Closing Bell

Corner on Fashion For 70 years, Winkelman’s in Detroit and beyond was known for high-quality women’s wear and finery. he window displays at Winkelman’s stores in metro Detroit changed weekly and were designed and executed to the highest standards, as Ruth Adler once discovered. A new graduate of Detroit’s Cass Technical High School in 1942, Adler went to work in the retailer’s display department, where she feared her boss, Manny Hartman. “Mr. Hartman would come around, and if there was anything just the slightest little bit out of order, he would reprimand me,” Adler recalled years later when she was Ruth Adler Schnee, a renowned textile and interior designer. Hartman eventually became Schnee’s client when her firm designed Winkelman’s fixtures and interiors. From its 1928 founding as Winkelman’s Toggery at Woodward and Milwaukee avenues in Detroit’s New Center, the enterprise of brothers Isadore and Leon pursued excellence. They followed in the footsteps of their father, Moses, a peddler who settled in Manistique in the Upper Peninsula, where he opened a dry goods store. When the Winkelman brothers got their start, their first store reflected a “modern note,” as a newspaper described it. Discovering their market in women’s clothing, they opened the prototype Winkelman’s in a 16-foot-wide shop at 5832 W. Fort St. in southwest Detroit. Even during the Great Depression, Winkelman’s Stores Inc. expanded to neighborhood locations across Detroit. The perfection of their window displays was an element in the broader formula emphasizing reasonable prices, identical stock and décor in all stores, “concealed stock” in private fitting rooms, and personalized service. By 1937, Winkelman’s opened its sixth store. It was in Saginaw, the first location outside Detroit. At the cost of $100,000, the retail outlet was remodeled with Carrara marble and exotic wood at the front. 114 DBUSINESS || November - December 2026

STYLE AND GRACE Winkelman’s got its start in 1928 along Fort Street, a block west of Junction Avenue, in southwest Detroit. The store, shown here in the 1950s, was a harbinger of well-stocked boutique shops that featured window displays, fitting rooms, and luxury décor.

The second floor was carpeted in blue, hung with rust drapes, and featured modern furniture upholstered in blue, buff, and coral leathers. A Winkelman’s ad of that year urged, “Make this the ‘warmest’ Christmas with a smartly tailored and snug flannel robe — hostess and belted styles — in deep glowing colors” for $4.98. The Winkelman name translates as “corner shopkeeper,” so it figured that the chain expanded to dozens of neighborhoods — even to Chicago and Cleveland — in the postwar era. In Detroit, the commitment to community was reflected in Winkelman’s sponsorship of the annual Cultural Center Open House at three institutions. Leon Winkelman died of a heart attack in 1958, leaving a legacy as a gregarious personality, a big-game hunter, and a Detroit Symphony Orchestra board member. His son, Stanley, who earned a degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, was senior vice president and ran the company with Uncle Isadore in charge. Isadore was known as a “business brain”; staffers called him “Mr. I.” In 1969, Winkelman’s netted $991,232 on sales of $45 million at 61 stores. Stanley noted “strong trends” for slacks, short skirts, and cutout dresses. The company was listed on the American Stock Exchange by 1971 and looked to add 18 stores by 1973, targeting $70 million in annual sales. When Isadore retired in 1976, there were 87 stores. Stanley, now CEO and chairman, projected 40 more stores and $120 million in revenue by 1980. Christmas of 1981 was generally tough on the retail sector, though, and Winkelman’s peaked soon after. At the time, Petrie Stores Corp. acquired majority ownership through stock purchases and put the company into competition with discounters. After shedding locations for years, and then enduring the indignity of Petrie’s bankruptcy, the last 41 Michigan stores closed in 1998 despite an unsuccessful bid by Crowley, Milner & Co. to save the brand. “The company was very dear to our hearts,” says Roger Winkelman, Stanley’s son. “They had a niche trying to be quality, with good service and reasonable prices for women. We felt very proud of what the company accomplished.”

PALMER WERNER, COURTESY OF THE DETROIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY

BY RONALD AHRENS

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