A publication of
EXPLORING MICHIGAN’S EMERGING TECH SECTORS SPRING 2015 $3.99
MAKING SENSE OF
THE INTERNET
OF THINGS + Detroit IT — a perfect blend of tech and talent + Unconventional CIO shares IT outlook + Michigan travel: How sweet it is
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WHERE TECHNOLOGY MEETS LIFESTYLE
features
22 people profiles
OST CIO shares perspectives on IT
24 business profile
Detroit IT … a perfect blend of tech and talent
28 focus on
technology
18
editor’s letter
6
automation alley update Views and news from Automation Alley
10
metro retro The history of the hairdryer
12 health+tech Safer medical procedures; genomics are changing the face of medicine; new treatment for migraines
32 lifestyle
16 newsmakers Innovative device improves speech; one company’s early success with 7Cs program; entrepreneur fellows on the move 18
education kaleidoscope OCC’s program with perks
40
expert outlook Tech education must start early
42
making the scene Spotlight on tech events
14 tech+design Seeing is believing LOG ON FOR THE LATEST MICHIGAN TECH NEWS
Michigan destinations to sweeten your trip
SPRING 2015 VOLUME 9, NUMBER 2
departments 4
The Internet of Things
www.xologymagazine.com
32
editor'sletter ANGIE BAAN
www.xologymagazine.com
E DI TOR I A L
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elcome to the spring edition of X-OLOGY Magazine. In keeping with this season of change, we’ve decided to take a fresh approach to information technology, an important topic we’ve covered extensively in the past. This time, we’re looking at the next step in IT as it becomes an intricate part of everything around us — people, animals, buildings, automobiles, machines and more — all driven by electronics, software and sensors. It’s known as the Internet of Things and it’s changing our world in remarkable ways. Google the IoT and you’ll find varying definitions, but most focus on the definitiion writer Julie Baumkel includes in her feature article on page 28: “The Internet of Things is the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.” In our Focus on Tech feature, we asked several industry leaders to weigh in on the Internet of Things and what it all means for business and education. Our People Profile features Jim VanderMey, CIO of Open Systems Technologies, a Grand Rapids, MI-based IT company. VanderMey brings a non-traditional background to his role with OST — one that blends pastoral studies with technology. He says both have served him well in various work and consulting roles for insurance companies, healthcare organizations and manufacturers. On the IT topic, our Business Profile highlights Detroit IT, an information technology service, consulting and cloud solutions firm. Detroit IT is a blend of two companies — Core3 Solutions and Enlighten Technologies — whose owners realized they could make a bigger impact by merging IT resources. Also making an impact is Oakland Community College’s almost-too-good-to-be-true Michigan Advanced Technician Training (MAT2) Program. Initiated by Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the MAT2 program offers selected students free schooling, paid apprenticeships and guaranteed jobs upon graduation. Not surprisingly, says program manager Janene Erne, most parents want to know how to sign their kid up. And speaking of kids, if you’re planning a Michigan road trip this spring or summer, be sure to check out our Lifestyle article highlighting sweet spots along the way. Writer Susan Pollack says they’re sure to ease the road-trip backseat boredom. And you’ll have only one reason to threaten to stop the car: to help yourself to a sweet treat.
Jane Racey Gleeson Editor jane@XOLOGYmagazine.com
EDITOR | Jane Racey Gleeson EDITORIAL ADVISORS Ken Rogers Kelly Kozlowski Erin Sommerville COPY EDITORS Nicole Kampe Erin Sommerville CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Julie Baumkel Pam Houghton Nicole Kampe Leslie Mertz
Susan R. Pollack Matthew Totsky Ilene Wolff
C R E AT I V E CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Alex Lumelsky CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS John Azoni Max Wedge Susan R. Pollack Deanna Spivey PRODUCTION | SKY Creative P U B LI S H I NG PUBLISHED BY RDE ENTERPRISES INC. Publisher | R. David Eick PRINTED BY GRAPHICS EAST Account Executive | Chuck Rymal A DV E RT I S I NG MANAGING DIRECTOR, SALES AND MARKETING | R. David Eick ACCOUNT MANAGERS Scott Cooper Greg “Porky” Campbell INTERNAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Joseph P. Pietrangeli FOR ADVERTISING CONTACT: 248.231.8067 or david@xologymagazine.com X-OLOGY IS A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED FOR AUTOMATION ALLEY. THE MISSION OF X-OLOGY IS TO UNCOVER THE MOST SURPRISING AND RESONANT STORIES ABOUT THE PEOPLE, COMPANIES, TECHNOLOGIES AND IDEAS THAT ARE TRANSFORMING SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. THE PUBLICATION IS DISTRIBUTED TO 20,000 IN 8 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AND THE CITY OF DETROIT. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS, PLEASE CALL 248-231-8067. ALL CONTENT HEREIN IS THE PROPERTY OF RDE ENTERPRISES, INC., AND CANNOT BE COPIED, REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED OR REPUBLISHED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF RDE ENTERPRISES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO X-OLOGY MAGAZINE, P.O. BOX 38, BIRMINGHAM, MI 48012
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automationalleyupdate
JOHN AZONI - WWW.JOHNAZONIPHOTO.COM
Automation Alley debuted the 2015 Technology Report at its Technology Industry Outlook event, held Feb. 12 at the Colony Club Detroit.
automation alley’s 2015 technology industry report reveals metro detroit’s tech economy remains strong, growth trending upward Southeast Michigan remains competitive as one of the nation’s leading high-tech hubs, and job creation in the region is trending upward for the coming years, according to Automation Alley’s recently released Technology Industry Report. With data compiled by the Anderson Economic Group of East Lansing, Automation Alley’s Technology Industry Report benchmarks the metro Detroit region against 14 other high-tech hubs across the nation, in terms of job creation, business creation, innovation and education. It also serves as a tool for attracting talent and investment to the region. “This report has the power to drive change 6
SPRING 2015 • X-OLOGY
in Southeast Michigan because it tells us who we really are as a region. It makes it clear that we are one of the leading centers for technology and innovation in America,” says Kelly Kozlowski, Automation Alley’s senior director. When benchmarked against the 14 other technology hubs analyzed in the report, metro Detroit ranks: • 1st nationally in the number of advanced automotive industry jobs and establishments • 1st nationally in the number of engineering technology degrees earned • 1st in the Midwest in the concentration of tech-focused jobs
• 1st nationally in the number of architectural and engineering jobs • 2nd in the Midwest in the number of utility patents issued • 2nd in the Midwest in the number of technology industry jobs • 2nd in the Midwest in the number of technology occupation jobs • 3rd nationally in the percentage of total employment in the technology industry • 3rd nationally in the number of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees earned • 3rd in the Midwest in the number of technology establishments
To download the full report, visit automationalley.com.
X-OLOGY • SPRING 2015
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automationalleyupdate
about automation alley®
The Automation Alley Member Relations Team (from left): Cynthia Hutchinson, Sharon Blumeno, Shawn Hayes and Jacqueline Martin
how your company can get involved with automation alley The primary focus of Automation Alley is to match Southeast Michigan businesses with growth opportunities. By becoming an Automation Alley member, companies big and small are not only gaining access to great resources — like exclusive networking events, meeting space and public relations tools — they are also joining a community of like-minded, technologyoriented businesses, educators and municipalities who are working to advance Southeast Michigan. Through Automation Alley membership, individuals who belong to member companies are invited to participate in five member-driven committees. Committees provide opportunities for net-
working and peer leadership, as well as a chance to influence the development of Automation Alley’s events and programs. Automation Alley’s programs serve the business community in five key areas: entrepreneurial services, talent development, international business services, product lifecycle management, and defense and manufacturing. Become an Automation Alley member today and discover how your company can become part of this collaborative culture that’s forging a path toward a bright future for Southeast Michigan. To join, email info@automationalley.com, call 800-427-5100 or apply online at automationalley.com.
Automation Alley is a technology business association driving the growth and image of Southeast Michigan’s economy through a collaborative culture that focuses on workforce and business development initiatives. Since its founding in 1999, Automation Alley has expanded to include nearly 1,000 businesses, educational institutions and government entities from the City of Detroit and the surrounding eight-county region. Automation Alley promotes regional prosperity through entrepreneurial and exporting assistance, workforce development and technology acceleration. For additional information, visit www.automationalley.com.
mission To grow the innovation cluster of Southeast Michigan by providing programs and services to the technology business community that encourage entrepreneurship, increase exporting, attract foreign direct investment, develop high-tech talent, support advanced manufacturing and help technology-driven businesses of all sizes succeed.
X-OLOGY Magazine has a new website. Browse the latest issue, read blogs by leading technology experts and download archived issues. Visit xologymagazine.com today!
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Automation Alley Foundation Members Automation Alley would like to thank its Foundation Members for their regional leadership and support in contributing to the success of the organization. All Covered Altair Arab American and Chaldean Council Automotive Design & Production Baker College Blue Cross Blue Shield Butzel Long Central Michigan University City of Troy Crain’s Detroit Business Delphi Corporation Detroit Manufacturing Systems Detroit Regional Chamber DTE Energy FCA US LLC General Motors GlobalAutoIndustry.com Goodwill Industries Grand Circus HR Pro/BenePro Just Energy Corporation Kelly Services, Inc. Kettering University Lawrence Technological University Macomb Community College Macomb County Government Macomb Daily Meritor, Inc. Michigan Economic Development Corporation Microsoft New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Oakland Community College Oakland County Oakland County Workforce Development Board Oakland Press Oakland University Plante Moran Plex Systems, Inc. Quality Metalcraft Rave Computer Salesforce.com Siemens SMART The Resource Network, Inc. Troy Michigan Works! U.S. Army TARDEC/NAC UHY Advisors Wayne County X-OLOGY • SPRING 2015
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metroretro
GEORGE GARRIGUES
Experimentations with drying hair in the early 1900s included use of vacuum cleaners (left). The bonnet hair dryer became popular in the 1950s (above center and right).
history of the hair dryer BY PAM HOUGHTON
W
e’ve come a long way from the 1600s when ladies of privilege sat for hours while personal maids adorned elaborate, tower-like hairstyles with flowers and jewels. Thankfully, French hairdresser and inventor Alexandre Ferdinand Godefroy simplified the primping process when he patented the first hair dryer in 1888. According to the New York Times, stylish patrons were hooked up “to any ‘suitable form of heater,’ which would send hot air through a pipe to a dome surrounding the woman’s head.” By the early 1900s, additional experimentation came from an unlikely source: the vacuum cleaner. Men and woman attempted to dry their hair by attaching a hose to the exhaust end, aiming the other side at their heads. Yes, hair could be dried faster than the simple air-drying method, but not by much. A handheld dryer was not far off. In 1911, Armenian-American inventor Gabriel Kazanjian patented the world’s first blow dryer, although it would be several years before the handheld device would go to market. By the 1920s, handheld dryers were commercially available, but heavier than they are today, frequently weighing two pounds and emitting only 100 watts of heat, hardly enough for the Farrah Fawcett-locks of the 1970s. 10
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Aesthetically, they were also decades away from posh, sleek models found in today’s hair salons: the unsightly appliances made of steel or aluminum had wooden handles with motors located on the outside. It wasn’t until 1954 that manufacturers found a way to hide the motors by moving them inside the devices.
The Handy Hanna brand was a favorite in the 1950s.
The 1950s also gave birth to the bonnet hair dryer, a small portable dryer connected by a tube to a plastic bonnet, as well as the rigid hood dryer, most frequently seen in today’s salons. But it was the blow dryer that continued to
evolve. The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued guidelines in the 1970s to reduce the number of blow dryer-related electrocutions common in midcentury. By 1991, ground fault interrupters were required, which nearly extinguished any possibility of electrocution. Today’s dryers weigh half as much as they used to — some models less than a pound. Heat wattage has grown, with dryers that emit anywhere from 1,200 to 2,000 watts. Hairdressers are likely the happiest with the evolution. “More efficient airflow and a variety of settings help stylists dry hair faster,” says Felicia Palazzolo Shaw, owner of Felicia Salon in Birmingham, MI. “The newer materials that dryers are constructed with,” thanks to advancements in plastics technology and compact electrical motors, “make dryers lighter and more flexible, causing less carpal tunnel, shoulder and neck pain associated with long-term daily use.” They are also much quieter. “Noise pollution is eliminated,” says Shaw, “allowing for a more pleasant exchange of conversation” between stylists and their clients. Perhaps, harkening back to the styling sessions of the 1600s when those crazy, elaborate hairstyles allowed hours and hours for chatting.
health+tech
move over aspirin … Those who suffer debilitating migraines, cluster headaches or other chronic facial pain may soon have a new method of relief, thanks to Autonomic Technologies, Inc., a medical device company in Redwood City, CA. The company has created a patientpowered tool, currently under clinical investigation, designed to block signals from the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a facial nerve bundle located on either side of the nose. Researchers believe the SPG is associated with severe headaches. The ATI Neurostimulation System involves the permanent implant of a small nerve-stimulating device in the upper gum on the same side of the patient’s headache pain. The patient controls his or her own stimulation treatment by turning on the remote controller and placing it on the cheek over the inserted ATI Neurostimulator, thus blocking the pain-causing neurotransmitters. To stop treatment, the remote controller is removed from the cheek, turning off stimulation therapy. ati-spg.com
making medical procedures safer, more efficient Ann Arbor, MI-based Biotectix has developed a conductive coating for medical devices to maximize efficiency and safety during cardiac or nervous system procedures. According to Biotectix co-founder Sarah Richardson-Burns, Amplicoat, the electro-conductive coating, provides greater tissue-sensing resolution and more localized stimulation control for better communication between human tissue and a medical device’s electrode. The technology allows surgeons to perform less invasive examinations and procedures. The coating can be applied to a variety of metal electrodes, providing a solution for numerous medical-device applications, including neurostimulation, cardiac pacing, electrophysiology recordings, cochlear implants and gastrointestinal recording and stimulation. The technology may also enable the development of smaller implantable medical devices in the future. Richardson-Burns says Amplicoat is a “true breakthrough technology.” The company is working with medical manufactures to incorporate Amplicoat into their devices, with non-medical applications for the coating under development. biotectix.com 12
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A small device implanted in the upper gum blocks paincausing neurotransmitters to help prevent a headache.
genomics is changing the face of medicine “Genomic medicine,” also known as personalized or targeted medicine, is bringing change to the future of medicine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), genomic medicine is the study of all the genes in the human genome, which is a double-stranded DNA helix that defines what each individual is made of. Experts believe genomics could someday help each of us maximize personal health and discover the best medical care for any condition. It could also assist in developing new therapies that alter the human genome and prevent or reverse complications from inherited diseases. Tests based on the science of genomics can analyze the genes in a person’s tumor to predict how it will behave and whether or not aggressive treatment is needed. For example, for specific breast cancers, a genomic test can help identify those who require chemotherapy and hormonal therapy and those who might require only hormonal therapy. For those with early stage colorectal cancer, a test involving gene activity in the tumor can predict the risk of cancer returning within three years.
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www.troymi.gov X-OLOGY • SPRING 2015
13
tech+design
SEEING IS B BY ILENE WOLFF
I
n the future, contact lenses will do more than correct your vision or turn brown eyes blue. So-called “smart lenses” are being developed that can give the wearer night vision without wearing bulky headgear; detect blood glucose levels; or automatically dispense eye medications. The Swiss company Sensimed makes a contact lens that can monitor the pressure inside the eyes of people with glaucoma, but it’s not yet available in the United States outside of clinical trials. Sky’s-the-limit thinkers can even envision contact lenses that would detect the amount 14
SPRING 2015 • X-OLOGY
of a substance in tears, lacryglobin, which can indicate many types of cancer. HERE AND NOW But the future is here right now, with researchers at the University of Michigan College of Engineering taking a step toward night-vision contact lenses. Their technology has potential for soldiers who need to see in the dark, smartphone cameras that could snap images at night and vehicles that help drivers see better after the sun goes down. These U-M visionaries are working with 2D graphene — a single layer of carbon atoms.
Their development could make a contact lens with heat vision technology — for seeing at night — possible. “We can make the entire design superthin,” says U-M assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science Zhaohui Zhong in a press release. “It can be stacked on a contact lens or integrated with a cell phone.” MEDICAL APPLICATIONS The medical industry is developing smart lenses, too — sometimes with unexpected partners. Novartis’ eye care division, Alcon, started
working with Google[x] — a team within Google to find solutions to some of the world’s big problems — to develop a smart lens with the potential to address eye conditions. Their smart lens technology involves contact lenses that are embedded with non-invasive sensors, microchips and other miniaturized electronics. The drug maker’s collaboration with the Silicon Valley innovator is focused on measuring a diabetic person’s glucose levels via a smart lens connected wirelessly to a mobile device, and a contact or intraocular lens that would help people who can’t read or distinguish objects close up without glasses.
In addition to monitoring the eyes of people with diabetes, smart lenses can help with monitoring eye pressure in people with glaucoma, the world’s second leading cause of blindness. While doctors can measure the pressure inside a person’s eyes, that measurement is just a snapshot in time, and the pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. But with Sensimed’s 24-hour, disposable silicone lenses, SENSIMED Triggerfish®, along with their microprocessor and antenna transmitting data to an external receiver, doctors get much more information. This can lead to better diagnoses
and detect changes that may alter treatments. While SENSIMED Triggerfish® isn’t yet commercially available in the United States, the company achieved a step in that direction when the American Medical Association in 2013 issued a code that lets healthcare providers report and bill for the device’s use. “I believe it has the potential to radically change the way we think about glaucoma. In measuring changes in ocular volume over a 24-hour period, SENSIMED Triggerfish® provides information to the physician which has never previously been available,” says Sensimed CEO David Bailey.
BELIEVING X-OLOGY • SPRING 2015
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newsmakers speak easy Daniel Floyd was born with a speech disorder that made it difficult for him to enunciate certain words and sounds. This challenge led the Western Michigan University sophomore to design SpeechMasterPro, a device that assists individuals with speech impediments, as well as others who want to improve articulation and enunciation. SpeechMasterPro is placed inside the mouth and is held by the user’s teeth. By trying to avoid touching the device with the lips while speaking, the jaw and facial muscles are strengthened, which
results in improved speech. According to its website, The SpeechMasterPro helps the user become a clear, effective speaker by: • Improving enunciation skills • Slowing down speaking pace • Strengthening facial and tongue muscles • Helping build confidence “My ambition,” says Floyd, “was driven by a desire to help others and myself with an instrument to improve enunciation and confidence in speaking fluently.” He says he developed the speech aid after watching the 2007 movie, The Great Debaters, in which the film’s director and star, Denzel Washington, works with five students to improve their debating techniques. Floyd is now working with a Chicago design firm to develop a version of the SpeechMasterPro that can be mass produced, as well as a manufacturer that has agreed to fabricate several Food and Drug Administration approved silicone prototypes. speechmasterpro.com
entrepreneur fellows on the move Automation Alley has placed two fellows, J. Cory Connolly and Kathleen Dooley Hadley, as part of the Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship Program. Through the program, Automation Alley provides opportunities for college and university graduates to work with growing early-stage companies in the Southeast Michigan region. Fellows are involved in the day-to-day activities of running a startup and are mentored by company leadership and the program’s coordinators. Fellowships are awarded each year through a competitive application process. Connolly will be working with Levin Energy Partners, a company developing innovative business initiatives for the development of clean energy and energy efficiency projects in Michigan and across the country. With extensive experience in energy and environmental policy, he re16
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cently left a position as a senior research associate at the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C. As an entrepreneur, he has co-founded MiGrid Media, a renewable energy communications firm. He is a graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State University, where he majored in international relations and specialized in environmental economics and policy. Hadley will be working with GlobalBusinessProfessor.com, an online education company helping business professionals and business school students learn international business skills. She has extensive experience in international business and education. As an entrepreneur, Hadley has created and directed several thriving educational organizations both domestically and internationally. Hadley earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Michigan State University.
7CsTM program in action Scott Lowes’ company, Lighthouse Molding, Inc., is only three steps into Automation Alley’s new 7CsTM program designed for entrepreneurs, but already he says the program has accelerated his company’s growth by at least five years. Lighthouse Molding, Inc. (LMI) specializes in low pressure overmolding (LPO), a single-step technology to seal and protect electronic assemblies such as battery packs, circuit boards, micro-switches, solenoids, sensors, connectors and wire harnesses. The Sterling Heights, MI-based advanced manufacturing company is one of five in the world that offers LPO technology. “We’ve become better organized and more efficient in managing our day-to-day business,” says Lowes. “We’ve also worked to refine our technology and are now in the process of bringing it to the real world with the help of Automation Alley’s 7CsTM program.” Lowes says the company’s ultimate goal is to supply its LPO technology globally. “The 7CsTM program is exposing us to customers we would not normally have been exposed to,” Lowes says. “We’re at the point where we’re realizing we can do a lot more, a lot faster, through the program.” Rolled out this year, the goal of the 7CsTM program is to help Southeast Michigan entrepreneurs become successful by accelerating the growth of their small businesses or startups. Automation Alley’s entrepreneurship experts guide clients through a customized seven-step process that includes: 1. Community: At every stage, take advantage of the immense resources and talent available to you through the Automation Alley network. 2. Concept: Meet with the entrepreneurship team to determine if your startup is a good fit for the Automation Alley 7CsTM program. 3. Context: Develop a business model resulting in a working value proposition, and create a First Look sales pitch video. 4. Clarity: Refine your value proposition through market research. 5. Customers: Develop a prototype to take to market for analysis and feedback, explore crowdfunding where appropriate and secure first beta customer(s). 6. Capital: Meet with investment entities to secure capital. With your first beta customer(s) secured, position your startup for investment. 7. Commercialization: Enter the full Automation Alley networking stream to rapidly scale production, secure resources, create jobs and become a mentor to new Automation Alley 7Cs participants.
X-OLOGY • SPRING 2015
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educationkaleidoscope
COURTESY OCC
program with perks… too good to be true?
Students attend college for free with a guaranteed job BY LESLIE MERTZ
I
t may sound too good to be true, but students in an associate’s degree program at Oakland Community College go to school for free (and even receive a stipend), get a paid apprenticeship to hone their newly learned skills while in the program and have a guaranteed position waiting for them at a local company when they graduate. “It really is a great opportunity,” says Janene Erne, who not only manages the Michigan Advanced Technician Training Program (MAT2) at OCC, but also has a personal investment in the three-year program: Her daughter Kelsey (see sidebar) is one of its 18
SPRING 2015 • X-OLOGY
students. Kelsey and her classmates are in what will be the first MAT2 graduating class in 2016. Two MAT2 program options are currently available at OCC: • The mechatronics technician program combines mechanical, electrical and electronic control skills to equip students with the skills and knowledge to keep manufacturing plants running. • The Information technology (IT) technician program has several tracks that allow students to specialize in software development, infrastructure or IT security.
USING WHAT YOU LEARN Initiated by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), MAT2 receives the majority of its funding from local companies. Each company sponsors one or more students, paying for tuition and books, a $200 stipend while the student is attending classes and an hourly wage (progressing from $9-$12) when the student is doing his or her on-the-job apprenticeship. Upon graduating, the student then begins a two-year position as a paid full-time employee of the sponsoring company. Students go through an initial application
Opposite page: Hands-on training is a key component of the MAT2 program.
and interview process. Upon selection by a participating company, each student spends the next three years alternating between eight-week periods in the classroom and lab at OCC, and eightweek periods in on-the-job apprenticeships at his or her sponsoring company. The MAT2 curriculum is competency-based, meaning that students cannot progress to the next course until they have mastered the subject, Erne says. “We also talk directly with industry about the apprenticeships, so that the students’ job assignments are related to the school period that they just finished. If a student just finished a hydraulics class or a welding class, for instance, the company would try to incorporate hydraulics or welding into the work period,” she says. The benefits to the students are obvious with the combination of free schooling, paid apprenticeships and guaranteed jobs upon graduation, but the companies have just as much to gain. “There’s definitely a demand for this program,” Erne says. “Companies need mid-level technicians. Right now, they’re resorting to having their shop-floor managers and engineers do this technician work because there just aren’t enough kids going into these fields.” Through MAT2, these companies are investing in their own futures, as well as the futures of the students. “My sense is that the companies are going to want to keep these students as employees for many years,” she says. TEAMING WITH INDUSTRY OCC first became involved in MAT2 in 2012 when Erne got a phone call about launching the program using a competency-based approach. “A competency-based curriculum is a big change for education because, typically, classes are time-based, where students have a 15-week semester to learn the subject, and if they learn some of it, they can get a C and move on,” she says. “In a competencybased program, the students must prove they have mastered the specific competency-based outcomes and performance-based objectives of each course through a hands-on final. In the MAT2 program this is called a ‘mechapracticum.’” Erne and others at OCC thought the >>
MEET KELSEY ERNE Age: 21 Hometown: Warren, MI OCC MAT2 student: Mechatronics option, 2013-2016 class Sponsoring company: Brose Why did you sign up for MAT2 at OCC? “I got my associate’s in liberal arts at OCC, but I was stuck about what to do next. Then this (MAT2) popped up. For my whole life, my mom has been trying to sell me on the skilled trades, and I’ve done all the camps, including a welding camp and other technical camps during summers in high school, so I said, ‘I’ll listen to you one last time.’ I applied for MAT2, I got an interview and I got in.” What drew you to MAT2? “The big selling point for me was actually applying what you’re learning. And it was free. That was a huge plus. I have an older brother and sister who came out of school with debt and they’re still paying it off, and I didn’t want that.” What do you like best about the program? “You’re in classes with pretty much the same people all day, every day, so it’s like a little family. We all have our specialties, so we can supplement where others are lacking. At one point, for example, we had hydraulics labs, and we have a couple of guys in the class who had taken a hydraulics class before joining the program. So the teacher asked them to help the other students. That’s a pretty cool aspect of it.” How is it going so far? “So far, so good. The program seems to have hit it right on the nose. I’m learning a lot, and it does correlate to the job, so that’s awesome.”
MEET MATT COMBS Age: 20 Hometown: Macomb Township, MI OCC MAT2 student: Mechatronics option, 2013-2016 class Sponsoring company: EMAG Why did you sign up for MAT2 at OCC? “In high school, I took some engineering classes that interested me in the manufacturing side of the engineering field. Then a presentation for MAT2 came to my school. I really had no big plans for college and it seemed like a good program — getting free college, getting a job — so that seemed like a great idea.” What drew you to MAT2? “I was one of those kids who was thinking, ‘When am I ever going to use what I learn in school in real life?’ I went on the MAT2 website, and it said how I’d meet with my company and go between school and work, and that what I learned at school, I’d use at work. That just really appealed to me, so I applied for the program.” What do you like best about the program? “The classes I’m taking are really fun and help me at work. Work is cool because I’m an apprentice and everyone’s willing to help me. Everyone’s sharing their knowledge, so I’m learning a lot.” How is it going so far? “It’s a whole new world for me, so everything’s cool and fantastic and just amazing.” X-OLOGY • SPRING 2015
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OCC’s MAT2 students participate in competency-based education combined with on-the-job work experience.
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idea had merit, and recommended that the MEDC might also want to approach Henry Ford Community College as a partner in developing the first MAT2 curriculum, which was the mechatronics technician option. The two colleges went to work. “We got together with the industry people — not the CEOs and human resources staff but the technicians who are on the shop floors — and determined and ranked all of the tasks they perform on the job,” Erne says. “Based on that lengthy process, we wrote a very specific, industry-driven curriculum that has a core of common knowledge and abilities that these students need.” OCC and industry experts have continued to meet ever since. “It’s a true partnership with industry and we’re giving them exactly what they want,” she says. The initial MAT2 mechatronics class began in fall 2013. Since then, other community colleges have begun to participate, offering courses that also encompass: • Technical product design, or “art-to-part,” as Erne describes it. “It’s taking a project from design right through to the build.” • CNC manufacturing technician (starting in fall 2015), which trains students to set up and operate the computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools used in today’s high-tech manufacturing facilities. Michigan colleges participating in MAT2 include Lansing Community College, Macomb Community College, Mott Community College, Delta College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, North Central Michigan College and Baker College (Cadillac and Charlevoix locations). “Regardless of which college is offering the program and whether the students are taking mechatronics, IT, CNC or technical product design, the bigpicture idea of MAT2 is the same,” says Erne. “It is competency-based education tied with on-the-job work experience. The industry and the students are excited about it.” And the parents? “Every parent who comes to an information session about the program says, ‘Where do I sign up?’ Yes, it’s a really cool program.” Find more information about MAT2 at OCC and other Michigan colleges at mitalent.org/mat2-studentand-training-programs.
What’s the connection between a qualified workforce and our community? Oakland Community College. Yes, OCC. Each year, we educate and train thousands of people who come to OCC to enrich their lives and enhance their careers. From students looking to transfer to four-year institutions, to those pursuing vocational and technical careers, to workers seeking to upgrade their skills, we’re creating the kind of dynamic workforce that stays in Michigan, keeps companies in our area competitive and even attracts new businesses to our region. Why place so much emphasis on the prosperity of our community? Because at OCC, community is our middle name.
www.oaklandcc.edu
peopleprofile “Paddle boarding requires a constant sense of balance and awareness of your environment because you’re constantly in motion. This is kind of like my work — everything is always changing and you have to adapt.”
Jim VanderMey Chief Innovation Officer, Open Systems Technologies WOW FACTOR Jim VanderMey is the Chief Innovation Officer for Open Systems Technologies (OST), providing technical leadership and product strategic planning for the organization and its clients. “OST has the ability to help our customers think about coupling analytics, mobile application development and the Internet of Things. We have taken sensor data from industrial equipment that generates more than 25 million rows of data per day, collected it in a data warehouse and then created analytics that help product designers and service managers reduce cost and improve quality while simultaneously presenting that information to the consumer or end-user via a mobile application. It creates new value for the customer, the manufacturer and OST.” PASSION FOR TECH VanderMey is a self-confessed healthcare technology geek. “We do fantastic work in healthcare: helping hospitals setup reliable infrastructures for their electronic health records, app development, building portals, advanced analytics — all with a vision of improving the life of clinicians and impacting patient well-being. The work we do in this space matters to people. Personally, I gather a ton of information on myself through devices that attach to my phone: EEG (brain waves), ECG, blood pressure, respiration, weight, activity — and I am trying out a smartphone-attached otoscope to see if there is a more convenient way for parents of young children to engage with their doctors in the treatment of possible ear infections. Technology is changing healthcare and OST is right in the middle of this.” VIEW FROM THE TOP “Dan Behm and I started this company together and have reinvented it several times over the last 18 years. Our products and services are always changing and evolving. This
requires deep technical and math skills for the analytics and data and a deep understanding of human behavior, sociology and design thinking to develop great applications and products. When we marry them together, it gives us a remarkable capacity to solve problems.” CORPORATE CLIMB VanderMey recalls as a teenager reading a series of articles about building your own computer in Popular Electronics magazine. From there, he purchased a RadioShack TRS-80 and an Apple II. He started to learn coding and began to program for retail environments, doctors’ offices, insurance companies and nonprofit organizations. “Through programming, I was able to work my way through college and was on a path to the ministry. Upon the advice of my advisors, I switched paths and pursued a tech career but I still fall back on my background in pastoral ministry all the time. It helps me communicate with people, and my work at OST is a different venue for doing that.” CREDENTIALS VanderMey comes from a non-traditional background. “I have a degree certificate in pastoral ministries from Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music (now part of Cornerstone University), but feel that most of my education and training has come through experience. For over 30 years, I have done tech work and consulting for insurance companies, healthcare organizations and manufacturers.” VOICE OF EXPERIENCE “I encourage people not to put themselves in a box. Creative people can be technical and technical people can be creative. When these two disciplines are combined, that’s when we can solve problems, make a difference and create something of value.” – Interviewed by Matthew Totsky
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a perfect blend of talent and tech BY ILENE WOLFF
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hen information technology company Detroit IT faced losing one of its technicians, the business pulled a solution out of its technology bag of tricks to keep its team intact. The Troy, MI-based IT service, consulting and cloud solutions firm helps companies by setting up and hosting cloud computing and networks, implementing security measures, managing mobile devices, enabling voice over Internet phones and service (help) desk functions. For the highly valued service desk tech who moved to Virginia with his wife because of her new job opportunity, Detroit IT set up live-streaming to the company’s Troy location each workday. Some of the very technology that Detroit IT configures, services and trains its clients to use enables the company’s service desk expert to interact with co-workers and participate in meetings in Troy — and answer calls at his Virginia home from clients needing help. “The customers love him, and he’s great at solving problems,” says CEO Paul Chambers to explain why his company went to such lengths to help an employee mesh his professional responsibilities with his family’s needs. The solution also keeps the employee in the company’s culture, he says. Eric Grundlehner, Chamber’s business partner and Detroit IT’s chief technology officer, says his company’s service desk techni24
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cians build relationships with their clients in much the same way a company’s own help desk would. “When you call in, we actually know who you are and we’ve probably worked with you before,” says Grundlehner. “It’s as if we were your help desk and sitting in your basement,” he jokes. “We’re never going to replicate that with JEFFREY HUYSENTRUYT / DETROIT IT
businessprofile
detroit IT
When in need of a break, the Detroit IT team enjoys some pinball and retro gaming.
technology, but at the end of the day, we’re here for you 24/7,” Chambers says. The remote employee setup also lets the IT company try out a strategy they use to help clients. “We always like to make sure we’re testing the latest and greatest,” Chambers says. Anecdotally, the company has more frequent requests to set up offsite employees, but usually with just a company’s computer network or cloud computing. Improved videoconferencing software, along with cheaper, faster and more reliable bandwidth, has
made it possible to live stream an employee, like Detroit IT’s service desk technician, to the workplace. Similarly, Detroit IT can also set up a manufacturer’s network so its employees can log in via a computer and live stream machines on a shop floor to be remotely monitored and controlled. As a result, the shop’s machines can work 24/7, whether employees are onsite or off. “No longer do you have to staff a manufacturing plant for 24 hours a day,” Chambers says. SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENTS Along with the conveniences of a network come some challenges, and Detroit IT helps clients with those as well. For example, it sets up firewalls and software for two-factor authentication for better security, along with educating clients on keeping out prying eyes through strict password policies and other safekeeping steps. “We always follow best practices,” says Chambers. The company employs best practices, too, for “bring your own device” (BYOD). Chambers says employees using their own desktop and laptop computers, smartphones and other handheld devices is less of a concern now that companies have started merging the practice with confidentiality and nondisclosure policies employees must sign. >>
“When you call in, we actually know who you are and we’ve probably worked with you before. It’s as if we were your help desk and sitting in your basement.”
PHOTO BY JEFFREY HUYSENTRUYT / COURTESY DETROIT IT
– ERIC GRUNDLEHNER
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PHOTO BY JEFFREY HUYSENTRUYT / COURTESY DETROIT IT
Service Desk Technician Dave provides remote support to a customer
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Grundlehner explains that technology enables BYOD employees to enroll and install software on their devices that lets a company remotely monitor and manage them. If an employee leaves, or he loses his phone, for example, the company has the power to cut off access and wipe its data off the device. MERGING TALENTS Detroit IT’s CEO and CTO have each been in the IT industry about 15 years and previously owned separate companies. For Chambers, that was Core3 Solutions in Troy, an IT management company. Core3 also provided digital marketing and web development services, functions that have been spun off into a separate company, Element5. The partners kept Core3 Solutions as the umbrella name for a family of companies (see sidebar). Grundlehner’s previous company was the Birmingham-based Enlighten Technologies, an IT service and consulting firm. “It’s a small town, everybody seems to know everybody,” says Chambers. “Eric and I would get together for lunch every so often … and even referred business to each other.” 26
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The pair started working together in 2013, and formed Detroit IT in 2014 to offer more expansive solutions to customers. MEASURING GROWTH Detroit IT has 10 employees and has seen year-over-year sales percentage increases in the triple digits, comparing the current company with the pair’s previous firms. “Yeah, it’s been that tremendous,” says Chambers. He says they included “Detroit” in the name because they feel passionate about the area and share its hallmark values of hard work and grounded ethics. “We thought of naming it Grundlehner Technologies, but rejected that idea,” says Grundlehner (a mouthful that’s pronounced groond-LAY-ner) with a laugh. Chambers and Grundlehner have another company, Mac: Detroit, which is one of about 500 Apple Consultant Network companies in the country and the second largest in Michigan. Detroit IT is a Microsoft partner. “We really offer one-stop shopping,” Chambers says.
ODD BEDFELLOWS SPELL SUCCESS Q: What’s the link among cloud computing, funky socks and men’s grooming? A: They’re all part of Core3 Solutions’ “big happy family of brands.” Thanks to three members of Core3’s family — Detroit IT, Mac: Detroit and Element5 — businesses can set up computer networks, employ cloud computing, get a website and market themselves on the Internet. But thanks to two other family members, joint ventures that are partially owned by Core3’s Paul Chambers and Eric Grundlehner, you can get random pairs of socks, from Random Socks, or a monthly box of items for the fashionable male, from Gentleman’s Box. They were both Core3 clients and offered an opportunity to invest. Random Socks are seconds from a local shop that makes branded socks for sports teams, fraternities/sororities, organizations and events. Gentleman’s Box, in Farmington Hills, claims to be the first subscription service for today’s gentleman. For a fee, the subscriber gets a themed box each month with grooming aids, a copy of GQ magazine and accessories. For example, the secret agent box contained the magazine, USB cufflinks, a tie, a pair of socks and a sample of facial cleanser.
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brave new world
THE INTERNET OF
THINGS BY JULIE BAUMKEL
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hink the world is moving too fast now? Just wait. The next stellar leap is about to rock this brave new world. The Internet of Things (IoT) will lead to the Internet of Everything (IoE), which will change the way our things interact with us — for virtually everything we own, create and use. The Internet of Things is the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment. There are already sensors in our cars (collision detection), our bodies (heart monitoring implants) and our homes (thermometers) — even on the basketball court (a smart basketball that gives players real-time feedback on shooting arc, dribble intensity and more). By 2020, Gartner, Inc. — an information technology research and advisory company — estimates there will be nearly 26 billion devices on the IoT. According to global technology giant Cisco, 90 percent of the world’s data has been created in the last two years with about 1.1 billion data points available by sensor. 28
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IT ALL STARTED WITH COKE The concept of an Internet-connected device first arose in 1982, when a Coke machine at Carnegie Mellon University was calibrated to report its inventory and indicate whether newly loaded drinks were cold. By 1991, Mark Weiser wrote a paper on the ubiquitous computer. And by 1999, two men — Bill Joy and Kevin Ashton — were espousing the Internet of Everything separately at major conferences on economics and innovation. What they described was defined as “the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.” Critics say the Internet of Things will erode human control and privacy. A recent controversy over interactive smart TVs that can also act as a two-way channel to view people in the privacy of their own homes indicates some concerns may be in order. Environmentalists object to the waste possibly generated from more sensitive gadgets that may need more frequent replacement and will replace the common mechanical goods we maintained for years in our homes. Others note that the integration of smart devices with the Internet requires an IP ad-
dress as a unique identifier, so new demands like these will require a larger Internet. Currently, the address space of the existing Internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) allows for 4.3 billion unique addresses. A new, larger Internet of Everything will require an upgrade to IPv6. Global adoption of IPv6 means 50 to 100 trillion objects could be encoded and followed. But not to worry, says Alison Gleeson, senior vice president of Americas Sales at Cisco Systems, “We have no doubt IPv6 will be in place to support the Internet of Everything.” TECHNOLOGY AT EVERY TURN Gleeson believes that every company is a technology company. “It doesn’t matter what industry or what country you are in,” she says. “Technology is affecting both public and private sectors. Be it laptops, phones or human interaction or whether it is consumer technology or enterprise and operation technologies, we are seeing increased connectivity.” And it comes at a price. Gleeson says technology often accounts for half of a company’s budget. “The connectivity also has an impact on the ecosystem. One of the most connected >>
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cities is Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona looks at maximizing the IoE to create value and it determines how the city is organized. Connectivity tells them where in the city the garbage cans are full and that they require a pick up.” Smart meters are monitoring water, gas and electric usage to help cities analyze data and create efficiencies. In addition to smart cities like Barcelona, certain industries have capitalized on connectivity. “Mining is a good example of an industry that has capitalized on connectivity, whether it is unmanned vehicles, people under the ground or people above the ground,” Gleeson says. “Healthcare is another. People are already monitoring their health at home with the help of technology.” CONSUMER CONNECTIVITY Connectivity is trending on the consumer front, as well. “Here in North America, we have gone from two to three connected devices per person to six or more per person,” Gleeson says. “Just look at your smartphone alone. If you count all the things your smartphone can do, you’ll see what I mean: it’s a mobile phone, it’s a camera, it’s a smart device, it’s a hotel key at the Hilton, it’s a GPS, it calls me a cab from Uber, it’s a chalkboard, it’s a marketplace, it’s a boarding pass, it’s a health monitor, it’s a TV.” Gleeson recalls a speaker at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas who commented that he has never before seen the influence of so many consumer devices impacting enterprise and operational technologies. “Such devices are creating a new consumer environment,” Gleeson says. Consider the growing popularity of wearable devices: fitness bands, smart watches, smart glasses and action cameras, to name just a few. And at home, our household appliances are connecting to enable security capabilities and remote management of temperature, lights, ovens and more. TRANSITION IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY The IoT is also quickly driving innovations in our vehicles. According to Gartner research direc30
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tor James Hines, cars will be a major element of the Internet of Things, with one in five vehicles having some sort of wireless network connection by 2020, accounting for more than a quarter of a billion cars on global roads. In-vehicle wireless connectivity is rapidly expanding from luxury models and premium brands to high-volume mid-market models, he says. While the majority of connected cars, at least in the early stages, will be a car-to-mobile connection, Gartner expects this network to expand eventually to vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure connections. Mamatha Chamarthi, vice president and CIO of TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation, in Livonia, MI, acknowledges the movement of the automotive industry toward the automated car and emphasizes her company’s focus on safety. “As brake suppliers to auto companies, we are developing technologies that enable the car to stop itself with an eye toward passenger safety. This involves cameras, radar and sensors that identify what’s going on around the vehicle and that send a signal to the brakes to stop the car when necessary,” she says. “In the past our systems were mechanical. Today, we’re moving toward integrated systems that involve brakes, steering and air bags — these represent global electronics that connect all of our products.” This integration of products is transitioning TRW from purely mechanical operations to mechatronics — the integration of mechanics, electronics, informatics, automation and robotics. Judy Asher, manager of Enterprise Technology Research & Innovation at Ford Motor Co., says the IoT and the digitization of the automotive industry are exciting on many levels — including those that extend beyond the automobile. She points to Ford’s involvement in the 2015 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where the company introduced a new experiment — Handle on Mobility and Info Cycle — as part of its global Ford Smart Mobility plan. Handle on Mobility challenged Ford employees to design an e-bike. The two selected designs — MoDe:Me and MoDe:Pro — feature technology inspired by the automotive industry, including a rear-facing sensor that
vibrates the handlebars and illuminates the lights of the bike to warn of a vehicle approaching from behind. Both e-bikes are designed for city life — the MoDe:Me for commuters and the MoDe:Pro for commercial use — and fold for easy transport. The prototype MoDe:Link app, available for iPhone 6, gives riders real-time information about nearby vehicles, bike-friendly roads and potential hazards — all with an eye toward getting a rider to his or her destination safely. Asher says the IoT is the reason for this shift in the auto industry. “Here we are a transportation company, but we’re thinking beyond the vehicle and how we can use technology to help you manage your trip in all the different ways you might need to connect to get to where you’re going. If you think about managing your trip, number one, you might not be in a personal vehicle. You may be taking any number of types of transportation, including a bike. This digitization becomes an extension of our industry.” Info Cycle experiment at Mobile World Congress involved gathering information about e-bikes and traditional bikes and how they are used in different urban environments. A sensor box attached to the bike collects data — wheel speed, acceleration, weather and altitude — that the company hopes will help improve communication between bicycles and vehicles for better safety and improved route planning for riders. How does Asher get employees prepared to think outside the box and to embrace the Internet of Things? “In the research world we do it through applied research projects. We think about interesting things to try, partner with other companies, try things out in the lab and look at emerging patterns.” Asher says the company also runs “innovation” challenges and contests (known as hackathons). “In October, we ran a hackathon on smart watches and how we might be able to use smart watches in vehicles. So we gave employees two days to work in small teams to come up with ideas about usages for smart watches in relation to vehicles. “Our goal is to develop insights as to what can be done with connected devices. Could a smart watch somehow help drivers be less distracted? Maybe adding a microphone to
SUPPORTING THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING Every day, Alex Violassi, director of the Automation Alley Technical Center on the Oakland University campus in Rochester, MI, helps make sure the state’s manufacturing industry stays at the forefront of technological innovation. The center focuses on product lifecycle management (PLM) and modeling/simulation/visualization (MSV) strategies and tools, including 3D printing for additive manufacturing. “Our mission is to expose manufacturers to the coming technology; to train them on the technology; and give them handson experience as part of the center,” says Violassi, who notes the Michigan Economic Development Corporation provided an initial grant over five years to get the center open and to sustain it. A group of major partners also donated software. Violassi believes the Internet of Everything will have a definite impact on the Technical Center. “Here at the Technical Center, we are working with manufactur-
ers to change the whole design process,’’ he says. “Traditionally, product development was mostly mechanical. Now there is a simultaneous merging of mechanical, electronics and software. The new smart products are equipped with sensors and the intelligence to talk to each other. What that means is that now people have to design the electronics, the software and the sensors on the computer before anything is manufactured. You learn to think about things differently.” He uses the refrigerator as an example. “Refrigerators are becoming much ‘smarter.’ If your water pump breaks, you used to have to notify the manufacturer for service. They would come out, look at the part, figure out what was needed, order the part, then come back and install it when the part came in. That was pretty typical,” he says. “Now, however, thanks to your smart sensor on your new refrigerator, it will notify the manufacturer, who knows the model and how it was used and they will send a
service rep out with the right part, which will have been already requested out of inventory. “All industries are exploring this smart functionality,” Violassi says, noting that both healthcare and the automotive industries were quick to embrace the concept. Despite the presence of the Oakland University computer science and engineering students that the Technology Center benefits from, by and large, Violassi says, “This interactivity is new — so new that manufacturers are having trouble trying to find people to fit the new careers. People have taken to recruiting gamers from South by Southwest to get employees who can write code. “Product lifecycle management and modeling, simulation and visualization is the process we are teaching local manufacturers,” Violassi says. “If you can use your computer to design and simulate before you purchase expensive components and physical equipment, you will save uncounted dollars.”
the watch would allow the driver to give commands. Whether you’re in a vehicle, on a bike or walking, your watch is there throughout the entire trip, so if I move from driving to biking to walking, how might I be able to manage my entire trip with applications on my smart watch? “We want to expose employees to new tools and new concepts and to think about new ideas. We’re trained IT professionals, so we’re used to the barriers that have existed. How do I not become fearful that this will change my whole world as an IT pro?”
to transform standalone products into connected experiences.” This, he believes, will be the future business model that students must understand. “The IoT is bringing together traditionally separate business functions — finance, product development, IT, strategy and service — and these will be connected and viewed as a system.” Garrett says getting students to embrace the IoT requires a two-pronged approach involving: • Perspective: Students must realize that connectivity is not just technology, but the steam engine that is impacting most industries. • Integration: Students must understand how to bring together previously disparate sets of information as well as build intra-industry alliances with players never before in their value chain. Garrett uses the automotive and insurance industries as an example of the impact of connectivity. These industries, although aligned, have operated separately until now, he says. “Today, no longer are insurance rates determined by age, family size, etc. We now have devices that can measure how you drive: Do
you break hard? Do you speed? These can be measured and used to determine your insurance rates.” As part of an ongoing effort to help innovators capitalize on emerging technologies, Oakland University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has developed the course, “Competing in a Connected World.” This advanced course introduces students of information technology, engineering and business to the connected world and challenges them to develop and analyze business models in this space. “The world in which we all live and work is connecting, transforming into a major trillion-node system that connects everyone everywhere, and now, everything,” says Garrett. “This emerging connected trend is really a disruption on the same level of the steam engine or electricity. It is reshaping industries and across industries.” Garrett believes the Competing in a Connected World course he launched at OU “allows students and professionals to prepare to harness opportunity in this connected environment. “Over time,” he predicts, “connected educational programs will be the norm.”
EDUCATIONAL ELEMENT Gregg Garrett, founder and managing director of Corporate Growth Strategy (CGS) Advisors, LLC, is addressing the educational element of the IoT and believes the time is now for teaching students at all levels how to work in a connected world. His focus as part of an advisory committee at Oakland University in Rochester, MI, is to address the question: How are we preparing students to compete in an ever-connected world? According to Garrett, “We need to develop a ‘systems thinking’ approach that allows us
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lifestyle SUSAN R. POLLACK
Greg “Ryno” Rynearson is president of Cops & Doughnuts, a cop-owned bakery, diner and shop that has put small-town Clare, MI, on the tourist map.
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michigan
destinations to sweeten your trip BY SUSAN R. POLLACK
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hat’s a road-trip without some special treats to ease the backseat boredom? Fortunately for travelers, Michigan has no shortage of sweet stops, from familiar chocolate-rich spots like Sanders and Kilwins to the many Mackinac Island fudge shops and ice cream parlors that dot the state. And while we would never bypass our old favorites, we’re always on the lookout for new discoveries — the kind of hidden gems that make us eager to hit the road. Here, we share a few lesser-known bakeries that merit a detour or are a worthy Michigan destination on their own. And, if your sweet tooth is up for it, you could hit both in one trip! SWEETIE-LICIOUS BAKERY OWNER TOUTS THE POWER OF PIE Pies equal love. Linda Hundt learned that lesson early on when the turquoise Easy-Bake Oven she got for Christmas won her brothers’ affection. “It was the only time my brothers liked me,” she says of the goodies she created as a 5-year-old. Hundt continues to spread the love — while striving to “change the world one pie at a time” — at Sweetie-licious Bakery-Café, a pretty little pie shop she opened in 2005 in the mid-Michigan community of DeWitt, near Lansing.
With a red-and-white-striped awning out front and piles of pink boxes, vintage cookbooks and kitschy decor inside, the cheery little bakery on the Looking Glass River is filled with sweet aromas and the nostalgic sounds of crooners like Frank Sinatra. Hundt touts it as “the cutest little pie shop in the whole world.” And last year, the award-winning pie-maker opened two additional shops in Grand Rapids, one at the Downtown Market, the other in East Grand Rapids, and introduced her pies to a national audience through the Williams-Sonoma website and catalog. She also
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lifestyle SUSAN R. POLLACK
DONCKERS SELLS SWEETS NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR’S SHORE
Candy-maker Akasha Morherudaen makes hand-crafted treats at Donckers, an old-fashioned sweet shop in Marquette in the Upper Peninsula.
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published a book, “Sweetie-licious Pies: Eat Pie, Love Life,” and appears before groups as an inspirational speaker. Clad in old-fashioned aprons, the effervescent entrepreneur and her crews roll out mounds of dough and crimp perfect crusts for more than 40 kinds of pie — several of them prize-winners. From Pink Lemonade and Peach Rhubarb to Browned Butter Coconut Chess, many are refined from treasured family recipes Hundt learned at the aprons of her mother, aunts and grandmother, who collectively inspired her lifelong passion for pie baking. And each of the pies has a sweet back-story about family or friends, all detailed in flowing script on her website. Last Thanksgiving, the bakeries sold more than 1,000 pies in three busy days and nearly 800 in the last few days before Christmas, Hundt says. Other made-from-scratch comfort foods and childhood favorites also star on the Sweetie-licious menu, including 34
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plump muffins and cupcakes, chewy cookies and brownies and tasty quiche, soups, salads and sandwiches. “People love the throwback atmosphere,” says Hundt, a self-described Donna Reedwannabe who often wears retro dresses under her aprons. “This whole shop — eating pie and making pies — takes you back to a simpler, bygone time. People relate to that; they want more of that in their lives.” Hundt has made numerous TV appearances, including the “Today Show” and “The Steve Harvey Show.” Her 19 national awards include the Food Network’s “Amazing Pie Challenge” and the Crisco 100th Anniversary Innovation “Best in Show.” Food and Wine magazine also named her Sticky Toffee Pudding Caramel Apple Pie among the nation’s best pies. A former substitute teacher and appointment scheduler for a Michigan governor, Hundt started peddling fresh-baked pies to
If you find yourself in Marquette, MI, overlooking Lake Superior, reward yourself after that long trip to the Upper Peninsula with handcrafted candies — chocolates, caramels, fudge and more — from Donckers, an oldfashioned soda fountain, candy kitchen and cafe in the heart of downtown. Serving up sandwiches and sweets for more than a century in the same location, this Marquette institution exudes old-school charm with tin ceilings, wooden booths, marble counters and sweets galore, including handmixed shakes, malts and sundaes topped with fresh whipped cream. Sea salt caramels are a Donckers specialty (there’s even a habanero version). Other chocolate confections include truffles, cookie caramels, pretzel rods and bark spiked with almonds, blueberries and other fruit. Many are made with natural, locally sourced ingredients, and all elicit a one-word declaration: yum! Check www.donckersonline.com; (906) 226-6110.
local farm markets and restaurants in 2002. She also sold them from the back porch of her family’s century-old farmhouse, where customers dropped money in a bucket after helping themselves to her pie safe. Running her own bakery is a lifelong dream. “Being at the shop, baking pies, it definitely helps me,” says the mother of two grown daughters. As one of her favorite signs in the bakery proclaims, “Pie Fixes Everything.” Check www.sweetie-liscious.com or call 517-669-9300. COPS & DOUGHNUTS: BAKERY’S PATH TO SWEET SUCCESS IS PAVED WITH SUGAR AND SPRINKLES Six years ago, police officers in Clare learned the city’s bakery, a downtown institution since 1896, was about to close. Commiserating over lunch, the nine-member force hatched a rescue plan, kicking in $1,500 each to buy it.
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SUSAN R. POLLACK
Linda Hundt expresses her passion for pie-making daily at Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe in DeWitt, near Lansing.
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And then, in a stroke of branding genius, the officers capitalized on an old cliché and named their enterprise Cops & Doughnuts. The catchy moniker, combined with savvy marketing, drew widespread headlines and hordes of customers, not only reviving the once-dying downtown but turning the small mid-Michigan city into a tourist destination. Fans have come from all 50 states and internationally to sample the bakery’s madefrom-scratch goodies with tongue-in-cheek names, from the apple-studded Felony Fritter to the Bacon Squealer, a maple-frosted long john topped with two bacon strips. The Deputy, Night Stick and Taser are among popular other sweet treats. From a handful of employees in 2009 to nearly 50 today, Cops & Doughnuts has expanded rapidly, taking over three adjacent downtown buildings. There’s also a satellite “precinct” in a neighboring town, two daily delivery routes with nearly 50 stops and a thriving mail-order division. “We’re not just a bakery, we’re an event,” says Greg “Ryno” Rynearson, a cop co-owner and hands-on president who took early retirement from the police force to oversee what he calls the retail “fun and games.” Visitors, he says, easily can spend a couple of hours in and around Cops & Doughnuts, 36
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munching sandwiches such as the Stool Pigeon (chicken salad) and Misdemeanor Wiener in the Traffic Stop Diner, which opened in 2012. They also inspect police department patches and other memorabilia and pose for mug shots in the Cop Shop. Merchandise ranges from colorful T-shirts, tank tops and short shorts to bumper stickers and beverage cups. Each is emblazoned with a slogan such as: “You have the right to remain glazed,” “D.W.I.: Doughnuts Were Involved,” “Hand Cuffs and Cream Puffs,” or “Buns & Guns.” Rynearson, 52, can be found meeting and greeting customers and supervising Cops & Doughnuts’ social media outreach (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you name it) along with its buzzing mail-order division. In addition to a donut-fueled Valentine’s Day, for example, the bakery in February shipped 5,000 Fat Tuesday orders to addresses in all 50 states, plus Washington D.C., St. Croix and as far away as Okinawa, Japan. Each box contained six of the jelly-filled donuts whose Polish name is paczki (poonchkey), he says. Other items include Cops Coffee and, believe it or not, made-in-Michigan cologne. Both lines, naturally, have police-themed product names. The coffee comes in Off Duty
(decaf), Morning Shift (medium) and Midnight Shift (dark roast), while the colognes — for women and men — are named Miss Behavin, Under Suspicion and Probable Cause. Rynearson and his cop-partners are proud that they not only saved downtown Clare from vacant buildings and blight but also put the small city of about 3,100 residents on tourist maps. Pointing out that Clare is located in the middle of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, “halfway to everywhere in the state,” he boasts: “We had 500,000 people go through our three stores last year alone — we’re truly in the travel mix now.” And, Rynearson says with a wink, why not? With seven of his partners still working their beats, Cops & Doughnuts is easily the safest place around. Check www.copsdoughnuts.com; 989-968-4488 or 989-386-2241.
Susan R. Pollack is an award-winning travel writer based in Huntington Woods. A Michigan native, she still pines for the chocolate phosphates she slurped on childhood Saturdays at the former Diana’s Sweet Shoppe in Port Huron and the fresh limeades and other goodies at the long-gone Drake’s Sandwich Shop in Ann Arbor.
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John Scrudato and Satish Subramanian are members of the U-M Tauber Institute for Global Operations team that helped Mac Arther Corporation explore growth opportunities.
Mac Arthur Corporation Turns to U-M Tauber Team
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hen the management team of Mac Arthur Corporation wanted to explore innovationbased growth opportunities, they turned to a student team from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan. Mac Arthur Corporation, based in Grand Blanc, MI, produces labels, tags and die-cut components primarily for the automotive, electronics and industrial markets. The company was interested in finding out how emerging advanced manufacturing technologies could improve its production process. Defining the project During a 14-week project, the Tauber 38
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team —— consisting of John Scrudato, working on MBA and JD degrees, and Satish Subramanian, a member of the Engineering Global Program (EGP), which leads to a master’s degree in industrial and operations engineering —— was asked to: • Evaluate emerging advanced manufacturing technologies, markets and supply chain • Identify profitable opportunities • Develop the best business plan and marketing strategy to position Mac Arthur for long-term success Developing a plan “We had to develop a commercialization plan that balanced three interdependent
criteria: technology maturity, size of the market opportunity and Mac Arthur’s acquirable capabilities,” says Scrudato. “Changing our answer to one of these three variables changed the ideal solution for the other two, and vice versa. “Based on high-level analysts’ reports, we hypothesized a very broad answer to all three pieces of the puzzle. Then we used copious personal interactions with researchers, executives and analysts in the emerging technology arena to evaluate our answers and further optimize our possible solution. Following these actions, we zeroed in on a single technology platform, based on financial projections, estimated addressable market size
and the required upfront investment.” The Tauber team built a financial model to evaluate the best-fit opportunities and adapt strategy over time. Working with Mac Arthur CEO Christie Barrett and President Thomas Barrett, the team then developed a strategy and business plan to improve the company’s product development, manufacturing and go-tomarket capabilities through a series of profitable projects. Setting the stage The stage was set for entering a new field, and the Tauber team convinced Christie Barrett to take the first steps by purchasing unique raw materials and allocating valuable company resources to conduct a pilot production run. The team worked with the engineering and production teams to design and manufacture the company’s first functional prototype using high-speed processes. This pilot run
generated enthusiasm and capability development with employees as each prototype came through the production line. The Tauber team also connected Mac Arthur with a number of potential customers, suppliers and research partners. Barrett, a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Manufacturing Council and President Barack Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) 2.0 Steering Committee, spoke about the project and on behalf of small manufacturers at the Innovation Policy Forum in Washington on Oct. 27, 2014. A partnership for success This collaboration between Mac Arthur and the Tauber team was the prototype for a new type of project; combining innovative products with a nimble and responsive mid-market manufacturer offering established operational excellence in manufacturing and product design.
Dr. Alan Woodliff, Tauber Institute Industry co-director and an advisor on the Mac Arthur team project, says the Tauber Institute hopes this type of project will gain steam and help Michigan’s small businesses and manufacturers discover new ways to compete. “We think it’s important because we know that manufacturing is fundamental to a strong economy and the foundation of manufacturing is small business,” he says. “It is important for the University of Michigan and the Tauber Institute to be involved. We feel it is part of our Institute’s goals to help manufacturing in the state of Michigan and the United States.” “The experience with the Tauber Institute exceeded my expectations,” says Barrett. “Apart from anything the Institute did, the energy and enthusiasm that comes with young, talented, intelligent people brings a certain momentum. They don’t know what isn’t possible.”
ARE YOU READY FOR A TAUBER TEAM? It’s not just game-changing. It’s globe-changing. Whether you’re a student or employer, learn how our graduate-level engineering and business team projects benefit everyone involved with high-impact, high ROI projects such as: • Lean process design and implementation • Manufacturing rationalization plan • Strategic site assessment • Supply chain implementation plan
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SUBMISSION DEADLINE Project proposals are due December 1, 2015 for projects starting in summer 2016. Contact Jon Grice at gricej@umich.edu or (734) 647-2220.
Find out more at
www.tauber.umich.edu Tauber student teams showed sponsor companies how to streamline their operations for savings of more than $450 million in 2014.
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expertoutlook
Hands-on technology education should start at a young age BY VIRINDER K. MOUDGIL
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here are many explanations As a society, we must constantly for America’s continued leadsearch for new activities that will ership in innovation and innot only engage our young people genuity, but one good example is with technology, but also provide the Soap Box Derby. practical experience to go along Beginning in 1934, several genwith their increased knowledge. erations of fathers worked with For example, FIRST Robotics and their sons — only boys were alRobofest are two international lowed to enter until 1971 — on competitions that provide opporVIRINDER K. designing and building a vehicle tunities for young people to have MOUDGIL propelled solely by gravity. While fun while putting into action elethe concept was simple, there were ments of computer programming many operations to master along the way. The and mechanical engineering. The Michigan boys learned about the tools and machines used to make the different parts of their carts, and they learned how to strive for the best possible outcome through trial and error. Many Soap Box Derby competitors went on to engineering careers. They began learning at a young age about how things work and how to turn ideas into reality, and that experience made it much easier for them to keep on learning throughout their education and then their working careers. WORDS FROM A LEADER “Learn by doing — that’s my favorite principle in education,” the great Henry Ford once said. Creativity alone does not foster innovation, nor does mastery of abstract scientific or mathematical concepts. As Ford put it, “I believe in 100 percent theory and practice. Theory without practical application is futile.” Participation in the Soap Box Derby has been in decline for many years despite admirable efforts to keep up with the times. It is hard to compete for the attention of young people when they have so many interesting activities available right on their phones and tablets. 40
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Council of Women in Technology (MCWT) has developed several programs to get both females and minorities involved in technology at a young age. (Full disclosure: Robofest was founded at LTU, and one of the MCWT summer camps is held on our campus.) BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS Excluding girls from the Soap Box Derby for several decades is just one of many examples of
how American society has placed women at a disadvantage when competing for well-paying jobs in the technology sector. Minority groups often have faced similar barriers to entry. Many business studies have shown that diversity of gender and ethnic background enables companies to achieve better results. Furthermore, if the United States is going to respond to the increasing demand for workers with technology skills, we must cast as wide a net as possible. If we don’t find a way to attract more women and minorities to technology, today’s shortfall of technologically skilled workers will seriously impact the nation’s economy in the future. This critique is not meant to discount the progress and evolution of American society. Far from it. As a native of India who came to the United States as a young man, I have personally benefited from the freedom and opportunity offered by our society. I am convinced that the United States remains the best place in the world to live and work. But we can’t maintain that exalted position by standing still or by failing to address what we can do better. We must be more inclusive in technology and develop new and interesting ways to engage young people. We need to support educational opportunities in technology for our future workers at a young age.
Virinder K. Moudgil is president of Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI, where the approach to education reflects its motto, “Theory and Practice.” Lawrence Tech’s faculty is involved in several outreach programs designed to get more young people, especially females and underrepresented minorities, involved in technology at an early age.
What’s the connection between years and nearly 1 million students? Oakland Community College. Yes, OCC. Chartered in 1964, Oakland Community College has served nearly 1 million students over the last 50 years. Then, now and always, OCC will be focused on meeting our community’s needs. After all, community is our middle name.
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makingthescene
ALTAIR 30TH ANNIVERSARY
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Altair commemorated its 30th Anniversary on Jan. 23 at the Henry Ford Museum, with 1,100 “Altarians” from around the globe gathering to celebrate this leading company in simulation and optimization software. The party included a strolling dinner, live entertainment and a toast given by James Scapa, founder, chairman and CEO of Altair. He was joined on stage by his wife Sally as well as co-founder George Christ and his wife Deborah. Founded in 1985, Altair is headquartered in Troy, MI, with regional operations throughout 22 countries and a staff of more than 2,000 employees.
DEANNA SPIVEY PHOTOGRAPHY
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1. Deborah and George Christ and James and Sally Scapa, founders of Altair 2. Louis Elachkar, Charlie and Nicole Selah and Nina Elachkar of Altair Troy 3. DongHo Han of Altair Korea 4. “The Beginning” video played in the Douglas Auto Theatre throughout the evening 5. Sally Scapa, Joe Sorovetz, Jason Napolitano, Janelle Napolitano, Renee Sorovetz of Altair Troy 6. Jared Sykes Band with special guest Brenda Nichols (wife of Martin Nichols, CIO of Altair).
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AUTOMATION ALLEY’S TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY OUTLOOK 5
5 1. Patrick Anderson of Anderson Economic Group and Pete Stava of Ralph C. Wilson Agency, Inc. 2. Zack Brown of Wenzel America Ltd. and Greg Wolf of WEC Group, LLC 3. Scott Schwarz of Fisher/Unitech 4. Warren C. Evans, Wayne County Executive 5. Guests enjoying lunch at Colony Club Detroit.
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JOHN AZONI - WWW.JOHNAZONIPHOTO.COM
Automation Alley’s Technology Industry Outlook, held Feb. 12 at the Colony Club in Detroit, attracted hundreds of Southeast Michigan’s tech industry professionals for a presentation of the technology business association’s annual Technology Industry Report. According to this year’s report, the tech economy of Southeast Michigan remains competitive with other leading tech hubs across the nation, with job creation expected to trend upward in the coming years. Presenters at the event included Jeff Green, Bloomberg News Detroit bureau chief, and Patrick Anderson, Anderson Economic Group principal and CEO. The Technology Industry Report benchmarks the metro Detroit region against 14 other high-tech hubs throughout the U.S. in terms of job creation, business creation, innovation and education.
A L L O F YO U R FAVO R I T E B R A N D S N OW SHA R E T H E S A M E HOM E .
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