CHAMPIONS ACG M&A

RESORTS & TOURISM

Michigans New Golf
Mecca, Gull Lake View
OF THE NEW ECONOMY ALL-STARS Near Kalamazoo

DETROITS PREMIER BUSINESS JOURNAL

DISTRICT DETROIT RISING

A first look at the investment opportunities in and around
the new $627M arena for the Detroit Red Wings

$3.95 May / June 2016

dbusiness.com
 CONTENTS May - June 2016 || Volume 11 Issue 3
FEATURES
COVER STORY
54 || DISTRICT DETROIT RISING
For the first time, the design and leasing team for District
Detroit, a 50-block area spanning downtown and Midtown,
reveals how the plan for a new, $627-million arena for the
Detroit Red Wings, as well as offices, housing, stores, and
restaurants, got its start. By Tom Murray
42 || 2016 CHAMPIONS OF THE NEW ECONOMY
From a soccer arena entrepreneur to a construction company
founder to a developer of 3-D marketing firm to a startup high-
speed Internet specialist, our 2016 Champions of the New
Economy are quickly transforming Detroits business climate.
Profiles by R.J. King
62 || ACGS ANNUAL M&A AWARDS
DBusiness magazine has partnered with the Association of
Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter to honor its recipients for
the ninth annual M&A All Star Awards for 2016.
ON THE COVER
A Detroit Red Wings banner tied to a hockey stick rises above
the roof of the yet to be named hockey arena. In the distance
is the ongoing construction for District Detroit, along with the
city skyline.
Cover Photograph by Rob Kohn
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSH SCOTT
CONTENTS || May - June 2016

COMMENTARY
21 AI: ROAD WARRIOR
New regulations needed to protect autonomous vehicle software
HYPER SPEED: Promote the region as a top Internet high-speed hub
LESS IS MORE: Improve efficiency by integrating cities
24 COMPENDIUM
How Outsiders View Detroit

THE TICKER
27 WAVE LENGTH
A new recording studio in metro Detroit nurtures local talent.
By R.J. King
EAGLE PLAY: Eastern Michigan University renovates Eagle Crest
Golf Club. By Norm Sinclair
BACKSTAGE PASS: The Robert Kidd Gallery in Birmingham pays
tribute to David Bowie, other musicians. By R.J. King
34 30 CHIPS AHOY
A Mexican food company develops packaging technology to expand
its reach. By R.J. King
PDA Q&A: Ismail Houmani, president and CEO, La Casa Cigars and
Lounge, Detroit speaks on his visit to Cuba.By R.J. King
32 ENGLISH BEAT
A native of Lebanon helps expand the global health care market
from Detroit. By R.J. King
FOR ALL SEASONS: The Inn at Bay Harbor undergoes transfor-
mation to become four-season resort . By Adrienne Roberts

FOCUS
34 SOUP TO LUG NUTS
38 A customer service-training program at Zingermans in Ann Arbor is
making a mark throughout the auto industry. By Ronald Ahrens
PLUS: Customer service above and beyond. By Adrienne Roberts

PERSPECTIVES
38 CONTRARIAN COURSE
Why is Gull Lake View near Battle Creek opening a new resort-style
course? By Norm Sinclair
PLUS: Fore Play:The 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship rolls into
Oakland Hills Country Club in August. By Norm Sinclair

EXEC LIFE
71 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN
The renovated Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is
driving talk of a similar venue in downtown Detroit. By Rick Haglund
74 RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Foreign Correspondent: ABC News reporter and Detroit native
71 Bob Woodruff covers the world. By Tom Murray
76 MICHIGAN FRANCHISE REPORT
Two Men and a Truck Keep Moving Ahead. By Kris Baker
79 OPINION
Double Jeopardy: The America Invents Act was expected to reduce
legal costs and limit litigation, but has not. By Jeff Sadowski
80 THE CIRCUIT
Our party pics from exclusive events.

ETC.
14 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
16 CONTRIBUTORS
19 LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
88 FROM THE TOP: Detroits Largest Business Insurance Agencies;
Largest Accident and Health Insurance Companies;
Largest Contractors; Largest Law Firms, Chambers of Commerce,
and Top Outstate Hotels

98 98 CLOSING BELL: Detroits first amusement grounds.

By Ronald Ahrens

12 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016 TOP PHOTOGRAPH BY NICK HAGEN; MIDDLE TOP PHOTOGRAPH COURTRESY OF GULF LAKE VIEW
CLUB AND RESORT; MIDDLE BOTTOM PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PETERSEN AUTO MUSEUM;
BOTTOM PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WALTER P. REUTHER LIBRARY
LETTER || From the Editor
Prime Time
O
ne hundred years ago,
large farms that graced
Big Beaver Road in
Troy dominated the lo-
cal economy. Even into
the 1960s, early morn-
ing commuters had to
wait in traffic as dairy cows crossed the road
on their way from milking parlors to pastures,
and back again.
Now that the farms are gone, replaced by
gleaming office towers, the Somerset Collec-
tion, a major intersection at I-75, and the most
dense collection of steakhouses in the state,
most would assume the three-mile stretch
of Big Beaver between Rochester Road and
Coolidge Highway has reached its apex.
But while seemingly every luxury store and
upscale restaurant counts the thoroughfare as
home, theres still plenty of unrealized poten-
tial for growth along Big Beaver, especially as
city and state officials put the finishing touches
on a major reconstruction of the corridor. In
an economy that places a premium on speed
to market, the swift commute now afforded
travelers along Big Beaver is propelling anoth-
er wave of development.
Although most of the raw land bordering
the thoroughfare is spoken for, look for anoth-
er wave of commercial projects springing from
surface parking lots, as well as developments
that replace older structures. For example, the
new Childrens Hospital of Michigan Specialty
Center, located just west of the Detroit Mar-
riott Troy hotel, superseded the architectural
offices of the late Minoru Yamasaki.
The commercial rent along Big Beaver
ranges from $40 to $45 a square foot, which
is the highest rent in the region, says Jim
Bieri, principal of Stokas Bieri Real Estate in
Detroit. The reason that area commands the
highest rent is a reflection of sales. The Somer-
set Collection is our premium shopping mall,
and people drive from all over the region to
shop and dine there.
More growth is coming. Unicorp National
Development Inc. in Orlando, which special-
izes in commercial projects, recently acquired
the City Center office building at Big Bea-
ver and Troy Center Drive. Offering nearly
300,000 square feet of space, the buildings
most notable tenants are The Melting Pot and
14 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Mortons Steakhouse.
Just 41 percent occupied now, plans call
for filling the buildings office floors, adding
four to six restaurants or retail outlets in
the surface parking area along Big Beaver,
replacing an aging parking deck in the rear
of the structure, and developing 200 luxury
apartments to the immediate, north border-
ing Wilshire Drive.
Most recently, two hotels were added east of
City Center, along with restaurants like Bone-
fish Grill and Carrabbas Italian Grill. To the
west, Unicorp National Development is plan-
ning to add an Eddie Vs fine dining restau-
rant, which specializes in seafood and steak,
and is an affiliate brand of The Capital Grille.
The establishment will replace the CATS Co.
building, which was recently demolished.
Farther west, The Forbes Co., which owns
or is a partner at all four corners of Big Beaver
and Coolidge, including the Somerset Collec-
tion, is eyeing further development on a large
parcel that once served as the headquarters
of Kmart Corp. Sidney Forbes, who co-owns
the parcel at the northwest corner of the in-
tersection with Stanley Frankel, principal
of Troy-based Frankel Associates, envisions
a signature office building on the site, along
with a five-star hotel (think Four Seasons),
luxury apartments, and several shops and
restaurants.
What youll see in the future is more build-
ings bordering Big Beaver, Bieri says. That
will make the thoroughfare more dynamic.
R.J. King
RJKING@DBUSINESS.COM
db WEB EXTRA || Check out dbusiness.com for
exclusive business news, blogs, podcasts, and videos
about metro Detroit and Michigan.
VOLUME 11 ISSUE 3
Stefan Wanczyk
CEO
PUBLISHER John Balardo
EDITOR R.J. King
MANAGING EDITOR John S. Schultz
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Adrienne Roberts
COPY EDITOR Anne Berry Daugherty
EDITORIAL INTERN Kris Baker
ART DIRECTOR Carolyn Chin Watson
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Austin Phillips
ART ASSISTANT Nichole Grieser
GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN Courtney McAnsh
CONTRIBUTORS
Ronald Ahrens, Katie Chandler, Patrick Gloria,
Nick Hagen, Rick Haglund, Rob Kohn, Nick Martines,
Noah Stephens, Dave Murray, Tom Murray, Jeff Sadowski,
Josh Scott, Norm Sinclair, Hayden Stinebaugh
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Jason Hosko
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Debra Lee, Keely-Rose OGrady,
Mary Pantely & Associates, Ginnine Pellerito
ADVERTISING INTERN Michelle Bakkal
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jon Reynolds
SENIOR PRODUCTION ARTIST Robert Gorczyca
PRODUCTION ARTIST Stephanie Daniel
PRODUCTION ARTIST ASSISTANT Adriana Dragovic
PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR Robert Nixon
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION COORDINATOR
Rebecca Pranger
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Kelsey Fish
WEB PROJECT LEAD Gerald Blakeslee
WEB PROJECT ASSISTANT Matt Cappo
ADVERTISING DESIGNERS
James Bibart, Kristina Koggenhop
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Barbara Gaydos
SENIOR CIRCULATION COORDINATOR Rebecca Lee
CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Riley Meyers
MARKETING AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Lauren Mohon
MARKETING AND EVENTS COORDINATORS
Hilary Notaro, Mary Sutton
MARKETING RESEARCH COORDINATOR Sofia Pinkhasova
MARKETING INTERNS Andrew Bismarck, Miranda Lavoie,
Lauren Uhlian
BUSINESS MANAGER Kathie Gorecki
SENIOR ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATE Beth Anderson
ACCOUNTING CLERK Andrew Kotzian
COLLECTION ASSOCIATE Shannon Cash
PUBLISHING AND SALES COORDINATOR Athar L. Kakka
RECEPTIONIST Jessica Allie
DISTRIBUTION Target Distribution, Troy
HOUR MEDIA
CEO Stefan Wanczyk
PRESIDENT John Balardo
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DBusiness,
5750 New King Drive, Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE: $9.95 for 6 issues,
$17.95 for 12 issues, $22.95 for 18 issues
FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: 248-691-1800, ext. 126
TO SELL DBUSINESS MAGAZINE: 248-588-1851
FOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: 248-588-1851
DBusiness is published by Hour Media.
Copyright 2016 Hour Media. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission
is prohibited. DBusiness is a registered trademark
of Hour Media.
 CONTRIBUTORS || May - June 2016

IS
YOUR NICHOLE GRIESER

BUSINESS
Born and raised in Macomb Township, Nichole Grieser has
always found creative inspiration while traveling, whether
on a weekend trip to northern Michigan or a two-week trip
to Europe. It was while in Rome, after a day spent at the
SUCCESSION- Vatican, that Grieser decided to pursue graphic design. She
says her creativity is fueled, in part, by her two grand-
mothers: one who painted landscapes and the other who

READY? sketched portraits of family members. The former Hour

Media intern has joined the staff as an art assistant, where
she can translate her experiences into editorial designs.

JOSH SCOTT

Detroit-based freelance photographer Josh Scott has been

contributing to DBusiness, along with other editorial
clients, for several years. Scott says he likes to keep his
photographic sets as natural as possible, letting things play
out and progress organically. When you work this way,
the environment is key to a successful shoot, he says. Scott
photographed the honorees for the Champions of the New
Economy on the new seventh floor atop the Detroit Ath-
letic Club. The views up there are great and the natural
light was wonderful to work with, he says. See page 42.

RICK HAGLUND

Rick Haglund has covered the auto industry and state

economy extensively during his 20-year stint as a
Detroit-based business and auto correspondent for Booth
Newspapers (now the MLive Media Group). Prior to
that, he was a business writer at the Ann Arbor News, a
business and city hall reporter at the Traverse City Record-
Eagle, and a reporter and news editor at the Ogemaw

Hardcover / $19.95 County Herald in West Branch. Haglund is a graduate

of Michigan State Universitys School of Journalism. His
article on the Petersen Automotive Museum is on page 71.

Available at
momentumbooks.com KATIE CHANDLER

Katie Chandler, an illustrative designer based in Columbus,

Ohio, received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Colum-
bus College of Art & Design. Chandler creates primarily
editorial illustration, but also works with graphic design
and animation. She considers herself on a mission to turn
big ideas into simple shapes, giving a sense of approach-
ability to topics that are often complex. Her goal is to use
the universal language of illustration to promote education,
empathy, and joy one shape at a time. She illustrated the
map for the District Detroit article on page 54.

16 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016

 From Our Readers || LETTERS

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
On behalf of the International Council of Shopping
Centers in Michigan, we want to thank DBusiness
editor R.J. King for speaking as a panelist on Detroits
Retail Resurgence at the ICSC Michigan Continuing
Education Program.
By all accounts, the program was a wonderful
success. By providing a program focused on issues
related to the shopping center industry and retail
real estate, ICSC is fulfilling its mission of helping
its members be and stay at the top of their
profession.

Paul S. Magy
Program Planning Chair
Effectively Manage
Clark Hill PLC, Detroit
Your Cash Flow
NEW AWARENESS Keep your business heading in the right
We want to thank DBusiness for the very nice article
( DBusiness Daily News) on the upcoming Chuck direction with Treasury Management Services.
Newman Impact Award from the Michigan Israel
When John talked to FirstMerit Banks Treasury Management team,
Business Bridge. I appreciate it a great deal. To be
frank, the event helps us increase the awareness of his goal was to increase his companys working capital. Together, they
the Taubman Institute which is a never-ending goal
of mine. Many thanks. came up with a plan to help John effectively manage receivables and control

Eva L. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D. payments to improve his companys cash flow. Now John has all the tools
Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology
he needs to keep his business moving in the right directionforward.
Director, A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute
University of Michigan Department of Neurology,
Ann Arbor

CHARTER MEMBER
I loved the charter school editorial (Left Behind
Letter from the Editor, March-April 2016.) I am a be-
liever in their mission, after seeing how hard everyone
works on behalf of their students.

Angie Bournias
Bournias & Bournias Inc.
Grosse Pointe Shores TO L E A R N MOR E, C O N T A C T :
David Lochner, President, FirstMerit Michigan,
at 248-228-1620 or david.lochner@firstmerit.com.

EMAIL US AT: editorial@dbusiness.com Follow the latest market trends firstmerit.com

SEND MAIL TO: Letters, DBusiness magazine, @firstmerit_mkt
5750 New King Drive, Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098
Please include your city of residence and daytime phone John reflects a composite of clients with whom weve worked; Member FDIC
number. We reserve the right to edit letters for length he does not represent any one person. 5370_FM16

and content.

May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 19

INSIDE
COMMENTARY
HYPER-SPEED
State must promote the region
as Internet high-speed hub.
LESS IS MORE
Integrating cities will
improve efficiency.
COMPENDIUM
How Outsiders View
Detroit

If the consuming public wanted electric cars for regular use, Detroit
would be manufacturing them by the millions. Only people
infatuated with their own wonderful specialness would think that their
job is to coerce both the manufacturers and the consuming
p u b l i c i n t o s o m e t h i n g n e i t h e r o f t h e m w a n t s .
THOMAS SOWELL, AUTHOR

AUTOMOTIVE

Road Warrior
THE SHIFT FROM current traffic laws that
require licensed drivers to operate a motor
vehicle to an artificial intelligence system
that navigates the roads will disrupt a host
of traditional operations in the automotive
industry. Earlier this year, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration said
an autonomous vehicle system for a planned
Google car could be considered the driver
under federal law.
Over time, as more autonomous vehicles
make their debut, safety and insurance require-
ments that today focus on human drivers will
center on securing the networks and software
that remotely pilot a car from one location to
another. That begs the question: Who, or what,
is at fault following an accident involving a driv-
erless car or truck?
Consider todays vehicles have around 100
million lines of code. Autonomous vehicles
will have exponentially more software that will
monitor everything from engines to brakes, ac-
celeration, lights, and numerous other systems.
If something goes wrong for example, a
driverless car suddenly veers left into oncoming
traffic who is to blame if theres a head-on
collision with another vehicle?
Assuming a human driver didnt cause the
car to swerve, the onus will be on the manu-
facturer or supplier of the software code. Most

ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES YANG

May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 21
 COMMENTARY || May - June 2016
likely, the NHTSA will require
inside the numbers
software providers to certify
that the code they supply to the
automakers is free of security
$
breaches before it is uploaded
645
to a vehicles navigation system.
While automakers and soft-
ware firms can now repair faulty
code remotely, in the same way
computers and smartphones
are upgraded over a network,
BILLION
autonomous vehicles present
a different challenge. A hacker
who gains access to a home or
Productivity boost in company security system may
a mature autonomous be able to unlock a door and
vehicle market enter a home or a business
but, in most cases, such crimes
will be undertaken when no
one is around.
But if a hacker gains control
of a vehicle from something as
$
seemingly minor as a tire pres-
488
sure gauge sensor, there can
be a host of immediate and
life-threatening problems, in-
cluding sudden acceleration,
rapid braking, or locking the
doors remotely and setting the
BILLION climate control system at
maximum heat on an extreme-
Cost reduction
ly hot day.
Eventually, automakers and
of car crashes in a software providers will intro-
mature autonomous duce stringent security systems
vehicle market to prevent a third party from
gaining control of an auton-
omous vehicle, but theres no
guarantee such safety platforms
will be foolproof. This summer,
the NHTSA says it plans to in-
$
troduce more guidelines for
169
self-driving cars. The agency
may also seek new legal au-
thority over the transportation
industry to provide for the safe
integration of driverless vehicles
into the road network.
BILLION
But it could take several years
for federal regulators and indus-
try leaders to set new guidelines
Fuel savings in a for the design, implementation,
mature autonomous and operation of autonomous
vehicle market vehicle systems. In the interim,
companies that can demon-
strate the safe implementation
of remote navigation platforms
SOURCE: will be in the drivers seat of a
Morgan Stanley burgeoning and potentially ro-
bust industry. n
22 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
TECHNOLOGY
Hyper-Speed
AS INTERNET PROVIDERS race to provide ever-faster data speeds
in Michigan and around the country, its clear the swift movement
of electronic files is another selling point to retain and attract busi-
nesses and organizations. For example, large medical files can take
as long as 24 hours to transmit from one location to another, which
limits the amount of time medical personnel can assist a patient or
learn more about a potential disease outbreak.
As we detailed in Fiber Wars (March/April 2016), companies
and organizations of all sizes prefer faster data speeds, whether for
simple emails, the transmission of large design files, or detailed
manufacturing plans. E-commerce retailers, video providers, and
consumers also prefer instant access to a range of online services.
Companies such as Southfield-based 123Net, which launched
the Detroit Internet Exchange in 2014, are landing more clients
by providing access to high-speed fiber lines in the region. Prior to
2014, large data files were transferred between here and other cities
with Internet exchanges in places such as Illinois or Virginia. With
the approaching debut of autonomous vehicles, the ability to move
data quickly within metro Detroit will be a major benefit.
To better establish the region as a high-speed Internet hub, state
and local economic development teams should create or add to
marketing plans that tout Detroits data offerings. In this way, more
businesses would be attracted to the region, while entrepreneurs
would find it much easier to launch an online business or a data
service operation. n
GOVERNMENT
Less is More
MICHIGAN RODE THE COATTAILS of a booming manufacturing
industry to become the automotive capital of the world and, along
the way, the resulting higher wages relative to other cities and states
helped create a better quality of life here. As an example, consid-
er all of the vacation homes, recreational vehicles, and prosperous
downtown districts in northern Michigan.
Few other states offer such a breadth of assets. But in recent
years, as Michigan suffered more than most states from the 2008
global financial crisis, it became clear that our economy and tax
dollars can no longer afford to prop up corporate and govern-
ment institutions that suffer from mismanagement and neglect.
General Motors Co., FCA US (Chrysler), a host of automotive sup-
pliers, and the city of Detroit have all went through bankruptcies.
Things have improved, but the work isnt over. The city of
Highland Park, for example, may be better off being folded into
the government structure of Detroit. Its the same for Hamtramck,
Royal Oak Township, and other smaller cities around the state.
Neighboring communities essentially offer the same municipal
services, meaning Royal Oak Township (population 2,419) might
be better off being integrated into Oak Park or Ferndale.
In other words, should our tax dollars fund repetitive govern-
ment structures in the form of city staffs, mayors or supervisors,
and councils or commissions? While citizens should have the fi-
nal vote, for the sake of improved efficiency, reducing the size and
scope of government outside of providing essential services like
clean water, infrastructure, and public safety is a matter for addi-
tional debate across the entire state. n
 Compendium || COMMENTARY
COMPENDIUM

>> Reuters | March 23, 2016 >> The Wall Street Journal | March 28, 2016

Young, Wealthy Car Pigskins Mixed with

Buyers in China Cant Get Bowling Pins Can Result
H OW OU TS I D E RS VI EW DETROIT Enough of Cadillac in Lawyers BY CHRISTINA ROGERS
CADILLAC, A FAVORITE among Americas older supper club set, is revving up sales to IF YOU WANT TO throw a football at bowling pins, you may do that anywhere. To call it
>> The New York Times | March 28, 2016
younger luxury buyers in China through smoother designs and localized production to keep fowling and pay to do it, you had better be in a former auto-parts factory (in Detroit).
NAFTA May Have Saved Many prices accessible.
The General Motors brand is softening some hard edges on its angular cars to appeal
Fowling rhymes with bowling is what Candace Marsh was winding up to do one
Saturday night this month.

Autoworkers Jobs BY EDUARDO PORTER

WHEN DONALD TRUMP threatened to break the North
American Free Trade Agreement, auto industry workers
offered up some of the loudest cheers.
Trump easily won the Republican primary in Michigan
this month. The state, home base for the American auto
industry, also delivered an upset victory to Bernie Sanders,
the Democratic anti- NAFTA standard-bearer.
But the autoworkers animosity is aiming at the wrong
target. There are still more than 800,000 jobs in the Amer-
ican auto sector. And there is a good case to be made that
without NAFTA, there might not be much left of Detroit.
Without the ability to move lower-wage jobs to Mexico
we would have lost the whole industry, says Gordon Han-
son of the University of California, San Diego, who has been
studying the impact of NAFTA on industries and workers
since its inception more than two decades ago.
Even in the narrowest sense to protect jobs in car as-
sembly plants a wall of tariffs against Americas southern
neighbor would probably do more harm than good.
>> The Wall Street Journal | March 11, 2016
To be sure, Rust Belt voters drawn to Trump and Sand-
ers are not wrong to be angry. Trade and the deals to reduce
trade barriers often threaten the livelihood of workers in the
industries exposed most directly to foreign competition.
In the home of the once proud Big Three carmakers,
which virtually owned the American car market through
most of the 20th century, the issue is personal. NAFTA put
them in direct competition with Mexican workers earning
little more than one-fifth of their compensation.
The American trade deficit in autos and parts tripled
in the two decades after the trade deal struck with Mexico
and Canada took effect in 1994, to about $130 billion in
2013. The industry lost 350,000 jobs, or about a third of its
workers, over the period.
It was a massive shift in a flagship industry, says Thea
Lee, deputy chief of staff of the AFL-CIO. Workers, she says,
were promised one thing but got another. One thing you
need to understand about why working-class people are so
cynical about these trade agreements, Lee says. n
>> Fortune | February 2016
One System to
Rule Them All
FOR YEARS, ROBOTS at General Motors Lake Orion
manufacturing plant, located 30 miles north of Detroit, have
hustled on the factory floor. They lift the frames of vehicles
(like the Buick Verano and soon the Chevrolet Bolt EV) with
Herculean strength, melt together metals with powerful
welding guns, and apply paint in ways that would make a
graffiti artist proud.
Its an impressive display of coordination, what with 800
robots on the floor. But a bot that suddenly breaks down
could cause disaster, halting production and wasting money
as workers scramble to troubleshoot the issue.
Working with Japanese robotics manufacturer Fanuc,
networking giant Cisco, and hardware maker Rockwell
Automation, GM has installed in its Lake Orion plant a sort
of mother brain to which all its robots can connect and
to Chinese buyers used to the smoother lines of luxury cars made by BMW, Audi, and
Mercedes-Benz that dominate high-end sales in the worlds biggest car market.
After a slow start in China, Cadillac is poised to overtake Japans Lexus among the
leading second-tier luxury brands, according to consultancy LMC Automotive.
The opening in January of its first dedicated factory in China should also help Cadillac
make its cars more accessible to younger luxury buyers by avoiding a 25 percent import tax.
Cadillac says the average age of a buyer of its cars in China is 34, little more than half the
average age in the U.S.
In China, young buyers already dominate the luxury market. Since Cadillac is a relative
newcomer ... it was far easier to begin to cultivate the desired positioning for the brand from
the get-go, Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen told Reuters.
Cadillacs China sales rose 17 percent last year to nearly 80,000 cars, or a 4.1 percent
share of the luxury market, on the back of its ATS-L compact sedan and XTS large sedan.
This year, de Nysschen has set a 25 percent growth target, to above 100,000 Cadillacs
in China.
The former BMW and Infiniti executive predicts China could overtake the United States
as Cadillacs biggest market in 5- to 10 years. Cadillac sold around 175,000 cars in the U.S.
last year.
While shopping for a car in Beijing, 26-year-old entrepreneur Ge Di said he preferred
Cadillac over the more established German luxury brands.
Mercedes, BMW, even Audi, skew more towards businessmen. The comfort level is a bit
higher, but as a young person I care more about performance and design, he says. n
She let loose a wobbly, arcing pass toward a rack of 10 pins roughly 40 feet away. The
football crashed onto the pins, scattering seven.
Bring it! the 24-year-old Marsh mouths, taunting her opponent after pumping her fists.
This game is properly called Fowling here in the Fowling Warehouse (near Hamtramck)
because entrepreneur Chris Hutt, 47, codified its rules, set up the arena, and took steps to
trademark the name. Anyone else using the word Fowling to draw customers to the pigskin-
and-pin game has his lawyers to face.
Late last year, Den Training Academy, a sports center north of Detroit, received a letter
from Hutts attorneys demanding Den stop using that name for the game, which it was
offering. I was a little shocked, says Rick Norris, Dens owner. He renamed his version
Foot-bowling.
It isnt clear that will pass. Hutts company on March 1 applied to register Footbowl as
a U.S. trademark. Hutt referred legal questions to his marketing director, Laura Sullivan, who
says: We will enforce our mark as appropriate.
Hutts lawyers have sent warnings to other alleged copycats, including a Cincinnati
brewery and a Michigan sports dome.
Hutt said he is safeguarding the brand because were going to be like Jell-O or Kleenex,
the Coca-Cola of the game.
On a recent night, footballs soared down 20 lanes to the sound of 1990s rock and crash-
ing pins in the 34,000-square-foot space Hutt leases in a building that once housed a maker
of auto-axle parts. Patrons bellied up to a bar. Jack Daniels and Jgermeister logos adorned
the arena. The line to get in stretched out the door. n

Detroit Offers Urban Lifestyle with
Affordable Luxury Homes BY AMY GAMERMAN
LAST YEAR, KIRSTEN Iverson and her husband, Marcus,
bought a new riverfront home on the east side of Detroit, an
area once obscured by junkyards and abandoned industrial
buildings.
Their 5,050-square-foot home in the gated Morgan Wa-
terfront development has water views, five-bedroom suites,
two garages, and a marble foyer with 18-foot ceilings.
The couple paid $580,000 easily half or one-third
of what a comparable unit would cost in many other U.S.
metropolitan areas.
Every day I wake up and Im just like This is a dream
come true, says Iverson, a 34-year-old attorney who
commutes 15 minutes to her office downtown.
Detroits distinctive urban lifestyle is attracting a new
professional class to its downtown, where demand for af-
fordably priced high-end residences has surged. Sale prices
for the top 10 percent of Detroits real-estate listings started
at $290,000 in 2015 nearly half the U.S. average for the
luxury segment. That luxury niche is the strongest sector of
Detroits housing market. n
its all built on cloud computing.
The system ingests data flowing to and from robots as
well as external devices, like conveyor-belt machines and
temperature systems. It sends that information to a cloud
network set up by Cisco. There, Fanuc runs algorithms
tailored to the factory robots. The result? Insights that
plant managers and Fanuc staff can tap to avoid mishaps
everything from detecting when a robots arm is about to
fail to determining if theres too much humidity in the room
(which can adversely affect paint jobs).
The robot calls in and says, Ive got an issue in one of
my motors in one of my joints, says Scott Whybrew, who
directs global manufacturing engineering at GM. Or it may
say its about to get sick in a few seconds.
The benefits of that visibility extend beyond near
disasters. GM also uses the system to adjust planned
maintenance schedules for the machines. It gives us, as a
robotics supplier, the ability to look over their shoulder and
help and guide them, says Rick Schneider, president of
Fanuc America.
In the past GMs workers discovered issues only during
production downtime and when physically plugged into a
factory robot. Now all they have to do is wait for an alert to
show up. n By Jonathon Vanian
>> Inc. | March 2016
The Real History of Americas Most Authentic Fake Brand
ITS NOT OFTEN a fashion mogul extols the virtues of a
power strip.
Im inside the rooftop lair of Tom Kartsotis, the entre-
preneur who made hundreds of millions of dollars peddling
watches built in Asia, and who, perhaps, will make hundreds
of millions more peddling watches built in America.
Kartsotiss private penthouse office sits atop his companys
posh, landmarked building in Manhattans Tribeca, a locale
he dips into every few weeks from his home in Texas. Five
years ago, after growing Fossil into a $2 billion accessories
behemoth, Kartsotis hatched Shinola, a high-end watch
brand famous, mostly, for being manufactured in Detroit.
With a flop of gray-streaked hair that perpetually spills
over his eyes, Kartsotis unveils the power strip, an object
typically relegated to a back aisle of Ace Hardware. But
where most retailers see commodity, Kartsotis divines
a gorgeous vessel. A power strip is hideous, he says in
his Texas-light drawl, holding his prototype, which, once
produced, will sell for an astounding $65. Embossed on the
plug is Shinolas logo a horizontal lightning bolt, the same
one Kartsotis has tattooed on the inside of his wrist. This floor with Kartsotis, he smelled opportunity. n
isnt final, he says, cradling the meticulously designed pow-
der-coated metal strip. But these are going to be amazing.
How a power strip could possibly be amazing has less to
do with its aesthetic than with the alchemy of its branding.
It turns out the idea for the Shinola power strip goes back
at least three years, when executives from General Electric
toured the watch companys factory. In its short life, Shinola
had quickly catapulted from half-baked marketing concept
concocted by Kartsotis and a bunch of his ex-Fossil hands
in Plano, Texas, to national symbol of Detroits revival and
American manufacturing possibility.
At the time, General Electric was facing its own
dwindling American manufacturing footprint. Once the
face of America manufacturing, the $275 billion company
had been offshoring most of its production for decades.
In recent years, it had shuttered its last major domestic
light bulb factory. CEO Jeff Immelt wanted to start bringing
some of that manufacturing muscle back home. So when
Jonathan Bostock, at the time GEs general manager of
trademark and partnerships, walked the Shinola factory

24 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016 May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 25

 INSIDE WAVE LENGTH
THE TICKER
New recording studio
nurtures local talent.
EAGLE PLAY
EMU renovates Eagle
Crest Golf Club.
FOR ALL SEASONS
The Inn at Bay Harbor
undergoes transformation.
ENGLISH BEAT
Lebanon native expands the
global health care market.
PLUS: PDA Q& A
And more ...

>> CHIPS UP
Daniel Gutierrez, president of Mexican
Food Specialties Inc. in Livonia, is
expanding across the country.,

PHOTOGRAPH BY HAYDEN STINEBAUGH

May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 27
THE TICKER || May - June 2016
>> IN STUDIO
Music producer and Detroit native
Roger Goodman, owner of Royal
House Recording, at his recently
opened world class recording
studio in Royal Oak.
Wave Length
A new recording studio in metro Detroit nurtures local talent.
T
BY R.J. KING |
he location of Roger Goodmans new recording studio
in an industrial district in Royal Oak was by design
and necessity; it was difficult to find suitable space
within Detroits thriving club scene due to a limited
supply of buildings.
Goodman, owner and operator of Royal House
Recording, says his goal for the former industrial
building, which took more than two years to renovate, was to design a
studio that set a workingmans tone. From the confines of a structure
that most recently housed a street cleaner maintenance and repair
company, the producer has crafted a sound engineering marvel.
To begin with, he replaced sections of the floor with individually
poured concrete slabs that are insulated from room to room to eliminate
ambient noise. Then the walls were treated with materials that both react
to and absorb sound.
Custom baffling treatments that appear like 3-D wood puzzles are set
in the walls and ceilings, while custom cabinets elevate the look and finish
surrounding the main sound board and its supporting cast of subwoofers,
multitrack recorders, and audio monitors.
I wanted to create my own wave, rather than ride someone elses wave,
Goodman says. I thought about being in Detroit, but I really wanted to
attract artists who wanted to work free of distractions. And while we have
received inquiries from major recording acts, my main focus is to curate
28 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
NOAH STEPHENS
and nurture vocalists, musicians, and acts in metro Detroit.
As Goodman all but rebuilt the steel-and-cinder-block structurean
asset in its own right for absorbing rather than reflecting sound he and
his team would post progress photos on an Instagram account.
We started hearing from Justin Bieber, Big Sean, and other recording
acts, and while we certainly will work with recording acts from every
musical genre, my passion is to create a new wave, a new vibe, and a
destination that captures that spirit of the old Motown days in Detroit,
he says. We want to see more recording studios here to promote what
is still a very talented musical scene, rather than see that work go to Los
Angeles, Atlanta, or Miami.
Goodman says he became attuned to music at a young age while
listening to classic rock with his parents. It was the Rolling Stones, CCR,
but also the Four Tops and The Supremes, he says.
Following high school, Goodman attended a recording school in Los
Angeles and immersed himself in the local music scene. Over time, he
worked with artists like Chris Brown, Lupe Fiasco, Wale, and an array of
other platinum recording artists.
I have to be near music every day, Goodman admits. We created Stu-
dio A, and we bought the building next door for a future Studio B. When
I used to drum in my parents house as a kid, the sound would carry out-
side. But being in an industrial district, we dont have to worry about the
neighbors complaining about loud music at night.
Eagle Play
Eastern Michigan University
renovates Eagle Crest Golf
Club. BY NORM SINCLAIR
W
hen the East-
ern Michigan
University
Board of Re-
gents decided
to upgrade and
modernize the
colleges 25-year-old Eagle Crest Golf Club, part
of the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti resort hotel
complex, they decided the work should proceed
under the golf industry radar.
Instead of shutting down the golf course
and blowing it up, were doing it in five
phases, says Wes Blevins, director of golf at
Eagle Crest, a long-popular destination for
corporate outings and charity scrambles. So
far weve done two massive phases. All the
construction work is being done in the fall, af-
ter the course closes.
Blevins says new tee boxes, bunkers, drain-
age, cart paths, and additions to greens have
been completed on seven holes. Similar work
will continue through 2018.
One objective is to stretch the course to
7,000 yards, making it eligible for collegiate
competition. Although it is the home course of
the EMU mens and womens golf teams, it was
Backstage Pass
WHEN RECORDING ARTIST DAVID BOWIE
passed away earlier this year, the Robert Kidd
Gallery in downtown Birmingham began to truly
appreciate the impact the singer and musician
had on his fans.
An artist in his own right, Bowie created nu-
merous paintings, some of which were shown
at the Robert Kidd Gallery. It didnt quite hit us
how much people loved David Bowie until he
passed, says Jennifer Vinklarek, who acquired
the gallery in late 2014. We had people calling
from all over the globe, places like Australia and
London. It was amazing.
The unexpected boost in sales prompted a
new direction for the gallery, which has recently
started to curate pieces beyond its collection
of paintings and rare photographs that include
The Beatles, both as a band and individual
artists, Led Zeppelin, Jerry Garcia, Ron Wood,
TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF EAGLE CREST GOLF CLUB
BOTTOM PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT KIDD GALLERY
May - June 2016 || THE TICKER
>> COURSE CHANGE
Eagle Crest Golf Club has
undergone a major modern-
ization, including new tee
boxes, bunkers, and greens,
with more renovation
planned though 2018.
considered too short, at 6,700 yards, for varsity
play. For instance, prior to the improvements
the first hole was relatively short, at 330 yards,
and its now a full-sized 440-yard, par-4 hole.
We cleared out about 100 trees and
brought in 2,000 cubic yards of fill, and created
a brand-new tee square box structure for the
blue and green tees, Blevins says of the con-
struction work.
Although the course plays off a hill overlook-
ing Ford Lake, with several holes bordering
the shoreline, the striking view of the water
had been obscured by randomly planted trees.
Overall, more than 250 trees have been re-
moved from the shoreline. Part of the tree re-
moval was funded by a fortuitous disaster in
2011 involving pine trees on the property that
died after they were sprayed with a chemical
developed by DuPont Co. To settle a national
and many others.
Were now starting to collect and offer for
sale vintage guitars, amplifiers, musical equip-
ment, limited edition books, and other material
from popular recording artists, adds Gerard
Marti, gallery curator and a former producer
for EMI Records in Paris. As Jennifer says,
people are acquiring memories when they buy
a piece of art or a photo of one their favorite
recording artists.
Opened in 1976, the two-level, 6,000-square-
foot gallery, located near the Townsend Hotel,
originally carried art pieces for homes and
offices, while also offering classes in textiles and
carpet-weaving. Now, its making way for a new
generation of art.
Gerard has amazing contacts in the musical
industry, and we literally have been carrying
pieces by John Lennon based on a handshake
class action lawsuit, DuPont paid out hundreds
of millions of dollars to golf courses, including
$165,000 to Eagle Crest.
The upgrades on the course have resulted in
price increases. Green fees have gone from $22
to $40, while the number of golf leagues was
cut from 18 to nine.
Were getting a better price per round with
lower rounds, which leads to better course con-
ditions that are more in tune with a resort than
a public course, Blevins says. Less play also
means less expenses for maintenance.
So far weve put about $650,000 into the
golf course, and our long-term plan will exceed
$1 million. Well have a destination resort that
people will fly into, and theyll stay at the hotel.
Companies can have their meetings at the Cor-
porate Education Center, stay at the hotel, and
have golf outings here.
>> CHANGES
Jennifer Vinklarek, owner of The Robert Kidd Gallery in down-
town Birmingham, and curator Gerard Marti, have added
more artwork from musicians to the gallerys collection.
deal Gerard made with Yoko Ono (Lennons wid-
dow), Vinklarek says. We also started carrying
rare color photos of The Beatles early career.
Its almost like our patrons have a backstage
pass into the lives of their favorite singers, musi-
cians, and performers. R.J. King
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 29
THE TICKER || May - June 2016

Chips Ahoy
A Mexican food company develops a
packaging technology to expand its reach.

D
BY R.J. KING| HAYDEN STINEBAUGH
aniel Gutierrez, president of Mexican Food Special-
ties Inc. in Livonia, has spent the last 18 months re-
fining the Holy Grail of fresh tortillastargeting a
shelf life of up to 30 days.
Soon to be introduced across the Midwest under
the companys Don Marcos product line, the lon-
ger-lasting tortillas will be a boon to the companys
2,000 distribution pointsincluding restaurants like Barrio Cocina Y
Tequileria in downtown Plymouthas well as serving as a springboard to
customers beyond the Midwest.
Were in the process of reinventing our entire line of products with
a focus on natural ingredients and new packaging techniques, says
Gutierrez, 30, whose late father, Mark Gutierrez, launched the company
in 1981. We were primarily a tortilla company in the beginning, but now
we skew (distribute) hundreds of products to restaurants, local food mar-
kets, supermarkets, and stores like Wal-Mart.
In addition to using natural ingredients, Gutierrez says extending the
shelf life of tortillas involved the development of a special, proprietary
film that lines the inside of the bags. He also utilizied innovative packag-
ing technology to lower the amount of internal oxygen tortillas are exposed
to, among other innovations.
The companys Don Marcos tortilla chips will also get a boost with new
craft-style packaging. Gutierrez says all of the companys products come
from a plant in Chicago where everything is made, packaged, and
shipped within 24 hours.
We source everything from (Americas) Corn Belt, and we only use
certified, non-GMO corn, he adds. Our salt is sea salt, which is better
for you and is more flavorful, and our chips are thinner so theyre easier to
bite into than thicker chips.
>> LA FAMILIA
Daniel Gutierrez, president of Mexican Food Specialties, says he is proud to carry on the family
business that began with his great-grandfather, Raphael Gutierrez. The company is expanding
the distribution of its products to other states outside the Midwest.
Along with its tortillas, the company offers an assortment of rice and
bean products; bulk spices like ground coriander, chili powder, and taco
seasoning; and salsas, sauces, cheeses, jalapeno peppers, nuts, and pre-cut
tortilla chips. Besides selling its goods in Michigan, the company distrib-
utes its products to customers in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia,
and Kentucky.
Gutierrez, who mainly works at the companys distribution center in
Livonia, got his start in the business at the age of 12. I was going out on
delivery routes during the summer and cleaning out the trucks, he says.
After college I got into finance, then wholesale lending, then retail lend-
ing. I also had a painting company when I was 17 years old.
Gutierrez rejoined Mexican Food Specialties in 2009, and says hes
proud to carry on a family legacy in the tortilla business that began with his
great-grandfather, Raphael Gutierrez. Weve all set the bar higher for
the next generation, so now everything is on me to take the business to
the next level.

PDA: Q & A
>> The E-Interview

DB: Where are you?
IH: I am in Havana, Cuba, at-
tending the Habanos Festival.
Its the annual convention for
Cuban cigars, and I went with
a humanitarian permit for
cultural experiences.
DB: Whats it like there?
IH: Its amazing. In addition
to attending the festival, Im
visiting a lot of art museums,
ISMAIL churches, and monuments.
HOUMANI For the Habanos Festival, you
President and CEO, have the opportunity to meet
La Casa Cigars and with all of the distributors of
Lounge, Detroit Cuban cigars from around
the world. This year the fes-
tival coincided with the 50th
anniversary for Cohiba (a
cigar brand). I attended the
Gala Dinner and Humidors
Auction, which is a black-tie
event where they raffle off
humidors at the dinner.
DB: What was the bidding
like?
IH: There were seven humi-
dors that were auctioned
off, including one that was
especially made to recognize
Cohibas 50th anniversary.
That particular humidor had
50 cigars in it, and it went for
320,000 Euros ($362,000).
The other six humidors
went for between 75,000
($85,000) and 150,000
Euros ($170,000).
DB: What changes are
you seeing?
IH: I noticed its getting a
little more expensive. Cuba
doesnt have the infrastruc-
ture yet, but there are more
tourists arriving every day.
Where I used to pay 80 Euro
($90) for a hotel room in
Havana, now its closer to
250 Euro ($283) a night. Its
still a country frozen back in
time. If the market for Cuban
cigars opens up in the United
States, the prices are bound
to go up. Right now, Cuba has
the capacity to produce close
to 100 million cigars (a year),
while the demand for cigars
in the U.S. is over 300 million
cigars a year.
DB: Where did you tour?
IH: I visited the tobacco
fields in Pinar del Rio, where
the finest tobacco in Cuba is
grown. I talked to some of the
growers, and unfortunately
(last year) they planted the
seeds earlier than normal
because the weather was
good, and then they had lots
of rain, so they planted the
seeds again and the same
thing happened. Hopefully
they have a better crop this
year. Overall, I see lots of great
things ahead for Cuba.
R.J. King

30 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016

THE TICKER || May - June 2016
English Beat
A native of Lebanon helps expand the
global health care market from Detroit.
N
BY R.J. KING | HAYDEN STINEBAUGH
ot many businesses
let alone wealth man-
agement and capital
advisory firms are
launched from a ho-
tel room. But in 1998,
tapping into $45,000
he had saved as a district manager at American
Express Financial Advisors, Osman R. Minkara
rented a room at the Quality Inn at 12 Mile and
Orchard Lake in Farmington Hills and started
CIG Capital Advisors with five employees.
Since I had no credit established, I couldnt
rent office space in a short period of time, so the
hotel room seemed like a good idea, says Min-
kara, founder and managing principal of CIG
Capital Advisors.
We would start out each morning with a
bagful of quarters for the phone and make cold
calls (to prospective clients from the lobby),
Minkara says. We did that for three months,
until I rented a small office. And while my (Leb-
anese) accent didnt help matters, it worked.
Over time, we specialized in advising doctors,
medical centers, physician groups, hospitals,
and health care systems.
Today, with 50 employees in Southfield, the
firm specializes in three sectors: wealth and as-
set management, alternative investments, and
For All Seasons
MANY MICHIGAN RESIDENTS know the Inn
at Bay Harbor, near Petoskey, as an accessible
and magical summer vacation spot, with its
sweeping views of Little Traverse Bay. Now, the
128-room Marriott Renaissance hotel, with its
Victorian feel, is in the process of renovating
its restaurants, suites, and all guest rooms as
part of its plan to turn the popular resort into a
year-round destination thats part of Marriotts
Autograph Collection hotels.
We came from rooms that were very
summer-oriented, says Molly Kircher, senior
vice president for brand development at Boyne
Resorts, the owner of the hotel. The (new)
rooms have some darker woods and softer,
more elaborate window treatments, so they
give that warm feeling when you come in versus
the summer beach house, cool feeling.
32 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
>> OVERDRIVE
Osman R. Minkara started
CIG Capital Advisors in a
rented hotel room with
five employees. Today, he
boasts 50 employees and
has offices in Southfield.
business advisory services. The asset manage-
ment division was launched in 2007 and, after
the first year, it had $17 million in assets under
management. Last year, the division reached
$200 million in such assets.
Growing up in Lebanon, Minkara, 45, at-
tended dental school, but he says he didnt have
the passion to finish. Following the advice of his
brother, who was completing his residency at
Wayne State Universitys School of Medicine,
he moved to Detroit.
After learning English in his first semester at
Wayne State, Minkara took a job in the univer-
sitys archive collection, and eventually moved
his way up to the finance department to com-
plement his degree program.
He went on to earn an executive MBA from
New York University and the London School
of Economics, as well as an AMP (advanced
management programme) degree from the
University of Oxford. After a few years with
American Express, he could no longer tamper
>> NEW HUES
The master suites at the Inn at Bay Harbor will include sea
green, nautical blue, and neutral accessories and bedding.
Kircher says that after completing ren-
ovations to the lobby and transforming the
former South American-style restaurant into
his drive to become an entrepreneur.
Growing up in Lebanon, the electricity and
water didnt work all of the time, and then you
come to America and everything works all of
the time. Its hard to explain, but it really drives
you to do better, he says. You dont have any
excuses for not getting ahead.
Over time, the company began to advise
health care organizations like Henry Ford
Health System, which needed assistance with
an expansion overseas. In August, following
six years of preparation, Henry Ford will open
Aldara Hospital and Medical Center in Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia.
Patterned after Henry Ford West Bloom-
field Hospital, which offers health care ser-
vices combined with award-winning wellness
programs, the $285-million, 1-million-square-
foot facility will have 105 beds. Health care is
a global industry, Minkara says. Our job is to
provide the best care possible, using American
ingenuity and know-how.
the Vintage Chophouse and Wine Bar, work
is underway on remodeling the resorts 35
master suites. She says the suite face-lifts will
be completed by Memorial Day, along with
updates to Sagamores Dining Room the re-
sorts breakfast and event space and a caf,
representing a total investment of $2 million in
the 18-year-old hotel.
Kircher says by next summer, refurbish-
ments will be completed on another set of
rooms, the grand suites, and the spa as well as
the fitness facilities.
We had this vision for (the Inn at Bay
Harbor) when we built it that we never quite
hit, she says. Now were coming back to what
was the original vision for this place a classic
summer lakeside hotel that were stretching
into other seasons. Adrienne Roberts
FOCUS || Header
>> DRILL TEAM
Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingermans, stands
with Maggie Bayless, co-founder and managing
partner of ZingTrain, the Ann Arbor-based companys
customer service training and leadership programs
for companies and corporations. At right, Weinzweig
leads a recent training session.
34 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Soup to Lug Nuts
A customer service training program at Zingermans in
Ann Arbor is making a mark throughout the auto industry.
D
oug Weisz was on the
phone with Zingermans
Mail Order, the online
shop for the popular
Ann Arbor delicatessen,
when he found himself
being misunderstood
due to a weak cell connection.
Im sure the tone of my voice got testy, says
Weisz, a Subaru dealer in Auburn, Maine. At
the end of the call, the Zingermans employee
told him, I know this hasnt gone the way we
would hope. Id like to offer you free shipping
as an apology.
That gesture turned the bad experience
around. She was able to do something about
it in the moment, Weisz says.
He was so impressed that he went to Ann
Arbor last August to participate in a two-day
customer service seminar offered through
ZingTrain, Zingermans educational arm. In
addition to The Art of Giving Great Service,
the $1,250 seminar that Weisz attended, Zing-
Train presents sessions on its own methods
of open-book management and trademarked
BY RONALD AHRENS | NICK HAGEN
bottom-line training. Business visioning and
leadership development are also addressed
through dedicated seminars.
Then, last December, Lynn Weisz Dougs
wife and Evergreen Subarus marketing man-
ager traveled to Ann Arbor along with the
dealerships service and sales leaders, taking ad-
vantage of ZingTrains 25-percent discount for
the third enrollee. Traditionally thats the last silanti and tapped Zingermans co-founder Ari
thing a dealership will do, Lynn says of bringing
along the other managers. We want them on
the floor selling as much as they can.
But she and her husband saw greater value
in the power of having all of our people in lock
step, she says. After returning from the train-
ing, the managers began to mentor two dozen
Evergreen employees in ZingTrains leadership
techniques, including Zingermans system of
color-coding records of successful and prob-
lematic customer interactions for later analysis.
By sending its staff members, Evergreen
joined not only other car dealerships but also a
list of clients from throughout the automotive
industry that have taken ZingTrain courses.
The roster extends from the Russell Speeders
Corporate Training || FOCUS
Car Wash chain, whose employees have attend-
ed the open-book management seminar, to
OEM supplier companies Infineon, Bosch, and
Siemens, which have completed an assortment
of trainings.
In 2013, Tenneco, the manufacturer of au-
tomotive exhaust and suspension components,
held its North American sales conference in Yp-
Weinzweig to address 160 people on the art of
great service. Susan D. Ulrey, executive director
of customer experience for Tennecos aftermar-
ket products division, had been a Zingermans
customer before extending the invitation.
Since that sales conference, Ulrey has sent
about a dozen staff members to Ann Arbor
for the leadership training. She also brought a
Zingermans facilitator to Monroe, where the
aftermarket division is located, for customized
training for a new 10-member group within the
company. They quickly dispense with the food
and get to the heart of what their business is
about, she says of the ZingTrain approach.
We really just share what we do, Weinz-
weig says. We dont tell people what they ought
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 35
FOCUS || Corporate Training

to do. The training, he explains, derives from
where weve messed up, how weve learned
from that. Nothing is specific to food; its uni-
versal to business and organizational life.
The formula is spelled out in Weinzweigs
book, Zingermans Guide to Giving Great Ser-
vice. There are three basic steps:
1. Figure out what the customer wants.
2. Get it for them accurately, politely, and
enthusiastically.
3. Go the extra mile for the customer.
Anyone walking into the deli on Detroit
Street in Ann Arbor will experience the so-
called 10-4 rule, which finds the greeter mak-
ing eye contact from 10 feet away and giving a
verbal greeting from 4 feet away. Ignore your
customers long enough and they will surely
shop somewhere else, Weinzweig says.
There are five steps to handle a complaint:
1. Acknowledge the customers complaint.
2. Sincerely apologize.
3. Take action to make things right.
4. Thank the customer for complaining.
5. Write it up.
A red form is reserved for the latter purpose,
and data and anecdotes are studied with care.
Measuring the benefits of Zingermans train-
ing is a nebulous art, but Ulrey says she has
seen significant improvement in employees
team-building, goal-setting, and commitment
especially with the new 10-member group in
Monroe. She points out that Zingermans train-
ing also emphasizes providing great service to
employees. For all those reasons, she has recom-
mended the courses to other companies.
Philosophy and precepts are imparted in the
classroom, but Doug Weisz noted their real-time
application during his stint in Ann Arbor, when
he and fellow students dined at Zingermans
Roadhouse, the restaurant that opened in 2003.
Watching Weinzweig pour water and attend
to customers needs while also monitoring the
staff struck Weisz as great hands-on manage-
ment. Still, while automakers emphasize the
importance of providing sterling customer ser-
vice, its up to the retailer to create it.
Weisz trades Weinzweigs water pitcher for
an ice scraper in his own role at Evergreen. Im
here on a snow day cleaning cars, he says. You
end up helping guide your team to make better
decisions, but you need the process for support.
Ultimately, what goes on at the Evergreen
dealership resembles Zingermans philosophy
of creating a third place, as Weinzweig terms
it in an essay. People have their workplaces and
homes, but they sometimes need an alternate
spot for social or business interaction.
Not that a new-car showroom exactly qual-
ifies as a hangout, but Lynn Weisz points to
Evergreens amenities and fine touches. Theres
a cozy fireplace, and the staff treats customers
pets as celebrities.
The extra mile, third among Zingermans
tenets for great customer service, is reached
in surprising ways. When people come in and
see a playroom and coloring station, its dis-
arming, she says. Now they can relax. Mean-
while, it takes a kind of magic to gauge each
customers needs. We try to have a slide rule.
Or as her husband, Doug, puts it, Customer
service is an ongoing process. Its never fixed and
never done.

WHEN CUSTOMER SERVICE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND | By Adrienne Roberts

PUT A RING ON IT
When an out-of-town guest staying at
The Townsend Hotel visited downtown
Birmingham to attend a friends 70th
birthday party, she paid a visit to Lucido
Fine Jewelry (a partner of The Townsend
Hotel) and fell in love with a custom
diamond ring late in the day, making it
nearly impossible to size the ring before
that evenings celebration. Not being able
to deliver the ring for the clients special
event was difficult for Sahrob Jabero, a
sales professional at Lucido Fine Jewelry,
to bear. Jabero turned to co-owner Fran
Lucido to see if something could be done.
Fran reached out to her brother and
partner, Vince Lucido, who picked up the
diamond ring from Birmingham for im-
mediate sizing at Lucidos flagship store
in Sterling Heights. Within two hours, the
ring along with a bottle of Champagne
and chocolate-covered strawberries,
arranged by Fran Lucido were delivered
to the clients suite before the event.

SPECIAL SERVICE, NO TAX
David Woods, an executive response
specialist at Flagstar Bank in Troy, says a
service-with-a-smile attitude helps him
quickly calm unhappy customers and turn
would-be adversaries into fans. Recently,
a customer couldnt understand why
Flagstar was still collecting funds for prop-
erty taxes when the customer had been
notified that he qualified for an exemption
from the tax. Woods started investigating
and discovered that the funds collected
werent related to taxes, but to an entirely
different property issue. The customer
followed up with a letter of appreciation.

JUST IN TIME
A customer had purchased 30 bound
journals through Shinola.com to distribute
at an important upcoming meeting.
However, when she placed her order on-
line, she entered an incomplete shipping
address and FedEx ended up shipping the
package back to Shinolas distribution
warehouse. When Joshua Wright, a cus-
tomer service representative at Shinola,
received the notice from FedEx and saw
that the customer was located near
Shinolas Los Angeles store, he contacted
the store manager there to see if they
could help fulfill the urgent order. They
had a sales associate get in touch with the
customer to coordinate a rush delivery of
the journals to her in time for her meeting.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
In downtown Rochester, concierge Sarah
Osbourn engages in random acts of
kindness for the Royal Park Hotels guests,
often surprising them with thoughtful
gestures that she conjures up at a mo-
ments notice. For example, a guest from
the entertainment market who recently
stayed at the property mentioned she
would miss her sweet pup during her stay.
Osbourn took this comment and ran with
it by locating an image of the womans
adorable dog online, framing the picture,
and placing it in the guests room before
she arrived.

STUCK IN PARK
Robert Giles, assistant parking opera-
tions manager at Greektown Casino-Hotel
in Detroit (to be renamed Jack), was
called to the hotels valet to address a
guest concern. When he arrived, Giles
found that a guests vehicle was stuck
in park. After assessing the situation, he
determined that the vehicles gearshift
wasnt working properly, and the vehicle
would need to be towed. Greektowns
guest was unable to afford the expense at
the time, so Giles used his personal AAA
card for the service, which brought the
guest to tears.

36 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016

PERSPECTIVES || Resorts and Tourism
Contrarian Course
At a time when the game of golf is still trying to stabilize its
economic footing, why is Gull Lake View, near Battle Creek,
opening a new resort-style course? BY NORM SINCLAIR
I
n the 1980s, during the glory days of
Michigan golf when more courses
were built and opened here than any-
where in the country layouts de-
signed by the likes of Jack Nicklaus,
Arnold Palmer, Robert Trent Jones,
Tom Weiskopf, and Tom Fazio trans-
formed northern Michigan into a golfing mecca.
That was then. Todays reality, statewide and
around the country, is much different. Waning
interest in the game, longer workdays, and poor
business practices by some golf club operators
have curtailed memberships and green fees,
along with food and beverage receipts.
One such postscript is the High Pointe Golf
Club on the outskirts of Traverse City, once
ranked among the best in the country. The 225-
acre facility is now a hops farm, supporting the
states burgeoning craft beer industry. Never
mind that High Pointe was the first course de-
signed by architect Tom Doak at the start of a
notable career that has seen him produce some
of the most significant courses built in America
and around the globe over the past two decades.
In post-recession Michigan, as the golf in-
dustry continues to recalibrate and regain its
economic footing, one of the states best resort
38 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
success stories has been unfolding with little
fanfare in the tiny village of Augusta, halfway
between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo on the
states west side.
At the Gull Lake View Golf Club and Re-
sort, three generations grandfather, Darl
Scott; his son, Charles; and Charles son, Jon
have quietly been developing their own field
of dreams. With four courses they designed and
built themselves, starting with the first course
in 1963, and a highly regarded nearby fifth one
they acquired in 1988, the Scotts this season are
taking the wraps off the resorts sixth course,
Stoatin Brae (Gaelic for Grand Hill), one of
only two new golf courses to open in Michigan
this year.
In both instances, Doak and his team are
playing a major role. In a departure from their
previous history, the family decided not to build
the new course themselves. Instead, they en-
trusted a team from Renaissance Golf Design
in Traverse City to produce the 18-hole, 6,800-
yard course atop a 200-foot-high plateau, on
the highest elevation of their property. The site
commands a spectacular 10-mile view over the
Kalamazoo River Valley, with downtown Battle
Creek visible in the distance.
Renaissance Golf Design is the company
Doak founded more than 25 years ago and built
into one of the most sought-after golf design
firms in the world. But Doak wasnt personally
involved in the Gull Lake project. Instead, he
suggested to the family that they hire his long-
time associates Brian Schneider, Eric Iverson,
Don Placek, and Brian Slawik to oversee the
development.
Ironically, the group is also involved with the
other new course opening in Michigan this year.
That project, The Loop, at the Forest Dunes
Golf Club in Roscommon, near Gaylord, is
one of the most anticipated courses in modern
times a unique reversible layout that plays
in a circular pattern using the same 18 greens.
A foursome can head out in one direction and
play 18 holes, and on the following day they play
a completely different layout by reversing their
direction.
While The Loop and Stoatin Brae will get
their fair share of play from golfers eager to try
a new layout, the latter course adds to the lore
of Gull Lake View. With the addition of a sixth
course, the resort now ranks second to northern
Michigans Boyne Resorts in the number and
variety of courses under the same management
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF GULL LAKE VIEW GOLF CLUB AND RESORT
>> GULL LAKE VIEW EAST
While The Loop and Stoatin Brae will get their fair
share of play from golfers eager to try a new layout, the
greet players at Gull Lake View this year. Nearly
latter course adds to the lore of Gull Lake View.
>> BEDFORD VALLEY
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF GULL LAKE VIEW GOLF CLUB AND RESORT
umbrella. Were certainly flying under the ra-
dar a little bit, Jon Scott says. With six cours-
es, we compete very well as a destination golf
resort. Other than Boyne, were the biggest and
oldest (golf resort) in the state.
Jon Scott says he spent four years thinking
about and developing the concept of a new
layout. Im very excited about the course and
I think its even better than I imagined it could
be, he says. There were only five or six new
golf courses built in the United States in 2015,
the least amount of golf courses being built in
the country from the time they started building
golf courses.
Schneider, lead associate at Renaissance
Golf Design, says while Stoatin Brae is different
from the other Gull Lake View tracks, it retains
the same playing characteristics of competition
and dramatic vistas the Scotts infused in their
own designs. Charles and Jon Scott, as well as
Gull Lake View superintendent Rick Fogarsi,
provided invaluable input in the courses devel-
opment, Schneider says.
The setting is where Stoatin Brae really dif-
fers from what the Scotts have done in the past,
as our site was a largely treeless, elevated pla-
teau that offers long-range views that most area
courses cant match, Schneider says. The to-
pography is close to ideal and we came up with
a routing that required minimal earthwork,
allowing us to focus on the contouring of the
green complexes. Our putting surfaces contain
a bit more contour than youll find on the other
Gull Lake View courses, and we made an effort
to limit bunkering to keep the focus on contour.
The new course isnt the only new offering to
every phase of the operation has seen signifi-
cant upgrades, from lodging to entertainment
to dining options.
While the golf courses have long enjoyed
favorable reviews from the playing public, the
lodging facilities, some of which were built by
Darl Scott in the 1970s, were dated and in need
of renovation. Over the last two years, the Scotts
have spent more than $1 million rectifying the
shortcomings. There are two new cottages, each
designed to comfortably accommodate four
golfers. They also offer two bedrooms and two
bathrooms, and are appointed with plush leath-
er and wood furniture, flat-screen televisions
in all of the rooms, a large kitchen, a bar, and
a fireplace, says Bill Johnson, vice president of
the resort, who is overseeing the new develop-
ment. A PGA professional for 25 years, Johnson
says most of the 67 existing villas received new
siding, new floors, carpeting, new bathrooms,
sliding glass doors, furniture, appliances, and
new outside grills.
Golfers on Stoatin Brae will also experience a
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 39
PERSPECTIVES || Resorts and Tourism
new clubhouse and a restaurant the Scott man-
agement team believes will elevate the resorts
dining profile. The full-service restaurant will
offer casual fine dining in a space featuring large
windows that provide views of the golf course
and surrounding countryside. The resorts main
restaurant, East Course Grill, also was renovat-
ed, and now has updated kitchen equipment, an
expanded bar, and new flat-screen televisions.
Johnson says in the short term, Gull Lake
Views management is leaning toward building
more luxury cottages. In the long term, future
expansion will be dictated by a master develop-
ment plan the Scotts have commissioned from
land planning experts.
We have a lot of options, and we have a lot
of people researching where and what we do
next and why, so we can do the best thing for
our customers, Johnson says. We have a lot of
land near the new course. We also still have use-
ful land here at the resort. Among the options
under consideration are a hotel and a sports
bar, he adds.
The improvements and the new course are
timely additions as the 2016 season shapes up as
a banner year. Johnson says pre-season reserva-
tions are up 8 percent over last year. Weekends
are already booked, with openings remaining
mostly for holiday weekends when many golfers
tend to spend time with their families.
While a new hotel or a sports bar may seem
more like corporate undertakings to most, the
staff at Gull Lake View takes a different view.
Were just dirt guys. Thats our background
my dad, my grandpa, and me, Jon Scott says.
Ive got a kid who is 20 and the first word he
could say was tractor. Hes going over to Scot-
land this summer to work on building a golf
course at Castle Stuart, up by Inverness. Thats
something thats in our blood. Thats really
where our passion is.
The dirt guys saga at Gull Lake View began
with the late Darl Scott, Jon Scotts grandfather.
He was a sergeant in the Army serving in the
Pacific in World War II, and he was just one of
those guys who knew how to get stuff done,
Scott says.
Darl Scott was a superintendent for a small
course before the war, and after his discharge
he went to work at Gull Lake Country Club. He
was there for 25 years when he went in one day,
asked for a raise, and was turned down, Scott
says. He quit, and even though he was in his
50s in 1962, he decided to build his own golf
course. He built nine holes at first, and by 1965
he completed the full 18, which is now Gull
Lake West.
Next in line was Jon Scotts father, Charles,
who went off to work for Wadsworth Construc-
tion, one of the countrys most recognized golf
40 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
>> FOUR SEASONS
Over the last two years, Gull Lake View has spent more than $1 million to upgrade the cottages and villas throughout the golf
resort. The improvements to the two-bedroom, two-bath units included new siding, floors, carpeting, furniture, appliances, and
outdoor grills. The new cottages,above, received plush leather and wood furniture, flat-screen TVs, and other amenities.
construction firms. During his eight years as a
construction superintendent with Wadsworth,
which is based in Illinois, the golf boom was
going full tilt and Charles Scott crisscrossed the
country building golf courses.
He had an opportunity to see some very
good design work by some of the best designers
in the business and he knew how to put a golf
course together, Jon Scott says. In 1975, my
mom said she didnt want to spend her life in a
trailer, moving every 12 months from one con-
struction site to another, so dad came home and
went to work with his father.
Gull Lake Views location halfway between
Detroit and Chicago was a key factor to surviv-
ing downturns in the economy. We were really
big in the Detroit market back in the 80s and
90s, and we decided to move our marketing ac-
tivities into Chicago and started gaining a lot of
business from Chicago, Jon Scott says. When
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF GULL LAKE VIEW GOLF CLUB
AND RENAISSANCE GOLF DESIGN INC.
Detroit got really hit by the economy (starting
in 2007), Chicago was still resilient, so we were
able to keep that resort play up. There are a lot
of out-of-state license plates in our parking lot.
Using the same game plan, Gull Lake View
draws visitors from across the Great Lakes
basin, including Cleveland, Indianapolis, Fort
Wayne, and Toledo. We have a built-in ad-
vantage that some of the very good Up North
courses dont have, he says. Its another two
hours travel time to go up there.
Whats more, the resort has had to switch
gears to account for changing needs. Today, Jon
Scott says 53 percent of Gull Lake Views busi-
ness is based on stay-and-play guests, while the
rest of the business is from local play, outings,
and leagues. Twenty years ago, those percentag-
es were reversed.
Scott says overall revenue has generated
constant linear growth since the 1980s, al-
though they were relatively flat during the re-
cent recession. Last year, the five courses did
almost 100,000 rounds, which translated into
some $8 million in revenue, he says.
We project that over the next couple of years
well be at $10 million or $11 million, he says.
We think well continue to see growth for a
long time, quite frankly. Regardless of what
others are doing in golf, we see real opportunity
for consistent deliverable revenue.
The Scotts are convinced that Stoatin Brae,
with its Doak-related pedigree, will elevate the
resorts profile among discriminating golfers
who will travel anywhere and spend generously
to play notable courses.
The Scotts initially reached out to Doak to
design Stoatin Brae, but the architect was al-
ready committed to Forest Dunes so he sug-
gested they hire his associates instead. The idea
resonated with the Scotts: They would get the
best of Doak while keeping their expenses in
line with their business plan.
All the guys who work for me grew up on af-
fordable public courses and our hearts are with
the golfers who play them, Doak says. Were
lucky to have worked on some very high-profile
projects and to have been paid well for them, but
we dont want to disqualify ourselves from good
projects because our fees are too high, or build
courses that our friends could never go play.
Overall, none of the chatter about a slow-
down in the industry bothers Jon Scott, who be-
lieves the timing for Stoatin Brae is perfect for
Gull Lake View and its clientele, especially with
demand on the up swing. We stopped build-
ing golf courses in the 90s when the boom was
on, and now were building a course when some
of them are closing, he says. This only means
were putting a new course into a market thats
starved for a new product. problem and that led to the overall upgrading
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
Resorts and Tourism || PERSPECTIVES
FORE PLAY
In August, the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship rolls
into Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township.
BY NORM SINCLAIR
>> NORTH COURSE
Hole No. 18
AS OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB as tees were moved around, bunkers reworked,
celebrates its centennial by hosting the 2016 and trees addressed, Brady says. Now its an
U.S. Amateur Championship on Aug. 15-21, absolutely beautiful golf course. The amateurs
officials at the club in Bloomfield Township will have to deal with The Monster (nicknamed
can only hope they see a finish like the one by Ben Hogan in 1951) and they should enjoy
that settled their last Amateur Championship the North Course, too, he says.
in 2002. Brady spent nearly 20 years at Oakland
In that event, future PGA Tour players Ricky Hills before taking the head professional job
Barnes of the University of Arizona and Hunter this year. Brady, a Saginaw native, was induct-
Mahan of Oklahoma State University battled it ed into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.
out over 36 holes on the final day. In the end, He is a three-time Michigan Open champion
Barnes defeated Mahan, 2-1, to win the presti- and a two-time state PGA champion.
gious Havemeyer Trophy. As a result, Barnes He says the U.S. Amateur is specta-
name will forever be linked with those of other tor-friendly. You go to an Open or any of the
notable U.S. Amateur champions including other tournaments and everything is roped
Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, off, and you get steered toward seats in the
Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods (three times). grandstands, Brady says. In the Amateur,
Although Barnes defeated Mahan that day, you get to stand right next to the players; you
Mahan has won six times on the PGA Tour, can stand in the rough or out on the fairway,
finished second seven times, and so far has and listen to them talk back and forth with
amassed $29.6 million in winnings. Barnes, their caddies.
meanwhile, has not won on the tour, but has The Amateur Championship has another
collected $6.4 million in prize money. distinction: You could argue about which
The Amateur Championship is the professional tournament is the best to win, the
United States Golf Associations oldest cham- Masters or the U.S. Open, or some other ma-
pionship, dating back to 1895. It is also the jor tournament, but for the amateur players,
USGAs largest event, with 312 players this is the best one to win, Brady says.
in the field. Unlike 2002, which was the last Brady predicts as many as 10 or 12 players
time Oakland Hills hosted the championship from Michigan could be in the field in August,
and play was restricted to the famed South including members of Oakland Hills along with
Course, players this year also will utilize the nearby residents.
clubs North Course. I think in terms of club enjoyment, the
Following a two-year renovation, the North 2002 Amateur ranks right at the top of all
Course is up to championship standards, the major championships that weve hosted,
reports Steve Brady, PGA head professional Club President Terry Donnelly said when the
at Oakland Hills. The update was prompted, in event was announced last year. It really is a
part, by a chronic water problem in an unsight- fan-friendly event.
ly wetland on the 15th hole. FOR TICKETS to the 2016 U.S. Amateur
The club decided to address the water Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club,
visit oaklandhillscc.com or call 248-723-8726.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 41
FEATURE || Header Champions of the New Economy || FEATURE

2016 GEORGE DERDERIAN JR.

CHAMPIONS
President and Managing Partner, Ultimate Soccer Arenas, Pontiac

OF THE Why Hes a Champion of the organization, theyll be back. We have a lot of are lacrosse and volleyball, so were really on the

NEW ECONOMY
For the seventh straight year, Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan,
in partnership with DBusiness magazine and News/Talk 760 WJR,
selected six regional executives who are driving growth in highly competitive
industries. PROFILES BY R.J. KING | JOSH SCOTT
New Economy
A self-described soccer dad, George Derde-
rian Jr. says he was inspired to open Ultimate
Soccer Arenas in Pontiac with several part-
ners in 2007 after visiting a slew of what he
described as substandard sports complexes.
There was a lot of room for improvement. I
wanted a place I would be proud to take my two
daughters to, says Derderian, president and
managing partner of Ultimate Soccer Arenas,
a 365,000-square-foot sports complex along
South Boulevard, just west of Opdyke Road,
that includes four multipurpose indoor fields,
one multipurpose outdoor field, and numerous
amenities like meeting and banquet rooms, an
eatery, and an elevated bar. A former ski instruc-
tor with a political science degree, Derderian
says he opted for the business world rather than
become a lawyer. I sold cars for three years at
the former Tamaroff Buick in Southfield, I was
a general contractor for 12 years building luxury
homes, and I worked for 15 years as director of
corporate and retail sales for Ameritech Cellu-
lar and Paging, which is now AT&T, he says. I
left in 2006, and I focused on building Ultimate
Soccer because I knew sports transcended any
economic downturn. When the economy slows
down, families will skip going out for dinner,
but they almost always find the money to sup-
port their kids sports activities.
Why did you leave the business
world and take a risk on a new
enterprise?
I had learned a lot in the business world, and
one of the maxims was that you take good care
of your employees; they, in turn, take good care
of your customers; and your customers bring in
the revenue. Today we have 32 employees, and
they work very hard to make sure the place is
spotless especially the bathrooms. If a moth-
er or a father sees that you run a clean, first-class
security with multiple cameras, and that gives
parents peace of mind. We had 1 million people
come through our doors last year, and with the
(recent) addition of a new indoor arena, were
planning on 1.3 million people this year. Were
also eyeing an expansion.
What are your plans for the
expansion?
Were talking to a number of different people,
including a couple of local universities, about
adding a multipurpose athletic complex on the
west side of our property. We started with 16
acres, and we added another 16 acres. Were
open every day of the week, except for major
holidays, and we have youth soccer, club soccer,
high school soccer practices and tryouts, and
adult soccer leagues. Our fields are also used
for lacrosse teams and gymnastics teams, and
at the end of April were setting up 38 volleyball
courts for a major tournament. We even have
weddings and graduation ceremonies here, in-
cluding commencement for Lawrence Techno-
logical University in Southfield. Overall, weve
invested $26.5 million in the facility.
Are you looking at other growth
opportunities?
Were looking at adding another location in
Michigan, and were looking at opportunities in
Florida and New Jersey. We have a permanent
structure here, made of steel that is insulated,
so its warm in the winter and cool in the sum-
mer. We wont do an inflatable dome because
they cant hold up to cold weather and they can
deflate which is what recently happened at
Eastern Michigan University. Were in a very
good spot because soccer and baseball have the
most registered players in the United States,
with each sport having 15 million players. If you
look at football, there are around 7 million reg-
istered players. But the fastest-growing sports
cutting edge of the popular sports. We also did a
lot of work when we selected the location of the
complex. Our numbers show 70 percent of the
registered soccer players in Michigan are within
a one-hour driving distance of our facility.
What attracted you to working with
Junior Achievement?
I like to work with and speak to young peo-
ple, and JA is just a great organization. They
really teach business skills to our youth. When I
speak with the students about becoming an en-
trepreneur, I want to open their eyes to the real
world and make sure they take the attitude that
you never give up. I tell them, Your workweek
starts at 40 hours, and goes up from there. I
work 60 hours (a week), and it was 80 hours
when we first opened. Id like to get that down
to 45 hours.
What else do you work on?
We really like to support our seniors and vet-
erans, so on Tuesdays we have a model airplane
club come in and they fly their small planes and
drones inside. From 4 p.m. to midnight, when
the adult leagues are going, theres a lot of ac-
tivity here. I also sit on the board of directors of
the Salvation Army in Pontiac, because so many
of our residents are in need. The City of Pontiac
has been great to work with, so we want to give
back and help them any way we can.
ON LOCATION
Our honorees were photographed on the new
Rooftop Plaza of the Detroit Athletic Club,
added last September to the historic building
designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn.
The glass-walled space of 9,386 square feet
offers a casual restaurant, a pair of meeting
rooms as well as a bar and cigar lounge; and
remarkable views of the downtown skyline.

I had learned a lot in the business world, and one of the maxims
was that you take good care of your employees; they, in turn, take good care of
your customers; and your customers bring in the revenue.
GEORGE DERDERIAN JR.
PLEASE JOIN US as we celebrate the six Champion honorees from 6-9 p.m. May 11 at the Quicken Loans J.A. Financial Park in downtown Detroit.
To attend, contact Blythe Spitsbergen of Junior Achievement at 313-962-5685 or at bspitsbergen@jamichigan.org.

42 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016 May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 43

FEATURE || Header
M. KATHLEEN DONALD
General Manager, Americas, Dassault Systemes 3DEXCITE, Royal Oak
Why Shes a Champion of the New
Economy
When M. Kathleen Donald graduated from
Wayne State University in Detroit, she never
dreamed she would return to campus one day
and assist with plans to create a new business
school for the university. Soon after M. Roy
Wilson was named president of Wayne State
in 2013, he cited the need for a new business
school, but said it didnt necessarily have to be
located on the universitys main campus. Rath-
er, he said it should be built downtown, where
all the businesses are. Donald, a member of
Wayne States board of visitors, says the re-
cently renamed Mike Ilitch School of Business,
set to open in 2018 at the southwest corner of
Woodward Avenue and Temple Street next to
the new arena being constructed for the Detroit
Red Wings, will improve student experiences.
The new business school is really in the heart
of Detroits resurgence, and the students and
the faculty are going to be right in the middle
of everything thats going on, says Donald, gen-
eral manager, Americas, at Dassault Systemes
3DEXCITE in Royal Oak (formerly RTT). As
a student, you couldnt ask for a better setting.
She predicts the $50-million school, formally
launched last October with a $40-million gift
from Mike and Marian Ilitch, co-chairs of Ilitch
Holdings Inc. in Detroit, which includes own-
ership of the Red Wings, will make the school
much more competitive. Its going to help tre-
mendously with the recruitment of students
and faculty, she says.
How did your upbringing help your
career?
I grew up in suburban Detroit, and Ill al-
ways have a soft spot for Wayne State because
earning a business degree there did so much for
me. Today I sit on the strategic committee of
the board of visitors, and its really motivating
because I have an insatiable need for curiosity
and learning. I joined Dassault (in February
2015) to run their operations in North America
(the company has its headquarters in Paris). It
fit right into what I was looking for in terms of
a place where communications and technology
The longer you can have customers and potential customers engaged
in your brand whether on Facebook, in a store location, or in another
media format the better it is. M. KATHLEEN DONALD
44 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Champions of the New Economy || FEATURE
were colliding. We have a suite of virtual reali-
ty products, so we look at how we can leverage
the technology at a time when it is disrupting
what our clients are doing to promote, market,
and enhance their brands. We basically take an
array of data including CAD data and simu-
lation data and strip away all of the engineer-
ing data, and then render it into 3-D images. So
if our clients need a flat file for banner ads, or
immersive experiences for one of their events,
or immersive displays for their retail locations,
everything is at their fingertips.
Whats an example of your work?
If you go to Facebook on a mobile device and
type in GMC, you can see all kinds of amazing
things that the company does to market their
trucks, such as video. As you go through that
Facebook page, it gets more and more immer-
sive. In some ways, were just scratching the
surface of what the technology can do. The lon-
ger you can have customers and potential cus-
tomers engaged in your brandwhether on the account for the U.S. Navy, for example
Facebook, in a store location, or in another
media format the better it is.
How did your career get started?
Following college, I went into advertising
and worked at a couple of small firms. From
there, I worked for Ogilvy & Mather, primarily
for the Ford Parts and Service Division, as vice
president and director of brand planning. I also
did business development. It was the early days
of strategic planning, in terms of how customers
make a decision and what is important to them.
We undertook a lot of research. From there, the
team running Ford of Europe wanted support
on brand management, so I moved to London
and worked on behalf of Ford in 18 different
countries. It was a major opportunity, and I
learned how business was done in different cul-
tures, with different ideas and collaborations.
When did you move back to Detroit?
In 1998, (and the move) was due to a person-
al journey. My mom had breast cancer, and I
wanted to be with her. I just wanted to be clos-
er in case something was going to happen. She
wound up living another 11 months, and it was
the right decision to move back and be with her.
From there, I joined Campbell-Ewald. My mom
was a nurse at Pontiac General (now Oakland
Medical Center) who worked days, and got her
bachelors degree at night. She was a great in-
spiration to me. My dad was a master plumber,
and he knew when he was 16 years old that he
didnt want to work for someone else. He be-
came an apprentice and eventually a certified
master plumber. It was great growing up, be-
cause you could see how the business evolved.
When there was a lot of construction he had a
lot of business, and when things slowed down
he did a lot of service work.
What did you do at Cambell-Ewald?
I started out as an executive vice president in
the account management group. At the time (in
1998), 85 percent of the work was for General
Motors, so one of the things I was charged with
was to diversify our client base. We pitched
and when we won it, there was a great deal
of excitement. Over the course of my career
there, I continued to pitch new business, help
trouble-shoot accounts, and grow our overall
business. We were invited to pitch the UASS
business, and that led to a new office in San An-
tonio. When (former CEO) Bill Ludwig left in
July 2013, I took on the COO duties. I did that
for a year, until I got laid off in September 2014.
What happened next?
I took a break of four months, which was
good because I really needed the rest. But it
didnt take long to join the Dassault team. We
work on a lot of automotive accounts, other
types of transportation work, and companies
like New Balance. For New Balance, they of-
fered a real time platform where you could
go into a store, access a kiosk, and customize
a shoe from the sole up. That connected with
their factory, and it was queued up on the as-
sembly line of the factory floor, and your shoes
were shipped within 10 business days. Two
years ago, it was taken out of the store and we
put the platform on the Internet.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 45
FEATURE || Header
JOE HESSLING
Founder and CEO, 365 Retail Markets, Troy
Why Hes a Champion of the
New Economy
At a young age, Joe Hessling got a crash
course in the food service industry. During the
summer months, he and his dad would awake
early and head to Eastern Market in Detroit to
purchase food and beverage items. From there,
the pair would travel around the Motor City to
supply food to restaurants located near auto-
motive plants, fabrication shops, and stamp-
ing facilities. One of the blessings of my life
was to be exposed to people that really had an
amazing work ethic, which is what Detroit is all
about, says Hessling, founder and CEO of 365
Retail Markets in Troy. The company develops
and sells an array of point-of-purchase equip-
ment to more than 5,500 small markets and
cafeterias located inside office buildings in the
United States, Canada, and the United King-
dom. Hessling grew up in an entrepreneurial
family his grandfather owned the former
Howard Johnson Hotel at West Grand Boule-
vard and Third Street in Detroits New Center.
The complex was torn down several years ago,
and the land is being redeveloped into loft-style
apartments by Peter Cummings. My grandfa-
ther and my dad worked hard, and that rubbed
off on me, Hessling says. I learned how to
hustle to make money.
What was your first business?
I actually bought my dad out (in 1997), and
he worked for me for two years until he passed.
I learned so much from him, especially how to
deal with people from so many different back-
grounds. The people we were selling food to
were often immigrants who owned restaurants,
and their customers were primarily blue-collar
workers. After (my dad) died, I sold the busi-
ness because I just wasnt as interested in it any-
more. So I retired, and had a retirement party.
That lasted about three months, and then I got
married and we had a baby, so it was time to
get back in the workforce. So, with some part-
ners, in 2000 I opened Abes Deli in Southfield,
which is focused on corporate catering. It still
operates today, although I sold my interest to
the other partners in 2014.
I had a great understanding of the blue-collar workforce as
a kid, and Abes Deli introduced me to the corporate lifestyle and how
people used food products at work. JOE HESSLING
46 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Champions of the New Economy || FEATURE
Where did you go from there?
I had a great understanding of the blue-col-
lar workforce as a kid, and Abes Deli introduced
me to the corporate lifestyle and how people
used food products at work. In full swing, we
operated over a dozen locations in corporate
cafeterias in metro Detroit, and we generated
upward of $10 million (in annual revenue).
While I was there, I started 365 Retail Markets
as a garage business (in 2008). After it became
successful, I couldnt spend as much time as I
wanted on Abes Deli, so thats why I eventually
sold my interest. At the start, 365 Retail Mar-
kets was a low-volume, low-revenue business.
As the idea started to catch on that you could
operate micro markets (small food and con-
venience stores inside large office buildings), I
started to get some traction in 2010. From there
it became a real business, and sales picked up
and really took off in 2012. All my life Ive been
involved in the food business, so I never really
had a boss. But being an entrepreneur, you find
yourself spending a lot of time on everything.
How has technology changed your
business?
We started using RFID tags on every food
product we sold, but then we took the technol-
ogy and turned it into a bar code system. Thats
when things really took off. The complex nature
of RFID made it difficult to work with. It often
slowed things down, and the technology wasnt
quite baked yet. When we had RFID tags on ev-
ery single product, it would increase the price
of each product by 15 cents to 16 cents. But
when we switched to reading bar codes, it was
much cheaper and simpler all the way around.
We originally used RFID to reduce theft, but
we found out that, basically, people are hon-
est. Whats more, there are often cameras at
each point-of-purchase area, and the buildings
themselves may have other cameras. At the end
of the day, the vast majority of people enjoy the
convenience of purchasing food or beverages
inside their buildings rather than having to go
out somewhere. Were a technology company
thats a service and support organization; we
supply the technology, and we work with food
providers like Sodexo or Compass Group. Ba-
sically, we provide all of the point-of-purchase
equipment, including for mobile devices, so
someone can buy a Coke or a salad at work.
How do you match supply with
evolving consumer tastes?
While we dont provide food, we can influ-
ence our food suppliers by providing analytic
trends of whats happening across the world.
Were a large provider of transactional data,
so we know whats being bought and we can
get that information to our suppliers. One of
the biggest trends is healthy food, gluten-free
food, and sugar-free food which, 10 years ago,
would not have been on anyones radar. Some
people like to use mobile devices as a way of
payment, so our point-of-sale equipment can
be operated by a cashier or, with the press of
a button, it can go into self-service mode. We
save our clients money on labor, and our cus-
tomers love the convenience of checking out
their items themselves.
Where do you see the company in
five years?
Weve gone global by going into the U.K.,
and from there were getting ready for working
in continental Europe. We also see a big play
in Asia. Weve introduced a new offering called
Verii, which is geared to companies with 150
or fewer employees. Imagine an Amazon-style
online marketplace where the point person at
a given company can go to our website and buy
food and snacks. We link that order to our net-
work, and from there its fulfilled and delivered
within 24 hours of receiving the order. We think
Verii will be twice as big as our current business.
Theres very little cost to get the program start-
ed, and we supply a cooler and a snack rack.
The companies can charge whatever they want
for the food and beverages, or they can provide
it to their workers at no charge. Its been very
popular, and the follow-up orders have been
strong. We launched it in January, and we have
25 accounts (since mid-March). We expect to
have 1,200 accounts within a year, and well just
keep growing that part of the business.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 47
FEATURE || Header
TODD SACHSE
Founder and President, Sachse Construction, Detroit
Why Hes a Champion of the
New Economy
His father was a manufacturers sales repre-
sentative for Broyhill Furniture and his moth-
er was an interior designer, so Todd Sachse
doesnt know where he got the entrepreneurial
bug. It happened early, with a window-washing
company he owned and operated while still at
Seaholm High School in Birmingham, followed
by a maid and janitorial enterprise and, after
graduating from the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor, he acquired a student rental
property just off campus. I was a good handy-
man, but not skilled, says Sachse, founder and
president of Sachse Construction in Detroit.
I could change a faucet, but I couldnt build a
house. Sachse eventually acquired a parcel of
land in Ann Arbor and set out to develop and
build the 100-unit Ironwood Place Apartments.
I bought the land, hired an architect, hired a
superintendent, and I became an assistant
superintendent and learned everything I could.
I had a lot of fun, he says. A few months pri-
or to finishing the Ironwood complex, in July
1991, Sachse subleased a 10-by-10-foot office
and launched his construction business. Last
year, the 130-employee firm completed 178
projects that, combined, represented $172
million in contracts and more than 1 million
square feet of space.
What was your first construction
project?
Once I got an office and a phone number, I
tried to get people to let me build something.
My first project was Cafe Jardin, which was a
French restaurant right in the middle of the
Somerset Collection South in Troy. I worked
with architects Jim Ryan and Ron Rea. At the
time, Somerset South was getting a second
floor. The restaurant opened in 1992, and I was
watching the construction every day and night.
They actually built the second story at night so
as not to disrupt daytime shoppers. I started to
solicit some of the new retailers that were com-
ing in, and we actually built out a store called
Adrienne Vittadini. From there, I built more
At any given time, we have 40 to 50 projects under construction,
another 25 to 30 that are in pre-construction, and close to 20 that are complet-
ed and are going through the final paperwork, which is called a closeout.
48 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Champions of the New Economy || FEATURE
retail stores and restaurants, which is a third of
our business; the rest is banks, office buildings,
apartment buildings, and hotels, and we do
some industrial projects like Ground Effects in
Warren, which builds aftermarket parts for the
automotive industry.
What are you currently building?
We just completed The Albert, which offers
127 apartments in Detroits Capitol Park, and
were finishing up 45 new apartments at the
Lofts of Merchants Row (on lower Woodward
Avenue). Well open The Scott in Brush Park
at Woodward and Erskine, which will have 199
apartments, and DuCharme Place in Lafayette
Park, which will have 185 units, later this year.
Were also converting the former Detroit Fire
Department headquarters across Washington
Boulevard from Cobo Center into the 100-room
Detroit Foundation Hotel, which will open in
2017, with developer Walter Cohen and his
team. We also have projects in Hawaii at the
International Marketplace on behalf of Taub-
man Centers Inc., as well as performing tenant
coordination services at the Beverly Center for
Taubman in Beverly Hills, Calif., where we coor-
dinate all of the tenant construction. Were also
building a flagship H&M store in Puerto Rico.
How do you manage so many
projects at once?
All of our superintendents are full-time
Sachse team members who are well-trained.
Theyll move to a project and live there until
its completed. We treat them well, and that in-
spires a lot of loyalty. We handle all the bidding,
estimating, and project negotiations right here
in Detroit. I have weekly meetings with my di-
rect reports, we have a lot of planning and stra-
tegic meetings, and we rely a lot on technology.
We really focus on inline stores the ones you
see all in a row within or outside a shopping
mall. Weve built stores for Armani, Versace,
Lilly Pulitzer, Nike, Gap, Hugo Boss, and Tif-
fany, and we did the John Varvatos store in
downtown Detroit. Were also working on the
Nike store in downtown Detroit (which will
TODD SACHSE
open in the spring). At any given time, we have
40 to 50 projects under construction, another
25 to 30 that are in pre-construction, and close
to 20 that are completed and are going through
the final paperwork, which is called a closeout.
What other companies are you
involved in?
I recruited Richard Broder from Farbman
Stein (now Farbman Group), and we part-
nered and started Broder & Sachse Real Estate
Services, which is a commercial real estate
investment, development, and property man-
agement company based in downtown Bir-
mingham. I spend half of my time at Broder
and the rest on the construction side, which
includes Zolman Restoration in Walled Lake,
which provides restoration services to major
property insurance firms; Brewster Mainte-
nance in Birmingham; and Stuart Mechanical
in Madison Heights. All of the companies are
named after relatives.
Whats in the pipeline?
Were coming off the best first quarter in the
history of the company. Normally, the first quar-
ter is a little slow, but we were fortunate to win
a lot of bids for new or renovated retail stores.
As for new real estate developments or invest-
ments, we look at geography and the markets
we serve, and then we look for the fast-growing
areas in the country. Thats why were very ac-
tive in places like southeast Tennessee, in Chat-
tanooga and Knoxville. We like it there because
its in the same time zone, its easy to get there by
plane, and its a growing area. Were also look-
ing at entering the Columbus market, and we
have some great projects coming up in south-
east Michigan. Its exciting to be part of the
regrowth of Detroit, and I can say our team is
really excited to be working all over downtown,
Midtown, and other areas of the city. As more
people work and live in the city, it will drive the
development of more stores, restaurants, and
entertainment venues. Nationally, youre seeing
more people talk about the positive things hap-
pening in Detroit. Thats gratifying.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 49
FEATURE || Header
VINCE THOMAS
Founder and CEO, Billhighway, Troy
Why Hes a Champion of the
New Economy
When Vince Thomas was in the fifth grade,
he began working for his fathers banquet hall in
metro Detroit. It was the usual work for a kid,
like busing tables, washing dishes, and mopping
the floors, says Thomas, founder and CEO of
Billhighway in Troy, which offers an array of on-
line services that integrate payment processing
for nonprofits and associations across North
America. I was doing a lot of hard work at a very
young age, and what that did was instill a great
work ethic in me, he says. During his college
days at Eastern Michigan University, Thomas
noticed how difficult it was to organize bill pay-
ments among his roommates. That happens a
lot when you have three or four roommates from
different families and different backgrounds, he
says. Its hard to get everyone together on the
same page. So in 1997, I came up with an idea
for better organizing our payments, and it took
me until 1999 to get the business started.
What was it like starting a business
in college?
It was pretty cool. Like I said, (there was) a
problem between (my) roommates and myself
in terms of who was going to collect the money,
pay the bills, and then square up with one an-
other. I saw a problem that seemed very fixable.
So I created a system and a service to fix the
problem. But the funny thing is, the solution to
that problem wasnt what Billhighway became.
What really helped me was that I started the
business when I was younger. I learned that its
OK if you fail in (a) business. We were successful
and lucky enough to make it, but starting your
own business, owning your finances, and learn-
ing how everything works is a great experience.
At 21 years old, in my senior year, there wasnt a
lot of risk starting my business. I had a beat-up
Ford Explorer and myself, so I didnt have a lot
to lose. If I failed, all I had to do was go out and
find a job. You learn things growing up in a fam-
ily business, as well. It gave me the confidence to
start a business when I was younger. If I hadnt
been exposed to that, I dont think I would have
had the confidence to launch a business.
What really helped me was that I started the business when I was
younger. I learned that its OK if you fail in (a) business. We were successful and
lucky enough to make it. VINCE THOMAS
50 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Champions of the New Economy || FEATURE
How did you scale the business?
My original idea was to fix the problem of
students sharing expenses via a set of online
tools. In the beginning, I didnt have a marketing
budget to support what was a business-to-con-
sumer operation. But a year into the business,
I noticed there were these larger groups on
campus like economic clubs or fraternal or-
ganizations, and I learned they had similar
problems with collecting money from students.
So I started learning more about those groups,
and I started selling my services to them. In-
stead of getting three or four clients at a time,
I was going after these larger groups. Then I
realized a lot of the college-based organizations
were one part of multiple chapters around the
country. After three and a half years into the
business, I landed a $500,000 annual account
for a 13,000-member group out of Texas that
generated $30 million a year in revenue. It was
my big break, and I started hiring people. Today,
we serve over 6,000 organizations in the U.S.
and Canada that represent millions and millions
of members.
How much value do you place on a
vibrant work culture?
Culture is the most important thing. We look
at it as the business needs to fit the culture,
instead of the culture fitting into the business.
We have a playbook with eight plays, or what
other companies might call their core values.
Our plays are very actionable. Everything we do
starts and ends with those plays, in terms of the
products we create or the hiring process, where
we place more value in a persons culture than
their skills. The plays focus on who we are and
how we can successfully grow the company. If
you came in for an interview, we would ask you
what you feel about the plays and how you (can)
fit into our culture, rather than focusing on your
skills as an accountant or a human resource
manager. We have 75 team members here. We
also have company outings or competitions
every single month, including a potluck lunch,
bowling, and family events. We have large
events every quarter. We also have a Billhigh-
way Olympics each year, which is a week-long
set of games where we pick teams, flags, and
colors. Its a very fun, hilarious team-building
week and while we work that week, we in-
tertwine our work with games like chair races
around an obstacle course in the parking lot.
We also have sing-offs and dance-offs, where
people do their best impression of their favor-
ite performer.
How do you keep from growing too
fast?
We never talk about that. We look at progress
at any rate as a great thing, and we could never
grow fast enough. Whatever comes our way, we
figure out a way to make things work. We deal at
the highest level of the client organizations we
work with, and a lot of them have local affiliates,
or groups, or entities, so it can be a challenge at
first. Just last year we signed a deal with a large
organization out of Washington, D.C., that had
50 affiliates and 3.5 million members. We were
looking at ourselves and saying, OK, how are
we going to scale this up? So we got together
and mapped it out and developed a strategy.
Thats what business is all about. You dont slow
down; you make responsible decisions and you
get to work.
What did you learn from playing
college baseball?
I played center-field in college, but during
high school I played football, basketball, and
baseball. I can say I learned a lot about business
playing sports. I think playing sports is the best
example of learning to manage success in life
and business. You need to be competitive, you
learn how to compete, you need to be a team
player, and you learn how to be a leader, how
to step it up, and make it happen. When I was
running the business by myself, I couldnt wait
to hire people and work in a team setting and
be a team player and a leader.
Whats next for the company?
We could expand outside North America. As
the global economy begins to shrink, we see op-
portunities around the world, and we look for-
ward to taking on those opportunities.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 51
FEATURE || Header
EDI DEMAJ
Co-founder and COO, Rocket Fiber, Detroit
Why Hes an Emerging Champion of
the New Economy
Edi Demaj has a different perspective about
what drives the entrepreneurial spirit. In 1999,
when his family fled their homeland in Kosovo
due to the horrific war and established residen-
cy in the United States, Demaj says he was so
grateful he couldnt sleep. Once everything is
taken away from you, anything new (that) you
try is easy, says Demaj, co-founder and COO
of Rocket Fiber, a high-speed Internet provider
in downtown Detroit. You dont think about
success or failure; you just enjoy working hard
without distractions. After earning degrees
in political science and business management
at Oakland University in Rochester, Demaj
worked in a variety of real estate positions at
Grand Sakwa Properties Inc. in Farmington
Hills, followed by a stint at Bedrock Real Es-
tate Services, a sister company to Detroit-based
Quicken Loans Inc. When Google Fiber
launched the installation of high-speed broad-
band services in Kansas City in 2013, Demaj,
along with two colleaguesMarc Hudson and want our clients to think of Rocket Fiber as
Randy Foster envisioned a more robust high-
speed network in Detroit and beyond.
Whats a typical workday like?
Rocket Fiber is where I spend my full week,
with my partners Randy Foster and Marc
Hudson. The three of us manage different ar-
eas of the business on a day-to-day basis, but
we always come together and make the bigger
decisions as managing partners. We started
this company because we wanted to build an
advanced technology infrastructure that helps
breathe new life into the city we love. Detroit
used to be the hub of technological advance-
ment and entrepreneurship, and now its com-
ing back in a major way. We believe that what
were doing with Rocket Fiber will help attract
new ideas and companies that will create jobs
and make Detroit and Michigan the center of
world innovation.
What else are you working on?
Reozom.com is an exciting company that
I helped co-found with my younger brother,
Our goal is to change the way people interact with their Internet and cable
provider. We want our clients to think of Rocket Fiber as their friend and partner,
rather than someone they dont want to talk to. EDI DEMAJ
52 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Champions of the New Economy || FEATURE
Etrit Demaj, and a partner of ours, Justin Tib-
ble. We saw an industry that had not evolved
from the way it operated 50 years ago, and we
wanted to find a way to streamline it and make
it more transparent. We have built a platform
that makes the home buying and selling pro-
cess easier, faster, and more affordable. The
daily operations are managed by Etrit and Jus-
tin. Other ventures I have helped start or have
invested in are iziSurvey, a software platform
that allows users to develop custom surveys
online and offline while lowering data-col-
lection costs, and Gjirafa.com, the first and
only Albanian search engine with more infor-
mation about the region than any other exist-
ing search engine, including Google. Gjirafa is
the fastest-growing brand and the most visited
platform among Albanians worldwide.
Where will Rocket Fiber be in
five years?
Our goal is to change the way people inter-
act with their Internet and cable provider. We
their friend and partner, rather than someone
they dont want to talk to. Every team member
at Rocket Fiber is accessible, starting with the
founders. Were currently building our fiber
network for businesses and residents in down-
town Detroit and Midtown, as well as working
on expansion plans around Detroit and in sur-
rounding cities. In five years, Rocket Fiber will
be in multiple cities; closer to home, we see
Rocket Fiber as a modern-day assembly line
for Michigan that helps attract innovation and
creates jobs.
Whats the biggest challenge?
We went from three co-founders to 30-plus
team members in a year. Bringing everyone up
to speed, and making sure were giving every-
one enough time while continuing to build the
company, has been one of our big challenges.
With time, that has gotten a lot better, and our
team has made building this company easier
and more exciting than we ever expected. We
also have new office space, and we have every-
one on one floor, which is more efficient.
How do you balance your work
schedule so each venture receives
the proper attention?
The short answer is because of the amaz-
ing people I am surrounded by. Rocket Fiber
is my full-time job, and where I spend the ma-
jority of my time. I have incredible partners in
everything I am involved in who handle the
day-to-day operations of the other companies
Ive co-founded or invested in. My brother is
involved in all our ventures outside of Rocket
Fiber, which makes my life easier. It allows me
to look at the other ventures from a different
perspective, and to provide advice from share-
holder and board-level positions.
What advice would you give to
students?
Never get comfortable with anything that you
do whether its learning, working, sports, or
anything else. The minute you get comfortable
and feel like you know it all, thats exactly when
you start falling behind. Surround yourself with
great people because we are all the average of
the people around us, and everything else will
follow. Last but not least, there are no shortcuts
in life. It takes hard work and perseverance to be
successful and to make an impact.
What business leaders inspire you?
Dan Gilbert (founder and chairman of
Quicken Loans, who financially supports Rock-
et Fiber) has been my greatest inspiration. His
ability to see decades ahead of others (and) live
what he preaches, (together with) his leader-
ship style, amazes me. Im a big dreamer, and
back in 2011 when I started working for Dans
real estate company in Detroit, I would con-
stantly think of things I could do to get a chance
of working closer with him. To have him invest
in a company I co-founded is beyond a dream
come true for me. Having the opportunity to
learn from Dan is worth more than any bach-
elors or masters degree I could have gotten.
Others that I watch closely and would love to sit
with and gain knowledge from are Marc Cuban,
Kevin Plank, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and
Robert Herjavec.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 53
 Sports and Entertainment || COVER STORY

DISTRICT
DETROIT
2

rising
1

For the first time, the design and leasing team for District Detroit, a
50-block area spanning downtown and Midtown, reveals how the
5 plan for a new, $627-million arena for the Detroit Red Wings, as well
as offices, housing, stores, and restaurants, got its start, and what
4 and where the investment opportunities will be.AAnd
BY TOM MURRAY | ROBERT KOHN | MAP ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE CHANDLER

he command post for District Detroit, a 50-block
area that spans downtown and Midtown and
includes a new $627-million, 20,000-seat are-
na for the Detroit Red Wings, is just around the
3
corner from the main entrance to the Fox The-
atre. There are no markings or signage on the
entrance door, which is located along the south
side of the theater, and the space that door leads
earlier this year the Ilitchs announced they had trade-
marked the nicknames The Baddest Bowl and The Bad-
dest Bowl In Hockey.
Meanwhile, last summer Olympia Development sold out
all 52 of the arenas full-size suites, which lease for about
$300,000 per year and can accommodate 18 to 30 people,
and 22 of the smaller, four- to eight-person loge-box suites,
which go for around $100,000.

THE to is stark and spare.

During an exclusive tour, youthful staffers were huddled
around a cluster of tables jammed together in the middle of
In addition to the arena, more than 200,000 square feet
of privately financed mixed-use retail and office develop-
ment is in the works for Woodward Square, which encom-

DISTRICT 3. COLUMBIA PARK

Detroits newest urban green space, set behind
the space, quietly chatting and poring over their laptops. It
could be any startup, anywhere.
passes sections of Woodward Avenue and Henry Street
that have been underutilized for years. One building under

detroit
1. CASS PARK VILLAGE
Cass Park Village, that includes the Masonic
Temple, is envisioned as a residential community
for artists and entrepreneurs with local shops
and markets with art galleries and cafes.
2. WOODWARD SQUARE
The epicenter and soul of District Detroit, with
the Red Wings arena surrounded by food
vendors, restaurants, and shops, where crowds
and fans will come together year round.
the Fox Theatre, will be a tree-shaded enclave
surrounded by offices, specialty shops, and loft-
style condominiums or apartments.
4. COLUMBIA STREET
By day, this neighborhood will encourage the
exploration of unique shops, galleries, and cafes.
At night, the Fox Theatre and the Fillmore fans
will fine restaurants, wine bards, and more.
5. WILDCAT CORNER
This will be a natural and lively gathering spot
where all sports fans can celebrate, cheer, and
commiserate. Of course, the neighborhood will
feature plenty of establishments to do it all.
Off to the left, though, theres a smaller room just past a
table filled with coffee and water. Inside, a vast conference
table dominates most of the room, while the walls are plas-
tered with oversized posters depicting the details of what
Mike and Marian Ilitch, co-chairs of Ilitch Holdings Inc., are
launching through their real estate company, Olympia De-
velopment a total investment, most of it privately fi-
nanced, that could reach as much as $1.3 billion by 2020.
The first phase focuses on what will be the new home of
the Ilitch-owned Red Wings. The arena is scheduled to open
in September 2017 in what is called Woodward Square,
connecting Midtown to downtown Detroit. The working
name for the arena is the Detroit Events Center, although
construction runs along the eastern side of the arena, paral-
lel to Woodward Avenue. The other is on Henry Street, to the
south, running alongside I-75.
Both four-story structures will feature more than 55,000
square feet of retail space and more than 160,000 square feet
of office space. Employees of the Red Wings and Olympia En-
tertainment will occupy some of it, but the majority of the
space will house offices, retail stores, and restaurants, both
local and national. There are numerous artist renderings of
how its all going to look and feel in Woodward Square lively
streets teeming with people flocking to and fro, surrounded
by bars, boutiques, and restaurants. Color-coded maps and
grids show where a smattering of residential buildings is

May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 55

COVER STORY || Sports and Entertainment
planned, along with three parking decks and a
400-room hotel.
Weve had great response on the hotel side,
says Steve Marquardt, vice president of Olympia
Development, and those conversations are on-
going. And Woodward Square is really just our
first major initiative. Its an example of appropri-
ate use of retail, not only recognizing that this is
an entertainment district, but that its also a
place where people will live, work, and play.
I think its a formula thats time-tested,
and certainly we think (its) critical, having the
mix of uses and the design that supports it,
more than anything. And there are four other
neighborhoods that are being planned, with (a
similar) look, feel, and authenticity for each of
those, as well.
One of those neighborhoods, Columbia
Street, is going to sprout up just outside the door
of the command post, transforming what is
currently little more than a surface parking lot
between the Fox and Fillmore theaters into a
European-style community with quaint cobble-
stone walkways a place Marquardt is confi-
dent will be a vibrant urban destination.
Itll be this really cool, intimate, two-sided ex-
perience, he says, anchored by the Fox and
Fillmore and the new Little Caesars Global
Resource Center.
The new resource center will be a nine-story,
205,000-square-foot office structure, located
right next door to the Fox Theatre which, 25
years ago, the Ilitchs acquired, restored, and
56 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
refurbished for their headquarters at a time
when numerous companies were fleeing down-
town. The new project will be Detroits first newly
constructed corporate office building in a de-
cade, and only the seventh since 1950. Some
600 employees are expected to work in the
new space and also live in the neighborhood.
Certainly, what you see in trends is people
moving back into cities, Marquardt says.
Theres virtually no residential product now
available in our downtown area, which is a shame,
but its what people are craving and it supports
this idea that people are, in fact, moving back on
a national basis to city centers.
In addition to Woodward Square and Colum-
bia Street, the three other planned neighbor-
hoods are being designed to generate plenty of
action, diversions, and choices for visitors and
residents alike:
Columbia Park: Described as the citys
newest urban green space, behind the Fox and
just to the west of Columbia Street, it will be a
tree-shaded enclave surrounded by offices,
specialty shops, and loft-style condominiums
or apartments.
Cass Park Village: Located to the north-
west of Columbia Park, Cass Park Village is envi-
sioned as an inviting community for artists
and entrepreneurs, with art galleries and cafes,
feeding off its proximity to Wayne State Uni-
versity, Cass Technical High School, and the
Masonic Temple.
Wildcat Corner: Appropriately named for
the sliver of space running between Comerica
Park and Ford Field, this will be a natural and live-
ly gathering spot where all sports fans can cele-
brate, cheer, and commiserate. Of course, the
neighborhood will feature plenty of appropriate
establishments to do it all.
The sweeping transformation of the neigh-
borhoods between downtown and Midtown will
encompass some 385 acres of property, or
nearly 50 city blocks, roughly equivalent to
New Yorks Greenwich Village or Georgetown
in Washington, D.C.
Construction of the arena and surrounding
district is expected to generate at least $2.1 bil-
lion in total economic impact, including 12,500
construction and construction-related jobs, and
1,100 permanent jobs. More than $100 million in
employment income from the events center
project alone is expected for Detroit residents,
with significant additional income to be created
through future private development. Olympia
Development has set a target of 51 percent De-
troit resident employment, and has mandated
that 31 percent of contracts will go to Detroit
companies. Thus far, more than $200 million has
been awarded to Detroit companies.
The excitement generated by that news
is matched by the buzz surrounding the
NIGHT LIFE
At left, a rendering of Columbia Street, set between the Fox
Theatre and the future home of Little Caesars Global Re-
source Center. On the right is an overall view of the project,
where fans will find eateires, wine bars, and clubs.
prospects for a diverse and robust retail element
in the zone. Scott Young, first vice president with
Southfield-based CBRE Detroit, is the projects
leading retail leasing consultant.
The reaction has been overwhelming, which
is great, Young says. Obviously, with the
strength of the economy, the real estate market
nationally is very dynamic right now. Like every
project, theres going to be a mix of localized,
regional, and national (tenants), and when you
find the right operators in each of the segments,
(and they) complement each other, thats when
youre going to have success.
Young says Henry Street, which runs along
the south side of the new arena, is a good exam-
ple of how this approach will look and feel.
Henry Street will close down and turn more
into a festival street during ticketed events, he
says, so the merchandise is going to sway heav-
ily toward food and beverage. But we also have
the opportunity to select several complementa-
ry uses, to create an environment that is diverse
in whom it appeals to. You may have a childrens
event in the morning and a hockey event in the
evening, so you have uses from a restaurant per-
spective that may have varied price points and
themes; maybe something that opens later on
a game night, or for breakfast all day. Because
of that, you can create an active environment.
The same type of activity in an outdoor piazza
on the west side of the arena is projected to
accommodate as many as 5,000 people.
The total possible (number) events between
the piazza and the arena bowl is around 500 (an-
nually), Young says. You could have tailgates
for Tigers games at this location, pre-concert
gatherings, a farmers market, movie nights; itll
have a huge monitor. ...
IF YOU EVER
Retail always follows demand, he says. If
you ever see failed retail, its probably because SEE FAILED
its been built too early and there arent the gen-
erators there to support it. But here we have a lot RETAIL, ITS
PROBABLY
of urban generators: There are 6.5 million people
who will be coming to this project from up to 90
minutes away, not including Canada, and youre
moving a million and a half people (who are)
currently doing ticketed events at Joe Louis Are-
BECAUSE ITS
na to this location. Then you augment another
half-million people a year (who are) projected to BEEN BUILT TOO
come to other ticketed events, so youve got ev-
erything that goes into making this a place, right? EARLY AND
THERE ARENT
A hotel, residential and office space, great
parking, a great community, and all the infra-
structure, landscaping, lighting, safety, security
systems everything you need (is) in this proj-
ect to appeal to every conceivable tenant and
THE GENERATORS
occupant, and everybody who would want to
come down and be a part of this. THERE TO
SUPPORT IT. BUT
The overall enthusiasm for the project is bol-
stered by the sight of the towering concrete and
steel structure rapidly rising from Woodward
Avenue. The original $450-million price tag for
the arena has already increased by more than
HERE WE HAVE A
$150 million because of an array of enhance-
ments, such as: LOT OF URBAN
GENERATORS. ...
An on-site practice rink that can also be
s
scott young
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 57
COVER STORY || Sports and Entertainment
used for amateur hockey.
Askin on the outside of the arena bowl that
can display video and graphics, such as the Red
Wings logo on game days.
Additional elevators and so-called upper
gondola seating seats that are seemingly sus-
pended over the event level.
Enhanced sound and video capabilities, in-
cluding a massive video wall for the outdoor plaza.
More green spaces across the arena site,
which will be regularly programmed with music
and entertainment. The ongoing improve-
ments are the culmination of more than 15
years of dreaming and planning by the Ilitch
family to build the best arena imaginable for
the Red Wings.
A key step leading up to this strategy occurred
one day in spring 2007 in the White Plains, N.Y.,
office of Richard Heapes, soon after the Red
58 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Wings defeated the San Jose Sharks in a sev-
en-game playoff series. Heapes is co-founder
and partner of Street-Works, a real estate com-
pany specializing in mixed-use development
which essentially defines any space that incor-
porates a combination of residential, retail,
cultural, and industrial uses. Street-Works has
completed more than $1 billion in mixed-use de-
velopment around the country. As develop-
ment consultants, theyve been actively involved
in real estate projects exceeding $10 billion.
It was around lunchtime and I happened to
be in the office, Heapes says, and this guy
shows up and its Atanas Ilitch, Mr. Is son, and he
says his father has sent him to go find the guys
that did Santana Row. And he asks, Does any-
body here know about this project? So I said,
Yeah, I do. Come on in and lets talk.
Street-Works developed Santana Row, a
20-block, 42-acre urban mixed-use village in
San Jose. The players loved it, Heapes says.
The team was in a hotel in the middle of one
of the projects that we had opened in 2001,
with all kinds of retail and streets and sidewalks
and cool stuff. So that meeting with Atanas led
to us coming out the following week and driv-
ing up and down Woodward and taking a look
at what they had and what they were thinking.
It was kind of an odd, serendipitous thing. So
that was the start of it.
It didnt take too many trips along Woodward
for Heapes to realize there were aspects of
downtown Detroit that were unique and exciting.
We were most astounded by the assets
already sitting here that were the assets to a
successful downtown, he says. Wed done
work in other downtowns, a lot of it in Boston.
What are the main assets of Boston? Educa-
tion? Youve got Harvard, MIT, Wellesley, and
all the others. Wellness? Think of all the health
facilities and hospitals in Boston. Sports?
Boston is a sports-crazy city. And then theres
people living there.
Heapes says Detroit wasnt too different
than Boston.
So we said,You guys have the pillars for what
you need to grow the city. Most cities are trying to
lure those things to their downtowns, and youve
already got em here. The DMC, Wayne State,
three professional athletic teams downtown, 20-
some theaters, and casinos. In spite of what it
might look to people, youve got the foundations
of a great downtown. Theres not another place
like this in the country. So we were very engaged
and started working on a strategy.
The next critical step was the arena, and figur-
ing out where to locate it.
The one thing we knew from the beginning
was that it was going to take something pretty
powerful to bridge the two downtowns together,
caused by I-75, Heapes says. Youre not gonna
stick a bike store and a coffee shop in the Cass
Corridor and bring downtown back together. So
that began a question of: Could a sports venue,
particularly an arena, do that?
And, just as importantly, what kind of arena
would it be?
It would have been easy to build this hulking
monolith in the middle of a sea of parking, Mar-
quardt says, but thats not appropriate and not
great urban design. You need some context.
Heapes agrees. Typically if you build the old
arenas, like The Joe, version two, its not a good
neighbor; its closed most of the time, with park-
ing all around it, like The Palace of Auburn Hills or
Sports and Entertainment || COVER STORY
NOW AND THEN
A photo illustration shows the progression of the new Red Wings arena the center piece
of District Detroit from early construction, far left, to the completed 20,000-seat arena,
right, giving fans close proximity to the action, sight lines, amenities, and technology. The
exterior of the new arena, inset, will display video and graphics during game days.
wherever else. So we said we could put an arena main concourse for the arena.
(near I-75), but it has to be the catalyst and heart The vision is for the Via to remain open year-
of a neighborhood. It cant be a big box. round and be accessible from a stop along the
Heapes didnt have to look very far to illustrate M-1 Rail, now called the QLine, the 3.3-mile
his point. Woodward Avenue fixed-rail system with 11
The Comerica Park area is a very friendly stops between West Grand Boulevard and
neighborhood kind of place, he says. Its not Congress Street. Currently in its final phase of
high. They pushed it into the ground. They made construction, the QLine will be operating early
the outbuildings interesting and charming. You next year, well before the opening of the arena.
wouldnt mind living next to that, versus next to M-1 is going to change peoples perception of
The Joe, for example. So Im thinking theyve al- downtown, Heapes says. City Hall is just a
ready shown how to think of these things. And 10-minute walk from here, down a beautiful
thats what generated the basic deconstructed street. People are going to realize this is cool and
design of the arena, which is push that thing into its safe. Theyre just going to start walking and
the ground, dont make it too high, and then using the M-1, and its going to completely
surround it with neighborhood stuff retail, change the way people look at their city.
office, whatever else and it can sit and be kind In fact, the overall District Detroit project
of this engine. has already gained wide media attention as a
HOK, a St. Louis-based global architectural close-knit commercial, residential, and enter-
firm specializing in sports facilities, designed tainment neighborhood that will typify the vi-
Comerica Park and was also commissioned for sionary cities of the 21st century. Experts be-
the events center. Their layout of the arena lieve that walkable urban places not only
mimics the Comerica Park design: Its a bowl increase safety, because there are literally
with the ice surface 37 feet below street level. more people on the streets, but also because
Buildings housing the box office, team offices, there are more eyeballs paying attention. An
and various retail outlets will be outside the are- added bonus to all that street traffic is better
na, but under a glass roof, creating an indoor health because people are walking more
atrium called the Via, which will serve as the and driving less. So, ironically, the city that was
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 59
 BY THE NUMBERS
Comerica Park, Ford Field,
and the new arena for the
Detroit Red Wings, scheduled
to open in September 2017,
add up to sizeable economic
activity in downtown Detroit.
responsible a century ago for the birth of auto- FAN FAVORITE
Wildcat Corner is set around Comerica Park and Ford Field,
mobile transportation is now (already) ranked with new residential apartments complemented by stores

4.5 130
among the countrys top 30 metropolitan ar- and restaurants planned. Two surface parking lots between
eas for its walkable urbanism. Woodward and Comerica Park will be redeveloped, along
with adding two or more parking decks.
I often ask people a trick question: Whats
MILLION PLUS the most important pavement that you can put But, Heapes cautions, its still very much a
People drawn annually Regular-season games on a sidewalk? Granite, bricks, concrete?, story that does not have an ending yet, some
to be hosted Heapes says. The answer is none of the above. chapters are still being written.
The best pavement you can put down is any- I use the analogy all the time, he says. Just
$
126 485
thing with dappled light from big trees. So put because you put in a new arm or heart doesnt
your money where the trees are. Big trees. mean the bodys not going to reject it. Everyone
People think its all been there a long time; it is hopeful and the signs are good, but I keep tell-
THOUSAND MILLION feels comfortable. ing people: Announcements in the paper are
Stadium seats Annual economic
activity generated Heapes hastens to add it cant feel fabricat- good, but until you see shovels, theyre just an-
ed or, especially in the case of Detroit, inau- other thought. And thats the transition were in
thentic in any way. right now. Were starting to see shovels, but its

70
PERCENT
146.4
THOUSAND
We have enough historic buildings (that)
were not gonna feel squeaky brand-new, he
says. In todays world, peoples bull**** meters
no guarantee.
That raises an obvious question for anyone
whos involved with the District Detroit project:
Hotel occupancy realized Daytime population are on a trigger. High alert! So I have a few De- When will they know unequivocally they have a
troiters. I call them my canary committee. I winner on their hands?
can put something under their noses and ask, Thats a tricky question, says Young, adding,

150 84
How does this smell to you? Without being old Youll know when you walk down Henry Street
Detroit or ruined Detroit or any of those old every evening and its working.
things, does this smell Detroit? Or does this Marquardt agrees. We have seen and will
THOUSAND PERCENT have a little tinge of Manhattan? Just give me a continue to see milestones that point to success
Office workers to be Office occupancy rate, with a
whiff. How does it smell? And thats how were on this project, he says. Each time we award a
employed $20.97 average lease rate
muddling through this. contract to a Detroit-based business, thats suc-
Actually, Heapes himself is doing a lot more cess. As buildings like the Detroit Events Center

378
RESTAURANTS
98
PERCENT
than just muddling through. Just over a year ago,
he relocated to Detroit full time from his home
in the Manhattan suburbs. You cant fly in and
progress, thats success. And as retailers from
across the country reach out to us to locate in
District Detroit, thats success.
Offered in the greater down- Residential occupancy rate out as a consultant and be out of here, he says. I As for Heapes?
town area (7.2 square miles) fulfilled (35,100 residents) had to live here. Its not one thing happens and then you
Heapes moved into the David Broderick know, he says. You kinda smell it. And its not
$ *
32.5 17-23
Tower I love it there! he says, I feel like Ive just the big plans; its down to the molecule of the
found the bag of gold and regularly rides his sidewalk, which is everything that people expe-
bike to Eastern Market or takes long walks on rience at the end of the day. All the plans are
THOUSAND Estimated office rent Woodward, marveling at how much its all great, but its really, What the hell does it feel like
College student population per square foot
changed since his first visit nearly 10 years ago. to be there?
The coney places were all there was back And then the New Yorker, whos been feeling
then, he says, but in the last two to three years, firsthand for well over a year now what its like to
$ $ *
17-20
Estimated retail rent
*
15-35
Estimated restaurant rent
theres been 70 new restaurants added. Thats
people putting their money and life and liveli-
hood where their mouth is. And thats the stan-
be there, flashes a final, confident grin.
I dont know where that tipping point was, he
says, but I feel we are quickly moving past it in
per square foot per square foot dard indication a place is coming back. I dont the downtown. If the suburbs were the place to
care if its SoHo (in New York) or Ocean Drive (in be in the 1950s and 1960s, our cities are the
Sources: Miami). It starts with people coming and saying, I place to be now. If Detroit was a stock, Id be buy-
District Detroit, Stokas Bieri Real Estate want to be a part of this, I can do a restaurant. ing some right now.

* ALL ESTIMATED RENT REFLECTS MARKET CONDITIONS AS OF FALL 2017 WITHIN DISTRICT DETROIT AND ARE TRIPLE NET. FOR ESTIMATED
60 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016 RESTAURANT RENT, FAST CASUAL EATERIES WOULD RANGE FROM $30-$35 PER SQUARE FOOT WHILE SITDOWN RESTAURANTS WOULD RANGE
FROM $15-$35 PER SQUARE FOOT (THE LATTER ESTIMATED RENT DEPENDS ON WHETHER THE LANDLORD OR TENANT PAYS FOR THE BUILDOUT).
FEATURE || M&A All Star Awards 2016
The Association of Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter
and DBusiness magazine honor the ninth annual winners.
DBusiness magazine has partnered with the Association of Corporate Growth Detroit Chapter to honor its recipients
of the ninth annual M&A All Star Awards for 2016. Winners were recognized at an event on April 12 at The Townsend
Hotel in Birmingham. The Detroit chapter of ACG Global represents a 400-member professional organization focused
on middle-market growth, private investment, and M&A work across southeast Michigan. Founded in 1954, ACG
Global has 59 chapters and 14,500 members worldwide. Overall, ACG serves 90,000 investors, owners, executives,
lenders, and advisers to growing middle-market companies.
62 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
ALL STAR INVESTMENT BANKERS OF THE YEAR
GREG ALKHAS, MANAGING DIRECTOR
CLIFF ROESLER, CO-FOUNDER AND PARTNER
ANGLE ADVISORS, BIRMINGHAM
Acquiring Company: Northeast Industries Co. LTD, Changchun, China
Acquired Company: Delphi Corp.s Global Reception Systems Business
(Delphi is based in Troy and Global Reception Systems Business is based
in Germany)
Why This Deal is an M&A All Star
The northeast region of China has an aging industrial base that has
lagged as it relates to development. The Chinese government, including Xi
Jinping, president of the Peoples Republic of China, sought to bring new
technologies to the region to accelerate growth. Greg Alkhas, managing
ALL STAR INVESTMENT BANKING FIRM OF THE YEAR
QUARTON INTERNATIONAL, BIRMINGHAM (U.S. OFFICE)
Why Quarton International is an M&A All Star
In late 2015, Quarton Partners, a banking and investment firm in Birming-
ham founded in 2010, merged with a larger German firm, Blue Corporate
Finance. The new company was named Quarton International, and today
it includes 14 employees from Quarton Partners, along with 36 employees
in offices located in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the U.K. The new
firm operates as an equal partnership. Quarton International provides
advice on M&A transactions and complex securities, along with assisting
with raising equity and debt capital. The deals the firm is involved in range
ALL STAR CPA FIRM OF THE YEAR
PLANTE MORAN TRANSACTION ADVISORY TEAM
PLANTE MORAN, SOUTHFIELD
Why Plante Morans Transaction Advisory Team is an M&A All Star
With a focus on the middle market and transactions between $20
million and $200 million, Plante Morans Transaction Advisory Team
participated in more than 170 deals in 2015, up nearly 16 percent
from the year before. Nearly 40 of the completed transactions
included a buyer or seller located in Michigan. The team with
leadership from Michele McHale, a partner in the firms Southfield
office serves both financial and strategic buyers, and deal volume
ALL STAR ATTORNEY OF THE YEAR
ROBERT S. BICK, OF COUNSEL
WILLIAMS, WILLIAMS, RATTNER & PLUNKETT PC,
BIRMINGHAM
Acquiring Company: Magellan Health Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz.
Acquired Company: 4D Pharmacy Management Systems Inc., Troy
Why Robert S. Bick is an M&A All Star
Robert Bick, counsel of Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett in
downtown Birmingham, negotiated numerous complex issues and
documentation in facilitating Magellan Health Inc., based in
Scottsdale, Ariz., to acquire Troy-based 4D Pharmacy Management
Systems Inc., a privately held, full-service pharmacy benefit
manager. Due to several complicating factors, the $85-million deal
took more than a year to negotiate, obtain regulatory approvals,
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE DETROIT ANNUAL AWARDS, EITHER THE ACQUIRING COMPANY OR THE ACQUIRED COMPANY MUST BE LOCATED IN WAYNE, OAKLAND,
WASHTENAW, MACOMB, LIVINGSTON, OR GENESEE COUNTIES. FACTORS CONSIDERED MOST STRONGLY IN THE JUDGING WERE HOW THE M&A DEALS BENEFITED
THE REGION BEYOND A SMALL INVESTOR POOL, SUCH AS CREATION OR RETENTION OF JOBS, ALONG WITH DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY.
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE MURRAY
M&A All Star Awards 2016 || FEATURE
director, and Cliff Roesler, co-found-
er and partner, of Angel Advisors in
Birmingham, identified China-based
Northeast Industries Co., a manu-
facturer of low-technology mechan-
ical parts, as a company that could
benefit from the sophisticated engi- ALKHAS ROESLER
neering capabilities of German-based Delphis Global Reception Systems.
The year-long deal, executed in Angel Advisors Birmingham office, was a
perfect fit, and President Xi himself congratulated Northeast Industries
on the transaction. The proceeds from the divestiture are expected to be
reinvested in higher growth opportunities in the Detroit area.
from $25 million to $500 million.
The Birmingham-based division
includes Rob Parker, partner and
president of North America opera-
tions, and Andre Augier, chairman
and CEO for North America. The
pair say they take the time to AUGIER PARKER
understand the complexity of the agreements they work on, as well as
the clients motives and goals. Parker has nearly 20 years of investment
banking experience and Augier has nearly 30 years of experience.
is split 70/30 between the two, respectively.
Approximately half of the deals reached last
year were evenly split between health care and
manufacturing/distribution companies, with the
remaining share predominantly focused on service
companies. The majority of the strategic buyer
MCHALE
clients served by the Plante Moran team, which
also works with private equity companies, are headquartered in
Southfield. The global accounting firm has more than 2,200
employees in 22 offices worldwide.
document, and close. Bick was able to craft numer-
ous out-of-the box solutions to meet the conflicting
goals of both parties, mitigate risks on each side
to acceptable levels, and obtain the government
approvals required to consummate the transaction.
As part of the transaction, 4D Pharmacy was able
to ensure that its headquarters, employees, and BICK
jobs remain in Michigan. In turn, Magellan committed to hire addi-
tional employees and expand its operations in the state. During his
nearly 30-year legal career, Bick has negotiated and closed hundreds
of M&A transactions. He is a graduate of the Stephen M. Ross School
of Business at the University of Michigan and the University of Michi-
gan Law School, both in Ann Arbor.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 63
FEATURE || M&A All Star Awards 2016
ALL STAR CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR
JEFF LAMBERT, PRESIDENT AND MANAGING PARTNER
LAMBERT, EDWARDS & ASSOCIATES, DETROIT
Why Jeff Lambert is an M&A All Star
Jeff Lambert, founder, president, and managing director of Lambert,
Edwards & Associates in Detroit, advised and provided due diligence,
along with offering marketing support, on more than 30 transac-
tions in 2015. Lamberts firm provided strategic counsel and tailored
resources to help businesses communicate clearly, consistently, and
effectively with their investors and throughout the M&A process.
Under Lamberts direction, the firm provided strategic guidance
on transaction communications for Detroit-based Huron Capital
Partners 25 transactions within 2015. These transactions included
ALL STAR CONSULTING FIRM OF THE YEAR
PM ENVIRONMENTAL INC., BERKLEY
Acquiring Company: Kroger Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
Acquired Company: Hillers Markets, Commerce Township
Why PM Environmental is an M&A All Star
When Mike Kulka, founder and CEO of PM Environmental in Berk-
ley, was presented with an opportunity to represent and provide
environmental counsel to Cincinnati-based Kroger Inc., the nations
second-largest supermarket chain, he personally oversaw the due
diligence in the purchase of seven locally owned Hillers Markets.
Kulka and his team were faced with special challenges including
performing the due diligence, property condition assessments,
ALL STAR CROSS-BORDER DEAL OF YEAR
PENINSULA FUND V ACQUIRES IMPACT UNLIMITED
Acquiring Company: The Peninsula Fund V Limited Partnership, Detroit
500 Woodward Ave., Suite 2800, Detroit
Acquired Company: Peninsulas Toronto-based portfolio company, Aura
XM, acquired Impact Unlimited, Dayton, N.J.
Why This Deal is an M&A All Star
The Peninsula Fund V Limited Partnership, a private equity fund and
part of Peninsula Capital Partners in Detroit, led by Scott Reilly, pres-
ident and CIO, and Partner James Illikman, navigated this significant
cross-border deal involving the Peninsulas Toronto-based firm of
Aura XM in the acquisition of Impact Unlimited in New Jersey. The
combined companies, rebranded as Impact XM, provide strategy,
ALL STAR DEAL OF THE YEAR UNDER $50 MILLION
STRATFORD-CAMBRIDGE GROUP ACQUIRES
SPEEDGRIP CHUCK INC.
Acquiring Company: Stratford-Cambridge Group, Plymouth
Acquired Company: Speedgrip Chuck, Elkhart, Ind.
Why This Deal is an M&A All Star
Stratford-Cambridge Group, through its portfolio company, GCG
Acquisition Co. LLC, purchased the assets of Elkhart, Ind.-based
Speedgrip Chuck in December 2015.The business was a
second-generation company that specialized in the design and
production of work-holding components for precision machining.
Tragically, the companys president, the son-in-law of the founder,
was stricken with cancer and passed away, and his spouse decided
to sell the business. The opportunity was brought to the attention
of Steve Ellis, managing director of Stratford-Cambridge Group in
64 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
19 acquisitions in 13 different states and Canada.
In addition to add-on deals and other acquisitions,
LE&A advised Huron Capital on four exits (a record
number). Lambert was named an operating partner
for Blackford Capital, a private equity firm, and
provided strategic support and counsel to the firms
Michigan Prosperity Fund, which invests in mid- LAMBERT
dle-market manufacturing, distribution, and service
companies either headquartered or maintaining significant operations
within Michigan. The fund supports Michigans economy by protecting
and creating jobs within the state and reducing the export of capital
from Michigan by out-of-state investors.
asbestossurveys, and hazardous materials inspec-
tions under strict confidentiality among staff,
landlords, and third-party property managers. Not
even the PM Environmental employees knew who
the client was, including accountants, engineers,
and architects. Inspections had to occurduring
regular business hours, in and outside of the prop- KULKA
erties, as well as on the roof, without upsetting ordinary operations
at Hillers specialty grocery stores. The team had to identify any
potential issues at the facilities to ensure there was noenvironmen-
taland deferred maintenance riskfor Kroger to consider.
creative, marketing, design,
fabrication, installation, logistics,
and storage of displays for trade
shows and promotional events.
By partnering with experienced
management experts, the
REILLY ILLIKMAN
transaction was closed in short
order. The acquisition team worked with portfolio management to
identify Impact Unlimited as the most advantageous add-on target
and worked collaboratively to complete the underwriting.Peninsula is
currently focused on investing its $389 million of committed capital in
this fifth partnership.
Plymouth. During due diligence, it became
apparent that most of the financial information
had been handled by the president before he died.
This resulted in a new and arduous financial due
diligence process to generate a great amount of
information that did not previously exist. Addi-
ELLIS
tionally, after an initial environmental study, it was
found that more work and reclamation would need to be done on
the property. Both challenges resulted in the process
taking much longer than anticipated. Compelling aspects of this
deal were that Stratford-Cambridge Group was not the lowest
bidder. To close the transaction, the company built up a strong
relationship with the management team by sharing its vision and
strategy post-closing.
ALL STAR DEAL OF THE YEAR UNDER $10 MILLION
OAKLAND STANDARD ACQUIRES MOTOR CITY FASTENER INC.
Acquiring Company: Oakland Standard Co., Birmingham
Acquired Company: Motor City Fastener Inc., Hazel Park
Why This Deal is an M&A All Star
Bob Puskas, president of Motor City Fasteners in Hazel Park, began
his career at the company by loading nuts and bolts in his fathers
garage. When he began to consider potential sale scenarios in early
2015, Puskas focused on identifying the right partner, who would
serve as a value-added steward to this second-generation family busi-
ness that had just celebrated its 50th year. Enter Birmingham-based
Oakland Standard. What struck the principals of Oakland Standard
when they were introduced to Puskas and his wife, Nancy, was the
fact that they said their employees are treated as an extension of the
family. This situation was a familiar one for Oakland Standard; over the
ALL STAR DEAL OF THE YEAR OVER $50 MILLION
INTEGRITY AEROSPACE GROUP INC.S SALE OF X-RAY
INDUSTRIES & ARCADIA AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES TO
APPLUS+ SERVICES
Acquiring Company: Applus+ Services S.A., Spain
Acquired Company: The transaction involved the sale by Integrity
Aerospace Group Inc. in Troy of two major holdings. The divested entities
included X-Ray Industries Inc., headquartered in Troy, and Arcadia
Aerospace Industries LLC of Punta Gorda, Fla.
Why This Deal is an M&A All Star
Applus+ is one of the worlds leading testing, inspection, and certifi-
cation firms. They provide solutions for clients in all types of sectors
to ensure that their assets and products comply with environmental,
quality, health, and safety standards. X-Ray Industries Inc. is the
ALL STAR DEALMAKER COMPANY OF THE YEAR
HURON CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC, DETROIT
Why Huron Capital Partners is an M&A All Star
Based in Detroit, Huron Capital is a private equity firm with a long
history of growing lower middle-market companies through its pro-
prietary ExecFactor buy-and-build investment model. Huron Capital
closed on a record 25 transactions in 2015. As a result, it was the most
active year of completed deals, by number and magnitude, in the
firms 17-year history. The transactions included four agreements in
Michigan. Total transaction value exceeded $825 million, and the total
revenue of the companies involved exceeded $775 million. The firm
prefers complex situations where they can help companies reach their
ALL STAR RESTRUCTURING DEAL OF THE YEAR
HILCO GLOBAL ACQUIRES LEE STEEL CORP.
Acquiring Company: Hilco Global, Northbrook, Ill.
Acquired Company: Lee Steel Corp., Novi
Why This Deal is an M&A All Star
Lee Steel in Novi, along with its affiliates, was in discussions with
Huntington National Bank regarding accommodations to meet the steel
companys anticipated liquidity needs. Huron Business Advisory,
a division of Huron Capital Partners LCC, became involved and was
engaged to measure the potential cash requirements, which were
significantly worse than Lee Steel had expected. Huron Business
Advisory, Lee Steel, and Huntington then negotiated a plan to provide
increased liquidity and deferral of principal requirements to give Lee
M&A All Star Awards 2016 || FEATURE
past six years, Bryan Tolles, partner
at Oakland Standard, sponsored
the acquisition of more than 30
family-owned businesses. His part-
ner, Dan Bickersteth, has served
in a C-level capacity for three
privately owned, family businesses. TOLLES BICKERSTETH
This combination of experience investing in and operating companies
with an extended family resonated well with Bob and Nancy Puskas.
The partnership the Puskas family, Motor City Fastener, and Oakland
Standard decided to form was based on a mutual understanding of
continuity, as well as the investment that would be made in advancing
the careers of those who counted on Motor City Fastener to support
their families.
leading provider of independent
Nondestructive Testing Services
to the aerospace industry in the
U.S. The company serves the
outsource testing needs of critical
component suppliers to virtually
ARENDS PROKOP
every prime aerospace company.
Given the sensitive nature of the aerospace industry, sanction for
this deal had to be approved by the Committee on Foreign Invest-
ment in the United States, an inter-agency of the U.S. government
that reviews the national security implications of foreign investment
in U.S. companies or operations. Obtaining such approval required
significant effort. Playing a key role in the deal were Geaneen Arends,
shareholder, and R. Peter Prokop, of cousel, from Butzel Long.
full potential by combining an operational approach,
substantial capital base, and transaction experience
with seasoned operating executives. Co-founded
in 1999 by Brian A. Demkowicz, managing partner,
Huron Capital has raised over $1.1 billion in capital
through four committed private equity funds and
invested in more than 100 companies. In turn, its DEMKOWICZ
portfolio companies have employed more than
7,500 people throughout North America. Huron Capitals sector focus
includes specialty manufacturing, business services, consumer goods
and services, and health care.
Steel time to improve its operations and withstand
the expected downturn in market pricing. When it
became clear the company could not reach terms
with its secured lender and unsecured creditors, Hu-
ron and the law firm of McDonald Hopkins prepared
the company for a bankruptcy filing. Laura Marcero, MARCERO
from Huron Business Advisory, was appointed chief
restructuring officer. Lee Steel filed for bankruptcy protection in April
2015. Huron consolidated the operational footprint from two manufac-
turing locations into one to make Lee Steel a more attractive acquisition
target and to maximize its value. The result was a 363 sale of Lee Steels
assets through two separate transactions to two different buyers.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 65
 INSIDE
EXEC LIFE
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Reporter Bob Woodruffs
roots started at Cranbrook.
MICHIGAN FRANCHISE REPORT
Two Men and a Truck
keep company moving.
OPINION
The failure of the
America Invents Act.
THE CIRCUIT
Our party pics from
exclusive events.

California
>> TIMELESS CLASSIC
Dreamin
The renovated Petersen Automotive
A 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
convertible, located on the mu- Museum in Los Angeles has been turning
seums history floor, was called
the Hot One in General Motors
heads and driving talk of a similar venue
advertising campaign. in downtown Detroit. BY RICK HAGLUND

May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 71

EXEC LIFE || May - June 2016
B
illionaire businessman Dan
Gilbert, who owns more than
80 downtown Detroit prop-
erties and has recruited more
than 150 businesses to fill
them, sees a gaping vacancy
in the city that put America
on wheels.
Gilbert has said on several occasions over the
past few years that there should be an automo-
tive museum downtown that would celebrate
the industry and leverage the sexiness of the
car, as he explained in a 2014 speech.
Terry Karges would like to help. Karges is
executive director of the Petersen Automotive
Museum in Los Angeles, which recently under-
went a stunning, $90-million renovation that
includes a spectacular red exterior trimmed in
flowing, stainless-steel ribbons. Its considered
one of the finest auto museums in the country
and could serve as a model for a similar endeav-
or in Detroit.
In addition to more than 300 cars, the
three-story museum features a variety of inter-
active displays, including a video touch screen
exhibit in which a Ford Motor Co. employee
talks about the education and skills required for
various jobs in the auto industry.
Wed love to help in any way we can to
build a museum (in Detroit), Karges says. It
would become an instant hit, and youd have
people who come to Detroit from all over the
72 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
world stop by for a visit. I think theres a really
good opportunity and I would be happy to talk
to people.
Thats not just the musing of a Southern Cal-
ifornia native who has little knowledge of the
Detroit landscape. Karges spent 22 years of his
professional career here, 17 of them as senior
vice president of sales and marketing at Livo-
nia-based Roush Performance, which makes
high-performance automotive components for
street and racing applications. He also has held
marketing and management positions at Disn-
eyland and SeaWorld.
Talk of a Detroit automotive museum accel-
erated in late 2014, when Gilbert purchased the
114-year-old State Savings Bank building down-
town. Since then, however, no final decision has
>> SILVER STREAK
The Precious Metal exhibit includes the use of silver by
automakers to represent the pinnacle of performance
and style including a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Scaglietti and
other notable racecars. BELOW: Zahner in Kansas City
manufactured the museums complex facade of a stunning
red exterior trimmed in flowing stainless-steel ribbons.
been made on what to do with the building, ac-
cording to Robin Schwartz, spokeswoman for
Gilberts Bedrock Real Estate Services. She also
declined comment on any potential plans by
Gilbert to establish an auto museum in Detroit.
Should Gilbert ultimately decide to under-
take such a project, the Petersen Automotive
Museums sweeping makeover is evidence that
building a first-class car museum is an expen-
sive, time-consuming endeavor. After five years
of planning, California financier and museum
Chairman Peter Mullin led a $125-million
capital campaign in 2013 to pay for the reno-
vation and establish an operating endowment.
Virtually all of the money came from wealthy
individuals, auto manufacturers, suppliers, and
aftermarket parts producers. No public funds
PHOTOGRAPHS COURSTESY OF PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
were used in building the museum.
To prep for the renovation that sought to cre-
ate a world-class attraction, museum officials
toured 30 auto museums around the world,
including those operated by Maserati, Ferrari,
Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. The facil-
ity was closed for a year for construction, and
reopened late last year.
In December, we had 37,000 people come
through the doors, Karges says. Thats four
times the number of the best month we had in
the 20-year history of the museum. Attendance
this year is projected to reach 250,000, which
he considers a conservative estimate.
Robert Petersen, the late publisher of auto
enthusiast magazines including Motor Trend
and Hot Rod, and his wife, Margie, founded
the Petersen Automotive Museum in 1994 in a
building that once housed a Japanese depart-
ment store. Its located on what is known as
Museum Row, west of downtown Los Angeles.
Over the years, the museum became dated
and attendance slumped, prompting its board
to consider a dramatic overhaul. Nothing had
changed in 20 years, Karges says. Our atten-
dance research showed that 70 percent of our
visitors came here for the first time, which
meant people werent coming back.
Even people who arent car fanatics might be
drawn in by the renovated structures splashy
exterior, just to see what the place is all about.
>> TOP DOWN
At top, visitors see a cutaway view of a 2016 Maserati
Quattroporte S Q4 to illustrate the technical details behind
the production process. At left, the stairway that leads to the
History exhibit. Below, visitors can get a glimpse of the under-
side of a 1933 Ford Possessed by Scotts Hot Rods along with
a 1964 Chevrolet Impala.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURSTESY OF PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
May - June 2016 || EXEC LIFE
New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox, which
designed the building, explains the twisting,
stainless-steel ribbons draped over a red box
were inspired by the form of a car.
Some say the design evokes Californias her-
itage of cherry-red hot rods. Others havent
been so charitable. Curbed Los Angeles, a real
estate blog, called it the Guy Fieri of buildings:
obnoxious, loud, and, ultimately, sure to be
inexplicably embraced by the public. A social
media commentator said it was the Edsel of
architecture.
But most agree its an attention-getter and
thats the point, Karges says. People drove by
this building for 20 years and didnt notice it,
he says. It was an ugly box that didnt matter.
I defy anyone to drive by it and not see whats
here. It has transformed us. We are truly part of
the landscape.
Inside, the museum is organized into three
themed floors with exhibits featuring automo-
tive history, todays industry, and the artistry of
automobiles.
Visitors might think theyve been transport-
ed to Detroit as they read about industry pio-
neers Henry Ford and General Motors founder
Billy Durant, as well as modern-day luminaries
such as GM design chief Ed Welburn.
Some of Detroits most iconic vehicles are
on display, including a 1966 Ford GT40 racer;
a 1954 dream car, the Plymouth Explorer by
Ghia; and the EV1, GMs first electric car.
Naturally, because of the museums L.A. lo-
cation, there are numerous vehicles from Holly-
wood movies and television shows, including a
1982 Ferrari 308GTSi driven by Detroit native
Tom Selleck and a 1979 Volkswagen van from
the movie Little Miss Sunshine. Visitors to the
museum can also watch students from Pasa-
denas renowned Art Center College of Design
create cars of the future in a glass-enclosed
classroom space.
Metro Detroit has a number of auto muse-
ums and collections, including a historically sig-
nificant display at The Henry Ford in Dearborn.
Terry Ernest, president of the National Associ-
ation of Automobile Museums, says there could
be room for another venue in Detroit, particu-
larly if it explains the colorful history of the do-
mestic auto industry in a compelling way.
Karges agrees that telling stories of the in-
dustry and the vehicles it produced is key to a
museums success.
I think the obvious lesson is that people
want to see a variety of displays and exhibits,
but they want to hear the stories of the cars,
he says. We have a black Chrysler Imperial
thats a nice car. But when you hear that it was
Katharine Hepburns car, it takes on a whole
different meaning.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 73
EXEC LIFE || Return on Investment
>> ON FORD FIELD
Army Specialist Ira Brownridge, a wounded
soldier, joins ABC News reporter and Michigan
native Bob Woodruff, as honorary captains for
the coin toss in honor of Veterans Day in 2010.
Foreign Correspondent
From Bloomfield Village to Tiananmen Square, ABC News
Bob Woodruff covers the world.
T
he latest chapter in the
remarkable life of Bob
Woodruff, a correspon-
dent at ABC News, is
taking place in Beijing.
There have been many
stops along the way for
the well-traveled journalist, and Woodruff is
quick to point out his love of exploring is all
because of the distinctive experience he had at
Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills some 40
years ago.
Its where I developed my wanderlust, he
laughs. Maybe it was given to me or I just
grabbed it, I dont know. But thats where I
learned to really think more in-depth. If you
grow up in a place that is removed or insulat-
ed, and you start reading about things youre
willing to think differently about, I think you
want to travel.
Woodruff s journey began in Bloomfield
Village, where he not only vividly remembers
the neighborhood of his youth, but also can
pass along directions to the street where he
grew up. You go north on Cranbrook, past
Seaholm High School, he says, then past
74 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
BY TOM MURRAY
Maple Road. Amberly Road is right there, be-
tween Seaholm and Covington Middle School.
The 54-year-old Woodruff has fond mem-
ories of living on Amberly and the simple life
he enjoyed in the late 1960s. We wandered
the streets freely, he says. It was pretty cool
empty lots everywhere, not developed like
it is now. There were dogs all over the place,
chasing cars. Lots of sports going on, too. We
had our own football team on our street, one
street of Catholic guys playing against another.
A lot of them ended up going to Brother Rice
High School.
Woodruff s goal was to play baseball at
Cranbrook. I was a baseball freak, he says. I
was a catcher. And I remember in ninth grade
I threw the ball down to second base as a guy
was stealing, and just at that same moment
the coach was running across the field, right
behind the pitcher, and the ball hit him in the
head. The next day I was cut.
Undaunted, Woodruff found his true ath-
letic calling almost by accident.
I had an awesome black Lab named Shan-
non, he says. Shannon loved to play catch
with a ball and I was just so tired of having
It clearly paid off. By the time Woodruff
graduated from Colgate University in 1983,
he had amassed 184 points (131 goals and 53
assists) playing lacrosse, and that number re-
mains third in school history on the all-time
scoring list. Then it was on to the University of
Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor. I guess I
always loved debate, Woodruff says, and law
was a great form of debate. I also think its a
great way to develop the brain.
He graduated from law school in 1987 and
was doing M&A work in the New York law
firm of Shearman and Sterling, seemingly
headed for a comfortable career as a lawyer.
Then one day that October, the market
collapsed and dropped 22 percent, he says.
Nobody was doing M&A, and I was so bored.
Id studied Chinese when I was at law school,
and I was infatuated with China, so I shocked
the people at the firm. I told them, I know Ive
only been here eight months, but I want to
take a year off to go teach law in China. And
they said OK, go for it.
Woodruff and his wife, Lee, had been
married just two days in 1988 when they left
for Beijing. While there, the young couple
had barely settled into their new life when
the Tiananmen Square protests erupted in
1989. That was (an influential) moment in
life for me and my wife, Woodruff says, and
(well never forget) what we witnessed in
terms of the Tiananmen Square massacre. It
changed my life completely. I was hired by CBS
as a driver. I wasnt fluent in Chinese, but I
spoke the language well enough to get them
around town.
Later that same year, he and Lee returned
to the United States and Shearman and Ster-
lings office in San Francisco, where Woodruff
fully expected to resume his legal career.
I thought I was going to fall in love with law
practice when I came back from Tiananmen
Square, he says, but I didnt. And I couldnt
stop thinking about what I experienced with
CBS during that time in China. And I knew I
really wanted to go back and do what seemed
to be a great dream job and be a journalist. We
had a brand-new son. I would have to take a
gigantic pay cut, but I told Lee, I think this is wake up.
the time in my life that I feel free to do it.
Lee Woodruff was all in. She was so open
to it all, Woofruff says. Shes been remark-
able. So I took that gigantic pay cut, became a
>> IN WASHINGTON journalist, and never looked back.
Bob Woodruff and his wife, Lee Woodruff, in Washington, D.C. After working at several local stations,
in 2005, when Bob took over as anchor for the late Peter Woodruff joined ABC News in 1996, embark-
Jennings on World News Tonight. ing on a 10-year reporting odyssey that took
slime on my hands, I picked up a lacrosse stick him around the world covering everything from
and started using that to throw the ball with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington,
her. And I just did it endlessly. D.C., to wars in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OFBOB WOODRUFF
>> EARLY YEARS
Bob Woodruff played football, baseball, and lacrosse,
excelling in the latter at Colgate University, where he still
ranks third in all-time scoring.
Iraq. It all culminated in December 2005, when
he was designated as the successor to the late
Peter Jennings in the anchor chair for World
News Tonight. I had my wife and four healthy
children, Woodruff says, and a great job I
never thought Id ever have. Yeah, Id definitely
reached the peak.
And then, barely a month later, every-
thing changed.
On Jan. 29, 2006, Woodruff and his cam-
eraman, Doug Vogt, were covering the Iraq
war. They were traveling in an armored vehicle
when an improvised explosive device struck
the vehicle. Both men underwent extensive
surgery for head injuries caused by shrapnel
and rocks.
Within 37 minutes of the explosion, we
were taken by helicopter (to the hospital),
where the surgeons removed part of my skull
so my brain could breathe, Woodruff says.
What they accomplished is shockingly amaz-
ing. They literally thought I was dead, but it
didnt stop them (from trying). And I lived. I
was out for 36 days in a coma. My cameraman
also had a shattered skull, but he was able to
tivated to come to Detroit by the same wan-
Woodruff s recuperation at Bethesda Naval
Hospital in Washington was long, arduous,
and near-miraculous: He was back at work
just eight months later, working on a docu-
mentary about his life-altering injury and a re-
covery made possible, in large part, because of
the unwavering support he received from his
family, friends, and colleagues.
They all saw examples of people on that
same floor with the same wounds I had,
Woodruff says, but they werent getting the
Return on Investment || EXEC LIFE
same kind of love, attention, and care I was
getting. So my wife and brothers said, Were
going to do something about this; lets start a
foundation and do everything we can to make
sure these wounded soldiers get everything
(Bob) did, so people dont forget who they are
and what theyve contributed to our country.
The result is the Bob Woodruff Foundation,
a nonprofit founded in 2006 and dedicated to
creating positive outcomes for wounded, ill,
and injured veterans, service members, and
their families.
Weve raised $30 million-plus so far,
Woodruff says proudly, trying to fund as
many of these great organizations around the
country to help those whove been wound-
ed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Weve got such a
split country; less than 1 percent is serving in
these wars. I got to know some of them before
my injury, covering stories, but never as part
of the tribe. One of the greatest things about
getting wounded is I get a chance to become
part of that world with them. The foundation
has continued to grow, and were never going
to let it go.
Its been just over 10 years since Woodruff
suffered his injury a milestone all his fellow
survivors acknowledge in similar fashion. We
call that the alive day, Woodruff says. Its
the day where you actually lived. Its not some-
thing we celebrate, but its certainly a day we
cant forget.
Now Woodruff has come full circle, and
is back in the same place where his nomad-
ic journalistic career was born. Beijing is a
world away from Detroit area, but Woodruff s
connection to his Motor City roots is stronger
than ever, thanks to his 22-year-old daughter,
Cathryn. She moved to Detroit last year after
graduating from college, taking her first job
with a startup.
Ive never told her this, Woodruff says, but
shes one of those who saw Detroit for what it is
a place that rebounds, recovers, and grows,
with great opportunity. And she wanted to do
it. I had no influence on that.
Well, maybe no direct influence. But Cath-
ryn is clearly a chip off the old block and is mo-
derlust that inspired her dad to leave the city
all those years ago.
When I left Detroit at the end of the 70s,
I thought it had peaked, Woodruff says. He
pauses here, seeming to roll back the decades,
reflecting on those early days on Amber-
ly Road, where a young boy first realized all
the possibilities life can offer. I wanted to go
somewhere else, he continues. But Detroits
such an amazing place, I could move back
there tomorrow.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 75
 EXEC LIFE || Franchise Report
>> PACKING UP
Two Men and a Truck moving manager Jacob English and
driver Eric Workman, in doorway, begin moving household
items from a home in Detroit to a new destination. The company
expects to do nearly two moves per minute this summer.
Moving Ahead
Two Men and a Truck expands beyond the industry standard.
H
aving to relocate across
town or across the
country to a new job or
a new house, or to start
a new life, can gener-
ate stress and anxiety
yet the U.S. Census
Bureau says most of us will move an average of
12 times in our lifetime.
Fortunately, Two Men and a Truck, a Lan-
sing-based franchise launched 30 years ago, has
learned to turn the complexities of moving into
a mostly stress-free practice and, at the same
time, it has become one of the countrys largest
moving companies.
We try to understand what were moving,
whats important to the customer, and take into
account specific needs, says Jeff Wesley, CEO
of Two Men and a Truck. We just ask a lot of
questions, so theres no surprises (then) we
adapt our model and plan accordingly.
Their successful business strategy started
in 1985 by brothers Brig and Jon Sorber, and
their mother, Mary Ellen Sheets, with an old
pickup truck has grown to a fleet of 2,100
76 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
BY KRIS BAKER | NICK HAGEN
trucks in cities across 39 states, with 24 loca-
tions in Canada and four overseas. In 2015,
the company reported annual revenue of $400
million, representing year-to-year growth of
14.6 percent.
Weve had over 70 months of (business)
growth, 60 months of record growth, Wesley
says. Since the 2008 housing issues and eco-
nomic situations hit our country, we used that
as an opportunity to kind of re-engineer some
things here, and actually invest in our brand
and focus on customers even more than we had
in the past.
Two Men and a Truck, one of the largest
franchised moving companies in the United
States, wants to continue its rapid growth. We
want to expand our footprint throughout the
United States, primarily out on the East Coast
and West Coast, starting out in Michigan,
says Randy Shacka, president of Two Men and
a Truck.
Shacka says the company added 22 locations
in 2015 and expects to have 3,500 to 4,000
vehicles on the road and 30 new franchise units
nationwide by the end of this year. To meet the
and storage, packing, and packaging, says the
American Moving and Storage Association, an
Alexandria, Va.-based nonprofit trade associa-
tion serving more than half of the moving and
storage companies across the U.S.
The interstate market has been very stable
the last few years, says Scott Michael, CEO of
the association. He says although the economy
is improving and more people are deciding to
move, the industry has been relatively flat
with revenue up and down 1 or 2 percent in
last five years. Last year, Michael says the total
industry was down about 2 percent from 2014.
Michael is, however, not surprised by the
successful growth of Two Men and a Truck. I
think (Two Men and a Truck) has been very
successful in terms of getting their message out
and getting consumers to look for them. I think
they seem innovative, new, and different.
Two Men and a Truck has come a long way
since its modest beginnings in a small home in
Lansing. Looking to make extra cash in high
school, Brig and Jon Sorber, along with an old,
green pickup truck they had bought from Mich-
igan State University, began moving people lo-
cally for $25 an hour during the summer. Their
mother, Mary Ellen Sheets, who was divorced
and also has a daughter, kept the books and
scheduled appointments. She also designed the
familiar black-and-white logo with two stick-
men and the front of a truck the company still
uses today.
When the boys left for college, Sheets who
DBRIEF
Two Men and a Truck
Headquarters: Lansing
Products/Services: Moving, Storage,
Packaging, Supplies
Locations: 30 in Michigan; 339 stores in 39
states, 24 stores in Canada, four in U.K.
Employees: 8,900
Average Annual Franchise Revenue: $1.2M
(2015)
high demand for moves during the summer,
Two Men and a Truck launches a campaign
every March to hire more employees. The com-
pany had more than 1,200 new hires in March
2015, for a total of 8,900 workers overall.
This year, the company projects another
record-breaking year in revenue as well as vol-
ume of moves (500,000 in 2015). This sum-
mer, well probably do two moves every minute,
so thats just an indication of the volume were
doing, Shacka says.
The U.S. moving industry generates $12.6
billion annually and includes services such
as long-distance transportation, warehousing
Michigan Franchise Report || EXEC LIFE
continued to get requests for services quit
5
her job as a system analyst, bought another re-
ally used pickup for $350, and hired two men TOP STATES
to continue her sons vision. WITH TWO MEN
Over the next several years, the company
continued to expand, and by 1989 Sheets had AND A TRUCK
awarded the first franchise location outside of FRANCHISES:
Michigan in Atlanta to her daughter, Mel- 1. Florida ...................................................36
anie Bergeron. 2. Michigan.............................................30
As for Brig and Jon, following graduation 3. Illinois ...................................................24
from Northern Michigan University, the broth- 4. Georgia.................................................21
ers immediately started their own Two Men 5. Texas/Ohio ..........................................18
and a Truck franchises in Marquette and Grand
Rapids. Today, all four family members are on
5
the board of directors. Brig and Jon serve as ex-
ecutive chairman and executive vice president, TOP STATES
respectively, while Bergeron serves as chair and PEOPLE MOVED
Sheets as adviser.
Wesley says the company has a definite ca-
TO IN 2015:
1. Oregon
reer path for its employees; one-third of its
2. South Carolina
movers and drivers ultimately become franchise
3. Vermont
owners, and 75 percent of the management
4. Idaho
staff got their start in entry-level positions. We
5. North Carolina
always tell people to start their job as a mover,
27. Michigan
become a driver, become a trainer, become an
operations manager, and maybe someday youll
become a franchise owner, Wesley says. I think
5
those things can happen within a two-, three-
year period, in terms of growth. TOP STATES
Shacka, for example, started out as a college PEOPLE LEFT
intern and gradually moved his way up to pres-
ident in his 15 years with the company. I had
IN 2015:
1. New Jersey
no idea what Two Men and Truck was. I was at 2. New York
Michigan State, and I was an engineering ma- 3. Illinois
jor, and I needed a job like a lot of folks who 4. Connecticut
come to our brand and I just fell in love with 5. Ohio
the company, he says. I never thought being 23. Michigan
an engineering major at Michigan State, Id be a
president of a franchised moving company like
5
Two Men and a Truck.
>> ON THE MOVE
FACTS
Jacob English and Tarius Jackson maneuver a couch into one ABOUT
of the companys 2,100 available trucks with the distinctive
black-and-white logo of two stickmen in a truck designed by MOVING:
Mary Ellen Sheets, founder of the company nearly 30 years ago. 1. Professional Movers typically get
tipped $25 each.
2. The national moving industry has been
unregulated since 1995.
3. Each year, a full third of all renters
move in the U.S.
4. Nearly 45 percent of all moves occur
between Memorial Day and Labor Day
5. About 40 million Americans move
every year.
SOURCES: AMERICAN MOVING AND STORAGE ASSOCIATION, THE FISCAL
TIMES, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, ETHICAL MOVERS, MYMOVINGREVIEWS.COM,
U-HAUL, DBUSINESS
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 77

Double Jeopardy
The America Invents Act was expected to reduce legal costs and limit
litigation in the automotive industry, but it has had the opposite effect.
T
he Leahy-Smith America
Invents Act is a statute
that was passed by the U.S.
Congress in 2011. It was
designed to switch the U.S.
patent system from a first
to invent to a first inven-
tor to file system, and developed post-grant
opposition. Some of its provisions went into
effect in September 2012, and the remaining
provisions were instituted in March 2013.
The legislation was heavily lobbied, written,
and funded by major corporations, while the
domestic automotive manufacturers and their
suppliers tended to remain on the outside of the
main lobbying efforts.
The prevailing conclusion today is that the
changes made to the AIA have increased the
costs of acquiring and defending patents, and
have added to the amount of patent litigation
time in the courts.
According to backers of the legis-
lation, the number of patent infringe-
ment lawsuits filed after the adoption of
AIA were projected to decline. But the
opposite occurred.
Closer to home, the AIA changes repre-
sent another phase of patent law that doesnt
demonstrate any real benefit for automotive
companies which often have to exist on both
sides of the patent owner and potential infring-
er equation.
So far, opposition efforts for issued
patents under the AIA have invalidated
substantial percentages of those initial
patents, but havent stifled any of the litiga-
tion, as expected.
It isnt even certain that the automotive
companies and their suppliers are true con-
verts to the new AIA system, since they often
must appear on the plaintiff/patent owner side
of the equation. The AIA and its opposition
proceedings have raised the costs of current
litigation among auto suppliers by at least a
factor of two before trial, with all of the paral-
lel post-grant proceedings occurring in the U.S.
Patent Office.
With the advent of the AIA, the manage-
ment of multiple, parallel proceedings for each
set of patents to be enforced also stresses in-
house legal departments in ways not predicted
BY JEFF SADOWSKI | NICK HAGEN
nor discussed prior to its passage.
As a matter of record, with the arrival of the
automobile at the turn of the last century, the
industry faced numerous patent infringement
lawsuits. The most significant was Selden v.
Ford, where Henry Ford triumphed to inval-
idate the Selden patent on the automotive ve-
hicle. This left a distaste for patents with Ford
that lasted until 1928, when his company lost to
Parker Rust Proof Co. concerning a patent in-
fringement suit for a dipping process to the
tune of $100 million. From there, new respect
emerged for patent law.
The first significant codification of current
patent law arrived in 1952 and was reported
as a dramatic change. Over time, additional
significant changes to the Patent Act occurred
in 1968, 1980, 1995, and 2001. Each modifica-
tion was intended to address many of the same
issues argued as reasons to support the passage
of AIA.
Coincidentally, by the 1950s, the Big Three
automakers had moved to respect patents. A
Opinion || EXEC LIFE
standard deal with a supplier that had any pat-
ent coverage over an automotive part gave the
supplier at least 50 percent of the business. The
OEM received a patent license on the remain-
der of the patent, and often selected whatever
second supplier it wanted. As a result, the OEM
maintained two sources of parts in case one
supplier failed to perform in quality, quantity,
or delivery.
This all changed starting in the late 1980s,
leading to the current supplier relation-
ships with U.S.-based OEMs. Foreign-based
OEMs generally have more captive suppli-
ers, but arent necessarily able to control rela-
tionships outside of their supply base from a
patent perspective.
Foreign-based OEMs, however, have made
significant progress in taking advantage
of both the prior patent system in the U.S.
and the first-to-file system presented by the
AIA; theyve accomplished this by filing nu-
merous patent applications on everything they
create. In fact, they have led the pack in past
years in numbers of patents acquired under
this strategy.
Currently, U.S.-based OEMs are narrow-
ing the gap on the number of patents and in-
creasing their patent application filings, but
theyre still behind by a wide margin due to
the number of years foreign-based OEMs have
been filing.
From the standpoint of the domestic
automotive industry and American inven-
tors, it cannot be concluded that the AIA
improved anything.
Automotive companies have always had a
turbulent history with U.S. patents. Various
attempts to change the Patent Act since 1952
have always come back to the fact that if the
quality of the patents originally issued by the
Patent Office improved, there would be no
need for any changes to the statute. The same
can be said for the AIA which offers no com-
fort or solace for the future.
Jeff Sadowski is a registered patent lawyer
with Howard & Howard Attorneys in Royal
Oak. He was a young associate on Robert Kearns
legal team, claiming that Ford Motor Co. had
stolen Kearns patent for the intermittent wind-
shield wiper.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 79
EXEC LIFE || The Circuit
1 2
3 4
6 7
9 10
11
80 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
30 Charms
Bassett & Bassett Communication
Managers and Counselors in
Detroit celebrated its 30th anniver-
sary on April 1 during a reception
at the First National Building in
downtown Detroit. More than 200
people attended the reception.
1. Barbara Doescher, Julie
Doescher, Jan Doescher
2. Sue Ellen Eisenburg,
Anne Doyle, Tina Bassett,
Denise Lewis
3. JoAnn Wojtaszek,
Kevin Tuczek
4. Kaitlin Brown, Victor
Koppang, Marie Sarkisian
5. Graham Beal, Mary Ann
and Robert Bury
5 Trade Secrets
The eighth annual JVS Trade
Secrets was held on March 9 at
Temple Beth El in Bloomfield
Township. Proceeds from the
fundraiser benefited an array of
womens job initiatives.
6. Kim Raznik, Carol
Weintraub-Fogel
7. Sara Bloomberg, Rachel
Lachover, Carole Satovsky,
Alexandra Browning
8. Jack and Annette Aronson
9. Meredith Stern, Amie Stern
10. Marcy Hilton, Mona
8 Hamood, Laura Shavely
Irish Luck
The Paul W. Smith morning show
on News/Talk 760 WJR hosted its
St. Patricks Day party on March 17
at the Max M. Fisher Music Center
in Detroit. More than 500 people
enjoyed a strolling breakfast and a
live radio broadcast.
11. Dan Glisky, Tom OBrien
12. Michelle Basford,
13
Jennifer Miller
13. Mark Snethkamp Sr.,
12
Kimberly Smith,
Sandy Pierce
14. Bonner Upshaw, Rick
Burkhardt, Jack Brusewitz
15. Kathy Bartz, Pam Lavers
db WEB EXTRA || To view more
photos from these events, please visit
14 15
dbusiness.com.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PATRICK GLORIA
EXEC LIFE || The Circuit

Beyond Basics
Beyond Basics, a nonprofit liter-
acy organization working in public
schools in Detroit and Pontiac,
held its annual dinner on March
18 at the Detroit Golf Club. Guests
enjoyed a silent auction, a dinner,
and live entertainment.
1. Alan Kalter,
Chris Lezotte, Marina
1 2 and Scott Houghton
2. Brenda Carter, Letha
Hopkins-Powell, Armani
Montgomery, Randy Carter
3. Deborah and Loren Venegas
4. Derek Dickow, Heather Elia
5. Rick and Donna DeVore

Medallion Ball
More than 1,000 guests attended
3 4 5 the Medallion Ball on March 5
at Pennas of Sterling in Ster-
ling Heights. The black-tie gala
honored doctors, volunteers, and
community partners of Henry Ford
Macomb Hospitals.
6. Lisa and Matthew
Macomber
7. Dean Connelly, Theresa
6 7 Connelly, Hillary Jones,
Matthew Rademacher
8. Vince and Anne
Marie Lepore
9. Erin Shoemaker,
Danielle Kuhns
8 10. Donna and Al Marino

China Town
The Detroit Chinese Business
Association held its Chinese New
Year Gala on Feb. 22 at the Max.
9 10
M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit.
More than 600 guests enjoyed
performaces by the Detroit Sym-
phony Orchestra and the China
Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra.
11. Judy Sun, Steve Opper
13
12. Thomas Vitale, Carlie
Bucciere, Alan Weber
12
13. Jenny Zou, Caroline Chen
14. Ben Foreman, Scott Schiff,
Dennis Mannion
15. Reimer and Rebecca
Priester

db WEB EXTRA || To view more

photos from these events, please visit
11 14 15
dbusiness.com.

82 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016 PHOTOGRAPHS BY PATRICK GLORIA

EXEC LIFE || The Circuit

Hispanic Power
The Michigan Hispanic Cham-
ber of Commerce held its 12th
annual Public Policy Breakfast and
Economic Forum on March 7 at
the MGM Grand Detroit. More than
600 guests heard an address from
Gov. Rick Snyder, among other
speakers and dignitaries.
1. Bobby Morales, Gary
1 2 Gonzalez, Jorge Morales
2. Monica Martinez, Cindy
Cordoba-Koziol,
Yesenia Venegas
3. Carlos Carmona,
Lawrence Garcia
4. Hector Shamley,
Orena Perry
5. Laurie Sall, Camilo Suero

3 4 5 Red Tie Ball

Beaumont Health and the Oak-
wood Foundation hosted the 11th
annual Red Tie Ball on April 9 at
the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit.
The event rasied funds for the
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and
Center for Exceptional Families.
6. Drew Besonson,
6 7 Iacobina Jimon
7. Rick and Elanah Hunger,
Nadine and David Frabman,
Liz and JJ Modell
8. Jennifer Knight, John
Rakolta lll
8 9. Jerry and Jan Fitzgerald,
Thomas Fitzgerald
10. Jennie and Ben Reigle

Ladies Night
Gleaners Community Food Bank
9 10
held its Womens Power Happy
Hour event on April 7 at the MGM
Grand Detroit. More than 400
women enjoyed drinks and appe-
tizers, along with a silent auction.
11. Ann Thomas, Mike Pierce
13
12. Sarah Pobocik, Lamija
Grebovic, Jacqueline
12
Thomas
13. Peg Tallet, Sarah Earley
14. T heodora Tomuta, Meghan
Marotta, Claudia Hritcu
15. Susan Peslar,
Sara Aldridge

db WEB EXTRA || To view more

photos from these events, please visit
11 14 15
dbusiness.com.

84 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016 HISPANIC POWER AND LADIES NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS BY PATRICK GLORIA;
RED TIE BALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICK MARTINES
FROM THE TOP || May - June 2016
Largest Accident and Health Insurance Companies in Michigan
RANKED BY MICHIGAN MARKET SHARE (Amounts in thousands of dollars)
1. BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF
MICHIGAN
600 E. Lafayette Blvd.
Detroit 48226
313-225-9000
bcbsm.com
Assets: $7,646,206
Surplus: $3,340,126
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $7,123,488
Michigan Market Share: 26.09%
Type: LH-MUT
2. BLUE CARE NETWORK
OF MICHIGAN
20500 Civic Center Dr.
Southfield 48076
248-799-6400
mibcn.com
Assets: $1,799,330
Surplus: $1,013,490
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $3,074,139
Michigan Market Share: 11.26%
Type: HMO-NP
3. PRIORITY HEALTH
1231 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids 49525-4501
616-942-0954
priorityhealth.com
Assets: $746,618
Surplus: $470,588
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $1,982,411
Michigan Market Share: 7.26%
Type: HMO-NP
4. HEALTH ALLIANCE PLAN OF
MICHIGAN
2850 W. Grand Blvd.
Detroit 48202
313-872-8100
hap.org
Assets: $469,022
Surplus: $208,262
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $1,747,167
Michigan Market Share: 6.40%
Type: HMO-NP
5. MERIDIAN HEALTH PLAN OF
MICHIGAN
777 Woodward Ave., Suite 600
Detroit 48226
313-324-3700
mhplan.com
Assets: $324,505
Surplus: $107,399
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $1,421,623
Michigan Market Share: 5.18%
Type: HMO-NP
6. UNITED HEALTHCARE
COMMUNITY PLAN
26957 Northwestern Hwy, Suite
400, Southfield 48034
800-903-5253
88 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
uhccommunityplan.com
Assets: $250,772
Surplus: $104,643
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $1,092,192
Michigan Market Share: 4.00%
Type: HMO-P
7. MOLINA HEALTHCARE OF
MICHIGAN INC.
100 West Big Beaver Rd.,
Suite 600, Troy 48084
248-925-1700
molinahealthcare.com
Assets: $254,548
Surplus: $125,131
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $1,077,895
Michigan Market Share: 3.95%
Type: HMO-P
8. HUMANA INSURANCE CO.
5555 Glenwood Hills Pkwy, Suite
150, Grand Rapids 49512
616-942-6701
humana.com
Assets: $6,237,013
Surplus: $3,307,500
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $22,404,274
Michigan Market Share: 3.07%
Type: LH-STK
9. MCLAREN HEALTH
PLAN INC.
G-3245 Beecher Rd., Suite 200
Flint 48532
888-327-0671
mclarenhealthplan.org
Assets: $170,208
Surplus: $51,912
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $727,562
Michigan Market Share: 2.66%
Type: HMO-NP
10. UNITED HEALTHCARE
INSURANCE CO.
26957 Northwestern Hwy.,
Suite 400, Southfield 48034
877-832-7734
uhc.com
Assets: $15,113,368
Surplus: $5,595,828
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $41,095,985
Michigan Market Share: 2.44%
Type: LH-STK
11. HEALTHPLUS
OF MICHIGAN
2050 S. Linden Rd.
Flint 48532
800-332-9161
healthplus.org
Assets: $102,211
Surplus: $18,535
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $506,150
May - June 2016 || FROM THE TOP
Largest Law Firms in Metro Detroit*
Michigan Market Share: 1.85%
Type: HMO-NP
12. DELTA DENTAL PLAN
OF MICHIGAN
4100 Okemos Rd.
Okemos, 48864
800-524-0149
deltadentalmi.com
Assets: $523,884
Surplus: $337,172
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $505,773
Michigan Market Share: 1.85%
Type: HMDI
13. HAP MIDWEST HEALTH
PLAN INC.
4700 Schaefer Rd., Suite 340
Dearborn, 48126
313-581-3700
midwesthealthplan.com
Assets: $101,372
Surplus: $39,761 >> UNITED HEALTH CARE, Southfield
Michigan Direct Premiums
Written: $383,496 Detroit 48202 Assets: $70,109
>> HOWARD & HOWARD, Royal Oak
Michigan Market Share: 1.40% 313-871-2000 Surplus: $26,012
Type: HMO-NP totalhealthcareonline.com Michigan Direct Premiums
Assets: $60,499 Written: $236,441 1. HONIGMAN MILLER 5. MILLER, CANFIELD, PADDOCK 10. GARAN LUCOW MILLER PC 13. GIARMARCO, MULLINS & 18. SULLIVAN, WARD, ASHER &
14. AETNA LIFE INSURANCE CO. Surplus: $29,925 Michigan Market Share: 0.87% SCHWARTZ AND COHN AND STONE PLC 1000 Woodbridge Place, HORTON PC PATTON PC
28588 Northwestern Hwy. Michigan Direct Premiums Type: LH-STK 2290 First National Building, 150 W. Jefferson, Suite 2500, Detroit 48207 101 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy 25800 Northwestern Hwy.,
Southfield 48034 Written: $273,167 660 Woodward Ave., Detroit 48226 313-446-1530; garanlucow.com 48084-5280 1000 Maccabees Center,
248-208-8600 Michigan Market Share: 1.00% SUBTOTALS Detroit 48226 313-963-6420; Total attorneys: 82 248-457-7000; gmhlaw.com Southfield 48075
aetna.com Type: HMO-NP Assets: $56,940,204 313-465-7000; honigman.com millercanfield.com Specialty: 24 practice areas Total attorneys: 71 248-746-0700; swappc.com
Assets: $22,795,395 Surplus: $18,764,207 Total attorneys: 230 Total attorneys: 148 Specialty: 36 practices Total attorneys: 50
Surplus: $3,871,901 18. HEALTHPLUS Michigan Direct Premiums Specialty: Over 60 practice areas Specialty: Over 100 practices 11. (TIE) BROOKS KUSHMAN PC Specialty: 18 practices
Michigan Direct Premiums INSURANCE CO. Written: $108,758,843 1000 Town Center, 22nd Floor, 14. TROTT LAW PC
Written: $23,940,133 2050 S. Linden Rd. Michigan Market Share: 2. DICKINSON WRIGHT PLLC 6. CLARK HILL PLC Southfield 48075 31440 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 19. COLLINS EINHORN
Michigan Market Share: 1.28% Flint 48532 84.84% 500 Woodward Ave., Suite 4000, 500 Woodward Ave., Suite 3500, 248-358-4400; 200, Farmington Hills 48334 FARRELL PC
Type: LH-STK 810-230-2000 Detroit 48226 Detroit 48226 brookskushman.com 248-642-2515; trottlaw.com 4000 Town Center, Ninth Floor
healthplus.org KEY/DEFINITIONS: 313-223-3500; 313-965-8300; clarkhill.com Total attorneys: 80 Total attorneys: 65 Southfield 48075
15. PRIORITY HEALTH CHOICE Assets: $40,263 HMDI (Health, Medical, dickinson-wright.com Total attorneys: 144 Specialty: 10 practice areas Specialty: 5 practice areas 248-355-4141; ceflawyers.com
INC. Surplus: ($4,831) Dental Indemnity): Nonprofit Total attorneys: 163 Specialty: 24 practices and 22 Total attorneys: 49
1231 East Beltline NE Michigan Direct Premiums insurance carriers governed Specialty: 40+ practices industry teams 11. (TIE) KITCH DRUTCHAS 15. HARNESS, DICKEY & Specialty: 10 practices
Grand Rapids 49525-4501 Written: $269,153 under specific Michigan laws. WAGNER VALITUTTI & PIERCE PLC
800-446-5674 Michigan Market Share: 0.99% HMO-P, NP (Health 3. BODMAN PLC 7. BUTZEL LONG PC SHERBROOK PC 5445 Corporate Dr., Suite 200, 20. MADDIN, HAUSER, ROTH &
priorityhealth.com Type: LH-STK Maintenance Organization- 1901 St. Antoine St., 150 W. Jefferson, Suite 100, 1 Woodward Ave., Suite 2400, Troy 48098 HELLER PC
Assets: $85,433 For Profit/Not for Profit): 6th Floor at Ford Field, Detroit 48226 Detroit 48226-5485 248-641-1600; hdp.com 28400 Northwestern Hwy.,
Surplus: $29,767 BLUE CROSS COMPLETE OF Deliver health care through Detroit 48226 313-225-7000; butzel.com 313-965-7900; kitch.com Total attorneys: 57 Second Floor, Southfield 48034
Michigan Direct Premiums MICHIGAN contracted providers. 313-259-7777; bodmanlaw.com Total attorneys: 142 Total attorneys: 80 Specialty: 6 practice areas 248-354-4030;
Written: $341,273 600 E. Lafayette Blvd. LH-STK (Life and Health Total attorneys: 160 Specialty: 64 practices and Specialty: 89 practices maddinhauser.com
Michigan Market Share: 1.25% Detroit 48226 Stock Companies): Specialty: 40+ practices and 20specialty groups 16. SECREST, WARDLE, LYNCH, Total attorneys: 43
Type: HMO-NP 313-225-9000 Stockholder-owned companies industries 12. HOWARD & HOWARD HAMPTON, TRUEX AND Specialty: 18 practice areas
bcbsm.com authorized to sell life insurance 8. JAFFE RAITT HEUER & ATTORNEYS PLLC MORLEY PC
16. HEALTHPLUS Assets: $89,225 and/or health insurance. 4. DYKEMA GOSSETT PLLC WEISS PC 450 W. Fourth St., 2600 Troy Center Dr., Troy *Based on numbers of lawyers in
PARTNERS INC. Surplus: $30,691 Assets: Investments, cash on 400 Renaissance Center, 27777 Franklin Rd., Suite 2500, Royal Oak 48067-2557 48007-5025 Wayne, Oakland, Macomb,
2050 S. Linden Rd. Michigan Direct Premiums hand, items of value. Detroit 48243 Southfield 48034 248-645-1483; 248-851-9500; Washtenaw, and Livingston
Flint 48532 Written: $260,412 Surplus: Assets minus 313-568-6800; dykema.com 248-351-3000; jaffelaw.com howardandhoward.com secrestwardle.com counties as of March 2016.
800-332-9161 Michigan Market Share: 0.95% obligations. Total attorneys: 155 Total attorneys: 109 Total attorneys: 75 Total attorneys: 56
healthplus.org Type: HMO-NP Michigan Direct Premiums Specialty: Over 100 practices Specialty: 30 practices Specialty: 13 in practice expertise Specialty: 19 practice areas Source: DBusiness research
Assets: $60,224 Written: Premiums written within five departments and 8 in industry expertise
Surplus: $20,397 20. ALLIANCE HEALTH AND LIFE directly to Michigan consumers 9. PLUNKETT COONEY PC 17. KERR, RUSSELL AND
Michigan Direct Premiums INSURANCE CO. from insurance companies. 38505 Woodward Ave., WEBER PLC
Written: $296,108 (Part of Health Alliance Plan Suite 2000, Bloomfield Hills 500 Woodward Ave., Suite 2500,
Michigan Market Share: 1.08% of Michigan) Source: Michigan Office of 48304; 248-901-4000; Detroit 48226
Type: HMO-NP 2850 W. Grand Blvd. Financial and Insurance plunkettcooney.com 313-961-0200; krwlaw.com
Detroit 48202 Regulation, 2015 Annual Report Total attorneys: 105 Total attorneys: 55
17. TOTAL HEALTH CARE INC. 313-872-8100 (for 2014 activity) Specialty: 27 practices in Specialty: 38 practice areas
3011 W. Grand Blvd., Suite 1600 hap.org business; 33 practices in litigation
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESTY OF UNITED HEALTH CARE PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HOWARD & HOWARD ATTORNEYS PLLC
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 89
FROM THE TOP || May - June 2016
Chambers of Commerce in Metro Detroit (Listed in Alphabetical Order)
AMERICAN ARAB CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE*
12740 W. Warren Ave., Suite 300
Dearborn 48126
313-945-1700
americanarab.com
Members: 1,500
Focus: Local, national, and
international
Meetings: Networking events,
monthly seminars, annual
Celebrating Success Dinner, Arab
American Golf Open, Building
Economic Bridges Banquet,
Entrepreneur Hall of Fame,
quarterly Business Builder series
Dues: $250 to $5,000
Employees: 3
Founded: 1988
Contact: Fay Beydoun,
executive director
ANN ARBOR/YPSILANTI
REGIONAL CHAMBER
115 West Huron St., Third Floor
Ann Arbor 48104
734-665-4433
a2ychamber.org
Members: 1,300
Focus: Ann Arbor and
Ypsilanti region
Meetings: Monthly networking
meetings, Foundation Gala
Dues: $395 to $5,000
Employees: 9
Founded: 1919
Contact: Diane Keller,
president and CEO
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
39209 Six Mile Rd.
Suite 250
Livonia 48152
248-430-5855
apacc.net
Members: 4,500+ in Michigan
and U.S.
Focus: building business
relationships among Asian and
U.S.-based companies
Meetings: Networking events
and programs
Dues: $150 to $1,000
Employees: 3
Founded: 2000
Contact: Van Nguyen, executive
director
AUBURN HILLS CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 214083
3395A Auburn Rd.
Auburn Hills 48321
248-853-7862
auburnhillschamber.com
Members: 300
Focus: The mission of the Auburn
Hills Chamber is to be a catalyst
for growth in our world-class
90 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
business community.
Meetings: Nearly 50 educational
and networking events are held
each year, with several scheduled
each month
Dues: $225 to $1,950
Employees: 5
Founded: 1991
Contact: Cynthia Hutchison,
executive director
BERKLEY AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 72-1253
Berkley 48072
248-414-9157
berkleychamber.com
Members: 145
Focus: Berkley, Huntington
Woods, Oak Park, Royal Oak,
Southfield
Meetings: Monthly networking
events, State of the City, Berkley
Art Bash, Berkley Pub Crawl,
annual golf outing
Dues: $120 to $620
Employees: 2
Founded: 1984
Contact: Darlene Rothman,
executive director
BIRMINGHAM
BLOOMFIELD CHAMBER
725 S. Adams Rd., Suite 130
Birmingham 48009
248-644-1700
bbcc.com
Members: 730
Focus: Birmingham, Bloomfield
Hills, Bloomfield Township,
Franklin, Beverly Hills, Bingham
Farms, Franklin
Meetings: Vine and Dine, Village
Fair, Forecast Breakfast Series,
Professional Edge Workshop,
Business After Hours, member
coffees, Community Leadership
Luncheon, Legislative Reception
Dues: $225 to $920
Employees: 4
Founded: 1947
Contact: Joe Bauman, president
CHALDEAN AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
30850 Telegraph Rd., Suite 200
Bingham Farms 48025
248-996-8340
chaldeanchamber.com
Members: 915
Focus: Expand and promote
Chaldean business and culture
and community issues; represent
Aramaic-speaking people,
including Assyrians, Chaldeans,
and Syriacs
Meetings: Quarterly networking
meetings, quarterly industry
outlook meetings, annual Awards
Dinner, annual meeting and
>> DEARBORN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Dearborn
board election, annual business
luncheon, annual golf outing,
seminars and cultural events
Dues: $100 to $5,000
Employees: 25
Founded: 2003
Contact: Lisa Kalou, director of
operations and human resources
CLARKSTON AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
5856 S. Main St.
Clarkston 48346
248-625-8055
clarkston.org
Members: 550
Focus: Clarkston, Independence
Township, Springfield Township
Meetings: Three per month,
luncheon mixers, breakfasts,
networking events
Dues: $235 to $535
Employees: 4
Founded: 1987
Contact: Janelle Best, executive
director
CLAWSON CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
425 North Main St.
Clawson 48017
248-435-6500
clawsonchamber.com
Members: 200
Focus: Clawson
Meetings: Morning and
after-hours networking events,
quarterly Oakland County
network mixers, seminars
Dues: $65 to $250
Employees: 1
Founded: 1939
Contact: Mary Sames,
executive director
DEARBORN AREA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
22100 Michigan Ave.
Dearborn 48124
313-584-6100
dearbornareachamber.org
Members: 590
Focus: Dearborn, Dearborn
Heights, Detroit, Garden City
Meetings: Meet the Purchasers,
luncheons, golf outings, monthly
morning and after-hours
networking events, quarterly
Business Builder breakfasts,
Taste of Dearborn Holiday Gala
Dues: $245 to $1,500
Employees: 4
Founded: 1944
Contact: Jacqueline Lovejoy,
president
DETROIT CHINESE
BUSINESS ASSOCIATION*
3250 W. Big Beaver Rd.,
Suite 430
Troy 48084
248-918-0391
dcba.com
Members: 3,100
Focus: Michigan,
Meetings: Quarterly networking
events, annual China Forum, U.S.
China business forum, Chinese
New Year gala, DCBA
International Golf Open,
Dues: $300 to $10,000
Employees: 2
Founded: 1995
Contact: Jerry Xu, president
DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER
1 Woodward Ave., Suite 1900
Detroit 48226
313-964-4000
detroitchamber.com
Members: over 20,000
Focus: Ten counties in southeast
Michigan
Meetings: More than 80
programs and events, including
the Mackinac Policy Conference;
*MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF ETHNIC CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DEARBORN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Dues: $235 to $1,800
Employees: 5
Founded: 2009
Contact: Dan Irvin,
executive director
FRENCH AMERICAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE MICHIGAN
CHAPTER
2000 Town Center, Suite 1800
Southfield 48075
248-936-9473
faccmi.org
Members: 200+
Focus: Our mission is to
contribute to the improvement of
economic, commercial and
financial relations between
France and the United States.
Meetings: Business seminars
and round-table events with
high-level speakers, networking
receptions, annual meeting, and
annual gala and awards
ceremony
meetings with local, state, and Employees: 1
national government officials; Founded: 1983
small business: events; Contact: Stephanie Salvadero,
leadership, and talent executive director
development programs
Dues: Vary FERNDALE AREA CHAMBER
Employees: 80 OF COMMERCE
Founded: 1903 407 E. Nine Mile Rd.
Contact: Jim Connarn, director Ferndale 48220
of sales 248-542-2160
ferndalechamber.com
DOWNRIVER AND DETROIT Members: 300
BUSINESS ASSOCIATION Focus: Ferndale
2011 Oak St. Meetings: Networking events
Wyandotte 48192 (two morning, one lunch, and one
313-338-8003 after hours), annual awards gala,
dadba.org annual Rainbow Run, annual
Members: 500 Artist in You event
Focus: Detroit, 21 downriver Dues: $175 to $640
communities from Allen Employees: 2
Park to Wyandotte Founded: 1936
Meetings: Monthly breakfast, Contact: Carol Jackson, interim
lunch, and evening networking executive director
events; quarterly business expos,
DADBA Spring Expo GROSSE POINTE CHAMBER
Dues: $145 to $1,500 OF COMMERCE
Employees: 5 63 Kercheval Ave., Suite 16,
Founded: 2005 Grosse Pointe Farms 48236
Contact: Laura Wyatt, director 313-881-4722
grossepointechamber.com
GREATER FARMINGTON AREA Members: 600
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Focus: The Chamber will provide
33425 Grand River Ave., Suite 101 leadership and services to the
Farmington 48335 business community, promote
248-919-6917 economic vitality, collaborate
gfachamber.com with municipal government for
Members: 460 business development and
Focus: Farmington, enhance the quality and of life for
Farmington Hills those who live, work and visit in
Meetings: Two to three monthly the Grosse Pointes.
networking/professional- Meetings: Monthly Business
development events, such as Before Hours and Business
annual Business Expo, business After-Hours, Learn at Lunch,
development luncheons, a Taste Business Exchange, Annual
of Two Cities, and Founders Membership Dinner with Pointer
Festival in July, Bunkers and of Distinction Awards, Committee
Bogies golf outing, annual dinner Meetings, Marketing, Chamber
and awards program Foundation.
*MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF ETHNIC CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
Dues: $100 to $2,500
Employees: 2
Founded: 2005
Contact: Jennifer Boettcher,
president and executive director.
HOLLY AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
300 East St.
Holly 48442
248-634-4021
hollychamber.com
Members: 128
Focus: Village of Holly,
Holly Township, Springfield
Township, Rose Township,
Groveland Township
Meetings: Monthly board
meeting, monthly networking
breakfast, periodic after-hours
networking events
Dues: $120 non-profit,
$180 business
Employees: Volunteer board
of directors
Founded: 1854
Contact: Nicole Arnold,
executive director
HURON VALLEY CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
317 Union St.
Milford 48381
248-685-7129
huronvcc.com
Members: 450
Focus: Milford and Milford
Township, Commerce Township,
Highland and Highland Township,
White Lake Township
Meetings: Monthly and
bimonthly networking events,
Milford Memories summer
festival, Brewed in Michigan,
coffee clubs and networking
events
Dues: $225 and up
Employees: 4
Founded: 1962
Contact: Joell Beether,
executive director
INDO-AMERICAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE*
IACC-USA, PO Box 250125,
Franklin 48025
248-506-7555
iaccusa.org
Number of Members: 100
Focus: IACC-USA provides
networking opportunities for
business professionals to develop
economic, commercial and
financial relationships. The
Chamber is also involved in
business related education as
well as advocacy of issues
pertinent to business owners.
Meetings: Six to eight meetings
per year, golf outing, annual
banquet
Dues: $100 annually for
individuals $250+ for businesses
Employees: 1-2 paid and 6-8 on
voluntary board
Founded: 2003
Contact: Nandita Bhattiprolu,
executive director.
LAKES AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
305 N. Pontiac Trail, Suite A
Walled Lake 48390
248-624-2826
lakesareachamber.com
Members: 450
Focus: Commerce Township,
Union Lake, Walled Lake,
Waterford, Wolverine Lake, White
Lake, Wixom
Meetings: Monthly business
spotlight lunches, annual State
of the Lakes luncheon, First
Friday Coffee.
Dues: $195 to $550
Employees: 3
Founded: 1950
Contact: Jo Alley,
executive director
LIVONIA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
33233 Five Mile Rd.
Livonia 48154
734-427-2122
livonia.org
Members: 880
Focus: Livonia and surrounding
communities
Meetings: Two to three monthly
networking events, Livonia
Business Expo, annual golf
outing, annual home
improvement show, Western
Wayne Business Leadership
Banquet
Dues: $279 to $1,000
Employees: 5
Founded: 1950
Contact: Dan West, president
MACOMB COUNTY CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
28 First St., Suite B
Mount Clemens 48043
586-493-7600
macombcountychamber.com
Members: 900
Focus: Macomb County
Meetings: Monthly networking/
economic development/public
policy meetings, Lake St. Clair
Appreciation Day, Macomb
County Hall of Fame, Green Expo,
defense industry legislative
breakout session
Dues: $300 and up
Employees: 6
Founded: 1892
Contact: Grace Shore, CEO
MADISON HEIGHTS/
HAZEL PARK CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
939 E. 12 Mile Rd.
Madison Heights 48071
May - June 2016 || FROM THE TOP
248-542-5010
madisonheightschamber.com
Members: 300
Focus: Madison Heights,
Hazel Park
Meetings: Three networking
events per month, annual
Business Expo at Hazel Park Race
Track, auction, State of the Cities
Annual Address, golf outing,
BRAND Referral group
Dues: $100 to $400
Employees: 1
Founded: 1969
Contact: Keri Valmassei,
executive director
MICHIGAN BLACK CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE*
1274 Library St.
Detroit 48226
313-818-3017
michiganblackchamber.com
Members: 2,000
Focus: As the voice for Black
business in Michigan, our mission
is to economically empower and
sustain African-American
businesses as enterprises by
advocating for economic
development through
entrepreneurship, procurement,
community reinvestment,
programmatic and professional
development, and capitalistic
activity within the state of
Michigan and throughout the
Black Diaspora.
Meetings: Monthly. Each
Chapter determines its meeting
schedule and programming
Dues: $150 for small businesses.
Black Suppliers and Corporate
Members have different fees.
Employees: 8
Founded: 2010
Contact: Ivy Simmons,
executive vice president
MICHIGAN HISPANIC CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE*
31455 Southfield Rd., Suite 103
Beverly Hills 48025
248-792-2763
mhcc.org
Members: 200 +
Focus: Hispanic Business
Enterprises, Supplier Diversity,
Automotive, Professionals,
Financial, and more.
Meetings: Monthly third
Thursdays; Economic Forum
Breakfast; Minority Businesses
Matchmaker; annual golf outing;
annual Fiesta Gala.
Dues: Varies
Employees: 3
Founded: 1989
Contacts: Camilo Suero,
executive director; Barbara
Lange, office manager
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 91
MICHIGAN IRISH CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE*
Beverly Hills 48025
231-590-0003
michiganirishchamber.com
Members: 70
Focus: individuals, business
people, and other community
members working together to
advance the business, culture,
education, and civic welfare of the
residents of Michigan who are of
Irish descent.
Meetings: Varies
Dues: $100 for students enrolled
full time and under 25 years of
age: $200 business and
professional level; Sponsors
include Business Bronze $500;
Business Platinum $800;
Chairmans Circle $1,200
Founded: 2012
Contact: Dave OConnor,
president
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS
GREATER DETROIT CHAPTER
(BUSINESS ASSOCIATION)
26677 W. 12 Mile Rd.
Southfield 48034
313-961-4748
nawbogdc.org
Members: 200
Focus: Southeastern Michigan;
some out-of-state membership
Meetings: Monthly networking
events, annual Top 10 Michigan
Businesswomens Awards,
Women on Board, Circle of
Learning education program, golf
outing, holiday reception.
Dues: $275-$575
Employees: 2
Founded: 1980
Contact: Tanya R. Allen,
chapter president
NORTHVILLE CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
195 S. Main St.
Northville 48167
248-349-7640
northville.org
Members: 400
Focus: Northville and
surrounding communities
Meetings: Bimonthly seminar
luncheons, rise and shine mixer
breakfast, after hours mixer, three
monthly networking/educational
events, Taste of Northville
business showcase, golf outing,
Victorian Festival
Dues: $150 to $500
Employees: 7
Founded: 1964
Contact: Jody Humphries,
executive director
FROM THE TOP || May - June 2016
NOVI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
41875 W. 11 Mile Rd., Suite 201
Novi 48375
248-349-3743
novichamber.com
Members: 500
Focus: Greater Novi area
Meetings: Three networking
events/month, six lead-
generating meetings/month,
Business and Taste Expo,
Farmers Market, Novi
Restaurant Tour
Dues: $120 to $550
Employees: 3
Founded: 1967
Contact: Sheryl Romzek,
executive director
ORION AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
416 W. Shadbolt, Suite C
Lake Orion 48362
248-693-6300
orionareachamber.com
Members: 300+
Focus: Lake Orion, Orion
Township, Oxford, Auburn Hills,
Clarkston
Meetings: Monthly networking
meetings, monthly luncheons,
quarterly evening mixers, annual
community expo, Chili Challenge
Dues: $200
Employees: 2
Founded: 1950
Contact: Alaina Campbell,
executive director
ORTONVILLE CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 152
Ortonville 48462
248-627-8079
ortonvillechamber.com
Members: 70
Focus: Ortonville, Goodrich,
Clarkston
Meetings: Monthly and quarterly
mixers and general meetings,
annual business expo, annual
community picnic
Dues: $25 for honorary to $150
for full membership
Employees: 1
Founded: 2003
Contact: Jennifer Whitwell,
administrative assistant
OXFORD CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 142
22 W. Burdick St.
Oxford 48371
248-628-0410
oxfordchamber.net
Members: 170
Focus: Oxford, Lake Orion,
Metamora, Lapeer, Clarkston,
Addison Oaks
Meetings: mixers with
neighboring chambers, annual
Womens Expo, annual Chamber
92 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Challenge 5K and 10K
Dues: $150
Employees: 1
Founded: 1950
Contact: Nicole Stirrett,
executive director; Amy Desotell,
administrative assistant
PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE MICHIGAN*
1849 Ludgate Ln.
Rochester Hills 48309
248-770-3422
Members: 90
Focus: Michigan
Meetings: Monthly board
meetings; networking and
educational events; leadership,
management, and organizational
events
Dues: $100 to $500
Employees: Volunteer officers
and board
Founded: 2008
Contact: Betsy Henry, president
PLYMOUTH COMMUNITY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
850 W. Ann Arbor Trail
Plymouth 48170
734-453-1540
plymouthmich.org
Members: 720
Focus: To stimulate growth and
prosperity for a healthy business
community.
Meetings: January and
November
Dues: $225-$1,100
Employees: 4
Founded: 1952
Contact: Wes Graff, president
PONTIAC REGIONAL CHAMBER
402 N. Telegraph Rd.
Pontiac48341
248-335-9600
pontiacrc.com
Members: 250
Focus: Pontiac and surrounding
communities
Meetings: Monthly and quarterly
networking events and speakers
Dues: $299-$5,000
Employees: 1
Founded: 1904
Contact: Dawnaree Demrose,
president
ROCHESTER REGIONAL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
71 Walnut St., Suite 110
Rochester 48307
248-651-6700
rrc-mi.com
Members: 1,200
Focus: Rochester, Rochester
Hills, Oakland Township
Meetings: Business Exchange
Luncheon, Outlook Luncheon,
Legislative Affairs/Real Estate
Development and Relocation/
Rochester Regional Service
Collaboration/Economic
Development Committees,
Ambassador Network, Sunrise
Pinnacle Awards, Coffee Talk,
Morning Motivator
Dues: $250 to $1,200
Employees: 5
Founded: 1955
Contact: Sheri Heiney, president
ROYAL OAK CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
200 S. Washington Ave.
Royal Oak 48067
248-547-4000
royaloakchamber.com
Members: 600
Focus: Royal Oak and
surrounding communities
Meetings: three monthly
networking events; three
community events each year;
Royal Oak in Bloom; Clay, Glass
and Metal Show; Paws in the Park
Royal Oak
Dues: $240 and up
Employees: 5
Founded: 1936
Contact: Shelly Kemp,
executive director
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR
THE SOUTH LYON AREA
127 N. Lafayette St.
South Lyon 48178
248-437-3257
southlyonchamber.com
Members: 250
Focus: South Lyon, Charter
Township of Lyon, Green Oak
Township, Northfield Township,
Salem Township, New Hudson
Meetings: Bimonthly breakfast,
one after-hours monthly mixer,
networking group available
Dues: $195 to $480
Employees: 2
Founded: 1947
Contact: Andrea Meyer,
executive director
SOUTHERN WAYNE COUNTY
REGIONAL CHAMBER
20904 Northline Rd.
Taylor 48180
734-284-6000; swcrc.com
Members: 1,000
Focus: 21 southern Wayne
County communities
Meetings: Monthly networking
events and legislative forums,
Business to Business Expo and
Conference, Annual Steak Roast
Dues: $237-$2,500
Employees: 5
Founded: 1967
Contact: Saundra Mull, president
SOUTHFIELD AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
24300 Southfield Rd., Suite 101
Southfield 48075
248-557-6661
southfieldchamber.com
Members: 300
Focus: Southfield, Lathrup
Village, Oak Park
Meetings: monthly networking
events, golf outing, State of the
City, education series, Taste of
Southfield
Dues: $210 to $2,100
Employees: 1
Founded: 1953
Contact: Tanya Markos-Vanno,
president and executive director
STERLING HEIGHTS REGIONAL
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY AND ANCHOR BAY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
12900 Hall Rd., Suite 100
Sterling Heights 48313
586-731-5400
shrcci.com
Members: 1,375
Focus: Sterling Heights, Shelby
Twp., Utica, Clinton Twp.,
Macomb Twp., Fraser, Warren
Meetings: weekly Business
Resource Alliance Group
networking, Ambassadors, Small
Business Roundtable, public
policy, tourism, and hospitality
meetings
Dues: $285, differing rates for
non-profits, certain disciplines
Employees: 10
Founded: 1961 (Joint venture
since 2010)
Contact: Wayne Oehmke,
president and CEO
TAIWANESE CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE OF GREATER
DETROIT*
6636 Maple Creek Blvd.
West Bloomfield 48322
248-535-4119
tccgd.org
Members: 75
Focus: Southeast Michigan
Meetings: Chinese New Year
Banquet, annual professional
development seminars, annual
picnic and golf outing, annual
banquet
Dues: $200
Employees: Volunteer board
Founded: 1996
Contact: Mary Wang, president
TROY CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
2125 Butterfield,Suite 100N
Troy 48084
248-641-8151
troychamber.com
Members: 660
Focus: Troy
Meetings: monthly membership
*MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF ETHNIC CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
luncheon or breakfast, monthly
morning, afternoon, and evening
networking events, annual Tee Off
Fore Troy golf outing, Simply
Shopping womens networking
and shopping event, holiday
luncheon, Best of Troy Awards,
CEO Series (four times a year).
Dues: $310 to $2,900
Employees: 5
Founded: 1959
Contact: Sheila Denstaedt,
director of member services
WATERFORD AREA CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE
2309 Airport Rd.
Waterford 48327
248-666-8600
waterfordchamber.org
Members: 650
Focus: Waterford, White
Lake, Clarkston
Meetings: monthly and
bimonthly networking events,
periodic luncheons, annual State
of the Township breakfast, annual
Business and Home Expo,
Business Success Conference,
annual Dinner & Awards Meeting,
annual Golf Classic, Young
Professionals Network
Dues: $225 to join, $195 a year
Employees: 3
Founded: 1998
Contact: Marie Hauswirth,
executive director
GREATER WEST BLOOMFIELD
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
5745 W. Maple Rd. Suite 206
West Bloomfield 48322
248-626-3636
westbloomfieldchamber.com
Members: 250
Focus: West Bloomfield, Orchard
Lake, Sylvan Lake, Keego Harbor
Meetings: Wayne State
University collaboration
workshop breakfast, monthly
networking events, leadership
luncheon, holiday party, wine
tastings, officer installation, Grub
Crawl, annual awards dinner
Dues: $185 to $550
Employees: 1
Founded: 1976
Contact: Suzanne Levine,
executive director
Source: DBusiness
May - June 2016 || FROM THE TOP
Largest Business Insurance Agencies in Metro Detroit RANKED BY 2015 REVENUE*
1. BROWN & BROWN 6. DALY MERRITT INSURANCE
OF DETROIT 100 Maple St.
35735 Mound Rd. Wyandotte 48192
Sterling Heights 48311 734-283-1400
586-977-6300 dalymerritt.com
bbdetroit.com 2015 Revenue: $12.1 million
2015 Revenue: $75 million 2014 Revenue: $12.7 million
2014 Revenue: $70 million 2015 Premium volume:
2015 Premium volume: NA $124.6 million
Employees: 436 Employees: 56
2. HYLANT GROUP 7. A.E. MOURAD
24 Frank Lloyd Wright Dr. AGENCY INC.
Suite J4100 28277 Dequindre Rd.
Ann Arbor 48105 Madison Heights 48071
734-741-0044 248-336-1600
2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 400 aemourad.com
Troy 48084 2015 Revenue: $9.7 million
hylant.com 2014 Revenue: $8.4 million
2015 Revenue: $21.7 million 2015 Premium volume:
2014 Revenue: $21.5 million $528.1 million
2015 Premium volume: Employees: 16
$285 million
Employees: 116 8. RALPH C. WILSON
AGENCY INC.
3. MARSH & MCLENNAN 26026 Telegraph Rd.
AGENCY LLC - MICHIGAN Suite 100
3331 W B Beaver Rd # 200, Southfield 48086
Troy 48084 800-638-1174
248-822-4131 rcwa.net
mcgrawwentworth.com 2015 Revenue: $8.2 million
2015 Revenue: $32.4 million 2014 Revenue: $7.9 million
2014 Revenue: $30.9 million 2015 Premium volume:
2015 Premium volume: $160 million
$ 1.4 billion Employees: 49
Employees: 139
9. KOROTKIN
4. KAPNICK INSURANCE GROUP 26877 Northwestern Hwy
769 Chicago Rd., 3rd Floor Ste # 400
Troy 48083 Southfield 48033-8418
248-352-4455 248-350-5801
kapnick.com korotkin.com
>> GOODMAN VENEGAS, Troy
2015 Revenue: $20.5 million 2015 Revenue: $7.3 million
2014 Revenue: $18.5 million 2014 Revenue: $6.8 million
2015 Premium volume: 2015 Premium volume: 12. CAPITAL INSURANCE GROUP 14. ALLIANT INSURANCE 16. INSURANCE ADVISORS
$235 million $59 million 1263 W. Square Lake Rd. SERVICES 8884 Commerce Rd.
Employees: 63 Employees: 46 Bloomfield Hills 48302 1050 Wilshire Dr., Suite 210 Commerce Township 48382
248-333-2500 Troy 48084 248-363-5746
5. MICHIGAN FINANCIAL 10. THE HUTTENLOCHER GROUP capitalinsuranceagent.com 248-540-3131 ins-advisors.com
COMPANIES INC. 1007 W. Huron 2015 Revenue: $4.6 million alliant.com 2015 Revenue: $2.2 million
28411 Northwestern Hwy. Waterford Township 48328 2014 Revenue: $4.3 million 2015 Revenue: $4.2 million 2014 Revenue: $2.7 million
Suite 1300 248-681-2100 2015 Premium volume: 2014 Revenue: $4.8 million 2015 Premium volume:
Southfield 48034 HGWay.com $37.6 million 2015 Premium volume: $18.2 million
248-827-1300 2015 Revenue: $6.3 million Employees: 22 $32.5 million Employees: 21
michiganfinancial.com 2014 Revenue: $6 million Employees: 21
2015 Revenue: $17.7 million 2015 Premium volume: 13. GOODMAN VENEGAS
2014 Revenue: $16.1 million $57 million 2800 Livernois Rd. Suite 170 15. CIA FINANCIAL GROUP *This list, the most
2015 Premium volume: Employees: 42 Troy 48083 45600 Village Blvd. comprehensive available, was
$19.8 million 248-740-9090 Shelby Township 48315 compiled through individual
Employees: 151 11. J.S. CLARK AGENCY goodmanvenegas.com 586-532-7300 interviews with each of the
25900 W. 11 Mile Rd. 2015 Revenue: $4.3 million ciafg.com respective business insurance
Suite 210 2014 Revenue: $2.8 million 2015 Revenue: $3 million agencies. The agencies located in
Southfield 48034 2015 Premium volume: 2014 Revenue: $3.1 million the region Wayne, Oakland,
248-355-9600 $30 million 2015 Premium volume: Macomb, Washtenaw, and
jsclarkagency.com Employees: 15 $19.7 million Livingston counties are ranked
2015 Revenue: $4.95 million Employees: 30 by total 2015 revenue. For
2014 Revenue: $4.5 million agencies with headquarters
2015 Premium volume: N/A located outside the region,
Employees: 30 revenue and employment are
based on area activity.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF GOODMAN VENEGAS
INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 93
FROM THE TOP || May - June 2016
Top Hotels Outside Detroit*
GRAND RAPIDS
AMWAY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL
187 Monroe Ave. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-774-2000
amwaygrand.com
Rooms: 682
Meeting rooms: 42
Dining: Ruths Chris Steak
House, Cygnus 27, GP Sports,
Starbucks, Lumber Baron Bar,
Garden Court Lounge, The
Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, The
Kitchen Counter by Wolfgang
Puck, 24-hour room service
Meeting capacity: 47,000 sq. ft.
JW MARRIOTT GRAND RAPIDS
235 Louis Campau St. NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-242-1500
ilovethejw.com
Rooms: 337
Meeting rooms: 14
Dining: six.one.six. restaurant,
jdek seasonal patio, Starbucks,
Mixology Lounge, room service
Meeting capacity:
15,369 sq. ft.
KALAMAZOO
THE RADISSON PLAZA HOTEL
AT KALAMAZOO CENTER
100 West Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
269-343-3333
radisson.com
Rooms: 340
Meeting rooms: 22
Dining: Old Burdicks Bar & Grill,
Websters Prime Steak House,
Zazios, Burdick's for Breakfast,
room service
Meeting capacity: 44,000 sq. ft.
EAST LANSING
EAST LANSING MARRIOTT AT
UNIVERSITY PLACE
300 M.A.C. Ave.
East Lansing, 48823
517-337-4440
marriott.com
Rooms: 180
Meeting rooms: 9
Dining: Bistro 43, Great Room
lunch, dinner, and lounge service
Meeting capacity: 12,286 sq. ft.
MACKINAC ISLAND
GRAND HOTEL
286 Grand Ave.
P.O. Box 286
Mackinac Island, MI 49757
800-334-7263
grandhotel.com
Rooms: 390
94 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
Meeting rooms: 16
Dining: Main Dining Room, The
Jockey Club, Woods, The Gate
House, Cawthornes Village Inn,
Carletons Tea Store, Fort
Mackinac Tea Room, Sadies Ice
Cream Parlor, Pool Grill, Grand
Luncheon Buffet, The Jewel,
Audubon Wine Bar, Cupola Bar,
Geranium Bar, Bobbys Bar,
Sushi Grand, Grand Picnics,
room service
Meeting capacity: 23,000 sq. ft.
MISSION POINT RESORT
6633 Main St.
Mackinac Island, 49757
906-847-3000
missionpoint.com
Rooms: 241
Meeting rooms: 20 indoor, 5
exterior
Dining: Bistro on The Greens,
Round Island Bar & Grill, Chianti,
Lakeside Marketplace
Meeting capacity: 38,000 sq. ft.
MIDLAND
THE H HOTEL
111 W. Main St.
Midland, MI 48640
989-839-0500
thehhotel.com
Rooms: 130
Meeting rooms: 8
Dining: Table Restaurant, Caf
Zinc, Bar Oxygen O2, 24-hour
room service
Meeting capacity: 8,000 sq. ft.
MOUNT PLEASANT
SOARING EAGLE CASINO
& RESORT
6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd.
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
877-232-4532
soaringeaglecasino.com
Rooms: 516
Meeting rooms: 18
Casino tables: 60+
Dining: Isabellas, Siniikaung,
Aurora Buffet, Water Lily Lounge,
Native Grind Coffee Shoppe,
Legends Diner
Meeting capacity: 70,000 sq. ft.
ST. JOSEPH
THE INN AT HARBOR SHORES
800 Whitwam Dr.
St. Joseph, MI 49085
269-983-1111
innatharborshores.com
Rooms: 92
Meeting rooms: 4
Dining: Planks Tavern on
the Water
Meeting capacity: 13,000 sq. ft.
>> AMWAY GRAND PLAZA HOTEL, Grand Rapids
TRAVERSE CITY
GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT
AND SPA
100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd.
P.O. Box 404
Acme, MI 49610
231-534-6000
grandtraverseresort.com
Rooms: 585
Meeting rooms: 36
Dining: Aerie Restaurant &
Lounge, Sweetwater American
Bistro, The Grille, Jacks Sports
Bar, Grand Lobby Bar,
Marketplace.
Meeting capacity: 86,500 sq. ft.
THE INN AT BAY HARBOR
3600 Village Harbor Dr.
Bay Harbor, MI 49770
855-688-7023
innatbayharbor.com
Rooms: 128
Lakeside Cottages: 23
Cottages at Crooked Tree: 14
Meeting rooms: 8
Dining: Sagamores Dining
Room, The Inn Caf, Vintage
Chophouse and Wine Bar, The
Cabana Bar (summer only)
Meeting capacity: 6,600 sq. ft.
WINDSOR
CAESARS WINDSOR CASINO
& HOTEL
377 Riverside Dr. East
Windsor, Ontario
800-991-7777
caesarswindsor.com
Rooms: 758
Meeting rooms: 7
Casino Tables: 80
Dining: Neros Steakhouse, The
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AMWAY GRAND HOTEL
Largest Contractors in Metro Detroit RANKED BY 2015 REVENUE*
1. BARTON MALOW CO.
26500 American Dr.
Southfield 48034
248-436-5000
bartonmalow.com
2015 Revenue: $1.64 billion
2014 Revenue: $1.4 billion
Regional employees: 1,600
Top local executive: Ryan
Maibach, president
2. WALBRIDGE
777 Woodward Ave., Suite 300,
Detroit 48226
313-963-8000
walbridge.com
2015 Revenue: $1.43 billion
2014 Revenue: $1.55 billion
Regional employees: 1,000
Top local executive: John
Rakolta Jr., chairman and CEO
3. BELFOR HOLDINGS INC.
185 Oakland Ave., Suite 15,
Birmingham 48009
248-594-1144
belfor.com
2015 Revenue: $1.4 billion
2014 Revenue: $1.45 billion
Regional employees: 1,790
Top local executive: Sheldon
Yellen, CEO
4. ARISTEO
CONSTRUCTION CO.
12811 Farmington Rd.,
Livonia 48150
734-427-9111
aristeo.com
2015 Revenue: $410 million
2014 Revenue: $315 million
Regional employees: 310
Top local executive: Joseph
Aristeo, president
5. COMMERCIAL CONTRACTING
GROUP INC.
4260 N. Atlantic Blvd.,
Artist Caf, Market Buffet,
Auburn Hills 48439
Legends Sports Bar, Taza
248-209-0500
Mediterranean Grill, Pronto Caf,
cccnetwork.com
Johnny Rockets, Cosmos, Vu Bar,
2015 Revenue: $291 million
Elyx, Bacchus Bar, Room Service.
2014 Revenue: $315 million
Meeting capacity:
Regional employees: 174
100,000 sq. ft.
Top local executive:
William Pettibone, chairman
*Ranked by AAA and DBusiness
for Hospitality Excellence
6. RONCELLI INC.
6471 Metropolitan Pkwy.,
Sterling Heights 48312
586-264-7067
roncelli-int.com
2015 Revenue: $242 million
2014 Revenue: $247 million
Regional employees: 221
Top local executives: Gary
Roncelli, chairman and CEO;
Thomas Wickersham, president
and COO
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BARTON MALOW
May - June 2016 || FROM THE TOP
7. IDEAL CONTRACTING LLC
2525 Clark St., Detroit 48209
313-551-2279
weareideal.com
2015 Revenue: $239 million
2014 Revenue: $191 million
Employees: 340
Top local executive:
Frank Venegas Jr., chairman
8. SACHSE
CONSTRUCTION LLC
1528 Woodward Ave., Suite 600,
Detroit 48226
313-481-8200
sachseconstruction.com
2015 Revenue: $172 million
2014 Revenue: $135 million
Regional employees: 140
Top local executive: Todd
Sachse, CEO
9. ALBERICI
CONSTRUCTORS INC.
26711 Northwestern Hwy. Suite
255, Southfield, 48033
734-367-2500
alberici.com
2015 Revenue: $ 167 million
2014 Revenue: $49 million
Local employees: 19
Top local executive: Mark Okroy,
vice president and general
manager
10. DEMARIA
45500 Grand River Ave.,
Novi 48374
248-348-8710
demariabuild.com
2015 Revenue: $144.2 million
>> BARTON MALOW, Southfield
2014 Revenue: $98.6 million
Regional employees: 154 13. COLASANTI COMPANIES 2015 Revenue: $83 million 18. WHITE
Top local executives: Richard 24500 Wood Ct., Macomb 2014 Revenue: $80.5 million CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.
DeMaria, CEO; Joseph DeMaria Township, 48042 Regional employees: 38 1120 W. Baltimore Ave.,
Jr., president; Tony DeMaria, 586-598-9700 Top local executive: Ryan Detroit 48202
executive vice president colasantigroup.com Marsh, president and CEO 313-872-6700
2015 Revenue: $102 million whitecon.com
11. GEORGE W. AUCH CO. 2014 Revenue: $66.9 million 16. KASCO INC. 2015 Revenue: $13 million
735 S. Paddock St., Regional employees: 185 226 E. Hudson St., 2014 Revenue: $12 million
Pontiac 48341 Top local executive: Cary Royal Oak 48067 Regional employees: 19
248-334-2000 Colasanti, president 248-547-1210 Top local executive: W. Bernard
auchconstruction.com kascoinc.com White, president and CEO
2015 Revenue: $136.5 million 14. FRANK REWOLD 2015 Revenue: $72 million
2014 Revenue: $140 million AND SON INC. 2014 Revenue: $62 million
Regional employees: 91 333 E. Second St., Rochester, MI Regional employees: 65 *The list, the most
Top local executive: Vincent 48307 Top local executive: Steve comprehensive available, was
DeLeonardis, president and CEO 248-651-7242 Kassab, president and CEO compiled through individual
frankrewold.com interviews with each respective
12. TURNER CONSTRUCTION CO. 2015 Revenue: $92 million 17. A.Z. SHMINA INC. company. For list purposes, the
535 Griswold St., Suite 1525, 2014 Revenue: $70 million 11711 Grand River Ave., region includes Wayne, Oakland,
Detroit 48226 Regional employees: 59 Brighton, 48116 Macomb, Washtenaw, and
313-596-0500 Top local executive: Frank 810-227-5100 Livingston counties. For company
turnerconstruction.com/michigan Rewold, president and CEO azshmina.com headquarters based in the region,
2015 Revenue: $133 million 2015 Revenue: $22 million total revenue is listed. For
2014 Revenue: $123 million 15. T.H. MARSH 2014 Revenue: $18 million companies with headquarters
Regional employees: 60 100 W. Long Lake Rd., Suite 200 Regional employees: 35 outside the region, revenue is
Top local executive: David J. Bloomfield Hills 48304 Top local executive: Andy based on projects in the region.
Kelly, PE, business manager 248-586-4130 Shmina, president
thmarsh.com
May - June 2016 || DBUSINESS.COM 95
CLOSING BELL || Recreation
>> UP AND DOWN
Electric Parks Trip Thru the
Clouds roller coaster and the
Shoot the Rapids, were among
several popular rides at the
iconic park in Detroit.
Roller Coaster
Detroits first amusement grounds, Electric Park,
offered myriad thrills at a strategic location.
D
etroits must-see sen-
sation on June 7, 1908,
was Oscar V. Babcocks
act at Electric Park, the
amusement grounds at
the foot of the Belle Isle
Bridge. Billed as The
Worlds Greatest Cyclist, the sequined Bab-
cock, an early day Evel Knievel, plunged down
a ramp on his nickel-plated bicycle, build-
ing up enough blurry speed to loop-the-loop.
And it wasnt a one-time offering. Babcocks
dare-devil act will be performed at 2 and 8:15
oclock daily, an advertisement promised.
Electric Park had opened two years earlier,
but by then the environs had already been
used for miscellaneous purposes. Half a cen-
tury before, Philip Kling and two partners
acquired property between East Jefferson
and the Detroit River near the future location
of the Belle Isle Bridge, reports one historical
account. Klings Peninsular Brewing Co. grew
to prominence here, and when a fire destroyed
the brewery in 1893, an ambitious new plant
opened in its place.
Meanwhile, a trolley park developed at this
strategic locale where three streetcar lines end-
ed their run.
Trolley parks Coney Island in New York
being the most renowned were burgeoning
nationally, often where streetcar lines ended
at an alluring natural feature. The streetcar
98 DBUSINESS || May - June 2016
BY RONALD AHRENS
companies promoted their parks to increase
weekend ridership. Besides picnicking, peo-
ple listened to concerts and enjoyed fireworks.
Historical summaries say Arthur Gaulker
first owned Electric Park. The use of electric
as an eponym is, in itself, a story. In those days,
electric light plants effected dramatic changes
in Detroit. To have the option of a glittering at-
traction day and night was a novelty. The old
night crawlers well remember that night life in
Detroit then was hardly on what you might
call an established basis, historian George
W. Stark wrote, thinking of another kind of
nightlife. It was a sporadic commodity, in-
dulged in covertly.
Colorful hype about Electric Park in the De-
troit Free Press stated, Rome, with its seven
hills, will be a poor second to the roller coaster
which is to be installed on the western side of
the park. The grand opening, on May 26, 1906,
featured the Great Chick, a tramp cyclist and
comedian described by The Detroit News as the
funniest man on wheels. This Vaudevillian
split the bill in the parks inner court stadium
with aerialist Mademoiselle Patrice, whose
dizzy descent from a high platform via the
hair-raising Spanish Web is a thriller.
The ballyhoo about roller coasters was well
justified. Several coasters operated at Electric
Park. Trip Thru the Clouds opened in 1915
and may have been the grandest, although the
Ferris wheel took people higher. Shoot the
Rapids headed the other way, guaranteeing
riders a splash.
Beyond electrically-powered rides of all
types, a large windmill was built at the en-
trance of the park, with a sign that read, The
Boardwalk: Just for Fun. The park included
a popular interactive model of, yes, the 1889
Johnstown Flood. Of course, there were also
dancing pavilions and famous bands, but one
historic photo reveals something that remains
a constant type of attraction to this day: an au-
tomobile giveaway. Back then, a banner hang-
ing near Shoot the Rapids proclaimed a Saxon
auto made in Detroit from 1913 to 1922
would be awarded every Monday Eve.
Another attraction called Inferno, Menz
Devil, suggested a different type of amusement
park standard: a trip through Dantes under-
world. Sadly, Electric Parks problems were
living infernos. Palace Gardens, the dancing
pavilion, burned down in May 1911, causing
a loss of $130,000. A decade later, the largest
concession area was consumed by fire.
During its 21-year run, Electric Park became
known as Luna Park and was operated by Kurt
Kling, a successor in the familys brewing busi-
ness. The glory days were over, though. In 1927,
the city issued an ignominious condemnation.
Demolition followed the next year, and the pub-
lic park created on this long-useful space was
eventually named for Father Gabriel Richard,
co-founder of the University of Michigan.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WALTER P. REUTHER LIBRARY