Crain's Detroit Business articles from December 2008

Crain's Detroit Business archives from December 2008

Tom Cranmer.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Robert Ankeny Tom Cranmer Principal Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone P.L.C. Troy After more than 30 years as a leading white-collar criminal defense lawyer, Tom Cranmer still has an enviable trial calendar. ...

Elizabeth Hardy.(Kienbaum, Opperwall, Hardy & Pelton P.L.C)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Robert Ankeny Elizabeth Hardy Founding partner Kienbaum, Opperwall, Hardy & Pelton P.L.C. Birmingham Elizabeth Hardy has won several significant Michigan Supreme Court decisions that helped re-shape legal...

Ira Jaffe.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Robert Ankeny Ira Jaffe Founding partner Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss P.C. Southfield Not many lawyers or any other business folks would celebrate the 40th anniversary of their business's founding by taking on...

A CONVERSATION WITH; Julie Savarino.(veteran consultant )(Interview)
December 8, 2008... Reporter Robert Ankeny spoke with Ann Arbor-based Julie Savarino, a 22-year veteran consultant and coach of client and business development for law firms and other professionals across the country, about the cautions for lawyers and law firms...

F. Thomas Lewand.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Robert Ankeny F. Thomas Lewand Partner Bodman L.L.P. Detroit If more than 31 years of federal court battling over control and operation of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department comes to a conclusion soon,...

David Baker Lewis.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Robert Ankeny David Baker Lewis Chairman and CEO Lewis & Munday P.C. Detroit The law firm co-founded 36 years ago by David Baker Lewis has become one of the top bonding law firms in the nation and has a diverse...

Reginald Turner.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Robert Ankeny Reginald Turner Member Clark Hill P.L.C. Detroit Reginald Turner has expanded Clark Hill's reach and helped it successfully navigate complex matters for clients resulting in economic development...

RUMBLINGS.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Granholm sets date for budget order A Senate halt to bills heading down the legislative train track may be short-lived. Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, had said last Thursday that the Senate would hold off on votes...

Groups rally to help Detroit 3; Efforts: Car-buying incentives, lobbying.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: BILL SHEA As the debate rages in Congress and in living rooms over federal aid for the U.S. auto industry, local grassroots and professional efforts are emerging to support government help for Detroit and to encourage companies and...

Software firm Stardock plans expansion, waits for word on tax breaks.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: CHAD HALCOM Stardock Corp., a Plymouth Township-based software development company, could begin an expansion and hiring push at its headquarters by early 2009 if it wins approval of a pending request for state tax incentives. ...

Closing of Ecorse steel plant seen as a help to the market.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: RYAN BEENE Last week's closure of U.S. Steel Corp.'s Great Lakes Works in Ecorse might eventually help local steel companies that have seen too much product for their market. That facility mostly produced steel coils used by...

Tecumseh to issue new Class A stock after proxy fight falters.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: CHAD HALCOM Ann Arbor-based Tecumseh Products Co. will triple its outstanding number of shares by year's end and merge all of them into a single voting class of stock for 2009, after the company management survived a close proxy...

THIS JUST IN.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... AAA gives MGM Grand a pair of 4-diamond ratings MGM Grand Detroit has earned two top honors in the hospitality industry, winning a pair of Four Diamond awards from Heathrow, Fla.-based AAA. It marks the first property in Detroit to get...

Las Vegas gamble pays off big for Tooles Contracting.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: ROBERT ANKENY Detroit-based Tooles Contracting Group L.L.C., a general contractor and equipment installation company, laid a winning gamble on Las Vegas. Company clients now include General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DTE...

Pressed for cash; Toolmaker works with its own suppliers to survive slow pay.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: RYAN BEENE Detroit-based Ronart Industries Inc., a supplier of automotive stamping dies used to make body panels, was backed into a corner early this year but it found a way out. "The money systematically dried up at one time,...

Small-business features focus on big issues.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Alan Baker In just a couple of weeks, the year will end with the glorious holiday season. It's a time to remember friends and family, and if you're a retailer, time to make a good portion of your revenue in holiday sales. But...

Alcohol bill uncorks biz concern.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: AMY LANEAND NATHAN SKID When Ronnie Jamil looks at House Bill 6644, he sees some of his business in jeopardy. That's because the bill, which would ban retailers from shipping wine and other types of alcohol directly to...

OPINION.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... To get state action, stop the cash flow Michiganians worried about the domestic auto industry are justifiably miffed at the rude treatment of the Detroit 3 CEOs by uninformed and grandstanding congressional reps. Yet closer to home,...

BANKRUPTCIES.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Compiled by Julie Dawso The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit Nov. 28-Dec. 4. Under Chapter 11, a company files for reorganization. Chapter 7 involves total...

DEQ delays ballast water treatment rules for now.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Amy Lane Rough waters are calming a bit over concerns that state environmental regulators would require Great Lakes shippers to treat ballast water to eliminate harmful aquatic invaders. The issue flared up earlier this year...

KEITH CRAIN TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC CLUB ON THURSDAY.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Keith Crain, chairman of Crain Communications Inc., editor-in-chief of Crain's Detroit Business and publisher of Automotive News, will discuss the state of the auto industry at the Thursday meeting of the Detroit Economic Club. Tickets for...

CALENDAR.(NEWS)(Conference news)(Calendar)
December 8, 2008... WEDNESDAY DEC. 10 B2B Business Development Series: Market Research. 4:30-6:30 p.m. Automation Alley, Troy. $20 members, $40 others. Contact: (800) 427-5100. SATURDAY DEC. 13 The Evolution of Women in Leadership...

Blue Cross losses: Bad economy or bad choices?(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: JAY GREENE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan contends it will lose $166 million this year and $264 million in 2009 by selling health insurance policies to individuals. The projected losses are the biggest reason why Blue Cross...

WHO ARE THE TOP CFOS?(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... CFOs are often the unsung heroes of an organization's senior management team. Crain's Detroit Business is seeking nominations for its third-annual CFO awards to give recognition to these financial leaders. Winners and finalists will be...

Chiropractors get House OK for expanded treatments.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: JAY GREENE Michigan chiropractors are halfway toward achieving their goal of expanding their scope of practice to allow them to order advanced radiology scans, including magnetic resonance imaging, and to treat neuromuscular and...

Kensington Community plans to expand into Lake Orion.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Sherri Begin Welch Troy-based megachurch Kensington Community Church plans to open its fifth local campus in Lake Orion in January, adding to other church extensions in Birmingham, Rochester and Clinton Township. Located at...

Detroit College Promise has fiduciary.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Sherri Begin Welch The Youth Development Commission in Detroit has agreed to serve as fiduciary for the Detroit College Promise until it is granted its own nonprofit status. Detroit College Promise is beginning to collect...

New job training plan in works; Employers would contract with community colleges.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: AMY LANE Michigan community colleges, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and employers may be in line to have an innovative new model to provide job training. Seeing final work in the Legislature are bills that enable...

BUSINESS DIARY.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The 2008 Intex Achievement Award, sponsored by Architectural Contractors Industry Advancement Fund and Architectural Contractors Trade Association. Submissions are now being accepted by anyone in the construction...

LOOKING FOR DIVERSITY.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Crain's Detroit Business, the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion are launching a new awards program, the Innovation in Diversity Awards. It's argued that a diverse workforce can approach...

Detroit's negative image and its fix start here, chamber says.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: DANIEL DUGGAN The metro region's worst enemies aren't outside Michigan, but rather right here at home. And fixing that problem will need to come from inside as well, said John Carroll, senior vice president of business...

FREE PRESS TO CONGRESS.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... The Detroit Free Press ran a full front-page editorial in Friday's edition which was sent to every member of Congress advocating passage of loans for the Detroit 3, which concluded: "You can help them. And if you don't, make no mistake: There...

Movie-makers assemble fund to finance films in Michigan.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: BILL SHEA A cadre of veteran Hollywood producers is assembling a multimillion dollar fund to finance low-cost movies qualified to take advantage of Michigan's lucrative film incentives. Genre Film Partners, which has offices in...

Detroit, Oakland Habitat groups to collaborate, not merge - yet.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: SHERRI BEGIN WELCH A full merger might not yet be the answer for two local Habitat for Humanity affiliates. But Habitat for Humanity Detroit and Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County are coordinating their ReStore operations,...

Hayes Lemmerz treads delisting danger zone.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: RYAN BEENE Northville-based Hayes Lemmerz International Inc. (NASDAQ: HAYZ) could soon fall below the minimum requirements to be listed on the stock exchange. Its stock has traded below the minimum $1 per share for 21...

Honigman Miller starts real estate work-out group.(NEWS)(Brief article)
December 8, 2008... Detroit-based law firm Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn L.L.P. has launched a practice group to help clients deal with distressed real estate properties. The work-outs, foreclosures and distressed property practice group will be led by...

Innovation Index slips in 2nd quarter; VC investment up.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: CHAD HALCOM The infusion of venture capital to Michigan companies continued to climb in what was otherwise a slow second quarter, according to the latest state Innovation Index from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The...

LOSSES ON POLICIES.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan expects to lose $264 million next year on policies sold to individuals. Here's how the losses break out:

Oakland Physicians CEO says profit possible in 2009.(Oakland Physicians Medical Center L.L.C)
December 8, 2008... Byline: CHAD HALCOM Clarence Sevillian II doesn't have a business card for his new position, but he plans to make Michigan's first for-profit acute care hospital live up to that distinction and soon. Sevillian plans to make his first...

WEEK IN REVIEW.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... LTU, Altair offer assistance to displaced workers Southfield-based Lawrence Technological University plans to offer grants for up to 50 percent of tuition to 400 displaced workers or their children for education in emerging-sector areas....

The mayor has a great opportunity.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Keith Crain Whether most people realize it or not, the city of Detroit is in the midst of a very important election. Granted, it's one of four held next year, and all four are part of the process of electing a mayor for the city of...

Roundtable targets: Troy Transit Center funding, MBT surcharge.(Michigan Business Tax)
December 8, 2008... Byline: CHAD HALCOM Oakland County officials will consider in 2009 putting their political weight behind an end to the Michigan Business Tax surcharge, new funding avenues for the Troy Transit Center, and a community campaign to curb high...

CRAIN'S SEEKS M&A NOMINATIONS.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Involved in a merger, acquisition or expansion in 2008? You may be eligible for the second annual Crain's M&A Awards contest. Crain's Detroit Business and the Detroit chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth will honor companies...

Ridley's hopes expansion will bring back good old days - of 2007.(Ridley's Bakery Cafe )
December 8, 2008... Byline: NATHAN SKID Karl Kornack, owner of Ridley's Bakery Cafe at 4054 Rochester Road in Troy, is setting a modest goal for 2009. He'd like his business to return to the revenue it had in 2007 and is hoping the recent completion of a...

Mortgage rates dip, then "boom'; Brokers beat drum; blitz of refinancing may save year.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: DANIEL DUGGAN The battered mortgage brokers who've spent the last year under the dark cloud of a credit crunch found a bright spot just before Thanksgiving when interest rates dropped almost half a percentage point. With the...

IN THE SPOTLIGHT.(NEWS)(Brief article)
December 8, 2008... Robert Kubic has been named COO of Detroit-based law firm Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn L.L.P. Kubic, 43, replaces the retiring Michael Gable. Before joining Honigman, Kubic was COO at Boston-based Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky &...

Herschel Fink.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Bill Shea Herschel Fink Partner Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn L.L.P. Detroit Herschel Fink has blended two careers and two passions: journalism and law. His representation of the Detroit Free Press in the...

Jessica Cooper.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Chad Halcom Jessica Cooper Oakland County prosecutor On Jan. 1, Jessica Cooper becomes Oakland County's first female prosecutor and its first Democrat in that office in 36 years. She won the November election by 62,000...

Mark Cantor.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Bowdeya Tweh Mark Cantor President Brooks Kushman P.C. Southfield After Mark Cantor was named president of the intellectual property firm Brooks Kushman P.C., he took the time to canvass staff attorneys for their...

Jim Feeney.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Mike Scott Jim Feeney Member Dykema Gossett P.L.L.C. Bloomfield Hills Jim Feeney is a top national litigator with a roster of recent high-profile cases on his resume. He is known as a "go-to attorney for...

Power lawyers; Crain's picks 12 who made news, grew their firms - and sent a mayor to jail.(NEWS)(Brief article)
December 8, 2008... There are lots of lawyers. Then there are the Power Lawyers. These are the rainmakers, the best-in-class legal pros winning cases, serving as legal talent for corporate clients or shaping corporate or government strategy. Crain's has...

Kym Worthy.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Bill Shea Kym Worthy Wayne County prosecutor No local attorney faced more scrutiny and political pressure in 2008 than Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. The veteran lawyer and former judge in March charged...

PEOPLE.(Tracy Petrella to join as project manager)(Steve Dawson to join as director of sales, Xigma Engineering Services L.L.C.)(Bradley Smith to join as shareholderin in Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, Ann Arbor)
December 8, 2008... ARCHITECTURE Tracy Petrella to project manager, Fanning/Howey Associates Inc., Novi, from project coordinator. Ann Kenyon to co-leader, Health Studio, SmithGroup, Detroit, from project architect, Hobbs + Black Associates, Ann Arbor....

David Trott.(NEWS)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Daniel Duggan David Trott President and managing partner Trott & Trott P.C. Farmington Hills Trott & Trott P.C. has had the narrow niche of foreclosure work since its inception in 1976. Today, David Trott heads...

Northwest/Delta.(Brief article)
December 8, 2008... Byline: Bill Shea This year will be the first full year of the $2.8 billion all-stock merger of Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. Northwest's 500 daily flights from Detroit made it the carrier's largest hub. The...

OPINION.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... The UAW needs to rethink its message Let's get this right: Senate Republicans who blocked the auto loans last week did so because the United Auto Workers refused to set a date in 2009 for achieving "pay parity with autoworkers in...

Have a story Michigan should tell? Pitch it.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Mary Kramer As this column went to press last Friday, the bridge loans for the auto industry were still in doubt. My crystal ball is in rough shape, so I left that crisis to move on to another nightmare: What happens when 7,000...

CALENDAR.(NEWS)(Calendar)
December 15, 2008... TUESDAY DEC. 16 Networking Business Coalition of Northern Macomb County. 8 a.m. The group invites new businesses to join its networking group on Tuesdays. Romeo United Methodist Church, Romeo. Free. Contact: (586) 336-1513. ...

BANKRUPTCIES.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Compiled by Julie Dawso The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit Dec. 5-11. Under Chapter 11, a company files for reorganization. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation. ...

A CONVERSATION WITH; Sandy Baruah, Small Business Administarion.(NEWS)(Interview)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Nancy Kaffer Sandy Baruah is the acting administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration. He spoke with Crain's reporter Nancy Kaffer about the small-business climate in Michigan. The Detroit Regional Chamber will host...

MORE ON MICROLOANS.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... For more information on microloans, see http://detmicrofund.com or http://www.miceed.org and click on microloan information.

Credit unions add members, grow portfolios.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Tom Henderson Michigan's 353 credit unions added 17,000 members and grew their loan portfolios by 2 percent in the third quarter, according to the Plymouth-based Michigan Credit Union League. Membership is now more than 4.4...

Pickens to outline wind-energy vision.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Amy Lane Texas energy magnate T. Boone Pickens is coming this May to speak to some 1,700 of the state's top business, community and political leadership. The founder of Dallas-based BP Capital L.P. and promoter of a plan to...

Despite FDA warning, Caraco profits, sales on the upswing.(NEWS)(Financial report)
December 15, 2008... Byline: JAY GREENE In June, Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd. (AMEX: CPD), a Detroit-based generic-drug maker, received a notice from the Food and Drug Administration that cited quality control problems with some of Caraco's drugs...

BUSINESS DIARY.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... ACQUISITIONS Kimmel Enterprises L.L.C., an affiliated company of Kimmel Scrap Iron & Metal Co., Detroit, has acquired substantially all of the assets of Omega Metals Inc., Warren. Omega Metals and Kimmel Enterprises purchase and recycle...

CRAIN'S SEEKS M&A NOMINATIONS.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Involved in a merger, acquisition or expansion in 2008? You may be eligible for the second annual Crain's M&A Awards contest. Crain's Detroit Business and the Detroit chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth will honor companies...

CORRECTION.(NEWS)(Correction notice)
December 15, 2008... A story on Page 22 of the Dec. 8 issue incorrectly reported that Tooles Contracting Group L.L.C. did preconstruction work on MotorCity Casino. The company did the preconstruction work for @Water (Atwater) Lofts L.L.C., a project since...

Endowment fund losses yet to hit state colleges' operating budgets; Enrollment, state aid more pressing concerns.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: CHAD HALCOM Southeast Michigan colleges and universities have lost nearly $2.5 billion in their collective investment portfolios since June 30, in the wake of the Wall Street lending crisis and subsequent market tumbles of the past...

Is Detroit all set for digital TV? Sales of converter boxes stay strong.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: BILL SHEA Efforts begin this week to let the public know if their old televisions will go dark when over-the-air broadcasts end in February, and that has at least one Michigan retailer anticipating a boost in business. A...

LOSSES IN UNIVERSITY ENDOWMENT FUNDS.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Michigan colleges and universities have taken endowment hits from stock market declines in the wake of the Wall Street lending crisis. Here's how it has affected some of them: University of Michigan: Endowment fell from $7.6 billion to...

For some retailers, "tis already the season for deep discounts.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: NANCY KAFFER All of the winter merchandise in Lois Levenson's West Bloomfield store is marked down. This week, outerwear at Guys N Gals is 50 percent and 40 percent off, and Levenson recently e-mailed an additional 20 percent...

Renaissance Fund closes 1st round, makes 1st investment.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: TOM HENDERSON The Detroit Renaissance Inc. Venture Capital Fund closed last week on a first round of $40 million, and its board voted Thursday night on its first investment of $5 million, in Ann Arbor-based Arboretum Partners...

DETROIT-AREA INCUBATORS.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Macomb-Oakland University Incubator, Sterling Heights Operated by Sterling Heights, Macomb County and Oakland University. For information, call (586) 463-2542. A Web site is under construction. OU Inc SmartZone Business...

This could be the start of a new tradition.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Keith Crain For regular readers of this column, they are well aware of the tradition of the magical fruitcake. Only it's really not magical. For those of you who are not aware of this phenomenon, there are only seven fruitcakes...

Henry Ford files to transfer 40 beds from Cottage.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: JAY GREENE Despite the economic slowdown, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit is bursting at the seams and needs another 40 licensed beds to meet patient demands, said CEO Nancy Schlichting of Henry Ford Health System. "We need the...

MEGA takes up tax breaks; 14 projects proposed totaling 2,450 jobs, $921M in investment.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: DANIEL DUGGANAND BILL SHEA A startup company that will produce fuel-efficient hybrid buses getting twice the mileage of hybrid cars will ask for $11.3 million in state tax credits today to get the company off the ground and hire...

Microloan programs help small businesses with spotty credit.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: NANCY KAFFER Some small-business owners or startup companies may find trouble when seeking financing from a mainstream source. It could be the result of blips on their credit history or no established track record. That's where...

Alliance to enlist young leaders; Millennial congress: Empower the next generation.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: SHERRI BEGIN WELCH A regional effort to engage the millennial generation and get Southeast Michigan moving forward on economic, social and environmental issues is under way. Members of the millennial generation are generally...

State has projects list for Obama; The tally: roads, bridges, schools, energy.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: AMY LANE Being needy might be good. That's the hope of Michigan business and government officials, as they eye how a state with high unemployment, a struggling economy and challenged road systems can tap into pieces of a...

Origen Financial voluntarily delisting common stock.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: Tom Henderson Southfield-based Origen Financial Inc. (Nasdaq: ORGN) a real estate investment trust that manages investments in securitized manufactured housing loan portfolios, said Tuesday that it is voluntarily delisting its...

PEOPLE.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... BIOTECH William Pinon to CEO and president, Terumo Heart Inc., Ann Arbor, from CEO, Bioheart Inc., Sunrise, Fla. FINANCE Traci Belt to manager, Andrews Hooper & Pavlik plc, Auburn Hills, from senior accountant. Cathleen...

IN THE SPOTLIGHT.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Ida Tomlin has been named COO of the Royal Oak-based Detroit Zoological Society, the nonprofit which operates the Detroit Zoo and the Belle Isle Nature Zoo. The society's COO position had been vacant since Steve Horn left the position in...

Help for the asking; Small businesses can get low-cost or free advice to help ride out the economic downturn.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: NANCY KAFFER Sandra Kent wants to right-size her business. Kent's Women's Economic Empowerment Group, an 11-year-old food and product distribution service, has seven employees and brought in roughly $5.9 million in revenue in...

Business incubators give companies a place to start, grow.(NEWS)
December 15, 2008... Byline: CONSTANCE CRUMP Steve Cassin has strong hopes that the new Technology Advancement SmartZone in Macomb County will help county entrepreneurs put their manufacturing backgrounds to use in new ways. "We're trying to preserve our...