Crain's Detroit Business articles from February 2005

Crain's Detroit Business archives from February 2005

Tigers put political squeeze on Troy plan; Major League club paid for last-minute phone blitz.(Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich The Detroit Tigers intervened in the debate over a $17.5 million baseball stadium in Troy by contacting members of Troy City Council and funding a phone message delivered to thousands of Troy residents listing...

May we see your house?(Special Report)
February 7, 2005... May we see your house? Do you or someone you know have a home that is fabulous or unique? If so, Where I Live writer JoAnn Amicangelo would like to take a look for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of Crain's Executive Life. ...

Opinion.(State Unemployment Tax Act, Detroit Tigers helped baseball team)
February 7, 2005... SUTA probe should focus on large evaders The state of Michigan is expected to move soon on legislation that closes a tax loophole for companies trying to beat the State Unemployment Tax Act. The practice, known by the...

Crain's newsmaker lunch.(News)
February 7, 2005... Edsel Ford II is the Crain's Newsmaker of the Year and will speak at a noon lunch at Cobo Center on Feb. 16. The event is sponsored by the Women's Economic Club and Detroit Economic Club, and Crain's Newsmaker scholarship is sponsored by Al...

Memo: Lift 1, curl 2; Make no excuses, Bassett & Bassett employees get fit while they work.(Special Report)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Marti Benedetti When employees gather for meetings at communications company Bassett & Bassett Inc., it makes sense for them to wear comfortable clothes. After all, they could end up discussing business ideas on an elliptical...

Brazilian Grille has ambitious sales goal.(Special Report)(Pampas Churrascaria Brazilian Grille)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely Pampas Churrascaria Brazilian Grille opened in early December at 260 N. Old Woodward in The Palladium at Birmingham and has definitely caught the attention of the local food industry. Two food consultants I spoke...

Living life can make things fall into place.(Special Report)(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Katie Merx It's February again. With all the doilies and red hearts in the stores and roses on co-workers' desks it can be a tough month for a single person still searching for Prince or Princess Charming. You may think...

Reporter's Notebook.(Focus)(convention centers)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Oakland County needs another convention center like it needs another pothole. Don't just take my word for it, though. Take it from L. Brooks Patterson, the county's love-him-or-hate-him executive. When it...

Rumblings.(Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago)(Delphi Corp.'s investigative report by The Uncommon Sense)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association campaigning for American Heart Association)
February 7, 2005... Psst... wanna buy a building? Looking for a downtown office building designed by Minoru Yamasaki and upgraded to post-9-11 security standards? Got $4.5 million? Then the Detroit branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has the...

Calling home; Outsourcer moves manufacturing from Taiwan.(Silent Call Communications Inc.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Sheena Harrison After years of outsourcing its manufacturing to Taiwan, Silent Call Communications Inc. is bringing its business back home. Waterford Township-based Silent Call sells wholesale and retail alert systems for the...

Spotlight on: Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.(News)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Jennette Smith Metro Detroit's biggest hotel, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center, is spending about $1 million this year on new bedding. As part of a company-wide effort at Marriott-branded hotels, all mattresses are...

Let's show the world what we can do.(Super Bowl Game (Football))(Column)
February 7, 2005... Byline: KEITH CRAIN The Super Bowl is now on our watch. Jacksonville has had its moment in the sun, and for all the world it was a bit cloudy. All eyes will now focus on Detroit and next year's Super Bowl XL. Detroit has a great...

Founder may still bid on bankrupt supplier.(News)(Venture Holdings Company L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Larry Winget sat in a bankruptcy courtroom last week listening to lawyers argue about how to sell off the auto supplier he founded. But Winget still could regain all or part of Venture Holdings Co. L.L.C....

Allen Bros. firm adds health care practice, lawyers.(News)(Attorneys and Counselors P.L.L.C. appoints Lawrence Garcia, Zenna Faraj Elhasan and Kenneth Gold)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Robert Ankeny The 5-year-old Detroit law firm of Allen Bros. Attorneys and Counselors P.L.L.C. is more than doubling in size and adding a health care practice. The firm was founded in 2000 by brothers James, John and David...

Growth, acquisitions fuel laser-maker Rofin-Sinar's rise.(News)(Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Gunther Braun, interim CEO of Plymouth-based Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc., has never looked forward to reporting quarterly earnings as much as he does these days. Good news, however, has become standard of...

Bankruptcies.(Awrey Bakeries Inc., Chemical Processing Inc. and New Tannery Inc., )(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Jan. 28-Feb. 3. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total...

State begins hitting biz for 'SUTA dumping'.(State Unemployment Tax Act)(Keith Kapilla owner of KEK Enterprises Inc.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane When Highland Township-based KEK Enterprises Inc. transferred its eight employees to an affiliated business, owner Keith Kapilla said he was looking to provide workers' compensation coverage, not dodge unemployment taxes....

SBC-AT&T raises Michigan competition concerns.(News)(SBC Communications Inc.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane LANSING - Michigan doesn't have formal authority over the $16 billion SBC Communications Inc. acquisition of AT&T Corp., but it may still weigh in. Michigan Public Service Commission member Robert Nelson said the...

Detroit Edison files to revamp rate structure.(News)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane The Detroit Edison Co. is proposing to cut rates by as much as 20 percent for business customers that buy its electricity, but raise rates for residential customers and some businesses that buy their power elsewhere. ...

Web of words.(News)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Bob Allen Read this to find out exactly where to go... We try to make it easy to find things on our Web site. But I'd like to highlight a few features and tell you exactly where you can go... to find them. 50 Fittest...

MGM taking bids for two casinos in Detroit.(News)(MGM Mirage Inc. to sell MGM Grand Detroit Casino L.L.C. or the portion of MotorCity Casino L.L.C. of Mandalay Bay Resort Group Inc.,)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Robert Ankeny MGM Mirage Inc. is considering offers to sell either MGM Grand Detroit Casino L.L.C. or the portion of MotorCity Casino L.L.C. owned by Mandalay Bay Resort Group Inc., MGM vice president Alan Feldman said Friday. ...

Briefly.(UnitedAuto Group Inc. acquires Lanier Honda)(Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith recieved grants from Ravitz Foundation)(Franchises rankings)
February 7, 2005... Change in contractors may delay new Novi convention center While the exterior of a new convention center in Novi is nearly complete, there is plenty of work to be done to finish the 320,000-square-foot center, making completion of the...

Kelly thinks globally and earns locally; International sales up 50% over 2 years.(News)(Kelly Services Inc.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely Troy-based Kelly Services Inc.'s international growth strategy has been paying off with sales growing by 50 percent over the past two years, even though Kelly cut back on international branch openings in 2002 and 2003...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
February 7, 2005... A chart on Page 37 of the Jan. 31 issue listed incorrect three-month operating income totals for St. John Health and Oakwood Healthcare. Oakwood Healthcare reported $4.4 million in operating income for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2004, and $4.2...

Week in Review.(Tower Automotive Inc., Taubman Centers Inc., ProQuest Business Solutions Inc. acquired Syncata Corp.)
February 7, 2005... Tower Automotive files for Chapter 11 Tower Automotive Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York City less than two weeks after warning investors it was running low on cash to pay bills....

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 7, 2005... Tuesday Feb. 8 First-Place Tips for Search Engine Placement. Ann Arbor IT Zone. 5-7 p.m. Speakers: Andy King, founder of Web Site Optimization and author of Speed Up Your Site; and Linda Girard, principal, Brightweb. Ann Arbor IT...

Ideas Before Dawn Feb. 9.(News)
February 7, 2005... Albert Fields, deputy COO in the Detroit mayor's office, is to discuss "Build Detroit: Getting it Done and Getting Around Downtown in 2005'' during the Feb. 9 "Ideas Before Dawn'' breakfast meeting. Detroit Downtown Inc. and Crain's...

Port of call? Port Authority in talks to reopen Detroit Marine Terminal.(News)(Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority, Detroit International Bridge Co., Nicholson Terminal and Dock Co.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez The Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority is negotiating to pull the defunct Detroit Marine Terminal out of deep-freeze by the spring shipping season. The port initiated talks with the Nicholson Terminal & Dock...

Business Diary.(Briefs)(Advantage Staffing selects Acro Services Corp.,)(Logic Solutions Inc. selects Tire & Wheel Accessories)(Educational Data Systems Inc. contracts with CTS Advertising Inc.)
February 7, 2005... CONTRACTS GTN, an Oak Park postproduction company, and editorial boutique Red Car completed the postproduction on a short film for J. Walter Thompson and Ford Motor Co. The "Homecoming'' film was broadcast immediately after the Nov. 21...

Settlement hopes wane as Compuware-IBM trial nears.(News)(International Business Machines Corp.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Settlement talks in the lawsuit filed by Compuware Corp. against IBM Corp. have stalled as the sides prepare for a four-week trial that starts Feb. 15 and already has cost Compuware about $85 million. Senior...

This Just In.(William Tyndale College site for sale)(Edward Whitacre Jr. of SBC Communications Inc. will speak at Mackinac Island conference)(Baker College expansion planning)
February 7, 2005... Tyndale College site for sale The William Tyndale College site in Farmington Hills is up for sale. The 24-acre college site is zoned single-family residential, but the city is open to receiving proposals for other uses that would be...

Small firms emphasize trade-show marketing.(Focus)(Brief Article)
February 7, 2005... Byline: DeAnna Belger An online survey of local businesspeople suggests that more small companies take advantage of trade shows than their larger competitors, but neither seem to be looking for ways to increase their return on investment....

New space in an old place.(Special Report)(Michael LaFontaine)(Biography)
February 7, 2005... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo Michael LaFontaine, 59, was 19 when he followed in his father's footsteps to sell cars at a Volkswagen dealership in West Bloomfield Township. By the age of 24, he was sales manager and at 30, part-owner. In 1980,...

Builder trades in his tools for recipe book.(Special Report)(Dino Grossi at Volare restaurant )(Biography)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely With Volare, an Italian restaurant, Dino Grossi has tapped his experience as a homebuilder to pick the location and his family's experience as owners of a pizza business for management support. Grossi, 34, is a...

Sears-Kmart credit would get low rating.(Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Holding Corp.)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely Last week Sears Holdings Corp., the company that would result from the acquisition of Sears, Roebuck & Co. by Kmart Holding Corp., was stung by Standard & Poor's when the ratings agency said it will give the combined...

People.(appointment)(DiClemente-Siegel Engineering Inc.)(SmithGroup Inc)(Detroit Testing Laboratory Inc)
February 7, 2005... Architecture James Murray to associate, DiClemente Siegel Design Inc., Southfield, from project architect. Also, Nathaniel Stalker to associate from project mechanical engineer; and Nick DiGesu to associate from project technology manager....

Marketing dilemma: Cars are sexy, so why isn't car history? MotorCities group wants to romance local visitors.(Focus)(MotorCities Heritage Project)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Michael Strong Jeff Leestma spends his days surrounded by some of the biggest names in automotive history, and he wants more people to share the experience with him. Leestma is president of the Automotive Hall of Fame in...

Letters.
February 7, 2005... Tough questions for Granholm Editor: For those of us who had such high hopes for the potential Gov. Jennifer Granholm brought to her office, your Jan. 24 editorial, "Wrong responses to educational problems,'' points to two examples of...

Former First of Mich. exec leads National City Michigan push.(News)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Katie Merx National City Bank-Michigan is placing its hopes of becoming the state's leading bank by market share on the shoulders of a 37-year-old Michigan native, J. Michael Davis. Davis left Michigan, and a job as managing...

Windsor expects to benefit from Pan Am junior games.(Focus)(2005 Pan Am Junior Athletics Championships)
February 7, 2005... Byline: Gary Anglebrandt While Detroit is expected to have thousands of visitors this year for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and Super Bowl XL, Windsor won't be left out. Windsor is hosting the 2005 Pan Am Junior Athletics...

Blues create online health-risk assessment for members.(Focus)(Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Inc.)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Katie Merx Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is using an online database to make it easier for 2 million of its members to keep tabs on their health and health indicators. Detroit-based Blue Cross and its HMO, Southfield-based...

Washtenaw revs up health plan for small businesses.(Focus)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Sheena Harrison Washtenaw County is preparing a county-subsidized health insurance plan for small businesses and nonprofits. Joanne Kimata, program manager of Washtenaw Health Plan Corp., said she expects the Small Business...

Business Diary.(meshed Briefs)(Advertising Design)
February 14, 2005... Contracts JC Beal Construction Inc., Ann Arbor and Detroit, has contracted with Genesee County for the conversion of the former Hughes & Hatcher department store in downtown Flint into the Genesee County Land Bank Center. Kraemer Design...

The lure of innovation; Henry Ford doc's prostate-cancer treatment helps make Detroit hotbed for care.(Focus)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Katie Merx Prostate cancer is more prevalent in Michigan than any other state in the union, and Detroit has more cases per 100,000 than the rest of the state. So it would make sense for the region to be a hotbed for top prostate...

Iraq attacks slow, don't halt firms.(News)(Kalabat Construction and Kalabat Equities)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez Security concerns have dampened - but not stopped - investments by local businesses in Iraq. Saad Hajjar, chairman of West Bloomfield Township-based Apollo Building Co., set up Advanced Technology Systems in...

Tech Tri-Corridor likely model for $2b plan.(News)(Jennifer Granholm's grants for research and tax policy)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed $2 billion to make Michigan a center of research and innovation could be doled out in grants, loans and equity investments, state Treasurer Jay Rising said last week. The money, for...

Virus stops live horse racing at Northville Downs.(News)(Michigan. Office of Racing)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Live horse racing at the Northville Downs was canceled through today after a fourth case of equine herpes was discovered last week. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Office of Racing Commissioner have...

Rumblings.(meshed briefs)(Professional Women's Forum)
February 14, 2005... SBC expanding Wi-Fi service at state parks This spring, campers at several Michigan parks will find wireless Internet access alongside back-to-nature amenities. SBC Communications Inc. is expanding on six pilot sites where it offers...

Reporter's Notebook.(Focus)(Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone P.L.C.'s health and fitness program for employees)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Katie Merx Detroit dropped from the nation's fattest city last year to No. 3 this year behind Houston and Philadelphia, but the city and the state still have a lot of weight to lose before those health problems we have some control...

Heslop files for Chapter 11.(News)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely A 10 percent drop in gross margins between 1999 and 2004 led Novi-based Heslop Inc. to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Feb. 7 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit. Heslop, a 30-year-old retailer known for its bridal...

Troy's once-hot office market looks for spark; Stephenson Highway corridor has 40% vacancy.(Real Estate)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Anjali Fluker The Stephenson Highway corridor in southern Troy boasted some of the most sought-after office space in Southeast Michigan during the late 1970s through the 1980s. But aging buildings and infrastructure, and the...

Granholm plan targets downtown development.(News)(Jennifer Granholm's economic policy)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane Detroit's efforts to redevelop its riverfront could get a boost under a new Granholm administration proposal to help cities spur development on the fringes of their downtowns. The idea: Use some of the revenue from...

Charges fly in IBM, Compuware case.(News)(International Business Machines Corp.)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Detroit-based Compuware Corp. says it lost more than $43 million in profits through IBM Corp.'s alleged practice of giving customers the choice to buy IBM software products with new hardware purchases or pay...

Crain's newsmaker lunch.(News)
February 14, 2005... Edsel Ford II is the Crain's Newsmaker of the Year and will speak at a noon lunch at Cobo Center on Wednesday. The event is sponsored by the Women's Economic Club and Detroit Economic Club, and Crain's Newsmaker scholarship is sponsored by Al...

Briefly.(Briefs)
February 14, 2005... New regulations to begin for haz-mat truckers Commercial drivers with spotty records need not apply to haul hazardous materials through Michigan. A tightening of the USA Patriot Act this month now requires drivers to undergo fingerprint and...

Calendar.(Calendar)
February 14, 2005... Tuesday Feb. 15 Hot Wheels-Cool Ideals. Marketing & Sales Executives of Detroit. 5 p.m. Speaker: Philip Martens, group vice president, Product Creation, North America, Ford Motor Co. The Dearborn Inn. $50 members, $65 others. Contact:...

Leaving on a jet plane? Not so fast ...(News)(common name persons facing problems to get clearance at airport)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Mary Kramer Sometimes, having a common name is a curse. At least that must be the way Bob Adams feels. Adams, who lives in Lake Orion, is a group vice president of Crain Communications Inc., our parent company. He...

People.(meshed briefs)(Woodlake Construction appointed Richard Holmes, appointments)
February 14, 2005... Architecture David Oz to senior project manager, The Ghafari Cos., Dearborn, from vice president/senior project manager, SSOE Inc., Toledo. Also, Matthew Kraft to senior project manager from senior project manager, associate, Albert Kahn &...

Ashley Capital renovating plant in Delta Township.(News)(General Motors Corp. contracts)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Jennette Smith Developer Ashley Capital L.L.C. is working on the redevelopment of a General Motors Corp. plant near Lansing into a logistics center. Ashley Capital purchased the 1.2 million-square-foot Lansing Plant 5 in Delta...

Big-rig boom delivers relief to some parts suppliers.(ArvinMeritor Inc., BorgWarner Inc.)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez A production boom for 18-wheelers is helping some local parts suppliers offset dips in light-vehicle production. Among the companies benefiting are Troy-based ArvinMeritor Inc. (NYSE: ARM) and Auburn...

Charting growth; Charter schools plan capital expansions as parent demand pushes enrollment.(News)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Sherri Begin Local charter schools are pursuing capital expansions totaling at least $35 million to $40 million. They include Allen Academy in Detroit, which completed a $15 million renovation last fall; Bridge Academy in...

Debt, lawsuits push Computer Methods to file Ch. 11.(News)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Mounting debt and lawsuits caused a 28-year-old Livonia-based technology business to file for Chapter 11 last month. Computer Methods Corp. filed Jan. 24 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit. According to...

Let them eat bread; That's what restaurants are saying as low-carb items start to fall flat.
February 14, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely When Olga's Kitchen Inc. introduced Low-Carb Olga Bread in its 27 restaurants last March, the option was quickly embraced by customers. But now sales of low-carbohydrate menu items at Olga's, as well as at many other...

Letters.
February 14, 2005... Education isn't just politics Editor: On one level, I agree with your Jan. 24 opinion on "Wrong Responses to Education Problems.'' Because of the large number of stakeholders (parents, children, young adults, businesses, community...

Developer buys S.K.I. Industries property for redevelopment.(News)(Chesterfield Properties PLC acquires manufacturing building )(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Jennette Smith The former S.K.I. Industries manufacturing building in Shelby Township was purchased by Marc Ott of Chesterfield Township, who plans to redevelop it. The 25,000-square-foot building and property at 23 Mile and...

Week in Review.(Briefs)(Standard Federal Bank changed name to LaSalle Bank Midwest N.A)
February 14, 2005... Cobo group releases $663M renovation plan A report validating the $663 million price tag and general feasibility of a plan to renovate Cobo Center was released this week by the Cobo Tourism Action Group. The engineering study calls for...

Media buyers scrutinizing papers' circulations.(News)(scandals)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Jennette Smith Circulation slides and auditing scandals in the publishing industry have local advertisers and media buyers requiring more proof that ads are reaching the promised audience. The two groups increasingly are doing...

Let private sector guide tech cash.(Opinion)(Jennifer Granholm's economic policy, technology)(Column)
February 14, 2005... Gov. Jennifer Granholm's plan to invest $2 billion over 10 years to finance jobs in life sciences, advanced auto technology and alternative energy may help Michigan reshape its manufacturing-dependent economy (See Capitol Briefings, Page 6)....

State SUTA dumping probe yields $2.4M settlement; Probe of 30 cases has found more than $25M in tax losses.(News)(Unemployment Insurance Agency, Unemployment Insurance Agency)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Amy Lane A $2.4 million settlement announced last week over unpaid unemployment taxes may be the tip of the iceberg for the state's success in recouping money from companies. The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has...

Tower's troubles reflect tough times in stamping.(News)(Tower Automotive Inc. files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy )
February 14, 2005... Byline: Robert Sherefkin Tower Automotive Inc.'s size alone could not rescue it from the woes of its industry and a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing Feb 2. Novi-based Tower is the latest and largest metal-forming company to seek protection...

Bankruptcies.(Antoon's Bicycles Inc.)(Bella Commercial Floors L.L.C.)(Heslop Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 14, 2005... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of Feb. 4-10. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total liquidation....

The disabled face too many barriers.(Column)
February 14, 2005... Byline: KEITH CRAIN A couple of months ago, I had some knee surgery that left me pretty well hobbled for a while. While I have been recovering, I have come to understand, in a very small way, the problems of the disabled. If you...

Correction.(News)
February 14, 2005... * A map on Page 3 of the Feb. 7 issue showed an incorrect location for the Detroit Marine Terminal. The correct location is at left.

Finance companies step up to help suppliers with receivables.(News)(GMAC Commercial Finance's services)
February 14, 2005... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Finance companies are filling a void left by automakers that ended programs allowing auto suppliers to get cash for their receivables. GMAC Commercial Finance has developed an Internet-based tool that allows...

This Just In.(meshed briefs)(Food Bank of Oakland County and Gleaners Community Food Bank of Metro Detroit are merging)(Asset Acceptance Capital Corp.'s new headquarters)
February 14, 2005... Food Bank of Oakland, Gleaners to merge The Food Bank of Oakland County and Gleaners Community Food Bank of Metro Detroit said late Friday that they plan to merge, 19 years after the Pontiac organization became independent from Gleaners....

Retool Social Security? Tell us how you feel.(News)
February 14, 2005... Retool Social Security? Tell us how you feel Searching for search: We recently moved the search window of our home page, at www.crainsdetroit.com. Now it's at the top of the home page between the CrainsDetroit logo and the link to all...

Food-service giant buys HDS Services; Most will keep jobs; succession plan now set.(Compass Group PLC )
February 14, 2005... Byline: Katie Merx After nearly 40 years of private ownership, Farmington Hills-based HDS Services became a division of the world's largest food-service manager, Compass Group plc, on Feb. 1. HDS' largest shareholders wanted to...

Business Diary.(Briefs)
February 21, 2005... Acquisitions Downriver Centers Inc., a dialysis center in Allen Park, has been acquired by DaVita Inc. of El Segundo, Calif. Contracts Delphi Medical Systems, Troy, was awarded a $35 million contract to manufacture vision-testing...

Banking on business; New Charter One CEO looks to hit the gas on commercial lending.(News)
February 21, 2005... Byline: Katie Merx Charter One Bank caused a stir last week when an early-morning gas give-away promotion to market a brand change caused mile-long traffic backups across metro Detroit. Charter One paid for thousands of dollars in free...

Conveyor firms say business is slowly improving.(News)
February 21, 2005... Byline: Michelle Martinez Wes Paisley is wary of calling the recent boost to the local conveyor industry a recovery. Paisley, a consultant and recently retired chairman of the Dearborn Mid-West Conveyor Co. in Trenton, was encouraged...

Mongolians prepare to invade Florida ... with 14 restaurants.(News)
February 21, 2005... Byline: Brent Snavely BD's Mongolian Barbeque L.L.C. has set its sights on Tampa, Orlando and Sarasota, Fla., with a 14-restaurant area development agreement with Dave Ulgenalp, a former director of franchises for St. Louis-based Panera...

A conversation with Constance Logan, U.S. Small Business Administration.(Focus)(Interview)
February 21, 2005... Crain's reporter Sheena Harrison spoke with Constance Logan, public-information officer for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Detroit, which is promoting tax-exempt savings accounts to ease the burden of rising health care costs. ...

Small biz finds niche by helping others lose their accents.(Focus)
February 21, 2005... Byline: Sheena Harrison Though Rama Ghanta had graduated from Eastern Michigan University and become a systems analyst for Federal-Mogul Corp., he still felt something was holding back his career. Ghanta, an India native who moved to...

Crossing wires over wireless; Some private Internet providers don't want public networks.(News)
February 21, 2005... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Royal Oak, Waterford Township and the Village of Milford are just four local governments looking to set up wireless networks, creating a potential boon for vendors, lure for...