Crain's Detroit Business articles from July 2004

Crain's Detroit Business archives from July 2004

Minority procurement needed down the chain.(Opinion)(minority-owned auto suppliers)
July 5, 2004... Leaders among minority-owned auto suppliers are alarmed that tier-one suppliers aren't embracing minority procurement programs as readily as the automakers who first created them. (See story, Page 1.) The auto industry has supported...

Where there's smoke ... Cigars lose aura of faddishness, but aficionados still puffing away.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong Rick Hurd, owner of Humidor One in Southfield, watches a customer walking around his store, smoking a cigar, but not doing much else. "I assume he's trying to relax,'' Hurd said. "That's why you smoke cigars: to...

Rumblings.(Detroit Historical Museum, Miracle League of Michigan, Mackinac Island Press)
July 5, 2004... Buyers favor nice views more than acreage A new University of Michigan study suggests many home buyers really want a view of nature as opposed to more acreage when they talk about "open space.'' The study suggests there might be more...

Annual Meetings.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Childtime Learning Centers Inc., 10:30 a.m. Aug. 17, Childtime corporate offices, 21333 Haggerty Road, Suite 300, Novi.

Briefly.(Briefs)
July 5, 2004... Mt. Clemens bars change hands for $2 million-plus Two downtown Mt. Clemens bars have been sold in a deal worth more than $2 million between local investors. John Barleycorn and the Subzero martini bar were sold to Shelby Township-based...

Week in Review.(Briefs)
July 5, 2004... Sears to get 54 Kmarts for $621M Kmart Corp. said it plans to sell 54 stores to Sears, Roebuck and Co. for about $621 million in cash. Kmart said it will continue to operate the stores until March or April. The retailer also said Sears...

Covansys, Fidelity National announce contracts.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Farmington Hills-based Covansys Corp. has begun working on eight contracts with Fidelity National Financial with plans to begin work on more than 48 in the near term, the company said at its June 28 annual...

Pontiac signs 20-year, $250M deal for trash collection.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... The city of Pontiac privatized its trash collection last week as Onyx Waste Services Inc. began a 20-year contract estimated at $250 million over the life of the deal, company officials said. Milwaukee-based Onyx Waste hired 15 new workers...

Delphi to cut number of staffing firms.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Delphi Corp.'s ongoing effort to reduce its supplier base is hitting small staffing companies. The world's largest auto supplier, through staffing manager TechCentral L.L.C., is cutting the number of...

Minority suppliers fight to keep contracts; Move to consolidate procurement could hurt, vendors say.
July 5, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky Former Detroit Piston-turned-auto supplier Dave Bing is leading a full-court press at U.S. automakers to keep minority-purchasing goals alive as they hand off more systems work to large, tier-one suppliers. ...

It's Just Lunch, but it carries high expectations.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... I met with a matchmaker last week and already have two dates on my calendar. Matchmaker Paula Komar owns the It's Just Lunch franchise in metro Detroit. The company markets itself as a service that arranges "dating for busy professionals.'' And...

Stock performance 'ho-hum' for 2nd quarter, analysts say.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Southeast Michigan stocks lagged during the second quarter ended June 30, but they are ahead for the first six months of 2004. In a survey of 75 of Southeast Michigan's publicly traded companies, 52 saw stock prices...

The mouse that roars: this week on the Web.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... * Visit www.crainsdetroit.com to read the latest daily breaking business news. Calendar of events: You've seen our calendar in print, but there's an expanded version on our Web site. Go to our home page, www.crainsdetroit.com, and look for...

Bank looks to plug tech companies into funding.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Michael Cole, a vice president at Bank of Ann Arbor, is seeing tangible results from a group the bank founded to boost the profile of technology and life-science companies in Washtenaw County. About 50 small...

People.(appointments)
July 5, 2004... architecture Jill Stewart to senior associate, Yamasaki Associates Inc., Troy, from principal, SmithGroup Inc., Detroit. construction Robert Schloesser to associate, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates Inc., Plymouth, from senior...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of June 25-July 1. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total...

The forecasts.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Auto suppliers, Page 21 * Rising interest rates could hurt demand for cars. * Prices for raw materials, such as steel, remain unstable. Detroit budget, Page 24 * The current budget is balanced, but shortfalls are expected in...

$30M project set for Showcase Sterling site.(News)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Jennette Smith A more than $30 million project including a new movie theater, retail and housing is planned to replace the Showcase Sterling at 15 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue. The Sterling Heights landmark is part of a larger...

Detroit's image is everyone's business.(Column)
July 5, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN A while ago, I suggested that a very important function of the Detroit Regional Chamber could be to launch a campaign to positively promote Detroit nationally. Feedback from other groups makes good sense. But the...

State revenue rises, but budget deficits aren't going away yet.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Michigan's overall revenue picture is continuing to look up. State tax collections in May exceeded year-ago levels as they have for four straight months, a trend economists see as encouraging. But the state isn't out...

Developers vie to build on city-owned Ferndale site.(Troy Street Development Area)(Benchmark L.L.C., Larson Realty Group, Morningside Equities Group)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Ferndale voters decide Aug. 3 whether to sell city-owned land to clear the way for what could be a more than $35 million mixed-use development with as many as 108 new downtown condos. Three development...

Sweet Georgia Brown attracts offers in wake of Hawkins' indictment.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong La-Van Hawkins is getting phone calls from investors interested in buying his fine-dining restaurant, Sweet Georgia Brown, since a federal grand jury indicted him on four counts of perjury last week. "There have...

Introspection, goals part of Barfield's company strategy.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Jon Barfield, a Harvard Law School graduate who is CEO of Livonia-based Bartech Group Inc., likes to imbue his employees with a sense of purpose about what they do for a living. So, in May, Barfield decided to...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
July 5, 2004... The chamber is in the game Editor: The Detroit Regional Chamber agrees that Detroit suffers from poor image problems and arguably jaded national media coverage (Keith Crain, "Bad perceptions are bad for business,'' June 28). In an...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
July 5, 2004... * A Page 1 story in the June 28 issue should have said that United Way Community Services posted revenue of $66.3 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002. The story cited a slightly higher number.

This Just In.
July 5, 2004... Pittsburgh pair picked to redevelop Uniroyal site A development team headed by football star Jerome Bettis and a Pittsburgh area developer has been chosen for a $300 million to $500 million residential-retail project on the 44-acre former...

Options grow for biz borrowers; Banks loosen credit, but face competition from other lenders.(Asset-based lending)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx The competition among business lenders continues to heat up in Southeast Michigan as more businesses return to stable financial footing and the demand for borrowing increases. The regional competition to be business...

Executive Life.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo n Who they are: Dominic Pangborn, president and CEO, Pangborn Design Ltd., Detroit, and Delia Pangborn, co-manager and buyer, Pangborn Design Collections, Detroit. n Where they live: A two-story, three-bedroom...

Eaton deal highlights swift growth at Bartech; Staffing-management division seeks to become national power.(News)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Livonia-based Bartech Group Inc. has landed a staffing management contract with Eaton Corp. as it pursues a three-pronged, long-term growth strategy. Bartech Workforce Management, a Bartech division, last month...

Seldom Blues pumps out food, tunes - and a view.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong It's the question everyone seems to be asking these days: Have you been to Seldom Blues? The answer is yes... and you should go, too. Owner Frank Taylor and chef Jerry Nottage's second Detroit collaboration...

Wright Museum moves closer to $12m for exhibit.(Charles H. Wright Museum)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Sherri Begin With a $250,000 grant from PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P., the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History has raised the majority of funds needed to pay for a $12 million interactive exhibit now under...

Crain's seeks best in real estate.(News)(Crain's Detroit Business)(Brief Article)
July 5, 2004... Crain's Detroit Business is sponsoring the annual real estate excellence awards as part of the 18th annual University of Michigan/Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum Oct. 27 and 28. Awards are given to real estate professionals in a...

The right drink to go with that after-dinner cigar.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong You've just finished dinner and are ready to light up a stogie, but what do you drink with it? Ideally, you'll want something that's as flavorful as the cigar. Lighter-bodied cigars call for lighter drinks, such...

Bean counters; Coffee chains eager to add more outlets.(Beaner's Gourmet Coffee)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong In large cities around the country, it seems like there is a Starbucks on every corner - except metro Detroit. However, coffee chains are moving quickly to bring Detroit up to par with other large cities. ...

Group threatens lawsuit to buy ExxonMobil stations.(Circle One Distribution Inc.)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong A group of Detroit-based African-American investors has formed a company to buy up to 38 Mobil stations and said they may file a lawsuit to make that happen. Dallas-based ExxonMobil Corp. announced in March that...

Difficult choices loom for Detroit's finances.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Robert Ankeny The city of Detroit barely has its fiscal year 2004 budget balanced - in part by borrowing about $69 million with stabilization bonds - and already is looking at growing shortfalls for 2005 and 2006. Detroit faces...

Ads on lottery tickets could net $6M-$8M.(Special Report)(Advertising)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Lottery tickets may not be just for gambling any more. State lottery officials and lawmakers are discussing plans to sell advertising and promotional opportunities on tickets and in other lottery venues, a move that...

Hard truths from Davidson Institute chief.(Column, William Davidson Institute)(Column)
July 5, 2004... Byline: Mary Kramer Add another winner to Bill Davidson's stable of champions. Sure, he has the Detroit Pistons, the Detroit Shock and the Tampa Bay Lightning, cornering the championships in three leagues in the past year. But in...

Partly sunny: Part 1 of 2; Despite a few showers, first half was mostly positive for local business.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... It was a first half of "buts." For auto suppliers, results were better, but high steel prices loomed. In real estate, demand is still high, but rising interest rates threaten to slow things down. Retail sales and expectations wee...

Partly sunny: Part 2 of 2; Despite a few showers, first half was mostly positive for local business.(Special Report)
July 5, 2004... Small business The hiring outlook for small businesses seems to be on the upswing as the economy continues its recovery, according to local staffing and human-resources companies. Troy-based Kelly Services Inc. said hiring is...

Designer, wife transform farmhouse with style, grace.(Special Report)(art designer Dominic Pangborn)
July 5, 2004... Byline: JoAnn Amicangelo Whether it's creating an award-winning logo, splashing bold colors onto a canvas or designing one of his signature ties, Dominic Pangborn gets energy from giving form to his ideas. They come to him at all times -...

Banks blast bills to loosen rules for credit unions; Would increase business lending.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx The banking industry is out to stop credit-union expansion, and while they're at it they're asking legislators to eliminate the nonprofit status of the nation's most rapidly expanding credit unions, including many in...

Briefly.(Briefs)
July 12, 2004... Sterling brings new tenants to Guardian Building In less than a year, Detroit-based Sterling Group has managed to increase the occupancy of the Guardian Building from 6 percent to 30 percent, said Vice President of Brokerage Danny Samson....

Burnley should stay atop Detroit schools.(Opinion)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Bill Brooks, chairman of the Detroit school board, may have done school reform a favor last week. By suggesting that Detroit Public Schools CEO Ken Burnley resign, Brooks sparked an outpouring of support for the school chief, from the...

Pharmaceutical mergers drive big growth at credit union.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Pharmaceutical company consolidation has been good for Auburn Hills' Parda Federal Credit Union. Founded by seven Detroit-based Parke-Davis employees in 1937, Parda has grown as Parke-Davis merged with pharmaceutical...

Survey: Small biz optimistic but wary of spending.(News)(Small Business Association of Michigan)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Small businesses are becoming more upbeat about their sales and hiring outlooks for the next 12 months, but very few are investing in capital to increase production, according to a quarterly survey released by the...

Pure entrepreneurs; Street-level marketing, attention to details drive Pure Detroit as it works on expanding.(News)(Pure Detroit)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Brent Snavely Shawn Santo let one white plastic arm drop gently to the ground and held another while she surveyed several mannequins displaying Pure Detroit T-shirts. Even though Comerica Tastefest was only a few hours old,...

Letters.
July 12, 2004... There's more to Econ Challenge Editor: It was great to see the June 14 brief on the International Academy students who won the National Economics Challenge, but, you didn't mention that the students represented the Michigan Council on...

Pulte eyes retirement community among Detroit area projects.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Jennette Smith Pulte Homes Inc.'s strategy for its home turf includes several new home projects and a Del Webb retirement community. Pulte (NYSE: PHM) Homes Michigan Division President Jim Bagley said Pulte has identified three...

People.
July 12, 2004... Architecture Robert Mauck to vice president of advanced technology, The Ghafari Cos., Dearborn, from senior vice president for technology, Albert Khan Associates, Detroit. Construction James French to vice president in charge of...

Lions, Urban League warm up July business.(Special Report)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Jennette Smith Detroit has as much international appeal as Syndey or Hong Kong to the organizers of the Lions Clubs International convention. And Detroit's history and significance in national politics appealed to organizers of...

Energy bills likely to move slowly but surely.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane Controversial changes to Michigan's electric choice law, introduced on July 1, aren't going to fly out of committee. But they're also not going to stagnate. Senate Technology & Energy Committee Chairman Bruce...

The mouse that roars.(News)
July 12, 2004... * Visit www.crainsdetroit.com to read the latest daily breaking business news. This week on the Web: Monday: A confirmation hearing is scheduled for Damman Hardware's Chapter 11 reorganization plan. Wednesday: State labor-force...

ECD joint venture settles disputes over battery patents.(News)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Rochester Hills-based Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Nasdaq: ENER) said last week that one of its joint ventures has settled patent disputes with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Panasonic EV Energy Co....

Week in Review.(Briefs)
July 12, 2004... C&A: New business, higher margins will help Plastics and interiors supplier Collins & Aikman Corp. said that it won $450 million worth of new business in the second quarter and boosted operating margins, but it continues to pay for plant...

Bankruptcies.(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... The following businesses filed for Chapter 7 or 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit the week of July 2-July 8. Under Chapter 11, a company files a reorganization plan that the court must approve. Chapter 7 involves total...

A sharp focus can help solve problems.(Column)
July 12, 2004... Byline: KEITH CRAIN One of the successes of Ronald Reagan's administration was that he was a very focused president. He didn't lose focus on dozens of priorities, but he remained committed to dismantling communism and the Soviet Union...

Crain's seeks best in real estate.(News)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Crain's Detroit Business is sponsoring the annual real estate excellence awards as part of the 18th annual University of Michigan/Urban Land Institute Real Estate Forum Oct. 27 and 28. Awards are given to real estate professionals in a...

Crain's wants to know who has the messiest desk.(News)(Brief Article)
July 12, 2004... Do you think an ordered desk is symbolic of an ordered mind? Do you believe cleanliness is next to godliness? Is there someone in your office who obviously worships at Our Lady of Perpetual Cubicle Landslides? Or maybe you are said...

Self-storage deals net big money from small spaces; $25M sale, opening of new center lead hot real estate sector.(News)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Jennette Smith Self-storage centers are a hot real estate category in metro Detroit as exemplified by the recent sale of a $25 million portfolio and the August opening of a new center in Detroit. Maurice Pogoda, president of...

Philanthropist uses fortune from family business to Reshape Port Huron.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane When sailboats in the Port Huron-to-Mackinac race line up this Saturday, it'll be from an 80-year-old tall ship owned by local businessman and philanthropist James Acheson that they get their official start. As...

This Just In.(Kunststoff-Technik Scherer & Trier USA Inc.)
July 12, 2004... German supplier to open plant, HQ in Saline A German auto supplier, armed with contracts from two automakers, is opening its first U.S. plant in Saline and placing its domestic headquarters there. Kunststoff-Technik Scherer & Trier USA...

New luxury hotel enters market with few competitors.(Special Report)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Scott Pacheco Another luxury hotel is set to enter metro Detroit. The Royal Park Hotel in Rochester is scheduled to open Sept. 1, and already is booking for the Ryder Cup, which begins Sept. 14. However, the opening of a...

Plan would expand Novi downtown; $80m-$100m project calls for retail, 400 condos.(News)(Triangle Development Co. Inc)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Southfield-based Triangle Development Co. Inc. plans to build up to 100,000 square feet of retail and 400 condos in what could be a $100 million expansion of downtown Novi. David Nona, president of Triangle,...

Five credit unions team up for commercial-loan venture.(News)(Katie Merx)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Five area credit unions have partnered to form a for-profit venture that will allow them to make business loans. Midwest Financial Credit Union in Ann Arbor, the State Employees Credit Union in Lansing, the Detroit...

Tyree Guyton taking his work Down Under.(Rumblings)
July 12, 2004... The artistic spirit that created Detroit's Heidelberg Project is being carried to Australia next week when urban environmental painter and sculptor Tyree Guyton heads to Sydney. Guyton plans to use his urban art approach of turning cast-off...

Baseball's All-Star Game offers big-league opportunity.
July 12, 2004... Byline: Terry Kosdrosky The way Ed Deeb sees it, the deadline for Detroit is a year away. That's when Comerica Park hosts Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, the second of three major sporting events within 18 months. Deeb said...

Business Diary.(Briefs)
July 12, 2004... Contracts Idetix Software Systems, Auburn Hills, will provide its Revize Web content-management software to Benedict College, Columbia, S.C. Berline, a Bloomfield Hills advertising agency, has been named agency of record for Kosch...

Taking the helm; New chief of tourism council intent on navigating to tangible progress.(Special Report)(Tourism Economic Development Council )
July 12, 2004... Byline: Jennette Smith Jim Townsend is all about action. The new executive director of the Tourism Economic Development Council said his main mission is to move the council from laying a foundation to building up its actual deeds. ...

Bar owners fear proposed increase in state liquor tax.(Special Report)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Dirk VanderHart As the owner of a small business in downtown Detroit, Sean Harrington already feels he is disadvantaged. "I can't get what they get for a martini in Birmingham,'' said Harrington, owner of The Town Pump Tavern,...

Ratios don't measure effective nursing.(Opinion)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Carolyn Schaefer Legislation has been introduced in Lansing to mandate specific nurse-patient staffing ratios at all times in Michigan hospitals. On its face, requiring hospitals to staff a certain number of nurses for a certain...

Pistons' prowess gives bounce to Detroit's image.(Special Report)
July 12, 2004... Byline: Scott Pacheco The Detroit Pistons' NBA championship in June has boosted Detroit's image as it gets ready to host several high-profile sporting events, a Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau official says. With the 2005...

Rumblings.
July 19, 2004... IPO is just a piece of plan for Domino's Domino's Pizza Inc.'s public stock offering last week was just the first step in a two-step plan for Bain Capital L.L.C. of Boston to finally get its money out of the Ann Arbor-based pizza-maker. ...

Plan eases Mariah through founder's death.(News)(Mariah Industries Inc.)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Sheena Harrison Mary de la Garza expected the unexpected. She was taking steps last September to create a succession plan for her automotive supply company, Mariah Industries Inc. in Warren. She had already written a...

Trends: Education.(Special Report)(Michigan)
July 19, 2004... By some measures, it would appear that Southeast Michigan has become better educated. The number of adults with associate's degrees and higher rose in nearly every area county from 1990 to 2000, and through 2003, graduation rates in...

Corrections.(Correction)
July 19, 2004... * An article on Page 13 of the June 28 edition should have said that Oak Park-based Cooperative Services Inc., not Co-op Services Credit Union, partnered with Bagley Housing Association to build the Rio Vista Detroit seniors housing complex....

The mouse that roars.(News)
July 19, 2004... * Visit www.crainsdetroit.com to read the latest daily breaking business news. MarketFacts: The MarketFacts special section, which starts on Page 10 of this issue, wouldn't all fit in print. Visit our home page, at www.crainsdetroit.com,...

This Just In.(various news briefs)
July 19, 2004... Orion Twp. takes up plan to end development fight Orion Township officials tonight plan to consider a proposal that would clear the way for 365 single-family homes to be built on 175 acres, halt a lawsuit filed by the township against the...

New Champion CEO expanded SPX division.(News)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Jennette Smith Champion Enterprises Inc.'s new president and CEO plans to apply his background in improving business operations to housing. William Griffiths, who succeeds turnaround specialist Al Koch as president and CEO on...

Irons in the fire; Restaurant impresario Taylor has big plans ahead.(News)(Frank Taylor)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Michael Strong Restaurateur Frank Taylor stands in the middle of his newest restaurant, Magnolia, leading his wait staff-in-training in a recital of the soon-to-open restaurant's mission statement. Taylor, 39, is making waves...

13 HMOs post profits, 2 lose during first quarter.(News)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Katie Merx Southeast Michigan's health maintenance organizations reported another solid financial quarter in the three months ended March 31, 2004, with 13 of the area's 15 HMOs recording a profit. And eight of the health plans...

DTE pact would help contain health costs.(News)(DTE Energy Co.)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Amy Lane A new contract offering higher wages and benefits, but also higher employee health care contributions, may get a final OK today from 3,700 DTE Energy Co. workers. The pact, for which ballots are being tallied today,...

Week in Review.(Briefs)
July 19, 2004... Ilitch Holdings execs leave company amid signs of turmoil The sudden departure of a longtime spokesman for Ilitch Holdings Inc. is the latest sign of turmoil among top leadership of the company. Al Sebastian, director of community...

Verizon says $25M center will help improve service.(News)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2004... Byline: Andrew Dietderich Verizon Wireless has opened a new $25 million switching center in Southfield, allowing for growth and improved reliability for the more than 2.5 million calls that go through it daily. An additional $10...